Here's my take:

Road King has better suspension? Don't care.
RK has anti-lock brakes? Don't care.
RK has a slightly smoother engine at speed? Don't care.
RK has cruise control? Don't care.

If I cared about that stuff, I'd still be riding a BMW RT, with over 100 hp stock, saddlebags galore, the ability to cruise at 90 mph all day long, and canyon performance to match most sport bikes. But I don't ride a BMW, and you know why I don't? Right. Because I don't care about that crap.

For me, it isn't about how the bike feels; it's about how the bike makes me feel. How I feel when I look at it. How I feel when I sit on it. How I feel when I'm cruising down the highway. My HSC makes me feel the way I want to feel when I'm riding, or wrenching, or polishing. I don't give a tinker's damn about how efficient the bike is, or how comfy my passenger is, or whether it has air suspension or a freakin' stereo. All I care about is how the bike makes me feel. If your bike makes you feel right -- if you really connect with it on an emotional level -- you'll ride it to the ends of the earth with a smile on your face. If it doesn't, all that smoothness and that efficiency will sit in the garage while you make weak excuses not to ride.

That's my story -- and that's my HSC -- and I'm stickin' to it.

 

Road Kings are awesome long distance machines and are great on the super slab. If thats what you want in a motorcycle, buy the Road King. If you don't want a bike whose primary purpose is the highway, buy the Softail.

 

I've ridden a couple of HSC's, and I liked the ride. One was a test ride at the dealer, but the other is my BILs and I ride it quite a bit. His is a Springer and it's a good firm ride, and it feels good two up too. To be fair, I've never ridden a RK so I can't make an informed comparison.

 

I'll give my .02

I had a DYNA Superglide. I spent the coin to add FLH bags and a tourpack, as well as a Memphis shades batwing.

Not happy.

Decided to get a new Streetglide.

The new streetglide is TWICE the bike my "bagged" DYNA was.

The Softail bagger is not even close to being in the same league as a Road King or other Touring bike.

My Streetglide is the nicest Harley I have ever ridden, bar none. I even rode a Road Glide, which is the rage these days BTW, and I still prefer the Streetglide.

Your call, but if you pass on the Touring bike for the Softail bagger, I'll surely feel sorry for you.

Again, I speak from experience. The 2009+ Touring bikes are the finest Harley's ever made.

~Joe

 

After having owned two different Dyna models (Superglide Sport and a StreetBob), I've ridden a Fatboy, a Sportster, a Roadking and an Ultra. None have given me the feeling that I now have with my Heritage.
Of course, the Buell pictured in my avatar, was a whole 'nother story.

 

Everyone is making compelling arguments. The Dyna was my first Harley, and prior to that, almost exclusively sportbikes (except for the Suzuki M50 I had prir to the Dyna). I honestly don't know what else I want in a bike beyond my Dyna. I want to be able to do 500 miles in a day (can do that on the Dyna pretty easily). I want to have my wife aboard, and do that same 500 miles (not "as" easily done, but doable). I am not an aggressive rider, but do not spend much time on the freeway. Mostly two lane, and when I ride to work, it is 90% around town.

I am most likely going to have to take a test ride on both before I can begin to commit to one or the other.

Keep the opinions coming. So far, all have been really good.

 

I can't speak for others...but if I give you an opinion, it is because I have PERSONAL experience with it.

ALOT of guys on the internet are claimed experts.....I don't offer advcie unless I have been there.

I actually built up a DYNA, and have owned a new Touring bike....I'm not passing on 2nd hand info.

Take it for what you will.

~Joe

 

Whatever floats your boat. The touring bikes are a lot heavier than the Softails. Personally my '07 Fat Boy with a Mustang seat with a backrest installed is a wonderful putt on the freeways. The Road King is a sweet bike but man it is a ton around town and I've never been a fan of that frame.

You'll find lots of opinions here based on experience but the only experience that matters is yours. One thing to remember is that the touring bikes are carrying a lot more weight higher up with pretty much the same engine. You can split the difference between a 96 and a103 but you will need to add stonk to any tourer to match a stock Softy...

 

I love softails but I also love my RK Custom. Yes, the RK is great on the superslab but it is also just as good around town as a softail. You will be surprised once you get used to a RK as to how easy it is to throw around and ride slow and in tight maneuvers.

I have ridden all over the west and south on a FXSTC and loved it. I have also ridden all over the west and across the south on my RK and loved that also.

Both bikes that you are considering will do what you want them to do and make you happy doing it. You will not go wrong with either and I think they are equal.

You sound happy with your Dyna so if you want to save some money my advice would be to not go to the dealership on Tuesday but instead call the salesman and tell him you decided not to buy. Otherwise, more than likely once you go in and look again at the bikes you will probably leave there with one of them. But that ain't bad either.

Good luck.

 

I am pretty happy with it. I went in to see what was on the clearance rack, and get a few stickers. LOL. I did get the stickers.

I am now just really trying the best I can (without finding out 18000.00 later) whether or not the extra investment of a new bike would add enough to what I already have (fun factor) so that I can feel good about it after I start paying for it. I like both bikes (and several others), which makes it that much harder, and fun trying to decide.