Current bike 2014 Road King

Wife and I were checking out the 18 Heritage, wondering how much of an upgrade this maybe or possible downgrade or makes no difference.

Think the 18 Heritage is an awesome looking bike.

The 18 Heritage caught my interest at first in magazine reviews, just the same as the 14 Rushmore Road King did back in 14 which was our first Harley.
We absolutely love the Road King and also was a great experience as our first ever Harley.

Well its 2018 and I am starting to get motorcycle A.D.D. and just looking around, thinking the only bike I would consider other then a new Road King is the new Heritage, just love the redesign and look.
What shocked me more is my wife is once again all for a new bike and the Heritage does it for her too.

Questions, truthfully ...

1. We do A LOT of interstate 2 to 3 hours each way day trips, to the beach or the other way to the Smoky mountains, sometimes the mountains for a few days.
Typical speeds are 75 to 85.
Is the new Heritage just as capable as the Road King for this type of riding?
2up, luggage etc. (see photo below!)

We also of course do around town riding, 35 to 55 mph rural roads and suspect we may like the lighter weight of the Heritage.

2. More or less, would we be just as happy with the Heritage?
Looking for comfort, speed and power, just as the Road King gives us.
I suspect the power is way more then the Road King.

How about comfort?
Im 5'11" (175lbs) wife petite 5' and when we first got the RK I tried 5 seats to get the type of comfort we needed. Felt to crunched up at first.
We ride 2 up all the time, our total weight is just under 300 lbs.

I already know the saddlebags on the Heritage are smaller etc.
Just need feedback on the bike vs our 14 RK for those that have bought the new 18 Heritage.

Call us crazy but we just love the look. I thought I would have this RK "forever" hmmmm ... but ... well, we know how that goes, add to that my wifes reaction in the showroom last week and now I know, its up to me, anything can happen between now and next spring if the right deal came along ) maybe

Any feedback would be great, I assume the frame platform for the Heritage will be the same for a number of years now.

OH CRAP, BIGGEST QUESTION, WHY ON EARTH DO I AHVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE 107 AND 114 ???????

I cant help feel if I dont get the 114 I am getting less bike then the 107, yet I currently have a stock 103 Rushmore RK and PERFECTLY happy with the 103 and the RK 103 bike is more heavy.
Do I really need the 114? I honestly almost want the 107 to be honest.
Will the 107 be around as long as the 114?

Ugh... got to get to work, thanks in advance!

 

I've had the 107 and the 114. Have not put a lot of miles on either of them though. There is not a huge difference in power but I'm glad I ended up with the 114. Hopefully you can test ride both of them. Have never ridden a RK so no help there. I will say the Heritage is really fun to ride and handles well at interstate speeds, has cruise control, and plenty options for luggage.
Would be good to have more accessories for the 2018 models but that should come. For example, I'm still waiting on passenger floorboard supports. My wife rides with me but she will want floorboards for longer rides.

 

1. YES
2. Most likely, some small differences but you can make changes to either bike to make them work for you.
3. Again you can make any needed changes to get there.
4. Have you taken a 107 & 114 for a ride yet? Try them out and see if you prefer one over the other.
5. No, you could get buy with a 650 if you really wanted to.
Back in the 80's I rode a 550 all over Montana, Idaho, Wyoming (allot was 2 up).
6. Why would it not be. People (for the most part) always want bigger & better.
Bigger is not always better though, but we feel great having that bigger number on the side.
99% of the people/time we can't tell the difference in daily riding/driving.
Unless you are driving like your hair is on fire all the time.
If you are make sure your life insurance is paid up.

I took a new Heritage out for a spin about a month after they came out.
Nice riding bike, my biggest complaint was the bags.
Hopefully they improved the latch (maybe it was adjustment) but I was not the only one that had issues with them.
One of the bags popped open while on the ride (yes it was closed).
As for the 107 vs 114 take them for a spin.
I took out both in bagger form, and was just as impressed with the 107.
But again that ride was everyday style riding, not on a track or without other folks on the road with me.

Like always this is IMHO so take it with a grain of salt

 

Mate I have a 107 and am so very very happy with it, it's an awesome little bike ,but for you two up all the time I'd definitely go the 114 man.

 

Terrific questions. I'm considering a switch to the Heritage after 15 years on touring Harleys. My wife has stopped riding, so two up is not an issue. I like the fact the Heritage is substantially lighter, but I'm not sure the 5 vs 6 gallon tank will be a pain. One other question: are the tires tubeless?

 

All stock HD bikes with laced wheels have tubes...

 

Remember when people used to travel 2 up on shovels and pans? I'm sure any engine you choose will work fine.
Don't sell your perfectly good bike just for the sake of "upgrading"... it's a harley. There is no such thing as upgrading. Every big twin is a good bike.

 

The tires are not tubeless. The single biggest issue I have with the bike.

The saddle bags are great for commuting or bringing home a few groceries. They are not touring level panniers. For me it’s not a deal breaker, since it’s easy enough to attach a dry bag or backpack.

I have the 114. Since I wanted abs, it wasn’t that much more. And I prefer the air cleaner cover.

I’ve owned two Limiteds. I would rather ride the Heritage on anything less than a multi state highway ride. We’ve also had a Superglide and a Low Rider and I much prefer the Heritage in every respect.

Personally, I would prefer the Heritage over the RK. Yes, the RK bags are much better and the RK is a nice bike. But it is also much heavier and doesn’t handle as well.

My wife rides her own bike, so we rarely ride two up. So I can’t comment on passenger comfort.

 

I can't offer much help with the other questions as I've only had mine a short time but I can say I went in thinking I HAD to have the 114, until I rode a bike with the 107. I live smack dab on the high plains where it's so flat you can watch your dog run away for 3 days so I don't need the extra power for inclines. The 107 purrs right along just fine for me and the extra savings went into some nice accessories for the bike. No regrets there.

 

The biggest issue is that the luggage capacity is small compared to the road king. The only advantage is the weight and the new frame and suspension. The bad is that it cost as much if not more than the Road King. Some people see more value with the Road King compared to the Heritage since the Road King falls in line with the Touring models which is their flagship line. While others see the Softail as the step below it.