Hey man. I'm gonna put my vote in for the Fatboy. Don't worry about it not being a tourer, last year I took it on a 15,000 mile trip with out any problems. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Also with the saddlebags, throw them on when you need them, and then just take them off and you got a sweet looking bike again. With the road king, you're pretty much stuck with the saddlebags always being on.

 

I've had both, and though the fatboy was an awesome bike and I had fun adding things to it (bags, apes, pipes, chrome), the RKC I now ride has all of that plus cruise control that came on the bike new. The bottom line is that it seemed that the whole time I had the FB, I was trying to turn it into a bagger--so why not just buy a bagger? On a side note, I have as much fun riding my RKC around town as I do taking long trips--I couldn't say that about the FB. Just my .02....

 

a Fatboy looks good with or without saddlebags:
a Roadking looks naked without saddlebags:
a Fatboy is more nimble than a Roadking:
a Roadking is the "King" of the highway:
Both have 6 speed transmission's ?

I say go for the Crossbone :-)

 

Just have to add my thoughts. I probably will never get rid of my FatBoy because its so damn much fun to ride. On the other side, a bagger is the best ride by far. I don't have a RK but for highway or long distance, they are hard to beat. I love my softail but if I only had one bike, it would be have to be a bagger because if you love to ride, sooner or later that 1000 mile trip is inevitable.

 

A 15,000 mile trip last year??? YIKES!!!

Did you ride from New York to San Francisco and back again, TWICE...and then a 3000 mile side trip just for kicks?

 

I went from a 1200 Custom to the Fat Boy. I strip it down for around town and winter, and dress it up for the summer and longer range when I want to carry my "stuff". My other favorite was the Road King Classic, but all in all, the FB was the right choice for me and the type of riding I do. Check out my pictures.

 

Now you're talkin! LOL

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My neighbor has a nice RKC. Does rides with his wife to Massachusetts and the like. Looks good, with or without the bags & windshield, IMO. If you're worried about locking the bags...if their quick detachable (which most folks like), what's the use in locking them? If someone wants to steal 'em, they just come right off! Ride them both, and then get which one "feels" like you. You should know when you ride it. I like the balanced motor, to be honest. Nice smooth ride. If I were to be a long distance rider, most of the time, I think the RK is worth the extra grand, just for the bags and windshield and the better suspension. But the Fatboys ARE the best looking Harley. Good luck!

 

I love the suspension on the softails. Taught, but has some give. And that in-the-bike feel is the deal now.
Split the difference and get a Deluxe! LoL

 

Was in a similar dilemma when I purchased my Deluxe. It was between the Deluxe or a Street Glide. I liked the Street Glide a lot but when I rode it although it was fairly smooth, I felt too high up and disconnected from the bike. I felt as though the bike was very maneuverable. When I jumped on the Deluxe, I felt as if I was one with the road, the bike was much smoother than the SG and the handling was out of this world. Main reason why I wanted the SG was for the radio, larger bags and 2-up riding. I ride 2-up on the Deluxe all the time now and it works great for what it is. Definitely happy with the Softail family of bikes.