I've decided to get a new bike. I'm torn between two bikes a Road Glide Special and a Street Glide Special. I like both bikes, but haven't rode either enough to say "that's the one". I did a dealer day down in El Paso and I rode the Street Glide Special and a CVO Road Glide. I liked the slow turn maneuverability of the Road Glide, but it just felt bulky and top heavy with the tour pack on it. It made it hard for me to make a good comparison between the two.

Who has ridden both? Which do you prefer and why?

The Street Glide Special already has Rinehart exhaust on it, which is nice, but I'm sure they would do that to the Road Glide if I went that way. I always hated the RG fairing, but the new one looks better to me and I'm digging the blue.

 

Road Glide all day long. You get used to it quickly, trust me. The problem there is Barnetts has the market sewn up and won't give an inch wanting over market value. At least that is what I knew about 8 years ago.

 

That doesn't sound like a very fair comparison to me. The Street Glide is going to feel top heavy with the TP on it also till you get used to it. I've ridden my GF'S SGS and have done demo days on the CVO RG. I didn't feel the vents on either bike did all that much. The radio seemed harder to see an the RG. I'd suggest asking your dealer to let you test ride each one. Then decide. You can probably rent a RGS for a day to put it thru its paces.

 

I thought about trading in my RKC for an SG at one point.....then sat back and realized that my riding experience is much more free feeling knowing I don't have a bike payment!! LOL!!

 

You said you've always hated the road glide fairing so why are you even looking at them? Both bikes have the same frame and engine so really the fairing is the only big difference. Go with the one you like.

 

what about trying to rent one for a half a day and the other for the other half of the day. find a rental place that has one and to spend a couple of hundred dollars instead of 20000 + and find out its a mistake.

 

This.

The handling is the same, there is, however, a placebo effect.

The argument could be made that the large fairing, and the radio up high on the RG could hamper low speed maneuverability because of all the weight up high and wide.

But that would be as much BS as saying the batwing hampers maneuverability.

Or that the fixed headlights hamper low speed maneuverability.
Or that the fact that you can't see the ground in front of the bike hampers low speed maneuverability.

I had a 2011 UltraFugly, great bike.

I personally like my TK mucho bettero

buy what you like, like what you bought....

 

I agree the comparison was unfair, which is a partial reason for the post. I will test ride both bikes tomorrow, but unfortunately there is no one local that rents bikes. Trying to get a heads up for things to pay attention to on those test rides. Now the radio visibility will be added to the list.

As far as hating the look of the fairing, it's better now than it was, I like the color, which helps and if it's a better riding bike, form follows function at this point in my life.

 

Back in 2012 I rented a Electra Glide Limited for two days and put 600 miles on that, then rented a RG for three days and did 1,200 miles on that. I road everything from dirt trails to freeways, in wind and rain. Found things I liked and didn't like that I would not have noticed sitting on one in the showroom. I would have been happy with either, it was close enough that in the end I decided on price - there were a lot of FLHTK's in inventory when the '13's were coming out so I had more bargaining power and the batwing seemed to provide more protection from the rain.

Either one will be a great ride.

Edit- sorry FNGonaRK, it took me too long to post this so I didn't see your last comment

 

You need to put some miles on both. I had a Batwing & felt cramped. I don't have the issue with my Road Glide. Good luck.