Hi guys. I am considering swapping out my 1999 FXDX (lots of motor mods) for a 2016 Street Glide. How many of you came from riding performance piggys and went the bagger route? Was the loss of performance worth the boost in comfort? Any regrets not having a light/flickable bike anymore?

I would immediately add the Stage V 110" kit to the Street Glide to hopefully keep me from suffering on a slow bike, but I am unsure if it would make for a big bike that could really hustle down the road.

I have a badlander seat on my FXDX and my wife doesn't like to ride anymore due to the lack of comfort. I figure a Street Glide with a backrest would fix that.

I have never ridden a bagger so please give me the good, the bad and the ugly on your experiences making the switch.

Thank you in advance!


Scott

 

I made the switch from a softail to 05 Electra glide last year. The comfort was second to none. The performance sucked as it was a stage 1 88 cu in. I traded the 05 for a 16 street glide last weekend and the performance is good but wife misses the tour pack and the seat. The street glide seat is not really passenger friendly. as far as going to a bagger i would NOT go back i love harley baggers

 

Scott,
Just because its a bagger doesn't mean it won't run. The newer bikes are nothing short of amazing as far as stability and comfort and I'm only coming from an 06. Get a nice bike get a seat for the wife and you'll wonder what took you so long to change.

 

I might try to keep the FXDX and get a new Street Glide. That way I can do speed runs in the mountains (hopefully deal's gap tail of the dragon one day) and have a comfortable ride for when my wife wants to take a trip with me.

Being poor sux! lol

If I can't manage having two bikes I guess the Street Glide with a bunch of performance goodies will do.

By performance bikes I mean the ability to run hard on serious curves, not just straight line performance. I know I could toss in a 120R motor for straight line fun on a Street Glide, but it isn't exactly a "lay it hard into a corner" style of bike.

I guess I have to grow up sometime.

I sat on the 2016 Street Glide Special and it was WAY MORE comfortable than my current ride. No doubt about it!

 

I went from faster bikes including a 2004 ZX10R, my last two bikes were a 2004 FXDL and traded a 2013 VRod for the bike I have now.
I usually do upgrades immediately but waited and did just things to add to my touring comfort on this bike. I'm very happy, it's a different world. If I want to go fast I'll get a fast bike again, 800 pounds is slow no mater what you do to it compared to what I used to ride.

 

2016 RGU 103 high out put is not slow. It will get you more speeding tickets than you can afford anywhere in the US.
Some people are never happy and chase power to the end. Most of the power is wortless

 

Speed is fun but I do need to keep the old lady happy. Not bad when she says buying a new Harley is a good thing.

I definitely found a keeper!

 

Fact is all the harley big twins are big, heavy and slow. In '94 I got a Road King for the third wife to go along side my hot-rod sporty. I rode the sporty very little after that just because there wasn't that much a performance difference. Sold the sporty and got a ZX9 to go fast solo. Put about the same miles on my sport bikes as my harleys but now in my old age, even though the wife no longer rides, I'm down to just a elecrtaglide.

 

I really appreciate everyone providing their experiences.

Is there a cross posting rule on HD forums that would prevent me from asking the same question on the Dyna forum for anyone who has had both bikes (Dyna and a Bagger) but went to the Dyna for their ride?

 

If you go with a new bagger, put initial money into suspension upgrades (cartridge fork kit, adjustable shocks w/preload & damping adjustments) before big engine mods. Definitely get an a model with ABS.