I've been torn the past few months trying to nail it down to which Harley model would do it for me to cover all my wants/needs... I already have a Triumph Bonneville which is my fun bike to tinker with and I will be turning it into a part time cafe racer...but I want a touring bike and I love the batwing fairing and idea of having a stereo and also all the instrument clusters on the fairing instead of the tank. But at the same token, I also love the blacked out custom look of the road king special and I also love the naked look of the Road King classic with the windshield taken off in black and chrome! I think I am leaning towards a road king classic or road king special at this point because I can buy an aftermarket batwing fairing or aftermarket windshield and have it removed for that naked clean look when I'm not going long distances...

My important question that I'm hoping those who have had either both bikes or the road king classic with batwing aftermarket fairings installed is....: are they as solid as the Harley Street Glide batwing fairings? (do they vibrate at certain speeds?). (is the stereo decently heard at 60mph/80mph?). And can the Milwaukee 8 engine sound as good as its predecessors with aftermarket exhausts to get that trademark hog thunder/growl when you rip the throttle?


Any additional advice or input is greatly appreciated!

 

Have you taken either for test rides?

I went from a Thruxton to my Street Glide. Wished I had done it sooner.

 

If you are trying to figure which is best for you, the best thing to do is to rent one of each. Put some miles in them and see which one gets you excited the most. On the forum, you will get folks who love their Road Kings, and others who love the Street Glides. I for one will tell you neither, get a Road Glide


Good luck

 

I test rode both and went with the King. One- It has an additional inch of rear shock travel over the SG. 2- the rear of the seat doesn't slope downward and since I ride a lot with my wife, that meant something.3-I prefer the clean lines of the King,lighter steering, and less being tossed around with wind. Plus I didnt want all the bells and whistles that can go bad over time. Just wanted a basic bike. But make no mistake, the SG is a fantastic bike so its a personal choice for sure.

 

A Road King can pretty easily and moderately cheaply made into a Street Glide by adding a fairing and with quick detach back again. Also much more that can be done to a Road King. At Street Glide is a Street Glide. Enough said.

 

Yes, I test rode both at a Harley demo event hoping it would tell me everything that I needed to know and my initial impressions were that the SG rode a little harsh over bumps and the Road King Special was the one that spoke to me the most and surprisingly the suspension felt supple...I felt like a newborn kid and it was so much fun but I realized it didn't have the batwing fairing and no stereo and the speedometer was on the tank. I have never ridden a road king classic yet. Maybe that's the next step?

Is there a big difference between the 2014-2016 103 engine vs the new Milwaukee 8's 107? I've only ridden the 107 SG and RKS and the 110/111 Dyna Low Rider S (too much vibration that it numbed my hands lol)

 

In technical terms there is a vast difference. From an in the saddle perspective the M8 is also a pretty sizable improvement.I test rode a 16 SG and 17 RK and the motors felt worlds apart. I didn't care for the vibration on the 16 motor. Bu that's subjective and some love the older motor.

 

I had 3 Ultras before I got my Roadking. I was looking for a SG but was tired of the top heavy feel of the batwing bikes. I found this king in 2014. I love it. I like to ride without the windshield most of the time. If I did a lot more traveling long distance I might prefer a batwing. but can always install a batwing fairing if I want tunes or more protection. I can go from bar hopper to cruiser by installing my tourpak, lower fairings, backrest and windshield. and taking them off again.

 

a friend of mine has a batwing fairing on his road king - it's plenty solid and the stereo can be as loud as you want it to be. I found with mine that the windshield works as well as the fairing for wind protection, except your hands. Another vote for RK

 

Have an aftermarket faring on a RK. Had it on a softie for 5 years and took it off and mounted it on my RK two years ago. The aftermarket brackets are not nearly as solid as oem. However, never had a problem and never thought about it vibrating. Also, I bought a used RK knowing I would mount the faring on it from the softie. Several reasons for buying a used RK instead of a SG. Used RK's cost thousands less then SG's. I wear a FF and did not want the stereo or gauges. Owners have
problems with the stereos, amps, speakers... and spend money upgrading them or replacing them. And I did not want the added weight on the forks.

No doubt you can add a better stereo to an aftermarket faring then the oem stereo. But, if youre talking Rushmore or M8, then that may be different due to the infotainment technology.

You need to find an aftermarket faring. imo - the oem just fits better and looks better. Although, non HD owners wont notice the diff. HD riders can tell when close up. But most riders dont look or care.