Hello, I bought a heritage softail earlier this year and I am thinking about upgrading to a street glide. I want to be able to take longer trips. Does anyone have any thoughts on this. I have only been riding about 7 months and love it. The other thing worth mentioning is that I am not a very big guy, so I don't know if I could handle it. I weigh about a buck 50 and am 5 feet 9 inches tall. Any insight you guys can offer would be great.

 

No reason you can't take longer trips on a softtail.
But if you are set on SG, you can always lower it if you feel uncomfortable.
Don't forget about the roadking....

 

Love my SG. 5ft '9 is actually a very good height for it. You shouldn't need to lower it. I had a Dyna (that I loved) before my SG and took it on many a longer trip. The fairing and radio (not important to some) sold me on the glide. Go to the dealer for a test ride...that will either sell you on it or sour you........Good Luck!

 

Subscribed. Good luck!

 

I have been riding for over 40 years. For decades I was always saying I wanted to get a comfortable bike, but kept getting "cool" bikes. Even to the point of a rigid chopper a few years back. Finally in 2012 I bought a 2011 Street Glide. Riding is a whole new world, I wish I had done it years ago. I still have my other bikes, and enjoy all 4 of them, but the Street Glide is the hands down go-to for comfortable riding.

I bought mine 1 year old, with 900 miles on it, from the original owner for a steal. There are plenty of similar bargains out there.

 

Street Glides naturally sit pretty low (I actually raised mine). I migrated from a Dyna and the transition was pretty easy although initially I noticed the weight of the fairing a bit.

An SG with a detachable tour-pak is a really versatile machine.

 

I bought my SG 1 year ago, and love it. All though mine is older, I enjoy the versatility of it depending on if riding 1 or 2 up. If the wife is riding I put the tour pack on if not it comes off. Also, I am 5'7" and have an aftermarket seat, but it is not lowered. Works great for me.

 

I started riding on a new 2000 Heritage, after 36000 miles and wanting to tour longer rides, I bought my first Ultra. After my 3rd one, and after the divorce, wasn't taking the long trips anymore. I started looking for a streetglide, thinking I would like the lower stance and the tourpack optional. I know you can get a kit to make one quick detach.

Late 2014, was eyeing a 2010 Red CVO SG that been sitting at local dealer for 3 months. Stripped the do dads off the Ultra, putting it mostly back to stock, and drove there to maybe make a deal. It was gone! They took a payment that morning. Dang it!

There were no new ones left, waiting on the 15's in a week or so. When all of a sudden, I litterally bumped into the only RK on the floor. and was in the right color, vivid black. It had a $2000 gift card. So thinking back to my Heritage days and missing the fact I could take off the windshield on the hottest days, I pulled the trigger, got a great trade in, and don't miss the music at all. If I want music, you can fix up a King with lots of Audio

So, my opinion is, if you don't need music and like wind in your face, consider a RK with detach windshield.
If you like the protection of the batwing, and music, the Batwing isn't that much extra weight to handle.
I am 5'7 and a half (lol) and can handle the Ultra Limited but it is too much for a single guy for me anyways.

P.S,, you can get a detach batwing for Roadkings.. just sayin. Good luck.

 

What seat do you use if you don't mind me asking?

 

It was a while before I bought a touring bike. On my 2nd one now. Occasionally, parking my touring bike reminds me how much bigger and heavier this touring bike is compared to my old Sportster or Dyna. But I can't ever see myself riding anything except a touring bike for the rest of my days. Yeah, the ride really is much better--mostly noticed on the really long rides. And yeah, I like more storage space. And I love my stereo and GPS Boombox.

Personally, I don't think you are making a mistake if you go to a touring bike--and after a short while on a touring bike you might think the same thing I did which was "I should have gotten a touring bike long ago".

But...., you mention the SG. They are fine bikes. But before you get a SG do yourself a favor and sit on and test ride, if you can, A RG and also a RK. Maybe you have already done that and you definitely want the SG. ??? All I'm saying is explore fully before you commit.

Best of luck.

P.S. I'm on my 2nd RG. "There's no ride like a Road Glide" LOL.