I'm sorry, but the BMW's have to be some of the UGLIEST bikes out there. I don't care if they run good or whatever. They are UUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGLLLLLLLYYYYYY! This is a HARLEY forum!

 

No one can tell you which bike is right for you. Find a local dealer and rent for a day or weekend and test drive until you find the one that meets your expectations. You don't want to make a $25,000 mistake.

 

My son rides a BMW, but slowly he's looking at HD as well. Just go rent the different models to make the informed decision. You're really aren't going to get an unbiased opinion here. This the HD Forum!

 

Well said. Good luck on your decesion...Ride Safe and Merry Christmas!!

 

Yea, don't buy the BEST Harley your first time around, settle for the "second" best and buy the Road Glide NEXT time around!

(Just remember that batwing owners outnumber FLTR owners something like 50:1 so you will naturally get a biased opinion about buying another copycat batwing here.)

 

I want to thank all of you for your thoughts and opinions. I know this is a harley forum and sorry for the other BMW pics... not my intentions.

I will take all your good advice and form my own opinion and go for a ride. The local harley dealer has offered to let me take a ride, even in the winter if the roads are bare. I will ride a EG and RG and go from there. I'm pretty sold on a frame mounted fairing b/c I'm confident that the bike is more stable in the wind and in my part of the country there is always wind, but we'll see.

If anyone else has any experience coming from a bike like mine I'd love to hear your thoughts. BTW, I rode my bor'-in-laws '03 EG a few years ago and remember it as being very stable.

 

Fwiw, my Road King is rock solid even in extremely strong winds. The fork-mounted windshield doesn't seem to matter at all.

 

Rob, I had an 1150RT, currently have R1200GS, and a Goldwing...also a 07 RoadGlide. I am retired and live in southern cal, ride 35-40k a year.

I tink you will like a Glide, BUT

I suspect you will hate the buffeting. I have lowers on my Glide, have tried 6 different windshields...finally have it better, but not as good as an RT, not even close to a Wing. This is with a full face helmet at 75-80 on the interstate. You have to decide how important that is.

The Glide is heavier, doesn't handle as well. Still, they are really cool. Hard to describe.

I have found the newer Harleys to more reliable than the Beemers, the beemers just have too much complicated stuff.

If you haven't done so, I would rent one for a weekend, put a few hundred miles on it. I think the RG is one of the best looking touring bikes made, but you still need to be comfortable on it.

 

Another point I failed to mention in my previous post, though it doesn't have anything to do with the actual performance of the bikes, is that H-D has such an extensive dealer network that this is a real advantage nowadays. I think BMW is trying to kill off its small dealers. My dealer used to be located five miles from my workplace, making it a convenient lunchtime or after-work stop. Now the closest dealership is an hour and a half away, and I hear bad things about them all the time. Although I do all my own work on both the BMWs and the Harley, it would be nice to have a local shop available for parts and advice on the BMWs (the previous local shop owner was a topnotch BMW mechanic, having been in the business all his adult life.) There was supposed to be a new BMW shop opening in the area, but that's not going to happen, allegedly because the owner couldn't find a certified BMW technician to work there (and you must have at least one to open a shop.)

Even though I read a lot of comments on this forum about "stealers", I have found my H-D dealership personnel to be nothing but pleasant and helpful every time I'm in there. And if I didn't, there are at least five other dealers within a reasonable distance. Another advantage of Harleys is that if you do not perform your own service work, the world is full of independent mechanics, some of whom are very good at what they do. Not so with BMW.

 

You went to the right place.... You own one brand, and are checking out another. You wanted information from the people who own and USE the bike, you're interested in. You've gotten a fair amount of good information, both good and bad... as with everything, there are plus' and minus'... a bike is a tool... you select the right one for the job at hand.

I hope you get the chance to check out the UC as well as the RG, both fine bikes, and i believe you'll be happy with either.

the one thing about this (or any forum) you'll have folks who don't read, get in the act, and make comments that just don't make sense... yes this IS a HD forum, but the guys were just showing a photo of what you ride... that's all... no one was posting an anti-HD comment...

good luck, and keep us posted
Frank