I test rode a Gold Wing and BMW LT. I chose an Ultra Classic because I liked the handling and styling. Also, my wife felt the most comfortable on the Ultra. I like the ABS and larger gas tank on the new (2010) Ultras. But that's about it. I have no compelling reason to sell my 2005.

 

my first bike was a yamaha 250 dirt
then added a 750 honda, bought used, it came with windjammer fairing. put on bags and a hang ten seat and took trips with it. felt good riding and at high speed. never had trouble with it.
sold both when my first kid turned 3.
that was 22 years ago.
fast forward to now. just to put things in perspective. i am 57, 5'10'', inseam 31". kinda short legs.
got a 2007 ultra march of 2007. put 18.5k miles on it. it was the bike that i learned how to ride a heavier bike. got use to it and really liked it.
from what i remembered about the 750 honda, this harley bike was not as fast in acceleration (but sounded better), but had more low end torque. the honda was also air cooled so no diff there. the harley feels more solid, heavier, probably because it is, by close to 300 lbs. i had thought the harley was higher, but in reality the honda was actually higher as i had to wear thick soles and heals to touch flat footed with both feet at a stop.
took some for me to get use to the harley, partially because of the 22 yr without riding and also because of just getting older and recognizing my mortality.

the 2007 got rear ended on the way to sturgis this year. put 8000 damage on the car that rear ended me. although a lot of things on the harley were scratched etc, i was amazed at how not damaged the bike was. the rear light was smashed and the fender was pushed in. but overall it was more like dings and stuff. there was 5500.00 damage on the bike, but that included like 700 for a new gas tank (scratched it coming off) and a new trunk for $1100. a latch on the trunk broke. i just wonder how a different bike would have faired, especially all the platics on a gold wing.

i traded that in just 3 weeks ago for an 09 ultra. i have 3500 on it already. took it over the weekend to DC (from chicago) and back (actuallly took fri and mon off so it was 4 days).

i have a hard time doing long distance in a car. but on the way out on friday i rode from 830am until after midnight in rain and wind and fog and hilly curvey roads doing close to 700 miles. why i can ride longer and farther than i can drive i have no idea other than "its gotta be the bike"

that new ultra handled beautifully. i felt comfortable and safe on it. just awesome. when i got to DC i stayed up another 4 hours talking to friends.

turned around and rode it back a bit sunday eve and the rest on monday.

obviously i can't say how a gold wing would be. but as good as this bike is i don't really care.

in comparison of the 07 to the 09. i can ride the 09 a lot longer with less trouble (by trouble i mean like back getting tired, etc. ) it just sits well for me. on the 07 i used the road pegs a lot more to change position and such. the 09 is so comfy i didn'teven have to do that.

the 09 is much more stable.

let me know if you have any specific questions that i can answer.

 

I have a Road King thought it was good on long trips... I bought a used 08 Ultra Classic this summer now I ride in comfort and only have to stop for fuel, not to rest. Gf riding comfort was the reason for the purchase.

 

i used to ride a fat boy and loved it but for long trips it just wasn't what we needed so i traded for a 07 ultra and it's the bike to have on long trips but for around town and short rides it's sorta like taking your motor-home to the store so you have to just weigh it out or get two bikes.
Bubba

 

i like that, "taking your motor-home to the store"

maybe i need to pull the sportster behind the ultra, for those grocery trips

 

the ultra is the way to go for your long trips but for short trips and just goin to the store it's like driving a motor home to the store ..
Bubba

 

I owned a Venture Royale before and it was a great riding bike with a awesome warranty. The dealers were not that great.
My 07 Ultra is my 3rd harley and 2nd Ultra. The ride, sound and feels alot better than the Venture. My wife loves the comfort and usually zones out on our rides. Dealerships are like anything, some of them are good and some of them should go back to school and find out what customer service really means.
I agree with those that recommend renting one for a couple of days to make sure, itis what you really want.

 

I have a good friend that bleeds Yahama blue. He's had several Yamahas since 1981. Bought a new Venture in 02 or 03, and HATED it. Way too TOP HEAVY, among other things! Kept it for 2-3 years, trying all of that time too like it, and finally traded it in on some other kind of new Yamaha. ............He said," that the Venture was the worst motorcycle that I EVER tried to ride".

 

You are absolutely correct. I rode GW for 32 years and the most comfortable long distance ride I've ever had was on my Ultra Classic. The main thing that has kept me from buying a new Ultra Classic is of course the cost and then the fact that there is only 2 years warranty and Harley typically have more problems than GW's do. I don't know what I'm going to do if my RKC breaks before I get it paid for.

 

Thank you all very much for the very detailed responses. Overall you hit on a lot of points that do factor into this decision for me. One being the dealers themselves. My buying experience with the imports (mainly yamaha) have been mostly negative. Not going to list them all, but it was even mentioned about the knowledge level and I agree there as well. If I had a question about dirt bikes or quads I'd have a million answers, but not a ton about the other machines. As soon as I walked into one of the local harley dealers I didn't immediately feel crowded. Even when asking to be directed to the bikes I was interested in, the salesman gave me plenty of space to myself. The owner happened to be there and was content just having a normal conversation and seemed to be pretty honest and frank with all answers to my questions. I appreciate that. Yes, I still trust him like any other dealership, but it was still a good vibe. I will test ride an '05 on Friday. I'm reluctant to buy anything new right now, mostly because of price, but also because this will be my first bike of this size and I really want to make sure it fits me completely before I buy new with all the fancy bells and whistles.
You've all helped my decision process greatly and I will definitely be checking back in to let y'all know whether I come away from this another proud Harley rider or move on to something else.

Mike

p.s. the bike I have my eye on is an '05 Black Cherry Pearl Ultra Classic w/ V&H exhaust, chrome grips, and a few extra chrome shiny things. List price is $14,495. He already has said he has plenty of room to work with the price. What should I expect to be reasonable?