I have seen a few men on the Deluxe, very very few. The SG isn't that tall, go for it.

 

Get what ever ya want, and you can make it fit ya. I've seen way too many people do it in the last 20 years!............ I know that can be done

 

I am 5' 10" and bought a SG because the Ultra felt top heavy. I knew I would drop the ultra in a parking lot some day. The Heritage was my and my wife's first choice, but I wanted the radio. My friend is 5' 7" and rides a ultra. He told me a few moths ago that "I thought of you when I saw two women riding ultra's the other day". I really could care less I knew I had bought what I wanted and felt comfortable with. Now he is wanting to lower his 08 ultra to a SG height. My friend went from a sporty to a ultra and says you have to learn to ride all over again. I loved the Heritage(feel),disliked the Ultra(top heavy), went with the SG( good looks and feel). No regrets!!!

Sath

 

Get a Heritage and ride into the sunset with a big smile on your face.

 

have you sat on a heritage softail? they seem like a great compromise, a softail version of the roadglide which sits shorter people. i think it's the same ride height as the deluxe, and it comes with the window and suitcases too. not a bad choice for a shorter guy.

 

Personally, I think the Heritage Classic is a better looking bike than than all the hard baggers! If it wasn't for the wife, I'd still be riding one. Now its an UC, the intercom is nice, but I could still live w/o the tunes. I will admit the UC does ride a whole lot smoother than the HC did, and I do really love the bike. But, I still think, and my wife agrees, that the Heritage Classic is the best lookin' of the bunch.

P.S. Harley doesn't make a "girls" bike.......but there are some girls that ride Harleys. (all models)

 

An idea. You would be surprised at what a cobbler can do to make a pair of good riding boots a fair bit taller. I know someone who had about 3 or 4 inches added to a pair of boots. They can re-work them to add height inside and outside. She even had a groove cut into the bottom to fit over her pegs. When she was standing around, you would not have even noticed. And on a bike with floorboards, you can simply adjust the shift lever higher to fit your boot under it. Something like this can make a really big difference.

 

You can do a lot with the Softails - Deluxe or Heritage; get a kit to convert to the hard bags and go with a detachable batwing fairing. Then you have the lower seat height AND the B motor which is so smooth at idle and low speeds. I've got both a Road Glide and a Heritage, and the feeling of better balance at stops and low-speed manuevers on the Heritage gives a lot better feeling of confidence........and I've been riding 40 years and am 5/10". Just my 2-cents worth.

 

I can understand wanting to be able to put feet down flat, but being vertically challenged myself I have not always been able to do it with my bikes. I can only get my toes down on my dresser, or the ball of one foot, but my wife and I get around on it OK!

Although I now have a batwing on my bike, it originally looked like a modern RK, with an oval windshield, so that would be my suggestion. Visit your local dealers, on a weekday when they are not too busy, and collar a salesman for a while. Grill him on models, their experience of smaller riders, try bikes static and a test ride if you can. Once you are moving on a touring bike you'll be grinning all the way! There will be no turning back....

 

Good post. I've gone back and forth with the idea of moving up to a SG or RK and although at 5'8" I know it's doable I just don't think I'd be as comfortable or as confident as I am on my Heritage. And that's even with a seat and handlebar change.

Basically I can't find a good enough reason to switch from the lower and more in the bike seat position of the softail frame. My Heritage and my wife's Deluxe gets us down the hiway just fine.