Sportster to Road King Classic??
#21
12-06-2011, 11:39 PM
Elite HDF Member
This is what I did. Had a new '02 Sporty and bought a new '06 RKC. 3 years later, Regretted my decision so I traded my RKC for a new '09 Ultra, The best decision I ever made...Never looked back again. 
Touring Bike rocks,
Thorey
Touring Bike rocks,
Thorey
#23
12-07-2011, 06:24 AM
I have a 2009 XL1200C and a 2010 Road King Classic. IMO Sportsters are more fun to ride and feel very raw (like you're riding an old school motorcycle).
The Road King is IMO the best Tourer out there. Definitely more refined and smoother riding than the Sporty. I like the old school look with the touring comfort. It's not as peppy as the Sportster but its certainly made for 2up riding with plenty of Torque to get you going and climb hills easy.
For me if I want to sprint around 0-60 then I drive the Sporty. If I want to just cruise around or take a nice long trip on the highway then the Road King is perfect.
Love them both but made for different purposes. Not to say that the Sporty can't tour. Did a 20 hour straight tour on the Sporty last year. It ran great, it's just that my butt was super sore and legs a little cramped up as I didn't have highway pegs like the King.
The Road King is IMO the best Tourer out there. Definitely more refined and smoother riding than the Sporty. I like the old school look with the touring comfort. It's not as peppy as the Sportster but its certainly made for 2up riding with plenty of Torque to get you going and climb hills easy.
For me if I want to sprint around 0-60 then I drive the Sporty. If I want to just cruise around or take a nice long trip on the highway then the Road King is perfect.
Love them both but made for different purposes. Not to say that the Sporty can't tour. Did a 20 hour straight tour on the Sporty last year. It ran great, it's just that my butt was super sore and legs a little cramped up as I didn't have highway pegs like the King.
#25
12-07-2011, 10:08 AM
Why did you regret getting the RKC? The previous owner of the one I am looking at traded it for an Ultra also. The dealer said he wanted a fairing and the wife wanted an armchair. What didn't you like about the Road King?
#26
12-07-2011, 10:09 AM
I bought my first Harley, my '08 1200 Custom, around Memorial Day. Since then I have been riding it like hell. I've put over 6000 miles on it and despite the oncoming winter, I am still riding it every chance I get. Summing it up, I love my Sporty and have no complaints.
After my wife and I got back from a 5 hour ride on Saturday, I was fooling around on the Harley website while watching college football. I was looking around at various touring models and told my wife that if I ever was going to "upgrade" it would be to a Road King Classic (I like the cruiser look) and if I ever saw a 2011 in the purple/black combination (as you can see in my signature pic, I like purple), I might have to seriously consider trading in. Then in a weird coincidence, that exact bike, with low mileage, appeared on my dealer's used inventory page yesterday.
Have any of you made the transition from a Sportster to a Road King? What are the pros and cons? I love riding the twisties and sweepers on country roads. How different will I find the handling? Although I do alot of long day trips (up to 10 hours a day in the saddle), I haven't done any cross country touring and don't have plans to at this point. (My Sundowner seat makes the Sporty perfectly comfortable on those long day trips.) Is there a reason to trade in when there really isn't anything I don't like about my Sportster?
After my wife and I got back from a 5 hour ride on Saturday, I was fooling around on the Harley website while watching college football. I was looking around at various touring models and told my wife that if I ever was going to "upgrade" it would be to a Road King Classic (I like the cruiser look) and if I ever saw a 2011 in the purple/black combination (as you can see in my signature pic, I like purple), I might have to seriously consider trading in. Then in a weird coincidence, that exact bike, with low mileage, appeared on my dealer's used inventory page yesterday.
Have any of you made the transition from a Sportster to a Road King? What are the pros and cons? I love riding the twisties and sweepers on country roads. How different will I find the handling? Although I do alot of long day trips (up to 10 hours a day in the saddle), I haven't done any cross country touring and don't have plans to at this point. (My Sundowner seat makes the Sporty perfectly comfortable on those long day trips.) Is there a reason to trade in when there really isn't anything I don't like about my Sportster?
It's not that big a change when you get down to it. All the concepts of riding are the same regardless of the size bike. The biggest changes are mental.
I guess the biggest shock for me was not having the nimbleness of a Sportster. I had to adjust my thinking and NOT try to cut corners so tight. With a bigger motor (1200cc to a 1540cc) I also had to get use to not rolling as hard on the throttle.
Once on the RK I definately knew why we had always regarded them as "Road Sofas".
#28
12-07-2011, 12:37 PM
Went from a Sporty to a Heritage Classic and then to EGUC. Biggest thing that I notice from the Sporty to the Heritage Classic was the POWER and the WEIGHT. From the Heritage Classic to the EGUC was the loss of power, vibration and the WEIGHT. Oh yes, the EGCU was a little taller to the seat.
#30
12-08-2011, 03:07 PM
I went from a Sportster to a RK and love the RK. It rides like a Cadilac. The RK is more top heavy but it's easy to learn what it's limits are. The RK is actually easier at doing the ride like a pro parking lot drills. Its amazing how well a big bike can handle. it's a little bit more bike to move around with your feet but once it's in first gear it's luxury riding. It handles the wind and bumps a lot better also. You won't be sorry.