All I have to say is WOW!!! A little history, I have been riding motorcycles since I was 13(now 39), it started out with dirt bikes, then a Honda CB750F(my first street bike), then in 1996 I bought my present machine, a 1996 Honda Shadow 1100( a great machine with an appetite for batteries). Well about 2 months ago the Harley bug bit. Me being a person who despises vehicle notes decided to save up and pay cash for one ( about a 1/4 of the way there). So in the mean time I decided to rent one from www.bumpusharleydavidson.com in Memphis, Tn. So in Sept. I stopped by to see when one was available, [>:]I was informed that it would be about a month and a half before it would become available, so I picked the 16 th of this month, well anybody east of Texas got rain that day[:@]I called to see if I could delay the rental 1 day and they said no problem. Yesterday morning I picked it up, after the test ride. I put about 200 miles on the bike and it was absolutely flawless.

Some obsevations

The Heritage rode smoother than the Shadow.
The Heritage was more stable on the road, I contribute to alot lower cg.
The Heritage torque was more than I imagined.
The stock mufflers suck!!
Wife was suprised by how smooth the Heritage was.( she rides with me alot, I once thought about selling the Shadow years ago and she hit the freaking roof!!!( what a woman![sm=love.gif])).
The renter before me put in regular gas, what an A$$.( I found out after I refilled w/premium and the performance difference was huge)
Bumpus customer service and rental was spot on.
The sound of the 96" reminded my of old school motorcycling (sound weird,I know!)
The inner thighs get awful warm in traffic[:-]

I'm HOOKED!!!!
This experience ensured me of purchasing a Harley( either a Heritage Softail or Fat Boy).

Dan

 

Dan, welcome to HDF from Central New York

Stop it, you make me wanna go try one out [8D]

 

Well Dan you have the Harley Fever ! The Heritage Softail would be my choice ....... wait aminute I already have one. Which ever one you choose have fun, thats what its all about !

 

Welcome from Omaha Nebraska[sm=groupwave.gif]

I looked long and hard at the Heritage but then decided to go a step further, I love my tunes. The Heritage are nice bikes.

 

Welcome to the forums and good luck saving $$$$ towards your dream.....

 

Welcome. Can't go wrong with the Heritage IMHO.

 

Welcome from another former Shadow 1100 rider in Colorado. It's a different world.

 

Welcome to the forum, from Northern Indiana.

Iron Horse

 

Welcome from NJ. My last bike was a 2001 Shadow Sabre. There is quite a difference between the Shadow and the Heritage. I agree with your findings, but I've been in traffic when my Shadow's fan clicked on and I thought my nads would burst into flames from the heat kicked up. It could get cooking also.

I also rented a HD before I bought one, but I rented the Fat Boy. If you are considering it, make sure that you rent one first. I wanted the FB but, I'm 5'10" and I felt a little bit too stretched on the FB. I went back to the dealer and asked a couple of people about adding risers to it to bring the bars back further. The parts guy said to put Heritage bars on the Fat Boy and I should try sitting on the Heritage. While I was doing that a salesman, who had heard the conversation said I should just go with the Heritage, since it's a Fat Boy, with a windshield, sissybar, bags, and bigger fenders. If I was considering putting any of that on a Fat Boy, the Heritage would be a better buy. Long story long, I went with the Heritage and haven't regreted it. The wife even likes it. It the first of my four bikes that she's been on.

 

Welcome aboard from Omaha, Nebraska.[sm=usa.gif]