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Fat boy, heritage and deluxe.

I have an 2007 heritage and I love it. it is comfortable and I just rode from jersey to daytona and back and it was comfortable. I wouldn't get ride of it for all the tea in china.
 
as your current ride is a bonnie id think youll notice a fair bit of difference in the handling but it all depends on the type of riding you do
any bonnie is a good frame for the twisty roads and spirited riding the softail frame is great for cruising and perhaps touring but does not like to flick from one side to the other on an undulating road
you may find some clearance issues with the floorboards on some models of softail

Brian

i have hertaige springer i agree that in some shap turns you may scrape your
floor boards i have no complaints with mine i ride the wheels off mine
been to fla fo ky on it i was not tired when i got there just a sore bottom
i dont no how other softails handle on a long trip copared to my heritage springer:newsmile011:
 
I have a fatboy and love it. It just fits. You need to set on a few and see which one makes you smile most. Which ever you choose you will wonder what took you so long.
 
+1 on go ride some and see what you like. Traded up from a sporty to the 07 FLSTC. For me 20,000 miles in two years on my 07 kind of sums it up.
 
I am 58 years old, but I've only been riding since last July. I first bought a Sportster and within a month new I wanted a bigger bike. I bought an 07 Heriatge and it is wonderfully fun to drive. It has plenty of power for me and my girlfriend. I can ride all day and I'm not worn out. Even though it will do it with ease, I'm just not gonna ride over 100 mph. When I go to the Harley dealer I end up sitting on a road king or something and it just reminds me how great my Heritage feels. It's a joy to ride.
 
I agree that if you've already decided on a softail, then the Heritage is the way to go.

However, if you seriously plan on doing a pretty good amount of touring, solo or 2 up, you'd be cheating yourself if you didn't spend at least a day on a touring model, rental or demo. These bikes are simply made for that kind of riding. If you like the leather bags and the windshield, then the Road King may be the bike for you!
 
as your current ride is a bonnie id think youll notice a fair bit of difference in the handling but it all depends on the type of riding you do
any bonnie is a good frame for the twisty roads and spirited riding the softail frame is great for cruising and perhaps touring but does not like to flick from one side to the other on an undulating road
you may find some clearance issues with the floorboards on some models of softail

Brian

Good points mentioned here... i got my Fatboy last year, i just love flickin it through bends, but once you try an push it that bit too far, it all goes very ambulance on you.. ive ground half an inch off the back edge of both boards. plus grounded the primary cover and the exhaust .... Softails really dont like to be hustled along too enthusiasticaly... wheres my Street Bob was ten times better at catching rabbits... all this said.. i wouldn't part with it for the world. you have to take the rough with the smooth on a softail.!
 
you may find some clearance issues with the floorboards on some models of softail

Brian

Some clearance issues???The ONLY thing wrong with my Deluxe is the lack of cornering clearance.
I was bought up as a Sports Bike rider and still ride one.Somewhat surprisingly,i find the Softails handle reasonably well considering their weight,brakes and basic suspension,hold their line well and only become 'disturbed'on choppy bends:this manifests itself in a slow weave that never intensifies.
But beware the poor cornering clearance at your peril. 3 years back when my 595 wouldn't bump start and left me at the side of the street,a Softail riding neighbour helped me push it home and then gave me a lift .He threw the bike into the gentle turn in our street and it scraped so hard we ended up riding in the gutter on the opposite side of the street.

Now i have my own,i can report:the right side has better clearance than the left and scrapes the Footboard edges,while the left scrapes the Primary Case,and more specifically;the Drain Plug.This is a legacy of the 16" Rims on the Deluxe.We also have 2 2008 Fatboys and they have 17" Rims and much better GROUND and CORNERING clearance.I cant match them on winding roads unless i ride like i'm on a Sport Bike.No point in that.

I wouldn't like to ride an unmodified Softail on a regular basis with a pillion.You'd be leaving metal shavings and gouges everywhere,but at least could find your way home.:D
 
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