free website stats program Satisfy my curiosity | Harley Davidson Forums

Satisfy my curiosity

B

BuffaloBill

Active Member
I have seen a few posts of Road Glide owners When I was shoping for a bagger i roade both the RG SG EG and Ultra

Idid not feel comfortable riding the RG but speaking to RG owners they seem to realy love the bike over the other baggers

My question is What made you decide on the RG over the other baggers availble thru HD

Bill
 
The first time I tried a Road Glide it felt, not awkward, but different from the other Glides. That lasted about 10 minutes, then I really began to like the way it handled. The low speed handling without all that weight on the forks is like a Road King, yesterday I found out the high speed handling in gusty conditions (80 mph+) is also superior to the Bat Wing bikes.The only downside I have found is that there is more wind buffeting as it rolls over the stock windshield(also 80 mph+). I've ordered a Clearview shield to fix that, ya just have to personalize them anyway.

The other thing that sold me on the bikes is that they just plain look HOT! I know "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and in my opinion they are the best looking HD touring bike, but customized, WOW! They are showing up in the pages of Baggers just about every month so I guess the secret is out.

IMHO the Road Glide is the best of the best.
 
love the fairing frame mounted I feel is just handles better without a fairing attached especially on windy days
 
my second and third bikes both had frame mounted fairings ('81 Honda CX500 Turbo and '82 Honda V45 Sabre) and I always liked the looks of them. And I'm very comfortable riding with it. I probably wouldn't be a HD owner if it weren't for the RG.
 
First of all, everyone should ride the particular models that they interested in buying, before purchase. That is just good sense. Now, as far as the advantages of riding a Road Glide over others, there are a few. First of all, the frame mounted fairing is what sets a Road Glide apart from all the other bikers. You can always tell a Road Glide when you meet it on the highway because it will have twin headlights staring at you from within the fairing. The other touring bikes all have their windshields and fairings attached to the front forks. That is fine as it allows a different look. Remember that last sentence because we will get to that a bit later.

By having the Batwing fairing attached to the front forks there is a tendency for any side winds (at high speed) to affect your steering. I have ridden side by side with other touring bikes and at interstate speeds of 60+ where you are enduring a 30-40 mph side wind, the Road Glide will be more stable in that the wind pushes on the frame instead of the steering forks. That in not to say that the other bikes (Batwings) become unstable, but the gust of wind tends to put pressure on the front forks of the Batwing bikes. When a Sharknose (Road Glide) fairing encounters wind gusts the pressure is applied to the frame, not the front forks, which steer you. Road Glides tend to go straighter in high winds and high speeds. High winds don't affect either the Batwings or the Sharknoses when your just cruising along at 30 mph, but get up to 70+ and you will feel the difference when the wind gusts are 30-40 mph.

At the end of the day selecting either a Batwing or a Sharknose is a lot like picking your wife or husband. The first thing you noticed about them was how appealing they looked to you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. M'Cs are a lot like that, if you know what I mean.
 
I think it is a matter of what each individual likes. I rode my friends RG, which he loves, but I much perfer my Ultra. That said, there sure are a lot of happy loyal RG owners out there. What it comes down to for me is either you like that fixed fairing or you don't. No wrong answer. That has more impact on me than the ride does as I don't see that much difference. More wind on the RG as well. I have never met a HD I did not like!:D
 
I've ridden a lot of bikes with frame mounted fairings...mostly Goldwings. I now have an /09 Ultra and, I have to say, I don't see much difference in handling at speed or in a crosswind. The Ultra is every bit as stable as the 1100, 1500, and 1800 Goldwings and handles better.
 
When I was researching what to get for my first Harley, I decided the RG was it. I even had some ideas for a custom paint job. Just to make sure, I rented one, plus a SG. I actually found the SG to handle better and be more comfortable. Since this seemed to go against everything I had read, I was able to ride another RG at one of the Harley test ride events. After that second RG ride, I decided to get the Street Glide, and have been very happy with it. I like the looks of the RG, especially the 09 Screamin' Eagle model, but will likely stick with batwings.
 
Quite honestly I have not had a problem with either the frame mounted or handlebar/fork mounted fairings. It is different when you throw the bike in a turn, that the headlight on the frame mounted sweeps later, so at night on a twisty road you naturally slow down for self preservation sake.

The handlebar/fork mounted fairings do load the front end a little more, but in practice, when sport riding the additional effort is minor compared with the forward position with more weight on the hands already, unless it is a huge touring windscreen, thus I usually went with smaller fairings if handlebar mounted, if larger, fork mounted or frame mounted was preferred, depending on the riding technique and size of bike.

Just my observations when piloting behind so many different ones. Wind was always a problem with most large fairings, but is proportional to the type of bike, riding speed/style and strength of the cross winds.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top