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Test ride on a 2010 Street Glide

One of the great things about this post is that it takes a perspective "1st ride approach" just as a reminder that new bikes are just that new bikes. They will have some nits and picks but every model from day one starts off as a pretty good machine nowadays...HD has certainly had plenty of time to refine them, and certainly enough selection to provide satisfactory ride for just about everyone...
 
Whatever gets you through the night

This is a good topic as we all think of a new bike at one time or another.
Something else to think about, maybe you don't need a new bike.
Marketing keeps telling us to buy buy buy. What's wrong with having the same bike or car if it's running fine and suits you? If you really want a good bike, look at all the older bikes with low miles for around 10K. Yes, I still have my 98 RK, ooooh so sweet and smooth. I test rode all the new bikes last year at the Love Ride / Pomona Fairgrounds.... nothing! I'm not knocking you new owners of TC88, 96, 103 and now 110. I'm just saying, if it's not broke don't fix it and why throw your money away if you already have a nice Harley. Unless you need more power for 2-up and touring long distance, an older Evolution is reliable and sounds great.
I check Cycle Trader often and there are plenty of good 2nd bikes, You need a 2nd so you can ride when one is getting repaired. :p
I also want to close with this: It's your life, if it makes you happy and doesn't hurt someone else, buy as many Harleys as you want.

p.s. What vibration? :)
 
I have a 09 RG and have some vibration but not excessive, The Softail Models are Counter Balanced and that is why you do not have Vibration. You have to keep this in mind with the Two Bikes. I do not see much Vibration on My Bike at all.

2009 Road Glide - Red Sunglo
2008 Softail Deluxe - Anniversary Model
 
More good points and all are on target.

It was a first ride and I am used to my bike so it just did not seem as nice. It was a nice bike and certainly most points were fixable.

I think the marketing thing is true. I get more garbage from H-D about all the new bikes and was just wondering what was soooo much better. Turns out, not much, just a different bike. Same questions pop up as when I got the Fatboy. Do I need a fairing? Do I need saddlebags? Do I need a six speed?( That turned out to be yes:))

I guess what I learned is that a softail is a very nice ride. The touring bikes are nice if you are really going to do some long trips.

Anyway, I am keeping my bike. Putting a six speed in it and some other little things, but I love it and am keeping it. Now I'll just keep saving money and maybe when I have enough, I'll look at new bikes again, maybe not. We'll see.

Thanks for all of the great input.

Ride Safe!
 
Eric, your essay on riding the Streetglide was read with deep interest. Thanks a heap for posting it. That is what I like about this forum. People who are deep thinkers and put it in text to share with fellow riders. I love it.

On the otherhand. I have ridden nearly 80K miles on two different Roadkings, which is a touring frame as the SG is. I desired a new HD, and wanted something totally different. Since my baileywick is "nostalgia" I elected to buy a new Softail Deluxe (notably luxurious, elegant and expensive).

However my present Roadking is a keeper until the day I pass onto the "Heavenly" hi-ways above.

My perception is hands down the King is a better riding cycle than the softail. In fact it rides even better with my little 115lb. Hen sitting behind me on trips. The history of Harley engineering and designing leads to the touring frame as their "premier" model. Hence to me it would only make sense it should be the better riding cycle.

With all that being said, I still love the ride of the new Deluxe which has only 750 miles on it. My take on it is that it's a different ride, an interesting ride, but not a bad ride. On the Deluxe you seem to always feel the road under you. Does that make sense?

I put on a low profile windshield, removed the rear pillion and factory rack and installed a larger factory detachable rear fender rack, and frankly I'm good to take a trip on it. However if it was a long trip, I would elect to take the King and leave ole "softy tail" in the corral. After all the King is a TOURING FRAME, hence better overall for touring.

You did the right thing doing your test ride, way to much money to spend on a Streetglide and not be satisfied.

Good luck with your Fatboy changes/updates. :)
 
Last weekend the Harley factory Demo Ride trailer stopped by my dealer in Conroe TX. I was a kid in a candy store, there was one of pretty much every model represented.

I first settled on a Street Glide 110” CVO. The SG was tremendously beautiful to look at, but from my riding experience is a totally screwed-up bike for touring. The low-cut windshield focused wind into my face, the slammed suspension lost its compliance, and the rear seat (more appropriately upholstered rear fender) had to be a torture device for passengers.

Later I rode a Heritage Softtail and was also impressed by the smoothness of the balanced engine. However the low bike was a bit too short for my long legs, and the hidden suspension was not nearly a cushy as the touring air ride.

The Road King is still my first choice for a geezer-glide. The bare minimum of stuff hanging off of it, and a really comfortable ride for two. I’m too old and slow to look cool anyway. When/if it comes time for a major rebuild I’ll probably add a 6-speed tranny too. The 6-speed by far is the nicest feature of the newer bikes.
 
As an owner of a 2006 Street Glide which I sold to buy the 2010 SE Street Glide I will agree that the first thing to do is change the Windshield. Yes, the low one does look better in my opinion, but if you are a certain height--which I happen to be--the wind will blow the helmet off of your head at highway speed. When I changed the seat on my 06 to a lower one, I did notice that I could change back to the stock windshield without a problem. So, it depends on how high on the bike you happen to be sitting. As far as long distance, I can go much farther on my Street Glides than I could on my Softail. But as many have said--that's why they make different models!!! There is an (EDIT) for every seat

Ride safe and comfortable:)

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 
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I just got my 2010 street glide. I was riding a 2003 soft tail standard. The first thing I noticed on my test drive was the vibration too. I didnt like that at all, but after taking it out on the freeway, the ride was great. It smoothed out nicely. I also noticed that the day after my purchase, (which was last night) as I was driving to work this morning, it confirmed my choice. You cant really know if its right until its a part of your daily life. It fit in perfectly.
I have the short windshield and I am 5'9" tall. It works fine for me but I have considered the next size up for added road/wind protection.
Sorry, Just still buzzing from the first days ride and loving it.
 
That's really great feedback. I'm a sportster rider and have been for a long time. However, every year I rent a bagger to take my wife on long tours. She hates the fairing because of the way it looks, and I was the same way at first. The older and more classic the bike looks, the more I like it usually. But one rental trip on a Street Glide and I was hooked.

I'm right with you on the windscreen. I can only tolerate it in a half-helmet. A full-face in the rain and I get headaches in about 10 miles at freeway speed. Rentals at my dealership are always bone stock except for a passenger backrest and set of highway pegs. However, I'll say this: even the shorty windshield (assuming the half helmet) beats the heck out of my sporty for comfort. My absolute daily limit on the sporty is 250 miles. I can crank out 3 times that on the Street Glide with no sweat...and 2 people. And like you said, you modified yours as well. Maybe it's not so much the expectation of how baggers would be as forgetting how much you modified the Fat Boy?

Finally, the seat. I think you'll find a test ride isn't a fair shake on the seat. The 08 seat felt more comfortable, as did the handling, to be honest, before the frame change..at least to me. The center of gravity was lower, and the seat felt softer. The 09 was taller and stiffer in the seat. But a day's ride in and it loosened right up. Turns out I was the first one to ride that bike. By our last day I was loving it. If you ride on a Corbin, you have to know waht that's like. My reason to change the seat wouldn't be for me at all. It would be for my wife. The passenger portion of the stock seat is totally inadequate. But if you don't take her more than a day, I really think you'll find the seat feels better the more miles you put on. And the Road Glide has the same seat this year....something to consider.
 
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