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Road glide vs batwing fairing, who has both?

Started by tbird, February 17, 2021, 06:04:56 PM

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tbird

Looking at adding another bike, possibly a road glide. I have a stripped down ultra, and road king. My question, is it hard to adjust to the different fairing? Can you jump from one to the other without noticing much difference. Alot times riding is  instinct. Don'y want to get caught off guard.

scott7d

I don't own both, but traded in my Road King for a Road Glide last April and can hopefully give you a helpful perspective. I was considering both a Road Glide or a Street Glide at the time. I have friends who let me try both bikes.

Going from a Road King to a Street Glide I felt very cramped. The fairing felt like the dash of a car and I just didn't care for the riding experience compared to a Road King. I could also tell that the steering wasn't as responsive with having to turn the weight of the fairing. Many batwing owners deny this, but coming from a bike with no fairing at all.....there is a difference.

Then I tried out a Road Glide. I fell in love instantly. Many people are way too dramatic in describing the whole fixed fairing thing. Yeah, it's a little odd at first but you get used to it in a day's ride. I love how the fairing is out front a ways so you get an open riding experience like you're actually on a motorcycle. Steering recovery is also better than batwing equipped bikes.

If I couldn't have a Road Glide for whatever reason, I'd go back to a Road King before I bought a Street Glide. Many people go from batwings to Roads Glides, I rarely ever see someone go from a Road Glide to a batwing. There's a reason for that :)
Scott Matlock - Bloomington, IN
Iron Butt Rider #72408 - Facebook: The Hoosier Cruiser

kd

HOSS, DON'T READ THIS.  :teeth:

I have both (and a Road King).  Before I bought a Road Glide I heard all of the Road Glide owners espousing how once you rode one you wouldn't want to go back to a batwing.  I booked an RGU rental out of San Diego HD for a week and took a spring trip to California at the end of April.  I met with a couple of HTT members from the area (thanks again HogMike) at the dealer, They guided me towards Palm Springs and off we went. I had a good idea where to go in the region that week from member's input through a thread I ran on HTT.  I had my other half with me and we were loaded heavy.  I traveled towards Vegas across the Mohave desert and back through Death Valley in the winds and heat.  We went up the state inland through wine country to San Francisco (Fisherman's wharf), crossed the Golden Gate and turned back down #1 Coastal Highway towards San Diego. The coastal Highway provided a pretty good variety of great twisties, switchbacks and scenic views from about the 3rd day on. I couldn't believe the difference in the real tight slow turns. I crossed through LA on 423? on a Sunday averaging 90 -  100 mph just to stay in traffic. I ended back at the dealer knowing I would own a RG. It's what I ride the most and practically always.

What is different?  The fairing of course.  It is mounted lower and to the frame which takes the top heavy feeling away and makes it handle like my RK (so you'll understand that feeling). In the strong cross wind on the Mohave I didn't have to fight the front end and it just leaned left and stayed on track effortlessly.  Meeting oncoming transports was like riding a dart through the gust off the truck. No shake or shudder on the bars like a batwing hit with the gust. The stereo and gauges are farther away and by the second day it was the norm. No problem adapting without even realizing it. I still find it clumsy to reach forward to adjust the receiver but never really have to because the hand controls do everything you need, from changing channels, to volume, base treble and stereo sound, cd control, you name it. I feel you actually get better stereo separation because the speaker position is different.  Some complain about the windshield but on that trip I had a new 2015 with a full screen and it worked fine for me.  In fact, the bat wing makes my handle bar mustache tickle my nose and the RG doesn't.  My OL didn't care for it on the stock fat rear seat at 95 MPH or in the early morning mist along the ocean but a mask fixed that.  I now have an aftermarket shield on my 2011 with a curved top and sides that works well.  I am 6' 2".

I have ridden many styles of Harleys from early rigids on through including Dynas.  They all came natural to me quickly but I don't sharpen my footboards on every corner. The only thing I have ever had  trouble adjusting to was one transmission that I reversed the gear shift to down instead of up.  I rode that bike for so many miles that I catch myself daydreaming and wanting to shift down instead of up when going through the gears easy.  That won't matter to you.  I now have a Baker N1 pattern and I am really struggling at stops because I am used to clicking down to first at a stop.  Again, not a problem for you. 

I feel if you like the lighter handling of the road King on the road or in the city and the fairing protection of the batwing (over the RK billboard wind shield) you will love the RG.  If you can, do what I did and rent one.  Just don't rent it for a day though.  If you can, lay out a trip with everything from freeway to back roads to twisties and anything else you can think of.  Good luck with your new RG  :wink:  :SM:
KD

rhuff

Quote from: tbird on February 17, 2021, 06:04:56 PM
Looking at adding another bike, possibly a road glide. I have a stripped down ultra, and road king. My question, is it hard to adjust to the different fairing? Can you jump from one to the other without noticing much difference. Alot times riding is  instinct. Don'y want to get caught off guard.

Owed a RK and RGS for many years.  I've ridden many a batwing for long distances as well.

Easy to adjust to.  So easy, in fact, that I'd never go to a batwing again.  They are that much nicer for touring/handling.  Only other touring bike from HD would be a return to the RK since I like less fuss.

FLSTFIDave

I currently own a Road King and a Road Glide.  I am on my 6th road glide, put over 45K miles on each of them.  I did have one Street Glide, put 25K miles on it in 11 months.

My first road glide, 2009.  Bought it new, never having ridden anything other than soft tails and a road king.  First 200 miles I Hated the bike, felt heavy and awkward.  Got the right windshield on it, and grew to love it.  While I owned this bike, I was in Las Vegas and rented a Street glide, as they had no road glide rentals.  Rode up to Zion.  I felt very cramped or enclosed on the SG.  Hated the front end shake around 18 wheeler.  Didn't like the weight shift at slow speeds in parking lots when turning the bars.  Front end felt heavier.

So, put 47K on the 09.  Bought a 12 Road Glide, put 48K on it.  Bought a 15, the new improved fairing on the Road Glide, put 44K on it in 23 months and lifters failed under warranty.  17 did not have a CVO Road glide.  Dealer tried to sell me a CVO street glide.  They lent me a 17 Satge one street glide for two days to ride as they said the Rusmores street glides were better than the previous ones.

They were correct, much less handlebar shake near 18 wheelers.  Still wound not pass an 18 wheeler with my hands off the bars on a Rushmore Street Glide like I do on my road glide.  Its was improved enough I did get the 17 CVO street glide, put 24K on it in 11 months.  Good bike, but front felt heavier to me, I felt confined on it, and like the handling of the RG better.  So at 11 months old, the 18 CVO came out I went back to a Road Glide.

My wife had an 11, and 13 street glides as her first two touring bikes.  She hated the looks of a road glide and I could not get her to consider it.  She put over 45K on both those bikes.  We were in Sturigis when Harley released the new 15 Rushmore road glides.  She and I were in the first 5 people to do a demo ride on them at Sturgis.  She liked it

Got home dealer lent her a 15 road glide for a day then a 15 street glide for a day.  She like the way the front of the road glide felt lighter, its actually a heavier bike.  She bought the road glide.  She is on her 3rd Road glide now, a 19.  She has over 100K miles on road glides.
2023 CVO Road Glide Whiskey Neat
2021 Pan America Special, Gray,  2003 Fatboy

tdrglide

After owning and riding more than several bikes with and without windshields, first fairing bike I ever rode was a RG. I figured if I'm going fairing I'm going all in. At first felt a bit odd at parking lot speeds but got over that in minutes. Stop looking at the fairing while turning. But at open highway speeds was like a bid ole caddy. I have since owned a streetglide and ridden other batwing bikes. They seemed more cramped at speed. Sold the streetglide. I prefer the fixed fairing or none at all. Batwing seems like a half measure to me. If I add another touring style bike will be a RK.
I remember taking a little of grief from some guys for running a windshield back in the day.  :SM:

fbn ent

I don't by bikes just because. I buy them JUST BECAUSE... Back in the late 90s I was riding my '84 FLH. I had been thinking how tired I was with fighting wind. A friend had a RG and I asked him if I could sit on it to see how it felt and he told me to go get my helmet..... Long story short, that was the day I decided to find one. A few months later the Shovel let me down and pissed me off so bad I called the dealer and asked him what he had. A week later I took the bus and picked my '02 FLTRI up. MAN I love that bike! Being the old model, I have done a lot of upgrades but it is still my distance machine. A hard quartering wind doesn't bother it, I can take my hands off the bars in cruise and it is straight for as long as I want. Scratch my arse and pick my nose at the same time.  :teeth: Small adjustments can be made with a little shift in weight. The only thing you may call a "con" is you get a lap full of water when the skies open. Like kd says, if you can't get a loaner, rent one. We keep telling Hoss but he just won't listen.  :potstir: 
'02 FLTRI - 103" / '84 FLH - 88"<br />Hinton, Alberta

FLDavetrain

Own both and often ride them back to back. It's no issue. Throwing the RG around is lighter obviously but nothing that would make it awkward in switching fairings. RG bar swap is quicker which was a bonus and fairing storage is more so that's a plus. Street Glide is the OG and looks iconic. RG handles little better, so life's good to have both, go for it.
currently 510ci on tap

PBSTN

My first Harley was a road king. Then a new road glide. Road it for 9 years. Great bike. But I'm back on a road king now. Road a few bat wings. Not for me.
2010 flhr. 2003 FLHRSEI2. 1986 SUZUKI GS1150E.

Geezer_Glider

Have ridden both back to back, no problem, just what you prefer. I will stay with the batwing, never bobbles, handles well. The only real thing about the RG is the angle of the instruments, sun glare really bad. Coming from a sportster years ago to any fairing was the big step, after that it was some flavor of geezer glide, either one is OK.
R Meyer

tomcat64

I've had both, In all honesty I don't see a huge difference between the two, The RG is a little lighter steering, and handles wind better, especially buffeting wind and cross wind. The batwing protects you better from the wind and protects the passenger much better. I prefer the batwing mostly for 2 reasons. #1: I'm a traditionalist and I am really not a fan of the shark nose look. #2: my wife thinks the RG is ugly A/F and hates all the wind she gets back there. That being said we are selling many more RG's than we were 15 years ago.  If you test ride one and if you carry a passenger regularly, be sure to take her with, and be sure to find a road where you can notch it up to 70+ MPH...

That's all I got to say about that!

tomboyjr

Had a 2000 Electraglide, then a 2010 Ultra. Put over 100k on both bikes (total)
2 yrs ago bought a RGU. Within 5 mins I forgot about any difference. What really made it nicer was a new windshield after I had the bike a few months.
With the Ultra, I had 3 windshields and could swap them in 5 mins.
Its different with the RG, and I waited and measured the old one to make sure I got it right the first time.
I wouldnt let a style of fairing keep me from buying a new bike.

cbumdumb

While I prefer my rgu's over the electra glide here is what i found better with street or electra glide, at highway speeds or better I could hear the stereo betteron the eg than on my rgu's. My hands were better protected by the bat wing . But I prefer all the other good points with the rgu more than the good points with the eg