took a 2017 street glide for a test ride

I like several things about the f6B like the power, handling,the fact that it has virtually no vibration,rock solid at 80 mph,suspension is top notch seems to float over anything, looks great to boot !!! But I am not happy with the hardness and lack of contouring in the seat or the foot position . Both cause me to want to scoot back as far as possible but then cant really reach the bars. Road with a couple guys the other day(on Harleys) and they were stretched out so nice. I did just sell my 2007 fatboy a few weeks ago. Was a beautiful mint condition bike with a 103 engine (NOT A KIT FROM HARLEY) even had changed out the compensating sprocket to something with less teeth to give it more umphhh. I do not miss that bike as the seat was like a rock even though it was shaped so nicely and the suspension stunk and at 90 mph it wasnt exactly stable . But I'm at a crossroads with this bike. I need to spend some money to HOPEFULLY get what I require or desire from it or I need to sell it. So i figured i do a testride before i purchased a new seatwith a drivers backrest $1200, ergo 3s,flashing breaklights,a new windshield maybe an F4 or the optic armor +4s (tryed mra screen on my honda 17" windshield= did nothing) tryed madstad 11 and 13" which was better then my honda 17" but still not what i hoped for. new speakers as the stereo is lacking,a rack, one of the risers to get the bars up and back a bit, etc etc.
The 2017 streetglide was impressive I have to say. tons of low end torq, they smoothed out the heavy shaking at idle, of course the great ergonomics . Still is lacking in the suspension dept though! wind protection is not great with the low shield and the vent didnt do anything that i could notice on the short ride i took. Nice bike! not cheap at around $26000 for base model?
Oh well Ill have to decide and make a move

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rdeady

I like several things about the f6B like the power, handling,the fact that it has virtually no vibration,rock solid at 80 mph,suspension is top notch seems to float over anything, looks great to boot !!! But I am not happy with the hardness and lack of contouring in the seat or the foot position . Both cause me to want to scoot back as far as possible but then cant really reach the bars. Road with a couple guys the other day(on Harleys) and they were stretched out so nice. I did just sell my 2007 fatboy a few weeks ago. Was a beautiful mint condition bike with a 103 engine (NOT A KIT FROM HARLEY) even had changed out the compensating sprocket to something with less teeth to give it more umphhh. I do not miss that bike as the seat was like a rock even though it was shaped so nicely and the suspension stunk and at 90 mph it wasnt exactly stable . But I'm at a crossroads with this bike. I need to spend some money to HOPEFULLY get what I require or desire from it or I need to sell it. So i figured i do a testride before i purchased a new seatwith a drivers backrest $1200, ergo 3s,flashing breaklights,a new windshield maybe an F4 or the optic armor +4s (tryed mra screen on my honda 17" windshield= did nothing) tryed madstad 11 and 13" which was better then my honda 17" but still not what i hoped for. new speakers as the stereo is lacking,a rack, one of the risers to get the bars up and back a bit, etc etc.
The 2017 streetglide was impressive I have to say. tons of low end torq, they smoothed out the heavy shaking at idle, of course the great ergonomics . Still is lacking in the suspension dept though! wind protection is not great with the low shield and the vent didnt do anything that i could notice on the short ride i took. Nice bike! not cheap at around $26000 for base model?
Oh well Ill have to decide and make a move

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Perhaps it might have been wise to keep the 07 HD for the around town rides, and spend the 2K ( including the custom seat you desire) to tweek the B to where you want it. The B is fantastic for touring, though not great here in Southern California for day-to-day / commuting to work. The traffic here is insane and abysmal so 8 months of the year I'll use my '06 custom roadliner to share / split lanes (The B is too large to consistently split lanes for miles ). The raining days I drive the Jeep.

The HD is 30K (taxes prep fees etc. etc.), then add another 4K ish for the accessories you need to make it fit correctly for you? And, after spending all that cash on the HD, what if it doesn't fit correctly? I'm presuming you have the cash for the HD and you're not like most of Americans going into debt to purchase an HD, correct?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rdeady

I like several things about the f6B like the power, handling,the fact that it has virtually no vibration,rock solid at 80 mph,suspension is top notch seems to float over anything, looks great to boot !!! But I am not happy with the hardness and lack of contouring in the seat or the foot position . Both cause me to want to scoot back as far as possible but then cant really reach the bars. Road with a couple guys the other day(on Harleys) and they were stretched out so nice. I did just sell my 2007 fatboy a few weeks ago. Was a beautiful mint condition bike with a 103 engine (NOT A KIT FROM HARLEY) even had changed out the compensating sprocket to something with less teeth to give it more umphhh. I do not miss that bike as the seat was like a rock even though it was shaped so nicely and the suspension stunk and at 90 mph it wasnt exactly stable . But I'm at a crossroads with this bike. I need to spend some money to HOPEFULLY get what I require or desire from it or I need to sell it. So i figured i do a testride before i purchased a new seatwith a drivers backrest $1200, ergo 3s,flashing breaklights,a new windshield maybe an F4 or the optic armor +4s (tryed mra screen on my honda 17" windshield= did nothing) tryed madstad 11 and 13" which was better then my honda 17" but still not what i hoped for. new speakers as the stereo is lacking,a rack, one of the risers to get the bars up and back a bit, etc etc.
The 2017 streetglide was impressive I have to say. tons of low end torq, they smoothed out the heavy shaking at idle, of course the great ergonomics . Still is lacking in the suspension dept though! wind protection is not great with the low shield and the vent didnt do anything that i could notice on the short ride i took. Nice bike! not cheap at around $26000 for base model?
Oh well Ill have to decide and make a move

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After I bought my f6b I thought I was going to have to sell it right away because my knees hurt too much with the leg position which was the reason for selling my ST1300 and getting the f6b in the first place. Before selling the B though, I installed the Kuryakyn II forward foot pegs and bingo, my leg discomfort was gone. With those foot pegs I can sit in four different positions including bracing my feet against the pegs, straightening my legs completely and getting the bottom of my butt off the seat, leaning back against the rise. I also have a mesh pad on top of the stock seat and with this combination, at 62 years old, I can ride all day.

Good luck

I own a 2013 deluxe f6b and a 2012 Ultra Classic Limited. The F6B is my solo bike, trip bike etc. The Harley is nice, my wife likes the high back seat and that it's a Harley, but personally, I strongly prefer the F6B. The smoothness, the power, the low center of gravity, pretty much everything about it. The Harley has very limited power, is heavy, but it looks and sounds nice. I am much more confident on the highway on the F6B. Also, I actually prefer the foot/leg position on the F6B, as the Harley has my legs too far forward. I am 6'3" and on the Harley I feel more bunched up. The F6B is spacious and open, and I don't feel boxed in. Of course, the Harley is a Harley, and most other people have strong feelings about Harleys, so there is that aspect. As mentioned, my wife prefers the Harley, but some of that is for the branding (I think).

I've explained to friends that when I ride the Harley, probably 60-70% of my attention (aside from the watching the road) is on the bike, i.e. on the sound, the feel, how it looks, should I upgrade the pipes and radio, what if I had higher bars, etc. When I ride the F6B, it is almost boring by contrast, but I don't think about the bike. I'm too busy enjoying the ride! The bike performs so well, is so easy to ride, is so comfortable, is so smooth and quiet, I don't think about all the things it needs (as I don't feel it does nee anything), I just enjoy the ride. The bike is just pleasurable to ride, period.

I must qualify this to say that while some lean to heavy into brands, coolness factor, etc. (nothing wrong with that), I am very practical in my approach, and don't get too bothered about brands or what everyone else thinks is cool. I drive a VW Passat, for god's sake (and I really like it), so I am not suggesting I represent the market place, but for me, the F6B is the one bike I would keep if I got rid of one, and it's not even close. I strongly prefer it to just about any other motorcycle I have owned, and that includes a Road King Classic, a very farkled Street Glide, and now the Ultra Classic Limited to name a few.

Ride what you want. I'm a flat six lover. Have a Valkyrie and my F6B. I've tried V-twins , but just love these flat 6 engines. That being said, I am 5'8" tall and personaly think the F6B/Goldwings seem to be built for people my height and maybe up to 6 ft. I can see where someone taller than say 6 ft might find these bikes lacking in leg room. For me, I think it's perfect.:icon_wink: I also love the way this bike can go from cruising to getting after it in the twisties.
In the end, you got to do what you gatta do.

I have not ridden the new "Milwaukee Eight" Harley as yet and probably will not...The previous models I rode tested "sucked" and I would personally never spend the kind of money they want for these bikes!!...I am not into "image, ego, and the good ole boy network" so those that are enjoy your ride and keep spending your money on HD accessories that are marked up by 300%, or more, and keep the marketing guys in jobs!!!.....Ride safe

Rdeady, sounds kinda like you miss your HD, and the extras you had on your 07 Fat Boy. Your choice. For me, the 6 is all I need in a cycle. Did 750 miles coming home from the Arkansas rally on the stock seat, in 12 hrs, and only stopped for the nite because it was sunset, in deer country. Love this bike!

Never been on a Harley but not for trying just the people that work at the local dealer didn't seem interested in selling a bike or I looked like I didn't have money, their loss. Anyway the B can be tailored to suit you better as I found out, seems crazy to spend another 2k on an already pricy bike but in the long run it's worth every penny. I'm tall and needed to be back as far as possible then bar reach becomes an issue both can be addressed with the proper parts. Helibars is the absolute answer for having adjustable bars and while there are many out there I ended up on a Hartco custom seat and love it!

I purchased y 2015 F6B after trading in a Victory Cross Country motorcycle. All I know, is the first 20 miles on the Honda made me smile, as it has the engine, handling, comfort and style I liked.

I have owned a Street Glide that I purchased new in 2012. I really enjoyed the bike, and put a lot of miles on it while always adding more accessories every month I owned it. First off....the ride sucks on a stock Street Glide! 2" rear travel before factoring sag, it was a rough ride if the road wasn't perfect. Obviously I had suspension work done, but Ultra-Classic shocks and that fixed the problem. Legs were getting wet and when it got cooler, I put the lowers on the crash bars. After continuously making the bike more comfortable, I realized I was trying to make the Street Glide a Goldwing, so I traded in the Street Glide for a brand new Goldwing.

Moral to the story, if you buy a Street Glide, take shorter trips, it is a great bike but not as comfortable on the long haul. I think if you fixed the seat on the F6B, yourlonger legs could be stretched with the highway pegs, and did the handlebar mod, you may save yourself some money. By the way, a Harley Davidson is a small framed bike compared to the Victory and is about the same size as the new Polaris Indian Chieftain. You may want to look at the Chieftain before going after the Harley.

But I get your thinking. I was at a bike rally this summer, and I took a 2016 Ultra-Classic for a demo ride...and FELL IN LOVE! Then I heard about the new Milwaukee Eight, and decided to hold off until I rode one. Personally, I think they made the new Harley too much like a Yamaha, I like the shake of a Harley, it's raw feel and ride, so I didn't pull the trigger. My next bike will probably be the Harley Ultra, but for now I find the F6B to be too much of a bike to push her aside at this point. I really like the fact the F6B runs on regular pump gas - finding premium out in the middle of no-where sometimes drives me nuts, and I just enjoy the ease of finding any gas station and know I can top her off!

I do like this bike or I would have never got rid of the fat boy. The fat boy way just collecting dust in the garage. I'm just blowing off steam I'm sure I'm going to do the upgrades/extras I need on this bike and then I'm sure I'll be set. May get another little bike for ripping around town but this monster does a decent job ripping itself. In the last 5 years or so I had a cbr600 and a triumph street triple what a blast they were. Was going way to fast so I sold them before I hurt myself. As far as needing a bike for the branding no that's not me as I explained to a harley rider who told me Hondas were not welcome everywhere. I told him I really have no need nor do i want to be where or with people would think like that anyway and I've never been much for conforming. May wind up with Russell day long for the comfort but I don't no that I want to have to slide up at every light to get feet down ( I'm 5 10") and dont find it extremily attractive. really like the look of the mustang though!