Harley Davidson Heritage Softail - The Best All Around Harley? Part I 

You have a 100 year anniversary edition! Score!! What route did you take? Hit the Blue Ridge Mountains well?

@@NateBeck 77 south then it was different routes GPS took me! Thanks for the shoutout Nate,appreciate it

@@NateBeck did ride through blue ridge as well

@lanehawg Nice! I rode my Sportster across the country a few years ago and did the Tail of the Dragon, bit of the Blue Ridge Pkwy and hit Wheels Through Time in Maggie Valley. Such an EPIC area to ride!

@@NateBeck the tail of the dragon looks very interesting to ride,it looks like it dares you to try her!

Nice! It really is such a fantastic choice. I always keep my eyes posted for a deal on one

Absolutely!

Thank you for your kind words! Enjoy your 114'', it's a hell of a good motorcycle!

Me too! 😀

Think I'd get similar experiences with a Softail standard? Or are these a decent/worthy upgrade? 😯

What a great story! I’d love to own or even ride one of the Evo Heritages. Still my favorite motor Harley ever made. Catch you in the wind!

@@NateBeck She was an awesome bike, and yeah, those Evo's were bulletproof. The only issue, and it was very minor, was a weepy base gasket after a 3 day, 3500km stretch, and even though it was out of warranty, the MoCo covered the warranty and replaced it at no cost to me. The issue was with the gasket material, nothing to do with the actual barrel bases, and HD changed supplier after that. May the winds be in your favour, and don't forget to keep the shiny side up!👍🇭🇲

It really is a fantastic bike that does everything really well. I've always had a great time riding them and they're hard to beat unless you have a very specific need in a bike.

I love mine its the Harley Swiss army knife of bikes

@@tylerthrash3155 Yes! Great way to put it!

@@BeardedBavarianBiker. The Pan America is a fantastic bike. I was lucky enough to get to try it at HD in Milwaukee when it was released and was impressed by its versatility although for me it loses points in the styling department. If I was going to go for an on and off road bike I’d probably go your route and go with a Triumph Scrambler and leave the Harley’s for the pavement.

@@jadamec congrats on your fresh ride!

Nice! I used to have a 76 FLH.

Have you checked out the Lowrider ST? Similar kinda vibe but bigger engine.

@@NateBeck Yeah to be honest I like all the bikes but I don't want an all blacked out bike this time. I'm sick of the look. I like a mix of chrome and black so that limits my options. Another reason I love Sport Glide is because of the nice chrome offset on black.

@@Nucklehead-mm9gf totally agree. The color options these past few years leave something to be desired.

Nice! That must be awesome being able to have ridden so many different bikes. I haven't ridden a RGS so I cannot comment on that but in my opinion the Heritage is a great "Swiss Army Knife" for people looking to ride on average 400 miles or less per ride. It's nimble enough to zip around but steady enough for good rides.

@@NateBeck I have to agree. My sons, who've ridden all their lives and are at the top of their powers on bikes right now, were sort of shocked that the thing was that good in corners. it ain't a Duc or a Speed Triple, but for 90% of the riding we all do, it's pretty good.

Hello Kenny, first of all thank you for your service! Like you said, I agree this is the best all around bike HD offers. Lightweight and easy to handle while still being comfy and heavy enough to sit well on longer trips. Yours must rip with a Stage II upgrade!

I Love the small seat ! Wife no longer rides with me, since she lost the "Stratolounger" she had with a ElectraGlide ! Although the $$$ spent on a back rest and floor boards was a waste. Yea, I'm a meenie.

Heritage is a great option. It’s a bit more cushy than the Dynas but still has some guts, especially with the 114”

@@NateBeck Thank you - and Harley-Greetings from Germany!

@@Toni62R Greetings! Cheers Toni

Have you ever ridden an older Heritage before they went monoshock and M8? I'd be curious to try the two side by side.

@@NateBeck Yes...But the newer is better it has a tighter suspension...The older one kinda floats over bumps like a old Buick...But its a great Old School Bike...it does have bigger saddlebags

@@bradlozano2571 I just got the 2022 Heritage with the 114. It's an absolute dream.

@@NVlax2010 Thats great...Your are a lucky guy with a great Bike

Nice good to know! I have still yet to try one. Cheers Andrew!

FLHR is a close second for me! The tank felt a bit wide for me comfort wise and I thought the Heritage performed better in the corners. To your point though the FLHR is definitely more stable on the highway and the hard bags are a nice plus! How would you compare the Fatboy to the RK? I’ve never gotten a chance to ride a FB.

@@NateBeck the fatboy I had was a 2010. 96 TC. Sounded AMAZING with the VH pipes. It was a bike that felt as bad ass to ride as it looked. When u ride one of those … it’s like u get a certain feel. I don’t ride bc I’m a tough guy (won’t take shit but it’s not why I ride … I ride bc I need it).. but the FB or at least the ones before 2018.. they make u feel and look like some hard case. But it did beat me up pretty bad when on the hwy. it doesn’t have much suspension travel. And the seat wasn’t that comfy and the riding position is slightly more clamshell .. not as good for posture as the heritage or DEF the RK. I know what u mean about the wide tank.. it makes the bike look bigger than it feels. I have a jacked up back and the RK is my most comfortable vehicle I own. My car I could drife over a dime and tell if it’s heads or tails. The RK irons out any road imperfections and I like how the suspension is so easy to change the preload.. the air pump Went away 2014. You get the dial-a-shock too now yes ? I’d love to have ridden a new heritage. I suspect I really wpilda liked it. I hear they’re better on the hwy and more comfy to ride. I’m sure the FLHR is just a bigger heritage essentially. Anyway.. we BOTH got some bad ass bikes that anyone would give their left nut for .. I dreamed of owning or even RIDING bikes like I’ve had. I’m sure u too. We are living the dream (well I’m missing the nice climate part .. Chicago is a bitch. Jan and Feb a lot of years are no fly months.. single digit and below, Snow and ice. I can ride 30s all day and even upper 20s if the roads are safe but can’t deal with -5 lol . *the first bike I ever reallly lusted after and what made Me fall in love with HD was an evo heritage.. was 14 and working at the hardware store in town and some dude road up on one. Asked what it was and from then on.. GOAL. Just didn’t line up for me to get a heritage. I woulda gotten one instead of the FB if I found a good one witu decent miles on my budget. I got my 2019 FLHR this summer for $15,500. 4K miles. Couldn’t pass it up. And I always had a thing for the FLHR. Didn’t really see myself owning one until I rode it.. thst is when I was like THIS is the ultimate all purpose bike

Hey Alexander, thats a tough call. I like the twin motor more than the Milwaukee 8 only because its air cooled and has 2 spark plugs (instead of 4 in the M8) that you can change without removing the gas tank. That being said, the new softail platform that Harley introduced in 2017 is VASTLY superior in terms of handling and comfort. If you want to be able to work on your own bike more, I'd go with an air cooled twin cam. If you want the best performance in terms of handling and comfort I'd go with a newer Heritage. Ride safe and enjoy the road!

@@NateBeck truth on the TC vs M8 If I coulda gotten a 2016 FLHR 103TC I woulda done that over the 2019 I got. I alreay got a couple m8 issies. Bike currently in the shop after crank sensor fried in December and left me stranded at work after when it was dark out and 29*F out. Turns out a QT of oil sumped the crank case and fried the sensor Getting Daytona oil pump, and sinxe they’re in there I’m having them doing a cam, head pipes, and a tune and some other bottom end work to make my ride bulletproof and sound like a Harley ! And it’ll run way cooler and smoother and more efficient and more powerful with these mods. And be more reliable. M8 has its teething issues STILL somehow. The 2016 was the last year the FLHR got the TC. And by then the twin cam was way dialed in And they sounds correct

@@geraldgoodiii6993 Harley really departed from the tried and true when they went to the M8 with adding 2 additional plugs, cooling, etc. so I can see why they’d have some issues but to your point, they’re still teething which is disappointing but hopefully it’ll be buttoned up within the near future.

Sadly HD stopped making the Deluxe in 2020 but I'd love to find a 2020 Deluxe and a 2020 HD for a head to head comparison.

Deluxe is the same bike but with lower suspension & seat.!

You truly cannot!