Harley Davidson Heritage VS. Road King 

I totally disagree that the heritage is just an around town bike. I've toured around the country with mine over the last two years, its completely capable. If anything its a minimalistic solo touring bike vs the road kings touring first focus. I went for a few long trips with the stock saddle bags and a fender cargo rack that replaces the pillion, plenty of space. The main difference is in the frame and handling, Roadking has a longer wheel base, can support more weight, and has self centering forks, and weighs more which helps fight cross wind and less fatigue to keep the bike going straight on those long highways for hours. But those things work against the roadking and are disadvantages when not on the long straight shot highways. The heritage is a hell of a lot more fun. Especially on the curvy canyons and twisting forrest. I travel more on the side roads than on highways, but im still out for a week or two and using a sleeping bag. Engines just as strong, but the heritage is lighter. Forks arnt as good for driving straight, but better for curves. Both have a 6 speed trans. Really no reason you cant tour with it, just like theirs no reason a Roadking cant travel on curvy roads or bar hop around town. When I went to Sturgis I was on the highway for 2 days, but was enjoying the hills and curves for 2 weeks, then 1 day to get back home. Best way I can put it.

Nice, accurate review. My wife and I did the 2-up test last August on the same 2 bike's. No comparison in comfort, Road King hands down. Luggage capacity greater, greater stability, better brakes, RDRS option available. However, if I only rode single, I'd go Heritage 114. But...I'm not single so I went 2020 RK Standard w/RDRS in Stone Washed Pearl White! Lovin' it!

I love my Road King...I had a CVO Electra Glide, great bike, but in the end, the Road King is the better bike to me...and when it comes to passenger seating, you should strive for the perfect balance of form & function...it should be just comfortable enough so that a girlfriend would put up with it, but a wife never would...

I absolutely love the HD Road King. The simplicity, the spoked wheels, the white wall tires (Road King Classic), and the avalanche of aftermarket parts. Such a joy and beauty to behold. For my 2012 retirement, I purchased a brand new 2012 Road King Classic that I configured with my preferences. It had the touring trunk, the HD GPS, the BOOM audio twin speakers, adjustable backrest, etc. Unfortunately, in 2017, the divorce lawyers required a sacrifice and my dream motorcycle was lost on the chopping block. But I digress. In August 2021 I’ll be 58 years young. I’ve been riding since the age of 13. I’ve lost count of the number of motorcycles I’ve had the pleasure to ride and own. Having said that, my 2012 Road King Classic was the best riding experience I’ve had on a motorcycle. I’m a pensioner now and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to afford one again, but at the very least I had my adventures and journeys. No one can ever take those away. If you own one, enjoy the good times and make lots of memories.

The Heritage has a USB charging port installed from the factory, the Road King doesn't. Makes no sense at all for a softail to have it and the touring bike doesn't. Small detail, but come on Harley!

Tough call, but I'm going Road King. It still has it's classic look. The newer Heritiges lost something with the bag change. Great choice or video! Thanks

I watch a shit load of motorcycle videos. You did an EXCELLENT job with this comparison type video. Thanks for all the info and for your excellent way of presenting it. Very professional!

Great review, very comprehensive. I bought a new bike last year and chose the Heritage over the RK. Both were great, but in the end I was most comfortable on the Heritage. I felt the Heritage was smoother, easier to handle, and I could maneuver the bike more easily at low speeds with a passenger on the back. My wife enjoyed the seating on the Heritage as well, found it easier to get on and off the bike vs. the RK. For me, the Heritage fit like a glove, while the RK just felt a little too big and bulky. Don’t regret my choice, I’ve put thousands of miles on it and enjoyed all of it. Best to ride both and see what fits you best!

This is the comparison I’ve been looking for. Thank you. Road King for me.

I've been looking at these for a while. One thing that was pointed out to me recently is the wheels/tires. The mag wheels on the Road King mean you are running tubeless tires. The spokes on the Heritage mean tubes. Therefore fixing flats will be different between the two.

I think this is one of the best comparisons I have seen. I looked hard at both and went with the heritage as I don’t do long trips often and I like I can take off the bags and windscreen. When I add a second bike at some point for longer trips it will be the road glide has even more amenities for two up riding.

One thing I wanted to mention that you touched on with the Road King is how easy it is to handle these bigger touring bikes. I went from an 800cc cruiser up to a full dresser Road Glide. I was amazed how easily it handled given the size and weight.

Personally I'd go for the road king. Never was a fan of the heritage

Road King, the king of the road.

hah perfect! I just did this demo. if the dealer ever questions letting you borrow bikes for your vids, your heritage video got me to go demo one (and the road king). a couple days ago My deadwood 114 heritage should be here next week ;)

I don’t ride two up, so my 20 Heritage 107 Stage 2 is solo seat only. I really like the looks of her that way, with the bags on or off. The detachable Heritage bags were a big reason for picking her over the RK. Not to mention the lighter weight, which is a big deal for me at stoplights. I also didn’t like the RK’s hydraulic clutch feel on the 2020, I’m glad they went back to a cable. Both bikes are awesome, either choice could be the right one.

Be it around town be it long distance no matter what type of riding you do for $500 more the Road King hands-down is the winner all the way around.

I kind of think the RKS is a significantly different bike from the regular RK. For me it would be the Heritage, just don't need a big tourer here in the UK. Great review, thanks.

I'm on my 2nd King, and I wouldn't ride anything but the King. To each his own , we all have our reasons why we ride what we ride.

Looks like they stripped down the Heritage over the years. I had a Road King, nice bike but the Heritage Classic sits lower to the ground, I like that. I'm on my 3rd Heritage but I go for the mid 2000 models, fully loaded lots of chrome and detail....but that's just me. Good Video, Thanks!

Similar styling on the fenders and with the windshield. The fact that you can get the 114 on the Heritage is a plus for the Heritage. After owning two 114s, I don’t know if I’d want a 107 ever again... unless it had at least a stage 2. I like the less weight on the Heritage, but for the way I ride, the touring frame would suit me better. Passenger comfort, according to my wife, is without a doubt in the Road King’s favor. I owned a 2007 Heritage (I know they’ve been updated since then) and a Road King in 2017. I do like the engine guard. I do like the aesthetics of having the exhaust on either side. I’ve ridden 20+ years with a heal shifter. LOL! I rode my 2020 home without one before they swapped my stuff over because it was late before we settled on a deal and then rode back the next day and they did the switch including my heal shifter. I sure missed lots of shifts reaching for the heal shifter. It’s a must for me now.

Your right...It comes down to personnal preference....For me being a retired and a single divorced man that rides everyday and does travel on my Bike too...Its the HC in the 114...

Great review. I went with the Heritage and am more than happy. I just appreciate your honesty and fairness.

I think it’s high time Harley offered the Heritage with a twin disc brake front end. It’s a big, heavy bike that needs twin discs with ABS for safety, control. I don’t do any long distance riding so the Heritage would be adequate for short/medium distance trips.

Ok I have one thing to say and Road King lovers already know...there are only 2 types of bikes. There are Road Kings and then there are any other bikes, that’s it. End of story folks.

Might be good to add that the 6 gallon tank RK is 5 gallons Canadian (Imperial) for your Canadian viewers, so your 5gallon RKH is more like 4 gallons CDN.

1 big difference between these 2 is the handling/ cornering. The Roadking becaause of the chassis corners much better and will not scape in the tight turns compaired to the Heritage. The Roadking has a wetsump oilpan that holds 4 qrts, Heritage has a oil tank and holds 3 qts. Brakes-The Roadking has 2 disk up the front, the Heritage has a single disk. Both are great bikes that can be ridden all day with no problem.

Bought my "09 Road King Classic new. Love it as much today as the day I bought it. Best all around bike Harley made.

I have a 2014 RK now, I had a 2005 RK Classic and a 2000 Heritage. Drove all 3 for distance found the Heritage to be just as comfortable on the highway. My only complaint on the early Heritage and RK Classic was the inability to lock your bags when carrying valuables.

The Road King is the best looking bike Harley has ever made! 🔥 Road King everytime!

Road King. Touring Frame ✅

I really liked this video as I was looking at the Harley Heritage Classic, then I saw the Road King that looked so similar, I’m glad you had this comparison. It confirmed my thoughts of going with the Heritage Classic!

Moot point not mute point Otherwise a great comparison You sold me on the heritage

I’ve got an 03 Heritage Classic Softail and I’m getting ready to take a 1400 mile round trip with it,love the suspension and the way she handles

OK...am I missing something. Engine MOUNTS....Heritage is bolted to the frame and RK is "floating". I would think that makes a BIG difference at 75 mph and beyond. Heritage is a shaker and RD is smoother? I LOVE my '14 Heritage, but can be challenging at LONG distance highway speeds for long drive times. No one mentions that. Am I wrong?

The Heritage suspension, while improved in later models, can't compete with the "Kings dual shock setup. Huge difference in the twisty's, as well as two up touring. Something that definantly should be concidered when comparing the two

Hi, My choice would be a Road King Standard with 114 motor and day maker lamps. Would change to beach bars as well. I own a 2008 RK Classic 96 ci 1584cc Super tuner Screaming Eagles

Nice review. I have a 2020 Heritage 114 and love it. Road King was a strong consideration - but I'm not planning on a lot of long trips. They are both great looking bikes IMO. I did get a "lay flat" license plate which def looks better. The saddle bags are easy to not close all the way, meaning I discovered I need to make sure they "click" close or I'm riding away with one open looking very un-cool.

I have owned both bikes and I must say the Heritage has a very nice riding seat and of course it's a softail BUT they call it the KING for a reason. Can't beat the KING for looks and performance plus adaptability to modify. I was the first to black out my KING now Harley calls it a "Special" Nothing is better than sitting at a Stop light idling on your KING while the handle bars vibrate shaking your hands. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm nice !

Two Up. How heavy are You, Your Passenger & Gear? Correct Me, if I'm wrong, the Road King can probably handle about 130lbs. more than the Heritage. So, if you're haulin' over 375lbs... Road King all the way... Just my opinion.

I dunno about the newer heritage but I prefer my 2016 heritage over a RK by a mile. And after a couple months on the heritage I know exactly why. I sat on a RK today at dealer and knew exactly why. The floorboards are way higher. I’m 6’3 205 and felt like my knees were in the air and cramped up. On my old heritage the floorboards are down lower and further forward plus you sit down deeper into the bike. I’m way more relaxed and comfortable on my heritage. I’ve never been more confident in my decision now. And that explains the better lean angle of the RK and touring bikes…the floorboards are higher up. I never could figure out why I felt more cramped on touring bikes than I did on a heritage when everyone says the RK and touring is better for big guys. But now I know. Now the new model heritages have a better lean angle than the older ones like mine. They prob have higher floorboards like the RK does now 😂. And I think they prob do bec on the 2018 and newer heritage I didn’t feel as comfy as I do on the 2016. I knew something changed

Love my road king special

It's called the 'King', for a reason. Heritage has internal wired bars, the RK doesn't. The older you get, comfort trumps cool every time. Give me the Ultra any day.

Since the release of the Sportster S and the new Revolution Max engine it’s hard to entertain anything else. That new engine technology have designed all shortcomings out of the way and may room for the new. The days of those hot air cooled engines are over as is the huge primary chain rotating in oil, loud shifting clunk, pushrods, bottom end cams, rocker arms, and push rod lifters. Full counter balancing, Full liquid cooling is something v twins have missed out on for a while. HD had to start producing Cadillac smooth motorcycles that don’t take slave labor to maintain, for me the single hole oil fill and draining is huge for me.

Road King Special! its the king of the road :D Heritage is an awesome bike though. Just don't like the studs at all, not my thing. Good review though, thanks

I actually like both of them. But most of all, I like when heavy motorcycles have two brake discs on the front wheel. So the Road King for me.

Don't know if you mentioned the fact that the Heritage has tubed tyres and the RK has tubeless that can be plugged at the roadside and get you home. Deal breaker for me.

Good video and a solid overview of both bikes. I am possibly trading in my 2015 Fatboy and the Road King is one option I am considering.

You actually missed the most important point like the motor mounting in the frame. I own a 107 heritage and I do miss the smooth highway gliding of my old Super Glide! Above 75 mph it feels like my pony wanna get rid of me ! It's because the engine is not rubber mounted at the frame....

Harley davidson bikes are like a life dream. Only the best to the best!

I loved my heritage it was a great solo bike but once the wife decided she wanted to start riding along it was just a bit small. So I traded it in on a street glide then she got her own bike but I'm sold on the touring frame so traded the street glide in for a road glide and there's no going back now!

Bloody hell mate, how difficult do you need to make it for a guy!! I really like both, but can have only one. I think the the RK will probably get the nod for its touring chassis and extra fuel capacity. It also has a fuel gauge, and I would prefer to have that on the bike. Really appreciate the comparison mate, and very well presented. Stay safe.

On Harley's website they state the Road King's running order weight as 828 lbs, not 807 as stated at 2:43

Not a tough choice, went with an Indian.

Heritage all day long. The most versatile HD. Stripped back of the shield, bags (courtesy of CycleVision’s Barebacks) and pillion/sissy, it’s like having a Slim and with a removable batwing fairing (Reckless in my case), it’s like having an faux-Electra Glide. Seating position….or rather knee height position…is better on the FLHC/S. I *love* the look of the RKS, but couldn’t bring myself to switch, instead spending the money it would’ve cost on adjustable suspension and a bigger front rotor on my Heritage 😎

It takes three minutes to Install a lay down license plate bracket on the heritage. Simple and not detective at all. The turn signal bracket on the RK is HUGE and ugly. Both bikes are great. The M8 Heritage is a much better bike than the old Heritage better ground clearance, a cleaner look and much better handling. 100lbs less than the RK. .

Better braking an handling on the Road King, a lot more nimble, precisely why most PD use the Road King for their PD bikes rode the FLH over 15 yrs. love it

Excellent video with amazing bikes. Please get a microphone for new videos. The sound will be much better. Thank you for making these available to us😄

I'm still in awe of my 03 road king classic the chrome white wall tires big ol Harley but I'm just a lucky old man

great video! I came for 2021 road king after seeing the new 2023 road king special, I prefer the 2021 model much more. purely the look

I really appreciate this great comparison video! Great Job!

Agreed, spot on review, thank you. I'm digging the Electra Glide Standard. Snap response both clutch/throttle. Seats low, I'll upgrade suspension for road load. Standard is mod man.🏍️ I protest! there are no Harley emojis, WTF?

I just wish the lights on the RK was LED. The only thing that makes me choose the heritage over the RK and yes I know you can change them out but they’re just so expensive for lights and it’s not including the turn signals and the rear brake light. It just turns me off from the RK

I luv my king, the best bang 4 the buck.

I'm a bigger guy, so having the touring chassis is pretty much needed, especially since I have a 2hr round trip commute for work. Basically, this is why I got my SG, but I'd take a RK on the same ride & would prefer one when doing in town stuff, since the SG fairing is nice, but it RK is a bit more nimble comparatively. I'm not a fan of the Heritage appearance or lesser breaking capability.

I'm all about progress, but those headlights do not suit that Heritage. Nice lights, but not on that bike. It's a shame about the Road king classic. With a new seat, bars and wheels, it was the best looking bike in the Harley line up. A timeless classic.

I cant talk to new, but I just traded my road king for a heritage, I’m not a tall man, and when I bought the road king, I didn’t have a back injury, I found it hurt to ride the road king, it hurt my back every time I road.. The heritage I ride with out any pain or discomfort.. Happily riding again after several years.. Anyone is different.

I wish Harley would cosmetically finish out the rear fenders on the Road King. Then you could take the bags off and have one of the most beautiful bikes ever.

Quick question, are both liquid cooled? And at 71, the 70+ pounds in weight is significant, but I like the look of a Road King.

Enjoyed road king for me my first Harley was a 69 FLH police bike love it ride hard live free from a old southern biker

Sport Glide vs Fat Bob/Fat Boy/low rider S/any softtail

I love your videos but it’s a shame your dealer never seems to let you ride them. You are great at this but some ‘on the bike commentary’ would really help the videos. Best from Ireland 👍🏻

Can you do a review on what where the big changes between the 2018 and 2021 heritage? Would love to hear a breakdown

This video helped out a lot ..great job on breaking them down

Honestly, I am the guy who love road king! Road king classic is everything as a fancy Cadillac! Luxury

the license plate bracket on the Heritage looks like they forgot it and was a last minute add. That is the only thing on bike that looks terrible imo. And no excuse for Harley to not put duel brake rotors in the front on Heritage as well. And they cheaped out on the blinkers/tail light are not LED even if you get the LED headlight. Note also the fuel gauge is not on the left fuel cap, that is simply a decoration that they should have left off and modified the tank.

Road king 👑

Wow the new Heritage is not that great looking imo. I have an 06 and I personally think it looks much better than all the 21 Heritage models. I hate the herpes bumps on them instead of the chrome colored buttons so I will be keeping my bike lol

went from a 12 heritage to a 18 King. Love the King. Would have to say the 114 Heritage is the best all around bike from Harley. Rides like a metric and can go all day...

They are basically the the same price, you get a lot more bike with the road king the only reason I would see anyone getting the heritage is if they were a small person.

flats easier to fix on mags, plug and go, some have to pull out a tube and patch.

Heritage all day everyday!

I don’t know of the Road King coming in 114 unless it’s a police edition. I figured you had to choose the Road King Special for the bump in motor size. I’m torn between the Low Rider S and the RK. If I can get the RK in 114, my decision would be the RK hands down.

Yeah, they have different wheels, but does that mean tube VS tubeless tires?

Maybe it’s my size 5 7 at 190. Test drove both bikes and the Road King Bounced me out of the seat on most bumps on my test ride the heritage was much softer.

If I could get a road king standard with a 114 that would be my bike. I don’t want the road king special.

Is this for all years or just the 21 year I want to get a 03 road king or 03 heritage anniversary edition 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

114 Heritage Softail with stage 2. Spicy!

I want to test drive one. They are Great looking.

Great comparison mate! Thank you.

I got the opportunity to ride both on France. I loved the light weight of the Heritage and its bags narrow width which is easier to deal with when you ride between car lines in the Paris suburb trafic jam. I noticed that when I got off, I burned my leg on the upper exhaust, may be this something to get used to. I loved RK too, but when it came to push it rear off its parking in a slope, it's been tough ! Now, I got used to ride my current bike with a driver backrest and I do not want to get rid of it, since it is a Real plus for comfort. I know it is possible on the RK but is it on the Heritage ? Thanks for leetting me know.

The largest difference that no one seems to consider is the RAKE. The Heritage rake angle is higher versus the Road King. This means the Heritage is more maneuverable around corners whereas the King may feel a bit smoother on the highway.

Wow, how come you didn"t even feel a difference with the brakes? Sounds like the Heritage brakes are engineered real good as the RKing with double the hardware brakes almost the same. Should brake much better and also feel that way.

Is thete still a b motor on the heritage makeing it smoother than the road king

Nice review. How are the stock shocks on both?

Great Vid, Great review, I'm sold on the King, thanks much

Very good comparison - Thank you

What’s the difference between road king and street glide

Both excellent choices

Can the RK mag wheels be used on the HS? I don't like the spokes on my 19 Hs.