[tonyj]

I rode to Wichita to take a spin on the new RG to see for myself what it was all about. The RG Ultra is what I'm looking at but they didn't have one in the demo fleet yet so the RG Special it was. After a few moments familiarizing myself with the controls I took off. The first thing that I noticed was the unmistakable vibration at idle but it went away with the slightest twist of the right wrist. Speaking of throttle, the electronic throttle was predictable, precise and crisp. The next habit I had to break was the turn signal switches on each side, but that was soon forgotten. This bike had Stage 1 with slip-ons and was very responsive and pulled hard through all the gears....very surprised! The transmission was smooth in every way, simple as that. The brakes were responsive and inspired confidence at any speed. Handling was different than my Vision but not bad, just different. The bike was easy enough to maneuver at any speed but nowhere close to the Vision. I did like the bars, similar feel to what I'm used to and the controls were easy to reach and laid out well I thought. This bike had the short windshield and no lowers so at 6'3" it was less then adequate obviously. I did play around with the vents (3) in the fairing and they produced a steady flow of air much like a fan would produce....I'd really like to know how they effective they are with a taller windshield but based on what I felt I'm guessing they would work great. The seat was firm but comfortable....of course that opinion could change 150 miles later! The floorboards were adequate but highway pegs would be a necessity to give me room to stretch out if needed. Of course HD offers demo windshields and seats to fine tune the comfort level before plunking down cold hard cash on something you regret. My overall impression was positive, especially factoring in the fit/finish/paint and readily available customizing parts available. If I could unload my Vision the RG Ultra would probably take it's place in the stable.

 

[Ejanotka]

Nice.

 

[MoRider]

I rode to Wichita to take a spin on the new RG to see for myself what it was all about. The RG Ultra is what I'm looking at but they didn't have one in the demo fleet yet so the RG Special it was. After a few moments familiarizing myself with the controls I took off. The first thing that I noticed was the unmistakable vibration at idle but it went away with the slightest twist of the right wrist. Speaking of throttle, the electronic throttle was predictable, precise and crisp. The next habit I had to break was the turn signal switches on each side, but that was soon forgotten. This bike had Stage 1 with slip-ons and was very responsive and pulled hard through all the gears....very surprised! The transmission was smooth in every way, simple as that. The brakes were responsive and inspired confidence at any speed. Handling was different than my Vision but not bad, just different. The bike was easy enough to maneuver at any speed but nowhere close to the Vision. I did like the bars, similar feel to what I'm used to and the controls were easy to reach and laid out well I thought. This bike had the short windshield and no lowers so at 6'3" it was less then adequate obviously. I did play around with the vents (3) in the fairing and they produced a steady flow of air much like a fan would produce....I'd really like to know how they effective they are with a taller windshield but based on what I felt I'm guessing they would work great. The seat was firm but comfortable....of course that opinion could change 150 miles later! The floorboards were adequate but highway pegs would be a necessity to give me room to stretch out if needed. Of course HD offers demo windshields and seats to fine tune the comfort level before plunking down cold hard cash on something you regret. My overall impression was positive, especially factoring in the fit/finish/paint and readily available customizing parts available. If I could unload my Vision the RG Ultra would probably take it's place in the stable.

Do yourself a favor and Check out Topeka Harley Davidson No Set Up Fees. MSRP plus freight and 299 doc fee

 

[Half_Crazy]

The RG is Harley's best bike.

 

[Keith Grey]

The RG is Harley's best bike.

Yup, Juan's bike was gorgeous, but much like a Super Model, it did not appear to be a very fun ride.

Hard to tell for certain though, with him being out of view behind us whenever we came to a stop. Rusty did some performance upgrades for him too didn't he?

It did quite nicely rushing from red light to red light though, seemed to have a lot of low end grunt. And his tranny sounded very quiet compared to my Vision. You know, considering what I could hear and how loud his 2-1 pipe was.

Also, his stereo? Better than mine even with the aftermarket speakers. Definitely attractive, but I just couldn't do it.

 

[Half_Crazy]

Yup, Juan's bike was gorgeous, but much like a Super Model, it did not appear to be a very fun ride.

Hard to tell for certain though, with him being out of view behind us whenever we came to a stop. Rusty did some performance upgrades for him too didn't he?

It did quite nicely rushing from red light to red light though, seemed to have a lot of low end grunt. And his tranny sounded very quiet compared to my Vision. You know, considering what I could hear and how loud his 2-1 pipe was.

Also, his stereo? Better than mine even with the aftermarket speakers. Definitely attractive, but I just couldn't do it.

Yes, Juan's bike is a 107 w/Woods 777 cams. It makes a little over 110 HP. The stereo is stock HD. It is a beautiful 26" bagger, but too low for any serious twisty road action. However, he rides that bike everywhere he goes.

 

[slickvic]

I would have an RG tomorrow but it's still not a better bike than my CC Is now. If I was in the market today for a 2016 bagger the RG would be the clear winner. Refinement goes a long way today. To be better you have to do better. Victory just isn't doing Sh!t right now. They lost my Buddy Chris to a SG that he is now taking delivery of to put next to his old 76 shovel in the garage. Sometimes a little change at a time is good. Better than no change at all or better yet eliminating products that people do want. Wake up Victory .....Good job HD.

 

[luvmyride]

I agree with the RG being the best bike in their catalog. I would also choose it if I were looking at a HD bagger. Just about every bike (bagger) I see is a batwing bike. I like the different look of the "shark nose", but not enough to make the jump. Bang for the buck, ease of maintenance, uniqueness , performance and handling, I still give the nod to my Vic (IMHO). I know RedVic would have disagreed

 

[tonyj]

All valid points you guys raise. I'm not saying the RG is a better bike necessarily but it is more refined I feel. Victory has unfortunately done nothing with the Vision except cheapen it up. My 2009 had polished billet wheels, chrome switch cubes, chrome handlebars, bright forks, etc. Not to mention the front fender issue and fairly common engine stutter / dying....there is simply no excuse for that kind of issue in todays technologically advanced world. I wasn't expecting a complete redesign but refinements in lighting, audio, paint, etc wasn't going to hurt. We'll see where I end up, one never knows!

 

[Oldman47]

I traded my RG for my Vision. It is not about how nicely it rides for me. I rode the crap out of my RGU and loved it the whole time. What it came down to for me was how much time my RGU was spending at the local dealer for warranty repairs. When I looked at the warranty claims I came to the conclusion that I just could not afford to own that thing if I was the one paying the bills.
My Vision has been to the shop once in over 2 1/2 years for repair and will outmaneuver my old RGU on any twisty road. If you brake hard in a curve that HD will try its best to tell you to quit doing that by feeling like the front wheel is about to fold up under the bike. The Vision just slows down. The solid feel of our engine being an integral part of the frame is more than a sales gimmick. It comes into play when you are on a twisty road.

 

[Gossamer]

I've got 2 friends that left Victory this last summer for HD(both Road Glides) due to disappointments with Victory new releases and lack of upgrades.

One guy really wanted to stay, loved the Roadmaster, but was underwhelmed by the motor, loved the Cross country but it had rattles and the infotainment system on HD far exceeds Victorys offering.

I've not ridden it, dont' really care to, it doesn't have the waterheads, which is what brings that 103 alive.

If i was to buy today, the Road Gide would be on the short list, but to be honest I'd probably stay with CCT.

The Roadmaster is stunning, but $6000 more, and has less storage and a less peppy engine.

The RG is a few grand more than the CCT but less than the Roadmaster. However for the CCT a lot of toys can be added for the cost differential. It wouldn't be as clean, or nicely integrated, but i could have all the RG has and then some.

But yes, I'm hoping to be wowed by Victory and soon. My 2012 has 53,000 miles now. Long way to go before needing replacement, but I'm one of those guys that enjoys replacing every few years for something new and nice.

Here's hoping for a new Vision 2.0 that really wows me.

 

[slickvic]

And a new Cross country! They need to tweak that bike back up. Chrome and the cast 21 wheel with Some new cool colors would be a start. Seat choices at the dealer. Some don't want a touring saddle and some don't want a gunfighter style saddle. Dash board upgrade. At least the stereo with nav and a decent screen.

Yes the handling and design of the frame with motor as the stress member is the totally the advantage of the three bagger/touring offerings. Victory is the superior bike here. All the other stuff is just candy. Let's remember the ride !

 

[freedom1974]

I test road a Road Glide ultra a couple of weeks ago. What a turd ! You couldnt give me that bike let alone get me to pay 40 grand for it. It felt like I had went back in time 30 years.

 

[freedom1974]

I forgot to mention it was a screaming eagle Road Glide Ultra.

 

[slickvic]

That's the heaviest of the bunch. They need a 110 to move it. What's up with the new 120 motor? Anyone seen one on the floor yet?

 

[catwrench59]

I've seen the engine on a display stand but not in a bike. I spoke to the Harley dealer principle about it. He said it was a good place to start but out of the box wouldn't be as strong a a built engine.

 

[Half_Crazy]

That's the heaviest of the bunch. They need a 110 to move it. What's up with the new 120 motor? Anyone seen one on the floor yet?

The 120R is not a bolt-in solution. It was made for teams racing in that particular class... and a race team would disassemble and build it. As delivered there's a lot of grit and flash, plus the compression ratio isn't high enough for the cams that come in it. A few of the people who used them as bolt-in-and-go had failures already. There are better solutions for a street engine in the aftermarket.

T-VO Engines

 

[Pelz]

That's the heaviest of the bunch. They need a 110 to move it. What's up with the new 120 motor? Anyone seen one on the floor yet?

The dealer by me had a new street glide with the 120T installed for sale. It was a demo and I really wanted to try it, but it was sold before I had time. The salesman said they will do another one, but it needs just the right buyer as the price is close to a CVO.

 

[Robert Jimenez]

A lot of people complain about the price of HD and Indian and yet they want Victory to catch up. All of the upgrades would come with a price. It took HD 60 some years to change their technology so give Victory a break. If you look at a RG you really have to pay attention to destinguish what year it is. What happens if Victory makes a lot of changes and people don't like them. What then. Buy a victory and make it your own.

 

[Dirtydan69]

There is no denying the fit and finish of the HD line. Handling and performance wise its a different story I believe. Unless there is something I'm missing. How much will it cost me to get performance? Sorry i'm not a beleiver anymore.