Harley-Davidson FLSTC-FLSTCI Heritage Softail Classic reviews

Recently had a VStar 650 Custom that was a very nice bike in its own way, but not for my true riding need of putting on some big mile days solo or two up. I've put 450 miles on the bike in the last two days and all I can say is wow. It isn't going to win any speed titles, but the way it pulls through the gears to 100mph is pure fun. The weight of this bike is so balanced that it doesn't seem like 700lbs under you. Rock solid at speed, but does run out of corner clearance quickly and scrapes the boards, but doesn't unsettle the turn...just gets your attention! The thing is that you just can't understand how beautiful this bike is until you really look her over. The fit and finish on the bike are excellent...far better than the competition. Love the EFI...just turn it on, wait for the injector light to go out and thumb the starter and ride on. The rumble is something that is imitated but never duplicated. I plan to do future updates with my take on two up and long hauls. This bike is truly fantastic!

My wife purchased our 2003 Heritage Softail April 2003 for my birthday. It has been a great ride. I have the Carburated model and the only problem I had was that in cool weather I had to run with the choke out. I found a dealer who said "let me put a sound package on" The cost $100.00 That was considerably less then I had been quoted. Other dealers talked about different pipes, air filters etc. all for $600 to $900. What I didn't know is that anytime you modify your bike, even with H-D parts, you essentially void you warranty. The dealer assured me they will stand behind the warranty. What they did was bore out the baffles, and re-jet the carburator. The sound is great, not too loud, and the performance is greatly improved. The down side is I get around 40 mpg. It is worth it for the added performance. Also I have a service plan with my dealer. For a flat, up front fee of around $1600 I have free life time service on all my maintenance. It will pay for itself if you are sure the bike you have is the one you want to keep. Mine is!! I started looking this Spring at a touring bike, but after test riding and talking with a number of individuals, some salesmen, they convince me the the Heritage Softail is the best all round bike in the Harley line up.

I have owned my share of Yamaha's and Kawasaki's back when I was into dirt bikes and even owned a couple "metric" street bikes, but I gotta tell ya, the only way to go on the street is Harley. I recently bought a new '04 Heritage (June of '04) and feel like I am reborn when I ride! I feel like a kid on a new mini bike. I started riding some 35 years ago (46 now) and I know what I'm talking about, so don't even try to argue.

Knew nothing about motorcycles, I decided after my course to opt for this FLSTCI 2004. No regrets, lots of jealous people though who own other brands who'd like to own one, but won't admit it. I average 100 kilometers a day , just installed the easy boy clutch, a big improvement I recommend it, of course the stock pipes are too quiet, however no one's bothering you and my neighbours still talk to me, I'm not afraid to wake them up if I decide to ride at 2:00 in the morning. I can't judge other brands, however for my first motorcycle I know it's the right choice

I have owned three Harley Davidson's since I began riding about a year and a half ago. I'm 23 years old, and I'm caught up in the chopper craze and the first bike I bought was a 2002 FXST, and I highly customized it and rode it for about 6 months, and then I did the same with a 2003 FXSTI, and sold that one as well. Both bikes had about $8000 a piece in custom accessories, and looked great, but riding with my wife was very uncomfortable. About a month ago, I bought a 2004 FLSTCI in Glacier White, the BEST looking color in the HD lineup this year. It actually has a blue tint in the sunlight because a blue base paint is sprayed before the white is applied according to the factory. Being into the chopper craze, the styling is the best of the touring style bikes but still had to grow on me. There is absolutely no vibration from the 1450cc Twin Cam, and the bike handles flawlessly. And anyone who complains about rubber mounting the engine is crazy. There is no vibration, and the rubber mounted engines actually vibrate more. Next time you see a FLH type bike look at the rear view mirrors as he's traveling you can hardly see what's behind you. I have already began customizing this bike with Vance and Hines bigshots, and many H-D accessories. This is the ride to own first, then get the chopper.

Nope, this bike won't do that even with a ton of upgrades. First of all, I have ridden Harleys for the last 20 years and this is without a doubt, the best one I have ridden. The vibration is almost non-existent compared to my 84 softail. Balanced motor, 5 speed trannie and no kick start. Fit and finish were excellent. The first thing I noticed was a definite lack of power on the stock motor. I wanted to keep it quiet, but with the many nimrods on the road and a few near misses I decided to go with a Vance and Hines pro pipe HS, stage one intake and ECM. I immediately noticed the motor breathed easier and had more umph... Going from a 21" front wheel to a 16" is quite a change for manuverability. This bike doesn't like hard cornering. I prefer my 84 for twisties. Comfort level. After about an hour my thighs were killing me. I had to put on a crash bar and pegs in order to stretch out. I am a pretty big guy. If you are 6' or over, I recommend doing this modification right away. EFI is the only way to go now. Throttle response is crisp. I did have to have my computer replaced after 1500 miles, but it has been fine with the new one. Overall this is a great bike. You don't buy a heritage to hit the twisties. You get one to cruise. I am looking forward to retiring and getting back to the mainland to do some touring with it. Hawaii is nice, but you can only go so far on an island.

A nice bike. Handles reasonably well although it is too easy to drag the boards. It is down on power compared to many Metric cruisers (even with Stage 1 Kit). It is a head turner, everyone loves to look at it. Should come stock with a 6 speed because 5th is geared too low for highway speeds.

I bought a 2003 Softail Heritage Classic in 5/03. The dealer was great to work with; it wasn't necessary to pay any premium over MSRP, amazing since the dealer is in a Milwaukee suburb! What I like: The bike is very well engineered, beautifully made and detailed, and carefully finished. Good job, Willie G; it just looks great! It is reasonably comfortable for around-town riding, either solo or two-up. The fuel injection system is flawless--I'll never own another bike without FI. The 88B engine is nearly free of vibration. What I dislike: The factory seat and pillion are awful, and induce butt burn in about 45 minutes. Both need to be replaced. The bike lacks power in stock configuration. In order to get a modest increase in horsepower and torque, it will be necessary to spend about $3,000 for the Stage I intake, exhaust and ECM upgrade, plus a mild upgrade in camshafts. A $20,000 bike shouldn't need another $3,000 expenditure to bring the power up to and "average" level compared to competing bikes. It is not a comfortable long distance bike, especially two-up. The rear shocks have a small range of travel, and will bottom out over bumps even with the pre-load adjusted for the weight of a passenger and rider. Adjusting the rear shocks involves getting under the bike with a special wrench and working like nuts to turn the pre-load dial on the shocks--there must be a better way! This bike is not fun in the twisties. It doesn't have the turn-in and cornering ability of other, even some larger bikes. A long ride on back roads leaves the rider tired after only a couple of hours. It is hard work making this bike turn in; hold a line and exit at proper highway speeds. It needs a rider seat positioned closer to the front, and pulled back bars and relocated foot controls. I'm 5'-7" and have to sit in the awkward "C" position when riding this bike. I like this bike; it's beautiful! But I expect to trade it on a BMW K1200LT or (gasp!) a Honda GL1800 this summer. Both bikes are far better for long distance two-up travel. If HD would build an Ultra-Glide with the V-Rod engine, I gladly stay in the HD family, but it seems that a better drive train is available only by changing brands.

Ever since I was a little boy, I knew I wanted the "cool looking bike with the studded bags." Back then, I didn't know it was the FLSTCI; I just thought it looked the way a motorcycle should look. Every time I saw one on the road from the time I was 8, I would tell my mom that I would get one when I was older. Well, I'm finally older and all I have to do to see one now is walk into my garage. From the 2-tone 100th anniversary paint to the 88B engine, everything is in perfect harmony. I just put on a set of Screamin Eagle II slip on's so it will finally sound as good as it looks. I bought it at the end of the summer in 03 and was only able to get about 500 miles on it, but I can't wait for the snow to melt. My advice to anyone considering a Heritage is just do it. It is a decision you will never regret! Have fun and keep it rubber side down.

I have put about 1500 miles on the bike so far and I have nothing but good things to say. It rides like a dream! I often ride my 10 year old son with me and he loves it. It is a big bike and you will not want to do much counter steering with it, unless you like to hear your floorboards drag. However turns on the highway are as smooth as can be. I really like the feature of a detachable windshield which you can put on or take off in seconds. The bags are also easy to remove and it change the look of the bike significantly.