Your Motorcycles: Hers and His Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic Motorcycles

Candi upgrades her motorcycle to a more comfortable tourer

By Candi Cantrell, Charleston, West Virginia

First Ride

My very first ride on a motorcycle was when I rode as a passenger on my husband’s Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic. I remember telling him to slow down in the parking lot we were in and he informed me that he was only going 15 mph. I still laugh about that to this day.

After riding as a passenger for a couple of years, I started riding my own motorcycle in 2017. My first motorcycle was a Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob. I gained lots of experience riding that motorcycle around town and even did several road trips on it. Near the end of my riding season in late 2021, I began to look for a bigger motorcycle. I knew I wanted saddlebags, cruise control, and ABS, features that my Street Bob did not have. I loved my Street Bob and had put more than 6,000 miles on it, but I was ready for a motorcycle that was built for touring.

Candi with her 2022 Heritage Classic at the Ocracoke Island Light Station in Ocracoke Village at the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina.
Candi with her 2022 Heritage Classic at the Ocracoke Island Light Station in Ocracoke Village at the southern end of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina.

Trading Up

When Harley-Davidson released its 2022 models, I instantly fell in love with the look of the new 2022 Softail Heritage Classic 114. The new Heritage Classic models come with two styles of wheels, laced and cast, and I really liked the cast wheels on the red and black model. I considered calling my Harley-Davidson dealership just to see if they could track down one for me because I preferred to buy from them again. To my surprise, the dealership received the exact Heritage Classic on a Friday afternoon in February 2022. I left work that day and immediately went to the dealership to take a look at it in person. When I sat on that Heritage Classic in their showroom it felt perfect! I was even more in love with it. That evening I purchased my 2022 Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic 114 in Redline Red/Vivid Black with the black cast wheels.

My husband and my Heritages at the Ocracoke Island Light Station in North Carolina.
My husband and my Heritages at the Ocracoke Island Light Station in North Carolina.

Although I have only had a few months with this Heritage Classic, I have already taken my biggest motorcycle road trip yet, traveling a total of 1,225 miles from West Virginia to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. This motorcycle rides so smoothly and the anti-lock brakes make me feel safer on the road.

I have lots of storage for my camping gear and overnight bag and even a rack for an additional bag. Even though the Heritage Classic is a bigger motorcycle than the Street Bob, it is actually easier to ride.
I have lots of storage for my camping gear and overnight bag and even a rack for an additional bag. Even though the Heritage Classic is a bigger motorcycle than the Street Bob, it is actually easier to ride.

While in the Outer Banks a Nor’easter storm rolled into town and I had to get off the island before coastal flooding began. I rode through heavy rain, strong gusts of wind, and even sand on the road as I made my way back to the mainland. It was an adventure and I was so impressed with the performance of my Heritage Classic. 

I already have another big motorcycle trip planned for June and I cannot wait to put more miles on my Heritage Classic. I think it was a great upgrade for me without going too big. I would highly recommend this motorcycle to any woman looking for a bigger motorcycle or for a motorcycle with more features. Overall, I am impressed and completely happy with my purchase. There are now two Harley-Davidson Heritage Classic motorcycles in my garage and my husband and I greatly enjoy riding them together and making memories along the way.

Here I am in my happy place; motorcycle camping in the Outer Banks.
Here I am in my happy place; motorcycle camping in the Outer Banks.

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