Some things to consider...
IF you decide not to keep your 2013 STL, you can move up to a 1330 engine RTL or F3L; either one will serve your needs for two-up touring/cruising and do it well. Some folks like the RTL, others prefer the F3L (or T). Best that you test ride both; take your wife with you, and give her a big say in the decision. Either way, the triple 1330 will give you better gas mileage, longer range per tank before filling, and very likely not need added oil between service. Super engines. The semi-automatics are fun to handle.
We ride a 2017 F3L; we're 78 and 74; do mostly day trips, 150 - 350 miles. I added arm rests for my lady's security; very good idea. She is quite well "nested/seated" with an excellent back rest/top case behind her, long arm rests on either side, my back rest as well as me ahead of her (see pic below). She is of medium build; it is possible to extend the passenger seat for larger folks.
One of the reasons we went with the F3L was because my hips just could not tolerate the sitting position of the RTL driver; the F3L worked much better. However, a test ride equally convinced my lady to choose the F3L. She liked it because the F3L was slightly smaller, sportier, but mostly because she found the F3L stock passenger seat very comfortable AND she sat much higher and looked over my helmet. That seems to be an important issue for your wife; you might want to check out how she finds the F3L will suit her. BUT, consider this:
After a few months of riding, I found it hard to do more than 45 minutes in the stock driver seat of the F3L; I needed to make some changes. An Airhawk pad helped double my tolerance, but I was still getting sore. I bought an Ultimate seat. Take note that stock F3L seats are two-piece; the Ultimate replacement is one-piece. The change meant that I now sat about 3/4" higher than stock BUT my lady now sat 1-1/2" lower relative to me. In short, she lost the ability to see over my helmet, and now looks around my ears. She is not too pleased about that. The Ultimate seat is comfortable for both of us, but does have this 'downside' regarding relative 'positioning' of our bodies/heads relative to one another.
I mention this as a caution for you, in case you think you like the F3L enough to purchase, but may also be thinking of changing from the stock seat to an after-market replacement. You might have to go with something like a Russell Day Long if you wish to keep the two-piece set-up and also be able to maintain the relative height difference between passenger-driver so that she can still see over your helmet. Perhaps you can accomplish this by adding gel pads to the stock seat pieces.
The F3L will be somewhat 'breezier' than the RTL, and may also cause you to consider windshield replacement. That, too, can involve considerations of how seat changes may/will impact viewing or sight lines above/through your shield. All you can do is visit the dealer, try out the different models, and try to guesstimate how such changes may affect your riding enjoyment.
Good luck.
hyea:
