A 2002 Road King the bike of my dreams. Perhaps an indication of the fantasy world in which I live. Big hairy Harley rigs always the distillation of motorcycling. The ethereal pull of a long stroke big forty-five degree vee-twin's never going to be submerged by corporate profit. That Harley myth still running strong.
Harleys not designed for wimps. Have weight, heft to them, with a proper set of high-risers for handlebars – something you can get some muscle into, though it took a little time until I was used to their relatively low and canted forward nature. Other Harleys have higher pull-backs but the Road King's designed primarily as a tourer. Depending on how you ride, it is relatively easy to fit higher bars, even an option when ordering a new Road King. Despite initial reservations, the riding position does make good sense when trundling through the American countryside at 70-80mph.
The motor rumbles and complains a touch in town but HD riders' take this as a sign of character rather than as an indication of poor design. Enough rumbling's let through to emphasize the basic manliness of the design. Ladies on the pillion still end up hot and bothered! Comfy seat and good riding position, means the rider is still up for it. Unlike the clowns on pile-inducing replicas who grow old, asexual, before their time. And those Ducati 999 riders... Overall, vibration levels are not a problem, the bike particularly smooth at highway speeds.
The Road King's a real grunt baby, doesn't matter which gear you're in. We're talking 88 cubic inches here, with all the torque concentrated at the lower end of the rev range. These are real American horses, none of this foreign nonsense. The bike feels so solid I reckon I could ride it through brick walls and plateglass windows and it wouldn't even twitch or slow for a moment.
I found that the EFI unit, which replaced the single carb, made starting and riding off much easier that days of old (I can even recall Harleys so intransigent that they would drain the battery before starting on cold mornings), though it is still important to let the engine warm up at minimal revs to get proper circulation of the oil, especially to the neat self-adjusting valves.
However, I have heard reports that if the unit fails you are in deep shit – it's designed so that if one part of the system goes down it will still work well enough to get you home but some owner's experiences don't concur with this, being stranded with dead units. On the basic Road King, a carb was an option and some turn up in the used market. Aftermarket items also available, but in my own case the EFI has been an impressive addition to the Harley experience, making life easier and never giving a moment's trouble. Fuel around 55mpg, which hinted at its greater efficiency.
Panniers were available as either fibreglass or leather, although the latter look neater they don't keep their finish if the bike is used in Northern climes, wet weather doing them no good at all. The fibreglass units are also more secure. Enough space to carry a good selection of clothes when cruising the open road and staying in motels. Probably not enough room if you are two-up and into camping.
I only own one bike, will readily admit that some of the other Harley models may be better at the daily commute, but I had no great problems adjusting to the RK's ways in traffic and quite happily did 30 miles a day to work and back. True, in winter a lot of cleaning needed to keep the bike up to spec but that was all part of the fun of ownership. The bike felt particularly secure on wet roads, the thumping vee warning automobile drivers of my approach, enough violence implied in its presence to keep them in line!
The open road where the machine really shines, 300-400 miles a day no great problem. No great problem – I didn't mean that, I meant it was a sheer buzz, an exuberant time to hit the open highway and canter along to the beat of the big vee twin's engine. That's it forte, no need for really excessive speed to get high, just get relaxed and laid back and become one with machine and scenery!
Such a sublime state helped along by suspension and brakes that are actually up to the job. Some Harley models can get seriously out of line when attacked by pot-holes, and the like, but the RK has good suspension that absorbs most of the nonsense and keeps the bike nicely on line. Ground clearance will eventually limit things, but again, the RK is better off than most Harleys in this area. The brakes would probably have the average race replica rider scared out of his mind, but given a good squeeze they do the job!
I have no hesitation about leaping on my bike, heading off on a new adventure on the weekend or during the holidays. Fortunately, my wife loves to ride pillion and we are that rarest thing in American life – a car-free family! That must tell you a lot about the capabilities of the Road King!
Pride of ownership runs deep with the Harley crowd, bikes like the Road King, even when used hard, kept in prime condition. Consequently, depreciation of used examples is relatively low and finding bargains on the secondhand market hard going. But definitely worth the effort.
Terry O'Neil