Harley Davidson Road King Vs. Harley Davidson Electra Glide

“No matter how bad your day is, your bike will always make you feel better.”

Motorcycle touring is a fun and refreshing activity. There was a time when motorcycles were only used for daily commutes and weekend rides. However, over time, custom builders started customizing motorbikes with windscreens, fairings, saddlebags, and crash bars to ensure comfortable long-distance rides. This trend was later adopted by motorcycle companies that started producing factory-made touring bikes.

Harley Davidson is one of the most popular motorcycle brands in the world, having produced several touring bike models with stock saddlebags, fairings, windscreens, crash bars, floorboards, and comfortable ergonomics. The Harley Davidson touring bikes are equipped with powerful and torquey engines, forward-mounted foot controls, and swept-back handlebars suited for long-distance and two-up riding. Most modern touring bikes have easily detachable saddlebags, fairings, and windshields if you wish to transform your ride into a stripped-down cruiser.

The Harley Davidson Road King and the Harley Davidson Electra Glide Standard are simple yet powerful touring bikes. Both motorcycles are powered by a Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine capable of smooth power delivery and adequate throttle response. Despite sharing many similar features, both motorcycles have unique looks and ergonomics. This article is a detailed comparison between the Harley Davidson Road King and the Harley Davidson Electra Glide.

The Harley Davidson Road King is a classic touring motorbike with hard saddlebags, a large windscreen, and a chrome finish. It has chrome handlebars, front forks, side mirrors, an air filter, and two-into-one-into-two dual tapered mufflers. To improve the classic look, the Harley Road King is fitted with chrome Hiawatha headlamps with a large headlight in the center and two additional small headlights on both sides. The front turn signals are also attached to the rod supporting the Hiawatha headlamps.

The Harley Road King also comes with a chopped front fender with a classic Road King logo on both sides. A classic tail light, rear turn signals, and a license plate holder are mounted to the large rear fender. There is a dip in the rider’s seat ensuring a low seat height of 26.3 inches. The Harley Road King is fitted with a step-up seat for two-up riding. It has mid-mounted, swept-back handlebars and fuel tank-mounted gauges. The Harley Road King is fitted with forward-mounted floorboards for a comfortable touring experience and crash bars.

The Harley Davidson Electra Glide is only available in a vivid black color scheme with a chrome finish. This motorcycle comes with hard saddlebags, a batwing nose fairing, and crash bars. The Harley Electra Glide has a simple design and look. It is also an easily customizable motorcycle that can be stripped down and transformed into a stylish cruiser. The Harley Electra Glide is fitted with a large round headlamp, enclosed in a wide batwing fairing with an air vent and a small windshield. The batwing fairing also has a small storage box and four analog gauges. Despite being a bulky touring bike, it only comes with a solo rider seat. The chrome side mirrors are attached to the mid-mounted, slightly pulled-back handlebars.

The Harley Davidson Road King is equipped with a 107 cu in air-cooled engine that can produce a torque of 150.5 Nm and a horsepower of 93 hp. It is a bulky motorbike that is difficult to maneuver at low speeds and ride through traffic. The Harley Road King is designed for long-distance rides on smooth roads. Riders not used to riding a heavyweight motorbike may find it difficult at first to ride this motorbike through traffic. However, while cruising on highways and straight roads, the Harley Road King does not feel heavy. The Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine provides quick throttle response and better linear performance.

For an experienced rider, the Harley Road King is not difficult to handle. However, for a novice rider, it is difficult to maneuver in slow-moving traffic and turn corners. The Harley Road King’s braking is also adequate. However, it is difficult to make sudden stops in traffic as the rider has to apply the brakes early.

The Harley Davidson Electra Glide is also a hefty motorbike with a wide batwing fairing, crash bars, and saddlebags. It is difficult to balance while making U-turns, maneuver at low speeds, and reverse due to being a bulky motorbike. However, as soon as the Harley Electra Glide reaches a stable speed, it becomes easier to ride.

The Harley Electra Glide is equipped with a 107 cu in the air- and oil-cooled, Milwaukee-Eight engine capable of producing a horsepower of 90 hp and a torque of 150.5 Nm. While cruising on highways and linear roads, the Harley Electra Glide does not feel heavy and has a good throttle response.

The Harley Electra Glide comes with standard cruise controls that ensure effortless cruising on highways. The standard ABS and Electronically Linked Braking (ELB) ensure reliable braking.

The Harley Davidson Road King has low ground clearance with a seat height of 26.3 inches. This motorbike is comfortable for taller and shorter riders. The mid-mounted, pulled-back handlebars are also within comfortable reach of the rider. The Harley Road King also comes with stock floorboards to ensure a comfortable cruising experience. The position of the handlebars, forward-mounted foot controls, and low seat height ensures an upright riding position. Overall, the Harley Road King is a comfortable touring bike suited for longer rides. For better touring performance, the storage capacity can be increased by installing luggage racks and sissy bars.

The Harley Davidson Electra Glide has a low seat height of 26.1 inches and pulled-back handlebars, ensuring an upright riding position. It also comes with forward-mounted floorboards so the rider can comfortably rest their feet while cruising on highways. The fork-mounted batwing fairing makes the front end heavier, which makes handling tough on twists and turns. It is not an ideal touring bike for novice riders due to being difficult to maneuver when turning corners. To increase storage capacity, Viking Bags has specially designed luggage racks for the Harley Electra Glide.

The Harley Davidson Road King is ideal for cruising on highways and light touring. Being a heavyweight, large-sized motorcycle, it is difficult to maneuver at low speeds and when riding through traffic. Novice riders may find it difficult to turn corners. However, due to its low seat height and center of gravity, the Harley Road King provides better linear performance. It also comes with a large windshield, hard saddlebags, a passenger seat, and rider and passenger’s floorboards.

The Harley Davidson Road King and the Harley Davidson Electra Glide are classic touring motorbikes with simple color schemes and chrome finishes. Both motorcycles are powered by the 107 cu in Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine capable of smooth power and torque delivery. However, what makes both these motorcycles differ from each other is their design and styling. The Harley Road King has more classic styling and is better suited for cruising and light touring on linear roads. Meanwhile, the Harley Electra Glide is also capable of cruising and light touring.

Both motorcycles are difficult to handle and maneuver at low speeds due to their bulky build. However, at high speeds, you hardly notice these motorbikes’ heavyweight. Both the Harley Road King and the Harley Electra Glide have similar performance and handling. If you love touring and can handle a heavyweight motorcycle, then both the Harley Davidson Road Kind and Harley Davidson Electra Glide are good options.