Harley Davidson Touring Road King: Is It Really Worth Its Name?

Are you a motorcycle fanatic and are looking for a new bike that prioritizes safety and comfort above all? Then Harley’s touring motorcycles have got your back.

Harley touring bikes are highly stable and make sure to accommodate riders comfortably for long adventures and greatly improve their riding experience.

Among the Harley-Davidson touring line,  the Road King  has always been popular among riders who love to go on long tours.

The Harley Road King is one of its class touring bikes that have the classic looks of a massive boulevard cruiser and is specially designed to enhance your riding experience on long tours.

If you are here then probably you want to buy a Harley Road Glide as your new bike. In this article, we will have a look at whether or not you should buy a Harley Road king.

The Harley Road King was launched in 1994. It was a replacement for Electra Glide Sport that had been produced since 1977.

Just like the Electra Glide, Harley Road King also could transform from touring to cruiser bike. It had detachable saddlebags and a windshield.

The Road King FLHR model didn’t have a fairing like other touring models of Harley Davidson.

It featured the Evolution engine and produced 60 horsepower at 3,600rpm. In 1966, a fuel-injection system was introduced in Road King which gave it the name of the FLHRI model.

Then in 1998, the Road King Classic was introduced in the market. This model came with leather saddlebags. Later in 1999, the engine was replaced with a 1450cc Twin Cam 88.

In 2004, Harley released the Road King Custom FLHRS. Inspired by the lowrider bikes at that time, this Road King had the lowest seat height among all previous models. The engine was again upgraded to 1548cc Twin Cam 96.

Four years later, Harley launched the limited edition Road Classic. All the bikes got a new frame that stretched the wheelbase to 64 inches. The handlebars were designed to bring them closer to the rider.

Fuel capacity was also increased and it featured the new Brembo brakes. The engines were upgraded in Harley’s all touring line with 1690cc Twin Cam 103 in 2012.

2012 had an Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection system with Electronic Throttle Control. It also featured chrome aluminum profile wheels and the latest color options.

In 2017, once again all the engines in the touring line of Harley were upgraded to Milwaukee-Eight. Now the latest Harley Road King is the 2022 model.

The Road King is mostly famous for most of its features that still hold true to those classic lines of the 1960s.

As the Road King doesn’t feature a fairing due to which it stays away from the mainstream look of a touring bike.

It doesn’t matter whether you are riding the Road King for a short or long distance, you will always enjoy the most luxurious ride of your life.

Harley's motorcycles hold a great deal of heritage and history. But, the Road King’s design is all about the vintage design. The round headlights on this bike never fail to deliver an old retro vibe.

A common problem faced by most riders is that they want a bike that has vintage looks and delivers retro vibes. But, if they buy an old motorcycle meeting these requirements then they have to give up on the latest technology features.

That’s where the Harley Road King Steps is; it doesn’t only have those coveted traditional looks of a classic motorcycle but also offers state-of-the-art technological features.

It has an ESPI that provides an avenue for this bike to have more power, use less fuel, and operate smoothly.

The bike has ABS to ensure the rider’s safety. Air-adjustable rear shocks are featured in the Road King, and the bike also has the option of adding electronic cruise control.

Just like Harley’s other touring motorcycles, the Road King will never disappoint the rider with its performance on the road.

Road King features the latest Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine delivering a torque of 111-ft lb at just 3250rpm.

The engine is really smooth in running and has a good throttle response. It also delivers a great mileage of about 45mpg.

All the power generated by the engine is efficiently delivered to its tires through the 6-speed transmission.

The engine brings amazing power to the bike which makes it great not only on the highways but also when climbing mountains.

Whenever buying a motorcycle, the first thing every rider demands is that their bike should be easily controllable.

Just like all the touring bikes , the Road King is also very heavy and weighs around 1000lbs. But, the good news is that the riders can expect good control on this bike.

The ABS works independently on front and rear wheels which means there is a much-reduced risk of the wheels getting stuck.

Moreover, Road King also features the C-ABS. This is an innovative braking system that is developed specifically for braking on the corners and turns. When braking on a turn, the traction is calculated according to the angle of the bike and C-ABS adjusts the braking accordingly.

The riding position of Road King is suitable for riders of every height. The seat has 26 inches in height and puts the rider in an upright riding position. Hand grips are also padded to provide a comfortable and strong grip.

The Hiawatha Headlamps were featured in Harley-Davidson bikes back in the 1960s. At that time the chrome details on bikes ruled the street.

The Road King headlights have the same Hiawatha shape and details but much better performance.

These headlights are built with the latest materials and technology for long-distance high beams and wide low beams. The classic shape of vintage Hiawatha Headlamps is still maintained.

If you enjoy your ride while listening to country music and following directions on GPS then the Road King is not a good choice for you.

However, if you are an old-school rider and the sound of the engine satisfies your soul then you will enjoy riding the Harley Road King.

It has all the features that a touring bike should have like the space for extra luggage, comfortable seats, adjustable suspension, a powerful engine, etc.

But it doesn’t have an infotainment system that can play music to keep you entertained on your tour. Most riders argue that a touring motorcycle shouldn’t have an entertainment system so that you can enjoy the road and view.

While others say that technology enhances their riding experience. If you are the first person then Road King can give you the perfect tour experience you always dreamed of.

All the controls such as ABS, C-ABS, C-DSCS, etc. can be controlled through the built-in infotainment system.

A notable advantage of the Harley Road King is that whenever you want, it can become a cruiser bike . It doesn’t come with a mounted fairing, unlike other touring bikes.

It has a detachable windshield for wind protection on long routes. You can easily remove the windshield whenever you want to ride in the city and give it the shape of a cruiser bike.

If you wish to ride in the town without saddlebags then you can easily detach them and transfer your bike from a bagger to a cruiser within minutes.

You can also add some top-of-the-line saddlebags with your Road King to give it a sleek look and make it stand out from other rides.

The Road King is one of those motorcycles that carry Harley’s legacy of making old-school motorcycles. It’s one of those bikes that is impressed by the low-riders which makes it a good option for customization.

If you want to maximize the luggage space of your Road King then you can add some high-quality luggage racks to pack everything you need for a long trip.

Just like every bagger, the Road King also comes with factory-fitted saddlebags. But if you wish to make a style statement then you can replace them with high-quality leather saddlebags that can be locked with a key so your belongings are always safe.

Another option to effectively increase the luggage is installing a sissy bar and then hanging backpacks on your Road King.

If you own a Harley-Davidson and want to modify it elegantly then click here for a variety of luggage and modification options.