Road King
Introducing Road King
harley road king
The Road King was introduced in 1994 as a touring bike with classic 1950s styling: it was a knockout then and it looks just as good today.
The engine is Harley’s Twin Cam 96, a 1,584cc, air-cooled, V-twin unit with fly-by-wire throttle control, fuel injection and an active intake and exhaust noise-control system that quietens the bike when it thinks it’s in an urban situation or, more to the point, being run through a noise emissions test.
As a rule, British riders don’t think of Harleys as serious distance machines. The engine is one. It sounds meaty and muscular, too, and thuds through the bike in a thoroughly satisfying way before topping out at a mere 5,500rpm, a zone you’ll never bother to visit.
The big difference can be felt in the way the bikes handle, specifically at high speed. Take a bend at high speed on an old model and you’d lose all sense of contact between front tyre and asphalt while the bike squirmed and wriggled gently. It was unsettling until you acclimatised, and no doubt deterred riders who were trying out Glides or Road Kings for the first time. Modern Harley tourers have Brembo brakes, which are a big advance over the previous stoppers, although riders used to sportier bikes will still find they lack power and feel. The Road King’s bar-mounted screen is detachable and the bike is fine with it removed.
Fuel range is reasonable until you start to ride fast: the five-gallon tank of all models should, in theory, be good for 250 miles at the 52mpg I was getting from gentle riding on the Road King, although high motorway speeds can bring consumption down to 40mpg.
If you’re not interested in rapid motorway runs, a Road King or Glide offers good comfort, a thoroughly endearing engine and a unique sound and feel that add a lot to owning and riding these bikes (and I’d have the Road King, because the Glide is just too kitsch). Harley-Davidson knows that stereotyping is the biggest obstacle deterring customers from switching to its bikes, so from April 18 to May 10 its dealers are running a test-ride promotion
TECH SPEC
Engine/transmission: 1,584cc, 45-degree V-twin, fuel-injected, air-cooled four-stroke with four valves, n/a bhp, 94lb ft of torque at 3,500rpm. Six-speed gearbox, inverted tooth belt final drive.
Performance: top speed 110mph (est), average fuel economy 45mpg.
We like: Engine, looks, comfort, versatility.
Also, check out my other guide on Harley Davidson Road King Classic and Harley Davidson Touring.