Harley-Davidson Road King

The Harley-Davidson Road King was equipped with the 80-cubic-inch Evolution engine, which remained until 1999 for the 2000 model year with the introduction of the Twin Cam 88 engine, and in 2006 for the 2007 model year, the Twin Cam 96 engine. The Road King has always bridged the gap between the Harley cruiser lineup like the Dyna and the Softail and the Touring Model platform. A lot of consumers made the switch from Dynas or Softails when entering into the Touring category.

The Road King was blessed with a sibling in 1998, the Road King Classic, which came equipped with leather-covered hard saddlebags. Then in 2004, the Road King lineup received another new addition, the Road King Custom, which came equipped with beach bars, smoother leather covered hard bags, and the lowest seat height of any Harley-Davidson Road King at 28.3 inches. The Road King also served as the go-to for Police and Fire departments nationwide for many years, with the designation FLHRP.

The Road King platform stayed its course receiving some other updates in 2008 (Harley’s 105th Anniversary) with the release of a limited-edition Road King Classic, which sported spoke wheels and whitewall tires. Then in 2009, the Road King received a new frame and swingarm, along with the rest of the Touring Models, and in 2017, the all-new Milwaukee-Eight Engine. As a mid-year model, the Harley-Davidson Motor Company released the latest version of the model, the Road King Special, a stripped-down, all-black aggressive cruiser with plenty of attitude. The Special came at just the right time since the Road King had become in many Harley loyalists eyes as stagnant. It’s one of our favorite Harley models to date.