You won't be disappointed. The 2003 Road King Classic, 100- Year Anniversary Edition, is one of the most elegant, stylish and archetypical Harley-Davidson motorcycles ever made. The Road King is the personification of a Harley Davidson.
I have a 07 Road King. I absolutely love it. One bad thing about Harley is the rear suspension is sub par. A new pair of shocks is definitely on the list of upgrades. I did replace my seat as it was horrible. The Road King is maneuverable, and comfortable to ride long distance with. It’s planted in the twisty’s and has great lean angle yet a generously low seat height.
You do not have to disassemble the complete front light to move the bars. Just remove the small aluminum cover above the handle bar riser. Loosen the two exposed hex bolts and move the bars. The compartments on the front crash bars are not original equipment. They are aftermarket junk and therefore the doors snap closed. There are a lot of things you need to learn about the FLHR and when you do, I think you will appreciate how nice the bike actually is. I have had one for 8 years and would not part with it. Nice video, but a bit premature with the negative comments.
Just make sure to change out those spring cam chain tensioners for some hydraulic ones! They usually last but I've also seen em detonate engines as soon as 15k miles. Throw in some gears if you're so mechanically inclined. It's actually very easy to do so long as you can measure the crankshaft runout. It's really important for the runout to be in spec if you switch to gears since they can't flex as much as chains and grinding gears is about as bad as failing chain tensioners haha. I ride an 07 RK myself. They don't call it the king for nothing.
You don't have to take apart the whole console to adjust the bars. There is small cover over the bolts, that's it. My Road King is an '09, which I bought new. It now has about 35,000 miles. I have replaced one bulb (the one on the fender), one rear tire and one battery. The tire life is great. Mileage is good. The range on a tank is very good. Fender coverage is great. It is an a super long haul bike. Gerry in Calgary
i just purchased a 09 flh with 10,000 miles its gorgeous like my past harleys and their awesome - people just ride what you want not based on people opinions
I always like reviews that come across honest and not like a pure brand loyalty ad. The bike looks pretty amazing. I agree about the side storage compartment "doors" being a bit cheaply done. It would kind of be cool to be able to lock them maybe. I have owned a 67 VW for about 15 years and know the headache of air cooled engines. I've heard one of the best things about a HD is the service departments are always great and accessible, unlike triumph that seem to be disappearing every day. Camping season is upon us. Ride safe man.
Pretty honest review bro. It's funny how manufacturers can put out some amazing features, and at the same time do things that make you shake your head.
Just an advice, you should inspect the cam tensioner. 2006 and older should be done with 30,000 miles, later bikes even with the hydraulic system, should be done around 45k. Nice bike good feeling but requires maintenance.
I just bought a 2022 Road King standard, Because I want to change everything the way I like it. This will be my first bagger. I already changed the handlebars to 18" apes, the lower forks changed to chrome and all cables to chrome. I will be changing out the pipes to true duals, with stretch bags, and a fender extender all lights to LEDs, well you know the drill... to make it so it's one of a kind! Enjoyed the video. PS I wanted a black one but had to wait 4 months till one showed up, that's the bad thing with Harley. take care
I've got a RK Classic and I love it. Absolutely agree about the gauges, I wish they were more "heads-up." I could probably find a nit pick here and there, but overall I love this bike. Very easy to manipulate for such a large bike. It's more nimble than one might guess. Time for me to quit watching videos and go for a ride! Peace
FLHP, I have this same bike, 2009. Also the hockey pucks on the saddle bags tells you it is a Police Edition. I did not hear him say the engine size but I would guess it is a 103 cu in, that is what mine is. I have put the K&N intake with Power Commander V , true duals by V&H with V&H 4 1/2" Ovals along with touring pack.
You don't have to take the whole front housing apart to adjust the handle bars. Take out the head light and frame not hard, unscrew the small chrome strip on top of the head light housing. Then unsnap the plastic around the front end key lock where two screws unscrew them. pull the cover there is the handle bar bolts. As for the clutch being hard to pull (not for me ) Harley sells a clutch part thats in the trans cover (easy to put on) it reduces clutch pull 40% Don't cry just ride!
What year is your Road King? I am interested in Buying a Road King I ride an Electra glide now. I love the look of the Road King I was looking at new ones. Did you add the lowers or were they on when you bought it? Yours has the tach on the bars ses to me that was a police bike also the puck openers on the bags are only put on police version. Thanks for your thoughts and review.
Just bought a 2000 mod RK classic today and rode it for a bit. Clutch is quite heavy but manageble and i actually found the rear brake to be really good. One of the best ive tried infact. Maybe mine is unusually good, dont know. I Love this bike
Having to haul it in a couple times for primary bearing and compensator repair is what scares me about purchasing a used Harley. They all have potential for serious engine and drive train problems, Even at relatively low milage. They talk about Harleys getting such high milage, but don’t mention the amount of repairs/ rebuilds it takes to get there. Looking at older used Harleys in the classifieds, I rarely see high milage ones. Most are in the 10k to 30k range. Where are all the high milage ones??? Makes me wonder.
Thanks for the real-world review. I'm looking at getting back into riding after ... "a few years off" Looking for something I can do a rural commute on but also take off for a 400 mile day (or two) in reasonable comfort. I'm thinking the Road King may fit that middle ground.
+Philip Staite I just got back into riding after 7 years. I had a vtx 1300 and now I just picked up a Road King Classic and absolutely love it. Comfortable ride, great presence. Cannot recommend it enough. 2004 with only 4600 MIles on it. My advice....GO FOR IT !
a big yeah..on the abs..if I hadn't of had abs I wouldn't be making this comment. .something I just learned also..if you have to use abs in a emergency stop ..slam them on hard ..the bike will do the rest..
I have an 03 and hated not being able to adjust or change my bars easily. There's an after market plate you can replace the stock plate with that covers the bars that has holes for risers to fit through. So you only need to take that mess of a headlight assembly apart once to add risers so it's much easier to change or adjust the bars. I've changed my bars probably 4 times in the past 6 years or so...definitely a good idea to add risers on these bikes if you like to play with different style bars like I do.
This Road King is a Police model...you can tell by the way the bags open...that means that tachometer is in the stock position...it's the only Road King that came with a tachometer...the lower fairings on the crash bar/engine guard are cheap aftermarket add ons...that's why they have snaps...
Replace it once with hydraulic preferably from S&S or Fueling and don't touch it for 40 to 50 k and even if you have to replace anything it will be just shoe for tensioner not the whole tensioner.
I had a 250 scooter and I I see that they have a 650 Burgman I wanted to get one till I seen the price it was ridiculous for scooter I I admit taking it on the expressway would be a blast then I got to looking and found out you can get a used Harley-Davidson like this for 6000 7000 to 8000 a real motorcycle that looks like a motorcycle not a crotch rocket for the price lower than a scooter what's resale value will be like 3 Grand so one of these days I'm going to get a real motorcycle not a scooter and this video was a very good video I've been looking at Harley-Davidsons now for about a year probably end up by one in the winter time when they cost less good video
Have a 05 Softail deluxe and a. 2013 Road King. Both trouble free with just general maintenance performed. 78,000 on the Soft tail and I'd take off cross country and be certain I'd make my destination.
My 2 cents: I have a 2010 Police version. #1 DO NOT EVER SAY LIQUID COOLED! Air cooled is the most iconic thing and why I have stuck with Harley over the years. In fact Ive had couple of air cooled German cars too! If you want liquid cooled, you came to the wrong house! #2) I agree with you the meter is hard to read on the gas tank. Previous bike I had were all handlebar mounted. Much easier to read while driving. 3) I agree about the kickstand. It feels like it should go forward more but if you look at the design, when you lean it over, it locks but It feels like it wants to fold the drop over, although 90 degrees to the frame is optimal. I know what you're sayin there. 4) the clutch, on my bike is the smoothest easiest clutch lever I've ever had on any bike! This bike has literally spoiled me! Mine is like butta! If you think its too hard, there may be something wrong with yours. 5) you mentioned braking. Ive heard others say they never use the rear brake too. Thats just fucking insane! Who taught anyone to ride only using the front brake!? Thats the most ridiculous thing Ive heard (not aiming at you, Im talking people in general that have said they never use the rear brake!?) Not only do I ALWAYS use both brakes but also always apply the REAR FIRST! The pedal on the RK took some getting used to but that's just cuz I came from a bike that had a lever not a pedal. Now I like the pedal because most of the time, its up out of your way when riding. You just have to get used to where it is when you need it. Aside from those points, this bike has literally spoiled me! Smooth as butta yet nimble. Please go back, edit your video and REMOVE that part where you mention "liquid cooled!" Thank you.
ok one more thing.... in bright sunlight, its near impossible to see the tiny signal indicators on the dash! I wish they were bigger, brighter and forward more so you don't have to look down to see if your signal is still on! -- this still does not excuse you from considering liquid cooled! ;)
The game has changed with the M8 release and frame updates. Unless air is restricted from flowing over the engine like the Electra and Ultra Glides, the engine can get back to air cooling and you can avoid the "groin roast". I've since had the clutch worked on and it's corrected. Thanks for stopping in. Old review now, but shows the improvements the new version of the RK and what it offers.
Dude, you need to know that the front brake should precede the use of the rear brake in virtually all circumstances, even if it's engaged just slightly before the rear is applied. Trailing braking not withstanding, there's a MSF course near you with your name on it. Ride smart and you'll ride as safely as possible.
I think a good bike for you would be the Harley Muscle but with all the road king accessories,...different riser bars,...& extra lights all around.,..large windshield,..then you really got something up your ally,..... Its has the liquid cooled,.. you want & power galore,..& alot of it. You may pull up a vid of the muscle & say no way,..but if you can imagen the muscle with all the king after market,..you would love it! Ive got one & im not a road trip guy but ive seen vids with saddle bags & extras & it starts to look much like the road king,...but better. that a very nice bike you got though.,..ride safe.
To quickly adjust the handle bars, just remove the small cover above the riser bolts and you can access the the two top riser bolts. It just pops off. Loosen the two top hex bolts and the bars will move. The cover is removable for that reason. No need to go into the headlight. Cheers.
On my 2016 you have to remove the headlight and the thin trim that runs across the top ... It exposes the screws for that cover and then you can remove the screws and access the allens to loosen bars
The reason that bike has tachometer is because it was a police motorcycle. They are the only road Kings came with attack otter on the handlebars. Somebody has modified it quite a bit because it didn’t start out with that kind of seat on it and the tank badge tells you it is a motorcycle. Is the red switch on the handle and the way saddlebags open, they put a S&S air cleaner on it
Did you know that you have a cop bike ? The red switches and “hockey pucks” on the saddlebags are a dead giveaway. I have a 2000 RK and can access the handlebar pinch bolts by removing the plastic cover over the fork lock and removing two screws and the chrome housing comes right off.
A solid review !. Well put together and informative. One question. what are the red switches on the left handlebar ? I've never seen red switches on a Harley.
+Richard Enstad ~ They're the handgrips for first responder bikes; police, fire, rescue, etc. A bit more visible and probably not as aesthetically pleasing as standard model grips.
Good review, glad to see you are enjoying the bike, but was amazed to hear you had to bring the bike in for service a few times.would you say the pros out weights the cons for the bike?
+Krazy Kool NYer ~ We'll see over time. I think the prior owner (bike is used) skipped service intervals like many do. Despite being barely two years old, it was ridden hard and had a lot of miles on it. I'm in charge of the service now and I never skip anything on a MC. And later if I'm dissatisfied with anything, I have no problem changing this bike out for something else.
It's a police model, explains the tach. Roadkings are the most versatile bikes. Remove or add a batwing or windshield in seconds, tourpack is easy add on and the bags actually look good on this model. Little bit nit picky?
Thats a used police bike. The saddlebag openers, tach, lower fairings, grips highway pegs, brake pedal, saddlebag guards and fender trim are all added on after the fact. You should check to see if it still has the police ignition module.
I'm no expert or HD mechanic, but I'll share what I've been told. I bought a 2002 FLHT cop bike once and this is what the dealership mechanic said... Police ignition modules are more robust because cop bikes are typically turned off and on a lot more than civilian bikes in an average day. It also allows cops running radar to be parked on the side of the road with the engine off (air cooled engines get really hot at idle) and then start up quickly to chase a speeder. The police ignition module is ONLY available to police officers or police departments. Now, if you have one on your bike already and it happens to fail, you can get another if you send the old one back to HD. But, you couldn't just order one off the shelf. As a very robust component, its obviously more desirable. Most used bike dealers are ignorant of the fact that the bike may have the module already on the bike. Again, I'm only passing along what I was told. Perhaps someone else could weigh in. By the way, beautiful bike!!
The reason they put the speedo on the tank is because that was where it was on the older bikes. I'm sure someone makes a relocation kit. Make it your own dude!
Road King is a beautiful bike, I have a street glide and a Road king ,Harley make good looking bikes with a Garbage suspension, the suspension still is from the 1903, ride safe😁
Nice bike! I like that cool cat at the end of this video! I have A few cats around here! You just feed them and they do the rest! Every time I wash my truck , They walk across the hood and top. Cool man!
ok on some of the stuff just so you know is not standard to the road king you have a police road king that was put back on the street for civilian use that's why you have a rim gage the side pockets on the crash bar and little caps on the saddlebags and the kickstand is less forward and such a tight clutch but you also have a little more kick in throttle then normal
Late to the party, but if anyone sees it and wonders. The sidestand usually locks under load on Touring Harleys. So it simlpy can't fold in on you while the Bike stands on it.
My compensator went bad, under warranty repair, less than 15k on the speedo, you didn't mention ..the handlebars, to me , how comfortable they are . Yes, the speedo and , my tach below speedo are in bad location. But overall an extremely comfortable and nimble bike to ride.
+Mike BigEasyRider ~ Your right, the handlebars are almost perfect for this bike. Triumph did that to my tach on my last bike. Why even waste the money putting one on if there going to put it so far out of viewing. Thanks for watching and if you have any tips for me with this bike, please share.
+nwroadrat On thing, a driver backrest, for longer rides it makes for a much more comfortable and enjoyable ride, I us mine mostly for longer rides, not local stuff.
My problem with abs is if you have one bike with abs and one without it you could get into the habit of using to much brake and the hop on the bike without it you could instinctively slam on the brakes because you're used to having abs
agreed with the speedo location. Gauges should be grouped together where you can see them. Suzuki does this with some Boulevards and I think the Yamaha V-Max has an info screen on it't tank. Nice review and video though, thank you.
The gen 2 vmax has its speedo on the forks, it is actually a tach but it has a LED readout that says the speed built in, the tank dash screen says fuel level, oil press, water temp, the time, air temp, what gear your in, things like that, the gen 1 vmax has the speedo/odo only on the forks and on the tank is the tach and water temp, and some idiot lights for oil press, fuel low, neutral, turn signal, and brights
to be honest..on a crusier they are so relaxed and slow you don't even need a tach..you can hear the engine revs..its like music..but on a sport bike different story
The key is where Harley had the key for 70 years now they put it bad in the correct place. Just sold my 2001 FLHRCI Road King and my 2002 FLSTC. I only have my 1972 FLH and my 18 98 FLSF Fat Boy . I don't like the electronics on the newer Harley's I do my own work and I don't need a computer to work on the bikes I have left. The Road king may be my favorite post Shovelheads.
So how does the Road King size up against the Thunderbird. Any preference? I currently ride a Vulcan 900 but I've considering either the Road King or Thunderbird as my next bike
If you're referring to the Triumph Thunderbird, it's a bit more sporty and comes equipped with foot-pegs. It competes closer to the HD soft-tail frame bikes. The HD touring models like the RK come default with floorboards. Both good bikes but different tools. For long trips, I prefer the RK and it gets all the good accessories. There's also rumor the Thunderbird line may be discontinued or at minimum not available for all countries. Regardless, that could be leverage for a discount. They now have little resale value anyway used.
Thx for the video, i never had a bick before and a friend of mine his brother got the road king 2006 for 6k , do u think its good price and good for beginner ?
good review, I just got my first HD this year but I got a used one. 07 RK classic with 20k on it. of corase I knew nothing about HD's and I am disappointed with the 07. I hope they fixed the bugs with the newer models. the heat on the 07 RK is insane, almost unridable. people tell me that its a big v twin and all have a lot of heat. this is not true! I have Yamaha raider 113 air cooled also and theres almost no heat compared to my RK. sitting in traffic on the Yamaha is no problem, the auto shut down (20 minutes) will kick in before I even think about turning it off myself. the 07 RK, you can't sit on it more then 5 minutes before your balls feel like popcorn kennels getting ready to bust..lol not downing HD's just yet but theres no reason not to have more modern machical tech on them. but I guess that's to keep the dealership in the money fixing them. I may try another HD in the future but I will do my homework before I buy...
That bike may be missing some heat shielding I have on mine. If so, you may want to look at 3rd party options or even a HD dealer may have something to install. The model I have is toasty on a hot day, but it also has a suped up engine putting out even more heat. Mine is doable so I'm sure there's a way to solve your annoyance.
yeah I've talked to a lot of HD people and they said that the 07-08 had a heat problem for some reason. I got a lot of different answers. some say what you said and others told me that the pipes themselves had thinner steal then the newer ones. and others told me that the factory tune in the stock ECM was just plain bad. HD offers a newer flash for the ECM and I had it done but didn't help any. next I gonna try a new head pipe set from "Rush" by the looks of it on the site it should be the best fix that I can find. ceramic coated and takes the heat. but I question it for only $250, may be snake oil, but worth a try I guess.
Personally, I would find someone who has intimate knowledge of this issue. If you buy and try, you might get lucky, or you could spend money that doesn't correct it to your satisfaction. I had another bike before this one that could be toasty on a hot day. Good Luck.
I’ve got the 07 Classic and agree it’s HOT! You can easily set it to drop onto one cylinder at intersections. Keeps it cooler. Sounds strange but works. Check it out on RU-vid.
I don't think the videographer knows this is a former Police Road King. The first indications are the top knobs on the bags and the black headlamp bezel. There's a S&S air cover, the location of the tach on the bars. There are other less noticeable indicators, i.e. no "Road King" on the front fender, someone did a great job painting it and the vintage side tank decals come from the 1960s vintage HD. Then there's that small engraved strip of metal attached just below the tachometer which says "Road King Police" Find it curious he never mentioned it. The clutch is for men, not girly men and the engine is not water cooled for a reason. Designed use of this engine is run short periods and shut down. Has a different oil pump set up and if I'm not mistaken, a different cam in this hoss for law enforcement use. The disassembly of the front end is INDEED a pain in the arse if you need to adjust the handle bars. But I wouldn't take nuttin for mine.
You have most likely triggered the security system, but if you don't have a siren it just flashes the lights. Leave the fob inside and put the bike upright, you should see the lights flash
+nwroadrat Alao a siren is very easy to add to this buke yourself, Radioshack has the piezo siren for about $6, they offer a military discount on that, and the install takes no special tools at all. There are videos on youtube.
I enjoyed the 2015 model I hired in the US last year, in comparison to my R1200r BMW it was not a very good bike in terms of practicality, (slow, sluggish handling, not a lot of storage space, and a little unpredictable on poor road surfaces) but it had a massive grin factor, which made me willing to over look its limitations. I guess the thing that surprised me most of all was how much I enjoyed riding 'my' Road King, and although I'm a Beemer man through and through, I did not want to give it back at the end of my trip.
In comparison to the BMW ABS the Harley version is very crude and as it only seems to work on the front brake it is very easy to lock up the rear wheel when making an emergency stop. The handling is not bad by Harley standards, but the lack of ground clearance when you are riding enthusiastically means you can very easily ground out the foot boards. The other major handling flaw is how it is rather slow to turn in and you need to muscle it into a corner if you are moving along at speed. This need to muscle the bike also shows on the exit as it tends to wallow coming out of fast bends in a manner very reminiscent of a late 80's model 2 valve BMW RT twin. In the US this is not an issue but on the narrower British non trunk A roads this tendency to wallow does not give a rider that confident sense of being planted on the road that you get with the more sophisticated suspension systems found on modern Japanese and European machines. I want to add that I really enjoyed riding the Road King, and in the US it is a brilliant bike, but to my mind it is not really suitable for European road conditions or for making rapid progress in on our more densely packed roads.
I definitely agree with you on the braking. I was riding the road king (I ended up buying it) and a deer sprang into the road. I honestly don't think I hit the brake that hard and I certainly don't think I held , but the whole rear end began fish tailing something horrible. As far as emergency braking, this bike doesn't have it. In my next encounter I will attempt to find a hole and decelerate before trying to apply too much brake.
Tracker Buckmann I scared the crap out of myself dropping the one I hired this year off at the HD rental place near LAX last Thursday when I had to avoid a red light jumper near Venice Beach. Both wheels locked on me and it was a brown adrenaline moment before I released the front brake and was able to slew the bike round the rear of the car. That said if we go back to the US again next year I'll probably hire another Road King.
I suspect what you’re running into is, there’s how HDs brake, and there’s how every other bike brakes. I found the front and rear on the HD to respond significantly different from let’s say a Ducati or a Triumph. Once I’ve familiarized with the feel for how the HD brakes, I’m pretty confident with it now. That said, I don’t know if my experience is the same for different models and different years of release.
Don't forget about sitting too high on the padded seat and high frame. Unlike the old swingarm frame where you sit lower and more in front of the rear wheel. If you remove those goofy boxes on the crash bar you'll get better airflow cooling.. Check your rear brake fluid reservoir if your brake pedal is too low also the rear brake pads for wear. The whole nacelle and headlamp assembly has to come off, which really sucks and be careful with the spear nut because it's has a cheap crappy stud that will break very easily. New spears are way overpriced but gorilla glue isn't.
***** Yeah man I went to start mine a few weeks ago and it was in gear. Not sure why the starter engaged anyway, but the bike jumped forward and scared the crap out of me as I stood helpless to the right of the bike.. She stayed up on the stand though, so that one is tested and proven :-)
With all the stay at home from the coronavirus go out and clean your bike you got plenty of time no matter what you ride. You will look good and your bike will look like brand new.
Yes, but a stock seat probably won't be comfortable as it sits you closer to the tank. A seat that sits you further back will probably be of interest to you. The street rod is too small for me also, and I'm even shorter.
I would not worry about it at all..I have a sport touring bike that is air cooled and have never had a problem..The Yamaha V Stars are also air cooled and they are for a reason..the retro look like a harley and they also have no problems
Jeff McLean it did get hot enough in Texas to melt the reflectors near the exhaust pipe despite having a heat shield. It scared the living shit out of me when I smelled that sizzling. That was an especially hot day. I'm in northern new mexico now and it's fucking amazing weather. I did get hailed on once and that sucked. I was trying to protect the paint and my nuts are the same time. Fortunately I had all my gear on and no damage that I can see. The after market oil coolers don't change the look too much, not like a big radiator. I'm still considering it, but at the same time I might relocate. The only problem here is the short ass riding season. Anyways, I'm loving my Harley. It's an amazing machine!
actually I should have mentioned that my bike has air and oil cooling just no water cooling so the oil probably helps.because some days believe it or not up here in canada it was getting up to 107F out and the bike was fine.
I️ may have missed it but what year is this bike and what engine? Looks like it could be a 96ci. I️ have a 2005 RK FLHPI 88ci and it is a fun bike. Love it.
