wow, I guess I never paid much attention to them.

Going from my Sportster to it is like going from an accord to a city bus. That thing is big and wide. My arms were almost fully stretched out on the handle bars. I didn't think anything would make my Sportster feel nimble.

it was cool though, I want one.

But it had a solo seat on it and it was white. White is a nice color but I think I want a black one with whitewhalls.

but I'm pretty sure the Road King is for me. Fuel Injected 88ci mid 2000 era is about my price range.

I ride one 2018. Not as nimble as my Dyna but 500 mile days are much more comfortable.

I can't imagine riding a bike 500 miles in a day.

I think you’ll be happy with it. They have a dedicated following.

I ride an 06 rd king. to me it is the picture I get in my head when I think of an iconic 2 wheeler. about 2 years after i bought it, I got bit by the streetglide bug and could not get it out of my head, so I looked until I found a good buy and bought it. thinking I would sell the rd king, I took off on the st glide for a week long ride. I enjoyed it , but ,the king kept talking to me every day I walked thru the garage. uhgg ! so now 8 years later they both set side by side in the garage. sometimes its a real battle to decide on which one is going out. I can not make myself get rid of the king ( no way no how ) so i just plan a road trip for each one through out the summer, and during the week take one then the other .

Was it a skeleton mask?

When my brother got his Road King he put over 20,000 miles on it the first year. He found it so comfortable that just wanted to be on it all the time.

Do it without even leaving WI. Riding around musky country and just seeing what I see.

You need to visit an Indian dealer before you jump on that Road King. Not dissing HD at all, just sold one and still got two, one a Sporty, but those big Indians are worth a look.

Love both my Indians. Really want an '18 or newer softail deluxe though.

The Road King is a nice bike. I have an '09 Fat Boy, but rented an 2012 Road King for a long weekend a few years ago. If I was in the market right now the Road King would be in the top two choices.

Maybe because you were on a Sportster?

I did a number of 1,000 mile days back in the day, on an '88 750 Ninja and a KLR 650. Prob'ly on the high end of the bell curve of course,

But by by no means unique.

I almost bought an 05 that my buddy tricked out, but didn’t end up pulling the trigger years ago. They are real comfy. Put some Rhinehart mufflers on it if it still has stocks.

I think I'll stick with my 97 Soft Tail- - - -it's paid for, keeps up with traffic, and looks just the way I want it to!
Jerry

Donate some skin to a skin bank now, so you'll have a place in front of the line for a graft later. LOL

Get It!!

...and yes, I'm jealous...

Will HD even be in business a year from now? Locally there are a lot of motorcycle fatalities and almost all involve guys in the 60's and 70's who no longer have the reflexes, eyesight , upper body strength etc of someone in their 30's. Two of my friends died the past few years after they retired bought a Harley to explore the road. They left behind families . I sold my Indian years ago after many close calls due to inattentive drivers and started mountain biking more and helps keep in shape for hunting. Dirt bike now more too in back country. Your experience may vary lol.

HD ain't going anywhere soon.
You got to die of something, right? Dying ain't hard. Round here bike fatalities are mostly young guys. Most us older guys learned to keep our heads on a swivel and anticipate where the danger is to make up for those long gone reflexes, eye sight, etc. Been in a couple car wrecks that weren't my fault, but never been in a bike wreck. I pay more attention to my surroundings on the bike.

Ride, don't ride, whatever, just don't let fear of something keep you from doing what you like.

Gotta die from something. Need to find another Norton Commando.... Snortin’ Norton. Happy Trails

Thanks Mr. Buzzkill

That's it, wanna stay alive on a 2 wheeler.? Just pretend your invisible..!

KFWA
I used to ride an Electra Glide and then I hit a deer with it. I have always loved the Road King but this time I settled for a Heritage Softtail Classic.
It is 100 lbs lighter. When you get to be 65 years old 100 lbs makes a difference.
When I was having my annual physical
my nurse told me to keep on doing what you love until you can't do it anymore.
I just hope I die quick and not rotting away in some nursing home.
whelennut

Whats yer nurse look like?

I’ll never sell my Road Glide, but the Road King can do it all. All the comfort of the touring class without the potential electric gremlins of the other FLHTs.

Personally, I’d say that if you don’t frequently do over 150 miles in a decent percentage of your rides, its more bike to wrestle with than you need. In that case, consider a Heritage. Regardless, hold on to the Sportster. You’ll miss flicking it around on short putts.

Her name is Heather and she rides a bicycle to work
!

My older son just got a road king a couple of weeks ago. He’s been running a 1200 Sportster for over 10 years. The Sporty’s going to his younger daughter. I razzed him about getting an old man’s bike. He said, “Dad, I am an old man.” He’s just 47, but has a lot of rods and screws and such holding things together in a couple of places . I’m sure there are days the Sportster isn’t the most comfortable ride.

Haha! Yeah, I ride like an old man...I'm 65. No more knee dragging. Took a 650 mile ride in one day on an 05 Sportster. Could barely get my legs back together. Felt like a whore after Mardi Gras. Stupid place for an air filter...

Indian dealer on Ft Campbell Blvd just put a big ole billboard sign up.
Right across the street from Appletons Harley Davidson on the bypass.

LOL when I seen it yesterday!!!

I have had a couple RKs over the years. There is a reason you hear, " nothing rides like a Road King" I have a 1996 I bought new with 75,000 miles on it now. There are several models from several makers that ride as well or better than Road Kings today though. I am a Harley man and have been since I first threw a leg over one back in the 1970_when I bought a new Electra Glide fresh out of high school BUT my favorite ride today is a 2012 Star RoadStar 102 hp 1700 talk about a comfortable and nimble ride with fuel injection =smooooth

I bought my gf a Ducati Monster couple years ago she is 25 years younger than me and she likes to go along on my club rides. I hop on it now and again to do an errand etc. after 40 miles I all but need help getting off it! Those days are gone for me. No more peg scraping for this old boy.

HD's not going anywhere - they literally sell as many bikes in 1 month that Indian does in a year. Or did in 2017 - I'm sure it's changed some but to give an idea on volume.

Motorcycling participation is down across the board - it's not growing and thus that affects HD like everyone else.

That said - I went RoadKing because I wanted more touring ability over my dyna but I didn't want a fairing full of radio I'd never use. Plus a RK with the windshield off (60% of my riding) is a sexy bike and reminds me of the 36 EL. Classic lines.

My mother had a RK, put 103,000 on it if I recall, hard to remember - that was 2 bikes ago for her. She's 66.

Depends on the bike.. Last summer I put on 933 miles from Nashville, TN. to home in just over 13 hours... 2014 HD Ultra Classic... Piece of cake..

I had an '05 Sportster... Couldn't ride that sob more than 25 miles before I hadda get off and walk around for 20 mns... Geez... But then, you're probably a lot younger than I was back then..

I just bought something similar.

Those go for pretty good money around here. HS kids love them for buzzing around.

They're DUI proof.

Ya but they are dropping their own panties! laffin"

If I ever end up on an HD I would be looking at the RK Special with quick attach windscreen...

Or a Sportster with the new 131ci...probably a dream though

Do you get a matching pair of Crocs when you buy one of those?

I live in Florida.

Not comparable to a Road King but I love those FTR's they're building.

Flip flops?

We don't wear shoes.

......or underwear...

I was 55...10 years ago.

That’s bitching. What size front tire is that?

Go to the nearest Indian dealer. Take a look at their line up and thank me later...

Dayum

Still not unusual at all for us (My buddies and I) when we do our trips. My Indian Springfield has turned out to be the best bike I’ve ever owned. Had a trip planned for NM, CO, WY, MT, ID, WA, OR and back this June but doesn’t look as though that’s gonna happen now,

Cruise control on the King vs not having it on the dyna was HUGE for me.

I could give my hand a rest or warm it up on the rear jug in cold weather.

I did - several time. No thanks. Not for me.

Sounds to me like your Just promoting brands here. Not that there is any thing wrong with that but the OP specifically stated the road king, which many feel that it sets itself apart from the rest of the hd line up. Which bike in the Indians line up is the equivalent of the hd road king?

Still go that '76 Honda GW with no farings under the back patio. Be Well, Rustyzipper.

I’m about as far from being a brand fan boy as you can get unlike most HD guys who won’t ever consider anything else.. I’ve owned or ridden American, jap and euro bikes throughout my entire life. I just like motorcycles. Hence why I mentioned Indian. It’s turned out to be the best bike I’ve ever owned as I already said. The Springfield is the Indian equivalent to the RK. I looked and rode both (as well as other brands) before deciding on the SF. I already owned three other bikes at the time and ended up eventually selling the rest as this is the only one I ever wanted to ride after a while.

There’s something to be said about product reputation, but buying anything based solely on the brand is about the dumbest thing you can do. Still some people buy into the whole mystique a lot of brands wrap themselves in. I don't; OTOH, I don’t give a crap what anyone else does with their own money either. Just trying to suggest an alternative I thought he might find desirable if he has an open mind and isn’t married to a brand name.

As always, YMMV...

Alrighty then, The Springfield, that was my question.

And that was my answer...

I'm not buying new, and even if I were ready to give Indian an honest look (I just don't know anything about them) there might be 5 used for sale around here and I'd bet all of them are too pricey for my budget

Yes, that is one of the advantages to buying HD. You should be able to find a bunch decent low mileage RK’s on used market. My buddy’s sunset orange ‘08 is one of the prettiest bikes I’ve ever seen. Ive already told him to give me first dibs if he ever decides to sell it.
Good luck with the hunt...

20/90-10

Or condoms.

Check out a Yamaha Road Star, Roadliner or Stratoliner.
The Road Stars ( 1700 cc ) 04 and later.
The Roadliner and Stratoliner ( 1900 cc ) 07 and later.
The Earlier ones had transmission woes.
08 and later Road Stars have EFI.
They are all air cooled.
These bikes are some of your best bang for your buck bikes !
I currently have a 2008 Road Star Warrior and a 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe.

I have a few friends that used to ride HD, and now swear by the Indians. Their comments: the ride is better (suspension). More power. Better amenities.
I dont own a cruiser (I ride a speed triple), so cant compare the ride between the two. I will say I am very impressed by the indian chieftan my best friend has. Very well appointed.

My Beemer R100 GS/PD had heated handgrips. Because of poor build quality and design issues that was the worst motorcycle I ever owned, other than those heated handgrips, they were awesome in cold weather

One thing I can say with certainty . . . once you experience shaft drive, you will be very hesitant to go back to a chain. I had three Moto Guzzis, before I bought my R1200RT. Shaft drive is the way to go.

That BMW R9T looks like a heck of a fun ride.

Well I like something that I can buy parts for and can find factory trained mechanics to do the technical stuff.
About 4 years ago The Harley Davidson dealers around here decided they would not work on 10 year old bikes. I bought a Honda Gold Wing and rode that for two years. It was 952 lbs and I decided that was
to much. I traded in on a new Milwaukee 8 to see what all the hype was about. Now I am 65 and would probably look for a smaller "adventure bike" next time.
I love Harley Davidson bikes but brand loyalty only goes so far. Before I would spend $28,000 on a 900 lb bike I would shop for a sports car.
whelennut
The Lead Wing did have some sweet heated grips.
The seat was heated and there were vents coming off the engine also.
whelennut

What I like about my Indians is the lack of vibration. It's nice to look in your mirror and actually see what's behind you. I've tried to like a sportster several times, but just can't.
The softail deluxe though has my eye. If I didn't have too many irons in the fire already I'd find room for an '18 or newer model. It's the only HD I've ridden that really fit me and my riding style.

The BMW R100? I've had 3 GSPD's from 1990-1995 and one 1988 GS. Possibly the most simple, robust, reliable motorcycle ever built. My 1993 PD had 145,000 on it when I sold it. Other than the circlip mod to the transmission output shaft which is a known issue that most have taken care of, what other design issues were there? Worst motorcycle you've ever owned? First time I've ever heard that from anyone, ever.

Well, I was getting off two years and 45,000 completely trouble-free miles on a hard-ridden KLR 650, drove that Beemer for another two years and 45,000 miles.

1) Starting from the front: heavy fiberglass fairing with windshield noisy and too far out. On a 700 mile day to the 95? Nationals in Silverton I was developing a pressure sore from the noisy wind blast to the front of my helmet.

2) Clutch piston seized twice. Dealership was 100 miles away in Austin, rode it there for warranty fix the first time like that, the second time I sold the bike.

3) French speedometer failed as expected, just out of warranty, for most of the last year of ownership I used the tach as a Speedo.

4) Lock on little top of gas tank compartment broke.

5) Fiberglass fuel tank abraded against the frame, to the point of almost leaking.

6) Electronics under gas tank would get wet in the rain and bike would cut out. NOT a good feeling in highway traffic on the Loop.

7) Studs pulled on left cylinder, case had air bubbles from faulty casting, this was in Colorado at that same Beemer Nationals, bike still ran, rode it home weeping oil the whole way, cases replaced under warranty.

8) Bolts holding transmission to engine insufficiently torqued at factory, some of mine fell out before first service.

9) Speedo cable entered transmission through the top, encased in a rubber plug. I never touched it. Water got into transmission.

10) Ridiculously flimsy tail/brake light assembly failed several times, I was riding with neither working a number of times and didn’t know it, I would pull out over, take it apart and reset the contacts.

11) U-joints on paralever drive shafts failed as expected at 25,000 miles, replaced under warranty, second one was developing play at 45,000 miles when I sold the bike.

The last straw was when a buddy rode down from Austin to go out riding, I went to start up the bike and the clutch piston seized again

That Beemer was a wedding present to myself, the last motorcycle I would ever need, keep it forever and all that. Got so I couldn’t trust it to ride around the block, let alone as my daily driver.

Two years earlier, when I parked the KLR, I had drained the carb, filled the crankcase with oil and pulled the battery. In no time at all that morning I drained and replaced the oil, put in a new plug and dropped in a new battery. That KLR fired right up on the first touch of the starter button just like it always had.

Sold that POS Beemer and never looked back.

I'd really advise you to stretch a little & get a newer model with the 103, or even a 96" engine.................on a stock bike, there's enough performance difference to matter & improved suspension & handling as well. There are lots of REALLY good deals on bikes right now.

My 2012 RKC


My 2011 Superglide

Dunno if it applies but I wouldn’t own a motorcycle I couldn’t pick up, by myself, from a completely tipped over position. Yes I know how to pick a motorcycle up.

I just have this fear of folks discovering my skeletal remains at an isolated scenic overlook along some lonely desert highway, next to my tipped-over motorcycle 🙂

Just get a duel sport.

Buying it on yer wedding day.... suspect you affronted some Bavarian wenches and never made amends

This is the sad truth. If you buy a 10 year old HD, get used to the phrase “Discontinued and not superseded” because it’s gonna be written in italicized print after a lot of your repair parts. Plenty of sequin t-shirts and glassware, though.

When it comes to repair/maintenance, there’s 2 choices: Wrench on it yourself or find a reputable “Custom” shop. The latter can be hard to come by.

Like I said, I’ll never get rid of my ‘02 RG, but I’ll never buy HD again.

It was a ‘94, BMW was winding down production of the old “Airhead” boxer twins in favor of the new “Oilhead” twins which they still make today.

Consequently there was a big demand among traditionalists for the last of the old-style “gummikuhns” (rubber cows), the Paris/Dakar version was the gee-whiz uber-cool one.

Story was that BMW opened a third shift to meet demand, Said production lines staffed by Turkish immigrants and that QC went down the tubes.

It was a nice-looking bike, but that heavy, poorly designed fairing was mostly for show. The nine gallon gas tank gave a useful range but also had abrasion problems.

Cylinder studs pulling under load was not that unusual in the dual sport R100 versions. IIRC BMW created the R100 motor merely by hanging bigger jugs on the old aluminum R75/R80 engine cases. In the low rpm/hi torque/running hot situations as is typical off-road the R100 studs could pull.

The speedo and speedo cable problems were just related to actual old technology (as opposed to pretend old technology on HD’s).

The paralever drive shafts, with two u-joints along their length, were and are designed to prevent the back end from rising and sinking due to torque effects when accelerating/decelerating. Unfortunately the taller suspension on the Paris/Dakar flexed these joints beyond optimal range, hence the predictable failure. Worked fine on the street bikes.

The Beemer I came to envy was the earlier R80 (R75?) GS, an earlier dual-sport Beemer. Smaller jugs not as prone to pulling and a regular bulletproof drive shaft, regular gas tank, smaller functional KLR type fairing. THAT was the Beemer to own

Agreed... I had a 96 cid Ultra Classic and that was a dang good engine..

ON GUARD!

This downturn should get rid of turd dealers.

I utilize 2 good ones. Doc's in Shawano and Appleton HD. Both have full machine shops and will work on anything - all the way back to 1903. Doc especially is a mechanical whiz. I've bought bikes from both, parts from both etc. Doc is one hell of a nice guy and invests a ton of revenue back into his customers. His shop parties are outrageous.

snagged a 2006 this morning. I think I got a good price. Well maintained, stored at a Harley Dealership during the winter, bought it off a guy in the high dollar part of town.

I pick it up tomorrow

That's how I feel about my '97 Heritage Springer. Evo motor. Tricked out to exactly the way I want it. Has never leaked oil. Paid off 21 years ago. What's not to like?

Congrats

Mother had a beautiful silver one like that. IIRC she traded it on the Roadking and it had 113,000 on it when she did.

thanks, I'm excited about it

YeeHAW! Congrats!

teal, a Road King would be one of the only reasons I would ever part with this bike.

Wow! Congrats!

Congrats on the new scoot!

She loved the King more than the Heritage, 90,000 on that one before going trike. Being 4'11'' and back issues, she had to.

I LOVE my King and couldn't imagine something else. I may sell the King one day but it won't be for another motorcycle.

Pics... ASAP

KFWA
Congratulations!
whelennut

Don't overthink it just do it!

What one does is reset the trip meter at "000" and keep going until it says "500", simple as that

Works for "1000" to.

Birdy - ever do any Ironbutt stuff?

nothing particularly special - I think its completely stock, but its mine!(or will be tomorrow)

Purdy purdy

No, those guys are the REAL studs

And the latest champ is Wendy Crockett, 13,000 miles in 11 days, WOW!

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tre...-iron-butt-rally-champion-wendy-crockett

My first long ride was in 1986 from College Station TX to Moscow ID, 2,000 miles in 48 hours. That was on an unfaired Yamaha 550 before I knew about earplugs and windshields/fairings I climbed off the bike that evening in Moscow, lay down and closed my eyes and I could still hear the motor inside my head

Coming back the following week I did 1,500 miles in 36 hours from there to visit friends near Ruidoso NM, with an easy 650 mile putt home the next day.

Between '90 and '95 I did 1,000 mile days at least three times, always on my way to NY State to visit family, first day was always my house here in San Antonio to the I 40 rest area, Smith County TN 50 miles east of Nashville, Google says 1,005 miles from my front door. I may have hit 1,000 mile days coming home too but I don't recall.

Last time I tried that was 2010, but a torn inner tube in Texarkana sidelined me more'n five hours, messing up my rythm. Coming back I was riding with my brother who weren't a 1,000 mile a day kinda guy.

I do acknowledge that I am hardly current with regards to motorcycles tho I didn't own a car until I was 44. I have done three long trips on two wheels over the last six years but without a motor

Classic. You can't go wrong!

Very nice bike! Congrats!

I love the white sidewalls and leather bags.

Thank you! Good looking ride

Great looking bike.

God help us...

That's a real beauty. Ride safe, and good luck!

Can’t think of a better reason to get one actually.

Nice Hog. Dont be taking selfies cruising down the road.

Great looking Bikle, let us know how you like it, I'm just assuming it's going to take up a bunch of test miles.

If I get a HD it would something like this hardtail springer.

Nice bike !
Good luck with it !

Cool, but I'm too old to ride something with such minimal suspension. The Lowrider is a bit choppy, but does ok.

I'd just have it for around town or maybe running to the next town over, if I'm going on a long trip it will be in the truck or car.

Springers rock!

For general interest, here's the 2019 Iron Butt Results,

https://www.ironbutt.org/ibrfacts.htm#2019

Note finisher #43; 9,000 miles in I suppose 11 days on a 2006 Sportster

I didn't know this until just now but there's different grades of Iron Butt besides the famous biennial rally. Apparently 1,000 miles in a day is a thing.

Here's a good account from a guy who did that in 2014 on a Sportster 48..... and everybody musta heard him coming a long ways off.....

http://xlforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1761800


Looking around earlier on those Iron Butt results over the years, one year some guy hauled around his 12 yo daughter 12,000 miles on an HD dresser with sidecar Can't imagine what she did to deserve that, but she prob'ly woulda preferred being just grounded like reg'lar kids.

No more pics after you took possession? WTF?

thanks

I'm glad its appreciated.

In today's market you can get alot of bike for middling money.

its taken up residence in the garage. My sportster has a WTF? look on it now

It was a pretty day but I didn't get a chance to ride it. I've been waiting for the weather to break so I could put new brake lines on Toyota pickup- and that took up most of my day

A RoadKing was the first Harley I ever rode. So low and easy to ride. Like a big leather pillow strapped to a miniature washing machine. Lol.

Nice bike, man!

Last bike I had was identical to that ... HD Road King Classic! I put tall handlebars (about shoulder height) on her and she was a cruising machine. I wouldn’t have another without a windshield. Miss that bike!

My Dad was the Chief of Surgery for 30+ years for a hospital near Boston. He referred to motorcycles as “Donorcycles” because of all the brain injuries he’d see when the weather warmed up. He was an expert at skin grafts, having served on Guam during WW II. The Japanese refused to surrender, so they had to burn them out of caves with Napalm. The ones that didn’t die got skin grafts from my Dad. Came in handy when he had to treat bad road rash from cycle crashes.

Wow, never heard that before in my 35 years of safe riding.
Do you ride?

My younger brother is six years younger and sold his bike because he feels he is two old for it.
It is kind of difficult to justify a 6 month riding season. I have ridden in snow but that ship has sailed.
I just read that the HD had engineered all the vibration out of the new Milwaukee 8 engine but felt like the core customers would not accept that.
So they compromised on 75% reduction of vibration.
That sounds ridiculous to me.
I think they should have made a VRod bagger.
whelennut
Congrats on the Road King it is a beauty.

good advice but my price point was pretty solid and I wasn't going to get out of the low mileage 88's range. Plus given my history of bikes, this feels like I'm riding a lazy boy recliner

Classy ride...!!!

Are you going to store the windscreen while around town?

My Mom crashed and almost died when I was 7, crashed again with bad road rash riding in jeans and a t-shirt (1970's) when I was 9, and my Dad crashed and died when I was 13.

Fast forward 40 years, 2 friends and 4 family members (not blood relatives) were diagnosed with cancer in an 18 month period.

Sometimes you have to say WTF...with 100% certainty we are all dying and what you have stated, though jaded makes no difference in the big picture.

yea, I guess for long rides I'll use it

but at the moment I plan on taking it off.

I've had a bunch of people tell me I'll regret it though

Roger, Nice looking ride. I don't know that you'd want it for more than a bar-hopper, though.

If you've ever ridden one, you know a hardtail will eventually knock your balls off.


PS- That bike could be done in a Softail.

That bike is a softail

Cool. That's the way I'd want it.

Apropos of this thread, this is my cousin who is more like a brother circa 1992, can't tell by looking but that Shovelhead Sportster was functionally a hardtail. He would sometimes pee blood after riding that thing.



That same guy started his riding career on a used '70 Honda CB750 with a 6" over front fork and a sissy bar, no alteration to rake and trail at all, stock frame, just 6" longer forks. We was all awestuck

I prefer riding without mine, if its warm. The woman gets pissed when I take it off, because she gets blown around more. I don't get out solo much. Under 55° degrees or so, I find I'm too much of a sissy to go very far without it.

Just a word of warning on the older twincam motors as they get 30,000 miles or more . Educate yourself with cam chain tensioner pads. my 06 roadking has 38,000 miles on it and a inspection shows that they are still in decent condition but are showing wear. will have to address this before long.

yea, I'm going to have them replaced with the upgraded tensioners around 30K.

Might be a couple of years or so to get there

With the twin cam chain tensioners on the older models. If they do go it's an expensive repair. There is no set time they last, some wear out extremely prematurely. It's not a big deal to inspect them before you put too many miles on it. Just a heads up.

Good info on the older motors. Did the 96 c.i. motor get better in this regard or ?

Pre 2007 are the ones to check.

It's an expensive repair at failure , do it before they fail - not so bad. May as well put a new cam in while you're in there.

Yep, & a tuner & some pipes, especially for 2-up riding.

Those mods will put a smile of yer face, fer sure..............but he should have went a few years newer of the bike. Not really that much of a cost penalty, IMHO.

MM