H-D Forums Thread of the Week: Road King vs. Dyna

By David Ciminelli - January 17, 2019

One of our forum members rides a 2016 Street Bob but has his eye on a 2016 Road King. What are the pros and cons of making the switch?

“Any of you Road King guys used to have a Dyna to compare it to? Does your bike stay planted on the highway? Worth the upgrade if I’m already generally happy with my Street Bob?”

These are the questions that H-D Forums member Torpedo1 aimed at fellow Harley enthusiasts in a thread in the forums, and the community was quick to respond with some great advice based on personal riding experiences.

Here’s a little background on Torpedo1’s query:

“I currently ride a 2016 Harley-Davidson Street Bob and have had my eye on a Road King lately,” says Torpedo1. “I love everything about my bike, but on highway trips I seem to get blown around a lot by trucks and cars, and I kind of wish I had cruise control for long stretches. …That said, I came across a few 2016 Road King Police models with low miles for $12,500, which got me thinking about a trade.”

First to respond was Almostinvincible119, a longtime Harley-Davidson rider who has owned different models and currently rides a Road King. “Huge difference from a Dyna,” he says. “…I love the bigger bike on the highway. Solid and nimble when you need it to be.”

“I recently picked up a ’15 RK but I still have my ’07 WG — the feel is completely different between the two,” says JB1023. “The RK, being a much heavier bike, is definitely more stable both in wind and turbulence, in-spite of and because of the wind screen. It is surprisingly agile considering the size/weight of the bike BUT it is definitely not as agile as a Dyna.”

JonnyVegas gets straight to the point: “Different animal. But the type of riding you describe and enjoy doing, you’ll love the RK.”

Forum member Owner shares the same opinion as JonnyVegas about the RK. “I was riding a 1200 Sportster and wanted to move up to a Dyna,” he says. “While looking, this RK (below) popped up and I grabbed it. I honestly dont want to switch to an SG or anything else now. The Sporty gets used around town for quick jaunts, and the RK is for around town…and into the hills, and up to the lake, and… I’m sure you understand. You wont be disappointed with an RK.”

“I like my King…I can dress it up with Tour Pak and shield for hwy miles, and in less than 2 minutes strip it down for cruising in town,” says 23Seven. “Best of both worlds. Next purchase is a quick-release fairing for the full E-Glide experience when I’m feeling it.”

“My first Harley was TC88 Dyna [which] surprised me as all the negatives I had read over the years didn’t seem to fit,” offers Subgunner. “With the stage one upgrade it made decent power and the ride and handling were very good. However, when I started riding two up, space was tight and I was being told everywhere I went to get a tourer. So, I went to a 2004 Road King Police model. Great decision as I had the space and luggage needed as well as a cushy ride. Definitely notice the weight difference but the handling was still surprisingly good for such a big bike.

“Currently have a 2013 Road King Police model that has the cruise hooked up to the siren control switches,” continues Subgunner. “…Go with the King, you will not regret it.”

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