So I am looking at a 2018 Road King Special, brand new.

There are two bikes I am looking at. Both are the industrial grey.

One has 14” bars done, but is otherwise stock or ‘standard’. The other has custom pin striping on it, done in the 115th anniversary scheme, with Orange (sun glow I believe) accents throughout (wheels, decals, motor, etc), and also has the chrome Harley Davidson face plate removed and replaced with the custom ‘115th anniversary’ decal including the checkered flag and all that.

I love both for different reasons. Part of me wants to have the only bike of its kind, and do the bars and the exhaust and anything else all myself from scratch over time, but part of me loves the clean, minimalistic and simple blacked out look of the standard special with its chrome Harley decal and nothing more. The bars I can deal with but ideally would do a little taller.

For the sake of this post, ignore the bars, throw me some opinions on the bike itself. Before I get a million ‘it’s all what you like’ type answers.... yes.... I know.... but I am just looking for somewhere to collect different perspectives on the same thing and this seems to be an excellent place to do it!

I am of course including pictures of each, and then a picture of both stacked next to each other for reference.

Thanks in advance!!

B


‘Standard’

‘Anniversary’

 

 

If it had to be between those two i'd pick the stock colour, the orange accents don't work for me. But if you're buying new, why would you not go for a '19 with the 114?

 

Knowing that I would have to swap out the bars pretty quick, the one with the apes would win for me as it would extend the time before that mod had to be done.

 

Looks Like

 

I vote for the 'standard'. More of a clean slate to truly make it like no other.

 

I'd chose the one with the apes. Then, I would remove the tank emblems.

 

The orange accent and the painted script kills that one for me. I would pick the one with the mini apes.

 

If I had to pick one out of the two I wouldn't buy either....jmho

 

Good question. The price difference is minimal, but none of the 19s come in that color. The only denim is white. Nevertheless, I'd have to go with the 114 over the 107.