Hi all,

I'm new here. I'll first say a couple things about myself and my bike. This 2002 Road King is my first motorcycle, although not my first forte into things of mechanical nature. I've been around cars all my life and spend my spare time working on my first car, a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass street/strip project.




I'm currently pursing a degree in mechanical engineering technology where I hope to land in a motorsports related field (only 1 more year to go, woo-hoo!). I'm a moderator over on Gbodyforum.com, where I started a little project thread. I have one for my Cutlass as well, I find it's a good way to go back and reminisce on the different stages of my projects. The first few posts will basically be a transfer of the thread I've started on that site, until I get up to date. I'll continue to update this as I make more progress on the bike. Being a full time college student, and having 2 other cars to drive I don't ride the bike as much as most. But I try to ride as much as I can, I've put about 4000 miles on it since last march. Anyway, enjoy the photos!

2/7/2018

"A great family friend gave me this motorcycle about a week ago. It is a 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King. I was totally blown away. I still am not sure what to think. He said "I can't ride it anymore, I know I won't get a whole lot of money for it, and I want it to go to someone that will appreciate it. It would make me happy to give it to you." To be honest it brought a tear to my eye.

The run down:

Basically his health declined in the past 2 years. He had 3 bikes, 2 of which I detailed, 1 has sold so far. This particular bike has been in storage for 6 years. They put a battery in it, it started right up on 6 year old gas and rode to my house. For now the to do list is:

-a rear tire
-fresh fluids
-fuel filter
-air cleaner
-put some miles on it!

Later on I'd like to change the handlebars back to stock, change the grips, do a lowering kit, and some other little things here and there. You know how that goes (of course I already started tearing it down to clean and check things over!) It has a 95" upgrade kit, 6 speed conversion, different wheels, chrome lower fork tubes, chrome calipers, Lepera seat (not sure if I'm sold on it yet), mini apes (not my style, plus they are 6" wider than stock) and some other odds and ends.

Regardless, I am still blown away. He put almost 80k miles on this bike riding anywhere and everywhere, and I'll continue doing the same. I got my motorcycle endorsement in July, and hopped on my dad's 2010 Road Glide. I was sort of considering a Harley before, but I fell in love with the power band, and the riding position, it really sealed the deal for me.

I know I've got to do something special for him, I'm thinking an all expenses paid trip to an NHRA event in charlotte sometime this year. Its the least I can do!"

 

2/18/2018

"Just updating with some more stuff. I got my new tires in this week. I've been busy this weekend. Drained the fuel tank and installed a new fuel filter. Removed the front and rear wheels. Installed a new air filter, and also made a trip to the dealer to get the seals I need for a complete fluid change. I'm still waiting on my engine, primary, and transmission oils.

I played around with the exhuast heat shielding. It had some hose clamps around the shields, unfortunately the tabs were broken off, so they can't be held on normally. I went through an assortment of stainless hose clamps, trying to find some that I could orient so you couldn't see the "ugly" part of the clamp.

Also messed with some bracket alignment in the back, trying to use different hardware to make it look better, and make the saddlebags easier to put on. This bike was in some sort of fender bender in the back, so a new rear fender will be needed at some point. I also started polishing the chrome, oh boy. Luckily its in pretty good shape for the most part, just very dirty and corroded.

Here are just some more detail pictures, I've got a lot of cleaning to do. I removed all the chrome engine covers, I like the contrast that the factory appearing engine offers. I think the only things I really need to order are a new oil pressure gauge, fuel overflow line, some fuel line for the carb to the fuel valve."







3/5/2018
"I spent about 6-7 hours saturday cleaning the bike up. It actually looks pretty good now. But I’ve still got some more cleaning to do. On Sunday I ran and got some hardware I needed, changed all the fluids, and then put some gas in it. Ready to go for a ride, right? No. No spark on the front or rear cylinder. Mind you it started right up on 6 year old gas. We spent about an hour messing with it, making sure everything was tight. I’ve got a few ignition related things I wanna check this week.

Some before and after of the wheels. Only some minor chrome flaking in some spots.



Pulled out in the sun before washing.





After a full day of cleaning. I started off using 0000 steel wool on all the chrome, lubricanted with simple green 1:1. The chrome wasn’t perfect already, so fine steel wool wasnt going to hurt it. I then used Adams Polishes wheel cleaner on all the chrome. Used simple green again to scrub and degrease the engine (no leaks, but years of road grime.) After that I washed the whole bike. Adams car shampoo mixed with a tiny bit of simple green to strip the paint.





I’ve still got to give the whole thing a once over, there are some small spots I need to re-visit with the chrome. But all in all, it looks good for a 16 year old bike."

3/9/2018

"I got it all buttoned up today. The no spark issue ended up being faulty crank position sensor. We got it started, but the carb was filled with crap. That should have been a no brainer considering it sat for 6 years. I'm gonna order a rebuild kit and some new plugs and try again. Ironic, my cutlass needs a carb rebuild too lol."




3/13/2018

"We were able to get it to run decent enough on the old carburetor to go on an 80 mile ride this weekend. This bike is a blast to ride. I ended up cutting my stock windshield down to about 12" total height. It was a little too much, it has a ton of buffeting at highway speeds. It looks decent. I had to wet sand the whole thing because the factory coating was flaking off, and I couldn't really get it to polish out 100%. I found a 14" on eBay for cheap, so I'll add that to my list. I'm also not sold on the handlebars. They are 12" ape hangers that are 38" wide. My shoulders were sore after the ride on sunday. I flipped the mirrors under the bars, which in my mind made a big difference on lowering the profile of the bike. I can still see just fine in them as well. I'm going to try changing the grips as well to something that is about a 1/4" less in diameter. I can't wait to get the carbureted dialed in."

 

 

Your old friend gave you a great gift. I also have a 2002 RKC with the 95 ci upgrade. That was a nice jester on his part to give it to you believing that you would enjoy as I'm sure that you will. Sounds like you are in the process of making it yours with the upgrades.
Enjoy the bike. The RC is a blast to ride.

 

3/31/2018

"Tore the carb down to rebuild, but didn't have time to finish before I had to run off to school. I guess my dad got antsy and finished it up for me. Also threw in a fresh set of plugs, and installed my braided oil line. He did some playing with adjustments and has been riding it to work this week. He says it rides like a whole different bike now. Just from the short video he sent, it sounds like the off idle response is 100% better. I can't wait to ride it!

I also ordered a 1" lowering kit for the rear today, I need to get the kit for the front as well."






4/7/2018"Got rid of the fluted glass headlight."



4/23/2018

"I finally got my rear 1" lowering kit installed, man what a difference. I can't wait to do the front now.

I liked the look of this Cycle Visions "Eliminator" kit, but the LED's just weren't bright enough anymore. Unfortunately I couldn't get replacement panels for it either, I'd have to make my own.



This turn signal bar came with the bike when I got it, so I just got a stock tail light for now and swapped everything over. Eventually I'll get a license plate relocation bracket that moves it below the tail light, and I'll also get an LED low profile tail light. For now I have a "lay down" license plate bracket ordered, just so it doesn't stick out so much. A little more goofy looking, but this will work for now, and hopefully I'll have a better chance of being seen.



I also got my vanity plate on."



5/10/2018"I just tidied up some odds and ends today, then washed it. Funny how a quick wash always turns into a 3+ hour ordeal.

I also finished up some new seat modifcations. For those of your unfamiliar with Harleys, there are two big generations of touring bikes. First the 97-08 frame, and then the 2009-current frame.

Seats from a 2009+ bike will not fit mine. Until now. I slightly modified the seat of a 2010 Road Glide to fit mine.

While I had the cover off I trimmed the foam at the front of the seat to make it a little narrower. This was only for my comfort, it’ll fit without this modification.



I also added a piece of 3/16” plate to the factory gas tank mounting bolt. This slides into the seat, much like the factory mounting on the 2008+ bikes. I may some reinforcement to this in the future. But for now it is plenty sturdy.



I trimmed down the plastic on the rear portion of the seat, so it will fit around the grab bar the older bikes had.



The fitment is actually pretty good, there is a little gap at the front of the seat, totally unnoticeable when you are on the bike.



I feel like this opens up seat options for people who want to use factory 2009+ seats on their 97-08 bike.

 

6/22/2018

"My parents got me a new windshield for my birthday. Miles better than the stock one I cut down.

This one is a 14.5” with 2” “recurve” from clear view shields. Super nice quality, way thicker and sturdier than the stock one.











Unfortunately I had to roll the handlebars back about 1/4” of an inch to fit the new windshield. This put the them back into an uncomfortable position, so i’m currently shopping for alternatives.

I painted the timing cover, letters in the air cleaner, and primary inspection cover. I kinda like it, I think it adds some contrast. I’m still searching for the matching derby cover.




8/17/2018

"Haven't done a whole lot to the bike. Broke a throttle cable while I was out with my dad. So he rode it with the throttle cable looped in his hand to limp us home lol. I found a used set just to get me by for now. Also found the performance machine grips I've been wanting for $10!



As well as this derby cover that was proving to be tough to track down. This was the only one I had even found for sale. So I jumped on it. Painted to match my timing cover and primary inspection cover.





10/10/2018

"Made it home to get some riding in. I don't think I've washed it in over a month, so it was long overdue.




11/10/2018


"Our local police department offers a FREE collision avoidance class taught by motorcycle police. Very humbling experience, and I learned a lot. I need to work on the ergonomics of my bike (the handlebars need to go). I'll look for a set after my daily driver project is done. Also not afraid to drop my bike at slow speeds, it happened a few times during the class. All the crash bars were wrapped with heater hose, so no damage thankfully. Believe it or not, these 800-1000 lb pigs are pretty easy to upright! "

You Tube

 

12/29/2018"For a while I've been wanting a 2 into 1 exhaust for my bike. I prefer the single muffler look, and the performance is usually better. I'm not really a fan of the "true dual" exhaust setups. Going down the road you can sometimes hear each exhaust pulse unevenly in each ear. I've been keeping my eye on eBay for a few months for any suitable pipes. My Dad's 2010 Road Glide actually came factory with a 2-1 exhaust system, a one year only deal. He still had the stock head pipe laying around, as well as a Screamin' Eagle SuperTrapp style slip on muffler for it. Much like the seat I retrofitted, Harley Touring exhausts are normally 97-08 fitment, and then 2009+ fitment. But...these year of bikes still use the same engine, the exhaust ports are the same, so it must just be a matter of different bracketry, and that's why they don't interchange. Well, I decided I'd find that out for myself.

Here is just a reminder of what I was working with here. Vance and Hines "big shot" duals. Actually a nice quality exhaust when new, but this one had broken heat shields and brackets. Scratches, dents, etc. Really the only thing supporting it on each side was the muffler hanger and head pipe flange. No good.



First rough test fit, looking good so far!



This is the factory bracket from my dads bike, it uses 2 lower bolts from the transmission to support the exhaust. We'd model this later.




Another rough test fit, at this point I realized this was not as big of a deal as people made it seem. Most everything I read online said that because the frames were so much different between Pre 09 and later, the exhausts wouldn't even be close.



Because this exhaust was originally off a fuel injected bike, I needed to take care of O2 sensor bung plugs, and catalytic converter. No big deal. The cat was punched out, and I found some stainless bolts and brass washers to plug the bungs.



We cut up an extra bracket from my dad's Vance and Hines Pro Pipe, basically following the template from the original, just a little bit longer and lower.



Gridning some clearance in the pipe here.






And success!









It really wasn't as bad as the internet made it seem, as usual lol. Other miscellaneous things that needed to be changed/modified were adding a spacer to the floorboard so it wouldn't touch the exhaust pipe, and changing the orientation of the heat shield clamps. No big deal at all. It sounds great so far. Fairly quiet putting around town, but very loud and throaty when you want it to be. I am starting off with 8 discs and the open end cap. I'll add more discs after a few rides, assuming there is no discoloration of the pipe or lean spots. I'm very happy with it. You would never be able to tell that this is a 2009+ exhaust on a 2002 motorcycle."

1/3/2019

"Some more media on my new exhaust.

You Tube

I also just ordered 10" 1.25" diameter Mini Apes, Polyurethane riser bushings, and a 1 piece riser clamp. I found this cool company called Venhill that sells "build your own" clutch and throttle cables, so I'll probably be ordering those as well. That way I can route the cables whatever way I want and really dial in the perfect length.



1/9/2019





1/21/2019

So I ran into a little snag with the handlebars...

I settled on Khrome Werks 1.25” Diameter 10” Bobber Apes.

I got these bars open box, so I was ok with taking a gamble on fitment. Khrome Werks says they fit the following models:

2007-2017 Fat Boy
2008-2017 Fat Bob
2010-2017 Wide Glide
2013-2017 Breakout.

I figured the reason these wouldn’t fit any other bikes was because of 1.25” risers. Anyway, I took the gamble, mocked everything up, and realized that the brake master cylinder doesn't fit.

Because these are 1.25” bars, there is a “flat” in the tubing that allows the brake master cylinder reservoir to clear the handlebars. What I didn't realize is that the location of these is different. When I tried to mock up the master cylinder, it will not sit flush on the handlebars. Upon closer inspection, it looks like the flats on the handlebars are in different locations.

Here are the new handlebars. Notice the location of the flat is pretty much straight up and down.



And here it is on my old handlebars.




So now I kinda backed myself into a corner. The bars were open box-no returns. The risers are already opened, I’m sure I can still return them, but I’ll take a hit on a brand new part.

I know what you’re thinking. “Don’t be cheap! Just sell the handlebars and other parts and find something different!” Well that’s just the problem, I chose these bars specifically for these measurements, and after mocking everything up and giving it a test sit, I actually like the way they feel.

I’m thinking of trying to find a used 2008 Fat Bob master cylinder. I can’t see why this wouldn’t interchange. Dual disk front brakes, 11/16” bore, and should work with my new handlebars."



AND THAT PRETTY MUCH BRINGS US UP TO DATE AS OF 1/31/2019, ANY POSTS AFTER THIS ARE CURRENT PROGRESS. THANKS FOR STICKING AROUND!

 

Thanks guys. Pretty much everything is up to date now, check it out!

 

nice work on the bike....all three of my boys are mechanical engineers an they can barely put gas in their cars.

 

Cool dude. Good read. Thanks for posting!