Here is a 2011 with less than 6k miles on it for $10,499 on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-Harley...MAAOSwKWJfbZtM

 

All on what ya want. I have a 2005. Great bike for any type of trip. It's a 5 speed though and not a deal breaker. Its also an 88 inch which still has plenty of get up an go. I am to the point that I need to check my cam tensioners though but also not a deal breaker. If you can find a deal on a well kept bike, any year will suffice. That being said, in addition to my RK, I bought an Ultra and specifically looked for models that had a 96 inch motor, 6 speed AND didn't have to worry about my tensioners. All on what you want

 

I have a 2104 RK and have done 2 Ironbutts on it, and a Coast to Coast to Coast.

 

While it sounds like you're dead set on a RK, test ride each of the members of the Touring family before going all in. IMO whenever I ride a RK I feel like I'm on top of it vs down in the bike like on a FLHT or FLTR. Go for the 09 or newer, you'll thank yourself when it comes time to get accessories since that's when the frame change occurred as mentioned.

 

I had my sights set on a touring bike for $10K or under and ended up with a 2014 Electra Glide Ultra Classic. It had 51K on it and the dealer (yes dealer) was asking $12,999. I got the bike for $11,400 including a 2 yr ESP. You won't get that from a private party. I found a 2012 Ultra Limited, with 26k on it for under $10K but it had serious front end issues and I was leery of what other maintenance had been neglected.

That seller could have spent $500-600 at a dealer to repair the front end and gotten several thousand more for the bike. His starting price weeks earlier, was $12,500.

Shop around at all the dealers in your area and test ride all the touring bikes. Most private parties will not let you test ride unless you hand them cash first. Think I am going to hand someone $10K plus for a test ride? They can keep their bike. I test rode my sportster before buying and it was a private party sale.

One dealer, about 200 mi north of me, had a 2018, low mileage Heritage Classic listed for $12,900 when I was looking. It was a former HD rental but in excellent condition. I saw another 2012 Ultra Limited with low miles for $11K, but it was a month before I was financially able to shop. As expected, it did not last long.

Deals are out there but you have to be patient, and persistent. Don't be afraid to make an offer that fits your budget. I told the dealer the payment I wanted, knowing ahead of time, the length of loan term and cash down. We sat there over an hour, and he kept getting close but I kept saying, I didn't think I was going to be able to swing it. I could have easily doubled my down payment, but never let him know that. We financed through HD, cause it was simpler, but I refinanced with my credit union, 3 weeks later, for an even lower payment and same term length.

Lots of folks will say avoid the dealer, but if you can get the bike you want for your price, I say why not? Most private parties I spoke with were far less willing to negotiate.

 

I love the RK. fairing off for around town, dress it up for long trips. Put 4500 miles on it last summer going to Sturgis and back. Couple 6-800 mile days. Very comfortable

 

yep, best of both worlds. solo seat makes it a nice little hopper and with the mustang seat, sissy bar and luggage rack, all I need to do is put my quick detach windshield on and me and my gf are comfortable for long rides

 

I definitely suggest a six speed and 2009 and newer. Also a road king for sure!

 

The Roadking has the Touring bike frame, seat, bags, ect.... It's just a stripped down touring bike with just the essentials on it. It will tour just as well as any Harley will.

Cool think about the RK is that it is a blank slate, you can add a tour pack, batwing fairing, and stereo and it's an Ultra, or strip it all off and run around town. (not the bags they look silly with the bags off.)

When I moved up from my Sportster this summer I was considering getting a Roadking, I really liked the wind in my face. But I found a used 2019 Ultra Classic for much less than the price of a new Roadking.

 

+ 1 on what he just said
The one thing I like about the Road King is they are not too big to just run down town on, they can very well be a fun bike as well as an open road bike