Road King 2009 on
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 213
Likes: 1
I can't say enought about my RK. I went to the SE compensator from the stock before I had any problems. Some may say I spent an unnessesary couple hundred, but I'm very happy with my decision on that. Otherwise, it has been the best experience...and I'm not talking about just the bike, that goes without saying. I mean the entire Harley Experience, the comaraderie, the culture, the history...and the miles. I love the versatility of my King, from a classic touring ride one minute to a gorgeous cruiser the next. Good luck, Sir. Come on in and join the party!
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Thanks evryone, I'll try and respond to you all one by one. Am in Brisbane Australia and lifes a bit upside down at the moment with floods etc, so time is a little short. Am off this morning to do some chores and call past a couple of bike shops....maybe take a test ride too......
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,042
Likes: 86
From: Centeral Coast, California
[quote=cjairplane;7807204]I can't say enought about my RK. I went to the SE compensator from the stock before I had any problems. Some may say I spent an unnessesary couple hundred, but I'm very happy with my decision on that. Otherwise, it has been the best experience...and I'm not talking about just the bike, that goes without saying. I mean the entire Harley Experience, the comaraderie, the culture, the history...and the miles. I love the versatility of my King, from a classic touring ride one minute to a gorgeous cruiser the next. Good luck, Sir. Come on in and join the party![/quote]
Feel the SAME way about my RK, and welcome anyone considering the leap just the same....
Feel the SAME way about my RK, and welcome anyone considering the leap just the same....
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,951
Likes: 6
From: Kingman, AZ
Thanks evryone, I'll try and respond to you all one by one. Am in Brisbane Australia and lifes a bit upside down at the moment with floods etc, so time is a little short. Am off this morning to do some chores and call past a couple of bike shops....maybe take a test ride too......
Bought a new 01 Road Star and loved that bike but then the RKC new in 08. It is the cruiser IMO, hands down. Maintenance cost same. Add-on's for looks cost more but there is more available. I have chased power mods on both and while the Road Star came factory with more ponies it was not enough to keep me from changing it's pipes, jetting the CV carb, PC ignition, suspension upgrades, etc. Same as the Road King so no difference here.
Just changed the wife from her 05 VStar 1100 Classic to an 07 RKC. Just couldn't stand her not getting in on the best make out there for looks, ride, etc and the Kings have been long distance beasts with no real issues.
Good luck with the floods and stay dry!
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 171
Likes: 1
From: central Texas
Welcome to the forum. Lots of good people here. I owned Suzukis and Hondas before buying a Road King. My 2009 has been completely reliable, performance is about what I expect from 1,000 pounds of touring iron, and I do my own maintenance so the costs are as low as they can be. The King doesn't run like my cafe bike did 30 years ago, but I don't necessarily want it to any more. My Harley is comfortable, good-looking, I can modify it in almost any way imaginable, and the Harley 'family' is awesome. My Japanese bikes were good bikes, but I've got exactly what I want now. Get the bike you want and a service manual, ride when you can, ride safe and share your experiences with us.
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
thanks
ok...yea have been hearing and reading that.... I understand the '09 is an update model? new frame/engine/gearbox etc?
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
dealers
have an 09 RK with 29k on it. best ride i have ever had...eats up the highway miles. did a stage 1 and added an oil cooler. just run good synthetic fluids and follow the reccommended maintenance. do your own work or find a good indy. the dealer services can get pricey. to keep costs down, i have oil changed every 5k and let dealer do a full service every 10k. bike is easy on tires...still running original front and should get close to 20k out of rear tire. a lot of your "harley experience" will come from your dealings with the dealership...check out several before you buy. i like my dealer and stop in for coffee when in the area--some people hate their dealer and call them stealers. do your homework and owning a harley can be a great experience.
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2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
lol@wearing more black
Riding a Harley Road King is a bit different than your current bike. People will look at you constantly...other bikers will wave to you...you will prolly wear more black and visit more biker establishments.
Your Harley will also cost you allot of $$! You will feel compelled to add chrome and performance goodies every paycheck. You will also start to ride in groups as you ride down the road b/c Harley riders tend to form up without warning.
Oh yeah...as for the Road King...it's a pretty good bike.
Welcome to the forum. Learn well grasshopper.
Your Harley will also cost you allot of $$! You will feel compelled to add chrome and performance goodies every paycheck. You will also start to ride in groups as you ride down the road b/c Harley riders tend to form up without warning.
Oh yeah...as for the Road King...it's a pretty good bike.
Welcome to the forum. Learn well grasshopper.
lol cheers, made me laugh. all sounds good. the bits n pieces to dress the bike up are looking surprisingly affordable, maybe as a result of the strong Aussie dollar. We had a look this morning at an '08 Street Glide (asking 25k) so the prices for us are still quite high. am looking at whether or not importing one myself might work out cheaper.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 507
Likes: 1
From: Portland, OR
I agree with the refs to Rolls Royce, or maybe even a Jag. It's a reasonably reliable bike, but not the most reliable on average in the first 30k miles. No metric can even come close after that. A properly maintained Harley can easily do 100k miles. Like a Jag, it isn't as fast as it looks, isn't as good as it looks, but there's just something awesome about it that other bikes can't seem to match - for those willing to learn some wrench skills anyway.
I currently ride a Road Glide and enjoy every mile, but the Road King is arguably the most beautiful and flexible cruiser ever built. You can see the whole history of motorcycling in its lines.
Rode metrics for years and liked them too, but I'm amazed at how many metric riders start any bike conversation with "I know it's not a Harley but..." Even folks who hate Harley do this.
I currently ride a Road Glide and enjoy every mile, but the Road King is arguably the most beautiful and flexible cruiser ever built. You can see the whole history of motorcycling in its lines.
Rode metrics for years and liked them too, but I'm amazed at how many metric riders start any bike conversation with "I know it's not a Harley but..." Even folks who hate Harley do this.