Thought mine was the best until I saw what's sitting on yours....

 

97 and 98 were the best years of the Evo Road King. HD finally got past the crap main motor castings by switching foundries.

2002 as stated before is the best year for the TC88 Road Kings. First year for Delphi Fuel Injection (still used today), last year for the double Timken drive side bottom end (bad move going away from this construction), and beefed up rear swingarm, and swingarm bearings (plastic to bronze).

Anything 2009+ due to the frame redesign, and new rubber.

 

With any 88, you've got to worry about tensioners at some point. 2008 bikes have some of the nice features of the new ones, but not the new frame. 2009s are the only new-frame bikes with the old O2 sensors, so they're going to have fewer exhaust options as time goes by.

The value of Timken bearings is vastly overstated. The standard bearings are fine for stock bikes and the majority of riders. Likewise, there are literally tens of thousands of bikes with catalytic converters and no issues whatsoever.


Buy the bike you like. Newer is generally better, but the best one for you is the one that moves you.

 

I have an 07 Road King, 6 sd tranny is nice, bigger engine. Like the fact I can remove the windshield when I want. Smooth ride, enjoy it everyday I can.

 

Another 07 RK lover, would like to have a 08 with the bigger fuel tank and bembro brakes but then I could say a 09 would give a better frame.....and so it goes on. In the end just buy the one you like most, remember there are good deals out there, just gotta look and be prepared to travel for them. My RK last Nov was $11,500 and I travelled from the UK to Georgia to pick it up, luckily I only had to ride it to Tampa where I keep it :-)

 

I recently bought a gently used '09 RKC and am extremely happy with it. At first I missed the "potato-potato-potato" idle of my older carbed Harley but it is nice to have EFI, just get on it and go - no enricher, extended warm up or fuel cut off to mess with. It also has the 96 engine, 6 speed and the new touring frame. Previous owner put new black walls on it right before he sold it, wish it had wide whites.

 

totally agree -- you can find a low mileage 02 you're in the game--if you look hard probably can get it 9 - 10k

 

I like the 07 last of the throttle cables also
harley had been on strike so there wasen't
as many made, it is like owning a piece of
the harley history

 

boy, you sure got a pretty bike...

 

Not in an '09 you won't..... maybe the Calif issued ones??? They didn't get the cat 'till '10...

to the OP..... I would wrangle and save all I could and be sure to get into an '09 or newer.... having ridden an owned them all, it is hands down the best FL chassis the MoCo has put out yet..... much improved ride and handling.....