King in the City
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: North London, UK
King in the City
Hi all,
The guys in the Dyna section sent me over here to ask for some advice. To cut a long story short, my OL and I are planning on purchasing a Harley before the end of this year (gotta finish paying for my current ride first) and I was hoping (perhaps foolishly) that a Dyna suitably kitted-out for riding two-up would be a serious contender to use as daily transportation.
But. The list of bits that we need to add (fairing, bags, forwards, pipes, heated grips, Sundowner, sissy bar, yada yada) pushes the cost into Road King territory. Also, she has back and knee issues that a Dyna could well aggravate.
Thing is, the bike will be used for riding into and out of central London daily. Is a Road King going to drive me nuts in an urban environment? I don't tend to be an aggressive rider but the sheer bulk of an RK is a bit of a concern. I understand that "...they're surprisingly nimble for a big bike" but day-to-day is it going to be a huge PITA to take around a city?
Obviously test rides will be taken, but fore-warned is fore-armed as they say...
The guys in the Dyna section sent me over here to ask for some advice. To cut a long story short, my OL and I are planning on purchasing a Harley before the end of this year (gotta finish paying for my current ride first) and I was hoping (perhaps foolishly) that a Dyna suitably kitted-out for riding two-up would be a serious contender to use as daily transportation.
But. The list of bits that we need to add (fairing, bags, forwards, pipes, heated grips, Sundowner, sissy bar, yada yada) pushes the cost into Road King territory. Also, she has back and knee issues that a Dyna could well aggravate.
Thing is, the bike will be used for riding into and out of central London daily. Is a Road King going to drive me nuts in an urban environment? I don't tend to be an aggressive rider but the sheer bulk of an RK is a bit of a concern. I understand that "...they're surprisingly nimble for a big bike" but day-to-day is it going to be a huge PITA to take around a city?
Obviously test rides will be taken, but fore-warned is fore-armed as they say...
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: North London, UK
So I'm beginning to discover! Although there are those in the Dyna section that might disagree...
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
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From: The Desert SouthWest
I've been riding a RK for 2.5 yrs and never felt myself wondering what a Dyna would be like. They handle great and are very comfortable. The saddle bags are HUGE and will hold LOTS of stuff for daily use which is very handy and it's nice not having to wear a backpack. Add a sissy bar and luggage rack and you can get lots of things on that bike easily. Two-up is guarunteed to be more comfortable than the smaller bike.
I recently rode the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon with three other friends on metrics. I led the way. One of my buds lost his VTX in a turn (broken mirror/devastated pride) because they are lower than my lowered King. I mean that in the sense that their bikes have lower ground clearances. The King took the turns with surprising ease (yes, I had rice rockets pass me, but I'm not one to ride WFO in those type of turns).
My normal riding in the city is in a medium metropolitan area of over 350K folks. The streets are anywhere from 2 lanes tight to eight lanes super highway. The King once again is very easy to maneuver and instills confidence in me that it can handle most anything I put it through (it doesn't like hard rain, nor do I). The bike is a tourer but does not feel bulky or awkward or even heavy though is does outweigh a Dyna. I suspect it's somewhat subjective, but as a "non-aggressive" rider, I think the King is the perfect motorcycle for what you are looking to achieve. Get the SO and you a decent seat though the stock seat is okay, that only holds for moderate distances.
My normal riding in the city is in a medium metropolitan area of over 350K folks. The streets are anywhere from 2 lanes tight to eight lanes super highway. The King once again is very easy to maneuver and instills confidence in me that it can handle most anything I put it through (it doesn't like hard rain, nor do I). The bike is a tourer but does not feel bulky or awkward or even heavy though is does outweigh a Dyna. I suspect it's somewhat subjective, but as a "non-aggressive" rider, I think the King is the perfect motorcycle for what you are looking to achieve. Get the SO and you a decent seat though the stock seat is okay, that only holds for moderate distances.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,052
Likes: 6
From: North London, UK
I've been riding a RK for 2.5 yrs and never felt myself wondering what a Dyna would be like. They handle great and are very comfortable. The saddle bags are HUGE and will hold LOTS of stuff for daily use which is very handy and it's nice not having to wear a backpack. Add a sissy bar and luggage rack and you can get lots of things on that bike easily. Two-up is guarunteed to be more comfortable than the smaller bike.
Or do they?...
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
Yeah and in my case I chose the RK standard with the hard bags as they're water tight and can be secured unlike the leather bags of the Classic. I use the hell out of my saddle bags and I was concerned about long term heavy usage of those bags on the RKC.
If I'm not mistaken London is a damp/wet climate at times, so the hard bags are probably a better idea for that reason also. They also do hold a bit more stuff than the RKC bags do because of their interior dimensions.
A detachable Tourpak is also an option don't forget.
If I'm not mistaken London is a damp/wet climate at times, so the hard bags are probably a better idea for that reason also. They also do hold a bit more stuff than the RKC bags do because of their interior dimensions.
A detachable Tourpak is also an option don't forget.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
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From: North London, UK
I recently rode the Cherohala Skyway and the Tail of the Dragon with three other friends on metrics. I led the way. One of my buds lost his VTX in a turn (broken mirror/devastated pride) because they are lower than my lowered King. I mean that in the sense that their bikes have lower ground clearances. The King took the turns with surprising ease (yes, I had rice rockets pass me, but I'm not one to ride WFO in those type of turns).
My normal riding in the city is in a medium metropolitan area of over 350K folks. The streets are anywhere from 2 lanes tight to eight lanes super highway. The King once again is very easy to maneuver and instills confidence in me that it can handle most anything I put it through (it doesn't like hard rain, nor do I). The bike is a tourer but does not feel bulky or awkward or even heavy though is does outweigh a Dyna. I suspect it's somewhat subjective, but as a "non-aggressive" rider, I think the King is the perfect motorcycle for what you are looking to achieve. Get the SO and you a decent seat though the stock seat is okay, that only holds for moderate distances.
My normal riding in the city is in a medium metropolitan area of over 350K folks. The streets are anywhere from 2 lanes tight to eight lanes super highway. The King once again is very easy to maneuver and instills confidence in me that it can handle most anything I put it through (it doesn't like hard rain, nor do I). The bike is a tourer but does not feel bulky or awkward or even heavy though is does outweigh a Dyna. I suspect it's somewhat subjective, but as a "non-aggressive" rider, I think the King is the perfect motorcycle for what you are looking to achieve. Get the SO and you a decent seat though the stock seat is okay, that only holds for moderate distances.
Soon, Mr Bond. Soon...
Interesting that you've kept the stock seat - that and the pipes always seem to be the first thing to go. I'm sure it's a cracking seat and everything, but my OL's a$$ really deserves a Sundowner...
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 287
Likes: 6
From: N/A
I have a short commute (10 miles one way) and I ride mine almost daily thru the heart of Salt Lake City. Very conjested, stop and go traffic.
My opinion is something smaller, like a Sportster, might be better if I just wanted a commuter bike, but for a general all purpose bike that I can use to commute and take road tripping, I can't think of much that beats the RoadKing
The lockable hard bags are a definite plus and I get about 35 miles (city) per gallon to boot.
My opinion is something smaller, like a Sportster, might be better if I just wanted a commuter bike, but for a general all purpose bike that I can use to commute and take road tripping, I can't think of much that beats the RoadKing
The lockable hard bags are a definite plus and I get about 35 miles (city) per gallon to boot.
Thread Starter
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 2,052
Likes: 6
From: North London, UK
Yeah and in my case I chose the RK standard with the hard bags as they're water tight and can be secured unlike the leather bags of the Classic. I use the hell out of my saddle bags and I was concerned about long term heavy usage of those bags on the RKC.
If I'm not mistaken London is a damp/wet climate at times, so the hard bags are probably a better idea for that reason also. They also do hold a bit more stuff than the RKC bags do because of their interior dimensions.
A detachable Tourpak is also an option don't forget.
If I'm not mistaken London is a damp/wet climate at times, so the hard bags are probably a better idea for that reason also. They also do hold a bit more stuff than the RKC bags do because of their interior dimensions.
A detachable Tourpak is also an option don't forget.
But we don't get the Standard over here, only the Classic. Which is lovely - fabulous looking bike, just want to lick it. But frankly the thought of cleaning those wire wheels is not filling me with joy. Neither is the thought of polishing the saddle bags, because they'll have to be treated with something in this climate. That's very polite of you to refer to it as "damp/wet". We usually just refer to it as "this constanf f&*king drizzle".