When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Why go to a dealer? Look on Craigslist and find someone that bought the bike and barely rides it. Some people out there bought an HD to buy an HD and they barely rode it but took good care of it or bought extended warranties because they wouldnt wrench on their own.
I bet you'll be able to get more bike for less money. I just got a screaming deal on my FLHX from a private seller.
Oh, and to answer your question, Id go with the RK or any touring bike for that matter.
Buy him a nice helmet, wrap it up with a HD key chain and a plastic toy key with "your Harley awaits you" written on it.
Let him pick out his bike... the surprise is just as good. Hate to see him get a bike he does not fall in love with.
BINGO! You can't go wrong with this suggestion.
My wife found my first bike and I love the fact that she went through all the effort but... let the dude pick out his own bike. He's going to have to be comfortable with it. A keychain with a note will do just fine.
...want to REALLY surprise him?...get him a Victory Vision!..and when he says "WTF?"..tell him..."honey...I thought that WAS a Harley".....I agree with those who have said it's too risky to pick out a different bike than he has already said he wanted...he might not be into Road Kings....I like the idea of the simulated key and let him pick out what he wants...
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.