The Road Kings are the best bikes the MoCo makes!
I'm back.
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 967
Likes: 40
From: Reno, NV
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 0
From: Iowa
I've owned five Harleys in my life. My favorite was a Road King with Chubby 518 bars. It was so comfortable. But all my friends had street glides and so when I got a new job and moved to North Carolina I traded in the RK and treated myself to a street glide. It was a very nice bike but the buffeting was terrible. I tried different shields but finally decided I had enough. I figured I'd try something different so I bought a BMW 1200RT. What attracted me to it was probably the fact that I could raise and lower the screen and completely eliminate the air flow if I wanted to. That was nice considering my problems with the street glide. It was an engineering marvel. I could ride forever on a highway with it and it was fun through the twisties as well. But my riding is mostly on back country roads cruising along slightly above the speed limit. For that kind of riding, the BMW just didn't make me happy. To me it was more like riding a space ship than a motorcycle. Still missing my Road King but still wanting to try something different, I bought a Triumph Rocket III Touring. It is a very very nice bike. It's big and very powerful and really not to bad to handle considering it's size. And it does feel like I'm riding a mtorcycle unlike the BMW. My problem is that I was at a Harley dealership and saw the anniversary Road King. I started to ask around about the value of my 2012 Rocket and quickly found out it had rocketed downward. So eventhough I'm taking a beating on it, it's time to go back to the bike that I really loved riding. Today I put money down on the Road King (with king tourpack, rider backrest, and Chubby 518 bars). I'm going to really enjoy riding that bike and I'll be happy knowing that I have something that is at least somewhat retaining its value. Different people like different things in a bike. I've know for a while now that my big mistake was trading that first Road King. I'm glad I'm (almost) back.
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 328
Likes: 0
From: Chicagoland
I know your pain I had a road king years ago and sold it for a goldwing (thought I wanted more wind protection) traded that for an ultra only to find same thing to much protection. I know have a 13 King and am happier than a pig in **** again. Don't think I can ever ride any thing else. Add leather lowers when cold and pull off everything when it's hot. Long live the King
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,016
Likes: 277
From: East Tn Foot of The Dragon
I've owned five Harleys in my life. My favorite was a Road King with Chubby 518 bars. It was so comfortable. But all my friends had street glides and so when I got a new job and moved to North Carolina I traded in the RK and treated myself to a street glide. It was a very nice bike but the buffeting was terrible. I tried different shields but finally decided I had enough. I figured I'd try something different so I bought a BMW 1200RT. What attracted me to it was probably the fact that I could raise and lower the screen and completely eliminate the air flow if I wanted to. That was nice considering my problems with the street glide. It was an engineering marvel. I could ride forever on a highway with it and it was fun through the twisties as well. But my riding is mostly on back country roads cruising along slightly above the speed limit. For that kind of riding, the BMW just didn't make me happy. To me it was more like riding a space ship than a motorcycle. Still missing my Road King but still wanting to try something different, I bought a Triumph Rocket III Touring. It is a very very nice bike. It's big and very powerful and really not to bad to handle considering it's size. And it does feel like I'm riding a mtorcycle unlike the BMW. My problem is that I was at a Harley dealership and saw the anniversary Road King. I started to ask around about the value of my 2012 Rocket and quickly found out it had rocketed downward. So eventhough I'm taking a beating on it, it's time to go back to the bike that I really loved riding. Today I put money down on the Road King (with king tourpack, rider backrest, and Chubby 518 bars). I'm going to really enjoy riding that bike and I'll be happy knowing that I have something that is at least somewhat retaining its value. Different people like different things in a bike. I've know for a while now that my big mistake was trading that first Road King. I'm glad I'm (almost) back.
Last edited by checkers; Mar 3, 2013 at 08:05 PM.
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Tourer
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 459
Likes: 13
From: Cincinnati, OH
Finished the bike. Added Chubby 518 bars with black braided cables and internal wiring, floor board extensions, sundowner seat, riders back rest, detachable king tour pack, and shorter shield. I don't know if the sundowner seat is much of an improvement over the stock seat for me, but it is wider for the wife. I ordered my J&S jack today because I unfortunately gave it to the guy that bought my street glide three years ago. Trying to upload some pics. Doesn't seem to be working at the time.