6 Looks at The 2017 Road King Special
New to the Harley-Davidson Touring lineup is the mean and lean Road King Special. Check out some of the unique features that separate the Special from the rest of the Touring models.
1. Milwakuee-Eight Equipped
As with the rest of Harley's 2017 Touring model lineup, the Road King Special is fitted with the new 107 cubic-inch oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight engine. More importantly though, the engine in the Road King Special is rather unique in that it is the first and only model to feature the Milwaukee-Eight dressed in black. Notice how the black rocker box covers, cam cover, cases, exhaust pipes, and even the transmission side cover provide a much more subdued look as opposed to the standard Road King's plethora of chrome bits.
2. Going Dark
In addition to the blacked-out engine, what is most noticeable is that the Special is lacking the chrome trim and flashy emblems synonymous with Road Kings of the past. The Special takes a "less is more" approach with a simple old-school tank emblem and a solid color paint job. With black bars, headlight nacelle, forks/fork covers, highway bars, mirrors, and controls, the bike has a sinister look which seems to be all the rage right now.
3. Sleek Styling
The overall styling of the new Special gets rid of the bulk that is found on the standard Road King. For starters, the Special ditches the long windshield and swaps in a new 9-inch mini ape hangar handlebar. The front fender is slightly shorter, and combined with the large 19" turbine front wheel provides an aggressive front-end look. The saddle bags are 0.2 cubic-feet larger than the standard saddle bags, but with their sweeping contour matching that of the rear fender give the motorcycle a sleek lowered stance. Additionally, the seat is much like the Street Glide's unit with a sharp slope along the rear fender instead of the flatter seat of the standard Road King that sits more parallel with the ground.
4. Suspension Upgrades
The Road King Special gets all of the new upgraded suspension components to help achieve a comfortable and compliant ride. The Showa Dual Bending Valve technology found in the forks gives cartridge-style fork damping performance without all of the associated weight and increased cost of a true racing cartridge fork. This translates into the front tire firmly planted against the pavement to achieve predictable handling that inspires confidence. The rear emulsion shocks now have a hydraulic pre-load adjuster knob instead of the old air-filled shocks. The new units allow for up to 30% more pre-load adjustment than the outgoing setup.
5. Standard Safety and Security
An important safety feature that is standard on the Road King Special is the Reflex linked anti-lock brake system. The system is designed to apply both front and rear brakes when the motorcycle is traveling 25 mph or faster and the rider engages either the front or rear brake. The Reflex system determines how to optimally distribute braking force in order to effectively slow the motorcycle. Additionally, the ABS system can reduce the chances of a crash from a skid or wheel lock-up. Also included as standard equipment on the Special is the Smart Security System which automatically arms itself after the bike has been turned off and works as an immobilizer to prevent theft.
6. Make It Your Own
The Road King Special has four paint color options including Vivid Black, Charcoal Denim, Hot Rod Red Flake Hard Candy Custom, or Olive Gold (pictured above). Although the bike is a new model for 2017, Harley-Davidson already has a catalog of over 800 parts and accessories to customize the motorcycle to your liking. So whether you are looking to light up the night road with a blindingly bright LED headlight or unleash the sound of thunder with a free-flowing exhaust system, Harley has them finished in black to match the blacked-out motif of the bike.
For help keeping your bike in good running order check out the how-to sections of HDForums.com
