Rider Review: 2003 Harley-Davidson Road King

Whoa. Big bike coming through.

Being a Yamaha V-Star 1100 Classic rider I figured the Road King would just be one step up. It's the standard 1450cc engine that I rode on a rented HD Soft Tail (see review on this board), so how much of a difference could there be. The rental guy said, "you're going to love this bike."

And I pretty much did.

Aside from the same issues I had with the Softail which include vibration and a plethora seemingly useless whistles and bells, this bike just makes you feel....manly. This bike idles like a big, fat, Mafia boss at his mahogany desk smoking a huge Cuban. I never understood why some motorcyclists revved their engines at stoplights with the clutch pulled in. I found the answer on the Road King...

...BECAUSE THEY CAN.

I found myself revving the engine at almost EVERY stoplight I came to just to hear the thing growl. It wasn't even really a growl. It's a controlled roar. Like a lion yawning in the middle of his harem after a huge meal. The bike sounds like you want a big old cruiser to sound. Not necessarily loud, just deep and throaty. It's a confident sound. Almost like the bike is saying, "when are we going to GO?"

One of the interesting additions to this bike that wasn't the same as the Soft Tail was electronic cruise control, just like in a car. Turn it on with one switch on your left hand grip, set the speed on the right. To me, that ain't motorcycling. This bike looks like the big old hog it's supposed to be, but cruise control? I heard myself thinking, "cruise control is for sissies," then wondering when I became such a harda$$. It's true though. I like a motorcycle to look and feel like a raw machine. This one looked like a raw machine, but rode like a Honda Gold Wing.

The ride was incredibly smooth, though still not as smooth as my V-Star 1100 who's suspension has yet to matched. Acceleration was right there when you wanted it, and there was PLENTY. I know it's the same engine as the Soft Tail, but it just seemed to rock 'n roll better. The power bands were higher and it always felt like it could go faster. Even at 90mph it kept asking me, "um...when are we going to go FAST?" That spooked me a little. I don't need that much power. It's too tempting to really open it up.

The Road King is for people that want to feel like they're sitting on something totally stable and rock solid. Put a fiberglass frame on it and you've got a touring bike. I think that's what it is, really. It's a touring bike that looks like a cruiser. Big hard shell bolt-on saddlebags. Huge windshield. Mufflers on either side of the bike under each saddlebag. All it needed was a radio.

Here again I say HD's got a great bike for people that like Harley-Davidson's. I don't see the charm. I'm more charmed by reasonable price tags. I just see great marketing and gimmickry. The engine doesn't HAVE to shake. You don't NEED three ways to lock the bike. You don't NEED cruise control. You don't NEED to spend twice as much on a motorcycle that isn't as reliable as a metric cruiser.

You just have to WANT to.

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