Thoughts on the new Road King

Jeff Higgins · 10-21-2013, 05:14 PM

Boy, how time flies - I've managed to roll up almost 2,000 miles on the 2013 Road King while recovering from the collision that more or less united us. As such, I think I've become familiar enough with it to offer some observations.

My old (totaled) bike was a model year 2000; 88 ci Twin Cam with the "stage 1" (free flowing air filter and "touring" exhaust) upgrade, five speed tranny, HD four piston brakes, "old" touring frame, and a carburetor. The new bike is 103 ci with the same "stage 1" upgrade, six speed tranny (with overdriven sixth), Brembo brakes, revised (much stiffer) frame, and fuel injection. Significant changes, these.

When I was finally able to start riding it, I stopped by the dealer to say "hello" and let them know I was finally able to ride. They all asked "isn't it sooo much better than your old bike?". My answer was well, uh, no - it's really not. It's pretty much the same in every respect. I tried to explain that that is not a bad thing in the least - it is very comfortably familiar, and the changes don't jump right out at you and command your attention.

The brakes are indistinguishable from the HD brakes on the old bike. They work great, but so did the old ones. The handling is identical. They tell me that the high speed, extreme lean angle wallow inherent in the old design is gone - so what? If I'm going to ride like that (and yes, I've felt that wallow, and it is gone - I can't make the new bike do it) I'm going to be on the Ducati. At "normal" touring pace, there is simply no difference.

The six speed is nice, but these bikes have so much torque they could easily get by with half of that. The overdrive is useless below about 70, and the fifth gear is lower than the old fifth so, if anything, I wind up spinning the motor higher in local freeway traffic. It is really nice, though, to snick it into sixth on those 70 mph zones and let her cruise at about 80-ish. Or more... Totally effortless.

The biggest change, I'll have to say, is the power. With the stage 1 stuff, torque goes up to about 110 ft lbs or so at the crank. Horsepower might even break into the low 90's. It's a huge improvement over the old 88 inch motor. Coupled with lower gearing in 4th and 5th, the bike feels like it has a good deal more performance. That's the best improvement they made - no one ever accused the 88 inch motor of having any power.

All in all, I'm very happy with the new bike. It fits like an old pair of slippers. It has many improvements, but none that fundamentally change the way it rides. It's a good, solid machine that should serve me until I'm likely too old to ride anymore. It's very much in keeping with HD's approach of a steady march forward, without throwing the baby out with the bath water every year. I like that.

VINMAN · 10-21-2013, 05:26 PM

Good to hear you're happy with the new bike. But I agree, not to many improvements need to be made, if any.

Love my Sporty, but been kicking around picking up a Street Glide also. Mines only a 4spd, those extra gears make a huge difference. Sucks winding it out, trying to keep up at cruising speeds.

gshase · 10-21-2013, 05:31 PM

Glad to see you are getting OUT again. Hope you enjoy the new bike and have many safe miles. My wife and I just picked up a Suzuki Boulevard C50 T Cruiser and we are taking it out for some great rides.

greglepore · 10-21-2013, 05:47 PM

Just keep it away from the texters and the adderal addled adolescents....

Enjoy! You're a better man than I, seriously.

Jeff Higgins · 10-21-2013, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VINMAN

Good to hear you're happy with the new bike. But I agree, not to many improvements need to be made, if any.

Love my Sporty, but been kicking around picking up a Street Glide also. Mines only a 4spd, those extra gears make a huge difference. Sucks winding it out, trying to keep up at cruising speeds.

Wow - your '91 is still a four speed? I thought Sporties went to five speeds in the '80's. Shows you what I know. My '76 Ironhead is a four speed. I often wish it had five - I really have to wind it up tight if I want to stay in the powerband when I shift. The jump from third to fourth is huge. That, and the way I have it geared, it's spinning about 3,700 rpm at 60 mph. Pretty busy for a Harley.

VINMAN · 10-21-2013, 08:04 PM

My sportys a '90 ( ha, never realized that mistake in my sig) thanks for pointing that out.
They switched to a 5 spd in '91 One aftermarket company way back, had made a 5 speed conversion but it wasn't that great. It only added an extra gear didn't change the final drive ratio much. I put a bigger trans sprocket and small rear sprocket, which helped kick the rpms down a little I'm turning about 3500 at 60, but it did hurt the acceleration a bit.

aigel · aigel's Garage

I didn't know you were in an accident. Good you made it!

One up side has to be a much decreased stink from the tail pipes with the FI?

G

onewhippedpuppy · 10-21-2013, 09:09 PM

Glad that you're back in the saddle again Jeff!

LakeCleElum · 10-21-2013, 09:22 PM

Accident? Last I heard, 72 tranny locked up and a 3 state tow home? Hope all is well........

creaturecat · 10-22-2013, 05:30 AM

good on you.
getting back on.

Chocaholic · 10-22-2013, 05:38 AM

Interesting review. Had a 96" 6 spd on a SuperGlide a few years ago. Nice punch for a HD. Just e-mailed a guy about an 06 Carb'd RK with the 88TC motor. Honestly, prefer the 5 speed for all the reasons you mentioned. But, not sure having a carb is relevant. Like you, can ride the Duc or my BMW when I want to carve mountain roads. RK would be for taking my wife or daughter with me on occasion. Glad to hear you're enjoying the new one. Any reason to avoid a carb'd 88TC bike? I believe 06 was the last of them.

asphaltgambler · 10-22-2013, 05:48 AM

Sounds good!

Jeff Higgins · 10-22-2013, 06:42 AM

Yeah, for those of you asking, my wife and I were in a fairly serious accident in July. An oncoming pickup truck pulled the classic left turn accross our lane in front of us and creamed us pretty good. Totaled our old Road King and laid us both up for about six weeks. No fun.

As far as the fuel injection, I see absolutely no advantage over the carb that was on the old bike. Milage is about the same, throttle response is the same, and the old bike never did have any smell to the exhaust. Operationally there really is no difference, other than choking the carb and pumping the accelerator pump once to start it when cold. Once they are running, I would defy anyone to tell me which is which just from riding the two. The Keihen CV carb that was on the old one really is that good.

I would not hesitate to buy one of these with a carb again. As a matter of fact, if it were still available, I would have prefered to buy the new one with a carb. Far easier to tune, far easier to fix, far easier to understand. I know they probably need FI to meet modern emissions, and probably to appeal to the wide-eyed chromosexuals who understand neither carbs nor FI, but FI sounds cooler to them.

afterburn 549 · 10-22-2013, 07:29 AM

I have owned a lot of H.D. (still do)
That said, i think they have painted them selves in a corner by not aggressively going after the younger Hi tech market.
The Harley is EZ to work on. Us Ol guys like the simplicity .
The only thing new AFAIK is the computer run emission mandated system.
Once us OL guys are gone will they even have a market ?
Glad you are ok Jeff

Chocaholic · 10-22-2013, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

I have owned a lot of H.D. (still do)
That said, i think they have painted them selves in a corner by not aggressively going after the younger Hi tech market.

Well....they did that a few years ago with the V-rod. Liquid cooled, etc. But then they named it the "muscle" and scared off anyone with an IQ above 90 or a lack of interest in mens' bath houses. Gave it moderate performance in a straight line only and watched it flounder. Who is going to buy that bike? I had one for about 6 months and simply couldn't figure out what the heck it was. Willy G needs to retire (or maybe he has...haven't really followed the moco).

If they had done more with the Buell project or put the V-rod engine in a bike that weighed under 450lbs, it might have worked. Yep...painted into a corner for sure.

Jeff Higgins · 10-22-2013, 08:21 AM

Not so fast, guys - I think HD know exactly what they are doing. While lots of old farts like us are riding them, I certainly do see a lot of younger guys (and gals) riding them as well. I think whatever intangible thing they have has succeeded in transcending the generations. They are certainly different than other bikes; both in some very obvious ways, and in ways you can't quite put your finger on. A lot of riders find those differences very appealing, regardless of their age.

Riding for many is not all about the latest and greatest high tech wizardry, or the highest performance. Let's face it - even as relatively "slow" and low-tech as Harleys are, their performance vastly exceeds what many riders would ever be comfortable with using - they will never begin to approach its limits, and would never even want to try. They have no reason to. Anyone who buys HD can essentially afford to buy whatever they like; many who buy far higher performance import bikes only do so because it's all they can afford. Then they wind up riding it well within the Harley's performance envelope anyway.

I ride with some pretty serious touring riders at times. A few have owned Gold Wings, BMW K and R bikes, FJR's, and various other touring or sport touring bikes. All have come back to, or eventually wound up with, Harley touring bikes. Some are 20 years younger than me. There is just something about HD touring bikes, something that you really start to appreciate a week or so into a multi state ride. Enough so that these guys all abandoned technically "superior" bikes in their favor.

afterburn 549 · 10-22-2013, 09:21 AM

I for certain do not care what another person rides,
My grief with Harley is,, Yes- V Rod !
Yes FXRT !
But they do not push them like McDonald pushes a big Mac !
I think the V Rod concept was pretty good, .
Wish i could get a on a FLH sort of bike and not have it turn into a wiggle woggle in a moderate corner.
I am not a cafee racer by any means ...But hell the thing handles like a tank...
Yes i own one. i can fix it .
Yes it is simple
I like that.
But, where are the 4 valve heads?
Where is the drive shaft?
I wish they would just belly up to some technology of the last 50 years.

VINMAN · 10-22-2013, 09:59 AM

Jeff, didnt know about your accident. Glad to hear you and you wife are ok.

As far as hi-tech goes, I'll take my carbed bike over any of the new FI crap in a second.

HardDrive · 10:04 AM

I have to agree with afterburn and chocaholic, I do think HD is painting themselves into a demographic corner. I don't want a cruiser. I don't tour. They killed off Buell just as they were starting to put out bikes that seriously could compete with the Europeans.

I like the Nightster and the '48' Sportsters they make. But Harley people themselves are derisive of the Sportster. And a 1200cc sporty weighs 560 lbs wet! Not exactly the most flickable bike in the world.

When I had gotten out of college in the early 90s, I visited a couple Harley dealerships, and was seriously considering putting in an order. But I decided I was just too broke at the time to do it. Skip ahead 20 years, and I could certainly own one today. But I have zero interest. The whole inane 'HOG' marketing monster has simply killed it for me. Do I want to be associated with guys wearing $1500 worth of brand new Screaming Eagle gear, driving their 800 lbs land yachts with straight pipes, revving their engines at stop lights like a bunch of teenagers? No. No I don't.

I don't mean to offend anyone, and frankly, I still might buy Harley at some point just to check it off the bucket list. But it will be despite the companies image, not because of it.

Jeff Higgins · 10-22-2013, 10:02 AM

Yeah, I agree the V-Rod seems to be the answer to the question no one asked. I don't understand it. I guess it sells really well overseas, though. They should put that motor in a touring frame.

Four valve heads? Why? They make plenty of power with two. Porsche discovered years ago how difficult it is to run four valves in an air cooled head. With the specific power Harley targets for their motors, it just wouldn't make sense.

Driveshaft? Again, why? When my bike was totaled, it had 110,000 miles on it. It still had the original belt. I never had to touch the thing; hell, the only time it ever got tensioned or looked at in any way was when I would bring the bike in for a new rear tire. The prescribed inspection/tensioning interval nicely coincided with how often it needed a rear tire.

I understand that the driveshafts on BMW's can be troublesome, and that they are expensive to service. No thanks, now that I've seen how trouble and maintenence free a belt can be. That, and the Harley motor turns the wrong way to make it convenient to add a driveshaft. Driveshafts make a bike handle funny, too.