Harley-Davidson’s new Road King Special might only be a mild reworking of an existing model, but it manages to be a distinctive bike nonetheless.
As the name suggests, it’s based on the Road King, but by adding blacked-out bagger looks, Harley has created something to cash in on the latest bagger trends.
Harley-Davidson design boss Brad Richards said: “The Road King has always reflected the purity of the Harley-Davidson FL riding experience. By exchanging chrome surfaces for black and lowering the bike’s profile, we’ve moved the traditional Road King into a new space that’s very current in the custom bagger scene.”
As well as the blacked-out engine, fork and headlight bowl, the bike gets side cases that are reshaped and extend downwards at the back, giving the bike a longer, lower look. There’s also a panel between them under the rear fender that adds to the ground-hugging appearance.
Power comes from the new Milwaukee Eight 107 engine, which makes 10 per cent more torque than the previous Twin Cam motor used in the firm’s touring bikes. It features four valves per cylinder, still operated by pushrods.
As well as the greenish Olive Gold seen here, colour options include Vivid Black, Charcoal Denim and perhaps the longest colour name available on any bike: Hot Rod Red Flake Hard Candy Custom. That’s metallic red to us. Prices start at A$34,995.
By Ben Purvis
