Riding the Harley Davidson Road King

My 2007 midnight blue Road King is my ticket to the outdoors and highways. It is my escape to the hills and valleys, ribbons of forests, fields, and sometimes bridges over rivers and swamps. It is the ultimate ride on the coasts of America, whether Florida, Alabama, or wherever it takes me! The roar of the exhaust punctuates the bike's presence as I roar up the road in search of adventure!

Having rode other brands in the past, I tend to compare them in my mind as I ride. For instance the 1300 shaft drives I used to ride used substantially more gasoline. The 9600 Road King is easy on the pocketbook when refueling. Longer rides and complete dependability mark this improvement in my riding career! Fuel Injected bikes are pretty awesome, especially with not worrying about the choke, jets and bowl on the old carburetor models.

The Road King feels like a two wheeled tractor with plenty of power whether on the open road or climbing the backhills of Alabama. Comfortable seating and back rests add to the luxury as well as the practicality of this well-designed motorized animal. I have modified Vance Hines exhaust that came with and the staccato sound they produce, well, nice!

I found a decent motorcycle cover at Autozone where I live in extra large to go over my windshield and saddle bags. Color match was good as well. Not much else is specialized on my bike, but it has plenty of stock goodies like highway bars, foot pegs, thumb throttle, luggage rack, rigid bags, etc. I have kept an Aberfoyle trailer that I modified several years ago for the possibility of ever needing it to haul my bike. I extended the length, and added a wheel bracket in the front. With the minor changes, it accommodates the Road King quite well.

Riding this partly tamed steel monster is not only fun but satisfying. It handles exemplary on curves, corners, hills, not to mention interstate ramps and of course the highway itself! I don't do a lot of two-up riding but its balance is suitable for that as well. The Road King likes to hit 60-65 by the time it shifts into 6th gear, and then on and upward to whatever your favorite cruise speed. With absolutely no mistake I assure you that this bike is noticed as it cruises the countryside, and not only it looks good, it sounds good!.

Some modifications I hope to make on this bike include installing a tachometer-speedometer combo, and some small ape bars to get the grips a little bit closer to me as I ride. Some states require helmets and some don't, so I like to have a small luggage to carry that sort of equipment along with me. Did I mention my Geico riders policy with its low rates and excellent coverage? I hope never to have to use it other than for the feeling that I'm covered. Just in case!

May 2, 2015