2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special review

Harley-Davidson's claim of producing 100 new models in the next decade might seem like a tall order, but take a closer look at what actually constitutes 'new' for the iconic US brand and the goal posts generally shift forward, not back.

The Road King Special is a case in point. One of the first of that 100-model influx, it is treated as a new machine within the Harley family but it's really more a styling exercise of the standard Road King, not that there's any shame in that.

While Harley-Davidson Australia & New Zealand boss Nigel Keough told Bikesales on the recent 100 Years anniversary ride that the new models to come would most certainly include some surprises, the Road King Special errs towards the liberal end of the 'new bike' definition.

Then again, for a motorcycle company that's survived for nigh on 115 years, and whose mainstay has been a relatively traditional range where the mantra is 'evolution, not revolution', that definition is more flexible, more open to the individual's interpretation.

Back in black
So what we have here in the Road King Special is a Road King devoid of its screen, with numerous blacked-out components and a set of mini-ape handlebars. Black bits include the headlight nacelle, fork legs, crash bars, 2-1-2 exhaust system, handlebars and the 'Black Turbine' cast-alloy rims, along with a blacked-out iteration of Harley's Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine.

Still a 45-degree V-twin, the 'M8' was introduced last year and takes over from the Twin Cam as the next generation of Harley-Davidson Big Twin. Available in both 107-cube (1745cc) and 114-cube (1868cc) capacities, the 107 comes with either oil-cooled or liquid-cooled heads, while the 114 comes only with liquid-cooling.

The 'Eight' refers to the new eight-valve heads, while significant work has also gone into eliminating annoying vibration and improving thermal efficiency. That means the new engine is smooth and runs cooler, while still managing to retain its essential Harley Big Twin essence.

The Road King Special is powered by the air/oil-cooled Milwaukee-Eight 107, and as such it pumps out 150Nm at 3250rpm. Max power? Harley doesn't make any official claims, preferring to shift the focus entirely to the twist, of which there's plenty.

For while the Road King Special weighs in at a porky 355 kilograms dry, wind it on from a standing start and the bike slingshots forward, riding a creamy wave of torque that hurtles man and machine toward the horizon with very impressive pace.

There's ample grunt with which to conquer gaps in tight traffic, and on lazy, high-speed sweepers the Road King Special is a sheer delight.

Sorted package
Much of that is down to its chassis and suspension, which together deliver a superb dynamic platform for a bike of this weight and size. The Showa suspension also underwent an upgrade last year and I have no qualms in saying these are the best-handling Harley Touring models yet, able to soak up the worst of the bumps while delivering rock-solid security through the bends.

Adding to the fun is the Road King Special's ground clearance, which really is generous for a bike of this genre.

Equally impressive is the bike's fuelling at low speeds. In heavy, stop-start traffic the Road King Special remains smooth as. Many big-capacity twins can be overly sensitive or will hunt or surge in these environs, but not the Milwaukee-Eight. Good stuff.

The hydraulic clutch is heavy enough to make its presence felt in peak hour – this one seemed to be heavier than other new Touring models I've sampled over the past year – while the six-speed gearbox is entirely adequate, which is to say it's clunky compared to Japanese bikes but an improvement over previous Harley 'boxes.

At 100km/h in sixth the engine is spinning at just 2300rpm – this engine is one lazy, under-stressed unit…

Styling is such a subjective area but the more time I spent with the Road King Special, the more I liked it. To my eye the red paint scheme – err, I mean 'Hard Candy Hot Rod Red Flake' – is the pick of the available hues, and the black components certainly don't show up dirt and grime as readily as chrome.

The ride position is perfect for my lanky 188cm frame. The mini-apes are wide enough to give good leverage yet not so wide as to seriously impede lane filtering, at which the Road King Special is quite adept. The low centre of gravity and relatively modest 26-degree rake are a help here.

The seating position is quite upright, yet for some reason it doesn't feel like a lot of weight is concentrated on the base of the spine, as is often the case with some cruisers. It might be that the rider's seat is just really well sculpted, but in any case I feel right at home on the big Harley.

Having said that, if this bike was mine I would investigate some highway 'pegs for longer runs, just to stretch my legs out from the flat highway boards. One aspect I've noted across all the new Touring models I've ridden so far is that these bikes are a little more compact when behind the 'bars than their visual dimensions might initially suggest – at least they seem that way to this 188cm tall rider.

The lack of a screen was only a problem at 120km/h or more, which is to say it was never a problem – regularly riding above the legal limit on a bike like this is missing the point.

When distant destinations do call, the panniers take a reasonable amount of gear and the new mounting system is easy to use.

Brakes and fuel economy
The brakes pull the behemoth up without fuss and they're backed by ABS, while the mirrors are on the smaller side but they do provide a reasonable, and reasonably clear, view to the rear.

Actually, there's barely a hint of intrusive vibration on the Road King Special, but there's still that magical Big Twin pulse. This engine really is a great unit; so intrinsically Harley yet so thoroughly modern…

Instruments? Just an analogue speedo with a small inset LCD display. The latter can cycle through a range of trip computer info, including range, time, gear selection and engine revs (no average fuel figure, though).

You do have to look down quite a ways to check if the indicators are on or off, but the auto-cancelling system works so well I stopped doing this after a few days, confident the blinkers were doing their thing.

After a week of prowling (or should that be posing?) around Melbourne, the bike had settled on a respectable average fuel consumption of 6.2L/100km – a bit above Harley's claimed 5.7lt/100km but still good for a safe range of around 340km from the 22.7-litre tank.

The remote fob is a great thing – just keep it in your pocket and turn the bike on via the tank-mounted switch – and I love the location of the steering lock, which is so easy to access now being on top of the headlight nacelle.

As for issues, there's really nothing major. When filling the bike up a momentary loss of concentration saw me edge the end of the pump's spout just out of the metal guard that's there to prevent you from filling up with diesel. With the fuel still pumping at full tilt, I, the bike and the inside of my helmet copped a liberal dose of unleaded. I'm guessing it's a mistake you only make once…

Also, the seat seems to retain a bit of moisture if the bike's been left out in wet weather – it takes a couple of days to fully dry out.

Summing up
Those minor glitches aside, I thoroughly enjoyed life aboard the Road King Special. The engine dishes out bulk grunt on demand, it corners beautifully and the quality of construction is superb.

With the panniers there too this bagger is equally at home on the long haul as it is bar hopping around town, and that versatility speaks volumes of the level of engineering and design Harley has invested in its latest Touring models.

Related reading:
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Rod launch review
2017 Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and CVO Street Glide review
2017 Harley-Davidson touring range launch review

SPECS: 2017 HARLEY-DAVIDSON ROAD KING SPECIAL
ENGINE
Type: Air/oil-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, eight-valve, 45-degree V-twin
Capacity: 1745cc
Bore x stroke: 100mm x 111.1mm
Compression ratio: 10.0:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: N/A
Claimed maximum torque: 150Nm at 3250rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Belt
Clutch: Hydraulic

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Tubular steel twin cradle
Front suspension: 49mm fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin emulsion-style shocks, adjustable for preload
Front brakes: Dual 320mm discs with four-piston calipers, ABS equipped
Rear brake: Single 320mm disc with four-piston caliper, ABS equipped
Wheels: 'Black Turbine' cast aluminium
Tyres: Dunlop Harley-Davidson D408, front 130/60-19, rear 180/65-16

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 26 degrees
Trail: 170mm
Claimed dry weight: 355kg
Seat height: 695mm
Wheelbase: 1625mm
Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $34,995
Colour: Olive Gold, Hard Candy Hot Rod Red Flake (as tested), Charcoal Denim or Vivid Black.
Test bike supplied by: Harley-Davidson Australia, www.harley-davidson.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres