Spotlight: Harley-Davidson Road King Special

The lineage of the Harley-Davidson Road King Special can be traced back to at least 1977, with the introduction of the Electra Glide Sport, which was an un-faired version of the FLH models. The Electra Glide Sport existed intermittently until 1994, when it was replaced by the Road King.

With the model code FLHR, the Road King had saddlebags, a round retro headlight, and no fairing. Interestingly, it did have a windshield, which is not present as standard on today’s version.

The Road King has since gone through many changes, updates, and variations, but the basic formula has remained intact.

Another interesting fact about the Road King is that it has been both used as a police bike and a rescue bike, with exclusive features added for the police force and first responders.

Today’s Road King Special is powered by the Milwaukee Eight 114 V-twin engine and features a modern look and feel. It has no windshield like the original (though a winshield is optional), but it maintains saddlebags and a round headlight design.

The modern custom bagger is also fitted with Prodigy wheels, a Daymaker LED headlight, and a Low Profile Engine Guard to emphasise the bike’s slammed, low lines. It’s also fitted standard with a mini-ape handlebar, floorboards and a passenger seat.

In the electronic department, the Road King Special includes cornering-enhanced ABS, traction control, and slip control, as well as linked braking, vehicle hold control, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

The 2023 Road King Special is available in three colour schemes. The standard Vivid Black model is priced at $41,495 ride away, while the Bright Billiard Blue and Industrial Yellow variants add $1,245 to the total price tag.

Harley-Davidson is currently offering customers the opportunity to test-ride the Road King Special as part of the 120th anniversary tour. Check out the dates here.