2017 Harley-Davidson Road King® Special

Control

• BLACKED-OUT NACELLE, STEERING HEAD AND FRONT FORKS: With its blacked out nacelle, the Road King® Special looks like a freight train coming at you. Big and commanding. Boasting a darkness-defying 986 lumens that ensures you’ll have no trouble seeing everything out there that needs to be seen. So when you're out with your bagger buddies, you'll stay right at the front of the pack.
• BLACKED-OUT MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® 107 ENGINE: Beneath the sinister dark looks of this touring motorcycle beats the heart of the Milwaukee-Eight® 107 V-Twin. Next to the 114ci, it’s the most powerful, coolest-running engine we’ve ever built. In a custom blacked-out finish. With a unique engine-turned air cleaner insert. Crisper throttle response and truer, cleaner sound. Four valves per cylinder, single chain-driven cam, dual spark plugs, counter-balanced and rubber mounted. It’s a whole new engine and a whole new ride.
• MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® 107 ENGINE OVERVIEW: Here are eight ways the new Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine gives you a better ride*: MORE POWER: larger displacement, 4-valve heads and higher compression ratio produce up to 10% more torque. QUICKER ACCELERATION: 2-3 bike lengths faster from 0-90km/h ; 1-2 bike lengths faster from 60-80mph in top gear. HEAT MANAGEMENT: improved rider and passenger comfort thanks to reduced heat absorption, increased heat rejection and redesigned exhaust system. IMPROVED FIT: narrow primary and optimized air cleaner shape REDUCED VIBRATION: new internal single counter balancer provides a smoother, more refined feel at idle RICHER EXHAUST NOTE: less mechanical powertrain noise allows more iconic V-Twin rumble due to lighter valves, optimized cover designs and driveline improvements. LOWER IDLE SPEED: for better sound and less heat. IMPROVED CHARGING: 50% more output to meet increased touring accessory needs. *All comparisons here are drawn between new 2016 Touring models and new 2017 Touring models.
• IMPROVED, BLACKED-OUT, 6 SPEED CRUISE DRIVE® TRANSMISSION: You want a ride that rumbles — not begs for mercy — when you lean on it a little. The improved, blacked-out 6-Speed Cruise Drive® Transmission provides smooth, quiet shifting and reduces engine speed on the highway, so you get a better match between engine turnover and road speed. And the Isolated Drive System makes acceleration flow in a smooth, steady stream from your wrist right down to the pavement. It's a rare ride when a bike responds like this, and a low growl goes a long way when you're opening up on the road ahead.
• ALL-NEW FRONT FORKS AND REAR SUSPENSION: The Road King® Special model rides like a dream with an all-new front and rear suspension for more control and handling. New rear emulsion shocks adjust with the turn of a single knob for dialing in the perfect ride — no tools required. Plus new, bigger pistons for improved damping performance and new fork technology for an improved ride, especially over the harshest bumps, that reacts faster to keep the wheel planted for confident braking and handling.
• REFLEX™ LINKED BREMBO® BRAKES WITH ANTI-LOCKING BRAKING SYSTEM: No doubt about it, there are times when you need to haul things down in a hurry. And you don’t get to pick those times. Or decide whether or not they occur when you’re on a flat, smooth, dry, perfect stretch of pavement. That’s why Reflex™ Linked Brembo® Brakes with ABS are standard on the Road King® Special model. ABS turns a locked-up front wheel or a rear wheel skid into a relic from riding’s history. And the front and rear brakes are electronically linked to provide exactly the right amount of brake to each tire no matter what the road condition is. No matter how good you are, this will make you a better rider.

Engine Heritage

• 2017 THE ALL-NEW MILWAUKEE-EIGHT® ENGINE: The sound of the Harley-Davidson® 45-degree V-Twin rings through the history of motorcycling in an unbroken line stretching back to 1909. Each one improving on the one before it. Iconic. Durable. Unmistakable in their sound. Unparalleled in their muscular look. Unmatched in the feeling they deliver to the rider. And now we’re proud to introduce the most powerful Harley-Davidson engines ever built: The all-new Milwaukee-Eight® 107 and Milwaukee-Eight® 114 engines. The next generation Harley-Davidson® V-Twin comes to our touring line. The next era of power, performance and innovation has been forged.
• 1999-TODAY TWIN CAM: The second two-cam Big Twin in our history, after the 1928 JDH, with bigger displacement, more power, and a more rigid engine/transmission connection for improved powertrain stiffness.
• 1984-1999 EVOLUTION®: The first H-D engine developed using Computer Aided Design. The “Evo” was an evolution, an all-new engine that ran better, used less fuel and delivered more horsepower and torque.
• 1966-1984 SHOVELHEAD: We rolled into the modern touring era with a new engine on the original Electra Glide® model. “Power Pac” aluminium heads, 12-volt electrical system, carburetor and easily adjustable timing system. Its nickname comes from the “shoveled-out” look of the middle section of the rocker covers.
• 1948-1965 PANHEAD: We rolled into the modern touring era with a new engine on the original Electra Glide® model. “Power Pac” aluminium heads, 12-volt electrical system, carburetor and easily adjustable timing system. Its nickname comes from the “shoveled-out” look of the middle section of the rocker covers.
• 1936-1947 KNUCKLEHEAD: The Knucklehead was nicknamed for its rocker covers and push rod tubes, resembling a clenched fist. It was the first H-D twin with overhead valves and recirculating oil. Considered the father of all H-D® V-Twin air-cooled engines, its architecture has carried forward to today.
• 1929-1973 FLATHEAD: The Flathead engine got its nickname from the flat shape of the heads. It didn’t have valves in the cylinder head; they were set off to the side. It featured easily removable heads for serviceability.
• 1911-1929 F-HEAD: Designed to bring more power to street, police and commercial applications, it featured a waterproof ignition system and 61, and later, 74 cubic inches of displacement.
• 1909 ATMOSPHERIC V-TWIN: It began with 27 motorcycles. 49.5 cubic inches. 7 horsepower. The 45-degree Harley-Davidson® V-Twin engine is born.

Feel

• ONE PIECE, TWO-UP SEAT: The ultimate touring saddle features a sculpted seat with a deeper contoured bucket and narrower neck, to relieve pressure on your thighs, while providing more back support and comfort for a wide variety of rider sizes. And the lower seat height — 26.4 inches to be exact — puts your feet closer to the road to enhance your confidence. Additionally, the leather trim and premium stitching accentuate the advanced ergonomics while giving the seat that sharp detail you only find on a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle. It's science in service of comfort, and your way to beat fatigue over the long haul.
• FULL-LENGTH-RIDER FOOTBOARDS WITH HEEL/TOE SHIFT LEVERS: Nothing provides a solid foundation for your ride like the full-length rider footboards with heel/toe shift levers on the Road King® Special model. Give your left foot extra room with a heel toe shift lever, or try a folding heel shifter to remove the shift peg for highway driving. For utility and looks, Harley-Davidson® foot controls put you in complete control.
• ONE-TOUCH, LARGE-CAPACITY DROP SADDLEBAGS: Here’s the rule we laid down for every compartment cover and saddlebag lid on our touring line: if it doesn’t open with the single touch of a button or one hand, while wearing gloves, it doesn’t go on the motorcycle. Because in all our conversations with riders, we've never encountered a single individual who wanted to have to put something on the ground before he could store it in a saddlebag.
• 1.25 INCH MINI-APE HANDLEBARS: You’ll sit taller, feel more assertive and ride more aggressively behind the new 9-in-tall, 1.25-inch wide mini-ape handlebars on the Road King® Special. The blacked-out, stand-out look says custom all the way. Only you’ll know the handlebars are standard on this bike.

Key Features

• ENGINE HERITAGE: Their iconic look, distinctive sound and massive torque make them instantly recognizable. But the all-new Milwaukee-Eight® 107 engine takes the Harley-Davidson® V-Twin to a place it’s never been. So you get more power, quicker acceleration and the coolest-running motors we’ve ever built. With crisper throttle response and truer, cleaner sound. Four valves per cylinder, single chain-driven cam, dual spark plugs, counter-balanced and rubber mounted. Developed and proven over countless miles and millions of hours. All engineered to give you more performance and more of the feeling you want from an engine. Today, it’s a whole new ride.
• CONTROL: There’s no bigger factor in the quality of your ride than the confidence you have in your machine. Giving you more of it is our never-ending quest. For proof just look at the improvements made over the past few years. The quick throttle response and passing power of the all-new Milwaukee-Eight® engine, the responsive handling of the all-new dual bending valve front suspension and easily-adjustable emulsion rear shocks, the massive stopping power of Reflex® dual disc linked Brembo® brakes with ABS, Dual Halogen headlamps and fog lamps, brighter turn signals and brake lights, the beefy steering head and front forks. It all makes for a machine that lets you pass faster, stop quicker, take curves tighter, and see and be seen better. Long story short, it all adds up to make you a better rider.
• FEEL: From the time that early riders bolted plastic windshields to their machines and began crisscrossing the country, the Harley-Davidson® touring motorcycle has gone places no one could have imagined. With the Road King® Special Model, we bust into new territory again — removing the windshield for an in-your-face experience that lets you feel the freedom of the open road as never before. At Harley-Davidson, we never stop working, or riding, to discover what comes next. We get in the saddle for countless miles, experiencing every condition Mother Nature can throw at us. We talk to riders all over the world. Then we put all the learning to use. When you feel the ride on a new Harley® touring motorcycle, you’ll understand why there is no substitute for the way we design and build motorcycles. From the response of the Milwaukee-Eight® engine to the smooth airflow, passenger space, seat textures, ergonomic hand controls, and everything else a rider or passenger can feel out there, it’s all dialed in. Hit the road and do a little country crisscrossing of your own. You’ll come back with a smile.
• STYLE: When we designed the new Road King® Special model, with modern, aggressive custom styling straight from the factory, we were aiming high. These are not just motorcycles, they’re part of the American landscape. There’s a standard to uphold. Through all the miles of testing, and the countless hours we endured to improve the way the Road King® Special model works and feels, we never took our eyes off the other thing that separates a Harley-Davidson from any other motorcycle on the road: The Look. The Road King® Special model is where stripped-down, nostalgic, custom styling meets performance. With a blacked-out Milwaukee-Eight® engine, gloss black Turbine wheels and stretched saddlebags that bring it here and now in a hurry for a look that’s as up-to-date as the weather report. As timeless as the road is endless.

Style

• BLACKED-PUT TANK-MOUNTED GAUGE: All the essential readouts you need — like RPMs and a gear indicator — on a blacked-out, tank-mounted gauge for a sleek, uncluttered look that goes the distance on style and function
• BLACKED-OUT STYLING-EVERYWHERE: This is one mean, lean touring machine — with end-to-end blacked-out styling from the aggressive turbine wheels to the tapered mufflers that will turn heads when you ride.
• NEW GLOSS BLACK TURBINE WHEELS: The Road King® Special model rolls on custom, black Turbine wheels. With aggressive, modern styling that makes them look even bigger than they already are. Let your eyes take it all in — 19" of head-turning style in the front, 18" in the rear. Powerful blades extending all the way to the rim create an impact that’s eye-catchingly unique, but unmistakably Harley-Davidson.
• CUSTOM REAR LIGHTING AND LOW-MOUNTED LICENCE PLATE STYLES: We keep the look of the Road King® Special stripped down and minimal with rear custom lighting and low-mounted license plate styles that feature little visible hardware, so nothing gets in the way of showing off the tight fender, stretched saddlebags and sleek, aggressive profile.
• BLACKED-OUT, 2-1-2 DUAL EXHAUST WITH TAPERED MUFFLERS: The strong symmetry and balance of our blacked-out 2-1-2 dual exhaust system is a perfect fit for the modern, aggressive profile of the Road King® Special. With tapered mufflers for a sleek look and the full-throated roar that makes you know it’s a Harley-Davidson from miles away.