Bike Review: Harley-Davidson Road King

The first thing I thought when I approached this bike was, “Wow. That’s pretty big.” I had ridden, to date: dirt bikes, my Sportster, another loaner Sportster while mine was in the shop, a Dyna Street Bob, and the Buell Blast I used for my training class. I wanted to ride something with bags, as I haven’t buckled and installed saddlebags on my own bike yet, and I needed something that would be able to carry all of my work stuff.

The gleaming white-and-black machine crouched there, full tank of gas, freshly cleaned, and ready to go. Just my luck, the local HOG chapter was meeting that night as well, so I was trying my first large bike out with tons of people standing around to watch if I happened to tank it.

The first issue I ran into was simply unfamiliarity with the layout of the bike. In all the bikes I’d ridden before, you put the key in, turn it, and leave it there. With this 2007 Road King, you actually just use the key to lock and unlock the forks and ignition. Then you take the key out of the slot, and stick it in your pocket – otherwise you run the risk of having it rattle off and get lost on the road while you’re riding.

When I sat on the bike, I noticed immediately that my feet didn’t reach the ground as easily as they did on my Sportster. It takes a little shuffling to figure out how to put your foot down comfortably, though after a few tries, it’s actually pretty easy to reach the ground. I’m about 5’9” and could flat-foot with little trouble.

A small tip for shorter, less muscular people when lifting the bike from its lean on the kickstand: turn the front wheel all the way to the right while it’s leaning, then nudge the bike up with your legs instead of just trying to muscle it up from its resting position. This uses the natural leverage of the bike to put it into a position where it has a shorter distance to travel to get upright.

Those used to the top-heavy Sportster will find this bike shockingly easy to handle. The lower center of gravity makes the bike more agile when negotiating curves and turns, and the fat front tire makes for an exceedingly smooth ride. I was shocked as I pulled out of the parking lot – I literally felt like I was riding air. The intimidation I felt at riding something I thought was so huge melted away, and I was able to smile and enjoy the ride.

The icing on the cake was the looks I got as I passed others on the road – both fellow riders and those in cars. Men on smaller bikes would look at my bike, then down at their own, then back at mine, obviously having a slight existential crisis. Guys in cars craned their heads around their lady passengers to double-check and see if I actually was a woman. If I get looks when I’m on my Sportster, I get gapers when I’m on a Road King.

I was very thankful for the large, bright headlamp when I got stuck out after dark from getting lost on my way home (I went to an unfamiliar area to go out to eat with a friend, and we got a little turned around). The seat was a little wider than I liked, adding to the whole foot placement issue, but Harley has several options available in both solo and two-up seats to alleviate that problem.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed my experience on the 2007 Road King and would suggest it to anyone with a little experience looking for a nice, smooth ride.