Harley-Davidson: Anything but subtle

If a big heavy cruiser is your thing then Harley's Road King takes the throne. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

If "King" equals mighty, then Harley-Davidson's Road King has it pinned. It's not the quickest or most nimble bike on the road - but, by golly, it's got presence, from styling reminiscent of 1940s or 50s machines, to that grunty 1.7-litre engine.

Firing it up is a bit of a process, with the key unlocking the steering head then the ignition, before it's tucked in your pocket as you turn the man-sized switch and thumb the starter button to trigger the heaving, coughing cacophony between your legs.

There's nothing idle about this bike's engine, even in neutral the massive twin pistons - each almost 10cm across - almost making the earth move. The mirrors rhumba, your sunglasses shake and your butt gets a workout not seen since those Vibra-trim fat burning machines hit the shopping channel.

Clunk the six-speed transmission into first, swing the wide, curved bars and you're off.

The Road King's progress is far from subtle. That massive windshield, sun flashing off chrome and rippling across the baby-blue paint, and the sound of this assertive engine well and truly announce your presence, particularly if you twist the throttle hard.

Trouble is, the Harley's a body-builder to a true muscle-bike's Tua punch - there's still a tad more show than go. But frankly you soon don't care, for the Road King wins you over. Its capacious seat benefits from the plush ride introduced via new frame and swingarm developments, not to mention this bike's air-adjustable rear suspension set-up. The super-efficient detachable screen shields you from the wind.

This engine smooths out at speed and is at its best in relaxed touring mode. You barely need to remove a foot from the footboards to change gear; throttle off into bends, tilt her in, then haul her out.

Ground clearance is naturally a tad limited, but then this isn't a back-roads blaster; the Road King is designed for long-distance touring, with you and your sweetie cruising sun-hazed horizons.

Mind you, life's not always like the story books. If it rains, your round-town visibility is considerably obscured - and not just by water on the screen, but because the engine's vibes jiggle that water distractingly.

Those saddlebags look waterproof but their odd lid-hinge mechanism will take a time or two to master. And though the Road King handles its considerable heft well, at 368kg wet this is a heavy bike, and the brakes remain a tad more relaxed than I'd like from anything this massive - particularly since the pedal reach is designed for Texan cowboy-sized boots. But then I'm not the typical buyer of such a big, cruisy tourer. If you are, you may find this Road King's title is appropriate.

We like
OTT image and mighty engine's character

We don't like
Mighty engine's OTT vibe, fiddly saddlebag lid

Powertrain
1690cc air-cooled V-twin

Performance
134Nm at 3500, power not available

Price
$30,650

Vital stats
2465mm long, 740mm seat height, 368kg wet weight, 22.7-litre fuel tank