Harley-Davidson’s Road King model is a pure blooded, all-American touring motorcycle. Right at home on any country road or interstate highway, the Road King combines the style, power, and reliability of its forebears with some modern sensibilities. Check out some amazing custom paint jobs and the story behind these machines in this excerpt from Harley-Davidson(R) CVO(tm).
In those days, before full dressers were as prevalent as they are now, there was the FLHS Electra Glide Sport motorcycle, a slimmed-down version of the FLH Electra Glide motorcycle, with no fairing or Tour-Pak luggage. The Sport had two runs—from 1979 to 1982 and again from 1987 to 1993. When the Road King motorcycle appeared in 1994, it effectively replaced the Electra Glide Sport motorcycle, and it’s been a perennially popular model in the Harley-Davidson lineup ever since.
Road King motorcycles have performance prominence and a flexible orientation. They’re viewed as a motorcycle that fills the gap between full dresser and cruiser , retaining the best qualities of each. Another sign of how the Road King motorcycle rules? It’s been tagged to be a CVO model six times. Make no mistake: with its first appearance as a factory custom model in 2002, the Screamin’ Eagle Road King motorcycle was a consequential advancement in the development of the CVO motorcycle program. Its introduction and continued inclusion as a CVO model planted the seeds for later Street Glide and Electra Glide CVO models.
In 2002, just the fourth year of Harley-Davidson’s factory custom program, the CVO motorcycle group had built not only exceptional motorcycles but high expectations and demand as well. So when the Road King motorcycle, an already widely praised motorcycle, was pumped up with a silver-and-chrome Twin Cam 95 engine to become the first-ever limited edition Road King motorcycle, the bike quickly took pride of place as the darling of the touring crowd. The vibration-isolation mounted engine touted a bore and stroke of 3.87 by 4.0 and featured pushrod-operated overhead valves with hydraulic self-adjusting lifters. A heftier 1.4-kilowatt starter coaxed the 3.9-inch pistons into action. Responsive throttle control came courtesy of electronic sequential port fuel injection, while integrated cruise control and a custom leather seat ensured that the sum of the parts would certainly impress. The FLHRSE1 came in two color options and relatively small numbers: just over 400 in Brandywine with Flames, and about 1,700 in Purple with Flames.
For the 2003 hundredth anniversary of Harley-Davidson, further refinements were conferred on the Road King motorcycle by the factory custom team along with several groundbreaking elements, foremost among them a 103 cubic inch motor. This was the first Harley-Davidson model to be so equipped. And staking its claim as a true, ground-up custom, the 2003 Screamin’ Eagle Road King motorcycle featured a powder-coated frame, the first of any H-D touring model. Eclipsing even these significant characteristics is the paint treatment. Looking to emulate but not duplicate the 100th Anniversary theme, the CVO model’s paint and graphics artists developed just one intricate design, in Centennial Gold with Black and Ripped Burgundy Accents for the fender, tank, side covers, and saddlebags. Broken spears of color seem to tear through the panels, emphasized with hand-painted pinstripes applied at HarleyDavidson’s Tomahawk facility. More remarkably, a dozen H-D employees at Tomahawk were taught how to hand-pinstripe, specifically to paint the 2003 Screamin’ Eagle Road King motorcycle!
Other notable features are the hydraulically actuated high-performance clutch, hefty final belt drive, spun-aluminum, solid wheels, Stratum collection chrome accessories, and the exclusive hundredth anniversary badges unique to this year, and only this year.
These enhancements to the 2002 and 2003 Road King motorcycles were essentially gilding the lily: the Road King motorcycle was perfectly pleasing and compellingly competent in stock trim. But one of the goals of CVO motorcycle team has been to set an example for how to make a great motorcycle even better. For this reason, after a three-year hiatus, the Road King motorcycle once again came under scrutiny. And why not? Plenty had happened in the interim.
Most noticeably, the 2007 FLHRSE proved that old adage, “there’s no replacement for displacement.” The ‘07 CVO Road King motorcycle was favored with a 110 cubic inch black-and-chrome twin cam engine, new to CVO models in that year. The sixspeed Cruise Drive transmission engaged new chromed Road Winder forged aluminum wheels: an 18-inch by 3.5-inch up front covered by a Fat Boy-style fender, and a 17-inch by 4.5-inch in the rear sporting a wider fender graced by a retro tombstone taillight.
The Road King motorcycle was upgraded for the long haul that year with leather saddlebags, featuring raised flames on the lids and a matching two-up seat with adjustable and detachable backrests for rider and passenger. Adding both comfort and pizzazz are a slew of parts from the H-D Parts & Accessories Ironside Collection, such as grips, rider footboard inserts, passenger footpegs, shifter peg, brake pedal pad, and more. A flush-mount gas cap and backlit gauges with spun aluminum faces are details CVO motorcycle owners expect..
The three lavish paint options for 2007 left no doubt about the lineage of these motorcycles. They are: Razor Red with Burnt Gold Leaf Graphics; Candy Cobalt with Pale Gold Leaf Graphics; and Black Ice with Pewter Leaf Graphics.
When the Road King motorcycle again appeared in the CVO lineup in 2008, it was to celebrate Harley-Davidson’s 105th Anniversary year, sporting cutting-edge metal treatment styling. The 110 Twin Cam received granite-and-chrome finishing, a process that employs special gray paint mixed with stainless steel flakes. Crystal Copper and Black Onyx coloring for the 105th was just one of three paint combinations offered for CVO Road King motorcycle buyers: also available were Black Diamond and Silver Dust with Ghost Flames; and Twilight Blue and Candy Cobalt with Ghost Flames.
Putting looks aside—as if that’s possible with any CVO model—engineering raised the stakes in 2008 with innovations that not only improve ride quality, but also addressed appearance. First is electronic throttle control (ETC), an ECU-controlled throttle system that works with sequential port fuel injection to improve throttle response. Thunder Press’s Terry Roorda offered this description: “It’s an elegant setup, and not only does it eliminate the maintenance, adjustment, and operational vagaries of a mechanical throttle, it optimizes motor performance and provides an unprecedented smoothness in throttle operation and response.” It also interfaces seamlessly with the electronic cruise control that’s already a feature on the Road King motorcycle. And because the wires run inside the handlebars, front-end clutter is reduced for a more sanitary look.
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Chronicled here for the first time, Harley-Davidson’s CVO motorcycles are pure eye candy.
The pinnacle of Harley-Davidson customization–that’s exactly what the Motor Company’s Custom Vehicle Operations(R) motorcycles are: custom-shop details that push the boundaries of style and performance with high-impact paint, killer wheels, big engines, and exclusive technology. Designed in-house since 1999 at Harley-Davidson’s world-class Willie G Product Development Center, built by the factory, and available through Harley-Davidson’s dealer network, these machines set themselves apart from the pack. Harley-Davidson(R) CVO(tm) Motorcycles: the Motor Company’s Custom Vehicle Operations is the first book to showcase these works of two-wheeled art and the story behind them.
Produced in limited numbers, and always in high demand, CVO(tm) motorcycles are defined by the riders committed to riding the best. Whether you have one of these high-performance motorcycles in your garage or have one in your sightline, Harley-Davidson(R) CVO(tm) Motorcycles provides a close look into the Motor Company’s ultimate custom motorcycles.
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