THERE are some things in life that are indisputably beautiful. The Gibson Les Paul guitar, the Taj Mahal, Angelina Jolie, to name but a few. Well, here’s another one for the list -- the Harley-Davidson Road King Classic.

With sweeping fenders and acres of thick chrome on display, it’s a joyous combination of form meets function. It’s long, it’s low and, importantly for many, it’s air-cooled. It’s made of iron girders that wrap around a growling V-twin engine and has one-piece Buffalo handlebars to point you in the right direction -- which, if you’re in America, is generally a straight line.

But no matter where you are in the world, the lure of glamorous Americana is strong. I met a Greek guy on holiday a few weeks ago whose bible was the Harley-Davidson accessories catalogue. Every day he wore a different Harley shirt with his Harley bandana as he supped beer from his Harley tankard. Only the beer wasn’t Harley’s own, but you can rest assured that if they made it, he’d drink it. I’m not saying he was single-minded, he just chose to live the Harley purpose. So what does a serious aficionado with money to spare ride? "The Road King, of course."

His answer came as no surprise to be honest, because if push came to shove, this is the Harley I’d pick for a number of reasons. Firstly, of course, are its aristocratic good looks. Its pure art deco from top to toe. From the tank badges to the full-length chrome console to the shape of the saddlebags, the Road King just oozes 50s credence. Second is the sound it makes. The crossover touring exhausts bellow in your ear like an angry sergeant major as the powder-coated 1.6 litre motor spits out huge gobs of torque. Third, and most surprisingly, is the handling. For a big Harley, the Road King is not adverse to being pushed along a bit. The engine rarely hits the limiter, the footboards can be set high so they rarely drag on the Tarmac, and best of all, the ABS system is exquisite, meaning you can head into corners fast and brake late, which you simply don’t do on a cruiser. It’s a real confidence-giver and allows you to get on with the job of enjoying your ride.

But the Road King is still heavy. It’s part of the Glide family and is essentially a stripped down Ultra. The Tour Pak is replaced by full-time hard-shell saddlebags which are as easy to use as, well, doing up a buckle. And instead of the Batwing fairing you get a large detachable windshield. Together this reduces the weight from 375kg to a slightly more manageable 332kg. The steel double cradle frame is unchanged, and with a relatively upright seating position and the addition of cruise control as standard on the Road King Classic, this is a bike you can literally stay on all day long.

The six-speed Cruise Drive gearbox is clunky but performs well, offering a classic heel/toe shift option. The fly-by-wire throttle and fuel injection go completely unnoticed, as indeed they should, while the active intake and exhaust technology helps create more forward drive than you would really expect.

Rounding off the Road King Classic’s good looks are twin auxiliary passing lights and profile aluminium wheels with bespoke whitewall tyres. So grab yourself a tassled leather and enjoy the glitz and glamour of Miami’s Ocean Drive on your commute through Bristol. The Road King - it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Article written: Jul 20, 2008

The Harley-Davidson Road King Classic was kindly loaned through Riders of Stockwood Road, Brislington.

OUR STEER ON THE ROAD KING CLASSIC

Price: £13,995 (add £650 for ABS)

Engine: 1,584cc air-cooled V-twin

Power: 65 bhp @ rpm

Torque: 95 lb ft @ rpm

Transmission: Six-speed, belt drive

Weight: 332 kg

Fuel capacity: 22.7 litres

Top speed: 110 mph

Seat height: 693 mm

by Jon Bennett