2017 Harley-Davidson road king unveiled

A dark front end with a big black headlamp is the signature styling of the Harley-Davidson Road King. However, the 2017 Road King features a new 9.0-inch–high handlebar that makes for a comfortable riding position, and a black 19-inch front wheel covered with a low-profile fender. The rear wheels are covered with stretched saddlebags which give it a low-slung look.

The motorcycle is powered by the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine, which is new for all the 2017 touring models, and provides 10 per cent more torque than the engine it replaces. It provides higher compression ratio thanks to a four-valve cylinder head with 50 per cent more intake and exhaust flow capacity. It gets dual spark plugs for each cylinder. As the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine weighs similar to the previous engine, the increased performance figures directly contribute towards increased performance. It also accelerates 11 per cent quicker than the previous iteration.

Harley-Davidson Vice-President of Styling and Design, Brad Richards, said: “The Road King Special pounds down the boulevard like a gleaming locomotive rolling through a train yard at midnight. By exchanging chrome surfaces for black and lowering the bike’s profile, we’ve moved the traditional Road King into a new space that’s very current in the custom bagger scene.”

Speaking on the styling, Harley-Davidson’s Designer- Stylist, Dais Nagao, said; “Chrome was retained only on some key engine components. The lower rocker boxes, pushrod tubes and tappet blocks are finished with chrome to emphasize the V-Twin shape of the Milwaukee-Eight 107 engine. We added a new engine-turned air cleaner insert, a finish that’s also featured on the tank console.”

Source: ZigWheels.com