Motorcycles

Harley-Davidson’s Road King Special gets the bagger treatment

Harley-Davidson’s Road King Special gets the bagger treatment
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special fuses 1950's looks with a modern powertrain
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special fuses 1950's looks with a modern powertrain
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special in olive gold color
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special in olive gold color
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special employs a set of protective side bars, in black of course
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special employs a set of protective side bars, in black of course
The larger wheels and sweeping saddlebags are signature giveaways of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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The larger wheels and sweeping saddlebags are signature giveaways of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
By extending the saddlebags further towards the back, Harley-Davidson gives the 2017 Road King Special a low rider look
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By extending the saddlebags further towards the back, Harley-Davidson gives the 2017 Road King Special a low rider look
The extended rearward lines of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special's saddlebags go around the black exhaust pipes
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The extended rearward lines of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special's saddlebags go around the black exhaust pipes
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special introduces the Milwaukee-Eight engine for the first time in black trim
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special introduces the Milwaukee-Eight engine for the first time in black trim
The black headlight nacelle, fork clamps and handlebars of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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The black headlight nacelle, fork clamps and handlebars of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
The emulsion-type rear shocks of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Specialare equipped with a hydraulic pre-load control knob
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The emulsion-type rear shocks of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Specialare equipped with a hydraulic pre-load control knob
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special features a black set of mini-ape handlebars
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special features a black set of mini-ape handlebars
The cockpit view of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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The cockpit view of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
The tail unit of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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The tail unit of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
Foot board and gearbox controls are fittingly blacked-out in the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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Foot board and gearbox controls are fittingly blacked-out in the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
The front 19-inch cast aluminium Tornado wheel of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special is available as an option for the other Road King models as well
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The front 19-inch cast aluminium Tornado wheel of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special is available as an option for the other Road King models as well
By extending the saddlebags' rear corners further back and around the exhausts, the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special benefits from some extra luggage capacity
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By extending the saddlebags' rear corners further back and around the exhausts, the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special benefits from some extra luggage capacity
The saddle of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special sits 27.4 in (696 mm) high
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The saddle of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special sits 27.4 in (696 mm) high
Two 4-piston Brembo calipers handle braking duties for the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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Two 4-piston Brembo calipers handle braking duties for the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
The clean lines of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special's tail
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The clean lines of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special's tail
The 2017 Road King Special takes a stab at attracting younger riders to Harley-Davidson's touring model family
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The 2017 Road King Special takes a stab at attracting younger riders to Harley-Davidson's touring model family
The 19-inch cast aluminium front wheel of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
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The 19-inch cast aluminium front wheel of the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special
Harley-Davidson introduced the Milwaukee-Eight to the 2017 Road King series, with the first ever blacked-out application in the case of the Special
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Harley-Davidson introduced the Milwaukee-Eight to the 2017 Road King series, with the first ever blacked-out application in the case of the Special
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special fuses 1950's looks with a modern powertrain
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special fuses 1950's looks with a modern powertrain
The olive gold color option gives the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special a military look
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The olive gold color option gives the 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special a military look
The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special in charcoal denim color
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The 2017 Harley-Davidson Road King Special in charcoal denim color
View gallery - 23 images

As Harley-Davidson introduces its new Milwaukee-Eight engine to the Road King standard and Classic models, a new version joins the ranks. The 2017 Road King Special sports larger wheels, bigger sweeping saddlebags, and a blacked-out styling that, devoid of any chrome, plays to the mean and lean tune.

After the unveiling of its brand new V-twin engine last year, Harley-Davidson proceeded to introduce the Milwaukee-Eight in 107 and 114 ci (1,753 and 1.868 cc respectively) configurations in selected 2017 models from the touring family. Among these, the ever-popular Road King series got a fresh lease on life, pairing its retro looks with a modern powertrain.

Next to the Road King standard and Classic, Harley-Davidson has just unveiled a third model. Built on the same base, the Special features a mean bagger styling, specifically designed to appeal to a younger audience.

It takes just a quick glance to identify a body bare of chrome and all the intricate trim details that adorn the other Road King models' fenders, side covers and saddlebags. Instead, the Special sports clean, single-colored bodywork, a simple old school logo on the side of the fuel tank, and an abundance of black metals. Actually, this is the very first application of the Milwaukee-Eight motor in black cases.

Harley-Davidson introduced the Milwaukee-Eight to the 2017 Road King series, with the first ever blacked-out application in the case of the Special
Harley-Davidson introduced the Milwaukee-Eight to the 2017 Road King series, with the first ever blacked-out application in the case of the Special

With the bagger image in mind, Harley-Davidson's designers opted for larger wheels, measuring 19 inches in diameter at the front and 18 at the rear – as opposed to the 17 and 16-inch wheels of the standard Road King.

The saddlebags are also a bit bigger, with longer sweeping edges towards the back, also making for an extra 0.2 cu ft (5.7 l) of luggage capacity. This design admittedly assists in creating the image of a lower tail unit, in a process also entailing a redesigned rear suspension – probably to compensate for the taller rear wheel, although Harley-Davidson does not explain the incurred changes in detail. In every other technical term, including frame, engine, front forks, brakes, and fuel tank, the Special is identical to the basic Road King model and the Classic.

With ABS and security system in its standard equipment, the 2017 Road King Special is available in four color options: vivid black, charcoal denim, olive gold, and hard candy custom hot rod red flake. The starting price in the US is $21,999 for the black version (add another $450 for the other two available colors), while the hard candy custom option will set you back some $24,399 in total.

Source: Harley-Davidson

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