The following is the complete text of a road test that was published, in significantly abridged form, in American Iron magazine.

1998 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

If any recent Harley-Davidson motorcycle can be called an instant success, it is the FLHR Road King. Although its immediate predecessor, the FLHS Electra Glide Sport, enjoyed a modest following, it was hardly the stuff to inspire two-year waiting lists. But a nip here, and a tuck there transformed a bike that many critics considered something of an ugly duckling into a swan of surpassing desirability. Like previous retro-styled models, the Road King's styling unashamedly drew on The Motor Company's heritage. In this case, the reference was to the first Electra Glides. What set the Road King apart was the platform on which it was based: built on the rubber-mounted touring chassis, the FLHR was a great-looking design that was also a no-excuses over-the-road motorcycle. As more and more Road Kings appeared on the highways of America, the word got out: baggers had become cool. Road Kings and even bat-winged FLs began to serve as the basis for so-called rideable customs, and before long hard-bagged wannabes began to appear bearing the logos of some of those other motorcycle companies. For four years, the Road King benefitted from the same incremental mechanical upgrades that had been applied throughout the line. However, color options aside, its out-of-the-box appearance remained constant. For 1998, Harley-Davidson decided to jump on the bandwagon it had created, and offer a dramatic variation on the Road King theme. The result is the FLHRCI Road King Classic.

The most obvious difference between the Road King Classic and its standard stablemate is the saddlebag design. Where the standard model shares its lockable fiberglass bags with the rest of the Electra Glide line, the Classic is fitted with a gorgeous set of rigid leather bags. Their lids are held shut by a pair of big metal buckles, but no provision made for locking them. The bags' embossed basketweave design accents are carried over to the bike's two-up seat, which is also unique to this model. The seat valence panels carry a model-specific 3D metal emblem that also appears on the tank and fender tips. The retro look is rounded out with a set of wide whitewall tires mounted on wire wheels. All of these differences make for a bike that, while clearly a Road King, is obviously something new and special. 

In a move that puzzled many aficionados, Harley elected to make fuel injection standard (and mandatory) on the Road King Classic, and to remove it from the standard Road King's option list. As a recent convert to the joys of fuel injection, I was glad to have it on the test bike. All of my riding took place in the chill of an upstate New York February, so I was very happy to allow the fuel injection system's electronic brain handle the start-up mixture adjustment and all of the other warm-up functions. Even with the outside temperature hovering around the freezing mark, the Classic always started immediately and was ready to ride within a few seconds.

But not too far, at least with the stock seat and handlebars. The Road King Classic shares its handlebars with the standard model, and they're clearly designed for style rather than comfort. I find them to both too wide and too far forward, resulting in a riding position that's uncomfortable on short rides, and downright painful after more than fifteen or twenty minutes. This opinion is shared by the dozen-odd Road King owners I know personally, all of whom have changed to one of the several alternative bars available for the model. Interestingly, none of those owners have opted to retain the stock seat either. Indeed, some of them have described it using terms that this publication won't set in type. Alas, the Classic's seat--while different--is no better. Spongy and lacking in support, the only people this seat will make happy are the owners of Corbin, Mustang, and other aftermarket seat companies.  

Shoring myself up with prescription-level doses of Advil, I bundled up and took the Road King Classic for a ride along some of upstate New York's justly renowned winding two-lanes. The weather made me appreciate the bike's barn door of a windshield. (Quick-release connectors allow it to be removed in a matter of seconds when the weather is more cooperative.) Weighing 76 pounds less than the Ultra to which I'm accustomed, the Road King handled like a dream on the curves, taking and holding a line with only the minimum of steering input required. Its willingness to corner isn't achieved at the expense of straight-line stability: the unique Electra Glide triple tree configuration, which places the pivot ahead of the forks, causes the bike to track as if on rails. The floorboards provide plenty of wiggle room for the rider's feet, although highway pegs would be a welcome addition on long trips.

The Classic is equipped with the touring line's characteristic heel-and-toe shifter. It's well-suited to the deliberate forces required to get the best results from the bike's five-speed transmission. The new-for-1998 clutch felt smooth and progressive, and the three-disk braking system had plenty of stopping power. That being said, the front lever requires somewhat more effort than owners of other marques might be used to; and the position of the  automotive-style pedal that controls the rear brake requires that the foot be lifted from the floorboard. My own feeling is that the Harley's brakes are less likely to get a relatively new rider into trouble, while still providing the experienced rider with an excellent margin of safety.

The FLHRCI is the lightest Harley to be equipped with the fuel-injected engine, and as such it figures to be the quickest bike in the touring line. I had the opportunity to compare it with a carbureted FLHR and an injected Ultra, and the Classic ate both of them for lunch. I can envision many owners buying the FLHRCI, doing absolutely nothing to the engine, and being very happy with the performance. The owner of the test bike, however, was looking for just a bit more oomph, along with a possible cure for the fuelie's tendency to run somewhat hot. Towards that end, he installed a Vance & Hines FuelPak and a Bartels air cleaner. Before-and-after rides revealed that the modifications -- which consisted solely of providing a richer mixture and improved airflow -- yielded better performance. They took no toll on the overall smoothness of the mechanical package: at all speeds above an idle, the FL's rubber mounting effectively tames the big twin's inherent vibrations.

Not long after the performance modifications were made, the bike's seat was replaced with one from Corbin, and the handlebars with those from a Heritage Softail. I was able to ride the bike after these changes, and found it to be completely transformed. With its ergonomic deficiencies corrected, I wouldn't hesitate to take the Road King Classic across town, or across the country.