Key Takeaways

  • The Road King Classic is more luxurious, has extra features, and has a flashier appearance compared to the simpler and basic Road King Standard.
  • The Classic has leather saddlebags, spoke wheels, and cruise control, while the Standard has simpler-designed seats, tubeless tires, and magnesium alloy wheels.
  • The Road King Standard is easier to maintain and keep clean, while the Classic handles better in inclement weather and has a larger V-Twin engine. Both models retain the iconic Road King essence dating back to the 1940s.

The Road King And Road King Classic are both part of the Road King family of Harley-Davidson bikes. While both are similar regarding most underpinnings, some notable aesthetic differences set them apart. The Classic is more luxurious, has extra features, has a flashier appearance, and costs more. The Road King standard is more simple and basic. It is also straightforward to ride and easier to maintain.

UPDATE: 2023/10/22 18:11 EST BY TIJO TENSON

We have updated this article on the comparison of Road King and Road King Classic with more minute details on how these two iconic American Grand Tourers differ. This article includes a detailed comparison of the features and dimensions of the two Harleys, along with the latest new and used prices.

There are minute differences in dimensions and underpinnings besides the instant visual bits. The front wheel on the Classic is smaller as well. For a brief moment, the Classic also came with a bigger V-Twin. But beyond all these subtle differences, both Harleys retain the iconic Road King essence that dates back to the 1940s with the Harley-Davidson FL.

Today, only one motorcycle in Harley's portfolio continues this legacy—the 2023 Road King Special. But the Road King Standard and the Road King Classic are sought-after Harley icons in the used motorcycle space.

All technical details and MSRP figures used in this article are taken from the Harley-Davidson press archives. The used prices of the Harley-Davidson motorcycles are taken from CycleTrader.

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Harley-Davidson Road King Vs Road King Classic: Visual Differences

Harley-Davidson Road King Standard rear third quarter view
Harley-Davidson

Road King Vs Road King Classic: Main Visual Differences

Harley-Davidson Road King Standard

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

Hard or soft saddlebags with locks

Soft leather Saddlebags (devoid of a lock)

Magnesium alloy wheels; 17-inch

Laced wheels; 16-inch

Standard tubeless tires

Whitewall tubed tires

Simpler designed seats

Tooled leather seat

Riders tend to agree that the Road King standard is an altogether simpler ride. Benefits of the standard version include an altogether simpler bike. The simpler wheels and more basic saddlebags are easier to maintain and keep clean, with no special accessories like custom locks required (though locks can be added if desired). Said bags are also waterproof, making them more practical to use. The Standard also has tubeless tires, making it easier to repair a flat tire on the go by adding some fix-a-flat if needed.

Riders point out that the Standard does not look better as a bike compared to the Classic, but the Standard causes far fewer complications in the long run. The one thing drivers tend to do with the Standard is pay extra to add the option of Cruise Control for easier riding, which is easy to do, alongside many popular customization options that riders use for practicality and accessorization.

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic front third quarter view
Harley-Davidson

The Road King Classic is a more luxurious grand tourer with additional features. With the Classic, spoke wheels and cruise control come standard as part of the package. Riders have also reported that the Classic handles easier in cases of inclement weather and features leather saddlebags. Also, regarding the Classic's wheels, the models are distinguishable from the standard ones by the front wheel, which is 16″ instead of 17″ and are whitewall wheels, in addition to having spokes. The style of seats also varies from the Standard, but considering the seats are stock seats, it's not as if riders firmly agree that one is better than the other.

Harley-Davidson Road King Vs Road King Classic: Dimensions & Hardware Specs Compared

Model

Harley-Davidson Road King Standard

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

Length

95 inches

94.2 inches

Width

37.4 inches

37.5 inches

Height

55.1 inches

Wheelbase

63.5 inches

Ground Clearance

5.1 inches

Rake

26 degrees

Fork Angle

29.2 degrees

Trail

6.69 inches

6.7 inches

Frame

Mild steel tubular frame with two-piece stamped and welded backbone; twin downtubes with a bolt-on rear frame

Front Suspension

41.3mm telescopic forks (4.6 inches of travel)

Rear Suspension

Air adjustable shocks (3 inches of travel)

Front Brakes

300mm dual discs; 32mm, four-piston fixed front calipers and rotors

Rear Brakes

300mm rear disc; 32mm, four-piston fixed rear calipers and rotors

Front Wheel Size / Front Tire

Black 28-spoke Cast Aluminum 17x3 inch wheels / 130/80-17

Steel Laced 16x3 inch wheels / 130/90-16

Rear Wheel Size / Rear Tire

Black 28-spoke Cast Aluminum 16x5 inch wheels / 180/65-16

Steel Laced 16x5 inch wheels / 180/65-16

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Road King Vs Road King Classic: V-Twin Engine & Riding Dynamics

2022 Harley-Davidson Road King side profile
Harley-Davidson

For the 2011 Road King Classic, the engine is also slightly more powerful, having a 103 cu-in Harley-Davidson Twin Cam engine versus the 96 cu-in unit on the Standard model. The main difference between the two is larger pistons for more displacement and bigger torque. The rest of the engine, including cams, is reported to be identical or similar enough to the standard version.

The Standard also has a curb weight of between 807 and 835.6 pounds, depending on the engine, modifications, accessories, and fuel in the tank. Speaking of fuel, the tank can hold six gallons. It has a V2, four-stroke engine with a 10.0:1 compression ratio that puts out 89 horsepower at 5,450 RPM. The mileage is approximately 48 MPG.

2000 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic front third quarter view
Bring a Trailer

The Road King Classic's trail is slightly longer than the Standard's. The Standard is two pounds lighter than the luxurious Classic. The Road King Standard is also a tad bit longer than the Classic. All these tiny bits combine to make the Standard a marginally better motorcycle. The differences are minute; only a seasoned Harley-Davidson enthusiast could tell and feel the difference.

Model

Harley-Davidson Road King Standard

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

Production Years

1994-2022 (Currently, only Road King Special is on sale)

1998; 2004-2013

Configuration

V-Twin

Displacement

1,690cc (103 cu-in) Air-Cooled Twin Cam (Came with a less powerful 1573cc {96 cu-in} V-Twin for the 2011 model)

1,690cc (103 cu-in) Air-Cooled Twin Cam

Power

67 hp

Torque

100 lb-ft

Curb Weight

812 lbs

810 lbs

MPG

42 MPG

Harley-Davidson Road King Classic's Leather Is Hard To Maintain

2009 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic gets leather-laden seats and saddlebags
Collecting Cars

Riders haven't been fond of all the leather included in the classic version. Conflicting reports exist on the status of the saddlebags, where some riders say they're just as waterproof as the Standard's hard saddlebags, and some riders insist the hard bags are "more waterproof."

Riders think waxing the hard saddlebags is simpler than keeping the leather ones clean and well-maintained, which they say is challenging. Further, reports on the leather saddlebags say they require special devices for locking. One benefit seems to be more flex, as the leather bags can stretch more when past capacity.

Though most complaints are regarding practicality, maintenance, and cleanliness, not appearance-riders tend to agree, whether they own the Classic or Standard, that the leather bags at least look nicer than their hard counterparts. These bags are often preferred for touring motorcycles.

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Harley-Davidson Road King Vs Road King Classic: Prices Compared

Harley-Davidson FLHRC Road King Classic front third quarter view
RMSothebys

Of course, the standard version is cheaper because it doesn't have all the luxury features included. ABS could also be added to the standard models for about $850 when new. The Standard is described as more stripped-down and with more chrome styling involved. There was over a $2,000 price difference, with the starting MSRP for the Classic at $19,599 for the cheapest Vivid Black shade. The Road King Classic of the same timeline (2012) had a starting MSRP of $17,499.

Today, a used Harley-Davidson Road King Standard ranges from $7,000 to $18,000. This broad range is because the Road King Standard was on sale till 2022. But the Classic was taken off Harley's portfolio much earlier in 2013. But that hasn't toned down the used price of the Road King Classic, which ranges from $5000 to $19,000.