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On August 28, 2004,  I had the opportunity to test the new 2005 Harley Davidson Road King Classic on a 45 mile ride along the southern California coast before Orange County Harley Davidson night at Costa Mesa Speedway.

O.C. Harley removed the windshield and the rear passenger back rest for me and I was ready to go. The removeable windshield is stock, however the quickly detachable back rest brackets were added, an option that keeps the bike looking cool when you don't have a passenger.

Before I climbed aboard I opened up the saddle bags and found more than enough room for my jacket, which I didn't need because the weather was an absolutely perfect summer day.

The first thing I notice when I climbed aboard was how comfortable the seat was, this big cruiser is so comfortable it just begs you to ride it for hundreds of miles in one day.

After warming this brand new machine up, I was headed down the road with 75 Costa Mesa Speedway bound Harley riders following me.  I really like the responsiveness of the fuel injection system on this particular Road King Classic, you crack the throttle and she responds quickly, I like that. For a stock motorcycle it also felt plenty quick for a big cruiser. Like I've always said, hopping up a Harley is like hopping up your air compressor in your garage, why?

The stock pipes are a bit quiet for me, making it really tough to hear when your riding with 75 riders other riders, mostly equipped with after market pipes that let you really hear the awesome sound of a big twin.

The Road King Classic features a rubber mounted motor which shakes a bit at idle but is noticeably smooth when you get up to cruising speed.

Our first stop was Capistrano Harley Davidson to pick up a few more riders headed to Costa Mesa Speedway.  We spent about 15 minutes there then climbed back aboard and headed towards Dana Point and Pacific Coast Highway. Riding up the coast through the small beach communities was a pretty cool with 75 riders. The cops in the beach communities of southern California have been known to write tickets for helmets and pipes, but all of us seemed to sneak through with only a hard look from one cop car in Laguna Beach.

The Road King handles well in stop and go traffic, the brakes (front & rear) worked great.
 

After we arrived at the Costa Mesa Speedway, it was time to test this brand new Road King on the dirt race track.  I led the parade of 75 Harley riders out onto the dirt track and we spun a few laps racing around.  The Road King is a pretty big machine to be racing around on a dirt track, but she held her own!  The horn worked well to say hello to the thousands of  spectators that were in the grandstands and ready for an awesome O.C. Harley night.

Here's the low down. If you're looking for the ultimate Harley cruiser, a bike that begs to be ridden for hours on end, this new 2005 Harley Davidson Road King Classic is a bike you should seriously consider buying.

I would like to thank the Orange County Harley Davidson located very near the Irvine Spectrum in Irivne California for providing me with a new bike to ride twice a year before O.C. Harley night at Costa Mesa Speedway. Thanks gang, it's always an awesome night, Ike.
 
 

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