I have been planning to buy a RK and doing a little reading. I have read about loose or wobbleing rear ends. I also read where peeps said the steering locked and caused them to go down.

Is there any truth to these claims or is are they just scapegoats for loosing control? If there is any truth to these handling problems, how wide spread is it?

I am looking at a 02 model. Are there any particular problems with this year model? Which is more desirable, carb or inj.?

Thanks in advance for your replys!

Newbie...looking for some answers.

 

Welcome to our forums. I have an 02 SE RK, no problems with wobble at either end, at low speed or all the way up to 120. I think most of the time when a bike has a wobble in the front it's the steering neck bearings loose or worn. There is a rear end stablizer available if you're worried about the rear end.

I think the RK is an awesome all around bike.

John TN

 

Welcome to the forum also

I had a 96 RK a few bikes ago and no problems either end.

Here's a link to the true track for the rear and I understand they work well.

http://www.bikernet.com/garage/truetrack.asp

 

I just read the link that TCSTD posted. This sounds VERY scary! Why doesn't HD do something about this? We were wanting to get a Road King Custom, but not sure I want a bike that could do that! Does this happen in any of the other HD bikes? How many have went down from this? How many have died?

 

I have a 2004 Road King and I haven't found a wobble either and I have had mine pined just to see what it could do for a super short distance. All I know is at that speed the juice drain's really fast.

Jr.D

 

I had a '95 Roadking for 10 years, and the only wobble problem I had with it was when I changed a tire and got the endplay on the axle wrong. I had about .012" in it instead of the .002 to .006 it was supposed to have. Re-shimmed the axles, and the problem went away.

Regards,

Bill

 

welcome to this fine place.
Let me say this "Steering heads just don't lock up" ok?? End of steering head discusion

I have a 03 Ultra and I just don't see what peeps are talking about. That does not mean that there is not a problem, there may very well be, just not on my Ultra.

Ride the bike that you "May" want to buy, I mean ride it no less than 20 miles and give it a test like no one ever has[sm=exactly.gif]

 

Thanks for all the welcomes...I think I am going to like it here.

I have a feeling that most of the things I have read can be attributed to inproper maintenance or riders with little or no experience. Thanks for all the replies!

Let me get the last word in first. Maybe the problem is the "nut holding the handlebars".

Rob