No brainer....2010 any day!

 

Where do you live & ride, mountains or flatlander? I ride all over on my 05 RK Classic with efi & have no problems but when going from sea level to 12,000 feet on my 95 WG (gone, damn it) the carb sometime acted up.

 

No question the frame is an improvement, but it is WAY more than that. 96 ci, fuel injected, 6 speed, cruise, 6 gallon tank, on & on.
If this is your commuter, reliability and rideability clearly are at the top of your list.
My opinion - GO WITH THE 2010. No Question.

 

I couldn't help but post this - newer does not always equal better: https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...ring-bike.html

For me, the 96 and 6 speed are reasons to go back - not impressed and after I ride this one to the end of her useful life, I will not buy a newer one, but that's my choice.

 

My opinion is to go with the newer bike. Nothing wrong with older bikes. Newer bikes have less miles on them in general. Imma be the one to put the miles on the thing!

Plus, the 2010 should still be in warranty. Always a plus at the beginning.

I'm very pleased with my '09, but I came over from a liter class sportbike. I love my ride and would not consider anything short of a Road King (course I'm old).

 

I rode my buddy's 2009 Road King standard and found that the bike is tighter while turning compared to my 2004 Road King Custom. If I have the money, I will buy the 2010 model. Newer frame, bigger engine, bigger gas tank, and so on....

 

EASY decision...

 

OK here's the deal:

1. The '97 will have the best resale value, in terms of being able to sell it for close to what you paid. I'm assuming you can get it around the 6-7 grand mark (what they're going for around here) and 5 years from now, assuming you maintain it, should not be worth much less. It will also be a PITA to source parts, and many accessories sold today won't fit it. Prolly have the best motor in terms of longevity.

2. The '010 has the new frame,IMHO not worth the hubbub unless you're a canyon carver at speed. Normal riding,you won't notice the difference. It also has the TBW, which I would ABSOLUTELY NOT own--way too unpredictable, and the lag is annoying as hell. Hard to clutch away from a stop as throttle input "feel" is gone, and easy to stall out. I want my hand connected to my EFI with a cable, not a digital signal. Not to mention the heat issue. '010 is the best looking & smoothest riding (because of the TBW & IDS) out of the 3, IMHO, but will have the worst resale in terms of the "hit" you will take compared to what you pay for it.

3. I would go for the '03. Prolly get it for around 9grand,I guess, keep it for a few years & take a 1 or 2 grand hit. Plus it will be easy to get parts, has throttle cables, and the 100th paint looks great.! ESPECIALLY if it's gunmetal.

 

I ride an '05. I have ridden later models with the new frame. By all means, buy something with the new frame. It is a great improvement.

 

I've owned a 2011 and a 08 and I can tell you the frame isn't that big of an improvement. Don't do it just for the frame!