Hi guys..need your help here.

I enjoy customizing my ride and have had the opportunity to own a Sportster and a Dyna StreetBob. I ride my bike to commute and enjoy riding it everywhere...including a little touring on the bike.

I think I like to move on to a Harley Road King soon. I have the options of owning:

1. 2010 Road King - 'Almost new' model with some mods done. The colour is not my preference but it pretty much have what i want on it. Hard box (luggage), non-spokes (sports) rims, tubeless tyres, abs, new improved chasis, bigger tyres, cruise control...etc. Not much i need to do except mayb repainting the whole bike.

2. 2003 100th anniversary road king. Comes with S&S cylinder, pistons...etc. Very clean, low mileage..etc.

3. 1997 Road King. Non-efi model. Has the option to custom build into something i really like.

What would u do? Obviously the 2010 model is going to cost me more. But it has the latest of everything, n condition is very good. The 1997 model gives me the most option to customize n rebuild something from scratch n might cost just below the 2010 model or even more depending on the degree of custom work done on it. The 2003 is somewhere in between of everything, i think.

What would u do? Im looking for:

1. Reliability. As I want to ride it as much as i can which includes commuting to work n the occasional touring. There is the opinion that i should avoid all the electronics gadgetry n go for the basics like carb engine n other mechanical parts, that are cheaper n easier to maintain. Is it?

2. Custom work. I prob like to repaint, change handle bar, get all the cables in the handle bar....etc. Not an extreme make over, but do some mod to get it looking a little more sleek.

3. Value. If i were to sell it 2,3,4,5 years from now, which do you think will hold its value best?

Not sure if i am putting my thoughts across clearly enough. But what would u do? Help me make a right choice.

 

09 and later bikes have the new touring frame. That's where I would spend my money.

 

I agree with KCFLHRC. Have to go with new touring frame.

 

Not telling you what to do, just saying what I would do Personally, I would by the '97 but I have a soft spot for old-school tech, or lack of tech rather. My 2007 Ultra Clatter EZ Bake Oven is making me want to go backwards in time....

 

Thanks! But would the trade off b very expensive parts to maintain? Fly by wire throttle...vs conventional ones. How "hardy" are the new models compared to the 1997 one?

 

Thats what im thinking...is the new frame worth it? Are the older frames that bad?

 

I didn't know any thing about frames when i bought my 2008 FLHRC last year . I did feel the wobble everyone talked about . but made it go away buy ajusting air in tires and shocks i track around long sweeping turns at 70mph now no more wobble . no suspension upgrades needed.

 

Go ride both, decide for yourself. Resale will be better on 09+ Models just because of the frame and the 96" motor.

 

I honestly have no idea - I have had three Harley's in my life time, all different models: a '77 Ironhead, an '04 Wide Glide and my '07 Ultra. I have no issues with the Ultra in terms of handling so don't see what a "new" frame would bring that I don't already have. I mentioned the '97 because I am not very impressed with my '07 overall but I have to remember it's the first year of the 96 motor and 6 speed so they supposedly worked some of the issues out in later models. FI is very reliable so I can't knock new tech for that. I am sure Evos had issues too, all mechanical things do.

I ride my touring bike like a touring bike not like a crotch rocket so do not push the limits and that's why the frame probably doesn't matter to me.

 

5 yrs from now the 2010 will be 7 yrs old... 5 yrs from now the 1997 will be 20 yrs old... Which one would you be more apt to buy then???