[saddlebag]

Another thread got me thinking. I was floating in a tube along a favorite motorcycle route, watching the bikes go by. Obviously many Harleys. Never saw a Victory. Victory killed the Xroads...the arch-nemesis of the Harley RoadKing. I saw numerous RK owners happily motoring along--many with the pleasant sounding stock pipes--enjoying the day and the 38 mile stretch of wilderness.

If I were to buy a Harley-- this is it, I think. I have had a few in the past, but this one really speaks to me of good old fashioned touring....just motoring along, no big hp numbers needed, no "loud pipes" to save me from....moose.

What do you think? Would you ride one? (I don't give a rodents butt about hp in this post)

The last one ^^^, yes. The CVO stuff is a little loud for my tastes. And I don't get those bags with the droopy back ends. I would kinda like to try out one of those windsceens though. Might actually work pretty well with the vent.

 

[saddlebag]

I'm a cruiser guy at heart. For years I put bags and a windshield on my Kingpin when I was traveling, took them off as soon as I got home. My Kingpin in that set up, much like the Road King and Cross Roads, are perfectly comfortable and capable bikes. But no, at this point I would not buy one. Everything the RK and XR is good at...the Vision is better.

My wife likes it better. I like the wind management better, but I'm not sold on the rest of the package yet. And not because I think it looks like a clown.

If I were to buy another touring bike it would be a full on touring bike, Road Glide Ultra, Ultra Classic, Cross Country Tour, or Vision. If I didn't want all that a tour bike has, I'd go back to my KP set up, temporary bags and shield. I think the XR was one heck of a value, but for me to buy that bike the bags would have to come off. I'm not sure why Victory can't offer some models like the Cross Roads as a special order bike, but I suspect the Road King's sales are just as small a percentage of Harley's sales at the XR was for Victory. If I happen to go to a large event here's what I see: Street Glide, Street Glide, Street Glide, other brand, Street Glide, Street Glide, Sportster, Street Glide, Street Glide, other Harley, other brand, and maybe another Street Glide.

And being they're all black, it is a mystery how they find their bikes. Prolly some Harley honing system that activates automatically as it detects the blood alcohol content of its rider exceed legal limits. These new vehicles do like their apps. I like my 4 bolt clear windscreen.

 

[notaharley]

I like the passenger backrest MUCH better than the clunky Victory sissybar, and as others have said, the Windshield is pretty cool.....and supposedly works really well. Notice that the HD windshield is vented like the GoldWing. There are styling cues (should go to HCrazy's "style" thread) that I like better on the Harley.

I also love the big faired-in headlamp---.especially color matched.

No, I won't be ditching my Victory. If I had the Harley, I would already have had to have the cam chain tensioners replaced. My Xroads handles awesome, and rides incredible.

I think Harley nailed it with this bike.....So why doesn't Victory keep the Xroads online and make it worth buying? A few small "special" styling cues that make it stand out and worth buying?!?

 

[Keith Grey]

I like the passenger backrest MUCH better than the clunky Victory sissybar, and as others have said, the Windshield is pretty cool.....and supposedly works really well. Notice that the HD windshield is vented like the GoldWing. There are styling cues (should go to HCrazy's "style" thread) that I like better on the Harley.

I also love the big faired-in headlamp---.especially color matched.

No, I won't be ditching my Victory. If I had the Harley, I would already have had to have the cam chain tensioners replaced. My Xroads handles awesome, and rides incredible.

I think Harley nailed it with this bike.....So why doesn't Victory keep the Xroads online and make it worth buying? A few small "special" styling cues that make it stand out and worth buying?!?

To me, the XR is a great looking bike, but I do like the HD Nacelle headlight, and don't like the looks of either backrest. The Vic forged bars are, to me, the best I have ever seen. Kg

 

[notaharley]

The RK is one of the most popular, although I thought it a bit of an incomplete story to put CVO photos up there, and end with the only price tag showing being that of a conventional. No intentional deception, I'm sure, but a bit misleading all the same. Having ridden HD exclusively for decades, I can tell you the only one you show that I like are the CVOs and they are priced at $28,500 and '14 & '15 Rushmore CVO RKs do not go out the door from an authorized dealer for less than $31k. Even at that price I need some work done to cool the extreme heat of the lean condition, stabilize the wonky frame, and let the exhaust note show off, so let's say all in it costs me $34k +\- to make a RK acceptable to me. For that price, I can have 2 used Vics with performance upgrades, and customized exactly to my liking. And let's be honest about reliability, they don't leak like the old HDs used to, but I'd buy a 25k mile Vic with a test ride and a visual check for signs of pm, but you couldn't sell me any HD with 25k miles on it. I am essentially a used bike buyer. My "New" Vision was a dealer demo. For me, the only appeals of the RK are Visual, and Sound. suspension, handling, power, reliability, all go to Vic. I had my time on HD, and now all my priorities are rider experience, but if I did start lusting after aesthetics again, I would get a nice used Hammer, with some performance upgrades. And even then, my Trunkless Vision would be my primary ride. So no, no RK, and that's from a guy who thinks he might keep his Vision and get a used Scout someday, just for fun. Kg ***sorry for the buzz-kill N.A.H.

No, I wasn't trying to be deceptive....I love the CVO looks. Even the base RK is WAY too expensive.....$18,000+
$28,000....$2k under an entry level Mercedes Iis insane.

They drop Iin value, just like anything else, and I am a bargain shopper. I got my Xroads with some extras and 5 yr. Warranty for $14k even. I actually traded in the Judge I paid $13k for plus $750 for the Xroads with 500 miles.....it was the middle of winter.....and no one knew the Judge would be a boat anchor....even though I LOVE the looks!

 

[notaharley]

To me, the XR is a great looking bike, but I do like the HD Nacelle headlight, and don't like the looks of either backrest. The Vic forged bars are, to me, the best I have ever seen. Kg

....yet Vic dropped the forged bars....and my wife hated the looks, so I put the round bars on, which I like as well.....but now we miss the CeeBaileys (clone) lowers....

EXCEPT the cop bikes, who still get the stronger forged bars....

 

[Oldman47]

If I ever went back to HD it would probably be with a Road Glide Ultra. They recently released the updated Road Glide but I did not see an Ultra with a Tour Pack in that release. Without the tour pack I would be too limited on luggage, I really do like to tour. Right now I am loving my VV Tour so a RGU is not even in my thoughts but this thread got me thinking.

 

[Luciferiad]

2.5 years ago when I bought my XR, it was by far a better value than a comparably-equipped Road King. the couple examples of the RK I checked out were bedecked with various farkles and tidbits pushing it's sticker a few thousand above the XR I ended up purchasing, which was still cheaper than a base RK anyway.

Today, I imagine the RK would fall behind the Vulcan Nomad (Kawi seems to have worked out the pesky QA kinks that drove me away from the VN1700 lineup initially) and the Yamaha Stratoliner. In fact, i suspect the Stratoliner would be a frontrunner due to it's price point, altho its small fuel tank puts me off a bit.

Victory has gradually pushed the price up on their bikes, narrowing the gap in value for dollar they had over HD. It's disappointing, and I would still take a XR over a RK any day of the week, but when Vic ain't offering what I want anymore, I imagine I'd have to look elsewhere to get it.

 

[ccscott]

Sure, especially the 2nd bike without the windshield. Windshield takes away one of the things I love about riding. I have nothing against HD. They don't leak oil anymore. They are more reliable than they used to be, maybe not as much as a Vic depending on who you talk to. Sometimes I think I'm in the minority of Vic owners with my attitude toward HD.

 

[98741]

I tried the first one in your pics at a dealer, the paint jop is stunning, and let me say I am not a HD guy, But a sales guy who used to work at a Vic dealer now works at a HD dealerl let me take one out, I would not hesitate to purchase it ran fantastic very little Vibration and fit me perfect. The price was out of my comfort zone.

 

[Ghostrider25]

Bottom line for me - nope. If I wanted to ride a Harley I would have bought one. Don't get me wrong, there are some incredible looking HD'sout there, but I don't want one. Too expensive to buy, too expensive to maintian, too expensive to insure. Not sure I wold trust it either. My Nephew had nothing but problems with his. He finally just said &%$# it and sold it.

If I was gonna spend that kind of money on a bike I would be riding a K1600 right now.

 

[1stVictory]

I don't trust that brand one bit. Just don't want to join the Brotherhood of the Broke Down Bike.

 

[Good_Steward]

Another thread got me thinking. I was floating in a tube along a favorite motorcycle route, watching the bikes go by. Obviously many Harleys. Never saw a Victory. Victory killed the Xroads...the arch-nemesis of the Harley RoadKing. I saw numerous RK owners happily motoring along--many with the pleasant sounding stock pipes--enjoying the day and the 38 mile stretch of wilderness.

If I were to buy a Harley-- this is it, I think. I have had a few in the past, but this one really speaks to me of good old fashioned touring....just motoring along, no big hp numbers needed, no "loud pipes" to save me from....moose.

What do you think? Would you ride one? (I don't give a rodents butt about hp in this post)

I ride with a guy that has a RoadKing. Great looking bike, no doubt, but I cannot ride it. If you are under 6 feet tall, I am sure it would be a great bike. He sure loves it.

 

[c9zz]

I would ride a RoadKing....I own one. It is a 2008 with 34K miles on it and is an awesome tour bike. Very comfortable and eats up highway miles very easily. Now I also own a Vision, purchased last Dec. and in two weeks will be touring with it, about 1600 miles over 4 days. I will be interested to compare the two. I will probably replace the RoadKingI own with another one in the near future. It has it's quirks and I have spent way more in repairs and maintenance than any bike I have ever owned, but I will always have a Harley in my garage with a Victory parked right next to it.

 

[notaharley]

I would ride a RoadKing....I own one. It is a 2008 with 34K miles on it and is an awesome tour bike. Very comfortable and eats up highway miles very easily. Now I also own a Vision, purchased last Dec. and in two weeks will be touring with it, about 1600 miles over 4 days. I will be interested to compare the two. I will probably replace the RoadKingI own with another one in the near future. It has it's quirks and I have spent way more in repairs and maintenance than any bike I have ever owned, but I will always have a Harley in my garage with a Victory parked right next to it.

I really appreciate your perspective! What kind of repairs? For me, my 06 FXDWG had many issues with the primary drive....a design flaw HD fixed in 07.

 

[greasemonkey]

Beautiful bikes! id roll on that in a heartbeat.

 

[c9zz]

I really appreciate your perspective! What kind of repairs? For me, my 06 FXDWG had many issues with the primary drive....a design flaw HD fixed in 07.

Under warranty it was just a saddlebag latch replacement. Just out of warranty a small oil leak turned into a seal between the starter and engine caused the starter to fill up with oil. Apparently the oil leak was the oil leaking out of the starter that had been filled up by the bad seal. That was 750.00 to fix that which included a new starter rather than a rebuilt one. A check engine light was never fixed by the dealer because they couldn't guarantee me they knew which of the 3 codes would turn it off. The bike ran fine and after about 5K miles the light shut off and went away. Also have to replace rear brakes every 16K for some reason. Now it has intermittent long cranks before it starts. I am scared to tour with it so I will use my Vision for touring and maybe this fall get a Softtail for a second bike. The new Roadkings do look nice, and I am glad they redesigned the awful saddle bag handles. So I may get another RK, with me you never know.

 

[tijoh03]

I will ride anything and everything. The other week, when my bike was in the shop, I rode a HD V-Rod, Ducati 848, Suzuki GXR 600, Cam Am Spyder, etc. I just like bikes period. Now if the question is, would I buy one? That would depend on a lot of things... Amazing deal? Phenominal warranty? etc.

 

[BoilerMan]

The third one is speaking to me, but then again a lot of bikes do that. I like Motorcycles. My garage should look like Jay Lenno's HA only in my dreams LOL.

 

[vision_nut]

Harley makes a Great bike. In many ways there are more advance then any victory. Harley has special spark plugs made for there bike.

Harley has a ECM that is a light years better then ours. Harleys does more technical research on there bikes then Vic does.

Only a fool would not ride one only a fool would say bad things about the bike never riding one or owning one