Harley-Davidson FLHRS/I Road King Custom
Manufacturer | Harley-Davidson |
---|---|
Production | 2004 - 05 |
Engine | Four stroke, 45° V-Twin, Twin Cam 88® vibration isolation-mounted Valves Pushrod-operated overhead valves; w/ hydraulic self-adjusting lifters; two valves per cylinder |
Compression ratio | 8.9:1 |
Ignition type | Single-fire, non-wasted, map-controlled spark ignition |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Frame type | Mild steel, square section backbone w/ twin downtubes Swing Arm Mild steel, rectangular tube sections, stamped junctions, MIG welded |
Suspension | Front: 41.3 mm, telescopic Rear: Short, air-adjustable |
Brakes | Front: 2x 292mm discs 4 piston calipers Rear: Single 292mm disc 4 piston caliper |
Front Tire | D402F MT90B16 72H |
Rear Tire | D402 MU85B16 77H |
Wheelbase | 1613 mm / 63.5 in |
Seat height | 718.8 mm / 28.3 in |
Weight | 327 kg / 721 lbs (dry), 344 kg / 757 lbs (wet) |
Fuel capacity | 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal |
Manuals | Service Manual |
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Engine
The engine was a Air cooled cooled Four stroke, 45° V-Twin, Twin Cam 88® vibration isolation-mounted Valves Pushrod-operated overhead valves; w/ hydraulic self-adjusting lifters; two valves per cylinder. The engine featured a 8.9:1 compression ratio.
Chassis
It came with a D402F MT90B16 72H front tire and a D402 MU85B16 77H rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 292mm discs 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single 292mm disc 4 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a 41.3 mm, telescopic while the rear was equipped with a Short, air-adjustable. The FLHRS /I Road King Custom was fitted with a 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 327 kg / 721 lbs. The wheelbase was 1613 mm / 63.5 in long.
Photos
Overview
Harley Davidson FLHRS/I Road King Custom
FLHRS/I Road King® Custom Model Overview Brand new in 2004, the Road King Custom is taking the Road King family even further in the custom direction. Taking cues from our customers, this exciting new model is a leaned-down and dressed-up version of its Road King brethren and is certain to generate excitement. Now within the Road King family there are three models to choose from, with the new Road King Custom leading the way in contemporary custom styling. Lowered rear suspension, pullback "beach bars", clean leather saddlebags, and an overall "smoothie" theme will make this bike a hit with custom lovers around the world. The Road King Custom offers wicked good looks and a dose of attitude, while still retaining the comfort and and road-worthiness that Road King enthusiasts expect. The Road King Custom has roots tied to the 1978 FLHS Electra Glide "Stripped" model and captures that lineage with its FLHRS designator. Features Include: Lowest seat height in the Family Clean front and rear fenders New cast and chromed front and rear wheels New "Beach Bar" Handlebar New chrome wind deflector, nacelle trim strip and triple clamp cover New extended headlamp trim New streamlined rider footboard and brake lever pad New passenger foot pegs New nickel-plated, metal fuel tank name plate New stretch fuel tank console New silver-face speedometer New seat New smoothie leather-covered saddlebags New hidden saddlebag supports New sculpted rear light bar Bullet front and rear turn signals Longer-life, wider rear tire - Offers a nominal 30% increase in tire life*
- Tire life is highly dependent on vehicle loading, riding style, road and
weather conditions. 30% increase is the nominal result based on controlled test results. Available Options Security System Electronic Fuel Injection Color Options Vivid Black Brilliant Silver Luxury Teal Smokey Gold Real Red Luxury Blue Lava Red Sunglo
Review
Harley - and lots of observers - must be waiting with more than a
little tension to see what 2004 has to offer when it comes to sales. The company
had a record-breaking year in 2003, driven in part by the extraordinary
celebrations surrounding the 100th anniversary.
Also, the company traded on its centenary by coming up with a special range, all of which were appropriately badged to (hopefully) give them some sort of collectible status. And why not? A little hoopla never hurt and it's not every day you get to mark 100 years of continuous production.
WHAT IS IT?
Okay, so what have they done to pique some customer interest for 2004? H-D watchers will not be in the least bit surprised to see the company develop one or two new variations on existing models - in this case the Road King. We now have a Road King Custom (or FLHRSI), which is lowered substantially (down 31mm in the seat to 718mm) and given the dress-up treatment in some areas, with things like a monster set of pullback handlebars.
So far as we can tell there are pearl and black versions available in Oz - we got the former, which was a visual stunner. Long low lines accompanied by a generally uncluttered look. Very tasty.
Powering this lot is the 1450 Twin Cam engine, injected in this case, with a five-speed gearbox and belt final drive. It's a healthy if not stunning performer in stock form, though a set of pipes and an air cleaner kit can score substantially more horses. Of course Harley will also be happy to sell you hot up kits in various stages of tune.
For those who haven't made the move up from an Evo engine, it's noticeably smoother while having a bit more of everything across the range.
The basic frame is the FLH touring item a Road King rolling
package. That means the meaty conventional enclosed fork set-up, a twin-shock
rear, and triple discs. The braking package is probably the biggest single
improvement to Harleys in the last 15 years. It's still not cutting edge - nor
do you need it to be - but it stop in a respectable distance with reasonable
feedback. There's considerably worse out there in cruiserland. Cast alloy
16-inch rims finish off the package.
Fuel capacity is 18.9 Liters
, claimed dry weight is 327 kilos, and retail price is $29,995 plus ORC.
WHAT'S IT LIKE?
In stock trim, this is really a one-person motorcycle, as the sloped pillion area almost guarantees the passenger is a temporary fixture. There's plenty of optional seats available if two-up work is what you have in mind.
Many folk will love the super-low seat, though tall riders are likely to find it's too low for them.
The engine and gearbox are thoroughly enjoyable - no complaints at all. They're inexpensive to service, should last well so long as you don't get too radical on the modifications, and are ridiculously cheap to run. Despite the considerable bulk, it's not difficult to get close to 20km/litre on the highway.
While the styling looks great, it extracts some penalties when it comes to practicality. I've already mentioned the pillion seat, and the other areas that don't quite work are the handlebars and cornering clearance.
The long pullback on the bars, combined with their considerable height in relationship to the seat, and the forward-mounted footboards, makes them fairly awkWard to use and quite uncomfortable after a decent time in the saddle. Much as they look good, I'd be swapping them for a more conventional bend.
Whether or not cornering clearance becomes an issue will depend on what sort of riding you do. While I thoroughly enjoy standard Road Kings, and find them more than adequate in the cornering department, the Custom is very limited in how far you can bank it over before some fairly expensive metal starts grinding on the tarmac.
The saddlebags are a handy addition, though they're quite small inside.
If it were me, I'd be heading straight for the 'real' Road King, which remains one of the best cruisers on the market. However the Custom's looks and super-low seat will appeal to some, and there's lots of goodies in the accessory catalogue to change anything you don't like.
Source
Make Model | Harley Davidson FLHRS/I Road King Custom |
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Year | 2004 - 05 |
Engine Type | Four stroke, 45° V-Twin, Twin Cam 88® vibration isolation-mounted Valves Pushrod-operated overhead valves; w/ hydraulic self-adjusting lifters; two valves per cylinder |
Displacement | 1449 cc / 88.4 cu-in |
Bore X Stroke | 95.3 x 101.6 mm |
Cooling System | Air cooled |
Compression | 8.9:1 |
Lubrication | Dry sump, internally mounted, crank driven gerotor pressure and dual scavenge pump with spin on 10ì pressurized oil filter |
Induction | Carburetion 40 mm constant velocity with enrichener and accelerator pump ESPFI 38 mm throttle bore electronic sequential port fuel injection |
Ignition | Single-fire, non-wasted, map-controlled spark ignition |
Starting | Electric |
Max Power | 67 hp / 48.8 kW @ 5200 rpm |
Max Torque | 116.6 Nm / 86 lb-ft @ 3500rpm |
Transmission | 5 Speed |
Final Drive | Belt |
Gear Ratio | 1st 10.110 2nd 6.958 3rd 4.953 4th 3.862 5th 3.150 |
Frame | Mild steel, square section backbone w/ twin downtubes Swing Arm Mild steel, rectangular tube sections, stamped junctions, MIG welded |
Front Suspension | 41.3 mm, telescopic |
Rear Suspension | Short, air-adjustable |
Front Brakes | 2x 292mm discs 4 piston calipers |
Rear Brakes | Single 292mm disc 4 piston caliper |
Front Tire | D402F MT90B16 72H |
Rear Tire | D402 MU85B16 77H |
Rake | 26° |
Trail | 157.5 mm / 6.2 in |
Wheelbase | 1613 mm / 63.5 in |
Seat Height | 718.8 mm / 28.3 in |
Ground Clearance | 119.4 mm / 4.7 in |
Dry Weight | 327 kg / 721 lbs |
Wet Weight | 344 kg / 757 lbs |
Fuel Capacity | 19 Liters / 5.0 US gal |