Harley-Davidson Road King

The Harley-Davidson FL series of motorcycles, introduced in 1941 with a 74 cubic inch Knucklehead engine, designates the larger, touring bikes in Harley’s line-up, as well as the Softail models. For the 1994 model year Harley-Davidson replaced the FLHS Electra Glide Sport with the FLHR Harley-Davidson Road King. The original Panhead-powered FLH Harley-Davidson Electra Glide was introduced in 1965 and takes it namesake from the model’s electric starter.
The original FLHR Harley-Davidson Road King was powered by Harley-Davidson’s 1,340 cc Evolution V-Twin engine. The new Harley-Davidson Road King featured a host of upgrades over the Electra Glide it was replacing, including an improved wiring harness with waterproof connectors, detachable saddlebags and windshield, and taller gear ratios. Other features of the Harley-Davidson Road King included air-adjustable forks, dual front disc brakes, and a passenger seat that could easily be removed. So the Harley-Davidson Road King was positioned as a combination cruiser and touring machine.
In 1996 Harley-Davidson offered both the FLHR and FLHRI, the “I” indicating a Harley-Davidson Road King with fuel injection. The Weber Marelli fuel-injection system, standard on the 30th Anniversary Ultra Classic Electra Glide, allowed Harley-Davidson to pass California’s stringent emission system without adding catalytic converters to its bikes – better fuel mileage was an added benefit.