Road King Special

2021 Harley-Davidson Road King Special Technical Analysis & Specification Breakdown

Engineered by Harley-Davidson for the touring motorcycle segment, the 2021 Harley-Davidson Road King Special pairs a 1868 cc (114 cu in) air-cooled v2, four-stroke architecture with road-focused gearing. In factory specification, peak output is rated at 100 HP (73 kW) at 5,000 rpm while maximum torque reaches 160 Nm (118 lb-ft) at 3,250 rpm, transferring power to the rear wheel through a 6-speed gearbox and belt final drive. With a specific output of 53.5 HP per liter and a 1,750 rpm working window between peak torque (3,250 rpm) and peak power (5,000 rpm), the engine character is prioritizing low-RPM tractability, mechanical longevity and relaxed throttle response over peak redline numbers.

On the scales, the Road King Special measures 366.1 kg (807 lbs) wet (curb), translating to a power-to-weight ratio of 0.27 HP/kg (3.66 kg per horsepower). Rider ergonomics and chassis geometry center around a 671 mm (26.4 in) seat height — giving shorter riders and urban commuters confident flat-foot reach at traffic stops, combined with a 1,625 mm (64 in) wheelbase engineered for planted straight-line stability. The 22.71-liter (6 US gal) fuel tank paired with a rated consumption of 5.23 L/100 km provides an estimated theoretical range of roughly 434 km (270 miles) between fill-ups.

Within MotoLibrary's Harley-Davidson archive, this model family spans 8 indexed model years from 2018 to 2025, allowing buyers to track year-over-year changes in emissions tuning, weight and equipment.