Harley-Davidson Is Reviving The Road King, And Not Just As A Special

If you're a new rider, you may be thinking about giving the Harley-Davidson Road King a try. But if you're shopping for a recent model, you may have discovered the selection isn't what you'd hoped. Fortunately, it looks as though Harley is bringing the Road King back for 2027, though it won't return exactly as it left the lineup. This new model will be called the Road King ST.

Initially reported by Motorcycle, the new Road King ST might be in the same performance class as the Road Glide ST and Street Glide ST; the "ST" likely stands for Sport Touring, a designation used for Harley's more performance-oriented touring models. While the Road King itself isn't yet featured on the company's official website, there were apparently new accessory landing pages created for the bike, meaning details like price, styling, and available equipment are unknown as of this writing.

The last true production of the Road King came in 2022, while the Road King Special was available through 2025. The standard Road King offered a windshield and saddlebags, while the Special had a more stripped-down custom appearance. If the new Road King is indeed a Touring edition, it's possible that it will use Harley's Milwaukee-Eight 117 engine like other Touring models. But it's not yet known if the new bike will feature the liquid-cooled cylinder heads found on the current Road Glide and Street Glide.

Harley-Davidson didn't explain why it stopped production of the Road King in 2022, though it was likely tied to other company decisions dating back to 2020. That year, Harley reported a $92 million second-quarter loss as motorcycle sales fell 27% worldwide. In response, the company said it was going to streamline its models by around 30%, with then-CEO Jochen Zeitz saying that Harley's product lineup had become far too complex.

Though the Road King name continued on with the Road King Special, the model became less distinct in Harley-Davidson's touring lineup. The Street Glide and Road Glide had become more prominent Touring models, offering larger Milwaukee-Eight 117 engines and features like built-in infotainment. The stripped-down Road King Special didn't have these features, and as Harley's Softail family was improved, it also gave riders another option for a comfortable motorcycle. This may have made the Road King a less essential part of Harley's lineup.

That said, the Road King Special did have its own unique character, making it a very different bike compared to the original. Harley moved away from chrome in favor of blacked-out styling, gave it a lower profile, and added a mini-ape handlebar for a tougher and more aggressive look. It also became the first Harley model to receive the Milwaukee-Eight engine in an all-black finish. The Special's design was also specifically connected with the custom bagger scene, perhaps showing that the Road King name was being updated for a changing market.