If the power was a bit surprising, the handling was even more of an eye-opener. Again, not having experienced a big power cruiser before, I expected slow-speed manoeuvres to be a major hassle with the threat of dropping the bike being constantly top-of-mind.

Despite its important weight, the Road King was fairly easy to operate.

Not so; as long as the Road King was under power, it was relatively easy to turn even at low speeds. (Naturally, you wouldn't want to push the Harley for any great length of time... unless steroids are a regular part of your diet.)

Harley goes hi-tech
While cruisers hardly match the definition of "cutting edge," Harley-Davidson has stepped up to the plate recently, making its bikes easier to ride and safer through the use of new technology. In addition to the fuel injection and throttle control improvements, the Road King features a 6-speed transmission, cruise control, ABS and brakes by noted experts Brembo.

While the 6-speed worked well once underway, I found neutral difficult to engage. There was no opportunity to test out the cruise control - in fact, unless I was riding across Saskatchewan, I question whether I would ever use cruise control on a motorcycle. The brakes seemed to work well, although the rear brake didn't provide a lot of stopping power; understandable given the sheer size of its task.

In other news, the Road King now features a 22.7-litre (6-gallon) fuel tank, up from the 18.9-litre (5-gallon) tank in last year's model. This serves to increase the riding range and - to further aid long-distance cruising - the leather seat has been redesigned for added comfort. Swinging a leg over the Road King, one thing is abundantly clear: The tank and seat are definitely large and it's a good idea to do some stretching before climbing aboard. (Seriously.)

Once underway, the riding position was upright and comfortable. The stretched-out positioning of the large foot boards takes some time to get accustomed to, but out on the road it's certainly great for fighting fatigue.

This big machine is now equipped with Brembo brakes.