Motorcycles and their Riders: 2009 Harley-Davidson Road King ridden by Marc Ward
Ward & Maverick - Sep 28, 2009

Marc Ward has been a motorcycle rider for forty years. Today, Marc pilots a 2009 Harley-Davidson Road King, but he started his motorcycling career, at age twelve, on a Honda Z50 mini-bike. In those days, Marc's father would load the mini-bike in the trunk of the car and take him to the trails to ride. From the beginning, Marc says he was hooked.

 

When Marc outgrew the Z50, he moved up to a Honda 150 street bike. The Honda 150 was not suitable for dirt riding, which Marc learned when the bike quit running on the sand hills of Casper Wyoming. The Honda 150 was traded on a new Kawasaki 125 Enduro F6. The Enduro was a great bike, and lasted through years of trail riding and motocross for Marc. For road racing, Marc rode a Honda 750.

 

Marc went on to graduate from Oklahoma State Tech with a degree in motorcycle repair. His first job was as a mechanic was at K & N Yamaha in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. With the fever fanned, Marc worked at several different shops, including Smokey's Honda, Action Cycles (a Kawakaki dealer), and Westby's Honda. During this period, Marc also owned several different brands of bikes including Yamaha, MotoGuzzi, Honda, and Kawasaki. After many years of being consumed by riding and working on motorcycles, Marc put motorcycling aside to attend to parenting and family responsibilities.

 

In 1999, with his children grown, Marc decided it was time to get back into motorcycling and purchased a new Honda Shadow, which he describes as a "nice bike, but not a Harley." Finally, in 2000, Marc purchased a Harley-Davidson; a new Heritage Softail that served him well for nine years.

 

                                   

At that same time, Marc began competing, and winning, multiple awards in motorcycle handling events at Harley Owner Group (HOG) rallies around the country. Upon learning of an annual precision riding competition in Denver, Marc began to practice precision riding techniques. He entered the contest and took second place. Marc will be competing again next year, and this time he intends to take first place.

 

As in all his endeavors, Marc continues to evolve to the top of the leaderboard, including his career as a marketing and sales professional. From his days with Matco Tools as a National Top 50 salesman, to his current position selling guitars; Marc excels.  He takes this competitive attitude and experience to his new passion of precision motorcycle riding. Marc says his first love is motorcycling. He likes to compete, and he intends to demonstrate his riding skills and knowledge, while training and coaching others.

 

                                    

It was precision riding that lead to the purchase of Marc's current ride; a 2009 Harley-Davidson Road King. Marc was looking for an agile Harley-Davidson; one that he could assert in competition riding. Marc states, "My obsession with precision riding led me directly to the Road King with its 21' turning radius and cornering and handling characteristics."

 

The H-D Road King comes with many standard features as noted below. Especially appealing to Marc, in addition to the color, are: the lean angle (31°/33°), removable Tour Pack, backrest, hard bags that provide excellent security. Marc has not customized the bike, except for the addition of Screamin' Eagle mufflers, because he "likes the customized look and feel from Harley-Davidson."

 

Road King (FLHR), in White Gold Pearl/Pewter Pearl

The 2009 Road King begins with the touring chassis based on a single-spar, rigid backbone frame that supports a load capacity of 70 pounds. The swingarm contributes significantly to the overall system. The engine-isolation system has been re-engineered to reduce engine and vehicle vibrations at idle speed.

 

The wheel-and-tire package is updated, with front wheel diameter increased to 17 inches from 16 inches while the width of the 16-inch rear wheel is increased to five inches from three inches. The Road King is equipped with a new Dunlop D407 Multi-Tread rear tire that offers up to 25 percent more rear-tire tread life. The wider rear wheel accommodates a 180/65-16 rear tire. The front tire is a 130/80-17. Front and rear suspension has been recalibrated to match the dynamics of the new chassis, wheels and tires.

 

Powertrain revisions include a new 2-1-2 exhaust system that reduces heat exposure to the rider and passenger, and a lower final drive ratio for improved acceleration performance. Rear styling is cleaner, with a wider fender and the elimination of the rear “hoop” over the fender.

 

 

Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS): Offered as a factory-installed option (but not included on the Marc’s Road King) on all 2009 Touring models, ABS is designed to help the rider maintain control during braking events, especially those that happen in less-than-optimal conditions. The components of the Harley-Davidson ABS have been designed and packaged to be virtually invisible, preserving the uncluttered styling of the area around the wheels. Unlike many motorcycle ABS, Harley-Davidson ABS is not a linked system, meaning the rider maintains full, independent control of both front and rear brakes.

 

Electronic Throttle Control: Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) replaces mechanical cables. All wiring from the throttle-grip sensor is routed through the handlebars. The ETC enables an easy upgrade to a cruise control system, and unclutters the handlebar area for cleaner styling.

 

Isolated Drive System: The Isolated Drive System compensator is now integrated into the rear wheel hub, eliminating the bolt-on bowl for a cleaner look. The Isolated Drive System reduces noise and vibration to the rider for improved ride quality under acceleration, shifting and cruising.

 

Harley-Davidson styling heritage meets long-range riding comfort in the Road King. The large, detachable windshield and hard-shell saddlebags make this a versatile motorcycle suitable for touring or commuting.

 

Classic styling touches include the chrome Hiawatha headlamp and clear-lens auxiliary passing lights, chrome engine covers, a deep-skirted FL front fender and white-stripe tires. The seat has been restyled for 2009 with chrome accents and a new low-mount license bracket locates the plate below the tail lamp, with new LED license plate illumination.

 

2009 FLHR Road King features (not included elsewhere in this article):

 

 

 

                                   

Marc loves this motorcycle and he rides it aggressively. Remember that lean angle mentioned earlier…Marc uses all of it! He expects the motorcycle to perform to his expectations. He is not willing to say how many miles he will put on the Road King. But, for now, he is very happy with it.

 

He does know that he plans to continue to hone his riding and handling skills by practicing several hours a week at a minimum, and by continuing to demonstrate precision riding techniques. To date, he has performed in Louisiana, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming, with great positive response from fellow riders.

 

Eventually, Marc hopes to create his own business to demonstrate, teach, and coach others on precision riding, while promoting safety. His goal is to perform and conduct instructional forums, full time, at various events around the country.

 

Marc says: “I love to ride!”