Harley-Davidson unveil ‘Highway King’ limited-edition
After 2021’s Electra Glide Revival and last year’s Low Rider El Diablo, the 2023 addition to Harley-Davidson’s annual Icons Motorcycle Collection has been announced, with the ‘Electra Glide Highway King’ unveiled in May and available to order now.
Continuing the Icons Motorcycle Collection mantra of offering fresh interpretations of a classic Harley-Davidson motorcycle on a current platform, the Electra Glide Highway King takes inspiration from Harley’s FL models of the past, specifically the 1968 FLH Electra Glide
Back then, an Electra Glide could be accessorised with a ‘King of the Highway’ package that include a windshield, engine guards, luggage rack over the rear mudguard and fibreglass saddlebags.
“In its day, this was a really deluxe motorcycle,” said Brad Richards, Harley-Davidson Vice President of Design and Creative Director.
The New King
Based on the Ultra Limited in Harley’s current Grand America Touring range, the Electra Glide Highway King uses the same single-spar Touring frame with a rigid backbone design, while the Milwaukee-Eight 114 engine is standard. Producing 69kW and 159Nm, this 1868cc v-twin is matched to a six-speed Cruise Drive transmission with belt final drive.
Suspension consists of 49mm dual bending valve forks up front and premium concealed dual shock rear with easy, tool-less hydraulic preload adjustment, while the brakes are 320mm discs with four-piston calipers front and rear.
Differences from the current models in the Grand American Touring family start with the wheels, which are traditional wire-spoke type (in 16-inch size) to suit the Highway King’s retro aesthetic. Along with the Highway King, the Softail Heritage Classic is the only other model across the entire 2023 Harley-Davidson range to offer wire-spoke wheels.
Tech remains modern, though, with cornering-enhanced ABS, linked braking, traction control, drag torque slip control and vehicle hold control all standard as part of Harley’s Cornering Rider Safety Enhancements.
Dimensionally, the Electra Glide Highway King measures 2395mm long, with a 790mm seat height, 120mm ground clearance, 22.7-litre fuel capacity and wet weight of 385kg. That compares to 330kg for the MY23 Heritage Classic and 416kg for this year’s version of the Ultra Limited, both of which also run the Milwaukee-Eight 114, but the latter model comes with more touring-ready equipment as standard.
King Style
Defining the Electra Glide Highway King are several retro-inspired features, like a sprung solo saddle, windshield, an abundance of chrome, whitewall tyres and the aforementioned wire-spoke wheels, as well as two colour options – Hi-Fi Orange and Hi-Fi Magenta. While 1,000 units of the Highway King will be produced in Hi-Fi Orange, only 750 will come in Hi-Fi Magenta and this latter colour will not be available in Australia or New Zealand.
With both colour options, paint is applied to the fuel tank, mudguards and sidecovers, while the saddlebags are finished in Birch White. On the fuel tank, a contrast panel in Black Denim is edged with Birch White pinstripes, with a retro-look badge in the style of that on the '68 FLH fitted. The tank's console adds an Icons Motorcycle Collection graphic and each bike’s individual build number (of 1,000 for Hi-Fi Orange and of 750 for Hi-Fi Magenta).
The detachable windshield gets a tint in the respective orange/magenta on its lower section, while the solo saddle is finished in white with a black top and chrome rail at the rear. This seat has its own coil spring and shock absorber that’s adjustable to suit individual rider preference.
“The colours we’ve selected for the Highway King are reminiscent of the original colour options offered in 1968,” Richards explained. “We carefully matched each colour in the lower section of the windshield.
“In 1968, the accessory fibreglass saddlebags were only offered in white, so we’ve done the same in 2023. The result is a thoroughly modern motorcycle that looks unapologetically old school.”
Finishing touches include chrome rails for the saddlebags and front mudguard, a chrome skirt on the trailing edge of the front mudguard and a chromed finish on the Ventilator air filter cover. A classic Electra Glide script badge is also added to both sides of the front mudguard.
Limited Edition
The 2023 Electra Glide Highway King will only be offered in Hi-Fi Orange for the Australian and New Zealand markets, and although numbers for each have not been confirmed, it’s likely only a handful of the 1,000 to be built have been allocated for both local markets.
Pricing is $42,995 for Australia and NZ$45,995 for New Zealand. For availability and further details, see your Harley-Davidson dealer.
