The 6-Year-Old Harley-Davidson Bagger You Should Buy Used

There’s a reason the used motorcycle market keeps circling back to certain Harley-Davidson models year after year: some bikes simply don’t age. While the spectrum runs from full-dress touring rigs built for cross-country comfort to stripped-down cruisers with nothing to spare, baggers occupy a sweet spot in between — adding hard saddlebags and a windshield to a cruiser’s bones for occasional long-haul capability. But the Harley-Davidson bagger we’re examining here takes a different approach entirely, and it’s one that has aged remarkably well.

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It represents peak minimalism in the bagger world. Strip away the windshield, the pillion backrest, and virtually every modern electronic aid — traction control, ride modes, the works — and what you’re left with is a raw, purposeful machine that belongs to a rare breed known as the naked bagger. Only a handful of bikes wear that label: alongside this Harley, there’s one from Indian Motorcycle and a more recent entry from BMW. Here’s why the 2020 model of this particular Harley-Davidson remains one of the most compelling used buys in the segment today.

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Road King Special Holds Its Value Well

Used Price Range: $13,438 to $21,156

The Road King Special arrived in 2017 as a visually stripped-down, more powerful alternative to the popular Road King — swapping the standard 107 V-twin for a stronger 114. It was Harley’s first real stab at a factory-custom bagger, and the brand delivered something genuinely badass. One of the primary reasons the 2020 Road King Special stands out as a used buy is its timeless appeal.

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Even today, Harley-Davidson has not meaningfully updated the Road King Special. It’s essentially the same bike, refreshed only with new colorways each model year. The 2020 example, then, offers the same motorcycle for considerably less money. According to CycleTrader, a 2020 Road King Special carries an average used price of $13,438 to $21,156.

Its stripped-down, blacked-out aesthetic is a huge part of what makes it so striking. Comparing the Road King Special with the now-discontinued Road King makes clear why the Special has earned the unofficial title of “Street” King. It carries a more powerful Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin, sits lower and lighter, rolls on a 19-inch front wheel versus the Road King’s 18-incher, and ditches the windshield entirely.

That combination makes it a more capable corner carver and urban machine than a laid-back touring bike. Harley even fitted skid plates to the underside of the hard saddlebags to protect them when leaning hard through corners. As we said, “Street King” would have been a more fitting name.

Cool Design Features

• Wide blacked-out mini-ape handlebar
• A distinctive headlight nacelle, finished in black
• Slammed stance courtesy of a bigger 19-inch front wheel and smaller 18-inch rear wheel
• Five vibrant color options – Vivid Black, Barracuda Silver, River Rock Gray Denim, Billiard Burgundy, and Zephyr Blue/Black Sunglo
• Tank-mounted analog gauge with two cool “fuel cap” elements on either side

Why The 2020 Road King Special Offers More Value Than The 2025 MY

You Literally Get The Same Motorcycle For Up To $9,000 Cheaper

Harley-Davidson

The core reason this five-year-old Harley-Davidson bagger represents better value than the pricier 2025 model is simple: nothing has changed. Harley has not made a single mechanical or hardware update to the Road King Special in the intervening years. The most notable updates for the 2025 model year amount to new color options — and even those have been trimmed to just three choices, compared to the five available on the 2020 model. Do note that 2025 was the model year this motorcycle was produced.

2020 vs. 2025 Harley-Davidson Road King Special Engine Specs

The tried-and-tested Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-twin is unchanged as well, producing the same 95 horsepower and 122 pound-feet of torque it did back in 2020. On paper, it’s a compelling deal. That said, we strongly recommend reviewing the full service history of any used example and bringing along a trusted Harley-Davidson mechanic before committing to a used Road King Special.

Similar Hardware To The 2025 MY Road King Special

Harley-Davidson

The 2020 Road King Special’s chassis and running gear are identical to those found on the 2025 model. Even the tires are the same — Dunlop Harley-Davidson Series blackwall rubber. That continuity not only keeps the used 2020 Road King relevant but also simplifies servicing and parts sourcing. The mild-steel frame is suspended by 49 mm Showa DBV front forks and dual low-height rear shocks.

Brembo brakes with 300 mm discs at both ends handle stopping duties, with floating rotors up front and a fixed rotor at the rear. Both the 19-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels are cast aluminum units. One notable limitation: the rear shocks offer just 2.15 inches of travel — less than half of what its arch-rival from Indian Motorcycle provides. Expect a noticeably firm ride, particularly for a passenger.

2020 Harley-Davidson Road King Hardware Specs

Modern Technology Is Not The Road King Special’s Strong Suit

Just Two Standard Electronic Features On This Harley Bagger

Harley-Davidson

The Road King Special’s barebone philosophy extends to its technology suite. Whether you’re looking at the 2020 model or the last 2025 version, the Road King Special ships with just two standard safety features: an Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Linked Braking (ELB). Standard equipment also includes cruise control and a slip-and-assist clutch. The instrument cluster is equally spartan — a basic analog unit with no LCD or TFT display. However, a handful of options are available:

• Reflex Defensive Rider Systems (RDRS) — electronic brake control, chassis control, and powertrain technology to assist with braking, accelerating, and cornering.
• An alarm system that includes an immobilizer and a siren
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

The 2020 Harley-Davidson Had Only One Direct Rival

Only Indian Has An Answer to The Road King

The Road King Special has always occupied a category of its own. As a naked bagger, it belongs to an exclusive group — one that now also includes the BMW R 18 Roctane, which arrived in 2023. Back in 2020, however, the only true rival was the Indian Springfield Dark Horse. Launched in 2019 — two years after the Road King Special — the Dark Horse followed a similar philosophy: Indian took the standard Springfield and stripped it back, just as Harley had done with the Road King.

The standard Springfield leans more toward touring comfort. The Dark Horse sets itself apart with a larger, more powerful engine, blacked-out components throughout (including the engine and exhaust), and a minimal design that removes the large windshield. It also swaps the Springfield’s broad, low handlebar for a taller mid-rise unit.

Harley-Davidson Road King Special Vs Indian Springfield: Specs Compared

Sources: Harley-Davidson, Harley-Davidson Marketplace, CycleTrader, and Kelley Blue Book.