10 Alternatives To The Cheapest Harley-Davidson Touring Motorcycle

The most affordable motorcycle in Harley-Davidson’s Grand Touring Range is the Road King Special. It’s an old-school-vibing bagger with standard, lockable hard-case saddlebags. The popular Milwaukee-Eight 114 V-Twin powers it, producing a substantial 120 pound-feet of torque. But at over $25,500, it is quite expensive. So, we embarked on a quest for affordable alternatives, yielding some vibrant touring motorcycles.

Harley’s arch-rival, Indian Motorcycle, offers two cool touring bikes at a more affordable price tag. Other cheap alternatives include comfortable, luxurious, and technologically advanced metric touring bikes from BMW, Honda, and Kawasaki. The most affordable entry on this list costs less than one-fourth of the Road King Special’s price tag, yet still stands tall for the insane value it offers.

2025 Harley-Davidson Road King Special Specs For Reference

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10

Honda Gold Wing 50th Anniversary Edition

Price: $25,200

This is a touring motorcycle that refuses to die. The Gold Wing has been around since 1975, and today, it is a symbol of luxury and capability in the metric touring bike segment. Its standout feature is the gigantic boxer-six engine and the distinctive chassis that holds this mill. The latter sits on an equally unique double-wishbone front suspension, a design typically reserved for high-performance cars.

Technology features are also notable, including an electronically adjustable windscreen, electronic releases for the lockable saddlebags, heated grips, and even an optional airbag (this is the only motorcycle to get one). While the price difference between this Honda and the Road King Special is marginal, you do get a lot more in terms of technology and other features.

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9

Indian Springfield Dark Horse

Price: $24,999

With more torque, less weight, and a cheaper price tag than the Harley-Davidson Road King Special, the Indian Springfield Dark Horse is a formidable rival. It exudes old-school charm and features mid-rise handlebars that provide the rider with a relaxed yet commanding posture. The all-black look gives it a badass appeal that makes the Road King Special look vanilla. This also neatly conceals cool technology features, such as remote locking for its saddlebags.

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8

Indian Chieftain

Price: $23,999

The Indian Chieftain has very similar specs to the H-D Road King Special. However, it also features added elements, such as a batwing fairing, for enhanced touring comfort. It oozes old-school charm, but the Chieftain is not devoid of modern features. Notable bits include ride modes, ride-by-wire throttle, and ABS. Cylinder deactivation technology, which helps keep the engine cool and improves fuel efficiency, is present, too.

Compared to the Road King Special, the Chief is marginally less powerful and heavier. However, these are minor shortcomings that we can overlook, as the price difference is approximately $2,000. The Indian Chieftain is also the most affordable American touring bike available for purchase in 2025.

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7

BMW K 1600 B

Price: $23,395

Often underappreciated, this BMW bagger is a desirable touring bike that poses as a balanced choice for long-distance touring. It swaps the obvious big twin for a smooth-revving inline-6 (the only production straight-six in a motorcycle today), which produces 160 horsepower and over 132 pound-feet of torque. That’s way more powerful than the H-D Road King Special.

This Bimmer is also lighter than the Harley, which should translate into better performance and handling characteristics. Technology features are loaded, making the Harley look like a relic. The K 1600 B comes standard with features such as a massive 10.25-inch TFT display, adaptive cornering lights, a tire pressure monitoring system, reverse assist, and heated grips and seats, among others.

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6

BMW R 18 B

Price: $20,735

This is the most affordable of BMW’s touring motorcycles from its Heritage line-up. Despite being just a few years old, the R 18 B puts forth a gorgeous balance of luxury, comfort, performance, and old-school appeal. The only other brands that have aced this are Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle. It features a unique boxer-twin engine, the largest of its kind in production motorcycles today. It looks cool and packs enough punch to be a worthy replacement for the more powerful H-D Road King Special. The Bimmer’s biggest perk here, compared to the Harley, is its over $5,000 price difference.

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5

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager

Price: $20,199

This metric touring bike is a homework done right. The Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Voyager draws significant inspiration from Harleys and Indians. It packs a big, shiny V-twin with over 100 pound-feet of torque. The design language is classic and gorgeous, featuring dual-tone paint jobs.

Comfort and practicality quotients are high, with the Voyager having standard lockable hardcase saddlebags and a top box with integrated pillion back and arm support. There’s an audio system with satellite radio and Navigation Audio Prompt Capability as well. At just over $20,000, the wholesome packaging this Kawasaki offers is impressive, which is why, despite its shortcomings, this Kawa is a steal deal with a $5,000 cheaper price tag.

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4

BMW R 1250 RT

Price: $19,995

This touring bike is often underestimated, as it doesn’t conform to the norms. The R 1250 RT is a luxury touring bike but with a sporty heart. Its 1,254 cc boxer-twin engine is shared with the R 1250 RS, the only sports bike in BMW’s arsenal to feature a boxer-twin engine. Features like variable valve timing help elevate its efficient and sporty side. With a gigantic 6.6-gallon fuel tank and close to 50 MPG, this Bimmer offers the highest riding range in this lot, with over 300 miles. The affordable R 1250 RT is undoubtedly a superior replacement to the Road King Special.

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3

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700 Vaquero

Price: $19,499

This is a bagger version of the full-dresser Voyager mentioned above. The Vaquero shares its underpinnings with the Voyager, but due to the absence of a top box and the added pillion comfort features, this metric touring bike loses a few pounds. While it is still heavier than the Harley-Davidson Road King, the Vaquero is significantly more affordable, with a price tag under $20,000. This Kawa is high on style, featuring a cool vented sharknose fairing, a custom smoked windscreen, and a variety of cool paint job options.

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2

Honda Rebel 1100T DCT

Price: $11,499

We know that comparing this Honda to the Harley-Davidson Road King is an apples-to-oranges face-off. But beyond the spec sheet, these two touring bikes cater to one purpose—cozy mile-munching. Yes, the Rebel 1100T doesn’t pack a big V-twin nor shiny chrome elements. But it does flaunt one feature that makes it superior to the Road King Special: the DCT gearbox. It is a dream come true for riders who want to tour in utmost comfort.

The scooter-like twist-and-go setup noticeably reduces riding fatigue. Additionally, with its versatile parallel-twin engine, the Rebel 1100T bagger boasts sufficient power to cruise at triple-digit speeds. Its lightweight packaging also offers nimble riding dynamics. The only drawback is its small fuel tank, which offers only 160 miles of riding range. However, the Rebel excels in urban conditions due to its compact form factor. Also, despite a price difference of over $14,000 and being from a much smaller segment, the Honda Rebel 1100T still makes the Road King Special sweat with its all-around ability.

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1

Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger

Price: $6,799

This is the most affordable touring bike here that we can wholeheartedly recommend as a worthy replacement for the Harley-Davidson Road King Special. It is not as powerful, nor does its street presence have as much charisma as the Harley. But the Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger packs a huge punch for under $7,000.

To start, this is the most affordable bagger available today, featuring standard hard-case lockable saddlebags with 19 liters of storage space. Then there’s its charming American-inspired design language, featuring a batwing fairing. Powering this peppy bagger is a 693 cc parallel-twin that produces just over 50 pound-feet of torque. Not earth-shattering, but with its low curb weight of 459 pounds, this engine is muscular enough for touring duties.

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