Well, I’m back from my trip to WI and can report on the Road King we rented for 2 ½ days from a shop in Madison, WI. The dealer was great and service was excellent. Bike was ready and I was out the door within 20 minutes after my arrival. First about the ride….we linked up with friends and traveled over 500 miles in two days…..367 miles on day two. Traveled through the SW part of WI and traveled along the Mississippi River. We crossed the river into Iowa and traveled north so we could hit Minnesota too, making it a three state ride. Great route, beautiful scenery shared with good friends made for a great ride. Now about the Road King…..bottom line up front….I was pleasantly surprised at how well I settled into the Road King. No major complaints and I certainly will not trash talk HD. The bike was a nice ride albeit a bit small for me. Shifting was awkward as I had to reach back to catch the shifter. The bike had adequate power, but clearly did not have the low end torque I’m used to with the Road Star. As far as vibration goes, it was noticeable when the bike was idling and when I was driving at low speeds, but to be honest I thought the Road King had less vibration than the Road Star at cruising speeds. I loved the 6 speed transmission and wish Yamaha offered that option. I spent less time shifting and searching for the right gear when traveling in the 45 to 55 mph band…..something that can be a problem with the Road Star. So am I gonna trade? Nope. While I would be perfectly content to own either the Road King or Road Star, I believe the Road Star is a great bike and fits me better than the Road King. I especially like the low end torque and have to wonder if the Road King would have sufficient power to handle two up in the mountains where we live. If there was any doubt about trading my bike in for a Road King it evaporated as we walked out the door of the HD shop…..we saw the same bike we rented for sale with a sticker approaching $20K! Ouch!!!