Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King (2012-2016, Twin Cam 103)
This is the maintenance schedule and service intervals for the 2012-2016 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King, based on the Twin Cam 103 motor, including the High-Output Twin Cam 103 produced from 2014 to 2016.
The Harley-Davidson Road King is a stripped-back bagger / cruiser that Harley-Davidson has been making since 1995. It’s unquestionably a long-distance bike, but without the svelte baggage and bat wing fairing of other more obvious cruisers from Harley-Davidson.
The 2012-2016 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King is based on the Twin Cam 103 motor. It’s a 1690 cc air/oil-cooled V-twin with fuel injection and electronic throttle control. Even though the 103 Twin Cam update was not considered a major update, Harley-Davidson did significantly revise their maintenance schedule, so we’ve separated this range out.
The final drive is via a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission and a drive belt.
The 2017 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King‘s motor was upgraded to that of the Milwaukee-Eight.
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Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King (Twin Cam) Service Intervals
As with many Harley-Davidsons, the service intervals for the FLHR Road King between 2012-2016 is 5000 miles / 8000 km between oil and filter changes.
At every service, also carry out a list of maintenance inspection items, including checking for leaks, condition of components, and lubrication.
Also make sure you keep the drive belt correctly tensioned, checking it for condition.
Replace the primary chaincase lubricant every 10000 miles / 16000 km, and the transmission lubricant every 20000 miles / 32000 km.
There are some longer-term maintenance items, like changing the fuel filter and the spark plugs. See the schedule below for more details.
Maintenance schedule for the 2012-2016 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King (Twin Cam 103)
Below is the maintenance schedule for the FLHR Road King with the 103 engine.
This includes the update in 2014 for the High Power Twin Cam 103 that came as a result of the Project Rushmore updates.. Those manuals have the same maintenance schedule.
For engine oil, chaincase lubricant, and transmission lubricant, Harley-Davidson has a swathe of recommendations, but recommends Screamin’ Eagle SYN3 Synthetic 20W50 oil for all of them. You can also use Castrol V-Twin 20W50, a high-quality, easier-to-obtain, and cheaper alternative.
Maintenance Schedule
Below is the maintenance schedule. Notes:
- Follow the earlier of time-based or distance-based service intervals
- Keep following this schedule in the pattern shown (every 5000 miles / 8000 km) beyond the end of it, repeating infrequent items (e.g. changing transmission lubricant every 20000 miles / 32000 km)
| mi x 1000 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km x 1000 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 32 | 40 | 48 | Every |
| Inspection checklist (see below) – Perform | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year (some items) |
| Engine oil – Replace (Castrol V-Twin 20W50) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year |
| Oil filter – Replace | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Primary chaincase lubricant – Replace (Castrol V-Twin 20W50) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | More often if riding in severe conditions. | |||
| Transmission lubricant (Castrol V-Twin 20W50) | ✓ | More often if riding in severe conditions. | |||||
| Air cleaner filter – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | More often if riding in severe conditions. |
| Spark plugs – Replace | ✓ | 2 years | |||||
| (Spoked rims) Spoke tightness (front and rear) – Check / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | More often if riding in severe conditions. | ||||
| Front brake and hydraulic clutch (if fitted) reservoir screws – Check / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Hand control fastener switch housing screw torque – Check / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Clutch lever handlebar clamp screw torque – Check / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Master cylinder clamp screw torque – Check / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Steering head bearings – Lubricate | ✓ | ||||||
| Windshield bushings – Inspect | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Brake fluid – Replace (use DOT 4 fluid) | 2 years | ||||||
| Right front engine mount end cap screw – Check torque / Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Engine mount to front crankcase screw – Check torque / tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| Front and rear axle nut torque – Tighten | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Year | |||
| 12 battery – Check battery, terminal torque, and clean connections. Lubricate with electrical contact lubricant | Year | ||||||
| Front forks – Rebuild | 50000 mi / 80000 km | ||||||
| Fuel filter – Replace | 100000 mi ( 161000 km) |
Inspection checklist
Below is the inspection checklist for the 2012-2016 FLHR Road King (with the Twin Cam 103 motor).
Do these items according to the schedule above, or more often if you want.
Some notes:
- Harley-Davidson introduced a hydraulic clutch with Project Rushmore updates from 2014 to 2016 on the Twin Cam Touring models, excluding the Road King. So use the “cable clutch” instructions below.
- There are more notes below on checking / servicing the drive belt.
| Harley Davidson Twin Cam 103 (Air Cooled) Inspection Checklist |
|---|
| Drive belt and sprockets – Inspect |
| Drive belt – Check / Adjust tension |
| Electrical equipment and switches – Check operation |
| Tire pressure and tread (front and rear) – Check Inspect / Change rear sprocket isolator when changing tire |
| Brake and clutch controls – Check / Adjust / Lubricate |
| Brake fluid level (front and rear) – Inspect (between levels in sight glass) Note: fluid level drops as pads wear |
| Brake fluid moisture content (front and rear) – Check Replace if over 3% |
| Hydraulic clutch models: Clutch fluid: Check fluid level (between levels in sight glass) |
| Hydraulic clutch models: Clutch fluid moisture content – Check Replace if over 3% |
| Cable clutch models: Clutch cable – adjust and check for contact or abrasion. Lubricate cable. Use Harley-Davidson lubricant |
| Oil cooler – Clean |
| Oil and brake lines – Inspect |
| Air suspension (if equipped): Check pressure, operation, and leakage |
| Suspension – Check smooth operation, no leaks |
| Jiffy stand – Inspect / Lubricate |
| Exhaust system, fasteners, and shields – Inspect for leaks, cracks, missing fasteners |
| Fuel door hinge and latch – Lubricate |
| Component and system function – Road test |
Belt Tension Check / Adjustment
To check the belt tension on your FLHR Road King, follow the procedure below.
You need a belt tension tool and a ruler.
- Put the motorcycle in neutral on its stand, with the rear wheel on the ground, and nothing in the saddlebags.
- Push up on the middle of the bottom half of the belt until the belt tension gauge registers 10 lb (4.5 kg) of pressure.
- Use the ruler to measure belt tension
Target belt tension for the FLHR or FLHRC Road King / Classic: 3/18-9/16 in / 9.5-14.3 mm
If the belt tension is out of spec, you can either adjust it yourself if you’re familiar with how, or take it to a dealer.
Wheel / Tire Size
The FLHR Road King ships with Dunlop bias blackwall tires, custom made for Harley-Davidson.
The FLHR runs slightly different tires to the FLHRC Road King Classic, which runs a 16-inch front end tire.
| Wheel | Tire size | Tire pressure (cold) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | FLHR: 130/80B17 65H FLHRC: 130/90B16 67H | 36 psi / 248 kPa |
| Rear (all) | 180/65B16 81H | 40 psi / 276 kPa |
About the 2012-2016 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King (Twin Cam)
In 2009, Harley-Davidson significantly updated the Road King. They didn’t just put in a bigger motor (the Twin Cam 96 at the time), but also significantly updated the chassis and a few components to improve handling.
Of course, the motor was a significant improvement, and also brought with it relaxed service requirements. But the 2012 update with the Twin Cam 103 was a similar update — more displacement, more power and torque, and easier servicing of a few items. Everyone wins!
The Twin Cam 103 Harley-Davidson Road King is the same Road King that Harley-Davidson has been making since 1995, just with an ever-increasing amount of power and also improved handling.
The core of the 2012-2016 Twin Cam 103 Road King is the air-cooled Twin Cam 103 engine, a pushrod-operated engine with overhead valves, self-adjusting hydraulic lifters, and two valves per cylinder.
To get to the 103 c.i. displacement, Harley-Davidson increased the bore of the motor vs the 96. (Conversely, You might recall that to get to the 96, they creased the stroke over the 88.)
Otherwise, the Road King is still the bike you love. Despite its regal title, it’s not the most full-featured of the touring motorcycles that Harley-Davidson offers. It’s actually quite minimalistic, with a tank-mounted badge, windshield (rather than fairing), and – gasp – no sound system.
The FLHR Road King is otherwise a comfortable all-day bagger / tourer with floorboards, a cushy seat, and saddlebags for luggage.
In 2014, Harley-Davidson implemented a swathe of updates as part of its “Project Rushmore” updates. It didn’t get everything that the other more full-featured touring motorcycles got, but it did get a revised tune of the 103 motor, now called the High-Output Twin Cam 103, with a beefier 105 lb-ft / 142 Nm at the same 3250 RPM.
The 2014 FLHR Road King also got air-adjustable rear suspension and a brighter dual halogen headlamp. But Harley-Davidson did not introduce the hydraulic clutch to the Road King, unlike other motorcycles in the Touring line.
Reference — Manuals for the 2012-2016 Harley-Davidson FLHR Road King
The above information came mainly from the maintenance section of the Harley-Davidson Touring manual, with specific adaptations for the Road King (for example, omitting the section about “coolant” — the Road King isn’t liquid-cooled).
We checked the manuals between various years in the 2012-2016 period. The schedule is the same, other than changes for the hydraulic clutch, noted above.
You can see the manual for yourself online here (subscription required).
