One of the reasons Harley-Davidson Inc. has been so successful (it controls at least half of the large-displacement cruiser market) over the past 25 years is it keeps very close tabs on the tastes of its customers.

No other bike-maker has the same kind of relationship with the people that buy its products. The Harley Owners Group (HOG), for example, is a factory-sponsored enthusiasts club and has millions of members worldwide.

Many of the models in Harley's lineup -- Softail Deuce, Fat Boy and Dyna Wide Glide, to name a few -- have been inspired by owners' customization projects.

But there's more to it than that. Harley-Davidson also knows how to get maximum mileage out of an existing platform.

Take the Road King Custom (or FLHRS). Based on the long-running FLH touring series, the Road King Custom is essentially a police bike. With a few tweaks here and there, it shares a drive train, chassis and architecture with the FLH models, which include the Electra Glide, Road Glide and, of course, Road King Classic.

A few specs: Weighing in at about 325 kilograms, the RKC is powered by Harley's 1,450-cc, overhead valve, twin camshaft V-twin engine.

Out of the box, it pumps out about 65 horsepower and is mated to a five-speed transmission with belt final drive. You can choose from either a carburetor setup or electronic fuel injection. Prices start in the neighbourhood of $24,500 and there's a $1,000 price difference between the two versions.

My test bike had fuel injection, which provides an even, predictable power source, especially at high altitudes, where the carb models tend to run out of steam.

Although it has a surprisingly rough idle, once the RKC gets under way, it smoothes right out and is one of the more docile models in Harley's lineup.

Harley-Davidson redesigned the shift mechanism on all their big twins a couple of years back, and the RKC has one of the most precise shift patterns on the market. Like all Harleys, the power output of the Road King Custom is not prodigious, but does the job nicely. Plenty of take-off pop and reserve highway power.

Unlike most other FLH models, the Road King Custom has its key located on the tank console (which I like) and comes with a nicely contoured seat at least five centimetres lower than most of its stablemates. Seat height is a manageable 71 cm and, were it not for the overall girth of the bike, even us short guys could get both feet flat on the ground.

Dual front disc brakes and a single disc in the rear provide stopping power. The Road King Custom comes with alloy wheels, front crash bars and a pair of absolutely huge hard leather saddlebags with a clever push-button release mechanism hidden on the inside.

Although I like this bike on just about every level, I have one fairly major beef: The handlebars -- so-called "beach" bars -- are swept back and the grips are parallel with the bike's frame, instead of being perpendicular to it.

This has a couple of disadvantages.

First, on the highway, you have no purchase against the wind and need a grip of iron just to hold on. As the RKC has almost nothing in the way of a windscreen, this is a fairly major drawback. But most importantly, the wrist action when you twist the throttle is unnatural and actually gets painful over the long haul. (Can you say "carpal tunnel syndrome?")

They may look cool, but the handlebars on the Road King Custom are ergonomically out to lunch.

That said, this is an otherwise extremely comfortable motorcycle. In its stock form, it's designed for city riding and bar-hopping, but bolt on a windscreen, and you've got a fine touring bike. And the front-end treatment, with its locomotive-style headlight nacelle and stainless steel wind deflector (cool, but functionally useless) are poetry in motion if you're a Harley buff.

Like virtually all Harley-Davidson products, there's something about this bike that makes you feel like a king once you're in the saddle. Instant gratification and ego boost at its most naked.

And if the stock power plant doesn't provide you with enough, you can, for significant additional cost, install Harley's big bore kit, which ups power output by at least 20 per cent and is covered by factory warranty. (All Harley-Davidsons are now covered by a two-year warranty, incidentally.)

But I'd do something about those handlebars first.