Photo: Melk
Now here is something we don’t come across very often in our journey through a custom Harley-Davidson world filled with V-Rods and Sportsters: a 2009 Cross Bones, brought to a whole new level of visual piracy by a France-based shop called Melk.
If you’re not all that familiar with the Cross Bones, don’t fret. The thing was around for just three years, entering the Softail family in 2008 and leaving it in 2011. Its short stint on the production lines didn’t leave that much of a mark, but there are times when one worthy of a closer look does pop up on the custom market today.
This one is a 2009 model year, but it of course no longer looks stock, being ready to steal the attention of everyone around it thanks to the extensive changes made by said Melk.
These guys are first and foremost paint specialists, and that is more than obvious in the way the motorcycle presents itself. There are three shades of paint in there, all working to make the Cross Bones unique: Vivid Black, Gunship Gray and Burgundy. On top of that, the shop threw in gold and silver decorations on the fuel tank, and completed the look with shiny-orange LED lights.
There are alterations on this two-wheeler that go beyond the paint job though. Starting from closest to the ground, we get Metzeler tires wrapped around multi-spoke wheels, Performance Machine brakes, a 10-inch custom ape hanger, and Melk saddle, among others.
The stock engine was gifted with new breathing hardware for the air coming in and out, but also mapping, whose exact effects on the powerplant are not disclosed. Also not disclosed is the total price of the build (No. 25 in the shop's portfolio), but that’s something we’re used to from shops residing in Europe.
And in case you somehow missed the association, this French Cross Bones is meant to be a nod to the Harleys of the 1930s, more specifically the R 45 model.
This one is a 2009 model year, but it of course no longer looks stock, being ready to steal the attention of everyone around it thanks to the extensive changes made by said Melk.
These guys are first and foremost paint specialists, and that is more than obvious in the way the motorcycle presents itself. There are three shades of paint in there, all working to make the Cross Bones unique: Vivid Black, Gunship Gray and Burgundy. On top of that, the shop threw in gold and silver decorations on the fuel tank, and completed the look with shiny-orange LED lights.
There are alterations on this two-wheeler that go beyond the paint job though. Starting from closest to the ground, we get Metzeler tires wrapped around multi-spoke wheels, Performance Machine brakes, a 10-inch custom ape hanger, and Melk saddle, among others.
The stock engine was gifted with new breathing hardware for the air coming in and out, but also mapping, whose exact effects on the powerplant are not disclosed. Also not disclosed is the total price of the build (No. 25 in the shop's portfolio), but that’s something we’re used to from shops residing in Europe.
And in case you somehow missed the association, this French Cross Bones is meant to be a nod to the Harleys of the 1930s, more specifically the R 45 model.
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