Photo: Melk
For one reason or another (most likely on account of it being painted on the sides of American tanks and other combat gear during the Second World War) the single star symbol has come to be known the world over as a sign of the great U.S. of A's military.
Generally speaking though, Americans themselves seem to stay away from it for one reason or another on the items they use daily. That's why you rarely see one slapped from the factory floor on the body parts of a Harley-Davidson, for instance, despite Milwaukee being located more or less smack down in the middle of the country, and the bike maker a symbol of all things American.
You only have to take a look at this here customized Harley-Davidson Slim S to get a sense of how good a bike would look like donning the impressive sign. And we have the French from over at Melk to thank for opening our eyes to a world where vehicles could be rich in national symbols and easily get away with it.
The bike was originally a 2016 Softail Slim S, but thanks to its owner getting in touch with Melk, it was converted into something that could still impress crowds many years from now. The star I mentioned above, together with the Harley-Davidson initials and name spelled over the black tank, are the most visible changes made to the ride, but they're not by far the only ones.
The bike was significantly altered not only visually (something we're always used to in the world of custom motorcycles), but also mechanically, and a lot more than we get to witness on a daily basis.
Sure, the engine of the bike is still the 110ci one Harley slapped in there when it assembled the ride seven years ago, but it got treated to an S&S Stage II kit upgrade, custom mapping, and new breathing apparatus in the form of an S&S air filter and Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde silencers over the exhaust pipes.
The wheels seem to be still the wire ones the American bike maker initially installed, but they both now sit under revised fenders, wear Dunlop tires over their rims, and are backed by a Legend air suspension system.
A ton of other smaller yet important pieces of hardware (think stuff like handlebars, mirrors, turn signals, and shift pegs) have been replaced with aftermarket ones as well.
All the modifications made to the Slim are not something most people would have gone for, considering the cost of the build. In all, the changes made more or less doubled the value of the bike, bringing the total cost of the project to 34,990 euros. That's over $37,000 at today’s exchange rates.
You only have to take a look at this here customized Harley-Davidson Slim S to get a sense of how good a bike would look like donning the impressive sign. And we have the French from over at Melk to thank for opening our eyes to a world where vehicles could be rich in national symbols and easily get away with it.
The bike was originally a 2016 Softail Slim S, but thanks to its owner getting in touch with Melk, it was converted into something that could still impress crowds many years from now. The star I mentioned above, together with the Harley-Davidson initials and name spelled over the black tank, are the most visible changes made to the ride, but they're not by far the only ones.
The bike was significantly altered not only visually (something we're always used to in the world of custom motorcycles), but also mechanically, and a lot more than we get to witness on a daily basis.
Sure, the engine of the bike is still the 110ci one Harley slapped in there when it assembled the ride seven years ago, but it got treated to an S&S Stage II kit upgrade, custom mapping, and new breathing apparatus in the form of an S&S air filter and Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde silencers over the exhaust pipes.
The wheels seem to be still the wire ones the American bike maker initially installed, but they both now sit under revised fenders, wear Dunlop tires over their rims, and are backed by a Legend air suspension system.
A ton of other smaller yet important pieces of hardware (think stuff like handlebars, mirrors, turn signals, and shift pegs) have been replaced with aftermarket ones as well.
All the modifications made to the Slim are not something most people would have gone for, considering the cost of the build. In all, the changes made more or less doubled the value of the bike, bringing the total cost of the project to 34,990 euros. That's over $37,000 at today’s exchange rates.
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