Many of the custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles we see crossing our screens every day have been pulled out of production for so long that few of us still remember them in their stock form. Yet modified versions of most of these machines are timeless works of art, which can be ridden and admired long after their original breeds died out.
The very lucrative Softail range of Milwaukee bikes had many representatives over the years. Plenty of them are no longer being made, but still make the headlines as incredible custom projects put together by shops from all over the world.
Take the Night Train, for instance. Having arrived on the motorcycle scene in 1998, it was pulled by the American company in 2009. It was available mostly on markets outside the U.S. (more specifically Europe), so it’s kind of an exotic appearance for Americans. Especially when tweaked to create a model called Graphite.
The bike is the work not of some European custom shop, but of the Japanese from Bad Land. The earliest records we can find of it date back to 2017, so this isn’t exactly a brand-new custom. It is, however, timeless, and a perfect bike to revisit this spring Sunday.
As usual when it comes to the motorcycles it modifies, Bad Land seems to have cut no corners and spared no expense to transform the Night Train into something more impressive. And that’s more than visible in the way the lines of the bike flow, the materials and parts used, and of course, the paint sprayed all over it.
Photo: Bad Land
Starting from the ground up, we get Rick’s Motorcycles wheels sized 21 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear, with this one boasting a drive-side braking system. Both wheels are wrapped in Avon Cobra tires, with the front one held in the embrace of an SJP Engineering fork.
The Graphite is dressed in custom-made bodywork, including in the form of a front and rear fender, the fuel tank, and various covers. The headlight on the bike is unique to it, and so is the handlebar.
The engine of the Night Train is likely the stock one, with mention of what was made to it, aside from the fitting of a new, exclusive exhaust system. Elsewhere, Ken’s Factory supplied the turn signals, while Performance Machine is responsible for the foot controls and braking hardware for the front wheel. At the back, a custom seat is there to support the rider.
There is no mention as to where the Harley-Davidson Graphite lives its life now, and we have no indication of how much the custom cost to make. For reference, a used Harley-Davidson Night Train can go for as much as $15,000.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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