Photo: Bad Land
The name Kuga slapped onto a vehicle is obviously associated with American carmaker Ford. The compact crossover going by this name is a real trendsetter over in Europe, where it has been selling ever since 2008, despite not being the best product to roll off the Blue Oval's assembly lines.
Technically, the word doesn't mean anything specific, except perhaps in European countries Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia, where it stands for… plague - so we can safely say that Ford has dibs on it.
Or had, as from now on the name Kuga will be associated, at least in my head, with this Harley-Davidson monstrosity. It's a project presented not long ago, and meant to bring the good-old and defunct Night Rod model to new levels of badassery.
You only have to look at the front end of the thing to be convinced of that. The first vista that hits you is that of the large 23-inch wheel made in-house by Bad Land. It's not a type of wheel we haven't seen before, especially on full-blown choppers, but this size is rather rare when it comes to builds based on production motorcycles.
The thing is huge, compared to the tiny-by-comparison piece at the rear (that one is just 18 inches in diameter, but compensates with the 300 mm width). A girder-style fork holds the front wheel in place, while the same is done at the rear by means of a swingarm.
Then, as your eyes move up, you're faced by a dual headlight, with the pair of cylinders placed one above the other and pointing out like the barrels of some gun. These elements are unique, as they've been specifically made by Bad Land for this project.
The engine sitting in the frame is the original one, but made to look a bit better with the help of various covers and the installation of a custom exhaust system with dual pipes pointing upward.
The engine sips fuel from a custom tank, and turns it into motion by using a chain to spin the rear wheel. The bike makes the connection to the ground with the help of Avon Cobra tires, while stopping power is supplied by Brembo.
There are, of course, a lot of other things that went into the Kuga, but Bad Land does not mention them all. We are informed of things like the handlebar being Bad Land, the grips on its ends made by Ken's Factory, and the paint job handled by a third party.
The whereabouts of this radicalized Night Rod is not known, and a shroud of mystery floats over the thing's price as well. Just to give you an idea though, keep in mind a 2015 model-year bike of this kind sells used from around $12,000.
Or had, as from now on the name Kuga will be associated, at least in my head, with this Harley-Davidson monstrosity. It's a project presented not long ago, and meant to bring the good-old and defunct Night Rod model to new levels of badassery.
You only have to look at the front end of the thing to be convinced of that. The first vista that hits you is that of the large 23-inch wheel made in-house by Bad Land. It's not a type of wheel we haven't seen before, especially on full-blown choppers, but this size is rather rare when it comes to builds based on production motorcycles.
The thing is huge, compared to the tiny-by-comparison piece at the rear (that one is just 18 inches in diameter, but compensates with the 300 mm width). A girder-style fork holds the front wheel in place, while the same is done at the rear by means of a swingarm.
Then, as your eyes move up, you're faced by a dual headlight, with the pair of cylinders placed one above the other and pointing out like the barrels of some gun. These elements are unique, as they've been specifically made by Bad Land for this project.
The engine sitting in the frame is the original one, but made to look a bit better with the help of various covers and the installation of a custom exhaust system with dual pipes pointing upward.
The engine sips fuel from a custom tank, and turns it into motion by using a chain to spin the rear wheel. The bike makes the connection to the ground with the help of Avon Cobra tires, while stopping power is supplied by Brembo.
There are, of course, a lot of other things that went into the Kuga, but Bad Land does not mention them all. We are informed of things like the handlebar being Bad Land, the grips on its ends made by Ken's Factory, and the paint job handled by a third party.
The whereabouts of this radicalized Night Rod is not known, and a shroud of mystery floats over the thing's price as well. Just to give you an idea though, keep in mind a 2015 model-year bike of this kind sells used from around $12,000.
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