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Harley-Davidson MBT King Looks Like a Barn Find From Afar, Is Anything But

There are probably better bikes playing in the Touring segment out there, but there is no doubt that when it introduced the Road King, Harley-Davidson had plans of making the motorcycle one of the pillars of its segment. And for the better part, it succeeded.
Harley-Davidson MBT King 21 photos
Photo: Thunderbike
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Described by its maker as a “stripped-down highway legend with classic chrome styling and modern touring performance,” the King is, like pretty much all the bikes made in Milwaukee, a perfect canvas for custom shops across the world, albeit used in significantly fewer numbers than its siblings from the cruiser family.

We found one of these Harley baggers, with a very barn find-look to it, all the way in Germany. It was made by local shop Thunderbike a while back, as usual, at the request of one of its customers.

Now, in this form, the road king is no longer only a stripped-down machine, but one that can be “seen from miles away.” That’s not necessarily due to some crazy bodywork modification, but thanks to the special coating applied on body elements, making it look old, scratched, and scraped, but kind of noble – for what it's worth, the paint job is the work of Hamburg-based Danny von Schrammwerk, a local legend when it comes to paints.

The special coating is applied on all the parts that could support it, from the front fender (a Thunderbike piece) to the rear bags. There are some 18 custom parts fitted on this bike, ranging from handlebars and turn signals to a bagger rake kit and a 340 mm brake disc.

The engine is the same one supplied with the bike by Harley, only slightly modified as to accommodate a new exhaust system made by Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde.

There is no official mention of the cost of the build, but quick math reveals some 5,500 euros (about $6,700) were spent on it, not including the exhaust system and the paint job.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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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.
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