Photo: Harley-Davidson
Good or bad, expensive or less so, Harleys are meant to be customized. Even the bike maker knows this and not only allows it, but also encourages such endeavors, including within its own ranks.
In April, a Harley custom motorcycle building competition ended, with a bike called Apex Predator taking the win. The competition, called King of Kings, was Harley’s way of rewarding its international dealers that build incredible bikes at times.
The Predator had to battle 14 other motorcycles from around the world to get the popular vote. The one here, called Sport Rod, is one of those 14. The motorcycle started life as a standard Forty-Eight, but was turned into something else by a Benelux dealer called Motor Saloon.
The shop went for an “impressive, dark and sleek hot rod” look, and the first step to achieve that was to lower the ride height and replace the standard tires with flatter ones. To fit better with the new stance, the mudguards too were modified and lowered.
The custom hardware that has been added includes the tank, taken from a Sportster Custom, the headlight visor, a chin spoiler and, of course, the dedicated saddle. The crew also fitted LED turn signals for maximum effect, but most importantly, the color scheme chosen for the bike – a combination of Vivid Black and Silver Denim - leaves no room for interpretation when it comes to what these guys were going for.
The engine of the motorcycle was left pretty much untouched, but some of the hardware it needs to breath properly has been improved: there’s now a new air filter and straight exhaust pipes.
The Sport Rod seen in the gallery above is street legal and it cost no more than €6,000 ($6,500) to make. Although there are no plans to turn it into a production Harley, you now know your local dealer could build something like this if it wanted to.
The Predator had to battle 14 other motorcycles from around the world to get the popular vote. The one here, called Sport Rod, is one of those 14. The motorcycle started life as a standard Forty-Eight, but was turned into something else by a Benelux dealer called Motor Saloon.
The shop went for an “impressive, dark and sleek hot rod” look, and the first step to achieve that was to lower the ride height and replace the standard tires with flatter ones. To fit better with the new stance, the mudguards too were modified and lowered.
The custom hardware that has been added includes the tank, taken from a Sportster Custom, the headlight visor, a chin spoiler and, of course, the dedicated saddle. The crew also fitted LED turn signals for maximum effect, but most importantly, the color scheme chosen for the bike – a combination of Vivid Black and Silver Denim - leaves no room for interpretation when it comes to what these guys were going for.
The engine of the motorcycle was left pretty much untouched, but some of the hardware it needs to breath properly has been improved: there’s now a new air filter and straight exhaust pipes.
The Sport Rod seen in the gallery above is street legal and it cost no more than €6,000 ($6,500) to make. Although there are no plans to turn it into a production Harley, you now know your local dealer could build something like this if it wanted to.
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