Photo: X-Trem
"Caution. In case you are tired of boring Harley-Davidson, contact X-Trem immediately" – that’s the bold statement written on the rear fender of one extreme Road Glide born in the shop of a German custom builder by the name of X-Trem. A Road Glide that is, as far as we know, unique in the world of custom Harleys.
We’re used to seeing such custom two-wheelers made as a nod to various other things, from cars to, in some strange cases, racing circuits. From time to time, we even get some Harleys made as a nod to military aircraft. But never before have we come a cross a build made to honor the stealth F-177.
The Lockheed-made machine, F-117 Nighthawk by its full name, was the world’s first aircraft to be developed with stealth technology. That was in part the reason behind its strange and unique shape, with the faceted body and radar-absorbent flat sheets.
The plane first came to be in 1983, and was officially retired in 2008, but people have kept seeing it in the air sporadically since. Just about 64 of them were made, and despite being designed to be revolutionary and it fought its share of wars, it failed to impress people to such a degree as to make things in its honor.
The German guys from X-Trem are the exception, it seems, as they’ve turned a 2005 Road Glide into something they call Stealth Glide – and that’s written in bold letters on the sides of the fuel tank. A build process that, according to the shop, was completed “without regard to cost.”
The Harley two-wheeler was gifted with a wealth of custom bits, from the air suspension system to Lamborghini Grigio Reventon color that wraps around the body. A long list of bits comes from Roland Sands (the covers used throughout, brake cylinders), Carl Brouhard (heel-toe shift arm, brake arm), or Arlen Ness (the rear fender, air filter) – you can have a look at the full list of changes here.
What strikes the eye the most are the many F-117 throwbacks that are featured all over. The fuel tank, clearly marked as being such a thing, sports the airplane’s name on both sides, as well as the name of the build. Out back, where the exhaust tips are, it says “Beware of jetblast”.
"Danger Ejection Seat" is written under the saddle, as is "High Voltage". The USAF logos are neatly featured on the massive rear bags, and the shape of the F-117 is discreetly placed on the fairing up front.
As usual, X-Trem does not say exactly how much it spent putting this thing together.
The Lockheed-made machine, F-117 Nighthawk by its full name, was the world’s first aircraft to be developed with stealth technology. That was in part the reason behind its strange and unique shape, with the faceted body and radar-absorbent flat sheets.
The plane first came to be in 1983, and was officially retired in 2008, but people have kept seeing it in the air sporadically since. Just about 64 of them were made, and despite being designed to be revolutionary and it fought its share of wars, it failed to impress people to such a degree as to make things in its honor.
The German guys from X-Trem are the exception, it seems, as they’ve turned a 2005 Road Glide into something they call Stealth Glide – and that’s written in bold letters on the sides of the fuel tank. A build process that, according to the shop, was completed “without regard to cost.”
The Harley two-wheeler was gifted with a wealth of custom bits, from the air suspension system to Lamborghini Grigio Reventon color that wraps around the body. A long list of bits comes from Roland Sands (the covers used throughout, brake cylinders), Carl Brouhard (heel-toe shift arm, brake arm), or Arlen Ness (the rear fender, air filter) – you can have a look at the full list of changes here.
What strikes the eye the most are the many F-117 throwbacks that are featured all over. The fuel tank, clearly marked as being such a thing, sports the airplane’s name on both sides, as well as the name of the build. Out back, where the exhaust tips are, it says “Beware of jetblast”.
"Danger Ejection Seat" is written under the saddle, as is "High Voltage". The USAF logos are neatly featured on the massive rear bags, and the shape of the F-117 is discreetly placed on the fairing up front.
As usual, X-Trem does not say exactly how much it spent putting this thing together.
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