There are instances in the custom motorcycle industry when a Harley-Davidson is not modified just for the sake of it, but as a means to send a message or as a nod to whatever the bike’s owner holds dear. These instances don’t come along very often, but when they do, the results are pretty much spectacular. Just have a look at this Harley project called Trending Topic.
The bike was originally a 2007 Deuce, a type of Softail we no longer come across all that often, not even in the custom industry. It got remade at the hands of Spanish crew Lord Drake, and transformed not only into a bobber, but also into a corporate image for a fashion and accessories brand I must admit I had never heard of: Trending Topics.
That explains not only the choice of name for the bike post-conversion, but also the fact that it kind of looks like it is some sort of a business suit on wheels, with the black all over representing the suit itself, and the peanut fuel tank, sitting all alone and exposed up on the frame, the white shirt.
The visual modifications made to the Deuce are extensive, and go as far as making one believe the current bike has nothing to do with the original type of two-wheeler it began life as. Rugged and raw in appearance, it lost many of the body elements it had on, and received for all the others an overhaul that makes the end product quite extreme.
Up front we’re treated with a 21-inch, multi-spoke wheel that, unlike in a traditional bobber, it is shielded by a fender (a very small one, granted, but it’s there). Also very uncharacteristically for a bobber, there’s also a fairing wrapping around the headlight and a keel spoiler right behind the wheel.
Photo: Lord Drake
The tank we talked about earlier was originally that of a Sportster, but now serves this custom bike, painted all white and with the Trending Topic’s brand logo, a hashtag, slapped onto its sides. Further back, there’s a floating seat with no springs, contributing to the rugged feel of the ride.
The rear end still sports the telltale solid disc Deuce wheel, only it now rests under a new fender and looks completely separated, visually, from the rest of the machine.
Mechanically, the Deuce was gifted with a modified suspension system at the front and a lowered one at the rear. The engine still is the original twin-cam, only it now breaths through a custom exhaust system.
We don’t know how much the Harley-Davidson Trending Topic cost to make, or what happened to it after it was first presented several years ago. According to Lord Drake, though, it still is the... trending topic of every event it attends.
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
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News