Photo: Bundnerbike
I’ve said it time and again: reckless, abundant use of gold or golden paint and decorations on most vehicles makes said machines, at least to these eyes, look bling and therefore cheap. Which is probably the opposite effect of what its makers intended in the first place.
There are instances though when gold or golden hues may fit a project just right, and there’s no other type of vehicle we can think of better suited for this approach than chicano-style motorcycles.
Having emerged in the U.S. back in the 1940s, this customization approach is both a nod to the Mexican-American way of life and a testimony of what talented custom builders can come up with when they put their minds to it.
There are several defining traits these builds usually have. They are very close to the ground, lowered in such a manner as to make the imposing body parts usually fitted on them (especially the two fenders) stand out even more. Then, the front wheel is generally much larger than both the rear one and what we usually get on other modified bikes. Almost always the exhaust system ends in fishtail tailpipes, and last but not least the paintjobs are more often than not nothing less than works of art.
The bike we have here checks all those boxes. It’s called Venom, and was originally born a Harley-Davidson Softail. It now wears all the telltale signs of chicano builds, but also tons of gold paint on the fenders, fuel tank and panels, and it looks just right.
Responsible for the conversion is Swiss Bundnerbike, and the motorcycle is one of their more recent projects. Described by the crew as a “gold Mexican heritage poison dart,” whatever that means, the Softail was modified a lot beyond paint.
We’ll start with the wheels, which in this case are multi-spoke rims sized 23 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. They are both protected from the elements by large and styled fenders in sheet metal, properly painted and decorated.
The Venom still has Harley-Davidson grips and footpegs, albeit aftermarket ones, but the fuel tank, front and rear panels, and saddle are all of Bundnerbike make. LED light indicators have also been fitted.
The chassis has been modified a bit, although the exact changes made are not disclosed. The engine is the stock one, now gifted with a custom exhaust ending in fishtails, while stopping power is ensured by Bundnerbike-supplied hardware.
The few details the Swiss provide about the ride are not accompanied by any indication of how much it might have cost to build. One can even consider the Venom a one-off, because as the shop says “every customer is individual and the ideas should be implemented accordingly.”
Having emerged in the U.S. back in the 1940s, this customization approach is both a nod to the Mexican-American way of life and a testimony of what talented custom builders can come up with when they put their minds to it.
There are several defining traits these builds usually have. They are very close to the ground, lowered in such a manner as to make the imposing body parts usually fitted on them (especially the two fenders) stand out even more. Then, the front wheel is generally much larger than both the rear one and what we usually get on other modified bikes. Almost always the exhaust system ends in fishtail tailpipes, and last but not least the paintjobs are more often than not nothing less than works of art.
The bike we have here checks all those boxes. It’s called Venom, and was originally born a Harley-Davidson Softail. It now wears all the telltale signs of chicano builds, but also tons of gold paint on the fenders, fuel tank and panels, and it looks just right.
Responsible for the conversion is Swiss Bundnerbike, and the motorcycle is one of their more recent projects. Described by the crew as a “gold Mexican heritage poison dart,” whatever that means, the Softail was modified a lot beyond paint.
We’ll start with the wheels, which in this case are multi-spoke rims sized 23 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. They are both protected from the elements by large and styled fenders in sheet metal, properly painted and decorated.
The Venom still has Harley-Davidson grips and footpegs, albeit aftermarket ones, but the fuel tank, front and rear panels, and saddle are all of Bundnerbike make. LED light indicators have also been fitted.
The chassis has been modified a bit, although the exact changes made are not disclosed. The engine is the stock one, now gifted with a custom exhaust ending in fishtails, while stopping power is ensured by Bundnerbike-supplied hardware.
The few details the Swiss provide about the ride are not accompanied by any indication of how much it might have cost to build. One can even consider the Venom a one-off, because as the shop says “every customer is individual and the ideas should be implemented accordingly.”
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