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This Harley-Davidson Road Glide Totally Nails It

Even though chrome bling is regarded by many as traditional and classy, it's incredibly easy to cross the very thin line between heritage looks and kitsch.
"Shark nose" H-D Road Glide 10 photos
Photo: Marcel Chiva
"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide"Shark nose" Harley-Davidson Road Glide
We've seen so many people missing this that it's not even funny. For reasons that still elude us, some Harley-Davidson machines (or maybe it's their owners) are very prone to abusing such add-ons, and they literally barge into kitsch territory.

However, here's one Road Glide that shows us how cool the very opposite of bling can be. If anything, it looks like this bike is devoid of ANY bling, stripped of all that was not essential for the ride, in terms of aesthetics.

Of course, some like the Road Glide, while others think it's a horrible-looking bike, but we guess that this particular one might bridge the gap between the two camps.

We're suckers for neat paint jobs that replicate the sheet metal and rivets that are a trademark of WWII planes or ships, and pretty much all armored gear. This Road Glide also comes in a spectacular satin navy that makes everything look better by proving a good contrasting background for the rest of the paint scheme.

The black custom saddle and the all-round matte black paint on the frame, engine, cases, and all the metal pieces that used to be shiny enhance the sober and somewhat menacing looks of the Road Glide.

Funny thing how the shark teeth graphics and the front end that's slightly leaning forward make us think about certain BMWs in the '80s. They were also referred to as "shark nose" because of the strong resemblance to the sea predator.

Such painting schemes were quite common in the Second World War and even after it, and most of them looked cool then and are equally alluring these days.

Not sure about that CSA thing, though. Putting the CSA acronym and military theme together leads us to the Confederate States Army... which has nothing to do with WWII planes. Anyone can shed some more light on this, please?
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