Blacked Out
Here at HOT BIKE, we get a lot of rides-Harleys, hogs, whatever you want to call them-submitted by our readers. Pick of the Pen is an opportunity to dedicate a few pages to our favorite reader-submitted bike each month. This month’s Pick of the Pen comes to us from Leonel Flores.

A sport bike buff since high school, Leonel Flores of Cerritos, California, grew up thinking that Harleys were for “old farts.” In fact, he believed he would never catch himself taking one for a spin. Never say never, as evidenced with Leonel’s ’06 Road Glide before you.

Leonel has been titling and registering vehicles for 10 years. “I take care of bikes for several bike builders like Jesse James and Matt Hotch, and many other companies and dealers needing my services,” Leonel said. “My first wild hog ride was Laughlin in 2004 with the crew of West Coast Choppers. I borrowed a chopper from a friend to go on this venture. The chopper was not built for comfort, but I was happy to have something to ride.”

On their way home from Laughlin, a friend offered to let Leonel ride his bagger just to try it out. “All I could say was wow,” Leonel said. “It was the most comfortable ride I’ve ever experienced. It was like putting handlebars on a lounge chair. The more I borrowed it to ride, the more I wanted one.”

In 2006, Leonel went to Los Angeles Harley-Davidson and bought himself this bike as a birthday present. “I figured it was time to treat myself to a ride that my wife would also appreciate,” Leonel said. As soon as he made the purchase, he was already on the phone to some of his clients to accessorize it. “My first call was to Performance Machine, and I upgraded my wheels, grips, floorboards, and brakes,” Leonel said. “This changed the whole look of the bike.” Then he swapped out the stock exhaust for a Pro pipe from Vance and Hines. “My third upgrade came from my friends at Hyevon Choppers in Whittier, CA. They took my little 88 and punched it out to a fire-breathing 106ci motor with a six-speed trans. They spared no expense on my bike with the Zipper’s computer and 54mm throttle body.”

When Laughlin 2006 came around, Leonel was ready for the ride out there on his Road Glide. “After that I did a run to Sturgis in 2007 with my good friends. It was the best trip yet.”