Gone in 30 Seconds | 2008 Road Glide
“Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.” Anybody who has been riding long enough has uttered these two words in succession especially after being cut off from a car or SUV. Then there’s the moment you realize that no matter how hard you brake, the inevitable is going to happen and you’re going to the hit pavement. This is exactly the scenario that Oscar Ramirez encountered on his 2008 Road Glide one afternoon while riding on the 15 freeway in California. “My Road Glide started from all the positive feedback I had been getting from a custom Street Glide I built earlier. I had a stock Road Glide and began to have Marco from IE Baggers trick it out with a 26-inch wheel and a wicked orange paint with candy leafing and patterns thanks to Danny D. You would have thought this story would end happily ever after…well, no! About three months ago, I was cut off by an SUV while riding in Riverside. There wasn’t enough time to stop, and I ran into the back of it! I remember seeing my bike lying on the third lane of the freeway. All my hard work was gone in a second, and I was off to the hospital.”
A crash like this might leave some to pick up the pieces (literally) and never ride again. Not for Oscar. To him, you can’t keep a good bike down, and soon after, he began to rebuild his Road Glide. “I decided to make my bike badder, bigger, and better,” he says. “The first thing I did was get rid of the 26-inch and go with a freshly cut 30-inch wheel. I had Marcos order the triple trees, and it was back to paint with Danny D.”
After only a few short months, the RG rose from the rubble and was back and better than ever. Only this time the Road Glide was riding dirty with a 30 and quickly regained its former glory as a street-ridden show bike. With a track record of road trips to Sturgis and back with speeds north of the century mark on his old 26-inch Street Glide, you can bet this big-wheel bagger won’t be surrendered to just garages and local bike shows. Oscar plans to ride his Glide everywhere and anywhere he goes. “Thanks again to Danny D. and Marcos,” he says. “It’s way better than before, and I couldn’t be happier. And to all the haters: No trailers and 115 all day! Catch me if you can!”
Model: Marisol Parra