Custom painting a bagger is never easy, but this one kicks the difficulty factor up a notch. See, whenever you go to put pigment to a touring bike, it’s like painting a 3-D jigsaw puzzle with giant pieces. Unless you want the paint job to suck, the graphics in one part have to match up with the other painted pieces next to it. Since most of us don’t care much for ugly paint outside of a rat rod, making sure the puzzle pieces work well from the fenders to the tanks, covers, and bags is a pretty big deal. The crew at Harley-Davidson of Quantico understands how much an amazing paint scheme can really set off a bike, and so they went into this old-timey paint job armed with that knowledge.

Arthur Davidson and William S. Harley gettin’ tanked.

Don Kates

Harley-Davidson of Quantico is a franchised Harley dealership that builds around 75 custom bikes a year. With that kind of custom business coming in, they’re always looking for paint ideas. So when H-D of Quantico’s Ken Barner decided to build his 2017 Road Glide into a killer custom job, he contacted his go-to painter Brian Morgan and told him, “I want to raise the bar on this build.”

“Give me a few days,” Brian responded. “I have an idea.”

With Walter Davidson on the other side.

Don Kates

Time passed. Within a few days Brian called Ken and pitched him on the idea of “old-time historic paint job meets modern tech” Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Now by “old-time” I don’t mean a 1970s or 1960s retro chopper look. Think older than that. Like, pre-motorcycle level older. Got it in your head? Good. Now you’re in the ballpark of what Brian had in mind.

Racers were pretty cheeky back in the day.

Don Kates

Ken and the painters threw several ideas at each other with that overall theme in mind. They wanted to cover as much of the history as they could fit on one motorcycle. The bike in question being a bagger, there was a double-edged sword at work. On the one, dressers have more bodywork to work with, giving the paint shop the most canvas on which to cram all that art. On the other, like I talked about above, all of that paintwork had to fit beautifully with the other pieces of the sheet-metal puzzle.

Painters Brian Morgan and Danny Robledo did a tremendous job capturing the look and feel of Harley-Davidson’s early days.

Don Kates

It wasn’t easy and it took a long time. “There is roughly three months’ work just in the airbrushing on this bike,” Ken says. “Being a franchised Harley dealer we figured this bike would be perfect to display on the showroom floor. We are in a very historic area of Virginia.”

Harley-Davidson’s founders sit atop a Milwaukee-Eight motor. Famed H-D racers Ralph Hepburn and Shrimp Burns.

Don Kates

Harley-Davidson of Quantico’s rolling tribute to history.

Don Kates

Specifications

Spec Sheet

Bike Owner	Ken Barner
Shop Name	Harley-Davidson of Quantico
Shop Phone	(703) 221-3757
Shop website	harleydavidsonofquantico.com
Year/Make/Model	2017/Harley-Davidson/Road Glide Special
Fabrication	Harley-Davidson of Quantico
Assembly	Harley-Davidson of Quantico
Build Time	3 months

 

Engine

Year/Manufacturer	2017/Harley-Davidson
Type/Size	Twin Cam Stage 4/114 in.
Builder	Harley-Davidson of Quantico
Cases	H-D
Cylinders	H-D
Heads	H-D, CNC ported
Rocker Boxes	H-D
EFI/Carb	Screamin’ Eagle 62mm throttle body
Air Cleaner	Screamin’ Eagle heavy breather
Exhaust	Freedom Performance

 

Transmission

Year/Manufacturer/type	2017/H-D/6-speed
Case	H-D
Clutch	Screamin’ Eagle
Primary Drive	H-D

 

Frame

Year/Manufacturer	2017/H-D with MC bagger bolt-on rake kit
Rake	38°
Stretch	None

 

Suspension

Manufacturer Front	Dirty Air
Length	Stock
Triple Trees	MC Bagger
Manufacturer Rear	Dirty Air
Swingarm	H-D

 

Wheels, Tires, and Brakes

Manufacturer Front	RC Components
Height/Width	26 x 3 in.
Tire/Size	Metzeler 120/55/26
Caliper	H-D
Rotor	RC Components
Manufacturer Rear	RC Components
Height/Width	16 x 5.5 in.
Tire/Size	180/65/16
Caliper	H-D
Rotor	RC Components

 

Finish/Paint

Color	Dakota Bronze Mica
Painter	Brian Morgan at BKP Art
Graphics	Danny Robledo at BKP Art

 

Accessories

Front Fender	RC Components
Rear Fender	Top Shop Black Death
Fender Struts	H-D
Gas Tank & Cap	Top Shop Money Maker
Oil Tank	H-D
Handlebars	H-D
Hand Controls	H-D
Foot Controls	H-D
Footpegs	H-D
Headlight	H-D
Taillight	CVO
License Mount	Top Shop
Seat	James Carter Seats
Saddlebags	Top Shop Black Death
Saddlebag Latches	Top Shop billet
Audio	H-D Stage 2 Boom audio with Kicker 8-in. subwoofer mounted in Tour-Pak