Chris Eder leads a talented Misfits crew consisting of Chris Moos – chief imagineer, George Lowe – mechanic, and Shon Brammer – fabricator building a wide range of bikes over the years, but seems to have found its niche in custom baggers. And, they’re not just your typical big wheel bagger, but one with their own twist that’s actually a lot more than just a twist. They make their own stuff, real stuff not doo-dads, and make it from metal like an old time blacksmith who somehow smuggled things like a lathe, a mill, MIG and TIG welders, a plasma cutter, and an English Wheel back in time. Their machinery may be new, but their sensibilities are old and in reality they keep a steady eye on the future.

 

   The balls-out customized 2013 Harley-Davidson Street Glide you’re staring at called Acid Trip is a prime example of what they produce at their shop on a pretty damn frequent basis while still maintaining they’re one-off bikes that are made for riding first. Riding in style first is what I probably should have said, but it’s all about riding either way and that’s all that counts to me anyway. If an owner happens to garner a bunch of show trophies along the way like this bike did, that’s the cherry on top.

 

  Obviously, like any bagger worth its salt, the first thing I noticed was the wicked paint scheme which may just have something to do with the name Acid Trip, but I’m going to plead the Fifth on any knowledge that would let me understand that meaning. Suffice to say it’s an eye catcher, but that’s not the thing that really caught my eye. It was the raked-out neck to accommodate the gorgeous 30-inch Misfit Ardent front wheel. Installing a slip-fit neck kit while still retaining the Harley VIN is nothing radical anymore (aren’t we getting a bit jaded!) and most kits try their best to bring a bit of style to Harley’s wonderfully proletarian frame, but only smooth out a few wrinkles. Misfit’s frame neck service provides a complete, installed Misfit setup for 26- or 30 -inch wheels (with 32-inch kits probably to follow) including the correct trees. What caught my eye was the bit of delicately curvaceous style they threw into the mix that’s lacking in all the others I’ve encountered. It looks different straightaway. It certainly doesn’t look York assembly line in any way and that’s good for a change.

 

    In reality the whole bike is a cornucopia of Misfit parts and that’s not a bad thing. Hell, they make their own stuff so why not show it off? The bodywork is all Misfit and there’s a few surprising things going on there too. Instead of a plastic graft covering the rear of the bike, it’s all metal. Yes, metal in the form of real steel and whatever magic metal aluminum is. The pleasingly flamboyant direct-Harley-FL-bolt-on Misfit Brennivin rear fender is steel and the stylish, yet usable Brennivin bags are the other stuff. The finished product is strong to the touch and a great platform for a bazillion dollar bagger paintjob. Somehow I’ll never be able to look at composite rear bodywork the same after seeing this stuff.

 

   Same goes for the Misfit Streamline 180-degree front fender as Misfit seems to be heading away from composites in favor of metal. As of now, the Misfit Streamline tank stretch kit along with the flush-mounted gas cap Streamline dash is still a glue-on piece of bodywork, but at least it’s hand-laid fiberglass and not the product of a mindless chopper gun. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was metal in its future. The Street Glide-style fairing is still composite too, but that’s okay since that’s the way it left The Motor Company’s assembly line. Sometimes leaving well enough alone might be the right thing to do even to guys who hate stock. That doesn’t mean leaving it dead stock which they didn’t as any Street Glide owner can tell you in detail.

 

    Covering up the acres of bagger bodywork in paint is not for the fainthearted whether you’re the builder, painter, or owner as this is the make it or break it of decently-built baggers. For his paintwork, Misfit’s head misfit, Chris Eder, put the bodywork in the mail to a favorite airbrush talent of his, XecutionStyle in Elmer, New Jersey. That’s a long way from Addison, Texas, but the finished product certainly does speak for itself and possibly in Esperanto as its primary language. It’s trippy in an Esperanto kinda way.

 

   There are lots of other tasty Misfit pieces strewn around the bike like the Monarch series floorboards and foot controls. Or the Street Rage bars that fit the fairing like they were made for each other after meeting in a dating site. They just fit into the flow and feel of the Street Glide fairing without looking like an obvious add-on as a lot of crazy bagger apes do. Like every good bike design, it’s all about flow and this bike flows uninterrupted from end to end unless you fell like getting off and exploring the details along the way.

 

   There is one piece of Misfit part imagination that not only flows by itself, but helps the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle 120R engine flow all the spent junk of combustion into the atmosphere with extreme prejudice. Misfit refers to its Nasty Bastard 2-into-1 exhaust as “the sickest Harley exhaust pipes on the market” and if you’ve watched the video, you know what they’re talking about. Things change at the twist of the throttle until getting to the point where your ears might just start bleeding a little. Hey, a little blood never hurt anybody and it does sound nasty and not Janet Jackson nasty. Plus they look as beautifully nasty as they sound. Plus and a plus to Misfit.

 

   The boys at Misfit Industries took a big swing and got one over the fence, way over the fence. Acid Trip is a quality-looking piece that is a sweet, yet subtle knockout from any and every angle. Whether it’s the design, construction or parts, it’s another winner for the crew at Misfit Industries.

 

  For more info on Misfit Industries, click on https://www.misfitmade.com/ or check out their Facebook page.