I don’t know if Robert Snipes, owner of Snipes Machine in Kershaw, South Carolina, and builder of this bagger is a purple freak or not, but I do know he’s a big wheel bagger freak. But, he uses his skills as a machinist and fabricator to always try to take a custom bagger to a different level. Snipes Machine has contributed to a number of Barnett’s articles like his Street Glide Named Trina or his 8 Ball In White Ultra or his Softail bagger and they’ve all been cool, but this one goes further. Once you see past that iridescent House of Kolor Shimrin Metallic basecoat called Pavo Purple (which is not easy to do as it keeps changing depending on how the light hits), there’s a whole lot more going on.

  For one, even though you might assume this is one of those 2016 Harley-Davidson baggers that gets trailered from a dealer directly to the customizer for a complete makeover no-expense-spared, this bike born as an Electra Glide Standard back in 2002. Hey, if you’re going to chuck everything anyway, why not start with an older model and possible save some bucks or have more bucks to spend on customizing? Freshening up and/or hopping up an older Twin Cam is much less than the cost difference of a new bike and if you end up with more power like this engine (it’s now a 114-incher) did, all’s the better. And, since you’re going to toss the stock brakes in the bin anyway, it’s more affordable to change over to something as whacky-cool as PM’s eye-catching dual-four piston Mega Brake grabbing a custom front-wheel-matching rotor. Nice stuff, not cheap, but nice.

   Or, take the body work, does any of it remind you of the base model of the 2002 fairing-equipped touring series? Hey, it doesn’t even a fairing to speak of anymore so it’s more in the spirit of Road King than Electra Glide except in serial number and that’s all that counts. Robert has gotten the stodgy out of the FLHT and replaced it with a lot of razzamatazz. Maybe you picked up on the curved single downtube that parallels the arc of the 30-inch Performance Machine Luxe wheel in a Contrast Cut Platinum finish ─ now that’s a bit of unexpected modification to go along with the necessary stretching and raking of the head tube to accommodate the big front hoop. There’s a whole lotta frame work going on before this thing even got going. 

  Not to be left out of the mix is all of the curvaceous bodywork that flows aft ending in a graceful application of a Tour Pak of all things. Somehow the slim Tour Pak ends up looking like some sort of bagger air foil more than a piece of luggage. I’m rarely a fan of Tour Paks, but it looks right here for reasons I can’t quite understand. It’s even kinda setup for a passenger too except I think a passenger might find themselves foot peg-challenged. Between the wicked hot rod exhaust and the wide frame covers that look like fairings for the saddlebags, there’s not a lot to land on without possibly doing damage to either the passenger or the paintjob.

   The rest of the body work is as sleek and tight as you’re going to find on a custom bagger these days with the tank melting into the seat and a headlight nacelle that’s Art Deco locomotive beautiful. Besides the Performance Machine bag latches, the reworked bags are simple, yet stunning with speaker-equipped lids that let you know there’s some high-tech audio hidden somewhere within. I’m not a two-wheel audio guy so I’ll just leave that aspect alone to those of you who consider it a must. I’m sure the more audio astute of you can look at it and know exactly what’s going on so why should I bother you with details I don’t know?

   Once more, Robert Snipes and the crew at Snipes Machine have turned out another custom bagger that’s cutting edge but with a twist. Besides all the well-thought features and eye-grabbing purple paint to top it off, underneath it’s a 14-year-old-bagger with a new lease on life. It’s not an old Electra Glide Standard anymore, it’s a pip of a custom that’s sure to be a hit on the show circuit or the street. This thoughtful approach delivers more custom bagger per dollar with no downsides that I can see. Hey, who wouldn’t like more for less? That’s not something you run into much anymore these days, but Snipes Machine has it all figured out and more power to them for figuring that out. 

  For more info on Snipes Machine, punch up http://www.snipesmachine.com/ or check ‘em out on Facebook or what have you.