To me anyway, purple is one of those dangerous colors that can make or break a paintjob. Use the wrong hue or maybe too much of it and it’s only satisfying to purple freaks of which there are quite a few of you out there. Many times I had people ask, “What Harleys have you got in purple?” That was the most important question, not what model or the cost, but was it available in...

    The 24-spokes burst from the hub dramatically upward creating an illusion of being taller than the actually are and accentuating their skinniness. It’s a busy design that doesn’t look busy. Accommodating those big hoops was a bit of work, though, including some major (for me anyway) frame mods like the raked-out stock XL frame and extended swingarm. Those two changes alone take...

  I did say I thought it was at least 37-yeqars just because of the hinged rear fender on the bike that was dropped after the 1980 model year. I also have a feeling that the owner stayed true to details even though this bike has been customized from tip to tip. The builder was also smart enough to make any changes easily reversible in case it had to be returned to stock. Man, I...

  Lexington, North Carolina, proclaims it’s “The Barbeque Capital of the World” and with 20-some BBQ joints in a city of only 18,000 people, they might be right. But, if the smoked meat purveyors don’t watch their backs it may soon also be “The Fat Motorcycle Tire Capital of the World” if Dave’s shop, Garwood Custom Cycles, has its way. Now that I think of it, maybe these two...

    I can’t say I’ve ever seen that on a Harley or any other bike I’ve ever seen and the closest we ever get to it is maybe wearing a T-shirt of another brand of bike we own, but there’s no passive/aggressive bragging going on. Motorcycle people just love motorcycles and a lot of Harley riders also own other brands besides the big H-D. We just don’t make a big deal about it like...

Justin Del Prado of DP Customs doesn’t mind budget being used in association with his shop’s mantra of building cool bikes that are affordable. To him, budget just means using imagination, skill, and patience to make a kick-ass bike that will not only make its new owner thrilled, but keep Justin’s passion for building one-off bikes as his day job. If DP Customs or Justin seems...

Joe Yezzi, owner of this sleek 1975 FLH called Low Lucy, harbors no ill will towards the AMF era and said, “I’m a traditionalist, I have an old soul. I like the OEM Old School stuff and I’m a big Shovel fan. I’d rather buy three Shovelheads than a new model. I got no problem putting AMF on the bike, it is what it is. People are now doing anything they can to get the old decals that...

  It’s pretty damn cool as far as I’m concerned, but still not quite cool enough for someone like Michelle who apparently doesn’t do stock. “My husband Dave and I originally bought the bike from my husband’s friend, Heath Bethel, for me to learn to ride on,” said Michelle. “When I got the bike, it still had a swing arm, but had been modified by Heath with lowered suspension, an H-D...

     To try and remedy this unbelievably terrible shot to your ego, you roll into your local Harley dealer and start loading it up with more chrome bits and then some more. But, other than a few people noticing the changes, you’re still rolling around and looking good as far as you’re concerned, but what happened to all the compliments and constant admiration you got used to that’s...

      And, just like him, they are seemingly destined for a long time at the top of the custom world anyway. Big wheel baggers were a phenomenon that I, along with many others, thought would have a short life span like the king himself, but it was the wrong conclusion. Custom big wheel baggers don’t seem to have a sell-by date anytime soon by the looks of how many baggers Barnett’s...