Built by the crew at The Bike Exchange in Gastonia, North Carolina through their new custom division, BX Custom Designs, this FLTRX is actually a tribute bike (not a theme bike!) to the late Navy Seal sniper, Chris Kyle. Like Chris, it’s not over the top, but does its duty in a style that makes you respect what BX Custom Designs is all about. Solid, good looking custom baggers that will still look good years from now seems to be what they’re all about.

 

  Seems the idea of a camo bike had been tossed around at BXCD, but never got off the ground until a long time BXCD patron, Allen Burchell, got on board with the idea of a bike to honor Chris Kyle and all American veterans and let the boys have at it. To me, regular old camo stuff like you’d see on something like a 1974 Dodge Power Wagon is way past its sale date and maybe never should have gone on sale after the first one was done. It’s fine on military vehicles, but usually a bit boring (to say the least) on a car, truck, or motorcycle. It’s been done to death.

 

   Unlike Duck Dynasty’s life of camo, BXCD’s version of camo is something extremely different and about as delightfully subtle as you can get. Chris Fox of Fox Custom Designs also in Gastonia was called on to spray the black/gray camo (with a splash of red for a bit of pizzazz) paintjob. When I first looked at Jack Cofano’s photos, I figured this was either a wrap or one of those dipping things they do for camo, but I was dead wrong. Chris Fox provided a painted finish that’s the equivalent of camo for camo it’s so subtle. That is until you get up close and see all the detail work that went into this paintjob to make it so visually successful. It’s more Pagani Zonda R than an old

 camo’d out hunting truck.

 

   Work began with the rolling in of a 2015 Road Glide that was disassembled until there was a big ol’ pile of Harley parts where the Glide had once been. The frame was cut and appropriately raked out for installation of the 26-inch Performance Machine Dixon front wheel with its matching single rotor PM system. Out back, BXCD did the unusual and possibly unnecessary act of installing a matching 17-inch PM wheel where no one would ever see it again except for a mechanic. Still dipping in the PM parts bin, BXCD pulled out a PM chrome front end to cradle the snazzy red and polished/chromed front wheel. Things were beginning to gel.

 

   The 103 Twin Cam is a lovely engine for custom bagger use and other than the usual intake (PM) and exhaust mods (Cobra USA 2-into1) was left alone except for one thing ─ its appearance. Talk about a makeover! The spectacular blingfest final result is like looking at an engine out of a Ferrari. The detailing is over the top but in a delightfully mechanical way with the touch of Roland Sands’ engine covers anywhere you look. I’ve got to give it to Roland as his cover designs look good on any Harley especially when they’re appropriately finished for the job like on Asphalt Assassin. The engine compartment is anything but camo’d out and I couldn’t be happier with BXCD’s choice.

 

  Bodywork consists of a TOL Designs stretched body kit that brings on the bagger drama without resorting to motor cycling’s version of over-acting. There’s just enough custom bagger showboating without looking like some sort of ridiculous two-wheeled parade float. The Cycle Sounds speaker lid equipped bags look like bags albeit very stylistically flowing versions of Harley’s original design and the same goes for the fender. Too many baggers are starting to look like giant scooters or even worse, Honda’s Pacific Coast, with their extravagantly designed one-piece rear ends. Not so with Asphalt Assassin that just looks like a tasteful lead sled in comparison.

 

  The brand new Road Glide fairing was just too stylistically new and good looking to send to the used parts bin and I gotta agree that BXCD made the right decision on that issue. The new look has been changed up a bit with a Dirty Bird Concepts high-flow paintable windscreen for the 2015 Road Glide. It’s just enough to change things up without really changing too much. I don’t have the slightest idea if it’s any good as a windshield or even if I like it or not, but it gives the bike a custom look and is not a make or break item as it’s changeable.

 

   Butch Watson of HighRollers Cycle Seats was tapped on the shoulder for another one of his masterpieces in leather. This time it’s his version of a quilted red-threaded seat that could be straight out of an exotic European supercar. Again, there’s a lot going on here, but it really is beautifully subtle and I’d kill to have it on my bike, but that’s another story. The chromed floorboards and foot controls play off nicely against the straight-angle mini apes for a rideable position as well as a custom look. High quality pieces everywhere you look.

 

  The whole crew at BX Custom Design had their hands in this custom bagger from start to finish, but it’s so cohesive of a design it looks like the work of one strong-minded individual with a strong sense of good taste. There’s not a bit out of place and yet it hasn’t lost its roadworthiness either. Getting to the point of “What’s not to like?” seems to be one of the strong points of anything to come out of BX Custom Designs and I look forward to their next build with extreme anticipation.

 

  For more on what the lads at BX Custom Design are up to visit their web site at http://thebikeexchange.net/ or check out their Facebook page.