But, that was not to be as the most plain vanilla 500cc single made out of half a Sportster 883 engine with bodywork completely made out of Surlyn, the same material that covers golf balls of all things. Even the lame colors were injected into the Surlyn instead of painted on so it looked more cheaply toy-like than the chunk of metal Harley-Davidson. Even the white tri-spoke...

  Lately there’s been a return to wholesome natural foods and it probably is a good thing although we’ve got to wait a generation or two to see if it’s actually true. I won’t be part of this social experiment as I like my food unnatural and my bikes the same way. All it took was one ride on a turbo’d Harley and I was sold on the wholesome goodness of excessive horsepower courtesy...

     Theme bikes are usually none of my business. Sometimes they just get too commercially blatant in a TV chopper and, while a company’s message may have been sent, no one wants to watch that commercial again. In the case of this bike, I have to admit I had no idea what “Bedlam” was other than a word that I figured had something to do with the painter using words for graphics....

     Hey, that’s all well and good I say and let them feel inadequate with their 30-inch wheel when the 34-incher finally lands as it supposedly is. For someone looking for a nice and completely rideable custom, the Softail is still the way to go. Bikes just like this one found parked in Pat Patterson’s Led Sled Customs space at Smoke Out 18 are not only way cool, but they attract...

    You bet it’s a beauty of an all-out, ground-up build for the Artistry In Iron Show a couple of years ago by Mark Shell and the crew at Bonneville Customs Inc. in Idaho Falls, Idaho. All I can think of after seeing this bike called Cherry Bomb is that Mark is a fan of the unique Japanese digger style and an admirer of Steam Punk. At least that’s the immediate feeling I get on...

       I think our feature bike falls into that last more-radically modified stocker category with its number of changes that tries to hide what it started it out as in the first place. Actually, whoever built this did a fine job because I’m not exactly sure from whence it came other than to say Dyna or Touring. From those two bases a lot of very different models have been built...

    Some styles like vintage Old School have never really gone away even at their worst time on the custom stage of life. I’d say the same goes for a style that makes you think Southern California and more specifically, L.A. the Lowrider. No, not the version Harley’s been selling for years, the Dyna Low Rider, but, well, you know, the lowrider. It’s more or less the two-wheeled...

     So, when I run into a sweet little Softail like this one captured at a rally by Barnett lens man Jack Cofano, my heart skips a beat or two. I don’t know who built this bike or why, but I do know I really love this bike’s glossy black badness especially with that power-thumping turbo hanging off the side of the Twin Cam B engine. This is one fine looking custom that makes me...

    So, whaddya think of my choice? For just riding around and enjoying life, this beautiful late model low rider looks like the perfect machine for grooving on winding tree-lined back roads. The apes would be great for catching some rays and getting some interesting goggle burns that’d I’d be sure to feel dumb about later, but who gives a (word replacement) “hoot?” There’s no...

    Built by Xtreme Machine in La Palma, California, as a showpiece/showcase of the products they offer for Harley-Davidsons of all types a few years ago, it still looks fresh to in-its-future eyes. It’s a clean, lean, mean machine that’s got it all going from looks to riding. Funny how a bike built regardless of trends seems to stand the test of time better than something you can...