The bike’s streetfighter styling didn’t spring from a single mind, though; it was Matt’s interpretation of what his customer, Jason Ostrander, wanted. “At first Jason told me he just wanted a bagger that was clean and fast, but when we got down to business, I heard the real story. He wanted to make sure his bike was faster than his friend’s bike that I built a few months before. And it had to be black,” Matt said. Jason brought his ’05 Road Glide into the shop, eagerly awaiting a customized bagger that could smoke his buddy’s.

Matt has worked with Trask turbos on previous builds and planned to use one to hop-up Jason’s Twin Cam 88. “Superchargers are nice, but turbos use fewer moving parts and they’re easier to install,” Matt said. Before installing the power-adder, Matt switched the stock bump-sticks for a pair of Screamin’ Eagle 203 cams and then bolted the cam chest back together. He switched out a BAKER Drivetrain Direct Drive 6-speed transmission for the stock 5-speed and installed a heavier Barnett clutch spring to keep the clutch from slipping. On the right side of the bike, coiled like a chromed snake ready to attack, Matt secured a Trask Performance turbo system. “Most of my customers ride their bikes hard, but they rarely see any track time. Nick Trask, of Trask Performance, specifically tunes each turbo to produce the most power with each specific motor and cam set-up without losing reliability,” Matt said. In other words, Matt makes sure his bikes don’t require extra maintenance, they can make more power if a customer desires, but then it’s not quite a bolt-on affair because other drivetrain components need to be strengthened and upgraded, adding labor and cost. “We (Nick Trask and Matt Kraft) conservatively estimate that this bike is putting out about 115hp on a mostly stock motor. The turbo is only running on six pounds of boost. With a new set of pistons and a few other mods, it could make a lot more power,” Matt said.

Harley baggers typically handle well right off the showroom floor, but there’s always room for improvement. He removed the front forks and internally lowered them an inch and powder coated them in black before re-bolting them to the steering neck. He replaced the rear shocks with a set of adjustable Legend Air Suspensions units that can be pumped up to handle heavy loads for lengthy touring. The chassis’ rolling stock was replaced with Performance Machine Contrast Cut Torque wheels, using a 21” in the front and an 18” in the back. Upgrading the braking was a high priority with the extra power added by the turbo. Matt secured a dual 13” rotor with dual six-piston calipers to the front wheel and fastened a four-piston PM caliper in the rear.

Changing the bikes looks was a more extensive undertaking than modifying the motor. The first things Matt removed from the bike were the crash bars, then, he repositioned the fairing mounts and retained the fairing’s stock location. He picked up a Fat Katz fender, for the taller than stock 21” wheel, that he trimmed and fit to the front end. The stock rear fender was retained, but he repositioned the taillight and filled in many of the unused mounting holes. Matt built a pair of filler strips to occupy the space between the hard saddlebags and fender and relocated the turn signals underneath the bags. He custom made the gas tank that follows the lines of the bike’s other coverings better than the stock tank and completely eliminated the dash.

The bike was designed for on road speed and the no-nonsense approach was continued through the paint scheme. Matt had the bike painted black to match the frame with no graphics or logos to detract from the bike as a whole. Regardless of the fact that there are hundreds of manufacturers making aftermarket seats for baggers this one had to be custom made because the extended gas tank made it impossible to order one that would fit properly. Using the original seat pan as a starting point, Matt modified it to fit the bike and sent it to Bitch’n Stich’n for a black leather covering with a gel insert for added comfort. “Jason’s wife had no problem with him spending money on his bike, she just made it very clear that the passenger seat had to be comfortable,” Matt said.

Matt rounded out the bike with upgraded accessories that match the bike’s blacked-out coloring scheme. PM Contour mirrors crown both the black H-D switches and PM/Renthal grips. A custom-made license plate mount was fastened to the bottom of the left saddlebag to keep the rear fender’s lines clean, and blacked-out saddlebag hasps replaced the original chrome versions. The stock floorboards were exchanged for PM floorboards and foot controls as were the Lazer Star turn signals.

With its streamlined sheet metal and muscular drive train, the bike looks fast and can easily pull the front wheel off the ground, according to Matt. “It still sounds like a Harley at idle, but once it’s revved up it gets really exciting. There’s nothing like the sound of the turbo whine and the popping sound created by the waste-gate while shifting through the gears. I’ve had it up to 120mph, but the bike kept pulling,” Matt said.

It’s doubtful that The Motor Company will have a turbo-bagger for sale to the public anytime soon; thank goodness there are shops out there like Kraft Custom Cycles to sate the appetites of speed junkies everywhere.

 

 

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS
Bike Name:	Turbo Glide
Owner:	Jason Ostrander
Year/Make:	2005 H-D Road Glide
Fabrication/ Assembly:	Kraft Custom Cycles
Build time:	30-days
Engine:	H-D TC-88
Cases/ Flywheels:	H-D
Rods/Rods:	H-D
Cylinders/ Heads:	H-D
Cam:	H-D SE203
Ignition:	H-D
Carb:	H-D EFI/ Trask Performance Turbo
Pipes:	Trask Performance
Air Cleaner:	K&N
Transmission:	Baker DD6
Primary:	H-D
Clutch:	Barnett
Frame:	Stock H-D
Forks:	H-D
Rear Suspension:	Legend Air
Front Wheel:	3.5×21 Performance Machine
Rear Wheel:	4.25×18 Performance Machine
Front Tire:	120/70 Metzeler
Rear Tire:	160/60 Metzeler
Front Brakes:	Dual 6-piston PM/13″ rotors
Rear Brake:	PM 4-piston
Fuel Tank:	Kraft Custom Cycles
Oil Tank:	H-D
Fenders:	Kraft Custom Cycles
Handlebars/ Risers:	H-D
Headlight:	H-D
Taillight:	Lazer Star
Hand Controls:	H-D
Foot Controls:	Performance Machine
Electrical:	H-D
Painter:	Sonny Bonomo
Color:	Black
Molding:	Kraft Custom Cycles
Seat:	Bitch’n Stich’n
Special thanks to:	Nick Trask, Bitch’n Stich’n, and Sonny Bonomo