Seeing something like this you know there’s a bit of a back story to it and it’s a good one. Originally built for a guy known only as Rick, it incorporated most of the stuff you see right here, but it had one major change and it was a worthwhile change as far as I’m concerned. Go ahead and guess what it is if you haven’t already. Here’s a hint, it’s probably the most important custom aspect of any motorcycle custom or otherwise. You are correct sir! That would be the paintjob but more on that later. 

  The build began with a box stock ’07 FLTR that got the usual slicing and dicing any big wheel bagger worthy of its name has had to undergo on its way to becoming an extreme bagger. The person behind the build, Derek Spitsnogle of Xotic Customs in Lincoln, Nebraska, is well known for many wild and crazy bagger builds and we’ve featured a few already on Barnett’s Magazine Online. For comparison’s sake and to see some wild Xotic Customs’ baggers click on The Goat Glide, a wild Road Glide built for Full Throttle Saloon’s MC, Gregg “The Goat” Cook, or check out the crazy Turbo Knucklehead bagger that knows no limits. All I can say is that Derek is not one to be afraid of pushing the limits while keeping the quality extraordinarily high. 

   After the necessary frame alterations were made it allowed room for a very reasonably sized 26-inch front wheel. I say reasonably sized as somehow the lovely contrast cut-style 26-incer just looks more proportionately correct to my eyes anyway than a seemingly much larger 30. A single custom rotor and a stock H-D caliper mounted on cleaned up forks now does the braking where there was once two. Xotic fitted their own very reasonably priced Taildragger Air Suspension Kit (both front and rear) to bring it down on the deck when parked or max pumped up five-inches for road work or whatever tickles your fancy. 

  As far as the rear wheel goes, it could be anything with that all-enveloping bagger bodywork. In cases like this I like to picture a very rusty wire wheel with cracked sidewall tires on it, but I doubt that’s true in this case. It could be a stock wheel (in very good shape!) for sure and who would care? What you can’t see is what you can’t see so why bother with a lot of added expense or even worry about it? You can’t see it. 

   The Road King’s black and chrome Twin Cam 96 engine fits into the whole that was intended for it and is complimented by a couple of cool add-ons. The Stage 1 kits on this engine is about as aggressive looking as you can get with a large chrome-mesh velocity stack hogging the top half with the massive slash cut 2-into-1 exhaust promising some more performance and a lot more sound. I’ve got a pretty good feeling that this bike would fail an EPA/DOT sound test, but it would definitely pass my approval test anytime. Bellowing along on a custom big wheel bagger is part and parcel of the extreme bagger experience. 

   One thing I do like a lot about Xotic’s bodywork is that the only  plastic composite used in the build is the TOL Motorcycles saddlebags. Everything else from the lovely tank stretch to the rear fender is made of steel and everybody, especially Derek, knows that steel is real. It might be easier and cheaper to glue on a fender or tank stretch, but that’s not the way Xotic rolls. Steel is king and the only way to modify a Road King. There’s just something about a rear fender covered in a composite covering that just doesn’t seem right. It’s like how on new cars they’re pumping a synthesized engine sound into the cockpit to make you think your engine really sounds good when it doesn’t. 

   The headlight area has been completely cleaned up and changed over to a custom nacelle that kinda reminds me of the famously classic droopy Sparto tail light that’s adorned many a rear fender and still does today. At first this nacelle style was a little shocking but now it’s grown on me and is comfortably familiar. Not so much when this bike was built four years ago and this piece was cutting edge. But, like the Sparto, it may have gotten older but it’s only gotten better. 

   A major point of this bike’s style comes directly from those custom apes that curve around sensuously and just look cool and usable with the chrome controls. Somewhat surprisingly although it could be a matter of economics or just plain practicality, the stock floor boards and foot controls remain in place. One of those things you can always do at any time, but after awhile you just don’t care anymore and that’s okay. They don’t look out of place and they work Harley-Davidson well. Plus you can always say you’re going to get to it is you feel a bit guilty and then forget about it on your next ride. 

 So, anyway, I mentioned at the beginning something about the paintjob and I guess this is where it gets explained. Originally the paintjob was somewhat the reverse colors of this one although nothing so glamorous or striking in hue. It was a lot of black with good –sized red scallops and it wasn’t bad, but kinda heavy and dull compared to this latest Xotic in-house paint job. The red candy heavy metalflake just literally explodes in the sun so much that it looks like it’s still wet. Much smaller than the original and now stain black, more aesthetically pleasing scallops lightly accent rather than dominate. Steve Gillette did the tasteful pinstriping that is thankfully not overdone like some you see. It’s the right blend of colors, paint scheme and pin striping that takes a four-year-old build right up to today’s levels. 

   So maybe the Road King’s owner Rick is onto something here. Instead of selling your older custom, just an occasional change of paint is all you need to keep things fresh. I know when I’ve changed paint my old bikes have always seemed new to me without doing another thing. Now all I gotta do is learn how to paint better and this could be a regular thing. Of course, when someone like Xotic Customs builds one of their fabulous baggers for you, it’s nice to know they can give you a new outlook on an old bike with a bit of imagination and a spray gun. 

  For more info on Xotic Customs, visit http://www.xoticcustoms.com/.