A Work In Progress
When you want something done just so, you almost always have to do it yourself. That way, you can take your time and things turn out just the way you want them.
That’s what Anthony Romero thought anyway when he decided it was time for a makeover of his 1998 Harley-Davidson Road King.
Romero, who live in Parker, made the decision to customize the bike himself, so he jumped in with both feet.
He had some help with the motor, which is now upgraded to a 95-inch big bore with a nice Andrews cam set up, giving this badass scooter plenty of shit-n-git. He kept the Harley carb since it seemed to work just fine with the Boom Can exhaust he decided to use. Not only does the bike look cool, but Romero’s pals are constantly amazed at how his ’98 keeps up with, or passes, their newer fuel injected bikes. There’s something to be said for a properly built Evo-powered motorcycle, that’s for sure.
When it came to styling the tin, Romero did it himself. He stretched and fabricated both the front and rear fenders to his liking. He also stretched and styled the tanks, and fabricated the hard bags, complete with cutouts to accommodate the larger than usual exhaust pipes.
The rear of the bike features Frenched lights and license plate mount, allowing for a smooth, uninterrupted curved surface on the back of the bike. Moving forward, Bitchn’ Stitchn’ created a custom seat and passenger pad that is both comfortable and fits perfectly with the theme of the bike.
Battistini cheese grater foot platforms, pegs and hand grips styled by Arlen Ness create a nice alternative to more traditional styling, and the Paul Yaffee Monkey Bars give this bike an aggressive, badass look.
One of the hidden elements of the bike is the Arnott Air System suspension on both the front and rear of the bike. When lowered, this street prowler just looks plain tough. Naturally, he ride is smooth as glass.
The airbrush work, which really is the heart of the look of this homemade remake, was done by Siege. Artwork from the CD Nightmare by Avenge Seven Fold was the inspiration for the work on the bike. A series of skeletons grappling and winging a chain, which wraps all around the bike, along with some nice Gothic Cross work on one tank, presenting a menacing, but still cool-as-hell paint scheme that is sure to grab your attention and appreciation.
The best part of all this is that Romero says the bike isn’t finished yet. He still has a full front faring that is waiting to be installed.
“It has the same paint theme, and is really the heart of the whole idea,” He explained. “It looks great and really sets the tone for the theme with the chains and skeletons. I just need to find some time to put the faring on and finish things up.
Finished or not, this used to be Road King looks great as it is, but, we can’t wait to see it when Romero’s done with it. He’s been patient building it—it’s been an eight-month on-and-off hobby—so we can wait for him to mount that faring and wrap up the loose ends. In the mean time, this is still an awesome bike.
Our girl Char is awesome, too. We found this little hottie from Texas hard at work selling motor clothes at Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson, where she can be found most days when she’s not going to college or out making motorcycles look really good. It’s a good thing we got both Char and the scooter, ‘cause it’d be tough to choose between them.
