This isn’t really a custom bike feature as much as some philosophical meandering. Quick, click to another article if you want. You have been forewarned.
The first thing people ask is why “Carbon 42?”
First, Carbon is the element that forms the basis of life. Second, everyone who has ever read the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy knows, forty-two is the numeric answer to everything. So, am I saying an M8 Bagger is the answer to life? Yes, yeah, I am.
Well, no, not really… but often my bagger is my travelling monastery where I can contemplate in the silence and peace of a steady 75 mph wind. I’ve had the moments where I have left behind the fears of a small soul (money, fame, pleasure, power) cognizant that my life is not about me. I’ve had moments of incredible gratitude leaning into a gentle curve on a seventy-degree day. I’ve had moments where I can feel the souring great soul of being connected to all things and connected to the creative energy that formed the cosmos.
A bike is a particularly acceptable place to meditate on the irony that the truest freedom that I ever experience are the moments of my life that I am able to surrender myself entirely. Complete trust to participate in the divine drama. I did warn you about this article in the first paragraph.
Right around Covid I picked up a 2019 Electra Glide Standard and immediately did a stage 2 engine. I also did the best thing I have done to date on the bike which is the Suspension Technologies suspension, front and back, which takes the ride to another level. If I only could make one improvement to a motorcycle it would be a Suspension Technologies suspension.
When it was time to make the bike a ‘lil unique and I immediately thought of a bike painter named Matt, who is now in my phone as Matt the Bike Painter (910) 617-6685, MattLegwin@gmail.com. Matt always seems to have fresh ideas and he hit the bike with some very subtle orange carbon fiber in just a few places. I liked the bike enough to ride in that way for four years. Eventually, though it was time to step up the bike to make it a bit more custom.
I had a few objectives for this build:
I have a decades long history as a writer with long gone Horse Magazine which was always about personal involvement in the build and emphasized thought over credit card usage. I am amazed by builders who can fabricate incredible customs with a nearly unlimited budget. Big dollar bikes support the industry and put a lot of us to work. I love ‘em. However, I personally, am slightly more amazed at the bikes that are unique and built with somewhat of a budget in mind.
I feel comfortable with the handful of high-end parts I used on this project. And, I didn’t replace everything. Some OEM is cool to me.
The bags on the bike are not stretched, which I really like. It seems like we got to a point where every bag is stretched. These stock bags liberally look custom in a sea of stretched bags. Also, I rarely see people keep the stock taillight / turn signal but it is really clean and I kept those. It is almost impossible to find a bagger without lights filling in the open-air-gap between bags and the fender. Why? And, I LOVE the analog gauges. Sometimes orthodoxy is the only true revolution.
I do not recall seeing anyone doing engraving on an M8 engine, like some of the “’70s” customs. I know an incredible engraver named Yovko who lives in Bulgaria. His contact info is listed below. Yovko engraved the rocker boxes, primary cover, cam cover, gas cap and way cool exhaust tips for the S&S exhaust. The guy is amazing artist to work with and a prince of a human. Engraving can be a bit pricey but so can paint. I say give the M8 a li’ retro engraving.
I tried about 10 different seats until I rode a Le Pera Kick Flip. It is a very comfortable seat for me and they were able to cover it with a carbon fiber pattern and a color matched tag. Very cool.
In the end, it’s not a “theme” bike at all… but the bike has a smattering of the carbon fiber pattern with actual carbon fiber parts. The Hoffmann Designs FXR side covers and front fender are actual carbon fiber as is the S&S teardrop air-cleaner. There is paint that looks like carbon fiber (thanks Matt) on the dash, tank, bags and rear fender. The leather on Kick Flip seat has a carbon pattern, thank to La Pera.
The objective was “custom enough” and ridable… and I believe she is.
—-Edge
Engraver: Yovko Gospodinov, lucky_bastart@yahoo.com. Yovko lives in Bulgaria and shipping is a bit of an issue but honestly, not as bad as you would think. He is an amazing engraver.
