Dave Johnson is a genuine connoisseur of motorcycle rallies and events. After building a custom Ultra several years ago, Dave finally decided that he wanted to build a complete ground-up custom bagger that exhibited his style while still allowing him and Jan to ride to the rallies they had grown to love. With a loose plan in mind, Dave got together with the guys at Bad Dad to discuss the ideas for his 2007 Road Glide project.
Since Dave was planning to show the bike at every event to which he rides, Bad Dad started by completely stripping the bike down to the frame to so the frame and swing arm could be molded and smoothed out. It was important that the frame was made as smooth as possible because any flaws would be highlighted by the bike’s Kandy Tangerine paint work that would soon follow.
Dave wanted to build the best bike that he could so he used all of Bad Dad's top-of-the-line body panels. He set off the front end with a custom 23" wheel and complemented it with one of Bad Dad's 23" FL Fenders to maintain the Touring bike’s traditional, classic look. The right-side brake caliper was shaved off the bike, the front braking system upgraded to a single 6-piston caliper, and the front end was then chromed to show off the bike’s huge front wheel.
Since Dave had already chosen a very elaborate paint scheme, he needed more real estate for his custom artwork so the bike's gas tank was stretched with Bad Dad's Stretched Tank Shroud and the dash replaced with Bad Dad's Low Profile dash. The bike’s gas tank now flows smoothly into the Stretched Side Covers which provide even more room for Dave’s custom paint.
The Road Glide was cleaned up even further with a set of Bad Dad's Shaved Bags which feature Bad Dad’s patented hinge assembly for sliding open the custom lids. The rear end of Dave's bike was finished with one of Bad Dad's custom rear fenders where all of the bike’s taillights were flush mounted for a completely smooth look. Dave did not want the license plate to break the clean lines of the bike’s back end so Bad Dad's Automatic Hide-a-Plate was used to tuck the bike's plate inside the rear fender when the bike is turned off.
Dave also upgraded all of the accessories on his bike, including a set of Bad Dad’s Long Cut Floorboards, Brake Pedal, and Shifter Pegs. The custom floorboards were marbleized to match the bike’s paint scheme, and then the ridges of the boards were sanded smooth to provide the billet contrast. Dave also used a set of Bad Dad’s Long Strokes Exhaust Pipes to finish off the back end of the bike. These custom slip-on pipes extend just beyond the back edge of the Stretched Bags to show just the right amount of chrome out the rear of the bike.
Once all of the right pieces were in place, Dave’s Road Glide was rolled into Bad Dad’s spray booth where the entire bike was covered in House of Kolor’s Kandy Tangerine over an Orion Silver base. While the orange was used to really set off the bike, Dave wanted more detail shown in the paint so a marbleizing technique was used to add more character to the bike’s custom paint. A set of custom tribal graphics was then laid out from stem-to-stern.
Dave’s project was started with one purpose in mind: create an award winning bike that can be ridden anywhere. While his bike has only been finished for a few months, Dave’s Road Glide has already been awarded Best Paint at the 2011 Muskegon Bike Time and received a handful of other great awards. It looks like Dave’s bike has already achieved its purpose.
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You will find the complete Spec Sheet at the end of this story.
Spec Sheet
General
Owner- Dave Johnson
Shop- Bad Dad
Shop Phone- 260-407-2000
Website- www.baddad.com
Year/Make/Model- 2007 Road Glide
Fabrication- Bad Dad
Welding- Bad Dad
Assembly- Mike Goshert, Bad Dad
Build Time- 3 months Engine- Year/Type/Size- 2007 Harley-Davidson 96 cu in
Builder- HD
Cases- HD
Pistons- HD
Cylinders- HD
Heads- HD
Valves- HD
Rockers- HD
Rocker Boxes- HD
Pushrods- HD
Cams- HD
Lifters- HD
Throttle Body- HD
Carb- n/a
Air Cleaner- PickardUSA
EFI Controller- HD
Exhaust- Bad Dad Long Strokes
Oil Cooler- none Transmission- Year/Type- 2007 Harley-Davidson 6-speed
Case- HD
Gears- HD
Clutch- HD
Primary Drive- HD
Other Clutch/Tranny Mods- HD Frame Year/Type- 2007 Harley-Davidson FL
Rake- stock
Stretch- stock
Modifications - Molded Suspension- Front -
Manufacturer- Progressive
Length- 2” Lowering Kit
Triple Trees- Hawg Halters
Rear-
Swingarm- Stock
Shocks- Legends Air Ride
Stabilizer- none
| Wheels, Tires, and Brakes
Front-
Builder/Size- PickardUSA 23”
Tire/Size- Avon 130/60-23
Calipers- HHI 6-piston
Rotors- PickardUSA
Rear-
Builder/Size- PickardUSA 18”
Tire/Size- Avon 150/50-18
Caliper- HD
Rotor- PickardUSA
Pulley/Sprocket- PickardUSA Finish/Paint-
Manufacturer- House of Kolor
Colors- Kandy Tangerine over Orion Silver
Painter- Matt Anderson, Bad Dad
Graphics- Kevin Haire & Scal Graphix
Molding - Bad Dad
Plating/Polishing- none
Powdercoating- none Accessories
Front Fender- Bad Dad 23” Mo’ FL
Front Fender Spacers- Bad Dad
Rear Fender- Bad Dad Stretched Rear Fender
Rear Fender Fillers- Bad Dad
Gas Tank- Bad Dad Stretched Tank Shroud
Gas Tank Modifications- stretched
Dash- Bad Dad Low Profile Dash
Gauges - Dakota Digital
Handlebars- eBay
Grips- SMT
Risers- none
Mirrors-
Hand Controls/Switches- HD
Foot Controls- Bad Dad
Floorboards- Bad Dad Long Cut
Additional Footpegs- Bad Dad Long Cut
Engine Guard- HD
Passenger Pegs/Floorboards- Bad Dad Long Cut
Headlight- Bad Dad
Headlight Modifications/Add Ons- custom projector
Running Lights- Bad Dad
Taillight - Bad Dad Flush Mount
Front Turn Signals- Badlands
Rear Turn Signals- Bad Dad Flush Mount
License Mount- Bad Dad Hide-a-Plate
Seat- Danny Gray
Saddlebags- Bad Dad Shaved Bags
Saddlebags Latches- Bad Dad
Saddlebag Extensions-
Fairing/Outer- HD
Fairing/Inner- HD
Fairing Modifications- painted
Windscreen- painted
Tour Pak/Trunk- none Tour Pak Modifications- none
Stereo- HD
Amplifier- HD
Front Speakers- HD Rear Speakers- HD |
