Being able to complete a top-notch custom job on just one kind of vehicle is a feat, but to be able to do it on just about everything with wheels and a motor is a whole other thing. Take Jerry Covington, for instance. He started screwing around with cars and trucks, and at an early age it was pretty much evident that he knew what he was doing. In the realm of motorcycles, the Covington name is a landmark, and his style seems to shine through no matter what model Harley he is customizing. Countless killer bobbers, baggers and build-off bikes have cemented Covingtons Customs as one of the places to take your bike if you want a spiffed-out ride.
This bike seen before you on these very pages is actually a pretty basic affair for the crew at Covingtons. The 2008 Street Glide was bought to test, build and show new products that they are making for Harley baggers. They drag this bike around to the shows Covingtons attends to show just the fit and finish of the products when actually hung on a bike, and when we saw it in their booth at Daytona, we thought it needed its own 15 minutes of fame due to how cool the bike looked.
Wanting to let their various in-house parts stand out over some flashy paint, they decided to leave the paint the stock color but had Brian Loker lay some nice, traditional hot-rod-style pinstripes down on it for a more custom effect. One look at this bike, and you can tell that Covingtons is making some of the nicest contrast cut and high-polished items that you could bolt on your FL, and this Street Glide showcases them all. The pan-style rocker boxes that they are CNC-ing for the Twin Cam motor are nothing short of a work of art. All the other Covingtons-made engine covers match the ribbed style as well as the brake pedal and shift pegs. Their catalog of parts do such a good job of complementing one another that even the speaker grills on the fairing mimic the look. Another innovative part on this bike are the floorboard relocators that move the floorboards forward 11/2 inches and out 1 inch, making for a roomier cockpit. The otherwise stock 96ci H-D motor features a Screamin' Eagle intake as well as Bassani True Duals with Covingtons' custom-made exhaust tips.
To make the bike look more sinister, its stance has been altered with the employment of Progressive Suspension 1-inch drop springs in front and a set of 1-inch lower-than-stock 440 shocks out back. Adding to the Oklahoma bling factor, Covingtons also carved out a set of custom wheels in 21-inch and 18-inch circumferences that are all wrapped up nice and neat with some Avon skins. To make sure this bike looks good even while at a stop, some mirror-polished four-piston Wilwood calipers crimping down on Wilwood's floating rotors finish the rolling stock.
This bike shows what you can do with little money for parts and some hand tools in a weekend. It's more than a rolling sandwich board but not quite a wild custom. Nonetheless, the Covingtons Street Glide is a good-looking ride that will keep your eyes busy for hours taking in all the shiny stuff.