Blue Thunder | 2009 Harley Davidson Street Glide

That air cleaner is just the tip of a designer's iceberg Arlen Ness started years ago with its Retro fork boots. Matching accessories from side covers to floorboards and grips have joined the line since then. What unifies them is the grooved horizontal line motif found on all of the parts. In most cases it's all form, but with the floorboards, those grooves have a pretty cool function-hiding rubber inserts. Oftentimes chromed out boards have no traction for your feet. Ness used the Retro's lines to semi-conceal the rubber without sacrificing the all-chrome look a lot of riders like. All of the new pieces are pretty straightforward and bolt-on, which is good because that's what Ness R&D worked to accomplish. The last headache anyone wants from catalog jewels like these is a contest of wills to make them fit right.

So what can you expect from Ness in 2011? Try a Ness Road Glide with new extended bags and rear fender kit that uses the stock Harley lids. It'll stretch the bike half a foot rearward. Between it, the new Ness raked triple tree kit that's in the works, and a Hot Legs fork set, you'll see a bagger that's a foot longer than stock but still handles perfectly. Any day you add that much length without hacking a frame, surgery, or pills is a good day to me.