Screamin’ Regal | 2007 Harley-Davidson Road Glide

Dave Johnson is a genuine connoisseur of motorcycle rallies and events. Like Johnny Cash, “He’s been everywhere, man.” From Laconia to Laughlin, Dave and his wife Jan have been to every major motorcycle event America has to offer. Dave is the original owner of a 2006 CVO Screamin’ Eagle Ultra that he has customized over the years using a wide range of aftermarket parts. It’s with this Ultra that the Johnsons regularly rode coast-to-coast exploring the roadways of the USA. In the winter of 2011, Dave 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 paintwork that would soon follow.

He set off the frontend with a custom 23-inch wheel and complemented it with one of Bad Dad’s 23-inch 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 six-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 a 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 backend 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 JUNEs, 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. B