Blood Lines | 2009 Harley-Davidson Street Glide

Remember when you picked up your brand-new bike from the dealership? It was perfect in every way. The look was just right and the comfort factor was better than anticipated. Everything was how you envisioned it and how you wanted it. You couldn’t wait to get the bike on the road. When it came time to take the bike out for a ride, you leaned back, let the wind blow around you, and took in the scenery. Everything was perfect. You thought to yourself how there was absolutely no need to change a thing or put any money into customizations. Yea, well neither did Rich Morley.

Growing up, Rich had motor oil in his blood. Living in a small town in New Jersey, Rich had a passion for the motorsports lifestyle of cars and bikes. One of his first passions in life was drag racing. After graduating high school, he started working at a service station in Glassboro, New Jersey, which he eventually came to own. While working, he decided it was time to put his need to race to the test. Racing his cars—a 1963 Ford Galaxy and a factory 1965 Mercury Comet—on the track brought him a ton of success and joy. He won a variety of local meets and was crowned an NHRA champion of drag racing. While Rich was enjoying his success on the raceway he was also making a business decision off the track. In 1970 he opened a speed shop with his father, which allowed him to stay around his true passions. The speed shop was a success from 1970 through 2004, but Rich left the shop in 1977 to start a family and branch out. He accepted a job as fleet manager for Gloucester County, where he manages a fleet of 450 cars and trucks and is still going strong at his job after 35 years.

When Rich was eight years old he brought a broken-down scooter back to life and that was the start of his passion for two-wheeled customization. After taking 25 years off from riding motorcycles to focus on his sons, Rich decided it was time to get back in the saddle. Bonding with his son, Kyle, owner of a shop called Execution Style, and traveling to various motorcycle shows with Kyle, Rich knew it was time to get himself a bike.

In 2006, Rich purchased an ’02 Softail and started off slow. He added minor modifications to it but nothing extreme. Kyle then put his own creativity into the bike by throwing down a custom paintjob. Then in 2009 Rich thought about buying an H-D Rocker but after testriding one, he realized it was the same bike as the one he currently owned just with a wider tire, so he decided to try out the Road Glide and Street Glide. He instantly knew which one he wanted. After he purchased the Street Glide, Rich immediately knew he had to change it up. He started by changing the normal stuff like the pipes, air cleaner, and wheels. Next, he purchased an FBI rear fender and with Kyle’s help they were able to make short work of the fender. They shortened it to match the factory bags with Kyle’s Execution Style flare and flush mount red LED taillights. These modifications lasted Rich a year before he purchased a Bad Dad rear fender and stretched bags. Once again, Kyle helped out with the paint work, air brushing, and flush mounting some LEDs. With the rear being done, Rich then installed a 21-inch front wheel and new fender along with HHI rotors and six-piston calipers. Dakota Digital gauges were added and the inner fairing was painted gloss black to match the rest of the bike. Just when Rich thought he finally had his dream bike, he got the itch for a big front wheel. So this past winter, he and Kyle cut the neck off and raked the frame to set it up for a Renegade 26-inch front wheel.

Rich has put more than $20k into making his bike what it is today. He’s a proud grandfather to his granddaughter, Annalise, and he enjoys spending as much time as he can with his family. Being that he and Kyle share the same passion in motorcycles allows them to share a lot of time together building and talking motorcycles. The motor oil will forever be in Rich’s blood, and Kyle’s as well.