2006 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide | In Memory Of A Fallen Friend

Growing up Allen Van Vliet was not allowed to have a motorcycle, his parents considered two wheelers just too dangerous. Once Allen was out of his parents’ house and on his own he got bitten by the motorcycle bug, and purchased a 600cc Japanese sportbike. That sportbike was fun, but not very comfortable for high-mileage cruising. After owning and riding several different sportbikes and satisfying his fix for speed, he purchased a heavyweight metric cruiser. Allen logged more than 200 miles on that bike and then tore it down to the frame and installed a fat rear wheel and tire, had some custom paint laid on it, and did a bit of cutting all around it. From that point on he became a bagger rider.

Some time later, Allen made the pilgrimage to the Mecca of motorcycle rallies, Sturgis, with his buddy who was riding an H-D Electra Glide. Riding and walking around the rally, Allen noticed all the customized American touring bikes on display, in particular Paul Yaffe and John Shope’s creations, and knew he could have a whole bunch of fun building his own custom Harley bagger.

After the Sturgis Rally, Allen kept his eyes peeled for a Harley-Davidson anything Glide. He discovered a smoking deal on a 2006 Electra Glide that was close to where he worked. Allen purchased the Glide and rode it straight into the shop and onto a lift for immediate tear down. He wanted the same head-turning looks and attention he got with his metric chopper; the only problem was he had a smaller budget to work with. Allen began researching parts and components available for his new (to him) motorcycle, and the final appearance he was seeking in a custom bagger.

As he perused countless catalogs and websites looking for parts, Allen had a grand scheme of parts and ideas he wanted to install on his E-Glide, but working on a budget, he had to restrain himself. So he made sure to spend money on key things that would make the most dramatic impact in looks, performance, and comfort. He picked up a set of Santee 10-inch ape hangers and dressed them up with Avon grips and a mirrors from Demon Cycles. Down below he upped the ante on the front wheel by replacing the stock roller with a 21-incher from Southern Motorcycle Works. Wanting more power, but not having the cash for a major hop-up, Allen opted to improve the power output of the 88ci mill by installing a set of Fueling 525 cams and Full Sac head pipes backed by Screamin’ Eagle Slip-Ons. While he left the gas tank alone, Allen made sure to clean up the fenders by installing one of Bad Dad’s replica Indian Chief fenders up front and one of the company’s All-in-One Fenders in the rear. To match the stretched look of the rear fender, Allen also picked up a set of Bad Dad 4-1/2-inch stretched saddlebags.

When it came for paint, Allen turned to his buddy, Faron Deitric of Outlaw Custom Paint, who happened to also paint the previous bike. Allen wanted a green bike but he didn’t want just a factory shade of green. He decided on a House of Kolor (HOK) Gold Metallic base with Organic Kandy Green offset by some black ghosted old-school flames. Allen liked working with Faron because his pricing was very reasonable and he had a real love for bikes. Unfortunately, the day Faron finished matching the lids to the saddlebags, he passed away. “I had communicated with him that day and all he talked about was how he loved the metric motorcycle I previously built,” Allen commented when asked about Faron. “I sincerely wish he was able to stick around to see the final outcome of this green bagger. I ride this bike in honor and memory of a fallen friend.”

Allen managed to purchase and customize this Harley-Davidson for less than $15k and did all the fabrication and assembly work himself. “I could have probably spent a lot more, but I promised myself to stick to the original budget I had established.” This winter will be an all-new building season and maybe Allen will have more money to spend on his green machine. Only time will tell if he will build a new bike or throw some more cash at this one. Thanks for letting us shoot your bike, Allen and if you decide to build another custom bagger in the future, give Baggers magazine a chance at photographing it.

“Allen managed to purchase and customize this Harley-Davidson for less than 15k and did all the fabrication and assembly work himself.”