Rapid Raptor

We have combined maneuverability and classic looks on a Harley.

Don’t underestimate it! The Street Bob is one of the entry-level models for Harley’s Big Twins. As such, it is modest with a bobber-like appearance in a classic layout, even with bellows above the fork tubes, which we will come to later.

The bottom line is that it’s quite stylish, but it wasn’t stylish enough for our customer. He wanted more, that’s what you come to us for, and we have an ear for special requests.

The solution lies in the action of the components. We now have a larger wheel at the front, one from our FLH collection with a diameter from 21 inches instead if the standard 19 inches. Clear, milled from the solid and powder-coated in glossy black.

We didn’t stop there, because we renovated the fork at the same time. Its fork tubes are now DLC-coated. “Diamond Like Carbon” is pretty much the highest quality coating that you can currently apply to a metal. It couldn’t be smoother, and in black too! In the course of this renovation, however, the bellows had to be replaced, not only because the coating is now more visible, but also because bellows can also influence the gliding properties of a fork.

We crown the lowered front end with our headlamp cap and handlebars from our “Torque” range. The grips are also from this collection; they don’t make you faster, but they do make you look more stylish. The forward-mounted footrests play a more significant role when it comes to the riding experience.

We really let it rip again at the back. Also with a lowering kit, but above all again with an FLH wheel, this time with 18 instead of 16 inches and with 200 tyres to boot. In return, we also tidied up the rear end considerably. We have now fitted it with a pulley brake, so the brake disc and pulley are both on the left-hand side.

We have adapted the 200 steel fender with integrated rear light/indicator combination to this. This has now also been given a new layout, which is a first from our company. We have to point this out, because the secret of the steel fender is that you can’t see the integrated lights at first glance. If it were otherwise, we would have done something wrong.

So have we successfully squared the circle with all these components? Driving experience is a subjective matter. In the driving scenes in our video, you can guess that the “Rapid Raptor” lives up to its name.

You can also hear it, because the concept also includes new silencers. In order to maintain the bobber line, we chose the big-shot shorts from Jekill & Hyde with shorter manifolds. A beguiling sound, and completely legal. Motorcycling must remain a feast for all the senses.

If you prefer to ride straight ahead, the Breakout is the better choice. We parted company with our customer as friends, because he made the better choice for his needs with the Street Bob.

Incidentally, we can congratulate him on his sense of style. He wanted the cross-stitching on his custom-made saddle to be the same colour as the paintwork. This is another subtle nuance that we must point out. In all modesty: we have done nothing wrong.