O
1st Place Best of Show
ur 1st place Best of Show Winner is
named “Hung 10,” but it could just as
easily be called Black Beauty. I and many
others are of the mind you can never go wrong
with basic black for a scooter. Chris Rapp’s 2010
Road Glide backs up our opinion completely. This
bike catches your eye and holds it with a flawless
black finish and clean flowing lines that are often
attempted but seldom attained.
Believe it or not, this sweet ride is Chris’ first
Harley-Davidson. Like many of us, Chris cut his
teeth on dirt bikes at an early age progressing to
sport bikes through his 20’s and early 30’s. Chris
is a police officer by trade and after a few work related injuries, he listened to the signals coming
from his battered body and took an extended
break from riding. Through the miracles of modern medicine, not to mention eight knee surgeries
and one shoulder surgery, Chris’ body was slowly
brought back up to snuff. With his restored health
came the itch to get “back in the saddle,” so to
speak.
Chris began looking for a new scooter. All of his
buddies at work had Street Glides, but Chris was
drawn to the “shark nosed” look of the Road Glide.
It was April of 2010 while checking out a local
dealer’s website one Saturday night he found a
2010 Road Glide with 1500 miles on it that caught
his eye. The following Tuesday morning when the
dealership opened, Chris walked in and gave the
scooter a new owner.
It wasn’t long before the scooter began its journey to its presen t state. Chris’ formula was one
many folks can identify with. Chris is a blue
collar guy like many of us. While I’m
sure most folks out there would
agree that folks in law enforcement
should be some of the highest
paid folks out there, that opinion has never gained traction. Chris busts his ass for
a paycheck like most of
us. He couldn’t afford
to plunk down 20
grand on a brand
new scooter
then
roll
another
Story by Bruce Reff
Photos by Darrell Woods
22 Wide Open
40K into it to achieve what he wanted. He had to
achieve his dream by hard work and smart decisions. Gobbling up all the overtime he could get,
Chris paid all his monthly obligations first then
squirreled away what surplus cash he could to buy
parts. Ebay, bike forums, and swap meets were all
gold mines for Chris. He hates paying retail and
tried to save a buck anywhere he could. Chris was
raised to save for what he wanted, and then to pay
cash for it. At 43 years of age he doesn’t have a
single credit card and vows he never will.
The bagger gained a 21” front wheel, a set of ape
hangers, new grips and a few additional pieces.
With the help of a friend’s father ,the parts were installed. The bike was ridden in this state for its first
riding season while additional funds were being
stockpiled for next year’s modifications. The following year, stretched bags, a rear fender, new exhaust and an Arlen Ness front end along with a
selection of Battastini goodies were added to the
mix. The bike was a joy to ride and was beginning
to get noticed among the crowd. While in Fayetteville, Chris noticed more than a few scooters
sporting 26” tire/wheel combos. While the
thought of adding a setup like that to his bike was
highly desirable to Chris, the financial reality made
it a no-go.
The following riding season, Chris met his wife
Erin. Erin owns a pub, and while attending its
weekly bike night, Chris came to the realization
that many of the bikes in attendance were barely
discernable from each other.
All the
while his mental wheels were turning. After the
next year’s Fayetteville trip, severe back pains became an ambulance ride ending in emergency
back surgery for Chris. During his hospital
recovery, an iPad and a debit card
along with a stack of bike magazines became a potent combination for Chris. In no
time Chris had a new iPad-ready
fairing along with a potent
Focal / Rockford Fosgate audio
system on order. Of course he also had to purchase the Gaugeface interface to allow his iPad to
become his bike’s new instrument panel. After
leaving the hospital and recovering ,the fairing was
painted, and all the accompanying goodies were
installed.
The next step in the bike’s evolution actually
occurred at a charity event for Special Olympics
sponsored by one of Chris’ good friends. After
completing the aptly named Freezin for a Reason
ride, at the accompanying after party benefit auction, Erin jumped all over a tuner and installation
package from “Dyno” Mike Wilson. Erin’s big heart
led her to throw down whatever amount it took to
win the prize.
When Chris finally met Mike, the ball really
got rolling. Chris and Mike hit it off, and during the install they talked about everything from Mike’s Thrasher engine
kit to 26” front wheels.
Did you see what I did there?
Yep, the 26” front wheel
bug still had a firm
grip