German Customizer Thunderbike Unveils the Road Captain

An unusual, yet subdued color palate – as well as careful attention to detail – set this custom Road King apart.

The Harley-Davidson mystique is understood worldwide. We’ve previously featured creations from Thunderbike, a Harley-Davidon dealer and customizer in Hamminkeln, Germany. We’re always interested in seeing their interpretation of the Harley mythos.

Their latest creation, the Road Captain, is a custom Road King. These sort of retro modern bikes seem to be all the rage now, but that doesn’t mean this bike isn’t unique and worth a look. In fact, it may be one of the best executions of this popular style.

It seems like twenty years ago, the theme was bright paint and loads of chrome. As the 2000s gave way to the 2010s, bright was out and black was in. Flat black paint and blacked-out detailing were all the rage. Now, in the 2020s, the prevailing theme seems old and new at the same time, and it’s all about balance.

Color and Form

When it comes to paint, there are a lot of subdued tones, for sure; but they’re more earthy and organic. The Road Captain combines a flat light green – more “sage green” than “army green” – with beige detailing on the wheels and emblems. It’s an unexpected and attractive combination, although one we wouldn’t have initially considered. Bold choices like this can set a customizer apart from the crowd.

Despite its German origins, the color combination of the Road Captain evokes images of eating up endless desert miles in the American Southwest. It’s an apt fantasy for a touring bike like this.

The rest of the detailing is blacked out, allowing us to appreciate the beauty of the form and color even more. Great effort was taken to subdue distractions, such as the mirrors, slung under the mid-rise handlebars with integrated turn signals. Similarly, the sissy bar is only as big as it needs to be. Much restraint was shown on this project, and it’s clear that a lot of thought went into every detail.

Many Thunderbike creations, while beautiful, are over-the-top custom creations. With this project, the goal was to, in their words, “shift down a gear, take a breath and remember the classic Harley way of riding.” We’d say that they’ve been quite successful.

Photos: Thunderbike

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Cameron Vanderhorst

Cam VanDerHorst has been a contributor to Internet Brands' Auto Group sites for over three years, with his byline appearing on Ford Truck Enthusiasts, Corvette Forum, JK Forum, and Harley-Davidson Forums, among others. In that time, he's also contributed to Autoweek, The Drive, and Scale Auto Magazine.

He bought his first car at age 14 -- a 1978 Ford Mustang II -- and since then he’s amassed an impressive and diverse collection of cars, trucks, and motorcycles, including a 1996 Ford Mustang SVT Mystic Cobra (#683) and a classic air-cooled Porsche 911.

In addition to writing about cars and wrenching on them in his spare time, he enjoys playing music (drums and ukulele), building model cars, and tending to his chickens.

You can follow Cam, his cars, his bikes, and his chickens at @camvanderhorst on Instagram.

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