Rare Anniversary Road King Turned Tasty Custom
Most people store rare bikes away like gold bullion. But when your name is Bruce Canepa, you mod them.
“Rare” is a relative term, but most would agree that a one of 3,500 motorcycle from a mass producer of such qualifies. This particular 1998 Harley-Davidson Road King 95th Anniversary Edition is number 1,289 of that lot. But despite that inherent rarity, the owner still saw fit to make a few custom changes. Which makes sense when you consider the owner is automotive racer/designer/collector/restorer Bruce Canepa. And it also makes sense that he would list the Road King for sale on his own site.
The fact that the many mods on this rare Road King are hard to spot is a testament to Canepa’s vision. The front fender was reshaped and dropped closer to the tire. Other subtle changes up front include plated forks, a spoked Sun wheel, and Performance Machine brake. HD’s 95th Anniversary emblems were frenched into the tank, and wires and fuel lines hidden as much as possible.
A custom Corbin seat offers backrests for comfy highway cruising. Meanwhile, the rear has been lowered and bags modified to fit snugly against the bike. The license plate frame and bracket are one-off pieces, as are the integrated turn signals. Canepa topped it off with a custom blended burgundy and plenty of hand-painted pinstripes.
To power this mild custom, an 88-inch upgrade and 6-speed transmission went in. With loads of polished chrome, the Road King looks good as new. Partly because Canepa rode the bike sparingly over the years, racking up only 2,573 miles. But then again, when you’ve got a massive collection like his, it’s probably hard to accumulate mileage on one particular ride anyway.
Regardless, we give Canepa credit for modding a bike most people simply stored away as an investment. This one of a kind Road King was certainly worth the effort, and now it’s probably the most unique of its breed!
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