Shark Mouthed Harley-Davidson Road Glide Looks Hungry

By Adam Pockross - March 31, 2016

shark nose road glide

If you’re a fan of the Road Glide, we’re sure you’re gonna like this one. If you’re not, well, you may just be a fan of this particular one. Just have a look at this beautifully painted Road Glide that hearkens back to the nose art that appeared on many a WWII fighting machine.

Obviously, the shark face is the first thing you notice about this predator, but upon taking a closer look, you’ll also notice something else that helps to make the bike unique: there’s no chrome. The frame, engine, cases, and metal pieces have all been painted in matte-black, which along with that black custom saddle, provide a striking contrast with the satin navy color scheme.

In the military, nose art originally started for practical reasons: to indicate to friendly units that you were fighting for the same side. But the art form evolved from there as an expression of individuality within the constricts of military life.

The shark face was of course made famous by the Flying Tigers during World War II. But the Flying Tigers were actually imitating a photograph of a similar paint job on a P-40 used by the No. 112 Squadron of the RAF in North Africa. But they stole the look from German Luftwaffe pilots flying Messerschmitt Bf 110s.

But what’s art without imitation, right? And this Road Glide masterpiece certainly borrows from the past to create a look all its own.