Black and Gold Harley-Davidson Night Rod Special
“The guys got straight in—stripped it to almost a bare frame so I could have as many components gold-plated as possible…” said Alex.
BEING only in my mid-20’s I got hooked on the V-Rods like everyone else in my generation. I was ready for my first motorcycle so, of course, I couldn’t resist buying a V-Rod. I managed to get my hands on a Night Rod Special that already had a few custom touches to it: T-bars, 26-inch front wheel and a HogPro 300 swing-arm kit. But I felt like it just wasn’t me and I was keen to put a more personal touch on it.
A mate of mine knew the guys at Taverner Motorsports really well, so as soon as I picked it up from the previous owner, I dropped in to see them to get an idea on what I could do to it. I had seen some of their previous builds and was confidant they would be able to hook me up.
I had seen a few gold-plated V-Rods getting built down south and it didn’t take long to convince me this is what I wanted to do to mine. The guys got straight in—stripped it to almost a bare frame so I could have as many components gold-plated as possible while still keeping a bit of balance on the bike. It had stock grey Night Rod Special tins so I opted for a black and gold theme. Damien from Master Art does killer work and we had him give it the gold-leaf treatment and scroll work including the rims. The gold with gloss black came together really well.
While the bike was stripped and the engine covers were off for the gold-plating, the boys fitted a set of Hellraiser cams and Destroyer throttle bodies. I figured we couldn’t go to all the trouble with the exterior of the bike without giving it some more power.
A few other things were done along the way; the guys really wanted to ensure that when the bike was complete every aspect was immaculate. I have to say their attention to detail is second-to-none and I’m pretty stoked I managed to find them for my first build. All the little details like the internal brake lines explain to me the effort they put into those small details because, at the end of it, you can really see the difference in the bike. The finished product is epic and will not be easily replicated to this standard.
words by Alex; photos by Rick Benson
