![]() robably 90-percent of what we sell at Drag Specialties are those simple bolt-ons,” Dan Haak says. “That’s the popular stuff. Guys can install it themselves and make a big difference.” He should know. Dan’s the Drag Specialties Purchasing Manager and last winter he did a little of that “purchasing” on the retail level. The result is a first-class custom bagger–thanks to those bolt-ons–and it came right out of his home garage.First order of business was picking up an FLHRI Road King, an ‘05 model. Rolling up some miles and getting to know his new bike, Dan spent that saddle time mapping out the changes to come. Working up a mental list, one-by-one he clicked off those FatBook bolt-ons he’d add to make a difference. With the first hint of frost the bike went into the garage. A few months later it rolled out a totally transformed machine. No Harley stays stock for long and Dan’s Road King was no exception. And true to form all of those FatBook parts made a huge difference. Dan Haak’s home-brewed custom is a head turner wherever it goes. The goal was simple and straightforward: make this ‘King a convincing custom and way better looking than stock. But Dan would do it while keeping the bike just as rideable and trouble free as it was the day it left the factory. “Had to,” he says. “This one’s become my everyday ride. It had to stay comfortable, reliable and the costs had to stay in line, too. Nothing extravagant.” So mechanically the bike remained mostly OE, a Wiseco 95-inch big-bore kit the only major departure from stock spec. A little more snap and a nice boost in passing power never hurts. Following that, though, everything else Dan did or added was purely cosmetic and the change made, well, see for yourself. Dan’s 2005 Road King is now one bona fide custom, a bike taking a backseat to nothing. The parts Dan used were all chosen to deliver the biggest bang for the buck. A pair of RC Components Royal Wheels with matching rotors and Metzeler ME880s set the tone. A LePera Daytona seat went on next, preserving the bike’s two-up functionality while adding a look and line that’s pure custom. Dan chose Drag Specialties’ Buffalo handlebars, a Russ Wernimont front fender, a new exhaust system and some other little touches like a Lindby Multibar, Kuryakyn pegs and pads and a pair of Drag Specialties Montana mirrors. Nothing big, nothing over-the-top. A new paint job with some molding and a little pinstriping provided the finishing touch, and Dan didn’t do that. Tank at Tuff Cycle added the new colors. “And honestly,” Dan says, “boxing up all the sheet metal to ship over to Tank was about as hard and time-consuming as anything else I’d done to the bike!” Nice mix here. The sum definitely adds up to more than the parts. And “mix” is an operative word, too, as Dan neatly demonstrated with the new exhaust system for his bike. Doing a little creative parts-and-supplier swapping he combined a set of SuperTrapp SE Series mufflers with head pipes from BUB Enterprises. The reason? “I just like the tone of those SuperTrapps,” he says. “They’re not too loud making them great over-the-road mufflers. And with all the end-cap styles available I can have any look I want anytime I want it. And those BUB X-Dresser head pipes install and fit perfectly.” Dan wrapped things up with a pair of Cycle Visions directionals fit into the backs of the saddlebags, a Drag Specialties Laydown License mount and a windshield from Memphis Shades. The result: a custom bagger in every sense of the word. Done simply, easily and affordably. “It’s the heart of what we do here at Drag Specialties,” Dan says “A custom look doesn’t have to come from a custom shop. Anyone can have it.” Dan Haak just proved that. All it took was a little garage-time and the FatBook. ![]()
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