Cole's Custom Road King 5/2010

Mike Cole is a hard man to get a hold of. One year you might see him at Daytona, Sturgis, Cincinnati, the J&P show and the Donnie Smith show; the next year you might not see him at all. Although he doesn’t build as many bikes as he used to, Cole can still be counted on for a world-class paint job. Cole Custom, located in Jasper, OH, is the paint shop of choice for many of the top custom builders. Cole has always been on the cutting edge as far as what is going to be the next big trend in the American V-Twin market. Lately Cole has been refurbishing Evo and first-generation Twin Cams. These bikes are all readily available, affordable, and with some paint and shiny parts can sit next to a brand new Bagger and make its owner jealous.

The motor on this 2000 Road King has remained stock except for a Klock Werks header pipe and Thunderheader mufflers. The lower legs have been chromed so they complement the 18” HHI front wheel. Dual HHI rotors and calipers maximize front-wheel stopping power and improve the flash appeal of the front end. The shorty front fender is a Cole Custom original piece. An 18 x 4.25” HHI wheel resides in the rear with a Metzeler tire. A single HHI caliper and rotor handle rear-wheel braking. The 70-tooth HHI pulley is hidden by those beautifully stretched bags, which happen to have flush-mounted ’39 Ford mini taillights. The rear fender is from Harley but has been given the once over by Cole and the license plate mount has been flush mounted into the fender. The stock Harley-Davidson® gas tank has been stretched and shaped by the crew at Cole Custom. Danny Gray wrapped the solo seat around a Cole built seat pan. The passenger gets to sit on an old-fashioned lick and stick p-pad. Ape hangers were made to be installed on Road Kings; this is a trend that is going to continue for a long time.

Since Cole Custom is known for their painting skills, it would be disappointing if this Bagger’s paint job wasn’t stunning. The base is tangelo with orange flake; the tribal flames are Candy Cobalt with lime green pin stripes that are shadowed in black. Cole was able to take a 10 year old Bagger and morph it into a show winner with some updates to the sheet metal and a head-turning paint job.