Customised Harley makes a flashy entrance

This touring Harley does not have a side stand or even a windscreen.

Compared to its modern-day sibling, it has a smaller 1,340cc Evolution engine and feeds fuel into its twin cylinders via a carburettor.

But this 22-year-old Harley Road King has been given a makeover worthy of an award-winning show bike.

The motorcycle called Flash belongs to a sole proprietor of an upholstery company, who wanted to be known only as Mr Ng, 42.

You will instantly notice its shocking pink paint scheme, 30-inch front wheel, 3.3m length and uniquely shaped saddlebags.

It does not need a side stand because hidden metal pads protect its "lay" frame structure when the motorbike is parked.

What is cool is when it is time to ride away, both its front and rear suspensions are raised quickly using compressed air from a tank hidden in one of its saddlebags.

Mr Ng told The New Paper: "I was inspired by the flow of a wedding gown and dyed pink hair. If you look at the bike's tail-end, it looks like a gown.

"My fantasy was to make my Road King look loud and have the 'wow' factor."

And it is certainly a dream come true - one that won Best of Show at local custom and classic motorcycle event Wicked Wallop #3 in January.

Flash will be showcased at the next Wicked Wallop in January next year.

HAIR

The paintwork on its contoured rear fender resembles a woman's long hair.

It took about six months of burning the midnight oil at custom motorcycle lifestyle shop Vicious Cycles in Woodlands to complete the project, which began in September last year.

The easiest part was ordering the custom parts such as fenders, front wheel and headlight from the US.

Adjustments to the motorcycle's rake angle were made to accommodate the huge front wheel and make the motorbike rideable.

Some parts, such as the hand-stitched leather seats, fibreglass and pseudo radiator scoop, were personally fabricated.

Said Mr Ng: "My mother stitched the seat, but she complained that the design was complex and it was tedious work."

To bring out the colour vibrancy, Mr Ng sought master painter Fahmi from Freeflow Kustom Paint in Bandung, Indonesia.

He flew the Indonesian painter to Singapore and paid for his month-long lodging here. In that time, Mr Fahmi worked at a rented paint booth near Vicious Cycles.

Said Mr Ng: "I had to buy the special paint, spray gun and other materials for the build-up.

"To date, Flash has more than 25 layers of lacquer on top of its pink and orange flakes."

Only the engine, frame and exhaust system on the motorbike were untouched.

Naturally, the cost of building Flash, which also has a Hertz SPL competition series sound system, was not cheap, but Mr Ng is keeping mum about the total project bill.

He said: "When I hit $30,000, I stopped counting. It is a passion and you cannot put a price on it.

"Also, this bike is special to me because my late father had ridden it twice."