Feature Bike – Cyber Glide

Bob Barkey had visions about a Road Glide he hoped to build, but he wasn’t actively pursuing the project. The process was sped up when Gaby, Bob’s wife, found a used one on the Internet at a price that he just couldn’t refuse.

At around the same time, Bob was laid off from his auto-sector job when the economy went south a few years ago. His career wasn’t looking promising, as he figured he would not be called back to work. As a result, part of his early retirement plans included having the time to begin his visionary Road Glide. Parts were bought, the bike was stripped and everything was looking good for a quick build of his Harley bagger.

Then the unthinkable happened: Bob got called back to work. Time for his bike was now limited, and the skeleton of the torn-down Road Glide, boxes of parts and all the purchased goods got shoved into a corner of his garage indefinitely until he could find time. It’s an awful feeling when work gets in the way of a perfectly good project.

Four years of dust collection had passed when Bob’s good friend, Cory Vanderhyden, convinced him to uncover the forgotten Road Glide and finally finish what he had started.

In the years since the lonely Road Glide was relegated to the corner, Gaby had taught Bob how to surf the Internet, not realizing how dangerous it could be. According to Bob, she only has herself to blame for his addiction to his newfound ability to cyber shop for shiny baubles online. His addiction led him to parts manufacturers he had never heard of, and almost instantly, all of the parts he had previously purchased for the Road Glide were forgotten. He mentioned in conversation that he really does appreciate that his wife is so forgiving of his almost addictive spending, but as he says, “it’s her own fault.”

Luckily for Bob, the originally purchased parts didn’t go to waste. Gaby did benefit in the end after Bob blew the dust off of them anddressed up her 2007 Road Glide with his acquired old trinkets.

Bob spent a small fortune and logged many hours taking apart and rebuilding the Road Glide with the help of his friend Cory.

This is one Road Glide that’s hard to miss at your local bike night. Apart from scads of bling from front to back, one thing that catches the eye is the dark, root-beer paint with ghost flames. In certain lights, the flames jump off the canvas, whereas the flames all but disappear in the areas that aren’t lit up.

The way I see it, there are some things to learn from Bob and his 2002 Road Glide build. Don’t let your dream bike sit languishing in a corner for years, don’t let work get in the way of your project, and find a way to blame your wife for your obsession. It not only takes the heat off of you, it lets you enjoy your ride conscience free. . .