Black Lion Roars: Check Out This V-Rod Custom from Spain
V-Rod Custom sports all-black body and golden forks.
Do you like your Harley Davidsons fast as greased lightning? Do you like your Harley Davidsons black as midnight? Do you like those big, fat rear tires on your hog?
Check. Check. Triple check. Check out the Black Lion, a sinister treatment of a V-Rod by a Spanish company that goes by the name of FiberBull.
If you want a Harley that’s going to turn heads and maybe make the common folk back up a little bit and hide the women and children when you show up, then this might be right up your alley.
Intrigued & Repelled
First, of all , it’s hard to talk about the V-Rod without going into a little of its history. The Motor Company first started building the V-Rod in the late 90s to counter the Japanese – and American – muscle bikes that were cutting into their reputation as well as their bottom line.
They were the first Harley-Davidsons with double overhead cams and they were cooled by liquid, not air. This both intrigued some HD fans and repelled other, more traditionalist ones.
Since Harley built these machines as a platform for drag racing, they were obviously fast. The V-Rod didn’t really look like a Harley, but because of its speedy reputation, it sold well. It was particularly popular in other countries, but has never really caught on like wildfire with the general HD populace. The Motor Company dropped the model from, its lineup in 2017.
‘Special’ Black Matte
This Black Lion is a custom job on a VRSCR Street Rod, which was made in 2006 and 2007. It was first wrapped in a fiberglass body kit; fiberglass is lightweight, doesn’t warp because of temperature changes and is easy to paint. In this case, a “special” matte black paint was used.
Bodywork includes custom pieces for the airbox, air filter cover, horn cover and side covers, all black.
Forks Really ‘Pop’
The custom, low-slung handlebars are new, as are the custom wheels and “racing type” black rims. The custom-machined triple clamps and golden forks really pop.
The seats are covered with “racing upholstery and can be easily converted from solo to two-up.
They also modified the rear end with a radical rear fender and added a custom suspension. The rear is anchored by a humongous 300mm-wide tire that makes the rear tires of the current Fat Boy look puny.
‘Stalking Panther?’
The 2-into-1 exhaust is completely hand made, according to the company, the only serious modification to the engine.
The overall effect of the customization is more like a stalking black panther than a lion, with the graceful, cat-like lines and the all-black veneer.
FiberBull specializes in doing custom jobs on V-rods, like its Night Rod Special in Cyclops black, the Muscle VRSCF Bat Black – which looks something like a Batmobile, and others. It also customizes Sportsters and other models.
Photos: FiberBull
