Forget the Weird Nickname, This ‘Dark and Menacing’ Custom is an Eyeful
Nicknamed ‘Mother Lake,’ Japanese garage churns another ‘Black Beauty.’
For American fans of Harley Davidson custom builds, Japanese makers are often known for two things: their innovative, eye-catching designs and for coming up with names for them that don’t always translate well into English.
For example: This custom softail, a dark beauty whose Japanese name translates into “Mother Lake.”
Now, if a calm, serene lake springs to mind, you have the wrong idea. But, if you conjure an image of a raging, dark and wind-swept body of water ripped by fierce winds, you’ll be a lot closer.
All Things Dark and Menacing
From the Performance Machine wheels to the radical, twisting, down-swept exhaust, this custom demands attention, and in a good way.
The name of the garage who put this beauty together is named “Bad Land” and that is a much better fit. They’ve been churning out beautiful customs like this one for more than a decade.
They are also known for their tendency to make their customs the opposite of “all things bright and beautiful.” More like “all things dark and menacing.”
Hog Heaven
First, the aforementioned wheels. The front is 21 inches and the rear is 18. They both sport seven spokes with a shimmering, modern design that fits in perfectly with the rest of the bike.
And of course, what would a dark custom be these days without a humongous rear tire? This one has it: 300 mm wide at the back end. You can’t get much wider than that without being classified as a bus.
In fact, if you look through Bad Land’s considerable portfolio, not only will you find nothing but Harley Davidsons, you will also find a vast wonderland of big, fat rear tires, a true hog heaven.
‘Presence of All Colors’
You may also be overcome by the darkness. These boys don’t let the light of day interfere with their dark designs.
One thing you won’t find much: Color. The few slices and bits of color are usually orange, befitting the classic Harley combo, and it is always tastefully done.
Maybe some red, a bit of blue or a touch of white here and there, but mostly a den of all-encompassing blackness. And if you want to get technical, black is not a color but the absence of it. Unless you’re an artist. Then, black is the presence of all colors.
The only color you’ll find on Mother Lake is the soft pink of the Heavy Breather air intake filter.
Be on the Lookout
Though the custom is clearly a Harley Davidson and many of the parts come from Bad Land itself – like the fenders, gas tank, exhaust and swingarm – other custom parts were integrated into the build by different shops, like the Pistor air intake from W&W Cycles, the custom seat from Clione Speed, the “speed meter” by motogadget and the paint by Bush Art.
Where is the bike now? Bad Land is reportedly tight-lipped about its custom sales to customers, and Auto Evolution reports that its current whereabouts are unknown.
Shouldn’t be hard to spot.
Photos: Bad Land
