Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend

Years ago, airbrushed bikes, vans, and trucks were a big deal, and this Fat Boy tries to harness some of that magic.

By Brett Foote - October 15, 2020
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend
Airbrushed Fat Boy Brings Back One Old Trend

Bring It Back

An old saying tells us that what was once cool will eventually be cool again, and we've seen that happen over and over again throughout the course of history. One of those trends is airbrush work on vehicles, which used to adorn some of the coolest vans, trucks, and motorcycles on earth back in the '70s and '80s. And today, this Fat Boy built by Thunderbike is trying to bring it back, too.

Photos: Thunderbike

Fat Wolf

While much of the artwork we saw back in that era was what one might call overkill, this Fat Boy's motif is somewhat simple. The artwork depicts a wolf, which is how the bike got its nickname - "Fat Wolf." On one side, the wolf is simply hanging out in the woods at night, while on the other side, it's howling at the bright moon.

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

Subdued Display

It's a nice touch for sure, and nothing so audacious that people would turn away from this Harley. In fact, it makes us want to see this trend come back, albeit in a bit more restrained form than those wild vans of old that had giant scenes of wizards and crazy battle scenes playing out on them. 

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

Shiny Bits

Aside from the artwork, this Fat Boy has quite a few other nice modifications worth noting as well. That includes a ton of chrome, which adorns the Jekyll & Hyde exhaust system and luggage rack, among many other bits. This bike is also fitted with a backrest and running boards out back because it's routinely ridden by a couple.

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

Nice Pairing

As if typical with most Thunderbike builds, this one features quite a few parts from the German company itself, including the Hollywood handlebars, turn signals both front and rear, and a disc wheel. They pair nicely with Arlen Ness grips and a rather large Metzeler rear tire.

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

Genuine HD

Pretty much everything else here came from H-D itself, including the footboards, foot pegs, shifter peg, sprocket cover, clutch bracket and master cylinder kit, lower fork sliders, and hand control lever kit.

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

Rolling Art

Put it all together, and you've got a true retro bike that's been styled to resemble something even older. The Fat Boy is certainly an iconic model, and it's more than worthy to serve as a blank canvas for what turned out to be a rolling piece of art.

Photos: Thunderbike

>>Join the conversation about this custom fat Boy right here in HDForums.com.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our How-to section right here in the forum.

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