Kilted Street Glide Special: Plaid Pride or Sacrilegious?

Scotch tape, ’90s grunge apparel, old Thermos, or dad hat? You decide!

The world of Harley-Davidson sure is vast. And we aren’t just talking about the individuals who ride them. We’re also talking about the bikes themselves. The ability of folks to create uniquely styled motorcycles, despite their similarities, never ceases to amaze us. There’s just one downside to all of that individualism, of course.

We all have different tastes in regards to what’s cool and what’s not. And, well, some people make questionable styling choices on their rides. Take this 2016 Street Glide Special, for example. After seeing the bike posted for sale over at Harley-Davidson Charlotte, curiously named H-D Forums member Not a Sock was a little taken back, so much so that he started this thread asking if it was sacrilegious.

Now, we’ve certainly seen crazier things in our life than a pink plaid painted Street Glide. It might not be our first choice for a custom paint job, but hey, to each their own, right? Perhaps the previous owner had some Scottish heritage. Or maybe he/she grew up in the 90’s. Who knows.

But while we were having grunge rock flashbacks, other members saw different things in the unique Street Glide. Like dawg, who likens it to Scotch tape packaging. “Bonnie Blush Scottish tartan,” Sierra977 adds. “Worn by Highland dancers.” But 01fxdxt nails it by saying “Looks like an old thermos dad had.”

While most can’t agree on the exact motivation behind the artwork, they can agree on one thing. And that’s that this Street Glide certainly isn’t sacrilegious. “I’ve seen lots worse done to Harleys,” QC says. “That actually isn’t too bad.” “Custom paint is like art, some like it, most don’t,” upflying adds. “I’d airbrush burning $100 bills on that bike to represent money thrown away.”

And that’s kind of the point here. If you like it, who cares what anybody else thinks? “I’m glad they did it,” WHP T-type says. “For one, my wife would like it. For two, who are you to decide what is or is not OK? Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it is ‘sacrilege’. Supposed to be able to customize a bike the way we as individuals want to. Not by committee or what others think is ‘cool’….unless that is what the individual wants to do.”

Bopple Hill Rd doesn’t particularly care for the paintwork either. But at least he appreciates quality work when he sees it. “Well, they say ‘make it yours,’ and I suppose that’s exactly what the previous owner did. Wouldn’t be mine, but to each their own. Puzzling thing to me is that it apparently wasn’t theirs for very long, and that paint could not have been inexpensive. Oh well…not my bike and not my money, so none of my business. But to answer OP’s question…nope, not a sacrilege in my opinion. And gotta admit, while not my taste, that’s some skilled paintwork right there.”

Tat2d sums it all up nicely. “It’s different and it was obviously well thought out and well done. One of the things that drew me toward riding and biker culture many years ago was the fact that I didn’t have to conform to anyone else’s standards and expectations. So I say well done to whoever customized it!”

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this discussion is just how many responses it’s gotten in only a couple of days. Obviously, everyone has strong opinions on the subject of individuality. So if you haven’t already, head over here and chime in with yours!