Harley-Davidson reveals ‘Apex’ factory custom paint
Harley-Davidson used this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the US to unveil a new factory custom paint option dubbed ‘Apex’, which will be available on a handful of 2022 Grand American Touring models.
In a similar vein to the ‘Arctic Blast’ custom paint that was unveiled at Sturgis last year, Apex paint will only be offered for the remainder of 2022. But unlike Arctic Blast, which was only available on the MY21 Street Glide Special and limited to 500 units (8 of which were allocated for Australia), Apex paint will be more widely available and offered on more than one model, too.
For the Australian market, Apex factory custom paint will be offered on the Road King Special, Street Glide Special, Ultra Limited and Road Glide Special. On the latter three models, Apex is only available with black trim and cannot be matched with chrome trim.
“Apex factory custom paint gives riders the opportunity to express the thrill of speed and competition on the bodywork of their bagger,” said Brad Richards, VP of Design and Creative Director – Motorcycles.
“This paint scheme communicates velocity and forward momentum with lines and colours inspired by Harley-Davidson competition motorcycles.”
Competition Inspired
Apex factory custom paint takes colour and detailing touches from Harley-Davidson’s long and successful competition history; a racing legacy established more than a century ago in hill climbs, enduros, and fairground flat tracks. This competition legacy continues today with the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory team, who are aiming to defend the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers championship in the US that they won last year.
As applied to the aforementioned Grand American Touring models, Apex paint starts with a Vivid Black base, Harley-Davidson’s most popular colour and one that’s available on every model in the 2022 range. To this, Gauntlet Grey inset panels are added, which feature an inner drop shadow and a subtle repeated pattern, made up of the famous Bar & Shield logo. This pattern, which fades from front to rear or rear to front, depending on application, is said to be inspired by the chequered flag fade effect seen on the panniers of the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory team’s racing baggers.
Outlining these panels are stripes in Jet Fire Orange; a colour inspired by Harley’s famous XR750 flat track competition models. Atop this, a clear coat protective layer is applied.
Another element inspired by the XR750 is a graphic on the fuel tank that mimics the XR tank shape. On models that include a fairing, this outline is continued onto the fairing, creating an angle that Harley-Davidson says is an expression of speed. Similarly, Jet Fire Orange stripes on the front mudguards are linked visually to stripes on the sidecovers and panniers. When seen in profile, this treatment makes the bike appear as if it’s in motion.
Factory Finish
Unlike last year’s Arctic Blast custom paint, which was applied by Harley-Davidson partners, Gunslinger Custom Paint, using time-consuming artisanal skills that included hand-painted pinstriping, the greater scope of the Apex custom paint series will see it applied in-house at Harley-Davidson’s York Vehicle Assembly plant in Pennsylvania and the Tomahawk Operations factory, which is located in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, north of Harley-Davidson’s main factory and corporate headquarters in Milwaukee.
Apex will only be available for the remainder of the 2022 model year ordering period as a factory-installed option.
Orders Open
For the Australian market, Apex factory custom paint will be available on the following MY22 Harley-Davidson Grand American Touring models:
- Road King Special
- Street Glide Special (black trim only)
- Ultra Limited (black trim only)
- Road Glide Special (black trim only)
When these models are ordered with the Tour-Pak luggage carriers and custom front mudguards from Harley-Davidson’s Genuine Motor Parts & Accessories range, these elements will be painted to match.
Beyond the custom paint, there are no additional mechanical or cosmetic features on models, and while numbers are not capped this time around, the limited time period remaining to order motorcycles with this factory custom paint scheme will ensure total output is limited.
Pricing for the Apex factory custom paint has not been revealed, but it will add a premium, possibly in the region of several thousand dollars, over the model it’s based on. Last year’s limited-edition Street Glide Special Arctic Blast was priced at $47,245 – a $7,495 premium over the standard Street Glide Special.
To order a Harley-Davidson touring model with Apex factory custom paint, contact your local Harley-Davidson dealer.