Featured in Cycle Source Magazine: Our Custom Leather on the 1929 JD Cannonball Racer
When one of the most respected custom motorcycle magazines in the world features a bike you helped outfit, it’s a damn good day in the shop.
We are incredibly proud to have our custom leatherwork featured in Cycle Source Magazine in their brilliant article, "Around The World, A 1929 JD Cannonball Racer." The piece, beautifully shot by Mark Velazquez, highlights legendary rider Doug Wothke and the incredible machine he built for the 2014 Motorcycle Cannonball.
The Build: A 1929 Harley-Davidson JD
If you don't know Doug Wothke, you should. He is a guy who regularly rides motorcycles around the world and tackles the coast-to-coast Cannonball Endurance Run on pre-1930s iron without a support truck.
For the 2014 Cannonball run from Daytona, FL to Tacoma, WA, Doug built a stunning 1929 Harley-Davidson JD Flathead. As the Cycle Source article details, the bike features an original motor, a '32 VL front end, and a modified frame. It is a masterpiece of vintage survival machinery.
Our Contribution to the Legend
When Doug needed gear that could handle 4,000 miles of brutal cross-country riding on a rigid frame, he trusted BAD&G Customs to build it. If you scroll down to the "Tech Sheet" at the bottom of the Cycle Source article, you'll see our name right under the "ACCESSORIES" section for the custom seat.
We shaped a custom solo seat designed specifically for the "Iron Butt" endurance required for the Cannonball. We covered it in our thickest, most durable American Steerhide—leather that breathes, molds to the rider, and doesn't quit when the weather turns ugly. Alongside the seat, we also built the massive, heavy-duty saddlebags that carried all of Doug's tools and spares across the continent.
Proven Craftsmanship
It is always an honor to be featured in publications like Cycle Source, but the real reward is knowing our gear held up to the extreme punishment Doug put it through. Our leather didn't just look good for the cameras; it survived the real world.
If you want to see the exact gear we built for this legendary run, check out the CANNONBALL 2014 Seat & Saddlebag Set in our shop.
And be sure to read the full story of Doug's JD over at Cycle Source Magazine.
