In Scandinavian folklore, the Kraken is a titanic sea beast that haunts sailors. This Harley-Davidson Fat Boy from Taiwan’s Rough Crafts mirrors that myth—its monstrous rear tire and menacing livery leaving no doubt why it’s called the ‘Road Kraken.’
Rough Crafts front man Winston Yeh doesn’t often build wide-wheeled monsters—and when he does, he rarely goes beyond 240 at the rear. That said, he’s a fan of the radical chopper era, where ultra-wide rear tires were a defining feature. So when a client asked him to break the mold, he was happy to oblige.
“He basically wanted a Rough Crafts Harley, but with a 300 rear tire,” Winston tells us, adding that the rest of the design was entirely left up to him. This sort of faith is common among Rough Crafts’ clientele—hardly surprising, given the company’s formidable portfolio.
Rough Crafts started with a 2023-model Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, which has the widest swingarm of all the current Harley Softail models. It wasn’t wide enough, though, so Winston ordered a ‘Fat Ass’ kit from Rick’s Motorcycles in Germany.
The kit’s main component is a bolt-on swingarm that can accommodate a tire up to 360 wide. It also comes pre-installed with two pulleys, linked by a shaft that accounts for the drivetrain offset that a gargantuan rear wheel requires. With the requisite belts also in the box, it’s a true plug-and-play option.
Winston ordered the Fat Boy’s new wheels from Rick’s too—a 3.5×21” for the front and a 10.5×18” for the back. They’re wrapped in Metzeler 120- and 300-section ME888 tires. The braking system uses a Beringer Aerotec caliper up front, a Rick’s drive-side caliper out back, and Rick’s discs at both ends.
Winston wanted to make the front-end narrow to juxtapose the Fat Boy’s chunky tail. To achieve this, Rough Crafts installed custom-made yokes that tuck the fork legs as close to the skinny 21” front wheel as possible. They grip upside-down units from Öhlins, with a shortened Öhlins shock sitting at the opposite end of the bike.
The bodywork is standard Rough Crafts fare. A deeply scalloped fuel tank tapers to a bobbed saddle, with a tightly molded fender tucked against the back tire. A BT Choppers kit cleans up the area under the seat, with a Rough Crafts filler cap topping off the tank.
The Fat Boy’s mini-ape bars are one-offs. They’re held in place by Rough Crafts riser, with the compact digital dash from Street Bob integrated into the top clamp. The levers and integrated switches are from Rebuffini, while the grips are from Rough Crafts’ collaboration with the aftermarket parts powerhouse Arlen Ness.
A small LED headlight hovers between the fork legs, equipped with a grill in Rough Crafts’ signature style. The front turn signals are from Rebuffini, while the rear three-in-one LEDs are Rough Crafts x Koso items. Lower down, Rough Crafts floorboards are accompanied by Arlen Ness foot controls.
The Harley’s 114 ci Milwaukee-Eight engine wears rocker box covers and an intake from the Rough Crafts x Arlen Ness collection. Winston also specced the bike with a Rebuffini hydraulic clutch housing, and a custom two-into-one exhaust with a stubby machined end cap.
As per his standard operating procedure, Winston worked with a trusted network of artisans to get the Fat Boy over the finish line. Triroad Moto Co. handled final assembly, Rover Works Custom Paint tackled the brooding paint job, and 2 Abnormal Sides created the luxe push rod collars and tank badges.
Wrapped in countless shades of black with ghosted checkers and gold accents, the Road Kraken nails the quintessential Rough Crafts vibe, while paying tribute to an age when over-the-top was the standard vibe for choppers.
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