Fallen Hero Harley® Pays Powerful Homage to True American Heroes at 2016 SEMA Show

Jan 5, 2017

Fallen Hero custom Harley at the SEMA show

The artwork on Fallen Hero is powerful and detailed

“Marines will low crawl through a thousand miles of barbed wire and broken glass to help a brother Marine or a member of his family – even when they have never met.”

Corporal Jason Dunham was the first US Marine since Vietnam to receive the Medal of Honor. While serving with the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines during the Iraq War, Dunham deliberately covered an enemy grenade with his helmet and body to protect nearby Marines. The hero died of the injuries suffered in that selfless act just days later.

Fittingly, Dunham has been honored in a spectrum of ways since his heroic act. A US Post Office carries his name as do a number of military facilities. In 2009, the US Navy launched the USS Jason Dunham. The destroyer was commissioned in 2010.

Trunk art on Fallen Hero custom Harley at the SEMA show

The custom's artwork pays tribute to the owner's brothers in arms

While poignant, you may wonder how this story fits with motorcycling and K&N. That’s where owner Josh Davis comes into the picture. Davis, a Marine himself wanted to do something special with his 2009 Harley® Street Glide. After he was rear ended on the bike, Davis figured it was the perfect time to rebuild the Glide just the way he wanted it - in honor of Dunham and others who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

He took the bike to Nathan and Tony Curry of Curry’s Inc in Nixa, Missouri. At Curry’s, the rebuild included the company’s highly stylized bagger rear end that became the canvas for the artwork that Davis envisioned. That vision was to create a rolling and rumbling tribute to the Marines we've lost and those with whom he served. The end result of the “Fallen Hero” custom Harley is amazing and powerful.

K&N filter on Fallen Hero custom Harley at the SEMA show

An American-made K&N filter protects Fallen Hero's engine

In addition to the artwork honoring Jason Dunham, Fallen Hero memorializes other brave Marines including those very close to Davis. “The artwork honors the guys I served with in Iraq in 2003 and 2004,” said Davis. “On the bags, it has the names of other guys that were lost overseas including my dad and my grandpa.”

Nathan Curry said that he originally wanted to do the complete bike in black and white. However, Davis’ desire to have multiple portraits on the Harley changed that plan. The bike's bodywork became a striking background for that artwork. While the murals are primarily done in black and grey, Curry said there needed to be a something more.

Eagle artwork on Fallen Hero custom Harley at the SEMA show

The eagle, colored in the flag motif, is a focal point of the build

“I came up with the idea of adding a little color to it,” Curry said. “We decided to focus on the flags. So we did the (color) focus on the Medal of Honor and the flags.”

Davis left one very special mural up to Curry’s creative vision. “In the back, he gave me free rein," Curry said. "He just wanted a kneeling soldier with a gun and the boots. I surprised him with the eagle – I turned it into a flag so I could add a bunch of color onto the back. He was just ecstatic.”

Jason Dunham's uniform on display on the USS Jason Dunham

The build includes a full sound system in the custom fairing. Tasteful billet bits grace the engine and chassis, and the custom floorboards are a striking addition. The intricate silver and black accented wheels complete the Fallen Hero's low and long look.

K&N is proud to be a part of such a powerful and important tribute bike. It is fitting that an American-made K&N filter protects the Fallen Hero custom. It is not lost on us that our freedoms were won on battlefields by the heroes that this custom honors.

About the quote in the lead of this article – that is the message on the side-panel of Fallen Hero. Clearly those are not just idle words.

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