Article By: Owner
Photos By: Polina Krasnova
From Issue 319 Of Cycle Source Magazine. See The Entire Digital Issue HERE Or Subscribe HERE Today And Get A Real Magazine In Your Grubby Little Hands Each Month!
Every once in a while a custom build comes along that reminds you why this whole scene exists in the first place. Not because of the parts count or the size of the trophy shelf, but because it started with a dream that sat quietly in someone’s head for years before it finally became real.
That’s the case with Abdul Majeed Al-Qarni from Abha, a city in the mountains of southern Saudi Arabia. His story doesn’t begin with decades of riding or a garage full of old projects. In fact, the motorcycle you’re looking at is both the first custom he’s ever built and the first bike he’s ever owned. The finished machine recently made waves on the show circuit at the 2025 Batabit Show in Qatar, where it walked away with a second-place finish in the ViclaStyle category.
What makes that accomplishment even more impressive is how long the idea had been waiting.
Al-Qarni says his fascination with motorcycles goes back to when he was eight or nine years old. Like a lot of kids who fall in love with bikes early, he spent years watching them, studying them, and imagining what his own machine might look like someday. Life, however, had other priorities. Marriage, building a home, and raising a family all came first, and the dream of owning a motorcycle had to wait its turn.
Eventually, he reached the point where that dream couldn’t stay on the back burner any longer.
About a year and a half before the Batabit Show, Al-Qarni purchased his first motorcycle—a Harley-Davidson Softail—and immediately began turning it into something far more personal. The Softail wasn’t a random choice. For him, it had always represented the perfect foundation for a custom build. Long before he owned a motorcycle, he already knew this was the platform that would carry his vision.
The bike started completely stock, straight from the dealership floor. That blank slate was important. Al-Qarni didn’t want to begin with something already modified or influenced by someone else’s direction. If he was finally going to build the motorcycle he had imagined for years, it needed to start fresh.
Over the next year and four months, the factory Softail was transformed piece by piece. Every part of the motorcycle was reconsidered as part of a single design rather than a collection of add-ons. Instead of chasing trends, the goal was to create a machine that felt cohesive and visually striking from front to back.
To bring that vision to life, the project took shape at Capital Custom in Riyadh, a shop known for producing high-end custom motorcycles throughout the region. There, Al-Qarni worked closely with builder Saad Abu Saad Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, someone he describes as both a trusted guide and a close friend. Al-Qarni credits the shop’s support and craftsmanship as a major factor in completing the project.
Still, the creative direction always came from him.
From the color choices to the engraving and overall styling, the personality of the bike reflects Al-Qarni’s own taste. That balance—an owner with a clear vision working alongside a skilled builder—is often what turns a good custom into a memorable one.
One of the most striking features of the bike is the use of silver throughout the design. Al-Qarni is quick to point out that the bright striping and accents aren’t paint—they’re real silver. The material creates a depth and dimension that changes depending on the light and viewing angle.
Rather than sitting flat on the surface, the silver details have a raised, almost sculptural quality that follows the curves of the motorcycle. The effect gives the bike a richness that photographs can’t fully capture. It doesn’t just wear silver accents—it feels dressed in them.
That attention to visual impact was intentional. Al-Qarni didn’t set out to build a bike that only hardcore enthusiasts would appreciate. His goal was to create something anyone could admire. Even someone with no interest in motorcycles should be able to stop, look at it, and recognize the craftsmanship and beauty.
Ironically, competition wasn’t part of the original plan.
The motorcycle was built simply to satisfy a personal goal—to finally bring to life the bike he had imagined for so many years. It was friends and fellow riders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar who pushed him to enter it in the 2025 Batabit Show in Qatar, convinced the bike deserved a spot on the stage.
They were right.
When the judging wrapped up, the Softail earned second place in the ViclaStyle category. For Al-Qarni, though, the real victory came earlier—the moment the motorcycle was finished exactly the way he had envisioned it. The recognition at Batabit simply confirmed what he already knew.
After years of waiting, the dream had finally become reality.
In the end, Abdul Majeed Al-Qarni’s Softail proves that sometimes the best customs don’t come from decades of builds. Sometimes they come from patience, passion, and finally deciding that the dream you’ve carried for years deserves its moment on two wheels.
