Joe, bringing his friend's job in-house to HBMC, started planning the build with Chucky. Normally one of the partners would be the lead in a build, with the other a supporting player. This build was different in that the two partners collaborated on all of the details along with the customer. Often this results in a mishmash of parts and conflicting ideas, and a bike that looks confusing. This is not the case with HBMC; the guys there know what works and what doesn't, and are experts at selecting just the right parts to make a bike "sing."
After consulting with Laurent, they had a good idea of his requirements: red spoke rims, wide whites, and of course flat-black paint. This bike, being the anti-Road King, also required that it be a hardtail and a shovelhead. Since Laurent is a rider, the bike had to be a rider as well, so all-new top-shelf technology was used-S&S shovel-style motor, Performance Machine hand controls, Sputhe transmission and primary, Kraft Tech frame, and so on. New technology meets old-style looks.
Chucky and Joe were psyched. The bike was to be pretty straightforward, and they had a clear vision, a healthy budget (since their customer wanted only the best parts on his bike), and nine months to make it happen. Selecting parts for a specifically styled bike that play together nicely is not an easy task. Selecting modern parts to re-create a "period piece" is even tougher. Most modern bike parts appear just that-modern-and lack the vintage look that was needed. As Chucky relates, "Joe is brilliant at selecting the parts we need for a bike; he just knows what will work." From the looks of this bike, it is obvious that Joe studies the catalogs and knows his craft.
A Kraft Tech frame was selected for the foundation of the bike. You'll notice that the frame for this bike is made of a larger O.D. tubing than is normally seen on most modern bikes (other than possibly a Bourget). It looks super sturdy and has the tough and ready-to-go attitude that the partners were looking for. Mated to a Paughco Springer, the bike had the stance they wanted with no additional work necessary. Red rims were a must-have, so they were sent out for a vivid red powdercoat. Chrome spokes, PM and Exile brakes, and wide whites finish off the wheels-sweet.
With the husky frame, frontend, and wheels in place, the duo settled on flat-side 5-gallon Fat Bobs with a cat's-eye dash. While some might take exception to a cone motor as opposed to a slab-side generator case in a bobber, there was a reason: The Sputhe primary drive they were considering had an integral oil-filter mount, negating the need for the slab-side case's oil-filter mount. Besides, the cone motor was readily available. It was an easy decision.