Klock Werks’ Pumpkin-Spice-Flavored Vicla
“Mmm…Nothing says fall like the taste of a yummy pumpkin spice latte.” Things your ol’ lady might say on October 1, right? Yeah, it might be something along the lines of a “basic” thing to say, but damn it if the guys at Klock Werks didn’t nail that sentiment in the form of a ridiculously slick Heritage Softail. The bike does summon all the feels of the autumn season, but in a badass, gentlemanly street-thug-who-really-loves-Halloween kind of way.
All horseplay aside, the outcome of Klock Werks’ Vicla-styled Softail is definitely no joke. Nobody really planned for the bike to end up looking the way it does today. It really started out as a dilapidated bike that Brian Klock purchased from his longtime friend Gene Slater. The whole idea behind doing something with the Softail in the first place was to use it as a showcase for Klock Werks’ Benchmark stretched front and rear steel fenders. Since there was a steady demand for these particular fenders being used on Vicla builds in the States and abroad, the time to build an official Klock Werks bike around them had finally presented itself.
Brian and his talented crew had a loose plan of action in motion for their new project bike, and even had a deadline in place for its completion—the 2016 annual Drag Specialties dealer ride in Georgia. Nothing all too crazy was initially planned for the build. Randy Rothlisberger, Klock Werks’ fabricator, did french in a Klock Werks spade taillight in the rear fender that a lot of people took notice of. Other than that, the tricks were kept to a minimum. Brian had posted a picture of the completed bike at the dealer ride, which stopped Jeremy Seanor, of Lucky Strike Designs, in his swipes when he saw it in social media land. He then reached out to Brian to let him know that he was interested in elaborating on the bike’s surface since it was only sporting a simple orange paint job. If you haven’t heard Jeremy’s name before, take note because he is a dedicated instructor for PPG Refinish and a brilliant painter in his own right. The two exchanged ideas and terms, which resulted in a square deal being struck. The old paint scheme would soon turn into something increasingly cool and complex in the near future.
Jeremy started his masterpiece by first custom-mixing a Pumpkin Spice Pearl base color that he was happy with. He then proceeded to layer on the graphics, engine-turned gold leaf, and pinstriping work. Man, the result is something right out of a lowrider show. The paneling and flake work is out of this world, and the color selection would soon earn the bike entrance into an elite event to make its grand debut to the masses. But until that would happen, the team kept their heads down and kept grinding on modifying the bike to reach an elevated level of custom.
The Klock Werks team fabricated a custom set of 19-inch chrome KlipHanger handlebars, and dug up a set of vintage Paul Yaffe Beyond Bolt-On diamond grips out of their own retail showcase. Many of the stock Harley-Davidson components, such as the swingarm, fork lowers and brake calipers, were chromed, and a flush-mount front axle was pulled from the Klock Werks parts vault as well. The guys were really trying to up the ante on this Softail in a way that hadn’t been seen before.
Once the bike was starting to take shape and stir more excitement within the circle of those involved in the project, Jeremy seized the opportunity to share its progress with his colleague Cristina Fronzaglia, director of communications and customer engagement at PPG, while at a Goodguys event in Ohio. That share struck up conversation that quickly led to an invitation to showcase the bike in PPG’s booth at the SEMA 2017 event. Here’s the kicker: The day of the big reveal just happened to land on Halloween. It seemed like some sort of twisted destiny or omen or something, but it was an offer the guys accepted on the spot. It was then that the bike’s level of priority spiked.
Brian knew there would be lots of his colleagues in the aftermarket industry who might be interested in being a part of the project. He first put in a call to Feuling, which was happy to send new cams and beehive valve springs to update the newly heads and cylinders that had just come back from Diamond Heads in Las Vegas for a much needed recoating and laser-cut bling job. Cobra USA was quick to jump on board with its latest air cleaner and full-coverage heat shield fishtail exhaust, which is pretty much a requirement for the Vicla style. Covington’s Customs caught wind of the project, and offered up its chrome dimpled floorboards, brake pedal, and rear footpegs to add to the Softail’s growing list of high-end accessories. The bike even received a fresh seat from Saddlemen that features distressed leather that was all too fitting for the bike’s evolving vibe.
To add a finishing touch that would make the bike all too appropriate for its big debut, Jeremy asked Brian if he could paint a few pumpkins and a “franken-tiki” on the dash to tie in with the occasion. Of course, Brian agreed, and the bike was soon loaded up and transported to Vegas for the SEMA show. The doors to the halls opened Halloween morning, and the bike welcomed visitors into PPG’s haunted-mansion-themed booth. The bike was a hit, obviously, and Jeremy was there in the booth demonstrating his pinstriping skills to those who stopped by to look around at PPG’s latest wares.
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This project really couldn’t have had a better finish, and in the end, a whole squadron of parts manufacturers and artists alike share the credit for its successful completion. “Money can’t buy style, but your good friends sure can,” says Brian about the end of one of the most memorable projects for his brand.
Specifications
General | |
Owner | Brian Klock |
Shop | Klock Werks |
Year/Make/Model | 2004/Harley-Davidson/Heritage Softail |
Fabrication | Klock Werks |
Build Time | Three months |
Engine | |
Year/Type/Size | 2004/H-D/Twin Cam 95ci |
Builder | Klock Werks |
Cases | Stock H-D |
Cylinders | Big Bore Diamond Cut |
Heads | Diamond Cut |
Rocker Boxes | Stock H-D |
Cams | Feuling |
Throttle body | Stock H-D |
Exhaust | Cobra USA |
EFI controller | Dyno Jet |
Air Cleaner | Cobra USA |
Transmission | |
Year/Type | 2004/H-D/Heritage Softail |
Rake | 32 degrees/NA |
Suspension | |
Front-end | Progressive Suspension |
Length | Stock |
Triple Trees | H-D |
Swingarm | Chrome H-D |
Rear | Legends Air Suspension |
Wheels, Tires, and Brakes | |
Front | |
Builder/size | H-D Softail/16×3.5-in. |
Tire/size | Metzeler 75th Anniversary Edition Orange Wall |
Caliper | H-D with DP Brakes pad |
Rotor | Polished by Elite Polishing |
Rear | |
Builder/size | H-D Softail/16×4.25 |
Tire/size | 150/80/16 |
Caliper | H-D with DP Brakes pad |
Rotor | Polished by Elite Polishing |
Pulley/sprocket | Stock H-D |
Finish/Paint | |
Manufacturer | PPG |
Colors | Pumpkin Spice Pearl |
Painter | Jeremy Seanor, Lucky Strike Designs, Wexford, Pennsylvania |
Plating | JD Plating, St. Paul, Minnesota |
Polishing | Elite Polishing, Lincoln, Nebraska |
Accessories | |
Lowers | Chrome |
Front fender | Klock Werks Benchmark |
Rear fender | Klock Werks Benchmark |
Gas tank | Stock H-D |
Handlebars | Klock Werks Kustom 19-inch KlipHanger |
Grips | Paul Yaffe (Beyond Bolt-On) |
Mirrors | Stock H-D |
Hand Controls | Chrome H-D |
Foot controls/floorboards/pegs | Covington’s Customs |
Headlight | Stock H-D |
Taillight | Klock Werks Spade |
Turn signals | Stock H-D |
License mount | Klock Werks Spade |
Seat | Saddlemen |
Misc | Blanket Roll by Tony Sportelli, Kuryakyn gas caps, stainless cables, Feuling beehive valve springs, J&P amber spotlights |