2009 H-D Electra Glide
We all got our motorcycle start somewhere, it goes for this story as well. Some 44 years ago Roger Klock (father of Brian Klock) was hanging out in the little town of Emery, South Dakota, with his friend Sylvan Bleeker, getting ready to head to Sturgis and someone snapped a photo of the two as they were getting ready to leave. The crazy thing is that photo can be found on the cover of the Klock Werks catalog. As fate would have it, that photo was taken just one month before Brian was born, and Roger and Sylvan are still great friends to this day.
Jump ahead about 40 years and the Klock family has done pretty well for themselves. It was about two years ago that Brian decided to build his pops a new bike; however not a shop bike, something just for his dad. It was a way to say thanks and that he loved him. Brian wanted it to be a surprise for his dad. Roger knew about the bike getting built but thought it was a customer's bike. So Brian talked it over with Sylvan; he wanted his help and advice. Who better to know what Roger would like? The two went to work to get it done before Daytona Bike Week so Roger could ride it there. When the bike was done and the keys were handed to Roger, he was so surprised and happy that the bike he watched get built, "Just the way I would have done it," turned out to be for him.
The bike came out so nice and comfortable for Roger that Sylvan got a little jealous and figured he too needed a new bike with all the same comforts and bells and whistles. Anyone who knows Sylvan knows he is all about tasteful bling but only if it is functional. This bike was designed to be a hot-rod-style Electra Glide, a two-up touring sensation, or a solo, long-haul comfort bike.
It all started with Sylvan getting an '09 FLHTCUI as the platform for the Klock crew to showcase what they could do. They got started with the teardown, removing the sheetmetal and fairing. These parts needed more time for paint and graphics. As far as the motor, it was a stock H-D 96ci Twin Cam to which they added a Power Commander and a set of Klock Werks Double Back Headers with a set of Revolver slip-on mufflers. This helped get all the ponies they could from the motor by having it tuned the right way to match the pipes. The next thing was the bike's stance. Sylvan wanted to go with 18-inch wheels and replaced the stock style with a set of chrome RC Components Widow wheels along with matching rotors. Once the wheels were in place, the team went to work fitting the bike with new Klock Werks Benchmark fenders front and rear. They then added a new Curvaceous Tank Dash to the stock tank. The stock H-D saddlebags were then treated to a set of Klock Werks Bag Extensions and new WFB Relief saddlebag latches. Bag fillers were fitted to the rear fender to fill the gaps between the bags and fender for a clean look. Once everything was ready for paint, it was sent over to Eric Carr at Steel Vision Designs in Phoenix.
Eric took Sylvan's wishes for a charcoal pearl beauty and added the three-dimensional graphics in candy reds, silvers, and blues to add life to the Klock Werks sheetmetal. From the inner fairing, complete with new Klock Werks by Autometer gauges, to the Klock Werks Under Covers at the bottom of the floorboards, Eric's team did an outstanding job, and even better than what Sylvan had hoped for. Once the parts were back at the Klock Werks shop, the bike came together easily with a few add-ons, such as the new Klock Werks 8.5-inch dark smoke Flare windshield, the Lindby engine guard, the Klock Werks Frenched and Lighted plate frame, and Klock Werks Speaker Grilles. One of the other things Sylvan wanted was the new seat from Drag Specialties featuring solar reflective material to keep Sylvan cool on the hottest days.
Everyone was so happy with how the bike turned out, Brian wanted to keep it for the fall show season and take it on the road. Sylvan was OK with it because he knew how much work went into the bike and how well it turned out. However, none of his friends believed the bike he called "Charcoal Dream" existed since no one other than the Klock Werks crew had seen it. The guys finally all got to see it when they rode to Sturgis together, and Sylvan proved that it was real. The good news is that it does exist.