When Kevin Ratkovich decided it was time to build his dream bike, he called a preacher. Actually, he called the Preacher, the owner and operator of Biker 1 Spot in Yellville, Arkansas. Preacher, aka Orie Tomlin, is Kevin’s spiritual advisor when it comes to Harleys. Preacher is a well-known presence in the bike world in Northwest Arkansas, and the only one Kevin trusted when it came to create a metal masterpiece. “Preacher does it all, from the paint to the weld,” he enthused. “He’s a one man show and a must to know. Getting to see him work is like watching a star burst in the dark of night.” It’s an understatement to say that people really admire Preacher’s work.

“The bike was a dream I told Preacher about,” Kevin said. “I’m a rider, not a builder. Preacher is a 30- year veteran of the art, and a third-generation builder. “It shows in the bikes he designs.”

Orange Crush, the one-of-a-kind ride Preacher built for Kevin, can truly be described as art. Six months in the making, Biker 1 Spot made almost everything on the bike, from the pipes to the oil tank to what Kevin calls the “truly sick” chain and metalwork. “All the modifications were done by Preacher. I think he lost some hair and maybe got a little gray from it all,” Kevin laughed.

Kevin, who also owns a 1976 Liberty Edition Super Glide and a 2006 Road Glide, had prayed for the day when he could afford the ultimate custom. When that day arrived, he thanked the heavens and went to see Preacher. Kevin has homes in both Eureka Springs and Mountain Home, Arkansas, and Biker 1 Spotis conveniently located right in between. “It was a meeting of the souls,” Kevin said of the day they got together to brainstorm. “We had a dream of a one-off build with an Old School look and the power of a new bike.”

Kevin’s favorite music is the sound of a Shovelhead engine, and Preacher rebuilt one from 1968 for the occasion. The H-D cases are from 1968 and 1972. The heads are also Harley, custom built by—you guessed it—Biker 1 Stop. “Preacher built me a powerhouse to drive my dreams,” Kevin said, referring to the engine, “then shifted into high with a 6-speed Ultima transmission. He mated them with a never-before seen primary that could have only come from a sick, sick man.” And he means that in a good way.

Most of this bike was built from the ground up — the steel air cleaner, the handlebars, the risers, the hand controls, the brake lines, an air dam made of chrome chain and a breather that, as Kevin noted, “makes a point.” He even added the wicked ghost skull graphics, and made the ornate, one-of-a-kind skull gas cap. As the saying goes, the devil’s in the details, and around these parts, few are better than Preacher at working those details out.

Chroming the bike, including all of the gleaming chain link, was done by Brown’s Plating in Paducah, Kentucky, but everything else was taken care of in-house.

Kevin is quick to sing the praises of Preacher. Orange Crush turned out to be more than he’d ever hoped for. It was recently appraised at $100,000, and has been winning trophies, awards and attention everywhere he goes. In addition to being a hauntingly beautiful bike, Kevin said that it’s deceptively smooth-riding. “It looks big, and you’d think it could be a bear, but she sucks up a corner like a Big Twin and slides down the road with ease. She’s as smooth as glass.” Kevin was pleasantly surprised to find that his builder was as concerned about his well-being as he was about the coolness factor. “Preacher put safety on the front line,” Kevin noted. “He built me a bike I can and do ride. I love it that he put his heart and soul into making my dream come true.”

Around here, Preacher really is the answer to a biker’s prayers.