They were all knockout bikes, but there’s just something about an RKB build that reaches for just a little more than the competition with dazzling details everywhere you look and plenty of places you’ll never even see. Rick Bray builds killer bikes that make slobbering fanboys out of all of us here at Barnett’s Magazine Online. Yes, we’re a bit biased, but after a couple of previous features that showcased Rick’s 2013 and 2014 Artistry in Iron winners, Pala Duro and Solomon Special, we became infatuated fanboys for life. If you haven’t seen them, click on their names for articles and photos and I’d venture a guess you’ll become part of the league of RKB fanboys too.

 

   Like a lot of you, I’m not a crazed fan of TV building shows the way they are now with all the edited in bullshit drama, but it’s still the best way we have at the moment to find out what’s happening out there in the new motorcycle building frontier. Given that the BikerLive builders had only five weeks and $15K (supposedly) to build a bike from the ground up, they turned out some amazing builds. Rick’s bike, aptly named One Piece At A Time, didn’t miss a trick or cut a corner and the results are truly stunning.

 

  Unlike some show bikes that make you afraid to get up too close, Rick’s BikerLive build does exactly the opposite. From that peach of a Shovelhead to the drum rear brake, this is one bike that invites you in to take a really close look at all the infinitesimal details and then get even closer to see the details in the details. Hey, that kinda sounds like any of Rick’s builds in actuality. There’s just something about them that makes it okay to get too close checking them out unlike big wheel baggers where I’m afraid I’m going to scratch it or knock it over. Funny, I had the same feeling about Rick’s bikes as I did for Larry Desmedt’s builds.

 

  The star of this build is actually two stars ─ one is that stunning-beyond-all-belief Harley-Davidson Shovelhead engine and the other is the Kool Hand Luke paintjob. Yeah, I’m skipping a hell of a lot in between, but I’m just pointing out what hits you first from 20-feet away. Sure there’s an absolutely perfect stance and silhouette along with more little hand-built pieces than any group of bikes might have total, but those two pieces kill me from the start.

 

  What can you say about the design and finish of the Shovel other than sounding like my mother and saying “adorable” or something like that? The finned rocker boxes by Throwback Motorcycle Parts in Santa Clara, California, have become a must have for me just by looks alone. They are adorable. The use of color and finish on the engine is muy perfecto too. I can’t help but love how Rick’s finned oil tank somehow jumps into the whole Shovel fray and becomes one with the engine. Really, really nice touch.

   As far as the paint goes, it wouldn’t be an RKB bike with the twisted talents of Rick’s friend and artist, Kool Hand Luke out of Fresno, California. Any Kool Hand Luke paintjob kinda goes on a journey with great colors and graphics that always have some sort of back story. Like a song you might not have the words quite correct to, you could possibly misinterpret KHL’s artistic intentions, but your own ideas about his work are just as important and that’s what makes it so nice. It’s not in your face with some sort of harsh message, but allows you to enjoy every bit as you see it.

   For all the other nitty-gritty neat-o details, be sure to check out Jack Cofano’s photo gallery and like I always say, “Blow ‘em up!” There’s too much going on in Rick’s Shovelhead universe to not check them out for all they’re worth.

 

  For more info on RKB Kustom Speed, check out his Facebook page and see what he’s up to now.