HEAVY DUTY MAGAZINE - ISSUE 106

Jack Daniel's® Harley Davidson® Rocker C
enhanced by Chopperworks®

Words by Doc | Pics by Lou Martin

CHOPPERWORKS® BOTTLES THE SPIRIT OF JACK

Class. It’s not easy to define, but you instinctively know when you see it. Flair, elegance and style are three synonyms the thesaurus suggests for class and this sleek ride has each of them in spades. It’s as cool and understated as a Rolex watch, as sexy as Angelina Jolie in a black, low cut evening dress, while exuding menace reminiscent of a cruising Mako shark.

Jeff Richardson, head honcho of Chopperworks, whose bikes have often graced our pages, has worked his magic once again and taken what is arguably Harley-Davidson’s ugliest duckling, the Rocker, and transformed it into the beautiful swan you see here. As cool as a truckload of iced cucumbers, this black beauty was commissioned by Jack Daniels in conjunction with Woolworth’s Liquor Stores and it could soon be sitting in your garage. That’s right, your garage. And how damn cool would that be? Yes folks, this exceptional bike is first prize in “The Jack Harley Rocker” competition.

So, while a stage magician’s secrets should remain secret in order to remain magical, we can examine Jeff’s own magical transformation without running that risk. So let’s start with a look at that outstanding front end. It begins with the Mean Street 63mm front endbetween which nestles a custom front guard and a Renegade 23in Vail wheel shod with Avon rubber. Here we see the beginning of Jeff’s transformation, with the fat rear tyred Rocker getting a front end in keeping with its muscular back section rather than the anorexic stock item.

A Hawg Halter (HHI) caliper exerts thestopping power up front, clamping down
on a Renegade rotor when the juice squirts down the Russell brake line.The stylish headlight is from Joel Felty’s Tradewinds line while the handlebars are the unparalleled Burleigh Bars, that add aton of toughness. Heartland USA mirrors and RSD grips dress up the aforementioned bars and Jeff tossed out the ugly, limp-dick speedo arrangement that comes stock with the Rocker and replaced it with a far more stylish dash.

The foot pegs are courtesy of the talented Californian craftsmen at
Performance Machineand the air cleaner is from PM’s next door neighbour, Roland Sands Design. A major component in this transformation is the fitting of that stylish Heartlands USA rear guard, taillight and seat, the latter receiving some cool trimming by Bad Ass Trim to let the world know who sponsored the bike, none other than Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, the significance of which is kind of interesting.

According to the Jack Daniel’s web site, which you can find at www.jackdaniels.com, “many stories have been passed down about the significance of Old No. 7.

Some say that Jack Daniel had 7 girlfriends, or that the way he wrote his “J”
looked like a 7. Some say he chose the number 7 simply because it’s lucky. Only Mr Jack knows the real reason”. Whatever the truth of the “Old No. 7” origins might be, the old guy left a lasting legacy with a product that is a favourite among bikers the world over.However, in case you just landed on our planet from a galaxy far, far away, here’s an introduction to Jack Daniel’s according to Wikipedia. “Jack Daniel’s is a brand of Tennessee whiskey that is among the world’s best-selling liquors and is known for its square bottles and black label. It has been prominently featured in movies, songs, and novels, and is strongly linked to rock and roll, country music, American biker culture, Jimmy Page, Frank Sinatra, Keith Richards, Lemmy, Nikki Sixx, and Slash. The brand is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by Jack Daniel Distillery.” Go Jack!

There are various other modifications to this 2009 Rocker C, including a lowering kit at the rear, an 18in Renegade wheel wearing an Avon 250mm Cobra, a Renegade rotor plus another Hawg Halter brake caliper. The motor and transmission was left alone other than the air cleaner swap over and the fitting of the Vance & Hines pipes, the downward swoop of which complements perfectly the upward curvature of the Heartlands rear guard struts. Then there’s that paint. Ah, that super swish paint job that is executed to perfection both in terms of its flawless finish and in its design, the latter of which captures the JD feel amazingly well. It will come as no surprise to regular readers that this captivating paint job is the work of Queensland Motorcycle Panel and Paint’s Mark Walker whose masterpieces have featured on many a Chopperworks’ bike on the cover of, and in the pages of, HEAVY DUTY magazine over the past several years. Mark used Glasurit Black as a base and then dressed it up with gold leaf and graphics for the stunning visual effect you see before you.

As you might imagine, I see many custom bikes in my travels and many, many customised Harley- Davidsons. More often than not, I disagree with the builder’s or customiser’s choice of component or mix of components. So often an almost great bike is spoilt by one or more parts that just don’t fit right in with the rest of an otherwise stylish machine. Not so with this one. Jeff has nailed it to perfection, in my opinion. Right, article finished; now it’s off to my local Woolworths Liquor Store to enter the competition. Whether or not my entry wins, I’ll sure enjoy a few Jack and Cokes along the way. And if I can’t win, I hope one of our readers does. Good luck! HD

ED: The competition is open to anyone who purchases a Jack Daniels product from any Woolworths Liquor Store from 21/9/09 to 18/10/09. It goes without saying that JD want you to enjoy their whisky responsibly but there, I said it anyway.