A good friend Lonnie and I go back approximately 15 years. Lonnie isn’t new to being a bike owner and previously owned a 2004 Road King. As many of us bike owners know, we always want bigger and better when it comes to our toys. While I was building another customer’s bike, Lonnie stopped by on several occasions. As a friend and a customer, I knew his plans for his next build were going to be big. Many times over the year, he would stop by and ask me if I was ready to build him a bike. On one particular afternoon, Lonnie stopped by and asked me if I was ready, like he had many times before, and said, “I’m finally ready. I hope you are!” He caught me off guard, but I knew what he was talking about—he was ready for his new toy.

While both of us were figuring out all the details, Arlen Ness had recently come out with a new line of products called 10 Gauge. Lonnie loved the style so much that he immediately had me order everything before having a bike to put all these parts on. The parts were for a 2010–later bike. He knew he wanted his bike to be different. Without a frame, not knowing exactly the colors he was going to use, or even the seat he was going to have on his bike, he was sure about three things: This bike would have to be 2010 or newer, have a big motor, and be different.