Tom Keefer’s Red Knuckleduster
82 images Created 13 Aug 2020
I've been in business for just over 20 years. In the beginning, I started building bikes during the Discovery Channel Build-Off crazy years. After building quite a few bikes, I realized that to stay in business, I had to rely on my mechanical abilities and do more service and repair work. Growing up pretty poor, my dad taught me how to work on cars and pretty much everything, so I became an Auto Tech to get me through school, and then went fulltime. Once I shifted the main focus of the shop, it began to take off. I still build bikes, but now they are just to ride and display my talents and bring in customers.
"HEAVY METTLE" is the perfect name for this year's exhibition. With the ups and downs of this fickle industry, as well as the financial ups and downs of the past 20 years, it's a miracle anyone is still in business! What has helped me has been the unconditional support of my family, the long hours, dedication, and sleepless nights I put in, and my many friends in the industry that lend a hand, provide information and help with ideas when needed. This industry is like no other. The people are the best!
This bike started as an idea to build a killer shop bike with a Knucklehead engine. When I couldn't find a good Knuck, I decided I would get an S&S KN 93. Because of the aftermarket engine, I wanted a clean Harley titled frame, so I found a titled, but FX frame, and a second butchered rigid Panhead frame with no neck. The total price of frames was $1050. I immediately hard-tailed the FX frame with the Pan rear section, and that's when I got to work. A set of stock FX tanks were sectioned to make them skinnier, and Blings Cycles' bings were welded in. It originally had a VL springer front end with the current wheel/ tire set up, but while it looked great, the handling wasn't. After 2500 miles, I opted to switch it out to the current 39 MM shaved sporty legs and Custom Cycle Engineering mid-width triple trees. The combination proved stellar in both handling and looks! The front wheel is a Suzuki RM 250 Talon Hum laced to a 1979 Honda XL 600 aluminum rim with Buchanan's spokes. The rear wheel is an Akron's 18" aluminum rim laced to a Harley star hub with a juice drum brake. I got the transmission right from Bert at Baker Drive Train and went with a BDL 1.5 belt drive. The mid-controls are made up of Victory rear brake master cylinder and a creation of mine. The miss and I wanted them to be functional as I intended to ride the hell out of the bike. The day after finishing it, I rode from Pa to NC for the Smoke-Out, where it was a big winner, but best of all, I put 1250 great miles on it that weekend! The bike went on to win the Horse Back Street Choppers show at the Sturgis Full Throttle, and I was able to put 1,500 miles on it just in the Hills. It has won many shows in the years since, and I still ride it regularly. It's a rider, handles incredibly, and I like it so much it's part of the shop's logo.
Tom Keefer (2020)
"HEAVY METTLE" is the perfect name for this year's exhibition. With the ups and downs of this fickle industry, as well as the financial ups and downs of the past 20 years, it's a miracle anyone is still in business! What has helped me has been the unconditional support of my family, the long hours, dedication, and sleepless nights I put in, and my many friends in the industry that lend a hand, provide information and help with ideas when needed. This industry is like no other. The people are the best!
This bike started as an idea to build a killer shop bike with a Knucklehead engine. When I couldn't find a good Knuck, I decided I would get an S&S KN 93. Because of the aftermarket engine, I wanted a clean Harley titled frame, so I found a titled, but FX frame, and a second butchered rigid Panhead frame with no neck. The total price of frames was $1050. I immediately hard-tailed the FX frame with the Pan rear section, and that's when I got to work. A set of stock FX tanks were sectioned to make them skinnier, and Blings Cycles' bings were welded in. It originally had a VL springer front end with the current wheel/ tire set up, but while it looked great, the handling wasn't. After 2500 miles, I opted to switch it out to the current 39 MM shaved sporty legs and Custom Cycle Engineering mid-width triple trees. The combination proved stellar in both handling and looks! The front wheel is a Suzuki RM 250 Talon Hum laced to a 1979 Honda XL 600 aluminum rim with Buchanan's spokes. The rear wheel is an Akron's 18" aluminum rim laced to a Harley star hub with a juice drum brake. I got the transmission right from Bert at Baker Drive Train and went with a BDL 1.5 belt drive. The mid-controls are made up of Victory rear brake master cylinder and a creation of mine. The miss and I wanted them to be functional as I intended to ride the hell out of the bike. The day after finishing it, I rode from Pa to NC for the Smoke-Out, where it was a big winner, but best of all, I put 1250 great miles on it that weekend! The bike went on to win the Horse Back Street Choppers show at the Sturgis Full Throttle, and I was able to put 1,500 miles on it just in the Hills. It has won many shows in the years since, and I still ride it regularly. It's a rider, handles incredibly, and I like it so much it's part of the shop's logo.
Tom Keefer (2020)
