It was quite appropriate that the day of the photo shoot of Adam King’s new build for a client took place on a cold, wet, windy, and dreary fall day. The Harley-Davidson 1943 WLC, Canadian Military edition bike with its off-white and navy blue marine-inspired colour theme seemed to suit the ambience of the day perfectly. Adam and I talked at length about where we wanted to shoot this beach racer beauty and decided to take her to the water – naturally. Of course, given the conditions, we were utterly soaked by the rain and waves for our efforts. Admittedly, I wished several times during the photo shoot that I had brought my rain gear, but in the end, it was totally worth every cold and soaking minute. We trailered the bike, and off we went to a great little spot Adam knew of on the edge of Lake Huron. By the time we got there the drizzle had come, the winds had picked up, the temperature had dropped, and the waters were filled with white cap waves rushing towards shore, beating violently against the breakwall of huge rocks. It really was a day more suited for lake surfing than for doing an outdoor photo shoot, but I knew that lighting and that backdrop were going to make for some stunning shots and I was getting super stoked about the shoot. While driving on route to the location and in the comfort of his truck, I took the opportunity to ask Adam some questions about his philosophy on bike building and what inspired this particular creation.
DL:
Why the anchor emblem, the marine-themed colour scheme for this bike?
AK:
My mom, Maggie King. I’ve always wanted to build a bike with this paint job and theme with her in mind. She inspires me, man. So, you could say this is a tribute to her. She is a member of the Motor Maids and as well a lieutenant in the Canadian Navy. If you are not familiar with the Motor Maids, it’s the first women’s motorcycle club in North America. The Canadian Chapter has been around since 1949, and the colour scheme of the Motor Maids is royal blue and silver grey. Since the main component of the bike is a Canadian Military issue bike, I thought this would be the perfect choice to do the marine-theme with the navy blue and off-white colour paint job and the anchor emblem. My client left it to me, creatively, for the final look of the bike as they usually do. So, I’m really happy with the way it turned out.
DL:
True to form of an Adam King – Blackhorse Cycle build, your creations look like bikes that have been untouched for years. It’s as if father time has had its way with the bike. Like a gem one would stumble onto in an old abandoned barn find. I know that is your style, tell us a little bit about that? Why do you gravitate to that, creatively?
AK:
That’s true. That’s just my thing. I specialize in building Harleys that look old, vintage-like bikes that reflect that period in the late thirties to fifties. I want to incorporate that look into the final build, so the motorcycle looks as if it could tell a story. The machines may seem like an old barn find, but they are pristine inside where the internals are new and tuned to run like a new motorcycle. My styling cues tend towards the drag racer, beach racer, stripped down, cut down looks cause that’s just what I like. What people don’t realize is the extent I go through with the aging, patina, and weathering process of the bike in the right places so as to look real – like it has been literally sitting in a barn for 50 years. Even my paint job is hand-painted brushed paint. It’s funny; I always get a kick out of people’s expressions as I see their imagination run wild when they look at my bikes, totally unknowing that it has been built out of bits and parts (some custom fabricated of course), although these parts are always era-specific and authentic. Man, that’s where my craft is: combining old and new into one. It takes a lot of efforts and expertise to make it look and run just right.
DL:
I know you’re also known for fabricating your own parts. Can you give me an example?
AK:
Yeah, for sure. About three years ago I got the idea of building a rear leg to repair all these busted chopper springers I kept buying up, with the intent to restore them to original specs. It worked out so well, and the response has been excellent. Since then I have started production on most of the components needed to restore the complete Harley front end. Rear legs, front legs, three-piece brake stay, fender tabs, chevrons with plans for a lot more to come. Stay tuned.
DL:
Amazing. So customers can purchase these from you for their own build?
AK:
Yes, sir.
DL:
Well, I love the looks of your bikes. Always have. Want to tell me a bit about your aging process to give it that Adam King look?
AK:
NOPE. That’s my secret (laughs out loud) and what sets me apart.
DL:
So, because of your penchant to build in this style and genre of bikes, you hooked up with the guys from The Frozen Few in the United States and Japan. Tell me a bit about The Frozen Few and how that came about.
AK:
I got involved with The Frozen Few about six years ago. They were going to be racing in the middle of winter in “The Sault” (Sault Ste. Marie, ON) and I was invited to participate ‘cause I guess they found out I was building and riding these vintage bikes in Canada. I have never ridden with a group of like-minded people as me who also rode vintage Harley’s, all pre-1947 bikes. So, you could say it was a dream for me when I got the call. I didn’t know what to expect really, and when I got there, I was completely blown away with the amount of work they had put into building the snow track and the property where the race took plac – the Old Grist Mill is something right out of time. It was the perfect setting for our weekend trip travellingback into time. Fucking unbelievable, that’s all I can say. An experience I will never forget. There were about 20 of us who were riders, planners, photographers and guys just wanting to help with the weekend race. We became instant friends. No, more like family, actually. This was also the weekend when I busted up my clavicle. The track had this large snow berm that caught my attention. A snow berm is a wall of snow built up in a corner. In this case, it was a very high snow wall. For some reason, I got it into my head that I needed to conquer this beast. After a few passes and as I got comfortable with the track, I got up to the very top lip of the berm until my front wheel broke through the snow and I literally went flying off the back side of the track. Yuup! That happened. Not only did I break my clavicle but a few broken ribs to go along with it. The crazy Canuck that Iam, I still stuck it out for the rest of the weekend with these incredible people who have since bonded to become family. We continue to this day to rip up ice wherever and whenever we get the chance.
DL:
Wow, what an incredible story! The fact that you stayed after getting hurt. You are a Crazy Canuck! Adam, what would you like to see moving forward with this particular genre of the moto community?
AK:
Honestly, man, I would love to see more people riding these incredible vintage machines in Canada. It’s for sure more common in the States and Japan. These bikes have history and character, and every one of them has a story to tell, you know? And maybe we can do events here in Canada that would celebrate the rich history and heritage of these bikes like they do in the United States, parts of Europe and in Japan. I don’t know man… Ilove these bikes and what they represent. Maybe I’m just an old soul born in the wrong era (laughing).
DL:
See Adam? Time travel is possible.
