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Custom paint

72 HOG winter 2009

Custom paint

AS THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON P&A catalogueproves, there are literally thousands ofways of customising your motorcycle.Aside from wheels, the largest surfacearea on the motorcycle is occupied by the tins (fuel tank and fenders), and itsthe design and paintwork here that oftensets the theme for the whole bike. WhileHarley offers many paint sets to choosefrom, to make a truly individual statementa custom paint design can make your bikestand out from the crowd.

Harley riders are set apart by theindividuality expressed in their bike,explains Harley-Davidson paint specialist

Joe Black, 8-Ball Custom Paintwork. Riders often leave the paintwork until the final step, but a true custom paint jobcan be a very dramatic step in thepersonalisation process.

Padre Jerry Suttons dream paint designdidnt just represent his own passion, butthat of every other soldier in the IV ParaRegiment. The Parachute Regimentcelebrates its 70th birthday in 2010,explains Jerry, and I really wanted a bikethat represented the British Paratrooper.Help for Heroes, the Ride to the Wall andpublic feeling about the Paras right nowmade me think this may be a popular

theme inside and outside the bike scene.Jerry joined the Army 21 years ago

and has been with the IV Para Regimentsince 2005. As Padre, Im the BatallionsChaplain. Its a very important operationalrole the lads miss their families, they dealwith lots of stress, as well as the woundedand killed. In my role I can support them,of all faiths or of none.

Motorcycles have always been part ofJerrys life but it was 2003 before he ownedhis first Harley. My wife Sharon boughtme an 883 Sportster. I then had a DynaWide Glide, which I loved. I then couldntresist the Night Rod Special.

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Meet the winner of our8-Ball custom paintcompetition, PadreJerry Sutton TD CF, from 4th Battalion The ParachuteRegiment

Text: Zo Francis-Cox Photos: David Burton

Ready for anything

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We always strive to exceed the expectations of every customer

Special th

anks to S

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Warrant O

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at RAF L

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L-R: Joe Black, Dave Powdrill, Steve Lovatt and Rob Garside

Custom paint

explains: We chose the regiments colourmaroon as the base colour, working indetails including the regiments cap badgeand their motto, Utrinque Paratus, whichmeans ready for anything.

From the black nose cone, a Union Jackflag is graduated and continues on to the front of the tank. A C130 Hercules dropsparatroopers into the sky who land straightinto the action, marked by the paratrooperin the foreground with his weapon. Therear fender features the famous Battle ofArnhem on one side and Normandy onthe other (the church is St Marie Eglise, an iconic landmark from that campaign).The date, 1944, completes the design.

Joe explains the process: We strip theelements of the bike to be painted rightback, removing all dials, consoles, struts every nut and bolt comes off so we havethe barest possible surface to work on.

We always begin with a base colour if this is red, or a light colour, we willalways use a layer of white first this

ensures the base colour will stand up brightand not appear dull. We then use a layeringprocess with the paint and lacquer to ensurethe best quality and best depth of finish.

Jerrys first sight of his new paintworkwas at RAF Lyneham in the UK home ofthe C130 Hercules aircraft a fitting venuefor the Para Bike. The bike is awesome better than I could ever have imagined,smiles Jerry as he looks around the bike.The attention to detail is incredible. Thewebbing on the helmet, the drop zoneflash, the motto on the tank and the detailon the horn cover it all totally representsIV Para theres going to be someregimental jealousy for sure.

Jerrys wife Sharon passed her test atRiders Edge, Wales, in 2005 and nowrides a Dyna Street Bob. I want Joe topaint my bike now, she laughs. Im goingto have to start thinking about a design.

Together, Sharon and Jerry have riddento many H.O.G. rallies, and plan to ride to Lugano in 2010. Our most memorable

ride was when we spent 13 days riding inthe US, recalls Jerry. We hired an ElectraGlide and rode Highway 1, San Francisco,Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyonand Death Valley.

Jerry and Sharons first outing with the new bike was, appropriately, to theRide to the Wall event in October. TheRide to the Wall was very emotional.There were 6,000 bikes there, mostlyHarleys. Ive never owned a bike that gotso much attention! It got talked about,photographed, videoed and admired Ikept telling everyone it was a masterpieceby Joe Black, says Jerry.

Jerry now plans to enter his bike inmany custom bike shows. Im just soproud of this bike and whats beenachieved.

8-Ball will paint their 1,000th Harley in2010 if you want a paint job thatsreally special, get in touch, and startdreamin 8ballcustompaintwork.com

Jerrys competition entry struck a chordwith Joe and his team. The reason wechose this design was because we wantedto be involved in something that woulddemonstrate support for the Armed Forces,and we felt Jerrys ideas were very differentto many of the designs weve done to date.

Former body shop owner (and trainedlawyer!) Joe Black formed 8-Ball CustomPaintwork in 2005. The business began by painting bike panels, but soon after, acall from Chesterfield H-D to paint twoHarleys inspired Joe to find his niche purely painting Harleys. We now paintaround 600 Harleys a year and every

one of them is unique, he explains. Jerrys design brings together history

and the present day, but it was importantfor us to bring these themes together withfinesse you can kill a design with toomuch detail, adds Joe.

Typically, customers engage inconsultation with Joe and his team abouttheir dream design sometimes theyvechosen it from 8-Balls website, seenanother bike theyve liked, or created itfrom their own imagination. Either way,each project is given that personal touchby the 8-Ball team. It has to be a two-way thing, explains Dave Powdrill,

artwork paint specialist. Customers musttrust us to adapt their ideas to make themwork on the curved surfaces of tank andfenders. Sometimes an idea can look greaton paper but just doesnt lend itself to theshape of the bike. We always strive toexceed the expectations of every customerand to achieve this we must use ourexpertise to evolve their initial ideas.

8-Ball embarked on this project byresearching the history of the IV ParachuteRegiment, choosing details that would turnJerrys 2008 matt black Night Rod Specialinto a stunning two-wheeled representationof the Regiment. Steve Lovatt, Designer,

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