A CUSTOM BOBBER | 1961 HARLEY-DAVIDSON® PANHEAD SWINGARM BUILD FEATURING AN S&S 93” MOTOR
The Legacy of a Build
Some bikes are just builds. Others tell a story. This one is a testament to a lifetime of passion, relationships, and a love for motorcycles that started long before I was even born.
In November 2024, I started on a journey to build a bike that wasn’t just another project—it was personal. This 1961 Harley-Davidson® Panhead Swingarm build is a tribute to my father, Roger Klock. It’s inspired by the bike he rode in the summer of 1966 from his gas station in Emery, South Dakota, to the Sturgis Rally with his best friend, Sylvan Bleeker. That trip happened just one month before I was born—I can only imagine my mom’s excitement.
Roger’s bike was mostly stock—birch white with hi-fi red stripes. The Panhead experts have said this would have been a “reverse” option where stock bikes normally would have been hi-fi red with white stripes. It's a fun fact that highlights how my dad always leaned towards mild customs. My dad appreciated that style. I (Brian Klock) love "kustom," with a "K," of course. More extreme, a bit more transitioned and radical, this build reflects that difference while still honoring the foundation he laid for my passion of motorcycles.
Relationships Are Everything
This project wouldn’t have been possible without the incredible people who came together to make it happen. When S&S Cycles invited me to be a part of their Vintage Tour 2025, it was an immediate “Yes.” This is more than a build—it’s a culmination of friendships, trust, and a lifetime of shared passion.
To Brett Smith, Howard Kelly, Charlie Hadayia, Scott Hakins, Torger Olson, and the entire S&S team—thank you. This bike is proof that the strongest builds aren’t just metal and horsepower; they’re the result of the people behind them. It embodies the sense of community and accountability we all long for.
The group text between all of us builders and the S&S team is a mix of hardships, laughter, and most of all camaraderie. It’s not just about getting the work done. It’s about sharing a love for motorcycles and pushing each other to be better.
The Build: Honoring the Past, Pushing the Future
This project started with an original Panhead frame that had been chopped somewhere along the way, featuring squared-down tubes and a smooth neck. The first move was to restore it back to its rightful form, cleaning up the frame and ensuring it was as true to its origins as possible. Shelton Einerwold and Rob Roehl took on that challenge, repaired the downtubes and nailed it.
From there, the entire motor was torn down by Ryan Anderson and Dani Pray, paying attention to every intricate detail. Steve Langston at Elite Polishing in Lincoln, Nebraska, fully polished the motor, bringing out every bit of its raw beauty. Special touches include a Morse Magneto, a Moon Eyes oil gauge, and hand-crafted pushrod collars by Noel Connelly of Flame Art Design in Ireland. Our very own Gene Slater polished the Baker kicker pedal and painted the lettering details to match.
One of the defining components of this build is the Baker transmission—a 6-speed in a 4-speed case that allows both kick and electric start. It also features one of the last remaining Baker “tin-type” billet primers known to exist. Bert Baker and I both started our journey into the V-Twin industry in 1997, making the inclusion of this piece even more significant, we are honored to have it.
Provisions were made for a Jeff Cochran oil tank and battery box, Drag Specialties shocks, and a stock chromed swingarm modified to accommodate a bobbed rear fender and underslung Performance Machine brake. The exhaust system was custom-fabricated by Rob Roehl of Donnie Smith Custom Cycles, featuring a one-off HPI muffler from Jimmy Light of HPI. The front end consists of a modified 1961 Panhead replica nacelle that has been lowered two inches. It also features a left-leg mod to run a single Performance Machine caliper and a 10-inch rotor.
Most notably, at the heart of the build, is the battery box featuring four stars - a tribute to the Dallas Star tattoo my brothers Chad, Troy, Tony, and I share. When our parents, Roger and Karen, got divorced, Troy made a joke that the only thing we ever truly agreed on as a family was the Dallas Cowboys. Living in Phoenix at the time, he took that sentiment to heart and got a tattoo of a star on his left thigh. When he sent a photo to me, I immediately knew I had to do the same. That same year, as if the universe was in on it, the Cowboys won the Super Bowl. Not long after, Chad and Tony followed suit, marking our unbreakable bond with the same ink. Those four stars represent more than just a football team—they symbolize our unwavering loyalty: to each other, to our history, and to the brands that have stood by us. It seems only fitting that this build, supported by S&S Cycles—who backed us during the Biker Build-Off in 2006, included us in their 50th anniversary in 2008, and now the Vintage Series Tour in 2025—carries that same message of loyalty on its battery box.
The final finish is the Harley-Davidson® birch white, expertly painted by Shannon Pranschke and Jeff Gjerde of Gjerde Production Paint in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The hi-fi stripes and precise measurements were offered up by Greg Lew and Tom Banks. The metric chrome pieces were perfected by Gary Sr. and Gary Jr. Dubois of J&D Plating in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Rolling on Led Sled invader-style chrome wheels wrapped in Metzeler tires, the bike features 4.5-gallon tanks from Lowbrow Customs. The Twisted Choppers seat pan was covered by Duane Ballard, who also hand-crafted the tank strap. Clutch and throttle cables came courtesy of Barnett’s in California, and the Kustom Tech controls for the handlebars were provided by our dear friend, Antonio Blanco of Motorcycle Storehouse in Europe.
The Klock Werks Team: Success in Action
While this build was coming together, life didn’t slow down. I had rotator cuff surgery and the team at Klock Werks never missed a beat. Events still happened. The catalog was still planned. New software launched. Customer and distributor orders went out. And beyond that, they stepped up to help Chris and Heather Callen of Cycle Source Magazine finish their bike while they were overseas judging the Batabit Show in Qatar.
Terry Vance once told me, “You’re not a success until they don’t need you.” Over the past month, my team has made me feel successful in the best way possible. Special thanks to Dani Pray, Ryan Anderson, and Shelton Einerwold for the countless extra hours spent making my dad’s dream custom a reality.
Full Circle: A Tribute to RK (Roger Klock)
As this build wrapped up, I realized something: This isn’t just another build. It’s a reflection of the relationships that have shaped me, the passion that drives me, and the legacy I want to leave behind.
My dad, Roger Klock, instilled in me a love for motorcycles, for the industry, for the culture, and for the importance of relationships. He taught me that the details matter. That love started long before I was born—captured in a simple photo of him and his best friend, Sylvan Bleeker, standing beside their bikes before their 1966 ride to Sturgis. That moment, frozen in time, symbolizes the start of a passion that would shape my entire life, bringing me to where I am today.
Now, decades later, I stand here with this build, honoring him the best way I know how—through a motorcycle crafted with heart, history, and the help of some incredible people. The ride he took in 1966 led me here. The friendships, the passion, and the purpose behind it all are the same. This bike isn’t just a tribute—it’s proof that the road we ride is is never ours alone. It’s paved with the stories, the relationships, and the legacies that came before us. And with this build, I get to bring that story full circle. “Relationships are everything.”
See It for Yourself
The long-awaited reveal of this Panhead Swingarm build happened at Daytona Bike Week on February 28th at 10:00 AM at the S&S Cycles booth located in the J&P Cycles lot at Destination Daytona. From there, it will join the Vintage Tour 2025, making stops at the Donnie Smith Show in Minnesota, Born Free in California, and finally returning home to Sturgis, South Dakota.
If you love motorcycles, if you love history, if you love the stories behind the builds—come see it in person. This isn’t just a bike. It’s a legacy on two wheels.
Partner Products
- Motor S&S 93” Vintage Series Panhead (70-99)
- Baker Transmission (6-speed in a 4-speed case, kick/electric start) – Baker Drivetrain
- Oil Tank and Battery Box – Jeff Cochran
- Rear Shocks – Drag Specialties
- Swingarm (Stock, Chromed by J+D Plating, Modified for Bobbed Rear Fender & Underslung Brake) – Modified
- Rear Brake (Underslung) – Performance Machine
- Front End (Modified ’61 Panhead replica Nacelle, Lowered 2 inches, Left-leg Mod for Single Caliper & 10” Rotor) – Tedd's V-Twin (Modified)
- Front and Rear Brake Caliper – Tedd's V-Twin
- Front Brake Rotor (10-inch) – Performance Machine
- Motor Polishing – Steve Langston, Elite Polishing (Lincoln, NE)
- Magneto – Morse Magneto
- Hand-crafted Pushrod Collars – Noel Connelly, Flame Art Design (Ireland)
- Kicker Pedal (Polished & Painted Lettering Details) – Gene Slater
- Custom Exhaust – Rob Roehl, Donnie Smith Custom Cycles
- One-off Muffler – Jimmy Light, HPI
- Paint (Harley-Davidson® Birch White + Hi-Fi Red) – Shannon Pranschke & Jeff Gjerde, Gjerde Production Paint (Spirit Lake, IA)
- Chrome Plating – Gary Sr. & Gary Jr. Dubois, J&D Plating (St. Paul, MN)
- Clutch & Throttle Cables – Barnett’s
- Wheels (Invader-style Chrome, 19” Front, 16” Rear) – Led Sled
- Tires (100/90-19 Front, 150/80 B16 Rear) – Metzeler
- Gas Tanks (4.5-gallon) – Lowbrow Customs
- Seat Pan – Twisted Choppers
- Seat Covering & Hand-crafted Tank Strap – Duane Ballard
- Handlebar Controls – Kustom Tech from Motorcycle Storehouse
- Handlebar Controls Supplier – Antonio Blanco, Motorcycle Storehouse (Europe)
- Pingel Fuel Petcock
