What does a motorcycle builder do when they dislike every single product designed to clean the motorcycles he builds? He makes his own…
Marked by honesty, collaboration, and a keen sense of market needs, Brian Klock's creation of Shine Werks is a fascinating narrative of how a chance encounter at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally led to the creation of a successful line of cleaning products.
Grease, Grit, and Genuine Conversations
For those who may not know, Brian owned a detail shop and managed a body/paint shop. His experiences in those worlds likely provided him with valuable insights into the shortcomings of existing cleaning products known to man. The moment he candidly admitted he didn't like any of the products, led to a conversation and the rest you can say is history....
It was one fateful day at Sturgis that a gentleman walked up and asked, "Why are there so many different cleaning products out?" Brian replied with, "Honestly I'm not too sure, they all suck." The honesty sort of took the gentleman back for a second as he watched Brian finish installing his windshield. "Sorry," Brian said as he turned to shake the gentleman's hand, "my mom would not be proud of that response."
Mom Wouldn't Be Proud – But We Are!
The gentleman, now curious, went on to ask Brian why he didn't like any of the products: pointing at each and every product, Brian explained why he didn't like them. The gentleman giggled and continued to tell Brian one of the products was actually his. Now Brian felt really bad, but their conversation formulated (quite literally) a long term friendship that found the two testing products to get the perfect mix of a cleaner/wax, and Shine Werks was created!
Skepticism Be Gone
Many people think Shine Werks was an "additional" revenue product - but Brian felt he and the team filled a niche that was not being cared for. In fact he didn't even care if anyone but his own team utilized the Shine Werks line.
Jim Matchette from Drag Specialties originally told Brian they had enough cleaning products and that here was no need to submit the new cleaning line, it likely won't get selected. Brian understood because Jim wasn't wrong, there are so many detailing and cleaning options already, but he sent a bottle to Jim to try anyways. A few months later, Jim had called Brian and admitted he loved the product and had used it on multiple applications, blowing Brian away as this was exactly what he was aiming for! It wasn't long after that, Jim accepted the product.
Word-of-Mouth Magic
Shine Werks quickly grew to be a major sales product at every event. "The word-of-mouth had really been the biggest boom. It cleans and applies a light coat of protective wax that repels the next layer of bugs and grime," said Brian.
From there, Shine Werks became a product line adding in Matte Werks, Engine Werks and a travel size cleaning kit, further demonstrating the brand's adaptability and responsiveness to various needs.
Overall, it's a compelling narrative of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and the journey from an honest admission about existing products to the creation and success of a specialized line like Shine Werks.
Check out the full Shine Werks collection and give your ride the spotless shine it's been craving. Got questions about which product to pick or how to use it? No worries, just hit up our friendly Krew for the lowdown. Ride on! 🏍️✨
