This year The Big Mountain Run will feature builders from all over the Eastern and Central parts of the United States in the first ever Hillbilly Invitational. Each of these builders is hand crafting an amazing build for the event and they will all be pictured here and in Cycle Source Magazine. Leading up to the event we want to give you a little background on each builder and this week we are proud to introduce Matt Harris of 40cal.
I’m Matt Harris from Alcoa, TN. We got a little shop out back of my house we call 40cal. The name comes from my buddy, Rudy Brown, who walks around with a 40cal slug on his kidney. Long story short, when the cops say, “Put the shotgun down,” they mean put the shotgun down! It all started with a made up name at a bike show one time. We won and were featured in a magazine who listed the build by “40cal” so it kinda stuck. Some may recognize us from a recent episode of Discovery Channel’s #Bikerlive. Yeah, we all still have full time jobs, somehow, and build bikes in the evenings and weekends. We build bikes for ourselves, but also for a growing customer base. I hope to someday take this gig full time. It may be sooner rather than later if I keep missing work for shows! Growing up around drag racing and hot rods, I really get into motor stuff. Mostly running vintage engines, I really enjoy using vintage speed parts and building the internals using speed techniques past down from way back when. Its the grey beards of the industry that laid the foundation of where we are today. I have much respect for them. My father made a solid living as a welder/fabricator and still does to this day. He taught me the basis of fab work and showed me how a man can provide using his hands. Fabrication is something I am constantly working to improve. I feel there are no “master fabricators” but same as a physician “practices” medicine for decades or an attorney “practices” law for a lifetime, I feel a fabricator “practices” in their respective industry as well. I am honored to be a part of the Hillbilly Invitational. To join the list with some of the most known and respected names in the industry is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I understand some guys had to back out of the show for different reasons. These are big shoes to feel and I am humbled by the situation. I hope I can prove myself worthy of the invitation. Thank you and see you in West ByGod Virginia!
Matt Harris – 40cal
(865)776-4815
The 2014 Big Mountain Run will feature the first ever “Hillbilly Invitational” and as part of the coverage leading up to the event Cycle Source will be reporting on the builders who have been selected in it. Stayed tuned here or visit www.bmrwv.com for more info!
