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Killin’ Time: On The Road With X

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Article By: Xavier Muriel

Originally Published In The October 2018 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

Greetings once again my friends of the open road. As I sit down to write this month’s article, it is the night before I leave for Daytona…I know it’s the wrong direction, ya’ll think I should be heading north. Well, I am, I’m just taking the long way around. You see, I’m heading to Choppers Inc. to help prep the racers for another running of Sons of Speed and I will load the trailer bound for the country’s best motorcycle rally… Sturgis! I’m super excited for this year’s race as the track will be much more suitable for 100-yearold motorbikes. Last year the track wasn’t quite ready and let’s just say we would have been better off on motocross bikes. Based on the planning over the past year, the fi ne folks at the Pappy Hoel campground have assured us that it will be up to par, so this year should see marked improvement. But for now, we have high hopes and a little patience as we wait to see what lies ahead. If you read my last article, you know that I, as well as a number of my peers have been under the gun to fi nish our bikes for the Michael Lichter Motorcycles As Art “Passion Built” Show. They need to be ready in time for the transport trucks to whisk them away for the 78th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Ya know that saying “At the 11th hour”?

Well, mine was the 11th hour and 59th minute. During my years as a professional musician there have been plenty of times I’ve been under pressure touring and recording etc., but man, I’ve never felt anything like this before! With the exception of a few parts made by some of the best in the industry, I can honestly say the rest was all me and I’m damn proud to have made the pickup date. Again, I’m still new to all this stuff, so I’m fully aware that the knowledge I gained on this one was out of this world and priceless. For me, that’s where the good stuff really is. On the occasion that I ran into a real head-scratcher, I’d pick up the phone and call a buddy, and as usual I was met with “No problem bud, here’s what ya do’’, what a blessing and man, what a great feeling to know that there are so many cool guys out there willing to lend a hand. Like most of the guys, we were all watching each other’s progress on Instagram, and, for the most part, rooting each other on. But, as with anything, there’s always the haters, and for me, that’s a waste of time.

I was really lucky to fi nd some amazing people to help me out with some stuff for the build. The father and son team of Carlos Senior and Junior of C&D Plating in San Antonio Texas were incredible to work with. They turned my stuff around in record time, and since they are only an hour down the road, it made drop off and pick up a breeze. If you’re looking for a good chromer or polisher in the Central Texas area, look them up. You’ll dig ‘em. Another excellent fi nd was Enigma Coatings in Liberty Hill Texas. Chris and Devin took excellent care of my frame and knocked it out in record time without compromising the end result. A tremendous score was Texas Performance Motorcycles in Cedar Park  Texas. Mark assembled my polished Baker tranny in such a meticulous manner that it was quite the honor just to watch him work. Mark specializes in turning your stock H-D into a firebreathing machine. His services come complete with the knowledge and the equipment to do it right.

He’s one of the only dyno facilities around and is highly sought after for that very reason. If you’re in Austin or the surrounding area be sure to look him up for your performance needs. I’m absolutely ecstatic to get to Sturgis. With “Grace” placed alongside all the other amazing builds I hope to enjoy some great times with some great people. I can truly say that having a bike that I built in my garage in the 108° Texas heat sitting alongside so many outstanding creations is at the top of my achievement list. Honestly, it’s right up there with all the music stuff. Ya know the biggest thing I’ve learned throughout this whole process is that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. As for all the naysayers who talk shit and only slam you, I say let them, and then let your work do the talking! Take care, be kind to one another and God Bless. X

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