This is a rare opportunity. Ralph Randolph of Ralph Randolph Designs and Knockout Motorcycle Company is a friend and a brother, so I can write this article straight up, no bullshit, reporting style. I don’t know what I’m saying, but Ralph is one of those rare individuals you can speak to comfortably and know he understands and gets it.

He’s a fighter and a captain for U.S. Airways, but more easy- going than your best friend. And talk about hard working and driven, the guy has more major projects than I do. Just this year he’s built a few bikes (there’s only two major builders in his shop, and he’s one of them). He took on building a bike for the Easyriders Centerfold Tour. He built a bike under the auspices of the University of Texas, a Long Horn Special for the actor Mathew Mc Conhaughey and toured around the country with Carrie Repp of the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse. That’s like a dozen Easyriders Shows and five with the Roadhouse.

The Knockout team has also developed nine products from their line of bikes, which were picked up by Ed Martin, a VP at Custom Chrome, who runs the Jammer line of bobber and old school products. The list of parts includes their oval oil bag with or without battery box. “I know some guys are running mags and don’t need the battery box,” Ralph said while fixing his garage door and talking to me from Phoenix. They have a seat kit, Bear Claw kickers and pegs, license plate brackets and forward controls. “We offer the forward controls with or without a master cylinder. We know that lots of guys have master cylinders around and don’t need to be forced to buy another one.”

Ralph has a specific goal when it comes to building his new school bobbers. “I want guys to know that I will build them one of our bobbers for under 20 grand,” Ralph said. I like his bikes. They’re tight and right, 35-degree rake, short front ends, no beach ball rear tires and sprung seats. They have only 2.5 inches in the backbone, no up stretch and no rake in the triple trees. They look old, but they’re built with new technology, polyurethane inserts in the trees to dampen handlebar vibration and they’re designed to be ridden and be fun to ride. “I like the 103-inch S&S Shovelhead in our bikes. They have classic styling and yet rip up the streets and handle like a dream.”

Let’s get something out of the way. Ralph’s company was named Rockem Sockem Motorcycle Co. at one point, but after a year in business Ralph switched gears, “I want a name that’s cool but not connected to a childrens toy,” he said. He wanted a stand-alone brand that’s his alone and he can build on. Although, from time to time, he will build theme bikes like this Snap-On tool bike or the University of Texas bike under the Ralph Randolph Designs nomenclature.

So let’s delve into the Snap-On custom. It’s based on the Knockout platform. Initially their local Snap-On tool distributor, Larry Thurman, commended Ralph’s bikes and took the notion of a Snap-On theme bike to the upper echelon. The Snap-On 85th anniversary celebration in Las Vegas loomed in the near future and the executives snapped at the chance to have a Knockout bike represent them. Ralph had 30 days to deliver. “They asked me to come to Vegas with the bike as a celebrity guest,” Ralph said. “I’m not a celebrity.” But he went to work like a mad knockout artist building as many bike components as possible with a Snap-On theme. “We went to extreme lengths to create functioning parts with the Snap-On name. We used a 4-inch socket as the headlight, designed a working mirror, foot controls, crows foot wrench design in the seat. Robbie from Alloy Art made the working triple trees, and I rode the shit outta this bike.” They used 1950 Snap-On logos on the tank and late-model logos on the mirror. “The bike looks old school, but has a 100-inch motor and faux Knucklehead features. We mixed the old and new into a tight rideable bike.”

The Snap-On crew was very pleased with their Knockout scooter. That’s not all for Ralph, Kenny and Matty in the shop. A major production is coming from this crew for 2007 and 2008. Ralph has a similar passion for flying since he’s a commercial airline pilot. He’s a member of the Commemorative Air Force, the 5th largest air force in the world. As soon as he has the green light, he will begin a series of fighter plane, nose art bikes, following the tradition of American fighter planes back to WWII and up to the Vietnam War to celebrate their 50th anniversary. He plans to build 10 Knockout customs featuring the Warbird, P-38, P-40, B-25, and Enola Gay. These bikes will be flown, by Ralph in a vintage cargo carrier, to seven Commemorative Air Force Air shows, drawing between 50,000 and 100,000 attendees for each show. We’ll follow these bikes being built on Bikernet and study the nose art in each case. I can’t wait to see these bikes. Ralph is already working with a company to manufacture die-cast replicas of these bikes and a line of T-shirts. All Ralph’s bikes have a 1-year warranty.

There you have it: The Knockout Story of Ralph Randolph and his line of hard-riding bikes. Take a hard look at this bike and the details. For a 30-day build it has some incredible machine and design elements. We will follow his every move, the nose art bikes, his product line and hope to attend one of these Air Shows in the back of the C-130 cargo plane. Hang on for that report.

--Bandit

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