He started to show me a Road King he had worked over and I was stunned by his abilities and the facilities at the shop. I was also seriously moved by his level of detail. I know a couple of builders who are world renowned, but their finish work and detail is seriously lacking. You don't dare look behind brackets and under fenders. Part of Larry's ability to deliver on the detail is his range of talents and facilities to back it up. He has a basic assembly area for construction, service and maintenance. He also has an area the size of four garages devoted to fabrication. He does his own fabrication and bodywork, primarily out of steel. He also rakes and modifies frames. On top of that, he has a room for mixing paint and a car-sized paint booth. Larry also is the mastermind behind the paint work. He has a pin striping room for handling graphics and air brushing projects.

As you can see from the photos, he's capable of painting everything from simple classic flames and scallops to women's silky bodies and paint parroting Frank Frazetta’s wild graphics. He works out the design with the customer and paints a sample on a flat, sheet metal template that mimics the tank profile. That way the customer gets to see a realistic portrayal of the motorcycle art before any color is applied. The templates have a second purpose. They become a life-sized portfolio of Larry’s workmanship for new customers to view. "I take them to shows and mount them on Velcro for people to see," Larry said. "I used to take tanks and parts, but by the end of an event everyone was rushing to get home and they'd do a lousy job of packing and protecting all the paint jobs. I'd discover nicks and dents. This takes the place of actual parts."

The final concern from the customer standpoint is style. We know that he can do anything. While I was there I noticed a restoration project going with an early H-D. Larry was also painting the body of a dragster in his spray booth and custom making fenders and all the sheet metal for another project. As a customer, you'd need to decide if Larry is capable of building something to suit your taste, or if you like some of what he already has produced.

I think that if you have an experience similar to mine, you will agree that he is an upcoming builder with talent the likes of Arlen or Jesse, just a different style base. For information about his workmanship, prices or schedule, check his Web site at www.propaint-fab.com, or drop by:

Pro Paint & Fabrication
109 North Point Blvd.
Baltimore, Md. 21224
(410) 282-2004
(800) 780-5063
Let me know what your impression is.

--Bandit

Spec Sheet:

Base Model - Road King--1998 RK Classic

Engine - 113 S&S w/ major modifications

Transmission - 5 Speed w/ back cut gears

Wheels, Rotors, and Pulley - RC Comp Wizards

Controls - Performance Machine

Brakes - Performance Machine

Pegs - Ness

Driving lights and light bars - Ness

Air cleaner- Ness

Running boards - Pro One

Digital speedo and tach - Dakota

Custom metal work tank, dash, fenders, and paint - Pro Paint and Fab