It started out innocently enough: Take a trip to RC Components in Bowling Green, Kentucky, pick up my custom-built, 2-by-2 stretch, 41-degree rake, rigid frame, take a few pictures, talk to a few people, then ride up to the Easyriders Show in Louisville. Sounds simple, right? It turned out to be four strange days that felt like four weeks, in the company of some of the most innovative yet twisted guys in the custom motorcycle industry. Kentucky is moonshine country, a place where signs on the side of the road advertise "used cows for sale." Predictable is one thing this trip was not.

I've been hearing about RC Comp products for years. Many of my customers use their wheels. I wandered into their shop Thursday and ran into the founder and president of the company, Rick Ball, who handed me over to his ace designer/fabricator, John Blankenship.

Later on, I was kidnapped by Greg Walker, the head of RC's machine shop, who gave me a tour of his immaculate shop.

It was wild watching all these incredible parts being made. Rick showed me one their newest wheels, the 18-by-8.5 that fits a 240 or 250. It takes up your lane and half of the lane next to you. There'll be no parallel riding with these bad boys. RC Comp is one the few shops that makes a wheel like this. Then there were these wild, 5-degree rake triple trees. RC's smooth forward controls were calling my name.

I couldn't take the bright glare from all that billet for much longer without making rash financial decisions, so Rick loaded my frame in my truck for me.