Lebanon native who built his own motorcycle advances as finalist in national competition

Clay Krick was 3 years old when he first rode a motorcycle.

He would sit beside his dad, who first introduced Krick to dirt bikes, antique cars, and motorcycles in the garage of their Lebanon County home.

“My dad was always working on cars and bikes, so I lent a hand when I could and learned everything from him,” Krick said.

Among his many passions, school was not one of them. Krick would often sit and stare at the window of his third-grade classroom, imagining himself riding and even building a bike of his own.

“I could picture these bikes in my head before I even knew how to build one — I just knew I wanted to build my own.”

Krick attended Lebanon County Career and Technology Center, where he learned all aspects of manufacturing and welding.

"When I learned about welding, I realized there's so much you can do with it because you're working with your hands."

At 17, he built his first motorcycle with the help of a teacher at school, Hugo Garcia.

After his successful attempt, Krick continued to imagine all types of bikes in his head, some vintage, some modern, each vibrantly colored, with the hope to build another someday.

Now, at 22, Krick is a professional welder.

Last year, when he came across Biltwell People's Champ 2022, a motorcycle building competition accepting candidates across the country - he knew this was his chance.

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‘The bike of my dreams’

Hosted by Biltwell, a company that sells all-things motorcycle gear, the purpose of the competition is to get exposure for builders of all ages and showcase their skill and talent.

In October 2021, Krick and over 100 interested candidates submitted essays, describing what their bike would look like and how it would be built, with some photos of their past work.

A month later, 24 candidates were chosen to be part of the competition, and Krick was ecstatic to be picked.

"I remember hearing him cheering in his room when he found out - we were both so excited," said Jane Krick, his mom.

As soon as he found out he got in, Krick began building his bike using all the techniques he had learned in school and any materials he could get his hands on.

"I built everything from the front end, the gas tank, the handlebars which pass through the tank - just everything."

His inspiration for the bike came from flipping through various vintage motorcycle magazines, where Krick fell in love with 1970s and 80s choppers with unique frame modifications, and extended front forks.

"I'm looking in these magazines and I'm seeing weird stuff, so I wanted to try something different and build a rideable 70s bike."

Krick was allowed to get help from detailers, so he reached out to people in Philadelphia, New Hampshire, and Kansas who assisted with the paint and chrome detailing.

"I spent day and night working on this, but it was all worth it," he said.

It took Krick a total of seven months to build his bike, and as part of the competition rules he was required to upload his progress photos through social media to share with judges and bikers alike.

Last month, Clay found out he was selected as one of the six finalists who would head to Orange County in California for the final leg of the competition.

At 13 feet long, Krick's bike is a 1976 Honda CB750 chopper named "Loose Goose." The bike of his dreams.

"Everything about it turned out the way I wanted: the shape, the colors, just everything." He added "I had so much help and wouldn't have got this far without all the support - I have so many people to thank."

Whether he wins or not, Krick expressed he was just glad to be part of the competition and incorporate his skills into a passion project. He hopes to inspire bike lovers of any age, to go after their dreams like he did.

In just a few weeks, Krick and his parents will be driving to California, where he and five other finalists will ride and showcase their bikes to thousands of bikers from across the globe, with the hope of winning a $10,000 cash prize.

Lena Tzivekis is a central Pa. reporter. Email her at etzivekis@gannett.com, or message her on Twitter at @tzivekis, and say hi, or let her know where to get the best cup of coffee!

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Lebanon native advances motorcycle as finalist in Biltwell people's champ 2022