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Mitchell Tech, Helping with Horsepower team up to produce custom Sturgis motorcycle

erik kaufman, the daily republic, mitchell, s.d.
·6 min read
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Nov. 18—MITCHELL — There were seven students working on the 2018 Harley-Davidson Road Glide motorcycle in the Power Sports and Marine Technology workshop Wednesday morning at Mitchell Technical College.

But once they are through with their work on the bike, the custom-built motorcycle will have a viewership in the thousands as it comes up for bid at the

2023 Mecum Motorcycle Auction

in Las Vegas, Nevada, scheduled to be held in January.

"They're the largest auctioneer for motorcycles and custom cars in the world," said Chris Degen, program director for the Power Sports program at Mitchell Technical College. "Everyone has heard of Barrett-Jackson, but this is actually above Barrett-Jackson. You have to get pre-approved to be at the auction. Credit-score type of stuff."

It will be an exciting moment for the seven students working on the motorcycle, Mitchell Technical College and the

Helping with Horsepower Bike Rebuild Program,

part of an Ethan non-profit organization whose mission is to teach life lessons on a personal and professional level, hands-on, with youth, veterans or any group that would benefit from the experience. The program backs that by providing education, empowerment and encouragement that delivers an important message.

Helping with Horsepower and Mitchell Technical College came together on this particular project when Laura Klock, founder of Helping with Horsepower, visited Sturgis during the annual motorcycle rally. She was attending the rally to promote another motorcycle raffle when she was approached by city leaders about doing something special.

"I was in Sturgis and met with the city, and they wanted to do a program. And Chris said that they did a project every year with the Power Sports students, and we introduced that to the city and they thought it was great," Klock said.

The plan was for the students in the class to take a donated Harley-Davidson, tear it down and then build it back up with custom features, including stylings specific to Sturgis. The project would take the 2018 model, known primarily as a cruising motorcycle, and turn it into something more performance-based, something suitable for both the racetrack and the straightaways and bends of the Black Hills.

The bike is on schedule to be completed around Dec. 8, and it will then head to Las Vegas for the auction. Interested buyers will have their chance to bid, and whatever the motorcycle brings in will go toward the Helping with Horsepower programs as well as the Sturgis Rally Endowment, which serves as the philanthropic arm of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

A donor from Sturgis also has agreed to provide matching funds in the form of cash, pledges or deferred gifts, including the city's share of net proceeds from the motorcycle build program, to a maximum of $100,000.

"It works for everyone — with Helping with Horsepower, and Mitchell Tech didn't have to go and invest in a bike and I didn't have to source all the parts. And it's going for a good cause. It's good for everyone, I think," Degen said.

The students worked with Degen and Klock to come up with a design for the motorcycle. The remodeled Harley-Davidson will have a sleeker, more racing-style look to it while still retaining the characteristics of a motorcycle comfortable enough to take on long trips across the countryside.

The fact that the design itself is born from the seven different students, as well as guided by the availability of parts from sponsors like Harley-Davidson and Rockford Fosgate, ensures that the winning bidder will be bringing home a truly one-of-a-kind design. And the students themselves gain mechanical experience and the benefits of learning to work in a collaborative environment.

Others brought in to contribute include Tex McDorman, who works under the moniker TexEfx, who visualized the design suggestions for the team, and local painter Todd Dozart, who will handle the paint job for the project. Other donors include Custom Chrome USA, Paul Yaffe's Baggernation, Klock Werks and Vance & Hines.

In addition, the students get a firsthand look at marketing concepts. Having a custom motorcycle associated with Helping with Horsepower, Mitchell Technical College and the city of Sturgis on the block with Mecum Auctions will expose all three to a nationwide audience.

"They are so inspired," Klock said of the students. "Not only will they know the mechanical side through the amazing teaching at the school, they will have the additional benefit of collaboratively coming up with the design. It becomes a piece of all of us."

Degen said he was happy to see his students coming together to make the project a reality. With a deadline to finish the work looming, he trusts his crew to get the work done as soon as the required parts are delivered.

"I'm not worried about us putting it together, because these guys get stuff done quickly," Degen said.

Evan Juracek, a second-year student from Gregory, said he and his six classmates have been doing a little bit of everything when it comes to the 2018 Harley-Davidson, from design suggestions to custom fabrication to welding.

"We're all around working on everything," Juracek said.

And it's unique. This bike stands out from other rebuilds they have done in the past as it combines the aspects of two different types of riding into one piece of machinery.

"It's different. We've done these in previous years, and they're all hard tails and things like that, more showy bikes," Juracek said. "The biggest difference with this is that it's a bagger. It's not a super-common thing to make a performance bagger. They're more like a cruiser or touring motorcycle. So you're basically taking a touring bike and turning it into a performance bike."

Degen said it was possible the motorcycle could grace the cover of the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally magazine, which offers visitors a guide on rally events and schedules. That would only add to the exposure of the program and the non-profits that are benefitting.

Officials with the city of Sturgis were also pleased to be working with the group to offer exposure to the rally and to direct funds to charitable organizations.

"For years, a part of the profits from the city of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been donated to local charities. In 2021, the city of Sturgis set up the Sturgis Rally Endowment Fund, a part of the Black Hills Community Foundation to ensure that the Rally tradition of charitable giving endures for the benefit of future area residents," Mark Carstensen, mayor of Sturgis, said in a statement.

The project is a benefit to everyone involved, Klock said, and she couldn't be more pleased with the way it has all come together. The real wins come in the form of the dollars for the non-profits, the experience for the students and the exposure for Mitchell Tech and Helping with Horsepower, as well as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

But she admits she's curious about how the bike does at the Mecum Auction. After all, it's not every day that so many local elements are featured at such a prestigious auction house, and to have those proceeds go toward worthy causes.

"I'm excited and nervous," Klock laughed. "But I'm more excited. When you're trying to attract a buyer that is going to pay top dollar to truly make an impact with these non profits, there's a little more pressure. (It's the opportunity of) a lifetime."