Barbarian At The Gate
Kurt Peterson’s Conquering Custom

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, today you will hear the case of one Kurt Peterson, the wizard responsible for a great many things, not the least of which is exhibit A: this radical Honda VTX1800. Now, despite some of the benign statements you are about to read, what will be proven at the end of this article is that Kurt Peterson, the agreeable owner of Minnesota’s esteemed custom shop Glacial Graphics, is actually a ruthless boss with a bloodthirsty imagination.

Let’s start with the facts. Kurt has been in the field of custom painting and fabrication for almost 20 years, during which he’s built Glacial Graphics into the villainous empire it is today. Throughout that time, he’s seen many wannabes come and go.

“Custom painting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” explains Kurt. “Because when you’re young, it seems no matter how hard you try, everything turns out ugly. Nobody appreciates it. In that respect it’s one of the hardest people businesses to be in. You’ve got to be thick skinned and keep at it. That’s what makes a painter, and there aren’t many great ones around.”

Inherent in this last comment is that Kurt considers himself one of the greats. And he just may be. But don’t let that distract you, ladies and gentlemen. Great people have done terrible things.

And now, for a bit of Kurt’s boyhood. His father’s uncle was a blacksmith and owned a shop where Kurt’s dad toiled from a young age. When Kurt’s father grew up, he became a highly technical welder specializing in bridge construction. That meant Kurt spent his formative years surrounded by at least two hardcore guys who created amazing things from some of the most unforgiving materials on earth.

Kurt began wielding a stick welder at the tender age of 11. Since his dad was a journeyman worker and would often be gone for days, Kurt spent plenty of time in his old man’s shop, entertaining himself with tools of the family trades. He worked on everything, eventually finding his way into painting. Word got around that the kid who was now a teenager actually had some talent. In fact, before he was 16, someone paid him to paint his motorcycle, a ’68 Triumph, a job for which Kurt gives himself mixed reviews. “Back then everyone thought it was pretty cool,” claims Kurt. “But now it would probably be considered pretty gross.”

Ladies and gentlemen, don’t be fooled by this strained moment of humility. Wait until you see what’s really on this man’s mind.

With a background like his, it was only logical that Kurt would get into the custom business. The real question is, what took the 46-year-old so long to whip up his first start-to-finish full custom, this VTX? “I spent all those years working on other people’s stuff,” Kurt bluntly states. “I mean, there are other stories I could go into, but I don’t think you’ve got the paper.”

Members of the jury, you will be spared those “other stories,” given that once Kurt gets going he’s not exactly a man of few words.

Anyway, one fine summer day a few years back, Kurt spotted a VTX and was smitten, buying one for himself immediately. He hopped on the stock powerhouse, cranked around a bit, and came to the conclusion that the 1800 had more than enough guts as it stood. The decision was made to leave the engine alone, save for a Wimmer Sidewinder air cleaner and a monster Roadhouse slip-on pipe. Keeping the thumper stock has apparently done nothing to spoil Kurt’s fun.

“Have you ever ridden a VTX1800?” asks Kurt. “They’re monsters. I won’t tell you how fast I’ve gone because my dad might read this, but I will tell you the thing is a burnout beast. I lit it up at a saloon in Sturgis two years ago. I got it into fifth gear with the speedo running over 100, and smoke pouring off of it. It was so nasty. Nobody could breathe. The whole place cleared out. I think that may be why they no longer allow burnouts at that joint.”

Ladies and gentlemen, let it be duly noted that, in this instance, Kurt showed a total disregard for the lives of innocent bystanders.

Though Kurt left his cruiser’s motor stock, he obviously couldn’t resist casting his crafty spell over the rest of the bike. That’s what he does for a living, after all. First up was the development of a rear end that could handle a fat tire. Voilà! No sooner had Kurt and crew started tinkering than a design was concocted, a kit produced, and a cash cow born. “It was amazing,” marvels Kurt. “We created that swingarm, threw it up on my web site, and the phones just went nuts.” They have since further refined the design and now market it as the Sumo-X 240 Fat Tire Kit.

Next, Kurt began to concentrate on the tin, specifically the Fat Katz fenders, the side covers, and the tank, all of which were cut up and lovingly hand-hammered within an inch of their lives. Kurt was pleased with himself. “I haven’t seen anybody who’s done as nice a tank stretch on a VTX,” he boasts. “Not even close. And that’s not being egotistical. I’d admit if I saw a better one.” Bulletin to all you custom kings out there: The gauntlet has been thrown down.

Then there were the handlebars. “They were a last-minute thing,” recalls Kurt. “A week before the Honda Homecoming, we took the front end apart, polished it up, and made those bars.” Not to paraphrase a humble man, but I do believe I’ve never seen cooler bars on a VTX.

Finally, when it came time for paint, Kurt knew just what to do. He shipped his ride to the experts at Maaco, for a first-rate, low-cost splatter job. Okay, he didn’t do that. Just wanted to see if you were all still awake. Kurt is a custom painter, and as such the only hands that laid color on his bike were his own. And a grand job he did.

Of particular note to you members of the jury is the Frazetta-esque fantasy scene on the tank. Atop a fiery heap of slain and struggling blood-soaked barbarians stands one conquering heathen, his sword slashing the air in victory. Underneath the image is the word “Hierarchy.” What to make of this?

With a wink to his employees, Kurt explains, “You might call it my own little ego trip.”

Now before you reach a verdict, people, let Kurt finish.

“I told my wife the other night that what I should have put on there was ‘Get back to work!’ ”

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I rest my case. RB