2014 sees the Bowling Green, Kentucky-based business celebrating 25 years in the motorcycle trade. In this celebratory year AMD talked to company President Rick Ball to discover more about what has kept the manufacturer at the forefront of wheel production over the years ...
LIKE many people in the custom motorcycle industry Rick Ball, owner and President of RC Components, grew up immersed in cars and motorcycles. Growing up in the
San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles, he was exposed to drag racing from an early age and soon took to working on both cars and bikes in order to finance his own racing activities.
His work was good enough that within a year of beginning work in his local auto body shop, RC Acrylics, in 1986 he was in a position to be able to buy it and become his own boss.
New designs feature uniquely machined accents on the outer rim lip
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| From left to right - Helo Eclipse, Raider Eclipse & Torsion Eclipse |
However, there was one stumbling block – wheel choices. In 1989, when Rick was building the bike, there was a distinct lack of lightweight custom wheels. This led Rick to look to the automotive world and to make contact with the late Boyd Coddignton, who at that time was pioneering custom billet aluminum wheels for street rods.
“My vision was a billet aluminum wheel that was light enough to race, but also had a truly custom look,” said Rick of his first wheel design. He continued saying: “I worked together with Boyd to produce that first wheel, the RC Comp, which is still offered today. It was exactly what I wanted.”
Rick is confident that RC is the only wheel manufacturer to have its own in-house chroming facility
The attention that Rick’s bike got at drag strips was the catalyst for him to get more wheels made for other racers who also wanted lightweight, good looking rims. The first incarnation of RC Components was operated by Rick out of his garage at home, as he was simply offering those early wheel designs to fellow drag racers.
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| RCXcelerator FI Tuner |
As is so often the case though, there was soon a demand for race technology from street riders, as Rick explained: “I began receiving regular calls from Harley guys wanting to order my super-light race wheels for their street bikes. This propelled me to immediately start working on a new RC Comp wheel that could withstand the rigors of the open road. At that time, these were uncharted waters, but I pressed on anyway. And, as it turned out, that became the decision of a lifetime.”
RC Components quickly outgrew Rick’s garage and the business was soon moved to Kentucky where, following continued growth, it eventually settled in the current 60,000sq-ft premises in Bowling Green, where over 90 staff are now employed. The space and staff are needed due to all the manufacturing processes being handled in-house, and unusually this includes not only machining, but also polishing and chroming. Rick is confident that RC Components is the only motorcycle parts manufacturer to have its own in-house chrome plating facility.
A new wheel design can be made, tested and released in less than a week
There are now plans in place to further expand the Bowling Green plant to allow the company to maintain its 10-day lead time on wheel orders, which is one of the fastest in the industry.
Over the 25 years since Rick established RC Components, the product line has vastly expanded beyond the initial wheel offerings. Today the company’s range includes a very successful exhaust line. The RCX Exhaust is a 4in slip-on muffler that offers a choice of 20 different tips.
Then there is the matching TruFlo High Velocity air cleaner designed to work with the exhaust, and the RCX-Celerator closed loop fuel management system to gain the greatest performance advantages available from exhaust and air cleaner upgrades, all of which pay testament to Rick’s early days in drag racing - constantly looking for an increase in power.
Even with the diversification, wheels are still a key part of the product line at RC Components, and recent new and innovative designs, the Helo, Torsion and Raider, all feature uniquely machined accents on the outer rim lip.
The ideas for new products and design variations on existing parts, such as the new rim detailing, come from many sources. As a business RC Components attends motorcycle events throughout the US, as it not only allows the team to display its new products, but also provides the opportunity to meet riders face-to-face and discover exactly what they want, and from there take on new ideas.
It is not just the end user that Rick listens to when it comes to new ideas, as he is just as keen to hear from the staff at RC Components, and as such he has put into place a program to allows all employees to submit ideas on both new and existing products. These are then taken on by the design team who work year round to develop new products, which can be brought to market very quickly when needed. Rick explained:
“A new wheel design can be made, tested and released in less than a week. Whereas a new high horsepower exhaust system could take 12 months of R&D and testing before it can be released.”
One area where RC Components has been able to bring new products to market extremely quickly is the trend for big wheels on Baggers. Naturally, as the company started as a wheel manufacturer, it has always been at the forefront of wheel trends.
In the mid-‘00s it began producing 17x12in wheels for builders looking to use 330mm rear tires, and now in response to the increased interest in tall wheels the company is listing all of its 60 plus wheel designs in 23in or 26in sizes, and there are also matching sized fender kits available.
When questioned about what new products are currently in development all Rick would say was: “I can’t go into details on all the new products we have in the works, but I can promise that our customers will not be disappointed.” He then went on to say: “When I look back, we have come a long way from my garage in California. I have met so many great people and made lots of friends along the way. I can’t say enough about all the people who have worked for us and helped make RC Components what it is today.
"I am proud of my personal accomplishments, as well as those of RC. The company’s success has surpassed my wildest dreams and continues to amaze me every day. All I can really say is I’m living the ‘American Dream’. I’m doing what I love and making a living doing it. I say thanks to all of you who believed in RC Components for all these years, and I pledge to continue striving for the best of the motorcycle industry.”
RC COMPONENTS
Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA
Tel: 270 842 6000
rcc@rccomponents.com
www.rccomponents.com
