![\"Bill](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/00147-20171110-DSC_8774-300x200.jpg\")
So far, his fondest motorcycle memory is from this past year\u2019s Toy Run in Port Alberni, B.C. \u201cBringing toys to donate, and raising awareness was incredible, as was riding through the township with people on both sides of the street and over 2,000 bikes riding together in one huge group.\u201d He continues, \u201cIt was a pretty big feeling to be doing something for the community and to see such a huge support group for all of us riders.\u201d It really touched his heart, and made him feel special as a rider and connected to the community.<\/p>\n
After spending some time getting familiar with his bike, he decided to make it more original with a custom paint job. \u201cI decided to customize my bike because in the past, I have done it with every car that I have owned. I like to put my own spin on things and could never leave anything stock,\u201d Bill explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have bought and sold more cars over my time and lost more money doing it,\u201d he says, laughing. \u201cI seem to put all kinds of money into customizing classic and modern cars. The crazy thing is that I always ended up selling them anyway and I\u2019ve lost all kinds of money but just kept doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This One\u2019s a Keeper<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI started having all kinds of ideas of how I might customize it, and a lot of them came from watching TV programs like American Chopper,\u201d he says. Initially he wanted something to do with ghosting skulls. \u201cI have been a big fan of skulls for a number of years and have skull tattoos all over my arms.\u201d After a lengthy conversation with some friends that he used to work with about his desire and ambition to build his custom bike, he was put in touch with my friend Debbi Ferguson.<\/p>\n Debbi is well known in Victoria for her incredible custom paint jobs on bikes and helmets (fergyscustompaint.weebly.com), and Bill felt he\u2019d be able to connect with her, as she, too, is a veteran. He told Debbi about his idea to take his basic black bike and turn it into something really cool and special by adding ghosting skulls and flames all over his bike. \u201cBoy did that ever change!\u201d he says. After consulting with her, the project took on a very new dynamic.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Understanding the Job at Hand<\/strong><\/p>\n She called him and asked, \u201cAre you hard set on skulls and flames? If not, will you let me have free rein on the paint theme, as I feel it is important to honour your 32 years in the CAF?\u201d<\/p>\n He told her that he never thought about going in that direction, and after some discussion back and forth, and after she promised to repaint the bike for free if he didn\u2019t like it, he agreed. \u201cWow, this is huge, but okay, let\u2019s go for it,\u201d he said. \u201cI have faith in you and trust you.\u201d<\/p>\n After many drawings and ideas later, she began the process of painting his bike in a way to honour his career and pay respect to his fallen comrades. Many hours went into his paint job \u2013 the details, the theme and all the colours. It took a lot longer than she expected. \u201cIt was an emotional paint job that brought back many of my own painful military memories,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Ultimately, she came up with a design that completely blew him away. It was clearly something that Bill did not expect, even though she frequently sent him little teasers without giving away the paint scheme.<\/p>\n The Big Day<\/strong><\/p>\n On the day of the bike reveal, Debbi was nervous that he might not like it. Bill wanted to share the moment with his two sons, so instead of just showing him the bike, Debbi decided that she wanted to \u201cpresent\u201d it to him, in a way that honoured the moment and him. His boys were just as excited as he was to finally see the bike.<\/p>\n Debbi had hung up the Canadian flag along with some brown CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) camouflage netting to represent his tours. The bike was completely covered, so when the main doors opened, he couldn\u2019t see the paint yet. Only when his sons took off the green CADPAT cover did he see his bike. He stepped back, putting his hands to his face, turned around, and cried.<\/p>\n \u201cThe feelings I had when I first saw the bike were all over the map, and it was a lot to take in because it just brought up a lot of emotion,\u201d Bill says. \u201cNot only from my 32-year career, but from all the tours of duty and the friends I\u2019ve lost, as well as the friends that I have made over the years. It was just like everything at once and a bit overwhelming, to say the least.\u201d<\/p>\n They both became emotional. \u201cBill, because he was overwhelmed that I had honoured him, and his service, with the paint theme,\u201d Debbi says, continuing, \u201cMe, because I was so happy he loved it. But also, because this paint theme is bigger than us. It represents every single person who is serving or has served in the CAF, and our fallen.\u201d<\/p>\n When I talk to Bill about his bike, he says that he doesn\u2019t think there is one part that speaks out more than the rest, as it is all just one huge display of dedication. Between his ideas and what Debbi came up with, there is a lot of heart and soul put into this bike and the entire build. \u201cIf I had to pick one thing that stands out for me the most, though, it\u2019s on the tip of the fender,\u201d Bill says. \u201cIt kind of demonstrates the shadows of our fallen soldiers lined in hand-painted poppies.\u201d<\/p>\n Outside the Wire<\/strong><\/p>\n When I ask Debbi to explain what each part of the paint scheme represents, she tells me, \u201cI\u2019m not going to lie, I shed a tear when painting the fallen tribute on his rear fender. The poppies are very important, as they not only represent our fallen, but also his nine medals. The wire represents the fact that when he was deployed, he went (outside the wire) into the shit. Inside the wire is base compound, more of a safer, protected place. When soldiers leave the compound, they go and become more at risk of encountering the enemy, the risk of death. Everything in the paint job represents a part of Bill\u2019s military career and deployments.\u201d She next presented him with the Tango Yankee coin, which means \u201cthank you.\u201d It says on the coin: \u201cEverything you do in this life matters, you matter.\u201d Decades of sacrifice deserves a one-off paint job to honour a special veteran. A few months ago, a friend of mine sent me a video of a bike reveal she did for a client of hers who is also a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. She had custom designed and painted his Harley Wide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[373,1515],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Bill](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/00011-20171110-DSC_8636-300x200.jpg\")
But when Bill bought his first motor-cycle, a 2010 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide Glide, he knew that he would never let it go. Ever.<\/p>\n![\"Custom](\"http:\/\/motorcyclemojo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/00069-20171110-DSC_8695-300x200.jpg\")
It was after he went to Debbi\u2019s shop to meet her in person that she realized he was retiring from the CAF and that he had served 32 years. She talked to him extensively about his career, and about what he has been through and sacrificed while in the CAF. It was only then that she decided that his bike and paint job should, and needed to, represent the years he served this country, the sacrifices he made, and the sacrifices made by his fallen comrades and his friends.<\/p>\n
\nThe medals that Bill wears tell only part of his story, but now his bike communicates much more. And that is what Debbi wanted to honour. \u201cI wanted to show him, to give him, the honour he deserves. I did this in my paint theme for him, which we will never forget. He had no idea I was painting his helmet either, so when I gave him that, he cried even more.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nShe says that every soldier and veteran needs to be honoured, and she is very right.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"