Congrats go out this month to Duane Johnson, AKA ‘the_grider’ for what is, beyond all debate, the most artistically impressive Warrior on RSWarrior.com – and all painted by his own fair hand. The ‘True Fire’ artwork, inspired by the world famous Mike Lavallee, has been a labor of love for the Texan and has taken years to achieve the masterpiece that you see before you. I wouldn’t even attempt to estimate how many hours have gone into this, or how many individual pieces of his Warrior have been painted and then repainted until he was satisfied with the finished product, and that is a measure of the man behind this project, the ultimate perfectionist. His favourite quote in his gallery says it all: “There's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over!”
This is one of those bikes that catches your eye from distance and then when you approach for a better look, realize that there is more to behold in the form of some truly awe inspiring compositions. Three large detailed graphics adorn the tank, front and rear fenders with the main theme being Frank Frazetta’s ‘Death Dealer’. Those of you who are familiar with Frazetta’s work will undoubtedly agree that Duane has really paid homage to the great master with his portrayal of the mythical ‘Death Dealer’. But it doesn’t end there; the beautiful Damsel in Distress who adorns the rear fender ties the whole theme together as she looks out, almost begging, provocatively, for you to save her from the fire and death that surrounds her. This breathtaking and lifelike fire consumes much of the bike, tins, frame, front forks, belt guards, cowl, swingarm, backrest, even the wheels, all merge and really does make it appear like the whole bike is ablaze.
It’s been a wonder to me for many years how Duane has had the dedication to create this artistic masterpiece so it goes way beyond wonderment when you consider the modifications that he has also performed – all of them DIY: VBAK, internally wired drag bars, AIS removal & block off, relocated brake switch, horn & coils, left side scoop to right side, self polished peg brackets, levers & switch housings – add to this a long list of aftermarket parts such as Legends forward controls, wave levers, drag bars, pipes, grips, windshield, lower scoop, seat and much much more besides including some individually laser cut pieces.
Just by viewing his gallery, anyone can see that the detail involved in the artwork of each piece of this bike is absolutely staggering, but I am convinced that the pictures here will not do it the justice that it truly deserves – photographs of masterpieces rarely do. This Warrior is not only a show winner but a real piece of ‘the man’ with hundreds of hours of dedication and hard work, all by his own hand. I believe that it’s not only the most visually stunning on our website but is the one bike that represents the concept of ‘making it your own’ that we all understand and respect. Duane is an artist in the true sense of the word and has been an outstanding advisor and mentor to our budding artists, always positive, encouraging and supportive. In my humble opinion there has never been a more deserving WOTM winner.