For those of you who have wondered whether custom bike building was a sport or really just an excuse to escape into the garage for a cold drink, there's now an official contest to dispel those doubts. American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) and Custom Chrome have teamed up to bring the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building to the United States.
Because of the burgeoning interest in custom motorcycles the last couple of years, the idea of a championship for motorcycle customization sort of hatched itself. The U.S. event will be an offshoot of American Motorcycle Dealer's existing AMD ProShow Bike Builder contest series in Europe. AMD is a UK-based trade magazine for dealers who sell American motorcycles in Europe.
The AMD ProShow is held each spring in conjunction with Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) at its European Dealer Show to recognize custom bike designs emanating from Europe's bike-building community.
Entrants in the annual contest are industry professionals from the V-twin sector-Harley-Davidson and independent custom dealers, professional custom bike builders and parts and accessories distributors and manufacturers. With the creation of the U.S. series, that event will now be named the European Championship, and the winner will be invited to attend the World Championship of Bike Building at Custom Chrome's California event this fall. Custom Chrome and AMD hope the event (and its $25,000 purse) will attract entries from around the world.
The popularity of what is now recognized as the European style of custom design has increased demand for some of the high-tech parts and accessory designs from European designers. The European custom aesthetic has evolved as a result of the high standards of design and engineering quality required by stringent regulations in Europe.
The ProShow event is open to all brands, and there's no requirement that Custom Chrome components be used. The judges will be members of the international motorcycle press. For more information, visit www.AMDProShow.com. -AC
Cycle Fest at Copper Mountain
Escape the August heat in Colorado's high country. We'll meet you there.It's that time of year again. The heat creeping into your riding clothes feels like the breath of the devil. Your helmet has become a pressure cooker, steaming up your mental state and making you want to scream at the top of your lungs, "Take me to Copper Mountain, Colorado!" It is 9,600 feet in elevation, after all, and bound to be cooler than where you're standing, and undoubtedly more scenic, too. The Cycle Fest rally, August 27-29, is a great excuse to ride the Rockies this summer. Plus, our group of magazines is a presenting sponsor, so you know it has to be a good time.
Arrive at Copper Mountain early so you can join our editor Jamie Elvidge and associate editor Andy Cherney for the ride of a lifetime. Friday morning we'll be embarking on a half-day Reader's Ride that will incorporate snaking Independence Pass at 12,095 feet, so bring some oxygen for the snowball fight. Since we expect a pretty good turnout for this cool-temp mountain quest, we'll offer it self-guided-style with maps of the incredible route, our lunch stop and suggested scenic stops.
Saturday morning we'll be hosting a custom bike show. It's a people's-choice-style event, and classes will include Metric Cruiser, American Cruiser, Touring Bike, Sportbike and Best Overall. You won't want to miss the opportunity to ogle the beautiful wares, even if you don't have an entry. Bikes to be judged need to arrive from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Judging will commence at 10 a.m. and wrap up at noon. We'll announce the winners right there as quickly as we can tally the votes.