Custom Chrome and American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) magazine are teaming up to present the "Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building" to be held in conjunction with the Custom Chrome/ Motorcycle Stuff U.S. Dealer Show in October.
The idea of a world championship for motorcycle customization arose because of the unprecedented interest in custom motorcycles. The U.S. event will be an extension of American Motorcycle Dealer's existing AMD ProShow Bike Builder contest series in Europe. AMD is a European trade magazine for dealers who sell American motorcycles there.
The AMD ProShow has been held in March of each year since 2002 in conjunction with Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) at its European Dealer Show in Germany. Entrants in the annual custom bike builder contest are entirely industry professionals from the v-twin sector--Harley-Davidson and independent custom dealers, full-time professional custom bike builders, and parts and accessory distributors and manufacturers. With the series expanding into the U.S., that event will now be termed the European Championship, and the top bike from it will be invited to attend the World Championship at Custom Chrome's Morgan Hill, California event in the fall--all expenses paid. In addition, Custom Chrome and AMD are hoping that the event and the $25,000 winner's purse (with an additional $25,000 in cash also to be awarded) will attract entries from other parts of the world.
The event is open to all brands of motorcycles and there is no requirement that any Custom Chrome components be used. The judges will be members of the international motorcycle press. The event will be open for a day on the weekend of October 9-10 to the public, free of charge. There is is a $100 entry fee for entries in the top of three classes.
Further details and entry forms can be found at www.amdproshow.com. This site was just a place-holder as this article was posted, but we are assured it will be functional within the week.
The full release on the event follows.
Press Release from Robin Bradley, founder, owner and publisher of American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD)
Santa Ana, CA - May 18th, 2004. American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) and Custom Chrome, team-up to bring the "Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building" to the Custom Chrome/ Motorcycle Stuff US Dealer Show in October 2004.
Leading international trade journal American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) is proud to announce an extension to its existing and exciting AMD ProShow Bike Builder contest and program.
The AMD ProShow is to be held in the United States for the first time; being presented by Custom Chrome at their annual dealer show in October 2004.
Held each year since 2002 in conjunction with Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) at their European Dealer Show (in Germany in March each year), and is believed to have the only annual custom bike builder contest whose entrants are entirely industry professionals from the v-twin sector. Namely authorized Harley-Davidson and independent custom dealers, full-time professional custom bike builders, and parts and accessory distributors and manufacturers.
The concept originated as a new feature to the CCE Dealer Show that provided AMD and CCE with a specifically 'trade' oriented platform and opportunity to recognize the increasingly impressive custom bike design and engineering standards being achieved by Europe's dealer and professional custom bike building community.
The recent background to customizing in Europe is one which has seen the industry cast-off an historical focus on heritage, restoration and imitative styles of custom bike design and building, and seen the emergence since the mid-1990s of a specifically European oriented custom style and aesthetic.
This evolution has been stimulated in no small part by the high standards of custom design and engineering quality required by the stringent regulations governing road-legal status in Europe in general, and Germany in particular. For some time now leading American and American based custom building professionals such as Arlen and Cory Ness, Paul Yaffe, Donnie Smith, John Reed, Cyril Huze, Dave Perewitz and Rick Doss among others have recognized and paid tribute to the standards and ideas that have been coming out of Europe.
At the 2004 AMD ProShow at the CCE Dealer Show in Germany, John Reed said: "When I first came into this business I looked up to and learned from the older guys who had been doing it for years; now that I'm one of the 'old guys' I find I'm learning again, this time from a new breed of Europeans who are doing things that my generation would never have thought of."
Arlen and Cory Ness, who were also among the judges at the 2004 European AMD ProShow, even went so far as to create, name and present their own award honouring the standards they have come to expect from contemporary European builders.
Recent years have also seen several European builders achieving notable successes at leading US bike shows; not least at Daytona in general, and at the legendary Rats Hole Show in particular.
Always on the look-out for good content, many leading US custom magazines and their editors have given high profile and greatly valued and appreciated exposure to examples of European custom building.
As with AMD's popular coverage of the European 'scene', this has made a major contribution to raising the profile of European builders in the United States. The US custom press is to be applauded for its preparedness to cast the net wide and far for examples of great custom building. Editors in the United States have repeatedly shown that they are prepared to seek out and showcase great work and craftsmanship wherever it comes from. Something that is very much in keeping with the unique spirit of this very special sector of a very special industry.
In turn the increased profile and popularity of what is now widely recognized as a specifically European style of custom design and engineering has had several knock-on consequences. It has had a definite effect on the direction of custom design thinking in the United States and has stimulated a corresponding increase in US exposure and demand for some of the high-tech parts and accessory designs that have been becoming increasingly available from European parts designers and manufacturers.