09/09/2008 by info.

Gold Coast Bike Week, August 30th 2008

JOE Schembri, a drag racer and custom drag race car fabricator and parts machinist from Glenmore Park, New South Wales, scooped top honors with his first ever custom bike build at the 10th Anniversary Gold Coast Bike Week event, an hour south of Brisbane on Australia’s East Coast.

This was the first year that the Australian custom industry had staged a World Championship Affiliate event. AMD would like to express its thanks to the event organizers, their sponsors, the Championship program’s Official Partners and the Australian custom bike building community itself for helping to make this latest extension of the Affiliate network a success.

The warm welcome with which integration of the Australian custom industry into the World Championship network was received is greatly appreciated and we are delighted to be able to help provide a global showcase opportunity for the outstanding craftsmanship and practical design and engineering thinking that Australia’s builders are already noted for.

The win scores Schembri an AU $10,000.00 expenses contribution towards competing at the 2009 Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building at next year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Champions Park, Lazelle/3trd, Sturgis, August 2nd through 5th 2009) from Championship Affiliate sponsor and Official Partner Australian Motorcycle Imports.

Event judging was conducted under Official World Championship rules with the competitors themselves choosing their winner. Independent scrutiny of the judging process and results oversight was provided for AMD and the event organizers by visiting VIP guest Paul Yaffe and representatives from Heavy Duty and Ozbike, two of Australia’s internationally recognized custom bike magazines.

Called ‘Hide & Seek’, Schembri’s Ultima 100 inch engined rigid features an advanced one-off own design and made front end and a level of finish and attention to detail that is characteristic of the standards that Australian customizers seek.

Schembri’s win was by the narrowest of margins (one point!) from Dylan Goldfinch (DG Design, www.dgdesigninc.com) whose 125 inch Patrick engined, modified Independent Cycle ‘LowLife’ framed softail called ‘Spank’ won many admirers.

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07/08/2008 by info.

 Freestyle Class Results, Top 20

Production Manufacturer Class

When it was all over, there were a total of nine builders from the United States finishing in the top 20, and builders from nine different countries representing the top 20 finishers.

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07/08/2008 by info.

After three and a half days of competition the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building has drawn to a close. What began over a year ago with a series of 12 Affiliate shows, covering four continents and an estimated over 2,000 competitors, has culminated at the pinnacle of motorcycling’s Holy Grail, Sturgis, South Dakota. This year’s OWC has been held at Champions Hall in the heart of Sturgis, South Dakota. Since the opening of the hall on Sunday morning, thousands upon thousands of spectators have poured over the 68 motorcycles, which represent 13 different countries.

People from all walks of life, from local residents to industry insiders, to the builders themselves, have spent many hours studying various aspects of the bikes, which represent the highest level of motorcycle craftsmanship and fabrication in the world.

The competition was divided into four different classes, Metric, Modified Harley-Davidson, Production, and the creme de la creme, the Freestyle Class.

The awards ceremony began promptly at 3:00 pm CST with master of ceremony Chris McGee keeping the packed hall of anxious competitors and spectators entertained. With each winner being announced the anticipation level grew and grew.

Before getting to the class winners McGee announced the winners of the Partners Picks of Excellence. These were motorcycles selected by partners of the OWC, which they felt represented the best use of their parts.

With no time to waste McGee jumped into the announcement of the overall winner of the Metric Class, Jim Giuffra of AFT Customs, located in Martell, California, with his entry Er Hed.

2008 Metric World Champion
AFT Customs, Jim Giuffra, Martell CA, USA
Bike: Er Hed

Next up was Lock Baker’s entry from Eastern Fabrications in Branford, Connecticut, “White Line Nightmare”, taking top honors in the Modified Harley-Davidson Class.

Best Modified Harley-Davidson Prize
Eastern Fabrications, Lock Baker, Branford CT, USA
Bike: White Line Nightmare

It was now time for what everyone was waiting for, the announcement of the finishers in the Freestyle Class. For an unprecedented third time, Canadian Roger Goldammer got the top honors being named the World Champion and overall winner of the Freestyle Class. This is the third time in five years Roger has come out on top of the competition. Roger’s entry for 2008 is the same bike that he competed with on the Bonneville Salt Flats in September of 2007, a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, fuel-injected blown sport bike, with nitrous that achieved a top speed of just over 164 mph, as he took home a world record with an average speed of 160+ mph. AMD magazine and the World Championship program had started to detect the early signs in a quantum shift in custom design and engineering thinking several month ago. Goldammer’s win confirms that performance may well be poised to emerge as the market’s “New Retro” on a moving forward basis. Just as Roger’s first World Champion bike of five years ago set the standard for the trends to come, we expect his creation “Goldmember” to do the same in the years to come.

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05/08/2008 by info.

The 68th annual Sturgis Rally officially got underway today Monday August 4th. Joining the hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts already in the Black Hills of South Dakota are many more recent arrivals. This morning got off to a great start with cooler weather coming as a welcome sight when compared to the weekend’s high temperatures.

Monday night AMD and HOT BIKE magazine hosted a welcome party for all the competitors and Partners of the Championship. The party was attended by a huge crowd that spent the evening reminiscing with old friends and making new acquaintances. Many of the competitors spent the better part of the evening going over and explaining numerous intricate details of their bikes to fellow competitors. This is one competition where egos have definitely been checked at the door!

A large enthusiastic crowd of attendees has been steadily streaming through Champions Hall, which houses the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building. Over and over again spectators have commented in amazement at the high level of craftsmanship displayed on the 66 bikes, which represent 13 different countries.

Vendors in Champions Park have been reporting increases in spectator traffic. This year’s rally goers are proving to be savvy consumers who know just what it is they are looking for and willing to pay for it once they have found it. Motorcycle manufacturers have been busy taking orders on production customs, and look forward to what the upcoming week will bring.

Orange County Choppers has been busy fielding questions from inquisitive consumers regarding their new production line of motorcycles. Of particular interest at the rally has been their touring model dubbed the OCC SR Cruiser. Outfitted with S&S Cycle’s latest powerplant, the X-Wedge, the big bagger boasts 117 inches of displacement to take riders comfortably to their destination.

Kiwi Mike Tomas has brought his 20+ years of experience and unique brand of motorcycle building to both Champions Hall and Champions Park. On display inside the hall is Mike’s example of what he calls a Retro American Motorcycle, the Chieftain. The new motorcycle, built from Mike’s exclusive pieces, is a perfect example of integrating yesterday’s looks with today’s technology and reliability. The bike will be the basis of a new limited production line Mike will be producing from his Riverside, California shop. Outside the hall Mike and son Ross have been busy at their trailer keeping the public informed on their latest offerings including production motorcycles as well as their over 2,500 piece parts catalog.

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04/08/2008 by info.

City of Sturgis Mayor Maurie LaRue declared this year’s World Championship open at 11:30 am MST with some seventy plus bikes in competition from 13 different countries.

Featuring Affiliate event winners from the past 12 months that have come to the United States to compete against many of America’s finest builders, the Rally itself has got off to a healthy start and foot traffic for vendors at Champions Park is already running ahead of that seen at the facility last year.

With market leaders such as S&S Cycle, Custom Chrome, Big Dog Motorcycles, Swift Motorcycles, ProCharger, MC Advantages, Lyndall Racing Brakes, Wilwood Engineering, Black Hills Custom Cycles, Kiwi Indian Motorcycle Co., Orange County Chopper Motorcycles and more drawing visitors to the Park, this is still only the second year for the Champions Park facility. The concept of a serious custom bike, parts and accessories vendor destination for Rally visitors, who take their custom bike and component choices seriously, is now “locked-solid” as a Rally vendor opportunity whose time had come.

Inside the Championship Hall builders continue to meet and greet their industry colleagues in an atmosphere of competitive friendship and respect that has become such a hallmark of the World Championship.

Today was ‘VIP Day’ with early Rally visitors able to mingle with vendor community representatives.

The Championship features its noted Production Manufacturer special class, with competition for the World Championship fierce in the entirely open concept ‘Freestyle Class’.

Judging will again be primarily by the competitors themselves, with guest VIP judges from the custom motorcycle press and vendor communities.

Sunday evening saw the first of the competitor meetings at which this year’s builders will get the chance to meet the event’s Official Partners and Champions Park vendors.

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16/07/2008 by info.

CUSTOM Chrome Europe’s Ride-In Bike Show at Lake Faak, Austria, is the latest European event to join the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building Affiliate program.

Now in its 6th year, the one-day event on September 6th, during European Bike Week, will see one lucky builder win 5,000 Euro towards travel expenses to compete in the Official World Championship in Sturgis in 2009.

Faak joins a line-up of events around the world that includes Australia, Canada, Japan, Hungary, Portugal, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, Italy and Sweden, all of which offer travel expense prizes for their “Best in Show” winning builders to compete at the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building (OWC).

Staged from August 30th to September 7th, European Bike Week features a continuous program of events, rides and entertainment – with the Custom Chrome Europe Ride-In Bike Show as the highlight.

The bikes will be judged by a jury, selected from members of the custom press, builders and V.I.P. vendors.

Last year saw the introduction of a specialty Sportster-engined bike sub-class (which includes Buells), which is open to factory and Harley and aftermarket Sportster-style engined bikes. Other classes returning for 2008 include Radical, Old School, Chopper, Modified Harley (factory frame and/or engine) with the Best of Show scooping the OWC Affiliate prize.

As is the case with most custom bike events outside the United States, ‘Faak’ is a ride-in show and participation will be international, so the sub-class and the Best of Show winner could be selected from any country. The 5,000 Euro DHL voucher for the winner’s bike freight to the 2009 OWC at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is sponsored by Custom Chrome Europe and Arneitz Custom Show/ European Bike Week.

CUSTOM CHROME EUROPE
Bad Kreuznach, GERMANY
Tel: +49 (0)671 888 880
Fax: +49 (0)671 888 881 00
E-mail: info@customchrome.de

www.custom-chrome-europe.com
www.arneitz-custom-show.de

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12/06/2008 by info.

The annual rally organized by Moto Clube de Faro, in Portugal, is the latest event to join the Affiliate program of the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building.

Taking place over July 17-20, the rally is now into its 27th year, making it one of the oldest such events in Europe.

The rally ran for 10 years before the first custom show was staged. The first event simply consisted of bikes in a field, but that was soon to change with the formation of a special team within the Moto Clube to organize and improve the show each year.

Such was the success of the organizing team that, 10 years after that first custom show, an additional area was added. Known as ‘Custom Farm’, it is specifically for professional builders to showcase their latest builds and has proved to be a major attraction, especially among editors of European custom bike magazines looking for potential feature bikes - such is the quality of machinery on display.

Now that it has become an Affiliate event, builders entering this year’s show will have the opportunity to win a travel expenses contribution to go to the World Championship of Custom Bike Building in Sturgis in 2009. With such a major prize on offer, the standard of bikes entered and on display is expected to be even higher than ever before.

To present a bike for consideration for entry, please email coolcat@clix.pt, attaching at least two clear photographs of the bike. Bikes may also be presented at the event itself, up to 2pm on July 19.

Bikes must run and be ridden into the showground, and from the showground to the stage for the prize-giving ceremony, to be eligible for prizes.

MOTO CLUBE DE FARO
coolcat@clix.pt

www.motoclubefaro.pt

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09/06/2008 by info.

Flying Choppers from Finland have won a bike freight expenses contribution to compete at this summer’s 5th annual Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building (OWC) by winning this weekend’s (June 7) Custom Bike Show, Norrtelje, Sweden.

Organized by Twin Club MC, Custom Bike Show is the OWC program’s Scandinavian Championship of Custom Bike Building, and is believed to be the oldest established custom motorcycle competition in the world.

Hugely prestigious in a European context, the event pulls competitors from all over Scandinavia and the rest of Europe and is a one-day ride-in show staged in a downtown City Park in a model of community collaboration with the City authorities.

As ever, the standard of the event reflected the tastes and styles of custom design and engineering in that part of the world. This was the fourth year that the event had been an Official Affiliate, and the winner’s prize (given by Twin Club MC) is worth some 5,000 euro (nearly US $8,000) with additional prizes of some 3,000 euro (approx US$4,700) each for second and third-placed winners to compete at the annual Official European Championship.

This year saw Peder Johanssen of Hogtech (Sweden) take second place with the bike that he has built for the S&S Cycle 50th Anniversary celebration at La Crosse, Wi., at the end of the month. Peder will then be keeping the bike in the Unites States to also compete at the OWC.

For the first time, though, two bikes tied for third place, and the builders will share the prize. Swede Lasse Sundberg scored with his 40 inch over, Redneck-framed chopper that featured twin dual updraft carbs on an Indian Power Plus engine. He tied with Anders Goeth’s very tidy ‘Speed Bob’ bobber, which all points to the incredible diversity that this show produces and that the OWC Affiliate program promotes.

The event itself drew excellent crowds on what is the National holiday weekend in Sweden, and saw outstanding weather and excellent support from several Europe-wide parts and accessory distributors, including Custom Chrome Europe, Motorcycle Storehouse, MotoSpeed of Sweden, and Redneck Engineering’s Sweden-based European operation.

www.custombikeshow.se

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21/05/2008 by info.

Twin Club, of Norrtelje, Sweden, is once again running its Custom Bike Show, which is often referred to as the Scandinavian Championship of Bike Building.

The event, which will take place on June 7th in the Societets Park, is an Affiliate to the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building, and as such is expected to draw builds from across Europe. Competitors must ride their bikes into the exhibition ground to be allowed to participate.

After attracting over 6,000 ride-in visitors last year, Twin Club has arranged, once again, to have a bridge connecting the park with the port side with an increased amount of space on the port side.

Given that last year’s World Champion, Stellan Egeland, debuted his winning bike at Norrtelje, expectations are high for this year’s show and, once again, this year’s Best of Show winner will go to the World Championship final in Sturgis, USA, and the 2nd and 3rd prize winners will go to the European Championship in Mainz, Germany. The prize fund to cover these expenses (8,000 Euros in total) is sponsored by Twin Club MC.

In addition there is a collection of prizes for the other classes in the Custom Bike Show totaling more than 40,000 Euros. The full listing of show classes in addition to the Best of Show is H-D Chopper, Custom, Classic Custom, Chopper, Trike, Classic, Best Paint and People’s Choice.

TWIN CLUB MC CUSTOM BIKE SHOW
Email: info@custombikeshow.se

www.custombikeshow.se

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14/05/2008 by info.

Kids & Chrome Foundation now has tickets on sale for the annual Kids & Chrome Benefit Dinner & Auction presented by Budweiser during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The event is held in the name of enriching the outreach and programs provided by two vital Black Hills non-profit organizations, Children’s Home Society, the “Kids” in the foundation’s moniker, and Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame, the “Chrome”. The 2007 Kids & Chrome event, bringing together over 400 motorcycle enthusiasts, industry professionals and celebrities from the Black Hills community, across the nation and around the globe to “Rally for a Reason”, raised over $100,000.00 in contributions, gifting $70,000.00 to the Children’s Home Society and $30,000 to the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum.

Kids & Chrome 2008 will take place on Wednesday, August 6th, at the Spearfish Holiday Inn & Convention Center, Spearfish, South Dakota. Featured at this year’s 4th Annual Kids & Chrome will be “The Dakota”, a one-off custom bagger, created for Kids & Chrome by Tom Binyon, owner of BaggerWorks Custom Touring Motorcycles in Wichita, Kansas. The Dakota will be auctioned to the highest bidder during the Kids & Chrome benefit dinner and auction.

Tickets for the Kids & Chrome benefit dinner and auction event can be purchased on-line at kidsandchrome.com, or by contacting Stacey Sharp, Kids & Chrome Event Coordinator, at 605 341 5226 or stacey@thesharpagency.com. For Kids & Chrome sponsorship information or to donate auction items for the event, contact Darla Crown at Children’s Home Society at darla.crown@chssd.org or phone 605 391 5555 .

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