They lined the aisles with ’em and we shot ’em all
While the Long Beach Motorcycle Show featured a few manufacturer-built or commissioned customized motorcycles, such as a fleet of Indians by Roland Sands and BMW’s Roland-Sands-built Concept 101, there were also a number of non-sponsored customs on hand. They were there as part of a cross-country custom bike competition held in conjunction with The Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, of which Long Beach, California, was just one stop. This will be the seventh year of the “J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Competition,” which bills itself as “an elite-level custom motorcycle builder competition.”
Organizers expect a total of over 400 custom-built bikes on display at tour stops across the country, leading them to call it “the largest touring custom bike competition in the U.S.”
Contestants have a chance at their slice of $ 100,000 total in cash and prizes. The competition hosts four classes: Freestyle, Modified Harley-Davidson, Modified Custom and Modified Street. Judging is conducted by the competitors themselves, with the top builders in each class receiving awards, along with a special “People’s Choice” award given to the builder who receives the most votes from show attendees.
Here are this year’s offerings from the Long Beach round. We included the Indian customs and the BMW Concept 101 in the gallery just because they looked cool, too, and we figured you’d want to see them.
Custom builders interested in joining the competition can log on to www.motorcycleshows.com for more information.The custom bike competition is part of Progressive International Motorcycle Shows, which tours the country. Click here to find out when the next show comes to your area.
