The 24th annual Bigtwin Bikeshow & Expo at Rosmalen in The Netherlands continues to see exhibitor, custom show competitor and visitor numbers climb as the custom market in Europe continues to return to growth.
Staged on the weekend of November 6th - 8th, three halls saw exhibitors from and some 80 plus custom show competitors take part from Poland, the UK, Belgium, France and Germany, as well as the show's home market.
As well as a large number of custom shops, bike builders, tuners and performance specialists, aftermarket exhibitors included Motorcycle Storehouse, Zodiac International, Parts Europe/Drag Specialties and Custom Chrome Europe.
Dutch Harley-Davidson dealers OIT and Central kept the Bar 'n' Shield flying, with, in a growing trend in Europe, other OEs who are trying to stake a claim to a share of custom market action also in evidence - such as Yamaha with their 'Yard Built' program display, and BMW with their High Octane Soul Fuel Challenge winner, built by Jeffrey Sol.
The Best of Show winner was Destiny Cycles of the UK (Vic and Lin Jefford), Bigtwin regulars, with 'Ramalamadingdong', a 1959 Triumph T110 engined 4-speed built on Destiny's own 1 1/2" tube blasted and nickel plated oil-in-frame chassis design with the steering head bearings in the forks.
No stranger to custom show wins in Europe and a former AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building competitor, their speedway influenced bike was built to celebrate their 15th anniversary in business, and as an homage to the first custom bike they built.
In an interesting way of organizing the custom show, there were no classes, with the jury simply selecting their top-five, each winning a trophy and € 750 cash prize from Bigtwin Magazine.
Except for choosing a Best of Show, the top five were awarded with no place orders, in effect giving a winner and five first runners-up.
Those top five, in no particular order, were Larry Houghton from the UK (another multiple times former AMD World Championship competitor - including a second place in 2011) with a 2010 Triumph Bonneville engined boardtrack racer style project with a modern twist, former AMD World Champion Andreas Bergerforth of Thunderbike fame in Germany with a 1950s panhead-engined chopper, Piet Smits of The Netherlands (1930 J.A.P. engine in an own-made stainless steel frame), Michael Naumann of Germany (Sportster Ironhead), and Dutchman Roderick Braunius with a 1947 U-Model flathead H-D Bobber.
Next year sees Bigtwin Bikeshow & Expo celebrate its 25th anniversary, at the same Autotron venue at Rosmalen in The Nertherlands - save the date, November 4th - 6th.
www.bigtwin.nl
Photo credit: Onno Wieringa of Madness Photography - onno@madnessphotography.nl
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| Best in Show - Destiny Cycles opened in the UK 15 years ago, and Vic and Lin Jefford built 'Ramalamadingdong', a much modified 1959 Triumph T110 engined one-off with T140 crankshaft and barrels, TR7 cylinder head and cantilever rear suspension as an homage to their first custom bike build, the one that put Destiny Cycles on the map |
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| "Circus of Speed" by Larry Houghton, UK - 2010 Triumph Bonneville engine in a one-off rigid frame, Springer front end, alloy tank, 1970s 21" front wheel and 19" rear wheel styled to replicate the look of a 1920 boardtrack racer |
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| Andreas Bergerforth, Thunderbike, Germany - a 1950s Panhead chopper with Linkert carb, Thunderbike exhaust and H-D 4-speed transmission with H-D front fork, 19" wheels and Thunderbike made gas and oil tank |
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| Piet Smits, The Netherlands - "Breakable" boardtracker with 1930 J.A.P 500cc engine, self-made stainless steel frame, front forks and exhaust; 26" wheels, hand-blown glass gas tank and fuel in top frame tube; direct drive (no gearbox) and perspex hubs and oil tank |
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| Michael Naumann, Germany - "Simple Iron", an Ironhead Sportster with a Big Twin 4-speed transmission, old style magneto ignition, S&S dual-throat carb, own made frame, gas tank, fender and front forks |
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| Roderick Braunius, The Netherlands - 1947 U-Model flathead bobber with Tillotson carb, moped style gas tank and self-made front forks |
