Progressive International Motorcycle Shows’ $50,000 purse J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder finals set for ChicagoOver 350 custom motorcycle builders across the U.S. started competing for $100,000 in cash, prizes and the ‘King of the Builders’ title as the 8th annual J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show (UBCBS) got underway at the 2016/2017 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS) in Long Beach this November.
The “elite-level custom motorcycle builder competition is the largest of its kind in the U.S.,” being held at all seven IMS shows, including the Championship round in Chicago. “IMS attendees are offered a unique opportunity to see one-of-a-kind bikes and meet the artists who create these custom machines.”
The show hosts four classes of competition including Freestyle, Modified Harley-Davidson (presented by Harley), Modified Custom and Modified Retro (presented by Royal Enfield). Judging will be conducted by the competitors themselves, with the top builders in each class receiving cash and prizes, along with special category awards for “Originality,” “People’s Choice” and “Sho Dog.”
 |
| Jeremy Cupp won the ‘King of the Builders’ title at the Chicago final in February 2016 |
Two brand new categories have been added for the 2017 IMS tour that include “Best Paint” and “The Ingenuity Award.” An awards ceremony will take place in each city, “including short interviews to provide attendees insight into the story behind the award-winning bikes.”
Each class winner at all the IMS stops will be invited to join the final round at IMS Chicago on February 10-12, 2017, awarding a total of $50,000 in cash and prizes. J&P Cycles is the title sponsor again, supporting the “People’s Choice” award along with Bell Helmets, Harley-Davidson is the presenting sponsor of the Modified Harley class, and Royal Enfield is the presenting sponsor of the Mod Retro class. Condor, J&M and K&N are also on-board as product sponsors, providing gift certificates to select class winners and runner-ups throughout the IMS Tour and Championship.
Zach Parham, GM J&P Cycles: “J&P Cycles is proud to present the eighth year of the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show and support the community of motorcycle builders. We’re inspired and humbled by the vision and self-expression of the hundreds of bikes entered each year. And we look forward to celebrating and recognizing the winners this year.”
 |
| Dave Dupor’s 2016 Series Modified Harley winner |
 |
| Steve Iacona’s 2016 Series Modified Retro winner |
Award-winning industry veteran Jeff Najar will continue to work with the J&P Cycles UBCBC for the 2017 IMS Tour. Najar has been involved with motorcycling and the enthusiast community from an early age. Over the course of his career, he has owned and ridden motorcycles of all types, sharing his enthusiasm as a hobbyist with others. Najar has designed and managed numerous custom bike shows across the U.S.
Jeff Najar: “Since its inception, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show (UBCBS) has become a spark of creativity and competition in custom building for the best motorcycle artists, designers and craftsmen in the country. During the 2016 IMS tour, some of the most influential and well-known names in custom work participated in UBCBS such as Cory Ness, Paul Yaffe, Chris Richardson and Bill Dodge, among others.
“The 2017 edition is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in the history of the series, with the ‘King of the Builders’ being crowned at the National Championship at IMS Chicago, IL, on February 12, 2017.”
Past winners of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Competition include the 2016 “King of the Builders,” Jeremy Cupp, a talented custom builder from Virginia, who also led in the Freestyle and sponsored categories, followed by runners-up Dave Dupor, Champion of the Modified Harley Class, at $11,500 in cash and prizes; Bill Dodge, Champion of the Modified Custom class and UBCBS winner from IMS Miami 2016, at $9,200 in cash and prizes, and Steve Iacona, Champion of the Modified Retro class, at $3,900 in cash and prizes, among others.
www.motorcycleshows.com
At the time of going to press the remaining series dates included …
Washington D.C. – January 6-8
Dallas, Texas – January 13-15
Cleveland, Ohio – January 27-29
Minneapolis, MN - February 3-5
Chicago, IL - February 10-12