‘Showbike Fighting’ Jakarta, Indonesia, becomes AMD World Championship AffiliateOften referenced as, statistically, the third largest motorcycle/PTW market in the world, Indonesia hasn’t really been on the northern hemisphere’s radar as a hotbed of custom bike building culture, but that may be about to change.
There has always been a small but passionate custom scene there, and we here at AMD Magazine are proud to announce that there is about to be an AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building show in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Organized by Indramawan, Managing Editor of Otoplus Indonesia, a leading automotive and motorcycle magazine (www.otoplus.id), the 2016 “Showbike Fighting” AMD World Championship affiliate event will have been staged and the winners known by the time the print edition of this month’s AMD Magazine hits your desk - it is taking place April 1 – 2 at the 18th ‘Otobursa Tumplek Blek’, a leading Indonesian Automotive expo in Jakarta.
However, if it goes well, and if enthusiasm and determination is any guarantee of success, then it will now take its place on the AMD Official Affiliate Custom Bike Show calendar – hopefully for many years to come.
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| Indramawan, Managing Editor of Otoplus |
Though new to the AMD program this year, the show, and the efforts of Indramawan and his “fellow travellers” to bring international recognition and profile to Indonesian Custom Culture, go back nearly 15 years.
As a media with the main interest in motorcycle modification and custom, Otoplus is aware of the importance of giving influence to its readers and followers. Therefore, Otoplus needs a flagship event as a showcase, to keep the custom and modification culture evolving.
‘Showbike Fighting’ was first staged in 2004 - a year after Otoplus Magazine had started – coincidentally the same year of the first AMD World Championship.
Inspired by the simplicity of concept and emphasis on hand-craftsmanship that they saw early World Championship winners such as Roger Goldammer succeeding with, the Indonesian custom community started to build their own bikes, and as their careers evolved, as Indra told us: “The more complicated, technically sophisticated constructions such as the hydraulic steering, reverse-mounted engines and 2x single side arms especially seen on builds by the likes of Bertrand Dubet/Fred Miano with ‘Anima’, also had an influence – showing that simplicity could live with innovation, with advanced engineering solutions.
“We started to regularly showcase the bikes that we were seeing in the AMD World Championship in Otoplus and published special editions called ‘Showbike’ that showed the Indonesian market what was happening in Europe and USA, and that helped raise the bar here and shape “the art of the possible.”
“In 2013, our “Ride The World” campaign, in alliance with Kustomfest, saw us invite Roland Sands from RSD to join our programs with an ‘RSD Challenge’.
In the program, we challenge our customizers and builders to build a bike from a sketch that Roland made. In the grand finale, Roland decided to choose the 2-nominee bikes from Susanto ‘Yayang’ Gunawan (909 Hotmatic – Bandung), and Siswo ‘Wiwin’ Winoto (Win’s Paddock – Purwokerto) as winners.