“A more conceptually open approach to motorcycle customization” – exactly!The quote is from Bob Kay who, in his role as the “Custom Culture” Director for the MIC, is hosting a series of round table and panel discussions at some of the new generation of custom shows in the United States – specifically it is from a report that Kay prepared recently, following a round table and panel discussion at the Revival Cycles’ Handbuilt Show at Austin, Texas, in April.
The quote goes on to say: “Celebrating diversity in contemporary expression, combining form and function with multiple style cues. ‘Custom Culture’ expands the traditional view of V-twin custom trends to include multiple brand and engine configurations for new interpretations.”
The purpose of the paper he wrote was, if possible, to offer up a definition of what exactly “Custom Culture” is in the changing landscape of new generation entrants to custom bike building and the dramatic changes we have seen in the bikes being customized.
The purpose of the round table and panel discussions that Bob has been hosting is to give the “New Gen” a forum in which they can share their views with likeminded souls, and have those views heard by the wider custom motorcycle community of which they are now an important part.
As initiatives go, it is incredibly important, and the prospects that it represents for feeding near market intel into an industry event such as AIMExpo and an industry association such as the MIC, is fundamental to helping the “New Gen” shape their own businesses as their initial youth customer base ages, and fundamental for the wider custom industry to understand who their next chrome mirror, cam or custom bike sale may be coming from.
When the AMD World Championship program started to morph away from the orthodox roots that had birthed it, in particular when the meaning of what was at the time the first “Freestyle Class” concept became apparent, the inappropriate nature of custom show orthodoxy in the ‘noughties’ was laid bare for all to see as the force of design and engineering conservatism that it was.
“Freestyle was an evolutionary platform”
The “Freestyle” concept provided an evolutionary platform for the emergence of board trackers and ‘Retro’ in general, and as it took hold across the show scene, the stage was set for evolution to become revolution with the proliferation of platforms being customized. The downturn burned away the previous assumptions of what a custom bike could and should be, and laid down bare fertile new soil for the assumption, preconception and structure-free market that Millennials now embrace.They may well be a “lost generation” as far as the cash registers of the established custom parts and accessory market is concerned, but the incredibly good news about the revolution is that personal expression through the form and function of customized motorcycles (and therefore the future of the concept itself) has been rescued and moved on for generations of post-Boomer consumers to embrace and enjoy.
Without the evolution (some would say destruction) of the old orthodoxies, there never could have been a new and relevant shape to the market.
In my dialogs with Bob Kay, one big topic has been the emergence of a legally enshrined “Right to Modify” in Europe, and the absence of any such legal entitlement in the United States. Bob told me recently that the panel discussion opportunities have started to “give the emerging young American builders and other influential players in the American custom scene an opportunity for the participants” and that “the quality of the discussions and the sincerity of their intentions bear a remarkable resemblance to where the Boomer driven market itself got started.”
This year Bob was asked to give a presentation to the MIC’s Aftermarket committee about “what I had learned from these meetings, my research on the evolving custom bike scene and its influence on the overall motorcycle market.” The custom scene is alive, and with the likes of Garage Brewed, Mama Tried, Hand Built, The One, Born Free and others, it has a structure and a voice.
“Yes, it has evolved. Entry into this scene is no longer limited to V-twin enthusiasts, and it is more closely aligned with younger generation riders - Millennials and younger, who are primed to grow into the largest demographic opportunity for motorcycling. These proto-consumers value motorcycles for the experiences they create and the adventures that contribute to their lifestyle.
“The bottom line is that the MIC recognizes the value this demographic offers the future of our industry and the importance of bringing customizers, racers and enthusiasts together to protect our ‘Right to Modify’.
“AIMExpo represents a first for our industry – the first time in the history of the American motorcycle market that our industry trade show is being run by our industry trade organization. The MIC is a non-profit, so for the first time the profits from show revenues and other benefits created by show activity go directly to the support of our industry.
“All motivations for show policy, whether location, presentation or content, are based on what is best for our industry as opposed to some third party entity’s interests.
“The Championship of the Americas is the center piece of the Custom Culture Pavilion, and that concept fulfils a request from the industry for an area where traditional V-twin and newer genre custom products can be showcased. At Orlando it quickly became one of the show’s highest traffic areas. There will be many exciting exhibits surrounding the Championship of the Americas, including an Artisan’s Row showcasing the talents of industry craftsmen and women, and the Skidmark Garage Showcase will provide a place for builders and enthusiasts to connect.
“The platform diversity of the emerging reboot of the custom market is exemplified by the fact that it is BMW who has stepped up to sponsor the Custom Culture Pavilion, and the involvement of the OEs in customization is one of the many hallmarks that differentiate the emerging market from the one that went before. Custom motorcycles and the people who want to ride them really have gone from being the enemy of the OE balance sheet to being its biggest driver.”