Industry Veteran Bob Kay to Host United States’ Largest Custom Motorcycle CompetitionThe Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS) has announced the return of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show (UBCBS) to the 2018-2019 IMS Tour.
UBCBS is an elite-level custom motorcycle builder competition featuring more than 400 motorcycles and with more than $100,000 cash and prizes awarded across the tour, the largest prize package in the United States.
The competition will be held at all seven stops on the IMS Tour with the championship round taking place February 17 in Chicago, Illinois.
The 9th annual UBCBS will be hosted by Bob Kay, a well-known and highly respected member of the American Custom and V-Twin motorcycle community. Kay, himself a partner in a Texas custom bike shop and no stranger to building custom bikes, has a long history in the custom motorcycle business as a parts and accessories distributor, motorcycle manufacturer, business consultant and technical advisor.
He organized his first charity custom bike show in the mid 80s during the Laconia Rally. He continued with charity bike shows in Sturgis, South Dakota and has been a mainstay of the team that organizes the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building for more than a decade.
In 2010 he helped IMS launch the Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show to showcase the best custom bikes in the country. Kay is looking forward to re-joining the Progressive International Motorcycle Show for the 2018-2019 tour as the director of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show.
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| Bob Kay, Director of the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show series: “I am excited to once again lead the charge in providing this community with a platform to display their skills and artistic ability, while rewarding the best in the industry for their talents.” |
“The Progressive International Motorcycle Shows understands and caters to the custom builder community,” said Bob Kay, Director, J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show. “I am excited to once again lead the charge in providing this community with a platform to display their skills and artistic ability, while rewarding the best in the industry for their talents.”
Since its inception during the 2010-2011 IMS Tour, the UBCBS has awarded over $660,000 in cash and prizes. This year’s competition will take place at every stop on the IMS Tour and feature four categories - Freestyle, Custom Retro, Custom Street and Custom Harley.
Judged by a panel of industry experts, winners in every city along the IMS Tour will be invited to compete in the championship round in Chicago for a chance to be crowned ‘King of the Builders.’ Last year, a group of eight veterans from the non-profit organization Motorcycle Missions were crowned champions and awarded $20,000 in cash and prizes.
“The J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show is the mecca in custom motorcycle competitions and the return of someone as knowledgeable and experienced as Bob Kay will only add to the competition’s success,” said Tracy Harris, Senior VP, Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. “We are also excited to once again partner with J&P Cycles, who have been a fantastic UBCBS title sponsor and major proponent of custom builders for years.”
The 2018-2019 IMS Tour will mark the 7th year that J&P Cycles, the world’s largest aftermarket motorcycle parts and accessories store, has been the title sponsor for UBCBS.
Progressive International Motorcycle Shows
The 2018-2019 Progressive International Motorcycle Shows (IMS) tour will stop in seven “leading motorcycling markets to provide consumers and enthusiasts with an inside look at what the leading companies are bringing to the market in the coming year - showcasing all that the motorcycling lifestyle has to offer.”
The IMS tour will again host the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder custom bike show competition series.
This will be the 38th annual IMS series and Tracy Harris, Senior Vice President for organizer UBM stated that “for 37 years, the IMS Tour has fostered a strong community of motorcycle enthusiasts and the brands they love. IMS is a staple in many motorcycling communities and we are excited to once again help unite powersports supporters across the country.
Event research is suggested to show that its attendees are 23 times more likely to purchase a motorcycle than the general population, with 31.9% of IMS 2016-2017 tour attendees purchasing a new or used motorcycle within 12 months of attending.
