An impressive 70,289 bike fans flocked to Switzerland's largest city for the 16th edition of the country's biggest celebration of life on two wheels. In addition to highlights from more than 400 top brands, the biggest visitor draws in 2019 were the special "Switzerland: Bikers' Paradise" exhibition featuring augmented reality technology, a visit from Hollywood star Keanu Reeves and legendary Builder Gard Hollinger, a tribute to Switzerland's greatest motorsport hero Luigi Taveri, the world's most expensive motorbike and, of course, Swiss-Custom.
Among this year's trends were the rise of electronic systems such as eCall emergency call systems and bending lights, technology for connecting smartphones with motorbikes, and the entry of two major brands – Harley-Davidson and Vespa – into the electromobility segment.
Organizer Yves Vollenweider was delighted with how the event turned out. "The number of bike fans who travelled here, the positive feedback from exhibitors and the huge level of media interest once again shows that Swiss-Moto is an important platform for the motorcycle industry in Switzerland."
Star of 'The Matrix' Keanu Reeves and custom motorbike guru Gard Hollinger added a touch of Hollywood glamour as they unveiled their ARCH Motorcycle brand with Swiss motorbike specialists Speedbox.
The Swiss-Custom Customizing & Tuning Show, which is integrated into Swiss-Moto, saw some 60 bikes from six countries in a competition, with AMD World Championship photographer and Brand Ambassador Frank Sander heading up the judging, class structure and selection of entrants with a specially designed app used to judge the bikes on show, with jurors from the USA and United Arab Emirates joining the judging process.
One of three primary prizes, the Rat's Hole Award, was won by Dorin Racz of Romania with his completely handcrafted custom bike 'Rise of Anarchy' with which he scooped 9th place in the Avon Freestyle Class of the 2018 AMD World Championship as a follow-up to his 2016 6th place.
The Emirates Pick was won by Stephane Grand of Switzerland, with 'Best in Show' scooped by American Brian Buttera's Shovelhead. Swiss-Moto 2020: February 20-23, Zurich.
www.swiss-moto.ch
SWISS_MOTO_2019_SBA_01_160.jpg: The Rat's Hole Award was won by Dorin Racz of Romania with his completely handcrafted custom bike 'Rise of Anarchy'