Motor Bike Expo 2023

Motor Bike Expo 

January 27-29, 2023, Verona, Italy

Here we tell the MBA 2023 story through the camera lens of legendary photographer Horst 'Motographer' Roesler.

Firmly established as one of Europe's most popular motorcycle shows - and one with a huge custom element to it - this was the 15th time at Verona for a show that has its origins at nearby Padua. 

After an ambitious attempt to make it a four-day event, the organizers responded to exhibitor feedback by reducing it back to three days, but that didn't stop a claimed 180,000 attendance from cramming the halls for this (now regularly restored to) mid-winter highlight of the Italian custom scene.

With improved facilities at the Verona fairgrounds, including much improved parking accessibility and capacity (between the historic center of Verona and the Autostrada), Europe's "season opener" remains a gloriously and idiosyncratically "Italian" event, running to its own rhythm and in its own "time zone," but with three halls packed with custom bikes, shows, products, artists and swapmeet, and another hall with the matching "cult bike" manufacturers and other custom specialties, there is plenty of fill any concept of time with.

"King of Verona" - Hazard Motorcycles (Brescia) won with a drag style custom bike which had been "under construction" for four years.

Then there are another three halls with all other motorcycle brands and everything visitors could wish for in terms of buying apparel and accessories for an upcoming riding season that starts much earlier in Italy - even in northern Italy.

Many of the leading specialist European distributors - Zodiac International, Motorcycle Storehouse and Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) - were back at MBE, with CCE announcing an exclusive distribution deal for Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde exhausts in Italy, including its BMW and Triumph systems. Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited's major annual expo investment is focused on EICMA, Milan, every November, where they have a massive presence.

The two primary Italian custom bike magazines that are still in print - "Bikers Life" of Biker Fest fame in May at Lignano Sabbiadoro (www.bikerfest.it) and "Low Ride" - have their own bike displays at MBE with the huge Low Ride Bike Show traditionally occupying Hall 1 - this year with a massive added local U.S. cars and Hot Rods presence.

Choppers and show-winning custom bikes, not to forget his extreme "Clubstyle" bikes, have been daily business for Mario Kyprianides (right), the owner and master builder of Chopper Kulture. Now relocated in East Germany, powerful engines are his latest passion, as his MBE display underlined.

Moreno and Micke Persello of "Bikers Life" were the co-founders of what eventually became MBE at Verona. With the owner of MBE, they co-founded the then "Chopper & Custom Show" event in Padua, which preceded this show at Verona. "Low Ride" Magazine is an important supporter of the "Eternal City" Bike Show in Rome - September 2023, www.romeinternational.it - where highlights will include a Sportster Chopper give-away.

MBE is also a nexus for the great variety of custom artists, craftsmen and -women, customizing services and custom lifestyle artists that are to be found in Italy and neighboring countries - rarely seen in such great numbers at any event worldwide. 

Cory Ness - the Ness family is a traditional part of the Motor Bike Expo.

In addition to the Low Ride Bike Show, Clubstyle competition, magazine awards, the "King of Verona" competition has become the "top trophy" of the event: the ten best bikes are selected by a jury and then they choose their "King" of the weekend. This year the jury's decision fell on top Italian builders Hazard Motorcycles (Brescia) with a drag style custom bike which had been "under construction" for four years. 

The inspiration for the final stage of this project was a "Riva" luxury sport boat called "Riva Aquarama Lamborghini" from the renowned boatbuilders in Riva del Lake Garda with a (original) Lamborghini engine - which explains the blue color scheme of the Sportster engine and the "wood paint" design of the fairing. 

The Low Ride Magazine bike show attracted over 140 bikes to the show hall and booths. 

Moreno and Micke Persello of "Bikers Life" were the co-founders of what eventually became MBE at Verona.

Fred Kodlin