Face it-what good is going to a motorcycle event if you can't find a place to blow off a little steam? After a long day or night of riding, sightseeing, or just checking out all the cool new stuff the vendors have for sale, it's great to have a place where you can let your hair down, have a cold beer, and enjoy yourself. There's no one out there who understands this concept better than the folks at the Seminole Hard Rock Roadhouse. The Hard Rock has been setting up shop in 2005 at some of the major motorcycle events, namely Daytona Bikeweek, Sturgis, Daytona's Biketoberfest, and (the final stop for '05) Hollywood, Florida's, own Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to experience the Hard Rock for yourselves, we'll try and help you out just a bit. It's pretty simple, really. Starting with a piece of vacant ground, the Hard Rock brings in everything needed to transform the lot into a full-on party. In no time, the guys have the place ready to rock, complete with a huge stage, sound system, lighting, and plenty of custom motorcycles. Once the doors open, the Hard Rock is filled with partygoers enjoying live music, dancers, motorcycles, and some of the most beautiful women anywhere. Oh, and did we mention burnouts and beer?
Without a doubt the highlight for '05 was the outstanding display of custom bike building put on by some of the best in the business, specifically Johnny Chop, Doug Keim, Jesse Rooke, and Roland Sands. Each of the four builders had the task of building one motorcycle prior to the first event at Bikeweek. All four bikes were then displayed at each event where the Roadhouse made a stop. Visitors were encouraged to register to win a chance to actually take home one of the customs-not a bad deal! (See the sidebar for all the details.) Registration was easy and took only a few moments and could be done at the event or from a computer with internet access.
Once you took your eyes off the bikes, you didn't have to look very far to find plenty of stunning women to hold your gaze. In addition to beautiful emcee Candy, who kept the crowds grooving, there was lots of talent on stage in the form of the Purrfect Angelz Dancers; the reigning Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Ashley Smith; and lots of suntanned lovelies vying for this year's Hawaiian Tropic crown.
As an added attraction at the Hollywood, FL, event, Hooters sponsored the final (as well as the entire series of qualifying events) of Florida's Next Top Builder Contest. The competition was designed to showcase the talents of some of Florida's lesser-known custom builders. Over the summer and into the fall, there were seven preliminary events in which the winners qualified to compete in the final. When all was said and done, Eric Warren of Eric Warren Designs walked away with the crown and a check for $10,000-not bad at all. Keep your eyes open for Eric's creation in an upcoming issue of HOT BIKE.
And the Winner Is...
The culmination of the Seminole Hard Rock Tour was the drawing of the winner of the 2005 contest. One very lucky person was chosen in a drawing of the five finalists assembled at the Hard Rock on the evening of December 3, 2005. The winner would then have to choose which one of the four bikes built by Johnny Chop, Doug Keim, Jesse Rooke, and Roland Sands he would have as his own. Yes, you heard it right-the winner would get to take home one of four custom bikes. After a few moments of some very frazzled nerves, the winner was drawn and announced by none other than Ashley Smith. When it was all over, a jubilant Ron Kogan emerged as the winner. His bike of choice was built by Creative Cycle's Doug Keim. If you missed it, get ahold of the Jan. '06 HOT BIKE and check it out on p. 24.
Although it's too late to get in on the drawing for 2005, the 2006 tour has already been announced, along with a very talented lineup of builders that includes Aaron Green of Paramount Custom Cycles, Paul Cox and Kino out of Indian Larry Legacy, Voodoo Choppers' Eric Gorges, and Gard Hollinger from LA Choprods. So fire up the computer and check www.hrroadhouse.com and register to win. Otherwise, we'll see you out there on the tour.