The AMD European Championships...
The AMD European Championships wrapped up in March with Big Twin Motors of Italy winning the freestyle title with it remarkable bike "Panster." Based around a 1200cc Sporty motor with panhead covers, the bike is a super compact boardtracker style bike with a twisted frame and a very unique springer frontend. This bike is bound to be one of the top 10 finishers at the World Champs.
We all go to Sturgis for different reasons, but of course the primary reason is motorcycles. And as anyone who has ever been to Sturgis knows, there are some great bike shows that go on throughout the week; however, only one offers the crown of "World Champion," the American Motorcycle Dealer (AMD) World Championships of Custom Bike Building (WCCBB). This August 2-5 during the 69th annual Sturgis rally marks the 6th WCCBB event, and once again the worlds best custom bikes can all be found under the big tent at Champions Park on Lazelle Street.
Yet again the question remains: Will an American builder finally ride away with the crown in the prestigious Freestyle Class? Last year, Canadian builder Roger Goldammer was basking in the golden glow of victory for the third time with his curvaceous custom dubbed "Goldmember." Rolling in a close Second place was Keiji Kawakita's battleship inspired "StG Nautilus." In Fouth place, Dave Cook of Cooks Customs was the highest placing American with his amazing interpretation of a boardtrack style bike, "The Nickle Bike."
The WCCBB is open to any builder who wants to participate with a variety of classes to choose from. However, the Freestyle Class is the premiere category with the chance to win the World Championship title. Judging is mixed between participants and a select group of VIP judges. With the World Title at stake on American soil, it's very expensive for international builders to foot the money to transport their bikes to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Therefore AMD started the European Championships of Custom Bike Building (ECCBB), held at the Custom Chrome Europe (CCE) Dealer Show in Mainz, Germany. The ECCBB provides the top three builders in the freestyle category with travel expenses to Sturgis. The ECCBB was such a success that AMD started its Affiliate Events, which provide major events across the globe the chance to become a part of the program, awarding the top contestant in the Freestyle Class with travel expenses to the World Champs. The assistance of providing travel expenses for international builders truly does make this a global event and the title of World Champion that much more prestigious. No matter if you're a bike builder or just an admirer of beautiful handcrafted machinery, a day at Champions Park and a several hours perusing the eclectic display of iron at the AMD World Champs is a must on your Sturgis to-do list.
Andy Niemi from Flying Choppers...
Andy Niemi from Flying Choppers in Finland has been causing quite a stir at many of the European shows with his bike "Cloud 9." Andy's amazing rendition of a classic Panhead chopper from the 60s/70s was a real stunner at the ECCBB as it won Third place in the freestyle class and earned Andy travel expenses to compete in Sturgis. We are trying to get a full feature on this bike in the near future.
Roger's single cylinder, Rotax...
Roger's single cylinder, Rotax Supercharged and nitrous equipped Goldmember at last year's WCCBB.
Last year's second place bike...
Last year's second place bike by Hot Dock was a very technical machine with incredible detail.
TGS Motorcycle's Seppster2...
TGS Motorcycle's Seppster2 was a perfect example of what Mad Max would ride if he went ice racing. Industrial and tough are two of the best words that could be used to describe the Third place winner.
Last year's WCCBB top three...
Last year's WCCBB top three was a global celebration with (left to right) Keiji Kawakita of Hot Dock Custom Cycles in Japan taking Second, Canadian Roger Goldammer winning First place, and TGS Motorcycles of Germany taking Third.
Aside from the title of World...
Aside from the title of World Champion there is also some nice bling the winner receives. The question is, will 2009 be the year the gold ring and watch slip onto the finger and wrist of an American builder? If you're in Sturgis this year, be sure to stop by the show to find out.