The show that became famous as "The Oakland Roadster Show" is finally starting to settle into its new home at Fairplex in Pomona, California. This is the third year that the Grand National Roadster Show has called sunny Southern California home, and the show was nothing short of spectacular. Not only was there an entire building dedicated to 75 of the most historically significant 1932 Fords to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the world's most recognizable hot rod platform, there were badass motorcycles in attendance as well. But we wouldn't expect anything less with an award like "America's Most Beautiful Motorcycle" up for grabs.
While there were all the usual oddities that you can find at every indoor show in America-V8-powered trikes, kooky theme bikes, and bikes that are exercises in metal sculpture-there were a surprising number of bikes in attendance that actually looked like motorcycles. There were amazingly detailed bobbers, great looking choppers, hot rod bikes that looked like they were doing 200 miles an hour when they were sitting still, and some really cool bikes that could be best described as the resto-rods of the motorcycle world.
Some of the notable bikes in attendance were Greg Westbury's Artistry In Iron-winning chopper as well as the bike that just won an upcoming episode of Biker Build-Off. Gregg Coddington's board tracker was on display with Cole Foster's flathead, a couple of amazing rigid-framed bikes from Ashcroft's, four of the baddest Indians in So-Cal from Kiwi Motorcycle Company, and Chopper Dave's stripped-down '47 Flatty just to name a few.
There were also a lot more motorcycle-related vendors at this event than we expected to see. Joel from Headwinds had his wares on display, as did the crew from Chica's Customs. Kurt from Ventura Motorworks had a shovelhead in his booth that could have easily been a contender for the America's Most Beautiful Motorcycle, and the guys from MGS Customs had some pretty impressive looking pro-street bikes on display as well. Out in the Suede Palace building, the guys from Kiwi Motorcycle Company and 8-Ball Choppers had booths set up with some of their bikes and parts on display.
We spent most of Saturday walking through the show looking at all of the amazing motorcycles. Unfortunately, the award ceremony wasn't until Sunday night and we missed it. But we heard that Christian Dotson's name will be engraved on the plaque that will be affixed to the perpetual America's Most Beautiful Motorcycle trophy, so congratulations go out to him for that achievement.