Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/787665
6 nMarch 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Mongo SACRAMENTO, CALIF., JAN. 14—Easy Rider, from the iconic 1969 movie to the magazine that spawned the national bike shows, is the name that conjures up visions of one-of-a- kind hand-built bikes and those that ride them. Ever since the Easyriders show began it has attracted custom bike builders from across the country as well as from around the world. They bring what, for some, is an accu- mulation of a life's dream and years of work while others claim builds of 30 days or less. I know of a bike in 2010 that was entered before the paint was cured, and it won an award. I have been interested in motorcy- cles for a while now and have noticed some trends, or fads if you will, come and go. I put motorcycles into two loose categories: catalog customs (bikes with bolt-on accessories), and true customs, those that have one-of- a-kind parts, and their construction involves machining, welding, and metal fabrication that requires liberal use of a hammer. A few years back it seemed that you couldn't swing a cat by its tail without hitting a big-wheel bagger. They are still out there, but have seemed to reach an equilibrium with the other customs. How about the "blackout" craze, bikes bereft of chrome or anything with a glossy fi n- ish? The TV show Sons of Anarchy brought forth an almost cult-like recipe build for the Dyna. I've often heard from older bikers that the rarest Harley is a stock one and those ol' timers would have enjoyed this year's event. Sprinkled throughout the show were more than a few vintage bikes brought back to factory specs. The vast number of different styles and interpretations of what a custom build should be refl ects the diversity of those who build them. Ask 10 fab- ricators the same question and likely as not you will receive 10 unique answers. These individuals are artists, after all, so getting them to agree on anything can be a slippery slope at best. This inherent cavil among them is what pushes the envelope of design and innovation. Sometimes this is a good thing, sometimes not so much, however, it's always fun and interest- ing to look at. Every January for the past 17 years Easyriders has kicked off its national tour in California's capital city. The weather can be tricky this time of year, but if you do ride your bike you will enjoy free parking right outside of the building, otherwise be prepared to pay to park the truck. This year the event was shortened to one day, but that didn't seem to hurt attendance. It was $20 at the door and to me seemed a fair deal considering you'd be rockin' to the Fryed Brothers Band plus all the eye candy a guy could want supplied by the shapely, and talented, Purrfect Angelz. Oh yeah, and there are all the cool motorcycles to look at with plenty of vendors to shop. Trust me, if you are looking to customize or upgrade your American V-twin, it's here. The line to get in wrapped around the convention hall (an honest quar- ter mile); fortunately it is inside and EASYRIDERS MOTORCYCLE SHOW NFL playoff s lead to the super bowl of bike shows Chrome is still king The multitalented Harry Fryed keeps the crowd entertained with song and story This paint scheme is always a winner in my book John Scanton's '62 TR6 Chopper caught Jason Wilson's attention, and was given a special award from Sacred Steel Bikes See "Easyriders," page 8, column 1