American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 208 November 2016 | Page 15

Robin Bradley Publisher [email protected] Pictures by Sara Viney [email protected] he intent behind the AMD Wo r l d Championship of Custom Bike Building and its gypsy-like 14-year world tour has always been to find a place where it could be the catalyst for a showcase that really could do justice to the creative and innovative craftsmanship and design and engineering genius that the custom market has always had. Finally, in the form of ‘INTERMOT Customized’ and the collaborative partnership that has been forged with the excellent staff at Koelnmesse (the Cologne, Germany, International Expo These were among the reactions to the all-new ‘INTERMOT Customized’ show-within-show environment seen at the INTERMOT Expo at Cologne in early October. Set to become THE major new headquarters venue for the international custom motorcycle industry, Robin Bradley says he’s seen the future … T www.AMDchampionship.com Center), it feels like that journey is over and that after so many efforts to “nail it”, the irresistible combination of great bikes and great vendors has finally given the custom market an opportunity to capitalize on its new found popularity as the fastest growing market in the mainstream motorcycle industry. The massive and atmospheric space that is Hall 10 at Koelnmesse has been transformed in just four years from archetypal custom sector flee market into the kind of environment worthy of a market whose price point traditionally starts where those of the volume motorcycle manufacturers leaves off. No longer need the custom market be the red-headed stepchild, marginalized on the fringes of the two-wheel world. Instead, thanks to what has been achieved at ‘INTERMOT Customized’, it can take its place up-front and center as the poster child for the mainstream of an industry that is falling over itself to speak to the new generation of riders who eschew cookie-cutter for individuality and quality in equal measure. That may be a bold claim, but I am certain that time will judge INTERMOT October 2016 as a turning point for our industry, and you can judge for yourself from the feedback of others in print and online and from this selection of images from the show. Enjoy – we did! AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - NOVEMBER 2016 15