American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 215 June 2017 | Page 30
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‘The Bike Shed’,
London, May 26 - 28
illed as “Europe’s best
independent annual
motorcycle show” and
London’s “new wave”
motorcycle emporium”, chic
moto store ‘The Bike Shed’
opened the doors of its 8th
annual bike show. Staged at
London’s historic and
charismatic Tobacco Dock (at the
end of May) for the fourth time,
the weekend saw some 14,000
“New Core” visitors drooling
over a high-class selection of
200 plus custom bikes displayed
for the edification of an urban
and much bearded audience.
This was the fourth time for the show
at the Thames-side former Victorian
warehouse venue in East London’s
Docklands – and as custom bike shows
go, it is a world in which contemporary
custom styling collides with artisan
catering and a limited number of
“curated” exhibitor opportunities.
Organizer and owner Anthony ‘Dutch’
van Someren told us that at least a third
of the bikes were from first-timers, shed
builders or semi-pros, and they got to
enjoy the same upscale presentation
values as the bikes by established
names and manufacturers.
The formula is to mix the bikes in with
a weekend of “live music, live art,
live pin-striping/screen-printing/
leatherwork, photography, food,
coffee, bars, tattoos, barbershop and
curated retail and brand exhibition,”
says Dutch. The sponsors were Ohlins,
Triumph, Indian, BMW, Yamaha, Ducati
Scrambler and European apparel brand
Rev’It.
The exhibitors are presented in an
“open area” style that blends them in
with the bikes and circulatory space in
a way that the conventional “barrier
booth” thinking just doesn’t permit.
With apologies to anyone we are
omitting, the sponsors exhibited
B
Photo by Autohouse
Organizer and ‘Bike Shed’ owner
Anthony ‘Dutch’ van Someren:
“Our goal was to create the best
indepe ndent motorcycle
exhibition event in the world,
without any compromises on
quality or experience”
alongside Honda, CCM (a British off-
road and Enduro bike manufacturer),
Fantic (Italian based small
displacement Chinese engined off-
roaders), Royal Enfield, Italian helmet
brand DMD, British helmet brand
Hedon and Liverpool, England based
helmet manufacturer Davida.
“After months of preparation we’re all
really chuffed [Google it!] that the
show went so well and was so well
attended, with 14,000 people through
our doors over the weekend. Our goal
was to create the best independent
motorcycle exhibition event in the
world, without any compromises on
quality or experience.
“The main hero bikes were all
invitational, and more curated than
ever, and we think the bar was raised,
yet again, with custom builds from all
over the world coming from as far away
as the US and Taiwan.
“We’re already planning Bike Shed
London 2018 for
25/26/27 next May, and it will be even
bigger and better, especially with the
facilities and hospitality, where we
know we can do so much more – we
now have 18 months under our belt
operating our Old Street store on a 7
days-a-week basis, so we have learned
a lot about what people are looking for,
and the views and expectations of the
600-member strong Bike Shed
Motorcycle Club drives everything we
are able to come up with.”
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AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER
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