American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 241 August 2019 | Page 16

Bike Shed Show
London, May 24 – 26, 2019
Billed again as "Europe's best independent annual motorcycle
show", London's Bike Shed Show (a "new wave motorcycle
emporium") is staged at the iconic Tobacco Dock, which dates
from 1811 and is alongside the River Thames in London's infamous
but now achingly chic East End...
Some 17,000 "New Core" visitors
with "Hard Core" aspirations
drooled over in excess of 260
high-class custom bikes at the
recent Bike Shed Show in London
- a cathedral of 'Alt Moto' and all
things 'New Gen' (from bikes to
artisan catering and beard
maintenance).
As custom bike shows go, it is a world
in which top-end contemporary custom
styling meets entry level price-point
brands and "curated" exhibitor
opportunities. Though while the
organizers work hard, and mostly
successfully, to eschew conventional
"Trade Expo" values and vibe, the
differences between shows such as
Bike Shed and the conventional and
mainstream don't drill down to the
fundamental issues that are affecting
the future popularity of motorcycling.
For an event that would theoretically
'a cathedral of New
Gen Alt Moto'
'speak to' younger, newer riders -
'Millennials' as the vernacular would
have it - the age profile of the majority
of visitors was distinctly middle-aged
and older, with a demographic that was
mostly male, white and discernibly
middle class.
Masterminded by Anthony 'Dutch' van
Someren who, with a select investor
cartel, owns and operates the show and
the Bike Shed store and spin-off
members social club in the City of
London, the presentation values were
as upscale as ever, the standard of the
bikes invited was as high as ever, and
with a growing number of bikes by
established names and manufacturers
populating the chic designer display
spaces, the formula remains robust for
all that.
16
A stand out bike for Bike Shed Show organizer Anthony 'Dutch' van Someren
was Jim Alonze's stunning bevelhead Ducati
"Hospitality is at the heart of the Bike
Shed experience, with comfy places to
hang out all day, great food, bars,
entertainment – and shopping – we
also bring art, photography, film, live
music and vinyl DJs, tattoos and a
barbershop. There's even a cigar lounge
and several watch brands on display.
"This year's show did feel bigger, and
that's because it was. The space itself
covered over 16,000 sq m (170,000 sq
ft). Around 62 of the bikes were genuine
'Shed Builders', and there were nearly
100 exhibitors and brands [mostly
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - AUGUST 2019
custom bike builder displays], nine live
bands on stage, plus a separate DJ
serving-up vinyl tunes, a cigar lounge,
10 tattoo artists, 10 barbers, 17 food
and drink vendors, a cinema showing
five films a day, including Oil in the
Blood, TT-Closer to the Edge and On
Any Sunday, and a shuttle bus shipping
running visitors to and from our Old
Street shop venue.
"Our first show in May 2013, set in two
nearby London railway arches,
showcased 55 bikes and attracted
3,000 visitors. By our third show we
realized we didn't ever want it to end,
so the event transformed into a full-
time club in November 2015, which is
now almost four years old, open seven
days a week, fifteen hours a day, and
welcomes well over 2,000 people
through our doors every week, and
often many more.
"The spirit of the Bike Shed London
show in 2019 was exactly as it was back
in 2013, a show by and for bike people.
It's entirely curated by us, and while the
invitational bikes are the heroes of the
show, the part that makes it a
community event which keeps people
coming back all weekend, is friendly,
quality hospitality in a stunning space."
Over 50 sponsors and principal
exhibitors included Dainese
Settantadue, Bremont watches, Ducati
Scrambler, Triumph, Yamaha, Indian
Motorcycle, Royal Enfield, Fantic and
Mutt Motorcycles. Helmet, apparel,
accessory and lifestyle brands and
manufacturers included Bell, RSD,
Davida, Biltwell, Malle Luggage of
London, Hedon and Roeg.
"There are no 'winners' or competitions
at the event - every bike has its place.
Besides, how do you compare a £500
'hospitality is at
the heart of the
experience'
shed-build to a sponsored pro-custom
bike with limitless budget? To us, every
bike is a winner. If they are at the show,
we have judged them to be relevant
and interesting to our visitors, for any
number of reasons.
"Having said that, a few did stand out
for me personally," said Dutch, "like Jim
Alonze's stunning bevelhead Ducati,
the Triumph Hurricane/drag bike-
inspired Bobber build-off bike by
Laguna in Ashford, UK., and the Made
In Metal Triton using a 50s featherbed
frame with a modern Thruxton 1200R
engine and chassis parts in the Makers
Room. I also loved the shed-built
Yamaha two-stroke scrambler in speed-
block yellow and the Kaffeemaschine
Guzzis were a treat we've wanted at the
show for years now."
www.AMDchampionship.com