The 21st edition of the L.A. Calendar Motorcycle Show, sponsored by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, took place Sunday, July 22 at the Calabasas Inn in Calabasas, Calif. The inn served as a new location for the event and offered scenic views and a spacious banquet hall to attendees.
The show’s activities included the Calendar Bike Building Championship, select vendors and exhibitors, the Motorcycle Machine Dyno, and live music from the Japanese girl rock band Nylon Pink and singers/songwriters Rachel McGoye and Marina V.
The show marks the world premier of next year’s new 2013 FastDates.com Motorcycle PinUp Calendars photographed by Calendar Show producer Jim Gianatsis. The new 2013 calendars are available at FastDates.com, Amazon.com, Cycle Gear Stores or through Van Leeuwen Distributing at 1-800-461-1226.
The show park was filled to capacity with top industry names including Jim’s Machine, Edelbrock Engineering, Frog Specialties/Beringer Brakes, AXO streetbike apparel and Universal Technical Institute training school. Spectators were treated to upscale dining, with food and beverages from some of Los Angeles’ top food trucks.
The Calendar Motorcycle Show featured many of the world’s top pro and amateur custom street bike builders and their newest two-wheeled creations. They competed in the Calendar Show Bike Building Championship for fame and awards, including the coveted Best of Show Trophy. The Calendar Show broadened its focus to include the growing collector bike market with exhibitors and bike show classes for classic European, British and Japanese motorcycles, along with American V-twins and customs.
Among the top custom and racebike builders in attendance were Russell Mitchell (Exile Cycles), Richard Pollock (Mule Motorcycles), Shinya Kimura (Chabott Engineering), Jim Giuffra & Spokesmodels (AFT Customs), Todd Silicato (Todd’s Cycle), Chris Redpath (MotoGPwerks), Caleb Owens (CRO Customs), Yaniv Evan (Power Plant Choppers) and Steve Storz (Storz Performance).
The newly reborn Crocker Motorcycle, produced by Michael Schacht of Crocker Motorcycle Company, was showcased as a world premier. The bike is a true replica of the original 1936 high performance Crocker V-twin machines of which only 200 were built.
Chris Redpath of MotoGPWerks displayed two Ducatis he had built for Tom Cruise. Redpath also brought along a couple of former AMA National Superbike Championship racers, plus a classic Mike Hailwood-type Ducati racer.
Garnering Best of Show in this year’s Calendar Bike Building Championship was Hoshikawa Hideki from Miyagi, Japan. Celebrity judges Jim Gianatsis, Jim Giuffra, Chris Redpath and Michael Schacht choose Hideki’s 883cc Sportster-based naked custom sportbike as the most exciting, original and well-constructed custom at the show. He also received AFT Customs’ Visionary Awards Trophy.
Yaniv Evan of Power Plant Choppers took home top honors in the pro builder class with his classic-styled bare metal custom "Black & Metal," which is based on a 1970 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. "I wanted to build… a ‘Rudge Superior’ from the 1930s-meets-1960s chopper, with a bit more power and good handlebar feel," he said.
Two-time Best of Show winners Jim Giuffra and the spokesmodels from AFTCustoms.com premiered their latest build at the show. Their bike ‘Halia’ is a Honda Shadow performance custom cafe sport racer that will head for the BUB Speed Trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats this month.
