Michigan Motorcycle Show's 25th Anniversary Yields Success

The Michigan Motorcycle Show recently celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Birch Run Expo Center, Jan. 19 and 20. The 25th installment of the annual show featured new attractions, bike builds, an airbrush competition, an accredited judging system, numerous sponsors and an array of grand prizes.

Since 1988, the Michigan Motorcycle Show has attracted thousands of motorcycle lovers to the Birch Run Expo Center each January to view custom bikes, browse accessories, services and apparel offered by vendors from throughout the Midwest, and enjoy music, food and entertainment.

Along with an impressive slate of more than 110 custom bikes, the 2013 Michigan Motorcycle Show featured interactive seminars, custom bike builds, airbrush lessons and tattooing from instructors and students from the Power Sport Institute, a branch campus of Ohio Technical College. The interactive PSI exhibit featured numerous displays and activities entertaining and informing attendees of all ages including: a live bike build, mechanical instructional seminars & tutorials, air brushing/pin striping clinics, free air brush tattoos and prize giveaways.

The PSI show staff included:

Bernie Thompson – PSI Campus Director
Rod Radeke – American V-Twin Education manager
Pat Downey – Custom Paint Instructor
Bill Zeppe – American V-Twin Instructor
Kira Daczko – Career Services Director
Denise Thompson – Student Services Director

Students:
Kris Billington
Tim Lathrop
Brian Rezendes
Andrew Simon

To ensure that the quality of bike show competition continues to improve, the Michigan Motorcycle Show partnered for the second year in a row with the International Master Bike Builders Association (IMBBA) to judge what is quickly becoming the gold standard of bike shows in the Midwest. The IMBBA is the only judging agency that trains and certifies its judges.

"The Michigan Motorcycle Show joined a select number of USA bike shows that are judged and certified by the IMBBA," said Jeff Starke, IMBBA president. "We are always excited to work with the producers of the Michigan Motorcycle Show to expose Michigan bikers and bike builders to a standard of excellence among bike shows that has been recognized worldwide."

In addition to a higher standard of consistent judging, the affiliation with the IMBBA brings additional benefits to the Michigan Motorcycle Show; the motorcycle judged Best in Show at the 2013 Michigan Motorcycle Show will received an expense-paid invitation to participate in the IMBBA International Bike Show held in Sturgis, S.D., in August.

"Our affiliation with the IMBBA will bring a level exposure to Michigan bike builders that, up until now, were almost unobtainable to many in-state folks in our industry," said Chad Dutmers, promoter of the Michigan Motorcycle Show. "By increasing the quality of judging, the quality of competition amongst builders will improve, increasing the level of exposure to the national industry press for participants, and ultimately the entire Michigan motorcycling community benefits."

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.