Custom motorcycle

Plaid shirts, Denim and Beards gather for the Bike Shed Show 2022

This year saw another superbly curated and inspiring collection of over 300 custom motorcycles from across the globe. Everything from modern classics to vintage-based machines created a visual delight within the equally interesting venue of Tobacco Dock. While the bikes take centre stage the Bike Shed Show celebrates the breadth of custom motorcycle culture and after a three-year wait there was plenty to catch up on.
I’ve used similar titles for previous write-ups about the Bike Shed Show, poking fun at the swathes of checked shirts and Redwing boots, but please be aware that I count myself in this group too. There may be murmurs of hipster cliquiness from the outside, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There was a more diverse group of visitors and exhibitors. Maybe I noticed this more as I managed to spend all three days at the event rather than just Friday night. The event had a great atmosphere, probably enhanced by the long, enforced wait we had to endure since the last Bike Shed Show in 2019. Everyone I spoke to over the weekend was in such a great mood as if we were all celebrating the joy of being alive among like-minded people. It was a great place to hang out, to people watch and soak in the creativity on display.
 
Over the multi-floor, multi-room exhibition, there was all manner of custom bikes. I guarantee there was something for every taste, whether you’re interested in traditional choppers, cafe racers, street scramblers or Paris-Dakar off-road machines. All are built by a diverse range of builders, from full-on professional workshops to one-person, shed-built creations. This is a show that truly lives up to its name.
 
Alongside all the bikes, the was plenty of art, live music and fantastic street food. Downstairs in the ‘shed cave’, we were treated to a photography exhibition, which included large prints from my friends Ivo Ivanov and Roberto Garagarza.
 
As the Bike Shed crew say, this show is “For the People who Love Motorcycles and the People who Love People who Love Motorcycles“, which is an accurate statement. So why not join me in building a bike to enter next year’s event?

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