2014 Ultimate Builder: Detroit Edition

Snow, ice and -10 degrees… Ahh Detroit in the wintertime. The roads were so bad a 20 minute ride from the airport took one and a half hours. The weather was so crazy, it included thunder snow.  So you would think that the Progressive International Motorcycle Show would be a ghost town… Nope. It was packed and the enthusiasts really liked the outstanding diversity of the custom bikes in the show.

All participating builders took home a J&P t-shirt and helmet bag. People’s Choice winner in Detroit was “Bone Dragger” from Keith Lafer of Classic and Exotic, who won a Bell Custom 500 helmet. The top 15 winners won a HelmetLok and a Metal Rescue product. Shannon Best won the SHO DOG award and receives a Rocking K Leather custom chain wallet and Evan Edwards of Plymouth Cycle and Speed takes home a Garage Leathers’ solo bag.

Ultimate Builder: FreeStyle Class

Ron Harris of Chop Docs rolled in Ol’ 48 in and everyone new this was the bike to beat. It is a 2013 board tracker that features a 95” Pan/Twincam with 2 front cylinder heads and a pan top end. The bike is white with clear-coat copper accents. It’s all hand crafted with an old-school Hurst pistol grip jockey shift.

1. Ron Harris, Chop Doc Choppers – ‘Ol 48, 2013 Board Tracker
2. Warren Perkins, Conspiracy Cycle Works – Mentally Impaled, 2008 Bobber
3. Keith Lafer, Classic and Exotic – Bone Dragger, 2012 Chopper

Ultimate Builder: MOD Harley Class

The Hoosier Daddy Chopper’s Firehouse Racer is “the” machine in the MOD Harley class as it was the bike to beat at the show. It features a Harley-Davidson 96 CI Twincam engine with hand-fabricated exhaust tipped with 1920′s fire hose brass nozzles, S&S Carb and Ultima 2in belt drive. Illumination comes from a 1910 Jose Lucas Carbide headlight and an After Hours Choppers tail light. The leather seat is from Anvil Customs.

1. Jon Shipley, Hoosier Daddy Chopper – Firehouse Racer, ’13 Board tracker
2. Jim Robertson, Native Custom Baggers – 2006 Road Glide
3. Jody Jenson, Reflections – Gold Pride, 2006 Softail

Ultimate Builder: Retro MOD

Wendell Turner of Turners Cycle Shop brought in Hung Low, a 1981 custom Sportster and took the point in the Retro MOD class. The bike features a 1,000 cc Ironhead overhead-valve engine with cast iron heads and a hand-built drop seat 6in stretch hardtail. Paint by Chop Docs Choppers.

1. Wendell Turner, Turners Cycle Shop – Hung Low, ’81 Sportster
2. Gary Maurer, Kustoms Inc. – Tri Finch It, 1972 Triumph
3. Chop Docs Choppers – Horizontal Harry, ’68 XLCH

Ultimate Builder: Performance Custom

Shannon Best’s Ronin is a family project with his son and daughter adding their elbow grease to make their 1987 Yamaha FZR 1000 really stand out. It took 1^st place in the Performance Custom class. The bike has been lowered and stretched 6” and handmade and polished parts. The 1000cc mil includes a short exhaust and port and polished heads.

1. Shannon Best – Ronin, 1987 Yamaha FZR 1000
2. Matt Sproull – 2007 Honda CBR 1000R
3. Mike Gee, Dave Bowman Inc – 1985 Yamaha TRI-Z 250

Ultimate Builder: MOD Street

Dave Bowman took 1^st place in MOD Street with his slick 1975 Honda CB-400F. The Café Racer features a custom seat cowl, aluminum Excel wheel, and retro paint from Steve Stroud. The engine has been pumped using a Yoshimura big bore kit to 480cc.

1. Tony Cho, Dave Bowman – 1975 Honda CB-400F
2. Golgotha Performance Cycle – Vision, 1984 Virago
3. Ralph Spencer, Shoemaker Vintage Moto – Manx Titan, ’71 Suzuki T500

Show Photos