Page 18 - 100% Biker (January 2020)

EVENT FEATURE CUSTOMBIKE

Understated but beautiful, Mario
van Kruisbergen’s Ironhead.

WORDS & PHOTOS: HORST ROSLER
CUSTOMBIKE

Messe Bad Salzuflen, Germany

Sometimes what is missing from a show is more interesting

than what’s present. With the German show Custombike

celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, the event remains a

showcase for European customising in all its diversity—

with the additional benefit of a focus on parts that are
homologated and approved for Europe

ith Indian presenting the new Challenger with booths and dealers while the display areas of
tourer and a new FTR version from the bike show are now just stretched over the two
EICMA present at Bad Salzuflen, even main halls—and sorted as much as possible by theme
BMW even world-premiered its second or genre—they also extend the full length of those
W R-18 Concept Bike at the show. But, halls with more than 300 bikes taking part in the
surprisingly, what was missing was any of the bike show itself (with countless others on display),
new Harley-Davidson concepts which have been including some of the best custom bikes of the year.
so talked about over the last few months. There Custombike, held in December, is the last big
was just one Live Wire on display, and that was European show of the year and timed perfectly to
exhibited by local dealer, Harley-Davidson Bielefeld. introduce new parts and ideas while the building
Two years after its introduction, the Milwaukee of next year’s projects is in progress or even in
Eight powered model has arrived in customising but the planning stage. While there are many ‘bolt
it hasn’t replaced previous Harley lines… on’ parts now available for Harley’s Milwauke
If you stepped into the halls of Custombike for the Eight-powered models, extreme customs with the
first time, you might have found it difficult to get new motor remain rare. In fact, fully ground-up,
your bearings. All of the exhibition halls are packed handcrafted motorcycles have become less common

18 | 100% Biker | issue 256 | www.100-biker.co.uk