50 Top Motorcycle Builders Rebuild Competition in the BFE

olderndirtmom

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Apr 28, 2007
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This has not yet posted to the S & S Cycles website, but was on our local t.v. tonight. They billed it as a major event, given the great riding roads in our region. It will take place in June 2008.

From our local t.v station in La Crosse, WI:

http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6756164

Reported by Bart Winkler

S&S Cycle Plans Major Event



S&S Cycle makes a major announcement today as they plan an event they hope will bring in thousands of visitors to the La Crosse area. It should also have a big impact on the economy.
Organizers say with the right amount of national publicity, more than two million dollars could come into the la crosse area economy next summer.

To celebrate their 50th anniversary next year, S&S Cycle is bringing in fifty of the top motorcycle builders in the world. They will take part in a competition where they'll be building motorcycles using old engines supplied by S&S. The one-of-a-kind competition is expected to bring in thousands of motorcycle enthuisiasts. "We could have 20000 motorcyclists here if its promoted properly. What makes this special is its not just us on our own, its various members of the Seven Rivers Region committed to this event," says S&S Cycle President Brett Smith.

Both Onalaska Mayor Bialecki and La Crosse Mayor Johnsrud were some of those members on hand to show their support for the event. All the motorcyclists expected to attend the invent should mean a boost in their local economies. "I think it's gonna have a huge impact, youre looking at and opportunity to attract people from all over the country to come to this area. We have some of the best riding in upper midwest that itself will be a lure," says Dave Clements of the La Crosse Area Vistors Bureau.

Many details of the event are still being worked out, but the competition is expected to take place during the last weekend in June of next year.
 

olderndirtmom

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Apr 28, 2007
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Road. (Thus "Off Topic". Hey, at least t'isn't the dreaded Paris Hilton.)

S&S Cycle builds high-performance v-twin engines and after-market engine components. I believe they were co-sponsors of the "Chopper Chick Pink Ribbon Chopper Build" held at Daytona Beach last March. The all-female team built a chopper in 7 hours and some minutes. It was then shipped by Harley-Davidson to be used for breast cancer awareness promos. Never having driven one, I am not a big fan of choppers. I'm sure the day I drive one I'll instantly understand I was completely wrong about the stupidity of choppers. ;) Meanwhile, my bias aside, it is incredibly fun to see these promotional good deed events.

http://www.bikernewswire.com/Story_126.html

S & S also signed with Desperado Motorcycles to be the engine supplier on their race cycles.

http://www.sscycle.com/iframes/cnews.php

Most of the mayoral and other folks looked a little out of their element at this press announcement. This is a classy company that knows their industry well. I'm not sure the politicos even knew these guys existed before todays news. (Kidding... a little. It's probably safe to say the politicos never drove one of these:

http://www.sscycle.com/ptimes/vol6_4/html/vol6_4.htm) (Yes, that's an S&S engine.)

Not dirtbikes. Still a "little" way-cool for our little "God's Country".
 

Rich Rohrich

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olderndirtmom said:
I am not a big fan of choppers. I'm sure the day I drive one I'll instantly understand I was completely wrong about the stupidity of choppers. ;)

Don't bet on it. ;)
 

olderndirtmom

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Actually, they haven't released details (locally) of what the build competition entails aside from using old engines. (I think). I know it is nutty, but it would be awesome to think (dream) that it might be something race or vintage bike oriented. When I hear more I'll let you know.

In the meantime, why dwell on the stupid, when we can dream of the sublime, eh?

Again, take a look at this bike...

http://www.sscycle.com/ptimes/vol6_4/html/vol6_4.htm
 

Rich Rohrich

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Maybe with some luck it will be something as cool as this S&S Hot Rod I spotted in the pits at Joliet. ;)
 

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olderndirtmom

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Some previous builds they have done are The Old School Shovel Tour (which featured five custom builders using 1993 parts, but their own designs) and an episode for Discovery Channel's "Biker Build-off".

~~~~~
Ooooh, Neat Photos Rich. I swear with God as my witness-You must a photo for Everything! lol.

But that's definitely the spirit! :joke:
 
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fatcat216

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Okay- I'm a little late in updating this, but the 50th anniversary celebration took place a couple weeks back and was a HUGE success. Enough so that us locals would love to see something like it annually. S&S had such a good time. For now, they've committed to something special in 5 years. It was pretty cool for what you guys are thinking is a Hardley thing. ;-) Don't be too sure.

Because of the way it was laid out, under a tent with glare, and lots of ropes and people with cameras, none of my bike build-off pictures turned out so well. Hopefully you'll look past my inexperience, and just enjoy the show.

(I have a ton of excellent but just goofin' around photos of people's bikes off the streets. I'm afraid they wouldn't be interesting to anyone but me. Dood-ads and wheels and stuff.)

To refresh your memory of the event, I copped this summary off a blog. The first photo below is theirs- everything after was taken by our family. You'll be able to tell, because they aren't quality photos. But at least you'll be able to see what a cool cat company we have here in God's Country.

oh and the The photo op of the day???-All the winners going down Fourth Street- I missed despite it being a stones throw away! We were walking to our car when they circled by us in a closing processional. It was a neat site to see them with BIG GRINS on their faces goofin on their cool builds. (So much so that I nearly bounced myself off my husband when I turned to look at them coming down the street. He also turned to look at the spectacle...But only one of us stopped walking. BOING><Ouch!)

To refresh your memory of the BUILD event:

http://www.cyrilhuzeblog.com/2008/07/01/ss-50th-anniversary-celebration-and-the-winner-is/ said:
S&S 50th Anniversary Celebration. And The Winner Is…(Part 1)
Published by Cyril Huze July 1st, 2008 in Builders, Customs, Editorial and Events.

As you know 50 builders were competing during last weekend S&S Cycle 50th Anniversary Celebration. Builders were showing S&S engine powered custom bikes classified in 6 series depending of the model of engine used. The overall winner won the $50,000 prize.
Best Of Show: Hot Dock from Japan. Best P-Serie (Panhead): Freddy Krugger from Belgium. Best SH-Serie (Shovelhead): Cook Customs from the USA. Best SB-Serie (Sportster): Odyssey Motorcycle from France. Best T-Serie (Twin-Cam): Bennet’s Performance from the USA. Best V-Serie (Evo): Nicolas Chauvin from France. Best XW-Serie (X-Wedge): Fred Kodlin from Germany.

Hope to get very fast a better picture of the Best Of show winner, Hot Dock bike named Sgt Nautirus built by Keij Kawakita in Tokyo..
Picture from blog:

Followed by my shots of the Best of Show winner:
 

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fatcat216

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teasers

teasers while I sort..... Geez it's hard to choose! It was so much fun just looking at people's stuff.
 

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fatcat216

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crew & vendors

....
 

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fatcat216

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Small selection of builds:
The first guy is French. I sold him beer tickets Friday night. Between me being a dumbfanny and him having currency conversion issues, I had a good laugh. Didn't expect to see him as a builder later!
 

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fatcat216

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...Somebody on the street driving by, and a vendor bike and Rich's "maybe I'll get lucky" bike.
 

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fatcat216

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A few more builds, still lousy photos- but to give you an idea of what was there. A BIG thanks to S&S for holding a great party. Bikers are nice people.
 

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fatcat216

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...
 

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Ol'89r

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Rich Rohrich said:
Don't bet on it. ;)

:laugh: Good one Rich. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Gotta admit, there are some pretty unique frames there. Thanks for posting fatcat.
 

Rich Rohrich

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You really caught a nice cross section of the bikes and cool stuff at that show . Good job FC.
 

Rooster

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fatcat216 said:
Bikers are nice people.

"F-U I have enough friends". Brilliant. That guy must have a boatload of ex-girfriends that call him "little smokey".
 
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