14th Annual Capital City Bikefest draws top motorcycle builders to Raleigh
Top motorcycle builders descended on Raleigh, N.C. recently for the 14th Annual Capital City Bikefest. Weekend highlights included a custom bike show sanctioned by the International Master Bike Builders Association (IMBBA) and presented by Jet-Hot Coatings. Many of North America’s most accomplished custom bike builders competed for $15,000 in cash and prizes. This year, all the action at Raleigh’s popular motorcycle event was filmed for History Channel’s “ToyMakerz” television series, starring Dave Ankin.
“The custom bike competition attracted builders from across the continent who brought remarkable designs to this year’s show,” said Mark Hendrix, Capital City Bikefest organizer and general manager of Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson. “The innovation and level of detail displayed by these builders was outstanding. Congratulations to the winners in 20 categories.”
This year’s bike show featured professional and hobbyist motorcycle builders competing with their vintage, modern and radical designs for judging based on fabrication, paint and engineering. 2018 First Place winners as judged on a global points standard by IMBBA include:
Best of Show: Death Trap Cycles (Fenwick, Ontario, Canada);
People’s Choice: Donn Ogilvie;
Softail Showdown: Rankin Creek Customs (Stuarts Draft, Va.);
Invited Builder – Custom Class: Southernboy Baggers (Fayetteville, N.C.);
Invited Builder – Bagger Class: The Bike Exchange (Gastonia, N.C.);
Sportster Class: Adam Karns, Karns Customs (Delmar, Md.);
Sport Bike Class: Bobby Robins;
Rat Bike Class: Woodlawn Baggers (Abbeville, S.C.);
EuroBike Class: Herbert Hoffmann;
Antique Class: Toxic Customs (Raleigh, N.C.);
Café Racer Class: Reincarnation Cycles (Garner, N.C.);
Radical Bagger Class: Russell Waldon;
Bagger Class: Woodlawn Baggers (Abbeville, S.C.);
Trike Class: Pinup Baggers (Newburgh, Ind.);
Touring Class: Rodney Chester;
Metric Custom Class: Rodney Chester;
Chopper Class: Steve Tarnowski;
Big Twin Class: Edward White;
Best Paint: Southernboy Baggers (Fayetteville, N.C.).
This year’s winner of the American Bagger and Urban Bagger Magazine “Baddest Bagger Raleigh” Award was Bob Mullins and his builder Camtech Custom Baggers.
“We’re excited that a national television audience will see the quality of these bike builders and the enthusiasm of our motorcycle community here in Raleigh when the “ToyMakerz” episode airs on the History Channel,” said Hendrix.
Organized by the Raleigh-based Tobacco Road Harley-Davidson and Triumph Raleigh dealerships, Capital City Bikefest has an estimated economic impact of more than $5 million, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The 2018 event was presented by GEICO Motorcycle in cooperation with the following sponsors: Jet-Hot Coatings, Raleigh Convention Center, Sleep Number, Toyota, Triumph, Bike Safe N.C., Custom Dynamics, Gary Poole Law Office, The Karney Law Firm, Raleigh H.O.G., American Motorcyclist Assoc., Freedom Biker Church, Daniel Dhers Action Sports Complex, 401 Tattoos, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Road Devils Car Club, C&S Custom, Cycle Care, Crazy Beavers Customs, Liberty Tattoo Supply Co., Persephony Photography, and Van Products.
