BORN FREE 9 ROCKS!

  

 

It feels like this story should start with ‘Once Upon a Time’… and so let’s go with it….it’s now moving toward ten years ago since two Los Angeles area bike freaks, Mike Davis and Grant Peterson, decided they weren’t happy with the general type of motorcycle rallies they experienced in Southern California.

 

They weren’t into the big buck bling-bikes the media was then focusing on, but rather what people could put together just for the fun of it and on a budget…all kinds of bikes, American, Japanese, European, new, vintage, customs, hotrods, whatever size or shape, they were ready to throw their own party and see who and what showed up. So in 2008, while holding down regular jobs, they set the Born Free event in motion.

So how did their gig go? Well, a modest 200 bikes harkened to the first call, but the following year and Born Free 2 things ramped up. The second event drew some 2000 bikes, while Born Free Three, which had a nice ring to it, saw that number doubled, some 10,000 people riding in from all over the U.S. and as far as Canada. Jump to 2013 and the number of fans had swollen to 25,000.

 

 

 

The plan… to help bring in both a new generation of custom bike builders as well as to revive interest in the OG vintage riders/builders to get back… obviously worked as in Build it and They Will Come Diversity was a keyword in the Born Free philosophy. It also attracted counter-culture cross-over from the skateboarders, surfers and snowboarders and basically, all things SoCal cool.

Each year the show organizers focused on inviting the best new talented builders to showcase their work. And they came…. from all the U.S., Japan, Europe, Canada, South America, the Philippines and Thailand.

 

 

 

The show’s major sponsor is none other than Harley-Davidson itself. Van Shoes is also a ‘natural fit’ as another big sponsor, basically the footwear for the new generation. In addition there’s a wild mix of vendors of aftermarket parts, clothing and gear as well as booths showcasing a multitude of new shops. And naturally there’s plenty of hot grub and cold Blue Ribbon beer on hand as well several bands providing a sound track for all the socializing.

 

 

An additional show perk is a hot raffle where winners take home several cool bikes. This year the line-up included an all original condition ‘survivor’ 1951 Harley Panhead. You could buy a ticket and even if you were stuck in Arkansas or South Dakota, shipping was free for the winner (except for the motorcycles). For 25 bucks you got a Born Free promo poster and a ticket…and maybe a bike gratis. Other giveaways included gear from Simpson helmets, Langlitz Leathers, Wesco boots and S&S Cycles. You did have to be at the event to win the bikes, a brand new 2017 H-D Lowrider S and a super sweet 1942 Knucklehead built by Jeff Leighton at Wretched Hive.

  

 

The show has been called the Woodstock of Choppers and The Sturgis of the Next Generation which brings us to June 24-25, 2017 and the current Ninth Born Free show expanded since 2014 into its two-day weekend venue at the Oak Canyon Ranch in Orange County providing enough wide open space for the recording breaking, literally overflow sea of bikes that made the pleasing putt to through Silverado Canyon to the extremely well-orchestrated event.

 

The list of invited Builders and their custom bikes for 2017 included Andy Carter, Chopper Davie, Ryan Grossman, Matt Harris, Dave Polgreen, Jake & Zack Hindes Matt Jackson, Scott Jones, Thom Jones Matt Machine & Brado Miller, Kiyo Mitsuhiro, Toshiyuki Osawa, Jason Phares, JP Rodman & Jim Harper, Mike Silvio & Brian Vanderford, Christian Sosa, Alp Sungurtekin, Rich Hutchinson & Nick Toscano, Dalton Walker, Matt Walksler (from Wheels of Time Museum), and Arie Vee. As a result, there was a super nova stellar spectrum of bikes of all flavors and personalities and space restrictions mean I can’t show them all, at least in this go around.

 

In order to share the news hot off the griddle this rider/writer got his carcass out of bed way too early after a long Friday night, but did slither into the park before the two lane entry road was slammed, so rolled right up to the front although the truly vast multiple parking areas were already packing in, but ably and smoothly run by an army of attendants. The operant word for the event was …smooooth.

To sum it up it was truly a sea to shining sea of chrome and paint, both outside and inside the venue. Within an hour, you were elbow to elbow with swells of people moving about the bikes on display, the band stands, the high flying skate board ramp, the food and vendor booths.

 

 I troll the parking areas from some of the best iron, outstanding machines hunkered down in the dust. The Born Free organizers had the same idea because they announced that the judges were also checking out the spectator bikes and they could be a judged winners as well. Chalk that up to representative democracy.

With that in mind I went about my usual reconnaissance patrol picking out Paul Picks and Pix, so let the photos tell the story. Bottom line, Born Free is truly a rally and show on a national scale, so if you can, get yourself to next year’s event, the 10th Anniversary. It should be a mind bender.

Best Triumph Street Tracker on its Way to the Event


Best Hi and Lo bike buddies rolling into the show

 
Best Victory Sign on a Harley (and sorry to hear about Victory Motorcycles going under)

 
Best Sea to Shining Sea of Bikes

 
Best Please Let Me Win a New Harley Lowrider

 
Best Forest of Springers

 
Best Spun Aluminum ’52 Panhead (Cristian Sosa)
Cristian and brother Roberto run Sosa Metal Works in Las Vegas-based Sosa Metal Works, specialists in custom metal fab and custom bikes and cars.

 

… and the Other Side is just as spun stunning…..

 
Best Even More Bare Metal Bike All the Way from Australia– Matt Machine & Brado Miller (93 cu. in. S&S Knucklehead)
Best Harley Sportster Knobby Wheeled Dual Purpose Hot Rod Not Even in the Competition – Project ‘Cobalt Storm’ from Samuel Kao of JSK Moto Co.

 
Best Fat Tired, Lonnnngggg Front End Trike

 
Best Factory H-D Trikester Couple – Scott and Rhonda Roberts

 
Best Size 500 Triumph Powered Shoester (Left Foot)

 

 …and the Right Foot of the ’55 pre-unit custom…

Best Way to Test Your Tennies Traction on a Rad Custom Ducati

 
Best Now Where Did I Leave My Bike After Three Beers

 
Best Long Distance Couple – Pete and Jen – ’97 Yamaha Royal Star – 2800 miles cross-country in 51 hours.

 
Best Bridge Over Untroubled Waters

 
Best Use of Wooden Crates (Power Plant MC Co. /Hollywood, CA)

 
Best Girl Got Tats (Not a Misspelling)

 
Best Win This Rolling Chassis on Sunday from Paughco

 
Best Elbow Resting Pose with Scary Rabbit Skeleton Art

 
Best Long in the Wind OG Chopper

 
Best Chromed Bike Couple – Miles and Yasmin (Khrome King/Fullerton)

 
Best the Hills have Eyes but no Cell Phone Reception

 
Best There’s a Reason it’s Called Redbeard Leather

 
Best Thinking Over a Future Bike Choice


 
Best First-Time Builder’s K Motored bike with More on the Way – Harden Metal of Blue Lake, CA

 
Best Not to Touch Me with Your Bare Fingers Copper Chopper

 
Best Exotic Ladies Keeping in Step

 
Best I Hope It Ate Before Coming to the Show

 
Best Gravity Defying Girl Skateboarder

 

Show Dates- *Saturday June 24th 10 am to 5 pm

*Sunday June 25th 10 am to 5 pm

Show Address- Oak Canyon Ranch- 5305 Santiago Canyon Road Silverado Ca. 92676.

 

Behind Irvine Lake in Orange County

General Admission $15.00 per day Kids under 12 Free

Active/Retired Military (with ID) Free Walk In Admission

 

*No Pets

*No Coolers

*No Colors

*No Camping on the grounds