The last few years Cleveland Ohio has greeted the hardy motorcycleenthusiast with snow, slush and sub-zero weather. This year the weather godsprovided a 3-day reprieve and provided a balmy 50 degrees so motorcyclistsattending the Progressive International Motorcycle Show stepped a littlelighter and smiled a little brighter.
The J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show produced arecord number of custom sleds with 46 bikes and builders showcasing theircreativity and innovation. Young guns were aligned and competed against the oldguard and the young builders ran the table.
2018 Ultimate Builder FreeStyle Class winner
JesseSrpan of Raw Iron Choppers was the big winner at the Cleveland edition of the2018 Ultimate Builder with two big checks in Freestyle and MOD Harley plus stageappearances for Best Chopper and Tortilla Award for Paint.
Trepidationwas built for Michael Lichter’s “Old Iron / Young Blood Show” at last year’s Sturgisshow. It pushes 180HP to the rear wheel with a highly-modified 124” S&S milcoupled with a Baker tranny and scratch-built frame. Ron Harris of Chop Docsprovided the riveting paint scheme. Mikey of Pinstriping by Mikey laid out thelines.
Winner: #1175 – Jesse Srpan, Raw Iron Choppers – Named Trepidation, 2017Chopper
Runner-up: #700 – Karlee Cobb, Klock Werks –2016 Indian Scout Rigid
2018 Ultimate Builder Custom Street Class winner
The youngest builder in the entire series is Ady Andrella, avery serious 8-year-old. She won the Cycle Source Magazine’s Editor’s Choiceaward. And she will be featured in the magazine before her awarding winningfather, Austin Andrella. He brought out a cherry 1978 YamahaXS650 and took high-honors in a class teeming with talent.
The bike features an Austin Martin Originals’ hardtail,handlebars, tail section and lobster exhaust. Barebones Leathers provides theleather seat and Atomic Bob the striping. Paint by Flamethrower Customs.
Winner: #1550 – Austin Andrella, Austin Martin Originals – 1978 YamahaXS650
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Runner-up: #675 – PJ Grakauskas – bike namedCan-Am, 1975 Can-Am
2018 Ultimate Builder MOD Retro Class winner
The 1973 CB350G Café Racer from AndrewFrederick was super clean and took top awards inModified Retro class. A number of timespeople would walk by and then catch the bike in the corner of their eye andthen stop and stand riveted, looking at the custom sled.
Winner: #1975 – Andrew Frederick – bike named Princess, 1973 CB350GCafé Racer
Runner-up:#2050 – Luke Atkinson with Double D – 1981 Harley FLH Shovelhead
2018 Ultimate Builder MOD Harley Class winner
Harley Davidson and K&N Filters sponsors the class and thebuilders didn’t disappoint with Sportsters, FXRs, Baggers and Dynas competingfor the big check and entry into the $70,000 National Championship.
When the dust settled Jesse Srpan from RawIron Choppers took the check for Bad Mutha, a 1990 FXR. The bike featured acustom tail section, beefed up motor and Baker tranny. Performance Machineprovided the hand controls and wheels. The bike provides a counter point to theWest Coast FXR builds and is very cool.
Jeff Holt flow out to Cleveland from Southern California to checkthe latest mid-west builds and to present awards. Being from SOCAL, Jeff is bigon tortillas. He fell in love with Raquelitas Mexican Food tortillas from inDenver CO. At each show he provides 3tortilla awards with each recipient receiving 3 packages of tortillas. What hedoesn’t squirrel away and not awarded is then tossed to the crowd.
TortillaAwards – Best Paint Practitioner: #1175 – Jesse Srpan, Raw Iron Choppers –Named Trepidation
2017 Chopper. – Paint by Ron Harris of Chop Docs Choppers
Tortilla Awards – Most Innovative Innovator: #700 – Karlee Cobb,Klock Werks – 2016 Indian Scout Rigid
Tortilla Awards – Best Crazy, Cracked, Kooky Design: #1675 – DaveNolan, custom Chopper
HOT BIKE Editor’s Choice Award: #300 – Alex Roy, Raw Iron Choppers– 1990 FXR
Cycle Source Choice Award: #1775 Ady Andrella, Honda Minibike
SHO DOG: Kid Presto
People’s Choice: #125 – Rich Dickson – Cynical Cycles – 2013 H-DRoad King CVO
Best Chopper/Bobber: # 1175 – Jesse Srpan, Raw Iron Choppers –Named Trepidation, 2017 Chopper
Best Bagger: #1475 – James Messina – Iron Horse Cycles – 2017 H-DFLH
Best DYNA: #1725 – Robbie Vestring – Dr. Chops MotorcycleCreations – 2006 DYNA FXD
After the show closed on Friday, Skidmark Garage hosted the “Meetthe Builders” industry party at their facilities in downtown Cleveland. Over100 builders came out and munched down on pizza and slurped up PBR.
Skidmark Garage is a community garagewhere bike builders and enthusiasts pay a monthly fee, like a health club, somembers can use tools, lifts and learn to weld, metal work and repairmotorcycles. A number of bikes were built at Skidmark and competed at theUltimate Builder Custom Bike Show.
