Have you ever seen an event on television, and wondered what it would be like to actually be there? Well, for years, I wanted to attend the SEMA show, held every year at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and finally got my chance this year. The SEMA show is where everybody who’s anybody in the automotive (and bike) world is found on the first week in November.
Everyone in the aftermarket industry puts on their peacock suits to attract buyers, and they spend millions on custom built hot rods and bikes to attract attention to their products. It’s one huge jaw-dropping car and bike show that has to be seen to be believed. It takes up the entire Convention Center, and the parking lot to boot; well in excess of a million square feet! It’s so big, you can’t see everything in one day, and two days would be rushing it. It’s the second largest convention in Vegas annually.
Having set my priorities in advance, I made a bee-line for Hot Rod Alley, where the speed equipment manufacturers like Edelbrock and other legendary companies were found. They were selling every imaginable item to make your vehicle run faster, climb higher, bounce better, and look sweeter, and the array of eye-candy was more than amazing.
As you know, Harleys and hot rods go hand in hand, and most of us gearheads love both with unbridled enthusiasm. I spent hours wandering from display to display drooling all over creations from Foose, Brizio, Chapouris, and other heavy hitters in the hot rod and custom world. I even got a picture with Pete Chapouris’ “California Kid” coupe from the Martin Sheen movie.
Naturally, my top priority was bikes, and I found them too. Ron Finch had one of his offbeat custom bikes in the House of Color display, and we chatted a while about creativity, and the new styles in the industry. Ron’s a great guy with a great sense of humor, and he builds some of the most outlandish, imaginative bikes in the world.
The House of Kolor display was also home to some other flashy custom bikes and rods, and everything from refrigerators to surfboards with eye-popping graphics! They also had world renown pinstriper and air brush artist Jim “Hetz” Hetzler there signing autographs and providing tips for beginners and vets alike. And our own contributor, JoAnn Bortels, was featured with the creator of HOK, Jon Kosmoski.
Out in the concourse, I ran into some of the most creative bikes I’ve seen in years. They look so stone-age they were almost scary! They look like Jurassic Park meets Mad Max, but I was assured by their creator, Rafik Kaissi, owner of RK Concepts that they do run, and have all been ridden. To make them even more amazing, some of them were built in a single-car garage behind the builder’s apartment before he bought his shop! I stared at these machines for nearly an hour, and I still find details I’ve overlooked every time I look at the pictures! Check ‘em out and watch the test rides at www.rkconcepts.com!
While wandering through the North Hall, I ran across Dar Holdsworth from Brass Balls Bobbers, and he introduced me to Eric Mauk, who’s the Director of Public Relations for Rahal-Letterman Racing. (Yeah, the Indy car folks) They’re teaming up to build an S&S powered super sport bike called the RLX to benefit the US Naval Hospital’s medical research efforts. It will have custom graphics featuring Bobby Rahal’s three Indy car championships, and his 1986 Indy 500 win. The X Wedge engine and frame were donated by S&S, the drivetrain by Baker, and many other companies also rushed to help out with the project. Brock’s Performance and BST wheels donated the high tech carbon fiber wheels to get the beast up and rolling. Look for this bruiser on it’s fund raising tour next year! You can see Dar’s video about this bike at www.brassballsbobbers.com.
As you might expect, there were scantily attired young ladies all over, posing with cars and attendees, and the usual free swag that you could load up on. My feet still hurt a week later, but I got to see the best the industry has to offer, and believe me, it’s an experience I’ll remember for a long time!
–Buckshot
