Starry-eyed Americans fortunate enough to attend Mooneyes' Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama every December are generally effusive regarding the bikes on display at this world-class event, and for good reason. For two decades, Mooneyes has been the greatest bike show on earth. Cool as the customs at this motorized fashion fest may be, it's the hand-built street machines that flood into Yokohama's parking lot that steal the show in my book.
Until Born Free organizers Grant Peterson and Mike Davis fine-tuned Shige-san's master plan for US consumption, Mooneyes was the hippest brodown in bikerdom. Today Born Free trumps Yokohama by a wide margin on both volume of two-wheeled porn and classic chopper style in general. To my slightly jaundiced eye, the custom creations at Born Free are more innovative and interesting than their Nipponese counterparts. While Japanese builders appear to have cornered the market on barn-built patina, that aesthetic exudes a certain prefabrication that compromises honesty and belies the style. You can't really fake patina, can you? Some Japanese builders are trying, and it comes off rather sad.
Fortunately, the bikes Japanese chopper freaks actually ride exude an essence that screams "made in Japan." I've never understood any person's compulsion to dress like James Dean or Easy E, so Japan's obsession with American greaser and West Coast barrio culture seems creepy and contrived. That being said, a majority of the period-correct peacocks who parade into Mooneyes' parking lot in bomber jackets, carefully cuffed 501s and striped prison pants are riding some of the coolest old Harleys, twisted JDM singles, shaft drive V-twins and chopped mini bikes I've ever seen.
Next week we'll take it indoors with bike and car features from the land of the rising sun. Today, please enjoy these grainy pics from the the 21st annual Mooneyes Custom Hot Rod Show. I tried to stay focused and well lit—honest I did—but the jelly-jar sized sake shots Grant Peterson introduced me at the pre-party Saturday night ruined my vision and work ethic by Sunday. My photos from inside the Mooneyes show are much better. I promise.
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slickpaint999
skr00ball
pointdogg48
Torch
Shawn781
calicruiser
vagrant318
WingNut
onigoroshi
Troublemaker
ChristianD
Your an idiot. Does the 48 mean you have a dealer bought sporty and you ride around San Diego thinking your Jax of the Sons. I'm not even Japanese, I just don't like discrimination. I'm sure I'll bump into around SD Jax, I'm mean Pointdog! HAHA LOL
Lumpyclod
Murph
On the good chance I was obtuse, my point is simply this: historically speaking, chopper fans are quick to give Japan and Mooneyes more credit than they may deserve for building and showcasing awesome motorcycles. Plenty of American builders do great work, too, and Born Free has proved to be a hot bed for showcasing their talent. Shige himself comes to Born Free every summer to select builders for his own custom showcase.
In previous editorials I've opined just as harshly on American "bikers" who play dress-up, too. IMO posing is an equal opportunity offense.
Tyler
OldStfCycle
Gepetto
Gepetto
cro
I suppose it may be a bit strange for a Japanese samurai sword maker who dedicates his life to the art form to come to a show in America where all these Americans are dressed like him and are attempting to make exact copy's of historical objects he dedicates his life to. Even more particular is the focus of historical context, in the case of choppers, the 60's and 70's Maybe the example is a little stretch, but it would be strange.
None of that is disrespectful to the Japanese nor what they do, it is just an observation. The cross cultural weirdness gets even stranger for me when Americans that the Japanese are basically imitated pander to them or fawn all over them like they are some lords of the new world. It all makes me a little uncomfortable. Maybe I am over reading it a bit, but it has always struck me that way. You open a Japanese chopper magazine, on one page it the rider with chopper, socal or norcal version, on the other page is the clothing and where to buy it. Again, it is what it is, good or bad. I would love to go to Yokohama and ride old choppers there, I have friends there etc. But I am not going to bend over and blow smoke up someones ass to do it.
onigoroshi
vivalahotrod
We build our bikes in our image and what is cool to us, just like all the garage monkeys stateside build what they want. Does it really matter if one guy has stripped prison pants or a way over the top pompadore or hell a beard (which seems to quite popular with the stateside rider and builders)
Point being: Don`t bash something or one`s style chioce just because it is something you wouldn`t do. Apprecieate the ingenuity and the effort that went into creating something cool and unique and move on.
(I have been to the X-mas party stateside and have been to the Yokohama show. Both equally suck and are both equally awesome.)
Viva
pointdogg48
CRFyou
At 6'5" I thought I would be a legendary god for them to gawk at. For christ's sake, all their clothing has a bunch of nonsensical english words and phrases on them.
I was expecting to be greeted like Paul McCartney at Shea Stadium.
Huge let down. Hardly any of them worshipped me in a satisfactory manner.
Great food, hospitable people, but those shirts that say, "Rock and Roll James Dean Bacon Cheeseburger" don't really need to exist.
CRFyou
shiftace
CycleNazis80
Shooter469
CraigWY
CraigWY