Jesse Fossum from American Hardcore Customs' ‘Hellbound’

Old Man Winter was a tough foe this weekend both in Miami at the Super Bowl and in Minneapolis as the Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows presented by Toyota rolled into the Twin Cities for the 11^th stop of the season.  

Sub – zero temperatures and wind chills reaching -30 to -40 caused school and event closures prompting newscasters to caution the public from venturing outside due to exposure and possible frost bite from the cold.

The weather and warnings could not keep the die hard enthusiasts away, as more than 42,000 people came out this weekend to see what’s in store for the coming riding season.

The Big Twin and Sportbike Customs Showcases were a favorite stop for the brave folk’s battling the bitter cold.  With an impressive selection of bikes in both showcases, voters had a hard time picking their favorite.         

Clinching the title of People’s Choice Winner in the Big Twin Customs Showcase presented by Newmar was Jesse Fossum from American Hardcore Customs with ‘Hellbound’.  Voters couldn’t get enough of his chromed out custom bike with devilish details.  Some other crowd favorites were ‘Chopper’ by Darron May, ‘Classic Cool’ by Greg Klopp, and ‘Goldrush’ by Donnie Smith. 

Rounding out the competition was Craig Smith’s ‘Fat Boy’ and Michael Kebasso’s ‘LLS V1’, which is a bike with a story of its own. Check back soon to learn more about the bike that had everyone talking in the Big Twin display.

Michael Kebasso’s ‘LLS V1’

Vern Dennis of Vern’s Bikes and Trikes brought a custom trike for all to enjoy, adding a little variety to the Big Twin Customs Showcase. 

For the second week in a row a Roaring Toyz ‘Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14’ won the Sportbike Customs Showcase. Delano Sports Center brought out two bikes, the ‘2007 KTM 250 SXF-SMR’ Supermoto and the ‘Ducati S4R’. 

Roaring Toyz ‘Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14’

A special treat for attendees in Minneapolis was AMA Superbike Series Rider Jessica Zalusky’s racing bike, a Kawasaik Ninja ZX-6RR. Zalusky is a rider for the Kawasaki Team Green competing in the Supersport and Formula Xtreme classes.  Along with showcasing her bike she also signed autographs and talked to her fans about her passion for bikes, racing and women in the sport of motorcycling. 

Once again the custom showcases were a big hit with the fans in Minneapolis!

A special thanks to all of those who participated.