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If you’re a car guy in California, the Grand National Roadster Show is a can’t-miss happenin’. But the longest-running custom car show in the country has a place for motorcycles, too.
The first show kicked off in 1949 in Oakland and was known universally, if unofficially, as the “Oakland Roadster Show.” In 2004, with ownership changing hands and controversy raging, the show got transplanted from the rough-n-tumble Bay Area to Pomona in chi-chi Southern California. Regardless, it’s still a great event, with everything from matte-painted rat-rods to multimillion-dollar customs that truly are the finest-crafted cars on Planet Earth—even if, sadly, the high-enders rarely get driven these days.
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| America’s Most Beautiful Motorcycle 2008. Carl Brouhard wants to back-to-back Pomona, so he’s already building a supercharged V-Quad-powered custom for the 2009 Roadster Show. Look for a feature on the ’08 winner in CW soon. |
In an effort to drum up crowd interest in those early Oakland days, the promoter hit upon the idea of naming "America’s Most Beautiful Roadster." Pure huckster genius! No ordinary best-in-show plaque like other, lesser events. Some years back, an "America’s Most Beautiful Motorcycle" trophy was added to the hardware haul.
So off I went, digi-camera in hand two Saturdays ago, to have a look-see and take a few snaps. It’s is here, dear web reader, that I have to admit journalistic failure. While I returned with a fine slideshow, I failed to capture the AMBM winner, announced on Sunday as the "Brouhard Soft Tail," built by one Carl Brouhard of Grass Valley, Califiornia, who was given a trophy and a $3000 check for his efforts.
Surely, Brouhard Designs would have pix on its website, right? Negatory. So I called the shop and asked, "What the hey?" Nice lady on the other end said Brouhard was at the big Cincinnati V-Twin show but would be back the next day, he had snapshots to spare.
Interesting guy who has been behind the scenes, doing design and paintwork on many of Arlen Ness’ more memorable creations. Interesting bike, too. It’s powered by a Nelson Engineering V-Quad, basically two TP Evo-style top-ends grafted onto a common crankcase that’s just 6 inches wider than stock. Horsepower? About 220 from the carbed version. The twin-turbo honker in Brouhard’s Pomona-winner displaces 217 cubes and cranks about 300 horsepower.
That would be the textbook definition of show and go!
Sound Off! Whattaya think, beauty or beast?
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