This year’s Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show attracted a jam-packed crowd of 15,000 motorcycle enthusiasts.

More than 15,000 motorcycle enthusiasts convened at the Queen Mary Event Park in Long Beach, Calif. for the 13th annual Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show Weekend. Presented by Performance Machine, this popular consumer street bike show caters to custom, cruiser, classic and sportbike enthusiasts.
     Held on the third weekend of July, this year’s event marked the show’s first-ever sold-out vendor participation—165 major motorcycle and product manufacturers, exhibitors and vendors, as well as leading custom bike builders from around the world were in attendance.
     The show began with the Iron Works Magazine Readers Ride to benefit Olive Crest Children’s Home, a Southern California-based shelter for abused children. Riders started out from the Olive Crest facility in Santa Ana and ended at the Calendar Bike Show in Long Beach.
     In addition to its informative exhibitor displays, the Los Angeles Calendar Bike Show also features one of the country’s premier custom, sportbike and classic bike contests. Many of the top pro and amateur bike builders around the world vie for the prestigious Performance Machine “Best of Show” trophy. This year’s winner was Shinya Kimura, founder of Zero Engineering of Japan. The Best Performance Machine-Equipped Bike Award was won by Sean Gibbs of Wild West Choppers for his 2004 special construction chopper.
     Fans also got to meet many Discovery Channel- and Speed TV-featured bike builders such as Mitch Bergeron, Paul Yaffe, Mike Stafford and Harold Pontarelli as well as West Coast superstars Ron Simms and Mike Powers, who were on hand to showcase their latest rolling hardware.
     The 2005 Los Angeles Calendar Motorcycle Show is scheduled for July 16-17. To learn more about the upcoming show, go to www.FastDates.com.

Best of Show winner Shinya Kimura from
Zero Engineering accepts his award from
Roland and Ted Sands from Performance Machine.

Jesse Rooke took first place for Pro Builder for the third time in a row, beating out such names as Mitch Bergeron and Jesse James’ West Coast Choppers.

Paul Yaffe can really build a “hot” bike.

arley-Davidson has broadened its Sportster, Dyna Glide and Softail motorcyle lines by adding four new models to its 2005 lineup. Be sure to check out the two new Softail models—a FLSTN/I Softail Deluxe and a FLSTSC/I Softail Springer Classic—both of which blend a host of nostalgic styling cues with the performance and comfort technologies that the Softail platform has come to be known for.
     The Dyna Glife family adds a new FXDC/I Super Glide Custom to its lineup and there’s also a new XL Sportster 883L that will appeal to a wider range of riders, thanks to its lower seat height and adjusted ergonomics. Additionally, all 2005 Sportster models feature a new swingarm and a larger diameter rear axle.
     Other modifications to the 2005 models include: A new vented lower airing that allows FLHTCUI Ultra Classic Electra Glide riders to adjust airflow for better riding comfort; more color options for VRSC V-Rod riders; sleek new chrome aluminum Profile Laced wheels as an OE option for a variety of Softail, Touring, Dyna Glide and Sportster models; and a new dipstick design for Softails that enables owners to check the oil level with the motorcycle on its sidestand.
     Harley-Davidson also puts a little more color on the highway with 11 new paint combinations, including three new solid colors, two new Sunglo Pearl colors and six new two-tone and three-tone combinations. There is also an assortment of new tank badges and decals.
     All 2005 Harley-Davidson models are now equipped with new clear-lens, reflector-optics headlights for increased lighting intensity and enhanced light beam pattern.
     For more details on the entire lineup, go to www.harleydavidson.com.

FLSTN/I Softail Deluxe

FLSTSC/I Springer Classic

FXDC/I SuperGlide Custom

FXDC/I SuperGlide Custom

ive-time AMA/Prostar Top Fuel champion Larry “Spiderman” McBride earned his 14th consecutive AMA/Prostar victory in a wild on-and-off the throttle Top Fuel final from the Norris Motorsports Cyclefest in Norwalk, Ohio, on June 26/27.
     “It’s been a long time since my bike did something like that,” McBride said, still jittering from adrenaline after the run. “That thing started heading for the centerline and things got a bit crazy.”
McBride crawled around like a spider to get the bike back in the groove, got back on the gas and beat a quickly encroaching Chris Hand to the finish line with a 6.40 to Hand’s 6.42.
     “I knew I was going to have to run good because Chris was running well,” McBride said. “When I got out of shape, I lifted off the gas and got my bearings. I could hear him coming, so I got back on the throttle and did everything in my power to get that W to come on in the left lane.”
     McBride ran a 6.41 after a blower belt broke at halftrack in qualifying. Later, McBride pointed out that the onboard data suggested this would have been a 5.90 pass.

ndrew Hines remains the NHRA Pro Stock Bike points leader after his performance at the 17th Annual Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on Aug. 1. With 809 points, Hines is 169 points ahead of second-place Shawn Gann. In addition to maintaining his first-place standing, Hines also set a new Pro Stock Bike track record with a top speed of 196.13 mph during qualifying.
     It’s been a record-setting year for Hines, who has been breaking records all season long—despite having to add 40 pounds to his bike set-up before the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, Ill. At the 35th Annual Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., Hines and his teammate, GT Tonglet made history when they both qualified for the finals. And, it was the team’s first NHRA Screamin’ Eagle/Vance & Hines V-Rod Pro Stock win, with Hines ultimately taking the hardware. In the history of the NHRA, a Harley-powered pro stock bike had never won an NHRA event.
     Since that now-infamous March event, Hines has gone on to pile up the wins and the records. In Columbus, Ohio, Hines earned his second win of the season with a 7.131 et/185.56 mph run. Then, at the 35th Annual K&N Filters Supernationals in Englishtown, New Jersey, Hines set a new national record with the quickest pass in NHRA Pro Stock Bike history of 7.016 et/192.28 mph, and earned another win.
     At the 25th Annual Mopar NHRA Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway, Hines set a new Pro Stock Bike Track et record of 7.0509 seconds and a new top-speed record of 185.66 mph to lead all of the qualifiers.
     There are five more Pro Stock Bike events leading up to the big November finale: The 40th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, California. If the beginning of the season is any indication, these next events should offer edge-of-your-seat thrills. To learn more about Andrew Hines and GT Tonglet or to get race schedule information, go to www.vanceandhines.com.

Photos courtesy of Vance & Hines

As of press time, Andrew Hines was the overall points leader in the NHRA Pro Stock Bike series, 169 points ahead of second-place Shawn Gann.