As the 10 a.m. deadline for entering motorcycles into the Hollister Freedom Rally Custom Bike Show approached, there were 20 or so gleaming machines parked on the grassy area next to The Vault and in front of the Simms Custom Cycles trailer.
Jeff Pressman, president of ConvExx—the Las Vegas-based promoter of the 2015 Hollister Freedom Rally—said the deadline was more of a suggestion.
“They’re bikers, you know, so we’re not holding them to a strict deadline,” he laughed and added that he was hoping for at least 40 bikes to be entered into one of the three classes in the contest.
“There are three classes—semi-custom, custom and radical, which is determined by how much work has been done on the frame of the bikes,” he said. “It’s considered semi-stock if it’s a stock frame and they’ve modified it just a little bit, such as the exhaust, handlebars or seat, and perhaps a paint job.”
He said for a motorcycle to qualify as a custom bike, it can have a modified stock or aftermarket frame that looks like it is stock. There can be body modifications, metal fabrication and significant modifications. This class also includes production custom bikes.
The radical class bikes can have aftermarket or custom frames, molding, handmade parts and extensive modifications.
“The custom bike show is an opportunity to showcase the art in these bikes,” he said. “The judges are members of the motorcycle media and custom builders because they know what they’re looking at. We also have special awards for Best Paint Job, Best Metric Cruiser, Best Bobber.
“There’s a cash prize of $300 for the radical and some beautiful trophies, which are made out of motorcycle parts, for Best Bagger, Best Metric, Best Sport Bike, Best Paint, and Best Bobber. A lot of them are handmade by a veteran of the Iraq War. He works for Simms Motorcycles.”
The trophy maker was Joe Lutz, from Castro Valley and a 10-year army vet who saw action in Iraq. He described himself as an apprentice doing any job he’s asked to do for Simms. On his off time, he makes trophies. He showed the trophy he made by hand that was indeed built from motorcycle parts.
Most of the bikes that had already been entered sat unattended in the brilliant sun to be ogled at by onlookers.
A late arrival, Jesse Burajas drove all the way from Fresno. He was justifiably proud to show off his candy-lime green 2004 Harley-Davidson road bike.
Then there were Charles and Nancy Harris, who didn’t have quite the same distance to cover Friday, as they motored to Hollister from Milpitas on two motorcycles, both of which they were entering in the contest.
He was aboard his 2001 Kawasaki ZRX 1200R, and she showed off her Valentine’s Day present from her husband, a 2015 Harley-Davidson Street Bike.
“We’ve been coming to the rallies for several years,” he said. “It looks like the city is finally behind it and I think it will do well. We’re here today and will be going to the concert tonight. We’ll go home and come back early tomorrow with the kids, have breakfast at Country Rose and look around.”
A little closer to home, David McGovert, a retired army veteran, might be considered somewhat brash by some as he claimed there was no other bike like his on the lot. If money spent on a motorcycle is any way to measure uniqueness, then he had to be taken seriously.
“It’s worth more than $100,000,” he said proudly of his 2010 Custom Harley-Davidson Road Glide. Any resemblance to a stock Harley and this machine disappeared many thousands of dollars ago. “I’ve put $75,000 into the bike. It has a custom 30-inch front wheel that cost $14,000 by itself.”
As bystanders circled the bike and snapped pictures, he showed off other enhancements, including a CO2 system to raise the bike and a stereo sound system that could rival any home or theater system.
Why so much?
“For the attention,” he said.
There was no shortage of that from the crowd.
As bystanders looked over the gleaming machines, while snapping countless pictures with their smartphones, the roar of powerful bikes cruising in each direction of San Benito Street was a welcome sound to those who looked forward to the annual event.
