My season of event coverage always starts with the Easyriders Bike Show in Charlotte, North Carolina. I always look forward to seeing old friends and shooting some of the best custom bikes in the Northeast. I can always count on this show to supply me with dozens of future feature bikes as well as catching up with what’s going on with builders I am familiar with and admire.

I think this event should be named the Easyriders Bagger Show, only because some of the most creative custom bagger builders in the business always seem to take over the show. With such shops as Backyard Baggers, The Chopp Shop, Paul Yaffe, Dirty Bird Customs, Camtech Custom Baggers, and too many more to mention, this show tops anything I see all year.

As with every bike show, judging seems to be second-guessed by many ⎼ some cases well deserved, some not. Personally, I would be hard pressed to pick the ten-best builds at this show let alone one winner. In my opinion, there were several bikes there that would take Best of Show in a lot of other events, but unfortunately there can only be one winner per show.

One thing I would like to see Easyriders change is their rules about displays, models, and allowing the builders to interact with attendees at their displays for the Judged Classes. People attend these events to be entertained and if they are not voting, what difference does it make? If the judges are going to be influenced by a pretty girl or an inventive display, they probably shouldn’t be judging. I can understand these rules for the Peoples Choice award, but come on man, everyone likes to take photos at the shows and we all like to be entertained.

If all the events I cover this year are as successful and as well run as this show, I know I can count on a banner year and continue to provide Barnett’s Magazine Online readers with plenty of photos of bikes, pretty girls, and the biker lifestyle.