What better way to shake of the winter blues than by checking out your first bike show of the new year? Motorcycle USA intends to do just that next weekend as we shoot down I-5 from our Medford, Oregon HQ to Sacramento, California for the Easyriders Bike Show Tour 2010.

Check us out at the AFT Customs booth to pick up a free copy of MotoUSA magazine or to score a cool Motorcycle USA sticker. It will be easy to find. Just look for the smokin’ hot AFT Custom girls who will be on hand with the award-winning custom motorcycle they helped build called LowLa. We’ll also have the Honda Fury project bike on hand, a bike that AFT’s mastermind Jim Guiffra just hopped up for us with new pistons, cams, and air intake. Be sure to check us out.
 
The Easyriders show features a wide array of custom motorcycles, from pros to joes, and gives the crowd the opportunity to pick a winner. Bike show competitors will be broken into two classes: The Spectators Class where winners are chosen by the spectators, and the Judged Class that will be determined by qualified judges. The almost 200 bikes that competed last year covered the gamut, from dressed-up baggers to immaculately restored vintage bikes to blown-out pro-streeters. Mild weather meant riders came in from all over Northern California and beyond to take in the show.

There will be 35 trophies awarded at the event, with the top three in each class automatically advancing to the Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, where they will compete for top honors. The Columbus Invitational is the last stop of the tour scheduled for Feb. 12 – 14.

Winners from last year’s Invitational show will be on tour this year as members of the 2010 Centerfold Builders. Besides plenty of world-class custom motorcycles, the “Fastest Harley-Davidson in the World” a bike built by a man who knows a few things about going fast, BUB Enterprises’ Denis Manning, will be on display. The Sacramento Convention Center will also be filled by the sounds of live music coming from the entertainment stage, and rally favorites the Purrfect Angelz are scheduled to perform. The girls’ high-energy show never fails to entertain. I anticipate plenty of vendors will also be on hand so if you’re looking for new riding gear or need to have a patch sewn on to your vest, bring a few extra bills in your wallet.

The Easyriders Bike Show Tour will be held in the Sacramento Convention Center on Jan. 16 & 17. The show will run from 11 – 9 on Saturday and 11 – 6 on Sunday. Admission is $18 Saturday, $16 on Sunday, and tickets for kids 6-12 are $7 while children younger than five are free.
 
The weather was perfect for riding in last year. And while you’re in the area, right down the street from the show, the California Automobile Museum just opened up a motorcycle exhibit called “Born to Ride: Motorbikes Past and Present.” The display is comprised of over 60 vintage and modern motorcycles showcasing a century’s worth of historic models, from street bikes to racers. It includes the first chain-driven Harley-Davidson, a 1912 model formerly owned by Steve McQueen, and a rare 1942 Crocker. This Saturday, the museum is promoting the exhibit by offering test rides on the Can-Am Spyder RT, members of the Jelly Belly factory will be on hand with free samples and rides on decorated Jelly Belly motorcycles equipped with sidecars, and a pinstriping demo by local artist Samantha Boeger will be held.

So motorcyclists who live in the NorCal area, in a week, Sacramento is going to be the place to be. Hope to see you there.