Tobacco Dock, in London’s Wapping, was the venue once again for the 2025 Bike Shed MotoShow. The organisers declared it a success, with 16,000 people through the doors over the two days and one evening of the event – despite it clashing with both the British MotoGP round at Silverstone and the start of TT practice week. BDN’s Alan Dowds attended the Bennetts-sponsored show and was impressed by some of the custom bikes on display – particularly the Yamaha-backed XZR900 Thunderbolt custom and the Royal Enfield custom bike stand. The Yamaha XZR is a retro reboot of the marque’s 1980s and ‘90s road and track supersports machinery based on an XSR900 roadster. A full fairing has been hand-beaten from aluminium sheeting by custom builder Haxch Moto of Kent, while the chassis gear is all British: Maxton suspension and HEL brake components.
The Royal Enfield customs were a bit more left-field: the Great Frog was a British chopper based on the Super Meteor 650 built in association with London jewellery maker Great Frog and featured extensive engraving work, as well as a dual-disc front fork with massive bar risers. The Kingsman, based on a Shotgun 650, is a homage to the eponymous spoof spy film and boasts a streamliner fairing, with a picnic basket and drinks cabinet built into the rear bodywork. Very Bike Shed.
Interestingly, the Triumph-owned Oset electric trials bike brand featured both a live-action freestyle stunt show in the ground-floor gallery and a display of five unique, custom battery-powered machines alongside.
Bike Shed founder, Anthony ‘Dutch’ van Someren, was very positive about how it went. “Despite being our 14th MotoShow since we started in 2013, this show was said by customers and exhibitors as being our best-ever event. We had a footfall of 16,000 people over the weekend to see 260 custom motorcycles and enjoy hundreds of exhibitors, retailers, live music, live art, bars and street food, backed by Michelin, Triumph, Royal Enfield, Alpinestars, Bennetts, Monster Energy, AppleTV/LongWayHome and Norton.
“This year, we added an electric trials stunts show with Oset, live link-ups with MotoGP and with Two Wheels for Life. We also had a movie screening room, and added Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to our roster of Shed Talks, which were packed, and re-screened all over the Tobacco Dock venue.
“Invitational bikes came from as far away as the US and Japan with pro builds sitting alongside our ShedBuilds – all bikes not seen at previous shows. We’re already planning 2026, which should be even bigger and better without the clash with MotoGP at Silverstone.”
Meanwhile, as BDN’s exclusive story last month revealed, the Bike Shed gig is now the last major bike show inside the M25, after MCN announced the closure of its London Docklands show. “‘I’m sad for the organisers that the MCN show is ending,” said ‘Dutch’ van Someren. “But I can see why. Firstly, the events and hospitality industry are in dire straits because costs have increased since Covid. Staff costs and the costs of more rigorous compliance and health and safety are up exponentially. And secondly, venues seem to think we’re made of money.
“But the truth is brands and visitors have less money to spend. Ultimately, the motorcycle industry is transitioning from being based on transport into a lifestyle and luxury business – which is smaller and more niche and will probably continue to shrink.
“For us, the end of the MCN show does offer an opportunity to grow and become ‘The London Bike Show’ by default, but I hate to see our gain come from anyone’s losses.”