Big crowds at the Bike Shed Show

The Bike Shed Show, London’s sole major motorcycle show, went off without a hitch at the end of May. The Tobacco Dock custom bike show kicked off in baking temperatures, with total attendance matching 2025, attracting 16,000 visitors over the three-day event that ran from the 22-24 May.

According to organisers, there were around 300 exhibitors at the show, with eight title sponsors. Insurance firm Bennetts has taken on the headline sponsorship role, with Triumph, Royal Enfield, Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Norton, Alpinestars, and James Cargo all further supporting the show. There were 50 brands exhibiting, 220 show bikes, artists and tattooers, the TRX indoor freestyle stunt show, and the usual good quality food and drink on offer.

Alan Dowds, who was at the show reporting for BDN, says that this year’s show had a similar feel to previous events; there certainly hasn’t been a massive overhaul in either scale or approach since the more mainstream MCN London Excel bike show brought its run to a close last year. There were some incredible custom machines on show, including the beautiful Haxch Moto Cyclone GSX-R1000 special, complete with a 500GP replica Pepsi paint job. Harley-Davidson had one of its new Bagger MotoGP support race bikes on show, and Royal Enfield had a slew of mind-melting specials on its stand, as well as the BKBO custom build competition (see below).

Perhaps the wildest bike on show was the Veloce Aperion – an X-eight two-stroke 1000cc beast with two V-four 500 engines arranged on a common transmission case, making a claimed 280bhp thanks to 3D-printed expansion chambers. It’s from the startup firm Veloce Motors, based in Oxfordshire, and promises to be on sale on a single-vehicle type-approval basis from next year. The price? A remarkably decent-for-the-spec £78,000…
“It was an epic weekend, with perfect weather and attendance split nicely across the three days, despite the blazing 34-degree heat,” said Bike Shed founder Anthony Dutch von Someren.

“We’re grateful to all who endured the temperatures to support and enjoy the show, and loved seeing so many families, friends and non-riders joining the aficionados who make this an annual pilgrimage, as well as so many young and new riders, and a wonderfully broad representation of people who love motorcycles, and the people who love people who love motorcycles.

“It’s a culture show, not a trade fair, and exists to celebrate motorcycle people, creativity, engineering, adventures and community, for all, whether they ride or not, with a shared mission to preserve motorcycle culture for future generations, as well as our own.”

Busted Knuckles Build Off

Royal Enfield has brought back its custom bike building competition for another year. The Busted Knuckles Build Off (BKBO) is a Europe-wide competition for bike builders and Enfield dealers to make the best custom version of the firm’s Shotgun 650 twin. Each builder had a £5k budget and six months to build their special Shotgun, and there were some stunning-looking bikes in the competition.

Six dealerships made it to the final round, and their bikes were put on show for the public to vote on their favourites. The finalists were Vintage Garage Motors from the Czech Republic, Motorrad Bläsing from Germany, KS Motorcycles from France, Italian firm Royal Enfield Rivera, Unik Edition from Portugal and Britain’s Krazy Horse.

Adrian Sellers, head of custom and motorsport at Royal Enfield, said: “It makes sense for the final display of Europe’s 2nd BKBO to take place at the Bike Shed Show, an event that focuses on celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and culture surrounding motorcycles. It is a real privilege to see the finest work from Royal Enfield’s dealer network take centre stage across the event, showcasing each dealer’s unique imagination and skillset as they interpret the possibilities of the Shotgun 650.”

The Shaan (Hindi for ‘Pride’) bike from Motorrad Bläsing, Germany was the winner, with show-goers admiring its fabulous paint, air-ride lowered suspension and large chrome-spoked wheels with a 21in front rim. It’s a second win for Bläsing, who won the same competition in 2023, and the Shaan bike will advance to the world competition against bikes from other major global regions.