Artistry in Iron Show at the 2016 Las Vegas Bike Fest Features Amazing Custom Bikes

The centerpiece of the 16th Annual Las Vegas Bike Fest was the Artistry in Iron show and competition. The event lived up to its name as artistry oozed from every detail of the over-the-top creations of the visionary bike builders. The invitational event featured a wide range of the industry’s most talented metal-bending, torch-wielding, paint-spraying moto artists working today. These sculptors did not disappoint.

Master Builder Champion Pete Pearson’s skeletal beauty built around a tiny Triumph single

There are vegetables and moonshine in that sidecar and a K&N on the intake

This Gasser Customs beauty wears no paint and it breathes through K&N pod filters

Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of the Artistry in Iron event was the diversity of the custom bikes on display. It was a huge departure from the copycat choppers that were prevalent in the made-for-TV chopper shows of the last decade. The bikes gracing the voluminous show hall on Vegas’ famed Fremont Street were as singular and unique as the men who crafted them. While there were, of course, many customs built with the venerable American V-twin engine, the other power-plants that the builders chose to craft around, had their origins all around the world. Vintage Japanese inline fours, British parallel twins, and single-cylinder beauties from around the world were some of the tasty items on the menu. Engine sizes ranged from miniscule 50 cubic centimeter singles to massive V-twin over-builds.

Aesthetically, the mix of concepts and motifs was as panoramic as any motorcycle show I have attended. There were customs that featured over-the-top metal flake and candy-hued paint jobs. There were creations that wore the patina of time with carefully crafted rust and faded paint for a vintage aura. There were customs that celebrated the naked purity of bare metal. Yes, it seems the new era of custom bike artists have broken the chains of conformity in both brand and concept.

Binford’s Customs stunning dirt-themed Harley features a K&N filter in an S&S housing

Old school cool was the motif for several of the show’s customs

While diversity was on the menu, over-the-top choppers are certainly alive and well

Show bikes often feature completely open intakes in the form of air scoops or velocity stacks. Everyone knows that this display choice is fine for the sterile event hall but would insure an early death for the engine on the mean streets. Several of the customs that were more purpose-built and “real world” ready were adorned with the best air filters and intakes in industry – K&N. We will feature full profiles on a few of these builds and builders in coming days.

They say a picture paints a thousand words so I’ll stop talking and let you click on the photos of some of the amazing creations featured in at the Artistry in Iron event. Again, notice the wide-ranging design themes featured at the show. No cookie cutter customs here!