In our first issues I made some pretty strong claims in this column about the state of the custom sportbike scene, calling these bikes the new choppers and suggesting the latest custom sportbikes were every bit as creative and high-concept as big-buck machinery turned out by the nation's high-profile chopper builders. Although I still stand by that statement (and I'm still wowed by the creativity displayed by some of those first bikes we featured), I was called to the carpet back then by plenty of e-mail experts who called me crazy and claimed most custom sportbikes were nothing more than bolt-on beauties dressed up with nice paint and lots of chrome. In other words, nothing that could hold a spark plug to the wild, one-off creations turned out by the likes of West Coast Choppers' Jesse James or Choppers Inc.'s Billy Lane.
Looking at the crop of custom sportbikes in this latest issue I can't help but be reminded of those early letters, and I can't help but be wowed (once again) by how far custom sportbikes have come in just the two short years since we launched this title. Check out Jason Sapp's Hayabusa chopper, Nick Dagostino's tandem-wheeled 'Busa or Todd McNamee's fat-tire R6 and try to tell me these aren't every bit as original as any chopper on the Discovery Channel, or that the innovation and fabrication required in their construction is any less involved or well-done than that of masters such as James or Lane. Love 'em or hate 'em (and just from talking to the owners we're quite sure some of you will hate them-please write in and tell us why), you have to admire these builders for pushing custom sportbike design into new and uncharted directions.
What's more, outrageous bikes like these are further proof of the exploding popularity of the custom sportbike scene. Both Dagostino and Sapp tell us they built their bikes in direct response to what they saw as too many "me-too" stretched and slammed sportbikes cluttering up their local bike nights. This makes sense-the whole impetus for building a custom sportbike is to personalize your ride and build something the likes of which no one has ever seen before. When everyone has a 6-inch-over Hayabusa with a chromed frame and candy paint, it's time for the innovators in this industry-guys like Dagostino and Sapp-to step up to the next level and show us something fresh and original. It's this constant game of one-upmanship that makes the world of custom bike building so vital and fascinating. This is the drama that keeps millions of viewers tuned in to all that chopper programming on the Discovery Channel, and this desire to witness the next big thing is part of, we hope, what keeps so many of you anxiously awaiting each new issue of Super Streetbike too.
That's why we've made it our responsibility to present bikes like those featured in this issue. We want to keep you close to the cutting edge of custom sportbike design trends, to keep you inspired and open-minded-and, ideally, motivated to create a sick street ride of your own. It's also in that spirit that we're excited to announce our first "Beauty and the Beast" cover bike/cover model search. That's right, we're searching for a motorcycle to call America's sickest sportbike, and we're hoping the challenge inherent in this contest is just the motivation you need to bust out the torch and hammers and take your own bike to the next level. And of course, since so many of you out there are so fond of seeing beautiful women paired off with wild bikes, we thought we'd go two-for-one and throw in a search for America's next top bike model (the "Beauty" in the contest title, d'oh) at the same time. Best of all, you, the readers of Super Streetbike, are going to pick the winners.
Here's how it's going to work: First, if you think you have what it takes to be on the cover of Super Streetbike magazine, submit pictures and a spec sheet (for bikes) to coverbike@superstreetbike.com or a brief bio (for models) to covermodel@superstreetbike.com. From these online entries the staff of Super Streetbike will select two bikes and two babes per month to be featured on the superstreetbike.com web site. This is where the readers come into play: We will be asking you to visit superstreetbike.com each month to vote for one of the two preselected bikes and babes to determine that month's winner. Then, a half-year from now all six of the monthly winners will be posted up and you will once again be asked to vote-this time for one final champion bike and model that will be featured on the cover of an upcoming issue of Super Streetbike magazine.
Sounds pretty cool, eh? We're definitely excited to see the bikes you guys come up with, if nothing else than for a glimpse of where the future of custom sportbike design is headed. So what are you waiting for-get this party started by visiting www.superstreetbike.com right now. Click on the "Beauty and the Beast" contest icon to send us your pictures or make your first vote today!