Willie’s Tropical Tattoo. Old Time Chopper Show. Thursday October 16. 825 South Yonge Street in Ormond Beach. The show runs from 11 AM to 4 PM and there are beer, girls, bands, trophy’s and awards. More a Happening than a traditional bike show competition, a meeting place, a gathering of creative old school bikes built mostly by garage builders.
25th Annual Boardwalk Show. Friday Oct 17 on the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. Just north of the Main Street Pier. Show times are 12 noon to 5 pm. This event is FREE to the public. Bike registration costs $25. and is from 8 am to 11 am. Pre-registration is $20 prior to Friday at the Mardi Gras Arcade on the Boardwalk, or by mail at Boardwalk Classic, Box 265201, Daytona Beach, FL 32126. Fifty-seven trophies in twenty classes. Best of Show wins $500. cash. More info: Bill at 386-871-0398.
Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show. Saturday October 18 at a new location at the “No Name Saloon” biker bar. 2001 S Ridgewood Ave, Edgewater, FL 32141. with free admission to the public. Registration on location starting at 8 am. Show until 4.30/5 pm. 20 classes. Will builders and spectators go this new place?
And naturally the only happening worth going to is ” Willies Tropical Old School Chopper Show”. The others are just boring.
Willie’s is not a bike show, but a meeting place and a 5-hour free motorcycles parking place for backyard builders who want to talk to their friends and exchange ideas. The Boardwalk & Rat’s Hole shows have lost their appeal because good builders don’t need to go there to show their bikes or even meet journalists. They use internet for exposure (xxxxxxx larger exposure, internationally) and solicit journalists directly via email for publication.
Kevin, add to this the Rat’s Hole Show overcharging spectators during years and the Boardwalk Show giving too many trophies to too many mediocre bikes, just to attract more builders to the show.
I will pass. Cool bikes are online. Here and in other websites.
Kevin, I wouldn’t call guys like Bill Dodge and Warren Lane “backyard builders”. They give out some sweet prizes there too. One guy ended up with an AR-15 as a prize. No, there’s not fat tires and giant wheels. There’s the kind of bikes that were around fifty years ago and will be around fifty years from now. I even caught Cyril lurking around last year….
Cyril is almost everywhere something is happening and promoted a lot Willie’s…
I will see You at Tropical Tattoo.
I am not really interested in the other shows.
Damn pretty much any where you go in Daytona and there is a group of motorcycles there is something to look at.
Now at Tropical Tattoo it is a gathering and a good time for all.
Finally free admission to the Rat’s Hole show!
The rat’s Hole is making a big mistake by changing its location again. Free admission probably because organizer is afraid that nobody will show up in this quite trashy new place far away from Daytona Beach.
Well Willie’s is cool and the Rat Hole is great show to see what is happening. The Boardwalk is a tradition in Daytona for sure. As for, if you want to see Journalists the internet is the place to go… I thought the idea for shows was to see real life motorcycles in the flesh and look at the craftsmanship in the bike of all types. The Internet is fine for pictures, but if you want to see, touch feel and hear the bikes and builders then you go to a show, duh! Otherwise just stay at home and be a computer wienie and wait until someone else tells you want is good and wonderful. As for me, I enjoy the real thing. So get off your butt, get on bike and ride to see in real life what is going on at real live show. Get a little wind in your hair, bugs on your teeth and enjoy real life, go out and see the real thing.
I’m with Terry on this one.
Too much pissing and moaning about the Rat’s Hole show. If you don’t like it, don’t go, for Christ’s sakes! Pretty soon “you” sheep will be wha wha’ing about Willie’s too. Later Jay
Did you know that the Daytona 200 WILL NOT be sanctioned by MotoAmerica, the organization that now holds the rights to promote AMA/ FIM professional roadracing in the US?
Although Speedway President Chitwood said he is optimistic that the Daytona 200 will run with a new partner, it is unlikely to bring the same sort of international talent the races once did. Right now there is no Daytona 200 for 2015
Rumor has it that the Speedway and the Frances asked way too much money and the KRAVE/MotoAmerica people did not want a special race of 200 miles with different rules than what their full season races will be run under.
The Frances just about ruined road racing in America trying to make it like NASCAR and they are not going to cooperate with the new promoters.
No road racing, no Daytona for me!
I regret the Rat’s Hole Show when Karl Smith (Big Daddy) was in charge in the 90’s Cyril was involved with it if,I remember well, as a head judge,. Now, it’s worse every year with less bikes, no name builders, very few good creations, less spectators, quite sad atmosphere….Better show your custom bike in the street…