Ron Simms customs: Ron Simms bikes on display at Street Vibrations 2008 in Reno

Crowds, Custom Motorcycles, Crowds, Music, Crowds, and more Crowds

This year's Street Vibrations in downtown Reno was even crazier than I expected. The streets were filled beyond capacity with bikers and performers. There were so many people that we couldn't get a good look at much of the surroundings on Friday or Saturday. Luckily we were on the scene Thursday and were able to scope out some of the vendor booths and other attractions in a more relaxed setting.

This year featured the usual assortment of side shows: Rock and blues bands, Ted Nugent made an appearance, and Monte Perlin's Globe-O-Cross drew major crowds.

And of course, major bike builders and custom houses were there -- such as Big Dog and Simms. Big Dog had their usual models on display, and they were drawing crowds. On a related note: while in Reno, I heard a late-night commercial for a local Big Dog dealer, offering $10K discounts on certain models. It seems obvious that the economic woes are going to have an impact on big-ticket discretionary spending, and a hyper-custom motorcycle is probably about as discretionary as it's going to get. Rough times ahead...

Street Vibrations Event Photos

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2008 Arlen Ness Bike Show

Arlen Ness: Arlen Ness, legendary bike builder.

Cory and Zach Ness: The next generation...

The 2nd annual bike show and parts extravaganza did not disappoint. There was a wide variety of American v-twins and metric cruisers on display. From his humble beginnings in 1967, custom painting his Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and winning the first show in which it was entered, Arlen Ness has built an empire with hard work and innovative design.

It's no surprise that Arlen's son Cory has been around motorcycles all his life and has the Ness gift for unique designs. Cory is Chief Designer for Arlen Ness Enterprises, and in this role he builds his own rolling artwork. Click here to continue...