The third annual Brooklyn Invitational has come a long way since the pitch-dark, piss-soaked alley outside the Autumn Bowl just a couple years ago. Under the direction of the White Knights in the House of Kolor and friends, this still free event has become the biggest and best bike show of its kind on the East Coast.

Inside the Root Gallery on 14th Street, custom motorcycles are displayed gallery style, along with photos, artwork and artifacts all centered around the culture of bikes and bikeriders. A few select vendors lined up in one section and there were pallets of Asahi beer right in the center. The vibe of the Invitational was a curious mixture local hipsters, greybeard club members, artists and riders from all over, and it worked to create a unique experience.

All the bikes ridden to the show were parked outside of course, and the chopperazzi was in full force. Keeping the authorities happy and minglers out of the middle of the street was a chore for the organizers, but they handled the situation with grace and relative ease. In classic NY fashion, any nonplussed cagers who expected clear passage down 14th street simply laid on their horns and guided their autos through the mayhem.

Big thanks to everyone behind the scenes who organized things, and to all our East Coast friends who took care of us during our visit. Thanks also to the ever-patient BFJosh for driving coast to coast to deliver riders and bikes to AND from California/

Invited Builders:

Aki Sakamoto

Andy Camay

Caleb Owens

Chopperdave

Dave Roper

Dean Micetich

Duane Ballard

Jeff Wright

Jeremiah Arementa

Keino Sasaki

Kutty Noteboom

Lock Baker

Max Schaaf

Michael Barragan

Paul Cox

Paul Wideman

Rich Phillips

Shinya Kimura

T-Bone

Tom Fugle

Walt Siegl

Additional Works by:

Adam Wright

Bryan Helm

Chopperdave

Cicero DeGuzman Jr.

Jason Jessee

Josh Kurpius

Ken Nagahara

Michael McCabe

Scott Pommier

Steve Bonge

A quick note of thanks from Andy Camay to Jeff Schad, John Copeland, Wes Lang, Keino Sasaki and all the WKITHOK. If you've got stories or photos from the Invitational, please post them here.