Motorcycles stretched as far as the eye could see inside Portland’s cavernous Zidell barge building. Inside, the din of a thousand conversations buzzed, blending with drumbeats and electric guitars coming from the stage.
Adding to the buzz was the debut of an Indian Sport Chief customized by freestyle motocross legend Carey Hart. With only four weeks to complete the project, Hart focused on select cosmetic and performance upgrades, including a new swingarm and incredible custom paint by Airtrix.
Fire-Breathing Dragon
The ONE Show has a reputation for embracing motorcycle oddities. The Dragonator is the creation of Lily Karapetyan of LKMotoArt, who crafted her dragon out of custom fiberglass molds. Under the handmade scales lies a 2019 Harley-Davidson Softail Slim.
Photos: Bryan Harley
It’s more than a showpiece though. Karapetyan rode the Dragonator 1,600 miles to get to the 2021 Texas Women’s Moto Show, winning the Iron Butt Award.
A steady rotation of riding exhibitions and stunt shows kept the crowd on edge. Gawkers pushed against the fence to watch Monster Energy BMX riders fly through the sky. Inside shiny trailers, tattoo artists practiced their craft with steady hands while food trucks fed the hungry masses. The Portland weather was sunny enough for Indian Motorcycle demo rides, a rarity in Oregon during spring.
The Electric Show Within
This year’s event also featured the Direct Current/ONE Show, a showcase of electric motorcycles. The “Show Within the Show” was presented by Ryvid, an electric motorcycle start-up from Irvine, Calif.
The featured attractions included the custom Huge Moto Zero SR-X, a futuristic design led by Huge Design’s Bill Well. The collaborative concept bike was built from a stock Zero SR/S. The semi-faired electric bike, powered by Zero’s industry-leading powertrain, blurs the lines between electric streetfighter and superbike.
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The eclectic ensemble of electric motorcycle makers also included MotoCzysz, Portland’s electric pioneer. Michael Czysz was a motorcycle racer, engineer, and designer who created the ground-breaking E1pc. The electric superbike won the 2010 TT Zero electric motorcycle race at the Isle of Man TT, breaking the previous electric lap record.
Another notable electric at the show was Jimmy Hill’s 2017 Alta, the first e-moto to do a backflip.
Just outside the old waterfront building, cars and trucks took center stage.
The ONE Show added cars to the mix last year, and this year’s panoply of four-wheeled customs continued to expand. The omnipresent Oregon Gamblers fueled the growth. The cars were as funky and fun as the motorcycles. Notable vehicles included a Corvette Stingray with a completely fur-lined interior, and VolksRod, an all-steel 1962 Beetle Baja buggy powered by a Porsche 928 engine.
The two cultures—car and motorcycle—blended into an unforgettable celebration of motoring creativity.
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