Editor's note: Back in August, we posted this story just after the "Motorcycles as Art" exhibit for naked customs wrapped up its short run at Sturgis. But frankly, while it was a great story by Paul d'Orleans, we didn't have many images of the bikes themselves, and these are machines that need to be seen to be appreciated. Now, though, thanks to Harley-Davidson and ace shooter Brian J. Nelson, that problem has been solved. So go ahead, soak up all these custom naked bikes, and take note of what the top builders have been influenced by as they create these head-turning machines. Photographer Michael Lichter, a legend for documenting the custom motorcycle scene the past 30 years, has also made a name as a curator with his annual “Motorcycles as Art” exhibit in Sturgis during bike week. This was the 15th year of these shows, held on the grounds of the Buffalo Chip Campground in a special hall erected just for the purpose. It was free to enter for anyone, regardless of whether they’re indulging (and I use the term advisedly) in the Chip’s many temptations. The theme this year was “The Naked Truth.” All 36 bikes displayed were paint-free. They were an exploration of form and material, rather than the extravagant paint schemes typical of mainstream customs. Lichter has in the past few years branched out from the big names and TV stars to embrace the alt.custom scene, as well as folks messing around with vintage bikes. In 2013, he and I co-curated the “Ton Up!” café racer exhibit (the basis of our book Café Racers, published by MBI), and last year we again joined forces on Built for Speed (with a book soon to be published in conjunction with DiCE magazine). 
Here’s Michael’s thinking on the no-paint theme: “Nothing will come between the viewer and the bikes’ most basic elements of shape, form, and design. Without the cloak of paint or graphics, the bikes’ most basic form right down to its smallest details are naked and open to examination. There is no hiding behind a slick paint job, enhancing a line or curve with a brilliant graphic; the beauty comes strictly from the hand of the man who fashioned it.” [A point worth noting: Very few custom shops are owned or staffed by women.] Lichter always includes art/photography on the walls of his shows, and this year, in a five-year cycle, he features the best of his own photography exclusively, and the man does peerless work. The “naked” restriction is an admirable challenge to a builder: How are your sculptural chops? The answer at the show this year was mixed; some of the 36 builders clearly possessed a well-honed sense of line, proportion, and flow, while others missed their metalflake. And that’s okay; Lichter’s shows have always been a mixed bag, and a representative sampling of what’s happening in the increasingly diverse custom scene. But there are always a few machines, at least, which are spectacular, and rise above the fray, and this year we’ve already featured several in Cycle World, bikes like Max Hazan’s supercharged Sportster and Revival Cycles’ J63. 
Surprises included a couple of Board Track era machines. Bill Rodencal, the Harley-Davidson Museum’s restorer, built up a 1915 H-D Model 11-KR racer, which he’ll be riding in the 2016 Motorcycle Cannonball rally. While early H-D paint jobs were hardly flashy, the delicate pinstriping and that timeless logo are satisfying additions, and the bike looked, well, naked without paint. But still beautiful. Billy Lane—yes, that one—built another Board Tracker around a 1914 Perry Mack engine, one of the earliest OHV V-twins built in the US, and a very rare piece indeed. A bit later on the racer timeline, Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton brought his Seeley-framed Norton Commando racer, which was perhaps the sexiest machine of the whole show, without even trying. Like most café racers, it technically fits the definition of custom (the point of our “Ton Up!” exhibit two years ago), but the best café racers are built with performance as priority number 1. As pretty as some of the customs in “Naked Truth” were, there’s an erotic pull from a motorcycle you absolutely know will kick butt through the Black Hills, and I’d be thrilled to borrow Kenny’s bike for a few hours. It’s the “ride me” thing. Shelving art for the moment, a sexy bike that begs to be ridden is what really turns my head. The “Naked Truth” exhibit concluded its run at the Buffalo Chip on August 7. 
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