Well, the 4th annual XS650 Fest and Chopoff has come and gone. This was my third in a row to attend, and, as usual, Daniel and Kerri of Pandemonium Custom Choppers put on a hell of an event, and we all had a great time!
I was, however, a little disappointed. Not in the event, it was a BLAST. I wouldn't drive 20 hours straight through from Texas year after year if I didn't have a good time. But rather, my disappointment was in attendance. I didn't count, but I think we were sitting at about a third of last year's numbers.
We can do better.
This is the only grassroots XS650-specific event that I'm aware of… and it's smack in the middle of the country. There's enough folks on this forum close enough to come… and I want to hang out with each and every one of you and shoot the shit about the bikes that we all love. I want to check out your bikes. See how you put your own style into them. Or even see the stocker that you've cared for or restored. (Even ride it if you let me). There was a crazy amount of innovation and attention to detail is just the 10 or 15 xs650s that did make the trip.
Maybe the "Chopoff" in the name is throwing you. Well, let me throw all misconceptions out of the window. The winner of the Chopoff was Gracer from Arizona with his board track-inspired xs650. It was based on the early motorcycles of the 19-teens. Basically, it was a bicycle with an xs650 motor crammed into it and 23" dirt bike wheels and tires front and rear. It was a super-cool vintage-style two-wheel death machine that I had the privilege of riding… Probably not what you think of when you hear "chopoff."
When I say all styles of XS650s are welcome as well as appreciated, that's no exaggeration. Every xs650 present participates in the overall Bike Show. A hardtail bobber won this year, but who's to say it won't be a cafe, tracker, or restoration next year. And all the voting is done by the attendees.
Every year, they consider doing away with the chopoff portion of the event because turnout is so low. And every year they decide to continue with it because the builders are so gung-ho when the event is announced. Only 2 builders completed this year… Gracer with his board tracker, and Dirty Dog with "Spare Parts" his hardtail bobber built out of, you guessed it, spare parts. Side note: Dirty Dog has built 4 chopoff bikes in the last 3 years… that's dedication.
I'm picking on everybody, including myself. I bit off more than I could chew and didn't finish my build either. Everybody knows that grownup shit gets in the way sometimes. Bills gotta be paid, babies gotta be fed, and gas ain't cheap (well, I guess it kind of is right now). Hell, KryptoKnight had his bike completely finished, when his shake-down runs made riding his bike a safety issue.
But even if you don't finish your build, come hang out! My brother and I drove up from Texas with no bikes, just a healthy amount of love for the XS650 motorcycle.
To those of you who have read this far (a bit of a rant, I know) I leave you with some food for thought.
Planning a small event like this requires money. You have to pay for food, etc. ahead of time based on what number you think you'll get. You try and get door prizes donated, but maybe you also buy some because you know everybody likes free stuff. So you figure your attendance fee based on what you're expenses are… you don't care if you make any money, but you would like to break even. ($10 is cheap). If you're off too far on your numbers you're screwed.
So I'm going to suggest registration remain at $10 if you pay 30 days before the event, and the price goes up at the door (to what I don't know, this is just a suggestion to the good folks at Pandemonium). So maybe they'll have a more accurate count… or at least, if you don't show up, they'll have your money
As for the chopoff. I thought this was a good suggestion, and I'm passing it along. They should have an entry fee, say $100 per builder. The fees go into a pot, with the winning builder earning half the pot, the other half going to event expenses… like MORE DOOR PRIZES! If you don't finish, your fee is forfeit.
I'd be willing to throw in $100 on the chance I could win $1,000. Plus, I think it would be a good incentive for the builders to keep grinding! Benjamin Franklin is a hell of a motivator.
Again, I don't think the point is to make money with the event, but I don't want to leave 2 good people holding the bag. And I damn sure want this event to continue, because you meet some of the best folks doing this motorcycle thing.