New format to be more accessible to builders from grassroots to professional
People’s Choice award to celebrate the universal appeal of custom motorcycles
Open invitation to enter a custom build with registrations now open
The only international custom bike show dedicated exclusively to Indian Motorcycle
Official American Motorcycle Dealer 2025-approved status
Indian Motorcycle and the organisers of the Indian Riders Fest have announced a revised format to make the Budweis Custom Show (BCS) more accessible to first builds and grassroots garage projects as well as high-end professional creations. Alongside this more inclusive and invitational approach, the People’s Choice award has also been introduced to celebrate the wide-reaching appeal of custom motorcycles that extends beyond riders to anyone who values design, craftsmanship, and freedom.
“Every year, the standard of customs at the BCS is exceptional. We’ve seen a lot of outstanding, professional builds, which is awesome. But we wanted to broaden the Budweis Custom Show, make it more accessible, make it more invitational and open the show up to grassroots and garage builders,” explains Ola Stenegärd, Director of Product Design for Indian Motorcycle.
“The whole custom scene for Indian Motorcycle is exploding, and to see all this creativity, to see this fire for customizing, is amazing. Walking around the Indian Riders Fest, I saw plenty of personalized bikes with awesome paint, there were so many bikes that deserved to be on that stage but weren’t entered. These owners had ridden to the event, and they wanted to keep riding throughout the long weekend. These bikes weren’t just trailer queens, and that’s exactly what we want in the custom show. It was clear that having the customs in a display hall all weekend was holding these riders back from entering the BCS.”
Ola Stenegärd has been in regular contact with Jean-Marie Guyon, organiser of the IRF and BCS, since last year’s event to discuss opportunities to make the show more accessible to everyone while taking advantage of the festival’s relocation for the 2025 edition.
“Ola’s feedback and experience have been invaluable to the improvements we’ve made for this year’s Budweis Custom Show,” commented Jean-Marie Guyon. “And it’s the reason we’ve concentrated the BCS into one day, making Saturday everything custom and freeing up the bikes to be ridden for the rest of the event.”
“The other major thing we talked about is to make it a family fest, ensuring everyone can come and see these incredible creations on the Saturday. We’re taking advantage of the stunning new location to provide an open platform to display these amazing bikes in the marina and welcome everyone from the surrounding area into the custom show, free of charge. Bringing the sights and sounds of these customs to life, and as part of the rules that the customs must be rideable, there will also be a custom bike parade on Saturday along the waterfront to showcase every build to the crowd.”
“And this is where the new People’s Choice award comes in,” continues Stenegärd. “It’s a custom fest. It’s a family fest. It goes beyond the motorcycle scene. We want to bring people into the show who might not normally think about motorcycles and have an opportunity to see the outstanding craftsmanship and all the blood, sweat and tears that go into building a custom bike.
“Everyone can vote for their favourite bike. The people from the village can come and vote. The people from the city can come and vote. The kids can come and vote. It doesn’t matter if you’re four years old or 90 years old. You can cast that vote.”
Alongside the new People’s Choice award, bikes in the Budweis Custom Show will be judged in five classes are designed to ensure that every participant has an opportunity to showcase their unique style and creativity. The classes are as follows:
- Indian Scout
- Indian Non-Fairing
- Indian Touring (incl. Baggers)
- Indian Clubstyle (incl. Performance & Streetfighter)
- Indian Vintage (up to 1953)
Best of Budweis Indian Motorcycle Custom Show
The Best of the Budweis Indian Motorcycle Custom Show will also be awarded to the most outstanding build, combining the best elements from all six classes. This is the ultimate prize, awarded to the builder whose motorcycle stands out as the most exceptional and innovative creation at the Indian Riders Fest 2025.
This is an excellent opportunity for builders to showcase their passion for Indian Motorcycle and to be recognised by a panel of international experts from across the custom motorcycle industry.
Registrations are now open for the 2025 edition of the BCS, the AMD-Approved event and only custom show to be 100% dedicated Indian Motorcycle, which takes place during the Indian Riders Fest (June 19–22) in the Czech Republic.
