Santiago Canyon, CA—On June 25, 2022, Clay Krick, a 22-year-old welding contractor from Lebanon, PA, topped online voting among six semi-finalists to win the 2022 Biltwell People’s Champ Custom Motorcycle Show at Cook’s Corner, the legendary biker bar in Southern California.
In addition to the ten-thousand-dollar grand prize provided by People’s Champ sponsors, Krick’s 1976 Honda CB750 chopper earned a coveted space among the invited builders at The Born-Free Motorcycle Show the Saturday and Sunday after the young customizer’s beer-soaked victory.
Organized as always by Biltwell Inc. The People’s Champ Custom Motorcycle Build-Off shines a spotlight on younger and lesser-known but supremely talented motorcycle builders from around the world. Clay Krick’s hand-crafted Honda was a 15-foot-long tour de force and earned the greatest total number of winning votes in the contest’s rich history.
Head-turning features of Krick’s record-setting chopper included a six-foot-long rigid girder fork, a gooseneck swingarm frame, a psychedelic paint job, and enough crushed velvet to make Liberace second guess his commitment to flamboyance and excess.
Unlike most motorcycle shows the Peoples champ differs in one main area. All finalists must ride their bikes to the party at Cooks corner to be eligible to win. If their bike is unable to make it under its own power it is disqualified regardless of the number of votes received. The ride starts in Lake Elsinore Ca and the 50-mile route goes over the famous Ortega Canyon. With multiple switchback corners and a decent amount of elevation, the route is a good test to ensure that the finalist didn’t just build show bikes but built go bikes as well.
Once at Cooks corner, the party begins as all the builders can now celebrate a job well done as all their hard work can now be displayed for all to see. All six bikes were put up on the blocks and thousands of spectators from around the globe converged on the famous biker bar. It is then we crowned the Champ Clay Krick.
The show wouldn’t even be possible if it wasn’t for the support of our sponsors: Biltwell Inc, Born Free Show, Chop Cult, Claybourne Co, Dice Magazine, Drag Specialties, Greasy Kulture Magazine, Heatwave Visual, Iron Fire Brewing, Lowbrow Customs, Metzeler tires, Motorcycle Sherpa, Old Bike Barn, Pangea speed, Paughco parts, Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys, S&S Cycles, and Whiteknuckler Brand.
