Fuel Cleveland is a fun and friendly motorcycle show in northern Ohio that organizers created to “honor the industry and its crafts by carefully curating it and presenting it to lovers of antiquated modes of two-wheeled transportation.”
It began in 2015 as a small, semi-private event in a friend’s warehouse to give local builders a place to show off their custom bikes. As the show has grown and evolved, it now takes place on the spacious grounds of the historic Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio, which is about 30 minutes south of Cleveland and tucked away in a corner of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Fuel Cleveland is the brainchild of Mikey “Revolt” Arnold and two friends who have motorcycle-related companies in northeastern Ohio. Arnold is a photographer at Lowbrow Customs and the creator of the Forever the Chaos Life web-based project. The event was co-founded by Lowbrow’s Tyler Malinky and GasBox’s Jesse Basset.
The event, which was held July 27-28, is more of a motorcycle exhibition than a conventional motorcycle show.
“We don’t do any awards or judging,” Mikey explained. “It’s not that kind of show. It’s just a show that celebrates motorcycling.”
And indeed, anyone who rides a motorcycle to the event is automatically entered in the ride-in show, making the entire parking lot a second bike show of its own! The event is free to enter if you arrive on a motorcycle; cars pay $10 to park.
As I walked from the parking lot, I saw a blonde lady standing next to a sign with a map of the event space. I wanted to take a photo of the map, so I told her she might end up in a magazine if she remained there. As I was setting up my shot, she told me she has three bikes of her own.
“They’re nothing like these,” Meg said. “They’re smaller and have knobby tires,” she told me before coming closer to whisper with a grin, “And I race them.”
The path between the parking area and the featured bikes was lined with tents for all sorts of motorcycle-related companies and tchotchkes, along with food and drink vendors. There was also an area for custom vans.
The event was quite chill, with a younger hip vibe than most traditional bike shows. People came in from all over the USA and from as far away as New Zealand, Germany, England, and Japan. Attendees were happy and smiling, having a great time. Those who like to party hearty do it off-site before and after the show, preserving a family-friendly atmosphere for the event.
The bikes on display were a great mix of unique choppers and builds that ranged from gleaming and spotless to crusty and patina’d, along with a diverse selection of antique motorcycles and everything in between.
Fuel Cleveland Motorcycle Show was a superb and well-executed motorcycle exhibition. It was held on a bright sunny day with a nice breeze, and everybody was relaxed and enjoying the day. There were no losers at this show – if you were here, you were a winner.
Find more moto-events at American Rider‘s Events Calendar
