When it comes to events that truly capture what the custom motorcycle culture is all about, few do it better than the folks behind The One Motorcycle Show. Spearheaded by local legend Thor Drake, the four-day extravaganza takes place at the incredible Zidell Yards on Portland’s waterfront. The old abandoned facility sets the stage for a gritty, down-to-earth vibe, where ‘built not bought’ and bikers with grease under their fingernails are all just part of the atmosphere. This year was the 16th edition of the show and featured 300 custom bikes on display, as well as a host of kick-ass bands, tasty beer to drink as well as group rides and after-parties to enjoy. So, sit back, relax and take in these stunning shots of all of our favourites from what Thor calls ‘The Best Show on Earth’.

The One Show just seems to get bigger and better each year, and a huge part of that can be put down to the community-like vibe that washes over Portland for the event. Thousands make the pilgrimage on two wheels from near and far, and instantly it’s time to catch up with old friends and see who is riding what. The first day is made up of the Thursday Night MX at the nearby Portland International Raceway and then it’s off to a local cinema for the opening of the VAHNA Film Festival, a film competition and festival tour dedicated to the art of motorcycle cinematography.

On Friday, the famed Zidell Yards throw open their gates, for three straight days of incredible custom bikes, crazy cool cars and plenty of entertainment to keep the crowd happy. From live bands and tattoo demonstrations to the always popular globe of death, it’s simply impossible to get bored for even a moment with so much to see and do. The whole vibe is very laid back, kids are more than welcome and anywhere there isn’t a bike on display, you’ll find groups of folks standing around, chatting it up about all things motorcycles.

Unlike many shows, there is no real theme to the bikes on display, it’s not a Chopper show, it’s not a Concourse event by any means, but you’ll definitely find examples of both in the eclectic mix. The organisers like to say it’s an event to “celebrate weird, rare, custom, classic and unconventional bikes”. And that’s exactly what you get, with tasty MX machines happily sitting next to classically styled electric bikes, with sporty Ducatis and custom cruisers all thrown into the mix. If there is a genre of bike you can name, there will be at least one on display, and then there are motorcycles like Keith Young’s custom copper Honda 550 that are simply in a category of their own.

Speaking of Honda’s, there were two at the show which instantly captured our attention and each had hundreds of fans flock to them over the weekend. The first of which is Greg Dubbe’s hyper colour orange Honda CB750 cafe racer. The colour is simply out of this world, and then there’s the single-sided swingarm and modern front fork conversion, brilliantly prepared chassis and an engine that looks like it packs a punch. Then there is a true classic, a Honda CR750 race replica built by Dalton Devore, a Honda enthusiast, from Utah. The thing is simply flawless and features a host of original Honda kit parts, that took years to find and collect.

Of course, you can’t put on a major event without the help of sponsors, and in addition to Progressive Insurance, Indian, Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield all tip their hat into the ring. All three were very well represented, with new machines on display for the public to see in the flesh, demo rides and a host of amazing customs built on their signature platforms. There were of course Harleys of all shapes and sizes, the number of Indians on display each year only goes from strength to strength and then there was the RE stand. Proving the versatility of their twin cylinder engine package, three radically different bikes in the form of a neo cafe racer, full show build chopper and Dakar-inspired race rep all packed their signature powerplant.

Bobbers and Street Trackers proved those two styles are not only hugely popular, but they’re here to stay. But if there was a takeaway from the 2025 event, it was the sheer number of home-built bikes that have all of the quality of a machine to come out of a high-end shop. People are really getting hands-on, rather than simply bolting on bits from big companies. From bodywork to die for, to custom etching and engraving, to meticulously rebuilt vintage engines, you can see hundreds of hours of blood, sweat and tears, poured into each and every machine.

Another trend to emerge, and perhaps one to watch out for, is faithful restorations of classic motorcycles. They’re not typically part of the custom scene, but with examples of certain makes and models becoming so rare these days, it’s actually refreshing to see up close and personal an example that looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor and transports you back to a time long before any of us reading this post were even a consideration. Sadly there are plans to re-develop the Zidell Yards, for Portland’s proposed MLB baseball team. So, make sure you get along to next year’s event because the One Show is a true bucket list spectacular and we don’t want to see it going anywhere.
Big thanks to Craig Stuart from Scrambler AMS for the amazing photos.