Fighter Fest 2009
In its second year, Fighter Fest, has become the only bike show I look forward to attending each year. Sponsored by Karns Performance during Carlisle Bike Fest, FF is a show within a show. We have our own corner of the giant annual event with a few other un-categorizable bike companies, to do our fightering away from the usual show bikes. Walking through our small area there was about 50 of the baddest bikes in the US all together lined up for every enthusiast to examine and question. Packs of 20 fighters riding to and from the show together, had to be one of my favorite experiences. Looking over either shoulder during rides and seeing fighters that would stop me in my tracks anywhere else riding with me was truly the most enjoyable time on my bike of the year! For the most part, the weather was perfect, aside from a bit of rain on Friday. During the day, those at the show hung around under the tents, chatting with old and new friends alike. Faces and bikes were connected with screen names for the first time. Jokes were made, laughs were had, food was consumed, beer was drank, the only thing serious was the bikes!
Karn’s Performance filled their area with gear and parts, as well as some seriously tuned track bikes, a turbo show busa, and our favorites: Dan’s two streetfighter projects – the previously featured SuperBeast TL and the work in progress turbo GSXR.Crankit Cycle brought various new and old projects for everyone to see, all with their european style to them. As always, sharing plenty of laughs and beers,and mesmerizing show-goers all day with their Busa’s spinning Tail-Gunner exhaust.Moto-Madness displayed various fighter bits for sale, and the start of his GSXR project—a very clean and prepped GSXR motor for his slabside project; if that motor is any indication of the final product, it will be sick.
FOH Cycle Fab brought three bikes and took at least one award for each bike in the judged Streetfighter show. In celebration Roman gave us an imprompteau stunt show in front of the CF booth!
The CustomFighters booth was filled up with a half dozen of the baddest fighters in the USA, magazines, Fighter Fest shirts, stickers and a couple of projects were worked through under the tent, as one of the BigBelly crew dealt with a torn brake line, and Paully’s 900RR unleashed electrical gremlins all weekend.

Abou
t twenty minutes away from the fairground we stayed at the Felicita Resort, located in nearby Harrisburg, might not be where you’d expect to find a bunch of hooligans. It has a golf course; gardens to walk through—even tours available, guided by the property owner; a five-star restaurant; outdoor pool area; golf clubhouse, and more. They booked CF a separate building, with 14 rooms and a common area, and housed overflow in other smaller, more private, buildings throughout the property. It is actually quite nice place, a bit out of the way from the Carlisle fairground, but that may be a good thing. The roads to and from the resort are very nice country backroads, with some great curves through the rural Pennsylvania scenery. A more than conveniently oval track-shaped parking lot lent itself quite well to the couple minis that were brought to the show for goofing around on and doing hot laps! Lucky for us it seemed like there was a lot less police hassling bikers here than there was out by the fairgrounds.
t twenty minutes away from the fairground we stayed at the Felicita Resort, located in nearby Harrisburg, might not be where you’d expect to find a bunch of hooligans. It has a golf course; gardens to walk through—even tours available, guided by the property owner; a five-star restaurant; outdoor pool area; golf clubhouse, and more. They booked CF a separate building, with 14 rooms and a common area, and housed overflow in other smaller, more private, buildings throughout the property. It is actually quite nice place, a bit out of the way from the Carlisle fairground, but that may be a good thing. The roads to and from the resort are very nice country backroads, with some great curves through the rural Pennsylvania scenery. A more than conveniently oval track-shaped parking lot lent itself quite well to the couple minis that were brought to the show for goofing around on and doing hot laps! Lucky for us it seemed like there was a lot less police hassling bikers here than there was out by the fairgrounds.Saturday night, we had our now traditional CF rib dinner, courtesy of Ohio member Noel/Catman, who works for one of the best rib shacks in the U.S. He sent out at least 20 full racks of ribs for all, even though he couldn’t be with us at the show! Everyone who ate thoroughly agreed that the ribs were some of the best! We then did our damndest to drink the 30 cases of beer that James/Stunt bought and brought for everyone at the show! Thanks to Catman and Stunt for their charitable donations to help make the party so much better!
Fighter Fest is more than just a bike show. Not only is it the first and only streetfighter event held in North America, but it’s a chance for all us fighterers to get together and display the bikes we’ve been fightering to those that understand and appreciate them.
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FIGHTER FEST 2009 WINNERS:
Best in Show -Roman Levin FOH CafeFighter
2ND-Roman Levin Foh Streetfighter
3RD-Gavin Butts Zking
Trick Bits – Roman Levin FOH Cafefighter
WTF award- Roman Levin FOH Motard
Rat Fighter- Rob Chulada R6
Paint – Mike Hedrick f4i (paint by Joe Kerr)
Homegrown Fighter- Rob Lusk’s Choprocket GSXR
Furthest Traveled (on a bike) – Eddie Houillon – Bandit 12
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FIGHTER FEST 2009 WINNERS:
Best in Show -Roman Levin FOH CafeFighter
2ND-Roman Levin Foh Streetfighter
3RD-Gavin Butts Zking
Trick Bits – Roman Levin FOH Cafefighter
WTF award- Roman Levin FOH Motard
Rat Fighter- Rob Chulada R6
Paint – Mike Hedrick f4i (paint by Joe Kerr)
Homegrown Fighter- Rob Lusk’s Choprocket GSXR
Furthest Traveled (on a bike) – Eddie Houillon – Bandit 12
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Pictures and Text: Adam Frantz





































