This year’s Bike Shed Moto Show was my third visit to Tobacco Dock, and despite only having a few hours to spare, it was well worth the ride down.
My journey started at 6am as I left Stoke and hit the motorway on my new BMW GS. A warm day was forecast with the temperature display climbing past 30°C as I made my way through London. By the time I reached Shoreditch, I was definitely feeling the heat and looking forward to getting out of my riding gear for a while.
A Chance Encounter
Before I even made it to the show, though, I had one of those motorcycle moments that remind you how small the biking world can be.
Waiting at a set of traffic lights on the edge of Shoreditch, I got chatting to another rider and his pillion passenger on a lovely R9T. It turned out they were heading to the Bike Shed Show as well. As the conversation continued, I discovered they had travelled down from the my hometown, incredibly, they lived just a few streets away.
What are the chances of that happening in the middle of East London?
Rather than riding straight to the show, we decided to make a quick pit stop at the Bike Shed itself. Over a drink and a bite to eat, we properly introduced ourselves and talked bikes, for a while. They turned out to be a lovely couple, although perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised – people from our area generally are.
After breakfast, we went our separate ways. They stayed to enjoy the Bike Shed for a while and I headed over to Tobacco Dock for the Show.
Time To Get A Move On
Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those visits where I could spend an entire day wandering around. I had commitments back home that evening and a three-hour ride home ahead of me, so my time at the show was limited. That meant less standing around chatting and more power-walking between displays trying to see as much as possible.
One of the first bikes that caught my eye was Ruby Rides’ Kawasaki H2.
However, the machine I was most eager to see, was Jonathan Hull’s custom Honda GB350, and it didn’t disappoint.
Johnathan Hull’s Custom Northman GB350
In truth, I spent most of my time doing what many visitors probably do – darting from room to room, taking photos, spotting details I’d missed on previous passes and trying to take everything in before checking the time and realising I needed to keep moving.
Refuelled
At some point during all this, a freshly made pizza provided some much-needed fuel and probably saved me from running purely on enthusiasm.
Shed Row – A Regular Source of Inspiration
What struck me most wasn’t any particular trend or style. It was simply the quality of the bikes. Whether they were centre-stage builds or tucked away in Shed Row, the standard was incredibly high. Some of the machines on display were genuinely spectacular, and the amount of time, skill and creativity invested in them was obvious.
Every time I visit the Bike Shed Show, I leave feeling inspired, and this year was no different. I’d love to have one of my own bikes displayed there one day, but looking around Shed Row this year, I couldn’t help thinking I’d better raise my game first. Maybe it is time to do a bit more customisation to my Triumph Scrambler.
A few of the bikes on Shed Row
Final Thoughts
This isn’t really a review of the show. There are plenty of people who spent all weekend there and can give a far more complete account than I can. Think of this as a quick glimpse from someone who squeezed a few hours into a hot, busy day – ate a pizza, admired some incredible motorcycles and then pointed his GS back towards home.
More Resources
If you want to see more from the show, here are a few resources that are worth a look:
- Bike Shed Moto Co. – Bike Shed Moto Show 2026
- Tomboy a bit – Custom Built Motorcycles At Bike Shed Show 2026
- Motobob – Our Favourite Custom Motorcycles From The Bike Shed Moto Show 2026!
- NooBiker – Is This The BEST Custom Bike Show in the UK? | Bike Shed 2026
- MCN – Sun-soaked Bike Shed Moto Show welcomes thousands
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