The Beast of the East Custom Bike Show canceled

SALISBURY — Motorcycle enthusiast Larry “Sack” Sackadorf doesn’t plan on leaving his 2002 Suzuki Volusia 800 to sit idle in the garage next weekend.

But the president of an area chapter of Red Knights International Motorcycle Club, an organization of firefighters and motorcyclists who raise money for charity, said he can’t hide his disappointment that the Beast of the East Custom Bike Show — the largest of its kind on the Eastern Shore — isn’t coming to Salisbury this year during the third week of April.

“It’s something (our organization) looked forward to each year, and this year it’s not going to happen,” Sackadorf said. “Without the Beast, we’re kind of lost.”

The Berlin-based B Line Inc. manages the bike show and decided in September to end the show’s three-year run at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center after two consecutive years of dwindling attendance numbers.

“It was difficult to pull the plug on it,” said event promoter Bruce Bennett. “It’s a balancing act to look at the business side of it, and the impact it had on the community, which was very positive.”

Wicomico County Tourism Director Sandy Fulton said the event draws many out-of-town bikers to area hotels, shops and restaurants, which pours thousands of dollars into the area.

Last year’s event drew about 6,000 people at $5 per ticket to view the colorful chrome array of custom motorcycles, with some designed by nationally-recognized bike builders such as New Jersey’s Doug Keim, Bennett said. But the turnstile attendance was well short of the company’s projected break-even point of 10,000 people, he said.

“The (downward) trend started in 2005, and we’d like to contribute last year’s showing to the rain, but we can’t afford to lose money — and continue to lose money,” Bennett said.