Every month I post links to the most recent research into motorcycle culture, subcultures, clothing and identity, along with the biggest events in the motorcycling calendar. Here’s what caught my eye this month.
Identities in transition: Harley-Davidson female riders and consumers of branded apparel
Amy Shane-Nichols, Mary Lynn Damhorst and Ann Marie Fiore in Fashion, Style & Popular Culture — a grounded-theory study based on interviews with 23 women who own Harley-Davidson branded apparel. The themes that emerge (communitas, performativity and appearance labour, self-esteem and efficacy) sit squarely in the area where motorcycle subculture meets dress practice.
https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00318_1
Bike Shed Moto Show 2025
Tobacco Dock again, 23-25 May, 20,000 visitors and 250 custom builds. Now in its 14th edition, Bike Shed has settled into being the central UK gathering for custom and café-racer culture. MCN’s coverage gives a sense of the scale.
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2025/may/bike-shed-show-event-recap/
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2025
125,000 riders in 1,038 cities across 108 countries on Sunday 18 May, raising $7.3 million for men’s mental health and prostate cancer research. Rider Magazine has the recap, with photos from London, Paris, Rome, Perth and Genting Highlands.
https://ridermagazine.com/2025/05/23/2025-distinguished-gentlemans-ride-raises-7-3-million/
2025 IJMS Conference in Iceland
The International Journal of Motorcycle Studies has confirmed its 12th annual conference for 24-27 July at the Motorcycle Museum in Akureyri — the first time IJMS has run in Iceland. The call covers intersectional identity, motorcycle clothing and textiles, design history, sustainability and the rest of the field’s standard map.
https://motorcyclestudies.org/volume-21-2025/about-the-2025-ijms-iceland-conference-motorcycle-studies/
See also Bike Shed Moto Show 2024 in the Q2 2024 quarterly and the IJMS Iceland conference in July 2025.
That’s it for this month. If you’ve come across research I’ve missed, feel free to email me.