Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Monday, June 30, 2008

Japanese bike wins S&S competition

By Joe Orso / Lee Newspapers

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A Japanese-built motorcycle won S&S Cycle’s 50th anniversary celebration competition Sunday, the final day of the weekend event that drew more than 25,000 people.

Keiji Kawakita, from Tokyo, said his winning bike, named “Stg-Nautirus,” resembled a submarine.

“I’m happy,” said Kawakita, 53, owner of Hot-Dock Custom Cycles.

Nearby, Craig Hill, an onlooker from Onalaska, Wis., admired the work put into the motorcycle.

“It shows the quality and attention to detail that the Japanese put into things,” said Hill, 54, a mechanic. “They make the best of a lot of things these days.”

For winning the competition, Kawakita won $50,000 in S&S products.

Howard Kelly, a spokesman for S&S, estimated more than 25,000 people attended the events from Friday to Sunday.

Local builder Doug Wozney won two awards in the competition, in which 50 custom-built bikes from around the world competed.

Wozney of Onalaska, won the People’s Choice award and second place in the X-wedge engine category.

The owner of Dougz Custom Paint and Fabrication, Wozney said he incorporated the rear storage bags and rear fender into one unit, which made the motorcycle 8-inches narrower than a standard “bagger style” bike.

“It was unbelievable,” he said of winning the People’s Choice award, and added that winning the second place award, judged by other builders, confirmed not only local people liked him.

The motorcycle, built for Mark Blatt of Onalaska, cost more than $70,000.

Joe Orso can be reached at (608) 791-8429 or jorso@lacrossetribune.com.