How to run a motorcycle show
Motorcycle show judging works differently than judging cars, and bike show voting has its own crowd and its own classes: baggers, cafe builds, vintage iron, and custom choppers. This guide covers how to run a motorcycle show on Car Show HQ, which works just as well for two wheels as four. Set the classes that fit your bikes, take entries online or at the gate, and print a windshield card for each ride that you can set on the seat or clip to the bars. The crowd handles bike show voting from their phones by scanning the QR right at the show. When voting closes the count is done, so you hand out clean awards and keep the night rolling instead of counting ballots by hand under a tent.
Bikes need their own classes and their own cards
A show setup made for cars leaves you without the right classes for motorcycle show judging, so a bagger ends up scored against a vintage cafe build. And a car-sized windshield card does not exactly fit a motorcycle, so people improvise with tape and paper and the judging gets muddy fast.
Then there is the ballot box at the end of the night, counted by hand while the crowd stands around in the dark waiting to hear who won and slowly drifting off to their bikes.
The three tools that matter most here
For a motorcycle show, it comes down to the right classes for judging and cards that actually fit a bike.
Results and awards
Set the classes that fit motorcycle show judging, from baggers to vintage iron, and let each one tally for you.
Learn more →Day-of tools
Print a card with each bike's voting QR to set on the seat or clip to the bars, no car-sized card taped to a tank.
Learn more →Spectator voting
The crowd handles bike show voting on site by scanning the QR, one vote per phone, locked once cast.
Learn more →How to run a motorcycle show in five steps
Set classes that fit the bikes
Name your own classes, baggers, cafe, vintage, custom, so the motorcycle show judging fits what people actually ride.
Connect your Square account
Link your own Square account so entry money lands with you. Car Show HQ is never the merchant of record and never holds your funds.
Open registration online
Share the sign-up link and take entries early from any phone, then handle walk-ups at the gate on the night.
Print cards and open voting on site
Print a card with a voting QR for each bike, set it on the seat or bars, and let the crowd handle bike show voting by scanning and voting.
Announce the winners
When voting closes the count is done, so you call out the classes and keep the night moving.
Motorcycle show questions, answered
How does motorcycle show judging work?
You set the classes that fit your bikes, such as baggers, cafe, vintage, and custom, so a bagger is never judged against a vintage build. Each class tallies on its own when voting closes, so the awards fit what people actually ride.
How does bike show voting work without paper ballots?
Bike show voting is on site only. Each bike gets a card with a QR code that you set on the seat or clip to the bars, and spectators scan it to cast one vote from their phone, with duplicate protection. No ballot box, and no hand-counting in the dark.
Do windshield cards work for motorcycles?
Yes. The printable cards are plain black and white and carry each bike's number and voting QR. You set them on the seat or clip them to the bars instead of taping a car-sized card to a tank.
Where does the entry money go?
Into your own Square account. Car Show HQ is never the merchant of record and never holds your funds, so entry fees land with you and refunds are handled in Square.
See a bike show in the demo
Click through a seeded motorcycle show with bike classes, on-site QR voting, and a finished tally, so you can see how your judging classes would run before you set anything up.
Run a show built for two wheels
Set your own classes and open registration in minutes.
