Stars want to get discovered in Hollywood, but bike builders go to Born Free instead of a Los Angeles soda fountain like Lana Turner to make their mark. Standing out at the bike show can be that big break for the next Arlen Ness or Indian Larry. Case in point were some Italian visitors coming to California on a mission. Following the success of the 2026 event — the biggest in MBE history — Motor Bike Expo is accelerating into the future. In fact co-founder Paola Somma and her son Federico were at Born Free talent scouting builders to invite to the 19th MBE scheduled at Veronafiere January 22-24, 2027.
In the past two decades Motor Bike Expo has quietly grown from a small regional bike show to the second biggest motorcycle trade event in Italy, closing in on EICMA in Milan which had a 100-year head start. The 2026 show saw 180,000 visitors, more than 700 exhibitors from 20 countries (7% growth over 2025) and more than 120,000 square/meters of exhibition space filling the 8 halls of the Verona fairground. Dealernews covered it in the April issue:
“We believe Motor Bike Expo is the place to be,” says Federico. “Exhibiting at MBE means connecting with a unique community: 180,000 visitors, 76,000 subscribers to our exclusive newsletter “Privilege Club” and over 170,000 social media followers. We have a network that lives MBE 365 days a year, well beyond the days of the show.”
See Born Free coverage in the current issue and get the holeshot on MBE 2027 here:
