[No Worries]

The International Motorcycle Show is at the new Denver Convention Center this weekend, and here's a dozen of my observations from last night:
1. Most uncomfortable: I sat on almost every bike and the Ducati 999 was the worst.
2. Most surprising: The Victory Hammer. An American-made cruiser that looks better than any Harley. 100 cubic inches and a 250 rear tire.
3. Nicest looking and most disappointing: Harley Sportster 1200. The bike looks right and the seat and handlebar fit perfect. Then you put your feet on the pegs and they are 18 inches in front of you.
4. Booth with the prettiest woman: Magic Tape.
5. Best cut-away engine: Tie. BMW has a powered engine so you can see how the exhaust valves close right next to the rising piston. The dealer had to turn the Ducati engine by hand, but seeing how the desmodromic valves work was worth it.
6. Bike that fit me the best: Yamaha FJR 1300. Room to move around.
7. Weirdest bikes: Any of the Urals.
8. Company with the most women: Progressive Insurance.
9. Best Invitation to do a test ride let down: Buell. Said to go to www.buell.com and click on events and demos, but it was blank.
10. Best deal I got: 2 years for 1, subscription to Motorcycle Consumer News magazine.
11. Best deal I didn't get: Brand new 2004 Honda CBR 1000RR, list at $10,999, selling for $8,795. Wow.
12. Bike I would get and then change the handlebars and windscreen: Hayabusa. When I sat on the bike, there was plenty of leg room, but I stared at the front of the windscreen. My back couldn't bend down enough to get behind it, and I practice yoga every day. The show was great, don't miss it when it comes to your area.

 

[GSXR1000DJ]

Sounds like a swwet time. Glad you had a good time. :dthumb:

 

[twisty]

I'm disturbed the he said the Harley was the best looking bike!!! Have you ever seen a GSXR? Now that is a smoking bike.

 

[bumblebee]

The Show is coming to Atlanta around January 7, I will be there and OF COURSE I will be in Daytona when it hits the Ocean Center!!

 

[Need4Speed]

buell is always giving out test rides damn near everywhere they can..was at the bike fest last summer too.

 

[ShanMan14]

I doubt I'll get it here in Podunk, AL. Maybe Birmingham or Nashville?

 

[Need4Speed]

how far is podunk from birmingham ?

 

[fatburg]

Hey thanks for the good report. Shows like that never seem to come around here

 

[JK_DILLA]

Does the show come anywhere near louisiana? I cant get on the site to find out.

 

[Need4Speed]

seems we always gotta travel to balt. or philly to get a decent show.. :tt:

 

[No Worries]

Here's some more observations:
1. The Suzuki and Yahama exhibits were right next to each other, so you could hop off a GSXR 1000 and hop on an R1. Both have the wasp-waist look, with a skinny front part of the seat and flared-our rear fender. If you closed your eyes, you couldn't tell which one you were on. The inside front fairing on the R1 looked less cheap than the GSXR. if I was getting a hypersports, I'd get one of these.

2. I went to the show in New York in 1999, when the Hayabusa was first shown. That copper-pink color was the ugliest color I had ever seen. But here they had three different colored busa's, and the red and black one had to be the best busa I've ever seen. Maybe black is slimming.

3. I never thought about them before, but after watching "The Long Way Round", about the two guys who travel across the world, I had to look at the large dual-sports. I liked them. Well, I liked the idea of turning off the highway and taking a dirt road. The Triumph Tiger and BMW R1150GS (8-gallon tank) felt nice and my feet touched the ground, but if I had to get one it would probably be the Suzuki Strom.

4. Of all the side exhibits, the pin-striping machine was the coolest.

 

[fatburg]

My brother-in-law has the Tiger. I've got to ride it a few times...man that thing has gobs of power at the slightest flick of the wrist. but it was just to big for me.

 

[Gas Man]

Yeah I'm with Twisty on this just a bit!!

What kind of list is that!!! Did you smoke a giant splif before you went in? Were you trippin on some LSD or acid?? :wtf: :lol:

 

[SpeedWerks.com]

No bike show in Philly this year. I think, though, that we're going to have a booth at the Washington, DC, show in January. Come by and say hi. I think our booth will have us, NESBA, and products from Center of Gravity (Arata pipes, OGK helmets, etc.). It should be fun?!?

 

[No Worries]

Gas Man: I haven't touched that stuff in 32 years. But there were a lot of fumes from the guys riding their dirt bikes in the steel ball. It was like a big party. There were over 500 bikes there and I sat on almost every one. Even the hard-core Harley guys were siting on the sport bikes. It's the one time you can let your hair down and try something different. Daytona and Sturgis have more bikes, but you'll get your butt kicked if you try and sit on any of them. The magazines can tell you how fast the bikes are and how they handle, but sitting on them is a personal thing. By the way, I met more racers at the Triumph exhibit than I did at all the Japanese dealers.

Speedwerks: The reason I liked the pin-striping booth was because he let me do some pinstriping on the paper pad and on the gas tank. He gave me personal attention and answered all my questions. I bought one for my brother because he's into that. So it might be good to have some hands-on stuff at your booth.

 

[Gas Man]

NW: I know the deal with the MC show. I go every year and you're right. You can sit on nearly every bike. Even the ones that you normally wouldn't have any interest in. I was just giggin you on your choices for your top ten or whatever!! :crazy:

Just like Twisty here sittin on a 10R... :flush:

 

[pickle.of.doom]

Can't believe its still over 2 months until the show finally ends up here in Detroit!! Oh well, maybe we will be able to ride to it by then

 

[2Fast4U]

I love going to these bike shows. The first time I sat on the zx10, I was hooked and had to have one. But I think I spent the entire afternoon just sitting on bikes and dreaming of owning one !! I like looking at all the concept bikes too!!

 

[pickle.of.doom]

Hey No Worries, did you happen to notice if you saw any of those Scorpion EXO helmets at the cycle show?

 

[No Worries]

Hey No Worries, did you happen to notice if you saw any of those Scorpion EXO helmets at the cycle show?

Pickle, I didn't notice. I just got a new Shoei from the show last year, so I wasn't looking at helmets. But it is a great place to shop for helmets. Since head size and shape is so variable, it really helps to try on all the different brands. Plus, they have great deals.