bike show highlights

Seeing Denise Howard, Larry Lovisone, and my riding buddy Kim, and
watching the great films of the old Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing
Association/AFM at the AFM booth. I never did see my 119 though. Maybe I
wasn't media savvy at the time, or was in the paddock rebuilding a
clutch instead of getting filmed (super8). Seeing film of the Cotati
Raceway really brought back memories though, of the treacherous
pavement, flat turns, cyclone fencing and other scary features.

Ducati 1098, yummy. The Tricolor paint scheme is very nice.
MV Agusta Senna, nice but who wants to spend 30K on bike?

Honorable mention to the Series "C" Vincent Black Shadow at the Calif MC
Museum booth, Tim Mayhew of Pashnit.com, the corndogs, Rossi's M1.
There were a few nice classics at various displays. A MachIII Kawasaki
among them.

The rest of the show?
Yawn.
BMW has dropped the R1200ST, the R1150RS, the only two bikes I liked at
all in the lineup last year. The 800 thing is hohum at best.

Honda had less than zero. No more RC51, VTR and nothing new to the lineup.

Yamaha has improved the FZ1, aside from that, another boring lineup.

Kawasaki? Fuggedaboutit.

Suzuki? same old same old Eyeabusers and Gixxers.

Not a single SV to be seen either. What's up?

You would assume that the manufacturers believe all we want here in the
USA are GIANT cruisers, and ripped to the tits sportbikes.
Standard riding machines may as well be a thing of the past.

Jim Stinnett
NX250
R1100RS
YZF R1

 

Manufacturers believe market research and sales statistics and these
currently indicate that cruisers and sportbikes are what most of their
customers are currently seeking when they buy new bikes.

This is only because the demand for "standard" bikes is too low to be
worth the manufacturers' interest.

 

You were my first celebrity sighting of the day! ;-)

It's a great compilation of 50 years' worth of history of the AFM--I
soooo wish it was available for sale.

You know what, though? They've dramatically changed the geometry of
the GSXRs with regard to riding position. They used to be known for a
long reach to the bars, enough to cause a backache for those of us used
to Hondas. But today I practically had my elbows on my knees as I
tried out both the 750 and the 1000. And the real shocker was that I
could flat-foot both of them! I'm only 5'7". Maybe Suzuki got the
message that some of us folks under 6' would also like to ride
sportbikes without having to do mods to either the bike or the at-rest
position.

You were looking at the GSXRs and you didn't see the SVs? They were
right behind the GSXRs. They've dramatically changed the gas tank on
the SVs--it's much taller now, so that if you put a tang bag on top of
it you'd be bouncing your chin on it as you ride. I'm only
exaggerating a little bit! I wouldn't like that tank at all.

The show is _much_ bigger this year than in the past 7 or 8 years at
least--it fills five exhibit rooms. And there were a _lot_ of folks in
attendance today.

 

Oh, well. Guess it's time I got my eyes checked, but hey I just
remembered, Triumph wasn't there either were they?
We did walk all five halls though, but never found a few things I was
hoping to see, Helimot and Triumph among them.
Still liked that film you all had, and that Vincent..

--
Jim Stinnett

R1100RS
YZF R1
NX250
http://moto-rama.com

 

Right behind the GSXRs....

Only thing I saw in "standards" was the new Bandit. 1257cc's (vs the
previous 1157), water cooled - so many old coots pawing over it that this
old coot had to wait in line, but at least while waiting I had a nice chat
with Dale Walker as he told me the mods he already has planned for it.

 

It's not that fewer people want standards, or sport tourers, or other
moderate machines. It's more like the people that do want them get
them, are happy with them, and don't feel the need to replace them
every year or two.

Al Moore
DoD 734

 

That seems to fit, Al. I got my 1982 Virago in 1999, and am only now
contemplating a replacement because the last time it needed a part, the
wait was unconscionable.

Rich, Urban Biker

 

Yep, Triumph was there. Time to make that eye doc appointment Jim.

--
PC Paul
89 PC800
77 R100RS

Trip pics at: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to
society" - Theodore Roosevelt

 

At Long Beach, Triumphs only presence was the booths rented by two of the dealers.

 

Where? I didn't see them either.

-Patti

 

Nor did I....

 

OK, What I saw must have been just the dealer bikes, but I DID see some.
I don't recall seeing a Rocket though...

--
PC Paul
89 PC800
77 R100RS

Trip pics at: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to
society" - Theodore Roosevelt

 

Highlights -

For me, the strong showing in general by the Italians was nice..

Put me on the list for the Cagiva Mito 500!
Seemed to be drawing a steady crowd..even being right between a couple
MV's..

...which themselves were pretty drool-tastic. They're not all $30k,
either. My wife has pretty much decided that some form of the MV F4
will replace/augment her CBR

Speaking of Hondas...yeah.. Where were they? Not even a single 1000RR
in the house?
And the 600RR that was there had quite an unfortunate color scheme..

I did get a big grin out of the red-white-blue VFR.. '25th Anniversary
Interceptor'
Where's LarryL with a rant?

The smaller exhibits in the other bldgs also were a welcome
change...enjoyed that diesel BMW streamliner, especially.


cds

 

Me too!

The MV F4 is my dream bike--so yummy! I understand they're a torture
rack to ride on the street, though.

Yes there was--about 20 ft. from the 600RR. I sat on both.

Yeah it was great to see such a big event this year, and it seemed
well-attended, too.

 

Paul Elliot wrote:

A few pictures here:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/album/576460762379541261

--
PC Paul
89 PC800
77 R100RS

Trip pics at: http://new.photos.yahoo.com/paul1cart/albums/

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to
society" - Theodore Roosevelt