Before the December show existed, all of the manufacturers were at the January show. It was like that for years. The manufacturers broke away from the January show, citing the issues with too many knife dealers and mystery meat booths, only to have much the same at their own show.
And I'm hoping that we can get back to having just one show again, with everyone involved. This might be a first step toward getting back where we were. I blew through the December show, last year, in about a half hour. Would have been 10 minutes, but I ran into a couple of people I knew. I was at the January show for something just shy of 2 hours, for the same reason.
So your thing is that you have more friends at the January show so that's where everyone should be?
If my memory serves, I went to the Jan show once years ago. The December show is way better. I stay about 2hrs generally. Enough time to sit on all the bikes, check out some gear, chat with some friends, and boogie on out. The layout is good, the mfg. booths are massive, and the venue is great. Thanks Kawasaki for dividing a good thing I guess????
10 minutes to browse the December show? What, do you go to chat with people at the GTAM booth and bypass all the bikes? That's ridiculous, why even go??
So your thing is that you have more friends at the January show so that's where everyone should be?
If my memory serves, I went to the Jan show once years ago. The December show is way better. I stay about 2hrs generally. Enough time to sit on all the bikes, check out some gear, chat with some friends, and boogie on out. The layout is good, the mfg. booths are massive, and the venue is great. Thanks Kawasaki for dividing a good thing I guess????
No, my thing is that I'd have blown through both shows, in about 10 minutes, if it wasn't for the fact that I had friends there. Making it a one-stop-shop might occupy me for longer.
*EDIT* I've been riding since '84 and, at this point, I know what I want to see. That's why it takes me all of 10 minutes to blow through.
If you blow through it in 10 minutes you've seen nothing, so you've wasted your money. It probably would take 10 minutes just to lap around the show without actually stopping to look at anything. You're exaggerating.
To me the December show is a manufacturer showcase... I go to check out new models. I certainly couldn't spend 4 hours in there but I wouldn't want to either. I think it's a good show with a good layout. Bigger doesn't have to mean better.
If you blow through it in 10 minutes you've seen nothing, so you've wasted your money. It probably would take 10 minutes just to lap around the show without actually stopping to look at anything. You're exaggerating.
To me the December show is a manufacturer showcase... I go to check out new models. I certainly couldn't spend 4 hours in there but I wouldn't want to either. I think it's a good show with a good layout. Bigger doesn't have to mean better.
Would be great to have the one big show again. Having 2 shows doesn't make sense, it just splits the audience in half or forces some people to pay twice. Those were the good'ol days. And it's free parking at the International Center, if you arrive early.
I don't go to these shows anymore. Same thing all the time, a few new bikes I can see at a dealer a few minutes from my house, massive crowds to fight, sick building syndrome from poor ventilation at the Airport Road hall, and last years gear that nobody wanted in the flea market.
If I were to go, it's the December show. Kawasaki can have their own show on a Maid of the Mist boat for all I care.
the januray show is to late for christmas gifts and people have spent all their money. you dont see people walking around the januray show with tires and helmuts like you use to.
Kawi pulled from MotoGP and sunk everything into SBK....I don't see them doing much better than a fluke monsoon win, let alone holding up that entire series.
This is a stalled financial decision. They are not prepared for the December show, and can't get their minor cosmeticly updated ZX14 ready to showcase....or had bigger fish to fry in Milan or bigger market shows.
Kawi is paying lip service to Toronto, that's all this is.
Question is will MV have their F3, and will Ducati have their 1199 on premises. At best...beeeeeeeeest they will be there on a no touch basis.
That's the clout that Toronto has in the Motorcycle market.
PS Kawi knows very well how lack luster their ZX10R debut was last year among manufacturers who had nothing new at the show in the same class, so they see no incentive to rush to be there for the December show.
If the 1199 shows up, between that and the BMW S1000R, the ZX10 will be ignored. Better to be a big fish in a small pond. F3, RSV4 and RC8R will also wound the Kawi flagship.
It would be enteraintaining to see a "cold war" motorcycle show, divided into Japanese, and Euro bikes!!! December for the Europeans and January for the Japanese.....just the way shoot out magazine editions used to do it, back when the inline 4s dominated. The winner of that usually went on to battle the leading v-twin in a magazine edition 2 months later. We all knew then that only the 996R or 1098R could stack up to a Ninja or Blade, but that the RSV Mille, RC8 or the regular 1098S couldn't hack it....sooooo....
Now that the Japanese bikes are faultering, they need a spin off / safe haven show to regroup and emerge as on par contenters a few years from now.
Bring on the "cold (bike show) war"! It's also cold cause it's in Toronto in the dead of winter.
Looks like Rob might be right. Did some research. It seems that the December show is the actual "break away" show, attempting to be upmarket. However the sheer lack of sales at the show (not allowed to bring used vehicles to the show), coupled with accessory vendors being out priced, has left revenue (after over heads) in question. Additionally lack of site parking, the ability to haul away goodies (on the TTC) adds to that effect.
Sq ft rates differ wildly between the venues it seems, so Kawi get more bang for their buck in January, plus the greater possibility of actual sales.
Apparently the difference in sales (from a large GTA dealer) is 15:35 vehicle units between the 2 shows. Factor in sq ft rates....you get the idea.
Kawi are probably leading the way in financial decisions these days, as it has been reported they are now the leading Japanese manufacturer in sales....http://www.dealernews.com/dealernew...on-in-J/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/690611. Having clearly given up on leading the way in aesthetics and racing results....it seems they got their accounts in order!
The December downtown show was born when the manufacturers had a dispute with Bar Hodgson, organizer and promoter of the International Center Supershow. They didn't want their brand new, shiny, respectable bikes to be surrounded by all the toothless biker riff raff. They felt the regular folk would be intimidated by all the fringed leather so they split off and formed the December show. Seems fewer people know about this each passing year and just assume there has always been 2 shows. I'd like to see it come back to one big show, I get a kick out seeing all the biker riff raff, especially the mamas with overly tanned skin.
lol if the show really is as 'flea-market' as I remember (and others seem to think) then I can totally understand why manufacturers would want a different image. Have you been to a manufacturer's auto show? The bike companies want the same thing and its totally reasonable.
Who cares if there used to be one show? Now there's two.
the january show doesnt have all the deals it used. the savings barely cover the admission price, and there are little manufacturers to look at. if i go to a bike show i want bikes... not bumper stickers, RV's, belts, movies, and sausages.
the december show had all the manufacturers, and it had gear. now it still has all that, but no kawi... oh well. they werent pulling anything new out this year that i'd be interested in anyways.
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