The show was pretty sad in that it typically mirrors the state of motorcycling in Ontario. The lack of corporate participation was disturbing, it's like they aren't even going to try and sell bikes any more. KTM didn't even have a single street bike. A few dealers had the popular MT09s..but they purposely buried them so people could not sit on the bike or even look at it properly (because they know they will sell anyway). At least at Kawasaki they had lots of room to sit on the bikes and have a good look (Z10R...so much goodness, the cops at the Police booth were watching me and warming their ticketing pens).
Lots of insurance companies with pricey big booths (bigger than dealers), sponsoring the whole show: that's our money they are using for all that marketing and skanky high school dropouts handing you flyers (wash your hands). Tells me the big money in motorcycling in Ontario is insurance above all (they used to have tiny booths in the market).
I don't get the booths with the DJs (try and look cooler), the live interviews on stage looked like an afternoon at a mental asylum, as guys were talking into microphones and no one cares, or listens, seriously no one. The choppers are always there: un-ridable Easter eggs with just stupid designs, the more skulls, the better. The fashion show..same sh-t every year...for 2014, once again, the fashion is skanks in fringes and leather bustiers. Look around guys..you are all over 50 and no one cares about choppers any more, that stuff has remained exactly the same for 30 years or more. Thankfully, they were all in one room. The flipside was the cafe hipsters...just trying too hard to be cool (pipe wrap and no seats..ooo)
Fringes...Fringes everywhere...
I was there Friday, watching guys walk from distant parking in -25C with T-shirts and leather vests. Can't not look cool.
Still...for a freezing January, it's a fun way to spend a few hours. I admired the finish quality on the new Harleys, wishing they would put that effort into decent designs. The vintage area was cool, some bikes over 100 years old and a pristine GT750 Water Buffalo, a 82 Katana, Bimota and a RZ350LC. You get a lot of guys at booths who are volunteers and just into bikes, and talking about bikes. I recognized a few gaudy drag bikes that are perpetually on sale on Kijiji.
Zero, Brammo, Mission, Eric Buell, Aprilia, etc. didn't bother to show up to a show in a demographic of almost 6 million?
The show would work better if they split it into genres: racing/sport bike show, cruisers/Touring show, and they already have half a dozen chopper/tattoo shows, enough already. One thing that stood out to me, since I haven't been to this show in years, is how the average age is getting up there, and not many 18-25s. Watching 50-60 year old men stare at early 20s girls is creepy. Really creepy.
As for the $20...grow up, that's what a crap movie costs,so sit in your basement and eat costco hot pockets. Life is good.
