Ponderings From a Motorcycle Show...

[ptgb]

Went to the International Motorcycle Show at the IX Center in Cleveland yesterday. Good VRCC friends along with good food, made for a great day. Here are some things that I noticed...


- There was a display by Eureka Springs Arkansas visitor's bureau. One person was mildly aware of the VRCC coming to Eureka Springs. The other said, "yeah, I think you guys are staying at ------". I won't reveal where she said, but we checked it out on the internet today. If true.... awesome!

- The Honda NC700X "adventure" bike was there. I was reasonably impressed with it. At $6999 MSRP, I didn't expect lush, high-style, full features; I was right. But it seems to be a nice utility-type ride. I know there was constantly 5-10 people standing around it, checking it out. Sat on it, seemed comfortable. How much power and handling it has, or the feel of either, obviously, I have no idea. No pictures as they had it inside a display area and couldn't get far enough away.

- As far as a full-on touring machines (the type of mc that most interests me): Yamaha Venture... not bad. Kawasaki Voyager... looks good, great ergos, probably what I would be most interested in... except it has gotten some bad reviews. Victory, both the Vision and Cross Country... both look weird and the tanks are so long it makes me feel I'm sitting at a table... not for me. Last, but not least, Honda Goldwing... only thing I can say is "yawn"... while a great bike, Honda needs to update it.

- The Harley area was like an ant hill... TONS of people looking at the latest ass jewelry. Don't get me wrong, they looked good, but bang for your buck just wasn't there. I found it amusing that people were sitting on Screaming Eagle - type stuff and just nodding like it's no big deal that the thing costs 35K!

- The 2nd most popular display, after Harley was the Can Am Spyders. Lotsa people sitting on them and taking pictures.

- When we talked to anybody (a few here and there) about the Valkyrie it suddenly felt like we were at a wake. They all said basically the same things... like they had sympathy. "It was a good bike", "too bad they are getting so old", "A lot of newer, better, stuff out there", "You should look at a...". I actually felt like the proverbial "old white guy". Sigh...

- All in all, I didn't see anything that moves me like the Valkyrie still does. It is kind of a sad state of affairs that ten years later and I truly feel there isn't anything that much better out there.

[hubcapsc]

- The Honda NC700X "adventure" bike was there. I was reasonably impressed with it. At $6999 MSRP, I didn't expect lush, high-style, full features; I was right. But it seems to be a nice utility-type ride. I know there was constantly 5-10 people standing around it, checking it out. Sat on it, seemed comfortable. How much power and handling it has, or the feel of either, obviously, I have no idea. No pictures as they had it inside a display area and couldn't get far enough away.

Reminds me of a Kawasaki Versys... I like Kawasaki Versyses... 



-Mike

[Stanley Steamer]

I attended the Great American Motorcycle show in Atlanta yesterday....my experience was about the same as yours....I didn't see anything I'd trade my Valk for....even brand new.....the only thing that came close was one of the BMW touring bikes.....I didn't even look that hard at the bikes......but they did have some good home made chili and chili dogs at one of the food vendors....had two servings of each.... .......I got to see a few old friends......and talked to BigMac? from the forum here for a few minutes before heading home....I hadn't even gotten off the bike before another I/S owner stopped to talk to me........saw a lot of folks eyeballing the Green Dragon.......

Stopped at a DQ on the way home and a young man about 20ish told me he loved my bike and had tried to talk his Dad into a Valk instead of a Harley dresser......oh well, the Son seems to have been the smart one on that subject.......

[Big Mac]

Stanley it was great meeting you if if it was just for a brief time. We will have to get together and ride sometime.

Big Mac

[Doc809]

You are preaching to the choir on that one.  Made the show in Dallas.  The only thing that even slightly turned my head from my Valk is the 2012 Triumph Rocket III Tourer.  In black/crream with windshield and hard bags.  Nice lookin bike.  At 17K, nah, the Phat Lady's still got lots of great miles left in her.

[Jess from VA]

Exactly why I stopped going to these shows........... that, and the $25 door fee.

[hubcapsc]

Exactly why I stopped going to these shows........... that, and the $25 door fee.

I went to one a year or so ago... they offered test rides on a bunch of bikes, I figured I'd
go over there and test ride a Vmax...

I found out that the first 15 or so guys who got there at 6:30am got to ride.

The first guy got to ride the soonest... if the 15th (or whatever) guy was willing to stay around till almost
closing time, he got to ride when his turn came... the rest of us were SOL.

Bring one Vmax to Hooterville, 20 or 30 to a medium sized town like Greenville, SC, and I guess they'd
have to open up a Vmax plant in New York City if they were going to offer rides there 

-Mike

[Stanley Steamer]

Stanley it was great meeting you if if it was just for a brief time. We will have to get together and ride sometime.

Big Mac

I'd like that.....I'm all over the N Ga, NC, SC, TN mountains during the year.....I know a good road or two....