The sum was from memory during a conversation with him 10 years ago so it might not be 100% correct, but I don't remember it being quite a sucking through teeth sum (at least to me) At that time he was working from a farm which I think was his dad's and hadn't been an exhibitor before so was going to try it so maybe the business he got as a result surprised him as for me it was a bit of a faff to travel to him to get the imprints done where as at the show he's likely to get a fair amount of passing trade that he otherwise wouldn't get and as we know with biker mates those who get them will loke to brag how good they are. Mine worked well, the issue I had was with speakers in my helmet they put pressure on the fresh bits of my ear so if I was doing it again I'd get the ones with the integral earphones built in as my problem was with my helmet set up, not the ear plugs themselves.
I think possibly the reason why those bargains are no longer is because we are remembering the show pre internet. In those days the only way companies could dispose of end of season items was at things like the Motorcycle show and they were prepared to heavily discount so they didn't have to cart anything home. Nowadays they can sell on line for as long as they need until stock has gone so no incentive for that show discount anymore. Just a thought
I went on Friday, there was a wide range of new models from different manufacturers, although a no-show from Aprilia again. The Suzuki GSXR1000 did not disappoint. The red and white paint scheme was in my view the best in the show, a lovely deep rich red and white, what more could you ask for, it is difficult just sitting on a bike to make an informed decision on how comfortable it would be as a regular ride, so I am still undecided, the head says yes, my body says different though. It is certainly not as comfortable position-wise as the Panigale 1299s, it feels like the outgoing GSXR in respect of ride position, clip on height and reach etc. Oh, and for Mrs V the Shoei X-SPR Pro Motegi 5 helmet was reduced to £600. The signed Dean Harrison replica was the same price. More photos to follow.
Your last sentence probably sums it up, @Havit. It does for me, anyway! For both of those two things you mentioned. On another note, I really enjoy motorcycle events and shows like this but sadly it seems they are fewer and fewer in the United States. At least anywhere halfway even close to us in Arizona. Rallys are disappearing, too. We used to go to the Laughlin River Run every April and Las Vegas Bike Fest every October. Those are both events of the past now. I guess that old saying is true, "The only constant is change". I guess whether the changes we experience can be considered welcome or not-so-welcome depending on our perspective. Yikes, I guess all the rain we've had in the past week is making me feel all contemplative and philosophical. Good thing I live in the desert!
I agree, the red scheme on the Gixer K does look class. When you buy a modern sports bike you get something very close to a race machine so you have to expect race bike ergonomics to go with (almost) race performance. My head also says buy one but my back, left hip and right knee call the shots these days so the ZZR is as radical as I want to go and it’s a settee by comparison.
What struck me when I sat on it was how small and compact it felt. It felt nice in terms of seat and peg height etc to me, but the reach to the bars felt a little stretched (for me).
Completely agree re modern sports bikes almost being a race ready bike. Very few of us mere mortals have anywhere near the talent to use one as it is designed to be used. My days of fast tourers a la ZZR, Busa or even my old blackbird are now behind me. Even when I had the Blackbird the fastest I ever managed was 165mph in Germany on the autobahn. Modern sports bikes are very good to look at though with some fantastic paint jobs on them. Having been a fireman for 30 years and attended more bike crashes than I care to remember the vast majority were this type of sports bike, usually caused by the rider having much more desire than talent.
You could argue that they are among the safest bikes on the road with SOTA handling and braking but the “problem” is human nature with riders wanting to experience the performance they offer and I include myself in that statement. If you’re content pottering around at or around the speed limit they won’t interest you but if you buy one you’re going to want to “try” it at some point. The “spirited” or “enthusiastic” riding often talked about on here is one thing on a Triumph twin but can be a very different proposition on bikes with the sort of performance these race replicas offer.
Absolutely that, coupled with the fact that these machines often seem to be bought by male riders in their 50s and 60s who are returning to biking after gaps of 20, 30 or 40 or so years and want a bike that reminds them of the sports bikes of their youth. Also couple this with likely the finances to buy very powerful and beautiful machines and the bravado to believe that they do not need refresher lessons etc and it's a recipe for single vehicle serious RTCs.
Pint of proper beer £7.50. Might not seem expensive to Londonites but in Manchester you can still get a pint for around £4..and it's good. I also paid £9 for a pretty tasty pastie and bottle of orange juice.
I thought £200 off some Arai's was quite a bargain. And my £30 saving on HEL brake lines was welcome. And just so people are aware, I was informed by Bikesure staff that changes to insurance details (eg. if you wanted to add or remove a bike) incurs a standard admin charge of £65. This is now standard across all companies. However at the show that was reduced to £15, hence my £50 saving.
Afraid I have to disagree with some of the previous opinions of current sports bikes. They are all starting to look the same to me. If the badges were to be removed I reckon many people would be hard pressed to identify make and model. They frequently look very pointy and angular, with a heavy front end bias and a skinny back end. I've always been a fan of sports bikes. I bought a Daytona 660 because I wanted to experience a modern one. It's got enough power for me, is thoroughly usable on our roads (it's obviously more road than track biased) and manages to maintain a distinctive profile. However none of them can compare to the golden age of sports bikes, which was of course the late 80's, through the 90's and just into the noughties. Take the badges off a GSXR750, a ZX7R, a FireBlade or a '98 R1 and you'd easily know which was which. All stunners! Which is why I've just bought a ZX7R!
You're missing the point regarding these bikes. They are basically road going race bikes which heavily influences their design and appearance. Looks mean nothing in racing, (just look at some MotoGP bikes with their wings and spoilers!) it’s all about performance and aerodynamics, hence the “very pointy and angular, with a heavy front end bias and a skinny back end”. When you chase aerodynamic efficiency, things start to look the same but a nice colour scheme can help here. Bikes from the era you mention do have individuality in the looks dept but are bricks by comparison. Of course, its all bo**ocks when you stick a 6ft+, 17st rider in riding gear on one.
