Tweet
Ok, so India is busy with the India Bike week- which I hope is bigger than the Harleys, REs and chopper scene. Good to see something like this happening back home. Reminded me that I should have posted this about a couple of weeks ago, but here goes anyway. I will try to be short and crisp.
The International motorcycle show in New York City was held two weekends ago between January 19th and 21st at the massive Javits Center. The thing about these shows is that some venues get certain brands showcasing their products while some don't. I was mostly shopping for my next bike so the photos of production models that you will see will be from my shopping list! Plus, it was the most crowded I have seen it- and cramped. Seemed like the show got a smaller space than the previous years (some travel fair was happening in the same building).
I will give a quick rundown on what was there (and wasn't)
KTM- I was most excited to see them mainly because I had just owned the Duke 200 in Delhi and with rave reviews for the entire line-up, I couldn't wait. There were there in full grandeur- apart from their new dirt bike lineup, the splendid RC8- in production & race spec, the ultra capable Adventurer (Baja edition), the impressive 990SMT and the show-stealer (for me) Duke 690. The 690 is priced at $8990 (apparently $1500 cheaper than the earlier model!). Unfortunately, the R model wasnt there- they are testing waters. Due to lack of dealers near NYC, this looks a lower possibility for now. Oh and the 390 Duke? Not coming here till early next year apparently- maybe next year's show will have it.
Triumph- They had their entire range- from the neo-retros (Bonneville, Thruxton, Scrambler) to the Rockets and Tigers. Their stars were the new Daytona 675 and the Street Triple- the latter being a strong contender in my list. Everyone is going towards mass centralization, and the smaller Triples are testament of that. For a 6' tall guy like me, it has very comfortable ergos- definitely getting that test ride!
Ducati- The italians are easily one of the biggest draws in any show. Apart from the usual Monsters (including the Diesel edition) and Streetfighters, they had many Panigales (last year I remember when it was center stage at the time of its launch to the world) and even the 1098s & Diavels (the other big draw last year). Their show stealers this time were the new Hypermotard and the rather versatile Hyperstrada- the latter has a bit lower seat height and less aggressive ergonomics along with the windscreen & saddle bags- you know, for those touring needs. The different versions of the super tourer Multistrada were there- and it never fails- one almost always sees an older (50+) crowd flocking towards these massive touring bikes. Be it Ducati, or BMW or Yamaha or Honda etc.
BMW- they put a good show. So much so I didnt get any photos of them in! They had the whole range, each crafted to perfection. They seemed more sober as compared to the Ducatis but they were anything but plain. The S1000RR was delicious as was the R1200GS, the ultimate adventure bike (to most of the world anyway). But what caught my fancy most were the Huskies- now sold off to Stefan Pierer! I was hoping the Nuda would be there but the Terra & Strada looked just breath taking with their alien like forms!
Honda- they had their sensible CB500 & the NC range for all to admire. The engine on the NC700 & 500 seem a bit disappointing to someone like me. Being derived and functioning like a car engine, their revs top out even before they hit 7000rpms! Yeah, but the storage option on the NC700 for a helmet is a boon- even for the small grocery shopping on the way to home- without having to carry the helmet everywhere. The new 500s showed that their plastic work could be better- though it wasnt bad by any means (Hyosung was there to show that). However, clearly their hero was the CB1100- a true replica of the classic from the 1970s. You see a lot of the actual 1970s CBs in New York- and if you put this next to them, it would be quite hard to tell them apart. Except that this one has a modern engine and better chassis- and as far as retro cool goes, this one's got it! The attention to the smallest detail is phenomenal.
Kawasaki- the big green usually has one of the biggest spaces and it wasnt different this time around. As most of the people were busy straddling their ZX10s and the newly launched ZX6R (I was at the Times Square launch of the Ninja 300& ZX6R last year), my eyes were on the Z1000- the new 800 was nowhere to be seen though. Looking at cheaper options i the 600 segment, the Versys touring edition seemed like a wise choice, as was the Ninja 650.
Yamaha was there with a big booth though and clearly their focus seemed to be on the cruiser crowd- the entire Star line up was there, in shimmering chrome. Their custom bikes were really cool- in fact they seemed to pull more crowds than the production bikes. However, this was one booth that was not seeing many people hanging around too long.
The area with the biggest crowds was definitely the Harley Davidson booth. Like every year, they had a motorcycle that people could get up to revs- being tutored by a drag master. This is America and the big, balding, beer-belly bulging Americans thronged to get a piece of the action.
However, the younger generation was getting into the action too- heck, why not?! It was so crowded an stuffy in here that I totally skipped this one!
Indian was there with their new range. However, I was more enthralled by the "fastest Indian" used in Bonneville to break records in the 70s. Bimota & MV were there in hiding in a tiny corner- quite a shame really and the new lineup (of the new 675/800) wasnt even there. Completely absent was Aprilia- though a promotion from The Motorcycle Mall in New Jersey said that if you bought a RSV4, you would get the SR50 scooter free! Also absent was Piaggio and their cute Vespas- I was hoping to see the new 946 in person.
The electric motorcycles from Zero were amazing to see. They looked like very well built motorcycles but made sense only for people who had a garage because they needed charging ports. Otherwise, these bikes could easily pass off as normal motorcycles. Brammo (who have a 6 speed Empulse) and Lito should have been there to show more green power but there were missing sorely to compliment Zero.
Can-Am, as usual was there showing off its three-wheeled wonders which keep getting better every year. As was Victory with its range of Arlen Ness machines and Playboy bunnies to take photos with! Present was a interesting concept from a company called Christini from Philadelphia that made motorcycles with Two Wheel Drive! Interesting concept- somewhat like the Rokon- the front wheels get power from the engine and it helps in traversing tough terrain. Te difference here is that the power goes to the wheels even when you turn the bars. They had a dirt and a street model. The engine is Chinese made (similar to a Honda configuration as they say, whatever that means) and the warranty is only for thirty days! The warranty of the transmission is about a year at most I believe. Interesting concept- maybe mainstream manufacturers can make it better?
In attendance were a lot of custom bikes- from tricked-out cafe racers to blinged-out sportsbikes to stretch choppers- all beauties in motion vying for a prize. Also in attendance wee the fastest bikes on the planet- the Motogp machines like Lorenzo's Yamaha, the Repsol Hondas, Nicky's Ducati and the moto3 machines from Mahindra & KTM too.
There were lots of retailers selling helmets, accessories, apparel and merchandise. Good to see some new concepts like the Bell Rogue helmet for the cruiser crowd- to look like the menacing creatures they want to- or the various communication systems or even audio systems for your rides! Because of the crowds and the number of machines assaulting my senses, I had to go in two days and yet couldn't see it all. The stunt shows were so crowded this time, it wasn't worth it to fight through the crowds- used that time to get in some pictures of the bikes instead!
Well, that's it from here! Enjoy IBW and hope bike shows get better in India- this was, as my friend said, an assault to the senses. It was like Biker Heaven. And oh yeah, wish me luck so that my next report is on one of these beauties that I pick up soon! (and for more pictures of more bikes next time)
Some photos are attached here but the rest of the photos can be seen here: https://picasaweb.google.com/1095831...eat=directlink
Check out more about the shows here on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Internation...ows?ref=stream
Cheers from NYC and safe riding!
The International motorcycle show in New York City was held two weekends ago between January 19th and 21st at the massive Javits Center. The thing about these shows is that some venues get certain brands showcasing their products while some don't. I was mostly shopping for my next bike so the photos of production models that you will see will be from my shopping list! Plus, it was the most crowded I have seen it- and cramped. Seemed like the show got a smaller space than the previous years (some travel fair was happening in the same building).
I will give a quick rundown on what was there (and wasn't)
KTM- I was most excited to see them mainly because I had just owned the Duke 200 in Delhi and with rave reviews for the entire line-up, I couldn't wait. There were there in full grandeur- apart from their new dirt bike lineup, the splendid RC8- in production & race spec, the ultra capable Adventurer (Baja edition), the impressive 990SMT and the show-stealer (for me) Duke 690. The 690 is priced at $8990 (apparently $1500 cheaper than the earlier model!). Unfortunately, the R model wasnt there- they are testing waters. Due to lack of dealers near NYC, this looks a lower possibility for now. Oh and the 390 Duke? Not coming here till early next year apparently- maybe next year's show will have it.
Triumph- They had their entire range- from the neo-retros (Bonneville, Thruxton, Scrambler) to the Rockets and Tigers. Their stars were the new Daytona 675 and the Street Triple- the latter being a strong contender in my list. Everyone is going towards mass centralization, and the smaller Triples are testament of that. For a 6' tall guy like me, it has very comfortable ergos- definitely getting that test ride!
Ducati- The italians are easily one of the biggest draws in any show. Apart from the usual Monsters (including the Diesel edition) and Streetfighters, they had many Panigales (last year I remember when it was center stage at the time of its launch to the world) and even the 1098s & Diavels (the other big draw last year). Their show stealers this time were the new Hypermotard and the rather versatile Hyperstrada- the latter has a bit lower seat height and less aggressive ergonomics along with the windscreen & saddle bags- you know, for those touring needs. The different versions of the super tourer Multistrada were there- and it never fails- one almost always sees an older (50+) crowd flocking towards these massive touring bikes. Be it Ducati, or BMW or Yamaha or Honda etc.
BMW- they put a good show. So much so I didnt get any photos of them in! They had the whole range, each crafted to perfection. They seemed more sober as compared to the Ducatis but they were anything but plain. The S1000RR was delicious as was the R1200GS, the ultimate adventure bike (to most of the world anyway). But what caught my fancy most were the Huskies- now sold off to Stefan Pierer! I was hoping the Nuda would be there but the Terra & Strada looked just breath taking with their alien like forms!
Honda- they had their sensible CB500 & the NC range for all to admire. The engine on the NC700 & 500 seem a bit disappointing to someone like me. Being derived and functioning like a car engine, their revs top out even before they hit 7000rpms! Yeah, but the storage option on the NC700 for a helmet is a boon- even for the small grocery shopping on the way to home- without having to carry the helmet everywhere. The new 500s showed that their plastic work could be better- though it wasnt bad by any means (Hyosung was there to show that). However, clearly their hero was the CB1100- a true replica of the classic from the 1970s. You see a lot of the actual 1970s CBs in New York- and if you put this next to them, it would be quite hard to tell them apart. Except that this one has a modern engine and better chassis- and as far as retro cool goes, this one's got it! The attention to the smallest detail is phenomenal.
Kawasaki- the big green usually has one of the biggest spaces and it wasnt different this time around. As most of the people were busy straddling their ZX10s and the newly launched ZX6R (I was at the Times Square launch of the Ninja 300& ZX6R last year), my eyes were on the Z1000- the new 800 was nowhere to be seen though. Looking at cheaper options i the 600 segment, the Versys touring edition seemed like a wise choice, as was the Ninja 650.
Yamaha was there with a big booth though and clearly their focus seemed to be on the cruiser crowd- the entire Star line up was there, in shimmering chrome. Their custom bikes were really cool- in fact they seemed to pull more crowds than the production bikes. However, this was one booth that was not seeing many people hanging around too long.
The area with the biggest crowds was definitely the Harley Davidson booth. Like every year, they had a motorcycle that people could get up to revs- being tutored by a drag master. This is America and the big, balding, beer-belly bulging Americans thronged to get a piece of the action.
However, the younger generation was getting into the action too- heck, why not?! It was so crowded an stuffy in here that I totally skipped this one!
Indian was there with their new range. However, I was more enthralled by the "fastest Indian" used in Bonneville to break records in the 70s. Bimota & MV were there in hiding in a tiny corner- quite a shame really and the new lineup (of the new 675/800) wasnt even there. Completely absent was Aprilia- though a promotion from The Motorcycle Mall in New Jersey said that if you bought a RSV4, you would get the SR50 scooter free! Also absent was Piaggio and their cute Vespas- I was hoping to see the new 946 in person.
The electric motorcycles from Zero were amazing to see. They looked like very well built motorcycles but made sense only for people who had a garage because they needed charging ports. Otherwise, these bikes could easily pass off as normal motorcycles. Brammo (who have a 6 speed Empulse) and Lito should have been there to show more green power but there were missing sorely to compliment Zero.
Can-Am, as usual was there showing off its three-wheeled wonders which keep getting better every year. As was Victory with its range of Arlen Ness machines and Playboy bunnies to take photos with! Present was a interesting concept from a company called Christini from Philadelphia that made motorcycles with Two Wheel Drive! Interesting concept- somewhat like the Rokon- the front wheels get power from the engine and it helps in traversing tough terrain. Te difference here is that the power goes to the wheels even when you turn the bars. They had a dirt and a street model. The engine is Chinese made (similar to a Honda configuration as they say, whatever that means) and the warranty is only for thirty days! The warranty of the transmission is about a year at most I believe. Interesting concept- maybe mainstream manufacturers can make it better?
In attendance were a lot of custom bikes- from tricked-out cafe racers to blinged-out sportsbikes to stretch choppers- all beauties in motion vying for a prize. Also in attendance wee the fastest bikes on the planet- the Motogp machines like Lorenzo's Yamaha, the Repsol Hondas, Nicky's Ducati and the moto3 machines from Mahindra & KTM too.
There were lots of retailers selling helmets, accessories, apparel and merchandise. Good to see some new concepts like the Bell Rogue helmet for the cruiser crowd- to look like the menacing creatures they want to- or the various communication systems or even audio systems for your rides! Because of the crowds and the number of machines assaulting my senses, I had to go in two days and yet couldn't see it all. The stunt shows were so crowded this time, it wasn't worth it to fight through the crowds- used that time to get in some pictures of the bikes instead!
Well, that's it from here! Enjoy IBW and hope bike shows get better in India- this was, as my friend said, an assault to the senses. It was like Biker Heaven. And oh yeah, wish me luck so that my next report is on one of these beauties that I pick up soon! (and for more pictures of more bikes next time)
Some photos are attached here but the rest of the photos can be seen here: https://picasaweb.google.com/1095831...eat=directlink
Check out more about the shows here on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Internation...ows?ref=stream
Cheers from NYC and safe riding!
Attached Files
Comment