Recently my wife and attended the International Motorcycle Show (IMS) in Washington DC. This is around or fifth or sixth IMS in a row and about eight altogether. It has always been a good time and we enjoy going.
This year though there were a lot of missing manufacturers. Some of the smaller companies Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield were missing, not necessarily surprising in the current market. But KTM was a no show, Ducati, Husqvarna were represented by local dealers and Honda, Harley Davidson and especially Indian were quite downsized.
The number of smaller vendors was about the same as was the crowd. Although I will say it felt as if there were fewer people because the alleys between vendors was much wider than in the past.
As side entertainment there was a motorcycle stunt show, little kids riding electric bikes and adults riding Electric Zeros. There was also a vintage motorcycle. There was also the annual J&P Cycles touring custom motorcycle show, there were a bunch of hot bikes to look at.
The two most intriguing items for me were the new KLIM airbag vest and the fact that Harley Davidson had their new Pan American and Bronx motorcycles “under glass”. The KLIM airbag vest, selling for $499 is, I think, the cheapest vest, by a major maker, on the market. It has piqued my interest and if I find an extra $500 I might be in the market to purchase one.
The Harley motorcycles under glass was interesting. Both bikes were getting a lot of attention and I heard folks stating that they like the styling on both. The glass, however, made taking photos difficult, as you can see below. Harley also had their Live Wire electric motorcycle on display as well as an opportunity to “ride” it on a dyno like roller.
So, what did I come away with from this years IMS? I was reinforced that the motorcycle industry is in general decline and I really like the styling of the new Suzuki Katana! While my back can no longer take riding a sport bike, man that Katana is hot!
I JUST WANT 2 RIDE!! 