Ride Diary

Philadelphia Bike Show

I got to the show after experiencing some nutso aggressive drivers (definitely north of the Mason-Dixon Line now) and weaving my way through some crowded city streets. Bike parking on the sidewalk seems to be an accepted local custom, but I did not partake, finding a surface lot instead. I saw one guy trying to kick start an ancient BSA, while parked on the sidewalk. I stowed my gear at the coat check and proceeded into the crowded convention hall.

For the first part of the visit to the show, I treated it as a bike petting zoo. I sat on just about every bike, except the big touring rigs and cruisers that really don't interest me. I skipped the Harley and Buell displays. I'll have to say that of the bunch, Honda had by far the weakest set up. I was poorly laid out and there were no freebies, posters and the like. There was one 750 NH, and a fair number of people around it checking it out. The new Goldwing also had quite a crowd around it. I was favorably impressed by the VFR. Despite its sporty disposition I didn't feel like I had to wrap myself around the gas tank.

I spent most of my time sitting on bikes in the Suzuki area. Suzuki had the full color range in the Bandit 1200 and 1200S and SV650 and SV650S. As far as one can tell just for sitting on a bike, I was very impressed with the SV650S and I think it beats the Kawa ZR-7S hands down in the looks and ergos department. The fairing on the Kawa looks like an afterthought, especially from the rider's vantage point. The Bandit feels a lot heavier (which it is) than the SV650 but not intimidating and the ergos feel good. I've sat on the SVs before and they felt different. I'm beginning to think that the show bikes probably had no fluids in them. That and the heavier padded carpet threw off the weight perceptions a little bit.

Yamaha had the FZ1 on a turntable and not available for close up inspection. I also spent some time in the BMW, Ducati, Triumph and Moto-Guzzi displays. I was a bit put off that so much floor space was given over to Toyota Trucks. I understand that they are a major sponsor, but if I pay $9 for admittance, I would rather see bikes, not trucks.

As for the aftermarket accessories manufacturers, their floor space was very limited. K&N, Progressive Suspension, Givi, Dynojet, etc. were housed at tiny little kiosks. Unless you wanted to engage the reps in a lengthy conversion, there wasn't much information to be had. I'm in the market for boots, but Prexsport was the only boot manufacturer on hand, so I was a little disappointed. The Prexsport boots seemed very nice, but they only had display models and no way to try on for size, etc. I did spring for a two-year Motorcycle Consumer News subscription. They offered a deeply discounted show rate and your pick of two back issues. Of the apparel manufacturers, Motoport had a very nice display and sales area. I hadn't really considered Motoport before. If I didn't already have an Aerostich, I might be inclined in their direction.

All in all, worth the time and money investment to make the trip. I did make a wrong turn on the way back and was rewarded with a scenic detour through Camden, NJ. Not exactly the garden spot of the Garden State. A bit later I pulled off 95 at the Delaware Service Plaza and discovered my right hand covered in blood. I developed a blister from the Gerbing gloves (the wires rub on my middle finger). Note to self: carry small first aid kit at all times. Other than getting chewed out by a Phila. cop because I made a pit stop to readjust my tank bag too near a toll booth for his taste, it was an uneventful trip bike wise. The Gerbing electrics earned their keep, even with temps in the 40s. A good use of a day and 320 miles on the bike.