| Author | Message | ||
     Doerman |
Some impressions... The crowds were definitely missing. Maybe half the crowd compared to last year. Manufacturers were missing as well. Absent were: Aprilia, Guzzi, Hyosong, Kymko that I can remember being different from last year. (and of course, Buell  ) Notable factories that were there, but reduced in size: BMW, HD, Yamaha Ducati was the only OEM that had a bigger presence this year compared to previous. Large increase in part, apparel and services vendors and vendors that modify bikes (Tapout for example). I noticed also that both Suzuki and Yamaha had big emphasis on their cruiser bikes. And now for the fun part. My wife and I were both flying the Buell flag. Buell shirts and jackets. Walking through the HD booth was like having the power to part the sea. The people working the booth avoided us like the plague and looked outright nervous that we were actually going to talk with them. Other Buellers did a few pranks as evidenced by Sparky's picture (bottom of the thread). Not that anyone should condone such behavior! So now for the fun part. The new Norton's. Sir Alan Cathardt(sp) himself were there as well. All I an say is they spared no expense in top notch suspension and brake equipment. Great looking bikes and fine folks representing them. Fun. One last remark which also echoes Sparky's impression. Wearing Buell clothes to the show prompted many people to approach us in a consolatory tone, genuinely expressing confusion and bordering on irritation towards HD for making the move to close Buell. It is more evident every day that HD is a trainwreck and acts like a child lost in tall weeds. | ||
| Desert_uly |
Attended Saturday show,I was a bit disappointed in the missing manufacturers. Bikes that I had a real desire to check out were not on hand (ok, the multistrada 1200 was nice, just too many kids using it as a piece of playground equipment). Since the vendors on hand were much fewer than previous shows, maybe the price should have been dropped to reflect a lesser quality show. Never stepped foot in the HD exhibit as I continue my boycott. All is well though as I headed home with a new British Motorcycle Gear Challenger Jacket ($280),keeping me rather comfortable for the 100 mile ride home on a cold and cloudy Los Angeles afternoon. | ||
| Nik |
KTM was missing also, as were all Piaggio brands (Piaggio, Aprilia, Vespa, Motoguzzi). It was overall a disappointment. | ||
| Sycho |
A friend and I were there on Sat. both wearin Buell Shirts. Mine was with the new Logo and his was an older staff shirt. We got quite a few positive comments and thumbs up. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Wow, KTM,Aprilia and Guzzi all at San Mateo show. Never even walked by the HD area. |
