Another year, another show… did the 2006 London Motorcycle Show at Alexandra Palace keep up the good work put in last year? Bob Pickett spends another day battling with the crowds
The 2005 show saw a huge improvement over previous years, with a much better layout ensuring easier access to the bikes. And for 2006? Well why re-work what already uses the available space at Alexandra Palace well. So the layout was the same, down to exhibitors being in pretty much exactly the same places as last year. Well done to all concerned for not trying to fix what ain't broke.
With that out of the way, I can now get onto the main part of the review. For those of you that have been following these reviews over the last couple of years in here and in a certain magazine title before that - and if not, where have you been? - you know the format by now. Ally Pally doesn't have the kind of space available to the larger exhibition halls like the NEC. So the manufacturers have to be more selective with which wares are put on display - and it is a fair bet that these will be the bikes they are pushing hard into the marketplace in 2006. Time to get out the crystal ball and let Gypsy Rose Pickett predict what the dealers will be working hard to flog. Or perhaps more importantly what the 2nd hand buyers will be looking to snap up with 500 miles on the clock when the "Must have it!" crowd sell them on a couple of months down the line…
From the layout of the stands, it looks like this years "Vehicle du Jour" will be the middleweight budget all-rounder. BMW, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all have new entrants into this arena in 2006.
So why target the middleweight all-rounder class so pointedly? Think about this. Of the top five machines registered in the 126-650cc class in the UK in 2005, sportsbikes dominated - with one exception. At 1,525 bikes purchased, Suzuki's SV650S outsold the GSXR600 and was just 20 or so sales short of 2nd place behind the CBR600RR and R6. Do the maths. 1,525 at £4,595? You're talking just over £7 million of sales. And with another four bikes selling between 800-1,000 bikes, this class is a potential money-spinner. More and more people are starting to look at alternatives to 150+mph as insurance costs and speeding comes more and more to the fore in the public sight… with the attendant licence threats that go hand in hand with it. So something a little less hyper but still with the potential for fun with that practicality starts to make more sense.
Of course, with the influx of new models, this is also now an overcrowded marketplace - there are something like 15 different models out there to tempt the buyer. So what direction have the main players taken this year?
Well Suzuki are the main culprits of flooding this market with two twins in the form of the SV650S and naked SV650 plus four versions of the long-lived Bandit (two naked, two faired, two at 600cc and two at 650cc). But they have come up with yet another bike in the range, in the form of the GSR600. There were high hopes a few years ago that the futuristic B-King concept bike would reach production. Instead, we got the watered down version you see here. In a class that has so much competition, a bike needs to stand out… and the GSR600 just doesn't. Even with the flash decals on the model shown here, the reaction was "Hmm…" That said, it did get a fair few bums perched on the saddle through the day, so I suppose the jury should remain out on this one. Perhaps the 600 Bandit range should finally be put to bed, leaving the GSR600 to compete in this part of the arena?
If you are talking 'doing something different', then there is only one bike to talk about next. Kawasaki have been ignoring this class for years, making do with the GPZ500S and it's naked sibling the ER-5 for years. Kawasaki publicly acknowledged the need for innovation and a revamp of their line… so say hello to the ER-6n naked bike and it's faired brother, the ER-6f.
The 'n' has looks that can only be described as "quirky". With that big light on the front (based on the masks used in Japanese 'Noh' theatre - does that make it a "Noh"se faring then?) it looks like nothing else out there. Much better in the flesh than on photograph to be honest, but to me the naked bike looks a bit like a scooter head on. And I don't need treating like a scooter rider in London in rush hour.
On the other hand… to my eyes, the faired ER-6f is gorgeous. The same bike as the 'n' aside from full fairing, the faired version is, to me, going to be that bit more practical and still gives the image of a fun bike.
But why go the parallel twin route? Amazingly, when you consider the market dominance of the SV650/S over the years since it launched in 1999 (this was Europe's biggest selling bike at one stage), no-one else has tried to bring out a twin, all settling down to compete with each other for the four-cylinder audience. Kawasaki are not known for their vee-twins outside of their cruisers, so they've made a new parallel (very much a Kawasaki trademark in the middleweight stakes) to take a chunk of those sales. And if you think back to the sums done above, half of those sales will make Kawasaki a handsome pot of money.
The ER-6 isn't the only entrant into the twin-cylinder middleweight class of course. BMW have dipped their toes into the water with their twin bikes (no pun intended) F800S and F800ST. Continuing the parallel-twin revival, these two bikes (the "S" is the "street" version with the ST for the touring class) put out more power than their rivals, but with all the additional weight to carry, they need to. The ST was pretty popular on the day, while the "S" sat there beside it, ignored by pretty much everyone. The bikes in this class tend to be quite attractive these days - and only the F800S' mother would love a face like that.
So what is left? Yamaha - already in the market with their naked and faired Fazers (long rant about how much better the old bike was compared to the current model deleted) have come up with an interesting alternative in the form of the MT-03. Nimble little single-cylinder machine? Ideal for backroads… and also for the commuter run. OK, this isn't a machine you'd probably want to take on a motorway, but this isn't an issue for a lot of commuters, who need a well balanced machine with low-down poke and nimble handing. The MT-03 might just surprise a few people.
Of course, there were a lot of other things happening, not least being the re-launch of Moto Morini, in the form of their 9 ½ and Corsaro bikes. Very nice, but to be honest, not really standing out from the masses to me. They weren't really that distinguishable from the Raptors sitting on the same stand. That said, for a first effort from the re-launched Italian marque, they appeared well made and would be an interesting alternative to a lot of the naked/semi-naked bikes out there.
And then there is Triumph, who are making a habit of wowing the audience with something new. In 2004 there was the Rocket. In 2005 the new Sprint ST and Speed Triple. All of these have sold in their droves and figure well in their respective classes. And for 2006, the British company have really hit the jackpot in the form of their Daytona 675 sports bike.
This beast is stunning. Slender is an understatement - how Triumph have managed to squeeze their trademark triple into this tiny frame is nothing short of miraculous. If it even goes a smidgeon as well as it looks - and reports say it is nothing short of superb on the road - then it has to be a fantastic bike. And Triumph can't make them fast enough, with the entire initial run selling out before the first one rolled into a showroom!
Away from the bikes, the usual marketplace is there - another area that has benefitted from the improved layout. Somehow it isn't a battle any more to get to see the wares on offer. The display areas (like the strange but fascinating custom choppers show) are well laid out as well.
Just one complaint for the year. It is 2006. We are in the second half of the first decade of the new millennium. So isn't it time that smoking was banned from the halls? Ally Pally is a big place (and has lots of grounds), so why can't a designated smoking area be established? If nothing else, I don't want to buy a new piece of kit and have it reeking of someone's stale smoke before I even get it home - much less want to suffer the smell when I put it on.
The 2005 show saw a huge improvement over previous years, with a much better layout ensuring easier access to the bikes. And for 2006? Well why re-work what already uses the available space at Alexandra Palace well. So the layout was the same, down to exhibitors being in pretty much exactly the same places as last year. Well done to all concerned for not trying to fix what ain't broke.
Well Suzuki are the main culprits of flooding this market with two twins in the form of the SV650S and naked SV650 plus four versions of the long-lived Bandit (two naked, two faired, two at 600cc and two at 650cc). But they have come up with yet another bike in the range, in the form of the GSR600. There were high hopes a few years ago that the futuristic B-King concept bike would reach production. Instead, we got the watered down version you see here. In a class that has so much competition, a bike needs to stand out… and the GSR600 just doesn't. Even with the flash decals on the model shown here, the reaction was "Hmm…" That said, it did get a fair few bums perched on the saddle through the day, so I suppose the jury should remain out on this one. Perhaps the 600 Bandit range should finally be put to bed, leaving the GSR600 to compete in this part of the arena?
If you are talking 'doing something different', then there is only one bike to talk about next. Kawasaki have been ignoring this class for years, making do with the GPZ500S and it's naked sibling the ER-5 for years. Kawasaki publicly acknowledged the need for innovation and a revamp of their line… so say hello to the ER-6n naked bike and it's faired brother, the ER-6f.
On the other hand… to my eyes, the faired ER-6f is gorgeous. The same bike as the 'n' aside from full fairing, the faired version is, to me, going to be that bit more practical and still gives the image of a fun bike.
But why go the parallel twin route? Amazingly, when you consider the market dominance of the SV650/S over the years since it launched in 1999 (this was Europe's biggest selling bike at one stage), no-one else has tried to bring out a twin, all settling down to compete with each other for the four-cylinder audience. Kawasaki are not known for their vee-twins outside of their cruisers, so they've made a new parallel (very much a Kawasaki trademark in the middleweight stakes) to take a chunk of those sales. And if you think back to the sums done above, half of those sales will make Kawasaki a handsome pot of money.
The ER-6 isn't the only entrant into the twin-cylinder middleweight class of course. BMW have dipped their toes into the water with their twin bikes (no pun intended) F800S and F800ST. Continuing the parallel-twin revival, these two bikes (the "S" is the "street" version with the ST for the touring class) put out more power than their rivals, but with all the additional weight to carry, they need to. The ST was pretty popular on the day, while the "S" sat there beside it, ignored by pretty much everyone. The bikes in this class tend to be quite attractive these days - and only the F800S' mother would love a face like that.
So what is left? Yamaha - already in the market with their naked and faired Fazers (long rant about how much better the old bike was compared to the current model deleted) have come up with an interesting alternative in the form of the MT-03. Nimble little single-cylinder machine? Ideal for backroads… and also for the commuter run. OK, this isn't a machine you'd probably want to take on a motorway, but this isn't an issue for a lot of commuters, who need a well balanced machine with low-down poke and nimble handing. The MT-03 might just surprise a few people.
Of course, there were a lot of other things happening, not least being the re-launch of Moto Morini, in the form of their 9 ½ and Corsaro bikes. Very nice, but to be honest, not really standing out from the masses to me. They weren't really that distinguishable from the Raptors sitting on the same stand. That said, for a first effort from the re-launched Italian marque, they appeared well made and would be an interesting alternative to a lot of the naked/semi-naked bikes out there.
This beast is stunning. Slender is an understatement - how Triumph have managed to squeeze their trademark triple into this tiny frame is nothing short of miraculous. If it even goes a smidgeon as well as it looks - and reports say it is nothing short of superb on the road - then it has to be a fantastic bike. And Triumph can't make them fast enough, with the entire initial run selling out before the first one rolled into a showroom!