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London motorcycle shows are like buses; you wait ages for one and then two turn up at once. Motobke.co.uk divides forces and reviews both shows

Words by Bob Pickett and Kevin Turner; photos by Bob Pickett, Laura Pickett and Kevin Turner

Click here for the 2006 show review

'I'm the only cruiser in the village' - Rocket III sits alone at Ally Pally Once upon a time, there was one bike show in London; the MCN show at Alexandra Palace. Then, after many years monopoly, the MCI created a rival show - the 020 show at the Excel centre. The latter was killed off… only for the old show to decide to move home this year… to the Excel centre, where the new show used to live. Then, just as we got used to the idea, a new show sprang up… at Ally Pally, which is where the old show was formerly housed.

Confused? To try to make sense of all this, Motobke.co.uk split ranks and sent out intrepid reporters Kevin Turner and Bob Pickett to cover both shows.

First up: Kevin Turner goes to north London to visit the Superbike Ally Pally '07 Bike Show:

There's plenty of things about a bike show one can live without - the overpriced beer, the compulsion to buy stuff you know you'll never ever use - however, there remains one particular feature I think we'd all agree is necessary - motorbikes.

Sadly, this is where the 2007 Ally Pally show stumbled. There was a dearth of manufacturer-backed machinery. With the exception of a few new models lined up (and fenced off!) in the entrance corridor, the rest of the show was dominated by stand after stand of discount leathers, DVDs, after-markets exhausts and cheap toolkits.

Of the bikes that were on display, the vast majority were track bikes, last year's models or custom one-offs, which is great if you've never seen slick tyres before, not so good if you want to get a feel for a potential new purchase. After 30 minutes wandering around the main hall, the general impression was not so much 'motorbike show' as 'warehouse clearance sale'.

The fact that just about every bike on every stand had a 'please do not touch/sit on/point at' sign hanging off it kind of summed up the atmosphere of the whole event.

Hand's off - very much the Ally Pally theme Certainly, the only people getting close to Ducati's gorgeous 1098 or Honda's new CRB600RR (two of the machines fenced off in the entrance hall) were the models straddling them. Now, I'm a sports bike rider and I have an appreciation for attractive girls. But I'm also a bike fan in general, and a bit of variety would have been nice.

Those attendees who didn't live for track days and pocket rockets could have been forgiven for feeling very ostracised. For a leading bike show to feature just one cruiser (the Triumph Rocket III) across its whole display is frankly inexcusable (a couple of other customer cruisers were dotted about, but they were clearly chopped one-offs and not for resale.)

Newcomers hoping to get a feel for a range of bikes were to be sorely disappointed. A couple of KTMs featured as token gestures to the off-road community, while anyone looking for a practical daily commuter-cum-tourer had to make do with Yamaha's new 2007 Fazer.

On the plus side (finally!) the small collection of classic and vintage bikes (including a '83 Honda NS500 as written by Freddie Spencer, and a Sheene campaigned Suzuki XR05) were a nice distraction, although the presence of the Hawk Kawasaki team truck outside the venue hinted at a potential treat that never surfaced.

Elsewhere, three or four drag bikes were crammed into a tiny display with nothing to hint at the power, danger or thrill riding such a machine could invoke (surely a big screen display isn't asking too much?) and the stunt show may or may not have been staggering, I wasn't going to hang around to find out.

The question is; what does the Ally Pally want to be? If it aims to become a trade event where discount kit and after-market spares can be picked up cheap in a no frills environment, then it is well on the way to achieving that goal (though the fact that smoking is still allowed in the venue means that anything you buy will stink by the time you get it home). But please, don't try and sell it as a motorbike show - that is something else entirely.

Next: Bob Pickett heads to east London and down to the docks to visit the MCN London Motorcycle Show at the Excel centre:

Now I have to be honest and say that, after looking at the floor plan for the MCN Show, I was concerned that pretty much the same scenario as the Superbike Show was going to be repeated; namely 'Wot, No Bikes?'

Man sits on bike shocker - well done MCN show for letting me do this As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. Just the three official manufacturer stands (well done BMW, Ducati and KTM), but Harley-Davidson also had a large presence in the form of a well-stocked (and knowledgeable) stand laid on by Warrs Harley-Davidson. Other than that, there was a range of "themed" stands, 'Cruisers' 'Naked Bikes (Oo-er missus to save you inserting your own joke)', 'Sportsbikes', 'Adventure' bikes and so forth. This meant that the various dealers wares were represented, but without anyone to talk to about the bikes.

But lets not get too damning here. The stands were well laid out and by and large it was easy enough to sling a leg over a bike you were interested in (yes, I did say "Sling a leg over" - the MCN show actually allowed you to SIT on a bike! Revolutionary concept or what?) And if you're interested in a bike, I guess most of us would then head to our local dealership?

Of the bikes there, I guess the highlights were:

Ducati 1098 - worthy successor to the 916 Ducati 1098 - finally it looks like they have come up with the bike that has the looks as well as the performance to take over from the iconic 916.
Harley-Davidson XR1200 - originally a prototype put out to get feedback… so much so that they decided to put it into production.
Bimota DB6 Delerio - back again after yet another round of financial troubles, Bimota still know how to build an exquisite chassis and the DB6 certainly has that.

Three very different bikes, showing that there is still diversity out there.

Harley-Davidson ZX1200 - proof that manufacturers can listen to their public The MCN Show was set out in two bright, airy and air-conditioned halls. And this meant that the atmosphere was pleasant most of the time - we deliberately arrived at what we thought would be the busiest time (Saturday lunchtime) and the halls were heaving, but we never felt claustrophobic. The plan was simple - bikes to sit on in the one hall, displays of bikes you couldn't sit on (classic bikes, customs etc) in the other hall. And the various and sundry trade stands were based around them, but spaced out and far enough away that you could separate the two functions, plan out a day and when you needed a break, head into the central corridor for something to eat and drink.

Perhaps for me the most telling factors about how much more I enjoyed the show experience at the Excel? I had time to actually indulge myself with a little shopping at leisure, as I wasn't fighting to get to the stands to look at something and talk to the sales assistants.

And the final winning factor? I have been reporting the MCN London Motorcycle Show for the best part of a decade. This is the first year I can recall leaving it feeling fresh and clean (NO SMOKING IN THE HALLS) and not looking for a chemist to buy something for the thumping headache.

Editor's verdict:

Bimota DB6 Delerio - stunning framed exotica One of the main reasons for people to visit bike shows is to go and see the new bikes (especially bikes they are thinking of buying), put bums on saddles and possibly get some information from the manufacturers reps attending the stands.

And to do this, you need manufacturers displaying their wares. The Ally Pally show had none; the MCN show performed better, with four. OK, there was the usual smattering of exotica at both shows - but this should be the icing on the cake, not the filling.

For me, there was only one winner; the MCN London Motorcycle Show at Excel. They provided bikes to sit on, the halls are fresh airy and smoke free and the transport links are excellent (roads, stations and bus routes right into the venue).

I still think London is big enough to support two shows, but not a week apart. Spread them out, sort out the content and there could be a future for both. But if not, I know which one I'd rather attend in 2008.

Click here to return to the 2008 show review

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