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London Motorcycle Shows 2009 – once again, two shows back to back. Bob Pickett and Kevin Turner share the reporting duties.

Click here for the 2008 show review

Something odd and custom - it is show time again! After last year’s ‘just the one show thank you’ welcome scenario, for 2009 London bikers have two shows, almost on top of one another... splitting exhibitors and show goers loyalty. The MCN show at the Excel in Docklands came first, so that will be the lead here. Assuming we do get allowed into the Ally Pally show (we’ve been promised), that report will be added here. If the promise is reneged upon, then expect vitriol!

First up - MCN London Motorcycle Show 2009 – Bob Pickett braves cold, snow and the credit crunch to report from Docklands

BMW enter the world superbike arena Ok, let’s cut to the chase. If you have been following my reviews from the MCN show for the last decade (and if not, where were you?), you will know the score. We go to the MCN show as it is smaller than the NEC extravaganza, as this means the manufacturers have less room to work with. And less room means they’re concentrating their displays on bikes they really want to push during the year. Look at the bikes where most people put bums on seats and then talk to the staff – and you have a pretty good idea what bikes are going to be bought when the 2009 models hit the shops... or as we call it at Motobke.co.uk, what bikes are going to be available much cheaper with under a 1,000 miles on the clock when the same people decide they don’t like it as much as they thought!

On the evidence of this year, 2009 is seeing the credit crunch bite, as the show-goers were wearing their sensible shoes and paying a lot of attention to bikes that will do a bit of everything, but not bleed your pockets dry at the petrol pump. In no particular order, these were the bikes that appeared to get a lot of attention at the stands:

BMW F800GS - all the fun without the need to look like Ewan... BMW drew them in with their S1000RR World Superbike. But once on the stand, it would appear the F800 range was attracting a range of potential BMW converts – especially the F800GS, as people realise that whilst they might want to look like Messrs McGregor and Boorman, in reality, something smaller, lighter but still with real potential to cover distances, commute or just enjoy the bike makes a lot more sense, but no less fun.

Ducati? – situation normal, ie. “Lets all sit on the sportsbikes, have our photos taken and make vroom-vroom noises”, but really all be very interested in the Monster range. That said, one hell of a lot of attention was paid to the new ‘Streetfighter’ (note to all of bike journalism and whoever names bikes; a streetfighter is, by definition, a factory bike, taken home then stripped and modded by the owner – a ‘Factory Streetfighter’ is an oxymoron, OK?) – should interest levels translate to sales, then Ducati will have a healthy bank balance for 2009.

The Ducati Oxymoron... er I mean Streetfighter KTM was situation normal as well. Their RC8 had all the pix and vroom noises, but the buying public were looking at the Duke range as well as the 690 Enduro (which would make an excellent town bike).

Triumph? You probably don’t need me to confirm that the two biggest draws were the Street Triple and 675 Daytona. The former especially saw queues forming to try it (particularly the ‘R’ model). Away from these two, the ST Sprint also saw strong interest.

Proving that Britain isn’t so sportsbike obsessed as we once were, both the Victory and Harley-Davidson stands were getting attention. Of these, the Victory Jackpot was popular, with a lot of people chatting to staff about the Vision Tour – quite possibly the biggest thing ever seen on two wheels. Back at Harley, the taste police were on standby as most backsides landed on the saddle of my namesake, the ‘Fat Bob Custom’. Once photos were taken with garish paint job, attention did move over to its ‘normally clothed’ brother. The Dyna range also seemed to generate interest.

Triumph 675 Daytona - this and the Street Triple lead the world... well done Triumph Moving away from Europe and the USA, what is Japan hoping we’ll buy this year? Again, very much the workmanlike, do it all machines.

Yamaha should be coining it with the Fazer and Diversion – in the case of the latter, it would appear the name (and the huge top box someone thought would be a good idea) is not a turn off, as Yamaha’s ER-6 rival (quick sit on it and this former ER-6 owner felt at home straight away) got far more attention than might have been expected.

As I mentioned the ER-6 range, over at Kawasaki they once again were drawing people in, as was the Z range (more so the Z750 than the 1000). But some serious mile munching is on the cards as once again the ZZR1400 was popular.

Yamaha Diversion - a Divvy for the new millenium - even that topbox didn't put people off Honda, to finish off, was also wearing the sensible shows and planning some decent trips, with the CBF1000GT, Deauville (no, really), VFR and CB1000 getting serious attention.

You will notice no mention of Suzuki – and this draws me to this year’s grumble. Sadly – and possibly caused by the two shows on top of each other situation – going to a London bike show is a bit like an inverted game of ‘Where’s Wally?’, as you look to see which manufacturer DIDN’T turn up! Last year Triumph (complaint clearly worked as they were here this year), Suzuki this year.

Dear Suzuki, please take note: in 2008, after work was done and I had a little time to myself, I made bee-line to your stand, as I wanted to know what the GSX650F felt like to sit on. And I liked it. Enough for me to sort out a test ride. Which made me like it enough to buy one. And I wouldn’t mind betting this is what gets a lot of the buying public (the ones who pay your wages remember) heading into dealers to see if they can get to try out that bike they sat on and liked at a show. So please, a full turn-out for 2010?

Kawasaki VN900 - a cruiser the short of stature could actually ride One more bike related note: why are all the cruisers getting larger and larger? Is 950cc really an introductory size? If you are starting out in the biking world and aren't the tallest person in the world, the current crop of cruisers are just too physically large for the short of stature to get their feet down. Two exceptions were the Honda Shadow and the Kawasaki VN range. Or of course... Harley Davidson, who make an 'L' (for lower range). So H-D ensure the work they've done in cultivating the female market continues, as Japan loses out.

So how was the show overall for 2009? Again, credit to the organisers. Nice wide aisles so it isn’t a battle to get round and the bike stands aren’t all in one place (the annual moan at Ally Pally), meaning it isn’t a rugby scrum just to see a bike, let alone sit on one. Well done to all the manufacturer stands – they were all well laid-out, had a decent range of bikes and enough space between them to make looking at and sitting on enjoyable.

Victory Vision Tour - a bike so large it could justify it's own hall! Bike parking – in terms of the attendants and the markings – improved this year. No trying to force us to park directly in front of another bike and trapping it (plus point), but they were trying to squeeze us all a bit too close to the bike to our side (it is nice to have enough space to swing your leg over your bike when leaving!). And if you came from the East, the loss of the park near the entrance due to expansion plans meant not only a decent hike, but a mystery tour as the way in isn’t well signposted.

But I can live with a bit of a walk from where I parked the bike! I am always going to prefer Excel to Ally Pally as a venue – the road network is better, if TfL didn’t keep closing chunks of the network then it would have superior rail links - with footbridges direct from station to venue! - plus a decent number of buses.

Harley-Davidson Fat Bob Custom - under that paint job is actually a good looking bike And the venue is a purpose-built exhibition centre. It is bright, airy and I come away from there without a headache... if only I could have said the same for the seven years of Paracetamol popping at the show’s old home.

Talking of which...



Next, the Ally Pally Motorcycle Show 2009 – Kevin Turner has a sense of déjà-vu... sadly, not for the golden years it seems

Ally Pally 2009 - people mill about, looking for something to sit on... Fifteen quid is a lot of money in these troubled times, so if you’re going to charge that much for entrance to a bike show, it better be worth it; which is where, yet again, the Ally Pally show falls down. It’s not that it’s a rubbish event, indeed, if you need a new set of spanners, some cheap(ish) leathers or bargain gloves, it’s the place to be; but if you were hoping that those fifteen notes would open the door to a world of stunning girls hanging off the latest bikes and the chance to clamber over the latest machines you’d be sorely disappointed.

Still, let’s start with the positives….ok, now on to the bad stuff. Well, maybe that’s being a bit unkind. Let’s see, there was a row of very cool and very OTT choppers on display. I’d like to tell you just how uncomfortable they were but I wasn’t allowed to sit on them; same story with the nice (but small) display of vintage bikes on hand, and the monstrous rocket bike and vicious-looking Isle of Man sidecar. Seriously, in this day and age, simply gawping at some weird contraptions isn’t enough, we want to be able to experience them, at least at a standstill. Neither could I clamber on board any of the few new bikes to be seen; the usual crop of Ninja’s, Gixers and CBRs were dotted around, though none of them affiliated to a manufacturer. Most were there as clothes-horses for rear-sets or crash bungs etc.

In fact, the only proper manufacturer display to be seen – I say ‘proper’ as there was a Ducati stand but it was so small and poorly set-up I don’t think it was actually tied to the manufacturer – so the only proper display was from KTM, which, to be fair, not only had a bunch of new bikes on hand but was also happy to let paying punters sit on them! The new RC8 felt wonderful, much roomier than the current crop of 600s with a real feel of quality about it. But why Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda et al couldn’t provide something similar in the way of displays is anyone’s guess. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that there was hardly anyone there to see them.

It was almost spookily quiet; in fact, at about half three on the Saturday afternoon a number of exhibitors had already packed up and gone home. That’s astonishing and not a little depressing given we’re talking about a major motorbike show in London. Was it a symptom of the credit crunch? People simply not wanting to spend money on their toys? Somehow I don’t think so. More likely the £15 entrance fee, coupled with the absence of manufacturers and the overall tawdry presentation might explain the lack of customers (although in the interests of objective journalism I should mention that one exhibitor I spoke to said it had been much busier on the Friday, although a number of others disputed this).

Another bike show, another wierd thing... but this on its own just isn't enough What I can say for sure is that 90% of the people I spoke to wouldn’t be coming back. The general impression I got from chatting to visitors was that the entrance fee was far too expensive to justify the show’s contents. The frankly embarrassing remote control motorbike races didn’t help; although I imagine the fact that a good chunk of the main hall was given over to this awful event was demonstrative of the fact that the organisers simply couldn’t attract enough exhibitors. This theory was lent credence when we wondered into one of the smaller rooms to find one stall flogging pet rugs. Pet rugs! At a bike show! And fifteen quid for the privilege!

I really hoped this year’s show would be a step up from that of a couple of years ago when I last attended, but the reality was exactly the opposite. The problem, which is exactly as it was last time, is that the show simply doesn’t know what it wants to be. It’s not a bike show in the sense of it being a day out you’d take the kids to and expect to be entertained with events and the latest machines; it’s a trade fair, but that’s not how it sells itself.

If the organisers simply accepted that they couldn’t rival the MCN show and instead charged a fiver entrance they’d probably be on to a winner. At least they wouldn’t be angering punters, gutted at spending so much on so little (that said, I got a new set of RST leathers at a bargain price so I probably shouldn’t complain too much!).

Overall, too expensive, repetitious stalls – some of them clearly dragged in to make up the numbers – and a dearth of manufactures meant that once again, the Ally Pally show fell flat. If there is a next year, organisers please, either slash the price or do something to justify it.

Editors Comment

Well done KTM for allowing people to sit on bikes - and well done for attending both shows in these hard times Once again, we have two London shows, right on top of the other – and once again, it is us, the paying public, that comes out the poorer for it. Vendors can’t afford to attend both, so they spread themselves thin. Unless you’re up for paying out £30 to attend two (theoretically) similar shows within 30 days, you have to flip a coin and choose which one you are going to go for.

That is unless, like me, you like to have a sit on a bike along with your bargain hunt. And if you do, then quite simply, you head over to Docklands and attend the MCN show at Excel.

To close, I will say again what I said two years ago. London is a big city. It is certainly large enough to run a couple of bike shows in the same year... but not inside a month of each other! The MCN show isn’t going to move – and serves a purpose being when it is, as it gives the manufacturers a chance to show their wares just before that years’ new models are released into the dealers.

So why not move the Ally Pally show to, say, July? Make it a “Midsummer Bike Extravaganza” or some such title? It would then slot neatly between the NEC and Excel shows – and give traders, dealers etc the chance to punt their Summer sale wares at a concentrated audience. I’m sure a by-line of “come to the Ally Pally Mid-Summer Sale Extravaganza and pick up a bargain bike” would appeal to all of us.

But until it does, I’ll do my show attending in East London thanks.



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