I'm going tomorrow also, first up. I haven't prioritised anything though. I generally have a skim around first and then re-focus on stands of interest after a burger and coffee. I'll PM you my mobile should you want to meet up.
As much as I love Honda, I think that will be a let down. I'll still haunt the stand though, there's bound to be something of interest.
£2.85 to buy Anna Carrasco a coffee. See how I go from there. Interested in warrior or 1jac stand if there's any good offers going. Otherwise I'll just be my usual impulsive self.
As for today at the show, a real anti-climax. Day started bad after I got 'breakfast' from 'Subway'. There is a usual meal I consistently buy in my local outlet (6" Mega Melt and latte for 3.20). Friggin' NEC slugged me 6 quid. I have already email my complaint to Subway head office! (Regular members will have no difficulty believing that!!) So far as the bikes, the 2019 Blades have a bit of extra white paint (plus revised electronics) and all else was a bit ho-hum. Sat on Yamaha's R1 and R1M and to me it didn't seem any smaller than the Blade - despite what others say! Most of the discounts/specials offered were, to me, not that special. Crowd was bad after 10 am and I honestly regret not going on a Tuesday or Wednesday as some members had earlier recommended. (Regular members will have no difficulty believing that I do not listen) All in all, not a wasted morning, just a tad disappointing.
Yeah, Raphael has a point. On first glance it's very appealing. But we're dealing with all those plastic infill bits on the Hondas too. I sort of just accepted it, whereas I can understand that others would see them as compromising the finish. I did like the Yamaha R1M though. Not that I'm a candidate for one, but it had some very nice touches. And then there was the Ariel 'Ace' with the Honda motor. Bloody hell. Had Ariel have redeveloped its Square Four it might have been on a winner. This thing looked as if it just flew in from The Jetsons.
Bike show was OK. Hopefully you've bought your ticket in advance as I'm not sure it's worth £25 to get in. Car park fee hideous at £16 unless bought on line up front. Are they pricing themselves out of the market? Nothing gets the "must see" title for me. The Ducati V4R was pretty good but to my untrained eye looked very similar (apart form the gimmicky wings) to the standard model. BMW S1000RR looked pretty good and shouldn't be too overpriced when it finally hits the dealers. The GS buses were on display but I certainly wouldn't want one just yet. Honda stand was scaled down. No clothing for sale this year on the Honda stand. There was a technical desk where I asked about my SP1 throttle issue. Nothing worthy of a mention to see here. Seen it all before, I'm afraid. Suzuki Katana is a case of Kings new clothes, it's nowt special sadly. Although they did have an original model on display for those of us old enough to remember the significance of the original. Suzuki's hot cam system of last year is old hat this year. Does anybody really buy V-Stroms? I got to have a chat with Leon Haslam on the Arai stand. I also watched him chatting to Jack Burnicle on the Kawasaki stand. I know people always say, it but Leon really comes across as a good guy. Jack also spoke with Jonathon Rea, but I found myself switching off part way through his chat. Rea is a brilliant racer but charisma isn't his strongest skill, bit like Foggy. I also spoke to the bearded guy from 44T, he and wife or is she his GF, were interesting to talk to. No Brough Superior stand, not that I'll ever be able to afford one, but they are nice to look at. CCM has a full size replica WW2 Spitfire plane on display, not really relevant but quite nice to see. I'm not a big Triumph fan (no particular reason), but they did have a significantly sized stand. Ariel? See it all before. I don't think the show was as big this year. Hopefully this trend won't continue to subsequent years. All food is significantly overpriced. Bring sarnies, as these robbers don't deserve our custom. Best deal at the show is the cloakroom fee of £1, bargain. Did I buy owt? Yes, I put a deposit on the Ron Haslam Race School, for my lad to have a go at Donnington on a CBR650R. Special show price saving £40 and a greater selection of dates to choose from. I wasn't really looking to buy anything which was just as well as there wasn't anything jumping out at me. The show got amazingly quiet after 2pm and it was quite easy to see just about everything without too much hassle. I suppose we could be asking too much for there being new bikes every year. A few years ago Motorcycle Live received a very much needed kick up the arse and it needs another one now, before it loses it's way, not after it's lost its way. Ticket prices need half-ing. Car parking, is a blatant rip off. Food prices are a joke.
Not wishing to put others off, that is an excellent and concise report, Kevin. I did book online, early. No way known would I have paid £16 for parking. I baulk at £3 at the local Pay and Display!! I also was disappointed about Brough's absence, and interestingly, unless I missed it, no MV Agusta. I would not go next year unless there are significant price reviews/reductions.
I just got back today. Enjoyed a few shows and got a deal on some oil & filters, so I stocked up for the bikes and also bought some straps for my new bike trailer so I can take 2 track bikes out with me next year. On the way back to the car park however I saw a car try to follow one of the buses through the bus only lane to the NEC until some bollards lifted out of the ground and took the car up with it, oops. I guess he went the wrong way. Very costly!
Ah, the things you see when you don't have phone/camera at the ready! Would have been like having a session with the infamous John Holmes!
For those interested there's some scathing reviews of NEC here: https://www.mvagusta.net/forum/16-general-talk-media/240175-motorcycle-live-2018-uk.html
To be fair the European bike shows cater to a much greater European audience. The NEC can only cater to the domestic market. It used to be the international motorcycle show, but had to drop that title for fear of losing a motorcycle show altogether. I'm sure the NEC makes quite a lot of money from the exibitors alone let alone charging us £20+ to get into what is a glorified bike shop. I wonder how many more people would attend if the show was free apart from parking. I don't mind paying for parking as long as it is safe, secure well lit and correctly marshalled.
Very interesting perspective. I am confident a very high percentage would purchase accessories or be looking at bikes with a view to purchase, whether immediately or in the near future. On that basis your analogy of a 'glorified bike shop' is a good one and prompts the scenario: What if the likes of Debenhams/Primark/Sports Direct et al charged an entry fee. The public would be up in arms!!
Just received a 'Survey Form' for Motorcycle Live 2018. Not sure whether to be frank, honest, or brutally honest!! I think I'll use my 'no holding back' mode.
