STN visits Calgary MC Show-08 (warning: lots of pics)

[ZED]

As planned, an STN delegation went to see the Calgary motorcycle show 2008.
Some STN members met up at Kings restaurant to fuel up with lunch, then proceeded to the motorcycle show.  Unfortunately, due to several cancellations, only ZED and KLRChickie showed up.
 
So, here's a trip report for all of those that couldn't make it.

Since it ended up being just the two of them, they did what they normally do at the show.  KLRChickie sits on all the bikes and ZED takes pictures of her on them.

The first booth at the door was Ducati.
 

Tricolore Monster
 

Notice the very slender waistline of the 848



KLRChickie really likes Monsters


ZED checks out the Hyper-motard.  Think he'll have to try riding one in the spring.
Big silly hooligan fun!


ZED also checks out the Sport1000.  That would be a cool toy.
 


There was also a working cut-away of a 4-valve desmo engine.


Then it's on to the rest of the show.
No MC show is complete without a few hundred custom choppers.  This is just a tiny sample.



Then there were these Benelli things
 


The antique display was pretty good.  A couple of gems were a not too terribly old Ducati and this Triumph.



I guess if you're a motorcyclist AND you like the cold you could try one of these out.
 


There were several companies that make custom bikes


We lost track of the number of Trikes.


This is the drive shaft from the rear wheel of a Ural to the wheel of its side car.


Even the other booths were using Monsters to advertise their goods.



At the Guzzi booth there was a Norge and a couple of Brevas, but not the new Stelvio.
 




In the Japanese section things were pretty boring.  Not much new, but some very good deals.  The big four were offering discounts and cash back deals.  Some dealers were also offering huge discounts!  Some of the High end bikes were $3000-$5000 off of their normal prices.  Good thing ZED bought his Ducati ST3s in August or a new 2006 FJR would have followed him home from the show for about 2/3 of list.

Also interesting to see that the number of bikes from Asia not by the big four were even more than last year!

Seeing KLRChickie on a Busa is funny though.  Not really her thing.


In Honda land, things weren't much different.  Same old lawn mowers and snow blowers.
 


They did have this new creature.  I forget what it was called and the writing on the tank was so stylized that it's unreadable.  One thing about it though.  It's a heavy pig!  You notice the weight just trying to get it off the kickstand.  Not completely sure what its intended purpose is.  Maybe it goes with the marine engines as a boat accessory.
 


They had a 125R in race trim.  It looked cute!


ZED continued his motard inquest at the Suzuki booth.  The DRZ400SM is only 295lbs.  (but it only has 34hp, and people say the KLR is underpowered)
 


One surprise at the Yamaha booth was that the traditional XT225 is now an XT250!  And, as a bonus, it has BOLD NEW GRAPHICS!  Same crappy suspension as KLRChickie's XT though.


Of course KLRChickie had to check out the 'new' KLR.  Still bummed that they didn't do much more than a dress-up kit.  Same Crappy rear shock, lack of adjustable front suspension, and no 6 speed.


Among the other exhibits was a section devoted to kids sports.  They even had an indoor track setup.  (slippery surface for it, but I didn't see anyone quite fall)



In Beemer land there were some slightly different faces.
The R1200R was interesting.  It had the Paralever suspension (or whatever BMW calls it).  Very interesting.  A very upright bike.


Even BMW is making a motard these days.


KLRChickie wasn't impressed with the 1200GS


They had the new F800ST.  It looked interesting.  Unfortunately this individual seemed to have set up camp on it for the duration of the show and had no intention of getting off!
 
(Please take note people and be courteous so that everyone can get a chance to see the toys!)


They had 3 or 4 of the new HP2, but they all looked like this.  You weren't allowed to actually check them out.



The Harley booth had some old and some new.
The new Buell 1125 looked better in person than in pictures.
 


I'm pretty sure this was the same black machine that was there last year.  It's easy to tell.  It's the only one that wasn't chromed all over.


The Harley booth was showing how strong their drive belts are by suspending this bike with them.  That's about 15,000,000lbs supported by what looked like two small rubber bands!
 


KLRChickie assures us that she's not about to take up a cruiser habit.



KTM land was interesting.  In addition to the Super-Duke on display, KLRChickie liked the 990 Adventure, while ZED was playing motard again.





All in all it was a fun day.  ZED is still very happy with his Ducati, and KLRChickie is interested in trying out the Buell and the Monster one day.
Hope you enjoyed the the tour of the show.

[bubba zanetti]

Sorry I could not be there !  ... but thanks to you both for all the pics. Having met the two of you in person it helps me visualize these bikes.  

Good Stuff !  

[Kootenanny]

Great pics, but a bit intense for my connection...

I think the "new creature" with the stylized tank decal in the Honda booth is the Varadero, a bike Honda has made for years but is importing to Canada this year for the first time (not to the States, though!)

I love the tracked "snowbike!"  I think I could enjoy myself on one of them...

[ZED]

You're welcome.

I left in the picture of the Triumph just for you Bubba.

Sorry about the load time Kootenanny.  It is kinda big, yeah.

The Varadero would fit the script.  It would also fit the feel of it if you say it's been in production a while.  In addition to it feeling really heavy, it felt kind of 'old'.  you could see that if the 1/2 fairing was removed, it would be an old standard.

I'm not sure what to think about the tracked bike.  It could be a blast, but I'm not sure how the balance would be.

[Flyer]

No ANY MC show  is complete without a few hundred custom choppers.  This is just a tiny sample.

FTFY!
They breed like rats you know.

Thank you for the pictures, 'specially of the SuperDuke.
It's obvious to me that the Euros have taken over in the forefront of design, technology, and sex-appeal, while Honda et al continue to market the same "old lawnmowers and snowblowers".  

[alphabet man]

Great pics Zed thanks I would have liked to have gone but couldn't make it. Zed, was there and 800 GS on display??? if so what did you think, KLR Chichkie  what is it with the monster, I don't think there is a women alive that does like that machine  

[KLRchickie]

<> KLR Chichkie  what is it with the monster, I don't think there is a women alive that does like that machine  

Yes, but there will be no entry-level 695 for me!  I will take a 1000cc S2R please.    Fully adjustable suspension *is* a requirement, but the radiator, etc., on the S4R detracts too much from the lines.  

When I hadn't been riding long, and didn't honestly like the looks of other bikes than my KLR, I was hunting on the Internet for bikes to rent in Italy.  I came across a Monster and loved the looks!  Then I got the chance to sit on one and it is a perfect fit!  I am the right size for *most* bikes, but my knees don't sit right on most of them.  

The *next* Ducati won't be coming into our stable soon though.   We are actually pretty happy with our collection, for the moment.

[ZED]

Yeah, the biggest changes were at the Euro booths  (F800ST, 848, etc.)
The big four seemed to be peddling more of the same.  Even the supposed 'new' ZX-10R didn't seem very 'new', just more stylized with a slightly smaller fit.

As for the F800GS, I didn't see one.  It could have been hiding I suppose.
 

[Orson]

thanks for all the hard werk takin' pictures  

[R Doug]

In Honda land, things weren't much different.  Same old lawn mowers and snow blowers.
 

 

The new Buell 1125 looked better in person than in pictures.
 

Heck, it looks better on your picture than most other pictures I've seen of it.

Thanks for the report.

[spinalator]

Good report, the mystery bike is indeed a varadaro, I saw 10 billion of them in Ireland and the Uk this summer. Very poopular over there.

How tall is chickie, just for reference sake? Her legs looked really tucked on some of the bikes...

[KLRchickie]

Good report, the mystery bike is indeed a varadaro, I saw 10 billion of them in Ireland and the Uk this summer. Very poopular over there.

*HEAVY* bike!  My first try at taking it off the side stand had no effect...    I was being careful with bikes I don't own of course, but it took more effort than any other bike I tried that wasn't on a solid stand.  That bike also has a really wide tank, it won't win me over, for sure!

How tall is chickie, just for reference sake? Her legs looked really tucked on some of the bikes...

I am nearly 5'8" tall, my inseam is between 31" & 32", and I was wearing my riding boots.  I have long femurs, so it puts my knees in an odd spot on some bikes.  The valve covers on some of the bigger 2 cylinder boxers (Norge, for example) whack me in the kneecaps!!  

[faststage1]

By the look on KLRchickie's face sitting on the Motto Guzzi I would say there is a strong possiblity of a name change to GUZZIchickie
Great photos of the technical bits ie: valve trains and suspensions. Engineers

[ZED]

By the look on KLRchickie's face sitting on the Motto Guzzi I would say there is a strong possiblity of a name change to GUZZIchickie
Great photos of the technical bits ie: valve trains and suspensions. Engineers

Uhm.  Actually that's KLRChickie on the Guzzi Norge saying "NO!"

In this one she was saying "My knee hits on this one too!"
The 1200cc Guzzi's are a little too big for her legs.

[AJP]

Cool report, thanks for the pictures!  

[High_Side]

  I ended up going down there myself today, maybe even saw you but had no idea who you were
  KLR Chickie:  You will love the Monster.  My wife has the 800 and it is a great bike.  Great for me too!

[Kootenanny]

...Same old lawn mowers and snow blowers...

Don't laugh too hard:

[Nitro]

cool pics Zed..guess i better go to the show in vancouver...take no wallet tho...I tend to get carried away most of the time....not this time..

[faststage1]

Uhm.  Actually that's KLRChickie on the Guzzi Norge saying "NO!"

In this one she was saying "My knee hits on this one too!"
The 1200cc Guzzi's are a little too big for her legs.

I bet she's just loving you for posting that pic. It looks as though she's saying, "Quit taking pictures of me on these Italian bikes! German and Japanese only or you're a dead man!!!!"

[faststage1]

Ummm...Errrrr...oops. ZED has an ST4 doesn't he
What I was meaning to say was.........nice bikes those Ducati's, red's my favourite colour, some of my best friends ride Ducati's.....ya that's it.

[KLRchickie]

Yer close, ST3s.

Hard to beat a sexy Italian road bike.....

ps.... he had permission to post that picture.  To make the point that the big Guzzi's really don't suit me!

[doodah man]

What, no pics of the Victory Vision?  That was a heavy pig to lift off the sidestand too (didn't try the Varadero).  I really had to heave it and then nearly lost it on the opposite side due to momentum.  I should have suspected as much from the looks.  Not my thing but my g/f dared me to sit on it while I exclaimed "Man I can't wait to buy one of these!".

[Kootenanny]

What, no pics of the Victory Vision?...my g/f dared me to sit on it while I exclaimed "Man I can't wait to buy one of these!"

Cruel woman you have there

[Orson]

akshully...with padded riding gear...you don't notice the Guzzi's jugs  

[Jeff N]

Wrong thread.    

Ahem.

Nice pics. Thanks!  

[dvd613]

new 2006 FJR would have followed him home from the show for about 2/3 of list.

Do you remember which dealer had the new 2006 FJR at the show?  Was it the standard or electronic model? Someone told me they sat on a brand new blue one. The black 08s are cool and on sale but a blue one could pry the wallet open.

[ZED]

Do you remember which dealer had the new 2006 FJR at the show?  Was it the standard or electronic model? Someone told me they sat on a brand new blue one. The black 08s are cool and on sale but a blue one could pry the wallet open.

I do remember that it was Bow Cycle that had the great deal.  If you're in Calgary, check out Bow.  I tend to deal with Eric.  He's great.  They're really good about test rides too.  They had some good deals on the 2006 AE model last summer too.  I test rode one and found it pretty good, but it didn't do it for me as much as the Ducati.  I don't remember what model the one at the show was.  

Welcome aboard by the way.  
Now, go update your profile with your location (a Province at least please) and go introduce yourself on the new member thread:
http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,1.0/topicseen.html