Long Beach International Motorcycle Show Meet up 12/8

[Trailerboy531]

So! The IMS is here and I'm FREAKIN' STOKED. It's open from Friday 12/7 around 4pm I believe until Sunday 12/9. If you go in to the Long Beach Convention Center there will be pretty much every manufacturer there with all of their bikes showing their sweet new 2013 models, a marketplace area with all sorts of cheap gear, track day information, and awesome accessories. Custom molded ear plugs, deeply discounted gear, cruise control devices, all kinds of random stuff. There are also MotoGP bikes to sit on, Cal Crutchlow and Josh Hayes will be there answering questions, seminars on riding, so much going on. Motorcycle parking is free at the convention center; they even have a free gear check to hold your jacket, helmet, gloves, backpacks, whatever. Riders paradise....

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY.

demo rides.

Yep. Saturday and Sunday will see KAWASAKI, YAMAHA, STAR, VICTORY, HARLEY DAVIDSON, and CAN AM doing demo rides of all of their bikes FOR FREE. Just show up with your drivers license and sign up for a bike. When your time comes hop on and ride off. The bikes are insured by the manufacturers so you don't even have to worry about dumping them. It's seriously the perfect way to try new bikes out without any commitment and a total blast. Maybe now is a good first time to try out a 600 or more?

What's the catch? Everybody wants to demo a sweet bike, which means the lines are long. So we get there early to be at the front of the line! People who show up when the rides start (9AM) can expect to get in line and maybe get a demo ride schedule for 3pm...maybe. When are we getting there? REALLY EARLY.

Here's the plan We ride to/meet-up at Long Beach Cafe at 6AM for breakfast, chatting, waking-up, etc.

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-...ed=0CDUQrwswAA

After that, we all ride together to the convention center which is less than 5 minutes away, and get in line for the demo rides! First in line means first to ride the bikes starting at 9am which means you get to sign up for more bikes throughout the day.

Here's the link to the show: www.motorcycleshows.com just look for Long Beach! Please Note: The show costs $15 to get in to the convention center, the demo rides are outside and are completely free. POST UP IF YOU WANT TO GO, hopefully we'll see you there!


tl;dr motorcycle show is coming, demo rides and moto parking are free. Meeting 6am at long beach cafe for breakfast then getting to the demos to be in the front of the lines. People should go. Post if you're down.

[EternalNewb]

Nooo, why do I have work on Saturday!! Granted, I'm supposed to go to LBIMS on Sunday.

[krolinked]

I'll probably go Saturday and Sunday. Sounds like fun.
Shoot me your number Max so i can meet up with Ya'll!

[hanibal]

I'll be there Friday after I get off work and sat during the day. I go walk around, say hi to some people I know, then I head over to the Dubliner for drinks afterward!

[Zombiphone]

Originally Posted by hanibal

I'll be there Friday after I get off work and sat during the day. I go walk around, say hi to some people I know, then I head over to the Dubliner for drinks afterward!

ALCOHOLIC. Drinks are bad, mmmmkay


Since I'm not going to Fresno afterall, and I FINALLY got the SV running, I GUESS I can drag myself out of bed that early. If I HAVE to.

[Cazper]

You know I'm down to ride!!! Thought the wifey wanted me doing this on Sun due to a Christmas party on Sat night... turns out she is cool with me meeting the family there! I will also probably bring two of my work friends with me!!! I'll map it out and figure out how butt crack of dawn I have to leave... but I did it last year to meet you all at the cafe... I'll do it again!!!

[Trailerboy531]

Score! It's a party now!

[Ninja Chris]

Ahhh this brings back memories of Kawasaki's demo days

I'll be there Saturday with my fiance It'll be her first show. I'd like to take her out on Yamaha or two, or maybe a Can Am, but we're playing it by ear (her gear is supposed to get here tomorrow!).

She's most excited to try on all the different bikes with me and figure out which we want for 2 up touring, or her own ride (in addition to Constance).

Soooo I might have to live vicariously through your guys adventures, but hopefully we'll be able to say hey at some point during the show.

[Trailerboy531]

Just make sure to get there early none the less. Getting a demo ride after 1030-11 is pretty difficult. And that doesn't mean walk in at 1030, that means get through the line too, which gets pretty long.

[hanibal]

I'm gonna get there late and demo all y'all's bikes!

[alex.s]

Don't let max demo any r6s

[Trailerboy531]

Psh, I demo r6's better than most people.

This is, of course, depending on what demo if abbreviating.

[NinjaBoyEddy]

STOKED :] I'm down

[Cazper]

I might give Yamaha another shot to try to impress me... last year's R1 left me very disappointed to say the very least! I'm sure I'll have to ride the ZX-14R again... I wouldn't mind riding the Ninja 300 and the new 636 as well. Hell, I may even ride the Can-Am again that was pretty fun... or the Harley Street Glide... too much fun! I'll also be bringing one of my friends from work... he rides a GSX-R 600 and wants to demo a couple litre bikes just to see the difference!

See whoever at the Cafe at 6 o'clock!

[Trailerboy531]

I'm stoked on the 636 and the zx10 again. Not sure how easy it will be to ride all of the bikes that I want. Definitely screwing around on the Can Ams again!

[DeltaFoxtrotZulu]

I'll be there Sunday with a friend. If your going to do the test drive, and you don't ride there, do you end up bringing all your gear and just grabbing it before your time?

[Trailerboy531]

Yes. You just have to have a helmet, jeans, and I believe a long sleeve shirt. But bring all of your gear.

[Raider24]

Im so down. count me in!!

[Trailerboy531]

That's what's up!! I was actually thinking about hitting you up earlier. See you bright and early!

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by hanibal

I'll be there Friday after I get off work and sat during the day. I go walk around, say hi to some people I know, then I head over to the Dubliner for drinks afterward!

Why both days? Why not just do Sat then.

Tiff...when are you going?

[Zombiphone]

I'm thinking just Saturday right now. I want to demo a can am just for fun, then just say hi to people. Not particularly interested in the show this year. I'd be down to kick it at the dubliner afterwards though

[NinjaBoyEddy]

@Trailerboy531 dude I list my m1 license for now I'm.just caring.around my regular class C. Think is still be able to demo them bikes. I mean I do have a m1 license if they scan it they will.see .

[Trailerboy531]

FYI I'm here now and have just been informed that Kawasaki has canceled doing demos at this event. That leaves Yamaha. Harley. Star. Can am. Bummmmmmmmer

[Zombiphone]

Meh. Kawasaki only makes stupid cheater bikes anyways. Will not be missed

[krolinked]

Originally Posted by Zombiphone

Meh. Kawasaki only makes stupid cheater bikes anyways. Will not be missed

Take that Back!

[Zombiphone]

Woooo- that was fun (Even though I slept through my alarm and got there way late). Highlights of the day:

1. @Max and @Havok getting banned from Yamaha after the first ride.
2. Oddly, the Harley Davidson demos (wtf, 883 iron. wtf)
3. Getting lost constantly
4. And of course, the good company all around

Glad I was able to make it afterall

[Zombiphone]

Oh, and I still can't stop laughing about this whole demo and all its fail:



See? Who needs Kawi demos when there are all these silly, ridiculous vehicles that no one actually wants to buy?

[Yakaru]

Originally Posted by Zombiphone

1. @Max and @Havok getting banned from Yamaha after the first ride.

woah woah woah, you can't just say that and leave it there. DETAILS! :P

[Zombiphone]

I wasn't on the ride, but I hear that in his 8 years of working demos for Yamaha, the control rider had never seen such extreme and uncouth riding of a demo bike

[choneofakind]

Tiffani, what did you do to this can-am?? Max and Jeff have already explained on fbook what happend with them, but what did you do to that trike???

I'm all ears here

[Zombiphone]

I didn't even fail that hard! Those things just have this silly parking brake button that you have to press, so when I pressed it and it didn't seem to do anything, I pulled up thinking it was actually more like an e-brake, causing the entire plastic panel the button was attached to come with it. Then, on the ride, the control rider veered over to exit the freeway kind of last second, so I went straight instead to avoid crashing and Jeff and Max(with kevin on the back) followed. I got off at the next exit, but ended up getting the other control rider completely lost. He took us around some random side streets until giving up and having us pull over so he could radio back to the other rider for directions.

I'll concede SOME fail. Sort OF. But it was more fun that way!

[choneofakind]

hahahaha, you guys are always causing trouble.

Somehow, it doesn't surprise me that Kevin was riding on the back with Max

[Cazper]

Well Kevin is too young to ride most things... No R1's for him and no Can-Am's for him either...lol. Was a great time over all!!! Had fun hangin out with everyone and I also suprisingly enjoyed my 2 Harley rides. No worries... not buying one until I'm at least over 40 though... so at least 5 more years before I can really feel and look old...

Also, of note... even though the Victory that had the mini ape hangers looked cool... I will never own a bike with them... after 10 mins of riding I had a serious pain in my neck!!! Those Cruiser guys can have that garbage

[choneofakind]

Did they have that stupid rule that test riders must be over 21 or 25 or whatever it is? Dumb.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by choneofakind

Did they have that stupid rule that test riders must be over 21 or 25 or whatever it is? Dumb.

It's 21+ and endorsement (just permit = no ride) here in KY for most of the demo days rides.

[choneofakind]

That's lame. For the Kawasaki one, I think the only requirement was that I had a license. I got to ride errythang!!

[DeltaFoxtrotZulu]

I was there Sunday, as I said. There was a lot of interesting bikes there. I'm in no hurry to upgrade, but it was fun sitting on and looking at what's out there right now. A few bikes I thought would be low enough for me were taller than I thought.

Took the FZ6R out for a spin. Never been on the freeway and never gone that fast before on my Ninja(still breaking in) so it was an exciting experience. I wasn't that good at the staggered thing once the speeds got that high, due to my inexperience, but things were fine for the ride over the bridges. Had a little trouble getting the lean right on the turn around section, but otherwise was pretty good. Fell behind on the streets on the way back because I stalled. That engine is so quiet and smooth I couldn't time the takeoff right. I had to push the starter multiple times to start it again. It was a nice bike. Interesting to see what a lot more power is like, but my Ninja is enough for me for now.