For any SoCal Riders...

[Big_Guy]

Hey guys I was browsing through the Kawasaki website and came across this link to the International Motorcycle Show; apparently they are touring the states over next several months.

Has anybody ever heard or been to one of their events? is it worth checking out?

They are going to be at the Long Beach Convention Center Dec 17-19th this year and i was thinking of going to it but was wondering if they have good deals maybe i can snatch a bike from there... specifically a kawasaki 250r.

heres the link http://www.motorcycleshows.com/LongBeach

[CC Cowboy]

I went to the one in Daytona last year (I just happened to be in the area). It was OK, nothing special, but still fun. I like motorcycles so I always check stuff like this out. They had after market products, some cool bikes, girls to look at, and they gave away some stuff. I would go just to check it out.

[Big_Guy]

From your experience, did they have specials on bikes or did they sell any bikes at all at the show?

[Alex]

Bikes aren't typically sold at those shows. It's just like a typical car show. To buy a bike, get to a dealer. (or used on craigslists/classifieds).

[Blackwidow]

i'll be there.

[Ryosen11]

I went to one in Long Beach last year. I don't think they had any bikes for sale but some good deals on gears. If you go early some manufacturers will let you test ride their new models.

It's not nearly as big as auto shows(less manufacturers) but I enjoyed it and looking forward to attending this year again.

[Big_Guy]

Fsho sounds cool because i in the midst of saving up for a new bike so hopefully ill be there or nearly there by the time of the event

[KJohnson21]

I've gone to the Long Beach show for the last three or four years. All of the manufacturers have nice displays of their current models, etc. It's interesting to see all of the accessories that are on the market, and the vendors have some pretty good "bike show specials" for that stuff. There's a stunt show too.

I haven't really paid attention to that part for the last couple of years, because the other thing there is the demo rides offered by some the manufacturers. Basically, they'll let "anyone" with a valid motorcycle license and proper safety gear participate in a group ride (supervised by their riders). All you have to do is stand in line with everyone else that's interested. (I suggest getting there early. ) And it's not just a spin around the parking lot. It's a ten mile loop that'll take you almost up to freeway speeds. There are definitely rules; no passing, no wheelies, no stoppies, etc. If you speed, the ticket is all yours. If you crash, you're responsible for the damage and repairs, etc. (The one exception to the supervised rides is Harley Davidson. When you ride one of their bikes you don't have to "follow-the-leader", just follow the route that they have marked out.)

Here are the bikes I rode there in 2008: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/album.php?albumid=13

Here are the bikes I rode there in 2009: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/album.php?albumid=419

I'm certainly planning on being there in 2010, although with the tight economy the manufacturers might not support the demo rides this year. I didn't see any mention of it on the web site. But, I'm sure they're still working out details.

No, there aren't any dealers there selling bikes. (I'm pretty sure that's not allowed by the organizers.)

[sixer]

Mebby a group ride would be in order... Soundz groovy
Posted via Mobile Device

[Big_Guy]

just maybe.... if anyone is interested...

[ninjabrewer]

Originally Posted by KJohnson21

I've gone to the Long Beach show for the last three or four years. All of the manufacturers have nice displays of their current models, etc. It's interesting to see all of the accessories that are on the market, and the vendors have some pretty good "bike show specials" for that stuff. There's a stunt show too.

I haven't really paid attention to that part for the last couple of years, because the other thing there is the demo rides offered by some the manufacturers. Basically, they'll let "anyone" with a valid motorcycle license and proper safety gear participate in a group ride (supervised by their riders). All you have to do is stand in line with everyone else that's interested. (I suggest getting there early. ) And it's not just a spin around the parking lot. It's a ten mile loop that'll take you almost up to freeway speeds. There are definitely rules; no passing, no wheelies, no stoppies, etc. If you speed, the ticket is all yours. If you crash, you're responsible for the damage and repairs, etc. (The one exception to the supervised rides is Harley Davidson. When you ride one of their bikes you don't have to "follow-the-leader", just follow the route that they have marked out.)

Here are the bikes I rode there in 2008: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/album.php?albumid=13

Here are the bikes I rode there in 2009: http://www.ninjette.org/forums/album.php?albumid=419

I'm certainly planning on being there in 2010, although with the tight economy the manufacturers might not support the demo rides this year. I didn't see any mention of it on the web site. But, I'm sure they're still working out details.

No, there aren't any dealers there selling bikes. (I'm pretty sure that's not allowed by the organizers.)

I was there with him and was able to ride one, (double ditto on getting there EARLY) I went inside and looked at all the displays, plan on at least half a day if you just want to browse through and see, more if you are like me and want to "see" more. (YES there are lots of ladies there) If it is about motorcycles, it will be there. There is stuff for sale, but not bikes.

Oh and ride your bike and the parking is free.

nb

[Big_Guy]

Originally Posted by ninjabrewer

I was there with him and was able to ride one, (double ditto on getting there EARLY) I went inside and looked at all the displays, plan on at least half a day if you just want to browse through and see, more if you are like me and want to "see" more. (YES there are lots of ladies there) If it is about motorcycles, it will be there. There is stuff for sale, but not bikes.

Oh and ride your bike and the parking is free.

nb

I dont have a bike

soon enough my dear friend, soon enough.

[Zombiphone]

Originally Posted by ninjabrewer

Oh and ride your bike and the parking is free.

Indeed! That's the best part:



I went there last year, too. It was cool having nearly every make in one place to compare different bikes seat comfort/height/weight and stuff, and there are a lot of snazzy custom bikes to oggle and some sneak previews of new models. Oh, and the stunt show was quite cool. Think of it more like Otakon or E3 for motorcycles, rather than the LA Auto show. More of a convention and less of a dealer showroom. I didn't buy anything though, since I didn't really have anything I needed and I was on my bike and couldn't really transport anything anyways, so I don't know how the prices compare to your average store sales. Might be worth it if you have a bike by then but are still in the market for gear

I might head out there also to try and hit up some demo rides if I'm not doing anything else more important that weekend. We could have a ninjette meetup

[Dino]

A group ride would be definitely great! Your best bet is to find one on craigslist, especially somewhere in LA where motorcycles seem to be so dirt cheap. There's either always a really rich kid who wants a newer bigger bike (ducati)/a thief that wants to make some extra cash.

All those motorcycles give me an urge to just tip one over! Haha... Well, except maybe if my bike was there :P

[Darling Ninja]

Check on Craigslist for a Ninja, that's where I bought mine from. There are a lot of rotten deals, and you have to be pretty patient. But, eventually you'll find a sweet deal.

[Rosie]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

i'll be there.

Me too!! What day were you thinking of going?

[KJohnson21]

Originally Posted by KJohnson21

I'm certainly planning on being there in 2010, although with the tight economy the manufacturers might not support the demo rides this year. I didn't see any mention of it on the web site. But, I'm sure they're still working out details.

OK, I checked again today and now it does have the right links and buzz-words from Kawasaki, Yamaha and H-D that show that they will be offering demo rides. Those are the same companies that usually offer them. Two years ago Ducati, KTM and Victory did too, but times are tough right now.

Here's the link to the Kawasaki info: http://www.kawasaki.com/NewsEvents/EventDemoRides.aspx

[Zombiphone]

Ooooooooooooh, sweet. I really wish honda was doing demo rides, too. I'd kill to test a 600rr. That said, I do still really want to try out a ZX-6r, an r6, and/or a KLR 650 just to see how they feel though (And if there's time left over, maybe sit on a harley out of pure curiosity ).

I didn't touch the demos last time I was there, so I'm hoping it's straight forward enough. Were you able to easily demo more than one bike in a single day last time you went? Or did you test all those bikes that you rode across, like, the whole weekend?