Yesterday,
LB went to the NEC Motorbike and Scooter Show 2005, in Birmingham to bring you this sneak preview. There is going to be much to whet your appetite there. Whether you’re going to eye up the bikes or the babes, you’ll not be disappointed with what the show has to offer again this year. If you're not going this year, then hopefully you won't be missing out on too much after reading this.
Once inside the show, it's hard to decide where to go first. Cameras at the ready, Jay and Cezar were off. We visited the Arai stand, looked at the new paint schemes and discussed the services that Arai have to offer their customers. If you didn’t already know, Arai will tailor fit your helmet so that it fits perfectly. They can change the size of the cheek pads and the lining of the helmet insuring that you will get the maximum protection from your lid. Both Cezar and I took the opportunity the get our heads measured and fitted for new helmets by the Arai technicians, in preparation for the first official
LB helmets.
Next was a visit to Crescent Suzuki, I had to drag Jay away kicking and screaming, after he had already spent his next years wages in his head. At the official Suzuki stand was this years WSB winner, Troy Corser took a few moments to pose for the photographers with John Hopkins, Chris Vermulen and some babes. It was also announced that Chris Vermulen will ride for Suzuki in next years MotoGP series, which should prove to be a testing season for the young Australian rider. The new GSXR 600 and 750 did quite a bit more than just whet my appetite; the new models from Suzuki will have you selling your home to own one (but then where would you keep it? ed). Both of them are smaller in size, have had their engine speeds increased, new valves, allowing the combustion chambers to be more compact and the engines have been made smaller, all to give better, light weight all-round performance. We couldn’t believe how tiny they were to sit on; I can only imagine how amazing these bikes would be on track. They also look sexy as hell.
Next onto BMW Motorrad UK, to see the world premier unveiling of their brand-new touring sensation, the R1200 RT. Our friend, Charlie Boorman from ‘The Long Way Round’ was there to do the honours. When the bike was unveiled, I got goose bumps. It looks sturdy and capable of going anywhere. Definitely a bike I would like to try.
In 2004, BMW announced that their new models would be lighter and more agile; they've kept their promises. They also spoke about the new technology they have developed such as the world's first motorcycle spring/damper system running exclusively on air. I would also suggest a visit to their stand to see the BMW K1200 S superbike. With a claimed 176 hp, outstanding high speed stability and Electronic Suspension Adjustment, it is currently the best-selling supersport machine over 1000cc.
The Honda stage was the most entertaining, with Suzi Perry introducing ASIMO, (Advanced Step in Innovated Mobility) Honda’s latest generation advanced humanoid robot. His display was quite breathtaking and amusing; it left us thinking about the film ‘I Robot’ and in reality how close we are to it. You really must go and see this. The new revamped Fireblade was something to behold, with the Repsol replica, black, red/black and the silver/black all looking very sleek, all with matt-black swingarms and a claimed 170 bhp output. Honda’s new colour schemes for the CBR 600RR look really good in the flesh, offering black/silver, orange/black and red/black for '06 models. Quite impresseive was the airbag technology that Honda had developed for the Goldwing, a first for any motorbike.
As we wandered around we saw lots of bargains to be had over the next two weeks. Cezar took great pleasure in getting the promotional girls to pose for him, on and off of the bikes. The usual sites and stalls are there offering the same old stuff and a few new bits. There are some amazing classics at the Carol Nash area to go and look and some weird and wonderful concept bikes to get your head around. The Yamaha Supermoto school, set up outside, looked like it could be lots of fun. All the bikes lined up and the all-in-one race suits are there ready for you to have a go. In another building behind the Supermoto track we could hear the buzz of the Mini Moto’s whizzing around. Don’t forget they are holding a competition to win a Mini Moto, every day for the fastest lap. Back inside, there is the under 16’s Honda training school, somewhere you can take the children to get involved, if they start to get a bit bored. We enjoyed sitting down and resting our feet at the Black Horse Finance stage, where we watched this years BSB highlights on the big screen. Troy Corser was happy to pose with us as well, another one for the collection.
KTM’s range for '06 looks as exciting and as appealing as ever, with Jay and I salivating over each one of them. I was whispering under by breath ‘Oh yes, you will be mine’, to the 640 and the Duke. CCM are back again, with plenty of new models to feast your eyes on. Harley Davidson and Buell were there with full effect. The new Buell Ulysses XB12X is their new adventure sportsbike. It is something to behold and it looks mean, and looks like it can eat any terrain. It has the Thunderstorm V-Twin engine which gives it an amazing power to weight ratio at 100 bhp and a dry weight of 193kg. The intention for this bike is to take on the likes of BMW's GS 1200 Adventure, which will be no mean feat.
The new ZX-10R from Kawasaki comes with an Ohlins steering damper as standard (long overdue) and look real nice. It has had a complete engine, chassis and an aerodynamic makeover. It has rear wheel traction control and has been focused more for the track. We were more impressed with Kawasaki’s new ER-6n though, the styling was second to none in it's class, and even some outside it. If you’re looking for a first bike, you should go and check this one out. It is obvious that they have recruited a new award-winning, senior designer. The new third generation R6 from Yamaha has new a chassis, engine and bodywork. Yamaha say that it’s their most radical and advanced new middle-weight supersport bike ever produced. They use the YCC-T (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) from their MotoGP bikes which represents a first the motorcycle market, detaching the riders input from the engine. Everything on the R1 stays the same as the 05 model, though a new R1-SP variant has also been introduced which features uprated suspension components and different gearing. The idea behind this is to win superstock race classes where rules limit the modifications that can be made.
Jay and I took great pleasure in trying the brand new triple cylinder Triumph Daytona 675 for size. It feels so small and compact, and begs to be taken round the track with the throttle wide open. All Jay wanted, was to hear it with some tasty cans on, though Triumph weren't quite so accomodating. It is a truly beautiful machine and well worth having a sit on, to have a dream. Whether this bike goes far enough to compete with its dominant Japanese rivals awaits to be seen, though deep down, we'd love Triumph to rise from their back-marker position.
After all three of us walked around the arena several times, and Cezar had worn himself out chasing all the ladies, we decided that enough was enough. We all had a very enjoyable day, a complete information overload; we all learnt and saw a lot, all with the goal of informing the
LB community. Our advice is if possible, reserve your train tickets home if going by this method, as the train was full for us, making this very uncomfortable, and smelly. Back to the show, it's well worth going to if you haven’t been before, as there is a lot to see and plenty of experiences to be had. There are lots of scantily dressed women to have a picture taken with, and over the next couple of weeks there will be a few celebrities from the racing world wandering around. So don’t forget to charge your camera batteries. We hope you have a good time at the show and can’t wait to hear any funny stories you have to tell us. For photos, check out the very busy gallery below, with more coming over the next couple of days.
Related GalleriesNEC Motorcycle & Scooter show Gallery #1NEC Motorcycle & Scooter show Gallery #2New & Changed Bikes
