Cycle World International Motorcycle Show at Long Beach
By admin
Published: 2010.01.02
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The glitz of a motorcycle show has a way of diffusing some of the doom and gloom surrounding the dismal economy and its effects on the two-wheel industry. Manufacturers, custom builders and the supporting aftermarket companies set up shop to woo and excite die-hard enthusiasts. And there were plenty of them at the Southern California edition of the IMS show held on December 4-6 at the Long Beach Convention Center. Show organizers report attendance of 47,903, down slightly from 55,702 in 2008. Not bad considering the shape of the economy. In other heartening news, OEM demo rides were booked solid on Saturday and Sunday. The weekend began on Friday for a media tour prior to access for the general public. Sadly, OEMs like Triumph, KTM and the Piaggio Group (Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa) were MIA. Here’s what we saw. Victory Motorcycles Along with the new Cross Roads and Cross Country baggers, the latter of which we tested here, Victory announced the availability of special prices for U.S. military in a campaign titled Full Throttle Salute. In conjunction, the company has built two custom bikes to benefit families affected by the tragic shootings at Fort Hood last month. A U.S. Army-themed Kingpin 8-Ball cloaked in olive-drab paint joins a Hammer S with a modern military theme in an eBay auction to be held next Spring.

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