The gates aren’t officially open yet, but with credentials in hand we are onsite at IMS Outdoors, the reimagined International Motorcycle Show that is now an outdoor motorcycle festival rather than a traditional indoor show.
Most of the major manufacturers are here, though some are missing (BMW, for one). Many are offering demo rides, something that was never available to me when I covered New York IMS in the middle of winter. To my delight, a few brand new models are here — the Harley-Davidson Pan America, for example, and the controversial Sportster S.
The one my jaw hit the ground over, because I’m extremely biased, is the new Kawasaki KLR650. I own a first generation model (2005, going on 1987), and I’m most curious to see how the new one compares to the original. I’m hoping to get my hands on all of these bikes, and more, once the show actually opens up.
One change that I quite like is that the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show is all under one tent. At least at New York IMS, these bikes were spread all over the show. They were great decorations, but it made it difficult for attendees to compare and vote on them. Here you can see them all in one place, which makes it much easier to choose your favorites.
Piston Slap 