Today marks the beginning of the 2013 season for motorcycle enthusiasts in Eastern Ontario, me included. It was the opening day of the North American International Motorcycle Super Show at the International Centre, Toronto and I got up at 6am to pay homage to the event . (The bad news; I had to battle headwinds of up to 60 kph driving a giant steel box on wheels. It felt like trying to push a sheet of plywood in a gale and burned 3/4 of a tank of gas to go 291km. The good news; the wind was coming straight down the pike (so to speak) and there was no snow drifting across the highway. The better news; the trip home was a breeze and took just over a 1/4 tank - gotta love a good tail wind.)
The show was - the usual. There wasn't anything really spectacular to report - a little new, a little old and there seemed to be a lot more space dedicated to vendors flogging their 'leathers' ...
I stopped for a snack in one section featuring a fashion show ... I would have snapped a photo if I could have elbowed my way through the hundreds of men ogling the gals dressed in chaps and fringe. Dressed for riding? I ate my chips instead.
I wandered into the vintage section ...
1967 Yamaha TD1-C
(Claimed, by Cycle Magazine, 1974, to be the worlds fastest TD1-C - top speed 137 mph)
Altometheus 2, Bonneville land speed racing side car from the Bar Hodgeson collection.
Then I stumbled upon the 'flipped out and farkeled' section (aka the custom and chopper section). I must have missed this room last year 'cause I was just not prepared for the sparkle, glitter and dazzle there was to look at.
Brad, this one's for you ... or maybe it's for Bobskoot - A Honda "Tiger"
Erik, how about an 'electrictrified Ninja?'
Plaid anyone?
King Neptune was there.
Soooo much farkle and sparkle
"Ride like it's stolen." If you're actually riding this one - it probably was stolen!
Here's to the 2013 riding season!
Thank you for the coverage. One of these days I'll be somewhere at the same time as one of these shows. The custom section looks a little too strange for me but that's just me...
ReplyDeleteRichard - I think the custom section is a little too strange for anyone... and they just don't seem to farkle the BMWs. I did see two BMW models, one in the vintage and one in the for sale section that reminded me of you.
DeleteKaren, your show looks bigger than ours though with much of the same content. Customs, vintage, umbrella girls, latest-greatest, etc. Ours is next weekend and I will be there more to socialize than anything else.
ReplyDeleteCoop - it's a pretty big show in Toronto ... and there's another one coming in April. Have fun at the show in your area. Really, it is just a great excuse to get out and smell the motorcycles in the middle of winter.
DeleteI too like to head for the vintage section - that's where the really interesting bikes are usually displayed. Unfortunately the vintage group here in Ottawa usually gets jammed into a back corner somewhere and getting to look at the bikes is a challenge. But still it's a motorcycle show and what else would you do on a winter weekend? Except this coming weekend when the show is in Ottawa and I have other commitments on all 3 days (it figures, eh?) so I'll be missing it this year. Maybe I'll try to find out when the Montreal show is.
ReplyDeleteCanajun ... this year's show looked a lot like last year's show ... I've never been to the Ottawa or Montreal show. I'm going to have to put them on my list - just to compare.
DeleteLove all the different bikes especially the purple one, which happens to be my favourite colour!
ReplyDeleteI would have to call a lot of those custom bikes art rather than vechicle. My photos did not do the creativity justice.
DeleteOoooh I liked the plaid. Is that wrong?
ReplyDeleteTrobairitz I was strangely drawn to that one too ... maybe it was the 'matchy, matchy' helmet in classic retro plaid.
DeleteWe don't have a show here in St.Louis. I have friends who wander up to the show in Chicago. I've never been. I suspect I'd prefer the vintage area as well. I will admit to being impressed with some of the painted images on some of the custom bikes I've seen around. Neptune looks very nicely done and conceived.
ReplyDeleteThanks for share.
~Keith
The paintings amazed me ... there truly are some amazing and talented airbrush artists in the custom industry. The show itself was big with a lot more cheap wares being flogged than I've ever seen before at the super show. I was glad they still had the vintage section for sure.
ReplyDeleteKaren:
ReplyDeleteI think I would prefer the Plaid model as long as it came with the matching Plaid Kilt. I think I would try wearing a Kilt. I'll have to ask Troubadour how good the cooling system in on a hot summer day
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
My Flickr // My YouTube
Bob, not sure Troubadour would approve of the protective factor of a kilt (besides, isn't he into tiger hats these days.) Do they make kilts in kevlar?(even if they did, it's what the kilt doesn't cover you may have to worry about.)
DeleteI had to let you know...I was reading bobskoot's blog in December where you mentioned that all the snow had stopped in Saskatchewan as you had none in Ontario. Well, you are right, it did all stop here, we had another storm last weekend and we are running out of places to put the snow already and winter is not over yet!
ReplyDeleteHere's to a great riding season in 2013 too!
Suzu
Hi and Welcome Suzu ... and thanks for keeping all that snow out there with you...it'll be gone before we know it.
DeleteI went to the NY one yesterday but it was so packed you could hardly walk or take pictures. I like the Yamaha TD1-C, would love to have one.
ReplyDeleteThe Toronto show was busy, but not too bad. I went in the first hour of it's opening on Friday. I've heard it's a mad house on the Saturday.
DeleteI like attending these exhibitions or shows (whatever the name), you get to see lots of crazy stuff. The creativity is breath-taking
ReplyDeleteI'd have to call it all "show" this time, but I wish a few more manufacturers would show at the same time instead of doing it at their own separate show in December (since I choose just one!) I have to agree, the custom bikes and the vintage restorationists - Very creative, very talented.
DeleteLike you, I enjoy the vintage section too! You don’t need to examine those bikes very much to tell how great their standards were. You’d simply be amazed just thinking of how old these motorcycles may be and how they’re still in good shape!
ReplyDelete