We have heard for several years that the Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo in Indianapolis was a must do for people in the motorcycle industry. This year we finally made it there and found it even bigger than expected. This is the largest trade show of its kind in the world of dealers, distributors and manufacturers of powersports products. There were almost 1200 exhibits and the Expo boasts an estimated 20,000 people in attendance. But, there are catches. You need to qualify to attend the event and there is nothing to buy. The purpose of the Expo is to show products available for retailers to buy and then sell to the public. Those who attend are folks like Kenny Wheeler - our local Deals Gap area motorcycle shop, and we were there for SportbikeTracktime looking for deals on everything from tires to gloves.
There was something here for everyone, from the Harley rider to the dirt biker, to the racer. We even saw watersports booths and lawn equipment for your 4-wheeler. The size of the show is just unbelievable. At least 50 different types of scooters from all over the world were present. We spent two days rushing from exhibit to exhibit and probably only saw two thirds of what was there. Maps help guide you to certain exhibits and there are color coded numbers on the floors, ceilings and walls. There were two large halls, each the size of a football field (in fact on of them was the RCA Dome which is home to the Indianapolis Colts), several dozen smaller conference rooms, and numerous hallways packed with dealer exhibits.
There was major schwag to be found at the Expo, lots of free samples and free products, posters, catalogs, and even free beer! There were also plenty of beautiful women roaming the exhibits including bikini clad posers, Hooter hotties, and umbrella girls. Celebrities from the world of dirtbikes, sportbikes, and dragsters were everywhere, we even got the opportunity to meet the Bostrom brothers and spent some time with our racing friend from Honda, Steve Crevier. Steve is recovering from another knee surgery but we are hoping he'll join us at Jennings for a track event the weekend of March 13-14. That is a favorite for the Canadian pros to attend and escape the tundra of the far north.
Most of the big companies were in attendance with their new products, some of which will not be on the market for months. Michelin had their new Pilot Sport Power tire which promises to be very competitive with the popular Metzler M1 and Pirelli Diablo. Bridgestone also had a new street/track tire that will be in the fight. Chatterbox previewed a new weatherproof, wireless communications system that is the size of half a pack of cigarettes.
We also got to see the Fischer MRX 650, the new American-made V-Twin sportbike. This new bike will be available for purchase late this year with a retail price of around $10,000. At 370 pounds this would be a great bike for the Dragon and the track. Hopefully we'll get to see one in action this coming year. (lookup website)
The Big Twin 2004 exhibit filled the field of the RCA Dome. This exhibit featured everything a cruiser rider dreams about. Isles of chrome, custom bike kits, and beautiful custom paint jobs which turned some of the bikes into pieces of art. We even found a Replica kit for a 1948 Panhead for $18,000.
Another bike that caught our eye was a nitrus equiped custom Boss Hoss with a beautiful paint job. The best paint job we saw was a chopper with dragon designs. We found a big difference between the Big Twin exhibit and the exhibits for dirt and sport riders. The Big Twin exhibit concentrated on visual improvements to your bike and rider while the sport and dirt exhibits were mostly performance oriented.
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