The International Motorcycle Shows have been taking place for more than 30 years now.. The annual shows,now sponsored by Progressive Insurance, to be held at 12 locations in 2011-2012, provide an opportunity for motorcyclists to check out the latest models of dirt bikes, sports bike, racers and touring bikes.
The biggest names in the motorcycle manufacturing world are there; names such as Honda, Yamaha, Harley Davidson, Ducati, Aprilla, and Kawasaki.
International Motorcycle Shows Also Feature Gear, Accessories
It’s not just the latest and greatest motorcycles that people come to see. They come to buy from vendors who are selling helmets, leathers, paint jobs and accessories that will make a biker’s motorcycle stand out. Insurance companies have booths for riders who want to insure their motorcycles.
Local motorcycle groups have booths to explain what they do and where they ride to. Licensed riders are allowed to test drive new motorcycles at shows in Dallas, San Mateo, Long Beach, Greenville and Daytona Beach.
The International Motorcycle Shows frequently have celebrities on hand. One year it was Cindy Williams, the Shirl of Laverne & Shirley. Another year it was racer Travis Pastrana. In 2009 attendees could get their pictures taken seated in the T-Rex, a contraption that looked like a 3-wheeled car but was operated as and considered a motorcycle.
A feature of the 2011-2012 shows will be the Kawasaki design-a-bike exhibit which allows bike enthusiasts to use a digital paint can to decorate a Kawasaki, as well as a stunt-riding exhibition by the Smarge Brothers.
The motorcycle expo also features vintage motorcycles, motor scooters, ATVs and seminars on various facets of motorcycling. The shows also feature product demonstrations and programs especially for women riders.
International Motorcycle Shows Schedule for 2011-2012
The International Motorcycle Shows run from November through February around the United States. The first show of the season kicks off November 18-20 at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo, Calfironia. It will be followed by three shows on the West Coast:
- Seattle, Washington: December 16-18 at the Washington State Convention Center
- Long Beach, California: December 9-11 at the Long Beach Convention Center
Cycle World then moves the shows inland to the central United States:
- Novi, Michigan: January 6-8, 2012, at Suburban Collection Showplace
- Cleveland, Ohio: January 27-29 at the I-X Center
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: February 3-5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center
- Chicago, Illinois: February 10-12 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
- Dallas, Texas: December 2-4, 2011, at the Dallas Convention Center
Shows scheduled for the East Coast are:
- Washington, D.C., January 13-15, Washington Convention Center
- Charlotte, North Carolina, February 24-26, at the Charlotte Convention Center
- Daytona Beach, Florida, March 14-17, Ocean Center. This show coincides with Daytona Bike Week which is March 9-18 in 2012.
- New York City, New York: January 20-22, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Cheryl Probst - Cheryl Probst is an award-winning photojournalist who specializes in writing about motorcycles, China and the Pacific Northwest.
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