Yesterday, we (Kristen, Noah, Thad, Andrew, Uncle Brian, Cindy, Rodney, & thousands of other people) attended the International Motorcycle Show in DC. While it was still in the convention center, this year the show was downstairs. For $15 a ticket (free for the kid since he was 5 or under) we spent about 2 hours at the show checking out all the new bikes for 2015. Below are the highlights.
Ducati Scrambler – I’m an unapologetic Ducati fan-boy so maybe I’m a bit bias but the Scrambler is COOL! That said, it had a hideous black box hanging off the left side of it which I assume is part of the emissions system. Once I sat down on the bike I couldn’t believe how light it felt. It felt even lighter than the claimed 375lb dry weight. While I wouldn’t make this my only bike, it would make a really cool second bike in the garage. (Ducati is going to contact me about a demo day so I’ll report back if/when I get to ride one.)
Ducati 899 – It looks cool as hell but I’m about 40lbs too heavy, 4 inches too tall and 10 years too old to even think about owning one of these.
Marquez Replica – Marquez’s World Championship is safe for right now…Noah is going to need a few more years to grow.
Can-Am Spyder RT-S with a trailer – I’ve yet to actually ride one of these though even with 2 grown men on the bike(?) we were pretty comfortable. Yes, that is a trailer behind it. I’m not a fan of pulling trailers behind bikes.
Yamaha R3 – From 10 feet away this thing could pass for an R6 or R1. Up close you realize is has a budget suspension, cable clutch and only single disc front brake however, Kristen still loved it.
Kawasaki H2 and H2R – Both were just as bad-ass in person as they look in the magazines. They wouldn’t let us sit on either. Sorry I forgot to get a picture.
Honda Grom – Noah fits on the Grom better than I do.
Yamaha YZR-M1 – Rossi rides it…nuff said.
Yamaha FJ-09 – This is the bike I had the most interest in seeing. The front windshield was kind of ugly but aside from that I have few complaints. I was a bit surprised in how high the seat height it. It felt a bit higher than my FJR. Thad also really liked the bike. While I doubt he buys one this year, I could see a used one in his future.
Indian Scout – Indians are bad-ass. When the time comes for me to buy a cruiser, it will be an Indian. (I’m still holding out hope they get back into racing and build a sport bike.)
All-in-all we had a great time at the show and I’m looking forward to next year’s show. I’m also looking forward to riding but with a high of only 24 degrees today…looks like it’s going to be awhile.
