I went to the 2009 DC Cycle World International Motorcycle Show at the convention center this past weekend and indulged in two of my passions - motorcycles and photography,
After learning last year that taking pictures with a bajillion people climbing on the bikes is difficult I decided to go into the city on Friday night. The results are clear pictures of most everything there. Next year- a better flash for for improved images.
Above: Honda's new DN-01 was the first bike one saw upon entering the show. I think Honda realizes that its riders are getting older and they are designing bikes that, while not a true step-through, are a mix between large scooters and "true" motorcycles.
I think that this year's changes on the cutting-edge sportbikes are mostly cosmetic. I didn't notice anything radically different about the hardware on the Japanese crotch rockets. It seems like only Ducati is coming up with technology changes.
I did take note of the fact that many manufacturers are adding "custom" touches to their lineups, both cruiser and sport. Perhaps the wild success of shops satisfying cutomers' desires to make a bike their own is driving this trend.
The best example of this was at the Victory booth, everything there looked like a custom-made bike. Nobody is innovating like Victory right now. Accordingly, on Saturday I saw more people trial-sitting their bikes than any other brand.
Above: Ducati's are quite simply works of art, there is no other way to describe these machines. You look at them at see a design that is beautiful and as you stand there mesmerized you note that they are all outfitted with Brembo brakes, Ohlins suspension, and Marchesini wheels. These things aren't just pretty, they perform as well.
Harley is going Orange.
Somebody in their marketing department obviously mentioned that people identify that Orange with Harley. One wonders exactly how long HD can continue to sell bikes based on a personna.
The first re-style of the Yamaha V-Max in twenty years comes this year.
As before, the thing looks like it's all engine:
After twenty years of pretendin', the side scoops are now functional.
As always, the customs and the oldies were there. I just didn't feel like taking pictures of 'em this year.
The entire photoset can be found here.