Re: [ST] 10yrs in the USA?

[Paul English <tallpaul@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 4 Dec 2005, RickW wrote:

> We stayed home this year too. The word is that with their ever
> increasing price schedule, IMS has been driving away the little guys
> for the last couple of years. Think about how many small venders were
> conspicuously absent last year.

I went this year and I have definitely noticed a shift over the years. 
Notwithstanding the increase in size of the "big guys" - HondaYamaZuki's 
booths seem like they grow every year. There also seems to be a big 
increase in "big chrome" with a heavier emphasis on the cruiser market. 
Yamaha not only had a very large booth of its own, it also had a very 
large separate booth dedicated entirely to their cruiser line.


>We were told by our dealer that
> Triumph had decided to spend the money on product development,
> promotional materials and advertising - not a bad thing in my mind
> since spending big bucks selling to the enthusiasts who attend the
> show is like preaching to the choir.

Maybe, but they were missed by me. Cycle Barn had the new S3 on display 
and a small luggage vendor had an ST decked out with their soft luggage 
(perhaps in counterpoint to Triumph's unpopular hard luggage option on the 
05?). It is not a bad way to go about getting their bikes on display and 
if they went about it deliberately it seems like a decent approach.

In spite of all the changes, I enjoyed the show for many hours like I do 
every year. Why? I'm just glad there is a show at all. I like to see the 
little guys that do make it to the show, and I like to see the big guys 
spending some money on their motorcycle lines (where Honda could spend it on their 
cages). I make a point to go and sit on all of the bikes that *are* at 
the show that I like - I figure that alone is worth something in regards 
to letting the manufacturers and vendors know what *I* want them to make 
and sell.

My big annoyance - no credit cards accepted at the ticket booth. Cash 
only. F)*@#ing medieval. Particularly when I want to walk up and pay for 3 
tickets. It is a pain in the ass (literally) to carry around enough cash 
to do > $20 transactions in cash all the time.
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