Chicago Motorcycle Show (Gomer goes to the City)
Okay, here’s the “trip-to-the-zoo” story.
Drove up to Chicago, or more correctly, Rosemont, Friday evening after my wife, Nan got home from work. Pulled into the Hyatt-Regency about 9 PM. It is attached by a walkway to the convention center where the bike show is held.
Up early Saturday morning, have a $37 breakfast and start for the bike show at 9 AM. Twenty minutes later we find that this walkway to the convention center must go across O’Hare before turning back to the center. It appears to be miles long, but sure beats the cold and snow outside. We got our tickets online which was a good idea as there are probably a hundred people lined up to buy tickets. We just breeze on by and they scanned our printed-out tickets in (or out?).
Several scantily clad ladies (?) who are passing out shopping bags to hold all the free loot, catalogs or stuff that they assume we will pick up, greet us upon entry. This theme seems to reappear at several displays. (I’m not complaining.)
All the major (and most of the minor) manufacturers are represented, as well as many large dealerships and clubs. All showing bikes, so there are examples a-plenty.
Random thoughts: While everyone is on their best behavior, the Ducati factory (USA- reps?) people are by far the friendliest and want to chat. I end up with no less than three business cards forced upon me after three lengthy conversations. Of course, they are all about the bikes and punctuated heavily with “sit on this one” or something, so it was worth carrying those business cards around all day.
While on the “friendly” thing, any question was answered, even with answers such as, “no we didn’t bring any, but so-in-so down at booth number such-in-such has some . . . tell him I sent you down.” Also every bump into or by some one resulted in a lot of “oh, I’m sorry” or “please excuse me” even from huge, tattooed, chained and leathered Harley types.
Friendliest vendor was the group from Santa Cruz, CA BMW dealer; who happens to be the (probably) biggest BMW dealer in the US . . .maybe. I went there with some misgivings, and probably a chip on my shoulder as my prior contact with them was;
I had been looking for a BMW Touring windshield for the bike. I have the Sport windshield on mine, and it and the Touring one use the same mounts. In fact, the dealer at Cape had looked up part numbers and showed me catalogs that showed that if you bought either windshield, it came with the mounting kit. There was a separate listing for the mounting kit, but it’s description even stated that if you were purchasing the windshield (either one) not to buy the mounting kit, as it was included with the shields. However, there was no listing for just the glass (plastic) without the mounts. Which is what I was looking for, as I already had the mounts and thought I could save some money. I called several dealers attempting to find a part number for just the shield, with no luck . . .until I emailed the Santa Cruz dealer. They immediately gave me a part number, which they said was for just the shield and no mount and quoted me a price. It seems funny that the part number and price were the same that every one else was giving me for the shield and mount. I told them that I thought they might have made a mistake, but they insisted. They were going to sell me the kit and just keep the mounts.
At any rate, the guys at the show made up for it with their attitude and manner. I ended up buying a clear taillight lens (I already have the LED light kit) and clear turn signal lens and LED bulbs. Also got a BMW emblem and holder to go on the rear fender. This is a little kit that they sell to fit on the brackets already on the bike for mounting of European license plates . . .that just hang out there ugly as they are not used with the US plates.
Stopped at the Shoei helmet display and asked about getting an extra visor for my X-11(need one of those really “kewl” Iridium Gold ones, like I have for my Scorpion). They said they didn’t bring anything for sale, but sent me to a dealer’s display that would have it. He gave me a business card with a note stating that I would get 25% off the dealer’s price. That worked pretty well and I got a new $58 gold shield for $39 as the dealer was giving a 10 % “show” discount.
Spent some time at the Aprilia display as I have never been around one and wondered if they have that “jewel” like finish and attention to detail that the Ducati’s have. (They do). The Tuono (how is that pronounced?) has always been touted as “the best” naked bike, and I was suitably impressed. I did discover that the people who write the test reports for it (you know the ones . . . they say how comfortable it is) are the same 22-year-old Navy SEALs who do the others. Anyway, it’s a beautiful bike and probably goes like stink, but the bars are mounted on risers about three inches above the triple clamp and are about the same height as my FZ1 before I put the risers on. I don’t know how you could get them higher. A different set of bars would maybe work, but how to find the right measurements? Also, if I remember correctly, it had oval bars, instead of round ones, so replacement would be a real bitch. The seat was almost non-existent, which seems to be the new fad on all the new sport bikes.
The new FZ1, aluminum frame, 20 lbs lighter, 10 extra horsepower, fuel injected, etc., etc. now seems to come without a seat. All seem to have a very small, thin, vinyl covered piece of wood (aluminum?) pretending to be something you can actually sit on. Got me.
I rated the Ducati and Aprilia about even in workmanship, although the Tuono appears to suit what I like a little better. However, the best workmanship, finish, style and looks on any sport bike were, hands down, the MV Augustas. What a gorgeous motorcycle. And only $21,000 !! But . . .you get four; count ‘em, four under seat exhaust pipes.
By noon the place was crowding up, so we decided to take a break. Nan wanted to run downtown to shop at Water Tower Place, so . . . first hang-up is getting out of the hotel parking lot. You get a ticket at the gate as you enter, with strong instructions to have it validated at the desk when you check in, (charging an extra $17 for each night’s parking to your room rate.) We had followed these instructions and had it all explained to us by the almost non-English speaking desk clerk when we checked in. Naturally, as we stuck the card in the slot to raise the gate for our exit, it didn’t work. Finally, after some effort to get the two cars behind us to back up, we backed to parking while I went in and waited at the desk for a while and got the card re-activated. Not sure what that was about.
As I had been really smart and printed maps and driving instructions from “Streets and Trips” software before we left, it was an easy 18 minute trip on the toll way to get there, followed by a not-too-bad 10 extra blocks of fighting Taxi-cab traffic. We turned into the first parking we found. A closed garage door with rubber bell ringing hose, which opened the door to a smallish looking garage manned by two huge, dark sunglass clad, guys in long black leather coats who took our keys. $15 to park for one hour, and my knowing the car would be stripped, sold, and the building housing a display for the American USO or some such by the time we returned. All this to shop in a "mall" that was really smaller than the one at Marion, IL but with far less of interest.
Came out of the building into heavy snowfall, but was pleasantly surprised to find the car intact. Then got to fight our way back through traffic only to find that there was no entry for the toll road.
So much for printing driving instructions, without printing the ones to return. Unlike home, just because you can get off the high way at a particular place, doesn’t necessarily mean you can get on it there too. Spent an hour wandering around downtown, as my map didn’t show the entries and exits. Picked a paralleling road and criss-crossed the toll way, until we finally located an on-ramp. By this time it was snowing so hard you could barely see, and toll way traffic was bumper-to-bumper stop and go. Only took us 2 hours to reverse the 18-minute trip back to the hotel.
Grabbed a decent dinner for about the price of a Rolex and while Nan returned to the room to read for a while, I went back to the bike show. After the six-mile walk through the access walkway, I found there were very few people at the show now. I got back in about 6:30 and stayed until 8:30. This is when I had most of the conversations and stuff I mentioned earlier.
At the Cycle-World Magazine booth (sponsor of the show) I found editor, Peter Egan, sitting alone, where he had been signing copies of his new book. I bought his last copy for our son, Ryan and had him sign it as I already have both his books (Peter’s, not Ryan’s.) Got to chat with him a while . . . mostly about flying. He has mentioned owning a Cub in some of his columns, but has since stopped flying.
Had a nice chat with the Repsol representative about Nicky Haden (they sponsor him) and the upcoming race season. He talked a lot about Nicky’s new bike, race strategy and such . . . as if I were a close friend or something. Later it hit me that I still don’t know what Repsol is. Oil, I think.
Speaking of the Moto-GP races, they had one of Valentino Rossi’s race bikes on display. It was painted in the Yamaha racing colors that they only used at the US Grand Prix this year, and are showing in their ads now, so I’m not sure if it was one actually raced by him, or a built up one for display. Either way it was impressive. The front brakes look like what you would expect to see on a Boeing 777. There was a guy talking to the rep and I heard him ask if they would sell it. He responded that anything was for sale. He said, “I’d give you $50,000 for it.” The rep responded, “You only want the front wheel, then?”
Yee-Haw!
Departed the hotel Sunday morning by:
(a) Being led to an automated check out screen monitor thingy, by a uniformed desk clerk helper who walked me though the rather long process of press here for this, etc. only to end up with a message that the process “failed” and I should see a desk clerk. My helper immediately left me to stand in line.
(b) Conversation with desk clerk ended up with a discussion about the parking ticket not working and my asking if I would be able to exit this time. She re-assured me that all was well . . .
(c) Another repeat of the card doesn’t work . . .
(d) Trip back to the desk with card re-done and my promise to call 911 and bring the gate back in for her to inspect if it failed again. See what nice service you get for $17 a night? Incidentally, bottled water that we buy at $5 per case of 32 at Sam’s, sell for $5 a bottle at the hotel. “Free” high-speed Internet hookup is only $1 per minute, etc, etc.
Leaving Chicago for home, I find that we are to run by Ikea (?) to pick up a bookcase for our daughter, Dani. Nan tells me we can just run down to I-55 where the new Ikea store is right at the Bolingbrook exit. As we take the exit and pull into the Shell station that appears to have replaced the new Ikea store, she tells me that she’ll run in and get directions while I fill the tank with $2.57 per gallon gas. During the following tour of Bolingbrook, I mention something about the Ikea store being "right at the Interstate exit. "
She responds, “Well, I usually come up on I-355.”
Color me stupid.
