The Irish Motorbike and Scooter Show at the RDS had something for nearly everyone, writes John Wheeler, although some stands had only the most tenuous connections with motorbikes or scooters
'Whatever you're having yourself" just about sums it up. In terms of variety there was something for everyone, even though some of the somethings - like reverse bungee jumping - lacked even a tenuous relationship to motorcycling.
Definitely in the category of "Don't do this at home", Swedish Freestyle Motocross (FMX) rider Fredrik Johansson performed a selection of stunts including a 360-degree backflip on to ramps, a stunt never before seen in Ireland.
Johansson is a regular competitor at the invitation-only X Fighters events, where the best FMX riders in the world come face to face. Chris Pfiffer, the World Stunt Champion displayed his rare talents, as did Ireland's own Mattie Griffin, showcasing his latest tricks. By contrast, the age-old Wall of Death might have struck some as being rather tame. Flat Track Speedway riding reminded us of the immediate post-war days when Speedways were almost as popular as football matches. A spectacle of the extremes was the display of World Championship custom-built machines and your chance to exercise your vote.
It was noticeable this year that the manufacturers present had put in even more effort. BMW, Motorpoint (Aprilia, Ducati and Moto Guzzi), Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and KTM in particular mounted exhibitions that would not have been out of place anywhere.
Absences were notable. One of our readers e-mailed us to say: "As an avid fan of Triumph Motorcycles since their huge resurgence over the last decade plus, I am puzzled and saddened by their annual omission from the RDS Motorcycle and Scooter Show." Triumph were not the only absentees, so too were Kawasaki and Piaggio/Vespa.
It has always interested us to note how some outlets have come into the 21st century and have the same sort of positive approach common in the four- wheeled world and they have thrived.
Meanwhile, a few still cling to the old Irish maxim that "bikes aren't sold, they are bought", leaving it up to the customer to seek the privilege of becoming a buyer. These tend to be the ones for whom it is always doom and gloom.
It was good to see the impressive KTM display. This Austrian-made marque of high performance supermoto and enduro-style machines are now represented by MotoMax.
BMW were exhibiting five new bikes for the first time in Ireland. These included the HP2 Family of motorbikes represented by their HP2 Dynamic Supermoto Machine. This unique, hand-built, 200kg, 200km/h motorcycle will rank right at the top among all street-legal two-cylinder Supermotos thanks to its supreme performance and the use of top-class materials.
Also on display was the all-new G 650 X Country, Challenge, Moto and the K 1200 R Sport. Charlie Boorman was there with his Dakar Rally F 650 machine and on the Sunday, Ted Simon of Jupiter's Travels fame was interviewed by Phil Cawley and was busy signing copies of his book.
On the stand next door, Motorpoint - you will know them as Ducati - have expanded their range and now also cover Aprilia and, for the first time in aeons in Ireland, the entire iconic Moto Guzzi range.
We confess to an abiding respect for Moto Guzzis, one of only two machines - the other being Vincent - on which we have ridden over 1,000 miles within 24 hours. The Moto Guzzi Norge is a seriously good shaft-driven tourer regarded as an alternative to BMW's R 1200 RT. We look forward to road testing one soon.
Also on display was the new 1098 Ducati, for many enthusiasts the must-have machine.
Long-distance riding may not be to everyone's taste, but by coincidence on the first day of the show news reached us that Dr Richard Keegan from Castleknock, veteran of all four of the Irish Iron Butt Rallies, had been awarded a place in this year's Iron Butt Rally in North America.
This event lasts 10 days and riders can expect to do upwards of 10,000 miles anywhere between the Mexican border and the Arctic Circle.
Yamaha had a comprehensive display which covers everything from a wide range of thoroughly practical scooters to their cutting edge supersports R1 and R6 machines.
Suzuki, a firm favourite amongst sports riders, exhibited a good cross-section of their machines, notably the new GSXR 1000. Honda were showing a wide range of machines. Of particular note was the 2007 Gold Wing, the GL1800, which now comes with their unique air-bag system and GPS as standard.
On the Harley-Davidson stand could be seen what probably is the final prototype of the XR1200 which is expected should go into production later this year. This model is the result of customer input via their website.
Also on show was the VRSCDX Night Rod Special, last year voted Custom Bike of the Year.
Given the greater awareness of climate change and the inescapable conclusion that we are all part of the solution, it was encouraging to see the Vectrix scooter on display. This big-looking all-electric scooter is rated by our authorities as being the equivalent of a 125cc machine, yet its makers claim it has the performance of a 400. It has a top speed of 100 km/h, a claimed 0-80km/h time of 6.8 secs and a 0-50 km/h of 3.6 secs. In these respects it can be considered sufficient for commuting journeys within the 80 km/h limits.
Amongst its unique features is regenerative braking - the electric motor can act as an "engine brake".
The range is still somewhat restrictive, stated as 110km. However, that means 110km at 40km/h, and inevitably a good deal less at higher speeds.
It takes only an hour to achieve an 80 per cent re-charge, 2.5hrs for a full charge. It is claimed that if it were charged every day for a whole year the total "fuel" cost would be a mere €186. It claims zero emissions but in Ireland, thanks to our emissions-producing methods of electricity generation, the emissions are still around.
Nevertheless, this is the first all-electric machine which seems to us as being practical, though the price at around €10,500 is on the high side.
When it came to clothing there was enough on offer to re-clothe the entire motorcycling population of Ireland and then some. Indeed, at a guess, there was as much clothing on offer here as you would expect to see at the NEC Bike Show in England. One stand, a welcome innovation, was entirely devoted to clothing for women riders who all-too-rarely are catered for. It was interesting to see some dealers who have quite substantial motorcycle sales business only exhibiting motorcycle clothing. Perhaps this is where the profit lies?
Among the accessories, were some that were rather more useful than others. Maddocks, the Bray-based BMW dealers were showing an ingenious Quick-Lock tankbag - it latches on to a mounting which surrounds the filler cap recess - that also incorporates a 12v plug and cable-less free connection. They also had a useful display of AutoCom communication systems and the very useful Hyperpro suspension and height adjustment kits so much appreciated by the less than tall.
They are also suppliers of Garmin equipment and were offering a free GPS with any new or used BMW R or K series machine ordered this month.
A few weeks before the show, word was out that Quinn Direct were entering the motorcycle insurance market. Currently this is on a pilot basis while they perfect their systems and fine-tune their rates. Another entrant to this market, for 25 years dominated by a single player and in the last decade served by all of two providers, is welcome. There is a probability of a fourth entrant.
E-Bike Insurance, a UK-based motorcycle insurer had a stand. This was an exercise in sampling the water. They say they are "coming soon to Ireland". Talking to them it struck us that they need to do a lot more homework; they had no idea of the length of time one could wait for a driving test and were unaware of the current proposals for CBT and instructor regulation.
As in previous years, all the stands were crammed, cheek by jowl in the main and Shelbourne halls. This made it a tedious and frustrating experience to get from stand to stand and, once there, to see properly what you had hoped to see.
It is not that there is no more space - adjacent halls were empty.