Just a heads up.
Those of you that live in the Washington, DC region that may be planning to visit the Motorcycle Show at the convention center wanting to sit on, or touch (!) the new SDR....forget it.
Less than 24 hours until I was planning to be there, I happened to check the list of exhibitors. KTM wasn't listed, so I called to double-check. They will not be there.
Screw it. I'm not going.

meh...It would be fun to see the new Ducati Monster 1200S or the BMW S 1000 R. But I've heard the BMW didn't show up at other shows around the country, although the R Nine T has been exhibited.
Most dealers in my area will be getting some of these bikes in the showroom in less than two months anyway.
Truthfully - I have more fun going to breakfast run meets in our area on the first Sunday of every month starting in the spring. Better variety of bikes. Interesting people.
Still...I'm bummed. I really was looking forward to seeing the SDR.

great, what is the deal with that, why dont they ever show? id pass too if i hadnt already bought my ticket, theres just not much else im interested in

How was the DC show? Anyone have comments about what the saw?

A Ducati friend of mine only made mention of seeing the Monster 1200 S and how it would be a step down from what he was accustomed to anyway.
Otherwise, there must not have been much going on to make an impression. That's all I heard.

At the Long Beach show, the Duc was up on a small pedestal. You couldn't sit on it. Kinda pointless. I did like the Indians though.

Yeah, he Injuns are definitely heavy. I yanked the middle weight one (the one with the plexiglass screen and leather bags) one off its side stand and the momentum caught me off guard. Had to act quick to keep from dropping it.

i have to say Harley really does a hell of a lot to bring in customers. at the show this weekend i was and am always amazed at the show Harley puts on. they have a wide glide with the front end fixed to the floor, the back wheel on rollers.
they invite newbies to learn how to operate a motorcycle, they have the person sit on the bike and explain how everything works, then walk them through actual operation, real time. i tell ya all you see is grins on the people, mostly women too!

second they demo how to pick a bike up when it tips over, again mostly women. thing is it takes away alot of the intimidation factor right there and plants a seed in the persons head, "maybe... yes, i can do this!"

last thing i noticed was a Fat Boy sitting there, again with the front on a stand holding it upright but no handlebars. im like what the??...
then i see a dealer walking back to it with a handlebar assbly, he just dropped it in place, and had the guy sit on the bike. behind him was a rack with diff bar/bends to try out right there.

i tell you, to own a Harley has never been on my radar, but they sure do a great job at drawing people in and making them feel comfortable. you just have to respect that.
BMW is pretty good at it too. they practically force you to take a test ride when you step into a dealer. we have one here that i stopped at (because, get this, there was a Super Duke up on the sidewalk...).
so i was talking to the KTM owner, a mechanic there, and then wandered in side to look at the then new S1000RR. next thing i know the dealer was offering me a helmet, gloves and a jacket, from a whole wall of demo gear.
15 minutes later im tooling out for a 1/2hr ride!

KTM could take a huge lesson here, and i dont understand their rational. i still get maybe 8 out of 10 people thinking KTM only makes dirt bikes!
and god help you if you want to see one in the flesh, here i have to drive 200miles or more to get to a dealer, and youd better call ahead because most deal only in off road stuff.

I agree with you totaly,,,,Harley does the right thing as far as marketing, far better these days than "back in the day" when they sold new motorcycles that didn't run right off the showroom floor and they still sold them,,none appeal to me either,,,the XR 1200 did, and certainly looks the part anyway, you just have to dump another 6K into mods to make it break the ton,,,a friend of mine has an XR 750 tracker converted to a street bike , and that thing is a scary fast wheel standing monster, he will never sell it,,

I wonder if you could make a decent "adventure" bike out of an RnineT?
I am not sure that it is ethical and or reasonable to use Harley Davidson and Rolex in the same sentence. Actually on second thought why not, they both represent the same philosophy in my brain. Carry on............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjI5Ex31Kbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDLiFcMs5o

Gee what ever happened at the 72 match race series and that guy named Rayborn http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/sun ... f-an-icon/

How cool would that be if they would bring back BOTT as part of the AMA/DMG circus. KTM and Duc might actually win something in the US. Hell, even EBR could be competetive.

My head hurts: http://onproductmanagement.net/2011/05/ ... t-success/