The NEC Bike Show: what are your opinions? Official request

[Raffles_Gentleman Thug]

Hello vaguely interested passers by.

I've been asked to gather some opinions and feedback on the NEC Motorcycle Show (held in November in Birmingham) to pass on to the organisers.

Is there anything you'd like to pass on to them?

Do you visit?

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?

How often do you go?

What can be improved?

What are the things that you want to see there?

Any other comments?

If you want to pass on some criticism, comments or questions, please feel free to post them here, send me a private message or email me directly on khal.harris@gmail.com.

I'm a freelance journalist, formerly with Bike Magazine and long-time BCF member - and I've come to you for information and ideas before - so I'm very interested in what you've got to say.

Everything will be entirely confidential - no details will be passed on, only your comments.

Thanks for reading.
____________________
"Is sir addressing me or is he masticating on a house brick? Because either way sir loses his teeth."

[chris-red]

Is there anything you'd like to pass on to them?

Do you visit?

have been 3 times

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?

Yes TDM900/Speed Four

How often do you go?

Not again

What can be improved?

Make it less generic and boring

What are the things that you want to see there?

Cheaper deals on the kit more interective things

Any other comments?

It has been the same show for the last few years no changes and is the same as the excel show in London, I live closer to that so I will go there if I feel like being bored. Also the atmosphere sucks does have the friendly feel other shows have. AND the food is over priced.

If you want to pass on some criticism, comments or questions, please feel free to post them here, send me a private message or email me directly on khal.harris@gmail.com.

The BMF IMO is the last decent bike show.
____________________
Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[iooi]

Main point, can they not move around the country to give us a chance to not have to spend a fortune to get to there....

Bus and train take so long that its actually cheaper and faster to use a car.....
____________________
Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[garth]

More women
____________________
You ain't a has been if you never was

[Dr. DaveJPS]

Is there anything you'd like to pass on to them?

Do you visit?
first time last year only other one i'd been to before was MCN scotland a few years ago

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?
KTM 950SM

How often do you go?
will go again (as it's the nearest and i hopefully will be able to swing a press pass this time)


What can be improved?
more manufacturers, ducati's offering last year was worst than honda, "oh yeah we'll be there but only bring 2 bikes cause you don't deserve more". oh and a stop to price fixing by the vendors (see here)

What are the things that you want to see there?
test rides,more bikes, a bigger offroad give it a go area

Any other comments?
nope from my memory that about covers it
[/url]
____________________
"intelligent inattention is preferable to unintelligent tinkering"
www.davejps.com

[st3v3]

Do you visit?
Yep
Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?
Honda (NS125)

How often do you go?
been last 2/3 years

What can be improved?
Stall spacing, the crowds that build up around stalls are pointless, there's so much space devoted to that event at that venue and they cram it into 1 or 2 halls?! not needed.

What are the things that you want to see there?
Something different, like Having James Toseland there was pretty awesome, I was stood 8 foot from one of my racing heroes.

Games like simulators or arcade, it's not all old bikers who turn up, I've seen a fair share of kids there and no, the stunt/wall of death thing is not entertainment. If I'd of been allowed to do it, I would of.

Ticket price is ok but as said, venue aint cheap.

Could there be a larger amount of traders? it's a bit naff to turn up and see stalls from "oxford/R&G/M&P/Busters/DVLA" and the other 10 being yer typical local market types. Manufacturers want customers to suceed so they need to make an effort and get to where the money is spent.

Bike makers are all well & good and having a fit model sat on the latest Fireblade but how is Joe Public going to know if it's his kinda bike without having a hands on feel? (I'm talking about the machine, not the girl ) Eg, I had a sit on the 6RR last time I went, which for me was AMAZING, yet going by the Duke stand every bike had ropes round it and signs effectively saying bikes are not toys dont touch. - You might as well look at a picture then order one online and hope you like it when it's outta the crate.
Any other comments?
I want a proper canvass of that "cat" bike thing they had last year... (lol - honestly, I adore it, would I be able to get one made up? otherwise I'd pay them for one)

Think that's it, cheers fella.
____________________
Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[beast rider]

Maybe the show could be earlier in the year as riding 150 miles in the pissing rain with a wind chill of -5 is only fun for the first 25 miles.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Yeah i've been.
Will only go again if all the names make an effort to show.
Carpark prices are OTT.
The 'talk' area could be better i.e more than 20ft away you can't hear them.
Sideshows. Diversity.
More food outlets=better prices
Keep the cops away. i like to park up and walk not park and talk.

CB250RSA muthas


Pat
____________________
Diabolical homemade music Bandcamp and Soundcloud
Singer songwriter, Artist and allround good bloke Listen to Andrew Susan Johnston here
The Harry Turner Project

[ms51ves3]

Is there anything you'd like to pass on to them?

No

Do you visit?

No

That was easy

[Ariel Badger]

I have been a few times but will never go again. Honda pulled out, Ducatti pulled out and the rest will pull out next year. All it is now is an expensive clothes show where the dealers ( those of them that bother to turn up, HG and JS do not) set prices as a cartel. If i want to buy rubbish helmets and gloves I will use ebay. the bike show at the NEC is history, last year they had to partition half a hall off so it did not look as empty as it was.
____________________
Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[L-Jam]

Is there anything you'd like to pass on to them?

A grenade.[/b]
____________________
Journalist, student, egotist.
Click here if you're a young biker, wondering what to do after a moped/125!
Skp 50 --> GS 500 --> CBR600F with custom HRC paint jobby --> GSX-R 750 K7, beautiful!

[MarJay]

Hi Khal,

I saw you at the moped racing on Saturday, I was one of the astronauts who won best dressed award. I was going to say hello but I figured it'd seem a bit weird: "Hi I'm Mark and you don't know me but we've spoken on a bike forum a few times, and I've seen your face in Bike magazine... "

[stevo as b4]

[andyscooter]

been for the last three years

personally i would like to see more scooters

and more Italian manufacturers there

the last one was the worst ever unless it has some vast improvement i wont be going this year
____________________
gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Do you visit? Rarely now.

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike? Yes, currently a CB500.

How often do you go? Used to go nearly every year in the 90's, but the last time I went was 2004.

What can be improved? From a venue point of view, it would be nice to have more seating and tables so you can take a break without having to find a couple of cleanish square feet on the floor somewhere.

What are the things that you want to see there? That would be down to the manufacturers to release bikes that grab me by the balls and demand that I buy them. Since there hasn't been anything that does that for quite some time, I'd want to see traders offering real bargains, food and drink at reasonable prices. I did buy a few things, but once you add the cost of entry and an overpriced burger/pint, it's no longer a deal.

Otherwise you might as well go see bikes in a shop and get the bargains online.
____________________
Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[st3v3]

[colin1]

I think a major reason for going in the past no longer applies.

These days, cheap bike stuff can be bought off the net, so stall holders cant compete.

I've been and although I do like seeing new bikes, doing a test ride etc, I could really do this just by going to a motorbike dealership.

I also used to like the offroad experience, but I have a dirt bike, so I can do that anytime really.

The wall of death is good.
____________________
colin1 is officially faster than god

[st3v3]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Do you visit?

Been most years since 1989. Missed 1996 as we were in Australia, and one a few years before that which was snowed off on the day I tried to go.

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?

Yes. Suppose the main one is the 1200 Bandit.

What can be improved?

Get more of the makers there (last year was poor, missing Honda and Aprilia / Guzzi, with most of the others makers stands being far smaller than usual). Also get a decent selection of small trade stands there (not just 15 different stands for the same company). For example lets have Spondon there again.

Any other comments?

To me it seems to have been going down hill for about a decade. Death of 1000 cuts style. Noticeable start to this was when they announced they they wanted to reduce the number of small trade stands.

[kitty kat]

Do you visit?

Yes

Do you ride a motorcycle yourself? If so, what's your main bike?

yes, MK1 Fazer 600

How often do you go?

Have been every year for the past 4 years, probably won't go again

What can be improved?

More manufacturers and better trade stands, cheaper parking & entrance fee and more food selections

What are the things that you want to see there?

See above reply

Any other comments?

The show has been in decline for several years now and unless someone rethinks it, it will continue to decline and be of less interest to more people. I very much doubt that I will make the effort to travel there again.
____________________
Enjoy everyday, tell those you love everyday you love them
Life is too short to fall out with people

[Villers]

Im on my ipod so cant go into the whole rant, its stale and boring and Ive no interest in ever going again! Middle of winter, shitty little stands selling tat, injury compensation vampires .....

If I was to give them one piece of advice it would be to make sure the live shows are up to scratch. Ive seen some good ones but there was absolutely no excuse for having that mediocre rampantly homosexual pantomime once, let alone twice!

Personally I think its dying a slow boring death, needs big improvements. Since there are better ways to get bargains, shift it to summer and get bits outside. Cut down on the length of time it runs, nothing worse than getting there and the place is a shit tip and everything is threadbare! Lastly get rid of the same tired live shows edpecially the ones with the old bloke off motogp. Having said that you'd need a big change to get a 400 mile round trip, the cost of a ticket and a tennerto park out of me ever again!

Been there five or six times, ridea hayabusa, wont be hoing back!
____________________
RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS