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| Delvard |
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Delvard
Traffic Copper
Joined: 22 Jul 2005
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 Posted: 14:29 - 26 Oct 2006  Post subject: What are the NEC rideouts like? |
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Can't get my head around how they must organise this 
https://www.motorcycleshow.co.uk/mci2006/ride_outs.html
Surely it must be massively popular. How long does the whole queing for a ride, the ride itself etc etc all take? Is there the time in a day to take out 2 maybe 3 bikes and see as much of the show as you want?
Mmmm:thinks likelihood:....Na  but it would be nice.
Enlighten me 
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A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. |
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| zephyrgirl |
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zephyrgirl
Spanner Monkey
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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Posted: 15:37 - 26 Oct 2006  Post subject: |
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I went on the test ride out last year and it was bloody marvellous.
The best tip I can give is to get there early, wait in the queue nearest the booking in desk and run (or walk quickly) to the desk as soon as the barriers are lifted for you to enter the show.
All you need to do is take both parts of you driving licence (I am assuming you have a full bike licence), and make sure you haven't had an alcoholic beverage which would fail the breath test you will need to take. Make sure you will be able to pass the eye test, take glasses if you need them and I was extra prepared by making a note of my clothes sizes in Hein Gericke so that I could just tell the chaps my sizes and not faff about trying on the new gear.
If I were you I would spend a bit of time deciding which bike you would like to take out. I chose the BMW K1200R 'cos it was a total fecking beast and I wouldn't usually go to a Beemer dealership and have the nerve to blag a test ride.
Here is a review I wrote of my experience last year...
| Quote: | Went to the NEC Bike Show today.
Got there by 9:20am, bought ticket and queued up (luckily) at entrance 17.
This gave me a good short sprint to the Ride out booking desk!
The barriers opened at 10:00am exactly and off I set at brisk pace. I got to the desk and was booked onto the first rideout of the day!
Excellent!
The weather was very bad and pissing with rain.
Shit!
I was booked onto the 10:50am ride and had to be at the rideout tent half an hour before the time. It was by then 10:10 and I had to make my way immediately to the rideout area.
I arrived at the mini, fully stocked Hein Gericke shop. My sizes were taken (I was sad enough to make a note of them) and I was handed brand new, labels still on, waterproof kit.
I had new Bullson boots, new gloves and, at the Arai trailer, was fitted with a new Astro Race lid.
After being breath tested and had my eyesight tested (twice) I was ready to meet my steed for the next 13 miles.
.........a new, black BMW K1200R
Oh, sweet baby Jesus!
I got astride and had a short briefing on the idiosyncrasies of the Beemer indicators and controls. It took a while to get used to the fact that there were 3 separate sitches for the indicators.
I went out with three others, all blokes, riding a Triumph Sprint, CBF600, and to be honest, I can't for the life of me remember what the 3rd chap was riding, I was so overcome with my bike!
There were 2 BSM outriders, the chap in front on a BMW 1200GS and a woman behind on a Multistrada, they had intercom communication with each other.
We set off out of the NEC at a very slow pace moving through the traffic out onto a dual carriageway. There was a lot of standing water, a lot.
We stopped 10 minutes in and the instructor asked each of us if we were OK and if we wanted to carry on.
my reply was "Hell, Yeah Baby!"
And apparently this was the only positive response!
Wusses!
We carried on and onto some nice twisty country roads, which would have been heavenly in the dry, and were fun in the wet!
The K1200R was immense, I tried my best to treat her with respect in the conditions, but the torque that she threw out was scary.... but good!
Cornering in the wet was so planted I felt more confidence on this beast I'd been on for less than 10 minutes, than on my XJR. I don't know if this is an indication of my mental state when I ride the XJR or if the BMW is really that good. Maybe I just need to get some new BT020's on the XJR!
I was impressed by the flickablity too. Even on the slippery roads I found that it was no effort to go through the S bends, The XJR is significantly more hard work.
The bike was so responsive, the mearest thought of increase in speed brought about an instantaneous rush. The engine really rumbled aggressively above about 6000 revs, and when we went under a bridge I couldn't resist pulling in the clutch and wringing the throttle like a sneezing chicken's neck.
Vrooom!
We got back to the NEC and got one of the chaps to take a pic on my shitty (and wet) mobile. I got out of the Hein Gericke gear and into my jeans, took one last longing look at the Beemer and went back to the show. |
I queued for 5 minutes at the desk.
The outfitting (including being measured for a brand new Arai helmet!) took approx 15 mins.
Sundry breath tests, eye tests and instructor briefing took around 10 mins and the rideout itself lasted around 40 minutes.
It was the highlight of the show for me and I still get a warm fuzzy feeling inside when I recall riding the K1200R.
If I could go and do it again this year I would jump at the chance!
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Fly away on my Zephyr?
I bloody wish. |
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| Delvard |
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Delvard
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Joined: 22 Jul 2005
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| Posted: 20:36 - 26 Oct 2006 Post subject: |
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Outstanding reply and all sounds more promising than I hoped.
Buell here we come 
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A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. |
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| Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman
I did a trackday!!!
Joined: 12 Aug 2004
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| Andy C |
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Andy C
Tree Seeking Missile
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
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| SoulRider |
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SoulRider
World Chat Champion
Joined: 13 Nov 2005
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| Posted: 09:56 - 27 Oct 2006 Post subject: |
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im guessing if you go down in your own bike gear they will be fine?
Where esactly do i go to do these test rides when i get there and can you try any bikes?
Cheers
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| PsychoHippy |
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PsychoHippy
Jammy Git
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| SoulRider |
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SoulRider
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| Posted: 13:06 - 27 Oct 2006 Post subject: |
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well im following dad, uncle, sister and her bf up there so guessing its already well out of the window 
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| Delvard |
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Delvard
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| Gazdaman |
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Gazdaman
I did a trackday!!!
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| Delvard |
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Delvard
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 19 years, 133 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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