Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Working The Booth

This year for the first time, I volunteered to help in the VJMC (Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club) booth at the International Motorcycle Show.  Various cities around the USA host the show and ours is in nearby Minneapolis and it always happens in January or February.  It's a time of year many of us need some two-wheeled inspiration.

Our son Ben is home from Camp LeJuene for a couple of weeks and I was happy to have his company on Saturday.  We drove up a couple of hours early, stopped for breakfast and still had almost enough time to wander the show floor before my 1PM-4PM shift.

Progressive Insurance hosts the show and always has a prominent display just inside.  Just inside is where the Progressive bags are freely given out for swag collection; the very popular Flo is seen everywhere.  Last year she was represented by a 112.5% lifesize cardboard cutout but this year she was seen in much smaller versions.

Here she is on a billboard, roadside on the slot car track.



There were a couple of bikes I wanted to see at the show, both of them only discovered by me within the last week or so and by accident really.  I've let all of my subscriptions go and since I hang around so many old men interested in old motorcycles, the new stuff isn't exactly front and center in my world.

Two years ago, I was very excited about the then new Honda 700 and last year, it was the Honda 500's.  No surprise to anyone that pays attention here, I'm a big fan of bikes that don't necessarily make 150hp.  This year's announcement about Honda's 300, competition for the Kawasaki Ninja 300 was something I really wanted to see.  I looked and looked again, so if it was there, I missed it.  The "full line" brochure didn't mention it either.  It was my understanding that it was to be imported here though maybe it's still just too early.

The other machines I heard about only a week ago were the new 500 and 750 Vtwin Harley Davidsons.  They weren't at the show either but I did pick up a very short and sweet brochure playing on the smaller Milwaukee machines' "heritage".

Another surprise, something I did manage to see and take a good look at was the CFMoto 650's.  I'll be paying attention and watching what develops there.

Still pretty......


I wouldn't own it but again, pretty in my eyes........


The last few years, our local and very long running Viking Chapter of the AMCA has been joining together with the VJMC to display older bikes at this New Bikes Featured show.  This years' display by both clubs was bigger and better than ever.

This says it all........



A couple of old Yamaha roadracing bikes, capable of speeds (and performance) that belie their size.  I had a Sportster not that different than Todd's here at the Antique display that was across the aisle from us.


You may be able to imagine how many times I heard ...."I had one..."  or ...."my brother had one..." or...."the kid across the street had one...."


They were there; flat fours, a rotary, two sixes (one turbo'd), some singles that were supposed to smoke and some that were not, twins as well and a very fine 400 triple.



The School of Rock was there (right next to us) and I thought they did a particularly good job with Journey and Lights Going Down.



Based on some very unscientific extrapolation, the majority of early '70's Honda 350's produced seem to still be in garages, basements and barns in Minnesota.



A wide RE5 on the stand and a wide, turbo'd KZ1300 in the distance.  It took 4 men and a boy to get the Suzuki up on this pedestal stand......16 ounces in every one of these pounds.


25 comments:

  1. Great showing of vintage bikes. Always a favorite part of the show.

    How did you enjoy volunteering as opposed to just spectating?

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    1. I did enjoy volunteering this time and learned a lot. There's a reason that this was my first time in the booth; I've been more than a little intimidated since every person in the club knows more about these bikes and their details than I do. It was very interesting getting reasonable questions as well as feedback from others about the club's activities and membership.

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  2. What! You didn't get your picture taken with the Flo cutout?

    That looks like a wonderful display of older motorcycles. Not vintage since I remember when some of them were brand new in the show room.

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    1. There was no cutout this year and I was surprised. From all appearances, Progressive chose a very different tact from years previous. The young women handing out bags had winter type clothing on, there was the slot car race track and if there was a "Progressive Custom" I missed it.

      Vintage Japanese, certainly in the Midwest, only goes back so far. The guys across the aisle cover true vintage very well.

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  3. I love older bikes, they are well built and its amazing how many of them are still lurking in basements and rideable with low mileage on them. I love my Honda and at this point although I ooohh and ahhh over others I think I will always ride a Honda. My hub's V45 Magna is 31 years old now and still running strong and in fairly decent shape. Looks like it was an interesting show.

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    1. The old ones are fun to look at and if they are able to be ridden, even better. In Minnesota, motorcycles 20 years old qualify to be licensed as "Classics". Only young people are comfortable calling bikes from the early 90's old.

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  4. Coop:

    I used to have a '73 Honda CB350. I loaned it to a friend in the early 80's, and haven't seen it since but I still have the original key. I also had a 60's something Honda 60 and a 70's Yamaha 80 which I traded for a tape recorder. Can't remember what they looked like but it would be nice to see them again.

    Our Motorcycle Show is this weekend but I'm not sure if I am going. The Vancouver Motorcycle show is out in Abbotsford and takes about 3 hours return to get there and I don't feel like going alone

    bob
    Riding the Wet Coast


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    1. Dad,brother and I went through a slew of early '70's bikes and there are a few of them I wish I had. My current '63 C105 is almost exactly like the '64 that I started riding on. My brother's '70 SL100 is here and will be ridden this summer.

      Are you sure you won't go?? I bet you'll feel summery if you do.

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  5. Hi Coop,

    Would you ever consider posting a link to this on the VJMC Facebook page? I put some cell phone pics up there that were well received, I think folks would be interested in your write-up as well.

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    1. Jason, of course that's OK. I don't get to our Facebook page very often but will post a link tonight. Thanks for the reminder!

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  6. Slot cars. There's a trip back... :^)

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    1. Have you looked at Anki-Drive the smartphone controlled race cars? Though I suspect you wouldn't be interested, it's worth a look....

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    2. Martha, that was exactly my reaction when I was able to look a bit closer at the track. The very first reaction was that it must be a train layout, that was before I saw the wide roadway.

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  7. No triples this year? I seem to remember a beautiful KH400 that a guy named Wayne put on display.

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  8. Thanks for the correction. So there WAS something of everything! I"ll have to apologize to that Wayne guy. Let the record show.

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  9. The Honda CBX is a beauty!!! Vintage bikes make me want to be a mechanic, alas… no talent to be found.

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    1. A bit of extra chrome made that CBX look better than new. If you decide to take up the trade, the old ones make a good way in. I'll bet that you'd have a lot of fun working on one of the old Honda step-thru's.

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  10. Great stuff!

    Have you got the scoop on the yellow 950 v-twin scrambler-lookin' bike? Is that a Yamaha?

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    1. Hey Lucky, I don't know anything more about that scrambler. I don't recognize the motor; hoped that someone else would know.

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  11. Coop - looks like an impressive collection of vintage motorcycles!

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    1. These guys collectively have an incredible collection of machines that we grew up with. Every time I'm around the group and their bikes floating back through 4 decades of riding memories is so wonderfully easy.

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  12. I bet the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club National organization would enjoy seeing this presentation. Nice job Doug>

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    1. Thanks Mark, for both the suggestion and your contribution to enhancing the club.

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  13. Beyond cool show!

    Would love to see that many old bikes up close and personal.

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    1. Hey Deb, if you happen to find yourself further west (and north) in the Midwest around June 13-14, join us and you'll see many more than the sample presented here.
      http://vjmc-mn.com/

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