NEC 2007 - The Song Remains The Same
Added on Sunday, November 25th, 2007 by Carole Nash Editor
A custom bike on the Carole Nash stand
One of the great things about the annual International Motorcycle and Scooter Show (do any scooter riders go to this event?) is its inherent Britishness. You see, the NEC is a bit like an old bus station now, with tired toilets, canteens run by pleasantly befuddled pensioners and the overall vibe of a secondhand car supermarket on the A45. But there’s still something at the NEC Bike Show that will surprise you, catch your eye for next season or just put a smile on your face.
I was impressed by one salient fact this year, pointed out by Stu from BSH mag - all the custom bikes in the Xtreme zone, and on the Carole Nash stand, were sourced from within the UK. The standard of custom bike building is incredibly high in these islands and hopefully, if Brussels doesn’t make it illegal to change a bulb on your motorcycle, that mixture of craft and engineering genius will always be a big part of the NEC experience.
I keep wondering why the MCI doesn’t make more of the Custom bikes, with their own high profile awards, an invitation for biking celebs like Ewan, Charley, Alan Davies, Suzi Perry etc to become judges - that kind of publicity could draw in another 10,000 visitors if it gained some prime time BBC coverage, not just Midlands Brewtime Today.
My own favourite bikes? Hawg Heaven’s beautifully Brunel-esque lowriders, with the entire motorcycle appearing to hang from one perfect bridge support, plus Mark Graham’s Rev Tech engined masterpiece which won the Custom Xtreme top bike award, and an honourable mention for the ray guns and Dr Who riding helmet accessories adorning the Trike Shop’s B-King three wheeler. Loads of fun, great to see some humour in there.
There were a few new bike launches at the NEC. Yep, it’s true, and step forward CCM, who had their new 450 MX machine on display, as the bike looks tough enough to race every weekend, with some classy components on it. CCM are also bringing in Chinese 230cc trail bikes/commuters, which might provoke a weary shrug from some folk, but if selling a low budget commuter range keeps an historic brand name going, then surely it’s much the same as Piaggio/Vespa are doing with their Far Eastern assembly operations?
Royal Enfield had another variation on their Bullet 500, this one dubbed the Woodsman, with a touch of classic off-road trials bike about it. Personally, I thought it was too pretty to heave into some mid-Wales bog, with its highly polished engine cases, serpentine upswept exhaust and deep scarlet paintwork. It’s a modern day classic bike really, something to pootle about on sunny Sundays - but unlike a real 50 year old bike, you can get spares for the Indian Enfield without scouring the e-bay universe night and bloody day.
There is still manufacturing in Britain y’know. I have seen it at the NEC; Quill, Micron and Fuel exhausts for example (ta for the Kendal mint cake), or Powerbronze body parts, Skidmarx screens and bellypans, and a round of applause please for Davida helmets on the Wirral - the last lid maker in England. You can get almost any graphic design you like on a Davida, from classic George Formby pudding basins suitable for display purposes only, to any number of variations on the Jet helmet theme. Having worn a Davida I can tell you that it is also one of the quietest helmets I have ever ridden in, making far less wind noise than many a full face lid.
What of the mainstream bikes? My 2008 `Hot stuff’ includes the KTM RC8, the GSXR600 in white, Ducati’s 848 - also in white - Honda’s insect-like CB1000 Hornet, and the TZR125 Yamaha. There will be a queue of people wanting the new Monster 696 too, Harley’s XR1200, Guzzi’s Stelvio, plus the F800 GS BMW, the HP2 Sport Boxer, and yet more BMW 1200 GS Adventures. It’s the continuing Ewan and Charley effect, and I hope it keeps working…even if the 1200 GS’s monoshock springs don’t.
You know Ewan and Charley have done a great thing for all UK bikers by putting adventure motorcycling on BBC prime time. Toseland can’t do that and he’s a world champion. So, no matter what you think of Ewan and Charley’s motives, the expensive back-up crew or the overall impact their trip might have on the precarious lives of so many Africans, Long Way Down can only inspire thousands of biker people to ride further and longer in 2008 than they ever dared dream. That in itself is a fantastic acheivement for motorbiking in the UK, and could possibly help us deter the health and safety lobby, who would ban all two wheelers tomorrow if they could get enough political support.
One final thought; I didn’t see the government’s bike horror crash stand at this year’s NEC, where a smoking wreck was paraded to us all in a cheap publicity stunt. Good news indeed and hopefully a small saving of taxpayer’s money which can be donated to Northern Rock, local councillors unaudited expense claims, or a similar worthy cause.
Cheers, see you on the road in 2008.
Pro’s:
Good mix of new bikes, demo rides, custom xtreme, action arena. Still chances to pick up a genuine show bargain
Con’s:
Expensive admission/parking. Bland, expensive food. Still too much cheap tat on sale
