|
The Crystal Ball
By the time you receive this issue, all the MMIC-sanctioned motorcycle industry shows will have wrapped up for the year and riders will have just a few local events to attend as they get ready for spring.
I just want to thank all of you who took the time to drop by our booth to talk about motorcycles and riding or just to shake our hands for a job well done—it really does make our day after long hours on the show floor. Many of you who came to renew your subscriptions also brought friends along to sign up as new subscribers, and in that regard this was one of our best show seasons ever. It’s getting to be like old home week with every show we do, and you get to meet most of the staff involved with putting the magazine together. The encouragement you passed along to us gives us the passion to do even better in the coming year.
The shows also give us insight to what might happen over the next year or two, and if I was to look into that crystal ball I might see the west growing stronger in sales, riding and events. Ontario and Quebec may still be slow for another year or two while in the Atlantic provinces, riders are just going to have fun, getting out on the road whenever they get the chance and, if the weather picks up, the region should have a strong year. They might even want to travel into those other provinces to help them get through another tough year.
We are seeing a lot of new imports from southeast Asia break into the industry and it’s going to be a tough year for them. However, they are coming and the good ones will eventually make it past Transport Canada’s (sometimes unfair) regulations. Their presence in the market will ultimately be good for consumers (cheaper motorcycles) and will likely bring a lot of new riders to the street. The industry as a whole will also benefit because the new importers will help raise the numbers when it’s time to lobby for better insurance rates and street legislation. There are a lot of scooters entering the marketplace as more economical modes of transportation and I encourage that, knowing many of their riders will eventually upgrade, thus keeping the industry moving along on a positive note for many years to come.
For those of you lucky enough to get to one of the major shows, I’m sure you found some interesting products and motorcycles out there. In Edmonton I met Derek Pauletto, a Calgary-area fabricator whose very unique approach to V-Twin customization is featured on pgs. 32-36 of this issue. It’s Canadians such as Derek who bring bike building to a higher level and although I saw many more customs that would just blow you away with their paint and style, I picked this one to share with you.
I’m one of the lucky ones who can travel across the country and attend more shows than most will ever see in a few years. So, along the way, I’ve also developed a feeling for upcoming trends. This year on the show circuit, if there was an award for most improved distributor display I think Ducati would win—they just went the extra mile to showcase their products with style. Not that they’re the biggest, but I think they best demonstrated the strength of their lineup. A runner-up might be KTM, which had a larger booth size and a product line that shows me the market is more than street and customs. Although the Big Six manufacturers did a great job showing they have something for everyone on two wheels, I did miss the presence of Triumph Canada. Thank goodness for the odd dealer stepping up to fill in for the corporate side.
Once again the show organizers did a great job, entertainment was on par and anyone who had the chance to attend a show got their money’s worth. I know I did.
 |
Columns 
Subscribe to this comment's feed
