I hadn't been to the London bike show for a few years. The last time I went I was left disappointed by its scope and scale in relation to the far superior Motorcycle Live show in Birmingham. So, I headed up to London with my riding buddy Dean, with a certain sense of trepidation. I'd won two tickets through social media and felt it would be rude not to make the trip, so with the alarm set, we headed up in the car just after 7am.
Making short work of the sub-three hour journey, we got to the show just after it opened and immediately I could tell it was a vast improvement over previous versions. Walking through the entrance you were greeted by an amazing display of Grand Prix bikes and that set a nice positive tone for the event.
Making short work of the sub-three hour journey, we got to the show just after it opened and immediately I could tell it was a vast improvement over previous versions. Walking through the entrance you were greeted by an amazing display of Grand Prix bikes and that set a nice positive tone for the event.
Heading straight to the Ducati stand we checked out Shane Byrne's BSB winning bike as well as looking at the Ducati Tri-Options bike on display, but like so many, the real reason was to have another look at the new V4 Panigale. From there we made our way round to explore what the show had on offer.
In the middle of the show was the Thunderdrome, a short oval track where a range of pros, including Carl Fogerty, Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson would race against each other during the day. I have to say I liked this feature, not because I wanted to see a few quality riders muck about on tiny little bikes, but because it meant the crowds were drawn there, clearing a bit of space around the rest of the show.
As expected, probably the best stand was Kawasaki. They always seem to put in that extra level of effort with their stands. This year their stand resembled a retro record shop, with their new Z900rs sat in the middle on a revolving turntable record player. You can see from the below, this bike was getting a great deal of interest and it really is a beautiful bike.
In the middle of the show was the Thunderdrome, a short oval track where a range of pros, including Carl Fogerty, Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson would race against each other during the day. I have to say I liked this feature, not because I wanted to see a few quality riders muck about on tiny little bikes, but because it meant the crowds were drawn there, clearing a bit of space around the rest of the show.
As expected, probably the best stand was Kawasaki. They always seem to put in that extra level of effort with their stands. This year their stand resembled a retro record shop, with their new Z900rs sat in the middle on a revolving turntable record player. You can see from the below, this bike was getting a great deal of interest and it really is a beautiful bike.
The H2 and the new H2-SX were drawing a lot attention as was the ZX10R-SE and the Z900rs Cafe, the sister bike to the Z900rs above. With a limited amount of space, Kawasaki didn't present their full range, but were able to show off the new Ninja 400, the Versys X 300 and a few race bikes.
By lunchtime the show was packed and it was proving to be a touch difficult to really get close to the machines by the big manufacturers. The crowds around Honda and Yamaha were notably bad, with the new Goldwing at Honda drawing a great deal of attention.
BMW had their stunning HP4 Race on display and with the benefit of being displayed away from greasy hands, the carbon was glinting under the show lights, adding something a little extra to this rare piece of exotica.
BMW had their stunning HP4 Race on display and with the benefit of being displayed away from greasy hands, the carbon was glinting under the show lights, adding something a little extra to this rare piece of exotica.
Norton were grabbing a lot of attention with their V4s in their prominent display again. I've seen this same display now at three shows over two years, and despite reading how the bikes would be launched in 2017, as far as I'm aware (I did search the web) that still hasn't officially happened.
There is no doubting their allure and they are stunning looking bikes, but these were first announced back in 2016 and if it was me looking to buy one, I would have given up by now and headed back over to Ducati and put the money down on the V4 Speciale instead, or bought a Aprilia RSV4 RR or RF, which in essence, carries the same engine as the Norton.
Overall, the show was well worth the drive and both Dean and I took advantage of a ticket offer to visit the Classic car show next door for a brief walk around. If you don't get a chance to head to the NEC, the London show has proved itself to be a worthy companion having grown out of previous year's disappointment.
Overall, the show was well worth the drive and both Dean and I took advantage of a ticket offer to visit the Classic car show next door for a brief walk around. If you don't get a chance to head to the NEC, the London show has proved itself to be a worthy companion having grown out of previous year's disappointment.
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