“Beyond its well-deserved reputation for best-in-class performance, the popularity of the Suzuki Hayabusa can be attributed to the way it has long been embraced by the many facets of popular culture, including fashion, style, music and entertainment,” said Glenn Hansen, communications manager, ASMC, Motorcycle/ATV Division. “Suzuki’s relationship with L-R-G provides us with a not-to-be-missed opportunity to vividly illustrate our iconic sportbike’s storied connection to urban culture.”
This Busa has the requisite fat tire and extended swingarm, but what caught our eyes on the “lifestyle-inspired” custom were the clear wheels manufactured by CSC
Next up was the U.S. unveiling of the awesome 1098R Superbike from Ducati, plus our first look at the new Monster 696. Debutante custom bike builder Roland Sands was on hand to uncover the first of many bikes at the show that he’s built. Staying in the Italian section, Bimota lifted the lid on its impressive DB7, a work of art powered by the Ducati 1098 motor. Also on display was the DB6R and innovative Tesi 3D.
A few rows over, we took a dip into the Bonneville Salt Flats with Denis Manning and Chris Carr, holders of the motorcycle speed record set with the BUB #7 streamliner in 2006. Also on tap were several vintage Bonneville bikes.
Perhaps the most interesting display of the event was in the Star Motorcycles area. Part art and part prototype (they call it a “visual interpretation”) called “Awaken,” it’s our best clue to what the next generation VMax might look like. And if you think this is just a concept bike, a close look at the production-ready variable-length YCC-I intake snorkels on the V-4 powerplant tell us that we can expect a street-ready version to debut within the next nine months
For something even odder, we checked out the three-wheeler from Vectrix, similar in layout to the Piaggio MP3. Yossef had already taken us for a spin on the
electric-powered Vectrix scooter, and this new machine combines that motor with two front wheels that lean into corners. Pretty cool, even if you can’t wake up your neighbors when you start it up! Also unveiled was the “Superbike” concept, an electric sportbike that is said to be able to top 120 mph.
Moving along, we saw the new Piaggio MP3 400 and Vespa S scooter, plus a look at the highlights of Harley-Davidson’s product line. Then the ubiquitous Roland Sands took the wraps off a custom sportbike based on a CBR1000RR that will benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s Ride For Kids program. Another custom sportbike of note was the one-off Kawasaki ZX-6R built for Supercross champ James “Bubba” Stewart.
Attracting a huge amount of traffic was the Discover Today’s Motorcycling “Women’s Studio.” The place was packed with all kind of female movers and shakers, including Friends of MO “Super” Sarah Schilke from Fairchild Sports and DTM’s Manager, Emerging Market Communications, Jessica Prokup. Lots of good advice going around, plus displays of entry-level bikes and women’s riding gear.
Custom bike builder/ex-racer Roland Sands had several of his latest builds on display at the Long Beach IMS, including this CBR1000RR that will benefit the Ride For Kids charity.
The KTM stand showed off its latest wares, but the most eye-appealing was the custom creation from superstar bike builder Jesse Rooke built around KTM’s liquid-cooled V-Twin LC8 engine. It’s a stripped-down road burner with a single-sided swingarm and an ultra-minimalist exhaust system.
The media day was capped off with some celebrity bling in the form of actor Tom Arnold. The motorcyclist is trying to bring attention to the Big American Heart Ride event that raises money for Camp del Corazon, which is a charity that provides experiential opportunities for children faced with the challenges of growing up and living with heart disease. His spiel was followed with a short concert by the band Whiskey Falls.
The IMS event always brings out some of the coolest custom bikes in the business, and one of our favorites was this gorgeous Jesse Rooke custom built around a KTM engine.
Also on tap at the rest of the events on the tour is the BOSS Stunt show, which consists of freestyle ramp jumping and the gravity-defying Ball of Steel globe.
But for many attendees, it’s the chance to see and feel all the new bikes for 2008 that brings them to the IMS show, more than 800 motorcycles, ATVs and watercraft according to show promoters. Time to think about which machine will fit nicely in your garage.
This custom Triumph was built to run at Bonneville by the expert Triumph tuners at South Bay Triumph. It came up just a few mph short of a record and still had salt dripping off of it from its 140-mph run
The decision was reached by unanimous vote at the Designers' Night in Milan on 10 November. The evening's events were organised by Donato Cannatello, and held at the Moto Arte Design museum, with its wonderful display of perfectly restored classic motorcycles. Pierre and the team had worked non-stop to get the three concept models to the EICMA on time (an experience most of us can empathise with), but they were rewarded with a packed show stand, and ultimately, the 2009 Motorcycle Design Trophy. Our thanks also go to Dario Lopez of Aprilia's Centro Stile for standing in to accept the award at the press presentation while we were trying to track down Pierre. 
