Motorcycle Live NEC review

bikerface · Tuesday, 20 November 2018, 08:08 PM

Hi all
Anyone thinking of going up to the NEC for the Motorcycle Live show I wrote a little review with the highlights

https://fantasticdailydeals.co.uk/2018/11/19/motorcycle-live-2018-review/

froudy · Tuesday, 20 November 2018, 08:35 PM

A good write up there Bikerface

I used to go every year back in the 90's, but it just doesn't do it for me any more. The last time I went was about 2013. Walked around in about two and a half hours and left. There used to be loads of quality stands selling decent products, but my last impression was of lots of trade stands selling poor quality bike clothing and tat...I wont be going again!
As you said..The refreshment prices are a total rip off..They always were and usually are at events like this.

bikerface · Tuesday, 20 November 2018, 08:50 PM

Quote from: froudy on Tuesday, 20 November 2018, 08:35 PM
A good write up there Bikerface

I used to go every year back in the 90's, but it just doesn't do it for me any more. The last time I went was about 2013. Walked around in about two and a half hours and left. There used to be loads of quality stands selling decent products, but my last impression was of lots of trade stands selling poor quality bike clothing and tat...I wont be going again!
As you said..The refreshment prices are a total rip off..They always were and usually are at events like this.

Thank's for having a look, I should have taken more pictures really to support the blog but I am still testing the waters. I have not been to the show in a long time and it was really good set out well, you don't really get any bargains stick to the internet for that.
I met foggy though, pic was not good enough to put up on the site really

Granty · Wednesday, 21 November 2018, 06:27 AM

I went to Motorcycle live. The new Suzuki Katana was very disappointing. The other new bike I went to see was the new Norton, shame they only had one on a closed stand so that you could not even sit on it. I had hoped that there would be a bargain or two available. But having gone to the cost of getting there, ticket in and extortionate car parking I was a bit p##sed of to find that a lot of the so call show deals was dearer than from the same company online. When I said to a few stalls about this they said this was because they had to pay for the stand some how.
Over all I think the motorcycle industry put on a poor show case for their industry. Four of us went and not one of use would swop our beloved 14'S for any of the new offerings.

Basil Brush · Wednesday, 21 November 2018, 07:26 AM

Going Wednesday. Also a first - going on bus. I cannot be arsed to drive. Plus £16 to park. Leave it out. Been going for years now. Mate who I usually go with cannot get time off. So, I saw a bus organised by the local bikers going...

VladTepes · Thursday, 22 November 2018, 05:15 PM

That's pretty sad when BIKERS have to organise a bus to go to a bike show !

I usually spend as much time looking at bikes in the car park as I do in the show !

Mister Fishfinger · Thursday, 22 November 2018, 09:28 PM

Quote from: VladTepes on Thursday, 22 November 2018, 05:15 PM
That's pretty sad when BIKERS have to organise a bus to go to a bike show !

I usually spend as much time looking at bikes in the car park as I do in the show !

Normally I would agree but you have to consider the venue. NEC Birmingham is a vast purpose-built exhibition centre located near a bunch of extremely busy motorways in the middle of England. If there's a less interesting destination to go on a motorcycle I'd love to see it.

So given a choice between spending hours filtering through heavy traffic, probably in the rain, then schlepping round a crowded exhibition in heavy boots and damp bike gear, then doing it all again to go home - versus cruising up in a heated coach with a tin of lager, a bike mag and a pasty, I would take the latter every time.

Proteous · Thursday, 22 November 2018, 09:34 PM

I went yesterday too. Not a bad show at all, better than last year but still not as good as previous years.

Kiwifruit · Friday, 23 November 2018, 05:19 AM

I'm with you Fishy.
Went to the bike show here last year. About a 2.5 hr ride. Got soaked not far out from home, dried out nicely then got super soaked 15mins from the show. Wet heavy bike gear walking around the show, then dried out nicely on the run home.
Sounds like the coach would be just the ticket......hope you had a waitress to open your lager for you

Mister Fishfinger · Friday, 23 November 2018, 08:41 AM

I tend to go to the one in the Excel centre in London. It's much nearer to me, I can go on the train (some of which sell lager off a trolley) and there's an almost infinite choice of pubs on the way home.

Next one is February. I'll be like a big kid bouncing on all the bikes and twisting the throttles with all the other sad geezers.

Top fun.

Basil Brush · Sunday, 25 November 2018, 01:04 AM

Quote from: VladTepes on Thursday, 22 November 2018, 05:15 PM
That's pretty sad when BIKERS have to organise a bus to go to a bike show !

I usually spend as much time looking at bikes in the car park as I do in the show !

I agree. If it was in the summer. Somewhere pretty. Not a marathon motorway journey. I'm old enough to remember riding 500 mile round trip to Earls Court in the early 80's. In August. Loads of bikes inside and outside to view.

But, the coach was air con. Nice big seats. A toilet. And a massive boot. For lugging stuff home...😁

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Motorcycle Live NEC review