Dukes
Injuries / crashesGetting startedStart Racing Part 1Start Racing - part 2Start Racing Part 3Featured RidersZak barry brands pixHaga - WSB 05 Champ?Ally Pally bike show 05Who is Fonsi NietoNeil Faulkner featureWho are Alfonsi and VizzielloGostar's new starApril SBK reportMichael Pensavalle ProfileSpeedway - Wimbledon DonsMRO Minitwins - Team BCLTerry Oliphant - Part 1Fatal Attraction / M RoadUrban Bikefest 05T Oliphant Pt 2-CancerBCL Minitwins - 05 ReviewJohn Angel R600s 05 SeasonShark Kawasaki 05 RvwPillion Ride on Rizla SuzukiYPM 05 ReviewLeighton Walker 05 ReviewMatt Bond 05 ReviewJ Wadie 05 RvwYPM - BikesBen Castleton 062onT 2006 previewM Pensavalle update May06Kevin CarmichaelMIST Suzuki RacingMinimoto RaingTeam Trouble1992 GP seasonAB - Is it all over?Ross Walter 06 RvwDave Stewardson EMRABeowulf prepare for BrandsFeisty Racing 07Supercross at 02 Characters of BSBScottish Bike ShowYPM 09 PreveiwLangford ready for OultonBen Bostrom AMA 2010

Ally Pally bike show 05

MCN Ally Pally Bike Show 05
Crap doesnt do it justice

I wasn't exactly filled with excitement about the prospect of visiting the MCN London Bike Show at Alexander Palace on the first Saturday of February. Every person I knew, who had spent the week working there had used the same adjective to describe it - "crap". Things began badly - the roads leading to the show from central London were all dug up, leading to inevitable huge jams approaching the snail-paced contra-flow system. But I was delighted to see people had parked their bikes on the pavements near the main entrance, saving one a ten minute uphill walk from the bike park.

Once inside it was just like last year. Dealers of every conceivable piece of kit packed into the many halls of this splendid venue. It took me a while to come across the Renapur brigade. Each year they hire about ten people to hard sell the waterproofing wax, inviting all-comers to have their boots polished, in the hope you will buy a pot. I bet they are told they can make big money if they sell enough product, but I seriously doubt if they do. I habitually make time to talk to these people, because I know what a hard job it is, and how rude people can be.

There were some nice bikes to look at and sit on. The new Bandit 650, the newish Kawasaki Z750, and the absolutely awesome new Benellis (TNT) on the Red Dog stand. There was also a long row of sexy race bikes, all gorgeous and within touching distance. The thing to do was to try the clutch, when I past by.

Once you've seen the bikes and the gear, you've got the highlight to look forward to; the stunt show. Wow! The queues and clamour to get in were enormous, kids looking genuinely excited. And then it starts. After a couple of jumps the mind begins to wonder, after a couple more minutes I begin to fight the urge to get up and leave. Then the MC gets really annoying, haranguing us to enjoy those interminable moto-cross stunts over the obstacles. It goes on and on and on. Look up "tedium" in a dictionary, and there's a picture of a moto-crosser balancing on a barrel. It's impressive, but so is holding your head under water for five minutes - its just "crap" to watch. If you were standing in a lift, and someone trumped loudly for half a minute continuously, would you say "yes, impressive!", or would you say "LET ME OUT OF HERE". "Crap" does not cover it, my friends.



Pete Morrison




RSS