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2018 IMS - Chicago - EmptySea - 02-11-2018 05:27 PM
Spent all afternoon and evening on Friday at the bike show. This is the third consecutive year where I took the afternoon off of work to enjoy the show. On the face of it, this might seem like a waste of a day since I am not in the market for a bike or gear, but I really do enjoy spending that afternoon at the show even though I wander around by myself for much of it. I think that the Chicago version of the IMS coming at almost exactly the midpoint of our riding winter has a lot to do with it.
Typically, I meet up with a group of (mostly) V-Twin riders at Hofbrauhaus before the show for some German food and beer and then we head over to the show and I kind of wander off by myself. This year, because of a major snow storm, I ate some German food and drank some German beer alone. Although, there was an Indian rider on the bar stool adjacent to my own and we had a nice conversation while we noshed on sausages and kraut.
I walked from the restaurant to the convention center, picked up my complimentary ticket (One small perk of being a Progressive Insurance agent is that I get 8 free tickets to this show every year), and headed in. Spent some time with my Progressive rep, got my free coffee mug, t-shirt, and swag bag and commenced to wandering.
I scoped out the new Goldwing, which is way more impressive in person than even in all the videos and photographs I have seen. Spent a lot of time in the vintage bike section, tried on some jackets and gloves, and meandered around for a few hours until Cheryl and some other friends arrived.
Almost bought the Mobile Warming heated jacket, but decided to wait to pull the trigger on it. That was the only item I was seriously going to buy.
Cheryl sat on a bunch of bikes. She really liked the lowered BMW R1200GS and, surprisingly, a couple of Harleys--She'd have the Sporster/Bobber (or whatever it's called) as a second bike, I think. She was shocked and impressed that she could 'fit' on a Wing. It's too expensive, but I bet she test rides one this spring. She sat on the NC700x because The Ferret wanted us to look at it...still too tall for her taste. In the end, the Indian Scout set up for 5'6" and under fit her perfectly and our friend Jennifer (a new rider) liked that one best, too. We will see if the CTX is traded in this year.
After the show, we went for pizza at Gino's East with Cheryl's brother, Mike and Jennifer, and a small group of mostly long-distance rider types. Great pizza and a couple of beers and talk of Iron Butt rides past and to come made for a wonderful end to my day.
Just a few more weeks and the season will be here again. Until then, I have a bag full of bike brochures peruse to while away the time.
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - suhawk305 - 02-11-2018 06:15 PM
Great way to spend a winter day! Love the pictures.
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - Ole - 02-11-2018 06:17 PM
Now I know who to hit up for a free ticket next year
thanks for the pics and tell your bride this Blackhawks loving cheesehead says hi
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - EmptySea - 02-11-2018 06:21 PM
Ole... just let me know if you're coming down next year. No guarantees, but I have received 8 free passes for the last 4 or 5 years, so there's a good chance that I would have one for you.
That V-Strom 250 impressed me. Looks like a fun bike.
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - The ferret - 02-11-2018 06:40 PM
The NC is supposed to be a 750 this year I had heard. I think that just might be the perfect lighter weight local rides bike for me. I considered that , the SV 650, NC 500X, another scooter maybe? The nice thing about the NC is 70-80 mpg, easy on tires, and easy low maintenance. Even considering the DCT version of it.
Going to look at the Wing, for my next tourer, but I'm afraid it's going to be too big for me. Did Cheryl lift it off the side stand?
Wish they had that show in Cincinnati instead of Cleveland.
BTW I had that exact model CB 450.
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - EmptySea - 02-11-2018 06:46 PM
I think it is a 750... I just typed it wrong. I am becoming more and more interested in DCT, especially for bikes like the Wing.
Cheryl did lift it off the side stand...the nice woman rep at the BMW exhibit showed her how to turn the front wheel to the right while holding the brake and use her right leg to push on the peg. Came right up, despite the look on her face in the picture. LOL
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - The ferret - 02-11-2018 06:50 PM
interesting so when she lifted the wing off the side stand she had her right foot pushing down on the right peg, instead of having both feet on the ground? Going ot have to try that. I do turn the bars to the right on my ST, it stands it up straighter before the heave to the right lol.
Did she fit better on the BMW GS low or the Wing?
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - EmptySea - 02-11-2018 07:14 PM
Better on the GS, for sure, but my Honda guy, Jeff, was at the show and giving her the hard sell on the Wing with DCT. He contends, and I don't disagree, that the DCT could be very beneficial for her especially at low speeds. He also thinks that the regular Goldwing (no top case) is a much better motorcycle on the road than the Touring model.
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - The ferret - 02-11-2018 07:39 PM
where's the pic of her on the GS?
RE: 2018 IMS - Chicago - EmptySea - 02-11-2018 07:44 PM
I didn't get a pic of her on the GS or the Scout. Oh...one thing, she had a harder time getting the GS off the side stand than the Wing, but a guy I know told me that they make a side stand extension for the GS that makes the task much easier.