(Above), The custom BMW R nineT built by Chris Canterbury of Boxer Metal in Chico, California, on display at the BMW MOA booth at the show. (Right), the newly released E1 modular Adventure helmet from Schuberth was released to the public at the show. (Below Right), Jessica Prokup of Twisted Throttle explains new TraX panniers from SW-MOTECH.


exhibitors. Those exhibitors included not only the MOA – which was singled out as having one of the best booths in the room – but many other companies of interest to BMW motorcycle riders. BMW Motorrad was there with an impressive two-story booth packed with iconic concept bikes, standard models and knowledgeable people working the booth. The cherry on top was the race track virtual reality experience, an impressive bit of technological wizardry that was convincing enough to make more than a few who tried it a bit dizzy. Media attendees focused their attention


on the Media Hub for the first two days of the Expo, drinking in product releases and demonstrations that ran the gamut from the debut Yamaha’s DT-07 concept dirt track racing bike to a visceral demo of Helite’s airbag safety vest. (My video of that demo is on the internet at https://www.you- tube.com/watch?v=aNJmRsFZS50) Pink- striped media credentials seemed to be everywhere, talking to manufacturers and distributors about their hottest, most excit- ing new products. My particular fetish is with safety gear.


I’m always looking for that next great hel- met or armor technology. As blown away as I was by the Helite vest, the safety gear that remains foremost in my mind is the new


ATS-1 full-face helmet from 6D Helmets. 6D is at the front of a wave of helmet technology inno- vation that should not be ignored; their helmets have the potential to save lives and pre- vent traumatic brain injuries and it’s fantastic to see somebody – and a small company to boot – pushing the envelope of helmet technology. Saturday and Sunday are when


consumers are allowed to come in, look around and most impor- tantly, ask questions. Ten dollars for parking and another $10 for your ticket and – if you picked Saturday – you’re on the floor for 10 hours. Thankfully, the Expo organizers made sure there were plenty of bathrooms and enough food vendors available to sat- isfy even the pickiest of eaters. Saturday was definitely the most crowded day, but the shorter Sunday hours saw plenty of foot traffic. The series of International Motorcycle


Shows sponsored by Progressive Insurance is just kicking off, with the first dates on the west coast in November and east coast dates starting in December. Without minimizing the experience of attending any of the IMS


dates, the AIMExpo is the best powersports trade show I’ve ever attended and was well worth the trip to Orlando. It wasn’t just about seeing the newest products or talking to dozens of MOA members (and prospec- tive members). Rather, the appeal for me was the ability to utterly immerse myself in all things motorcycle for four straight days – and I never even made it to the outdoor portion of the Expo. There’s always next year! I’ve already blocked off 13-16 October 2016 on my calendar and put in for leave from my day job. See you there!


December 2015 BMW OWNERS NEWS 35


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