km : Motorcycle News

Last week while we were in town for the Los Angeles International Auto Show, we decided to take a little drive down to Long Beach to check out the motorcycle show. Produced by Cycle World magazine, the Long Beach show is one in a series of traveling motorcycle shows that makes its way throughout the country during the dark, cold months of winter. What makes the Long Beach show so significant is the fact that it's the first Stateside show after the big EICMA event in Milan; it's where most of the newest bikes from Europe make their first appearance on our shores. Notable introductions this year included BMW's S1000RR and Ducati's new HyperMotard 79 and Multistrada 1200.

The S1000RR is BMW's first foray into modern superbikes, featuring a 1000cc inline four-cylinder. It puts out an impressive 193 horsepower and weighs in around 400 pounds, making it one of the lightest and most powerful bikes in the liter-bike class. It's also packed with class-leading electronics to help keep the shiny side up when things get hairy. Even more impressive is that the S100RR will come to the States for (just) less than $14,000. It looks great in person and we're eager to get some seat time, perhaps at one of the California Superbike Schools traveling programs.



Ducati showed off its new HyperMotard 796, but the big news was the unveiling of the new Multistrada 1200, an entirely new dual-sport bike that looks to dig into BMW's R1200GS business. Powered by a 150-horse twin (40 more than the Beemer), the 1198cc motor promises to deliver exciting performance. We shot some detail video of the new Multistrada, which can be seen on YouTube.

Speaking of exciting performance, Ducati entertained the collected crowd of moto-journos with a little fashion show to highlight its line of rider apparel. Check out the gallery for a full look at the fashions being shown.



Absent were Triumph, KTM, MV Agusta, Aprilia and many others, but the surprise of the show was a new Norton. Two actually; a sport bike and a Commando cafe bike. The group was still setting up when we wandered through, but we plan to do a full story in the near future.

Numerous other displays included a variety of vintage Ducatis, Triumphs, BMWs and others. Naturally,, the show was a major stop for national vendors like Touratech and local dealers alike, all of whom had merchandise for sale at the event. While the first snowfall of the year has just visited our Chicago office, the riding season is just getting started for many Southern Califonians, and the Long Beach Show seemed like a great way to kick it off.

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