Motorcycle Shows in USA & Canada 2011-2012

Showtime!

OK, so you missed the impossibly huge 69th annual EICMA (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo Accessori) motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Again. While missing the many delights of international travel (that’ll be an additional $50 for your checked luggage sir. How would you like to pay?), this, of course, also means that you didn’t get to ogle the new Ducati 1199 Panigale (or the lovely Italian young ladies who helped to introduce it!). And you have yet to lay your eyes on Triumph’s stunning big trailie, the 2012 Tiger Explorer. Suffice to say you feel as if you’ve missed a great deal of excitement and you really need a new motorcycle fix. Soon. Good news. Your time is coming. Just next week the 2011-2012 Progressive International Motorcycle Show season kicks off in San Mateo, California.

The Progressive International Motorcycle shows are a traveling circus lasting from November to March that visits 12 locations around the US (see schedule below. Sorry Kansas City.) During the “colder” weather months the shows provide vital visual and tactile therapy for those of us who are fated to endure the “cooler” weather of northern climes. See new bikes. Touch new bikes. Sit on new bikes. It’s all there. The important manufacturers are present as are a large collection of purveyors of gear and equipment. Spend a few hours on the show floor and you will see the important new North American offerings that you unfortunately missed in Milan. Like the 1199. Like the Tiger Explorer. Not to mention the important new 2012 introductions from all the rest such as the new Night Rod Special from the Motor Company, and Kawasaki’s new hypersport, the ZX14R. You can attend focused seminars for female riders and enjoy fascinating presentations from riders like “Around the World Doug” Wothke whose recent ride across Russia to Magadan has been viewed over 1 million times on ADVRider.com. You can check out everything that’s going on at all the 12 International Motorcycle Show locations by going to http://www.motorcycleshows.com/.

The 12 shows around the country, and their dates are as follows:

San Mateo, CA Nov 18-20
Dallas, TX Dec 2-4
Long Beach,CA Dec 9-11
Seattle, WA Dec 16-18
Detroit (Novi), MI Jan 6-8
Washington, DC Jan 13-15
New York , NY Jan 20-22
Cleveland, OH Jan 27-29
Minneapolis, MN Feb 3-5
Chicago, IL Feb 10-12
Charlotte, NC Feb 24-26
Daytona, FL Mar 14-17

You may have noticed that the Progressive Shows are a “US only” deal. Fear not Canadian brethren! You get your chance too. The Canadian Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council puts on a similar series of shows across the country. This year, their dates and locations are shown below and you can score ticket info and more at http://www.mmic.ca/content.asp?ContentId=1165.

Toronto, Ontario Dec 9-11
Calgary, Alberta Jan 6-8
Edmonton, Alberta Jan 13-15
Vancouver, British Columbia Jan 19-22
Quebec City, Quebec Feb 3-5
Moncton, New Brunswick Feb 10-12
Montreal, Quebec Feb 24-26

Then there is the flagship event. On January 6-8, the North American International Motorcycle “Supershow” is on at Toronto’s International Centre. Arguably North America’s biggest motorcycle show, the Toronto “Supershow” features over 500 exhibitors filling 7 halls and over 400,000 square feet of space in the massive International Centre. Maybe even worth a trip across the border for nearby Americans. Learn more at http://www.supershowevents.com/super/.

Hey, if you attended every one of these shows you’d spend 60 days totally absorbed into the motorcycle lifestyle. And at the end of 60 days you’d be that much closer to the coming of spring! We can’t think of a better way to spend the winter!

-Jack Broomall

Jack Broomall is a lifelong motorcyclist. His motorcycle adventures have taken him across the North American continent several times, to Alaska, the Alps, the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. He is a member of the Iron Butt Association and also owns several motorcycle Land Speed Records set at the Bonneville Salt Flats where he is a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. He has been known to do occasional restorations of his favorite bikes from the 1970s and enjoys track days as well.