Barristers and bin-men turn out for the bike show

The Irish Motorbike and Scooter Show is on this weeked at the RDS showgrounds , running from Friday, February 27th to March 1st. Now, that may not be a massive fact or story in and of itself (“Show happening at major show venue on weekend, shock!”) but it is rather surprising considering that the Irish marketplace for ‘bikes and scooters barely manages to break the four-figure mark.

Last year, only a hair over 1,000 motorbikes and scooters were sold, with BMW's Motorrad division taking close to 40 per cent of the 'big bike' market. Legendary names Ducati and Harley-Davidson were close on its heels. Ducati of course, now has the corporate, financial and marketing might of Audi behind it so could well start to make more significant inroads into a burgeoning market for sports 'bikes.

Ducati in fact will use the show to launch two major new models onto the Irish market – the 1299 Pangiale and the stripped-back Naked Monster 821 Stripe. In spite of the far-out name, the Monster is actually a mid-size bike which Ducati expects to appeal to a broader market than its more extreme Monster models.

Ruth Lemass, event organiser told The Irish Times that "Ducati have always been a dominant force in the world of motorbike racing. It is great to see the features that has helped their motorbikes produce world champions become available for the day to day rider. Their brand has always embodied the spirit of great styling and high performance. It is a real treat for Irish bike fans to have a company like Ducati exclusively display so many new bikes for our show visitors."

BMW’s new sport bike

BMW won't let Ducati steal its Irish market thunder though – it will launch a seriously high performance new sports 'bike, the S1000RR, at the show. So fast that it actually has a dedicated chassis setting for slick tyres (just in case nabbing the lap record at Mondello takes your fancy of a Sunday morning) the S1000RR has been described by Howard Godolphin, BMW Motorrad Ireland's motorcycle manager as "a major draw to the show. The original version set the benchmark for the superbike class five years ago. It has managed since then to remain the quickest, the smartest and the most comfortable 1000cc superbike to ride. The new version we are launching surpasses this already high reference point and our designers have, without doubt, achieved their brief to create a motorcycle that has sharper performance while being even more rider friendly. I am looking forward to welcoming visitors to our stand and showing them why we set the standards that others follow."

40th anniversary Goldwing

Honda, always one of the biggest names in bike,s will also be out in force, launching a 40th anniversary edition of its almost-car-sized Goldwing at the show. Robert Galbraith, chairman of Honda Distributors, said that "very few bikes have stood the test of time as well as the Gold Wing has. It's a testament to the great styling and comfort that this motorcycle is sought after by so many touring bike enthusiasts today. It is our privilege to launch the most advanced and comfortable Gold Wing yet onto the Irish market in our 40th year of production. In addition visitors to the Carole Nash Irish Motorbike and Scooter Show will have a unique opportunity to see other exciting new entries to the market  in advance of the first bikes arriving to these shores including a new CBR 1000RR Fireblade as well as the new CB1000R, NC750 and NSC50R scooter."

Wexford-built electric bike

Meanwhile the show will also get a proper world premier in the shape of the battery powered VOLT 220, a 100kmh electric bike designed and built in Wexford. Colin Darby, Managing Director of Volt Motorcycles, told The Irish Times that "we previewed a single bike recently at the MCN London motorbike show in the UK and received an incredible response. While we could have launched the full range there, it was important to me to have the world premier back home and the Carole Nash Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show is easily the best platform to do so.

“Most interest we have had so far is from the urban rider who wants a low running cost solution for their commute. When you consider that the average commute is around 20 kilometres a day and that an electric alternative that will cost less than €200 to run a year, it makes great financial sense. We are not looking to replace but to supplement riders’ experiences and save them money in the long run. Of course, we want to do all of this while keeping the motorcyclist experience exciting and fun as well.”

The question still hangs in the air though – how has a market with barely 1,000 ‘bike sales a year managed to sustain a full-on show at one of the most famed venues in the country?

Racing heroes

Part of it is merely that there is a strong affection for biking in Ireland, not to mention the fact that fans will happily pop along to see racing superstars such as Michael Dunlop and John McGuinness who will be attending. These visitors may have little or no intention of actually buying a bike, but they'll certainly come for the racing heroes. Beyond that, there are around 40,000 people with 'bike licences in Ireland, around 20,000 of whom are currently active in using their 'bikes on a regular basis – that's a significant market to be playing at, and generally quite an engaged market at that; getting on a bike is a lifestyle commitment, getting into a car is mere commuting.

The key reason behind the show’s success, according to the organisers is the support of the industry. With every ‘bike importer and manufacturer coming along to exhibit, the show can easily generate the sort of interest and appeal that has thus far eluded most car show events that have been tried. That and smart moves like alternating years with the National Classic Car Show have helped the Motorbike and Scooter Show prosper while others have fallen by the wayside. A final strand to the show’s success is the sheer breadth of the people coming to visit it and who are interested in the products. From barristers reclaiming their lost youth to bin-men looking for an affordable way of getting about town, once the leathers and the helmet go on, all bikers are equal.