Last year was the first time that I ever attended one of the Progressive International Motorcyle Shows and it was quite a nice time based on how cordial the organizers were and how visually exciting it was for the mobile device and camera with all of those awesome bikes to look at. If you feel like perusing some of my coverage from last year just click HERE and also scroll on down deep into our Official Instagram since a lot of photos have been loaded onto those two angles of creativity. Earlier this morning we learned of the coolness that is in store for this years attendees so read on and make some notes if you are considering attending.

The Press Release:
The Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® (IMS), the industry leader for connecting powersports’ top brands with enthusiasts and buyers, today announced a stellar lineup of features that will be present across the 2019/2020 IMS tour kicking off this month. Across the eight stops, each show will feature various attractions enabling attendees of all ages and skill sets to interact with the industry, including demo rides and the New Rider Course, as well as DIY workshops in Vintage, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, fresh new lifestyle brands debuting in SHIFT, and exciting new gear and parts in the Marketplace, among much more.

“Beyond showcasing the industry’s highly anticipated new bikes and gear, a main focus of our upcoming tour is the evolution of our popular interactive and experiential show attractions,” said Tracy Harris, Senior Vice President, IMS. “Following the great success we saw from the debut of our Discover the Ride initiative last tour, which had nearly 7K participants in its first year, we’re looking forward to bringing new experiential features to each of our shows, making for a more immersive and dynamic experience.”

SHOW ATTRACTIONS:

Discover the Ride:
Geared toward introducing non-riders and children to two-wheels, as well as reinforcing the importance of continued training and education to new and experienced riders, Discover the Ride will be back for its second year bringing a variety of attractions to each show. In addition to the attractions listed below, the recently announced extension of Discover the Ride, Next Steps, will provide New Rider Course participants a chance to enter and win a Next Steps course in their market for free.

1. New Rider Course in Partnership with Zero Motorcycles – The New Rider Course gives non-licensed IMS attendees the opportunity to ride a motorcycle for the first time on an indoor demo course while learning riding basics from expert Total Control Training instructors. A fleet of speed limited electric Zero Motorcycles will give participants the experience of riding a motorcycle in a safe and controlled environment after participants have shown the ability to balance on Yamaha electric power assist bicycles. For extra safety measures, gear will be provided by Cycle Gear.

2. Kids Zone – The Kids Zone, in partnership with Stacyc, will feature a closed course of battery assisted balance bikes for children to experience riding for the first time. Participants will have the option to ride the balance bikes with or without the addition of a speed limited electric motor. Stop by The Kids Zone to watch the next generation of riders experience the thrill of two wheels.

3. NewTo2 – NewTo2, a program that serves to educate new riders on the world of motorcycling, will feature influential industry rider hosts in each market who will answer questions, share tips, and serve as resources for new riders on how they can get more involved in motorcycling after leaving IMS. NewTo2 also provides an online catalogue of educational videos geared specifically toward non-riders. Visit www.newto2.com to check out the videos.

4. Dyno Experience – This feature gives IMS attendees the opportunity to get on a real motorcycle that is securely mounted to a dyno to experience starting a motorcycle, engaging the clutch and shifting through the gears, while feeling the torque of the motorcycle with the guidance of an expert. Throughout the tour, intro and new rider motorcycles will be available from Harley-Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha for participants to become familiar with.

5. XDL Wheelie Experience – This wildly popular feature is for riders who want to test their wheelie skills in a controlled environment, while improving their balance and throttle skills with the help of XDL stunt pros. It also provides riders the opportunity to experience the exhilarating torque of Zero Motorcycles that have not been governed to reduce power for the New Rider Course.

Stunt Show:
Expanding their presence beyond the XDL Wheelie Experience, XDL is bringing their XDL Street Jam Live Action Stunt Show to the tour’s Dallas, Denver, Washington DC, and Minneapolis stops, where America’s top Street Bike Freestyle athletes will display their freestyle talents in the form of Wheelies, Stoppies, and high speed action right in the middle of the show floor. XDL Street Jam will have attendees cheering in disbelief as XDL’s athletes push what is possible on one and two wheels in this family friendly 20-minute feature.

Demo Rides:
Attendees of the Long Beach show will have the added opportunity to test ride a number of new motorcycles outside via the new Demo Rides feature. New BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, and Yamaha motorcycles will be onsite for licensed attendees to experience the thrill of gas-powered bikes right outside the Long Beach Convention Center. For unlicensed attendees, Giant Bicycles, the world’s largest producer of high-quality bikes, will be demoing the company’s advanced E-bikes outside as well.

Vintage:
An IMS staple, Vintage will be returning to each market enabling attendees to get up close and personal with the very best classic and retro-style motorcycles from vintage bike clubs across the country, such as the rare 1929 BMW 736cc R63 and 1982 Ducati 600SL Pantah, that will be featured in Long Beach. New to this year’s tour, Vintage will be hosting DIY workshops teaching attendees the tips and tricks of maintaining and renovating a bike with topics covering winterization, how to adjust and lubricate chains, break flushing, oil changes, and more.

Adventure Out!:
Backcountry Discovery Routes (BDR) is hosting the Adventure Out! space in which members of the BDR organization and volunteers will mingle with visitors, answer questions and give presentations on two-wheel exploration, adventure motorcycling for new riders, and an exclusive preview of the soon to be released North East Backcountry Route (NEBDR). Beyond receiving firsthand information about the highly-anticipated 1,400-mile, backcountry tour of the Northeast Region up to the Canadian border, attendees can hop a leg over an adventure bike, put on a pair of VR goggles, and fully immerse themselves in the BDR Virtual Reality experience encompassing fresh 360° point of view footage from the NEBDR filming expedition.

In addition to featuring leading brands in the adventure and touring segments, popular adventure riders – including world renowned ADV instructor, world traveler, and all around motorcycle guru Bret Tkacs (*attending Long Beach, New York, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Chicago) and Paul Pelland (*attending Dallas, Washington D.C., and Denver), also known as Longhaulpaul, a motivational speaker who has devoted his life to raising awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis and the holder of three world records for riding – will serve as guest speakers sharing stories about their experiences on two wheels.

Media partner Rider Magazine will also be in Adventure Out! providing attendees complimentary copies of Rider’s most recent publication as a source for touring, travel, and adventure on 2-wheels, in addition to showing attendees great places to ride from the pages of their Favorite Rides and Destinations issues.

J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show:
Celebrating its tenth consecutive year, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show (UBCBS), the largest and one of the most sought-after touring custom bike competitions in the nation, will hit every market featuring beautiful, one-of-a-kind custom bikes from local builders. This year’s categories include Custom Street Class, Custom Classic, People’s Choice, Best Chopper, Best Cafe/Trakker, Best Bobber, and Best Bagger. Judged by a panel of industry experts, winners in every city along the IMS tour will be invited to compete in the championship round in Chicago for a chance to be crowned “King of the Builders.”

The Marketplace:
Presented by Cycle Gear, the Marketplace will provide a one stop shop for all of the latest motorcycle parts, accessories and equipment from many of the leading brands in the industry including Arai, Arlen Ness, Bridgestone, Cycle Gear, Heidenau, HJC, K&N, Liqui Moly, Michelin Tires, National Cycle, Shark, Shoei Safety Helmet Corporation, and Yuasa.

SHIFT at IMS:
SHIFT, a motorcycle-lifestyle inspired space to explore, shop, and socialize, will host a diverse selection of brands that are both new and known to the industry, many of which play across multiple channels and all of which offer a fresh prospective about life on two wheels and beyond. New to the space will be Revzilla, showcasing and selling premium brands.
To learn more about the Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® Tour, please visit: motorcycleshows.com.

Connect with IMS (#RidersUnite): More links below.

About Progressive®?International Motorcycle Shows®:
The Progressive®?International Motorcycle Shows®?offer enthusiasts an all-access pass to the world of motorcycling. Launched in 1982, the tour showcases hundreds of the latest street bikes, dirt bikes, cruisers, scooters,?and ATVs for new and experienced riders, and gives enthusiasts the opportunity to check out the latest gear and aftermarket accessories, as well as hours of entertainment. The shows also provide the opportunity for attendees to hop on two wheels via its Discover the Ride initiative designed to introduce riding motorcycles to consumers of all ages in a safe and controlled environment. The Progressive®?International Motorcycle Shows®?is organized by Informa Markets, which recently acquired UBM to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B events and exhibitions organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and?information, visit the links below at the close.

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Piercing Ken Thoughts: This sure does sound like some interesting stuff to participate in and I can only say that you should strive to get to these attractions on the early side to avoid a long wait. The only attractions that I participated in during my adventure were a virtual reality ride that was a lot of fun and a wheelie attraction that ended up being rather terrifying. I thought I could have handled it but wow was I wrong. Captain America would be so disappointed in Captain Metal for sure. I also did some photos on the bike used in the film “Venom” but that was stationary and no alien symbiote was present at all. Not sure if you have your tickets yet but do look into it since its some nice family fun as well. See you next time.

Official Websites:
Informa: http://www.informa.com
International Motorcycle Shows: http://www.motorcycleshows.com
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