Last weekend Verona, Italy was the centre of biker events in Europe, because of the tenth annualy held Motor Bike Expo. The expo is very popular, with more than 160 thousand people visiting last year. You can see the bikes, buy gear and accessories, so it definitely is worth the visit.
The expo is probably most popular for custom motorcycles, which truly are works of art, but we decided to see the "regular" ones first
Where is V 85?
First there is Mash, a french brand which is becoming more and more popular. Their bikes, ranging from 125 to 400cc, are true retro bikes, reminding us of past times.
Enduro-based Fantic had a rally nice booth. There was a variety of custom bikes, mostly based on BMW and Moto Guzzi - cafe racers, scramblers, enduro etc.
BMW did not display all models, but there was a lot to see. What really made everyone, including us, very happy, they displayed new models K 1600 Bagger and K 1600 Grand America. These models are ideal for travelling, the seat is so comfortable, perfect for a trip around the world. There were also variations of R nineT, from Racer to Scrambler and a few customized ones. What was really interesting is the introduction of a special customizing kit, which turns this bike into a true old school, Dakar-inspired bike.
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Royal Enfield had an interesting booth as well, especially the Himalayan, a cool dual purpose bike
Japanese
When it comes to universally adored Japanese bikes, the fantastic four displayed many of their models. Honda, it seems, chose the new X ADV as their star of the show. It is difficult to say what this bike actually is, but I would say it is a kind of an enduro scooter. This is an interesting innovation, which will surely be very popular. Speaking of enduros, there is a CRF 250 L, a dual purpose brother of a hardcore enduro CRF 250 R, and its Rally version. Africa Twin stole the show, and the older Africa was also displayed. Another very cool bike was a Rebel, a beautiful bike perfect for shorter riders (speaking from experience).
Kawasaki displayed all possible Ninjas, and a retro model Z900 RS, which is a really beautiful bike. Suzuki displayed Burgmans and Vstroms, and to our surprise, the model which got the most attention was a Vstrom 250.
What was particularly interesting in the first pavilion, was a booth where they displayed old timers in their original states. One could see old Guzzis, Ducatis, as well as the Japanese, Hondas or Kawasakis.
Yamaha, as well as Moto Guzzi, did not display the cool new Niken. Except for Tricity, they only displayed two-wheelers. There were all current MT and R models, and those a little more uncommon, for example XV 950. There was also a popular TMAX, a motorcycle among scooters, as some would say.
Main stars in one of the pavilions were American cars, both old and new. Seeing so many American cars was a really unique sight.
Speaking of Americans, we have to mention Harley Davidson and Indian, which are always stars of the show. Unfortunately, there was no Victory this year.
Customs or art pieces?
Of course, we have to mention a big offer of motorcycle gear, from those popular brands to some less popular. The prices were lower, which means that you could really get a great deal on it. Tyres and stands were, as always, most popular.
All in all, Verona is truly a great expo. Whether you want to buy a new bike, treat yourself to new gear or just check out what is new in the moto world, this expo is the place to go!
