Motorcycle shows bring 55,000 to Rosemont
If your images of motorcycles are drawn from Hunter S. Thompson and “Easy Rider,” you can toss those notions aside.
Sure, there were your standard motorcycle enthusiasts with leather jackets and generous facial hair at the International Motorcycle Shows on Sunday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. But there were plenty of people who would fit in nicely at Woodfield pushing strollers as well.
Among those eyeing new designs and models, not to mention trendy apparel, were Nick Scarfo and his wife, Dawn.
Dawn said she usually rides on the back of their bike but is looking for something she can drive herself.
“I just love bikes in general,” Scarfo said. “It’s the closest thing to flying. You never see a bike outside a psychiatrist’s office.”
Robert Pandya, spokesman for the Shows, said this is the 30th year for the shows.
“This is one of our biggest shows on tour,” said Pandya, who said he expects to have drawn 55,000 to 60,000 for the weekend’s show, which features more than 600 motorcycles.
On the floor were the usual suspects: Honda, Triumph and, of course, Harley Davidson.
For exhibitors, it was a chance to flaunt their chops a little, and the customers responded to the often bold designs.
Robin Moran of Huntley, a self-described enthusiast of motorcycles and remote control vehicles, was admiring the Cobra RS Scrambler, which boasts a retro design with old VFR fenders.
“They’re going back to old school and bringing it to life,” he said. “It almost reminds you of an old Evel Knievel bike.”
Among the trends on display was the “Adventure” bike, which is what you would get, say, if you turned a Hummer into a motorcycle. Pandya said it is a heavy off-road vehicle that you can take down dirt roads for exploring.
Pandya said motorcycling is a true family sport, and this would be hard to deny if you saw the Lurz family from Leland, Ill. as they hung out in an area with all-terrain vehicles. On one of the Yamahas sat 13-year-old Zach Lurz, who said he likes dirt bikes.
“I have been riding since I was 4,” he said. “They are a lot of fun because you get dirty and you don’t only get dirty, you get to go everywhere pretty much. You get to play in snow too.”