Who's going to the show?
By Anthony Sutton on 1st Nov 18
Were all going to the show tomorrow, show tomorrow, show tomorrow, were all going to the show tomorrow were all going to the show.
Thats actually a bit misleading as not all of us are going to the show at all, some of us are already there and one of us is not committing to an actual appearance date(s) at all although I promise I will be there at some point or another...
The show or Motul International Dirt Bike Show in partnership with MXGP to call it by its true name is a must-attend event for many off-road enthusiasts as its a grand day out for those that are into such things. And if youre reading this I assume that you are and will also make the assumption that youll be headed to Stoneleigh at some point or other too.
Some naysayers out there are questioning the shows relevance now that you can see all of next years bikes, kit and hardparts online already and in some cases theyve been on dealership floors and out on race tracks since June.
But the shows not just about bikes, kit, products and stuff but a great opportunity to see all your friends too and Im not just on about the people you knock about with on the weekend but those old friends you only see once a year at the Dirt Bike Show. Yeah, you can see your friends online too but theyre much more fun live and in person. Well, most of em anyway
Ive been a regular at the show for all the years Ive worked here almost 16, now but also for many years before that too. Like many of you out there in reader land Ive been to off-road shows in Bristol, Trentham Gardens, Donington Park, Telford and Stoneleigh of course! and while Im happy to reminisce about the good old times Im less happy to think about how much Ive financially invested into the industry over the years not that it wasnt worth every single penny.
Although Im less likely to splash out a mortgage payment or two-sized chunk at the show these days although the accumulative coffee total definitely adds up I always crack a smile when I see a show-goer laden with purchases as they exit the show as I was always pretty much that guy.
My finest dirt bike show bargains were probably a pair of Axo Air boots from Pete Eddy back in 1988 (they were the ones that directed water directly to your ankles whenever you splashed through a puddle) and some old stock Sinisalo SCD II pants that looked awesome and lasted forever.
The absolute worst investments were definitely that pair of PSA race pants that I got exchanged by the manufacturer about three times as the butt used to blow out of them for fun and an early aluminium-framed Honda CR250 that I used for about six hours in total as my season was wrecked by collarbone and knee injuries at least it looked pretty damn sweet with those black and gold Talon wheels on though
Id love to hear about all your best and worst Dirt Bike Show investments too. So if youd care to share drop me an email at anthony.sutton@jpress.co.uk or pop by our stand and tell me all about them at the show. As an added incentive Ill chuck a 2019 TMX/DBR Calendar out in the post to my favourite sharable Dirt Bike Show story that hits my inbox or ears before midnight next Monday...
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