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Last month, The Progressive IMS Outdoors circuit kicked off at their first stop of their nine-stop tour at the Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California. With plenty of great riding in the northern part of California, this made for a perfect start to what we hope will be a very successful and well-attended series of shows. The events can be used as stops on a weekend’s riding trip as many are hosted in good riding locations. Designed to provide immersive, hands-on experiences for enthusiasts of all ages and abilities, each stop will host a number of returning fan-favorite attractions, including the Discover The Ride program, IMS Vintage, Adventure Out!, J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, and more, as well as two and fourwheel demos from a number of exhibiting brands. On the East coast, you can make your plans to attend either New York or Pennsylvania. The Brooklyn Army Terminal, September 3-5, is situated in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park waterfront and has huge tracts of land on which to host such as event. Not quite sure how they will run their demo rides unless they keep them within the venue’s confines, but that will be an interesting thing to find out. There are subway lines to the Terminal for easier access, as well as a ferry stop so you can enjoy a water voyage before experiencing this exciting new format. Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the following weekend of September 10-13, should have a much easier time of hosting this new-toIMS format, as the Carlisle Fairgrounds has a long history of large outdoor events such as car show, swap meets and such. To make things even better, this part of Pennsyvania is an excellent motorcycle destination, with great riding and much to see and do. And September is a perfect time to do some riding in this area, too. The 82-acre Fairgrounds has plenty of parking and will certainly put together some great demo
BACKROADS • AUGUST 2021 rides, as well as have plenty of room for vendors and the other attractions the IMS Outdoors will bring to the table. Designed to introduce riding motorcycles to consumers of all ages, the returning Discover The Ride initiative will provide a variety of interactions for attendees to learn and grow their riding skills in safe and controlled environments. In partnership with Zero Motorcycles, the New Rider Course allows non-licensed motorcyclists to experience, first-hand, the thrill of two-wheels on speed-limited electric Zero Motorcycles and learn riding basics from Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) instructors. New this year to Discover The Ride is the introduction of Strider in the Kids Zone and IMS’ partnership with All Kids Bike, opening the world of two wheels to enthusiasts as young as two years old. Adjacent to Discover The Ride is the Motorcycle Industry Council’s (MIC) Ride With Us Moto Intro experience. The Moto Intro gives non-riders a chance to experience the thrill of their first ride within 45 minutes. MSF RiderCoaches will guide new riders through basic motorcycle controls and help them experience their first ride in a closed-course environment. Furthermore, at select events indicated below, Harley-Davidson’s Invitation To Ride program will also be extending a hand to prospective riders, delivering the opportunity to experience the basics of riding on a HarleyDavidson motorcycle. There will be ample opportunities along each Tour stop to hop on and ride both gas-powered and electric motorcycles and bicycles from brands including FLX, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Kawasaki, Pedego Santa Rosa, Pushpak Motors, Rayvolt, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Tern Bicycles, Yamaha, and Zero. Returning this year will be a number of fanfavorite attractions, including: Adventure Out!, a space to shop, prepare for the next trek or tour and learn about incorporating adventure and travel into a motorcycling lifestyle – now also including RVing. IMS 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. J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, the nation’s largest motorcycle builder competition, the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show will feature hundreds of motorcycles and tens of thousands in cash and prizes across the Tour. Professional and amateur builders are invited to compete at their local Progressive IMS Outdoors for cash, prizes, and recognition. Across the Tour, there will additionally be ample opportunities to explore brands and make purchases in a wide variety of markets such as electric-powered vehicles, the interactive retail space of The Marketplace, allowing you to touch, test, and buy the latest gear, parts and accessories from key aftermarket brands and The Shop for buyers looking to work on their vehicles and make updates to their rides. The Range brings a place to explore and shop many brands as well as connect with clubs and services to enhance their riding lifestyle. The rest of the lineup includes Chicago, August 2022, Texas, October 1-3, Nashville, TN, October 8-10, Central Florida, October 15-17, Atlanta, GA, October 29-31 and Southern California TBD in November. To find the full listing of venues and schedule, visit the website: motorcycleshows.com ,
