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Moto Weekend 2021
During the second weekend of this September, a lot was going on in the motorcycle world. The International Motorcycle Show, no longer a mid-winter enclosed event because of the pandemic, found itself a reborn Phoenix of sorts, now being held at various outdoor venues across the nation, and this weekend rolling into the fairgrounds at Carlisle, Pennsylvania. There was to be one in New York City, Brooklyn to be specific, but (thankfully) that was canceled. I could not even imagine the logistics of holding a rally with demo rides in Kings County. We had our plan, more or less, etched in mud months back. Hit the IMS Outdoors in Carlisle, overnight and then journey south and east and, eventually the very southern part of New Jersey and to the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey.
BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2021
Friday, September 10th The International Motorcycle Show Outdoors It seems that there are two completely different ways Shira and I can start a day on the road. While on the road, we are up and at em’ around 8ish. Not so fast at home. There is always something that pops up, diverting our attention and during all this, time keeps on ticking, ticking into the future. Somewhere around 11ish we finally had side stands up and, although we had a twistalicious backroads route from home to the Carlisle Fairgrounds, we also knew we needed to be there by 3pm the latest to get a good four hours in before the 7 pm closing time. As we rode along on this brilliant day we talked ourselves, via Bluetooth, into a Plan B. We’d ride through the first part of the GPX route and make a stop at Hermy’s BMW to say hello. From there we would slab it across the rest of I-78 (as horrific and ghastly as it is) and then turn it up south on I-81 (far more civilized) and get to the International Motorcycle Show right on schedule – which we did.
We have heard mixed reviews from the northern California and Chicago shows, but the weather was perfection and we knew the Carlisle venue had a great location, with especially superior roads for demo rides - so went there with an open mind. While parking we talked with several riders who had been there all day and were walking to their bikes to head home; asking them their opinion of the event. Other than a few kvetching on the lack of a few notable manufacturers, it seemed all had a most excellent time. We got our wristbands and began exploring the IMS Outdoors. Before we go any further let’s take a look at the various complaints and the reality of the now-defunct New York City Show. Compare and contrast if we will. The middle of winter, cold, wet, cramped – and there was never a show we left without feeling like we had been sequestered. You could sit on bikes, but
