The US motorcycle industry converged upon Columbus, OH for the 5th edition of the American International Motorcycle Expo on September 21- 24th, 2017. The AIM Expo presented a perfect opportunity to meet customers, talk about the latest Conti motorcycle tires and stay up on the latest trends in the motorcycle industry, so the Continental motorcycle crew attended promptly. After four years in Orlando, FL the show was moved to Columbus in hopes of reaching more dealers and motorcycle consumers.
The Conti crew had the new ContiRoadAttack 3, ContiTour and ContiLegend tires on hand along with best sellers like the ContiMotion, TKC80 and TKC70. Shows like AIME are a great chance for motorcycle consumers to “touch and feel” tires and ask questions directly to the Continental motorcycle staff. Consumers attending the show were able pick up special offers from local dealers like Iron Pony and become aware of the Conti $50 Visa rebate offered on our TKC80, TKC70 and ContiTrailAttack 2 dual-sport tires which runs until the end of November.
Inside the show floor, the major motorcycle manufacturers displayed their latest models while accessories and clothing of all sorts could also be viewed all around -it’s really a “one stop shopping” opportunity for enthusiasts. Besides new models, custom bikes and concept bikes were also present including a Conti TKC80 equipped Suzuki SV650 based “Scrambler” at the Suzuki area. Suzuki even had a kiosk next to the bike where consumers could vote on what features or styling they liked best on that concept machine. If there was an overall custom bike theme it was the “Scrambler” and the favorite tire of choice; the Conti TKC80. Scrambler themed bikes were also present at the Yamaha display area along with some independents like the Yamaha XSR900 based Scrambler from Wrench Monkees.
What would a motorcycle show be without a custom bike competition? AIME did not let us down in that area and provided a great display of custom bikes. One the most radical bikes was the BMW Alpha K75 powered machine from Speed of Cheese Racing. Everything about this futuristic concept is pretty unique, its engine even has a turbo. Sitting on ContiRoadAttack 2 tires, this Tron look-alike with a “steam punk” flair drew crowd comments like “where do you sit?” or “how do you ride it?” Congratulations to Mark Atkinson and Speed of Cheese Racing for a truly unique creation!
Another favorite was the Triumph T120 engine-based custom from Continental friend and builder Kevin Dunworth’s Loaded Gun Customs. Kevin’s creation features a hand built aluminum plate frame for a great mix of modern and vintage style. This one also rides on ContiRoadAttack 2 tires.
The outside display area and unseasonably warm weather gave Midwest motorcycle enthusiasts a great opportunity to ride to the show and test ride one the new motorcycles from BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Indian, Harley Davidson and others. If you are in the market for a new motorcycle this was the place for you!
Next year the AIME moves to Las Vegas before returning to Columbus in 2019. See you there!
