Encouraging Signs at the Long Beach IMS

Still, there was plenty to do. We were treated to the recorded sound of the new Indian powerplant, teased by the Polaris folks via video. Shocking news on that front: It sounds like a large-displacement, almost-45-degree V-twin. Remember you read it here first. Polaris brass brought a group of journalists together for dinner Friday night to reinforce the idea that the company will be a fantastic parent for the re-emerging Indian brand. To commemorate the end of the current Indian designs, Polaris introduced the Indian Chief Final Edition. It would be easy to just stop production and pretend it had nothing to do with the company it purchased as much for the brand equity as anything. So this move, a tip of the hat to the retiring bike, strikes me as a classy sendoff.

Ducati, in Ducati fashion, held the final press conference of the day to celebrate the Monster’s 20th birthday. Stefano Sbettega, Ducati’s marketing and communications director, brought Nicky Hayden to the stage for the announcement that concluded with free booze for the assembled scribes. That’s why you go last. Oh, and the Monster? Ducati will bring in just 200 of each model—696, 796, and 1100—for 2013. Because the bike has changed so much since Miguel Galluzzi’s original was unveiled in 1992, the red-and-gold scheme isn’t quite successful as retro. Evocative, but not a direct reproduction of the bike that, arguably, saved Ducati.

Friday was great but the treat was Sunday—the chance to watch enthusiasts try on motorcycles and see what’s new in apparel and accessories. I stood back to witness old guys hobble over to the CB1100 in Honda’s display, stand with arms folded, and then give in to the urge to swing a leg over it. More than a few had that distant stare that we guys recognize as Deep Thought. Interesting, too, that the bike I most often saw with someone in the saddle was Kawasaki’s Ninja 1000 fitted with color-matched hard luggage. I wonder what that suggests.

I spent more than a few minutes with Twisted Throttle’s Kevin Nixon, who reported continued strong sales for anything related to adventure bikes, from the company’s new super-bright Denali DX LED driving lights to semi-hard luggage. The bikes in the Twisted display were dripping with ADV gear and surrounded by people every time I walked by.

If the motorcycle industry’s gradual regrowth doesn’t accelerate soon—or, worse, can’t be sustained—it won’t be for the lack of interest at the consumer level. The key influences will be affordability, practicality, and the availability of financing. On those counts, it seems like we’re making real progress.