2015 AIMExpo Wrap-Up + Video

Thursday’s media day at AIMExpo was an all-day indoor marathon of product and model announcements. We scrambled to bring you the news in text, photo and video formats as quickly as we could. Our 2015 AIMExpo – Live Updates From Orlando posts included news from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Zero, as well as Bell, Schuberth, Sena and Shoei. If you missed the DT-07 concept flattracker from Yamaha or the new smart helmet from Sena, make sure to check out those items.

Evans Off Camber – I Love Motorcycle Trade Shows

On Friday our illustrious videographer, Chris Blanchette, left for Dubai to video million-dollar watches for Verticalscope’s newest acquisition, WatchUSeek.com, and take-in some camel racing, leaving yours truly to continue toiling around the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. With no shortage of new products to ogle, I skipped lunch and relied on the energy provided from the one-pound cinnamon roll and mango smoothie to get me to all the booths seeking my attention. Here’s the highlights from AIMExpo’s media day #2.

Motocross helmets from 6D, with omni-directional suspension technology, have been around a couple years, and now the company is bringing the same helmet safety innovations to the street in the form of its ATS-1 Carbon helmet. The helmet will cost $895 and come in three shell sizes. ATS-1 helmets in sizes Medium and Large will be available in March of 2016, XS and Small by May, XL and XXL by July. If you’re unfamiliar with 6D’s omni-directional suspension technology, learn more about it at 6D’s website 6dhelmets.com. We’ve yet to sample the safety benefits 6D boasts of its rubber bumper inserts, but helmet guru David Thom, from act-lab.com, was on hand to confirm that 6D has a safety advantage over other helmet designs.

AGV introduced at AIMExpo its AGVisor with liquid crystal technology that, at the touch of a button, tints a clear faceshield in 1/10th of a second. When engaged, the power button located on the left side of the shield emits a low-voltage current through the liquid crystals which react by darkening – faceshield magic! According to AGV, a fully charged battery should last for 12 hours of tinted operation, while a charged battery will retain readiness for up to three weeks. A fail-safe feature ensures that a loss of power automatically results in the shield defaulting to clear. MSRP for the AGVisor is a pricey $279.95. For more info check out www.agv.com.

If you haven’t noticed, October is our month for Cold Weather Buyer’s Guides ( Cold-Weather Jacket/Pants/Suit, Cold-Weather Boots, Waterproof Cold Weather Glove). Add to those this new selection from AGV Sport, the Telluride waterproof textile pant for men and women.

The Telluride is constructed from 600-denier polyester, has CE-approved knee pads, a removeable, waterproof and breathable Reissa liner as well as a removable insulated quilted liner. Standard 32-inch inseam sizing, and Short 30-inch inseam sizing is from S to XXXL. Pricing for all sizes is $149. For more information and where to buy go to motonation.com.

Hot on the heels of Evans Brasfield’s Bull-It Jeans Review, AIMExpo saw the debut of the company’s same casual look and riding safety combo to the youth market. “There doesn’t exist anything like this for kids who ride as passengers with adult motorcyclists,” says Bull-It president, Paul Gomez.

While the Bull-It jeans for kids has a target price of $139.95 and hopeful delivery before the holiday season, we know for sure Bull-It’s new range of men’s and women’s SR6 jackets is established and available on the company’s website. Made with the same three-layer system, including Covec, as the riding jeans, the jackets should make for safe and casual riding apparel.

Helite’s mechanical airbag technology is an affordable alternative to pricier versions such as Dainse’s D-Air Racing. Helite’s vest is worn over your normal riding jacket and tethered to the bike. It takes 45 to 60 pounds of pressure to trigger the the CO2 cartridge that fills the airbag in a claimed 80 milliseconds (there are 1,000 milliseconds in one second). By comparison, Dainese claims 45 milliseconds for its D-Air system to inflate. Unlike the Dainese system, Helite’s is ready for another round by simply installing a $25 replacement CO2 cartridge. Vests cost $599.99 for black and $629.99 for high-vis. Helite also offers Adventure jackets with built-in airbag technology for $899. For more information on the safety features of Helite’s airbag technology check out helitemoto.com.

IXS is a Swiss apparel company that’s been delivering protective motorcycle gear to the European market since 1979. Beginning in 2015, IXS is entering the U.S. market with its full line of leather and textile jackets, pants, boots, gloves for street, track and adventure-touring riders. We chose the vintage looking Curtis jacket from the company’s Spirit of ’79 collection to showcase here for no more reason that it looks cool. The Curtis retails for $529, is 100% bovine leather, has five outside and three inside pockets, comes in sizes 38-50 and colors Black/Red-Sand and Dark Brown/Light Brown-Sand. IXS will be available at dealerships nationwide. For more on the IXS’s entire product line-up check out ixsusa.com.

Moto-D Strapless Transport Stands allow a user to secure a motorcycle without the use of wheel chocks, straps, or tie-downs in less than a minute. You first install the stand by bolting two mounting plates to the floor, then sliding the stand into place and engaging the locking mechanism. Once the motorcycle is in place you slide a rod through the axle then lock it into place via the upright brackets attached to the stand. Voila, you’re done with no tension on your bike’s suspension. The Moto-D Strapless Transport Stand retails for $249.99 and can be ordered at motodracing.com.

Like IXS, Oxford is another Euro company looking to make stateside inroads. One of the items in Oxford’s diverse product pool is the Melbourne Mesh Textile Jacket. The Melbourne jacket features a removable waterproof liner, shoulder, elbows and back protectors, and reflective piping. The Melbourne is available in sizes S-5XL, in Black/White/Red for $159.95. Check out this jacket and more at Oxford’s website oxford-products.com.

If you’re unfamiliar with Vibram, you should know the company is world renowned for its primary product: shoe soles. To create the most comfortable motorcycling boot it can, Rev’It has partnered with Vibram to create a series of riding boots: Scout H2O (pictured), Trail H2O, Compass H2O, and Gravel Outdry all utilize Rev’It by Vibram soles. The Scout H2O is based on a traditional hiking boot and features a coated leather and suede leather outer shell, a waterproof Hydratex liner, reinforced heel and toe, anatomically shaped footbed and ankle cup. Pricing and sizing were not available at press time, but the new boots should be available by spring of 2016. Keep an eye on MO for further updates and/or visit revit.eu.

At $12.95 per pen, Tire Penz is an affordable way to customize your bike tires, sneakers, or pretty much anything made of rubber. Available in an assortment of 10 colors or as a kit for $19.95 including a pen, wire brush, replacement pen tip and Tire Penz Reflect applicator. Reflect is a bright powder that when applied reflects lights at night creating a flash effect. Tire Penz also offers The Glow; flexible, adhesive, vinyl strips for illuminating your bike without batteries or wires. Check out Tire Penz products at tirepenz.com.

Last but certainly not least is this new external battery from Weego. Like other external batteries this one charges your smartphone, but as you may have inferred from the photo the Weego can also jump start a car battery. The base model Weego for $99.99 is no bigger than an iPhone 6 but can start engines up to 4.6 liters and diesel engines up to 2.4 liters. The lithium-ion battery lasts for 1000 charging cycles, loses only 2% charge per month in standby mode and fits in a pocket. Included with purchase are:

Check out the standard model Weego (pictured) as well as other Weego products at myweego.com.

With Dealer Expo seemingly gone from the motorcycle trade show landscape, AIMExpo is now the only game in town for the North American motorcycle industry to get together for an annual event. Unlike Dealer Expo, the combined trade/consumer nature of AIMExpo has brought the big OEMs to the party with BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all in attendance this year. In addition to the OEMs, AIMExpo boasted 561 exhibitors in the third year of the show’s existence.

With MIC Events, a new entity of the Motorcycle Industry Council, now owning AIMExpo, everyone involved with the show as well as the attending manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers and consumers stands to benefit. “With all of these synergies now in place, consumers win, dealers win, and the powersports industry is strengthened and invigorated,” says Chuck Boderman, MIC Director, and Vice President, Motorcycle Division, American Honda Motor Co.

Look for big things to happen with AIMExpo in the coming years as the show continues to gain momentum and situate itself as a premiere global event equal to the two established shows, EICMA and Intermot. To learn more about AIMExpo go to aimexpousa.com.