10 Highlights From the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show

Troy Siahaan
by Troy Siahaan

Today is Thanksgiving here in the United States of America, and with all the new motorcycles coming out in 2017, there’s definitely a lot to be thankful for. Last week the MO crew made its annual pilgrimage to the Long Beach round of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show, where it was my first chance to see many of these bikes I’d been reading and writing about in person. The Long Beach show is a special one, as it’s centered in the heart of the U.S. moto industry, making it one of the rare times we get to see all of our industry friends all in one place. As such, there were a lot of cool things to see as we walked around. Here are my personal highlights from the show.

10. Hyosung GD250R

I’ve heard about a new, sportier, quarter-liter sportbike from Hyosung for some time, but this is the first time I’d seen the GD250R in person. There wasn’t a rep available to bounce questions off of, but simply looking at it, it sure is a mean looking 250. Hyosung’s website has the GD250R listed at $4,099, $300 cheaper than the 2016 Honda CBR300R, the other single-cylinder (granted, it’s displacing 286cc) sportbike in this category. Of course, with the quarter-liter class graduating to 300cc, the Hyosung is already on the back foot as far as power goes. The white one in the background was fitted with an aftermarket exhaust canister, but personally I like the slimmer profile of this stocker, with the exhaust gasses exiting from underneath the bike.

9. Vanderhall Venice

Booth models definitely help when it comes to attracting attention, but the Vanderhall Venice (or any of the Vanderhall models, for that matter) don’t really need much help when it comes to grabbing eyeballs. Say what you will about three-wheelers being considered motorcycles or not; under the eyes of the law they qualify, which means it’s up to us to test them. The Vanderhall Venice reminds me a lot of a modern-day Morgan 3 Wheeler in its design. And considering how much I like the Morgan, that’s a good thing.

The Venice is positioned as the company’s “affordable” model, starting at $29,950, however once you load it with options the price can go up in a hurry. Power comes from a 1.4 liter turbocharged inline-Four rated at 200 hp. It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission – company reps say sales of its manual transmission models were nearly non-existent, so the auto is the only option. The tub is aluminum, wheels are 18 inches, and dry curb weight is rated at 1375 pounds. Reps at the show were open to letting us take the wheel, so clearly I’m excited about that.

8. Custom Honda Rebel 300

I hope Honda sells a ton of Rebel 300 and 500s, but I’ll admit I’m not a fan of the aesthetics on either bike. John Burns’ description is the best I’ve heard so far regarding the Rebel’s looks: “It looks like a Honda Ruckus only on a bigger scale.” Like the Ruckus, its bare aesthetics and minimal bodywork have given the aftermarket a blank canvas to go crazy while hopping them up and making them look really trick. The Rebels look that way, too; like a blank canvas waiting for its artist. Take this custom Rebel 300 for example, with its yellow and blue trim, white exhaust header, hacked off tail section, mismatched spoked wheels, and even the ape hanger bars. While the stock Rebel looks bland in my opinion, this looks pretty cool.

7. Travel Naked

KTM’s on fire as of late, with a smattering of new and updated bikes coming out for 2017 like the 390 Duke, 1290 Super Duke R, and 1290 Super Adventure R, just to name a few. So while hanging out at the KTM booth in Long Beach, I noticed the bikes on display were arranged according to the categories they reside in. When I looked up, my eyes fixated on a subtle message…

6. EBR Black Lightning

It’s great to see Erik Buell is back in the business of making motorcycles, sticking his middle finger to the establishment while staying true to his fuel-in-frame and perimeter brake designs. He was in attendance in Long Beach, which made many in the crowd happy, including myself. There he introduced his latest model, the EBR Black Lightning. Talking to Buell afterward, he explained how he started tweaking his own personal EBR 1190SX to be more street friendly by adding a taller bar and lowering the pegs a little. “And then I said to myself, why don’t I just make a new model with these changes and more!” And that’s how the Black Lightning was born.

5. Vintage Display

I’m a sucker for old bikes, and the vintage collection on display in Long Beach really caught my eye. Seen here is a row of classic Ducati motorcycles, starting with the green machine in the foreground – a Ducati Cucciolo. Technically speaking, Cucciolo is just the engine bearing the Ducati name, as it was the first product the company produced after the war. The intent was to be able to fit it to most bicycles. When we think of Ducati today we think of exotic sporting machinery, but this nice example of Ducati’s beginnings reminded me that it wasn’t always this way. Ducati motorcycles from the 1960s and 1970s follow along down the row.

4. Indian FTR750

Flat track racing in America is the most popular it’s been in nearly three decades, and 2017 promises to be an even more exciting year when this, the FTR750, makes its debut with Indian’s Wrecking Crew of Jared Mees, Brad Baker, and current AMA Flat Track champion, Bryan Smith at the controls. The Long Beach show was the first time I got to see the FTR in person, and it looks pretty fast just sitting still. Of course, now all I can think about is the street bike Indian will stick that engine in. Scout Sport, anyone?

Indian Scout FTR750 Ride Review

3. Custom Honda CBX

The six-cylinder Honda CBX is an attention grabber wherever it goes, even in stock trim. This highly tricked-out version left me dead in my tracks as I was walking the show halls. Unfortunately, neither the owner, nor a build sheet detailing the changes, was available, but simply looking at this thing it’s obvious a ton of work was done to the six-banger to get it in the shape it’s in. An entire front-end change, including wheels, forks, brakes and controls is clear, then moving back we see a carbon fiber fuel tank, side panels, and tail section. The swingarm looks like a CBR1000 piece, sporting a different shock. Wheels and Pirelli Supercorsa tires complete the look. As for the engine, a K&N air filter is easy to see, as is the six-into-four-into-one exhaust. Internal modifications are a mystery, however. If you own this bike, or know who does, drop us a line!

2. Yamamonster

Give it a quick look and you might mistake this for a Yamaha TZ250. The truth is you’d only be half right. This did indeed start life as a 1991 Yamaha TZ250, but owner Brian Herzfeldt replaced the two-stroke 250 with a 660 four-stroke Single with five-valves. Power is claimed to be in the 70 hp range, with curb weight of 289 lbs! With a power-to-weight ratio like that, Herzfeldt affectionately calls this bike the “Yamamonster.” Combined with the excellent handling the TZs were known for, this thing rips. In fact, you might have noticed the number 1 plate the Yamamonster carries. Herzfeldt currently campaigns this bike in the AHRMA Sound of Singles 1 class, which is open to Singles of unlimited displacement, where it has won the national championship the past three years.

1. 1299 Superleggera

There’s something about Ducati sportbikes that captivate me, and I know I’m not alone. Few would argue that the Panigale line is one of the sexiest Ducati has produced, and with the 1299 Superleggera, Ducati’s newest flagship, the folks at Borgo Panigale have done it again. We’ve written about the bike before, but to see the carbon-fiber-everything motorcycle in person, all I could do was sit there and stare at it. It even took me a moment to remember to pick up my camera and snap this picture! It’s absolutely stunning, especially with that matte finish. I’m sure I speak for the entire MO staff when I say I can’t wait to ride one!

2017 Ducati 1299 Superleggera Preview

2015 Ducati Superleggera Quick Ride Review

Bonus! Evans cuts it off

Here’s a bonus, behind-the-scenes shot of our own Evans Brasfield deciding to put himself under the knife for a good cause. The folks at Progressive decided to set up a barbershop at its booth, providing straight razor shaves. With each shave a donation of at least $10 would go towards men’s health research. Evans, being the type willing to give to a good cause, and the type willing to have another person that close to his face with a sharp object, volunteered to shave off all his facial hair – a feat followed afterward by John Burns! Off to the left, Tom “Big Guns” Roderick was livestreaming the shave on Facebook, and video man Jay McNally got the event on camera, too.

Troy Siahaan
Troy Siahaan

Troy's been riding motorcycles and writing about them since 2006, getting his start at Rider Magazine. From there, he moved to Sport Rider Magazine before finally landing at Motorcycle.com in 2011. A lifelong gearhead who didn't fully immerse himself in motorcycles until his teenage years, Troy's interests have always been in technology, performance, and going fast. Naturally, racing was the perfect avenue to combine all three. Troy has been racing nearly as long as he's been riding and has competed at the AMA national level. He's also won multiple club races throughout the country, culminating in a Utah Sport Bike Association championship in 2011. He has been invited as a guest instructor for the Yamaha Champions Riding School, and when he's not out riding, he's either wrenching on bikes or watching MotoGP.

More by Troy Siahaan

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 6 comments
Next