‘STRENGTH IN DEPTH DELIVERED AT NEC SHOW’

A quick lap of the NEC as soon as the doors opened allowed me to get a feel of the layout. A second lap saw me try to pinpoint the hotspots. The biggest crowds this time around showed that the CCM stand was creating a buzz. Although it was the Spitfire plane that was causing the queues and not really the bikes on the British firm’s stand.

As I tried to work out what people really wanted to see or sit on, I was struck by how evenly spread the crowds were. The Norton stand was pretty busy all day long with a steady stream looking at the new Atlas models and the Superlight 650. Beyond that every stand seemed busy, but without any particular mass gatherings. That reflects the spread of new machines across the biking landscape. Strong offerings in all markets and by most manufacturers means there’s a strong class of 2019. Not just a couple of highlights but more a strong squad. And with the UK market being so fragmented these days, that could bode well for the coming year.