The 50th Anniversary bmf Show saw sun, smiles and bikers in their thousands turn out over the weekend for one of the best bmf shows of the century!
As Europe’s largest outdoors motorcycle show, the bmf show is the traditional season-opener for thousands of motorcyclists and this year certainly did not disappoint.
The bmf’s new event organisers the Mulberry group were determined to pull out all the stops to make this a show to remember and they succeeded big time. With an improved layout, more manufacturers and top-line traders plus fantastic sunny weather, it’s no wonder that over 60,000 people were smiling over the show weekend!
Advance ticket sales had been down on last year, but with the forecast good weather people turned up on the day and formed massive queues, so much so that for the first time ever, tickets ran out and the bmf show found itself with ticket touts! However, the organisers soon resolved that and showgoers gained admission without paying a premium!
With the official presence of BMW, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Triumph, Norton, Victory, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, plus Ducati, there were plenty of new bikes to look at and test rides to be had on BMW, Suzuki and Kawasaki.
Norton were there for the first time and Norton Sales Manager and top BSB racer Chris Walker, having sold four of the stunning new Nortons over the weekend, was well pleased commenting that “the bmf show has everything going for it with good organisation, a good crowd and good security. It’s a great place to be and to be seen,” he said.
On the other hand a regular exhibitor for the past seven years, Richard Spies of Victory Motorcycles, was also well pleased with the weekend. With a prime corner position in the newly defined manufacturer’s area Richard said it had been a “great show with a great crowd.”
BMW, currently riding high in the sales charts was similarly pleased with the weekend. “The bmf show is good for us with plenty of serious enquiries from serious enthusiasts” said BMW Marketing Manager Tony Jakeman.
On a completely different level, thousands come to the bmf show on a shopping expedition to buy their kit for the new season so smaller traders too reported brisk business. Chris Hawley of Baglux, a regular for the past 25 years and just one of the 300 traders on site, said that business had been good and that “there was a buzz about the place again that had been missing in recent years” while Paul Burdass from Fat Skeleton said: “We’ve had our busiest Peterborough bmf ever in terms of revenue, reversing the general trend we've seen at both indoor & outdoor events over the past year.”
Someone really happy was Norman Ford, the winner of the bmf’s Win-A-Bike/Choose-A-Bike prize draw. Stunned that he had won, Norman is yet to choose which bike he wants to take home from either a Yamaha XVS1300 ‘Midnight Star’, a Suzuki GSXR600 or a Honda CB1000R.
Another winner on the day was David Light who having joined the bmf over the weekend, found that he was also the lucky winner of a Giacomo Agostini replica helmet in the bmf’s special membership promotion.
The stunning weather also made the perfect back-drop to two action-packed days of arena activities featuring Jason Smyth – The Adrenalin Tour, The Stanage International stunt display team and of course, old favourites the madness that is Moped Enduro and the thrills of Short Track racing.
Commenting, bmf spokesman Jeff Stone said, “This really was an excellent show. I’ve run the press office at most of the bmf shows since 1977 and this was one of the best. It wasn’t as packed as some, but in a way it was better for it and given the current economic climate, we did amazingly well. To be honest, the bmf show had lost its way over the last few years, but due credit to the Mulberry Group, their input means it’s now back on track!”
Still to come for 2010:
bmf GEMS, the Garden of England Motorcycle Show at Detling, Kent 12th-13th June
bmf Kelso Bikefest, Union Borders Showground, Kelso 10th - 11th July
bmf Tailend: NEW location, Lincoln Showground, Lincoln. 18th - 19th September
On line booking via: www.bmfevents.co.uk or ticket hot line:
