International Dealer News IDN 117 Feb/Mar 2014

COMMENT: European PTW sales halved in Seven Years!.................................Page 4 Shorai lithium iron batteries exclusive to MAG Europe....................................................................Page 13 EBR opens in Europe, confirms WSBK team ................................................................Page 19 FEB/MAR 2014 ISSUE #117 AMD World Champs to alternate between PRODUCTS INTERMOT and BIG BIKE Europe I F make BBE a biennial autumn expo achieves three objectives. It recognises an autumn timing preference that was voiced by many exhibitors. It capitalises upon the attendance and frequency of the world’s premier international motorcycle industry event. It reduces the expo-budget burden on that M TER O N T OLLOWING the wellreceived debut of the Big Bike Europe (BBE) Expo at Essen, in May 2013, organiser AMD Magazine has been invited to stage the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building at the internationally respected INTERMOT (October 1-5 2014, Cologne, Germany). The AMD World Championship will rotate between INTERMOT and Big Bike Europe as alternateannual expos at the Cologne Expo centre – the next BBE therefore being in October 2015, and biennial thereafter. Industry reaction to Big Bike Europe was almost universally positive in terms of both concept and organisation. However, date issues were a primary factor in a promising but modest first year attendance. Rather than taking advantage of a four week earlier spring date option, the decision to co-join the AMD World Championship with INTERMOT and (large) part of the international vendor community in Europe that already exhibits at INTERMOT. INTERMOT routinely attracts between 200,000 and 250,000 trade and consumer visitors, from some 117 countries. As such it is by far the best attended international motorcycle exhibition of its kind in the world. “Prior to the initial Big Bike Europe announcement in 2011, there had already been dialogue about whether to co-join the AMD World Championship with one of the largest of the established shows,” explained organiser Robin Bradley. “However, the choice of spring or autumn dating was always a 50/50 coin-toss, and both still have valid arguments in their favour. It is only by trying each option out that we can establish the best possible long-term formula for the project. “The mission has always been to provide the custom motorcycle market with access to the largest possible audience of motivated and relevant customers. This has always been our primary driving force, and has informed all our venue and strategic decisions, ever since 2004. “INTERMOT has the attendance; it has the facility; it has the largedisplacement focus and, above all, it has the international status that is absolutely in the crosshairs of what we Continued on page 8 >>> Page 21 Page 23 Page 30 Page 33 NEws ROOM 6-19, 40 Page 25 TRADEZONE 36 INDEX 38