BUNNY: Cleveland Cycle World Show

[Robert W Munday <rwmunday@xxxxxxxx>]

Presidents,


I attended the Cycle World Show in Cleveland, Ohio this Saturday.  From
Indianapolis, it was a four hour trip through Dayton and Columbus on the
icy Interstates to Berea and a lunch gathering of the Cleveland BMW Club.
 The club met at The Station restaurant on Depot Street in Berea, which
is located next to some active railroad lines.  Trains speed by just feet
from the building making for some interesting sights and sounds. 
President Jim Shaw was there as were a number of the membership who
regularly attend the Rocket City Rally in Alabama.  The Cleveland Club
has the honor of attending Rocket City one year and camping next to "the
dead guy"... a motor home camper unrelated to our rally who expired
during our rally.  They still have the pictures to prove it.  I also met
President Roger Pivonka for the first time.  Some members bought raffle
tickets from me before the group headed to the International Exposition
Center (they call it the  IX Center).  I could see why they met for
lunch... they formed car pools to help defray the $7.00 cost to park at
the IX Center.  The Center was also the site for a home improvement
exposition so traffic was doubled from what we would normally expect. 
Once inside, I could see that the Cycle World show got the better end of
the Center because the indoor Ferris Wheel was on our side.  For $2.00 a
ride, one could take a spin on the wheel, the enclosed top half of which
protruded above the roof for an outside view of the parking lot and the
airport.

I was there to meet with Eric Simon, Mike May and Doug Grosjean and with
careful planning and exchanges of cell phone numbers, I found all three. 
My lunch crowd descended upon the BMW booth to view two examples of the
new K1200S in the blue and white paint.  There were other 2005 models to
be viewed, but no R1200RTs, no R1200STs and no K1200Rs were at the show. 
I spent the next few hours wandering amongst the various brands and
vendors, but didn't see much new and didn't buy anything other than
raffle tickets.  The AMA was raffling a 1953 Vincent Black Shadow Touring
and there was a Norton 952 in its own area.  I was able to get the AMA
folks to buy one of my BMW raffle tickets but didn't have the same luck
with the Norton folks.  Doug Grosjean and I found the newly-announced
Harley-Davidson Street Rod... a V-Rod with a more standard (and sane)
riding position.  The footpegs are under the rider instead of out beyond
the front wheel (sure, I embellish... but not by much).  Honda had a
gorgeous blonde spokesmodel on a platform saying something about a Gold
Wing model with flat paint and blacked-out bits and a short windscreen
much like a H-D Road Glide (and I didn't get around to seeing the name of
the Honda on the card).  This Cleveland show was much larger in
attendance than the Atlanta show that I usually attend.  Since I missed
the Atlanta show, the shows in Cleveland and Detroit were my closest
alternatives.

After an afternoon of seeing and drooling over new machinery, Mike, Eric
and I headed out for a Presidential Dinner at a Mexican restaurant which
was chosen for its available parking.  Two-thirds of the attendees were
IBMWR Plateholders and we own almost 100% BMWs (Eric recently bought a
Buell with the see-through blue plastic "tank").  Our waitress first
addressed us as "gentlemen" and we had to quickly correct her to have her
address us as "motorcyclists", which she did for the rest of the evening.
 The food was great and the conversation covered lots of topics... BMW
and otherwise.  When we left, Mike and Eric had 70 miles to go to get to
their home areas and I had 300 miles to go to return to Indianapolis. 
The temperature was between 25 and 30 degrees and the snow was falling
heavily.  Having a front-wheel-drive Volvo comes in handy in winter and I
was passing all of the slow traffic content to travel 30 mph in the
plowed lane.  The Ohio salt trucks were out and did a great job of
clearing the roads, but on the flip side there's nothing like being
pelted with salt while traveling behind the big trucks.  It was pretty
hairy most of the way, but once I got close to Columbus, I only had
wetness to contend with.  Approaching Dayton, the snow was falling in my
direction and it looked like I was traveling into the Windows "Space"
screen saver.  You can't see and you can't use the high beam as that only
brightens the snow in front of you.  Things calmed down as I approached
Indianapolis.  My return trip was only thirty minutes longer than my four
hour trip to Cleveland.

Thanks to all who attended and participated.



Robert Munday...   Montgomery, AL    `98 R11CHP    `95 R1100RSL
Village Idiot    Rolling Broccoli Rider    BOOF #131    SR#2
Nebraska Nightriders    Big Sioux Riders    Indy BMW Club    
Beemer Hill Riders    EC Riders    Trustee, BMWMOA Foundation    
Keeper Of The List    *Iron Bunny*

Back Home Again In Indiana...

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