Show time!

For those of us in wintry climes who have had to store our bikes, the weeks seem to pass agonizingly slowly as we look ahead to the riding season. There isn’t much for us to do other than watch motovlogs on YouTube and read the magazines.

Fortunately, those living near large cities can look forward to the annual motorcycle shows that are scheduled in these cold months. They are good for the entire motorcycling community.

These events showcase all that is new in the biking world, and this year there are many exciting new models to admire up close, as European, Japanese and American manufacturers continue to compete ever more closely with impressive advances in technology. But more importantly, for most riders the North American shows offer a unique opportunity to actually sit on a wide variety of motorcycles and try them on for ergonomics, comfort and size.

Many people will tell you that one of the most important factors in selecting a model that is right for you is how a bike fits you.  Just like a suit, when a bike feels right, you know it. As a buyer, you juggle a lot of factors, like price range, for example, as you sort through your options.  However, it’s critical to your future satisfaction to find a bike or two that match your body type and riding style.

Last year, I went to the Montreal motorcycle show in February (as seen in these photos) and like the woman here, I sat on a lot of bikes. I tried at least thirty different models, even ones I wasn’t interested in buying.  You can learn a lot from sitting on a bike:  the reach to the bars and to safe footing, the weight of the machine, how the instrumentation presents itself to you, your angle of body lean, and so on.  At the show I noted my impressions on each model and stored the details in my BlackBerry.  I occasionally read those notes afterwards.

In September, when I was looking for a small-cylinder bike, I went through the notes again and used them to narrow down my choices.  In the end, I was torn between two bikes. Budget constraints were decisive, but my notes were invaluable in narrowing my choices without having to revisit a lot of dealers.

So now it’s that time of year again, for those of us in northern latitudes, to plan a visit to the nearest motorcycle show.  We can exchange opinions, hear the sales pitches, connect with local motorcycle groups and check out all the latest accessories. But mostly we can sit on a bunch of bikes, imagine them as ours, and just think about how each feels.  If we find a good fit, our minds automatically take us to warm summer days, out on the machine. For a while, at least, we can forget about the snow or biting winds outside.