Granted, the 2009 Seattle IMS show didn’t carry the carnival-like atmosphere of prior shows and the number of vendors may have been down, but the people who did attend this weekend’s Seattle International Motorcycle Show took advantage of the opportunity by spending a little more time at booths and getting quality face time with manufacturer reps and vendors.
 
The Tapout Champions Area was the place to be indoors. The Bikes & Beats crew provided the tunes and an Icon fashion show attracted attention to the stage for the throngs who were checking out the custom motorcycles entered in the TapouT Ultimate Builder Competition. The 2Wheel Tuner's model contest kept their attention onstage where attendee’s saw Motorcycle USA’s spokesmodel, Megan Hartsell, win the competition. After Megan’s victory, there definitely was an increase in traffic to the Motorcycle USA booth from attendees looking to get their picture taken with the beautiful brunette. Megan won herself a trip to Daytona during Bike Week 2010 for her effort where she will compete against winners of the 2Wheel Tuner's contest from other cities. Motorcycle USA and its sister site, Motorcycle Superstore, will have a booth in Daytona this year so be sure to stop by for some free swag and for photo ops with our lovely spokesmodels.
 
Another popular new draw at this year’s IMS is the Women’s Center. Professionals from the Women’s Motorcycling Foundation were on hand to field questions about motorcycling from both newbie and advanced women riders. Motorcycle gear makers like Cortech, Icon, Joe Rocket, Shift, Thor and Tour Master had their latest women’s gear on display, while manufacturers featured bikes tailored toward women motorcyclists.
 
“I did love the women’s section. Thought that was really cool and hope that they’ll keep that,” said Michelle Scott.

It was a mixed bag as far as the custom scene was concerned. The variety of custom motorcycles on display ranged from custom sportbikes to collectible cruisers. There were a group of sportbikes with stretched-out swingarms and fat rear ends decked out in paint that would make the Insane Clown Posse proud. A custom ‘Fast ‘n Fearless’ZX-14 with a Ricky Gadson tribute paint scheme that featured newspaper headlines pulled from the career of the motorcycle drag-racing giant also attracted a lot of attention. There were also plenty of rare collectibles, ranging from a vintage Harley sidecar to a 1943 Moto Guzzi military bike at the Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts’ display. A 1978 Yamaha XS 650 chopper also stood out with its sprung seat slung low and black handlebars hangin’ high, its small peanut tank mounted on a rigid frame on a chopper with no front fender. It was ultra ‘70s-style cool.

Speaking of cool, the Baseball Legends Raider was also on hand. The motorcycle features baseballs autographed by Ken Griffey, Jr., Willie Mays and Hank Aaron mounted in the tank behind a glass case. The Star Raider was customized by Nick Anglada Originals and will be auctioned off early next year with proceeds benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of America. Maybe the motorcycle attracted the attention of the future highest bidder seeing as how Ken Griffey, Jr., spent 12 seasons playing baseball in Seattle. 

Ducati once again tried to steal the show with the introduction of its Multistrada and its junior Hypermotard 796. Having some of the hottest models in mini-skirts didn’t hurt, either. Bringing along the crowd-pleasing Ducati Freestyle Team helped also, who were pulling off their tire-smoking antics on slick concrete Thursday night in the tight confines of a parking garage.

The show now heads back east where it will set-up in Novi, MI. The event will take place from Jan. 1-3, 2010.