NEC motorcycle live

[O.C.]

Miserable sod!  It's a day out!

guilty as charged m'lud   

If I change my mind I'll let ya know Chris, it'd be good to catch up   

[pross]

If my rest day fall on the Sunday I may make a visit on the bike like I did last year.
paying the rip of fees for parking a car 

[Winston Smith]

guilty as charged m'lud   

If I change my mind I'll let ya know Chris, it'd be good to catch up   

(actually, I'm working in Germany that week  )

[O.C.]

Your loss   

[mister white]

We went to the bike show last year, but were so disgusted by the parking prices that we parked at a small nearby train station and got the train for one stop to the NEC.  Saved quite a bit but we still got robbed as we went in!

[Martyn1965]

The price hurts but I look at it as a day out on a winters day. The bit that pisses me off is myself and daughter had a meal in spoons outside the show and it was £25 for us both. It's not the cost it was the concentration camp portions, I really did feel like throwing it back at them but didn't want to play up in front of my daughter

[pross]

It was no better inside martyn.
I had a prawn sandwich a bottle of Diet Coke and a plate of chips that would fill a standard mug.
£9.05 I asked if its £3 an item and 5p for salt and he didn't even have the decency to answer robbin .

I went on the bike to avoid the £12 parking fee they say it's the NEC not the show charging
And th fellow who parked next to me after a bit of a chat told me he was from Manchester a poor ride in those conditions.
And gave me a ticket his friend had won in a competition so not a total loss 

[coman37]

As long as all you people continue to pay to visit a glorified showroom, they will continue to charge! Bad time of year for a ride out

They need us to visit the shows to sell us their products, so you can either follow like sheep each year to the shows( yes you get the pretty girls in Lycra, you may get a free key ring or mug, you used to be able to save at least your ticket price on much needed quality kit discounts! Now they only discount the tat) spend a day in late summer or early spring visiting your dealers( free parking, no crowds, sometimes a free bbq) building relationships with the people who will sell and service your bike near to your home.

Jmo

Coman

[Burchy]

I was a bit jaundiced about going, but got a ticket from Kawasaki Riders Club that included an after-show event.  Managed to negociate a £25 discount on some leathers and £20 on a hugger for the GTR.  Left at about 7.30 and the guy on the parking barrier just waved us through, so no parking fee for us.  All in all worth thr 300 miles round trip

[snowy]

The cost was the deciding factor in my non-attendance this year, like Conman I'll be doing the dealers later in the year, need to test ride that new AT1000! 
If you fancy a good show with plenty of nostalgia try this........
http://www.classicbikeshows.com/event/the-classic-dirt-bike-show/
At the Telford International Exhibition Centre.
Not just dirt bikes, but all sorts of classic road / race stuff, plenty of garage supplies and an auto-jumble!

[nightrider]

I went this year ,really only to look at the luggage and sat nav stalls , nice just to see what I will be ordering on line , but this will be the last time I will go , the stalls at the show was a lot less than last year and the year before ,it gets less and less every year , the girls in Lycra just about made it bearable,especially the blonde twins on the mcn stand , there was no aftermarket seat people there or suspension companies there ,I would say it was down a quarter on previous years , £12 to park is a joke , so is £20 to get in , as I say last time I will go ,

[Rusty]

Going to the Excel show in London Friday 12th Feb .. after "Nights" .. a bit of brekky, tube and in ... then sleep on the train home ..Booooom 

[Charlie747]

Whinny yer got to remember OC is west of Pennines so..........

Tight as ducks   

[O.C.]

Whinny yer got to remember OC is west of Pennines so..........

Tight as ducks   

I prefer frugal   

And anyway Charlie Ive been back in gods own county for the last 14 months ya know     

[Charlie747]

  sorry Roger

Having been on the other side of the fence as an exhibitor at the NEC bike show with Lintek and Lintek-Gleave

1 The floor cost charged for a stand is eye watering
2 As a stand holder you still have to pay for entrance to the show and car park passes
3 To turn the electric on for the stand ( a man in brown store man jacket with little wooden step ladder puts the fuse in cost over £400 back in the early 90's) plus you get billed for the power used.
4 My trade customers used to have retail stands at the show and all complained that it was not until mid morning of the last day that they broke even if at all !

This is why the shows get smaller. Greedy show grounds and organisers are ripping the trade and retail customers off.