The Motorcycle’s Industry’s Showcase

contracting domestic motorcycle market, grand displays of the industry’s latest wares have all but disappeared – until now, that is. The American International Motorcycle Expo (or AIME) moved to the spacious Las Vegas Convention Center where some 875 retailers displayed the latest two-wheeled rides and accessories to dealers and the media. From

Benelli, whose 500cc Leoncino scrambler we tested last issue. For 2023, the Italian/ Chinese conglomerate is serving up the tasty Imperiale, a 400cc, air-cooled single aimed directly at the growing middleweight retro market. The styling is based on Benelli’s singles of the 1950s, right down to the spoked wheels, solo seat with separate well. Likewise, China’s QJ Motor are heading down the cafe road with a new 550cc parallel twin retro ride known as the SRV550. Powered by a fuel-injected parallel twin very similar in design to the Benelli Leoncino’s mill, the 550 offers radial front brakes, inverted forks and a six-speed gearbox, but will retail for a very reasonable $6,100. their first 700cc model, the sporty SRK700. Clearly inspired by Kawasaki’s Z1000 naked speedster, the eight valve liquid-cooled twin pumps out a respectable 72 horsepower and 48 foot-pounds of torque. The sales team stressed the reliability of the QJ lineup, having run several high-mileage endurance test rides before offering their seven-bike range to a growing list of US dealers.

In addition to several new brands from the rooms. The flashy and quite capable Street Triple 765 was on display, bristling with the sort of high-tech electronics their Chinese counterparts are yet to offer. Our fave turned out to be an all chrome and black version of the sporty Thruxton 1200RS, a limited edition release. The venerable Speed Twin 900 sports new paint and graphics this year and was joined by several Tiger adventure bikes, representing a growing share of Triumph’s lineup. However, the really big news for the British firm was on the smalldisplacement and off-road front where representatives hinted that a line of sub500cc streetbikes along with a serious foray into the motocross competition market was on the way for Triumph. Details were unavailable at press time, but it’s only at industry shows like these that longstanding industry rumors can be confirmed.

Suzuki were on hand, showing off their latest versatile streetbike platform, the parallel twin GSX-8S. The first all-new naked roadster from Suzuki in years, the 8S promises to be a game-changer with the capabilities to compete with Ducati’s venerable Monster and Triumph’s Street Triples for market share.

We were mightily impressed with the return to the American market of Italy’s Moto Morini, who revealed a broad range of streeters all powered by a 650cc, watercooled V-twin engine. Their professionally arrayed display included well-branded riding leathers and casual wear all embossed with the distinctive Morini logo from the 1970s , while the trellis-framed bikes were offered in cafe retro, standard and a funky, X-Cape version that resembled a smaller Honda Africa Twin.

Japan’s Over Racing is an aftermarket firm we’ve been hearing about for years, as we’ve been amazed by their technical excellence and perfect finishes. Over is now available in US dealers offering – among rearsets, handlebars and other hard parts –complete machined chassis for Honda’s popular Grom and Monkey Bike, and bodywork kits and suspension to transform these small cc wonders into full-blown track or road sportsters. The machining on Over’s Grom chassis was simply dazzling and they’re a great addition to the US market.

In addition to plenty of new riding gear and accessories, we were encouraged to see the show filling up with dealers, vendors and media types (like ourselves) though it would be a real plus to see AIME add a day for public attendance. This sort of interaction between industry and public is sorely missing with the recent demise of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show series, which ended last year. With plenty of new brands and new players in the recovering streetbike market, the future looks bright for two-wheeling. CR