This year’s four-day show at Stoneleigh Park was hotly anticipated almost as much for who wouldn’t be there as who would, writes Suzanne Potts. With KTM and Husqvarna pulling out in September and no-one being able to establish whether Honda would be there, it left those in the industry questioning how the show would hold up.
Mortons, the show organiser, rose to the challenge and brought MXGP of Great Britain on board and Steve Dixon ensured that Kawasaki was represented in Hall 2 with the Bike It rig. Yamaha made hay and took advantage of the fact that it was the only major manufacturer there in force, with an impressive new modular stand in the centre of the main hall. The stand was well manned and for the first time Yamaha also brought along its retail outlet and did brisk business selling paddock and race wear ranges. Gas Gas was also well represented with a decent size, well-positioned stand.
There was a multitude of new visitor attractions but, and it’s a big but, the show undoubtedly suffered through some of the main manufacturers not being there in force. KTM and Husqvarna, to be fair, did have a relatively good display. The Judd KTM stand was big, bright, and displaying the 2019 models and was probably more than most expected when the announcement was made that as a manufacturer it wouldn’t be attending but would offer dealer support.
HONDA’S ABSENCE
Honda’s lack of presence was possibly the most disappointing aspect. Last year the manufacturer took the premier spot (now occupied by Yamaha) with an impressive but costly stand. This year it had nothing. It left many asking that surely there must be some halfway house between going for gold in 2017 and not showing up in 2018? Budgets are budgets, of course, but if the big stand can’t be afforded surely a smaller cheaper alternative could be found if the will had been there?
The story from Hall 1, the sales hall, was of retailers disappointed that all the manufacturers weren’t supporting the show but was also one of retail success.
Ray Davies of Stormer MX has been retailing at the show for 28 years. “The manufacturers must be at the show … whatever it takes to get them there, they need to be there.” He reported disappointing sales and questioned whether he would return without the manufacturers also making a commitment. On the other hand, Ollie Beard from Off Road World, Coleshill, after expressing the same disappointment about missing manufacturers, said ‘We’ve had a good show, busy, and sales are strong.”
James Smith of Midlands MX, who was retailing at the show for the first time after only recently starting out in the industry, said: ‘We’ve had a really good show, much better than we expected. On the opening day we sold 60 sets of MX kit at £100 a piece.”
‘IT WORKS FOR US’
So for retailers, the IDBS is still a good opportunity to sell off stock that will soon become “last year’s”. In spite of the internet boom, many riders still want to try before they buy and pick up a bargain.
Several of the retailers acknowledged that, due to differing manufacturer launch dates, the show no longer coincided with new model debuts but everyone agreed that off-road needed a dedicated showcase and they wouldn’t want to lose the IDBS.
Dominic Clifford of Dunlop, which was exhibiting in Hall 2, said: “If there’s a Dirt Bike Show, we will always be here. It’s a good opportunity to meet up with dealers, customers, trade partners, riders, and teams all under one roof at the end of the season and it works for us.”
Mortons show manager Nick Mowbray said that, overall, he was pleased with the event, despite reporting that attendance was “slightly down”. The organising team had been able to bring new elements this year and he was grateful to Yamaha Motor Europe for its continued support.
He concluded: “Off-road is a small industry. We are all dependent on each other to be successful and we need to work together. After the show my key objective is to visit manufacturers and dealers to establish what they want going forward to deliver a quality event for the industry.”
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