Chicago Bike show and swap meet

[Wanna Ride]

http://www.chicagomotorcycleswap.com/


Anyone going? I'm probably going to be home that weekend, so I'm sure I'll be there. Looks like it's both Saturday and Sunday now.
They moved out of McCormick Place and will be in Tinley Park at the convention center. Should be a good way to kill an afternoon, during sub-freezing temps!

 

[QuikHD]

I might enter my dyna in it. If I do, stop by and say hi.

 

[lowdog]

Might have to shoot over there. Have not been there since I had my chopper in it back in 2007. Kinda weird not being in McCormick tho.

 

[QuikHD]

Might have to shoot over there. Have not been there since I had my chopper in it back in 2007. Kinda weird not being in McCormick tho.

Not after last year....It was in the Basement! The place was FULL of salt dust from setup vehicles and trailers. The bike needed to be wiped down almost every 15min!

 

[Classic$98]

Working

 

[HighLiner]

How big is this show? Worth the drive for me?

 

[lowdog]

Not after last year....It was in the Basement! The place was FULL of salt dust from setup vehicles and trailers. The bike needed to be wiped down almost every 15min!

Yeah I think the year I had my bike in it must of been in the basement too. Drove my trailer in dropped off the bike at my time slot and set up. Getting out on the other hand was a cluster..........
This was the bike I entered back then just sold it last year.

 

[lowdog]

How big is this show? Worth the drive for me?

The show is or was pretty big. Started as a swap meet. When I went there was maybe 200 bikes. Cant tell ya how it has been in the past few years tho.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Kinda weird not being in McCormick tho.

Nope, McCormick and it's management blows. They're too restrictive and expensive for promoters. They drive away more business than they create, at the cost of jobs, city revenue, local business revenue, etc. Screw them greedy, corrupt bastards.

 

[lowdog]

Nope, McCormick and it's management blows. They're too restrictive and expensive for promoters. They drive away more business than they create, at the cost of jobs, city revenue, local business revenue, etc. Screw them greedy, corrupt bastards.

I thought that they had moved to the Rosemont at one point?????

 

[dbell66253]

McCormick Place is still there? I hope the've remodled it a couple of times, the last time I was there was in 1973 at a bike show. Unfortunately my memory is of a big fight, rival clubs.

 

[QuikHD]

Its much bigger and nicer than it was 20 years ago, let alone 35!

I am looking forward to the move. Last year it kinda sucked. The show was decent. I wouldnt drive more than 2 hours to go to it though.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Just got home from this joke of a show. What a waste of time and effort. Stayed at the hotel next door last night, walked over this morning, went in right at 9:00am. Not a real big venue, everything was packed in, a lot of the walkways/aisle were only about six feet wide. Not many show bikes at all. A lot of the used stuff for sale was priced at retail and up. I noticed there was a lot of the "new item" vendors that were not there this year. I walked through the entire show in just under 55 minutes. What a waste of time.
As I was leaving the hotel at about 11:00am, there was a very long line of folks standing outside to get in, and just as many more walking towards the venue. It was cramped in there at 9:30, I hat to thin what it was like after all those folks outside goit in. This show sucked... I will not be wasting any more time with these Paragon joke-shows.

 

[Bill]

Should have went to Cincy!

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk

 

[QuikHD]

Just got home from this joke of a show. What a waste of time and effort. Stayed at the hotel next door last night, walked over this morning, went in right at 9:00am. Not a real big venue, everything was packed in, a lot of the walkways/aisle were only about six feet wide. Not many show bikes at all. A lot of the used stuff for sale was priced at retail and up. I noticed there was a lot of the "new item" vendors that were not there this year. I walked through the entire show in just under 55 minutes. What a waste of time.
As I was leaving the hotel at about 11:00am, there was a very long line of folks standing outside to get in, and just as many more walking towards the venue. It was cramped in there at 9:30, I hat to thin what it was like after all those folks outside goit in. This show sucked... I will not be wasting any more time with these Paragon joke-shows.

The management of the show has no clue what they are doing. They over sold the show to vendors and as a result crammed in all the bikes. Those bikes that were lined up for the show had 4x8 spots and were sold 10x8 spots!!!

I also thought it was very lame. At one point, they turned away customers due to it being over crowded! The bathrooms were outside the show so you had to be wanded with a metal detector upon re entry. I cannot tell you how many times they did that to me!

On a good note, I won 1st place for Mild American Custom with my Dyna!

 

[Bill]

Congrats!

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[Wanna Ride]

On a good note, I won 1st place for Mild American Custom with my Dyna!

Yeah, I saw it... nice ride. IIRC, your build sheet said a total cost of $9840? Nice job!

 

[QuikHD]

Yep, built for under $10k including buying the bike!

 

[Wanna Ride]

Personally, this was my favorite bagger there. I'm just really partial to this color scheme. However, I really dislike these, squeezed-udder looking fairings. I'll be glad when they go back out of style, they're just fugly.

I know this look is really popular, but I'm just not digging it. The t-shirt-looking graphics off centered on bikes look like some thug tagged the side of a boxcar. And the big wheel front-end isn't so bad, but this one looks like it doesn't go with the theme of the bike. I know... I'm critical, but I'm allowed to have my own opinion. Like the previous, all but dead era of custom choppers, a lot of baggers are just built too... cookie-cutter. There was a builder at the show that had several high dollar baggers on display, but they all looked like they rolled off the same assembly line, just into different vats of paint color. Not too personalized if they all look alike.

 

[Wanna Ride]

Yep, built for under $10k including buying the bike!

And I'll add that your bike was the only one that was properly and professionally presented. All the others looked Sanford-and-Son, sitting on the plastic sheeting, and walmart tarps. It's all about presentation, and yours deserved the win. Very nice job, you should be proud!