Ridin' In Rockefeller
RIDIN' IN ROCKEFELLER
THE ROCKEFELLER CENTER Motorcycle Show, featur ing 40 bikes from the post-war era to today, was un veiled this past April in New York City.
The three-week-long exhibit, which was free and open to the public, opened with a live tele vision segment on NBC's
"Today Show." Leading a group of six police-bike-riding NYPD officers, Dainese-leathers-clad host Matt Lauer gassed a Suzu ki SV650 to the front of the ex hibit, where he interviewed Motorcycle Industry Council President Tim Buche, who was astride a Honda Nighthawk 750.
Intended to sho;case the his tory of motorcycling, as well as its design and technological in novations, the collection inc lud ed a diverse group of machines. Some examples: the Yamaha
MTO1 concept V-Twin (in its U.S. debut), a Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 1947 Indian Chief, Suzuki Hayabusa, Kawasaki 900 Ninja, 1969 "Easy Rider" chopper and Honda's New American Sports concept bike.
Discover Today's Motorcycling (www motorcycles. org) sponsored the event. "DTM is thrilled to have a major presence in the heart of New York City' Buche said. "This fantastic exhibit is the latest example of motorcycling's grow ing popularity, its influence and its impact on American culture.
ing, it was an appropriate time for such a show. Last year was the ninth straight year of rising bike sales, which topped nearly 850,000 units. As of this past February, sales were up 30 per cent compared to the same month one year ago. All told, motorcy
cling is now a $17 billion business. By DTM's latest estimate, there are more than 6.6 million two-wheelers in use in the U.S.
Motorcycles weren't the only internal-combustion devices making an appear ance at Rockefeller Center. In May, it played host to the
Christie's Collector's Car Auc tion and Exhibition. Each day, an estimated 250,000 people walk through the complex. -Matthew Miles
