Riders gather at the Ducati tent outside the Carolina First Center in Greenville, SC as they wait their turn to take a test ride on the new Ducks. You have to get there early to get your name into the hat for one of these. Every space was taken for every ride during the time that I was there. KTM, Yamaha, and Kawasaki also had a herd of bikes on hand to try out. The Versys was getting some good reviews from the riders that I talked to and the lady in the Kawasaki tent told me that it was a very popular choice at each of their shows.

...and then there were those who chose to do their rides inside! This might have been the most popular bike at the show on Saturday.

Both of these bikes, a 6N and a Versys, were getting a lot of attention. They share a similar engine and frame, but the 6N is about $600 cheaper. It sits lower too, and is a bit more of a naked bike than the Versys. If I could get the touring farkles for it, I think that I'd prefer it over the Versys. It really feels like a barnstormer.

The Suzuki Gladious - funky name, but it looks like it would rock 'n roll with the Versys. It has a great feel and is driven by the bombproof Zook 650 V-twin. It has the popular trellis-style of frame and retails for under $7,000. The seat was a bummer though - maybe it was just because I was wearing jeans, but it was pretty uncomfortable after only a minute or so of sitting on it.

The Two Brothers exhaust exhibit - good looking paint!

There was also a line of folks waiting to have their pic taken with Jason, host of the Speed Network's Superbike show.

I like the flame job on this custom - wonder how it would look on my Versys??? Hmmmm...

Uh, well, of course they had lots of T-shirts for sale. The ones at the Harley concessions are always interesting.

More flames - that's old school!

So that's what they look like on the inside - or maybe the frame sliders didn't work out too well.

Man, this is some serious fabrication!

It's an awful lot of work for a bike that can't be ridden on the street, but it would make a great 'hanging' over my fireplace.

Adventure travel, KTM style.

The bikes are prepped at the KTM trailer in preparation for the next group of test riders. Each test ride was lead by a factory rep and seemed to last about 25 to 30 minutes.

Nice paint on this one! Now that's some serious art work.

A bit different - part Harley, part roadster. It's unique... hope that they don't try any lane-splitting with this one.

Old and new come together in this version of the Victory - not bad. I'm not into riding the choppers or cruisers, but I have to admit that they're some of the coolest looking rides on the road. To each their own...

Street fighter, old school style. It looks like it would make one heck of a cafe racer.

More flames. I like this design.

Here ya go - a 1967 BSA 650 twin, beautifully preserved. This was one of the hottest production bikes in the world at the time. To each their own, but IMHO, there has never been a sweeter sounding bike than the old British twin. It didn't rumble, it snarled. See the kick starter jutting out the back of the crankcase? That sucker got a lot of use and was responsible for a lot of bruised shins and highly abused patience. The one thing that this bike is lacking to make it a true restoration is a big puddle of oil beneath the engine. Brit bikes were notorious for leaking oil and the problem was nearly impossible to eliminate. That didn't deter me though - a 68 Lightning was my 4th bike. It had been chopped, with an extended front end, custom paint (including flames), and z-bars. The brakes sucked and it was nearly impossible to keep the carbs in sync, but damn! It sounded great! Nearly 500 lbs, with only 45 or so horsepower, it wouldn't hold a candle to a modern bike's performance, but it was still the source of an awful lot of great memories.

There were a lot of classics on display at the show. I think that this is an old Arial, with a Norton just beyond.

OK, here is my favorite sighting of the day. No shiny chrome, no exotic paint, and no long lines waiting to see what it's like to sit on it, but this road warrior has character in spades. No ADV sticker on this one though.

And that pretty well wraps it up. Good show, a big crowd, good food, terrific bikes, and lots of vendors with loads of farkles to help you wear out the plastic. I spotted some great deals on gear while there, but managed to get out with only a nice pair of gauntlets added to my bill. I came close though, to going back in to pick up a Gerbings heated suit.

Maybe next year...