Motorcycle show roars into expanded space

Admit it. There’s something inherently awesome about motorcycles.

That throaty rev. Those vibrations.

And, holy Harley, that speed.

The second annual Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show and Sale at the Spokane Convention and Ag Trade Centers this weekend may not put those pounds of pulsating steel between your crotch and the ground, but it’ll get those daydream receptors pumping the “Easy Rider” soundtrack through your synapses.

The show boasts a plethora – yes, El Guapo, a plethora – of bikes.

Actually, that’s like saying a liquor store carries a bunch of booze. As show organizer Steve Cody put it, the show features “choppers, touring bikes, street bikes, customs – we have four different bike builders – dirt bikes, cruisers, and we also have some ATVs. Oh, I forgot some. We also have three-wheelers and motorcycles with side cars.”

The revelers will be just as varied. Cody said last year’s event attracted people of every creed, class and age group. In other words, this isn’t just your burly uncle’s motorcycle show – your grandma will be into it, too.

“We have bikes anywhere from $2,000 to $60,000, and we have people anywhere from 5 years old to 70 years old here,” he said.

Aside from the bikes, nearly 50 companies from the West will set up booths to peddle and promote their wares. Leather shops, sunglass sellers, custom boot and seat makers and more will be big attractions for the walk-in crowd, Cody said. “We’ve even got one chiropractor (scheduled to attend), because he figures that motorcyclists may need a chiropractor after a big, long day,” he said.

Local radio station 105.7 KZBD-FM The Buzzard also put together a show and shine event, for people to vote on their favorites of 30 pre-selected bikes from locals’ collections.

Another big draw is the daredevil Ives family, which will perform Knievel-esque indoor aerial stunts in the Ag Trade Center, as well as ride in the “Globe of Death,” a 16-foot steel stunt globe in which riders come inches away from colliding.

The motorcycle show’s turnout of 9,000 people over two days last year inspired Cody to double the space, add ticket lines and lengthen this year’s show to three days – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan on getting there early. After all, it might take you a while to absorb all that hot bike action.