BIKEASIA, Singapore's first major two-wheeler exhibition, will finally kick off on Thursday after a year of anticipation.
The event, which runs until Sunday, April 13, is pitched as much more than a trade exhibition for motorcycles, bicycles and accessories - it is intended to showcase motorsports. So there will be Motolive stunt shows every day at a specially prepared 60,000 square metre outdoor area at the Singapore Expo.
To make sure human-powered two-wheelers aren't pushed out by their petrol-powered cousins, there will also be a full range of bicycle equipment on display at the show. And endurance cyclist Tinker Juarez will lead a 100km off-road race that will cover a new section of the Tampines mountain bike park.
For motorcycle fans, renowned bike-maker Piaggio has finalised the list of its brands on display at the BikeAsia indoor exhibition area. Five models from its iconic Vespa scooter range will be on the exhibition floor - the S125, GTV125, LXV125, LX150 and GTS250.
The Vespas will be joined by Gilera scooter models Runner VXR200, Nexus 250, Fuoco 500 and GP800. Only the range-topping Gilera GP800 and the entry-level Runner will be on sale in Singapore after the show though.
Moto Guzzi, which is also in the Piaggio family, will show off its latest and greatest. The Breva, Norge, California Vintage and Griso are already on the market, but will still be eye candy for show-goers.
The highlight for Moto Guzzi will be two new models, the Selvio and Bellagio, which will go on sale after the event. The machine price for both models, including GST, will be $29,900 and $26,500, putting the two aggressive-looking bikes above comparable Japanese models but well below the cream of the Italian crop.
BikeAsia 2008 is supported by EICMA, the organiser of the Milan International Exhibition of Bicycles and Motorcycles, the world's largest show of its kind.
Tickets can be bought from www.bikeasia.org, which also has detailed programmes and showtimes.
This article was first published in The Business Times on Apr 5, 2008.
