SINGAPORE'S first large-scale bike exhibition, BikeAsia 2008, wrapped up last Sunday, but the event's return next year is already being planned. One might assume that this is a signal of clear success - but the reality is in fact a mixed bag.

With 15,000 members of the public visiting the show last Saturday and Sunday, Robert Fabbri, managing director of BikeAsia Pte Ltd, says he's happy with the response. 'We also had over 1,500 trade visitors, and 80 international journalists,' he adds.

But the show at the Singapore Expo was less than packed at times. There were even reports of empty booth space, pointing to the glaring absence of Singapore dealers for Japanese motorcycles, which account for the bulk of the market here.

'I personally approached them, and invited them to participate, but for some reason they decided not to,' says Mr Fabbri. 'Maybe they were being prudent and wanted to see how things turned out in our first show.'

This was at least partly true in the case of the exclusive dealer for Yamaha motorcycles, Hong Leong Corp, which also didn't seem to realise that BikeAsia was as much a consumer show as a trade platform.

'At first we thought it was just for industrial manufacturers and trade people,' says Hong Leong Corp general manager Hoe Boon Meng, adding that when the company found out BikeAsia's scope was much broader, it was too late to participate.

But does that mean Hong Leong would consider participating in BikeAsia 2009, which Mr Fabbri says is tentatively scheduled for between Feb 26 and March 1 next year?

Apparently not.

'That's too close to the Singapore Motorshow in September, and participating in such shows can be quite costly,' says Mr Hoe. 'If the show came once every two years, that might still be okay, but coming too often is really no point.'

Honda motorcycle dealer Boon Siew Singapore is not eager to take part next year either, for much the same reason. And its absence this year had nothing to do with miscommunication - it simply wasn't interested in BikeAsia.

'The motorcycle market in Singapore is not that large and we have already budgeted for the Singapore Motorshow, so it doesn't make sense for us to participate,' says a spokesman.

This means the only Japanese bikes at the show were customised models brought in by after-market dealers and workshops to showcase their wares and tuning expertise, such as an extensively tweaked fuel-injected Honda CB400 Super Four at Race Werks Motor Sports' booth.

But the resulting Italian bias of BikeAsia wasn't all bad from the perspective of riders and admirers. Ducati dealer Minerva Motor showed off two models never seen here before - the stylish Monster 696+ naked bike and the tricked-out 1098R sports bike.

Both are now available at machine prices of $21,267 and $80,363 respectively. The price of the 696+ is still competitive when compared with similar Japanese motorcycles. The 1090R, however, is for hardcore enthusiasts only, and is therefore priced higher than some cars.

Next year's BikeAsia promises to outdo this year's debut show.

'We should have more exhibitors, since this was our first time in Singapore and some people were sceptical at first,' says Mr Fabbri. 'Now they see it's not just about the motorcycles and bicycles but it's about sports and events, so we should have more people. The elements of the show will be stronger, and we'll look at bringing in more stunts, and more fun.'