The 2010 Carlisle Bike Fest will be held July 23 - 25 at the Carlisle Pennsylvania Fairgrounds and will host more top names in the motorcycle industry than ever before. Kawasaki, Yamaha and Victory will be offering on-site demos of their latest models, and local dealers will also be in attendance with thousands of inventory and consignments. On top of the new models and apparel, Bike Fest will host companies offering installations, service work and product giveaways. The photos are from the 2009 Carlisle Bike Fest.
CycleTrader.com had an special Q&A with Carlisle Bike Fest’s Chris Hann, Director of Creative Services & Technology, and Ed Scholly, Associate Director of Business and Event Development:
CT: How did this show get started?
Ed Scholly: Carlisle Bike Fest started in 2002 as part of the Summer Carlisle event held annually in July. We had and still have a number of riders on staff here at Carlisle. We invited regional Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati, Honda, BMW, Suzuki and regional Custom V-Twin builders to Carlisle to explore their interest in starting a motorcycle event. They all jumped in and have been a part since.
In its first year, the event was a success with over 38,000 attendees. Motorcycles quickly overran the car side of this event and established it as one of the region's premier motorcycle destinations.
CT: Are any motorcycle manufacturers planning to have exhibits or bike test rides?
Ed Scholly: The beginning to end action starts with industry participation. Despite uncertain economic times, Bike Fest will host more top names in the motorcycle industry than ever before. Kawasaki, Yamaha and Victory will be offering on-site demos of their latest models. Appalachian Harley-Davidson will also be at Bike Fest with over 15,000 square feet of Harley-Davidson goods and motorcycle consignments. On top of the new models and apparel, Bike Fest will host companies offering installations, service work and product giveaways.
The Manufacturers Midway, the focal point of the Carlisle Bike Fest vending area, will once again host the “Largest Motorcycle Road Show on the Planet”, the Küryakyn traveling rig. Küryakyn is an innovator in the world of motorcycle customization and a regular at the largest motorcycle rallies in the U.S.
Bike Fest will be the home of three judged bike shows. Saturday’s “Ride-In” Bike Show will host over 25 classes for owners of V-Twin, Metric and Sport Bikes. Bike Fest will also bring back two judged shows that were introduced in past years with a sub-group of the motorcycle mainstream in mind. Carlisle Fighter Fest presented by Karns Performance is one of the first Street fighter events in the USA. A Street fighter is a customized sport bike that follows the design trends and functions of European riders with aggressive riding options: wide handle bars, short tails and stripped or mean looking fairings.
The Carlisle Rat Rod Revival like Fighter Fest was also introduced in 2008 with a sub-group of the motorcycle mainstream in mind. Rat bikes and rat rods are machines that are built using just about anything the builder can find. By pushing the engineering and design limits, the builders of these awesome machines come up with an innately hard look that comes with building with scraps. Both rat bikes and rat rods are invited to take part in the Carlisle Rat Rod Revival, taking place on Sunday of Bike Fest.
In addition to the industry participation, test rides and judged competitions – Carlisle Bike Fest hosts two motorcycle giveaways along with an overwhelming amount of special guests, live music, stunt shows, charity rides and family activities taking place throughout the weekend.
CT: What percentage of your attendees comes from out of state?
Ed Scholly: Our strongest pull is within a day’s ride to Carlisle, PA and back. Motorcycles park free, and riders are charged an admission of $8 for the day with the ability to ride and see the beautiful scenery around the Carlisle, PA Fairgrounds.
The ride to the Carlisle Bike Fest in Carlisle, Pennsylvania just south of the state’s capital in Harrisburg is ALMOST half the fun of the weekend. No matter which direction you come from, there is a tour ride that will be loaded with plenty to see in the way of scenic mountains, farms, orchards and battlefields.
Carlisle is located less than two hours away from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC and under four hours from New York and Pittsburgh. Coming up from the Washington DC area you ride through the apple orchards and battlefields of Adams County. From Philadelphia, it is the Amish Country of Lancaster County that separates you and your bike from Carlisle. Coming from the north or east you will have to climb and zigzag through the Appalachians or Poconos.
The reason we say that the ride is ALMOST half the fun of the weekend is because the weekend itself and Carlisle Bike Fest is filled with so much activity that no matter how great the ride is, it is the destination in this case that you look forward to the most.
When you ride into Carlisle, you will be astonished by the number and variety of bikes (V-twins, choppers, sport bikes and metric bikes), the hundreds of vendors, the bands on stage all weekend, the stunt shows spread throughout the 102-acre fairgrounds facility and everything a major motorcycle event could possibly offer in one place. It’s like the slogan from this year’s show says, “Bikes, Bands, Shows and Giveaways;” what else could you ask for? The best part about the combination is that the bikes remain the number one priority and focus; in Carlisle everything else is just an added bonus.
CT: As a rider, what are you most excited about seeing?
Source: Carlisle Bike Fest
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