Melbourne Showgrounds is one of our favourite venues for motorcycle shows, offering a great mixture of the indoor halls, as well as a perfect stadium atmosphere for outdoor entertainment. For this month’s Q&A, we bring you our thoughts on the 2016 edition of Moto Expo that we attended last weekend.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Q: What are some of the main attractions at Moto Expo?

A: Of course, the manufacturer displays are the primary attraction at the motorcycle shows, however the entertainment on top of that include the likes of Showtime FMX, Lukey Luke, Dave McKenna and Epic Darren, along with the ALL4FMX Bag Jump team. The Baylisstic Scramble presented by Motul, Pirelli, Ixon, UniFilter and Shannon’s Insurance was also a hit in the main arena, swept by the Waters brothers, plus there were also supermoto demos, strong-man competitions and more. There’s also the opportunity to sample select bikes, even for the kids at the Yamaha bLU cRU area.

Q: Are all the latest bikes on display?

A: Triumph, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Honda, Piaggio, BMW, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati, Indian, Can-Am, Victory, Harley-Davidson, Royal Enfield, Benelli and SWM all had plans to release new model motorcycles just weeks after their global launches. They were officially introduced on the Friday morning ahead of media and the first fans in attendance, becoming a centrepiece of the event.

Q: How about a mixture of the current models on the market?

A: On top of the manufacturers listed above, Sherco, CF-Moto, Ural and Kymco were on-hand showing off a selection of their favourite, already-proven machinery. For onlookers, the opportunity to see such a variety in one place and also sit on them at a number of displays, it’s pretty unique for the industry. And also, don’t discount the chance to chat with experts about their products direct from the brands.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

Q: Which sportsbikes headlined last weekend’s event?

A: It had to be the latest YZF-R6 that was unveiled, well ahead of its arrival in dealerships next year. We were eager to see the ‘mini R1’ in the flesh and it’s a truly impressive bit of gear. Aside from that, the R1, R3, fleet of Ducati Panigales, Kawasaki Ninjas, MV Agustas (including the incredible RC editions), BMW S 1000 RR, Aprilia’s RSV4, Triumph 675 and more all provided plenty to look at for us sports fans – not to mention the odd race bike. Unfortunately the new Suzuki and Honda superbikes weren’t able to make it in time.

Q: Where to next for the motorcycle shows?

A: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber announced during the official opening of Moto Expo Melbourne that the 2017 Sydney Motorcycle Show will head to the brand new International Convention Centre (ICC) Darling Harbour on Friday, 24-26 November 2017. We can’t wait!