The Toronto Spring Motorcycle Show is coming back for its 30th anniversary in 2019 on April 6-7 with the favourite displays back, some changes, and a deal on tickets for Christmas. And there’s biker poetry.
First, the ticket deal: the show is offering $3 off the price of tickets if you buy online now, using the promo code 2018E; as well, until December 21, you can also enter to win a Bell Qualifier DLX helmet through Riders Choice. More details here.
As for the biker poetry: for 2019, the show is running what it’s calling a biker poetry contest. No, we hadn’t heard of such an idea before either. There are separate categories for Biker Men, Biker Ladies and Biker Kids, and there’s a selection committee that will choose the top three poems in each category, with those authors invited to recite their poems on-stage at the Spring show on Saturday, April 6. One winner in each category (chosen by a judge panel and/or audience reaction) will also win a cash prize.
According to the show’s site, “Subject matter must relate to motorcycling in some way – Your love of motorcycles and riding them, people, family, the mechanics of it, clubs, rallies, motorcycle travel & adventure, etc. And no, your poem does not have to rhyme.
​Each person may submit up to 3 poems.  As this is a family show, we ask that no obscene words be used. Mild language is permitted for artistic impact but we may ask you to edit anything we deem unsuitable for public recitation …Submit your entries to: poetry@motorcyclespringshow.com
Your poem can be in the body of your email or attached as a document, and don’t forget:
•    Tell us which category you are entering
•    Include a photo of yourself (optional – see terms and conditions)
•    Include your full name in the email or on the document if attaching
•    Tell us you agree to the terms and conditions posted on this site
So, who’s got a limerick for this year? “There once was a man on a Harley …” You can finish the rest. Or maybe they’re looking for cowboy-style poetry, or beatnik spoken-word stuff? Email them at poetry@motorcyclespringshow.com if you have more questions.
2019 is the 30th anniversary of the show, with the first Spring show running April 22, 1990. Of course, it’s grown a lot since then, and show manager Peter Derry says that milestone was made possible due to years of providing displays that were relevant to motorcyclists, partly because the people who organize and run the show are avid riders themselves, and they know what motorcyclists want to see.
Many of the features that helped establish the show’s foothold are returning this year. Classics on the Red Carpet will be back (a display of vintage machines — last year saw 75 bikes brought in from all over Canada and even the US). The Eddys (aka Editor’s Choice Awards), the motorcycle media’s selection of the country’s outstanding motorcyclists, also return.
There’ll be the custom bike show (with cash prizes, of course), the Barn Find show (where you show off the interesting machines you’ve unearthed Indiana Jones-fashion out of a barn/shed/whatever), the used bike market and the picker’s market (a swap meet-style market).
The motorcycle gear fashion show also returns, as well as the Women in Motorcycling display area, which allows female riders to show their bikes and talk about their two-wheeled passion. And, as always, the Race Stars of Tomorrow section will allow up-and-coming racers to talk to the public, sign some autographs, and maybe sign a sponsor or two while they’re at it.
In total, Derry expects around 280 exhibits at this year’s show, including around 500 bikes. Many 2019 models will be on display through dealers; the OEMs don’t have the same presence they have at the MMIC shows, but their bikes will be there nonetheless.
Want more deets? Visit Motorcyclespringshow.com, or check out this photo gallery for a good idea of what to expect April 6-7 at Toronto’s International Centre.
