July 2003 I got a call from journalist Andy Willsheer asking me to show my bike at the Essen Motorshow (D). As this is a famous show, I agreed. Besides: they offered me an impressive payment of expenses :-)
After sending me two contracts (one for the Essen Motorshow and one for CMT 2004 in Stuttgart, next January), I was sent a CD-Rom. On it CD was my bike, classed under 'Unique motorcycles'.
Click the picture for an enlarged view of this screendump.
November 23th I brougth the bike to Essen, just after 'Stage III' was finished. I was not the first one delivering a 'Unique motorcycle' ...
... this wooden trike already joined the club.
Jan and me visited the fancy opening ceremony on the 28th of November. It was a parade of celebrities, like former F1-driver Jacky Ickx.
Last year 416,000 enthousiast visited the Essen Motorshow. This year the organisation expected even more.
My bike was presented under a nice spotlight in Hall 1A, called the 'Show Center'. The CBX was surrounded by very extreme and extravagant 'Unique motorcycles'. I wondered: was it a 'Show Center' or more a 'Freakshow Center'?
Like always there was a constant stream of filming and photographing.
Talking about freaks: look at Simon Whitlock's 48 (!) cylinder called 'Tinker Toy'.
There were some familiar 'faces' as well: I met Malcolm Green and his 'Reliant Rodent' at the Bulldog Bash in 2002.
Like every year all the winners of Daytona Beach Bike Week 2003 were present. Extreme Harleys of course, and extreme expensive as well.
Like this bike called 'Triangular'. An angular approach, like my bike, but slightly different ;-)
Another angular design proving New Edge-design is still 'hot': the gilded roadster 'Xeno  III'. It is powered by a 500 HP V8 speedboat engine with compressor.
Very nice: the futuristic 'Sbarro Tricycle', powered by a Yamaha R1 engine.
I wondered why this BMW R1100 was presented next to the tricycle. Just a walnut paintjob alone doesn't make a bike a designstudy, does it?
My kinda car: the Peugeot 4002. A perfect mixture of classic and futuristic features, a sheer beauty and the nicest object of the Essen Motorshow.
Fascinating to see that this car offers you so little grip on its front or rear side; only mirrors and lamps give you a clue. Both sides have their own style and still it's a unity.
Not bad either: BAT, a dragster based on a 1939 Chevy, with no less than 2500 Horsepower! No need to mention it's powered by an 8.6 liter Chevy V8.
Far out: 'Pura Vida', a lowrider from the USA. Keywords: pink, metallic, gold, weird.
No, this pictures is not flattened. This is ... a Volvo, just 92 cm in height.
Schumi's toy was present as well thanks to the special exhibition '55 Years Ferrari in Formula 1'.
In a big contrast to the fancy show center was the overcrowded market selling e-ve-ry-thing from bolts to Lamborgini's.
Just fill up your Nissan Micra up with audio explosives.
Essen Motorshow 2003: impressive and exhausting. Take a look at Jan and see what a one day's visit can cause.