Photos by Manny Pandya & Progressive IMS Outdoors
The IMS Outdoors tour continues its roll through the country, giving riders the chance to demo a wide range of new motorcycles, including Harley-Davidsons and Indians. More than 14,000 demo rides have already been taken as the tour heads to Texas, Tennesee, Florida, and Georgia, culminating in Southern California on November 19-21.
The reimagined, festival-like Powersports event series heads to Dallas Fort-Worth, Texas, with upward of 14,000 successful demo rides under its belt thus far
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–Progressive IMS Outdoors, the nation’s leading motorcycle tour, has successfully completed three events along the 2021 tour, Northern California, Chicago, and Pennsylvania, with five markets still to come. Throughout the three events, tens of thousands of experienced and new riders participated in IMS’ vast assortment of experiences, including on and off-road demo programs, shopping in The Marketplace and The Range, discovering new brands, expanded Learn To Ride experiences, listening to music from local artists, and reconnecting with fellow enthusiasts.
In December 2020, IMS revealed the Tour’s exciting refresh from an indoor convention setting to outdoor venues that broaden the experience for consumers, enabling attendees to fully immerse themselves with brand-new models and engage with products that complement the motorcycle lifestyle. “Transitioning to an experience-forward event series has been very well-received by both our attendee and exhibitor community, a model everyone is excited to continue,” said Tracy Harris, Senior Vice President of Progressive IMS Outdoors. “This new and improved layout mirrors the Powersports lifestyle by providing a fun environment for enthusiasts to reconnect after so many months apart and demo product of interest, from on and off-road, four-wheels, to the latest e-bikes on the market.”
EXPANDED DEMO OPPORTUNITIES
With each participating OEM running an average of 20-minute demo rides all weekend, the first three weeks of the Tour delivered upward of 14,000 demos. “Progressive IMS Outdoors has been a great opportunity for Kawasaki to showcase our exciting Side by Side lineup to the IMS fan base and the motorcycle industry,” said Kawasaki’s Chris Brull, Vice President of Marketing and Racing. “The Kawasaki demo experience is equal parts educational and exciting, especially for first-time riders. In addition to our complete lineup of motorcycles, including Ninja, Versys, Vulcan, and Z motorcycles, we are thrilled to offer attendees the chance to ride our new Teryx KRX1000 side x side lineup through a unique off-road course and tackle any obstacle with ease.”
“Progressive IMS Outdoors has proved to be a major success for Indian Motorcycle,” said Taylor Young, experiential marketing manager, Indian Motorcycle. “We’ve been thrilled with the exposure to new and existing riders, as well as our family of Indian Motorcycle owners who’ve been coming out to support. We look forward to the remaining markets on the Tour.”
DELIVERING NEW RIDERS
A focal point of this year’s Tour is building a solid base of new riders through more Learn To Ride opportunities which will become the next generation of purchasers. Nearly half of surveyed attendees in Chicago were either prospective riders that plan to start riding in the next 12 months or are new to riding. IMS’ transition to an experiential event series welcomes a handful of entry points into the world of motorcycling through:
- Greater opportunity for eager new and interested riders to hone their ability to ride via Discover The Ride and the MIC’s Ride With Us program delivering hundreds of new riders
- Participation in Harley-Davidson’s Invitation To Ride Program available to consumers in Texas, Nashville, and Central Florida
- An expanded electric footprint with Serial 1 powered by Harley-Davidson and Yamaha Power-Assist electric bicycles available tour-wide, and in select markets, Giant and Momentum e-bike courses for all riders and a course designed specifically for women produced by Liv
- A more inclusive Kids Zone presented by Strider that teaches kids as young as two learning the lifelong skill of riding a bike
“I loved the chance to ride a Zero Motorcycle. My wife learned how to ride a motorcycle at the event; she will be taking the MSF in the near future,” remarked a delighted IMS attendee.
Another IMS attendee shared: “I loved the learn to ride area. The people and experience were amazing! I ride with my husband, but I have never ridden by myself because I didn’t want to spend $300 to take a course and not be sure if I like it or not. This quick course has influenced me to sign up for a motorcycle class. Thank you so much; what a terrific experience!”
Harris continued: “We do not have plans to return to the indoor event series. Our mission is to support the industry’s growth, connect enthusiasts with the brands they love, and provide an experience that is so much more than simply looking at new models—and the summer months allow for this level of engagement. With so many smiling faces in Northern California, Chicago, and Pennsylvania, we could not be more excited to share that Progressive IMS Outdoors is here to stay.”
UPCOMING PROGRESSIVE IMS OUTDOORS EVENTS
Serving primary markets across the U.S., each regional pocket brings unique topographies, weather, and local culture.
Texas
Texas Motor Speedway
October 1-3
Nashville
James E. Ward Agricultural Center
October 8-10
Central Florida
SUN N’ FUN Campus
October 15-17
Atlanta
Georgia International Horse Park
October 29-31
Southern California
OC Fair & Event Center
November 19-21
To join the fun and participate in Progressive IMS Outdoors, secure your single day or weekend-long pass here: www.motorcycleshows.com/schedule.
Connect with IMS (#RidersUnite and #IMSOutdoors):
