You are here

Eicma 2021: Taking stock of a rather different edition

Eicma reopens its doors after it was forced to close them for the pandemic, with many absentees, but the excitement was still alive.

Moto - News: Eicma 2021: Taking stock of a rather different edition

Share


The 78th edition of the Milan Motor Show, Eicma, is at its halfway point. Today Valentino Rossi did One More Lap  with a tidal wave of yellow that flooded the Fiera di Rho venue starting early in the morning. Then, three more days to welcome EIcma fans, who have been on  fast for the past two years. But how is this edition of the event going so far?

Who’s missing

The absentees at this year’s edition couldn’t go unnoticed: Bmw, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, but also KTM. Many brands and companies from overseas that, albeit with different roles, made Eicma the world capital of motorcycling for a week. Let’s be clear: the pavilions are certainly not empty, the bikes are still the stars, and the party is surely not over. But we might have to start to deal with the fact that, in the digital domain era, having a product previewed live is no longer the prerogative of every brand in the sector.

China’s advancing

If the absentees didn’t go unnoticed, neither did some of the participants: Asian brands, especially from China, definitely made their voices heard at Eicma. If the capital of the world superpowers increased previously through the purchase of historical brands from Italy and Europe, today, instead, it’s China that’s fully in the game, knowing it can present a competitive product that's constantly increasing in quality. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, come take a look at the CFMoto SR-C21. It’s the proof in the pudding.

Longing for normalcy

In extraordinary times, there’s sometimes a need for normal measures. And the desire for normalcy that motorcycle enthusiasts expressed was rewarded by the organization and the exhibitors, including the beautiful Eicma girls, and many visitors got the chance to take selfies with their favorites. The same can be said for the motorcycles that, thanks to a constant sanitization process performed by the staff, visitors were able to ride and “test”  and decide if they lit a spark. Of course, green passes and mandatory masks remind us of the times we’re experiencing, but it’s all for our own, and everyone else's, good and, hopefully, the next edition of Eicma will be witness to more participants and no extraordinary measures.

 

Translated by Leila Myftija
__

Related articles