Motorcycling is about more than jumping on a two-wheeled freedom machine. It’s about the places you go, the people you meet and the camaraderie you share with your fellow riders. But in January of 2016, that shared experience was shattered at the Colorado Motorcycle Expo (CME). Now, two years later, the community seems to be healing, but it is still going to take time for local motorcyclists to recover.
Reopening the Colorado Motorcycle Expo
Since 1978, the Colorado Motorcycle Expo has started the year for motorcyclists all over the state of Colorado. That tradition was interrupted last year when the National Western Complex (NWC) announced that the motorcycle show wouldn’t be happening in 2017. This was due to gang violence that erupted at the 2016 expo.
Members of rival motorcycle gangs came to blows during the 2016 motorcycle show. Guns were fired and at least one person died as a result of the brawl. This kept the NWC from allowing the show to return, but late 2017 we got an announcement that the CME would return January 2018. That show has now come and gone, but how did the MCE fare on its return?
When riders arrived at the National Western Complex, they found many things had changed. First, the motorcycle gangs at the center of the 2016 controversy were banned. Second, new security measures went into effect, and both vendors and convention goers were scanned by metal detectors. These and other factors may have contributed to a lower turn out at this year’s convention. However, many people expressed that the new security measures made them feel more comfortable and safer.
No plans for a 2019 CME have been announced yet, but many people have expressed that they are happy to see the show return. How do you feel about the return of the Colorado Motorcycle Expo? The attorneys who ride are keeping an eye on any new developments, so check back with us to see what’s going on.