Hotel Del & La Jolla

I got off work a little early and headed down to Coronado. As I rolled along the main drag (Orange Street), I had several looks, nods, and waves from those out and about. I pulled into the Hotel Del Coronado. The Del was built in 1888 and dubbed a National Historic Landmark in 1977. There were many movies shot at the Del including "Some Like it Hot" with Marilyn Monroe. After taking some photos, I spoke with some folks walking by. Many of them were employees of the Del. The consensus of this group was, wow that's cool and I've never seen anything like it.

Then I headed over to Balboa Park and cruised around the museums. I wanted to get a photo in front of the arboretum building but it was closed to traffic. After a few conversations in the park I headed up the coast to La Jolla and the Birch Aquarium. I met some people there, passed out literature, and got some photos.

Lastly I pulled into La Jolla's Glider Port. I thought I'd get a nice photo overlooking the ocean. When I got to the back of the lot, I ran into another Spyder. The owner was just returning from the beach. He and I had "Spyder talk" for a while. He was a very happy owner. We actually ended up co-promoting as beach traffic walked by. We received many comments such as, "Love your bikes!".

It was a good day; covered a lot of ground and took some cool photos.

45th Annual Cabrillo Festival (Video)

Parking Karma was amazing today! As soon as we arrived at this event we managed to get a front row parking spot. A few minutes later an older gentleman headed straight for the Spyder apparently he had fallen off of a park bench and wanted to be checked out by paramedics. The ambulance and the fire truck drew the attention of everyone to the "Can-Am Spyder Roadster". it was an interesting stroke of events which drew
dozens of people who stopped to learn more about this awesome vehicle. This family event really generated quite a few interested people from within our target demographic.

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MotorExpo & Coronado Speed Festival

I started off the morning by hitting the MotorExpo being held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. We had one yellow Spyder on display and a red one in the House of Motorcycles booth. I stocked up the yellow one with brochures and took some photos. I talked with some people who were walking by and answered their questions. It was a very cool event. They had every kind of bike you could think of from the vintage 1930's motorcycle with side car (from a Indiana Jones movie), to off road dirt bike, to a Can-Am Spyder Roadster. Hundreds of folks came through this expo between SAT & SUN and hundreds of Spyder brochures were taken. In addition to the time I was there, we had representation from both Fun Bikes Center and House of Motorcycles who were available to answer questions on the Spyder.
My next stop was the Coronado Speed Festival. It was held on the island's north shore military base. As I rode on base, I passed fighter jets. What struck me as interesting was how the military guards some of whom fly these jets were pointing at and taken a back by the Spyder. Here I am with my jaw dropped checking out the F15 fighter jets and they're doing the same thing with the Can-Am Spyder. One guy yelled out, "I have a word for that - WOW!".

I gave Kelly of Taylor PR a ride there because she had to take a red Spyder being displayed at Maynerd's Garage to another location. The red one was under a canopy and was getting some attention. However, when I parked the silver one outside the tent, groups of people seemed to descend upon it. We stayed and talked with dozens of interested folks and gave out bunches of info cards. It was nonstop. In fact when we tried to leave we were stopped by another group who wanted to sit on the Spyder. It took us about an extra half hour to leave; which was fine, just humerus!

When I was heading home I thought about the types of people I met today. It was interesting that the Spyder appeals to both an "everyday" individual who is looking for something new & cool to commute back and forth to work on to an "experienced" motorcycle rider looking for something different. The Spyder is highly unique in its ability to bridge the gap between everyday & extreme while satisfying both ends and everything in between.

Coronado Speed Festival (Video)

As we rolled onto naval Air Station North Island the Can-Am Spyder was turning heads the whole way. I even got a "thumbs up" from a one of the MPs directing traffic on the way in.

Since motorcycle parking was right in front of the entrance, I went ahead and made a little extra room by moving the cone just a bit and parked as close to the gate as possible. I had managed to find a spot where anyone who was leaving the event was forced to at least pass by the Can-Am Spyder.

It seemed impossible for just about anyone at this event not to stare or even stop to get a closer look at this unique roadster. Everyone had questions. The variety of people who stopped to ask questions ranged from couples who wanted to have their photos taken on the vehicle to experienced riders, heck I even had a lady who wanted to take her son to school on the Spyder. All of these people showed a genuine interest in this cooler than cool ryde!

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I must have spoken with fifty to one-hundred people directly and received looks of curiosity from hundreds. People were more than happy to take booklets, catalogs, fliers, and listings of the local dealers so that they could get a chance to win a road trip with a Chargers legend. We managed to spend a couple of hours out there until the lack of facilities in the parking lot forced us to leave. Needless to say, it was a great day of exposure for the Can-Am Spyder and I'm looking forward to the next guerrilla marketing event.

La Jolla, Adams Street, and Encinitas

I took the Spyder down to La Jolla shores. Upon arriving, two guys rolled up on their bicycles. They were cool and chatted with me for a while about the roadster. They were both prior motorcyle riders who gave it up after getting married and settling down. Both said they could see themselves on a Can-Am Spyder; their wives too. I took a photo of them.

A few others stopped by to chat. I gave everyone an info card and told them to check out the website.

Then I headed down to the Adams Street Festival. I couldn't believe how many people were there - thousands! The way they blocked off the street limited the amount of exposure I could get. I was able to park adjacent to the main entry but most people were still too far to connect with. I talked with a few and many more saw me but I decided to try another venue.

My next stop was North County Encinitas. I stopped outside a Starbucks on the 101. Three motorcycles parked right behind me. I talked with them about the Spyder. They seemed impressed. After I chatted with some folks, I sat in the background with my java in hand. I took some photos of those who walked by and checked out the Spyder.

It was a productive day!

SD Film Festival - Friday

Tonight I headed down to the Gaslamp district and found an excellent parking spot across the street from the "Pacific Gaslamp Theatre" where the screenings were being held. I managed to speak with a few dozen people who where anxious to learn more about the Can-Am Spyder.
Afterwards I headed to "The W" hotel for the Industry Party sponsored by the San Diego Film Festival. I parked in the passenger loading section in front of the club and spoke with passers by while hanging with the Bouncers at the door. They really liked the roadster and there were a few groups coming in and out who were happy to listen, take flyers, and also a few booklets. I made sure to let them know how much fun Spyder ownership was.

Friday Night Lights - Downtown

It was a sultry evening as I spun webs on the Spyder downtown. I felt like a celebrity again. As I glided down the streets of the Gas Lamp District, random people yelled out to me. They said things like, "That bike is bad a**, What a sweet ride, You rock!". I just waved and gave a thumbs up. What a feeling! City lights, the Spyder, the people, the energy...

The Padres were playing. After driving around a bit, I parked near the stadium and chatted with folks passing by. I talked up the website and handed out info cards.

I'm guessing hundreds saw the Can-Am Spyder and I spoke with several.

SD Film Festival - Thursday

I hit downtown on Thursday night and spent time between the Ivy Hotel and the Gas Lamp District. The Ivy was hosting a Film Festival after party. I hung out in front of the hotel and could hear the party going on inside but didn't find much foot traffic. There was 4 or 5 people at any given time going in or out. I ran into a lot more action over off 5th near the Historic Gas Lamp District sign.

I received a lot of thumbs up from those walking by and spoke with a few about the Spyder. The consistent feedback was, "That thing looks so cool. It's sick!". And when I pop the trunk, their mouths drop. Everyone loves the hidden trunk space. "You could fill that with ice and refreshments and hit the beach", they say. The other comment I got was, "I wouldn't feel safe on a motorcylce, but I would on that".

I passed a hundred people downtown and spoke with a dozen.

Cahon Classic Cruise - Closing Night

Tonight I headed over to El Cajon for the "Cajon Classic Cruise" where I managed to get a parking spot right along side the classic cars in the show. Directly across the street was the live band which drew quite a bit of foot traffic. As soon as I pulled up, half a dozen people swarmed the Can-Am Spyder. They had all of the classic questions and I met some really nice people who were excited recive more infomration on this classic roadster.

I parked near the awards ceremony at the end of the night. When it was all over I drove all the way down the strip which was barricaded off. The restaurants still had plenty of people on the patio and a gave a honk on the horn and a few revs of the enginge as I passed them. There was some jaws dropping ronight...

Mount Soledad & PB

I took the scenic route down the 101 and into La Jolla turning many heads along the way. Once there I decided to summit Mount Soledad to get some photos of the Spyder. It was a fun ride to the top - steep, curvy.

I parked the Spyder and took a few photos overlooking a NE view. It was a little hazy but still breath taking.

I was approached by a few guys who wanted to know more about it. I stayed and talked with them and answered their questions.

Then I headed down the other side of Soledad and into Pacific Beach where I cruised around. I ended up parking off Grand by the beach and made some friends right away. These guys did a 20-point inspection. They sat on it, looked underneath it, checked out the trunk space and where the gas tank is... They wanted one and quickly became my advocates. As others walked by they would call them over and started selling the Spyder.

Once guy on a beach cruiser had the best line of the day. He said, "that thing looks like something right out of a comic book."

The Spyder received a lot of attention today. We were seen by a hundred and had direct contact with 20.

Chargers Jets Promo (Video)

I decided that tailgating on my Can-Am Spyder was a lot more fun than working in the cubicle that day job of mine keeps me in. So I submitted for a few hours of vacation time and headed down to the Charger-Jets game early to share the SpyderRyder wisdom with San Diego football fans. When I arrived at the Can-Am Spyder tent there were plenty of people checking it out. I even took a moment to get my own SpyderRyder shot on the red unit. It was so cool...

From there I headed on down through the aisles of the parking lot which was jam packed with tailgate partys. I couldn't go more than fifty feet without someone stopping me and asking about this awesome roadster. I thought it would be fun to get the opinions of consumers while I was out there and I managed to get plenty of good input with my Flip camera and I have cut it down to mainly the interviews. I hope you enjoy hearing what people are saying.

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I spoke with almost two hundred people in the two or three hours I was out there and managed to go through all of the booklets and fliers I had brought.

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I'd say 99.99% of the feedback was positive, but as the afternoon got later and people got more alcohol in them, the aggression kicked in. There were one or two individuals that were extremely aggressive and antagonistic. Luckily, there were so many questions coming in from other interested individuals I was able to ignore these people and continue on with my marketing.

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Overall it was a great day...
I even stayed a late and helped to load up the "Marshall Faulk" Can-Am Spyder, it was awesome...

Here's a link to my photos for the day: http://picasaweb.google.com/TRIBUCK
I will be uploading them to SpyderRyder.com soon...

Oktoberfest - Encinitas

It was a beautiful day in North County Encinitas. We had our annual Oktoberfest off El Camino and Mountain Vista. They block off a few streets and hoards of people descend to partake in food, drink, and shopping. The beer tent always seems to be a highlight. They offer local beers and some German food such as bratwurst and sauerkraut.

I drove the Spyder down there and parked it as close as I could to the festivities. I placed some brochures in the windshield. They were gone by mid afternoon. I added some more.

Hundreds upon hundreds of people attended this event. I'm guessing a thousand people saw the Spyder and scores picked up literature.

Street Scene - Saturday

The crowd seemed to show some interest in the Spyder, I think the majority of the concert attendees were a little younger that the demographic we are targeting. That did not stop me from interacting with about 30 people and handing out flyers and books to whomever would take them. However, there was one group who was really interested in the roadster and they were the San Diego Police. They hand a ton of questions and then told me something very alarming.
One officer told me that the Can-Am Spyder Requires an M1 drivers license and CHP is citing Spyder Ryders for not having the appropriate license. He also stated that the California Highway Patrol is contacting BRP and local dealers asking them not to tell people the vehicle does not require the M1 license. His words were "If it has less than 4 wheels, it requires an M1 license." Any insight on that would be helpful to us. Thanks...

San Diego BayFair - Saturday

The Spyder has been a blast! It's great to ride and it gets me out to things that I would never normally experience.

I headed down to Mission Bay where they were having high speed motorboat race. I found a perfect place to park the Spyder; right off Ingram. I sat on the roadster and watched some of the races. There was non stop traffic passing in front of me - foot, bike, car, motorcycle, bus.

A few guys came up to me and asked me questions about the Spyder. I got a photo of one of them sitting on it. These guys love anything with a motor and expressed great interest in the style factor of the Spyder.

I'm guessing a couple hundred people saw the Spyder, I spoke with a dozen or so and handed out a bunch of literature.

Bike night at Quincy's (Video)

Based on the advice of a woman I met at Mira Mesa Bike Night, I headed over to Quincy's Motor Sports in Lemon Grove for their bi-weekly bike night. They do not carry BRP products, however there were a few sales people who were quite familiar with the Spyder. One salesman, Joesph, asked me to say "Hi!" to Lou for him.
There were 40 to 50 people in attendance most of which were military. I got a lot of positive feedback and a few questions. One big question for this group was "Does Can-Am offer military incentives?"

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It's something to think about...

Street Scene - Friday

It was my first experience with downtown San Diego's Street Scene. They block off several blocks in East Village, near Petco Park. There's live music, food, and drink.

I didn't have tickets into the event but parked my Cam-Am Spyder on "J"; just down from the main entrance.

After walking up to check out the event, I sat on the Spyder and spoke with curious folks on their way up to Street Scene. I had a good conversation from a guy who turns out to be a major motorcycle guy. His dream is to one day have his own used motorcycle dealership. He was impressed with the size of the engine. He said you wouldn't want to start with an engine that size when getting into motorcycles. I never really thought about it but it's true. The advantage that the Spyder gives you is it takes away the learning curve. I was able to spend 10 minutes riding around a parking lot before hitting the freeway at 65 miles per hour. You get a sense of safety without sacrificing the performance and fun.

After chatting with some groups of people and being seen by hundreds, I cruised up and down the Gas Lamp streets. It was a happening Friday evening!

San DIego BayFair - Friday

On my way home from work on Friday I headed over to the "Thunderboat Regatta" in Mission Bay. For the most part, everyone one was setting up. There were a few spectators who seemed to find the Can-Am Spyder eye-catching. It looks like Steve will see a great crowd tomorrow.

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Mira Mesa Bike Night (Video)

When I attempted to locate the SoCal Ryders bike night last week, I was unsuccessful and so I met up with Steve over at the Mira Mesa bike night. It was a good scene, but I felt like we needed more exposure with these people. I decided to head back over there.

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It seemed that the yellow Can-Am Spyder generated plenty of attention from the group of what seemed to be almost purist in nature. I spoke directly with 20 to 30 people about the benefits of becoming a Spyder Ryder, the Chargers contest, and also answered any questions they may have had. It was a great evening. I even managed to get a lead on another event for tomorrow night.

TCSD Mens Night

The Triathlon Club of San Diego has roughly 1400 members in the Southern California regon. They always manage to have thier fair share of social events.

Tonight the club had a Mens Night where 30 to 40 members and sponsors had a fun and informative evening with our friend Bob Babbitt as the MC. He took a moment to introduce the Can-Am Spyder and then gave me the stage to invite the attendees out to learn more about the roadster. The Parking Karma was excellent, with no prior planning, I managed to land the very 1st parking spot next to the front door of Hi-Tech Bikes. Throughout the evening about 20 members came out and spoke with me about the Spyder directly. I quite a few of them were interested in a test drive. I also met a passerby named Brutis. He rolled up on his Harley and was very interested. He had some information regarding other biker clubs in the area. He gave me his email and phone number so that I could attend some of thier events.

Not only was it a good evening for marketing, there was some good networking as well.

TH - North County Coastal

Today was a good day to hit the coast (North County). I spent some time between Encinitas and Del Mar beaches. First I hit Moonlight, then Fletcher's Cove, and lastly Seagrove Port. I spoke with many along the way. One guy pulled up to me at a red light and asked if he could take a photo. "Sure", I said. He took one using his cell phone. I met a guy at Swami's who wanted to know more about the Spyder. He was impressed. My Spyder was seen by 50-100 people. I spoke with a dozen and handed out a bunch of literature.

WED - SD Bike Night

I took the Spyder down to 9th Street; just up a couple of blocks from Petco Park. There's a super cool place called Cafe Noir. It has tons of history - built back in the late 1800's. They serve everything from java, to soup, to cold beer. I spent some time talking with a group in front of the cafe. They had many questions about the Spyder. After cruising around the Gas Lamp District I headed over to Harbor Island where I took some photos. Then I met up with my wife and in-laws for a late dinner.