February 02, 2025
Friedrichshafen – Amid clouds of tire smoke and faces lit up with excitement, Motorradwelt Bodensee crossed the finish line on Sunday after three adrenaline-charged days. A total of 41,480 visitors (2024: 39,200) gathered at the Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds from January 31 to February 2 to experience a wide range of activities and presentations, along with the latest trends and offers in motorcycles, scooters, quads, and trikes. “More exhibitors, more visitors, more action, more Motorradwelt Bodensee – and an atmosphere that was simply unbeatable,” says Managing Director of Messe Friedrichshafen Klaus Wellmann, expressing his delight at the successful start of trade fair year 2025. Project Manager Petra Rathgeber also drew a positive conclusion: “The increase in new motorcycle registrations last year, along with the growth in the number of participants we were able to record this year, indicates that motorcycling is still very much in vogue.”
The mood on social media is similarly upbeat. Trade fair visitor Carsten Meyer shared the following on Instagram: “We really liked it. People were finally able to see and physically experience what had previously been accessible only through the media and on social media platforms.” With 346 exhibiting companies, southern Germany’s largest motorcycle trade fair showcased a diverse and high-quality range of products from all sectors.
New products attract attention
The exhibiting companies had many trade fair premieres in store. For example, Kawasaki unveiled the Kawasaki Z 900. “Our primary new product launch was exceptionally well received and mobbed throughout the event. We even managed to sell some of our new products multiple times,” reports Christian Schmidl, District Manager Southwest at Kawasaki Motors Europe N.V. BMW also exhibited several new motorcycles, including the BMW S 1000 R and the BMW R 12 S. “It’s great that the trade fair visitors showed a keen interest in the new BMW models on display and visited us at the booth with serious interest in making a purchase,” says a delighted Harald Mahle, Managing Director of Mahle Zweiräder GmbH. The joint stand of Motorrad Matthies GmbH & Co. KG Harley Davidson Tuttlingen and K + M Harleyworld GmbH garnered significant attention with seven trade fair debuts.
Exhibiting companies express great satisfaction with the event
“The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with numerous exhibiting companies noting a significant influx of visitors to their booths, particularly on the Saturday of the fair,” says Petra Rathgeber. Dirk Schlenker, owner of Royal Enfield Fischbach, also clearly felt the increase in visitors: “Our stand was bustling with visitors. Many were already motorcycle owners who were toying with the idea of purchasing a small, lightweight bike as a second vehicle.” Alongside a lot of new exhibiting companies, there are also many that have been participating in the trade fair for several years. This includes Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Managing Director of Quadmania: “I’ve been attending Motorradwelt Bodensee for as long as I can remember – initially as a visitor and now also as a supporter. Friedrichshafen is an attractive destination for us and worth the journey every year.”
New program highlights captivate the public
“The revamped design of the Travel Hall was very well received,” reports Petra Rathgeber. This is also confirmed by Jan Schmitz, Co-Managing Director of BikerBetten: “We’ve had a lot of sales, and some of our products have already sold out. Our general impression of the Travel Hall is favorable. We participate in only four major trade fairs, and Motorradwelt Bodensee has been a key event for us for many years.” With a total of five halls, the 2025 edition of Motorradwelt Bodensee featured more action than ever before, including the sidecar show races with track racing pro Imanuel Schramm and the BMW Burnout Shows, staged by Autohaus Munding. World champion Bernd Hiemer and his BMW R 1300 GS left spectators in awe at the Supermoto Show Races. Professional stunt rider Chris Rid and his seven-year-old son, Lenny, showcased their family’s talent. Some 20 uniquely designed and tricked-out motorcycles vied for the title in this year’s Best Bike Award competition. Harry Dirr took first place with his Buell XB12SX CityX. In the “Best of Show” category, Carsten Kunkel thoroughly impressed the expert jury with his Harley-Davidson FLH.
The next edition of Motorradwelt Bodensee will take place from Friday, January 23, to Sunday, January 25, 2026.