Laconia's bike week is the oldest running motorcycle rally, as well as one of the big three. Put that in your smoke and pipe it! LOL &;-P
Posted on 06/16/2002 6:39:15 AM PDT by 2Trievers
| 06-02-02 Becoming a Biker, Part 1: Buying the motorcycle is just step one for this beginner |
LACONIA — Bike Week’s last few days are ending as a washout, with thousands yesterday pulling up stakes and heading home, as cold rain fell on the Lakes Region.
Instead of building up to this weekend, as has occurred in years past, Laconia’s Bike Week now is a true nine-day event, and in this case, the big weekend was last weekend.
“If we were having a good sunny day like Thursday it would be packed,” said Dave Kelly, working at the desk at the Weirs Beach Chamber of Commerce booth as a stiff cold breeze and carried rain hitting in the face those walking outside.
“Last Saturday it was packed here and the traffic was backed up beyond the booth,” he said. Last weekend was sunny and beautiful and businesses reported a stellar time of it.
But yesterday, with temperatures in the 50s, rain and more forecast for today, there was no trouble finding a place to stay here, where only last week, you couldn’t have gotten a room.
“There is availability all around the area from what I understand. Because of the heavy rains, they all pulled out this morning,” Kelly said yesterday.
Whether the event faces a financial washout, it is still too early to tell, because many folks paid for the rooms that were unoccupied last night and still dined out and gassed up.
But a steady stream of trucks trailering bikes left the Laconia area in the morning yesterday and gas stations near the highways were packed.
Those on bikes stayed put for the most part at motel rooms and at the many area restaurants.
Many drove trucks to the event and used them as a dry and warm resource.
Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the rally association, said the American Motorcycle Association uses a number of criteria to estimate the event’s total numbers, which last year they figured at 300,000 to 350,000. He believes this year the numbers will be down considerably, primarily because of the weather.
A lack of available parking for vehicles had many scrambling for alternative ways to get to the Weirs yesterday, and trains and boats from area communities were busy.
Police said the cold wet weather was a factor in their work, as well, with less trouble overall.
Laconia police made 60 arrests Friday and fire and rescue handled a handful of non-life threatening motorcycle crashes late Friday night into yesterday morning. It did not begin to rain here until 4 a.m. yesterday, but the temperature was in the 50s.
“All last weekend it was packed it was busy until Wednesday and then Wednesday business fell off with the rain. On Thursday it was busy again,” Kelly said, and Friday was similar to Thursday’s levels at the rally, but yesterday with the rain, the numbers of riders fell of sharply and more were coming by car.
Still, many braved the weather in full rain suits and the vending tents seemed particularly busy, with serious, end of the week shopping going on, and more cash being exchanged.
Laconia Fire Chief Kenneth Erickson said though there may have been huge influxes the last weekend of motorcycle week, traditionally, those are not necessarily the people that the city wants to attract.
“After talking to the business owners I got one impression from them that the large crowds that normally come up here this Friday and Saturday, a huge percentage of them just ride around circles and don’t spend money,” Erickson said.
“Because if they are all having a phenomenal week like they have told me and they are doing great business, then the people who didn’t come yesterday and don’t come today generally are day-trippers that might spend $20 up here.
“The people that are going to come up here and spend $3,000 this week still came and spent the $3,000. So the people that come up Fridays and Saturdays are just the ones that cruise the neighborhoods for hours and hours on end, and those are the ones that really put the burden on us,” in public safety, Erickson said.
Darren and Cindy Schaperjahn of Galway, N.Y. were shopping on Lakeside Avenue in dripping wet protective clothing, and reported feeling nice and dry, though a bit cold. They rode in Friday to Alton and were staying there through today.
Neither rain, nor cold, nor threat of violence among gangs could keep them away.
“I come every year. The (Lakeside) Sharks do a good job, they put it on and they need our support,” he said. Asked about potential violence, he said, “What violence? Everybody hypes it up.”
No, the weather was not a concern either.
The Schaperjahns come also to the NASCAR races and stay in the Weirs and have come to enjoy their 200-mile trip East.
While there were far fewer bikes on Lakeside Avenue yesterday than had been the norm this week, the crush was on for vehicle parking.
If they found it, the rates had gone up all week for cars from $5 to $10 to $20 Friday and yesterday. There was absolutely no room in the core, Kelly said.
Many were looking for other means to get to the Weirs. There are train shuttles, boat shuttles from Meredith and there is now a water taxi from the Margate in Laconia across Paugus Bay. In Lakeport there is the train shuttle.
Many observed that it seems those that came from further distances this week arrived last weekend and left by Wednesday.
“That heavy day of rain Wednesday did it and the forecast for the area was not good,” Kelly said. “I have had people call and say what is the weather like for the weekend and you tell them it is going to be lousy for the weekend and they don’t want to come up. On the weekend generally you will get a day tripper and those guys are not coming,” he said.
Laconia's bike week is the oldest running motorcycle rally, as well as one of the big three. Put that in your smoke and pipe it! LOL &;-P
RAINY PICTURE
Yesterday's rain is evident on this customized motorcycle with stormy weather artwork. The rains forced many bikers to leave for home early.
(Mark Bolton/Union Leader)
:)
Sturgis Bike Week ... one of the Big Three! &;-)
ROTFLMAO!!!, I just walked in, and I learned a BUNCH!!! OW my stitches are pulling out! stop being so tough!!! LOL. I have a 21/2 inch y shaped ding in my head from loading fishinq equipment yesterday... I don't dare make facial expressions appropriate to the admiration and amusement I feel for you two biker ladies... FReep ON...Ow...
... can you handle both of us Sleavester?
BEEP.
If it's okay with you, we'll stay with four wheels.
I was wondering what this article was doing in the Constitution/Conservatism articles. Atleast it's better than reading about Bill Clinton.
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