Laconia Motorcycle Week

Last updated
Laconia Motorcycle Week
Laconia Bike Week 2007 Line-up.JPG
Line-up of motorcycles at Weirs Beach during the 2007 event
Genre Motorcycle rally
DatesHistorically 9 days in June, ending on Father's Day
Location(s) Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Founded1916
Attendance375,000 (2004) [1]
c. 188,000 (2010) [2]
Patron(s)Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Association
Website www.laconiamcweek.com

Laconia Motorcycle Week is an annual motorcycle rally held in Laconia, New Hampshire, United States. The rally originated as a motorcycle Gypsy tour in 1916 as, the New Hampshire Lakes Region became a popular riding destination for early motorcycle enthusiasts from New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Montreal. [3] [4] The popularity of the rally led to the formation of the Loudon Classic motorcycle race in 1934 which, became one of the most prestigious races in American motorcycle racing, second only to the Daytona 200. [4] The scheduled events included races, shows and a motorcycle hill climb competition. [5] The rally traditionally takes place over nine days in June, always the 2nd and 3rd full weekend. The rally was the largest annual gathering of North American motorcyclists until it was overtaken by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally during the 1970s. [3]

Contents

History

The Laconia rally has its origins in June 1916, when a few hundred motorcyclists gathered at Weirs Beach in Laconia. Seven years later, the event was officially recognized by the Federation of American Motorcyclists (to be later called the American Motorcyclist Association) as part of the Gypsy Tour, where motorcyclists celebrated races and hill climbs for an entire weekend. The Federation of American Motorcyclists continued to sanction the event until 1960. [6]

Motorcyclists continued to return to Laconia in stronger numbers. Participants began flocking to Laconia earlier in the week until the rally unofficially became a week-long event. Local businesses became strong supporters of the event which kick-started the beginning of their busy tourist season.

However, Laconia's Bike Week did see times of trouble. During the summer of 1965, a riot between motorcycle gangs and local police broke out, which brought national media attention to Laconia. The police and city officials began to view the rally as a major inconvenience. Laconia officials imposed stricter law enforcement, and the number of events during the week began to decline. The rally was eventually minimized to a three-day weekend and saw a large decline in the number of participants. [5] [7] [8] [9]

It was not until the early 1990s that, in an effort to increase tourism, Laconia businesses approached the Federation of American Motorcyclists for their support to bring the rally back to a week-long event. Eventually the business owners joined in a coalition with local motorcycle groups and founded the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Association, which organizes and schedules all events associated with motorcycle week. The group is also responsible for promoting the event nationwide and issuing licenses to vendors. Laconia Motorcycle week is now a nine-day event which will either start or end on Father's Day.

Deaths

For a number of years there have been deaths during the event. There were six deaths in 2001, one in 2002, two in 2003, five in 2004, four in 2005, six in 2006 (including at least one car driver not affiliated with the event), [10] five in 2007, and seven in 2008. [11] There were no deaths in 2009 nor 2020, [11] but in 2010 three motorcyclists were killed. [2] [12] [13] One cyclist was killed in 2011, 2016, 2018 and 2019, and four each in 2012–2013.

New Hampshire does not mandate wearing motorcycle helmets for riders over 18, which it has been claimed is a reason why some riders are attracted to events in the state. [14] Some of the riders killed in accidents at Laconia Motorcycle Week have not worn helmets, and this is reported in the press. [12] [15]

Related Research Articles

The Loudon Classic, originally named the Laconia Classic, is an annual motorcycle road racing competition held during the Laconia Motorcycle Week at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Founded in 1934 when it was originally sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), the race is one of the oldest motorcycle competitions in the United States. The competition changed locations over the years, starting as a dirt track race before evolving into a road race. From the late 1930s until the early 2000s, the Loudon Classic was one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the United States, second only to the Daytona 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laconia, New Hampshire</span> City in New Hampshire, United States

Laconia is a city in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,871 at the 2020 census, up from 15,951 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Belknap County. Laconia, situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam, includes the villages of Lakeport and Weirs Beach. Each June, the city hosts Laconia Motorcycle Week, also more simply known as "Bike Week", one of the country's largest rallies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Motorcyclist Association</span> Nonprofit organization

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promote the motorcycling lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling." The organization was founded in 1924 and as of October 2016 had more than 1,100 chartered clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollister riot</span> 1947 motorcycle rally sensationalized in news and film media that inspired The Wild One

The Hollister riot, also known as the Hollister Invasion, was an event that occurred at the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)-sanctioned Gypsy Tour motorcycle rally in Hollister, California, from July 3 to 6, 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Strand</span> Coastal area in South Carolina, US

The Grand Strand is an arc of beach land on the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina, United States, extending more than 60 miles (97 km) from Little River to Winyah Bay. It is located in Horry and Georgetown Counties on the NE South Carolina coast.

State motorcyclists' rights organizations (SMROs) exist in about 32 US states, 25 of which call themselves "ABATE of ," the rest going by various other names. SMROs advocate for a point of view in motorcycling that is, in general, opposed to mandatory helmet laws, required motorcycle safety inspections, mandatory rider training and licensing, and other similar regulation. Instead SMROs favor optional or voluntary motorcycle rider safety education, training, and licensing, and greater public awareness of motorcyclist safetyy issues. They also favor stronger penalties for car driver infractions such as right of way violations, or when drivers are at fault in accidents that harm motorcycle riders. SMRO activities include lobbying legislatures, letter writing campaigns, and paying for public service announcements and political advertisements. To carry out lobbying at the national level, a coalition of SMRO's created the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) to lobby in Washington DC. The SMROs and MRF are often allied with the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) on legislative issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona Beach Bike Week</span>

Daytona Beach Bike Week, also called Daytona Bike Week, is a motorcycle event and rally held annually in Daytona Beach, Florida. Since 2021, events have been added in DeLeon Springs. Approximately 500,000 people make their way to the rally area for the 10-day event. The festivities include motorcycle racing, concerts, parties, and street festivals. The event is usually held on the first full week of March and contends with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as the most popular motorcycle rally in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycling</span> Act of riding a motorcycle for transportation or recreation

Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small-displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous countries, including India, China and Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytona 200</span> Motorcycle race held in Daytona, United States

The Daytona 200 is an annual motorcycle road racing competition held in early spring at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 200-mile (320 km) race was founded in 1937 when it was sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). The original course used the beach itself before moving to a paved closed circuit in 1961. The Daytona 200 reached its zenith of worldwide popularity in the 1970s when the race attracted the largest crowds of any AMA race along with some of the top rated international motorcycle racers.

A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring. Some rallies are ride-in events, whereas some like the Iron Butt Rally involve days of riding and an actual gathering only at the end of the ride.

Bike Week may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Motorcyclists Federation</span>

The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) is a motorcycle riders' rights group in the United Kingdom. The BMF was founded in 1960 as the Federation of National One Make Motorcycle Clubs to counter accusations of "leather-jacketed hooligans". It renamed itself the BMF in 1965. The group lobbies for motorcyclists' interests at local, national and European levels.

Americade is a week-long motorcycle rally that is held during the first full week of June. The headquarters and location of many rally activities are at Fort William Henry Resort in Lake George Village, New York. The event is open to all motorcyclists and brands of motorcycles, and in the late 1990s attracted around 50,000 people annually, which grew to over 60,000 by 2007. Americade is billed by its organiser as the "World's Largest Motorcycle Touring Rally", and is distinguished from events such as Daytona Bike Week by its emphasis on motorcycle touring and by its organisation and peacefulness.

<i>Sound Rider!</i>

Sound RIDER! began as a monthly online magazine about motorcycling in the Pacific Northwest. It was founded by publisher Tom Mehren in 1999. The magazine features editorial about people, places and events associated with motorcycling in the Northwest region. In addition it features used motorcycle listings, and a number of databases specific to dealers, services and clubs in the area. The editorial content is archived for viewing past its initial month of publication.

Motorcycle hooliganism includes street racing, street stunting, and games of tag on public roads, or simply cruising, often in very large numbers, against local ordinances.

Cornerstone Motorcycle Ministry is a Christian ministry serving the motorcycling community. It was founded in 1978 by Joseph A. Delio, M.H.S, and has been serving free meals and coffee at "The Tent" near Keene, New Hampshire, for over 30 years. This volunteer effort each year is set up on Route 9 during the Laconia Motorcycle Week events. The ministry provides bikers with free food and free coffee. During their visit, visitors are given homemade cookies with pieces of paper that say, "Need to Rap?" Every year, the organization provides people with about 10,000 to 15,000 meals and 24,000 cookies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Bike Week</span> Annual motorcycle rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, USA

Black Bike Week, also called Atlantic Beach Bikefest and Black Bikers Week, is an annual motorcycle rally in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area, held on Memorial Day weekend. Called a "one-of-a-kind event" and "an exhibitionist's paradise" by Jeffrey Gettleman, Black Bike Week is "all about riding, styling and profiling," in the words of Mayor Irene Armstrong of Atlantic Beach, South Carolina.

Ed Kretz, Jr., was an American professional motorcycle racer in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the son of well known rider Ed Kretz. He was known primarily as a TT and roadracing specialist, but he also was a leading off-road rider in the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Stuntz gang assault</span> Road incident in New York City, United States

On September 29, 2013, motorist Alexian Lien was assaulted while driving on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York City. Lien had gotten into an altercation with motorcyclists who were participating in a rally called Hollywood's Block Party. One of the bikers pulled in front of Lien and slowed dramatically. Lien said that he struck the bike from behind, stopped his vehicle, and was quickly surrounded by bikers, who began attacking his SUV. He testified that he feared for his life so he accelerated, running over several bikes and striking one of the bikers, paralyzing him. A chase ensued, ending in Lien being pulled from his vehicle and beaten. The media later reported that the involved bikers were members of a loose association of high-performance motorcycle enthusiasts known as "Hollywood Stuntz" who had previously been observed and filmed engaging in reckless driving and threatening motorists.

References

  1. ↑ N.H. Bike Week roars to a close, Associated Press, June 22, 2008, retrieved 2010-06-21
  2. 1 2 Motorcycle Week 2010 rides off into sunset, New Hampshire Union Leader, June 21, 2010, retrieved 2010-06-21
  3. 1 2 "Archives: The Origins of the Laconia Classic". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Archives: The Loudon Classic". cyclenews.com. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  5. 1 2 St. Clair, Charlie; Anderson, Jennifer (2008), Laconia Motorcycle Week, Arcadia Publishing, ISBN   978-0-7385-5473-0 , retrieved 2010-06-12
  6. ↑ St. Clair, Charlie; Anderson, Jennifer (2008). Laconia Motorcycle Week, Images of America. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   978-0-7385-5473-0 . Retrieved 2011-04-20.
  7. ↑ Mok, Michael (2 July 1965), "Come to the riot. See Weirs Beach Burn", Life , Time Inc, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 88–98, ISSN   0024-3019 , retrieved 2010-06-12
  8. ↑ The Associated Press (June 20, 1965), "10,000 in Beach Riot In New Hampshire; 10,000 INVOLVED IN RIOT AT BEACH", New York Times
  9. ↑ Gorham, Roger (June 1979), "Laconia: Throttle twisters jamboree", American Motorcyclist , Westerville, Ohio: American Motorcyclist Association, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 17–19, ISSN   0277-9358 , retrieved 2010-06-12
  10. ↑ John Christoffersen (April 6, 2011). "Linguist who relearned to talk after NH crash dies". Associated Press. Retrieved April 7, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Koziol, John (June 18, 2010). "Officials report safe Bike Week". The Citizen of Laconia. Retrieved June 30, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  12. 1 2 Harley, Bryan (June 24, 2010). "Laconia Motorcycle Week 2010 Review". Motorcycle USA. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  13. ↑ Harley, Bryan (June 21, 2010). "Laconia Motorcycle Week 2010 Second Report". Motorcycle USA. Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  14. ↑ "New England Motorcyclists And MRF Come Together To Stop Helmet Law". MRF. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2011.
  15. ↑ Haas, Harrison (June 19, 2010). "Biker killed at turn on Rollercoaster Road". The Citizen of Laconia. Retrieved January 18, 2011.

Coordinates: 43°36′32″N71°27′38″W / 43.60889°N 71.46056°W / 43.60889; -71.46056

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.