Spring or fall, Daytona Beach's Main Street is always the scene of the plenty of action.
Biketoberfest 2009 has rolled in and out like the Atlantic tide on Florida’s white beaches. The annual fall event in Daytona Beach is one of the last motorcycle rallies on the East Coast before winter weather calls for the garaging of bikes and the turning on of trickle chargers. Biketoberfest provides a friendlier, less freneticly paced event than spring’s Bike Week, all the fun with half the hassles.
Warm weather and discounted rooms provided plenty of incentive to get out and ride to this year's rally, but overall attendance was down. Those who did show up weren’t spending money as freely as they have in the past. Saturday, the weather turned about 15 degrees colder, which benefited vendors who sold leather jackets and pullovers to riders who got caught out unprepared for the cooler weather.
According to Eagle Leathers owner Dennis Tyson, who sets up shop on Main Street in Daytona Beach, “It’s terrible. There are lots of people, but they’re not spending any money.” Saturday’s sales helped him salvage the weekend, but up to that point from a vendor’s standpoint, Biketoberfest was fairly dismal.
The inclement mood was exacerbated by
Harley-Davidson’s announcement that it was shutting
Buell’s doors. The Motor Company further alienated many by not having a presence at the annual rally that draws an average of 125,000
Where were you Bill Davidson and Willie G.? Even though Harley-Davidson wasn't in attendance, it still managed to dominate the topic of conversation at this year's Biketoberfest.
motorcyclists. No 2010 demos, no ride-in bike shows, no parts & accessories displays, nothing. What is even more perplexing is the fact that Harley was scheduled to participate in California Bike Week and
Love Ride 26, which was cancelled. But Biketoberfest attracts a lot more people, and the majority of people who attend rallies like Biketoberfest ride Harley-Davidsons. Instead, the shocking news of Buell’s demise and the bleak outlook for The Motor Company put a damper on many attendees’ spirits.
For the most part, it appears that numbers were down a bit from last year. This despite the declaration from the official rally website, Biketoberfest 2009, that estimates “crowds equal to past years at just over 125,000.” The numbers from Daytona’s Convention and Visitors Bureau add to the difficulty of providing a fair assessment of attendance, as it estimated that “175,000 motorcyclists rolled into Daytona Beach.” I’ll take the word of the guy on the street who has worked directing traffic for the last nine years who said numbers were down over the other two sources who stand to benefit from inflated attendance numbers.
These two beauties graced Willie's Tropical Tattoo Chopper Show in the spring. Maybe Roadside Marty scared them off for Biketoberfest.
But don’t think that it was all doom-and-gloom. Willie did his part by holding his customary Willie’s Tropical Tattoo Show to get things kicked-off right and Roadside Marty was his typical charming self as emcee. I keep hearing one question about the show, though – Where were all the girls? There’s usually no shortage of hotties at Willie’s party. They must be waiting for the really big show during the spring.
The legend of Big Daddy Rat continued to be a fixture of the Daytona scene as The
Rat’s Hole Show was held Saturday. Usually conducted under the empty water slides of the Daytona Lagoon, this year it was held at Rossmeyer’s Coca-Cola Pavilion for the first time-ever.
And it wouldn’t be Daytona without motorcycle racing. The Daytona International Speedway hosted the
8 Hours of Daytona race and a 12-lap Supersport Shootout. The No. 13 Westby Racing Team, spearheaded by American Superbike stud Josh Hayes, won the 8 Hours affair while up-and-coming rider, Leandro Mercado, won the Supersport Shootout on a Ninja ZX-6R.
Whether it's Bike Week or Biketoberfest, racing and Daytona go hand-in-hand. This year's lineup included the 8 Hours of Daytona and the Supersport Shootout.
Sources estimate that almost $215 million was spent during the four-day Biketoberfest event. Of course, this comes from the same source that said the Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated 175,000 motorcyclists attended this year’s rally.
Only one motorcycle death was reported Friday in Flagler County. Worse part is, the deceased wasn’t even a rider. A 49-year-old Georgia woman died when she was thrown from the motorcycle she was riding on as a passenger. Rallies seldom go down without at least one fatality, as the combination of a high numbers of riders on unfamiliar roads partying hard is a deadly combination. I’m not implying that alcohol had anything to do with the fatality, but unfortunately it is one of the variables that often come into play during accidents.
The big question is, however, what will the motorcycle rally and event scene be like in 2010? This year Myrtle Beach, Hollister, Love Ride 26 and more local events pulled the plug. Other rallies saw declining attendance numbers. But don’t sound a dirge for motorcycle rallies just yet. Bikers are a resourceful lot. Motorcycle USA is already looking forward to spring so we can bring you our in-person assessments come March when Bike Week rolls around.
