The Daytona girls are out in full force at this year's Bike Week. Remember to tip your local bar maids!
The 66th Annual Daytona Bike Week is in full swing on the east coast and so far things have been going well for the estimated half-million bikers in attendance.
That is, of course, if you don't count the rain at the start of the event. But since Saturday the weather has been great and according to the people on scene this year, the crowd seems to be a bit larger than the past few Daytonas. Attribute the growing custom bike craze popularized on television as part of the cause. Whatever it is, the vendors, restaurants, gas stations and hotels are all the beneficiaries.
The first half of Bike Week 2007 is in the books so here is your update.
The Harley-Davidson and Buell Ride-In Show benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Association at the Ocean Center Arena was a success for H-D owners from around the globe. A total of 13 categories which included: Radical Custom, Street Custom Big Twin, Show Custom Big Twin, Street Custom Sportster, Buell, Full Dresser, Custom Trike, Sidecar, Antique, VRSC (V-Rod), Sport-Touring Street and Sport-Touring Show. The class winners received their spoils directly from none other than Willie G. Davidson himself.
Over at the 35th Annual Rat's Hole Custom Bike Show, a more diverse field of competitors was featured. The best of these machines are not ridden to the show. These are high-buck customs often handled with velvet gloves and polished to perfection in an effort to claim one of the most prestigious titles at any Bike Week show.
At Daytona International Speedway the AMA Superbike series action has already begun. On Thursday, defending Superbike champion, Ben Spies, tried his hand in the Superstock class. His plan to come away with two number-one plates in 2007 got off to a good start with a win in Superstock over Graves Yamaha's Ben Bostrom. Spies also collected pole position for Saturday's Superbike race. Monster Kawasaki's Roger Lee Hayden won the Supersport race over his new teammate, Jamie Hacking.
Aye carumba! We're not sure where this is going... But we like it! On a related note, we hear that the tickets for lewd conduct are down for this year's Bike Week.
The Daytona 200 will feature the 600cc machines of the Formula Xtreme class, and once again American Honda's Miguel Duhamel looks like the man to beat. Duhamel claimed pole position and the Rolex that goes with it as he attempts to become a 6-time winner of the 200 this Saturday.
Out on Main Street, the party continues to roll on. The usual scene with thousands of riders strutting their stuff during the afternoon and well on into the night is a necessity for newcomers and Bike Week veterans alike. Police reports reveal that so far the morale level of attendees seems to be increasing, citing a reduction in disorderly conduct, DUIs and indecent exposure tickets as of Tuesday. An interesting fact reveals that only 25 exposure or lewd conduct tickets were issued in 2006, down by more than half from 66 tickets issued in 2005. Tickets for breaking the sound ordinances, speeding and careless driving are the leading infractions in 2007.
"Gone are the days of nudity, flashing, fights, Outlaws (biker gang), and general tearing up the town," said sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught in a story on news-journalonline.com. "Bike Week has evolved into a manageable event with a great number of attendees abiding by both law and community standards."
Rider fatalities are also down thus far in 2007, with only three sad endings reported as of Wednesday evening. Bike thefts have been a major problem in recent years, with local police reporting that organized rings are the cause. In an effort to reduce this problem, there are sting operations in effect that utilize GPS tracking devices on bikes planted around the Bike Week hot spots.
Spontaneous stunt shows are cropping up at this year's Bike Week. Check a local parking lot near you Daytona residents.
Popular hangouts, like the Hess gas station on the west end of International Speedway Boulevard, continue to draw a lot of attention from riders and the fuzz, so keep the wheelies to a minimum out there, people. The local watering holes are always a good place to see wild and crazy action, and one of the increasingly popular locales is the Hooters across from the Speedway. This week, stunt rider Kane was on hand at Hooters doing an impromptu show for his fans.
At Gillys Pup 44, things got a little heated. According to reports in the local newspaper, the 26th Annual Pub 44 Bike Bash ended up in an interesting fashion. The event is centered around the destruction of a 'Rice Burner' at the hands of patrons. Emcee "Death Wish" Dan Elders started up the bike, which had previously been drained of all fluids except fuel, and proceeded to try and blow it up. Quite unexpectedly the bike apparently burst into flames and ignited Elders along with it. Fortunately, 'Death Wish' was not seriously injured. Unfortunately there are no photos available of this fiasco at this time. If you were there with a camera, please let us know.
Check back for more photos and stories from Daytona Bike Week 2007.
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