Fuck Bike Week

[k1200s]

I'm curious if I'll get flak for this or if you guys agree. Bike week gets real old real fast. If its not some shirtless middle aged Q ball on the worlds loudest (and slowest) Harley its some local jackass flying around in his equally annoying pickup truck blowing smoke everywhere trying to show off. There's way more people driving 90-100+ on the highway all week, weaving in and out of traffic. There's lines of Harley's so long a Busa couldn't get by, all riding 5 over the limit in the fast lane. IF you do make it by (i did only once) they will get all pissy and act like they are big tough moto boys trying to run you off the road until they remember your wearing a $1,000 helmet and gear riding a sport bike and they have shorts on and are riding a 800lb+ death machine with their legs finely tangled in their mess of crash bars and cruiser pegs. Everyone who attends also seems to think they're a hells angel, and its one of the few places you can go find your 5th grade math teacher in assless chaps. We do have the London classic and that is nice for those that actually like motorcycles.

Seriously, bike week is the one week I don't ride my bike and hate everyone that does. I ride on Christmas if theres no ice, I'll bust my bike out in February and ride when its 20 degrees out, but bike week aint worth it. Have I just turned into a (25 year old) grumpy old man or does this drive you guys as nuts as me? I'm in the concord area, so we definitely get quite a bit of the action but not as much as others

[loudbeard]

*yawn*

[PhilB]

meh. It's just people. I hadn't ever gone before (since I moved to NH in 2012) due to schedule conflicts, but last year I went. Wandered around a bit, got a bite to eat, testrode a new Road King. Peoplewatching, bikewatching -- a few interesting bikes there. Mildly fun. Didn't bother this year, may or may not ever again. For me, don't see it as a thing to aim to do, or a thing to avoid or gripe about. Some people enjoy it; they are welcome to do so.

PhilB

[Chippertheripper]

A dude I know died up there this year (already), so yeah, there’s that.
Details of the incident have not been released yet, so no word exactly if it was his own doing, or if other factors were in play.

[RandyO]

I call it get out of town week. Twice in the past, I have had to testify in Belknap Superior Court as expert witness on boundary dispute cases that came to court during bike week. Not sure about now, but when I was in court, they didn't have AC, with windows open, you couldn't hear yourself think over the rumble of big twins with open pipes, with windows closed the air inside was stifling and ya still could barely hear

I went to the festivities at the Weirs once, no desire ever to do that again

But I'm happy for those that like that sort of thing, the event is of economic importance for the region

[k1200s]

It's not Laconia that bothers me, but the residual effect elsewhere. Every time I go for a ride its filled with crazies or seriously long lines of Harley's around here. There's a few back roads that are reliable, but any long rides and its legit a nightmare, this week in particular, every single year. I don't know if its bad luck or what, but 5 bad years of notably bad experience's on bike week or weekend and I don't bother. I either run into ridiculous traffic or bozos being a hazard. Concord area seems to suck the worst thinking of it though. A lot of the traffic comes through here

[02redhawk]

The attitude does seem strange. Two years ago I rode with a group to the Sturgis rally. More Harley's than I could count. I'm probably the only one on a rice burner (FJR1300). Most of the riders were well up in years but they were great people. While alot of them did stop in the afternoon for a trip through the saloons they usually had been riding in the morning (not just a drinking trip). They were fun to ride with and the rides were great if a tad slow. I wonder if it's an East Coast / Boston thing?

[curiouser]

Eh, I actually enjoy some of the spectacle in limited amounts, albeit diminished from years past. The Loudon Classic and demo rides are fun. Traffic and preponderance of new (or bad ,drunk, etc) riders crashing are definitely a few negatives.
Overall, it's nice to see people get out and enjoy life on two wheels, even if I don't feel like I'm in the club.

[Jayspeed]

ezriderpics.com at PhotoReflect.com - Laconia Bike Week 2017

This is me last year. I didn't even know it was bike week till I reached Lincoln NH. Look at how geared I am. All I saw 90% of the time people with t-shirts and no helmet. I turned around and headed back south. Was to congested.

[Chippertheripper]

Nerd.

[TheIglu]

Hey, at least he was all geared up on a nice bike.

I was up there last weekend all geared up on a old man with jorts bike. But everyone left me the hell alone...

[Tricky Mike]

Hey, at least he was all geared up on a nice bike.

I was up there last weekend all geared up on a old man with jorts bike. But everyone left me the hell alone...

Orly?

[MHenry600]

I work in Laconia, and drive through the weirs everyday. No big deal. I don't mind it, and kind of enjoy the people watching. Might lose a few minutes, but it's actually not that bad.

[JettaJayGLS]

I've had plenty of fun at bike week. Actually, I've had an incredible amount of fun at bike week. Getting a bit nostalgic looking back on those times. I've also been lucky enough that one of my closest friends has an unreal place on channel lane and its always an open invite. He let me ride his street glide whenever I was there too.

Its all what you make out of it.

2 things you can always be sure of: 1) different strokes for different folks and 2) haters gonna hate.

I bet there is a thread on a bike week forum hating on track days.

[01xj]

Not from the area, but I laugh every year. My parents neighbor claims to be this big tough harley riding dude. Very heavily into the "I'm a harley rider" look with novely T's and the whole pirate look. Guy trailers his bike up there from CT. Not even a part that's far away though. They live like 6 miles from Springfield.

[feralchimp]

Damn, sorry Chip.

[TheIglu]

Orly?

That man is my spirit animal. Such a good flick.

YOU AND ME! WE'RE THE SAME!

[MUZ720]

The event has changed allot since my 1st in 79. Can't say I didn't do stupid shit. Got away with more back then. Now it seems to be more about selling stuff. Crowd is way older now . Always was about riding and being seen. Still love it.

[nhbubba]

A dude I know died up there this year (already), so yeah, there’s that.

Well now, that just blows.

[Imbeek]

I went once, all set.

In general, the less people around me, the better, especially when riding. After a bunch of group street rides in my life, it's not that they suck, but the risk/reward analysis favors solo riding for me, or maybe with one or two friends. Laconia is like a group ride eating steroids out of a big bowl with a big spoon. Got no issues with all those who like it, though...

[Chippertheripper]

Well now, that just blows.

Sho-nuff. Wife, kids, career, 40 years young.
Like i said, more details are clearly coming, but a tragedy nonetheless.

[nhbubba]

I'm becoming progressively more and more aware how much it would fucking suck to buy it if some jackass decides to pull a leftie in front of me one morning riding to work. Just yesterday I had a guy in a Tundra try to lane change on top of me. He then flipped me the bird and loudly announced that I was an asshole. I mean, I am. But I have no idea how he knew that by veering into the lane I was using while driving his 3 ton pickup. We all experience this sort of thing all the time. Many of us have experienced much worse.

Maybe there's something to be said for avoiding environments that celebrate alcohol use and less than ideal judgement.

This morning I decided I'd save the vacation day for some other time. Do a run around the lake some day when the crowd is not present. Wife says I have enough T-shirts already.

[Uncle Snake]

I went in '93 and that was enough for a lifetime. Never again. Hell, I won't even go to NH during Bike Week......

[Falko]

I did Daytona a number of years back and came down through bike week returning from 'scotia a few years back. The Laconia thing is but a sparrow on the radar.

Oddly some people who promote diversity quickly condemn it when it isn't suiting....

[RandyO]

weather wise, this has been one of the best Laconia Bike Week's best in history, just a few rain showers this morning, otherwise perfect riding weather

Back in the day, I did like going to Stonnerstock,