Some of you may recall in our Love Ride 19 coverage, in the April issue, that Old Man Rain departed the day before that event, leaving attendees dry and happy. It turns out he was getting rested up for Daytona Bike Week, where he went to work to the tune of five days of showers. The rain didn't really interfere with the fun, because while it was wet out, it was still warm.
The wet weather failed to break the spirit of those who'd seen worse in other parts of the U.S. If you've been shoveling your driveway for four months, riding in the warm Florida rain can be a welcome change. Even though attendance was down from 2002, there was still a ton of people enjoying themselves at local watering holes, browsing the vendor areas, and checking out the rolling sculptures parked along the roads or at the shows.
If you've never been to Bike Week, you're missing out on a lot. From Sunday to Sunday, it's a nonstop celebration of all kinds of bikes from around the world. Choppers of every configuration could be found either rolling slowly along Main Street, being gawked at by admirers, parked along Beach while the owner toured the vendor booths for new parts, or entered in the Rat's Hole Show, Boardwalk Show, or Harley's Ride-In Show. When the sun fell below the horizon, the fun continued along Main at places like the Camel Roadhouse, Froggy's, and Dirty Harry's.
If it was too crowded in town for you, a quick trip up A1A would take you to the Broken Spoke and the Iron Horse, where you could quench your thirst in a more down-to-earth, open-air environment. Both had live music and entertainment, but the Spoke hosted the biggest event of the week Monday night, when S&S unveiled its Tribute 145 bikes, which feature a humongous 145-inch production motor (see the July issue of our sister magazine HOT BIKE for the full story on the Tribute 145s).
Hopefully, next year will see a drier Bike Week, but if not, it's good to know that there'll be plenty of diehard folks braving the rain to keep the tradition alive and well. Maybe we'll see you there. In the meantime, check out the rest of the coverage in the current issue of Street Chopper Magazine.