Quote:
Originally Posted by TiltonBB
This bill, if passed, will be one more step towards eliminating Bike Week. Every year fewer and fewer people come to the area during Bike Week. Many of the area businesses depend on the Bike Week income to make a living and stay in the black. The city does nothing to encourage attendance.
The City of Laconia could actually make a profit on Bike Week if they left half of the Police home. It has gone way beyond a police presense and become plain old intimidation. The passage of a strict law, as proposed, will send a clear message that Laconia, and New Hampshire, is "motorcycle unfriendly"
How many attendees will come back next year when they see police officers stopping bikes and writing noise tickets?
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Tilt, I hear what you are saying, but Laconia Bike Week (LBW) is suffering for several reasons.
The police presence is surely one of them.
The obscene price gouging by hotels is another. Before I lived in the area, my buddies and I used to rent a place at B.Maes in Gilford Th, Fri, Sat nights. It was a good spot semi- reasonable at $150 or so a night, of course this is going back to the late 80s or early 90s. As LBW gained popularity again, the price was jacked up to almost 300 with a 4 night minimum. There is no way young riders will be attracted to the event especially with iffy weather we have had in recent years.
The other thing I really have noticed is that I think there are as many bikers as in the past, it is just that everyone is spread out. The Weirs is no longer the epicenter of LBW. Laconia HD, North Conway, Funspot, etc have all pulled people out of Laconia- I believe that is because the weirs has been stagnant for years. Same vendors, entertainment, etc. I make one or two treks to the Weirs during LBW but that is it, we ride north from Moultonborough!