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Daytona Bike Week 2018........March 9 - 18

M

Moto-Kafe

Does anyone (besides me, and 499,000 Pirate-clad cruiser riders) still go down for Bike Week Daytona anymore?? I still go, after 12-13 years in a row, but to tell uou the truth, the "fun-factor" has worn off the past 2-3 years. Seems it caters to the Pirate Lifestyle bunch, not sportbikes/ADV/nor Vintage folks anymore. The Vendors selling merchandise prove my point.......many have the same black-leather, jewelry, doo-doo rags crap no matter which booth you visit (at the speedway). I don't believe Twisted Throttle was there last year, thank goodness GIVI still shows up. I'm not ready to have them install a 30" diameter front wheel/tire on my NC700X just yet.......maybe next year.........with knobbies.
I typically go the second weekend of BW......Thursday thru Sunday. I secure an early spot on Main Street Saturday morning to see the Circus thru town, then depart before lunchtime prior to the traffic snarls in that area of town. I went across the causeway over to old Daytona two years ago, and discovered there is a whole different Bike Week World over there about 3 blocks off the main ave.........."Black Bike Week". I went back last year and bought a yummy BBQ Rib Plate from a church selling them outside, sat on the curb eating for an hour, and toured some the vendors. No one hassled me or gave me static for being there.......even tho I probably looked like "Moby Dick" standing out. Pleasant bunch of folks!!
Gone are the good old Vintage Auctions in Deland put on by Gerry Wood and Staff (typically 200 vintage bikes went thru the auction block every year)........the Run-what-you-brung Drag Races at Deland Airport are no longer held (I'm sure due to liability issues), and bike manufacturers at the Speedway are dwindling.....BMW, Ducati, KTM have moved out to the local dealers if want to sit on a new model........the Daytona 200 was boring the last (and only) time I went. The Supercross Race is still has a huge draw but happens the weekend before I arrive......guess I need to try watching the Flat Track Racing this year...... never seen those.
If you plan on being there, maybe a few of us can meet up at the Honda Tent and google over the new NC750??
mark444
B'ham, Bamaland
 
I went about 5 years ago, mainly to watch the 200, it was the last year sanctioned by the AMA. We took our toyhauler with the 700 in back, stayed in St Augustine at a KOA and rode down to Daytona 2 times. Most motorcycles I’ve ever see in one place and I have been to the Lone Star Rally in Galveston,Tx. I do head over your way every year and watch the bike races at Barber, plan on being there again in Sept..
 
I thought the Daytona 200 race was great. Close competition racing with another Danny Eslick victory.
The super cross was OK but the TT race did not do anything for me.
I recommend camping at the Daytona 200 motorcycle club on International Speedway Blvd 4 miles west of the speedway.
It has been there since 1954. They will provide a tent and air mattress if you need them. There is a club house with TV, pool table, kitchen and hot showers.
They even make breakfast for you. Daytona 200 Motorcycle Club | Biketoberfest Camping | Bike Week Camping
 
I've never been to this yet, but have heard others talk about it. Just to add it to my calendar, Is this always held 2nd weekend of March or does the dates change? Last year it went from March 10th - 19th I believe.
Thanks, Tony
 
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Just to add it to my calendar, Is this always held 2nd weekend of March or does the dates change? Last year it went from March 10th - 19th I believe.
Thanks, Tony

Not sure one can say "2nd weekend" every year, due to all the cosmic astrological calenders and such..........but it does always start on a Friday and ends on the Sunday 10 days later. This year is 9th thru 18th.........which is close to last year's by one day (or date). I seem to remember it starting on March 3rd one year?? Some of it might have to do with the Speedway's Scheduling of events.........Daytona 500, Supercross, etc......????
 
Ahh okay, thanks.
I'm following them on twitter now so I'm they'll post more info as it gets closer to the event time. After looking at the dates, I should have said "always start the 2nd Friday of March" but anyhow. I'm sure others that do attend will post the attractions, etc. as they usually do.
 
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In 2014 the dates were March 4-13, 2013 was March 8-17, 2014 March 7-16, 2015 March 6-15.............so, not technically always the 2nd weekend. Does not matter, you know the dates for this year, that's all that counts. Tony, if you have never been, I would say "yes" go. You might judge it to not be your cup of tea afterwards, but at least you will know what it is like, and can say you got a Tshirt there. I'll PM you with some personal details I have found over the dozen years I have been.
 
I recommend camping at the Daytona 200 motorcycle club on International Speedway Blvd 4 miles west of the speedway.
It has been there since 1954. They will provide a tent and air mattress if you need them. There is a club house with TV, pool table, kitchen and hot showers.
They even make breakfast for you. Daytona 200 Motorcycle Club | Biketoberfest Camping | Bike Week Camping

Thanks Jim.......Reservation made there for the second weekend of BW. I "lost" my camp ground in Deland this year (The Clark Family Campground, Orange, Fl).........for some reason they are not renting to primitive tent campers, just RV's (big $$$???). I've been staying there since 2004 or so...........oh well, I won't miss the 18 mile "ride in" every morning to the Speedway Area. Some of those mornings were colder than a witch's booby, even in March.
 
I live 90 miles away so I usually ride down for the Friday before the last weekend or that Saturday to do a few demo rides and see the spectacle of it all. Everyone should attend a spectacle like this at least once just to see 300,000 riders in one place at one time. I can't imagine living there though. The roads are jammed up with loud motorcycles going very slow. Most of the riders pull bikes in trailers from where ever and haven't been on a bike since August of the year before. It's dangerous to be in crowds like that. The most fun I've had at bike week was on our 80cc Honda scooter. I wanted my wife to see BW once and we rode the scooter. You can ride a scooter like nothing else in that crowd on Main Street and AlA between the bridges - it was like lane splitting cars except the cars are cruiser motorcycles.
 
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