Other notable bike rallies and major motorcycle events in 2006: Hollister Independence Rally (6/30-7/2/2006), which was started by Boozefighters MC and made famous in the movie, the Wild Ones, starring Marlon Brando, and countless documentaries afterward, will be in its’ 59th year. See Hollister Rally. Run For The Wall (May 17 - May 28, 2006) is an annual coast to coast ride to make sure all Americans and the powers to be in Washington DC never forget the POW-MIA, in the 10 days leading up to Memorial Day. After every war, and particularly the Vietnam war, there are soliders and sailors not accounted for. In 2005, the 10 day ride started in Ontario, California and had a southern and central route. Motorcyclists, mostly veterans, join at various locations across the country. In addition to the two coast to coast rides, many riders from the north and south join up with them on Memorial Day. They meet in the parking lots at the Pentagon, ride through the capitol to the Wall and pay their respects to fallen comrades in arms. Some call it Rolling Thunder, due to the thunderous sound of thousands of Harleys, and they name it after Operation Rolling Thunder which was planned for eight weeks, during the Johnson administration, but lasted three years. Many of the veterans are older now and they still seek better acountability, and never forgetting those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who were left behind, regardless of which war.
For the 2006 Run For The Wall schedule, please check www.rftw.org. It will also be posted at Run for the Wall. and we will try and make an interactive map of the various stops. Myrtle Beach Black Bike Week - Black Bike Week was originally started by the Flaming Knight Riders in Atlantic Beach in 1980. Later, the group changed its’ name to Carolina Knight Riders MC. The event has also been called by several names. In its’ first years, it was the Atlantic Beach Bike Festival. Now in its’ 26th year, Myrtle Beach Black Bike Week runs from May 25 - May 29, 2006 in Myrtle Beach, SC. I’ve seen attendance estimates of more than 350,000 in recent years, which makes it the 3rd or 4th largest motorcycle rally; even larger than Myrtle Beach Bike Week, which is the week before. There have been hassles. Some Myrtle Beach shop keepers close for the week, claiming attendees are often lewd and not as well behaved as the MBBW crowd. In 2004, accusations of racial bias resulted in at least one lawsuit against Myrtle Beach city officials by the NAACP. There have also been some references calling it Sportsbike week rather than Black Bike Week, but that idea seems to have faded. Organizers of Myrtle Beach Black Bike Week invite all people regardless of race or the type of motorcycle you ride, “providing you respect us”.
For more info, see new page Black Bike Week, Myrtle Beach Bike Week or rollingbluethunder.com. Laughlin River Run, an annual run to the Colorado River and the casinos in Laughlin, Nevada, is the largest motorcycle event on the west coast. In 2006, it will be in its’ 24th year. The River Run received national media attention in 2002 as a result of a fight between two rival clubs. In addition to Nevada having a mandatory motorcycle helmet law, the city of Laughlin has imposed other restrictions on the event, such as no cans or glass bottles on Casino Drive, and a curfew of 6pm for people under age 18. The run continues to be extremely popular. April 26 - April 30, 2006.
Also, see laughlinriverrun.com and Laughlin River Run. Connecticut Motorcycle Week, also called Connecticut Bike Week, had a couple of very good years but was less attended in its’ 9th year, 2005, (August 3 - August 9, 2005) due to problems with finding a cooperative host city. Event organizers struggled with holding the official event in Torrington, CT. The word from the forum at motorcycleweeks.com is that part of the troubles are due to someone crashing a city vehicle and getting a DWI in 2002. Any rallying in 2005 ended up being smaller statewide parties, and unofficial rallying in Torrington. The organizers deserve much credit for persistence and numerous attempts. Riders in Connecticut certainly would love to rally and proved it by past attendance. As of November, 2005, whether or not there is going to be a 2006 Connecticut Motorcycle Week remains to be seen.
If we hear more, we’ll get the word out, and until then, make the most of other Connecticut motorcycle events and keep hoping that eventually a city will get smart and get behind a Connecticut Bike Week or Connecticut Motorcycle Week. Mystic maybe? They know the value of tourism. Lone Star Rally, in Galveston Texas, 11/2-11/5/2006
Lone Star Rally had terrific attendance in 2004, with estimates of 250,000. In 2005, Hurricane Rita blew into town on the weekend of the rally, so the event was rescheduled. It was rescheduled once more after organizers consulted with city officials about storm damage. The event was held November 3 - November 6, 2005 rather than September 29 - October 2, and attendance was about 200,000! This earns the Lone Star Rally the Bikers USA Editors Pick for “Best Major Motorcycle Rally for 2005”, and proves you can’t keep a Texas biker down. There were a record number of terrible hurricanes in 2005. As a result, as of November 2005, the 2006 Lone Star Rally dates are not yet announced. It will be interesting to see when the organizers will schedule the 2006 Lone Star Rally.
UPDATE: LONE STAR RALLY DATES FOR 2006: 11/2-11/5/2006
For updated 2006 info as it becomes available, see lonestarrally.com GALVESTON HOTELS interactive map. In case you don’t use Java, here is a link directly to the list of Texas Hotels. Love Ride in Glendale, California is called “the largest one day motorcycle event in the world in support of improving the quality of life for those less fortunate”. It began in 1981 as Bikers’ Carnival, behind the H-D dealership owned by Oliver Shokouh. It had auspicious beginnings, raising a small amount of funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The event failed to meet its’ goals, so it was not even held in 1983. However, in 1984, Oliver held a new event called Love Ride. Peter Fonda announced it, and Robbie Krieger of the Doors was to perform. Love Ride received a lot of press and has had the attention of celebrities, helping it to remain a major event ever since. The Love Ride is always the second sunday in November. In 2006, it will be 11/12/06.
For more information see loveride.org and California Bikers. For hotels, please support Bikers USA by reserving hotels in Glendale. Trail of Tears is an annual ride to commemorate a forced displacement and terrible march of American Indian people from their lands to reservations, which resulted in the death of many. September 16, 2006. The ride is always the 3rd Saturday of September. It starts in Chatanooga, TN and ends in Waterloo, ALABAMA.
For more information see al-tn-trailoftears.org. Information about this extremely popular ride is also posted at Tennessee Bikers, Alabama Bikers, Georgia Bikers, and North Carolina Bikers. Heritage Motorcycle Rally is also referred to as Bike Week Charleston. The 2006 event in the area of Charleston, South Carolina, will be it’s 4th, and is scheduled for April 7 - April 16, 2006. Kick’n Horse Saloon is “the birthplace of the Heritage Motorcycle Rally” and offers free camping 24/7.
For more info: Heritage Motorcycle Rally, or South Carolina Bikers. DelMarVa Bike Week - 9/14 - 917/2006 There are many more major motorcycle rallies and major events that are not yet listed above. Check the bike rally calendar , interactive motorcycle rally maps, the motorcycle events listings by state, and check back here on the Bike Week section later for detailed information about some of them which will be added, like Americade, Cherokee Rally, ROT Rally, Smokeout, Wakin the Dragon Rally, H.O.G. rallies in all the states, Outer Banks Bike Week, major toy runs, and a large number of major bikefests such as Biketoberfest, Leesburg Bikefest, Raleigh Bikefest, and Las Vegas Bikefest. | |
