Just got back from cruising around all areas.
Been doing more of the same since Thursday and it's so "dead" compared to years passed.
I never seen it like this in all the years I've lived here.

 

Thats too bad. I think I am retired from bike weeks. Just too much idle time, crowded streets, nowhere to park, getting blocked in. Myrtle beach bike week this year was my last. I found myself just hitting up the far out back roads and not doing the kool kid stuff. The new shiney chrome feeling you get at them when you start going to them has dulled into a well used matte patina now. I will have just as much fun tomorrow on my ride with less dumbasses and police around. But the $2.00 PBR will be missed lol.....

 

i dunno...I grew up in daytona and i was just thinking the opposite. I was riding around yesterday and today and thought attendance was way up from the past few years. Sure it wasnt what it used to be 10-15 years ago, but all in all i think it was a very strong turn out.

 

Biketoberfest used to be a great 'mini-Bike Week' when I lived in Florida...smaller crowds than Bike Week. I used to go to Bike Week every year (about 17 times...some were a blur), but it got too crowded and was just the same old stuff every year. Even the racing got lame, except for the AHRMA stuff early in the week. Biketoberfest was a great diversion. Hope they can keep it going.

 

So which is it dead or not?

 

I thought it was dead

 

I'm here right now and the weather has been absolutely perfect,the turnout is outstanding...its not Bikeweek but its certainly not dead,I think its above the past few years as far as attendance goes

 

Without a doubt it's dead.
I've lived here and attended the last 10 seasons of both events and it's just not there anymore.
Even the LEO's I spoke to who were on traffic duty out in front of the main event bars on route one in Ormond said the exact same thing.
There's got to be more to it than drinking beer and t-shirt selling.
I believe it's because both event's have become nothing but one big selling fest and not about coming here to meet new people around a camp fire as it once used to be..........

 

Nah, it's far from dead. I think the numbers are about the same every year, but over time, it keeps spreading over a larger area.

Yeah, it's the same vendors every year. Hell, they even set up in the same spots as the last event.

The Iron Horse, Hog Pen, etc., across the street from each other,on U.S.1, is basically a friggen carnival. To me that location is a joke. "Wall of Death", "Water dunkin cage",etc., bunch of damn carnival acts. Bunch of vendors selling "Tourist Biker trinkets".

Lots of people staying on the outskirts of town, at the not so "trendy" biker hangouts. Those places were packed. I had a blast.

 

I think Bestrafen is right about the crowds spreading out. But bikers staying in St Augustine or Orlando & taking a day trip to Daytona doesn't bring as much money to town. And the type of people who do stay out of town, the ones with money to spend, are the exact same people Daytona is trying to attract. I've ranted on another thread about that. Some of the "Hot Spots" may be a joke during the events, but they only have a limited time to make some serious bucks, seems to be working for them, so its OK with me.