My wife and I just got back from Laconia. We biked to there from Syracuse, NY in tons of pouring rain. It wasn't too bad while we were there and had a great dry ride home yesterday.

I just wanted to say that although we had fun, we were a bit disappointed in the event as a whole. Here are a few of my findings there:

- We visited Laconia H-D, Broken Spoke Saloon and Weirs Beach. Laconia H-D was nice as it had most of the part vendors, or at least a decent handful. Unfortunately, a few were still setting up. This was Sunday which was supposed to be day 2 of the rally. Broken Spoke was nice, a great looking place and a decent place to hang out. Weirs Beach was one t-shirt vendor after another. Same stuff, booth after booth. It wasn't nearly as good as it could have been.

I was at Sturgis last year and was able to find every vendor I wanted and tons of variety at the different booths. At Laconia, it was quite the opposite. My wife and I buy a refrigerator magnet everywhere we go. At Laconia, there was none to be found, just more f'n t-shirts. At Sturgis, we found a stand for just about everything (special lighting, just boots, magnets, rare accessories, custom made parts, wood carvings, etc). Laconia had very few of these, just more f'n t'shirts.

Is this the way it is every year?

 

I know that Laconia is H-D oriented so yeah, tee shirt, black leather vest, tee shirt, black leather vest, booth after booth. Plus a couple of tatoo shops to keep it mixed.

If you really want to buy parts for your bike or clothes other than tee shirts and vests go to Americade the week before. Yes, Laconia is the same each year. I've only missed Americade twice in the last twenty years or so. A lot more going on and very mellow attitudes.

 

Yeah, Laconia's always like that, but usually with much more rain.

Really, Laconia is more of an event rally than a commercial rally. Sure it has both, and way too many T shirts, but, much of Laconia is about what happens away from Weirs Beach. Great things like the hill climb at Gunstock Mountain, the Loudon Classic motorcycle race, group rides across the Kancamagus, and tours of the northern notches (Pinkham Notch, Crawford Notch, Franconia Notch), and the motorcycles only Ride to the Sky up Mt Washington.

New Hampshire has by far the best riding in New England, and riding is what Laconia's all about. I enjoy walking thru the Weirs during the rally each year, commercial as it is, just to see the creative things folks do with their bikes. Remember, access to Weirs Beach is free, and yes, you can get free parking for your bike right on the Weirs if you get there early in the day. Other rallies charge an admission fee just for the privilege of getting to the see the vendors. If I want vendors & goods, I'll go on line & have it shipped after I read the product reviews.

I really don't know why they continue to hold the Laconia rally in June, one of the Northeast's rainiest months. I'd love to see it moved to September, between the heat of summer and the frost of fall, when the days are consistently warm, dry, and sunny. There may even be some early foliage in the northern notches in September. Laconia is about statewide events and riding. It's best to check the Laconia MC Week schedule and pick your events in advance, weather permitting. There really is a lot going on. Laconia is a great old school rally held in the wrong month for 88 years now. Maybe I'll set up an umbrella stand along the Weirs next year before I pack it in and go riding with a few riding buddies, 'cause that's what Laconia is really all about.

Laconia 2011 Schedule: http://www.laconiamcweek.com/Schedule/

Just my .02
JR

 

New Hampshire is gorgeous....heading up north is REALLY awesome. Same with Vermont.

I learned to ski on Gunstock...the little freaking kiddie slop with the rope tow to get up. lol.

Used to go up there all the time when I was a little kid (going back to the 60's 'n 70's), my grandfather lived on the town line of Guilford and Laconia.

 

Yeah, Laconia's more about riding. I was born and raised in Northern NH near Franconia Notch. What I noticed is if you live in the mountains you don't really see whats special about riding up north, but being away in the Army for 20 yrs and going back now I see what the rest of the country see's when they ride up to New England. Sorry you didn't get your magnet, not sure why because there everywhere when I go back home (gas stations mostly). I've been to the first week of Daytona bike week to many times to mention and there is always vendors still setting up, I'm sure most rallies are the same. At least you got some good riding in with the family, thats what its all about!

 

September is definitely better weather-wise. May and June have seen way too much rain this year in New England. Of course, the Killington rally is in September, and they are making a big change...managed by Americade now. Should be a good rally, hopefully with the same feel as the Americade. And there is usually the first foliage of the season, at altitude. Vermont has some amazing motorcycle roads, and more room for riders to spread out. Route 17 gets crowded with bikes, but apart from that it is easy to find a nice, paved curvy road, away from traffic. Early September is usually free of leaf-peepers, too...who stop in their cars, in the middle of a road...to take photos.

 

This was my first trip to New Hampshire. I thought riding up there was great. Weirs Beach was pretty much what I expected. Trinkets and tee shirts.
We stayed over at E Andover and rode up to Mt Washington for the Ride to the Sky. That was a real experience in itself. We all had a great time. It rained a bit Friday when we got there but after that the weather was great. The police were noticeable but not a problem. They did have a speed trap just over the hill from the Broken Spoke though.
All in all I thought riding up there was great.

 

We rode up from SC and were there on Tuesday. We thought the area was beautiful and the riding was great. It sprinkled on us a bit the day before and Tuesday night a few drops fell. We stayed in Tilton at the Hampton Inn. Great hotel. We went down to the Tilton Diner and had a great meal. Weirs beach, the lake was absolutely beautiful. The vendors and all were the same you will see everywhere. Heavy 81 presence there but no probelms that we saw. Only thing they put the HOG pin stop all the way at the top of the hill as far away as you can get from where we parked in front of the train station.

Some of the roads were realy torn up from the winter weather and were broken up. We're planning to go back very soon. Nice place to ride.

 

if your gonna go for only a few days the second half of the week is usually the better half. more people and better weather, if you wanna do riding the mountains are beautiful as mentioned above. if your into other motocycle stuff there is other things tied into bike week. there are motocycle races over at loudon speedway and they have the mountain climbs/ drag races with bikes too