Triumphrat

koifarm

Well Daytona has claimed three lives at this point. Last night a rider went the wrong way down US-1 and collided head on with two other riders, he was killed the woman is in serious condition, the man banged up pretty bad.
Last year the count was eight.
I've been in that mess and it is extrememly difficult to drive that town during bike week....on out US-1, where most of the boogie parties have moved, they have police at several intersections monitoring and directing.
On main street, as we all know, it is closed off to vehicular traffic from A!A to the bridge over the ICW for bikes only traffic.
The entire town, from speedway to ocean is crawling with bikers, many of which don't know where they are going and not accustomed to the traffic pattern.
It is not easy to drive and even worse during bike week.
I would urge anyone contemplating coming down to bike week to have their head on a swivel, use utmost caution and don't drink and drive.
Of course that warning is a day late and a dollar short...just had to throw $.02 in the pool....hate to see anyone get hurt but the law of averages, and the sheer numbers of riders is a dangerous situation, always has been and likely will always be....
Bill

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Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come!

Baltobonneville

I can't even imagine why anyone would want to join that mess.

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Marty
2005 Bonneville Blue 790cc, AI removed, Staintunes RC, Unifilter, no snorkel, 118/40/Thrux needle/1 shim/3 turns, tachometer, Ikon 7610s in back, Ricor Intiminators in front, Pirelli Sport Demons, D9 gauge panel.

denman13

It's not too different out here in Monterey during Moto GP at Laguna Seca. Tens of thousands of bikes, most of them reasonable and considerate riders but always a few jerks out there p*ssing off the locals until he finds the one guy in a Chevy one-ton willing to take a little swipe at a bike because he's just fed up. Couple that with the sheer numbers of bikes, people not familiar with the region and moreover cagers who are sometimes so intimidated by the mass of bikes and the roar of all those little powerhouses, that inevitably somebody panics and someone gets hurt.

But it is lots of fun though! Just have to be careful out there. :

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Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes.
Never miss a good opportunity to shut up. - Will Rogers

Old Scratcher

I went to the Philip Is GP in my car, many years ago (sacrilege, I know, but the bike was broken).
The authorities were warning people to leave their cars at home & catch a bus. & I was planning to catch the bus from Melb, but baulked at the queues. So I ended up driving down to the island.
The road was full of bikes & cops, but hardly any cars. So the traffic flowed freely & I managed to get a park within 200mt of the entrance.
The trip home was the best, with Doohan wannabe's flying past me left right & centre, & police motorcycles hot in pursuit. While I was invisible in my Holden Commodore.

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"They told me I was goin to have to work for my living, & all I wanna do is ride. I don't care where we're goin from here. So Honey you decide" Jackson Browne (the Road & The Sky)

HiDesert

I'm with Baltobonneville; give me a deserted southwestern back road any day.

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I won't stop riding because you tell me about someone who died in an accident, just as I won't stop eating because someone died of e.coli.

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koifarm

Here is a cut/paste from the daytona newspaper:
You can find the paper at:http://www.news-journalonline.com/special/bikeweeks/

Traffic death toll rises to 5
A motorcyclist traveling the wrong direction along U.S. 1 in New Smyrna Beach died after colliding head-on with two other motorcyclists, marking the third Bike Week death of 2008, authorities said. Two other motorcyclists were reported dead after their motorcycle pulled into the path of a pickup Sunday night on State Road 44 in New Smyrna Beach.

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Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come!

MoxNix

Darwin is smiling as the herd thins...

Hedge

Because Gay Pirates attract more Gay Pirates and then the posers like to come down and watch and have pictures snapped of them so they can go back to their office and show all the other suits what a completely cool person they are!

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Catenaccio

Wind blasting by my helmet at 90 mph. One maybe two vehicles in 30-50 miles of riding. Deserts leading to mountains, mountains leading to deserts. Magnificent vistas, bizarre scenery. Bling and glitter from HDs, Snobbery from Goldwingers, Passive arrogance from Bimmer Boys. Never see Trumpets, never. No Ducs. No Geese. No Aprilias. On rare occasions, a sport bike. But they're always Hondasuzukihas. KTMs and Triumphs are attitudes. Go Your Own Way is not cliche'. It's a reality!

MVP44

Nuf said

Having never been to bike week I can only imagine the traffic. However, I don't think Bike Week is really about the ease of riding around. I would like to go for the races, just to be walking around down the main strip to check out the bikes and vendors and such and just hang out with that many bikers and meet some new faces. Probably the naive in me, but I think I would have a good time - to go for the riding part of it just would be insane unless you are talking to trip to get there. Anyway it is still on my list of things I would like to do. I think I would have reservations about taking the "family" down with me just from some of the stories you hear - not a real family atmosphere at times.