Motorcycle Week ends with no fatalities

WEIRS BEACH — After a year of planning and a busy 10 days of riding, Laconia Motorcycle Week came to a screeching halt Sunday. There were no traffic fatalities, and organizers say it went off without a hitch.

“It went fine,” Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association said Monday morning. “It was a solid crowd.”

An expanded approach to traffic enforcement in towns surrounding Laconia plus the availability of public transportation may have contributed to the absence of fatalities and reduced motor vehicle accidents and DWIs recorded on Lakes Region roads, Laconia Police Chief Matt Canfield said Monday.

Officers arrested four people for DWI and 13 people on outstanding warrants, among other infractions. Police made 239 traffic stops and wrote 31 summonses.

“We have made a concerted effort to enforce outside of Laconia,” Canfield said. “I’d like to think that enforcement had an impact on reduced motor vehicle accidents.

An estimated 300,000 people came and went through the city during the rally and were anticipated to spend in the neighborhood of $100 million. 

Referred to by at least one individual who attended the rally, the weather at “Rainconia” ended up being relatively moderate throughout the event.

“The weather cooperated some days, some it didn’t,” St. Clair said. “Safety issues were fairly muted this year.”

Motorcyclists came from Quebec, Florida and everywhere in between to experience the oldest motorcycle rally in the U.S. Laconia Motorcycle Week celebrated its 101st year in 2024. Each day was filled with events and St. Clair said he spoke with many visitors at Rally Headquarters along Lakeside Avenue.

“People are kind of mystified,” he said. “There are so many people there and then it’s over with the snap of a finger.”

The rally, which takes all year to coordinate in serious collaboration between the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association and city government, was made possible by the contributions of many.

“Everybody did a great job,” St. Clair said. “We had a lot of people come up to Rally Headquarters and tell their stories of rides they went on. It went good.”

Vendors from out of state as well as motorcycle enthusiasts said they look forward to the event each year and also to attending other major rallies in Sturgis, North Dakota, and Daytona Beach, Florida.

Saturday was as busy as it gets in the Weirs, with major traffic congestion up and down Daniel Webster Highway through the afternoon and evening.

A small tent off Endicott Street near the Weirs Drive-In hosted a mechanical bull attraction. Saturday afternoon, Dayrien Dumas of Malone, New York, could be found there, holding on with all his might as the metal imitation of a broad-shouldered steer jerked him about. To fanfare from a small crowd, Dumas held fast for nearly a minute before being bucked to the ground, a smile on his face the whole time.

“That was fun,” he said. 

Down the road a piece, Lori and Ernie Spaulding of Bancroft, Maine, relaxed after a long day of activity. They made the trip down to Weirs Beach to attend Laconia Motorcycle Week last Wednesday for their second time astride their iron horses — they first experienced the rally during its 100th year in 2023. 

“This year is fantastic, it’s great,” Lori said. “I think it was just as busy as last year.”

The only aspect of the previous year she missed was Jesse James Dupree, a musician with the band Jackyl. But she had a great time anyway, spending evenings dancing at Tower Hill Tavern and at the Chop Shop Beer Tent off Endicott Street.

Lori and Ernie stayed in Rochester at the Governors Inn, which Lori said made for a great home base throughout the rally. Next year, she’d like to extend their stay a while longer. 

“We’ll absolutely stay a week,” she said, noting last year they drove through the rain to attend the rally. “I’m not ready to go home.”

Ernie, who goes by “Old School,” who works as a heavy equipment operator and is a member of an indigenous riders club called the Wabanaki Warriors, said 2024 was more relaxed than the year prior, and access to some of the vendors could be improved, but he enjoyed the rally.

He’s been riding motorcycles for 30 years, he said, and would love to attend the rallies in Sturgis and Daytona Beach in the future. 

Representing the Canadian coalition in attendance at Laconia Motorcycle Week, Nancy Patoine of Levis, Quebec, said she enjoyed the rally which she attended with friends. 

And Joe Baldarelli of Sterling, Massachusetts, said he rode up 2.5 hours to attend the rally last Wednesday on a 2005 Harley-Davidson Dyna Wide glide motorcycle.

Marking his seventh trip to Laconia, Baldarelli said each year since the COVID pandemic in 2019 and 2020 has been bigger and better than the last. He particularly enjoyed a stunt show at Laconia Harley-Davidson in Meredith.

“It’s been good,” he said. “I’m getting tired.”