Myrtle Beach Bike Week: Ride With the Hamsters

2007 Rumors/Questions

Q: Will there be one way traffic restrictions for the May 2007 bike week?

A: Yes. Myrtle Beach officials expect the traffic patterns during the upcoming motorcycle rallies to be the same as last year, said Mark Kruea, the city's public information officer.

For the the Harley-Davidson Dealers' Association Spring Rally and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest: Ocean Boulevard traffic will be one-way southbound from 19th Avenue North to 17th Avenue South.

Right turns will be allowed at cross streets with a stoplight on Kings Highway. The two northbound lanes of Ocean Boulevard will be reserved for emergency vehicles at this time.

These changes will be in effect between 2 p.m. and midnight May 17 through 19 for the Harley-Davidson event and from 2 p.m. May 25 until 6 p.m. May 28 for the Atlantic Beach Bikefest.
(Credit: The Sun News)

Q: If they canceled Charleston Bike Week are they going to cancel Myrtle Beach Bike week spring and fall?

A: NO! The Heritage Rally in Charleston took place ninety miles from Myrtle Beach in one centralized location (the Ladson Fairgrounds) in one municipality, and was run by one person (Dave Harvey) who was basically responsible for, and therefore capable of pulling the plug on, the entire event, which was just a few years old.

The Spring and Fall Rallies in Myrtle Beach, were originally sponsored by the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association, who still sponsor events during both rallies. However, after more than 65 years the entire Grand Strand area has become host to the rallies and all of the hundreds of thousands of participants in all of the surrounding towns and counties. Frankly, I don't think anyone could stop the rallies here if they wanted to.

The issue in Charleston was supposedly a matter of insuring the venue and guaranteeing the safety of those attending the event at the fairgrounds. In Myrtle Beach there are no insurance issues since Bike Week has become an event more like Spring Break or Octoberfest, where it is the entire area, businesses, residents, local governments, and visitors all taking part with no one person or entity in charge. There is no "they" so "they" can't cancel it.

Occassionally, there are complaints and calls to do away with the rallies by self-serving business owners, self-righteous transplants, and grumpy, old codgers, but inevitably the local governements and area businesses, who appreciate the economic impact the rallies have here, strive to protect the rallies and to make them something everyone can enjoy, or at least tolerate for two weeks out of the year. Bike Week is here to stay.

2006 Rumors/Questions

Q: I heard and read an article about how the police are going to be writing as many tickets as they can for pipes with no mufflers and side mounted license plates and whatever else they can find. Is this true?

A: NO. I think you got an exaggerated version of the story. There's a new noise ordinance on the books, but I actually met with the Mayor and Chief of Police in Myrtle Beach prior to the rally about some things and asked them how strict they were planning to be.

The Chief basically said if you aren't revving your engine at lights, blasting through neighborhoods, taking off like a bat out of hell, or racing in and out of traffic they were going to be cool. Don't attract their attention and they will let you be. The county cops have always been like that, too. The only place to watch is North Myrtle Beach, which is the small town just above Myrtle Beach. They started cracking down on loud pipes last year and were pretty strict about it. I haven't heard anything about license plate frames so I wouldn't sweat that one.

Q: Is bike week all about nudity? My boyfriend is going with friends and that's fine until I saw pics of basically girls just flashing and dancing etc. Is bike week all about hooking up or do most of these girls either work there or have arrived with someone else? It seems like a girls gone wild video and that's it.

A: NO NEED TO PANIC. Bike Week is a chance for people to party and have fun, but it is not a hook-up scene. Flashing is a part of the biker culture and it is more about the girls getting some attention and the guys getting a little eye candy than sex or dating. Granted, it's adult fun and I wouldn't bring the kids, but it's about looking, not touching. There's no way of knowing who is going to lift their shirt because I have seen everyone from the female bartender to someone's grandmother do it. The ladies flash and giggle, the guys cheer and that's usually the extent of it.

That kind of fun is just one part of Bike Week. The whole area is crowded with others who ride so it's a lot about the riding and being part of the brotherhood, there are vendors selling and showing off all kinds of bikes and accessories, there are concerts and stunt shows; tattoo, burnout, and beer belly contests; cold beer and giant fried turkey legs...it is much more than just a week-long wet tee shirt contest. If your boyfriend's good to you the other 51 weeks out of the year give him a week to go have some fun with his buddies.

Q: Do you know of any local racing events this year during bike week? Is Conway Speedway going to have the flat trackers?

A: UNFORTUNATELY NOT. There will be no races in Conway this year. I spoke to the guys at the Conway Speedway and they said they loved the flat track racing, but the future of that track is up in the air. The local radio station Wave 104.1 is promoting all Harley drag racing at the North Myrtle Beach drag strip. You can get more information by calling the studios at 843-626-WAVE.

Q: Are those with bikes other than Harleys welcome at myrtle beach biker rally?

A: ABSOLUTELY. The majority of people will be riding Harley-Davidsons or customs, and a lot of the events are sponsored by the local Harley Dealer or Dealers Association or they are tailored to those riding Harleys and customs, but you will see ALL makes and models of motorcycles at any of the major rallies including Myrtle Beach. Most will be "cruisers" (Harleys and bikes that look like Harleys as opposed to the sport bikes/crotch rockets), but with over 300,000 people coming in for the rally you will see a little bit of everything, and everyone is here for the same reason - to ride and have fun!

Q: I heard there will be restricted traffic pattern on bike week, is this true? I am from New Hampshire, and I really enjoyed the "parade route". Please tell me this is not true!

A: SORT OF. As a direct result of a lawsuit filed against the city by the NAACP, the traffic pattern during Myrtle Beach Bike Week will be identical to the traffic pattern used during the Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Bike Festival (a.k.a. Black Bike Week). However, the traffic restrictions will only apply to Ocean Boulevard within the city limits during certain hours, as follows:

The City of Myrtle Beach will have one-way traffic restrictions on Ocean Boulevard in place from 29th Avenue North to 17th
Avenue South only from 2:00pm to midnight on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 18-20. The two southbound lanes of Ocean Boulevard will be one way, while the two northbound lanes will be reserved for emergency vehicles. On Ocean Boulevard, there will be right turns only on 21st Ave. N., 16th Ave. N., 9th Ave. N., 3rd Ave. S., 6th Ave. S., 13th Ave. S., and 17th Ave. S. You can see a map showing the restrictions by clicking here. (PDF format, which requires Adobe Reader.)

Q: There have been many rumors going around that Myrtle Beach could start charging $10 per person to be on the Grand Strand during bike week..do you know if there is any truth to these rumors?

A: NO. No one is charging $10 to be here for Bike Week.

The confusion was caused when the city of Atlantic Beach (which just north of North Myrtle Beach) announced that during the Atlantic Beach Bikefest (aka Black Bike Week) on the Memorial Day weekend - not the Harley Rally (aka Myrtle Beach Bike Week, aka Cruisin' the Coast) they will be charging $10 to access specific parts of the city where they will be providing entertainment, security, etc. - again Atlantic Beach, not Myrtle Beach - and not during the Harley Rally.

Related article: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/opinion/14384344.htm

Q: We heard the Fall Rally in Myrtle Beach is cancelled. Is that true?

A: NO. I'm not sure how that one got started, but I have heard it a couple of times now. The Fall Rally in Myrtle Beach (aka The Pilgrimage) will be held October 4-8, 2006. If you weren't aware we had two rallies this one is worth checking out. It is smaller (about 40,000 compared to 350,000) and we don't get some of the national builders and exhibitors, but the weather is great, traffic is lighter, and accommodations are usually less expensive.

Q: Is it true Myrtle Beach banned vendors during Bike Week?

A: NO. The Myrtle Beach City Council recently agreed they would decline temporary vendor permits inside the city limits for any business on less than 50 acres. They basically protected the Convention Center and Broadway at the Beach so there will still be vendors in those locations. The main thing you need to understand is that there were only seven temporary permits that were declined and that the majority of the Bike Week vendors and activities take place outside the city limits at places like Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach (a separate city) or in the surrounding towns or unincorporated areas of the county at places like the Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson dealership, Suck Bang Blow, HB Spokes, Inlet Square Mall, etc. In fact, more vendor permits have been issued in those areas this year than last so their decision will have very little impact on Bike Week.

Q: I heard that the Hog Wild bar in Myrtle Beach was closed. We liked hanging out there. Is that true?

A: YES. When Hog Wild was originally opening the financial backers pulled out at the last second. A local restaurateur was asked to help out and they basically funded Hog Wild and the adjacent martini and sports bars that were in the same complex. The whole place is empty now and up for lease so I guess they pulled the plug.

Q: I heard the Mayor of Myrtle Beach said he wanted to hit a motorcycle with his car. That can't be right can it?

A: YES. The FORMER Mayor of Myrtle Beach Mark McBride said in October 2005 that he wanted to ban explicit T-shirts from sale and from being worn in public because his children shouldn't be exposed to a T-shirt he saw recently being worn on the street. "It was very tempting to kind of nudge the guy on the bike [with my car]," McBride said.

McBride responded to criticism of his comment that he wanted to hit motorcyclists with his car by saying, "I thought about bumping the guy," during a City Council meeting. "I admit, the thought ran through my mind."

Locals and area businesses objected loudly to his comments and RideMyrtleBeach.com organized the "Ride Against McBride" where over about 75 bikers, including riders from other states, attended a City Council meeting where I had the opportunity to speak. We made it clear we didn't appreciate the comments and that he was not welcome in the biker community. (He has a motorcycle license and liked to flash it to show people he's a biker, too.) He again arrogantly stood by his comments and a few weeks later he lost his re-election campaign and is no longer the mayor.