Killing Biker Rallies

[f-Stop]

Seems that Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is imposing its own helmet law to curb biker rally attendance despite the fact that state law does not require a helmet.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113535878

The mayor says it's for safety - which is a bunch of bull hockey - when it seems the main complaint is noise.  How about a noise ordinance instead?
Local government done gone bad. (Or at least anti-straight pipe v-twin Harley! ) 

[x]

Because it's too hard to enforce a noise ordinance.  You have to have the equipment.  You have to have trained officers.  You need to pull people over and test them.  And the die hards with loud pipes will come anyway, expecting to miss the pullover for a test.
 
OTOH, no helmet is prima facie evidence... you aint got one, you get a ticket... I could see how this would keep people away... and I am sorry that a minority of bikers with no respect for the rights of others have caused this kind of reaction.

[BF]

Myrtle Beach business owners will be the ones losing out on the $$ when their mayor and council finally kill off the bike rally. 

There are other venues and places that see the economic benefits of attracting bikes and bikers of all types and embrace them with open arms.  Panama City Beach has their Thunder Beach events twice a year now and is beginning to rival Daytona in attendance.  They sure as hell arn't gonna kill that economic boom to the area...especially in this economy. 

Panama City beach has already learn one lesson after they darn near killed off the spring breakers.  Business' don't stay open for very long when they're no visiters.  They quickly jumped on the chance to bring in the bikes and haven't looked back.  They've learned what kind of money they bring with them.  I've even heard people comment on how all of the motorcycles rumbling down the road at once is kinda exciting.  They don't seem to mind the noise. 

Fort Lauderdale killed off the spring break crowd and has regretted it ever since.......Myrtle Beach should be careful for what they ask for. 

[Colin]

Here in Spain we have exactly the opposite reaction from local councils. I can go to a bike rally every weekend of the year and not travel more than 100km's (65 miles) to get there. Nearly every town or village has one on a Sunday morning.

All bikers are welcome everything from the smallest 50cc step through to the largest Valk or Harley. The involvement of the local Police is not for enforcement but for the assistance of the bikers. There is always a ride-out for those that want to take part to parade around the streets. The Police stop the traffic to let the bikers through, an ambulance is usually at the back to ensure prompt attendance should there be a mishap (haven't seen one yet).

At the halfway stop for one recently there were so many bikes taking part (my guess over 1,000) that the car park couldn't fit the bikes so the Police said park in the street and block off one lane of a 2 lane road they then did single alternate line direction around the parked bikes whilst we sat in the sun for a drink and a chat. The local councils here know the worth of events like this let's hope that yours learn too.

I am off to one in Calpe this weekend and again if last year is anything to go by there will be around 1,000 bikes there.

Colin
(Hoping my Valk arrives tomorrow from the UK or I will have to go on the Shadow).

[Big IV]

myrtle beach, sc has nearly every officer carrying a wand to check decibels. They've been shoving them up pipes for years to write tickets. Trust me.

[Chrome]

Hi All we here in the Great White North have had a local rally for over 20 years in a little fishing village ,Pt Dover. Started by 4 guys taking a work day off to spend drinking in a local hotel. Happened to be Friday 13th.Now every Friday 13th, bikers come from all over to celebrate the day. At first both town and cops were very leery of the event but I guess money talks. Now the town welcomes the 13th crowd http://www.pd13.com/ but the noise police have been at work. Guess loud pipes are only tolerated afew times a year but not every weekend. I don't blame them at all. Happy Trails Adrian(Chrome)V

[fstsix]

And just think!!! The # 1 Noise complaint In America is---------- LAWNMOWERS!!!!! So sick hearing this BS.  Thats right Chesapeake VA you are in Violation by mowing your lawn!!!  that is Town Ordinance Law! Lets make every one a Criminal!! And also the # 1 dispute neighbor against neighbor for any noise Nice try. Better check your local City town ordinance. Read between the lines folks Yes loud pipes suck and my pipes are to loud working on that... Its not about getting ticket when i deserve one for my bike. Its about our freedom at risk. I will challenge Any body with A DB meter side by side My lawn tractor against my Blown 6 and i will tell you cannot hear my bike next to it!!!!.    Well lets watch to see what State and towns take Stimulus money because they have lost all their tax revenue and by shutting down small business one after another. BTW Going to miss the Carolina opry @ 35.00 a head no i am not going in my car remember freedom.

[solo1]

Interesting. Every time the subject of noise from straight through pipes comes up,  there is finger pointing......... True, there is a lot of noise out there but we create our own DELIBERATELY.

"We have met the enemy and they is us."

[fstsix]

Well it is Thursday again and the leaves are now coming down got to put the bagger on my lawn tractor and pump that throttle up even more. Hmmmm that should be about 95-105 db? hope i dont get any complaints.     Guilty. its hard to be humble. 

[x]

I'd be all in favor of regulations requiring quieter lawn equipment, especially those dang nab blowers.  Get a broom.

[valkmc]

Myrtle Beach business owners will be the ones losing out on the $$ when their mayor and council finally kill off the bike rally. 

There are other venues and places that see the economic benefits of attracting bikes and bikers of all types and embrace them with open arms.  Panama City Beach has their Thunder Beach events twice a year now and is beginning to rival Daytona in attendance.  They sure as hell arn't gonna kill that economic boom to the area...especially in this economy. 

Panama City beach has already learn one lesson after they darn near killed off the spring breakers.  Business' don't stay open for very long when they're no visiters.  They quickly jumped on the chance to bring in the bikes and haven't looked back.  They've learned what kind of money they bring with them.  I've even heard people comment on how all of the motorcycles rumbling down the road at once is kinda exciting.  They don't seem to mind the noise. 

Fort Lauderdale killed off the spring break crowd and has regretted it ever since.......Myrtle Beach should be careful for what they ask for. 

I don't feel all that sorry for the business owners, they drive away alot of business with their outrageous pricing, $4 for a budwieser, $165 a night for a cheap hotel room etc.

[CajunRider]

Let's see....

We're in a recession...
Businesses are folding left and right...
Less business means less tax dollars going to the state...

I know!!!  Let's raise taxes on the few businesses left!!!  Yeah... that'll fix everything!!!

And then let's kill off something like 10-20% of their business by passing new laws that disuade their regulars!!! 

Oh yeah!!!  Our problems are solved!!!

                    

[fstsix]

Well hate to put a spin on one of my spins always think out of the box. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/04/that-blissfully/ I learned this from Universitys LOL.

[solo1]

Awhile back OSHA required sound deadening ear muffs on construction sites and then required beepers to be installed on equipment that would sound when backing up. ???

[fstsix]

Well hate to put a spin on one of my spins always think out of the box. http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/04/that-blissfully/ I learned this from Universitys LOL.

Loud pipes save lives? didnt think any one was going to touch this. 

[Detn8er]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

[fstsix]

Yep wasn't going to go there but goes even deeper, The residents feel the same way got friends down in your neck of the woods. I have the same problem on the Island i live on all summer Tourist!!! Hardlys with drag pipes and of course my lawnmower  Born and raised in East LA CA. 34 years i had a bumper sticker (Welcome to California Now go Home) I wish i could have had a plan to chase every one away i would still be there.

[rainman]

I have two bikes the valk I/S with pigies cut off and then the 1700 roadstar with stright pipes like them both.  But it only take one to start sounding off.  Those are the guy's that seem to start it all. Your going through a small town or some type of festival and they just have to sound off like no one can hear them never did understand that one. Just a bunch of screw balls trying to blow up there bikes is all I can say 

[CajunRider]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

Why would the business want to send away their customers??  Maybe this is the nail salons???  (I doubt many bikers have regular pedicures...) 

I would have to think it'd be a split... half the businesses want them gone, the other half welcome them. 

[fudgie]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

Why would the business want to send away their customers??  Maybe this is the nail salons???  (I doubt many bikers have regular pedicures...) 

I would have to think it'd be a split... half the businesses want them gone, the other half welcome them. 

Depends. Depending where your at, most get 'thrown out' of their bussiness so the t-shirt vender can come in for a week and sell their stuff. Nobody wants to get there nails done but will buy a shirt during Bike week. When a landlord gets $300 a week for a nail salon he could get $1500 from a t-shirt vendor. Then they fill up parking lots to sell chrome and the resturaunt customers have no place to park.  Sometimes you cannot see the bussinesses for all the tents.
I had a pedicure last night........ 

[fudgie]

Most want bike rallies shut down everywhere. Most people in Sturgis/ Rapid City would like to see SBW come to a hault. This is why it is expanded to a 100 mile radius of Sturgis. Black Hills Rally is what Sturgis Bike Week is now called. More bikers go to the surrounding towns where they are welcomed then they goto Sturgis. Alot of new laws in Meade Co is making this more of a non-biker event, imho. Can't walk down Lazelle St without hitting a baby stroller.  ??? Its become more of a trailer and family affair then a bike rally.  I still go and spend my money even if they don't want me.

[Andy]

To hell with the revenue generated by this event.

[Detn8er]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

Why would the business want to send away their customers??  Maybe this is the nail salons???  (I doubt many bikers have regular pedicures...) 

I would have to think it'd be a split... half the businesses want them gone, the other half welcome them. 

So you didn't do any more digging....I will not be the one that types it here...

Hint for all of you. It has nothing to do with the Myrtle Beach rally that you and I would go to.

Don't believe me or think it has anything to do with loud pipes or helmets I'm OK with that but the facts are different. Again do a little digging.

[fiddle mike]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

Why would the business want to send away their customers??  Maybe this is the nail salons???  (I doubt many bikers have regular pedicures...) 

I would have to think it'd be a split... half the businesses want them gone, the other half welcome them. 

So you didn't do any more digging....I will not be the one that types it here...

Hint for all of you. It has nothing to do with the Myrtle Beach rally that you and I would go to.

Don't believe me or think it has anything to do with loud pipes or helmets I'm OK with that but the facts are different. Again do a little digging.

I doesn't take much digging to find  that people had problems with a segment of the motorcycling community and when they reacted the NAACP bloodsuckers descended like a flock of vultures.

[fstsix]

If all of you would dig just a little deeper you'll find that it is in fact the business owners of Myrtle Beach that's behind this. It has nothing to do with noise or helmets. That's just the weapon they are using to end the rallies.
It's about MONEY....... Or I should say the MONEY the business owners loose.

Why would the business want to send away their customers??  Maybe this is the nail salons???  (I doubt many bikers have regular pedicures...)  

I would have to think it'd be a split... half the businesses want them gone, the other half welcome them.  

So you didn't do any more digging....I will not be the one that types it here...

Hint for all of you. It has nothing to do with the Myrtle Beach rally that you and I would go to.

Don't believe me or think it has anything to do with loud pipes or helmets I'm OK with that but the facts are different. Again do a little digging.

Hey you know i know but its your neck of the woods why dont you tell every one what happens From the store owners at black bike week?  

[SANDMAN5]

Hey you know i know but its your neck of the woods why dont you tell every one what happens From the store owners at black bike week?

I can't tell you a lot, but the Wife and I were down there a few years back a couple of weeks
after BBW. My wife is a talker, so while I shopped for "biker stuff" she was talking to the
store owner. He said after 3 years of trying to turn a profit during BBW, he finally did as a lot
of others did and closed down for that week. I asked him if he didn't make many sales or
if it was because the bikers caused too much trouble. "Both" was his reply. Seemed he got rid
of a lot of inventory but a good chunk of it never got checked out at the cash register. He
also said he was tired of sleeping in his store every night during BBW to ward off smash&grabs.

[CajunRider]

Hey you know i know but its your neck of the woods why dont you tell every one what happens From the store owners at black bike week?

I can't tell you a lot, but the Wife and I were down there a few years back a couple of weeks
after BBW. My wife is a talker, so while I shopped for "biker stuff" she was talking to the
store owner. He said after 3 years of trying to turn a profit during BBW, he finally did as a lot
of others did and closed down for that week. I asked him if he didn't make many sales or
if it was because the bikers caused too much trouble. "Both" was his reply. Seemed he got rid
of a lot of inventory but a good chunk of it never got checked out at the cash register. He
also said he was tired of sleeping in his store every night during BBW to ward off smash&grabs.

Now THIS type of situation, I can understand.  If law and order is removed, anyone around has the right to be upset.  (Of course, anyone always that right... it's America... but I can understand it better if theft is rampant.) 

So, in reality, it's the few rowdy thieves ruining the entire rally for the locals and possibly getting the whole thing canceled. 

I thank you for clearing that up for me.  Now, I can understand. 

Though... it is as shame that you had to tell me cause I was too lazy to go look it up for myself.