Laconia gearing up for Bike Week '10

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Just five weeks away, the 87th running of Laconia Motorcycle Week, which takes place from June 12-20, is shaping up to be similar to last year, with city officials reporting that a like number of site plan applications has been received and rally organizers are again cautioning that gasoline prices and the weather will, to a large degree, determine attendance.

As of Thursday and entering the final meeting of the city's Motorcycle Technical Review Committee on May 12, the city has received 47 applications, compared to 46 in 2009, from Laconia property owners who want to use their land for Bike Week-related activities.

Bike Week site plan fees last year generated $16,000 in revenues for the city while licensing fees brought in some $130,000 resulting in the city cumulatively, through other revenue sources and by not expending as much as budgeted for police and fire services, to realize a "profit" of almost $30,000. It was not immediately known how much licensing fees were for 2010.

Money the city "earns" goes into a dedicated Bike Week fund where it can be used for Bike Week-related expenses. The city tries less to make money on Bike Week — in addition to site plan and licensing fees, it make money by renting space on the municipal Lakeside Avenue boardwalk, on Weirs Boulevard and at the Lakeport fire station — than to offset the cost of providing city services during the nine-day rally so as to not burden taxpayers.

"Things are fine and I just hope that gasoline doesn't get over $3 a gallon before now and then and we'll keep our fingers crossed with the weather," said Charlie St. Clair, the executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. "Everything's starting to come together."

Asked about turnout, St. Clair said it was a tough call, explaining that the only rally he's attended so far this year was Daytona Bike Week from Feb. 26 to March 10 where the numbers "were about the same," although attendance seemed to be up at the International Motorcycle Show there.

Individually and together, however, "that's not really an indication of anything," said St. Clair, who noted that for 2010 Bike Week is welcoming a new sponsor — Amsoil — which promotes "sister rallies" in Daytona and Sturgis, S.D. — and seeing Progressive Insurance become the rally's first-ever title sponsor. Progressive will be selling corn-on-the-cob during the rally and donating proceeds to a local charity.

The rally this year will also feature a motocross at The Lodge at Belmont, said St. Clair, and — in response to numerous requests over the years — motorcycle parts-swap meets in both Ashland and at Opechee Park in Laconia.

St. Clair reported a steady stream of phone calls to rally offices and numerous hits on its website at www.laconiamcweek.com. The association can also be reached on Facebook and Twitter, neither of which — along with straying too close to the yellow line — St. Clair advises to anyone actively operating a motorcycle.

Between now and Bike Week, St. Clair will hit the road in the association's van and head west to promote the rally. He said a successful Bike Week is one where people come to Laconia and the Lakes Region to have a good time and have it, "and that's what really shows a successful rally."

Bike Week 2009, which featured days of rain intermixed with bright, steamy sunshine, was a sedate affair by city police and fire department standards that ultimately saw the two departments return some $60,000 in unexpended funds to the Bike Week budget.

Laconia Police Chief Mike Moyer said the 75 arrests his department made in 2009 were the lowest since he joined the LPD in 1984; Laconia police made 80 arrests, citywide, during Bike Week 2008.

Also, there were, to Moyer's relief, no fatal accidents in the city although there were several serious motorcycle accidents and LPD Motorcycle Officer Carl Atherton was injured in an accident which was caused by an inattentive rider.

The light crowds in 2009 allowed the Weirs Channel Bridge to be re-opened to four-wheel traffic earlier than usual and, for Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson, the rally was "a non-event which is great from our perspective because when we have very few problems it means everybody's healthy and safe and not getting hurt."

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