The Popularity of Motorcycle Rallies
Motorcycle lovers all over the world have a common desire, to attend motorcycle rallies in any form they can. This phenomenon is not limited to motorcycles only but car enthusiasts and especially sports car lovers are huge fans of rallies. A rally in this sense means simply a large scale gathering of different types of motorcycles or cars. Often racing takes place at rallies and contests to determine the best bikes are also held. In order to get to these rallies, riders take on huge journeys across different states and sometimes even countries in a test of man and machine. These rallies have been getting more popular over the years and look all set to become even bigger in the future.
One of the biggest gatherings of bikes and their owners takes place every year at Sturgis, South Dakota. It is said that the Sturgis Rally was actually the birthplace of bike rallies becoming popular and the first one was held in 1938. This first rally was held on August 14th by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club. The founder of the rally is considered by many to be Clarence "Pappy" Hoel, who set up the club in 1937. The first ever event was called ‘The Black Hills Classic’, and it featured a single race with nine motorcycles and a few spectators. From that point forward every rally featured more races and stunt riding to increasing numbers of spectators. In recent years attendance numbers have soared, in 2004, 514,951 people were thought to have showed up and in 2005, 525,250 bike enthusiasts turned up. The event has even been featured on ESPN SportsCenter which highlighted the entire event and its participants.
The question to be asked here is why do so many people come to bike rallies and why did 525,250 people decide in 2005 to pack up get on their motorcycles and travel to a gathering of bikes to watch some racing and some stunt riding? There is a specific type of motorcycle enthusiast that attends a rally. According to research done, most rally attendees are usually affluent baby boomers who hold down regular jobs during the day. That image of a burly, bearded and heavily tattooed biker wearing leather is very misleading. The people who ride motorcycles and attend rallies are normal everyday people who hold down regular jobs such as doctors, dentists, lawyers and engineers. They visit rallies and ride motorcycles because they have a wild side that is satiated by riding motorcycles at high speeds in their free time. A lot of people have now started to bring their children to bike rallies as well and one can often see little babies strapped into child motorcycle seats. It has now become a family affair.
There are many reasons why people attend these rallies. Firstly bike rallies are the one place were enthusiasts get to see the most beautiful bikes around and also the craziest characters around. They are also places where a large number of different people from all walks of life get together and meet up and have a good time over a common love; motorcycles. There is a lot of drinking and partying going on at these rallies and this is a big pull for those that attend. Get 500,000 people together in one place and it will automatically turn into a huge party. There are four big rallies that take place every year in America and these also have the highest attendance numbers of them all. The first has already been talked about, Sturgis and this rally has the highest level of attendance every year which hovers around 650,000 a year in recent years. The next biggest rally is Daytona Bike Week which hosts almost 550,000 motorcycle fans every year. Also included in this list is the Laconia Motorcycle Week and the Myrtle Beach Bike Week.
In the future motorcycle rallies will just keep on getting bigger and bigger and more popular with each passing year. The allure of racing events and stunt shows along with the chance to meet up with other biking enthusiasts is a huge attraction for those that love bikes. The rebellious nature of bike lovers and a chance to travel huge distances in order to attend their favourite rally is a great motivator to take a vacation from work, pull on some leather and take to the open road on a powerful machine.
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