Web site: Myrtle Beach biker rallies are over
MYRTLE BEACH - A new Web site is telling the world that, as far as the City of Myrtle Beach is concerned, the biker rallies which attracted an estimated half million people to the area each spring are over.
The Web site, Myrtlebeachbikerinfo.com, was launched last week by the city and Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce. At the top, it says "effective 2009, Myrtle Beach will no longer host motorcycle rallies."
The city council last month approved changes to restrictive ordinances targeting the May rallies.
The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports the city never officially hosted the Harley-Davidson and Atlantic Beach Bikefest which drew tens of thousands of bikers during a three-week period each May.
But the bikers would cruise through the city and local residents often complained about noise and congestion.
The city announced it would work to end the rallies after a Coastal Carolina University student was shot and killed last year during Bikefest in a dispute over a parking space.
"Myrtle Beach doesn't want to be the center of the motorcycle universe in May anymore," city spokesman Mark Kruea said.
The Web site outlines the new ordinances. "We have new laws, and we'd rather not surprise visitors," Kruea said.
Even though South Carolina has no statewide helmet law, the new laws require everyone riding a cycle in the city to use a helmet and eye protection.
The changes also say only two motorcycles can share a parking space. They impose a 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew for those younger than 18.
Besides the Web site, brochures have been printed with the new laws.
Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive Brad Dean says the brochures won't generally be mailed out, but will be given to those requesting information.
He says the chamber provides information and each year gets thousands of calls from people asking about the rallies or wanting to avoid them.
"We anticipate those calls are going to increase as May gets closer, and we want to make sure we are giving out accurate, consistent information," Dean said.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly versionComments
ccfirefighterchick (anonymous) says...
Myrtle Beach is cutting its own throat on this one. About a half-a-million people turn out for the rallies. They bring in revenue for the businesses and governments with them. I wonder how the city is going to make up the difference in tax revenue without all of these people coming in. Room rentals, food, clothing, gifts and anything else that bikers normally buy will not be sold. The state will lose the sales tax revenue and the City of Myrtle Beach will lose the local option, hospitality, and accommodations taxes that are normally paid. The residents of Myrtle Beach better be prepared to pay more in property taxes to make up the difference.
January 13, 2009 at 10:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Surfcaster (anonymous) says...
Myrtle Beach will survive well without the rallies. Charleston, why don't you invite the rallies and make them welcome?
January 13, 2009 at 11:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mamatrip (anonymous) says...
And since the May biker rally is Myrtle Beach's only source of revenue, they'll be in big trouble now, right?
It isn't going to hurt them at all. So many people who avoid Myrtle Beach during the biker rallies will be there that week that MB may even come out ahead. I have relatives who visit for a month or two each spring but plan their departure just before the biker rallies. They'll be thrilled to know that isn't an issue any more.
January 13, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
taketime2read (anonymous) says...
Insted of grouping up with friends & enjoying a relaxing ride to & through the grand strand this Spring & supply the city with tax revenue maybe we should all rent a huge gas sucking SUV & head to the Hard Rock theme park.Oh wait,it went belly up.Well then how about we still plan to rent a gas sucking road hog SUV & head to the pavillion & ride the roller coaster.No.That won't work either because the city closed it as well.Looks like all the city is doing is removing the grand from the strand.Let's go to Florida & take our revenue with us insted :)
January 13, 2009 at 11:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
River_Rat (anonymous) says...
The reason they cancelled the events was because too many participates demonstrated bad behaviors. In other words the events became more trouble than they were worth. I ride and would have liked to have seen things worked out differently but I don't blame the city of Myrtle Beach for this decision.
January 13, 2009 at 11:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
desspec (anonymous) says...
The city never officially hosted the event but it happened anyway. So, now that the city will no longer host the event (?) won't it still happen? Look out Folly Beach!
January 13, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
softbatch (anonymous) says...
Myrtle Beach will be just fine. Not to name names, but one of the rallys never brought much money anyway, but they couldn't just remove one, so they had to end both or be paid a visit from a certain reverend.
January 13, 2009 at 12:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
ABOUT TIME THEY GOT RID OF BIKERS- MIDDLE AGE MEN LOOKING TO SEW OATS - HAS BEEN DAYS. THEY NEED TO GET A ROCKING CHAIR AND WATCH BASKETBALL
January 13, 2009 at 12:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Larz13 (anonymous) says...
I am sure that the lost tax revenue will be offset by less overtime for the police, fire and EMS.
January 13, 2009 at 1 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
green123 (anonymous) says...
softbatch, i think you hit the nail on the head with your post. In this world you have to be fair and end both instead of the one that is causing the problems or the city would have a lawsuit on their hands.
January 13, 2009 at 1:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
me1059 (anonymous) says...
I don't know if any of you who have commented have actually lived through the experience of "Bike Week" which in recent years basically became "Bike Month". While some businesses did benefit financially, many did not. The traffic would become so bad that you simply couldn't get to some establishments, and many attendees spent their money on items offered by temporary vendors. And if you weren't a business frequented by the bikers during that time period, you couldn't even choose to close and take a few days off because you were sued for discrimination. I can't even begin to explain the behavior or the amount of trash simply thrown in the streets from one of the events -I truly thought it was an exaggeration until I witnessed it myself for seven years. (some of the behavior during "grad/first week" isn't much better)There are some things you just can't explain to young children who shouldn't have had to be exposed to such!
I'm old enough to remember when May was a "family month" at the beach - a kickoff to summer. We would go down for Mother's Day weekend and again as soon as we could get out of school for Memorial Day. The weather was/is great that time of year and many people prefer it to summer. As someone noted, even though these two events were billed as "weeks" the effects were such that the entire month was basically lost to anything but bikers. I beleive there are many breathing a sigh of relief in MB and once word gets out, it won't take long for vacationers to reclaim the month of May!
January 13, 2009 at 1:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
softbatch (anonymous) says...
I lived in River Oaks off of 501 from 2000-2005, so I am very familiar with both bike weeks. It was well beyond the time to shut those rallies down, if for no other reason, to stop these people from dying. I think one Harley rally a few years ago had 10-12 deaths in 10 days.
January 13, 2009 at 2:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
me1059 (anonymous) says...
My sympathy - I also lived off of 501 and the company I worked for owned several locations requiring me to travel up and down the grand strand - it was impossible to get from one end to the other, especially around the Broadway at the Beach area! I have to admit, some of the bikes were beautiful to look at as you sat in traffic!!!
January 13, 2009 at 3:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JohnS (anonymous) says...
The Black Bike week was bleeding the merchants. It was the right thing to by getting rid of both weeks.
January 13, 2009 at 4:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodkarmasc (anonymous) says...
I never understood the draw to Myrtle for bikers. It's way to commercialized, way to sterile, and has little to no character.
Beaufort, Folly, Georgetown, Murrells Inlet, Edisto, Surfside, Garden City....now those places have character, history, and a real need for tourist dollars. Let the Yankees have Myrtle Beach.
January 13, 2009 at 5:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
KB1 (anonymous) says...
Mrtyle Beach never really hosted Bike Week, the event will go on with or without MB. MB's lost is now North Myrtle Beaches gain.
I have already put my $$$ into a North Myrtle Beach rental for the week and know many other that have done the same. Plan to keep my moeny out of MB. Bike Rally will be fine in 09....
January 13, 2009 at 7:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
fyrefighter273 (anonymous) says...
goodkarmasc said it, and said it well, never really liked the bike week, SC has too much charm and great rides without MB bike events. Next they will extend the canada week to a month as well, more looney's and toonies for us to try to dump. Just keep them in MB, when I ride I have a whole new world wothout MB.
January 13, 2009 at 7:11 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jammer (anonymous) says...
I ride too but I quit going to it back in the late 80's... and they are probably still trying to sell the same t-shirts every 1/2 mile... lol
MB will lose A LOT of revenue, that Harley week was the highest week of revenue for the entire year for decades
they have no clue what they just cost themselves, but who cares... the bikers will just move and take their money somewhere else
all because of a shooting at black bike week two weeks AFTER the original real bike week... with that mentality we should close the entire tricounty as well, we've had several black on black shootings/killings/stabbings here in the last week... time to close n.charleston... lol
January 13, 2009 at 7:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
burton (anonymous) says...
"Even though South Carolina has no statewide helmet law, the new laws require everyone riding a cycle in the city to use a helmet and eye protection."
Well, this is an easy lawsuit to bring to quash that one. I'm sure there are some other lawsuits being brought also. Riders, don't let MB do this!! Fight back!!
January 13, 2009 at 8:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
JoanneH (anonymous) says...
Honestly, I am more interested in vacationing in MB now that they have set some boundaries. I spent four nights in a very nice hotel listening to the choking and roaring, backfiring and zooming of motorcycle after motorcycle a few years ago. I swore never again would I pay what I did to stay in a room that wasn't at least relatively quiet.
Shame it had to be this way, but it's mostly true that rules are necessitated by the ones who don't know how to make good decisions.
January 13, 2009 at 8:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yird (anonymous) says...
Nightmare Custom Cycles has just opened a nice shop in Harleyville and the Mayor there is a Harley rider and very much in favor of bike week being held there.
The police dept is in agreement with the idea and it is going to happen.
Those who expect to come into town racing their "crotch rockets" can expect something less than encouragement from the police or the many bikers who are already starting to converge on Harleyville.
BTW singleroni with mozzarella, Not all bikers are middle age, I'm way past that, hardly ever sit in a rocker and absolutely despise basketball.
I have a similar dislike for childish attention demanding individuals that have to capitalize their whole post, fearing they might be otherwise overlooked.
January 13, 2009 at 9:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Full terms and conditions can be read here.
Thank you for your interest in this story. The comment thread for this article has been closed.
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
