As a woman motorcycle rider and the owner of Lace Wheels - Motorcycles and women, I have always dreamed of riding my motorcycle to Laconia bike week. So on Saturday June 14 2008, opening day of Laconia bike week, and the only day it did not rain, I jumped on my bike and finally realized my dream.
I am fortunate enough to live just about an hour and twenty-minute ride away from Laconia New Hampshire in the town of Gorham Maine. It is a straight shot from my front door down Route 25; formally known as Ossipee Trail, turn left at Meredith New Hampshire, cruise 106 at a stop and go pace for about 20 minutes and your there.
My husband Michael, my friend Cheryl and I decided to make it a day run. So I hoped on my motorcycle, a Harley Davidson Sportster 883 Low, Cheryl on her Kawasaki Vulcan 900, and Michael on his Honda VTX 1300RS and we headed out.
Friends who had been to Laconia bike week in the past told us traffic would be terrible. One old Laconia veteran of 20 some odd years told me that bikes would be lined up fpr miles, and that we would be stuck in stop and go traffic for half of the day before we even reached Meredith Harley Davidson. I am glad to report that was not the case. It only took us about 20 minutes to go from Center Harbor at the top of Lake Winnipesauke down to Meredith Harley Davidson.
We stopped at Meredith Harley Davidson for a bite to eat at the Harts Turkey House concession. We did a bit of shopping at the other vender’s tents and look around; of course, as always the showstopper was Orange County Chopper. On display was their new line of production custom motorcycles, presented in all of their custom chopper glory.
S&S motorcycles were there showing off some of their V-twin muscle with displays such as the S&S X-Wedge engine, and gearing up for their 50th anniversary. All of the representatives there were more then helpful, answering all of my questions professionally and understandable.
Although I do not smoke, chew or endorse any tobacco products, Copenhagen smokeless tobacco was giving away a chance to win one of three Voodoo choppers…
After we had visited every booth and concession in Meredith Harley Davidson’s parking lot we jumped on our motorcycles and headed down into the heart of the festival, Main Street Laconia.
It was a little slow going but after another 20 minutes or so, we arrived at Weirs Beach Laconia. Parking was a bitch though. Having been to Laconia before with her husband, Cheryl said she knew a great place to park the bikes, so we let her take the lead. At the end of the side street Cheryl took us down was a fenced in area for motorcycle parking. We were not the only riders looking for a quick place to park. Because when we turned, twenty or so other motorcycles turned behind us. Only one problem though, the lot was full. Fortunately, for us, we were at the front of the pack and turned around before any of the other bikers knew what was going on or we would have been stuck there for an hour trying to get out. 
Main street was full as well, so we road down a bit farther and opted to pay for parking in a lot. It cost $ 5.00 each to park the bikes and we were off to enjoy the carnage that is Laconia.
A short walk and we were on the main drag. Every make and model of motorcycles lined both sides of the street and there were peoples everywhere. The constant sound of loud rumbling pipes and the rhythm of the rock-n-roll music coming from the bandstand is enough to get your heart pumping. It is exciting to say the least.
Off to the right was the world famous Weirs Beach Lakeside Train rides packed with bikers from all over wanting to take the Lake Winnipesauke scenic tour. On the other side of the street venders had taken over and had set up their makeshift storefronts to sell all sorts of motorcycle related paraphernalia. You could find everything form tee shirts, leather vests and jackets to custom motorcycle parts and accessories just walking up the street. The hardest thing to find though was a restroom. Although that really was not a problem, all we did was go in to The Crazy Gringo Mexican Bar & Grill, get something to drink and the facilities were free.
The diversity of different motorcycles was fantastic. If you are a connoisseur and as much of a custom motorcycles fanatic as I am, just being able to check out all of the bikes makes the trip well worth it. Out side of the more common stock, motorcycles, for lack of a better word, there were plenty of fantastic customs to gawk at and drool over.
One of my favorites was a canary yellow Harley Davidson bagger, fully decked out. There were also custom trikes, choppers and even funny little red, two-seat three-wheeled creature.
The most inspiring motorcycle I saw though was a Honda Gold Wing known as the Bible Bike. This motorcycle is a riding pictorial of the Bible. On one side of the bike are Adam and Eve, and on the other side is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. What a cool bike, not to mention the free Bibles.
The sky started to look a little threatening as dark clouds formed off in the distance, so we decides it was time to head back to our bikes and start for home. One Quick pit stop to relieve our selves before the journey back home, a quick look around the Boston chapter of the Hells Angles tent by my husband for a possible deal on a set of pips, and we were off. Well, after he pulled Cheryl and my motorcycles out of the tight parking space we had left them in.
One more thing that is worth mentioning, I am very happy to say that I did notice alot of women on motorcycles.
“Next stop, on to Sturgis!”
If you would like to see all of the great photo's I took while in Laconia, you can check them out in my group Motorcycles and women at Flickr.com. http://www.flickr.com/groups/womenandmotorcycles/
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