96th Laconia Motorcycle Week

Ninety-six years ago, America’s oldest motorcycle rally started out as a scenic motorcycle ride to Laconia, New Hampshire and the Lakes Region.  Weirs Beach lies in the northern corner of Laconia along Lake Winnipesaukee and acts as ground zero for this annual two-wheeled extravaganza.

Laconia Motorcycle Week takes place over nine days each June, ending on Father’s Day. This year’s rally happened on June 8-16, and riders came from all across America to enjoy great riding with good friends. The 13th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride left the Naswa Resort on Monday morning for a police escorted ride out to Lake Winnipesaukee and returned around 4pm. For those who love the smell of hot oil and the sound of screaming motors, great racing action was found throughout the week at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the FIM North American Vintage Championships.

Riders rocked out at the Naz Bar & Grill on the water, hit Music at the Marketplace, or hung out at the Broken Spoke Saloon for barrel and slow races, mechanical bull rides, and the usual biker-style fun. The Paradise Beach Club held events throughout the week, as did the Tower Hill Tavern. The folks out at Laconia Harley-Davidson, Seacoast Harley-Davidson, Heritage H-D, and the Harley Shop of Rochester made sure that vacationing bikers were made to feel right at home for this week of good times. The dealerships offered vendors, food, live music, and demo rides of their latest models.

Shuttle boats between Weirs Beach and Meredith were a great way to take in the summer sun and enjoy wet and wild lakeside cruisin’. Thousands of riders hit the Laconia Roadhouse and Faro’s Italian Grille for a cold brew and great food. Here you could take in the Wet T-shirt Contest every afternoon and also enjoy a cavalcade of live bands, all emceed by the hilarious Jack Schit. The Smokin’ Tire Saloon offered mud wrestlin’ and burn out pits every day, and killer music to keep your boots tappin’.

Highlights of Thursday included a ride up to Mount Washington, the highest mountain in New England, where they shut the highway down to cars and only allow motorcycles on the windy mountain roads. We also attended the POW/MIA Vigil in Meredith to honor our servicemen and women who were lost in action. 

But the best aspect of this amazing rally is riding through some of the most scenic roads this country has to offer. And that’s where Steel Horse Audio comes in. If you have a motorcycle that didn’t come with speakers or a stereo from the factory and you like to take your tunes with you on the road, Steel Horse Audio has the perfect motorcycle speaker system, matched to your needs. As every biker knows, it’s not the destination, it’s the ride, and Steel Horse Audio makes sure yours will be a ride to remember.

For more information on next year’s Laconia Run, visit www.laconiamcweek.com

—Dave Nichols