Daytona Bike Week Rolls into the Sunshine State for the 77th year

We've headed over to Daytona, Florida USA for the 77th Daytona Bike Week from 9th-18th March. Along with the Sturgis Rally held annually in South Dakota, Daytona's one of the USA's "big two" motorcycle shows each drawing an estimated 0.5m visitors.

We'll be trading our range of premium quality gear for bike fanatics, motorcycle racing fans and petrol heads at the main trading area - "Destination Daytona" in the main lot at Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Harley Davidson.

There's loads of new gear for US show goers plus we're going to be launching an exciting new line during the Show. We can't say much more about it until it goes official - so stay tuned to our social media platforms for more details.

Wall-to-wall entertainment

If variety and non stop entertainment's your thing, Daytona Bike Week definitely delivers. There's a mega amount of action in the form of bike shows, events and general entertainment - from free gigs, street festivals, bike exhibitions and marts to bike blessings, swimsuit contests and wrestling - from the "world famous" coleslaw variety, to arm and "micro midget." Band wise there's something for everyone - from "Microwave Dave and the Nukes' to 'Bath Street Zombies!'  

Bike Shows & Meets

The sheer number of shows and bike marts during Bike Week is almost overwhelming. Show goers can while the time away at the Full Throttle Classic Bike Show with over 2000 bikes entered for this year or if you're a custom fiend, the Rats Hole Custom Bike and Chopper Show might be more your thing. Although most bikes on show are inevitably US-style, there is a nod in the direction of Euro aesthetics in the form of the annual Cafe Racer and Classic Show. If you regard engines of less than, eh.... about 1800cc as mere child's play, then head for the V8 parade: the sound of thunder will be in town in the form of V8 motorcycles and trikes. Anyone for a 125cc electric commuter bike? Bike Week's largest swap meet with loads of parts and accessories always attracts a huge crowd and demo rides will be available from some of the big players like Harley Davidson and Indian.

Main Street is the place to hang out if you want to people watch and enjoy a hit of semi controlled mayhem. It's difficult to convey the craziness and frenetisism of the overall spectacle that awaits the first time visitor to Main Street - it's a veritable melting pot of bikes, booze and barely clad backsides. Endless processions of choppers, bobbers, baggers and cruisers rumble along amidst a seething mass of people cruising the sidewalks between lines of parked bikes. 

Racing 

Amongst all the brouhaha centred around Main Street, Daytona Bike Week always offers motorcycle racing enthusiasts a serious hit of top AMA race action on three different surfaces: dirt, clay and asphalt.

Dirt fans are treated to high adrenaline fuelled action in the form of round ten (17 in total) of the Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship on March 10th. The world's best exponents of Supercross will be "rubin' elbows" on a track designed by seven times 450cc MX champ, five times 450cc Supercross champ and all time motocross "GOAT," Ricky Carmichael. 

AFT American Flat Track kick starts a new 18 round season with The Daytona TT on the 15th March and this year's race will be run on an improved circuit on the infield of the International Speedway. The new "bigger, better and faster" track has been created by ex racer Chris Carr and is going to be more exciting for riders and spectators. Corners have been widened out to be faster and a new bigger jump created. Last year's champion and Indian rider Jared Mees will be going all out for a second successive title chased along by his Indian "Wrecking Crew" team mates and championship runners-up, Bryan Smith and Brad Baker. Mees had a phenomenal season last year winning ten races and standing on the podium a total of seventeen times! It's also going to be fascinating to see if Harley Davidson can respond to Indian's overall dominance in 2017.

The racing always rounds off with the world famous Daytona 200 held at the tri-oval International Speedway on March 17th. "America's most historic motorcycle race" has been won by such US legends as Gary Nixon, Roberts, Spencer,  Russell, Schwantz, Hayden and Ben Bostrum - not forgetting Euro duo Jarno Saarinen and Ago in the early 70s and Brit Chaz Davies of Wales in 2008. 

Daytona Bike Week is from 9th-18th March and if you're going, you'll find Red Torpedo's merchandising stand in "Destination Daytona" - at Bruce Rossmeyers Daytona Harley Davidson.