Daytona Bike Week

Each March, tens of thousands of motorcyclists flock to Daytona Beach, Florida to show off their custom rides, swap stories with other bikers and celebrate the rebel spirit of the open road.

Considered the largest motorcycle event in the world, Bike Week attracts 500,000 enthusiasts from all over the world arriving on every type of motorcycle in the world; from Hondas and Kawasakis, to Ducatis and Triumphs, and of course Harley-Davidsons.

Motorcyclists began making the trek to Florida in 1937, when the first motorcycle race was held on the hard sands of Daytona Beach.

The race continued until World War II, when rationing of fuel, tires and engine parts put the event on hold.  Even without a race to attend, bikers continued to show up at Daytona each year for an unofficial party known as Bike Week.

By 1947, when racing on the beach continued, 176 riders were making the yearly pilgrimage to Daytona.  The event took on a rugged edge, with outlaw bikers raising havoc in the sleepy beach town.  Locals began to fear the yearly invasion and police began to crack down on the revelers.

Relations between bikers and the law continued to deteriorate, reaching a low point in 1986.  The next year a special task force was organized by the city in cooperation with the local chamber of commerce to improve relations and change the magnitude and scope of the event.

Today Bike Week has been transformed into a 10-day festival where motorcycle enthusiasts enjoy hundreds of events.  Through these riders we’ll get an inside view of the event.

Be prepared to attend the motorcycle exhibits, the concerts, the race at Daytona International Speedway, the spectacle of main street as well as all the behind the scenes parties.

Bike Week has become such a success that in 1992, organizers decided to offer a fall event that would give riders one last hurrah before the long, cold winter months, Biketoberfest. 

You'll discover why half-a-million people carve out one week in March to make the pilgrimage to Daytona for the madness of Bike Week.