Gun-toting bikers enjoyed the final weekend of Daytona Bike Week 2023

EXCLUSIVE: Riding into the sunset! Gun-toting bikers enjoy the final weekend of Daytona Bike Week as revelers relax on the beach after cheering bikini-contest the night before Daytona Beach Bike Week 2023 has rolled into its final weekend of revelry The event was a feast for the eyes as motorcyclist enthusiast’s packed the town Hundreds-of-thousands came to the event which has been running for 82 years By Aneeta Bhole For Dailymail. Com Published: 15:15 EST, 11 March 2023 | Updated: 19:46 EST, 11 March 2023 e-mail 13 shares 145 View comments As Daytona Beach Bike Week 2023 rolls into its final weekend visitors can expect to see a menagerie of attractions including bikini-clad beauties, wet t-shirt competitions and gun-toting bike lovers. Hundreds-of-thousands from across the globe and country descended on the annual Florida event packing the streets and beaches to celebrate more than eight decades of revelry.

Before the event even started on March 4, locals were noticing more motorcycles cruising their streets than normal and only more will pour in as the event runs until March 13. The event winds through various counties – Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Duval, and others – and the event is estimated to see up to 400,000 visitors throughout the 10 days.

As Daytona Beach Bike Week 2023 rolls into its final weekend visitors can expect to see a menagerie of attractions including bikini-clad beauties, wet t-shirt competitions and gun-toting bike lovers Hundreds-of-thousands from across the globe and country descended on the annual Florida event packing the streets and beaches to celebrate more than eight decades of revelry Local hotels reported higher reservation numbers than normal, with CEO of Ormond Beach-based Elite Hospitality Inc, Manoj Bhoola, expecting his hotels’ 533 rooms to be completely sold out by the end of the event. ‘Unlike last year, we had reservations start to come in two to three months in advance,’ he told the Daytona Beach News-Journal. ‘With people trying to get back to the new normal, enthusiasm around the outdoor events like this one is extremely high.

We are seeing that the majority of our customers are from other states than Florida. ‘ The motorcyclist’s mecca saw hundreds of different brightly colored two-wheeled vehicles as well as their eclectic owners. The event was a feast for the eyes with visitors seen whipping out their phones and cameras at the plentiful opportunities to take a snap as they walked along the sunny coast.

At a balmy 86 degrees the beaches also saw crowds propping up marquees to escape the blistering heat. The event’s organizer’s guaranteed the atmosphere would be ‘electric’ and their prophecy appeared to come true with crowd numbers larger than previous years. Before the event even started on March 4, locals were noticing more motorcycles cruising their streets than normal and only more will pour in as the event runs until March 13 The event winds through various counties – Volusia, Flagler, St.

Johns, Duval, and others – and the event is estimated to see up to 400,000 visitors throughout the 10 days The motorcyclist’s mecca saw hundreds of different brightly colored two-wheeled vehicles as well as their eclectic owners A man was seen sitting along the main street during bike week on a two-wheeled yellow monster motorcycle The event was a feast for the eyes with visitors seen whipping out their phones and cameras at the plentiful opportunities to take a snap as they walked along the sunny coast A ‘Chuckie’ themed motorcycle competing in the 34th Annual Boardwalk Hard sand, warm winter days and the excitement of that first motorcycle race have been lauded as the reason for the success of the 82-year-old event. The event evolving into more than just a race in recent years Bike Week has been a tradition since January 24, 1937 – the inaugural running of the Daytona 200 Hard sand, warm winter days and the excitement of that first motorcycle race have been lauded as the reason for the success of the 82-year-old event. Bike Week has been a tradition since January 24, 1937 – the inaugural running of the Daytona 200.

The first race took place on a 3. 2-mile beach and road course, located south of Daytona Beach. Ed Kretz of Monterey Park, CA was its first winner, riding an American made Indian motorcycle and averaging 73.

34 mph. Kretz also won the inaugural City of Daytona Beach trophy. The 1937, racecourse ran approximately one and a half miles north on the beach through a 1/4 mile turn where the sand was banked, and then onto the paved, public roadway portion for the trip south.

Coming back on the final turn, another high sand bank awaited riders as they raced on the hard sands of the beach and starting times for these events were dictated by the local tide tables. The races continued from 1937 to 1941. In the early years the Daytona 200 was also called the ‘Handlebar Derby.

‘ Harley-Davidson has and continues to be a huge part of Bike Week in Daytona Beach and in 1940 the company’s bikes not only won the Daytona 200-mile road race Championship, but 8 of the top ten were won by Harley-Davidson riders. In 1942, the Daytona 200 was discontinued because of World War II, its sanctioning body , the American Motorcycling Association (AMA) solemnly noted it was ‘in the interests of national defense’ that the event was canceled. At a balmy 86 degrees the beaches also saw crowds propping up marquees to escape the blistering heat Two women were seen posing with one another at the beach The event’s organizer’s guaranteed the atmosphere would be ‘electric’ and their prophecy appeared to come true with crowd numbers larger than previous years Bike Week has transformed into a 10-day festival that expands throughout Volusia County Hundreds of events for motorcycle enthusiasts are readily available to enjoy and hundreds-of-thousands of visitors come into Daytona Beach annually Bikers cruising along Main Street during Bike Week 2023 in Daytona Beach With the war, came a general rationing of fuel, tyres, and key engine components but while the event was officially called off people still showed up.

After the war, motorcycle races on the beach were organized, events surrounding the race were not. As time passed, locals became afraid of the visitors and law enforcement officers and city officials were less than enthusiastic about what some termed an ‘invasion. ‘ Relations between the bikers and law enforcement officials continued to worsen until just after 1986, when a special task force was organized by the city to improve relations.

Today Bike Week has transformed into a 10-day festival that expands throughout Volusia County. Hundreds of events for motorcycle enthusiasts are readily available to enjoy and hundreds-of-thousands of visitors come into Daytona Beach annually. The event sadly has a tragic side with several deaths attributed to the event.

These numbers have significantly dropped since 2006, where 15 people died, this year only three deaths have been reported. As night descended on Daytona Beach, neon lights replaced the sunshine and an evening of debauchery took shape. The annual bikini competition saw bombshells scantily clad in bathers screaming for the approval of the crowd.

Other images from the night show women having jugs of water poured onto them by elderly men as the night wore on. The annual bikini competition saw bombshells scantily clad in bathers screaming for the approval of the crowd As night descended on Daytona Beach, neon lights replaced the sunshine and an evening of debauchery took shape The ‘Burning Bike’ Bikini Contest at the Fastlane Campground Deland saw a number of women compete A huge wooden bike effigy was the highlight of the evening and was lit ablaze as applauding and cheering crowds watched on The structure took about two months, and more than 6,000 nails and pieces of hardware, to build at Rentz’s property in unincorporated DeLand After the structure was sprayed with lighter fluid, Rentz used a flamethrower to set it ablaze to the delight of about 4,000 attendees A huge wooden bike effigy was the highlight of the evening and was lit ablaze as applauding and cheering crowds watched on. The structure took about two months, and more than 6,000 nails and pieces of hardware, to build at Rentz’s property in unincorporated DeLand.

Throughout Bike Week, people stopped by the fairgrounds to put their mark on the structure, which is 75 feet long and 35 feet high. After the structure was sprayed with lighter fluid, Rentz used a flamethrower to set it ablaze to the delight of about 4,000 attendees. Share or comment on this article: Gun-toting bikers enjoyed the final weekend of Daytona Bike Week 2023 e-mail 13 shares Add comment Comments 145 Share what you think Newest Oldest Best rated Worst rated View all The comments below have not been moderated.

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