Daytona Bike Week - Florida’s huge motorcycle event concludes this weekend

SELF titled as the ‘World’s largest motorcycle event’ held in Daytona, Florida, Daytona Bike Week went ahead this week despite an ongoing covid pandemic. Sure, it’s vital for the local community, but at what cost?

It’s estimated that the show will host around 300,000 attendees across the week, which runs between the 5th and 14th of March, and there were restrictions placed at the event in an attempt to limit the spread of Covid-19. 

Watch: Harley-Davidson Fat Boy specs

The main street and immediate surrounding areas for the event were limited to motorcycle parking only, with parking by curbside limited to allow for greater social distancing, and local venues limited to 60% capacity - but there doesn’t seem to be any mention of enforced mask-wearing, or masks at all, for that matter - perhaps a step too far when there is no enforced helmet wearing in the state of Florida, either.

But with an event of that scale, in a state which has suffered close to 2 million cases and 32,114 deaths (according to the Google statistics), it has to be asked whether it was all worth it?

For local businesses, and perhaps the mental health of bikers, sure. I get that. 

Daytona Bike Week 2021

Now I respect anyone's opinion on this whole pandemic, but hosting such a large event seems to lean a touch on the risky side. If the event is found to be the root cause of a massive spike in deaths, who would be held accountable? The event organisers? The people who attended?

It’s a difficult one because nobody is forcing anyone to attend the Daytona Bike Week event, you know the risks if you attend, but you also want a taste of normal life again, events, being outside, riding bikes…

I’ll stick to running to the window whenever I hear a motorcycle go past the house, for now. But I also look forward to getting back to events as soon as it’s deemed safe, whenever that will be. 

Wait a minute, deemed safe by who? If a local event near me was to go ahead, would I be looking to attend? Probably… So it’s a bit pot-kettle-black. But, in my defence, I guess it wouldn’t be one attended by 300,000 people. 

Also interesting, there was a raffle at the event to win the official custom Harley-Davidson FLHCS Heritage Classic 114, nice - but there are 4500 tickets at $50 a pop! They call it great odds, I call it $225,000 in the bank for one motorcycle!