Daytona's Filling Up With Bikers!

Cold Wx's Drivin' Them South: Downtown is Packed!

As we write this blog, Main Street in Daytona is filling up with bikers. Just before Main, the Beach Street area is experiencing a resurgence, and crowds not seen in the last seven years. The "new" Beach Street, home to the original Daytona Harley store for years, is also anchoring the HD display/free demo ride area, and a live entertainment sound stage. For the first time in years, vendors seeking Beach Street space have swarmed city hall for permits to sell stuff in this area. The rigs, vendors, the crowds, even the ultra high-end choppers of years gone by...they're all here. It's a seven year flashback of immense proportions, and we like it, never having been big fans of the "move" to US-1 north. Daytona Bike Week belongs in Daytona. We're getting back to normal, thanks to a housing recession so severe, the condo project slated for this area has been put out to pasture.

Buyers smokum peace pipe?

The new Indian Motorcycle Company has a new joint on Beach Street. Word is, they're moving 'em out, at nearly $36k each, and people are putting up cash money.

The Crux of the situation:

It could be the north's massive amounts of snow, maybe pent up demand for forgone fun of the past few years, or maybe it's just the continuing mystique of bike week. For whatever the reason, at this point, we might be able to go out on a limb, and predict the 2010 DBW is gonna be a biggie. How would we know for sure? The vendors are happy as the bikers who ditched a death grip on their snow shovels, in trade for two levers and a handlebar!

Bottom Line:

Yeah, it ain't seventy degrees, (yet), but sixties and sunny trumps almost any other section of the country. Tuesday looks to be the only soaker of the entire week. Even South Carolina could get a dusting of snow that day, but not Florida, where it'll be all rain, one day only.

Correction: We may have inadvertently not mentioned that this year's Rats Hole show is at Destination Daytona.

Welcome to Florida. No Snow!

Daytona Bike Week 2010 places, events, etc.

Bike Shows!

AMCA Classic MC Swap & Show: This weekend, in the town of Eustis, in Florida lake country, southwest of Daytona, at the Lake County Fairgrounds, Eustis, Florida. This one's for appreciators of antique tired iron, but just because they're old, doesn't mean they're cheap. Worth your while, but it's a good piece of real estate away from Daytona. Bundle up.

Willie's Tatt Chopper Show: Like bikes with hand made parts? Fully functional bikes you never thought you'd see again. Bikes built with heart instead of bucks. This show is for you. Mellow old and young school crowd, rockabilly music, and so many photographic opportunities, your flash memory will be full with pic's of beautifully sculpted bikes. US 1, just north of Daytona, in south Ormond, right across from Sonny's BBQ and the Publix supermarket. March 4. I think the judging results are announced around 2pm, but it's really an all day event. See ya there.

Daytona Boardwalk Ride In Show: Head for the Daytona Boardwalk the next day, Friday. The bikes will be on the beach, right under the palm trees. Good show, lotsa customs.

Rats Hole Custom Show: No matter what your taste in motorcycles, chances are pretty good you can find an example of it in this show, featuring the wildest customs imaginable. Last spring in Leesburg's RHS, we found a Vietnam-era tribute bike with mounted automatic weapons! Everyone wants to win, show, or place at this one. Expect a lot of outrageous bikes. Saturday, March 6th, Daytona Lagoon, all day.

Honorable Mention: Limpnickie Lot--Remember boys and girls, the above shows were once small venues, too. Limpnicke gets a little stronger each year. The younger guys have heart. Drop by and see the bikes at the skate park, Stone Edge Skate Park, right across from Miller's Custom Parts. 386.761.0858, 1860 S. Ridgwood Ave.

Demo Rides!

Harley-Davidson's demo lot has a new home this year. Right across the street from the OLD HD store, on Beach street, in the park, where all those condos were supposed to be planted. See, the "recession" does have at least one good point. HD dudes have it all figured out--ride a glide, like it a lot, then saunter right on over across the street and buy one. It doesn't get any easier.

Japanese, Euro bike demo opportunities:

Right at the speedway. Yammies, Kawis, Zuki's, Eurobikes, factory customs. Every day. Bring a valid license, and a brain bucket. Honda, in it's infinite wisdom, had discontinued demo rides as of last year. We hope they'll reconsider. Lots of other vendors set up in the lot, about 400 yards due north of the speedway. Every day. EZ walk or ride around. If you're interested in a metric bike, this is where to compare rides, in order to make an intelligent buying decision.

Bars, Bistros, Dives, & Dumps:

Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch: About 20 minutes southwest of the speedway on Tomoka Farms road. I guess they used to grow cabbage out there. These days, they truck it in and grind it up, so that a group of elegant ladies (including bank tellers, and school teachers), can beat the daylights out of each other, wrestling style, atop a pile of 'slaw. This place had literally thousands of bikers during the featured matches, usually held on Saturdays. Also home to a plethora of vendors with great deals. Call 'em for info, or go online. 386.427.2659

Full Moon Saloon, Wise Guys: $2 bloody mary's, $3 margaritas. Can't remember if both offered the bargain 'uritas. We'll leave that up to you to find out. Main Street, Daytona Beach, all day, all night, every day that the law allows. Doing bm's? Bring yer own straw.

Iron Horse: US-1 north, just before you reach I-95. Enormous crowds. Look for the Intracoastal Custom Cycles "Navy Chief's" Bike, a beautifully custom-crafted ultra long springer chopper. The 117" S&S V-twin's ignition is activated by removing a 4' sabre from it's sheath, and inserting mid-engine to activate the bike. Built by our good friend, and confidant, "Scary Larry". I've never met a wrench who knows more about motorcycles, and I mean almost any bike you can name, and when he fixes them, they stay fixed. The bike's up for raffle, with proceeds going to the Navy Chief's organization. Think the tix are ten bux.

Cheap Beer?

Closed last Biketoberfest, we hope to see the ever popular "Lindhurst" boarding house open up their long front porch, with about 50 old office chairs, facing the old Daytona Harley dealership. About 2 short blocks off Beach Street, it always manages to draw an eclectic group of bikers who return each year to sample one dollar plastic cups of bud, and steamed one dollar hot doggies. Sit in the sun, and sip a cold one with your bro's.

Hotels, Camping:

Scroll down to yesterday's blog for some hot hotel tips, complete with links. Go back to last week, and find a rundown of our top three spots to camp.

Tips:

Don't ride on the sand. It' ain't worth it, unless you're from Kansas, and can get a discount on a case of WD-40. Get nearly the same experience by riding A1A north or south of Daytona. If you're riding along the ocean, try to pick a day with an "onshore" wind. That is, when the breeze is blowing toward the ocean, not from the ocean. Your motorcycle will thank you in future years by not pitting and rusting out. Either way, once you notice the chrome is looking cloudy and a bit faded, wash her down, & get on a fresh coat of wax, or wash & spray with WD.

Take it easy!

Certain places almost always have a cop waiting for someone to come blasting over a bridge, or throwing up sparks through a corner. From the causeways, to bridges, to quiet little streets, parts of the famed "loop", and especially US-1 north, between the Ironhorse and Destination Daytona, you're gonna find 'em. A lot of 'em. Please be careful, and try not to raise too much...you know what, but sometimes, even that doesn't work. You're forewarned.

Plenty of Sunshine-Only 2 rain days out of 10. That woulda been nice last August in Sturgis, where it rained almost every dammed day. Sixties & seventies on the sunny days. Cabin fever? Plenty of sun means lots of SAD-defeating vitamin D. This is where you want to be. When you compare it to what's going on in the northeast, a week off in the Florida sun is a massive no-brainer. Please be careful, and take your time getting down here. We ain't goin' nowhere.

Get a Room! For half of what you may have paid last spring!

Two star rooms, weekday rates as low as 57 bucks:

...Then comes the weekend, and the rates may double, or triple. As my dad always used to say, "that's how they get ya." Nonetheless, many of the formerly way-too-expensive Daytona Beach and Daytona Speedway area hotel rooms are asking half what they were last spring.

ABM did some leg work for you. What we found online this morning:

http://www.hotels.com/
Surburban stay, (halfway to Daytona Beach from the Speedway), 80 bucks.

http://www.travelocity.com/
Daytona Sands, on the beach, average 77 bucks.

http://www.hotwire.com/
Unnamed Daytona Beach Shores (south of main st), weekday rate, 57 bucks.

http://www.expedia.com/
Speedway Super 8 motel, 85 bucks. They have a history of $180 quotes.

Will these "bargain" rates diminish ABM's appetite for saving by camping?

NO. 500 bucks buys a lot of stuff, but we're beginning to soften up.
(how about $30?)

So What Else Is New?

What's Different?

Lots of stuff. Beleaguered Beach Street is trying to make a comeback, as Harley Davidson anchors the big lot right across the street from the old Daytona Harley dealership. Bring your helmet and a license, get a ride on one of the brand new 2010's. Ditto over at the speedway with the foreign bike makers. Back to Beach Street. The whole 3 blocks was supposed to be lined with brand new condos by now. That is, before real estate went bust. Now, they're happy just to rent the lot. Come on back tomorrow for a list of DBW-2010 updates, welcome center, trop tatt chop show, free rides, and more. If you're coming down for the weekend, don your long johns for the weekend evenings. Brrrr. Better wx next week!


Chilly or Cold? Where ya coming from?

A 58 degree day in the north might be a welcome respite from another impending snowstorm. In Florida, it's almost heresy. It all comes down to how bad you want to ride. Much as we hate to keep on with the weather, it's the number one story this winter. We're still looking for highs in the sixties next week, with a day or two of wet stuff. Not bad when you compare it to the alternative, which comes with nagging and a big fat snow shovel!

Daytona Bike Week is Almost Here:

How would you know...?

By observing the "Top Sign that Bike Week is Near"

Every store in town has jacked up the price of beer!


How's the weather?

Warmer than what we would have guessed just a couple of weeks ago. Daytona area temps should be in the low to upper sixties beginning this Friday, through and including next Friday. There's a 50-50 chance of rain on two of the first 8 days of DBW; this Saturday, and next Tuesday. A few degrees cooler than normal is being offset by less than expected rain. Look for a 60% chance of tube tops and thongs toward the end of the first week of March!

Buck an' a quarter brew & free food?

Nixon Administration Prices?

Little brown cinder block hole in the wall joint, other side of the trax. Shares the dead end street with a Baptist church. They seem to coexist in peace. Mutual respect? Each Sunday the joint attracts bikers looking for $1.25 brown bottles (a quarter more will get ya a Corona, although the lime has faced the ravage of time), and free hot doggies. If you asked for this kind of deal out at one of the fancy beach side locations, they'd laugh you out of the joint before calling the cops. Listen for a future ABM radio show on this eclectic little enclave, and return for more Daytona Bike Week hot spots. Hey, do you eat cole slaw? Chiquita's are warming up in the slaw pit. DBW starts Friday, and yes...after one last bout, it's finally beginning to warm up down here. On yesterday's ride, I counted three robins, the first sign of spring?

Daytona Bike Week...Ride, Eat, Drink, Sleep!

Ride!

A1A, Ponte Vedra Beach thru St. Augustine, Flagler Beach, Daytona: For those heading south from Jacksonville. At I-95, jump onto rt #202, better known around here as "Butler Boulevard", & ride all ten miles east, and bear right where the 7 lane ends. That's A1A south. Stay on this road all the way to Daytona. You'll ride along the Atlantic Ocean, rivers, tributaries, backwater, and oyster encrusted marsh nearly all the way to Daytona. Makes the "loop" look like an alligator farm.

The Loop: A much shorter ride, encompassing saltwater marsh, ocean, and lots of other bikes, which in tandem with the mainly 35 mph speed limit, make this a cushy assignment for the man, who will nail you with a 200 buck ticket before you can get into fourth gear. Don't rip it up. A popular putt for those who prefer short stints in the saddle. Must ride for Daytona virgins.

Yee Haw.. Let's Get Out To the Country! There's a whole different world out away from the coast. Lots less cages, cops, cheaper brew, and country girls who still know we like 'em in Daisy Dukes. (times change slower in the south, ya know..?) Lots of great little bars, and a few bigger ones, like the Cheyenne Saloon, on rt 17 north, have their own little bike week festivities, if you catch our drift.. Take I-95 north to US 40 east, then rt 19 north thru the Ocala National Forest, (40 miles with no lites, no houses, few cages, fewer squad cars). When you get to Palatka, go over the St John's river, & hook a right onto US 17, back toward rt 40, and just past halfway, notice the Saloon for a righteous time. Get back on rt 40, or head all the way south to Deland before swinging to the left, back to Daytona.

Eat!

Fish Sandwich, $7.99: Married dudes, shut mamma up by shoving one of these huge suckers in her pie hole! Unless you're both way over 200 pounds, it's probably better to have the joint cut one in half & split it between the two of you. Bunnel four corners, "The Bantam", little drive in hole in the wall. Also has oyster, shirmp poboys too. For those who think a "Polish Boy" is the cat's meow, try one of these babies. Bunnel is on US 1, about ten miles north of Rossmeyer World.

Hungry? Broke? Yeah, us too. Any "Publix" supermarket will send you off with a fresh homemade sub. They're worth the extra buck fifty over subway. Again, split it with someone or you're gonna fall asleep on a picnic table.

DIY Eats? Nothing's better than a bushel of fresh oysters, about 30 bucks, or a 100-count bag of little neck clams. You're gonna pay up for 'em in Volusia county, so if you're headed down I-95, stop off at 12545 North Main Street, Jacksonville, at Houston's Meat Market, (904-757-1888), and pick up a bag or two of slimies. Their meat is also hard to beat! (ha..i had a program director who once said that on the air...he got away with it, but just barely.) Why pay someone 10 bucks a dozen for Oysters & a chunk of arugula, when you can get a whole bushel for twenty more? Caution: Get right back on I-95, or 9-a (I-295). Do not take Main thru Jax!

Drink: For those who prefer imbibing to sips of sarsaparilla, may we offer a fiscally responsible alternative to 10 buck beers at the local strip joints, (of which there are m-a-n-y!). Main Street has become home to two dollar bloody marys, three dollar margaritas at more than one bar. During Biketoberfest, the bars wouldn't provide a swizzle stick, so everyone drinking the bm's had something like three dozen little red spots on the front of their tees. Bring yer own straws! Beach Street has a little nondescript beer stand at the corner where the old Arlen Ness Chopper store used to be, right at the foot of the Main Street bridge. 2 buck brown bottles, 2.50 Coronas. Hope they're open this year. Wherever you tip the glass, please leave a buck or some change for the hard working bar girls. They have families to support, too. If you really want to go cheap, you know the drill: Get a 12 pack & ice it down either at the camp site, or in the sink at your hotel room.

Sleep? Aw...do we have to? ABM's theory is, we came all this way to ride, party, & make new friends. Who needs sleep? Chances are good that at the end of each 18 hour day, you'll be exhausted, ready to crash, and not be too particular about where it happens. That's why we camp. That, and we're usually close to being broke anyway. If you have discretionary cash, hotels are the way to go. Try a discount vendor like www.hotels.com to find a discount rate on a decent room. Stay close to where you'll do most of your partying. That way, if you're drinking, you can hoof it back & forth to the room, while still staying out to bark at the full moon. Lock up your bike. A parking garage is a lot less secure than the overhang right in front of the desk clerk's office. I don't know about you, but personally, we sleep better when both of our bikes are parked within ten feet of where we're crashed out.

Dirt Cheap Campgrounds Where ABM's crashed:

(1) www.ababeflorida.com/bikeweek - Tents/$15/night, or Rv/$90/all week. About a half hour's ride in to Daytona on I-10. Volusia County Fairgrounds, near Deland.
(2) DaytonaCamping@Aol.com Bikes only, no cages. Tents/$30/night/up to 3 people. A little closer in than the abate site. Nice clubhouse. Watch tv, eats, activities, nice people.
...or... for a "little more"... race fans...
(3) Daytona Speedway: Only if you're a rabid race fan. Camp for free (with your $175 paid admission), in the "Orange" area, near the 31 degree banking. Don't plan on getting any sleep when the bikes are in trials. Call the speedway for tix.

Honorable Mention: Flea & Farmers Mkt camping, about 2 miles west of the speedway. Moonshine CG, slap on top of Destination Daytona. US 1/I-95.. Cop city. Thunder Gulch: North of Bunnel, where you can use the I-95 to avoid the above hassle. We're done with one.


ABM's blog and radio show has been rife with caustic comments regarding the very chilly winter we've had down here in the sunshine state, but that doesn't mean the air will feel cold to bikers from DC north, or west. Do us natives all a big favor: Don't come down here and complain that 65 degrees is cold wx. Remember, we know what it's like where ya come from! If it's in the 50's, head for some place out of the wind, like Main Street, or the Iron Horse Saloon up on US 1, the "Miracle Mile". (it's a miracle if ya don't get a ticket)

Check back often for DBW/69 updates, either here, or at www.twitter.com/abmrocks

Hookers at the Gate? Really?? Yes, "Really".

This morning's top 5 Ponte Vedra Beach unbelievable

Tiger Woods Observations:

(i live here, i should know!)

(5) County, Town stuck with security mega bill. (you couldn't do this in Orlando?)

(4) That the hotel was hosting a dentist convention at the time of "confession".

(3) You have one billion dollars, enough to pay off anyone with a camera!

(2) Tearful ending? Omg... Emmy territory.

...and the number one unbelievable TW observation this morning...?

(1) West Palm Beach Hookers waiting at the TPC gate to "Welcome Tiger"!

If you feel sorry for this dude, I feel sorry for you. Get a life.

Throw out your golf clubs & buy a motorcycle.

It's... "Pon--Tee--Vee-Drah Beach"..Hide the Waitresses!

Thanks, Tiger...

For bringing a phalanx of reporters from around the world to my little corner of the universe. Forget the eateries, we probably won't be able to find an available gas pump on this side of town. Come Friday morning, we'll hide the waitresses, videographers, and some of the tv anchors, so you won't be tempted. Mr. Woods, you couldn't have done this in Orlando?

Toyota Corolla, or Adam Corolla?

What's the difference? The first one ain't much fun to own, and the second has never been funny.


Slow Warm up for Daytona Bike Week?

Local citizens are absolutely giddy over the prospect of two straight days of nearly 70 degrees, our normal winter temp in these parts. Wx prognosticators warn that it's only a temporary warm up, we say, "ya gotta believe". Anything beats yesterday's 44 degree ride. One hour out on the bike with no windshield, equated to 15 minutes in front of the kitchen oven's open door.

8 Days until Daytona Bike Week 2010.

We promise to get off our duff & post necessary eating, partying, and overnight info within the next few days!

Nascar Disrespect?

Great Race!

..Yesterday's Daytona 500, pavement problems aside, was a pretty good time. ABM's dude, "Little E" almost aced it. We put in well over six hours patiently waiting for the finish.

No Mention of the Biggest Daytona Crowd of the Year?

Was it the lady announcer at Thursday's twin qualifiers, who excitedly mentioned NASCAR's events, and "Spring Break Week", as Daytona's two biggest events of the year? The copy was likely pre-written, and she simply read what was on the teleprompter, nonetheless, what an obvious omission: Daytona Bike Week. By now, everyone in the country knows far more bikers come to town to ride, than NASCAR fans come to watch, or race. Would it be asking for too much to get a little "respect" for the sheer size that DBW has become? Truth be know, just as yours truly enjoys a good race, a large slice of the fans in the stands are likely bikers, too. How about we "patch up" our differences, and learn to live together. A little patch job on that bushel basket sized hole might help, too. Didn't that happen before, a few years ago? No worries, great race. 11 days to go...get set for a real crowd!

It Ain't No Day at the Beach..

Extra Chilly Florida Day, But Will it Snow?

Despite the sucky mid-atlantic mess, ABM figured it would not snow in Florida. Now, we're not so sure. The storm which brought white stuff to La, Al, and Ms, is headed our way. Most of southern Georgia is forecast to get 1-3 inches, parts of the other states are under emergency conditions, and when it's that close, chances are good that parts of the Florida panhandle will see a dusting. So yes, the weather map is not messed up, it really may snow in northwestern Florida, but not in Daytona.

What's up with tonight's NextEra Truck race?

As we write this column, it's a rainy 48 degrees at the track, feels like 44. To get the truck race in tonight, they may have to wait until 9pm for the sky to clear. Either way, it's going to be pretty cold up in the last 20 rows of that grandstand. Wear your long johns, & drink plenty of hot chocolate. They ain't gonna sell too many of those five buck beers. At least Sunday's 500 looks somewhat warmer.

14 Days to go:

ABM's figuring a lot of bikers are totally disgusted with the snow, and are ready to do some "down south jukin" at the 69th Daytona Bike Week. Even 60 is a whole lot better than 25, buried under three feet of freezer burn. Get down here. You've had enough. Just don't complain about the lack of thongs on the ladies. We know what you left behind, and it ain't no day at the beach!

Long Johns?

Thongs or Johns?

We didn't want to hear that the freakin' national guard is being called out in Washington, DC. Three feet of snow in DC means cool riding wx in Florida, especially if the wind is blowing from the north. Just got back from the store, and answering questions as to why I'd ride when it's 50 degrees. Duh.. If this mid-atlantic snow melts during the next 15 days, bike week will be warm. If not, gather up your leathers, long johns, and be ready for a run of three dog nights. On the positive side, by the time of the Daytona 500, 90% of the time, we're over winter for good.

Main Street: A warm advantage:

The 6 or so blocks on main are aligned in an east-west orientation. Cold wind blows in north or Northwest, making the 2 story buildings a perfect foil against the intrusion of chilly wind. In other words, the airport temp can be in the 50's, while it's 70 in the sunshine on the Main street pavement. That's one reason we like to hang there, the chicks wear less.

The Rodney Dangerfield of biker hot spots?

Floridians rag on Daytona's main street. They say it's too tame, too many cops, too little this, too much that, and on it goes. Truth be told, out of state, and foreign bikers think Daytona's main is the greatest thing since sliced bread. All of the nation's largest rallies have one common trait: No gate, motorcycles free to come and go, with no cage parking on both sides of the street. Six blocks of motorcycles parked side by side. Only Sturgis is better, albeit not quite as quaint. Nothing beats being able to "take over" main street for 10 days, even if we only get the first weekend, cage free. ABM thinks we've finally figured out why the city allows cages to muck up the orderly procession of bike after bike; Cagers come to take pic's of us in our native habitat. They book $150 a night rooms, & pack eateries. We just wish they'd leave their ugly cages of the side streets and walk their cameras over to Main. Then it'd be easier to put up with their gawking. Get a bike and join the party, willya? Geez.

Coverage of the 2010 Daytona Spring Rally Starts in 15 Days!

...to say we can't wait, would be the understatement of this year. Get out of Dodge, and get yerself down here. Camp it out for 15 bucks a night. I guarantee you won't need a damm air conditioner this year.

Important New Route to Sturgis Needs Your Help:

ABM Supports The Proposed Link Between Hwy 79 and I-90.

..Will be discussed at the Meade County Commission meeting later this morning. In the interest of biker safety and convenience, the annual Sturgis rally could use a second route to the interstate. It is not inconceivable that the addition of a second link to Rapid City medical facilities might eventually save the life of a biker.

To show your support for this proposal, go to www.sturgis131.com