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28 WheelsOfGrace.com Issue 34 951.265.8420 Facebook.com/ UnrestrictedAutoTrends HISTORY OF THE LACONIA MOTORCYCLE WEEK ® RALLY HISTORY OF THE LACONIA MOTORCYCLE WEEK ® RALLY e Laconia Motorcycle Week rally is oen mentioned in the same breath as events in Daytona, Florida and Sturgis, South Dakota. Aer all, these are three of the most popular motorcycle rallies in the country, drawing in over a million riders and motorcycle enthusiasts, combined, every year. But Laconia (New Hampshire) can make a claim that the other two cannot. Oen referred to as the Oldest National Motorcycle Rally, these roots reach back to the summer of 1916, when a Gypsy Tour gathered for several days at Weirs Beach on the southern shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. In the early 1900s, Gypsy Tours were organized loosely and unofficially as a way for riders to gather and enjoy other related activities of interest including races and hill climbs. In other words, it was a way for motorcycle enthusiasts to share in their passions together. Each year, typically around the same summer weekend, riders would travel long distances, sleeping in tents and swapping stories around campfires, to converge on a favorite location. A year aer the Gypsy Tour's first Laconia stop, the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) made it official. Gypsy Tours became overnight events promoted by the like of Harley-Davidson and Indian, and that year, 1917, the first annual — the first official — Gypsy Tour was hosted at Weirs Beach in Laconia. And Weirs Beach remains the rally's home base all these years later, affectionately known by locals and visitors alike simply as the Weirs. In an article from the March 13, 1919 issue of the Motorcycle and Bicycle Weekly magazine, the Gypsy Tours objectives and goals were detailed clearly: "To provide a good time for the riders, and their wives, sisters, and sweet-hearts," and "To create a more favorable Having a wife that helps you work on your bike... P R I C E L E S S ! He who finds a wife, finds a good thing And obtains favor from the Lord. WheelsOfGrace.com