Myrtle beach bike week 2019 events

Myrtle Beach Bike Week 2019 is here – including the Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson Spring Rally that begins this weekend and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, now called the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, which begins on Memorial Day Weekend.

Both events will be packed with events and things to do, and the Grand Strand will be flooded with motorcycles of all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, there will also be motorcycle crashes, some of which will be caused by careless drivers who are not paying attention to motorcycles on the road around them.

If you are injured in a motorcycle wreck during Myrtle Beach Bike Week, call the SC motorcycle accident attorneys at Axelrod and Associates as soon as possible – before you leave town and before you give any statements to the insurance companies.

HARLEY DAVIDSON SPRING RALLY 2019

Harley Davidson riders are already beginning to arrive in town, getting ready for the 2019 Harley Davidson Spring Rally, or Myrtle Beach Bike Week.

The rally begins this Friday, May 10, and ends May 19, with events scheduled throughout Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, and Garden City including music, bike shows, rides, bikini contests, and… pudding wrestling?

• Beginning this Friday, Suck Bang Blow in Murrells Inlet will be hosting live bands, DJs, a bikini contest, and other events;
• Live music including Blue Oyster Cult on Sunday at the Carolina Opry and The Verge on Monday at the Beaver Bar;
• Chocolate pudding wrestling at the Rat Hole in Socastee May 15-18;
• A poker run and pig pickin’ on Saturday at Knuckleheads Bar and Grill;
• A custom bike show at the Rat Hole on May 18, and motorcycle rodeos May 15-18 at the Rat Hole;
• A beard and mustache competition at the Beaver Bar May 16;
• A 50% off tent sale at Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson from May 13-19;
• The Crude’s 9^th Annual Veteran Ride May 15 beginning at the Golden Egg in Surfside Beach; and
• SBB’s Cruise the Loop Poker Run on May 15.

BLACK PEARL CULTURAL HERITAGE AND BIKE FESTIVAL 2019

What about the 2019 Memorial Day Atlantic Beach Bikefest?

A quick Google search does not turn up comprehensive lists of fun events for Black Bike Week. Rather, you get articles about how police are ramping up security, bringing in extra officers, and and setting up a 23-mile bike loop that motorcyclists will be forced into…

“We have focused our efforts on making this a safe weekend and that’s what we’ll continue to do,” Myrtle Beach police chief Amy Prock said. “Public safety is a shared responsibility, and we have worked very hard with our community, with our visitors, with our business owners and operators, as well as all of our (law enforcement) partners here.”

Are Officials Treating the Harley Davidson Spring Rally and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest Differently?

Based on statements by public officials and the media coverage of both events, one is left with the impression that the Harley Davidson Spring Rally is a fun, safe, family friendly event that is welcomed by Myrtle Beach, while the Atlantic Beach Bikefest is a dreaded public safety hazard that requires a massive police presence to keep Myrtle Beach’s citizens safe…

Is that true? Is the Harley Davidson rally a fun-filled romp for everyone?

Both rallies flood the Grand Strand with loud motorcycles. Both rallies are filled with drinking, drugs, and hazards on the highways. Both rallies are mostly attended by law-abiding motorcycle enthusiasts, but both rallies also are attended by some gang members, drug dealers, and violent types.

So, what is the one, glaring, obvious difference between the two rallies?

The Myrtle Beach Traffic Loop is Probably Going to Be in Place This Year

In 2005, the NAACP sued the City of Myrtle Beach over allegations of discrimination including their implementation of a restrictive traffic loop during Memorial Day Weekend that they did not implement during the Harley Davidson Rally. That lawsuit was settled with a consent agreement with a non-discriminatory traffic plan.

Once the consent agreement expired, however, Myrtle Beach immediately began to reimplement the same policies, prompting another lawsuit by the NAACP. The NAACP has asked the federal court to enjoin the City of Myrtle Beach from putting the traffic loop or other discriminatory policies in place in place during Atlantic Beach Bikefest.

Although the court heard arguments on the NAACP’s request for an injunction this week, the Court has not issued a ruling. Unless the Court finds in the NAACP’s favor before Memorial Day Weekend, the traffic loop will be in place again this year.

What I Learned from Media Coverage of Both Events

Harley Davidson Spring Rally: Lots of fun-filled events, including good music, lots of drinking and $1-dollar beers, multiple poker runs, custom bike competitions, and pudding wrestling.

Atlantic Beach Bikefest: Lots of police from all over the state and a 23-mile bike loop. Oh, and there is a lawsuit alleging blatant racism on the part of the City…

MOTORCYCLE CRASHES DURING MYRTLE BEACH BIKE WEEK

Every year, there are a number of motorcycle crashes and deaths during Myrtle Beach’s Bike Weeks. On a good day in December, beach traffic is not safe for motorcycles. But when the roads are packed with hundreds of bikes alongside aggravated locals and confused tourists in the month of May, accidents are bound to happen.

Whether you suffered minor injuries or someone you love has been killed in an accident with a careless driver, your SC motorcycle accident lawyer at Axelrod and Associates will help you to hold the at-fault driver accountable and collect full compensation from their insurance company.

Call now at 843-916-9300 or fill out our contact form to set up a free initial consultation with an attorney on the Axelrod team.