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The headline on the “Daytona Beach News-Journal’s” website isn’t encouraging. It reads “Riders brave rain and wind as Bike Week begins” but the accompanying story with photo gallery notes that riders are nonetheless flocking to Florida for the 74th
annual gathering. Daytona Beach Bike Week kicked off Friday and runs through March 15.
Harley-Davidson embraces Daytona Beach Bike Week in a big way. This year, it’s bringing its Project Livewire electric motorcycle for display as well as a motorcycle from FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” program.
The company also plans a preview of this summer’s Willie G. Davidson exhibit at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee. Getting shown will be Davidson’s 1983 FXDG Disc Glide prototype.
Victory will use Daytona Beach Bike Week to unveil its newest bagger, the Magnum X-1. It gets uncovered at 9 tonight at the Full Moon Saloon with Godsmack providing the music.
Indian, meanwhile, will have its recently released Chief Dark Horse available for demo rides, along with other models, and is bringing in John Shope of Dirty Bird Customs from History”s “Biker Battleground” and his custom Scout 42.
Among those heading to Daytona Beach is Paul Pelland of Londonderry, NH, who is known as “Long Haul Paul. ” Diagnosed in 
2005 with Multiple Sclerosis, Pelland is now engaged in an Endless Road Tour to raise awareness of MS and has logged more than 88,000 miles so far.
Pelland’s riding to Florida by way of Dallas and has a live tracking feature on his LongHaulPaul.com website, which can be seen here. As of mid-morning today, he was in southern New Jersey.
On his Facebook page, Pelland wrote, “I don’t mind leaving NH in 7 degree weather, just hope the big roads south of here are clear.”
More info on Daytona Beach Bike Week may be found on the event’s official website as well as here.
– By Bud Wilkinson
