BIKE RALLIES
Officials: Real noise-law test to be in spring
By Kenneth A. Gailliard
The Sun News
This year's fall motorcycle rally provided a test for Myrtle Beach's new noise ordinance, but a better trial likely will come at the annual spring rally.
Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders flock to Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand twice a year for bike rallies. The spring rally usually attracts more riders over a longer period of time.
Although the roar of thousands of Harley-Davidson motorcycles along the Grand Strand was inevitable during the past weekend, some event observers said noise complaints were not overwhelming.
Myrtle Beach police officers said they issued 48 tickets between Friday and Saturday, but they couldn't say how many were for motorcycle-related noise violations, Lt. Chuck Dunn said.
The city's new law is an enhancement that incorporates several pre-existing city ordinances.
Overall, the weekend biker event and ordinance enforcement went well, Dunn said.
City officials heard little reaction from the public about the event, spokesman Mark Kruea said.
"We didn't anticipate it being a huge problem for this rally," said Mike Shank, marketing director for Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson. "The spring rally is where we expect there might be some concerns."
Kruea said, "I think [the bikers] are aware the community wants a gentler event."
Shank said the size of the crowd - about 50,000 - and biker compliance with the law helped keep complaints down.
The biker crowd for the fall rally, called The Pilgrimage, was about six times smaller than what typically is expected for the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally in May.
No matter the crowd size, Myrtle Beach resident and City Council candidate Cynthia Powell doesn't think the biker rallies are favorable for the community.
She said she visited some vendor sites during the weekend and didn't notice that the new ordinance had any effect on the noise level during The Pilgrimage.
"I couldn't tell that it was any quieter this weekend," said Powell, who will hold a forum today at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center to hear residents' concerns about the bike rallies. "The motorcycles seemed just as loud or louder than they were in the past."
In September, Myrtle Beach City Council approved an ordinance with bikers in mind, but the ordinance does not target motorcycle riders, Kruea said.
The law applies to all vehicles and includes such violations as missing mufflers, rapid acceleration, revving engines and burnouts.
It also is in effect all year, Kruea said.
Shank said Harley officials began educating potential rally attendees about the law at least a week in advance through a Web site, fliers and TV advertisement.
"We wanted to get the word out," Shank said. "I think a majority of the people obey the ordinances anyway. To them, it was no big deal."
Another education campaign will be mounted in advance of the spring rally.
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Topic: Myrtle Beach Enforcement (Read 1517 times)