- April 26, 2024
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Also: A poker run to benefit the Halifax Humane Society is coming; and, two racing bikes have been reported stolen.
BY WAYNE GRANT | STAFF WRITER
The cool wind from the north apparently blew in visitors for Bike Week this year.
Mandy Rossmeyer Campbell of Destination Daytona, at 1635 N. U.S. 1, said business is up overall from last year, including sales in motorcycle-related clothes, parts and service.
“The opening weekend was great,” Rossmeyer said. “We’re excited.”
Some of the sales in clothes reflects the cool weather last weekend, with people buying sweatshirts and jackets; but increased parts and service is an indicator of more bike visitors.
Rossmeyer has heard several comments about the cold weather in other places, as well. A biker who rode in from California said that the roads in Louisiana were iced over.
Steve Fritze, manager of the Iron Horse, said it looks like a “pretty good crowd” is in town, and he expects a good Bike Week, although he won’t know specific numbers until later in the week.
He said last Friday night was a little slow due to the cold weather at his mostly outdoor facility.
‘Ruff Riders’ to help Humane Society
The Bike Week Ruff Ride, a poker run on March 13 to benefit the Halifax Humane Society, will start at the shelter, 2364 W. LPGA Blvd., and end at the Iron Horse for a free barbecue dinner.
Tyler Stover, spokesman for the society, said the event has become an annual tradition and is growing each year, with 300 riders last year raising about $8,000.
He’s discovered that beneath the leather, bikers have a heart for animals.
“It’s not a stereotypical biker thing, but a ton of bikers have animals and love animals, and it’s a cause they relate to,” he said.
The cost at the door is $25 per rider and extra poker hands go for $10 each. The best and worst hands at the Iron Horse win a gift basket. Bikers should register at the shelter at 3:30 p.m.
Originally, the Ruff Ride went to Main Street, but with the growing numbers of participants, the open area of the Iron Horse can better accommodate the crowd, Stover said.
Motorcycles reported stolen from hotel
Two Suzuki RMZ 250 racing motorcycles were stolen Friday night from the bed of a pickup truck at the Baymont Inn, 175 Interchange Blvd., according to an Ormond Beach police report. One of the motorcycles may have been ridden away as the investigation was being conducted.
The morning after the theft, an investigating officer leaving the area was flagged down by a person who owns a lawn care business and was working in front of the inn.
The worker said she just witnessed four black males get out of a new, silver Ford Taurus with a Virginia tag. She saw them go into the woods and retrieve a motorcycle.
One of the males jumped on the bike while the other males got in the car, and they all headed east on West Granada Boulevard, she said.
Later, a sheriff’s deputy spotted a black male riding a Suzuki RMZ 250 in Daytona Beach, in the area of Imperial Drive and Sixth Street. The rider fled when he saw the deputy. Several units searched the area but could not find the motorcycle.
Both motorcycles were entered as stolen. The thieves left behind a red bolt cutter, which was processed for fingerprints.
The inn does not have a surveillance system that records. A restaurant next door has video surveillance, but the manager said staff was too busy the morning after the theft to have the officer check the footage, according to the police report. He said he would help later when business permitted.
