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New Myrtle Beach motorcycle rally law

Submitted by WWAY on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 3:40pm.READ MORE:
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Myrtle Beach motorcycle rallies may be getting a lot quieter because of a new city ordinance. Myrtle Beach authorities say motorcyclists will need to muffle their mufflers during the fall rally that kicks off later this week. Authorities say the rally will serve as a rehearsal for the anti-noise ordinance passed last week. It was among 15 laws the city council passed to clamp down on beach motorcycle rallies.

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Myrtle Beach Stupidity Had Zero Effect On The Fall Rally!

Submitted by GuestHD (not verified) on Wed, 10/01/2008 - 8:04pm.
Today is the first day of the fall rally and I spent the day there. Anyone that wants to attend may take part in any or all of the rally without ever entering Myrtle Beach. Most of my day was spent in the North Myrtle Beach area. Vendors were set up at Spokes on Hy 9, and on Kings Highway at Barefoot and further down at the Mall. I am sure there were more but these were the ones I checked out. Going around town and down south of MB Suck Bang Blow was packed and had vendors also. I did not get a chance to check out the main Harley Davidson Dealership on the south end but I did get by their N. Kings Highway location. Plenty of people, bikes for sell, and also as at every rally, the Christian Bikers were giving away free water and coffee. The fall rally is always smaller in size than the spring rally and this after all was just the first day. It was not crowded but there were plenty of people enjoying their favorite ride and taking part in all that is going on. I expect it will only pick up more in the next couple days and over the weekend. Too bad for the poor 60% of Myrtle Beach businesses that support the rallies and want our presence and of course revenue. But from all the people I talked to, no one was about to go into that city limits. I count myself as one of those also. I do feel for them but their elected officials have made it just good common since for us not to come into their town. The bottom line is the Rally is Alive and Well!
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The real problem and the

Submitted by WilmMan on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 11:41am.
The real problem and the real reason all this is coming about is because they are doing away with the "other" bike rally so now people want to complain about the HD rally.
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Rallies to go on as scheduled!

Submitted by GuestHD (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 3:48am.
The Town of Myrtle Beach is doing everything it can to not only stop the Rallies but to also put pressure on the Town of North Myrtle Beach and Horry County. The laws that you are reading about being passed are strictly by and for the town of Myrtle Beach. Virtually all of the events, vendors, etc., of the Rallies are held outside the town of Myrtle Beach! The fact is, you could take part in the spring and fall rallies including your lodging and not once ever cross into the town of Myrtle Beach. And frankly, that is exactly what every biker should do. The fact is many, many businesses, even in the town of Myrtle Beach want and welcome the bikers of the Spring Biker Week (formally known as Haley Week) and the Fall Biker Rally. But again, the town government in Myrtle Beach has gone to great lengths to say to the Bikers, "we don't want you hear". And again, since no event is in the town limits, the same bikers should not go or spend one dime there! One of the things Myrtle Beach has said is that they want to make Memorial Weekend a family weekend again. This is strange and at odds with what the town has done in most recent history.The same town that demolished the last great and historical place for families and kids, the pavilion and pavilion park says they want to do something from families. I don't think so! Well lets get the facts out on the table. There are two distinctly different events going on in the spring. The original biker spring rally that is OVER before Memorial Day and another one that is known as a "Festival" the week following the Spring Rally and that one is the one that is going on Memorial Day Weekend! That one, and not the other two (spring and fall) rallies is the one that many businesses choose to close during. Myrtle Beach has chosen to ignore using enforcement of existing laws to address individual problems and to go to a shot gun effect and punish all. At the same time, MB punishes some of their own business that want the bikers to come. It gets even more ridiculous! Against the advice of the MB town attorney the town moved forward with a couple laws that the town has been warned most likely would not stand the test of a courtroom. Even with that warning the mayor has taken the moronic position to state, "well we will just have to find out in court" and when asked how he would pay for court cost and the possible counter suits and fines he said, "if we have to raise taxes we will raise taxes!" I sure am glad my mayor does not think that way. Addressing the noise problem and that can be a problem. It comes down to using some common since and courtesy! Needless over-reving of motors or in short any needless noise on the bikers part is most likely going to get that biker sited. This is not just at these Rallies but places like Daytona also. But, all in all, this is exception and not the rule. Most bikers attending obey the laws, keep the noise down, and enjoy the event. And, local business in the county and North Myrtle Beach want you to come back. Just check out the web this week and you will find all kinds of special offers for Bikers attending the fall rally from motels and hotels. The bottom line. The Fall Rally is on! The Spring Rally is on! You do not and really should not enter the town of Myrtle Beach because no event is planned there, they don't want you, don't spend your time and money there and chance being harassed at the same time. Come to North Myrtle Beach and Horry County where all the events take place and where the county and town welcomes and wants you. Be courteous and respectful while on your motorcycle and you will have the same wonderful time, hosted by great people, that you have always had in the past. Show your butt and/or make unnecessary noise and expect to be swiftly dealt with. Also, don't expect some special interest group to come to your aid. So, come one and come all! The Fall Rally and the Spring Rally are on!
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Motorcycle Rally

Submitted by SSG/E-6 Army Vet. (not verified) on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 6:29pm.
Wow, Myrtle Beach is really going all out on this one. I'm curious if the majority of businesses in the area support this. I think Myrtle Beach and the surrounding areas will loose alot of business this year and next year.
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Lose business because of muffled pipes?

Submitted by Guest461 (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 7:03am.
So, as I understand it, all "bikers" are going to boycott Myrtle Beach because you can't run straight pipes on your hogs? That's a pretty lame excuse to avoid a get together such as the fall rally. First of all, it is against state law to run straight, unmuffled exhausts on any street legal vehicle. This is due to excessive noise abatement and most importantly flame and spark suppression to prevent fire. Some of the pipes that are sported these days are less than 2 feet long and have absolutely zero flame and spark suppression. Watch the bad boys at night and check out the orange and blue flames shooting out of them when you rolloff the throttle. I suppose running these illegal pipes and risking a major fire makes one feel like a true outlaw biker especially after sporting the outlaw biker costume complete with greasy leather, a doo-rag, no sleeves, a ponytail and a beer gut. Real outlaw bikers carry the colors of the "Mongols" and "Hells Angels" and they are true outlaws, not weekend wannabees. It's very simple, tone the noise down a bit and have a blast at Myrtle Beach. There are some beautiful bikes out there to be admired. They don't have to sound like 40 freight trains to get attention and be admired.
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No, no one said a thing about "straight pipes"

Submitted by GuestHD (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 9:41am.
You are way off the mark and off the facts. Myrtle Beach has recently enacted several new laws and stiffened others. Among a very few of the steps they have take are. 1. Barring the Use/Rental of the convention center for any purpose having to do with the Rallies. 2. Enacting a helmet law that will be the only town in SC that has such. 3. Barring Vendors (no longer issuing permits) from operating anywhere in the City Limits. 4. Stiffening the already in place noise ordinance. 5. Extreme restrictions on parking of motorcycles and motor cycle trailers. These are just a very few of the new rules. The noise ordinance that was already in place did cause bikers to get tickets and those that abused the ordinance got what they asked for and did not nor does not cause a problem for the vast majority of bikers. Myrtle Beach running out the vendors, baring the convention center from being used, and finding every way possible to enact penalties for coming into that town on your motorcycle is why bikers are going to stay away! As mentioned in my earlier reply, the town council even went against advice from their own town attorney with actions they took. To answer the question by another. Fully 60% of the businesses in Myrtle Beach have stated in a survey taken by the town that they in fact support and want the Spring and Fall Rallies to continue! So, that same council went outside the wishes of the majority of the business community with their actions. One of the odd ball things the town did was to enact language that made it unlawful for an event to take place that borders the city limits that causes the city undue (what ever they would define as undue) problems. So, the city is going to try to reach outside it's own jurisdiction to take court action against another or others. This is one of the things the city was warned (by their own) would not stand up in court. What most likely will happen here is the city will go after a sponsor or sponsors outside the city. They in turn will take counter actions and if the city does not prevail as their attorney believes, then, the city will be paying all court cost and damages. Great fot MB tax payers, right? The possibility is great that local business will lose out from lost business and then end up paying higher taxes in order to cover the cost of litigation and fines against the city. What does the Mayor of MB say about this? "If we have to raise taxes, we will raise taxes." Bottom line is, the Rallies are going to take place. They are going to take place outside the city of Myrtle Beach and that is what Myrtle Beach wants. At the same time, many are advising visiting bikers to stay out of the city for the above and many more reasons. Back to the loud pipes. If you are attending the events in Horry County, Surf Side Beach and North Myrtle Beach and you show your butt, you are going to get fined. Plain and simple. So, when talking about bikers not going into the city of Myrtle Beach please get your story right, with facts by the way.
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Much deeper than the article

Submitted by Guest461 (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 11:07am.
Guest HD, you bring up many valid points, but this article is clearly ONLY about a newly enacted noise ordinance...that's all and that's all that I was addressing, with fact and with law. While the other things such as helmet law, use of a convention center and such may be going on, it is not relayed to the public in the news or at least...not in this article. You are quite correct that all bikers should be responsible and use decent behavior at these gatherings, but behave or not, loud and obnoxious straight pipes will likely be cited in, around, to and from this event no matter where the gathering takes place. Believe me brother, I bought my first HD at 15 and rode to high school even in winter. The only time we used trailers was when they broke down, not to keep what little chrome we had shiney. I still haven't stopped at 50.
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How convenient!

Submitted by GuestHD (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 8:39pm.
So now only one of the many enactments by the city of Myrtle Beach is to be considered and/or debated because of an article that only addresses this one issue? Everything else is to be ignored because you or the town says so? Oh, and to bring about a little light of truth is not appropriate? How convenient. What is going to be next? Book burnings? IT IS A RAILROAD JOB PERIOD! And, we, are not going to spend a dime in that grimy little town that does not want us! Got you by 14 years so, please spare me.
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Motorcycle Rally

Submitted by jetfuel (not verified) on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 9:25pm.
The poor folks in Myrtle are in living hell right now, worse than this area. Not being as diversified as this area, a self righteous few are making the rules up on the fly for what they believe the masses want. Come next election year, the people will speak, and all will be well. In the mean time, Be safe and be Respectful... Live to ride! BTW, SSG/E-6, Thank You for your service!!!
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I will still go down to for

Submitted by WilmMan on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 10:52am.
I will still go down to for bike week...and as usual, I will bypass the city. I usually spend a couple hundred up to a grand, but thanks to the city government, the town itself won't see a penny of my money
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Well go to

Submitted by SKennedy (not verified) on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 3:27pm.
Wilman, There are 6 of us also going to Fall Rally spending upwards of $600.00 min a person for (4) days, However Myrtle beach told me not to come there and spend the money they had plenty. If they have plenty of money then why is the mayor looking at the citizens to pay the bill with tax money if they loose any law suits which by the way, one has been filed as of September 30th. Boy, those citizens must really trust there leaders with there bank accounts.
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