History of Laconia Motorcycle Week | 1967 – Present

1967-1990

Following the Weirs Beach riot of 1965 and its consequent, “No Rally” year of 1966, the rally turned into a very scaled-down event. For the next 24 years, the rally was known simply as “Motorcycle Weekend” to locals. There was little to no promotion of the event, and it was attended by a very regional crowd. Hence, the reason for this webpage’s missing historical materials for many of those intervening years. There were very few printed materials or souvenirs produced.

The AMA’s monthly magazine, which covered and promoted the Laconia rally in every May and/or June issue from the late 1940s through the early 1960s, went mostly silent about Laconia, with Laconia coverage appearing only in the 1979 and 1983 issues, articles which are shown below. In 1970, the magazine was no longer American Motorcycling, it became the AMA News. In September, 1977, the magazine was renamed once again. This time it was called American Motorcyclist, the name with which it has continued to the present day.

1969

An article from Motorcyclist magazine – not from the official guidebook

1976 – 1980

Program covers for the “Laconia Motorcycle Classic”

Governor’s message from the 1976 program.

Governor’s message from the 1980 program.

1978

An amateur photo of Lakeside Avenue. Lined up on the boardwalk are two clubs participating in the best dressed contest – the United Motorcycle Club of Woonsocket RI (2nd place) and the Broken Spokes Motorcycle Club of Rochester NH (1st place).

1970’s

Two color slides of the Lakeside Avenue action

1979

LACONIA: Throttle twisters’ jamboree. Article from the June, 1979 issue of the American Motorcyclist.

1983

LOUDON: Motorcycling’s oldest road race celebrates its 60th anniversary. Article by Randy Warren in the June, 1983 issue of American Motorcyclist: “Around here on a quiet morning, you sit in the lazy sunshine. Not much traffic passes through the little town. Some vacationers stroll by. Down at Brent’s Market, the people from the local playhouse have sensed something in the air. About…”

1988

A button

1989

A button

Belknap Cup/Race Tickets

In 1992, the vintage race was called the “Belknap Cup” and did not coincide with Motorcycle Week. It is now called the “U.S. Vintage Motorcycle Grand Prix”.

This collection of old race tickets shows that from 1947 through June 1952 the Gypsy Tour races were billed as taking place at the Belknap Recreation Area in Gilford, but from September 1952 through 1957 the races were billed as taking place at the Recreation Area in Laconia. Apparently, for bikers, the Gypsy Tour took place in Laconia, so the race organizers decided for marketing purposes to associate the race with Laconia, even though the race actually took place in Gilford.

1991-Present

After reaching a low point in the mid 1970’s, the rally gradually rebounded in the 1980’s as memories of the earlier troubles began to fade and the economy turned upward. But the rally was nowhere near its potential, perhaps due to the lack of an official organizer. In 1991, a new organized effort began, spearheaded by Charlie St. Clair, currently executive director of the Laconia Motorycycle Week Association.

The effort included several bold moves. Among them were restricting traffic and parking on Lakeside Avenue to Motorcycles only, which began in 1993; new traffic patterns to smooth the traffic flow; lengthening the rally from a weekend-only event back to a full week (the length the rally had been in the 1950’s); scheduling many new events; and reviving the publication of an official guidebook and widely increasing its distribution. The bold moves paid off, increasing rally attendance from around 50,000 Motorcyclists in 1990 to over 350,000 today.

Below is a partial list of Gypsy Tours, based on available information. **Note that in 1953 and in 1955, there was a disparity between the Mayor of Laconia’s proclamation of Motorcycle Week on page 1 of the official program, and the dates as listed on the cover of the program.

YEAR	OFFICIAL DATES	ANNUAL	LENGTH IN DAYS	DAY SPAN
1916	Year “Zero” – The annual Laconia Rally begins. An informal gathering of about 150 riders at Weirs Beach precedes the 1st officially sanctioned “Gypsy Tour”
1917	June 16-17	1st	2	Sat&Sun
1918	June 16-17*	2nd	2	Sat&Sun
*In 1918, the National Gypsy Tour occurred on Saturday & Sunday, June 15-16; but in Laconia, the Bay State Motorcycle Club (see the photo above), did not drive up until Sunday, and returned on Monday.
1919	June 14-15	3rd	2	Sat&Sun
1920		4th
1921		5th
1922	June 17-18	6th	2	Sat&Sun
1923		7th
1924	June 7-8	8th	2	Sat&Sun
1925	June 20-21	9th	2	Sat&Sun
1926	June 5-6	10th	2	Sat&Sun
1927	June 18-19	11th	2	Sat&Sun
1928	June 17	12th	1	Sun
1929	June 16	13th	1	Sun
1930		14th
1931	June 14	15th	1	Sun
1932	June 19	16th	1	Sun
1933	June 25	17th	1	Sun
1934	June 24	18th	1	Sun
1935	June 22-23	19th	2	Sat&Sun
1936	August 16*	20th	1	Sun
* National Tour Date; Laconia date unknown.
1937	August 15*	21st	1	Sun
* National Tour Date; Laconia date unknown.
1938*	Sep 8-11	22nd	4	Thurs-Sun
*The 1938 rally was the first time the rally was not officially held in June. This was a result of the National Championship race being moved from Old Orchard Beach, where it had been held in July the previous year. The second time the rally did not officially occur in June was in 2020 (see below).
1939	June 22-25	23rd	4	Thurs-Sun
1940	June 29-30	24th	2	Sat&Sun
1941	June 28-29	25th	2	Sat&Sun
1942-1945	World War II, No Rallies
1946	June 22-23	26th	2	Sat&Sun
1947	June 21-22	27th	2	Sat&Sun
1948	June 19-20	28th	2	Sat&Sun
1949	June 18-19	29th	2	Sat&Sun
1950	June 17-18	30th	2	Sat&Sun
1951	June 15-17	31st	3	Fri-Sun
1952	June 13-15	32nd	3	Fri-Sun
1953	June 19-21	33rd	3 (or 7**)	Fri-Sun
1954	June 18-2	34th	3	Fri-Sun
1955	June 17-19	35th	3 (or 7**)	Fri-Sun
1956	June 15-17	36th	3	Fri-Sun
1957	June 17-23	37th	7	Mon-Sun
1958	June 16-22	38th	7	Mon-Sun
1959	June 15-21	39th	7	Mon-Sun
1960	June 13-19	40th	7	Mon-Sun
1961	June 15-18	41st	4	Thurs-Sun
1962	June 12-17	42nd	6	Tues-Sun
1963	June 18-23	43rd	6	Tues-Sun
1964	No Race at Belknap; No Official Rally
1965	June 16-20	44th	5	Wed-Sun
1966	Aftermath of Riot; No Official Rally
1967	June 17-18	45th	2	Sat&Sun
1968	June 15-16	46th	2	Sat&Sun
1969	June 14-15	47th	2	Sat&Sun
1970	June 20-21	48th	2	Sat&Sun
1971	June 19-20	49th	2	Sat&Sun
1972	June 17-18	50th	2	Sat&Sun
1973	June 16-17	51st	2	Sat&Sun
1974	June 15-16	52nd	2	Sat&Sun
1975	No Race at Loudon; No Official Rally
1976	June 19-20	53rd	2	Sat&Sun
1977	June 18-19	54th	2	Sat&Sun
1978	June 17-18	55th	2	Sat&Sun
1979	June 16-17	56th	2	Sat&Sun
1980	June 14-15	57th	2	Sat&Sun
1981	June 20-21	58th	2	Sat&Sun
1982	June 19-20	59th	2	Sat&Sun
1983	June 18-19	60th	2	Sat&Sun
1984	June 16-17	61st	2	Sat&Sun
1985	June 14-16	62nd	3	Fri-Sun
1986	June 13-15	63rd	3	Fri-Sun
1987	June 19-21	64th	3	Fri-Sun
1988	June 17-19	65th	3	Fri-Sun
1989	June 16-18	66th	3	Fri-Sun
1990	June 15-17	67th	3	Fri-Sun
1991	June 10-16	68th	7	Mon-Sun
1992	June 15-21	69th	7	Mon-Sun
1993	June 14-20	70th	7	Mon-Sun
1994	June 13-19	71st	7	Mon-Sun
1995	June 12-18	72nd	7	Mon-Sun
1996	June 9-16	73rd	8	Sun-Sun
1997	June 8-15	74th	8	Sun-Sun
1998	June 14-21	75th	8	Sun-Sun
1999	June 13-20	76th	8	Sun-Sun
2000	June 11-18	77th	8	Sun-Sun
2001	June 9-17	78th	9	Sat-Sun
2002	June 8-16	79th	9	Sat-Sun
2003	June 7-15	80th	9	Sat-Sun
2004	June 12-20	81st	9	Sat-Sun
2005	June 11-19	82nd	9	Sat-Sun
2006	June 10-18	83rd	9	Sat-Sun
2007	June 9-17	84th	9	Sat-Sun
2008	June 14-22	85th	9	Sat-Sun
2009	June 13-21	86th	9	Sat-Sun
2010	June 12-20	87th	9	Sat-Sun
2011	June 11-19	88th	9	Sat-Sun
2012	June 9-17	89th	9	Sat-Sun
2013	June 8-16	90th	9	Sat-Sun
2014	Jun 14-22	91st	9	Sat-Sun
2015	June 13-21	92nd	9	Sat-Sun
2016	June 11-19	93rd	9	Sat-Sun
2017	June 10-18	94th	9	Sat-Sun
2018	June 9-17	95th	9	Sat-Sun
2019	June 8-16	96th	9	Sat-Sun
2020	August 22-30*	97th	9	Sat-Sun
*Due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 rally was held in late August. This was only the second time in its history that the rally did not occur in June. This was a greatly scaled-down rally. No vendors were allowed. Many of the usual events did not take place. The following year of 2021, the rally was fully back, with great attendance, although it was missing all the Canadian bikers, who were unable to attend as the US/Canada border remained closed until November 8, 2021, when it reopened to Canadians who were fully vaccinated.
2021	June 12-20	98th	9	Sat-Sun
2022	June 11-19	99th	9	Sat-Sun
2023	June 10-18	100th!!!	9	Sat-Sun
2024	June 8-16	101st	9	Sat-Sun

What is the rule for determining future Motorcycle Week dates?

There is a popular misconception that Motorcycle Week always ends on Father’s Day weekend. While this is generally true, it is not always the case. Since the event became a two-weekend event, the actual rule for determining Motorcycle Week dates is as follows:

Motorcycle Week always begins on the second FULL weekend of June.

In years when June 1st lands on a Sunday, the weekend of May 31-June 1 is not a full weekend, but the weekend of June 7-8 is, so the event will start a week later than normal, resulting in Motorcycle Week beginning on Father’s Day weekend rather than ending with it. When June 1st lands on any day other than Sunday, Motorcycle Week will end on Father’s Day weekend, as usual.

In recent years, in 2008 and 2014, June 1st was on a Sunday, and the event started on Father’s Day weekend. (In 2003, June 1st was also on a Sunday, but the event ended on Father’s Day weekend. However, the event began so early in June there were complaints, so the new rule came into effect.)

1950’s

Patches

1988 & 1989

(Gypsy Tour Patches). In 1988-89 the Laconia Rally was known as Motorcycle Weekend. These were nearly the last years before the Rally resumed to a full week-long event.

1991

(Gypsy Tour). The first year that the Rally was re-expanded to a week long event, this patch noted the change.

A 1991 pin notes that Laconia Motorcycle Week is the USA’s “Oldest Gypsy Tour”.

1992

(Gypsy Tour). A metal, 12″ x 8″ sign.

1997

(National Gypsy Tours)

1998

(National Gypsy Tours)

This 75th anniversary buckle reads “LACONIA – Among America’s longest running motorcycle events, the Laconia Rally celebrates its 75th running in 1998. The original social gathering of Bay State MC riders and New Hampshire Motorcyclists in 1916 and their destination of Weir Beach on Lake Winnipesaukee near Laconia was complemented later by motorcycle racing at various nearby locations. Frizie Baer and the New Hampshire Motorcycle Dealers Association brought the racing to Belknap Recreation Area in 1938. In 1965 Bryar Motorsports Park, known today as New Hampshire Motor Speedway, hosted its first AMA Grand National Road Race. And that tradition continues today as Motorcyclists gather annually to take in the eclectic collage of AMA Superbike Series and the legendary Laconia rally, hosted by the AMA Chartered Lakeside Sharks Motorcycle Club.”