This last article for Daytona is all about the area where Daytona Harley-Davidson is located. There are many quaint little shops along the street that neighbor HD where I'm sure the local residents love to buy their knickknacks and unique gifts at, whenever half a million bikers aren't in the same area. But for the days of Daytona Bike Week, there are hundreds of vendors and food stands that line the roadway.

     Daytona HD itself wasn't as insane as you would expect it to be. The company was well organized and heavily staffed in preparation. Along this same street, there was a large grassy field that was filled with booths of vendors selling sunglasses & goggles, leather, bandanas, parts & accessories, insurance, and anything else that you can think of that relates to the sport. There were tractor trailer displays set up by Jack Daniels and Copenhagen that you could walk through to learn the history of the companies and get free stuff at the end! I even learned that the county that JD is distilled in is a dry county.

     Among this wood chipped menagerie of exhibitors were lots of small custom bike shops that are trying to get their name out. This is where we met the creators of this month's feature bike - Precision Cycle Works out of Michigan. Pudge fell in love with the customs that they build; at least we know where the bike will be built some day when we have the money!

     This was a great area to walk along the street to see both the classics and the customs that come to Daytona. We got some great shots of really fantastic paint jobs, as well as having the opportunity to see what's the newest in customizing from across the US.

     Daytona, in short, was awesome. We loved it because of the fact that we had sport bikes, which were accepted at Daytona; I wouldn't want to go to Myrtle without a cruiser unless I wanted chased out of town. Daytona is a peaceful, fun vacation for everyone that is there - whether you're there just for the rally, working a booth, or a little bit of both.

     Next year, Daytona Bike Week will be held March 4-13, 2005. The official website is www.officialbikeweek.com, and it is very helpful, whether you are planning your first trip to Daytona or if you are a seasoned veteran.