Where to ride in 2019: A preview of national motorcycle events

Mar 06, 2019

At a recent motorcycle show, I walked around a hundred different motorcycles, trying to decide which of them was my favorite so I could cast my vote.

By the end, I still didn’t have a favorite. All I’d done was imagine a hundred different trips on all kinds of bikes. With the riding season just around the corner, you’re probably thinking this way too, especially if you’re still firmly in winter’s grip like we are here in Philadelphia. Here’s a preview of some national motorcycle events you might want to start planning for in 2019.

Daytona Bike Week (March 8-17)

You’ve gotta do it at least once, I hear. Daytona Bike Week is simply massive. There's all kinds of racing, as Monster Energy Supercross comes to the Speedway on March 9, the American Flat Track season kickstarts on March 14, and the Daytona 200 runs on March 16. But thousands of riders of all kinds gather in Daytona for one of the largest motorcycle gatherings you'll ever see, and some never even know there's a race in town. No matter what you’re looking for in a giant motorcycle rally, you can probably find it at Bike Week. If Daytona’s a little farther from you than you’d like to ride, consider Arizona Bike Week (April 3-7, Scottsdale, Arizona) or Americade (June 4-8, Lake George, New York) instead.

AFT at Daytona — The American Flat Track series opens with the TT race in Daytona this year. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.

American Flat Track Daytona TT (March 14, Daytona Beach, Florida)

As mentioned above, the AFT season opens at Daytona, and you might want to be there. (If you’re at Daytona Bike Week, you already are!) I’ll argue that flat-track racing is one of the best motorsports out there to watch as a spectator today. The relatively short tracks make it easy to follow the action, and the increasing interest in the sport means it’s sure to be a good time.

Born-Free motorcycle show — Born-Free features some of the nation's best customs and builders. Photo by Brett Walling.

Born-Free (June 22-23, Silverado, California)

Couldn’t show you a list of moto events without some custom motorcycle shows, right? Born-Free is one of the best in the country, and at $15 a ticket, it’s well worth a visit. If you’re on, say, the other side of the country, check out the Fuel Cleveland Custom Motorcycle Show (July 27, Cleveland, Ohio) or The Congregation Show (April 13, Charlotte, North Carolina).

Final round of Supercross (May 4, Las Vegas)

If you only go to one Monster Energy Supercross race this year, the final in Vegas is probably the one to see. The end-of-season showdowns are always impressive, and there’s plenty of other fun to have in Vegas while you’re there. On October 19, Supercross returns to Vegas for an “invite-only all-star event”: the Monster Energy Cup, where the season’s best riders compete for a million dollars. One lucky fan could get a million, too. How would you ride if a million was on the line? Enough said.

KTM ADVENTURE Rider Rally (September 13-15, Breckenridge, Colorado)

Despite the event’s name, you don't have to have a KTM to participate in the KTM ADVENTURE Rider Rally. Whatever you ride, this adventure rally is one that will challenge you. KTM organizes these rallies around the world, and this year’s ride cuts through the brutal beauty of the Centennial State. Colorado isn’t exactly local to your neck of the woods? East-coasters will want to check out the Touratech Dirt Daze ride, which has moved from its previous spot near Americade. Dirt Daze is now hosted in Vermont and will run August 15-18.

Barber Motorsports Park (Events year-round, Birmingham, Alabama)

Barber has roadracing, a killer motorsports museum (1,600+ motorcycles!), a mini-bike festival, vintage celebrations and track days. We’ll start with the races. The MotoAmerica Championship of Alabama will be held there on September 20-22, and Barber is a top pick for watching roadracing in the United States. Their track gives spectators a good view, and the museum alone is well worth the trip. A little earlier in the year, Barber Small Bore will bring crowds of small-bike enthusiasts together for a weekend of slow bikes fast. It’s the spiritual successor to the Smoky Mountain Crawl, which outgrew its old location and moved to Barber for 2019. Last, there’s the Barber Vintage Festival (October 4-6) for lovers of old-school machinery. I think it’s safe to say that if you like motorcycles, Barber should be on your list.

Of course, these are all just highlights and suggestions for some of the big moto events happening around the nation this year. There are many more not covered here. Most importantly, get out and ride something somewhere. Invite some friends, and you’ve got yourself an event. That’s how most of these gatherings started!