Audio By Carbonatix
It’s no secret that the Valley is a prime stomping ground for motorcycle lovers. Just listen to the roar of open drag pipes echoing down the streets of your neighborhood, especially on a beautiful Saturday evening.
Get used to that sound. Learn to love it, even. Because Arizona Bike Week, which starts Friday, April 5, will attract thousands of motorcycle riders to Valley streets for 10 jam-packed days of charity rides through stunning, scenic desert territory, rock concerts, drag races, a huge vendor expo and more than a dozen parties.
A big bonus is that most of the activities are free. “We wanted to make it a user-friendly event,” says Al Corte, producer of Bike Week. As a result, it draws a wide range of visitors, male and female alike, from enthusiastic young riders to seasoned road warriors.
Arizona Bike Week is already in its sixth year, but it’s been successful since the beginning. “The first year was a gangbuster year,” says Corte. “It really made a statement that put Arizona on the map, and we didn’t have to go through years and years of development to get to that point.” Since then, the number of bikers showing up for the event has grown by at least 30 percent every year.
Now Arizona Bike Week is among the top five destination motorcycle events in the country, drawing crowds from not only the entire U.S., but the whole world. “We’re getting to be up there with Sturgis and Daytona,” Corte predicts.
