There's plenty of traffic, and the last time I went there was a lot more sitting still, and barely moving than there was actually riding. I don't really consider it a riding rally like Sturgis or Laconia. It's more of a destination rally. Main St. is a must, the Convention Center, and Destination Daytona. Mostly ride there, park, and wander around and see the bikes, vendors, and sights. One thing I really enjoyed during bike week was the races at the Speedway. They had the Vintage races one day during the week, and that was a blast to watch. Old Triumphs, BSA's, Honda's, etc... and you could walk around the pits and see the teams. It's a great trip, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't able to do a lot of really enjoyable riding due to the extreme traffic Jams. One other place to make sure you see is St. Augustine, just North of Ormond and Daytona about 30-40 miles. Great little town, great food, and just a nice relief from all that's going on in the Daytona area. Good Luck

 

Traffic gets heavy on main routes, which means you'll be sweating in stop & go traffic rather than fighting your way through fast, crowded highways. If you can duck-walk your bike, you can do Daytona.

The main routes that get congested are:

International Speedway Blvd
US 1 (South Daytona and Ormond/Flagler area)
Main Street (a block or so from the convention center)
A1A (near mainstreet and convention center)
Beach Street

I strongly recommend you get yourself a map of Volusia County, learn it and love it. While most Bike Week participants get stuck in traffic on these routes, there are a plethora of back roads that are generally light or free of traffic. Yes, you may hit more stop signs/lights, but you'll get to the same place and often faster.

The Convention Center has ample parking, and there are other parking areas nearby. Generally, figure on paying $5 per bike to park there. Be very careful not to park illegally, since the Daytona PD will be out in force and has no hesitation to cite and/or tow motorcycles during the event.

Note that on the Beachside (island) many residential roads have signs to block through-traffic. That's reasonable, since the residents put up with a lot of congestion and noise during Bike Week. Sometimes these roadblocks are limited to specific times in the evening. You may be able to pass through a neighborhood as a shortcut during the day, but not in the evening. The other flaw with side-streets on Beachside is Main Street. It literally cuts everything in half, so plan to cross it where there is a traffic light. Other side streets that cross Main Street will get blocked off if it just has a stop sign.

For the little bit you've described, one day is fine. I live only a half-hour away and I've seen & done most everything there. A day is about all I do for Bike Week, unless I have specific purchase goals (like this year with the new Fat Bob).

There are only three things to do in all of Bike Week, anyway.

1: See/Watch something
2: Buy something
3: Eat/Drink something

The rest is just traffic. You can go from place to place, but you pretty much just do a variation of these three things. The only exception may be the vendor demo rides near the Speedway.

On Main Street, the sidewalks are crowded as hell and it pisses me off more than the traffic on the road. Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to be around there.

 

I rode up there from the house over the weekend, it sounds like I'll be OK for a trip up there to check out the vendors and such.

Thanks for the info from everyone who responded.

Matt

 

Matt..where you coming from, what part on Central FL?...we're going up both weekends..pm me

 

You're going to be using your clutch a LOT so if you're not confident with that then maybe you should reconsider. Oneway to help is to park a ways from the main attractions and walk in. The bigger the attraction the more traffic. Daytona is a fun time but it can be spoiled by a bad incident that you're not prepared for. If you go be careful and have fun, and don't try to be something that you're not!

 

I'm only an hour away so I've been several times, however I don't plan on going anymore because of all the hassle. But, if possible, every biker should experience Bike week at least once. It's an experience you'll never forget.

Go for it. Just ride carefully.

 

Mostly true, but for anyone who wants to get away from the congestion and enjoy some beautiful scenery, I recommend setting aside a bit of time to ride "The Loop"



Also, side trips north to St. Augustine or south to Cocoa Beach can make for some relaxing rides. Its all what you make of it.

 

I rode the loop last weekend, and it is a very nice ride.

Matt

 

Daytona has been a little less busy the past few years. This might be a good year for you to test the water since the economy sucks, might be a few less riders.

 

+1 if you've ridden in dense traffic or in large groups before you'll be just fine