Our fans on our Hot Leathers Facebook page were kept up to date throughout the entire rally with daily updates and pics direct from Bike Week.  Together with the help from our friends over at Rally TV our Facebook fans were kept in-the-know with great videos, pics and commentary on an almost daily basis.  You can view all the pics that were posted by clicking this link to our 2012 Daytona Beach Bike Week Facebook photo album.

Large crowds and some rain-free days made this year one of our favorite bike weeks in a long time.  We spotted some sweet rides on the first Friday at the Sunshine National Meet located at 625 Tomoka Farms Rd. New Smyrna Beach right near the Cabbage Patch.  They had some great vintage bikes, signs, and parts. 

We went over to Willies' Tropical Tattoo for Chopper Time on Thursday the 15th to see some awesome old school choppers, bobbers, diggers, and rat bikes.  Chopper Time is a Bike Week tradition and a great place to see some of the top names in the industry.  We spent the afternoon checking out all the bikes, eating some great food, and listening to live music.  Plan on making this a stop on your next Bike Week adventure.

Later on Thursday night we headed over to the Doghouse for the 5th Annual Biker Fusion fundraiser supporting Soldiers' Angels.  This years Biker Fusion was a great show with TONS of biker celebs.  The "Gunny" R. Lee Ermey was on hand along with the nights hosts; Dave Perewitz, Paul Yaffe, and Steve Broyles.  The party was great, the bands were awesome, they had some AMAZING auction and raffle items, and when all was said and done, they raised over $16,000 to support our troops!  Rally TV had a great red carpet area setup and got interviews with some of the greats…

[youtube=httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nQJ36qfi44]

Saturday March 17th was the first Bike Week St. Patrick's Day on record.  We designed and printed a special Official Bike Week St. Patrick's Day shirt which was a big hit with all our customers. 

Saturday was the first time in 7 years the Bike Week Community Appreciation Parade was brought back to the rally.  After a long hiatus the parade was back and was a resounding success yet again.  Tens of thousands of revelers lined the 5+ miles from the Ocean Center to the Daytona Speedway to see the throngs of bikes and bikers roll by.

We had another great Bike Week and we hope everyone we saw and met had a great time too.   There is nothing more exciting to us the a half a million of our brothers and sisters coming to one place to party!  We do it every year and we highly suggest you do too.  Bike Week is a party unlike any other in the world and you never know what you are going to see next.  We caught this couple as they had JUST GOT MARRIED! 

Our next stop on our 2012 Motorcycle Rally tour is Arizona Bike Week.  Tens of thousands of bikers from all over the Southwest will converge on Scottsdale for one hell of a party.   WIth headliners like Tesla, REO Speedwagon, Puddle of Mudd, Quiet Riot and more the entertainment at the Southwests Hottest Motorcycle Rally is nothing short of top notch.  We are proud to be Official Merchandisers of this years rally and we will be setup from March 28 – April 1 at Cyclefest at Westworld of Scottsdale with tons of Official 2012 Arizona Bike Week merchandise.   You can get select styles of our Official Arizona Bike Week line online now, Click Here!  To find out more about the Arizona Bike Week visit their official website.  We'll see you in Arizona!

Hot Leathers is on route to the 71st Daytona Beach Bike Week, March 9 – 18, 2012.  We have been in attendance at Bike Week for almost three decades.   Every year we bring our latest lineup of apparel and accessories along with a huge selection of official rally merchandise by Hot Leathers.   Hot Leathers is proud to be one of the 2012 Daytona Beach Bike Week Official Merchandisers.

Hot Leathers Daytona is our store open year round at 801 Main Street, Daytona Beach, Florida.  During the rally we open up our Hot Leathers Bike Week headquarters across the street at out giant 814 Main Street location.  You will also find Hot Leathers setup at the Cabbage Patch, Daytona Speedway, as well as up and down Main Street.  This year we have put together the best Official Daytona Beach Bike Week designs to date.  All Official Bike Week merchandise by Hot Leathers consists of original artwork designed and printed in our Manchester, Connecticut headquarters.

Check out some of this years great designs only available at Bike Week!

To stay up to date with all the events going on in and around Daytona Beach, Florida, visit the Official Bike Week website here… http://officialbikeweek.com  The Daytona Chamber of Commerce does a great job keeping the site fresh and up to date with the latest Bike Week news and events.  Don't forget to sign up for the Official Bike Week motorcycle give-away valued at $35,000 as feature in American Iron Magazine!  They have only sold 1700 tickets so far, so your chances of winning this one-of-a-kind bike, are pretty good!

A staple of the Daytona Beach Bike Week experience is the grand daddy of all bike shows, the Rats Hole Custom Bike Show, and this year marks is the 40th anniversary!  The longest running and most prestigious bike show in the world is held March 17, 2012 at the Daytona Lagoon Water Park.  There are 23 classes at this years competition so expect LOTS of customer choppers, exotic bobbers, cafe racers, and some of the weirdest rolling contraptions you've ever seen.  Visit http://www.ratshole.com/ for more info and to register you bike at one of their upcoming shows!

Hot Leathers is proud to once again be a sponsor of the Biker Fusion event presented by R&R Promotions and Rise Above Consulting.  This is a great fundraiser that benefits Soldiers' Angels, a volunteer based non-profit organization that assists active service men and women as well as veterans.  This year there will be a live auction, some great bikes, celebrity hosts Paul Yaffe, Dave Perewitz, and Steve Broyles, and live entertainment.  The event is March 15th @ 7pm at the Dog House Bar and Grill on Main Street in Daytona Beach.

Another Bike Week tradition is the annual Daytona 200 at the Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona 200 kicks off the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) Pro Racing season with a 200-mile battle on the demanding twists and turns of Daytona's road course with America's top motorcycle stars on March 17th. Visit the speedway all week to see races, live entertainment, tons of bike demos and lots more!  Keep a lookout for Hot Leathers while you are there, we are setup all over the speedway compound. Click here for more info…http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2012/Daytona-200-Week/Daytona-200.aspx

Are you planning on attending the Daytona Motorcycle Rally and think you got what it takes to model Hot Leathers apparel?  We are looking for a couple regular bikers, like yourselves, men and women, over the age of 18, to submit head shots and full body pics to photos@hotleathers.com.  You must be attending the rally and be available Wednesday March 14th.  Everyone is invited to enter and the winners will be featured in future Hot Leathers media (catalog, website, advertising, etc…) and you'll get some FREE gear!

We also have a Daytona Bike Week discount coupon you can print and bring in or show our cashier on your iPhone…
http://www.hotleathers.com/mailer/images/Daytona-Bike-Week-2012-coupon.jpg

Our trucks are on the road as we speak and we'll see you all in Daytona Beach March 9 – 18, 2012 at Bike Week!

Here are some other valuable resources regarding Daytona Bike Week 2012….
Official Bike Week website… http://officialbikeweek.com/
Cabbage Patch Campground… http://www.cabbagepatchbar.com
Froggie's Saloon… http://froggyssaloon.net/
Daytona International Speedway… http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com
Daytona Racing & Hobbies (walking distance from the Speedway)… http://www.daytonaracingsouvenirshobbies.com
Daytona 200… http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Tickets-Events/Events/2012/Daytona-200-Week/Daytona-200.aspx

We’re searching for Men & Women Bikers to model Hot Leathers apparel at Daytona Beach Bike Week! Persons selected will star in a photo shoot with a Hot Leathers Staff Photographer on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. The winners will be featured in Hot Leathers media (catalog, online, etc.) and will get to keep a couple of the tees they’ve modeled during the shoot.

Requirements:
• We’re looking for fun, energetic Men & Women Bikers that are comfortable in front of a camera.

• Must be attending Daytona Beach Bike Week and be available between noon and 2:00 PM Wednesday, March 14, 2012.

• Must be 18 or older.

• Having your motorcycle at the rally is helpful, but not required.

To Apply:
Please send several photos including headshots and full body shots (you do not have to be wearing Hot Leathers apparel) to photos@hotleathers.com.
Important: In the subject line, please type “Model Search”.

Include your name, address, cell phone number, email and please tell us a little bit about yourself.

If selected, you will be contacted by Hot Leathers via email.
Specifics on location/time of shoot and what to bring with you will be discussed when winners are chosen. You do not have to be a professional model in order to apply, just be photogenic and enthusiastic.

Here is a video from our photo shoot at the 2011 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally…

We started the year off, as we have for the past couple years, at the Springfield Motorcycle Show. Doug, and the guys over at the Outdoor Sports Expo Group put on yet another great show. This year they brought back fan-favorites Mikey Teutul and Michele Smith as well as roller derby girls, live music, and some amazing bikes. We met a lot of great people and had a lot of fun. We always look forward to starting the year off with a great motorcycle show right in our back yard.

Earlier this month you could have seen Hot Leathers at the Timonium Motorcycle Show held in the Maryland State Fairgrounds. This was “THE BIG ONE!” Show promoters www.CycleShows.net pulled out all the stops and really put on a great show.

The bikes in Timonium were awesome, there was a ton of creativity on that floor. The building was filled with cool choppers and one-of-a-kind custom bikes that were really cool. From the great bikes to the fun on-stage entertainment this was an awesome show. Hopefully we’ll see everyone we met later on this year over at the Ocean City Fall Rally, Sept. 13 – 16, 2012.

Also on our schedule earlier this month, was a stop in Columbus, Ohio for the Easyriders Events Bike Show Tour National Finals. The “world series” of the Easyriders Bike Show tour, if you will. The bikes on this line-up were some of the countries best, but this show was a lot more then just a bike show. There was tons of entertainment, live music, vendors, plus Chibs and Lyla from Sons of Anarchy! The SOA starts were available for meet and greets with their fans and so were many other motorcycle industry celebs. Congratulations to all the winners who walked home with prizes from the bike show and we look forward to seeing you all again.

The next stop for Hot Leathers is the one-and-only Daytona Beach Bike Week! The 71st Daytona Beach Bike Week happens March 9 – 18, 2012 and Hot Leathers is going to be all over it! We are setting up shop at all corners of the party! You can find our tents at the Cabbage Patch and Daytona Speedway, plus we have store fronts and tents all up and down Main Street. This year Hot Leathers is proud to one again be an Official Merchandise for Daytona Bike Week and we have a GIANT selection of rally merchandise including t-shirts, hats, patches, stickers, and much much more! During this years Bike Week we will also be sponsoring the 5th Annual Biker Fusion Fundraiser to benefit Soldiers’ Angels (a non-profit organization that helps active servicemen and women as well as vets and their families). The Biker Fusion event happens at the Dog House Bar and Grill on Main Street in Daytona March 15th, 2012 @ 7pm.

To find out more information about this years Bike Week events you can visit the Daytona Chamber’s official website www.officialbikeweek.com

Check out some of our original Hot Leathers Official 2012 Daytona Beach Bike Week designs, available only at the rally…

Hot Leathers 2012 Motorcycle Event Schedule

To see Hot Leathers’ entire 2012 Motorcycle Events Schedule you can click here…

http://www.hotleathers.com/motorcycle-rally-events-2012.aspx

Find Hot Leathers Online…

Facebook… http://www.Facebook.com/HotLeathers

Twitter… http://www.Twitter.com/HotLeathers

YouTube… http://www.youtube.com/HotLeathers1983

Images / Resource:

http://www.osegshows.com

http://easyridersevents.com

http://bikeshowcoverage.com

http://www.haymondlaw.com/

http://www.officialbikeweek.com

ATTENTION!!  Hot Leathers Columbus Day Hunt starts… NOW!!  We have hidden a Columbus Statue inside our large product images on HotLeathers.com.  The first 15 facebook fans to leave a comment on our page (Facebook.com/hotleathers) with the Item# and title of a product with this Columbus statue win a $10 Hot Leathers gift certificate.  Only one gift certificate per Columbus Statue and you can only win once.  Happy Hunting!

REQUIREMENTS:

• We’re looking for fun, energetic Men & Women Bikers that are comfortable in front of a camera.

• Must be attending Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and be available Wednesday, August 10, 2011 – 3-5pm

• Must be 18 or older.

• Having your motorcycle at the rally is helpful, but not required.

To Apply: Please send several photos including headshots and full body shots (you do not have to be wearing Hot Leathers apparel) to photos@hotleathers.com. Subject: Sturgis Photo Shoot Include your name, address, phone number, email and please tell us a little bit about yourself. If selected, you will be contacted by Hot Leathers via email. Specifics on location/time of shoot and what to bring with you will be discussed when winners are chosen. You do not have to be a professional model in order to apply. Fun & photogenic bikers are what we’re looking for!!

Known as the largest music festival in motorcycling, the Legendary Buffalo Chip® has teamed up with GEICO for a special “30 Years Strong – Sturgis Buffalo Chip” bike give-away during this year’s 71st annual Sturgis Rally.  Ever since the first riders rode through its “Welcome Home Bikers” gates, The Chip has enjoyed a hard-riding love affair with motorcyclists from around the world.

Victory Motorcycles, another one of The Chip’s official sponsors, provided one of their classic, Kingpin 8-Ball cruisers for renowned builders Klock Werks Kustom Cycle from Mitchell, SD to customize for the giveaway.  The owners of Klock Werks, Brain and Laura Klock saw the potential for their daughters Erika and Karlee to design, build and fabricate a mini-bagger with help from parts sponsors Bassani Exhaust, Gearwrench, Interstate Batteries and Sportech. The finished motorcycle will encompass the Legendary Buffalo Chip’s annual celebration of music, motorcycles, freedom and camaraderie.

Fans of the Legendary Buffalo Chip® can register to win the Klock Werks customized Victory Kingpin by CLICKING HERE and filling out a contest form. One lucky winner will be chosen from a group of finalists live on The Chip’s main stage Friday, August 12th to highlight the Sturgis Rally activities.

“GEICO is thrilled to be celebrating 30 Years Strong with the Sturgis Buffalo Chip,” says Kelly Arsenault, GEICO marketing.  “The Buffalo Chip is the most iconic entertainment venue and travel destination of its kind. We can’t wait to celebrate with the best fans of the Sturgis Rally!”

“It’s humbling to think about all the riders that have made the Legendary Buffalo Chip their home-away-from-home while attending the Sturgis Rally over the last 30 years,” says Rod Woodruff, The Chip’s owner.  “Every year, we strive to make the party bigger and better and our extended family continues to grow.  We have the most passionate and loyal motorcycle riders in the world and this special promotion is a way not only to celebrate 30 years strong in Sturgis, but the fact that we’re just getting started.”

The Legendary Buffalo Chip has been offering its guests a true Sturgis motorcycling experience for 30 years.  It’s going to be one rowdy, high-caliber good time with headliners like Alice Cooper, Pop Evil, Bachman & Turner, Styx,  Def Leppard, Toby Keith, Poison, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tesla, George Thorogood, Leon Russell, Jeff Bridges and Friends. Don’t miss it!  Visit www.buffalochip.com now and make your reservations for the 71st annual Sturgis Rally at “The Best Party Anywhere! ™”

Your pass grants you access to the great line-up of concerts like Def Leppard, Toby Keith, Alice Cooper, George Thorogood and more! Pitch a tent, park your van under a tree, or rent an RV or cabin on site if you choose to fly or ride in. You’ll be at the heart of The Best Party Anywhere™. Check out the site at www.buffalochip.com.

Sign up to win during Laconia Motorcycle Week at the Lobster Pound, Laconia Roadhouse or at any Hot Leathers Laconia location. Winner will be drawn** Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 6:00 pm at the Laconia Roadhouse.

*Passes will be held at the WILL CALL at the West End Box Office of the Legendary Buffalo Chip®.
**Winner must be 21 to enter and present at drawing to win.

Jealous? Then send in your pix wearing Hot Leathers along with your name and address to: photos@hotleathers.com. You could be our next winner.  See our Photo Contest link for complete details.