MUSKEGON, Mich. — Motorcyclists revved up their engines this weekend to celebrate the 17th annual Bike Time in Muskegon.
Organizers say events like this are important to the biker community.
This is Rick Bouse’s third year coming out to Bike Time in Muskegon.
“Camaraderie of bikers, great time, love looking at the bikes, enjoying time with your friends.” Rick says those are reasons why he keeps coming back.
“I enjoyed the concert, and the classic rock that they played in,” Rick adds. “There's a lot of fun.”
Michelle Northrop and Jason Teed have attended the event in years past, but they’ve never joined the actual ride – until now.
”This is my first year that I've been on a bike,” says Michelle. “So it's kind of special.”
One of their favorite parts was riding down Rebel Road.
“That was a exhilarating ride,” says Michelle. “So it was long, two hours, but it was worth it. And last night was awesome. We were on Rebel Road, and it was just such a great experience.”
The event is something they say everyone should come out and experience at least once.
“I definitely recommend you come out if you haven't been out before, even if you don't have a bike,” says Michelle. “It's an experience. You'll see a lot of things that you haven't seen before, you know, so it's really a good time.”
It was a good time that isn’t always the most accessible for bikers.
“You don't have anything else that's nearby to go to Sturgis or Daytona or Laconia, has a pretty significant commitment to have something in your backyard that you can ride to and ride home at the end of the night I think is is really an important,” says Josh Voss with GM of Hot Rod in Muskegon.
Josh says the turnout has increased over the years, bringing out thousands from near and far.
“We had a gentleman come from Southern Oklahoma is at 1,031 miles; he rode straight to get here,” says Josh.
It’s all for the love of motorcycles and being surrounded by others who share that same passion.
“It’s cool to see people come here and appreciate downtown Muskegon and Muskegon County and the lakeshore,” says Josh. “So we love it. It is underrated.”
The annual Bike Time event started Thursday and wrapped up Sunday.
Organizers say the event helps infuse around $30 million into the local economy each year.
If you’re interested in next year’s event, head to their website and subscribe for updates.
