UPDATE: Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson drops out of bike rally, others still undecided

MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson says they aren’t taking part in the Myrtle Beach spring bike rally after previously saying the rally would be combined with Myrtle Beach’s fall bike rally.

“Safety trumps business,” Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson marketing director Sheri Gibson tells News13. “The dealer principle is the safety of the riders, but also staff and locals.”

Not only is safety and health a concern, but timing is also of the essence. Gibson says it takes weeks to prepare and set up for the rally, and two weeks alone just to move the 400 motorcycles off the lot to make room.

According to Gibson, Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson is one of two businesses with a special event permit with Horry County Emergency Management, and during a state of emergency, no events can go on. If the state of emergency is lifted by Horry County on April 30, Gibson said one week isn’t enough time to be ready for a rally.

Gibson said Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson backing out of the spring rally doesn’t mean the event is canceled, but rather they’re not taking part, and are looking forward to the fall rally.

Doyce Heinzmann, of Spokes & Bones, tells News13 having a rally the second week of May might be too early, but waiting until October would be too late. While a lot is up in the air, Heinzmann is hoping for a shortened rally in the middle of June, possibly from Tuesday to Saturday.

Thursday Spokes & Bones posted on Facebook saying “Spokes & Bones will be open for rally provided the bans have been lifted. Hope to see you in May!”

News13 reached out to Suck Bang Blow for comment, but have not heard back as of noon Friday. Thursday afternoon, Suck Bang Blow posted the following on Facebook:

Stay tuned. Take a deep breath and stay calm. We are in talks with the county and local authorities regarding the status of Spring Rally this year. Some local businesses have already chosen not to participate, and that’s fine, but no official decision has been made just yet. Continue to follow our social media accounts for future updates. Love y’all!

On Thursday, Myrtle Beach Harley Davidson’s owner Phil Schoonover said in a Facebook post the 2020 Myrtle Beach Spring bike rally would be combined with the fall rally and would take place the second week of October.