Myrtle Beach Bike Week’s spring rally is back for its 83rd edition. Here’s all you need to know.

One of the Grand Strand’s longest and most popular traditions is upon us again, with the 83rd annual Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally coming to the region from May 13 through May 22.

Here’s everything you need to know about the event, which is expected to draw more than 20,000 people during its run. Bike Week’s fall rally is next, from Sept. 26 through Oct. 2.

1. Where are the hot spots?

With more than 60 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline as a backdrop, communities including Georgetown, Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach typically draw the largest contingent of riders.

But the real draws are on the north and south sides of Horry County, where establishments like the Beaver Bar, the Rathole, Spokes and Bones and Suck, Bang, Blow offer live music, vendors and other entertainment.

Meanwhile, popular shopping spot Barefoot Landing opens its parking lot for Bike Week to merchants, and the region’s two Harley-Davidson stores in Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are motorhead meccas.

2. Do bikers need to wear helmets? And what other laws are in place to keep everyone safe?

If they’re under 21, yes. In 2008, Myrtle Beach city leaders adopted a series of ordinances aimed at stopping motorcycle rallies — including a helmet mandate. The S.C. Supreme Court overruled the law two years later, saying its local rules can’t supersede state statute.

But riders under 21 are required to have a helmet. Open containers of alcoholic beverages in vehicles and public areas are prohibited. Speeding and littering laws are also strictly enforced.

3. Where can people expect traffic snarls?

The entrances to Harley-Davidson parking lots along U.S. 17 in North Myrtle Beach and the Broadway at the Beach venue get crowded, so motorists should plan for delays while traveling through those areas. It’ll also likely take more time to get through Murrell’s Inlet along the Highway 17 Business corridor.

4. The Trump factor

Bike Week 2022 comes just a month before the high-stakes GOP primary battle in the state’s 7th congressional district, where incumbent Tom Rice is fighting back a slate of challengers including state Rep. Russell Fry, a Surfside Beach attorney who won former president Donald Trump’s endorsement in February.

The 45th president himself took to a stage in Florence on March 12 for a rally, where he gushed over his popularity among bikers.

“I don’t know what is with bikers, but I’m pretty sure I had 100 percent of their vote When I go to places in South Carolina, North Carolina and all over the place, I feel very safe,” Trump said. “Sometimes we have 2,000, 3,000 bikers and they rev up those Harleys and the girlfriends on the back, they love it. The bikers for Trump, we love them. They really are patriots. They love our country.”

Bike Week pulls riders in from across the country, but will those from within the 7th congressional district reward Fry with their vote? It’s something to be on the lookout for over the next nine days.

This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 5:00 AM.