Difference in Black Bike Week and Spring Bike week. What to know for Grand Strand rallies

From mid- to late May, the Myrtle Beach area is overrun with motorcyclists as two different motorcycle rallies visit the Grand Strand.

Myrtle Beach Bike Week — also known as Spring Bike Rally or Harley Bike Week — is scheduled from May 10 through 19. Atlantic Beach Memorial Day Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival , better known as Black Bike Week or Atlantic Beach Bike Fest, will happen Memorial Day weekend — May 24 through 27.

The two bike rallies have brought thousands to the Myrtle Beach area for decades. Spring Bike Rally began in the 1940s and Black Bike Week started in the 1980s.

One large difference between the bike fests are who attends.

Black Bike Week has gotten its name for being mostly Black motorcyclists coming into the area while the Harley Davidson Spring Rally is mostly white bikers.

Here are the other differences between the two.

Location, location, location

Typically the Spring Bike Rally stays on the southern end of the Myrtle Beach area. Suck Bang Blow , a Murrells Inlet biker bar, is a popular spot for rally attendees to spend time.

The Myrtle Beach Bike Week will have vendors located at various bars located in Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach and Socastee. The most northern spot is Jamin’ Leather , located around the Myrtle Beach International Airport and Market Common.

Black Bike Week tends to stay in the middle and northern side of the Grand Strand. The official vendors and entertainment will be in Atlantic Beach along Atlantic Street, 31st Avenue South and South Ocean Boulevard.

Members of the Black Bike Week Facebook group say that older attendees stay around North Myrtle Beach while the younger crowd stays closer to the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

An increased police presence during Atlantic Beach Bike Fest

The city of Myrtle Beach has faced off with the NAACP in court over the number of officers Myrtle Beach has during Black Bike Week. The civil rights group filed a lawsuit against the city alleging racial discrimination in 2018 , The Sun News reported.

The NAACP said Myrtle Beach used additional police and a traffic detour during Memorial Day weekend, which is when Black Bike Week is held, to deter Black riders from coming to Myrtle Beach.

In 2020, a split federal jury ruled that Myrtle Beach was guilty of racial discrimination, but they also would have eventually started using these tactics even if race wasn’t a factor. Myrtle Beach paid a $50,000 settlement to the NAACP.

There have also been a high number of police officers from many different agencies located in Atlantic Beach and North Myrtle Beach during Black Bike Week.

Officers can be seen in North Myrtle Beach, but largely the high police presence tends to be in Atlantic Beach near Ocean Boulevard.

American vs. foreign motorcycles

Since the Spring Bike Rally is also known as Harley Bike Week, there will be plenty of Harley Davidson motorcycles in town. Attendees also will usually ride other American-made motorcycles and sometimes foreign bikes.

Atlantic Beach Bike Fest attendees usually ride foreign motorcycles. In a recent post on the Black Bike Week Facebook page , people were posting pictures of the motorcycles they ride. Brands included Suzuki, Yamaha and BMW, as well as some Harley Davidson bikes.