By JOHN KOZIOL

Staff Writer

LACONIA — Bike Week has so far been relatively trouble-free, fire and police officials said Friday, and the now in what is traditionally its busiest day the hope is that it will remain that way.

During a news conference at the Dexter Shoe complex, representatives from the New Hampshire State Police and the Laconia Police and Fire departments each reported that things for the most part were "quiet" on Thursday.

State Police made seven arrests for driving while under the influence, said Capt. Kevin Hamilton, one of which involved also involved felony charges for related bodily injuries.

Hamilton did not have details about any of the arrests.

Lt. Mike Moyer of the Laconia Police Department said it was "a very quiet Thursday night" especially given the nice weather and the large number of people in The Weirs.

There was a back-up on Watson Road as riders waited for the traffic light to get onto Route 3, said Moyer, but apart from that and four DWI arrests, the LPD was not overly busy on Thursday.

The four DWI arrests, added Moyer, did not represent an unusually large number. "That can happen any Thursday night, 52 weeks a year," and not just on Bike Week, he said.

Moyer said he was pleasantly surprised by what he is seeing not happen during Bike Week: illegal consumption of alcohol in public "which shocks me."

Moyer warned Bike Week visitors that as the rally heads into the final weekend, police will be enforcing "no parking" bans in the area and towing vehicles and also appealed to both bikers and operators of four-wheel vehicles to be especially attentive to pedestrians in the roadway.

Echoing his law enforcement colleagues, Laconia Deputy Fire Chief Stephen Carrier said his department, too, has had a mostly incident-free Bike Week, although there were two motorcycle accidents that the LFD responded to, one on Thursday night and the other early Friday morning.

The Thursday accident, Moyer elaborated, involved a rider attempting a "smoke show," on Route 3 near Hilliard Road. The operator lost control of the bike and it then fell onto him, causing a compound leg fracture, said Moyer.

In the other incident, which occurred on Court Street, a biker sustained a head injury of unknown severity when he lost control of his bike. Moyer said the operator was operating the bike recklessly.

Responding to a question from reporters, Moyer said there was still some public indecency at Bike Week, although a city ordinance that was passed several years ago has seemed to have curbed most of that bad behavior.

Moyer speculated that the hefty financial penalty for violating the ordinance — both the party who displays a private part or parts as well as the party who provokes or induces the display will be hit with a $300 fine — have deterred public indecency at Bike Week. Moyer said the LPD has issued one citation for violation of the city indecency ordinance.

For their part, rally organizers said Bike Week 2003 is a success.

More than 3,000 riders participated in Thursday’s Ride to the Clouds up the Mount Washington Auto Road, said Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Week Association, and overall, "the rally’s been going great."

St. Clair said the number of visitors is still "building" and that attendance figures would be available late Friday.

Bike Week 2003, which ends on Sunday, is "looking to be very strong," said St. Clair, and is expected to draw between 300,000 to 350,000 visitors during its nine days.