Although the event finished with thousands turning out at Weirs Beach on Saturday, many feel Laconia's motorcycle rally will officially finish with fewer attendees than expected.

Most estimate sales will certainly be less than previous years with those who did come to the motorcycle event generally staying fewer days than before.

Laconia Motorcycle Week celebrated its 85th year of hosting the event and it was kicked off with rainy weather. Organizers noted many local bikers made the event a daytrip, instead of staying overnight. Some merchants felt sales were down as much as 50%.

Attendance has dropped each year since hitting an all-high time of 375,000 in 2004.

With rising prices squeezing the consumers wallet, motorcycle events across the country have felt the pinch on both attendance and the money spent by those bikers who do turn up.

The ROT Motorcycle Rally in Austin Texas claimed to break attendance records last week, but bikers who regularly enjoy the event felt there were fewer people this year.

There were six motorcycle fatalities and numerous crashes around the state during Laconia Motorcycle Week, though it's unknown whether all the victims were attending the annual event.