He’s been around the country on an old Harley, now he’s at Laconia Motorcycle Week

Mike Blout has been around the block more than once.

So has his bedazzled 1999 Harley Davidson Electra Glide with 374,000 miles on it.

Blout, of Bristol, has been across the country five or six times with his wife on that motorcycle, a former police bike.

On Wednesday he was at Laconia Motorcycle Week hanging out and talking to fellow riders.

He’s been coming to bike week, which is now in its 99th year, since 1964. His favorite memory was the riot in 1965 that drew a huge police presence.

“It wasn’t really a riot,” he said, chuckling. “Somebody ran over someone on a bike and they decided to tip his car upside down. We just started racing on the boulevard. It had nothing to do with killing and shooting and fighting. They blew it up.”

Held from June 11 to June 19, Laconia bike week – billed as the world’s oldest motorcycle rally – attracts thousands of riders from around the country who descend on the Lakes Region this time of year. Most surrounding restaurants and venues feature live entertainment and events, including at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and Makris Lobster and Steak House in Concord.

The weather through the weekend looks clear, cool and dry, perfect for motorcycle riding.