LACONIA, N.H. (AP) – Organizers say this year’s annual Motorcycle Week may have been the largest yet.

Charlie St. Clair, executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, said he has heard estimates that more than 400,000 people attended.

Last year, the American Motorcycle Association estimated 350,000 riders visited the state for Bike Week.

Good weather made the difference. St. Clair said that not since the mid-1990s has the event enjoyed such fine weather.

Police said they were surprised by how many people attended the first weekend of this year’s annual Motorcycle Week.

Sgt. Chris Adams said authorities may need to increase their patrols for that weekend in the future.

Motorcycle Week started as a one-weekend event, but over the years has grown into a nine-day rally that attracts hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Police have not yet tallied their numbers, but Adams said this year’s arrests – mostly for excessive use of alcohol – were similar if not lower than recent years. Last year, about 200 people were arrested.

Officials said the number of serious accidents was up from previous years, particularly early in the week. Three people died.

In Loudon, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts maintained a quarter-century tradition this past weekend with a roadside cookout as they watched the Bike Week attendees hit the road.

The group of bike watchers, who have been coming to the same corner at the intersection of North Village Road and Route 106 for 25 years, sat in the shade and held a cookout as they watched the departing bikers on Sunday.

Marilyn Whitten said the tradition got started as something of a guilt trip. She said she and her husband used to feel guilty leaving their children behind when they would attend Bike Week.

They started the Sunday ritual, which has grown to about 20 people, as a way of involving the whole family.

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Information from: The Union Leader, http://www.theunionleader.com

AP-ES-06-21-04 0836EDT