Editing Loudon Classic (section)

===Rally beginnings===
In the 1910s the [[Lakes Region (New Hampshire)|New Hampshire Lakes Region]] became a popular riding destination for early motorcycle enthusiasts.<ref name="Archives: The Loudon Classic"/><ref name=StClair2008>{{citation |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=JFuwEgYzpGUC&pg=PA8 |accessdate= 2010-06-12 |title= Laconia Motorcycle Week |first1= Charlie |last1= St. Clair |first2= Jennifer |last2= Anderson |publisher= Arcadia Publishing |year= 2008 |isbn= 978-0-7385-5473-0 }}</ref> Unlike the [[Sturgis Motorcycle Rally]] which originated as a motorcycle race, the Loudon Classic originated as a [[motorcycle rally]].<ref name="Archives: The Origins of the Laconia Classic"/> When motorcycle sales began to decline as a result of the introduction of the low cost [[Ford Model T]], the American motorcycle industry body, the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) sought to boost sales by sponsoring a series of [[Gypsy tour]]s, so called because the participants camped in large gatherings like [[Romani people]].<ref name="Archives: The Loudon Classic"/><ref name=StClair2008/> The annual tour held at [[Weirs Beach, New Hampshire|Weirs Beach]] in [[Laconia, New Hampshire]] on the southern shore of [[Lake Winnipesaukee]], became the most popular of these tours due to its proximity to Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Montreal.<ref name="Archives: The Loudon Classic"/>