Reminiscing Sturgis

[MichiganBob]

Watching the live cams of the Sturgis Rally brings back sweet memories of way back. My first trip to the rally was in 1972. There were about 5000 in attendance, it was a week if I recall, there was a free box picnic and awards ceremony for best dressed and furthest miles away, a parade of bikes through town and around to other sites, camping at the local city park, a great short track and hill climb, and Lanky came from BC and passed out songbooks and played the piano in the Sportsman bar while we all sang and drank horrific Grain Belt beer. Walking down the main street took forever because folks were so friendly and you just stopped and chatted and checked out their ride and talked about whatever. I went five more times, the last being in 1990 for the 50th anniversary. The rally was dying when Harley invested in it and kept it going. It is obviously a big commercial success for some, a distraction for others. The only constant is change.

[Dennis Andress]

I didn't know Sturgis went so far back. Got pictures? Stories?

[Hosstage]

Sturgis started in '47 or '48? This is the 82nd anniversary. It's grown a bit over the years...

A friend of mine was there in the early 70's, said he set up his tent under the statue right in the middle of main street which was dirt back then.

[szurszewski]

1 hour ago, Hosstage said:

Sturgis started in '47 or '48? This is the 82nd anniversary. It's grown a bit over the years...

A friend of mine was there in the early 70's, said he set up his tent under the statue right in the middle of main street which was dirt back then.

Starting in the late forties would make it hard for this to be the 82nd anniversary. Wikipedia lists the first year as ‘38, which also doesn’t add up to 82 but is closer. 
 

Other than having been to the town I have no personal knowledge. 
 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgis_Motorcycle_Rally

[Hosstage]

5 minutes ago, szurszewski said:

Starting in the late forties would make it hard for this to be the 82nd anniversary. Wikipedia lists the first year as ‘38, which also doesn’t add up to 82 but is closer. 
 

Other than having been to the town I have no personal knowledge. 
 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgis_Motorcycle_Rally

I meant '38! I think a couple years are missing due to WWll.

[szurszewski]

7 hours ago, Hosstage said:

I meant '38! I think a couple years are missing due to WWll.

I have trouble remembering back that far as well ;)

[MichiganBob]

The other great thing about Sturgis was touring the Black Hills, Custer State Park and the buffalo herds, Deadwood (check out the cemetery), Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower (Strange Encounters of the Third Kind), Wall Drug, Badlands and now the Crazy Horse Memorial. Pristine roads and try to hit it at the right time of the year before or after Sturgis and high tourist season.  

[John Ranalletta]

26 minutes ago, MichiganBob said:

The other great thing about Sturgis was touring the Black Hills, Custer State Park and the buffalo herds, Deadwood (check out the cemetery), Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower (Strange Encounters of the Third Kind), Wall Drug, Badlands and now the Crazy Horse Memorial. Pristine roads and try to hit it at the right time of the year before or after Sturgis and high tourist season.  

We had a great Unrally at a KOA very near Rushmore.  Loved riding and the sights, especially the Crazy Horse monument.  It was the week before Sturgis Rally.

 

Made great friends there.  @MikeB60 and DyAnne, @92Merc and Shawna Zastoupil.  Ruth, DyAnne and Shawna in the photo before at the KOA lodge.

 

[Hosstage]

28 minutes ago, MichiganBob said:

The other great thing about Sturgis was touring the Black Hills, Custer State Park and the buffalo herds, Deadwood (check out the cemetery), Mount Rushmore, Devil's Tower (Strange Encounters of the Third Kind), Wall Drug, Badlands and now the Crazy Horse Memorial. Pristine roads and try to hit it at the right time of the year before or after Sturgis and high tourist season.  

I agree, the best time to ride out there is not during the rally.

The best time to see sights you didn't know could exist is during the rally. Be careful, you can't unsee some of the stuff once you do see it.

I really did have a good time the couple times I went to the rally, but much preferred the riding when out there off rally weeks, just some beautiful roads out there.

[ADulay]

Been going every year since I retired in 2007.  Always a good time and if you choose different roads to get there, each year becomes a whole new adventure.  The mileage varies from year to year but running up from Florida takes at least one oil change somewhere, usually at a friends house along the way.

 

And you never know just what you’ll see there at any time of the day or night.

 

Being downtown when the B-1 bomber makes an afterburner pass at 300 feet makes paying your taxes all worth it!

 

AD