Get lost Stateside at Sturgis
Why THE classic US biker rally should be on your ‘To do’ list…
‘The event is a true exercise in excess’
Americans often claim they do things bigger and better but when it comes to rallies – and particularly Sturgis, which in non-Covid times attracts over 500,000 bikers to South Dakota (a claimed 730,000 in 2015) and covers a full 10 days to a backdrop of Mount Rushmore and Close Encounters – they’re probably right.
First held in 1938, this year celebrating its 80th running (it’s still going ahead despite the pandemic, albeit with some restrictions) and traditionally starting the first Friday in August (this year’s kicks off Aug 7) before straddling two weekends, Sturgis is the largest of America’s ‘Big Three’ motorcycle rallies
(along with Daytona (Florida, March) and Laconia (New Hampshire, held in late August).
Although centred on the eponymous small town with its Main Street of bikes and bars, Sturgis has become a genuine motorcycling magnet and as a result grown so big it now sprawls over the whole of state with, alongside traditional rally events like concerts and custom shows, a dominant theme of rideouts through the glorious Black Hills and Badlands.
So, while Daytona Bike Week has its roots in racing with the Daytona 200 and is an excuse for glorious spring Florida sunshine and boardwalk beachlife and Laconia is America’s oldest biker rally in picturesque New Hampshire, Sturgis is the real riders’ rally, with everything else bolted on as well. Accordingly, unlike Daytona where you can enjoy much of the atmosphere on foot, you really need a bike to experience all Sturgis has to offer. And that bike has to be a Harley (the Milwaukee machines are absolutely everywhere) or, better still, an Indian – as the very first rally was initiated by the local Indian dealer. Riding a Japanese machine would be like wearing a T-shirt to a black-tie dinner and definitely frowned upon… Having a bike – and there are numerous options available, see box – also frees you up from the restriction and expense of staying in Sturgis itself. Much larger Rapid City is just 25 miles down Route 90 and has airport links to International hubs such as Chicago or Denver.
Having a bike also means you can go on many of the organised tours along the fabulous sweeping