Start your Harley, put on your leather chaps, and practice your biggest, baddest, biker sneer, 'cause it's time for STURGIS! Sturgis is located in Western South Dakota, not too far from the Wyoming state line, and every year welcomes upwards of half a million motorcycle (mainly Harley-Davidson) fanatics for 9 days and 8 wild nights of bikes, bands, beer, and...well, biker babes of all types. For the rest of the year, Sturgis is a pretty quiet community of 5,000 people - so why do they put up with it? Well, they figure that each visitor spends $150 - $175 a day on food, hotels, gas, black Sturgis shirts, and lots and lots of partying. So do the math: 500,000 visitors for 9 days X $150 a day = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$! Ah, economics at its best, ain't it?

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has come a long way since its origins in the late 1930s, when it was founded by J.C. "Pappy" Hoel, who owned a local motorcycle shop. The first event was held in August of 1938 when nine racers fought for a title on a half mile dirt track. In the early days the rally was more than just a race. Some of the events featured over the weekend included such stunts as head on collisions with automobiles, board wall crashes and a ramp jumping. And don't try to tell me that alcohol wasn't involved in that somewhere!

During the early 1940s the rally became a spectator event attracting up to 5,000 people. The Black Hills Motorcycle Classic grew in popularity throughout the next three decades. In the 1960s the crowds for the event climbed into the thousands. During this time period, the event included a queen contest, couples decided to get married here, and prizes were awarded in such categories as the person who traveled the longest distance, the oldest rider, and the best dressed man and woman. Where modern events often involve the least dressed woman...

By the 1980s the annual event was attracting upwards of 25,000 to 30,000 people. The event celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1990 by being the largest rally ever. Unofficial estimates put the crowd at over 350,000 in attendance. Over the last half decade, the rally has grown into a Black Hills-wide event. Several towns in the area hold special events, but Sturgis remains the "Motorcycle Mecca" and remains a favorite ride because of the area's scenic beauty.

Of course, when it comes to picking a bike to ride to the rally, there is no other choice but a Harley. For those of you that make the mistake of showing up on an import, well, let's just say that it won't be the "Welcome Wagon" that greets you. Actually, for those of you Harley-less, there were several places set up with daily rentals, so you can at least blend in. It also amazed me the difference in the Rally visitors - some came with everything they needed on the back of their bikes. Then, there were the people (yuppies?) who TOWED their bikes on a trailer behind their 80-foot motorhome or a Mercedes SUV. Some people's idea of "roughing it...", I guess.

This last photo with the beans was from a diner just down the road from Sturgis. Surprisingly, it wasn't called the "The Road Kill Cafe". The beans decided to pass on the rare opportunity to dine here, but you know, if they're willing to serve up a rodent like Prairie Dogs, they should at least offer a side of black beans...