Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Sturgis Rally

Isle of Man TT would be cool as heck to see. Talk about a death wish, those riders, wow!

I've been through Sturgis a few times, including the week prior with the VHA Jamboree.
But I have a rice rocket and I always wondered if the roads in the Black Hills are worth a darn -- as in requiring gear changes or otherwise staying busy going around real, actual corners.
Anyone? Would I feel happy trailering there and then riding for a day or two?
A clue of what I'd like:
California 20: Fort Bragg to Willits
California 36: Coast to 20 miles west of Red Bluff
Page Mill Road above Palo Alto, the Alice's/Skyline figure 8.
Sunday Ride out of Mill Valley
Left Hand Canyon, Rocky Front

Several roads out there that will "require gear changes".. but if you're looking for real twisties you'll be somewhat disappointed. Some of the roads that had qualified prior are now wider, straighter and safer.. Too many people died on old Hwy 85 going from Deadwood to Sturgis or Deadwood NW to I-90.

Still, between I-90 and Nemo on the Vanocker Canyon Road there's a few corners that one must pay attention to - especially that one downhill, reverse-camber curve that the sign sez "15 MPH" (IIRC) means just that - 15, or you'll be in the weeds. ('Course, Birdie will try to take his crotchie through that one at 50+ --- and he'll be in the weeds too )

Curviest road I've ever taken is the Dragon between NC and TN.. I was too busy to count, but I think I changed gears well over 500 times inside of those eleven miles..then I turned around and drove it back again.. My clutch hand was aching after that ride..

Best time to go there is right after the kiddies are back in school..

Amazing. 250,000 miles on bikes here, often at triple digits, only went "into the weeds" but one time. Got lucky, walked away without scratch despite no helmet, the bike was bent up some tho.



Anyways here's a couple of photos of my "crotchie" at and near the 'Dragon', which I somehow survived.

FWIW we did find the Tail of the Dragon to be somewhat over-rated.....







.....too much motorcycle traffic moving only as fast as the slowest link, which, lets face it, is almost always hefty old guys on Harleys, sometimes with their brides on board. And we got roads right here in the Texas Hill Country that are every bit as much fun to ride.

And one thing I learned bicycling across the US last summer... America has a crapload of old guys on loud bikes, everywhere you look. So regardless, during Sturgis, I can say from much experience that trying to hustle a bike down decent roads in such company is most likely gonna be an exercise in frustration at best.

Birdwatcher

Lee, Mike... I would agree that the "twisties" in the Black Hills area aren't much to write home about, but there are some lovely roads & scenic views to be had.

I haven't rode the Dragon's tail, but I'll confirm Birdie's comment that we have some awful challenging roads here in the Texas Hill Country, particularly south and southwest of Kerrville. In particular, the Three Twisted Sisters (State highways 335, 336, and 337) is a popular ride with plenty of reverse-camber changing-radius turns that apparently resulted from the idea that you can pave a donkey-track and call it a primary highway if you like.

http://www.motorcycleroads.com/75/555/Texas/The-Three-Sisters-(AKA-The-Twisted-Sisters)--Ranch-Roads-335-336337a.html

The problem I have is, having ridden those same roads so very many times (pretty much every weekend during my motorcycle period) I can prob'ly still ride 'em blindfolded

Then when DPS finally took notice maybe fifteen years back and started to impound bikes for egregious speed violations on the Vanderpool Mountain Road (between Vanderpool and Leakey) that put a definite crimp in the mood of the place. Actually, it took 'em long enough, speeds of 100+ on the straightaways were usual and EMS was regularly picking up wrecked guys off of the roadside or from the slopes below the road going over the mountain.

The last decade at least though, popularity has pretty much killed these roads, at least on weekends. Heck, run 'em in a CAR and you'll still get slowed up by lumbering, rumbling packs of slow-moving shiny bikes with stern-faced riders.

The Tail of the Dragon? Not nearly as long; tighter, slower, with bunches of the aforementioned decreasing-radius turns, and even less room for large numbers of bikes. I like Vanderpool Mountain better (heck, I've even contrived to drive school buses with kids over it a time or two , just for the scenery).

Birdwatcher

Have to agree there. I had my wreck last spring on 335 partly due to overcrowding... I passed a clot of slow-moving baggers--mostly Goldwings--on a straightaway and didn't slow down quick enough after passing. I would've been OK except for the loose chips on the next curve, but coulda-woulda-shoulda don't signify. (45 mph don't seem fast until you're doing it sideways with yer helmet scraping asphalt...)

I drove through there a couple months ago on a weekday and the traffic was almost nonexistent, which has led me to think about running down this fall and redoing the circuit midweek.

I grew up in Sturgis. It gives one a warped sense of what constitutes a "good party." It is kind of sad to see what the town has become lately, it used to have at least a little personality beyond the rally. But hey, things change, people do what they have to do to make a living.

I haven't been anywhere near there in August for 20 years. The summer of the 50th I worked at Bear Butte state park. We expanded the campground and brought in additional GFP wardens to help run things. Reading the FBI intel reports on the gangs and listening to the police/EMT radio bands all night (I was the college kid so got the red-eye shift) was an education.

All indications are that it will definitely be a blowout year this year. I hope nothing gets out of hand, best of luck to the locals and I hope everyone has fun.

We have our own thing going on in Hollister once a year, not as big as Sturgis, but only five minutes away.

Coming home yesterday, I saw the first accident involving a motorcyclist. Luckily didn't look too bad. I'm sure there will be many more. Hope no one goes home feet first this year. Be safe guys.

I think it's great that folks enjoy Sturgis. Hell I make it a point to make the Sandpoint 4th of July parade every year since owning up here. We saw our tenth a few weeks ago. Just can't see why folks have such opinions of what other folks enjoy?

Harley Davidson is picking up the tab for any veteran of any stripe if they decide to get their motorcycle endorsement through a HD riding academy (held at HD dealerships) and I never actually had one so I decided I couldn't pass up the 325 dollar discount.

Sooo today and the last 2 evenings I've been spending my time at Doc's Harley Davidson (home of the world's fastest panhead and 3 full time zoo keepers for the menagerie Doc has - really, check it out) and the place has been full of people stopping in asking for all kinds of work to be done - quick because they're headed to Sturgis soon.

Class is decent with good people and we were discussing Sturgis today - it's not on my bucket list but I could like Daytona I think - once.

Just not big on the rallies.

Holy Shizzizle!

Acres and acres of sterile paint jobs and chrome and then, this....





Might have been the coolest bike in the whole rally

Whoever rides that thing clearly knows his way around bikes and clearly knows how to turn a wrench. And that bike could prob'ly tell some stories.

His ol' lady ain't half bad neither.

Wouldn't surprise me if he rode it there.

Dunno what they do when it rains though.

Birdwatcher

REAL Harley! See the puddle of oil?

LOL

Beast Mode.............Book it!

Well, Jeff-0 is gone. Maybe Sysop could just change his name to





Kok-0.

A good friend (retired USAF CMSGT) will be working the Rally as a Red Cross volunteer. And this morning my youngest is over at the Loud American Roadhouse interviewing for a job during the Rally. Lots of folks take vacation from their regular jobs to work the Rally

Surely getting *paid* to attend something like this is the absolute best of both worlds

Hey, a few of 'em might even use this annual windfall to pay for a Harley

See? Its all good....

Should be interesting this year, the Dept of Homeland Security was heavily involved in planning. The Feds, FBI and DEA are always present. National Guard units are being assigned to Camp Rapid in Rapid City.

Got to help some motorcycle accidents victims on Friday and Saturday already.

Looking to be a banner year!

This may be morbid, but typically judge the rally by the number of traffic fatalities. Typically figure one a day, but it has been less than that lately.