Sturgis Rally Winds Down

[PapaUtah]

“Attendance at this year’s 66th Annual Black Hills Motor Classic is down significantly from past years.

While Lazelle Street is still packed with bikes there are far fewer bikers attending this year’s rally. There have been fewer backups on the roads leading in and out of Sturgis and it is also evident in the decline in the number of vendor permits for this year’s event, down 12% from previous years.

While the final estimates haven’t been released from the South Dakota State Police rally officials estimate this years crowd at 425,000 down significantly from last years estimate of 524,000 rally goers.

Officials blame higher fuel costs as the reason for the decline in the number of rally participants.”

Higher fuel costs??? Even if you are coming from 2,000 miles way your additional gas cost over last year will be a $100 bucks or so at 40mpg or your motorcycle!

Ohh, wait! I forgot this is the Black Hills Motorhome and Trailer Classic. Let’s see, for the HOT (Harley’s™ On Trailers) crowd, at 4mpg in their diesel-pusher motorhome pulling an 8 place enclosed trailer and diesel fuel up $1.80 from last year its an additional $1,440.00 to get to and from the rally. For the HIT (Harley’s™ In Trucks) group it’s up an estimated $300 for the same four thousand mile round trip over last year.

I guess the Bar and Shield™ crowd isn’t so affluent after all…I thought they all made $80K per year and drove Porsches’ as their daily drivers (don’t want to hurt the resale on the Harley-Davidson™ you know.)

 

[Feejer/Weejer man]

I grew up in Rapid City and my brother is a Retail sales manager for a wholesale liquor company there. It also doesn't help that they are charging $250 per night for a camping spot plus a surcharge per head and up to $350 per night for normally $49 a night motel rooms. My brother rented his house out to some reps for $4500 for 10 days. This will curtail participants in conjunction with added fuel and travel costs.

 

[mech 1 twa]

Don't forget about the HEAT, it's been a really hot summer.

No fun when you're sweating your A-- off. Beer doesn't make it better.

 

[huron52]

Don't forget about the HEAT, it's been a really hot summer.
No fun when you're sweating your A-- off. Beer doesn't make it better.

But it makes the girls wear less :clapping:

 

[FlyingLow]

The Black Hills Motorhome and Trailer Classic?

BWAAA! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Lot of truth on this. I've been twice, '02 and '03.

 

[PapaUtah]

70% of all bikes at The Black Hills Motor Classic arrive on a trailer or in the back of a pickup truck. It appears to be more about ownership than ridership at this event. :huh:

 

[jimbemotumbo]

Ah, I fondly recall the good ol days. In the 70's Sturgis was much more sensible. Ride there on the old shovel head, boy scout pup tent and bed roll twine-tied to the back fender, 4 qts of 60wt wherever you could fit it, 30 lbs of tools, tape, and wire, hot oil down the right leg of your only pair of ridin jeans, 500-1000 miles per day for most to get there. You could pee in the street after 10pm. And had your choice of two different bars to fight in. Couldn't get salad or vegtables there until 1989. Fried bar food and warm beer. Mmmmm. God I miss it.

It's not a motorcycle. It's a lifestyle.

 

[PapaUtah]

I slept in the city park in 1976. I thought the sun was coming up awful early in the west one morning. Peeked out of the tent just in time to watch the toilet/shower building go up in flames. That was the last year for camping in the city park. There were a few gems in the crowd way back then. The HA pretty much hung around Gunner's Saloon, the others down the block. Two blocks were all that were blocked off then. Maybe 35K people all week. Times have changed...