Is Sturgis Bike Week Worth the Hassle?

I was reading this blog post on a woman named Wendy who rode to Sturgis. Her article was titled: I Rode Mine: “8 Things I Learned on my Motorcycle Trip to Sturgis.” This article was from 2018 but I wanted to see what this woman learned on her trip to SD. I have heard that Sturgis is a big ole parking lot compared to Bike Week in Daytona Beach. Sturgis seems to be the big August destination for people on motorcycles. Even Million Dollar Bogan is traveling from Australia to burn his thighs in the SD congested traffic.

I toward the bottom drop my two cents in case your interested in what the Attorney That RIDES has to pontificate on :)

“So I head to sturgis 2023 the biggest motorbike event in the world. Corporate USA have organized me a harley davidson ! and I have a guest visitor I meet on the plane ? the journey to Sturgis is a long hot one, leaving LA all the way to Sturgis then back to LA in 15 days !! This is going to be one awesome motorbike rally where I get to meet some of my favorite YouTube motovloggers!!”

Sturgis Doesn’t Care. A Short Film Documentary

Million Dollar Bogan has 139,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel watched by moto enthusiasts worldwide unlike your friendly neighborhood Attorney That RIDES! I wondered why he would want to travel to Sturgis or if he even knew the regrets people have traveling to Sturgis. Maybe Wendy here can enlighten Bogan with her wisdom on what she learned riding to Sturgis!

5 Don’t Do’s During Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (PLUS A BONUS)

• Riding Anxiety is Real
  I experienced a ton of anxiety prior to the trip. I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Matt and my friends, or that I would get hurt. (I even updated my will before we left.) What really helped was an acronym Matt taught me that I would just repeat to myself over and over whenever I got scared: F.E.A.R. False. Exaggerations. Appearing. Real.  This acronym reminded me not to prophesize on the worst, to stay in my lane, enjoy the moment and be in the now.
  
• Harley Davidson has the Best Rest Stops:
  Now I understand why Harley Davison dealerships are strategically placed along the Interstate, visible from the road like a beacon. I came to appreciate their clean bathrooms and toiletries provided at every dealership, hot coffee and of course, emergency repairs and service. I met the nicest people from across the globe at every stop and I think we bought a branded store T-shirt from every destination.
  
• Sturgis is really One Giant T-shirt Store:
  I expected Sturgis to be a wild party, filled with boobs, booze, and debauchery. And while there was plenty of booze, I found the rally more family-friendly than motorcycle mayhem.
  
• Patches are a big deal:
  Thousands of differently themed patches are available at Sturgis. From the ridiculously raunchy to the hand over your heart patriotic, there was a patch to fit every taste, every branch of service and motorcycle club. And what was amazingly cool, was tailors and seamstresses were onsite to sew patches on for a few dollars apiece.
  
• Don’t laugh, but there is no vegan food in Sturgis
  Editor Note: As a meat & potatoes guy I will leave this here without content cause we all see it. Do you see it?
  
• There are dudes that wait on the road to take pictures of you:
  Luckily, we were pre-warned that independent photographers’ stage themselves on the side of the road to take pictures of every rider to commemorate your visit. So SMILE!!  There were a number of photographers along, Spear Fish Canyon, Needles Hwy and at the Rapid City Black Hills Rally at the Harley Davidson dealership. 
  
• Take the Time to Visit the Historic sites:
  We spent the majority of our trip outside of Sturgis to visit the historic sites near town. There are a plethora of fascinating historic attractions within a few hours drive of downtown, and let’s face it, you’re there to ride, right?
  
• Do you have the Proper Gear?
  Now, this seems like a no-brainer, and, I honestly thought we had all the proper gear. But we ended up having some major problems with our helmets and my bike.

Finally, let me tell you about my experience riding to Sturgis, SD. It was 2014 and I had just completed my first Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge riding 10,000 miles in 17 days. I rolled south through Canada not realising that its a lot further than you think it is. I arrived 4 days late to Sturgis reaping the discounted benefits with 15% of the crowds still in town.

When I arrived to Sturgis my hotel room was $55 + tax when 4-days earlier it was $250 per night. I had no problem finding parking wherever I rode inside the city limits of Sturgis. There was still a shit load of bikes to gawk at but mine was the best looking. There was no stress since lines for food and beer were non existent. My final recommendation for your ride to Sturgis is to arrive at the end and enjoy it super discounted and stress free when all the chuckleheads leave. There is no reason to roast your giblets in 90 degree heat in fender-to-fender traffic as your engine overheats!

Harry was minding his own business when a young woman takes a left hand turn crossing 3 lanes crashing into Harry’s moto. She then cusses him to improperly blame Harry. Harry had his permitted gun with him during the horrific crash. Thank God for Florida gun laws! #getgabe

Bonus Video Below :)