Oh hell........................you can't live forever!!

 

But there is like 500,000 that didn't die or wreck...pretty good odds if you ask me....probably as likely to die sitting on your couch

 

Deer, hogs and alligators use to be somewhat rare around the roads here when I was a kid. We use to spotlight all night long and only see a couple of deer a night. Alligators or hogs on the road were even more extremely rare. Now deer graze on all the roads like domestic sheep. Hogs roam in herds on the side of the roads. Alligators even get hit often on the roads. Don't put a boat in the water and not expect to see gators unless your offshore. I was riding home the other night too fast for my headlights and had something waist high that was thick, dark, and moving fast cross in front of me. First thought was bear or hugh hog but we have no bear that I know of yet. I liked it a lot more when we were harvesting all them critters better. Less road hazards.

 

That's a better than average number based on the number of active motorocycle riders in the area.

+/- 400,000 motorcycles -41

 

Let me tell you, I went to Sturgis, in a cage, on Friday, Aug 3rd and there were a large number of bikes parked on Main Street and Lazelle was hopping. I was amazed. Rode back on Tuesday, Aug 7th and OMG the place was packed. Good luck in finding a parking spot on Main St. Before I arrived, I stopped in Rapid City and someone told me about the four fatalities. I am a fairly new rider so when I arrived in Sturgis I parked my bike and left it there until it was time to go home. I did ride as a passenger in the Black Hills. We rode the Pig Tail and Nettles and it was VERY packed with bikes. I would not have been able to ride my own in that circus. You need to be an excellent rider in my opinion. On my way home on Aug 9th I came upon a downed biker going to Sturgis. The sight was sobering. My understanding of the seven fatalities, only two were alcohol related.

With all this said, I would go back when I have better skills to ride in the Black Hills and able to flawlessly perform evasive maneuvers.

 

Go back mid late September , much more enjoyable for you trust me and the roads are yours minus some sunbirds in RV's heading south .

 

Out of a morbid curiosity i wonder if there are any numbers on the accidents or deaths on the ride out and going home from venues like Sturgis?.... I witnessed a real nasty multi car multi bike wreck last year going east about 200 miles from Sioux City... It was at a Gas Station and too many people trying to pull out and showing off at the same time

 

Yeah, or at least safer than riding around San Antonio with about 495,000 fewer riders on the road.

I have always enjoyed the Sturgis rally but I have not been in a few years. I would not ride that far to ride the Black Hills without the rally. I go for all the bikes and bikers as well as the ride. Good riding in the Black Hills but damn there is good riding all over the western US. But Sturgis is the best rally in the US.

 

With 700,000 residents and 500,000 bikers with a big % on the road 24/7 the accident rate would not be that much different than Chicago with 1.2 million residents. Even their former drunk governor ran a biker down at over 80 miles an hour a couple years back. He got a wrist slap.

I rode 2,600 miles to the Rally of which 800 was in the Black Hills and Wyoming area. Bikes to the right of me, bikes to the left of me, bikes in front of me, bikes to the rear of me morning through evening and not a accident or close call. No sirens from police or ambulance. Seemed like a very peaceful time.

Just know how to ride and maneuver a bike proficiently and don't worry about it.

We all die and it is only a matter of when and how.

 

I couldn't go to Sturgis this year, & stayed in my little town with a population of 1,253.

Two baggers went down near the post office today, & ambulances carried all the riders away.

If you ride you are playing the odds, so you might as well play on the road to Sturgis.