Hi all. Me and my 3 buddies are planning a ride for the next Sturgis bike week 3/9 August 2015 so I'm looking for some info about it. I've just read a lot about it on SBW website, and I know that to find cheap rooms in a reasonable range all around is like to hit the jackpot, but I don't know how many days it is worth to stay .

We'll start our ride from Chicago so we'd like to ride somewhere around Sturgis before or after the week. We have 11/13 days available, not many indeed, so we'd like to know anything of interesting to see or visit on the road to and from.

Thanks for your help!

 

This was second year in a row. I highly advise that if your goal is to see the area and famous sites GO EARLY! If your intention is to party all night and sleep it off all day then go in the heart of the rally. I got there a week before rally both years and pretty much everything is in full swing except for the major concert headliners. Most vendors are there and eager to sell, the streets around Sturgis are no more crowded than any other home town. I managed to see Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse, The Badlands, Devils Tower, Black Hills, Montana, Hiked Bear Butte, hit the FTS, Beaver Bar, Broken Spoke, One Eyed Jacks, Black Hills HD, Badlands HD, got a tour of Samson exhaust plant and spent one whole day downtown Sturgis people watching. Left the first day of Rally and don't regret a thing. Over 800 miles of pure riding and awesome scenery. Next year will be devoted to less riding and more campground partying.

I HIGHLY recommend spending one night camping in the Badlands. It's right on the way just a few miles off of I-90 on your way in to Sturgis near Wall, SD.

 

Go early to ride the hills... Stay late to get the tee shirts cheap...

I usually stay 3 to 5 days. I try to get there before the official start but I can't always to that.

 

This.

We loved the Hell out of it, and have already got our rally passes for next year at The Chip. But, we like to party. Get there Sunday, ride as much as possible on Monday and a bit on Tuesday (in case the 1300 miles to get there didn't do the trick . . . ), then party like rock stars until Friday. Well, maybe no rock stars . . . like stupid college kids. LOL!

 

I work in the motorcycle industry so I have to attend in 2015.

The 75th is going to be mess with crowds. I recommend arriving early, spend 1 or 2 days in town and then leave.

 

I'll never go...don't ask why, I've told that story enough...but 3-4 days is my choice.

 

My liver is still recuperating.

Next year is the 75th. The campground owner told me they're forecasting 1.5 million riders, or potentially 2X the "normal" crowd. With that, I would be inclined to get there early to do the rides you want to accomplish, then spend a few days at the rally itself. Bail out before the last day to avoid the majority of the riders heading back.

 

Doing the second weekend and then were out of there....

 

Couldn't pick an answer as riding around IS what Sturgis is about. Spearfish Canyon, Vanoker Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devils's Tower, Bad Lands, Custer National Park. DeadWood, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Belle Forche, Nemo Road, Hill City, Custer and many more places.

There may be 3 to 4 thousand bikes down town Sturgis at any one time but in the hundred miles radius of Sturgis is about 300 to 400 thousand riders.

 

I want to go next year but if it's twice as many people as last year, ugh. I'm thinking maybe I'll keep going west and see Yellowstone and other places. You're coming all the way from Italy and you said riding around. Why limit yourself to just Sturgis? You have plenty of time.