Road up to Sturgis last year and went through NM,CO,WY. The only weather i didnt hit was snow.

 

Other than staying in Sturgis you will not need reservations. But I would bring as many kinds of clothes as possible. It will definitely rain on several days, be hot many days, and very possibly be cold at night.

 

Best info I can give on clothing for weather is to bring heated jacket and pants.

Good wind break, do not need to connect heating cord for moderate chill, but if it does get to 40 degrees, (as it did the evenings in 2004 Rally), plugging in the heating elements is a life saver.

The bonus to all this is the fact that the heated gear packs so small in a saddlebag. Compared to fleece clothing, you will save a lot of space.

I have the Tourmaster Synergy jacket and pants.

PS, my Deal's Gap picture!!!

 

In all my years of hitting the Surgis rally, I've had more hot days than cold. Afternoon rain is quite common in the Hills so plan accordingly. Something to remember is that around Rally time you're going to have several thousand biker traveling the same direction as you towards Sturgis. They're all going to want to sleep someplace. Further west the weather can be unpredictable and riding in the 40's is not uncommon. Sounds like a great trip. Have fun!

 

Buttman1000, love that pic! Was just there last year in August. I went there because I didn't feel like dealing with the Sturgis crowds at the time. This year I'll have one taken next to the Sturgis city limits sign if I can get close enough without standing in line for an hour to get it!

 

How about standing here?

 

Yup, that'd work too!

 

The ride planner link didn't work. Maybe you tried this, but the way I get those links to work is to e-mail the route to myself, then cut and past the link that it send me.

 

I went back to the original post and fixed the link after emailing it to myself as you suggested. Thanks!

BTW, I got some good route advice on this forum. For instance, going through the Flaming Gorge in Utah...the route I originally had planned took us through a very windy section (east side) according to a forum member, so I re-routed us. Really enjoyed that part of it.

It's hard to plan such a road trip, through some of the most amazing scenery/roads in this country, and keep it within the days budgeted. As I'm sure you've all experienced, once you get into it and start getting advice, it's hard to fit it all in. The thinking is "well, I'm there, so I might as well just ride through Glacier Nat'l Park". Unfortunately, the miles start adding up which can lead to a rushed and hurried trip. Just remember, these places will be there down the road should you have the opportunity to return to the area. Resist the temptation to "do it all".

Have fun!

 

Jeff, I think we're going to need a group shot.