I was actually looking at motels in Spearfish. I have to call tomorrow, it is too far out to book online.

 

Here's one right next door to the KOA; but I don't know who to contact on it, it's just west, it's not real fancy but few years ago was remodeled, they have 6-8 rentals, small place out of the way of high traffic areas, and next to THAT is a nice Mexican restaurant and a small 2 pump gas station/ mom and pop mini mart. Great place to be.

 

This was my first trip to Sturgis and had a blast. Rode from Oklahoma to Alliance, NE on Friday the 5th and got a room. Made it to Sturgis Saturday morning at 10:30. Stayed at the Katmandu Campground, it's a really nice place. Most of the group I went with are veterans and all commented on the light crowd this year. We never really sat in line for anything or dealt with much traffic (except for Iron Mt. Road). Rode the bus into town a few nights and had a few drinks... Rode somewhere everyday, Rushmore, Devil's Tower, Sundance, Spearfish Canyon, Needles Hwy, Rapid City, Vanocker Canyon, Crazy Horse.... Put almost 1,000 miles through the week and didn't have any mechanical issues in our group. I did find a good deal on some Custom Dynamics LED turn signals at Rapid City Harley and had an LED headlight (Daymaker knockoff) installed in Sturgis. Several of the vendors I did business with were willing to deal and take care of the install no problem.

We left on Friday morning about 8 and ended up riding straight through to the house....980 miles, 14 hours. Good times and can't wait till next year.

 

Anytime that the rally year does not end in "0 or 5" you will have a good time.
As it is over-crowded during these anniversary years.

 

Attendance was definitely light, made me feel better about Laconia attendance for the last 5 years. Just not enough young people interested in Rallies, they will survive but when we are gone I think rallies will evolve into something different, maybe go back to be focused on the racing. We hit all the usual places, no waiting not a lot of traffic. 385 was a PITA with all the rookies slowing down on the turns, but not unrideable. We went to Sundance for the first time for Wyoming Wednesday, good time had at the Dime Horseshoe bar and their street party, would go back again. Overall a good time, but I think the wife and I had more fun seeing new places on our 10 day ride out to Sturgis. We think we might be done with the rallies for a while, too much SSDD. Went to new Full Throttle, he opened one season too early. Plenty going on but the entire place was basically under construction. I am sure it will be amazing in the next couple of years. But he is way out of town now, make the left before Bear Butte and keep going, they said 5 miles, seemed further to me.

Had a nice conversation with a SD State Tropper in the front seat of the cruiser, actually got out of there with a no money warning, that has never happened before. He got me doing 65 MPH blasting up Alt 14 from Sturgis to Deadwood, 55 MPH road. The rookies at the bottom of the single lane portion drove me nuts and I took it out on the road when it opened up to two lanes. Act stupid, get pulled over. Very happy with the warning only, though I needed two shots when I got home after that experience, front seat of the cruiser is never a place you want to be. Got my warning, shook the man's hand and kept it at the speed limit for the rest of the week.

Good time at Sturgis, but not Epic.

 

I wasn't going to go this year, but a week before Sturgis I realized my summer would have felt incomplete unless I made the trip, even if only for 2 days. Had a great time. Met some great people like a person always does. Got caught in a thunderstorm like always happens there. Crowds were down a little, but that's ok. Hard to beat a ride through the Black Hills to get my mind back on track.

 

I too was there for the first time ever and for the week before the rally. We got there on the Saturday a full week before and left on Thursday. We rode about 225 miles give or take each day and then would spend a little time either in Sturgis or Rapid City or whatever in the afternoons. Got real lucky on missing all the rain. It would start up every day in the afternoons and we just watched the radar and would go the other way.
I had heard that the week before was the best time to go and that all the vendors would be there. For the riding, it for sure is the best time to go. But from what I saw, there are more and more vendors getting there on a daily basis, but for the most part, I don't feel like I got to see as many as there would have been.
Only issue I had was the horn on my 2016 RGU fell off. Took it to Black Hills HD, left it in line for 2-3 hours and they still wasn't close to getting to it. So I just pulled it and left. No big deal really. But man did they have a bunch of bikes lined up to work on. I would guess easily in the hundreds.
I will for sure go again and will hit it for the actual rally some time. I'm interested in finding out info on a place to stay for that as well.

 

....... i didn't think Victorys broke ?

 

We went out the Friday before and stayed for the whole week.
Stayed at Glencoe. Won't go into details but Glencoe was awesome. Not the cheapest place but the cheapest places don't have the same included amenities.
My first time there for the rally. I have been out there and ridden out there many times as it is only 6 hours away for me. I would say it was great. I never waited in line for anything. We got wet a couple times as it did rain a little 4 out of the 8 days we were there but nothing severe where we were. There was some pretty bad stuff in Rapid City.
I partied like a rock star, even partied with one of the bands. Spent a lot of time partying with the staff when they were not on duty. Met a lot of really awesome folks from all over. New York, Florida, Manitoba. But hey, isn't that what it is all about.
Checked out the new FTS. I thought it was coming along nicely and you can tell that they have put some actual planning into this one not just put stuff wherever. Most structure is concrete and steel. Bars are all block and concrete. They had barely enough complete to be open in my opinion.
I never made it to the Chip and am pretty upset about that because I found out later that is where all the actual motorcycle stuff happens. Like the racing. Would have loved to see that. Won't make it next year. Have family commitments already. I will go again but I will be sure to avoid busy years.

 

We rolled into Sturgis from Alberta on the Sunday. Some of my friends headed to the Glencoe and my wife and another friend and I headed into Rapid city. A warning to folks thinking they are getting a deal. My wife booked us rooms in Spearfish at the Crow Peak Lodge. Price seemed way to low to me for Sturgis week so we verified. Twice as I had my suspicions! Got confirmation. That was rate. Just as I suspected got a call a few days before we left (almost too late to change your mind) that there had been a mistake and price was four times ($75 per night to $340). as much. We told them to shove it and went for our usual place in Rapid City. Luckily it was a slower year and they still had a few rooms. Traffic was good and things were slower with less people in Sturgis. Was okay for me. Never a line up or a problem getting a table. Got to see David Alan Coe play in the Broken Spoke and that alone was worth the trip to me. I alway say the ride down is the best part. The small towns the great people welcoming you every where you go. Well worth the trip this year and the wife got to ride down on her own for the first time so that was great too. We also did Beartooth pass and Cody on ride home and that was great also. All in all a great 9 days on the road!