Sun and motorcycles

Coming soon to an America near you...

$5000 for first place

You can vote for one of the top five still in the running. Link at the bottom of the post.

This is for the logo that will be used in 2024, the 84th.

More than 100 designs were submitted.

Logo 1

Logo 2

Logo 3

Logo 4

Logo 5

Vote here

Another legend to perform in 2023

George Thorogood and the Destroyers set for Wednesday, Aug. 9 at the 2023 Sturgis Rally.

a bit of snarling and bluesy rock-and-roll

This guy had been at this for more than five decades, making him a perfect fit for the Sturgis crowd which still has many offspring from the old "Easy Rider" days.

Many undoubtedly on-hand to be "destroyed..."

Thorogood at Patterson College in 1986

JazzyJoeyD, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sturgis Rider Favorite No More

After 32 years "just tired of it..."

Photo at TravelSouthDakota.com

The saloon popular with many Sturgis Rally bikers is closing. The longtime owner says it has been a success. But after more than three decades, he wants to do something else.

A Change after 32 years. Very understandable.

Located in a scenic place in the Black Hills. High enough for some cooler summer temperatures. And importantly, NOT a chain outfit.

Sturgis Reflection

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin talks of the old days at the Sturgis Rally

Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin

• Retiring after 32 years as county sheriff and after working 40 of the 82 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally's. Merwin lost the most recent sheriff election and will be leaving office.
• In earlier years the city sold camping spots in the city park. That park became notorious for debauchery and an "anything goes" atmosphere. With lots of nudity, drugs, biker gangs and about anything one can imagine went on there.
• But, that atmosphere helped cement the reputation of the Sturgis Rally as a wild place.
• Merwin said cars driven into the campgrounds were rocked, with the windows broken out.
• In 1989 the city held a referendum and voted to close the city campground to rally bikers. Then campgrounds sprang up outside Sturgis - Buffalo Chip, Glenco, and others.
• However, Merwin said that even in recent times he and officers have been nervous when dispatched to campgrounds to deal with some incident. Nothing has happened to them. But he said they think about what might.
• He says the rallies have been running smoothly.
• Sturgis has turned into a big money major event in North America.
• In the early days the Sturgis Rally drew 30,000. And 35,000 was considered a big year. Now it draws more than 10 times that many.
• Sturgis, population 7,000, has turned the event into a money-maker for the city.

An interesting Glimpse

59-seconds of Sturgis

A little experiment for the future...

And a star is born

More to come later...

Winding it Down

The hordes now mounting up to depart

I-90 now with bikers heading east and west as Sturgis 2022 comes closer to The End.

Sunday is the last official day and the big exit will come then, and on Monday. But many, of course, are already headed out.

Main Street still packed.

Our photographically brilliant photographer still seeing big crowds on the main drag. But then it is always like that during the rally regardless if the rally attendance is up or down. And it's up this year.

More young bikers

And Minorities

Seemed to be a more diverse crowd this year, as compared to the past when there was noticeably a lot of middle-aged white guys.

Numbers Up 5 percent

Maybe More...

The American Motorcycle Rally Revived

After warnings of doom about the aging motorcycle population and the demise of the huge rallies in North America, like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, numbers are up considerably this year.

At least 5 percent up from the five year average. And in walking about the rally it seems like that may be a low count.

Crowd of more than half a million

More accurate figures to be tallied later when the South Dakota officials add up the vehicle traffic from their check lines stretched across some key entry-ways to Sturgis.

Other Black Hills Towns Up

• A growing number of riders are taking up towns on the outskirts.
• Less crowded places like Hill City, Custer and others.
• And Hulett, WY is always big

104 F.

The main story today, as everyone is dealing with it

Entirely too hot. Notice the 104 F. temperature reading on Thursday at the 2022 SturgisRally. This from one of the Sturgis cams.

The future of global warming

Not many on the street when the temperature is this high.

Sturgis Thursday Band Schedule

Knuckle Saloon

• The Night Caps
• Frank Fletcher
• Micro Mania Midget Wrestling
• Victory Underground
• GarageBoys
• Camp Comfort
• Jack Daniels

Eye Candy Saloon

• Moonshine Voodoo

Full Throttle Saloon

• Jackyl

Iron Horse Saloon

• 6 p.m. to Midnight: Bass Lords

Buffalo Chip

• Jon Pardi
• DJ Hulio
• Tumbleweed
• Williams & Ree

Kickstands

• Limberlost
• Tim Zach
• Skynyrd Billys

Loud American Roadhouse

• Bryan Loweree

One-Eyed Jack's Saloon

• Guild of ages

Drag Pipe Saloon

(Wyoming)

• Terry Waugh Band