Fast Motorcycle News From The 77th Annual Sturgis Rally (Part 1)

The Black Hills Harley-Davidson Store In Rapid City (I90 exit 55) Is Housing Under A Huge Tent Several Hundreds Of New And Pre-owned Harleys. 70 full-time employees have been joined by 400 part-time employees for all of their locations throughout the Black Hills. Some vendors are already installed on the huge dealer parking lot since July 28.

Attendance To The 2017 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Expected To Be At Best Comparable To 2016. No record crowd is expected like in 2015 for the 75th edition (estimates were 740,000). Tom Horan, Rapid City region operations engineer with the South Dakota Department of Transportation, said estimates based on informal surveys of businesses who take reservations from rally visitors are indicating a smaller rally this year.

Main Street Sturgis Will Be Closed To Regular Traffic Starting This Early Friday Morning August 4. After closure, only motorcycles will be allowed to use Main Street. Many of the side streets in the downtown area will also be closed or will have travel restrictions.

Rally Grand Opening Ceremony Is Today August 4 At 3 pm Local Time and takes place at Harley-Davidson Rally Point. Live bands will perform at H-D Rally Point following the ceremony.

Receive A Complimentary Indian Motorcycle Rental When Purchasing a Set of Metzeler Tires or Free Installation When Purchasing a Set of Pirelli Tires. The offer has begun on Wednesday, August 2 at Sturgis Buffalo Chip Garage 20622 Fort Meade Way and at J&P Cycles, 1650 Lazelle St. Sturgis, and runs until Sunday, August 13

Hamsters USA To Host Annual Fundraiser For Special Kids At LifeScape Children’s Care in Rapid City, South Dakota. Hamsters USA, the international motorcycle group with big hearts, are at it again. Last year, they raised a record $350,000 for LifeScape Children’s Care of Rapid City through fundraising events, bringing their fundraising total over the span of 11 years to more than $2,350,000 in support of children with disabilities in western South Dakota. They will once again come together for their annual meeting in Spearfish, SD on August 7, 2017, hosting another amazing silent auction to again benefit children with disabilities. Funds raised will provide physical, occupational, and speech therapies, plus psychological services, to children cared for through LifeScape Children’s Care of Rapid City.

Billy Lane’s Sons Of Speed Races are set August 10, 3pm at Full Throttle Saloon’s Pappy Hoel Campground and Resort race track.

Bikers for Trump Or Bikers For Personal Profit? Appropriation of the Trump brand name for profit must have been brisk business during last year’s 76th rally. Many “Trump” vendors are back with unlicensed $20 tee-shirts, caps and buttons. Interesting to notice that there is still no litigation with these vendors who openly will tell you that they work for themselves. Apparently, much easier than selling Sturgis Rally SMRI licensed merchandise.

Speed Limits. Interstate 90 speed limits are lowered from 75 mph to 65 mph from Exit 55 through Exit 30 on the west side of Sturgis. The speed limit on Highway 34 from Sturgis east to Fort Meade Way at the Buffalo Chip Campground was dropped to 35 mph, with temporary signals also regulating traffic flow. North of Highway 34 on Highway 79, the speed limit drops to 45 mph for about 1-1/2 miles north of the intersection.

Fire Risk Remains High. Meade County has enacted a burn ban and most campgrounds don’t allow campfires, but the worry is an unauthorized campfire starting a wildfire. Dry lightning from passing thunderstorms also is a big concern.

7 Responses to “Fast Motorcycle News From The 77th Annual Sturgis Rally (Part 1)”


  1. 1 rebel Aug 4th, 2017 at 6:43 pm

    Trump merchandise creating jobs at HOG’s t-shirt festival

  2. 2 blast Aug 5th, 2017 at 8:00 am

    That is spot on rebel. It’s a boutique show with trailer queens clogging the roads. It’s histerical watching the posers dropping 30,000 dollar rides on simple turns.

  3. 3 blu dog Aug 6th, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    It’s not what it used to be and it is what it is. If you can’t fill a week in and around Sturgis with incredible rides, good music, smokin bikes, good looking bar maids and nice, genuine people from everywhere, your not trying real hard. Plenty to avoid to be sure, but good times are there to be had.

  4. 4 Pat h Aug 6th, 2017 at 7:54 pm

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^yep

  5. 5 Batterycap Aug 7th, 2017 at 10:26 am

    Ain’t nothing like it used to be. If you can’t find enjoyment in today, you won’t find it tomorrow either.

  6. 6 1550tc Aug 9th, 2017 at 7:58 am

    Haters and bashers will be what they are……….the good old days are right now, or we’d all be in cave !!

    But its still a great event and if you hate those types of riders and bikes dont look at them or go where they dont go.

    Its the best bike event in the world..so who cares if its crowded over price ectect

    except for highways where could you go and be cool on a Honda Cub ???? LOL

    Love the new influx of Indians and the New Guys on the custom Bagger scene

  7. 7 JohnnySpeed Aug 12th, 2017 at 6:05 am

    I don’t think I’ll ever understand these types of events, but I’ll always be thankful they exist. I ride to get away from other people and events draw people off the roads from far and wide, clearing space for me to ride without running into as much traffic or having to engage in the same small talk over and over again every time I get gas.lol

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Cyril Huze