Sturgis in the 2010s

This feature, the fifth in my Sturgis through the decades DK Blog posts, will bring us almost up to date. There will be just the current rally to kick off my next post on the 2020s—with perhaps a few predictions. Many ask, “When were the best times in Sturgis?” Most assume the earlier the better and just say “How great it must have been to be here in the 70s and 80s”, (and yes, “here,” because I am writing this from Sturgis). I honestly believe this past decade of the rally has been the best, and I will try to explain why.

First, we must look outside Sturgis to convey what happened inside Sturgis. Motorcycling saw the most incredible growth in the Aughts. And then came 2008! As the 2010s began, we were still struggling with the impact of the devastating economic crash and its profound effects on the motorcycle world. What was left of the Harley-clones never made it past 2011 when both Big Dog Motorcycles and Big Bear Choppers were permanently shuttered. The big spotlight Hollywood put on motorcycling with so many different series and specials was dimmed, and eventually turned off. Some motorcycle events started to have trouble as motorcycle magazines began to disappear. And there was a big question as to who in the industry would survive.

By comparison to where things had been, the landscape looked bleak. There was, however, something great brewing on the horizon. As I see it, kids that were weaned on the “Biker Build-Offs”, “Orange County Choppers”, and “Sons of Anarchy” shows were coming of age. Only they weren’t interested in all the drama nor building the same kind of bikes they saw on their TV screens. They were turned on by motorcycling in general and making things with their own hands in particular. They were into getting together with friends, collecting experiences, camping, and riding in the wind. With the proliferation of the smart-phone, YouTube, as well as social networks like Facebook and Instagram coming into their own at the same time, they had new tools to build what they could afford and in their own personal style. Sometimes, they would start with one of the used (often repossessed) heavily discounted Harley-Davidsons that flooded the market after the crash. But it was now just as cool to pull up on a chopped Yamaha XS-650 or an old Honda CB-350 that they had rebuilt as a café racer. Or perhaps, they came up with something that didn’t fit any particular style with a preexisting label.

These new riders were a much more diverse group than the bikers you would see at mega-events like Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia. They didn’t feel they fit into these more traditional, commercial, and to some extent, what they perceived as aging events. Nor were they interested in the large convention, indoor winter bike shows series that were so popular. To fill the void, they started gathering together at their own functions.

Born Free in California is a case in point. The event started as not much more than a street party for friends, and friends-of-friends. Word got out that this is where the cool bikes were, and it just exploded. In just 10-years, it become one of the major events in the USA—and recognized around the world. The same pattern of growth was seen with The Race of Gentlemen (TROG), where vintage bikes drag race side by side down the beach in Wildwood, New Jersey. People were going to have fun, meet up with friends, see the most amazing hand crafted cool custom bikes. Choppers were the focus as the decade began, but within a few years, racing played a big part. Not only was there TROG, there were ice racing events, winter hill climbs, drag racing, and perhaps the most popular, flat track racing with the advent of the Hooligan series.

Large traditional winter bike shows saw a similar challenge as some enterprising individuals realized you could rent an old factory or warehouse for cheap, and invite friends from around the country to display their handmade 2-wheel creations. And voila, you had the One-Moto Show in Portland, the Handbuilt in Austin, Mama Tried in Milwaukee, the Congregation in Charlotte, and many more.

As the growth these traditional events saw in the Aughts began to dwindle, and in some cases, slip into reverse, the new events could seemingly do no wrong. You may wonder where was Sturgis while all this was going on? For starters, in 2010, Sturgis felt different. There wasn’t the big buzz that we had been feeling for some years. Basically, a lever got pulled and the energy level came way down.

Still, Sturgis didn’t seem to struggle as much, or as long, as other events. Personally, I think this has more to do with where Sturgis is located geographically, and when it takes place on the calendar. Being in the middle of summer (first full week of August beginning on the Friday), it takes place when the weather is quite ideal, and so many want to be out on their summer holidays. Being in the center of the country is also to its advantage, as it is like a crossroads on the way to anywhere. Riders (particularly from points East) often stop in Sturgis on their way west to Yellowstone and the Tetons, or the Colorado Rockies to the Southwest. And it rarely has the weather problems that can be associated with Laconia and Daytona. When I ride up to Sturgis, a full week before rally to set up my exhibition, it always amazes me how many bikes are on the road heading to wonderful destinations. And all were stopping in Sturgis, at least for a time.

People like Jay Allen, at his Broken Spoke Saloon, were instrumental in bringing the buzz back to Sturgis. He created a fun, characterful environment that young builders and riders would naturally want to be at. (Which included the World’s Largest Biker Pool at his County Line location). At the same time, Angie and Mike Ballard were doing a great job with their Full Throttle Saloon, as was Rod Woodruff at the Buffalo Chip.

A big venue shakeup did occur mid-decade when the iconic Full Throttle Saloon, replete with thousands of memorabilia, burnt to the ground in a devastating fire in 2015. There was wild speculation as to how they would rebuild. I don’t think many would have predicted they would take over the Broken Spoke County Line property out on Highway 79—and rebuild the following year. Also in 2016, the Easyriders Saloon on the corner of Junction and Main, was rebranded as the Iron Horse Saloon and incorporated the Broken Spoke Saloon in the back of the property.

It took getting through several years of the decade, but the buzz did return to Sturgis, and probably in a much better way. Sturgis was once again operating on all cylinders. Events were added to attract some of the younger riders that may have otherwise passed on Sturgis, but these younger people came and loved what they found. The Full Throttle added a banked oval dirt track to host Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed vintage bike race series while the Buffalo Chip added the incredibly popular Hooligan Race series to their lineup.

Women were another group of riders that were particularly targeted throughout the decade. Harley-Davidson was doing this on a corporate level, and in Sturgis, the annual Biker Belles celebration or Kelly Yazdi’s Wild Gypsy Tour did their part. There seemed to be more and more rides for women, more women focused activities, and so many more women in the saddle riding their own bikes. A far cry from 1982 when I called my Easyriders editor from a payphone on Main Street to say, “I’ve seen at least 6-women riding their own bikes. We’ve got to do a story on them!”

Cycle Source Magazine, which was the last of the nationally distributed custom bike magazines in print by the end of 2019, did their part to encourage the new breed of younger Sturgis attendees—hosting “Old School” bike shows, the “Bakerv Burn-Outs”, and inviting all and any to join them (and me, as I have always been part of this) for a Wednesday lunch ride up spectacular Vanocker Canyon to the Nemo Guest Ranch, or out to the Spur Creek Ranch on highway 79. There the bikers could go head-to-head against cowboys and cowgirls, steel-ponies vs real ponies, in the rodeo arena.

Bike shows are another thing that come back to Sturgis with a fervor. There are multiple shows at the various venues every day. Each has a focus. Like Warren Lane’s or Mondo’s Old School shows, or Joe Mielke’s FXR show, the Perewitz Paint Show, several antique shows, performance shows, and of course, the Dennis Kirk Garage Build Show at the Iron Horse Saloon. There is something for everyone, regardless of what you may be into.

Thankfully, most of the hype and manic-ness of the Aughts has finally disappeared and we can get back to what drew us to Sturgis in the first place. That is probably why I think the 2010s was my favorite decade in Sturgis. It’s this change of attitude into something that is infinitely more healthy—and I would say fun. I’m here for our shared passion, and is there a better way to share it than by riding together in these Hills that the Native Americans describe (and with which I will agree) are so magical? And then when we are at on the top of the summit, we get to hang out with our like-minded friends?

There is something about the Black Hills that makes us want to keep returning. (A spell perhaps?) For me, that’s 41-times now, and I don’t see an end in sight. There is always something new to discover—something new to learn. What more can I ask for?