{"id":9134,"date":"2021-09-01T10:59:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T15:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denniskirk.com\/?p=9134"},"modified":"2023-01-19T08:49:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-19T14:49:11","slug":"sturgis-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.denniskirk.com\/blog\/2021\/09\/01\/sturgis-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Sturgis 2021 Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

My final installment of this six-part series, Sturgis through the decades, brings us to the recent rally that so many of us just experienced\u2014the 81st. The energy and excitement came on earlier and more vigorous than had ever been seen. Vendors were reporting great sales a whole week before the rally even began. As bikes rolled into town, the word on the street was that this year looked like it could break all records\u2014including the swollen anniversary years. As to how it shook out, it depends on who you talk to. It continued on the initial trajectory for some, but many noticed by Tuesday, they were getting through town faster than you would expect. And with each subsequent day the numbers seemed to diminish quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But really, do the numbers matter? For me, and I’d say for most of us, not at all. We’re all easily impressed when we hear “More than a half-million people poured into the Hills…”, but our experience of the rally is much more personal than that. It is what each of us sees and feels, and it is the people we encounter, the friendships we make, and the experiences we share. And so, the 2021 rally had everything we’d seen in past years, and then some.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I see it, the Sturgis rally has always had the makings of a perfect rally baked into it. It is timed toward the end of summer when people want to use up what holidays they still have coming to them before the weather turns. It is in the middle of our country, making it a veritable crossroads for people on their way anywhere. Located on the edge of the Black Hills that are considered so sacred by the Lakota Sioux and other native Americans, it is spectacularly situated with access to some of the best riding anywhere in the world. (I’ll put Vanocker and Spearfish Canyons up against the best roads anywhere!) And that’s before we start adding into the mix the events, concerts, racing, bike shows, and all the other attractions that keep getting better year after year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe Sturgis is known more for these generalities than the specifics. Its reputation has gone around the globe. But this year, with COVID still rearing its nasty head, there were just six overseas pins on the Main Street Visitor Center’s world map where there would typically be hundreds! This was easily made up by plenty of first-timers from our shores\u2014people of all ages. Including the younger demographic that event promoters have been challenged to attract for years. They have started to discover (on their own) what the rally and the Black Hills have to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t know anyone who would disagree that this was an exceptional rally, but there are many perspectives. To help see the bigger picture, I called on some friends to hear their impressions. How similar, or different, would they be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

One of my first calls was to Jeff Holt, the man behind V-Twin Visionary, who noticed a shift in the style of bikes this year. He was personally responsible for producing three bike shows in four days, and of course, with Jeff behind them, you can bet they were performance-oriented. As Jeff explained, “More people are building and customizing Milwaukee-Eight bikes rather than Evos or earlier platforms. And they are more focused on lightening the bikes and making them work better. Performance baggers are huge. It is most of what’s going on right now.” Jeff’s been a driving force behind this segment, and he put his money where his mouth is when he bought a brand-new Harley-Davidson Pan-American to ride from California to Sturgis. This new adventure-style bike fits perfectly on the performance roster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danger Dan, who at 36 is well known for his weekly Talk Shop podcast and “MC-T’s” company, moved in the custom-performance direction as well. Even though people see Dan clearly as a “chopper dude” from his escapades around the USA and Mexico, he recently went out and bought his first new bike\u2014a Pan American as well. (No worries, he’ll never give up his chopper!) Dan said, “Going to Sturgis is like a rite of passage or pilgrimage that can’t be missed. Whether I just drop in or stay the whole week.” This year, he did say, “My ride to Sturgis and my ride back were the highlights. I took the Back Country Discovery Route through Colorado<\/a>, which left me only two days in Sturgis”, but it was still enough time for him to catch up with a bunch of friends and feel like he made it. He also commented how he seems to see fewer custom bikes, but maybe that’s because Dan’s looking through those new performance specs he’s been wearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n