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We didn't get to Sturgis
right away, there were roads to tackle first. Like the seven miles of
dirt highway our group immediately came across after leaving Aladdin.
This was some unhappy riding, believe me. Right after that stretch,
we turned in for some gas (having chosen not to brave the line at Aladdin)
and our bikes were simply coated with dust. And, it turns out, it turned
my air filter black in places. Live and learn.
Coasting into Sturgis was like passing through the pages of a catalogue. Every kind of bike, every kind of vendor, every kind of biker, was represented. I saw huge tents set up next to 60 foot trailers with the names you'd expect to see: OCC, J&P, etc. In addition, there were a ton of smaller, independent vendors of aftermarket parts and leather goods.
We actually coasted through Sturgis and continued on to the Full Throttle, which you may know is a giant coral-like thing with a few bars, some small vendors, and lots of entertainment in the middle. For some reason, we got waived through into the middle of the coral to park, instead of the outside parking where the vast majority of people had to park. It was nice to be able to wander around and still keep an eye on our rides.
A thought here: At no point during the Sturgis portion of the trip did I feel it necessary to lock my bike. I could leave my jacket and helmet with it and wasn't afraid those would disappear, either.
We spent some time at the Full Throttle, though Marje had to take off to go see the 145" S&S Engine builders' bikes. During our evening, each of us went down to the Dennis Kirk tent and got our picture taken with one of the hotties there, had a lot of beer, and generally screwed around. I ended up talking with a guy who vends Frogg Toggs (my raingear) and he suggested I send mine back to the manufacturer to see if they'll replace them, as they didn't last as long as they should have.
The sun set and we decided to head out, as we wanted to get dinner still. EZ led us out to a burger and beer joint he'd discovered the year before with what he called the world's best burgers, and I have to admit they were incredible. Wish I could remember the name of the place.
While there, we witnessed a guy get hauled and jailed for DWI. At least the tow truck treated his bike nicely -- they could have done worse.
Last stop for the night was a low-rent tittie bar just up from afore-mentioned burger and beer joint. Proper atmosphere: lots of music, booze, and smoke. The girls were OK -- a nice sight for sore eyes, to tell the truth. I got a call on my cell phone; it was Marje. I just handed her off to EZ and let her explain where we were and how to get there. After awhile she joined us, very enthusiastic about her experiences in Sturgis.
Awhile later, we all decided to call it a night and headed home, which turned out to be a little over an hour away, if I recall. We were all pretty beat as it had been a VERY long day.
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