Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2024 SD USA

After about 25 years of procrastination i finally booked a harley davidson rental to go to the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally South Dakota United States.

I flew out of Brisbane with QANTAS directly to Los Angeles arriving there at 630pm, after clearing US customs and immigration i made a beeline for the FlyAway Bus Service.

The LAX FlyAway® buses offer convenient regularly scheduled round-trips, seven days a week, between each terminal at LAX and the locations of Van Nuys and LA Union Station.
Passengers leaving LAX may board buses on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of each terminal at the blue FlyAway® columns. One-way fare for the FlyAway is $9.75 compared to $50 or more in a taxi to go downtown where my hotel was. The American Hotel was in Skid Row but had so much character and street art.

I rented the bike with https://www.riders-share.com/, selecting a 2021 Harley Davidson Ultra Limited for 21 days pick up and return to Las Vegas Nevada. The reason i went with Riders Share is because they are an independant company who faciltate the rental and insurance of privately owned motorcycles, and a lot cheaper than the competitors.

Next morning i had to vacate the hotel to catch a train to Rancho Cucamonga, but first i walked around the city to buy an AT&T simcard and check out the central LA Market.

In Las Vegas i spent two nights at the OYO hotel and another two nights at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. Beware of the casino policies of not advertising the hidden RESORT FEE which isn’t included in any third party websites or apps. These fees are in the vacinity of $50 USD/night to cover hotel pools and wifi which by the way are compulsory so im not sure why these additional fees are not transparent from the start. Friday and saturday nights are the most expensive to make sure you arrive from Sunday onwards.

Outdoor world is a mecca hunting store with every weapon known to man available for purchase.

Las Vegas Harley Davidson is an excellent place to check out new models and accessories.

Another must see place in Las Vegas is Freemont Street depicting the Vegas of a bygone era.

Day 1 Las Vegas to Winslow Arizona 600km

This epic motorcycle adventure started in Las Vegas via the Hoover Dam into Arizona heading South in 45 degrees celcius on the 93 and then onto the 40 into Kingman.

The Hoover Dam is located on the border between nevada and Arizona, so the first state sign pictures were created. I decided to detour from Kingman on the 89 and go via the mountain town of Jerome to really appreciate this out of the way city. From Jerome i ended up on the 17 into Flagstaff, and from there cruised on the 40 all the way to Winslow. My GPS had a meltdown so i had to ask another motorist the way to go.

Make sure you ride via Jerome AZ, its a rainforest within a desert.

The first night i spent in Winslow Arizona from the song TAKE IT EASY by The Eagles, Well, I’m a-standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Such a fine sight to see.

Hotel of choice is the Travelodge at $96 AUD, Address1706 N Park Dr, Winslow, AZ 86047, United States, right next door to McDonalds and a small supermarket that sold ice cold beers. Winslow has a few souvenir shops and the famous corner but other than that theres jack shit there. Was it worth the 500km detour ? Absolutely :)

Day 2 Winslow Arizona to Silverton CO 670km

After leaving Winslow i decided to have a free look at the Meteor Crater 30km west on my way to Utah, there wasn’t a soul in the car park so i launched my drone. Low and behold 3 minutes into my flight a lady shouted at me to land my drone immediately, i guess they like to capitilise on the experience.

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After Winslow heading North East via Kingman and Tuba City, the terrain gets dryer with dead animals along the side of the road dying of thirst. The temperature at the time of writing was every day over 45 degrees celcius. I wore a long sleeve shirt and a bandanna which i tried to keep wet but it dried out atfter 10 minutes but it helped avoid sunburn on my neck.

Riding through the Utah desert was a challange due to the intense heat, but i would not let that stop me creating some content.

There are plenty of fuel stations along the way on the 40 and 89 to also buy cold drinks and snacks. Monumant Valley can be accessed by using the 163 from Kayenta to Mexican Hat in Utah.

The destination was Silverton the beginning of the famous Million Dollar Highway. In silverton i chose to stay in a funky backpackers called The AVON,
Address
144 E 10th St, Silverton, CO 81433, United States which i booked on the expedia app. Silverton retained its western heritage by still having dirt roads in the back streets and saloon style building facades. There is the worlds highest Harley Davidson store there too.

Day 3 Silverton CO to Silverthorne CO 450Km

How long is the Million Dollar Highway?

Tucked away in western Colorado, and part of the San Juan Skyway, the road is about 25 miles (40 km) long, running from Silverton to Ouray. It climbs up to three very high mountain passes: Coal Bank Pass (10,640 ft / 3,240 m); Molas Pass (10,970 ft / 3,340 m); and Red Mountain Pass (11,018 ft / 3,358 m). The drive can be challenging during rainy days, and storms may create cascading waterfalls along the highway. It boasts North America’s highest avalanche hazard (per mile).

Riding North out of Ouray the scenery was likened to switzerland and there was a sign reflecting that resemlance.

Silverton CO USA

After Silverton i rode the spectacular Million Dollar Highway 550 all the way to Ouray and onwards to Silverthorne Via Grand Junction. I arrived in Silverthorne i booked some acommodation at The Pad on AirBnb in The Pad – 1 Bed in 8 Bed MALE Dorm for $100 AUD, the facilities were 5 star and very close to town. Address491 Rainbow Dr, Silverthorne, CO 80498, United States

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Day4 Silverthorne CO to Wheatland WY 360Km

Leaving Silverthorne in the morning i headed 110km East towards Denver briefly stopping at Avalanche Harley Davidson to check out their inventory; very impressive.

I wasn’t planning on staying in Denver, but i wanted to Revisit the Denver Broncos Stadium so i battled the traffic to try and get close enough to fly my drone but way too much security.

I rode North out of Denver along the 25 untill i reach the afternoon rush hour, that stretches all the way to Cheyenne, however a friendly gas station attendant gave me the great advice to just use the 85 and there were hardly any cars on it for the next 50km.

I arrived in Cheyenne in the late afternoon only to find out a massive rodeo was in town and all the hotels were triple the price. I asked at one run down dive and expected the rate to be $50USD a night only to be told its now $200, so i politely declined to get eaten by bed bugs and paying bank for the priveledge lol.

Its quite stressful looking North into the horizon and seeing lightning and having to book acommodation on the side of the freeway but i was happy to secure a night in Wheatland Wyoming at the Steamboat Inn.
Address
109 16th St, Wheatland, WY 82201, United States. So off i ride the 100km in pouring down torrential thunderstorms. When i arrived the sun was shining and a restaurant with 3 dollar beers was next to the hotel, very convenient and after that i stumbled across the road to a bar hidden behind a tiny window at a drive through bottle shop. Once i walked in and ordered a beer all the conversations stopped and everyone was wondering what accent i had. After finding out i was an Australian i didnt have to buy another beer for myself :) the locals were very hospitable.

Day 5 Wheatland WY To Sturgis SD 365Km

Waking up next morning Knowing i was going to ride the final leg of the journey to Sturgis SD did wonders for my enthusiasm. I rode briefly North on the 25 and turned East onto the 26 and ended up on the 85 via deadwood into Sturgis for the ALL IMPORTANT STURGIS SIGN SELFIE

Day 6 to 13 Sturgis SD Camp 5150 and AirBnB

I had arranged to stay with Al and Kelly Forward at the 5150 Club, which is a private residence 3km from the main street of Sturgis. Here i paid $40 USD/day for use of their 4 man tent, blow up matress and shower facilities as well as cold beers from their 3 fridges on an excellent undercover deck in their side yard. Kelly also cooked up some snacks as well as organised fresh coffee every morning for her guests. Her husband AL led us on multiple area rides exploring the Black Hills area, inculding Hill City, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore, Custer and Crazy Horse. AL also took me to see other camping and music venues like Buffalo Chip, Full Throttle, Kickstands and Glencoe, as well as the Knuckle Saloon in Sturgis City. Kelly can be contacted on +1 605 641 8637. After 5 days in Camp 5150 i left to stay in an AirBnb share house for another 3 nights sleeping in a bed again, the house was shared with 3 other people one from Canada and two from Montana, so i made 3 new friends :)

For the next 5 days i camped in the tent and one afternoon my tent nearly ended up in Wyoming during a massive hail storm. Its recommended to watch the weather radar because most ride locations are at least an hour from 5150 Club.

Stairway to Heaven

Walking around Sturgis is a massive eye opener, vendors selling absolutely every concievable Sturgis souvenir, and private home owners renting out their front yards for tent camping. Acommodation in Sturgis during bike rally week is 5 times the usual price so it pays to travel with mates, or buy a tent and airbed from Walmart to use for your stay in Sturgis, reducing costs considerably. AirBnb are about $2500USD for the week but these can acommodate up to 8 people.

The magnitude cannot be described in words so here is a drone video of the main street peak rally time.

The surrounding areas are sublime to ride around I rode the Iron Mountain Road as well Needles highway and Mount Rushmore as well as Rapid City a few times to check out Black Hills Harley Davidson. Bison are also wandering around Custer National Park, so be mindful of them and do not stop to hug one lol.

Deadwood is a quaint little gold rush town worth a look in.

Full Throttle Saloon is 30 minutes away in the city outskirts and is another must see attraction with its industrial themed bar that can house 20000 people.

20 Minutes out of town is Kickstands Saloon with free entry and live music, beers are $6USD each.

Next was the Knuckle Saloon with its 2 level open aired type live music venue.

The ride out to Rapid City was abouit an hour and a great place to stop for some history and a cold beer is the Firehouse Brewery.

Devils Tower WY 250km return

Devils tower is well worth a visit in Wyoming, its a 250km return ride from Sturgis via Aladdin and Huet as opposed to going via Spearfish. Im a veteran so i didnt have to pay any entrance fee but its usually $30AUD/person. Once inside there is plenty of parking and pubilc toilets and it takes about an hour to walk right around it 2.1km.

Day 13 Sturgis SD to Billings MT 480km

After a week and about 1600km riding around the black hills area ebracing every experience possible, i dedided to leave Sturgis on the first Sunday of rally week. I figured 3 days during the rally was enough to go to all the major entertainmant venues and bars within a 100km circle to get in the Sturgis mode. I was glad i followed the advice of friends to arrive 5 days before the rally started to avoid the 200000 bikes riding around the Black Hills on a daily basis.

I stayed in MERLINS HOUSE Billings on AirBnb $128 AUD.

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1175029541017760653?source_impression_id=p3_1734411066_P3aWrs9MTZMpm7g7

Day 14 Billings MT to Rexburg ID 560km.

After leaving Billings heading South West, i rode through Yellowstone NP via Beartooth Highway a 69-mile scenic byway that connects Red Lodge, Montana to Yellowstone National Park’s northeast entrance.

You can access Yellowstone NP via the north entrance (120km southeast of Bozeman at Gardiner, Montana) or the west entrance (130km south of Bozeman at West Yellowstone, Montana).

To access yellowstone you have to buy a park pass for $30AUD and there are no military discounts, and you pay at the park entrance road. its about 180km from the North East entrance to the Southern exit towards Jackson.

After exiting Yellowstone i then entered Grand Teton NP however this time there were no ticket booths so i didnt have to pay another park fee.

I arrived in Rexburg just on dark so i managed to avoid wildlife on the roads, unpacked the bike and found a pizza shop still open.

Motel 6 Rexburg, ID 1360 S 12Th W, Rexburg, ID 83440, United States

Day 15 Rexburg ID to Boise ID 420km

The journey 420km West was pretty uneventful via farming land on the 33.

I finally arrived in the underwhelming city of Boise the capital of Idaho. The waterfalls and small Hydroelectric plant in town are worth a look.

Here i stayed at the Budget Inn 2600 Fairview Ave, Boise, ID, 83702 USA. Right ouside this motel is a diner that serve an excellent breakfast on the edge of the carpark.

Day 16 Boise ID to Bend OR 470km.

This leg of the journey into Oregon was virtually the same as riding through Idaho, with mostly farming land on both sides of the road for hundreds of kilometers.

After arriving at the West Bend Motel 228 Northeast Irving Avenue, Bend, OR 97702 for $140AUD i once again went to find some dinner and a few beers.

Day 17 Bend OR to Eureka CA 650km

I was advised from my good friend in Los Angeles to ride CA96 from Yreka to Willow Creek a distance of about 320km of desolate picturesque countryside.

Highway CA96 is longer than people realise with only a few fuel stations along the way, so get fuel at Yreka and Hoopa.

I finally reached the Pacific Ocean after 3 weeks riding central USA States

Day 18 Eureka CA to Fort Bragg CA 200km.

From Eureka heading south on the 101 i chose to ride via the Valley of the Giants redwoods road 254 for a distance of 50km, it runs parrallel to the highway. These giant redwood trees are magnificent and hundreds of years old.

There are plenty of cool things to see along this magnificent road so allow a whole day to travel the 200km .

Riding a 350kg Harley Davidson through a tree is pretty special too, for $20AUD.

So onwards i rode heading South on highway 1 enroute to Fort Bragg where i booked a room at Studio 9, 763 N Main St, Fort Bragg, CA, 95437 for $225AUD.

Day 19 Fort Bragg CA to Gilroy CA 400km.

After leaving the redwoods and Fort Bragg my next destiation was to ride over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco.

Because it was peak tourist time, the traffic into the Golden Gate area was intense, so i was grateful i had a motorcycle to ride around the traffic quickly.

The wind was so brutal that i saw drones getting blown away. I remembered there are no cheap hotels in San fransisco so i decided to keep riding through the city heading south on the 101 all the way to the Garlic Farm Inn  5920 Travel Park Circle, Gilroy, CA 95020. This place was a typical budget room for $120AUD, with public parking at the adjacent gasoline station that was well lit. There is a 24 hour shop on the ground floor. Probably a one star establishment.

Day 20 Gilroy CA to Bakersfield CA 340km.

Now it was time to return the motorcycle to Las Vegas and there is no interesting or picturesque way to get there unfortunately so ride the 5 all the way South to the 58 turnoff for the fastet route. In Bakersfield i chose to stay at My Oasis  2568 Jenkins Road, Bakersfield, CA 93314, United States booked through booking.com.

Day 21 Bakersfield CA to Las Vegas NV 460km.

Super sad face knowing this was my last day to ride the Harley Ultra Limited back to the hire point in Las Vegas. I did however stop at Peggy Sue’s 50’s diner on my way to experience this iconic venue.

Day 25 Las Vegas NV to Cucamonga CA 390km.

Todays agenda was pick up hire car from Excalibur casino where i stayed 3 nights post ride to recover, and drive to stay with a friend in Rancho Cucamonga.

Day 26 and 27 Cucamonga CA

During this time i chose to drive to Santa Monica and Malibu piers, these are always a fun time and never get boring, SM Pier has no free parking tho.

After leaving Cucamonga I chose to drive the scenic route from Dana Point all the way to Ocean Beach San Diego which was spectacular.

Once i arrived in san Diego i booked a room at California Dreams Hostel 3790 Udall St, San Diego, CA 92107, United States•+1 619-832-0327.

The next day i drove south to the Mexico border area to do some shopping at the massive outlet centre as well as create a video of the Mexican Border turnstile area.

Day 28 and 29 Solana Beach CA

I was fortunate and grateful to have a wonderful friend who lives in Solana Beach who offered me his home to stay as a guest for the next 2 days. During this time he showed me around the area from his place to Carlsbad as well as 75km west to Temecula. We also went to Belly Up Tavern Address143 S Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075, United States.

This venue is famous as in recently holding a private function with the Rolling Stones. After two nights it was time to say goodbye and return the hire car to LAX airport and fly home.

How to pay for stuff ?

BE CAREFUL TO SELECT “SAVINGS”, at ATM’s to avoid the super expensive cash advance bank interest, its an easy mistake to make. I took $2000AUD in cash and exchanged it in Las Vegas at Foreign Money Exchange located at Address101 Convention Center Dr Tower #101, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States, they offered 10% better rates. Never ever exchange money at any airport thats a rookie mistake. I use the XE currency exchange APP to compare rates. I also recommend the Latitude 28 Degrees Credit card which has zero foreign exchange fees and the best rate of the day, it can be topped up easily from any Aussie banking APP. Another handy card to have is WISE but here you need to prepay foreigh currencies in advance.

All up i spent approximately $15000 AUD for 5 weeks including 3 weeks motorcycle hire and a weeks car hire.

Final Words 101.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is world famous so there is no tight arse way to do this, especially riding 1700km from Vegas, however expenses can be minimised drastically. Expect to pay at least $1500AUD per person for international flights to Los Angeles from Brisbane, and another $5000AUD for motorcycle rental as well for 21 days. At the time of writing fuel was on average $1.60/litre when converted from $USD per gallon. Hotels or Backpackers ranged from $100 to $225 a night AUD, being booked the day before, i do not advise pre booking hotels too far in advance in case you like to go slow some days to check out the scenery. Food is expensive when you factor in the 1.5X multiplyer to convert $USD to $AUD, ie a burger for example can be $15USD so thats $22.50 AUD and then they expect a tip which i rarely paid because i simply couldnt justify it being on a budget. I did make a lot of meals myself or bought pre made healthy meals from Walmart, which saved me a fortune. I took electrolyte powder sachets and made my own drinks riding through the intense heat in Utah and Arizona. My favourite restaurant chai was Dennys available everywhere.

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