Sturgis 2021… Or Bust
Yep. BUST. Me and the bike.
I wasn’t planning on riding to Sturgis this year. Hell, I wasn’t planning on ever going during trailer week… er, bike week. After the 75th anniversary, I was tapped out. Too many bikes, too many trailers, too many people who think a leather vest is a personality.
Then life decided to screw with me in the best possible way: new job, same pay, closer to home, more freedom. Perfect excuse to throw a leg over the bike and meet up with friends in South Dakota. Just one small problem: wrist and hand still broken from pulling a rear axle on my Jeep four weeks prior. Multiple fractures. Not fully healed. Perfect. Let’s test it on 1,400 miles of highway.
Gear Prep:
No camping gear. Amazon to the rescue: tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, random knickknacks I “needed.”
Bike: fresh oil in all three cases, stator replaced a month and a half ago, tires, brake fluid, final drive belt tension checked. Bars and gear setups tested. Ready-ish.
Mission: haul ass to Sturgis, get there, survive, and maybe test how much my wrist could take before mutiny.
Saturday – Day 1:
Alarm 0430. Bike packed. Out the door 0545 (extra delay: had to swing by daughter’s to pick up last-minute supplies).
I-90 east: throttle locked at 90–95 mph. Smooth sailing through Washington. Northern Idaho: roads turn to crap, but it’s brief. Montana approaching.
150 miles in Montana: brain checks in. Mental state: pumped. Physical state: surprisingly fine. 25 miles to campground, or push on further? $25 campground stop vs. unknown accommodations = stop. Deer Lodge it is. Fuel, snack, hell yes. 700 miles in 8 hours. Not dead yet.
Camp setup: tent hot as hell, slight breeze outside doing nada inside. Fall asleep 1830, naked in a puddle of sweat. 0130: freezing at 42°F. Sleeping bag does its thing. 0230: hand swollen, throbbing. 0430: shower, dress, pack bike, roll out.
Bike Notes / Mechanical Drama:
LED headlight = holy shit. Never going back. Silver Star Ultra halogens were bright… until they weren’t. LED = night/day difference, zero heat drain.
Forgot to swap air cleaner lid: 360 open. Rain + open intake = bike trying to die from St. Regis to pass over mountain. Power gradually fades.
Rear brake gone coming down pass. Wrist hurts. Front brake = ouch. Foot brake only. Fuck it. Just roll.
Weather / Conditions:
Missoula: hunger pangs. Cracker Barrel not open. Back on road. 5 miles later: rain. Thunderstorms join party.
Rain continues til Kellogg, ID (~150 miles). Stops: freeze, dry, rinse, repeat over Cascades.
Eastern Washington: intermittent rain, cold, wet, dry, repeat.
Traffic Notes:
Closer to home, I-5 = shitshow. Scoot past traffic where possible. Speed drops, adrenaline fades, pain creeps up. Reminder: heading home early for a reason.
Final Approach:
Exit Shelton: rear brake = nada. Front brake = hurts like hell. Drop gears, slow gently. Roll through town, avoid anyone’s ass.
Home: garage door open. Wife tracker unit = genius. Roll into shop, drop gear, kiss wife and dog, pass out on couch 1430.
Tracker Notes:
Accuracy = dead-on. Camp spot and route tracked perfectly.
Final Thoughts:
Ride: mentally, physically, mechanically brutal.
Bike status: still unknown post-ride.
Lessons learned: LED headlight = yes. Rain + open intake = no. Wrist survived better than expected.
Next mission possibility: Bonneville Speed Week, Utah. Maybe next year.
