Over the Beartooth Pass

We left Sturgis, headed for the Bear Tooth Pass. The road leads northwest through the town of Spearfish and Belle Fourche, which I am told is pronounced "Bell Foush." It seems that Midwesterners don't go for no high falutin' foreign pronunciation. The Capitol City of South Dakota is Pierre, pronounced "Pier."

This is Indian Country and goes through the Southern Cheyenne and Crow Indian Reservations. Off to the southwest there was a huge storm raging.

We saw constant bolts of lightning and the sky was black, but we had good luck. Every time we were about to enter the storm, the road turned and we avoided rain for the most part until we reached Red Lodge, Montana.

After a good nights sleep, we had coffee and visited Bone Daddy Custom Cycles. I don't know about any custom cycles, but they have a cool logo. Marie bought a t-shirt.

The Beartooth Pass is often called the most beautiful drive in America. The highway goes through the Beartooth and Absaroka mountains. While I love Hwy 395 along the Eastern High Sierra Mountains, there is no arguing that this highway is beautiful. The Beartooth is truly magnificent, the views are amazing, the valley is huge and the clouds, which were threatening rain, added drama.

At the overlook there was a dog that seemed fascinated by the view. He put his front feet on the wall and just seemed to take in the view. Even his owner was surprised how captivated he was by the view.

After we left the overlook for the pass, it started to rain then sleet. The sleet started to build up on the road but stayed slushy. It was cold and I was glad when we got to Cooke City where we had lunch and watched he rain come down from a cozy log cabin restaurant. I had blown a fuse by trying to plug an inverter to my cigarette lighter plug and the instruments weren't working. I replaced the fuse and all was good.

It rained all the way through Yellowstone National Park and all the way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where we spent the night.

Trailers in the Black Hills

There were trailers hidden all over the Black Hills.









This guys t-shirt says it all.

Sturgis - The Bikes

Harley Engine Development, Exclusive Photos

Seen at Sturgis this year during field testing, this experimental drive system is rumored to transfer vibrations into forward momentum. However, there has been some concern about meeting federal noise limitations.

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Note: Analysis by RMD staff experts indicate that Harley Davidson is testing a new tuned exhaust system.

Full Throttle Saloon

We found a nice shady table at one of the bars. It was a great spot to have a beer, talk, listen to the band and watch the world go by.

My Cabin in the Black Hills

I found the best place to stay in the Black Hills, and I'm keeping it a secret. No one even started a motorcycle before 9am. The restaurant was good. My cabin was comfortable and cozy. There was even a stream behind the cabin.

Sturgis 2010, I Love this Place

This is my first Sturgis trip. From the moment I arrived I had a smile on my face. I expected the Black Hills to be like the California hills, dry and hot. I found green, cool hills. well paved roads filled with bikes, and really nice people.

Baby Needs New Boots

While doing some maintenance I found a rear shock absorber boot had torn. The bike has just over 60,000 miles and things are starting to wear out, so I check things often. Naturally, the local HD Dealership told me to buy new shocks because they don't sell the boots separately from the shock.


A few days later I stopped in at Xtreme Custom Iron, in Rohnert Park, California. It was the first time I had been in the shop but the owner Doran Benson treated me like a king.
He showed me around the store and work area. When he said that he had lots of take off parts, I mentioned that I could use a shock absorber boot, he pulled one off an blown shock and gave it to me.
I put the replacement boot on and found a really nice shop with good people.