Sturgis' Shame

There it was, the first thing as you get into town, right there on Junction Avenue, Sturgis, South Dakota.  

Maybe they ought to call it the "Sturgis Trailer Rally", or how about "The Black Hills Trailer Classic."

XS Guys

While I was at the Broken Spoke Saloon in Sturgis, I met Gil Schuchardt and Mike Spencer.  They are Yamaha guys, XS-1100 Yamaha guys.  Gil showed me his pristine XS, with original and rare Yamaha fairing, saddlebags and tour pack.  Mike's XS-1100 Special has a period and perfect Windjammer fairing.  Both bikes are like they came off the dealers show room floor.
It is really hard to keep bikes this old running, but to keep them is this kind of pristine condition borders on obsession.  Great bikes guys. 

    













Yamaha XS-1100's were made from 1978 to 1981.  I think Gil's bike is a 1981 Venturer.  The Venturer had a larger gas tank and came with fairing, saddlebags and tour pack.  The Venturer was only built in 1981.  Mikes bike is a XS-Eleven Special the special was introduced in 1979.

Sturgis 2012 - The Bikes

       The last time that I was in Sturgis, quite by accident, I caught The Horse Backstreet Choppers Bike Show at The Full Throttle Saloon.  At the time I didn't know what The Horse Backstreet Choppers Show was all about, I just knew that these bikes were  not the pro-built, cookie cutter, fat tired, skull encrusted, chrome dipped, super expensive bikes that were all in vogue at the time and I liked 'em!
      These bikes showed ingenuity and personal style.  They could be built by almost anyone with some mechanical skill and on a very tight budget.  But imagination and vision is the essence and attraction of these bikes.
     Now two years later I know a lot more about The Horse Backstreet Choppers, having been to The Smoke Out and running Stampede 7.  So the first thing I did when I got to Sturgis was head for The Horse Backstreet Choppers Bike Show.

The Winner

Charlie, The Nomad, who writes for The Horse Backstreet Choppers Magizine was there.

Nathan Friesz and Cy Henry who I met at Stampede 7 were there.

Friesz' War Pony was there.

It's great show and, I think, a chance to see the direction of custom motorcycles in the future.

Back to My Little Cabin in the Black Hills

     Not much has changed at my cabin in the Black Hills. The bushes have grown but It’s still quiet and peaceful and not far from town.

And I’m still keeping the location a secret.

Bonneville Salt Flats

On the way to Sturgis this year, I stopped by the Bonneville Salt Flats.   I have always wanted to go out on the salt and now was a perfect opportunity.

     I was a little worried about the effects of the salt on my bike. Would the salt cause a cancerous corrosion?  I'll let you know, but I couldn't resist going.

 The Utah Rocket Club hosts an annual rocket launch called "Hellfire," think of it as a Vertical Speed Week.  The first rocket that I saw launched went 16,000 ft high, pretty incredible.  Out on the salt the distances, the flatness, the whiteness, were just overwhelming, throw in a few rocket launches and  it was an unforgettable day.

Lovelock

I stopped by Lovelock, Nevada on my way to Sturgis. Given Nevada’s reputation for the bawdy and tawdry, I always assumed that the town of Lovelock was named for a carnal embrace.  What I found surprised me.  There are hundreds of padlocks, many engraved with names and dates, locked onto chains around the court house.  The legend is that if two people put a lock on the chain, they will be in love for the rest of their lives.

Instead of bawdy and tawdry I found the Lovelock legend to be charming.

   

Then there is Wedlock, which is something entirely different.

The Good Samaritan

     The starter clutch had failed during the Stampede in Louisiana and finding a 1983 Kawasaki starter clutch could have been a problem.  But, I located a one at United Cycle, the Kawasaki shop in Beckley, West Virginia and they were open on Mondays which was also a minor miracle.  I left Pinebluff, North Carolina on Sunday and headed northwest into the mountains of West Virginia.  It is beautiful country, but having to push start the bike every time I turned the engine off put a damper on my enjoyment of the ride.

     It's about 265 miles from Pinebluff to Beckley.  When I arrived it was hot.  I located the Kawasaki dealer and then started searching for someplace to stay.  I was behind a guy on a really nice chopper when my bike quit running.  I pushed the bike into a parking lot and the guy on the chopper made a u-turn and came back.  He said, "I saw you behind me, then you weren't there, is there anything I can do."

     While he stood by I pulled off the seat and found a fuse holder that was loose.  I was able to push start the bike. The sun was blazing hot but the good Samaritan stood by in case I needed help.  I told him about my blog, he knew about the Stampede, and he was a big fan of The Horse magazine.

     So I repaid him for his help by forgetting his name, my bad.  So please, do me another favor, get my email address at the "view my complete profile" and send me your name.

     By the way, your bike is really nice!

Smoke Out XIII

I had no idea what the Smoke Out was, I was so focused on the Stampede that I didn't even think about the Smoke Out. I wasn't even sure if I would stay for the Smoke Out, but I am glad I did. The Smoke Out was so much fun. The Smoke Out had this Southern vibe that I really liked. No one was acting tough, there was no drama, just guys and girls having fun. 

The Legion of the Long Road are a group of riders that do a 1000 mile tour to the Smoke Out. This year they started Bruceton, Tennessee and over 5 days rode to the Smoke Out. The Long Road Lounge welcomed the Stampede riders and was a great place hang out and to have a burger and beer, and it was also a good place to get out of the rain that came every afternoon.

I was surprised to find that you could ride your bike anywhere on the Smoke Out grounds. Try that at any Western motorcycle event, but think about it, isn't that what it's all about. There was no police presence, either at the Smoke Out or on the surrounding roads, there was simply no need, people behaved themselves. What a concept.

Famous Road Signs

It is said that the early settlers called the river "Drowning River" because it is a scary looking "black water" river. Black water refers to the color of the water, which is a dark color because of minerals in the water. 

Now days only the headwaters are known as Drowning Creek. Drowning Creek flows into the Lumber River and then from North Carolina into South Carolina. It then flows into Little Pee Dee River and then into the Big Pee Dee River and finally into Winyah Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. 

On my way to The Smoke Out at Rockingham Speedway, I couldn't help but stop to take a photo, however, I decided not to take a swim.

Stampede 2012

Here are some photos from Stampede 7. The first half are taken in Barstow at the start of the Stampede, the rest are taken 3000 miles later in Pinebluff, North Carolina at the Greenleafe Inn.

Enjoy! 

The rest of the photos are in North Carolina.