Destinations

DESTINATIONS

Black Hills Motor Classic

Sturgis, South Dakota

SOUTH DAKOTA’S THROWING a party, and if you value the camaraderie of other riders, that state will be the place to be August 6-12. That’s the time frame of the Black Hills Motor Classic, a yearly celebration of the motorcycle and its enthusiasts.

The festivities take place in

Sturgis, a usually sleepy town of 5800 inhabitants. Come rally time each year, though, the town’s seams swell as 80,000 motorcyclists stream in. The 1990 edition will be even more

crowded: It’s the 50th anniversary of the rally, and town officials estimate that as many as 200,000 people may attend. Hotel rooms for an hour in every direction have been booked for months, though officials say there will be plenty of camping space around Sturgis.

Rally-goers will have plenty of diversions during the week. Shorttrack, half-mile and drag races are on the schedule. For those more interested in riding than spectating, there will be poker runs and organized tours to nearby Mt. Rushmore. Chief pastime during the rally, as always, will be walking up and down Main St., which is closed to all but bike traffic. There, hundreds of motorcycles-mostly Harleys, though there are plenty of other makes in attendance-line the curb, while vendors and food stands add to the carnival atmosphere.

If all that sounds like fun, make it to Sturgis this year. If you don’t,

you’ll wish you had.

David Edwards

Information

Sturgis Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 504 Sturgis, SD 57785 605/347-2556

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