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Hi John – your Sturgis info is very insightful. 20 of us are coming next year for the 75th from Syracuse so your info from Ohio is very helpful. I wanted to ask you if you had any day trips in your arsenal that you could share with me ? We would like to do 5 trips of about 150 miles a day. Or if you can direct me somewhere that has trips already planned out I would appreciate that. Dean
Glad you enjoy the writeup. There are quite a number of great rides in the Black Hills. Every gas station in the region has free maps that show most every road in the area, and they have various scenic routes color-coded on them. They list the mileage for each route. Every person in your group needs to have one of these maps on them always, as they can help them get home or keep up should they get separated. As you can tell, I highly recommend these. Plan on lots of people. It will be packed with bikes and RVs from families. Crazy stuff. Certainly Iron Mountain Road is a must. It runs near Mt Rushmore to Custer State Park (try to do the wilderness loop and see herds of bison – usually grazing in the morning), and this leads in to Needles Highway, and if you get time to stop in Deadwood, I highly recommend it. That is definitely a good day. You can also try to fit in Crazy Horse, about 20 miles from Mt Rushmore, but this is a very long day already. Another 150-mile day ride is to Devil’s Tower, in nearby Wyoming. There are some places to stop along the way, and some nice rides (north out of Hulett). Stop in Aladdin and the Stone House (temporary bar) on the way back to Sturgis. The Badlands you might see on your way to Sturgis, about 100 miles away. Get gas before and after the Badlands loop. You might plan for this on your way to Sturgis, but some people like to make a 250-mile (round trip) day trip out of it. It gets very hot and there are no watering holes. Those are my suggestions. Plan plenty of down-time, as well. Safe riding! Be careful and come to a full stop at every stop sign in the town of Sturgis. HAVE A BLAST!
I’m riding from New England to Sturgis for the first time. Chicago seems unavoidable. Any tips on getting through or around it?
I don’t blame you for wanting to avoid Chicago, as it is much stress. If you DO try it, perhaps stop in Milwaukee at the Harley Museum as it is worth a 3-4 hour stop (I had expected to stay maybe an hour). But expect heavy traffic all the way to the Wisconsin Dells (maybe I have a bad impression as it is often a Friday/Saturday when I have ridden that way).
My best suggestion is to cut south (perhaps through Columbus, Indianapolis, and Davenport) and maybe up through Cedar Falls or Sioux City. You’re likely to think “Wow! That’s a hundred miles out of my way!” but, look at it this way: you’re doing a 2,000 mile trip each way, so what’s another 100 miles to have MUCH less stress? This is not exciting road, mostly farms and flat lands, but the traffic is usually light. Honestly, if you go through Chicago, you will not have time to notice the scenery.
Another interesting option is to take the ferry from Muskegon, Michigan, across the lake to Milwaukee. I know folks who have done this with their motorcycle and enjoyed it. You can research this at Lake Express Ferry. This still gives you a chance to see the Harley Museum.
if you’re not used to doing road trips, plan for 350 miles per day, up to 500, and don’t push it. Try to throw in some unusual or interesting roadside attractions each day (one per day gives you a nice change from riding). Look through some of my various stories for some ideas (SPAM Museum in Austin, MN, is fun, and if you pass north from Cedar Falls it is just before you get to I-90). I like this route because it gives a brief break from riding interstates.
There is lots of farm land, no matter which way you go. As you get into Minnesota and certainly South Dakota, the exits are pretty far apart, so plan accordingly. If there is lots of traffic on I90, head across South Dakota on SD34/US14, as the speed limit is 70 outside the rare towns. Be prepared for very hot temperatures (we’ve had temps up to 106 several times).
Hope this helps! Ask questions if you have them!
And HAVE FUN!