Sturgis Bike Rally Isn’t Just For 2 Wheels Anymore
An Experience Only The Black Hills of South Dakota Can Offer
Story By: Keith Hook
Photos by: Brandon Bunch
On any given day of the week, it’s safe to assume that my mind wanders dozens of times. As a creative soul, I live in a world of tangents and squirrels. Finding trepidation in crazy ideas, daydreams, and the ever so iconic “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” statement comes in frequent 2 minute aspirations. We now operate in a world where different is cool, uniqueness is sought after, and personalities are at full tilt… Finding newness has become a little challenging. I find myself looking to get outside the comfort zone more often and engage with those that live in a world I don’t. I’ve met some amazing individuals over the past couple years, some far more interesting than any spirit I’ve come into contact with. These people have opened my eyes to getting involved with new events and locations away from the southwest firsthand.
This is where I bring the crew from Klock Werks into the mix, about 5 minutes after meeting them I knew there were going to be some stories to tell. Almost immediately we received an invitation to their facility in Mitchell, SD to get the behind the scenes of their UTV Flare Windshields and IO Device Mounts. We didn’t know how or when, but the mind wandered quickly to make this happen.
With their popularity in the UTV industry on the rise, Klock Werks reached out again about the trip. Determining the best time to make the 1500 mile trek was easy and the agenda was preplanned. Klock Werks is very active in their community and support a wide variety of events. In August they host one such event in their hometown of Mitchell every year. The event takes place in front of the world’s only building completely encased with corn, yes, the one and only Corn Palace. Surrounding this kernel covered structure, they arrange a car and bike show, live music, iconic local food, and some incredible stunt shows. Oh, and it happens to be the locale opening ceremony to the renowned Sturgis Motorcycle Rally just a couple hours away.
After a thorough tour of the company’s headquarters and an exhilarating street fair experience, we set our sights on Black HIlls and the greater Sturgis proper. Throughout the drive we were infiltrated with swarms of motorcycles, but shockingly we noticed an abundance of UTVs on trailers all heading in the same direction. The Black Hills OHV area contains 21 designated trails spanning about 650 miles, connected by 500 more miles of well-groomed roads, providing over 1100 miles of riding opportunity in various degrees of difficulty and lengths, including loop route options. More than enough for any planned outing. Motorized Trail Permits are required regardless of on-road licensing, and come in two varieties: Annual ($25) and 7-Day ($20), and are available at any of the Forest Service Offices or various sources online. Although we opted for conventional housing this trip, we did find quite a few campsites along the way for those looking to be one with nature around the clock.
The terrain was diverse and offered everything from groomed dirt roads to deep grass and rocks, to tight wooded trails, and of course mud. The recent weather had encouraged more mud than normal, but thankfully it wasn’t too wide spread. Weather definitely has an impact on the area, getting the full spectrum of offerings from Mother Nature all year long. Snow in the winter, rain in the spring and fall, and sweltering heat in the summer. Just have to follow the normal regimen of “be prepared for anything” in the heavily wooded areas. On that note, keep in mind a majority of the area does not have cell signal so try to avoid venturing too far out alone, or without the proper trail repair tools. Since the weather was rolling in and out, we opted for a handful for short rides via a few different trail heads, so that we could descend into Sturgis each afternoon to experience Bike Week.
The trail system is well marked and maps are readily available just about anywhere online. There are lodges and cabins throughout the area that offer trail ride recommendations from their properties, and we even heard wind of a few guided trail rides available in the area. We enjoyed the various vistas and viewpoints, offering views of the hills themselves and in some posts over the entire Pleasant Valley area. We had covered just a couple hundred miles within the 1.2 million acres over the few days we had, realizing just how massive this area was. We went in with open minds as to what we would accomplish, thinking a few quick rides would cover what the area has to offer, but to our surprise we continued to find new terrain around every corner.
Getting around was very easy since UTVs can be street legal with proper indicators and licensing, which can be from another street legal state, or a temporary SD permit issued by the County Treasurer. Being from Arizona, we took full advantage of the license plate on our unit and rode from house to trail to venue, and even down Lazelle St, intermingling with some of the estimated 500,000 motorcycles in town for Bike Week. We went full tourist mode and visited a handful of stops on Main Street and made stops at both The Buffalo Chip and Full Throttle Saloon. There was no disappointment to the stories we heard of the massive week long event, as we took in a wide variety of personalities that literally traveled the entire country and beyond to be a part of this nearly 80 year old festival. We met people of every flavor, and most were very welcoming of the increasing UTV presence the event has seen over the past couple years. The presence of side-by-sides was pronounced in every aspect, including display vehicles amongst the exhibitors, and recently cut courses ready for race action. We received high fives and thumbs up as we moved around, and learned of quite a few local rallies and events that are UTV-centric, proving yet again that our 1000cc world is emerging into the mainstream throughout the country.
If you make it out to the area, any time of the year, I’d recommend planning for at least 3-4 full days of riding to get a complete taste of what the Black Hills National Forest has to offer. We were lucky enough to have our SD native trail guide at every turn, sometimes a few too many turns, but that allowed us to learn that these trails finger out quickly and commonly end in a picnic area or scenic point, which we didn’t mind. This area may not be the next stop on your list to ride, as I’ll admit it wasn’t on mine, but I highly recommend to get out of that comfort zone and experience this unique world. A convenient way to experience the area would be this year’s Full Throttle Saloon Off-Road Rally in late July, it combines all the amenities of the area along with a long list of scheduled events, like music, vendors, mud bog, poker runs, and guided trail rides. If you make it out, let us know, because we’ll be there!
