SD Lawmen Tighten Their Grip, 100k$ Mess at Chip:
This is not good:
South Dakota's Highway Ptl: Tickets, Tickets, Tickets.. Mainly for being ten over, but many bikers having problems with citations for what the law deems "too high handlebars", & other equipment issues. ABM's take is that you should be able to equip yourself, your bike with whatever makes you happy, so long as you do no harm, so what?? Many of the southwest USA bikers love them sky-high handlebars, & "fish-tail" exhaust systems. So what, they aren't bothering anyone, & the height of the bars doesn't seem to impede their ability to get around in a safe manner... why all the fuss? It's just like the helmet issue, which one of the local tv stations has to get with each year.. Hey-want to see the rally shrink even more? Add a helmet law, & it's done.
What are the Sturgis Cops doing this year?
Being cool, taking it easy on the bikers. Gone are the days (at least from what we've seen) of six of 'em strolling down the sidewalk in tandem, holstered sidearms ready in an instant in case some Disney-going family decides to make a break for it. Bikers have responded in kind, &this is one of the most easy-going rallys we've seen..almost no downtown burnouts. Or, maybe.. it's that set of 27 in-town security cameras...
This is Great!
So we're ensconsed inside the minimum-security, not plush in any sense of the word ABM compound at the Buffalo Chip campground on Wednesday night-Thursday morning & it's still raining buckets, bolts of lightning off & on.. and it seems like with each crack of thunder, a half dozen or more bikers jump on their rides & roll on the throttle...NO, roll on the throttle until they hit the rev limiter, thunder, rain, sleet, lightning and all. Twisted, yes. Uncool? Absolutely Not!
Then, Thursday night, Friday morning, the next group, this time alternative-rockers, takes over after 3 Doors Down--A giant all-night party out in back of the stage & pond, & I mean A-L-L nite..So much whoopin', hollerin' & nasty going's on they could be heard all over the campground. Getting up for my morning shower, they were still partyin' at 7am. Hardcore, yes...Uncool? No! Ahh.. endearment..still stuff yer momma would slap ya down fer... but she's not here.. haha!
100 Thou Trash Pile:
Here's how it got figured--If a mixed drink is five, beers are four, and there's 25,000 squashed cans & cups on the ground, that equals 100$k of booze sales off the ZZTop show. Man, it looked like a landfill this morning, but the cleanup staff is on it, & it'll probably be gone before the 9am $1 beer stand opens.
Tres Hombres:
One 'mo time... ZZTop, fresh back from Europe, hopped off the plane in Rapid around 3pm, & headed to the Chip. They did a little over an hour, all their hits, & the crowd ate it up, like always. Yes, the girls were gettin' nekked, but it was more of a "pancake" night, as opposed to Kid Rock's all you can eat melon festival.. Does that make any sense? I have no idea what it means..
Free Pancake Breakfast:
Speaking of pancakes, we hear the "Sons of Light" ministry's every morning free flapjack breakfast inside the Chip is pretty good, & the talk is almost all about motorcyles.
The End is Near!
Yeah, it's pretty depressing when the rally ends. ABM is never ready to go home.. did that back in '05--never again. Monday morning when the campground emptys out, & all the traffic is way in front, I'll point the black bike toward Durango, Colorado. The big plan is to ride thru Wyoming, then into Colorado, thru Rifle, & down toward Durango, Cortez, & eventually, Monument Valley, Utah, & Northeast Arizona. These are our favorite places to ride. No cops, no cages, good roads, & what I truly believe to be the world's best scenery. This year we'll participate in the "Four Corners Rally" over Labor Day Weekend, a Durango-Cortez-Ignacio area event. Although it's not one of the biggest, the quality of this one is very high. If you're going, & you don't have deep pockets, stay at a national or state campground, or forest. Durango hotel, motel rooms are priced like they think it's West Palm Beach..it's not far from Telluride, & there's a lot of money in this area. The farther west you go from there, the cheaper it gets. The trout fishing in this area is beyond belief. I'll wager that a succulent trout dinner can be caught simply with the use of a hand-line, no fishin' pole, & then there's the riding with 60-70 degree days, winding, banked hardtop runnin' thru deep canyons, & so much forest, the smell of "Pine-sol" blows ya away. Something we leared last year-- Bears love toothpaste, so much so, if it's dark, don't pay any attention to your dentist... wait until morning to brush 'em, or risk being the recpient of a big 'ol BEAR HUG!
Ethanol Update:
South Dakota has just one grade of gas blended with ethanol, the middle grade. When buying regular, or high test, there is no Ethanol, unlike my retarded state of Florida, which forces stations to blend in 10% ethanol into all grades. How stupid is that?
I don't bother rejetting the carb on ABM's chopper for the trip out west. Watching the air mix & keeping the k&n air filter absolutely clean seems to work at all but the 11-12 thousand foot elevation mark, where all bikes, even injected ones run like crap. ABM maintains the position that even 10% Ethanol sucks. The proof is that for the first time ever, the chopper ran lots better out here (ethanol free) that it did back in Florida (where ALL gas has ethanol). Wouldn't it be nice if somebody bothered to ask us what we think about adding crap to our gas before making a decision? South Dakota has it right, Florida is in the ethanol tank, & why? There ain't a field of cow corn inside the entire state. Condos, orange trees, & boats, yes. Cornfields...nope.
The First Year Ever...
When gas prices actualy decreased after the rally began! Yeah, it's because the price of a bbl of oil has fallen sharply, but it's pretty weird compared to last year when they went up 25 cents the week of the rally. A nice change.
South Dakota's Highway Ptl: Tickets, Tickets, Tickets.. Mainly for being ten over, but many bikers having problems with citations for what the law deems "too high handlebars", & other equipment issues. ABM's take is that you should be able to equip yourself, your bike with whatever makes you happy, so long as you do no harm, so what?? Many of the southwest USA bikers love them sky-high handlebars, & "fish-tail" exhaust systems. So what, they aren't bothering anyone, & the height of the bars doesn't seem to impede their ability to get around in a safe manner... why all the fuss? It's just like the helmet issue, which one of the local tv stations has to get with each year.. Hey-want to see the rally shrink even more? Add a helmet law, & it's done.
What are the Sturgis Cops doing this year?
Being cool, taking it easy on the bikers. Gone are the days (at least from what we've seen) of six of 'em strolling down the sidewalk in tandem, holstered sidearms ready in an instant in case some Disney-going family decides to make a break for it. Bikers have responded in kind, &this is one of the most easy-going rallys we've seen..almost no downtown burnouts. Or, maybe.. it's that set of 27 in-town security cameras...
This is Great!
So we're ensconsed inside the minimum-security, not plush in any sense of the word ABM compound at the Buffalo Chip campground on Wednesday night-Thursday morning & it's still raining buckets, bolts of lightning off & on.. and it seems like with each crack of thunder, a half dozen or more bikers jump on their rides & roll on the throttle...NO, roll on the throttle until they hit the rev limiter, thunder, rain, sleet, lightning and all. Twisted, yes. Uncool? Absolutely Not!
Then, Thursday night, Friday morning, the next group, this time alternative-rockers, takes over after 3 Doors Down--A giant all-night party out in back of the stage & pond, & I mean A-L-L nite..So much whoopin', hollerin' & nasty going's on they could be heard all over the campground. Getting up for my morning shower, they were still partyin' at 7am. Hardcore, yes...Uncool? No! Ahh.. endearment..still stuff yer momma would slap ya down fer... but she's not here.. haha!
100 Thou Trash Pile:
Here's how it got figured--If a mixed drink is five, beers are four, and there's 25,000 squashed cans & cups on the ground, that equals 100$k of booze sales off the ZZTop show. Man, it looked like a landfill this morning, but the cleanup staff is on it, & it'll probably be gone before the 9am $1 beer stand opens.
Tres Hombres:
One 'mo time... ZZTop, fresh back from Europe, hopped off the plane in Rapid around 3pm, & headed to the Chip. They did a little over an hour, all their hits, & the crowd ate it up, like always. Yes, the girls were gettin' nekked, but it was more of a "pancake" night, as opposed to Kid Rock's all you can eat melon festival.. Does that make any sense? I have no idea what it means..
Free Pancake Breakfast:
Speaking of pancakes, we hear the "Sons of Light" ministry's every morning free flapjack breakfast inside the Chip is pretty good, & the talk is almost all about motorcyles.
The End is Near!
Yeah, it's pretty depressing when the rally ends. ABM is never ready to go home.. did that back in '05--never again. Monday morning when the campground emptys out, & all the traffic is way in front, I'll point the black bike toward Durango, Colorado. The big plan is to ride thru Wyoming, then into Colorado, thru Rifle, & down toward Durango, Cortez, & eventually, Monument Valley, Utah, & Northeast Arizona. These are our favorite places to ride. No cops, no cages, good roads, & what I truly believe to be the world's best scenery. This year we'll participate in the "Four Corners Rally" over Labor Day Weekend, a Durango-Cortez-Ignacio area event. Although it's not one of the biggest, the quality of this one is very high. If you're going, & you don't have deep pockets, stay at a national or state campground, or forest. Durango hotel, motel rooms are priced like they think it's West Palm Beach..it's not far from Telluride, & there's a lot of money in this area. The farther west you go from there, the cheaper it gets. The trout fishing in this area is beyond belief. I'll wager that a succulent trout dinner can be caught simply with the use of a hand-line, no fishin' pole, & then there's the riding with 60-70 degree days, winding, banked hardtop runnin' thru deep canyons, & so much forest, the smell of "Pine-sol" blows ya away. Something we leared last year-- Bears love toothpaste, so much so, if it's dark, don't pay any attention to your dentist... wait until morning to brush 'em, or risk being the recpient of a big 'ol BEAR HUG!
Ethanol Update:
South Dakota has just one grade of gas blended with ethanol, the middle grade. When buying regular, or high test, there is no Ethanol, unlike my retarded state of Florida, which forces stations to blend in 10% ethanol into all grades. How stupid is that?
I don't bother rejetting the carb on ABM's chopper for the trip out west. Watching the air mix & keeping the k&n air filter absolutely clean seems to work at all but the 11-12 thousand foot elevation mark, where all bikes, even injected ones run like crap. ABM maintains the position that even 10% Ethanol sucks. The proof is that for the first time ever, the chopper ran lots better out here (ethanol free) that it did back in Florida (where ALL gas has ethanol). Wouldn't it be nice if somebody bothered to ask us what we think about adding crap to our gas before making a decision? South Dakota has it right, Florida is in the ethanol tank, & why? There ain't a field of cow corn inside the entire state. Condos, orange trees, & boats, yes. Cornfields...nope.
The First Year Ever...
When gas prices actualy decreased after the rally began! Yeah, it's because the price of a bbl of oil has fallen sharply, but it's pretty weird compared to last year when they went up 25 cents the week of the rally. A nice change.
Look for American Biker Minute Updates--posted when we can get a signal.
ABM thanks to the Sturgis Library for the great signal & cool room to work in.
Check out their great selection of books on the old, wild west-worth your while.
Wyoming, next stop on the ABM '08 Road Trip.
American Biker Minute
on great American Radio Stations
& on your phone: (360)-282-5400
posted by americanbikerminute at 8:43 AM
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