Top 5 Reasons ABM Misses Camping at 9,000 Feet:

1). No People:

(After 10 Days in Sturgis, You Need A Break From Humanity!)

2). The Trout Fishing:

(Browns & 'Bows So Plentiful, You Could Live Off 'em, On Occasion, Big As Walleyed Pike.)

3). Starlit Nights:

(So Bright, You Can Almost Read A Map By 'em. Unlike In The Big City..)

4). No Television:

(Ten Pound Weight Loss--A Lack of Food Commercials Probably Accounted for the First Five..)

5). Hummingbirds:

(By the Hundreds, Hovering So Close, They're Touchable!)

We're seeing more people than ever arrive with not much more than a tent. Most national campgrounds will rent you a space with firepit, picnic table, & a bathroom for $15/per night.
Huge RV's are still everywhere, but the little rigs are catching up fast. With minimal bucks, you can enjoy a maximum vacation, if you're willing to do it yourself, instead of being catered to. The rewards are huge savings, a feeling of accomplishment, and a mind buzz you only get from getting away from.."it all". Add a motorcycle or two to the mix, and the experience becomes heaven on earth.

Top 5 Things Not Missed About Camping at 9,000 Feet:

1). Heating Water For a Donut Bucket Shower.
2). Heating Water For Washing Dishes.
3). Using An Unheated Latrine at 5am.
4). Rising to Urinate In A Milk Jug at Midnight.
5). Drinking Well Water No Matter The Color.

Had 'ta work to come up with just five annoying things. The great outdoors rocks!
Tomorrow: What ABM bigtime, misses.

August in Florida? Forget It!

Gotta Cut Back A Few Inches o' Whiskers..Man, It's Hot!

The neighbors think we're having a "cool spell". They're crazy. After spending the past 3 weeks riding in the Rockies, 38 degree nights, 73 degree days, 10-15% humidty, Florida is killing your faithful servant. Some cool spell. ABM remembers why we n-e-v-e-r return until well after the first of September. Blame this year's August return on the economy. We didn't get a bailout, so we bailed out of Colorado early. Big mistake. Where is that pair of sissors?

Billy Lane Gets 6 Years:

With no tv, no phone, and wifi you had to ride 45 miles to reach, the isolation of the San Juan mountain range provided little more than the gas station's tabloid's coverage of Sarah Palin's divorce. (Saw that comming on like a train in the night). It's been almost three years since famed bike builder Billy Lane crossed Florida double yellow lines, & was involved in a fatal dui. The judge gave him all the prosecutor asked for, 6 years, with good time, he could be out in less than half that time, but the worst, the absolute worst, was having to give up his driver's license for good. Can you imagine never again being able to legally ride your motorcycle?

Again..

Thinking about comming down from up north to visit Florida in August? ARE YOU NUTS??!!

4 Corners Area Provides Incredible Riding Opportunities For All Motorcyclists!

Az/Ut/Nm/Co:

ABM's seen more bikers tooling down roads in this remote American area than anywhere else since the Sturgis rally. For a fee, you can access the exact spot where all four state lines touch, and tell your bro's you were in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, & New Mexico at the same time, but that's not why bikers come to this area in droves, it's the incredible riding. From the four corners, you're less than an hour from Monument Valley, the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado, beautiful rolling hills of northwestern New Mexico, (which look a lot like the Black Hills of South Dakota), and one of the most overlooked destinations around...eastern Utah. Desert, mountains, lakes, rivers, twisties, or straight road for as far as the eye can see, all within a hundred miles or so, in different directioins from the four corners. Trail bikes, hogs, dual sports, rockets, chops, bobs, you name it. Occasionally, the bikes seem to equal or even outnumber the cages on the roads around here. Adding to the mix, two big Labor Day biker rallys, Mancos, and Ignacio. There ain't much cell phone coverage, and wifi is hit 'n' miss, but brother, if you just want to get away from it all, it's either here, or Montana!

Cash 4 Clunks on Life Support?

Is a 2010 model the better deal?

C4C, despite rumors to the contrary, may really be comming to an end today, sending last minute buyers into a legalese singing frenzy, but is c4c the best deal? Consider that 2010 model vechicles may get better gas mileage than this year's. An '09 model's lost 12 months of value compared to a 2010 model 'cause it's been sitting around for 6 months to a year, plus, you may be able to order the exact vehicle you really wish to drive, with only the options you want, plus the exact trim & color, instead of simply taking what the dealer shoves at you, (including demos?). Expect a 6-8 week wait, but in return, you get what you want, not what they want 'ta dump. During this, a c4c buying frenzy, with few if any models actually left on the lot, how great a deal will you get? Will it pay to be patient? ABM thinks so.

Santa Fe, NM, Bad Driver Capital of the World?

Only One MC Seen:

Cages disrespect by cutting off w/out even the simple courtesy of a turn signal. One load of idiots in a "tuner" jellybean blasted off an innerstate on ramp, squeezing the tightly packed rush hour traffic, no option to stop, or even slide to the left, giving everyone the finger when these neandrathals finally had to slow to avoid being fender bended. NOT a biker-friendly town, NOT recco'd by us for a leisurly biker vacation. Bad driver hon mentions; Houston, Atlanta, Denver.

Cash 4 Clunker Suckers?

Hoardes of frantic, jellybean cage buyers rushed into car dealerships, nationwide, to get that "last minute" steal of a deal. Little did they know their bargaining power would be greater today, as the fed extended the c4c deadline just hours ago. Did you get screwed? You may still have a couple of days left before your agreement is binding. Check your local listings.

Harleys Rule..

The better half's softail standard runs good. It ain't fast, it ain't slow, but it runs. Anywhere, anytime. Chopper has twice the hp/torque, with the maintenance schedule of a Ferrari. When we roll into a faraway town, Chop gets all the looks, while old "Black Betty" the FXSTI/Harley goes unphotographed. Still, the old HD girl always runs good, sea level to 10,800 feet. An old timer once told me that appreciation of Harleys for what they are, and what they aren't, is the very first sign of a biker mellowing out. ABM will not go quietly. We still like the hp buzz, but dude, sometimes it seems like that damm Hog will run problem free forever.

Broke Bikers Ask... "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?"

Economy Trumps Moderating Gas Price?

Our campground thinned to just three campers, and two of those are leaving this morning. If no one new arrives, we'll be the only ones left, imagine 50 acres all to yourself. Why? The water is the lowest we've ever seen in the three years we've roamed this mountain range. The fish are there, but you have to be "stealthy" to catch 'em. Hooked up a nice native german brown, a little over 16 inches this morning. The browns, a native species, unlike the rainbows, which are stocked, are highly prized by the locals, and you can see why..they're big as walleye. Even with $4 gas last year, the campground had 6 to 10 sites filled. This year, it's like the economy is keeping a lot of adventure seekers away. Example: Retired GM dude shoots on the pro pool circuit, was supposed to go to Reno to shoot in a tourney this weekend. Last year, 500 entries. This year, cancelled due to "lack of interest"... only 40 entries. The only two towns we've seen packed? Durango (too much growth too fast), and Telluride, where Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt, & Buddy Guy play for their fall music festival, Sept 18. Some of the smaller 'burgs are deserted, & the locals are hoping the two big biker gatherings (Ignacio, & Sugarpine Ranch) will bring in much needed cash.

Them points will be the death of me..

Faithful ABM listeners will remember what a fiasco we had when our Daytona Twin Tec module went out on the chopper with 3 days before we left for Sturgis. Scary Larry dropped a set of points in, and off we went. Problem with points is, they need adjustment in order for the bike to run well. We've been there, done that now. Got her running pretty good this morning. NOTHING, and we mean nothing is worse than when your bike begins to act up.

Broke Bikers Still on the Road:

We must like it out here, never paid off all the bills from last year's trip. The 'bows & browns are keeping the grocery bill down. We eat trout each day for supper, sometimes lunch, and on occasion, for breakfast. Rediscovered how good fish fryed in Olive oil taste. Canola oil leaves them a little oily tasting. Olive oil will lower your cholesteral count, fries better, just keep the temp a little lower than you would normally. Even omlettes are better. So....still here. Costs us $19 a day to camp, a little extra for bread, beer, gas, eggs, etc, the trout take care of the rest. Costs and time involved in simply getting out here teaches you to stay as long as possible. It's quite a way back to the Atlantic Ocean.

Headed down to Cortez. Bro owns a trading post, told us to drop in for a good deal. Better half has her heart set on a Navajo bracelet. Want me a tall, cold glass of "Avalanche" dark brew. (it has all the essential minerals and vitimans, you know............)

Hummingbird Heaven--They Sit On Your Finger?

San Juan Mountain Range, s/w Colorado:

Each morning, our little friends drop by the tent and see what's cooking for breakfast. The sound of a little electric fan at turbo speed signals their arrival, as they suspend themselves in mid-air right in your face. They must like omlettes and/or trout?

Will they perch on your index finger?

Yes! If you have a feeder (which consists of sugar water in a little tray, you hang it from a branch or whatever), and they're used to you, put out your finger, hold still, and one will perch, just like a parakeet!

San Diego Wx Without All the Humanity:

The weather has been just about perfect, altho a little chilly during the morning. Days in the desert running 95, 75 in the mountains. With 10-15% humidity, this place is a lot like So-Cal in the summer. Winding down after a long ride yesterday afternoon, was like heaven. Had a few beers, caught a couple 'bows & a highly prized german brown trout, washed up, & spent a couple hours around a nice birch wood fire. It don't get any better 'an that. Headed down into the big city of Durango today, the ABM wallet is just about empty...now where is that ATM machine?

$600 Boots, $200 Pedicure, $900 Coat, and Oxygen Bar?

Bikers Not Welcome Here Since Malcom Forbes Bit the Big One:

Half snap pic's while we ride down main street, the rest look disgusted, like we have no right to this town of super well-t0-do. Little shops dot the main drag, selling all things ultra-expensive. One of my bros bought a $350 pr of ostrich cowboy boots in LA, back when times were better. At the time, thought boots couldn't get any more expensive, but we wuz wrong. A lady's set in the store, just regular leather w/a design.. $600. Nice leather jacket, nine big bills. No name restuarants setting up for dinner, with designer tablecloths, beautiful crystal glasses, & silverware..although ABM is sure the food is delicious, too expensive for a couple of broke Florida bikers who prefer brown & rainbow trout right out of the water, and into some hot olive oil. If we ate there, they'd probably count the place setting pieces before we left! Ha! Oxygen bar? At 10,000 feet, you could use some "O" (or is it O2?). You can simply take a deep breath, eat lots of iron, like rasins, & save your money. Some of the little nightly "cellar" bars look as if they might have wild nightlife, as a mini-me version of Paris, Rome, or NYC. We spent 20 bucks on a tee shirt, $3 on a slice of pizza, and split.

2 Mile Club:

Lizzard Head Pass, Mt Wilson Pass, welcome bikers to see what it's like to ride at 10,600 feet. The better half is sooo...proud... Almost 2 miles high, nearly almost always sunny, cold and windy. Snow filled tops becon the rider to stop & take pic's of the jagged peaks, some of which have taken on the look of "Hall of the Mountain King" spires. Just before Telluride is "Trout Lake", one of the most beautiful glacial hole lakes ABM has ever seen. The water is so clear, you can see the dropoff from shore. Fishing is allowed, but there are no overnight campsites. Bring a small rowboat, or fish from shore like the couple we met. They caught a nice stringer of trout from their lawnchairs. Scene from the road reminded ABM of a small-scale Lake Tahoe.

2 Miles up, rough on bikes, bikers:

Stopped in Rico, little mining town, halfway to Telluride, dropped in to the "Enterprise" bar, an old saloon with two giant pizza ovens. Their food is good, the beer is cold, the outside deck out back is a nice spot to warm up in the morning sun. Only one gas station, & all they sell is 86 octane. Trail bikers, road warriors everywhere. Met a frozen blond lady biker, on her 883 Harley sportster. Caught up to her on the way up to Telluride, doin' 30, nothin' on her head, she wuz freezin' to death. We had on leathers, with 4 shirts, still froze. August isn't the warmest month of the year up here, it's July. Local gardens got hit again this morning as temps dropped into the mid to upper thirties. The squash, beans, corn, etc grow like weeds. Just warm enough to put on the fruit, just cold enough so the bugs never quite get goin'. The taste is beyond belief.

What will bicyclists think of next?

Dude, imagine this: One skateboard strapped to each foot. One snow-ski pole in each hand. Now picture trying to push yourself up a mountain road with this weird contraption. Machocists? Yes. Most bicyclists are cool, smiling at us as we cut around them & cool the pipes to show respect, but some...cup their left ear, give us a disgusting look, & we give them the finger, that's more than they deserve.

Chopper Maintenance Time:

Rough running early this morning. She was fine yesterday. Had a bad gas hose in Sturgis, so figured it was a pinhole leak in one of the others. Replaced 'em, she still rough, like a plug had gone bad, but that was the first thing I did. She was acting like the accellerator pump was goin' bad, my day was being destroyed. Decided to take the derby cover off, & run a nail file board across the points (remember, the chopper is plugs 'n' points driven), and that did the trick. She fired up and ran fine. The one big disadvantage of running points vs an electronic ignition is, if there is even the smallest hunk of crap flying around inside the cover, & it gets in between your points, proper gap is negated, and you have a v-twin that sounds like one plug is bad. ABM needs another curve ball like a hole in the head, but we got this one fixed. Wanna run a carb'ed bike? Better know your way around a tool bag. In all honesty, I just got lucky, but sometimes a little luck is just enough to get 'ya on down the road.

NHTSA Pushing for National Helmet Law: New Gas Tax Too?

National Nightmare?

Sequestered at 9,000 feet on a long, rainy night with no tv, radio, telephone, etc, thought about the fed's push (which began under the Bush admin), thru the NTSHA, for a helmet law which would void an individual's right to choose w/to wear a skid lid or ride free. State's rights? Forget about it.

They'll come in the back door...

ABM will bet our bottom dollar they'll attach a rider onto highway funds designated for each state, saying if they don't impose a helmet law, their highway funds will never leave DC.

Why should you be concerned?

You (1) don't ride or (2) already wear a brain bucket..
Because after they get their way, the fed will come right back at us with a dollar or two a gallon additional gasoline tax. Think of it.. they've squandered billions of dollars buying back perfectly good automobiles with that stupid cash for clunkers deal. With millions of new cars on the road, they're in the driver's seat to screw the rest of us who either don't need another monthly payment, or feel their auto is fine as is.

Mark my words: (1) National Helmet Law (2) Big Gasoline Tax Increase
The only way it won't happen is if we complain loudly, and e-a-r-l-y.
(that is, unless you believe...we actually need another tax...?)

Riding out to Durango today, man it's windy, but sunny.

Desert tomorrow?

(not peach cobbler... the desert as in John Wayne!)

Telluride Defies Real Estate Crash?

Asking 2 mil like it's nothing..

You wouldn't believe the asking price for a 699,000 mountain lodge, except that it's in Telluride, Colorado, home to super-rich suckers from all over the world & so surrounded by 12-14 thousand foot peaks, they might-could survive ww3. Does that make a 700 thou home worth 1.9 mil?

Bicycle traffic explodes, locals not happy..

Everywhere you look, there are bicyclists (not bikers, bikers ride motorcycles). Aside from the usual spandex garb, they pull little trailers with pup tents, pets, and kids. A new Colorado law allows drivers to cross even a double solid line in order to avoid some, who travel side by side, impeding the orderly flow of cages (cars), and this is what has the local population pretty upset. At least they're not complaining about those awful..."Bikers"!

Lots of Motorcycles, Too:

We're everywhere. Mountain bikes, all terrain, hondas, harleys, zuki's, kawais, you name it. Lots of motorcycle traffic. Either the gas here sucks, or the 8,000 feet of elevation is killing the chopper. Prob a little of both. The harley strains a little, but overall, runs well. Air is so thin, you will wake up panting for breath at night. Ditto just walking across the campground for a bucket of water, or even bending over to tie your shoe. On the other hand, you can put on a pretty decent buzz on just one beer!

Trout vs Beer?

Day before yesterday, I didn't catch a single fish. Had maybe 3 bites all day. How could this be? I didn't drink any beer that day. Yesterday, to prove beer had nothing to do with being "snakebitten", once again attempted to catch Rainbow trout while sober. Caught a stringer full of really fat 'bows, so there you have it, fans of imbibing.. Trout actually may be caught in rapid sucession, if you are sober (although it may be more fun the other way).

ABM Gifts Flag Couple:

We wuz' just in a giving mood, I guess. Older retired couple heading home, got a nice 10-count bag of dressed out, rocky mtn rainbow trout. The lady nearly dropped the tablecloth she was packing up. Moral: Be nice to nice people...There ain't too many of 'em left.

Hail, Broken Bones, Bronchitis Mark End To Sturgis '09

The Mother of All Hailstorms?
They don't call it the "Wild West" 4nothing..

Sturgis, Friday, 5:30pm.

Cops say they ran the sirens, trying to warn bikers, but it was already too late. Inside the Buffalo Chip campground alone, thousands of cars, motorcycles, & rv's were decimated by hail which began as ice-cube sized, & ran on up into the major leagues of baseball proportion. Nearly every vehicle in and around rt 34 on the hill outside of town, was damaged, some so badly they had to be towed. Inside the Chip, one of those bb-sized ice orbs smashed thru a tent, hitting a biker in the head, leaving him unconcious. (that'd be the meat wagon we heard screaming up the access road just after the storm passed.)

Band Woes...

Steven Tyler broke his shoulder. 24 hours later, Buckcherry's Josh Todd, suffering from a bout of bronchitis, bowed out, but not until belting out "Crazy B--ch" for the appreciative crowd.

ABM listeners were warned about the "devils triangle" of weird wx which seems to come out of nowhere in this area, through ABM's of Monday & Tuesday, before bike week. Those who heard the shows may have suffered less damage than non-listners. A NOAA wx radio goes a long way when there's a seemingly innocent shower on the horizon. Some bikers actually rode thru bb sized hail in the campground. How they were not knocked out, we'll never know. Dumb luck?

Mtn Shocker! Woman Feeds Bears, They Return Favor By Eating Her!!

Ouray, Colorado:

Rode the bike thru this little town, near Telluride, wild San Juan Mtn range. The road runs up to 10,500 ft, surrounded by 12-14 thou cliffs. Despite repeated warnings from fish & game, cops, neighbors, 74 yr old woman continued to feed skunks, 'coons, elk, deer, &....bears. Her corpse, with various missing body parts was found outside her home in Oray, ("Oar-Ray"), just north of Silverton, Co.

Speculation is that she may have already been dead when the bears decided that if she didn't have any food to offer, they'd simply munch on her remains.

ABM's foray down the "Million Dollar Highway" took us thru Ouray, a quaint little town nesteled in a vee-shaped valley. There are several motels, businesses, and bubbling hot springs, drawing people from all over the world, so it's not like this place is totally isolated. Seeing 150-200 lb elk, deer, & even an occasional bear or two roadside, even within the town limit is not uncommon.

Southwest Colorado is said to have an epidemic, when it comes to locals feeding the wildlife. Neighbors who knew the 74 year old lady, say she would not be opposed to having her friends, the bears, feed on her after she was already dead.. ugh.

Where are the hot roasted Chile Peppers?

Not the musical kind...Food!

Last year, vendors were roasting 40 lb boxes of fresh chilie peppers. Into a 50 gallon barrel with holes in it, turned 'round & 'round, while a gas heater fires 'em up from underneath. When the skin crinkles, they're done, & people take 'em home & do whatever they do with 'em. Some haul as many as 5 or 6 boxes, at 40 lbs a box. Whole families patiently standing in line for their share. ABM was able to score a burlap bag of pinto beans last year. They made the best chilie con carne you ever tasted. No sight of the roasting bbl's this year. Probably too early.

Stinkin' up the grease!

Fresh fried Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout for dinner last night, right under the spruce trees. Caught a dozen more this morning, including a German Brown Trout, almost as long as my arm.. as luck would have it, he got away from me no more than 2 feet from shore.. In the old days, woulda cussed & threw the pole away. Realize now that if they got enough sense to get off the line, they deserve a second chance. Better half scored one right after mine, about 16 inches, so everything worked out fine. After catching 50 rainbows in 2 days, it ain't like we need anymore fresh fish, ya know?

Rode down into Cortez, Co yesterday for some supplies. Just down the road, thousand year old Indian Cliff Dwellings.. Cool place. Figuring on riding into the desert maybe later in the week.. Monument Valley?

24 Hours, 24 Trout:

El: 8800ft. Rainbows, Browns, Brookies.
City boy holds his own?

Mountain stream, clear, fast-running water over rocks, around boulders. Surrounded by Blue Spruce. Sea level this is not. Small chores can leave you panting for breath, so ABM tries to keep it simple by fishing and/or drinking beer during the lazy afternoons. Caught a nice mess yesterday, & again this morning. Nothing fancy, just a can of Walmart worms, some line & a hook. Walleye spoon hanging from a tree, that's the competition. What ya gonna catch on a 4 inch spoon when the water's only a foot deep, grouper?

Fishin'/Ridin'/Thinkin'..

Aerosmith's Buffalo Chip show was cut short, but ABM got it's $80 worth. We honestly thinkTyler is better than Jagger. Get well, brother, see ya next August!

Wicked Ice Storm Hits Unsuspecting Sturgis Bikers!

BASEBALL Size HAIL!

Local radio/tv outlets were slow to warn bikers of the impending doom. It looked like a shower was approaching the Full Throttle/Monkey Rock/Glencoe/Buffalo Chip campgrounds, but what we got, was a half hour barrage of falling ice. ABM didn't see any hail smaller than the size of an ice cube. At least 50% of these chunks of falling death were golf ball to baseball sized, and the stuff wasn't falling straight down, it was comming in horizontally.

Milions of dollars in Bike/Cage/Rv damage:

The front, as has been the norm during the past 12 days, blew in from Wyoming, showering downtown Sturgis with hail from small up to golf ball sized. As the storm raced up the hill toward the campgrounds on rt 34, the hail grew in size until baseball chunks weren't uncommon.

Carnage:

Bikes with dented gas tanks, busted windshelds, pok-marked fenders, chipped paint, but it was cages & rv's that really got slammed. Every camper, and every vehicle in the campground was damaged in some way. Most need windshields replaced. Windows shot outof campers like someone took 'em out with buckshot. The storm was nearly a half hour long, leaving the ground coated in ice, like the scene from a northern town. Hours later, returning bikers were shocked to find their new vehicles were now elegible for the "cash for clunkers" program. How do you repair a hood, roof, doors, front & rear quarter panels? Some were so heavily damaged, it'd take a body shop two years to ball peen out the dents.

We told ya so..

ABM's first two Sturgis week programs dealt with expecting the unexpected here in the Black Hills. We warned you to be armed with a noaa weather radio. Some of you took out advice. You'd be the ones without gas tank dents. ABM's been comming to this rally for years and years, but this was the first time we really got slammed. Earlier, we'd just returned from a nice ride up to Lead & Deadwood, with clear sky all the way up & back. If we'd stayed for some prime rib & a beer or two, there's no telling what could have happened to us.

Get me the h--l outaa here!

Sturgis # 69 will go down in history for some of the weirdest reasons...

Weather: Millions in damage
Attendance: At least as many bikers as last year, vendors did gangbusters.
Party Animals: In force. There isn't a forum open enough to explain some of the goings-on.
The Weather: More rain than all the previous years combined, yet, plenty of sun, too.
The Shows: Steven Tyler breaks his shoulder after falling off the runway.
Tenters: Unprecedented tent to rv ratio. Trampin' is back in style. (just make sure you pitch your canvas near a building!

What Now?

San Juan Mountains, baby. After all of this partying, ABM is ready for the solitude of our favorite trout stream, where they're so thick you can walk over 'em, & catch 'en on nothing more than a hand line & a bare hook. Gonna take a couple days to get there. We'll let ya know how they taste this year!

PS:

One more thought regarding the rally: Even with all of the damage, the rain, the ice, & being up all night with the party people, come next August, ABM will return. (We're gluttons for punishment!)

Apre` Party? Debauched at 3am!

2009 Way Wilder Than '08!

"Family Oriented Activities" scarce inside wild campground:

Friday Morning, 5am...Only the first shred of dawn interrupts semi-naked, and totally nekked girls from the silver pole mounted on a huge 5th wheel's back gate. Scores of bikers surround rv's outfitted to bring a strip bar experience to the campground, if only for a week or two.

Here's how it goes... As the shows end down in the pit, bikers head back up the road to their tents, trucks, & rv's, as the purveyors of these custom made setups hawk for the more liquored-up ladies to step to the pole, & show what they brung, for all to see. Some won't remove their tops, others go nekked all the way. E-Z to tell where the action is.. simply listen for the sound of a dozen bikes wound out 'till they hit the rev limiter, then wound out again & again. When one location wears out, the next cranks up, and so it goes, just about every night, until dawn breaks over Bear Butte, & ABM has video to prove it! We saw nowhere near the action in '08. Will 2009 go down as a party-animal breakout year? Where we stayed, the answer is, yes.

Eight Milliion Dollar Hard Rock Headache!

ticketsxprice=(100,000)($80)=$8,000,000.00!


Hundred thousand tickets sold @ $80.00. You do the math. We could be wrong. Many brain cells shot this week. Newscenter1, a local tv outfit, quizzed bikers & the campground owner as to possible refund action. Don't bother lawyering up. (1) Ticket info clearly states the fee is for "camping", and the shows are an "comp'd". In other words, you paid eighty bucks to camp, and they threw in the show for free. (2) The campground owner is a lawyer.

ABM's opinion. Your results may vary.



How did all of this happen?

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Trips on Light Bar; Ambulanced.

ABM was no more than 40 feet away from us when we saw the rock star fall backward, and to the right, about 6 feet down, hitting a heavy metal crowd barrier before reaching hard ground. Some blood ran from what looked to be a head wound. ABM has obtained eyewitness audio from those within reaching distance from the accident, & they tell a similar story. & will be the focus of a future American Biker Minute.

Rock 'n Roll Shocker--Steven Tyler Ambulanced!

Yes, the rumors are true:

Midway through a blistering set of the finest music ever made, Aerosmith experienced a problem with either the sound system, and/or it's source of power, rendering the boys from beantown helpless in front of a crowd of about 60,000 rabid fans at the Buffalo Chip campground in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Joe Perry was the first to notice something was wrong. Tyler kept singing, but to no avail. After a few minutes of confusion, Tyler seemed to want to do a song and dance out on the extended runway, and out into the packed arena. A 360 degree spin at the end of the podium, then another, back at about ten feet, and off he went, into his screaming fans.

ABM initially figured Mr. Tyler was doing some simple rock crowd surfing, ala Iggy Pop. When he didn't immediately surface, we knew there was trouble. 20 long minutes later, Joe Perry, the lead guitarist appeared to say sorry, & that Steven Tyler was on the way to the hospital.

Up until then, this was a show to remember forever. Now it's one for the record books, but for the wrong reason. Before leaving, Mr. Perry promised the crowd this wouldn't be the last time they'd see...Aerosmith.

Tonight: Tesla, Hinder.
Tomorrow: Buckcherry!

Rain Clears just in time for Cheech 'n' Chong, Billy Squier:

Bikers caught in late day downpour:

NOAA wx radio reported some trees, power lines down in the northern Black Hills, but Sturgis escaped the brunt of the storm, which began as an innocent little sprinkle. The rain stopped in time for the "up in smoke" dudes, who had the large biker crowd lol. They did stuff from their past movies, & albums, including the "tutu" dance, some fine standup, & closed it out with "Up in Smoke". Billy Squier's show was good, had the crowd rockin', Squier was generous with the time spent entertaining the crowd, & showed some pretty impressive strokin'.

Cops say crime down, we say..."not so fast".

Bet the number of reported crimes is probably 10-20% of what's really stolen. ABM had the tour bag rifled day before yesterday. On main, we spotted five bikes, all chained together. Two vets, sitting atop their hogs on a midday shaded street corner, pointed out a crusty old dude, crossing an the street, & lifting what looked to be either a cell phone or a camera someone had left atop the divider. Hard to get something past a vet. Rule #1: Watch yer stuff, and if you can't take it with you, don't go anywhere. Petit theft seems to be this year's trend. People don't report little crimes, 'cause they'll never see their stuff again. Why bother?

Every day, it's something else...

Three days ago, it was flat rear tire, thanks to a 3 inch nail. Day before that, her ignition keys got lost, new ignition switch. Yesterday, it was the big bike losing gas through a ruptured hoseline. Least it happened inside the campground, and for that, ABM is thankful.

Aerosmith Tonight..

In what may be the biggest show ever to land in South Dakota, Mr. Tyler & the boys of Aerosmith hit the Chip's stage at 10:30pm. Expect a very large crowd. If you're riding out to Wyoming for "no panties Wednesday" in Hulett, or the burnout festival in Sundance, don't wait until the last minute to make it back to see this band. We understand the traffic problem could be enormous.

Tyler's ride in...

By the time someone passed on info that Steven Tyler would ride into the campground, it was too late to catch the action, but we ran into a lady who was lucky enough to capture several photos of her clutching the lipped lead singer. He looks ready for what needs to be done tonight.

The Liver is Evil...It Must be Punished:

Up All Night (& half the morning)..

E-Z 2du when you sleep 'til 5pm, then drink 'til 5am. The cycle begins anew evry 12 hours. No time to ride, so the bikes gather South Dakota dust & dirt. Don't get me wrong, it's your life, you do with it what you want, we're myob bikers. Available American livers? 5,000 per year. People who'll die before they get one? Probably 3-4 times that number. That having been said, ABM had a few too, probably more than the Doctari would allow, but 12-18 straight hours? Even at 2-3 cans an hour, that's over a case & that, as they say, is stamina.
As a tee shirt seen at Toby Keith's show said... "The liver is evil, it must be punished".

TK Rocks the House:

Mr. Keith looked as though he had been riding his butt off.. his face resembled many of us who've been blasting around the hills all week. Windburned, suntanned. The look of the open road. The Chip was packed in like a can of sardines from the stage right back to the access road. The hillside was covered with couples who brought lounge or lawn chairs, opting to enjoy the sound, & pass on being close enough to see if the drummer had shaved. BFC. Big crowd, close to Kid Rock sized. Overflow parking lots were filled. With an occasional toast from his drink canister, he'd ask if there were "any rednecks in the crowd.." (like that was necessary?)
The band was generous with time spent on stage, we guess close to an hour and a half.

Tonight: Cheech 'n' Chong, Billy Squier. That ran off quite a few country fans, who could be seen leaving the campground early this morning.

Rally gaining ground: Lots of new arrivals over the past 24-36 hours. Campground filling up, & we still cannot believe the number of tenters this year. We're constantly interviewing Sturgis Virgins. For a hundred thousand bikers or more, this is their inaugural experience.

Wyoming Warning:

Illegal to ride side by side in Wyoming. We've met more than a few bikers who had the unpleasant experience of being ticketed in bronco country by very unfriendly state cops. We did an ABM on Virginia, the state where it'll cost ya $1250 per rider to go peg to peg.. that's 2500 clams for the both of ya, if memory serves right. Don't ride side by side in Wyoming, or really, anywhere for that matter, especially if it's someone you don't know. Even trusted bikers can screw up & take the both of ya down, especially here in Sturgis. If you see someone riding "tippy toes", avoid 'em like the plague that they are. Tiptoe riders are gonna tip over, it's just a matter of time.

Sleazy, cheap rumor heard from security staff:

Was that Woody's son who was partying hard at 3am, up on the Chip stage with some wild honeys, & shouldn't he be getting some rest? Who's running the ship?

Steven Tyler Rides Today

Aerosmith's man rides MC in 2nd Legends today. Deadwood start. Benefits Children's Home of the Black Hills.
Tyler is here.

Full Moon, Empty Wallet!

Ride Free.. Not so fast!

ABM's little pile of Sturgis emergency cash took yet another hit yesterday & this morning. Better half's ignition key went missing. After a frantic hour of key-search, figured on to tearing out the tank mount & swaping the old key unit for a new one. Harley offered one for $104.99, not including the ride from Sturgis to Rapid City. As luck would have it, the JP Cycles store here in town sold me an aftermarket unit for $34.99! This morning, same bike, rear tire, Metzler 210, was losing 12-14 lbs of air overnight. Not one to patch punctured rubber, or shoot that goop stuff, unless it's an emergency, so paid a visit to the Metzler tent on Lazelle St & ponyed up $340 for the tire & labor. That same tire cost me $225 in Florida, when it was mounted, 6 weeks ago. Shoulda finished her off in the burnout pit last night. Lost a brand new tire to a 3 inch nail. They gave me a nice tee, thanks to kind office ladies, & they will get ya in & out fast.

Come Wednesday, it'll be a MADHOUSE!

Crazy all night!

ABM is camped out across the street from a 50' rv with a load ramp mounted stripper pole, complete with pole-mounted sound system, & disco lites! As ladies return from the shows, microphone dude pursuades them to grab a handful of pole. We wuz up all night. Like trying to grind out some zzzz's in the corner of a strip joint. Musta been 100 beer cans on the ground this morning.

If you don't like it, you have to move, not them. Rules is rules.

Madhouse?

Yes. Seems like everyone in town has tickets for Aermosmith. It's the gotta-be-there show of the rally. Better half...sez..

"Come Wednesday, this place will be a madhouse". No doubt.


Tent City:

ABM thinks we may have finally hit bottom in the declining numbers of bikers attending the rally. At my campground, each day we're seeing more and more tenters, fewer rv'ers. The whole hillside surrounding the bath/shower area is wall to wall tent city, no electric provided, just ground. In the hookup area, there are rv spaces still available that were wall to wall in years past.

Toby's Loaded!

Toby Keith's tour busses (5 of 'em!), were lined up just insided the north Chip gate early this morning. Prob close to a couple million bucks between them. This dude has so much dough, he could refund "Cash for Clunkers"! Amazing how much cash country music stars amass.



Homeless Shelter?

Dollar beer, buck hotdogs under the Buffalo Chip awning, stage left, in the pit. An eclectic mix of young and old, male & female bikers who all have one or two common atributes.. they're cheap, broke, or both, daily, 9am to 5pm. Better half sez today is the first of two free pork loin sandwich days at the Chip, courtesy of the SD Pork council. Delicious w/jack daniels bbq sauce. Did we mention, they're f-r-e-e->?

Chef Jeff:

Dinner last nite was boneless, skinless chicken thighs from the Dakota Mart, $1.79 lb, rolled in egg, flour, paprika, pepper, salt, then deep fried, southern style. Dixie name: "Chicken Fried Chicken Steak" (chicken fried steak is beef).

Campgrounds Filling, Fake 100's Circulate as Sturgis '09 Begins...

Finally, it's hot. Someone said maybe near 100 today. After a few days of 60's no complaints here. Anything but cold & rain. Drink plenty of H2O, slap on the sunscreen every 2 hours.

ABM free food patrol: Today, Belle Forouche, 10am-2pm, Lead, 10am-2pm, SD Pork Council giving away free pork loin sandwiches, doused in Jack Daniels bbq sauce. All you can eat, no charge. Rumor is they'll be inside the Buffalo Chip soon. Stay tuned for free food details..

Hit it good up in Deadwood, Tin Liz's, was paying out. One bluehair hit the dollar slots so hard took the machine several minutes to cough up her cash. We did good too, about 1400% over our initial investment. Ran out the door w/our winnings. Only the 2nd time ABM has exited a casino with more money than what we brought. Only other time was just across from Death Valley, in Beatty, Nevada. Speaking of money...

Hundred dollar bills are being given a closer look, a half dozen have surfaced during the week gone by. Area merchants tell ABM the bills are a good fake, & that the hologram of ol' Ben Franklin should be held up to a bright light for authentification. Several days ago, a Black Hills motel was held up at gunpoint. Cops still searching for the robbers.

Chuck Berry a no-show at the Buffalo Chip last evening. Sly Stone tribute band filled in, featuring "Cynthia & Jerry", rock n roll hall of famers, and original members, same ones who were at Woodstock. Overheard by Cindy during a mike check.. something about being paid "cash money". Woody's good for the dough...At the Broken Spoke, the bands are free, IF you're camping there. K Headhunters, Foghat, 38 Special, etc. Molly, Jackyl, Korn, over at the Full Throttle. Thought a sign said "free", but the better half is telling me there's a cover chg. You'll need tickets for Korn, fer shure. There's a huge bridge along the western edge of the throttle, which we saw on a two lane northeast of town last August, on a huge trailer. Looked like they were trying to figure out how to get it over to the bar.

Attendance is nothing like the go-go years of the past, area campgrounds are beginning to fill up. First thing you notice is how many fancy RV's are showing up, the 250$k kind. Some of these people have so much money, they hire a professional driver to drive the bus, & their bikes out here, while they take a plane. At the opposite end of the food chain, you have the dudes who barely make it out here, sleeping in a tent. Seeing lots of them. Everywhere you look, little homes & farms are renting out camping space. Saw one biker sleeping on a mattress inside somebody's garage, putting a financial drain on some of the bigger venues. Still, when people say "oh, it's only 350 to 400 thousand", hey, that's stil a lot of bikers. I'll bet NASCAR wishes they could get that many race fans into Daytona during speed weeks!

Classic Rock, 113 Octane, & Free Food!

Classic Rock All Stars, Mark Farner put on a great show:

Dude, you could close your eyes & be transported back in time to the days when CKLW ruled the airwaves. This band, comprised of musicians with more hits than a gansta's rap sheet, rockd the Buffalo Chip into the early morning hour, including a special guest set by former Grand Funk RR's Mark Farner, who proved he still has what it takes to get the job done. Jerry Corbetta, did a couple of Sugarloaf's greatest hits, with the help of Blues Image's former lead guitarist. For ABM, the absolute height of the eveningwas watching, and listening to Peter Rivera, former lead singer, and founder of Rare Earth do the songs that you would run over to turn up the radio, & get totally annoyed when you just caught the end of it..none of that last night.. Mr Rivera's voice, is as strong, and crystal clear as it was in the seventies, & when he sang lead on "American Band", it was a spcial moment.

113 Octane Gas?

Yes, at the "Rev Limit", little yello gas station in Sturgis. Tell 'em you're going to the drag track.

Free Food?

Yes. 10a-2p at Lynn's Dakota Mart, Sturgis, today. Tomorrow, Bell Forouche.