Ride to Strugis 2020

[Sun Chaser]

The plan seemed simple enough: After the cancellation of the BMW MOA Rally in Montana in June where my publisher had planned a Book Launch for a new adventure motorcycle book, go virtual August 11 ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q26uG51xErg ) with a live feed from Main Street at the largest motorcycle confab in the USA, the 80th gathering known as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.


That plan failed like the proverbial "best laid plans of mice and men..." Main Street in Sturgis was mayhem with the usual loud pipes saving lives and carnival-like atmosphere, but added to the danger this year was CV-19.



I had first attended the Sturgis Rally in 1966, when it was free camping for 50+ of us in City Park. In later years I returned to race my 1936 Indian Sport Scout on the flat track, and once I showed up on my 1960 BMW R69S. In City Park my 305 cc Honda was poked fun at by the small gathering, being called a motorcycle "made from cans." With the Indian racer I received accolades for it's age and the BMW was accepted for being "cool."



This year my HU stickered Kawasaki KLR 650 and my ATGATT self was either an eyesore or oddity, as was I wearing a full face helmet, textile riding gear, and one of a few wearing a face mask. Several "bikers" asked if they could take my photo during the 10 minute adventure on Main Street.


More on my assignment to "capture the essence of Sturgis 2020" can be found here:
https://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...w-covid.11204/



We scrubbed the live video feed and like a fox on the run from the hounds (err, my trying to maximize social distancing), I rapidly zigged and zagged through traffic out of Sturgis, not stopping in what I perceived to be a Bad Virus Zone until 90 miles away for refueling.


Photo is part of the road I took to Sturgis, seriously social distancing in the wilds of Wyoming.

[brclarke]

Darwin at work, I suppose.

[shu...]

The only way I would have improved on your trip would have been to skip the part in SD and stick with the wilds of Wyoming,

............shu

[PrinceHarley]

I went to Sturgis in 1995 and must commend you for lasting as long as 10 minutes in Main Street!

[brclarke]

I've been to Sturgis... in late June. You get to see all the neat places with no crowds: Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Jewel Caves, Wind Caves, Devils Tower, etc. I hate crowds, so going there during the rally sounds awful to me.

[brclarke]

The researchers found that the rally, which hosted 462,182 people between Aug. 7 and 16, “generated substantial public health costs,” totaling $12.2 billion.... The authors note that the cost was “enough to have paid each of the estimated 462,182 rally attendees $26,553.64 not to attend.”

https://news.yahoo.com/sturgis-motor...182736696.html

[phyhowe]

This has been debunked.

[Jay_Benson]

Originally Posted by phyhowe

This has been debunked.

Do you have a link to the debunking - they are always good fun. Thanks

[Scrabblebiker]

Originally Posted by phyhowe

This has been debunked.

Would love to read about it. Can you please tell us your source?

[phyhowe]

Google it.
One from Forbes.
Well I couldn't get it to attach.
Just googled sturgis carona.

[Grant Johnson]

Paste the link in, don't try to attach. You can only attach a file, for instance an image.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucele.../#36006d7725a8

[phyhowe]

On my phone and my wifi went down, think that was the problem.
Thanks though.
The news here in America seems to report things beyond reason as the gospel truth according to their own agenda.
Not saying any of them are right.
For instance this about sturgis and meanwhile all the people gathering for protests are not having any effect on the spread of covid-19.
Pretty sure both are and did but it's all blown out of proportion.
Take all of it with a grain of salt.

[brclarke]

Originally Posted by phyhowe

Take all of it with a grain of salt.

Good advice; I approach all media reports with a cynical grain of salt - including both the story I posted and the rebuttal link.