Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

First, the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is in the books. Next below is the 2022 Sturgis information.

For starters there has been the official announcement of the 2022 Sturgis Rally dates. Although there are normally a lot of unknowns for all rallies with Covid there are regularly even more. But things improved at the 2021 rally in Sturgis. So hopefully things continue to improve at the 2022 motorcycle rally.

Next because of how important the Sturgis Rally is to riders we will regularly update this page. Specifics have not been announced. But for now here is more about the rally and what happens at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

History of the Motorcycle Rally

First, without a doubt, Sturgis is the Mecca for bikers. In addition, the Sturgis Rally is also one of the three national rallies. And the other two national biker rallies are Daytona Bike Week and Laconia Motorcycle Week.  Also each year the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is on the LightningCustoms.com’ Major Motorcycle Rallies List.

Next, here is a really quick history of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. In 1938, “Pappy” Hoel began an event. He used the name the Black Hills Classic in Sturgis. Interestingly the race only had nine riders and a small number of attendees.

Eventually, there was a change in the name from the Black Hills Classic to the Sturgis Rally. Over the following decades Sturgis has become the premier biker rally in the World.

What Happens at the Sturgis?

So what is going on at the 2022 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally? Simply put, everything you have ever heard of that happens at a biker rally goes on at the Sturgis Biker Rally. First, there are the rides in the Black Hills region. For instance, some of the famous rides are to Devil’s Tower, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Custer State Park.

In addition, there are endless top-shelf attractions at the main venues at the Sturgis bike rally. And the main venues are in downtown Sturgis as well as the Broken Spoke, the Buffalo Chip, and the Full Throttle Saloon.  Also, there are tons of events held around the entire Black Hills region. Including at the famous Sturgis bars, dealerships, and other venues during the rally.

Next, here is a partial list of things going on at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Some of the events will include music from top name bands, the biggest and best motorcycle shows, bike build-offs, and motorcycle racing. Also there will be the chance to visit the Sturgis Museum & Hall of Fame.

In addition, there are group rides, poker runs, field events, biker games, tattoo contests, stunt shows, contests for the ladies, and tons of partying. Also, there are big rig setups by the largest motorcycle companies, lots of displays, and endless vendors.

Now because there are so many venues with lots of events you will need to check out their websites for details. And those sites will also have a full list of events happening. Finally, the fees for different Sturgis biker rally venues and events vary.

What happened at the 2021 Sturgis Rally

Although there were up to 700,000 riders expected to attend the rally there were only 525,000 riders that made it. Note that this number is from the South Dakota Department of Transportation. Now the attendance was not what organizers hoped for. But it was still a great turnout for the Rally.

And we say the attendance was great because the 525,000 attendees was over 10% larger than what it was at the 2020 biker rally. In 2020 the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attracted around 460,000 attendees. Next the Sturgis officials said that the 2021 biker rally’s first weekend attendance numbers were some of the largest in years.

So all in all the 2021 Sturgis was a success. Riders got out, vendors were able to sell, and it generated some $800 million in sales for the local economy.

Another good thing that happened at the 2021 Sturgis Rally was the opening ceremony. Note the opening ceremony was skipped in 2020 because of Covid. And just so you know Jody Perewitz was the 2021 Sturgis ceremonial grand marshal.