Glory Road: Ride with us to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

We're on the move!

2008-02-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ride with us to Daytona via five states and Key West at our new weblog.

An excellent adventure

2007-08-12T23:22:00.001-07:00

E.B. Chester scoots along US26 on the approach to Idaho Falls and Grand Teton Harley-Davidson & Buell, the conclusion of our 2,700-mile adventure that started 10 days earlier at Chester's Harley-Davidson in Mesa, Arizona. Photos by Carole and Roy Timm. Click on any image for a larger view.

Silver Dollar Sam, a bear from the famed Wort Hotel in Jackson, rides home with Craig Chester, a gift for his two-year-old daughter.

It's hard to tell who little Ava was happiest to see, Daddy, Grandad or Silver Dollar Sam.

Day 10, the 86 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, to Idaho Falls, Idaho, was the shortest leg of our excellent adventure.

Another great day, another great ride

2007-08-12T05:39:00.000-07:00

The 350 miles to the Grand Tetons from Devil's Tower took us across Wyoming in all its variety, from grasslands and desert to canyons and mountains. It was an exceptional ride, following so many other exceptional rides on this trip. Photos by Carole and Roy Timm. Click on any image for a larger view.

E.B. and Craig enjoy the sweeping curves and superb scenery of Tensleep Canyon at the beginning of our seven hours in saddle.

Tensleep Canyon demands to be ridden and it demands to be photographed. Here, E.B. and his Electra Glide Ultra pause for the camera.

Halfway across Wyoming, we rode through rugged Wind River Canyon. Although the photo shows us approaching a slow switchback, much of the canyon presents broad sweeping curves that can be ridden as quickly as one wishes. Riding the throttle of the Harley V-twin on such roads is a addictive.

My dear Dad rides with me

2007-08-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

The Grand Teton Mountains, in all their jagged splendor, are more impressive than I expected after years of seeing them in photographs. They signal the end of Day 9 on the road just outside of Jackson, Wyoming. Photo by Craig Chester. Click image for a larger view.

I rode in sadness for a while today. It would have been my dear father’s 97th birthday. He died last year at age 95, very much alive until the moment his heart stopped.

In the last year of his life, he learned to operate a computer, and had he lived, he would have been the most frequent visitor to this blog, reading every word, looking closely at each photograph, studying the maps.

I got my first ride on a motorcycle because of my father--when my mother was seven months pregnant with me. That was back in Latvia, our native land, where my father was a national champion road racer. In those days, you rode during the week what you raced on the weekend. Thus, my first ride was on his 350-cc racing machine, an AJS.

I have with me on this ride the medallion he was awarded as the 350-cc class national champion of Latvia in 1939. It’s a trophy the size of a postage stamp, all that was affordable in the days before the Second World War. It was his favorite victory, he used to tell me. In his last year with us, he kept it on his desk above his computer. Tonight, it sits by my computer in a hotel room in Wyoming, where I can touch the raised image of a motorcycle racer and shed a loving tear in his memory.

Sturgis, farewell

2007-08-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

Just before leaving South Dakota, we had a chance to ride Spearfish Canyon, with E.B. and Craig winding their way through the scenery. Photos by Carole and Roy Timm. Click on any image for a larger view

Devil's Tower in Wyoming is one of those iconic American landmarks that demands to be photographed, as Craig and his Road Glide demonstrate.

Hauling across the grasslands in Wyoming is a blast. From Devil's Tower, it takes about three hours to reach Buffalo where one can dine well at the not-to-be-missed Occidental Hotel.

Day 8: Rapid City, South Dakota, to Buffalo, Wyoming

2007-08-10T21:32:00.001-07:00

Blue skies in Wyoming

2007-08-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is the sky in Wyoming bluer than elsewhere?

I first noticed the blue in the sky at Devil's Tower, after a morning ride of three hours from Rapid City.

The world's largest Harley-Davidson flag flies against the blue sky at Devil's Tower.

A most unconventional convention

2007-08-10T04:53:00.000-07:00

There is no place on earth quite like Sturgis which is why the 6,000-resident town in South Dakota draws 400,000 to 600,000 bikes and bikers every August. These photos by Carole and Roy Timm (and a few by your faithful blogger) will give you a flavor of the motorcycle world's unconventional convention. Click on any image for a larger view.

First and foremost, Sturgis is about bikes, mainly Harley-Davidsons. There hundreds of thousands of new bikes and old, production and custom, to be admired.

Sturgis is also about people, hundreds of thousands of bikers, some of them more visible than others. Here we have antlerman . . .

. . . there we have flagman . . .

. . . and more than one dog riding with his master.

Some tattoos are worth a closer look. It's estimated about 15,000 tattoos are applied during Sturgis week.

Greg, the GM at Grand Teton Harley-Davidson & Buell, takes in the scene on jam-packed Main Street.

Did we mention there is no shortage of biker babes at Sturgis?

Dan, one of two bankers in our group of riders, takes the obligatory ride down Main Street.

Craig also does the tour of Main Street.

But there is much more to Sturgis than the parade of bikes, bikers and babes on Main Street. There are great one day rides in almost every direction. Here, Mount Rushmore looks on from the distance as a group of riders enters a tunnel on Iron Mountain Highway.

There are motorcycles everywhere in the Black Hills of South Dakota around Sturgis . . .

. . . but it's still possible to find solitude, especially early in the morning.

Jay and Brandon, father and son from Vail, wait for a breakfast cafe to open in Keystone prior to an early morning ride on Iron Mountain Highway.

The Needles Highway is another not-to-be-missed ride in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Another view of the Needles Highway in the Black Hills near Sturgis.

We were fortunate to have E.B. Chester as our host and guide. He's been to Sturgis more times than he can recall.

But before any riding started, the first morning after our arrival in Sturgis was devoted to getting our Harleys clean and shining again after 1,000 miles on the road.

Ed, a partner in Arizona Bike Week, was one of three riders in our group seeing Sturgis and environs for the first time.

In Custer State Park, buffalo still roam--and have the right of way by virtue of their sheer mass.

Larry, riding a Harley-Davidson for the first time, started his banking career in Rapid City near Sturgis many years ago.

Dan Klann of Butthead Racing, a team sponsored by Chester's Harley-Davidson, takes off down the drag strip during racing at Sturgis. In 2006, Butthead was the Super Gas winner at Sturgis.

Sturgis snapshots

2007-08-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

Main Street in Sturgis becomes the centre of the motorcycle universe for one week in August when as many as 500,000 motorcyclists descend on the small town in South Dakota. Click on this and any other image in the blog for a larger view.

Where would bikes and bikers be without babes? Unfortunately, or happily, censors prevent us from posting a photo of the young lady wearing nothing on her upper torso but a fetching tattooed T-shirt.

And then there is the dog named Harley, astride his master's Harley-Davidson of course.

All is well

2007-08-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

Have no worries, all is well with the Chester Group riders. We've been too busy taking in the Sturgis experience to blog, but will try to make up in the next day or so.

--Georgs

Some of us are also at work, gathering stories and photos for the new magazine. Here, Glory Road photograher Roy Timms waits for traffic to clear in one of the narrow tunnels on the Iron Mountain Highway near Mount Rushmore.

Snapshots on the road to Sturgis

2007-08-07T05:09:00.000-07:00

Jay rides out of Bosler Junction in Wyoming to begin a stretch of highway that had all of us reaching for one superlative after another. Click on this and any other image in the blog to enlarge it. (Photo by Carole Timm)

The day dawns rainy and foggy as we fuel up for our departure from King Creek Ranch.

Ed thinks it's going to rain all the way to Sturgis but, in fact, we rode out of it in about two hours.

Rain or shine, Greg is ready to ride his gorgeous Road King Classic.

There is waiting time before the start as three riders are delayed, allegedly by heavy rain in Vail.

The Bosler Junction road starts out looking straight and routine, but the unforgettable curvery begins just beyond the horizon.(Photo by Roy Timm)

After riding for hours in the afternoon heat of the Wyoming plains, cold drinks and ice creams are in order at a gas stop.

If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will see the mountain sculpture of Crazy Horse on the road leading to Sturgis. Mount Rushmore is farther up the road.

We made it!

2007-08-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

There was more than one cold beer and Tanqueray with tonic downed by our happy group of riders after arrival in South Dakota. (Photo by Roy Timm)

After Colorado mountain rain in the morning and the heat of the Wyoming high plains in the afternoon, we rolled into Sturgis (actually, nearby Rapid City), in just under 10 hours after departing King Creek Ranch.

--Georgs

Day 4: King Creek Ranch to Rapid City and Sturgis

2007-08-06T04:38:00.000-07:00

If the rain let's up, we're in for a long haul today, some 460 miles that we hope to cover in about nine hours. Click on this and any other image in the blog for a larger view.

Snapshots from Colorado

2007-08-05T21:38:00.000-07:00

The highlight of Day 3 was discovering one of the best highways for a motorcycle ride in the U.S., Highway 141 in southwestern Colorado. You carve sweeping curves for about 50 miles between red-rock canyons and towering mesas, such as this one at Gateway.

Soon after entering Colorado from Utah, we stop at Bedrock Cafe. It was barely past eight in the morning, thus, the historical establishment was not open, but it made for a nice photo op.

Greg came across a pair of antlers which he and E.B. mount on the rear of Greg's Road King Classic.

Highway 141 north and south of Gateway is one of the finest roads to ride in the U.S., with sweeping curves that are a joy ro ride as fast or as leisurely as you wish.

Mule deer welcome us to King Creek Ranch, a 7,000-acre ranch owned by six families including the Chesters. E.B. purchased 750 acres in 1980 to start assembling the land located near Vail.

Day 3: Moab to King Creek Ranch in Colorado, 328 miles

2007-08-05T04:59:00.000-07:00

There are 328 miles ahead of us today, perhaps about seven hours of riding time. First, we head southeast toward Telluride, Colorado, leaving Utah, our second state behind. Then, north through Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs, ending up at King Creek Ranch halfway between Vail and Steamboat Springs.

Back of the pack

2007-08-05T04:55:00.000-07:00

I like it back here, riding sixth and last in our group. When the road is as straight as a Navajo arrow, there’s time and space to think, without worrying about the guy behind you.

I can look ahead and see the rest of the group. There’s E.B., easy to spot in his orange cap, feet up on the highway pegs, hardly looking like a successful merchant banker. There’s Ed, a partner in Arizona Bike Week, on his jade green Harley, silver-headed after his black cap flew off in a gust. There are the two black and silver FXRG-style helmets of father and son, Jay and Brandon, the father an attorney and developer, the son, a race car driver and contractor. There’s the black jet helmet of Dan. a banker from Vail, who often lingers behind me to make sure all is well.

I ride in reverie, taking in the sights and sounds, the never-ending rumble of my V-Twin and those ahead of me. Two cows at the side of the road startle me as we roll through the Navajo Nation, at one point only 40 miles from the entrance of the Grand Canyon.

There are long mesas all around us, framing the desert and our road through it. I marvel at the always-changing sand and rock formations. The round mounds of grey sand look like the pingos I’ve seen near Tuktoyaktuk in the Canadian Arctic. The red canyons recall the summer I spent in the Escalante canyonlands of Utah, not that far from where we ride.

When we stop for breakfast--or is it lunch?--at the Anasazi Inn on the approach to Monument Valley, E.B. remarks, “When you’ve gone more than a hundred miles by 9:30, you know it’s going to be a good day.”

And so it turns out to be.

--Georgs

Anniversary greetings for Tracy

2007-08-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

Craig Chester and Greg Warrington met up with us in Moab after a quick run down from Idaho Falls. Craig is a partner in the Chester Group of Harley-Davidson Dealerships. Greg is general manager of Grand Teton Harley-Davidson & Buell, Eagle Rock Harley-Davidson and Jackson Hole Harley-Davidson, all part of the Chester Group.

Over dinner at the Sunset Grill in Moab, Craig bemoaned the fact he was away from home and his wife on their anniversary, thus, the title for this post in case Tracy stops by the blog.

--Georgs

Snapshots from Monument Valley

2007-08-04T17:02:00.000-07:00

The gang of six stretches a leg after arriving in Monument Valley, with the valley's extraordinary red buttes, mesas and spires in the background. (Double-click on this and any other image in the blog for a larger view.)

One red mesa is more impressive than the next in the valley located in southern Utah, up against the northern border of Arizona. Or is this a butte atop a mesa?

Here's the rain storm that followed us north into Monument Valley from our lunch stop at the Anasazi Inn. We managed to miss most of the rain.

Ed chomps down on a huge Navajo burger at the Anasazi Inn near the entrance to Monument Valley. Dessert was left half-eaten when the first roll of thunder was heard, warning of the approaching storm.

Day 2: Sedona to Moab, 350 miles

2007-08-04T05:57:00.001-07:00

Today, we see more of Arizona’s Red Rock Country, after breakfast at the famous Coffee Pot restaurant in Sedona. We’ll head north and slightly east, through Oak Creek Canyon and Flagstaff, across out-of-this-world Monument Valley and then into Utah and Moab. About 7 or 8 hours in the saddle.

Music of the open road

2007-08-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

The highlight of the first day was arrival in Red Rock Country around Sedona after a breath-taking ride up and down Cleopatra Hill to reach historic Jerome. Click on the map (or any other image in the blog) to view it larger.

A fully dressed touring machine like the Harley-Davidsons we’re riding is equipped with a radio and CD player. Some guys like to listen to country or rock when they’re tooling down the road, me, I prefer the V-twin symphony.
Although my Electra Glide Classic has sixth gear, overdrive, if you will, I find I’m shifting up and down between third, fourth and fifth when the road starts to curve in order to keep the V-twin engine between 3,000 and 4,000 RPM, mainly because of the sound.
All V-configuration engines have a distinctive sound, whether the motor is barely turning over or starting to build revs. Between 3,000 and 4,000 RPM, my Harley is in full song.
The factory-standard mufflers keep it civilized, but we do thunder down the road.
--Georgs

Snapshots on the road to Sedona

2007-08-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Painting in the bar of the Connor Hotel in Jerome,rest stop after a breathtaking ride down up and down Cleopatra Hill.

After four hours in the saddle, Brandon enjoys an ice cream with a cold water chaser in Jerome, Arizona, once known as the wickedest town in the west.

Sporting a Snake Harley-Davidson, E.B. takes in the view from Jerome across the valley to Sedona.

You meet the nicest people on a Honda towing the strangest trailer.

Mountains, lake, sand traps, the Seven Canyons private golf and country club outside Sedona has it all, including two guys on Harleys looking to take scenic photographs.

The scenery around Sedona, Arizona, is simply spectacular.

We're off!

2007-08-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

The 2007 ride to Sturgis and beyond is just about ready to get under way from Chester's Harley-Davidson in Mesa, Arizona. Photo by Ryan Stevenson.

Day 1: Mesa to Sedona, 198 miles

2007-08-03T05:17:00.000-07:00

The anticipation for the start is building in the pit of my stomach.
Today, we'll ride 198 miles from Chester's Harley-Davidson in Mesa, Arizona, to the Sedona Real, a hotel in Sedona, Arizona, which should take about five hours. It's a relatively short day to let everyone get back into the groove of riding the open road.

Map of route from Arizona to Idaho via Sturgis

2007-08-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Eleven days, seven states, 2,200 miles, tomorrow morning we are ready to roll. Six riders will start from Chester's Harley-Davidson in Mesa, Arizona. Our group will grow to nine by the time we reach Grand Teton Harley-Davidson & Buell in Idaho Falls, Idaho. An additional two riders will join us for the Sturgis portion of the tour.

Remember, you can double-click on the map and any photo posted on the blog to see a larger version.

Packing up

2007-08-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

Here's the gear that I must find room for in one tour pack across the back of the bike, two saddle bags, and one soft bag that will serve as my backrest. It was easier than expected, as everything fit, and there was room to spare.

Here's inventory of what's travelling with me: Nikon D70 camera, MacBook laptop, tape recorder with spare tapes and batteries, nine notepads, toiletries, four-T-shirts, three short-sleeve Coolmax shirts, two long-sleeve Coolmax shirts, three pairs of inner and outer socks, three pairs of underwear, two handkerchiefs, one neckerchief, heavy riding pants, pair of jeans, walking shorts, cap, Shoei helmet, mesh riding jacket with shoulder and elbow pads for hottest time of the day, padded FXRG riding jacket, rain paints, cowboy boots, running shoes, sandals, and one small pewter bell to ward off evil road spirits.

The reason I had such an easy time of packing is that I had a chance to watch the master, E.B. Chester, stow his gear on his bike in the same arrangement of bags that I have.

Getting ready to ride

2007-08-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Chris, the service manager of Chester's Harley-Davidson, checks over the Electra Glide Classic that will be my ride for the next 12 days.

While I’m still in Southern California looking after business, Jennifer at Chester’s Harley-Davidson tells me all is almost ready for our departure Friday morning. As you can see from the photo she sent, my bike is getting a thorough once-over in preparation for the 2,200 miles that await us.

Everyone I meet and tell about the upcoming trip wants to know not IF I’m getting a tattoo in Sturgis but WHERE on my body it will be displayed.

Me, I’m curious what the trip will be like for me as my last long bike ride was in the Canadian Rockies some years back. Certainly, the heat has me worried. Temps in the 90 to 110F range are forecast for Arizona and Utah.

--Georgs

A ride to remember

2007-07-29T12:47:00.001-07:00

Here's the Electra Glide Classic that will be my ride for the 12 days on the road to Sturgis and beyond. I can't wait to get started.

--Georgs

In August, all roads lead to Sturgis

2007-07-29T05:27:00.000-07:00

Harley-Davidsons and their owners by the hundreds of thousands descend on Sturgis every August.

The four Presidents sculpted on Mount Rushmore would enjoy the sight of thousands of Harley-Davidson motorcycles from around the world riding into Rapid City, S.D., for the 67th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, August 4-11, 2007. Rapid City will be the hub of all the beautiful scenery, rich history and range of attractions in the Black Hills as it hosts a multitude of thrilling and sensational activities and events.

Harley-Davidson and Buell activities will run from Saturday, Aug. 4 through Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City. Main events include:

-- Harley-Davidson and Buell New Product Show
-- Harley-Davidson and Buell demo rides
-- Harley-Davidson Festival with fun activities such as free demos, music and jerky samples
-- Custom motorcycle Ride-In Show, free bike wash and a booth dedicated to women

"You haven't really experienced the best of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally if you haven't made a stop in Rapid City to see the Harley-Davidson Road Tour," said Jerry Wilke, Vice President, Marketing, Customer Relationships and Motorcycle Product Planning. "Our events are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with fellow riders and see the latest Harley-Davidson motorcycles and products, while enjoying some great music, motorcycle demo rides, a custom motorcycle Ride-In Show and much more. And admission and parking are free."

The Harley-Davidson New Product Show (Aug. 4 from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Aug. 5-10 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) inside the Rushmore Plaza will feature new 2008 Harley-Davidson and Buell motorcycles, Genuine Motor Accessories and MotorClothes merchandise, Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Auction and Bike Raffle, Willie G. limited-edition commemorative merchandise and Ford Harley-Davidson F-Series display. There is also a H.O.G. members-only reception Saturday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and a H.O.G. Hospitality area for members during the New Product Show hours.

Experience the passion, excitement and sound of the Sturgis Rally at the Harley-Davidson Festival at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, which includes the following events in an open outdoor space that is free of charge:
-- Harley-Davidson and Buell demo rides (9 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily)
-- Festival Stage with live music and entertainment
-- Harley-Davidson Traveling Museum
-- NHRA Acceleration Nation Display (Saturday - Monday only)
-- Motorcycle stunt shows, free bike wash area, free beef jerky samples and other displays

The coolest bikes at the Sturgis Rally will be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Ride-In Show Wednesday, Aug. 8. The entry fee will be donated to MDA, and all entrants will receive a special commemorative dash plaque. "Best of Show" winners in each class will receive a $500 cash prize, and $500 cash prizes will be awarded to the top Sportster and Big Twin utilizing Harley-Davidson Genuine Motor Accessories.