The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally that is held every year in Sturgis, South Dakota. Held for ten days, it usually begins the first Friday in August. Just a few years ago in 2015, Sturgis officially expanded the dates to host the rally starts the Friday before the first full week of August. If you're wondering what it might be like, check out these crazy pics from biker rallies.
In 2016, the city of Sturgis created a regulation that the Rally begins on the first Friday in August every year. Originally created in 1983 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders, it was designed to showcase stunts and races. Curious as to the real story behind the Indian Motorcycle Company? Check this out. With an attendance of generally over 500,000 people, it has reached over 700,000 people in some years.
The 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is planned to be held from August 7-16th of this year, showcasing various races, motorcycles, clubs, and businesses from the local Sturgis area.
Here's everything you need to know about the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and its 80th year...
History
The first rally was held by Indian Motorcycle riders in 1938 by the Jackpine Gypsies motorcycle club. The club still owns the area where the first rally was centered. The Jackpine Gypsies first started in 1936, with an official American Motorcycle Association charter being gained in 1937. With over 150 members living all over the country and abroad, the average age of members is 40. This club holds 12 events during the Sturgis Rally, including motocross racing, a 1/2 mile race, hill climbs, and short track racing. The original focus of the Rally was on racing and stunts, but was expanded in 1961 to include the Hillclimb and Motocross races.
Impact on the community
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally brings in millions in terms of royalties and sponsorship dollars to help the community, bringing in $800 million annually. The City of Sturgis earns around $270,000 per year with just sponsorships of the event. To put this in perspective, the rally makes up 95% of the city's total revenue. With a town of just 6,627 people, it is incredible that this small town hosts one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.
2020 Changes
With the current state of the world regarding the Coronavirus pandemic, there are some changes to the 2020 protocol. The Sturgis City Council has prepared protocols that determine whether the event will be held on August 7-16, 2020.
The City will take into account that this is the city's largest tourism event, it generates most of the revenue of the city, most businesses are heavily dependent on the event, and the lack of an event will cause negative impacts and foreclosures of the community's restaurants, hotels, and businesses.
The City will make decisions based on a timeline spanning May and June to determine if businesses are willing to proceed, with the final vote occurring on June 15th.
Media Coverage
The Rapid City Journal features daily coverage of the Sturgis Rally, capturing each event that takes place. The Rapid City Journal is the daily newspaper of Rapid City, South Dakota, and is the second-largest newspaper in the entire state.
Annual television coverage is showed on the VH1 Classic network, including interviews, performances, and rock music videos. Furthermore, on TV, the Full Throttle Saloon is a reality television series that began airing on the truTV network in 2009, showing the inner operations at the world's largest biker bar prior to the rally opening.
The Sturgis Rally has also been highlighted on two, 1-hour documentaries on the Travel Channel, aptly named Sturgis: The Wild Ride and Sturgis Cops.