BMW gathering at Sturgis this year?

Planning on going to Sturgis this year. It's a bucket list thing. Never been there, along with seeing the sites in the area. Just wondering if there is some kind of a BMW Club gathering there that might reserve a camping area, etc for BMW riders?

rapidray59 said:

Planning on going to Sturgis this year. It's a bucket list thing. Never been there, along with seeing the sites in the area. Just wondering if there is some kind of a BMW Club gathering there that might reserve a camping area, etc for BMW riders?

Click to expand...

I live in Spearfish, we've been here for almost 30 years, I've seen a few rallies, now we leave town for the Bighorns for 10 days.

I've never seen or heard of a BMW camping group at Sturgis.

Welcome to the forum! Maybe you'll start a new tradition at Sturgis!

bigjohnsd said:

I live in Spearfish, we've been here for almost 30 years, I've seen a few rallies, now we leave town for the Bighorns for 10 days.

I've never seen or heard of a BMW camping group at Sturgis.

Click to expand...

In the late '80s or early '90s a BMW group reserved about 1/2 of a campground. I don't remember exactly where it was but I think maybe somewhere south of Deadwood, maybe 20 to 30 miles from Sturgis. Voni and I camped there twice. The first time there were lots (maybe 40) BMWs. The second time maybe half as many.

If your goal is to “see the sights,” the Sturgis rally isn’t the best time to show up.

glenfiddich said:

If your goal is to “see the sights,” the Sturgis rally isn’t the best time to show up.

Click to expand...

That would depend on the sights you want to see....

But he did say sites. There is a difference.

PGlaves said:

In the late '80s or early '90s a BMW group reserved about 1/2 of a campground. I don't remember exactly where it was but I think maybe somewhere south of Deadwood, maybe 20 to 30 miles from Sturgis. Voni and I camped there twice. The first time there were lots (maybe 40) BMWs. The second time maybe half as many.

Click to expand...

I too stayed at one of those camps. I seem to recall it was by Summerset or Blackhawk. The wife and I still have mugs from that campout. The lettering is all worn away so I can't even identify the year.

That sounds like the Sacora Station Campground or the Covered Wagon Campground across the road from it, just south of Piedmont. There’s an old narrow-guage rail grade running through Sacora. We camped there many times in the 70s, before Sturgis got crazy.

Best,
DeVern

Whispering Pines overflow meadow off 385 was local BMW club supported for a few years but the current campground owner knew nothing of a BMW gathering when I camped there 4 years ago.
At least one year Red Arrow off I-90 was a gathering spot.
The Guzzi group used to camp near Belle Fouche (sp?)

OldCamper said:

Whispering Pines overflow meadow off 385 was local BMW club supported for a few years but the current campground owner knew nothing of a BMW gathering when I camped there 4 years ago.
At least one year Red Arrow off I-90 was a gathering spot.
The Guzzi group used to camp near Belle Fouche (sp?)

Click to expand...

That name sounds like the place.

I looked at the map and I am almost certain that is the place we camped at twice during the Black Hills Motor Classic, aka "Sturgis bike week". If you look on Google Maps, we had the north loop and the south loop was all HD folks with campers and motorhomes and a few tents. We got the pleasure of all of their midnight returns to the campground. Good times 30 or so years ago.

rapidray59 said:

Planning on going to Sturgis this year. It's a bucket list thing. Never been there, along with seeing the sites in the area. Just wondering if there is some kind of a BMW Club gathering there that might reserve a camping area, etc for BMW riders?

Click to expand...

I have been to the area during the rally a few times. No clue about any BMW gathering.

During the rally is a poor time to ride. The roads are packed with guys that can't ride. If you get out on the road at sun rise and back to you camp site or just hang out in Sturgis in the afternoon it is not too bad, but from noon on the riding is terrible.

That usually was our plan for the day, get up early and ride, go hang out in the afternoon at Sturgis and people watch. We were not big party people and would stay in Rapid City and we would crawl in bed by 9-10 PM and head out at sunrise the next day and repeat.

We went one year the first week in September. Nobody around, the Black Hills were empty! It was great. Good riding, no traffic, no lines to get in to places. We took a run up Iron Mountain road and saw a couple cars and zero motorcycles!

Rich said:

That would depend on the sights you want to see....

But he did say sites. There is a difference.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately it is the same "Sights" that were there in the '80s, gravity has taken over, the Butterfly Tatoo now looks like a Crow or a Vulture!

going to sturgis

rapidray59 said:

Planning on going to Sturgis this year. It's a bucket list thing. Never been there, along with seeing the sites in the area. Just wondering if there is some kind of a BMW Club gathering there that might reserve a camping area, etc for BMW riders?

Click to expand...

Try looking in the Rally listings here on the MOA website to see if there is something BMW going on during Sturgis bike week?

I've been to Laconia (NH) bike week, Daytona (FL) bike week, and Sturgis (SD) bike week. The only difference is the humidity level, IMO. If you've been to one then you've been to them all. Very very crazy and CROWDED riding conditions in Sturgis and immediate areas due to the sheer number of bikes in attendance. Many of those bikes are piloted by very new newbies and we've all been at that stage of our riding lives. All you need to do is remember what those first few rides were like and you know you don't want to be around literally thousands of ourselves when we were beginners who have been riding for only a few days (no offense to new riders!). Many of the newbies are piloting very large/heavy two-wheeled machines and they have no idea what they are playing at. Then you add the gushing supply of adult beverages. 'Nuff said.

If you really want to go to Sturgis I suggest you do it as a day trip - enjoy the people watching, the many variations of motorcycle that show up, and take a gander at the vendors. Then leave. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if there are police checkpoints these days (they have them at the rather tame Americade in upstate NY nowadays). At this point in the year an available camping spot or hotel may be quite a distance from Sturgis itself.

The riding in the Black Hills and through the Badlands is beautiful. Many other locales here in the west are absolutely gorgeous and well worth the ride to them.

Just my 2 cents... Louise

My brother and I stayed in Keystone last summer for 3 days [ 50 miles south of Sturgis ] and did day rides out of there. Did all the great ride roads in the area. Took in Mt. Rushmore and Devils Tower, and explored Custer, Deadwood etc.

I had an appt in Sturgis at the BMW dealer for a low beam headlight on the RS, so one morning we hoofed it up there at 7am and met the guy opening the shop. In and out in an hour, then downtown where vendors were setting up, many opened for business [ week before the crowds start ]. Got a few shirts, had breakfast and headed back out of town for Deadwood, spending the rest of the day there.

We liked Keystone, it works well as a hub to explore from there. I wouldn't be bothered with Mt. Rushmore again, kinda of a let down at night which was purported by people to be an excellent take.

Not interested in being there during the event. I've been to Laconia far too many times during bike week. The first time on my grandmothers lap driving her new T bird in 60 at 9 yo. After time in service, every year for 2 decades or more. I was born in that city, could stray with relatives who put us up in Tilton or Franklin.

Not interested in the craziness of those events, the number of newbs on scoots as mentioned by others.

I was riding across the northern states one summer, a couple of weeks before Sturgis. Since I found campsites almost always fully booked, I stayed in mostly in motels, which I found to be pricier than usual. When I inquired why the rate increase, one motel operator explained that the rates always went up shortly before and for a while after Sturgis. Economically, visiting that area is not the best time to travel.