I finished off my last blog, had lunch and headed off to Sturgis. Its about a 40min ride from where I am camping and you have to go through Lead and Deadwood. The motorcycle traffic is crazy but its good fun to be in it.

I get to Sturgis and find a park amongst 2000 (no kidding) other bikes that is not too far of a walk from the action. I am not worried that I would forget where I parked Fred given he stood out as the only dirt bike amongst all of the Harleys. I start to have a wonder around;

There is everything you need at the Rally. There are huge garages where you can get tires fitted, oil changed and even new pin stripping put on your bike. The turnover of money must be incredible;

I walk past a large used bike lot where all of the bikes are for sale – this chick is a salesperson and just happens to moving one of the bikes around when I yell out to her to smile for the fans back in Australia;

I continue to wander around the side street stalls;

I meet a lovely young woman (my daughters age Ha) that I think is studying to be a rocket scientist;

She actually is a nice girl and wants to come out to Australia. I then stumble on big Mick’s first road bike;

More pictures;

I have a look in a patch stall (heaps of them);

Basically you can select whatever you want to put on your leather vest and they will do it right there and then. I find this one;

Now for those who weren’t around at the time Jane Fonda (daughter of legendary actor Henry Fonda) was an anti Vietnam activist and quite outspoken about soldiers being child killers and all of the rest of it. Obviously the vets have long memories because even today the patch is a great seller!

Just can’t decide on what I should get my wife as a present;

(if I bought the above she would seriously kill me)

I get to the Police Station and go and see if I can get a patch. I go inside the foyer and its like entering a zoo enclosure. There is a transvestite in a wonder woman costume who is upset about something and is borderline hysterical. She(?) is with a young officer who is trying to find out what the hell is her problem. Another old guy is talking to another member and can’t decide if his Harley has been stolen or he has forgot where he parked it.

I wait a good while and get served – yes I can get a patch but I have to pay for it given the demand they have for them (no probs with this as the money actually goes to injured officers). Issue is though that the person with the access is somewhere in the middle of 100,000 bikers in the main street. After a long delay (no need for details) I finally get my patch and off I go. I go and collect Fred and we then ride straight up the guts of the main street! Now any other time Fred would not get a look but given he was the only Enduro bike he received waves and even cheers! LOL

My old mate Charlie is so famous for his motorcycle travels around the world he even has a bar named after him in Sturgis!

After the main street crawl I head back home and call it a day. Next up is a ride out to Mt Rushmore.