10 things that are illegal in Sturgis despite what you’ve heard, and one that isn’t

by on July 21, 2017
in Travel Tips

This post was reviewed and has been certified accurate by the Sturgis, SD chief of police. That’s no shit! Thank you, Chief VanDewater, for your time and expertise! 

Certified True by Sturgis PD | Biker Chick News

 

You might think that the Sturgis Rally is a big ol’ free-for-all, behavior-wise, because those are the stories your friends brought back: “Chicks walk around topless, burnouts in the street… the cops look the other way ‘cuz there’s just so many people, plus the city loves the money you spend so no one’s gonna harass you.”

All of these reports can be summed up in a word:

Nope

Now sure, some people get away with things. But that doesn’t mean law enforcement isn’t trying. In fact, officials make hundreds of arrests, and write hundreds of tickets, every year during the Rally.

In the interest of keeping you out of  jail, and just in time for your upcoming ride to the 77th Annual Sturgis Rally, here are ten things you might have heard were tolerated in Sturgis – but in fact, will get you a ticket and/or arrested if you are observed by law enforcement.

Going topless or nude in public. And no, body paint is not an acceptable cover-up. Pasties and undies, at a minimum. And really, haven’t you found it’s actually better to leave something to the imagination? I know, we’ve all seen the pictures.

Grandma will be very disappointed in you

 

Leaving your bike parked at the rally overnight. It might seem better than getting a DUI, and clearly, NOT riding drunk is always better than riding drunk. DO NOT RIDE DRUNK. But also, just know that it’s going to be spendy getting your bike out of impound, and it WILL be impounded if left on the street overnight – even if you’re sleeping on it. You are an adult, figure something else out besides leaving your bike on the street and besides riding drunk.

Ignoring other Parking laws. The presence of all those bikes does not negate city parking rules. Don’t park in alleyways, in handicapped spaces, along yellow curbs, etc. Normal parking laws must be observed.

Sturgis Parking Tips

 

Peeing in the road, behind a bush, etc.  This falls into the category of illegal “deposit of filth” plus the potential for a bonus charge: “indecent exposure.” There are plenty of legal places to pee and poop – use them.

Drug and paraphernalia possession. Again, it’s not a free-for-all simply because it’s rally time. These violations will get you ticketed, or flat-out arrested.

Carrying a loaded or uncased gun without the proper permits.

Riding without protective eyewear .

Exhibition driving and aggressive driving.

Not having a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license. It should really go without saying that if you’re going to ride at the largest motorcycle rally in the United States (possibly in the world), you should have the proper endorsement on your valid/UNEXPIRED license.

Picard wants you to be properly licensed

 

Also, here’s a reminder about helmet use: While South Dakota only requires helmets on riders under the age of 18, surrounding states may indeed require helmets on everyone. Know the laws for every state in which you’ll ride.

And finally, one thing that’s NOT illegal, despite what you may have heard? Ape hanger handlebars! The law limiting handlebar height was repealed in 2015.

ape hanger ban lifted in sturgis
The 77th Sturgis Rally is coming up August 4-13, 2017. Here’s to riding safe, having fun, and staying out of jail!

 

My fail-safe temperature guide to choosing riding gear

by on July 7, 2017
in Travel Tips

Disclaimer – I’m not an ATGATT rider. If you are, I think that’s great because that’s what suits you, but you might get squeamish reading this post. :) 

It’s not often in the middle of an Iowa riding season that I have to stop and really think about what gear is needed for a ride. Now make no mistake: my helmet, boots and jeans are must-haves that I never ride without. But as far as leathers or other cover-ups, I’m flexible depending on the expected weather. And at this time of year, “expected weather” normally means one thing: HOT.

But sometimes, we get unseasonably cool wake-up temperatures even in the middle of summer. For one July Divas ride, it was 58 degrees when I got out of bed! In fact, we weren’t even set to break 60 before 10 a.m. that day, and the high for the day was only predicted to be around 70.

In Iowa – in July! I KNOW!!

Fortunately, I’ve developed over the years a good understanding of what makes me comfortable in different temperature ranges, and as long as I stick to my “gear guide,” I’m usually pretty happy in most anything above 50 degrees. Although I’ve pretty much internalized this at this point, it was helpful at one point to write it all down. So I don’t literally refer to my chart every time I ride, but thought I’d share it anyway in all its charty glory:

Motorcycle Gear Guide for Iowa | Biker Chick News

Still, it WAS July after all. And the thought of wearing gloves and my heavy jacket in mid-summer really had me wavering on whether to follow the Guide for the Diva’s ride. Fortunately, I’ve also devised a simple test that usually convinces me the Gear Guide is right on: if I’m in doubt, I take a quick drive in the car with my bare hand hanging out the window.

This foolproof test confirmed what I already knew: I needed my heavy jacket, gloves, and gaitor, at least in the morning. And glad I wore them – I was quite comfortable all day!

So, okay – how do YOU decide what gear to wear? Click the “Comment” link above to share your thoughts!

 

Help! How do I Pack for Sturgis?

by on July 28, 2013
in Travel Tips

pack1Here’s a question I recently received via email:

“I’m riding pillion with my friend to Sturgis – I haven’t ridden for awhile or been to Sturgis for even longer. What can I expect, and what should I pack, to go to Sturgis?”

With the 2013 Sturgis Rally coming up August 5-11, I decided to write up a full post on the topic (rather than just reply privately to the email) and also posed the question over on the BCN Facebook page. On Facebook, the consensus on how to pack is sensible and three-fold: 

 

  • Take less than you think you need – you’re going to need less than you think.
  • Use space-saving containers and methods wherever possible. 
  • Take travel- or sample-sizes of bulky toiletries. 

I would also, of course, refer you to my helpful and amusing post from 2011, Load Your Bike with FLEAS, for more useful tips.

From my perspective, “what to expect” on your Sturgis trip and what to pack depends entirely on what you plan to do once you’re there. Are you going to ride? Or are you going to party?

Speaking personally, our trips in 2006 and 2009 were primarily about the scenic riding. The closest we came to a party was the wet t-shirt contest we happened upon when we strolled into the Sidehack during a downpour.

But I digress. :) Here’s a little more info that hopefully will be helpful without being preachy. I’m a mom, but you’re an adult. You don’t need me to tell you what to wear or how to have fun. :)

When you’re riding, the three primary things you can expect and pack for are wind, heat and rain.
Wind: Foam ear plugs really deaden the fatigue, noise and discomfort of heavy crosswind howling through your ears.
Heat: I found that a thin undershirt layer, with a white long-sleeve layer on top, is cooler than riding in a t-shirt. White, because it reflects rather than absorbs heat. Long-sleeve, to prevent windburn. You can always wet the long-sleeve layer if it’s unbearably hot.
Rain: It rains just about daily out there. Consider getting a rain suit if you don’t already have one. You might even consider wearing it.

The ear plugs, by the way, do double duty as post-partying equipment, because I suspect wearing them is the only way to get any sleep in the campgrounds. (It’s also been suggested to me that “drinking til you pass out” is the only way to get any sleep in the campgrounds. I haven’t tested that theory.)

Additional expectations:

  • Heavy traffic
  • Large crowds
  • South Dakota requires motorcycle helmets for riders under the age of 18. Not required for adults. 
  • South Dakota requires motorcycle handlebar handgrips to fall below shoulder height. Extreme ape-hanger bars don’t pass this test, JSYK. 

Additional packing tips:

  • You don’t need clean jeans every single day. Clean underwear every single day, yes. But a couple pairs of jeans should last you all week, which is a huge space-saver. Facebook fans agree on this point. One even posted a video about packing for a bike trip, so be sure to look for it!  
  • Take a heavy jacket. It’s less common, but still possible, that temperatures could drop. Our friends reported rain and temps in the 40’s the morning they planned to come home a few years ago.

 

Now it’s YOUR turn! If you have packing tips to add for our Sturgis-bound friends, share them in the comments!

 

Traveling? Load your bike with FLEAS!

by on May 20, 2011
in Riding Tips, Travel Tips

Whether you’re already an expert, or brand spankin’ new to traveling long distances on a motorcycle, it’s important to know how to properly pack and load your bike. Your goal, of course, is to maintain the bike’s overall balance and center of gravity so that maneuvering isn’t any more difficult with the added weight of luggage and stuff.

Like every good problem-solver these days, I’ve devised an acronym to help remember how to most effectively pack the bike for a trip. So get ready to pack your bike with FLEAS!!

Forward – Keep your load forward, meaning over or in front of the rear axle when possible. A load that is too far to the rear can affect turning or braking, or cause the bike to wobble. Use common sense,  of course: a tankbag, while certainly forward, should not interfere with your ability to manage steering or hand controls.

Low – Keep your load low, meaning inside saddle bags as much as possible. Of course, this isn’t always possible – just remember that a load carried on the passenger seat should not be stacked too high, and should not be allowed to shift when traveling. (When we traveled to Sturgis, I had to learn to swing my throw-over leg over the luggage bungeed to the sissy bar, but I didn’t feel like the bike was unbalanced. It felt like I had a lightweight passenger on the back.)

Even – Distribute weight evenly between saddlebags so the bike doesn’t want to list left or right.

Accessible – Keep important items accessible even when the bike is packed. Rain gear, cell phone, tool kit, camera… whatever is on your must-have list should be available easily when you stop for a break, so you don’t have to unpack the whole bike just to get to them.

Secure – Goes without saying you should batten down the hatches as completely as possible, especially if you have a T-bag, roll-bag, or other “loose luggage” to attach to the bike. I use multiple bungee cords, criss-crossing them over the bags and making sure they are super-snug. It’s also helpful to know your bungee plan when using multiple cords.

I hope FLEAS can help you remember how to pack for a trip… oh, I crack me up!

Know Your Bungee Plan

by on August 2, 2007
in Travel Tips

One of the challenges with traveling on my bike this year was that I had removed my saddlebags once we got home from last year’s Sturgis trip. The particular combination of shocks and lowering blocks now on the bike would have made re-installing the bag supports a challenge, so for the Estrogen Ride I just decided I would fit everything into my T-bag and strap that to the backrest of the seat, then bungee the bag to various points on the bike for stability. Problem was, without those bag supports I had fewer places on which to hook the cords so figuring out a secure bungee plan was a challenge.

When I arrived at the motel in McGregor on the first night of the ride, I quickly realized I’d never be able to remember the pattern so I got smart: before I unhooked my bag, I wrote down the colors, hook points and installation order of all the cords I’d used so I could re-do it the next day. This worked flawlessly for reloading the bike on Day Two. On Day Three, though, I’d bought enough t-shirts and other new stuff that my bag was actually bigger than it had been, so the old bungee pattern no longer worked. I had to figure out a new pattern for the ride home, but I was still pretty proud of myself for having thought to write it down. Lesson: be prepared, but be flexible – and know your bungee plan!

How to pick a destination

by on November 2, 2006
in Travel Tips

by Janet Green, Editor, Biker Chick News
copyright 2006

When I first started riding my own bike, I was happy just to get out and practice. This usually meant a ride “up around the lake,” which gave me a variety of things to encounter: curves, tight turns, road surfaces, etc. This was fine when I was very new to riding, and still thinking purposefully about the mechanical operation of the bike, when to do what as far as shifting, leaning, and that sort of thing. But there came a point where I wanted to GO somewhere… since the day I’d started, I’d had a vision of packing up the bike and taking a trip, and I finally I felt that I was done practicing, and ready to “really ride.” But where to go, and what to do? As it turned out, an invitation from some online riding sisters determined my destination and, ultimately, the route for my first overnight/longer distance ride. But in finally settling on that particular ride, I hit upon a few other ways for generating ideas about “where to go and what to do,” so for what they’re worth, I’ll share them here.

1. Draw circles on your atlas. One day I was bored and wanted to generate ideas for future road trips. I wanted to know what I could explore in my immediate region, say, no more than 2 hours away by car. So, by using the scale of miles on my atlas and some drawing tools, I was able to put some circles around my home city that showed where I could go if I wanted to go 60, 90 or 120 miles out before heading back. The map gave me cities and towns, some points of interest, scenic roads and state parks. I was able to come up with quite a list of things to see just from this one exercise.

2. I found more ideas in my state’s tourism guide. I’m sure every state has these, and many of them are online. (Here is the one for Iowa, in case you’re interested.) It was easier to browse the print guide than the online version, but by leafing through it I was able to find attractions, events and places in my state that I had never heard of. Those that interested me went on the list of “rides to ride,” no matter how far away they are from my home city.

3. Pick a theme. At one point I was getting quite elaborate with my trip planning. I dreamed up a theme and would come up with three or four rides that suited that theme, and called it a “Tour.” For example, the Shop til you Drop Tour included day-rides to J&P Cycles in Anamosa, Iowa (to shop for chrome), Jordan Creek Town Centre in West Des Moines to shop for shoes and cheesecake, and a couple others. A day-ride by itself could also be centered around a theme; I planned a “four corners” tour where I would hit the town in the four corner-most locations of my state (this would have actually taken two days), and a “World Tour” where I planned a route that went through towns named after famous places (Jamaica, Orient, Peru, Nevada, Paris, etc. – all towns in Iowa). Another “tour” just had me riding all of my state’s designated scenic highways over a period of several weeks.

4. Pick up a “roadside oddities” book for your state. My book on “roadside Iowa” includes all kinds of fascinating locations, from the Villisca Murder House and the Grotto of the Redemption, to the giant Strawberry of Strawberry Point and the giant bull in Audobon.

5. Tune in when you hear people talking, and be ready to recognize possible destination ideas wherever they may come from. I work for our local chamber of commerce, and one of my jobs is to answer the emails that come into the “info@” email address on our website. One day I received an email from someone asking about where they could find a roadside attraction that was rumored to be a “painted rock with a military theme.” A couple minutes’ internet research revealed the “Painted Rock” over by Greenfield, Iowa, painted with a veterans’ mural prior to each Memorial Day by a young man who had recently graduated from Iowa State University. A new destination was added to my own list!

Thanks to these ideas, I have somewhere around 50 planned rides that I can take when the mood strikes. I’m sure there are other ways to generate ideas, but when you get stuck wondering “Where can we go,” just try one of the above and you’ll find yourself out on the road!