“Da Bus” dropped us off right in the middle of town a block off the main drag. We asked a cop where the locals eat, and he pointed us to Mama Mia’s Italian place. We had spaghetti and meatballs that were so good we returned for breakfast this morning – but I’m getting ahead of my story.
Last night the sidewalks were wall to wall bikers dressed in everything from leathers to almost nothing at all. One gal had covered herself with netting and was out in her all-together! Most guys just rolled their eyes and walked on. Earlier in the day someone told us a gal got busted for flashing her boobs. Evidently it’s ok if you have pasties on, but beware the flash if you’re exposing bare flesh.
Evidently the clothes police hadn’t caught up with the little netted angel yet. All in all, most people were just having a blast showing some cleavage and strutting their stuff. We were tucked in bed last night by 11:00 PM and on the Norton roaring toward Sturgis with the wind in our hair by 9:00 AM. We got a great place to park on Main Street not far from Mama Mia’s where we loaded up on carbs, carbs, carbs (great gravy with Italian sausage, biscuits, bacon, regular sausage, scrambled eggs, and coffee $7.95). We’re not looking at the scale again until September.
The number of bikes on the streets just boggles the mind! However, one statistic we’re pretty sure about says that among all the others there is only one Norton! Seriously, we really haven’t seen any other British iron, and apparently not many bikers were aware there were any Nortons still on the road because Frank got lots of questions and ohhh’s and ahhh’s.
(Frank) The biggest kick I’m getting out of Sturgis is having the same bike here 33 years after its first time. In 1976 I rode the Norton from Virginia to Sturgis back when he was configured for touring and named Big Red. Now I’ve brought him back reincarnated as the Cafe Racer Starship Snoopy. It would be fun to find out how many other bikes are returning after such long hiatuses. There are probably bikes that have been here every year for the last 33 years. At breakfast we saw a white-haired lifestyle biker whose wife was using a walker. We placed them easily in their late seventies, possibly eighties. I’ll bet they’ve been here a bunch of times. His beard was braided and beaded and his hair pulled back in a long braid. Sturgis is a town of 7,000 residents. During Bike Week the population swells by 100,000 to 200,000 people. I’ve heard that the town generates enough revenue during Bike Week to meet all its needs for the rest of the year. Likewise, while the local residents probably hate the week itself, they too make out like bandits by allowing bike parking on their property for outrageous rates, allowing bikers to camp in their front and back yards, and renting out rooms. Local businesses literally shut down for the week, move all of their products and employees to back rooms or upstairs and rent out the fronts of their properties to Bike Week vendors. The saying goes about the residents of Sturgis, “Those who can, leave. Those who can’t, gouge.”
Even though money drives Sturgis, it must be said that it’s a happy environment. The vendors are happy, the locals are pleasant, and the bikers are not so rowdy that you feel unsafe downtown. The aging of America includes motorcyclists, and we’re walking around with people with a median age of 50 plus. Yes, there are young men and sweet young things here, but frankly at Sturgis, geezers rule.
Love, Two Geezers and a pup
No comments:
Post a Comment