Words and photos by Kali Kotoski
Editor’s Note: With Sturgis being such a wild and expansive event, it is impossible to cover it in one coherent story. So, Thunder Press approached the rally by interviewing numerous individuals to get their stories. Look for a series of vignettes published online throughout September!
If you are looking to buy a bike, head to Black Hills Harley-Davidson and you will find yourself in good company. According to co-owner Terry Rymer, Black Hills sold a whopping 596 bikes during the rally. You will also find over 100 industry product leaders camped out at this massive facility. There are also plenty of unique bikes to see as well.
If you are at Sturgis be sure to cool off in the well-lit Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum. They have a wild collection of bikes and plenty of rare artifacts of American motorcycling history.
Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award winner Gloria Struck and her Motor Maids pose with legendary custom bike builder Ron Finch during the Sturgis induction ceremony. “Ron, you are now an honorable motor maid,” Gloria told him. As we all know, Gloria, 94, has been riding for over 75 years and is a celebrity in her own right. She is sharp as tack, has no problem throwing a bit of shade and is still riding! Labeled as “too extreme” by some, Ron’s custom builds are absolutely insane, psychedelic and smooth. Ron has pushed motorcycles to their aesthetic limits. His art embodies the brutal I-don’t-give-a-shit individualism of motorcycle life and the enduring pursuit of freedom.
