A GOOD RALLY IS IN THE PLANNING
Sturgis... the very name of this small high plains community summons visions of motorcycling at its best. But what you should know before you go is that the rally experience can be motorcycling at its worst. For example, a few years ago after Colorado had already passed laws concerning medical marijuana, a friend and I were making our annual pilgrimage to the rally. We were roughly twenty miles Sturgis on the interstate when a South Dakota highway patrolman put on his lights and pulled us over, which we did unaware of any violations we could have incurred.“ Good day, gentlemen... can I see your licenses, registration and insurance.” We complied. He returned to his cruiser and after a few moments on the radio, brought back our documents.“ Thank you for your compliance and have a nice day,” he said handing them back.“ By the way, South Dakota does not recognize medical marijuana.” Damn, guilt by Colorado. Things that you and I take for granted at home are still outlawed in other western states. And while I myself don’ t smoke, eat or otherwise imbibe, those that do need to be mindful that you could still end up in the pokey for‘ smoking mother nature’ as the old song lyrics go. But that isn’ t what this is about specifically. There are a whole lot of different things you need to prepare for each year at this time whether this is your first timer or your fifty-first time. So listed below are some of the top things that should be at the fore front of your mind as you prepare for a rally whether in Sturgis or elsewhere.
WEATHER: Colorado, weathermen aren’ t perfect, but in the northern and central-tier states, particularly the plains states of Eastern Montana, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Western Minnesota there are vast stretches of rural, thinly populated areas with no shelter should a severe thunderstorm move in quickly, which can happen at any moment it seems like. Even
12 Thunder Roads Magazine ® Colorado October 2016 www. thunderroadscolorado. com