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Black Hills Classic

What is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally?

For most of the year, Sturgis, South Dakota, with a population of just over 6,000, is a quiet town not far from Mount Rushmore and the famous Black Hills.

But during the first two weeks of August, the silence is shattered by the roaring of hundreds of thousands of motorcycles, as bikers from around the world roll in, rock out, drink up and party down at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the granddaddy of all motorcycle rallies.

The first rally, originally known as the Black Hills Motor Classic, was held in 1938, and was the brainchild of Sturgis native J.C. "Pappy" Hoel, who began his career in the motorcycle industry after the invention of the refrigerator pushed him out of the natural ice business. From its humble beginnings as a small gathering of less than 10 participants and a smattering of onlookers and motorcycle enthusiasts, the rally grew into an annual event. Today, it is the largest of its kind in the world, drawing not just bikers, but international rock stars, celebrities and candidates for national office.

Among the things one will find at the rally are motorcycle races of all types, concerts, tattoo stands, plenty of food and parties galore.

The rally has happened almost every year since, with the exception of World War II, when gasoline rationing forced its cancellation. But every August since then, the town of Sturgis has honored the vision of Pappy Hoel and his wife Pearl and become the thundering center of the vibrant motorcycle community and the rip-roaring party that comes along with it.