McCain to roar into motorcycle haven in South Dakota

news.trendaz.com ^ | 08/04/08 | news.trendaz.com

[TornadoAlley3]

(dpa) - Senator John McCain, 71, heads to the unlikely town of Sturgis, South Dakota, on Monday to rub elbows with the rowdy tattooed rebels of the American roads at a campground rock concert.

With a population of 780,000, South Dakota on the Great Plains is hardly an election-day prize for either McCain's Republican Party or rival Democrats.

But the state doubles in population during the annual August motorcycle rally in Sturgis, at the foot of the Black Hills, that draws an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 out-of-state "wild hogs" who roar cross country to celebrate their bike culture.

McCain plans to maximize on the crowds by providing the opening act at an annual concert that honours American military veterans at the Buffalo Chip campground, his campaign said Sunday.

McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will warm up the crowd for performances by American Idol country music singer Kelly Pickler and the mercurial Kid Rock, according to the Sioux Falls Argus Leader newspaper online.

The annual motorcycle rally - from August 4-10 this year - is one of the country's largest, with a reputation for notorious and outrageous behaviour.

A novelty draw to the Buffalo Chip campground this year will be a firing range for cyclists to try out automatic rifles, including vintage World War I machine guns, camp owner Rod Woodruff told the Argus Leader.

It was not known if McCain would take a turn at the firing range - or if he would draw a crowd as large as the 200,000 who flocked to hear Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama in Berlin recently.

[Wacka]

I don’t know what’s wrong with McCain’s arms/shoulders, but personally, it doesn’t look to me like he’d be able to shoulder a rifle and fire it without some kind of complication.

A result of his stay at the Hanoi Hilton.

[Cousin Eddie]

just got back today from a week in Jackson Hole (Western Wyoming). We saw hundreds if not thousands of bikers, and 80% - 90% of them were on Harley’s....almost none of the touring bikes from Honda, Yamaha, BMW, etc. Seemed a little strange until we remembered that Sturgis was coming up. Of the few that we spoke with, virtually all were taking a pre-trip on their way to Sturgis.

When we planned our trip, we thought about driving to Mt. Rushmore, but my wife found out about Sturgis dates and we didn’t want to compete with hundreds of thousands of bikers.

[martin_fierro]

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[uglybiker]

Other staffer: "And just whom do you mean by 'we'? I, for one, have absolutely no intention of traveling to that ghastly South Pennsyltucky place or whatever it is.

And I certainly have no wish to come in contact with a bunch of heathen...ugh!...motorcyclists! I hear they wear animal skins! And drink beer! Out of cans, no less!

Absolutely dreadful!"

[Alia]

When I first arrived in NC, an active duty female MP, took me out on the town around and in Fayetteville. We hit all the biker clubs. Hogs lined the clubs, row after row. Walked inside, and the place was plastered with BUSH/CHENEY stickers, conservative slogans, libertarian slogans, Republican stickers. Party? Did I party? :)

This chick, me, moved from San Francisco Bay Area. I could hardly believe what I was seeing. First time out, I kept thinking the protestors would be showing up at any time. That the hogs and cars would get keyed. That any moment, someone was gonna bust in and arrest everyone for smoking.

I danced and sang, and karaoked, screamed and yelled with everyone else when discussing "issues" and "legislations.

I think John McCain is going to have a blast of a time at Sturgis!

[Alia]

All around Fayetteville, NC (Fort Bragg) beginning on a Friday night, one can see military on Hogs in groups, getting ready for a weekend trek. There's black riders, white riders, mixed riders, female riders, co-ed riders -- all these different groups of military on hogs.

Then, there's the vets on hogs, and they are all over the place here. Elks on hogs; Masons on hogs; Catholics on Hogs, Protestants on Hogs. There's rednecks on hogs.... and the article is thinking the riders are ?what? ?

Throughout CA, the riders are libertarians and conservatives.

Oh. No wonder the author thinks the riders are "bad" people.

[Clemenza]

What do you call us patriots who just happen to like Triumphs and Hondas (and not the ricing, er, racing bikes either)?

Good move by McCain. He will find more supporters at Sturgis than detractors. Love to see him get together with Rolling Thunder.

[mamelukesabre]

That ain’t no harley. tHat’s one of them eye-talyun jobbies.

[Clemenza]

There have been gay motorcycle clubs in New York since the early 60s. Don’t know if they show up in Sturgis though.

[chris_bdba]

Yep I think so too! :D

[Seruzawa]

Heh heh. My uncle fought at Tarawa, was a long time Triumph fan and hated Harleys. I guess he wasn’t American enough for you, eh?

[flaglady47]

Sounds like great fun. If I were younger, I would love to be in Sturgis for the event. When in my 20’s, I had a BMW and later a Suzuki (because my cousin owned a Suzuki franchise). I love motorcycles. I love just to look at a beautiful bike. When I lived in Boulder, Colorado for a year a long time ago, I would plunk myself on the back of my friends’ bikes, and off we’d go up into the mountains. Nothing like the fresh air and open views you get while on a motorcycle. Those were the days.

[Alia]

Interesting thought. The gay bikers I knew (SF) would not do a Sturgis trip. They'd be more inclined to do Burning Man. Not that the gay bikers I knew were afraid of Sturgis; it's just an interest thing: Burning Man would have, say, more interesting and attractive events and people to them, than would Sturgis.

The Gay Bikers from my old neck of the woods all but own the Russian River area. So, they zoom up north across the Golden Gate bridge for weekends.

Sturgis is truly a far more rigorous ride; and the event of Sturgis is the climactic celebration of the ride.

But then heck, the reality is... Why would Dykes on Bykes wanna go to Sturgis when they can bogey on down through the streets of SF, as they own 'em, in a manner of speaking. ;>

[Alia]

Wish I was goin’!

[21twelve]

Just drove through there. Told my kids that a lot of those “scruffy looking characters” are riding $40,000 bikes and obviously have the smarts and the drive to be successful. And look at their jackets closly (Vietnam Vet, Desert Storm Vet, Biker for Jesus, etc.)

[Robe]

With a population of 780,000, South Dakota on the Great Plains is hardly an election-day prize for either McCain's Republican Party A damn site better "prize" that 200,00 in Berlin !!!!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Bicycle helmet..check...tire reflecter..check...homie in car with windows down...check.

Got all that correct!

Obama on a fatboy, well, you decide.

Can't say... Never seen a picture of Larry Sinclair...

[Alia]

How cool!!! The only affair my dad had was with a 40s Indian. He loved that thing. Still has the framed photograph. HOWEVER, it was quite another story when I wanted to get a motorcycle. He wouldn't even hear about me even getting a convertible car!

Then I had kids, and my passion was checking out motorcyles with the side car attachments. I wanted one for trekking around town. My dad found out about it; and sent me a 14 page listing of the new laws concerning "transportation" and small children.

I still wanna ride. lol

[Alia]

LOL! SO true. They look like the scene players to the song: Bad to the Bone! lol. And they clean up so good. ;>

[thefactor]

bikes and guns? 2 of my favorite things! i have to get to sturgis sometime in the future. and i’m gonna ride out there. none of this puttin your bike on a trailer and driving it out there crap.