Sturgis Rat’s Hole Best in Show Custom Motorcycles
Custom Motorcycles
Custom motorcycles at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show held at the Buffalo Chip during the 2013 Sturgis Rally.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an American motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, usually during the first full week of August. It began in 1938 and was originally held for stunts and races, but it has evolved into being a meeting for motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. It brings significant income to the citizens of Sturgis, a town of only 6,627 people. It is one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the world.
For many years the City has been in a Licensing agreement with a community non-profit, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, inc, and its predecessor’in-interest, the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, that generates millions of dollars in Royalties and Sponsorship dollars.[7] In 2012 the City Council reaffirmed this relationship through a unanimous proclamation.
The City of Sturgis has calculated that the Rally brings over $800 million to South Dakota annually. The City of Sturgis earned almost $270,000 in 2011 from selling event guides and sponsorships. The rally makes up 95% of the city’s annual revenue.
There were 405 individuals jailed at the 2004 rally, and approximately $250,000 worth of motorcycles stolen annually. Rally-goers are a mix of white-collar and blue-collar workers and are generally welcomed as an important source of income for Sturgis and surrounding areas.[10] The rally turns local roads into “parking lots”, and draws local law enforcement away from routine patrols.
The Lakota Indian tribe in coalition with other tribes has protested the large amount of alcohol distributed at the event so close to the sacred Bear Butte, but also acknowledged that income from the event was important to the region and also benefits some members of the tribes.
