History of Sturgis Bike Week
The Early Days:
The first Rally was held August, 1938 with 19 racers at the half mile track. Besides the racing, the event featured such stunts as board wall crashes, ramp jumps and head-on collisions with an automobile. Johnny Spiegelhoff, Milwaukee, won most of the prize money. $500 put up by four local business persons. The event was two days in duration and did not feature tours.
J.C. "Pappy" Hoel, owner of a local motorcycle shop, was one of the originators of the event. The Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club and the Black Hills Motor Classic Inc. were formed to develop the event.
The 1940's:
By 1940 5,000 spectators watched 150 racers run the Sturgis half mile. During World War II, the rally was not held because so many were involved in the war effort.
As the Rally grew in attendance, events and days were added. From a 1947 issue of the Indian Motorcycle News, "400 riders participated in their A.M.A. Gypsy Tour and motorcycle races".
The 60's:
In 1965 one thousand cyclists enjoyed the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce feed and program hosted in the city park, including contests for queen of the Classic, cyclist and couple traveling the longest distance outside and within the U.S. to attend the event, couple married the longest, best dressed man and woman, as well as oldest rider. Three hundred and thirty riders participated in the Gypsy Tour - a two day event with an overnight stay at Custer, South Dakota. The five days were touted as the `Biggest in History'.
The 80's:
In 1981 Pappy Hoel, motorcycle racers and area persons developed a six-sided monument listing the White Plate Flat Trackers. The white plate is a designation given to motorcycle racers fast enough to earn the distinction. The monument is located on Junction near the local hospital. Anticipated attendance for the yearly event was 25,000 to 30,000 persons.The 45th year of the Classic was dedicated to J.C. "Pappy" Hoel. Governor William Janklow dedicated the entire 1985 week to Hoel "who earned national respect and fame because of his years of devotion to friends, family and community". The news article ended with the suggestion that "regardless of what type of motorcyclist you are, you should take a minute while attending the 45th Annual Rally to pay silent homage to a man whose love of motorcycles helped make the event grow into one of the largest of motorcycle events.".
Rally attendance dramatically increased in the late 1980's. The attendance figures are drawn from S.D. Department of Transportation and Division of Public Safety statistics. Estimates of attendance are:
| 1987 | 63,000 persons | 1988 | 73,000 persons |
| 1989 | 100,000 persons | 1990 | 400,000 persons |
| 1991 | 100,000 persons | 1992 | 120,000 persons |
| 1993 | 150,000 persons | 1994 | 200,000 persons |
| 1995 | 185,000 to 215,000 persons | 1996 | 165,000 to 170,000 persons |
| 1997 | 200,000 to 220,000 persons | 1998 | 360,000 persons |
Today:
In 1991 a new group was formed to 'plan, organize and promote' the rally and races and to return significant tangible financial benefits to the residents of Sturgis. The new group was Sturgis Rally and Races, Inc. and represented the residents of Sturgis, the business community and racing organizations.Based on a phone survey, the Black Hills Motor Classic name was changed to Sturgis Rally and Races in 1992. Persons knew the event as Sturgis. The organizers wanted to emphasis the historical basis of the event - racing. Therefore the name change.
The event lasts seven days, and still has at its core - racing and touring events. Main St. has become the visual image of Sturgis Rally and Races. Four blocks closed to motorcycle traffic only is a photo pleaser. Persons attending are from all fifty states and numerous foreign countries. The National Motorcycle Museum has the maps from Rally Headquarters for both 1990 and 1997. The maps are a graphic representation of the numbers here. Maps for all other years are on loan to the Broken Spoke Bar. Maps for 1998 are also on display at the National Motorcycle Museum.
The event continues to be a crowd pleaser. The Black Hills are one of the greatest locations for motorcycle riding in the world. Persons love the mountains, the roads and the mid-western friendliness of the people. The Rally is a time to renew ties to friends and meet new friends. Persons calling for information call Sturgis a mecca, a nirvana, a place all persons who ride a motorcycle have to attend just once. If they attend once, they need to come back because they did not see everything, or ride on that special ride or just to see the friend who is always here. Sturgis cannot be described. People have tried and end with "You just have to see it!".