| My family and I drive from Minnesota to Colorado | | | | cars or trucks have broken down. |
| each summer for our vacation. Our trip typically | | | | 4. Protect the things you own. Sturgis riders are kind, |
| occurs in early August, which means that on the trek | | | | but DO NOT mess with their bikes. Retribution is |
| home, we share the highways and Interstates with | | | | swift, sure and loud when someone tries to harm |
| thousands of bikers who are driving to or returning | | | | another person's Harley. |
| from the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South | | | | 5. Prepare for the worst. Bikes break down, fierce |
| Dakota. | | | | thunderstorms erupt, bodies succumb to the |
| Few groups of people in America are as colorful and | | | | elements. I've seen that and much more while |
| fascinating as Sturgis attendees, and in observing | | | | traveling in the West, and I've never seen a Sturgis |
| them I have learned a few things that can be applied | | | | rider who was unprepared to deal with the adverse |
| to the solopreneur life. | | | | conditions they face. |
| 1. Invest in great equipment. I estimate that at least | | | | 6. Make the journey, but know your limitations. Not |
| 99 percent of Sturgis participants ride | | | | every rider who goes to Sturgis gets there on two |
| Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Harleys are the bike of | | | | wheels. Hundreds of attendees make the trip in |
| choice for Sturgis because they can cover hundreds | | | | trucks, with their bikes stowed or towed behind. |
| of miles, day after day, in temperatures that | | | | Other rally participants use three-wheel Harleys to |
| routinely top 100 degrees. When you're crossing the | | | | reduce the strain and stress of the ride. |
| High Plains, the nearest Harley dealer could be | | | | 7. Get enough rest. Hotels filled with Sturgis folk are |
| hundreds of miles away; you do not want your bike | | | | some of the quietest I've ever stayed in. The bikers |
| to break down. | | | | know that, if they're going to survive the next day's |
| 2. Take good care of your stuff. Few sights are as | | | | long haul, recovery and sleep are mandatory. |
| impressive as a long line of Harleys parked in a row. | | | | 8. Don't go it alone. Bikers are considered to be lone |
| We see Harleys standing outside of the hotels where | | | | wolves, but bikers actually travel in groups, often |
| we stay, and nearly every one of the bikes looks like | | | | riding with people they have met along the way. |
| a work of art--a combination of steel, chrome, | | | | There's safety in numbers, and it's more fun, too. |
| leather, paint and curves. Even on a trip like Sturgis, | | | | 9. Don't take unnecessary risks. Sturgis riders don't |
| the bikes shine like the day they rolled off the | | | | make dumb decisions while on their bikes. Weaving in |
| assembly line in Milwaukee. And many of the | | | | and out of traffic? No. Driving at excessive speeds? I |
| motorcycles are 20, 30 years old. Clearly, these | | | | rarely see it. Riding without a helmet? No sir. Texting |
| machines are cared for extremely well. | | | | while at the wheel? Out of the question. Riding a |
| 3. Help those in need. Sturgis riders look mean and | | | | motorcycle (and being a solopreneur) is risky enough; |
| tough, but I have seen dozens of instances where | | | | you can't afford to be foolish. |
| the riders have stopped to help motorists whose | | | | |