What do our TRAVELLERS have to say?

Lincoln Mainsbridge   Western Australia

Tony & Prue Rockliff   Tasmania, Australia

Nicole Brosing  NSW, AUSTRALIA NEW!

2008 trek to Sturgis

In 1993 I set off with a mate on a trip to the states to, among other places, visit Sturgis.
It was a trip planned with the love of motorcycles in mind. We visited the Paucho factory, head office of custom chrome, went to an antique American motor cycle show and swap,
( these things are huge in the states, I’ve never seen so many rare vintage bikes in my life as this one meeting), and of course Sturgis.

Sturgis is the ultimate experience for the Harley fan. It is huge! There are people from all walks of life, from every corner of the world, and on every bike imaginable.

The only down side to the trip, well we were on a real tight budget, so we had to buy a van to live in for the 3 months we were travelling…..

Fast forward to 2008.  the roads and the experience of the states was calling to me yet again. Some one mentioned in passing about a trip to the states again for Sturgis. I didn’t need much convincing.

The only difference this time, was that I promised myself I was going on a bike this time.
So I hit the internet, looking for bike hire. Hmm, Eagle Rider LA. Sounds good, good prices, great fleet of bikes, handy location.

Then I got onto their agent here in Australia. Better still. All transactions done thru Australia, great service, and wouldn’t you know it, cheaper than going direct.

So we land in LA 30th july 2008. pick up the bike the next day, load them the hellup with a month’s worth of crap, and we head north.

The old hwy 1 is the best scenic route, a slower ride, but well worth it. Some of the most breathtaking scenery you could hope for. Lots of places to stop for fuel and a look around, plenty of good hospitality.  Don’t be fooled by the hot weather and the thought of summer though, it gets damn cold as you head north.

Sanfransisco, cold blowy, but wow as far as art and architecture, food and feel. Then we head inland again, and take old hwy 4 up to Reno. Fabulous ride thru the mountains, it is one lane in some parts, and isn’t signed so well, caution must be taken on this road! Experienced riders only. It is closed for snow in the winter. Well worth the trip. Untouched wilderness, with plenty of gas stops.

As you come down into Reno, it gets hot as blazes again. So it’s a great relief to ride north and head up into Yellowstone, thru the south gate and onto some of the most amazing, open  winding roads, I, as a motorcyclist could ever hope to dream of.

After a few days of perfect riding, we head out the east gate thru Fishing Village. Now you have to be a bit careful around here, buffalo have right of way, and they can have it, cause they are bigger than a compact car, but if you get stuck in the middle of a herd crossing, and you’re on a bike, you best be respecting mother nature.

Ok, so bigger than a house buffalo encounter out of the way, (change of pants), off thru cowboy country, Wyoming, still heading east. You can tell you’re getting close to South Dakota by the amount of bikes on trailers behind huge RV’S. these Americans have some of the world’s best roads, and yet they trailer their bikes anything over a couple of hundred miles, and even when they do ride, they take the quickest route, on the biggest hwy, to get there as fast as they can.  I can’t understand that myself.

Sturgis was everything I remembered it to be and more. Huge, and loud, and everything you could hope for in the most massive rally in the USA.

Sturgis is not just one event. There are a number of camp grounds around the city, that all have their own entertainment, as well as all the saloons and the neighbouring town of Deadwood. You could stay for a week and never see the same thing twice.

I was lucky enough to meet up with a group of magazine people, (horse, and bikernet.com), so I ended up helping out with the event they were running at the Thunderdome. Hell, I even got an email a couple of months later from my friend in Indiana, that I made it into Easyrider mag. Ha ha, I just can’t hide.

After Sturgis, we jumped back on the bikes, and headed south to go thru Colorado via the national monument, MT Rushmore, but after Rushmore we copped a huge storm front, (the only rain we got the whole time), so we outran it and took a different route.

Heading to Las Vegas Nevada, we rode some amazing roads thru desert and canyons, once again picture perfect scenery. It is amazing how, in such a populated country, you can pull up on the side of the road, climb down a ravine to a fresh fast flowing river, and feel as though you are the only person on earth.

Las Vegas was hot as hell, I actually cooked the battery in the bike, but one phone call, and the guy from Eagle Rider LV came out, replaced it, and we were on our way again. Fantastic service, yet again.

Riding across the desert toward LA was hell. So hot it makes you feel weary, be sure to drink plenty of water, all that beer you drank in Sturgis, that got sweated out in the first hour in 120 degree heat. Stop a lot, and rest. Travelling early morning, and late afternoon is the best way to not die of heat exhaustion.

Back to LA, and a night with our new friends from Sturgis, on the plane and home.

Fast forward one year, Sturgis 2009, here we come!!!! Stay tuned for our next trip.

Karen 'Kaz' Purre [Guide]  Denver, Colorado USA

Where do I start? Firstly, I want to thank each and every one of you for the opportunity of being your tour guide/manager. I could not have asked for a better group of people to lead through one of my favorite regions in the world! You made each day so enjoyable and I looked forward to getting up each morning to start a new adventure (which is quite a fete in and of itself - not being a natural morning person!) We shared in the awe and joy of the natural wonders we visited and you made it all the more special by appreciating what you were seeing and the roads you were traveling.

Secondly, whether it makes any difference to you or not, I want to compliment and applaud the way the group came together as a pack. You cannot imagine how grateful I was for the cooperation and attention to "road rules" - each one of you contributed to the pack and hopefully learned some new road skills along the way - which would be applicable wherever you ride in the world. The sheer joy of riding "in the zone" is unmatched - well, ok, maybe there are a few more things in life that are more enjoyable , but not many!

And last but not least, the highest regards to all of you in terms of creating a funny, caring (I know guys don't like that word but too bad!), mellow, forgiving (!), and ultra friendly group. If you think about taking a random group of people from all over the world, with different cultures, values, etc.and throw them altogether in a tour, it is rare (and I speak from experience) that a group creates such a warm (another word guys don't like) and truly friendly and fun atmosphere. I think I can say that lasting friendships were created and personally, I can't wait until we create a reunion ride. I thank all of you for a most wonderful enjoyable tour.

Brian Simpson & Andrew Parker   Victoria - Australia (2007)

Synopsis:
- The 2008 Monster Tour started in San Francisco on July 22nd and finished in Chicago on 31st August
- The Ride itself was 7,750miles / 13,120km (is that the longest ride on Harley-Davidsons in the world?)
- It included the 68th Sturgis Rally, 105th Harley-Davidson Anniversary & 35th HOG Anniversary in Milwaukee
& Elvis Week in Memphis.
- Major Cities we visited:
San Francisco, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Denver, Deadwood, St Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Knoxville, Washington, New York, Niagara Falls, Milwaukee, Chicago.

Karen 'Kaz' Purre [Guide]  Denver, Colorado USA

Jay Krause  Goldcoast - Queensland, Australia

Rental: I found Eagle Rider rentals a pleasure to deal with, Goldie and I met with Matt in Denver the day before we were supposed to pick up our bikes, sorted things out quickly regarding the bikes (I got my Wide Glide, Sean got his Electra and Goldie was happy with his bike switch) and went back late afternoon after Kaz had arrived, filled out the paperwork and we were away, which meant no hanging around the next morning.
My bike was only a year old (2007 model), performed well the whole journey and the drop off in Chicago was again easy and painless.
Overall, I would do Eagle Rider rentals again without hesitation – much easier than what I had heard about the Harley fly / ride bikes.
Accommodation: Did we pick the right hotels? Should we change things? The hotels were good, obviously being Best Western customers you got discounted rates and so you should primarily using the one hotel group throughout the tour. Some of the hotels were a little tired (older buildings) but in all cases they were clean.
In general the hotel location was good at each stop, located close to eateries, sights and amenities etc.
Not all the hotels had their own laundry, which we had to work around occasionally, given that we would accumulate 3 or 4 days washing before it had to be done. The last night’s hotel was too far from the city and the airport, but this is probably because you were thinking off the Midway Airport.

 

Jodi & Sean Lake New Zealand

Goldie & Jo   UK

Rental: Bikes were spot on, was a little concerned when i picked up the bike as im not used to such a dressy/faired bike. worries soon passed as the miles were eaten up in total comfort. Jo was a happy Bunny with the back seat as she'd got a back rest (it bloody spoilt her). 

Accommodation: All the accomodation was great, (nuff said)

Route: The riding was great also,the routes were breathtaking, some of the days seemed long and seemed to be we were getting to one place going to bed after a meal then off again..... It just seemed that in some stops there wasnt enough time to enjoy where we were. (i do get that as the distance we needed to cover etc) 

Guide: Kaz was fantastic and more than knowledgeable about all the areas, (would it be adviseable to get some short wave radio's or something for to communicate between the riders and Driver, just for fag breaks and general chit chat). 

Doug Trail   Kalgoorlie - Western Australia

John Addink   Kalgoorlie - Western Australia

Sad for the holiday to end but also glad to be back home, Yes we did have a great time especially the part covered by your team.

Rentals:The rental bikes were good, mile high were helpful in the way they did their part. the only thing that may need to be stressed is the amount that they "hold" for security on the credit card ($2,000) at the time my card wasn't set for that amount.
Accommodation was of reasonable quality, rooms were clean and tidy and the hotels/motels were easy enough to locate. What more is there?
The routes you set up for us were no doubt spectacular.Each day, each bend or hill brought something new to our senses. The road book, as long as we read it properly, was set up well.
Any changes, for myself personally it was an experience that will stay with me for a long time so I wouldn't change a thing. As we were a small group and all knew each other (Wayne fitted right in) it put a different slant on the trip whereas a larger group with a guide and completely different dynamic set up may have had a different out come?

Thanks once again for setting up this sort of trip and would recommend you to any one thinking about doing the same as we did.

I had the absolute best holiday.
The 3 guys from Kalgoorlie (Doug, Dave and John) were great to travel with and my roommate John and I got on really well with no problems whatsoever. Everyday was an adventure and it was an absolute pleasure to get on the bike each morning and head off to whereever.
The people in the US were so friendly everywhere we went and some of the best days were along the backroads and through the small towns, that many Aussie tourists would never get to see. The little Cafes and Saloons were great for a meal and a beer and we were always made to feel most welcome by the locals.
Sturgis was unbelieveable. Something like 400,000 bikes on every road in and out of the place, all day and into each night, all roads were like freeway traffic (but moving well) with about 95% Harleys. Lots of V8 Choppers, trikes and all sorts of wonderful characters on and off the road. The place shook all day with the thunder of the bikes.
Your route sheets took us through some fantastic country, way up in the mountains amongst the snow was a highlight. My Fatboy was a 2008 with only a few miles on the clock, and a dream to ride. I will definitely do this again (I have started saving aleady!!).
I think Route 66 would be the go next time.
Thank you very much for arranging the trip of a lifetime. It will stay with me always.

Phil Hollis  Australia (2007)

Hey there ken. well us crazy aussies (as we became known) made it back from the states. wow what a trip.  
the bike hire went smooth, no real problems with anything. the other chick picked her bike up in reno, they were very helpful there.  
I fried my battery in Las Vegas, (f*&^k it was hot), but i rang them, and they had a truck around with a replacement in under 45 mins. can't beat that for service.  
In all we clocked up just over 4,000 miles, the roads over there were fabulous. we rode flat out all day long and not a cop in sight. got to love that. On one stage, we did two whole days without a straight peice of road. that's what i call biker heaven.  
Once again, thanks for the service and help with everything.  
I will be needing a bike over there next year too. sturgis via alaska....