(Photo Credit: mcrvlife / Shutterstock.com)
Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the largest such rally in the world, in person this year. While it won’t quite be the same as physically being there, you can see the rally as a pay-per-view event this year — for the first time.
Even if you’re attending the rally, you can watch all the races and events you weren’t able to attend on the pay-per-view event.
The 82nd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally will be held August 5–14, in Sturgis, South Dakota. The pay-per-view event will be presented by Ryde TV, which broadcasts live races and exclusive shows focused on “all things Ryde,” sponsored by Classic Easyriders magazine, and hosted out of the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, the “epicenter” of the rally.
“The Ryde TV Network has featured tens of thousands of hours of two-wheeled content from live race broadcasts, live scoring, and timing to in-depth instructional videos, product reviews, and original feature shows,” Justin Thompson, CEO of Ryde TV, said in a statement. “We are delighted to expand our offering to our subscribers to include the largest biker rally in the world and to introduce Sturgis Rally fans to this amazing content on their smartphone, tablet, and smart TV.”
Rod Woodruff, Sturgis Buffalo Chip president, added, “We know everyone can’t come every year, so this is a great opportunity to catch the party wherever you are or catch parts of the party you may have missed while here.”
The Sturgis Rally
The Sturgis Rally, which starts on the first Friday of August every year, is the brainchild of J.C. “Pappy” Hoel. Hoel operated an Indian Motorcycle dealership in Sturgis, but he also raced bikes and promoted races.
In 1938, Hoel and a motorcycle club he formed, the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, hosted a Gypsy Tour through South Dakota’s Black Hills. That tour kicked off what was first called “The Black Hills Motor Classic,” a rally that also featured motorcycle stunts and races.
That first rally drew 200 participants. Interestingly, Hoel and his wife, Pearl, provided camping for the attendees in the backyard of their Indian Motorcycle dealership, according to Hot Bike.
In contrast, 525,768 vehicles attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally last year, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation. That number was up nearly 14 percent from 2020, when 462,182 vehicles attended the rally.
The Live Event
Ryde TV will send crews out across the Black Hills to film events to be streamed live on smartphones, smart TVs, computers, and tablets. Programming will be repeated daily and available anytime to subscribers.
Live events being covered will include the Sturgis Buffalo Chip/Knuckle Busters School’s Out Chopper Show, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Legends Ride, the Black Hills Harley-Davidson’s Vendor Circus, stunt shows, and, of course, the Miss Buffalo Chip contest.
Pay-per-view subscriptions are now available here, and you can find a full list of Sturgis Buffalo Chip events here.
Attending The Sturgis Rally
If you’d like to attend the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in person and want to register in advance, you can learn more about the Sturgis.com Official Sturgis Rally registration packet, which includes maps, coupons, and tips, here.
If you’re planning a road trip to the rally, be sure to check out all of our South Dakota coverage, including:
