It goes without saying that there aren’t T-shirts for people who fly in from Newark and rent a bike. There is no one true answer to this question, but there are a lot of slogans making one case or another. One subcurrent at Sturgis, as I would soon discover, is rating who is and is not a real biker: trailers, renters, three-wheeling “trikers,” members of outlaw gangs, women. The most esteemed way to arrive at America’s legendary motorcycle rally is by riding there, from your house, on your own bike, an attitude evinced by the glut of merchandise proclaiming: I RODE MINE STURGIS ’21. Trailering is a common way to get to Sturgis, S.D., though it is generally considered the least respectable. “NO TRAILER BASHING!” the rule proclaimed.
Two were apolitical in ways that felt extremely political: “NO COVID COMMENTS” and “ABSOLUTELY NO POLITICS … YOU WILL BE DELETED!” The last concerned what is known as “trailering,” or towing your motorcycle out to Sturgis. Seven addressed matters of basic netiquette - respect, courtesy, bullying, privacy, solicitation (both kinds). In order to join one of the private Facebook groups for the 81st annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, I had to agree to 10 rules.
To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.
