Trailers. Bikes.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 6,386
Likes: 900
From: Columbus, Ohio
Trailers. Bikes.
I'm enroute now. We'll, not at the moment. . . I'm in a hotel room in western Illinois. Bit, so far, I've seen more trailers loaded down than motorcycles. One guy at a gas station told us we were crazy for riding all that way. Dangerous and takes too long, he said. 
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 21,737
Likes: 17,577
From: Driftless Area
Some of my "antique" friends still ride their bikes from the'30's on up there and back. Takes them an extra day or two, because the bikes run slower.
From_Behind, it's sad that the W.H.O.R.E.s (We Haul Our Rides Everywhere) are looking down at the actual riders now.
Must be the ones unloading their bikes and getting into accidents because they have had no practice or experience while getting there.
From_Behind, it's sad that the W.H.O.R.E.s (We Haul Our Rides Everywhere) are looking down at the actual riders now.
Must be the ones unloading their bikes and getting into accidents because they have had no practice or experience while getting there.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 708
Likes: 3
From: Newark Ohio
[QUOTE=RHPAW;14261807]
it's sad that the W.H.O.R.E.s (We Haul Our Rides Everywhere) are looking down at the actual riders now.QUOTE]
Where did you see that? I haven't seen anybody looking down their noses at the folks who choose to ride. All I ever see is internet bikers looking down their noses at folks who choose to trailer......
it's sad that the W.H.O.R.E.s (We Haul Our Rides Everywhere) are looking down at the actual riders now.QUOTE]
Where did you see that? I haven't seen anybody looking down their noses at the folks who choose to ride. All I ever see is internet bikers looking down their noses at folks who choose to trailer......
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 915
Likes: 29
From: SE FL & Black Hills SD
From what I have seen. The reality is that the vast majority that ride anything over 1000 miles to get to an event is because THEY HAVE TO. Nothing wrong with that, they just haven't the ***** to admit they can't afford to ship or trailer.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,945
Likes: 85
From: Florida
There are those with a passion to ride.
And there are those who want a unique motorcycle vacation experience in comfort.
Nothing wrong with either, just different desires driving their actions.
As evidence, you should look at riders from any other make. Clearly Gold Wingers have similar income demographics as Harley riders, yet they are not seen on trailers travelling cross-country.
BMW rider income demographics exceed Harley riders, yet they never trailer to their bikes to rallies.
Both the Wingers and Beemers could easily afford trailers to pull their bikes. They choose not to. They choose to ride. Level of income and discretionary income is not dictating why they ride.
Trailering bikes, especially those made for touring, is uniquely Harley.
Harley riders are passionate about their bikes. No doubt about that.
But, as a whole, they don't have that same level of passion for riding.
That explains a lot of the Harley trailer phenomena.
When you get bored this weekend try an experiment.
Go to cycletrader.com
Search touring bikes.
Screen your search for the highest mileage band.
Start looking at mileage on Harleys compared to same year Wingers and Beemer.
You will find high mileage Harley in the 80,000 mile range, for same year bikes, high mileage Wings and BMWs will have 150,000+ miles on them.
It's the passion of the rider that determines whether he is going to sit in the saddle for cross-country runs or trailer it, not income.
Last edited by Jonesee; Aug 1, 2015 at 09:42 AM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 10,788
Likes: 2,222
From: Texas
I LIKE riding my bike to the Sturgis Trailer Rally.
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Joe Kucinski
Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,585
Likes: 673
From: Rolla
I've been following this thread just because I get a kick out of everyone trying to defend their reasons to either ride or to trailer to an event.
Initially I too got sucked into the discussion, but I went back and deleted my comment strictly because I realized that nobody is right as to whether it's best to ride or trailer.
It boils down to time, ability and in the end desire as to which method of transportation is selected..
We just got back from the Black Hills of South Dakota and yes there is a town there that we visited called Sturgis, but we didn't attend the Rally seeing that it doesn't start until Monday.
We spent 7 days in the Black Hills area enjoying riding the Badlands, Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway, Iron Mt. Road, Rim Rock Highway and many others.
As we do every year we spent 3 nights at the Hickok Hotel in Deadwood and closed down Saloon #10 on Saturday morning after a killer night partying with the Days of '76 Cowboys and the other "bikers like us" that were there to have a good time.
We rode into Sturgis and walked Main and Lazelle Streets.
We spend a couple of hours visiting all the vendors that were setup and did a little shopping.
We also spent a couple of hours at Black Hills Harley Davidson visiting all the vendors there and doing a little more shopping.
In all we had a fantastic time visiting, partying, riding, shopping and just being in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Does it really matter how we or our bike got there?
I don't think so.
That being said, even being only 500 miles from the Black Hills I would never choose to ride "2-up" when I have the option of driving.
Why? Because it's my choice of travel not because it's the best way to get there.
That being said, if others choose to ride, that's OK too.
If I was riding solo I could see me riding up with a group vs. trailering.
BTW, a few years back I did ride to the Black Hills and I will have to say the 300 miles on I90 from Sioux Falls to Wall is absolutely some of the worst riding I'm ever done.
Other than Mitchell and Chamberlain there just isn't anything there.
In the end does it really matter how you get there as long as you get there safely?
I don't think so.
As for this past trip, below is how we and our bike got there:
Initially I too got sucked into the discussion, but I went back and deleted my comment strictly because I realized that nobody is right as to whether it's best to ride or trailer.
It boils down to time, ability and in the end desire as to which method of transportation is selected..
We just got back from the Black Hills of South Dakota and yes there is a town there that we visited called Sturgis, but we didn't attend the Rally seeing that it doesn't start until Monday.
We spent 7 days in the Black Hills area enjoying riding the Badlands, Spearfish Canyon, Needles Highway, Iron Mt. Road, Rim Rock Highway and many others.
As we do every year we spent 3 nights at the Hickok Hotel in Deadwood and closed down Saloon #10 on Saturday morning after a killer night partying with the Days of '76 Cowboys and the other "bikers like us" that were there to have a good time.
We rode into Sturgis and walked Main and Lazelle Streets.
We spend a couple of hours visiting all the vendors that were setup and did a little shopping.
We also spent a couple of hours at Black Hills Harley Davidson visiting all the vendors there and doing a little more shopping.
In all we had a fantastic time visiting, partying, riding, shopping and just being in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Does it really matter how we or our bike got there?
I don't think so.
That being said, even being only 500 miles from the Black Hills I would never choose to ride "2-up" when I have the option of driving.
Why? Because it's my choice of travel not because it's the best way to get there.
That being said, if others choose to ride, that's OK too.
If I was riding solo I could see me riding up with a group vs. trailering.
BTW, a few years back I did ride to the Black Hills and I will have to say the 300 miles on I90 from Sioux Falls to Wall is absolutely some of the worst riding I'm ever done.
Other than Mitchell and Chamberlain there just isn't anything there.
In the end does it really matter how you get there as long as you get there safely?
I don't think so.
As for this past trip, below is how we and our bike got there:
I rode mine to Sturgis last year for the actual Rally, while wife stayed home.
I had never even been to the Black Hills before and liked riding that area so much, I just had to get the wife there this year.
There is no way she was going to enjoy "riding" that far, so I bought a trailer.
Also, since we were there to ride and enjoy the Black Hills we went the week before the official Rally.
We just got home yesterday also, and enjoyed it very much
The Needles, Iron Mountain Road, Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, Spearfish Canyon, Deadwood.
Spent one afternoon in Sturgis and had lunch and a few beers at the Knuckle.
There were several thousand bikes in the area all week.
Total miles on the truck = 1,875
We rode 875 miles on the bike while we were in the area.
Spent an afternoon at Black Hills HD too walking around all the vendors.
Quite a few trailer vendors there too!
And some very expensive Toy Haulers.
Coming back home on I-90 across South Dakota, there was a constant line of bikes and bikes on trailers.
Does not matter one bit to me how you get there.
I've done it both ways now!
This is how we got there:
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 133
Likes: 1
From: Louisville, Colorado
not a biker, not a wannabe biker. I only have about 38,000 miles on my twenty year old RK. Sturgis is pretty close to me, about 400 miles from here, I went a couple times. I remember the first time, had a Yamaha 1100. Not once did anyone (other than my friends) give me crap about it, in fact several Harley riders offered to help me when it looked like I was stranded (was waiting for a lost friend). So, I just like riding motorcycles. Are there days I wish I had a trailer, after eight hours on the road and a couple more to go? Sure, but like someone said, the weary, sometimes painful parts add to the experience. Like breaking down, or someone putting tranny fluid in their oil tank, twice. What's the point of giving people crap about how they want to ride, or live? The ones that are pretending to be something they aren't probably are not fooling too many. So, who cares? Anyway, I hope all the people going to the rally have a great time, and make it home safely.