Talk:Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

No real mention of the crime or violence?

Other than a vague warning in the lead and a note that COPS was once filmed there, this article notably omits info on the arrests that happen --and the problems with the small but problematic motorcycle gangs like the Hells Angels and their associated drug trade and violence. There have been big busts at the rally before. Someone expand this. --32.148.88.174 (talk) 15:46, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

This article is missing a lot more then that, and it seems to be made up of a number of disconnected thoughts strung into a few sentences. Can someone with some sturgis experience expand this whole article? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.12.175.13 (talk) 17:29, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Go to a library and read some books and newspapers and magazines, and add what you learn to the article -- with citations. What's the use of somebody who's been to Sturgis adding their personal experiences and opinions to the article? That's what blogs are for. See also WP:NOR. --Dbratland (talk) 18:01, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Newspapers and magazines are more reliable than the experiences of attendees? Hardly, but it's the insistance upon that "standard" that makes Wikipedia what it is - Wikipedia is worth exactly what we pay for it. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 199.64.0.252 (talk) 23:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

No, I think actual attendees experiences would be great. How should be go about verifying that they're real? People will say anything on the Internet, you know. There are also tons of online forums where anybody can say they've been to Sturgis and post what they think. But those are just as free as Wikipedia, so how much are they worth? --Dennis Bratland (talk) 01:20, 10 August 2011 (UTC)

For an event that's been going on for decades, that's been attended by millions, and is known worldwide this article is barely a start. 'Crime and violence' are only a small part of the Rally and its history. If the material is available in 'verifiable' sources I would like to see the following. First what exactly is the rally: the city of Sturgis barricades off several blocks of its downtown Main Street and allows only motorcycles to drive and park in that stretch. This is the typical street parking for these events - angle parking along both sides of the street and two rows of angle parking down the middle, leaving two relatively narrow lanes for two-wheel traffic. Vendors take over many of the shops selling souvenirs and tee-shirts. Downtown is mostly shopping and bars; there are several campgrounds in the area that also have vendors and entertainment including various well-known and lesser musical acts. The Rally is mostly known for riding the Black Hills and surrounding area roads which typically includes rides to/thru Deadwood, Spearfish, Rapid City, Hill City and Keystone, and Custer; Sundance, Hulett etc in Wyoming; and features such as Mt. Rushmore, Iron Mountain Rd (the 'Pigtails'), Devil's Tower, and others. Second, some points of history - typical attendance figures through the decades to show the growth, especially leading up to the 50th Rally in 1990 which was a watershed event (known by its tee-shirt slogan by those who were there as 'unfuckingbelievable'); the riots ('near-riots' depending on the source) in the mid-1970s leading to the closing of City Park for camping; the various names and the associated disputes between Black Hills Rally, Black Hills Motor Classic, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Races, et al; and maybe some kind of illustration of the progression from scruffy bikers camping in tents to the proliferation of hotel rooms and rv hookups, as well as the spreading out over the years from the City proper to cover the entire area. I think these could be presented in factual NPOV form; I don't have the source material to do it but I guess I could start looking around. Ronster76 (talk) 04:27, 10 September 2011 (UTC)

Expanding the article in that way would be fantastic. --Biker Biker (talk) 09:10, 10 September 2011 (UTC)

2015 record attendance

Preliminary SDDOT traffic count is over 700,000 [23], and that is just through August 6. Looks like 1 million is possible for final total. Brianhe (talk) 07:50, 11 August 2015 (UTC)

10

There are about 10 deaths per rally. This is not mentioned clearly. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.141.189.156 (talk) 16:03, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

This is about the same as at the Daytona Beach Bike week. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.141.189.156 (talk) 16:11, 8 April 2018 (UTC)

Sourcing

I used a source that is not reliable, RT or Russia Network Television, which tried to cast doubt on the conclusion of study which used national cell phone tracking data to estimate the spread of COVID-19 to various parts of the U.S. connected to attendance at the rally in 2020. My edit makes it clear that this objection should not be taken seriously and was motivated by politics, rather than science. Activist (talk) 06:06, 12 September 2020 (UTC)

Right. But this objection should be taken more seriously. Although the source is a blog, it is run by competent people and, in my experience, very credible. What Jamie Bernstein says makes a lot of sense. --Hob Gadling (talk) 09:03, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

I agree RT should not be used, confirmed by WP:RSPS ☆ Bri (talk) 15:02, 15 September 2020 (UTC)

Covid and Sturgis

The impact of Sturgis on the spread of Covid:

• "Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota in August linked to more than 250,000 coronavirus cases, study finds"

That was as of September 10. We are now 2.5 months later, and experts are calling it a "super seeder" event. South Dakota’s positivity rate is estimated at 50% to 60% for the entire state population. It was less than 1/10th of 1 percent at the time of Sturgis. -- GreenC 03:57, 18 November 2020 (UTC)

• That study was debunked challenged, as is reasonable to see when one considers all new reported U.S. cases during the month of September were only 4x the number assigned to Sturgis. And S.D.'s relative isolation from the virus's entry at the East and West coasts delayed its positivity rate for a time. Here's a comparison: look at the curve for Whitman County in Eastern Washington, across the state from Kirkland, a Seattle suburb, which had the first reported U.S. deaths. The rate there now (see chart at COVID-19 pandemic in Washington) is 4x Seattle's, and no motorcycle rallies; just geography. ☆ Bri (talk) 04:30, 18 November 2020 (UTC)