3rd Nat'l NT Rally-Jul 10-13, 2013 - Spearfish, SD

I am penciling in Spearfish this year. I wanted to be there last year, but when I took my tumble at Coulee Dam on 6/30 that ended that.

Unlike all you hearty souls, I'm no longer a tent camper, and from what I've read from all the posts so far, there certainly isn't a great deal of discussion about where a good place to stay might be and still be considered a part of the activities.

I'd appreciate any suggestions, and if anyone else is considering a motel with clean sheets, hot showers, no bugs, and maybe a pool or hot tub, give me a shout and maybe we can see if swing a deal for a rate. I'd like to stay somewhere where other riders might be staying.
 
Re: 2nd Spearfish Nat'l Rally-Jul 10-13, 2013

I'm toying with the idea of coming this year, depends on work. Anyone else from So Cal or West coast planning to attend?
 
enigmatic biker said:
I'd appreciate any suggestions, and if anyone else is considering a motel with clean sheets, hot showers, no bugs, and maybe a pool or hot tub, give me a shout and maybe we can see if swing a deal for a rate. I'd like to stay somewhere where other riders might be staying.
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I know Chuck Henderson (chucksklrst on the Forum) is planning on staying at a motel not far from the campground. I'm sure he'll chime in and tell you which one. IIRC, it's in fairly easy walking distance of the campground.
 
If you come again I promise I wont "lead" any rides and get us lost again in another state! Last year was lots of fun and I would encourage anyone who is on the edge to go. I had never been to a rally before, not enjoying crowds, but this is a great event with wonderful folk in a very very nice campground. Mellow will even cross the road and come over and talk with us upon occasion....you cant ask for better than that.


artemedes said:
Just wanted to post that I think that even though this winter has been milder so far than the previous ones, I am really itching for a motorcycle trip. I am also planning to go to Spearfish again this year if nothing unusual happens at work. I am even trying to swing that Pre-rally in CO.

I am also planning on riding the DR650 this time. Especially since Chuck talked about doing some 4x4 roads in Colorado. If my plans pan out I will be on a single motorcycle vacation and hit the Pre-rally first, then monument valley and other good Utah sites that lend themselves to a Dual sport. Then go to SpearFish and head home. Eastern Kansas is wrong direction so won't be able to go home get the NT and back up to Spearfish. I would prefer to take the NT to Spearfish, but the last time I rode in CO, AZ, NM, and UT I felt like I brought the wrong bike and why I purchased the DR in the first place. So if they let me go of work early enough to include the CO Pre-rally I will be on the DR. Can't wait! :)
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It appears that my plans are firming up and I expect to be in Spearfish. When does everyone pack up and head home, Saturday or Sunday? Phil, when are you and Rick heading north?
 
Sunday, Monday, some even wait until Tuesday, etc. Depends on how much time you have and how long you want to stay. Mostly Sunday, so those that w%@k can get back in time.
 
George, it would be great to see you there. I leave Sunday and go home through the Bighorns and Yellowstone. The Climax of the event is the pizza feed and prize giveaways....you gotta experienced that!

bicyclist said:
It appears that my plans are firming up and I expect to be in Spearfish. When does everyone pack up and head home, Saturday or Sunday? Phil, when are you and Rick heading north?
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George, last year was the first year I've ever been to the ST/NT-Owners Group Rally at Spearfish. We'd had a smaller NT-only rally in Hill City the year before and we left that at different times from Friday to Sunday.

Last year in Spearfish, most of the NT guys were gone on Sunday. Sunday will be the day Rick and I head north (although we're really going to be heading mostly west for the first few days).
 
My old riding partner is still working (!) and he has limited time for our annual ride. He has the first 2 weeks of July, so our tentative plan is to go to Colorado, ride around for a week or so and then ride up to Spearfish. He no longer has any camping gear nor any desire to camp, so we've made a reservation in a motel. He'll head for home on Friday. Depending on how lazy I am, I may move to the campground then. After the rally, I plan to head for Alaska. I'll probably ride up the Cassiar and then head back on the Alaska Highway to visit the territories and provinces I haven't been to.

I'm looking forward to Spearfish and meeting all you characters.
 
Coyote Chris said:
If you come again I promise I wont "lead" any rides and get us lost again in another state! Last year was lots of fun and I would encourage anyone who is on the edge to go. I had never been to a rally before, not enjoying crowds, but this is a great event with wonderful folk in a very very nice campground. Mellow will even cross the road and come over and talk with us upon occasion....you cant ask for better than that.
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I still plan on going. Thanks to you can add Wyoming to my state map. :) I need to fix that and add a couple more states.

Still planning on taking the DR650. I have been farkling and tweaking it for a long trip. I meet be looking pretty ragged by Spearfish, as it will be the last major stop on a 3 week vacation. The DR doesn't have quite the storage as the NT/topcase/drybag setup. So not only will this be my longest motorcycle trip, but on a smaller bike. Others have done it, and I have taken too many clothes and other stuff on my NT trips. Heck if Herb and his wife can do it on the NT then I can do it on the DR by myself. I do plan on camping as much as possibe, but not taking any cooking gear to save space.
 
George, there will be a veritable pilgrimage of NTs heading for Alaska after Spearfish. Rick and I will be going that way, too. We're going to go up the Alaska Highway (after doing some scenic areas of Wyoming (Bear Tooth and Chief Joseph plus Yellowstone) and Idaho, Montana (Going to the Sun) and Alberta (the Kazanakis loop south of Banff. We'll come back from Alaska on the Cassier.
 
Just did a search on Google "Images" for DR650 and some folks have come up with some interesting ways of packing that bike....No reason you cant tour on it....I still cant believe I toured on a Yamaha 400 or even a Honda 350...but that was like 40 years ago...
artemedes said:
I still plan on going. Thanks to you can add Wyoming to my state map. :) I need to fix that and add a couple more states.

Still planning on taking the DR650. I have been farkling and tweaking it for a long trip. I meet be looking pretty ragged by Spearfish, as it will be the last major stop on a 3 week vacation. The DR doesn't have quite the storage as the NT/topcase/drybag setup. So not only will this be my longest motorcycle trip, but on a smaller bike. Others have done it, and I have taken too many clothes and other stuff on my NT trips. Heck if Herb and his wife can do it on the NT then I can do it on the DR by myself. I do plan on camping as much as possibe, but not taking any cooking gear to save space.
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Phil, good choices....its been awhile since I have done the Going to the sun so I think I will do that on the way to Spearfish....on the way home, I never get tired of the southern route through the Big Horns, then to Cody and Yellowstone....I just love flashing my Senior Lifetime Pass ($10) at Yellowstone NP instead of handing over a $20 bill...sometimes its good to be over 62! .
Phil Tarman said:
George, there will be a veritable pilgrimage of NTs heading for Alaska after Spearfish. Rick and I will be going that way, too. We're going to go up the Alaska Highway (after doing some scenic areas of Wyoming (Bear Tooth and Chief Joseph plus Yellowstone) and Idaho, Montana (Going to the Sun) and Alberta (the Kazanakis loop south of Banff. We'll come back from Alaska on the Cassier.
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We're going in the same direction, Chris. We'll go over the Big Horns at Dayton, and then ride Shell Canyon, then do Beartooth and Chief Joseph back to Cody. Then Yellowstone.

And you're right -- the Senior Lifetime Pass is one of the prime benefits of growing old!
 
Phil Tarman said:
George, there will be a veritable pilgrimage of NTs heading for Alaska after Spearfish.
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The GS riders will be thrilled! It'll give them something different to look at.:) The BMWMOA National Rally will be the weekend following the NT rally, so there will be scads of them milling around.
 
Where is the BMWMOA Rally this year? A couple of times I've been on the road either before or just after that rally and have been amazed at how many Beemers were on the road. One year, I was on my way to Prince George to join a group ride from there to Hyder and started seeing BMWs about the time I passed Cheyenne, WY. I asked a couple of BMW riders in Wheatland, WY, then in Casper, then some in Sheridan, and more at the Little Big Horn Battlefield, and nobody knew what was going on. Finally, in Great Falls, the next morning, a couple on a 1200 Light Truck pulled up at the next gas pump and told me about the Rally.

There are a lot more of them than there are of us!
 
Phil Tarman said:
Where is the BMWMOA Rally this year?
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Salem, Or. I considered going after the NT rally and maybe hooking up with someone going to Alaska, but that would put me on the road for another week and gone too long.
 
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