Sturgis-bound bikers provide big impact to local merchants
By Dave Dreeszen Journal business editor | Posted: Sunday, August 05, 2007
On their way to the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, three generations of a North Carolina family made a pit stop in Sioux City last Tuesday.
Ed Sutton, the family patriarch, was having problems with the radio headset in his helmet. So, he and the other eight members of his traveling party stopped at Rooster's Harley-Davidson/Buell at 1930 N. Lewis Blvd.
Sutton, 72, said the dealership's staff repaired the headset, which he uses to communicate with other riders. "They were very helpful,'' he said.
While waiting, others in the group browsed in the showroom and chatted in the parking lot with a reporter.
"This is a good place to stop,'' exclaimed Sutton's 10-year-old granddaughter, Meredith Williams.
Like other local Harley dealers along the way, Rooster's attracts scores of bikers headed for the annual Sturgis, S.D. rally, which officially starts Monday. Hailing from around the country, the riders stop for service work or to buy t-shirts, jackets or other Harley-branded merchandise.
"It's a very busy time for us,'' Rooster's general manager Russ Mayrose said last week. "I wouldn't know how to gauge the amount of increase. It's very substantial, compared to a normal summer weekend.''
The weeklong Sturgis rally draws up to a half million visitors to western South Dakota's Black Hills. To get there and back, tens of thousands of bikers travel through Sioux City on Interstate 29. Besides cycle shops, many of those visitors stop for gas or snacks at convenience store, eat in restaurants or stay overnight in hotels.
The rally's economic impact extends to other communities in the tri-state region. The Coffee Cup, a truck stop just west of Vermillion, S.D. at the junction of I-29 and Highway 50, is another popular stop for bikers.
"We tend to see a very significant increase in motorcycle traffic,'' said Jane Heinz, who has managed the Coffee Cup since 1990. "We have a lot of (food and drink) they can grab and take on the road with them.''
The Sturgis rally officially starts Monday, but many bikers have been arriving days earlier to avoid the huge crowds. Others stay a few extra days after the event formally ends on Aug. 12.
"What started out as a weeklong rally is really closer to a three-week deal now,'' Mayrose said.
The general manager said bikers started showing up the week of July 22, with traffic picking up steadily last week. The biggest rush was expected this weekend.
Rooster's, Mayrose said, sees many of the same riders stop year after year. Others, like Ed Sutton, are first-time visitors.
Sutton, making his 13th trip to the Sturgis rally, was joined by his wife, Myrna, their daughter, Angie Lock, and her husband, Tom, and Angie Lock's daughters, Meredith, 10, and Brenna Williams, 13. Also along for the ride: the Locks' next-door-neighbors, Mark Barnes and his daughter, Copeland, 18.
Driving three motorcycles and hauling another on a trailer, the group had traveled about 1,400 miles from their Smithfield, N.C. homes by the time they stopped in Sioux City. Ed Sutton, who has been riding Harleys for 54 years, is a former motorcycle racer and stunt driver. Inside Rooster's shop, he pulled out old snapshots of him standing on one foot and performing other stunts on a 1948 74 Harley.
"I've always been a bit of a showoff,'' he laughed.
After leaving Rooster's, Sutton and his group headed to Famous Dave's for lunch. Like the rib joint, other restaurants and hotels in downtown Sioux City, within view of I-29, are among the biggest beneficiaries of Sturgis-bound traffic, said Roger Caudron, executive director of Downtown Partners.
"Once they get into the downtown area, we might catch them for an evening down at Fourth Street, enjoying local restaurants and bars,'' Caudron added.
Dennis Gann, executive director of Sioux City's tourism bureau, said the Sturgis rally undoubtedly provides a big boost to the local economy. But he noted there's no clear estimate of how many riders pass through the region or how much impact they generate for area merchants.
Gann said bikers are more likely to stop on the way to the Black Hills, than on the return trip. "It's such a long event, they just want to get home,'' he said.
A few visitors are even on their way back to western South Dakota. Among the visitors at Rooster's Harley-Davidson last week was Terry Kirkhart and his girlfriend, Ranae Wolfe of Rapid City. They were returning home after attending the Brickyard 500 NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 29.
As Wolfe tried on a leather jacket at Rooster's, Kirkhart told a reporter they would be back home in time for the Sturgis rally, but likely wouldn't spend a lot of time at the huge crowds.
"Most of the locals try to veer away from everything that's going on,'' Kirkhart said. "The traffic is just horrendous.''
Journal business editor Dave Dreeszen can be reached at (712) 293-4211 or davedreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com
What: 67th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Where: Sturgis, S.D.
When: Monday through Aug. 12
How many: As many as 500,000 bikers rumbling in the Black Hills
On the Web: www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com
Ed Sutton, the family patriarch, was having problems with the radio headset in his helmet. So, he and the other eight members of his traveling party stopped at Rooster's Harley-Davidson/Buell at 1930 N. Lewis Blvd.
Sutton, 72, said the dealership's staff repaired the headset, which he uses to communicate with other riders. "They were very helpful,'' he said.
While waiting, others in the group browsed in the showroom and chatted in the parking lot with a reporter.
"This is a good place to stop,'' exclaimed Sutton's 10-year-old granddaughter, Meredith Williams.
Like other local Harley dealers along the way, Rooster's attracts scores of bikers headed for the annual Sturgis, S.D. rally, which officially starts Monday. Hailing from around the country, the riders stop for service work or to buy t-shirts, jackets or other Harley-branded merchandise.
"It's a very busy time for us,'' Rooster's general manager Russ Mayrose said last week. "I wouldn't know how to gauge the amount of increase. It's very substantial, compared to a normal summer weekend.''
The weeklong Sturgis rally draws up to a half million visitors to western South Dakota's Black Hills. To get there and back, tens of thousands of bikers travel through Sioux City on Interstate 29. Besides cycle shops, many of those visitors stop for gas or snacks at convenience store, eat in restaurants or stay overnight in hotels.
The rally's economic impact extends to other communities in the tri-state region. The Coffee Cup, a truck stop just west of Vermillion, S.D. at the junction of I-29 and Highway 50, is another popular stop for bikers.
"We tend to see a very significant increase in motorcycle traffic,'' said Jane Heinz, who has managed the Coffee Cup since 1990. "We have a lot of (food and drink) they can grab and take on the road with them.''
The Sturgis rally officially starts Monday, but many bikers have been arriving days earlier to avoid the huge crowds. Others stay a few extra days after the event formally ends on Aug. 12.
"What started out as a weeklong rally is really closer to a three-week deal now,'' Mayrose said.
The general manager said bikers started showing up the week of July 22, with traffic picking up steadily last week. The biggest rush was expected this weekend.
Rooster's, Mayrose said, sees many of the same riders stop year after year. Others, like Ed Sutton, are first-time visitors.
Sutton, making his 13th trip to the Sturgis rally, was joined by his wife, Myrna, their daughter, Angie Lock, and her husband, Tom, and Angie Lock's daughters, Meredith, 10, and Brenna Williams, 13. Also along for the ride: the Locks' next-door-neighbors, Mark Barnes and his daughter, Copeland, 18.
Driving three motorcycles and hauling another on a trailer, the group had traveled about 1,400 miles from their Smithfield, N.C. homes by the time they stopped in Sioux City. Ed Sutton, who has been riding Harleys for 54 years, is a former motorcycle racer and stunt driver. Inside Rooster's shop, he pulled out old snapshots of him standing on one foot and performing other stunts on a 1948 74 Harley.
"I've always been a bit of a showoff,'' he laughed.
After leaving Rooster's, Sutton and his group headed to Famous Dave's for lunch. Like the rib joint, other restaurants and hotels in downtown Sioux City, within view of I-29, are among the biggest beneficiaries of Sturgis-bound traffic, said Roger Caudron, executive director of Downtown Partners.
"Once they get into the downtown area, we might catch them for an evening down at Fourth Street, enjoying local restaurants and bars,'' Caudron added.
Dennis Gann, executive director of Sioux City's tourism bureau, said the Sturgis rally undoubtedly provides a big boost to the local economy. But he noted there's no clear estimate of how many riders pass through the region or how much impact they generate for area merchants.
Gann said bikers are more likely to stop on the way to the Black Hills, than on the return trip. "It's such a long event, they just want to get home,'' he said.
A few visitors are even on their way back to western South Dakota. Among the visitors at Rooster's Harley-Davidson last week was Terry Kirkhart and his girlfriend, Ranae Wolfe of Rapid City. They were returning home after attending the Brickyard 500 NASCAR race at the Indianapolis Motorspeedway on July 29.
As Wolfe tried on a leather jacket at Rooster's, Kirkhart told a reporter they would be back home in time for the Sturgis rally, but likely wouldn't spend a lot of time at the huge crowds.
"Most of the locals try to veer away from everything that's going on,'' Kirkhart said. "The traffic is just horrendous.''
Journal business editor Dave Dreeszen can be reached at (712) 293-4211 or davedreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com
What: 67th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Where: Sturgis, S.D.
When: Monday through Aug. 12
How many: As many as 500,000 bikers rumbling in the Black Hills
On the Web: www.sturgismotorcyclerally.com
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