I’m looking forward to passing on the need for helmets and a healthy lifestyle to my brothers and sisters attending the 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.
I plan on eating well or at least safely. I don’t think trucks of kale will be receiving police escorts to the Full Throttle Saloon. I’ve been to Sturgis a couple times. Not for the seminars or meeting the boys from my club. The ride or any ride is exciting but this one is more observational or sociological.
This year there’s a virus killing folks all over the world. Avoiding large gatherings is your best protection. This will be the largest gathering in the United States since the pandemic. 250,000 people could show up for this. The towns people are justifiably terrified. I’ve got to load the bike now. This years motorcycle inventory will include rubber gloves, face masks and hand sanitizer
It’s never too late.
Safety Third
DAY 1 The Root Chakra
Getting into the seven chakras was going to be my angle of wit while attending the 80th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Realization and subsequent fear of attending the largest gathering of people since the World Shutdown is messing with my spiritual wheels. Couldn’t have more of an opportunity to explore and strengthen my Root Chakra. Chakra is a Sanskrit word for wheel or disc which refers to the seven spiritual wheels of energy in the body. The Root Chakra is the first of the seven and also the foundation to build on. This Chakra is connected to energy, stability, safety, survival and security. A strong root is our connection to the Earth and spiritual universe. Just what every outlaw biker attending Sturgis should be excited to embrace.
A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. Sturgis is only 500 miles and the motorcycle is running strong. I don’t want to take a single step.
Heading into battle. Up early shower. Base layer of all-day sunscreen. The trip is about 8 hours so there will be some reapplication. It’s 4:18 am it’s time to load the bike with hand sanitizer, masks and rubber gloves. After years of working in the marijuana industry and restaurants, I’ve become good at wearing personal protection equipment. Plenty of snacks and water so I’m not forced to go inside any truck stops or rest areas. Limiting my exposure to people is laughable knowing exactly what this rally is all about.
Solo trip this year. Nobody wanted to go or they weren’t allowed to go. Wives, girlfriends and family members intervened. My trip is for the story. I don’t think I will be holding court on helmet safety during the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I would love to see a bunch of bikers practicing yoga at the Buffalo Chip Campground before breakfast.
On the road and trying to connect with my root as it travels through my bike, into the tires and to the core of the Earth. I hope the cop takes that as a good excuse if I have to explain why I didn’t see the speed limit sign. Riding solo is what motorcycling is about. Those early motorbikes had solo seats and were purpose built. Stopping whenever or not having to apologize for going fifty miles in the wrong direction are nice perks. Riding with others is a blast and I enjoy the company. I’ll get plenty of that as I get closer to Sturgis.
Headed into Wyoming and I paired up with a couple riders, then a few more, and at some point I was in motorcycle traffic. My motorcycle club of one now has 25-35 riders in front of me and my mirrors are filled with headlights. The population of Lusk, Wyoming is 1,500. There’s probably over 2,000 motorcycles here right now. The gas station on the south side ran out of gas and the alternative is cash only. Social distancing just ended. These little towns are your only potential gas and convenience stops for miles to the next future Covid testing site.
After leaning into the wind for nine hours I changed my mind about camping. Feeling like I was sitting on John Bonham’s drum kit while he played “Moby Dick” over and over. Even though I have a room and a bed I will be in my sleeping bag tonight.
If you want a vacation from the Vid, come to South Dakota. They don’t have it there and they don’t care. Everybody is nice and greets me with a smile. Smiles, something those masks have taken away. Some of the country will say those masks save lives. In South Dakota life is normal, for now. The safety, survival and security associated with my root chakra will be tested. So will I when I get home.
The Sacral Chakra is my focus tomorrow. Sexuality, creativity and pleasure and that might require some different personal protection equipment.
Safety Third