Harley / Sturgis to Cement Partnership through 2090

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  Posted by BikerNews January 15, 2015 - Filed in Motorcycle News - 1,658 views
  
  Harley-Davidson announces agreement to become the official motorcycle of the Sturgis rally

   

  Harley-Davidson Motor Co. and Sturgis, S.D., are looking 75 years into the future as the company and the city are finalizing an agreement that would make Harley the official bike of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally through the year 2090.

  
  

  As part of the agreement, Harley said, it will build a permanent plaza in downtown Sturgis that will be a year-round venue for special events, concerts and even weddings.

  
  

  It's scheduled to be completed in time for this year's rally the first week of August.

  
  

  Sturgis city officials said the plaza location, a vacant lot at the intersection of Main and Second streets, is a prime spot for rally-goers and is near the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame.

  
  

  The annual six-day event attracts hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world.

  
  

  It began in 1938, organized by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club as a venue for racing, and it has been held every year except for two during World War II.

  
  

  Some bikers come from overseas, while others ride across the United States to spend a week or two in the South Dakota Black Hills. Many stay at hotels costing hundreds of dollars a night, while others pitch their tent in a field or someone's yard.

  
  

  "The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a huge event that has ramifications well beyond the U.S. ... I have ridden in Europe, Asia, most parts of this country and Canada, and the Black Hills are my favorite place to ride," said Mike Kennedy, Harley's vice president of North America sales.

  
  

  During the rally, Harley has its own area in Sturgis filled with motorcycles, riding apparel, parts and accessories.

  
  

  The company uses the event to launch new products, recruit motorcyclists, including women riders, and connect with its longtime, faithful customers.

  
  

  "What's amazing about Sturgis to me, and I have been riding out there for 26 years, is there's some magic about it that draws people from all walks of life from all over the world," said Bill Davidson, vice president of the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee and great-grandson of company co-founder William A. Davidson.

  
  

  Harley officials said they haven't finalized the plaza design, but said it would be a flexible space that could be used for community events.

  
  

  Neither the city nor the company would disclose the terms of the agreement or the cost of the facility.

  
  

  The city will benefit from the year-round tourist attraction, said Harley spokeswoman Jen Hoyer.

  
  

  "It will be a gathering point in the city. It's not just for the rally," Hoyer said, adding that Harley might use a social media campaign to choose a name for the plaza.

  
  

  To give it some Milwaukee flavor, the company is taking bricks from the headquarters building at 3700 W. Juneau Ave., and bricks from the Harley-Davidson Museum, and placing them into the plaza.

  
  

  A 2015 Harley Street bike will be used to pull a brick from the front entrance of the historic headquarters building that once housed the company's factory.

  
  

  That brick, a brick from the museum, and 73 bricks from the headquarters' famous motorcycle-only parking area will be delivered to Sturgis on motorcycles.

  
  

  "I remember, as a kid, going to the motorcycle parking area. It means a lot to me to know that those bricks will be at a rally site that is synonymous with our brand," Davidson said.

  
  

  Years ago, the rally was more of a rowdy affair known for drunkenness, drugs and nudity.

  
  

  Hundreds of people were arrested every year, only to come back and do it again.

  
  

  Today's typical rally participant is a little older, much better behaved, and has a lot more money. You're more apt to run into a hog-riding doctor or engineer than an outlaw at the event, although the Hells Angels usually have a booth amid hundreds of vendors.

  
  

  By claiming the official motorcycle name of the rally through 2090, Harley keeps that title from going to a competitor, such as Indian or Victory motorcycles.

  
  

  Harley and Sturgis are inseparable, according to Davidson.

  
  

  "When you walk down Main Street, it's primarily Harley-Davidson motorcycles you see," he said.

   

   

  reprinted from the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Snetinel