Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez on his bike at Sturgis 2021

As you all know I missed the 2020 Sturgis motorcycle rally due to the fact that there was a coronavirus pandemic, and I was high risk. At the time of the 2020 Sturgis motorcycle rally there were no vaccines available.

This year with the Delta variant of the coronavirus, there were warnings before the rally to mask up even if you are vaccinated, to avoid large crowds, etc., but that was not going to stop me from going to Sturgis. I had not had a vacation in two years and being an attorney at law is one of the most stressful jobs on earth.

I not only needed a vacation for my sanity, but for my clients as well because they need an attorney with a clear head. I opted to go to the motorcycle rally Delta variant or not.

My wife Little Teri as you all know is in medical school, and is scheduled to graduate in October 2021. Unfortunately for her, her school transitioned back to in person classes as opposed to remote classes, and her clinical training requires her to be on site at hospitals. In other words, she was not going to be able to go with me this year to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, not even for a couple of days by airplane.

Little Teri and I have not been apart since we met. Basically, we had our first date, and she never left.

I told myself after the Sturgis 2013 motorcycle rally, that I would never go alone again. Unfortunately, since Little Teri could not go this year, and she would not let me bring a surrogate 🙂 I had to go alone this year without her.

I could have gone somewhere else, but let’s face it there is no Sturgis motorcycle rally anywhere else on earth.

Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez riding motorcycle in a montage of 4 pics at Sturgis 2021.

Teri is a cool head and encouraged me to go because she knew I needed the break from work, it was that bad for me. Not only that, but I have an upcoming total knee replacement surgery, so the vacation was imperative.

Frankly, as the time got closer to the rally, Little Teri became a little irritable, because she could not come with me, and she loves it there. I promised her that I would call all the time, that we would do video calls while I was there, plus I would do Facebook live. I will discuss all of this below.

Everybody who reads the Biker Law Blog knows that I go to the Sturgis motorcycle rally every year (except 2020), and that I take my motorhome, trailer my motorcycle, and stay at the Glencoe campground which is the best place to stay when you’re at Sturgis.

This year I started prepping at least two months in advance to get everything ready. Got the motorhome serviced, my motorcycle serviced, had a new rear tire put on my Indian Roadmaster, had the mono shock replaced on the Indian Roadmaster, etc.

I could not wait to go to the rally, but it did suck that little Teri could not come with me.

I have been to the Sturgis motorcycle rally so many times now that it is almost like going home. It is over 1300 miles away each way, and as I get older the drive kind of sucks especially when you’re by yourself. But once you arrive at Sturgis you cannot wait to get on the bike.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in the Black Hills

This year more than anything, I rode my ass off at Sturgis. I put over 2600 miles on my motorcycle at the Sturgis motorcycle rally, and my subsequent trip to Yellowstone National Park right after the rally.

Thank God for the Russell Day Long saddle that I had custom-made because without a good seat on the Indian, there is no way I could’ve put that many miles on the bike. You can see my story about the custom seat here.

Unfortunately, on my Russell Day Long saddle part of the ten coloring is rubbing off on one side of the seat. I will be contacting them very soon to get it repaired.

I put more miles on my bike at Sturgis this year than any other year that I can remember. One of the reasons being that I was by myself, and this is the first year that I did not get off the bike on the main drag and walk around like I normally do. I decided to protect myself from coronavirus, not to interact with the crowds on the sidewalk. I did ride my motorcycle up and down the main drag many times.

Also, when I went into stores at Sturgis, for the most part, I wore a mask. What was surprising to me, is that many people in South Dakota were wearing masks inside the stores, not just me.

I rode so many miles on certain days, that it was almost dangerous. Meaning, by the end of the day, I was so tired that it was not safe to ride anymore.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez’s campsite at Glecncoe Campground, Sturgis 2021

On one particular day near sundown, I rode from Mount Rushmore through Custer State Park, through the Iron Mountain Highway, and took the back route to the Needles Highway, just before sundown. In normal circumstances this would be a super advanced ride. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the hardest this would be a 10 ride. We are talking first gear twisties.

Just before sundown going in that direction the sun is in your eyes and you literally have to take one hand off the handlebars to block the sun so you can see. I don’t care what kind of sunglasses you have the glare is so bad if you don’t block the sun, you will not be able to see the road in front of you.

During this ride, I had to do this quite a bit. Once sundown hit, I realized that I was the only one on the road. I did this ride on Friday and the last day of the rally was on Sunday, so usually it starts winding down on Friday as far as people on the road. But at this time and at this location, I owned the road.

Now I don’t know if any of you have ridden through a forest like what exists as you are heading up to the Needles Highway in the Black Mountains through the back route, by yourself, with no one on the road, just after sundown, but it is almost like a scene from a horror movie. I knew that if I ate it, no one would probably find me until the next day, there is no cell phone service in this area. Secondly, all the forest critters come out at night at this time, and they own the forest in the dark. It was downright eerie. I am not a man that is afraid, but I knew I was not in a very good position and needed to get through there and back to the main highway to Deadwood as soon as possible. You definitely do not want to get stuck in the Black Hills at night, because of deer, Moose, bighorn sheep, and other critters that roam around there, especially at night.

California Injury Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at Needles Point, Sturgis 2021

Long story short, I learned my lesson, and I will never do that ride again just before sundown. It was a great ride, but I was kind of anxious to get out of there before it got dark. That is not the kind of ride you want to rush.

One thing I do want to say about Glencoe campground, and the rally overall, is that it is simply not the same as it used to be. They claim that the crowds were much bigger than last year, I do not know, I was not there last year. I can definitely say that the crowd was not as big as it was in 2015, that the rally is steadily losing attendance, seems to be dying out sooner, and there are many more trikes, and older people that then there used to be.

Simply put, we bikers who attend rallies such as Sturgis, are getting older, we are dying out, and we are not being replaced by the newer generation. The demographic at Sturgis is older than it was when I first started going there, then again, I am older is well.

Do not get me wrong, this trend is occurring all over the nation at every motorcycle rally, not just Sturgis. Further, Sturgis is still the mother of all motorcycle rallies. It is definitely packed, just not like it used to be.

When I first started going to Glencoe there was all sorts of adult debauchery going on at night, now the debauchery lasts only one or two nights maybe three, and then it dies out. By Tuesday the main drag at the Glencoe campground is dead compared to what it used to be. The main rally is still off the charts, but the campground dies out.

This could be due to the fact that Glencoe does not have name band acts like it used to, or simply that everyone is getting older.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez on his bike showing a little muscle at Sturgis 2021

Another factor is the rally is longer than it used to be. The rally used to be only one week, whereas now it is 10 days.

Obviously, I always recommend going to Sturgis. I have tried to get my friends to go with me every year to no avail, hopefully this year they will come.

Now with respect to Little Teri, I was able to do video calls with her, video calls while I was riding so she could actually be a part of it, and Facebook live videos.

I know she was bummed that she could not be there, but she is in a heavy-duty school, and she will be done soon. When I was in law school which took four years, all I cared about was getting through school, you kind of get used to sacrificing when you are at that level. Like I told Teri it’ll be over soon and next year you’ll be able to come with me.

I hope you enjoy this article and pictures that I posted with it.

God forbid if you’re in an accident anywhere in California give me a call at 800-816-1529, extension 0.

By California Personal Injury Attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post Sturgis motorcycle rally, 2021; a vacation without my wife :-) first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

The post The Pfizer vaccine has brought life back to a new type of normal, riding again. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

For the last four weeks, I have been going to motorcycle club events, and riding with my brothers all over Southern California. I pretty much started going out again approximately two weeks after my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

The first event I went to about four weeks ago, I wore my mask for most of the event. Now with the new CDC guidelines, I am no longer wearing the mask.

I am a long-time motorcycle rider and biker. There are many things in life that give people pleasure such as eating, sex, vacations, conversations, etc. For me apart from sex, the thing that gives me the most pleasure is getting on my motorcycle and riding.

Since last March 2020 due to pre-existing conditions and my age, I was hunkered down socially distancing, and not going anywhere. I personally know two guys in a motorcycle club who died, one of my wife’s high school friends died, and almost 600,000 Americans have died of coronavirus. No matter what your politics are, the coronavirus does not care.

Many guys in my club are much younger and lower risk for coronavirus then I am. They have been riding and going out all long as though nothing was wrong. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I was their age because I’m not. I do know this; my wife and I are alive. The precautions we took mean that we are okay and alive.

Both of us are fully vaccinated and in the last few weeks we have loosened up. All of our meals since last March 2020 were home cooked. We have now begun ordering food and picking up food. I have actually gained a few pounds from all the junk food that I was not eating for over a year.

Another big thing about being in quarantine since March 2020, I got out of shape big time. When you are younger and you sit around and do nothing, you can bounce back in a few weeks when you start working out again. When you are older it takes longer to bounce back, and you have to go at a slower pace when you start working out again. I have not begun working out again I will do so this Monday.

The reason I am telling you all about this is because after each ride that I did over the last four weeks I was completely spent afterwards. The average ride was approximately a hundred 160 miles round-trip which is not a long trip. Some are little bit more; some are little bit less. Plus, when I got to the events where motorcycle clubs are hanging out standing around there for a few hours in the sun takes it out of you as well.

Although my wife Little Teri is still in school, I have already made reservations and purchased a camping spot at the Sturgis motorcycle rally 2021. I am just now building up my endurance and getting my sea legs back on the bike. I am still a little leery about riding in the pack with my motorcycle club, opting to ride in the back until I get my sea legs back. Let me tell you, the club I ride with are hard chargers on the road, riding side-by-side, and inches apart from each other front to back. In Southern California traffic, when the hand single is given, we will split lanes in a single file line. We’re the only state in the union that allows this, and it is much hairier when you’re in a club pack.

Finally, yesterday, I started feeling really good being back on the motorcycle again. Don’t let anybody fool you, riding a motorcycle is not like riding a bicycle. It takes time to get back in the saddle again if you have not ridden in a while. I ride an Indian Roadmaster, which is a very big and heavy bike.

Even riding with a club brother to me was uncomfortable at first because I felt like I needed the lane to get used to being on the bike again. Yes, in California we ride side-by-side in one lane.

If you have been off the motorcycle for a while, I suggest riding on your own to get your sea legs back and become comfortable again before you join a pack. Most of you when you ride in a pack are in a staggered formation with civilians which is fine. But if you going to ride with a hard charging club you definitely want to become comfortable on the motorcycle again before you join the pack. Don’t let peer pressure take you beyond your comfort level.

I don’t want to speak precipitously, but it looks to me like the coronavirus pandemic is winding down here in the United States. There are still too many deaths and two cases per day, but it looks like it is winding down.

You would be an idiot not to get a coronavirus vaccine at this point. Over 30% of Americans have been vaccinated which amounts to over 100 million. The vaccine is obviously safe otherwise many many people would have either died or become sick from the vaccine. There are still dumb shit’s who will not get the vaccine. It is these people that will make the coronavirus continue to spread, and these people who will die when they simply could’ve got a shot to avoid it.

Who knows how long it will take for life to get back to normal both here and throughout the world? At least in my world things are slowly returning back to normal. On the work and my law firm is super busy. As a matter fact, we have never been this busy before. This is a good thing for most businesses, but for us the coronavirus pandemic has made things a bit more difficult because we are remote working.

All I can say is at this point is I cannot wait to ride my bike this summer and to be in Sturgis again and I thank God for those scientists who created the vaccine so that this could be possible. I hear that we may have to take a booster shot again within a year, and that is fine.

For you loyal readers of the Biker Law Blog, there will be more articles forthcoming because I am back in the saddle again.

For all you on the road riding your motorcycle be safe and God be with you as we enjoy being bikers.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, May 23, 2021

The post The Pfizer vaccine has brought life back to a new type of normal, riding again. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Sturgis motorcycle Rally 2019

This year was no different from the last eight years in that at the end of July, I traveled from Huntington Beach, California to the Sturgis motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. My wife accompanied me; this was her third consecutive year.

I must admit it is something I look forward to every year. It is almost like a kid in a candy store. Now if you are not a biker, there is no way that you are going to understand what the Sturgis motorcycle rally experience is like, or the yearning that you have each year to go is, unless you have actually been to the rally.

I always tell my friends that they must go to Sturgis at least once in their lifetime. Most of my friends always tell me that they are going to go one day, or that they want to go one day, but none of them actually ever go. Where I live in Southern California, it is 1355 miles each way to Sturgis. Many people who go to Sturgis are closer than we are, or further away. I guess for the average Joe, it is difficult to go to Sturgis for a week, and then spend maybe another 5 to 6 days traveling. But believe you me, for those of us that go, it is well worth it.

I remember my first few years going to Sturgis, it was a lot different for me. I was not married so I had special friends accompanying me 🙂 and it was all new to me. Actually, I should clarify that, after two years I pretty much knew the main parts of the rally, but each year after that I have still learned new rides every time I went.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez’s campsite at Glencoe, Sturgis 2019

We usually stay at the Glencoe campground. When I first started going to Glencoe in 2013, they had major bands playing the venue every night, the main drag had all sorts of debauchery and nudity happening at night, and it was packed. Every year except 2015, the 75^th anniversary, it seems like there are less and less people at the rally, and the people do not stay as long as they used to. Glencoe still has good bands playing the venue at night, but they are not major headliners like they used to be. There is another campground called the Buffalo Chip that charges much more money, and has all the major bands, that may be the main place to stay now, I do not know, I have not stayed there. Frankly, my wife and I are not in to standing for hours to watch the same bands that we have listened to for the past 30 years. We do not go to Sturgis for concerts.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that from my observations there are a heck of a lot more trikes than they used to be, the crowd at Sturgis is getting older, and it seems to me that the bikers are dying out more and more each year. Don’t get me wrong, there are still lots of young people that seem to be riding bobber type of motorcycles, however, the crowd is definitely much older and a little less and less each year.

The majority of motorcycles by far at Sturgis are baggers, and this year there were lots of Indian Motorcycles all over the place.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez is wife Teri at Crazy Horse, Sturgis 2019

I hate to say that according to the official Sturgis news, the crowd size was down from last year. But I did not need to read the news to know this, I could tell the crowd size was down.

Make no mistake, the Sturgis motorcycle rally is still huge, the main drag is still packed with bikes, and there are motorcycles all over the place, just not as many as there was let’s say back in 2013, 2014, etc.

Part of the Sturgis motorcycle experience is being a part of a huge gathering of fellow motorcycle riders. There is no way to explain what it feels like to be with hundreds of thousands of other people who share the same love of motorcycle riding that you do. This is what keeps me going back to Sturgis every year. It’s almost like a drug addict getting a fix. You tell yourself during the year that you will do something else this year for vacation, but you find that Sturgis starts to call you to come back. You know that you must go, and then a couple of months before Sturgis you get really excited planning your trip to Sturgis.

Now with respect to the Glencoe campground where I have stayed each year except for 2015, it has been disappointing the last few years. As I stated before, they used to have major headliner bands, and the place was booming until the wee hours of the morning. They call the main drag tittie alley, or perverts’ row within the Glencoe campground, because when the lights go out lots of women cruise up and down the row either topless or fully nude, and a bunch of guys give them beads and take pictures.Guys on motorcycles do burnouts, spin their tires, and rev their engines.  You should see some of my early pictures from perverts’ row. For the most part, except for a few stragglers, perverts’ row is now dead compared to what it used to be. Now it’s not that I am a pervert or anything like that, but it’s sad to see that all the campers are all set up on the row with their beads like they were in years past, but there are empty spaces where before it used to be packed, and literally after Wednesday during rally we, there is really no action going on perverts row anymore except for a few stragglers.

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at Sturgis 2019

It’s almost sad to see the people waiting for girls to come by and very few go by compared to what it used to be before. Literally by Wednesday, the campground is already emptying out whereas before it started later in the week. What it signifies to me is that the rally is not what it used to be. At least I can say and remember what it used to be.

It is still a great rally to go to however compared to any other rally in the country.

Again, the rally still has hundreds of thousands of people, but it is definitely not as big as it used to be. The year 2020 will be the 80^th anniversary of Sturgis, and I can see now that many of the venues have raised their prices in anticipation of a big crowd for the 80^th anniversary. I made the mistake of waiting too long in 2015 to make my reservations for the 75^th anniversary and ended up having to stay in Deadwood in a campground that was dead because Glencoe and others were sold out, and because the action was down in Sturgis. You can read my article about 2015 here, it was way overcrowded, a sausage fest meaning, all dudes and very little females, and I’m quite positive 2020 may be the same.

One of the fun things about going to Sturgis is checking out all the babes even if you are married. Nobody including me wants to see a bunch of dudes all over the place. It seems like every dude and their friends went to Sturgis 2015 without their old ladies. Hopefully 20/20 will be different. As of the writing of this article, I have not made reservations yet for 2020, and I am not sure if I will go to 2020, I will discuss that below.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez wife little Teri at campsite in Glencoe, Sturgis 2019

As I said earlier, every year I go to Sturgis since 2012, I have discovered new rides in and around the Black Hills, Spearfish, Rapid City, etc. This year I discovered a couple of more. My wife and I rode over 1000 miles on the motorcycle just at the rally. We took our motorhome and trailed the motorcycle to Sturgis like we do every year.

I will quickly talk about those guys who never go to Sturgis, the backseat quarterback guys on motorcycle forums and Internet discussion groups, knocking and degrading us because we take our motorhome’s and trailers to Sturgis rather than ride to Sturgis even though they never got off their ass to go to Sturgis themselves. I will admit when I was much younger, let’s say 20 years ago, I used to say the same thing, however I was a hard-core rider. Hell, when I was in my 30s, I rode a soft tail with no windscreen, from Chatsworth California to Durango Colorado and back again no problem. I talked the talk and walked the walk unlike the internet backseat quarterback guys I am talking about.

The problem with riding your motorcycles to rallies such as Sturgis, is that either you have to stay in a motel, or camp. On the way to Sturgis from where I live it is a 2 to 3 day trip each way, and sometimes there is severe weather on the road. When I was younger-no problem, I would simply find a Motel 6 when I needed to crash. But it used to be a hassle to find a motel, unpack the gear from the bike, reload the gear on the bike in the morning, etc., and there is no doubt it is still a hassle even for the younger, and other riders who decide to ride to the rallies.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez and wife at Mount Rushmore, Sturgis 2019

I used to write like the backseat quarterbacks mentioned above about how I was not a trailer queen, and I used to knock guys who trailered their bikes as being “not real bikers,” etc. 20 years later, I realize that I was wrong. Now that I have a class A motorhome and an enclosed trailer to travel with, I have a whole new perspective.

In the past, I rode everywhere on my motorcycle no problem. Now that I am in my 50s, I actually get tired more quickly, and the aches and pains in my body from years of playing pop Warner in high school football and other sports, practicing martial arts, being in the military, and working out, are taking their toll.

Now that I have a motor home and a covered custom trailer, it is much more pleasurable and convenient to go to rallies in the motorhome with the trailer. Obviously, if I am going to a rally that does not require overnight travel, I will still ride, but it is much nicer for overnight trips to take the motorhome. All your stuff is in the motorhome, no need to pack and unpack, plus all your food is in the motorhome and you can eat while traveling rather than stopping.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez and wife little Teri at Sturgis 2019

The reason I am bringing this up is that many people bring motorhomes or fifth wheels, or campers and trailer their motorcycles to Sturgis, and many ride to Sturgis. My Sturgis perspective is from that of someone who brings a motorhome and trailers their motorcycle. I stay at the campgrounds, and this is where the action is. I kind of feel sorry for the guys and gals who are staying in hotels, it must be a more somber and boring motorcycle rally experience.

Bottom line, I highly recommend going to the rally whether you ride or trailer.

The motorcycle industry reports that sales of motorcycles are down in the United States. Apparently, the millennials are too chicken to ride motorcycles. This may explain why there are not people coming up from the youth to replace the older motorcycle riders that are dying out, which would explain why motorcycle rallies around the nation have less crowds than they used to.

So, with respect to the Sturgis motorcycle Rally 2019, notwithstanding the fact that the campground was not as active, it emptied out sooner, the crowd size was not as big as past years, we had a fantastic time.

Motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez wife little Teri at Glencoe campground, Sturgis 2019

In December 2018, I had a custom saddle made at Russell Day-Long for the Indian Roadmaster motorcycle, because last year after a few days the stock Indian saddle felt like a brick and we got real sore. (I will be writing a review on the Russell Day Long custom motorcycle saddle soon)

The new Russell Day-Long saddle made this year’s Sturgis motorcycle rally a much more pleasurable experience than last year. We put on over thousand miles on the motorcycle at Sturgis, and Yellowstone, and neither of us had a sore butt the entire time. It was fantastic.

If you are going to go to Sturgis, plan on riding many miles, not only make sure your motorcycle is serviced before the rally, your tires have proper tread, but also make sure you have a comfortable seat. In a motorcycle rally where you are riding, this can make the difference between having a great time and having a miserable time.

We rode to hell and high water. I am a sober motorcycle rider; I have been sober approximately 21 years. My wife quit drinking almost a year ago. We are not the type of couple that hangs out at bars. I actually feel sorry for the people that sit through the rally getting drunk at bars, but I am not here to judge, and that is the subject for a different article. Just do not drink and ride.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez and wife little Teri on the main drag Sturgis 2019

The reason I mention sitting in bars and drinking is that some people ride to Sturgis and spend the whole rally hanging out all the bars. My wife Teri and I spend the entire rally on the motorcycle. We are hard-core riders. I was lucky to find a wife who enjoys riding is much as I do.

Will I go to the Sturgis motorcycle Rally 2020? At this point I do not know, and I have not made reservations yet. Look, I have been going to Sturgis for the past eight years straight. It not only costs a lot of money, but it is a two week plus commitment, and although I really love the rally, and the riding, a break may do us good so that if we decide to go back again it’ll be more fresher if you know what I’m trying to say.

At least for us, we have been talking about trying something new instead of going to Sturgis for 2020. Further, I see that Glencoe has raised their prices so that the cost will be at least $300 more just for the campground than it was last year, this includes camping and the required wristbands.

At this time, I am just not sure if I will go back for 2020, but usually what happens is somewhere around January, I started getting the in itch, I make my reservations online, and then I end up in Sturgis again 🙂

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez on the Needles Hwy., Sturgis 2019

Even as I type this review, I miss being at the Sturgis motorcycle rally. It’s kind of odd the way it works, pretty much when you’re at Sturgis and riding on the last day, you have ridden so much that you are utterly exhausted, you know it’s time to go home. As you are leaving the campground you know that when you pass through downtown Sturgis that it will still be packed, you can tell on the main road there are much less people and it is time to go.

This year we left on the final Saturday, and drove our motorhome and trailer set up to the Little Big Horn Battlefield in Montana, where we camped for the night, and then due to rain, decided simply to tour the battlefield in the motorhome and trailer, and then depart for Yellowstone which we do every year.

We camped at the Yellowstone Valley Inn as we do every year after Sturgis, but we discovered that it was under new ownership, and that they were charging hundred dollars a night which to be frank it is outrageous for an RV campsite, but we figured since it is in an ideal spot between Cody Wyoming and Yellowstone, we decided to eat the extra cost.

We rode the Yellowstone national forest the next day, but I made the mistake of thinking it was going to be a warm day and did not bring my cold-weather gear on the bike. That was a big mistake. When we left the campground, it was in the low 80s within 20 miles the temperature had gone down to the 60s and I was kind of suffering a bit being a Southern California boy used to warm weather. It actually got down into the 50s further into the park. My wife was smart enough to bring her cold-weather jacket, I had a sweatshirt hoodie, and later on put a rain jacket over that which worked pretty well. We put a lot of miles on the bike that day in Yellowstone, but we did not stop at most of attractions, since we go there every year, we opted to just ride rather than stop.

California Motorcycle Accident and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez with wife little Teri on their motorcycle main drag, Sturgis 2019

We did not get out of the park until it was getting dark, and I can assure you it was getting real cold. I usually don’t leave the park that late and it was a bit eerie knowing that there are wolves, bears, cougars, and other creatures in Yellowstone. Not only that, there are dear, Moose, and other creatures that like to run in front of motorcycles.

We got back to the motorhome at around 9:00 PM after a cold and bug filled motorcycle ride back to Yellowstone Valley Inn from Yellowstone national forest. I strapped to the motorcycle into the trailer, and we left the next morning for home.

I am attaching some of our pictures from the trip into this article. This year we took less pictures than we normally do, because we were on the bike more than we were stopped. Usually I go up and down the strip taking pictures of the custom motorcycles. This year we just walked up and down the main drag a few times and enjoyed it rather than stopping to take a ton of pictures.

Keep reading my Biker Law Blog to see if we decide to go for the Sturgis 2020 motorcycle rally.

By California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., October 6, 2019

The post My annual pilgrimage to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, 2019 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Here is a Slideshow movie that I do every year on our trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This is Sturgis 2018. My Wife Teri and I have a good Time. Enjoy.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, 2018, My annual Slideshow Movie, Enjoy. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Little Teri on left, Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez on right, Sturgis, 2018

If you are a reader of the Biker Law Blog, you know that I attend the Sturgis motorcycle rally, in Sturgis South Dakota, every year. This year was no different.

I actually was contemplating not going this year, because the last 2 years of the rally have had a sharp decrease in attendance, most likely due to the fact that everybody went to the 75^th anniversary of the rally, in 2015.

As usual, I ended up making reservations early, and went on my annual trek to the rally with my wife this year.

This year also marked the 2^nd year that my wife Little Teri attended the rally with me.

Many people wonder why people like me go to the Sturgis motorcycle rally every year. As a matter of fact, I was stopped for speeding by a South Dakota state trooper in 2015, and we had a conversation in his patrol car about this exact subject.

By the way, if you do get stopped anywhere near the Sturgis motorcycle rally, you will find that the law enforcement officers in vehicles, will invite you to sit in the front seat of their patrol car for quite some time while they evaluate you. I venture to guess that they’re checking to see if there’s a smell of alcohol, or have dilated eyes to indicate drug use, etc. This is another subject.

Little Teri wearing an injuredbikers.com T-shirt at Sturgis 2018

If you are a motorcycle rider, you may not want to say that you are a biker, but you are a biker. I don’t care what kind of motorcycle you ride. Many people think that a biker dresses a certain way, looks a certain way, etc., however, a biker is a general term to describe people who ride motorcycles. There is much debate on the Internet about what a biker is, I thought I would set the record straight here and now.

Getting back to why bikers and motorcycle riders go to Sturgis every year, Sturgis is a small city of approximately 7000 people in South Dakota, which swells to over half a million during the rally, the answer is simple, Sturgis calls us. It’s almost like that movie Close Encounters of the 3^rd kind, we are driven to go by an internal voice, which is hard to explain.

1^st rally goers hear about the rally from friends, magazines, the Internet, etc. Once you go, you get the bug to continue returning.

Now as for Sturgis 2018, at least for my wife and I it is a hell of a drive from Huntington Beach California, Sturgis South Dakota.

At least for us, the Sturgis motorcycle rally experience includes camping in the RV at the Glencoe campground. You’ll hear a lot of guys squawking about “you mean you do not ride to the rally?” But these guys have no clue. If you ride your motorcycle to the rally which is a great experience in of itself, you either have to stay in a hotel, rent a room or a house somewhere, or camp in a tent. You can also rent a cabin at some of the campgrounds. I can assure you that it is not the same as staying smack dab in the middle of Glencoe in an RV amongst all the other rally goers.

Brian on left, Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez on right

Part of the Sturgis motorcycle rally experience is the party at the campground amongst all the RVers. There is a lot of partying going on at the campground after hours that people in hotels, rented homes, or in tents just are not going to experience. Another pleasure of being at one of the major campgrounds, is that you can sit out with whoever you go to the rally with, barbecue, listen to music, look at the stars, and relax in preparation for the next day’s ride.

As for Little Teri and I, Sturgis, 2018 was mostly about a shit load of riding. We put about a thousand miles on the motorcycle during the 8 days we were at the rally. Only on one day due to weather, did we end the ride early. I have been going to Sturgis for many years, but this year I discovered some significant rides that I have never done before. Even after 6 prior years of going to the rally, it was truly nice to be able to find new rides that were not only substantial, but also advanced with respect to curves and twisties.

A brother from my motorcycle club, Brian, showed up with his old lady, and we rode together part of the day. They rode their motorcycle from the inland Empire, California, to the rally. This year the weather was super-hot going through the Western Desert and it was in the upper 90s in Sturgis. My bro told me they had quite a time getting to the rally.

Little Teri on left, Biker Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez on right

It was much hotter this year at the rally, then last year. Within 3 days, a thunderstorm came through and destroyed my flag pole along with many other people’s tarps and awnings.

This year I was able to shoot some virtual reality, 360° video of many of the main rides in Sturgis, including the main drag.

Rather than dump all the video that I have into this post, I will make separate blog postings, with each video. Each virtual reality video will also be posted on my profile on Facebook, and my YouTube channel. You can either watch the videos here on the Biker Law Blog, or on Facebook, or YouTube.

As usual, I will also be producing a video slideshow of our Sturgis, 2018 trip. This year we got many more pictures than we did last year, it will take me a bit to go through the pictures and decide what to include.

I was worried last year that the Sturgis motorcycle rally was dying out, I was pleasantly surprised this year that the rally was much bigger than last year. The official estimates are that more than a million people attended the rally this year.

I noticed that there were many more trikes this year than in past years, the baby boomers are aging, and many of them cannot ride on 2 wheels anymore. I say go for it, God forbid if I am not able to ride on 2 wheels in the future, I will also switch to a trike if need be.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Sturgis motorcycle rally 2018

I also noticed that there are many more women riding motorcycles. I remember a time before the year 2000, when it was very rare to see a woman on a motorcycle. Back in 2000, and 2001, the women that you did see on a motorcycle, were usually riding small Japanese cruisers, or Harley-Davidson sportster’s.

Times have changed, many women are not only riding all sizes of motorcycles now, but they are also riding big baggers. There are still many more men on bikes than women, but I am sure one day it could equalize. As for me I think it is sexy this see a woman on a motorcycle. My wife without a doubt wants to stay on my backseat, and I like it like that, but it’s nice to see men and women on motorcycles.

Another thing I noticed this year was that Indian motorcycle has gained a substantial portion of the motorcycle market compared to last year. At the rally, Harley-Davidson is still King, but there are Indians all over the place now. Unless Polaris goes out of business, sells off Indian, or discontinues the brand, at this rate I predict that in the next 5 years Indian may make up almost 50% of the domestic American made motorcycle market for cruisers.

Little Teri in the Black Hills, Sturgis 2018

I think there is a genuine competition now between Harley-Davidson and Indian, that Harley-Davidson can no longer ignore. This will make it much better for American made motorcycle consumers.

Teri and I talked about whether or not we will go to the rally again next year in 2019. The plan is that we will go back to the rally. At this point we are still recovering from the Sturgis 2018 motorcycle rally. I am quite positive in a few months my dander will get back up, and I will make the reservations for 2019.

The 2018 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for me stood out most on two counts, (1) It is back, there were much more people, and (2) the riding was excellent.

I look forward to your comments on this article.

By California motorcycle accident attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, August 2018.

The post The Sturgis motorcycle Rally 2018, a great time. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Check out my annual 2016 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Yellowstone Video on You Tube. Best to watch in full screen format. The quality is not as good as it should be because they compress it. Click the link below. Enjoy.

The post Sturgis 2016, and Yellowstone Slideshow Movie first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

California motorcycle accident attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at the 2015 Sturgis motorcycle rally

I always look forward to my annual trip to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. For the last 4 years I’ve taken my RV, and trailered my motorcycle. This year was no different.

However, what was different this year, was that because it was the 75^th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, everything was completely sold out months in advance.

I usually stay at the Glencoe campground. However, this year, all they were offering for $1200 was an RV site with electrical hookup, and water, but no sewer. If you wanted to dump your RV, you’d have to notify them and wait for them to come.

I could’ve went to many ordinary RV parks in and around the Sturgis area that provided full hookups, but as in previous years, I wanted to be in the middle of the action, and in an RV park that offered concerts, recreation, and other amenities.

California biker lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez and friend at the 2015 Sturgis motorcycle rally

I found that the Broken Spoke Campground was advertising a full hook up RV site without sewer just like Glencoe was advertising, but their price was only $899. You would also have to purchase a $200 wristband per person if you were to stay at the broken spoke campground, whereas Glencoe was charging $300 for the wristband.

Basically sites like the Glencoe, Broken Spoke, and others, have premium concerts every night, so they charge for wristbands on top of the charge for the actual RV site.

I ended up choosing the Broken Spoke Campground because it was approximately $800 cheaper than Glencoe. It turned out to be a big mistake see below. The total price was approximately $1400 including the wristbands.

This year I purchased a new RV 3 months before Sturgis. The damn thing was constantly in the shop up until a few days before Sturgis. There were still a few bugs with the unit that were not fixed prior to leaving, oh well.

California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at Mount Rushmore, 2015 Sturgis motorcycle rally

As in previous years it was kind of hectic getting ready for the trip. For the most part I think it’s all a mental thing. I, and I’m sure a lot of other people get so excited before the rally, that just preparing to leave is exhausting.

It is very hard to find people that can take a week to 2 weeks off work to travel with you to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Many guys plan trips like this years in advance. Last year I went with a friend to Sturgis, she was able to do the entire trip with me. This year my new female friend was unable to do the drive with me due to work, but was able to fly in on Tuesday night, and then fly out on Sunday night, September 9, 2015 the last night of the rally.

Although I like to travel with friends because it’s much better, I’m the kind of guy that is no problem packing up and going across country by myself. Done it many times, no problem.

California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez and friend having fun on the Black Hills Scenic Byway

I love the drive to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, it’s the excitement that gets you. Many moons ago before I got into the RV scene I would traditionally ride to events like this on my motorcycle. There’s something to be said about doing either. I love riding don’t get me wrong, but 1700 miles each way wears on you a bit. At my age, I prefer taking my RV. At motorcycle rallies the big party happens in the campgrounds anyway.

I have done this drive many years in a row, so all the sites along the way are becoming familiar to me now, almost like old friends and landmarks. This year it took me a bit longer to get to the rally because frankly I was burnt out on the 2^nd night of driving and stopped at a rest stop in Wyoming to sleep for a few hours.

Sturgis, South Dakota was about 150 miles from the rest stop. Excitement was in the air in the morning. In years past I went through this area at night, let me tell you the drive from the Wyoming to the South Dakota border was beautiful. Coupled with the fact that there were thousands of bikes on the road made it even better. You could just tell that this year was going to be special.

The view from our table at Mount Rushmore Sturgis 2015

Ordinarily every year I get off of the freeway and drive on the main drag through downtown Sturgis to go to the Glencoe campground and set up. This year it kind of sucked because as I pulled off the traffic was much worse than any previous year that I’ve seen. It took me an hour to get from the freeway to near the Glencoe campground. It was bumper to bumper motorcycles the entire way. Being in a big RV above the action was kind of cool because I could see all the action but the traffic was horrible.

This year because I was staying at the Broken Spoke Campground, I passed the Glencoe campground for a couple miles then made the turn off to the Broken Spoke Campground. It was on the way to the Broken Spoke that I became concerned. I was basically in the middle of nowhere and there is barely any motorcycles on the road.

Biker lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in Custer National Park, Sturgis 2015

Finally about 15 miles down the road, the Broken Spoke arose out of the country rolling hills. It was exciting, and it was packed.

I was directed into the check-in area and proceeded to go from my RV to the check-in area. This is where my nightmare began.

The girl at the Broken Spoke campground check-in immediately told me that they had no spaces with water, and that if I had a problem with that I could go online and request a refund. I told her “what are you talking about, I paid for a full hook up space, and my RV is almost that of water.” She told me that there is nothing that she could do, and that if I placed a certain flag in front of my RV there would be somebody coming around to pump water. Imagine, all of Sturgis was sold out this year. I was pissed.

I thought to myself this is complete bullshit. I would’ve never stayed at this place had I known there was no water for the RV.

California motorcycle accident attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez Sturgis motorcycle rally, Sturgis 2015

I’m not going to waste a bunch of space in this article to talk about what bullshit the Broken Spoke Campground was and how it almost ruined my trip this year, but I will say that after wasting 2 days of the rally there, I found another RV Park with full hookups in Deadwood, South Dakota, for $600 thank god, and high tailed it out of the Broken Spoke Campground as soon as I could. I felt sorry for the poor shmucks stuck there waiting for water for 4 days. Screw that.

The Broken Spoke Campground was a dustbowl in the middle of nowhere. I am sure if it wasn’t so crowded it might’ve been an okay place to be, but they grossly oversold it knowing full well they didn’t have enough spaces to accommodate what they were selling. I was able to get a refund of a thousand dollars from them via PayPal a week after I got home. I will give them credit for that they did refund me for the campground part of the trip. I never did recover the cost of the wristbands and lost $400 on that deal because I never went back.

Biker lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez with friend at Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis 2015

Suffices to say I will never stay there again, I highly recommend that you find another place to stay if you are ever at the Sturgis rally. Now if they come to me and make me an offer I might give them another chance but right now I am highly pissed off at them still over a month after the fact.

I went and stayed at a place called Whistler’s Gulch in Deadwood, South Dakota which is about 16 miles from the main drag in Sturgis. I love this place, but it is a bit of a drive to and from Sturgis.

As far as the rally this year went, frankly, it sucked compared to previous years. The Broken Spoke Campground nightmare was part of it, but also it was a sausage fest, meaning there was at least 4 to 5 guys for every one gal at the rally and most of the gals of the rally were not hotties like I am so used to seeing at motorcycle rallies. There were only a few hot gals there. Seems like every guy in the country and their friends decided to go to Sturgis this year and left the gals behind. It was a complete sausage fest.

California motorcycle accident attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez with friend 75th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally

Further, the traffic was so bad that it was horrendous. I did ride about 3000 miles on my bike during the rally. I’m not the bar going type of guy. I’m a rider. When I get into the Black Hills and start riding, which is my passion. I rode my ass off this year as in previous years.

I rode my old favorites, Mount Rushmore, Custer National Park, all through the Black Hills, the Black Hills Scenic Byway, Crazy Horse, and many places off the beaten track. As usual I found hidden places to ride for many miles on dirt roads with my gal riding shotgun on the back. As usual we found a couple secluded spots to enjoy each other as well, which is kind of tough in the Black Hills because there are really are no places to hide.

Staying in Deadwood this year definitely changed the ambience of the rally for me. It was a lot mellower this year than in previous years, because in previous years I would’ve been at the concerts every night until 2 in the morning. Hell last year after the concerts ended I went to the only gym in town to work out in the middle of the night.

California biker attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone national forest just after Sturgis 2015

Now this rally totally sucked compared to all the other rallies I’ve been to in the past at Sturgis. The main culprit this year was just flat-out shitty weather. It was cold and rainy over 50% of the rally this year. Just flat-out shitty weather. The rain caused many people to leave after a couple days, and by the end of the rally the place was pretty much empty. You can’t do anything about Mother Nature. This year the weather really sucked. In previous years there was rain for one or 2 days at Sturgis, but nothing as bad as this year.

I definitely got some good riding in, and had some good times, but this year was definitely not worth the time and effort as in previous years. I’m hoping next year will kind of calm down a little bit. What may sound like a sacrilege is I may not even go to Sturgis next year. It remains to be seen. I’ve always wanted to ride Alaska during the summer, so I may take my rig and do an Alaska trip will see.

My lady friend and I had a good time on this trip. She was the one good thing about the rally other than the great riding. We had some good times between each other as a man and women do, which I’m not going to describe here but I’m sure you can let your imagination run amok.

Motorcycle lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez 75th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally

Rallies like this are about adult pleasure. If you go by yourself without a woman to a rally like this the chances of actually hooking up with a woman at the rally or are almost impossible, because most of the women are hooked up with men. So all these guys showing up with all their buddies just kind of ruin it.

On the last day of the rally, Sunday, I struck Camp and drove my RV through town to the Rapid City Airport to drop my lady friend off who had to fly back home to be at work the next day. It kind of sucked to watch her go but they get then again I was excited, because I was now headed towards Cody Wyoming and Yellowstone.

I should’ve just parked the RV when it got dark and camped out for the night but I figured if I was able to get to Cody straightaway I could spend 2 days riding Yellowstone instead of just one day. That’s exactly what I did. I rode my 36′ Class A motorhome with 12 foot trailer, total length of about 50 feet through the Greybull National Forest which goes up to about 90,000 feet in pitch darkness.

75th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally

I had an accident 4 years ago where I lost the brakes on my motorhome in the same forest and almost got killed, see the article about that experience by clicking here.

I Rode the same exact route, and actually stopped in the middle of the night at the spot where I had the accident 4 years earlier just to contemplate what happened. Let me tell you something, it’s eerie in the Greybull National Forest at night, there was nobody else on the road with me. If anything would’ve happened nobody would’ve discovered me until probably the next morning. The time I got to the Yellowstone highway through Greybull, I was spent and could barely keep my eyes open. I got to the Walmart in Cody, parked the RV and crashed out.

When I woke up the next day and went to the Yellowstone Valley campground set up camp, got my motorcycle out of the trailer, and rode the Yellowstone national forest. I was able to ride Yellowstone for two days before heading home. This article is not about my ride through the Yellowstone national forest, but I will just say that I’ve done it every year after Sturgis and I love it.

I definitely had a good time riding Sturgis this year but it was not as good as previous years. Nothing is perfect, but I had a good time.

By California Personal Injury Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2015

The post My trip to the 75th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally. July 30, 2015 through August 12, 2015 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

On July 31 – August 13th, 2014 I traveled to the 74th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and to Yellowstone for the 3rd consecutive year.

The below movie is a slideshow movie of the pictures I took at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Yellowstone.

This year I took less pictures than last year because I concentrated more on riding, and I was rained in for about a day and a half on this trip.

Enjoy the movie.

By Biker Lawyer and California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © August 31, 2014

The post My Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Yellowstone Picture Movie first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

I would like to wish you on behalf of myself and the Biker Law Blog a happy Independence Day for the year 2014.

On this day in the year 1776, a group of liberal radicals declared their independence from the English Empire, which was a treasonous act punishable by death.

In 1776, the English Empire was the greatest empire on earth.

The people of the American colonies wanted a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. They revolted against England because they had no representation in the English Parliament, and although they paid taxes, they were treated with disdain by England.

Then, as it is now, men have stood up and beared arms for the United States of America, and for the principles on which it stands.

Today is more than just a day for playing grab ass with the family, barbecuing, watching parades, and watching fireworks. Today is a celebration of our nation’s freedom and independence.

If you take a look at all the craziness around the world, especially the Middle East, and the Ukraine, you get a little taste of what it might be like for us if we do not stand strong as united nation.

As you watch the fireworks tonight, maybe reflect on how lucky we are to live in the United States of America.

By California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, and Biker Attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, July 4, 2014

The post Happy Independence Day, 2014 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

MY BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP: In two days I’m looking forward to my 51^st birthday. It’s hard to believe I made it to 51. At this point in my life I think there is hope. I’m looking forward to a long and fruitful rest of my life.

MAJOR FUNCTIONALITY RESTORED ON THE BLOG: It is been reported to us that people using the search function on the Biker Law Blog, or persons trying to select articles on the right by category, or keywords, were being taken to the normal blog page. All functions have been restored in the Biker Law Blog. Apparently there was a bug after the last redesign.

Made MY RESERVATIONS FOR STURGIS 2014: I’m pleased to announce that I have paid the campground fees, and the wristband fees, for the Glencoe Campground, and the Sturgis 2014 motorcycle rally. The official rally dates are from August 3, 2014 through August 9, 2014. I plan on departing for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on July 30, 2014. From Sturgis, I will do my annual trek to Cody, Wyoming, and the Yellowstone national forest. On the way home from Cody, Wyoming, I will stop in Greybull, Wyoming, to ride the Greybull National Forest, which in my opinion is one of most beautiful rides on earth.

By California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer, and Biker Attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. © June 18, 2014

The post Norm’s Tidbits, June 18, 2014 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

California Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in Oatman, AZ on April, 25, 2014 for the Laughlin River Run Motorcycle Rally

This year the Laughlin River run was held on April 23 through April 27, 2014, in Laughlin Nevada. I have been to this rally so many times, I don’t remember the exact number of times I have been there.

I love going to the Laughlin River run, because starting in April, this rally marks the beginning of the official motorcycle rally season each year.

It’s not a big rally compared to Sturgis or Daytona Biker Week, but it is a decent size rally. There’s nothing like going to a place like Laughlin, Nevada with tens of thousands of other bikers, running around, and having a good time.

This year I prepaid for a camping space at the Riverside RV resort, in Laughlin Nevada, which is part of the Riverside casino and directly across the street. Last year I stayed in an RV Park in Bullhead City, Arizona.

My plan this year was to take my 35 foot class A motorhome, hook up my motorcycle trailer, put my Harley-Davidson in the trailer, and drive to Laughlin and campout for the rally. That is exactly what I did. Although my plan was to leave on April 23, 2014, I ended up leaving on April 24, 2014.

California Motorcycle Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in the middle, with some friends to the left and right

The ride to Laughlin in my motorhome was uneventful. Because I left late, I ended up getting to Laughlin in the late afternoon of April 24, 2014. I set up my camp, got the motorcycle out, and took a ride around town.

As usual, there was excitement in the air. There is nothing like the very beginning of a motorcycle rally, especially when the motorcycle rally is the first one of the year. There were thousands of bikers from all the Western states present. Although most of the bikers were from California, there are many from a lot of other states.

This year I knew that some of my friends were to be at the rally, and I looked forward to meeting them there.

Hogs and Heifers, Lauglin River Run 2014

As usual, there were motorcycle vendors at every casino on the Laughlin strip, and there were biker bars set up and down the strip as well. The most famous one was the Hogs and Heifers.

There were bands playing, girls dancing, bikers walking up and down the street, and your ubiquitous thousands of bikers riding up and down the street. Another great time.

After riding around a bit, I found a place to park motorcycle, and proceeded to check out some of the bands up and down the strip. Since it was, late, I figured I would wait until the next day to call my friends.

My campsite at the Riverside RV Resort, Laughlin River Run, 2014

The next day I hooked up with my friends, and spent my time running all over the place. We rode the Oatman, Arizona, and basically did the grand tour.

On Saturday night, we had front row seats to a band called Great White.

Overall the Laughlin motorcycle rally to be quite frank is the same every year. It is truly exciting and inspiring, to see so many motorcycles all in the same place. It’s excellent running down the road with hundreds, and thousands of other motorcyclists.

Great White on Stage, Laughlin 2014

As a biker lawyer, and motorcycle accident lawyer, I have noticed over the last few years that a certain so-called association of motorcycle lawyers’ organization has ads, and banners plastered all over the motorcycle rallies. I’m not going to mention them by name, but I’m sure everybody who has been to the rallies knows who I am talking about.

It really makes me sick to my stomach seeing other so-called motorcycle lawyers trying to drum up business at a place where everybody’s having a good time.

I talked to this so-called association of lawyers a few years back. They told me if I paid a yearly fee I too could be one of their so-called (lion lawyers). The name of the animal has been changed to protect it J

I do not need to plaster banners and advertisements all over motorcycle rallies to prove that I am a real biker lawyer and motorcycle accident attorney. You can read this blog and see for yourself I am the real deal.

I know that the rally organizers are just collecting cash from these people so I am sure we will continue to see these advertisements all over the rallies. However, if you want a real biker lawyer, or a real motorcycle accident attorney who is an expert in the field, and rides like you do, give me a call.

I just had to mention this phenomenon, because it makes me sick to my stomach.

On the last day of the rally my friends took off on Sunday, and I had an itch to ride some more. I rode to Oatman, Arizona again, took the Arizona scenic highway to Lake Havasu City, and I rode the back route to Laughlin.

Sunday night at the rally, it was all basically over. I went to the Riverside casino and the remnants of the people that were left were pathetic. I may re-think my practice of staying extra days at motorcycle rallies, after the rallies are over.

I left for home on Monday, April 20, 2014.

As usual, I had a fantastic time at the Laughlin 2014 motorcycle rally. I am sure I will see you all again there next year.

By California motorcycle accident attorney, and biker lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © June 4, 2014.

The post The Laughlin River run, 2014, my review first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Mount Rushmore National Monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota

I have been meaning to write this article for quite some time, unfortunately I have been too busy since I returned back from my trip, to write this article until now.

My trip to the 2013  Sturgis motorcycle rally, was not only a trip to the rally itself, but was also a trip to the Little Big Horn National Battlefield, in Custer Montana, and to the Yellowstone National Forest in Wyoming.

Further, this trip would mark my first major trip, or motorcycle rally, as a single man.

For this trip, my plan was to tow my motorcycle in my new custom trailer, behind my 35 foot class A motorhome. This would be a small trip of approximately 3000 miles, as opposed to my 8000 mile plus around the country RV trip that I took two summers ago in 2012.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in the Black Hills of South Dakota on a dirt road, Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally

I prepaid two months in advance for a weeks stay at the world-famous Glencoe campgrounds, in Sturgis South Dakota.

At the time of the writing of this article, I do not remember the exact amount of money it cost me for my space at Glencoe Campground, but I’m guessing it was around $600 for the week for a 75 foot, 50 amp space, plus a couple hundred dollars for a wristband.

The campground requires everyone that enters the campground to have a wristband, because they have headliner bands playing at night, which they sell tickets to separately.

Glencoe campground in Sturgis is famous for all the shenanigans that happen there during the rally. No children are allowed in the campground during the rally, and it only opens for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The rest of the year it is closed. If you do a Google search for Glencoe campgrounds you’ll see that there’s a lot of nudity there during the rally. I experienced said nudity firsthand, see below.

Beautiful Lynn inside the Glencoe Concert Venue, Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally

For a trip like this, the plan was to take approximately a month to do the entire trip. It is almost impossible to find friends or family that can take that much time off work for a trip like this. This was the case for this trip, nobody was available to come on the trip with me. Anyway, I needed this time by myself anyway, to find myself again after the breakup of my long-term relationship and marriage.

I contemplated taking a lady with me on the trip, but in the end, I decided not to bring her. After thinking about it, I decided that I needed some alone time. Unfortunately, I already paid for her wristband before the trip and couldn’t get a refund, oh well.

Beautiful Becky inside the Glencoe Concert Venue, Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally

The excitement leading up to this trip was almost unbearable. My new custom motorcycle trailer, made the thought of going to Sturgis even that much more exciting, because it is an enclosed trailer and I would not need to use any straps like I did on my last long trip.

I bought many new things for this trip. I bought a new camera, a new camcorder, a GoPro HD camera for the motorcycle, and many mounts for the cameras so I could get a lot of footage.

Two days before the trip was about to begin, I started loading the motor home up for the trip. Most people would think I’m crazy leaving the resort town where I live, Huntington Beach, CA, to travel to Sturgis, South Dakota during the summer for a month. Only a biker, and motorcycle rider, would know why I would take a trip like this. Over a half a million people every year make the same journey.

Beautiful Connie in downtown Sturgis during the 2013 Rally

The morning of August 1, 2013, I pulled my motorhome out of the storage space, attached my new custom motorcycle trailer to the motorhome, and proceeded to load my motorcycle into the new trailer for the first time.

The biker bar mounting system was incredible. The biker bar was the new mounting system that I had installed in the trailer so that i would no longer have to strap my motorcycle in like me and everyone else with a trailer had to in the past.

Sometime soon, I will write a separate article and review about the biker bar mounting system, because I believe everybody who has a motorcycle trailer should get one of these things.

A view from inside my RV somewhere in Wyoming on the way to the Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally

Suffices to say, once I clicked my motorcycle into the biker bar, it was a plug-and-play type of deal. I did not have to worry about tightening straps, or the motorcycle whatsoever for the rest of the 1300 mile trip to Sturgis South Dakota.

I did get a late start on August 1, 2013. By the time I left Huntington Beach, California, it was already about 1 o’clock in the afternoon. I did not care, I just wanted to get on the road. The weather was nice when I left, but I did hit heavy-duty traffic on the 91 freeway, and the 15 freeway headed to Las Vegas. Further, I had massive traffic in Las Vegas because I got there during rush hour.

My Campsite for the Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally

It was hotter than hell in the Las Vegas area, and beyond in the afternoon. I drove to a truck stop approximately 100 miles north of Las Vegas to fill up gas, and to fill up my main propane tank in the motorhome. I also fixed myself a sandwich in the motorhome, and had a cigar, because I was planning on driving until I could not drive anymore. It was going to be a late night.

I drove that night until I could not drive any further. The new GPS I got for the motorhome is set up for recreational vehicles, so it directed me to a truck stop where I parked for the evening and dry camped with all the truckers.

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on the main drag, August 3, 2013

When I woke up on August 2, 2013, my plan was to drive until I could not drive anymore again. At this point I was approximately 700 miles away from Sturgis South Dakota. I made myself some breakfast in the motorhome, got some coffee, and filled the motorhome up with gas and I was off.

It was a great ride in the motorhome from where I had camped on August 1 in Utah, through Wyoming on my way to South Dakota. The GPS took me over 100 miles out of my way on a scenic route. I had no clue that the GPS was set up to take scenic routes. In a way I’m kind of glad it did take me on the scenic route, it was a great drive.

Downtown Sturgis, August 3, 2013

There was a point on the drive in Wyoming, where I was so far off the beaten track, I was concerned that I would not be able to find gas. I was literally in the middle of nowhere. Everything turned out okay.

There was major road construction in Wyoming, and I encountered dirt roads and closed roads along the way. In one case construction crews had the road closed; I had to wait for about 45 minutes for them to reopen it.  When they did reopen the road, a pace car guided us on a very bumpy dirt road to where the pavement started again. This would’ve been fine except me being in a big motorhome with the new motorcycle trailer, with my motorcycle inside. It was very bumpy to say the least.

Full Throttle Saloon, night of August 3, 2013

When it got dark, I decided to keep on driving until I could not drive anymore. When I got to around two hours outside of Sturgis at approximately 12 midnight, I was tired, and about ready to just park the RV at Walmart for the night. The winds were howling, and I can see major thunderstorms in the direction of where I was heading. When you’re in a 35 foot class a motorhome, strong winds are not your friend.

However, I was so excited to be so close to Sturgis, I decided to just drive the last two hours, and get to Sturgis. The weather was so bad on the way in, that I did not make it into Sturgis until about 4 AM.

Beautiful lady with nothing on but body paint, Glencoe Campground, August 7, 2013

My GPS was set up to take me to the Glencoe campground. To get there, you have to drive directly through downtown Sturgis. I could see all the vendors set up as I drove in, and I became very excited.

When I got to the Glencoe campground, I was thoroughly exhausted. I could barely stay awake. I had been driving essentially nonstop for over 700 miles. I checked in at the front shack at the front gate, got my wristband, and waited for a guy to come around on a little cart to show me where my Space was. It was still dark as I was driving in, but as I drove in, I could see a couple of naked people walking on the road.

Beautiful Gal with Body Paint, Downtown Sturgis, 2013

The guy from Glencoe showed me my Space, and directed me while I backed my motorhome into the space. After almost 19 hours of straight driving and sheer exhaustion from doing the 1300 mile one way drive in less than two days, it was a trickey proposition. We are talking an over 50 feet rig with the motorcycle trailer. It was not easy backing it in being so tired, and it being pitch dark, but I did it.

I then set up my camp as quickly as possible. I hooked up the 50 amp power cord, fresh water, and sewer to my RV.

Believe it or not, I was so excited to be at the rally, that it was difficult to get the sleep, but I did eventually get to sleep that first morning.

Beautiful Lady on a motorcycle in downtown Sturgis at the 2013 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

When I woke up on August 3, 2013, the first thing I did was to remove my motorcycle from the trailer, unleash my flagpole and flags, and get ready to go to town.

Before going into town the first day, I decided to ride through the campground to check it out. Glencoe has vendors set up in the middle area of the campground. They say that Glencoe is the largest campground in the world. I’m not sure, I heard that the Buffalo Chip is big as well, but I have never been there and cannot tell from personal experience.

When I rode through the campground, I saw a couple of naked guys with their dongs hanging out, not something I wanted to see, along with an older lady that was walking around topless.

Girls jumping on bar at the Full Throttle Saloon to dance, Sturgis 2013

The campground was semi-full, and I knew it would get much more full as the rally progressed.

When I finally made it out of the gate, there is excitement in the air. Basically there were motorcycles everywhere. Further, as I rode down the road I discovered that the world-famous Full Throttle Saloon was directly across the street from the Glencoe campground. The main road was packed with motorcycles going in both directions.

I was kind of upset that the speed limit on the main drag was 25 mph. I know they’re trying to keep the motorcyclist safe, but 25 mph is kind of ridiculous. It was obvious to me that it was a big speed trap so I took my time to not go above the speed limit. As I got closer to downtown Sturgis, I saw even more motorcycles. When I finally got to downtown, it was packed with motorcycles all over the place, as far as the eye can see, a sea of motorcycles.

Beautiful Sandra at Sturgis 2013

I did what everybody who goes to Sturgis does as a rite of passage, I paraded up and down the main street twice each direction on my motorcycle.

There were tens of thousands of people walking on both sides of the street, and thousands of motorcycles in the main drag. I knew that the rally would get even more crowded, since this was officially the first day of the rally. I have never seen so many motorcycles or bikers in my entire life in any one place. It was almost like going home. I felt like I belonged there at Sturgis. It’s hard to explain. Bikers and motorcyclists already have what I consider to be a camaraderie between them, because they ride motorcycles. However, the bikers at Sturgis all seems to be connected in some way. It was like one interconnected extended family even though everyone are strangers. We all had motorcycles in common, and everyone is friendly to each other. Only bikers at Sturgis will ever understand what a ritcheous feeling this is.

Beautiful Cheri, Sturgis 2013

The bikers and motorcyclists at Sturgis come from all over the world, and all walks of life. You have lawyers like me commiserating with motorcycle mechanics. All professions, all classes, and all the people Sturgis, are for all intents and purposes part of one huge motorcycle family while you are there. There’s no way that I could put this in the words so that you can understand, the only way to truly understand the Sturgis experience, is to go yourself.

I have talked to many bikers about Sturgis, most of them have never been there. Each one of them says that one day they will go. I can only say one thing to these people, Sturgis is something that you have to do at least once in your life. For me, I will be there again next year, and probably every year thereafter.

Some action on Perverts Row, Glencoe Campground, Sturgis 2013

Let’s get back to the story.

Now I was at Sturgis from August 2, 2013 to August 11, 2013. I’m not going to write a day by day, hour by hour Chronicle of the rally. What I will do is describe the things I did at the rally as a whole, and I will discuss specific days as they stood out from the rest.

Where I come from in Southern California, we have some of the best motorcycle riding in the world. The Sturgis’s, South Dakota area, and the Black Hills of South Dakota are truly a beautiful place to ride, and an excellent time. For most Americans, I am sure the Black Hills of South Dakota are probably the best rides they will do their life. I am spoiled because I live in the land of twisties and mountains, in Southern California. With that being said I cannot sit here and say that the Black Hills of South Dakota, are any better riding than I’m used in Southern California. I will say, that I truly do enjoy riding the Black Hills of South Dakota, and because you are at the Sturgis motorcycle rally, it is a truly bitchin ride. In other words, the riding is no better than I am used to at home, but it is still excellent riding.

Beautiful Peggie, Glencoe concert venue, Sturgis 2013

I rode over 1000 miles on my motorcycle while at Sturgis, South Dakota in 2013. I rode all over the Black Hills of South Dakota. I went to Mount Rushmore multiple times, the Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer National Park, and all over the place. I rode to Deadwood, South Dakota may times as well.

You can read about a trip I took in 2012 to the same location, but not during the rally, by clicking here now.

Part of this year’s trip to Sturgis, was about me finding myself again. Having just got out of a 12 year long-term relationship with my wife, and having just been to the same location a year ago with my wife, made this trip a bit melancholy in a way. It was melancholy in a way, simply because I rode to some the same places with my wife just a year before, and now we were no longer together.

My new friend Kim, Sturgis 2013, pasties were added later with photoshop

This trip to Sturgis for me was not about meeting women or getting laid, it was about me finding myself again, and doing some great riding.

I took many pictures at Sturgis you can see some of them sprinkled throughout this article, and you can see a video of some of my pictures by clicking here, or going to the bottom of this article.

I took much video at Sturgis as well. I’m not going to post the video in this article, I will save it for a later article.

Sturgis is the granddaddy of all motorcycle rallies. It is the biggest motorcycle rally in the world. All the motorcycle vendors that you can think of, or anybody in the motorcycle world you can think of were represented at Sturgis. You can find any leather item, motorcycle part, T-shirts, literally anything you want in the motorcycle world at the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

Deadwood, SD, Sturgis 2013

I have been to so many motorcycle rallies in my time, that the vendors all look the same to me. I am one of those unique bikers who can honestly say, that there is literally nothing I need. So walking through the vendor village which is basically the entire Main Street in Sturgis, and all the side streets, was just something to do to check out all the people, since I did not need anything.

Yes, I bought a whole ton of Sturgis motorcycle rally T-shirts, including my first Harley-Davidson T-shirt, and still to this day almost a year later, I have not worn any of them. I bought a bunch of t-shirts at the Full Throttle Saloon, and I haven’t worn any of them either.

I am one of those bikers, that simply does not buy and wear what I consider to be motorcycle paraphernalia T-shirts to prove I’m a biker. I have no need to prove I’m a biker. I will never buy another rally T-shirt, or Harley-Davidson T-shirt again. Why, because I never wear them.

Every night at Sturgis I saw a major headliner band. I spent most nights at the concert venue at the Glencoe campground, and a couple of nights at the Full Throttle Saloon.

There were beautiful women all over the place at Sturgis. Women running around with nothing at all on except for body paint, or pasties. I will tell you, nowhere on earth will you see

Custer National Park, Sturgis 2013

so many women running around with so little on everywhere except for maybe a nudist beach somewhere in Europe, or where I live in Huntington Beach.

One day when I was heading to the Crazy Horse Monument, I got stuck in the beginnings of a major thunderstorm. As I was going up the hill with no jacket on it started raining. I decided to head back to the campground. I went through Rapid City, South Dakota, and got back on the interstate headed towards Sturgis. I stopped at the Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership on the way. This place was massive, and they had tons of vendors. The makers of the Biker Bar, the motorcycle trailer mounting bracket that I installed in my trailer, were also at the Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership.

While at the dealership, I got a replacement lighter for my Harley-Davidson Electra glide, and my first Harley-Davidson T-shirt. To this day I have never worn the T-shirt.

Downtown Sturgis at dusk, 8-7-13

The sky looked ominous. Dark storm clouds were approaching. After my visit to the Black Hills Harley-Davidson dealership, I continued to ride back to Sturgis.

No matter where I rode while in Sturgis, I always made sure to do the ubiquitous parade up and down the main drag while leaving or arriving in downtown Sturgis. This day was no different. I rode my bike up and down the main drag twice when I got into town. There were as usual thousands of people and motorcycles on the main drag.

As I was heading to the Glencoe campground, the entire sky seemed to open up with one hell of a massive thunderstorm, and hail. The hail was so large, that it hurt tremendously as it hit my head. (yes, I did not wear a helmet the entire time I was in South Dakota, Montana, or Wyoming)

Another beautiful gal in downtown Sturgis, Sturgis 2013

The rain was coming down so hard, it was impossible to see in front of me, even with no helmet on. I like many other people stopped on the side of the road, to try to wait the storm out. When the rain let up a little bit, I jumped back on my bike and made it to the gas station on the road outside of the Glencoe campground, and huddled under the awning there with many other stranded bikers, as the rain came down so hard it was unbelievable.

This was the worst rain I have seen since I was at the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally in Durango, Colorado in 2001. Had I stayed on the road during this rainstorm, there was a very good chance I might have wiped out.

When the rain let up a little bit, I managed to ride back to the campground. My campsite was a muddy mess by the time I got there. My motorcycle sunk into the mud as I rode up to my motorhome; there was mud everywhere.

Sweet Mary Lou in body paint, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2013

I opened the door to the motorhome and got undressed on the steps leading up to the motorhome. I had mud all over my boots, and pants; all my clothes were soaking wet.

Because of the tremendous rainstorm, and the mud outside, there was really nothing to do at this point but to put the heater on, throw some sweat pants on, put the satellite TV on and have a little dinner.

By this time in the rally, I had been partying to three or four in the morning every night, and I was a bit sleep deprived. I laid down and crashed out for the evening. It pretty much rained all night anyway.

Other than what I want to call the night of thunder, every other night at the rally was excellent.

Now let me tell you about the Glencoe campground, it’s full of debauchery. Another way of putting it is there are a lot of adult games going on in the campground.

Flaunt girl made famous by Full Throttle Saloon TV show strutting her stuff at Glencoe

The main drag is affectionately known as Perverts Row. All night long motorcycle riders, and people on golf carts and small ATVs go up and down Perverts Row, looking at all the naked girls parading and exhibiting themselves up and down Perverts Row.

I even saw a couple sex acts going on at night on Perverts Row. I had women coming up to me, doing some nasty things. It was all in good fun. You guys that get motel rooms would never know that all the action occurs at motorcycle rallies in the campgrounds. If you are in a motel or hotel, your are not experiencing the true essence of motorcycle rallies.

On Perverts Row, many girls earn their beads throughout the rally by flashing their tits. There are no prudes at the Glencoe campground during the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

As the rally came to an end on August 10, 2013, the Glencoe campground started to empty out very fast. As is my custom, I always stay an extra day at motorcycle rallies. I owned Sturgis on August 10, 2013. There were only a small fraction of riders left in and around Sturgis on this day. It was actually kind of depressing to see the rally winding down.

Sturgis Babes in Glencoe, Sturgis 2013

I wished inside that the rally never had to end, but I knew it had to.

I rode to Deadwood, Custer National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and to many other places on that last day. It was kind of sad to see that all the bikers had pretty much departed already.

That night I went to the Full Throttle Saloon for a last night of fun. Traditionally, on the last night of the rally, the locals go to the Full Throttle Saloon. I saw many people at the Full Throttle Saloon who are a part of the famous TV show Full Throttle Saloon, including Fajita Mike, the little person dressed as a leprechaun, and many of the gals from the TV show. Hell, Fajita Mike asked me to give him a hand getting up on the bar. I put my hand out so he could step onto my hand to get onto the bar. The son of a bitch got mud all over my hand, he is a big boy.

Some gals having fun on Perverts Row in Glencoe, Sturgis, 2013

To be frank, tried as I might, I did not really have a good time that last night, because I knew I would be leaving the next day, and I did not want the rally the end.

When they announced last call at the Full Throttle Saloon at around 2 AM, I walked outside the door for the last time for this particular rally, jumped on my Harley-Davidson Electra glide, and rode to Glencoe across the street.

I first did my traditional parade up and down Perverts Row, but this time there was no action like there was throughout the entire rally. I doubled back and drove by the concert venue inside Glencoe. I went inside and it was dead, no one around. I knew the rally was over.

I went to my motorhome, and went to sleep the last time at the Sturgis 2013 motorcycle rally.

On the morning of August 11, 2013, my plan was to do my laundry, strike camp, and drive to Montana, so I could visit the Little Bighorn National Battlefield the next day. I figured that since most of the people had left the campground already, and the campground went from a full city packed full of motorhomes and tents, to just a few motorhomes left in the entire place, that it would be easy to do my laundry.

The view from my motorcycle, Black Hills, SD, Sturgis 2013

Unfortunately, many of the locals who worked at the campground apparently saved their laundry up for the last day as well. I had to wait for quite some time, but I was finally able to do my laundry before departing. While waiting for my laundry to finish, I listened to rock & roll, and sat outside and smoked a cigar thinking about how great the rally was, and watching the very few holdouts like me, slowly getting ready to leave.

It was depressing to see the campground so empty, and thinking that the rally was officially over.

After my laundry was finished, I went to the motorhome and proceeded to strike camp. I attached the Biker Bar to my motorcycle, rode my motorcycle up into the trailer, and clicked the Biker Bar in place. I locked the trailer, put everything away, and for a last act took my flagpole down.

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at a concert at the Sturgis 2013 motorcycle rally

There was something inside of me that just did not want to leave, but I knew I had to. There was a motorhome three spaces to the left of me who also did not want to go home. This guy had a couple naked girls walking around his motorhome, and unfortunately he was naked too. They looked like hippie types, and they looked like they were having a good time.

I decided to make myself lunch before departing. By the time I finally decided to get on the road, it was already 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

By my calculations, my drive to Montana would be about 2 to 3 hours, so it did not matter to me that I left so late.

I started up the motorhome, let it warm up, and drove out of the Glencoe campground thus ending the Sturgis 2013 Rally part of my trip.

As I was driving out of town, I saw a few hundred holdouts hanging at the local bars in and around Sturgis, as well as riding their motorcycles. But for all intents and purposes, Sturgis was a ghost town compared to during the rally. You could see all the vendors packing up, it really was depressing.

From Sturgis, I rode to Hardin, Montana, the Little Bighorn National Battlefield, Cody Wyoming, Yellowstone National Forest, Las Vegas, Nevada, and then finally home.

I got back home on August 16, 2013.

This article is about my trip to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, therefore I’m not going to discuss the other parts of my trip. I will say that by the time I decided to drive home, it was time to go home. I put a lot of miles on my motorcycle, and my motorhome, and this is one hell of a fantastic trip.

In my life as in many other men’s lives, I have had to experience many things alone. When I went to US Air Force basic training, I went alone. Sometimes, you just have to face things alone. I did this trip alone because it was something I had to do alone. Maybe next time, I won’t do this trip alone.

As I write this article, we are less than three months away from the 2014 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. I am planning on bringing somebody with me to this year’s rally, but you never know if they’ll back out at the last minute. It is difficult for many people to take two weeks off for rally such as this. I will be at the Rally either way.

I have been to motorcycle rallies all of the country, there is no doubt that every biker and motorcyclists must experience the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally once in their lives.

It is a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience, that I can assure you, you will never forget, and that you will want to repeat over and over again. I plan on going to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally as many times as I possibly can for the rest of my life.

Here are some raw videos I took at the Sturgis 2014 Motorcycle Rally

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By California motorcycle accident lawyer, and biker attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © May, 2014

The post The 2013 Sturgis motorcycle rally, my Review first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

As you all know, I drove my RV alone from Huntington Beach, CA to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2013, in Sturgis, SD from July 31, 2013 to August 16, 2013. I also drove to Custer, Montana, and to Cody and Yellowstone, WY.

This marked my first big trip since becoming a single man again.

Once at my destination, I rode my motorcycle over 1000 miles. Below is a video montage of the pictures I took at the Sturgis 2013 Motorcycle Rally. A couple of pics had to be edited to add pasties so Youtube would not delete the video. Look for my big write-up on the trip, and actual video footage taken from my various cameras to be published soon. Enjoy the video. Pictures were taken at Sturgis, SD, Full Throttle Saloon, Glencoe Campground, and all over the rally.

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, December 29, 2013

The post A Video montage of Photos I took at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2013 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

My Stock Carry-All cargo trailer before customization

As part of my thousands of miles of travel each year to various motorcycle rallies all over the nation, I have come to the conclusion that for motorcycle rallies of great distance up to and including 1000 miles or more each way, it is not practical to ride my motorcycle to every event.

I used to be one of those hard core bikers who laughed at “the trailer queens” trailering their motorcycles to rallies. Hell I was so hardcore that I only put on a Windscreen on my motorcycles in the past 10 years.

I remember the good old days of doing 90mph in the deserts of Arizona with the temperature at 120, no helmet on, no windscreen on, holding on for dear life. I have ridden with hundreds and probably thousands of people over the years, who can attest to this.

Well at this point in my life, especially since I acquired a Class A Motorhome, I have decided to join the ranks of those who go for comfort and fun when traveling to motorcycle rallies that are a long distance away.

My custom cargo trailer at the storage yard before customization

I have come to the conclusion that many people tow their motorcycles for one reason or another, and it is okay. You will notice many bikers and motorcyclists at the rallies with their RV’s.

Furthermore, my law firm, The Moy & Fernandez Law Group, Real Bikers – Real Lawyers, has had enough of watching other so-called marketing outfits holding themselves out as real biker lawyers at the rallies, while I just sit by and complain.

I have decided that my firm will also have booths at the rallies. However, instead of being a marketing outfit, we are the real deal. We will prove it at our booth. Let’s see the other guys do that. Anyway……..

Along these lines, I have acquired a 6 foot wide, by 12 foot long, by 7 foot high, brand new enclosed cargo trailer from Carry-All.

My plan is to customize it to not only trailer my motorcycle to events behind my RV, but to make it in to a bad ass trailer that will carry my law firm booth stuff, for when we start appearing at events next year.

The inside of my cargo trailer at the shop, before customization

You can see the before pictures here in this article.

The phase 1 plan is to surface sand the floor, add a couple of coats of urethane to weather proof the floor, install a 2 by 10 strip of diamond plate metal in the middle for motorcycle traction, install a Biker Bar strapless motorcycle fastening system in the middle, along with a front wheel chock, and to install a wireless camera in the back of the trailer, since with my 35 foot RV, I won’t be able to see squat behind me at 50 feet away. A wireless receiver will also have to be powered and hooked up to my camera monitor in the RV which already has 3 cameras attached to it.

The phase 2 plan is to add a few cabinets, racks, and storage items within the trailer for all my motorcycle cleaning stuff, extra oil, helmets, and motorcycle gear. I am also going to acquire a spare tire.

The phase 3 plan will begin on July 23, 2013, with Monster Graphics of Huntington Beach wrapping the entire trailer with a custom Vinyl advertisement for my law firm. I will unveil it on here first. I will give you a little hint, there are some hot babes on it!

My cargo trailer at the shop before customization

The trailer will be ready for its first big road trip on July 30, 2013, when I travel 1500 miles to Sturgis one way.

I will review all the items being installed into the trailer including the trailer itself in future articles.

I hope my journey helps you to acquire and customize your own motorcycle trailer.

One curious note about the customization so far, the shop that is doing the work is so worried that the Biker Bar strapless trailering system will not work, they made me sign a waiver in case any damage happens to the motorcycle while using the Biker Bar strapless motorcycle trailering system.

I am going to do a full write up on the Biker Bar strapless system, once I have a chance to test it out, but I have all confidence it will work as promised. If I see any reason for concern, I will reinforce the trailer floor. The instructions say for a 3/4″ wood floor, it is all that is necessary.

I am going to have 3/4″, plus diamond plate. Hell, worst case scenario, I will use straps as well. The trailer has 4 recessed D-Rings for strapping if necessary.

We will see!

By California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © July 9, 2013

The post The birth of a Custom Enclosed Motorcycle Trailer Part 1 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.