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The Litas Sturgis: @thelitassturgis
Photos: @southernmeadowsphotography
What better place to grow up loving motorcycles than the home of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally? The world-famous rally has taken place every year since its small-scale origins in 1938 — except during World War II. Now in its 83rd year, the Litas Sturgis are deeply involved in the festivities and work hard to make rally-goers feel welcome during the 10-day event.
This year during the rally, these badass babes invited womxn from all over to ride together from the Kickstands Camp to Dime Horseshoe Bar in Sundance, Wyoming for live music and good times in good company.
Born with a fierce love of motorcycles in their blood, the members of the Sturgis Litas also are blessed with breathtaking roads to cruise in the nearby Black Hills National Forest. Keep scrolling to learn more about the branch and view a photo gallery from the ride.
The Litas Sturgis hosted a womxn’s ride at the 2023 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Photo by Steven Hattaway
Who are your branch founders?
Our OG founder is Sarah, who came from a Minnesota chapter and thought, why does the Motorcycle town of South Dakota not have one?
Since then, we added more founders to help out on the team: Barbie, Ashley, Sage, Kaitlyn, Peytin.
You recently hosted a ride at the Sturgis Rally– tell us about it!
Our Sturgis Rally Meet & Ride was amazing! Unfortunately, a lot of our local gals work during the rally, but we were able to supply a handful of the group to share a ride with all different states. We had riders from CA, TX, MN, UT, MO, WI, and TN.
We started at Kickstands Campground and Venue and rode through Boulder Canyon over to Spearfish, where we jumped on the interstate over the border to Sundance, Wyoming. There we took part in lunch, a burnout contest, and cheered on the local wet t-shirt contest. It was super fun and was a great time hanging out with everyone.
Tell us about a typical meet up or ride with The Litas Sturgis.
The Black Hills are some of the most beautiful sights to see, with over 10 highways to run through twists and curves. During the winter, we like to either meet up for supper or at our founder's shop, Side Hustle Moto.
What are some challenges you face living and riding in South Dakota?
The weather!
We are lucky to have 4 solid months of riding. This coming winter, we would like to possibly incorporate a snowmobile trip for the girls to continue the need for speed.
Top recommendations for Litas coming to Sturgis to ride (outside of the rally)? Eat? Explore?
Definitely take the backroads and highways. Here is a list of roads you should check out when in the area:
Spearfish Canyon, Central Hills Loop, Native American Scenic Byway, Vanocker Canyon, Boulder Canyon, Needles Highway, Iron Mountain Road, Custer State Park Loop, Badlands Ride, and Devils Tower.
Places to visit include of course our National Monument Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, Spearfish Canyon waterfalls, and Sylvan Lake, Pactola Lake; plus, there are many different caves to explore.
Many of our towns have their own incredible history, including: Deadwood, the original gold rush town where Bill Hickok was shot; Hill City, where you can still ride the 1880 train; and Rapid City, which features a Geological Museum housing many of the prehistoric animals found in South Dakota.
Places to eat include Sugar Shack, a popular spot that motorcyclists and off-roaders meet for burgers and other tasty meals. Deadwood has multiple lodges and restaurants that are all worth visiting, and Spearfish Steakhouse is known for their steak tips. Rapid City has Sickies Garage Burgers & Brew , known for their tasty creations and cool garage atmosphere. Sturgis itself is pretty mild when there is no rally, but you can grab some steak tips or wings at the Loud American just off Main Street.
