FILM
800-Mile Road-Trip to Sturgis! 1938 Harley vs. 1938 Indian | Common Tread XP
EDITORIAL SUMMARY
Two vintage American V-twins set out from Salt Lake City on an approximately 800-mile ride to Sturgis, South Dakota. Framed by the question of what it might have been like to travel to the first Sturgis rally in 1938, the film follows a road trip where keeping the bikes moving becomes part of the journey.
About this film
This Common Tread XP episode follows Zack and Ari aboard a Harley-Davidson Big Twin Flathead and an Indian Chief. Their ride looks back toward the rally’s beginnings while taking on a present-day journey to Sturgis. The route is a test of stamina, and the motorcycles’ age gives the trip a practical edge: breakdowns are a possibility, not just a historical curiosity. Across its 55-minute runtime, the film tracks the riders’ progress from the opening leg toward the Black Hills through to their arrival in Sturgis.
The journey
The ride begins in Salt Lake City, Utah, and heads toward Sturgis, South Dakota, over a planned distance of roughly 800 miles. Along the way, the riders contend with mechanical trouble, and one helps the other by towing his motorcycle. As daylight runs short and their options narrow, the pair continue toward Sturgis, with the final leg bringing the road trip to its destination. The film’s rally-history premise adds context to the ride: the riders are imagining the journey to the first gathering while making their own way there on vintage machines.
What to expect
- A long-distance ride from Salt Lake City to Sturgis
- Two vintage American V-twins: a Harley-Davidson and an Indian
- Mechanical trouble, a tow, and a push to reach the destination
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