SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) -
You've probably heard about, or been to, the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota.
Friday marked the start of the Victory Motorcycle Rally in the Iowa Great Lakes.
It's been quite a journey for Jeff Peters, as he made his way from Festus, Missouri to the Iowa Great Lakes for the Victory Motorcycle Rally. His trek covered about 600 miles.
"We're bringing the bikes back to where they were made, so we'll have a nice rally here," said Peters.
Peters and a group of his friends traveled together to the hometown of Victory Motorcycles for the company's 10th annual rally. Everywhere you turn, you'll see a motorcycle. Officials estimate more than 1,000 folks from all over the country will come together for the weekend.
"Just rolling into this parking lot and seeing all these bikes and give you ideas of what you want to do to your own bike," said Peters.
"We've seen several plates from Canada, and it doesn't surprise me at all, with how diverse the group. They feel they belong," said Rob Smith of Lake St. Louis, Missouri.
Rob Smith felt like he belonged, right away. He bought his first Victory motorcycle about five months ago, and started getting ready for the rally shortly afterwards.
"I kind of cleared my calendar," he said.
Riders say it's a time of collaboration, exchanging tips about how to get the most out of their motorcycles.
"We wanted to come and check it out see what the Victory culture is like and get to know some different options for their motorcycles," said Polly Levatino of Cherry Valley, Illinois.
After a journey like that, every biker needs a little down time and their cycles a well-deserved wash down.
One of the differences between this rally, and the Sturgis rally, is the kind of motorcycle you'll find. Here, riders say you'll be hard-pressed to find a bike that's not a Victory. Some guess it's about 99 percent Victory.
"As a Victory rider, you don't see a ton of Victory bikes on the road," said Smith. "Unless it's with a group that you schedule or something like that."
That, alone, is a big win for these "easy riders".
The Victory Rally runs through Saturday. Tours of Victory's Polaris plant in Spirit Lake runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Officials estimate more than 1,000 folks from all over the country will come together for the weekend.
