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Common Tread

Road tripping to Sturgis on a 1938 Harley and Indian: A new CTXP video

Nov 14, 2025

Road trips, particularly to gatherings like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, are a favorite for riders. The CTXP team loves ‘em, too, as long as they have a twist. Think getting from L.A. to San Francisco for just $20, or crossing Wyoming without touching pavement. So when we set out for the 85th Sturgis Rally, we decided to do it on machines from the event’s very first year. That meant road tripping on a 1938 Harley-Davidson Big Twin Flathead and an Indian Chief. 

Not only would we be riding octogenarian iron horses some 800 miles from Eureka, Utah, to Sturgis, South Dakota, we also wanted to immerse ourselves in a Roosevelt-era existence along the way. That meant traveling on roads that were present in 1938 and doing our best to rely on technology that would have been around during the interwar period. Which is how Zack and I ended up sleeping under wool blankets, eating canned sardines, and documenting the trip with film cameras instead of our iPhones.

It was an exciting and challenging adventure with lots of ups and downs — a classic CTXP road trip  — and what follows are a few of the moments we captured along the way. Thankfully, videographers Spenser Robert and Andrew Gerety weren’t constrained by any period-correct silliness (though they did shoot some crucial scenes on 8mm film), so the gaps this photo essay leaves are filled in by the full-length CTXP episode at the bottom. 

CTXP Sturgis bikes at Tintic Motorcycle Museum
Our journey began in Eureka, Utah, just south of Salt Lake City. After spending a night in the basement of the fantastic Tintic Motorcycle Museum, we set out on our hand-shift, foot-clutch steeds. Photo by Spenser Robert.

First of many roadside fixes on our road trip to sturgis
Each bike was sidelined with an issue within the first hour. It was the beginning of a pattern that repeated throughout the six-day trip. Photo by Ari Henning.

Ari on the Harley riding across the plains
America’s vast expanses spawned bikes like the H-D Big Twin Flathead and Indian Chief. The Harley’s 80-cubic-inch four-speed and the Indian’s 61-cubic-inch three-speed were relaxed and smooth at 55 to 60 mph, though the Harley had more legs. Photo by Zack Courts.

CTXP Sturgis lunch at a gas station
Period-correct lunch consisting of Coca-Cola (created 1866), a Payday nut bar (created in 1932), a bag of Lays (since 1932), Oreos (invented in 1912), and some peanut butter (invented in 1884), plus sardines and crackers, all eaten on the curb of a gas-station franchise that was started in 1916. Photo by Spenser Robert.

Riding under aspen trees on the Indian
Dirt-road riding through an aspen grove in Duchesne National Forest as we depart our campsite on day two. Did I mention the bikes are hardtails? Photo by Ari Henning.

Selfie photo of Ari and Zack riding to Sturgis
Somewhere in Colorado. The satisfied (and naive) smirks of two boys who think they have finally wrapped their heads around managing the unfamiliar controls and myriad peculiarities of 87-year-old motorcycles. Photo by Ari Henning.

Ari and Zack getting read to go to bed
Hunkering down for another blissful night’s sleep. Photo by Zack Courts.

Checking the Harley's spark plugs
Checking the simple stuff after the Harley stops running on one cylinder. Morale begins to teeter. Photo by Zack Courts.

Zack prepares to tow the Harley
A modern Road Glide cruises by as Zack prepares to tow the stricken Big Twin back to town (with period-correct hemp rope), where we hope to find more resources and a better place to work. Photo by Ari Henning.

Disassembling the Big Twin in a motel rom
Day three, approximately 10 p.m. The Big Twin's autopsy commences in our motel room in Walden, Colorado. Photo by Spenser Robert.

The Big Twin's broken valve spring
After so many frayed wires, loose bolts, and dead batteries, we finally had a real problem. Getting to Sturgis was seeming unlikely. Photo by Zack Courts.

For the rest of the story, watch the full CTXP video below.

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