Why go to Sturgis? Why not?

The ride. The sweet solitude a motorcycle gives one as they drive down the road is what drew Roger Robles to the machine.

It's just a feeling all bikers get, Robles tried to explain.

"Just the freedom of the ride," Robles said.

Robles started riding motorcycles on and off when he was young and his dad bought him a Kawasaki in 1973. In 1981, he bought his first Harley Davidson.

The first time Robles went to Sturgis was with Jon Fleagle and Wes Bingham in 1984. Over the years, he has attended the rally 18 times. On these trips he's gone with his brother Sam, Pete Simpson and his longtime girlfriend Terri Ballard.

Even though Robles has gone to Sturgis with different people, he usually winds up at the Buffalo Chip campground every time.

Robles said he just enjoys going to the Sturgis Rally because it's a mecca for Harley Davidson enthusiasts. He said it's not just a Harley Davidson culture, but a motorcycle culture. He said it's a comfortable setting where he can spend time visiting with people of the same mindset.

In the past, Robles enjoyed partying and hanging out with friends and the camaraderie they have.

"Now, I hardly drink anymore," Robles said.

"It's the largest rally in the world," Robles said. "It's not the oldest, but it's the largest."

Robles enjoys meeting up with people from all over the world every year, some he knows and stays in touch with and others he only sees at Sturgis. Having returned from the 77th annual rally, Robles plans to keep in touch with friends and acquaintances through social media.

"It is in the blood. Sturgis is the highlight of the riding season. Like the Superbowl for football fans," Robles said. "The whys are different per individual, but the brotherhood and sense of family is constant."

While he is at Sturgis, Robles rides the scenic byways around the area. He said he could drive the same road every day and see something different every time.

In the past, Robles rode his bike to Sturgis, but now he hauls the motorcycle in the back of the truck and pulls a camper behind the truck. He said there used to be a stigma attached to motorcyclists who hauled their motorcycles to Sturgis, but that seems to have passed.

"I'm 60 years old and I don't need to be sleeping on the ground anymore," Robles said. "It doesn't really matter now about what you ride or how you get there."

Robles said he has decided to pick comfort instead of getting hit by hail and rain.

He said the rally has also tamed down quite a bit and has become more commercialized over the yeas.

"It's easily 10 times tamer than it was 30 years ago," he said.

In the past people who rode motorcycles were considered thugs, but now they are mostly lawyers and doctors who are riding the most expensive ones.

Although the times have changed, Robles can still remember how he used to travel. He would ride his motorcycle to and from Sturgis. All he had packed was a saddle bag with a tool kit and some sparks plugs, a tent and one change of clothes.

"They've got creeks and there's showers there," he said.

Besides riding his Harley, Robles enjoys the concerts hosted at the rally. Robles is often asked why he goes to Sturgis so often.

"Why Sturgis? Why not. It is all part of the ride of life, for a biker. Not unlike the cowboy on his horse, wanting to go to Frontier Days or the National Finals Rodeo."

"(I)can't really explain it to someone who doesn't ride or hasn't been there," Robles said. "I will continue to go until I no longer can, probably when I'm in the grave."