Best of the Black Hills: Self-Guided Motorcycle Tour

This is our big self-guided tour of the American West: 9 days including 8 in the saddle, about 770 miles (1,240 km) on a loop from Rapid City. You cross the Badlands, the Pine Ridge Reservation and Hot Springs, then Custer State Park, Iron Mountain Road, Sturgis and Deadwood, before entering Wyoming as far as Devils Tower. Black Hills Blast covers the Black Hills in a 3-day weekend. For a simple motorcycle rental, see vintageridesusa.com.

You ride on your own or with friends, without a guide or support vehicle, with your 8 hotel nights already booked and a roadbook app. There are two versions: about 770 miles (1,240 km) entirely on good tarmac roads, or an off-road version of about 861 miles (1,385 km), half of it on unsealed tracks. You choose according to your experience.

The level is Intermediate: you need to be self-reliant and at ease on days of up to 161 miles (259 km). The road version needs no off-road experience; the off-road version is for riders who have already ridden on dirt. You ride between 700 and 2,100 m (2,300 to 6,900 ft) above sea level, and bison are plentiful in Custer State Park: always give them right of way.

60 to 161 miles (97 to 259 km) a day, over 8 riding days. The two longest stages, from Wall to Hot Springs and from Sundance to Lead via Devils Tower, cover 161 and 121 miles (259 and 195 km); the shortest, around Custer and Keystone, leave time for Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse or the hot springs.

A Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, with side panniers and a top case for your things for the week. Your suitcase can stay at the garage in Rapid City: the route passes within about an hour of it around day 5. If your height makes you hesitate, talk to your travel advisor; in the USA we can also provide a full-face helmet in your size, on request.

Yes, the road version works very well two-up. The tour costs £2,590 (€2,890) per rider and £890 (€990) per pillion. If you are thinking of riding the off-road version two-up, talk to your travel advisor first.

£2,590 (€2,890) per rider and £890 (€990) per pillion. The price includes the motorcycle, 8 nights in standard hotels on a shared basis (single room supplement £890 (€990)), the roadbook, the luggage system, roadside assistance, entry to Custer State Park and the Black Hills National Forest, the Wyoming trail permit and comprehensive motorcycle insurance. You pay for flights and transfers, all meals, fuel, tolls and parking, medical and repatriation insurance, and a £31 (€35) registration fee on your first trip with us.

On tarmac roads, roadside assistance comes out if you break down; on the off-road version it is still available, for a supplement. Our team answers the phone around the clock in an emergency. The motorcycle is fully insured, with a $1,000 deductible, and your travel insurance must cover medical expenses and repatriation.

UK and EU passport holders enter the USA as tourists with an ESTA travel authorisation. The route crosses two states, South Dakota and Wyoming: bring your motorcycle licence and, on top of it, an International Driving Permit (1949 version), which we strongly recommend, as the UK government notes that some states may ask for one. The details are in our documents list for the USA.

You arrive in Rapid City on day 1, without riding that day, and collect the motorcycle on day 2. Day 9 is a riding day: plan an evening flight, or ask your travel advisor for an extra night. The season runs from late April to September, with temperatures from 4 to 40°C depending on the time of year: bring several layers and waterproofs. Open dates are shown on this page.