On the balcony with the mayor were veteran members of the Jackpine Gypsies and other rally luminaries.The mayor said today the city is ready for another rally. Carstensen says, "Even though the official dates haven't started yet, it's certainly...the town is hopping and people are here. So we welcome them and hope that everyone has a good time, even if it is before the rally.

And we hope they stay throughout the rally." And the streets of Sturgis were once again full and getting fuller. You didn't have to look far, or look long, to find license plates from every state in the union. Or at least, that's the way it seemed. Arkansas biker says, "I'm from Fayetteville, Arkansas. What do you think of the Black Hills? Well, this is my 23rd year. I must like it." And there aren't just bikes. There are trikes, three-wheelers, quads, and trucks. Gord Edmondson came all the way from British Columbia with his customized motorcycle, pulled by this customized super-truck that's half pickup and half Peterbilt.

Gord Edmondson says, "Everything on the truck has been upgraded from stock. There's not much on it that is stock. I just bought that canopy. I guess you could call that stock." The official start of the 2012 Sturgis Rally is Monday. It runs through Sunday, August 12th. The traffic wasn't bad yet Friday morning, but the big inflow is expected Friday night and Saturday. The cops say don't tailgate, watch your blind spots, and don't expect to get anywhere fast. The promoters say get ready once again for the country's biggest and loudest week-long party.

Al Van Zee