Here is video of Sen. John McCain rallying bikers yesterday at the famous Sturgis Motercycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. McCain was in great form there, and he received a rousing welcome from the crowd.

“This is my first time here but I recognize that sound. It’s the sound of freedom and thank you for it,” McCain said as hundreds of bikers revved their engines at a Salute to Veterans rally on the Buffalo Chip campgrounds. “I thank you all very much for that unique Sturgis welcome.”

A week-long event, which is celebrating its 68th anniversary, Sturgis attracts more than 500,000 bikers from around the world nearly doubling the population of South Dakota.

The McCain campaign sees a political opportunity out of Obama’s Berlin speech–to paint him as an out-of-touch celebrity–and today was no different.

“As you may know, not long ago a couple hundred thousand Berliners made a lot of noise for my opponent. I will take the roar of 50,000 Harleys any day, any day my friends,” McCain exclaimed to roars from the crowd. . . .

“We’re not going to pay $4 dollars a gallon for gas (when I am president) because we are going to drill offshore and we are going to drill now. We are doing to drill here and we are going to drill now,” he said. “My opponent doesn’t want to drill, he doesn’t want nuclear power. He wants to inflate your tires.” . . .

McCain also joked that he urged Cindy to participate in a campground beauty pageant that was taking place during his speech.

“I was looking at the Sturgis schedule and noticed that you have a beauty pageant and so I encouraged Cindy to compete. I told her, with a little luck, she could be the only woman ever to serve as both the First Lady and Miss Buffalo Chip,” he said to cheers.