''Full Throttle Saloon'' is an American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

series that premiered on November 10, 2009, and originally aired on

truTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows. The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that focu ...

. The series chronicles the daily operations of the bar for which it is named − the Full Throttle Saloon in

Sturgis, South Dakota Sturgis is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 7,020 as of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Meade County and is named after Samuel D. Sturgis, a Union general during the Civil War. Sturgis is notable ...

. The world's largest

biker bar A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by motorcyclists (bikers). Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward motorcyclists.

, it was located on 30 acres of land purchased in 1999 by Michael Ballard. The indoor/outdoor bar included several large stages, a burn-out pit, a tattoo parlor, zip lines, a wrestling ring, restaurants, dozens of stores, hundreds of cabins for rent, and parking for thousands of motorcycles. It was open from late March/early April until mid-November (weather permitting), and was busiest during the annual week-long

Sturgis Motorcycle Rally The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, and the surrounding Black Hills region of the United States. It began in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts a ...

. Each year, the first full week of August marks the beginning of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, during which time, the Saloon could average 20,000 guests each night. The series aired its fifth season with

TruTV TruTV (stylized as truTV) is an American basic cable channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The channel primarily broadcasts comedy, docusoaps and reality shows. The channel was originally launched in 1991 as Court TV, a network that focu ...

on December 2, 2013. After five successful seasons with the network,

confirmed via Twitter that they did not shoot a sixth season in 2014.

Reelz Channel Reelz (formerly known as Reelz Channel) is an American digital cable and satellite television network owned by Hubbard Broadcasting. The network's programming was formerly devoted to entertainment-oriented programming focusing on the Hollywood ...

announced that they would begin airing episodes on October 3, 2014. Reelz confirmed they would only be broadcasting classic episodes of the show from previous seasons. A massive fire destroyed the Full Throttle Saloon on September 8, 2015. Ballard later stated that the fire started when a pinched power cord to a keg refrigerator overheated and ignited a nearby cardboard box. A sixth season aired on

Destination America Destination America is an American cable television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. The network carries programming focused on the culture of the United States—including food, lifestyles, a ...

starting December 1, 2015.

Cast

* Michael Ballard, Owner * Angie (Carlson) Ballard, (wife of Michael), Marketing director *

Jesse James Dupree Jesse James Dupree (born Jesse Dupree; September 22, 1962) is an American musician, television personality, and businessman. He is the lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter in the rock band Jackyl, founded in 1991. As a solo performer ...

, Business Partner *Michael "Fajita Mike" Garner * Gregg "The Goat" Cook, Emcee * Eric "Senior" Soluri, Security Director * John Caprefoli, Narrator; AKA Johnny Dare or some know him as Johnny Blaze

Episodes

Season 1 (2009)

Season 2 (2010–11)

Season 3 (2011–12)

Season 4 (2012–13)

Season 5 (2013–14)

Season 6 (2015)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Full Throttle Saloon Biker bars 2000s American reality television series 2010s American reality television series 2009 American television series debuts 2015 American television series endings Drinking establishments in South Dakota Motorcycle television series Sturgis Motorcycle Rally TruTV original programming Television shows set in South Dakota