I did make it to ABATE’s Motorcycle Expo at Aurora Town Center yesterday. While the cool weather and the conflict with Mother’s Day presumably diminished the crowd somewhat, the event showed a big step forward from last year.

I’m not sure if they had more booths or whether they just had the booths clustered more tightly together, but the overall effect was of a fuller, more vibrant event. In the middle of it all were cones that motorcycle cops would periodically ride, demonstrating their terrific control of their machines. I wish I could ride that well.

Off outside the cluster of booths was another slalom course and over there you could also see some non-police riders who demonstrated control right up there with the cops. Heck, I had trouble doing tight u-turns on a 250 when I was taking the RiderCoach training class last year. These guys were doing it on big baggers.

So anyway, I hung around awhile but then took off. Too many other things I needed to do.

Old Bike Ride 10

The next event coming up that I wanted to go to, but won’t be able to, is the Old Bike Ride 10. I missed it last year but did make it out two years ago. This is just a fun outing of older bikes put on by the Norton club of Colorado each year. It starts out from Golden and ends up back there sometime later. Not sure what route they’ll be taking because the announcement says it will be different this year.

It’s not that I’ll be crying my eyes out over missing it, though, because the reason I’ll miss it is pretty good. I’m heading out on Wednesday to go down near Flagstaff for the Overland Expo. This is an event for people who are serious about their adventure travel, and who are planning things such as trips around the world on their bikes. I have no such desires, but I do hope to learn a bit about things like road-side motorcycle maintenance and also hope to have the opportunity to do some dirt riding. Check back here and you’ll see just exactly how that all works out.

Oh boy, my first big trip of the summer.

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Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles are better than men because if your motorcycle is too soft, you can get different shocks.

I know where I’m going to be at least part of the day on Sunday. ABATE of Colorado is putting on a Motorcycle Expo at Aurora Town Center, which is what they now call what used to be the Aurora Mall.

I know that Terry Howard and the crew at ABATE have put a lot of effort into this thing. Here’s a list of what will be going on.

• Noise testing — See how loud your bike really is, and how it compares to legal limits.
• Police demos — These guys are some of the best bike handlers you’ve ever seen. You wish you were this good.
• Ride in bike show — Enter your bike and see how it compares.
• Riding gear vendors — See what’s new, what’s too cool to pass up.
• Swap meet vending for used parts — A must-check-out for those of us on older bikes.
• MOST and SmarTrainer display — Learn about rider training opportunities.
• Motorcycle games — Set up by Don Gunn. Have fun on your bike.
• Motorcycle dealer displays and demos — See what’s available all in one place.
• Riding organizations — Colorado Sportbike Club, Motorcycle Roadracing Association, dirt-bike school info

And more. The groups sponsoring this event include:

• ABATE Rider Education
• Motorcycle Operators Safety Training
• Colorado Sportbike Club
• Motorcycle Roadracing Association
• Thunder Roads Colorado
• United Dirt Bike School
• Erica Rae’s kids

Huh? Don’t know what the scoop is with Erica Rae’s kids. Maybe I’ll find out.

So as I say, I’m definitely going to be there on Sunday. If you’re there at the same time, say hi.

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Biker Quote for Today

I ride, therefore I am.

I meet a lot of people in this work, and among my favorites are Jungle and Willie Fuhrman, who operate Ball O’ String Custom Adventure Motorcycle Tours and Sports Car Tours from their home in Eagle. This is a shameless plug for them and their offerings. If you’re looking for some out-of-the-ordinary rides, check these out. And just so you’ll know, Willie and Jungle like to eat really good food, so there’s no stopping at McDonald’s on their tours, they go gourmet all the way.

North to Alaska — Willie and Jungle are leaving June 10 for Alaska and while there is no official tour planned, if you’d like to join them, they’d be glad to have you.

Colorado Rocky Mountains Tour — Eight nights luxury lodging with riding everywhere from Trail Ridge Road to Independence Pass, the Million Dollar Highway, Telluride, Crested Butte, Vail and more. This trip will be running July 7-15.

Vail Ride & Dine — Judy and I are going to join Jungle and Willie and others on this 3-night adventure, August 10-13. As always, luxury lodging and dining. You should join us.

Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier Park Ride and Dine — Running from August 18 to September 1, you’ll visit the places mentioned as well as Flaming Gorge, Waterton Lakes Canadian National Park, and various other stops in Montana and Idaho.

Fall in Love with Italy — Willie and Jungle fell in love with Italy a long time ago, and so every chance they get they go back there, preferably leading a group of riders. No hard and fast dates yet but this tour will be in September.

Colorado and Utah National Parks Tour – Including eight nights of luxury lodging, you’ll visit Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley and other scenic spots in these two states. This trip will run October 6-14.

If one of those catches your fancy, check it out. And I guarantee you’ll enjoy the time you spend with Willie and Jungle, in addition to the riding.

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You’re a biker wannabe if your saddle bags say “Gucci.”

This just in from the folks at EagleRider. They’re celebrating their 20th anniversary this year and have set up a contest to bring the winner a nice prize and bring themselves some good PR. (I assume you know that EagleRider rents motorcycles; I don’t really need to explain that, do I?)

So in this social media era, of course the first step in entering the contest is to “like” EagleRider on Facebook. When you’ve done that, right below the Like button you’ll see an EagleRider emblem, with text below that reads 20 Years on the Highway. Click that. What they want you to do is enter a photo from one of your rides. Ultimately, one person’s entry will be declared the winner, “voted on by the fans,” and that person will receive an all-expenses paid trip to EagleRider’s 20th anniversary celebration in Los Angeles. They don’t say exactly when that will be. Also, once a week, some random entrant will receive an EagleRider t-shirt.

So what the heck, I went ahead and entered. That photo at top is my entrant. That’s Skyline Drive down by Canon City. And just so you’ll know, apparently you can only enter once. I tried a second time with a different photo and got a message that I had reached the limit on number of entries.

The deadline for entry is May 15. Even if you don’t feel like entering, what’s really kind of interesting is looking at what other people have entered. To do that, look for the little link near the bottom of the page titled “See the entries.”

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Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re becoming addicted to riding when you now leave for work early because you are now riding around the town instead of driving directly to work!

Why would people who are self-proclaimed rebels tie themselves in with an organization that demands strict observance of very tight rules? That’s what I don’t get about the outlaw motorcycle clubs.

I’m reading The One Percenter Code: How To Be An Outlaw In A World Gone Soft, by Dave Nichols. This is not a review of the book; I’ll put that up on Examiner.com when I’ve finished reading it. This is just me musing over the things I’ve been reading in this book that make me shake my head and wonder.

The main question is the one I already stated. Nichols, as well as other writers whose work I’ve seen, makes a big deal about how outlaw bikers give a big middle finger to authority. And yet the demands of the clubs themselves are so far stricter than anything society tries to impose. (Before I go any further, I want to make clear I have no first-hand knowledge of these things; I’m just going by what I read. If these writers are full of it your issue is with them, not me.)

So for instance, Nichols says that when the club goes on a ride all members are required to stay with the group at all times. That is so totally opposite of what I want to do when I ride. I’ll stay with the group, but if I want to do something other than what they group does, I’ll just say fine, I’ll meet up with you later. Don’t anybody try to tell me I’ve got to stay with the group!

And becoming a member! Oh man, it sounds like a military academy carried to an extreme. If you’re a prospect you are at the whim of every member who tells you what to do and you do it, period, or else. This is called showing your dedication and commitment. I call it a bunch of bull and I would never be party to any such arrangement. That’s part of the reason I never joined the army, never pledged a fraternity, any of that stuff. I don’t take that crap from anyone.

Then there’s the casual way that Nichols describes any number of ways to get your ass whipped by outlaw bikers if you don’t follow their rules of conduct. Never mind that “citizens,” as we non-club members are called, probably don’t have any idea these so-called “rules” exist. Nichols does note that in public places the club members do cut us citizens some slack, but hey, I don’t buy off on your rules. Don’t think you have some right to pound the crap out of me because I did something that annoyed you. And what’s with the freakin’ violence anyway? I’m not a big guy at all, so just because you can beat the crap out of me doesn’t make you good or right or better than me or anything, it just makes you a jerk.

Now to hear Nichols tell it, violence is a way of life for one percenters, but I suspect it’s not quite that extreme. I’m guessing there are plenty who are actually nice people and they get tarred by bad behavior of the minority. But there are two things that are absolutely clear here: I don’t want any part of the one-percenter life and no one-percenter club wants anything to do with me.

Hey, that works for me.

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Biker Quote for Today

Prison is sometimes referred to as “The House of Bad Decisions.” In motorcycling, that’s the hospital. Don’t go there. — Brian Catterson

Dan Patino and I were hoping to ride a couple KLR 650s up to Alaska last summer but we couldn’t swing the financial end of it. This year Dan is definitely going and he’s hoping to find three other people who are interested in a (relatively) inexpensive adventure ride.

As the proprietor of Go 2 Motorcycle Tours, Dan has a need to move a few KLRs from Seattle to Anchorage. In exchange for you helping him get them there, he’ll set it all up and for your $1,300 you’ll get 10 days bike rental, a guide, and a support vehicle. What is not covered is gas, food, and lodging. Of course, it’s up to you to get to the starting point in Seattle, and also to get home then from Anchorage.

Let’s put this in perspective. I don’t know the details but this is all somehow in connection with a MotoQuest North to Alaska Tour that will be making the same ride at the same time. If you ride with MotoQuest your fees cover gas, food, and lodging, but the very cheapest option they offer is $3,400 if you ride your own bike and share a room. It’s $5,600 if you ride their bike and share a room.

That’s making Dan’s option sound pretty enticing, isn’t it?

Well, if you’re interested you have to decide quickly. The ride leaves Seattle on May 17 and arrives in Anchorage on May 26. You can get to Dan through his website or by email at go2mototours@yahoo.com.

Like the song says, “North! To Alaska! We’re going north, the rush is on.”

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Adventure begins when the pavement ends.

If you ride a BMW and want to spend some time with like-minded folks in Colorado, you’re truly in luck this summer.

I was looking through the March 2012 issue of BMW Owners News, which a friend passed along to me, and in the back they have a U.S. map with numbers corresponding to the info, separately, for various events going on around the country. Well, Colorado had four numbers, indicating four BMW events. To put this in perspective, in all of Colorado’s surrounding states there are two events, one in Arizona and one in Kansas.

It would appear that this is perhaps entirely due to the efforts of the very active BMW Motorcycle Club of Colorado, as well as one event put on by the BMW Riders of Western Colorado group. Here’s what’s cookin’.

2nd Annual Canyon Mixer Ride, July 7
Starting out from Northern Colorado Euro Motorcycles in Fort Collins.

41st Top O’ The Rockies Rally, July 12-15
Headquartered in Paonia.

13th Annual Colorado 100,000 Foot Ride, August 4
Route and starting point disclosed in the registration packet. This event routinely sells out, so don’t put it off if you’re interested.

10th Annual Thunder Mountain Rendevouz, September 21-23
Headquartered in Hotchkiss, timed to coincide with the peak of fall color.

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I’m never lost, I just don’t know where I’m at!

This is not the first time I’ve said this but I’ll repeat myself: I’ve got to get a dual-sport motorcycle.

The trigger this time is a ride I didn’t do, because I didn’t have a dual-sport. I was contacted on Monday by a guy named Milan, who heard of me through Ben at House of Motorrad. Milan told me he works as a ski guide in winter and wants to start doing Colorado motorcycle guiding in the summer. He asked if he could get a link to his site on my site and, by the way, wanna go for a ride?

Milan lives in Telluride and was headed back that way from Golden and proposed taking some dirt from Como to Salida. I said I’d love to, but not on one of my street bikes. He replied, “You could probably take a street bike on the Hartsel dirt- very easy.”

As for me, I replied, “I know better than to take my Concours on anything rougher than hard-packed gravel.”

Milan nudged, “I’ll be leaving Golden area about 9 am. It is a hardpacked gravel.”

I demurred. My Connie does not like gravel, even hard-packed, for very long. So I didn’t go.

Good choice. I heard from Milan today, saying, “You made the right choice by not coming, there was a stream crossing (about 6″ deep) and some ruts in another part of the ride.”

But I was curious what route he took. That’s it there on the map, although there’s no detail at this scale, though it gives you an idea. According to Milan, “I rode 285 to Como, took a right on Elkhorn Road (F.R. 15) to Hartsel. Then took County Road 53 to Forest Road 175 – that dropped me right into Salida.”

So OK, if I ever get that dual-sport I have another route to check out. Some day.

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Biker Quote for Today

After riding in the rain thru Bosnia, I think this newfangled front fender idea wasn’t so bad. I’m not as covered in mud as I usually am. That’s an idea that may just take off in popularity. My chopper still ain’t gonna get one tho.

I had the opportunity last week to get acquainted with Lisa Price Waltman, of Colorado Springs, who told me of a fun ride she has organized and will be holding for the second time this year. She calls it the 2nd Annual Running of the Deer Ride – “Get the Buck Off the Road” and, as you might suspect, there is a story behind it.

Lisa had grown up riding dirt bikes but had never had a street bike of her own, so she rode pillion for a number of years. Then, in 2009, the bike she was a passenger on hit a deer, they went down, and Lisa was badly injured.

Not one to give up, however, Lisa was back on a bike six months later, and though she says the first 10 minutes were terrifying, after that all was good. So good, in fact, that soon afterward she bought her own bike, a 2010 Harley Softail Deluxe.

Taking lemons and making lemonade, Lisa decided to put together a run on the anniversary of her crash along much of the same route. There’s no sign-up fee, no beneficiary charity. It’s just a ride for fun, and to make a statement of defiance. I’ve listed her run on my Rides and Rallies page; it’s in October, currently the last event listed. You might want to mark it on your calendar.

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Biker Quote for Today

Tuck in behind me, I’ll show you where to crash.

Have you ever whined that you’d really like to see how fast your bike can go but you don’t want to risk the ticket? Stop your whining, here’s your chance.

Erico Motorsports just announced that they are sponsoring two track days at High Plains Raceway, out east near Byers. The dates are June 4 and August 6.

The charge to just go out on the track is $250. For an extra Benjamin Erico offers “a ton of coaching from Team Erico to include classroom time. Yeah, we’re not pros but I’ll bet we can get you going much faster, staying much safer, and having a blast riding your bike how it was intended.”

Of course, you’ve got to have all the gear, and you need to drain your coolant and replace it with water. They’ll be serving breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and the track will be ready to at 8:30.

If you’re interested, you’ll need to contact John at john@ericomotorsports.com. He’s also there to answer any questions you might have and provide complete information.

I did a track day once and I have to tell you, it was humbling. There were the folks who knew they belonged in the beginner group and then some of us who couldn’t conceive that we should be in that lowly position. I went out with the mid-level group and promptly found myself the slowest guy on the track, by a long shot. But I had fun and maybe I learned enough to get at least a bit better. It definitely made me a lot more respectful of the skill those guys have who go really, really fast.

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Biker Quote for Today

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness has never owned a sportbike.