Passes & Canyons Blog

Crashing is a bad thing, OK?

I recently acquired a trove of motorcycle crash information for 2018, put together by the Colorado State Patrol (CSP). This is going to take several blog posts to present.

The report starts with a summation, presenting the overall stats up front. I’m just going to copy/paste that summation here.

• Statewide in 2018, there were approximately 120,000 motor vehicle crashes and 2,206 (1.8 percent) of those crashes involved motorcycles. There were 111 MOST students (from fiscal year 2018) involved in a crash in 2018.
• Of the 2,206 crashes involving a motorcycle, 522 crashes resulted in a serious injury and 97 crashes resulted in a fatal injury.
• The motorcycle operator was at fault in the crash 63.8% of the time (1,408/2,206). Among the 111 motorcycle operators who were MOST students in 2018 and had a crash, 77 were at fault in the crash (69.4%).
• In 2018, there were 141 crashes where alcohol or drugs were suspected among motorcycle operators at fault in a crash. 116 of the motorcycle operators were suspected of alcohol use only, 6 operators were suspected of drug use only, and 19 motorcycle operators were suspected of both alcohol and drug use. Only six MOST students were suspected to be impaired by drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.
• In 2018, among all motorcycle operators and passengers involved in a crash, 49.5 percent (1,223/2,470) were properly wearing helmets.

You’ll notice that these stats tell us how many and what percentage of these crashes involved riders who had received rider training through the Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) program. This is the first year this information has been tallied and it came following a request from ABATE of Colorado. ABATE thanks you CSP.

The one thing I’m not clear on–and maybe I can get this answered at the next ABATE D-17 meeting–is that this reads in a way to suggest that we’re only talking about MOST students who took the training in 2018. Is that really the case? Did 111 2018 MOST students crash? Like, in their first year riding after taking the training? I’d like to know how many riders MOST trained during the year. What percentage is this? And then what about the tally if you consider all riders who have ever had MOST training? I have, but not in 2018. I also didn’t crash in 2018.

The one number above that really strikes me is that third bullet. It says that the rider was at fault nearly two-thirds of the time, and a bit more than two-thirds of the MOST-trained riders were at fault.

Wow, what does this say about rider training? Or what does it say about the riders being trained? I have no concrete answer to those questions but I can relate anecdotally some information I have heard. That is, many of the riders being trained are there because they have to be. They were caught riding without being licensed to do so and in order to avoid worse punishment they agreed to take rider training and get accredited to ride a motorcycle. Maybe for them it was just a formality and they then went back to their wild and crazy style of riding that got them stopped in the first place. Makes you wonder.

Or here’s another thought. Those numbers don’t show if the crash happened before or after training. Perhaps a lot of riders crashed, were found not to have accreditation, and took the course afterward to minimize penalties. I’m going to need to talk with Chris Corbo, the MOST coordinator, and ask some questions.

On the more positive side is that fourth bullet that says 141 crashes involved drugs or alcohol but only 6 of those were MOST-trained riders.

There’s a ton more information in this report. Y’all come back now, hear?

Biker Quote for Today

I used to think I’d go out with a bang, on the back of a Harley, racin’ a train. — Joe Nichols

Oh my goodness, Indian Summer has come and gone, just that quickly. Now the forecast in Sunday’s paper is calling for a high over the next week of 38 and a low–on Wednesday–of 2. Yikes! About the only motorcyclist likely to be out in all this is Dom Pacheco. With his Ural sidecar rig he goes out in anything.

But I did my best to take advantage of the warmth while it lasted. As I had been coming up or going down U.S. 83 the last few times I had noticed a road that ran off a bit to the northeast just where the highway runs off to the northwest. Where does that road go?

Well, I actually learned where it went another time when I saw that it intersects U.S. 83 again further north just a little south of Franktown. But that still didn’t answer the question of where it went in between. I had to find out. I had no choice in the matter. The world simply requires some things of each of us. This is my own personal burden.

So I headed south on 83. It was a wonderful, delicious Indian Summer day and I intended to take advantage of it.

Down to the south junction I went, intending to head north. I could have come the other way but this was how I chose to do it. I suspected correctly that this was a saving the best for last move.

It’s pretty much open prairie at that junction and that was the way it was as I turned north. But you’re also right about at the Palmer Divide, so it’s high prairie. And sure enough, it didn’t take long until I was in the hilly, wooded crest line of the Palmer Divide. And just as in the Black Forest area further west, it was beautiful. And that beauty is not lost on a lot of people who have built very pricey homes in the area. Wow, was it gorgeous.

All too soon, though, the road turned west and led me back to U.S. 83. I didn’t want to just go back the same way I came so I jogged north just to Franktown and took the road west toward Castle Rock. Nearing the main part of town I came to one of those housing developments and I know they all are built these days with a central road running all the way through them. Hey, I’m exploring, so let’s just cruise through this development.

Well, this development is still being built so that road only goes so far. I wandered my way back out to the highway. Then I got to where I had to make a choice and my choice led me into the main part of the old town. But here was a road heading north that I had never been on. Let’s take it.

So I wound through a very nice, hilly area to the east of the Castle Rock outcropping and once again it was an interesting and somewhat scenic route. You can zoom in on that map above and see exactly where I went.

From Castle Rock I didn’t want to get on I-25 to get home so I wandered my way north. You can see that on the map above, too.

All in all it was a pretty darn nice way to spend an Indian Summer afternoon. Too bad there don’t appear to be many more of those in store for us.

Biker Quote for Today

Well, I might go get me a new tattoo or take my old Harley for three day cruise. Might even grow me a fu man chu. — Travis Tritt

No better time than now to ride!

We had bitter cold weather and now the temps are back up in the high 70s and low 80s. It’s Indian Summer. This weather is literally the reason I live in Colorado.

Back a long time ago I graduated from college and then set out on some serious traveling. In the course of that traveling I spent some time in Colorado. I didn’t fully understand it then but by chance I was here during Indian Summer, a time when the days are just glorious and being outside is being in heaven.

When I decided I was really to stop and put down some roots I asked myself where I had been that I liked the best and the very easy answer was Denver. And here I am.

Well folks, we’re in Indian Summer and it is just as awesome as it usually is, which is to say, to the max. I’ve been getting out on one bike or another as many days as I can and the riding is beyond wonderful.

The days are starting out cool, so you have to layer up starting out in the morning, but by about noon you’ll be shedding layers. On Wednesday last week I knew it was going to be a very warm day but the morning was chilly so I put on my electric vest, a sweatshirt, and a leather jacket. I also wore my riding pants but zipped up the vents and wore long underwear underneath.

And it was indeed chilly starting out, but long before noon I was unzipping vents in the pants and the jacket and at a stop I removed the sweatshirt altogether. I wish I had removed the vest, too, because a bit later than that I started to roast.

But the ride! Ooooh, the ride! The air is just so sweet, the fall colors so gorgeous. And the weather just balmy.

This is why I came to Colorado. It’s also a big part of why I stay. If you’re not out riding in this weather you’re missing some of the best riding of the entire year. What are you waiting for?

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycle fever has almost drove me insane — David Allan Coe

Trucks need to give motorcycles space, because we stop quicker than they do.

I rode with some guys from the RMMRC last week and there was one point where things got very interesting. As in, not in a particularly good way.

We made a stop at Performance Cycle for one guy to exchange something and then the idea was to jump quickly on I-25 south to Happy Canyon Road and then to do the loop down to Sedalia, then south through Monument. Sometimes when people say one thing they intend to say something else; a slip of the tongue. Other times they’re just simply incorrect. This was one of those.

As we started drawing near the Castle Pines Parkway exit, which takes you to Daniels Park Road, Robert, in the lead, pulled into the right lane. He and Bruce were up front and I was in the center lane. There was a semi in the right lane behind those guys.

I was not concerned because Robert had said Happy Canyon. That was a few miles ahead. But I figured it would be good to get in behind them just to play it safe. I knew that Castle Pines was a shorter route than Happy Canyon.

The trucker was keeping pretty close behind them, however. At one point I thought I would change lanes and looked to my rear only to discover the truck’s front bumper was just about even with my rear end. As in if I hadn’t looked (but I’m not stupid, I did look!) it would have been very nasty.

Now, as Bruce noted later, it is typical behavior for a trucker to back off on motorcycles because in case of an emergency stop the bikes will stop much faster than the truck. And if the truck is too close it will roll right over the bikes. But this trucker was not leaving room. In fact he was not even leaving enough room for me to pull in behind the other bikes, although by this point it had to be obvious to him that I wanted to get in.

Still, not a problem because this was not Happy Canyon. And then we reached the exit and they took the exit lane. Oh crap. In one of those assess, decide, act situations that happen in a heartbeat, I knew what my bike was capable of and I twisted the throttle hard and veered sharply across in front of the truck, entering the exit lane well after the two had completely diverged. I knew I could do it safely–there was not the shred of a doubt in my mind.

Nevertheless, this was the sort of thing that if I observed someone else doing it I would think they were nuts. And if I had had Judy on behind me there’s no way in hell I would have done it, even though missing the exit would have put a real hitch in this group ride.

But I knew I could do it. I had no doubt at all, and hey, I do enjoy living. I have no death wish.

So was this risky? Dangerous? Or just unorthodox? The trucker blared his horn at me and I don’t blame him for that, but I do blame him for not showing some courtesy and letting me in a lot sooner when it was obvious that that was what I wanted. Also for not just backing off on the bikes in general. They couldn’t have just speeded up and gotten further ahead of him; there was traffic in front of them.

It made for an interesting conversation when we stopped for a break. No one else had seen my move, but everyone had been aware that the trucker was being kind of a jerk. Bottom line, everything came out fine and I had a new story to tell. But I would not have been unhappy not to live this story–there was just no point to it.

Biker Quote for Today

Reasons not to date a motorcyclist: Facial hair may get long enough to braid.

This time of year makes for some fabulous rides.

Riding a motorcycle is not like driving a car. Have you noticed that?

For instance, no one ever mentions to you how they headed out in their car and discovered it was a lot warmer or cooler than they expected and therefore they were way too hot or way too cool. They just took care of it with the AC or the heater and didn’t give it another thought.

Not so those of us on two wheels. And there is no more likely time to get that surprise than at the changing of the seasons, like right now.

Until this week, the last several times I’ve been out on my bikes I have consistently underestimated how chilly it was going to be. I’m not stupid, though, and I have a few years of experience under my belt, so I was carrying along the warmer gear to compensate.

And riding in cool weather is pretty energizing. The term “cool, brisk fall days” speaks to a reality. It’s very cool (yes, double meaning) actually.

Then there was last Tuesday. The forecast was for one more warm day followed by serious, serious cold. As in a low of 14 degrees. That’s cold! I figured I’d better take advantage so off I went on the Concours. The thermometer said 75 so, after being surprised by the cool recently, I overdressed for the warmth. You can always remove layers.

Boy did I overdress. To the point where I was roasting. So I stopped and shed a layer, right? No, that would have been too easy, too intelligent.

I wanted a convenient place to stop. And it’s amazing how when you want something specific you never seem to find it. At any time I could have turned off onto a side street, stopped and de-layered, and turned around and gotten back on the main road. But that would not have been convenient.

I finally remembered that my jacket has vents so I opened the ones in front, and that helped some. I groped in back but could not locate the rear vents or that would have helped even more.

So finally I ended up back home and oh golly, how glad I was to rip some layers off.

As I said, you never hear stories like this from people driving cars, do you. But I’ll bet that nearly every one of you could tell some similar story about riding your motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle is not like driving a car.

Biker Quote for Today

Riding motorcycles helps clear the cobwebs from my mind; if I ride long enough I get to kill some of the spiders.

An OFMC ride from a few years ago.

I have several Google alerts set to bring me articles mentioning motorcycles, bikers, and such, and today I got one about an event I’ve never heard of. Just wondering if you have.

From WYMT, a TV station in eastern Kentucky, there was a story, “National Motorcycle Ride Day.” I’ve never heard of National Motorcycle Ride Day.

Apparently this day is designated on the second Saturday of October each year. Well, we missed it this year, that’s for sure. It’s described as encouraging “motorcyclists in the USA and the world to get out and on their motorcycles for a united day of riding.”

OK, I’m all for that. But where did this come from and who made this designation? Here’s the answer:

National Motorcycle Ride Day was submitted in August 2015 by Chad Geer, and the Registrar at National Day Calendar declared National Motorcycle Ride Day to be celebrated annually on the second Saturday in October.

OK, so it seems that anybody who wants to declare a day to celebrate/commemorate something, all they have to do is fill out the form at this “National Day Calendar” and presto, you got it!

Of course, you then have to somehow publicize it and get the word out or you’re going to be having your very own, one-person celebration.

Is there more to this? Here:

National Motorcycle Ride Day was founded in 2015 by Chad Geer of Dunlop Tire N.A. The month of October signifies the beginning of fall and also the end of the riding season for a lot of bikers. It is also the month the pneumatic tire was developed by John B. Dunlop. Without this development in tire technology motorcycles would not be able to function.

OK, well, cool. Chad, you have my best wishes on making this into something. Hey, at least WYMT did a story, and that got distributed nationally. It’s a start.

Biker Quote for Today

Reasons not to date a motorcyclist: The garage is decorated nicer than the house.

Left to right, my V-Strom, Concours, and CB750 Custom.

Every year about this time I start thinking about the riding I hope to get in before the end of the year. It’s totally arbitrary but one thing I do is look at the odometers on each of the bikes and try to get each one to turn over one more thousand mile mark before the year is out. I usually fail.

Usually I seem to be more than 500 miles off the next thousand on all three bikes. Back when I only had one bike that was a possibility, to ride that much in the time remaining. Now with three bikes it’s much less possible, unless I just go crazy and ride and ride and ride every warm day we have.

This year is a little different. I’m only 24 miles from the next 1,000 on the Honda. For once I’m going to roll that one over, no doubt. And while this will depend on the weather, I may very well roll the Kawi over, too. That bike is only 257 miles away from its next 1,000. Heck, I’ve got more than two months to do that.

But then there’s the V-Strom. That’s a different story. I’m more than 600 miles shy of the next 1,000 on that bike and while that’s certainly possible, I know myself and I just don’t expect it to happen. Besides, that means all three together would be about 900 miles. Heck, I’m absolutely certain I won’t drive my car 900 miles in the time between now and December 31, and it goes places even when there’s snow on the ground.

Sure I could go out on a nice day and ride to Lamar and back but what would be the point of that? And the fact is, I’m one of the most environmentally conscious people I know and I have questioned myself more than once on the idea that for recreation I go out and burn dead dinosaurs. How much does that cancel out all the recycling and composting and public transit riding I do?

No, I’ll get out on each of these bikes several more times this year but only for a fun time, not to grind out miles just to meet some arbitrary objective. But who knows. If the weather permits the RMMRC to continue these every other weekly Wednesday rides those miles will add up. I’ll be choosing which bike to ride based on how close each is to that next 1,000.

Biker Quote for Today

Got a big bucket list, and before I kick it, gonna buy me a Harley and Route Sixty-Six it. — Billy Currington

So the tank on this bike is not bottomless. Who knew?

I told about riding home from Deckers on the V-Strom with the you-need-gas-now! icon flashing ominously, all the while nervously confident that I had enough to get home OK.

The next time I rode that bike I was going with the RMMRC on one of the regular Wednesday morning rides. I got a late start so I figured I would get over there, let them know I was coming along, and hurry off to fill the tank. But this was Wednesday last week and it was a cold, rainy morning. I also just threw my weather gear in the bags, intending to put that on once I had connected with the group.

I got to the gathering place just a couple minutes late, which should not have been an issue because they never get off exactly at the designated hour. But there were zero bikes in the parking lot. Now, some guys come just for the breakfast and camaraderie with no intention of going along on the ride. I figured there might be some folks inside but with no bikes it was clear none of them intended to ride, so that was irrelevant for me. I wanted to ride.

It was also possible I had missed them, that they had already left to ride. But I know where these guys park and there were cars in those parking spaces and if they left just two minutes before I got there those spaces would not yet have been filled.

Whatever the situation, there was not going to be an RMMRC ride for me this morning. So I headed toward home but thought about getting gas. Ultimately I decided I was cold and gas could wait for later. So now the tank was even lower than before.

Yesterday was a much warmer day and I figured I really needed to get gas in that bike. Plus, I wanted to go for a ride.

I wheeled the V-Strom out on the driveway, climbed on, turned the key, and pushed the start button. It cranked and cranked and cranked but would not start. It was facing downhill so I thought maybe if I leveled it out that would allow gas to reach the fuel intake. That didn’t work. Then I tried facing it uphill. That didn’t work either.

Obviously I was really, really low on gas. I know that while a low tank can cause problems starting, nevertheless if the bike is running it can keep running. The problem is getting the fuel flowing in the first place. We have several gas can around home and two were completely empty but the third had just a little in it, maybe two tablespoons. I dribbled that in and hoped it would do the trick.

It did not. So I did the only thing I could do. I got in my car and drove to a station and filled the gas can. Then I came back and poured just about half a pint in and now it started. Then I went and got gas.

Now I know this bike just a little better than I did before.

Biker Quote for Today

If driving a convertible is topless why can’t I ride my Harley in the nude? — Tom T. Hall