Passes & Canyons Blog

EagleRider CEO Chris McIntyre with the Golden Gate Bridge before we crossed into San Francisco.

I’m not sure why this has been on my mind lately, but it has so I figured I’d write about it.

I had an experience with airport security in Oakland, California, back in 2010 that still makes me shake my head. But some background is in order.

Back then I was writing for Examiner.com, a site that no longer exists, as their “National Motorcycle Examiner.” As such, a lot of terrific opportunities came my way. One was an invitation from EagleRider to go on a week-long, all expenses paid (except getting there and back) motorcycle tour of California, from L.A. up the coast, inland to Yosemite National Park, and then to San Francisco. You better believe I accepted.

Now, like most people, I hate to check bags when flying, preferring to squeeze everything I’ll need into a carry-on bag. That means I couldn’t take a lot and my bag was pretty full. No big deal.

So we did the tour and had a great time and I wrote a bunch about it for Examiner and other publications I wrote for back then, including of course this blog. We ended the tour in San Francisco and after saying my good-byes I went across the bay to visit a friend who lives in Oakland. To fly home I went to the Oakland airport.

By this time I had a problem, however. EagleRider and a bunch of the places we visited had loaded us up with a ton of swag. I had a mesh EagleRider motorcycle jacket, about a dozen t-shirts, eight jumbo bags of beef jerky, and I can’t remember what else. Recall that my small bag was already full when I came out here. Where was I going to put all this stuff?

I really didn’t want to pay to check a second bag but I had the idea to take clothes out of the bag, put everything else in, and whatever clothes didn’t fit in the bag I would wear. This meant I had on about six t-shirts and whatever else it took. This was summer so it was warm but over all this I put on the jacket. Yes I was warm but I got it all handled.

So I went to the airport and I guess security thought I was a bit odd. They didn’t say anything but they searched my bag thoroughly and ran the wand over me very deliberately. It was clear I was getting special treatment but not only that, they were being very hostile. I made some non-hostile remark and the woman basically told me to keep my mouth shut or things were going to get a lot worse.

Of course I was not a hijacker and I was no threat at all and finally they reluctantly allowed me on the plane. But the thing that has always bugged me was this: How about, maybe, they just ask me why I’m wearing all this stuff? I’m not saying take my explanation and just pass me on through. Go ahead and check me out thoroughly. But was the hostility really necessary? Just ask a simple question, hear my simple answer, and go ahead and do your job. No, I guess that’s too much to ask.

One amusing thing did happen immediately after this, however. As I got on the plane one of the other passengers saw my jacket and asked if I was with that group he saw two days earlier crossing the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. Yes! That was us, and he was there too, just at that moment. How funny.

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles make me happy. You, not so much.

This is the kind of situation where these systems would kick in.

I’m writing this on Sunday and there is an article in today’s Denver Post that really caught my eye. Maybe you read it, if you subscribe, but it seems most people don’t these days so I figure it’s worth pointing out. The article is titled “Smart cruise control comes to motorcycles.” (It’s actually reprinted from the New York Times.)

According to this article, both BMW and Ducati are introducing this system on bikes. The system controls throttle and braking.

No surprise to any of us, the challenges of creating something of this sort for motorcycles is vastly different from creating the same for cars. As the article notes, “because motorcycles don’t have automatic transmissions, they could stall or even fall over if the technology were allowed to bring them to a complete stop.” So these systems only work if you’re going more than 20 mph.

The systems use radar sensors to keep track of vehicles ahead of you. Mainly they will latch onto a vehicle in front of you and match your speed to that. If there is no vehicle ahead of you it will cruise at whatever speed you set it for, up to 100 mph.

The systems are only programmed to pay attention to vehicles in your lane moving in the same direction. If you’re at an intersection and someone pulls out in front of you it will not register, so hit your own brakes!

According to the article, the project manager at Ducati said the system “is a convenience system, not a safety system; it is there to enhance comfort during highway travels.”

Obviously, the fact that motorcycles lean makes for big differences than systems for cars. BMW’s director of product development is quoted saying that “the system must be able to detect cars and other motorcycles while it is leaned over.” When you’re leaned over above certain speeds both systems will slow you down, with Ducati pushing that point all the way to 50 degrees of lean.

So that’s just a brief overview. If you’re interested I would definitely recommend you read the whole article.

Biker Quote for Today

I Googled my symptoms . . . turns out I just needed to go ride.

Lifting a bike that went down. Fortunately, no one was hurt in this slow-speed get-off.

I was reading the Spokesman, ABATE of Colorado’s bimonthly newsletter the other day and they had this piece provided to them by Scott O’Sullivan, who is involved with Rider Justice and the O’Sullivan Law Firm. I thought it was pretty good and worth passing along, so here it is. It’s a tiny bit self-serving in that it is a promotion for the O’Sullivan Law Firm and Rider Justice, but hey, no big deal. I’m not endorsing them; I don’t know anything about them. I just thought it was good information.

Top 5 Ways Insurance Companies Cheat You

When you’re injured in a motorcycle crash, it’s stressful enough dealing with the mounting medical bills and the long healing process. Even worse, all the red tape and hoops you have to jump through when dealing with insurance claims just adds insult to injury. But it’s important to make sure you receive all the money you’re entitled to. After years of responsibly paying your insurance premiums, you deserve to recoup every dollar from your coverage! However, I’m sorry to say that insurance companies are not on your side. Here are the Top 5 Ways Insurance Companies Cheat You.

After a Crash Asking for a Recorded Statement
Most everyone is familiar with the Miranda Warning that says, “Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.” This is also true for recorded statements that an insurance company may request from you. Insurance adjusters will twist your words to make you look bad, thus making you ineligible for your claim. If an insurance company representative is asking you to make a recorded statement, hang up and call a motorcycle accident attorney immediately.

Pushing for a Quick Settlement
Dealing with insurance companies and legal battles can be an extremely stressful experience. But no matter how badly you want to wash your hands of the entire thing and just get it over with, you should never fall into the trap of accepting a quick settlement from your insurance company. Insurance companies use this tactic because it saves them a lot of time and money, and it almost always guarantees that motorcycle accident victims accept a much smaller amount before fully understanding how much their claim is really worth.

Asking for a Signed Medical Release
If you’re in a motorcycle accident, an insurance adjuster may try to convince you that you absolutely have to sign medical release forms, giving them access to all of your medical records, both past and present. Why is this bad? I have seen insurance companies go far back into a victim’s health history and deny payment based on previous experiences that have nothing to do with the accident and the victim’s current condition.

Causing Confusion
When it comes to the average individual, insurance contracts are confusing. Insurance companies often rely on a victim’s confusion (and the many other issues they may be facing, such as medical concerns) to push inadequate settlements or even to get victims to sign away their own rights! When filing a claim, sign NOTHING until you hire an attorney to go over the documents so you know your rights.

Refusing to Renew
Although you shouldn’t rush the process and settle right away, be sure not to waste too much time filing a claim if you decide that’s the route you want to take, especially if you’ve already contacted your insurance company with an inquiry. Many insurance companies will drop your coverage and refuse to renew a policy if they get a whiff that you may be considering a claim.

Do you have specific questions about Colorado state laws when it comes to dealing with insurance companies after a motorcycle accident? Call or text us at (303) 388-5304.

Biker Quote for Today

Look twice for motorcycles: someone’s whole world is on that bike.