Passes & Canyons Blog

You don’t suppose there might be some inherent risk involved in racing a motorcycle on ice, do you?

If you’re not familiar with the concept of inherent risk you probably will be soon. It’s a movement that appears to be spreading state to state, and it will affect motorcycle riders.

Essentially, inherent risk is a recognition that some things people like to do carry some amount of risk. The current crop of laws being passed regarding inherent risk made a clear statement that if people choose to engage in these activities they do so recognizing the risks and accepting those risks. That is, if you do it and get hurt, it’s on you. Don’t try to sue someone else for your misfortune.

The first thing you might think of in this category could be motorcycle racing, but that’s really not the case. Racers uniformly are required to sign waivers stating they will not sue the track if they screw up and get hurt. Of course this is only true if the track is in good shape and the crash was the rider’s fault, or perhaps the fault of another racer. If there is a big pothole in the middle of a tough turn then the track is at fault. But how often is a track going to allow that hazard to exist?

The legislation is aimed more at places such as an open space area where the governmental entity that owns or controls it allows dirt bike riding. Or a farmer who lets local kids ride in his pasture. If you get hurt, don’t go suing the nice person who let you ride in his pasture. He didn’t cause your crash, you did.

So far Arkansas and Texas have enacted inherent risk legislation. The concept is supported by the American Motorcyclist Association, which put out a report that stated, “The American Motorcyclist Association, alongside Texas motocross track owners, motorcycle dealers, and riding enthusiasts, was closely engaged with efforts to pass HB 5624. The AMA commends the Texas state legislature for its passage, as HB 5624 aims to create a more consistent and predictable liability environment for property owners and off-road riding enthusiasts.”

The AMA also noted, “This form of legislation has picked up steam across the country, and the AMA is focused on additional efforts, primarily in Iowa and Missouri, where similar inherent risk bills are taking shape for re-introduction in each state’s next legislative session.”

Everyone knows the story of the woman who bought coffee at McDonald’s from a drive-up window, put the coffee between her legs, and then spilled it, burning herself. She sued McDonald’s and won. That would seem to fall under this policy. You bought the hot coffee and would have been unhappy if it had been cold. Nobody forced you to put it between your legs as you drove away.

I think we can all expect these laws to come to our own states. Look for them.

Biker Quote for Today

My comments to my neighbor who rides horses but thinks motorcycles are dangerous – “I’m not riding anything that has a mind of its own . . .” — markbxr400

For lack of a water pump my old Concours sits in storage.

My one bike these days is my 2006 Suzuki V-Strom 650. With less than 51,000 miles on it currently it has a long life still ahead of it. Particularly considering that the engine is considered bulletproof, as in it will just keep on going and going and going.

But. And that’s a big “but.”

Just last week I ran across an item on Adventure Riders titled “Thinking Long Term,” about this “but” and something we seldom think about.

Zac, the writer, focuses not on the big parts, like the engine or frame, but on the little bits. Things like sensors. We all know how quickly electronic parts become outdated. What do you do if your bike depends on some bit of electronics and that unit dies, and then you can’t find a replacement?

This is not a theoretical exercise. When my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom got smashed I was faced with a decision. Do I bail it out of tow-yard jail and try to get it fixed, or do I just let it go? I chose to let it go because I had a pretty good idea that even if it was fixable–not at all a certainty–the repair would also add considerably to the overall expense and then, could I even get the parts?

Then it became even less theoretical recently when I was talking with Rick Steele over at Steele’s Cycles. We were talking about the factors that come into play when they are deciding what to do with a bike they have taken in. He used my 1999 Kawasaki Concours as an example.

As they do with all bikes they take in, they put it up on the lift and checked it out thoroughly. It ran–I knew that–but they discovered that the water pump was leaking. I did not know about that. And the thing was, Rick told me, you can’t get that water pump any more. They know a guy out east who repairs water pumps and they sent it to him but when they got it back it still leaked. So now, my old Connie is sitting in one of Steele’s storage areas with its fate unclear. The engine is as bulletproof as ever but not the water pump.

I guess this is an issue that aficionados of old bikes have lived with for a long time. Sometimes you can kludge in a different part and make it work. Sometimes you can fabricate a new part if you have the tools and the skill. Sometimes you can’t.

In my mind it makes the point in favor of newer bikes. I’ve lived for years with the reality that all my bikes were old enough that no dealer wanted to deal with them. Fortunately there are independent shops that pick up that trade. But at this point I’d just rather have the convenience of taking the bike to the dealer for service, knowing the parts are available. Plus, some of the new tech is nice. I’ve never had cruise control and that is something I’d like.

All of this is on my mind as I wonder about getting a new bike. And at this point that question is totally undecided.

Biker Quote for Today

Bikes may rust, but the memories they create never fade.

You couldn’t ask for a nicer day for a December 31 ride.

Hey, this year (last year now) people actually got to ride to ABATE of Colorado‘s Last Brass Monkey Run. Always held on December 31 as the last ride of the year, it’s no surprise that many times riding is just not an option. But this year Denver came just one degree short of the record high and it was a warm, sunny day. Yahoo!

I headed west on the V-Strom and while it was warm and the streets were clear in east Denver, where I live, I wondered about out west by the foothills. Golden. But out there it was just as warm and the streets were just as clear. Considering we had a bit of snow just three days ago this had not been a certainty.

As always, it was good to see the folks. I used to attend my ABATE meetings each month but have not done so for a few years, so I only see folks at events like this. The Last Brass Monkey Run used to be an actual poker run but these days it is all held in one place so you get your sheet and then move from station to station picking up your cards. I did well. I got a full house, queens over nines. Could be good.

But no. It was best five of seven cards and both the first place winner and the second place winner had four of a kind. So much for my full house.

They also hand out door prizes. Last year my ticket was the absolute, very last one to be drawn. Think about it. Someone has to have the last ticket drawn, and last year that someone was me. You don’t get much to choose from when literally everyone else has already taken all the good stuff. This year I was still late in the draw but not the very last. I got a card game that we hope our seven-year-old grandson will like. That’s OK, you don’t go to these things looking to bring home a bounty. That’s just a bonus if you do.

Heading home I couldn’t help but notice as I pulled up at a red light that the guy to my left was on his phone. Illegal in Colorado these days. His lane moved faster than mine so I watched as he drifted out of his lane to the left. You dip. Hang up and drive!

But I got home safely and got out of 2025 alive. Obviously you did too. Congratulations to each of us. Here’s to an even better 2026.

Biker Quote for Today

Live Free and Ride

OK, this is a huge mea culpa. I wrote last year about how I sold my 1999 Concours to Steele’s Cycle and then a couple weeks later I looked on their site and they had a 1999 Concours listed as sold. Long story short, I assumed–there’s that word–that this bike was mine and they had cleaned it up a bit and had already sold it. Good for them.

I did note, however, that the odometer reading was not what mine showed. I assumed–there’s that word again–that if you sold a bike to a salvage yard they would want to pull from their parts inventory to make the bike as cherry as possible for resale. Which may well be true.

But I also assumed–again!–that in order to make the bike more appealing they had swapped out my instrument cluster for one showing fewer miles. Big mistake.

I got a call today, Saturday, December 6, from Steele’s. Matthew was most unhappy and insists that I come over so they can show me my bike still sitting in their warehouse. He would not make that demand if it were not true so I have already deleted the offending post. And I will go over there on Tuesday, the next day they’re open, and we will have a discussion. And I am posting this as soon as I finish writing it.

This is a huge public apology to Steele’s. I hope you can understand how I made this mistake. I sold you a bike, a couple weeks later I see on your site a bike just like mine–not a particularly common item 25 years after it was made–and assumed it was the one I sold. I was wrong. I apologize sincerely. I’ll see you on Tuesday.

Coming down past the Flaming Gorge.

I ran across an article with a catchy, poetic/symbolic header: Street, motorcycle: a motorcyclist is 70 times more likely to die than a motorist and science says so.

OK, that’s the sort of thing to catch your attention. I had to read it.

It’s not an anti-motorcycle piece; the writer acknowledges all the issues we who ride are intimately familiar with. It just lays out the statistics from the study, which was done at Northwestern University. (A chuckle: the piece is British and the writer mistakenly refers to the school as the University of Northwestern.) Although it does use some wording that you and I might take issue with. I’ll quote part of the article.

Parents have always told their children that motorcycles are dangerous. And for once, statistics prove them right. A large study conducted by the University of Northwestern in the United States has just demonstrated it: driving a motorcycle is 29 times riskier than driving a car, for the same distance traveled.

Also:

The study drew on 1,6 billion kilometers traveled to estimate the risks associated with each mode of transport. The verdict is clear: motorcycles cause 212 deaths, dwarfing all other modes of transport. Bicycles come in a distant second (44,6 deaths), followed by cars (7,28). In contrast, airplanes only have 0,07 deaths – 3,000 times safer!

That last one is one of those points where we would question the wording. I mean, “motorcycles cause 212 deaths.” No, I’m sorry, the motorcycles don’t cause those deaths. In fact, usually, it is the total opposite–the deaths are caused by drivers of other vehicles. This is where an editor was needed to revise that statement to something along the lines of “212 motorcyclists died.”

Discussing the study, the writer noted, “Far from wanting to demonize motorcycles, this study puts things into perspective. Motorcycle riding isn’t a crime; it’s a choice. But a choice that requires rigor, humility, and lucidity.” He then added that training and awareness of the risks is all important. I don’t think any of us would contest that.

So where does that leave us? Oh, pretty much where we were. We know we take risks and apparently we’re OK with that. Next.

Biker Quote for Today

Getting a motorcycle right after my divorce didn’t make me a walking cliché. It made me a much faster cliché.

The OFMC at the Grand Canyon, all in rain gear. You really do need to dress for the weather.

I could never be a lawyer in court because those guys need to hear something and immediately have the response. I’m the kind of guy who likes to hear an argument and then think about it a bit before responding. Sometimes I need to think a lot before I’m ready.

I think some of that comes into play when I’m getting ready to go on a motorcycle ride. Specifically, in the few days before the RMMRC headed out on this overnight Meeker/Craig ride it had been blazing hot. 100 degrees and more. Shall we say that bringing plenty of warm clothing was not high on my radar?

But it should have been, because the day we left was quite cool and the forecast was for several more cool days. Nope, I’m still focused on the blazing heat.

So I wore my mesh jacket, though I did bring the liner. I did not bring my electric vest, though I did bring a fleece vest. I did not bring my heated gloves. Why would I? It’s hot!

But it wasn’t. I was chilly when I got to the meeting spot, and thought about the fact that we were going to be going up, but I was determined to ignore reality. Apparently. By the time we were up to Idaho Springs I was wishing I had put more layers on back at the start.

Fortunately, one of the guys had some tire pressure issue–these bikes with all their gadgetry–so we stopped in front of the Guanella Ranch, just past Empire. I quickly put on everything else I had. We took off and it was definitely darn chilly going over Berthoud Pass but bearable. And for the rest of the ride to Craig I was cold. Fortunately it warmed up a bit as we dropped down to Meeker.

In the morning I started out with everything I had, and I was darn chilly again. Then we got down to Wolcott and I-70 and made a stop in Edwards for gas. Here I finally did the one thing I had not done, I put on my rain jacket to stop the wind. What a huge difference that made! I was actually fairly comfortable for the first time on this trip.

And I was glad I had it because the temperature dropped as we headed up to Leadville, and it was also looking like rain. We had lunch and left Leadville in a light rain, all of us decked out in full rain gear. At least I was warm.

We finally hit actual rain around Conifer but after that it got warm. I could have stopped to strip the rain gear off but was taking no chances, and fortunately it was not blazing hot crossing town. Sometimes it is and then you want nothing more than to get that dang rain suit off.

Will I ever learn? Probably not. If I could somehow search this blog for every time I mention being ill-prepared for the weather I’m sure it would be a long list. And I never, ever gave any thought to being a litigation attorney.

Biker Quote for Today

Riding any motorcycle is like meditating with your hair on fire.