Passes & Canyons Blog

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.

In the early days of the OFMC we were a pretty homogeneous bunch. At first we had two Hondas and a Yamaha but John soon gave his Virago to his son and bought his own Honda Shadow, nearly identical to Bill’s. I, of course, was on my CB750 Custom.

And our clothes were pretty standard: blue jeans and whatever layers on top we could piece together. It was a while before any of us got around to buying an actual motorcycle jacket. When we did they were generic jackets, not trademarked with by motorcycle make.

A lot has changed in 30 years. While I still have the CB, I rarely ride it on the annual bike trip any more, and nobody else even owns a Honda now. We are also fully geared up now, and manufacturer brands show up a lot.

This really became evident when, on our recent trip, we stopped at a rest area in Utah. Others stopped at the rest area included a young couple from California. At one point the guy came directly to me and asked how I liked my V-Strom. He himself has a V-Strom that he got from his dad and he loves it.

We didn’t ask but he volunteered that it was pretty easy to know who rode what bikes. Dennis rides an Indian and he had his jacket off, revealing an Indian t-shirt. Bill rides a Harley and his leather jacket is emblazoned with the Harley logo on the back.

And there I was, with the only semi sportbike wearing a mesh jacket and motorcycle riding pants, not jeans. The kind of gear you’re not likely to see on someone on a Harley or an Indian. Not too hard to add one and one and come up with two.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Clothes make the man.” I offer this variation: “Clothes make the make.” If that dude is wearing a Harley jacket he’s probably riding that Harley.

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a biker wannabe if you ride a Ducati. (OK, over time I’ve put up a lot of these “wannabe” quotes but have never found an appropriate place for this one. I guess it’s because it is just inappropriate. I love Ducatis. Rode a Monster once and what a bike!)

As we continued our European travels the motorcycle scene just got stranger. Through Hungary, western Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania there were very few motorcycles on the streets and not even very many scooters.

This was especially puzzling because we heard repeatedly how much lower salaries are there in Eastern Europe than they are in Western Europe, such that those countries are losing population as all their young people head to Western Europe and higher salaries. Plus, gas is very expensive. Isn’t this the perfect environment to encourage scooters?

We did see some two-wheel transport, although there really weren’t even many bicycles. One thing we saw first in Budapest were these stand-up scooters that you see all over American cities now, except these had much bigger, fatter tires that, I presume, provide greater stability and the ability to absorb bumps rather than throw you off head first. These mega scooters, it turns out, seem to be almost exclusively used for tours.

Then there were the standard delivery scooters for items such as pizza. They’re all over Europe.

And then there were a bunch of what looked like standard motorcycles in front with the rear chopped off and two-wheeled delivery boxes mounted on back. Very much like those old Harley service vehicles except these were a complete mish-mash, suggesting people were just taking any old bike and converting it.

Anyway, this was all very puzzling. Where were all the motorcycles? And for Pete’s sake, where were the scooters? I mean, this is Europe!

So I asked our guide in Bucharest and he cleared it all up. It turns out that the Eastern Europeans are exceedingly status conscious. And to them, two wheels means “poor.” The Eastern Europeans are poor compared to the Western Europeans and they’re still overcoming the effects of 50 years of Communism. And they’re sensitive about this.

So they drive expensive cars they can’t afford while barely being able to put food on the table. And there is no way on this planet they’re going to be seen on a scooter, no matter how sensible that might be.

Maybe this is going to change soon. Coming into Bucharest I noticed a shiny, new, four-story glass-sided Ducati dealership. OK, nobody is going to confuse “Ducati” with “poor.” Maybe once Ducati wedges its way into the market the connection between poor and two wheels will fade. It could be interesting to go back to Bucharest in about 10 years.

Biker Quote for Today

The wheels act as gyroscopes, so the faster you go the less likely you are to fall over.

The most common motorcycles I saw in Stockholm, Sweden, a few weeks ago were Ducatis and the three-wheeled Piaggio MP3 scooters. They really like those scooters.

It may be that in late March and early April in Sweden, that third wheel makes all the difference. Nights were still getting down to freezing and if you are going to ride you’re much more confident on three wheels.

Now, as it turned out, the first bike I saw was a Gold Wing, then a scooter, a sportbike of unknown make, another scooter, then finally either a Harley or Harley wannabe. Then a BMW, another sportbike, a Ducati, a Triumph, an MP3, a V-Strom, and then another MP3.

So while there were four scooters in those first dozen, scooters were nowhere near as prevalent as they are in other European cities. And bikes in general were not as common.

Again, it may just be the season. Summer in Scandinavia may be very different.

Then we got to Copenhagen and I swear I didn’t see a single motorcycle or scooter in the first full day there. I was really starting to wonder.

At one point, though, we sat on a bench by a major street and then saw plenty of bikes. But this was rush hour and I hardly saw another bike the rest of the three days we were there.

It changed considerably when we got to Budapest. I saw more bikes in the ride from the airport to our hotel than I had the entire previous week. Of course Budapest is nearly 1,000 miles south of Stockholm, and 600 miles south of Copenhagen, so it’s full-blown spring here.

Which is where we are now, so I’ll end here. (But I actually wrote those words three weeks ago.)

Biker Quote for Today

To anyone commenting on my choice of riding in any kind of weather, “Beats driving a Prius”!

by Matt Wessels

The Vintage movement is in full force and old motorcycles are finding their way back to daylight and backroads in record numbers. This year will mark the 5th annual Vintage Motorcycle Show in Golden, Colorado.

Heritage Square will host the event one last time before they close their doors at the end of 2015, and all of their facilities will be operational for the show. Those facilities include bathrooms, restaurants, and a bar.

Erico Motorsports, GrandPrix Motorsports Indian and Foothills Triumph/BMW will be there showcasing some of the factory retro motos. Last year they had a half-million dollar Vincent show up, by the name of the Black Prince. It might make a re-appearance at this year’s show.

The show (Sunday, June 7) is open to anybody with a vintage motorcycle following the structure of a controlled open floor. To enter, respond to the evite and drop a comment so that Bob can get an idea of how many bikes there will be. Being a part of the show is just as free as attending it. They are taking donations for Hospice care, so bring some stray bills to support a good cause!

Much like the show being a celebration of all that was good and right in the motorcycle world, the Hospice donations are a celebration of good people who make it their life’s work to increase the quality of life for those who can not completely provide it for themselves. The idea was started when a friend was immensely impressed with the Hospice workers who take care of his mom, and wanted to give back.

The VJMC is also giving back by footing the bill for the event and wants all motorcycles from all backgrounds, manufacturers, and styles to attend. This isn’t a profitable endeavor, this is simply two enthusiasts who want to bring like-minded people together and celebrate good bikes, good food, good talk, and good experiences.

If you missed the link up above, go HERE to register for attendance. IT’S FREE!

For any other questions or comments, please reach out to Bob @ superhawk65@gmail.com

Many of the same folks meet at the GB Fish and Chips on the first Thursday of every month for Old Bike Night. There are a few other Old Bike Night meetups around the front range area, but not all necessarily connected with this one.

I took a spin on a Ducati Diavel yesterday, thanks to Alan. Ducati did a demo ride thing but it was a bit different than the standard demo riding. It was by invitation only, and because it was in conjunction with Cycle World magazine, the invitations went out to Cycle World subscribers. Alan subscribes and he got a card in the mail and he followed up on it. He got in and they let you bring a friend, so he called me. Then the next day, I got a card in the mail, too, because I’m a subscriber as well. But I was already in.

Alan very wisely selected the 8:30 a.m. time slot for our ride. It was already blazing hot by the time we wrapped up. We met at his house at 7:30 and rode up to Broomfield, to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, formerly Jefferson County Airport, and did the paperwork. First they gave us class on the development of the Diavel concept and went over things like switching modes on the bike. The Diavel has three modes, Urban, Touring, and Sport. Good to know how to switch from one to the other.

We headed out to ride, but first they took photos of each of us with one of the three Ducati girls standing by. Pretty silly in my opinion, but oh well.

One thing that was different with this demo ride than others was that they explicitly did not say “no passing.” This is fast motorcycle and they did not want the true go-fast guys to feel frustrated because they were behind slower guys, and therefore not have the chance to really run the bike. Alan and I both figured we belonged at the slow end of the group, but the bike I got was right in the middle. I mentioned this to the head guy and he told me to just pull off when the bikes pulled out and then jump in at the very end, right behind Alan. That suited me fine because I don’t like being in a tight group anyway.

We took off, snaking our way out of the metro area to Coal Creek Canyon and then started blasting. The Diavel can lean as far over as 41 degrees so they told us to push ourselves a little and trust the bike. I did and it handled superbly. And it was a pretty nice ride altogether. The seat height is only 30 inches so I could plant both feet firmly on the ground. It’s an upright riding position with the pegs beneath me, which I like. They said it could be considered a sport standard, which seems about right. Another descriptor was “sportbike that’s comfortable.”

We rode up Coal Creek a ways and then, at a small crossroads we turned around to head back down. A young guy came running over to me with great interest, asking what model it was. Guess he thought the Diavel looked pretty dang cool. I’d agree. Your first impression may be uncertain–mine was–but the more you look at it the better you like it. Or at least I did.

Back down on the prairie, we blasted back to the airport on 120th and hit some high speeds. Without a windshield I found it worked best to lean way forward and hit the wind with the top of my helmet, rather than my chest. And oh my, what power. The Diavel has 162 horsepower and weighs only about 450 pounds. That is one powerful motorcycle.

So anyway, back to the starting point and get off the bikes, then fill out a brief survey. Yes I liked the bike, no I won’t be buying one any time soon. I already have two motorcycles and I can’t afford a Ducati, no matter how much I like it. Then as a thank-you they gave us some very cool Ducati-branded flash drives with a lot of promotional material on them and copies of the photos they took of us on the bikes with the Ducati girls. Nice touch.

Note: If you are a real person and wish to leave a comment, let me apologize for making that temporarily impossible. These damn comment spammers are swarming in such numbers that I just turned commenting off. But if you’re a real person and want to leave a real comment, send me an email and I’ll make it happen for you. I always appreciate real comments; I just get really fed up with the spammers.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Ducati Diavel is a sportbike that is comfortable

Biker Quote for Today

Go fast and hang on tight!