Passes & Canyons Blog

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!

A lot of Colorado is in flames. Obviously the impact that has on motorcycle riders and motorcycle events is nothing compared to the impact on the people who have lost their homes but that impact does bear mention. Fact is, I got an email the other day while I was up in Eagle from a rider who asked me to provide some info about the fires because, “We are set to head to South Fork, CO, and are concerned about the current wildfires!”

So I’m going to try to pull together some information here that is reasonably current.

First off, however, is this. I just received an email from the organizers of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) announcing that this event, scheduled for July 8, has been indefinitely postponed. Of course, the worst fire raging at this point is the Waldo Canyon Fire down by Colorado Springs, so this should not be too much of a surprise to anyone. No new date has yet been set but they say the PPIHC will be run at some point yet this summer.

So what about the fires? Here’s what I can find.

Durango area–There is a fire northwest of Durango, the Lightner Creek Fire, but traffic along U.S. 160 and U.S. 550 should not be affected. Further west, near Mesa Verde, the Escarpment Fire is about 75 acres on the Ute reservation. That does not appear to be causing problems on the highway. A little further west, near Mancos, the Weber Fire is at about 10,000 acres but only impacted travel on the county road heading south out of town.

Pagosa Springs area–The Little Sand Fire 13 miles northwest of Pagosa has burned 22,000 acres and is 29 percent contained. It is not near any of the main roads and should not be an issue for travelers.

Leadville area–The Treasure Fire started up near Leadville on Sunday, along the Fremont Pass route to Leadville from Copper Mountain. I was in Leadville on Monday and didn’t even see any smoke but apparently this fire is still burning. Traffic was moving normally.

Boulder area–The Flagstaff Fire is burning behind the Flatirons. That could create problems if you want to use Flagstaff Road or other roads back there but otherwise should not be a problem. However, up on the hill at the National Center for Atmospheric Research there is some danger as the fire moves rapidly in that direction.

Fort Collins area–The High Park Fire continues to blaze and to spread but is gradually coming under control. Firefighters are projecting complete containment by July 15. This fire can have some real impact for riders. The Poudre Canyon–CO 114–should be avoided. Also, the road up past Masonville and over through Stove Prairie will not be open. Stove Prairie has been hit especially hard. The same with Rist Canyon, coming into the hills out of Fort Collins.

That seems to about cover it for now. But as dry as it has been, and as many beetle-killed trees as there are up in the mountains, it’s a safe assumption that there will be more fires yet this summer. It’s just going to be a matter of staying on top of what’s happening and planning your trips accordingly.

Biker Quote for Today

Talk less, ride more.

Day Two of STAR 2012 and I went riding, along with just about everybody else here. “Here” is Avon, where the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association (MSTA) is holding its annual rendezvous, with STAR standing for “Sport Touring Association Rendezvous.” This is the 30th year for the event.

Approximately 400 people from across the country are here and these folks came to ride. None of this strolling down main street checking out booths of farkles or black leather, or doing some hardcore drinking at bars with semi-naked waitresses. No, this is not Sturgis. Heck, there’s hardly any leather to be seen here. It’s all textile, and most of these folks are serious ATGATT people.

And what they came here for is to ride. Hang around the headquarters hotel in the day and there aren’t too many people there. The garage where the bikes are parked is nearly empty. Come evening, though, it’s social hour and time to compare notes on the day’s ride.

Come here alone, not knowing anyone, as I did, and it’s easy to find someone to ride with. Just walk around and start talking to people, ask where they’re headed, and if it sounds good, just say, “Hey, do you mind if I come with you?” I don’t think anybody says no. Though you do want to make sure the group is into your style of riding. Considering that many of these people came a long way in a short period of time, that gives you a hint that some are into hard, fast riding. If that’s not your style, keep looking.

STAR 2012 goes on until Thursday, though I won’t be here for all of it. Now, if I had come 1,000 miles I’m sure I would stay, but when it was only an easy 100 miles to get here, you’re not as committed. But it’s sure nice to get away into the mountains for a few days.

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.

Biker Quote for Today

I have no idea where we are, but at least it’s getting dark.

I work at home so I couldn’t ride to work today, but I did get out on my bike just so I would be seen. What I’m wondering is, how many other riders got out today? I have a feeling it just wasn’t that many.

That is to say, I really question whether many people take this thing seriously. I have promoted it for years, and I always get out an ride, but I think I’m in a minority. The idea is great. Swamp the roads with motorcycles and scooters and really impress other motorists with how many of us there are. For a variety of reasons (see previous post). But at least here in Denver I get the impression people either ignore it or don’t even know about it.

Although I don’t ride to work, I did make a point to ride around down in the Denver Tech Center areas, figuring that’s where a lot of commuters go. As I cruised around I surveyed the parking lots and while I saw a few bikes, there weren’t that many. It looked like the random few you would probably see any day.

Oh well. At least I got out on a ride today. I hope you did, too, but if you didn’t, hey, your loss.

Biker Quote for Today

You’ll never see a biker going down the road with screaming kids arguing in the back seat.

Motorcyclists are far more vulnerable than cagers and as often as riders go on poker runs to support other causes, it would seem that it should be a no-brainer to raise money to help other riders who have been hurt.

That’s what ABATE of Colorado’s Randy Run is all about, and it will take place this weekend on Saturday.

The Randy Run is named for Randy Savely, that fellow in the photo above, who lost his leg when a car turned left and hit him as he was passing through an intersection. Randy is the district rep for ABATE’s District 10 and the run was originally a D-10 event. Last year the decision was made to make it a state-wide event and the state organization took it over.

The Randy Run takes off from the Frontier Club, 18881 E. Colfax, with sign-up beginning at 9 a.m. The ride fee is $15 per poker hand and that includes admission to all events. There will be the poker run, a bike rodeo, door prizes, auction, live music, and more.

As the flyer says, “You don’t have to be a member of ABATE to apply for Randy Run funds. Pay it forward now and help fellow motorcyclists in their time of need.”

Biker Quote for Today

Ride to lean.

I’m home after six days on the road and while I enjoyed the Overland Expo, the object of this journey, it could not be more clear that my favorite parts were the two day ride down to Flagstaff and the two day return trip.

The best parts of those days were the mornings. Each day I woke with the sun, rolled out of my sleeping bag, packed and broke camp, and got on the bike. And there I was, riding through forest and mountains with the day just beginning, with colors so vibrant–it was heaven.

This morning I started the day in a campground about midway between Creede and South Fork. I don’t know the elevation of the campground but South Fork is about 8,100, so the campground was higher. It was cold! Plus, the campground was in a spot where the canyon walls keep the sun off it until probably 9 a.m. I put on my long johns, plugged in my electric vest and turned it on, and hoped my hands didn’t freeze.

But it was glorious! It was so beautiful and I was right there in it all. The morning after my first night camping was the same, though not so cold. I had ridden from Denver to just a little east of Mancos and stayed in a campground there. Next morning I headed out and could not get over how beautiful it was and how happy I was not to be waking up in the city and heading for an office somewhere.

At Mormon Lake, in Arizona, the Overland Expo was good, I sat in on a number of good sessions that gave me more confidence if I ever find myself needing to change a tire on my bike and other useful things like that. And waking up there was nice, too, surrounded as we were in trees and hills. But it wasn’t the same as the morning I left and was out riding through it all. The beautiful morning light. The cold, crisp air. The deer that stood in the road and looked at me as I approached, only to scamper away as the sound of a car coming the other direction persuaded them it was time to go. It all came back to one thought: This is why I ride a motorcycle.

Trite as the phrase has become, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Anticipating adventure at the Overland Expo

Biker Quote for Today

I have no idea where we are, but at least it’s getting dark.