Passes & Canyons Blog

I got a notification from Jerry Pokorny of an event that might be interesting if you’d be inclined to head up to Steamboat Springs in a couple weeks. It’s called the Premier & Classic Weekend.

So what is this Premier & Classic Weekend? Well, for starters, the AHRMA is the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association. Which is to say, this is a group that stages vintage motorcycle races. You can fill in the rest.

This event will be held at the Jenny Ranch, outside Steamboat, at 37850 Routt County Road 45. It starts on Friday, June 4, and runs through the weekend. There will be a dual-sport ride on Friday, vintage trial racing on Saturday, and premier and classic scrambles on Sunday. If you just want to watch, admission is $10 per day. If you want to bring your old bike and participate, entry fees are $30 or $40 depending on the event. If you want to stay the weekend, there are local accommodations or you can camp on the ranch for $10 per night. A catered dinner is available on Saturday night for $15 per person.

So what’s actually going to be going on, besides the chance to see some very cool motorcycles in action? Let’s take trials. Per the AHRMA website:

Observed trials is a very significant part of historic motorcycle competition. It began as a wintertime sport for European enthusiasts, who tested themselves by tracing ancient Roman roads. These riders negotiated various obstacles along the way, all of which gave test to both man and machine. As the “gentleman’s sport” developed, such obstacles became more specific, and more challenging. From the 1980s until today, the obstacles presented to trials competitors have been inconceivable for most motorcycle riders.

AHRMA’s observed trials goal is to provide its members a safe, historically accurate environment to showcase and experience vintage machinery. The key to this enjoyment is the observed sections. From the 1950s into the ‘70s, sections were mainly composed of wide-open areas of challenging terrain, with the rider’s choice of line determining his/her success. Observed sections reminiscent of this era are critical in AHRMA’s representation of classic observed trials. With period-accurate sections, machines will remain true to their original concept, and the techniques required to ride them will do the same, enhancing the entire vintage trials scene. The trials-riding experience will undoubtedly result in good friends, good rides and good fun.

So. Could be a fun weekend. Will I be there? No, I’ll be in some state about a thousand miles to the east on that weekend. But you might consider it. If you do, and you want to send me some photos and a report I’ll be glad to publish them. Thanks.

Biker Quote for Today

I don’t ride my bike to win races, not do I ride to get places. I ride to escape this world. I ride to find peace with myself. I ride to feel free and I ride to feel strong.

Three times over two days recently I observed some interesting people on motorcycles.

I was up in the hills and had no intention of coming down on I-70 but a wrong turn left me doing exactly that. I was in no hurry and so I kept to the right lane, where I got passed by a couple guys in a bigger hurry than me. They were something to see.

These two guys were obviously traveling because their bikes–Harleys or something similar–were totally loaded with gear. But I’m not talking big bags on the sides and a big top bag. No, they had all their individual items bungeed on all over the back ends of their bikes. And they had a lot of gear.

They were barreling along the interstate and neither of them had a riding jacket on. Both were wearing sleeveless t-shirts, although they were wearing helmets. And on top of each helmet was a GoPro camera.

Yeah, they were an interesting sight.

Further along the way home on this same ride, I was coming east through town on Hampden and it was rush hour. Or crawl hour, more appropriately. I was aware of the traffic around me so it was with some surprise that I glanced in the mirror at one point to see there was another bike right behind me in my lane. Where did that guy come from?

I barely had time to wonder if perhaps he lane-split his way up behind me when the traffic came to a complete stop and he blasted on ahead, going up the middle. Question answered. Lane-splitting is not legal in Colorado but that obviously did not bother him.

Then the next day I was once again on Hampden, this time headed east near Kennedy Golf Course, when I came to a stop at a red light. In front in the left-hand lane was a guy on a sportbike. A big pick-up was in front of me, first in line, and to our right a small orange pick-up, with a riding lawnmower in the bed, pulled up first in line.

But this was no ordinary pick-up. This one had no hood because the engine stood up about a foot above where the hood would have been. And this guy was revving his engine, clearly planning to blast away as soon as the light changed.

The light did change and whether there had been some communication between them or what, both the bike and the orange pick-up rocketed away. Most likely, the biker decided it would be fun to shut down this orange guy, whose intentions were clear.

I quickly lost sight of them both because of the guy in front of me, but as we neared Havana, where the road curves hard to the left, I caught sight of the bike going about 70, screaming around the curve with no orange guy anywhere to be seen. I’d say the biker definitely shut down that orange guy. Just having fun, you know.

Biker Quote for Today

If you can park it and not turn around to admire it before walking away you bought the wrong one.

Money and horsepower do not produce winners in sidecar racing. It takes teamwork, and a good team can make a poor machine very, very fast.

So say the folks who ought to know, the sidecar racers I spoke with (and rode with!) at last weekend’s Bonneville Vintage GP and Concours.

Wade Boyd and Christine Blunck are the points leaders for both driver and passenger as this racing season nears its end, and they were the ones I chanced to strike up conversation with as I sought to learn more about this sport. I also spoke with Rick Murray, the outgoing president of the Sidecar Racers Association-West.

Wade got into sidecar racing unexpectedly when he showed up at the Isle of Man TT one year expecting to race in three events. Finding that he had been shut out of two events, “I told my girlfriend to find me a sidecar.” He had never ridden a sidecar before but she found a driver in need of a passenger and he agreed to take Wade.

“I had a dynamite time, and then for four years it was like I had my thumb out. I’d go without having anything set and I’d find someone who needed a rider. Then I got to drive . . .”

Christine’s first involvement with racing was as an umbrella girl at various races, but she had a friend who ran a motorcycle shop, and who said of sidecar racing, “We could do that.”

That’s often how it happens, says Rick. “Quite often you have two friends or relatives who want to race together. We have many husband/wife, father/son, sister/sister teams. We have a fairly high percentage of women in the sport.”

Wade concurs, saying “Where else do you get to take a buddy for a ride?”

Wade is a steel fabricator by trade and he built his own rig for the most part, although “Mr. Bill” Becker of Becker Motor Works helped him out putting the motor in and with some of the other big stuff. Mr. Bill is known by all U.S. sidecar racers because he helps nearly all of them keep their rigs running.

That sort of helpfulness is characteristic of sidecar racing. “We’re competitive but friendly,” says Wade. “We want you out there and I want to pass you fair and square.”

It’s all about teamwork
The key to running a fast race is the teamwork. Each team pre-rides the track and then maps out their strategy for each turn on the course. On most turns the passenger will hang their weight out to enable fast turns without the third wheel rising off the pavement, or floating. That loss of traction cuts speed. However, in some instances, “letting the chair float” allows the rig to cut the corner sharper in order to get up speed in a hurry for the straightaway.

The passenger needs to know his or her position on each turn and the driver needs to be aware of the passenger’s location. On occasion the driver will look back but usually, “I feel her, the ESP is strong,” says Wade.

The passenger also needs to make their moves smoothly and gracefully. Harsh, forceful moves from one position to another will negatively affect the handling of the rig. Wade calls this coordinated, smooth movement “high-speed ballet.”

Despite the seemingly dangerous risks the passengers take, leaning far out of the rig just inches above the ground, sidecar racing in the U.S. is actually very safe. By comparison, Wade says, at the Isle of Man TT “they put a bale of hay in front of a telephone pole. After doing the TT, this (the track at Miller Motorsports Park) is easy. We rarely touch, but if you do touch you’re probably going to spin out, and if you spin out the passenger can get launched.”

According to Rick, the last sidecar racing fatality in the U.S. occurred in the 1980s, and there have been only three fatalities since the 1960s.

Passengers do sometimes get “spit off.” Christine’s most memorable such occasion came in Ramsey, on the Isle of Man when her driver clipped a curb in an S-curve. “It spit me off and I flipped through the air and landed upright on my feet in some gentleman’s front yard. I said ‘Hi’ and introduced myself.” She adds that there are times when the passenger wishes he or she was a monkey, and had that tail as a fifth hand to hang on with.

Sidecar racing is an inexpensive way to race, Rick notes, because you split the cost two ways. Plus, using wide, slick tires, as modern sidecars do, the costs are low because a set of tires will last one to two years. And most racers run stock engines so reliability is very high.

Still, there aren’t that many sidecar racers in the U.S., and they’d love to see that change. That’s one reason Rick and others love to offer “taxi rides” to spectators when they can. These taxi rides let non-racers suit up and take two laps around the track with an experienced driver at the controls.

“I tell people you’ll love it or hate it,” says Rick. “I’ve never seen anybody go half way. They’re either ‘Get me off’ or ‘Where can I buy one?'”

And if you do love it, says Rick, “You can spend $4,000 to $5,000 and have something to have fun with.”

Biker Quote for Today

Sometimes your knight in shining armor turns out to be a biker in dirty leathers.

You can tell I’m not getting in a lot of riding because if I was I’d have all sorts of new stories to tell. Almost every ride sparks some idea for a story to tell, but it can get to be slim pickings this time of year. But there’s always little stuff.

For instance, Alan passed along to me awhile ago a thing about a new kind of motorcycle helmet with what they call a heads-up display that shows what is behind you as you look ahead plus a whole lot more. The brand is Skully, and the display also responds to voice commands to play music, take phone calls, guide you with GPS, and maybe something else I’ve forgotten. Potentially very cool. I’d sure like to try one out.

Well, this thing Alan forwarded to me was a link to put your name in the pot to get a chance to demo one. So we both did.

And what do you suppose came of that? Both of us got emails thanking us for asking to demo and telling us that what they really want us to do is go to their Facebook page and like them and then give them as much promotion through social media as we can. Then they’ll look at who has done the best job of promoting them and those will be the folks who get to demo a helmet.

OK. So I’m giving them a little publicity here but I’m not jumping through all those hoops. Guess I won’t be on the demo list. I’d still really like to try one of those things, though. Maybe in a few years all helmets with come with that stuff.

Another thing Alan sent me (Alan sends me a lot of stuff) is about another movie that’s supposed to be coming out soon. By now probably everyone has heard about “Why We Ride,” but now there’s another on the horizon.

Called “Out of Nothing,” this is a film about four guys who live to race on the salt flats. That link goes to a trailer on YouTube and it looks pretty interesting.

I was all set to go out and spend a week on the salt a couple years ago, crewing for Jerry Pokorny, until I discovered the day before he was leaving that the week I thought this was happening was not the actual week. And my wife and I had vacation plans for that week. Big surprise, I chose my wife over Jerry, so I’ve never been to Speed Week. But I get the impression that after watching this movie you’ll have a lot better idea of what it’s like. I know Jerry’s stories are pretty fascinating.

So how come we’re getting motorcycle movies in a bunch all of a sudden? Things come in threes; is there a third one out there we’re going to be hearing about soon.

Finally, it may not be the heart of motorcycling season right now but that doesn’t stop the Motorcycle Travel Network. We’re having our first guests of the year this weekend, Robin and Glenda from Lawrence, Kansas. They’re coming in for the Motorcycle Show and Swap and they’ll be here for two nights. We haven’t hosted MTN people yet who we didn’t enjoy meeting and getting acquainted with. And more importantly, we have had some guests we had a fabulous time with, and we’ve spent nights with members in their homes and had great times, too. If you travel and you like meeting new people who share your passion, the Motorcycle Travel Network is definitely worth checking out.

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Biker Quote for Today

It’s all about motor bikes, always has been, always will be.

The following is a guest post from Simone.

If you can’t get enough speed on your motorcycle, than competition motorcycle racing could be for you. Live through professional riders! Luckily enough, there are a bunch of different racing styles and types to choose. From motocross to endurance to hare scrambles and more, there is bound to be something to fit your racing preference. Additionally, there exist a variety of rider associations that present yearly racing series and other events geared to the adventure-seekers and spectators just like you. Below are some of the featured annual competitions and races that, if you want to live through a motorcycle racer, you’ve simply got to check out! Maybe you’ll even try out yourself. But whatever you do, make sure to do your homework and stay in your appropriate racing class.

US Grand Prix National Championship Series – This sportbike racing competition is unique because it’s really two racing series in one. Comprised of the 125 Grand Prix National and 250 Grand Prix National Championships features extended length grand prix racing with timed qualifying. Riders in the USGPRU series compete for regional championships in the Eastern and Western regions across North America and the points earned there are carried over to the US National Championship. Additionally, this series splits its riders up so older racers (over 30) can compete against each other while the young-guns are left to compete with each other.

The East Coast Enduro Association has been a proud sponsor of endure and hare scrambles for upwards of forty-five years. Featuring courses in the beautiful mountains of Pennsylvania, the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, and the surrounding areas, riders compete in different series to earn points towards the championship. Enduro racing is said to be one of the ‘easiest’ kinds of racing to start with because it takes place on dirt and doesn’t necessarily reach the same top speeds as sportbike racing.

The Race of Champions, brought to you by the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) allows riders to compete on the famous Daytona International Speedway in a Team Challenge or separately in a winner-take-all championship sprint series. Open to any rider over the age of 16, this race is a great fall-time fixture in the lives of many sportbike racers for nearly thirty years.

Next comes the Action Sports Grand Prix Series at the Action Sports Moto Park in Ohio. This series is different because not only does it include off-highway motorcycle racing, it also includes ATV racing series and harescrambles. In order to be awarded the #1 plate, riders must earn the greatest amount of points in each class. These series points from the 8 AMA-sanctioned Grand Prix events will determine each class champion. In addition to holding the 8 events there are also 2 motocross practice days worked into the schedule.

We’re just scratching the surface of all the different types and series of motorcycle racing. Check out these events and start your own research of great competitions. And maybe get out there and compete in your first race as well!

Author bio: Simone is a writer for Competition Accessories, a leading online retailer of motorcycle apparel and more. Simone takes pride in her gear and loves taking twilight rides and discovering new locations.

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Biker Quote for Today

A biker without full-face protection should only ride as fast as the slowest hornet. — MediaWeasel

I spoke with Craig Vetter last week, working on an article that I hope I’m not too late getting to Rider magazine. Vetter, as you probably know, is the designer of the Windjammer fairing and a lot of other things, and these days he’s really focused on fuel efficiency.

Vetter has worked out the design for what he calls The Last Vetter Fairing, which is body work that creates a streamlined motorcycle with upright seating and room to carry four bags of groceries.

He told me that in a recent test ride, with two identical motorcycles, one streamlined, the one that was streamlined got double the gas mileage of the stock bike. But he also talked about the power you need to push a bike down the road at 70 mph, and that comes out somewhere in the 20-25 horsepower range.

And here’s the kicker. If you’ve got too much power you’re not going to see any major miles per gallon increase with streamlining, he said, because all that power eats up too much gas.

“What you would notice is you could go probably 200 miles an hour. But where is it legal to go 200 miles an hour?”

I get the point but it still kind of tickles my fancy to think of my Concours going that fast. “I hit 189 miles an hour but the dang thing only gave me 68 miles to the gallon! What a gas hog!”

So anyway, it was a really good conversation and I couldn’t begin to use all the interesting stuff in that one short article for Rider so all the extra will make for some good blog posts here. Stay tuned.

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Biker Quote for Today

I wanna ride this road!

I went to my ABATE meeting yesterday (yes, of course I rode one of the bikes) and among other things got an update on the odds I’m facing winning this KLR650 that I’ve spoken of before.

A recap: This is a new bike ABATE is raffling off, $10 per ticket, with a maximum of 2,500 tickets to be sold. The drawing is on June 15. I’ve bought three tickets. As of Sunday there were still only 641 ticket sold. That means I now have 1 chance in about 204 of winning. Try those odds on PowerBall.

So I’ve been figuring all along that of course I’ll win, but now that I’ve bought this V-Strom I figure it’s cinched. You know, what’s the best way to find something you’ve misplaced? Buy a new one. The old one immediately shows up. I wanted a dual-sport bike. I bought one. Now I’m sure to win another, right? Only about 20 days till I graciously accept that key. Geez, then where am I going to park a fourth bike?

I’m glad to see that number at 641. That means they’ve pretty much gotten the bike paid for. I’d like to see the group–us, my group–actually make money but at the very least it’s good not to lose money.

ABATE and MRA

I learned something else at the meeting that was pleasing. ABATE and the Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA), the local group that puts on racing at several tracks around the Front Range, have a very cooperative relationship. And the newest thing to come out of this relationship is that any ABATE member who shows up at the races can get in free by showing their ABATE membership card. Nice!

I’m not a huge race fan but I do generally get out to the races once or twice a season. Now I don’t have to pay the gate fee. It’s just $10, but until I took this regular job with the National Park Service I was scraping by for several years and that $10 was not of no consequence. Of course, now that I don’t have to pay it I’m in a place where I could easily pay it. But maybe there are others out there who are still scraping by and for them this could be a good thing.

Either way, it shows the good, mutually supportive relationship between the two organizations. And let me tell you, this is not the way it is in other states. In most other states the sportbike crowd despises ABATE. This good relationship is unique to Colorado. I’m pleased that I had a hand in making that happen, but I’m not going to rehash that story here. Maybe another time soon if you’re interested.

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Biker Quote for Today

Across the country on the kindness of strangers and the strangeness of friends (and a DR650).

Have you ever whined that you’d really like to see how fast your bike can go but you don’t want to risk the ticket? Stop your whining, here’s your chance.

Erico Motorsports just announced that they are sponsoring two track days at High Plains Raceway, out east near Byers. The dates are June 4 and August 6.

The charge to just go out on the track is $250. For an extra Benjamin Erico offers “a ton of coaching from Team Erico to include classroom time. Yeah, we’re not pros but I’ll bet we can get you going much faster, staying much safer, and having a blast riding your bike how it was intended.”

Of course, you’ve got to have all the gear, and you need to drain your coolant and replace it with water. They’ll be serving breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and the track will be ready to at 8:30.

If you’re interested, you’ll need to contact John at john@ericomotorsports.com. He’s also there to answer any questions you might have and provide complete information.

I did a track day once and I have to tell you, it was humbling. There were the folks who knew they belonged in the beginner group and then some of us who couldn’t conceive that we should be in that lowly position. I went out with the mid-level group and promptly found myself the slowest guy on the track, by a long shot. But I had fun and maybe I learned enough to get at least a bit better. It definitely made me a lot more respectful of the skill those guys have who go really, really fast.

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Biker Quote for Today

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness has never owned a sportbike.