Archive for the ‘motorcycle touring’ Category

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Riding Opportunities This Summer With RMMRC

Thursday, May 10th, 2018
motorcycles on highway

Oh, how I want to be on the road again.

I’m still not riding yet, due to my surgery, but that doesn’t mean you can’t. And if you lack people to ride with I definitely recommend the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club (RMMRC) because this very active group has a lot of fun and interesting rides planned.

The riding season starts early with this group so there are several trips that have already happened. Let’s go through what’s coming up.

The big trip this year is the Northwest Passage Tour, June 2-16, approximately 4,700 miles: We will be riding from Denver north through Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta then to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and back into Colorado.

Flaming Gorge Camping Weekend, June 22-24.

Full Mountain Loop, June 30, approximately 285 miles and four mountain passes (Berthod, Gore, Vail, and Loveland).

Taylor Canyon Camping Ride, July 6-8.

Autumn Southwest Ruins Ride, October 6-11: This 6 day fall colors ride will take us through the central and southern Rockies to the SW canyons, south into New Mexico’s Rio Grande Rift valley, around the Valles Caldera, and northwest to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

There are other events planned, too, as well as spur-of-the-moment impromptu rides you can ask to be notified of as they happen. One of these days you’re going to see me on one of these but that’s still a ways in the future. I’m getting to the frustration point where I feel absolutely fine but any strenuous activity at all reminds me big time that I’m still in recovery. Heart surgery will do that to you.

Biker Quote for Today

Leave it all behind and just ride.

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Recovery To Ride And ‘Two Wheels Through Terror’

Thursday, May 3rd, 2018

I was still in the hospital after my heart surgery and Bill came to see me. He figured I had a lot of time to read and brought me a copy of Two Wheels Through Terror. This is a book that tells the 2001-2002 motorcycle journey of the author, Glen Heggstad, down through Central America and South America. The big problem was that in Colombia he was kidnapped by guerillas and held for a month.

book by Glen Heggstad

Two Wheels Through Terror

Bill was really wrong about me having a lot of time to read in the hospital because for the most part I didn’t have the strength and spent most of my time sleeping. But almost six weeks out of the hospital I have picked it up and started reading it. Oh my god, what a story! And this guy Heggstad is one tough guy.

During his month with the guerillas he was force-marched long distances over steep mountains while being almost starved to death. Then as part of his strategy to get released he took to starving himself deliberately, making the point to the bad guys that if they wanted any benefit from releasing this gringo they had better do so quickly while he was still alive.

He notes that, once safely with the Red Cross, he was brought a clean shirt. Normally he wears size XXL but this was a medium–and it fit perfectly. The guy went through some serious abuse.

Anyway, it really came home to me after he was released. Most people would have given up the trip and immediately flown home but Glen was determined to keep going, even though he needed a new motorcycle and all new gear. But first he had to recover. He had to battle back to the bike. Oh yeah, I can identify with this!

Here are a few of the things he said about his condition:

So physically weakened, it would take nearly a week just to be able to walk a city block without passing out, and several more just to build up the strength to balance a motorcycle.

Oh, yeah, I know. I was two weeks after surgery before I could go out and walk part of the way up the block and back.

Add to that, time with the ELN has left me weakened mentally and physically. After a brief trip to a local gym, I found myself too weak to bench-press an empty bar.

The good thing for me is that all along I have had the total support and never-fading smile of my saintly wife, Judy. Glen had guerillas deliberately trying to break him mentally. But that bit about pressing the empty bar: I started out doing curls with one-pound weights and was tired after a set with those.

The long miserable wait has ended. After pumping up the tires, I blast down the road for a two-hour, get-to-know-my-new-friend ride into the countryside, complete with rain in the darkness on the way back. Yet even the foul weather is a welcome relief as I’m just happy to be back in the wind under any circumstance. It’s as though life flows back into me again, while the excitement of being on the road permeates my being.

OK, this is what I’m still waiting for. It’ll be about another month.

Biker Quote for Today

Forget a knight in shining armor, I’ll take a biker in dirty leathers any day.

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Motorcycle Touring Without The Pack

Monday, February 5th, 2018

I always enjoy the annual OFMC weeklong trip with the guys but beyond that I am largely someone who likes traveling alone. I can go where I want, stop when I want, and ride just as much or just as little as I want.

AMA Grand Tours logo

The AMA Grand Tours logo.

So I’m the kind of guy who is particularly interested in something like the AMA Grand Tours program. As explained by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), “AMA Grand Tours, which allow riders to travel to destinations on their own schedule, are the perfect choice for motorcyclists who enjoy traveling solo or with a small group of family or friends. Participants document their visits to tour destinations with a photo or a stamp in a travel log. For 2018, the American Motorcyclist Association is highlighting six AMA Grand Tour events.”

I’ll present the list below but first I want to mention one in particular: the Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge.

This is one of those times when you really know that things do change over time. Holy smokes! The Hoka Hey is now an AMA-sanctioned event!? Wow.

A little history here. In its first year–and it was initially supposed to be a one-off event–this event met with a tidal wave of skepticism, cries of fraud, and just general doubt on the parts of many, many people, including some who participated. I don’t remember all the twists and turns at this point but if I recall correctly, the two guys who reached the finish line at the same time were disqualified and I don’t know if the $1 million prize (was that the amount?) was ever paid out. I mean, I guess it was, but there were people who disputed that, saying the “prize winner” was in cahoots with the promoter. I don’t claim to know.

This must have been about 10 years ago. And now here it is an AMA-sanctioned event. An understatement: I guess they got the kinks ironed out.

So what are these tours for 2018? Here’s the scoop, straight from the AMA.

2018 AMA Grand Tours Schedule
AMA District 2 Polar Bear Grand Tour: Jan. 7-Dec. 23
Residents in the Northeast can join riders starting in the winter season, when groups ride to points each Sunday in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut. Even though they start during winter, the rides continue throughout the year. The 2017-2018 tour marks the program’s 40th year.

Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge: July 13-Aug. 13
Starting in Medicine Park, Okla., this route continues for nearly 10,000 miles, entirely within the lower 48 states, before returning to Medicine Park for the finish. The tour traverses scenic byways and passes through several National Parks and Native American reservations.

SCMA USA Four Corners Tour: Jan. 15-Dec. 15
This AMA Grand Tour offers two USA Four Corner Tours: the “Regular” and the “True X.” The organizer provides a package containing the ride materials and reviews the completion of either ride when they receive the finisher’s package.

SCMA USA 15 Best Roads Tour: Jan. 15-Dec. 15
This challenge started in the spring of 2011 after the AMA published a “Best 15 Roads” article in American Motorcyclist. Two riders took the challenge that year: Kathy and Larry Lamarche from Canada. Since then, many riders have accomplished the feat. The list was updated in 2016 with three replacement roads and a route change to an existing road group unit.

SCMA California Adventure Series: Jan. 15-Dec. 15
The California Parks Adventure challenges riders to visit all the national parks in California. There are 25 national park sites, stretching from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma in San Diego to the Lava Beds and Redwoods in northern California. The 25th and newest park, Caesar Chavez National Monument, was created in October 2012. The challenge is to ride to each park within a calendar year and document the visit with a photograph and a stamp from the visitor center in the SCMA Passport.

For the California Missions Tour, riders add a photo of themselves at each location in their passport book, purchased from SCMA, detailing all 21 locations. Riders submit the completed passport and attend an annual awards banquet, where SCMA presents them with a California Missions pin and plaque.

Tour of Honor: April 1-Oct. 31
In this unique AMA Grand Tour, riders take any route they wish to stop at seven memorial sites in each state. Riders can visit as many selected memorials as they choose, meaning they can complete one state or several. After registering and receiving their rally flag, riders travel to the sites and photograph the flag, alongside their motorcycles, at the memorial. Visit any seven memorial sites to receive a finisher’s certificate.

I’m not sure at this moment but maybe I’ll discuss the several tours on this list that interest me.

Biker Quote for Today

Two wheels, one engine, zero limits.

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Eight Months Away But The OFMC 2018 Trip Is Set

Thursday, November 30th, 2017
motorcycles parked alongside the road.

On the road with the OFMC in 2008.

I did what I said, I just made the decisions for next year’s OFMC motorcycle trip and told the guys where we’re going. They think it’s a great plan. Fine.

And I think it’s going to be a good trip. We’ll be going some places the group has never gone before and with any luck we won’t roast in southern New Mexico in July. I suggested we move the date to a cooler time but nobody else agreed with me. Don’t complain if it gets hot, OK?

We’ll start out headed for Lake San Isabel. The lodge there has numerous cabins large enough to accommodate all of us so that will be an inexpensive night. And it’s a nice place.

Next day we’ll head on to Angel Fire, New Mexico. There are not a lot of options there so we’re pretty much stuck with the Lodge at Angel Fire.

Then on to Ruidoso, and this stop encompasses several things that are mandatory on any OFMC trip. We’ll stay at an Indian casino where there is gambling, we’ll stay two days and play golf one of those days, and it’s posh. I’m not into posh but the rest of the guys have gotten pretty snooty over the years and they like this kind of thing. I can live with it.

From there we go to Silver City and this is much more my style. We’ll be staying in one of the old, but nicely renovated, hotels downtown. Downtown Silver City is a lively, funky place with a lot of artist types. This will be nice.

Then there’s no really good option so I chose Gallup. When John and Bill and I stayed there one night many years ago, when it was just us three on the trip, we ended up in a totally skanky place because the only other options were mucho expensivo. Fortunately, over the years they have built several much nicer, run-of-the-mill chain motels so we can at least stay at a decent place without forking over our childrens’ inheritance.

Next will be Ouray. Ouray is my favorite small town in Colorado and somehow the group has never stayed there. I’m looking forward to that one. Of course, this is very near where John lives–John who is an original member of the OFMC but who has given up riding due to health reasons. So maybe John will drive on down and join us for a night.

From there we head home, going only as far as Buena Vista. Somehow we have never stayed in Buena Vista before, either, so this will be a first.

And then on home. And maybe for the 2018 trip I won’t be sick and end up cutting my ride short after the second night, the way I was forced to do this year. That was a total bummer. I’m looking for 2018 to be better–a lot better.

Biker Quote for Today

Some do drugs, some drink bottles; we solve our problems with wide open throttles.

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Biker Buddy Latest Sharing App For Bikers

Monday, October 30th, 2017
Biker Buddy website.

The Biker Buddy website.

Everyone is familiar with AirBnB, right? Well, how about something very similar aimed specifically at those of us who ride motorcycles? That’s Biker Buddy. And let me hasten to point out that the URL for this outfit is not “.com” but “.co.” (And just in case I need to be even clearer, that second period between the quote marks is not part of the quote or url, it is the end of the sentence. That’s the way we do it in the U.S., although the Brits put that period outside the quotes.)

I have written many times about the Motorcycle Travel Network and yes, Biker Buddy appears to be a direct competitor for them. The MTN is more casual and you pay less to stay with someone; Biker Buddy handles it all–including payment–via an app and the rate is higher. Specifically, for MTN you pay the host $15 for one person or $20 for two, with each additional person an added $10. With Biker Buddy the fee is $40. And that $40 is a fee, whereas with MTN the $15 or $20 is considered a gratuity to cover expenses.

Technically what that would mean is that if you had a lot of guests via Biker Buddy you would need to deal with the IRS. Presumably the MTN gratuity would not be taxable, although the IRS might differ with that interpretation.

Biker Buddy is so new that I certainly don’t have any experience to relate about it, though I have signed up. Looking at the app, so far I only see a few others signed up in this region, all in Wyoming: three in Casper, one in Newcastle, and two in Upton. Then I see one up in Dickinson, North Dakota, as well. Members also in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas; near Austin, Texas; and near Nashville, Tennessee. That appears to be everybody at this moment.

So what we’re talking here is another way to find an inexpensive place to stay when you’re on the road, with people who share an interest in bikes. We have never had a bad experience with the Motorcycle Travel Network. If you’ve ever used AirBnB you should definitely jump on Biker Buddy. But heck, you really should have been using MTN for years already. I’m going with both.

Biker Quote for Today

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know when to just go riding.

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Gerhard Was Our Latest MTN Visitor

Thursday, October 26th, 2017
Motorcycle Travel Network site.

I neglected to shoot a photo of Gerhard and his bike so I’m using this screenshot of the MTN site.

As I mentioned previously, we had another Motorcycle Travel Network visitor a couple days ago, Gerhard from Illinois. Once again we enjoyed meeting a fellow biker and were happy to have him stay with us.

Gerhard, who is 83 years old, is a serious rider. I’m not sure how many miles he has put on his bikes at this point but he told the story of renewing his driving license eight years ago. In Illinois you have to take and pass the riding portion of the motorcycle validation test. On his big BMW cruiser he was not able to navigate the cones and was afraid he would lose his accreditation. The tester, however, told him privately that he noticed his “400,000 miles” sticker on his bike and figured that if he has ridden 400,000 miles on a motorcycle and is still alive then he was not going to deny him a renewal on his license.

So that was eight years ago; I don’t know how many miles he has added since then.

It was interesting, too, because I know just what Gerhard was facing. When I first got my motorcycle accreditation on my driver’s license I had no choice but to take the test on my Honda 750. That’s a big bike to take the driving test on. I failed it the first time but passed it the second time by intuitively revving the engine, dragging the rear brake, and working the clutch to walk the bike slowly and deliberately around the cones.

I told Gerhard about this and said he could easily do the same and he surprised me saying that yes, I could do it because I’m an expert, but he is not an expert. He has ridden probably more than 500,000 miles on a motorcycles and he does not consider himself an expert? Really?

But then I think about the guys I ride with and I understand what he’s saying. Dennis is the one in our group who has ridden more than anyone. And yet I’ve seen in numerous instances a demonstration that Dennis does not understand this same simple procedure for controlling the bike at very slow speeds. I gave a demonstration once riding my bike in a U-turn on a narrow road and then watched as each of the other guys jockeyed their bikes back and forth making a series of Y’s to get turned around. Guys, did you not see what I just did? You really can do it if you try.

So Gerhard is no “expert” rider. Well, he certainly is a distance rider. He came here from Kanab, Utah, in one day–600 miles. And he left the next day headed for Lincoln, Nebraska. That’s a shorter distance, and one that I myself have ridden in a day a couple times, but still what I consider a long way. I’ve never ridden 600 miles in a day. And then Gerhard was planning to ride the rest of the way home, to Illinois the next day.

And remember, he’s 83. Good for you Gerhard, keep going as long as you can. I hope to do the same.

Biker Quote for Today

Imagine life without motorcycles. Now slap yourself and never do it again!

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