Passes & Canyons Blog

You can see how, if he had hit me a little further to the front I could have been badly hurt.

My Hyundai Elantra got totaled on Thursday, in a crash that I could have avoided if I had been driving more defensively. After all the busyness was settled I texted the guys just to give them a heads-up and Bill summed it up best: Good thing you weren’t on a motorcycle.

We know as motorcyclists that we have to be on alert all the time. All the time. And just maybe if I had been on a bike I would have seen this red-light runner coming and I would have stayed where I was until he blasted on through. Or maybe on a bike I could have cranked the throttle and gotten clear of him. But I think of myself as a seriously defensive driver/rider and this time I let myself down.

I was coming home from the grocery store and stopped at the red light on Tamarac. It turned green for me and I pulled out. An instant later I saw to my left a car coming on fast and I though “holy crap, is he going to hit me!?” He did. My first thought was of how unloud it all was, just a muffled thump rather than the sounds of shattering metal and glass. My next thought, once my car came to a stop on the other side of Tamarac, now facing in the direction I just came from, was “I am totally uninjured.”

We both got out and talked and there was no anger or recriminations on either side. I think both of us looked at it that there were zero injuries and despite everything else this was soon to lead to, all of that was seriously secondary compared to the fact that no one got hurt.

Of course, by “no one” we’re really talking me. He was never going to get hurt no matter what. His air bag deployed and that was that. But if he had hit me just a few feet further to the front of my car I could well have been on my way to the hospital or possibly the morgue.

Now, with the Colorado legislature back in session there will once again be a distracted driving bill introduced. We really need to get this passed. The first thing this guy told me was that he had no idea at all what happened. I take that to mean that he was distracted, either looking at his cell phone or doing who knows what, but he was not paying attention to driving. And you know the biggest probability was that he was looking at his phone.

Fortunately, he acknowledged to the police officer that he ran the red light. If he had claimed he did not it could have gotten messier. However, a fellow coming down Tamarac a couple blocks behind him stopped and told us he had caught it all on his dash camera and we gave him our email addresses and he sent the video to us. Watching the video he was far enough away that you can’t see much except the crash itself but then as he continues toward us, about three seconds after the crash, you can clearly see the lights for southbound Tamarac turn green. Which is to say, they were not green at the time he entered the intersection and smashed into me.

What all of this boils down to is that, especially when you’re on your motorcycle, but really, at all times, you have just got to drive or ride defensively. My friend Jungle always says that if you get in a crash it doesn’t matter what the other guy did, you were at fault because you should have been paying attention and done something to avoid it. And I could have, and I would have if I had not let my guard down this one time. One time is all it takes.

Biker Quote for Today

Do not base your safety on sheer luck.

Outside of Oatman–watch out, donkeys on the road ahead.

It’s been a long time since I’ve tapped into this thread of what is the strangest thing you ever hit–or missed–on your motorcycle. The amazing thing is how there is always something new that is unlike any previous incident.

• Me and my wife on her first long distance tour. We are from Michigan and were somewhere in N.C. The day turned into an all day rain. Got on xway to get to motel. Merged behind an open bed pickup with a new refrigerator in the back, still in manufacture cardboard box. As soon as we merged in behind it my “that’s not good” hairs started to raise. I merged to the left. Before wife could the wind opened up the rain soaked cardboard and it was flying through the air like a blanket about to encapsulate the wife at 65 mph. She dodged it or it dodged her but what an unexpected event.
• There has been a large ratchet strap, the kind used on semi flat bed trailers, on the morning commute side of the freeway. Been there for the past week. I spotted it the first morning in my lane, and was able to dodge it, and each morning since, it has been migrating a few yards down the freeway, and one lane over to one side or the other. I’ve been mindful to watch for it, but have been thinking of how many cars have hit this stupid thing.
• I hit a 4×4 post that was ejected from a pickup…in a turn at 70mph on I-610 in Houston. I gassed it and yanked the bars, and after shifting over a lane that old Norton went right back on line.
• Strangest thing, a whole pickup truck bed filled with scrap metal, slid right off the frame of the truck….
• Rotor wash from an H-53 helicopter. I used to teach MSF at NAS Alameda, and our training range was right next to the flight line of a helo squadron. I was demonstrating an exercise on my K100RS when an H-53 came in over the lagoon and turned right over our range before landing. The rotor wash hit me broadside and knocked me right off the bike. All I could do was laugh. Who gets knocked off a motorcycle by a helicopter?
• While riding on US-395 near Mammoth late at night, a large jackrabbit appeared in my headlight. I executed a perfect swerve to avoid the rabbit, and just as I passed it an owl bounced off my knee armor. So I think technically I saved that rabbit’s life twice.
• I was at a stop light on a road perpendicular to the intracoastal waterway in FL when a fairly large Mullet (pound or 2?) bounced off my helmet, glanced off my tank, and then began flopping around on the ground next to me. I pulled over, grabbed the fish, ran across the street, and two hand lobbed it into the water. As best I could tell, it survived the ordeal. The look on the faces of the cagers stopped at the light watching a guy in a helmet and leather moto jacket running by with a live fish was priceless. About the only one not entertained by the whole thing, was an osprey (with a bigger appetite than talons apparently) sitting on the billboard next to my still running bike.

OK. I’ve never encountered any of those on my rides. That’s fine with me. Be careful out there.

Biker Quote for Today

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

You can see how Bill doesn’t exactly stand out from the background in this picture.

A little over a year ago Dennis traded in his Indian and got a BMW that he had long wanted but finally found lowered enough so he could ride it. Dennis is kind of short. One of the benefits of buying used is you get all the extras already in place as part of the package. One of the extras on this particular bike is really powerful lights that do one heck of a lot to make you visible.

On this recent OFMC trip I was in the lead most of the time and when Bill was second and Dennis third I never had any trouble checking my mirror to make sure they were behind me. One quick glance showed Dennis’s lights blazing like the sun. I think these things could be seen from outer space.

When Bill was in the rear it was a different matter. I’d glance back and see Dennis instantly but I would have to search to be sure Bill was visible behind him. Not a big deal, especially considering that I assumed Dennis was keeping his eye on Bill, but the difference between the two could not be more extreme.

Bill, on the other hand, appears to have a very weak headlight on his Harley. Or maybe it’s pointed more toward the ground so it’s not as visible further ahead. I really don’t know about that. But I do know Bill does not stand out against the background and I had to search for him.

On one day, however, Bill had a close call. We were in Idaho heading south from having crossed Lolo Pass and Bill was in the middle. A pick-up heading the other way did the usual thing, turning left right in front of him. Everything worked out fine but that got me to thinking.

I wonder if the driver saw Dennis’s lights (of course he did see them!) but failed to notice, closer to him, this much dimmer figure that was Bill. In that case you could make the argument that Dennis’s lights, which make him unmissable, render others (Bill) less visible. That could be a real safety issue.

What it definitely points out is that Bill really needs more lights on his bike. He just fades too readily into the background. Plus, his bike is black and he wears a black leather jacket and his helmet is black. Not exactly conspicuous.

I know I don’t necessarily stand out all that well either, and Roy had mentioned that to me more than once. He has urged me to get an orange vest to wear over my jacket as many riders do. I probably will at some point when I’m in a store and think about it.

Meanwhile, I need to bring this up with Bill. I’m sure he has no idea how low his visibility is. But knowing Bill I really don’t expect him to do much about it. Maybe he’ll surprise me.

Biker Quote for Today

My bike is more demanding than my lover, she wants me to ride her every day.

The EagleRider tour stopped at Marin Headlands on the last day of the ride.

I got a reminder on this recent RMMRC New Mexico ride of the differences in how Europeans ride vs. Americans. Alberto, who I guess I haven’t mentioned before, is Italian. He connected with the RMMRC for this trip because someone posted the ride on the BMW riders club‘s events listing. Welcome Alberto.

I rode with a bunch or Europeans way back in 2010 on a media tour hosted by EagleRider. There were French, Italians, Brits, Canadians, and even a few of us from the U.S. And it turns out that accepted protocol varies from one country to another.

Alberto reminded me of all this by the way he rode so close behind the leader whenever he was riding second. That is to say, he didn’t ride so close when he was further back. My interpretation was that when he had people in front of him riding at a decent gap he fell into the same pattern, but when the only one in front of him was the leader he was always right behind the leader.

For most people in this country–certainly for me–that’s a no-no. I don’t want somebody crowding me like that.

But here’s the thing: For the most part, those guys are much better riders than 90 percent of American riders. Their training and licensing rules are vastly stricter than what we have here. In short, they ride close together because they know the other people around them, in cars and on motorcycles, are highly trained and skilled and they can all do this together safely. Say that about Americans and you’ll get laughed out of the room.

I remember on that EagleRider tour being really annoyed by how these guys would be right on my butt, and some of the others were also not pleased. But for them it was perfectly normal. I mean, I consider myself a pretty darn good rider but I would not be at all comfortable going 130 on the Autobahn. That’s what these guys do–safely.

Could we have stricter training and licensing regulations–and safer roads? Probably not a chance. Over there driving is defined as a privilege, one you have to earn. Over here it is deemed a right and don’t you dare try to impinge on my rights. And yes, that includes my right to talk on my cell phone while I’m driving in heavy traffic. (Not!)

But even if you really are that skilled, I’d appreciate it if you would give me a bit more space. It’s just what my comfort level desires.

Biker Quote for Today

Riding a motorcycle is like an art–something you do because you feel something inside.

Riding Cottonwood Pass.

The Denver Post, as the media tend to do, had an article the other day that focused on a real issue but made its central thesis something that is very secondary. Specifically, in an article “Deadly crashes hit all-time high in 2022,” they wrote about exactly what the headline implies. And good for them on that.

But, no surprise to us, after stating the facts of the matter the article veered off into how many of those who died were wearing helmets and why wearing a helmet is so important. I don’t dispute that helmets make a difference. But it was not until the very last paragraph in the article that they said, rather blandly, “Other drivers also need to use caution around motorcycles, particularly around
intersections where passenger vehicles often fail to see oncoming motorcycles.”

Oh really? Maybe that should have been the second paragraph in the piece. Yes there were way too many deaths in Colorado last year and I’m willing to bet that most of them were not the fault of the rider who died. Who among us has not narrowly avoided a similar fate more than once?

So I did what I do, I wrote a letter to the editor. I have a pretty good track record on getting my letters published, but at this moment I haven’t heard back from the Post on it so who knows if this one will be. Here’s what I said.

In regard to your article, “Deadly crashes hit all-time high in 2022,” on May 18, as a motorcyclist I support wearing helmets but I object to your focus on helmets related to fatalities. It’s OK to mention that “Of the 2022 fatalities, more than half of the motorcyclists were not wearing helmets, and nationwide, DOT-compliant helmet use decreased by 4% from 2020 to 2021.” But to then go on another two paragraphs about why helmets are good, then do a couple paragraphs about why rider training is good, and then finally, in the last paragraph in the article, point out that other drivers need to be cautious of motorcycles is seriously disingenuous.

If you look at the statistics on motorcycle fatalities you will see that an extremely high percentage of them are caused by other motorists violating the rider’s right-of-way. That is to say, the motorist caused the crash. How about putting that front and center?

And finally, something under half of those killed were wearing helmets. Safer crashes are not the answer; fewer crashes are the very safest thing. Don’t drink and drive–or ride–and put down your phone. That will save lives.

I know I’m preaching to the choir here but maybe somebody, if the letter gets published, will stop and think one time and it just might make a difference.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 13. The neighbors will come over to complain.

Motorcyclists lane split in Bangkok, Thailand. Lane splitting is common practice in much of Asia and Europe. (Roland Dobbins via Wikimedia Commons)

While I don’t think anybody expects the lane splitting/filtering proposal currently in the Colorado legislature to pass, at least not this session, there continues to be discussion within the biker community of the issue. Here’s some of what is being said.

Not surprisingly, Stump, ABATE of Colorado’s legislative liaison, has been talking with legislators and others. This is from Stump:

One main concern is lane splitting with traffic moving at 40 mph. The sponsor’s main premise for lane splitting is that motorcyclists stuck in stop-and-go traffic when it’s 90+ degrees out, sitting on top of an engine making it a lot hotter, with an air cooled engine that isn’t getting any air, is both dangerous for the motorcyclist and bad for the motorcycle. But if traffic is moving at 40 mph, isn’t the rider and motorcycle getting air? I’m thinking it should be more like Utah and Arizona where traffic has to be stopped or at most traveling at 10 mph.

Another concern is that the bill specifies CSP and CDOT do the study. How about involving stakeholders such as motorcycle organizations, insurance companies, the trucking industry, and manufacturers. Virginia’s Lane filtering study invited 22 different organizations to participate and got a lot more pertinent data.

Also, the sponsor hasn’t explained the difference between lane splitting and filtering, which is something the legislators should know. Lane splitting is done primarily on freeways and filtering is done mainly on urban streets with speeds posted at less than 45 mph, filtering to the front of stopped traffic at traffic lights.

At my meeting with the bill sponsor this week, he informed me that these issues are going to be addressed. I don’t know if he plans to introduce an amendment about these concerns or just discuss them at 2nd reading. So, I’ve been addressing these concerns with 4 of my “friendly” legislators ensuring that these issues are addressed at 2nd reading, either with amendments or at least meaningful discussions.

Stump also sent around a photo with the the message, “Is this what Colorado is going to look like if lane splitting passes? (Note all the helmets too!)” That would be the photo above. And no, I seriously doubt this is what Colorado would look like. There are just a heck of a lot more motorcycle riders in Thailand than there will probably ever be here.

Deb had this to say:

Thanks for the update, Stump. Now I wonder if any/all of you saw the 9news report on this bill. The video shows a bike splitting between two cars on the highway while doing a wheelie.

Here’s the link to the video that showed yesterday. The part with the wheelie is about 1:57 in. Study may allow motorcycles to split lanes | 9news.com The reporter also made a short comment on the wheelie. The video this morning ran the part with the wheelie twice.

The segment really seems mostly pretty fair but the inclusion of that lane-splitter wheelying his way through traffic is very much over the top and does not strike me as a good journalistic thing to do. And guaranteed to make the general public strongly object to allowing this change.

So anyway, the thing is just hanging at this point. I’ll do an update when there is actual news.

Biker Quote for Today

Put vibrations in your life, marry a motorcycle rider.

Filtering and lane-splitting are legal and widely practiced in Paris. Are we just not as good riders here as they are over there? I say we are and we can do this safely here just as they do there.

A bill calling for the Colorado Department of Transportation, in collaboration with the Colorado State Patrol, to study the concept of allowing lane-splitting has been introduced in the Colorado House (HOUSE BILL 23-1059).

Rep. Ron Weinberg, of Fort Collins, is the bill’s sponsor. The summary of the bill reads as follows:

Under current law, the driver of a motorcycle is prohibited from overtaking or passing a motor vehicle by driving in the same lane as the motor vehicle or between rows of motor vehicles, a practice known as “lane splitting.”
The bill requires the Colorado department of transportation, in collaboration with the Colorado state patrol, to conduct a feasibility study
of permitting motorcycle lane splitting and report the results of the study to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 31, 2023.

As yet there are no co-sponsors in the House and no one in the Senate has signed on to back it. It may go absolutely nowhere.

I don’t know about other motorcyclists and other motorcyclist organizations, but the thinking within ABATE of Colorado is decidedly mixed. ABATE’s legislative liaison, Stump, sent an email alerting us all to this bill and asking for our thoughts. I immediately replied that I back it strongly.

Running through responses that were sent “Reply All” we first had Larry saying “I do not like at all.”

Next, from Jim, was “This is a huge step toward eventually getting a bill to allow some form of lane filtering/splitting on Interstate highways in Colorado. Big thanks should go to Rep. Weinberg!!!”

Then, kind of in the middle but leaning against, was Mike: “I see nothing but bad PR for motorcyclist with the general driving population, because of the motorcyclist who abuse the privilege by not following the guide lines that allow them to perform lane splitting or filtering in a safe way. All motorcyclist represent all of us that ride, that is what has created profiling, because the general public lump us all together by the way we dress, the colors and patches we wear and the way we ride? I would love the opportunity to use lane splitting and or filtering, I just would not like the negative attitude toward motorcyclist that would be created by the abuse of the privilege.”

Dave entered the conversation pointing out that, “it’s a Study – no more than that at this point in time. This was going to come up in Colorado eventually and has been mentioned often over some years now; several other states have adopted lane splitting/filtering and more are likely considering it – it’s the trend. I suggest that ABATE not offer a formal position – pro or con – except to agree in principle to the study, state this organization’s concern for rider safety in the traffic patterns (keeping with our mission statement), and review/input on the study upon its’ completion. The State Patrol is likely to solicit ABATE’s point-of-view on the matter along the way, and should.”

There was more but you get the picture. But, as Dave said, it’s a study. So I agree, let’s at least have the study conducted. Then, as far as I’m concerned, I would be in favor of allowing lane-splitting or filtering. Riders who consider it too dangerous just don’t have to do it. But let those of us who are more comfortable with it do it. In ABATE especially we talk a lot about freedom to choose, in relation to wearing or not wearing a helmet. Well, how is this any different?

I don’t know about you but I’ve been in several countries in Europe where lane-splitting is absolutely the norm and you know what? It’s not mass slaughter on the roads. People do it all the time and everyone gets along fine. Sure there would be a period of adjustment while everyone in cars and on bikes gets familiar with it but then, just like so many other places in the world, it would become normal.

Biker Quote for Today

You will never suffer a punctured tire on the road until you leave the repair kit at home.

If I had followed my ex-boss’s recommendation I would have missed out on this glorious day–and a whole lot of others.

In a much earlier lifetime I was a newspaper editor and I reported directly to the publisher, in this case, Vi June. Vi and I got along extremely well . . . until we didn’t. I’m not going to go into all the details but suffice it to say, she gave me an order I felt was unacceptable and I quit.

During the surprisingly (to me) long period it took me to find a new job I had a very rough go of it. My spirits were as low as they have ever been but in the midst of it all I made a bold move. I borrowed money from my parents (I sure didn’t have any money myself at that point) and bought my first motorcycle, my 1980 Honda CB750 Custom. Talk about a boost to my spirits!

At some point I concluded it would perhaps be helpful if I could show prospective employers a letter of recommendation from Vi, plus I wanted to ask her some questions about the issue that led to my resignation. We agreed to meet for lunch. Her answers to my questions were totally unsatisfactory and while she did agree to give me a letter of recommendation, when it arrived it appeared she had typed it out herself (yes, on a typewriter–this was a few years ago) and it had errors of spelling and a weird spot in the middle of a line of text where the text dropped down about one half a line below the rest of the text in that line. In short it was not at all something I would consider showing to a prospective employer.

During our lunch we talked about other things and one thing I mentioned to her was that I had bought a motorcycle. She shuddered and told me that they were wicked, nasty, dangerous things, and that she called them “murdercycles.” Needless to say, I was not moved. My motorcycle riding career was in its barest infancy and I’ve done one heck of a lot of riding since then. And you know what? I’m still alive and healthy. Meanwhile, she’s dead at this point.

This all came back to me recently when I saw an article about how the number of organ donors rises during motorcycle rallies. Yeah, we’ve all heard the “joke” about how the other name for motorcyclist is organ donor. In this one article (there are several out there), titled “Study Finds That Number Of Organ Donors Rises 21% During Motorcycle Rallies,” contained these statements:

“Because the timing of these rallies is plausibly unrelated to demand for organs and because we found no such effect for non-motor vehicle-related donor deaths, our findings are likely due to an increase in motorcycle use in areas where large rallies are held,” wrote the study’s authors in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The researchers looked at data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients from 2005 to 2021. They focused on areas where the following seven motorcycle rallies were held: Atlantic Beach Bikefest in South Carolina, the Bikes, Blues & BBQ in Arkansas, Daytona Bike Week in Florida, Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire, Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally in South Carolina, the Republic of Texas Biker Rally in Austin, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota.

“These findings are not surprising given the high mortality associated with motorcycle accidents,” the authors wrote. “The findings of [this study] provide a reminder to practice safety while practicing high-risk activities and to consider opting-in to become an organ donor to help save lives.”

I’m in no position to question the data used here, or the conclusion. I guess it’s a reasonably logical action and reaction. But you and I don’t need to contribute to these statistics. We know what it takes: Ride like your life depended on it. Ride like you’re invisible. Don’t drink and ride. I for one look forward to having as many more years than Vi June did as I possibly can. And I plan to be riding in every one of them.

Biker Quote for Today

Keep bikers safe. Don’t show your boobs till we have come to a complete stop.