Runnin’ On Empty

September 5th, 2019
fuel gauge on V-Strom

You can see that flashing, hollow bar right in the center of this shot.

The benefit of being very familiar with your motorcycle is obvious. You know where everything is and you know what to expect. Still, there are some things that only come into play occasionally and so perhaps you’re not as familiar with them as you are with the bike in general.

I went for a ride yesterday with members of the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club (RMMRC) and this was one of those times.

I was on the V-Strom and unlike my other bikes, the V-Strom has a gas gauge and no reserve. Because this bike has a larger tank and gets better gas mileage than my friends’ bikes I generally find myself filling up before I would actually need to. I’ve never run out of gas on this bike. Which means that I have never found the true limit to how far it can go on a tank of gas.

Taking off yesterday I thought I had plenty of gas. The gauge is in bars; five bars is full. I didn’t look at it closely but was figuring just from how much I’d ridden it lately that I had four bars. It wasn’t until it was too late to do anything about it that I noticed I was at three bars. That made me a little uncomfortable but I still figured I had plenty.

Our route was to be out U.S. 285 up to Pine Junction, south to Deckers, and then back along the Platte, up by the Rampart Range, and down to Sedalia. Then home. Not that long a ride.

So there I was at three bars and to my dismay, I dropped to two bars right away. Oh gosh, I’ve got a whole lot less gas than I thought I did.

OK, now here’s what you need to understand about this gas gauge. The five bars do not represent equal amounts of gas. I generally will get 100 miles before the first bar disappears and I’m running on four bars. Then the next three go away fairly quickly and then the fifth bar is closer to the first in mileage. I was talking about it once to my friend, Kevin, who sold me the bike, and I can’t remember the figure he threw out but basically he said you have a whole lot of miles left when you go to one bar.

Another thing to understand is that switching between the odometer and the trip meter on this bike is a pain in the butt. And it’s one or the other, as opposed to my other bikes where you see both at the same time. So after riding this bike for more than six years I still don’t have a good feel for how many miles each bar represents.

Anyway, at two bars I was a bit concerned but not a lot. And then it went down to one bar really quickly. Uh oh, I don’t like this.

Now, what happens when you go to one bar is, I would guess, intended to make you nervous and persuade you to fill up as soon as you can. First a flashing gas pump icon appears next to that one bar but then you go a few miles further and the solid black bar changes to a hollow red flashing bar, as shown in the photo above. Now I’m really getting uncomfortable.

The saving grace in all this is my experience the first time this happened. I was out with the OFMC and we had spent the night in Meeker. I had arrived there via a different route than the other guys and unbeknownst to me, they had gassed up upon arriving in town. I had not. We headed out of town in the morning and as we neared Rangely I saw I was down to two bars. Just shy of town we turned south on CO 139 over Douglas Pass down to Loma. And very soon after that I went to one bar and it started flashing red. Oh crap.

It’s about 70 miles from Rangely to Loma with no gas in between. I sweated that ride. But I got there. So that told me I could get at least 70 miles on one bar. So there we were yesterday up in Deckers, and I knew it was less than 70 to home. But I was still nervous. Still, I was with other guys and I carry a siphon hose on each of my bikes so I figured I’d be fine.

We reached I-25 at Castle Pines Parkway and split up and then I only needed to go another 10-12 miles–with no ready assistance at hand. With each mile I felt more and more relaxed and rolled happily into our driveway. As I said, it’s really good to be familiar with your bike.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if you’ve spent more on your motorcycle than your education.

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Posted in Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Riders Club, V-Strom | No Comments »

I Give Up On ‘Mopeds’

September 2nd, 2019
newspaper article about "mopeds"

A perfect example of why this fight is hopeless, in Sunday’s Denver Post.

This battle has been lost. I’m throwing in the towel.

It doesn’t matter what the truth is, reality wins. And the reality this time around is that the ignorant general public has taken the word “moped,” which describes a power-assisted bicycle with pedals, and given that name to scooters, which have no pedals. The “ped” in “moped” is a direct reference to those pedals. Scooters do not have pedals.

It is the advent of these stand-up scooters from companies such as Lime that put the last nail in the moped coffin. Everywhere you go downtown you either see mostly young people zipping around on these rent-by-the-minute scooters or you see them parked awaiting the next rider to come unlock them using their smart phones. These things are also known as scooters, but there was never any confusion when the only scooters of this sort were ridden by young kids who made the things themselves.

Now that these stand-up scooters are everywhere the other scooters are known as mopeds. It avoids confusion. Never mind that they are not in fact mopeds.

You see it in the article pictured above. Just as the stand-up scooters have proliferated as short-term rentals, companies are now seeking to position “mopeds” in the same way. Do these companies know that what they’re marketing are really scooters? If they do, they don’t care. The public calls them mopeds so just go with the flow. I mean, heck, in South Carolina they actually use license plates for scooters that call them mopeds.

So what about actual mopeds? What are they called now? And that’s not merely an academic question because actual mopeds are now seeing a big resurgence in popularity. Well, they’re called power-assisted bicycles, as in the descriptive phrase I used above.

I’m very torn here. I worked for many years as a technical writer and my approach there was always to use the clearest, yet accurate, term available in order to avoid reader confusion. In this case, it is just wrong to refer to things that are actually scooters as “mopeds.” But if I do call scooters “scooters” then that confuses the reader. It is impossible to be both accurate and clear.

So, as I say, I give up. This battle is lost. But I suspect in the future I will go with the awkward approach of saying something such as “scooters, which many people refer to as mopeds.” I just can’t bring myself to say something I know is not true, even if the rest of the world is just fine with that.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than men: Motorcycles don’t go bald.

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Road Tested: Update On Riding Gear

August 29th, 2019
motorcyclist on bike

All geared up on the V-Strom.

It occurred to me on this latest OFMC trip that I was road-testing various articles of gear for the first time. That is to say, the first extended test, as opposed to going for a two-hour ride. So what’s the scoop?

Riding Pants
I had tried out my new riding pants on day rides but this was a quantum leap. I brought only one pair of jeans and the rest were lightweight, comfortable pants for in the evening. I planned to ride each day with the riding pants and only underwear underneath.

When I tried them on at home before the trip, though, it was the first time in warmer weather and thus the first time I didn’t at least have long underwear on. I found the armor in the knees rubbed uncomfortably on my knees. So I took an old pair of socks I was throwing away and cut off the toes. Then I pulled them up over my knees, with the heels covering my knees and then tried the pants on. The socks worked great.

This system got more of a test on the trip because a couple days I forgot to put the “knee socks” on. And the armor rubbed uncomfortably. So I’m sold on the socks. Plus, I’m sold on the pants. For one or two days on the trip I decided to wear the jeans instead. You know, I never noticed before how tight and constricting jeans are, at least compared to these looser fitting, very comfortable riding pants. I’m sold.

I will say, though, that at times when we were standing around and it was hot, these riding pants were definitely hotter than jeans would have been. Kind of like keeping your jacket on.

Riding Jacket
Oh yes, the jacket. That was new as well.

I like this jacket. It’s mesh with a zip-in liner. On the hot days it was so nice to have that cooling air movement passing over me. On cooler days, with the liner in it still needed assistance, such as a sweat shirt, to be warm enough but that was not hard to address. And pockets? I mentioned pockets previously and there are so many I didn’t even use all of them.

The jacket is definitely comfortable all day. With the armor it doesn’t compress as compactly as I might like so it wasn’t always possible to stuff it into the top bag at stops but I can live with that. I’d certainly rather have the armor in case it is needed.

Tank Bag
My newest acquisition was a Wolfman tank bag for the V-Strom. Though not as large as the tank bag I’ve had on the Concours for many years, this little baby proved itself to be extremely useful.

There are always a variety of smaller things you want to keep handy on a bike and up till now I had been keeping them stashed in the top bag on the back. But that was never ideal because in order to get in there I need to dismount, take the key out of the ignition, and open the thing. Then do the reverse to get ready to ride again. With the tank bag, I just unzip, do what I need to do, and rezip.

I kept granola bars, my camera, sunscreen, a cap–all sorts of stuff in that bag. Plus, at stops, I would stash my gloves in it. This tank bag is a big winner.

Top Bag
Speaking of the top bag, I’ve definitely road-tested it well over a period of years but this time out I ran into an issue. The bag is mounted on two rails on the bottom, with four bolts. In the six years I’ve had the bag the bike has been dropped at least four times that I can recall. Apparently, that impact has caused those bolts to rip through the rather cheap rails and/or the even cheaper plastic connection points on the bottom of the bag.

As I was packing to go I noticed that it wobbled a bit on its mounts and an inspection showed that it was only attached by two bolts, not the four as originally. It has probably been this way for awhile so I didn’t see any immediate issue but I figure the next time the bike gets dropped that bag is likely to come completely off, with no good way to put it back on. Still, just for insurance, I decided to stabilize it a bit using a bungee cord.

The problem there was that I kept undoing the bungee when I needed to get in the bag and then forgetting to reconnect it after. So I would be cruising down the road and realize that the cord was hanging loose. Now, if it was hanging loose over the side that could be a real hazard but I found that it was always just sitting there on the seat behind me. Still, there was always the danger so I finally figured out to hook the loose end to my handlebars so there was no way I could ride away without remembering to reattach it.

Bottom line, though, is that I expect I’m going to need a new top bag at some point in the future.

So there we go. A bunch of new gear and I’m very pleased with each item. Cool.

Biker Quote for Today

Don’t let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen.

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Posted in Motorcycle Gear | No Comments »

Clothes Make The Make

August 26th, 2019
Bikers near Yellowstone.

A quick look at our riding gear makes it really easy to figure out who is riding which bike.

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!)

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Posted in Ducati motorcycles, Harley-Davidson, Honda motorcycles, Indian motorcycle | No Comments »

A Shop To Wrench On Your Bike

August 22nd, 2019
The shop at Moto Works Denver.

King Browne operates a shop where you can come work on your own bike.

Sometimes I get tipped off to things going on right here at home by national magazines. This is one of those times. American Motorcyclist, the magazine of the American Motorcyclist Association, has a group of articles in the latest issue under the overall headline, “Get Experienced.” The lead article was about Jen Wyse, who moved to Colorado from New York and got involved with what is called a “community motorcycle garage.”

The shop in question is Moto Works Denver, at 2000 S. Cherokee. It is run by King Browne, who you see there in the photo. King runs a typical metric-only shop with a twist: There is a do-it-yourself corner with a couple lifts where you can use the shop’s tools and work on your own bike. The DIY fee is either $50 a day or $150 for one month. Storage is also available. The shop is set up for mechanical work, not so much things such as fabrication. If you want to build a bike from scratch, including welding and painting, this is not your place. If you want to do a valve job, a tune-up, or replace the engine, it is.

Walking into the shop I noted all kinds of older bikes, including a Honda CB1000 Custom, the big brother to the CB750 Custom I had arrived on. Aurora Honda fired me as a customer a long time ago because they don’t want to work on older bikes. That’s where shops like this one come in. You can pay King to work on your bike or you can pay less and work on it yourself.

Make no mistake, if you chose the DIY route you are going to need to do nearly all the work yourself. King and his staff don’t have time to babysit you and answer every question that you should already have found answers to by reading the shop guide for your bike and watching videos on YouTube. But if something in the manual is unclear they will help you clarify the matter and they’ll offer pointers and advice, plus help out if an extra set of hands is needed.

The clientele skews mostly younger, King explains, because most older guys who have an inclination to wrench already have their own spaces and their own tools. Younger guys, on the other hand, live in condos with no garage and they have no tools. What they do have is enthusiasm and the desire to work on their machines.

If this sounds like the sort of thing you would like to use, head on down to 2000 S. Cherokee. If it sounds like a business you would like to be involved in, hustle on down. King is looking for a partner.

When he opened the shop a couple years ago, he explains, he had a partner and figured between the two of them they could make it work and still have time to have lives. However, after only three months the partner pulled out. Although King has employees, he runs the business by himself. If you would like to join him as a partner he would welcome you, and if you would like to ultimately buy the operation that could be a possibility as well.

Either way, if you want to get greasy and feel the pride of having wrenched your own bike, this is your chance. I may just have to do this a bit myself, although King says it is best to use the shop in the winter rather than in the midst of the riding season. That gives me time to ponder whether I want to take on a valve job on the CB. Of course, if I do, you’ll be able to read all about it right here.

Biker Quote for Today

I guess the Harley crowd took offense at the old rice burner I rode in their midst. — Charles A Johnson

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The OFMC Wraps It Up

August 19th, 2019
Buffalo Bill sculpture

We pose with Buffalo Bill Cody in Cody, Wyoming.

Heading out of Heber City the next morning the OFMC was back on extremely familiar ground. We were already on U.S. 40 so we headed southeast and then east through Vernal and on to Dinosaur. We’ve ridden this road many times. At Dinosaur it was time to stop for ice cream.

By then our riding for the day was almost done. We turned south on CO 64, to Rangely, and there we were.

The ride through Utah had been nice, weather not too hot, countryside pretty. The heat came as we came back into Colorado.

At Rangely we had a whole afternoon free so considered playing nine holes of golf on the local course. A call told us, however, that they had a tournament going on so no dice. Then a huge storm with lightning and thunder hit right when we would have been out on the course so that was probably a good thing that we didn’t play.

As we relaxed on the hotel patio a guy on a really good-looking BMW adventure bike rode up and parked right there. So of course we struck up a conversation. He was from Connecticut (I think) and had trailered bikes out with a buddy with whom he had covered a couple thousand miles all within Colorado in the last week. Now he was off on his own for another week. He said he liked that because his buddy was very fond of speeds above 100, while he himself preferred to stay at about 90.

The next morning we were headed home. It was Sunday and we were going to be on I-70 and we all know what that means: Heavy, heavy traffic coming down out of the mountains. If we got an early enough start we hoped we could slip through before it got horrible.

Getting an early start had other benefits as well. We continued east on CO 64 to Rio Blanco County Road 5, the Piceance Creek Road, which is a jog around and avoiding Meeker. There wasn’t much traffic on 64 but there was none at all on this road. It was cool and beautiful in the early morning and the valley was the greenest I have ever seen it, thanks to all the rain we’ve had this year. The road was clear and smooth and we just reveled in it all.

I had been looking for a place to pull over and finally found one and we agreed that this was heaven. We were there more than 10 minutes and there were still zero other vehicles. Then we rolled on. All along the way on this loop until we hit CO 13 headed down to Rifle we saw exactly two cars. Talk about sweet.

Stopping for gas in Rifle we heard from other riders that there had been a landslide the day before that closed part of westbound I-70, a little west of Glenwood. No problem for eastbound, however, and we were headed east. We saw that slide as we went past and it was very interesting. It wasn’t like you might imagine, where a hillside slipped down. Rather, there were several washes where it had apparently rained really hard and the water carried a huge amount of dirt with it and dumped it on the road in the various spots where the washes–essentially gullies–came down to the highway. One lane of westbound traffic was moving while crews worked to clear the other lane.

Bill and Dennis and I made one last stop in Frisco for gas and lunch and then said our farewells. We knew we were going to get into traffic ahead and at this point trying to stay together was pointless. We took off together but before we even made it to the tunnel we were separated and on our own. We each made our individual ways home and the 2019 OFMC trip was over.

Biker Quote for Today

Some grandpas play bingo. Real grandpas ride motorcycles.

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Posted in motorcycle touring, OFMC | No Comments »

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