The Best Laid Plans and All That

May 19th, 2011

Old Bike Ride 8 in 2010I’m not a procrastinator, but sometimes it looks that way. It’s just that I learned a long time ago that it frequently pays to put off making decisions because so often there will be a turn of events that makes the decision for you. In this case, I was saying just a week ago here that I definitely planned to go on the Old Bike Ride 9 this coming Sunday. Now I’m not so sure.

I have a conflict. If I want to go on the OBR I need to be in Golden at 9 a.m. or so. But I’m also an ABATE member and our district meeting is at 10 a.m. in Aurora. This might not be an issue except that I’ve missed this meeting every month for the last six months at least. Several times I was out of town, a couple times I just plain forgot it, and once or twice I got screwed up with meetings rescheduled due to holidays. I’m not the kind of guy who joins an organization with no intention of participating. If I’m not going to participate why bother joining? I was really determined to make it to this month’s meeting, but I hadn’t looked at the calendar.

This is where postponing decisions comes in. We’ve had a lot of rain and cold weather lately. If it’s raining on Sunday morning I’m going to go to ABATE. If it’s a beautiful day I’ll make my decision then.

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Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles are better than women because your parents don’t remain in touch with your old motorcycle after you dump it.

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Posted in ABATE, Colorado motorcycle rides, Day Rides, motorcycle events | No Comments »

The Progress of Electric Motorcycles

May 16th, 2011

Stunt rider circles Hooters girls

It was cold, and later it got wet, but I went over to the Fay Myers spring Open House Saturday as planned, to enjoy the show and ride some Zero motorcycles. It was worth it.

The stunt riders did the sort of stunts that by now I’ve seen many times, so even though I can’t come close to doing what they do it’s just not that big a thrill. However, there was a guy doing trials demos and he was definitely impressive. I want to see more of that.

My main reason for going was to demo ride some Zero electric motorcycles. I rode a few about a year ago and the improvements in that year are amazing. Last year we stayed in a parking lot and considering the capabilities of the machines, that was adequate. This year we got out on the street and that just had to be. There’s no way you can experience the power of the new S (street) and DS (dual sport) Zeros in a parking lot. They go fast!

And the Zero guys tell me they also go farther. I can’t wait to see what electrics can do in five years.

So I chatted with a couple of the Zero guys a bit and they filled me in on where things are headed. I asked first if Zero is planning to offer bikes with gears, as Brammo is now doing. There are issues with that, I was told. Adding gears would add weight, which is something they definitely don’t want to do until battery power is better. And I haven’t checked this out so it’s just hearsay, but they guy told me they recently had a race where the new Zeros outran the new geared Brammo. So why add gears?

The Zero SHe also told me that in this race they were competing against gas-powered bikes and the electrics just smoked the gas bikes. Even giving them a head start–I can’t remember how much, three minutes?–he said the electrics all overtook the gassers by the third lap.

One of the bikes I rode was the Zero XU, which in truth seems to be pretty much a scooter. It doesn’t have the power or range of the S and DS and is only intended for running around town. So I asked if Zero was considering selling a scooter. The issue there, I was told, is that it costs in terms of design, production lines, and warehouse space every time you add a new model. There’s a lot the company would like to do but until they can ramp up sales significantly those things are just not going to happen.

One aspect of doing this demoing at Fay Myers is that Zero is looking to sign up dealers to carry their bikes. They’re especially interested in the Colorado market because of the terrific tax credits this state offers for electric vehicles. The highest price Zero is the DS, which has an MSRP of $10,495. With state and federal tax credits, we can buy them here for $5,395. With that bike’s improvements, that’s something worth considering, especially since operating the thing costs about a penny a mile in electricity. How does that measure up to your $3.67 a gallon gas?

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
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Biker Quote for Today

If loud pipes save lives imagine what learning to ride that thing would do!!!

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My Riding Plans: Old Bike Ride 9, Vendor Events

May 12th, 2011

Motorcycles on the highway

It’s just huge the number of rides and events for motorcyclists coming up in the near future, as demonstrated by the long list on my Rides and Rallies page, which is nowhere near complete. No one can do it all, but here’s what I have in mind for keeping myself busy.

Zero Motorcycles demo riding, May 14 — This is going on at Fay Myers Motorcycle World, at 9700 E. Arapahoe Road in Greenwood Village, as part of their annual spring Open House. Also featured are appearances by Jason Britton and Jeremy McGrath. Free food, entertainment, and prizes, too. For me, the real interest is in demo riding the Zeros. I’ve done so before but I always itch for more.

EagleRider Open House, May 21 — I’m going to have to make some choices this weekend. This event at EagleRider is something I’m interested in just because of my experience with the EagleRider crew in October. The manager here in Denver, Matt Weddle, says they’ll be “offering food, door prizes like free rentals and apparel, discounted Fulmer apparel, hosting a ride in bike show, etc…”

National Vintage Trials Series, May 21 and 22 — This is not for sure, but I’ve been interested for some time in seeing a trials competition. This is where riders do seemingly impossible things on their bikes, like going straight up boulders and such. To add a little extra interest, this is a vintage motorcycle event, so it’s going to be old bikes doing amazing things. It will be at Howard, which is in the Arkansas River Canyon, a little west of Cotopaxi, between Canon City and Salida. If I don’t make it to this event I’m going to try really hard to make it to another one later this summer.

Old Bike Ride 9, May 22 — I went on this ride last year and definitely plan to go again this year. Basically, it’s a bunch of guys with old bikes who get out and ride them. My 1980 CB750 Custom definitely qualifies as old and that’s what I’ll be on. The ride starts at 9:30 a.m. promptly at the Golden Hotel, 800 11th St. in Golden.

Of course, the main thing I’m going to be doing in the next few weeks is just simply riding. It’s the time of year when my car gets used less and less. Who could ask for more?

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Biker Quote for Today

Will Ride for FOOD

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And the Race Is On

May 9th, 2011

Racers at High Plains RacewayI headed out to High Plains Raceway Saturday for the opening day of the Motorcycle Roadracing Association’s (MRA) 2011 season, and to do my first piece following racer Jon Kuo through the season. The weather was perfect and everyone was definitely jazzed for the season to start. The story and photos are available on Examiner.com.

I became acquainted with Jon because he is sponsored by ABATE of Colorado, of which I am a member. This year now, ABATE is sponsoring three racers, as well as the corner crews. To say that this is unusual is an understatement. In many states there is outright hostility between the sportbike crowd and the ABATE organizations. Terry Howard, Colorado’s State Coordinator, was there Saturday and she told me they caused quite a stir at last year’s Meeting of the Minds, the Motorcycle Rider’s Foundation conference, when they showed up with representatives from the MRA and the Colorado Sportbike Club as members of their delegation. Everyone was in awe and eager to hear how this came about. I’ll be doing a follow-up article that really digs into the story.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet Ricky Orlando, a local fellow who is an AMA racing champion and who now runs a riding school up by Frederick. If you’re into the racing scene I’m sure you are familiar with Ricky. I had spoken with him for the first time just a couple weeks ago when I was working on a story for RumBum.com about how kids can come up through the ranks of American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned racing and become world champions. Ricky was very helpful and gave me some good quotes for the story, so it was an unexpected pleasure to actually meet him. Of course, he was there to race.

And lest we forget, there was the racing Saturday. When I had spoken with Jon a couple weeks ago he was sounding extremely optimistic about placing very well, maybe even winning a championship. Speaking with him before the race he had toned things down a bit, which I suspect was a result of getting out on the track in practice sessions and seeing other guys out-running him. At that point he said he just hoped to stay up with the fast guys and learn from them.

Jon placed 7th in his first race, the only one I was there for, and he was very disappointed. And this is where I start learning about racing. Jon told me his problem was that he doesn’t have the corner speed the top guys have, and it’s something he needs to learn. Riding on a 250cc Ninja, he said the bikes don’t have enough power to go really fast, plus they’re light, so you can–and need to–carry a lot of speed deep into the corner. The best riders hardly even brake in the corners, he said. And because you can’t make up much time in the straights, races are won and lost in the corners.

As I say, my education begins. It’s going to be an interesting season. It will be very interesting especially to see how well Jon does learning to corner faster. Stay tuned.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Kicking off motorcycle roadracing season

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycle racing is 90 percent mental and the other half is physical.

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Posted in ABATE, motorcycle racing, Motorcycle Riders Foundation | No Comments »

BMW Motorcycle Rentals Now Available in Colorado

May 5th, 2011

House of Motorrad logoJust a heads-up about a new motorcycle rental outfit here in Colorado. House of Motorrad has opened in Boulder and at this time rents three BMW models, the R1200GS Adventure, the F800GS, and the F650GS.

And let me interject right here the note that Ben Kriederman and his wife Lisa have taken ads on the MotorcycleColorado.com website, which is how I learned about them. So yes, I have financial interest here but it’s still the sort of news this blog has always presented.

Once they get it up and running, the company’s website will be www.HouseOfMotorrad.com, but for now if you click on the listing on the Rentals and Tours page of the site, or on any of the ads, you’ll be taken to their FaceBook page.

Note as of 5-11-11: The website is now up and running.

Here’s what Ben has to say about their business.

We started the business in the hopes of bringing motorcycle rentals to a broader audience. We are a small company trying to keep the overhead costs down so that we can offer top-of-the-line rentals at an affordable cost to the “average joe.” We offer discounts for tour companies and people who have completed a motorcycle safety training class as well as repeat customers. The more you rent, the cheaper things get. We also anticipate adding guided tours to the lineup if the business takes off. Triumph motorcycles might also be on the horizon, depending on how things go with the business.

Ben and Lisa will deliver bikes at no charge within the Denver metro area, including to DIA. The bikes come with luggage and you can rent gear, including GPS. Each motorcycle also comes with a SPOT satellite locater for roadside assistance when you are out of cell phone range as well as the ability for loved ones and friends to track your trip in realtime online.

So there you go. I have to say that it looks to me like the economy is coming back, judging from the news I’m seeing about the motorcycle business. The manufacturers are selling more, Rider magazine just put out a huge issue that is loaded with ads, and new businesses are starting up here in Colorado. Just recently I also added two new motorcycle tour outfits on the Rentals and Tours page. Good-bye recession, good riddance.

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Biker Quote for Today,

BMW makes motorcycles now?

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Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides, Dual sport bikes | 1 Comment »

Getting Up Close with Motorcycle Racing

May 2nd, 2011

Jon Kuo ready to race

This seems to be pretty typical of what I do. I’ve arranged with Jon Kuo, a motorcycle racer, to follow him through the season that begins this weekend. The idea is to see and present the day-to-day human side of what racing involves. And at this moment I don’t have a clue how I’ll go about doing that.

But that’s how I work. Make the decision to do it and just jump in. Learn to swim in the process.

I first met Jon two seasons ago when I learned that ABATE of Colorado had signed on as one of his sponsors. This struck me as surprising because I was aware that there was some animosity, at least in some places, between sportbike riders and ABATE organizations. In fact I did a whole series of articles about that animosity.

Fortunately, that animosity is not the norm here in Colorado. Here, ABATE and the Motorcycle Roadracing Association work together on issues that are of concern to all motorcyclists. United we stand, divided we fall, you know?

So I know I’ll be learning a lot about racing this summer about. Should be interesting. I’ll make sure to pass a lot of it along to you. Stay tuned.

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Biker Quote for Today

If you can read this you must have a V-Max, too.

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Posted in ABATE, motorcycle racing | No Comments »

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