Heads-up on 9-11 Memorial Event

September 2nd, 2010

My friend Dan Patino passed this along to me and I’ll just forward it to you. This thing is going on at the Pepsi Center on Sept. 11. It’s intended to raise funds for the National 911 Memorial project. It’s still in development so here’s the scoop so far:

Vendors and non-profit groups are welcome on a first come basis (set up at 7:00 AM – no fee required).
Contact PQREvents@gmail.com or call 303-522-6525
The tentative schedule for the day is:
8:00 AM Event Opens All participants must register
8 – 10:30 Poker Run and Car / Bike Show Registration ($5- Entry Fee to cover cost of prizes)
10:00 AM Memorial Service
10:30 AM Poker Run Begins – Bike and Cars
10:45 AM Reading of the 9-11 victims names
1:30 – close Drum Line performances and Rider Games
3:30 Poker Run / Car / Bike Show winners announced

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Motorcycle noise debate: Truth and ignorance

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if they celebrate your birthday at the Harley store

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Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides | No Comments »

Motorcycle Touring with a Trailer

August 30th, 2010

Motorcycle trailer

Camping on a motorcycle trip is a good way to go but if you’re riding two-up you might as well forget it. If you manage to get all of two people’s camping gear on the bike you’re not going to have room left for much else.

Unless you pull a trailer. Then it’s whole new ball game.

Ken and Janet Knox are motorcycle travelers who stayed with us recently, via the Motorcycle Travel Network, and behind their Ultra Classic they pull a trailer. It was custom-painted to match the bike and the pair look great together.

Asked about it, Janet initially responded that, “The only advantage for me is that I can pack more stuff.”

Ken made the point, however, that it enables them to carry camping gear with them. Of course, he points out, “If Janet would bet her license and ride her own bike we could camp without pulling a trailer.”

“That would mean work for me, and I’m not into working,” she retorted. “I’m on holiday.”

Turning serious, she continued that she likes that, “When we camp we pull in at 3-4 p.m. and look for a site, then interact with people. We meet more people that way. That aspect is nice, although the comforts of a motel are better.”

Ken added that “Campgrounds are generally in a beautiful spot, whereas motels are on the main drag.”

Still, if they get into town later, or if it is raining or looks like rain, they’re not likely to camp. But it’s nice to have the option.

As for how the trailer affects the ride, Ken said, “You don’t even know the trailer is there. It does increase gas consumption, and on long, steep uphills you have to upgear, at least on a Harley.”

There’s one other advantage: Their trailer has a 12-volt plug so they can charge their cell phones while riding. Hey, what else do you need?

Biker Quote for Today

You’re a biker wannabe if your longest road trip this year was to Hooter’s for bike night.

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Posted in motorcycle camping, Motorcycle Gear, motorcycle touring | No Comments »

The Troubles I Bring On Myself

August 26th, 2010

I’ve written previously about mechanical difficulties I’ve had with my 30-year-old Honda CB750 Custom. Well, it’s happened again and this time I have no one to blame but myself.

As an aside, there is no better time than now to rave about the free roadside assistance you get if you join the American Motorcyclist Association. I’ve been towed three times now this summer and it didn’t cost me a penny. Just a lot of time waiting for the tow truck.

Charging my batterySo I’ve known I have an electrical problem, and by testing I’ve been able to determine that the battery is fine. That means the charging system has an issue. But I wasn’t willing to let it go at that and just take the bike over to my mechanic. I’m on a pretty tight budget these days and if I’m going to pay for a new stator I wanted to be sure I really needed it.

My way of confirming that the issue truly is in the charging was to ride the bike. With the battery fully charged it fires up and runs great. With no charge reaching the battery, the lights and spark plugs gradually drain the battery until the bike stops dead. This time, however, I packed up my battery charger and an extension cord, figuring that if it died somewhere I’d have my confirmation and then I could find someone who would let me plug in for a few minutes.

Gosh my plan worked well. I was on my way to the gym and it died about 10 blocks away. This wasn’t quite what I had hoped because I knew of an exterior outlet at the gym and I figured I’d limp in and then give it a charge while I worked out. But no problem, I’d get a charge from someone here that would get me to the gym and proceed as planned.

Long story short, I did find a Burger King close at hand where the manager agreed to let me plug in for 20 minutes. Oh, did I mention that I have a trickle charger? Twenty minutes with a trickle charger doesn’t do much. I sat there at Burger King for 2 hours until I could finally start the bike and ride to the gym.

At the gym I plugged in as planned and went about my business. When I came back I turned the key and pushed the starter button and got . . . nothing. It turns out that outside plug does not have power going to it, and apparently if you hook a battery up to a charge unit and there is no power flowing into the battery it drains the battery instead.

So it was time to call for a tow. And of course they never get there in less than an hour. All in all, it was not the best use of my time, especially considering that I’m now going to need to take the bike in and pay the repair bill just the same.

But oh boy, I’ll know that I really need to spend that money.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Iron Mountain Racing takes 3rd in ALCAN 5000

Biker Quote for Today

If it’s supposed to move and it don’t–WD-40. If it ain’t supposed to move and it does–Duct Tape.

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Posted in motorcycle problems | 2 Comments »

My Role as Facilitator

August 23rd, 2010

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Here’s an out-of-the-ordinary sort of situation that just occurred.

Running the Passes and Canyons website as I do, I frequently receive emails from people with questions about routes or lodging or motorcycle rentals or whatever. But recently I got a totally different request. Here it is:

Hi Ken – I was reading through some of your site and was interested in knowing if you knew anyone in this area offers rides in this area? I drove up Mt. Evans with friends in the car the other day and noticed all the motor bikes heading up. It looked like a great way to see some of the magnificent drives around here. Thanks, Daphne

After ascertaining that Daphne was interested in finding someone to take her for a ride, not to rent her a motorcycle, I considered offering to do it myself. Hey, I’m self-employed, earning money any way I can, why not? Well, the why not was the thought that if I did arrange a business deal with her where she hired me to take her for a ride and something bad happened, I could be screwed.

So then I thought of Ron Coleman, who runs Western Dual Sport Motorcycle Adventures. Ron is someone I know, who advertises on this site, and I figured he is set up with liability waivers and all that stuff, so he would be a good possibility, if he was interested.

Long story short, I got this follow-up email from Daphne just a few minutes ago:

Hi Ken – I just wanted to let you know that Ron Coleman did take me out for a scenic ride yesterday and it was wonderful! It goes without saying, what a nice guy Ron is, but I also found him quite interesting and fun to be with. I really enjoyed the opportunity to be able to take a ride while here in Colorado, the experience was great and the scenery incredible!

Thank you for your help in putting us together!

Sincerely, Daphne

So how cool is that? It’s one of the things I enjoy about doing this website: helping people in whatever way I can. Daphne, you made my day.

Biker Quote for Today

Everything looks better from the inside of a motorcycle helmet.

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Posted in Colorado motorcycle rides, Day Rides | 2 Comments »

Butler Motorcycle Maps Pass the Test

August 19th, 2010

You need to understand that I’m very hard on maps. As far as I’m concerned, they’re disposable, and ripping is just part of the gig.

Enter Butler Motorcycle Maps. These guys are riders who decided to make motorcycle-specific maps, by motorcyclists, for motorcyclists. So far they have released maps for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.

The way I fold mapsThere are two things that make these maps attractive to motorcyclists. First, they highlight the best roads in each state based on what they know we like, i.e., scenery, twisty roads, two-lane, and all that. Second, they’re durable. They’re not printed on paper. It’s probably some kind of plastic, but whatever it is, they are waterproof and tear-resistant. Good things to have out on a bike.

Of course this is where my style of usage comes into play. I have a tank bag that has a map display on top. The problem with the map display is that it is not sized to fit any map conveniently. Conveniently, in my mind, would be something that allowed you to use the basic folds of the map and show two panels. The display on my bag is too short and too narrow, so I end up folding maps every which way to make them fit. (See the photo above.) The consequence of that is that they tend to rip along the folds and fall to pieces quickly.

I was in Sturgis last week, and on Thursday I left and went to Yellowstone. The Butler guys had a booth in Sturgis that I just happened to stumble upon. I was already familiar with them because they had comped me a couple maps and had taken out an ad on the Passes and Canyons website. I stopped in to say hi and they gave me the two latest maps, Wyoming and Idaho.

I then proceeded to use the Wyoming map as I made my way to Yellowstone and then home to Denver. It didn’t fit any better than any other map in my display so I manhandled it the way I do all maps.

The result? When I got home I opened it out, smoothed it off, and refolded it along the original folds and it’s good to go. Now, it looks a bit rough. You’d never mistake it for new. It has wrinkles and creases, and it didn’t want to fold back perfectly and probably won’t ever again. But it’s absolutely usable, it’s not torn, and I suspect it will hold up to that same treatment many more times.

What’s more, it is also good in its other function of highlighting the best routes. I’ve ridden all over Wyoming, so there are almost no roads highlighted on the map that I’m not familiar with. There is one, a bit of two-lane between Laramie and Cheyenne. So I know the roads they’ve marked and I agree with them. These are the best roads in Wyoming.

If this sounds like the sort of thing you’d be interested in, you can buy these maps for $14.95 either through their website or from selected dealers. Tell them Ken sent you.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Iron Mountain Racing tackles the ALCAN 5000

Biker Quote for Today

A bend in the road is not the end of the road . . . unless you fail to make the turn.

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Posted in Motorcycle Gear, motorcycle touring | No Comments »

Striking It Lucky in Casper, WY

August 16th, 2010

I slept last night in a good hotel. I went shopping today for jewels.
–Joni Mitchell

Credits to Joni, I did sleep last night in a good hotel, though I did not go shopping today for jewels. Fact is, I found a jewel last night when I rolled into Casper, WY.

I had been in Sturgis for four days for the rally, and then went to Yellowstone to meet up with my wife and her family for a family get-together. I headed home to Denver yesterday, not knowing what my route would be, where I would stop for the night, or whether I just might go all the way home, about 600 miles.

my room at the Sand and Sage Motel in CasperPulling into Casper, a bit more than halfway home, I hit a Starbucks to use their WiFi. I hoped there might be a Motorcycle Travel Network person close who could put me up for the night, but checking the MTN site I found there are no members in Wyoming at all. I also thought about going on to Wheatland and staying there, but I knew there were only two motels there and a quick check showed that they were both way out of my price range.

So it was going to be Casper or all the way home, another five hours of riding. And as far as I was concerned it was going to depend on price. If I could find a decently priced motel I’d stay in Casper.

Coming into town on the old U.S. 20, I figured I’d find some old (read: cheap) motels. Just before I reached the river and the bridge that takes you into downtown I saw a sign a block off the highway for the Sage and Sand Motel (901 W Yellowstone Hwy, Casper, WY 82601).

Now, this caught my attention because we have stayed at the Sage and Sand Motel in Saratoga, WY, many times. Were they connected? No they weren’t, the manager said, and he was asking $50 plus tax for a night. That was beyond my limit so I thanked him and turned to go. Making some money is better than making no money, however, so he offered me a price reduction and I checked in.

But before all this, he had showed me the room. I was blown away. This is a nondescript older motel in an industrial area and the room was beautifully decorated. (See the picture.) Underneath the shabby exterior, this was a classy place. So when he dropped the price I was ready to go for it. And for the first night in eight, I slept in a bed, rather than on an air mattress. Nice.

Biker Quote for Today

For some there is therapy; for the rest of us there are motorcycles.

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Posted in Motorcycle Accommodations, motorcycle touring | No Comments »

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