The Randy Run (Or Was It the Randy Race?)

June 15th, 2009

Judy and I went on the Randy Run on Sunday. After doing the Broken Wings series on Randy and Joan there’s no way I was going to miss it.

group motorcycle rideIf you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you know that going on poker runs and such is not something I’ve done much of. My first poker run turned out to be one without motorcycles, due to cold, snowy weather. This was only my second.

The weather was great but I still couldn’t really do it right. We had a conflict. We had tickets to yesterday’s Colorado Rockies game, which they won, for their 11th win in a row. We weren’t going to miss that.

So we gathered at the appointed time and place, greeted folks and chatted a bit, but then in order to get to the game we took off ahead of the group. We barely had time to get to the final destination and then head straight for the ballgame.

The route was nice, down some roads neither of us had ever been on, and we were taking our time and enjoying ourselves. Suddenly I saw in my mirror that a horde of bikes was racing up behind us. I pulled over and waved them around and the Randy Run group, with Randy and Joan in the lead, roared on by. I jumped in behind them and found that I needed to really crank it to keep up with them.

Arriving at the final stop, I heard the guy we parked next to laughing about how they should call it the “Randy Race,” not the “Randy Run.”

So for me, the jury is still out on doing poker runs and all. The truth was, we were having a very nice time riding the route, taking our time and enjoying the scenery. Once we joined up with the group I don’t even remember the roads we took or the countryside we went through. I was just riding to keep up.

I’m going to have to try this at least once more, and try to do the whole thing, without any competing commitments.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Inaugural Motomarathon event now in progress

Biker Quote for Today

If you ride for the rush don’t rush for the ride!

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Posted in Biker Issues | 1 Comment »

Broken Wings: The Back Story

June 11th, 2009

How hard is it to go on after losing a leg in a crash when all you did wrong was to take your eyes off the oncoming car for an instant to check the cross traffic? That was essentially the question I asked Randy and Joan Savely while speaking with them for the series of articles I just posted on Examiner.com.

Randy and his new legWhat I seem to be doing with some regularity lately is working on a story for Examiner and then giving you the background here. That’s definitely the case now.

I met Randy when I joined ABATE earlier this year. I’m in District 10 and Randy is the district rep, which is to say, he runs the meetings. It didn’t take me long to notice that Randy was missing his left leg from the knee down.

One reason I like going on poker runs, going to ABATE meetings, and getting involved in other motorcycle-related activities is that every time I go somewhere I come home with new story ideas. That’s a good thing considering that I write a minimum of five articles every week, frequently more. I smelled a story in Randy.

First, let me make it clear that this is definitely their story, Randy and Joan’s, not just his. When I first proposed the story idea it was Joan who replied that the two of them would be happy to speak with me. Up until then I had been thinking solely of Randy, but it soon became very clear to me that this was indeed their story.

What I hadn’t counted on was how powerfully their story would hit me. I met with them two weeks ago today, expecting to spend less than an hour in the interview. Going on two hours I finally said we ought to stop because there was only so much that a reader will read.

The next day Judy and I left on vacation for a week and on the drive to Utah it was practically the only thing I could speak of. And this was after spending hours telling her about it the night before. The lead sentences quickly formed in my mind and they made it into the story unaltered, even though I never wrote the rest of it until 10 days later:

When everything finally came to a stop, Randy Savely sat up, thinking, “Well, I’m alive.”
A couple moments later he noticed his boot laying in the middle of the intersection.
“That boot don’t come off,” he thought. Then he turned to the driver who had hit him and asked for his belt to use as a tourniquet on his leg.

For two weeks now this story has haunted me (not in a bad way) and has been in my mind almost constantly. Not out of some fear that it could happen to me, that’s not it at all. Probably a lot of it is Randy. Can you imagine having your leg removed by a car and having the presence of mind to put a tourniquet on yourself?

Randy and JoanA funny thing there: I asked Randy if he was wearing a helmet and whether he had any head injuries. No and no. But he told me that he really believes in chaps more than helmets because it was the fact that he was wearing chaps that enabled him to tend to his own needs. They covered up the fact that his foot was gone, whereas seeing a bloody stump may well have shaken him up enough to go into shock.

I could go on and on. As I said, this story has haunted me for two weeks. But I won’t. Go read it yourself. It’s not that I’m such a great writer, it’s that their story is an incredible story. I just can’t tell you how fortunate I feel to have had the opportunity to tell it.

Recent from the National Motorcycle Examiner
Broken wings: When a biker goes down hard

Biker Quote for Today

Live every day as though it was your last, but ride to make sure it’s not!

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Posted in ABATE, Biker Issues, Motorcycle Safety, Rides and Rallies | 1 Comment »

Some Great Motorcycle Roads in Southwestern Utah

June 8th, 2009

When we get out of Colorado, one of our favorite places to ride is Utah. Judy and I spent the last week in southwestern Utah, and although we were there in the car, not on the bike, I spent a good bit of time while we were there scoping the place out for next year’s OFMC ride. Here’s a quick recap of what I’ll be pitching to the guys to convince them this is the trip we want to make. And here’s a map showing the roads we took. Unfortunately, the mapping software doesn’t show the actual roads in some instances due to the degree of zoom, but I’ll try to be sufficiently specific.

map of southwestern UtahFirst off, we blasted out on the interstate to the ski area of Brian Head. This was about 650 miles, which is one of the reasons we didn’t go on the bike. We are definitely not iron butt candidates. We got off I-15 at Parowan and took Utah 148 to Brian Head. It was a nice ride up a canyon, and steep. Up at the town they have a sign telling folks heading down that it’s a 13% grade for the next 10 miles. Of course that spells fun on a motorcycle.

Utah 148 runs on south from Brian Head through Cedar Breaks National Monument. We had never been there before and it was gorgeous. High cliffs looking down on sculpted red canyons. Numerous scenic overlooks. Very nice. Highway 148 connects a little south of Cedar Breaks with Utah 14. We took it first to the west, to Cedar City. More gorgeous canyons and incredible panoramic views. Highly recommended.

On our second full day we again headed south on Utah 148 but quickly turned off heading east on Utah 143. This goes to the very nice small town of Panguitch, and from there we turned south on U.S. 89 just a few miles to Utah 12. This road very quickly comes into Red Canyon and it’s a stunning sight. It portends what you’re going to see further up the road in Bryce Canyon, Red Canyon is fabulous in its own right.

Another 10 miles or so down the road you do run into the road that goes south into Bryce Canyon. This is Utah 63. You have to pay to get into the park, $12 per person for motorcycles, but it’s worth it. Take the road all the way to the end, at Rainbow Point, and then stop at the turnouts and scenic viewpoints on your way back up. They’re all on your right that way, and that’s a lot easier than constantly turning across traffic.

After Bryce we continued on Utah 12 down to Cannonville, where we turned off on Cottonwood Road and headed down to Kodachrome Basin State Park. This is nowhere near as spectacular as Bryce Canyon but it’s a nice side trip if you have the time. The road is paved all the way in.

We rested our tired feet for a day (we did a lot of hiking) and then headed out on a two-day tour of Zion National Park. Back down Utah 148 to Utah 14 to Cedar City, and then south on I-15, until we came to the turn-off for Zion National Park-Kolob Canyons. This is just a short jump off the interstate, about five miles to the end, and you get a spectacular view of a different part of the park than most people see. I never knew it was here. Admission is the same as at Bryce.

Then back on the interstate, down to Utah 17, to La Verkin, where we got on Utah 9. Arriving at Virgin, there was no sign for Zion but Judy had done her research and knew that if we turned off on Kolob Road it would take us up into the park. This was absolutely the highlight of our trip. This road is sensational! It’s a gorgeous ride and the views are the best you’re going to see in this park. And almost no one knows it exists. Well, now you do, so don’t miss out on it if you’re down this way. It’s incredible.

Back on Utah 9, we came to the south entrance to Zion and this is touristville. Springdale has turned into a little Aspen since the last time I was there and you can no longer drive up Zion Canyon, except during the off season. They run frequent shuttle buses and that’s the only way to go. I was not thrilled with the idea at first but when I saw how much nicer it was than the incredible congestion I remember I decided it was OK. But really, I could just about skip this part of the park. It’s nice and all, but I’ve been there a number of times and it doesn’t thrill me any more.

Heading on out of that part of the park you then climb a terrific series of switch-backs and then cross through a long tunnel with numerous windows, opening in the rock walls, until you get outside of the canyon. There is a parking lot right at the east end of the tunnel and a trail that leads back over the hump to give you an incredible view of where you just came from. I strongly recommend this hike. It’s not far and it’s well worth it.

On out of the park on Utah 9 and then north on U.S. 89, until we reached Utah 14 at its east end, and then back to Utah 148 and home to Brian Head. Very scenic the entire way. We loved it. We’ll be back. And I’m hoping the OFMC will be heading that way next year. I do have an ace in the hole with the guys: Mesquite, NV, is just down the road from here about 45 miles and they love to gamble. Utah here we come.

Recent from the National Motorcycle Examiner
ABATE sponsors racer in outreach to sportbikers

Biker Quote for Today

Sometimes you end up going down the wrong road. That’s an adventure.

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Posted in motorcycle touring, Suggested Rides | 3 Comments »

Nearly 10,000 Bikers Stopped By Here Last Month

June 4th, 2009

Oh man, I’m blown away. I track unique visitors to this website each month and last month, May 2009, the traffic nearly hit 10,000. There were 9,754 unique visitors last month, to be exact.

Just to give you an idea of how big that is, the best month the site has ever had before was July 2008, where traffic hit 6,051 unique visitors. I was thrilled in May 2008 when it topped 4,000 for the first time, 4,024, and then it only went up to 4,504 in June 2008.

After four years I know the pattern here. Traffic climbs from December through July and then tapers off. What that means is that this 9,754 record is destined to fall, and soon. And the numbers show it. Already this month, only 3 days and 21 hours in, the total of unique visitors is 1,579. That works out to about 12,000.

This all just blows me away. I built this website out of passion and my own interest, and hoped that at least a few other people would like it and my work would be appreciated. Hitting these numbers leaves me in awe. Thank each and every one of you for your interest. This is so rewarding.

Recent from the National Motorcycle Examiner
A terrific motorcycle sidetrip in southwestern Utah

Biker Quote for Today

HEY! Let’s go ride our BIKES!!!!

Posted in Miscellaneous, Updates Made to Website | 1 Comment »

Rifle is no longer a drive-through zone; Loveland Pass reopens

June 1st, 2009

The oil rigs are gone! Motels have vacancies! You can visit Rifle, CO, again!

Judy and I are on vacation in Utah at this moment, so we came through western Colorado the other day and I have to tell you it’s like night and day. A year ago I was advising that anyone considering coming to Colorado to ride not even think about spending a night in the area around Rifle. With gas prices over $4 a gallon, a drive along I-70 at night was like Christmas, with lighted drilling rigs dotting the landscape everywhere you looked. Of course, all those drilling crews had to sleep somewhere, and there was not a motel room available closer than Grand Junction.

What a difference a year makes. First off, we only saw two rigs along the way. The landscape is now dotted with what I take to be pumping stations, where the wells have been drilled and now the machinery is just doing its thing, extracting the oil or gas. You don’t need a lot of people to manage those.

Even more telling are the parking lots of the motels. They’re empty. We stopped at a rest area in Rulison and I asked the fellow tending the tourist center and he confirmed my assumption.

“They’ve all gone back to Oklahoma and Texas,” he said. He told me that at the height of the boom, a new La Quinta was built in Rifle and it was full immmediately. They built an addition and it was full immediately. They built another addition and it was full immediately. Then work was begun on a new Ramada Inn and another motel and work on both has been suspended.

On another note, it appears that Loveland Pass has reopened. I reported last week that it was closed, and the notice from CDOT said they would send word when it reopened. Searching their website it appeared that perhaps the pass was open again, although the main notice page had not been updated with that information.

With that in mind I was all eyes as we came past the turn-off to the pass the other day, and yes we saw traffic on that road. In fact, what we saw was three motorcycles coming down the pass. So now Colorado is truly open for the season.

Recent from the National Motocycle Examiner

Biker Quote for Today
Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.

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Posted in Biker Issues | No Comments »

AMA Nationals Coverage: Onerous Requirements for Press Passes

May 28th, 2009

I have a proposition for you. How about if you do some work and I’ll take possession of it, for no fee. Of course, I’ll let you use it, as long as you meet my terms. I may revoke your right, however.

Racing at Thunder ValleyThat, in a nutshell is what you have to agree to if you want a press pass to the AMA Nationals.

Every year out at Thunder Valley Motocross Park here in the Denver area they hold one of the races that make up the AMA Motocross Championships. This year the event is set for June 27. I figured I’d go and take advantage of my press affiliation to get in free and get some preferential treatment in doing my coverage.

I contacted the appropriate people and they sent along the 2009 Pro Motocross Media Guidelines, complete with a waiver for me to sign and return to them. Sure this is just standard stuff and if you want to play you have to play by their rules, but I read what I was about to sign anyway.

Holy smokes! Read this:

Media Members agree and hereby do assign to MX Sports and its affiliates (collectively, “MX Sports Entities”), all copyrights in any or all still or motion picture . . . or any other form of media captured . . . MX Sports hereby grant to Media Member a royalty-free, non-exclusive, limited, revocable license (“Licensee”) to use the Works, illustrating, describing, relating to, or referring to the Event(s) for editorial purposes only.

Oh, thank you so much for allowing me to use my own pictures for free.

I’m still going to go to the races, but I’m not sending in the press credentials form. I’ll pay my way in and I’ll jostle with the crowds to get the best coverage I can. But I’ll own my own work.

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Biker Quote for Today

Well, sister, the time has come for me to ride hard and fast. – Rooster Cogburn

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Posted in American Motorcyclist Association, motorcycle racing | No Comments »

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