Passes & Canyons Blog

I rode down to Colorado Springs the other day with members of the RMMRC to visit the Rocky Mountain Motorcycle Museum in its new location in downtown CS. Oddly enough, after we got to the Springs and had lunch the rest of the group decided to skip the museum and just head back to Denver. I was not party to that discussion so I’m unclear on the reason but there was no way I was not going to the museum. So I went alone.

The first trick in visiting the museum was finding it. It used to be in an outbuilding on the site of Pikes Peak Harley-Davidson, up at the north end of town. I’m not sure, but maybe then they moved inside the dealership, and then just recently into this new space at 19 N Tejon Street. Finding Pikes Peak H-D was easy; finding the new site a bit harder. The main thing is, it’s inside a restaurant, or group of restaurants. This is the Tejon Eatery, which appears to be maybe sort of a food court with a variety of restaurants–I’m just not clear on all this.

But the point is, while there are signs outside, they’re small and if I had not had the address I would probably not have spotted them. So, with uncertainty, I stepped inside and asked the hostess right inside about the motorcycle museum. She said yes, just go straight that way, make a right turn, and then go up the stairs. I got to the back portion of the building and there, among tables for diners, was a staircase heading up under a row of motorcycles to another dining area. Up on top I turned 180 degrees and there was the museum. This was the weirdest setting for a museum I’ve ever seen but hey, whatever works.

In the little building outside Pikes Peak H-D the museum had been insanely crowded. There was no question they needed more space. While there is more space in the new site, the bikes are still in most cases packed closely together. At least visitors have more room to move around.

And goodness, do they have motorcycles. Lots of vintage Harleys and Indians plus a whole bunch of really odd, seemingly one-off bikes. Plus, they have displays all over the walls of photos, old posters and advertisements, and all kinds of memorabilia. Also, to add to the retro feel of the place, they have an old-style soda fountain in the back of the museum area.

Thinking that it might make sense to plan another RMMRC trip down and then just come here to eat I asked the “soda jerk” and he explained that he just serves ice cream. OK, you could still have lunch somewhere else then come here and get ice cream and tour the museum.

“What are your hours?” I asked.

“We’re open right now,” he replied. OK.

“But on a normal day, when are you open?” I asked. He didn’t seem to understand my question and offered no answer. OK. Maybe that’s not such a good idea.

So I don’t know about the soda fountain, but the museum’s hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11am to 8pm, and Sunday, 11am to 4pm. Admission is free.

Bottom line, if you’re into looking at a lot of antique and vintage motorcycles, as well as a lot of associated memorabilia, you won’t be disappointed. And frankly, it’s kind of small so you may not end up spending a whole lot of time there, so I’m not sure it’s worth a special trip to the Springs just for that purpose. Or, depending on your own interests, it might be. I just know I sure as heck had no intention of going all the way down there and not going to the museum.

Biker Quote for Today

A policeman pulled me over on his motorcycle. I don’t know why, I told him I was only borrowing it for 5 minutes.

I generally like to ride alone a lot but there is one thing that you lose when there’s no one else with you: swapping memories later. It’s only the times when you were together that you can say, “Oh hey, do you remember when we . . . .”

I’ve been riding with the OFMC for more than 30 years now and we’ve racked up a lot of memories. And isn’t it great to just sit and kick some of those times around now and then. Some of them were not fun when we were living them but we all know that some of the worst times present some of the best memories.

On this summer’s OFMC trip we were sitting around one night toward the end of the week and that’s the direction the discussion headed.

“Remember the last time we were here in the Black Hills and Steve and Johnathon and those other guys met us here, and we rode the Iron Mountain Road/Needles Highway loop and they liked it so much they went right back and did it again?”

“And it dumped rain on them so hard they thought the sun had gone down and were surprised when it passed that it was still daylight?”

“Oh, yeah. Man, I’m glad I didn’t go with them.”

That kind of thing.

“Or that other time we were here and Aaron Neville was giving a free concert on main street?”

“Right. And the young guys stayed out really late getting raging drunk and we had to stay another day so they could get over their hangovers!”

“Yeah, and do you remember how Todd just passed out sitting up in that chair, with his eyes open, just staring at me in my bed? That gave me the creeps. I had to get up and turn him so at least he wasn’t looking right at me.”

Yeah, that kind of thing.

Now, I have some pretty terrific memories from my rides alone, but there’s no one to share that knowing feeling like when someone was there with you. Still, they make good stories, and I do get to enjoy telling them. Come to think of it, that’s part of why I do this blog. You weren’t there so it’s all new to you. Did I ever tell you about the time . . .

Biker Quote for Today

During labor the pain is so great that a woman can almost imagine how a man feels when he can’t ride his motorcycle for a week.

I am not a go-fast guy. I’m not an aggressive rider or driver. But I know that many people who ride have a particular enjoyment of speed. I get it. I have ridden fast plenty of times, I just don’t make it a regular part of my ride. There are just moments.

The rest of the time I’m generally happiest just tootling along at an easy pace. That’s one reason why I enjoy riding alone so much, I get to go exactly as fast as I choose, stop exactly when I want to, and get going again exactly when I’m ready to do so.

But when you’re riding with a group you have to make compromises on a lot of these things. And I do, although within limits. I’m very much a “Ride your own ride” kind of guy, and if the guys in front of me are going a lot faster than I’m comfortable with I don’t hesitate to drop back. I know where we’re going. I’ll get there in my own time.

And that’s very much what it’s all about on a lot of the RMMRC rides I go on. I used to refer to Bob and Robert as the Go-Fast Boys. The two of them on matching Gold Wings would often take the lead and if you were going to keep up with them you had better be comfortable cranking up some speed. I generally didn’t.

Robert has moved to Panama now so now it’s Dave and Bob who I think of as the Go-Fast Boys. But there are others. This came very clear on the recent Colorado Cruise, where Ralf led much of the time. Let’s put it this way: Dave considers Ralf a Go-Fast Boy.

Fortunately, there were enough of us on this ride that it was easy to break up into two groups, the fast ones and the others. I generally stuck with the slower group. But not always.

The first day out we covered 400 miles getting from Denver to Grand Junction, so by the time we were crossing Grand Mesa it was late in the day and getting a lot cooler. This didn’t seem like a time to dawdle and we didn’t. The speed limit over Grand Mesa is something like 45 but there was no traffic and we raced over at about 70 mph. Usually I’d have preferred to take my time and enjoy the scenery but this time I was OK going fast.

And while I prefer not to ride someone else’s ride, there can be benefits to pushing yourself at times. I mean, how do you improve your skills if you never challenge yourself?

So on the third day, when we rode from Ouray down to Durango, east to South Fork, and then north to Gunnison, I spent a lot of time at the tail end of the fast boys. And you know what? I did really well and felt very comfortable. For one thing, if everyone in front of you is taking this curve at this speed there’s really no reason to think you need to slow down. Just get in a groove behind the guy in front of you and follow his lead. And for the most part I did. Not entirely, but most of the time.

I can do it. I think I have a lot of skill as a rider. I’m just not an aggressive kind of person. I like going at my own pace.

Biker Quote for Today

What kind of motorcycle has the best sense of humor? Yamahahaha.

Sort of the opposite side of my mantra to never let Bill lead is probably part of the reason he is so bad a leader: he doesn’t know the roads and he doesn’t even remember the ones he has ridden previously.

Of course, Bill is not the only one in this category. I can’t count the number of times Judy and I have been out on a trip and she has remarked that, gosh, I’ve never been on this road before. Except that she has. More than once. And I can cite her those times.

Dennis is no better. Both he and Bill on this year’s OFMC trip remarked on several occasions that, gosh, I’ve never been to (blank) before. Take Scottsbluff, NE, our first night’s stop. Bill said he had never been there. I said yes you have, the OFMC was through here in 2014. And then there was the 2004 trip. When we went to dinner I pointed out that this was the same place we had eaten at in 2014 and he did recognize the place.

We got to the Black Hills and spent one day riding the Iron Mountain Road, the Needles Highway, and the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop. We stopped for a break in Keystone and then I led the way up to Hill City via Old Hill City Road. Both of them claimed they had never ridden that road before but I assured them we had all ridden it in 2014. Do you guys ever pay attention?

Then later in the trip we were in the Black Hills and we got on Nemo Road to get to Vanocker Canyon and Dennis said he had never been on this road (Nemo) before. I had to point out to him that this was the road where he almost died in 2014. We had stopped where Nemo Road intersected another road and were getting ready to roll again. I pulled across the road to get in position and without looking down the road, Dennis followed me, slowly. What he did not see because he did not look, and did not hear because of the noise of all the Harleys, was a semi coming along straight toward him. I yelled but, again, there was no way to be heard. He finally heard the scream of the truck’s brakes and goosed that Indian to scoot out of the way. Yes, Dennis you have indeed been on this road before. It was almost the last road you were ever on.

Then there was another time, the night we spent in Spearfish. We were talking about previous trips and Buffalo, WY, came up. Bill said he had never been to Buffalo. This time even Dennis joined in to say yes you have; we have spent nights there more than once.

So is it any wonder these guys have a hard time knowing where they’re going? I don’t know, I think it may just be a particular mind set, one that John and I share but these other guys don’t. John loves poring over maps, and always knows where he’s going. I wouldn’t say I love maps, but I sure as heck can read them and when I read I lodge the relevant information in my brain. That’s what they’re for, aren’t they?

But some people are just followers. This has always been true of Dennis and Bill. John used to always plan our trips. I objected, saying I wanted a say in the planning. The other guys didn’t care. Let someone else do the work; if it’s a good trip that’s all that matters. I’ll just follow whoever is leading.

Well, that’s not me. And that’s why I’m now the planner and the leader. And speaking of that, it’s getting to be about time for me to be thinking of next year’s trip. I wonder what cool stuff I’m going to come up with.

Biker Quote for Today

You were born an original, don’t die a copy.

I got the V-Strom back from Joel and what a difference!

The chain and sprockets were badly worn and I guess that can contribute to a loss of power but the real factor seems to have been the air filter. You can see in that photo just how bad that was. When I started looking into when I had last had that replaced I was more than a little embarrassed to find the answer was, oh, maybe seven years ago.

I had been out on a four-day Colorado Cruise with the RMMRC about a month ago and really noticed that the bike had trouble going over the higher passes and also in keeping up with the rest of the group on their big, powerful bikes. One night on that trip I did some googling and ran across something that said a worn chain will reduce power, and that was what got me thinking about that.

But when I mentioned it to Joel he said yeah, that might have a tiny impact, but not all that much. That’s when I started thinking about other possibilities. When I hit on the air filter it all made a lot more sense. It’s really hard to give your all when you’re struggling just to breathe.

And did you look at that filter? All those bugs and other debris embedded in it? Not to mention the whole load of dirt! Man, if anyone ever wondered why you need an air filter, just imagine all that crap being sucked into your combustion chamber. Yikes!

So within an hour after Joel dropped the bike back at my place I was out on it seeing how it would run now. Night and day. Joel told me he figured it would have a lot more zip and boy was he right. Plus, with the new chain and sprockets all that slapping I had heard for so long was just gone. Yahoo!

I can’t say enough about having machines that work well. Not to mention having the money to keep them working well. Too well I remember my younger days driving crap cars because that was all I could afford. I don’t miss those days.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker if it’s impossible to see out of your car or trucks rear window because of all the Harley stickers.

I was off camping last week down near Ridgway with a bunch of the guys and as we headed home Bill was driving. Getting to Denver is a pretty straightforward thing but it occurred to me that because we wanted to take the Clifton cut-off from US 50 up to I-70, rather than take 50 all the way to Grand Junction, I had better navigate for him.

Why? Because one thing I’ve learned and relearned is that on a motorcycle trip you should never let Bill lead. And while this was not a motorcycle trip, Bill was driving and thus totally likely to take us astray from our planned route.

I can’t begin to relate all the times on bike trips when Bill has missed turns or otherwise gone wrong when he has been in the lead. The earliest I remember is a day up in Wyoming when we were coming south from Kemmerer and needed to turn off US 189 onto WY 412 to get to I-80 at Lyman. Bill was leading and just as we got near the turn he decided to hit the throttle a bit and took off at 100 mph. John cranked it up and followed him while I pulled up to the intersection and parked. A while later John came back, having seen that I was not behind him. He had no idea where Bill was.

We waited and it was a good long wait. Finally Bill showed up, very sheepish. He had gotten nailed by a state patrolman and got a big ticket. Then when John and I never caught up to him he figured he ought to go back and see what was up. Of course, this was before the days of cell phones.

So there have been plenty of other times when Bill has shown his inability to navigate well, and this summer’s OFMC trip was no exception. Back when there were more guys doing these trips Bill didn’t often have the opportunity to take the lead but now that it’s down to just him and me and Dennis, Bill ends up leading more often, although usually I take the lead. With Bill in the lead more, the chances for errors are greatly increased.

This past summer, on the first day out, we met at a shopping plaza alongside I-76 up by Brighton. It was obvious to me that to get onto I-76 from the lot where we met up we should just go out and take a left, then a quick right to get to the highway. Bill led and immediately went to the right. I hoped that maybe he had an idea where he was going but several miles later he pulled over and as I came up beside him he asked if I knew how to get to the highway. “Follow me,” I said and went back the way we came.

A couple days later we were up in the Black Hills and we were riding the Needles Highway, the Custer State Park Wildlife Loop, and the Iron Mountain Road. I was shooting pictures with my GoPro and wanted them ahead of me in the pictures so I could not lead. At one point we stopped and I told the guys we needed to go right when we got to the highway ahead. So, of course, Dennis, who was leading, went left. He can be as bad as Bill sometimes.

We ended up backtracking and then coming out of the Wildlife Loop I told Bill, who was leading at that point, that we needed to go right up ahead. So of course he turned left. No Bill, your other right.

But that wasn’t the end of it. A couple days after that we were headed to Torrington and we had stopped a bit down the road for a break. I told Bill when we got into Torrington we needed to go right on the main street of town. This should have been fairly obvious because it was the only place you could turn because the road we came in on runs alongside a railroad track. You guessed it: he blew right past that turn and we had to go back.

So you can understand my concern heading up to the Clifton cut-off. But I was navigating so we didn’t miss it.

If you ever ride with Bill, don’t let him lead. Just don’t.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: Motorcycles always sound pleasant.

I was off with the OFMC this summer on our annual ride and saw something that made me shake my head. We were in the Black Hills and somewhere along the way I saw this guy on a motorcycle wearing a helmet that I can only describe as a hard yarmulke, or kepi. This thing would have provided exactly zero protection if he went down so why would he bother? I mean, heck, with just a chin strap it would probably just come right off in a fall.

But that line of thinking leads to a larger group of riders. People like Bill and Dennis, my riding companions. That’s Dennis in the photo.

Both of them have full-face helmets that they bring along but much of the time they wear these half-helmets. That seems pointless to me, too.

I used to ride without a helmet at all, much of the time, but at the point when I decided not to do that any more I just went the entire other direction. I mean, look at Dennis. His face is totally exposed. How much of his chin do you suppose would get scraped off in a fall? How much of his nose? At least that chin strap is a bit more secure than the one on that guy with the hard yarmulke.

I figure if I’m going to wear a helmet I want all the protection a helmet has to offer. I’ve heard of people losing half their teeth in serious crash, and having their jaws mangled. I want a helmet that will . . . wait for it . . . protect my head. All of my head.

I know, I know. There are people who would criticize me because I don’t wear my reinforced riding pants all the time. I just wear jeans most of the time in summer. That’s not ATGATT. So I probably shouldn’t roll my eyes too much at people who feel differently than me on these other things. And I don’t. I never say anything to Bill or Dennis but I do say things to myself. I guess we all get to choose our own version of stupid.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 36. We think leather bras are fine lingerie.

I talked about what it took to get this top bag attached to my Concours, and now I’ve had it for a while and have had a number of chances to put it to use. I have to say, I love it.

I got it on in time to have it on the OFMC trip in July and it proved every bit as welcome as I expected it would. For years I had envied my friends and how when we would stop somewhere they would just take off their helmets and jackets, drop them in their top bag, close it, and walk away. Meanwhile I was locking my helmet to the bike and hauling my heavy, bulky jacket with me everywhere I went. Now, I know a lot of people just leave their jackets on their bikes, unsecured, but I carry my wallet with my ID and credit cards in my jacket pocket and there’s no way I want to leave that just draped over the seat or the tank. And the wallet is too bulky to comfortably carry in my pants pocket. Plus, I guess I’m not as trusting as some people that no one will take my unsecured jacket. Heck, one time someone stole Bill’s mirror right off his bike. Some people really are low.

So the bag was a huge success on the trip. It’s also nice on other rides. I just pop it open, toss in my rain suit and warmer gloves, maybe an extra layer–whatever I want. It’s much easier than using the side bags. They open sideways and it’s easy for stuff to spill out. Plus, on one side I secure the thing with a strap because it has been known to come off the rail next thing I know it’s dangling out over the road, held on only by the lock. So that’s just another nuisance, undoing and then redoing that strap.

Around home, for errands, it’s great. Once a month I make a trip to the wine store and the bread store. Now I put the wine in the side bag without the strap but the bread goes in the top bag where it won’t get crushed.

All of this totally ignores the options this opens up when Judy and I ride together. When I’m traveling the side bags are generally full and I put my rain suit in my tank bag. With Judy it gets complicated. Not only do we have more stuff but more stuff to secure when we stop. Now we can put both jackets in the top bag while securing the helmets to the bike, as before.

I could go on but there’s no point. This thing is great. It was worth the extra effort.

Biker Quote for Today

You know you’re a biker when your dirty clothes smell like exhaust and beer.