I’m following up today on a couple other questions posed by Barry, from Alabama, who is coming with some buddies to Colorado this summer to ride.
Barry asks, “We have to make some decisions about where to start in Colorado, north around Denver, or along the New Mexico border. We are definitely going to ride the train in Durango. Also is it fairly secure and safe to leave your bike parked while you are gone for a day on a train ride?”
I don’t know if there are any clear-cut answers to either of these questions but I’ll speak in generalities. First of all, these guys are coming in September, when the aspen trees will be displaying their fall colors. As I said Monday, that means the weather can be bad at times. The problem with any predictions this far off is that while it is generally warmer and dryer in the southwestern part of the state, there could still be a storm that hits that area just when they’re going to be there. Nevertheless, on the whole, you would probably be better off doing the northern part of your trip first and moving gradually south. That would also put the return portion of your trip through the more-southern states, where you would also be more likely to avoid bad weather.
While some of the higher passes and roads, such as Trail Ridge Road or Mount Evans, do close for the winter, they won’t be closing yet in September. So that’s not an issue. On the other hand, you could get snowstorms on those roads that would make them impassable momentarily. You’re going to want to check the weather forecast and keep your plans flexible.
Keep in mind, too, that while Durango is in the southwestern part of the state, that is a mountainous region and Durango is one of the coldest spots in Colorado in winter. The only realistic thing to do is plan for the worst and hope for the best. And remember that the weather is changeable, and snow at 10 am does not mean you won’t see 60 degrees and sunshine by 1 pm.
As for the safety of leaving your bike for the day, by and large there is not a lot of crime in Colorado. At least not compared to a lot of places. When we first started taking our trips we wondered how safe it was to leave our bikes fully loaded and go in somewhere, or wander off down the street. But in all the years we’ve now been doing this we have never had a single problem. Nothing on any of our bikes has ever been touched.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take precautions. If you have a motel room I would leave my stuff in the room. Then take your normal security measures with your bike. It never hurts to talk to someone at the establishment you’re patronizing to see if they can recommend a secure parking location. Of course, putting a cover over your bike is never a bad idea. What someone can’t see they generally are not tempted to steal.
When I was wrenching with the Concours Owners Group recently the guy, Steve, who helped me install my highway pegs had a ’99 Connie just like mine. But that’s like saying a Macintosh apple is just the same as a Red Delicious apple, just because they’re both apples. Steve has every electronic gadget imaginable on his bike, while mine is nearly stock. He has all his electrics wired to connect to his tank bag, where all the controllers live. When he parks the bike he disconnects a wire or two, zips the tank bag, and takes it with him. That means he leaves his GPS and radar detector and everything else on the bike. They’re bolted on but they’re there. He told me when he is nervous about leaving it he just covers it, and he has never had a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, people do steal motorcycles in Colorado, just like everywhere else. My buddy Bill had his Harley stolen from outside a restaurant where he was eating. That was in Denver, though, where I think you tend to have more dishonest people than you do in a place like Durango. The key point here then, again, is to use common sense. If you take reasonable measures you’ll probably be fine. And then don’t spoil your trip worrying about what might happen.
Biker Quote for Today
There are two simple rules for riding smoothly and safely in snow and on ice. Unfortunately nobody knows what they are.
