Over Cottonwood And Home

October 5th, 2026


Looking east from on top of Cottonwood Pass.

Nick and I got up in Gunnison the morning of the fourth day of our four-day ride and it was 37 degrees outside. I’ve known for a long time that Gunnison is known for being very cold in the winter but this was September. It turns out, Gunnison is in a basin that cold air settles down into and stays. And sure enough, once we got rolling and up out of the basin the temperature quickly rose.

In the meantime we put on all our warmest clothes. We headed north on CO 135, in the direction of Crested Butte, then at Almont turned onto the road that goes up through Taylor Canyon and over Cottonwood Pass, down to Buena Vista on the other side. We had a very nice ride up Taylor Canyon with almost no traffic. Just a beautiful cruise. On up to the top of the pass and a stop. That was where I met and spoke with that guy on the Honda Pacific Coast.

We ran on down into Buena Vista and stopped to shed layers, then the short jaunt south to where US 24 hits US 285 east to Denver. We made that turn, crossed the bridge over the train tracks, and came to a dead halt with traffic lined up as far as you could see. It turned out they were making improvements to the old, two-lane bridge crossing the Arkansas River and it was one lane at a time. But for some reason they were just allowing westbound traffic for about 15 minutes solid. What the heck?

I considered doing a U-turn and going back into Buena Vista, to take a road that I knew ran out from there to 285 on the other side of the river. We didn’t, and it was a good thing. As we finally started moving I saw that the road I had in mind apparently crosses back to the west side of the river and brings you into the Johnson Village area where we were right into the thick of this back-up.

The good thing about waiting so long was that the only traffic ahead of us anywhere were those vehicles waiting ahead of us to proceed. A bunch of cars and maybe four trucks. If we could get past the trucks we would have a wide open road ahead of us. And it was another beautiful day to ride.

Thanks to a couple passing lanes we did get past the trucks and we blasted. Only to Fairplay, though. Then it was time for lunch.

This Saturday was a holiday weekend, though, and there just wasn’t all that much traffic. That was a large part of why we picked these particular days to do this trip. Normally coming back into Denver on Sunday is absolutely horrid and Saturday is not much better. With Monday being Labor Day, though, we knew all the big traffic would be on Monday.

Which is to say, we made very good time getting down the mountain and into Denver. Then there we were once again crossing town on a hot afternoon. But there wasn’t all that much traffic in town either so our suffering was minimal.

Nice to get home.

Biker Quote for Today

I like my world. I love the wind. Peace and respect for all biker sisters and brothers.

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Riding The Million-Dollar Highway

October 1st, 2026


As far as the general public can go on the road at the bottom of the Black Canyon.

Nick was underwhelmed. His number one objective in coming out from Chicago was to ride this magical “Million-Dollar Highway” that he had heard so much about. I guess he thought the sheer canyon portion of it ran most of the distance between Durango and Ouray. When it turned out that stretch is only about 10 miles he was let down. Oh well. It’s still a terrific ride in my opinion.

We left Durango that morning and I needed gas. Nick had just filled up in South Fork so he was fine. Because he only buys gas from “top tier” stations I rode past a couple I would have stopped at, plus one he would have stopped at that was on the other side of the street. It’s just so much easier if the station is right there on your right.

But there isn’t much gas on the right side of the road on your way north out of Durango. No matter, I knew there was a station ahead before we would get up on Molas Pass. If Nick didn’t want to get gas there that was his choice.

Well, it was a Marathon and he’s OK with Marathon, so we both filled up. I had been leading and expected to continue to lead but we pulled up to get on the highway and he took off, at a point where there was traffic approaching that I would have let get by.

So I took off, too, and as we got into our lane he nailed his throttle. I did the same but my 650 Suzuki does not have the acceleration his 1200 BMW does. Just then I was startled to find a truck hauling a couple cars screaming past me on the right. I’m sure that driver had many choice curse words for me. Why did this idiot pull out in front of him like that when he was moving so fast!!?? You really do need to ride your own ride.

That left us separated, which was fine with me at that point, until Nick stopped at the top of Molas Pass, as I figured he would. We had no desire to stop in Silverton so we just continued past and headed on up Red Mountain Pass. On over the top, down, and through the relatively short section of canyon. Down into Ouray and it was time for a break.

We had been kicking around going up to Montrose and then east by way of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison or up to Delta, then east to Hotchkiss. We decided to go to Montrose. We got to the turn-off for the national park and headed on in. We had ridden up CO 92 along the north rim of the Black Canyon the last time Nick had been out so this time we agreed to ride the south rim. After that we headed for the East Portal Road.

The East Portal Road is a very steep, twisty road that goes from the rim all the way down to the river at the bottom. It’s a favorite with motorcyclists. We went down and road the stretch at the bottom that goes as far upriver as you can. Got off the bikes, shot a few pictures, and headed back up and out. Then back to US 50 and on to Gunnison.

Going past the Blue Mesa Reservoir it was more empty than I have ever seen it. The word is that they are draining most of the upriver reservoirs in order to keep Lake Mead from dropping so low that the hydro plant can no longer produce electricity. We’re in a serious drought.

At Gunnison we checked in at our motel, a place the OFMC has stayed but which more recently had tried to shift to a more upper crust clientele. Apparently that effort did not work out well because we had gotten our room there that night at a very good price.

And that was day three of this four-day trip.

Biker Quote for Today

100 reasons not to date a biker: 23. Can’t find us? We’re in the garage again. We live in the garage.

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West To Durango

September 28th, 2026


Stopped on top of Wolf Creek Pass.

Slept late the morning of our second day on this four-day trip, but Nick and I were on the road by 9 anyway. I like motels that provide a breakfast for you. It saves a lot of money and it’s a heck of a lot faster than going to a restaurant and waiting to be served.

We headed west out of Walsenburg over La Veta Pass on US 160 and then down to Alamosa. Then it was already time to stop for a cup of coffee. I had mapped out this ride figuring to go south from Alamosa to Antonito then over Cumbres and La Manga Passes to Chama, New Mexico, then west and north again to regain 160 at Pagosa Springs. I didn’t know if Nick ever been over Wolf Creek Pass but I was sure he had never been over Cumbres and La Manga.

We talked over coffee and he did not think he had been over Wolf Creek so we opted for that route. It was once again a beautiful day for riding but I figured it would be cool going over Wolf Creek so at a gas stop in South Fork I put on a sweatshirt. I probably didn’t need it because it was pretty warm but I didn’t regret having it on. I’d rather be too warm than too cool.

We stopped at the view point on the way down and Nick was properly impressed. It really is a terrific view.

At Pagosa I was very interested to see what progress they had made on the huge reconstruction project they have on the main road all the way through town. I naively thought they must be close to wrapping it up but not on your life. They have made substantial progress but they are nowhere close to done. It’s going to be another year for sure.

We wanted to have lunch here and with all the construction it can be hard to find places or to find parking. But we saw one cafe with a parking lot and pulled off. Walked up to the door and found they were closed. Dang. Nick checked his phone and found another place just half a block down the street so we walked there. This place was Sage. They didn’t have a very extensive menu so I just ordered a burger and I have to tell you, this was the best burger I have eaten in years. It was great! Sadly, Nick’s chicken sandwich was nothing to write home about but if you’re in Pagosa and want a burger, go to Sage!

From Pagosa it is a short run to where CO 151 forks off from US 160, and it is in that V where you will find Chimney Rock National Monument. We stopped to get a couple pix and then cruised on to Durango. I had had a motel in mind in Durango but Nick was making that night’s reservations and he found a place right in downtown for a very good price, the Durango Lodge. I’m not sure how he found it because the search engines don’t list is as an option–they probably refuse to pay Google to be listed. But that allows them to keep their prices down and it’s a nice place.

One of the nicest things about it was that it was just a block from the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum. We had visited this free museum when the OFMC was in Durango a few years ago and had been really impressed. It’s well worth a visit. Nick was equally impressed, although unfortunately we arrived when they were set to close in 15 minutes so we didn’t get to see all that much.

Time to find dinner.

Biker Quote for Today

Flat tracks will abound in Utopia.

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First Day On Four-Day Colorado Ride

September 24th, 2026


On top of Skyline Drive.

Nick and I headed out on a four-day clock-wise loop ride through Colorado, getting on the road about 9 a.m. We headed out US 285 up to Pine Junction and then turned south. Our first stop of the day was at Deckers. There were maybe 8 other bikes there at the time but in less than five minutes another dozen or so came pouring in. Looked like a good day to ride.

We were set up with Cardo communicators and on the “Public” frequency so we were curious if we’d pick up anyone else’s conversation but we did not. There were a bunch of Cardos on those helmets, though.

We continued south to Woodland Park, passing through the burn area of the Hayman Fire 25 years ago. For the first time I noticed the new growth finally looking like it was really getting established. So 25 years to come back from the fire.

At Woodland Park we turned west to Divide, then south to Cripple Creek. Just a very few aspens starting to turn color at this point. Our interest was not in Cripple Creek itself, though I’m sure Nick was interested to see the place because it is pretty picturesque, but we really just wanted to go through it and on south further. That’s a really nice ride in case you’ve never done it.

As we hooked up with CO 9 and then US 50 we headed on into Canon City. My first eye-opener of the trip for Nick was Skyline Drive. He was not expecting it and was a bit unsure, telling me he found it “slightly unnerving.” Guardrails? I don’t need no stinkin’ guardrails.

After lunch in Canon City we continued to Florence, then south on CO 67. Now we were getting into an area I have certainly been through numerous times but where I am not totally acquainted with all the roads. I had looked at the map beforehand but that’s not always enough. We got to where 67 meets CO 96 and I took the right. I believed this was the correct route but Nick is one of those guy who has every gadget and he was looking at his GPS. We were headed for Walsenburg that day and his GPS was telling him to go the other way.

We cruised a bit–me unsure and him arguing for the other direction–and eventually we turned back. We got past where we had gotten on this road, went further, and the terrain was not looking like mountains at all, it was looking like the prairie. I asked Nick where his GPS showed this road taking us and he said straight to Pueblo. Pueblo?! No! We do not want to go to Pueblo. We stopped and I checked the map and sure enough, I was right in the first place. So we turned around again, riding one particular stretch of this road for the third time. Good thing we’re not going far today.

Following 96 south we got behind a guy in a pick-up who was going slow. And he kept going slower. And slower. Nick offered that he was probably slowing down to let us get past him. That was fine, and courteous of him, but we were in a stretch full of blind curves. I don’t care how slow you’re going, I’m not passing you on a blind curve. We finally did get around him, and then turned south again on CO 165.

The next eye-opener of the trip came up soon enough, Bishop Castle. Nick handles his bike well at speed but he is one of those folks who absolutely hate gravel. That’s one thing that made our turning around and turning around again particularly troublesome because he insisted on doing so on pavement–and pavement wasn’t necessarily available in those places. I told him he had no choice, we were stopping here and there was no pavement. But I picked a spot where we could pull right off the road, arc around, and stop with our noses to the road just a couple feet away. He didn’t like it but he went along with me.

Nick perplexed me several times on this ride. We walked up to Bishop Castle but being an Easterner (Chicago) he was feeling the altitude and had no inclination to go in the castle or climb up into any of the turrets. Instead, he pulled out his phone and spent 10 minutes reading about . . . the Hayman Fire. I finally slapped him on the shoulder and asked, “We’re standing at the base of Bishop Castle. Why are you reading about the Hayman Fire?” His response: “I’m just compulsive.”

Heading out from Bishop Castle we did not check first to see that our communicators were talking to each other and it turned out they weren’t. No matter, we don’t have far to go and we both know where we’re going.

Good thing because coming into Colorado City there is a turn-off, a short-cut, that takes you to join I-25 further south. But it is not well marked. I went past it but with no communicators Nick could not tell me that his GPS was saying to take this turn. I saw him waving in my mirror and turning so I went back, expecting to find him waiting for me there. He was not.

I didn’t know for certain this was where he turned so I checked Google Maps. Google Maps told me the cut-off was a little further back so I went there. Turned down this road and it quickly became gravel. This was the second of three times recently when Google Maps has sent me on wild goose chases. I turned around again and this time just headed on into Colorado City and I-25.

I blasted south on I-25, got to Walsenburg, and the motel was right there. Nick was in the lobby but informed me they did not have a reservation for tonight under my name. What? It turns out I screwed up making the reservation and booked it for a week later. Fortunately the lady at the desk was able to straighten it all out and we got our room.

OK, first day is in the books. We had our share of screw-ups. But hey, we’re out riding.

Biker Quote for Today

You might be a Yuppie biker if the only time you’ve thrown up is when you’ve had the flu or just had too many veggie fajitas.

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Final 2 Of 10 Threats To Motorcycling

September 21st, 2026


E-bikes: Threat or promise?

Figured I ought to finish this up. In May American Motorcyclist magazine published a piece on the “10 Biggest Threats to Motorcycling” and I’ve been running through them. Here are numbers 9 and 10.

Distracted Driving
Do I really need to explain this? We’ve all seen the danger, and some of us have suffered the consequences, when people look at their cellphones when they should be paying attention to the road. And other than pedestrians or bicyclists there is no one out there more vulnerable than us. What really matters here is the fix for the problem.

Per the AMA, the way to go is for more states to pass legislation increasing penalties for distracted driving. They do not specifically cite use of cellphones; rather, they focus on all modes of distracted driving. That makes sense. You’re just as badly hurt if the driver was searching for something in a purse as you would be if there was a cellphone involved.

Also, “the AMA supports the prominent placement of signage that notifies roadway users that the state provides specific sanctions for those convicted of moving violations while operating a motor vehicle in a distracted or inattentive manner.”

Does that really go far enough? Probably not, but until all states get on this bandwagon I guess we ought to at least focus on making these basic approaches universal.

E-Bikes, Bad Behavior & Unintended Regulations
I see I’m not the only one who has been harping on the issues with the proliferation of power-assisted bicycles and small electric bikes. Additionally, after writing about this topic a few times I recently received emails from folks associated with Bicycle Colorado, asking me to join with them in addressing the issue because they see it as a threat as well. As one of their emails said, they support the increased options for mobility but “their rapid rise has outpaced the safety measures needed to keep everyone protected.”

The concern the AMA raises is primarily unintended or unfair regulation that might group motorcyclists in with all these (mostly) kids who are riding recklessly and creating the issue. But the AMA is also concerned about their safety, at least to the extent that any two-wheeled crash involving a motor reflects badly on motorcycling.

The fix, says the AMA, “starts with responsible, law-abiding motorcyclists having a strong incentive to promote good behavior and call out conduct that harms the reputation of the riding community as a whole.” They call for education and training for e-bikers, and also for “targeted, well-informed regulation rather than broad sweeping restrictions. The big first step there will be to clearly define what mode of vehicle is what and then focus legislation specifically on that mode that is at issue.

————–

OK. Those are the major threats, at least in the eyes of the AMA. Whatever each of us can do individually can only help. And if you don’t do anything, and later see your rights getting trampled on, look first in the mirror for one culprit.

Biker Quote for Today

Pretty stoked to be on a bike right now.

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A Beloved Honda Pacific Coast

September 17th, 2026


I saw this guy up on top of Cottonwood Pass.

When I first started riding motorcycles for real–as opposed to once in a while as a kid–John was receiving copies of various motorcycle magazines from the wife of a friend of his who had died. John would read them and pass them along to me.

One of the very first magazines I ever saw was Rider magazine with a picture of the brand new Honda Pacific Coast on the cover. That cover really struck me, such an unusual bike, and while I have no recollection of so many Rider covers over all these years, I still remember that one clearly.

The Pacific Coast was a dud for Honda. It was really not much more than a glorified scooter and at 800cc it was universally agreed to be seriously underpowered. You saw a few for a few years and then they just pretty much disappeared.

I saw one last week. Nick and I were up on top of Cottonwood Pass and this guy came in and parked. I said oh my gosh and went to have a look.

Nice guy. Loves the heck out of that bike. He told me he bought this one used (not his first) about two years ago and it had 20,000 miles on it then. It now has 89,000. He loves that bike.

He hasn’t had a bit of trouble with it but there is one difficulty I’m familiar with. It’s almost impossible to find the right tires for it. I had a 1999 Kawasaki Concours for 25 years and in later years the only tires I could find of the right size cost me about $250 apiece. If I could find them. So at the suggestion of Jungle, who had a nearly identical Concours, I took to running tires that were not what Kawasaki intended. That is, Kawasaki wanted radials and I was running bias-ply. You know what? They worked just fine.

So now the guy–I didn’t ask his name–was headed down to Arizona. Decided to come through Colorado and the mountains on his way. Stopped on top of Cottonwood just long enough to take a break and then he was off again.

Got more miles to put on this baby.

Biker Quote for Today

To me it doesn’t matter whether it’s raining or the sun is shining or whatever: as long as I’m riding a bike I know I’m the luckiest guy in the world.

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