Passes & Canyons Blog

The term “lobbyist” often carries a negative connotation but in fact, whenever you or I contact our elected representatives about an issue that concerns us, we are lobbying. If the citizens of a representative democracy–which is what we have–did not express their concerns their elected officials would be hard put to know what mattered to the folks back home.

ABATE of Colorado has designated April 20 as ABATE Lobby Day at the state capitol. As the notice states, “This day is to introduce ABATE to new legislators and say hi to those who already know us. We’d like you to get the experience of interacting with our public servants.”

What an idea. Get a bunch of folks who have common interests–in this case, regarding motorcycling issues–to meet with their elected officials and build a relationship. And in the course of building that relationship, make those officials aware of issues and concerns they may very well have no knowledge of at all.

Take the MOST program, for example. The Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program is a program that trains riders in riding skills. It is paid for by a surcharge each of us pays when we renew our licenses and plates. It’s something we requested. And now it’s being threatened by people who don’t seem to understand that this is how it came to be and who somehow feel it is wrong that they have to pay an amount less than what they would drop on a cup of coffee at Starbucks for something that benefits all motorcyclists.

Most legislators probably have never even heard of MOST. Go meet with your reps and talk to them about it, and other issues as well. Even if you also oppose MOST, it’s better if they understand what it is and why people support it and oppose it.

So the date is April 20. This is not something ABATE is setting up; you’ll need to contact your legislator on your own and make an appointment with them on that day. ABATE is just coordinating things so, with any luck, there will be a significant amount of black leather and such all there at the capitol at one time. Strength in numbers, you know?

Maybe I’ll see you there.

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Biker Quote for Today

Eliminate safety devices and let natural selection run its course, to help rid us of all these dumbass drivers on the roads.

Are you aware that when you renew your plates on your motorcycle(s) each year in Colorado you pay $4 that goes into a fund to help defray the cost of rider training courses? Also, anyone renewing their driver’s license with motorcycle accreditation pays an extra $2 that goes to the same fund.

This is all set in place because some years ago the motorcycling community asked for it. The general idea is that it is a good thing for everybody to have the folks riding motorcycles actually get some training so they can do it competently. The accompanying concept was that such a program could help to forestall proposals that Colorado institute a mandatory helmet law. That is to say, education and better riding skills do more to prevent traffic fatalities than wearing helmets. Or, to put it differently, crash prevention is better than having safer crashes.

Regardless of how you might feel about helmet laws, I don’t see how anyone can argue that it is not better to avoid crashing than to crash and not get hurt so badly.

The vehicle for this funneling of fees to rider training is Colorado’s Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program or MOST. MOST is now under attack, in some cases from organizations that originally supported its creation.

I could go on at great length with the history and background of what is currently going on, as ABATE of Colorado’s State Coordinator Terry Howard did with me, but I’ll give you the short version.

ABATE, Riders for Justice, some of the motorcycle clubs, dealerships, and others pushed for the training approach. Over the years the program was not given sufficient oversight and some problems developed. The Colorado Legislature this past year conducted an audit of the program and identified a number of issues. Several of those issues were immediately addressed and rectified and the rest will soon have been fixed.

In the meantime, however, new people have replaced the old, and in organizations such as the Colorado Confederation of Clubs (COC) which came into existence later, there is no understanding of the history of and reasons for the fees. Some of the previous supporters are now saying, “Why should we have to pay to reduce the cost for other people to learn to ride?”

In a twist that gives fits to Terry Howard, a Republican, the legislative audit committee was divided on party lines–with the Republicans being the ones she finds herself in opposition to. In the current anti-tax atmosphere, the Republicans on the committee are in favor of eliminating MOST and letting us keep our $4 and $2 fees. It is the Democrats who are saying, “The motorcyclists asked for this program, and for these fees to be levied on them, so let’s keep the fees and keep the program they fund.”

One other thing to keep in mind: If MOST is killed there is no certainty that the fees will be eliminated. We could end up paying the fees without getting the benefit.

The committee deadlocked in this past session, but it seems likely that Republican Rep. Marsha Looper, of Colorado Springs, will introduce legislation in the next session to kill MOST. This would be a good topic for all Colorado motorcyclists to learn more about, and then do what you can to educate your legislators, whether you support MOST or oppose it. Most of them don’t know anything at all about it.

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Biker Quote for Today

Statistics show that most solo motorcycle accidents are caused by a defective nut holding the handlebars.

OK, it has taken about five months but I’ve finally gotten re-energized about becoming a RiderCoach and teaching other people to ride motorcycles. You may recall that I took RiderCoach training way back in June, and I passed it successfully, but my experience was rather dismal and discouraging. There were more steps to take before I could actually become an instructor but I didn’t take any of them, until now.

I was calling over to ABATE of Colorado a couple weeks ago to speak with Terry Howard, the state coordinator, and Ben Hochberg picked up the phone. Ben is the head of ABATE’s rider training program, and was the lead instructor in the RiderCoach class. I figured what the heck, I’ve got Ben on the line, I might as well talk to him about moving ahead.

So I did, and he told me a bit about what I need to do next, and said he would send me the paperwork they need. One thing I knew they needed was for me to get affiliated with the state’s MOST program, the Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program. I contacted Paul Peterson, the honcho over at MOST, and he emailed the materials they need back from me. So now it’s a matter of getting all this pulled together.

It has taken me till now to do all this because I ended the RiderCoach training feeling very discouraged. I didn’t feel I did very well in the class, despite passing, because I had several major screw-ups. I guess I finally worked my way through understanding and accepting those screw-ups. For one thing, the kinds of things I did wrong were things that I’m never likely to do again. Learning is a matter of trial and error. I made my errors; now I know not to do those things again. I know I can do this, I just needed some time for my confidence to return.

Additionally, though, the training was a very unpleasant experience because we were standing out on hot asphalt all day on blazing hot days. I was feeling pretty bad, which may have contributed to my poor performance. The training ended on Sunday and I went, as I always do, to the gym on Monday for a work-out. Stepping on the scale at the gym I found that I was down six pounds from my normal weight. That was odd. Then, two days later, back at the gym, having done nothing out of the ordinary, I had regained all of those six pounds.

My conclusion is that I must have become seriously dehydrated during those days out on the range, despite drinking a lot of water. And of course, that would have affected my mental performance. So OK, let’s learn from this. I figure that if when I go out on the range on hot days like that, I make sure to drink a bottle or two of GatorAde or some other drink to restore electrolytes, I’ll probably be in much, much better condition. And do a better job.

Presumably I’ll find out if I’m right about all this. I’m sure you’ll be able to read about it here in the next few months. Wish me well.

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Biker Quote for Today

Look for their eyes, that way you know if you are about to be in an accident or if they are going to do it on purpose.

It’s almost December but that doesn’t mean the organized motorcycle rides are over for the year. There are at least three that I know of and I’m definitely not all-knowing.

Two of these are toy runs, to collect gifts for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have much of a Christmas. The other is ABATE’s Last Brass Monkey Run.

This Sunday coming right up is when Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson will be sponsoring its 26th Annual Toy Run, which collects gifts for kids at Children’s Hospital. The ride starts out in Aurora, at Aurora Sports Park, 18601 Sports Park Drive. Registration is one new, unwrapped toy.

Then, two Sundays later, the Sleigh Riders Motorcycle Toy Run will be held to benefit the Santa Cops program of Weld County. Again, registration is one new, unwrapped toy. The gathering place is in Greeley, at Maui Wowi of Greeley, 2939 65th Ave.

ABATE of Colorado’s Last Brass Monkey Run is scheduled each year to be the last ride of the year. Thanks to the calendar, this year’s run will actually be on Dec. 31, a Saturday. There are two starting points, on the west side and the east side of the metro area, with the destination being the Grizzly Rose, at 58th and I-25. West siders will be gathering at Wrigley’s, in Golden, at 18200 W. Colfax. On the east side, the Pioneer Club is the spot, 18881 E. Colfax. The event offers food, games, a chili cook-off, door prizes, and live music. Riders will start leaving at 10 a.m. and the party gears up at the Grizzly Rose at noon.

So don’t even think about putting that bike away for the winter. There’s plenty of good riding to be done in the next few months.

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Helmet cams let you relive the ride

Biker Quote for Today

My goal is to see how many gallons of dead dinosaurs I can send through my bike.

It was a statement that many felt needed to be made, but time moves ahead and sometimes you just have to let it go.

At the request of ABATE of Colorado‘s southern districts, the group’s long-standing boycott of the Red River Rally, in Red River, NM, may be coming to an end.

The boycott was agreed upon following a fatal crash during the 2004 rally and the aftermath of that incident. A 15-year-old boy, without a driver’s license, was playing chicken with a friend and ran head-on into two motorcycles carrying four people. Two of the four died and one was severely injured, losing a leg among other injuries. The four were all Coloradans and ABATE members.

Authorities in Taos County, where the incident occurred, chose only to order the boy into counseling, levied a $175 fine, and allowed him to keep his learner’s permit. That was too much to take, and ABATE voted to institute the boycott. The idea was to stop Colorado dollars from bolstering the economy in the Red River area by keeping Colorado riders away from the rally.

According to Terry Howard, state coordinator for ABATE of Colorado, the boycott was reasonably effective the first year but each year less so. Now, the southern districts feel that continuing the boycott is hindering their efforts to attract members, and they have asked that it be ended. Each ABATE district has been asked to vote on whether they agree with the move, and the matter will then be decided at the next state board meeting.

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Biker Quote for Today

ATGATT: Cooler than a skin graft.

Motorcyclists generally don’t need a reason to ride, they just need a destination. If that destination comes with the possibility of winning a bit of cash, so much the better. All the poker runs that go on all summer long attest to that.

Well, here’s an option to consider for next year. (It’s a little late to be getting started this year.)

The ABATE of Colorado Statewide Tour is set up in this manner. For $15 you buy a book–your passport–and in the book are a variety of stops located all over the state. Your job is then to visit as many of these stops as possible and create a record of having been there. For every five stops you visit you get one entry into the grand prize drawing that is held Dec. 31 at the Last Brass Monkey Run. The top prize is $1,000 and there are other prizes of lesser amounts.

I talked with Terry Howard, the State Coordinator, and here’s what she told me about the tour.

In this year’s book there are 120 stops; there should be more in the 2012 book. These include restaurants, bars, parks, museums, and more. If it’s a business ABATE asks that you go in and make a small purchase so that the merchant has an incentive to continue to pay for inclusion. Whether you do or not, you need to shoot a photo of yourself with your passport booklet in front of the business, or whatever the stop may be.

This year, 2011, is the first year ABATE of Colorado has run this fundraiser. Several other states, such as Wisconsin and Indiana, have similar programs and that the program here is based on those. Next year’s passport booklets will go on sale at the Last Brass Monkey Run. At the end of the year you’ll need to get your materials to ABATE by Dec. 15 so that the winners can be determined by Dec. 31.

So there you go. You can support ABATE, visit some places you’ve never been before, and have destinations galore. And heck, you might even win some money in the process. Count me in for next year. As much as I get around this state I suspect I’ll have quite a few entries in the drawing.

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Biker Quote for Today

Borrow my dog, perhaps, borrow my girlfriend, possible, borrow my motorcycle, NEVER!

The weather was beautiful on Sunday but I overslept so my decision was made for me: I went to my ABATE meeting, not the Old Bike Ride. Had I gone on the OBR I’d be here telling you about it. It occurred to me I might do the same with the ABATE meeting. I suspect most people who don’t belong to ABATE don’t have much idea what the group is about. Let me enlighten you.

I’m in ABATE of Colorado District 10, which meets the fourth Sunday of the month at the Frontier Club out at 18881 E. Colfax in Aurora. The meeting is set for 10 a.m., but in this case I rolled in about 10:15 and they just got underway a couple minutes later. As with so many organizations’ meetings, it began with a pledge to the flag and then the minutes from the previous meeting were read, discussed, amended, and approved. Then came the treasurer’s report.

Local and national legislative reports followed, keeping the members abreast of possible legislation that could affect motorcyclists. Then we finally got into what is really the meat of these meetings.

While the main focus with ABATE is on rider training and protecting motorcyclists’ rights, it’s also a group that promotes riding and the social aspects of riding. Both the state group and the local districts plan and organize runs and rallies and other events and if you ever wondered how those things are pulled together, a lot of it happens right here at the monthly meetings. There’s work to be done and there are no pixies to wave magic wands and make it happen. Each event has a committee that handles the serious work but the whole group is called upon for its support.

In this case, planning was underway for a Motorcycle Expo out at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on August 13, the Randy Run that raises money to help riders who have gone down and been injured, and there was even some discussion of events as far in the future as Christmas and Halloween.

One of the districts has acquired a trailer and the intent is to use it in parades to help broaden awareness of ABATE’s purposes. The state organization has asked the districts for their ideas on the type of display to use on the trailer, so we brainstormed a bit.

There was also discussion and planning for the free brisket meal that ABATE will be serving to racers out at High Plains Raceway on June 11. While ABATEs in other states are not generally on good terms with sportbikers, in Colorado it is different. ABATE of Colorado is sponsoring three racers this year, as well as the corner crews, and for the second year will be offering this free feed to everyone at the track. It’s all a part of continuing to nurture the favorable relationship that State Coordinator Terry Howard has helped create.

And then it was all over, that is, unless you were a member of one of the planning committees. Then it was time for that committee to meet. Nope, no pixies with magic wands here. Just a bunch of people donating their time to support their two-wheeled passion.

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Biker Quote for Today

SGSOTT = Some Gear Some of The Time.

I’m not a procrastinator, but sometimes it looks that way. It’s just that I learned a long time ago that it frequently pays to put off making decisions because so often there will be a turn of events that makes the decision for you. In this case, I was saying just a week ago here that I definitely planned to go on the Old Bike Ride 9 this coming Sunday. Now I’m not so sure.

I have a conflict. If I want to go on the OBR I need to be in Golden at 9 a.m. or so. But I’m also an ABATE member and our district meeting is at 10 a.m. in Aurora. This might not be an issue except that I’ve missed this meeting every month for the last six months at least. Several times I was out of town, a couple times I just plain forgot it, and once or twice I got screwed up with meetings rescheduled due to holidays. I’m not the kind of guy who joins an organization with no intention of participating. If I’m not going to participate why bother joining? I was really determined to make it to this month’s meeting, but I hadn’t looked at the calendar.

This is where postponing decisions comes in. We’ve had a lot of rain and cold weather lately. If it’s raining on Sunday morning I’m going to go to ABATE. If it’s a beautiful day I’ll make my decision then.

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Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles are better than women because your parents don’t remain in touch with your old motorcycle after you dump it.