Archive for the ‘OFMC’ Category

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OFMC Hits The Road For 2019 Trip

Thursday, August 1st, 2019
motorcyclists stopped along the road

The OFMC (just three of us!) stopped along the road.

It was like the early days of the OFMC when Bill and Dennis and I took off for this year’s trip. Originally the group was three of us–Bill, John, and me. John no longer rides and a lot of others who used to ride with us have gone their separate ways so now we are back to three. We miss the camaraderie of the others but riding with three bikes–rather then ten–is a pleasure.

On a blazing hot day we headed west on I-70 and then north on U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass and down to Winter Park and Granby. Just west of Granby we turned onto CO 125. This road goes over Willow Creek Pass to Walden, in North Park. I don’t have Willow Creek Pass on this website but after riding it a number of times I have concluded I need to add it. We’ll see if I get it done this year or not.

We have ridden Willow Creek Pass north to south before but I’m pretty sure this was the first time we’ve ridden it south to north, so it was sort of the first of several firsts on a variety of roads on this trip. And it was terrific. A really nice road through a very nice area–albeit with about a million dead pine trees–and almost zero traffic.

We stopped for lunch in Walden and as we were getting ready to head onward three other guys on bikes–younger guys–pulled in. Of course we talked. Like us in the old days, they were out for a week and had no plans as to route or stops. And like us back then, if there were no motels available they had their camping gear. The one difference was that they were on much more capable machines and their gear was probably better than even ours is today. For us in the beginning, gear consisted of two gym bags loaded with stuff tied together and thrown over the seat behind us, plus tent and sleeping bag bungeed on.

Heading north out of Walden we entered Wyoming and made our next stop at Saratoga. All we wanted besides to stretch our legs was shade–it was still blazing hot! Then on to Rawlins for the night.

In the morning we expected more heat so we didn’t put on anything for warmth. We were going to be crossing central Wyoming on U.S. 287 and that is usually a long, hot, dry run. And we got cold. In fact, we stopped twice in the first 80 miles to put on more layers because that heat just never showed up. Meanwhile, it was above 100 in Denver that day.

So north and west on 287 as far as Sweetwater Station and then north on WY 135 to Riverton. Then U.S. 26 to Shoshoni and U.S. 20 to Thermopolis. Then finally WY 120 to Cody, our destination for the day. And just a few miles out of Cody it did finally get hot.

Cody was a bustling place. Apparently the hundreds of motorcycles roaring up and down the main street were there in connection with the Beartooth Rally, which we had not been aware of. Of course, this is why we make our motel reservations in January, and this was not the only time we were glad we had done so.

Tomorrow would be crossing Yellowstone National Park. How ugly is that traffic going to be?

Biker Quote for Today

Do you really have to ask why I would want this big vibrating machine between my legs?? – Anonymous Female Racer

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OFMC Itinerary 2019

Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
motorcycles beside the highway.


Riding with the OFMC last year.

With John no longer riding, I have taken over planning the OFMC trips. I’m using the license that gives me to push the boundaries a little. On this year’s trip we’re going to be covering a bit more distance than we typically have and we’re going to be out one additional day. And I’m still pushing to make it two.

We’ll be heading northwest so our first night will be in Rawlins. We’ll head up through Walden and Encampment and Saratoga. An easy 250 miles.

From there we’ll cross Wyoming to reach Cody. I’m looking forward to staying in Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel, the historic old hotel in town. Those kind of places have become a theme with me so I look specifically for these old places. And this is still only about 260 miles.

Our third day out we will be heading for Chico Hot Springs. We’ll pass through Yellowstone on the way and then out the north gate to Chico. This is one of those places we would never have stayed before because it would have been too expensive. However, traveling with Willie and Jungle has keyed me in on the idea that you want to pick your spots based on interest, amenities, and food. Worry about the cost in your next life. So Chico it is. A short day’s ride at 160 miles.

Then on to Missoula; 265 miles. And this will be the northernmost point on this ride. More importantly, it sets us up for Lolo Pass.

The next day is getting longer: 290 miles. We’ll head out of Missoula, over Lolo, and down along the Lochsa River. Then we’ll do some lefts and rights and find ourselves on roads none of us has ever been on, going places we’ve never been. This is what this trip is all about. We’ll end up in Cascade, Idaho.

From Cascade we have a long day–320 miles, all the way to Jackpot, Nevada. Jackpot is a favorite stop for the OFMC and will be this year’s obligatory gambling stop. We’ll be here two nights because it is also the obligatory golfing stop. They have a nice little course here and we have played it several times.

Then it will be on to Heber City, Utah, a 290-mile day. We’ll be crossing the salt flats and passing through Salt Lake City. Probably not our most favorite day of the trip.

Finally, from Heber City it will be on to Rangely–just 180 miles. Here, John and Friggs, who no longer ride, will drive out to join us for our last night out. Plus, I have suggested that if anyone were interested, we could stay a second night here and play golf again, this time with John and Friggs joining us. Dennis and Bill have said they would be interested, provided that John and Friggs were playing with us, so I asked John what his inclination was.

“I don’t see why Friggs and I have to decide on what we’re doing this far ahead,” he replied. Well, gosh John, no, I guess not, at least not unless it might be good to know whether to make motel reservations for two nights rather than one. And arrange a tee time.

Whatever. Then the trip home will be about 280 miles.

Biker Quote for Today

“I had a girlfriend in college… good to look at, exotic and foreign, sometimes fun, and a lot of fun to ride when she was up for it, but generally, she was a bit of a bitch, with a few fatal flaws that I tried to fix for years until I finally got fed up and called it quits. She was apparently reincarnated into my ’99 Triumph Tiger.” — MapBoy

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OFMC 2019: Sort Of Back To The Beginning

Monday, April 29th, 2019
motorcycles on highway

The OFMC has gotten small again.

The OFMC started out in 1989 with just three of us: Bill, John, and me. Over the years we’ve been joined by brothers, sons, friends of sons, and a few other assorted relatives. Once or twice the group was as big as 11 or 12.

And now we’ve come full circle. There will three of us going on this year’s OFMC trip in July. Bill will be coming, as will I. John will not. Dennis will be. Actually, Brett would be coming with us this year–and presumably will be with us next year–but he recently changed jobs and has to work a full year until he can take vacation time.

So it’s going to be a lot like the old days, only not so much in at least a couple ways.

Back in the beginning we all carried tents, sleeping bags, and foam pads or air mattresses. We may have only used them one or two nights each trip but we had them in case we needed them and there were times we did, indeed, need them. Back then we made no plans or reservations, so it was inevitable that there were times when we would roll into some town and find no room at the inn. Time to find a campground.

We won’t be camping this year. Judy and I still love camping but all the guys have gotten old without us. They don’t camp. Of course, that frees up space on the bike, a whole lot of stuff you don’t need to carry.

What does get back a little to beginnings is that with only three of us we have been able to make arrangements to stay in only one room. In some cases we’ve secured rooms with accommodations for three or even four. In other cases it’s a matter of arranging for a roll-away or a futon. Whoever made the reservation made the decision and takes the roll-away. In the old days our approach was a little different. If we had only two beds, we would take turns with one sleeping on the floor. That’s not going to happen now. Did I mention the other guys have gotten old?

On the other hand, another way things are different is that we will be staying in some fairly expensive places. Back in the day, we were pretty poor and we would go out of the way to go cheap. Standard practice was to roll into town and each of us head to one motel and ask about rates and availability. We would meet back up and make our choice and go check in. Now we’re all retired and money just isn’t the issue it used to be.

And we definitely have made reservations all along the way. You might think (or I might suggest) that with only three we might go back to making it up as we go. You can’t do that when you needs beds for 8 or 10 people but with just 3 . . . Uh-uh. These guys don’t camp and they don’t go off without motel reservations. I told you, they’ve gotten old.

So where are we going? It’s going to be a good trip (when is it not a good trip!?). And I’ll go over the itinerary in my next post.

Biker Quote for Today

Anyone can go fast in a straight line: try going slow in a figure 8.

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The Rubber Meets The Road

Thursday, December 27th, 2018
piles of tires and wheels

Tires are pretty important, do ya think?

Have you ever watched the tread melt off your tire? I have. Not literally turning to liquid and dripping off, but being worn off in a matter of hours.

What you need to understand is that motorcycle tires are an entirely different critter than car tires. With car tires you have a broad, almost flat tread that the car rides on top off all the time. Motorcycle tires have a round profile because when you turn, you are leaning the bike. The round profile ensures that you always have tread in solid contact with the ground.

With only two tires, and those having very small contact areas, it is extremely important that you have good grip. Car tires have a hard rubber tread that will last 35,000 miles and more. In order to get a good grip, motorcycle tires use a very soft rubber. And guess what? That soft rubber wears away a whole lot quicker than hard rubber, generally not lasting much more than 10,000 miles.

Then there’s the effect of air pressure in the tires. It’s common knowledge that under-inflated tires wear out quicker, on cars as well as bikes. And while under-inflation can ruin a set of car tires in just a few thousand miles, that’s nothing compared to the soft rubber on motorcycle tires.

Which gets me back to my story.

In the early days of the OFMC, John and Bill and I went one year to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. While there I noticed that I was getting a bit thin on tread and mentioned it to the guys, who looked and agreed I would be needing new tires pretty soon after we got back home.

We only rode on to Page, AZ, the next day, which is about 100 miles. While unloading the bike I happened to glance at my rear tire and I was shocked. What little tread it had just a few hours ago was almost completely gone! I called Bill and John over and they gasped in amazement. Somebody had a tire gauge and when I checked my air pressure it was very, very low.

Of course I put air in, and it’s no surprise I was nervous the rest of the trip about the possibility of a blow-out. Realistically, I should have had a new tire put on right there in Page, but ever the optimist and a cheapskate to boot, I didn’t. And it did get me home safely.

But I tell you what, these days I have it on my calendar to check tire pressure on both my bikes and my car at the first of every month. And if I’m getting set to go on a trip I check the pressure before I leave.

This is really all just common sense, but it’s so easy sometimes to ignore common sense. It is far, far harder to ignore your own eyes when you see the tread vanish from a tire that quickly. We all learned a good lesson that day.

Biker Quote for Today

If you think it’s too dangerous, go home and cut your lawn, and leave us to it. — Guy Martin

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Are Mixed Riding Groups A Coming Wave?

Thursday, September 20th, 2018
bikes along highway

This group ride included two Slingshots as well as a Porsche in addition to the bikes.

When I’ve gone on motorcycle trips, that is just what they have been: motorcycle trips.

Until this summer when Judy and I went with a mixed group on a trip to British Columbia and elsewhere. On this trip, in addition to four motorcycles we had two Slingshots and one Porsche. This may have been the first of many.

First off, it wasn’t at all an issue. I’ve always figured it would be awkward with a car along because motorcycles can stop in a lot of places where a car could not. But that’s really not an issue if you recognize this is something that might happen at times but meanwhile everyone knows where we’re headed and can get there on their own.

Secondly, it can be incredibly convenient to have a car at times. Such as when Jungle’s Interceptor died in British Columbia. Because Terry was there with her Porsche it was easy to load Jungle and his bags into the car and drive on ahead to the nearest town with a motorcycle dealership. And then because we had another friend joining us for a few days–in a car–we were able to continue the trip while the bike sat awaiting repair. And finally, Willie was able to ride with Terry while Jungle rode her bike on the trip home.

I then went immediately from getting home from this trip to heading out on the OFMC 2018 trip, and on the fifth or sixth day of that trip Friggs crashed his bike. This spooked him because he had no idea why he crashed and he told us in a day or two that he had decided to give up riding.

However, this came at the point where we were joined by John, one of the original three OFMC members, who has given up riding for health reasons. John said he had considered coming along with us in his truck but didn’t think that sounded all that appealing, all by himself in the truck. If Friggs would like to join him in the truck, perhaps both of them will be back with us next year. And Friggs thought that sounded great.

So all of a sudden, motorcycle trips are no longer looking like just a bunch of guys on motorcycles. And I guess I’m OK with that. But I swear I’ll stay on two wheels to the very end.

Biker Quote for Today

A bad day just makes an evening ride feel that much better.

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OFMC 2018: Cold And Big Winds On Final Couple Days

Thursday, September 13th, 2018
OFMC group shot

From left: Bill, Dennis, Brett, John, Friggs, me.

For once on this trip we did not need or want to get an early start, so we got to sleep in a little. Our ride for the day was to be short and we were still hanging with John. It was cool departing but Dennis pulled over within 10 miles to shed a layer, and it quickly got warm.

It was a quick ride to Montrose, then east on U.S. 50. This is a nice ride, with hills and curves, and comes over Blue Mesa Summit to the Blue Mesa Reservoir. We then rode the rest of the way into Gunnison and stopped for lunch.

The weather changed dramatically while we ate. Leaving Gunnison the sky was very threatening and the winds were whipping. I suggested we should try to outrun the weather. Whether or not that was Bill’s intention, he took off and rode hard and fast up the valley. Meanwhile the wind beat on us with malice, with dust so thick at times we could hardly see and gusts shoving me several feet to the right on a number of occasions. This was the only time on this trip I wished I was on the Concours. Those extra 200 pounds would have provided welcome stability.

Whether we outran the weather or just got lucky, by the time we got to the mountain the extreme winds were past but then it got gusty going up the mountain. It also got cold. We blasted up and near the top of Monarch Pass the wind kicked up substantially again and at times it was not one bit of fun. We got over the top and kept on pushing hard but now it was the weather ahead that looked really bad. There was serious wet up ahead. After a stop at Poncha Springs, however, it appeared the wet had already made its way east of our route. I put on my rain jacket for the warmth but it was not needed for dryness. Winds buffeted us at times as we made our way north on U.S. 285 to Buena Vista—our day’s destination—but all in all it was a good ride.

Next day it was homeward bound. The last day’s ride home is almost always anticlimactic. With just 120 miles to go there was no need to hurry; all we felt we needed to do was get home before the afternoon rains began. It was cool so we wondered how warmly we needed to dress but we were getting gas on the outskirts of town so the ride there would give us some idea. And yes, we put on more layers.

Then it was off toward Fairplay and once again the sky was threatening. What’s more, the temperature was dropping. That 35 miles to Fairplay was a chiller! I didn’t know if Dennis, in the lead, was planning to stop there for more warmth but I definitely was. Fortunately, Dennis pulled over at the first opportunity and we all bundled up. It was cold!

Taking off again, Dennis noted that there was probably no reason to stop again. So we rode on to Conifer and he dropped off, then on down to where 285 hits C-470, at which point I went straight and the other guys turned north. My last few miles through the city were now pretty warm but not enough to prompt me to stop and peel off layers. At home I quickly shed the warm gear and sighed a happy smile to be home, with intentions of staying there, after three weeks on the road.

Biker Quote for Today

Sorry, I’m busy. I have to ride my bike.

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