Passes & Canyons Blog

Nowhere in the bill is the Colorado Motorcycle Operator Safety Training (MOST) program mentioned specifically but Senate Bill 16-122 is all about MOST. It is scheduled to come up for first hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Senate Conference Room 352.

Colorado MOST program logo

Soon after Colorado eliminated its mandatory helmet law, quite a few years ago, the MOST program was created–with support of the motorcycling community–to lower the cost of getting riders trained. Better training = fewer crashes was, and still is, the thinking. And from the bikers’ perspective, the fewer crashes the less likelihood that the helmet law would be reinstated. The program is paid for by an extra fee all bikers pay when they get their plates each year and when they renew their drivers licenses.

Long story short, it worked for a good while but eventually it turned out that some rider training programs were decidedly below the acceptable level and the decision was made to institute oversight of the trainers. First the trainee reimbursement was decreased and then it was eliminated. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), which handles the MOST program announced that it would hire an outside agency to do the oversight, essentially using all the money we chip in to pay for that oversight.

There are a few issues here. Colorado motorcyclists agreed to pay these extra fees in order to lower the cost to trainees. Now their cost is not lowered one dime. The MOST legislation also states that no more than 15 percent of the money raised can be use for administration. Now effectively all of it is to be used for administration. So now motorcyclists will pay extra to ensure the quality of motorcycle rider training, while people driving cars do not pay anything extra to ensure the quality of driver training. The general consensus is that that is unfair to us and totally unacceptable.

So what would SB 16-122 do? I’m not a lawyer so I can only interpret this to the best of my ability but here goes. I’ll quote from the bill summary and offer my best understanding.

Section 1 requires the state auditor to conduct a risk-based performance audit of CDOT no later than June 30, 2018.

I really can’t explain this, other than to conjecture that it relates to what follows.

Section 2 limits CDOT’s existing authority to enter into a lease-purchase agreement that requires total payments exceeding $500,000 without specific prior authorization by a bill enacted by the general assembly to lease-purchase agreements for the lease and purchase of personal property only.

This appears directly aimed at the CDOT plan to bring in outside oversight. That contract would run about $800,000 so CDOT would not be able to move ahead on this front without legislative OK.

Section 3 requires CDOT:
! To close each transportation project and release any money budgeted for the project as quickly as feasible and within one year following the substantial completion of the project unless a pending legal claim related to the project or an unusual circumstance beyond the control of CDOT unavoidably requires a longer time to close the project;
! To report on its public website within 2 weeks of a competitively bid transportation contract award, the identity of the winning bidder, the amount of the winning bid, and whether or not the bid awarded was the low bid, and, if not, why CDOT chose the bid over a lower bid;
! To annually report to the transportation commission regarding the percentages and total amount of money budgeted and expended during the preceding fiscal year for payments to private sector contractors for work on transportation projects and total transportation project costs for projects completed by CDOT employees, including indirect cost recoveries and employee salaries; and
! On or after July 1, 2016, and on and after July 1 of each year thereafter, to report to the transportation legislation review committee regarding amendments made to the statewide transportation improvement plan that were adopted during the most recently ended fiscal year and that added or deleted a project from the plan or modified the funding priority of any project included in the plan. The report must include an explanation of the reasons for each reported policy amendment and administrative action amendment.

There seems to be a number of things going on here. In one case it appears to be making it clear that if a decision is ultimately made to eliminate the MOST program, the state will not be able to continue assessing us the fees we now pay to support it. The second items appears to speak to concerns that the proposed awarding of this contract to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation was not fairly handled. Third, it would require CDOT to tell the legislature what it is spending MOST money on so that if more than 15 percent is going for administration that will be very clear. And fourth, it would require CDOT to get legislative OK in the future if other sweeping changes are proposed.

If someone wants to offer a clearer explanation I urge you to do so in a comment to this post.

So anyway, this is what will be going on Tuesday down at the Capitol. Bruce Downs, ABATE state coordinator, told me he will be there to testify and I’m sure there will be others as well. I’ll be observing, and will have a follow-up report afterward.

Biker Quote for Today

When I drag my elbow it’s part of the crash.

Catching myself in the mirror as I set out on my first GoPro ride.

Our street is snowed in again but there were a few days there when I was able to get out, and I did. One thing high on my list was to try out the new GoPro Hero4 camera I got for Christmas. I stuck the mount on the top of my helmet, let it sit for a day, and then went for a spin. Nothing much, just out and over the Cherry Creek Dam and then back. So much to learn about using this thing.

For one thing, unlike any other camera, the GoPro does not have a viewfinder. The only way you can see what the camera is seeing is to install the GoPro app on your smartphone and then sync the phone and camera via bluetooth. Of course, all I had was a little flip-phone so I ended up going out and buying a smartphone. Technology is like that: you get something new and you have to upgrade other stuff in order to use it.

First thing I had to do was figure out where to mount the camera. I’ve seen these guys with the cameras sticking up on top of their helmets and that has always struck me as stupid looking. I was thinking of attaching it on the chin piece of my helmet but when I scoped it out I found that that would have had the camera angle looking right through the windshield on all three bikes. Not gonna do that.

Long story short, I put it on top of the helmet. But I also stuck another mount on the fairing of my Concours. That won’t have the benefit of being able to point the camera at a specific point, the way I can with in my helmet, but it should have its own benefits. But on this first ride I just stuck it on top of the helmet. Then I synced up the phone and camera, adjusted the angle, and was ready to ride.

Of course, before I could get going I managed to nudge the camera and knock it out of alignment, and rather than go through the whole hassle of syncing things back up again and readjusting I just nudged it back a bit and hoped that was good enough. If you view the video you’ll see that in fact it’s still pointed down a bit too much. Oh well, I’ll get the hang of it.

Afterward I viewed the video and decided which parts to cut out and which to keep and then used the software that GoPro provides to make a few more adjustments. When you’re ready it lets you pick what venue you’re going to post it on (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) and I figured it would then optimize it specifically for that venue. I chose YouTube and I’ve got to say, if it optimized it it’s hard to tell. This is an 8 minute clip and it is taking about 171 minutes to upload to YouTube. That’s right, “taking,” because while I’m writing this it’s still uploading. There has got to be some way to upload something without it taking anywhere near that long. As I said, I have a lot to figure out.

OK, hours later, I found I was uploading the wrong file. Probably the raw video file, not the edited MP4 file I should have been. Once I figured this out the upload took seven minutes and processing afterward took another eight.

So anyway, here it is, my first GoPro video. Nothing special, just a short ride, but it’s my first.

Biker Quote for Today

I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked for forgiveness. — Emo Philips

Not from this year but you know this scene repeats itself every year.

By now everyone has heard about the confrontation between the Mongols and the Iron Order MC at the motorcycle expo over the weekend. One person died and several were injured. Everything is still sketchy but parts of the story are emerging.

I was planning to go to the expo this year but completely forgot about it. The first reminder I got was the Sunday paper informing me of the shooting and that there would be no Sunday at the show.

It’s very interesting that this was between a one-percenter MC and a cop MC. My first thought was that it might have been over the Iron Order patch, which is the typical three-piece thing with a Colorado rocker. ABATE of Colorado has revised its logo to avoid friction with the clubs but I can easily see a police MC refusing to kowtow to the one-percenters. But that was the Sons of Silence pushing ABATE, not the Mongols. I don’t have a clear take on the whole scene but a quick check shows that the Mongols have the Colorado rocker, too, so do those two battle it out? And would the Mongols have taken on the Iron Order over their rocker? I have no idea; just speculation.

I do have this, though: a report from Jerry Pokorny who was there when this all went down.

After the “doo doo” hit the ventilation system just after noon all the bad biker gang types bailed out of the Expo and well riddance I might add. Actually it had the effect of making the even a lot more pleasant for us 99%ers who are the good guys just wanting to walk around and enjoy the show.

I think the promoters have a problem since the gangs use this as a gathering place and have been showing up in larger numbers the last few years. In the past the gangs would walk around in small groups of two or three and pass other rival gangs with no issues but last couple years they have come in force and pick an area where the stay bunched together just watching the crowd like the expect something to go down at any moment.

Just after I purchased my ticket for entry, a continuous stream of at least 150 Banditos just marched in 3-4 abreast (big nasty looking surly beasts) and entered with out making any effort to pay (like us legit suckers). The poor door attendants were not about to try to stop them and I don’t blame them – it’s a good way to get beat up bad. I suspect the promoters are “looking the other way” since the small contingent of uniformed Denver police on site would have been like the few brave soles who defended our embassy in Benghazi so nobody called the cops to intercept them.

Next year they might have to institute a “no colors allowed” policy and use metal detectors for screening the entrance for weapons but that is not going to help the popularity of the event. And if they have still open today (Sunday) it would probably be the best (safest) time to attend since they will have security on high alert.

Pity the few have to spoil it for the many. I wonder if these kinds of activities could be construed (and prosecuted) as “Acts of Terror”? Just a thought . . .

That part about the Bandidos is interesting. I was there a few years ago and saw that steady stream of Bandidos coming in en masse. I wasn’t at the entrance to see if they were paying and that never crossed my mind. Do expos in other cities deal with these kinds of issues? It all reminds me of why I haven’t been much interested in the show the last few years.

Biker Quote for Today

More evil. Not so much Knievel.

Motorcycles are allowed in HOV lanes--why should we need a transponder?

Let’s rejoin the discussion of motorcycles needing transponders to use HOV lanes without paying a fee.

I heard at Sunday’s ABATE D-10 meeting that state Sen. Kevin Lundberg, from the broad Fort Collins area, is planning to introduce a bill that, while not directed specifically at motorcycles, would nevertheless address the issue. Apparently Lundberg’s broader concern is the idea of requiring anyone–in cars or motorcycles or whatever–to have a transponder to use HOV lanes. Let’s just go back, Lundberg is saying, to last year when all you needed to drive in an HOV lane was two people in your car. Of course, that system also including allowing any motorcycle to use the HOV lane with no other requirement. While as written the legislation apparently does not say anything about motorcycles, Lundberg has indicated that he would seek an amendment that does specifically include motorcycles. That’s why ABATE has Stump working as a (non-paid!) lobbyist down at the Capitol, to get that kind of motorcycle consideration included in these bills.

It makes total sense to me. The old system was working; why did it need to be fixed? The way it has been revised there is no way for an out-of-state rider passing through to know that they need a transponder–all they would know is that motorcycles are allowed in HOV lanes so let’s do it. Boom: you get a bill in the mail when you get home.

Also, why should anyone, in a car or on a bike, have to pay for the transponder (bikes excluded on this one) and sign up with their credit card and an initial $35 deposit taken (bikes not excluded here) just to–once again–use the HOV lanes that used to be wide open? You’re adding cost, bureaucracy, time spent, and all the rest. I mean, go ahead and require transponders for anyone interested in taking the toll lanes. We all have the choice to use those or not. But don’t inflict all this on people whose only interest is in using the HOV lanes that they are entitled to use per the laws that created them.

So this is another piece of legislation, along with the lane-splitting proposal I mentioned earlier, that I’ll be watching and keeping you informed on. Bruce Downs, ABATE’s state coordinator, made the point at the meeting that when this bill comes up in committee we’re going to want to blanket that hearing room in black leather.

“It has an effect. It really does,” he said.

Could be an interesting legislative session.

Biker Quote for Today

“The Bikers Code” — All men and women are created equal. Then some take a step up and become bikers.

Filtering, or lane-splitting, in Paris, where it goes on constantly.

I was down at the Capitol building today and met Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt (R), from the Colorado Springs area, who is introducing a bill to allow lane-splitting by motorcyclists in Colorado. So far he has one Democratic co-sponsor in the House (Steve Lebsock) and a Republican co-sponsor in the Senate (John Cooke).

It is entitled, “A bill for an act concerning an exception to the prohibition against driving a motorcycle between rows of motor vehicles in the same lane.” Here is the bill summary.

Currently the driver of a motorcycle is prohibited from driving between rows of motor vehicles. The bill allows motorcycles to drive between rows of motor vehicles when traffic is moving at less than five miles per hour if:

• The motor vehicles that the motorcycle is driving between are traveling in the same direction as and slower than the motorcycle;
• The motorcycle is driven no faster than 15 miles per hour; and
• The motorcycle does not exceed by 10 miles per hour the speed of traffic the motorcycle is passing.

Rep. Klingenschmitt is taking an interesting tack in promoting this bill. He has put together information pointing out that in the California bill explicitly allowing lane-splitting the Democrats voted 90 percent in favor of it and 67 percent of the Republicans voted for it.

“So it’s really a Democrat bill,” he said. So Democrats in Colorado ought to support him on this. Will they? That’s a very good question. We’ll see. But if you favor lane-splitting you really ought to let your elected representatives know that.

The materials Klingenschmitt was passing around made the point that lane-splitting is supported by the American Motorcyclist Association and the Motorcycle Industry Council. Locally it also has the support of the Powersports Dealers Association of Colorado and the Colorado Confederation of Clubs. ABATE has not yet voiced its support but I know that group will also be backing this piece of legislation.

I realize that there are some motorcyclists who oppose lane-splitting because they consider it too dangerous. Nevermind that it is practiced safely in California and in much of the rest of the world. I would simply ask those who do oppose it to keep in mind that they are not required to do it; let’s just not oppose it for those who do wish to do it. I know I’ll only do it if I am convinced I can do so safely. Nobody values my skin more than I do.

The legislative session is just getting started. There could be some interesting things going on down there this year. I’ll be paying attention and will let you know what’s happening.

Biker Quote for Today

If and whenever you begin risking your life by assuming a driver will do the right thing, you should quit riding motorcycles. — Nick Ienatsch

I gouged this passageway out of the ice about an hour earlier.

The snow that was predicted but didn’t come over the weekend made all the difference in our street getting clear. On Monday we got a dusting but it was gone by afternoon. Finally on Wednesday, thanks to a little gouging with my heel, a lane just wide enough for my tires was open and I could ride out of the neighborhood without using the sidewalk for the first time in weeks. So I did.

Having no set route in mind I did what I often do, riding across the top of the Cherry Creek Dam heading southeast out of town. I got down to Parker and decided to go east on Main Street. Probably the last time I had gone east out of Parker on Main Street was about 35 years ago. I don’t know what the population was then but a quick search shows me it was 5,450 in 1990. Today that figure sits at about 50,000. So yeah, there have been a lot of changes.

I proceeded east past streets whose names I didn’t recognize–which is to say they are not major north-south streets–until I came to a T intersection at Delbert Road. I had never heard of Delbert Road. I figured I’d go north.

I was definitely out on the very eastern edge of the metro area here, with primarily 2.5-acre “ranchettes” and their McMansions.

Delbert Road effectively ends when it hits County Line Road, although it does go a little beyond. I stayed on it and to my left I could see the newest neighborhoods under construction. And after about a block Delbert turned to mud so I turned around. I was on the Honda so I would not have objected if it was just dirt, but mud was a different matter, especially since the tires on that bike are ready to be replaced and there is very little tread left.

Heading west now on County Line Road, I found that it does not even go through right here, hitting a T intersection at Powhaton Road. So I turned north on Powhaton and very soon it started looking familiar. When I reached the very end of Smoky Hill Road I knew why it looked familiar; I had been here coming the other direction once before.

So that gave me a very direct shot back into town along Smoky Hill. I headed home. The mileage on this ride was around 40, which was fine on a January day. I wore my electric vest and had it turned on and I even bumped my heated gloves up from the lowest setting to two notches higher. I would have been cold without them. I’ve also been wearing my fleece-lined chaps lately. They’re much warmer than my leather ones.

So the forecast for this weekend looks great. Anyone who isn’t out on their bike on Saturday just isn’t even trying.

Biker Quote for Today

Race the rain. Ride the wind. Chase the sunset. Only a biker understands.

When trail braking, keep a little pressure on the front brake.

I’ve written a number of times about trail braking but the last time I did I got a note from Dan with some surprising information. Dan said he was familiar with trail braking but his definition of it was totally different than mine. He sent along a link to an article by Nick Ienatsch that explained what trail braking is and how it works.

I did some quick Googling to see what showed up on a search and sure enough, the bulk of what I found fit Dan’s idea of trail braking. The best I could find about the technique I called by that name was “dragging the rear brake.”

Obviously I found this very interesting. What I have called “trail braking,” the practice of revving the engine while slipping the clutch and applying some rear brake, was brought to my attention by an instructor in a Beginning Rider Course, and that is what he called it. So that is what I have called it ever since.

What Nick Ienatsch describes is something quite different. You can read his article via that link above but basically the idea, as I understand it, is for when you go into a curve at highway speed. You always want to shed excess speed while still mostly upright, before you initiate your lean, but in trail braking you don’t fully release the front brake. You maintain slight pressure so that if the curve turns tighter than expected you can squeeze a little tighter to shed some more speed. If you have no brake pressure applied and then add a bunch you can get yourself in trouble. If you already are applying some pressure and just increase that a little, then things are likely to go more smoothly.

That’s a really interesting concept for me in more ways than one. When I first learned to ride I was told, and for years everything I read said, do not apply the front brake in a curve–you’ll high-side. And truth be told, I violated that dictum many times because from time to time I found myself in turns that were tighter than anticipated and what else was I supposed to do? Run off the road? I’ve always been extremely careful and cautious in doing so, and I’ve never had any problem.

It’s only in the last few years that I did finally read something saying that braking in the curve is a viable option, as long as executed properly, and that felt like a vindication. And now that I understand the concept I’m eager to experiment and master this technique.

So I guess I won’t call dragging the rear brake “trail braking” any more. But you can bet I’ll continue using the technique for making slow speed U-turns easy. And maybe some day the guys I ride with will finally ask me how it is that I can make these turns so much more easily than they can, and maybe then those old dogs will finally learn a new trick.

Biker Quote for Today

The only people who wear helmets are pansies, nerds, and anyone who wants to live when the idiot next to you doesn’t check his blind spot when changing lanes.

Where you have mountains you have good motorcycle roads--it's just a fact.

The folks at Butler Maps are based in Colorado and so it’s no surprise that most of their map-making endeavors have focused on the western US. They are, however, occasionally tempted to stray. After all, not all the best motorcycle roads are out here. Most, perhaps, but not all.

Thus we have the map entitled “The Great Rides of Southern Appalachia.”

(By the way, just so it’s clear, Butler does not pay me to promote their maps. They do pay me to carry an ad on my Great Motorcycle Roads to Ride in Colorado page, and they do give me free maps. But I write about them in favorable terms because my wife and I both really love these maps. We never travel without them.)

The area covered by this map is pretty much the mountainous area where Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia come together. This is a part of the Smoky Mountain and particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s no shock then that the largest section of yellow-highlighted road (Butler’s best rating) is the Blue Ridge Parkway. But no one needs to tell you that’s a good road to ride, do they?

Nor should anyone need to tell you about the Tail of the Dragon, which is in this area, and you really ought to know about the Cherohala Skyway, which is just a little south of the Dragon. But what else do you know about the area? That’s where this map comes in.

So do you know about the Devil’s Triangle? This is a loop ride a bit northwest of Knoxville that looks pretty nice.

How about the Six-Gap in northeast Georgia? And then there’s the Moonshiner 28. Here’s what Butler has to say about that one:

Highway 28 stretches across the southwest corner of the state (North Carolina) and has a few different riding experiences depending on where you catch it. The stretch between Highlands and Franklin is arguably one of the most dramatic roads in North Carolina with towering waterfalls and perilous cliffs. Part of the road actually ducks behind a waterfall. From Franklin north, the road is slightly less dramatic in terms of views, but almost as much fun from a pure riding standpoint.

And then in the area where Tennessee and North Carolina connect it’s totally mountains and there is a great deal of yellow on the map. This area is near Asheville and we know there is a reason they hold that big motorcycle rally in Asheville each year. Well, these roads are the reason.

Then of course, Butler always now lists good dirt roads for those inclined in that direction. It’s all there with a ton of other information.

I guess next time I go visit my mother in Clemson, South Carolina, I’m going to need to get out of the house more.

Biker Quote for Today

Just because we aren’t riding doesn’t mean we aren’t friends.