Passes & Canyons Blog

No, you wouldn’t get any questions if you were on this . . . would you? But you’d get good gas mileage.

It’s been quite awhile since I looked at this thread on Adventure Riders but it’s worth checking out now and then. The topic is, what stupid questions have people asked you on your bike?

• The steer horns I have on the front of my bike have gotten some nice questions that seem to be rather consistent by region. Texas/Louisiana: ”that’s from a hunt you went on right?” New England: ”is that in case you run into any animals at night?”
• You ride that all the way here? Yep, it’s too heavy to push.
• I ride a KTM 950 SM. when asked “what kind of bike is that?” I reply, “it is a KTM.” their reply, “Oh, I had a Kawasaki when I was younger…”
• When people ask me how fast it is I tell them I’ve had it to about 195. And most of the time they believe it.
• When I turned 16 and got my license, my dad let me ride his (then) R1100S up to the beach. I pulled into the motorcycle parking and took my helmet off, only to have a 21-year old on a CBR come up and ask “What are those things sticking out from the engine? Are they superchargers?”
  I was dumbstruck until he pointed to the cylinders. When I told him that it was an opposed twin, a.k.a boxer engine, he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about and told his girlfriend that they were superchargers. She just laughed at him because of the face I made when he asked me.
• OP: Why’s your bike so dirty?
  Me: Because I like riding it in the dirt.
  OP: Yea, I get that, but why don’t you wash it?
  Me: I do sometimes, but then it just gets dirty again, so why bother?
• I was running late Monday night so I walked into class ATGATT (‘stich, boots, helmet in hand, etc.) At the end of the class, the guy next to me asks, “Schwinn or Huffy?”
• My fav “goin’ ridin’?” to which I reply “nope, Im taking a trip to the moon”
• At the grocery store, I usually get (whenever I’m ATG), “so, you’re on a bike, ‘eh??” And I usually respond with…” Nope…gonna get shot out of a cannon…..again!”
• While wearing my Olympia mesh 1-piece during the Summer I often run out for errands at lunch and keep it on while I run in for a sandwich or at the farm stand. I often get asked if I fly a plane or if I’m in the military. Sometimes I get asked if I was skiing – yep that’s right…I’m skiing in 92 degree weather in NJ in July 150 miles from the nearest hill!

I know I’m dating myself here but Art Linkletter used to have a section on his show called “Kids Say the Darnedest Things.” You know what? People say the darnedest things. And there’s your proof.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: You don’t have to convince your motorcycle that you’re a motorcyclist and that you think that motorcycles are equals.

The new bike in an exotic place, even if it is close to home.

I hate how this business of working 40 hours a week interferes with my riding time. I may have been broke most of the time while I was a full-time freelance but at least I got to ride plenty.

This weekend was looking like more of same. Saturday went by with every hour claimed and I was determined to get out on the V-Strom on Sunday. But Sunday came and every hour seemed to be claimed as well and I was getting pretty disheartened. And I said no.

I decided that no matter what else didn’t get done, I would ride. And I got on and off I went.

It wasn’t any kind of big deal ride. I had wanted to head up into the mountains and take some gravel road I’d never been on on a bike before, but I didn’t have that much time. Instead I just cruised west through town, doing what I could to dodge raindrops. I actually put my rain jacket on at one point but was pulling it off again five minutes later. Hot!

Made my way out to Golden and then turned south. At Morrison I decided to run over to Red Rocks and get some pictures. I wanted to be able to say “see what cool places I’ve been on my new bike.” Sure, Red Rocks is not exotic, unless you’ve never been there. Chances are someone will read this who has never been there and will look at that picture above and think, “Wow, that’s not exotic? What kind of incredible place do you live in?”

But I have an ambition now. On Adventure Riders they have a “Wee-Strom” thread (that’s for the 650cc V-Strom as opposed to the 1000cc V-Strom) with the title, “Let’s see your Vstrom OFFROAD!” On this thread a lot of guys have posted a lot of terrific shots of their bikes in some fabulous places. I want to add a bunch of my own photos to this thread. I just have to go shoot them first.

Anyway, I headed back home, having been out for two hours. It wasn’t much but I did ride the dang bike! I guess the first serious miles I’m going to get on it will be on the OFMC summer trip which is coming up very soon. None of the guys have seen the new bike yet. Time to do something about that.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Only a biker knows . . .: Motorcycle wit and wisdom, #27

Biker Quote for Today

Everyday is a good day for a ride! But Sunday is perfect!

It’s that time of year again: time to go camping and ride motorcycles.

Yeah, I know. You’re looking at me like I’m crazy, but I’m serious. Next weekend, on Sunday Feb. 13 to exact, is the Elephant Ride.

I did the Elephant Ride last year and it was one heck of a lot of fun. (That’s a picture from last year up above.) This is an event put on through Adventure Riders and the objective is to ride up Guanella Pass from Grant over to Georgetown on motorcycles. Never mind that the pass is closed and choked with snow. That’s the adventure part!

And of course, nobody made it to Georgetown last year but again, who cares? We tried. And had a heck of a lot of fun in the process.

So here’s the scoop. To really enjoy this thing you need to go up to Grant the night before. Camp, sleep in your car or your camper, or whatever, but hang out around the campfire eating and drinking and having a great time the night before. Then get up in the morning and give it a go. Here’s the thread in case you want more info.

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Shining a light on goodness

Biker Quote for Today

Rode to hell and back and have the T-shirt to prove it!!! It’s not as bad as I thought and now I know why it’s in Michigan.

Just a heads-up here for anyone who might want to join in the fun. Tag-O-Rama has hit Colorado.

What the heck is Tag-O-Rama? I thought you’d never ask.

A game of Tag-O-Rama starts when someone goes out on their motorcycle to some place where there is a distinctive building or some other kind of landmark and then shoots a picture with their bike in the picture with the landmark. The photo is then posted with clues on an Internet forum, such as Adventure Riders, and the game is on. That photo above of the Spyder at Red Rocks would be a good example.

The first person who can identify the location, go get a shot of their bike with the landmark, and get that shot posted gets the tag. It is then up to them to pick another landmark, shoot a shot with their bike, and post it.

From what I read, Tag-O-Rama is very popular out east, although they don’t face some of the challenges we do out here. As one person noted, we have counties larger than some of their states.

So anyway, Charleetho on Adventure Riders got this game going on Dec. 24 with a photo of his Beemer outside Vintage Motos in Denver. The game has gone in spurts as cold weather and snow have created some delays, and most recently the place has centered on the Colorado Springs area. Denver metro area players are calling for someone to bring the tag back north so perhaps we’ll get some rivalry going on.

Check it out if you’d like to join in. Here’s the link:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=646566

Recent from National Motorcycle Examiner
Taking the Sturgis rally to the world

Biker Quote for Today

He who dies with the biggest gas tank–wins.

I’d been hearing rumors about this but finally confirmed it just a few minutes ago. The Elephant Ride over Guanella Pass from Grant to Georgetown is on for this weekend.

Mind you, this is no ordinary ride. First off, Guanella Pass is covered in snow and has not been plowed. Second, most of these guys are going to be camping at Grant the night before. Is that tough enough for you?

And who are these crazies? Why the Adventure Riders. You may recall that I have mentioned this group on a number of occasions. They’re the ones who did a fund-raising ride to support a group the provides medical care to remote areas in Africa.

I doubt I’ll be able to make it up there on Sunday but if any of you guys reads this and wants to send me some photos and a report I’d love to hear from you and pass it all along.

Have a blast you guys.

Biker Quote for Today

I refuse to tiptoe thru life only to arrive safely at death.

I had been tentative all along but always felt it would work out. But it didn’t. Today is the first day of the ADVRider West Fest 2006, a three day bike rally in Buena Vista. And I’m not there. And though I still hope I might make it there for at least part of a day it’s not looking good.

I’m bummed. There are several other rallies I’m hoping to make it to this summer but this is the only camping motorcycle rally I know of and there are hundreds of people coming from all over. I wanted to be one of them. Rats. I hope you guys all have a great time. Send me some photos, OK?