Passes & Canyons Blog

Yeah, I felt like an idiot when I dropped it this time.

When I used to fly a hang-glider it was common knowledge that if someone had a bad crash it was more than likely that they would give up flying. Well, I did have a bad crash and I never flew again but it wasn’t what you might think. I got my glider repaired and I took it out to fly several times but you can only fly when the weather conditions are right. Each time I tried the weather did not cooperate.

It was at that point that I decided to sell my hang-glider and use the money to buy a motorcycle. I figured with a motorcycle I could ride any time I chose to–none of this loading up, driving to the site, setting up, waiting all day for the wind to be right, breaking down, driving home, and never doing what I came to do. With a bike, as soon as I threw my leg over I would be doing what I came to do.

But as we all know, that same business about never riding again after a crash is common among motorcyclists. Friggs, now a former OFMC member, had a crash two years ago and got rid of his bike. Todd, another short-term OFMC member, crashed and never rode again. My next door neighbor had a bike when he moved in but he soon sold it. He hadn’t ridden in the three years since he had a crash. This is not uncommon.

I do understand this. I’ve only crashed once, and that was at slow speed so no injury, but it may be the circumstances conspired to my advantage. I had been out on the gravel road that runs alongside the Platte River up by Deckers, with my girlfriend of that time on behind. As we cruised slowly past a couple parked cars a big dog came out from between them, right into our path. We didn’t hit the dog but we did go down.

Not surprisingly, we were pretty shook up. But what were we to do? We were way out there and had to get ourselves and the bike home somehow. So we got back on and rode home. Doing so was very unnerving but there’s that old line about getting back on the horse right after it has thrown you. That may have been a good thing.

Then, a few years later, shortly after I bought the Concours, Judy and I rode out to Eldorado Canyon. What I didn’t count on was that the parking lot was gravel. I got parked with no problem but when it came time to leave it was a different matter.

You have to understand, the Concours is a very tall bike and I had only had it a very short time. I was very intimidated about turning around on this sloping gravel. Of course I told Judy to stand by while I got turned around but I did not make the turn. I dropped the bike. There were guys around who rushed to help me get it back up and turned around but now Judy and I had to ride home, and I was shook. Right at that moment I really didn’t want to get back on the bike.

But what were we going to do? We got on and rode home. Again, that was probably a good thing. Get right back on the horse.

So what will happen if I ever have a bad crash on the bike? I don’t think anyone can truly answer that question until it really happens but I look back at my hang-glider crash and it didn’t deter me. I hope I never find out definitively.

Biker Quote for Today

Why motorcycles are better than women: A motorcycle will kill you quickly…a woman takes her time.