Ride Blog

Spyder RT review

2012-01-30T21:23:00.001-07:00

Recently, I was temporarily unable to ride my motorcycle, so on a whim we rented a Can-Am Spyder from a local outfit called www.Rentaspyder.info - This was the full on touring model, the R/T. Can-Am makes two models, the sporty RS, more suitable for solo riders, and the RT, more suited for two up and touring. The Spyder comes with a stylish topcase and side cases. In front, the trunk or "frunk", fits two full face helmets. It also comes with luxuries like a stereo, trip computers, heated grips and heated grab handles for the passenger, and electronically raise/lowered windscreen. There is a powerlet and a 12VDC outlet in the topcase for powering GPS, heated gear or other electronic accessories.

After a brief familiarization session, we left the rental location and the next day, took the Spyder out for a short trip in the mountains. On the road, the 997cc Rotax twin motor puts out quite sufficient power to get up to speed quickly. Not sportbike quick, but more than enough to merge onto the highway and uphill. Unlike a motorcycle, one has to actually steer the front end into curves. This takes some getting used to, but the Spyder responds quickly and precisely. You feel the weight of the Spyder, in tight twisties it is a workout. It's most fun in medium and open sweepers. The front wheel trike design makes it stable in crosswinds, and traction control offers additional peace of mind.

In back, the seatback gently curves inwards, holding the pillion in comfort. The stepped seating gives the pillion a good view of the road ahead. Generous floorboards offer stability and ease of mounting and dismounting. Riding a Spyder attracts attention, as drivers are still not quite sure what to make of these unique vehicles. George at Rentaspyder.info was easy to deal with, and there are a couple of outfits in Denver with Spyders for rent. Our weekend on the Spyder took us over rolling foothills, superslab, and mountain twisties. It was easy to see how the Spyder RT might be a great way to go on an extended tour, as an alternative to big touring bikes.

Song of the Sausage Creature - Hunter S Thompson

2011-12-20T21:34:00.002-07:00

Thereare some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright red,

hunchback,warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them -- but I want

oneanyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one. That is

whythey are dangerous.

Everybody has fastmotorcycles these days. Some people go 150

milesan hour on two-lane blacktop roads, but not often. There are too

manyoncoming trucks and too many radar cops and too many stupid

animalsin the way. You have to be a little crazy to ride these

super-torquehigh-speed crotch rockets anywhere except a racetrack --

andeven there, they will scare the whimpering shit out of you.... There

is,after all, not a pig's eye worth of difference between going head-on

intoa Peterbilt or sideways into the bleachers. On some days you get

whatyou want, and on other, you get what you need.

When Cycle World calledme to ask if I would road-test the new

HarleyRoad King, I got uppity and said I'd rather have a Ducati superbike.

Itseemed like a chic decision at the time, and my friends on thesuperbike

circuitgot very excited. "Hot damn," they said, "We willtake it to the

trackand blow the bastards away."

"Balls," Isaid. "Never mind the track. The track is for punks. We

areRoad People. We are Cafe Racers."

The Cafe Racer is adifferent breed, and we have our own situations.

Purespeed in sixth gear on a 5,000-foot straightaway is one thing, but

purespeed in third gear on a gravel-strewn downhill ess turn is quite

another.

But we like it. Athoroughbred Cafe Racer will ride all night through

afog storm in freeway traffic to put himself into what somebody toldhim

wasthe ugliest and tightest decreasing-radius turn since Genghis Khan

inventedthe corkscrew.

Cafe Racing is mainly amatter of taste. It is an atavistic mentality,

apeculiar mix of low style, high speed, pure dumbness, and overweening

commitmentto the Cafe Life and all its dangerous pleasures.... I am a

CafeRacer myself, on some days -- and many nights for that matter -- and

itis one of my finest addictions....

Iam not without scars on my brain and my body, but I can live with

them. I still feel a shudder in my spine every time I see a Vincent Black

Shadow,or when I walk into a public restroom and hear crippled men

whisperingabout the terrifying Kawasaki Triple.... I have visions of

compoundfemur-fractures and large black men in white hospital suits

holdingme down on a gurney while a nurse called "Bess" sews the

flapsof my scalp together with a stitching drill.

Ho, ho. Thank God forthese flashbacks. The brain is such a wonderful

instrument(until God sinks his teeth into it). Some people hear Tiny Tim

singingwhen they go under, and others hear the song of the Sausage

Creature.

When the Ducati turnedup in my driveway, nobody knew what to do

withit. I was in New York, covering a polo tournament, and people had

threatenedmy life. My lawyer said I should give myself up and enroll in

theFederal Witness Protection Program. Other people said it had

somethingto do with the polo crowd.

The motorcycle businesswas the last straw. It had to be the work of

myenemies, or people who wanted to hurt me. It was the vilest kind of

bait,and they knew I would go for it.

Of course. You want tocripple the bastard? Send him a 130-mph

caferacer. And include some license plates, so he'll think it's a

streetbike. He's queer for anything fast.

Which is true. I havebeen a connoisseur of fast motorcycles all my

life. I bought a brand-new 650 BSA Lightning when it was billed as "the

fastestmotorcycle ever tested by Hot Rod magazine." I have ridden a

500-poundVincent through traffic on the Ventura Freeway with burning

oilon my legs and run the Kawa 750 triple through Beverly Hills at night

witha head full of acid.... I have ridden with Sonny Barger and smoked

weedin biker bars with Jack Nicholson, Grace Slick, Ron Zigler, and

myinfamous old friend, Ken Kesey, a legendary Cafe Racer.

Some people will tellyou that slow is good -- and it may be, on some

days-- but I am here to tell you that fast is better. I've alwaysbelieved

this,in spite of the trouble it's caused me. Being shot out of a cannon

willalways be better than being squeezed out of a tube. That is why

Godmade fast motorcycles, Bubba....

So when I got back fromNew York and found a fiery red rocket-style

bikein my garage, I realized I was back in the road-testing business.

The brand-new Ducati 900Campione del Mundo Desmodue

Supersportdouble-barreled magnum Cafe Racer filled me with feelings

oflust every time I looked at it. Others felt the same way. My garage

quicklybecame a magnet for drooling superbike groupies. They

quarreledand bitched at each other about who would be first to help

meevaluate my new toy.... And I did, of course, need a certain

spectrumof opinions, besides my own, to properly judge this

motorcycle. The Woody Creek Perverse Environmental Testing

Facilityis a long way from Daytona or even top-fuel challenge sprints

onthe Pacific Coast Highway, where teams of big-bore Kawasakis

andYamahas are said to race head-on against each other in

death-defyinggames of "chicken" at 100 miles an hour....

No. Not everybody whobuys a high-dollar torque-brute yearns to go

outin a ball of fire on a public street in L.A. Some of us are decent

peoplewho want to stay out of the emergency room, but still blast

throughneo-gridlock traffic in residential districts whenever we feel

likeit.... For that we need fine Machinery.

Which we had -- no doubtabout that. The Ducati people in New

Jerseyhad opted, for reasons of their own, to send me the 900SP for

testing-- rather than their 916 crazy-fast, state-of-the-art superbike

trackracer. It was far too fast, they said -- and prohibitively expensive

--to farm out for testing to a gang of half-mad Colorado cowboys who

thinkthey're world-class Cafe Racers.

The Ducati 900 is afinely engineered machine. My neighbors

calledit beautiful and admired its racing lines. The nasty little bugger

lookedlike it was going 90 miles an hour when it was standing still in

mygarage.

Taking it on the road,though, was a genuinely terrifying experience.

Ihad no sense of speed until I was going 90 and coming up fast on a

bunchof pickup trucks going into a wet curve along the river. I went for

bothbrakes, but only the front one worked, and I almost went end over

end. I was out of control staring at the tailpipe of a U.S. Mail truck,

stillstabbing frantically at my rear brake pedal, which I just couldn't

find.... I am too tall for these New Age roadracers; they are not built

forany rider taller than five-nine, and the rearset brake pedal was not

whereI thought it would be. Midsize Italian pimps who like to race

fromone cafe to another on the boulevards of Rome in a flat-line

proneposition might like this, but I do not.

Iwas hunched over the tank like a person diving into a pool that

gotemptied yesterday. Whacko! Bashed into the concrete bottom,

fleshripped off, a Sausage Creature with no teeth, f-cked-up for the

restof its life.

We all love Torque, andsome of us have taken it straight over the

highside from time to time -- and there is always Pain in that.... But

thereis also Fun, in the deadly element, and Fun is what you get when

youscrew this monster on. BOOM! Instant takeoff, no screeching or

squawkingaround like a fool with your teeth clamping down on your

tongueand your mind completely empty of everything but fear.

No. This bugger digsright in and shoots you straight down the pipe,

forgood or ill.

On my first takeoff, Ihit second gear and went through the speed limit

ona two-lane blacktop highway full of ranch traffic. By the time Iwent up

tothird, I was going 75 and the tach was barely above 4,000 rpm....

And that's when it gotits second wind. From 4,000 to 6,000 in third

willtake you from 75 to 95 in two seconds -- and after that, Bubba, you

stillhave fourth, fifth, and sixth. Ho, ho.

Inever got into sixth, and I didn't get deep into fifth. This is a

shamefuladmission for a full-bore Cafe Racer, but let me tell you

something,old sport: This motorcycle is simply too goddamn fast to

rideat speed in any kind of normal road traffic unless you're ready to

gostraight down the centerline with your nuts on fire and a silent

screamin your throat.

When aimed in the rightdireciton at high speed, though, it has

unnaturalcapabilities. This I unwittingly discovered as I made my

approachto a sharp turn across some railroad tracks, saw that

Iwas going way too fast and that my only chance was to veer right

andscrew it on totally, in a desparate attempt to leapfrog the curve

bygoing airborne.

It was a bold andreckless move, but it was necessary. And it

worked: I felt like Evil Knievel as I soared across the tracks with

therain in my eyes and my jaws clamped together in fear. I tried

tospit down on the tracks as I passed them, but my mouth was too

dry.... I landed hard on the edge of the road and lost my grip for

amoment as the Ducati began fishtailing crazily into oncoming

traffic. For two or three seconds I came face to face with the

SausageCreature....

But somehow the brutestraightened out. I passed a school bus

onthe right and then got the bike under control long enough to gear

downand pull off into an abandoned gravel driveway where I stopped

andturned off the engine. My hands had seized up like claws and

therest of my body was numb. I felt nauseous and I cried for my

mama,but nobody heard, then I went into a trance for 30 or 40

secondsuntil I was finally able to light a cigarette and calm down

enoughto ride home. I was too hysterical to shift gears, so I went

thewhole way in first at 40 miles an hour.

Whoops! What am Isaying? Tall stories, ho, ho.... We are

motorcyclepeople; we walk tall and we laugh at whatever's funny.

Weshit on the chests of the Weird....

But when we ride veryfast motorcycles, we ride with immaculate

sanity. We might abuse a substance here and there, but only when

it'sright. The final measure of any rider's skill is the inverse ratio

ofhis preferred Traveling Speed to the number of bad scars on his

body. It is that simple: If you ride fast and crash, you are a bad rider.

Ifyou go slow and crash, you are a bad rider. And if you are a bad

rider,you should not ride motorcycles.

The emergence of thesuperbike has heightened this equation

drastically. Motorcycle technology has made such a great leap

forward. Take the Ducati. You want optimum cruising speed on

thisbugger? Try 90 mph in fifth at 5,500 rpm -- and just then, you

seea bull moose in the middle of the road. WHACKO. Meet the

SausageCreature.

Or maybe not: TheDucati 900 is so finely engineered and

balancedand torqued that you can do 90 mph in fifth through a

35-mphzone and get away with it. The bike is not just fast -- it is

extremelyquick and responsive, and it will do amazing things....

Itis a little like riding the original Vincent Black Shadow, whichwould

outrunan F-86 jet fighter on the takeoff runway, but at the end, the

F-86would go airborne and the Vincent would not, and there was

nopoint in trying to turn it. WHAMO! The Sausage Creature strikes

again.

There is a fundamentaldifference, however, between the old

Vincentsand the new bred of superbikes. If you rode the Black

Shadowat top speed for any length of time, you would almost

certainlydie. That is why there are not many life members of the

VincentBlack Shadow Society. The Vincent was like a bullet that

wentstraight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet that went sideways

andhit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time. It was

impossible. But so was my terrifying sideways leap across railroad

trackson the 900SP. The bike did it easily with the grace of a

fleeingtomcat. The landing was so easy I remember thinking,

goddamnit,if I had screwed it on a little more I could have gone

alot further.

Maybe this is the newCafe Racer macho. My bike is so much

fasterthan yours that I dare you to ride it, you lame little turd. Do you

havethe balls to ride this BOTTOMLESS PIT OF TORQUE?

That is the attitude ofthe New Age superbike freak, and I am one

ofthem. On some days they are about the most fun you can have

withyour clothes on. The Vincent just killed you a lot faster than

asuperbike will. A fool couldn't ride the Vincent Black Shadow

morethan once, but a fool can ride a Ducati 900 many times, and

itwill always be bloodcurdling kind of fun. That is the Curse of Speed

whichhas plagued me all my life. I am a slave to it. On my tombstone

theywill carve, "IT NEVER GOT FAST ENOUGH FOR ME."

Utahhh! Part 3

2011-11-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

The third gem in this southwest trifecta is Bryce Canyon National Park. A well paved, but possibly crowded road leads into and out of the park. It winds along a north south ridge with short loops and pull outs every several miles to some spectacular viewpoints.

These spectacular formations are formed when the soft sandstone is exposed to rain water. The water erodes the slope, forming gullies which deepen over time.

Rain water forms gullies on bare sandstone.

Thor's Hammer

As the gullies deepen, they form parallel fins of rock. Over time the fins also break down from erosion due to the freezing and thawing of water. The fins become columns and spires, which are called hoodoos. There are trails down from the rim into this labyrinth of stone. Take a map though, it's easy to get lost in there.

Slot Canyon

That's about a 10 story climb down to the bottom.

Selected images available for purchase at SpeedShots Photography.

Utahhh! Part 2

2011-11-15T16:41:00.001-07:00

Pink rocks! Lots and lots of pink rocks... and reds, and oranges, and yellows. Along Hwy 12, when the light is just so, the rock walls seem to come alive with an inner fire. The colors are so saturated and vivid that even photographs can't begin to show their intensity. The highway cuts right through a formation call the Red Canyons. For the visitor who doesn't want to be bound by pavement, there are short hikes up into these formations, each offering different views and vistas.

I see a camel on the left, and maybe a poodle or two on the right.

These two ladies were from Germany, they were traveling the southwest on rented Harleys.

Further west, as you leave Hwy12 towards Cedar City, is Cedar Breaks National Moument. Situated in the middle of the Dixie National Forest, Cedar Breaks is set on the west side of a high volcanic plateau. Black lava flows and volcanic boulder fields contrast starkly with the red sandstone cliffs.

Cont'd

Utahhh!!

2011-11-10T11:55:00.001-07:00

Out under the western sky, where traffic is light and the roads are curvy, sits a land of fanciful buttes and rock formations unlike anywhere else on earth. Here, a traveler could pretend to be in some western movie set, or a character in a Wile E Coyote cartoon. Interstate 70 bisects the state of Utah west to east, but the beauty of the desert can only be appreciated along the secondary highways and byways of southwest Utah.

Hwy 24 south takes you off the main interstate, and towards Lake Powell. But we are not going that far, instead we stay on 24 as it turns west towards canyon country. Soon, 24 enters into Capitol Reef National Park.

The "reef" was once the western edge of a vast inland sea in prehistoric times. Layer upon layer of sediment were laid down as mud, dead sea life, and sand sank to the seafloor. As the continents shifted, these layers crumpled and folded like a messed up bedsheet. Over time these long parallel folds and ridges were exposed to the elements until today, they offer the traveler a glimpse through the layer cake of geology.

Capitol Dome

A short drive into Capitol Reef NP, we come across signs of human habitation. Mormon farmers used the protection of the canyons and natural streams to graze cattle and plant orchards in the aptly named settlement of Fruita. But long before them, the ancestral peoples, the Freemont culture (post Anasazi) left impressive petroglyphs and pictographs in the soft sandstone cliffs east of the visitor center.

Freemont Petroglyphs. To give some scale, the round headed figures are probably 20ft tall.

The petroglyphs are situated at the base of the cliff, above the piles of rubble.

Canyon walls streaked with deposits of iron and manganese, called Desert Varnish

Continuing on, we make a turn south, at Torrey, and onto UT-12. Hwy 12 winds in and out of sandstone washes and folds and canyons, twisting and turning in a roller coaster ride with smooth tarmac and good sight lines. It encourages one to stop often to take in the views.

Twisty and well paved roads await!

Don't forget to stop in at KivaKoffehouse and admire the view. The owners had the foresight to put this little coffee shop at the top of a canyon, offering great views to go with the great Java and pie. We almost missed this place, it's in the middle of nowhere, just a hidden gem while winding in and out of the canyon twisties.

Continuing south, Hwy 12 climbs along a ridge into the pine forest, but to the east, it offers expansive vistas of Capitol Reef.

Weary travelers can get a dinner and a room in either Boulder or Escalante, about halfway along hwy 12.

A few hours later the landscape changes from desert scrub to forest, and a hint of the pink landscapes awaiting us. Day one ends with the sun setting fire to the western sky, the wind whistling through the ponderosa and the sound of elk bugling in the valley below.

The vastness of the area encourages the traveler to stay and make day trips to nearby national parks and recreation areas. It is remote, there are no big cities nearby. The largest being Cedar City, some 3 hrs from Las Vegas along I-15. We stayed in one of the many vacation rentals, this one situated on a mountaintop, conveniently between Cedar City and Bryce National Park. We had panoramic views of the valley and the Paugausunt Cliffs beyond. At night, the sky lit up with millions of stars, constellations, and the Milky way.

The view off the deck at The Aerie.

Cont'd ...

2011-09-06T21:20:00.000-06:00

Flogging a Ninja 250 at High Plains Raceway.

Zero Motorcycle test ride

2011-08-19T16:53:00.001-06:00

Imagine a future without fossil fuel, or one where loud pipes are outlawed. Imagine coexisting on a mountain trail with cyclists, hikers and equestrians. That's where Santa Cruz based Zero Motorcycles comes in. Electric bikes are not new, but Zero is one of several companies who has developed a line of production ready motorcycles for sale.

A local dealer (Grand Prix) had several models for demo rides recently. I spoke with their rep a bit and had a chance to try one out. The Zero DS model is their dual sport version. At first glance you notice between the aluminum spar frame and the seat, is a large rectangular box, the battery. Beneath and behind the battery sits the propulsion unit, an electric motor about 6in around and 4in wide. The motor direct drives a cog belt (on the DS model, chain on the offroad MX models) connected to a conventional rear sprocket on the rear wheel. Due to the direct drive, there is no clutch lever. Beyond that, everything else is pretty similar to a conventional motorcycle; lights, signals, brakes, switchgear, etc are pretty much where you'd expect them to be. The weight feels just slightly heavier than my KLX250, and both seem to have similar seat heights.

To start one up, you twist the key, flip up the kickstand, and hit the "start" button. That's where it gets strange. No starter whirring, no engine noise.... silence. Only the glow of the instruments to tell you this thing's on.

Ok, so there you are in the deafening silence and you're about to go. A twist of the right wrist and the Zero moves forward. The nearest sensation I can relate the Zero under way is, to think of a two wheeled golf cart. Nothing tells you you are moving, except for the wind in your face, the whine of the electric motor and the hum of the tires. It's all very silent. I think I want to put baseball cards on the spokes just for the novelty of it. I was expecting a surge of torque off the line; electric motors put out 100% torque from the get go. But Zero has somehow controlled the acceleration through a software map. I found out later that there is a an "aggressive" or "sport" mapping, which does make for a more snappy getaway.

This being a dual sport, I naturally ride right over to the abandoned parking lot adjacent to the demo ride. The Zero with its taller suspension and D/S tires, eats up the potholes and curbs and grassy areas with aplomb. However, I feel the "soft" power map was unsuited for the dirt, when sometimes you want immediate power to help pop the front end over obstacles.

So how is the Zero as a motorcycle? Well, it's certainly rideable as one. It doesn't feel like a mountain bike on steroids. But the current maximum range on one charge is around 45miles, and then it takes up to 4hrs to recharge from a 110V / 220V standard outlet. There is a quick charger accessory that will cut down the charge time to 2hrs. Because of this short range, the Zero is really only practical for short stints and close to town. It would make sense as a commuter, recharging while you are at the office. Their dirt setup would be useless in the back country, away from any electrical plugs. You could bring a gas generator, but that would be ironic wouldn't it?

At just over $10,000 for the D/S model (the most expensive in their lineup), the Zero is an expensive bike. However it qualifies for state and federal tax breaks as a zero emissions vehicle. In Colorado the combined tax rebate is 50% of the price of a Zero, bringing it down to nearly competitive pricing to its gas powered bretheren. Will it replace the motorcyle? No, not yet. I would not replace my internal combustion engined motorcycles, but it would make an interesting addition to the stable.

Spotlighted

2011-08-03T22:31:00.006-06:00

On a recent trip to the Monterey area, we stayed at a home with this old barn. The holes in the ceiling made just the right kind of natural spotlights for this shot.

Original imagery at my website, Speedshots Photography

Non-Sequitur

2011-06-20T15:19:00.004-06:00

The Art of the Motorcycle. Original imagery at my website, Speedshots Photography

Non-Sequitur

2010-10-03T19:26:00.001-06:00

Cafe racers

2010-09-11T17:06:00.000-06:00

Quick morning run down to Deckers for coffee. The mornings are chilly now in the mountains, a perforated leather suit is just barely enough to keep warm. Fortunately for the adrenaline rush of fast corners and a nice cup of java at the destination.

Jeff's Angels ;)

2010-09-07T20:32:00.001-06:00

Chicane Track Day at High Plains Raceway 8-22-10

2010-08-12T06:03:00.002-06:00

Alive, it's alliiiive!!! The "bass boat" lives! I had to get a new battery apparently since the old one died in the cold and won't hold a charge. The good news is that the tires seem to have a couple more track days left in em. Now all it needs are new fork seals, and in two weeks I return to High Plains. I will be doing the school, and working on staying upright.

2010-08-06T19:15:00.001-06:00

Trying out the new HD version of the GoPro

The long road back...

2010-06-24T23:30:00.002-06:00

..takes another step. I signed up for a Chicane Track Days session in mid August. So now there's some initiative to get the last few things on the race bike fixed up, get the suit repaired and get ready to face my demons. I am going to start with the slow group, and see how it goes. There's no guarantee that I will continue past this one school, it is a possibility but this is my turn to slay the dragon. She ain't pretty, but she'll be ready.

2010-06-10T19:51:00.004-06:00

I spent a weekend out riding with friends in Durango. The Million Dollar Highway was featured on Discovery Channel's "Dangerous Drives" program recently. This is how it looks from a helmet cam.

2010-05-12T09:00:00.006-06:00

Non-sequitur

Order is restored to the universe

2010-04-09T23:03:00.002-06:00

Woke up at 5am, drove up to Louisville, picked up the trailer, loaded the bikes in Longmont, drove down with the Grand Sport race car, unloaded the bikes, continued with the race car to PPIR, dropped it off, drove back through rush hour with the empty trailer, dropped that off, went back to Longmont to get more stuff, drove home. *WHEW* What a day! Seems like it was spent going north and south on I-25 all day. But... the results speak for themselves. I have all my toys back in one place.. things are as they should be.

2010-03-31T19:37:00.001-06:00

Another lap of High Plains from the cockpit

I submitted this video to the GoPro site and it was accepted. :D

The long road back

2010-03-12T23:05:00.004-07:00

16weeks in.. still limping along but physiotherapy is helping things along. Tonight I started back on the road to two wheels. I rented a CanAm Spyder for a ride tomorrow. For those who don't know, the Spyder is like a snowmobile with wheels. It has a motorcycle style transmission and belt drive; it just doesn't lean into a corner, you have to steer it. At least, this doesn't fall over. ;)

Aftermath

2009-12-14T19:56:00.003-07:00

Well, I got the bikes home this weekend. Damage looks to be mostly repairable. Crushed exhaust can, bent exhaust pipe, bent subframe, bent fairing stay, and cracked plastics. I suppose I will start to repair it in the spring. I will have to do a reality check to see if racing (and the possibility of another hard hit to my ankle) is in the cards. If the ankle will be compromised for life, then I will probably sell the race bike... but.. never say never, especially since it's too soon to tell.

Post season modification

2009-11-28T22:49:00.004-07:00

Well the foray into racing has been temporarily put on hold. In its place I will be doing some post season repairs. I lowsided in a fast corner and the bike crushed my left ankle. On top of that a broken collarbone has put me out of action for several months. 3 plates and 9 screws later, the ankle will be functional again. How functional remains to be seen. All I need for it to do is to shift. No pics of the damaged track bike yet, I still have yet to retrieve it.

Track day on the Gixxer

2009-10-20T23:32:00.006-06:00

A nice 75 degree day in October, and we were out at High Plains Raceway turning some laps. I was working with a racer/instructor who was taping me and refining my lines and corner speed. Not much more needs to be said, I'll let the pictures and video speak for themselves. Woot!!!

So, I've gone to the dark side

2009-10-11T20:07:00.003-06:00

No, I did no buy a Harley. This dark side is the race track. It was just a matter of time. Having a motorsport (cars/karts) background and teaching high performance driving just meant I could not stay away forever. Presenting... my new track weapon. Several of my friends in the club bought track bikes this season.. oh peer pressure! ;) 2003 GSX-R600 race bike. I have some tuning and fitment issues to work on over winter before hitting the track in earnest next season. It looks like Xmas came early this year! :)

PC 3 USB Power Commander Quick shifter Vortex fairing stay Vortex clip-ons steel braided brake lines Woodcraft Frame Sliders Vortex rear sets Full Akrapovic exhaust 520 chain/sprockets Penske double clicker Race tech valves/springs Motor rebuilt by Faster Motorsports, Falicon lightened crank, headwork, adjustable cam sprockets, GP Composite bodywork and Paint by PVM Motorsports

Ode to the UJM

2009-10-08T15:08:00.003-06:00

Writer Tim Wu pays homage to the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) of the 60's to 70's, especially the ubiquitous Honda CBs.

...To the faithful, among whom I count myself, the Hondas made in the 1960s and '70s are objects of mystic beauty, each a mechanical Helen of Troy. Look at the photo above, and you'll see what I mean. In the 1960s, Honda sought to capture and improve on the spirit of the English motorcycles of the day, and rarely has East met West with more pleasing consequences...
...The machine looks ready to go. It is full of derring-do. It has plenty of shiny bits. It speaks of a controlled power that stops short of aggression. The vintage Hondas are, in the lingo, "naked"—you can see everything that makes them run. The pistons, less mighty than faithful, chug away. The chain snakes, and oil and gas drip here and there...

Unlike the motorcycles of today, the vintage Honda is the right size: slim, svelte even...
...these motorcycles may feel fast, but they are not for men or women interested in actual performance. My CB350 (manufactured in 1971) has a total of 24 horsepower, which does exceed a golf cart, but not by a lot. I am satisfied if I can outrace a Vespa...

MRA race weekend season finale

2009-08-31T20:39:00.006-06:00

Spent the weekend being a track rat, out at HPR for the last race in this MRA season. We were there supporting our friends in the Ladies of The Rockies series. Terri, Sully, and Shiobhan were racing that day. Plus our calendar girls were there to sell their 2010 calendar to raise money for a fellow rider. It was a good time, BBQ, hanging out, and lots of puppies for some reason.

Boreas Pass

2009-08-10T11:22:00.001-06:00

Dual Sporting near Breckenridge, CO. The road up to Boreas Pass was at one time, and old rail bed dating back to the turn of the century.

Finally .. the pic

2009-07-25T20:36:00.003-06:00

Over the years I have wanted to get this one photograph. It is the road into Redcliff, beneath the steel arch bridge of CO-24 that runs between Vail and Leadville. A couple weekends ago Cathy and I did a nice 400mi day in the mountains, and finally we stopped long enough to get this pic.

Monterey MotoGP 2009

2009-07-25T20:26:00.005-06:00

Wow!!! What a weekend for the motorcycle enthusiast. Over the July 4th holiday, a couple of friends and I loaded up our bikes and drove through the night to this years MotoGP race at Laguna Seca. Three days of fast bikes, pretty girls, and great riding in the Monterey Penninsula.

Pics Here

pukka pukka pukka

2009-06-20T00:27:00.002-06:00

.. goes the little thumper. You know that first date feeling? You kind of know what to expect and then you kind of don't. Is it everything you thought? Will it surprise you?

Well after some drama with the title .. DMV snafu, I get the temp tag while they sort out the paperwork. Who knew your written name had to match what it was on the title (Jeff vs Jeffrey). Rush home and slap it on the F650GS and off I go. The little thumper going "pukka pukka pukka"

A short distance away, there are twisties. Who knew it could corner at 30 over, I might need knee pucks on the side cases. It's nowhere as precise as the Gixxer; the surgical precision and immediacy of a supersport. In comparison the Beemer is like a puppy, easy to handle, always ready to go somewhere for adventure.

"pukka pukka pukka" goes the torquey litte beemah. It chugs from apex to apex until I pull over for a picture. .... on up the road we go. Pine scented forests and no traffic. A passing BMW K bike zips by. A short while later he comes back down and gives me a wave. A mile up the road, I find out why. Hmmm.. what's this sign say?

The road turns to dirt, not really loose but enough to get the back end wiggling a little going up some of the uphill hairpins. What's down the dirt road? I can't go there.... no wait.. I CAN!!!!

Winding through the forest, there is little traffic and I can experiment with going different speeds. The loose dirt corners still give me some ... but the Beemah is sure footed and easy to maneuver. I relax and think I am Ewan McGregor or Charlie Boorman.... riding through the woods. Oooh.. look at the view, wow! It gets late in the afternoon. So I continue down the dirt road until it picks up the main road again, and wind my way back to town. The GS "pukka pukka"s its way down the road .... "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".

Another bike joins the stable

2009-06-16T23:45:00.002-06:00

I've always missed going into the unpaved wilderness. After selling the Frontier I was without a 4x4 to hit the trails. Now I can.. I just picked up this 2003 BMW F650GS. It is a dual sport, meaning I can hit the easy dirt roads and fire trails again. I plan to go camping, fishing, and photo trips with it.

I've been YouTubed

2009-06-16T23:37:00.004-06:00

Went riding with a couple of friends from Ft Collins. Ran up the canyons with my GoPro Hero Cam.
Devils Gulch Rd
Hwy 7 to Lyons

Durango BBO Rally 2009

2009-06-16T23:30:00.004-06:00

Once again the annual trek to Durango and the Potato Ranch was met with great success. 4 of us left from Denver (Derick from Indiana, Jeff from Iowa, Brian and me) on Friday and spent the next couple of days with friends from as far as California and Idaho. One day spent riding around the rugged mountains of the San Juan Skyway, followed by an awesome BBQ back at the ranch. The next day we visited the desert southwest; Shiprock NM and Four Corners. The rest of the pictures here.

Action photos

2009-06-01T23:06:00.006-06:00

Rode down to Deckers on the weekend. We found a side road with little traffic, and took the opportunity to take some action shots. The road runs alongside a prize winning trout stream (Platt River), and the air was scented with pine forests. On the way back I finally found a section of sweeping curves known as Horsepower Hill, a favorite spot for photos.

Full album here.

Race day pictures

2009-05-11T20:17:00.005-06:00

We went out to the first motorcycle race at High Plains last weekend. It's 90 miles away from downtown, but as you come over the crest in the road, there it is, a real live road course. One that took a lot of dedicated political wrangling and passionate fundraising to make a dream a reality. Denver has been without a track ever since Second Creek, Mead and PPIR closed shop for redevelopment. So HPR (and the rebirth of PPIR) is a welcome sight. The motorcycle race itself was wet, cold, and slippery. But all riders thought it was a great success.

The gallery here.

Milestones

2009-05-03T22:15:00.003-06:00

Last week I sold the SV-650. I've had it since new. It's gone from box stock to being personalized, with cosmetic upgrades as well as some inexpensive performance mods. I've racked up approximately 31,600 miles on it. Maybe 5 sets of tires (I've lost track), a new chain and sprocket, frame sliders. Through it I've ridden it over countless passes, seen plaid speeds a few times, carved tracks as well as canyons. I've learned to "look, press, and roll" as well as worn the chicken strips clear off. I've ridden it all over Colorado, and led a bunch of newbies with it. Rain, sun, sleet, pavement, dirt.. it's never let me down. It's been dirty from road trips, or freshly cleaned for bike nights. Soon it will go to a new owner, it may get more upgrades, things it should have had but never got to it... wheels, brakes, suspension. I hope it will continue to bring delight to its owner as it did to me. Gone, but not forgotten.

No Limits Stunt Team

2009-05-02T19:09:00.007-06:00

Fay Myers had an open house and Jason Britton and Team NO Limits were on hand to do some tricks. Mad skillz yo! More pix

2009-04-08T00:02:00.004-06:00

I went out before supper and shot some footage of Hwy 7 (my favorite little canyon). The camera is the GoPro Hero wide angle camera. It's only the size of a small bar of soap. Here is the video compressed for the web. Clicky 2.4Mb

Goodbye February, hello March!

2009-03-01T23:15:00.004-07:00

Just you and about 30 of your friends out for a Sunday ride. Pics here.

A little January ride

2009-01-18T20:18:00.005-07:00

Just you and twenty or so of your best friends and acquaintances on a nice little Sunday ride. (by friends, I mean hooligans, and by Sunday ride I mean canyon strafing)
Pics- clicky

First ride of 2009

2009-01-01T18:27:00.004-07:00

The new year began with a nice day in Longmont. I got to exercise the bikes a bit:

CSC Toy Run

2008-12-08T23:32:00.004-07:00

Slide show

December 7th this year, we lucked out with a forecasted high of 57 degrees. Unlike past years we didn't freeze our butts off. I rode to Aurora and met up with 20 other folks from the CSC. After breakfast together we rode to the Children's Hospital in the annual Toy Run. A flight of sportbikes stood out in the endless procession of Harleys. All along the parade route, police stopped traffic, families stood on the sidewalks waving, and we rode under a giant US flag that was strung between two fire engines at the entrance to the hospital. Once there we walked up the walkway to the hospital lobby. Along the way those kids who could leave their beds, nurses and doctors and staff lined both sides of the sidewalk, cheering and thanking the bikers. Seeing kids eagerly pressing their faces against the windows and peering down at us from the upper floors, it was hard to keep my composure. It was enough to bring a lump in your throat and a smile to your face. Underneath the black leather and chrome, beat hearts of gold.

The local news story

More pix

The November riding club

2008-11-17T12:23:00.008-07:00

Here it is, the middle of November. Ski areas are opening and there has been snow in the higher parts of the front range. But winter is taking it's own sweet time to get here. We still haven't had any real snowfall, save for some light dusting in parts of the city. While it's not warm like summer, there are these nice dry weekends that keep me from calling it quits for the season. Met up with other fellow CSC members and rode the Peak to Peak followed by lunch at the casinos in Black Hawk.

That's me in the bright day-glo yellow vest. I bought that to be more visible for my commutes, especially now that most of the ride is done at daybreak or sunset.

Fall foliage ride

2008-09-27T22:41:00.004-06:00

It's that time of the season again. The aspen trees stop photosynthesizing and the sugars stored in their leaves turn the forests golden. This spectacle of nature happens each September in the Rockies. It begins soon after the first frost, and then lasts a couple of weeks. I took the opportunity of an off Friday at work, and loaded up my cameras and headed up to Aspen. There were hillsides of aspen trees throughout the Vail valley, and over Tennessee Pass, and then up over Independence Pass into Aspen.

More Pics

Berthoud Pass

2008-09-07T21:10:00.003-06:00

Met up with Cathy, Chad and Calvin in Lyons this morning for a breakfast run. After a quick run down Peak to Peak to Blackhawk, we stopped and filled up our bellies at the Isle of Capri Casino. There we hooked up with other CSC members from Thornton. Freshly fueled we strafed Berthoud. 8 sportbikes in sparse traffic... of course that meant a high speed run up over to Winter Park. As we stopped for pictures up top, an older dude in a Harley came rolling up. He had the Beastie Boys blasting on his stereo, later he caught up with us in Granby, then he had Dr Dre ... too funny!

More Pix

Northern Colorado tour

2008-09-01T22:24:00.003-06:00

I rode over Cameron Pass on the Gixxer, it is way more comfortable for longer rides than the Ducati. By the way, the Duc was sold to a local rider who is going to make it her track bike. More pix

And Gixxer makes 4

2008-08-22T19:48:00.004-06:00

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the Nissan dealership. There it was, waiting for me. As if it was preordained, karmic destiny. So while they were working on my Murano in the back, I was working a deal with the sales guy out front. The bike had some scuffs on it, been dropped by the previous owner. It only has 2000mi on it. So now it sits in my garage. A new to me 2008 GSX-R600 in sexy white.

More pix

Trackday!

2008-08-03T21:35:00.003-06:00

Woot! Mike invited me out to the CHP training course track in Golden. In the "super secret location" we had some students out in their Ferraris, Z06's and NSX's doing laps. In between I got to take the Ducati out and play. I got the front end floaty over a rise, and finally got the chicken strips scrubbed off. Bad thing is that I think I'm going to need a new front tire.
4Mb Video

WANT! Number two.

2008-07-28T21:58:00.002-06:00

I can haz nuther Ducati? Mmmmm... nice! Someone on CSC has to sell her 749S. Oh, so tempted to check financing at the bank. Just a bridge loan to get the bike and for me to sell the Duc Dark to Andrew and maybe the SV to Morgan. Hey what are friends for, sell your old bikes to! LOL

Gas prices and mileage

2008-07-28T21:53:00.002-06:00

The other day I ran the Murano nearly empty. 17 gallons and $71 later, it was refilled. That 17 gallons only got me 386 miles, or 21mpg. In contrast the SV gets around 50mpg, but most surprising, the Ducati gets me 55mpg!

Rocky Mtn High

2008-07-13T19:13:00.003-06:00

It was a hot day in Denver so a few of us went up into Rocky Mountain National Park, and over to Grand Lake for lunch. Took Trailridge road over the pass, the Columbine were flowering in pastures and the Elk were roaming about. So of course traffic came to a screeching halt whenever the Elk were spotted. We had a nice lunch and on the way back, there was a Moose by the side of the road, boy that sucker was huge.

Picasa album here.

I got back to Longmont around 5, and pulled in to a convenience store for an ice cream sandwich, the perfect end to a perfect day.

CSC Ride to Aspen

2008-07-10T22:38:00.006-06:00

The other weekend, I hooked up with several members of the Colorado Sportbike Club for a fast scenic ride to Aspen for lunch. We ate at the Woody Creek Tavern; famous for being the late Hunter S Thompson's place to drink and hold court.

Captured!

2008-06-30T21:19:00.004-06:00

This weekend on a ride to Deckers, I got caught by a photographer. My friends and I were on our way home after having great meatball subs at "Jo Mama's" in Woodland Park.
I'm rocking the Ducati through the corners, but after a whole day in the saddle I'm experiencing sore wrists and some nerve pain in my neck. I'll see what I can do to ease the strain, even if it means getting rid of the Duc for something else.

Prepping for Durango

2008-05-26T15:48:00.004-06:00

Morgan (CaptGoodvibes on the BBO board) and I rode out to Cripple Creek yesterday. I had a chance to ride hard and fast. The twisties were in good shape. 326 miles made for a long day in the saddle, but that is what it'll take to get out to Durango. The SV is in good shape for it. If I get the Ducati back and it's nice this week I will consider getting that ready for the trip, but it's not set up and could be a brutal ride.

Link to Deckers photos.

I am a Ducatisti

2008-05-26T15:43:00.004-06:00

Fay Myers had their Ducati Truck Demo again. I went down and rode the new 848 Superbike. It's light and speedy, but almost too squirrelly. It needs a steering damper for high speed work. But, still nice to be able to ride on other folks' bikes. :D

Picasa album here.

CB350F Journal: Disassembly

2008-05-11T22:35:00.004-06:00

I started to pull off parts today. The rear passenger pegs came out, what good are they when the cafe will only have one seat? Then that fugly engine guard hoop came off. After that I got a good look at the exhaust. The header pipes pair off, two per side, then they join into the muffler. I will have to take that to a muffler shop for them to custom fab a two into one collector, 1 3/8" diameter to work with the "Norton" pipes. It appears that the right and left sides aren't the same either, the left side has to clear the side stand, so the gaps are different. Looking at the muffler one can see this.
The headers themselves are not too bad. There's a little rust and pitting on number 3 cylinder's header, nothing that I can't steel wool out and touch up. I was thinking I may do a header wrap, but after cleaning and shining them up I think I'll leave them nice and chrome. The motor seems pretty clean too. Except for the road grime and gunk under the oil pan. I love how the oil filter comes in its own canister with cooling fins! Too cool!

CB350Four Cafe Project Journal

2008-05-09T23:23:00.001-06:00

I started to look at the CB350F today. A service manual is on order, and the Seafoam that I added seemed to have helped smooth out the idle a little. Good enough for now, since I'll probably be taking the tank off at some point. The carbs will have to come out too. It peed raw gas onto the garage floor while it was starting, stuck floats I think.

The exhaust bothers me, the original ones are 4 into 1s, these are two into ones, and have megaphone tips. They have a hole in back where the rear axle bolt touched it. Plus the rear mounting tabs are missing, so the whole thing cantilevers off the header flange on the block.

I want the peashooter Norton / Triumph style pipes. Everywhere I look on line there are peashooters for twins, but I can't find any two into ones. I think I may have to get a custom collector made.. ick.

Now, onto handlebar controls. So I broke the clutch side, and the kill switch on the right side doesn't work. I'm going to a set of clubmans, so original controls aren't needed. Would any simple (ie dirt bike) controls work? I notice that the CB350F has two throttle cables (a push pull effect), and I looked at a CB450 today and it has the single cable arrangement. I suppose all I need to do is install a throttle return spring and be able to use a modern single cable throttle?

That's it for today.

Springamajig

2008-05-04T00:10:00.005-06:00

Went up to Ft Collins to help Max and Angela celebrate the second birthday of Max's MotoHaus Coffee, a motorcycle themed coffee shop. A lot of nice bikes, friendly folks, and FREE burgers and hotdogs for all! Picasa web album here.

Work begins

2008-05-02T21:57:00.002-06:00

Well...crap! I thought the Ducati would be a second bike to ride around on, while I fix up the Honda. Know what? Old reliable Honda... it runs while it seems the Duc is a dead duck. The Duc had been getting harder and harder to start. I charged up the battery, even took it and had it load tested. "It's fine" says the guy at the store. So I come home and even tried to use the car charger to send 50amps through it. Click.. click.. click.. nothing! The fuel pump energizes, the starter solenoid clicks, but the starter doesn't turn. So it's off to the net to find a Ducati starter. One thought is to haul it to the shop along with the springs and get it all done at once.
So for shits and grins, I go play with the Honda. 'Cept for the busted clutch cable, I can fix that easily, the little Honda turns over and starts right up. It appears cylinder nos 3 & 4 are running a bit "off" they don't get as hot as 1 & 2. I put some Seafoam in the fuel and ran it a bit, to see if that cleans it up. Tomorrow I think I'll start pulling some of the bits off to look at and clean up. First on the buy list is a new set of controls, to replace the busted clutch and the in-operative kill switch, then a set of clubman bars to stick them on.
Tomorrow night is bike night at MotoHaus, Amanda and Morgan will be there too. Lots of bikes of all sorts, too bad I won't have either the Honda nor the Ducati ready.

SMAS attack!!

2008-04-22T20:06:00.004-06:00

No, it's not some alien invasion, nor a terrible disease. Well, it is kind of an illness though. SMAS is Sudden Motorcycle Acquistion Syndrome. The urge to buy more motorcycles than you need; often resulting in full garages and exasperated spouses.
So, I ended up buying that Ducati 750 Sport HF Dark. Pick it up this Friday from the Springs. But tonight, I went and looked at that Honda CB350F up in Ft Collins.... long story short, my cafe project will soon be sharing garage space!

The CB530 will be a learning project, first how to fix old tech items like carbs, old electricals, and then conversion to a full on cafe racer. It will be a tribute to my dad who, in his early days, rode a 1950 Norton. The Ducati, I still haven't decided if I will keep it long term, it'll be more of a track day bike, rather than a restoration.
{edit} Well, after a bit of research, I've found out that the CB350Four is a pretty desirable bike. Just the original exhaust in good condition will set you back $2K. Wow! So I better not hack it up too much, and hang onto my stock parts if I can.

Spring ride updates

2008-04-14T20:42:00.002-06:00

Getting ready for Durango. The weather is finally starting to feel like spring; which, around here could mean snow one day and 75 the next. Only 6 weeks to go! I have to sort out a pinhole leak in the radiator, which spits coolant onto my pants leg when the bike first warms up. OTOH, I might be buying a Ducati. There's a guy on CSC that is selling his 750 Sport. Looks very different than most of the Japanese sportbikes.

I guess, this means the UJM cafe project is on hold for now. I couldn't pass this up. A real Ducati for cheap, it's high mileage and well used condition means I can possibly pick it up for way less than market value.

This last weekend I went and rode with the Denver BBO crew. We got some turn practice in, along the P2P. Even stopped for Indian buffet, how cool! Can't wait to ride to Jo's with this group.

Feeling a bit melancholy at the moment, two members of the sport bike community died in separate incidents over the weekend. One was a single bike crash into a telephone pole, and the other was a victim of being run over by an SUV in a traffic accident. Sad that both left behind family. Tonight on the ride home I rode a little more conservatively than I normally do, reminded of how temporary life is. Still we ride because it is the passion we feel.

UJM Talk

2008-03-24T22:48:00.002-06:00

OK, some of you know about my fondness for cafe racers. Well after this weekend's peek at the vintage bike auction the bug bit hard. Rather than get something too vintage and devalue it by cutting it up, I've decided to start looking into the possibility of finding a UJM project. What is a UJM? It's short for "Universal Japanese Motorcycle" - in the 60s and 70s all three major Japanese makers came out with 4 cylinder standard motorcycles that looked basically the same, hence universal.

Why a UJM? I think finding a nice later model GB500, Bonneville or WS650 would be nice, but the initial cash outlay would be more than what I can justify at this time. Conversely a true 50's or 60's era brit bike would require a lot of work to bring it up to snuff. So the choice narrows down to to the ubiquitous mid 70's UJM: bikes with "modern" touches like electric start, 12V electricals, and disc brakes.

I'm thinking of the Honda CB350/400/500/550 series. I considered the CB750 (back then a bona fide superbike) but the weight of the bike would really make it a lot to flick around the local twisties, plus I kinda like the snarly angry bee sound the smaller displacement bikes can have. It's not gonna be a long distance touring bike, mostly for weekend hooligan antics, in and around town use, and running to have coffee with friends. (hey, after all it's a cafe racer!)

I'm thinking starting with something like this:

Then ending up with something like this:

Updates and upgrades

2008-03-21T18:26:00.007-06:00

I ordered a set of tires to replace my commuter worn Bridgestones. Today they put a set of Continental Road Attacks onto the SV. These are sportier and stickier than my previous set, yet not so full race that I lose wet traction. I also, as an experiment, had RMK fill the tires with Nitrogen. They say Nitrogen has larger and more inert molecules than plain air, and less water content. The benefit is more stable tire pressures, and supposedly cooler tire temperatures. I took to a nearby abandoned business park and proceeded to ride around in circles to scrub them in.

I also took off the stock mirrors and replaced them with a pair of 3" Motrax Mini bar end mirrors. The transformation to streetfighter aka modern day cafe racer is becoming reality. They work surprisingly well, though there's a little handlebar buzz that I will try to tune out using the other set of bar endcaps I have.

Ride Report of the 08 Ninja 250R

2008-02-23T17:22:00.001-07:00

I stopped by the local Kawi dealer and was scoping out the Versys they had in the showroom. As I was talking to the owner I asked if they will be getting the 250R in anytime soon. It turns out the day before, someone signed a contract to buy and then had to back out. So in the shop was this blue 08 with 34 miles on it. I got my gear and signed the waiver and they handed me the keys; reminding me to keep the revs down during break-in and also about the new tires.

Sitting on the 250R one notices the lack of any badging saying "250" on the bike, and parked next to a ZX6-R you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. It's a little wider at the tank than the old 250, but the reach to the bars, the footpegs etc all feel very similar.

Being just out of the crate I didn't wind it up to 12,000. Especially since I ride the torquey SV, on the Ninja I found myself rowing through the gears a lot to find any power. A more broken in bike would have allowed me to really comment on the new motor vs the old one. Performance under 5000 rpm is rather ..um.. flat. But I could feel it starting to wake up on the way to 6000 rpm. I really wonder what it's like above 10K.

I went to an empty parking lot to do some MSF type maneuvers and oh man, is this little bike easy to handle at low speed! I could do the box and figure 8's all day. Lock to lock and lots of head turn, and the little Ninja feels like it could pivot in its own length.

On my short 5 mile mostly flat loop I had no problems getting out front of weekend traffic. The 250's lightness makes it a breeze in lane changes and corners. The new larger petal brakes now make stopping more like a modern motorcycle; and even fairly firm pressure on the rear brake did not produce lockup. With the new 17" wheels, you now have a huge choice in sticky modern sport tires. This ought to be good news for the canyon carvers.

According to the owner, we probably won't be getting the EFI version this year. There is some inside thinking that in a couple of years, the EFI will either replace the carb'd version or be sold as a $500 more special edition. So far there isn't any factory competition contingency for racing the new 250R, but things could change.

So there you have it, in some ways the bike is as newbie friendly as ever. In other ways, the new Ninja 250R feels more like a modern small displacement sportbike ought to feel.

Recent updates

2007-10-26T21:45:00.000-06:00

Since September, I have gone on a couple of more rides with the folks from the office. Leadville (shown here), was one lunch stop on a nice ride to Minturn, Vail and Breckenridge just as the aspens were turning.

I also took an advanced riding"Total Control" seminar in Ft Collins. I will enroll in the riding portion in the spring. Went on a ride with Floyd and some of his Goldwing club members.

Finally it's getting cold, with rain and snow showers starting. But not before a nice warm spell and yet another ride meeting new local members of BB.org.

Ducati Demo Days

2007-09-30T20:49:00.000-06:00

The Ducati Demo Truck came to Fay Myers in Centennial, and Mike called me up to do a little PR for Go4it. In exchange I would get to ride a number of different Ducatis from the demo fleet. They had all of their Monster lineup, from the beginner oriented 695, to the S2R, S4R and the top line S4R-S (with the 999 superbike motor). As well the Hypermotard, and the GT1000 lineup.
More about the event here.

Golf and Motorcycle Lessons

2007-09-12T17:46:00.000-06:00

You know, I think of track time like golf lessons, which is a good analogy. A good lesson can range from $100 to many hundreds of dollars, kind of like a track day.

You have a lot of average joes who play golf, and are perfectly content to hack around, never developing a proper swing. Then you have those who even after years of playing, regularly tune up their game with clinics, swing analysis, and lessons. These players aren't in the mode of thinking a new set of Callaways will lower their handicap, but that specific practice in the proper setting will. Very few of these will be good enough to earn a PGA card, but they are improving their game nonetheless.

Riding is very much the same. All of us ride, but most view BRC and ERC as nothing more than qualifiers to get a license, and never give further thought on additional formal lessons to improve our game. So we hack around, riding safe enough, but never taking that next step to riding smoothly and more efficiently. Where else better to practice cornering lines, braking, and accelerating than the controlled environment of the track, and get feedback from instructors? Very few of us will be good enough to be the next Rossi, or even have any desire to compete, but we all can benefit from improving our "game".

I've heard from some who complain that BRC and ERC don't reflect real "street" speeds. To those.. I say, take a track school!

Now I've had the opportunity to ride with many riders, and some are faster, some slower, some more aggressive, others content to enjoy the scenery. It takes all kinds, but we all can learn new things to keep us riding safe and having fun doing it.

Well, enough of the "rah rah", but I think not many of us would be on a bike if we weren't at least a little bit passionate about motorcycling.

Weekend in Salt Lake City

2007-09-04T17:28:00.000-06:00

This Labor Day weekend I went to Salt Lake City and rode around with my friends. We went from desert to high alpine and every road in between. Here is a link to the web album

Labor Day Ride

Bike Night

2007-07-22T20:29:00.000-06:00

Went up to Ft Collins to Bike Night at Motohaus Coffee. There were a great mix of bikes from choppers to racers. The BMW riders were out in force. I ran into some of the CSC riders, and there was food and even a live band.

Time travel is possible

2007-06-13T11:47:00.000-06:00

It has been a holy grail of scientists for years, to somehow control time. Up till now we know time is a constant. But I have proof that on a motorcycle, time is relative. Ever wonder how come a 5 minute ride to the store winds up taking 2 hours, or that a nice twisty road often is over too soon? There's your proof that time is capable of being changed. I dunno how, it just happens. :)

2007 BB.org West Side Rally

2007-06-07T18:17:00.000-06:00

Once again, the first week of June means hopping on the bike and riding to Durango, Colorado. I look forward to this trip because it means seeing old friends and meeting new ones. To top it off we get to ride around the San Juan Scenic Skyway, a 200-something mile loop starting in Durango and going over and around some really beautiful mountain roads.

The full thread is here: 2007 West Side Rally
As well, some of my riding buddies have posted their impressions of the ride.
Bobthearch rode in from Raton NM. Bull rode in from Idaho. Azpenguin came up from Tuscon. We have such a great time! Last year there were 9 bikes and 10 people. This year we had 13 bikes and 15 people plus another two from Ohio and Tennesee, and several non-riding family members.

Herding cats

2007-05-14T22:18:00.000-06:00

The assignment was to lead dealer demo rides, there was no pay, but I would get to try my choice of any of the dealer's demo fleet. OK, that last bit sold me. So last Saturday I ride my SV down to Boulder, to Colorado Powersports' annual open house. Mike was with a student at Hastings Nebraska, so he asked if I'd help chip in the duties. Naturally with my current penchant for riding other people's bikes, I accepted. The local Honda-wasa-suki dealer had 5 of their 2007 sportbikes: R1, Gixxer thou, Ninja ZX6R, CBR600RR, and FJR1300, and 5 cruisers: Boulevard M109, Star Roadliner, VN750, a Honda, and a Vulcan 900 custom. Jim G and I would alternate leading each group on a half hour ride around local roads.

The first customers arrive and naturally the sportbike slots get signed up fast. I lead the first group away. On the roads we encounter some traffic, nothing much but it did keep the adrenaline level subdued. Once clear of the traffic I open up a gap and let the customers wring out the throttle a bit. Later, I did the same thing with the cruiser group. I wick up the SV, and take off. I glance at my mirror and there it was, the M109. I pin the throttle in 4th, rapidly pulling away. I look in the mirror and there it was gain, that M109 has some balls.

The cats part? Well, ever try and keep a group together? Invariably some one would decide to get "lost" and separate from the group. Or the would ride squidly or take someone elses time slot. Luckily those were the exceptions, for the most part people behaved themselves pretty good.

After 4 I decided to take the RR out again. I almost wish that Santa would bring me a new RR. .. sigh..

Test Ride - 2007 CBR600 RR

2007-05-14T21:58:00.002-06:00

During my dealer demo day, between groups I got to take the new CBR600RR out for a spin. The trade magazines have been hyping it as Honda's return to the top of the middleweight supersport class. Indeed, Honda has dropped the more street oriented version, the F4i, in favor of this one model. The most obvious difference between old and new, is the more aggressive bodywork surrounding the smaller lighter frame. The nose has a central air intake like the RC51 GP bike, and the side fairings have cutouts which show off the mechanicals as well as provide better high speed air management.

Upon swinging my leg over, boy is it small. The bike is compact, even for this 5'-9" (31" inseam) rider. Any tall folks need not apply unless they are flexible or have priority booking with their chiropractor. It makes my SV feel tall, and at 345lbs dry, it is some 20lbs lighter than my SV. The reach to the clipons is shorter than compared to the GSX-R600, though the height of the clipons is not as low/aggressive as the R1.

A single underseat exhaust tidies up the rear end, but what is it with Honda, they seem to have signals that date back to some mid eighties parts bin. Come on Honda, there are better looking signals out there. Everything else on the bike looks fresh and new, except for these old square signals.

Firing up the engine brings a sweet sounding howl, but that racy note does not translate into a bullet like start. From a stop, I was left wondering if the clutch was engaged, there is hardly any torque. My SV can pull harder in first gear. But bring the revs up past 5000 and the bike wakes up in a hurry. Honda has really improved the mid-range on the new 600RR, it is strong in all gears without wanting to lift the front end. At the other end of things, rolling off the throttle provides hardly ANY engine braking, so you need to be aware and downshift appropriately. (Which in itself is a symphony as the sound of the single exhaust is soooo sweet). Even though this bike was stock, the revised front brakes are truly one/two finger braking, very light and controllable but also very strong. You can stand this bike on its nose.

I agree with the magazines, this new Honda is one sweet ride. Much more "flickable" in the transitions than my recent stint on the 07 Gixxer 600, better brakes, maybe less "hit" off the line than the Gixxer but more than equal otherwise, plus a smoother engine (less handlebar buzz).

It makes me want to see if a set of soft luggage can fit on the back and carve apexes all the way from Denver to Durango.

For more about this bike, visit the review on AMA Direct.

Riding a Gixxer in SoCal

2007-04-30T17:48:00.000-06:00

I guess you can say that I downgraded, after my recent rides on liter bikes. I rented a GSX-R600 while out in San Diego last weekend. It was really nice to ride some of the roads out there. Read all about it here.

Warp Speed, Mr Scott

2007-03-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

Being irresponsible and loving it! Mike got his 2007 Suzuki GSX-R 1000 on Friday. He gives me a call and says he's too busy with driving school, would I put some miles on it to break in the motor? Heck yeah, how often do you get to play with a new bike, especially one's that not out of your bank account? So I go over and here's this brand new bike, with a paper tag and only 100 miles on the odometer; with the keys in it. :) Tee hee...
After ogling at the brand new paint and checking tire pressures. I turn the key and it starts with a whumph. I am still lukewarm about the new stubby exhausts on the Gixxer but Suzuki has done a good job tuning the sound. The dual pipes have a deep growl to them at idle. While the motor warms up, I look over the instruments and the controls on the handlebars. The Gixxer-thou has three power modes - A through C, for Sport, Rain, and Normal. In effect, traction control of sorts. Since this was a brand new bike, I scroll down to the least powerful C mode. Still , this has 131 RWHp, nothing to sneeze at. In "A" mode, the full 160hp is available! That's more power than most cars I've owned.
The winter snows have finally melted enough that I gingerly check out St Vrain canyon. The road proves quite free of sand and ice. Although, snow still lined both shoulders on the climb up to the Peak to Peak. The Gixxer has a different character than the v-twins I'm used to. Even compared to the Ducati 999, the Gixx has less bottom end torque, but there is a rush of power above 7 grand, on it's way to a 13,500 redline. Needless to say, it was not wise to exceed 7-8k during break-in.
I was by no means pushing it, what with a new bike, and me not having ridden most of the last month and an half. Even so, going into the corners at 20mph over the posted 35, the Gixxer feels very planted. The big brakes haul this beast down from speed quickly, much appreciated since the inline 4 has very little engine braking.
A quick up and down run in the canyons and I'm back in town. On a divided highway I punch the throttle. Warp factor 9 comes quickly in a big rush of power. This beast pulls like there's no tomorrow, and 110mph I run out of balls to turn that last bit of throttle to its stop. Yikes! Imagine what this thing can do at top speed!
4 hours and 150 miles later, I return the bike, thinking if this keeps up, I'll either lose my license or fall victim to liter bike-itis.

absolute power corrupts absolutely

2007-02-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

So, who needs 136 horsepower at the rear wheel? If you're on a warmed over Ducati 999s that is exactly what you get. The cool afternoon temperature and a naturally cold blooded Ducati took a while to get into running temperature. But after a few miles she reluctantly woke up. Hunched over the gas tank like a monkey humping a football, I tried to tuck behind the small screen and stay out of the cold winter blast. My right wrist controlled this tempermental filly, as she bucked and surged below 4k rpm, as the revs climbed past 5k, she shot out in front like a bullet from the gun. I look down and the digital speedo was approaching 90, and I hadn't even shifted into third!

It's funny how seductively smooth the 999 feels, once that initial lump in the powerband is past. Soon all the cars and traffic were left far behind. Downshifting through the gears, I am rewarded with the throaty bark of the exhaust, the clatter of the desmo valves and the chatter of the dry clutch. This bike feels raw, unadulterated, like a weapon in the hand. Quite fitting that my friend Mike nicknamed it "the weapon"
Who can really use all of this power on the street? It makes my SV650 feels like a scooter. Under my helmet behind the dark shield, I am grinning like an idot.

The I hate winter blues

2007-01-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

I'm sure everyone's heard about the great Christmas eve blizzard of 2006. Since then, while the snow tries to melt, each weekend for the last six has brought fresh snow to Denver. Until the last couple of weekends I could not even bother to shovel a path back to the bike shed. The SV looks so lonely there, plugged into the battery tender like a patient on an IV drip, such a sad sight. I almost was tempted to sit on it and make vrooom sounds. Forecast this weekend... more snow. Whaaaaahh! :( I miss spring. sigh.

Motohaus Coffee Part II

2006-12-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

It's been relatively warm this winter, and this weekend was no exception. Temps in the upper 50s and low 60s make it seem like spring or fall instead of two weeks before Christmas. OK, so I finally find out where Motohaus Coffee is. The proprietors, Max and Angela, run this little coffee shop next to a car wash in the south part of Ft Collins. As I pulled in on a brisk Sunday afternoon, there are several old school 70's BMWs and Hondas and a 60s vintage Triumph sitting out front. My SV looks like it's from another era, which it is; at the same time there is a link between my ride and these vintage standards. My bike is the direct lineage from the days when bikes had neither fairings nor wide tires and chopper frames. It shares DNA of the old standard motorcycles, a frame, motor, wide bars and little else. Standing in front of the coffee shop talking bikes was a great way to warm back up; Max brews a great cup of coffee!

Random thoughts

2006-11-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Got me some new gloves this weekend. RM Kawasaki had a sale on, and these MotoGP RPM gloves were 25% off (reg $100). This made them cheaper than the Joe Rocket gloves I was looking at. Plus I also ordered a new front tire, since my current one has developed some wierd wear pattern. One side is more worn than the other, which is strange because I don't think turn more in one direction than the other.

All Thanksgiving weekend it's been really nice. Warm to seasonal, sunny and dry. I went out and rode almost every day. The grip warmers are helping, even with the new gloves it's been chilly. Day before yesterday, I tried to find Motohause Coffee, but didn't have the address. All I knew it was along 287 just south of Ft Collins, but I didn't find it. Ah well, maybe next time.

Motohaus Coffee

2006-11-11T21:37:00.000-07:00

Oooohh... two of life's passions. Coffee and motorcycles are combined at Motohaus Coffee in Fort Collins. I haven't been able to make it up there yet, but it looks like a neat place. Thursday nights is bike night, and it looks like a good showing of vintage iron.

The great 650 shoot out

2006-10-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

Suzuki SV650N, SV650S, and Kawasaki Ninja 650R. Three bikes, 650cc vtwins versus one parallel twin. Which one wins on the street? Which one is beginner friendly? Read here.

ATGATT

2006-10-09T17:24:00.000-06:00

All the gear all the time. This weekend's crash in my ride group, and other bike accidents recently have driven home the importance of good protective gear. Whether or not you choose to wear it is your choice. I've been down and thanks to gear, have escaped with only a small scar to show for it. If this article drives the point home and makes even one person grab their helmet and jacket where they normally won't, then it is worth posting-> Clicky

Ride safe.

CSC Ride

2006-10-08T22:00:00.000-06:00

Went on a ride with some new folks on Saturday. Some riders from the Colorado Sportbike Club were riding from Loveland to Estes Park. The day started off on a sober note. One of the riders wasn't paying attention and went down. He's ok though, read it here.
The rest of us continued after making sure he was ok. It turned out to be a pretty decent ride.

(picture credits- Daemon)

Night Rider

2006-10-04T16:25:00.000-06:00

... no not David Hasselhoff. :) Needed badly to clear my head last night, felt the call to hop on the bike and think things out. So at dusk I headed towards Boulder. The first thing that I notice is that my stock low beams suck! They're ok in town where the ambient light help fill in the dark spots. But away from town in the unlit country roads, I found myself out-driving the beam (too fast to be able to stop in the distance illuminated by the lamp) even at legal limits. So on goes the high beams whenever possible. Different experience, riding in the dark. The beam lights up a narrower path than a car, so peripheral vision gets less. Plus when you turn, normally where you look is off to the side, well at night, that's nothing but pitch black. It's not possible to look around the corner as much as during the day. That's a really good reason to slow the fugg down! Save the hard riding for the daytime. Went up Flagstaff Mtn in the dark, what a nice view, I gotta go back in the daytime to really see the road. It was nice, just me, the bike and a full moon. Plenty of time to park it, and just sit and think. It is the end of summer, so the bugs were gone, and it was just warm enough to keep using my summer gloves.

Bikesploitation flicks

2006-10-01T21:06:00.000-06:00

Riding is exhilerating, freedom, and a little dangerous. But the hollywood types just had to pump it up to the next level. I finally watched Torque, last night. A former biker tries to clear his name with the police and a rival bike gang while mending fences with his former girlfriend. It starts out in the style of the Fast & the Furious, but soon degrades into make believe when sportbikes are shown racing through dirt fields with the traction and handling of motorcross bikes. A chase scene has the riders jumping their bikes onto a moving train, then one of the bikers slides his bike down between two train cars, crashes open the door and rides inside the train car. But wait, there's more. Two girls have a fight on bikes, doing spinning stoppies and bashing wheels, performing kung-fu kicks on bikes, and wheelies while fighting each other. Oh sure, I'm certain that happens all the time. The clincher is a chase with a jet bike going after a chopper in the streets of LA, not in real time, but some sort of poorly done CGI complete with background blurs. The only redeeming thing about this movie are the hot chicks in tight bike leathers, just put it on mute and watch the eye candy.

More fall colors

2006-10-01T20:55:00.000-06:00

Fall's a great time to ride. The mornings are a little nippy, but every September, the crisp mornings give way to warm afternoons. The aspens are in their full colors, bright yellows and golds contrasted against aquamarine skys. It seems like everyone is out riding, so many bikes on the mountain roads. Soon, the indian summer will lose its fight against old man winter, and these beautiful views will be blanketed with a coat of white. Even this weekend the road up Mt Evans was already closed for the season.

Bling bling cha-ching!

2006-09-22T14:40:00.000-06:00

For a while now I've been thinking of replacing the stock aluminum levers. As it happens, last week I tipped my bike over and broke the little knob off the end of my brake lever. So a little on line searching and I come up with these Pazzo Racing shorty levers. They are CNC'd with clicky adjusters on both sides. Installation is a snap, remove the existing ones, install the new ones and adjust. Alright, though they cost over twice as much as the stock ones they look so much meaner.

Fall colors ride

2006-09-20T17:12:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I went up to the high country with some other riders from the office. Originally the route would take us over the Divide and into Summit County, but a late summer cold front predicted snow in the area. So we decided to cut the loop short, and go up to Mount Evans instead.

The leaves on the Aspen trees were turning their customary fall gold. There was a decidedly frosty nip in the air.

We could see the storm rolling in over the next ridge, so we descended back to Denver for lunch.

The passing of summer

2006-09-13T13:01:00.000-06:00

You know summer's ending when it's barely light as you leave for work. The bike warms up puffing wisps of vapor. Instead of the mesh or perforated jacket, you have to put the liner into your regular jacket. In goes the glove liners. The leaves are starting to turn, the air has that slight nip in the morning. The clincher? The weather service predicts snow in the high country this weekend. Ahh how fleeting summer is, just weeks ago we were sweating in our gear. Here's hoping for an indian summer after the first frost.

A VFR in Vancouver

2006-08-30T16:52:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I went back to visit the parents in Vancouver. As it is the best time of summer in the northwest, I decided to call up a couple of friends to go riding. I threw my jacket, boots and helmet into a bag along with my weekend clothes and caught a flight out of Denver. CycleBC rents scooters and bikes in Victoria and Vancouver. So I made a reservation to rent their Honda VFR800 for the day. The plan was to ride north out of the city and along the coastal "Sea to Sky" highway to the ski resort of Whistler, some 200km away..... Read more

Life lessons from the back of a motorcycle.

2006-08-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

* To an SUV you are just a speed bump
* The funkiest smell ever encountered in a car, smells even worse from a bike
* Bird shit and bugs have auto-homing capabilities
* Motorcycle cops cut you more slack
* Given the same route, between you and a sports car driver, you are the one having more fun
* If getting there is half the fun, and coming back the other half, does that mean you're not having fun when you arrive?

Maps

2006-06-18T00:17:00.000-06:00

Last weekend I played with my GPS a bit. I rode out over Trail Ridge road and into Grand Lake, then followed the road past Winter Park, back over Berthoud Pass and home via I-70. I've come to the conclusion that my next bike will be a sport tourer in the VFR800 flavor. I need a bit of luggage and touring capability to go along with my knee dragging performance. The SV does quite well in those respects, but the lack of wind protection and the "monkey humping a football" position of full sport bikes is making me rethink my riding. Sure I'll someday have a supersport, maybe an R6 or Ducati but day to day I think a sport tourer is the way to go.
As for the GPS ...

Rules of the road

2006-06-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

Taken from a 1962 Honda Motor Cycle Instruction Book. Translated by
Honda for the American Motorcycle Rider:

The following rules for motorists are so successful in Japan, that
American motorcycle riders might profitably paste them in their hats.

1. At the rise of the hand by Policeman, stop rapidly. Do not pass him by or otherwise disrespect him.

2. When a passenger of the foot, hooves in sight, tootel the horn trumpet melodiously at first. If he still obstacles your passage, tootel him with vigor and express by word of mouth, warning Hi, Hi.

3. Beware of the wandering horse that he shall not take fright as you pass him. Do not explode the exhaust box at him. Go soothingly by.

4. Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes.

5. Go soothingly on the grease mud, as there lurks the skid demon. Press the brake foot as you roll around the corners, and save the collapse and tie up.

San Juan weekend

2006-06-06T21:31:00.000-06:00

Spent the weekend touring in the southwestern corner of Colorado, with good friends on the backs of our motorcycles. What fun, what scenery! Read about it on Beginnerbikers.org
Full picture album here.
I'm slowly working on a trip website.

Tune up for Durango

2006-05-13T23:44:00.000-06:00

Went on a 250 mile ride today, over Loveland Pass and into Frisco for lunch, then back through Evergreen before heading home. It's still winter in the high country, A-basin was full of skiers. As I watched them ski down the face of "Pali" I almost missed my mark on a tight corner, and had to really press to get around. Whoops. I can't believe in 3 weekends I will have to ride for 10 hours to the Beginnerbikes Colorado Rally at Jo's house in D-Go. At last count there'll be a dozen of us from as far away as Phoenix. Gonna have to take a weekend and do a maintenance day on the bike, and go through my packing routine - I picked up a tail bag to compliment the saddle bags this year. As for today it was pretty uneventful, and my cornering is improving. After last year's lowside it has taken me a bit to get back into the rhythm.

Why we ride, or....

2006-05-07T15:48:00.000-06:00

WTF are we doing out here!? I took a break from renovating the basement. Arrghh, ever painted a ceiling? It's like doing multiple reps on the military press all the while trying to remember to close one's mouth - unless you really like the taste of latex paint splatter. Anyhow, back on topic, while the primer was drying between coats I took advantage of a few hours to go ride along the P2P. It's not too cold (cold is relative, as we shall soon see) so I don the perforated leather jacket, and my new AGVSport perforated pants.
All's well down in Longmont, as I see a lot of other riders out today. I got a late start and there weren't too many headed out, being around 1pm already. St Vrain canyon was clean and grippy, as I turn up the wick to moderate and carve from corner to corner. Approaching the junction of 7, I turn left towards Ward. Suddenly I see some sand on the road and feel my rear tire jump sideways. I had to dab my foot to keep from falling over, luckily this was a slow first gear turn. Major pucker moment. This is May but the county decided to spread sand on the road after the recent cold spell; so along the center line and in a couple of corners, there was more nasty sand.
By now clouds were gathering. Those of you living here know what summer brings, afternoon showers. It starts to sprinkle, no big deal, normally. But I was in my perforated leathers, which of course, start to let rain in like a sieve. So to add to the sand drama, I'm now cold. A bit further on, the elevation gets to about 8,000 ft. The rain ... hmmm ...it starts to look like little ice pellets. WTF! Starts to go "plink" off my visor.. what's that white stuff .. gaahhh! So I slow to a crawl, feeling my way around corners and freezing my butt off. If only I hadn't removed my grip heaters. Why do we do this again?
By Nederland the showers stop and I start to thaw out. By the time I descend into Boulder, it was nice again. After a little bit of sand, rain and sleet, the sun felt so good as I cruised past Pearl St on my way home. Oh yeah, now THIS is why we ride.

Old versus new

2006-04-17T21:43:00.001-06:00

This past weekend I dropped by my bud Andrew's house on my way out for ride. He has an old Honda CB750 which he converted into a chopper. Well, it's actually kind of a rat bike. For now this feeds his riding fever; he used to ride sportbikes. So here's this UJM rat chopper.. and it looks all mean and nasty with its slash cut pipes and flat black paint. The SV looks like a wimpy "pretty boy" bike next to it. After he and Caitlin and I rode up to Estes Park for lunch, we returned to his garage. There in the midst of a mock-up, a chopped frame, some forks and other sundry bike parts including a coffin shaped tank. Totally old school. Andrew is going to build a drag bike, for the street. It'll have a CB750F sport bike motor from the seventies, low drag bars, and the old two step chopper seats. There's something about an old project bike, it's got character.

Other subjects. Hunter S Thompson, the late father of gonzo journalism, wrote about the justification of owning a totally impractical and too fast sport bike. Read "The Song of the Sausage Creature"

Now, THAT's more like it

2006-04-14T23:38:00.000-06:00

Temperatures have been hitting the low 80s this week. So I rode to work Thursday, and even took the liner out of my perforated Tekinic jacket. So many people rode their bikes, I was a waving lunatic. Today I dropped in to the office for an hour or so, then headed up Bear Creek Canyon after lunch. The ride brought back a lot of the old skills, I was shaky around the first few hairpins, but quickly regained my confidence as the miles mounted. It was about 10 degrees cooler in Evergreen, still, that didn't stop me from going back down to Morrison and having an ice cream cone sitting outside Ozzie's Ice Cream store. The smell of new spring and clean mountain air made for a relaxing afternoon.

BB meet in Utah

2006-04-09T21:30:00.000-06:00

I took advantage of the cheap ($49 one way) airfare on Southwest to fly to Salt Lake City for the weekend. Met up with Clair and Deb, Todd (RMRR) and Ruthann, Mike (MikeinSLC), and Kevin (Kflippo). We had great dinner at a local brewpub. Funny how meeting on-line at Beginnerbikers.org we immediately felt like a group of good friends. Todd hooked us up with some free employee passes for skiing. On Friday he and I skied at The Canyons, and on Saturday, Ruthann and Clair joined us at Deer Valley. While it was too late in the season for that famous Utah powder, conditions were spring-like (aka slush and mashed potatos). Wet avalanches were common and we saw one large one being set off in Little Cottonwood Canyon by blasting. Still, Todd knew where the secret powder stashes were, and we hit some hidden chutes and trees for a few hard earned face shots. On Saturday we quit early and retired to Clair's house for a laid back barbeque, the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. PICS

[edit]Interesting observation about Enterprise Rent a Car in SLC. They seem to have this thing about staffing their airport location with pretty girls. Of course, a single guy would notice these things. ;)[/edit]

Polar Bear Ride

2006-03-30T20:57:00.000-07:00

RMVTA (Rocky Mountain Venture Touring Association) Spring Polar Bear Ride.
I met up with my old Level(3) colleague and friend, Floyd. He's one of the officers of RMVTA. Their group is generally older (than me), and ride Goldwings and Harley touring bikes. There were a couple of younger riders with touring BMWs and one Honda ST1300. But for the most part I was the only "sport" bike there. A few did remember me as the newbie with the little Ninja a couple years ago.

The group rode east out of Denver, through the farmlands, past the Pawnee Grasslands, until we ended up in Sterling for lunch. Then as they returned south to Denver, I split off and headed west for home. All the way the wind fought me for control. I tried to stay compact and lay on the tank but it was a tiring ride. Toto, did we just get blown to Kansas?