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HispanicSlammer

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  1. HispanicSlammer
    Skaggs Springs Road
    This Little Diddy is a video from my trip to Laguna Seca with my buddy Dan. We hooked up with Veefer800canuke and his buddy Craig and made it a foursome. Craig's bike was not running so great and it was sucking up gas at an incredible rate, we stopped at the bridge on Skaggs Springs Road to regroup and figure out what to do about the gas situation. The Bridge is on the Eastern side where all the sweepers are, its a great road no doubt. This was the first time I have ever been on this road and I count it as one of the best ever. There is no music, no editing cuts, just the guys and 13 minutes of some of the best sweepers in the country.
    :media: Skaggs Springs Road In The Raw

    Skaggs Springs Road
    [map=AARTsJqbE3S5H69YYPQ6-qaInwlXLffH9Q]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=8891268118343789646,38.671307,-123.099337%3B5181230995183463954,38.713138,-123.005367%3B4688894796061070055,38.788817,-123.016589&saddr=Stewarts+Point+Skaggs+Springs+Rd+%4038.671307,+-123.099337&daddr=Stewarts+Point+Skaggs+Springs+Rd+%4038.713138,+-123.005367&mra=pr&sll=38.740963,-123.060951&sspn=0.150763,0.374222&ie=UTF8&om=0&ll=38.746051,-123.053741&spn=0.301504,0.748444&z=11[/map]
  2. HispanicSlammer
    I am sure Craig and Dan had a wonderful time tearing up the Stulz Tanner Trail on the dirt bikes today, me I woke up late and slept in for a change skipped my punishment this week. I am finally fully recovered from a week of soreness from the last time I went dirtbike riding with those guys. I am thinking I really dont enjoy the dirtbike experience as much as they do. Perhaps it is because I ride a 650 instead of a 400 like they do or that I just suck at it? In any case I have to ride to the trails since my truck is now my former truck, the water pump literally fell off. Well it lasted like a trooper. Which is why I bought a street legal XR650 as opposed to a trail only bike.
    A 400 just cant be ridden at highway speeds on the highway and well drivers around here are predatory ya know. But then I suffer on the trails cause they just wind away so easily in the tight technical sections, and of course I suck. I am also trying to overcome a serious mental block when it comes to riding the dirtbike, as some of you may remember I broke my pelvis riding Dans dirtbike (Jan 2005) and I just dont have the cojones I used to when it comes to riding off road. I could use the exorcise though and do find it to be physically challenging in a good way, always gets my heart rate up, and I seem to be gaining fitness as I continue to pursue off road riding.
    I have to fix the xr yet again cause I ripped off the rear turn signal in a failed attempt to ride up a difficult hill last week, and had to bail off when the bike pitched over, breaking the signal off - it actually melted on the exhaust can. I am thinking of ditching the outrigger signals in favor of smaller ones that mount on the plastic and dont stick out so much, this is the second time I have lost that right rear signal.
    Instead of riding I worked on the forum again, and was quite entertained at BR and his picture posting woes. Das Bone who cant find his shoe laces lately stole a laugh too. These two guys can ride the snot out of a bike but when it comes to being computer savvy naw!
    Concerning the VFR I have some new issues - replaced my brake pads yesterday with new EBC HH pads all around and now am thinking perhaps I should have gone with a G pad in the back or an H? Its a bit grabby, and for some reason I get a stutter when I press on the rear brake petal at low speed, like I am riding over ripples in the road? I took the shims off perhaps the pads are shaking or jostling in the caliper? Or perhaps I need to bleed the rear brakes again, the Proportion Control Valve might be causing this. I know its not a warped rotor cause I just replaced that off season, and it doesn't happen at higher speeds and it is not happening every time at low speeds either? I am at a loss to explain it, its very frustrating to have spent all of a hundred bucks to replace all the pads and to have this stuttering as a result. I read somewhere to take off the shims on the pads when installing the rear brake pads, perhaps thats incorrect?
    In any case I also ordered new wheel bearing for the front, new oil seals, axle and axle bolt for the front wheel. Baileyrock noticed they were worn when I was staying at his place in preparation for the TexasMac ride last spring, and now I am finally getting around to taking care of that too. Fun Fun Fun btw I am loving the Pilot Powers never gone faster than with these babies or have I had so much confidence in the bike even with stuttering brakes and worn front wheel bearings, when I get this all sorted it will be a dream ride!
    Now I just need to get motivated to do my valves - I can hear some ticking in there after 77k miles I am sure I need to replace a shim finally (incredible 4 valve checks and still have the original shims)> and last time I was painting my headers I broke a header stud need to remove it and replace it, and drill out another one and replace it too. The header bolts just corrode on them and they break off too easy, I hope I dont have to remove the engine to do that job? That would be a PITA just to replace two header studs?
  3. HispanicSlammer
    Somebody said they saw Bigfoot here according to Google Earth so I marked it on my map and went and looked for myself.
    I like to look at maps, I can spend hours pouring over a topo map. Then I downloaded Google Earth - wow this is a map lovers wet dream. I was logged onto Google Eath last week clicking along a few roads I know. They got this nice feature where you can click an icon and see a photo somebody uploaded of the place. I was clicking along this dirt road I love, called Phantom Canyon. Its north of Canon City and a bit west of Pueblo, hwy 67 is its number and takes you up this dirt road to the old gold mine area of Cripple Creek/Victor. Anyway I was clicking on the pictures and so I clicked on this other icon, which popped up a Wiki reference to BFRO? What the Hell is BFRO? So I kept on clicking and found this
    http://www.bfro.net/GDB/state_listing.asp?state=co
    Some Yahoo reported seeing BIGFOOT at that spot and it was marked as such on Google Earth! I about fell out of my chair laughing. Freaking Bigfoot? Aww I gotta go see this place! What better way to go scare the crap out of yourself on Halloween than to go looking for Bigfoot eh? I read some more, there were more sighting on Rampart range too.
    So it was about noon and so I packed my gear and my tent and went out to go look for Bigfoot. First I headed to Rampart Range Road, a nice mountain back-road that takes you near Denver, its popular with offroaders, somebody reported a Bigfoot sighting there too. I had to go see.

    Rampart Range near Devils Head, you can see Signal Butte and some smoke from a fire up near Florrisant

    Devils Head Rampart Range Road Pikes Peak

    Mount Evans off to the north Rampart Range

    Hwy 285 corridor Rampart Range Road campsite
    There were so many campers and dirt bikes out there I concluded NO WAY would Bigfoot hang around here! Way too many people to be a good spot to chill and eat Bigfoot Big Macs! So I got off Rampart Range Road and headed south on hwy 67 to Deckers, it travels along the Platte River and its nice and windy, I was just cruising it at 50mph or so. You can lull yourself to sleep on those turns its mesmerizing. Then I headed up further to a fire road near Westcreek, only to find that 7 miles into it that it was closed. I had been battling with snow the whole ride, every time I got into the shade of some trees I would hit a patch of snow and ice and the Big Piggy would want to swap ends, this thing is heavy and it hates snow! That was the really scary part, heading down a 15% grade on snowy icy dirt road! But I managed.
    So I know this Westcreek Road well enough but I wasn't about to turn around, I stopped in the village at Westcreek and looked at a map posted at the volunteer fire department and ran into two fellas out riding around in a John Deer ATV. They said they knew a short cut to Divide and to follow them for some 5 miles up the road to the turnoff. SO I did, at an incredibly excruciating pace of 25mph> boy I was getting antsy, then a Suburban assault vehicle rolled in behind us and started tail gating me - naw I wasn't having it, see ya guys I will find it myself. I turned off on cr road 33 and headed south and low and behold I found this familiar trail 717! I know that trail! My friends took me up here last summer! Off I went on the trail, and Jobs it was bumpy! Whoops whoops whoops as far as the eye can see nothing but whoops. I stayed on it till the next fire road and got the hell off of that shit! Every time it went down a gully I had to push the damn Pig out of mud and snowy icy crap!@ Whew I survived it! That was the real scary part being alone on some semi expert trail on a big ass XR650 I had to find this road!
    after an hour or so on the trail those fire roads seemed like gold paved dream roads! I was soon in Divide and heading toward Cripple Creek/Victor. I have been in Phantom Canyon several times up always heading up it - never down it. This time I would go down. It seemed like a completely different road to me.

    Rolling Hills near Cripple Creek

    Victor Colorado Hwy 67

    Phantom Canyon hwy 67

    Phantom Canyon

    Not many leaves left on the Aspens Phantom Canyon

    Some Jackass said they saw Bigfoot here according to Google Earth so I marked it on my map and went and looked for myself.

    There are tunnels in them thar hills Nope no Bigfoot hiding in the tunnel

    Phantom Canyon near Victor

    BigPiggy - Bigfoot maybe they saw the XR and not a big furry animal?
    I rolled down to the point where the Bigfoot sighting took place and wondered around for an hour or so looking at Cow tracks, cow poop, and beer bottles. I saw some dog tracks, and deer tracks, I think I even saw a cougar track but no BIGFOOT tracks. The Mountain Lion track did sort of alarm me, it was getting late and I set up camp further up the road. I slept under the stars and heard every little thing that went on. Cows mooing - the wind in the trees - and a skunk smell ewwww. I managed to be rather entertained by the whole experience. Bigfoot where ever you are - I owe you a beer dude!
  4. HispanicSlammer
    Now that I have throughly test rode my 1998 I have decided I will keep this bike a while. Cheap bastid that I am I find though that I am hating visiting dealerships more and more! Something about the pointy haired pimply faced race-wannabe-kids manning the parts counters out here that makes me cringe at the thought of having to answer the age old question
    SPike "what bike"?
    Me- "1998 vfr 800?
    SPike - "what size is it?"
    That just makes me want to reach across the counter and smack the stupid out of em! That and the way he sort of rolls his eyes when he says "what bike" like he cant be bothered hes got a lot of RAAAAAAAAAASSSSSIIIIINNN to do right after I get my freaking oil filter!!!
    I get the same thing at MacDonald's too "I will have a Big Mac meal with a Dr Pepper please!" and so voice box says back "what do you want to drink?" As if there is only one script in the world and the script must not be interrupted - ever!! The box only does one thing at a time damnit!
    That is why I like Walmart, nobody there knows anything about what I am looking for and they don't care - so I am free to roam the isles and pick the stuff I see off the shelves no rolling eyes cause I don't run a liter bike!!! No stupid jokes like VFR - Very F'ing Retarded! I like Wally for the big 5 quart jobbies of Mobile One! That and its rather cheap - imagine that! Wally is single handedly keeping inflation in check by selling this crap to us at such low low prices you have to ask; who needs pointy haired clerks?! Evil empire and all I know. So in definance I must draw the line at purchaseing the Fram oil filter - just sitting there on the shelf within reach. I can even read the box without having to ask some green haired 19 year old to get it for me - and get this it actually fits the VFR! Yet its a FRAM. That's a bit too cheap for me!
    Wally still got me however, I did get the Black And Decker 1-2 amp smart battery charger! $19 bucks ya cant beat that, my toasted up Battery Tender that died on me Last month actually snickered when I brought it home! Yea Yea you cost three times as much and you don't work buddy shuddup!!
    Now I still have to get that darned oil filter. I know a Fram is probably not going to fall off at the first bump or dump dirty oil all over the cam shaft when it get hot for the first time. Yet I just keep seeing those internet pictures of the cheap ass way they are constructed on the inside - a side by side comparison with cut away photos and all!!! Don't ask me! I don't remember the darned link, I know its in the links database here so look it up yourself~ :warranty:
    So upon finally having decided to keep the vfr I thought! What if I bought a Scott reusable oil filter!?That might do the trick - no more "who makes the vfr?" dumasses to walk through at the counter! Where do they find these kids they crop up like flies! No not this time - I mail ordered it! HEH another pet peeve of mine with dealerships! We don't have that we can order it for ya, be here in a couple of weeks - so I have to waste my time coming back to pick it up three weeks later, wait in line at the counter and all that sh&t during normal buisness hours that I dont keep myself! Naw I will mail order it and get it right to my door thanks! :salesman: SO I DID! I got a reusable Scott oil filter now to go along with my reusable K&N airfilter I got 4 years ago. I guess I really must want to keep the bike now! 83,000 miles is a long test ride!
    If it sounds like I am anti dealership sorry I am to some extent, for I don't care for the experience of going to one! No matter how great they are compared to the other! Buying a bike at one is a trauma for me so I am a bit weary of dealers. I never quite trust them completely! Hell they need to make a buck I know that! Those guys have all those kids to feed, pointy haired racing doesn't pay the bills! Like Josey Wales says "Buzzards gotta eat" - I am just a cheap bastid!
    PS I am still stinging from my XR purchase last year, not looking like such a great deal now a year later! :pissed:
  5. HispanicSlammer
    Labor Day Plans Out The Window
    I have had a fubared Labor Day Weekend, I was supposed to ride down to New Mexico and go camping with my sister, but she called and said that my Niece has come down with the flu or something and my Nephew looks like he has it too! Kids are in Bed and mom needs to take care so camping was out!
    That is what friends are for!
    My buddy Dan says he got a few guys lined up to go riding half day down to Bishops Castle, since I am out of plans why not go along. I ask him is it a spirited ride? He tells me nay just a couple of squids who have never been on a mountain road before on a bike. So I get there and none but one of his buddies show up, and hes a complete noob but the three of us regulars are there and thats all we need! Dan, Craig, Dans Noob Friend (sorry can remember his name) on his R6, and myself go hunting for a Dragon!
    A click here a click there
    You have read the Robert Frost Poem "The Road Not Taken" a poem I seem to be living as of late. Deep into the twisty part of Greenhorn Highway 165 I found myself being pursued by Craig rather closely, and that has been rare of late as I have not been hunted so closely by him or Dan in the past year or so while on the vfr (dirt-bikes are another pokey story), but sure enough there he was, and soon he was going ahead on past me as I struggled with the bike, bouncy as all get out! I felt like I had lost my nerve on those long extended twists around Bigelow Divide and well getting passed while your going as fast as you feel you can go is always a bit of a let down! OH well I cant ride fast all the time.
    It was later at a gas stop I decided to soften up the suspension on the Ohlins a bit and see what that would do!! OMG I was back to my old self again in no time, the ride back up the mountain had me going much faster in and in far greater comfort than I was feeling before! A click off - and that has made all the difference! I was in third and found it no problem to keep up this time, and after passing some Labor day cage traffic it was a snap to speed up and charge a turn or two and be right back up there with the two of them! It was amazing the transformation!

    Bishops Castle Parking four bikes Labor Day ride

    Craig Buttons up his gear

    Bishops Castle In full glory - SEE THE DRAGON!!
    Mr Bishop was out and about, a smallish sort of dude with huge muscular arms and claws for hands, talking about his rights as usual and complaining about the state of Freedom in America - as usual. It seems to be a favorite topic in the San Isabel area since we ate at the restaurant at the lake and found all sorts of signs on the wall with the same sentiment. Mr Bishop has been building that castle alone since he was 18 years old, and now almost in his 70's he still labors every free moment he as building it, now he is building a dungeon walled tunnel all the way around the property which will connect with the buttresses of the castle. I reached out and shook the mans hand as he was explaining his plans for the tunnel - its not a moat he maintains! The dude has huge hands!

    Dan and Craig walk the plank
    Labor Day it was Crazy
    I had never seen so many people on that road, usually we are on it alone virtually with a car here and there along the 30 or so miles of Greenhorn road. Mostly the traffic is along 93 going to Westcliff near Hardscrabble mountain! I love that section of road near the Mountain its so rugged and twisty, but lots of gravel in the turns cause of all the dual wheeled pickup trucks running short and kicking up gravel. Pickups and SUV's are requirements of living in Westcliff I guess?
    Like I mentioned before we where having to make a lot of passes to ride our normal pace, the poor guy Dan brought along was overwhelmed with the road and just decided to poke along way behind the rest of us, we waited for him at key places - a nice kid who for the most part rode a very mature pace for a guy so young, although I attempted to ride sweep at a few points I guess it made him nervous, even though I kept my distance, he ran way wide on a tight section but did not go off road! I decided to go ahead on ahead and let him ride undisturbed. I did not think I was pushing him but sometimes you just have to feel a new guy out before you figure out whats the best way to ride with him. He seemed to be having an OK time, if not then he was going to jittery all night from the adrenalin shock we gave him! We all tried to give him words of encouragement and told him to ride his own pace Don't let get sucked in and ride faster than your ready to ride - which he did not - thank goodness, but the running wide incident got me worried for sure! So I let him go ahead and take up the rear with no pressure of me following him!

    San Isabel Lake Four riders

    Hardscrabble Mountain as seen from McKenzie Junction
    right before we stopped at the Junction and waited for the R6 I passed a Goldwing pretty fast on a downhill section doing about 90 or so, I knew it was either pass or get stuck behind him for all the good turns, so I gave him uber wide berth while passing and jammed it into the turn about 100 yards ahead of him, and low and behold waiting for the r6 we never saw the Goldwing at the bottom of the hill? Did the new guy make a pass on another bike? I guess so! I mean it took him an awful long time to catch up to us at the junction, I actually dug the camera out and took that picture of Hardscrabble Mountain and had it put away for a good 3 minutes before he rolled on down, still no goldwing? When I passed the guy he was doing at least 70 in the sweepers maybe he turned around for another go?
    Dan was riding like a banshee cause he was supposed to be home at 2pm, and the woman was waiting for their thing together! His buddy brought along a cell phone so he called and you could hear her yelling at him over the phone HEH life as a young sudo married couple! Dan decided to top speed the flat section near the Supermax prison. I saw him pass me, he was about 500 yards before he disappeared down the hill, when I got to the crest of the hill he was already a mile away! Damn!
    It was great to get my riding back into the comfort zone! I was hanging out with my pop for a while later and he asked me where we went riding, I told him Bishops Castle, he said "you have already been down there once this week on your dirt-bike" then he said "you do that ride at least 10 times a summer'? - some people will never understand!
  6. HispanicSlammer
    I dont think I have ridden that fast for so long! We did the Cripple Creek thing like planned then we headed over High Park Road and hwy 50 for a Burger at Texas Creek. I think we rode the entire streatch of hwy 50 at over a hundred plus, all three of us, and had so much fun we turned around and did it again, passing the same cars over again.
    "Excuse me can I get by ya - AGAIN" Dan said as we talked about it at lunch.
    One green SUV we passed pulled into the restrant and slowed down and stopped where our bikes were, I guess to give us the what for, but thought perhaps the possibility of getting beat up by three motorcyclist was too much and screetched out of the parking lot when he saw me pointing at him through the resturant window....the A-Side street bike gangstas we be (Atmel employee riders)!
    :squid: Craig was doing his normal passing on the right thing, which I just wont do, and well cause it scares the piss out of me when he does it, so I wait and get around them when I can. I am no double yellow puss either! I mean its a sport bike right! Dan was haulin on his gixxer, I could get up close in the first part of the turn but he would pull away with that big liter coming out of the turns, no way when he rolls on out of the apex.
    Then High Park Road which is a bit scarry really, Dan piled into a gaurd rail two years ago on it, and another local rider died on it 4 years ago when her bike piled into a cow on the road, its open range out there. Its got long straits inviting you to roll on then it hits you with an off camber corner into a blind left then another left, and then rolling roller coaster type hills where the road dives off in one direction or another. It also comes complete with large chunky chipseal and gravel in some turns from the recent hard rains. You gotta respect High Park cause it doesnt bark it bites! You cant help it though to ride it fast! We also did the peg scraping turns from Victor to Cripple Creek and that was where the kinks where worked out for all of us, it was go fast time from then on! Jebus we were going fast today! Hey I know the guys, I know where each of us is fast and slow, and we ride together pretty good now! Nothing like squiding it up with your friends once in a while, tommorow they both punish me on the dirtbikes again.
    They had the trail maps out for the dirt bike tommorow and just kept piling on trail after trail. Craig says "From the Tanner Trail you can ride all the way to Lake Isabel" Assuming of course you got the stamina and the skill to do it! LOL I am in for it tomorrow!
    :squid:
    PS the EBS pads were a bit grabby at first but the rear is doing this choppy thing at low speed, like a stutter when I get on the rear brake a bit, maybe I need to take them off and refit them with the shims that came on them, I read somewhere to take off the shims for the rear brake? It feels like rolling over a warning strip. I dont like it, perhaps I need to bleed the rear proportion valve again? It does not do it every time?
  7. HispanicSlammer
    video preview
    This is a video from 2006 I did with some guys from Sport Touring.Net - 6 guys from Northern Colorado, some very experienced riders and a couple no so experienced. The ride organizer is an MSF instructor in Loveland and he took us up into the foothills and ran us through the paces of the twists and turns of Stove Prairie road, this was the first and only time I have been on this road and for the most part I liked it very much. It is just a long trip to get to it for me, involving riding up into Denver and through it to get to Loveland its hardly worth it when there are so many other great roads around here. You really need to take an entire day for a trip up there. I enjoyed it - I new 3 of the guys from other rides and 3 others I did not know, 4 of us went on ahead a faster pace and 2 lagged behind, falling back at the first sign of tight twisters. I was keeping pace in the rear with the faster guys and took notice of where the two behind me fell behind.

    preview 2 passing another group

    video preview One bike stays with us a bit
    It got a bit confusing when we caught up to a large group of BMW riders and passed the lot of them, that is pretty much where I lost the other two riders behind me, not wanting to get left behind I stayed up with the faster guys. We rode the entire road and stopped at the end and waited for a good half an hour and decided to go back to the point where I remembered seeing them, there was no sign of either of them. So we went back another 5 minutes and decided they must have broke off and gone home, we remembered one of them saying they had to be back soon for domestic duties. So we turned around and completed our ride hoping to get a call on the cell phone when we able to get phone service again. (cell phones don't work in the foothills)
    :media: Stove Prairie Road High Resolution Video
    The video runs about 10 minutes 4 riders in our group and we passed a number of bmw riders along the way, music by Smashing Pumpkins. I may have posted this video last year but I could not find any refrence to it - it is one of my favorite rides I have done over the years. Once we stopped for lunch we called one of the guys who fell behind and he told us that the last guy (who I had never met before) overcooked a turn and went off the road, he was fine but his bike was damaged. We actually went right by them but since they were off in the tall grass we could not see them. Which is why we always ride with a sweeper so in case somthing like this happens there is somebody there to take care, they were able to get a tow truck out and haul the bike home in an hour. I was surprised we did not see them - If the new guy had not said he might turn back we would have scoured the area much deeper and found them - but since we thought he went ahead and left like said he might do we left it at that. Thank goodness for our sweeper!
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJqg2RTHcFKPQOmV2bS8nXJo1Zeoxg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=13326196971030042725,40.466289,-105.206696%3B17919899042705951093,40.682830,-105.389260&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=CO-56%2FCR-27+%4040.466289,+-105.206696&daddr=40.603005,-105.343094+to:CO-14+%4040.682830,+-105.389260&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=40.580063,-105.35408&sspn=0.301951,0.748444&ie=UTF8&ll=40.587885,-105.310822&spn=0.301915,0.748444&t=p&z=11&om=0[/map]
    low resolution you tube video

  8. HispanicSlammer
    Every year for the last 9 years Reddog and I have done a run across the state of Colorado for an all day 500 plus mile ride. Usually its a ride to the Black Canyon and Back and its always right around fathers day - he gets a kitchen pass every year to go. This year was no exception, I invited a few other riders but life got in the way and it was just Bill and I again this time. We had to make a decision since half of the state of Colorado is currently engulfed in smoke from wildfires we had to figure out how we were going to do this.




    This year we had to avoid the smoke from the Springer fire that was burning on the backside of 11 Mile Canyon so we just headed up hwy 24 and avoided the closed roads and all the smoke we could then looped over to Pagosa Springs and did the loop clockwise. I recently bought a set of blue tooth Sena communicators and well Bill wasn't too interested at first but warmed up to it after a 100 miles in and decided to give them a try. I bought a set so we clamped the thing on when we got to Gunnison and boom we were talking and riding and they performed very well, I had mine on the whole ride 11 hours and it worked great! I listened to music, spoke to Bill and pointed out road hazards when I lead and he the same, wow its so much easier to figure out whats going on when you can just push a button and start talking about what is going on!

    I dont think we ran into a cop anywhere we usually expect them, and the ones we did see were marked well ahead by our two radar detectors, I could actually hear his detector go off since he has a speaker in his helmet so I could watch my flashing indicator and hear his. I have yet to figure out how to get the sound of my TPX radar to work with the Sena? Maybe somebody reading this has already solved that problem and can pass along the secret? His radar kept giving false laser signals every time the sun was behind us, we figured it was probably the sun reflecting in his rear view mirror and the way he had it mounted on his tank? Bill was getting annoyed with it not sure if he figured it out yet? Sena sells a bluetooth adaptor for inputs signals but its a bit pricy, I might have to go that route for the radar but I think I will wait a bit first.
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     

    As you can see from the pictures Bill was riding his 09 FZ1 and not his VTEC, he said he needs new clutch plates for the vfr before he can ride it, it was sort of an enigmatic ride on the FZ1 this time riding roads he is not as used too so he couldn't get his body position right for some of the tight sweepers we were riding, the wider bars and more upright position was giving him fits and he was inadvertently making steering inputs on the bars and making some turns unstable due to being in an uncomfortable position he said, we usually take the Canyon about 10 mph faster in some of the turns - well I charged a few corners too hot myself but all in all we always take it easy in the straits around 70-80mph and just dont slow down for the turns so its challenging but not a brake fest, just a pace type of ride - this road hwy 92 will bite you in the ass if you dont show a little respect, its a long way down to the bottom!
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    Bills FZ1 gets about the same gas range as the veefalo so we both tried to fill up at the bottom of Monarch Pass - but the gas pump was filling up so slow I barely got a gallon after 10 min, we gave up on it and decided to ride over to Gunnison and fill up there and get something to drink. There was a group of HD riders from Texas filling up also that we had passed and they pulled in after we had settled in a bit and I went over and talked to them, headed to the 4corners area they were in for a treat riding the Million Dollar highway -none of them had ever been on it before so I am sure they were about to be very pleased with their day!

    It wasnt much longer we finally turned off onto hwy 92 and were on the Blue Mesa the Gunnison river below flowing into the Black Canyon, I love this road and was hoping that the chip seal they did last summer held up over the winter, it had indeed and was grippy and very good, a few spots I already knew about where the road had buckled from frost heave was still there and with the communicators I was able to point it out to Bill before we got there, so yea the Sena was great for that too. We had a safe but fun pace up the Canyon. I took video from the Damn up to about 3/4 of the way of the road to Hermit Point, cutting out the strait and boring parts.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     

    Then it was a hot and fast ride to Paonia for some lunch and then we headed up McClure pass past the Paonia Lake area for some more video, this time we attached it to Bills bike but it shook like a leaf on a tree and the video card came out about 5 min into it and we missed the fast parts. There are some sweepers right after the lake that the veefalo just eats up, 60, 70, 90mph the bike just keeps creeping up in speed and eating up those tasty sweepers - many of my friends consider it thier favorite part of the ride, I sure as hell love that part all the way to the top of McClure pass on hwy 133. Too bad when it ends there is a mob of traffic and slab all they way from Carbondale to Aspen.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    Lunch was pretty good in Paonia, just a mom and pop joint and a burger very tasty and great service, seems the only resturant in town and everybody including the town chief of police was there, it was funny a kid in a souped up ricer car was reving up his engine outside and the Chief got up out of his booth and went out and yelled at him BY NAME. Small town no doubt! The dude must have been 6 foot 8 and probably pushing 300lbs - Big dude I wouldnt test him!

    Riding over to Aspen was tourture, it was hot and the traffic was thick, in town it was the worst, but we did see a few Aspen hotties on sidewalk, the scenery is great in Aspen in every aspect. Then we rode up Independence pass and got held up by a soldier in a Subaru who absolutely refused to use any number of the pulloffs as he drove just barely above the speed limit, the pass is very narrow and tight and lots of traffic coming down the other way so we just waited till the first opportunity, I was trying not to be disrespectful of the cagers all day but this guy was just not budging - first time we saw dotted line the RPMs maxed out and we were gone. Then was stopped at the top for a few shots and then back down we got in front of a VW golf what was not doing so bad following us, he would catch up on the super tight 10mph hairpins that drop off the side of the mountain and then we would be gone till the next one and finally he gave up chasing us down the mountain. It was actually very fun ride down this time, the bumps were smoother and they repaved some of the worst parts, the chip seal was in good shape on the Aspen side it was actually a fun ride over the pass. I cant complain other than the slab into Aspen it was a great ride all day long! We stopped one last time in Buena Vista for gas and I talked to a couple from Arizona riding together him on a KTM 990 and her on a Monster 650 they both seemed to be good riders. Must be nice to have a wife who can not only ride but keep up with you in the twisties! Super fun time - for those of you coming to the Summer Summit in August I can say that the Black Canyon is back up to standards!
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
  9. HispanicSlammer
    Surfing the Gravel
    The weather here in Colorado has been a complete mystery - snowing one day, sunny the next and 70 degrees out, the snow however is persistant and its not melting in the High country. Good news for the fire fighters out here but damn it sucks for riding. I know this happens every year but this year it seems to be hold out just a bit too much for my sanity, I want to ride man! So yesterday I decided to brave the cold and go out for a ride while the sun was out.
    I headed up Ute pass to do my local loop - pine loop! It was a mess, gravel piled up the lane medians and between lanes in the double lane highways, when I turned off on hwy 67 I noticed a Buell blasting by as I gassed up at the Loaf and Jug. I went behind him but he was gone - just a couple of slow poke Metric Crusers to pass and a bunch of cars. Heading down into the creek area where it gets twisty the road was way too unpredictable, the gravel would look clean but as soon as you rounded the turn it was strewn all over the lane after the apex. It was ticking me off to say the least. The county wont sweep it till the snow melts so it will be at least early to mid June before its good enough to burn a tire on. I held to to 50-70 depending on the conditions, then I slowed way down when I hit the tighter higher turns at Deckers, where the Platte River confluence is. I noticed a sherrif in a pickup carrying an atv pulling out behind me at the Deckers strip mall, well more of an old west type wooden decked thing, his atv had snow tracks on it, very cool. I thought I was going the speed limit and so I did not pay the sherrif any mind. At the end I wanted to take a picture so I stopped at the parking area at the Cheeseman Lake trail head at the bottom of Horse Power Hill.
    Mister Sherrif pulls in and starts hassling me about speeding? I say "what I wasnt speeding" then he says I was cause I was pulling away from the guy. I realize its pointless to argue with the Bald headed sheriff deputy and just let him be the boss - he starts in on me about the three speed limit signs I passed and asked me what they where, then he asks me what the speed limit is on Horsepower hill? I say its 55 - "NO" he says its 50mph! Geez come on I am not even on the damn thing yet I dont write that shit down for later reference! I remain smiling and in a decent mood since - well I am riding after all after a winter full of snow and cold wind, this is way better than not riding! I dont let the lecture get to me, he must see this and the fact that I am not being a prick, and I am not fighting his authority he decided to let me off with a warning! '
    Then I see off with a hand shake and he heads up Horsepower Hill to wait for me no doubt, so I say 'F' that and turn about to Deckers to go a different route, I decided to ride along the Platte and head to Sedalia via a dirt road thats about 3 miles long, whats the difference between a dirt road and the shit I am on anway? Gravel and dirt are the same thing! It was fun, riding along the river, all the fly fishermen were waving as I went by, there must have been 20 out there!

    Deckers road
    I was soon in Sedalia and making my way back to Colorado Springs via hwy 105 to Monument, its been a year since I was on this road, it was clean so I wicked it up to 80-90 and was having much more fun now that I was out of the gravel pit! Then I got a few tacos in Monument and headed home, I wasnt able to do Horsepower hill since the sherrif was watching - he did however make a good point, he said "this time of year 30 mph means 30mph with all the gravel on the roads" I agree! I just dont think I was speeding thats all! It seemed like I was crawling! So thanks officer for letting me off on this one! I hate being lectured to by the cops but if it saves lives its worth it, and he did after all let me go! I just know he was waiting at the top of HP hill though to get me!
    The route
    [map=AARTsJpyAl23K2ioD7XfYfT3ZHgKexnFPg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=14425989079078246010,38.839050,-104.830150%3B6985301553826647655,39.305572,-105.198464%3B13904077250748869946,39.439400,-104.961530%3B8149489834544979123,39.292350,-104.966890%3B14378410351962145764,39.129960,-104.910300%3B229676682778073002,39.242780,-105.266002&saddr=I-25+N+%4038.839050,+-104.830150&daddr=CO-126%2FDeckers+Rd+%4039.242780,+-105.266002+to:CR-67%2FS+Platte+River+Rd+%4039.305572,+-105.198464+to:US-85+N+%4039.439400,+-104.961530+to:CR-105%2FS+Perry+Park+Rd+%4039.292350,+-104.966890+to:CR-105%2FS+Perry+Park+Rd+%4039.129960,+-104.910300+to:80906&mra=ps&mrcr=0,1&via=4,5&sll=39.244751,-105.262756&sspn=0.038487,0.093555&ie=UTF8&t=p&z=9[/map]
  10. HispanicSlammer
    The Old Spiral Highway at Lewiston Idaho on the WA/ID border
    The PNW 2010 was a great event, I really liked the venue, others did not as much. Two days $158 for the historic hotel wasnt so bad, no TV no Airconditioning was the only draw back but to be able to walk downstairs and get a growler of Ruby Ale was really a huge plus. I got very used to the Edgefield Inn Brew in a hurry! Dinners were good, the company was great, and the bed was so comfy I did not toss or turn at all just out like a lightbulb. Maddog and I pulled into the parking lot and there were already vfr's in the parking lot.

    Sparrow The first vfr I saw at the pnw 2010 meet

    McMenamins Edgefield Inn
    We had our fly by hosted by Didit and Choco gave us some route suggestions, I had not planned to ride on Saturday but TimandCass talked me into it and I said give me an hour to shower and get my gear on - (OK DIDIT hour and a half) and we were off. I had no idea I was holding up 10 people? Sorry about that guys I thought it was just gonna be a few of us! So Tim took us into the great Columbia River Gorge and it was awsome, never been there and never seen how spectacular it is before. America just keeps it commin! No shortage of wonderful motorcycling in the place!

    Veefer800Canuke Claims His Piece Of The Veefalo the front valve cap

    Pacific North West Meet 2010 Columbia River Gorge on the historic scenic Hwy 30

    CassandTim takes us down Historic Hwy 30 Scenes from the Vista house of the Columbia River Gorge

    Vista House On Historic Hwy 30

    Multnomah Falls On the East Crown Point Highway

    Rest Stop at Multnomah falls

    The Porsche Museum in Mosier
    It was here we stopped in Mosier to visit the Ice cream shop and Porsche Museum - a cool little roadside joint that is a tourist delight, great way to spend the day, then off to the famous Rowena Curves for some twisties. Tim gives us a few pointer about where its dangerous, and shares a story about a local rider who for some reason got into a scrape with a bycylist who thought that petals own the road and not motorcycles? The way I understood it the bicyclist pushed the motorcyclist off his bike while riding, for me it sounded like the motorcyclist was riding aggresivley and tried to pass the guy in a turn? I dont know about you but in a turn is no place to pass on the street especially a tight gravel strewn one such as the ones in Rowena so who is right who is wrong? Beats me I wasnt there and its all hear say so - anyway I was freaked about gravel in the turns so I just played it safe on the way down and took it slow, then rode it up a bit faster. I took a video of it below if you care to watch in HD or non hd (click the hd button to turn it off)

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/rowena.mp4

    The Fameous Rowena Curves hwy 30 from Moiser to Rowena

    The vista at Mayer State Park just next to the Rowena Curves

    VFR's we all assaulted the Rowena Curves one by one
    I was definitly feeling the lag of riding 3 x 400 miles days so soon after working a 12 hour night shift. So After riding the Rowena Curves I told everybody I was heading back on the interstate to the hotel - I had noticed that the Gorge had formed a funnel effect on the wind and it was getting very very windy along the highway. One good thing about being socked in with overcast clouds, at least the wind is not so bad then? So I said goodby and headed west on the interstate. Wow pretty scenery along the interstate even but boy interstate riding sucks! I had no idea I was so far out at this point thinking it would be a half an hour or so to get back - wrong I was a good 70 miles in at this point and I had to just sit there and grind out he windy windy miles! Some jackass in a rice burner with a coffie can for an exaust blasted past me and shoved his car past me with maybe a foot of room to spare? Then he sat there in front of me at 55mph? So of course I backed off and got into the slow lane but rv afer rv after semi trailer forced me back behind him till I found some daylight and took off at 70mph - the posted speed limit! Rice burner did not like that and got like 3 feet behind me for about 2 miles till I had enough of that too. Then I thought I would see what a 1200 vfr could do on the interstate when you roll on the trottle. lets just say rice burner became very small in the mirrors till I ran up behind a semi, then I worked in between and around them and the mirror got very small again. Turn off in Troutdale and waited for like 10 mintues for a flunky to come pour my gas? Jebus I hate that stupid Oregon Gas bullshit! What a stupid law!
    I was getting hungry and I needed cash so I pulled into the safeway atm and saw a chinese resturant - its been months since I had chinese so I grabed some take out and put it in the top back and went back to the hotel for some lunch and an afternoon nap. Yes General Tao and Ruby Ale go together very well! Lights out and well I did not wake up till the vfrd get together was over. Darn it! I was really tired!
    I asked my friends Radar and Did it what was on the menu for the way home and it sounded very good so I attached a line to the back of Didit and hauled along with the Canadians into Idaho for two more days of great riding. We rode some interstate again and then turned off on the only bridge for miles across the Columbia, and into Washington. We took some remote back roads into Bickleton where they say is the oldest Saloon in Washington? Is it Washington or Oregon I have no idea I was just following along and enjoying the hell out of myself.

    The Oldest Saloon In Oregon

    Full Size
    Then we had to slow it down cause some of us were running on fumes all they way along the north side of the Columbia into Payson were we found an unattended gas station - no frills to say the least, but it had real gas! No Flunky to pump it either for you leaving you standing there for 5 minutes waiting to get served. It was the complete opposite of Oregon so yea I guess Bikleton is in Washington! I remember seeing Jeff and Axle 7 wizz past the rest of us on the sweepers of hwy 142 up the pass and seeing those two 2 up was like watching art in motion they looked so smooth together. I had witnessed this once before a couple on the Cherehola skyway holding off Baileyrock at the orginal fall meet - that was on a Kawaski with a liter engine so I must say to ride that that together on an 800 with a bad shock well its some darned good riding! HEH I am not that fast - I am not sorry about it either good stuff Derric and Tammy look great on that "Tamgerine" color vfr!

    The only gas for 50 miles an unattended gas stop in Paterson WA
    Lunch in Umatilla at a mexican roadside resturant was awsome, wasnt expecting good mexican food so far north, it was like back home in the southwest - a tex mex type resturant for sure. Lots of food and almost too much, well it was too much actually. They treated us good. Then off into the amber waves of grain of Eastern Oregon again, on some more back roads.

    The Moon over Enterprise Oregon

    Enterprise OR
    It was an awsome day of riding and the next day was even better - we found a great road up to Lewston that opened up into a huge canyon and well it was a little hairy comming into it cause it looked like gravel all over the road in the trees but as soon as we rounded the turns into that canyon it got very very good.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/lewiston.mp4
    The day had only been an hour into it and we had already found some good stuff! A bit of slab from here into Lewsiston to ride the Old Spiral Hwy - a motorcycle destination mecca itself. I took more video there

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/spiralhwy.mp4
    The Old Spiral Highway

    The Canadian Crew and Me at the lookout on the Old Sprial Highway

    Axle7 Solo's the Spiral Highway
    Then we found some more great roads to go up after that, a great sweeper road just would appear out of nowhere and challenge you for a half an hour or so then scenery then into Coeure D'Alene we found a tight tight twisty road hwy 97 that hugged along the lake for 20 miles, it was deals gap tight and it plumb wore me out! I was done and rolled off a bit and let Jeff and Didit go on ahead - And I just slowed down and looked at the pretty houses and boats along the lake. 30 mph turn followed by 20 mph turn followed by 15mph turn all at 60mph just wore me out after 11 miles or so. Big bike I got here takes some muscle to do that stuff for 20 miles on mile 300 for the day. I just needed a rest so I took it. I always ride my own ride anyway so I dont much care if you pass or get on ahead, some days I am the guy who gets away some times I am the slow poke, sometimes in the same day its just sport touring with friends - tis all good!

    Tammy shows of her Muscles hamming it up
    They all had resevations at the motel already and it was all booked up so I had to go get a place a few blocks away and we walked to the resturant - blue moon brewery and it was good, spicy too and I was smitten with the waitress she was captivating to me! Oh well Apricot ale was good and the company was awsome, Tammy was cracking me up the whole night she was really allot of fun! No she is not shy! HEH Good times good riding I was having the best vacation I have had in a long time! The next day half of us would split off for Montana and the other half up North!

    Full Size
  11. HispanicSlammer
    Texas Creek
    Last Tuesday was the first ride of the year for me, the vfr shod with a new set of sprockets and chain, was rarin to go. I waited for my buddy Craig to show up patiently - my brand new visor, and freshly washed stich, I was ready to go as well. The sun was shining and blue - there was still snow in the hill sides and ice on the yellow strip in the shady parts of the canyon but it was warm enough to enjoy a ride. Our destination was a short trip over to Texas Creek Junction, where Texas Creek meets the Arkansas River and winds its way east.
    Highway 50 intersects Colorado in half and although it is considered southern Colorado it is most definitly the middle. The highway begins in Kansas but it doesnt get interesting until you get to Canon City where you find the Royal Gorge. Then it drops down into the Arkansas River Valley and it gets rather interesting for a good 40 miles to Salida, Texas Creek is roughly half way from Canon City to Salida and the last few miles before you get to Texas Creek is the absolute best part. The Canyon walls are high and the sweepers are fast and furious. Craig and I saw triple digit speed in some of the faster turns, its double lane in some parts so you can get around slow traffic rather easy. It was nice to heat up the tires once again on those great sweepers, I have balled up lots of tires on those turns in the past - usually in the hot summer sun its always hot there in summer.

    Texas Creek a Centry ago
    We had some lunch at this great cafe at the junction, we love to stop there for lunch and home made pie. I had a nice bbq sandwitch and I was admiring the historic pictures on the wall.

    The Destination Lunch at the Texas Creek Cafe

    Warning If your gonna be a turd go lay in the pasture

    The View From the window

    What it looked like a centry ago Trains were the rule of the day back then hauling silver ore from the mountains
    I found my groove much sooner this year than before, after my winter layoff (more winter on the way <_< ) a break from the winter doldrums was a welcome thing! I was expecting to be a bit rusty and slow but - nope not this year, it was like I never got off the bike at all. Perhaps it was because November wasnt that far away, but it sure seemed like an eternity. Man I love my bike
    Here is a satalite map of the best part - triple digit sweepers
    [map=AARTsJorJEljnPDCNQVk7LLwbqt8cMUbMg]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7552852696277805325,38.445091,-105.525327&saddr=US-50+%4038.445091,+-105.525327&daddr=38.409213,-105.582905&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=13&sll=38.431404,-105.544109&sspn=0.075707,0.187111&ie=UTF8&ll=38.426429,-105.551319&spn=0.075713,0.187111&t=k&z=13[/map]
  12. HispanicSlammer
    The second installment The Rally
    Kevin attached his hard bags the night before in anticipation of an early start out of Nashville, and as usual I was groggy and not ready. We did the usual pin the tail on the donkey route out of Nashville from his house and I was totally turned around and confused as to which way was which. It looked like late afternoon to me and we where heading west, but the clock indicated 8am and so it had to be east - I know one thing it was I-40 cause the sign said so. With us was Dutch and it was a trio of VFRS on the way to Franklin, 3 gps units and none of us was sure about the route. Kevin stopped at the Cracker barrel and we all gassed up at the Shell right next door, I had to replace a blown fuse (the start of my troubles as the Hispanic-Flasher)

    :media: Texasmac 2008 video high resolution wmv format, music by Suzanne Vega

    I was having issues, leaving my keys in hidden places I was holding up the works, searching the ground, my suit and everywhere I finally found them behind a fold up display on the table where we ate breakfast. Kevin had us off the Interstate as soon as he possibly could and onto some rolling Tennessee hills, his route was a pleasant one and of course I had no clue where we where save for the purple line on my Zumo telling me (go here)!!

    Old and New Rock Island State Park

    Dutch snapped this one
    We rode sweepers, hills, tight back roads and stinky slabby roads to nowhere it seemed till at last it was lunch time at the Town Square Café in Tellico Plains - the food was good but boy my drink was nothing but ice! We where soon assaulting the Cherehola Skyway and at Baileyrock pace, or rather Baileyrock 3/4 pace? I don't know all I know is that my tires were sticking and I wasn't being dropped for once!
    I was loving it, as it all ended too soon, for a 60mile road it seems to be over all too soon. I hate the part where it gets tight and gravelly I just cruised through that and let BR take off, as I am some 2000 miles from home and not taking stupid chances on a shitty road. Whya Bend road was more of the same, we ended up catching up with some other guys on their way to Franklin from the entrance to the Natahala State park there. They fell in behind us as we headed up the mountain, more gravel more bumpy tight stuff I wasn't liking it at all, however coming down the mountain was different it was CLEAN and so I upped the pace!


    Aimlessly snapping photos Tinyminds and Dutchinterceptor

    Watch out man with a camera Dbs05 and Sochiro
    The Franklin Motel seemed like a great place to hold a rally, lots of space for trailers and a great open area to mingle with other riders, chairs everywhere, as long as the weather was good it was perfect. Married2apetbuilt was grilling burgers and dogs! Beer too - this is a wet county!
    The Next morning we all met for a drill about safety (hmm some of us listened) and I took my group up hwy 28 for the long route, and boy it was a good day of riding. Just the right length and lots of good roads. Up the Cherehola again I scrapped my boot on the first hard right hander and freaked myself out a bit. I was intermediate to fast group, though some of the guys thought incorrectly it was on the slower spectrum. I took it easy for the most part, and hammered it in the turns somewhat, at least on the Chrerehola (Trace and the guys where playing musical chairs as to who was going to follow me) Every time I looked in the mirror I saw a different bike! It was a bit unnerving but they had to sort out who was faster among them so that the line was evenly distributed, Dutch was my sweeper.
    Trace finally worked out he should follow since he had the pace on his RC51 and he did follow ( a bit close at times and it cost him ) so there were lessens to be learned there. Overall it was a good day to ride, some of the guys got tired and asked to stop, but I tried to keep the stops between the more difficult roads and gas stops, the highlights where the Cherehola, blood mountain and GA 344 wow that was something, After that I slowed it way down for Warwoman road cause that is not a forgiving road and it was late with critters sighted it was best to concentrate on being smooth and not go so fast. Of course this meant some cages would be a hazard, passing a pickup truck near Highlands turned out to be a disaster later cause he took a short cut and ended up in front of us again. Famous last words Trace "oh we will have to just pass him again" 10 minutes later he would suffer a broken clavicle and a busted up bike trying not to rear end me as I thought better about re-passing that same pickup truck on the short strait out of Highlands, he turned on his flashers and then turned into a right hand driveway - I had no idea wtf the guy was doing so I hit the brakes and settled in behind him - thats when I heard a whooshing sound and looked back to see an RC51 on the pavement. I started to panic but then realized Trace was already up and sitting on the side of the road, I got off my bike and Dutch and I picked up the bike and got it off the road. Minimal damage really it was a slow speed crash, Dutch pulled out a vise grip and fastened a make shift footpeg so Trace could ride it back to the hotel! I don't know how he did it but he rode that thing back 10 miles, and took off before we could all get gathered up to follow behind him. Dutch and I had to really push it to catch up to him 5 miles down the road. I don't know where he found the strength to turn the darned thing, good thing it is a lite bike!!
    The next day it rained.....as many of you know so it was sort of every man for himself if you want to ride. I fell in with Earthshake, Steven, and Baileyrock for a ride to Warwoman road and back, we took it fast and then the rain fell, Earthshake took us over to hwy 7 to Cashiers and we rode another loop into the NC mountains. The Pilotroad2 where great in the rain. Then we had that funny lunch at the diner on the hill with the Canadian guys - a group of 20 of us overwhelmed the waitress, she had her pea shooter on overload trying to shoot down our orders, and freaking out cause there was nobody there to man the Shake Machine! OH NO! I forgive her cause my lunch was scrumptious! Good stuff even if it took and hour, I am on vacation here so who cares I have time!

    The rain comes Earthshake and Baileyrock

    Balieyrock pays respect

    Fog in Franklin Sunday moring everybody prepares to head home
    It seemed it was over before it really got started, I took some video of the Friday ride but it was mostly boring stuff, so I mixed it in with some photos everybody shared on the "official" photo thread and made a collection video
  13. HispanicSlammer
    The last installment - riding home
    Memories, they are already getting cloudy - especially since this is my 4th attempt at writing this diddy. I first accidently highlighted and erased a couple of paragraphs then had to start over, when I accidentally closed the browser. My third time the browser locked up so I guess I just needed to take a break and do it later.
    First thing we did Sunday was get lost, that is to say my gps routed us to Shoney's by way of an alley way - turning while BR, Ezilla and Dutch went strait. 5 minutes later I was waiting for them at breakfast. I waited after I turned off and saw they stopped, waved them on and waited some more, then I turned around to go get them and they were gone?? At breakfast we discussed science fiction and the furry people, Ezilla explained them to us (extreme nano nano according to BR) Heh and off we went to go riding again.
    We basically rode out the same way we rode in excepts we avoided Whya Bend road and did Hwy 28 instead and ran into Ezilla on her way through Deals Gap, we instead rode over the Cherehola Skyway. Baileyrock, Dutchinterceptor, Steven (don't know his screen name) and myself. Had a good time however we had to pass a good deal of slower riders. Baileyrock passed a particularly slow rider on an Fz1 and so I waited for a clear spot to get around him myself on an uphill section. I went around him and then dived into the left hand turn at the top of the hill - giving him a wide berth. We rode on for a good deal and the others were not in my mirrors, went on further and still not there! So BR and I both turned around to find the FZ1 all cracked up and the guy riding it sitting on the guard rail shook up a bit. I asked the guy if he was ok and he said was OK, and I apologized for passing a bit close. He stood up almost a full foot taller than me and just huge, and shook my hand and said he was ok. He cracked up at the bottom of the hill where some gravel was in the turn. Steven said he just panicked and stood the bike up and went off the road. We stayed to make sure he was going to be OK and see if needed medical attention - his buddy was riding a tricked out Kawasaki had a trailer and went to go get it.

    Chrerehola Skyway On the Way Home

    Flowers On The Cherehola Skyway

    Butterflies on the Cherehola Skyway

    The River

    Cherehola Skyway

    I waited 10 minutes to get this shot and he slowed down as soon as he rounded the corner
    We rode into Dayton and had lunch at some forgettable place, good enough food but they had a curious habit of covering the table with a sheet of paper, the server wrote her name in crayon on the paper with a smiley face and served us some decent food (not great but good enough to hit the spot). BR wrote on the sheet "Refill" and when she returned with drinks he wrote a line through it and gave a funny grin which just cracked us all up. What a character.
    After lunch we got back on the bikes and I turned on the camera for the video below, Tennessee Hwy 30 mostly and some footage from this road named Bone Cave Road.
    The video

    :media: The Road To Nashville Video 10 minutes wmv format and music from BDylan.
    The ride was nice and I enjoyed it, we stayed at Br's place and he took us out to go get a steak at some joint downtown, the food was great but the service was - well comical to say the least. Our waiter had a curious habit of doing just barely enough to server without actually getting the job done. Cant take an order with something in his hands, had to go get rid of his tray, then asking about menu items was taboo, with an overhand flick of his pen pointing to the items on the menu, read for yourself. Then came time for drinks he would hold the glass about 4 inches off the table and just far enough away you had to get up and reach for it, which sort of seemed like self service. He had a curious habit of saying "AW-Right" whenever he took an order. The dude was entertaining if nothing else cause we where just waiting to see what he was going to do next!! "whenever you gentlemen are ready I am your cashier" - gave us some spiel he had probably said more than a few times to elicit a tip and then I said "OK we are ready" - and then he walked away?? BR Dutch and I looked at each other and and Said "Aw-right - got it - NEXT TIME" what a jackass!!
    Kevin was kind enough to let me use his garage to fix my broken brake switch, it was stuck on for half of the Tmac and the Hyper lites where flashing constantly on. I figured out it was a short on the front switch housing, dutch helped me diagnose and fix the thing, which worked for about half a day and then it started all over again, I replaced the switch from Kevin's stash which he so gracefully gave me ( Kevin's a flipping saint guys I mean that you cant find a better friend anywhere I really appreciate him putting together the Tmac, putting us up, taking care of everything and going above and beyond all that anybody could ask ) They don't make em like that anymore!

    Dangerous waters rising

    Factory at Rock Island State Park

    The Falls at Great Falls Road

    Balieyrock and I
    Kevin had to go to work so Dutch and I finished fixing up my bike as best as we could and then locked up the place and took a northern route into Kentucky finding a few good roads on the way to ride "the Trace" in the land between the lakes. hwy 232 on the way there was much better and was full of sweepers, I knew it was going to be good cause there was a house at the bottom - right as we turned on that had an abused CBR sitting on the side of the house that seemed have been put there to ride that road specifically. Good stuff man!!
    We took up residence at Swannee KY and I had some ribs a the only restaurant around, it was GOOD!
    The Great Furnace The Land Between the Lakes

    Land Between The Lakes

    The Bridge over the Lake

    You should have seen how graceful they took off when I started my bike back up
    The next morning we slabbed it via some interstate to get to the Confluence of the two biggest rivers in the USA at Whickliff KY we would cross both rivers and three states in 5 minutes sort of like standing at the 4 corners but with bridges involved

    Crossing the Rivers Ohio first then the Mississippi you can see the other bridge in the distance

    Whickliff Kentucky

    Crossing the Ohio

    Barges on the Ohio

    One bridge down one to go

    Barges on the Mississippi

    Crossing the state line you cross three state lines in 5 minutes Kentucky Illinois and Missouri

    Popular Bluff MO

    Redneck attempt at an amusement park
    It was mid day by the time we made it across the slab in Missouri to the edge of the Ozarks and the skies had clouded over enough to spit on us, we took some lunch at a Chinese buffet and I overate as usual, I don't know what it is with Chinese food I always eat too much. Then Dutch took the lead for the next two days since we were in familiar territory. Up hwy 160 for some good sweepers when it wasn't raining and down to mountain home for the night. Mountain home sounds like a great place to go but its like a suburb to nowhere, nothing interesting about the place at all really just a place to bed down. It does however have Push Mountain just 10 minutes away - my gloves where dry from the rain the day before and fitting a bit tight - so tight my right throttle hand had gone numb, I kept shaking it out but the entire time I was following Dutch into those fast straits and getting on the brakes hard into the turns I couldn't feel anything. He opened up a can of whoop ass on me and started pulling away a bit, I had to really put my head down to stay in contact and not get dropped - he was on fire! I am not so good on the brakes. I can use some practice on my next track day with brakes and turn transitions.
    We had a full day planned for the Ozarks heading into Mount Judea a the Eagles Nest Café for a Bacon Cheese burger, this was my second stop to this place, the 2006 TM ac trip I did I stopped here and had the best Bacon Cheese burger I have ever had my whole life. I was expected to get disappointed cause how can you top the first one? I was very surprised to be served another that was equal to the last and on par for best bacon cheese burger in the USA!!! I mean that! Little joint in the middle of nowhere with nice homey God fearing folks who would expect to get food so tasty so crisp and so darned good?? No credit cards though so bring cash.
    We ran hwy 123 again - same as the video from the first TM ac post and this time Dutch still had some whoop ass left in his can, I had to really get on it up those tight switchbacks to the top but once at the top on the sweepers I am in my element and I had opened up a can of my own! Then the rains came again and we had both come to the same conclusion, that the Ozarks in the rain where just too much. So we turned south on hwy 7 to Russleville where Dutch would head home and I too would begin 2 more days of slab to Colorado.
    Man the rain really started pouring when I crossed into Oklahoma, I-40 is full of trucks so I couldnt see a darned thing, I turned on my weather radio and listened for severe weather reports, a tornado and touched down 30 miles west of me in OKC, so I found a motel and spent the night out of the worst of it. Woke up groggy and grumpy cause I knew I had 645 miles of slab to do, popped in a sd card into my Zumo with an audio book and started in on the drone. It wasn't bad really not even the pan handle, it did not suck until I crossed back into Colorado cause all of a sudden the wind picked up to 40 mph gusts and I was having to duck down to keep from being blown off the road - and not mild wind either a cold 40 degree wind with drops of rain mixed in. I made for the bluffs along hwy 160 to get out of the wind

    Back In Colorado cold and windy

    South East Colorado

    How is that for a homecoming
    OH and one more memorable thing about the Tmac - this picture dutch took right after we came down blood mountain at a gas stop

    wow she sprinkled on glitter like this for a good 5 minutes which of course set us all back by that much
  14. HispanicSlammer
    After arriving in Nashville three days of over 500 miles each on the bike had played me out, worn out and sore, I couldnt even muster the energy to go for some Chow. Still stuffed from the pizza I ate 3 hours ago in Erin TN I just sat in Baileyrocks massaging chair. I told him I was having a strange vibration in the front tire when the speed hit 50 mph and so later that night we rolled my bike onto his bike lift and removed the front tire and spun it on a stand to see if it was out of balance. Niether of us could get it to settle in the same place so I figured it must be the chain makeing the vibration. Somehow we ended up checking the runout on the brake discs too - BR is a stickler for getting brake discs into spec with his dial indicator and a few well placed hammer hits on this button out, that button in and soon it was right into line! Baileyrock made sure to make fun of how tight I had all the bolts - prompting me to go out and buy two new torque wrenches when I got home.
    I found out I had an old college friend living around the Nashville area and made arrangements to have breakfast with him the next day. Baileyrock was a good sport and sat with us while we reminised over eggs and toast for a good 45 minutes - it was great seein Keith again and I am glad he survived being in the special forces for 13 years. Good man and that was it we were off to the TMAC together for the second year in a row. The route was very enjoyable and we just lazily rolled up and down those TN hills - occassionally powering up for some great twisties but mostly we just enjoyed the ride.

    Great Falls Road at Rock Island State Park

    The Old Pump house at Rock Island State Park, a natural spring

    Great Falls Factory Rock Island State Park BRs and my bike parked out front

    Great Falls Rock Island State Park
    I took us most of the day to get to Franklin, and BR had finally had enough of my pace and took off on the last leg of Wyha bend road. I have to admit I gained a few pounds since last year and it showed in my riding skill, Wyha bend road kicked my arse. We both passed a KLR about 1/4 of the way up the 42 miles of the road and the dude was on my 6 for a good 5 miles before I finally broke away. Those KLRs can turn a good pace in the tight stuff, well at my pace anyway - BR was long gone at this point. I have been there before - on that road at least 4 times and the tightness of the turns in North Carolina always amaze and surprize me. I finnally seen BR pulled over on the side of the road (changing his oil or somthing waiting for me) and we rolled into the Franklin Hotel together.

    Thursday evening gathering The Usual Suspects Baileyrock seated Theoxmole Nicole Motorhead1977 Marazmus and a couple other women I cant rember all the names

    Wrestler next to Sebspeed

    Phedrusman and Hypertention

    Chev with a big smile on his face

    Vifferluv I think this is what the locals refer to as *all bowed up*

    Redfish Luther is a regular Texasmac attendee

    Oyama I think the question was *is there going to be cheesecake*

    IntAceptor Bob was on of our lead riders

    Trace always follow the Trace Pace

    Kperham well the back of his head anyway and House in the background carrying some whiskyous substance no doubt
    Having been on the road for 4 days I was a bit tired Friday morning when we broke out into groups, having ate too much, drank too much, and slept a bit too little. I think I may have bit off more than I could chew going off with the Chatanooga clan VFR chapter of VFRD - DB05 took off in the lead on roads I could hardley imagine being so close to Franklin and yet so foriegn to me it was like I had never been to TexasMac before. I felt like I did the very first time, excited tired and a in a bit over my head. I just ran a pace I thought I could manage and if I get dropped oh well I get dropped. Yup I got dropped a few times, Jebus it was like Wyha Bend road all over again. However after Sochiro Joined us the pace seemd to smooth out a bit, probably because of the rain, it started raining soon after we stopped and joined up. He took us up some mountains and then onto the Blue Ridge Parkway for a short spell then down into the valley below for somthing to eat.

    Pre Ride Meeting and a moment of silence for Bruce (Texasmac)

    Gathered for the pre ride meeting

    Earthshake asking where are we supposed to park

    Just a few bikes out here

    Group Bike shot

    Baileyrock photo op

    Layers on Layers
    I have to admit I did enjoy it but I felt like I was holding everybody up, and for once I would like to actually stop and look around a bit - take some pictures ya know. This is the third time I have been to the TexasMac and I never really stopped to enjoy it before so I took off on my own for the last leg and stopped at all the great places I had only glanced at in times before.

    Intermediate Group Balsam Grove waiting on Sochiro

    Lunch Stop At Juke Box Junction hwy 281 and Pigon Road

    Smoke Break

    This looks like a good place to stop to get off that stiffling rain gear
    [vid]91[/vid]
    Earthshake cautioned me that hwy 64 into Cashiers was a nightmare of slow traffic he was right be he failed to mention if you pull over and take some pictures you can space it so you get in some good riding in the gaps!

    I split off and headed back on hwy 64 this is one of those *boring* shots from that boring road - ha wow
    Now I have been on hwy 28 between Franklin and Highlands at least 10 times and I never once stopped, well Ok we stopped when Trace *stopped* once but that was it, all this time and I never once stopped at Bridal viel falls! Not this time!

    Bridal Viel Falls who hasnt taken a picture here

    Bridal Viel Falls

    Cullasaja Falls 20 minutes ride from Franklin on hwy 28
    I enjoyed being a tourist so much I decided I would just go out on my own for Saturday too, I borrowed a bit of the route from the day before and headed over to the Blue ridge parkway again, and spend more time looking around and taking pictures. I wasnt waiting on anybody and holding up nobody either, just me and my pace alone all day. It was fun and I just went where ever a bit into South Carolina too.

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Wild Flowers

    Rhododendron along the roadside

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Rhododendron everywhere

    Blue Ridge

    Blue Ridge Parkway

    Blue Ridge Parkway
    After comming down from the Blue Ridge Parkway I headed south into South Carolina and found some good roads down there too, Ceasars Head state park in South Carlina at hwy 276 was a real treat. Then a bit of slab and back into North Carolina on hwy 178 I was having a real blast on that one, called Moorfield Memorial Highway my gps said turn on horse pasture road and head west from there at the top, so I started climbing hwy 178 and the turns were delicious and I was really finding a good rythmn and riding the best I had all week, I felt like my old self finally. When I got to this horse pasture road it was a no go, no way it was all rocks and it looked like it was more suited for a jeep so I just headed for hwy 64 and routed myself back over to Franklin via a little zig zagging to hwy 107 and back over the same path the guys showed me the day before. It was called Cullowee Mountain road I think and it changes names a few time where it comes out near Franklin as Walnut Creek road. Fun and it can get tricky as I soon leared cause I ran into Ryanme17 on the side of the road with his bike on the opposite side totalled. I stopped of course and checked to see if everybody was alright - they were waiting for the police to show up. I told Ryan I would go get sombody with a trailer in case he could manage to ride it - I found motorhead at the hotel and together we took Sebs truck and went and got Ryan. Motorhead advised him to let the wrecker take it cause it looked like a complete loss.
    Too bad too cause it was a great meet so far, but he managed to walk away just a bit sore - but he walked away afterall.

    Looking Glass Falls Hwy 276
    I spend the rest of the day eating and drinking with the group and enjoying myself, For sunday I would have to head as far west I possibly could, the rain of the weekend was a bit of a downer but not all bad, however I would fight with it all day by myself across Tennesse, I bascialy headed over the Cherehola in the rain, down hwy 30 to Chatannoga and across the bottom of TN all in the rain! It was miserable for half the day and the rest it was just a bit boring, hwy 64 was a bust for the most part except I was able to sample some wonderful southern fried chicken!

    Cherehola Skyway in the mist

    Joyce Kilmer National Forest

    Platters Buffet Cowan TN
    I took a side trip up to Lynchburg TN - I could smell it before I saw it, the home of Jack Daniels no wonder I could smell mash from 3 miles away. It was the rolling hills and country roads there I found to be very enjoyable. The again back on hwy 64 till I crossed paths with the Natchez Trace, I pulled up onto it for a spell and then turned around again and continued onto Memphis, I think I was on the Natchez for about 50 feet then I turned around - but I was on it!

    Lynchburg Tennesse Town Hall
    I think I will keep Arkansas all to myself, some things are not ment for public - just ment to be enjoyed and rememberd fondly as you remember the good things on your trip. It had no time to stop and I had to get across the entire state in one day and I did but I took a great route I will not soon forget, it just melted away the miles in the most laid back manner - like a stroll into the woods I just rolled across the Ozarks with the wind in my face and a song in my ear all day long till the sun finally went down and I layed my head down and slept like a baby.
    Kansas on the other hand was not so pleasant, right off the bat my bike started surging, I took a wild guess after the 3rd time pulling over and removed my PC2 and the problem went away , then the wind started in on me so bad I had to lean the bike over all day long to stay stait, I made the mistake of rolling across Kansas on hwy 50 which was full of Semi trucks all of them when they passed by they hit we with a blast of air that sent me reeling for a second or two. I think I will call it Kansas airbording! cause it almost tourture, I am sure the boys at Gitmo can find somthing in Kansas to make those Terrorist more compliant, at least on the drive through.
    I knew I was home when I saw this though another TMAC done and gone, and I enjoyed myself thanks vfrd for being so great.

    Old Bent Fort Rocky Ford Colorado
    tmac2009tracks.gdb
  15. HispanicSlammer
    This is my first real ride on the XR650r this season, having only ridden it to and from work a few times and once to the movies it has been languishing in the bike shed all winter. I had recently outfitted it with a Turbo City Sequoia Rack and some Tourmaster bags it was ready for some touring. I saw an opportunity to also attach a plate for my mini givi top bag and so I installed a plate last October. I had been having fits with it for the 3 years I have had her, always out of tune, broken subframe, melted plastics, and sub standard tires IMHO. The bike would just start racing at stop lights or when ever I stopped cause I could never get the darned OEM carb dialed in correctly. I switched out needles and slow jets and main jets till I turned blue from playing with the carb so much I finally broke down and bought a Pumper carb from Endelbrock. Good old American made carb made all the difference. It was a snap dialing it in, no jets to replace just a main needle what actually has a real dial you turn to tune it - you just dial it in. It was easy as pie, just a few runs to check for smoothness - a few times pulling the spark plug to look at it for fuel condition and I was set - it runs perfect now! I don't count my self as an expert carb tuner but I dont think a pro could have done better on this one.
    So once more this summer I planned to spend my forced vacation days on a bike, 3 days to the western slope of Colorado down to Silverton and back via mostly dirt roads. I would say I spent probably 65% of the time on backroads and the rest on pavement. I have documented the paved parts many times over so the pictures are of the back roads in this report. I took off late in the day and headed strait into the mountains on Old Stage road a 30 mile dirt road that climbs its way west from Colorado Springs to Cripple Creek. I don't think I saw more than 3 cars on that road - but I did see an unlicensed motorbike - he passed me in a turn when I wasnt expecting it and startled me. He had is green forest service tags but no licence plate - surely a no no that could get him in trouble. I did not even know he was there but being an experienced rider startled did not equal out of control. I just kept my line, slow as it was and watched him power up the hill on past me on his 400. I found him stopped at the top and I just kept going. There are a few trails up there that allow unlicenced motorbikes and atv's but this road is not one of them. This is the sort of thing that puts our rights in jepordy and citizens action commities rail against us then government has to clamp down. Come on people ride where you are supposed to or get your bike set up street legal like I did. Getting passed on that wide open easy paved road proved to be a bad omen for the rest of the trip there was more to come. I know I am not the fastest dirt rider, nor do I care but jeeze would it kill you to try the strait? I dont go that fast in the straits either?

    Ute Trail Part of the Trans American Trail on the way to Salida

    Colligiate Peaks at a place called School Section Spring on the Ute trail - land for sale

    Mt Ouray from across the valley Poncha Springs/Salida

    Mt Ouray and Chipeta Mountain Named after the great Ute indian cheif and his wife

    Sangre DeCristo Range starts here South ute trail winds down the mountain
    It did not take long to get out of the cripple creek area and onto the Ute trail to Salida, it was near 2pm and it was the hottest part of the day, however being at 8k feet it wasn't all that hot up there. I was pretty much alone the whole 40 miles or so of the Ute Trail only seeing one pickup on the way up the pass from Salida - it was expected being so close to town.
    I found a restaurant at the base of Ute Trail and had a good burger there, cant remember the name of the place it was attached to a motel. It was rather sparse for decorations, but the food was good. I had wondered if the girl who served me, if she was the only one there cause I saw nobody else, she must have cooked the meal too? She was nice and so I tipped her good. I could afford to spend money on food since I was camping for free. It was getting to be around 4pm by the time I was finished eating and I was soon on my way to Marshall Pass after gassing up in Poncha Springs. I bought a few powerbars (nasty things they taste awful no more ever again) for breakfast in the morning.

    Sheep Mt and Antora Peak as seen from Marshall Pass

    Windy Peak from Marshall Pass

    Camp site just off Marshall Pass

    I went exploring a deer trail

    Aspen Groves 10k feet elevation
    I found a little road that turned off Marshall Pass and ended about a quarter of a mile into a campsite just off the main road, it looked good to me so I unpacked the camping gear and set up my Kermit camp chair and relaxed in the evening reading and walking around a bit on some narrow deer trail to see the sites. I couldn't see much because the Aspen trees were so thick - I read a little bit then passed out in my sleeping bag. The mosquitoes were not an issue since I brought some OFF but the Bee's mane the Bee's all these damn Bee's buzzing around the tent all night long. I finally put in my earplugs and went back to sleep. They did clue me in on seeing the milky way in all its glory. Nothing like seeing the stars in the high mountains, they are incredible how many and how much brighter they are up there in the night.

    Mt Ouray from the other side the sign says Ouray Creek

    County Rd-14PP Looking North

    County Rd-14PP Approaching Cotchetopa Canyon

    County Rd-KK14 heading into Cathedral
    After Waking up I headed down Marshall Pass into Sargents a strange little village with a gas station at the base of Monarch Pass on Hwy 50 its built right ontop of a flood plane full of marshes - mostly log homes with that old rustic look to it like cabins but not quite all strewn together with dirt streets. I gassed up after 80 miles and only used maybe 2 gallons probably less much less. I was impressed my gas mileage increased with the new carb too. I have a Clark 4.3 gallon tank on it, and usually I only get 150 miles tops per tank I could tell I could top that easy. I worked out the milage on the old carb to 38-42 mpg on a good day, I was getting around 51 mpg on this trip and no issues, starts on the first kick too.
    I spend some time riding the high plains along Cotchetopa Canyon, or rather above it and along side. I like the canyon but it scares me a bit on the vfr since it was the site of an awful crash on a ride I was leading. It is not a road you can take it easy on it demands all your attention and respect. I was soon heading toward Slumgullion pass on some more back roads and into Lake City

    This was a surprize A Harley on a bumpy dirt road
    Harley guy stopped to ask me where he was, I couldn't hear him over his bike cause he was very soft spoken and so I just warned him the road was about to get a bit more technical - and he took off down the road. I had stopped for pictures already and left my keys on the dirt and had to turn back around and go find them, only to run into this guy. Sure enough at the first sign of difficulty the Harley rider had stopped and I rolled on by. I took another hour to get to Lake City for lunch at a place called Southern Vittles - a Texan replant owned the place and he served up Dr Pepper from the fountain from Dublin TX - a real treat cause I am a Dr Pepper drinker since I was a Kid. Pure cane sugar and the original recipe - too bad his fried chicken did not live up to its southern fried claim. I have been to the south and this wasnt nearly as good as what I had in Tennessee. A bit under seasoned and lacking in salt the breading was hard too. Oh well it was decent though and it cured my hunger I left the greasy french fries on the plate. I put on the Stich and headed up Engineer pass for the difficult part of my trip.

    Start of Engineer Pass the easy part

    Historic landmark at Henson CO

    The cabin had a bit of a draft

    my steed

    This is how rivers are made in Colorado

    The pass begins to narrow a bit still easy at this point

    A look back
    I missed a turn and headed into the wrong direction and the road just ended there, so I had to double back and turn up a steep rocky section and found myself teeth chattering along on a jeep only road, it had a sign that said 4 x 4 recommended past this point and with good reason. This is what my guide book called "moderate" I was behind a few jeeps now and motored on past at twice their speed since the XR was digging in nicely if not teeth chattering its way up the steep embankment. I just kept up the momentum and she powered up just fine. The only serious difficultly was stopping for Jeeps on the way down, they were numerous and it seemed always ended up in the way at the Switchbacks. I had to find a place to get off so they could pass cause the road was steep and narrow at this point. It was more challenging but nothing I could not handle.

    Engineer Pass as soon as I reached the tree line the road got steeper bumpy rocky and much more challenging

    Snapped a picture while waiting for a caravan of jeeps to come down the pass - too narrow to pass safely I had to pull aside

    typical switch back this one was easy - no rocks but steep

    The top of Engineer Pass this was the easy part

    OHH Boy its raining over on this side actually I had a small rain at the bottom of the pass - this is looking north west

    This is directly west of Engineer Pass Telluride is one the other side of that range

    A information marker at the top Engineer Pass

    I made my way across the tops of the mountains
    California Pass turned out to be more of a challenge, the rocks were more numerous there where hoards of ATV's now, each of them with a child on the back it seemed and moving faster then the jeeps but slower then me. It seems I was the fastest guy on the mountain at the moment which I found hard to believe after all I am used to getting passed on the XR. California pass seemed easy compared to Hurricane Pass because this mountain was covered in snow and it was all melting on the road which looked more like a raging creek bed than a road. It unnerved me to be on the rocks as a steady stream of water spewed out of the melting snow at 12,000 feet up. One jeep caught me off gaurd on a paticularly tough switch back, it was all wet with runoff and it was steeper than the others with an 8 inch step - he was in the way so I had to back into the snow drift and darned if my motor stalled. He rolled on by and waved thankfully but I was a bit miffed about the stall and may have been a bit short with the guy. Kickstarting a bike in a tight switchback at a 25% incline at 12.5 k up is not easy. I managed but I was completely out of breath when I made it the half mile to the top.

    California Pass this was tougher than Engineer - melting snow made the road a creek bed in places

    California Pass a bit steeper more rocks and lots of snow melt

    Oh ok down there then there were trails going all over the place

    From where I just came going down Engineer and up California pass proved to be much more challenging

    Xr650 weighed down with camping gear and tools

    California Pass even more challenging now more rocks

    California Pass

    California Pass

    Poughkeepsie Gulch the trail was blocked by a huge snow drift at the top - a completely smashed up car sat there as a warning to all who enter

    Finally at the top this road winded around quite a bit and lots of jeeps made for some interesting encounters
    I looked down to see there was yet another pass and by now I was getting winded because of the lack of air and the increasing difficulty of the road, Hurricane pass turned out to be the most difficult for me, since I was a bit sore in the shoulder from sleeping on the hard ground the night before in an odd way. I was crawling up it now and going down was worse, California Gulch looked easy from above but it was rocky and wet too. I just plowed through it from the top. Going down was hard for me being loaded down there were places where the snow jutted out and cut the trail in half and the edge had a drop off that spelled disaster. I just kept my eyes on the road and tried not to look over, it was a bit scary in places. OK allot scary in places.

    Hurricane Pass much more difficult either that or I was getting tired

    Even the sign was in bad shape

    The view however was worth the trouble

    looking back up at Hurricane pass I had to stop cause my rear brake overheated too much load

    The start of Corkscrew Pass I decided to head to Silverton instead - 3 more mountains to pass - I could see it comming down Hurricane and it looked challenging
    Hurricane Pass was the worse off all but it was short, the ride down was really bumpy and I overheated my rear brake - nothing on the petal I just slammed to the bottom with no stopping power I had to pull off and let it cool off till I got rear brake again. Some guy on a CRX stopped and asked me if I was ok I just waved and he rolled on by me at 3 times my speed - I was back to being a slow ass again. I was not going to try Corkscrew at this point I was pooped after being on the bike for 9 hours. My butt was starting to really hurt too, the widening of the seat and the Sheepskin cover helps but not after 9 hours! I just rolled into Gladstone on the big wide dirt road that seemed like a super highway at this point and soon I was getting blasted by all sorts of pickup trucks and jeeps now. I am no dirt track racer so I don't care if you pass me, I even pull off to make it easy. It was raining hard now and Silverton had nothing I wanted in it, so I headed up the Million dollar highway into Ouray where it was still raining - beautiful as ever Ouray has got to be the most scenic place in Colorado. Now I was getting tired so I decided to find a camping stop somewhere up on Owl Creek Pass cause the rain was every where around me except east of Ridgway where the pass is. I stopped and gassed up - got a sandwitch and some drinks and headed for the mountains again.

    Heading up Owl Creek Pass East of Ridgeway

    Chimney Rock this was my choice for a good place to camp

    Alpine meadow after the rain

    The blooming bush

    This was the view from my camp chair

    Weeping flowers

    more wild flowers
    Camping up there was wonderful not as many bee's or mosquito's as Marshall and it was very scenic, the stars were even brighter up there. I was surprised to see a whole slew of bikes roll on by at twilight, a few GS beemers, a KTM, and a V-stom leading the way in the dark. They stopped and talked to me a little while - but did not want to crowd the camp site, it was wide open as far as I was concerned but I think one of the beemer guys was more interested in a motel. So they left and gave me a beer as a parting gift for pointing them in the right direction. Its great to make friends on the road - even on the back roads.

    I woke up and saw an Elk across the meadow

    Leaving camp Chimney rock in the morning

    This rock is just like the rock in Alberta The rockies are the rockies after all

    The summit of Owl Creek Pass 7am

    Views from the road

    Turret ridge

    Views from the road

    Turret Ridge

    Rock formation at High Mesa

    Looking back to Owl Creek pass at the cross roads

    One last look at Turret ridge

    Cimmaron Ridge at Silver Jack

    Silver Jack Reservoir

    Wild blooms on the side of the road
    It was here off Cimmaron Road I had an encounter with a Ford pickup 4 x 4 - a big one. I was on the road where they had sprayed down Magnesium Chloride and it was still wet and slippery, this asshole passed me in a turn and brushed me in the elbow then gassed it and sprayed me all over with that stuff. This sent me into a rage and for a short moment I was a dirttrack racer - overtaking him and I made sure to spray the hell out of that nice white paint with that Magnesium Crap they had on the road, and I rolled on the power into the rest of the turns and left him in the mud. I had a few moments where I was out of control and a bit scared he might run me down. I did it anyway and well it was childish and stupid but I was pumped after that and could have ridden another 600 miles that day. I turned off on hwy 50 and ran smack into a bicycle tour with what seemed like a 1000 riders. They stretched all the way from Cimmarron Road - to Gunnison and even turned with me up to Almont 45 miles long a least. Big bike tour I guess. I got gas in Gunnison even though I did not need it and headed for Cottonwood pass. Oh boy the tourists were all over the area here, Lake Taylor was full of tourist and fishermen in the creek by the damn.

    Cimmaron State Wildlife Area Cimmaron Road

    Taylor Reservoir

    Taylor Reservoir

    The 3 apostles and Ice Mountain

    Cottonwood Pass looking on the east side of the continental divide

    Cottonwood pass the east side is paved - the west side is hardpacked dirt

    Some fun for a vfr here

    One last look at the western slope

    Across the valley American Flag Mountain stands out in the center

    Cottonwood Pass west side
    I pulled into a gas station in Buena Vista that had a diner in it and had some lunch the waitress was right at eye level when I sat down and I did not take notice till I went to pay that she stood barely 4 feet tall. She was very pretty but boy was she short. She was making fun of me cause I kept asking for odd stuff, I made her work for her tip - and I did tip her well. I think she was surprised how well cause after all it was a truck stop but I was a bit demanding service was good and the food was good.
    Then I found a back way on the map to get to the ute trail again and so I took that way, it was only a mile up the road from the gas station and oops I had forgot to fill up, 80 miles already on the odo, I thought about it and figured out I had plenty to make it to Cannon city anyway.

    Badger Creek off the Ute Trail wildflowers grown on the high plains Agate Mountain to the left
    It started to rain on me at the end of ute trail and I had though of tracing my path back to Cripple creek but the rain looked worse there so I headed down the mountain to Cannon City and boy it was hot there, 95 degrees out hot, I was melting in my stich so I found the nearest Baskin Robbins and had an ice cream in the air condtioning. Then the rain rolled into that place and cooled it off too. Wow the last part home was pavement and uneventful but I could barely sit up cause my butt hurt so much, 500 miles on a dirt bike can be painful
    Day one

    Full Size
    Day two

    ">Full Size
    Day three

    Full Size
    I am also attaching my gps tracks and a google earth path file so you can view it in 3d if you like.
    d Lakecity_tracks.gpx
    Lakecity_path.kmz
  16. HispanicSlammer
    I ride this 500 mile loop at least once a year, it usually takes about 12 hours to complete lunch included with some of the most spectacular scenery that Colorado has to offer. Not to mention some great twisties along the way. I ride the first half of it so often I did not bother to stop for pictures and that included Monarch Pass which is for the most part a great mountain pass on a motorcycle. I usually take hwy 50 west all the way to Gunnison and then turn off at Hwy 92 for the best road in Colorado IMHO the Black Canyon Of The Gunnison. Yea I have posted it many times before and taken video lots of times, yesterday included but only for a short section since my video with Dan Last year has become the definitive hwy 92 video, I put the camera on the helmet for that part to try to get some shots of the canyon below but I move my neck around like a bird so I cut most of it out of the final video and for some reason my second camera was cutting out a bit on that section.

    Dillon Pinnacles Blue Mesa Reservoir highway 50

    Highway 92 At Blue Mesa Damn

    Highway 92 Black Canyon

    Highway 92 from where I just came

    my vfr800 The San Juan's in the background

    Black Canyon hwy 92 hangs off like a shelf

    Long Way Down 2000 feet below is the Gunnison River
    I usually stop in Crawford for lunch, where the Maddog café used to be - since closed but there was a sign on the place I usually go the boardwalk café that said it was closed on Tuesdays (shoot I was hungry) but fortunately the Branding Iron was open for lunch and I was in for a surprise, to date the best Bacon Cheeseburger I have had in the USA was at the Eagle Café in Mount Judea Arkansas but I now think the Branding Iron has taken that Title - however twice I have tried the Eagle Café and twice its been awesome so perhaps I need a second trip to make sure - all I know is the Branding Iron uses 100% Colorado Beef, sign says so right on the door! Crawford is a sleepy little place nestled in the foothills of the mountains - lots of farms in the area where you can get all sorts of goods, beef or course, pistachios, apples, wheat, Barely (Coors uses allot of grain from here), and the like. There were other motorcyclist out on this loop today as I pulled in 4 other bikes pulled out and there where a couple of FJR's from Idaho out front too, a husband and wife out touring Colorado - I will be up there next month on my way to Canada!!

    I think I found my new Favorite Burger 100 percent Colorado Beef - Crawford Colorado

    Crawford Colorado I pulled in just as 4 bikes pulled out
    I took a short cut through some farm country to Panioa, another nice little town north of Crawford, the place was bustling with activity, its off the main road so I was sure they where mostly locals - lots of kids out in the sun on summer break, seems like a great place to grow up! I was soon on Hwy 133 heading for Sommerset an old coal mining town, shooting the easy sweepers around 70 or so, just cruising. I pass through town then resumed my speed when all of a sudden I can feel a wasp stinging me in my stomach, damn thing got me 3 times before I could open my stich to let it out. Lucky for me cause I slowed down quite a bit while this was going on a state trooper passed me on the next turn, me rubbing my tummy where the wasp got me going EXACTLY the speed limit. That wasp saved me a ticket!! I decided to pull off and put some creme on it. Seems I always get nailed by a wasp or a bee in this area and so I carry some medicated creme now cause it seems inevitable that I am going to get stung or bit by something.

    North Fork Gunnison River Keebler Pass - dirt road to Crested Butte

    Marcellina Mountain at Keebler Pass

    North Fork Gunnison River looking back at Somerset
    I then put the cameras back up and turned them on for the twisties along the Panoia State Park, they are nice and tight along here and for some reason there where a row of cars going up the road to McClure pass I just passed them one by one, and using my new found philosophy of "don't force it" opportunities to pass legally just seemed to crop up, a dotted line just long enough for me to get around and stuff a tight right hander and still give the car a wide berth! No finger wagging cagers passing me today! Wasps and Cagers be damned this was a ride for the books and it was going great, no rain, no cops save the wasp guy and no idiots in the way.

    Chair Mountain From McClure Pass

    Chair Mountain zoomed in

    McClure Pass Hwy 133 at Marble

    McClure Pass Hwy 133

    Elk Mountain

    McClure Pass Hwy 133

    Redstone You can go horseback riding here

    Redstone Coke Ovens Chair Mountain in the background

    Zoomed out

    Redstone
    NO IDIOTS SO FAR - That was until I was up until I got to Aspen, the leg home. The traffic in Aspen was awful as usual and it stayed that way almost all the way to Independence pass, where I ran into the back of a long line of cars stopped for an accident, it was a pretty bad one the whole front end of a Jeep Liberty was smashed up, this is the third time I had seen a bad accident on this pass so I don't rail it anymore too many idiots cant stay in their own lane on the tight bumpy twisties here, two weeks ago I had to adjust my line three times cause cagers had crossed the line into my lane! so I took it easy when all of a sudden gravel everywhere! - some time since two weeks ago they had chip sealed the western part of the pass and had yet to sweep it off - this went on for miles with 10 or so cars in front of me all going about 25mph my bike was running at 245 degrees! I was just about to pull off and let the bike cool off when the chip seal stopped and there was some open road, I passed a whole bunch at a time - again legally and easily and got the bike moving enough to cool her off! going down the other side it was one lane again, this time asphalt paving on the other side! Now it had cooled down to 180 since I was going down and just coasting down!

    Independence Pass two weeks from my last ride down it

    Lackawanna Gulch at Independence Pass
    I was in cruise mode from here on out, it was already 6pm and the critters where out and about coming out from the bush after hiding from the hot sun all day I had spotted a few deer on the side of the road so I slowed things down some. Stopping in Buena Vista I decided to check out Quincy's for a Fillet Mignon, but the place was packed to the gills and there were people standing outside, I guess I will have to wait till next time. Thats all they serve there so it must be good, my friend Craig says its wonderful.
    The MAP
    [map=AARTsJq2pIfAsk3yqFX8Kb32ic8k0bxQfQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=9625108885702190974,38.800480,-104.822280%3B5066384881114405528,38.703640,-107.608740%3B9244847327359666910,38.964239,-107.338613%3B13689259641919423694,39.129160,-107.283820%3B10826179235940960323,39.178990,-107.241930%3B18393276206533680966,39.095500,-106.545367%3B4205475245268540213,38.859180,-104.867940&saddr=CO-115+S+%4038.800480,+-104.822280&daddr=Dogwood+Ave+%4038.703640,+-107.608740+to:CO-133+%4038.964239,+-107.338613+to:CO-133+%4039.129160,+-107.283820+to:CO-133+%4039.178990,+-107.241930+to:Unknown+road+%4039.095500,+-106.545367+to:38.826871,-104.837036&mra=dme&mrcr=5&mrsp=6&sz=8&doflg=ptm&sll=38.861098,-106.54541&sspn=2.386705,5.668945&ie=UTF8&z=8[/map]
    THE VIDEO

    :media: The Big Colorado Loop Video - 8 minutes wmv format high resolution - music by New Order
    attached are the gps tracks from my zumo
  17. HispanicSlammer
    The S Curves On The Green Horn Highway Bishops Castle Run
    I tried to get a ride together to do this run as a group ride, slipping clutches, and bad planning on my part forced it to become a solo run. I hopped on the Veefalo and headed south. I have always loved the Greenhorn Hwy and its fast sweepers and the big S turn shown in the teaser above, its a staple ride for me and about a 4 hour run if I want to do it there and back. I kept seeing this ST1300 all day long. I stopped in Flornece to gas up and as I was pulling out there he was on a red ST1300. I waved and headed for Bishops Castle, then after taking a rest at the castle I set up my camera for the videobelow and sure enough the ST pulled in as I was leaving.
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/biships2010.mp4
    I ended up heading into Westcliff and the long way around to Walsenburg. From there a short hop over to La Veta and again I set up my camera and low and behold who showed up behind me - that ST again. He stayed pretty close behind me all the way up Cucharas Pass and rode that ST like a pro! Good rider whoever he was! He waved as he went by at the top of the pass. Me I was just gonna turn around and get some lunch at the Dog Bar in Cuchara, CO; but not before running the pass a few more times.
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/cucharas.mp4

    Showing off the Leo Vince

    Veefalo

    Veefalo at the intersection of Cordova Pass and Cucharas Pass

    Teddys Peak At the turn off for Cordova Pass

    Sangre De Christo Range

    Crestone Needle Veefalo in the Foreground

    MOOO MOOO Silver Park Colorado
    all in all about 350 miles total - I spent about 2 hours at the dog bar talking with the locals and having a good time.
    Google Map
  18. HispanicSlammer
    Veefalo and Pikes Peak South face of Pikes Peak
    Facebook can be a pain sometimes but for the most part it seems to bring people together, a guy I knew from work Dave C I friended on FB and I have been keeping tabs on whats going on with him in the last few months. He is working at a new job now and life for him has been a bit rough as of late, lots of drama, he just wants to start over somewhere else but he is stuck for the moment due to circumstances and sometimes the only respite is a motorcycle ride! Motorcycles can do that ya know, make everything better. I am talking about a 6 hour escape from your troubles and a fresh breath of Colorado Mountain air, and a few fun curves to boot. Anyway I asked Dave last week if he wanted to join in on a failed ride I was planning that never came to life. So yesterday he writes me back finally and says what are you doing today? Next thing I know I am meeting him at a gas station along the way to our destination. Its no big trek today just a popular loop among Colorado Springs and Pueblo riders the Bishops Castle run, we added in a second destination Victor-Cripple Creek too and made a big 230 mile loop out of it. Lots of stops and lunch at Texas Creek Diner.
    Dave meets me at the gas station and hes got on a mesh jacket and helmet but then hes got on shorts and tennis shoes? I am a bit uncomfortable with this and tell him that, knowing that if he tries to follow me at my speed in that getup he could end up rashed up pretty bad, but he assures me hes going his pace and well hes a full grown man and its his life not mine! So we ride!

    Bishops Castle Dave next to his bike
    Some road work has us riding up and over some weird bumps at weird angles on hwy 50 its a bit unnerving with the diamond cut grooves too but we make it to Florence and turn off along the route to Hard Scrabble. The weather is sunny and freaking hot! My Transit suit is a bit stuffy but a pull on the main zipper vents it enough to get comfy again. Familiar roads sometimes are a welcome site and I often forget how good the roads are just a few hours from my home. Dave and I talked about that at lunch. What would I give the roads in Colorado on a scale of one to ten? I came up with an 8 out of 10, cause well it is a bit of slab to get to the good stuff, and its a bit short good the good stuff, lots of traffic sometimes and the road conditions seem to be in a constant state of disrepair, bumpy front heaved passes mostly. Beauty is...well its Colorado its unprecedented how pretty it is in the mountains, but 8 out 10 is awesome. I have yet to find a 10 but 9.5 I have (tmac roads) some Oregon roads were great, some California roads, Ozarks all 8 or above. Idaho cant forget Idaho! Oh well I digress here.
    The ride to Bishops Castle is clear NO traffic at all! I was awesome and Dave rode his own pace so I wicked it up on the good stuff and waited for him on the straits. He rides a 650 vtwin Hysong. A budget bike for sure but not bad at all and hes got a two brothers pipe on it that sounds incredible. The bike is based on the sv650 by Suzuki and in fact Hysong contracted with Suzuki to make SV motors so the bike is an awful lot like the SV, not at lite as the sv but there are so many similarities its almost a carbon copy. The brakes are not as good the suspension is not as good but adequate. Upside down forks and the they are massive, heavy wheels though but Dave says that those who opted for lighter wheels found the suspension just could not compensate, in need of re-valving and springs I am sure if you go with lighter wheels.
    Hes taken good care of that bike and it looks just like it did when he first got it, with some new parts on it, color matched rk chain is a nice touch. Its sounds awesome too but the Veefalo just leaves it in the dust! Passing cars is a bit of a problem for Dave, so I just wait at turn offs or on the straits. He just doesn't have the get up and go I do! I pulled off after gassing up along hwy 69 cause there is a bend in the road there that is a great picture stop, matter of fact its been noticed by allot of motorcycle magazines too.

    Gibbs Peak Colorado 69 - this stretch of road has been featured in a more then a few motorcycle magazines

    CO 69
    We rolled on out of the Castle and headed for westcliff and then got some gas and then rolled down to Texas Creek for lunch, the place was packed with tourist. Dave was telling me a story about hwy 50 and tourist. Apparently a couple of tourist were playing you cant pass me on the opposite lane, and one tried to pass while the lead car sped up - just as he was coming the opposite way. He had to stop, literally stop his bike and jam it against the guard rail cause the passing car was head on both stopped in the highway 5 feet away - middle fingers flying he said! HEH wow! Too close for me!
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/bishop2011.mp4
    7 min video from the Castle to the McKenzie Junction
    Lunch was very good a smothered green burrito I utterly gobbled it up in a few minutes, nothing to eat all day long I was seriously hungry by the time we got to the Café. I love that little joint, they put out bird feeders and humming birds feed just a few feet from you behind the big glass window.
    I lead most of the way and took Dave the back way to see the south side of Pikes Peak, up over High Park road into Cripple Creek it was fun riding up the pass into Cripple Creek but he got stuck a few times behind cars, they move just fast enough to make it difficult to pass but not fast enough to care about staying put. Open road I always want open road! I waited at the overlook and watched him make his way past them finally and up the pass, Into Cripple Creek and over to Victor the road was full of traffic and a few Deer on the side of the road really slowed me down from there on.

    Pikes Peak Hwy 81 near Goldfield CO
    After this pic stop it gets back onto the main hwy to Divide from Cripple Creek, and as usual since Cripple creek is a gambling town there is allot of traffic, I was picking them off 2-3 at a time but Dave was content to stay where he was, I rather enjoyed a bit of open road on the twisty parts and got in some good turns before we had hit the slab on hwy 24. Its a slab fest all they way down to Colorado springs from there Ute pass was a bust too semi tractors and slow cars we just crawled down it - not to mention its patrolled by the state allot too. I waved to Dave goodbye and well a good 6 hours on the bike spent for my last day off of the week. It felt good to ride. Thank goodness for Facebook cause I would have just sat at home if I had not got that message. I don't much like riding alone anymore, well at least in Colorado.
    THE MAP

    Full Size
  19. HispanicSlammer
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/black2011.mp4
     

    Most of the time I have known him Reddog and I have taken off on a run to the Black Canyon around fathers day, now that hes got an empty nest it seems we were on again for our annual 500 miler to the Black Canyon. This year we did it counter clockwise and headed up to Independence pass. I invited a number of folks but only three of us made it. Millertm my old buddy from work who now lives in New Mexico came up for the ride and to spend some time with his Dad who lives on the other side of Colorado Springs from me. Of course Reddog and I also.


    Breakfast at the Hungry Bear Woodland Park


    My server I work with her sister

    I met Mark (Millertm otherwise known as Mr Dude to the folks at work) and we had a scrumptious breakfast Eggs Benedict for me with Hollandaise sauce on top of ham eggs on a bed of toasted English muffins. It was good but rich very rich I finished it off in good style I don't normally eat breakfast but I was hungry. I work with a lady who sister works at the Hungry Bear and she always lambastes me for not stopping at the Hungry Bear when I am in Woodland Park.

    We had an uneventful ride up hwy 24 just some construction a the top near Wilkerson Pass nothing too crazy - lead duties switched up quite a bit everybody lead today and it was great it just sort of happened. The construction bunched up a huge line of cars and we had to endure the slow pace all the way down Wilkerson Pass to the flat valley below then we blasted them 2 at a time till we had open road. We stopped in Buena Vista for some Gas then again in Twin Lakes to pile on a few layers for the ride up Independence Pass its at 11k in elevation and already in Twin Lakes it was 50 degrees Bill said his temp gage was at 32f at the top. Mark lead the whole way up to the top and down. Bumpy but for the most part the pass was very clean it was nice.


    Twin Lakes nice little village


    Twin Lakes


    Twin Lakes Lake to the east


    Funny Sign Twin Lakes General Store


    Millertime La Plata Peak in the background

    Then I got waved ahead in Aspen, no stopping in Aspen and then we slabbed it over to Carbondale for gas and some lunch it took us a long time to get over to Aspen over the pass and we did stop at the top


    Reddog


    Millertm



    32 degrees at the top freaking cold up there


    Independence Pass


    Aspen to the west


    Reddog with the mountains in view


    Millertm and Reddog at the top of Independence Pass


    Independence Pass looking South

    We saw a few cops but none of them took any interest in us thank goodness, lunch was good Bill wanted to find a new place this year so we decided on Carbondale and it did not disappoint


    Lunch In Carbondale


    Red Rock Diner cool little joint in Carbondale CO

    Fat and Happy I was ready to rail McClure pass and the sweepers at the bottom to Paonia Reservoir they have a great road along the lake its nice and tight I was enjoying the pace and I had found a nice rhythm. Lots of gas stops cause Mark and I have small gas tanks. We could have gone further but the stops were welcome and it staved off any butt aches. It was funny cause I thought I was being a bit too cautious about my gas mileage but I was averaging 43mpg! It was a nice pace anyway but in the station at Crawford we saw a long line of cruisers pass on the way to the Black Canyon and I said to Bill "hey looks like we will have to pass some rolling pylons" we hung out longer and had something to drink hoping to get some distance between us and them but sure enough as we rolled to the start of the Black Canyon we caught them so I pulled off and put on my contour camera and we waited again. It was a good ride right up to Hermit Point where it really starts to get good them BAM smack into fresh chip seal! It was packed down but lots of loose chip floating around still and not swept off? So we pulled into the over look at Hermit Point and took pictures.


    Hermit Point taken with my droid


    San Juan Range


    San Juan Range


    Marrow Point Reservoir on the Gunnison River


    Millertm


    Hermit Point Hwy 92 on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison


    Reddog at Hermit Point


    Lots of bikes at Hermit Point too bad it was all new chip seal for the next 8 miles loose chip seal


    Hermit Point look at the paint shine on my veefalo


    We must have passed this goldwing 5 times stop start go again


    Hermit Point taken with my droid

    We caught and passed a Goldwing then we would stop and he would pass us, all the way from Carbondale we must have passed that guy 5 times! We waved and he was always good about letting us through.

    So Bill takes off into the loose chip seal and I am following Mark and we are both going slow so Bill gets ahead one turn, then 2 then soon hes a good half mile ahead and a dot, then he disappears. Then the chip seal clears and Mark is still in chip seal mode a bit so I passed him and railed the twisties trying to catch Bill, 8 miles of trying I finally catch him at the very end only cause he had slowed down. Man that was fun! I really enjoyed the Canyon even though they ruined 8 miles of it with half done chip seal, and too bad to cause there was a huge pile on the side of the road at the end too so its not done yet, maybe I will visit again in August but not till then its just a bit dangerous on that loose stuff. They should at minimum at least sweep the loose stuff, Ideal would be another layer of tar over the top but thats expensive. I hope they sweep it at least! Chip seal in the rain is great though!


    Hwy 92 in the process of chip sealing the entire length of the good stuff - might wait a couple of months to run this again


    Blue Mesa Damn


    Blue Mesa Reservoir

    Then we slabbed it over to Gunnison and had a few turns along the Blue Mesa that were fun, we were saving a run up Monarch Pass. Mark and I switched bikes up to Monarch cause he wanted to ride the veefalo - his bandit has an upgraded suspension and I had ridden it before, much tighter then before and more compliant, lots of power but the veefalo is faster and well just better in my opinion but I am biased, I am really starting to love my bike.

    Well anyway Mark got tired of getting passed by me and thought that if he got way ahead on Monarch he could hold us off, but Bill and I had other ideas and well it turned into a squid fest up the pass sort of half ass-ed racing, half pace since we were not really pinning the throttle much but it was a bit stupid. I had hella fun myself but thats me, I love to rail Monarch pass Bill said we were morons or some such thing when we stopped at the bottom "F'n crazy" he said. With a big smile! He has been trying to change his ways and well he got sucked into that. So we split off at Salida and Reddog went home to Woodland Park and Mark and I stopped for a steak at Quncys in Salida. I have been wanting to try this place forever but never had the chance and it did not disappoint it was great.


    Steaks in Salida! it was very good


    Dinner at Quincy's Salida Colorado we rode for 12 hrs 7am to 7pm when I got home

    Then Mark lead us home and slowed the pace way down cause was getting to be critter time, and we found them for sure. Deer on the side of the road, when the sun gets low in the sky the deer start moving and often times right into the road. It was relaxed but smart and Mark has much better eye site then me so he lead. Great Ride, Videos to follow later.


    Full Size
     
  20. HispanicSlammer
    I let my Buddys Dan and Craig take the vfrd viosport cam with them up to Rampart Range last week and they filmed some good trail riding in the Front Range Foothills. They drove up to Rainbowfalls Trail Head and proceded to ride several of the Rampart area trails, almost 120 minutes of video. I cut it down to 10 minutes of part of Long Hollow Trail #650 for your viewing pleasure, this makes me want to go ride my 650!!


    Long Hollow Trail Video
    Here are some map files of the area
    Google Earth
    Long Hollow Earth File
    Mapsource
    Long Hollow Garmin File
    Here is a popular Rampart Range Website with details of the area trails
    http://www.rampartrange.org/pages/rampart_trails.asp
  21. HispanicSlammer

    The Gila Monster

    By HispanicSlammer,

    The Gila Monster
    NEW VIDEO
    Let me explain, this whole trip had one mission, one thing in mind, one specific road to ride, one reason to go "The Gila Monster". It was two days ride to get there, two days back. Why would anybody want to slab a day to go ride a road in the remote Gila National Forest in New Mexico? Well cause its a great fricken road thats why! Helo... heh I think so much about it I gave it a name "The Gila Monster" so lets cut to the chase ... see for yourself.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1236161313_gilamonster.wmv.flv
    This video is 5 minutes of unadulterated road riding, no cars, continuous and un edited. I did add music since the wind noise was annoying but its basically me chasing Motoman for 5 minutes till we got stuck behind a line of cars where it ends. The road by no means ends here rather it continues on for another 20 miles but it is safe to say it is the best part.

    Full Size
    The Ride Report
    DAY ONE
    Colorado Springs to Santa Fe New Mexico

    Lunch in Cuchara
    We mostly slabbed it on I25 south but I just cant take that much slab so I asked Craig to turn off at Walsenburg so we could go ride Cucharas pass. There was a great litle bar there that serves lunch I thought of stopping at. Craig loved it, and the road too. He had not been on the vfr in two months since it was broken down - see my laguna seca writeup. Anyhow he was rusty and not so comfortable with the bike at all but if there are fast sweepers hes on it! Once I got up the pass and onto the high speed sweepers he was passing me to take them in stride. Its funny hes always been like that, if he knows the road that is. I stayed with him and we were taching the bikes out at 20k just like Joey D in the Isle Of Man (well maybe not). I was amped up on a Dickens Cider energy drink ( ya get it ;) ) so I was keen on keeping up. I seem to have the advantage on the tight stuff since well he was still rusty.

    Trucas New Mexico
    Once in New Mexico we headed into the mountains and up Cimmaron Canyon, It was full of tar snakes and lots of campers out for the weekend so it was 6/10ths at best, but fun none the less. It was overcast and I knew it was going to rain on us. I headed down to Mora on the wierd and unique road hwy 38 - it is like a driveway that goes on for 30 miles. Two pickup trucks with some rough looking Mexicans were trying to hold us off, I was worried about passing - but I did anyway and after I did Craig got by too. They certainly were not about to pull off and let us by - and they were going faster then they would have been had they not seen us behind them. Idiots! I think passing them even after they tried thier darnedest to outrun us was funny, at least they were not blocking the other lane too - what little of it there was.
    Then came Mora where I saw a goddes driving her Pontic Sunbird (who would have thunk it) - her lip gloss was glistening in the sun and I was instantly in love. I decided not to pass her for 5 miles even though she was going 15 mph. What can I say I couldnt help myself. Then once I saw some twisty road heading up the pass I snapped out of it and started riding harder up the wet roads into the high country. It was here that we though we saw snow - nope it was acumulated hail. We got lucky and missed that - it was all in the road but we managed to ride through some dry tire tracks.
    Penasco we encountered yet another crazy Mexican guy in a Ford F150 going way faster than he probably should be trying to hold me off. I followed safely right behind 2 car lengths or so and waited to pounce - I guess I was semi mature about it, not gonna squid pass the guy but Yea I am gonna pass him no doubt. Its like he asked for it or somthing. It came to a long hill climb out of some other small town and I twisted the throttle and showed him why a bike can out accelrate a stock F150 - It wasnt long before he was completely out of sight - but Craig was right behind me. I guess I should explain that Dan was also comming but he was driving his truck down with the Gixxer in the back since he had to work one more day than us. It would be another days ride before we hooked up with him.
    Trucas NM was where the skies really opend up on us, all the way down into the valley below. I was gambling a bit on fuel, well not really I know my bike and I know the road I was safely in range but Craig was freaking out. Pointing madly at his gas tank I guess he wasnt too happy with the fuel situation. I motioned to keep going. Sure enough once we got to Gas Station in Pojoque he only needed 4.4 gallons - whats the big deal he had another gallon left? Opps I on the other hand needed 4.8g.
    I spent the night at my sisters place in Santa Fe and Craig moteled it for the night, but not before we took him out on the town to La Choisa Resturant for some Santa Fe style cuisine. He enjoyed it - I certainly did, my niece and newphew provided the entertainment.
    DAY TWO
    Santa Fe to Soccoro
    I thought it would be nice to take the back way to Alb and ride up Sandia Peak. It was nice in the morning and sunny. The road up to the peak is nice and twisty and lots of fun, but it can catch ya out with the tight switch backs at the top. I wasn't "railing it" per sea but I was riding it well enough to finish off the chicken strips on my newly shod Pilot Powers - well up to the edge ok. Craig wasnt so bold he stayed in his comfort zone, saying he wasnt sure how far he could go - still a bit rusty. Then we got hit with a 3$ ENTRANCE FEE?? Ok I forgot about that. Why dont they make you pay at the bottom? Seems like its a bit of a trap waiting to make you pay at the top? Maybe it is just to stop at the top and use the facilities - I mean you can certainly turn around before the top? There were green trucks all along the way too so who knows - they were probabaly out because it was labor day weekend.

    Sandia Peak
    After that we headed into the Indian country for some semi slab and had to stop for gas in some speck of a village, the attendant was really attractive for such a nowhere ville little dump? On we went and then the rains came again, not only did they come they beat the crap out of us with some hail too. I was here we decided to cut off half the ride and head strait for Soccoro ( instead of doing cloudcroft) the place we were headed was nothing but an inpenitrable wall of water - forget that!!

    Chupadera Mountains

    Craig adjusts his rain gear
    DAY THREE
    What we come for.

    White Coyote Cafe - T or C NM
    The slab from Soccoro to Truth or Consequences was almost torture. Knowing was was up ahead is what kept us going, so insted we stopped in town for breakfast. We planned on meeting there at some cafe called the Coyote Cafe. I just looked up a cafe having no idea what it was like. It was artsy fartsty and a bit too foo foo for me but we ate there anyway. I saw a great post card - an arial photo of the Monster and looked up the website on the back.
    http://www.landerland.com/Kingston/Ashot.html

    The Gila Monster at Kingston New Mexico
    We headed out of T or C and slabbed it some more, getting passed by three other guys on sport touring bikes a mile or so from the turn off. I though hey maybe we will have some company? Nope they kept on going down the interstate, not knowing what they missed!
    The turn off at hwy 152 in Cabelo was sort of uneventfull or so I thought as I started on down the long strait to the mountians. I passed a few cars and then a few more and a couple more?? WTF was up with all these cars? I kept going then all of a sudden I hear a siren - I was being pulled over? CRAP!! It was an unmarked sherrif, no radar? He said we all did not make a complete stop, and we were speeding in a 55 zone at 70 or so? I just kept quite and polite, yazza nozza!
    He pointed to the other two to pull over too, crap all three of us! Then he asks for my stuff. The usual - I am thinking I am toast. He doenst go back to his car??!! OK!
    "here is the deal"
    whew I think!
    "instead of a $200 dollar ticket for not stopping at a stop sign, and anoter $200 for speeding...each of ya" - "your just gonna keep on going 55, and slow down"
    He said "I am too lazy to write ya all a ticket" and with that I shook the mans hand and we all sighed a sigh of releif! OMG close one!
    I asked him where all these cars came from? Since the interstate was not so busy, where did these cars come from? He told us he was patrolling for the big apple festival in Hillsburo up the road. Yea it was big, it took us 30 minutes to go a mile through town! Must have been 10,000 people there at that festival, all of them walking right out in front of us. I guess it is our reponsibility to not hit sombody who walks out into the steet without looking? Oh well, I was hoping and praying that the road was clear up ahead.

    Vertical Profile from my GPS
    Well yes and no, not 10,000 but maybe a 100! It was a bit congested on the Monster but not so bad, we got in 5 minutes without any cars to pass so I was happy. Craig got some left over apple pie in Kingston and we all had a good time on the Monster. Dan was squid passing a bit more aggressive than I cared for so we let him go on the second pass. He went all the way back to Kingston and ran it again alone. It was hard enough catching up after passing just one car but 2, 3 was too much of a task.

    Kingston NM

    This is the Monster Tail

    Scenic Overlook

    The Gila Monster

    Late Lunch in Silver City
    We had to cut off the upper part up into the Gila Clif Dwellings it was getting too late and we were hungry. Dan says we really got to hit it to get back to Soccoro before night fall. I dont know? Silver City to Reserve in an hour and ten ok - you do the math. Then it was strait to the hwy 60 turn off at Datil? My GPS started recording top speed numbers here.

    The Very Large Array

    Closer
    Our plans changed yet again and so we had to stay in Soccoro one more night instead of pushing on to Alb. Dans truck was at the Walmart in Soccoro so he took off ahead of us and loaded up the gixxer. we stayed in Soccoro and ate pizza and drank beer instead of what we planned. OH WELL
    DAY FOUR
    The slab home
    Those two stayed up too late so yea well ...they got up late too. It was almost 11am before we all left Soccoro. My plans to ride the Jimez loop and Cumbres pass had to be scrapped if I was going to get home by midnight. I saved just two treats for the day, well maybe three. One was the painted rocks on hwy 84 and the other was the great sweepers from Tierra Amarilla to Tres Piedres hwy 64. 64 is Craigs kind of road and I knew he would be happy to ride it. It was great.
    Pictures of the painted rocks

    Vetrans Memorial Hwy 84

    Ghost Ranch

    Ojitos de Los Gato

    Hoodos

    El Monte Rojo

    El Monte Rojo
    The road to Tres Piedres

    Brazos Cliffs

    Brazos Cliffs
    We crossed up into Colorado and had dinner in Antonito, having not eaten all day it was a welcome site to see a sit down resturant. The Korean lady serving was a hoot, she was getting all mixed up but she was on the ball, if not a bit upside down. Dinner was satisfiying and so I decided to ride the "road of the anchients" other wise knows as "Los Caminos Antiquos" its a strait line on the map but its a beatiful streatch of road when the sun is going down. My favorite time of day. What ride!! Some times I get complacent about where I live, I dont stop to appreicate it as much as I should, being a native born Colordoan I some times get desinitized to the beauty around me. I takes a trip out of state to make me see just how great Colorado is. I did not take pictures of the Camino but I have it in my mind. Somthings are too good to share.
  22. HispanicSlammer
    Jack on his 98 Connie
    So last Monday I was out riding my Cannondale road bike with the intent of getting in a few miles to improve my fitness, and well it being May in Colorado there was was a May shower however it was was white and it was COLD! I had already done 20 miles and needed to get out of the snow, so I petaled the mile or so up Tejon and opened the door to Bristol Brewery the local Colorado springs brew pub - I love craft brewers and love Bristol cause its my home town brewery.

    Bristol Brewery
    So I went in and found the place empty nobody there, not even the bar keep who was helping with some bottling, so I just sit at the counter and try to catch my breath take off my backpack and gear and in walks this older fella with a southern accent and he sits right next to me and starts talking. We get to sipping on a nice pils they just released and out comes the word motorcycle and it was over! I liked this guy - his name was Jack and what was supposed to be a short get out of the snow shower detour turned into a 2 hour discussion on motorcycles and what not, then we started seeing the place fill up and soon it was packed, US army personnel picking up kegs, and they were selling growers strait out of the box! We got to looking and decided that these Bristol growlers just did not look too distinctive at all, not after seeing a fella come in with this fancy nice grower from the Tommy Knockers complete with pewter handle and ceramic lid! We asked the guy where he got it and soon Jack hatched a plan to combine our love of motorcycles with our desire to get one of those fancy Growers. A few phone calls later and I had my old buddy Reddog and his wife in on the idea too! Well at least the ride part!

    Yup my growler situation needed an upgrade

    Tommy Knockers Growler imported from Germany

    Bill and Analise 2 up Reddog on the forum - stopped on Squaw Pass

    Mr Jack McDaniels on his new to him 98 Connie

    Tommy Knockers a big dining room not sure why I took this pic

    Bill and Analise on Squaw Pass

    Growler Run My veefalo on the Squaw Pass
    Jack was telling me about this hwy he wanted to ride 105 near Idaho Springs and I of course can not remember a number to save my life so I start checking my Droid for this hidden hwy 105 and it turns out to be Squaw pass, I know it very well and some of you members who came to the Summer summit two years ago do too! So we rode up that puppy, and took a few pictures at the top of Juniper pass where the mountains are in clear view. It was such a nice day, lots of Bicyclist out riding the pass too, I don't think I am in quite good enough shape to do that - or at least survive it intact! A few more months riding around without snow on my two Cannondales will cure that . But for today it was a motorcycle ride. We sat in Tommy Knockers some 2 hours after leaving Woodland Park sipping on a low alcohol Porter for me which tasted very good, I am so proud to live in a state with such a fine tradition for brewing, its a real treat.
    Lunch was scrumptious I had a hot pastrami sandwich on Rye and a half pint of Porter it was nice, and a couple of sodas. The place was packed too since it was Saturday. Reddog and Annalise decided they were gonna head over to Central City and gamble a bit after lunch so we split off and Jack and I headed back since I was on hour 17 of wide awake, I got off work 7am took a vitamin and headed up Ute pass to meet everybody so at this point I was starting to feel sleepy. I thought well the only cure is to find the twisties and have at it! Which always works for me so I took Jack on every twisty road I could find between Idaho Springs and Connifer! I was enjoying it right up to the point to where we were on the good part of High Point Drive (Pleasant Park Road) - its a twisty switchback pass with a 300 yard climb up the mountain, it was full of gravel in all the corners and it became clear why when the Honda Passport in front of me was trying to gap me by crossing all the way over the double yellow on every left turn and then riding two wheels into the dirt shoulder on all the right hand turns! No wonder there was so much crap in the road these people cant stay in the lane, the sad part is that this clown in the Honda lived at the top of the pass and I am sure he thinks hes a great driver cause he was able to hold us sad motorcyclist off with that spectacle of crappy driving! It was sad! I am just glad nobody was riding the other way when he was all the way into the oncoming lane. I wasn't even really trying to push the guy I actually rolled off several time just to leave a big gap between us just in case he busted over the guard rail I could stop and help! What an Idiot. I hope they get a sweeper up there this summer cause it is a mess, might was well be a dirt road!
    Any way at Connifer I asked Jack to take over lead and he rode a good pace on down the hill, but we got stuck behind a row of Harley's near Woodland park and pace slowed down dramatically it lulled me to sleep the slow pace and the undulating road, I needed some more challenging twisties to keep me awake so I told Jack that I wasn't going to stop just bomb home before I fell asleep. I was pretty tired by the time we made it to Woodland park and the ride down Ute pass to home was just awful so many cars that I was just a passenger it seemed.

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  23. HispanicSlammer
    Its been a long while since I rode with bill (Reddog) here in Colorado, usually its an email with two words lets ride and then we are off on some 3 day adventure across New Mexico and Arizona. Ok maybe not that casual but it did happen like that once! We have been riding together for going on 12 years now and wow I can believe all those small kids of his have already graduated high school and moved away? WTF happened to the time? Things move fast if your not paying attention, but one thing has been constant - riding season - we dont always ride together a lot but we always ride right around the beginning of the season and then one big ride for fathersday, I usually drag him on some 12 hour monstrosity to the Black Canyon and its an all day thing. This year we opened up with a ride to the top of Mount Evans a 14,000 foot peak with a paved road to the top of it and matter of fact its the highest paved road in the USA, at least it is billed that way - however Pikes Peak just finished paving that road to the top and it may now be the holder of that title so I dont know it depends. The Mt Evans road stops a bit short to the very top with a walking trail going all the way up another 200 feet up. At that elevation its a lung burner!

    Anyway Reddog says he might meet me on the "blue one" huh? Blue one he says? What happened to the 02 vtec - so I show up and hes got a liter bike fz1 with brand new pilot road 3 tires mounted on it and a paper plate indicating its just been bought recently. I am wondering where is the vfr? Dont worry he says he still has it and is not going to get rid of it either! GOOD NEWS hes got multi bike syndrome now! Just like me, except his dirt bikes and now two street bikes out number mine quite a bit!

    So off we go and up the road on hwy 67 we take it easy as long as we are in Teller county since he says he was busted a week before by a cop hiding by the painted rocks area and so we take it easy. I am not very fast on this road since its usually full of tar snakes and loose chip seal and the new pavement always has gravel in the corners cause pickup trucks with dually wheels cant seem to keep off the shoulder and always kick up gravel just as you are about to accellerate out of the apex of a good turn! Bam your sliding all over an riding off into a ditch (yup it happened to me 7 year ago on the old girl) SO now I wait till I can see out of the turn first before hitting it too hard up there, ALWAYS ALWAYS has gravel after the apex?
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    We roll past the stuff I hate and up Horsepower hill and he nails it, and so do and that little thing just walks away from me for a bit till I reel it in, wow it accelerates hard! Turns pretty good, so at the top we trade bikes and I take it down the bowl and down the strait into the town of Pine then up the mountain to Pine Junction into those great tight turns there, and 3 turns in it was like I had been riding it all summer and was hitting the turns hard as I do my own bike! Even faster since this thing is 150lbs lighter then the veefalo! Bill is disappearing in the mirrors like I did when I was behind him? Very easy bike to ride, somewhat small faring but adequate strait up and down seating position like a dirt bike, matter of fact I felt like I was on a short dirt bike! I kept looking to shift after already being in 6th gear though and it was a bit buzzy up top in the 10k rpm range but that is where most of the power was, not much torque down low, well relative to the vfr1200 anyway? So it must be the weight of the bike that lets it just accelerate so good on power roll ons? Or he was just kicking the gears down and then slamming the throttle open, while I was rolling on in 4th? I dont know? I like it, fun bike! Here are some pictures and a couple of videos from the ride
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
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  24. HispanicSlammer
    Hwy 50 Ride with video
    A buddy of mine from work bought a brand new Bandit 1250 a couple of months ago, he has been comparing magazine articles and specs for over a year and every time having something disparaging to say about the vfr, displacements too low, no torque, quarter mile times. Anybody can read an article and make comparisons on paper, and as an engineer hes good at it, but how do you quantify reliability, or suspension, handling, all around good marks on a chart? So me and Craig decided to take him into the mountains for a 200 mile ride, just a bit of tight stuff but mostly sweepers where it is said "the Bandit rocks" as put it by "Mr Dude" other wise known as our friend Mark. He can talk, talk is what he is good at - and hear it you must cause it don't stop - Dude. However nothing talks like taking the walk! HEH
    So we met Mr Dude in Penrose and slowly headed up Hwy 50 to the Arkansas River Canyon and let it loose a bit. I had just replaced my fork seal and fork oil and made a few adjustments so I was feeling it out, no out and out full blast. As such Mr Dude still got a lesson on the vfr and its abilities. What can I say after a year of hearing about how inferior my bike is it was time to take a tally - real time! All I can say is Mr Dude was converted from dismissive to respectful of the vfr, calling it "A real sport bike" and in his own words - no coaching. Don't get me wrong we were not out to embarrass Mr Dude, just show him there is more to Motorcycling than what some Magazine has to say!

    Two vfrs waiting on a Bandit Penrose Colorado

    Sangre De Christo Mountains 40 miles away

    Downtown Salida Sunny blue skies and a good lunch and a snowcapped Mount Princeton

    Lunch at the 1st Street Café The owner herself served us then we got an unexpected surprise
    After riding through Salida we stopped for lunch downtown and had a good meal, a bit more expensive than I was expecting (might not visit again) but it was good none the less. The lady serving us was very good - cause as it turned out she owns the place. I could see her pictures on the wall with all sorts of celebrities, and locals. It is a very Homey restaurant I liked it! Just a bit on the pricey side.
    It was after lunch we met a lady who was telling us about her son, he too owns a vfr, and rides it all over the place. We asked her where she was from, somewhere back south, she told us about how her boy had taken a trip to Colorado and was a bit disappointed with the place, the guys he rode with where intimidating or something some such thing - he didn't like em I gathered. Then she started talking more about him and I realized it was us (those evil Colorado bastards) and I started laughing and asked her if her son was named Kevin. Then all of a sudden she realized it was us too - heh that was funny! I know it was our very own KPerham whom was her son. We talked some more and I asked her for her picture, and we parted ways - as friends she was a nice lady.

    Kperhams mom Met her in Salida - she was having lunch at the café in Salida small world

    The Royal Gorge Bridge as seen from Hwy 9

    Mark relaxing at the top of Skyline drive

    Canon City from above Skyline Drive

    Hwy 50 along Skyline Drive

    Stultz Tanner Trail a great dirt bike trail just across the valley from Canon City climbs 7k feet for what seems like forever
    We took off up to Johnson's Village along hwy 285, I told the guys to slow down cause for 5 years I drove that way to get home and I know its Cop city for those 12 miles, but no Mr Dude took off (he was on Craig's bike and Craig on his) and of course I caught site of Brake lights cause sure enough the place was crawling with cops - Like I said it would be! He must have slowed down enough cause we were not stopped, after passing 2 Sheriff and 2 State Troopers. It was nice to turn off on hwy 24 and get away from the fuzz as it where. There the road is pretty much strait and we all opened it up a bit, and to my surprise the Bandit wasn't pulling away!! Wow its got 400 more cc's why wha whe why?? I guess its because the vfr is a good bike, like I know it is! It was fun going fast for a while, then we turned at Hartsel and I just decided to whip it up some more on the tighter turns and I was gone. Whew that was fun but I did not have enough rebound damping cause I was getting all kinds of chatter in the forks, I had to stop and crank it a few clicks to get it to settle down. It wasn't long before we where in Canon City again and I took the guys up Skyline Drive for some fun and a rest Mr Dude had to go home and be a domestic Dad so we said goodbye and Craig and I turned back up Hwy 9 and went over to Guffy for a drink and some snack. Adding another 100 miles to the day on High Park Road into Woodland Park and on home down Ute Pass.


    :media: VFRD Rides Hwy 50 video - high resolution wmv 5 minutes runtime and music by Peter Gabriel
    The Map
    [map=AARTsJqtdztj9i2J3kMs3giW4b4utQT-hw]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=18086752673308926071,38.435390,-105.023940%3B2304405068511368783,38.456538,-105.250283%3B1004940598312102110,38.535369,-105.990338%3B11052650537941785435,39.021161,-105.799748&saddr=CO-115+%4038.435390,+-105.023940&daddr=Skyline+Dr+%4038.456538,+-105.250283+to:E+1st+St+%4038.535369,+-105.990338+to:US-24+%4039.021161,+-105.799748+to:38.456277,-105.251083&mra=mi&mrcr=3&mrsp=4&sz=11&sll=38.459503,-105.182419&sspn=0.311313,0.749817&ie=UTF8&ll=38.668356,-105.751648&spn=1.241617,2.999268&t=p&z=9[/map]
  25. HispanicSlammer
    Juniper Pass
    I took a day off from work and also from my bicycle training to take out the Veefalo one last time before the weather turns ugly, supposed to snow the rest of the week and possibly start sticking to the ground along the Colorado Front Range. I took a leisurely pace up hwy 105 toward Morrison and got reacquainted with the bike since its been over a month since I took any sort of twisties on it at all, hwy 105 is a scenic ride along the front range between Denver and Colorado Springs, its mostly easy fast sweepers and lite traffic so its a favorite road of mine when going north. Then I have to negotiate a bit of traffic near Highlands ranch and up hwy 470 into the mountains. I decided to take the Morrison Exit and try either Lookout Mountain or head up Golden Gate Canyon - this time it was Lookout Mountain, I was sort of making it up on the fly as I went along. Lookout Mountain is my old bicycling haunt from my days while I was working at Coors, its a killer ride and all uphill - I don't think I could do it today If I had to, not quite there yet! I saw a whole bunch of riders doing it though and wished I was in shape enough to be there doing it as well. 30 more lbs and I will be able to do it! On this day I would do it on the Veefalo instead.
     
     
     
     
    I took a video from the gateway to the top at the Lookout Mountain State Park, getting past riders, the guy in the green jacket actually pretty much astounded me with how far he had gotten in the short time it took me to set up my camera, some 3 miles at least and up to the gateway from the turn off at hwy 6! Amazing I thought. I took the first two turns slow then got more comfortable as I went up further, till I was doing well, I made some gearing mistakes and took the tight 15mph marked hairpins in the wrong gear so I lugged it a bit on one or two. Still enjoyed it though and then got off at the top and hiked over a rock outcropping for an overview of the road for the pictures below.
     
     

    Lookout Mountain - Golden Colorado

    Zoomed in

    Lookout Mountain Park top of the mountain
    From there I headed up interstate 70 to Idaho Springs for a beer at the Tommy-knockers brewery, I was the only customer in the joint - slow day for them so they treated me like a king! I got a nice tour of the place sort of impromptu, they made me a nice Pastrami sandwich on rye and with the brown ale it was fantastic. I must say the beer is much better there than in the bottles - its always good at the brewery. I am glad I stopped

    Tommy-knockers Brewpub Idaho Springs

    Idaho Springs Colorado

    Mashtuns and fermenters

    Rows of fermenters
    I finished my lunch and since the road to Mount Evans is right there I headed up Squaw pass hoping to get in some nice pictures I wasn't expecting what I found, ICE IN ALL THE SHADY PARTS

    Icy patches on Squaw Pass definitely taking it easy on that road
    There were some section where the ice covered the whole road for 300 yards or so I had to roll through it with my legs out to help keep the bike from sliding and falling over, I took it real slow. A Ford pickup was right behind me so I pulled over to let him pass but the guy was going slower then even I was so I pressed on - in places where I could see I just cut over to the oncoming lane and out of the ice where the sun was shining on the road more, but some places there was not alternative so I just had to go slow, good thing it wasn't slick but rather they tossed some gravel over the worst parts so I had some traction!
    I did stop for pictures in all the best spots

    Echo Lake at Mount Evans showing off my new plate

    Elephant Butte Park and Denver

    Close up

    Veefalo on Squaw Pass

    Juniper Pass

    Juniper Pass

    Mount Evans
    My route A is home B is Tommy-knockers

     
    lookoutmtn_hd.mp4
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