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HispanicSlammer

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  1. HispanicSlammer
    https://contour.com/stories/bishops-castle-run-to-wetmore
     

    I have not been to the Greenhorn highway all summer, the road to Bishops castle - its always fun railing the turns on that fast sweeper road, then the tighter stuff down to Wetmore. I met up with reddog in Woodland Park and we checked out the sky and thought well maybe we can go around Pikes Peak to a turn off at Twin Rocks and avoid the angry looking clouds sitting over Pikes Peak. We got lucky and missed most of the rain. Heading south on High Park road we saw a rare site, motorcycles holding up cars! We figured it was a new rider and sure enough it was a woman on a metric crusier and her husband not far behind riding 15 below the speed limit - of course in a section with no sight lines for at least a mile, we had to pass 3 cars and 2 bikes.

    Reddog was saying over the blue tooth sena communicators they should pull off - but honestly I am sure she was so white knucked kung fu grip on the handle bars she probably had no idea there were cars behind her! I did not mind too much cause I know the road well and knew we were going to be into a passing zone soon enough.

    Then over the back road to Cripple Creek we were soon on hwy 50 - Reddog was astonished at how bad they messed up that road with tar snakes, the hill down to the Arkansas River was so full of tar snakes it was like riding over a slip and slide water park as wide as the road. It was awful - sections we did over the years at a 100 plus are now very dangerous and not advisable to ride much over the speed limit if even that.
     
     
     
     
     

    Lunch was a bacon cheese burger with weird maple syrup flavored bacon? It sort of ruined the burger which was very tasty but the maple syrup was just too much. Hit the spot though after we both peeled that stuff off. Then back on the road to Westcliff where we finally got some rain, just enough to clean the bugs off the visor. They dont call them the wet mountains for nothin!

    Then soon we were pushing the speed up a bit and turned off on the Green Horn hwy at McKenzi Junction and then I rolled on the throttle and let her rip all the way to Bishops Castle - thats a very fun fast ride for 15 min or so of good stuff. There is more good twisties if you keep going but the best stuff is on the way to the Castle. Bigalow Divide its called is the best part.
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     

    Map of the video ride


    Full Size


    We rode into Flornece and the heat on the temp gauge showed 100f, only in Colorado can you go from 65 to 100 in a matter of 12 mintues! We looked back at the wet mountains it was just covered with rain clouds, we hit it at the perfect time!
     
     
  2. HispanicSlammer
    The Road Home Woodland Park
    I spent my Birthday riding around the Hayman Burn area near Cheesman Lake - riding the XR650R on some fireroads, literally fireroads. Its been 6 years since the Hayman fire devastated this area burning a total of 138,000 acres in a week. I can still remember the smoke plume seen from the City - I went for a ride that first day and almost got caught in it, they had several roads closed and it stayed that way all summer.

    burn area

    During the Hayman fire

    fire1.jpg
    I have ridden around the area for along time since but never been to the center of it Cheesman Lake, the place has a lot of visual damage and they dont allow you to do much there but fish.

    Cheeseman Lake
    I took some singletrack to get to Goose Creek Road where most of the fire was.

    Single Track Rampart Range

    Goose Creek Road Lost Wilderness

    Lost Wilderness 6 years after the Hayman Fire

    Hayman burn area Pikes Peak in the background
    I decided to ride up to Wellington Lake and into Bailey for some lunch when it started to rain, I was worried about getting my camera wet there so I took no pictures. Stopping at the Cut Throat diner there for a burger I was sitting next to a young couple when the power went out, they had their daughter with them, a cute redheaded girl who yelped when the lights went out. Appearantly a tornado had touched down on Kenosha Pass and it took out some Powerlines - wow a tornado in the mountains?? First time I had heard of that! They had a police scanner on and I guess there was also a motorcycle accident - bad enough that they requested the flight for life? Being the 4th of July Weekend their where bikes out everywhere. Luckly I was riding on some obscure backroads and single track - no traffic there to speak of except the occational campers out in the woods.
    I made my way over to rampart range, and decided to ride the entire length of it to Woodland park, some 50 miles of twisty windy rough in places mountain dirt road. There were a lot of folks fishing along the Platte River on the way to Rampart Range from Buffalo Creek, tons of them and I saw my buddy baldy cop sitting in his police sherrif pickup, along with another cop in another truck - they both had atv's in the back, they where sitting at the crossroads where hwy 67 and Buffalo Creek road meet, east of Foxton. He was the guy who stopped and lectured me about speeding on horsepower hill last May. Still bald as hell!

    Rampart Range

    Primordial soup bowl

    Rampart Range after the rains

    Rampart Range

    Rampart Range

    Rampart Range
    I have this thing for wild flowers I like to photograph them whenever possible

    Wildflowers

    Wildflowers

    more wildflowers

    red ones

    Columbine Colorado State Flower

    Another Columbine
    attached is the gps track from my zumo
  3. HispanicSlammer
    For me the lure of riding often comes with months of anticipation, especially when it comes to TexasMac. I have made this trip twice before on my vfr, each time a slightly different route and each time an epic journey. I watched in earnest the weather reports along the Colorado Front range, one thing about Colorado the weather can get cold an nasty in an instant. I woke up at 4am, a habit I picked up working nights and well I just do, still dark out I walked my luggage up the stairs and into the garage where I parked my bike the night before, attached my gps, snapped the Givi top bag onto the bike and slipped on my boots. Then I walked around for an hour, wondering did I forget anything. I had packed really light this trip - opting for gear and clothes that I can wash in a hotel sink if I have too. Fast drying wickable shirts and pants, they look awful but are really comfy on the road.
    Finally the sun came up, or rather the light diffused itself through the solid pillow of cloud overhead, sunk so low I could not even see Cheyenne Mountain 2 miles away. I worried it would all come tumbling down on me when I turned on the key. It did not of course but it was sure frosty, 55 degrees out and windy. I made my way down to Pueblo via the interstate, squirming around on the bike trying to find the best position in which to get comfortable in the cold weather. I turned on my custom heated seat and grips and just sat there solid following the morning commuters to Pueblo. I hate riding interstates, either your going too fast or too slow, so you have to change lanes all the time and adjust for the variable speeds of traffic, the worse is the constant passing of semi truck by semi truck. Its like watching snails pass each other, or rather turtles all the while your hoping they don't suddenly move that massive load right into you. Who would know your there you cant see them and they cant see you so you back off and wait for the massive snails to do their thing.
    I was soon off the interstate 7am and gassing up, I had routed myself along a secondary road along side hwy 50 going through Boone and eventually heading north diagonally to a Grain Silo they call Eads. I was enjoying the views of the bluffs along the north side of the road, they sheltered me from the wind and the road winded around them just enough to keep me awake and alert. I was surprised at the traffic, a car every minute or so heading the other way. I was in the rolling hills - hills of foothills of mountains that is. Along the Arkansas River Valley then the elevation climbed a bit coming out of the valley into Eads and I was soon on the Colorado High Plains. There I would see something that astonished me. Box cars, miles and miles of Box cars used for the transportation of Cattle. It was a good 2 miles into the endless row of box cars before I thought to look at the Odometer to see just how far these cars went. I could hardly imagine the amount of iron they had parked on the rail road tracks let alone the combined weight of them all. Ten miles long I estimated this went on for, and it was magnificent in the sunshine peering through the holes in the clouds. I was following a pickup truck with Missouri Plates already for a good half and hour and I just knew I would be seeing this one all day long. My path was to head strait across Kansas into Great Bend and then further along till I made it to Emporia to stop for the night.
    I followed the truck into 3 or 4 small towns - blink and you miss them but each one of them forced you to slow down to 35mph and one of them made a right turn into town. This pickup truck was going 25 in town so I followed a bit, till the town limit disappeared and I was able to make a pass, he was going 90 or so on the plains which was fast enoug for me but each town he would slow down 10 mph below the speed limit? Sorry see ya! I have no interest in following some pickup truck all day long anyway.
    Soon enough I was passing trough the last Colorado Town on the plains Towner Colorado where I have a cousin, a school teacher. No time to visit but I did notice the sign on the barn that said "Heres your sign" shit kickers have a sense of humor too. My cousin hates it when I call her that, so naturally.....

    George Washington Carver lived in Kansas Before beginning his career as a scientist
    Crossing the boarder is really no big deal Kansas and Eastern Colorado are the same, just the road is in better condition in Kansas and a lot straiter! At least Colorado has a few bends here and there bumpy and potholed but it has bends! The clouds got thicker and the temperature dropped even more to 42F, time to pull off and put my Electric vest on. I stripped off my back protector and put on the Gerbing jacket, sure enough that same MO Pickup truck went speeding by. I pulled back onto the road toasty and warm and a few mintues later I passed a gas station 12 miles down the road (guess who I saw there?) He waved! I waved back, and it was just about 10am when I needed gas myself so I checked my gps for the next town, it showed 20 miles to go on mile 182 of my tank. I thought well that should be good, then the 2 lines on my dashed disappeared at mile 195 and it started flashing. I had 8 miles to go and I started to get concerned - I hate how my dash does that skips from 2 line to flashing no one line left just 2 lines then all of a sudden its empty?
    I made it into town looked around and found that it was closed, the whole place was closed, no gas station, no diner, no nothing just empty boarded up houses - OH SHIT! I hit the gas locater on my gps and it said 45 miles away to the next station! OH HELL! Well shoot I just said OK why not just head east as far as you can get then thumb it if you have to to a gas station. Just then a major intersection came up and there was a gas station there, 2 miles east of that ghost town. YES! I filled it up and watched as that same MO pickup truck shot right by me again I waved! Now it was 11am I thought I can make it to Great Bend for lunch! Then it would be 2pm I estimated to Great Bend - the road was even straiter and the wind picked up however with it the clouds disappeared and I had sunshine finally and I was baking like a potato. I pulled off and took a break on the side of the road under a tree. I drank my Red Bull and ate some beef jerky and stripped down to my one shirt, 3 layers peeled off and much more comfortable I popped a acetaminophen and stretched my legs. My butt was in pain after some 300 miles on the road. Only 200 more to go! 2pm and I was in Great Bend and I was so unimpressed I just kept on going stopping only for more gas - guess who I saw at the gas station! MO PICKUP again! I pulled in and said hello and talked with them a bit, they were from Fredricksburg MO and had family in Colorado, apparently they where staying with folks till clean up crews could clear up the town - a massive tornado had hit there property and made it unlivable, they took their kids to their folks in Colorado and were going back to clean up. I decided I would check it out the next day for myself.
    I spend the night in Emporia Kansas and promptly fell asleep at 5pm on the bed without even getting out of my clothes, waking up at 4am again I was disoriented and confused - where the hell am I? OH yea Kansas. I watched some stupid movie on the tube and waited for the sun to come out, it did not, same old pillow cloud nightmare covering the entire sky again, but whoa it was warm! 60 degrees felt like a warm shower, I gassed up and hit the road.
    I was disappointed by my route mostly 4 lane freeway like stuff, that doesn't look like that on the map, so I turned on my audio book of "Beloved" by Toni Morrison and listened as the miles shot by. It wasn't until I was half way across Missouri before I found a twisty road, and it was a typical Missouri road, first it started to undulate up and down rolling over hills for miles then it got steeper and lower into the hills and then boom it started twisting like a snake, easy at first then I had to lean it over a bit YEA now it was getting fun! Then the rural roads started getting darker and the trees started closing in and I was really enjoying myself . The Mark Twain National Forest - I must have been there, Salem MO popped up and I realized it had only just begun - then all of a sudden I saw the damage this tornado had caused, whole trees uprooted and lying on there sides, large trees where the roots where taller than I am. Thousands and thousands of uprooted trees - clean up crews everywhere with chain saws and chipper trucks - the place looked awful and it went on for 50 miles! I did not take any pictures cause well I had 500 miles to do that day no time to stop really except for gas.

    Baileyrocks new business heh not really this is Bixby MO
    There was a family at the gas station asking for a pay phone cause cell service had been knocked out, and back on the road I found myself in the hometown of the MO pickup truck, Fredricksburg MO and it had been hit hard, the place was beautiful for a mile are so then disaster, then beautiful and again disaster. I looked for that pickup truck but never saw it again. Houses seemed ok for the most part but all the trees where uprooted, barns torn apart and sheds gone, but amazingly the homes were ok save a few shingles here and there - every once in a while I would see a home completely gone just torn to shreds. It really got to me how bad it was and how far it went on for, thousands of folks displaced. The town was on curfew and no school so I saw tons of kids out and about in their yards playing Frisbee among the dead trees. Kids it seems can cope with anything.
    I found a great road that rivaled anything I had ever been on for fun, hwy 32 at Bixby was awesome! I railed it at 8/10ths cause there was still dead trees in places some in the road. I was soon coming to the Mississippi river where I would spend the next night, and cross into Illinois in the morning.

    Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge Cape Girardeau Missouri completed Dec 13 2003
    I was able to stay up later this time and wake up around 7am - just in time for the sun rise, and losing an hour to the region. I was impressed by the bridge but not with Illinois in that area as soon as you cross you run into strip clubs and liquor stores over there, strait roads again and turning south I made my way to Cairo IL where I would cross into Kentucky across the Ohio river this time. I rolled through the sleepy town of Cairo and its run down buildings watching this incredibly beautiful young black woman cross the street in front of me she crossed it sideways and it took what seemed like forever for her to make it, all I could think was watching her walk was like watching music. Wow she was something she even turned around and waved as I went by, of course I was going like maybe 3mph the whole time behind her caught in her spell. I don't care I admit it you probably would have too guys! I think she said "hey" and that was it, gone she was and the spell was broken.
    Wickliff KY was an interesting little place, right in the confluence of the Mississippi river and the Ohio it sits on the east side soaking up the traffic and shuffling it out in a fan on all directions east, I headed south east to Nashville, its not twisty like Missouri but it has the undulation of the hills - and 4 lane roads that to see seem like pork barrel projects going off to nowhere towns for no reason, 5 miles of 4 split lane freeway with maybe 3 vehicles on it only to merge back into a 2 lane road again? I was wondering why cant we get another lane of freeway between Pueblo to Denver to Fort Collins? They can send money to make unused freeway in Kentucky why not a busy freeway in Colorado?
    I waited 2 more hours on these strange freeway like roads in Kentucky and was soon crossing into Tennessee, I found hwy 232 off the Donnelson Parkway and was again thrown into the twisties, twisties that seemed to me to be a bit tighter than I remembered - had been on this road before, and it had a slope going down hill I did not remember it reminded me of Warwoman road one of the roads on the menu for Texasmac.
    wow - I was soon lost and I found myself at the Cumberland river at a Damn with no exit.

    Cheatham Damn Cumberland River

    Tug Boat pushing a barge up the river at the Cheatham damn locks
    I waited out a small rain under the gazebo and talked with a Harley rider who lived only 3 miles away, he having lived there all his life had a Harley with 180,000 miles on it. Second owner 1978 Harley He said of the AMC era with a full fairing and Mag wheels. It looked ancient but it sounded Harley! He had a definite Tennessee drawl and I knew I had arrived in the south. I stopped at this Pizza place in Erin Tn and ate a small pizza that took over my body and made me unable to ride any good. OH boy I was stuffed I had a hell of a time riding into Nashville, getting lost in town till finally I was at Baileyrocks Doorstep, the first phase of my ride was complete, I was was there!

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/1243382074_tm2009.wmv.flv
  4. HispanicSlammer
    The Kansas Crew Lined up in front of Pikes Peak Crystal Creek Reservoir
    It was a year in the planning, planning done by committe of which I was only involved in as the official route guide. In that I really must thank Didit, Radar, and Volsfan for thier work in getting this thing put together - the lions share done by Didit of course. I knew when I stood up and asked the Candians at the Kootenay Hootenany if they would be willing to ride to Colorado for a national meet sombody would jump on it, and Didit sure did! It was a great success and I enjoyed myself! It was really a big deal and thanks go out to the local guys and those few with trusty GPS units who served as ride leaders too. Not one accident, not one lost rider, one ticket though and a group got the sherrif warning but all in all a safe and fun rally in Dillion Colorado.
    My experience started at home in Colorado Springs where I would lead the flat land boys from Kansas Nebraska Oklahoma and Missouri to the top of Pikes Peak and into Dillion. We had some fun the night before at one of my favorite resturants in the Springs - its Craigs favorite place and the owners always treat us well so we thought we would take everybody there for a margarita and mexican food at La Unica in Old Colorado City.

    Waiting for road crews to finish work before heading to the top of Pikes Peak

    Devils Playground Pikes Peak Summit

    Colorado Springs Down Below Pikes Peak Cog Railway tracks in the foreground

    Lee2002 found his way to the summit sign

    Hoosier Pass Summit on the way to Dillion
    I did not take many pictures at the hotel, some members had much better cameras than I took care of that, lining up the bikes and getting shots with wide angle lenses and all. I just took some shots of my group and the ride out afterwards.

    The Scenic Group stops at the summit of Loveland Pass

    Loveland Pass Radars group stops at the overlook - you can see the chairlift from Arapaho Basin Ski Area

    Loveland Pass Punchy Rider scurries to get out of the shot - too late I got ya

    Historic Downtown Central City Opera House Yes that is a no parking area - we did not stay long

    Mount Meeker

    The Chapel on the Rock

    Waiting for somthing to eat at the Peak To Peak diner

    Rocky Mountain National Park from on top Rainbow Corner

    Mt Chiquita Yipsilion Mountain and Fairchild Mountain from Rainbow Corner

    Longs Peak Looms above Mt Wuh

    Me and the Big Piggy Baileyrock was out for the day on my vfr appearantly losing ingition key on some backroad somwhere

    Scenic Overlook

    Takeing a shot of Longs Peak

    Elk on the alpine tundra

    The Lava Cliffs

    Never Summer Mountains

    Our Last stop in Rocky Mountain National Park Trail Ridge Road the highest continuous road in the USA
    Dinner was great, everything except the food that is, people and beer is all I need really. I never foget a face but I will forget your name in 2 seconds flat if you dont repete it to me about a million times. So I learned a few, forgot alot and remember everybodies face! God help me putting together real names with forum names - thats a lost cause there!
    We had some good breakfast, Baileyrock didit Craig and Radar - we hiked up the dillion lake trail to some lodge joint up the road about a mile and were accosted by the waiter for asking for water, Craig pretty much got a smack down for that - in ski bum summer colorado punk style! It was clear this gig was not the waiters main thing! It was funny though and we made sure to let Craig know we thought it was funny. I was glad to have Baileyrock there since he had always been so gracious to me on my trips to Tennesse to go to the Texasmac for the last few years. Baileyrock was haveing a bit of fun with Didit over the last few weeks - egging him on pulling his leg and such, if you know BR you know he is just kidding. Them two together was a hoot - the back and forth half insults and jokes. Guys will be Guys no matter what border you cross.
    The Day before I took out a group and Baileyrock took out my VFR to go ride with Sfarson and the fast group and I guess my key wiggled out and got lost, so that ruined half of thier ride, running around looking for a lost vfr key. It was lucky they made it back to the hotel cause the gas cap was locked. Dutchinterceptor loaned me his bike and I went home and got my spare key. It took forever casue of the weekend traffic and I forgot my wallet on my desk and had to double back to get it. It was not fun untill I got some alone time on a part of Hoosier pass on the way back, I was rather comfortable on that VTEC at that point and let it rip a bit. Not my bike so I kept it sane.
    After the meet I was looking for somthing to do so I hooked up with didit and radar for a couple of days and rode with them down to the western slope on the southern end to go do the Black Canyon and the Million Dollar Highway and back into Telluride. We stopped in Montrose for a couple of nights and based out of there. The silver loop is what its called. We rode over Independence pass and had a fun time trying not to dump it on the loose chip seal, hate that stuff! I took some video but it seemes my battery packe for the helmet cams was comming unhooked and it was skipping parts. That was too bad cause when we started up McClure Pass a fellow on a KTM 990 dirtbike took off in front of us and we gave chase for 20 miles all the way down to Paonia Lake, where he turned off. That dude was fast and he had that thing leaned over as far as I could imagine those dual sport tires could go! 80 Plus in some of the tight sweepers he was holding me off pretty good, he stopped racing us near the lake and was acting like a ride leader by then cause well were all there right there! Pointing at road debris and giving hand signals, boy I wish my camera had caught it on tape! It was a blast and we gave him a salute when he turned off. Then we stopped in Paonia for lunch and then rode my favorite road in Colorado (of all time) hwy 92 into the Black Canyon. Didit said it was the hardest he had to work the whole ride from Canada. I am sure some of the roads he is riding now in California are that way too but hwy 92 is definitly there!

    Radar and Didit at the Golden Burro in Leadville

    Radar poses at the hairpin of Independence Pass

    10am at the top of Independence Pass

    Independence Pass the first switchback

    Mountain Boy Park

    Radar and Didit on the Black Canyon hwy 92

    Radar and Didit starting up Red Mountain Pass on the Million Dollar Highway 550

    Stopped on the way down to Silverton we stopped to let everybody we passed go by so we could do it again

    Lizard Head Pass a bit wet and slippery

    Lizard Head at 50mph

    Riding into the eye of a storm

    Sheep Mountain

    Yellow Mountain Radar

    Radar gets out ahead as I dig for my camera near Telluride
    [vid]109[/vid]
  5. HispanicSlammer
    Skyline Drive Ryan and Jason above Canon City
    I have been riding with a guy from work lately a young fellow who recently purchased a used CBR 600 - that was in need of some work. He was riding it with a race take off front tire and a decent Bridgestone rear. I dont often ride with guys who ride other bikes but Ryan seemed like he had the natural ability to ride well. Which after 3 rides he does. I took him along on my annual 500 mile ride to the Black Canyon a few months back and he did well, keeping in pace with my Buddy LDSRIDER. The two of them kept together and Reddog and I took off ahead waiting up at key places, then riding together in the slab.Its worked well, Ryan came over to my place and we fited a new tire on last month, new chain and set his sag correctly since I rode it I could tell it was set up all wrong. Sombody had dropped the forks in the triple clamps and it made it a bear to turn. Fighting that for 500 miles must have been a PITA so I loosened the clamps and slid the forks back into stock postion. It made a world of difference and the next ride - there he was right behind me in the tight stuff, he never showed me a wheel but he was taking up an awful lot of my rear view mirror this time around. Of course it was raining and there was all kinds of crap on the roads from heavy rains but still much much better! Monday he calls me up - says there are 3 of them going to Bishops Castle for a ride. Right off the bat There is Ryan out of gear and no gloves - appearantly hes not prepared for a day ride, thinking they were just going around town. I guess with Ryan ATGATT has not settled in yet as the mode of transport for bikes. So we take off, tennis shoes and no gloves, long sleeve tee. And of course I take it easy. Its all guys from work I know, Dave (out of work at the moment from Atmel after a layoff) and Jason who works right next to me all night across the tunnel in photo, and Ryan a diffusion tech who works on furnaces and FSI cleaners. Me I work in etch as a work flow coordinator just like Jason is in Photo. We all ride, but I think I take it more seriously then the rest. I come to find out this is the longest ride Jason has ever done! A lousy 250 mile ride! Hes decked out in his Honda Jacket, Shoei Helmet (a nice one), and TENNIS SHOES. Darned squids - I mention to Ryan he might want to grab some work gloves at the Gas station in Florence at least! I think I talked him into getting a Roadcrafter suit from Aerostich, like the one I wear. He likes how easy it is to get on and off and that its also your rain gear!

    Bishops Castle l-r Dave, Ryan, and Jason in white.
    I had to yell Jason about 4 times cause he talks so much he could not hear me - hes always talking, even at work!Yea thats a Hysong behind that CBR 650 V twin Dave rides - sounded great with the carbon fiber Two Brothers can.Dave had to go back home at this point since he had chores to do at home and was supposed to be back at noon, I looked at my clock and it was 11:30! Heh I think your late man! So he left the group and the rest of us carried on. We rode over to Texas Creek to get a burger only to find out it was closed, so I said lets get some Tacos in Cannon City - only to find out the Taco place was closed too! So at last we went to the Mission, a mexican joint and had some lunch. It was alright but not as good as the Taco joint, sad to see it was closed forever! It is different riding with new guys - especially ones who dont ride all the time, and who think that 250 miles is a long ride! It is a different mind set, I felt like I was just getting warmed up, and these guys are just about done! Wrist hurts, butt hurts, yada yada yada, I know Ryan can take it but Dave and Jason - nope! I kept trying to tell the guys to at least wear BOOTS. Me I just had some fun, I took off on the good stuff of course, the twisty parts - I let them know I was going to first, and to ride at thier own pace cause. I would wait on the straits for them when there was no place to lean over - which I did. I had a good time though, just riding slow I can look at scenery too ya know. We had to stop a moment and take it in cause well we were talking too much about work! Ryan was staying way back this time cause he had no darned gear!
    Jason who was on non stop jabber would have to be prodded to put his helmet on cause it was time to go, he crackes me up - like a stream of conscienceness, all the time 24 hr Jason live! He even talked when he had his helmet on and I had my earplugs in, I just nodded yes and reved up the v-4! Funny guy very funny guy. On the last leg home I rode sweep and they gave me a lesson on how to pass, which I wont be taking next term, I think I am going to drop that class! Scary stuff! I dont like-a-da-traffic-a-so-much.I am hoping Dave gets a call back from Atmel and comes back to work - it seems the sales crisis has abated a bit and are hiring back 100 people who got laid off. I am pulling for ya Dave! It is a good thing we can go for a ride and just have some fun for a day.
  6. HispanicSlammer
    Well after returning home from the Mosca Pass ride I have not touched the XR since last week, too disappointed to do so. Until I mustered up the patience to replace the scored up cams. Which I did, and promptly ripped up that set too. OOKKKAAAYYY maybe I am missing the root cause here!!
    This time I took the head off and took out the spark plug and pumped the kick start to see if it was oiling the cams? NOPE NO OIL OUT OF THE DARNED JETS!!
    So I took off the plate to the oil filter and shot compressed air in the hole, it sprayed out perfectly - no clog? But then a pin and an O-ring fell out onto the floor? I looked where could this go, checked the manual no pin supposed to be there! WTF were did this pin come from? I then took off the whole side plate clutch cover and found a spot where it could go, checked the manual sure enough there was a pin there in the diagram! DUH!! I was in the wrong place! I put it in, put on a new O-ring and put it back together and did the pump thing again with the kickstand, this time oil came out the hole!! YEA now I am getting somewhere!
    So far I have solved my overheating problem, new thermostat and and a higher compression cap did that.
    Now I think I have the oiling issue licked too.
    Still got this jetting thing to solve though all the recommended jets are in there from multiple sources, I think I have the wrong slow jet its too rich for this altitude! Thats my next task after I replace the cam again! Then on to the suspension it could use some softening up must be gunked up with snotty oil in the forks. New seals, and bushings too! Rebuild the shock too! Maybe a softer spring cause it wants to launch me out of bumps!
  7. HispanicSlammer
    Tank with graphics and white stripe
    So I put the color on today, sanded the color smooth, then applied graphics and shot the clear coat. 2 coats of clear is what the instuctions called for. I had a ton of color left over, so I put it back into the can. It not catalyzed so it should keep for touch ups and whatnot. Well whatnot for sure as in redo! I am going to redo the left fairing and the front fender.
    I was in the shed almost done with the clear coat when all of a sudden a huge gust of wind lifted the left panel off the hook I had hung it on and down she went, still wet and all with clear coat and it scratched up and picked up every bit of dirt and weed known to man! I was quietly screaming in my mask some of the most foul language ever spoken on the face of the earth. Its amazing how well the mask can..well "mask" your screams. I was hot, then I just resigned to the fact that I would probably go broke if I had to do this for a living cause wow its a lot of work!

    paint 002.jpg

    paint 003.jpg

    paint 005.jpg
    I had my spray gun set up at 20psi - twice what the thing said to do to get better atomization but still I ended up with orange peel all over the clear coat. I tried adjusting the gun for less clear and more air but still it came out all orange peel. So now I get to wet sand some and polish with rubbing compound - more work! I sort of anticipated I would get orange peel cause I am a complete novice to this so well there you have it. My paint project had some setbacks and a redo - oh well its all part of being a motorcyclist enthusiast, spent more then I should have on tools, paint, and well next time I will probably just find a pro and have it done. I got paint everywhere in the shed, on the floor. I ran out of mixing cans so I used a plastic cup only to find out the reducer ate right through it and spilled white paint all over the floor of the shed, another episode of foul language in the mask. Lucky I was already done with that color. It dont look so bad for a first timer, I have seen much worse. The tape I masked off the stripes with was automotive paint tape but it came up in places and the line is not perfect. The tank lines are a little off but not too bad, heh eyeball job I suppose I need glasses!
  8. HispanicSlammer
    I havent ridden the VFR in over a month, shes been having trouble starting. I finally got her fixed and it felt wierd to ride it again after riding the XR650r so much more. I felt like I was laying on top of it. It did not take long to get back to normal, at first I was having difficulty leaning it over so I intentionally sought out all the twisty roads I could find, and went a littler overboard. I did all the tight twisy roads I could find from here to Denver that actually pass through from one to the other. Ute Pass, Deckers Road, Horsepowerhill, Kings Valley Road, Connifer Mountain Road, Kennedy Gultch Road, Shadow Mountain Road, Brook Forest Road, Little Cub Creek Road, Stanley Park, Turkey Creek, Parmelle Gultch, Kerr Gultch and then Up and over Squaw Pass. I stopped a bit here and took some pictures after having got over my strange feeling on the bike.

    Continental Divide Looking north

    Same shot zoomed out

    Perry Peak Saint Mary's Glacier? Not sure

    Looking north again

    The Sawtooth Mount Evans off hwy 103 Squaw Pass

    Central City Parkway I was ripping that road 20 minutes later

    Fish Eye Lens

    Evergreen below Denver off on the horizon

    My VFR Still sweet on her after 89k!
    I kept saying to myself I will stop at the next stop and get a bite to eat, but then I would pass sombody on a double yellow cause they were going slow as S**T, and I would just keep going not wanting sombody to rant about how I passed them! I was surprised to see many of my fellow Coloradoans letting me pass on by - pulling off and waving me on by - it was Sunday after all and boy there were a ton of folks in the mountains driving.
    I must have seen at least 300 bikes - I stopped waving after about 50 cause that just gets old after a while, I mean Jebus how many more where there to come? I just want to ride Mister! I was ripping the new road to Central City (well 2 years old now) its a fast 4 lane sweeper fest - and I encountered a train of Harleys, two of whome were not lock step lane disiplned in the right hand lane like the rest of them, riding slow as hell so I had to actually pass from the oncomming lane, which scared the shit out one of them cause he swerved like I was going to him his as I passed by - way over from the other side of the yellow line?? Idiot I was a good lane away from him??!! Get out of the fast lane fatboy! I had to do it again five minutes later, these gangs of Harleys just hold everybody up - I dont get it? Why cant they take up just one lane on those damn parade rides they do they have to take up every availible lane, even the cages get pissed? Oh well I wizzed on by from the other side of the yellow and was gone after the next corner!
    I only saw one cop the whole day and I was cussing under my helmet cause he was doing 20 mph in front of a line of 6 cages going down my favorite part of the Pine Junction to Pine hill! He pulled off half way down and I was soon gone not long after! Darn I would much rather ride on Mondays the weekend is full of slow bastid idiots in the way! I managed to scrub off the rest of the mud on my rear tire - left overspray from cleaning my XR with the hose. I guess I got over my strangness - overcompensated for it really 320 miles of nothing but twisty!!!
  9. HispanicSlammer


    I began with a strip down of the basic plastic removal around 3am in the morning, I work nights anyway and well it is a quiet time for me with no interruptions from nosy family members! That took no time at all I am getting pretty good at removing the plastic.
































    Yes you have to remove all that just to get to the front spark plugs, lucky they use high mileage iridium spark plugs with a 30k lifetime so you are going to have to inspect the valves before hand before you have to replace them - I did that and they all looked fine. I had all of my exhaust valves just out of spec those are the rocker roller set, and one of the bucket under shim intakes was loose but still in spec. Just as I figured the roller rocker design would be more apt to be out of spec then the bucket under shims would be, just like the CRX dirt bikes! Its a simple elegant design, less rolling mass with only one cam shaft and the cam chain does not need a huge bend in it for a powerful cam chain tensioner this design uses a spring loaded bow tensioner instead of a massive punch design like the vtecs use.










    There are two marks on the timing cover I suppose its easier then the 4 I had on the old girl, you watch the cam shaft on the rear set for direction ques as you turn it to make sure the engine is in top dead center for the cylinder your inspecting all marked out in the manual but the manual has very small pictures for the cam shaft positions so its hard to read. I managed it though. They have 3 measurements for the Valve Clearance

    Exhaust Valves have a roller rocker design with a roller on one end and a screw driver and lock nut on the other with a square head for the driver. They were all out of spec all of them!

    The manual has two sets of measurements for the exhaust side

    Valve side with the lock nut 0.03 + or - 0,02 mm or (0.012 + or - 0.001 inches)
    Roller side 0.21 + or - 0.02 mm or (0.008 + or - 0.001 inches) my gap strips were in listed in both but came stepped up in inch sizes so I use the inch listings

    Intake side is the shim under bucket design

    0.16 + or - 0.003 or (0.006 + or - 0.001 inches) on one was loose at .007 but still in tolerance and most likely to go tight as it wears.















    Source: VFR1200F Valve Inspection
  10. HispanicSlammer

    Emory Pass

    By HispanicSlammer,

    video preview
    This is a video cut from the second part of the "Gila Monster" ride my two buddies and I took to the southern part of New Mexico last August. Emory Pass is part of hwy 152 and is situated smack in the middle of the Gila National Forest. We happened to be doing the road on a busy weekend, labor day weekend and found the road well traveled, I decided to take it easy passing while my buddy was a bit more furious when he passed. We ended up doing two passes that day. I love this road but for its remote location, its one of the best I have ever done.
    :media: Emory Pass Video
    The video is rather short, about 3 minutes featuring the music of James Cotton, blues man extraordinary - "Cut you loose". 1 mb/sec sample rate wmv format
    THE MAP
    [map=AARTsJrsAVA4vcdZ3NLQ4qJuamB-Tr_SkQ]http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=2855967962099858914,32.905010,-107.751740&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=NM-152+%4032.905010,+-107.751740&daddr=32.892273,-107.829781&mra=mi&mrsp=1,0&sz=12&sll=32.88939,-107.692795&sspn=0.166923,0.374222&ie=UTF8&ll=32.90683,-107.789955&spn=0.083445,0.187111&t=p&z=13&om=1[/map]
    Photos from the trip

    The Gila Monster

    Scenic Overlook

    This is the Monster Tail

    Kingston NM

    White Coyote Cafe - T or C NM

    Reserve New Mexico

    Late Lunch in Silver City

    Vertical Profile from my GPS
    :media: Gila Monster - the first part - video
    :media: Gila Monster the trip the year before
    low res you tube

  11. 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

  12. 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]
  13. HispanicSlammer

     

    Last summers August adventure had already started, (see previous blog post) I had made my way to my uncles house in Boise after spending a restless night in Ogden UT, a place I am not so impressed with - being that it is the home of the IRS, or at least that is the place where I sent my tax returns? I was surprised at how pedestrian the place was - not nearly as nice as SLC just south of there, but not ugly by any means - its just the opposite of Colorado the mountains are on the east side! I am used to them facing the other way, but mountains none the less, I dont quite feel grounded without mountains within sight. After a ho hum meal at the restaurant next door, I decided to forgo any evening entertainment and just hit the sack and get up early and get to my uncles place in Boise, shoot I already wrote about that part - Albion Idaho - I should note the restaurant I like in Albion is called the Sagebrush Grill, I got it wrong about 20 times on my last blog post.

    In any case I made to my Uncle Lonnies place and we spent a day together catching up with the goings on in the Mayo clan, him? ~ not so great just another one of the many many folks in the "land of the laid off" currently looking for work, hes an IT professional who formerly worked for the state of Idaho as a contractor, that's the worst part about contractors - the contracts run out. So we went over to his favorite bar and shot the breeze for several hours and I met most of buddies. It was nice hanging out with Lonnie, I have never really spent that much time with him before other then Christmas and Thanksgiving surrounded by everybody else in the family.

    So the next day I had one more solo trip up to Coeur d'Alene. Thats a name I cannot spell to save my life. I always have to google it first! Coeur d'Alene, Coeur d"Alene - freaking frenchy names get me every time! Just like the Cache La Poudre in Colorado, just means lots of snow! They can make a turd sound good, or Grand Tetons - you can guess what that means! French place names always seem to resolve to something usual. Oh but NOT Coeur d'Alene, that was a name given to the local indian tribes by French fur traders and it means simply Heart of an Awl. Hey for once a name that has some thing a bit more interesting, it means "heart of an awl"? They found the locals to be shrewd traders apparently, but the indians they called themselves by the name the Schitsu'umsh which brings us back to stupid names again, it means (The people who are found here) aww jeez! I might as well be called "fat dude on a bike"!

    So I found every twisty road that lies between Boise and Coeur d'Alene on the map and took it, I headed a bit backwards at first going up to Idaho City on hwy 21 a great twisty road that finds the tightest twisties just south of Lowman Idaho. The road is a bit bumpy and in need of repaving on spots, lots of repairs but I took it fast, catching and overtaking several bikes along the way RV's and what not, I was having a good time on that road - then I turned west at Lowman and headed along a river bank, winding along with even more cars and RV's - it was the weekend and it seems all of Boise turns out to go to the mountains - that road was too short and soon I was on hwy 55 heading north to McCall, a good road if it where not for all the traffic! Thats the main road north in Idaho so there really is no getting off it, just plug away - I found it useless to pass the cars since there was so much traffic up ahead I was just wasting energy, it was more then I could see, once out of the mountains and onto the high plains the highway department slapped up 30 mph signs all over the place for 40 miles as they chip sealed the road - of course not on the weekend so NO CONSTRUCTION CREWS OUT but the cops were - handing out tickets for speeding over 30! I just sat behind a car that had gotten fed up and took off, I hung back far enough to save myself if the cops should see and well a rabbit is a rabbit is a rabbit, let the coyotes get the first one out of the gate! It was like this all the way from the point I turned off to McCall, all 64 miles of crawling along at 30 miles per hour, I was going insane! Finally in McCall I pulled off for gas. At gas stations the Veefalo seems to be a draw with its beautiful lines or some say ugly lines!

    I had to talk to every idiot who had never seen a bike before in their whole lives! Already irritated by the 2 hour ride up there - the obvious questions and idiotic warnings from total strangers about how "dangerous motorcycles are" - proved to be more than I could take. I retreated into my helmet and pretended I could not hear what they were saying to me. Hand gestures to my ear - just get back into your car woman and leave me the hell alone! Yea yea OK I will ride safe yea OK thanks - as I sat there waiting in line behind the next guy for a free pump, trying not to notice she just stuck a cell phone up to her ear as she drove off.

    Some people don't understand that unsolicited advice to a motorcyclist is not welcome! Especially if your going to get in your car and drive off with a cell phone to your ear! I hit the Detour button on my GPS since McCall was a total parking lot at Noon on a summer Saturday, I found an offshoot road to the west and was so glad to be free of that nonsense! I was a bit exuberant when I found some twisty roads just west of town and got on the gas and started to dip the bike into the corner, just in time to hear my Radar detector go off and a sherrif flashed me with his lights as I went past at some twice the posted speed limit! OPPS I saw him begin to turn around but I rounded the next tight turn and got on it hard! HEH the sight of open road ahead sort of shot down my hopes of getting away but to my surprise NO SHERRIF was behind me now? I guess he gave up and did not want to do any paperwork, its one thing to hit it in tight twisties and another to try to get away on a strange road that is strait as far as I can see! I thought I was toast! Well that was good for a thrill and it certainly took the foul mood right out of me, a scare can do that for ya! I was happy to be alive and enjoying the open road again!

    I pushed on up to Coure d'Alene at a better pace, I found a great road called Greer road, after Koosia pass I was really finding some nice roads now, Greer road Cavendish road all northern Idaho roads seem to be pretty good.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     

    All in all it was a great day of riding minus that McCall Nonsense, I had a good day soloing, but I was ready to ride with friends, I made it to Coure d'Arlene in one peice and thats where I met Radar, Fay, Craig, and Didit. We were about to go on another great adventure in the summer of 2011.


    Full Size


    Stay tuned next up - the Spiral Highway, stators, Rattle snake grade, Enterprise - ALL OF OREGON.
     
     
  14. 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]
  15. 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!
     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
  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
    I have never been on Boreas Pass before, drove or ridden past the entrace at Como several times on the way to College or on a vfr ride. I decided this last August that I would give it a try. Not knowing if it was challenging I figured I would take the Piggy this time. Turned out to be really tame actually since I passed an Accord and several minivans on the way up. The way to Cumo was much more challenging to be honest, taking every dirt road I could find that connected me all the way to Breckenridge. Boreas pass was the old route to Breckenridge by stage coach from Denver and the front range.
    I rode up to Woodland Park by hitting the Pikes Peak highway then splitting off just before getting there and heading northwest to Green Mountain Falls. It is a sleepy little village on the way up Ute Pass about three quarters of the way to Woodland Park from Colorado Springs. Its a nice diversion from the hustle of Hwy 24 and all the highway traffic, you can avoid hwy 24 by about 80% if you turn off at Chipeta Park and stay to the left. In Green Mountain Falls there is a nice lake in the center of the village, and a big Gazebo and fountain highight the park in the middle. Then to the west is a strip of small buisnesses, a local tavern and a great little resturant called "The Pantry" the ham sandwitch has 1/2 inch thick ham and real swiss cheese, and the breakfast is scrumptious. I like to stop there when possible for some lunch.

    Tarryall

    Tarryall

    Tarryall
    I rolled into Cumo to find its mostly closed up, boarded up old buildings so I started my way up Boreas Pass with large rain drops falling all around me, it was a quick summer shower and it did not last long.

    Boreas Mountain Packer Road

    Boreas Mountain

    Wild Flower

    Tarryall from across the valley on Boreas Pass

    Packer road from which I just came
    I was surprised to see so many cars on the pass, its wasnt challenging at all really so I rode it very fast. I passed about 4 minivans and was at the top in less than 5 minutes, seemd all too quick really. There were a ton of folks stopped at the old rail house at the top so I kept on going prefering the solitude of riding than stopping with tourists everywhere.

    Windy Point Boreas Pass

    Breckenridge

    Boreas Mountain Crossed the Continental Divide

    Breckenridge hwy 9 lies below - Hoosier pass is to the left
    I did not stay around Breckenridge only to gas up at the 7-11 and get a snack of some chewing gum to make my ears pop. Sometimes up in high elevation my ears dont equalize like they should. I decided to head up Loveland pass and ride down to Georgetown via I-70 then make my way up Guenella Pass. I had a burger at the "Red Ram" in old Georgetown and well I did not enjoy it as much as I would have liked too. Its a very old 100 year old building and well I can only take so much hippy music from the 70's before I have to get out, I like the Grateful Dead but not that much! I have had a better time there before, I should have waited for lunch - headed up Guenella pass and had a burger in Bailey instead there is a wonderful little diner there called the Trout diner, just a few hundred feet from the Gas Station. Should have but didn't Oh Well I was surprised to see all the work being done on the North side of Guenella pass, there was lots of heavy equipment being used to divert the creek and expand the road, it was practially paved all the way to the top, paved over 70% I would say!

    Guenella Pass strait south of Georgetown once again crossing the Continental Divide
    I headed down the pass and was soon back on gravel road again all the way to Grant at hwy 285, I found myself rubbernecking when I caught a glimps of a large hot dog building just west of Bailey. It was the old hot dog stand I remembered from my youth - Coney Island Colorado‎. It wasnt were I remembered it, they moved it by truck from Connifer to Bailey some 15 miles down the road! "Whoa" I said "whats that doing there?"
    They have the best chili dogs - foot long chili dogs and fries!
    I turned off hwy 285 as soon as I made it to Bailey, saw the trout diner and sighed that I missed out on a good cheeseburger and headed back into the dirt on Wellington Lake road, then I turned off at the Buffalo Creek turnoff sign and was on Hwy 67. The pavement was perfect and I at that moment I wished I could flip a switch and be on my viffer cause boy the road was perfect!

    Pikes Peak Heading down the bowl at hwy 67 to Horsepower Hill

    Pikes Peak in the late afternoon

    Full Size
    A - home
    B - backroads
    C - Tarryall
    D - Packer Road
    E - Boreas Pass
    F - Loveland Pass
    G - Georgetown
    H - Guenella Pass
    I - Wellington Lake Road
  18. HispanicSlammer
    Ice Racing Rainbow Falls Park Colorado
    Harry's Roamers Motorcycle Club is the oldest motorcycle club in Colorado established in 1929 they are known for putting on an ice racing series. This years event at Rainbow Falls Park brought hundreds of folks out to the mountain lake one of the four Ice racing events they organize each winter. It was really a hoot to come out on this cold Sunday morning and watch all the different bikes go around the oval shaped track, spectators were outnumberd by participants 2:1 - now thats what I call a real sport!

    http://harrysro.poww...hrmc/index.html
    I remember comeing out to this lake as a child to ice skate with my grand parents but this is the first time I have attended the ice races and boy this seems like alot more fun! My buddy Craig and I piled into his four wheel Toyota and headed up Ute pass for Woodland Park, Rainbow falls is just about 15 minutes north of there on Hwy 67 I embedded a map if your wondering where exactly! We had just come off the night shift, restless, looking for somthing to do. He saw a line in somthing he read about ice racing here in Colorado so we looked it up and sure enough - IT WAS ON. We were not sure what to expect, 2 feet of snow or what so we dressed up like Eskimo's and headed out, there was hardly any snow up there by Rainbow lake we where thinking it might be a bust but sure enough the road headed slightly down hill into a lake depression and we saw all the cars, the lake was frozen solid! The Track was layed out and there were bikes and trailers littered everywhere. 8 bucks to get in seemed like a cheap date for a half days fun and we gladly paid the entry fee. We walked out on the ice and studied the curious fenders and inspected the oddly studded tires and wondered just how go you get those things in there - these where the screw in from the outside type!
    Once the raceing started we noticed not many racers where spinning out its seemed like flat track racing with similar sliding and slipping as if on loose dirt - just colder!

    KTM

    KTM

    Homemade Fenders

    Some more homemade than others

    riders meeting

    DONT..KICK..THE..CONES
    I was getting tickled at the organizer who was holding the pre race quote "bitch session" as Craig called it, he said the times he raced there is a similar type session at all of them! HEH pay to play I gotta say! It was over soon enough and everybody knew they were serious about safety and the CONES!

    ATV Tires studded for maximum grip

    Lay out the green carpet

    Speedway bikes

    speedway bike rotated engine forward for better handling, CG moved forward

    Got Milk

    speedway bike

    one more
    I was facinated by the speedway bikes, stripped down to almost bicycle like frames, small aircooled engines, no brakes just pure sideways fun having motorcycles - they harken back to the days of board track race bikes, and to me look like living history.

    On your mark, get set!

    The name of the game? get the hole shot!

    battleing for position

    Way out front

    ice pits

    2 strokes

    Classics

    Even raced UTILITY ATV'S I think if they could put studded wheels on a washing machine they would race it.

    classics race
    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/uploads/videos/491/1236584620_icerace.wmv.flv
    THE MAP

    Full Size
  19. HispanicSlammer
    I took the XR 650r down south Tuesday for a 300 mile loop through Pueblo, Buela, Colorado City, San Isabel, and over the Wet Mountains to Gardener and Up over Mosca Pass.

    map google earth image

    Buela Colorado Sleepy Little town southwest of Pueblo

    Buela Colorado Main Road

    San Isabel National Forest Hwy 162

    Lake San Isabel west

    Mosca Pass in the distance

    Gardner road miles and miles of dirt road

    Mount Blanca 14,000 foot peak from top of Mosca Pass

    East From Mosca Pass

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Mitchel Mountain Road

    Sunset Over the Sangre De Christo Mountains

    Sunset Glorious Riding
    I spent pretty much 8 hours on the road that day riding mostly flat dirt roads on the big pig, ended up riding home in the dark, and a bit buzzed over the wonderful sunset near Westcliff. It wasnt as easy as riding the vfr but it was still a Honda@
  20. HispanicSlammer
    First you begin by leaving the day before the Fourth of July weekend which in of itself is idiotic, then you forget to check the weather forecast (not that it mattered since It was raining everywhere) then you pick a place to camp that has the worst weather off all. Not a bad plan if your looking to make your riding adventure a joke. I did that and found I was scratching my head wondering "why in the world are all these RV's out and about" I had never seen so much traffic on hwy 50 going to Salida. It was crazy I was able to enjoy a little bit of the road to Texas Creek but "wow its crazy out here to day" Then I stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Poncha Springs and the waiter said have a happy Forth Of July - DOH no wonder. I had been on this 18 day forced vacation from work and completely lost track of time, I did not even know what day it was or what! I mean I got lost in the fray and just wanted to go visit my sister in Santa Fe since I had nothing better to do than go riding. I thought I would go ride over to Durango but I slapped the whole trip together so off the cuff I did not even leave till noon. I figured I would take my tent and go camping on top of Grand Mesa for the night then head down to Montrose and ride the Million Dollar Highway.
    I have been on the Million Dollar Highway 30 or so times but only twice have I done it going south, this time I was going to do it going south on the vfr. OK good plan so far, except there are all these damn tourist on the road on a Thursday? What gives then I get the news from the waiter OH Yea I haven't looked at a watch or a calendar in ages all I knew was that it was Thursday and I don't have to be back to work till the 8th. OK time to go riding. I noticed the afternoon clouds had rolled in on the mountains by this time and I was in for some rain. All the way up Monarch Pass and back down it rained on me and ruined what ever chance I had to rail the turns. OH well I will be on the Black Canyon soon enough and I could rail the whole way up Hwy 92 on the way to Cedaredge. Yea right.
    I noticed a lot of black clouds when I made it to Gunnison and thought well I cant even pass cars with all this traffic on hwy 50 - a car coming every second it seemed made passing slow movers a real job. I was crawling along behind the rest of the slomos heading west when I noticed the clouds seemed to be darkest right over the Black Canyon. I thought for sure I was gonna get more rain when I made it too hwy 92. So I pulled off and put on my rain gloves. Hwy 50 is all sweepers and at times it fun but mostly its slab, scenic slab but slab. I was ready to lean the bike over for a change since Monarch Pass was a bust and the fast stuff at Texas Creek was congested with RV's . No sooner than 100 yards after the turnoff at hwy 92 did the rain come and it was pouring, and there was a row of RV's heading up the hill too? Oh Jeez no way - I can ride pretty good in the rain and so I took off up the hill and passed the RV's the first opportunity and low and behold the road was clear of traffic after that however any chance or railing would have to be held in check cause the rain was just pouring hard. I still passed everything but at a much more conservative pace than I was going to ride. I couldn't see anything cause the clouds were hanging so low that stopping for pictures was a bust too. Oh well I enjoy riding in the rain sometimes, but boy it was cold my hands were starting to cramp up cause the rain was like ice water.
    It only took about 40 minutes to get past the last good turn on hwy 92 then what do you know the rain slowed to an even drizzle, the road was still wet and it turned to slab again. I road into the bread basket of the western slope and headed for Cedaredge on my way to the Grand Mesa then the sky opened up and really started pounding me. I rode past a nice looking motel and in an instant I scrapped any plans I had to go camping and opted for a dry room with a hot shower.

    Cedaredge Lodge Very friendly owners made me feel at home
    The folks who owned the place came out and greeted me, and couple who transplanted from Florida and really fixed the place up, they built a huge patio added a hot tub and they even invited me to BBQ with them out on the patio for dinner. The rain really started pouring then and when I got to my room I was so soaked I just stood in the warm shower for what seemed like ages warming up. Rain in Colorado is refreshing for about 10 minutes then it just gets freaking cold, especially in the mountains. It usually drops the temperature about 20 degrees from 70F to 50F in an instant. I got out of the shower and vegged out on the bed for a half an hour and went outside to explore the place I figured they gave up on the BBQ with rain so I rode down to the café a mile down the road and had a wonderful pork chop dinner that was on special. If nothing the accommodations and the food was good! Stuffed and still cold I fell asleep before the sun was even down.
    The next morning it looked to be still cloudy out and cold. At least the rain had stopped

    Cedaredge Lodge they insisted I park under the carport

    Cedaredge Lodge a creek ran along the backyard where they had a nice little porch over it with a hot tub

    sit out on the coverd patio
    I just headed back south and forgot about the Grand Mesa, over to Delta and Montrose. Hwy 550 is boring here and boy there was all that traffic again, crossing Montrose was a pill since its always slow going in there. The road takes you to Ouray - its 2 lanes for a bit out of Montrose then it starts to gently wind around farms and into the mountains. I was just about to merge into the one lane when a Porche with Arizona plates stuffs himself in the left lane and cuts me off from merging - the guy driving gives me this smart ass smirk and he takes off since he has a "sports car" I was just cruising since well the road sucks here and I ride "the pace" all the time. As soon as the road started to have curves in it I was not far behind, and he was passing people rather easily, but one section I was passing cars too and was right behind him. He was still in the left lane and passing very slowly so slowly in fact I was running out of room to get back over. So as soon as he started to merge I gunned it and went past him too.
    Then it was on - racing with a Porche I guess - I must have touched a nerve cause the guy was right on my six for the next 10 miles when the passing was easy. Then when in Ouray we were crawling 25mph in town for what seemed like ages I had planned on stopping for pictures however I was embroiled in a passing battle with this Porche now and no way was he going to get around me again to give me another smirk like he did the first time. More childishness I guess on my part but I have to admit it was the most fun I had the whole trip. Up the hill and onto the Million Dollar Highway there were all kinds of cars, RV's and SUV's all over the road. The passing was a snap since the road is bit scary to tourist since the turns are sharp and there is no guard rail - the way down is pretty far and deadly if you screw up. I was passing 2 at a time and hitting the turns at full lean. That is untill I ran up behind a Pickup truck pulling an ATV in a trailer, this guy was so afraid he was driving into the oncomeing lane? He was at least a 1/4 of the way into the oncomming lane the whole time? IN BLIND CURVES? Anybody comming the other way had to jamn it over into the inches of shoulder just to avoid this asshole? I managed to get past him and flip him the bird as I got past, he even came into me a bit as I passed - on a section of dotted line? Mr Porche managed to follow and stay close, all the way up to the first pass, there are 2 tight switchbacks and we both got around the traffic to hit them clean and I was all the way leaned over into the first one, the Porche was 10 feet behind me. I flicked it right to hit the next turn then left and way way over I was scrapping my boot, and the Porche fell behind a bit till I was a good hundred yards ahead in the switchback and as soon as the road straitened he was right behind me again. (wow OK this guy cant drive I guess cause he should have railed those turns!!).
    It was not long before we where starting on the tight switchbacks and loops of Red mountain pass, again in the tighter turns he fell back then where was a long strait and 4 cars and big RV was holding them up. I passed all four cars at once and then had to wait a couple of turns to get around the RV and the Porche just must have gave up there cause as soon as I got around the RV I was gone and never saw that Porche again. Oh well it was fun while it lasted and well I wish I could have seen his face when I got around those last 4 cars right before the tight stuff came up again.
    I had to take it easy after Silverton cause there were Bicyclist on the road, hundreds of them riding to Durango. I was on my way to Durango to have some lunch, a place I know well. I graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango and lived there for five years, I absolutely love that place. I like to go back and visit even though all my professors have all retired and I don't know anybody there anymore I still love to go there.

    Molas Pass

    Molas Pass

    Molas Pass

    Durango Colorado

    Downtown Durango

    Downtown Durango Oldtymers my favorite lunch stop in Durango

    Panhead Chopper with whitewalls Kick start and green paint

    Durango Circa 1910
    Leaving Durango I headed east on HWY 160 to Pagosa Springs, I never advise anybody go that way for anything and this trip proved it. The traffic out of Durango was strangled up with construction and it did not let up till Bayfield a good 30 minutes of BS traffic. It is always like that I was kicking myself for not heading east and just going to NM strait away and taking hwy 64 across. No I just endured the traffic to Bayfield, then it cleared up a bit but here is where the cops come, cops everywhere. It has always been crawling with cops, two different sheriffs, town cops and state patrol, it crawls with LEO"s what was I thinking? The Pagosa Springs is a nightmare of slow traffic. Its all sprawled out for 10 miles and crawling along at 30 miles per hour it takes forever to get out of that place. I have never liked Pagosa Springs much, first it stinks like Sulfur then the sprawl goes on and on all the way to Durango hwy 160 just sucks, thats all it just sucks. The good thing is I got off hwy 160 here and headed to Chama and out of Colorado. The road is not very challenging or twisty but its much less traffic. I just cruised all the way to Santa Fe on hwy 64, well almost its pretty much a strait shot into Santa Fe once you get to Espanola.
    My sister was waiting at her new house, they were building a fence and they just had a stone patio built, I spent 3 days there and tickle torchured my niece and nephew for days while they were fighting with each other - kids will be kids. I enjoyed it, the bbq's the fireworks. Spending time with sis too.

    The road to Chimayo New Mexico

    The Road to Chimayo

    Santuario De Chimayo

    Santuario De Chimayo
    Well anyway I thought for my ride home I would head to Taos on the back roads at Penasco and then cut across to Angel Fire, Yea right more Sabotage. As soon as the mountains closed in on the road I passed a car and fell in behind an Oklahoman on a V-strom. He was really shaky in the turns and so I backed off a bit and then we got stuck behind traffic. Two cops were coming the other way and flashed up with their lights? I was annoyed at that since we were barely going the speed limit as it was behind this traffic. Then it was clear why - chip seal, one lane traffic for 5 miles and we where stuck in a pile up that was half a mile long. OH I was dying now, 25mph all the way to Agua Fria for another 20 miles?? It was a nightmare, I so so much wished I had not turned north at Penasco and just continued east to Mora instead. The traffic was going so slow I had to feather my clutch to keep from knocking into the car in front of us. V-strom seemed to handle the loose chip better than me. The worse part was when the bike started to over heat, the temp gage started to flash 250f!! for about a minutes but there was no place to pull off, then the road opened up a bit and we were going 35 mph and it cooled back down. I need to replace my radiator cap I suspect it not holding pressure. I have replaced the coolant and the thermostat, its got to be a bad cap.
    Oh man that took forever and it sucked A%^%$. As soon as the road got out of the mountains and onto the valley plains along the lake at Eagles nest folks were getting passed 5 at a time, me and the V-strom - then I passed him too cause he was slow too. he had to get gas anyway and I kept going past the lake, into town and up the hill to Cimmaron Canyon. There was brand new pavement and the turns are great there, I wasn't counting on umpteen million campers in the canyon though and deer ever where. Once again I had to slow down cause people and deer were all around walking on the road side? OHH (*&(*&(*&(&^*&^*&^*&^*&^$#$$()(
    Ok fine then it started raining again when the camp sites where long gone and I was on the high speed sweepers, the brand new pavement was gone and the old tar snakes from hell were there in the rain, time to slow down again after a few slips from the rear tire. No railing that either?
    Out of Cimmaron Canyon the rain stopped and then it started blow wind at 30mph gusts all the way to Raton I was leaned over just to keep the bike strait. This trip was starting to look like a complete bust for what it was. The in Raton the rain came again and still windy - yup as soon as I hit Raton pass into Colorado the rain started pouring again.

    Interstate 70 at Raton it was raining hard on the pass
    I rolled into Colorado in the hard rain all the way down Raton Pass where it stopped in Trinidad and they had more construction going on there - one lane with all the familiar turns off blocked off from the overpass. The interstate is pretty much one large overpass in Trinidad above the town all they across town, and it was being worked on so they diverted the traffic to the other side and there was no place to get off. I was at 180 miles on my tank and calculated I had 2 bars left on the tank, I have made it 240 miles several times with no problems. So I figured I could ride to Walsenburg and fill up there, 25 miles north.
    I rolled past one gas station I don't like at 190 miles, It filthy and I needed to use a bathroom - I don't like dirty filthy bathrooms. Then with about 5 miles to go I ran out of freaking gas! First time ever I had run out of gas on my vfr, 118k miles and now I run out of gas?

    Doh out of gas
    There was a frontage road on the east side so I took off my suit and started hoofing it when a guy on a Yamaha Vstar pulled off and asked me if that was my bike on the side of the road, I told him about running out of gas and he offered to go get some for me if I did not mind waiting, wow on the interstate a motorcyclist named Brandon comes to my rescue! Brandon your a lifesaver man you saved me a 10 mile hike! I gave him some cash and off he went!

    Brandon to the rescue I told you I would make you famous
    He comes back with some gas and the vfr starts right up, I tried to give him some cash for his trouble but he refused it saying "no just help out the next guy" which I do anyway. What comes around goes around folks and this day it was payback. Thanks Brandon I really appreciate your help.
    It was around 6:30 when I rolled into Walsenburg to fill up the rest of the way, the clerk said "oh your the guy who ran out of gas" yup! I decided I needed to get in some twisties no matter what so I pulled off the interstate at Colorado City and headed up the Greenhorn Hwy to Bishops Castle, it was fun for about 5 turns, which I did not rail cause I know of some deer trails there that are always full of deer. Sure enough my caution was warranted I saw a couple of deer feeding on the side of the road the next turn, then down to Lake Isabel I picked up the pace all the way to Bishops Castle at my normal pace, ran the good stuff to Bigalow Divide then wouldn't you know - it started raining on me again! JEBUS I cant catch a break!! I had to slow it down cause the chip seal is all scrapped off and its slick tar patches and tar snakes the rest of the way, in the rain its slick. Oh well - a bad day riding is better than a good day off work. The moral of the story is, I still love to ride no matter what!!

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  21. HispanicSlammer

    What a season!

    By HispanicSlammer,

    The old girl in front of Bent's Old Fort
    Seems I haven't made a blog entry in months, I just haven't done anything bloggable since riding with some guys from work. I take day rides still to places I have gone more times than I have digits on my hands and feet, so it seems redundant to blog about it. However recent changes in the website (this one vfrd) and its members have sent me into a mood of self examination, perhaps doubt, perhaps giddy anticipation, and always cautious about future outcomes. I have always considered vfrd "my baby" ever since it was a silly little Delphi community. I always make changes at the end of the riding season, and every time I do a slew of comments and admonishments of woe are handed to me in nice neatly packaged forum topics. Where's this, where's that, what happened to ......my website! So it always puts me off a bit to think..wait a minute..I thought it was mine! Like a light bulb burned out over my head with the awful truth. Truth is its not anymore, it seems to have a life of its own now.
    Now what really set me off was the "7th Gen Group Buy" - something I was not expecting at all, and well its something I am happy about - I must admit, not that I am expecting it to happen, but it is the idea really that is so strange. The 150 or so members who have come on board to honor me with such a gift is just beyond my reckoning, I have no anchor to lash onto here. So it has become a ride of self doubt, giddiness, and anticipation for the days to come. Doubt ..For all you do..they say, not knowing that vfrd is my salvation from boredom, the one place where I can go and talk about the things I really like to do. Especially this time of year when the shadows are a bit too long mid day and slightest hint of clouds could have you shivering - a winter storm brewing. So this season is over and a winter storm is brewing up a brand new vfr, a brand new vfrd, and perhaps a brand new ride for me? Do I deserve it? - some say so, I don't think so! I just cant help but get choked up at some of the things said about me in that thread, (ie, bayarearider, dutchinterceptor, cornercarver) so I have to close the page and go look at improving the php code on the homepage. It is afteral..my salvation from winter..playing with the website making it better. For all you do they say, if only you knew what it is like to be so afflicted~!
  22. HispanicSlammer
    Spent Last Night working on the bike
    So Baileyrock was kind enough to remove the Ohlins Shock off the Old Girl and send it to me a few weeks back, I had hopes that it would fit since it seemed it mounted the same as the older 5th and 6th Gen bikes. The only concern was clearance and if it needed to be modded for length? To my surprise the OEM shock is the same free length and size as the 5th Gen Ohlins I had on the old girl. It was a simple bolt up job! I only had to remove the slip on to get to the linkage. Boy they beefed up the linkage triangles for the 1200 thats for sure its almost 40% thicker! Thanks BR for doing all that tear down work on the old girl.

    The Ohlins off the Old Girl YES its the same size!!

    Ohlins Install Where to put the remote reservoir?

    This is the only place I could find to mount the reservoir - the hose was a bit long too
    Now for the Farkles, I have always been a fan of heated grips but I did not want to used my Hot Grips controller on this bike - seemed too big and clunky to use (I will offer it free btw in the pay it forward section if anybody wants it). So I found of all things a cruiser website that had a one button 4 position led controller that mounts to the handle bar by replaceing the main clamp. It required me to drill the bar though to thread the wires into there but I found I was into a solid section of the bar where the hollow end is pressed on. so I drilled 3 shallow holes and then made a sort of wire trench with the dremel and fished the wires in there. I put the bars on the clamp and tried to see if it was weakend by the drilling - nope solid still no issues since it was a small hole into solid aluminum.

    Heated Grip controller 4 heat settings marked with an led display on the right handlebar

    Symtec Heat Deamon - Heated grips and controller
    I like the clean look of the new controller and the one button touch on the fly, the led can be turned down too for night time riding so it does not blast you by holding the button longer.
    I have always liked the brake light modulators I had before so I bought a new signal dynamics XP back off brake light modulator. Also I wanted to be seen better in the day (after being ran off the road in my own damn lane!) I thought I would geek it up and get a signal dynamics diamond Headlight modulator too. both purchased at motorycycle superstore.

    Installing Signal Dynamics Headlight Modulator I want to be seen - no more hillbillys not noticing me in my own lane!

    Ran out of wire taps doing it the old fashioned way - good thing is all the wires are in one place on the left side under the fairing
    I found a nice little autcom mount piece for the loose connector that I previously let hang off the seat from the old girl, this secures it better and can be removed from the holder

    Autocom connector secured with a plastic holder now
    I did not take pictures of the brake light install I was well into it before I decided to post this up. I had already installed a signal dynamics led voltmeter too that I did not post either. used the same wires as the headlight tied into the horn. The headlight mod can be controlled by the horn too.
    Source: Veefalo Mods
  23. HispanicSlammer
    Is that a vfr1200? why yes it is!
    I have been riding by the Black Canyon all summer - right on past it along hwy 50 going to other places, Utah for instance. I could see it from across the canyon winding along the mesa side in all its glory. I just had to get over there and ride it on the veefalo just once this summer its my favorite road of all time - hwy 92 Black Canyon Of The Gunnison. I got up early, my sister was in town with her family and their scout troops up from Santa Fe. They were headed over to Rocky Mountain National Park for a small two night Back Packing Trip. They were camped out in the back yard with 6 kids and 3 adults. She asked me if I wanted to come along - I honestly thought why not but all I have are inappropriate shoes since I tossed my hiking boots cause they were so damned uncomfortable. So I put on my leathers hugged my niece and nephew goodbye and said I would see them in a week when they come back from up north.
    I started up the bike and took off for a day ride up to the Black Canyon. I rolled down hwy 115 and over to Canon City (hate riding through that town) and of course as always I was stopped by all 8 stop lights as usual. I gassed up at the Shell Station and talked to a couple of HD riders gassing up across the median. People were very friendly the whole trip. Then off I went west on hwy 50 over to Poncha Springs. I was sort of winging it - the pass at Monarch had some really dark clouds over it so I said well why not head south to Sagauch then take hwy 9 into Cotchetopa Canyon? Sure why not, so I headed up Poncha Pass and sped up the hwy 285 to the top, passing folks with ease since it was 2 lanes, then once a the top I settled into a nice cruising pace into the San Luis Valley, great views of the Sangre De Christo Range on the left dotting the land scape as far as I could see. Then crossing the little town of Villa Grove I was on the lookout for the inevitable State Trooper, sure enough there he was 2 minutes south of town. I used to take that route on the way to college - 12 times a year it seemed and always there was a state trooper there. My radar detector caught him before I did, good job ole boy! I passed him at the speed limit on the DOT!
    Another half an hour and I was in Sagautch, a nice little village you can miss if you blink - I stopped at the gas station 132 miles since my last fill up and got a drink and popped a couple of Tylenol. I did everything except fill up the gas tank! Oops dumb ass! I talked to a couple of folks while stopped the new bike seems to be a real conversation piece! 3 guys with dreadlocks as hanging down to their knees - must have been in a band or something? Reggae is alive and well in Colorado don't think twice about it. I took off and forgot to secure my helmet strap and had to stop, after just having passed a pickup truck. I was seeing allot of cars and trucks on this road. Last time I rode into Cotchetopa Canyon I was the only vehicle for at least a full half an hour, I was passing by a car truck or RV every minute or so! Early August the height of the vacation season in Colorado!
    Cotechetopa Canyon was great, It always scares me a bit cause I was leading a group of riders on it a few years back and there was a bad accident and a few riders got hurt pretty bad on the way to the ST.N meet in Montrose. So I don't play around on it and give it the respect its due, that and the darned oncoming traffic freaks me out more than it used to. I guess getting run off the road by a blue van does that to you. I am paranoid about people coming into my lane now! I took my new contour HD camera out and slapped the vacuum mount to the rear fender and tried it out.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/cotchetopa.mp4
    Its a short video shot in HD and detuned for less resolution if you turn hd off - 4 minutes or so of just the wind and motor. I don't like the mount it shakes too much. I was noticing about half way into the canyon I was flashing on my gas tank. Already at 150 miles I was getting a warning. So I slowed it down and conserved fuel till I could make it the 18 miles to Gunnison. When I got there it took a full 4 gallons so I had another half gallon left at 168 miles. 42 mpg - Tank range is probably around 190 miles on fumes give or take 5 miles. I think I average 40 mpg though.

    Three guys from Indiana On their way to Creede, then Durango and the Million Dollar Highway
    I met these guys at the gas station in Gunnison and talked a little while they had Indiana Plates and were traveling together two cruisers and an Triumph ST. I was not liking the dark clouds over the mesa tops, I had avoided rain so far on this trip and hoped I would make the Black Canyon before it started. NO WAY mother nature said, and as soon as I turned off on hwy 92 I got my first rain drop and thought 'you bitch'! What is it with the Black Canyon and afternoon rain? I was able to do about a 3rd of it before it really started pouring, I turned on the camera again and let it go the whole way. It started to come down heavy about 3/4 into it. The bike handles OK in the rain but I don't like these Dunlops too much not much feedback so I took it easy for the most part.

    http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/videos/491/blackcanyon-rain.mp4
    I stopped in Crawford and had lunch at the Boardwalk, a big plate of smothered burrito that was scrumptious. It was huge though and I could not eat it all. There were more bikes there, a group of ST riders on cruisers, 2 goldwings and a Beemer ST bike with Missouri plates. Most of the guys were from Denver and all sporting gray hair except the cruiser rider. The red GS was really nice some of those Goldwings are really nice. The other one was a typical chromed out job, not so interesting to me too much crap on it, even a metal grate on the back with a cooler strapped to it? Too much crap it seems, some GS owners get carried away with accessories.
    I ate up and took off hoping to get over McClure pass while the rain let up. NOPE it was a wall of water to the north and back south, West looked no better and east was all mountains. I was getting tired too, odd hours at work I was up at 3 am the night before and playing on vfrd. So I stopped in Hotchkiss when I started raining again and asked for a good place to stay. Hotchkiss motel they girl said at the Ace Hardware store. Apparently my HD contour camera is NOT water resistant and water leaked in past the glass. I bought a jewelers screwdriver to take it off and dry it out. Then tightened up on the gasket to make it seal better.
    I spent the night in Hotchkiss - nothing on me but a camera and my leathers and a cell phone. The Slovak fella at the front desk seemed a bit bothered - "just sign it" he says as I was attempting to fill out all the spaces. Some Slovak European TV show blaring on the TV and he was talking to his son? I am guessing he was from Bosnia? I don't know somewhere in Eastern Europe. Gypsy
    The room was clean and a bit sparse but I did not care pulled off my gear and I was asleep in a matter of minutes 4pm in the afternoon, I would not wake up till midnight! Hungry but the whole town was shut down, save the bar. It was a mile from the motel and I did not want to drink and ride so I rode back to the city market I passed, all I had was 10 dollar bills so no soda pop from the machines either. Back to room I had ice water and went back to sleep 2 hours more then up again at 3am. Darned graveyard shift ruined my sleep habits. I watched infomercials and stupid old TV shows from the 70's till I finally fell back asleep. 8am and well rested finally I walked across the street to the "home town cafe" the waitress was really nice, I guess the sign in the middle of town was true "Hotchkiss the nicest people" ! I am betting so all except that grumpy Euro dude in his wife beater back at the motel, even he was OK! people in this town are mostly farmers and outdoors-men. Staunch Republicans too, I read a couple of local papers and well its very much leaning to right. I tend to do that myself now that I am older. Its a conservative town but they drink here, remember the bar was the only thing open at midnight, and well the church is not the biggest building in town so I think its got its share of hootin and hollerin - this is the wild west ya know! "The nicest people" the sign said!
    My plate of bacon and french toast was wonderful it was scarfed down much too fast, that burrito held me over pretty good the night before but boy I was hungry. I dropped off my key and headed back to the Black Canyon hoping it was dry this time!

    Crawford CO 9am in the morning

    Fog Over The Black Canyon a bit cold too

    Fog rolls up hill Up the Black Canyon

    The road disappears around the bend
    Nope it wasn't dry not in the shade and it was freaking cold, 60 wet degrees out and misty out, fog was rolling in from inside the valley and up and over the mesa sides. I was pretty, there were rodents all over the roads too, little critters everywhere sunning themselves cause it was wet and cold and the road was the warmest place. I hoped I would not run anything over. I saw a few who did not run in time and the crows were having at them. So again going slow I cant ride for shit when I am cold either. Wet and cold its twice as slow. So I just stopped allot and took pictures!

    A memorial on the side of the road the Gunnison River below reminding me its not a road to take lightly


    Hwy 92 from across the canyon

    Black Canyon Hwy 92 road is wet from the all night rains

    Green Pastures across the canyon The scenery is incredible here
    I was rounding the big turn about 3/4 of the way into the deepest canyon section and spied something red, sure enough it was another vfr1200! I did a quick U turn and introduced myself to the 4 guys stopped at the overlook. They were all from Midland Texas, 3 brothers and 1 friend on his VFR1200. I talked with them for a good 20 minutes - warned them about the critters and the buckled up road ahead, then shared routes. They were heading up to Independence pass and over McClure on the way, good ride they had in store for their day. Me I was on my way to Creede and back home via hwy 160. The guy with the VFR is a member here but for the life of me I cannot remember his name! I stopped and took a picture with him and the two bikes.

    another vfr1200 dressed up for touring from Midland Texas

    Another vfr1200 with side bags

    Two vfr1200 owners I am awful at remembering names - he says hes a member of vfrd
    It was tuning out to be a great 2 day ride, but coming up on 9am the clouds were already forming up for another hit on the mountains so I scooted off up to hwy 50 and then turned off to Lake City. I stopped there for lunch at the Country Vittles around noon. The young fellow running the place came over and talked to me about the bike, a Texas transplant the whole family works at the restaurant, he rides a Buel which he paid too much for - missed out on the going out of business prices he paid 10k for his. He was giving me warnings about "Slum" the pass just south of town, its got gravel in the turns from all the RVs who cant stay on the pavement in the tight turns. So I ate my Cajun combo grilled cheese sandwich and cup of Gumbo and REAL CANE SUGAR DR PEPPER from the DR Pepper Plant in Dublin Texas. Thats why I stop there!

    Slumgullion Slide and the veefalo

    Red Mountain

    Bristol Head

    Creede Colorado
    The road into Creede was very bumpy all they way down the pass, then it smoothed out a little and it was wet too of course but that did not stop me from riding pass all the RV's and Pickup trucks with campers on them. I rode into Creede about 2pm and there wasn't a place to park, its was packed! Every restaurant was full and so I did not bother and headed for Del Norte to fill up - even then I did not stop, I rode instead into Monte Vista cause Del Norte was packed with traffic too.
    Monte Vista is at the end of the Gun Barrel and strait road that crosses the San Luis Valley north to south strait as a gun barrel! I had forgotten how congested hwy 160 gets and learned soon. A train had crossed the road then stopped right at the side of the road for a good 10 minutes which did not allow for the crossing to stop alarming, the arms were still down holding up traffic. Some cars crossed anyway but me I figured I am in no hurry and waited. Finally the stupid train pulled ahead and the crossing cleared, there was traffic piled up for a mile on both sides! It was bumper to bumper all the way into Alamosa from there, and it took another 20 minutes to get through Alamosa. It seems the town has sprawled out a good 5 miles on either side since I last went through, new restaurants, new wall mart and new everything the place is booming!
    Once out of town I was picking off cars and trucks one at a time then I had La Veta pass all to myself. Its easy sweepers really easy sweepers, you have to go 120 mph to really lean it over, I cruised it at 90 and just enjoyed the mountains. Gassing up again in Walsenburg the way home would have to be interstate 25 from there cause the wet mountains looked..well WET! I had enough of riding twisties in the rain so I just slabbed it home from there. Thats when all hell broke loose 10 miles from home a squall with 50 mph gusts and rain drops as big as grapes hit me just south of town. Oh well at least my gear was now clean from all the bugs!
    Darned good two days of riding!

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  24. 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
  25. HispanicSlammer
    Probably the most photographed mountains in Colorado Maroon Bells National Monument near Aspen Colorado
    I found a great photo of this spot at work and was admiring it when a coworker friend of mine asked me if I had taken the picture, she said that it just fascinated her. I tried to explain to her just how the picture did not do it justice because the two 14k peaks just tower over everything so the perspective is never quite right in a picture.

    Maroon Bells Aspen Colorado borrowed this picture from work

    map.jpg this is the map from Independence Pass to the Monument

    The route we took for the day trip

    Stop In Twin Lakes

    Heading Up Independence Pass

    La Plata Peak Waits around the corner

    Maroon Creek Road

    One Right Turn to awesomeness

    Maroon Bells just tower over everything

    Sievers Mountain

    The Path to the parking lot along Maroon Lake.JPG

    Pyramid Peak.JPG
    I was just thinking of the several trips up and down Maroon Creek Road I have taken over the years, its always like visiting a foreign country to me cause its so incredible - there is a ranch at the bottom of the road that usually is covered in Dandilions so the meadow is just full of this pretty yellow Dandilion Patch and the owner lets Llamas run in the meadow but they like to sun themselves on top of an old shed along the side of the road so you get this pastorial feel before you meet the magesisty of the Rockies and its just a wonderful expierience for a day trip, stop at Maguires Sandwitch shop in Aspen on the way and get a great hoogie before you go up to the monument

    Lunch Stop Aspen awsome sandwitches
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