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Enter & official rules @ www.Osullivan-law-firm.com/contest Entry forms can also be found at all events in which BikerDown Colorado participates, organizes, or has a booth presence including: • Two-Wheel Tuesdays • Cruizin’ Colfax events • Colorado Springs Swap Meet • Tejon Bike Fest • Realities Ride for Kids See BikerDown.org for up-to-date event listings. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Approximate retail value of prize is $16,000. Winner must claim motorcycle in Denver - delivery of prize not included. Winner announced Fall 2015. Exact date to be announced.
Scott O'Sullivan has been helping injured riders since 1996. Call him today for immediate help in dealing with the insurance companies, so you can focus on healing and getting your life back together.
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THUNDER ROADS® Magazine COLORADO Published by Flying Hound Press, L.L.C. 7477 W. Layton Way Littleton, Colorado 80123 720-458-3134 www.thunderroadscolorado.com feedback@thunderroadscolorado.com
ABATE..................................................................... 4 8 Things to do at the scene of an accident.............. 6 Steel horse Sisterhood Summit............................... 8 Veteran’s Corner.....................................................11 Motogiro D’Italia.................................................... 12
EDITORS Patrick J. McCauley “5” President and Senior Editor Patrick@thunderroadscolorado.com
The Next Curve..................................................... 16 Calendar................................................................ 18 Events................................................................... 20
Carrie McCauley Vice President and Editor Carrie@thunderroadscolorado.com
Will Ride For Food................................................. 22 Tasty Recipes........................................................ 23
PHOTOGRAPHERS David Campbell davidc@thunderroadscolorado.com
Ladies Up Front..................................................... 24 Skin Art.................................................................. 29
Vickie Jo Mullin Vickie@thunderroadscolorado.com
News Bytes........................................................... 30
Wayne Madison wayne@thunderroadscolorado.com
Biker Friendly Directory......................................... 32 Joker’s Wild........................................................... 33
ADVERTISING AND DISTRIBUTION REPRESENTATIVES Western Slope Chris Blumke chrisb@thunderroadscoloraodo.com (303)478-2335
Thunder Cam........................................................ 34
Greater Metro Denver Area Toby Schmidt tobyb@thunderroadscolorado.com (720)829-7954
ON THE COVER Model: Jarea Contreras Photographer: Vikie Jo Mullin
Northern Colorado Zak Clayton zak@ThunderRoadsColorado.com (970) 301-4674 Southern Colorado Andrew Hall andrew@ThunderRoadsColorado.com (720)934-2256 LAYOUT & DESIGN Meredith Hancock / Hancock Graphics mhancockgraphics@gmail.com NATIONAL FOUNDERS Toni McCoy Shearon & Brian Shearon 1528 Matlock Drive Chapmansboro, TN 37035 Thunder Publishing LLC, Offices 615-792-0040 thunderroadsfounders@yahoo.com www.thunderroadsmagazine.com ©2015 Flying Hound Press, LLC. All Rights Reserved. No part of the content may be reproduced without written permission. Publisher assumes no responsibility and is not liable for errors beyond the cost of space occupied by the error, slander by any group or individual, failure to produce any issue as scheduled, any and all suits for liable, plagiarism, copyright infringement and unauthorized use of a person’s name or photograph. Opinions and claims made by advertisers and authors/contributors are their own, and do not necessarily represent the policy of Thunder Road Magazine® Colorado, Thunder Publishing. Publisher does not promote the abuse of alcohol or other drugs.
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Want to be a contributor or correspondent?
I
was talking to one of the ladies that volunteered to help with the Ladies Run of Colorado a several weeks ago and, as usual this year, the topic moved to the weather. She said to me “If I wanted to live in Seattle weather, I would have moved there!” That is it in a nutshell. This riding season in Colorado we have had more than our fair share of rain, much more. It seemed like all of the weekends in most of June and early July were filled with rain. Hopefully, things will be a bit drier this August, they usually are. There are certainly a lot of events to look forward to here in Colorado and beyond in the next couple of months. The first weekend in August brings the 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Race and Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, a short 400 mile trek from the Denver Metro area. If you are planning a trip to Sturgis this year be aware that they have lowered the speed limits on most of the roads in or near Sturgis by as much as 20mph. More information is available at http://www.sturgis-sd.gov/CivicAlerts. aspx?AID=2066 If you are looking to stay closer to home there are a number of events coming up within Colorado, our Events Listing lists many of the Poker Runs, as well as rides and rallies. These events run through August and into September so there is a lot of motorcycle fun available this riding season. If you have a poker run, rally or event, let us know and we will include it in our free Events Listing available online and published monthly in the magazine. Contact us at: Events@thunderroadscolorado.com. As always everyone--be safe out there and keep the shiny side up! Patrick “5” Patrick J. McCauley Editor and Publisher Thunder Roads Colorado Colorado’s Motorcycle Magazine!
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Add your ride, rally or run to our free events listing page Send us your event information whether on-Road or off-road, rides, runs, rallies and events for all types of motorcycles and three wheelers. We will list it free in our events listing for that month! events@ thunderroadscolorado.com or 720-458-3134.
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Ask the Experts: Eight Things to do at the Scene of an Accident
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f you’ve ever witnessed an accident, you know that the people involved can tend to act abnormally. Victims jump up from seemingly destructive impacts, witnesses shrug and move on, guilty parties leave the scene. If you are in an accident, or witness one, there are several things you should keep in mind.
Patrick was riding his motorcycle southbound on a busy, four-lane road. A northbound driver turned left in front of him and Patrick barely had time to hit the brakes. He hit the car and sustained a shattered left collarbone, broken ribs, torn ligaments in his knee, and other injuries.
If You’re In an Accident, What do You Do?
1. If you’re not in danger from traffic, leave your car or motorcycle right where it is. If you are in danger, and if your car or motorcycle can be moved, get yourself off the road and out of traffic.
The police arrived. Since Patrick had no traumatic head injury, he was able to explain the accident. However, one witness told the police that she had seen Patrick earlier riding his motorcycle erratically. She admitted, however, that she did not see the accident. Two other witnesses saw the accident and said Patrick was not at-fault and that he had the right-of-way.
2. Call 911.
The police officer gave Patrick the ticket.
3. Never, ever stand behind or near your car or motorcycle as you wait for police to arrive! Do not sit in your car. Your car or motorcycle is an obstacle to other drivers and it can get hit again. Stay away from it and keep yourself safe.
Patrick asked the O’Sullivan Law Firm to represent him and we visited the scene of the accident. We were able to collect witness statements from people who worked in a nearby restaurant. These witnesses also said that Patrick was driving legally and had the right-of-way. We took those statements to the prosecutors who promptly dropped the case against Patrick. And yet, the at-fault driver’s insurance company continued to deny responsibility until we filed a lawsuit and took the witnesses’ depositions. Finally, the insurance company dropped their defense and accepted full responsibility.
If you are in an accident and you are coherent enough to take action, these are the steps you should take:
4. Exchange insurance information with the other party. Get his or her name, telephone number, email address, mailing address, and insurance information including the policy number and the name of the insurance company. If there are witnesses, get their names and contact information too. 5. Even if it is a minor accident and you don’t think you’re hurt, don’t let the other person leave. If you cannot stop them from leaving, get his or her driver’s license number at a very minimum. 6. If the other party drives away, you stay right there and wait for the police. 7. Get pictures. Use the camera on your phone and take as many pictures as possible. Take shots of the intersection, damage to your car or motorcycle, damage other cars or motorcycles involved, witnesses, debris on the road – anything in or around the scene of the accident. 8. If you’re taken to the hospital, use your health insurance. Often, when a victim checks into a hospital after an accident, he gives the hospital the other driver’s insurance information. Hospitals take that information but they can’t do anything with it. So, essentially, you’re not covered for the medical treatment they’re providing. Also, since Colorado is a tort-based system, the at-fault driver’s insurance won’t pay for anything until all expenses are settled, which can take a very long time. In the meantime, your bills are piling up, you are receiving calls from collections agencies, and your credit score is dropping. Therefore, use your medical insurance!
Why Are Witnesses So Important?
Statistics have proven that people who run red lights or stop signs are likely to lie. They say, “The light was green!” or “I came to a complete stop!” They will lie to you and they will lie to the police and lie to their insurance companies. When it comes down to your word against theirs, you need proof. You need witnesses. In order to illustrate this point, consider the following real-life story from files of the O’Sullivan Law Firm: 6 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
Clearly, in Patrick’s case, the witnesses made all of the difference.
Your Behavior at the Scene of an Accident Your behavior at the scene of an accident can impact the outcome of your case later. Here are three tips that you should follow after an accident: 1. Don not diminish the incident. We live in a society where people are expected to be tough! We also tend to be helpful and polite, genuinely wanting to help each other. But if you have been in an accident, don not walk around saying, “I’m fine. I feel great!” Many auto accident injuries tend to reveal themselves 24 hours or more after an accident. Since anything you say at the scene of an accident can affect your case later, do not tell anyone that you are fine. 2. Do not apologize-even if you think that you might be at fault. If you apologize, that can affect your case later. 3. Settle down. Your demeanor at an accident can also be used against you later. If you walk around angrily, yelling and screaming, that can also affect your case. A final note that bears repeating: It is crucial to call 911 when you’ve been in an accident. If you don’t call the police and you discover injuries from the incident 24 hours later, you won’t have a record of the accident. We’ve never had someone regret calling the police to the scene of an accident... but they do regret it if they don’t! If you have any questions at all about this article, don’t hesitate to call us. You can find us at 303-388-5304 or https:// osullivan-law-firm.com/ Scott O’Sullivan-O’Sullivan Law Firm
August 2015
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What is the SteelhorseSisterhood Summit?
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Photos by Kyle Doyle
he weekend of June 13, 2015 saw a gathering of two-wheelin’ females that took place in Loveland, Colorado and is called the Steelhorse Sisterhood Summit. A two day event filled with riding, education, live music with dancing, food, drink, laughter and bonding. The women that attend the Steelhorse Sisterhood Summits made friends at every turn as the love for motorcycles and riding provides a common ground like no other. What is the Steelhorse Sisterhood Summit? It is many things and is and it continues to evolve but primarily it is a summit for women (men are welcome too) to meet and share their love for
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riding. The women came from all over the world and friendships are born with the Summit providing the perfect atmosphere. As the weekend progressed, I witnessed women greeting and meeting each other in a way some of them had never thought possible. As women in motorcycling grows, so will the Summit and the plans for the Summit in 2016 are already in the making with promises of fun, scenery, travel, camaraderie and tour called the Start your Engines Tour. I sat with Joan Krenning, the founder of the Steelhorse Sisterhood, the other day to pick her brain for this article. Our conversation went a little like this:
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Me: Joan, What does the summit mean to you? Joan: The Summit is an electrifying event, the effect on everyone that experiences it is inspirational as we push each other (presenters and attendees alike) to reach: • The summit of one’s ambitions. • The summit of one’s hopes. • The summit of one’s capabilities. • The summit of one’s intellectual powers. • The highest point or peak, the apex of whatever is your dream. • And last but not least, to reach the Summit of some of the most scenic peaks of Colorado. Me: Why are women attracted to the Summit? Joan: It is fun to meet new people that share similar interests and experiences. We all ride motorcycles, enjoy beautiful scenery and love to go places we have never gone before. Me: How do you see the summit changing and what’s in it for the future? Joan: The women have spoken loudly about what they love. The list includes meeting other women (and men) from all over the world, practical life skills training, and inspirational messages. But most of all they love to ride! Here’s a snapshot of next year:
Start Your Engines Tour: Twenty-four Rocky Mountain Peaks including: • Independence Pass • Monarch Pass • Snowy Mountain Pass • Cameron Pass • Wolf Creek Pass • San Juan Peaks
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Six Exclusive Hot Springs Resorts including: • • • • •
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs Twin Peaks Lodge & Hot Springs Steamboat Springs Glenwood Springs
Colorado’s Scenic Highways including: • • • •
Trail Ridge Pass Million Dollar Highway Grand Mesa Scenic ByWay 45 ½ mile Road
2016 Steel Horse Sisterhood Summit to be held in the center of the tour. • Three Keynote Speakers • Million Dollar Highway Ride • Jeep Tours (additional fees) • Dual Sport Tours (additional fees) • Ouray Towne Party How’s that for an unforgettable, action-packed lineup? Me: I like the fact that men are included. What’s the 411 on that? Joan: There are two types of women riders; those who ride as a co-rider behind their partners and those that have made the decision to climb on the front and ride their own. Men are a part of our lives whether in personal relationships, the workplace, or a casual setting….. Guys are around and our biggest supporters. This year we even had a guy’s only ride that went into Wyoming and through northern Colorado while the women were inside the event center having our own fun. The rides where everyone rode together were awesome too. So yes my friends, the Steelhorse Sisterhood Summit is many things and it is evolving and getting better and better and it has something for everyone that loves motorcycles or wants to learn. Want more information? Want to attend in 2016? Go to SteelhorseSisterhood.com for more information on the greatest gathering of 2-wheelin’ females ever. Kyle Doyle
August 2015
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by Bill Maddick
VETERAN’S CORNER
Colorado Veterans Motorcycle Clubs and Riding Clubs
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t is to the credit of veterans that the current number of veteran-related motorcycle clubs and riding clubs dwarf the number of clubs created with members from any other single entity. Just as veterans have been so instrumental in making history in this country so it is that a group of veterans were also in at the beginning when the first motorcycle clubs and riding clubs were founded. Just as it is that veterans started the The Pissed Off Bastards, it is likely they were first motorcycle club. The Pissed Off Bastards still exist today as a club. The Boozefighters and the Market Street Commandos were also early clubs and were around in 1945 as were the Pissed Off Bastards. Since I started writing the Veterans Corner column two months ago, my eyes have been opened to the surprisingly large number of veterans clubs and veteran organizations, as well as the large numbers of veterans I have seen participating in events, runs and activities within the riding community; not to mention the amount of philanthropic money that is raised and donated by these organizations is truly impressive. Seeing this makes me even more proud to be a veteran. When I chose to write this compilation of veteran motorcycle and riding clubs, it quickly became apparent that there is not enough column space in one article to include all of the clubs, if I wanted to provide any information about what they are and do. Therefore, this article will have three (or more) parts brought to you in the coming months. I have gathered or will soon gather the information for all of the veteran clubs interested in being part of this compilation. This segment of the compilations has two veterans clubs with information about each of the clubs. The clubs are listed in random order, not alphabetically. If you don’t see your club or organization, please contact me with so that it can be added to this compilation article. billm@ThunderRoadsColorado.com. American Legion Riders – The American Legion proclaim themselves to be the nation’s largest wartime veteran organization. To become an American Legion Rider, you must be a member of either the American Legion, the Sons of the Legion, or their auxiliary. Founded in 1919, they believe in strengthening the nation one community at a time through youth programs, baseball leagues, and the promotion of the community with honor. The American Legion also supports veterans in time of need and currently has around 14,000 posts. When I spoke with Nick the president of the American Legion Riders at Post #178, (1655 Simms, Lakewood, 80215, called The Friendly Post,
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he told me that the American Legion is a good organization that does things for other veterans and the community and he adds that it is all about veterans supporting veterans. His post currently has 57 riders, but he notes that some riders from the Golden post join them in Lakewood and, he says proudly, Post #1 has just started their own riders club. The Riders participate in many community and local events and raise money through various rides and poker runs including the annual Legacy Run which raises money to provide scholarships for the children of veterans who have died since Sept 11. 2001. For additional information call Nick at 303-506-1270 or check their website at www.legion.org/riders. Or for upcoming rider events check the calendar on the Post 178 website at www.alpost178.org. Infidels Motorcycle Club – Their mission statement reads, in part; “Infidels Motorcycle Club is a veteran formed and based MC for Patriotic Americans and our supporting allies. The Infidels MC reject the radical jihadist movement that threatens liberty and freedom around the world. The Infidels MC will support the fight against terrorism as military members, contractors in support of the military, and as patriotic Americans supporting our fighting forces from the homeland.” The club was founded in 2006 by Slingshot, then a security contractor in Iraq, and has now grown to have chapters in twelve states with some states having more than one chapter. My contact was Chad, the Colorado President, and he informed that the only requirement to join is a clean military record. The Infidels do quite a lot of charitable work, holding poker tournaments, pig roasts and a variety of runs to raise money which goes to various veterans’ organizations. The organizations they have worked with include Pets for Vets and the Nine Line Foundation that provide service dogs to veterans with PTSD. They also help in many other ways as they did last fall when $3200 was raised for direct support to a veteran that is a quad-amputee. The club has also undertaken road cleanup to the Bruce McCandless Veterans Home and each year, during the Christmas holiday, they bring gifts to the resident veterans and they take the time to personally sit down with each veteran and share the gift with them over conversation with genuine care and respect and they believe that is much better than just dropping gifts off. Chad 719-651-7786, (leave a message for a return call). infidelsmc.us/. Please Contact me with your club’s veteran motorcycle or riding club information and remember, your feedback is always welcome! billm@ThunderRoadsColorado.com. Bill
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I
MOTOGIRO D’ ITALIA – THE “SPAGHETTI CANNONBALL RUN”
These new firms started to enter the Motogiro to prove n 2013, the president of my motorcycle club presented a program to us on his adventures at the Motogiro d’ Italia. I am their skills and with their bikes adding to the entry list the a pushover so the hook was set to add this to my motorcycle Motogiro became one of the most important sporting events in the Italian calendar. By 1954, fifty different manufacturers bucket list and I finally got around to it this past May. The Motogiro d’ Italia is a classic name in Italian motorsports. were involved and the race had grown to an eight stage race The first race was run as the Giro Motociclistico d’Italia. It covering over 3,414 km on public roads. It also had capacity was a competition for road legal motorcycles run over long classes of 75 cc, 100cc, 125cc, and 175cc and the event was distances, on public roads that were closed for the occasion. seen as a great opportunity to prove the reliability and speed As the motorcycle version of the Mille Miglia it became known of the bikes that were most popular at the time. The 500-km as Italy’s premier long distance road race. The Motogiro has days of racing flat out over the poor roads of the time and on been running since 1914 with a few years of down time in the small bikes were real tests of endurance and skill and the early 1940’s due to a little local political problem called World riders in the races became national heroes. War II, and for another period after two catastrophic racing In the aftermath of the massive Mercedes crash at Le event accidents resulted in banning all road racing in Italy. Mans and the deaths of several spectators in the equally In the years following the end of the Second World War, Italy popular Mille Miglia, the Italian government moved to ban was trying to re-establish its economy. The most affordable all motorsport on public roads in 1957. Italian’s, being form of transport for an average worker was a 100cc or 125 cc devoted racing fans were not easily deterred and the single cylinder motorcycle and, like Germany, engineering firms Motogiro was eventually resurrected in 1969 as a time from the hi-tech armaments and aero industries were looking for trial on open public roads and measured only against the new places to use their skills and industrial resources to make clock rather than as a full-on road race. In 1989 Motoclub something, anything, which they could sell in post war Europe Terni fine-tuned the new race to provide classes for all and abroad. This became a burgeoning industry, the making the original bikes of the mid to late 1950’s and some of and selling of small but quite sophisticated motorcycles and the the more modern bikes, allowing more riders and bikes to many marques unique to the Italians. To be a top seller, a firm participate and experience this event. One aspect they had to attract the attention and imagination of the buyers and preserved when the race was resurrected is the route. in a country where motorsports have been deeply ingrained for It follows many of the same roads as the original race years the only way to do that was to race and what a better which happens over six days moving across the scenic countryside of Italy for some mind bending riding. showcase than the Motogiro!
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since I am not a really big guy and the prospect of piloting a 750 lb bike with three full bags and a passenger translates Usually, this story can only be fully told over a few pints into about a 1,000 lb, 160hp guided missile ready to be of beer and a few hours. Since we do not have room for navigated into the wet with lots of rain and steep, slippery, absolutely everything, I will provide the highlights, and in a and narrow cobblestone streets of the Tuscan countryside-couple of cases the lowlights, of my first Motogiro. ignorance is bliss.
One Man’s Experience:
Riding in Italy is a long topic by itself. If you check the web, you will find more than forty pages of the various road signs that you might encounter in Italy. The good news is that many are clones of those in the USA or close enough to easily understand them but there are also a lot of obscure graphics that seem meaningless but can earn you a traffic stop and a ticket if you violate them.
We picked up our rental motorcycle in Florence (Firenze in Italian on the maps) and my first challenge was to get out of town through the insane traffic congestion and down the Adriatic coast to San Marino, the main headquarters of the Motogiro. San Marino is like something you would expect to find at a Disney property but it’s the real thing – a high unscalable mountain peak surrounded by a city wall complete with castles, cobblestone streets and history.
I got a good orientation to the bike and what to expect on the highways and byways of Italy, got away from the shop and fought insane traffic, a hyper sensitive fly-by-wire throttle that turned the bike into an 8,000 rpm wheelie popping monster with any slight twitch of the wrist. I got out onto the streets of Florence and promptly got lost and between the distractions of crazy drivers cutting you off, lane splitting Now traffic in Italy is a scooters popping up out of nowhere and road and traffic signs whole different thing and in a foreign language, we eventually got to the Autostrada for lane splitting in Europe is standard practice for motorcycles the run down the coast to San Marino. and it is consistently practiced by motorcycles and scooters Just after entering the toll route the rains came. Fortunately alike. Not that this is a bad thing but, unfortunately, every we have great rain gear, waterproof boots and the Nolan N44 car and truck on the roads full coverage rental helmets were wonderful so it was snug and highways seems to as riding in a cage. Road surface conditions in Italy are as think they can do it too. It good as or better than here in the USA so I figured “When in is like being in a threeRome do as the Romans do” (even if we were in Florence) dimensional game of so I dialed the Beemer up to 130 km/hr, the legal limit on dodge-em everywhere that road, of course, I was being passed by little eco cars, ever you go. There is a semitrailer trucks and nearly everything with two or more mandatory helmet law in wheels on the road. Ah yes, the Italian love of speed. Italy and I suggest you When we got to the final toll plaza my wife tried to climb off make sure you have a helmet with wide peripheral vision if you go so you have a fighting chance to see them coming to pay the toll since her pocket with the Euros in it was not before they hit you. Italy has speed limits that are actually accessible with her rain suit on while sitting. She got as far sedate compared to those in the USA but since nobody in Italy as one foot on the ground and ended up doing a back flip drives the legal limit it is every man or woman for themselves. onto the toll gate--her legs had gone to sleep on the ride. So here we are, she is laying on the ground trying to get up, There are a number of European motorcycles and scooters I had no place for me to try to park and assist and the toll available at rental firms in Italy and I decided to go with a late booth attendant is staring with horror out his window and a model BMW K1600 with side cases and tail bag and GPS. line of impatient cars and trucks behind us is getting irked at Now given more choice, I would not have picked this bike the ignorant Americans. We got the toll paid, were able to get mounted up and got the hell out of there as quick as possible. Eventually we sighted San Marino rising above the plains next to the Adriatic Sea. Following the road from the coast we started to climb, and climb, and climb some more and the endless steep switchbacks felt like the climb up to Pikes Peak. Eventually finding the check-in location, parking the bike for the night and getting a ride to the hotel Early next morning I took the BMW to the “scrutineering” station and did the paperwork for the event and received my race decals and race bibs for the Pilota (Pilot – that was me) and the Passeggera (Passenger – my wife Nancy) and I met the rest of the American team the “Lucky Bastards”. This was an eclectic group of guys from the USA who do this event every year. They are real gluttons for punishment and as a www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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masochistic biker I fit right in. Since I had a late model bike them on the schedule was important and that combined with I was not allowed into the main competition but road in the best performance on the trial sections determined the points escort class in support of our team. awarded determining the winner of each class. There was a lot of “sidewalk” mechanics going on in the parking lot and I was astounded to see these old bikes which were going to have to go nearly 1,700 km in the next six days. Some were being torn down with some significant maintenance going on with the start of the event the next morning. [Parking lot mechanics.jpg]Real old school bikers here – none of the “take it to the shop” kind of thinking was going on at this event. I also met the Caribinieri, our police motorcycle escorts with their cool motorcycle uniforms and matching bikes. They would leave prior to the first riders were launched (a few every couple minutes to spread them out and keep them from riding in a pack. They would take control of critical road junctions, expedite the safe passage of the bikes and bring up the rear as a sweep in case anybody broke down. The organizers were really on their game and also had a fully equipped EMT Truck and a couple of EMT equipped motorcycles to assist in the event of difficulties and there was also a well-equipped van with experienced motorcycle mechanics ready for roadside repairs and assistance in case of a breakdown followed by a semi trailer for transporting any bikes that could not be fixed road side. It was great for the competitors to know somebody had their backs.
Feeling good and off to the route I had to stop at a T-intersection when leaving San Marino. The road went steeply up hill in front of me at the stem of the tee and I waited a long time at a stop to get a clear shot at making the turn. When I was finally certain nothing was coming from my left I glanced to my right to make sure it was clear and started to slip the clutch to begin rolling. It was then I caught a flash of white from a small Italian car that was moving beyond warp speed and coming directly at me from my left. He was going way too fast to stop and since I was moving with 1,000 lbs of accelerating mass that even the fine disk brakes on the BMW could not slow in time, I laid the bike down before getting tagged broadside. Luck was with us and other than some scratches on the bike there weren’t any injuries or major damage. We got the bike upright and resumed the trip. Thankfully, the rest of the day was uneventful and we made our check points on schedule. The Motogiro system of navigation was a very complex set of written directions like go 5 km on Hwy 20, turn right onto Hwy 30 and in 20 meters turn left, etc. and the directions were akin to a small community telephone directory in size. A map was provided but at such a scale as to be useless except for general waypoints. To make navigation more user friendly, they placed red arrows at random intervals along the route to let you know you were still on track and then at intersections and roundabouts more arrows were used to mark the exit points followed by a confirming arrow a short distance after you made the turn to confirm you chose the right path.
At one point, I missed a turn and by the time I got back to the route there were two of the Caribanairi flashing the blue lights and clearing traffic in front of me and another two directly behind. I had the BMW flying the state flag of Colorado so it must have looked like the escort for a high It was a noble effort but due to some inconsistency in official of some kind. So I enjoyed the escort until they all marking and some arrows disappearing at critical junctions it passed me and drove on. was not uncommon to pass other riders going up and down the road trying to find the actual route we were intended to take. The GPS made little difference since the route set was not the fastest or shortest routes that are selected by the GPS. It ended up being an aid of last resort if you became helplessly lost and aborted the points just to get to the next town on the route plan. We saw some of the most spectacular scenery with hundreds of small towns of ancient and more recent architecture, dramatic vistas of fields with crops and cattle, castles on hilltops, high alpine meadows and dark forested
The next morning we got our gear on, road to the starting paddock and got our rally log sheet for the day. Before starting the day circuit there was a timed trial section that had to be run to start the points system going. Essentially, every day there were timing stations along the route so hitting 14 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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lanes with trees forming canopies over the road. It was a -even with the language barrier they went out of their way to biker’s paradise and great riding! assist. The only negative experience I had was when I came The next few days were very similar to each other with a flying into an old medieval town square and noticed a one way lot of rain coming down making the riding interesting when do not enter sign ahead so I pulled over to stop and assess the we had to climb the narrow and slick cobblestones into the situation. At that point an arrogant local policeman came over center of the small towns that had the timing tables set up. I and started reading me the riot act in Italian. Since he didn’t have ridden observed trials, and enduros but never had all my understand a word of English and my working Italian was pretty skills so tested as I did on this trip. Sharp switchbacks in the limited (where is the bathroom, I need a beer) I had no clue what mountains with steep climb-outs challenged me constantly he wanted. He proceeded to thump his ticket book apparently and doing 200-300+ km a day had me sweating under my trying to intimidate me but I could not figure it out. Finally I guessed that he wanted me to back up the 1,000 lb missile and rain gear. of course it was an uphill pitch behind me. Eventually, I had to On one occasion, I had to choose between two roads ride entirely around the whole town square to reach the street I that showed up on the GPS after we lost the arrow trail. needed that was only ten feet away. Cleary this “Barney Fife” Unfortunately, I found out that the refresh rate on the GPS had his only bit of power as the lord of the town square and there had a distinct lag between the position shown and your intended to show the locals how he handled the American Biker. actual position on the ground. As a result I missed quite a After a lot of effort (and no help from Barney) I was able to get few turns. On this occasion, I had two roads both turning off the bike headed in the right direction and get out of town. With the main road that were about 20 feet apart. Since there was that single exception I loved the people, particularly the old men not anything else to do, I picked one at random and prayed. who would flock out to examine the bikes whenever we stopped Well, it started off ok with a single lane of blacktop heading and ask all kinds of questions, usually through the most English up at a rather steep angle that required I stay on the throttle fluent member of their group. since there was no place to turn to go back down and By the last day, a broken bike and a couple crashes had reconsider (did I mention the K1600 has a huge turning radius taken the Lucky Bastards out of the race and since they and if you get off balance it goes down like a punch drunk needed to leave earlier than anticipated to take care of the fighter). The blacktop turned to gravel and then into dirt, I walking wounded we were the last Americans standing and think it was a goat path, and then just ended point at a locked make it back to the finish for the gala farewell banquet the last gate. At this point I was pointed uphill with a 160 hp, 1,000 night. This year, competitors went a total of just under 1,700 lb missile at a dead stop with no way to turn around under km in six days and with four days of heavy rain and a few control. I tried a backing maneuver but finally lost the fight accidents, only 55 of the 102 starters completed the event. with gravity and down we went again. Fortunately there was I have been asked if I would do it again in 2016. My answer a young couple working in their is a definite maybe. If I can find a lighter, more agile bike and garden nearby and the young guy then mortgage the farm to gather up the cash to pay for it; I came over and helped me wrestle might. It was a great the bike upright and get it turned life experience and I around so we could go back down am glad I didn’t miss it. and try the other road. Next time I am riding something a lot smaller Go to http://www. and more nimble! motogiroditalia.it/en/ for more photos and The Italian people we video. encountered on this adventure were pretty awesome. More than once I was in need of some help and people jumped right in to help-
Carpe Diem, Whiskyman
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Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 15
the next curve
“Now the darkness only stays the nighttime In the morning it will fade away Daylight is good at arriving at the right time It’s not always going to be this grey All things must pass” ~ George Harrison
I
Unfortunately, one of the am sitting on a friend’s other part owners had deck at Lake Payette in some financial difficulties McCall, Idaho around and cabin was at risk 900 miles from Denver of being acquired by and I am about to start a the bank as part of an journey up the Left Coast unrelated bankruptcy. My for work and pleasure. friends’ only option to save Now, I have ridden through their portion was to sell this area in the past as the house, to cash out and part of my first official, bail out their other family documented, Iron Butt. member. They are now However, this time I chose renters of what they once owned since the new owner agreed to ride up over the course of a few leisurely days instead of to rent it back to them through this summer, so here I sit. doing the Iron Butt required 1000 miles in 24 hours or less. There are speedboats towing water skiers and luxury Everywhere you look on this property, the hands of my inflatable coaches cut through the reflections on the lake of friends’ late father are noticeably present as one point or the Payette National forest while Paddle boarders and people another he fixed or added to just about every inch of the in canoes stick close to shore to avoid the wakes from the cabin. One particularly favorite spot of everyone is the deck. The deck is meticulously built around a tree that has enjoyed speedboats and water-skiers. a view of the lake longer than any of the town residents. The Like so many of our beautiful tourist destinations throughout modern building codes of today would dictate cutting that tree the United States, Native Americans once inhabited this down to make room for the deck, but the presence of this tree area; in this case, the Tukudika, Shoshone and Nez Perce preserved with the deck built around it speaks of a time when tribes. They lived here during the warm months and migrated people coexisted with the land differently than they do today; elsewhere to avoid the harsh winters. a way that is often lost now to newer rules and regulations. In the 19th century, nomadic fur trappers such as Francois I realize that I am not only a witness to my friends’ loss of a Payette, the lake’s namesake, came to share the area. He monetary asset, but their loss and separation of a family from was followed by miners searching for gold during the 1860’s. its legacy. Most of the miners left empty handed and in the late 19th century Thomas and Louisa McCall traded a team of horses Moving out to the dock to dip my toes in the water I try to for rights to the 160 acres of land surrounding Lake Payette collect thoughts of gratitude; my mostly good health, my with Tom Dever, who held the squatters rights, relinquished understanding wife at home, even as I hit the road for weeks the area to the McCall Family and they built a post office, a at a time, my kids; and the fact that I have a home to go back school, a saloon, a hotel and a sawmill. The sawmill became to. I close my eyes and breathe thinking about how nothing is a major source of employment for locals that continued permanent in life. How everything, good or bad, can be gone from our lives in an instant, and often is. Of course we all wish through the late 1970’s. for anything bad to pass us by quickly and we rarely think The opportunity to sit here at this lake house and dream of about the good things in life being limited as well. being sixteen again and rejected by beautiful young water girls is the result of a friendship forged over many years. My current ride is a bit of a spirit quest for me. I have been The lake house has been in the family since the late 1930’s. surrounded by so much loss lately. In addition to my friends’ 16 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
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losing their cabin, there have been several people close to me that have recently left this earth and it seems like it was too soon. I know that people, things, feelings, and even the glorious turns in the road all eventually pass. The good often seems to pass like a fast moving highway, while the bad seems to crawl through our lives slowly--like sitting in 105-degree heat with single lane construction stopping us every few miles to wait. I know that time is not actually any longer or shorter, but it sure can feel like it sometimes. If we didn’t pass through the turns in the road, or in life, we would all be standing still and that would soon leave us bored and unsatisfied. The scenery must change for us to feel alive. But it can be certainly be painful when we are not in control of the changes. A positive person can recognize that there are always new curves in the road ahead with new experiences, new places and sites to see. But it can sometimes be difficult in the moment to see negatives in a positive light—even when the negatives can result in positives down the line as we take turns we would never experience, if we didn’t keep riding through both the positive and negatives we find in this world. I try hard to be a positive person, to see the positive in the unknown turns ahead and not solely focus on the rear view mirror, no matter how great the road behind may have been. It is not always easy, but I logically know I that change is inevitable; my kids will grow up. My pants will fit on some days and not on others. At times, I will be kind to friends and strangers and at other times I will come up short. I will forever be moving forward and trying to make the best of all situations without blindly clinging to the current state of things or the past, no matter how great things may appear in that rearview mirror. As riders, we all know to look ahead to where you want to go and the bike will follow. Of course, if you stare at a rock or the edge of cliff you may crash! To me sad times represent the rocks and cliffs on the road. They can be beautiful, but if we stare at them too long we can lose our way. If we look confidently towards the next curve and stay focused on the possibilities of what is coming next on the road, our lives be exposed to unlimited adventures. For on the saddest day and the greatest day we must all remember, that all things must pass; however, in the case of underpowered vehicles pulling large trailers up steep hills, well, they simply must be passed! Dedicated to everyone who is trying to see the positive in the turns ahead . . . Joe Trey (Adventure Hermit) www.thunderroadscolorado.com
August 2015
Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 17
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AUGUST 16th Annual 100,000 Foot Colorado
Pass Ride 8/1/15 - 6:30 AM - Lakewood, CO Ride enough mountain passes in a day to equal 100,000 ft. The only place in North America where this can be achieved. Paved and dual sport routes of about 500 mi. Participants may ride in large or small groups at Registration check-in 6:45 am to 8:15Due to the popularity of this annual ride, the event regularly sells out so register early. All brands of motorcycles are welcome. Club membership is NOT required! Fuel, food and rest facilities are readily available along the route. Phone: (303)753-6652 Website: http://www.bmwmcc.org/100k_foot.php# Email: 100kride@bmwmcc.org Summerhorn at Powderhorn 8/1/15 - 11:00 AM - Mesa, Colorado The ride starts at Powderhorn Ski Resort, 48338 Powderhorn Road near Mesa beginning at 11:00 am. The ride will go over the Grand Mesa, through Delta, and include a stop in Palisade before returning to Mesa where there will be vendors and more. Phone: (970) 623-8500 Website: http://www.95rockfm.com. Email: brad.larock@townsquaremedia.com 75th Annual 2015 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 8/3/15 – 8/9/2015 – Sturgis, SD The 75th Annual Sturgis® Motorcycle Rally™ has the potential to be one of the greatest and perhaps largest gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts of all time! Come and celebrate the 75th year of the Sturgis Rally. Website: http://www. sturgismotorcyclerally.com/ ALR 14th Annual Scavenger Hunt 8/8/15 - 8:00 AM - Colorado Springs, Colorado The ride starts at American Legion 20 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
Post 5, 15 E Platte Avenue in Colorado Springs. Registration is from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider and $10.00 for a passenger. The scavenger hunt will go around Colorado Springs visiting local historic sites and local business. Riders will turn in their score sheets at the last stop in Fountain where there will also be a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, food, and more. Phone: (719) 246-0152 Website: http://www.alrpost38colorado.org Hogs for Hounds Scavenger Hunt 8/8/15 - 9:00 AM - Aurora, Colorado Run will start at Parkside Animal Health care Center, 5001 South Parker road in Aurora. Registration is from 9:00 am to 10:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider and $10.00 for a passenger. The ride will end in Colorado Springs with Drawings, Raffles, food and more. The ride benefits dogs rescued from high kill animal shelters. Phone: (720) 635-0723 Website: http://denverdachshundsrescueandtransport. com 28th Anniversary of the POW MIA Recognition Ride 8/15/15 - 8:00 AM - Woodland Park, CO The ride starts at Woodland Park High School, 151 N. Baldwin Street in Woodland Park. Registration begins at 8:00 am and the motorcycles go out at 11:00 am. The ride fee is $8.00 for the rider or $12.00 with a passenger. The ride will go through the mountains to Cripple Creek where it will end with the Salute to American Veterans Rally. Phone: (719) 487-8005 Website: http://theveteransrally.org 31st Annual 1000-IN-24 Endurance Ride 8/15 – 8/16/2015 - 2:00 – 4:00 AM Greenwood Village, CO The ride starts at Fay Motorcycle World 9700 E Arapahoe Road in Greewnwood Village. Motorcycles go out at 2:00 am. The ride fee is $55.00 per person. The ride will be on 2 and 4 lane highways. Participants will receive a collector shirt, hat, and pin. Optional MERA “1000 plus August 2015
in 24” certificate and/or IBA SS1K will be awarded to qualified finishers. Phone: (303) 781-0032 Website: http://www.cofreewheelers. org/1000-in-24.html Annual St Jude Children’s Hospital Ride 8/15/15 - 9:00 AM - Florence, CO The Annual St Jude Children’s Hospital Ride will be held at Fremont Motorsports in Florence, Colorado. Registration - $10 per person, includes breakfast and lunch. St Jude Children’s Hospital Ride and Run Walk. The 100 mile ride starts at 600 East Main Street in Florence. There will be lots of entertainment including music, food, games, and drawings. This ride will help the suffering children in the St. Jude Children’s Hospital. All the proceeds go straight to the children. Phone: (719) 784-9633 Website: http://www.fremontmotorsports.com Email: laura.fremontmotorsports@gmail.com 6th Annual Military Appreciation Poker Run 8/22/15 - 8:00 AM - Littleton, CO The ride starts at Rocky Mountain HarleyDavidson, 2885 W County Line Road in Littleton. Registration begins at 8:00 am and the last bike goes out aby 11:00 am. The 100 mile ride will go through Sedalia, Monument, Franktown, and Parker before ending in Aurora. The ride ends with raffles and prizes. Proceeds will benefit the Angels of America’s Fallen and the Patriot Guard. Phone: (719) 459-5292 Email: jrobin4776@hotmail.com 1st Annual Castle Rock Freedom Fest Motorcycle Show and Concert 8/22/15 - 10:00 AM - Castle Rock, CO The 1st Annual Castle Rock Freedom Fest Motorcycle Show and Concert will be held at Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, Colorado on August 22nd, 2015. The 1st Annual Castle Rock Freedom Fest Motorcycle Show & Concert would like to invite YOU to the Ultimate Entertainment Experience on August 22, 2015 at the Douglas County www.thunderroadscolorado.com
Fairgrounds in Castle Rock, Colorado 500 Fairgrounds Dr, Castle Rock, CO, 80104. We are raising awareness and giving 100% of the proceeds to (ASN), The American Soldier Network and their efforts to find further aid in the fight against suicide due to P.T.S.D, as well as charitable donations to (BACA), Bikers Against Child Abuse and the never ending issues against child abuse in America. This 1st Annual Motorcycle Show is a Live Entertainment Production Featuring; Sons of Anarchy Stars Emilio Rivera, Mo McRae, and Motorcycle Outlaw Legend Rusty Coones aka Rane Quinn. Live Harley Davidson Stunt Show by UNKNOWN Industries. World Renowned Magicians The Dream Masterz. Headlining musical performances (TBA)! Supporting musical acts The Led Zeppelin Experience, Mall Cop’s very own “mini KISS”, and a variety of local musicians. Special appearances by professional athletes from teams such as Colorado Avalanche, Rockies, Denver Broncos and more. Special appearances by many celebrities on behalf of The American Soldier Network, (TBA). Street Chopper & Motorcycle Contest. Best Class, Best Paint, Best Chopper, Glide, Bagger, etc. The Freedom Ride Brought to you by American Soldier Network. Grand Marshall (TBA) Join us on this unforgettable ride lead by our Nations Service Men & Women along with celebrity riders and special guests. Phone: (714) 404-3119/(303) 660-3326/ (303) 356-5253 Website: http://www. castlerockfreedomfest.com Email: rjstunts@icloud.com/dean@ deangary.com/rjsix66@gmail.com 4th Annual DC Veterans Monument Poker Run 8/23/15 - 9:30 AM - Castle Rock, CO The Poker Run has been scheduled for August 23, 2015. It will begin and end at the Eagles Club located at 1300 Caprice Dr. in Castle Rock. Registration begins at 9:30 am, first bikes out at 10:15 last bikes out at 10:45. The run will travel on rural roads for over 90 miles throughout Douglas County. At our final stop the Stagecoach live music begins at 1:30. Prizes will be www.thunderroadscolorado.com
awarded for the best and worst hands. Douglas County Veterans Monument Foundation is a 501(c)3 dedicated to serving those who have served for us. Proceeds help to maintain the monument and plaza and to help our veterans through our Veterans Assistance Grant program. Phone: (303)681-3777 Website: http://dcvmf.org/4th-annualpoker-run.html Email: debbie@dcvmf.org 4th Annual Rolling for Freedom Motorcycle Rally 8/29/15 - 9:00 AM - Walsenburg, CO The Rolling for Freedom Motorcycle Rally is a time to honor and show respect for our Veterans who reside at the Spanish Peaks Veterans Community Living Center (Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home) located in Walsenburg Colorado. Come and enjoy a great time and great people on August 29th 2015 as you watch the smiles and tears on the Veterans faces as all the riders pull up in front of the Nursing Home (23500 Highway 160). Last year we had 138 motorcycles. Let’s keep it going and make it even bigger. All proceeds go directly to the Veterans/Residents. Visit our website at www.rollingforfreedom. com for more information. Phone: (719)989-8409/(719)989-7255 Website: http://www.rollingforfreedom.com Email: gunny2426@hotmail.com Riders for Raptors 8/30/15 - 10:00 AM - Westminster, CO The ride starts at Sweetwater Station, 9975 Wadsworth Parkway, Unit N2, in Westminster. Registration and breakfast begins at 10:00 am and motorcycles go out at 11:00 am. The ride fee is $20.00 for the rider and $5.00 for a passenger if registered online. Onsite registration is $25.00 for the rider and $5.00 for a passenger. Extra poker hands are $5.00 each. The ride will go through the Colorado mountain side, with games, drawings, poker run, food and prizes along the way. The ride ends in Loveland with a party. The event will raise awareness and money for our Birds Of Prey, for Nature’s Educators. Website: http://www.facebook.com/ events/582146908588163/ August 2015
SEPTEMBER Thunder in the Rockies
9/4/2015 - 9/7/2015 - See Website for Schedule - Loveland, CO “Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson® is proud to present the 2014 Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally. The 10th annual Thunder in the Rockies Bike Rally is an action packed, four-day event happening over Labor Day weekend. Located in picturesque Loveland, Colorado, motorcycle enthusiasts and hardcore bikers from all over the country love this event! Start gearing up now to check it out. This year’s highlights include: Over 45,000 people Live music including local and national bands. Competitions 100+ vendors And much, much more ~ can’t wait to see you here!” Phone: (970)-292-0400 - http://www. thunderintherockies.com - marketing@ thunderintherockies.com Four Corners Motorcycle Rally 9/4/2015 - 9/7/2015 - See Website for Schedule - Ignacio, CO If you’re looking for a wild ride, great music and great events, the 2015 Four Corners Motorcycle Rally is hosting its 23rd Annual Party from September 4 to September 7, 2015 in the heart of the Rocky Mountains—Ignacio, Colorado— including activities in neighboring Durango. Nowhere else will you find the D&SNGRR Million Dollar Highway Poker Run, Motorcycle Giveaway, Best Chest in the West Wet T-shirt Contest, Loudest Pipes and LED Bike Contests, motorcycle demo rides, and a Bonfire Lighting as openers for this awesome live music and event festival. Phone: (970)444-2116 Phone: http://fourcornersmotorcyclerally. com/
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Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 21
Will Ride for Food
Donut Hut Café
The Donut Hut Café just might have the best apple fritters in town, but I am getting ahead of myself. The Donut Hut Café is located at 5816 S. Lowell Blvd in Littleton, CO. Ask anyone who grew up in the area and they will wax nostalgic about the doughnuts they remember as a kid. Although the ownership changed hands about 12 years ago, the new owners knew that this was a successful business and if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Most of the recipes haven’t changed since it opened almost 40 years ago! Now, back to the apple fritters, they are these huge wheels of browned and glazed perfection. The size of a dessert plate, every bite of crunchy, appley (is that a word?) sweetness is just about perfect with just the right amount of cinnamon--simply delicious. The fritters aren’t the only awesome doughnut they offer, the stuffed full long johns are a must try, they are stuffed with your choice of tasty fillings. Be prepared when you purchase one, these aren’t the same pre-filled ones you find in most places. They split the donut like a sandwich and fill it with your choice of whipped cream, Bavarian cream, lemon or raspberry. Along with these two personal favorites they offer a range of
doughnuts from raised & cake to specialties like the apple fritters, long johns and cinnamon rolls, so there is probably a doughnut to fit your liking somewhere in their cases. Like most bakeries they sprinkle doughnuts that sport colors appropriate to the season and they have new flavors every now and then. Rest assured that they always have (if you get there early enough) raised and cake doughnuts with different glazes and frostings, like chocolate, maple pecan, cinnamon sugar, old fashioned and many, many more! Seeing kids of all ages scan the cases to find their favorite makes waiting in line a little easier (just don’t take those last two apple fritters in the case…grrrr). On the weekends you need to get there early, heck most days you have to get there early or you will have slim pickings on what is still available. They open at 6:00 in the morning and stay open until they sell out of doughnuts which is usually earlier than their listed closing time of 1:00 P.M. They don’t sell day old doughnuts because they never have them. I have arrived at 10:30 in the morning on a Saturday only to be disappointed by their “We are sold out” sign on the front door. To circumvent this tragedy, you can call your order ahead and have them hold it for you to pick up a little later in the morning.
10th ANNUAL EMILY’S PARADE 09.27.2015 Last Sunday in September
Communities united. Columbine to Platte Canyon Bikes out at 11:15 a.m.
www.iloveuguys.org email: parade2015@iloveuguys.org P.O.Box 1230, Bailey, CO 80421 303-426-3100 This is a fundraiser for The “I Love U Guys” Foundation. All funds are responsibly applied toward the stated goals of The Foundation.
The donuts are not the only thing they have to offer (although I have never walked in there and not walked out with a dozen donuts plus a few apple fritters), they also serve breakfast sandwiches on bagels, breakfast burritos and muffins. These are all delicious as well and perfect if you don’t have a sweet tooth that day and want something that is a little more substantial in your stomach. If you are a coffee lover, then you will not be disappointed, they serve Dazbog coffee which is Denver operated and locally roasted. They can make you any coffee drink you wish with their espresso center to go with your doughnut, breakfast sandwich, muffin or breakfast burrito. They have plenty of booth seating so you can sit and enjoy your coffee and food and read the paper or have a conversation with one of the regulars. This is a great place to stop if you are out and about early and want to grab a quick bite to eat before you head out on your ride. Carrie McCauley
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Tasty Recipes All of these recipes have been kitchen tested and biker approved.
WATERMELON LIME DRINKS
We first had a rendition of these at a restaurant in Evergreen, CO. I couldn’t wrestle the recipe out of the bartender, so I went to work on creating my own. They are refreshing and delicious non-alcoholic drinks. If you would like to make these more of an adult beverage add your favorite clear alcohol (Vodka, Gin, White Rum or Silver Tequila). 3 - 4 cups of 2” watermelon chunks 2 cups unflavored sparkling water 1/4 cup lime simple syrup (recipe below) Mint Sprigs and lime wheels for garnish Ice Lime Simple Syrup: 1/2 cup 1/4 cup 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (Don’t use the prepared lime juice in a bottle) Zest of 1 lime Procedure Simple Syrup Combine the sugar, water, lime juice, in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the lime zest and chill in the refrigerator. Drink In a blender or food processor, puree the chunks of watermelon. In a pitcher, combine the watermelon puree, lime simple syrup, and sparkling water. Taste the mixture and add more simple syrup for additional sweetness and lime taste. Pour into glasses filled with ice and garnish with lime wheels and mint.
ROSEMARY SHRIMP SKEWERS
Several summers ago I had a rosemary plant that went absolutely nuts in my garden. I found a rendition of this recipe with a ton of ingredients, I switched it up to use Italian seasoning (I make my own and the recipe is included). These are a quick and easy meal or a great appetizer. 1 Lb Peeled and deveined shrimp 8 sprigs of rosemary 3 tsp Italian seasoning mix 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive oil Pinch of salt and pepper. Italian Seasoning Mix 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 1 Tbsp. dried basil 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary, crushed 1 Tbsp. dried marjoram 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional) Store in an airtight jar Procedure Cut 8 rosemary stems approximately 5 inches in length. Strip off the bottom leaves leaving approximately 3 inches of stem and the remaining leaves on top. Skewer 4 – 5 shrimp with the stem of each rosemary sprig. You can get more shrimp on the skewer if you “cuddle” (think Yin and Yang) the shrimp and skewer them together. Briefly, mix together the oil and vinegar. Place the shrimp skewers in the bottom of a leak proof container and pour the olive oil and vinegar on top of the shrimp. Sprinkle approximately two tsp of the Italian seasoning mix on top of the shrimp. Turn and sprinkle with another 1 tsp. Allow to chill in the fridge for 40 minutes. Heat the grill to medium and grill the skewers for 2 – 3 minutes per side. Don’t worry if the leaves get a little charred, it just adds flavor. Remove from the grill and serve.
CUCUMBER ONION SALAD
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes from when I was a kid. When I was little my family always had a huge garden, and in the summer time and there were always cucumbers to be picked and used. 2 large cucumbers 1 small red or yellow onion 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/4 cup white or cider vinegar 3/4 cup sour cream 2 tsp salt 1 tsp celery seed 1 tsp dried dill weed or 1/4 cup minced fresh dill weed Peel and slice the cucumbers in half. Using a teaspoon scrape the seeds out of the inside. Peel and slice the onion into very thin slices. I use my mandolin for this job. Place the sliced vegetables into a salad bowl and set aside. Stir the sugar, vinegar, salt together until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the dill and celery seed. Stir in sour cream. Pour over the vegetables and toss well. Chill 2 hours and toss again before serving. Do you have some recipes that you love and would like to share with the readers of Thunder Roads Colorado Magazine? Submit them to recipes@thunderroadscolorado. com We will try them out and maybe publish them in the magazine!
Would you like to have your recipes appear in the magazine? Just email us at recipes@thunderroadscolorado.com and we will try them out and might just print them here! Make sure you include a little history of the recipe and where you got it from. www.thunderroadscolorado.com August 2015 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado 23
Ladies up Front is a column by and for the women who ride in Colorado both on back and up front. Each month we publish an article written by a lady rider. You will find stories of how these ladies ended up where they are today, with their opinions, strange and funny things that have happened to them, their thoughts, dreams and points of view. Some tell the stories about their journey from the back to the front. Some relate how they came to motorcycles, some are just interesting experiences they have had.
We believe that every woman who rides, be it on the front or on the back, has a story to tell that is worth hearing. When they share their perceptions and knowledge, they often have insight and perspectives that can help us all as we journey forward. Here you will see those experiences and hear of the strength and joy we have found on motorcycles. All ladies are welcome and encouraged to join in and contribute to Ladies up Front. Please contact us at: ladiesupfront@thunderroadscolorado.com
last summer. After the divorce, I moved to Colorado Springs and met a soldier from Fort Carson; he became a great friend and talked me into getting my permit so that I could ride his bike legally. Since he entrusted me with his bike when he was away or otherwise unavailable to ride, I rode as much as I could—mountains, prairie and city, to get all of the experience I could. His bike was a 750cc Honda Nighthawk with a very heavy front end. During the motor vehicle test, he said, I would not be allowed to put my feet down, so I prepared for the challenge with weeks of practice in a nearby parking lot. When it seemed perfect, I knew it was time I went and took the test and I finally had my own motorcycle license. So, of course, I had to get my own bike.
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My first experiences with twowheeled vehicles and motorcycles were as a passenger on my father’s “rabbit scooter,” later on a high school friend’s motorcycle, and later yet on my husband’s (now ex-husband’s) dirt bike. When I was a passenger, it gave me an amazing feeling of freedom and it was my ex-husband who suggested I would enjoy learning how to ride a motorcycle by myself. I was twenty at the time and this was this was when women riders were few and far between, so teaching me how to ride was a somewhat radical thing to do; I said “Hell, yes!” and we soon had my first lesson. The first lesson with my ex-husband started at the South 40 bar in Elbert on a 250cc Suzuki dirt bike. He took me down a side street, demonstrating and explaining the gears and clutch then circled back to the bar. It was now my turn. I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of dogs and with my ex holding the clutch and his friend holding the throttle, I presumed, to keep the bike from falling. The engine roared, the clutch popped and I held on. It was as if I had been riding all of my life. After that, I rode every chance I got. Later, he introduced me a much larger 400cc Yamaha. When I hit the throttle the first time on that bike, it reared up nearly scaring the tar out of me, and once again, I held on. I became familiar with nearly all of the dirt roads around Elizabeth--even though I did not yet have a motorcycle license. While he and I did get divorced, we are still friends and we even rode together with my son when I visited Seattle 24 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
At that point, I was a single mom without the necessary funds, but I did have a grandfather clock valued at $3000.00 and I was able to barter for a 900cc Honda. Oh, the adventures that followed—through all the seasons of the year, helping me to discover that hail really hurts a lot. I have also had the pouring rain during a trip to Vegas in July. During this trip I was heading west on I-70 near the Eisenhower tunnel and after I wiped rain off my helmet, I shifted down, and noticed that my bike wasn’t moving. After I lifted my helmet and looked down I saw that snow and ice had taken the place of the rain. Fortunately I got some help that day once I got the bike to the side of the road and called my sister to my rescue. She came with a truck and hauled me back to Colorado Springs. Most of the time, I rode streamlined racing bikes and I got good enough that I would touch the buddy peg to the ground when cornering and I even felt comfortable handling a bike like that. Unfortunately, I was in a thirteen car accident in 1999
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and that ended my racing days and I switched to cruisers after that, taking a chance on an 1100 Honda cruiser. I found it quite comfortable and I once again felt the freedom of the open road—this time on my cruiser.
about ten motorcycles from the Sentinels MC. They took me under their wing and treated me like family. The friendships I made within that club are still going strong, although now I am with a different club, the Smokin’ Guns).
In the early 1990’s I met and married a wonderful man who was not a rider. I was excited to show him what he was missing. So I hopped onto the back of my motorcycle and he climbed on behind me, since he was an avid bicyclist, I took him to familiar territory around Squaw Pass. When we stopped and I asked him what he thought of the motorcycle and the freedom, the smell of the pines, and the adrenaline of the ride, however, in spite of his having ridden down Squaw Pass on a bicycle at sixty miles per hour with thin tires and tiny brakes, he said he felt safer on four wheels and I never was able to get him interested in and excited about motorcycles. At one point, I even sold my bike, because I loved him so much and spending time with him was more important. I would tell him every summer how much I missed riding but it was my own choice to sell the bike.
Thankfully, the sexism found in some clubs has never been a part of either of these two clubs and women are treated as equal and respected members. Both clubs are very familyoriented and everyone is encouraged to feel like a family as well—just a bigger family of loving brothers and sisters that also share a love of the open road and the roar of an engine beneath the seat. I am proud to be a member of this fine Motorcycle Club.
He always thought of me first and knew how much I loved and missed having a bike, so, since he no longer needed his work truck, he traded it for a 2005 C-50 Suzuki Boulevard and gave it to me. I was in tears; he had given back something that I loved almost as much as him, motorcycling.
About a year after Rick passed away, I was headed to his family reunion in Grand Junction, traveling west on I-70 in the Stapleton area through rush hour traffic. Traffic was stopped, then started moving again. I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed a Cadillac about a quarter of a mile behind me. The driver, talking on a mobile phone and clearly not paying attention to traffic hit me at fifty-five miles per hour while I had just started from a complete stop and lifted my feet off of the pavement. Still on the bike, I was pushed/slid under the car in front of me. I lay there for a second, then decided I had better get out, because I was not sure whether or not she had pushed me into the path of other traffic or not. I got out from under my bike, took off my helmet, and looked at the memorial on the tank. I think my angel of a husband must have been watching out for me. My adrenaline was pumping as I walked over to the woman driving the Cadillac and asked if she had called the police. She was still on the phone so that was seemed a reasonable assumption, but no. She said that she thought someone driving by would call. (Seriously?!) Although I was still shaking, I ended up calling the police myself. The ambulance arrived and I was told that because my new bike tires didn’t pop when she hit me, and the front of her car went up over the tire and pushed the bike’s back fender into me instead. This is what kept me from flying back onto her hood. She did get a ticket and I was lucky but my injuries included my tail bone, my wrist, and more back pain. The greatest loss, however, was that she totally destroyed the last gift my loving husband gave me, my motorcycle. The insurance company even refused to give me the tank with the memorial on it, I felt like I had lost him all over again.
Re-entering the world of motorcycles, I began investigating motorcycle clubs. I first considered the Sentinels MC, because my daughter and son-in-law are police officers. I liked to hang around with them, they are some wonderful people. Unfortunately Rick was too sick to participate before he died young in 2010 at the age of 55. After he died, at least I had the consolation of knowing I had finally inspired his change of mind. Since he had told me, “If I get rid of this cancer, I think I am going to get a trike.” I swore from that day forward I was never giving up my love of the motorcycle that he had returned to me with his love. This is why I later had a memorial to Rick painted onto the tank of my bike. At his funeral, I was brought to tears when I heard the thunder of
Once I received the insurance settlement and went shopping for a new bike. I had especially liked the Boulevard because it handled so well that I could do the same maneuvers as I had on a racing bike. I went to Thunder Mountain and a Harley caught my eye. Heck, all my years of riding and I had never owned a Harley so I decided to give it a try. The 2005 Sportster 883 felt like a ten-speed bicycle and was a huge mistake. I was accustomed to big bikes, but this one was very light weight. I ended up selling it to my daughter (who loves it) and purchased a 2005 Road King instead. That was more like it! All things considered, I am not one who likes a full-dress bike with too much stuff; I am happy enough with my dresser with just bags and a windshield.
At that time, I was a Driver’s Education teacher, which, curiously, also taught me to be more aware of bikes on the road. As a motorcycle rider, of course it is vital to keep 100% of your attention on the road at all times and this is a must; anything else is an accident. And we do not only have to pay attention to our own driving to remain safe, but also everyone else’s too. Watching other vehicles’ tires more than the bodies of the cars, is another thing I learned because tires are the first clue to what the driver is actually going to do. Being a Driver’s Education teacher is probably also why I have had only one accident and always strive to be a safe rider. In 2008 we were hit with horrible news: my loving husband of almost twenty years (Rick Vincenzetti) was diagnosed with small-cell aggressive lung cancer. I was devastated. Taking care of him the last year was tough, knowing that I was going to lose him in the end to this horrible disease.
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Earlier this year, I was asked to join the Stilettoes on Steele women’s riding group. “That sounds great,” I thought, “I would love to meet women who are likeminded and have the same love of the open road and their motorcycles.” Their regional coordinator for Colorado was stepping down and asked for a volunteer to take over her position—so I volunteered. That is how I became a Stilettos on Steel coordinator for Denver, Colorado. Riding with the Stilettos on Steel ladies is fantastic. The membership includes all different skill levels and I have made new friends. We are taught to empower each other and to ride safely, strongly, and using street smarts and to also demonstrate that we can wear lip stick and be feminine and still be able to ride these big machines with elegance and flare. Why “STILETTO”? The stiletto heel received its namesake from the Stiletto dagger and, when authentic, has a stem of solid steel running through it. The stiletto heel thus embodies a rare combination of strength and beauty—like the women who ride with them. I have also found another love in my life, Thomas Trujillo, and I infected him with the bug to ride motorcycles and he now rides beside me on his 1800 Honda VTX. Since I also infected my son in-law and my daughter—we all ride together with the grandkids on the back. Everyone knows that all really cool grandmas ride motorcycles, right? Silver
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Remus Tucker Band
Aug 14 at Bar Bar – Denver, CO Aug 15 at Herman’s Hideaway – Denver, CO
Matt Spinks Trio
August 7th – The Junkyard – Lodgepole, NE August 11th – 20th – Saloon #10 – Deadwood, SD
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Email: music@thunderroadscolorado.com
BRITISH MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION OF COLORADO Meets 1 st Saturday of every month, 10 am South Side Johnny’s 528 S. Tejon Colorado Springs, CO www.bmacinc.com All makes and models of bikes welcome! Contact John @719-213-3239 or 5pointsltd@gmail.com
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News Bytes Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) DOT REGULATORS TO CRACK DOWN ON NOVELTY HELMETS U.S. transportation regulators on Wednesday, May 20 called for stronger rules for motorcycle helmets, proposing additional safety requirements in an effort to crack down on “novelty” helmets that do not meet federal standards. Department of Transportation officials say such uncertified helmets are unsafe and do not protect riders in crashes despite being sold and marketed for use on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) proposes to amend Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218 to modify the existing performance requirements of the standard by adding construction requirements. Its Proposed Rulemaking changes would further define what makes an acceptable motorcycle helmet, from its thickness to its compression ability, “in an attempt to help riders and state law enforcement officials identify inferior helmets.” Such changes aim “to reduce fatalities and injuries resulting from traffic accidents involving use of motorcycle helmets” that fail to meet federal standards, DOT regulators told Reuters news agency, adding that rider deaths are disproportionately high due in part to the high number of motorcyclists wearing substandard helmets. It is not clear why so many motorcycle riders use inferior helmets, said the regulators, but they say part of the problem seems to be that riders do not understand the risks. Novelty helmets can also be cheaper and appear “more comfortable or stylish,” they added. So-called “Novelty” helmets generally cover a smaller area of the head, have thin liners and are often sold with disclaimers stating that they are not for highway use “yet they are sold to highway users and used in great numbers by motorcyclists.” Tougher standards are expected to help authorities prosecute sellers of noncompliant helmets in states where helmets are mandatory, regulators said. The public can comment on the proposal for 60 days, up until July 20, 2015, before the department moves to issue its final regulation. “DOT LOBBY BAN” REPEAL ATTEMPT THWARTED A provision contained in a federal appropriations bill could have struck down the “DOT lobby ban” implemented by Congress in 1998 to prevent the Department of Transportation from strongarming states on helmet laws and other unwanted legislation. However, thanks to the swift actions of national and state motorcyclists rights organizations, riders across the country rose to the occasion and supported an amendment introduced by Congressional Representatives Tim Walberg (R-MI), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), and Reid Ribble (R-WI) to strip the offending provision. When the U.S. House of Representatvies addressed the 2016 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations act (H.R. 2577) on June 3-4, Section 102 was removed. 30 Thunder Roads Magazine® Colorado
WEIRD NEWS: COPS CREATE TRAFFIC JAM TO CATCH BIKERS SPLITTING LANES New York police officers were recently caught on camera intentionally causing a traffic jam on the highway to catch motorcyclists splitting lanes through the stopped vehicles. The YouTube video has gone viral on the Internet, and was picked up by www.filmingcops.com, a conglomerative blogging service documenting police abuse otherwise ignored by traditional media outlets. The narrator of the YouTube clip claims that the police actually shut down the entire highway for the sole purpose of catching bikers driving in between lanes. Several unsuspecting bikers can be seen in the video being pulled over as cops demand their license and registration, while the video shows the rest of the traffic on the highway at a complete stop for some time so that the cops can generate ticket revenues; “This appears to be one of the most epic parasitic wealth-extractions in recent memory.” NEVADA AMENDS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LAW After passing the state Assembly unanimously, AB422 was signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval on May 21, 2015 to amend the state’s handlebar height law. Effective October 1, 2015, Section 1 of this bill prohibits a local authority from enacting an ordinance governing the operation and equipment of a motorcycle or a moped which is in conflict with any existing state laws. Under existing law, a person is prohibited from driving a motorcycle or a moped equipped with handlebars which extend above the driver’s shoulders. Section 2 of this bill provides that handlebars may extend not more than 6 inches above the driver’s shoulders. OREGON MOTORCYCLISTS GET “LIMITED EXCEPTION” TO RED LIGHTS Changing traffic laws that affect motorcyclists often sparks plenty of debate in state legislatures, but that was not the case with a measure allowing two-wheel vehicles to go through malfunctioning stoplights that passed the Oregon legislature unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown on May 21st. Under SB 533, riders will be allowed to proceed through a red light only after it fails to go through one full cycle -- and then only if done with caution. State Representative John Davis (R-Wilsonville) calls it a “very, very limited exception” to the normal rules covering red lights. Effective January 1, 2016, Oregon will join 16 other states with similar “dead red” laws that allow riders to proceed through red lights that do not detect their presence and fail to provide a green light: Minnesota (2002), Tennessee (2003), Arkansas (2005), Idaho (2006), Wisconsin (2006), North Carolina (2007), South Carolina (2008), Missouri (2008), Oklahoma (2010), Kansas (2011), Virginia (2011), Illinois (except Chicago – 2012), Nevada (2014), Indiana (2014), Kentucky (2015), and Washington (2015). In Texas and California, state law requires stoplights to be fitted with sensors that detect motorcycles.
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News Bytes
MOTORCYCLE LICENSE BILL PASSES IN ALABAMA Alabamians will need to have a motorcycle classification on their license, and take a written exam or safety course, under a bill that has passed the state Legislature and awaits the governor’s signature. Alabama is the only state that doesn’t require a specific motorcycle license, and this measure “will make sure that those who are riding motorcycles are qualified and know enough about motorcycle safety,” said the bill’s sponsor State Rep. Phillip Pettus (R-Greenhill). Pettus’ House Bill 212 now goes to the governor for his signature. Currently, only motorcyclists age 14 and 15 have to take a written test and get the M classification. Those older than that may get the classification, but don’t have to. Motorcyclists who already have the M classification will be grandfathered in. Upon Governor Robert J. Bentley’s approval, the new licensure law will become effective January 1, 2016, and law enforcement will then be able to issue tickets to motorcyclists who don’t have the M classification. The bill also allows drivers to complete a safety course instead of the written test. There’s a $5 fee for the written test. TEXAS LAW LEGALIZES SLINGSHOT THREE-WHEELER A new law now legalizes the three-wheel Polaris Slingshot in Texas. Polaris’ Slingshot reverse-trike ended up in legal limbo last year after it was determined that it didn’t fit the letter of any of Texas motor vehicle laws. It didn’t have the safety equipment required to define it as a car, but since it had seats, and not a saddle, it couldn’t be considered a motorcycle, either. That changed last week when Governor Greg Abbot signed an amendment to the law that essentially removed the saddle requirement, allowing three-wheel “autocycles” to be registered as motorcycles, as they are in many states. A motorcycle license is still required to drive www.thunderroadscolorado.com
one, but you can take the test in a three-wheeler if you only plan to drive that type of vehicle. The laws that govern vehicles like the Slingshot vary from state to state, and it’s still not street legal in a few. That includes Connecticut, Hawaii and Maryland, while Indiana recently passed its own “autocycle” law authorizing its use. In most states it follows the same helmet rules as a motorcycle, but in California can be driven without one and only requires an automobile license to operate. MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES DROP FOR SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR Riding a motorcycle in the U.S. is continuing to get a little safer. Based on a preliminary survey of 2014 fatality data, the Governors Highway Safety Association is predicting a second consecutive year-over-year drop in deaths for the first time on record since 1997. The GHSA is predicting 4,584 motorcyclist deaths in 2014, a 1.8-percent drop. The organization bases its forecasts on motorcycle fatality data for January through September in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. From this raw info, deaths fell in 27 states in 2014, increased in 19 and remained the same in four, plus DC. While good in the short term, the GHSA still thinks there’s a lot to do to reduce rider deaths; 28% of fatal crashes in 2013 involved riders with a blood alcohol concentration above 0.08, 34% of those killed were speeding, and 25% didn’t have a valid motorcycle license. Of course the GHSA recommends that all states adopt universal helmet laws, noting that currently only 19 states and D.C. require all riders be helmeted. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Knowledge is power [Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est].” ~ Francis Bacon (1561-1626) English Renaissance theorist
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Mildred, the small town gossip and self-appointed monitor of church morals, was always one to stick her nose into other people’s business. Most members of the congregation did not approve of her intrusions, but she was feared due to her lethal forked tongue, so everyone maintained their silence. She took that fatal step too far one day, when she accused “Lightning”, a biker, and new member of the Church, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old Chevy pickup parked in front of the small town’s only bar all morning and late into the night. She emphatically told Lightning in front of the entire congregation that “Everyone seeing that pickup there would know what he was doing”. Fact was, Lightning had volunteered to help Gus, the bar owner, repair a leaky ceiling in the kitchen. But Gus was not a member of the congregation so nothing was brought to light. Lightning, a man of few words but plenty of action, stared at her for a solid minute, then just got up and left the church. He said nothing. Later that early morning; around 1:00 a.m., Lightning parked his pickup directly in front of Mildred’s house, walked home, and left it there all night long and late into the lunch hour. ______________________________________________
‘Don’t do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money from my Aunt Sarah. HE paid for the Audi I gave you on our Anniversary. HE paid for our new cabin cruiser. HE paid for your season tickets. HE paid for our house at the lake. HE paid for your African tour with your biker buddies and your new ATV. HE paid for the custom rims for your Ultra-Glide. HE paid for our Family WaterWorld membership And, HE even pays the monthly dues on the kid’s Private schooling. Shaking his head from side-to-side, GearHead lowers his gun. He looks totally confused over at the cabby and says, ‘What the hell would you do? The cabby never skips a beat and replies, ‘I’d cover his ass with that blanket before he catches a damn cold.’
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm?? Why does your OB-GYN leave the room when you get undressed, only to sit down in front of you and see all you got to see in plain view, when they return to the room? If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him? Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane? GearHead returns home a day early from Sturgis as his bike broke down and he caught a lift just inside of town, and then grabbed a cab. It’s after midnight. While on his way home, he asks the cabby if he would be a witness. The man suspects his wife is having an affair, and he wants to catch her in the act. For $100 bucks, the cabby agrees. Quietly arriving home, the husband and cabby tip toe into the bedroom. GearHead switches on the lights, yanks the blanket back and there is his wife, in bed with another man, just as he suspected! GearHead puts his gun to the naked man’s head. The wife shouts, www.thunderroadscolorado.com
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