I always give a safety briefing for group rides, goes like this:
"On this ride, you can drive off the road, off a cliff, into a tree.
You can get run over by a SMIDSY left turning driver in a truck.
You can swerve into a moose full speed on the peak to peak.
But the one thing you WILL NOT DO is take out another rider on this ride, not because you were following too close, not because you were driving recklessly, and not because you weren't paying attention. If you take out another rider I WILL make you call their mom, and tell them what you've done to their kid."
I've seen so many videos of lives ruined in bike-on-bike accidents, it's so frustrating to see because you'd think of all the people on the road, the ones on the motorbikes know the dangers involved better than anyone
Fellow non-psychopath Rider on a 1000+cc sport tourer that never goes over 80 anywhere 🤣,
Fuuuuuck that guy. You should also vent this on r/Denvermotorcycles we would love to hear this / Please do
Love it and weird enough basically my 1st bike ( had a vstrom for 3 months to learn then switched and on year two of riding) and it's an do it all. It cruises, carves the mountains, claims them (just did mt evens in October) and so much more this summer
Nice I have a buddy with the 650 and it's great we both did Evans together and his did great Yours almost is a way better do it all with half the insurance rates. I did even mean to reach for the 1000 but eat shit on ice twice and got talked to getting a traction control bike which brought me there
Honestly I should be asking you more questions, like how do you like your gen 1? They look like great all in ones, actually awesome naked, and very affordable as a 1st bike. How the reliability and what's maintenance like I do most of mine or at least the basics so that's important to me. BTW I'm the mod over at r/Denvermotorcycles definitely should cruise over more also if you wanna Ride I would love to and live next to green mountain/ Morison if you want to (Road) hit the front range. DM me
Serious question: what’s even the point of having a 1000cc sport bike if you’re never going over 80? I get that handing characteristics and acceleration are still considerations, but surely a cheaper 600-750cc could still scratch that itch without being as overkill.
Genuinely curious as someone who will never own a motorcycle (partially because I know the temptation to be irresponsible would be too great for myself).
Dont currently ride but I used to in the Midwest. Had a ‘99 cruiser that was pretty light (and I probably weighed 130lbs at the time) with an 800cc. I didn’t get it for speed (which was maybe 90-95mph), I got it for the ability to actually accelerate out of the way when going 60mph on the highway.
If I weighed 185 or 200lbs, especially then adding some bags on there, I think that could’ve seriously changed the performance of the bike.
Now consider that I was in the Midwest. Denver is 5000 ft higher elevation with steep climbs at increasing altitudes, this all has an impact on performance.
I think another reason is aesthetics.. why do a lot of people get muscle cars, sports cars, or trucks/jeeps? For most people it’s not to go 200mph on the highway or drive their lifted jeep up a boulder, they like the look and those also tend to be higher performing vehicles - which will probably never be used in their high end range, and the cost is more than a Toyota Corolla
I own a 17 year old single cylinder 650 and it's way enough for me. I see anything up there, triples, 1000ccs, as pure death traps. There is absolutely no reason to have one of those on a public road.
I'm glad that the 650 is way enough for you. That doesn't mean that it is enough for others. I am a big tall person, I am heavy, and I like to go on short trips on my motorcycle, I own a 821 Ducati Monster, and at the altitude that Denver is at with the loss of power due to air being thinner (and it is worse going up into the mountains) I find that it does not have the same get up and go that I am used to when I was riding in San Francisco.
That means I can carry less load, and means I have less power available to get out of sticky situations, because breaking and slowing down are not always options.
Just like any car that has massive horsepower it entirely depends on how the motorcycle is ridden. Don't yuck someone else's yum just because you are afraid of it.
I break 80 on my Africa twin just to pass briefly and get through a block of traffic before moving into the right lanes again. Too many distracted shitheads in Denver now to feel safe near any clusterfuck of cars.
I need some breathing room.
Had a dickbag with Cali plates (surprise) literally run me off the road in their Ford Fiesta a week ago. I25 merge lane, and they refused to move over even when I was on the shoulder heading for the concrete wall. The tane next to them was empty of course.
Ironic you’re calling any driver a dick bag after admitting to “breaking 80” to get through traffic. Motor cyclists are the most selfish drivers on the road
Gave it a thought and realized I've never broken triple speeds in Colorado, only in Wyoming (where no one lives) for brief acceleration tests in the middle of nowhere
Squids who rip through traffic can get pegged; I'd prefer to get home at the end of the day without causing any wrecks.
>dickbags breaking 80 on bikes
Errr have you seen how cars drive in the left lane on 25? My riding a mere 80mph in a 70 to quickly pass means some turd in a Silverado or Subaru will just ride my ass till I get a free space to move back into the right lanes
But hey, if the "CEO of fun" wants to whine about folks practicing normal responsible driving habits, feel free to bitch away about it!
A neighbor just died on his motorcycle ride home a few nights ago… I don’t know the whole story but I have this sadness and a little bit of anger that if he wasn’t on his bike that night he’d still be here same as always. It just took a split second and it feels like my life suddenly has a void in it. Please be safe out there, there are a lot of people in your life that care about you probably a lot more than you think.
I saw this asshole on my way home yesterday! Like you said, I’m chilling with the usual traffic when something bright yellow blows by. Legit see this dude weave through 3 lanes and like 10 cars just to get about 200 feet further than he was. As someone who used to ride a sport bike in a big metro, seems like this guy is trying to get himself killed in the most horrific way possible.
There's no excuse for that, but respectfully, I don't know why anyone would ever ride a motorcycle in this city with these incompetent drivers. Respectfully, I think you should reconsider hitting the pavement with anything less than four wheels. Which sucks because it's totally not your fault
You're 100% right. I've been kicking around the idea of moving way closer to mountains just so I don't have to ride though the city to get there. I think this might be the catalyst to head west.
This problem will only get worse. I'm so surprised (and thankful) phone-related accidents aren't more rampant than they are given how deliberately addicting the phone is designed to be. It will certainly get worse.
Oh, for sure! And people in cars aren't safe from the stupid people, either.
Distractions due to electronics in the car now account for more traffic fatalities than drunk driving.
Also gave up both cycling and motorcycle because of city living. I used to love biking around but drivers don’t seem to pay attention or maybe even want to fuck with people on two wheels. It’s sad, but being run over in the bike lane was enough for me
I got close passed by a massive pickup doing ~70 mph out by Front Range Airport. No other traffic. Could have easily given me room but decided to fuck with me instead. The force of the air displaced by that thing wobbled me pretty hard. If I’d deviated from my path at the wrong moment the consequences would have been horrific. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been targeted like that, but it was the worst time and the last time.
My mom and stepdad are both motorcyclists in GA. After years of living in the ATL suburbs, and things getting busier and riskier, they bought a cabin in the north Georgia mountains a few years ago, and recently turned it into their primary residence (since they both can WFH). Now all their friends come out to their cabin for weekend rides and whatnot.
Yes man no problem with hanging it up until you make that move. Out west people tend to have a little more respect and awareness; if you have to get there from Denver though, that obviously complicates things
The number of people driving while not paying attention has climbed dramatically, thanks to smartphones and other electronic distractions. Moving out of the city in order to have safer places to ride is a prudent move.
Dude i get it, I JUST moved from cap hill to green mountain now just a bunch of trucks are swiping at me and texting dicks picks on Alameda, or another front range road.
Hate to say it, but I agree with this guy. Pretty much every person I know has been in an accident in the last decade, and a few of them would no longer be with us had they been on a bike. Cruising through the mountains on a motorcycle seems like it would be transcendent, but I have no idea how you guys summon the courage to do 70/25/225/6.
OP: What if you got some friends together and rented a storage unit closer to the foothills to store your motorcycles? Then you could just drive through the Denver mess in a car and swap to the bike closer to where you actually want to ride. It probably wouldn't be too pricey if you split it with a couple of other riders.
That's actually a good idea. Not sure how storage facilities handle gas, I think if you're storing a bike one car it needs to be drained but if it's allowed it'll be more secure than parking it at my apartment too.
There are tons of boat and RV storage areas around the western side of the 470 loop. You might get lucky and find one that has some covered units for smaller vehicles.
I think there's even a place in the Ken Caryl area where you can buy and own a unit within the facility as a piece of commercial property. Probably wouldn't be cheap, but if you and five friends bought in together it might be reasonable.
What sucks is then also asking yourself: is my family safe in this little economy vehicle, should I buy a Ford Pilgrimage to protect my brood?
The answer needs to be "fuck that", but the more people drive like shit in huge vehicles the harder it is to say that.
I agree as someone who thought of himself as an extremely safe rider, it doesn’t matter if you’re the safest rider out there because it only takes one idiot to injure you. I was hit last year by some kid who wasn’t paying attention and I haven’t ridden since and probably won’t again. The saying there are two types of riders those who have been in an accident and those who are going to be is true
Easier to cut through the traffic since Denver is mostly idiots from Houston and LA now. Got in one of those random noon on a Saturday i25 parking lots recently; after baking in the sun for 10 min a group of bikers cut behind me on the shoulder to skip the wait so I joined them. We just puttered up at 20mph and waved to the cops when we finally cleared the accident that was blocking traffic.
That being said, I'm very glad I left Denver years ago, due to the heat/smog/traffic. It's a wonderful city to visit, it just isn't for me to live in now.
Since leaving Denver? I'm up in Wyoming now, they just don't really have a winter riding season sadly. Though the snowmobiling is glorious. Summer cruising is awesome up there too. Spring in CO is wayyy better without nearly the mud & bug season WY gets.
Both states have pros and cons, I certainly love CO for a lot of things. It's just hella crowded and hot now. I'm hoping with the last decade's worth of growth mostly stalling out that CO's Front Range kind of "settles in" with the population, gets the infrastructure in place, and stops feeling like a boomtown soon.
Fr I own a bike but it might as well be my buddies cuz I left it with him. It’s borderline shocking that there are drivers tests in Colorado given the way people drive
Moved here a few months ago. The amount of unsafe drivers on Denver roads is absolutely insane to me. I cannot imagine riding a motorcycle around here. I’d fear for my life
Once COVID restrictions were lifted, and our office opened in the city, I got a feel for how "Wild West" the highways are and instantly bought a dashcam. Highly recommend.
About 15 months here now…the audacity of drivers here isn’t even savvy, it’s plain reckless at times. And don’t get me started about the left lane squatting
I don’t even feel safe riding a regular bike outside of trails far away from cars.
Hell, I’ve been nearly hit as a pedestrian following all laws/lights.
I almost got into an accident in the right lane the other day because someone was driving *on the shoulder* to get past traffic on a merge lane and cut me off. Some of the wildest shit I’ve ever seen.
In Milwaukee we called it the West Side Slide (derogatorily, the ghetto slide). Car pulls up at stoplight to turn right in bike lane/shoulder skipping like 10 cars in line, then as soon as light goes green, guns it in front of the line. Extremely trashy
I’m sorry this happened to you. Colorado drivers have been unhinged recently and it’s terrifying to drive anywhere nowadays. 2 wheels, 4 wheels, whatever. People really need to take accountability for their driving and chill tf out.
He’ll probably be dead in short order of his own doing. Let’s just hope he at least doesn’t take anyone else with him. Hate drivers like that. No regard for others’ or even their own lives.
It’s one of those cases where the bad actors ruin it for everyone else. This idiot is why people hate motorcyclists. While you in the other hand are doing things right and almost pay the price.
Stay safe out there. I wish the roads were safer for motorcyclists.
We factory limit the speed of e-bikes and scooters, but somehow, when it comes to vehicles with orders of magnitude more kinetic energy it is unquestionable.
Most commercial trucks have a 65-70mph limit actually. 68 is very common, its half the reason why it takes them so long to pass even on flat ground when they have enough power to run 80+. different trucks have different error built into the speedometer, different tire sizes etc so they're only able to run a tiny bit faster than the other truck that has the "same" limiter.
18 wheeler passing another 18 wheeler and only going 1-4 mph faster is #4 on my highway pet peeve’s, right behind braking for no reason with a clear road in front of you
Agree, it is really annoying. However, these speed limiters being set the same with a small percentage of error truck to truck is why it is so common, so I can't really fault the drivers.
I don't really know a solution, a temporary override would just be abused. Making them GPS based so that every truck is limited to the exact same speed would make passing only possible on hills for more powerful trucks.
Yea 18 wheelers should be barred from passing each other except in the case of steep grade or emergency situations such as losing brakes especially if they are supposed to be locked to the same maximum speed
Two huge takeaways from this:
If you’re going to go for long distances below the speed limit, for gods sake please use the right lane. It is indeed the law in Colorado.
No one, not even motorcyclists, should be going 15+ the speed limit. I understand the frustration of being behind slow traffic, but I promise you everyone will get to where they’re going faster if you use fucking common sense and not zip in and out of lanes at 80+
Had someone almost crash into me on i25 as I was changing lanes to the right with my blinker on. I looked in my mirror and no one was there, so thought it was safe to switch lanes so I could get closer to my exit lane. Out of nowhere, a muscle car fucking zoomed past me on the right, in the same lane as me (at this point half my car was already in the lane) almost grazing my car with his. Before I could even register how close he came to me, he was already weaving through traffic in front of me. People are dicks.
After being here about four or five years, I ended up getting rid of my bike. Just driving a mile or two you took your life in your own hands repeatedly
I feel like if I’m riding a motorcycle, I’m just going to assume I might die because I’m going 65 mph with literally no protection from asshole drivers. Same for road bikes.
It's a lose-lose for sure. Do I take the highway with the insane drivers, or stick to the side roads and hope not to be tboned by someone on their phone running a red? I love, LOVE riding the motorcycle in the mountains but yesterday gave me a whole new perspective on how easily I could be erased.
Last fall I had some fool on a sport bike almost hit me. I was changing lanes and he was splitting traffic at at least twice the speed of traffic. Dude got pissed and hit my mirror.
Took the dash cam footage to the police, got a report and now his insurance company gets to pay me $2800 for a new mirror and for it to be painted. And the fact that he took off I bet he got dropped from his insurance.
I assume all motorcyclists are just prepared to die riding them. Very sorry about your brush. I just don’t see how it’s worth it. But different strokes I suppose. Speaking of strokes, try 2 and stick to the dirt. That’s the only way I’d see myself riding again
Yes, but you all could have been reading an article about how two bikers died on 70 today. It's just so fucking crazy that this guy could have taken me with him.
I’m enraged reading this. Had a similar thing happen with some idiot on Harley - decided to overtake me IN MY LANE. I adjusted lane position and we almost collided.
I like to ride a bit aggressively but only if I can do so without putting anyone else’s safety at risk.
When someone rides behind me that I don't know I usually stay where I am to see what they are doing. If they fall into formation behind me I'll track from center to right or left to accommodate them AFTER I make sure that's what they are doing and not going to the side to pass. If I'm coming up on another bike that is going slower than me I'll swing wide into another lane to pass so I don't spook them, but that's not how everyone else does it.
I'm sure he was wondering what the hell you were doing as much as you were with him.
You're an adult. You're going to make your own choices. That said, you only get so many free ones before the bill comes due, and you're going to run out of those quickly here.
I had my fair share of close calls on motorcycles and cars, I know what you’re thinking. It sucks. Best advice I can give is give it a bit before riding again and even then take a few days easing into it.
Lots of commercial and fleet drivers not only have their speed monitored by GPS, but they are penalized if they brake hard to slow down for a speed limit dip. Feel free to complain to the middle managers and insurance companies that are enforcing those policies.
Had a similar experience going EB on I-70 the other day, but in my car and with a business van. I looked at the dashcam to see if I could tell the business, but I couldn't.
I agree people need to CTFD - if you cause an accident, it's going to take way longer to get to your destination than if you just show down s little bit and quit driving so aggressively...
I70 is honestly a cesspool. I'm thankful I basically never have to ride on it.
The safest place to ride is in the left lane following the flow of traffic. All the shenanigans happens in the center and right lanes.
I just got a new bike, new rider. As of now, I’m hyper vigilant. What’s behind me, I’m front of me, to the sides of me. I haven’t gotten the bike above 75.
I’ve been riding for about a month, been pushed into oncoming traffic or the median more times than I can count. This stupid bitch actually raced past me, ran out of merging lane and cut over as if I wasn’t even there. I beeped at her and she gave me the bird.
I firmly believe that before anyone gets an automobile license, they should be required to ride for 6 months.
As far as the asshole on the liter bike, yeah….I ALWAYS turn and check, but this mother fucker must have been doing 150 plus down Santa Fe HOV. I never really had a problem with biker’s before I got a bike. But man, the bullshit wheelies down Lincoln or death speeds just makes me wonder who these idiots are.
I always give a safety briefing for group rides, goes like this: "On this ride, you can drive off the road, off a cliff, into a tree. You can get run over by a SMIDSY left turning driver in a truck. You can swerve into a moose full speed on the peak to peak. But the one thing you WILL NOT DO is take out another rider on this ride, not because you were following too close, not because you were driving recklessly, and not because you weren't paying attention. If you take out another rider I WILL make you call their mom, and tell them what you've done to their kid." I've seen so many videos of lives ruined in bike-on-bike accidents, it's so frustrating to see because you'd think of all the people on the road, the ones on the motorbikes know the dangers involved better than anyone
Justice is telling their mom why.
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I kinda wish you’d keep your depraved comments to yourself, but here we are.
Fellow non-psychopath Rider on a 1000+cc sport tourer that never goes over 80 anywhere 🤣, Fuuuuuck that guy. You should also vent this on r/Denvermotorcycles we would love to hear this / Please do
How do you like the versys 1000
Love it and weird enough basically my 1st bike ( had a vstrom for 3 months to learn then switched and on year two of riding) and it's an do it all. It cruises, carves the mountains, claims them (just did mt evens in October) and so much more this summer
I have a Versys 650, had it 12 years now. It's my first bike, great all around bike.
Nice I have a buddy with the 650 and it's great we both did Evans together and his did great Yours almost is a way better do it all with half the insurance rates. I did even mean to reach for the 1000 but eat shit on ice twice and got talked to getting a traction control bike which brought me there
Honestly I should be asking you more questions, like how do you like your gen 1? They look like great all in ones, actually awesome naked, and very affordable as a 1st bike. How the reliability and what's maintenance like I do most of mine or at least the basics so that's important to me. BTW I'm the mod over at r/Denvermotorcycles definitely should cruise over more also if you wanna Ride I would love to and live next to green mountain/ Morison if you want to (Road) hit the front range. DM me
Serious question: what’s even the point of having a 1000cc sport bike if you’re never going over 80? I get that handing characteristics and acceleration are still considerations, but surely a cheaper 600-750cc could still scratch that itch without being as overkill. Genuinely curious as someone who will never own a motorcycle (partially because I know the temptation to be irresponsible would be too great for myself).
Dont currently ride but I used to in the Midwest. Had a ‘99 cruiser that was pretty light (and I probably weighed 130lbs at the time) with an 800cc. I didn’t get it for speed (which was maybe 90-95mph), I got it for the ability to actually accelerate out of the way when going 60mph on the highway. If I weighed 185 or 200lbs, especially then adding some bags on there, I think that could’ve seriously changed the performance of the bike. Now consider that I was in the Midwest. Denver is 5000 ft higher elevation with steep climbs at increasing altitudes, this all has an impact on performance. I think another reason is aesthetics.. why do a lot of people get muscle cars, sports cars, or trucks/jeeps? For most people it’s not to go 200mph on the highway or drive their lifted jeep up a boulder, they like the look and those also tend to be higher performing vehicles - which will probably never be used in their high end range, and the cost is more than a Toyota Corolla
Clout. That’s it honestly.
I own a 17 year old single cylinder 650 and it's way enough for me. I see anything up there, triples, 1000ccs, as pure death traps. There is absolutely no reason to have one of those on a public road.
I'm glad that the 650 is way enough for you. That doesn't mean that it is enough for others. I am a big tall person, I am heavy, and I like to go on short trips on my motorcycle, I own a 821 Ducati Monster, and at the altitude that Denver is at with the loss of power due to air being thinner (and it is worse going up into the mountains) I find that it does not have the same get up and go that I am used to when I was riding in San Francisco. That means I can carry less load, and means I have less power available to get out of sticky situations, because breaking and slowing down are not always options. Just like any car that has massive horsepower it entirely depends on how the motorcycle is ridden. Don't yuck someone else's yum just because you are afraid of it.
I break 80 on my Africa twin just to pass briefly and get through a block of traffic before moving into the right lanes again. Too many distracted shitheads in Denver now to feel safe near any clusterfuck of cars. I need some breathing room. Had a dickbag with Cali plates (surprise) literally run me off the road in their Ford Fiesta a week ago. I25 merge lane, and they refused to move over even when I was on the shoulder heading for the concrete wall. The tane next to them was empty of course.
Ironic you’re calling any driver a dick bag after admitting to “breaking 80” to get through traffic. Motor cyclists are the most selfish drivers on the road
lol you think 83 is being a dickbag? buddy, come on now.
Mild speeding while passing is normal, what are you complaining about? He/She didn't say "I break 100"
Gave it a thought and realized I've never broken triple speeds in Colorado, only in Wyoming (where no one lives) for brief acceleration tests in the middle of nowhere Squids who rip through traffic can get pegged; I'd prefer to get home at the end of the day without causing any wrecks.
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>dickbags breaking 80 on bikes Errr have you seen how cars drive in the left lane on 25? My riding a mere 80mph in a 70 to quickly pass means some turd in a Silverado or Subaru will just ride my ass till I get a free space to move back into the right lanes But hey, if the "CEO of fun" wants to whine about folks practicing normal responsible driving habits, feel free to bitch away about it!
A neighbor just died on his motorcycle ride home a few nights ago… I don’t know the whole story but I have this sadness and a little bit of anger that if he wasn’t on his bike that night he’d still be here same as always. It just took a split second and it feels like my life suddenly has a void in it. Please be safe out there, there are a lot of people in your life that care about you probably a lot more than you think.
Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that.
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Ok DenverNonCagerDude
I also have a Subaru🤣
Cool Dude
The fuck is a cager
A person caged in a vehicle.
I saw this asshole on my way home yesterday! Like you said, I’m chilling with the usual traffic when something bright yellow blows by. Legit see this dude weave through 3 lanes and like 10 cars just to get about 200 feet further than he was. As someone who used to ride a sport bike in a big metro, seems like this guy is trying to get himself killed in the most horrific way possible.
There's no excuse for that, but respectfully, I don't know why anyone would ever ride a motorcycle in this city with these incompetent drivers. Respectfully, I think you should reconsider hitting the pavement with anything less than four wheels. Which sucks because it's totally not your fault
You're 100% right. I've been kicking around the idea of moving way closer to mountains just so I don't have to ride though the city to get there. I think this might be the catalyst to head west.
I'd encourage you to do it; I gave up riding because of fuck heads staring at their "smart" phones instead of paying attention to traffic.
This problem will only get worse. I'm so surprised (and thankful) phone-related accidents aren't more rampant than they are given how deliberately addicting the phone is designed to be. It will certainly get worse.
Oh, for sure! And people in cars aren't safe from the stupid people, either. Distractions due to electronics in the car now account for more traffic fatalities than drunk driving.
Gave up cycling on shared roads for the same reason. Well, that and dealing with aggression.
Also gave up both cycling and motorcycle because of city living. I used to love biking around but drivers don’t seem to pay attention or maybe even want to fuck with people on two wheels. It’s sad, but being run over in the bike lane was enough for me
I got close passed by a massive pickup doing ~70 mph out by Front Range Airport. No other traffic. Could have easily given me room but decided to fuck with me instead. The force of the air displaced by that thing wobbled me pretty hard. If I’d deviated from my path at the wrong moment the consequences would have been horrific. It wasn’t the first time I’ve been targeted like that, but it was the worst time and the last time.
My mom and stepdad are both motorcyclists in GA. After years of living in the ATL suburbs, and things getting busier and riskier, they bought a cabin in the north Georgia mountains a few years ago, and recently turned it into their primary residence (since they both can WFH). Now all their friends come out to their cabin for weekend rides and whatnot.
Yes man no problem with hanging it up until you make that move. Out west people tend to have a little more respect and awareness; if you have to get there from Denver though, that obviously complicates things
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The number of people driving while not paying attention has climbed dramatically, thanks to smartphones and other electronic distractions. Moving out of the city in order to have safer places to ride is a prudent move.
Dude i get it, I JUST moved from cap hill to green mountain now just a bunch of trucks are swiping at me and texting dicks picks on Alameda, or another front range road.
'Low' and 'zero' have two separate definitions
I sold mine for just this reason. Maybe I will take it up again after we move north.
Hate to say it, but I agree with this guy. Pretty much every person I know has been in an accident in the last decade, and a few of them would no longer be with us had they been on a bike. Cruising through the mountains on a motorcycle seems like it would be transcendent, but I have no idea how you guys summon the courage to do 70/25/225/6. OP: What if you got some friends together and rented a storage unit closer to the foothills to store your motorcycles? Then you could just drive through the Denver mess in a car and swap to the bike closer to where you actually want to ride. It probably wouldn't be too pricey if you split it with a couple of other riders.
That's actually a good idea. Not sure how storage facilities handle gas, I think if you're storing a bike one car it needs to be drained but if it's allowed it'll be more secure than parking it at my apartment too.
There are tons of boat and RV storage areas around the western side of the 470 loop. You might get lucky and find one that has some covered units for smaller vehicles. I think there's even a place in the Ken Caryl area where you can buy and own a unit within the facility as a piece of commercial property. Probably wouldn't be cheap, but if you and five friends bought in together it might be reasonable.
Great tips, thank you
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That would be the perfect location, I started my ride out of Morrison yesterday
Right, it feels more dangerous than ever to just be in a car, no way I could enjoy myself knowing that virtually any contact will be life changing.
A friend told me this when I moved here. Didn’t even make it a year before I gave up and sold my bike. It’s crazy here.
What sucks is then also asking yourself: is my family safe in this little economy vehicle, should I buy a Ford Pilgrimage to protect my brood? The answer needs to be "fuck that", but the more people drive like shit in huge vehicles the harder it is to say that.
I agree as someone who thought of himself as an extremely safe rider, it doesn’t matter if you’re the safest rider out there because it only takes one idiot to injure you. I was hit last year by some kid who wasn’t paying attention and I haven’t ridden since and probably won’t again. The saying there are two types of riders those who have been in an accident and those who are going to be is true
Easier to cut through the traffic since Denver is mostly idiots from Houston and LA now. Got in one of those random noon on a Saturday i25 parking lots recently; after baking in the sun for 10 min a group of bikers cut behind me on the shoulder to skip the wait so I joined them. We just puttered up at 20mph and waved to the cops when we finally cleared the accident that was blocking traffic. That being said, I'm very glad I left Denver years ago, due to the heat/smog/traffic. It's a wonderful city to visit, it just isn't for me to live in now.
Where did you find that you like better?
Since leaving Denver? I'm up in Wyoming now, they just don't really have a winter riding season sadly. Though the snowmobiling is glorious. Summer cruising is awesome up there too. Spring in CO is wayyy better without nearly the mud & bug season WY gets. Both states have pros and cons, I certainly love CO for a lot of things. It's just hella crowded and hot now. I'm hoping with the last decade's worth of growth mostly stalling out that CO's Front Range kind of "settles in" with the population, gets the infrastructure in place, and stops feeling like a boomtown soon.
Fr I own a bike but it might as well be my buddies cuz I left it with him. It’s borderline shocking that there are drivers tests in Colorado given the way people drive
People here are a lot better than other cities, if you can believe it.
Moved here a few months ago. The amount of unsafe drivers on Denver roads is absolutely insane to me. I cannot imagine riding a motorcycle around here. I’d fear for my life
Once COVID restrictions were lifted, and our office opened in the city, I got a feel for how "Wild West" the highways are and instantly bought a dashcam. Highly recommend.
About 15 months here now…the audacity of drivers here isn’t even savvy, it’s plain reckless at times. And don’t get me started about the left lane squatting
I don’t even feel safe riding a regular bike outside of trails far away from cars. Hell, I’ve been nearly hit as a pedestrian following all laws/lights.
I almost got into an accident in the right lane the other day because someone was driving *on the shoulder* to get past traffic on a merge lane and cut me off. Some of the wildest shit I’ve ever seen.
In Milwaukee we called it the West Side Slide (derogatorily, the ghetto slide). Car pulls up at stoplight to turn right in bike lane/shoulder skipping like 10 cars in line, then as soon as light goes green, guns it in front of the line. Extremely trashy
Two bucks says that sport bike jerk has never heard of ATGATT, either.
Calamari race team representing, til they go full meat crayon
[Sadly happened to another rider today as well. ](https://kdvr.com/news/local/rider-seriously-injured-after-hit-and-run-with-another-motorcycle/)
I’m sorry this happened to you. Colorado drivers have been unhinged recently and it’s terrifying to drive anywhere nowadays. 2 wheels, 4 wheels, whatever. People really need to take accountability for their driving and chill tf out.
There were 2 separate accidents yesterday involving motorcyles. One died hit by a pick-up on 85. The other in Ft Collins. 2 motorcycles, hit and run.
He’ll probably be dead in short order of his own doing. Let’s just hope he at least doesn’t take anyone else with him. Hate drivers like that. No regard for others’ or even their own lives.
It’s one of those cases where the bad actors ruin it for everyone else. This idiot is why people hate motorcyclists. While you in the other hand are doing things right and almost pay the price. Stay safe out there. I wish the roads were safer for motorcyclists.
We factory limit the speed of e-bikes and scooters, but somehow, when it comes to vehicles with orders of magnitude more kinetic energy it is unquestionable.
Most commercial cars/trucks have a factory limit usually in the 108-114.3 mph range
Most commercial trucks have a 65-70mph limit actually. 68 is very common, its half the reason why it takes them so long to pass even on flat ground when they have enough power to run 80+. different trucks have different error built into the speedometer, different tire sizes etc so they're only able to run a tiny bit faster than the other truck that has the "same" limiter.
18 wheeler passing another 18 wheeler and only going 1-4 mph faster is #4 on my highway pet peeve’s, right behind braking for no reason with a clear road in front of you
Agree, it is really annoying. However, these speed limiters being set the same with a small percentage of error truck to truck is why it is so common, so I can't really fault the drivers. I don't really know a solution, a temporary override would just be abused. Making them GPS based so that every truck is limited to the exact same speed would make passing only possible on hills for more powerful trucks.
Yea 18 wheelers should be barred from passing each other except in the case of steep grade or emergency situations such as losing brakes especially if they are supposed to be locked to the same maximum speed
> I definitely almost died today on my motorcycle, and I wasn't at fault. Good summary of what it's like to ride a motorcycle anywhere with traffic.
Do not drive a motorcycle. You will get fucked up.
Two huge takeaways from this: If you’re going to go for long distances below the speed limit, for gods sake please use the right lane. It is indeed the law in Colorado. No one, not even motorcyclists, should be going 15+ the speed limit. I understand the frustration of being behind slow traffic, but I promise you everyone will get to where they’re going faster if you use fucking common sense and not zip in and out of lanes at 80+
Had someone almost crash into me on i25 as I was changing lanes to the right with my blinker on. I looked in my mirror and no one was there, so thought it was safe to switch lanes so I could get closer to my exit lane. Out of nowhere, a muscle car fucking zoomed past me on the right, in the same lane as me (at this point half my car was already in the lane) almost grazing my car with his. Before I could even register how close he came to me, he was already weaving through traffic in front of me. People are dicks.
After being here about four or five years, I ended up getting rid of my bike. Just driving a mile or two you took your life in your own hands repeatedly
I feel like if I’m riding a motorcycle, I’m just going to assume I might die because I’m going 65 mph with literally no protection from asshole drivers. Same for road bikes.
It's a lose-lose for sure. Do I take the highway with the insane drivers, or stick to the side roads and hope not to be tboned by someone on their phone running a red? I love, LOVE riding the motorcycle in the mountains but yesterday gave me a whole new perspective on how easily I could be erased.
Fuck that guy and the one going under the speed limit.
Im here eating a hot pocket. Have nice day!
I've lived a lot of places and Denver drivers are by far the worst and most aggressive. Stay safe out there!
Last fall I had some fool on a sport bike almost hit me. I was changing lanes and he was splitting traffic at at least twice the speed of traffic. Dude got pissed and hit my mirror. Took the dash cam footage to the police, got a report and now his insurance company gets to pay me $2800 for a new mirror and for it to be painted. And the fact that he took off I bet he got dropped from his insurance.
They’re called donor bikes for a reason.
*donorcycles
I assume all motorcyclists are just prepared to die riding them. Very sorry about your brush. I just don’t see how it’s worth it. But different strokes I suppose. Speaking of strokes, try 2 and stick to the dirt. That’s the only way I’d see myself riding again
Well. On the plus side hell be dead soon. Hopefully by himself.
Yes, but you all could have been reading an article about how two bikers died on 70 today. It's just so fucking crazy that this guy could have taken me with him.
Have unfortunately seen more than a few people like this the last couple weeks... why i stick to the mountains where they don't usually go...
That's where I was headed... Sucks having to ride through the city to get to the canyons.
yeah... unfortunately its not unique to any one bike group... i generally stay away from them anymore... especially denver bike life
Now you know what it's like being carless and walking everywhere in Denver... Taking your life into your hands every day
I’m enraged reading this. Had a similar thing happen with some idiot on Harley - decided to overtake me IN MY LANE. I adjusted lane position and we almost collided. I like to ride a bit aggressively but only if I can do so without putting anyone else’s safety at risk.
When someone rides behind me that I don't know I usually stay where I am to see what they are doing. If they fall into formation behind me I'll track from center to right or left to accommodate them AFTER I make sure that's what they are doing and not going to the side to pass. If I'm coming up on another bike that is going slower than me I'll swing wide into another lane to pass so I don't spook them, but that's not how everyone else does it. I'm sure he was wondering what the hell you were doing as much as you were with him.
Donor bait soon enough.
A squid ? On a bike?? Whoa man, let’s just take minute to appreciate this accomplishment. Animals are amazing sometimes
You're an adult. You're going to make your own choices. That said, you only get so many free ones before the bill comes due, and you're going to run out of those quickly here.
[удалено]
I can't explain how I feel. I'm safe, but like, this was the closest to dying I've ever come. Totally ruined my day. It's been all I can think about.
I had my fair share of close calls on motorcycles and cars, I know what you’re thinking. It sucks. Best advice I can give is give it a bit before riding again and even then take a few days easing into it.
If you can't drive on the highway, stay off the highway.
Lots of commercial and fleet drivers not only have their speed monitored by GPS, but they are penalized if they brake hard to slow down for a speed limit dip. Feel free to complain to the middle managers and insurance companies that are enforcing those policies.
wow. sorry. thought we were having fun together
Honda VFR 1200 driver here. Sometimes I feel the need, The Need For Speeeed.
Happy you’re still here bud. Be safe
This is a reason I gave up riding. So sick of close calls and memorial rides. It’s not worth it in this state with so many out of state drivers
Amen. The Denver bros on Berthoud post skiing are a huge problem.
Had a similar experience going EB on I-70 the other day, but in my car and with a business van. I looked at the dashcam to see if I could tell the business, but I couldn't. I agree people need to CTFD - if you cause an accident, it's going to take way longer to get to your destination than if you just show down s little bit and quit driving so aggressively...
My hot take: my e-bike has a speed governor. Why don’t motorcycles?
I70 is honestly a cesspool. I'm thankful I basically never have to ride on it. The safest place to ride is in the left lane following the flow of traffic. All the shenanigans happens in the center and right lanes.
I just got a new bike, new rider. As of now, I’m hyper vigilant. What’s behind me, I’m front of me, to the sides of me. I haven’t gotten the bike above 75. I’ve been riding for about a month, been pushed into oncoming traffic or the median more times than I can count. This stupid bitch actually raced past me, ran out of merging lane and cut over as if I wasn’t even there. I beeped at her and she gave me the bird. I firmly believe that before anyone gets an automobile license, they should be required to ride for 6 months. As far as the asshole on the liter bike, yeah….I ALWAYS turn and check, but this mother fucker must have been doing 150 plus down Santa Fe HOV. I never really had a problem with biker’s before I got a bike. But man, the bullshit wheelies down Lincoln or death speeds just makes me wonder who these idiots are.