Christine's Corner

It's December and No, I'm NOT Riding!

2011-12-09T11:57:00.001-07:00

I'm sure it's been a bazillion years since I've posted...but rest assured, I'm still out here!

This year has been interesting--I've done more riding than in past years--but not as much as I first did. Let's face it, I've become a fair-weather rider. Once in my life (like it's a different century or something), I would have not thought twice about hopping on the bike for a quick scoot as long as the roads were clear. Now, not so much!

The Iron Butt some years ago was what took my enthusiasm out of the "joy" of the ride--in cold temps. Something about having to thaw out by taking a shower or bath just doesn't appeal to me. My 'ol bones don't like it either! Having to navigate automobiles that really are not aware that there may be a motorcyclist on the road does not appeal to me either.

The last ride of the season was with an old friend for a Sunday afternoon scoot. The temps were about the mid 50's..not terribly cold but not terribly warm. Being Colorado, if the sun was shining, it was perfect. Unfortunately, the clouds rolled in..and yes, it was nippy. I had my cold weather gear, but it's just not the same. We got about 75 miles in and my friend, who was leading, asked me where the next stop would be. My response was "home"!

He laughed and admitted that he was thinking the same thing!

It was nice 75 miles and I'm sure that the bug will bite when the weather warms up. Until then, the bike is on the tender.

Of course, I've been looking at the new BMW 1600 and yes, with heated handgrips and seat, I may have to rethink the whole cold weather riding! That's another story for another day and I have to finish grad school first!

Ya'll keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

As The Leaves Turn

2011-09-29T16:30:00.000-06:00

Well, it's now or never for the ride out to see the Colorado fall colors.

So it's now.

This morning, it was a cooooolllll ride up to Cripple Creek. At 9 am, it was a warm and balmy 50-something degrees.

Did I mention that I haven't done any really cold weather riding since...uhhhh...March??

Today was just a small front, it will be back to "normal" Colorado 80's tomorrow.

However, today's ride was spectacular. The aspens are changing and the yellows are just brilliant! It's quite different from the yellows/reds/oranges of the midwest/east, since the contrast are greens and yellow here and moving to gold and then...

Falling off!!!

It was nice to get out and ride, but still too nippy for me!! However, it was fun to ride the twistys up to Cripple Creek. However, the weather wasn't nice enough to stop for lunch. Rather, it was a quick scoot home!

"High On The Hog" by the MeanStreet Riders

2011-05-25T10:58:00.000-06:00

The MeanStreet Riders, a group of motorcycling friends that also happens to be a band (or is it a band that also happens to motorcycle?) are releasing their debut CD and I'm one of the lucky ones that get the opportunity to preview their debut album High On The Hog.

The MSR (the band, not the Mountain Shadow Riders), formed back 2008. This group of songwriters that have a passion for riding realized they had an opportunity to share their stories and experiences through song. High On The Hog does just that! All the band members contributed to the lyrics and were able to give their own perspective to the riding experience.

The track 129 is about their experience riding Deal's Gap. Located on Highway 129, Deal's Gap, or The Dragon, is an 11-mile stretch of highway in Tennessee that has 318 turns. I've never done Deal's Gap by motorcycle, but I do remember doing the ride in my car many years ago. I could easily relate to the track!!

The other tracks relate to motorcycling--destinations of "over there", Strugis and other places motorcycle. The dream of just hopping on and letting the wind blow, enjoying the ride, and momentarily escaping the realities of life. The reminder that friends, family, and country are important and not to take life too seriously.

High On The Hog is what American Rock is all about. Harmonic and full of guitar riffs, this is an album that I can hear in my mind's eye while rolling down the highway.

Like any ride, the album came to an end quickly. My thanks to the members of MeanStreet Riders for sharing their memories in song. Ahhhh.....I want to go for a ride!!

You can find the MeanStreet Riders on Facebook or at their website. You can preview their album at their website. Look for it for general release sometime in June!

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Mountain Shadow Rider's Open House #1 and Racing at PPIR

2011-05-25T10:32:00.000-06:00

Every spring/summer, the MSR puts on at least one open house to meet and greet with the motorcycle community and raise money for our Breast Cancer Awareness Run. Our run is held the first Saturday in October and this year it's on October 1st.

This year, we have two open houses scheduled--one was this past Saturday at Rocky Mountain Cycle Plaza. The folks at RMCP are wonderful for hosting us and we always have fun talking to the customers coming in and out. Of course, the smell of brats, burgers and dogs cooking are helpful!!!

Our food is all donated by the membership and proceeds are put towards our BCA Run in October. I'm not sure how much the open house brought it, but it is always fun to get together and just do what we do!!

I didn't do the whole day--instead I headed down to Pike's Peak International Raceway for the MRA Races. It's always fun to watch the sport bikes race!! And a beautiful day to boot!! PPIR is a small track; I'm not sure if the racers like it, but for a spectator, it's great since I can see the entire track!!

Next race day is June 11. Next MSR open house is still uncertain, but might be in June.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Colorado Springs Touring Club--El Paso County Search and Rescue

2011-05-16T11:33:00.000-06:00

I awoke to a cold and dreary day! Brrrr.....

The high was supposed to get up to the mid 50's, but I do not think it made it to the day's high. I was not planning on doing the ride since my son was in tow--we were just going to go down to the end stop and meet everyone.

Instead, we went down and registered and then headed out to run errands. In the car.

Yeah, I got flak about it, but hey, my days of riding in the rain are about over. I know I can do it, but if I don't have to.....

Unfortunately, with the weather being so cold (and this is the second time in 20+ years that the weather was uncooperative), attendance was down. It's unfortunate, because the El Paso County Search and Rescue group is not funded by tax payer dollars. Probably doesn't mean too much except if you get lost in the mountains, EPCS&R are the folks that get out and bring you in. Which gets to be mighty important if it's you or a loved one that has gotten lost or fallen off a cliff.

Nonetheless, it was a fun day and the CSTC did raise some funds for the EPCS&R. We won door prizes too!! Not to mention having a good time laughing and carrying on with my friends.

Next weekend is a race weekend. Boyfriend Joe is racing at Pikes Peak International Raceway. The weather is iffy for rain, but hey that's what he has raingear for!!!

The Mountain Shadow Riders are also having their Family Dinner Night on Thursday and and open house. The MSR usually has two open houses--one in early spring and the other one in late spring. If you guys are in the Colorado Springs, come out and check out the ladies of the Mountain Shadow Riders. We'll be at Rocky Mountain Sports Plaza starting around 10 AM.

That's all the motorcycle news for the day. Didn't ride....well, not on two wheels anyway!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Dang It's Cold Out There!!

2011-04-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning was the local HOG Easter Egg Fun Run. It was certainly Easter and it was fun. But it was COLD!

We set out for breakfast at 8:30. Skies were overcast. Not too windy. Temps...colder than I liked. Looking up at Pikes Peak...snowing. Oh boy. As I ride down I-25, I am wondering if any of the stops are up in Woodland Park. I roll into the restaurant and head in. I find my group of friends and as the spot me, they burst out laughing. Something about the expression on my face. I talk to one of the HOG members and ask if the route was going up the mountain.

Of course! We talk about the snow and my friend declares that we may just have to skip the stop.

After breakfast we head out to the dealership. I commented to dear BF that those wonderful crashbar covers I received for Christmas would be most excellent to have today. Except I don't have them because they didn't fit and he took them back. The dealership didn't have the correct ones, so I have just done without. Not a big deal since I don't do much riding. However, today would have been a good day!

However, BF is wonderful and checked the dealership inventory. They had some that work so now have engine guard wind deflectors!

There were two stops up the mountain and we made the executive decision not to go up the hill. Note: snow is not fun and dangerous to ride in unless you are on a Ural or trike. I have neither!

The other stops were parks around the surrounding area. I know that the idea is that it's an Easter Egg run and that involves Eggs and Parks. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't being cooperative so there wasn't an opportunity to warm up.

The end stop was at Frankie's Too in Fountain. I was soooo happy to be there!! Finally, something warm to drink and food.

A note about cold weather riding. If you are going to do it, make sure you have sufficient fuel in the tank. Yes, the motorcycle, but also the stomach. It's important because the body will need the fuel to stay warm. It's also important to make sure your bladder is empty because it take additional energy to keep urine warm--I know I want the heat to keep me warm, not my pee!

One of the prizes was a "golden easter egg" Since the stop up the mountain had the egg and there was no brave soul ventured that way (except the HOG members that were running the stop), the egg hunt ended up at the restaurant. I spotted the egg and won! Yay me!! Got a few Harley bucks to spend at the dealership.

It was cold riding home and my solution to warm up was a nice bath. As I was running the water, the sun came out. Gee, talk about Murphy's Law, eh??

Well, it was good to get out and see friends...so a good ride overall. And a reminder of how much I do not like to ride in the cold. Of course, why am I living in Colorado then??

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Ride Like the Wind?

2011-04-12T15:39:00.001-06:00

I can definitely tell that it's springtime in the Rockies! My son Alex and I rode down to the April Mountain Shadow Riders meeting. Wow, a lot of new people! Which is great! And it's always wonderful to catch up with my friends.

The ride after the meeting was to Pueblo. I wasn't feeling it since the wind has been bothersome so some of us decided to break off and head north to Franktown. My son had another activity scheduled, so I got to ride without him. Truthfully, I would not have gone riding if I had him--anything out of town has him complaining that his legs hurt.

While it was only 45 or so miles, wow. The wind was beating up on everyone. I had the fabulous task of leading--although I don't understand why since I'm the one that is directionally challenged. Fortunately, I knew where the Stagecoach was, so all I had to do was lead five other motorcyclists.

Unbeknownst to me, one of the riders was new. Well, I knew that he had a new motorcycle--a new to him Harley Davidson V-Rod. He hadn't ridden in a number of years, but that doesn't mean anything--I had taken a riding hiatus for twenty-something years. I started riding again on a Yamaha V-Star 1100, which is still a large motorcycle then moved to my Harley. So, in my book, anyone riding a V-Rod should know what they are doing.

I was wrong.

The wind was beating us up pretty badly. I have a windshield, but Mr. V-Rod did not and while he had a full-faced helmet on, I know how exhausting it can be trying to ride in 40+ MPH wind gusts. I did lecture him before we headed out that I expect all riders to ride their own ride and be comfortable. However, I did not anticipate that he would do 5 miles under the speed limit.

That creates another type of hazard. I typically ride 5 miles over the speed limit and will ratchet it down some if necessary but I like to stay over the speed limit. I do this because most cars aren't doing the speed limit and I don't want to create a dangerous situation where cars are trying to pass motorcycles on twisty Colorado roads because they get impatient. There were several occasions that I looked back and the group is a quarter mile away!

Yikes!

I know he's struggling, but since we are out, we don't have much of a choice but to press on. I cut my speed but am conscious of the traffic behind our group and when a few cars build up and the road is passable, I move to the right to let the cars by.

Over all, it's an exhausting ride. Not just from the wind, but the process of ensuring that riders stay safe and ride within their means.

Mr. V-Rod ended up dumping his bike later in the day and breaking the shift linkage, but overall, he did very well. Hey, there were a couple of uh-oh moments when the wind is gusting me around, so my hat's off to him.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's Was 84 Yesterday....and Today......

2011-04-03T22:28:00.000-06:00

It snowed :(.

Fortunately, the weather forecast was correct so my friends and I thought it was a good idea to ride on Saturday.

It was! I guess those that were invited thought it was a good idea too, since almost 20 people showed up!

Yahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

It was a little chilly riding out to Starbucks...but after that, it warmed up nicely. One of those beautiful Colorado days where the sun is shining, the sky is a brilliant blue and I can still see snow up on Pike's Peak.

The day was made better because my son rode along.

Because of that, the route was planned to stay in the Colorado Springs vicinity. Even an 8 year old's booty gets sore from sitting on a Fatboy passenger pillion!

First stop was lunch out in Falcon. I had the chance to visit and catch up with my friends and fill my tummy. What more can a girl ask for?

Well, more riding!!

After lunch, we rode out to the local putt-putt golf course and had an "activity". Thank goodness there was a six-stroke limit because there were some holes that were just not pretty!!! Paul and I were excited that we won--errrr--or had the highest number of strokes. Yeah, in putt-putt, those are the rules! In my imagination, at least!

Afterwards, we headed out to Manitou via Old Colorado City. Waved at the tourists who were out in full force. It's good to see because it's a sign the economy is picking up. It wasn't so very long ago when riding through Old Colorado City and looking at the many empty shop windows.

It's always fun to wander around Manitou. Stop at Patsy's Candy. They've been in business for over 100 years! Legend has it that Patsy sold his popcorn/peanut recipe to---you got it---Cracker Jack. We laughed at the sign taped in the window that said "we close when the temperature is below __ (I can't remember the number)". How do they know....with wild variable Colorado temps, do they open/close/open/close??? It was funny.

A stop at the Townhouse for a refreshing drink. Sit out on the patio and people watch. If you are ever in Manitou, you absolutely should watch the people. I won't even attempt to describe the variety of people. It is, however, quite entertaining to watch the throngs of tourists rarin' to ride up the Cog Railroad to the summit of Pike's Peak. The Cog is known as the world's highest cog railroad and most tourists don't realize that the summit temps of Pike's Peak can be in the below freezing even when the temperature at Manitou is a balmy 80 degrees.

Adventures done and amusement factor refilled, it was time to go home.

My day wasn't done by any means. I short stop home and then off to meet my wonderful girlfriends to catch the last show of The Vagina Monologues. It was a wonderful production and my friends and I shared laughter and tears throughout the show. While the message is important--the money raised through sales benefits the local battered women's shelter and provides funding for programs aimed in protecting women.

Today, the snow blew in. It was a reminder that the weather is fickle--just like life. We all should take those available minutes and get out and ride when we can.

Until next time,

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Mountain Shadow Riders March Meeting

2011-03-13T12:19:00.001-06:00

What a great March meeting! It was great to see my many friends! There were lots of new faces as well, so new riding adventures are on the way!!

I did get to ride down--and it was cold!! Lots of cold weather gear! It was nice to cruise down the highway, though and let the wind blow over my stocking cap!

The meeting was informative and fun. One of the things that the chapter is doing is collecting food items for the Silver Key Senior Services. Silver Key's mission is to "find and implement ways to ensure that the elderly are aging safely with dignity and independence". Our chapter has been challenged by the Ladies of Harley--the first group to bring in 10,000 food item will be the winner of a brunch that the other group has to provide. Of course, we want bragging rights, but at the end of the day, the real winner is the senior citizens that get food items from Silver Key.

We also presented ideas on the 2011 MSR ride contest. This year, the theme is "Ride Like an Animal". My motorcycle with animals, animal signs, etc. Pretty simple and interesting. I submitted the Scavenger Hunt, but I was soundly beaten out by Trouble....who went to the trouble of making a really cool presentation with pictures and all. Kudos to her!!

The ride back was still cold! Trust me, I did ride all the way home with a huge grin on my face!! I'm soooo looking forward to the riding season!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

Finally! It's Warm Enough!

2011-03-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

I did not get out to ride today--too many things going on! I will, however, get the chance to ride down to the Mountain Shadow Riders' March chapter meeting. It's all things motorcycle and a great opportunity to just chit-chat and catch up with my friends.

The Mountain Shadow Riders is the largest Women on Wheels(R) chapter in Colorado. At present count, there are close to 100 members, support and child members. Our rides are as varied as our personalities--big cruisers, little cruisers, sport bikes and even a couple of scooters!! What we do have in common is fellowship and the want to share our experiences and have fun in the process!!

In the meantime, I should head out to the garage and do some spring checking--oil, battery, tire pressure, etc. I know the motorcycle will start because I rode it last week (yay!) and tires and fuel are okay.

When riding, please be on the lookout for sand or "winter" debris on the roads. Considering the contact area on a motorcycle tire to the ground is about the size of a playing card--one would want as much rubber on the road. It's still pretty sandy and gravelly out there.

Most of us have not had the opportunity to do much riding (kudos to those who can) during the winter season, so beware of your skills. Like anything else, it might get a little rusty for lack of use. Thank goodness it doesn't take long to come up to speed!!!

Those are my pointers for the day (since I didn't really have a story).

Keep the shiny side up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

If It's Too Cold To Ride...

2011-02-28T10:31:00.001-07:00

What to do, what to do, what to do??

Gather everyone together and have brunch!

Of course, it's always good to get together and kibbitz. And a good way to sample everyone else's cooking too!!

Sausage, potato casserole, green chili casserole, croissants, and a lovely egg, mushroom and cheese concoction that was yummylishous! Add bloody marys, mimosas, coffee....Yummo!!

The best part are the people. It was a good time to get together and visit, share stories, and laugh.

Although I can't wait for riding season....it's close!

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's Still A Frozen Tundra Out There

2011-02-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

I had time for a quick scoot last weekend. Actually, I was putzing around the house doing chores and the bike was a callin'....Christine....Christine....Christine.

Although it was a little cool in the shade, the sun was shining and most definitely ridable. So the decision for a quick ride around town was made!! Yes!

Throw on gear, back the bike out of the garage and down the street I go. As I pull out of the neighborhood, I look up at Pike's Peak....lo and behold it's pouring down rain!!

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?

Colorado is known for its micro-weather. Pouring down rain on one side of town and a mile or two down the road--it's dry as a bone. Unfortunately for me, Murphy's Law is in play here--as I am out on the motorcycle, that rain cloud is headed directly at me.

Ride was very short; about five miles. Got a few rain splashes.

Oh well, I guess I should not complain. I did get some wind therapy.

Today, it's very cold and there is a crazy ice fog.

Not to good for ridin'!

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Happy New Year's & Some Brass Nuts....

2011-01-11T00:14:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I know I'm a few days late--my brain is frozen!!!

I was supposed to ride at the beginning of the month in the annual Brass Nut Run. Something similar to the Polar Bear Swimming Club except for swimming in a frozen lake, we ride our motorcycles in the freezing cold.

Except it was cancelled since it was icy and snowy....and cold!

Ha!

It was a good call--once temps get down too low, it's pretty likely that three motorcycles will show up...or zero. I know I wouldn't be there--I've become such a fair weather rider!

Not really, I'll ride in the cold, the rain, snow (if I must), if I'm out in the elements. To do so on purpose.....not so much. After the Iron Butt ride, I decided that it isn't much fun freezing!

Although I will admit, I'm excited in trying out my new crash-bar wind deflectors Santa brought me! Well, Santa got the wrong ones, but he's in the process of exchanging them so it will be soon and I can try them out!!!

Right now, there's much snow and ice on the ground! Icky riding weather! Heck, icky driving weather!

The ride has been rescheduled to March--it might still be cold enough to use my thingies!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! Here's to many wonderful riding days for 2011....

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Crash, Bang, Screech!!

2010-12-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

Three words that no motorcyclist wants to hear!!

A few months ago, I was out for a mid-afternoon scoot. I was out riding with Joe and we were headed to Devine Wines in Manitou (they make fabulous wines). He was leading. We were waiting to make a right turn and he saw that it was clear so he went. I did not go, since I couldn't see and had a niggling feeling to "wait". So I did.

As I waited, I looked down the lane. White car, then go. The car went by and I pulled out. As I pulled out--out of nowhere a humongo Chevrolet pickup appeared. I caught the bed of the truck and heard a loud "bang". The first thing I thought was "darn (you can use a different and appropriate word), my gas tank is dented"!

I think I was pushed over about three feet or so and managed to not go over. Fortunately, the collision was on the left hand side. What I think happened was that the bed of the truck pushed my clutch lever in and disengaged the engine. Had it been the other side, it could have been a pretty nasty incident.

The driver of the truck pulled over and I pulled in behind her. She was pretty mad and yelling "why did you pull out". I calmly stated that I looked down the lane and it was clear so I went. The road was a five lane road--there are two lanes in each direction and a turn lane in the middle. I then asked if she changed lanes when I pulled out. She yelled at me for a few more minutes and then called the police.

Aside from a bruise on my lower leg, I did not sustain any injury. The loud bang was not a dent in my fuel tank, but rather, my floorboard cut the sidewall of her rear tire causing a blow out. She was ranting and raving that I scared her and she just replaced that tire just moments ago. I understand her reaction--I certainly hope I never hit a motorcyclist!

The police officer arrived and was amazed that there was no serious injury. She was arguing with the officer that I pulled out as she was going by and I stated that I looked down the lane and it was clear, so I thought she changed lanes as I was pulling out. The officer was amazed that I was unhurt--he asked me three times if I was okay and was I sure if my bike was okay. I'm fine and the bike is fine.

Fortunately, there was no citation--he just stated since there was no injury, we would just exchange insurance information and be done.

Once that was taken care of, I started my bike and went home. My excursion to the winery was not to be since I had to get home in time for Alex to get home from school. If that isn't a time to have a little wine!!

Of course, now when I'm riding, I simply will not go if both lanes are not clear. I've always known that I shouldn't pull out just in case, but now I just will not do it. I was lucky and I'm not interested in tempting fate!

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Boys and Motorcycles

2010-08-16T01:17:00.000-06:00

The second Saturday of the month is the Mountain Shadow Riders chapter meeting. We get together, talk about all things motorcycles and other life stuff girls talk about. This past year has been about change;the largest change is that my son is with me full time. It certainly has changed my riding--but I figured out how to get some riding in....I just put him on the back.

He's ridden with me on a number of occasions. I think it's finally dawned on him that it is something really fun and motorcycles are really cool! It's funny, the days that I've picked him up from daycare, he runs around the facility showing everyone his helmet and proclaiming "my mom is taking me home on her motorcycle"! Kinda like the nah-nah-nah-boo-boo I got one on you thing.

Arriving at the meeting was pretty quiet--we arrived late and I was sneaking in. Leaving, however, was an entirely different story. He was so funny making his production of getting his gear on. He hopped on and off we went. Our fearless chapter director sent me an e-mail later that day....."he had the biggest grin on his face and was soooo cute".

Yeah, I know! About the cute part. I'm glad he thinks it is fun--because we all know it is!

As we headed down Platte, I decided to take the Powers/Platte interchange. It's a cloverleaf interchange and it's nicely banked. Sitting at a red light before the interchange, I instructed Alex is sit still and hold on tight--mom was going to go fast. It was wishful thinking because there was a car in front of us, but I did a nice turn and zipped onto Powers.

At the next red light Alex said, "Wow, mom, that was FUN"! Heh...if he only knew.

I still have a little time yet before I want to take him on longer rides--I think he'll be ready to go next summer. He was disappointed that we weren't going to ride up in the mountains this year.

I just wonder when the day comes that he wants to learn to ride. It will probably be sooner rather than later. Still, at eight, he's does well as a passenger and I'm happy to have him along.

Sigh, they just grow up too fast.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

~The Rainbow Wahine

But...It's...STICKY

2010-07-18T23:29:00.002-06:00

This one out of the hysterical archives of not being too bright.

The time frame of this story is during the Rolling Axe Murders Tour.  It is one for the record books simply because it's absolutely stupid! And my ego is ready to admit that it's all me...me....me.......

And still dumb.

When I have the opportunity to ride long distances, I'll park many items in between the space of my windshield and handlebars.   Usually it's a bottle or two of water crammed in the space so I don't have to stop every 6.2 miles for a drink.

I had pulled out of the group to ride to Four Corners for a picture for the Mountain Shadow Rider's Scavenger Hunt. I was bound and determined to get this photo since it was one that I think was absolutely neat. I remember pulling out at oh-dark-thirty to head out and was enjoying the solitude of a sole jaunt down the highway. The temps weren't overly warm and there was little traffic on the highway, so it was The Phantom of the Opera, the background of putt-putt-putt of Harley exhaust and beautiful scenery.

Sometime late morning I got hungry and decided to stop for breakfast. As a former full-time road warrior, my favorite spot to eat is at the grocery store. It's relatively inexpensive (versus a restaurant) and I can have all the fruits and veggies without paying restaurant prices. As I wander around, I spot the fruit of the season all stacked up and calling my name.....

Of course they are cherries.

Cherries are my all-time favorite and I've paid a king's ransom for them out of season. Fortunately, they are in season and and reasonable, so I snag a bag and decide that is breakfast and a riding snack. I also figure out that I can tie the grocery bag to my handlebars and eat them while out on the road.

This continues throughout the trip.

Cherries.....good......

I get home from the trip...six days of absolute fun...and manage to get all my gear off the bike. I discover the bag and find way over ripened fruit. Out in the trash it goes.

Somehow said cherries seem to be forgotten.   I don't really think much about it, until three weeks later. One of my friends calls and wants to get out for a scoot and I happily oblige. As I run around like a mad woman getting dressed, my friend pulls in and decided to take a look at Mr. Chubbs.

She notices a puddle about six inches around beside my bike and wonders what I'm leaking. I walk into the garage and look and declare that I have no idea.

So a trip to the dealership is in order to fix this problem. I pull in and I explain that there is an unknown leak of unknown fluid and I need it fixed. The tech tells me he'll be out to look at it in a moment.

While I'm waiting, I'm going over what could possibly be wrong.....really, there aren't that many fluids on the front of the bike. The service writer comes out and asks me a few questions then does the thing that anyone should....he touches the fluid. He looks at me and says "but it's STICKY".

I immediately started laughing because I knew what it was. You know, when you leave any fruit in warm weather......so the culprit was the cherries I left on my handlebars for too long. And the owner/operator of one red Harley Davidson Fatboy gets the idiot award of the day. That would be me.

It still gets a pretty good chuckle and at on a good note, at least it wasn't an expensive repair. Hey, it was something a bike wash took care of.

I wish they were all like that!!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up

~The Rainbow Wahine

To Helmet or Not To Helmet

2010-07-14T10:13:00.000-06:00

Sigh, this is one of those things that seems to bring a humongo debate and raise a great deal of ire when someone comments. I am not going into the debate of whether someone should or should not wear a helmet or if it should or shouldn't be a law. This is just simply an observation on my part and well, my choice.

The past few months it seems that there has been quite a few motorcycle fatalaties here in the Colorado Springs area. Death is always tragic no matter how it occurs. One incident that stuck in my mind was a few weeks ago when a woman, riding her Harley, was killed on Interstate 25. She was not wearing her helmet. Honestly, had she been wearing a helmet, she would not have survived. It was my understanding that she was cut off in traffic and tried to avoid a collision. In doing so, she hit the guardrail and was more or less decapitated.

I think the saddest thing was the reaction from the readership from the on-line newspaper article. There were quite a few heartless comments left regarding this woman not wearing her helmet. Things like "she got what she deserved" and "I don't feel bad since she chose not to wear a helmet". With no information available to the readers about how she was killed. Harumph.

Again, death is tragic no matter how it happens, especially when it is unexpected. My heart goes out to the family for their loss.

As a rider, I am guilty of not wearing my headgear. Most times that I do decide to put it on, I normally wear my half-helmet--which doesn't really offer a great deal of protection to my face. Ask my friend Lucy in Florida--she can tell you about her crash that required reconstructive face surgery. I do have a full-faced helmet and wear it occasionally.

It is my choice--unless the law tells me otherwise. Of course, I say this from the side of never having a serious accident, and I hope that I or any other motorcyclist never has one.

My point is that when tragedy strikes, we should all be compassionate. Death is never easy and losing a wife, mother, husband, father, sister, brother or child is traumatic. My heart goes out to the family for their loss. I know that the rider, on that day, did not intend on this accident--but died doing something she loved--riding.

That's all I've got to say about that.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

How to Crash...or So I Think!

2010-06-25T00:29:00.000-06:00

Looking at my archive history, I had over 200 posts in my first year. 2010 has exactly six posts. I need to get crackin'. With less than 200 days left in the year, I doubt I'll get any where close to that number but we shall see.

As everyone knows, the best way to gain experience in riding is to ride. And practice. And ride. Slow skills. Picking up a dropped motorcycle. Practice practice practice. P.S....riding fast in a straight line is not practice. Unless you want to work on your braking skills.

Unfortunately, an important skill to have is also crashing. However, this is one area that is rather difficult to practice. At least I hope for the average bear.....

When I was growing up and lived life on 8 wheels (yeah, I skated on 'quads'), I got several lessons on crashing and learned how to fall down. It's saved my bacon a time or few. I also had the luck of having a terrific boyfriend at the time that believed in teaching reactionary skills so not only did I learn how to fall down on skates, I learned how to countersteer on ice (a feat accomplished in north Louisiana, no less) and how to handle skids, dirt, gravel, and other hazards in a car and on a motorcycle.

Interestingly enough, I've found that mountain biking has been a great contributor to my education of controlled riding and well, crashing. Riding trails that are quite technical will certainly take one though a OJT course of how to and how not to ride. I think it's pretty amazing to watch those mountain bikers that are leap years beyond my skill level and how they manage to get over rocks, rivers, skid, corner and everything else they do.

At this part, I'm far away from being 'expert' in mountain biking--as a matter of fact, I can state that every ride I've done has had my bicycle has had at least one crash resulting in something being bent. I've gotten good at getting off and watching my bike crash...which I'm not sure if a good thing, but hey, it's easier to repair (and less expensive) the bicycle than to repair Christine--especially if something gets "bent" so I let go of the bike and watch it crash without me. I don't know what I will do if it goes over a cliff. Buy another bicycle, I suppose.

Granted, translating the laws of physical science from a bicycle to a 700 pound motorcycle is different, however, the skidding is pretty much the same. Rather do it on a bike since the speeds are slower (although while it's all unfolding on the bicycle it does not appear to be so) than Mr. Chubbs.

I think I would get some odd looks riding Rampart Reservoir on the Harley. Not to mention the impossibility of getting it over some of the really technical parts. Although there is something to be said about twisting the throttle while climbing up a hill which is when I'm usually muttering under my breath for it to somehow magically appear.

It has never happened. However, I notice an improvement of reactions when I do get on the motorcycle, so I've learned something. Riding with control. Braking with control....and crashing with control. I hope I never have to test the last theory, but hopefully the muscle memory will stick with me if I ever need to call it home.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Who's Still Out In Blogosphere?

2010-06-16T02:10:00.000-06:00

I blinked three times and three years have somehow passed. That's it--I'm keeping my eyes open!

Seriously, at one point I was involved with the huge online biker community and then made a left turn called life. I see my fellow compadres do a drive by and visit--and see them out doing their thing and writing about their passions.

Hmmmm...just a thought.

How To Take A Bath on a Harley...

2010-06-16T02:03:00.000-06:00

One afternoon a couple of weeks ago I'm riding around in a small group of two. Typical for Colorado weather--afternoon thundershowers to cool the day down. In my area of town, there was the 20 minutes torrential downpour resulting in flash flooding and big pools of standing water.

Note 'big pools of standing water'. On northbound Austin Bluffs, before Rangewood, the left lane typically gathers water. Lots of water. As I'm riding wing, I realize that the water is probably there and I should be proactive to 1). not ride in said pool of water since I need new tires, and 2). I do not want the water to be thrown at me resulting in the inevitable drenching that renders my vision absolutely useless. Check traffic for a clear lane--I signal and move over.

Unfortunately, the leader isn't paying much attention nor realizes that the hazard is ahead. No problem, I'm out of the way and I know that said leader is fully capable of handing said pool 'o water.

Or so I think.

Said Harley Davidson Road King hits water about 45 miles per hour. The arc of water it creates is of absolute beauty! The fearless leader said he glanced in his rearview mirror to see if I was okay, only to find that I was not there. No, I'm in the right hand side of the next lane watching a beautiful arc of water racing towards me.

There's not much I can do except do a distance check to make sure there is no one too close, take a deep breath and shut my mouth.

There was so much water that I was momentarily unable to see through my windshield. Needless to say, I was soaked through and through--and in places that normally do not get wet while riding in a rainstorm.

Well, next time I will just have to be in the very far right lane.

Either that or lead!

I think that bath earned me a dinner and a bike wash. Okay, fair enough.

Until the next time~

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's A Time Warp...Sneaking in a Ride

2010-06-14T21:49:00.000-06:00

Its pretty amazing how quickly time flies. A few weekends ago found me at the 20th Annual United Run...the first ride I've done in a very long time. Glad to see a good many of my friends...and most were surprised to see me. Happy, but surprised. Sigh. Work, graduate school and just a whole boatload of other excuses :).

The ride was a mystery ride--only the stops are known. The order of the stops and the time are the categories. Each motorcyclist guesses at the route and then rides it. It is fun and of course, getting out for wind therapy is always great! I should do it more often!

I invited myself to ride along with a few wonderful friends and we had a great time. Well, except the fact that I do need new tires. It's been something that I've been ignoring for much too long. Of course, I'm trying to beat my good friend Dozer's record of getting down to cords, but I'm finding that I'm unsuccessful. Actually, I could probably get down to that, but from a safe and sensible perspective, I think that I will blink in this unscheduled game of chicken and get 'er done.

Until then, the bike is parked in the garage and will sit. I have "fond" memories of riding in the rain on slick tires. Even cautiously riding and braking resulted in a sideways drift on wet pavement. Riding with control has never been a problem and countersteering is a great skill to have. I've forgotten all the bumps and bruises that earned that skill--mostly on dirt and never on pavement. Keeping it that way is the smart thing to do to honor these old bones!

Sunday found me in a sideways skid because of stopping too fast. On dry pavement, nonetheless. I want a new motorcycle--just not like this!

Note to riders...the contact area of a motorcycle tire on the ground is about the size of an average person's palm. It is critical to have proper tire inflation and tread! With other hazards such as chemicals on pavement, gravel, dirt, water, animals (okay I will stop there)...tires are important.

Bike should be in the shop in the next week or two, so I'm heeding my own advice!

It was good to get out and ride...and my fellow Mountain Shadow Riders took first and second in the United Run. Kudos for them!!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's Time

2010-06-04T00:30:00.001-06:00

Life....yikes!

I have managed to get a bit o' riding in here and there. My kiddo is visiting his dad for the summer, so I get the daily fix of riding to and from the office.

My son is with me full time now since his father has moved away. Not a bad thing, but it certainly changes my weekends chock full of riding.

The weather hasn't been too agreeable; it seems like the awful weather was always coming in for the weekend--so it cut into 'prime' riding time. However, summer is right around the corner and the weather is finally turning.

In April, I had Alex (he's my son, btw) climb on the back of the Fatboy to see if he was finally tall enough to ride on the back. Lo and behold, he was!

Down to Apex to buy safety gear. Geez, I had forgotten how much gear is needed!

Nonetheless, gloves, helmet, leather jacket are the priority. I still need to get boots.

I got to give him props, we have had quite a few turns around the neighborhood and he's adjusting very well.

The time came to get out on the city streets and again, kudos to Alex! He's an excellent student as far as being a passenger. Of course, he may be scared out of his mind for falling off!!

The biggest test was on the Interstate. Now, going down I-25 at 70 MPH on a motorcycle isn't necessarily scary. However, this is the first jaunt down the highway and *I'm* concerned! All the crazy "what ifs" are going through my mind.

No worries, Alex was terrific. I normally don't make a habit of interstate riding, but it was necessary for that day. He did great!

Problem solved. At least a bit of it. I don't think we'll be putting 500 miles for a day's ride anytime soon. However, we can get out for a little putt on occasion. It's a start.

I guess it's time to seriously start thinking of that new big ol' cruiser bike, huh??

Already promised.....I have to finish grad school.

Summer, 2011 is the target!!

Whoooohoooooooooooooooooo!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Save the Twins--2009 BCA Ride--How to Lose 25 Motorcycles

2010-01-12T21:43:00.005-07:00

Pulling out, I am thinking that I can NOT do this!!

I didn't miss the first turn. Just the second. No worries, I just do a quick turn on the next block and get back on track.

Pulling every bit of experience out of my ear is what I'm doing. Start slow. Last bike in the group needs to get up to speed, weave in traffic like a snake.

I'm gritting my teeth.

Not only that, my first worry is the "tricky" turn in Garden of the Gods. I know it's tricky. We (the Route Group) made it tricky. Sigh. Fortunately, I do catch the trick and manage to lead everyone through Garden of the Gods. As we are waiting to pull out, I know there is no way that I'll be able to get all the bikes out between the cars--so we will be split up.

I take a deep breath and pull out. I figure 12 motorcycles might get out before "that" car gets too close. As I slowly speed up, I watch my rearview mirror. Of course, I about have a heart attack when I see a darn rider pull out in front of the car....ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

I don't want to lose anyone on my watch.

We weave through town and finally get to the first stop. I get off my bike, wait for everyone to park and then start yelling for the person that pulled out.

Well, it seems that his idea was to try and hold traffic. Good idea. Too bad it didn't work.

I calm down and then proceed to introduce myself. I then follow on with the "I'm known as the lost girl" story.

Heh.

I lose half my group!

Gee, I should have told them that up front!!

We didn't have any incidents during the entire ride, and those that were left were really great.

The third stop was lunch--I gave the group an hour and a half to eat.

Funny, when the 1.5 hours passed, I found that the remainder of the group decided to leave me behind.

Hmmmm....so I lost my entire group.

I ended up pulling in with the sweep team--they picked me up and allowed me to ride in with them.

It was a full day of riding--no incidents, no crashes and I didn't even get lost.

Quite a feat, indeed!!! I also got to ride over 100 miles too!!

We pulled into Cowboy's East and brought the ride to a close.

For the next hour and a half, it was prizes, auctions, and lots of fun.

When it was all said and done, the Mountain Shadow Riders raised $12,000 for the Komen Foundation and the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.

Eight months of hard work by 70 members and support members.

My hat's off to them, that's for sure!!!

Now it's about time to start thinking of the 2010 ride.

You really ought to come out. You know you want to!!

Until next time~~

~Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

The Rainbow Wahine

9th Annual MSR BCA Ride: Save the Twins! You Want Me to Do WHAT??

2009-12-15T21:54:00.003-07:00

I awoke to a spectacular day! The sun was shining, the sky was blue and it was COLD!!!

Somewhere along the line, I lost the morning. I know the ladies of the Mountain Shadow Riders were up at the crack of dawn setting up and getting ready. I was....still at home. No, I wasn't trying to miss all the pre-ride set up.

I actually tried to leave...about 10 times.

Where is my hat? Found said hat.

Where is my wallet? Found said wallet.

Where are my gloves? And so on and so forth.

Finally, I have my act all together, get the motorcycle started and head down. Brrrr!! It was cold! Even at this late hour, I ride down to the Western Omlet with a half dozen motorcyclists. I wonder if they had as much trouble getting out the door as I did? Probably not!!

I pull into the parking lot and say my greetings and hello. I have to practically strong arm Gordon to get my ride t-shirt. Hahaha! Strong arm Gordon. He's about 12 feet tall and 12 feet wide. Has the sweetest disposition, but still. He'd squash me like a small bug...if he were so inclined to do so. Thank goodness he is so good natured!

I decide to put my ride shirt on over the many other layers. I'm running around, trying to put on a shirt and talk to my many friends and many strangers. No, I am not paying attention. Twenty minutes or so goes by and our Ms. Chapter Director wanders over and says "momma, your shirt is on backwards".

LOL...another indication of how the day is going.

As I talk my usual trash talk self, Ms. Chapter Director again wanders over (and no, my pants are on correctly) and asks....."Would you mind leading a group"?

I all about choke on my donut. Has she forgotten that I am perpetually lost? Has she forgotten that I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag if my life depended on it? Well, I could, but I'm not admitting to it!

I tell her that I would prefer not to lead a group, but if she can't find anyone else, I'll begrudgingly take the assignment. Two minutes later, she says I'm hired.

Oh boy.

I don't think she looked very hard!

I pull my bike up to the staging area and get in the leader's position. Mind you, I was on the route committee and have driven the route once.

Oh boy.

No one pulls up behind me, so I think I am off the hook. I look down the street and see this b-i-g l-o-n-g l-i-n-e of motorcycles. I have a brief thought that I am glad I'm not leading that group of folks!!

Christine......CCCCHHHHRRRRIIISSSTTTIIINNNEEEE.....I hear my name being called. It's Ms. Chapter Director and she's yelling..."your group awaits you".

Oh boy.

I pull out and around and take a short count of motorcycles. I'd say there were about 25 or so.

And I'm the lost girl.

I get my directions out, fold them up, and clench them between my teeth.

First stop is to the Bon Shopping Center by route through Garden of the Gods.

I take a deep breath, give the thumbs up, look back at everyone and pull out.

I say a short prayer...please don't get lost.

I'm sure Ms. Chapter Director has the same prayer. She better be praying for me!

Tomorrow I'll tell you how to lose all the motorcycles......

Until then....

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

9th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Ride: Save the Twins!

2009-12-14T21:49:00.003-07:00

The Colorado Springs Chapter of the Women on Wheels (r) puts on the Annual Breast Cancer Awareness ride on the first Saturday of October.

For those of you that have never participated in planning an event--it is a lot of hard work!! Our ride is a 'test your memory' ride. At the stops, there are questions that are asked on that leg of the stop. It's pretty difficult!!! After all, how many red lights are on the traffic signal at Peterson and Stetson Hills?? Geez!!

The chapter typically starts talking about the run in March or so. We start forming committees--advertising/pr, donations, route committee, safety, stops, and the list goes on. I typically help on the route committee and help determine the stops.

This year was no exception. The route committee usually gets together to rough out the ride. We have some parameters: number of stops (usually 4), distance (about 100 miles). We have to be careful of the traffic. The first Saturday of the month usually has an Air Force football game and TRAFFIC!! And we try to avoid the mountain area and going too far north. October in Colorado can mean cold temps and SNOW.

Our first meeting roughs out the ride and we talk about the stops. What places will accomodate 250+ motorcycles? Not that they all come in at once, but rather in groups. Not too much traffic as well as convenient parking. Not too many unprotected left turns due to turning against oncoming traffic. Avoiding hot spots. One year our route went though Old Colorady City--in the middle of some parade!!

There are some great ideas and suggestions. Eventually, a route takes shape and then the work really begins. Mileage and timing. This year the event HAS to end at 4:30 pm. We have to reverse engineer the timing and have everyone in by 3:00. It's critical for us this year since our end stop was at Cowboy's East--and their line dancing lessons start at 5:00.

Over a period of a few months, the route takes place. We map out the detailed route. Set the stops and ask permission of the local businesses if we can designate their establishment as a stop and post questions. Stops have to be spaced evenly apart and be timely and not overly complicated.

The process of riding the route starts. Various route commitee members ride the route. Count mileage and time the stops. We have to leave time for fuel stops and lunch. And still be in by 3:00.

A couple of weeks before the ride, we start collecting the questions. This year, the group set out by cage (that's car) and we officially timed the ride and hashed out the questions. Easy but not too easy. Obvious but not too much. What color was the roof of Platte Floral??

Once all the questions are finalized, they are published and sent off to the registration commitee so the packets can be assembled. You'd think we are finished.

Not so. The morning of the ride, there is a group that sets out to check the route. Making sure that the "what color is the barn on Smith Highway" question is still correct. One year it was a question and come to find out that the owners painted their barn! The nerve of them!! We also have to put up the questions on each of the stops.

The other committees have been busy too. Donations, advertising, printing, PR....all have been busy busy busy. This year the donations committee collected from over 150 sponsors in excess of $5,000 in prizes....in a "down" economy! We were hoping to come close to last year....could we make another $10,000 donation for Breast Cancer Awareness??

All the work was done...all that was left was to wait for the date. October 3rd. And pray for decent weather......we did what we could.

Now all that was left was the ride.............

Until next time

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Leaving La Junta

2009-12-14T21:24:00.003-07:00

I turn the corner and turn my attention to the task at hand. Wondering where the part of the highway that I have to hold my breath so I don't smell the cattle. As we tick up the highway, I look, and look and look...there it is!

I take a deep breath and hold it.

It seems like an eternity, but we get past it. It's a huge cattle pen and it's usually full of cattle...ready for..um....well, you know. If you don't then Google is your friend!

I take a sneak peek in my rearview and I about fall off my motorcycle!! Goldwing Guy!

Geez, he must have broken all the rules--going around the platoons to pull up behind our group. I'm wondering if he will attempt to get in past the sweep.

Riding in the way back has its challenges. Especially on the highway. By the time a signal gets back to me...a day has practically passed!! Kidding, but in all seriousness, I'm feeling the rubber-band effect. Well, at least I don't have to worry about passing it back...since I AM in the back!!

It takes a lot of pressure off of me since I don't have to worry too much about keeping formation and timing. Now, I'm sure I will get fussed at if I let too much space open up between the rider in front of me, but the most part, it is pretty simple. The distance between La Junta and our next stop, Limon, is about 100 miles. So I kick back and enjoy the ride.

When we pull into Limon, I'm very good on fuel, so I decide to skip the fuel stop and immediately line up. Whooohoooo!! I get to ride behind the wing!!! My good friend Brett is riding wing, so I know it will be a nice little ride to Burlington.

I hear Goldwing Guy got a tongue lashing. And he should have, too. For the most part, rules are common sense and there for a reason. With that many motorcycles, it's just about safety.

We pull out of our fuel stop and head out to Burlington. I wish I could say it was an enjoyable ride, but it wasn't. It would have been except for the 40 mile an hour crosswind! Yikes!! That cold wind blowing up my nose was awful!!! Or the gusts that threw me out of my lane. Or the cold wind blowing up my nose! Gusts that threw me out of my lane.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Ad nauseum.......

Getting to Burlington, I am glad to be off the bike. The VFW post was the dinner stop, and it was nice to have the folks turn out and feed us. I know I was tired. I think we all were.

At this point, I knew I was glad to be going home the next day. I was done.

The next morning, I get up and load the bike up. We have a small group heading out--I take a leisurely breakfast while my friends are saying their goodbyes.

We meet up and pull out to head home. It is still pretty windy, so I'm glad that I'm in the direction of home.

It was a good ride altogether. I never did hear if Goldwing Guy ever got his act together. Hopefully he did and had a great time.

I know that there were a lot of FNGs on the ride--I think the economy was the main reason. Hopefully it won't be the case for 2010. We shall see.

This ride over--and on to the next.

Fast foward to October....and the Mountain Shadow Rider's Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Ride. It's a doozy...at least for me.

Until then,

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Anglefire to Burlington--Lunch and Finally!

2009-11-24T06:59:00.004-07:00

It's always a sad moment when we cross the state line out of New Mexico. The fine officers of the New Mexico state police escort the riders and do an excellent job of doing so!! My hat is off to them and I appreciate their time and efforts!

Of course, crossing into Colorado means several things. Mainly, the ever loving construction in the Trinidad that seems to be a forever project, wind and more importantly, HOME!!! I smile at the thought that I will be sleeping in my own bed soon.

For this leg, I am somewhere in the back. It's not really a problem. I'm okay where ever I line up--although I prefer up front--I can deal with whatever I get. I just want to make sure I survive the construction and then enjoy the ride up Hwy 350.

The ride was uneventful--there's not much exciting going on. To alleviate the boredom of just cruising down the highway, I dig a lollypop out of my windshield bag. Don't get me wrong, it is not boring to cruise down the highway--rather, with the rider in front of me and the one beside me and the majority of my attention is spent not running into either one or off the side of the road, there is just not a great deal of attention that can be spent in sightseeing.

So I pull out a lollypop and occupy myself. This is a pretty handy "trick". Keeping your mouth busy is just enough to occupy my brain so I subconsciously think it's not a good time to take a nap. Sometimes I sing, sometimes I chew gum--you know pretty simple stuff.

I suppose I could eat a sandwich too, but that's a bit more challenge than I need while riding at highway speed in a group. Not to mention that I'd more than likely get mustard on my leathers!

We all make it to La Junta, fuel stop and pull in the line up and take a break for lunch.

Lunch is fun--I grab my grub and sit at a table. I know no one. So, just start chatting and making new friends. It's always interesting to find out what people do for a living and why they are on the ride.

Oh, and the ever-important potty break.

Lunch is over and the call to line up is sounded. I get my stuff together and get on the bike. Anyone that rides with me knows it is quite the "chore" to get ready. Not only is it getting "standard" riding gear on--gloves, helmet, etc and making sure my saddlebags are secure, etc. I also have to get my iPod tuned in, put on lip balm, make sure I have more lollys.

Someone yells "5 minutes". I am ready. I know better to putz around--they pull out whether I'm ready or not.

This time, I'm in the very back of the group. The sweep is riding behind me.

Goldwing Guy...is no where to be found. One of my friends looks at me and asks--"what do I do"? My response--go around the bike let him be.

I'm thinking that this could possibly not happen. I mean, he was warned and there are always announcements at the morning meeting about being prepared.

Oh wait, did he miss that one?? LOL!! Well, even if he did, Angelfire wasn't the first stop and that wasn't his first morning meeting. Or maybe he's missed them all...who knows.

Motorcycle fired up and still no Goldwing Guy. Signal to pull out is given.

At that point he runs up. We are all pulling out. He has to put all his gear on and get ready. Bikes are pulling out around him and I watch him frantically trying to get ready. My turn to go comes and I pull out and note that he still has quite a bit of gear to put on.

Note that there is another platoon behind me. Yes, they are going around him too.

I turn my attention to making the corner and my last thought of Goldwind Guy was "too bad".

He can ride in the back and get back into the group at the next stop.

LOL.....fat chance.

Till next time....

~The Rainbow Wahine

Anglefire to Burlington...Raton Stop

2009-11-10T06:35:00.003-07:00

Like I said, the ride to Raton was uneventful. Waiting in line for fuel, I was trying to warm up. Think coffee, think coffee, think coffee.

And to use the ladies room! Fueled up, I'm back in line and headed to the facilities.

For once, the line to the men's room is a mile long and I was able to walk into the ladies room! LOL. Funny what things amuse me, huh??

Business all done, I grab a hot chocolate instead and a few snacks and head back to the bike.

I chat with a few of my friends. Some I know outside the run...some are newly minted. I have a guy tell me he'd ride behind me anytime! How funny! He's a FNG and fully enjoying the ride and already talking about next year and wanting to be on something else bigger. Not that he's on a "tiny" bike by any means--he's on a Virago 750--large enough to go the distance.

I decide to walk the line and check out the motorcycles. Goldwing, Victory, Harley, Kawasakis...and then I stop. BMW.

I've never really been a fan of BMW styling--for one most are too tall for me to ride. However, this motorcycle is another story. Enter the K1200LT. What a cool motorcycle!! And a touring bike to boot.

I've been pondering a new touring bike. My son is getting old enough to ride along and has started showing interest. He was hooked after one of my friends took him on a short ride on his Ultra Classic CVO. I wasn't sure I wanted to go the Harley route any longer, so I am keeping an open mind on all manufacturers.

I admire the bike and think that it is probably like any other BMW--too tall.

Checking time, I head back to the motorcycle. Gear on, start up and off we go.

Next stop is La Junta--fuel and lunch.

I say a short prayer for everyone to arrive safely.

Turn on the concentration and pull out.

Keep the shiny side up~

~The Rainbow Wahine

Angelfire to Burlington....errrr....Raton

2009-11-08T18:44:00.005-07:00

Sigh, my last post was in June...how awful is that? Well, it's October, so not too good. I've neglected this blog for entirely too long.

It's early in the morning to be riding. Especially in Angelfire, NM!! COLD is definitely the word! Same routine as yesterday...up, shower, dress, put on sunscreen, makeup, pack, load up the bike, line up.

Put on makeup, really? Yes, Virginia, we do put on makeup. It's not a vanity thing, I promise (well, maybe a little)! Believe it or not, makeup does provide a physical barrier for my face! There have been many journeys that I have ridden with my friends and they come back with the reverse raccoon face...and very rarely do I have that problem.

Makeup. Now you know. Seriously, it's not about vanity. Ride a couple hundred miles and emerge wind blown all covered with bugs and road grime. Not a pretty picture.

This PSA has been brought to you by ~smile~.

I digress.

Ahem, I get my bike lined up and find my friends. I'm excited--it's a new day to ride. This leg is always 'fun'. One: it's a day on the bike. Two: TWISTYS. Three: RFTW. Four: No two up riding in the twisties.

Still, it's a challenge to not know the skill level of the people surrounding and ride with them. Also, even though the population of women riders increasing, there are still not a large quantity of women riders. I'm sure that had to give pause to some of the male riders in the group.

I did not worry long, as most of the folks more or less knew what they needed to do.

Except for Gold-Wing Guy.

It is a test of patience to deal with anyone that does not/can not get the concept of what the ride is all about. Who knows what the issue was. The Platoon Sergeant and team were wonderfully patient with this guy--and to help the group, he was assigned to me.

It's not too bad. I'm concentrating on the task at hand--doing my part in getting the group to the next stop safely. The first order of the day: attend the morning meeting.

First bobo action by Gold-Wing Guy....miss the 90% of the morning meeting.

Not that I haven't heard the safety drill, but the morning meeting is a connection of the entire group. We not only discuss safety, but talk about lessons learned from the prior day as well and hold a short Q&A session.

Gold-Wing Guy pulls up just in time for the Q&A...and basically decides to share his lessons learned. Except for the fact that everything that he's talking about has already been discussed. He would have known had he have been there, right?

He gets a talking to and is told that he will not be able to ride in the group if he misses another morning meeting. I hope he understands. I won't know if he succeeds or not--I won't be riding with the group tomorrow for Burlington is my last stop for The Run this year.

Meeting over, we mount up and head out.

The ride is quite enjoyable. We don't have the two up riding so I can relax a little and enjoy the process of riding.

Except for the cold. I think the temps were in the 30s that morning. Brrrrrr..

The ride was uneventful and we all made it up to Raton with no incident.

Not even Gold Wing Guy.

That's not the end of him, though.

Just wait.

Keep the Shiny Side Up

~The Rainbow Wahine

A Moment's Rest

2009-06-22T20:26:00.003-06:00

The RFTW leg from Santa Fe to Anglefire is where we are. I'm looking forward to this part; there is a bit of twisties to ride! Last year, I didn't ride in formation due to not being able to join the group until Anglefire so this year a new treat.

For the most part, things are pretty calm. Nothing is amiss. Of course, I'm oblivious to the radio chatter since I don't have a radio. I'm happy to be tuned into The Phantom of the Opera while I'm riding. Even more thrilled to look forward to the twisties at Taos.

While we are on the last section of road before entering the twisties, our Platoon Leader pulls out. No one knows what is going on, but my friend Screamer steps up to the plate and leads on. In this situation, the wing then moves over into the lead position; the remainder of the group moves up in line to fill the gap. Suddenly, I find myself riding wing position. No biggie, since I've ridden a good many miles here. What becomes a challenge is that I don't have a radio and can't hear what is going on nor am I familiar of the rules of the Platoon Leaders and Asst. Platoon Leaders--I've always ridden in the pack.

No worries, we get through the twisties without incident. I'm concerned about the Platoon Leader--I hope that he's well and that he does not have mechanicial issues.

However, the coolest part is the ride up to the memorial. It's a ride up a hill and the motorcyclists waiting the join the Run are lined up the roads. It's pretty cool--two chicks leading a platoon in. At least it's cool in my book.

We park and dismount; the ride is done for the day. Come to find out, our Platoon Leader was having difficulty dealing with the crash. I can completely understand. Even though he had nothing to do with the crash I think it was just because it happened under his watch. I know I would have taken it hard too.

We were in early and it was nice to get out and visit. Dinner was hosted by Thunderbird Harley Davidson and filled out bellies. The folks at the David Westphall Veteran's Foundation are working to put together a program for servicemembers to help treat post traumatic stress. One Navy servicemember through out the challenge to the other branches to help raise money for the program. Navy, Army, Air Force and the Coast Guard all stepped up to a bit of good natured fund raising. It was a particular humorous moment when the Boy Scouts even threw in a bid!! In a very short moment over $1,500 was raised. It was quite touching to see the support of the service members for their fellow brother.

With dinner over, it was time to call it a night. My friends and I chatted a bit and then it was time to get some shut eye. 5:00 am rings very early!

The next leg: Angelfire to Burlington.

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

To Anglefire....In Formation

2009-06-19T19:28:00.004-06:00

It's pretty amazing how much time gets lost when one gets sidetracked. That would be many many days for me!

The alarm goes off at 5:00 am. Not too bad, of course, I'm used to it. Of course, my typical morning starts with my kiddo, so I'm used to having to dodge people. I'm not sure which is "better"....one six year old or three grownups. I don't have to yell at the grownups, but I do get to snuggle with my six year old.

We get packed up and head out. Pack, stick the stuff on the bike, go grab some grub and coffee and then head out to the meetup site. I find my platoon leader and line up. I'm somewhere in the middle.

Interstate riding is interesting. Usually at speed limit and we ride side by side. I don't mind riding on either side of the lane. I prefer to ride in the left lane with the RFTW. When I group ride, I typically like riding in the right side of the lane. That's because when riding with RFTW, the left hand rider is the "lead". That means that rider set the pace--of course taking into consideration of the rider in front--and the rider in the right lane rides about a half foot behind. So it's truly not side by side riding...but it's close enough. It works well if the left hand lane rider holds pace fairly consistently. Terrible if not.

No matter which lane I'm in, I will hold a constant pace. And I'm in the group pretty tight. One to one and a half seconds behind the rider in front. Yes, I know it's close, but really....RFTW is not about a joy ride jaunt over America the Beautiful. It's like the military marching....those service personnel take that stuff seriously....trust me. For some reason,when I'm in the right lane, the rider rubber bands much more than if I were in the left.

It is an exhausting way to ride. Definitely a mental challenge. And of course, this year there more than 50% FNGs. So even more exhausting.

Gallup to Albuquerque is pretty non eventful. Our gas stop is before we enter the city. We pull through the gas stop and line back up into formation. However, there is a FNG in our group that has been creating all kinds of problems. He just doesn't get the formation riding. Rubbing banding, getting too much distance between him and the rider he's following. It may be fine with a small group riding down the highway. However, in this situation, there are 200 motorcycles already. It can create a traffic nightmare.

The Platoon Leader and his team talk, and decide the best way to handle this rider is to put him in the front behind the Platoon Leader's bike. The person behind him...gets to be me. Something about consistent speed. Oh boy.

It really wasn't a problem. He was pretty much boxed in and couldn't create much confusion and delay (as Sir Topham Hatt says).

One cool thing about doing the New Mexico leg is the support from the state. RFTW has a motorcycle police escort. They close the section of highway that the bikes are on.....either by not allowing any new traffic on the highway and pulling existing traffic over. Boy, I guess the folks that get pulled over are freaked out initially!!

When we did get into the city, there is an interchange we have to take while on the interstate. Unfortunately, one of the riders in my platoon went down. I don't have a radio, so I was unaware of the commotion going on.

I didn't find out until Santa Fe--the lunch stop. Our Platoon Leader was shaken up by the news--of course, it was one of his guys and he felt responsible. That military code of watching over your charges......even if the accident was no fault of his.

The rider suffered a few broken ribs. He was banged up, but would recover. His ride for the year was over, though. I hope he has a speedy recovery!!

Lunch was terrific--it included shopping at the Harley Davidson dealer in Santa Fe. Found a col hat and gore-tex gloves on sale!!! That only makes 25 pairs of gloves for me :).

We pull out, waving to the folks that were seeing us out....this time, I'm riding behind the wing with Rubber Band Man beside me. I'm happy because my dear friend Screamer is the wing and she's a great rider!!! Whooohoooo...I get to relax for a minute.

Or so I think! Well, I do get to relax for a MINUTE!!

Until tomorrow....

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

RFTW--Gallup

2009-05-28T22:23:00.002-06:00

The arrival into Gallup was great. Screamer found fellow RFTWers at the gas station and we rode in together. It was good riding in a small group--especially at highway speeds!

We were about 45 minutes ahead of the RFTW group so we checked into our digs for the night and then rounded up to head downtown. There were quite a few motorcycles in the area already--so we parked and waited. It was quite the emotional time for my dear friend. This year marked many changes for her and not doing the full run and not being in a Road Guard were two of those things. Needless to say, when her friends pulled in, I watched her be happy and sad and everything in between. I think it will be safe to say that she will commit to doing the full run next year!

And boy, did the bikes pull in! As they pulled in, the crowds of people were lined up waving and calling out. As I'm watching everyone, I have a short thought of my friends Brett and Nicki and wonder if they are riding this year. Brett and Nicki were my neighbors--in my old neighborhood. I haven't seen them since I moved last year. Then, like fate, I saw them! What is even cooler is that Nicki spotted ME in the crowds of people. A mad wave and then they were gone.

Once everyone is in and parked (and it happens rather quickly or so it seems), we go off to watch the ceremony. Gallup and the RFTW have a close relationship. Both have quite the affection and respect for each other . I think it is due to the sacrifices of both in their service for this country. It is an amazing tribute to watch. I have never been so close seeing the history of the Indian Nations and the military and being in Gallup allowed me to see the two groups together as they recognized and acknowledged each other.

After the celebration, I found my friends Brett and Nicki. It was good to catch up with them. They are riding in a different platoon and another friend of theirs is riding too. I know my Platoon Leader, Papa Bear, is looking for a tail gunner (sweep) for his group and I know that Brett would love to officially contribute...so I mention it. He's a terrific rider to boot--one that I trust enough to let my kiddo sit on the back of his bike! The idea is hatched and the offer is proposed. No answer at the moment....

Evening over and back to our lodging for the night. I think it was pizza for the night since no one wanted to go out. Rather, no one was particularly motivated to put all the riding gear on (and especially my MIA until the day before riding boots that hurt my feet) so staying in was the choice. We enjoyed our dinner and rehashed the day and caught up on the happenings of the group since leaving Ontario, CA.

Screamer did have to leave the room (and why I can't remember). She came back with one lone sock. Evidently another rider was doing his/her laundry and the sock was left behind. Someone else found it and gave it to my friend. I guess she looks like the keeper of single socks! You know, there's only about 250 or so riders at this point so finding the owner of a single white athletic sock is.......you can do the math. I guess getting a clean sock is better than getting a dirty one.

Needless to say, we all had a good laugh about it and then called it a night. 5:30 am comes too soon so we all turned in pretty early to ensure plenty of rest.

We would need it for the Gallup-Anglefire leg....

Keeping the shiny side up...so far....

~The Rainbow Wahine

Riding For A Cause

2009-05-27T21:47:00.002-06:00

And sometimes the only reason is...'cause I can.

Two weekends ago, I once again got on the road to attempt a ride out to Gallup, NM to join The Run For The Wall. I will say that it was a decision that I did not make lightly; the trip last year was difficult and I was finding little enthusiasm to attempt it again. I had a self-argument going back and forth until the day before I left. Fortunately, someone impartially listened and laid it out and I made my decision.

She was right, I did have a good time.

Instead of attempting the ride to Gallup in one afternoon, I left on Wednesday. The weather was a little blustery, but nothing unmanageable. I was riding along with my good friend Screamer and our trip would take us to Las Vegas, NM for the night.

Once out on the highway, the headwind was tough. I'm having Deja Vu all over again! No! No! No! I don't want a repeat of last year! I do not want to deal with yukky interstate riding!!

Fortunately, it was not. Again, the only battle was headwind and the ride to Las Vegas was uneventful. Screamer and I even managed a quick evening walk to stretch out the legs!

The next morning we headed out to Gallup! A short ride of a hundred plus miles--piece of cake, no? LOL....

Leaving Las Vegas (maybe that should be the title)--was chilly. Like 40 something degrees chilly. It is not sunny bright, but sunny sorta bright. Riding in the sun, it is really terrific. Riding under cloud cover, not so much! And there is more cloud cover than sunshine.

Our next town would be Santa Fe. As we ride in, it's a little early for lunch, but we look anyhow. I'm thinking that I need a fruit stop. I've gotten in the habit of eating an apple for snack and I've missed those apples...so I'm on the lookout for a grocery store. Riding down the interstate, I see a sign "Whole Foods". I'm thinking that would be a good place to stop!

I don't get overly excited about stopping since I'm not leading. However, I know my friend Screamer well enough that it is an attractive stop for her as well....so I'm happy when the turn signal lights and we exit.

I guess it's a good thing that we aren't on a tight time schedule. More dollars, more merchandise than "just" apples and an hour later...we are back on the road. Jeez, you'd think we are hermits that never see the merchandise inside Whole Foods!!

Once back on the road, we lallygag until Albuquerque. There's a lot of traffic in a suburb outside of Albuquerque. Traffic and police. Hmmmmm....

Oh, that's right, President Obama is visiting a local high school for a town hall meeting. I think I used up my "meet the President points" last December when I "ran into him" at the Honolulu Zoo.

At any rate, we pull into Gallup about 45 minutes before the RFTW pull in. I've never done the Gallup stop, but many of my friends tell me it is their favorite of the whole Central Route. I'm about to find out why.....

And you'll find out about it tomorrow!!

Keep the shiny side up!

~Rainbow Wahine

Why Do We Do That?

2009-03-21T22:16:00.002-06:00

Well, it's March already and almost the end. Time does indeed fly...

I'm driving home from work early last week and pulled up to a traffic signal. I'm behind a beautiful chartruse Harley Davidson Softail Standard. The rider was female--either that or it was a very shapely man with long blonde hair flowing from the helmet! Really, it was a female.

The light turned green and traffic starting flowing through the intersection. As the traffic gets up to speed, I notice that the rider has chosen to ride in the middle of the lane. I think it's a bit odd, but the road has a few twists and turns, so I figure that's what the problem is. As we go into a straight away, the rider remains in the middle of the lane.

Riding in the center of the lane is not a good idea. Simply, the deposit of oil and vehicle fluids tends to accumulate in the center of the lane. This may or may not be much of an issue when the lanes are dry. However, if it rains......

With incoming rain, riders are even more at peril. Cars, pedistrians; the activity of riding becomes more complicated with rain. Visibility is limited due to water on the helmet screen or on eyewear and the roads get slick. The habits of riding become really important at this time because having to deal with the added factors of riding. One habit to not have is riding in the middle of the lane where all the vehicular fluids are deposited and the rain begins.

It could be very slick indeed.

I did get caught in the rain riding home from work on Friday. I did have a fleeting thought of the rider on the chartruse Harley and hoped that this was another day of safe riding for her.

Me, I'm riding in the left third of the lane.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Happy February!

2009-02-01T21:23:00.002-07:00

Time flies when you are having fun, eh? Sigh, unfortunately, it's not been all fun and games and January contained zero riding days.

Good thing, however, since the day was nice enough that I was planning on rolling the bike out of the garage and do a bit of "pre" spring cleaning. Turn on the ignition....and nothing.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my lovely motorcycle had a dead battery. Oh, I know, I should have a battery tender...and yes, I do have one...but yes, Christine, it should be attached. The coldness of Colorado winters will kill a battery in a heart beat.

I wasn't particularly motivated to put the bike on the tender since I knew it was time to replace the battery. It has been troublesome this past year when I did ride and since I didn't ride that much to begin with, I figured that I would be replacing it anyway.

However, for those of you who have never purchased a motorcycle battery....they are as costly as an automobile battery. I've never priced them out at the dealership, but I do know that they run a bit north of one hundred dollars at Sears.

I suppose it was a good thing I decided to flip the ignition on before I rolled the bike out of the garage. Otherwise, I'd be parking Mr. Chubbs out on the curb since my driveway is steep. Steep enough that I can't make it in the garage in my van if the drive hasn't been shoveled. No way would I have been able to get the motorcycle back up into the garage with a dead battery.

Well, that's the blurb for the month and a lesson to everyone.....put the bike on a tender or start it occasionally. Me, the Harley has been sitting since November.

Harrumph.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T15:14:00.002-07:00

Aloha! Hau'oli Makahiki Hou or Happy New Year!

The holidays find me in sunny (or should I say rainy Hawaii), so a Hawaiian New Year's Greeting should be in order. No, I'm not riding, rather my son and I are celebrating the holidays with some of my lifelong friends. I stare wistfully at the motorcycles all around, but no worries, riding time will be soon enough. Right now it is time for my family and friends.

I hope that each of you had a wonderful holiday season. I open the paper and am assaulted with bad news after bad news after bad news. Still, amongst the difficult times, there are moments of good times--those brilliant diamond shining moments that take our breaths away and serve as reminders of what is really important.

I will be back in regular ol' winter season tomorrow....we leave the islands tonight. The weather holds promise--it will be in the mid 50s tomorrow and a little cooler for the weekend. If I am greeted with dry roads, I may have to get out for a short scoot to ring in the new year.

Here's to a year that has more riding than last! I hope that everyone found something shiny and chrome'y' under the tree or even a new motorcycle.

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-07T09:25:00.002-07:00

Arrrrgh!!! December already! I've been away busy with life stuff--school, (still) unpacking, work, my son....so riding has taken a back seat. School has been on Saturday, so I haven't had any opportunity to even do any Mountain Shadow Riders' events.

Back in October, I was supposed to have the Women on Wheels (r) and Mountain Shadow Riders birthday party at my home. However, my school schedule conflicted with the event. So, my friend, Biker Betty, and her husband stepped up and graciously opened their home and hosted the party. I appreciated the step in and in exchange, I agreed to open my home to the Mountain Shadow Riders Holiday Brunch since I knew I would be out of school.

The party is scheduled for next weekend. I've been in the midst of decorating and getting ready, but I still have a large amount of boxes to unpack. I am thinking at this point, I will find a bedroom to shove all my "stuff" in!

It will be good to see my friends again--since I haven't seen them in a few months. Hopefully the weather will be cooperative. I still have snow in my yard at the moment.

With the holiday in full swing and much dismal news in the air, please take a moment to reconnect to those things that are most important--friends and family. The love and friendship to both are most valuable and more importantly, least costly to have. This message is important year around, but I think deserves a reminder for this time of year.

Stay tuned for the festivities update....

Until then

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Run For The Wall--Final Day

2008-10-05T08:55:00.002-06:00

Ahhhh...the last day on the road.....has the "great" day of riding come?

We are up at our usual "too darn" early in the morning. Pack up, breakfast, socalizing. Have pre-ride meeting, talk about what the mission is. Have prayer. Oh, I registered and got in line too--remember the previous day was out on my own with friends. I'm looking forward to this day.

The day starts out cold. After all, we are in Eagles Nest, elevation 8203 feet. No worries, it's a clear day and I'll take the cold on its own. I have gear on.

It's time to go. I saddle up and we get out on the road. The ride is beautiful and finally (!) it is the ride that I worked so hard to get to!!! I kick back and enjoy the ride, concentrating on riding and enjoying the challenge of riding in formation.

First stop for the day is Cimmaron, New Mexico. There is a short on highway ceremony. I'm too far back to really see what's going on, but I do enjoy the break. We stay on our bikes and I take the opportunity to "adjust" riding gear.

The ceremony ends and The Ride starts again. Our next destination is Raton. Again, uneventful and I'm enjoying the ride. Whooohoooo!! This is what the ride is all about!!

We cross the town limits of Raton. It is great to see all the folks line up to welcome the riders in! If any of you have the opportunity to ride with The Run and can only do a section, I highly recommend the ride through New Mexico. The support from all the residents is quite amazing and the work done by the state of New Mexico is incredible as well.

Raton is a fuel stop. Again, if you have the opportunity to ride with The Run, the experience is amazing--fuel stop is also included. At this point, there are several hundred motorcycles and they are pushed through for fuel in less than a half hour!!! Thanks to the fuel crew and their organization.

This is a stop as well, so I get the time to visit with the other riders in my group. There are quite a few that are "FNG"s (you'll have to look up the acronym). They welcome me to the group, we exchange names and talk about the ride so far. The reasons of riding are as varied as the motorcycles.

Every one is fueled up. I have a snack in my tummy and an empty bladder so I'm ready for the next stop: Trinidad, Colorado. Again, the ride is uneventful.

We parade through Trinidad. Waving at all the folks that turn out and seeing the support of eveyone is amazing! I ride with a tear in my eye and shivers up my spine as I wave back. Yes, it is a great day on the ride.

I'm thinking that this is the day for the ride--the day that is worth all the trials and tribulations I "suffered" through.

Wishful thinking, that is.

As we leave Trinidad--I meet the monster for the day--the crosswind. If anyone has ever ridden on the plains of Colorado, I know that the word "crosswind" is understood. Not just for Colorado, but any of the plains states. Grrrrrrr...

Unfortunately, we fight the crosswinds all the way through the ride from Trinidad to La Junta. La Junta is the next fuel stop and our lunch stop. I eat my lunch and process the ride so far. I'm feeling the mental and physical work from riding in a permanent "lean" in the winds.

I am less than enthusiastic when the riders saddle up, but I decide to press on. I discover about 20 miles down the road that I should have gotten out. I don't feel too badly about the decision since I know I would have still had to ride home, but I know I'm reaching the end of my rope of formation riding.

The remainder of the segment was a challenge. I can't tell you much about the ride to Limon except for my battle on the bike. The mental and physical fight to stay in formation in the crosswind takes all my energy. Focus, focus, focus.

As well pull into Limon, I find make a decision. I'm done. Limon is about an hour north/east from Colorado Springs and I'm ready to go home. When the bikes pull into the stop I pull out of formation and park my bike in the side lot. I have a twinge of "maybe" but I know that it's the right decision for me.

I walk over to the my group Platoon Leaders and thank them for leading. I wish them well and a safe ride for the remainder of the trip with a goodbye hug. I also walk through the platoon and thank them for riding and wish them a safe ride for the remainder of the trip.

As with any stop, there is a good bit of commotion going on, so take leave of the group and quietly walk away. My heart is sad for the time to leave, but my head knows it is the right decision--I am mentally and physically spent.

My good friend Dozer finds me and we stand together and watch the bikes pull out, waving to all the riders. The next stop is Burlington, only a few short miles down the road. Yes, I know I could have stayed with the grouup. I also knew that I still had the ride home ahead of me. If I was going to do any more riding, I'd rather be riding home than ride to Burlington then have to ride home.

Dozer and I saddle up and we head out. He is out taking photos for the "Going Postal" ride contest that the Mountain Shadow Riders have going on. There are a few post offices between Limon and Colorado Springs, but I don't mind the stops--since it breaks up the sixty or so miles home.

Home. What a great sounding word. We pull into the Springs and I am happy to see home.

This was an "adventure" that was only a few days....there were quite a few POWs that were gone much much longer--and some that are still missing. While my experience doesn't even come close to theirs, it is all that I have. I think I get a small understanding of why the ride is so emotional.

I pull up to my house and am happy to be there. Even with all the trials and tribulations, I'm home safe and sound. The ride is what it is and while not under the most ideal circumstances, it was an adventure worth noting. Most importantly.....

All's well that ends well..........

Until the next time...

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Night at Eagle's Nest

2008-09-28T21:48:00.002-06:00

Last year, our stop was at Angelfire. To "spread" the rider's money around, it is my understanding that the Run for The Wall tries to select different towns on the route. I think there are other factors as well, but I don't think I'm privvy to them. I'd be guessing that the small towns that the Run stops in might place a burden upon them--especially for the towns that put up dinners and the like. I have no idea how the fund raising is done.

I digress.

Anglefire holds a special place in the Run's heart. I've said time and time before, there is a Memorial in Anglefire--built by a local doctor and his wife that lost their only son to the war in Vietnam. It is an amazing place and quite humbling. There are no words to describe it.

There is a ceremony at the Memorial. While I am not a Veteran, my life is touched by many Vets. My dad was a Korean War Vet and my son's dad is a Vet of Desert Storm and the War on Terrorism. While I'm not a direct casualty of war, my family was square in the target of conflict; the subsequent breakdown of my family was due to post-traumatic stress--and it tore my family apart. I've since recovered, but still, I am one of the many faceless families that never really gets talked about as a casualty. I didn't lose a life--but losing and rebuilding a family was traumatic nonetheless.

Again, I digress. This isn't about me. The ceremony is quiet and humbling. What I know is that this is a special place. It gives me goosebumps everytime I think of what I've seen.

The ceremony ends and the folks gather to head down to the village of Angelfire. The town puts together a dinner and feeds the riders in the run. The dinner was the first time I had to meet the crew of "Flying Thunder, Flight to the Wall 2008". Volunteers of the Wings and Rotors Air Museum worked to get three Hueys to ride with the Run riders. The flight that was to cover 5,000 miles over 16 states with a cost of over $300,000. The trip was to commerate the 40th anniversary of the Tet Offensive. The logistics of the flight were incredible obstacles--fuel range limited flights to 90 minutes and required manditory manitenance after every 20 flying hours. Not to mention the chase vehicles carrying oil and as many spare parts and tools that they could bring.

They did make it out to pay tribute to those lost to war and to keep the importance of accounting for those not brought back front and center...and yes, they made it back. For more information you can check out Flying Thunder. You can also read their stores at the Flying Thunder 2008 Blog.

With the dinner finished and visiting done, it was time to head out. A fuel stop before the half hour ride back to Eagles Nest. My friend Screamer leads, I'm riding wing and the sweep is Screamer's mom and dad. Not too much traffic or anything major (cue the dramatic "something is gonna happen music, please).

As we head down the highway, I see "something" in the middle of the road. What on earth is that, I think. I can't really tell....but mentally click over what it could possibly be...and then it moves. More like bounds off the highway....Oh my goodness, it is deer?

I wish.

Instead, I realize it's a rather large elk. I breathe a sigh of relief and say a small prayer that the very large animal bounded off the highway. I then take a quick peek to the side of the road where it ran and see....many, many, many more elk. Many pairs of green eyes looking back as we pass.

I pull up to ride abreast of the lead and flip my brights on. If there is a chance that there is something in the road, two riders side by side with brights will give us more visibility than riding staggered. I don't remember much of the ride back past that--all I know is that I was saying a very long prayer and promising that I would never do anything wrong ever ever ever...if I could get to the motel without anything happening to any of us.

Finally, we pulled in. Never mind the cold temps...I'll take freezing over playing chicken with an elk. I'd have lost.

We get in and attempt to settle in. My nerves are shot. I spent the next hour or so decompressing. It could have been much worse, I know.....but it's still scary.

Finally, sleep comes. We will have another early start.....so sleep is important. I feel like I've been on the road for more than one day....lol....

The next day is another adventure...

Until then,

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Run For The Wall 2008--To Eagles Nest

2008-09-20T18:19:00.005-06:00

Before we leave Espanola, we gas up. We've picked up to additional riders...no probs. We talk about the ride, the roads and get our warning about riding our ride. There are going to be twisties!! Whooohooooo!!! So while I don't get to ride in with the Run, I get to ride twisties. Makes up for it....almost!

The weather is still holding. Of course, it's only been about 20 minutes since our fearless leader pointed it out, so it's too early to expect anything. Talking with the new riders, I quiz them on their preparedness for mountain riding. Have they ever ridden in the mountains and did they have cold weather gear? I told them I was putting mine on--because I know what it's like to ride up at high altitude and we were headed there.

I have my layers on. While it's nice to have them when it's cold...well, it's not cold now!!! So I'm pretty much sweating...and on a hot motorcycle. Not the good kind of "hot" motorcycle either. I know that it will soon change, so off we go.

Not much to think about; I settle in the groove of enjoying the ride. We do start to climb in altitude and get into the twisties. Clouds are there. The music of my iPod gets ignored as I concentrate on riding.

There is a fair amount of traffic on the road. We are in a loose pack, so I'm not in a hurry. The leaders, however, want to ride rather aggressively. So they take off and somehow I end up leading. Not a big deal, by any means. Except I'm leading a bunch of folks that I know very little about and riding down a highway that I've never ridden.

Great. Now the pressure is on. Ah well, just concentrate on the road ahead...

As we climb in elevation, the temperatures drop. I'm glad I have my gear on. That's one distraction that I don't need right now. And of course, with twisties, there are also....bicyclists.

No, I'm not anti-bicyclist. I used to ride one as my main mode of transportation. All I ask is that they share the same respect for the other vehicles on the road. I don't like the ones that assume that I'm watching for them or think they have right of way just because they are on a bicycle. I still watch for them, however.

This time, it wasn't the bicyclist. As I am going around a blind curve, I see the bicyclist coming down the hill in the opposite direction. What I didn't see and obviously didn't see me was the big van that decided to pass said bicyclist in blind curve. And by passing, I mean, ride in my lane. I swerved and managed to get out of the way without getting hit. Boy, I did have the beejeebers scared out of me. I was too startled to really get angry...until I got down the road a bit. Uttering a few choice words and wishing that the idiot was close enough that I could give him an unedited rant of his decision...well, not really a good thing to be distracted with while I'm still riding the mountain pass.

I try to shake the whole thing off since I do not want to miss a turn and end up crashing, I press on. My fun for this ride has certainly come to a low. Miserable weather, missing the group to ride, and now this....grrrrrrrr......

Oh yes, and we never do get rain but it sure does get cold!! Yeah, I'm having fun...NOT!!

Finally, we get to Eagle's Nest. On the way down, we pass the Angle Fire Memorial. If you haven't been to the memorial, I suggest that you do. It's an amazing place to stop. As I pass it, I remember that the memorial was built by a father in rememberance for losing his son in Vietnam and has become a symbol of those lost to war. As much misery as I've felt these past few days, I think that it is insignificant to what those families endured. OK OK OK, attitude adjusted.

My little group disbands. I'm stopping for coffee to warm up. One of the riders in the group mentions my close call with big van. I respond that I wasn't too happy, but in the end, no riders crashed so it was a good ride.

My friend Speedo Jack meetup and we decide to hit one of the local watering holes for dinner and wait for the rest of the Run folks to show up. We get a chance to visit and hash the day out.

It's all good.

My friends pull in and we putz around until the official Run for the Wall Dinner at Angel Fire.

Oh, the ride isn't over yet....wait until you hear this one.....

Keep the Shiny Side Up....

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Day After the Rain....

2008-09-20T17:43:00.003-06:00

Oh, errr...sorry about that, folks....the story does continue. I had to move....so I did and now I'm still unpacking...sigh.

I was up bright and early the next morning...and the morning was BEAUTIFUL!!! Yippee!!! I was happy to be greeted with golden sunshine and out of that awful motel. It wasn't a big deal when I checked in...but checking out...go...go...go....

The facility was clean, it was just a "smoking room" being converted to non-smoking. As a non-smoker, I'm not sure if it will ever be up to my standards. Blech....

Okay, back to the story. I get up early and plan on meeting the group at Route 66 Casino. Not a very long ride--maybe 30 minutes tops. Unfortunately for me, I have no idea it is that close, so I'm at the meet site--two hours early. Not too convenient of a location to go shopping and besides, it is too early for anyone except perhaps Wal-Mart to be open. So what to do...what to do...

Well, after all, it's a casino....so I find a card table. Two hours pass rather quickly and while I wish I could say that I won, I broke even and was happy.

I took a peek outside and the Road Guard crew has pulled in. Cool. I should be able to find my friend Screamer fairly easily. After all isn't a six foot tall blonde on a purple Victory is easy to spot? She is and I find her busy directing motorcycles.

Since I missed registration that morning in Gallup, I find that I can't join the group. I'm a bit disappointed...after all, I took an extra day off from work to ride in with everyone, and find that I can't. Rules are rules, I know, and while I'm disappointed, there is really not much I can do. I do find another group of friends from Colorado Springs and they graciously invite me to ride in. Instead of following the main group, they've been riding behind the fuel group. So I'm in with a group of six or so and we are between the fuel crew and the main pack. It's all good.

Time to load up and off we go. Again, I'm disappointed for not being able to ride in with the Run. There is something ethereal about the ride. While it is a challenge to ride in a large group of motorcycles--side by side at highway speeds--and with folks you don't know--I'd say it isn't that--exactly. I think it's more the reasons why the riders are there. The cameraderie and acceptance of the riders who all understand that this is not only a recognition ride, but it is also a mission. The feeling is an amazing one and I think I'm not doing a very good job of explaining it.

Nonetheless, we are out on the road. The weather is gorgeous, I didn't lose all my money at the casino and I'm with friends. What more can I ask for?

Of course, when someone asks that question, it's always a warning of things to come, lol. Like bad weather, perfect weather doesn't last either. However, I'm not complaining--yet.

Get on the bike and ride. Destination: Espanola. It's a fairly straightforward ride and I will say that I was glad for the break. This is what the joy of riding is all about. We pull into Espanola. Our lunch stop is at the Espanola Veteran's Memoral Wall. My thanks to the Sangre De Cristo HOG Chapter and Santa Fe Harley Davidson for feeding us!!

After lunch, there was a short ceremony. It was really wonderful to see the many children of the community attend the ceremony. It was especially touching to see all the youth talking and thanking the many veteran riders for their service to this great nation. I get still get goosebumps remembering the scene.

One of the riders in my group hunts me down and points towards the mountains......

The big ominous black cloud. We have to beat that cloud he says....

This cloud is seriously large and black enough to that we leave before the road guards do. Hmmmm...

Our destination is Eagle's Nest by way of Taos and Angel Fire. I remember saying a small prayer, "Please let the weather hold until we get through Flechado Pass."

And of course, another day for another story. I promise that you won't have to wait three months for it either...

Until tomorrow....

Keep the shiny side up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!

2008-06-19T06:19:00.003-06:00

Sigh, after three (yes, three) servings of Chili, I'm finally warmed up.

It is still raining. Not a torrential downpour, but more than a light spritz.

I do not want to get back on the bike.

I know I have to, so I gear up and head out. I wonder when will I get around the clouds?

Apparently, never. At least on this rotten day. Eventually, the rain does stop....somewhere on the other side of Santa Fe. It is still cloudy. Just a yukky day altogether.

One of my friends has a tag line on her e-mails..."the worst day on the motorcycle is better than any day in the office" or something to that effect. I disagree. I burned a vacation day for this?? Harrumph.

I press on. It is relatively quiet. No major disasters, rain, wind, snow or awful stuff to deal with. Traffic is calm. Or so think as I sit here trying to recall the haze of road miles.

My next battle: fatigue. I'm tired. It's been a day full of challenges and absolutely zero fun of riding. I press on, working my way west trying to get to Gallup, New Mexico. Finally, I see the city limits of Albuquerque. I know I have to stop for fuel. Then the last leg to Gallup.

Of course, stopping for fuel turns out to be an adventure in itself. I stop at a gas station...and it is a mad house! Vehicles everywhere! Come to find out that this particular station is having a $0.20 sale---$0.20 off a gallon of gasoline. It's a mad house! I watch with interest. It is a feeding frenzy. People everywhere, trying to get fuel. Fighting over who goes next.

I patiently wait. I take the moments to just process the day. I'm know I'm tired. The insanity of the events at the pump do not amuse me in my typical manner. Okay, I'm past tired. I'm exhausted.

Finally getting my gas, I gear back up and pull out. There's a little Microtel across the street. I look at my Zumo GPS and see there's over 100 miles to go. I make a flash decision. I pull in and call it a day.

There is a room available. I pay, get my gear off the bike.

Stripping down and take the many layers off, leaving a trail of clothing on the floor. I just do not care. Wash my face and then lay down. I call my friends to let them know I am done for the night. Then I lay down. Sleep is coming. My last thought...

"Please let tomorrow not be a repeat of today."

Sleep comes....

Keep the Shiny Side Up

~The Rainbow Wahine

Run For the Wall 2008--Over Raton Pass

2008-05-30T06:11:00.003-06:00

One of the other things that was a minor problem was my glove liners. I was having a problem with a draft up my chin and stuffed one of my glove liners in that space to block the draft. Unfortunately, somewhere on I-25 it became missing.

Oh well, I'll pull out another set of warmer gloves. Except.....I left them at home! LOL.

I did manage to find a cashmere glove stuffed in my pocket (why, I have no idea), so I thought "great, I'll use that as a liner". Well, until I looked at the glove. It was a right glove. My glove liner...was the right glove. Minor problem really--I turned the cashmere glove inside out and voila! Problem fixed.

I put my liners on my hand...one black and right bright red, then put my gloves on and off I went.

Earring lost, glove liner lost..what else??

I pull back on the highway and it is once again windy!! No rain, so I'm not too upset. The ride is pretty uneventful and I kick back, listening to The Phantom of the Opera and cruise on down the highway.

I notice as I get to Raton pass, the temps are noticeably dropping. The sky darkens....looks like rain..yikes!!

Except it is not rain. It's the rain's cousin....snow.

Oh double great! There is snow on the ground and the sky is threatening more.....precipitation.

I catch a few flurries and as I head over the pass, I'm just praying for just that--a few flurries. Well, I am cursing the snow and wishing for end-of-May great temps and riding but praying to get through the pass with minimal snow.

It did just that. As I get over the top of the pass, the sky lightens a bit.

Motorcycle crisis survived.

I continue heading south and get a few sprinkles of rain here and there. Not anything to really amount to much, however, the temps still stay cold.

Those sprinkles never did amount to much and I never did get wet, but with the cold temps and the continuing cold blusters, I decided to pull over on the highway and put my raingear on. One more layer. If you were driving down I-25 on Thursday, May 15 between Wagon Mound and Las Vegas, NM and saw a rider on a red Harley Davidson putting raingear on--well, that was me!

It was a good thing I stopped. The closer I got to Las Vegas the darker the sky got. I finally caught up with the rain. As I ride down the interstate, I was beginning to wonder where the edge of this weather front was.

When I get to Las Vegas, it is outright raining. I decided that I had enough and wanted to stop and warm up and take advantage of the stop to fuel up my bike and my tummy. I'm in search of soup. Gallons and gallons of soup!!

I didn't find anything that looked remotely interesting for a food stop, but I did spot a local Wendy's...and they have chili. I'll take it.

I pull in for my lunch. Wet bike, wet gear, water water everywhere.

Can I wait it out?

Until the next post...

Keep The Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Run For The Wall 2008--To Gallup, NM

2008-05-28T06:25:00.004-06:00

It was still overcast and cool when I pulled out of my driveway Thursday morning. As a matter of fact, an inner voice told me that I should just wait until Friday before leaving. However, I had given my word that I would meet my friends this evening, so I decided to head on out.

I tacked my half-shell helmet on my T-Bag. Not because I was wanting to ride without a helmet, but rather I decided that I was going to take my full-faced helmet along--and actually wear it! Those of you that have been reading this blog for some time remember the Iron Butt adventure where I took my full-faced helmet and didn't wear it, lol!!

The weather in the city of Colorado Springs wasn't too bad, so I settled in the groove and started enjoying my ride. That lasted all of 25 miles or so--then the wind really picked up. I was blown and buffeted all over the highway and the wind was COLD!!! I said a small prayer of thanks for putting my full-faced on.

Besides the wind, my adventure was pretty much uneventful. At Walsenburg, I decided that I wanted to warm up a bit and stop for fuel. I pulled off at the usual pit stop at the Walsenburg exit. There, I noticed that there were motorcyclists pulling out and headed north (which should have meant coming from the south, right??). They were wearing rain gear.

Great.

I start my stop by getting fuel. One of the things I dislike about my helmet is yanking it off my head. It makes me want to go and get one of the flip faced helmet so the thing won't yank my ears off. I manage to get the darn thing off my head and gas up. I finish and then pull the bike up to the front of the convenience store.

I go in, grab me a cup of coffee and wander around the store, trying to warm up. As I wander, something tells me to check my ears--to see if my earrings are still in. Nope, one was gone. Not normally a big deal, except this pair are my diamond studs and I'm none to happy to find that it was gone.

I decided to run out to the pump to see if it had been pulled off when I took off my helmet. As I scan the ground, I see a bit of flash. Sigh of relief--I find both the stud and the back. This time I tuck them into my wallet so it won't get lost again. At least on this motorcycle ride.

I finish my coffee and then put my gear back on to continue my journey.

So what does a lost earring story have to do with my Run For the Wall story? Well, the weather, bikers wearing rain gear and lost earring all point to the "maybe I should rethink going on" portion of the story or an indicator of things to come.

I had that fleeting thought and decided to press on. I'll tell you, it doesn't get any better.....

Until tomorrow.....

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It IS Time

2008-05-15T07:07:00.002-06:00

And I'm sitting here in front of this box! LOL...

Well, I'm sitting here trying to avoid the really cold and wet morning. In about an hour, I'm supposed to be pulling out on my Fatboy--to start a weekend adventure and ride in with the folks that are doing the Run For The Wall.

Except it's like 30 degrees outside, wet and windy.

Blech....my favorite riding weather--NOT!!

I'll ride with them until Saturday, so it's just two days in with the group. I wish I could do more, but realistically, I'm supposed to close on my house on Tuesday...and I still have a ton of boxes to pack.

Well, just a short update...I'll hopefully get a few posts out while I'm on the road.

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Stupid is as Stupid Does...

2008-05-10T22:23:00.005-06:00

So I'm riding up Powers on my way home and thinking it's very cold to be riding when I hear the buzz of sportbikes. Now, really, I don't care what anyone rides and I think a pack of any kind of motorcycles is really cool together. I watch then fly by in all their glory and fly by they do...all buzzing and whatnot.

Of course, I have that warm fuzzy feeling and a bit of jealousy of "them" riding (versus me). Then one of the yahoos decides to pull his bike up in a wheelie.

I'm not impressed.

Really people, do what you want to do--I don't care. If a rider is that skilled enough to ride stunts and do it successfully--that's great! However, to do this in the front of a group of motorcycles is downright unintelligent.

Had that rider lost control and crashed, chances are that the dude or dudette behind him would have run him over. I'm not going to debate whether or not he deserves that in light of his bad choice. But really, does he want to subject his fellow rider to the guilt of running over him (or her, since I shouldn't be sexist and assume it was a dude)? Or risking the 20 people behind him the opportunity to crash?

This wasn't a group of motorcyclists on a street with light traffic. Saturday afternoon traffic and damp roads is not a day for "light" traffic. This rider was the third motorcycle in a large group of motorcycles. I wondered how many of his friends would have crashed trying to avoid him, run him over, or run him over and then crashed. Of course, I've left out just avoiding him. Think he'd get lucky enough to have them all avoid him?

Or it might have been a day where no one flipped their bike over and the rider just put his bike down and the ride continued on like it should. That is exactly what happened.

At least for today. If you want to ride dangerously, go for it!! You take your machine, your skin and your life into your hands. Please, however, don't risk someone else's skin. If you still feel the need to do so, I will pull out and it will be my last ride with you. This I know. It's bad enough that I have to watch out for road hazards like sand, gravel, potholes as well as cell phone laden drivers, bad decisions, and the like. I have to watch out for irresponsible riders too.

LOL....call it natural selection or whatever you like. I used to be horrified at that small group of irresponsible riders "making" a bad name for the responsible riders. No more. It's no different from idiot drivers being a sound representation of drivers of the general population. Instead, I just chalk it up to natural selection...and hope that it is not one of my friends that runs your crazy self over.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

May Flowers?

2008-05-10T22:13:00.002-06:00

HA! That's funny...

Today was the monthly Mountain Shadow Riders meeting...and the May meeting brings the usual meeting stuff. I belong to a women's motorcycling group, right?

So I drove my van. I went outside this morning and thought...hmmmm...it's darned cold and I'm not going to ride. Besides, I saw the big bank of dark gray clouds that were floating over the front range. Uhhh..no riding for this wahine.

As I'm riding down to the meeting, I notice a motorcyclist on a blue Ultra Classic. I pull up along side the bike and I know the rider. I shout out a greeting--he's on his way to teach his motorcycle riding class...brrrrrrrr....he laughs and says that the weather will be great in a few hours. I disagree and wave him on his way.

A few hours later...nope. Still wayyyy cold. Springtime in the Rockies. As a matter of fact, it rained a bit and the rain was mixed with a bit of slush. Yeah.................

It never did warm up as a matter of fact, I started a fire this evening to take the chill out of the air.

Tomorrow, it'll be 73 and gorgeous.

Yep, springtime in the rockies. Nothing quite like it.

I'd like to ride sometime and not freeze, thank you very much. Sigh....

Keep the shiny side up--and ride a few miles for me, willya??

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Power of $1.22

2008-05-07T06:40:00.005-06:00

Not really a motorcycle related story....except for the writer is a motorcyclist, lol!

My offer on the house I am interested in buying was accepted...yay! Handed my agent my earnest money check, scheduled the home inspection, etc., etc., etc. One of the major things I need to take care of is the down payment--that 20 percent is daunting, since I'm a first-time homebuyer. I appreciate that I have it, though.

To do so, I have to sell shares out of my brokerage account and yes, it was a sad day to press the "enter" button since I know it's going to "somewhat broke" to "almost broke". Okay, scary too!

Knowing that I'd have to have a casheir's check in hand at closing and that it would be more difficult to deal with with my out of town brokerage account, I decided to transfer the money to my local savings account. So transfer I did. I did a rough calculation of what I need to leave behind--checks outstanding and other transactions.

I missed by $1.22. Yup, you got that right...I was short by a mere $1.22. So imagine my surprise that one of my checks was returned as it's been a forever and a day since I actually bounced a check. Hey, I write maybe one check a month and this month I have written three. Not good statistics, IMO. On top of that, this one particular account does not have overdraft protection.

Sigh.

You know, I wonder how I manage to successfully survive in my existance. I took care of the offending check and just put it behind me with a laugh at the irony. Oh! The Irony!

And vow to never complain about that "little bitty dollar". I think $1.22 would be a great price for a gallon of gasoline! Now that you mention it, with the appetite for my Harley "wanting" premium and the last fill up I had to pay over $15.00 for a tank--almost the price of filling up my mom-mobile not too long ago. I suspect the days of $6.00 fill ups are long gone.

Such is life, eh?

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

A Short Putt...and I Gotta Get One of Those!!!

2008-04-30T02:03:00.005-06:00

As I am always crunched for time, I took advantage of an opening in my schedule for a very short putt...

I did get an acceptance on the offer I made on the home that I'm interested in buying. So, today was home inspection day. Seeing that I had to run home to get that all important checkbook (who carries that around on a daily basis any more??), I decided to hop on the motorcycle instead of continuing my journey by mom-mobile.

The new home is only a few miles away from me, but I didn't care. Just rolling down the road for a short jaunt is better than no jaunt, right?? Besides, with gasoline pushing upwards towards that unbelievable $4.00 mark....well, any time to conserve fuel (and dollars) is a good idea.

It was nice to get the wind in my hair for a bit and not be cold. Finally, the end of April and I have a day that I'm not all bundled up!! Whooohooooo for me.

Inspection done and homeward bound. I did have to swap out vehicles to go and get my munchkin. Sighhhhhh...(almost) too short to ride.

After obtaining my little one, I scooted home to find my neighbors working on this huge trailer. Seems that they've invested in a covered trailer to haul....motorcycles. Yes, that's right. They have trailer capabilities. Yes, I know that there are huge debates regarding "trailering" motorcycles, and honestly, I do not care if one trailers or rides.....after suffering through miles of 2 mph traffic for hours to get out of Myrtle Beach.....the idea doesn't sound too bad.

But I'm getting away from my story. As my neighbors are installing the wheel chocks and what have you (and imagine two men installing this equipment--without reading instructions, lol). They decided to have the all-important test of loading a motorcycle into the trailer. Good idea, I think and settle in to watch.

My son, who has been fascinated with motorcycles since he was teeny, stopped his bicycle riding to watch. He came up to me and said "mom, do you think I can ride on that?"

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......the time has started? Maybe? After the successful loading and more importantly, unloading of said shiny Harley Davidson, I asked my neighbor if he would mind giving Alex a little ride on the back. "Little" meaning turning the motorcycle around and pulling back up into the garage. My neighbor agreed and on Alex went.

Compared to my "little" putt machine, my neighbor's motorcycle is the bomb. A fully dressed hard bagger and CVO to boot.....one that a rider and passenger can ride many many many miles comfortably. I can do the same on mine, mind you....I doubt a passenger would survive as long.

So Alex is riding his first "on the back" ride...on a really cool motorcycle. Yes, he's been on the back of my friend's trike, but this is the first on two wheels. As he rides by, I comment to another neighbor...I gotta get one of those!

Yeah....just to haul my little one around. I'd guess that it'd "have" to have all the bells and whistles as that CVO does too *wink*.

He he he....

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's April????

2008-04-25T06:43:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been crazy weather here in Colorado. Or has it been "normal" versus the previous years of superfantastic weather?? I dunno, but pleeeeeeeeaze bring me back superfantastic!!!

I did get out for a bit last weekend. No mountain riding, but rather, just riding the roads in town. I've been out house hunting since I'm having to move. Not from this lovely town, mind you--just having to leave my house. The homeowners are not renewing my lease. Something about a biker and her biker trash....

NO NO NO! Not really. My landlord has been overseas and is finally returning and they want their home back. Can't really blame them...I love it here.

So my weekend has been filled with riding the neighborhoods on the bike--out scouting homes. Not too bad, by any means....I've gotten really good at making U-Turns in neighborhood streets again. It's amazing how quickly I've gotten "rusty" at those skills.

Interestingly, I've discovered that while out on the motorcycle, I pull up to a home for sale, hop off the bike and grab a flyer...and while I stand out front reading the info on the home, the owner comes out and chats about the bike, and then I get an invite to tour their home! No pressure and I get to ask questions like "how are your neighbors, how much is your utility bill" kinda things that an agent really can't answer.

I've got an offer out on the table at the moment and I think it's been accepted...I should find out later this afternoon. If so, I'll be packing. OH wait, I'm packing anyway since I know I have to move. At least after today, I'll know where I'm moving too...I hope.

I should have a riding adventure soon enough...at least hope to.

Until then, I hope that you've gotten out for many putts and adventures...I need to live vicariously through you!!

Keen the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Lo and Behold...It's STILL SNOWING!

2008-03-18T21:40:00.003-06:00

I think there's been three whole rides this year. I should not complain, I know--since the folks in some parts of this great country have been frozen for a long long time.

So not much writing about motorcycle riding. I did, however, get to add a "new" gadget to my stable of gadgets...

"Announcing, the greatest invention for people that can't find their way out of a paper bag....."

The Zumo.

Yes, folks, I finally decided to break down and add one to my motorcycle. For all of you Goldwing riders out there...please don't poke fun at this Fatboy riding chickie...and yes, I know, I somehow have lost respect from my Harley riding (and non Harley riding) friends.

Sigh, no more being on the dark side. I'm truly yuppi-fied!

I've only had one opportunity to put the Zumo to the test while out on the motorcycle, and no, it really wasn't a test since I was just out for a group ride and didn't plot to go anywhere. Rather, it was on and I was just paying attention to the map.

I'll have plenty of time to put the gadget to the test out on the bike...later.

However, out of the box, there are two mounts--one that bolts to my motorcycle and a suction mount that I leave in my car. The suction mount is great--I have the mount on the windshield glass. The assembly comes with two power cords...one that I keep in my van and the other is hardwired to my motorcycle. The only thing I have to move is the Zumo itself.

Just remember in a few states that mounting on a car windshield is a no-no.

I did get the 550 model--so I have the optional upgrades to XM radio and stuff, but what I really wanted was the bluetooth. I have not utilized the bluetooth functionality on the motorcycle, however, in my vehicle...I love it! Hands free speakerphone for my cell while in my car. I've paired my cellphone to my Zumo and it automatically goes to handsfree mode while I'm in the car.

I'll have to wait until it warms up a bit and I get out on the road on my motorcycle to test the other features. However, what I've seen so far has been terrific. I've been a fan of GPS for a number of years...I had an old Garmin system in my van before--so this is an upgrade for me.

I'm just excited that I can now have GPS capability on my motorcycle.

I don't want to hear the noise...oh wait, maybe I am riding a Goldwing ...

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

I'll Huff..and I'll Puff...and I'll

2008-02-24T15:56:00.003-07:00

Be blown all over the road.

First ride of 2008 was....errrrr....windy!

Well, the ride up wasn't too bad. My friends and I decided that a ride northward to Denver with a lunch spot at my favorite salad bar, Whole Foods, was the plan for the day.

The day started perfect. No wind, a few clouds in the sky. I had a few prep items to take care of--firstly putting my saddlebags back on my motorcycle...since I had removed them to be repaired. Secondly, the TCLOCS check. For those of you that don't know what TCLOCS is....

Tires...front and back, wear, tread, pressure
Controls...throttle, clutch, brakes, horn
Lights....beams (low/high), tail light, brake, signals (front and back)
Oil...and fuel
Chassis..suspension, seating
Sidestand....

Yeah, I know, my front left turn driving lamp is out..the turn signal still works...fuel is full...but I know I need air in my tires. I'm about 10 pounds down in the back, 8 in the front. Fuel or not, I have to stop at the gas station.

Once I'm up to speed, I'm ready to head down to the meet spot. I have no idea who is going to be there as a whole slew of folks were invited.

LOL...well, we have a party of three and one we are picking up along the way. The route was Hwy 83.

The ride up was terrific, we picked up our rider along the way...and managed to have a terrific time at Whole Foods up at Cherry Creek.

Packing up, we all (well, everyone else decided while I was in the ladies room) was fine to head back down to the Springs via I-25.

Needless to say, there was a front blowing in...and yes, we were blown all over the road. I knew it was a pretty heavy wind when I looked down at the fringe on my levers and they were blowing forward instead of the usual backwards!!! Not to mention that the Sunday afternoon traffic around Denver was pretty heavy. Not as heavy as commuter traffic, but certainly did add to the misery of the ride.

As my exit approached, I said a prayer in thanks for finally being home and being able to not ride at interstate speeds and almost out of the wind. A quick peek at my thermometer and I'm seeing 24 degrees.....yikes!

Everyone got home safely...and it was a fun time in spite of all the wind, traffic and, temps. And yes, finally, the first ride of 2008!!! Whew....

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Waiting, Waiting, Waiting...

2008-02-23T11:46:00.002-07:00

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock.

Is winter ever going to end? Is there such a thing as a great riding day?

Sigh.

I did get my garage door fixed, thank goodness.

However, there hasn't been much of an opportunity to get out and ride. Either snow, rain, too much wind, cold...the list goes on. I shouldn't complain. The folks out in Wisconsin have over 100+ inches of snow this season and are expecting six more this Monday. Not only that, it's been so cold that there has been no melt off and well, 100 inches...where do you put the new stuff now??

In the mean time, I did manage to snag myself a Garmin Zumo motorcycle GPS. It's here in town; the folks at UPS have it and so it won't be delivered until Monday. I'm looking forward to getting it installed and my first ride of 2008. Gee, and it's a week until March!

Not much else going on in this motorcycle rider's world (at least related to motorcycling).

Hopefully, I'll have some type of motorcycling adventure to report before the end of the month!

Keep the Shiny Side UP!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Well, THAT Did It....

2008-01-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

I guess it is a good thing that the V-Star went home. Tuesday evening, my son and I were coming in from a long day of work/school and as usual, I enter my house through the garage. It is a convenient way to get in and out of the house--since it is still dark at 5:00 pm and I'm too frugal to leave outside lights on all day so I can see where to put the key......

So use the garage.

Well, the door opener has been acting a little strange for the past few weeks--being very uncooperative as far as wanting to stay open or close.

I will say that after Tuesday, it is certainly closed.

As I pressed the button to pull the door down, the familiar noise of....drrrrrrrrrrrrrr....sounds. About three-quarters of the way....SLAM.

Yes, my dear Virginia, there is a Garage-Door Clause.

Now my door won't open at all. I suppose it is a good thing that there is a forecast of snow showers tomorrow...and a high of mid thirties Saturday and Sunday. I won't be wanting to ride. Unfortunately, I'll have to fix my garage door opener....so I can get the darn bike out!!

Sigh...it's always something. At least until I get my door fixed...no riding for the Wahine...

Keeping the Shiny Side Up for certain 'cause I'm not riding...

~The Rainbow Wahine

It Wasn't Sad Until....

2008-01-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

It went bye-bye.

Finally, the Yamaha V-Star is gone :-(. The new owner secured a trailer and on a frozen but clear day, came and picked up the Star.

Sigh.

Why was I so sad? After all, I have been "talking" about selling my Yamaha for....ever it seems. Last October I pitched the idea to someone looking for a Star and did the deal in November. Well, the paperwork anyway.

Since the exchange of paper, the timing never seemed to work. Either I was busy or the buyer was busy. Or the weather was rotten. I recall one week of being terribly sick. And so on and so forth.

At the last Mountain Shadow Riders meeting, he apologized for having the bike in the garage. Really, it wasn't an issue. But I suppose that the man wanted his motorcycle. After all, if I purchased a new bike, I'd want it in MY garage...even if the weather was not agreeable to riding.

Sooooooo.....last Saturday, the new owner comes with a trailer and takes away "my" Cranky. Okay, not mine anymore, but takes away the motorcycle.

I was sad--it was my first motorcycle. And suffered terribly from no riding. So I'm not being fair, eh?

And even if the riding is not agreeable and the new owner and his bike spent their first adventure on a trailer, ha ha ha!

Well, goodbye Cranky and well wishes for many many miles for the Star and the New Owner. The V-Star 1100 is a truly wonderful motorcycle and wonderful purchase. I hope that the pair has as many motorcycle adventures that I have.....

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Miscellaneous Motorcycle Stuff

2008-01-16T22:13:00.001-07:00

Well, it looks like my gang of Iron Butt riders have gotten their certificates...I know one of the other riders got hers. The others? I have yet to find out.

Looks like Cranky is going to his new home. I wonder if "he'll" be rechristened as a "she". Do boys ride a boy motorcycle? This is not making any sense!!

We got snow here today. Not much, but it is bitterly cold. Thermometer says -1F. YIKES!! Even if it were clear and no snow on the ground, I would not be riding! There were quite a few motorcyclists out on the street yesterday--before the snow. However, the temperature was still in the 40's.....too cold for this chickie.

And yes, to the guy that is riding his new Harley Davidson around on the ice. DON'T! I can't drive or walk very well on ice...and unless that HD had studded tires...it is not a good idea...at least in my opinion. I'd be crying from a drop on ice. Paint and chrome just don't take kindly to being rubbed with anything more than cloth. Ice isn't cloth either....

So yes, we know you are proud of your shiny new motorcycle. But please. We'll all ohhhh and ahhhh in the spring....

Reporting from the frozen tundra of the Rocky Mountains....

Keep the shiny side up (and preferably in the garage at the moment)....

~The Rainbow Wahine

Going Postal 2008

2008-01-08T23:23:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready for work one morning, my mind was wandering upon various ideas for the Mountain Shadow Riders Annual ride contest. Last year it was the "Mountain" "Shadow" "Rider(s)" Elevation contest. That contest was a picture of the MSR member with any item that said mountain, shadow, and/or rider as well as elevation. Points were assigned to the various word combinations as well as the number of points given for elevation in feet.

It was a fun contest--but really are you a little confused?? Not to mention that the various points had to be scored according to the rules. Congrats to Biker Betty on her first place win in the contest--she blew everyone away!!

I am drifting away from my story...the idea for the ride contest for 2008. What would be simple and easy to score and offer opportunity for competitive participants as well as members that just wanted to get the participation patch??

I'm thinking what about post offices? There are plenty around our town and to score them--use the zip code that the post office is in. If I am not mistaken, the zip code is somewhere on the building or should be relatively easy to get. Not to mention that riders have a safe place to stop to obtain a photo. No more stopping on a busy highway for an elevation sign.

I'll propose it as an idea when we have our meeting this weekend. There could be a side contest of ten million zip points...with the zip codes being in the 80000 range--that's approximately 125 post offices that have to be obtained. A do-able challenge!!

Well, that's my thought for the month. I think it is a good idea--lets see if the membership agrees with me. I'd be interested to hear what the other members come up with!!

Our first meeting for 2008 is this upcoming Saturday. With the highs forecasted to be in the mid 40's it's rideable. However, with the recent snow storms dumping major snow--I don't think I'll be open to riding.

We'll see......

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

How Much Is That Harley In The Window

2008-01-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

....that one with that sh-i-ny chrome?

In the market to buy a motorcycle? You might have "luck" in finding one that is reasonably priced.

Why? The market.

Finances have been in the news as of late--the meltdown of the subprime lending market leads the way. Simply put, easy financing was great until the piper had to be paid--with new rates when ARMs adjusted.

Unfortunately, the effect is not limited to mortagages. All that so-called easy money allowed consumers to purchase other "non" necessity items--such as gadgets, gizmos and yes, even motorcycles. With folks having to decide to keep a roof over their head or pay for the luxury items....well, what would you choose?

Further compounding the issue is financing. Harley Davidson Motor Financing finances approximately half of the motorcycles that are sold out of a Harley Davidson dealership. So when people can't or won't afford their bike payments any longer...where does the bike go??

Either send them back or consumers attempt to sell them. Either way, the inventory of motorcycles grows.

Look at bank and credit union websites. They are flooded with repo vehicles....mostly trucks that have huge appetites for expensive gasoline....it isn't fun to shell out $100 or more a week on fuel...and that rate goes higher.

So what about those bikes? I know the market is soft...look at the bikes listed on e-Bay. I imagine that the creative financing for Harley Davidsons is about to get more creative. Yes, the incentives are out there...but qualifying for them is more difficult than before.

Of course, one bright note is that the whisper of gasoline prices going to $3.50 or $4.00, riding a motorcycle makes more sense in terms of fuel effiency. Then again, if I were faced to choose between the roof over my head and my "extra" vehicle....I know that I'd be fighting to keep the roof over my head. As much sense as it makes to keep the motorcycle....unfortunately, the cold temps and ice and snow isn't agreeable with riding.

Besides that, my son is still too little to be riding on the back.

I hope that you aren't put in a position to make this choice....however, if you are in the market for a new motorcycle, this may be the opportunity to do so.....

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's Not A Hobby...

2008-01-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

But a lifestyle?

What an interesting thought. I was having lunch with my fellow Mountain Shadow Riders this afternoon. Talk centered around the happenings and whatnot of our lives...juggling infinite things in a finite time block called a day. It was good to catch up. I did catch heat for not knuckling down and riding....but the roads in my neighborhood still have ice and we had 50 mile per hour wind gusts....so not too favorable.

I did throw out that I was thinking of selling my Harley. I'm just burned out. I am not sure of the hecticness and responsibility of being an officer of the MSR or just all the other distractions of life or what my problem is, but I just don't have the joy of getting out on the open road. Maybe it is winter...who knows.

I do know that I've been kicking around taking up another hobby or finding another activity that I find fun. I've been looking at several options and know that this will be an additional demand on my time.

One of my table mates looked at me and said..."it's not a hobby, but a lifestyle"...but exactly what does that mean? The definition of hobby is: An activity or interest pursued outside one's regular occupation and engaged in primarily for pleasure. The definition of lifestyle is: A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person or group. Deciding to ride or not ride doesn't change me or my values or the way I will choose to live my life. Riding is not my life...I work in an industry--as like the majority of the folks that do motorcycle--that has nothing to do with motorcycling. The folks that do work in the motorcycling industry--well, they are the lucky ones--if they are indeed doing what they love.

What does that mean? Is it the spirit of brotherhood? Riding in all kinds of conditions? What? What? What? I've done all of that...I've also taught my fellow riders and encouraged them. Hmmmm...

Motorcycling is a hobby as far as the definition goes. But somewhere I've lost the pleasure of riding for the sheer joy of riding and I know I need to find that joy once again. Maybe that does mean selling my remaining motorcycle and taking a break...after all, if I want to pick it up again, I can always buy a new bike. Maybe it doesn't mean selling the Fatboy, but rather taking a hiatus and exploring other things in my life.

Fundamentally, it doesn't change me. I can still ride in the cold and rain and I'm still the same person no matter what. Just because I can doesn't mean that I will...and like today, I can choose to drive instead of being blasted by sand on the road pelting me at 50 mph.

I dunno. Maybe I've never really emulated that particular lifestyle. Does that make me not a biker but a casual or hobbiest rider?

Yeah, if they had to explain it, I probably wouldn't understand. I'm not sure if that is the case. I *do* understand. Yes, there are new and wonderful roads still out there that need to be explored. I don't need to see the same old rallies with the same old type of parties and merchandise although I am glad to see my friends and catch up on their lives.

I think I feel the need to evolve and grow into something more than what it currently is....

That is the lifestyle I want...

Keep the shiny side up...

~The Rainbow Wahine

P.S.....the color change is for you, Jovi...

The Early Bird Gets To....Wait??

2008-01-03T02:48:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular reader, you will recall that Labor Day Weekend of 2006 was the SaddleSoar 1,000....or Iron Butt Ride. Quite the adventure, but the story continues even as of today.

I have a habit of procrastinating--and yes, submission of the paperwork to the IBA was no exception. I just never got a "round tuit". My friends, whom I know mean well, took it upon themselves to poke fun at me by constantly asking if I sent my paperwork in.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I'd reply...."I'm getting it in the mail".

After the newness (and something else to distract them) wore off, the whole incident was forgotten....almost. They submitted their paperwork only to see the checks cashed by the IBA and nothing else. No certificate, no pins, patches or prizes. Oh, the trinkets are really not that important--the acknowledgement of the job being done by an organization that touts a "special" membership that only long distance riders that successfully take on the challenge can become a member of

Quoted from their website: People that succesfully have a SaddleSore or Bun Burner ride certified receive a certificate, an Iron Butt Association pin and a plastic license plate back with our logo "Iron Butt Association - World's Toughest Riders."

Every time I read these guidelines, they seem overly complex. However, they were developed by one of our members involved in record keeping for various sporting events. There is no doubt that the documentation requirements for these certification are tough, but when you hang your certificate on the wall, you can rest easy knowing that we just don't hand these out to anyone. When the ride is over, you have survived not only a very tough ride, but you'll have the documentation to back up your claims. How many riders can say that?

When you read the following guidelines, keep in mind that our goal is to see a well documented ride. If you cannot follow the guidelines exactly, feel free to drop us a line with a proposal. We will be happy to review your plans and possibly accept changes to this format.

Sounds like a challenge? I think so. My friends and I planned and executed this adventure over Labor Day Weekend of 2006.

My friends promptly submitted their paperwork--after all, retaining all recepts, logging mileage, and getting witnesses to certify "I was there" is additional work added to the challenge. Not to mention having to pay a fee to get certified. Me, on the other hand, finally got a "round tuit" some nine months or so after the event and submitted my paperwork. I sent a check, too.

My friends would oft complain about the IBA cashing their checks and sending them....nothing. An e-mail would get a standard canned reply "we apologize, but we are behind". After all, we all jumped through the hoops and did what was requested and what...it's January of 2008???

To add injury to insult, Thanksgiving week found my mailbox full with a thick envelope. I received my IBA certification. It appears that my delay of getting the paperwork to them worked in my favor for timeliness. My friends, however, didn't find much humor in my envelope--after all, they submitted immediately and to this day...are still waiting...AND THEIR CHECKS WERE CASHED!!!

I feel their pain, after all, we all suffered through the adventure and they haven't been acknowledged. It somehow takes away from my reward--we did this as a group and should have been acknowledged at least the same time. Alas, I delayed and somehow I received my certification first. It just doesn't seem right.

The IBA forums talk freely and loudly about the delays. There are many in this same boat, it appears. There is even a thread started, "who has waited the longest". Yes, my friends and I understand that this is an organization that is run by volunteers and the head of the IBA has a full time job on top of this gig. We can understand delays--after all it took me quite a while to mail my paperwork in.

My friend's biggest complaint is that they can't get an answer. They feel abandoned--the check is cashed and no word on when, where, how....and no way to talk to a live person to get a status update. That is just poor customer service no matter how you slice or dice it.

I hope that my friends get their certifications soon. While I think it's quite ironic that the late bird gets the worm, I don't enjoy my certification as much knowing that my friends are still waiting.

Until my next rant,

Keep the shiny side up,

~The Rainbow Wahine

Brass Nut Run

2008-01-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well, no way it would be happening for me this year....and I think it wasn't until March or April of last year before there was clear weather..

Brrrr..........

The Brass Nut Run is typically held right around New Year's Day and celebrates...insanity?? Okay, typically celebrates the first run of the year. Here, in Colorado, it's normally cold. Today was no exception. I think the high for the day ended up in the twenties. It was a beautiful day--we had clear skies, sunshine and wind.

It was cold. My son and I did manage to get out for a bit. He rode his bicycle and I rode his Green Machine. Fortunately, the weight limit on the Green Machine is 180 pounds, so I did ride with glee!!!

It wasn't motorcycling, but hey....can't have them all, eh?? My legs will be killing me tomorrow, that's for sure.

However, this weekend the temps should be in the mid to upper 50's so if the ice melts, I might be able t0 join some ride. Or at least get the V-Star delivered to the new owner.

Happy New Year all!! If you get the opportunity to ride this coming weekend to ring in the new year....do it!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

The BUG Run

2007-12-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

This past summer, a small group of the Mountain Shadow Riders (and friends of the MSR) participated in the Pike's Peak Harley Davidson's annual 5-in-1 ride. This is an annual ride put on by the HOG group and consists of five mountain passes that are over 10,000 feet.

The ride is fun, but we decided to throw in a "contest within a contest" and have a bug run.

You know one of the badges is the number of bugs accumulated on a windshield--or for you tough riders out there--in your teeth. So the contest was developed. Each rider that participated was to put an index card anywhere on their motorcycle (line of sight was not recommended). The person that accumulated the largest number of bug splats...won.

I knew I wasn't going to win...as Murphy's Law dictates that no matter where I put my card...it would not get many bugs.

I was right.

I didn't feel so badly since I at least had some bugs...there were some in our group that had just a couple of bug splats!

At the end of our ride, we pulled off our cards.

LOL..the winner of the contest took home a big bucket of cleaning supplies....

With a big bug attached to the bucket!!

Until the next adventure,

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Riding to Roswelll, NM

2007-12-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to ride down to Roswell, NM back in the summer. The company I work for has a manufacturing facility there and circumstances prompted that I visit. A co-worker was also going and we looked at one another and said....

MOTORCYCLE TRIP!

The ride down was uneventful. We had beautiful weather and it was fun to be on the road instead of the office. I've never ridden in that part of New Mexico, so it was a nice trip of wide open spaces.

Coming back, however, was another story.

Heading out of Roswell, the trip, again, was unevenful. Our first gas stop at Vaughn, New Mexico, was the first indication that the trip "might" head south was when my friend stated, "we have to get around that cloud--there's a front rolling in".

No problem, out stop was short and off we go.

As we ride north, the skies grows more and more grey. Can we make it to Las Vegas? We do, and the skies seem to lighten a bit, thank goodness. We take another fuel stop and decide to press on. Next fuel stop planned is Raton.

Leaving Las Vegas (ha ha, pardon my pun), we head north on Interstate 25. The clouds again grow dark and I feel the temps drop. I know it is going to rain. Being a big believer in donning rain gear before the rain sets in, I signal to my friend to question whether she was ready to do so. No, she signals back, let's go a few more miles.

A few miles later, it starts raining. Any rain while riding on the interstate is no fun. I'm thinking when we should stop--when my partner in crime rides up and tells me that we need to don gear at the next exit.

No worries, can do. By that time, it is really really coming down. And the off ramp is about a mile down the road. At the exit, we discover that we can't pull off--the ramp is closed due to construction. GREAT! Traffic is also due to one lane since the state is regrading the right lane. DOUBLE GREAT!

At that point, I decide to stop under the next bridge and put my gear on. At least then I'll be able to not get any wetter. Unfortunately, the construction is still in place and I'm having to navigate the uneven asphalt, the grading of the right lane.....on the interstate with traffic and the pouring down rain. Getting to the shoulder was quite the challenge.

I do get pulled over and out of the rain. As I don my rain gear, I'm wondering how long the rain will last and if we can wait out the storm. My friend and I discuss the option and she seems to think that this is an all-day storm and we would be sitting for quite a while. So the decision is to press on. I have ridden in the rain; I survived.

Back on the road (and in the rain).....we ride on the shoulder. For safety--for trying to enter back onto interstate traffic with the torn up lane was very dangerous. Besides, who wants to ride on the interstate in the pouring down rain??

We finally do get back into the traffic and fortunately, the rain lets up to practically nothing. At this point, we are between Springer and Maxwell. With the rain stopped to an occasional spatter, we are just that much closer to home.

Unfortunately, the next problem arises--lightning.

I am, deathly afraid of lightning and being on the bike. I watch the lightning that is 10 or so miles away....silently wishing that it stays "that far away". Unfortunately, it doesn't. When the bolt of lightning flashes in the sky directly over head, I'm done. Pull over time.

However, being where we were in New Mexico created a problem. Not only are we in the middle of no where--there was no where to take shelter! No where to run, no where to hide, nothing to do but press on. Geez, was this day get any worse?

We finally make it to Raton. Fortunately, we were on the other side of the storm, so the rain stopped, the lightning was behind us, and it looked like the rest of the trip would be uneventful. So the decision to press on was made.

Just over the Colorado border, we stop for fuel. At that point, the rain gear comes off and my friend and I just laugh about the experience. Well, we were relatively unscathed except for being a bit damp and having the beejebers scared out of me, so the only thing left was to find the humor.

Okay, we press on. Unfortunately, when we got north of Trinidad, the encountered another front. Another storm? Well, it was pretty far off and we were riding in the sunshine. Maybe we'll miss this one.

Continuing north on I-25, we encounter wind. No worries, the stretch of highway here is typically windy. Except it's a 50 mile an hour cross wind with gusts. So, here we are, after rain, construction and lightning.....now its the 45 degree right hand lean. Greeeeeeaaaaaaaaaatttttttttt.

I'm annoyed by the wind, but am also greatful. After all, we are still in the sunshine. There are rain clouds around us, but somehow we are magically riding in a small corridor of sunshine and blue sky. So I deal with the wind and don't mentally gripe--too much.

Except something strange then happens...it starts to rain--in the sunshine!

I immediately pull over in the rain--no bridge needed. Put my rain gear on and mentally curse...it's deja vu three hours ago!!! I grit my teeth and get back on my motorcycle. I am bound and determined to get home one way or another!!

Fortunately, the rain wasn't so bad as it was before, but the wind never let up. I didn't even bother to stop to take off my raingear after the rain stopped. I figured if I stopped to take it off, it would start to rain again.

We had 50+ mph winds all the way home. I was never so happy to see the Woodmen Exit in the Springs. My friend and I parted ways and I rode the short way to my house.

The next day, we rehashed the trip with the rest of my office co-horts. While not fun, it was a funny story--especially since we survived the whole escapade unharmed.

Close another motorcycle story. Hey, as long as no one crashed, everyone was safe, and we got to our destination, it was a good ride....LOL...

Until the next adventure....

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Goodbye My Cranky

2007-12-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh.....where does the time go?? Somewhere, evidently! With less than a week of 2007 left, I realized there has been some time since I've posted.

Motorcycle adventures? What motorcycle adventures?

There have been a few stories--some worth noting, some not worth mentioning.

There have been two "worthy" notes in the past few months. Cranky, my beloved V-Star 1100, finally has a home worthy of the machine. Sigh. This wonderful machine had a whole 2,500 miles on him in the two plus years I've owned him.

The decision to sell him was difficult--my first wholly owned motorcycle and a wonderful machine at that. I had procrastinated working on the motorcycle just to have the excuse not to put the bike up on the market. However, the opportunity presented itself to one of my fellow rider friends that her boyfriend was looking for a Yamaha motorcycle, and I knew I had to do something.

Fortunately, the relationship was a good fit, and the deal done. Cranky will be ridden and appreciated by his new owner and I have space in my garage for the mom-mobile.

Well, not yet, anyway! With all the ice, snow and cold weather, the motorcycle is still spending time in my garage. Hopefully in the next few weeks after the holidays and thawing out, I'll get the Star out to his new owner.

It was sad, but honestly, I wasn't a good owner because I just didn't ride it enough.

Here's to many wonderful miles between the V-Star 1100 and his new owner!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Community Service

2007-08-12T21:51:00.001-06:00

Not much riding to be found….I’m being pulled in a million different directions and most don’t have much to do with motorcycling.

Sigh….work sure does take up a lot of time, eh??

I did get to ride a spot on Saturday. From the dealership to home—which was about a half hour on the motorcycle. It was maintenance and the perfect opportunity of being out of town and unable to ride that prompted the shop time. Not very far, but I was happy to at least be on the motorcycle a bit.

Saturday night was a luau evening. One of the causes the Mountain Shadow Riders supports is a nursing home facility in our town and the barbeque with the luau theme was the activity for the night.

I didn’t ride to the dinner—I had my son in tow so we went by four wheels. We were one of the first to arrive so hauling our supplies in and getting set up was the task for the moment. The employees of the nursing home facility were finishing up the last minute decorations.

My son, as a five year old, decided to be shy. I think he was a bit unnerved about the older population and didn’t understand what a nursing home was. He was given the task to hand out the leis to the residents as they were being seated out on the back patio where out luau was held.

As the residents were being seated, the members of the Mountain Shadow Riders arrived. The members on their motorcycles parked their bikes around the concrete pad. More fanfare—the members mingled and talked with the residents and I think everyone had a good time. A few members manned the grill; some others put the burgers and dogs together as ordered.

We all ate and visited and then it was time to serve up dessert. Root beer floats! What a great finish to a nice meal.

Finally, the talk turned to motorcycling and a few kidding remarks to giving rides. A few residents wanted to ride and yes, we wanted to accommodate them. One of our riders had her trike and generously offered to give all who wanted a ride a turn around the parking lot.

What a hoot! We had several that took up the offer and those faces finished their rides with big grins on their faces. I had walked up to catch the conversation of two elderly gentlemen that had been on a ride earlier, “with that motorcycle, I bet we could pick up some girls”.

Ha! After many decades under their belts, it is still the same ol’ thing…..

It was a great night and wonderful time. I hope that we have the opportunity to once again support one of our causes because I had such a terrific time.

Until I get a chance to write (and ride) again,

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

RFTW: The Mission

2007-05-28T08:05:00.000-06:00

Today is Memorial Day. Take a moment of to give thanks to the many service members and their families for their sacrefices.

The Mission Statement from the official RFTW.org website:

Mission Statement: To promote healing among all veterans and their families and friends, to call for an accounting of all Prisoners of War and those Missing in Action (POW/MIA), and to honor the memory of those Killed in Action (KIA) from all wars.

As I ride the twisties up to Raton from Angel Fire, I don’t have much time to think. I am busy concentrating on riding—staying in formation, not running into the rider in front of me or the rider beside me. I get an occasional glance among the rocks and scenery, though.

The highway does straighten out and I have the opportunity to process the ride. Exactly why am I out here doing this? Before the ride, I wanted to have the experience. After all, riding across the country is no small feat! The mission of the RFTW is also one that I support as well.

Getting to the outskirts of Raton, I get my first feeling of why the mission is so important. As we pass underpasses, service members and their families stand on the overpasses with flags and salute the riders. When we get to Raton, there are a great many people that have turned out to see the bikes pass by—many holding signs of thanks and waving flags.

As I ride by and watch, I am deeply touched. While I never served, I am service connected. My father was retired Air Force with time served in Korea and my son’s father is retired Army with time served in both Iraqi wars as well as missions around the world.

With my ex and his time served overseas, my family paid the price. Upon his last return, he was so very changed and as a result, our marriage ended. No, it wasn’t a loss of life or limb, but it was a death—of our family. While I don’t blame the breakdown entirely on the stress of war, had he not gone, the odds of survival for our family would have been much higher.

However, what happened happened. Today, my ex has more or less reverted back to his “regular” self and remains a large force in my son’s life. For our marriage, it is broken and unmendable. I hold no bitterness; it simply is what is was and understand that placing blame does no good nor does it change what happened.

As I pull into town, the overwhelming support of everyone just blows me away. It makes me realize that there are many citizens of this great country that give thanks to the cost of those who pay in blood, sweat and tears. I am deeply humbled by the outpouring of thanks, love and support.

In Raton, a new experience unfolds. Fuel. How on earth are 400 motorcycles fueled in 20 minutes? Quickly and efficiently, that’s how!

But that’s another story.

Until then,

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

RFTW—Leaving Angel Fire, NM

2007-05-26T20:13:00.001-06:00

The alarm clock goes off at 5:00 am. Time to get up. My friend that did the ride with me was up bright and early too—she didn’t sleep very well. Seems that she was a bit worried about the ride.

The ride? Group riding is one thing, but riding in the tight formation that the run asks is tasking. Two up in two second intervals. Not only did I have to worry about not crashing into the person in front of me, I also had a rider—normally someone I don’t know riding beside me.

My girlfriend doesn’t have as much riding time or experience, so she was really concerned. That people would be a hazard to her and she would be a hazard to someone else.

Well, I don’t know what she was worried about, I think she did a great job!

At any rate, we get down to the meet site around 6:00 am or so. Meander around and talk to people. There is the 50/50 going on, people just visiting and being, well, bikers. At 7:15 (or maybe it was 7:30—I can’t remember), it’s time for the riding meeting and there we receive our instructions. Disclaimer, hand signals, formation riding, prayer, and so on and so forth.

After the meeting, we saddle up, fire the bikes up….and off we go. As we pull out, we are broken up into groups and platoon leaders are inserted. Instead of having one long chain of motorcycles down the highway, we are smaller groups. It’s still pretty cool as I glance behind me and see all the headlights!!

I’m concerned since the ride to Raton, NM is on a curvy road. Not to worry, the formation of riding staggered is called. Not that I’m terribly worried about my riding—I’m really more worried about the guy beside me. It’s okay if he (or she) is skilled…..I’m dreading a new rider. Of course, I’m thinking that my FNG button might be scaring the beejeebers out of someone else!!! LOL…..

The ride is pleasant and not too difficult. I couldn’t enjoy much of the scenery; there was just too much to concentrate on. However, the ride isn’t about fun; it’s a mission.

Tomorrow: the experience of “The Mission”.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

FNG—RFTW

2007-05-25T06:28:00.000-06:00

That was me this year—my first ‘official’ ride in with Run For The Wall. Last Friday, I decided to ride down to Angel Fire to meet RFTW. The ride down I-25 was typical of interstate riding. Once off the highway, it was a treat!

My girlfriend and I pulled into Angel Fire around 4ish or so; we just pulled in ahead of the riders. We decided to ride up to the Memorial and take a look-see. The Angel Fire Memorial is a site that was built by Dr. Westhall—whose son was killed in Vietnam. In 2004 the State of New Mexico recognized the site as a State Park.

The experience at the Memorial was incredible. There was a feeling of sadness and that feeling grew as the riders—many of whom were service connected—passed through the doors of the Memorial. Intermixed with the sadness was a feeling of healing and support. Fellow riders reached out and embraced the sadness and gave back hope, thanks and understanding; somehow easing the heaviness of the emotions.

Leaving the Memorial, we rode down to the RFTW site. Finding the registration booth, I filled out my paperwork and received my packet and the official FNG button. I was a part of the Run. Oh boy.

We had dinner and then it was time to call it a night. I roomed with my neighbors—they joined the run at Gallup, NM. We spent the evening watching the hundreds of photos they’d already shot on the ride. We talked about their experiences in previous years and what to expect on this ride—all the more getting nervous about the next day’s adventure.

Yeah, FNG noobie, that’s me. Worried and thrilled.

Wake up time: 5:00 am. Time to call it a night.

Till next time,

Keep the shiny side up.

~The Rainbow Wahine

Days Like This—NO Riding Should Be Allowed—errr maybe….

2007-05-17T05:06:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday I was tapped to run the Mountain Shadow Riders meeting. Our esteemed Chapter Director is doing The Run For The Wall and left early in the morning. No worries, I was ready and hopped on the bike to ride down.

Just the start of a typical 2nd Saturday of the month.

Riding down was nice—and I was early for a change. I wanted to get the meeting over and done since it’s getting to be riding time and there was a great deal of riding activities on deck—so no one wants to sit and talk about riding—we all want to be out riding!

My choice for riding was out west: through Deckers and Pine and a stop at the famous (or infamous) Bucksnort Saloon. I was there last year and it’s a neat place with lots of history. And terrific burgers too!

I meet my friends and we head out. About two or three miles on the road, my front end starts having a terrible rattle. Stopping at a traffic signal, I am looking at my forks—and there is fluid everywhere. On the forks, the frame, motor and rider. I look at my friends and tell them I’ll have to pull out.

One of the great things about riding with this group of folks is that they take such good care of me. They pulled over and got off their bikes to inspect mine. Debating what the issue could be—yes, it was my forks and yes, it was ride able to the dealership—they all rode down with me to make sure I got to the dealership in once piece.

I was not happy, of course. I just had 20k service and one of the things included was the change of the fork oil. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..

I pointed that out to them too.

Leaving my precious Harley down at the shop, my friends offered for me to continue to ride—either on the back or I could borrow. Going to get the extra bike would delay us longer—so I opted to ride on the back.

I don’t normally ride on the back and the last time I did any amount of distance was during bike week at Myrtle Beach and Rolling Thunder in DC. Funny, about this time last year! Although I protest in mock annoyance, I do enjoy the occasional ride on the back. It’s a time that I can really look around and watch the scenery, wave at the kids, and just have a general good time being a passenger. Saturday was no exception.

While I would have preferred to be on the back of my own bike, this was the second best choice. After all, had I not taken door number 2, I’d be not riding at all!

The ride turned out to be quite interesting—another rider had engine problems and pulled out. We had another delay when the traffic on the highway was halted—to allow for flight for life to land. Apparently there was a rider crash—a female fixated on an automobile in the oncoming lane and hit the car. She suffered a broken leg. I didn’t get any of the other details, but when the authorities let the traffic resume, we did ride by the accident sight. The bike was still on the road and it was mangled up pretty badly. If the rider got out with only a broken leg, I think she was lucky.

The remainder of the trip was pretty quiet after that. The threat of sprinkles rolled in but that’s typical of Colorado weather this time of year.

Late after noon we pulled in—another road adventure put to bed.

I picked up the bike on Tuesday—all fixed and ready to roll. I hope so!! I won’t get to Rolling Thunder this year, but I will do a segment of Run For the Wall this weekend. I’m looking forward to it!!

Until then,

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Don’t Call Me Again!

2007-04-28T09:52:00.001-06:00

LOL…well, it looks like tomorrow is going to be prime riding for me! Finally! The weather is gorgeous and predicting to be in the 80’s. And my bike is where?? In the shop getting service.

20K service, new rear tire….and I’m done or so I thought. The phone rings. The dealership “notices” that I have Vance and Hines pipes on and I should need the remainder of the stage I upgrade—air filter and rejet. Yes, I know it needs to be done and is on my to do list. Just not right now since I have other things to tend to.

However, it’s in and they have it, so why not? After a quote I didn’t die from, I gave the go ahead. Not only that, I’ll have my Fatboy back this afternoon. I also told the dealership to please NOT CALL ME AGAIN!!!

LOL

At any rate--yay me!!

Well, I deliberately put my bike in the shop this weekend since I wanted to work on my V-Star…..my incentive to finish wrenching it so I would have something to ride tomorrow.

So much for that theory! Oh well!!

I’ll at least have a riding adventure to write about tomorrow!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Women on Wheels

2007-04-10T05:18:00.000-06:00

Friday night Pike’s Peak Harley Davidson held a Women’s Motorcycling “Garage Party” event to familiarize women—from ladies thinking about motorcycling to experienced riders—with the sport of motorcycling. The Mountain Shadow Riders became involved was because the title of the event was called “Women on Wheels”—which then became an infringement upon our Women on Wheels® trademark.

To solve the problem, we were invited to be representatives of the function—which many of our members stepped up and volunteered so the Mountain Shadow Riders could have a presence.

It was an interesting and informative night. I am a HOG member and hold a membership to the Ladies Of Harley (LOH) as well, so I’m familiar with the folks at the dealership. It was good to see my fellow femme riders and those just vaguely interested in motorcycling.

There were about 50 or so in attendance Saturday night….ranging from seasoned veterans to wanna be noobies….one lady asked where the motor was in a motorcycle. It was a funny question, when I heard it, but also reminded me that we still have quite a ways to go in spreading the word regarding our passion.

We had short seminars in each department and interestingly enough, parts, sales and service were quite informative—as the service department held a short “oops I dropped it” class. However, motor clothes won the prize for being most informative. The ladies in motor clothes did an excellent job of presenting the various pros and cons of their product. Yes, they were proud of the Harley Davidson line and quite rightly so. However, the pitch was low keyed and more importantly, stressed safety and function over brand name. It was a much different approach from the other departments and worked much better for me.

All and all, it was a nice night and I’m glad I attended. It was good to see so many of the Mountain Shadow Riders in attendance. I thank the ladies of our group that jumped in and enthusiastically and proudly showed off our “colors”.

That was the motorcycling event of the weekend. We had snow and fog the whole weekend, so no riding for me. Is winter ever going to end??

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Brass Nut Run

2007-03-04T22:31:00.000-07:00

One word.....BRRRRRRRR.

Okay, not really a word, but it was a cold ride! Normally scheduled on New Year's Day by Outpost Harley Davidson of Pueblo, Colorado, The Brass Nut Run is a fairly big t0-do. What a way to kick off the New Year, right?

Except it snowed.

So it was rescheduled.

Then it snowed on that date.

Then rescheduled for March 4th. Ideally, it could still snow...as a matter of fact, March is "supposedly" the month for the most snow. I hope that is wrong since we have had an incredible amount of snow. Then again, any snow is too much, LOL!!

Although I had promised myself that I wasn't going to ride in the cold and freeze, I somehow was convinced that it wouldn't be too terribly cold (except for very early in the morning), and the day would warm up to be a nice one.

I can say that it was freezing cold and the day did not warm up to be a nice one. Or maybe it did, but my brain (and the rest of me) was too cold to notice!!

However, I did get out for a scoot and the short amount of "fairly" warm weather I did get to recognize and ride it...was nice.

I've gotten to be a fair-weather rider--I think from the Iron Butt my friends and I did in September. I was so cold for so long that I just don't tolerate it very well anymore.

Or maybe it's just old age.......

Nahhhhhhhhhhhhh....I'm not getting old...

I did get my brass nut, however!!

Keep The Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

March Already

2007-03-02T21:40:00.000-07:00

I've had two days of motorcycling for 2007 *sob*. I'm getting tired of waiting.

This weekend is the rescheduled and re-rescheduled Brass Nuts Run. Put on by Outpost Harley Davidson of Pueblo, the run will head out to Canon City. However, the only two trips made for '07 were out that way...and here's the third.

Well, if the weather holds, anyway. Forecast says 54 degrees for Sunday. Of course, the forecast says snow tonight and the temp is currently at 18 degrees.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.......

I know, I live in Colorado. Is winter over yet?

So for "alternative" activities....Ghost Rider was one outing. This weekend Wild Hogs is on the agenda. Both had gotten rotten reviews...so we'll see.

Other than that, it's pretty much quiet in the motorcycling world. Spring hurry up!!!

Wind Therapy

2007-02-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

It is about time I could ride! First ride of 2007 and it's already February!

As one of my friends "politely" reminds me--"Christine, this IS Colorado, remember?"

Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhh...

Saturday was the February meeting of the Mountain Shadow Riders and no matter the temps, I was riding my motorcycle. As long as I had a clear road, I was getting out on two wheels.

Lucky me!

Saturday dawned as a cold morning--there is still snow on the ground in my yard and patches here and there, but I did have a clear path--so bundling up and cranking my Harley was the plan of the day. Thank goodness that I only had a 20 minute ride, LOL!!!

The morning started cold, but the afternoon warmed up nicely, so another short scoot was on deck: to the showing of motorcycle training videos. It was MSR movie day and training videos was the plan. What a better way to start the riding season of 2007? Training videos!

Sunday was another nice day and I did get a chance to get out for a scoot with my friends. We managed a putt out to Canon City, lunch at a local pizza shop and then back home. The ride scratched the itch quite nicely--however, typical with all addictions--the need was only filled temporarily!

LOL..

Well, at least I can't complain about not have ridden yet....and I do appreciate the fact that I don't live in New York!!

It's warming up, folks, and lots of stuff planned for this year! Can't wait to ride or write about them!

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Hated Heated Harley Handgrips

2007-02-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

My heated grips don’t work. They keep blowing fuses. In the electronic/electrical world, it means one of three things: a short, a bad ground, or broken component. The hunt is on.

Of course, the first thing I looked at was the grounding…upon inspection and change out of the grommet end for the wire…the ground looked fine. Tightened the grommet end on the frame and put in a new fuse. It held, until I turned on the ignition. Pop! There goes a fuse.

Next was the wiring…that means tracing the wiring back under the tank and looking for a pinch or bad kink. Looking at the wiring…it looked fine. The only wiring I have not looked at right now is the internal wiring in the handlebars or the connections to the grips themselves. I have, however, decided that the issue is going to be there simply because there is no where else for any issue to be.

Soooooo it looks like the grips will come off (and while I’m at it, I’ll be replacing the clutch-side control bracket that I broke last year. I’m not looking forward to this job as the task of getting the grip off the throttle side is a pita. Yes, that flatbread, you know??

At any rate, after looking at the various options I have available, I’m finding the most cost-efficient way is not to get the Harley Shop to do the diagnostics and buy replacement parts. Only “working parts” are the grips themselves, and the wiring, right?? Wiring is okay, so it must be the grips. Or perhaps the wiring in the grips. For the shop to chase down the problem, order me the parts is going to be more costly than just buying a new set of grips and doing the reinstall. Sounds like a reasonable thing to understand….except the reputation of Hardley Davidson Heated Handgrips have a high failure rate. Do I want to deal with this again in a year, and then the next year?? NO!

Instead, my friend sends me a link to the Dual-Star Mylar Heaters. The heating element is on a mylar pad that the installer sticks to the handlebar and then puts the grip of choice on. Had some good reviews, bad reviews and middle of the line reviews so I decided to keep looking.

Paydirt! I found a source of hand grip heaters for ATV’s and snowmobiles…..and the little module goes inside the bar and I can use whatever grip I want!!! Enter Polly Heaters. Polly Heaters are heating modules that go inside the bar. Held on by little clips, this little gem heats the metal of the bar, then the grip. I’m intrigued!

I’ve learned that some wrenches put insulation on the end of the heating module to contain the heat at the grip--not the entire bar. The installation would be straightforward—like my installation of my Harley Davidson Hated Heated Grips. I do lose the six levels of temperature settings…but who am I fooling….when I rode my grips were either off, 6 (for wide open heat) or 3 (for medium heat)….The Polly Heaters have 3 temperature settings: off, low, high.

Here’s the kicker (really there are two). The first being that the Polly Heaters only cost $31.00. Secondly, I can put ANY grip on my bike…and the one I want are the ISO grips!

For about $100 can get this on my bike….versus the $250 for the Hardley (yes, I'm aware of the typo) Grips that might last one season. I love them, but they are sooooooo unreliable, I’m going elsewhere….

So, that’s my workaround and I hope to have all the parts in and ordered within the next few weeks. If we have a garage party install….everyone interested is welcome to join us….

That’s my hated heated grip story….don’t buy them ‘cause the are worth flipping anything. And with a 90 day warranty….it’s doubly not worth it!!!

That’s my rant for the day…..

Keep The Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

It's A Wrenching Story

2007-02-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

Most of the snow is gone...just in time for more snow this weekend.

The forecast swings from snow/no snow on an hourly basis, so I am going to quit paying attention to the forecast.

Instead, it was warm enough to tackle some bike projects...so I did.

First off was to strip the old Harley Davidson saddlebags. To make "room" for the new ones!!! Whoooohooooo!!! That is an easy enough task...but the story is quite young!

Then, on to the electrical. I needed to take a look at my grips, my lovely Harley Davidson not worth 12 cents heated hand grips. I'm still blowing fuses. Looking for pinched wires...nope. Looking for some fluke of an improper ground...nope. Looking on the internet for suggestions. Well, the consensus is to not buy Harley Davidson heated handgrips. Too late.

A call down to the local HD shop reveals that any approach to the problem is going to cost me more dollars than I want to pay. More money to figure out what is wrong than just buying all new grips. Do I want to shell out another $180+ dollars? No!! I put everything back together and go on to the next issue....

My 12 volt outlet that I broke a few months ago. That was an easy fix and the plan was to put the new outlet in my saddlebag so interchanging the various electrical equipment would be easy. and not require a seat pull.

Easy enough and done!

Now, getting the saddlebag brackets back on was a challenge. Seems that the bolts are now too long because my bolt-on saddlebags are off. Back to the old bracket bolts and some old fashioned elbow grease allows for the installation of the saddlebags. Don't let me fool you, those brackets took some time to get back on....as the bike gods did not want to cooperate!

However, it was done and the new bags are on! I like them very much!!

The remaining "pending" item was the floorboard. Seems I lost my bent nail somewhere. Thankfully, Joe was helping me and he got the bolt in and put on! I guess he had the magic touch whereas I did not!!

At this point, the bike is back together and ready for riding. I just need decent weather to ride in. Looks like it is not going to happen *sob*.

Until then, I am searching for an alternative for my over-priced, short-lived Harley Davidson heated hand grips. I've got a work around and I'm doing the research. The full story will be posted tomorrow...

Work accomplished and out of the way...I got a set of genuine Harley Davidson saddlebags to sell....

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Parts, Parts, Parts: Going Broke Saving Money

2007-02-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

I found out recently the Amazon.com has moved into the automotive parts business. Good news is that there are discounted motorcycle parts and stuff to be found!!! Whoohooo!! Going broke saving money, LOL!! If you were not aware of Amazon's new foray into this industry, you do now.

You can also go broke saving money!!!

Regarding motorcycle parts, I'm not sure how extensive Amazon's inventory is, however, I did find the K&N air filter kit that I was looking for--discounted almost 20%. However, be careful...some of the OEM Harley Davidson items were more expensive at Amazon.com than at the Harley Davidson site!!

Now, if I could only find my Wiley sunglasses that are somewhere lost in my house.......

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Superbowl and Motorcycling

2007-02-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

What happened to January? Somehow managed to fly by even with ZERO ride time!! Groundhog Day (and Phil did not see his shadow) and the Superbowl.

Yay for the Colts and the wonderful time I had watching the game. It wasn't the Saints, but there is always next year, right?

Somewhere along the line, I did squeeze a motorcycle ride in. Unfortunately, it was not my motorcycle(s) nor was I the rider. Yes, I was on the back!

Yesterday I did get a chance to get out and ride on the back of one of my friend's bike. It was nice to be out--even with borrowed riding gear, high-heeled boots, and no ear protection. It was a very short scoot--just down the road a bit. It was, honestly, still too cold. I had the offer to ride my friend's bike on my own, but with too many potholes, no riding gear and too much sand down, I wasn't going to risk a potential drop. One thing to drop my own bike--quite another to do that with someone elses.......

As of yesterday, I still have much ice on my circle. Today, with high temp of 57, it will melt, however, there is snow forecasted this upcoming weekend. Will it ever end?????

It will, unfortunately, not soon enough! I was looking forward to riding down to the MSR Chapter meeting, but it looks like it won't happen at this point. Well, I'm going to say that I don't plan on riding, and if the weather is clear, I'll get a "happy". Better than anticipating the ride and then being disappointed, right?? LOL...

I know someone out there is riding...please ride a few miles for me, willya??

Keep The Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

The 29th Annual Colorado Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet

2007-01-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

With three inches of ice on my pavement, bloody cold temperatures, and real snow falling out of the sky, motorcycling is definitely out of the question. However, there is one event in January that is motorcycle related but does not require riding: The Colorado Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet.

Held on the weekend of January 27th and 28th, this is one very large event and some bargains are to be had if a person is willing to wade through the packed venue of motorcycles, parts, and people.

I think anything motorcycle related could be found—with the exception of T-Bags. Or maybe our group just missed them. With over five hundred booths, the odds were that some little corner was missed!!

My list was very short—only two items: saddlebags and gloves. One of my girlfriends has really terrific and inexpensive saddlebags and I wanted to get a set of similar ones. Mainly because my official Harley Davidson teeny tiny Fatboy bags are full after I put my raingear and tool kit in and I have to have more space for the remaining gear I carry! My gloves were a special item—100 gram thermolite red leather gauntlets with fringe. A dealer found a pair for me and they were waiting for me at the show. I only had to locate this dealer among some five hundred plus vendors!!

While the task was daunting and with the help of wonderful friends, I was able to locate both saddlebags and gloves! Mix in the many custom bikes on display, made for a wonderful time! Unfortunately, the Wahine forgot her camera and has zero images to post up.

Oh well, there will be other motorcycle shows to see during the year—the next one on the calendar being the Colorado Springs Motorcycle Show and Swap meet on February 17th and 18th. Until then, I’ll hopefully have my new saddlebags installed on my bike. I’m hoping that the weather warms up significantly enough to not use my red leather gloves, but if it doesn’t, I will at least be prepared!

On another note, the city newspaper, The Gazette, reported that the city has repaired several thousand potholes from the ice and snow storms. One reason not to be out riding because I’ve had the luxury of dealing with several large ones in the mom-mobile and don’t wish to have to have an intimate moment with any of those road hazards while on my motorcycle. Maybe it is not a bad idea that I can’t get out and ride after all.

Well, if I can’t ride…I’m glad that I can at least shop!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

No Riding Today…But Check This Out

2007-01-19T16:50:00.001-07:00

The snow and ice is still on pavement and it looks like it is not going anywhere for quite some time…..sigh…..

We did have a clear and dazzling day….and warm enough to melt some of the ice and prompt me to clean my garage and start my motorcycle. I’m so in withdrawals just like the majority or motorcyclists here in Colorado Springs.

While I am cleaning out my garage and piddling around, my son decides to get out and play a bit. He gets his lawn mower out and decides to “cut” some snow, then moves on to his snow ball making gadget, then on to running and playing—like all four year olds do.

Clearing out and organizing with half an ear turned to my son making noises is generally how I operate and I hear him making noises so I knowing he’s fine. Then, suddenly, I hear the sound of tires skidding. I stop what I am doing, with a frown on my face—I did not hear a vehicle enter my cul-de-sac so I am momentarily confused.

Unbeknownst to me, my son had managed to push his bike out of the garage and is out riding it—on three inches of ice and mounds of snow like it is no big deal. Not only is he out riding around like it is no big deal, he’s skidding and sliding—all under control and like it is second nature.

I am sooo in trouble, I’m thinking. After all, he’s four and on a bicycle…what happens when he gets on a two-wheeled vehicle and it is motorized??

Well, my reaction was to run in and get my camera…and take a few pics. As soon as I remember where I put my camera—I’ll post a few pics up….

It was pretty cool, actually…except it is my kid…

I swear, I won’t live to be an old lady because my boy is gonna kill me…

Keep the Shiny Side Up~~

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Need for New Pipes

2007-01-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

I’ve been on the hunt to change out my pipes. Not because I want to change something that is perfectly functional, but rather because I want the pipes out of the way so I can put on larger saddlebags! It is all about carrying all my gear!

Greg sent me a set of stock Harley Heritage Softail pipes for my birthday and I was ready to put them on…until…

I came across a set of Vance and Hines short shots at a very very very good price..

So that is what is on my bike at the moment.

I’m thinking that taking the stock Fatboy pipes off was a relatively easy job and one afternoon instead of writing papers, I decided to dive in. Well, it was not that difficult and I did manage to get everything off with no major headache.

My neighbor decided he needed to visit and see what I was doing. While he was over, he tried to offer his assistance, but for the most part, it was more of a bother than not! I had everything under control and my two hands were plenty—and his two hands was too many chefs in the kitchen! He got the hint, only to start poking around my motorcycle. Grrrrrrr….

To deal with that, I just decided to unfrustrate myself and stop for the day….

One day turned into two, three and then a week….

My bike was still not all together. And we have a clear weekend and a nice day. My friends want to go for a ride. Do I want to go?

Of course, but I have one problem…I need an hour to get my bike together. Or so I think.

To make a long story short, I do get everything together. But I need to get the pins aligned on my floorboard and I can’t make it fit….I have one in and the other won’t work…..I need to go NOW!

LOL…well, the bolt won’t fit, but a nail bent through the hole solves that problem quite nicely. Start up the bike, let it get warmed up and I go clean up.

I pull in with time to spare and off we go.

That was November/December. That nail is still in. Of course, my excuse is that is has been too cold to work in the garage. Or homework.

I’ll fix the issue this weekend. I need to. The guys at the Harley shop will be laughing their tails off if they see that!! LOL…..

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Happy New Year!! A New Year of Motorcycle Tales

2007-01-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

2007 is upon us! I trust that everyone survived 2006 and is chomping at the bit for the many rides of 2007! I know I am! Especially now with the pressure of school off me—I graduated this past Saturday from college! I am now officially edu-ma-cated and more importantly, have no more papers to write.

Unfortunately, the weather has been quite uncooperative. I still have ice upon pavement and when the ice melts….I’m sure that there will be great many potholes to deal with! I have been surprised with quite a few in my van and can’t imagine having to deal with them on my motorcycle, so in a way, I’m glad that it is too cold, too sandy and too icy to be out!!

At least that is what I’m telling myself. Whether or not it is working, I’m not really sure.

At any rate, on deck for this month is the Super Show and Swap Meet in Denver. I’m hoping to find a set of bigger saddlebags! Good luck to me, since I’ve been looking for over a year now!! Cheap meets shabby chic meets motorcycling (especially Harley Davidson) just doesn’t seem to work very well!

The ice races have also been going on and a group of my friends and I had planned to get up and see them. It was just too cold and windy this past weekend so it was a no-go. I’d like to see the motorcycles race on ice. This concept is past my comprehension and frankly, I think the people that do it are insane. I am, however, curious to see ice racing in action.

The Mountain Shadow Riders has their events planning meeting at the end of the month as well and there are a great many new ideas and suggestions that have been presented, and I look forward to the activities in that group. I was elected Assistant Director for ‘07, so I’ll be busy with that as well. I still want to try bike camping….at least after I get those new shabby chic (read cheap) saddlebags on my motorcycle!!

Still have a bit of wrenching to do as I installed new pipes on my bike a few months ago. Not happy with the installation, but it is too cold to get out and fix it now so it is an afternoon project that I have to deal with eventually. I’d like to get it done before my next service interval—I think the guys at the Harley shop would find it pretty amusing that my right side floorboard is partly held on by a bent nail....

That’s the story for tomorrow…

Until then—

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

One Ride in December….

2006-12-29T16:40:00.001-07:00

I’m feeling the itch….need…to….ride….

It is not going to happen. I had one ride in December…a short jaunt out to Manitou with a friend of mine. Dodging the ice patches on the road and avoiding sand…it was almost not fun…almost.

There is still entirely too much snow and ice on the ground and with yesterday’s reinforcement snow, I see the handwriting on the wall—riding season of ’06 will be closing with no more riding. Too bad. For the folks in the south part of town—kudos to them for being able to get their motorcycles out on the road! There were a good many out on Christmas Day, I hear.

Here in the north part of town—riding is still a fantasy. There is so much snow and ice on the ground that I have forgotten what the pavement in my neighborhood looks like!! Sigh…

Well, our annual New Year’s Day ride is probably going to get cancelled since it is not looking pretty at the moment.

I’m sure Kathy is out scooting around and I’m hoping that she’ll get out and scoot a couple of miles for me. It’s just too icy. Until we thaw out, my motorcycle is staying put.

Have a good pre-New Year’s Holiday…as always….

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Merry Christmas Eve!

2006-12-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Remember that there are many people that cannot be with their families for this holiday season--please honor them.

We still have a large amount of ice and snow on the ground at the moment and there is more snow forecasted for today. Not like we had in the last week, but just something else to shovel. No riding, that is for sure. Even if it were clear, I'm not sure I'd be out in it on the bike. The thermometer registers 24 degrees at the moment...and waaayyy too cold!!

At any rate, hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas--with lots of chrome and motorcycle accessories! Heck, maybe a few of you out there will find a motorcycle under the tree.

If anyone has an extra Road King Custom, I would be happy to park it under my tree!!

Merry Christmas!! Enjoy your time with loved ones and enjoy the celebration!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Santa Came Early...

2006-12-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Great for the kids...not so great for motorcycling! Wednesday I awoke to howling winds and sideways snow and bloody cold temperatures. Not that I spent much time out of doors or even thinking of being out of doors--rather, I was stuck behind this computer!

It's been a long and hard task, but I can say that I have written and submitted my final paper!! Whooohooo!! That means that I am officially done with school. Well, almost--the only thing left to do is graduate!!!

If I had a trip of any length, my handy dandy laptop came along--for the sake of posting here and on my other blog and doing homework! I've been MIA for the last few months because of the pace of work involved with school has increased dramatically and I was buried under the huge mountain of papers I had to write. Not to mention the severe cases of burnout that I faced on numerous occasions. It was a tough road. So much that I no longer found writing for pleasure--a pleasure.

However, it is officially over...and I plan to be back writing on a regular basis on one of my favorite topics.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Sunday's Ride...

2006-12-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a rare riding day for me...I think this is the first time I have cranked my bike in several weeks. Yikes! Winter is indeed here *sob*...

One of my girlfriends gives me a call and says she's headed out to Canon City...did I want to go?

Heck yes!

I have two problems:

1. I blew the fuse on my heated hand grips so I had to get down in the fuse box. On the Fatboy, it is under the seat and the passenger strap thingy is attached to my saddlebag. In other words, I had to take the saddlebag off. I did, no problems...ten minutes later, my grips are back heated.

2. I attempted to blow my knee out skiing Saturday. That's attempted. I'm alright, my knee is just sprained. Can I manage hopping on and off the bike with a owie leg? I wrapped it up good and tested...yes..I can do this.

I just have to remember to put the left foot down first--which is what I do anyway.

The temps for the day are the low 50's so I bundled up. Yes, I look like the Michelin Man in black. Not only that, I have a peg leg too!

I met up with my girlfriend and no, we ended up not going to Canon City--I'm thinking it was going to be too cold as flashbacks to my last trip up there resulted in a frozen Wahine. Not my idea of fun.

Instead, we headed up to Manitou. Manitou is a really cool artsy town that has a lot of shops to wander in and out of. Whooohoooo!!! Motorcycling, eating and shopping!! This girl is in heaven.

Around 3:30 we started to lose daylight and more importantly--heat. The roads were fairly clear, but there were some wet spots on the road and I didn't want to get caught when the water spots turned to ice. After all, I crashed Saturday on my skis and remembered it was not a pleasant experience.

My riding is about done for the year. I have my little boy this year for Christmas and New Year's so those weekends will be spent with him.

Well, no motorcycling adventures...but we are planning on riding those pesky skis again after Christmas!!

~Keep the Shiny Side Up~

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Mountain Shadow Riders @ Christmas

2006-12-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Gosh, time flies when I'm a paper writing fool. Sigh. Good news is that I now have nine more days of school and I'll be done! It's been a long haul!

At any rate, the Mountain Shadow Riders has taken on another pet project--to become Santa to disadvantaged families. Elementary school kids.

This topic was presented at the November Chapter meeting and voted upon. Guess what....we adopted the entire elementary school! It is a small school in a very small town.

We finally got the information a couple of days ago--it was very short notice! However, the members of the Mountain Shadow Riders stepped up to the plate and all the kids and families we have adopted have been adopted!!

I'm so proud to be associated with such a wonderful group of riders.....the members and support members of the MSR indeed rock! Whooohoooo!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Where Did November Go?

2006-11-27T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not been very busy in Motorcycle Land this month.

I did manage to put my new pipes on...and well, it is an ongoing job. I'm still not happy with the install I did and will have to spend more time wrenching. It is all good...what else can I break, eh??

My friends and I managed to get out for a ride last weekend--the weather was mild enough to justify a scoot so we headed out--west and in the mountains. We had a bit of ice to skirt on some parts and it was a nice enough day......until we ran out of daylight (ahem). Pulling in at 6:15 pm, it was very cold. As much as I love to ride, I'm finding that I am getting less tolerant about the temps.

There will be very few other opportunities to ride--this week I think the temps will be in the 20's, 30's and 40's. YIKES!! Even too cold for me to work in my garage!!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I spent the day with wonderful friends and had a wonderful meal. Only thing was I forgot the leftovers....LOL. Oh well!!

I'm envious of you all that can ride now....but then again, I won't complain too terribly much about our temps in the dog days of summer!!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Riding Etiquette—Aren’t We All Biker Friendly??

2006-10-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

Gosh, has it been half a month since I've posted??

Here's a doozy of a story for you!!

Sunday was a beautiful day and the snow and ice was more or less a memory—how can I resist the call of two wheels? Not me!!!

Around noon, I met some friends to ride—some I’ve never ridden with. What an experience it was. A few of my friends I’ve ridden with—the others—I had no clue. While I’m open to riding with new folks—I am not open to bad experiences.

I get down to the meet site and my friends and I get reacquainted and I introduce myself to the riders I have never met. We all have a jovial talk and just goof off. We talk about the destination and the expected route. After everyone is on the same page—we all mount up and fire up the motorcycles.

One of my girlfriends had left her ignition on which resulted in a dead battery. No worries, I hopped off my bike to help push start her bike. The other four riders sat on their bikes and stared. One even had the audacity to retort “solve your bike problems—get a Harley”!

Granted, one rider was unable to push even if she wanted to—she had an injury that disallowed running. However, the other three were quite able bodied and watch me push an 800 pound motorcycle and the rider.

I was pretty mad. After all, there is nothing more frustrating than to go to crank your bike and it doesn’t start. Fortunately for my friend, it was a dead battery—an easily solved problem…as long as there a hill to roll the bike down or someone to help push.

Did a bit of venting—a lot of good it did except make me feel better. I’m thinking if I ever see any of those so-called new friends on the side of the road, I’d pass them with a wave.

Of course, that’s not true—one of the unhelpful riders pulled over later due to a bug problem (no windshield) and we pulled over to make sure it wasn’t a serious problem. Thankfully, it wasn’t.

I guess you find out who the real bikers are and who are the rubs. I may not leave anyone behind, but I will think twice about riding with those thoughtless folks. Its one thing to good naturedly poke fun about another’s bike, but quite another to do it during mechanical issues. Of course, his shouldn’t have mechanical issues—his bike is only two months old!!

Keep the shiny side up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Scavenger Hunting..How Not To Ride Your Motorcycle

2006-10-16T08:35:00.000-06:00

The plan for Sunday was to get out a bit and do some Scavenger Hunting. The deadline is quickly approaching….being October 31st. My fellow MSR friends and I agreed: if the weather held, we’d get out and ride around town.

I awoke to gorgeous weather…so the day’s plans were set. There were three of us and the plan of attack was drawn up. We would head north up to Monument Hill for the cellular trees, then work our way south to the Colorado Springs city limits sign, the Statue of Liberty, The Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame, Garden of the Gods, Dakota Wall, then up to Old Colorado City for an art gallery, to Manitou for a fortune teller’s place, the locomotive. We would continue south for the World Arena, the limousine, hospital and finally, Culver’s for ice cream.

I know, I already have the Culver’s shot and don’t really need it….but the need for frozen custard was calling. Besides, I needed a shot with food for the fast food restaurant. Works for me.

I knew I should not have been riding yesterday; I just had a bad feeling of ju-ju when I climbed on the bike. First of all, it took me forever to find all my gear and I was not having my usual Zen moment with my bike. Still, my friends were waiting, so I headed out.

The first stop was out to Monument Hill. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of the cellular trees—they are cell towers disguised as trees. Most people do not pay much attention to the scenery of trees—and do not notice that there are a couple of really strange looking pine trees. Well, for the fact that these “trees” tower over the other trees….I would not have known they were out there.

We decided to take the back way up to Monument—up Highway 83. As we were working our way up, I spotted another weird looking tree and pointed it out to my partner. She agreed that it was a cellular tree and we decided to pull off there instead of figuring out how to make the pull over on I-25 shoulder interstate traffic. My other friend had an unpleasant on the side of the road shoulder incident. His bike was totaled out when a truck hit it. Thank goodness he and his friends were off the bike!!

However, that’s another story for another day.

As we are driving around looking for the tower, I got separated from my group. Somewhere along the line, I needed to make a U-turn in the middle of the street and proceeded to do so. I’ve made many slow U-turns with no problem. I guess that yesterday was my number. As I am in the middle of the turn, I notice that there is a lot of sand down. I automatically think slow down—no hand brake. So here I am—in the middle of a U-turn, looking at the ground (yikes!) and on my foot brake.

True to what I’ve been taught and my experience—the bike goes where you look. I didn’t have enough momentum to make the turn and over I went. I’m in the middle of the road with a downed bike and my friends are up the road a bit. I lay on the horn and wait. Finally, they turn around, see me, and run to help me.

I’m actually still on the bike because I refuse to lay it down. My saving grace is that I ride with my passenger pegs down. I don’t have my crash bar on my bike and when I’m highway riding, I’ll rest my foot on my rear peg. That rear peg was what the bike was resting on. So I’m holding the rest of the bike up to keep it going all the way over. I kill the motor and am thinking…………….grrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaatttttttt……

Saturday, one of my chapter friends dropped her bike. She was talking to another member and wasn’t paying attention to what she was doing and forgot to put her kickstand down. Of course, when she went to get off her bike…over it went. Her new road name is Kickstand. She wasn’t hurt, thank goodness. Well, except her ego, I suppose.

I’m thinking that if I keep having these incidents with sand, someone is going to come up with a new road name for me. Knowing the insanity of my friends…it won’t be pretty—LOL…

At any rate, I suffer no damage as well, thankfully for my rear peg. I often talk about taking them off since I don’t ride two up, but it looks like they will stay. My girlfriend looks at me and says “well, you need to ride with your passenger pegs down all the time”!!

It is all good. No damage with a drop, I had my friends to help me and we ended up with quite a few Scavenger Hunt pics. I’m still so far behind the leader, but it’s all good. It has been a fun experience and another day of stories to add as well as lessons learned. The rest of the day was uneventful...well, I had another near drop from having my bike where it wasn't supposed to be...but the shot was terrific!!! Pics to follow...

Yes, I do consciously look check to see if my stand is down…before I set the bike down.

Lessons learned..

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Woe is Me…or Whoa~-It’s Me!!

2006-10-12T20:30:00.001-06:00

I think I spoke a bit too soon about getting my newest project up to speed. I think the congratulatory congrats were out a bit too quickly.

I get out to look at the bike and at this point, I start putting things back together. I slide the bolt that holds the gas tank on and start tightening it down. I over torqued the bolt and snapped it clean off. YIKES!! KT, did you hear my curses?? LOL!!

I knew a trip to HD was in order…and this time HD being Home Depot. They have the bolts and they are less expensive. It’s all good..

At least it was a $2.00 rather than a $200 (or more) fix. The rest of the putting back together was uneventful…everything went back fine, I broke the fuse cartridge for my iPod adapter so I’ll have to replace that….still, all minor issues.

Wiring up the system to my bike was very simple. Cut the headlight wires, splice the transmitter in and use the connector thingys to complete the circuit. A bit of electrical tape. Putting the receiver on the garage door opener was a breeze too. I had to hard wire it on the garage door opener—it was two screws and two wires. Easy, easy, easy. If you can plug in a lamp, you can do this.

Of course, the test was to see if I could get the gizmo to work…and once the transmitter “bonded” with the receiver…I flipped the high beams on and held my breath…

The thing worked!!! Whooooohoooooo!!! No more lost house keys, no more lost remote controls. If you ride a motorcycle in Colorado, you understand how much gear you have to take for a scoot. Raingear, cold weather gear (yes, in the summer even cold weather gear), three pairs of gloves (at least), tools, water bottle, cell phone, iPod….I have my priorities…

Oh, Kathy, the HD item number is 91558-01A. And my thanks to Matt at PPHD for his exceptional help. He rescued me when I needed rescuing and kept my little project on track.

Overall, a learning experience…yeah….that’s what I’m calling it. It’s my story and I’m sticking to it!!

Next project on deck is the ol’ pipe switcherooni….seems that big box of header pipes showed up the week of my birthday from one of my dear blog friends….hugs, Greg!! Now, I’m hunting down the last bit of parts I need….and it should be on deck in a few weeks.

My friend Sandy wants to sit in on this one….Girls Garage 101…is open for business…LOL

Keep the Shiny Side Up!!

~The Rainbow Wahine

The Flash-2-Pass Ordeal…Electrical Woes

2006-10-11T20:14:00.000-06:00

I’m tired of losing garage door openers and having to hassle with getting in and out of my garage when I ride…and of course, coveting Jeanne’s Flash-2-Pass garage door opener…

I have talked about this gadget before. No more lost garage remotes (yes, I lose stuff at an incredible rate of speed). Just a flash of my brights and the garage door closes. Flash again, the gizmo opens the door.

I couldn’t stand it anymore…and ordered the darn thing. I was able to get the “official” HD kit for around $100 including shipping. Versus identical pricing on the generic thingy…so HD was the route I went. If only to ensure that I got enough parts for my non-standardized need 42 bolts Fatboy. I had no desire to run to the local autoparts store to get all the extra stuff that wasn’t included in the other kit.

Good thing I did, because my fuse box has one auxillary accessory port and it is occupied by my heated hand grips so I needed to wire an empty port. Okay, so that meant one extra trip to the HD store….

Well, I can shop for other stuff while I’m there and flirt with the part counter guys. They always treat me very well and today was no exception.

I bought no other stuff. I resisted…LOL…

Wiring the bike for an additional auxillary port was no issue. I knew the hard part would be to get the wiring harness up the frame (under the tank) up to the headlight wires. No worries, I’ve done it before…..

Well, I got all the electrical issues taken care of, installed the wiring harness, pulled the wire to the front of the bike…all I needed to do was to wire it all together. I decided to put the bike back together before I attempted the last bit. I (smartly) tested the electrical components and everything worked so I put the bike together.

Then I realized the wires were on the wrong side of the frame and I needed to pull it and do a reroute. Everything was disassembled and I did the reroute. I was mildly annoyed at myself for not thinking through this clearly (but it is not specified in the handy dandy instruction booklet, so I’m blaming that).

Reroute done, I put everything back together…only to discover that my starter, trip meter, and odometer does not work. Great. Now what in the blue blazes have I done? Sigh. For the third time I pull the seat off (okay, I know I should have tested it before I put the seat back on, but I figured it was fine)…..and am getting seriously frustrated at the thought of having to put my beloved Fatboy back in the shop for something I dorked up.

Checking fuses and making sure I didn’t pinch off wires…I’m getting no where. My son, reminding me that he needs to be fed, forced me to put my project on hold. I cooked dinner, got him fed, and regrouped.

As I was doing a walk around the bike, I realized that I had loosened one of the bolts that holds the wire harnesses down…and also serves as a ground point. I tightened it back and flipped the ignition on. I had odometer and trip meter. I flipped the kill switch on pressed the starter and the Fatboy fired right up.

It was all about grounding the circuits. Interesting………..

Well, I’ll have the rest to do tomorrow…the temps have been falling and it’ll be too cold to work in the garage….

Life is once again good in motorcycle land. Besides, my friends would have never let me hear the end of having to put my bike in the shop…especially after dorking it up…

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Exceeding Expectations: The Breast Cancer Awareness Ride

2006-10-09T09:22:00.000-06:00

Whew…that day blew by!!

I finished with my last minute items at 2:30 am on Friday (errrrr….Saturday morning) and crashed for a few hours….until 5:30 am. I was up and out the door getting my last minute things down to one of the vehicles that was hauling gear then back at the house at 6:30 am to ride out.

The morning was cool, but watching the sun come up not only warmed me but my heart as well—our prayers were answered—the weather is going to be cooperative!! I rode down with a group of four members—all who had volunteered to help get set up to face the unknown number of registrants.

Registration Table

The Mountain Shadow Riders have a few new ideas on deck—a ride t-shirt, ride pins, and auction items—so a good turnout weighed heavy on our minds. Still, we managed to have humor and joke with each other while setting up. It was early in the morning, but the adrenalin driven excitement was palpable throughout the group! I think the four jumbo sized cups of coffee might have had something to do with my excitement as well!

Hanging Posters--I'm the girl in all pink.....

The auction prizes

Ms. BS, Sweetcheeks and The Rainbow Wahine funnin'

By 9:00 am, the parking lot of Western Omelet was full of bikers and motorcycles and everyone was busy. Everything appeared to be going smoothly and without incident so our group needed to head out and do the ride—to get down to Thunder and Buttons for the post-ride events.

The ride committee did an excellent job! The ride was local and included some roads in the city that I had never ridden. I was treated to some beautiful views of Colorado Springs. The ride was a memory ride—I had to pay attention to the surroundings and answer questions on the designated stops. Sigh. Did I remember the name of the church that was across the street of Western Omelet? Not on your life!! Just my karma, I never pay attention to the right things!

My thanks to the ride committee as well as the leader of our little group for doing an excellent job!

Down at Thunder and Buttons, the activity level was high—chance drawing tickets were being drawn as well as the ever important filling of human’s fuel tanks—stomachs!! The Mountain Shadow Riders members were busy doing various activities: from scoring the ride contest sheets, selling T-shirts, and working on stage drawing tickets and doing the auctions.

What a day it was! I believe the new implementations were a success—our auctions brought in over $1,000 alone!! The sellout of pins and the success of t-shirt sales also boosted our bottom line contribution. While the finally tally of dollars won’t be known until our Chapter meeting on Saturday, the word that we met and exceeded our goal of a $5,000 contribution is rumored from the Chapter executives. Whooooohooooooo!!

I know that the success of our ride couldn’t have been done without the hard work of our members. The ride, donation, promotions, and registration committees did wonderful jobs. Every member that participated in getting prizes, hanging flyers, getting the word out or doing whatever was necessary deserves high praise and has my thanks.

I also want to thank the various people that were outside our group that helped support us by promoting our event. They were the people that are in other organizations who supported us by inviting their members to join our cause. The help aided the turnout. My thanks to all of them as well!

We also received a number of suggestions for improvement of the ride for next year. Thank you for caring enough to want to improve our event!

Saturday night was quickly upon us—I pulled my Fatboy in the garage around 7:30 pm. It was a long day.

Sunday’s weather awoke to rain and cold temps. Thank goodness the weather held. It seems that we are forecasted to have snow this week. Brrrrrrrrr…

Again, thanks for all the members, the participants who turned out to support our event, and all the folks who contributed to helping make our Breast Cancer Awareness Ride a success. Without those who participated, our event could not have happened.

Finally, our cause. One in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime. That is one woman every three minutes. We are determined to make a difference in the statistics. The entire amount of proceeds raised Saturday goes towards the fund to educate, screen and treat patients in our community stricken with this disease as well as supporting national research to find a cure!

I will say….thank you for supporting our breasts!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

OH….and my ride basket was the Road and Rail Ride. My son’s love of trains was the inspiration for my basket!!

The Ride Auction….Bid To Win!

2006-10-06T10:08:00.000-06:00

Our big event is upon us—-The Breast Cancer Awareness Ride for 2007.

The members all have been working on various projects. Mine is the Mystery Ride Auction.

Based on the “Picnic Basket Auctions” of western tradition, six members have generously put together a ride, an activity and lunch or dinner in a basket to auction off. The ride is for two members—the winner and his or her date or the MSR member that has put together the basket. This auction is called a "Mystery" because the MSR Member that is escorting the ride will remain a secret until all the baskets have been auctioned.

Yes, I have a basket in the lineup! NO, it is not red and shiny!!

While I can not tell you which rider goes what basket, I can tell you about the baskets:

Basket #1:

A Day in The Saddle

Ride out to Front Range Barbeque in Old Colorado City. After lunch, the riders will head over for a horseback ride out in the Garden of The Gods. What fun! The Garden of The Gods is a beautiful park that offers spectacular views. Riding on horseback through the park will give an up-close view of what the park has to offer.

Basket #2:

The Relax & Renew Ride

Ride out for a flavorful breakfast at Coyote’s Coffee Den in Canon City, then cruise the breathtaking route along the Arkansas River. A stop at Cottonwood Hot Springs Inn and Spa for a therapeutic soak in Colorado’s purest, geo-thermal, gravity-fed mineral hot springs. After the soak, dinner at Buena Vista’s The Missing Spoon. The basket also includes two full tanks of gasoline, and snacks for the ride. Ahhhhhhhhhhh…………

Basket #3:

Mile High Ride

A hosted day ride to Independence Pass and includes a picnic lunch at the summit. The basket also has some great goodies such as: a $25 gift certificate to Thunder and Buttons, $20 gift certificate to Patsy’s Candies and included candy (yum!), bottle of wine and glasses, certificate for a case of beer, movie tickets and a memory frame for picture up at summit.

I’ve ridden Independence Pass and it is spectacular!!

Basket #4:

Castlewood Canyon Ride

This ride is to a little known state park in our beautiful state. Ride includes the escorted ride to beautiful Castlewood Canyon, entry into the park, and a barbeque lunch (yes, the MSR Member is going to actually cook!!!).

Basket #5:

Wine, Ride, & Dine Basket

A 180-mile ride that winds through Woodland Park, Deckers, Bailey up to Evergreen for lunch at Creekside Cellars Italian Deli and Winery. The return trip is through Morrison, Turkey and Deer Creek Canyons, Monument before ending in Colorado Springs. Items in the basket are 2 bottles of wine, 2 insulated tumblers, corkscrew, neoprene bottle carrier and $40 gift certificate for lunch.

Basket #6:

The Road and Rail Ride:

Approximately 170-mile ride that departs after lunch at the Phantom Canyon. Ride then goes to Canon City for a breathtaking ride on the Royal Gorge Railroad. Ride then continues through Hartsel and stops in Woodland Park for a refreshment stop at Java the Hut.

I’ve ridden all the roads on the various ride baskets and I want to bid on them all!!! Not to mention that all my friends are putting the baskets together and I’d love to ride with each one! Not only that the baskets that each of the riders have put together are really great!!

All proceeds are going to the Colorado Springs affiliate of the Susan G. Komen foundation so your generosity will not only score a great ride, activity and food, but helps support the cause to support breast cancer research.

Come join us for the ride and then participate in the activities afterwards…one of the fun things we are doing is the ride basket auction. You don’t necessarily need to be on a motorcycle—you can do the ride in your vehicle…although it is more fun on a bike!!

Once again, here are the details for the Ride:

All bikes, all riders and all types of transportation are welcome.

All proceeds from registration and sales of chance drawing tickets will go directly to the Colorado Springs affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

DATE: Saturday Oct 7th
Donation: $10.00 per entry
Registration Begins: 9:00am -- Last Bike Out 10:30am
Start Location: Western Omelette – 16 S. Walnut – Colorado Springs
End Location: Thunder & Buttons –2415 W. Colorado Ave. (Old Colorado City)
Last Bike In: 2:30pm

One in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime. That is one woman every three minutes. We are determined to make a difference in the statistics. Join us to help find a cure for this deadly disease. The proceeds from this ride will be able to fund education, screening and treatment programs in our community and support national research to find a cure!

The BCA ride is a “Test your Memory” run; at each stop you will be asked to answer a series of questions regarding items or landmarks you may have seen along the ride route. The ride is approximately 100 miles long. Riders will turn in answer sheets at the ending location and cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place – depending on the number of questions answered correctly.

A Chance Drawing for various door prizes will also be held after the last bike is in. Last year we gave out OVER $3,500.00 worth of prizes and gift certificates!! This year should be even better!

Last year we raised $3,000.00 for the local Susan G. Komen affiliate – this year our goal is $5,000.00 – Nothing is impossible and we can achieve this goal with your help!

I hope to see you there…I’ll be there having fun and cutting up…come and join this group of dynamic women and support our cause!!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Toys For Tots Run

2006-10-04T13:00:00.000-06:00

Sunday found another gorgeous day: for the first morning HOG meeting and then the Toys For Tots Run. One of my fellow HOG member friends rode up to the house and we departed to make the 9:00 AM meeting. Once in the parking lot, you hear my whooooohoooooo…I’m excited to have found a parking spot!!

The meetings are always fun; I get to see my friends and they get to poke fun at me. Of course, they do manage to embarrass the fire out of me: something to do with my birthday!

The meeting is cut short and we head down to Pike’s Peak Harley Davidson to line up for the run. The run is fairly short and I think I might have gotten up to second gear! It’s always fun: some 800 motorcycles “cruising” the streets of the Springs. We are police escorted and my girlfriend comments “I hate to be the one stuck waiting for the bikes to finish passing”. Well, maybe not, but I guarantee the dude in the taxi wasn’t too terribly happy!!

The ride itself was uneventful; the best part is the “before” and the “after”. Can you believe that someone actually had the nerve to try and pass me off as an auction item? Seriously, I doubt that they would have made much money—and then when the winner figured out how much of a pain in the neck I really am, I would have been promptly returned!!

My friends are really terrific, aren’t they *grins*.

There were some really cool things to see too...one being the trailer below. Thanks to Ed for taking such a great shot!!

One thing about the toy run: we were able to get the character in a pack of 50 or more motorcycles! Santa was at the toy run and I cozied up to Santa to tell him my wish—could he please stand by my bike so I could get a photograph for the Scavenger Hunt?? I did NOT sit on his lap, for the record, I sat on the bench next to him. Of course, Ms. Blondie had a different idea!!

LOL…

Overall, we had a big toy collection and it was great fun to visit with all the biking community! Not to mention some of the Scavenger Hunt Pics.

The days are getting shorter and the time is getting closer for the Mountain Shadow Riders’ Breast Cancer Awareness Ride. We’ve all been busy and can’t wait until the day arrives. Well, I’m happy except for the 7:00 AM report time…sigh….

Stay tuned for the details….

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Mountain Shadow Riders: Saddle Time

2006-10-02T09:05:00.000-06:00

The Mountain Shadow Riders had ride time scheduled: To get some of the less experienced riders out and buddy up with the more experienced riders and do a group ride in various riding conditions.

Saturday opened up to be a spectacular day. Clear with temps in the mid 70s.

We met up at Perkins Restaurant and did the introductions—name, length of time riding, and the vehicle we were on. We then had a chat about where the ride was to take our group, the hand signals used, the mechanics of group riding, and answered questions.

We were quite balanced—we had eight riders and paired up quite nicely. Lining up in our various positions and off we went.

The ride started through town and was actually quite nice. Traffic wasn’t too much of an issue and we were able to get out and about with no issues. It was nice to do a ride around town with the fall colors out in full display.

Out of town, we headed up to Woodland Park. Riding up Highway 24 is one of my favorite rides because of the short stint of twisty road. I settled back and enjoyed the ride. I normally ride on the right hand track so being in the left hand lane felt a bit odd, but I quickly adjusted.

Once we got up to Woodland Park, we had a fuel stop, restroom break and general chit chat about the ride so far. As we were coming out of the convenience store, I spotted a horse in a horse trailer—oh oh oh—a scavenger hunt item! I rolled my bike out, had a brief conversation with the owner and took my photograph! Score!!!

Before we got back on the road, we switched up lanes and positions in the group. This time I was back in the right lane and riding sweep. I just settled back and watched the group roll down the road.

The halfway point was Wilkerson Pass. This time of year is particularly beautiful. The leaves are turning so there are the touches of reds, yellows and oranges mixed in with the pines and the snow up on the peaks. Winter is indeed coming.

We stopped up at the pass and had more questions and answers and general chit chat. We set the lunch spot, talked to some of the other folks and enjoyed the scenery. I had heard that the Smokey the Bear Statue was up on Wilkerson Pass, but was unable to locate it. Sigh.

The ride down was terrific. Our fearless leader decided to test the group by doing a pull out—only to find that everyone pulled off as well! I motioned on to the lead bike—keep going and we did. At our lunch stop, we talked about the procedure of a rider pulling out and what to do. I think next time everyone except the sweep will keep going.

Lunch was a wonderful time….we all visited and even pitched a couple of games of horseshoes. I lost! LOL…oh well! Lunch was a wonderful fellowship and I learned quite a bit about the new members. Talk ranged from condiments to motorcycles and was general fun!

After lunch, we talked about the order of bikes leaving and who was getting out when. Gear on, bikes started and ready to roll….oh wait….one of our riders had a dead battery. Of course, this was an opportunity to have “Push Start 101” class!!

We did get the motorcycle started and off we went. As we got closer to town, we lost riders. At 4:00, I pulled in my garage. It was a gorgeous day, I rode with some old friends and some new ones and I know I had a wonderful time. I hope that everyone had a wonderful time as well.

Next on deck: The Toys For Tots Toy Run and then the preparation for the Breast Cancer Awareness Ride. We are busy…and winding down to the last moments of the ride. I tried my pink vinyls on and yes, they fit….*smile*.

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

Who’s Going to Fix It?

2006-09-28T12:20:00.000-06:00

I have bent pins in my fork lock on my Fatboy, so I need a new lockset.

What a pain. When I had my motorcycle in for service back in June, I asked them to look at it and yes, they did agree with me—I need a new lockset.

My motorcycle is still under warranty, so the lockset was ordered and the service date was set. Unfortunately (and this is totally my fault), I failed to write down the appointment date and that day blew by. Sigh.

Well, after a few choice words from the Service Department regarding my forgetfulness, I decided that I’d just get pick the darn thing up and put it in myself. I can understand getting fussed at for forgetting—but at the same time, I also know that they have been incredibly busy and probably took someone in on the spot. There’s no reason for the service guy to be rude. There’s really no reason to be rude, period…

I made my way down to the dealership with the intent to pick up my locks. Well, evidently, with warranty work, I have a choice: let them install the lockset and it is all free. Pick up the lockset for a self-install—they’ll charge me for the lockset which, for your information, is right at $125.

Well….that’s a no brainer…they are doing it *smile*.

I understand why it is like that. I was just annoyed for the service rep for being rude.

Since my lockset has been changed, the key I have for my ignition won’t match—which means I will have a different key for my ignition and my fork. Just another key to keep up with...yikes!!

Another day in motorcycle land…

Keep the Shiny Side Up!

~The Rainbow Wahine

How’s Your Aspen??

2006-09-26T14:09:00.001-06:00

Great! Sunday opened to a gorgeous but cool day. My Mountain Shadow Rider Sister Sandy and I decided to do this poker run and headed out in the early morning. The ride went up to Victor and back down—we are going up to 10,000 plus feet. This ride was put on by the Harley Owners Group—and I haven’t ridden with them in a number of months and thought it sounded like fun.

I was right.

When I pull in, I see a number of my friends and we start chit-chatting. I talk to the lead group—the folks that do the ride for the last minute road conditions and the folks that run the stops—and Sandy and I decided to ride in with them.

Brrrrrrrrr…it was sooooooo cold!! Of course, if you know anything about our region—the snow is definitely up on Pike’s Peak. That is an indication of the weather that is in store for us. “Up there” is where we are headed. At 10:00 in the morning I know it is going to be cold!!!

The ride up is quite beautiful. While I’m not particularly crazy about the colder temps, the changing of the foliage is spectacular!! The reds, oranges and yellows of the trees in contrast to the green of the pines is gorgeous. I sit back in the saddle, ignore my cold fingertips and enjoy the ride.

Just when I think it can’t get any prettier, it does. The ride up to Cripple Creek is always fun with the twisties. My enthusiasm was tempered by the amount of sand on the ground from the snow. It was, however, far worth the ride. Up at the higher elevations, not only did I get to see the marvelous fall foliage, there was the added dimension of color with the snow on the ground and in the trees. Sigh…it was absolutely beautiful.

Our first stop is Victor. It is a little mining town in the mountains and, yes, it is very COLD! We stop in and the two riders set up to for the stop. I grab a cup of coffee, warm up a bit and we head out. It seems that we need to keep ahead of the riders doing the run.

As we come out of Victor, one of my favorite roads is ahead—a cool twisty road that I love to ride. We head out, and I’m stoked that I get to see this section of pavement once again. As we ride, there is a pair of motorcyclists coming towards us. One of the riders takes the curve with too much speed and steps on the brake much too hard. She doesn’t lock it up, but does manage to lay the bike down the amount of sand on the road. It was unnerving to watch unfold. Her riding partner picked up her bike, she waved us on when we stopped to ask if there was anything we could do. No harm done, thank goodness. She waved us on.

We continue on our way. As we do the various stops, we continue to lose two riders—the ones who volunteer to work the stops. Finally, down to three riders—we are headed down to the end point. By this time, the temps have warmed up and I am very much enjoying the ride. I’m no longer cold! Whoooooohooooooo!!

We get down to the end point of the ride and Sandy and I set up to work the last stop. I enjoyed working the stop—I got to talk to a good many members that I have never had the opportunity to visit with—and we had a really great time doing it!!

I’m glad I did!

All the riders are in; it is time for me to head out. One of my friends is coming back from vacation and I need to head up to the airport to pick her up. I say my goodbyes and ride out.

I’m glad Jeanne is back—it’s been a number of weeks since we have ridden together. We’ll ride the Toy Run next weekend and then do the Breast Cancer Awareness ride. Let’s hope for spectacular weather!!

Keep the Shiny Side Up~

~The Rainbow Wahine

Man threatens bikers, gets hit with car

2006-09-23T08:10:00.000-06:00

I won't say that this guy deserved this....however, I will say that how did this guy let this happen? How do you get run over by your own car (especially if no one was driving)? Some people shouldn't be driving--car or motorcycle...

Man threatens bikers, gets hit with car

An alleged drunken motorist who brandished a pool cue while driving at a group of motorcyclists was hit by his own car after he attempted to approach the bikers on foot, authorities said.

Richard Brooks, 50, of Concord, was pulled to safety by the motorcyclists after his car — which he left in reverse — knocked him into the highway on Thursday, said Officer Scott Yox of the California Highway Patrol.

Brooks, who was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and driving under the influence, told authorities he was offended by skeletons some of the riders wore on their leather Harley-Davidson jackets and what he perceived as their attempts to appear tough.

"It was his impression that they thought they were better than him," Yox said. "They were irritating to him and he felt he needed to do something about it."

Yox said authorities had no evidence the riders instigated the incident. "Instead of mocking him for going after them, they perhaps set their own safety aside to reach over and rescue him from a position of danger," he said.

Brooks, who was treated at a hospital for cuts and scrapes, remained jailed Friday in lieu of $30,000 bail.

It's the Boobie Run

2006-09-20T12:44:00.001-06:00

Well, that's the "unofficial" term for our run.

The time is about here: The Six Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Run

Put on by my Riding Group, The Mountain Shadow Riders...this is our big event--to raise money for breast cancer awareness. All donations raised in this ride/fundraiser will go the our local chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Here are the details (lifted shamelessly from Trouble's 360 Blog):

The Mountain Shadow Riders - Colorado Springs Chapter of Women On Wheels(R) would like to invite you to join us for our 6th Annual Breast Cancer Awaress Charity Motorcycle Ride.

All motorcycles, all riders and all types of transportation are welcome.
All proceeds from registration and sales of chance drawing tickets will go directly to the Colorado Springs affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

DATE: Saturday Oct 7th
Donation: $10.00 per entry
Registration Begins: 9:00am -- Last Bike Out 10:30am
Start Location: Western Omelette – 16 S. Walnut – Colorado Springs
End Location: Thunder & Buttons –2415 W. Colorado Ave. (Old Colorado City)
Last Bike In: 2:30pm

One in eight women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime. That is one woman every three minutes. We are determined to make a difference in the statistics. Join us to help find a cure for this deadly disease. The proceeds from this ride will be able to fund education, screening and treatment programs in our community and support national research to find a cure!

The BCA ride is a “Test your Memory” run; at each stop you will be asked to answer a series of questions regarding items or landmarks you may have seen along the ride route. The ride is approximately 100 miles long. Riders will turn in answer sheets at the ending location and cash prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place – depending on the number of questions answered correctly.

A Chance Drawing for various door prizes will also be held after the last bike is in. Last year we gave out OVER $3,500.00 worth of prizes and gift certificates!! This year should be even better!

Last year we raised $3,000.00 for the local Susan G. Komen affiliate – this year our goal is $5,000.00 – Nothing is impossible and we can achieve this goal with your help!

Additional information and pre-registration forms are available at The Mountain Shadow Riders' Website. Click on the link: BCA Ride on the left hand side (sorry, can't provide the link directly). Come out and ride with us!! I'll be there along with my many other biker chick friends....it's a day of fun...and yes, I'll be wearing my pink vinyls!!!!!!