Rocky Mountain High

A few months ago my friend Marcus told me that his BMW airhead engine had committed suicide and asked about contact info for Peter at Moto Bogotaro. Peter and MB are definitely the #1 shop to go to in the NYC / Brooklyn area if you want great workmanship and fair prices. The problem is that Peter is so good that the waiting list is months long.

I half jokingly told Marcus that it would be easier (and probably faster) to fly out and buy my '88 R100RS. While not perfect cosmetically, it has a performance modified engine and a transmission that shifts like a Honda! And who wouldn't want one since they are the ultimate babe magnet ?!?!

He got back to me and gave me a verbal handshake on the deal. We agreed that Labor Day would be the best hand off. I would ride with him for a couple of days to make sure that he was happy and then turn back to Utah while he continued to New York.

I picked him up at the airport and we looked over the bike. I had changed all the fluids and tuned up the bike in preparation for the trip. He looked the bike over, we went for a brief ride and he wrote a check. 

Only one problem flawed the transfer, the side panel that had never been a problem in all the years that I had owned it suddenly decided that it wanted to stay in Utah and disappeared along the side of the road. We went back over our route but found no trace of it. Bummer!

My friend Linda in Aspen had agreed to put us up for a night. It was a great trip spanning all that Utah and Colorado have to offer. We started south in the desert and then turned east into the mountains. With over 400 miles to go we stopped only for gas and lunch. Sorry, no pictures of that part of the trip. Just take my word for it, with great roads and perfect weather it was a gorgeous ride that is the stuff of dreams.

Looks Photo Shopped but it isn't. It's really this great!

The next morning we packed up and got an early-ish start. It's cold at that altitude (7800') and we were willing to give the sun a chance to warm things up. The altitude was also taking a toll on the bikes as they were not jetted for the altitude. Both bikes were running smoothly but were significantly down on power.

Our plan was to ride over Independence Pass and then continue on to Manitou Springs where I would turn back. I will put this route up against anything that the European Alps have to offer. It runs along the Roaring Fork River on the western side and tops out over 12,000'. Beautiful scenery and tight roads are a challenge as you try to make the most of both without taking a flying lesson off the side. 

At Buena Vista we stopped for lunch and decided that I would return from there. Labor Day crowds packed the road and I had seen it all before. Motorcycling is a solo enterprise even when traveling with a friend and I felt confident in Marcus and the bike. 

While eating lunch a guy came over and asked who owned the Transalp. I admitted that it was mine and he and his partner joined us for a discussion of bikes and life. He wanted a bike, she liked her Lexus. Park the bike, wear the gear, and somebody always wants to talk to you. It's one of the joys of traveling by motorcycle.

It all has a happy ending. This is the BMW parked in front of Marcus's garage in NY. No problems or drama. I made it home with a similar lack of events. My only note is that the panniers seem to add quite a lot of wind resistance at highway speeds (70+). They didn't affect the handling but the gas mileage dropped considerably. A small price to pay to get home quickly.

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Inspiration

Note: I came across this letter I wrote to a friend some time ago. We cannot change our past but we can continually improve our future by acknowledging our debt to the ones who helped us.

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Socrates: "The unexamined life is not worth living"

You asked me what inspired me and I admit to being at a loss for words, let alone ideas. I mentioned Yosemite as a place that I think of as home but it isn't really inspirational in the sense of a call to action.

On my drive back to Connecticut the question kept running through my mind. I admit that I'm pretty comfortable with my life and rarely ask the BIG questions anymore. By now I know who I am, what I am, and am somewhat ambivalent about why I am. But, still, the question kept reappearing. If nothing else, it helped pass the two hours on the road.

As usual, the answer came when I finally ignored the question. When I stopped trying to find the answer, the answer found me.

I mentioned that Yosemite inspires me but that isn't quite true. What it does is provide a place of spiritual quietness. A place where I can consider my life and actions. It's a place for contemplation and reflection, but not inspiration.

What inspires me are the small kindnesses of others. That might sound very Blanche DuBois but it is what drives me forward.

We talked about those moments when we flinch with chagrin at the missteps of our past. I am embarrassed at the rude and thoughtless acts I have done to others. The times when I was petty or harsh to people for no other reason than that I was trying to be smart.

I can look back and blame this on the ignorance and arrogance of youth. I have learned to forgive myself for the misbehavior for no other reason than that I can not change it.

However, I can do better and I try to. There were some who were steady in their friendship through all my chaotic swings. Those who supported me when I was less than sterling. It is by them that I am inspired.

It is also by the small acts of kindness that happen to me all the time. The nameless farmer in Tennessee who I met in a small diner on my trip across country last summer. After talking as we ate he stood, shook my hand, and wished me a safe trip. When he was gone the waitress came over and informed me that he had paid for my meal. Not because he thought I was poor or in need but because he wanted to add a bright moment to my day.

It costs so little to make people's lives better. I am hardly a sentimental, touchy-feely kind of guy but a smile, a helping hand, and a little effort can go a long way to making a difference in another person's life.

So it is the ones who have stood by me in my life, who were patient, and who have given me that smile, helping hand, and extra effort who inspire me.

Beautiful sunsets last only minutes

and mountains fade away in a million years

but kind words and good friends last forever.

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Why I Don't Use K&N Air Filters

This is a K&N air filter I pulled from the R100RS. It's supposed to be cleanable but I'm not buying it. I don't believe that all that dirt is ever coming out not matter what I do to it. That means either restricted performance or dirt will be getting through to the engine.

This is an OEM BMW air filter. Free flowing and certified by BMW to do the job correctly. Clean air and no restrictions. Properly balanced for the carbs and intake system.

Price is not on K&N's side either. ~$90 vs ~$35. You would have to clean the K&N 4 times to save any money and who wants to do that dirty job? Plus it's never going to be as good as a new one. You wouldn't reuse the oil filter, why is the air filter any different?

They have a great advertising campaign but nothing else to offer in my humble opinion.

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