FEATURES

By Tim Anderson

Take one weekend in one medium-small city. Add two events and a few hundred bikers. The result: more than $31,000 for charity. That’s one way to describe what happened in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the first weekend in October.

In reality, it’s exactly what happened on October 6 and 7, 2012, in the Colorado Front Range city, and it’s a great example of what a generous motorcycle community can accomplish with the right attitude.

By Roadrage

After what can only be called a damned hot summer full of sunburn and sweat, we’re ready for a bit of cooler riding weather. With that, comes some great scenery. Autumn is generally the best riding in the high country—the tourists have all gone home, the blistering temperatures that can present problems give way to more moderate temps, and mother nature puts on a show…seemingly just for us.

By Roadrage

Who the hell dialed up the 100-degree heat?

With no air conditioning in my house, to cool off I’m pretty much left with only one option: head for the high country where the air is thinner and a little cooler. That’s the perfect solution—a nice mountain ride to solve my overheating ills.

By Roadrage

So, with all the great weather we saw in Colorado through March and April, the itch to get up into the high country has been pretty severe. Sure, I joined other brave souls in wandering up into the foothills during the months that usually see the roads either still snowy & slick or hampered by gnarly spring storms that make riding even the Peak To Peak something of a gamble, but going too far into the hills was still something less than prudent.

Riding motorcycles is a favorite activity of millions of people, and it's a lot of fun, but can be dangerous if you don't follow some simple rules. Before heading out on your bike, motorcycle instruction is something that you need to be aware of. Riding a motorcycle is basically like everything else you learn to do, and if you follow some simple rules, you can have a good time and be safe. When you're aware of the hazards before you start riding, you're less likely to be involved in an accident or cause injury to someone else.

When riding your motorcycle it’s necessary to always be alert and see everything that’s occurring around you. Never assume that motorists and pedestrians always see you.

It’s important to use your eyes effectively and to constantly keep them and your head moving. Never let your eyes fix on an object for more than two seconds and always keep looking around.

Avoid distractions such as daydreaming, accidents, and other stimuli that cause you to hone in on one thing for too long. Doing so will prevent you from maintaining peak alertness.

Buttercup had been looking for a home. The two-year-old pit bull mix with the sweet disposition was living at the Teller County Regional Animal Shelter (TCRAS), patiently waiting for the right human to come along. Bikers like dogs, so Buttercup decided it was time to seek them out.
The 9th Annual Teller County Regional Animal Shelter Hawgs for Hounds run presented that opportunity.

With more than 108 years of history, Harley-Davidson is bound to have some interesting pieces buried deep in its archives. Even the most dedicated motorcycle enthusiast is in for more than a few surprises when the special summer exhibit, Collection X: Weird, Wild Wonders of the Harley-Davidson Museum, opens June 11. The motorcycles, leathers, and accessories for which the Company is known make up just a small fraction of the hundreds of artifacts that will be on display in the 10,000-square-foot Garage exhibit space at the Museum through August 21.

By Tim Anderson

Everyone can appreciate a good love story. If that love story includes motorcycles, so much the better.

On November 18, 2010, Barb and Jerry Manka of Colorado Springs--two legends of Colorado motorcycling--will celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary. Theirs is quite a story, and motorcycles aren’t just part of the story, the two-wheeled contraptions are, in fact, central to this romance.

“I grew up around motorcycles,” Jerry explained. “My dad rode ‘em, everyone in my family just about. We were a biker family. I didn’t see any reason to change that.”