Colorado Powersports
As the holiday season begins, we are committed to posting all upcoming events for November – December. For more information on these events, please contact them directly. If you would like your event to be added to this list, please email us at info@coloradoridernews.com
BikerDown Foundation is in our 9th year of Adopting Families for the Holidays program. The program started with the desire to help 2 families that had suffered a tragic loss due to a motorcycle fatality. While we knew we couldn’t replace the loss they were feeling, we could ensure that the family wasn’t alone and that the children had Christmas under the tree.
The Adopt-a-Family program has helped almost 450 families over the years and the need for families in the Denver and surrounding areas continues to grow as rent and the cost of living increases. In 2020 due to COVID-19, this has affected many families in ways they could not imagine. Many parents are still not back to work, children cannot attend school and parents are forced to stay home.
As we enter the holiday season many of us begin to feel joy and excitement as we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, for many families in our community, they begin to WORRY about how they are going to make their children’s Christmas wishes would come true.
This year the Adopt-a-Family program is going back to our grass roots and have limited each state to 25 families to ensure that we meet our goal of fundraising. We see this as a challenging year for all.
BikerDown with the help of Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden will host a Freezin for a Reason Chili Cook off and Toy Drive on November 28th after Thanksgiving and Black Friday. All teams are encouraged to pre-register for this event and we will have great prizes for the winners.
Adopt-A-Family has not yet determined their ability to hold the Lunch/Dinner with Santa which is where we normally distribute the gifts to the families. We will work very hard to manage a program that meets local guidelines and continue to make the event the BEST that we can make it.
All of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of Walmart, Rider Justice, BikerDown sponsors, riders and our biker owned business supporters, each family receives a $250.00 Walmart gift card. Adopt-a-Family has a direct line to Santa Claus and he always comes to visit the children and bring some gifts for them.
This year we are on an aggressive fundraising effort to help over 75 families, but we need your help, if you would like to Donate to our program please visit our website at www.adoptafamilytoday.org. This website is also where we ask all families to request adoption.
Whether you are FOR or AGAINST President Donald Trump, you cannot deny his support from the biker community or residents in the State of Colorado.
A long line of vehicles waving American flags and flags in support of President Donald Trump gathered Sunday morning at Bandimere Speedway for a “MAGA Drag” caravan around the Denver metro area.
Drivers, bikers and anything on wheels showed up at Bandimere Speedway to line up for the parade which started at Bandimere Speedway, then proceeded Eastbound on C-470 to Interstate 25, Northbound on I-25 to Interstate 70 and finally went Westbound on I-70 to Golden
The endpoint was planned to be the Dirty Dogs Roadhouse at 17999 W. Colfax Ave. in Golden, and quickly it was clear there wasn’t enough parking to accommodate all the vehicles. So the drivers line the side roads as far as the eye could see .
A website for the national event says the purpose was to organize rolling flag parade caravans, circling highways in a “big ol’ heap of old-fashioned American patriotism.”
One of the primary goals of Hornbuckle Foundation is to collaborate and work together with other Recovery Community Organizations and non-profits. Monarch Sober Living played a pivotal role in the success of the Hornbuckle Foundation’s sober living placement and recovery coaching program. With their experience, they helped fine tune a dream and turn it into a successful reality, by providing guidance and teamwork.
We were approached by Rider Justice with an idea to bring meals to sober living houses through 2Wheels4Meals. The Hornbuckle Foundation had dreamed of being able to do an event like this for the last year, and 2Wheels4Meals made it happen!
Residents of sober living are near and dear to our hearts. They are working toward achieving long-term sobriety. This journey is not for the faint of heart! Many bridges have been burned, reputations destroyed, and it can be a long road to getting back on the right track. With COVID happening, isolation has wreaked havoc on the world. This event brought people together and was a reminder that they are not alone; that the community cares about their intrinsic value and worth. They’re worth some amazing, gourmet Italian food- worth the effort to be blessed. I loved what Laurie said the best, “We see you and we are proud of you.” So many people don’t get to hear that very often, even those not in recovery. It was a special day to be a part of. We are grateful and humbled to be chosen to play our small part.
By Belt Drive Betty
As a rider, I am sure you have experienced those in business who are wary or uncertain when it comes to people on motorcycles. If you have not, it is probably because the image of riders is improving.
I have been turned away at a motel because I was on a motorcycle and it was an extremely uncomfortable experience. I was angry and hurt, insulted, offended and COLD that day. Another motel took me in and made me feel valued.
That Motel was the Walking Eagle Inn in Rocky Mountain House AB.
Trust me, no customer should ever be made to feel the way I felt that day.
The Walking Eagle Inn made a horrible experience better because they knew to put me in a cabin where my bike could be parked out front, they took my wet clothes and dried them out for me. They cared, and it showed.
There are some businesses like Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden that really get it.
They are riders, they have the heart of riders and therefore their customer service, community involvement, entertainment and food hit every hot button a rider has.
Here in Canada, despite some not so great places, we have a lot of businesses that share those values in their business practices.
Blackjack’s Roadhouse in Nisku Alberta is comparable to Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden. Great food, wonderful service, awesome entertainment, HUGE community involvement – their bike nights Pre-COVID were 700+ bikes every Tuesday, their Ride for Mom event sees 300+ bikes turn out
Just over the overpass from the service road that leads to the Edmonton International Airport, Blackjacks Roadhouse is located next door to the Airways Country Motel and the Airways Airport Parking, all owned by the Clarence Shields family.
So, when the border finally opens up, if you are thinking of heading to Alaska or want to see all that Canada has to offer, you need to come up on the Alberta side of things and experience the hospitality of Blackjacks Roadhouse, check out their listing in our Rider Friendly Directory! riderfriendly.com/blackjacks-road-house
By: Don Enninga, ABATE of Colorado Northeast Regional Coordinator
Here’s what the Colorado Department of Transportation found out from their recent survey of Colorado Drivers. There are several items on their survey but this article is focusing on issues that have a primary impact on motorcyclists.
New CDOT survey reveals risky roadway behaviors
Most Coloradans engage in distracted driving and violating posted speed limits
Results from a new statewide driver survey by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) found that nearly all Colorado drivers engage in distracted driving. This is just one of problematic driving behaviors CDOT learned from 897 Coloradans in a survey administered between February and June 2020.
“Over 9 in 10 Coloradans admitted they drove distracted in the last week. Being present behind the wheel can be especially hard with all of the pressures people are under right now with the challenges we face with the COVID-19. Unfortunately, distracted and impaired driving are contributing to a tragic pattern of increased roadway fatality rates in the past months.
Some key findings from the survey include:
Distracted Driving
Impaired Driving
Fatalities
In 2018, there were 632 traffic fatalities in Colorado. Nearly 25% of all fatalities involved an alcohol impaired driver.
Distracted driving was the contributing factor in 54 (8.5%) of the 2018 fatalities.
What can we do?
Distracted driving crashes have a devastating and quite often deadly result for motorcyclists when vehicle operators are not paying attention to the very serious task of controlling their vehicle. This is a battle that the motorcycling community has been engaging in for several years by promoting awareness campaigns and working with legislators to come up with an acceptable distracted driving bill that will help protect vulnerable road users. Unfortunately, each year a bill has been introduced, it has met with defeat. The 2020 Colorado State legislative session was rudely interrupted by the China virus or the distracted driving bill that was put forward would have had a fairly good chance to make it through to become law. This was one of the bills that got put aside once the legislature did get back to work.
There is discussion about bringing a similar bill up in the next Colorado legislative session. I would hope that all motorcyclists would get engaged with their legislators should a distracted driving bill become a reality again. I find it interesting, at the very least, that motorcyclists in Colorado seem to have a lot of trouble coming together on issues that affect us all. There have been instances where several groups have been able to work on issues such as the distracted driving bills but there are many more groups that need to be engaged in these important discussions. As we work to improve the lives of all who ride, take the time and energy to become involved, make your voice heard and let those who legislate know we are here and not going anywhere! Until next time, have a great fall, ride safe and enjoy your life in this great state!
The full 2020 survey results are available on CDOT’s website at:
By: Stormy
On October 18th, The Becker Band and Cool Biker Lunch and Rides hosted a poker run for Mike and Krisi Schaff who were lost from a tragic motorcycle accident on 104th Avenue last month. They left behind three children Tony, Kayli, and Kristian. The poker run raised $5,000.00 for the three kids. The organizers would like to thank the five venues for letting them use their places for the poker run: Eagles #3226, Tailfeathers, Floodstage, Cheers, and Brewski’s.
There were over 80 raffle prizes donated to the cause. A big thank you for the following donators:
The organizers would also like to give a shout out to the volunteers. Thank you Ed Collins, Kristi Strother, Babette Canacari, Erik Crystal Raymond, Joe Dory, Jennifer Kaup Dory, Patricia Broncos Pere, Michele Tusi, Mary Macias, Samantha Callahan, June Hutch, Crystal, Heather Pevan, Katie Pearson, Tom Pearson, Nanette Rice, Linda Sue Fick, and especially to Moon Angell for working the raffle prizes even when a tragedy happened right before and she plowed through it like a professional with the help of Kimberly Ray Khaos, Georgette Lynn, and June Hutch. Thank you thank you everyone!!!!
I was blessed to have met Tony Schaff, the eldest child of Mike and Krisi and asked him what it was like growing up in the Schaff household, and he happily answered, “Our home was full of life, memories, and new lessons. My siblings and I loved to do anything with our parents especially when it came to growing up and learning how to work on our cars or to mow the lawn. Our memories and life lessons with them have made us who we are today and even with this big obstacle in front of us, it is another life lesson we are going to have to work through. Even though they are not here with us in person to help us, they are here in spirit to guide us past this terrible situation we’ve been put in!”
He walked me through what happened the day of the accident, “I learned about the accident about an hour after it took place! I was with my girlfriend and something did not feel right because my parents said they left the Eagles off Huron at about 7:27 p.m. Saturday the 26th. We went driving to look for them and not even 5 minutes into the drive we found where the accident had taken place and where police officers were still trying to figure out what had happened that night! About a half hour of being there, the officers finally told me that it was my parents and that they were not going to be coming home that night or ever again!!”
After asking him how he and his siblings are handling the situation, he said, “they are having a hard time, but we are working through together. Our family is close. We just need to find a way to make every bad time we have, better, especially having family from Utah here to help as well!”
He went on to say that his plans for being responsible for his siblings is to make sure they are staying safe and going to school if they feel capable. He said, “I have so much family here to help I’m just trying to make sure we keep a roof over our heads and food in our stomachs while we go through all the ins and outs of trying to make sure they’re taken cared of after the funeral, and they go out into the world on their own.”
Since the accident, Tony has noticed how drivers are not paying attention and turning into traffic not caring and just running red lights seemingly just to go to their destination faster. He wants to tell everyone, “check more than twice when you’re about to turn into on-coming traffic and to stay off your phones while driving, so you can keep full attention on people’s lives and your own while on the road!!”
Tony expressed his feelings about the poker run, “Where do I even begin? Saturday was Amazing! To see all the support from people we never even met that just wanted to help my siblings and I was unbelievable. I am still speechless about it. All I can really say is thank you to everyone that came out and helped. Thank you to you Audrey and Cool Biker Lunch and Rides for helping plan it and getting it set up!! Thank you so much!!!”
Insurance is so important. As an avid biker, you embrace the risks as part of the freedom you experience. You also need to embrace insurance.
The good news is that, by taking a little time to do some research, you might be able to reduce your insurance premiums. It’s important to understand what Colorado insurance companies take into account when determining the premium on your motorcycle and how to keep your insurance costs down.
Like most car insurance policies, motorcycle insurance costs vary from bike to bike. Insuring a small or commuter motorcycle will be much less expensive than insurance for a high-end bike that has high horsepower. Therefore, when you’re purchasing your motorcycle, don’t get captivated by the most expensive bike you can possibly afford because you need to leave money in the bank for the high insurance rates you’ll pay on that bad boy.
Consider your budget not only for what you’re willing to pay for the bike up front, but also for how much you can afford when you have to pay the insurance premium every month.
Also, the bigger the engine, the more it will be to insure. Big engines mean big speed, which generally means big crashes. Along these lines, sport bikes tend to come with much higher insurance premiums than cruisers. It’s important to remember that the safer your motorcycle is, the less expensive your policy will be.
See what insurance Rider Justice recommends for motorcyclists.
Are you an extremely safe and meticulous driver in your automobile? Some insurance companies will give you a discount on your motorcycle insurance if you’re a good auto driver. The same is often true for motorcycles. Obviously, nobody wants to get in an accident, but if you play it extra safe and always stick to the rules, you’ll have a greater chance of being accident-free. Having no accidents may entitle you to a no-claims bonus. The qualifications for this bonus vary between insurance companies and states so be sure to do your research.
“Guest passenger” coverage is a category of insurance that only pertains to motorcycles. This is different from automobile policies, which generally cover all other passengers in the vehicle without any extra costs. If you’re a fan of being one—and only one—with your motorcycle, or if you’re willing to become a fan of solo riding, this might be a good way to save some money on your insurance coverage.
Here’s the catch, and it’s important: If you don’t have guest passenger coverage because you’ve decided to be an exclusively solo rider, you should never, EVER let another person ride with you.
If you should get into a motorcycle accident, the financial impact to you could be catastrophic. Imagine your friend with severe or life-threatening injuries and your insurance company saying to you, “We owe you nothing.”
That friend of yours (or their family) could actually sue you (I’ve seen it happen over and over again between people who were the tightest of friends) for help paying their medical bills. You could lose your home and all your other possessions. Never let another rider on your bike unless you’re insured to cover them.
For a lot of people, their motorcycles aren’t their primary mode of transportation. Some riders just use their motorcycles during spring and summer months, while others tend to take them out only on the weekends. If your motorcycle is more like a toy or a hobby, you may want to consider capping your mileage. Some insurance companies may offer a lower premium for lower annual mileage.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, in most states, “insurers can use your credit-based insurance score to determine your premiums.” For example, they reason that if you seem responsible with your money, you’ll be responsible for your own safety.
Insurance companies also figure that you will pay your premiums on time if you have no history of being delinquent on a bill. Each insurance company uses different criteria to determine how you would manage your risk exposure, so make sure to do your research.
I saved the best for last. For many reasons, you should take a motorcycle safety course. The best reason is because it could save your life, and even help you save other lives. Another good reason is because your insurance company may reduce your premium when you give them proof that you passed the course.
My favorite place to take a motorcycle training class in Colorado is at the Motorcycle Training Academy, which has schools in Colorado Springs and Aurora. The instructors there have huge hearts and they understand the passion people have for their bikes. That’s why they are passionate about keeping you safe.
Once you’ve taken that basic safety class and you’ve got some miles under your belt, go back to MTA and take advanced rider courses to keep your skills sharp and learn advanced skills. If you’re willing to invest in new equipment for your bike, be willing to invest in yourself.
There are other ways to reduce your motorcycle insurance premiums, but I don’t necessarily recommend them. For example, don’t increase your deductible just to save a few bucks every month. Also, you NEED to get underinsured motorist coverage (UIM), which will add to your premium, but since Colorado has so many uninsured or underinsured drivers, you need to protect yourself from them.
As always, if you have any questions at all about this topic, call or text me at 303-388-5304.
CDOT posted an article on the 18th of this month giving some year-to-date totals and the one that popped out to me was that our community has lost 100 motorcycle riders and is on track to surpass last year’s number of 103 fatalities.
As many of you know I am also the President and Founder of BikerDown Foundation and help injured motorcycle riders after an accident and/or fatality. I decided this month to take this forum on CRN to try again to ask this motorcycle community to put in place some offensive measures, so that in the event of a motorcycle accident or fatality, you have the services you need to recover.
For years, CRN and BikerDown have put into this publication articles about increasing your motorcycle insurance to include at least 250k under or un-insured motorist coverage. This coverage is absolutely the MOST IMPORTANT item you can have on your bike when you ride.
Due to COVID-19, loss of work or just being down right irresponsible, at least 50% of all drivers out there are now driving without vehicle insurance. So when (and I mean when) that driver hits you, if YOU do not have under or un-insured motorist coverage, you are literally screwed. This will leave all the medical costs, and out-of-pocket recovery expenses UP TO YOU!
If you have full coverage on your bike, please understand THAT ONLY COVER YOUR BIKE (maybe). Full coverage does not mean your medical bills will be covered; it does not mean that your lost wages will be covered. It means that you might get enough from the insurance company to fix or pay off your loan on your bike.
As the Biker Advocate for BikerDown who calls these riders or family members daily to see how BD can help them, one of the questions I routinely ask is what type of insurance did the driver have? And this week alone 3 injured riders family member told me that the driver had NO LICENSE and NO INSURANCE.
This publication has attempted since the inception to gently nudge riders thru advertising and articles to educate and give you the resources to make changes to your personal bike coverages, but I feel WE are LOSING the battle out in this biker community. IT IS NOW TIME, TO BEG YOU and HOUND YOU to call your insurance company today and add at least $250k under or un-insured motorist.
There is still a lot of riding in 2020, and before you get on your bike in October, please MAKE A PLEDGE TODAY, to at least call your bike or vehicle insurance and CONFIRM, VERIFY and have them send you something that shows that you have under or un-insured motorist coverage.
If you do not want to do it for YOU, please do it for your FAMILY, your wife/husband, your children, your mother, or father and EVEN YOUR FRIENDS. These are the people who will be the ones struggling to keep you going while you are recovering in the hospital.
Please forgive me this month for such an abrasive Letter from the Publisher, but we are in an epidemic of motorcycle injuries and fatalities and THE TIME IS NOW to at least have the coverages you need, so you can recover in peace.
As always enjoy the ride, let us know what we can do better and BE SAFE OUT THERE
~ Laurie Montoya, Publisher
