The fall season is here, and fall colors are upon us, and you only have a week or so before all those beautiful fall colors will have fallen softly to the ground, and in a blink of an eye, winter riding will be upon us….are you ready. Halloween can be seen in every store, with Thanksgiving not far behind. I then realized that we are but a blink away from the Children’s Hospital Toy Run and 86 days away from Christmas. Where did our summer go?
Motorcycle Fatalities continue to RISE – Our biker community in Colorado has suffered 9 tragic motorcycle fatalities in the last two (2) weekends of September. My calculations as President of BikerDown are that we have recorded 77 fatalities on the motorcycle so far in 2021. The more significant statistic that will surprise many of you is that rider error accidents/fatalities are up this year. That is a staggering number of deaths.
I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said or covered in previous issues of Colorado Rider News. Still, motorcycle awareness and safety are no longer about Look Twice Save a Life or Watch for Motorcycles bumper stickers on cars or Can you see me now As*hole t-shirts or patches. MOTORCYCLE SAFETY MUST BEGIN WITH US!
Motorcycle awareness is now in the rider’s hands, and how experienced you are in defensive driving. It is about how fast you ride for the conditions; it is about being more cautious when going thru intersections and stop lights. Green no longer means GO; it means down shift and see if anyone is coming, looking both ways…before you proceed thru any light or stop sign. It means if you see someone driving distracted…you do all that you can to stay clear of that irresponsible driver, which is almost impossible because 4 out of 10 drivers are using their phones while it is moving.
Insurance coverages/Reviews – Bike insurance, 2nd to safety gear, motorcycle insurance is the most essential item you can have for your bike. It out ranks 85.00 Harley-Davidson shirts, cool chrome accessories, jackets, and rain gear….it out ranks everything. Without good bike insurance and add ons such as under-insured or un-insured motorists, the injured riders will be surprised how un-insured they are and what the current bike insurance covers. RiderJustice.com has always offered any biker a FREE insurance review to discuss what your existing insurance covers. Be sure to stop by the Rider Justice booth next time you see them and get their suggested levels of insurance to keep you covered in the event of an accident.
Motorcycle Safety used to refer to whether you wore a helmet. This isn’t a debate on where to WEAR or NOT WEAR a helmet. Now, considering helmet protection and wearing the proper safety gear IS A MUST to stay alive and enable you to recover from an accident. Companies like Tobacco Motorwear are coming out with stylish denim jeans with Kevlar fibers in them so that in the event of a crash, it can help limit the road rash and damages to your body. Kevlar riding shirts that you wear over your t-shirts and under your vest and will protect your shoulders, elbows and most importantly your back. Knox armor in your leather vests or jackets that will protect your spine. Some will say I will not spend 300 on a pair of riding jeans or I can’t afford it. We are in a riding age where you can’t afford NOT TO HAVE some safety gear when you ride. This year I would ask all motorcycle riders to put safety gear on their Christmas list for next year.
Calendar of Events – This month has some special events, and Colorado Rider News is proud to feature them in this issue:
October 16th – Dirty Dogs Roadhouse 4th Anniversary Birthday Bash – who doesn’t love a party when Mark and Rob pull out all the stops for their 4th-anniversary party. You can read more about Dirty Dogs with some great photos showing how far they have come from when they started.
October 24th – BikerDown and Rider Justice are hosting another round of Accident Scene Management classes that teach a motorcycle rider how to render aid in the event of an accident. Class to be held at Arapahoe County Fairgrounds from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Rider Justice is offsetting the 99.00 class rate to $40.00 to make it more affordable for all riders to have these valuable skills. For more information, go to riderjustice.com/rj-events/ to register.
October 30th – Dirty Dogs Roadhouse – Halloween party – We all know that Mark & Rob know how to throw a party and their Halloween parties are legendary! So, get your costume ready for a chance to win great prizes!
We welcome your comments and thoughts on what CRN can do better in the future, and enjoy the ride!
Please ride safe out there!
Laurie Montoya
Publisher
Colorado Rider News
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