Page last modified: 09/03/08

Aiming for Las Cruces, I hit Denver

By Lee Barker

Somewhere back there I told my sons that I would like to come visit them when they went to college, and I'd like to do that on a motorcycle. That seemed distant enough, and vague enough, that it just made a good story.

I never forgot it. Then, as a custodial dad, I decided it had certainly better be postponed. Then I changed my mind: Life without risk is life without meaning. So I bought a bike and began that period of midlife discovery that is occasionally triggered by a motorcycle.

And those two boys grew and lo, went to college right here in Oregon, and I managed to get to see them on various units. Then Guy, the older, opted for the University of New Mexico in Las Cruces. And my current ride, a Honda CB700SC Nighthawk, just couldn't get my 6' frame there in any kind of shape. So I looked about for something larger, more comfortable, affordable, engine visible, still fun to ride.

I had regretted the sale of my GS850 about 5 minutes after it left the driveway some years before. (It was replaced by a BMW, and that is another story: It is often said by me that the second happiest day of my motorcycling life was BUYING the BMW.) So I started looking for an 850 or a 1000. I even put an ad in the Portland paper asking, and I got several responses that sounded very good. But nothing happened. Then I remembered Leonard.

Leonard had lived here and then had moved to Prairie City. He had a "big Suzuki" I recalled, but I had never seen it. I called him, he was ready to sell, it was a GS1000G, we agreed on price (I still hadn't seen it) and a friend took me over there on the back of his bike to pick it up.
I knew I'd have to put a little money in it--luggage rack, bags, case guards, etc.--and I knew it was some kind of red. I visualized the maroon which I had seen on others, and it was ok.

Turned out it had ALL that stuff, plus it was real cherry red! Nary a scratch on it. Absolutely showroom new. I wrote out the check, Leonard signed off the title, and I prepared to ride away. He stopped me and looked me right in the eye: "Lee, you're going to have to keep this motorcycle clean. If I am over in Redmond and I see it parked on the street and it's dirty, I'm going to push it over."

I keep it clean.

A week later, Guy called and said he was coming home to go to the University of Oregon in Eugene.
(historical note: by this time I have remarried and my wife is very supportive of my riding both solo and with her. After her first ride with me (on the 850) she said, "I didn't like it much except the curves and passing.")

Now two bikes seemed excessive. The GS is wonderful for the tour but the Honda has such a glorious exhaust note and three friends have identical ones and so on. Linda says keep them both, they're paid for. Decide later.

So last September she ends up heading to Iowa to study with the Fauxmeister and see her kids and I am left with the difficult decision of what to do for a vacation. I opted for Denver, where I have a sister and two nieces, both of which have new babies.
It was a great run, 2760 miles, three passes over 10k feet, a day of the vintage motorcycle races in Steamboat (I recommend that; want to go again and spend more time), lots of vistas to enjoy, wonderful time with my family which I miss.

The machine? She blew a headlight fuse near Blackfoot, Idaho. That is the equipment/repair narrative in full.

It is amazing how many people don't live in Wyoming.

To the lady who passed me on the right on an offramp in Denver: Please don't do that again.

It was cold coming home. I stopped at American Welding Supply in Price, Utah and bought a welder's helmet liner, cut the snaps off and stuffed my helmet over it. Voila.

After a coupla days in Salt Lake City with friends I lit out for Nevada and home; 12 hours and 602 miles later i was in Burns. My longest day ever. The bike is so comfortable! The next day was only 130 to home.

I still would like to see Las Cruces but it is good to have Guy closer. Denver can be achieved with very little interstate. I couldn't have seen my first major league baseball game in Las Cruces. I want to go somewhere again, soon, on the GS.

The other son, Joel? He is at Southern Oregon State College and he swapped his Yamaha 650 for......a 1980 GS850G! It is his primary transport in Ashland, OR, and we have met halfway and ridden together.

Life is good.

Lee Barker

"...labor of evident value satisfies the soul." (Lou Gottlieb)