I've been blogging for 12 years......

12 years ago, August 13, 2006....I was new to the world of motorcycling and was still learning my way....

Her name was Gretl

2006 Honda Shadow Aero

Gretl didn't even make it the whole year, a ride to South Dakota and a comment from Martha (she said Gretl looked like a scooter from behind) resulted in my trading Gretl in for Maria:

Maria

2004 BMW R1150RT

11 years ago, Aug 12 being the closest date on which I blogged, I was riding in the foothills of the Rockies, posing Maria at The Fort, a local restaurant known for its unusual fare.

Maria and I would rack up many miles together....she truly was a long distance machine, transporting me in comfort and speed.

10 years ago, I had added Brigitta, a Beemer Airhead to the stable.  I'd recently had found ice near the Continental Divide on Maria and while she was being worked on, I got Brigitta to get me back on the road.

Brigitta

1987 BMW R80

Maria eventually was fixed but she never really ran quite the same for me.  Brigitta was so much lighter than Maria, I found myself riding Brigitta more often than Maria.

9 years ago, August 12, found me riding Brigitta around the Thorton, CO area....I was too early for the Top Gun Riding Competition and so wandered about a bit:

Views from Table Mesa Drive, near Boulder

8 years ago, my first sidecar rig had entered my life.  I'd traded Maria, the R1150RT for it.  She was a '96 Ural Sportsman whom I named Natasha.  On August 10, my oldest son Patrick and I went Uraling around the Cripple Creek Gold Mining area.

Natasha

1996 Ural Sportsman

Natasha would introduce me to the wondrous, vexing, mechanically educational, mechanically unreliable, and yet so much fun world of Russian sidecar rigs.  I was, when she wasn't broken, no longer trapped by Colorado's snowy winters!  

It was really on Natasha that my love of Winter and Snow Riding fully blossomed.

Jones Pass Road

November 28, 2010

7 years ago, August 11, found me at the Rampart Range Revival on a different sidecar rig: Yoshie.  She was a 2006 Suzuki V-Strom DL-1000.  Natasha, you see, had broken one too many times...and in a often regretted move, I sold her.

Yoshie would be my rig during a Ural-free period of sidecaring.  She proved an interesting change but in the end I went back to Ural sidecars.  A chain drive motorcycle just didn't quite work out for me in the end.  Still, she was a lot of fun.

Yoshie

2006 Suzuki V-Strom DL-1000 Tug and DMC sidecar

6 years ago, I was back with Ural sidecars.  Yoshie, the V-Strom rig (2nd tug) was in the shop after being hit by a clueless cager.  My loving wife enabled the purchase of a 2011 Ural Patrol Sidecar Rig whom I named Valencia.  "You know, as a spare" was the rationale I think.

5 years ago, Aug 12, found Bobskoot, a fellow moto-blogger visiting us in Colorado.  We went to Red Rocks to show him around.  

Bob has passed away now, but photos such as this one

help me remember him fondly.

Valencia would take me to Alaska and back, but not without some major mechanical issues which impacted the time it took for the trip.  In all, I spent 75 days on the road, between jobs.

4 years ago, Aug 16, would find me Uraling near Empire Pass on a 2014 Ural Patrol Sidecar Rig.  Valencia's engine had acted up again and after she was fixed, 

Randy of Unique Rides (Colorado's premier Ural dealer) made me an offer I couldn't refuse.  I would end up trading Valencia and Yoshie, straight up, for a new 2014 rig, which would be named Scarlett.

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Scarlett

2014 Ural Patrol

3 years ago, August 9, Scarlett and I were beginning to really get into sunset pictures.

Scarlett, would have several "first year model issues" but they were overcome and she would end up lasting the longest (so far) of all my Ural sidecar rigs.

2 years ago, August 13, found me riding my new-to-me sidecar rig: Fiona.  She is a '99 Ural Patrol with a '84 BMW R80 engine transplant.  The BMW engine makes her stronger and smoother but her interface with the Russian 650 Gearbox has proven to be a weak point.  Still, she gets me around locally with almost no issues.

Fiona

1999 Ural Patrol with a 1984 BMW R80 engine

Fiona would be one of my more regular companions

during sunset capture sessions

1 year ago, August 12, found Martha and I riding on Scarlett and meeting with motoblogger Lori (BeemerGirl) and her husband Chris aka OilBurner.

And so we come to Aug 13, 2018.

This will be post #1970.  

A bit over 201,000 miles ridden on the several motorcycles I've been lucky to own in the last 12 years.  

Still own and wear the Motoport Kevlar Mesh Riding Jacket and Pants I got just before my accident back in 2008.  You might say it paid for itself that day!

I've ridden in several other countries, mostly in Europe, on rental motorcycles of the three and two-wheeled variety.

I continue to add to the number of U.S. states in my travels by motorcycle but the best is all the friends I've met in fellow riders, riders who blog and share interests.

Then there's the fellow Uralisti who never hesitate to render aid when I need it and surprisingly, I've become knowledgeable enough to actually be asked for my opinion on these beasts at times.  Knowledge acquired usually by doing things the wrong way the first time of course.

Thanks to those of you who've read my meanderings over the years.  Your voice, comments, friendship and tips have enabled me to carry on as a motorcyclist and blogger.  

So, let's carry on shall we?