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We will be CLOSED this Tuesday, 30 May for Memorial Day
I'm loving the new HP-2. This spring Mike Bartz, Phil Curtis, Mike Hoppe, Dan Lueke, Mike Curtis, Dan Haft and I went to the California Adventure Rally in Death Valley. If you have not been there, you need to go! Whether you own a GS or not the area offers some spectacular sights. The temperature was about 10 degrees hotter than normal, but with a cool vest and destinations in the mountains, life was not too bad. I spent 12 hours in the saddle of the HP2 with the help of padded bike shorts and ibuprofen, and 8 hours the next day. These bikes are so good! 100mph on the straights, and then as much dirt as you can stand. If you want to escape the Tucson heat, Jim Hyde is having another adventure rally in Leadville Co., home to the highest road in North America. There will some on trail training for those who want it as well as the usual evening entertainment with Jim. Check out this link. Ride safe - John
Iron Horse Motorcycles is proud to announce the arrival of the new K1200GT.
This redesigned Sport Touring model packs a walloping 152 horsepower, while
offering adjustable handlebars and seat to add all day comfort. Come by and
see this bike in person...past photos did not do the design justice.
Note: George seems pretty happy!
We are also anticipating the the much awaited arrival of our first R1200S in
the next week to 10 days. This new sport bike is lighter and more nimble
than the previous model and with a 122 horsepower Boxer engine...it's just
itching for the twisties.
Iron Horse Motorcycles, in partnership with Parts
Unlimited, has created a shopping
experience that opens an immense inventory of parts and accessories available 24 hours a day
in a safe, secure environment! Simply click the new link on our website.
During your first
transaction, you'll be asked to create a customer account (all user information is encrypted
by Microsoft's SSL technology.) You can use your VISA or Mastercard for all transactions.
Call Jim for details on this new service or simply start shopping.
Techniche Evaporative Cooling Vests
This simple, yet effective technology works by combining water with our Polymer Embedded
Fabric to create garments that gradually release condensation to keep you cool, but
comfortable.
Standard Sport Vests have a simple V-neck w/zipper closure. Each vest has a comfortable,
quilted nylon outer w/polymer embedded fabric inner, water-repellant nylon liner, and black
cotton-poly elastic trim.
New - A magnetic engine oil drain plug for all Oilheads and K-bikes!
Service
Schedules and Tire Mounting Special
Things are jumping in the Service Department! It's your summer vacation season and we want
your bike to be fully serviced and safety inspected prior to your ride. To avoid delays,
please call for service appointments at least one and a half weeks out.
We're very happy to have won the BMW NA Customer Service Award, but we're not resting on our
laurels. We're sharing our celebration with you by offering a deal on tire mounting
throughout the month of June. We normally charge $50 per tire for mounting when the tire is
on the bike. In June, we'll do the job for $35 per tire...and we'll do all the removal,
mounting and reinstallation for you! This special applies to all 1995 or newer BMW
motorcycles and does not include parts.
Dream Ride, by Mike Hoppe
As the dream unfolded, the coastline was instantly recognizable, the dramatic cliffs of course, but
most prominently the rock formations and their majestic arches emerging above the pounding waves, standing offshore like centurions guarding the coastline as far as the eye could see. The glimpse, and then the instant transition to focus on the apex at hand, to begin the ballet with yet another of the seemingly endless number of switchbacks that flew above the pounding surf of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Over and over the rhythm of the repetition of setting up for the corner, snapping the eyes to the exit point and hearing the engine sing as the tempo rolled the bike in the outward arc away from the apex. Almost like flying especially when I would occasionally stand to stretch on the big GS and the view of the bike would completely disappear beneath the chin bar. Nothing but blue sky and blue water…and the road all to myself.
It all seemed so real, because it was! That morning I had flown into San Jose at the request of my good friend Jay Humphrey. You see, Jay had just purchased the most tricked out desert racer in the country, a BMW 650 Dakar, with the $13,000 Touratech race package (which replaces about 2/3 of the bike). Unfortunately, Jay was a few weeks away from returning from his tour in Korea, where he is a special ops helicopter captain (yea I know, pretty tame kinda guy) and had a logistics problem getting the bike to Tucson. Being the giving friend that I am, I volunteered to go get it!
It had been raining for 3 solid weeks and I was prepared for a long wet ride, but as the big jet made it’s way up the coastline, I got a preview of what I knew I would be riding in a matter of hours…and it was sunny! Finalizing the deal and prepping the bike was 9 hours into my day, but it was only 12 noon in Santa Cruz; I was ready to head south for the 200 mile run to a favorite cove called Avila Beach just north of Pismo.
Clearing the city traffic south of Monterey, I caught a glimpse of a construction sign that said “Road closed, 50 miles”. No way! I immediately went into full denial and started looking for additional signs and info. As each mile passed without further confirmation of a problem, I began to relax and assure myself that it just wasn’t so.
The 10x12 electronic sign at the southern edge of Big Sur was just too much to overcome “Road closed 20 miles, Landslide, No Detour” I pulled over 10 feet in front of it in utter disbelief. “This sucks. This sucks. This sucks!” Not only was I not going to get to ride the coast, but my tight schedule was seriously blown! After 3 minutes of feeling sorry for myself in the shadow of the BAD SIGN, I decided to ride the next 20 miles anyway AND have a good attitude about it. After all, traffic would be light, the weather was perfect, and the blown schedule was not the end of the world. I also decided to pray and worship during that wonderful 20 miles ahead of me (and also the 20 miles back) and maybe lift up a prayer or two for a miracle …to somehow not have to turn around.
It was a dream ride. It was perfect. 3 cars and no motorhomes! And then the dream and the road ended at a major barricade 25 yards south of the restaurant at Lucia. I parked the bike and closed my eyes to relish the last 30 minutes. Unbelievable. I needed a stretch, so I decided to take a walk to at least see the dreaded landslide and take a picture of it. As I was hiking the ˝ mile or so around the corner, I met a couple walking back from seeing it and inquired as to the severity. “Very bad” she said as my last hopes were dashed and then asked if they were letting anybody thru. “No way” she replied and I knew I was heading back north. But then her husband piped up and said, “Nobody, except the bicyclist they let thru.” My grin was immediate. The bike I was riding triumphed thru 21 days of the most grueling condition on the planet in Dakar 2001…this thing will go ANYWHERE a mere bicycle can go!
Flagging down one of the dump trucks I learned that the foreman was a woman driving the big front end loader up at the landslide. I rode up to within 30 yards of where she was working and parked the bike. Immediately she started gesturing for me to turn around. Not good. I started praying while I waited for her to complete the load she was working on and continued as I approached her monster loader when she was done. She opened the cab door and started screaming at me, over the 120 decibals of the engine, as I stood 10 feet beneath her perch. This is gonna take a miracle. She reached over and shut off the ignition of the big diesel. When she turned back to address me, she was a different person. It was almost like that ignition switch turned off the mean and turned on the nice! Within 5 minutes I was through the construction site and on my continued journey south. For the next 50 miles the only vehicle I saw was a single tandem truck hauling gravel up to the construction site.
As the dream unfolded the coastline was instantly recognizable, the dramatic cliffs of course, but most prominently the rock formations and their majestic arches emerging above the pounding waves, standing offshore like centurions guarding the coastline as far as the eye could see…
Mike is one of the Associate Pastors at Casas Church (Tucson, Az), is a graduate business school instructor, and still actively works with companies to develop their organizations after 15 years in management with a Fortune 100 company. Mike can be reached at mikeh@casaschurch.org or www.casastv.com