California smoke, Harley down

[Testarossa]

Strange day. Skies in Colorado are gray with California wildfire smoke. No sun but temps in the valley went to 90F in the afternoon. Tomorrow we'll get rain and snow is forecast Tuesday night, so today was the day to ride.

My neighbor Mike and I set out to ride the Colbran loop, about 145 miles through Gunnison and Grand Mesa national forests. The first 48 miles go over graded dirt forest service roads rising to about 10,000 feet elevation through ranchland, mostly pea gravel with a few stretches of serious washboard. Then it's pavement through Colbran down to Mesa and back over Grand Mesa -- another 10,000 foot summit with lots of smooth sweepers but you have to watch out for deer and road damage.

Coming down the north side of the mesa, about five miles above Cedaredge, we came upon a line of Harleys, all flying US flags, stopped on the left shoulder -- a dozen or 15. That's the outside of a long curve and the terrain drops away sharply into woods below. A couple of cars were stopped, too. Everyone milling around peering down the embankment, shock on a lot of faces. One or more bikes had gone over the edge. I can imagine what happened to a couple (or more than one couple) going over without helmets, in tee-shirts and jeans. We'd normally stop and offer help but there were already about 40 people gathered and they didn't need another pair of gawkers. On our way down the hill two police vehicles and a fire department rescue truck screamed past going uphill.

Need to check local news in the morning.

[Motormike]

something like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fzb6oVF5m0

[twowheeladdict]

something like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fzb6oVF5m0

Passing on the double yellow without the person in front signaling you to pass is almost always a bad idea.  He must have gotten target fixation because it didn't look like he even attempted to lean to the right. 

I have read about many crashes because someone decided to pass on a double yellow.  Even on a straight road because the slow moving vehicle was actually wanting to turn left and had no clue someone was going to illegally pass them. 

My boss crashed up in the mountains many years ago on a springer softail.  It just couldn't lean enough to keep him from going over the edge at the speed he was riding.  Had to be airlifted and was never quite the same afterward.  Still rode some, but had a handicap decal since walking was a challenge. 

[Testarossa]

Bigger cliff with rocky terrain and the bike(s) went off the right side of the road on a long sweeper to the left. No reason to think passing was involved.

[bodine99]

2 up lowered HD dressers on Tail of the Dragon in N.C. go over the side regularly.

[GeorgiaGuzzi]

Bigger cliff with rocky terrain and the bike(s) went off the right side of the road on a long sweeper to the left. No reason to think passing was involved.

Glad y’all were able to get out before the temp drops 60 degrees! Sad about the riders. I don’t care what they’re riding or how they’re riding, it’s always sad when a biker goes down.