Leaving Fort Collins and heading to the Piaggio dealer in a Denver suburb, our first stop was MotoHaus Coffee, a favorite of area motorcyclists. We met the proprietor, Max Mackey, a true bike enthusiast who was excited about our journey and the MP3 500. After teaching Max how to scoop a bagel, we broke away from his hospitality, knowing we had a 12:00 arrival time at Fay Myers, one of the largest scooter and motorcycle dealers in the country.
Based on Steve Eddins‘ advice, we left town on a small road that more than lived up to Steve’s description — a narrow canyon road with an extended series of switchbacks, twisters and sweepers. As I had programmed my TomTom before leaving, I was in the lead. A right turn was called for in the village of Masonville, but I was so excited to experience the twisties and the MP3’s lean, agility, power and ability to handle them, that 10 miles past the turn Bob caught up with me. With some understandable consternation, he signaled a U-turn. I rationalized it by thinking, "If there’s a directional mistake to be made, this is the road to make it on." On many past tours my wife Linda, seated on the back, would have been poking me in the ribs — breaking the trance and setting us back on the desired course.
It’s difficult to describe the riding sensation on a canyon road; it becomes a wonderful dance between you and your partner — in my case Marchello. When done well, there are moments when you are truly one with the bike and the road. Turns, lean angles, acceleration, deceleration and braking, when working in harmony, result in an intoxicating rhythm. The MP3 500 proved to be fully responsive and satisfying on this Rocky Mountain road — with one exception. After years of motorcycling, I’m accustomed to downshifting into turns. The MP3’s automatic transmission makes that unnecessary. Instead, it calls for finely-tuned entry speeds to set you up for the experience of accelerating through sweepers, hairpins and twisters. While no clutch and no shifting makes it easy to simply focus on the ride, it also calls for refining your style and skill. I’m still working on this and will be a better rider for it.
When Bob and his brother-in-law Steven, on his 1200cc bike, caught up to point out the right direction, Bob, being the more mature and responsible of the Bob & Buddy team (he is a year older) decided to take the fast route to the Fay Myers dealership. He appeared at the appointed time and took the edge off my one hour late arrival. The dealership in Greenwood Village, CO, is huge. It’s the largest I’ve ever seen, with many brands represented. The MP3s stood proudly in front of the show room and, as usual, were quick to attract attention. We were greeted by Marketing Director Carla Finn and Michael Moore from sales, met customers, toured the enormous showroom and left wearing Fay Myers T-shirts. For the day’s efforts, Marchello & Sophia received a much deserved bath and buff.Slept in Aurora last night and are rejoining the much-missed Lincoln Highway today.
Buddy & Bob out
It was a pleasure meeting Bob and Buddy yesterday. They are truly two young-at-heart enthusiasts with a passion for the road and a friendship that should be envied. We at Fay Myers wish them happy trails on the rest of their venture and invite them to stop in again next time they’re in Colorado. -Carla Finn, Fay Myers Marketing Director