They weren’t supposed to let me ride to the summit // SPEED TWIN takes on Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak is one of the most famous mountains in the USA, thanks in no small part to the beautiful twisty road that leads all the way up to the summit. After having to abort my planned summit in May 2019, I am finally back to take on this legendary mountain course with my very own 2019 Triumph Speed Twin. The road is closed to personal vehicles above mile marker 16, but if you're really lucky, they might just decide to let you through...
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/ van_blamm
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[@neosceptic6366]

Mt. Evans is also a lot of fun.

[@VanBlamm]

I want to ride up there so bad but it's been closed since 2019

[@TheRealChetManley]

For future reference and others that may be watching, use your brakes as sparingly as possible on long downhill runs. The brakes can easily overheat and become useless or worse catch fire. And never shut down your engine like that. What if you needed to make an evasive maneuver? Leave the bike running in a gear that will allow your speed to match those in front of you. Use the brakes by stabbing them to kill off speed quickly if needed and back off them again and switch to a lower gear. The brake check is there for that reason. People that use their brakes too much coming down, they will be orange and they have to pull over to let them cool and see if they still work properly. Cool video other than that

[@simonrichards5430]

14,000 “mile” peak would be VERY cold!! Excellent video regardless!

[@TommySjodahl]

Mandatory brake check... Brembo.👍🏻👍🏻😂

[@michaelsisk5938]

I am glad that you got to cross this off your bucket list. That I am semi retired, I sold my Ducati and bought an Indian Chief Darkhorse that will allow me to do long rides. Google Natchez Trace Parkway for a new bucket list ride.

[@VanBlamm]

Looks like an awesome ride! I've been wanting to ride from DC to TN forever so maybe that'd be a good way to extend that eventual trip.

[@andrewmurphy9292]

Nice vid. That grey layer you could see at the top of Pikes Peak is called the inversion line or layer. Usually glider pilots see this when they get to the highest altitude they can achieve on a particular day.

[@VanBlamm]

Interesting!

[@mototom9086]

Very cool !!

[@colindebourg3884]

You need to add the Isle of Man to your list of race courses ridden, great vid.

[@VanBlamm]

Thanks! That too is on the bucket list haha

[@colindebourg3884]

It's literally on a different level.

[@colindixon9543]

Cool day out , stay safe 👍

[@Youssef37-]

Hi! I am french and i like your video ...i hope soon by a speed twin 👍

[@martinserjeant9399]

As always great video and voice over

[@alansmith5255]

Great video keep them coming

[@harshadborgaonkar4539]

when did you do this ride? awesome scenery. jealous of you since my speed twin has been sleeping for more than a month in Minnesota

[@VanBlamm]

This was filmed September 24; it'll probably be another month before I'm all caught up on Colorado videos. My Speed Twin is not quite in hibernation yet here in DC, but it is definitely hooked up to the ol' battery tender.

[@wilburhanson3419]

Nice video. Hope ur doin well. I saw ur rear break lights flashing while riding at the beginning of the video. How can I add that mod?

[@VanBlamm]

Thank you! That's just the effect of shooting an LED taillight at a lower frame rate (24fps), it doesn't flash like that in person. I don't know if there's a modulated brake light for the Speed Twin, but I know people who use them on other bikes have good things to say about them.

[@johnridesadv2512]

Perfect bike to knock that one off the bucket list. Curious, how often do you get people asking you about being on an "old bike" even though it's just a year old. Those things do have a very vintage look to them I must say!

[@VanBlamm]

People ask me the model year all the time. Some folks are well aware of the current crop of Triumph Modern Classics, but other times people's jaws hit the floor when they hear it's a 2019. I once heard a passerby say to his buddy that he was pretty sure the bike was made in the 1960s.

[@alpretti7938]

@@VanBlamm had a 2001 W650 Kawasaki, always got asked about the year, my next bike was a 2013 Triumph Bonneville, same thing hey what year is that bike. I now ride a 2016 BMW R1200RT, but after watching that Speed Twin in your videos makes me want one, I just have to find somewhere to store it when not riding it. Fabulous videos well done.

[@acherouvis]

Why did you prefer the speed twin over the BMW Rnine T pure?

[@chr11sf]

Wow, that was lucky, what a treat, Awesome ride!..BTW, whats with the continuous double yellow all the way up, surely you can overtake where safe, right?!

[@VanBlamm]

As much as I agree with you, I try keep it all legal in national parks and the like. At least when there are witnesses around.

[@chr11sf]

@@VanBlamm No, that was more a question, I didn't think or hope that's what the double lines meant. Over in the UK you can't overtake unless the vehicle in front is 10mph or less I think.....I used to live in Ontario, Canada it was much better and you could overtake on double yellows as long as it was safe to do so except before rail crossings and a brow of a hill etc. If that Prius driver hadn't pulled over I'd have probably thrown myself over the mountain edge lol....

[@VanBlamm]

Ah, I see. Yeah, no overtaking on double yellows here in the US. With just a few notable exceptions (like California), motorcycles have to follow pretty much the same rules as cars, which is asinine.

[@chrislecouteur2360]

Great vid ..... how many miles you getting to a full tank

[@VanBlamm]

Usually about 150 to 180

[@naturalforlife6741]

I rode up Pikes Peak on a 2001 Harley Deuce before the new paved road. Is the souvenir shop still there? I got a real cool pen there for Pikes Peak.

[@VanBlamm]

I was definitely glad to have asphalt all the way up! The souvenir shop is still kicking, even amid the pandemic and all the construction

[@nihar77p]

Next Motorcycle ?? Okay , Tiger 900 GT Low !!!

[@dalejones9404]

Do you have heated grips? Or layer gloves

[@VanBlamm]

My go-to cold/wet weather gloves are the Rev'It Boxxer H2O. I have never used heated grips before, although I did just get a pair from Koso that I'm going to install soon so I can ride through the winter.

[@dalejones9404]

Nice, riding in 50° weather i can last only 30 minutes before my hands go numb and thats with an extra glovw liner

[@sv650nyc7]

@@dalejones9404 Heated grips are a necessity for me on a naked bike. I use them even in summer on cold mornings sometimes. They're a game changer (and a heated jacket).