Top 5 Videos On Biker Oz YouTube Channel

 

There is absolutely no doubt social media videos are watched a great deal.  People enjoy social media videos for various reasons and their popularity are growing.  On line business to business company finally.agency states on its website: "In general, video's are much easier to consume; they convey information quickly and simply, and remove the need for the user to read lots of text or scroll through numerous pages."

I know my amateur videos aren't the best out there, but they even get a good amount of views.  I decided to see which had the most views out of the 99 videos as of Sept 1, 2024.  I was surprised by the two most viewed. Number 4 & 5 were expected to be popular since they are about riding some of the best roads in the Colorado Rocky Mountains (6 of the top 10 are from Colorado).  The second most watched video really took me by surprise as it is about a large swap meet in Texas.  The most watched is about an awesome motorcycle that Honda no longer manufactures.

Here are my top 5 most viewed videos on my YouTube Channel - in reverse order.

5) The Million Dollar Highway (US 550) in Southwest Colorado crosses over three major passes including Red Mountain Pass - elevation 11,018 feet, Coal Bank Pass - elevation 10,640 and Molass Pass - elevation 10,910.  Amazing scenery and beautiful mountain towns of Durango, Silverton and Ouray are all part of the Million Dollar Highway. VIDEO #5

4) Independence Pass on CO 82 from Twin Lakes (east end) to Aspen is a challenging road with great vistas of Colorado's tallest mountain, Mount Elbert, and the surround mountain range.  A stop at the top of the pass offers breathtaking views.  VIDEO #4

3) Interestingly Pitkin, Colorado sits in the middle of Colorado Rockies and the video occupies the middle of the top 5.  Pitkin is a small town and the hub to a lot of ATV, 4WD and dirt/adventure bike routes.  I had some pretty good bbq while I was there.  VIDEO #3

2) The Pate Swap Meet is held at the Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.  It started in 1972 as the South Central Swap Meet.  According to pateswapmeet.com the swap meet has 1200 for the three day event.  VIDEO #2

1) The most viewed video from my channel is my long term review of my 2012 Honda VFR1200.   The VFR 1200 sport touring motorcycle came out in 2010 and was discontinued in 2017 when Honda release the VFR1200X, an adventure bike version.  I rode my VFR1200 for almost 8 years and 72,000+ miles.  VIDEO #1

Which was your favorite video of these five?  Let me know!  Also feel free to leave suggestions in a comment, as I try to improve on technique, editing and subjects.

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Two Wheels to Train Tracks

 

Riding in the Colorado Rockies, July 2023

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Riding in the Rocky Mountains is always a great experience.  Each mountain town has something fun, unique, historic, beautiful or a combination.  Durango sits on a portion of US Hwy 550 known as The Million Dollar Highway.  This road is deservedly on many lists of great roads to ride.  I have ridden it several times and enjoy the ride each time.  However, I have not always taken the time to stop and enjoy various towns, sites, attractions and experiences that are available along the way.

My 2023 Beat The Heat (BTH) tour was based out of Durango and we had five great days of riding and enjoying the breathtaking views, the unique and at times quirky mountain towns in Southwest Colorado.  Over the years I had ridden through Durgango several times but had not made time to experience the Durango - Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, well in July 2023 that changed.

The crew is preparing the train for the day's trip.

The Durango - Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has a rich history having arrived in Durango in 1881.  Transporting both people and freight the train was very busy. Over time it is estimated the rail hauled over $300 million in precious metals through the years.  The train is a registered as a National Historic Landmark and Hollywood has used the trains while filming various movies including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  Today the train is a popular attraction and provides year-round rides.  Several differnt rides/experiences are offered, all using original locomotives and cars.

Hollywood used the train in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

We decided on the excursion day of the BTH 2023 we were going to ride the train.  The most famous option is the ride to Silverton and back, but that is a 3.5 hour each way ride with a two hour layover in Silverton.  We were riding the motorcycles through Silverton the next day so we opted for the Cascade Canyon ride. 

The gondola allowed us to experience the ride in the fresh mountain air

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The BTH group reserved seats in one of the gondolas (roof and seats but open sides) going to Cascade Canyon.  This would be a 2.5 hour ride to Cascade Canyon with a one hour lunch time stop and then the ride back to the station.  We packed our own "brown bag" lunches for the day; however, an option to order a lunch in advance is provided, as well as a concession car is available during the ride.

There are several engines and cars with rich history

We arrived early so we could view the trains, checkout the gift store and some went to the free museum. Parking was easy, but in July there are a lot of people on vacation in Durango.  The staff did a great job of greeting everyone and when time for departure, ensuring we all loaded in a timely member. 

With a tradition long whistle from the steam engine the train pulled out of the station.  The tracks run almost parallel to CO 550 aka the Million Dollar Highway and along side the Animas River for about 16 miles.  It continues to run near the river and rises in elevation through scenic San Juan National Forest in the La Plata Mountain Range.

Our train winding up the canyon

 

Running along the Animas River the views were breathtaking

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The train ride meanders through the forest and rises to 8,500+ feet in elevation.  The train stops in Cascade Canyon allowing riders an hour to explore, eat lunch, relax, play in the river... before the designated whistle signals it's time to board for the ride back to Durango.  

We enjoyed lunch a walk around Cascade Canyon

View from Cascade Canyon

Although the trip back to Durango is on the same tracks you get a different view of the mountains, canyon and river.  Of course the angle of the sun illuminates and shadows different areas making the views different.  

The Animas River carves through the canyon

The train left the station approximately at 9:45am and we arrived back at the station about 3:00pm leaving us time to walk to Cream Bean Berry for some great ice cream!

There is always time for ice cream

When you are riding in southwest Colorado take some time and enjoy a relaxing and scenic ride on the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Train.  I bet the the fall or winter train ride would be awesome.

Leave a comment below of your favorite Rocky Mountain town, sight or attraction.

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Tennessee Motorcycle Roads!

 

After almost 61 years I have moved from Texas and now a home owner and resident in Pulaski, Tennessee..  Born to lifetime Texans on a 163 acre Texas farm I never had a serious plan to move out of state.  But love and life has me excited about our move to Tennessee.  With the intertwining history of the two states I found a lot of positive similarities between Texans and Tennesseans; the friendliness, helpfulness, the wave when vehicles pass on rural roads, the independent spirit and the love for freedom.  

The rolling hills, rivers and historic sites are all around Pulaski and Tennessee in general.  Northwest Alabama is just 20 minutes from the house, the Natchez Trace is about 45 minutes away and the foothills of the Smoky Mountains can be reached in 2 hours or so.

2017 BTH tour - riding the Tail of The Dragon.  VFR1200 was a fun bike - wrap by NovoWorks

As I begin planning future motorcycle routes I find myself getting excited about the rolling hills, the running streams and rivers, the Smoky Mountains, the historic sites, the twisty roads and the light traffic.  I also love finding the "out of the way" eateries. I am looking forward to planning, organizing and enjoying another Beat The Heat tour.  I am excited to return to many of the places I have ridden before and visiting many new places.

 

BTH group enjoyed riding The Rattler

 

All of the possibilities of great riding prompted me to reminisce about past rides, trips and tours involving riding in Tennessee and/or west North Carolina.  I reviewed previous blog posts about some of those rides and smiled.  Check out reports from previous Tennessee trips and/or rides.  

Leave me a comment with suggestions of roads, sites and/or restaurants I need to riding in the upcoming months.

One of my favorite roads - Wayah Road i.e. CO road 1399

Tail of the Dragon - of course! 

Cumberland Gap and Pinnacle Point

Cherohala Skyway

Wheels Through Time Museum

The Rattler  

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Beat the Heat Motorcycle Tour riding in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado

Awesome gear for every rider!

Mountains and Rivers make for curvy roads

Mountains make for curvy roads, elevation changes and scenic views.  Rivers never run in a straight line also making for fun roads.  When you combine mountains and rivers you get great roads to ride. Some of the most scenic roads I have ridden are in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado Highway 92 falls into the categories of scenic, fun, curvy and exciting.

The Gunnison River running through the Black Canyon

While leading the Beat The Heat Tour 2020 I took the guys on a ride which included 53 miles of CO 92 on the north side of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison and WOW the fun we had.  Prior to our ride on June 29, 2020, I had only ridden 1/4 of the road a few years back and it was from the Blue Mesa Reservoir Dam on the south end and this day we were riding from the north end.  On that first solo ride on CO 92 I had ridden to the Lake City Bakery  (awesome bakery that I highly recommend) from Montrose and on the return ride I experience a small portion of the road.

We were lodging in Ouray so we rode up US 550 to Montrose hitting US 50 to Delta and turned East on CO 92 to Hotchkiss (almost 80 miles).  I knew once we turned south on CO 92 it would be 90+ miles to our next stop in Montrose and with all the curves and overlooks it would take us over 2 hours so we stopped at the Stop N Save for fuel, hydration and a snack.  The attendant was very friendly and they had a pretty good selection of drinks and snacks and we were only 0.2 mile from where CO 92 turned south.  

53 miles of Colorado Highway 92 running along the north rim of the Black Canyon

The first 23 miles of CO 92 is pretty straight and runs through Crawford, CO and besides Crawford Reservoir and Gould Reservoir.  There were great views of the Elk Mountains to the east and the San Juan Mountains southwest as we road.  South Baldy Mountain was to our left and rises to 12,385 feet.

The last 30 miles was very interesting and fun.  Of course I did not count the curves, but there are a lot of them.  The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was on the right with its steep cliffs descending below us at times several hundreds of feet.  At times to the left were the steep sides of the mountains.  

CO Hwy 92 gets fun and challenging on the north rim of The Black Canyon of the Gunnison

We enjoyed the road with very little traffic and good road conditions.  There were three paved overlooks allowing for extensive views of the canyon and the Gunnison River: Hermits Rest Overlook, Pioneer Point and the Blue Mesa Dam Overlook.  There has been sightings of Bald Eagles, deer, Big Horn Sheep and more, although we did not see any wildlife on this midday ride. 

The road twists and turns while it gains and losses elevation.  Elevation in Hotchkiss was 5,331 feet and the road reached heights of over 8,000 feet with the Blue Mesa Reservoir Dam at 7,519 feet.  At first the curves are sweeping and smooth, but soon there are some switchbacks and tight corners with elevation changes.  For the most part the camber in the corners was correct which allowed good lean angles and fun corner speed.

I will not mention top speeds, but it was a spirited ride which all nine rides enjoyed greatly. We had sport bikes, touring bikes  and cruisers.  We pulled over at the southern most overlook, the Blue Mesa Dam Overlook. The views of the canyon and dam are impressive. 

View of the earthen dam

VFR at the Blue Mesa Reservoir Dam overlook

We continued on CO 92 and rode over the dam then climbed up to the intersection of CO 92 and US

 US 50 which lies almost half way between Gunnison and Montrose.  We turned west and enjoyed the view of a portion of the canyon from the south rim.  

Playing around at the overlook

With typical riding in Colorado we encountered some road construction which can provide opportunities for photographs and conversations.  Once the one lane traffic was allowed to continue west we rode to Montrose for fuel and a late lunch at Jimmer's Steaks-BBQ Bar and Grill.

Road construction stop on US 50 heading to Montrose

Jimmer's had great Texas Style  BBQ

Beat The Heat 2020 guys ready for lunch

We enjoyed some good Texas style BBQ and superb service from the waitstaff.  It was a great day of riding.  We loved CO 92 and I would highly recommend you enjoy the road whenever you are in the area. 

The Moto Oz Beat The Heat Tour 2020 had a great time throughout the entire week riding mountain and river roads.

The group earlier in the week at Monarch Pass

Beat The Heat t-shirt with some of towns and passes

Connect and follow on social media

              

 

Please visit the following great companies:

THE ESSENTIALS FOR MODERATE SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Awesome gear for every rider!

Ordinary Biker Oz YouTube Channel has video reviews and more

* I have personally ordered from and/or visited this business and based on my experiences I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with this business, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!

# Based on reviews, word of mouth and discussion with others I recommend this company.  I have an affiliate relationship with this business, which means if you follow this link and purchase, I will receive a small commission and will get to ride more!
 

Feedback on these businesses is appreciated.  You may comment below.

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