Curiosity Kills Colby

From the ages of 19 to 26 I would bet good money that most people that came into sight of me saw me only as a blackish blur. I rode sportbikes on the street the way that Dr Rockso does cocaine. In the battle of Go Big vs Go Home I always went big. Splitting cars at 155mph on the freeway, 120 mph through a fog bank,  170 mph runs down the coast… I’ve long since forgotten how many times I was pulled over. I remember at least 8 citations and one arrest. I can’t imagine a way in which I wasn’t the worst traffic criminal in the state of Washington on several different days (short of DUI’s). That all changed on August 4, 2012 on an early morning ride to Mt. Baker.  That morning it became crystal clear that I was going to get killed chasing a rush. I was taking risks that were outrageous and feeling nothing, so I decided to hang up my spurs. Read More

Something I’ve always appreciated about motorcycles is the sense of community among fellow riders. It’s not like a car, where most folks don’t get particularly excited about them. A motorcycle isn’t a tool the way a car is, so when you see one it’s generally because the rider is passionate about it. With that in mind, I set out today to take part in a longstanding game of photo-tag run through a local rider forum, pnwriders.com. Read More

I have a vivid memory of the exact moment I decided to buy a motorcycle. My friend Sophie and I were driving down the Old Redwood Highway at about 2am when I saw a single headlight behind me. I was speeding, and as I didn’t want to take a chance that it was a motorcycle officer behind me I immediately slowed down to the speed limit. After about 2 minutes of me plodding along at the speed limit I looked in my mirror to see that the motorcyclist wasn’t there anymore. Suddenly there was a blur and a loud noise as the rider passed me at about 100mph on one wheel. I was hooked, and my life has never been the same. Read More