Being an ambassador in any industry can be challenging. You have to be fluid to handle the  fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants lifestyle. Recently, I was in Loveland, Colorado, finishing up an emcee gig and I was ready to start the next job as the emcee for the Four Corners Motorcycle Rally, when all of a sudden, I realized my flight never got booked. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade, right? Luckily for me, the answer to this problem was a motorcycle by way of EagleRider Motorcycle Rentals. 

For the unplanned, spontaneous trip from Loveland to Durango, my pal Jordan at Hot Bike, mentioned I should give EagleRider a try. They stock plenty of cool bikes, and luckily there was a store close by in Denver. Things were already looking up. Being my first time renting from EagleRider, I didn’t know what to expect. I rang up the local dealer, told them what I was after and grabbed a ride to their location.

When I pulled up to the Denver store I was instantly greeted by their full complement of motorcycles lined up on the curb, ready to party. They even had my name tag on the bike they set aside for me. Upon entering the building it was instantly obvious that I was not the only one ready to ride. The place was packed with riders from all over the world! I think I was the only American out of the 30-plus people registering for the time of their lives. Being in a diverse room of people that love motorcycles is always such a cool vibe.

When I got there, I quickly noticed that EagleRider also stocks plenty of moto gear, so all is not lost if you forget something. Whether it’s a helmet, gloves, jackets, vests… EagleRider has you covered. Getting myself checked in and ready to roll was super smooth, too. They quickly found my reservation in the system, walked me through the controls of the new ‘23 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide, and got me on the road with my knees in the breeze.

As it stood, I had four days until my Four Corners gig with limited funds. And with no accommodations booked and no roof over my head for a few days, there was only one choice left: Go ride and get lost. 

It feels like it’s been an eternity since I rode for the sake of riding. It’s definitely not what this leg of the journey was intended to be, then again, the journey rarely is. After I picked up my ride for the week, I called my buddy Cody Kiebler to see if he was down to join me. After his wife obliged we giggled like a couple of dorks and away we went, just two dudes outfitted with a couple of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, one hammock, zero sleeping bags and barely an idea of where we wanted to ride or camp along the way. But we didn’t care. We were too excited for the ride, which was something I hadn’t felt in awhile. There’s just something about throwing caution to the wind and seeing where the chips fall that makes the adventure more exciting and memorable. 

Knowing that it would take a little time to get going, we decided a quick ride south on 285 to Salida was the best way to go. I absolutely love this route. It’s mostly two lanes and takes me through Bailey and South Park/FairPlay–I used to live in Colorado and this was my old beer delivery route from 2005-2011. After a three-hour trek through the amazing eastern Colorado country and a stop in Buena Vista for a second hammock and a sleeping bag, we rolled into camp and set up right next to the stream, 15 minutes outside of Salida, where we filled our faces with calories before camping out for the night. 

The next morning we hit the road early. We had a lot of beautiful distractions and unexpected diversions along the way. We started on Highway 50 with Monarch Pass (also a US Continental Divide) only half an hour away we knew we could expect some amazing views and epic winding roads, so I highly recommend you do that. 

Unfortunately for us, extreme weather destroyed that part of HWY 50 that runs along the Blue Mesa Reservoir out. We were forced to detour onto 149 South. We got over it quickly as this meant exploring new territory for both Cody and I. After all of these years living the rambler way new roads are always welcome. Because of this side quest we were able to appreciate the surrounding mountains as we ripped past Tolvar Peak and down toward Lake Fork. With the traffic patterns all jacked up we did what you’re never supposed to do: Blindly follow our phones’ navigation. 

Cody and I were having such a great time breathing in the Colorado majesty along the way that we had zero care or intentions to make this anything close to efficient. The universe matched that energy to the point of “guiding” us onto the Alpine snowmobile trail and like a couple of l’assez faire lost boys we just kept going. Mostly because we had no idea where we actually were and we refused to pull out the Butler map that could’ve helped us get back on track. The whole point was to get a little lost so we stayed the course. Happy too. I don’t remember the last time I gave less f*cks as to how I was getting somewhere. 

The Alpine ended up being a 20-plus mile Forrest service road full of obstacles meant for a dirt bike and not the CVO I was rolling heavy on. Regardless of the facts, and the “No Through Traffic” sign we motored on without a clue. Not gonna lie, there were a few spots that made us both a little nervous. The best part was passing the overlanding rigs that were loaded to the gills like the apocalypse was near. They had no idea what to think of the two Harley dummies crushing past somewhere around 40 mph in the dirt on baggers. Hell, neither did we. At that moment we realized we really were the lost boys we intended to be. 

After eating our weight in airborne dirt particles and stopping frequently to laugh at ourselves, we made it to camp, tired and grinning ear to ear. Luckily for us, there was a lodge with food and drink still open and just a country mile down the road. After some grub and a few laughs we headed back to start the fire and stare at the stars. 

The next morning came early, thanks to the birds, squirrels and deer welcoming the fabulous bagger boys. We were super pumped for a day that didn’t involve striking camp. We wasted no time getting on the road to breakfast and then we hit Hwy 141. Cody picked this road when we were first talking about the ride so we were both looking forward to a day of discovery along the fabled “Lost Highway” which is a part of the Unaweep Tabeguache Scenic Byway that takes you 133 miles across the Colorado Plateau canyon country. It’s definitely worth exploring. Once inhabited by the Ute Tribe and, like many remote western villages, the mining rush of the early 1900’s came and went, leaving only a shell of itself behind like a two-lane time capsule. 

With absolutely nothing man-made blocking our view for most of the day we started to understand the road’s moniker. Most of the southern bound route between Naturita and Dove Creek is wide open plateau with some mild sets of turns. This was the perfect proving ground fo the CVO’s power. Cody and I had a blast playing cat and mouse at speed over a pretty long distance without any competing traffic whatsoever. It reminded me of the empty streets of 2020 when everywhere you went felt like you were free to ride as fast and as far as you pleased without fear of being hassled by “the man.” 

Then, we came to the last few miles of 141 through Slick Rock. With a killer stretch of road that slithered through the red sandstone canyons this spot felt way bigger than it was. My partner and I decided it was so much fun that we’d play along this 20-mile stretch until it came time to head back the way we came. We ripped back and forth racing each other and laughing like a couple of puppies at a dog park. This was pure, unadulterated motorcycle happiness.

Now, I’ve experienced plenty of motorcycles in my day, but the CVO was the newest, and nicest, Harley-Davidson I’d ridden to date. It had an answer for everything I threw at it. I definitely was able to test its abilities on and off-road no matter how unintentional the experience ended up being. Harnessing the 121ci of American-made power was an absolute blast and I was definitely impressed that you could rent such a machine from EagleRider. 

As the sun started to drop, and the wind picked up, it was time to head back on the 160-mile route we rode in on. The trip back to camp was rather enjoyable, but I appreciated reflecting back on how I got here in the first place. 

It all started with needing a ride from Denver to Durango. After travel plans fell through at the last minute. That’s when I discovered I could easily ride a top of line Harley-Davidson to my destination taking my commute and transforming it into an adventure I wouldn’t soon forget. I’m a blessed man to have the opportunity to embrace this experience and grateful to have a friend like Cody to share it with. Thank you EagleRider and Hot Bike Magazine for the memories and a road less traveled. 

Overall, Eagle Rider gets a 10 out of 10 from me. Not only they provide some much-needed transportation, but they rekindled my romance with riding for the sake of riding. This was by far one of the more enjoyable experiences of my riding life. I’m just glad my original plans to fly to Durango fell through.