Pikes Peak or Bust! That’s what the pioneers said as they headed west to the Rocky Mountains. The Falkner/Livingston Akrapovic team is in California though, so we’re actually heading east towards Pikes Peak, but still it’s a great motto for the team as we pack up and head out for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Pikes Peak or Bust! We have prepped the Ducati Multistrada Race Bikes for rider Micky Dymond, and gathered the essential tools and gear that we’ll need for 4 full days of practice on Pikes Peak and for race day.
Finally the van is fully loaded and on the road east. Pikes Peak or Bust! Less than 250 miles into the 1200 mile trip we start to rethink that motto. Pikes Peak or Bust…..we pull off the road in Baker, California in the middle of the Mojave Desert and discover that one of the wheels on the trailer has a bad hub. It needs to be cut off and replaced. The closest parts are in Las Vegas, about 100 miles away and the dealer has closed for the day. So the ‘or bust’ part of that motto? We decide to stop saying it.
Luckily we find a great shop in Baker, and a terrific mechanic. We do what we do best – we come up with a strong plan and proceed to flawlessly execute it. Less than 24 hours later Las Vegas is in the rearview mirror and we hit the Colorado border just after dark. We’re still on schedule.
Tomorrow we arrive at the Mecca Motel in Colorado Springs – home base for the F/L Akrapovic Team. Half the team has driven out, and the other half will fly in – we will reunite there and get ready for race week. Our schedule is very full – Monday begins with Race Registration at 8:00am and doesn’t end until after the 6:00 riders meeting.
The excitement is building – this is going to be a fun and exciting week. I will keep you posted if you’d like to follow along. Meet me here Monday evening for the next update.
“Pikes Peak…..um…. Here we Come”