April 2011

2011

Volume 17 No. 4

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gaz Ma our le T cyc tor Mo

APRIL

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Riding to the

Blue Grass State

Taking Victory on the Road • Riding the Road of Bones

W H A T ’ S MON T HLY COLUM N S

I N S I D E FEAT URES

FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................3

MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME ........................................................24

WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................4

RIDING THE ROAD OF BONES ...................................................32

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................6

2011 INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW NYC ..............38

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................8

CLUB SPOTLIGHT - SUZUKI OWNERS CLUB .........................42

BACKLASH .........................................................................................9

M OTORCYCL E REVIEWS

INSIDE THE HELMET.....................................................................10

TAKING VICTORY ON THE ROAD ..............................................49

INDUSTRY INFOBITES...................................................................12

FORD F-150 ECOBOOST ..............................................................53

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................14 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................16 BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................18

PRODUCT REVIEW S PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS................................................................37 NOMAD TENERE EXPEDITION TENT........................................55

WE’RE OUTTA HERE .....................................................................20 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................22 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................40 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................43 Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Neale Bayly, Dan Bisbee, Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Jeffrey Kurtzman, Michael McDonald, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176

Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

Montgomeryville Cycle Center Says…

“Ride this one.

Or that one.

Or ride them all.”

BMW Demo Truck Days April 6 through 9

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

Swapping Now there is a title that got your attention.

Although you might hope for something different and a bit kinky I’ll tell you it is nothing like what might have snaked across your mind.

What I am talking about is something far less devilish.

These days I have been listening to music via my Zumo 665. MP3s and XM Radio make for good riding companions, especially when out on tour.

But, on occasion, such as road testing different machines, I have no access to my tuneage and on these days I might just grab my trusty old iPod. Now this “trusty” iPod has becoming less and less so. It almost melted in the African sun a few years back when left in a tank bag and has been acting with a mind of its own ever since.

Hopping onto the great middle-weight Kawasaki Versys the other day I tried to get the iPod to fire up but to no avail. It was frozen and not going to play friendly with me this day.

Shira offered up her mini iPod for me to use.

Well, I am your basic white guy from the ‘70s so I am very happy with Chicago, the Doobie Brothers, the “Dan” and Yes. I feared a barrage of Joni Mitchell (yes, I know she is great), Gogol Bordello and some of the other tunes that

Page 3 Shira has been collecting over the years.

Musically we have slightly different tastes, but we’re not too far off that we can’t enjoy what the other is listening to on any given day.

You can tell a lot by what people read and what and who they listen to.

I remember the first time I went to Shira’s home. She was reading Stephen King and Steely Dan’s Katy Lied album was on the turntable. Even a blind man could see this winner that day.

So, I was not totally surprised that as my ride progressed this day I was really enjoying each and every tune. Some I knew, others were new to me, but now are part of my iTunes library as well.

Big band hits from the ‘40s, a great Martin Sexton live recording, the ever present Joni and newly added Lyle Lovett.

Sprinkled in between were some newer Walter Becker and Donald Fagen by themselves and as Steely Dan. Hey, this swapping thing was becoming a lot of fun.

Maybe I should have tried it sooner.

Something like this could work for a lot of us. After riding around with your own music why not swap iPods or MP3 players with a riding buddy. You might be surprised at some of the cool tuneage he or she might be listening to.

For those of you who have ridden behind Shira, you might have seen the little saddle dance she does, especially when something rockin’ comes her way – Prince always comes to mind.

Just makes me love her more, but with all that said I really enjoyed her music and it reminded me that I am a fortunate man – other than her questionable choice in husbands she is one cool chick indeed.

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 4

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL

Back to School When most students are thinking about where to go for Spring Break, motorcyclists are getting ready to hit the road with a brand new season ahead of them. We’ve already gone over the need to inspect your ride before taking that first journey, whether it’s around the corner or the world. Before packing up for the ride, make an evaluation of your own skills. When was the last time you rode? For some it was just yesterday, while others may have been off their bikes for a good part of the winter. It really doesn’t matter, as taking riding class, practicing your skills and learning new techniques never hurt anyone.

When I first started riding, I would take at least one ‘class’ every year, whether it was an MSF course or track school. I tried to plan these for as early in my riding season as possible, to establish a good base for riding. Even though I did learn to ride through the MSF course, I did pick up bad habits afterwards. These classes would, hopefully, sweep these gremlins from my brain’s closet and, as The Captain said in Cool Hand Luke, get my mind right.

My biggest demon and downfall, although I am reluctant to use that term when writing about riding, is the slow maneuver. Many times I’ve heard Brian remark about my riding, saying that I’m like a albatross; I soar gracefully when at speed, but when I come in for a landing I’m pretty awkward, at best. No matter how many times he puts the offer out to go to a parking lot with cones and practice, I always find something else to do that seems so much more important. So when we heard that the Ride Like A Pro classes were being given right here in New Jersey, I agreed to attend the course with him and finally get over my pigheadedness. We signed up for the May 16th class and I’m pretty sure that I’ll get to that parking lot before that date so I won’t look foolish on class day.

Developed by Jerry ‘Motorman’ Palladino in 1999, Ride Like A Pro teaches the same techniques used to train the Motor Officers. These men and women handle full-size motorcycles like they are dirt bikes, putting them through tight u-turns, s-turns and figure eights with ease. Not only does he teach these classes, he makes available safety videos online, as well as DVDs for home use, which will get you on your way to safer and more enjoyable riding. To find their full schedule and locations, point your web browser to www.ridelikeapro.com or www.ridelikeapronj.com.

To balance out the year, we’ve also signed up for CLASS on July 7 at VIR (www.classrides.com). I’ve taken CLASS many times before and I truly believe that Reg Pridmore and crew offer the best and most useful track course available. Sure, you’ll be moving at a pretty good clip around the track, but what they are teaching you here is not how to make your lap time .001 seconds faster but how to move SMOOTHLY around the course. This directly translates to real-world riding. Every time I leave his class, I feel like I’m riding at a much higher caliber and with much more confidence. Since we’ll be heading to the Alps just a few days after taking CLASS, I’m sure that I’ll put this newly-instilled smoothness to good use. Passo Di Stelvia, here I come!

There are a plethora of riding courses available, both in our backyard and elsewhere in the country. All are worth the time and effort taken to attend. If you’ve been a passenger, or just yearned to learn to ride, and think that now is the right time, give the MSF a call and sign up for a class. Worst thing that will happen is you’ll learn something new; best thing is that you’ll love being the pilot and head out on your own adventures. Perhaps you used to ride but had a hiatus for whatever reason; before throwing that leg over the seat, take a refresher course of some sort. It will be safer for you and those around you on the road. Or maybe you’ve been a street rider your whole life but dream of taking that off-road adventure to far-away places. Yeah, there are classes for that, too. With a little bit of research, you’ll soon be getting down and dirty with the best of them.

So put down the book, pick up the helmet and head to school. To borrow the oft-used phrase, ‘The more you know, the better it gets.’

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 6

P O S TC A R D S FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD

Entry level?

Maybe i Should Start over Every once in a while the press outside of the specialized motorcycle publications actually makes a decent (and even more remarkable, accurate) observation about the latest developments in the twowheeled world. Case in point: Consumer Report’s January 28th Auto Blog mentioned Honda’s new CBR250R in a very favorable light and said the following: “Now the CBR250R offers a sport-bike seating position in an affordable, entry-level package starting at $4,500. Better yet for new riders, the CBR250R is available with antilock brakes, which the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has shown reduces motorcycle crashes by as much as 37 percent.”

I have had the pleasure of working with the Consumer Reports auto folks on a scooter/small motorcycle testing program they did a couple of years ago, and they did what I thought was an excellent job evaluating the machines in question. A lot of the engineers in the auto lab are enthusiastic riders, and they put their knowledge (and there amazing testing facility here in Connecticut) to good use.

Now, I don’t agree with everything the auto folks say at Consumers of course, but I do know they work really hard to be as objective and accurate as possible (meaning I should mention the CBR250R starts out at $3,999 without ABS, the ABS model is $4,999). And in this case I share the enthusiasm over this particular “entry level” bike, especially since it has so much going for it. Yes, I used air quotes (and real ones) around entry level because

there’s much more here than, say, a Honda Rebel or Suzuki Savage. I don’t mean to denigrate those bikes, but what I’m trying to say is that this new CBR a whole ‘nother animal, at least on paper.

So, you may well ask why am I so stoked about this tiny thumper. Great question. Hey, I haven’t even ridden one yet (a situation that should be rectified by the time you read this) but from what I’ve seen it looks like it has the potential of breaking some new ground in terms in how small-displacement bikes are perceived. I should point out at this point that this thing is a direct competitor to the Kawasaki Ninja 250, which is a great little bike in its own right. As good as that bike is, though, I think this new Honda takes the concept much further. To me, it truly looks like it just might be the kind of bike a novice motorcyclist might want to keep well past the “learning to ride” phase, thus making it a very smart investment.

Why the optimism? Well, let’s take a look at the numbers first. This handsome sport bike has a 249.4cc Single engine, which is liquid cooled, has four valves per cylinder and of course sophisticated fuel injection and electronic engine management. If you’ve been riding as long as most of us here in this peerless publication, you’ve seen how smaller engines have evolved to where they’re putting out the kind of power only seen in much larger engines just a few years ago. Likewise, in terms of chassis, suspension and brake design the lessons learned on bigger, more expensive rides are finding their way onto less expensive hardware. Another benefit of having lessons learned trickle down from above are things like weight and mass centralization, for the CBR250R tips the scales ready for the road at 357 lbs. (366 w/ABS, only a nine pound difference which again shows how far we’ve come).

Speaking of this ABS, if its as good as the ABS found on the CBR600RR it will not only make a new rider safer, but an experienced one can still have great control over how braking sets the bike up for corners, even at the limit.

(Continued on Page 10)

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 8

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

gladiator We have five points of contact with a motorcycle: two hands, two feet, and two cheeks. For you Ivy Leaguers, that last term in the equation is simplified into a single item named for the great Roman gladiator, Gluteus Maximus (some of you know his sister, Bootius, who became a Kardashian). Keeping with the math and science theme, there’s an immutable law of motorcycling: to have control, at least one of those five things must be in contact with the machine at all times. Rumor has it that the more of those body parts in contact, the greater the control. Since most road riders don’t care to stand for more than brief periods, Gluteus is usually in contact with the machine quite a bit, and there’s the rub, so to speak.

I don’t know about your Gluteus, but mine is nowhere near as tough as his gladiatorial Roman namesake. Plus, like all things aged, he’s gained a little weight over time despite being highly polished on a combination of vehicle seats, bicycle saddles, and government office chairs. Unfortunately, most motorcycle manufacturers seem to think Gluteus still has the strength and stamina of his ancestor and design their “saddles” accordingly. I use the word “saddle” intentionally, because “seat” is too kind a word for some of the contraptions the factories foist upon their customers. Some of them seem to have used the same industrial saddle subcontractor, “de Sade Design.”

On one end of the spectrum is the sportbike, wherein your posterior is perched on a vinyl postage stamp. That’s fine for a race because the riders are seldom seated on the machine: they’re crawling all over the bike like a monkey on meth. To mere mortals, however, negotiating the highways on a sportbike saddle for more than a half hour becomes an exercise in posterior pain. On the other end of the spectrum are the leather recliners preferred by

the “Glide” crowd (Glideators?). I don’t know about you, but rolling down the highway in a Barcolounger with my feet on pegs somewhere over my head like I’m at a GUYnecologist makes my lower back hurt like hell.

You’d think that if they can use lasers to map our bodies (or machines to peep under our clothes at airports) that the motorcycle industry would be able to come up with a cradle for our keesters that doesn’t try to raise our pain threshold. Oh no: then a whole cottage industry of aftermarket seat makers would go down like a submarine with a screen door. One company even tried to get in on the aftermarket themselves by having the audacity to market a factory product called a “comfort saddle.” Excuse me, but did you think the riders of your machines wanted the OEM “discomfort saddle?” For a company that supposedly did a human design study on turn signal switches and then stubbornly stuck with something non-standard for decades, one wonders what they’d come up with if they applied the same studies to saddlery.

Sir Gluteus is a discerning fellow and while I loved my DRZ-400, he did not. After about a half hour, the stock seat – despite appearing quite squishy and comfy at first blush – turned into something that would have been the pride of the Inquisition. Being a dual-sport, perhaps you weren’t supposed to sit down much, but people in traffic tend to give you weird looks, especially when you’re standing about nine feet above them in their cars. It does make for some entertaining views, but they’re not that frequent. Like everyone, Gluteus and I turned to the aftermarket and sure enough, there was a company that would sell me replacement foam and a nice cover made specifically to rectify the rect…er…posterior problem. Now Gluteus is a very happy gladiator, although I suspect the narrowing of my wallet necessary for the seat made a small contribution to his comfort.

Multiple seats have made their way through my garage: the stock ones tend to congregate on the shelf until the bike is sold “complete with original saddle.” One of the worst was a gel affair (again, a factory accessory) whose sole contribution to my riding was to grind my boys against the gas tank every time I hit the brakes because the gel was sloshing around in the seat like some kind of Suzuki Tsunami. That’s the one time I’ve gone back to an original seat because, despite the satisfaction of Gluteus, I had to place his comfort second to protection of his brother…Testicleez.

Go See the Pros that Know How to Ride!

2011 CBR250R Great Entry-Level Bike at an Equally Great Price

The all-new 2011 CBR250R brings a fresh take on the fun side of motorcycling, one that especially suits riders entering the sport. Thanks to its extremely efficient 249cc liquidcooled single cylinder engine—an all-new design featuring a sophisticated four-valve DOHC cylinder head, engine counterbalancer, and fuel injection—this dependable and lightweight machine delivers nimble handling, a broad spread of easily accessible power and low operating costs all in one. Whether the day calls for a commute to work, quick trips around town or all-day explorations in the countryside, the CBR250R is a great way to get acquainted with the many faces of motorcycling, all at an affordable price.

Go See the Pros that Know How to Ride!

210 Route 10 West • East Hanover, NJ

www.HanoverPowersport.com • 973-428-1735 210 Route 10 West • East Hanover, NJ www.HanoverPowersport.com • 973-428-1735 honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 9

BACKLASH Brian – Thanks for getting the Dingman story to Carol Phillips. Still searching for the end to Ken Aiken’s excellent travel piece in the March issue.

Clem Clem, ‘… longer a stranger.’

Well, time for a new proofreader, I guess. Or for me to stop laying out the magazine at 1 in the morning - Shira

Where’s Billy?

Dear Shira & Brian, Read your article about Billy Joel’s Bike Museum and it sounded like a great idea to visit. So last Sunday February 13th 2 riding buddies (Tom and Larry) and I hopped in the car and left Hatfield PA around 10:30 AM. It was a little cold to ride plus we had no desire to fight NYC potholes on bikes.

Before leaving I reread your article which said it was open Saturday and Sundays only, I also went to 20th Century Cycles website which also said open Saturday and Sunday and today I was told there is a write up in Walnecks Cycle Trader which also states open Saturday and Sunday. By now I’m sure you know what the punch line is. Approx $40.00 in tolls and $60.00 for a tank of gas and they were closed. We went to lunch around the corner to give them time to get back if they had stepped out for lunch and went back, still not open. None of the articles had any phone #s to contact. I know this is not your problem but I am passing on the information so that you can warn other riders and save them some money. If the museum is not going to follow their press release then they should give people some way to verify they are open.

Thanks for the great magazine.

John L. Langsford II John, We received your email the day after we rode out there as well, only to be disappointed. We had no phone number either. Too bad as the place looked great – maybe in the warmer weather.

Letters to the Editor Folks, Got a private tour of Billy Joel's new bike place on Martin Luther King Day. We showed up just to window shop, knowing they'd be closed, but Billy's head restoration guy had pity on us, 'cause it was about 19 degrees out, and gave us the excellent tour. Still waiting for the roads to clean up a bit before we head north over the bridges and on to some good riding.

Larry Barasch

Still Making Friends Hi, Wow what a great magazine! We were lucky to pick up a copy at our local Max BMW in Brookfield, CT. Being new riders the stories of travels have helped to ease the long and cold snow filled winter with the hope of traveling with you come spring. We are sending in our subscription request and are also interested in being listed on your MOTO-INN page.

We own an 1850 B&B on Route 8 in Otis, MA. The Berkshires have beautiful twisted country roads to explore and our bike would love to have company overnight in the barn. Please let me know how we can add Maplewood Lodging to the list.

Thank you and looking forward to riding with you, Carolyn Garretson www.maplewoodlodging.com Backroads, Thank you, Shira, for everything, especially for visiting Campbell House and enjoying your visit to the Laurel Highlands and Ligonier. It was a pleasure having you as guests and there are no words to express my thrill at your article. I was in tears when I read it. I hope the weather will soon be good enough for you to enjoy the backroads. Hugs to you both.

Patti Campbell - Innkeeper/Owner, Campbell House Your magazine is a class act. Love it! (Please take me with you!)

Suzanne Hayner Knaff

30 9am-4pm

END OF SEASON GIANT SIDEWALK SALE

9am-4pm

PINSTRIPING by K&M Signs

10am-2pm

PATCH LADY

10am-3pm

DEMO RIDES

11-11:30am

HOT DOG EATING CONTEST Registration

11:30am-12Noon HOT DOG EATING CONTEST 12Noon-2pm

FREE LUNCH

12Noon-3pm

ROCK OUT TO TIMEPIECE

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 10 Hey Brian and Shira, I have been looking at the new issue and I can’t get over the design of the cover of the February issue.

Wow… what great color and a very cool look! Congratulations.

Bill Kniegge

Wedding Day Bliss Hello, My fiancé and I enjoyed reading your November article about your fall ride and your stay at the Gray Ghost Inn. We fell in love with the Gray Ghost two years ago. Our riding association goes to the Gray Ghost in August of each year.

We love the Gray Ghost so much, we are going to have our wedding there on October 1, 2011. Naturally, it is biker themed. All of our guests are staying at the Gray Ghost and it is going to be a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely, Carole Berrier and Frank Marco How wonderful. A superb place to start a life together. Enjoy your day.

FDNY Dream Bile Now on NetFlix Hey I just watched a movie on NetFlix about the NYC Dream Bike.

Thumbs up for getting involved in something so worth while. Its great to see others so ready to honor a fallen hero! Thanks.

Bob E (from Facebook) Hey Guys, Believe it or not, I just got around to reading your February issue today. It was in a three-foot-tall stack of mail that I have been working my way through since returning from nearly a month in New Zealand.

I had heard from a few friends that you printed a review of my book, but didn’t see it until now, and just wanted to thank you for the kind words.

At Americade this year, we have dropped having a booth at TourExpo. I think we can do more good in less time by putting on seminars, so Cherrie

and I will do two seminars together on “Two-Up Touring.” We are also expanding the Coffee Clubs to four days - Tuesday through Friday - and it looks like I have been permanently assigned to host the Fashion Shows. But other than that - and of course my Featured Speaker spot and MCing the Friday night party - we will have a bit more time to spend with friends, and riding.

Fred Rau

Got something to say? We’d love to hear it.

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Email: editor@backroadsusa.com Mail: POB 317, Branchville, NJ 07826 poStcardS froM thE hEdgE

(Continued from Page 6)

It really is that good. The benefits of this technology for a new rider is obvious, but there’s a question, too. Shouldn’t a new rider learn to use non-ABS brakes first, for they’re bound to ride a non-ABS bike some day and they can’t just nail the stoppers the way you do with the aid of the computers?

Welcome to the complications introduced whenever advanced technology becomes more mainstream. If a new rider learns without ABS first, that’s awesome as it really does require more skill than using ABS so it’s better for a rider to go from non-ABS brakes to ABS as opposed to the other way around. Or, to paraphrase what Spock once said to Captain Kirk, “It was easier for you as civilized men to act like barbarians, than it was for barbarians to act like civilized men.”

OK, that’s really stretching an analogy to fit one of my favorite Star Trek episodes. But, I think you get my drift. And if you could get ABS on the bike you should, because these days the advanced braking systems are still better than 98% of the riders out there in terms of stopping the bike w/o locking up the wheels, the front tire especially. In really slick conditions, there’s no contest. And the thought of somebody on a bike like the new CBR who’s just starting out, the addition of ABS makes all the sense in the (real) world. This is a great thing, and kudos to the Consumer Reports gang for pointing it out to the folks that read their blog.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

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INSID E THE HELMET

Jeffrey Kurtzman

rElationShipS I expected more out of the moment as I watched while he loaded her 635 pound bulk onto his trailer to be driven off thousands of miles away to a new home. Truth is, there were no regrets, no lingering goodbyes and it bothered me to a point that it left me wondering if I ever had any feelings for the big bike at all.

Counting the money he left in exchange for taking her away provided little solace. I was now, for the first time in a decade, without a versatile sport-touring bike in the garage. The subtext being that maybe I no longer needed such a machine in my life. The ramifications of that little epiphany left me in a worse quandary.

Looking at some pictures of bikes past it came to me after a time. What I had missed was true intimacy. We simply never slept together. I don’t think it’s outlawed by the Geneva Convention or local ordinance but even if it were, I’m not talking about eyeing a titanium exhaust with lustful intentions.

It wasn’t all that long ago that I would overload a bike with more gear than I needed to stay on the road for a month (let alone only a week), tie on a tent and head wherever the road would lead. And where it led was not some hotel where I would unhook a hard luggage bag from the motorcycle and march into a sanitized room while the bike sat alone in the lot somewhere. Nope, I’m talking about riding some 500 miles and being so tired you want to drop but you know you can’t. You need to set up a home for the night. So, you pull out the tent poles, put up the little flimsy nylon shelter and unroll an old sleeping bag hoping those clouds to the west don’t mean rain tonight.

Once that’s all done you and the bike head into what passes for a town in that area and pick yourself up a steak and maybe a few beers for later. As the sun goes down the meat comes off the fire and then you grab a beer from the chilly mountain creek running by your campsite. There you sit, munching away and wondering if you could ever be any happier. Maybe someone wanders by and you share a few stories for a while but eventually, you are left with a fire, a tent and the motorcycle that transported you to this haven that can’t be touched by television, cell phone or computer. You watch while the firelight dances off the road dulled paint of the machine and goddamn if the bike isn’t smiling too.

The next morning you wake up and the first thing you spot is the machine waiting outside the tent. You’ll be telling it where to go but without inspiration from the motor and the controls laid out before you, the trip wouldn’t get farther then the first fork in the road.

Cresting a 13,000 foot pass it starts to snow in June like the old guy at the last gas station warned you about and you find yourself talking to someone in your helmet it’s the bike. Now, you’re urging it through the mush and down the mountain. Then, you thank it for not failing you when you stop for something warm later that day. Through the filthy headlight lens it seems to ac67 North knowledge the accolades.

Or maybe you ride up 95 North in the middle of the night, pushing just a little too much because the drive to get home after being away for six months has overwhelmed the urge to stay on the road even one day more. Somewhere in the sweet smell of night air that marks your passage through the southern states you know that you have gone too far and the bike agrees.

With nothing more inviting in sight you pull into a highway rest stop and lean back in the big saddle; legs

kicked up over the bars. You stare up into the blue night sky as America rumbles past your bedroom. And you thank the bike again for getting you there.

To be sure, I have some fond memories of the recently departed ex. It’s not you baby it’s me. Really, this is my doing. I alone had my hands on the bars for the last ten years. I just failed to point you in the right direction often enough and we lost touch. I need to work on that and I will.

Today I decided to hit the motorcyclist’s single bar. I pulled myself together and entered a dealership showroom. A few months have passed since I last saw the old bike.

Right about now the Navy pilot whose dad bought it for him should be coming ashore from the aircraft carrier he is serving on. His two wheeled surprise is waiting for him in his garage with my hope that they find that all important intimacy. I’ve spotted a new partner. I think I’m going to need to learn to speak Italian this time around…..

Long Island YAMAHA Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIYamaha.com • 516-935-6969

Come in for our great end of year deals!

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 12

IND USTRY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

KIDS JUST WANT TO RIDE ACT GAINING MOMENTUM

MOTORCYCLE RENTAL TO AND FROM ALASKA

Some 50 federal lawmakers have declared their support for H.R. 412, the Kids Just Want to Ride Act, the AMA reports. Attracting bi-partisan attention, the bill was introduced by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.). It seeks to exempt kids’ off-highway vehicles (OHVs) from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008 — also known as the lead law — that imposes a de facto ban on the sale of those vehicles at the end of the year. The CPSIA took effect Feb. 10, 2009 but the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the federal agency responsible for implementing the law, has delayed enforcement of key portions until the end of 2011.

“The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is an important law with many provisions that help protect our children against toys with lead they may put in their mouth or ingest,” said Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), who is among those who recently signed on to support H.R. 412. “However, the law did not create a necessary exemption for youth-model motorcycles and ATVs, which do contain some lead in the engines and battery compartments and which children are highly unlikely to put in their mouths. “This small change to the law will help ensure youth-model motorcycles and ATVs are not pulled from the shelves and remain available to the parents of children who wish to ride appropriately sized vehicles designed just for them that already meet government safety guidelines,” Ross said. Ed Moreland, AMA senior vice president for government relations, noted that it’s very important for lawmakers to cosponsor the legislation to increase its chances of passage. “It’s been proven that lawmakers listen to the voices of AMA members and members of the AMA’s sister organization, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association (ATVA),” Moreland said. “It’s critical that everyone who supports responsible motorized outdoor recreation for children contact their lawmakers to support this legislation so that we can stop the ban.” The easiest way to contact lawmakers is through the Rights section of the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com.

MotoQuest is now offering one-way motorcycle rentals between the “Lower 48” and Anchorage, Alaska. Save time and money riding one-way between the continental United States and the Last Frontier.

Starting April 15th, MotoQuest will be renting BMW GS motorcycles at their new location adjacent to Long Beach BMW Motorcycles in Long Beach, California. BMW 1200 GS, BMW 800 GS and BMW 650 GS Twin will be on the menu.

If you travel to/from Alaska between the dates of May 15th - June 5th and August 20th September 7th, MotoQuest will rent the second motorcycle AT NO COST. You heard that correct: 2 for 1 motorcycle rentals between Alaska and the good ol’ USA! Along with their Long Beach location, MotoQuest will also be offering round-trip and one-way rentals departing from Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington.

Also starting this summer, MotoQuest will be offering Kawasaki KLR 650 rentals in Fairbanks, Alaska. If you want to ride the Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay, but don’t want to ding up your bike, then consider giving them a call. MotoQuest is offering free motorcycle storage for anyone who rents a motorcycle from them. Check www.motoquesttours.com/motorcyclerental/ or call 1-800-756-1990 for pricing and details.

AMERICADE DEMOS Based upon the list of 15 motorcycle factories scheduled to be at Americade 2011, you could certainly draw the conclusion that the recession is well

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and truly over, at least in Lake George.

At Americade 2011, there will be demos from BMW, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, KTM, Kymco, MotorTrike, Roadsmith, Royal Enfield, Spyder, Star, Thoroughbred, Victory, and Yamaha. There will also be large factory displays from Honda and Indian, and Americade’s TourExpo tradeshow is nearly sold out.

“We frankly didn’t expect that 2011 would grow like it has. It seems clear that many OEMs have concluded that having a major presence at Americade helps to sell bikes. It’s our 29th year and it looks like Americade 2011 will be our biggest-ever. That’s a good sign, not just for us, but for motorcycling in general,” said Americade VP Christian Dutcher.

Other big news from Americade is the relocation of its social headquarters, from Roaring Brook Ranch, to The Fort William Henry Resort. “This will help centralize most activities, as well as make it easier to walk or take the trolleys to and from the motels, the tradeshow and the social headquarters. It also enabled us to create many more on-site events which are described more fully on our brand-new website www.americade.com” Dutcher concluded.”

NEW HARLEY-DAVIDSON LOCATIONS AT LACONIA

safety, the majority of the more than a thousand tickets which were issued during the first year of the checkpoints had nothing to do with safety and instead focused on non-safety violations such as loud pipes. The written guidelines for the checkpoints specifically state that one of the purposes of the checkpoints is to look for stolen and forged VINs and the police readily admit that they often have undercover members of their gang and auto theft units working the checkpoints looking for signs of criminal activity.

TWO RESORT TO CLOSE The owners of TWO, Two Wheels Only resort in the north Georgia town of Suches, say they a closing the resort March 15th because they are not able to secure a lease or work out an arrangement to buy the property. The owner of the land recently died and has passed it on to other owners who are not interested in renting the property.

On their website they said, “We’d like to thank all of you who supported this establishment and the local community for the last 29 years. It’s been a fun ride!”

Unfortunately the inheritors of the property that Two Wheels Only sits on would not renew the ground lease, do a month to month rent until they sold their property, or sell the separate parcel of land that the resort is on.

Harley-Davidson will be at two new locations to celebrate Laconia Motorcycle Week in Laconia, N.H. with riders, customers and motorcycle enthusiasts from June 11 – 18, 2011. The Harley-Davidson Laconia Motorcycle BACKROADS gladly accepts press releases.

Week location at the Weirs Beach Lobster Pound at 72 Endicott Street, Route 3 North in Laconia, is a Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) pin stop with new Send text/images via email to editor@backroadsusa.com product displays, H-D1/Fit Shop experience and JUMPSTART motorcycle experience.

Harley-Davidson demo rides on 2011 motorcycles will be available at Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant, 233 Daniel Webster Highway in Meredith, N.H., daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rides are free, and participants must bring a valid motorcycle license, sign a release form and wear a helmet and eye protection. This location is just SALES • SERVICE adjacent to Laconia Harley-Davidson at 239 Daniel 3-Rail Bike Trailers Webster Highway. Additional information on HarleySTRAPS • D RING Davidson at Laconia Motorcycle Week and other events Toy Hauler Trailers TIE DOWNS throughout the year is available at www.harley-davidwith or without son.com.

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MOTORCYCLE CHECKPOINTS MAY END UP IN SUPREME COURT Motorcyclists across the nation are awaiting a decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York, which they hope will declare New York’s “motorcycle only” roadway checkpoints to be unconstitutional. The case Wagner vs. The County of Schenectady could end up in the United States Supreme Court. The checkpoints, which target well-known motorcycle events, force motorcyclists traveling to and from those events to leave the roadway, regardless of any wrongdoing, and have their vehicles and equipment inspected for safety and non-safety equipment violations and stolen VIN numbers. Motorcyclists have been detained as long as 45 minutes in makeshift stockades while undergoing the inspections. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration recently began Federal funding for motorcycle checkpoints nationwide in order to assess their effectiveness despite objections raised by members of Congress.

The New York lawsuit is the first to challenge the constitutionality of motorcycle checkpoints. The plaintiffs are being represented by Proner & Proner, a plaintiffs personal injury law firm with a long history of doing “pro bono” legal work on behalf of motorcyclists.

The Proner firm commenced the lawsuit on behalf of four motorcyclists who were detained at two separate checkpoints.

The checkpoints are funded by a grant from the New York Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee and the troopers who work them are paid overtime. Although the stated purpose of the checkpoints is to promote

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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G REAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN

tasty places to take your bike

thE layton country StorE & trading poSt 130 cr 560 , layton, nJ • 973-948-8894 For those of you who have been reading and following along with many of the Rip & Rides in Backroads you know that when we can we like sending you over the private bridge at Dingmans Ferry to cross the Delaware river, rather than some of the larger spans.

The main road that runs towards the bridge is County Road 560 and along that way you ride through the tiny burg of Layton.

There is not much to Layton. A post office, a bar and auto restoration garage that always seems to have something that catches our eye each time we ride by. And, of course, today’s stop on the culinary ride we call the Great All American Diner Run – the Layton Country Store.

If you have been by here you’ll know the place – it is the building with the huge Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco sign painted on it.

The building itself has a long history with parts of the original structure dating back to the1820s.

The hamlet itself was first settled around 1800 by John Layton and was then known as Centreville.

The Little Flat Brook, which provided a source of power for early mills, runs through the middle of the village. Simeon Fisher, a blacksmith, is noted to be the first to open a business at this site, followed by Abraham Bell, who had a carpenter’s shop and a tavern. In 1835, Squire Layton established a store that served the residents of the community and travelers alike. By 1860, the hamlet had significantly expanded to include a Methodist church, two stores, a post office, a tannery, a blacksmith shop, a cooperage shop, a sawmill, a small shop, a gristmill, a hotel, and more than fifteen dwellings.

Shortly after that date, a one-room schoolhouse was erected in the hamlet.

In 1861, John B. Layton petitioned Washington, D.C. for mail delivery. The petition was in the name of Centerville, but the name was already being used by another community in the state. The name “Laytons” was assigned to this area, named for Layton who had put forth the petition. This name was later changed by the post office department by dropping the ‘s’; and the village called Layton was born.

The store that Squire Layton opened is the same place we are talking about today.

These days the owners Shawn and Jen have recaptured much of that history and one stroll around the store and adjacent dining room will show a bit of this history. North New Jersey memorabilia can be found and many pictures of this same building throughout its past.

If you are looking for upscale and fancy this day you might want to keep on riding to Milford, Pennsylvania,

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

for here it is low key and comfortable.

The dining room is fairly big and can easily handle most riding groups, but on warmer days we much prefer the outside deck so we can have a hearty meal and watch the traffic flow by heading to Pennsylvania or the almost hidden and forgotten (to many) Walpack Valley.

This is about as quaint country Jersey as one can get. We like it that way.

In fact so do a lot of riders in the know.

There is even a group of riders that meet at the Layton Country Store the first Sunday of each month for breakfast before heading out for a full day’s ride.

Page 15 And, with good reason - they have some great chow here.

Breakfast, which is served until 11:30, will find you deciding between pancakes, French toast or Belgian waffles, as well as nine different omelets such as Greek, Western, cheese and two meaty ones for we carnivores.

Sometimes you might like to start the day off lighter and just go for a breakfast sandwich so you have some choices here as well. Egg & cheese, Taylor ham (always a New Jersey fave!), sausage, ham and something called the ‘Big Boy Hero’ – a 6-inch hero with not 6 or 7, or 8 slices. No, no, no Ten! Yes, ten slices of Jersey’s own Taylor ham and cheese… throw some eggs on this just to be sure you’re alive!

The Layton has you and your group covered when noon draws near with a full lunch menu. A bunch of burgers and three different chicken sandwiches - grilled, cordon bleu and the Italian supreme-grilled chicken, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.

You’ll find a bunch of hot wraps and deli-style sandwiches as well.

I had their cheese steak loaded with peppers, onions and mushrooms and Shira went for the Turkey – both were excellent.

As we mentioned the Layton Country Store & Trading Post is located in some of the best riding in northwest New Jersey. To get you there we’ll start from the New York City area.

Find your way into the ride from any point and you will have a great time.

You can also download this route to your Garmin GPS. This is a 130-mile ride to get there, so get going early – cause it’s worth it! Enjoy!

Rip & Ride on Page 48 or you can download it here: www.sendspace.com/file/3yd1wh

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 16

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s M YSTE RIOUS AME RICA an architEctural oddity and an EnigMatic Educator Dan Bisbee Tucked in one of the more secluded wrinkles of the Green Mountains, the town of Brookline Vermont is overlooked by casual travelers. It is home to fewer than 500 people, has no stores or town center and isn’t even on the way to anywhere. What makes Brookline worth a visit is its round schoolhouse. Built in 1821, it served as the town’s only school for more than a century. But the real oddity here isn’t the schoolhouse itself but the mysterious man who designed it and served as its first schoolteacher.

It was 1821 and the residents of Brookline were looking to rebuild the schoolhouse after a flood destroyed the old one when Dr. John Wilson appeared in town. He agreed to be the schoolmaster as long as the school was built to his specifications. When he presented his plans for a round schoolhouse the townsfolk probably scratched their heads a little and then shrugged and built it to his plans. Round, after all, would be easier to heat and would result in a larger interior space for a given amount of bricks. The fact that they needed a schoolteacher almost certainly sealed the deal.

And so the one room round schoolhouse took shape with five windows and a door evenly spaced around the circumference. When it opened for classes, Dr. Wilson placed his desk so he could keep an eye on the road in both directions as he taught. With the round design and evenly spaced windows, he could scrutinize people approaching from any direction.

Questions about the schoolteacher cropped up. Why would such a seemingly sophisticated gentleman choose to live in relative obscurity? Despite his apparent knowledge of England, Scotland and Wales and slight Scottish brogue, why did he speak little of his past life there? Why did he always wear clothing with high collars or a cravat even in the heat of summer? And what was the cause of his limp that sometimes required a cane?

Once, while visiting an acquaintance, Dr Wilson seized a copy of a book and threw it in the fire. The book: Captain Lightfoot: The Last of the New England Highwaymen, was dictated by condemned criminal Michael Martin and published after his hanging for highway robbery. In the book he confessed to be the infamous highwayman “Captain Lightfoot” who, along with his partner “Captain Thunderbolt” terrorized the countryside in Great Britain from 1815 until 1818.

As the notorious Thunderbolt and Lightfoot they intimidated travelers throughout the British Isles, stealing only from well-to-do folks and never from the less fortunate. Martin described several of their heists as well as descriptions of injuries sustained by Captain Thunderbolt. At one point Thunderbolt was shot in the leg during a robbery and, after hobbling some distance, Lightfoot removed the musket ball with a knife. When a bounty of 500 British Pounds was put on each of their heads, they split up, with Thunderbolt escaping to the West Indies and Lightfoot hightailing for America.

While Thunderbolt dropped from sight, Lightfoot resumed his life of crime in New England, robbing people from Boston to Montreal. It was a particularly savage robbery of Major Bray near Medford Massachusetts that brought about his capture, trial and eventual hanging.

On his deathbed in 1847 Dr. Wilson requested that his body not be disturbed in any way. He wanted his body simply dropped in a coffin and buried.

However, the mortician removed his clothing prior to embalming and discovered that his neck was horribly disfigured by apparent knife wounds. His

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011 left leg was rather withered and shorter than the right and the calf bore the scar of a musket ball. In the heel of his left shoe was a cork insert making up for the disparity in leg length. Upon further examination, it was discovered that hidden within his cane was an eight inch stiletto knife.

Townsfolk began to speculate that the quiet eccentric Dr. Wilson had an alias. Could the quiet, slightly eccentric schoolteacher be John Doherty, aka Captain Thunderbolt?

After spending a few years in the West Indies could he have made his way to a small remote town in Vermont and lived out his life in obscurity as a school teacher and doctor?

The round schoolhouse still stands in Brookline, on Grassy Brook Rd across from the town office building, looking remarkably like it did when it was an active school from 1821 until 1929. The school is believed to be the only round schoolhouse in the country. Was its architect and educator the infamous Captain Thunderbolt? His description and wounds seem to match with Captain Lightfoot’s account. You can see his cork heel, stiletto cane and other personal effects on display in the Brooks Library in Brattleboro and decide for yourself.

Photos of Captain Thunderbolt’s artifacts are used by permission of Special Collections of Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, Vermont.

Page 17

Rip & Ride® • ROUND SCHOOLHOUSE GRASSY BROOK RD, BROOKLINE, VT

START: GRAY GHOST INN ROUTE 100, WEST DOVER, VT LEFT ONTO ROUTE 100 SOUTH – 1 MILE LEFT ONTO DORR FITCH RD – 1.3 MILES TURNS INTO DOVER HILL RD – 4.2 MILES THROUGH SOUTH NEWFANE STRAIGHT ONTO GRIMES HILL RD – 1.6 MILES LEFT ONTO ROUTE 30 – 3.1 MILES RIGHT ONTO RADWAY HILL RD - .5 MILES (JUST NORTH OF NEWFANE) LEFT ONTO GRASSY BROOK RD – 4.4 MILES ROUND SCHOOLHOUSE IS ON THE LEFT IF THE ROAD TURN TO DIRT, YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR.

Getting out for the first ride of the season? Remember to check the tire pressure, oil, nuts, bolts and general well-being of your ride.

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 18

BIG CIT Y G ETAWAY grEEn aniMalS topiary gardEn 380 coryS lanE , portSMouth, rhodE iSland 02871 • 401-847-1000 Although about 30 minutes from the famed mansions of Newport, this 7acre estate overlooking Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island should not be missed.

Sure the building is gorgeous and we’d all like to have a few of these places to call our own, but what is special about this particular estate is what surrounds it.

Probably one of the finest topiaries on the east coast; it is certainly the oldest in the United States.

First, before we go hunting Green Animals, let’s have a little history to get a feel for the place.

The estate was originally built in 1860, but was purchased in 1872 by one Thomas Brayton, who was the treasurer of the Union Cotton Manufacturing Company located in Fall River, Massachusetts. Soon after he commissioned a gardener from Portugal, one Joseph Carreiro, to fashion imaginative animals and geometric figures to fill the gardens.

The topiaries were shaped from California privet, yew and English boxwood trees. Carreiro was the superintendent of the property until his death in 1945. Mr. Brayton died in 1939 and his daughter Alice Brayton took up permanent residence in 1940.

Joseph Carreiro was assisted by his son-in-law, George Mendonca. Both

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind gardeners were responsible for creating the topiaries. Mendonca, the son of a nurseryman and dairy farmer, was hired to make repairs in the Brayton garden after a hurricane damaged it in 1938. Mendonca married Carreiro’s daughter, Mary, and together they have lived on the grounds overlooking Narragansett Bay. When Alice Brayton inherited the property she renamed the estate “Green Animals” due to their proficient work. Each of these incredible individual topiaries were hand tripped, groomed and trained using the traditional technique. This took decades. Today, modern topiaries often are trained on a metal frame or trellis to shorten the time the transformation takes place. It was under her direction a menagerie of 30 topiaries was created. During five decades of Mendonca’s care, the garden grew into a horticultural destination. Additional hurricane damage was sustained in 1954. The giraffe lost its head and neck. It took five years to grow back with a much shorter neck.

The grounds have their own history as well.

The estate hosted a coming-out party for Jackie Bouvier in 1948. She went on to marry President John F. Kennedy. Her stepfather resided in nearby Newport and she was wed in a local church. The estate hosted other dignitaries over the years including Mamie Eisenhower, the wife of President Dwight Eisenhower.

Upon her death in 1972, at the age of 94, Miss Brayton left Green Animals to the Preservation Society of Newport County. Mendonca remained the

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 19

grounds manager until his retirement in 1985. These days Eugene Platt, gardener, and James Donahue, horticulturist, keep Green Animals looking as stunning and surprising as ever.

Each year, Green Animals hosts a children’s party, attracting about 1,000 people.

So many folks come to Newport to “ooh and ahh” at the monstrous mansions off Bellevue Avenue, and Green Animals tends to be overlooked, but we are here to tell you it is worth the trip.

Walking into the gardens, with their wonderful flowers and plants is like a breath of fresh air. Grapeentwined trellis line some of the paths and a bamboo maze can be found in your walk around the grounds; all this in the shadow of a stunning Victorian Estate overlooking the bay.

But, it is the Green Animals that we have come to see; and there are plenty.

You’ll find a teddy bear here and elephant there. Of course, Shira loved the camel. Who said unicorns aren’t real? We both thought the monkey would have been perfect back home at the Tiki Bar. Don Quixote looked the other way as I stole a few grapes off the vine – perfectly sweet in the early September sun.

What a wonderful place!

You can visit from May through October when Green Animals is open to the public.

You’ll find it just north of Newport, off Route 114, but we’ll give you an interesting Rip and Ride to get you there in style – with an ocean voyage to boot!

Rip & Ride® • GREEN ANIMALS TOPIARY GARDEN • 380 C

ORY’S

START: NEW YORK CITY HEAD EAST FROM RIVERHEAD P/U RTE. 25 EAST RIGHT AT RTE. 48 EAST RTE. 48 RUNS BACK INTO RTE. 25 TAKE TO FERRY TO NEW LONDON, CT RELAX AND ENJOY THE VOYAGE! RIGHT ON WATER STREET TAKE I-95 EAST ACROSS THAMES RIVER EXIT TO RTE. 1 EAST

LANE , PORTSMOUTH, RHODE ISLAND • 401-847-1000

BEAR RIGHT TO RTE. 215 RIGHT AT RTE. 1 EXIT TO RTE. 1A EAST TAKE EXIT TO NEWPORT RTE. 138 FOLLOW SIGNS TO RTE. 114 PAST RAYTHEON LOOK FOR COREY’S LANE ON LEFT SIGN FOR GREEN ANIMALS GARDEN ½ MILE DOWN ON LEFT

DON’T WAIT FOR LIFE. RIDE TO MEET IT. GARAGE PARTY • SATURDAY, APRIL 16 • 4-6pm Find your inner rebel. Learn the art of motorcycling from a women’s perspective.

Discover the freedom of riding your own Harley® motorcycle at the event that’s just for women. We’ll talk about how to get started and show you how to design, fit and personalize a bike as unique as you. You’ll leave ready to take the next step.

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 20

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE ’RE OUT TA HE RE Springhill winEry plantation BEd & BrEakfaSt 3205 SpringfiEld road, BlooMfiEld, ky 40008 502-252-9463 • www.SpringhillwinEry.coM

Many times in our travels we come across a place that is just wonderful. We consider it a perk of the job; but when we do we like to share it with you guys in Backroads.

This just happened to us once again while traveling down south through the Blue Grass state of Kentucky.

Just outside of Bardstown, in the middle of Kentucky’s great bourbon region, we spent the night at a marvelous Bed & Breakfast called the Springhill Winery Plantation.

An actual working winery the place is built around a stunning home built back in 1857 by one John R. Jones, who features quite prominently in the farm’s history, but more on this gentleman later.

Owned now by Ed and Carolyn O’Danile the Springhill is centrally located and just a short ride from many of the local sites and bourbon distilleries.

Its fine acreage has rows of grapevines and the vineyards produce some delectable varieties and it is the only Kentucky winery to have been featured in Wine Spectator.

Entering the house you are faced with a wide stairway that leads to the four major bedrooms, all tastefully decorated.

There are two other rooms located in the house that once were quarters for the slaves who took care of the housekeeping.

We have all heard of stepping back in time? Well, here at Springhill you leap back through the years. The air of the place is one of southern gentility

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads and comfort.

Still all this old southern flavor is carefully mixed with modern amenities and you will appreciate the cool air conditioning when stepping inside from the muggy Kentucky summer.

As with most vineyards and wineries you’ll find an open and airy wine tasting room and shop, with a comfortable porch to sit and enjoy the view with a glass of Plantation White or Federal Hill Red. In the morning Carolyn serves up a wonderful breakfast of sausage, eggs, fruit, and bread pudding with bourbon syrup and while enjoying breakfast we were told the story of the skirmish that occurred here during the War between the States. Ed is a masterful storyteller and we listened, rapt in his tale.

Most folks assume that Kentucky sided with the south during the Civil War, but it remained neutral till just before the war ended and they sided with the north (smart asses).

Back in those days Springhill Plantation was called Anoatop and John Jones and his family lived here.

As the story goes there was a day when Confederate guerillas came to rob the home and Jones, his family and slaves hid from the soldiers, until one went to rob Jones’ favored saddle.

From a bed of flowers Jones shot one of the squad and a gunfight ensued and eventually they tried to burn the house down.

Later the soldier died of his wounds and that night his friends returned and shot and killed Jones.

This angered the locals and Union troops in the area and in reprisal the Union soldiers chose two Confederate prisoners of war (whom later turned out to be innocent men traveling home from the war) by a bean bag lottery and brought them back to Anoatop.

They asked what was to be done with them to the family and locals. Not waiting for an answer they turned and shot both men in cold blood. This happened often during this foul war.

It is said that the ghosts of these men still haunt the plantation and many psychics and paranormal scientists agree that something is surely happening here. The plantation was also part of the Un-

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 21

derground Railroad for a time; so here at Springhill Plantation Bed & Breakfast you are surrounded with great history and one of the more comfortable and romantic inns we have seen in a long time.

Traveling Kentucky by motorcycle is a joy by itself and spending a few nights here will make you yearn for your own Kentucky home.

wElcoME to thE JunglE (From Page 22) I dare say I do the same whenever I am on the road with a truck or car too.

Should drivers stop texting and be more diligent? Yep. But, in the end, we are responsible for our own safety.

It is up to every rider to be mentally attentive and aware of their surroundings and dire possibilities of where they are, what is going on around them and where they have placed their motorcycles in these situations.

Between two commuter buses in the Lincoln Tunnel is where I will never be, at least not for long.

To think for one minute that, whether riding on an empty country road or commuting into one of the most congested cities on the planet, that car, truck and bus drivers are going out of there way to protect you is foolish at the least, delusional at the worst.

I do think there are many drivers out there that are far more on the ball than others – many of these drivers are riders themselves and I know I am always very cognizant of riders around me when I am behind the wheel of my truck or car. And, if the rider is riding foolishly it always heightens my awareness to this current situation.

As a motorcycle rider, once you begin thinking that you’re safe simply because you are riding within your means, legally and in control – well, that is when bad things happen.

To our Facebook alumni who posted that message I strongly recommend that you go over your basics on a regular basis and redouble your vigilance while on the road.

We all should, especially this early in the season, be aware of where we place our machines in traffic, what is happening around us and to utilize “Space Cushioning “ as much as possible.

This rider in the tunnel put himself in a no-win scenario if things went bad and they did. There was no “Space Cushioning” here.

Could the bus drivers have done something differently? Perhaps, but I wasn’t there and so I can’t make a judgment on that. I do know that in situations like the tunnel I am on super-high alert.

There are some places and scenarios that, even though you are already on watch and you are diligent, you must turn it up a whole bunch more.

Your life and the lives of other depend on it.

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 22

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival

Diligence A few months back we talked about a massive, multi-motorcycle crash that happened in Southern California.

This month we’d like to take a look at another incident that happened a bit closer to home, and although only one motorcycle was involved, a number of passengers were taken to various hospitals as well. Never a good thing.

This time it was a chain-reaction crash involving three commuter buses and a motorcycle inside the Lincoln Tunnel that resulted in 60 injuries, including the motorcyclist, who was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan with a femur and shoulder fracture, officials said.

Roughly 13 bus riders were “seriously” injured, according to a spokeswoman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The wreck occurred in the Manhattan-bound center tube of the tunnel at 7:27 a.m. on Feb. 24, P.A. spokeswoman Jennifer Friedberg said.

According to the Daily News, the motorcycle was between two of the buses, and when the lead bus stopped for traffic, the second bus slammed into the motorcycle and the bike rider ended up underneath the second bus.

There had been unconfirmed reports that the rider was crossing the solid white line, in an effort to get through the morning traffic quickly.

Shira posted this article on the Backroads’ Facebook Page with the

simple comment to “Be careful out there.”

We received a number of comments; but one really surprised us.

“Honestly, I am sure you meant well by your comment but I have been aggravated all day by it. Yes, we should be careful, but honestly, anybody who knows the area also knows that the Lincoln Tunnel has two lanes with a solid white line. You are not allowed to change lanes.

No one wakes up in the morning, gets on their bike and prepares to be careful that they don’t get run over by a bus. We are not the ones that need to be careful in this instance. Bus drivers, texting teens, the guy eating a burger, the woman applying her makeup, or the truck driver reading the newspaper...those people need to be careful.”

Her comment that “No one wakes up in the morning, gets on their bike and prepares to be careful that they don’t get run over by a bus” could not be more mistaken.

As they say in a popular Sabra Hummus TV commercial: “Everyday Ms. Janet, everyday!”

Everyday I get on my bike I mentally prepare myself to be more alert and more attuned to what is going on around me.

(Continued on Page 21)

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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My Old Kentucky Home With apologies to Stephen Foster

Brian Rathjen The end of July usually brings with it the first barks of the dog days of summer and the week leading up to it, Shira and I were leaving for the summer rally in Fontana, North Carolina, which was a real scorcher.

With a planned early Monday morning side stands up we waded through the near 100 degree weekend and watched with glee when huge storms rolled through the northeast breaking the back of the oppressive heat wave.

That Monday we rolled out of the driveway under blue skies and cool temperatures, a perfect riding day.

Now our Backroads shindig would be starting a full week from this day, but that just gave us a week to meander around the south and do a little exploring. Kentucky was calling!

Backroads Central to Ligonier, Pennsylvania Our plan was to head through the heart of Pennsylvania and then slink along a bit of West Virginia and cross over into Ohio.

From there it would be onto Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia – picking up friends as we rolled on and finally back into the Smoky Mountains and our own Backroads celebration, a good week’s worth of riding the snakey roads of the region with friends new and old.

We crossed the Delaware near the Water Gap and rode along roads both familiar and new to us.

Relying on the Zumos to help, we hummed along steadily … well until the first detour then it was back to old school.

We were heading for the paddle wheel ferry at Millersburg to cross the Susquehanna River and were within 10 miles when we had to get creative and spend an additional 20 miles making our way to the river.

You gotta love detours, as long as they don’t crush your semi-planned route too much; they always offer something interesting.

Like the two-track pass we found just east of the river.

The ferry at Millersburg is one of a kind in the United States and heading down North Street to the dock (well the dirt hill that runs into the river) I

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

knew we had one of many scenarios about to occur.

My best thought was that we would pull up and we’d see the Roaring Bull (that’s the name of the tiny ferry) about to land on our side or maybe heading in our direction from the far shore. The second thought, one that I didn’t dwell on as you get what you think, was that the old paddle wheeler would have just left minutes before we pulled up.

As it was a perfect riding day things could only be just right and the Roaring Bull was sitting there waiting. We just rolled on and in a few minutes were paddling our way across the wide Pennsylvania river.

The roads on the far side of the Susquehanna are exceptional and we happily ate up miles in a general southwest angle.

By evening time we rolled into the town of Ligonier and took a room at the very comfortable Cambell House, where Patti – the innkeeper – made it a point of telling us how much she enjoys have riders stop by.

Another new member of the Moto-Inn program.

Ligonier could fill an entire issue of Backroads, as it has in the past few months. Great All American Diner with the Lingonier Tavern and its great food and balcony, Big City Getaway taking in the famous Fort, Patti’s comfortable B & B but the topper is Joe’s Bar. Not your typical beer and shot joint. How could it be with literally hundreds of wild and exotic animals. It’s phenomenal, if a bit creepy for those who detest this sort of thing, and possibly the largest personal collection of stuffed beasties in the United States.

Ligonier, PA to Marietta, OH

We had a breakfast at the Campbell House that was just right and soon packed up the machines and headed over to Fort Ligonier, the first British Fort west of the Appalachians and a big player in the French and Indian War. The old wooden fort is a grand lady and the displays of cannon and arms were worth the visit.

On December 9th, 1965 the town of Kecksburg became the center of the UFO universe as a fireball crashed into the hills alongside the town.

The local fire department responded but what they found was not of this world. A few hours later the military showed up with machinery and a few hours after that, in the early light of the day, an object was hauled out under the cover of a tarp and taken away towards Ohio, presumably to Wright-Pat Air Force Base.

Page 25

These days you can see what the object looked like under that tarp when you visit the Kecksburg Fire Department; which is what we did.

Seymour wrote about this, years back, but it was the first time we got a chance to see the famed Kecksburg UFO. We wonder if this is how Mr. Happy and his ilk got to Earth. They say they are from France, but haven’t we heard that line somewhere before?

Heading further west and south we scooted along the highlands and along some interesting backroads that followed the high Laurel Hills and hollers that call this part of Pennsylvania home. It reminded us of West Virginia, for good reason as we soon crossed into the Mountain state near the town of Hundred; a place we had never even heard of.

The odd name came from a man named Henry Church who lived in the area till he was 109 years old and died back in 1860. They called him “Old

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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Hundred” and the town is in his name.

The peculiar thing for us was that our destination for the day was Marietta, Ohio and while fueling up in Hundred we realized that the GPS said we had some miles to go to that night’s rest.

How many? 100 exactly.

Just one of those strange coincidences that happen on the road…maybe.

Our route brought us over the Ohio River at Hannibal and then it was right into the roads that make Ohio a rider’s paradise.

Well, southeastern Ohio at least – we all know the rest of the state lacks for roads with really good adjectives

attached to them.

We climbed some little roads and then onto Route 255, which twisted west.

It was then onto one of our favorite rides, Ohio Route 26, directly to Marietta.

A few years back we had ridden this great piece of pavement the other way and the last half was fun, but very rough and bumpy.

Shira had said then that if they ever pave this road it would be about as perfect as it gets.

Ta dah… America’s Reinvestment Act to the rescue.

Hell, we could still smell the pavement and they had just finished drawing the centerlines and big machines littered the sides of the roadway. We were on ‘Virgin Pavement!”

As a favorite Brooklyn bus driver would say, “How sweet it is!”

A few years back this hilly sweeping roadway was 2nd – maybe 3rd gear.

It was now 3rd and a happy 4th. Most of you know what I mean.

Marietta, Ohio was the first permanent settlement of what was then known as the Northwest Territory. A bustling town on the banks of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers that we had visited years back and had grown fond of.

Right on the river is the historic Lafayette Hotel; a grand place and the perfect place to call it a night.

Besides it was early and Marietta had lots to offer. Watching the full moon rise over the Ohio River from the hotel’s penthouse deck was magical.

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Up and out early on a much more sultry morning than the previous two, we swung back across the Muskingum River and then west into the heart of southeastern Ohio.

Shira had planned the next few days ride, so I had no real idea exactly where we were going, but just that we’d end in Kentucky somewhere, as we had no planned overnight stop this day.

One of the best-known motorcycling roads in this part of the nation is Ohio 555, or the Triple Nickle as it is called.

A fine piece of pavement, it follows the farms and streams in a slight roller coaster fashion and is a very pleasant ride.

Shira, for some reason this day, felt the need to connect the dots between some of the finer roads in Ohio with a wide array of tiny farm and forest roads. Why ride a beautifully paved road that flows smoothly along the Buckeye backroads when we can go along gravel paths, two-track dirt and the like?

Along one such trail I had a large vulture fly out from the woods to my left.

A strong stench of dead followed and I was amazed

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

at how close this buzzard did buzz me. Just then a dozen of his buddies flew out behind him and I have never been so close to a flock of these birds in my entire riding life.

I felt like the guys in Wild Hogs and Shira was adding lively commentary through my headsets as the birds followed us for a few miles anticipating dessert.

Just when I thought we were back on more curvy pavement Shira, our heroine totally undaunted, sent us up a road that could have been called “I Hope You Have Ground Clearance Trail!” or “You Must Be Kidding Trace?”

This was not even remotely a real road as its ruts had ruts and it kinda went straight up the mountain.

Ahh, what’s life if not an adventure?

My GS was right at home on this, but Shira’s lowered R1150R, with Avon Storm II tires, had to muscle and bang its way up to the top where the trail became more civilized and the riding easier. All those dirt classes she has

Page 27

taken paid off this day.

We found lunch at a place called The Real McCoys where we had two huge sandwiches, side salads and sodas for a whopping $8 bucks. Not what you would call Manhattan prices here.

Along the wall they had pictures from their weekly music hoedown and I wished I could be there on a Saturday night as the music must be incredible.

Crossing our friend the Ohio River once again we, after three days of great riding, rolled into Kentucky and then along some serious backroads that Shira had laid out.

For all the drama she routed us through that morning the byways of the Blue Grass State were spectacular.

Each tiny road was better than the rest. Cutting over the dam at Grayson Lake the humidity that had been building gave way to a huge storm and the amount of rain that came down in 10 minutes was staggering. Huge puddles

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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filled and the visibility was slim to none.

We pulled into the park itself just as the sun burst forth.

The rest of the ride was filled with ups and downs, rights and lefts and this was good as the constant tilting of our bodies and bikes allowed for the bright sunshine to help dry us out.

Near evening we went in search of a rustic little cabin around Cave Run Lake. And we did just that with a clean cabin, a semi-warm pool and a delicious Southern Barbeque just a few miles away.

Life is good on the road.

Cave Run Lake to Bloomfield, KY Cave Run Lake is a marvel of engineering and was created back in 1991.

Here you will find the Minor E. Clark Fish Hatchery, the largest warm water hatchery in the nation that produces some four million fish a year.

We started our morning’s ride with a quick visit to the Clark Hatchery and the woman there was kind enough to give us a quick tour. We saw them loading in thousands of fingerlings into tanks where they would be transferred to the larger pools and begin to mature.

Really fascinating and the sheer size of this place was very impressive.

From here various fish - trout, bass, alligator gar and the famed muskies - will be brought to numerous lakes and streams around the state.

Once again Shira had us on some delicious roads and, of course, tossed in the Triple D – Daily Dose of Dirt – on a road that went on for a few miles only to be stopped by a large locked gate. We took Plan B, which was made up on the spot.

In Winchester we found a neat little café called Stinky & Cocos. With a name like that we had to stop and we’re glad we did too, as the food was fine – especially Shira’s grits with mushrooms, sausage, bacon and shrimp.

Yes, of course it was Kosher.

We had a somewhat shorter ride this day; as we were to meet our friends Baron and Baroness Wolfgang von Symthe Symthe at a lovely bed & breakfast at the Spring Hill Winery Plantation in Bloomfield, just outside Bardstown.

Since escaping political upheaval in the small and little known eastern European nation Smuttzlvania, Wolfgang and his wife have adopted the names Rich and Dee Dee Ford – so that’s what we call them.

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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cambered and ready to be ridden. No police whatsoever and very little traffic to speak of.

If there are a number of real rider states in this Union then Kentucky is on the short list for sure. One of the best places to ride in the east.

We all met by late afternoon at the Plantation and after settling in, we partook in some wine tasting and then were offered a ride to Bardstown where we had dinner and caroused a bit, sampling just a little of the bourbons that Kentucky is famous for around the world.

Bloomfield toLake Cumberland State Park After a simply sumptuous breakfast from Carolyn at the Springhill and some great tales from Ed, her husband, which covered the Civil War fights, ghosts, the Underground Railroad and more, we got ready to take off for the day.

Shira is a big fan of bourbon, especially the red-waxed bottles from Makers Mark. In fact she is a Makers Mark Ambassador and gets all the perks that come with that.

With Richard leading the way we skirted around Bardstown and rolled around the hills of Kentucky towards the town of Loretto and the home of Makers Mark.

We lucked out as a tour was just beginning and we got a down home lesson on how real Kentucky bourbon is created and why Makers Mark is so special.

There was a small tasting afterward and we were able to try Makers Mark new 46, which is especially wonderful.

A bottle was bought for the remainder of our trip as we were heading to one of the most beautiful parks in the Blue Grass State, Lake Cumberland, which unfortunately lies in a….. dry county.

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Along the way we spent some time off the bikes and wandering around Green River State Park with its massive dam and lovely grounds.

Here we found an old log cabin, recently restored. It was here, during one of the Civil War battles, that the healthier of the entrapped wounded soldiers drilled holes in the porch to allow the blood to seep through.

Such dark times for our nation and a living part of the history of Kentucky.

Right about then we crossed into the central time zone and gained another hour of the day.

By late afternoon we got to the park and located the cabin we had booked for the next two nights. Now this was sweet. Two floors with two good-sized bedrooms and baths. Since we had a kitchen as well we did a bit of food shopping and set ourselves up for the weekend.

Barbecue chicken, steaks, dogs and brats worked for us. We were living high on the hog.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Saturday I awoke to boomers and the skies opened up as another cool front crossed the area. For the first few hours the heavens let loose and this part of Kentucky got soaked.

But taking our time with breakfast, coffee and bike talk we waited it out until it lightened up a tad.

When traveling with another couple autonomy is key. You cannot expect everybody to do what one particular person wants to do.

So it is good to keep an open mind with these things and, being big boys and girls, we can go off and do our thing for the day.

It would be hard to come to this part of Kentucky and not make time for two American icons – Mammoth Caves and the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.

Neither Shira nor Dee Dee were all that excited about the Mammoth, as they had been there before, and Corvettes have never impressed Shira all that much (much to my and my garage’s dismay) so Richard and I set off together heading west and leaving the gals to their own agendas, which included the ancient gym, the pool and horseback riding.

I worked out a twisty little number along some of the four-digit roads and some 75 miles later we rode to the largest caves in the United States.

Having both been there before, we did a shortened visit, not taking the full tour. This is well worth it, though, if you have never been. It’s a half-day venture, for sure.

We listened to our other calling this day; the Corvette Museum.

Corvettes have been made in Bowling Green since the 1980s and the museum has the greatest collection of the American Sport Car I have ever seen.

From the early red and white Corvettes to the newest ZR1 and everything in between - this is a must stop for American motorheads of all ages!

We spent a few hours bouncing around the cars, exhibits and taking in the very informative film on the history of this iconic machine.

The only thing that broke me away from the ‘Vette spell was the ‘Vette showroom across the road that had a dark green ‘69 Mustang Fastback for sale.

Can somebody say Frank Bullitt?

We scooted a much quicker way back to Lake Cumberland and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on this lake, the largest man-made lake in the United States until the creation of Lake Mead.

By this time the spotty thundershowers had headed east and with plenty to do around the lake and the big Lure Lodge we parked the bikes and enjoyed our last evening in Kentucky along the shore of Lake Cumberland.

This was the end of this leg of our journey, as tomorrow would point us towards Georgia and on to North Carolina and our Summer Blast in Fontana Village. But that’s another story.

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Riding the Road of Bones Michael McDonald / Compass Expeditions

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he Kolyma highway, M56 or the Road of Bones. No matter what name is given to it this road has become synonymous with adventure biking and in recent years one of the last great challenging rides for bikers still wanting a destination that hasn’t been ridden to death.

Long before Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman put this place on the map it had a far more sinister history. Built during the Stalin era by Gulag prisoners it is said that up to two million people died during its construction, the bones of the dead lying under the road. It is also in this region that the coldest temperatures ever recorded outside Antarctica exist. We knew we were in for the “ride of our lives.”

A group of anxious bikers had gathered at the Ace Café in London aboard their assortment of BMW GSs, fitting as it was the 30th anniversary of the launch of the GS range. They had gathered to begin a 100-day expedition from London to Magadan being conducted by Compass Expeditions.

A quick ride across Europe through France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria gave the riders a great taste of this compact yet fascinating continent, with all riders declaring they will return for a “European only” tour one day; however we were on our way to Siberia and didn’t linger in Europe for too long.

The wonderful city of Istanbul spelt the end of Europe and the beginning of Asia and a chance to get off the bikes for a few days. We continued on into central Turkey stopping at the Troglodyte village of Goreme where we were accommodated in caves for 3 nights, enjoying a magnificent hot air balloon ride over this remarkable landscape.

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Page 33 the bloodiest battle of WW2 and then onto Moscow with its infamous Kremlin and Red Square and stunning Saint Basils. It was an amazing feeling to be sitting astride our bikes on the edge of Red Square when it wasn’t that long ago we all saw footage of Russian leaders watching over military parades as they rumbled across the square displaying Russia’s military might.

Crossing into Kazakhstan we entered the mighty Kazakh Steppe, a region so vast one can see the curvature of the earth. It is a lonely, silent place and roaring across it on our BMWs seemed to be almost irreverent. The nights spent camping out under the stars shall long be remembered by all.

We entered the fabled storybook lands of the Silk Road as we crossed into Uzbekistan. We were riding the edge of the Kyzulkym Desert and the riding was hot, well into the 40s Celsius on a number of days. With some days off the bikes we visited the mighty Registan in Samarkand, built by Tamerlane and wandered the bazaars of and spice markets of Bukhara.

Riding up onto the Anatolian Plains we visited the Ottoman city of Safranbolu and the UNESCO listed city of Amaysa, both little known yet both amazing, a real surprise. We eventually reached the Turkish Black Sea coast and rode the winding twisting coastline until Trabzon, our departure point for Russia.

The 12-hour ferry from Trabzon, Turkey to Sochi, Russia turned into a 24 hour marathon, the delays and incompetence only matched by that of the Russian border post at Sochi. An agonizing six hours after disembarkation and a plethora of paperwork and we were allowed into Russia, at 1am.

It was a thrill to be riding in Russia, something that was not possible only a decade or so ago. We rode into Volgograd, (formerly Stalingrad), home of

Sadly Kyrgyzstan had to be removed from the itinerary due to violent civil unrest; a quick itinerary change was made that saw us riding the Western Tien Shan Mountains in southern Kazakhstan. A fantastic home stay was organised where we had a break from the bikes and wandered the small village watching little children wander freely and playing on the road. It was a scene that would not exist in western society these days and we lamented the fact.

After a service of the bikes at BMW Almaty and fitment of the super tough Heindineau tires to all of the bikes we rode north across the Kazakh Steppe and into Russia again. Continuing on the Trans Siberian Highway towards Irkutsk we stopped to visit the jewel in the Siberian crown, Lake Baikal, a stunning lake ringed by distant snow capped peaks and, at 900 feet deep, is one of the world’s largest supply of fresh water.

Mongolia was our next country of destination and promised to be a highlight of the ride. Riding Mongolia has often been described as riding the

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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world’s largest paddock. There are very few roads, mostly dirt tracks, and the majority of riding is across open grasslands. The riding here was epic as we rode down vast yawning valley’s under a huge blue sky, all the while the rare Bactrain Camels grazed nearby, the landscape was dotted with gers of the Mongolian herdsmen, always situated near a crystal clear river and stands of pines. It was great stuff.

The riding was tough in sections with a number of creek crossings and mud holes to be negotiated along with the constant battering the bikes and riders took. Much of the day would be spent standing on the pegs, and part of the day would be spent retrieving dropped bikes in rivers.

Khovsguul Nuur is renowned as one of Mongolia’s scenic highlights and it didn’t disappoint. This stunning alpine lake is surrounded by lofty snow capped peaks and forests of pine, brilliant white gers stood on the shoreline of the deep blue lake and long haired Yaks wandered freely. Staying in these gers was a wonderful experience and surprisingly warm.

We continued back into Russia for the third and final time riding the Trans Siberian Highway once again. We rode onto Chita were we all celebrated Joe and Carmen’s 30th wedding anniversary with the local prostitutes and

their pimps at an adjoining restaurant to our hotel; it was a humorous night to say the least. The Trans Siberian Highway is now paved for its entire 5000 mile length from Moscow to Vladivostok, making it the longest highway in the world.

We turned off the Trans Siberian and rode north up the M56 or Lena Highway into another world.

This road was all dirt and rough however the riding was stunning as we rode through a landscape that had turned the autumn colours of the Taiga forests that stretched off into the distant horizon.

Looking for a camping spot one evening a local Reindeer hunter insisted we camp with him by his log cabin. The cabin was spectacularly set on the banks of a tannin filled river that brilliantly reflected the bright yellows and reds of the Taiga. A Sable Cat, recently shot, was being stewed and fish from the river being dried on the wall while Siberian Huskies were frantic with our presence. It was a great night spent with three generations of family living in a single room log cabin, truly in the middle of nowhere.

After days of doing our best to destroy the bikes we arrived at the remote capital of Yakutia, Yakutsk, where we had a welcome break off the bikes.

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Riding in these parts takes a special breed of biker as the winter temperatures drop well into the -30s. They would be lucky to have 30 miles of paved road in total to ride, and curiously they all had road bikes.

We left Yakutsk crossing the Lena River by ferry and began what we had all come for, the Road of Bones. The weather had turned against us and we rode in light rain for many hours as the temperature struggled to top 5 degrees. Stopping at one of only a handful of truck stops we savoured the hot Borscht soup and the warmth of the basic cafĂŠ owned by an old couple. Living out there is an existence that could not have been more removed from ours and we wondered out loud how they survived.

The Road of Bones is cut in two by the mighty Aldan River and a torturously slow ferry served as the link. From the Aldan River we steadily rose to

Page 35

a height of around 2700 feet, usually no big issue however this far north it spelled trouble. In a heartbeat the majority of us were on our sides all having fallen. We had hit ice on an incline few of us had barely noticed. Even walking proved difficult as I took my heaviest fall, winding myself when landing heavily on my back.

The further we rode the more spectacular the scenery became. Autumn had well and truly arrived and the entire landscape was a spectacular shade of yellows and reds. We rode the stunning valleys that wound their way through the lofty snow capped peaks of this wild uninhabited land. Silt laden rivers roared by under decade old rickety wooden bridges that looked about ready to give up and collapse. The campsites were some of the finest on the entire journey, wild, empty and silent.

We battled on through more spectacular snow covered scenery however the temperatures were savagely low, at times below zero, but with a few more bike drops temperatures quickly rose. What very few villages we did pass looked as if they had been a victim of a long ago bomb blast. Never had any of us witnessed such run down forlorn looking towns and we truly wondered

Page 36

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

if they were inhabited, which indeed they were. The towns were more in line with what we expected in this historically tragic region of Russia, not the absolutely stunning scenery we had spent days riding and photographing. It was hard to imagine the horrors of Stalin’s Gulags surrounded by such beauty.

A broken axle stud on the support vehicle trailer meant a chance encounter with some incredibly helpful and friendly Russians. A long night was spent with these wild but generous men drinking way too much Vodka, a little welding, then more vodka. These were tough guys living in a tougher land yet their generosity and friendliness will stay with us forever. An invite for our next group to go bear hunting with them was genuine.

Our last day, after 100 days on the road, was greeted by spectacular sunshine but very low temperatures. The stunning scenery continued on unabated as we remained at around 2100 feet. Coming to another pass that few noticed, again we were down. I slid for 50 feet while still in the riding position and managed to reach up and turn the key off while still sliding, it was about as gentle and tranquil a spill as one could have. After a week on the Road of Bones and 2060 miles since we last saw a paved road we reached pavement and immensely enjoyed the ride into Magadan.

Emotions ran high as we stood under the Magadan sign after 100 days and 17,500 miles on the road. We knew we had accomplished what so very few bikers had before and we could be proud of that. We had experienced every kind of weather, road and emotional condition one could hope to experience and we all stood under that Magadan sign, no trip ending injuries, no fatal bike problems, we had made it.

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BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS DIMPLE PLUGS Way down in the depths of your engine lurk some little monsters. It is natural for them to be there, but you’ll still want to say goodbye to them as quickly as possible. What we are talking about are metallic filings and shavings that accumulate in your engine’s oils and drive fluids. Even if you change your fluids regularly you’ll still leave these pieces behind – until now.

Many machines these days have magnetic drain plugs, and these do a half-way decent job of collecting this small metallic debris, but why take a rock to a gun fight. Enter the Dimple Plugs.

Although they look like many other magnetic drain plugs, they are not. The magnets that are used on these plugs have been rated nearly 1,500 times more powerful compared to stock magnets. That is a lot of attraction going on here!

They are rated for extreme heat and will pull all ferrous metal to the plug and allow it to be safely removed from your cherished engine.

These plugs are a no brainer for anyone with a bike. Prices start at $29.95 and they have applications for just about every machine on the road. Check www.drainplugmagnets.com or call 704-320-0700 for more information.

SPECTRO OILS HELPS WITH THE LUBE Spectro Oils proudly presents Z-Clean Chain Lube, a dramatically effective new chain lube that does more of what you want done, and less of what you don’t. Spectro Z-Clean Chain Lube’s special zinc formulation provides unsurpassed anti-wear protection, resulting in longer chain and sprocket life. Yet, the zinc formulation of Z-Clean does not attract dirt, sand or grit, and so will not fling off when used as directed. Suitable for O-ring and roller type chains, both for on-road and off-road use, Z-Clean is the next generation in chain lubrication.

Spectro brands are manufactured and marketed by Intercontinental Lubricants Corp. of Brookfield, CT, ILC, one of the world’s foremost manufacturers and packagers of quality, specialty lubricants. For more information on Spectro Oils, please visit: www.spectro-oils.com.

SIDI “STREET” BOOTS One of Sidi’s new boots for 2011 is a low cut casual yet moto-protective model called the “Street”. Constructed from Lorica with a perforated Teflon treated nylon liner and a lug sole, the boot is stylish yet protective and durable. The “Street” also features a composite inner sole, removable arch support, protective internal heel, ankle and toe cups and is double stitched in all high stress areas. Entry is via a full-length zippered entry with a Velcro security flap with pull tabs on the back of the boot. Available in black only for $190 at your local Sidi dealer this spring, or on the Motonation website: www.motonation.com

For over 25 years Circle Cycle has helped riders get and stay on the road

8 State Hwy 94 • Lafayette, NJ • 973-579-6088 • 877-252-9828

New Jersey’s Largest Pre-Owned Bike Seller Over 100 Clean Street, Dirt and ATVs In Stock AT ALL TIMES

Our variety of powersports products is second to none. Whether you’re riding offroad, backroads, or on the track, we’re here to get you where you need to go.

In northern New Jersey there isn’t a friendlier or more knowledgeable staff than ours. We’re happy to help you find the parts you’ve been looking for.

Online Shopping Available Check our catalog pages - if you don’t see what you want, give us a call or stop in - we’re always ready to help!

Circle Cycle.

For the discriminating rider.

CIRCLE

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CYCLE 201-945-2200 web: www.circlecycle.net

ES R ALL BIK O F ID A HP TOP CAS HUGE selection of Parts and Accessories for cruisers and sportbikes 600 Helmets In Stock: Icon, Shoei, Suomy, HJC, Scorpion and more HUGE selection of apparel: Mens and Womens - Street and Dirt First Gear, Rocket, RIver Road, Fox, Thor, Alpinestar and much more Professionally Trained Mechanics • Gold Wing Experts

WE BEAT ANY INTERNET DEAL Located 1/4 mile north of 206/94 intersection and 1 mile north of Newton Tues: 9-6 • Wed: 9-5 • Thurs: 10-8 • Fri: 10-5 • Sat: 9-2

Closed: Sunday and Monday

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Page 38

F

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

THE NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW

or the last few years it seems that the big show at the Javits Center has been the same thing again and again, but this year’s event promised to be different with a number of manufacturers rolling out some very fine new machines.

After the last few years of the economy beating up our industry and so many dealers downsizing or worse – closing their doors – it was heartening to get a glimpse of so many new, and in some cases, very different bikes that can be bought and ridden when the spring time rolls around.

Ducati’s newest entries, the new Monsters and the futuristic Diavel, had crowds around them all weekend, as did the BMW booth with the Big Apple unveiling of the new K1600s and F800R (Shira is in lust with this one).

I was especially interested in the new Triumph Tiger 800 and one of the things to be noticed at Honda- always a big display at the show – was its smallest street bike – the CBR 250.

The previous night both Victory and HarleyDavidson had thrown parties for their newest machines - the Highball and the Black Line bikes - both cruisers to be reckoned with when the riding season comes a callin’.

Yamaha’s Star line and new adventure bike, the Super Tenere, also had folks talking, as did the new Kawasaki Ninja 1000.

One thing that did stand out to me, especially since Backroads is a destination-oriented publication, was that the state of West Virginia took a number of booths. This state is an awesome place to ride and many of you might remember that we did an entire issue devoted to the Mountain State.

We just might have to do it again. Hell, even New York and New Jersey

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 39

didn’t think enough to do this in their own backyard, although I did appreciate the New York State Troopers there to talk motorcycle safety and how not to get ticketed.

This season go out and discover West Virginia! We’ll see you there.

Most of the vendors were offering great motorcycle gear – Nolan Helmets, with the plethora of Real Riders gear, were doing a brisk business and our friends from Twisted Throttle had a great display, as did the returning Schuberth helmets and so many others.

The Ride For Kids were raffling off yet another stunning Honda, and buying a ticket for this each year is a pleasure.

Once again women riders and their needs were addressed, always a good thing and there were plenty of seminars on how to work on your own machines as well.

All in all there was plenty to see during those three very chilly days in January. What better time for an afternoon filled with motorcycles and fellow riders. For sure there are always a few things that made us go…huh? But, that is an entire different article.

I know we needed a fix and we certainly got it with so many of you coming by to say hi and all the kind words about Backroads were truly appreciated.

You guys and gals are really what make this publication so special and we always leave New York rejuvenated to do an even better job in the upcoming season.

So this year’s show is in the books.

Superbowl is over (sorry Jet fans) and baseball season is just a month or

C Y C L E

P R O D U C T S,

so away. We like baseball season here at Backroads Central. If it’s baseball season it is also time to ride.

So, we hope you found something new and exciting at the show and, more importantly we hope you did your part to support your local dealers and shops by buying some of the great things you did see at the show.

We need to support our local motorcycle business now more than ever.

Let’s ride out of this show with a great attitude. We deserve it as a wonderful season of riding is just about here.

N. A.

2010 Inn of D #1 in NY b istinction y NYSH &TA

No Competition.

Precise. Lightweight. Comfortable. Essential.

Visit us for TAP NY at Hunter Mtn. APRIL NY State’s longest running food & beer festival

Seats available for late model Ducati motorcycles.

29 - May 1

We are walking distance to Hunter Mountain P E R F O R M A N C E

S E A T S

www.SargentCycle.com Call 1-800-749-7328.

7872 Main St. / Rte. 23A, Hunter, NY

• 518-263-5025 • www.fairlawninn.com

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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UPCOM IN G EVENTS CALEN DAR E V E RY M O N T H - W E AT H E R P E R M I T T I N G Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - Calverton NY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221 First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner of Dingmans/Bevans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Join others for a ride or head out on your own Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish Third Tuesday • 7:30pm ABATE of the Garden State, North Jersey chapter. Black River Barn, 1178 Rt. 10 West, Randolph, NJ. 7:30pm. New members and all mc brands welcome. Help fight for rights as a motorcyclist in NJ! Alex Martinez 973-390-1918

APRIL 2011 2 • Bergen County HD Vendorpalooza. 10am-4pm. Free Food and Music and TONS of parts all in one place. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com 2 • Bergen Sport Cycle 43rd Anniversary Open House. 30 US Hway 46, Lodi, NJ • 973478-7711 • www.bergensportcycle.com 6-9 • Montgomeryville Cycle Center hosts BMW Demo Truck. 2901 Bethlehem Pike, Hatfield, PA • 215-712-7433 • www.montgomeryvillecc.com 9 • Sport Honda Open House/Teach McNeil Stunt Show. 911 Middlesex Ave/Rt. 27, Metuchen, NJ • 732-906-9292 • www.sporthonda.net 9-10 • Rumble and Roar Motorcycle Show, Center of Progress Bldg, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY. Sat. 11am-6pm • Sun. 11am-5pm. New, custom, vintage motorcycles, parts, accessories, leather, destinations, clubs, chili cook-off, beer samplings, music, fashion shows, product seminar and more. www.rumbleroar.com • 888-334-2856 16 • Spring Open House Morton’s BMW. Demo rides, door prizes, food, vendors, music and much more at the biggest BMW Open House in the region, and it’s all FREE. More info at 540-891-9844 • www.mortonsbmw.com • 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA 23 • Bergen County BMW 1st Anniversary Party with food, music and stunt show by Teach McNeil. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com

What’s Happening more. AMA sanctioned • www.ChaiRiders.org • 201-797-4206 1 • Cross Island MC Long Island Timed or Tour Run. Sign in: Formula One Motorsports, 4030 Sunrise Hwy, Oakdale, NY • Timed Run 9am/Key Time. 30mph timed run. If you ever wanted to try a timed run (like the Crotona Midnight Run) here is your chance to do it in the daylight. 10am/LI Tour 10am. Route sheet provided with 90-miles of Long Island’s best roads. $10/bike • www.CrossIslandMC.com 6-8 • 4th Annual Buzzard Bottom Campout. High Country Motorcycle Camp in Ferguson, NC. Located 20 miles east of the Blue Ridge Pkwy at milepost 276. MC-only campground.

For more info www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com 13-15 • Join Morton’s BMW for their first-ever Spring Fling Rally held at the historic Natural Bridge hotel in the scenic Shenandoah Valley in VA. Just off I-81 and the Blue Ridge parkway, the rally will feature self-guided rides, both on and off-road, through the gorgeous countryside, a catered barbecue (or vegetarian) dinner Saturday night, door prizes and more. Vendors welcome. $45/pp registration. For more info, visit www.mortonsbmw.com/springfling_2011.html or call 540-891-9844.

13-15 • Mothers for Daughters Motorcyclists for Breast Cancer & Ovarian Cancer Research. Join hundreds of motorcyclists for a weekend of riding and fun in beautiful scenic Vermont and help raise money for breast and ovarian cancer research. Since its inception in 2008, the run has raised over $47,000 which goes to both BCRF and OCRF. For complete details of the weekend event and room rates, please call 781-861-0005 or visit www.mothersfordaughters.com 14 • 9th Annual South Branch Watershed Assoc. Ride for the River Poker Run. Sign in: 9-11am Spruce Run Rec. Area, 68 Van Syckel Rd, Clinton, NJ. $25/bike. For more info visit: www.sbwa.org • 908-782-0422 21 • 4th Annual Hope for Huntington’s Motorcycle/Poker Run to benefit Huntington’s Disease Society of America. Sign in: Kosco HD, 1149 Rte. 23 South, Kinnelon, NJ. Endsite: Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Rd, Ringoes, NJ. Reg. 9-11am • $15/rider; $10/pass.

Ride finishes 2-3pm.

22 • Freedom Run for Wounded Warrior Project sponsored by Bergen County HD/BMW. Start: Bergen Courthouse, Hackensack, NJ 9-10:30am. Run: 11am Sharp. $25/rider; $15/pass. Endsite: Liberty State Park with live music, entertainment and more. For more info visit www.bergenharleydavidson.com

29 • Bob’s BMW Evening Pre-Open House Gala 7-10pm. $20/pp with LIMITED TICKETS.

19-22 • Concours Owners Group Spring Fling Northeast Area Rally. Penn Wells Lodge, Wellsboro, PA. Nearby camping also available. Saturday buffet dinner included in rally fee. Detauks abd fee information online www.cog-online.org • 978-394-2591

30 • Bob’s BMW Open House 9am-4pm. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 888-269-2627 • www.bobsbmw.com

19-21 • Mid-Atlantic Retread Rally. Headquarters: Bird-In-Hand Family Inn/Restaurant, Rte. 340, Bird in Hand, PA. For more info call: 856-241-8979

30 • Harley-Davidson Long Branch Rockin’ into Spring Open House. 9am-4pm. Sidewalk sale, pinstriping, patch lady, demo rides, hot dog eating contest, live music and free lunch. 671 B’way, Long Branch, NJ • 732-229-8518 • www.HDLongBranch.com

29 • Dawn Patrol MC Memoiral Day Classic. Signin: Bradley Garden Firehouse, 24 Old York Rd, Bridgewater, NJ 9am-Noon. $15/pp covers 60-mile run, food and beverage.

30 • Baer HD Open House. Food, instore sales, live music and donation to Locks of Love.

330 Grandview Ave/Rt. 6, Honesdale, PA • 570-253-2000 • www.baer-inc.com

MAY 2011 1 • Chai Riders MC First Ride of the Season. Sign in: Temple Beth Shalom of Fair Lawn,4025 Fairl Lawn Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ • 8:30am-4pm. $20/rider; $10/pass. Scenic ride at your own pace, breakfast nosh along the way, BBQ lunch at end site and sooo much

JUNE 2011 5 • 10th Annual Poker Run/Pig Roast to benefit POW MIA and Veterans sponsored by Rolling Thunder Chp. 3 NJ. Sign in: Tramontin HD, Rt. 80/Exit 12, Hope NJ 9-11am. Endsite: Glen Gardner VFW with live music by Psych, vendors, prizes food. $20/rider; $20/pass. For more info: 516-659-2510 • www.rollingthunder-nj3.org 10 • 11th Annual Informal Gathering of Sidecars at Americade. Headquarters: Adirondack Camping Village. Info: Bruce 610-866-1611 • stephens.bruce.d@gmail.com 7-11 • Americade - the world’s largest motorcycle touring rally. Get the complete lowdown on their new, revamped webpage: www.americade.com 12 • Nassau County FireRiders XMas in June to benefit the children of St. Christophers.

Sign in: 9am-Noon with breakfast Applebee’s, 938 S. B’way/Rt. 107, Hicksville, NY. $10 an unwrapped toy (no stuffed animals) • www.fireridersmc.com 15 • Blue Knights IX NJ Garlic Run. For details visit their website: www.bknjix.org 11-19 • 88th Annual Laconia Bike Week. Find out about all the goings-on right here www.LaconiaMCWeek.com 17-18 • Triumph Metuchen Demo Truck Event. 875 Middlesex Ave/Rt. 27, Metuchen, NJ • 732-462-4881 • www.triumphmetuchen.com 26 • 3rd Annual Poker Run to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. Two sign in locations: Baers Sports Center, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA • Harmony Lodge #8, 519 Rte. 206, Andover Twnshp, NJ • 9am-Noon. $20/pp incl. t-shirt, food at endsite (Walpack Inn), prizes, live music, 50-50 and more • Baer 570-253-2000 • 570-686-2917

JULY 2011 12-17 • Suzuki Owners Club of North America RallyFest 2011. Goshen, NY. Rally location: Comfort Inn and Suites, Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY • Host Dealer: Jim Moroney’s Cycles, 833 Union Ave, New Windsor, NY. For more info: suzukiownersclub.org 16-17 • 35th Annual Running of the Ramapo 500 sponsored by the Ramapo Motorcycle Club. 500-mile, two-day scenic ride. $33 Pre-reg/$45/day of event includes camping, Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, entertainment, awards, prizes, starters pin and finishers patch. Limited to 400 entrants. For complete info: www.ramapomc.org 28-31 • United Sidecar Assoc. 33rd National Rally ‘Buckeye Rally’ in Dayton, OH. Headquarters: Dayton Tall Timbers Resort KOA. Info: www.sidecar.com 31 • District II of NJ Corn Boil/Rally. Sigin: 9-11am Williams HD, 1100 US 22, LEbanaon, NJ. Endsite: Bridgewater Eagles, 350 Woodside Ln, Bridgewater, NJ. $15/pp.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 41

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CLUB SPOTLIGHT • SUZUKI OWNERS CLUB OF NORTH AMERICA The Suzuki Owners Club of North America is an Owners Club that includes membership into an organization that promotes the Suzuki Brand of Motorcycles — all models. We hold local and national rallies, organized rides and other events.

If you own a Suzuki motorcycle then the Suzuki Owners Club of North America is for you. You can find us on Facebook and you can join at www.clubsuzuki.org.

Our Mission: The purpose of the Suzuki Owners Club of North America is to promote responsible motorcycling activities for SOC Members and their families by conducting chapter activities and encouraging participation in other SOC events.

SOC provides a social focal point for Suzuki-owning Motorcyclists. SOC is comprised of three major Chapters – The United States, Mexico and Canada.

If you love riding motorcycles and you are tired of riding the same old routes alone, if you are looking for riding companions, different destinations, great rides, lots of fun, and last but not least, some great people to meet and with whom you and your family can associate, then the SOC is for you!

The Suzuki Owners Club of North America is family oriented, with events each month of the riding season. Sunday rides, dealer events with VIP privileges, long and/or short day rides, over-night/weekend events, regional and national rallies, just to name a few, and so much more. By joining the SOC, you will make good friends and enjoy good times riding your motorcycle with like-minded enthusiasts.

In the midst of this, we are proud supporters of the Cruising For ChangeTM program, supporting the efforts of the Alliance for Lupus Research (ALR) to find the cause and cure for Lupus, a chronic autoimmune debilitating disease for which there is currently no known cure.

If the idea of being a member of the SOC community sounds enticing, you’re right, IT IS!!! SOC membership is fulfilling and satisfying. There are only two prerequisites: (1) you must possess a desire to RIDE; and (2) a desire to Have Fun. This year, the SOC’s Northeast Regional Summer Rally – RallyFest 2011 – is being jointly hosted by the Hudson Valley (Local) Chapter #152 and SOC Dealer Member, Jim Moroney’s Cycle of New Windsor, New York. The Rally will run from the afternoon of Tuesday, July 11, to Sunday morning, July 17, 2011. Event headquarters will be located at the Comfort Inn & Suites of Goshen, New York (845) 291-1282, use code “Suzuki” for reservations and special discount rates.

For more information about the SOC, Cruising For Change or RallyFest 2011, contact Steven “Stone” Anthony at (603) 608-3321.

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

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Who says you can’t take it with you?!

Bicycle/Golf Clubs to Motorcycle Carrier Systems This unique and adaptable system is the most versatile motorcycle accessory on the market today. Handmade in the USA, it enables motorcycle riders to rack their bicycles securely and travel.

As Seen In Backroads June 2010 GAADR

Southern Style BBQ Dine in or Take out Plenty of Room for the Whole Gang Non-brand specific • 1% of sales donated to environmental causes • 1% all sales to JDRF

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Open Every Day BUT Mondays at 11AM 110 RTE. 17 • SLOATSBURG, NY Phone: 845-753-5555 • www.hogheavenbbqny.com

TREBOURMOTORCYCLES • Serving motorcycle enthusiasts and representing our brands with pride for over 12 years • Recognized for service excellence including Suzuki’s highest honor The Cutting Edge Award - Servicing all makes and models • We offer Pick up and Delivery service for the entire New York Metro area • Conveniently located just off I-80 at Exit 28 1445 ROUTE 46 LEDGEWOOD NJ 07852 • 973-584-0810 • TREBOURMOTORCYCLES.COM

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

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If you didn’t like cool stuff, you wouldn’t be reading this magazine.

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From Long Island’s Premiere Motorcycle Outfitters…

TORQ-IT Screwdriver/Speed Wrench/ Palm Ratchet All In One Tool Variable Speeds Over 600RPM Low Profile, with an “Ergo” Grip and a Non-Slip Design Accepts All 3/8” and 1/4” Sockets and Extensions

BASIC SET: $19.95 • DELUXE SET: $29.95 • ACCESORY SET: $9.95

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Tel: 1.888.876.9555 • Visit Our New Website: WWW.TORQ-IT.COM

WASHINGTON CYCLE WORKS We cater to road racers and support all Track Day organizations Check us for Suspension Setups • One-piece Road Race suits in stock

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Washington Cycle Works

Junction of Rtes. 57/31 • Washington, NJ 07882

908-835-0043 Closed Sun-Mon • Open: Tues-Thurs 9:30AM-7PM • Fri 9:30AM-6PM • Sat 9AM-3PM

www.beemerboneyard.com USED OILHEAD & K-BIKE PARTS Hundreds of used parts at 50% off new cost or less Order online 24/7 ~ M/C, Visa, Discover or PayPal 100% money-back guarantee ~ parts ship in 24 hours

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973-775-3495 • M-F 12pm~5pm • inquires@beemerboneyard.com

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

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MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

…your personal heaven on earth!

Located in Arden, only 15 minutes from Philippi, on the beautiful Tygart River in West Virginia, our bed & breakfast is the perfect place to call home while exploring the Mountain state.

Rates from $70 - $90 per night

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www.AngelBandFarm.com Box 696 • North River Road • Philippi, WV 26416

The Boat House Restaurant

As seen in November 2010 Great All American Diner Run

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lley’s Hudson Va ne Riding Number O t Restauran Barbeque W North 1076 Route 9 mery, NY Fort Montgo

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Serving Lunch and Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday 11am - 9pm Closed Mondays 1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood, NJ 973-300-0016

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oute 9W icturesque R P n o d te ca o L Perkins Drive minutes from State Park and Harriman Point historic West f o th u so st ju

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If you go home hungry it’s your own fault

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Ask about our Diners Club.

Gift Cards available.

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Located in the beautiful hamlet of Narrowsburg, NY just off scenic Route 97, 1/4 mile from the Delaware

It’s almost Spring and that means it’s time to ride to

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING Located at Ross’ Corners • 1 Route 15 • Augusta NJ • 973-300-2300

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Belvidere, NJ www.thisilldous.com • 908-475-2274

Enjoy quaint Victorian Belvidere and scenic Warren County

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983 Breakfast • Lunch • Espresso Cafe Ice Cream and Dessert • Catering Off-Premise Worth the ride from anywhere!

182 Bridge St • Narrowsburg NY • 845-252-3998 • www.narrowsburginn.com Open 7 Days a Week (Check for hours) • Rooms start at just $95

320 Front Street

Member

The Narrowsburg Inn & Grille, since 1840, is a warm welcome spot for riders, as a lunch stop or overnight. With an assortment of menus to please the taste and modernized historical rooms to stay in, along with great enterainment, you'll have an enjoyable time at the Inn!

Open Daily 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday Thisilldous is New Jersey’s best kept secret. Maybe the best luncheonette in the State • Star Ledger

The Riverton

Travel along the scenic backroads of the Delaware river.

Meet the Markopoulos family and taste chef George’s Greek American cooking.

Best bar menu, lunch or dinner.

Fresh poppers, perogies, calamari, clams and crispy wings with 8 different sauces.

Tues. thru Sat. 11am-10pm Sunday: Breakfast 9am-Noon Lunch and Dinner served until 9pm

John, Christina, chef George and Eoanna welcome you and your friends.

The Riverton Hotel and Restaurant At Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com

Member of

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 46

Come Ride the Dragon Deals Gap Store • Motel Bar and Grill

Deals Gap 318 Curves in 11 Miles

www.dealsgap.com 800.889.5550 17548 Tapoco Road • Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771

Whippany, NJ • 973-781-9090 569 Route 10 East • (1-1/4 miles east of I-287) M/F: 8-7 • Sat: 9-5 • Sun: 12-4

Succasunna, NJ • 973-589-7000 276 Route 10 West • (1-3/4 miles south of I-80) M/F: 8-7 • Sat: 9-5 • Sun: 10-4

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

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Rip & Ride® •

THE LAYTON COUNTRY STORE & TRADING POST

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RIGHT AT SNOVER ROAD BEAR LEFT AT DECKER RD. CROSS RTE. 206 TO PRICE LEFT AT AUGUSTA HILL RD. LEFT AT CR 519 RIGHT AT CR 626 (FIRST LIGHT) CROSS DOUBLE BRIDGE LEFT AT PARSON RD. RIGHT AT JUNCTION RD (PAST SMALL TUNNEL) RIGHT AT CR 622 LEFT AT RIDGE RD. (FIRST LEFT AFTER PAULINSKILL BRIDGE) BEAR RIGHT AT DOVE ISLAND RD. LEFT AT CR 619 EAST SHORE DR. RIGHT AT SADDLE BACK RD. LEFT AT CR 521 RIGHT AT MILLBROOK RD. LEFT AT SAND POND RD. LEFT AT SHANNON RD. RIGHT AT BIRCH RIDGE RD. RIGHT AT MILLBROOK RD. CR 602 RIGHT AT NPS 615 STAY RIGHT TO NPS 615 RIGHT AT KUHN RD CR 615 LEFT AT BEVANS RD. CR 640 LOOK FOR HUGE MAIL POUCH PAINTED SIGN

PALISADE INTERSTATE PARKWAY NORTH BEAR LEFT ONTO LAKE TIORATI ROAD GO 1/2 WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC CIRCLE BEAR RIGHT UP ARDEN VALLEY ROAD LEFT AT RTE. 17 BEAR RIGHT UP HILL TO RTE. 17A LEFT AT RTE. 84 LONG MEADOW ROAD INTO NJ RIGHT AT CR 72-SLOATSBURG RD RIGHT AT MARGARET KING RD RIGHT AT CR 511 LEFT AT MARSHALL HILL ROAD ONTO UNION VALLEY ROAD CR 513 RIGHT AT RTE. 23N JUG HANDLE TO OAK RIDGE ROAD CR 699 RIGHT AT RIDGE ROAD CR 620 RIGHT AT CR 517 LEFT AT MOUNTAIN ROAD RIGHT AT OLD PROSPECT SCHOOL RD CROSS RTE. 94 ONTO HOPKINS CORNERS INTO MONROE ROAD LEFT AT PELLETOWN ROAD LEFT AT CR 661 BEAVER RUN ROAD LEFT AT MEADOWS ROAD CROSS RTE. 15 STAY ON CR 659 BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 94

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BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 49

CTor i V g n Taki

r o ad e h T y on

Riding through the slot canyons around Gateway, Colorado, with the headlight of a good friend occasionally blinking in my mirrors, I’m once again reminded that I belong to a small tribe, at least when compared to the number of people there are in the world who don’t ride. Realizing how incredibly fortunate we are to experience the thrill of a new landscape from the saddle of a motorcycle, I down shift the big V-twin beneath me and dive into the next series of bends. Reacting to the change of pace, my buddy adjusts his speed, as I also realize that the Victory motorcycles we are riding belong to a relatively small part of this tribe in the big picture of the motorcycle industry. This makes the large presence and awareness they have already established for themselves since their introduction in 1998 all the more remarkable.

Cross roads Having arrived on the scene with their bikes being touted as “the new American motorcycle,” Victory quickly began winning awards. Their 1999 V 92C took Cycle World’s “Cruiser of the Year,” with numerous awards to follow. Building on this success, “Fuel your passion” is now a new tag line at Victory to accompany the fifteen new models they have on offer in 2011.

Words: Neale Bayly • images: Brian Nelson

APRIL SHOWERS SALE

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Gin Shear & Sue Slate Seminars • Sat. April 16: 11am-3pm These are the same seminars that were given at the International Motorcycle Shows.

Check our website for times and details.

Ron Bowen, Metzeler Tire Rep, talking tires • Sat. April 30

®

949 Rt. 28 • Kingston, NY 12401

845-338-2800 • www.woodstockharley.com *Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts, certain restrictions apply. See store for details.

APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 50 As we thunder alongside a breathtaking vista of deep river canyons and towering mountains, I’m having no trouble figuring out what it means.

Also, riding through some strange times in the motorcycle world with our current economy, it’s interesting to note the success Victory has been achieving in growing the brand. This is not so surprising, when you realize the Victory Motorcycle Company is headed by Mark Blackwell, the motorcyclist’s

kingpin Cross CounTry motorcyclist. There are few more qualified in our industry, and this is easily recognizable in the quality and versatility of the machinery and choice of machines he oversees. With the fat 250 tire models excluded, they have put a premium on the ride experience, with great handling, braking and strong, useable power allied to superb fuel delivery. Realizing that while I’m not a fan of big tire bikes, many people are, and the Victory models certainly do a much better job than others I’ve ridden with this configuration. American Iron Horse has to be the worst offender, with Suzuki’s M109R coming a close second for honors in the most difficult to ride category.

With fifteen new models to potentially ride in one day, it seemed like a daunting prospect at first to give them a decent evaluation. But with all of the line up sharing the same basic 106 cubic inch, air-cooled VAgents who ride and understand twin engine, it actually wasn’t such a tough job. Starting with the one bike I know from the Victory line up, the your Motorcycle Insurance Needs MEMBER Vision Tour, I learned this, the Cross Roads and the MEMBER Cross Country actually have what is called the Stage 1 engine package. This gives the touring range engines Ask about our Tour Cycle Program – the Ultimate in Coverage milder camshafts and a lower maximum peak of 92 horsepower. With 109 lb-ft of torque, it’s man enough Passenger Coverage • Accessories Coverage for the job, and I’ve made many a happy mile in the seat of a Vision in the past.

Medical Payments Coverage For 2011, Victory has made changes to the gearbox to quiet things down. Fourth and sixth gears have been 448 Lincoln Ave • Hawthorne NJ 07506 • 973-427-2246 worked over to reduce whine, and drive train lash has also been drastically reduced. After our day of testing, www.CycleInsuranceAgency.com there was too much daylight and incredible scenery left for me to pack it in, so I jumped on a cruiser and headed Serving New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania • ATV • Jet Ski • Snowmobile out to shoot some photos. Paying particular attention to the gear whine, I was surprised how much noise there was and wondered why it wasn’t noticeable during the Cycle Motion is your provider of day. Well, I’ve never been the sharpest tool in the shed, motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, snowmobiles, so it took a while for the small, shriveled pea floating and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, around inside the cerebral nut basket to register I was Polaris, and Yamaha. With a large parts riding last year’s model. Enough said. department, qualified service technicians and Visually there are few noticeable changes to the Vision Tour, which I personally think is one of the coolest a full shop full of parts and accessories, looking motorcycles ever made, except new blacked out we're here to meet all your power sport needs. passenger handholds, redesigned muffler tips and new tubular handlebars. It does come standard with anti lock brakes this year though and will set you back $23,699.

If you want something extra special, there is an Arlen Ness version, which is simply stunning to look at and retails for $27,999. As a top of the line luxury cruising 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD • MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 motorcycle, the Vision Tour comes with all the bells and 845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM whistles, from capacious lockable storage to a fully integrated sound system and more. While I didn’t put any For every rider - on or off road, transcontinental type mileage on the new ’11, I did put whether they like doing it in the dirt, enough miles on to remind myself why I enjoy this, carving the twisties, comfortable, mile-eating motorcycle so much. or cruising the backroads, The Cross Country is a stylish bagger, with a large we have their weapon of choice. full handlebar mounted fairing that comes with a fully

Cycle Insurance Agency Inc. Recreational Vehicle Specialists

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 51

integrated audio system like the Vision, an MP3/iPod hook up and optional Satellite radio. It feels instantly lighter and more maneuverable than the Vision, but with a choice of hard bags or soft saddlebags, or the new accessory color-matched trunk you can make it perfect for long haul journeys. Comfortable and smooth, with a 4.8-gallon gas tank and cruise control, the Cross Country is going to easily live up to its name.

Braking is the same as the Vision, with a pair of 300mm dual discs up front using four piston calipers. A single 300mm disc is used in the rear, and unlike the Vision the system is not linked. Settling the bike well into corners, solid and predictable handling is certainly one of the Cross Country’s strong points.

While it uses the same frame, forks differ from the Vision’s 46mm conventional units by using the same inverted 43mm units found on the Cross Roads.

A single air assisted shock in the rear makes changes for passengers and luggage not only easy, but also as precise as you want to make it. Coming in a choice of three colors: Solid Black, Solid Imperial Blue Metallic and TwoTone Pearl White and Vogue Silver. The base model is on showroom floors for $17,999. You can, of course, get a highly individualized Cory Ness version for $24,999, which comes with a host of Ness chrome and billet accessories, the cylinders diamond cut, a pair of beautiful sculptured billet wheels, custom suede seat and a Sun Set red custom paint job.

The Cross Roads itself comes standard with cruiser control and no fairing, although you can have the same lockable hard bags or soft saddlebag option as the Cross Country. Part of Victory’s Core Custom Program that allows the customer to choose their own color from a choice of Solid Crimson and Solid Black. They can also specify whether they would like the accessory wind-

hammer shield, different handlebars and either the soft or the hard saddlebags. There is the optional color matched lockable trunk from the Vision and Cross Country. This comes on and off the bike in seconds and requires no tools for this operation. Able to hold two full-face helmets with room to spare, it has two speakers for the passenger as well as a comfortable backrest. Added benefits are the high mount tail light, and if you want to accessorize it further, you can add a passenger arm rest kit and pick up a liner and a cargo rack for more

FINANCE YOUR BIKE, NOT YOUR LEATHERS.

2012 ViCTory high-Ball It’s new. It’s bad-ass. It’s the bike you want to be seen on - plus, it’s a Victory, so you know it’s got armstretching American performance.

Introducing the new Victory High-Ball, a custom cruiser with high-rise bars, spoked wheels and whitewall tires. It’s an essential motorcycle loaded with style and featuring the Victory Freedom® 106/6 Stage 2 V-Twin that flat out hauls.

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The 2012 Victory High-Ball is available in one scheme: Matte Black with a white tank cove. From the mirrors up high to the dual exhausts down low, the High-Ball is black. Handlebars, headlight bucket, triple trees, frame, fender struts, cylinder heads covers – all black. The paint, including the shorty front fender, is covered in the color of the night.

The bodywork features the Victory Vegas signature raised spine running the length of the bike atop the fenders and the tank, and the frenched in tail light that keeps the lines smooth out back.

Among bobber- and stripper-style bikes from major OEMs, the High-Ball delivers all you could ask for.

It’s easy to personalize the bike to the way you want it, and build the perfect bike for you.

The High-Ball MSRP is $13,499. For complete details about the High-Ball and other Victory models, and for a Victory dealer locator, visit: www.victorymotorcycles.com.

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 52

ness Vegas luggage carrying capacity. It’s this attention to every detail that is so precise that really impresses me with the whole Victory experience. You can simply set the bike up exactly the way you want it before you ride it away from the dealership. Retail on this baby starts at $14,999 and there is a highly customized Cory Ness version for $24,999.

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In the cruiser department, you have a mix of bikes centered on three models: The Vegas, the Kingpin and the Hammer. The Vegas Jackpot is one of the bikes that has a 250 series rear tire and a very skinny 90 profile, 21 inch front tire. Retailing for $18,999, it comes with a cool black and white paint job, with a glamour girl on the side panel. The bike is a real looker, but loses points from me for the rear tire and the very busy digital tachometer. Never settling at any one place, even when I tried to keep the throttle steady, it would need to go if I owned the bike. The engine is a peach though and with the same faultless fueling it has a little extra power thanks to the Freedom 106/6 Stage 2 engine, which gives a total of 97 hp and 113 ft-lb of torque. It also uses the newly revised six-speed transmission and a host of customizing options at time of purchase The Hammer and the Hammer S also feature this level of engine tune and the 250 series rear tire. Victory says they are “at the intersection of sporty styling and cruiser muscle” and with twin discs up front, an inverted fork and removable seat cowl, they certainly have some sporting attributes. A performance exhaust is available, as are lower controls, grips and covers. The standard Hammer retails for $17,999 with the S model coming in a little higher at $18,499. There is also the Hammer 8-Ball which is a more base line, blacked out version with less frills for $14,499.

The rest of the Vegas family of cruisers restored Mr. Happy to the saddle as they come with a 180 series rear tire and a cool custom looking skinny 90 series 21-inch tire up front. The best selling motorcycle of the Victory line up, and probably the best known, it’s a distinctive looking bike that works really well over a wide variety of road conditions. Wide pull back handlebars, low seat and custom quality paint give it the right look, and with the basic 8-Ball starting at $12,999, it’s the lowest priced Victory of the bunch.

You can spend up to $18,999 for the Zach Ness version, and there are a number of accessories available like performance exhaust, windshields etc, at the time of purchase for all the Vegas line up if needed.

Last but not least, and one of the bikes I put the most miles on during our test, the Victory Kingpin. With the larger fenders, inverted fork and eighteen-inch wheels, it has a distinctly different look to the others in the range. With the best handling package and the same silky smooth engine response, it was my favorite to ride.

The seating position is pure cruiser, but not at the expense of any comfort, as the floorboards were nicely placed and the wide bars sat me upright without feeling strained in either direction. Base model 8-Ball starts at $12,999 and the straight Kingpin, with a choice of Solid Crimson and Two Tone Imperial Blue and White, hits $14,999. Clean, quiet and efficient belt drive is used as with all the models here, and like all Victory motorcycles it’s an extremely tight, well thought out package in every respect.

Heading home from Colorado, it’s clear Victory is extremely serious about their motorcycles and how to keep building on their success. The amount of options available for someone purchasing a new machine are bordering on the overwhelming, although I’m sure very exciting as you set about making your new bike just the way you want it. What started out as a confusing prospect, turned into a simple distilled realization that it doesn’t matter which of the new Victory models you choose, you are clearly not going to be disappointed.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

2011 Ford

EcoBoost This past winter we had a chance to spend some time behind the wheel of Ford’s new F-150 EcoBoost pickup truck.

Delivered right in the middle of that never-ending period we call winter, the truck would soon lose all its brilliant dark metallic blue sheen over the

Page 53 next few weeks as we had some things to do and the F-150 was there for us to do them.

The Crew-Cab truck’s interior was almost opulent, with some of most comfortable seats we have seen in any vehicle and the back seats offered enough room for three very large men.

The modern-style dash came complete with Sirius radio and a reverse camera with sonar that let you know if you were getting too close to anything while backing up.

The on-board computer and Sony entertainment system was also state or the art. The voice activation Navigation system was brilliant and we loved the idea of not having to dial or program in a destination, just simply press a button and tell the truck where you wanted to go.

This truck was equipped with one of Ford’s new EcoBoost engines.

Our F-150 had the smallest of four available power-plants, but it never seemed to lack for power. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine offered 365horsepower, 420-pound-foot torque and the 2011 V6 F-150 offers 3,060

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APRIL 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 54

pounds of payload and 11,300 pounds worth of towing capability – both of which are best-in-class.

It gets better fuel mileage than any comparable engines offered by Ford’s competitors. This F-150 has been rated at 16 city and 22 highway by the EPA and our truck averaged 17.1 for the most part.

We tried to take advantage of Ford’s folly in giving Backroads a pick-up truck to play with for a few weeks and used the F-150 for a variety of tasks. From picking up parts, shopping and going out on the town; but also took it on a few road trips to get a feel for the F-150 in day to day scenarios – our main one driving up along the planned Spring Break Route to Canandaigua, New York in the Finger Lakes.

On the road this truck has a tough yet comfortable feel. Handling is a breeze and the reverse camera quickly went for a novelty to a useful tool, especially in tight spots.

Our F-150 came with an electric sunroof, which was put to good use during that mid-February thaw we experienced.

Although this Ford does come well equipped, it also has a number of power-outlets; which came into play with all the modern junk we sometimes carry with us. Valentine One Radar Detector, various cell phone chargers and a Garmin Zumo 660 - which we used to compare to the F-150 built-in navigation system.

Although we hope to get riders up quickly to the top of the Finger Lakes this May we plotted a route that sometimes took us just a bit off the beaten path. At this time of year, with a late winter melt in full flow we experienced all sorts of road conditions - from pristine dry pavement to tight muddy two track. Some of the gravel hills were a bit on the snowy /icy side, but the F-150 slides seamlessly into 4-wheel drive with a turn of a switch and once in this mode the truck was nigh unstoppable.

Arriving at our friend’s home, outside Ithaca, New York, the Ford F-150 looked more like a BMW GS after a very rough day!

We might reconsider some of the roads, or lack there off, on this route up to Canandaigua.

Our F-150 had the shorter bed, but the truck does come with a longer one, which would be great for hauling one large street bike or two smaller ones just about anywhere.

Although we’re not an auto publication we thought the F-150 is an excellent choice for those riders who need a 4-wheel vehicle that can do yeoman’s work with just about any task – the 2011 Ford F150 is such a truck.

Stylish, modern, comfortable – this truck combines great versatility with superior fuel economy.

This Ford-Tough F -150 is a winner in our books. MSRP starts at $22,415. For more info, visit your nearest Ford dealership or www.ford.com.

2011 Fall Fiesta Mon., Sept. 26 thru Sun., Oct. 2 A Full Week of Riding Fun Join us for all or part, but do join us.

It’s shaping up to be one of our best Rallies yet.

Monday, Sept. 26

Tues-Wed, Sept. 27-28

The Publick House

Ocean Point Inn

Thurs, Sept. 29

Fri-Sun, Sept. 30-Oct. 2

The Gray Ghost Inn Colors in the Catskills

Sturbridge, MA

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The Hunter Inn

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Single $59 • Double $98/night 800-745-3615

Rooms: starting at $110/night

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We’ll spend our first night at the Publick House’s Country Motor Lodge nestled in an apple orchard near the main inn. Enjoy a great ride into New England on the way to our more northern stop…

Perched at the tip of a scenic, rockbound peninsula in East Boothbay, we’ll spend two days exploring It’s back to our old friends the ‘Fingers’ of Carina and Magnus and their Maine’s coast never-ending hospitality. It may with its historic only be one evening, but we’ll enjoy lighthouses, quaint villages and a great meal, roasting marshmallows around the campfire and tall tales all the lobsta rolls you can eat. on the front porch.

What would a Backroads’ Rally We could end it here, but we’ll head be without a stop at… south to Hunter Mountain and…

800-270-3992 Mention Backroads for discount

This will be the 4th year that Colors in the Catskills will be held at Hunter Mountain, in conjunction with Octoberfest. Hunter Inn is within walking distance, so we’ll enjoy a great day’s ride then park the bikes and join the festivities.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2011

Page 55

NOMAD’S TÉNÉRÉ EXPEDITION TENT It seems whenever we end up in a tent the weather comes with us. And, although motorcycles are fairly rugged and can take some abuse, it is better to keep them sequestered, especially in bad conditions or in questionable areas.

With the Ténéré Expedition Tent from Nomad, you have shelter for both you and your machine.

On the road, we thought that the tent was a bit on the large size, even though the tent packs down to 8 x 21 inches and weighs just 13 pounds. Still, on some of today’s adventure bikes, this is a drop in the bucket.

Assembly is fairly straight forward, with just three poles, and once up and cinched the Ténéré Expedition Tent, with 30 square feet of space, offers ample room for two in the main tent and more than enough room to shelter your machine as well.

“I want to stand up to change my clothes, I want a space to work on my bike. No tent out there offered me these advantages, so I built my own,” Kevin Muggleton, President and Founder of the Nomad Tent Company, has told us.

Necessity breeds invention.

Even if you park your machine outside, as some don’t like sleeping with 600 pounds plus hovering near by, you still have a great area for your gear or simply to hang out after a long and hard day’s ride. Think of it like a vestibule.

As with most tents, packing becomes a chore until you get the easy routine down and then it becomes second nature.

We have not seen anything else like Nomad’s Ténéré Expedition Tent that does this with such ease.

We even got globe-trotting and world-record holder Dr. Gregory Frazier to take a look at the tent when we first received it and he too was impressed.

As we have said - we thought the tent, when packed, was a bit large, so we went about packing up our bike accordingly. But, with just a little careful planning when gearing up your ride, you should be good to go and when the Ténéré Expedition is up and you realize just how much room you have it is all worth it.

Why, just look at the lust in the eyes of those other campers with those tiny pup tents.

After a few days on the road we found the Ténéré Expedition tent fairly easy to strap onto our BMW R1200 GS or KLR 650 Kawasaki, with plenty of room left over, as long as you were not two-up.

Riders with passengers will have to load their machines carefully.

The bright yellow color makes the tent highly visible, and helps with nighttime conspicuity as well.

If you are a rider who camps a lot, or the adventure-tourer on a lengthy quest, then Nomad’s Ténéré Expedition Tent could be the perfect on the road shelter for you.

The Ténéré Expedition Tent sells for $399 and can be found at www.nomadtent.com.

Happy trails….

Town and Country CYCLE CENTER

SUSSEXMOTORSPORTS 446 Route 23 • Sussex, NJ • Located across from the A&P Shopping Plaza

115 Route 23N • Hamburg NJ • 973-875-2111 www.townandcountrycyclecenter.com Serving the motorcycling community for over 25 years

Visit us at www.sussexmotorsportsnj.com

973-875-3640 •

Open Tuesday thru Saturday