August2015

AUGUST

2015

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure Volume 21 No. 8

Discovery in the Jungles of India MYSTERIOUS AMERICA TOP TEN • WHAT’S IN A NAME RIDING THE RATTLER • NEW SWEDEN 450 RECAP

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

MO NT HLY C O L U M NS FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4

22

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................5 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................6 ON THE MARK ....................................................7

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Victor Cruz, Ken Glaser, Bill Heald, Shahwar Hussain, Barry Houldsworth, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKLASH..........................................................8 THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD ........................10 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................12 BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................14 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............16 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................18

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826

28

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN ...............................20 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ............................46 INDUSTRY INFOBITES.....................................49 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................50

FE AT U RE S RIDING THE RATTLER......................................28 TOP TEN MYSTERIOUS AMERICAS ...............31 NEW SWEDEN 450 RECAP .............................36 WAR AND OTHER FUN PLACES.....................40

PR O DU C T R E V IE W S AVON TRAIL RIDER TIRES................................11 REDVERZ SOLO EXPEDITION TENT ...............42 MICHELIN ANAKEE III TIRES...........................44

973.948.4176

fax

973.948.0823

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

online

www.backroadsusa.com

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2015. 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.

A PLANE IN THE JUNGLE ...............................22

DOUBLETAKE MIRRORS.................................43

phone

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AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJeN

ThaT’s The Dream There is a Chevy commercial floating around the airwaves and WiFi these days; so in addition to your television you can probably see it on a pad, pod, phone, app or urinal screen near you.

In this particular commercial Chevy is touting that their car is, as one commenter put it, “merging the physical freedom of the car with the virtual freedom of WiFi.” During the commercial a young woman exclaims, “That’s the dream.

To have WiFi in your car.”

Really? That is what will make or break the deal?

It seems like everyday you hear of some horror story involving some clueless texting, talking or social networking driver. Young women seem especially fond of this.

I am not against the use of social networks - the internet, emails or texting; I save my delving into the social media pool for when it is called for and appropriate.

Just the other morning I saw a video of a young woman who realizes that no one is really paying any attention to her as she goes through her life. She snuggles up to her boyfriend in bed and he holds his phone up to check for messages. She gets a strike bowling and goes to get a high five celebratory slap only to see all her friends are studying their phones and no one has noticed her great bowl. It is her birthday and every one at the party is recording Happy Birthday on their phones, not really seeing her.

She is at lunch and telling a story when she see that, once again, nobody is listening as they are all deep into their virtual lives.

It is really an eye opening video and it lets you see that the world and civilization is hand basketin’ down a self-centered spiral of banality.

One of the cruise lines had a commercial running during the evening fea-

turing a cruise line that has faux skydiving, faux surfing, and even faux bartenders – probably with crap faux booze.

I would rather put my face in a bowl of angry asps than get on another cruise ship.

There was a cartoon in The Week (a newsmagazine, like this – an actual paper magazine) that had a bunch of kids all standing around a playground.

Swings, merry-go-round and slides all empty and unused while each child stares at his phone or pad.

Do you have friends that cannot let go of their pad/phone/tablet?

I have found myself leaving my cell phone in my tank bag and checking quietly, privately if and when I remember.

My friend Cherrie told me that she and her riding companions all put their devices in a basket on the table when they go for a lunch ride. The first to reach for their iPhone, Droid or tin can and string have to pick up the tab.

This strategy seems to work at preventing cellphonitis from spreading.

I think it is just a sign of these times – like the new boodle of ads that run all over the national glossy magazines. These are aimed at younger, new riders just getting into motorcycling – what I like to call the “Bipster.”

For those of you who don’t know what a Bipster is – it is this new combination of young man - part biker/ part hipster.

A Bipster.

(Continued on Page 11)

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

IT’s The lITTle ThIngs Getting ready for a road trip, of any length, you want to make sure that you have all those ‘little things’ that are so handy when in your own garage. You know, that small piece of duct tape in just the right spot, the zip tie to hold that loose thing, a small Swiss Army knife. I know that in the tank bags on both of my bikes, I keep duplicates of many things that are indispensible – a small spray of Plexus or similar face shield cleaner and small micro towel, an emergency snack bar or small bag of nuts, a pad and pen. I go through my collection every so often to weed out the ‘not so necessary’ items that have taken up residence – the patch from the last rally, the brochure from Dr. O’Life’s last excursion, several key cards from hotels.

Riding on your own bike, from your own garage, with your own things around you is very comfortable.

You have a routine, you know where things are and that you have whatever you need for most circumstances. How about if you find yourself heading out of country, flying to distant lands and taking a seat on someone else’s motorcycle?

That’s a whole different packing story.

First, you’ll need to find out if the bike you’re using will have any storage – tank bag, saddlebags and/or top case. If you have to bring your own tank bag that makes things just a tad easier, as you can pack whatever you need in it and just strap it on. I’ve found that most everything that I carry in my tank bag can fit inside either both boots and/or my helmet when packing up.

I speak to many people who insist on taking their helmet with them on carryon, so they know they will, if all luggage is lost, at least have their helmet. I

Page 5 understand the concept, but (fingers crossed and knock on wood) I’ve never had my checked bag with helmet disappear in over 100 flights.

I pack different things for different destinations. For example, on our last trip with Adriatic MotoTours to Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey, I opted to bring a number of mini rolls of toilet paper. Having been in this general region before, I was aware that their toilet facilities vary greatly – from luxury with a bidet to a simple hole in the ground, perhaps with a dry spot to put your feet. Depending on the water situation, I’ll take along some Pepto or Imodium – don’t want that dilemma on a road trip. That’s enough potty talk.

Everyone has a packing list, I hope. There have been too many trips where I have had to buy either a belt or watch because I failed to follow mine. Again, on this last trip I opted to leave my timepiece at home – I had my iPhone, after all. I found myself constantly asking Brian what time it ‘really’ was, as my ‘watch’ was always on NJ time. Not doing that again.

I have a thing for gloves. I will always have at least three pair of gloves with me – my go-to Held, a lighter weight and a warm, waterproof. When on my own bike, I’ll have a bag with all my electrics (liner, gloves and thermostat). Again, taking this on an ‘other people’s bike’ ride depends on location, but I’ll usually bring the liner, as it can be used as a ‘walk-about’ jacket as well. The latest set of gloves residing in my top case are Held Steve Classic and two pair of Eska, one a Tour Waterproof and the other a lightweight summer.

I also have a thing for little zip-lock bags. I’ll have one with liquids (cleaner, chain lube, etc.), another with medical (after bite, band aids, eye drops, cortisone cream) and another with bike band aids (zip-ties, small duct tape roll, extra fuse, small screwdriver). It’s like having a traveling Snap-On tool caddy in your luggage. These can also be stashed in the nooks and crannies of your riding gear.

Don’t overlook the little things that you may find in places like Marshal’s or any dollar store. On a recent foray, Brian came across Hang Tight Mini Bungee Cords. The package of 10 assorted sizes was $3.99, so we had to buy

Page 6

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HeALD

FacT-FInDIng mIssIon Brake pads. We know what they are, where they are and what they do. They are often neglected as they do their jobs in a silent manner (usually), and years can go by before we need to do anything to them. But when you need to renew the things (for they do have a service life), it’s really a straightforward job as motorcycles are not cars or Space Shuttles, and in so many ways they are much more accessible and simpler to fiddle with. I found myself in the situation where the wear markers on the OEM front pads have come very close to their service limits, so I naturally said, “Ohh Ah. There’s a lovely set of brake pads that need a bit of mending, yes?” I should point out the bike is a Triumph, and I often speak to it in a horrific British accent which, I think, it absolutely hates. I feel bad about it, too, yet I persist. That’s a bit strange, isn’t it? Perhaps I should seek counsel about this, and record the analysis in a column for your consideration.

Fortunately for you, this isn’t it.

Anyway, back to the pads. I secured a new set of Galfers and was all ready to slap them on, but then I had a thought. Maybe I should let the pros tackle this job. Allow me to explain, as that might seem a bit odd for me to pay somebody to put le pads on le Street Triple R considering I just mentioned how it’s an easy job on motorcycles. I live a little over an hour from my Triumph dealer, and why would I go to all this trouble for something so simple?

An excellent question, and you never cease to amaze me with your pertinent queries. The reasons I elected to do this are basically twofold: first, there’s a back way to get to the dealership that is a really lovely ride. The roads are great, and you go through some small towns that actually have functional Main Streets with shops, diners, all that vanishing Americana that is so priceless in this big-box, digital age. The other reason is a bit less romantic and more pragmatic, and involves the importance of visiting a deal-

ership from time to time just to find out how the weather is, sales and business wise, in this tiny snapshot of the industry. In my travels over the last couple of decades, I’ve visited many a motorcycle concern and I’ve had the privilege to visit big ones, small ones, rural ones, urban ones (like NYC, LA, Miami, etc.) and regardless of the location or size a well-run dealership is usually staffed by some pretty savvy people who are more often than not very honest and excellent sources of industry information. The dealer I take my Triumph to has no idea what I do for living (well, to be honest neither do I), so the fact that I’ve been writing about motorcycles for a couple of decades is unknown and I’m treated pretty much like a sane, rational customer. So armed with an appointment, the plan was to have a bit of light service performed while I snoop around and talk to people, drink their coffee, oogle their floor stock and generally be a minor nuisance and take the temperature of the facility. It’s amazing what you can pick up in such a visit, and in this instant I came away feeling very optimistic about the current health of the industry.

I should first point out that this dealership (in addition to Triumph) handles Can-Am, Royal Enfield and Kymco, so they cover a lot of bases. You can go with Can-Am if you want another wheel (and more brake pads), or Kymco if you wanna hang with scooter trash (a term of respect, I assure you) or get all Royal for a bit of nostalgia. Among other things I learned through my brilliant interrogations was that they had had trouble moving Triumph Daytonas for a while, even having some leftover ‘13s until this spring. Now they sold three 2015 models in just a few weeks, which I was told could be due to recent high-profile racing victories so the old adage “race on Sunday, sell on Monday” still seems to bear fruit. Overall, it seems it was a good Spring and I can’t help but wonder if the hellish Winterfell-style winter we had may have had something to do with it. I know I was certainly ready to carve up some miles after what seemed like years of arctic conditions, and roads that were better suited for snowmobiles screamed for two-wheeled traffic when the suckers finally thawed out. Anyway, there was a decent amount of traffic on the floor and this was a good sign since this was the middle of the week.

We discussed many other matters that overall painted a picture of a healthy dealership, well-stocked with parts, apparel and accessories with some seri(Continue on Page 7)

MOTORCYCLE SCHMOOZING

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

ON THE MARK MARK ByeRS

VIsIon The difference between a tightrope walker and the rest of us is vision: when we look out over the chasm spanned by that tiny wire bridge, all we see is the void. When a tightrope walker looks out over the chasm, all he sees is the wire. Motorcycling is that way: the most successful pilots look at their terrain and see the positive possibilities – the good lines and the escape routes. The least successful motorcyclists see an environment fraught with peril and focus on bad lines and obstacles and, unsurprisingly, embrace them. In this way, motorcycling is an allegory for life. Where is our vision? On the problem…or the solution?

While I consider myself a better-than-average road rider, I still have to remind myself to focus on the good things – the safe and graceful lines between hazards. I also try to make sure my focus is far enough up the road to give me a big-picture view of the situation rather than a close-up of the bumper in front. Just as it is necessary to have a good long-term outlook on life, it’s necessary to look far enough ahead when we ride.

Largely due to some excellent training, I do pretty well on the road. One arena in which I’m pathetic however, despite years of practice, is in the dirt. Practice doesn’t make perfect when you’re practicing bad habits!

The reasons are clear: I focus on the trail in front of me and on the bad lines and hazards rather than the good lines. It’s not surprising, as I’m an over-50 guy with a day job and an aversion to abrasion. I mounted a GoPro atop my helmet in the “Teletubby” position and it clearly reveals my head is too far down and that I look at the holes and roots that I don’t want to hit. It is embarrassing, to say the least, to a guy who has spent a fair amount of his life dual-sporting and dirt riding, that I still have so much to learn. One of the reasons, other than a dearth of places to ride, is that I haven’t had the kind of excellent offroad training that I’ve had on the road.

I also know this because I dirt-ride with people who are far more skilled than I. My friend Dangerous Dan is an amazing dirt rider. In Richard Bach’s book “Illusions,” he describes a guy who flies his light plane with such mastery that he never gets any bugs on it. Danny is like that: at the end of a muddy mess of a ride, his bike is the cleanest one. His line selections are masterful, which is made even more incredible by the fact that Dan only has vision in one eye. The key is not that he has but one working eye, but that he focuses it precisely on where he needs and wants to go…and then he goes there. Danny sees the wire, not the void.

We’ll be riding along and there’ll be a gnarly section – a big stream crossing with an undercut bank – and he’ll stop and say, “Put your front wheel right on top of that big root and gas it hard and you’ll go right up.”

Then, he promptly does it. He then parks his bike, because he knows that more often than not, he’ll have to pull mine off me as I lay pinned by it to the bottom of the stream, the steaming header pipe welding the crotch of my nylon riding pants to my thigh. My problem is not only one of vision, but of commitment: Danny will totally commit to the crossing and hitting that root with the front hoop while wheelying through the stream.

While he’s totally committed to the task at hand, I’m mentally calculating the insurance deductible should I get it wrong, and that vision of the negative is frequently my undoing.

There’s another quote from “Illusions” that says,

Page 7 “You teach best what you most need to learn.” I hope, therefore, you’ll find my pathetic tale of motorcycling vision a catalyst for your own instructional journey. Either that, or I hope you’ll get a cheap laugh at the mental image of a fat, old, profanity-spewing engineer pinned to the bottom of a muddy stream by a 260 lb Yamaha dirt bike. Either way, I have a vision of my own on which I need to focus: I see myself taking some off-road training this year!

PosTcarDs From The heDge (Continued from Page 6) ously nice machinery on the floor. The biggest thing I always look for is the mood of the employees for that can tell you things sales figures and foot traffic cannot, in this case it was upbeat, engaged and positive. This is a dealership that sells brands that aren’t the top sellers for the most part, yet things were good. In this way I think it’s a great indicator of motorcycle success at least in my neck of the woods.

A nice ride, my pads were installed in short order and I gained a lot of information for a minimal output of time. All in all, a morning well spent. These days, since you can pick up damn near any part, accessory or riding apparel on the Internet we often don’t visit the dealer as much as we used to. I think this is a mistake. And to think this trip was spawned by a bit of maintenance I typically handle myself, and was about to do. Maybe it was fate, as I could have taken the top of the brake fluid reservoir, pushed the pistons back in the calipers to make room for the new, fatter pads, and spilled brake fluid on my tank and scarred it for life. You see? Everything happens for a reason.

Page 8

BACKLASH Ecuador Hey Backroads, I hope all is going well for you all. I’m home in New Hampshire and ready to take on summer.

I just wanted you to know that I took some time to re-read your fine article on riding in Ecuador. I had read it quickly when it first came along. But this time around I really got into your writing and want to congratulate you again on a job well done. It is always interesting to read people’s experiences in foreign countries as they notice the culture, music, foods, way of life and are able to comprehend what they see. You have a gift.

All the best, Bob Rand Thanks for another great Backroads Rally, leading into Americade made for a great 10 days of riding! Great friends, food, and roads, it does not get any better.... and ended the ride home with a stop at Motorcyclepedia to hang with Dr Gregory Frazier to talk motorcycles and travel.

Mike M.

Congrats of 20!

Hi Shira and Brian, Congratulations on reaching your 20 year anniversary. It has been a joy watching you guys grow into a beautiful Peony and still blossoming. Thank you for creating a wonderful publication and for creating a forum for us to meet the most wonderful people that we have come to know all these years. Looking forward to twenty more.

Nuri and Michael Wernick • Mayor of 9th Street Brian & Shira, So today I stopped home for a pit stop between appointments and of course I check the mail. That white envelope was right on top with the PO Box 317

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Letters to the Editor as the return address. As is my addiction, schedule be damned - I have to tear into the latest issue of Backroads. I paged through quickly (I am in hurry ya know) but read Free Wheelin’ and Whatchathinkin’. In reflecting on your 20 years of moto-publishing awesomeness, I noticed you were thanking a lot of people for your success.

Well I have news for you two. In your absence both at Americade and this past weekend after some adventure riding, your ears had to be ringing. During these occasions, I found myself amongst a group friends, yes bonafide friends, that I did not know before meeting you two. Most of us came to the same conclusion- we would not be together if not for a certain couple from NJ. Therefore rather than thanking us, there are legions of us that should be thanking YOU. If there were no Backroads, I would not have riding memories (limited as they are) I would not have these friends I enjoy riding with, I would not own the bikes I own, hell I wouldn’t even be wearing the right gear! But, it is the friendship, kinship and camaraderie that you two created that are bigger than any magazine you could publish.

Thanks for truly the best gift of all.

Tony Lisanti Backroads, Congratulations Brian and Shira on 20 years of Backroads!

Back in 1995 my wife and I got married. Six years later I took my MSF course and have been nuts over motorcycles ever since. Wife came before bike, so she often wonders what all the fuss is about motorcycles!

Twenty years is a long time to do anything, but putting out issue after issue of Backroads must have been challenging and at the same time rewarding.

Back in the early 2000’s I remember picking up my first free copies of Backroads at Country Rode Motowerks in Rochester, NY. I’ve grown as a rider along side Backroads, from newbie to enthusiast to motorcycle instructor. I’m positive your efforts have helped shape the rider (and person) I am today. ~ Jon DelVecchio

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

SPACE CUSHIONING • THE MSF SPEAKS In your Welcome to the Jungle column in June, Brian Rathjen criticizes the use of the classic staggered group riding formation because of a potential increased risk in an emergency situation, and he includes Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Group Riding formation graphic with an added comment, “This is not space cushioning.”

For fairly straight roads, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation indeed recommends a staggered riding formation in which the leader rides in the left third of the lane, while the next rider stays at least one second behind in the right third of the lane, the third rider stays in the left third of the lane at least one second behind the second rider, and so on, so that the minimum following distance is 2 seconds behind the rider directly in front of you. This allows a proper space cushion between motorcycles so that each rider has enough time and space to maneuver and to deal with hazards. Of course, regardless of formation, disasters can and do happen, as Mr. Rathjen points out.

For reference, MSF chose 2 seconds as a minimum following distance because it takes a normally alert motorist 1.5 seconds to perceive and react to a stimulus before they apply the brakes. So, if a rider notices brake lights activate ahead and can brake about as quickly as the motorist they are following, 2 seconds is enough time to avoid rear-ending the vehicle. And if swerving would be a more appropriate evasive response than braking in a

12 Stepper Yes, I share a similar two wheel addiction: I have checked your 12 step program and wish to acknowledge that my passion for restoring and riding vintage Italian 175 giro bikes only has one cure: death. May I go out with a big smile on my face and grease under my fingernails doing what I love on serpentine roads.

Burt Richmond My name’s Tom. And I’m a bikeaholic. :-) Hi Tom

Page 9

Ken Glaser • Director, Special Projects MSF particular situation, it can generally be accomplished in less time, with a greater space cushion.

While a longer following distance might be better, research indicates that the majority of rear-end crashes happen when the following distance is more than two seconds (the “100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study,” NHTSA/VTTI 2006). This could be a result of motorists using distance to compensate for their purposeful inattention (“risk homeostasis”).

For the riding group, a single-file formation with a minimum 2-second following distance is preferred on curvy roads and construction zones, entering/exiting highways, under poor visibility conditions or poor road surfaces, or in other situations where an increased space cushion or more maneuvering room is needed. In most street situations, more time and space is better than less. But a bigger gap can have diminishing returns as far as being seen by other highway users. A group catches the mind’s eye much quicker than a single rider.

A single-file formation on a straight road can have another disadvantage: motorists encountering an interminably long line of bikes may try to cut through to get to their destination. This is one reason the MSF also recommends that groups not exceed seven riders. If there are more than seven participants, more than one group should be formed, and the groups should behave as separate entities. This also allows riders of different skill levels to self-select into different groups.

Even when riding in groups, each rider has responsibility for his or her own time and space management. An individual’s safety takes priority over the integrity of the riding formation. It is important to be cognizant of not only what is going on in the traffic jungle, but to also manage risks created by the proximity of fellow riders.

For the record, MSF strongly advises against side-by-side formations, as they do present an unreasonable risk: If one rider suddenly needed to swerve to avoid a hazard, that rider may get their handlebars entangled with those of the motorcycle they’re riding alongside.

Page 10

THOUG HTS FRO M THE ROAD 900 mIles on a moTorcycle – IT’s all DolPhIns! I recently spent a few days with friends enjoying the best scenery and back roads the Catskills and Adirondacks have to offer with a good friend and the wonderful folks from Backroads magazine.

It’s hard to put into words what a great trip this was. The weather was perfect and the ride pace set by my good friend Mike was spot on – fast enough to enjoy the roads to the full but without being a hero. We passed through beautiful scenery and little towns with architecture that looked like something out of a fairy tale, with beautiful old stone churches with tall spires. I spent a good deal of time checking those out thinking how great they would be to photograph from the air – my current obsession.

While on this trip I finally realized that the bike I bought new in 2001 is now old. But it still rides great and, despite being at least 50hp down on most of the bikes we were riding with, can hold its own. After 15 years the old girl can still fly.

Mike and I were joined by Jeff, an honest to goodness private detective sadly minus the obligatory fedora. Hanging out with Jeff and MB was a blast.

They both have a quick wit and even mundane items such as ordering lunch or dinner became a laugh fest with us and the wait staff laughing out loud.

My cheeks ached from laughing so much.

During one of our lunch stops we discussed how sad it is that so many people are too afraid to enjoy life. When I told people I was going away for several days of motorcycle riding many assumed the worst. As Jeff put it, people are afraid to go in the water because of the one in a million possibility of being eaten by a Great White when they are far more likely to encounter Dolphins.

This led to the catch phrase “It’s all dolphins” being used for the rest of the trip. This caused a few raised eyebrows with the wait staff:

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Barry Houldsworth “How was dinner guys?”

“It’s all dolphins!”

On Backroads rides most riding is done in your own group with everyone meeting up at the end of the day for some lively chat and a few drinks.

If this is your first time with Backroads the first thing you will notice is just how friendly people are. Everyone is family.

People will walk up to you, shake hands and start chatting as though you have known each other for years. Brian and Shira somehow know everyone personally and have great stories of their own but, as hosts, are in much demand.

Our little troop all had things to do and so couldn’t stay the whole four days and so we headed home early on Saturday morning. I followed MB down as far as Lake George where we had breakfast and then went our separate ways, with him blasting home on the highways while I took a more meandering route down through the Catskills and Bear Mountain.

I arrived home mid afternoon on Saturday after about 900 miles of amazing back-road riding in near perfect weather. My BMW performed flawlessly and now needs to be rewarded with a service and a new rear tire, which is completely shot.

It’s a shame that many people will never experience something like this because of fear of the unknown. Yes, things can go wrong. But more often things go right and, personally, some of the most amazing times I have started out as a disaster and ended with the making of new friends and memories. I once heard the quote “Everyone dies, but not everyone lives” and that resonated with me personally. Don’t be afraid! Get out there and enjoy life.

It’s all dolphins!

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 (Continued from Page 4) Free WheelIn’ They are these terminally cool, 20/30ish guys with the required lumberjack beard, ¾ helmet and rugged looking faux designer jeans and flannel shirts.

They usually can be found at local downtown brewpubs drinking some sort of craft brew made from things that beer never should be made of.

Kumquat and sewer water or some such stuff.

I might have been there too, if not for being a petulant white guy from Queens who is on the bad side of 50.

These are the same kids who never seem to move off the machine at the gym, ‘cause they are too busy textercising their friends that they are working out at the gym.

Is it me? Most likely – but, it just seems that so much of today’s faux fun is made up, manufactured and then broadcast, posted and shared over and over.

Bad enough I have to use a screen just to write this.

There seems to be more crap, distractions and feldercarb wherever you look.

In truth my Dodge Durango R/T (make mine a Hemi, please) also has WiFi PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

AVON TRAIL RIDER TIRES

With the ADV segment of motorcycle ever expanding U.K.- based Avon Tires has extended its adventure touring motorcycle tire range with the launch of a new adventure sport tire, the Avon Trailrider.

Applying the latest know-how in terms of carcass construction, compound characteristics and tread pattern development, the Trailrider blends the all-season road capabilities of the critically-acclaimed Storm 3D X-M sport touring tire with a rugged, off road-styled tread pattern.

Avon engineers and test riders focused on stability, wet grip and mileage on a wide range of large-capacity dual-sport machines. The resulting design offers improved capability over the outgoing Distanzia tire. It’s also a tire developed in Britain, on British roads, in British weather — so it promises the ultimate in performance for U.K. riders.

“We’ve designed the Trailrider carcass construction to deliver improved grip and handling,” said Avon motorcycle design engineer Ashley Vowles. “Our chemists have come up with a new super-rich silica compound, using the latest compounding technology to enhance wet grip without affecting mileage.”

The Trailrider will be available soon in a large range of sizes — six fronts and 12 rears — and will be produced in radial and bias ply constructions.

Look for an on the road test later in the season.

Page 11 and a number of apps.

I think. I am pretty sure – but, I have not turned them on.

Probably never will.

(Continue on Page 11) (Continued from Page 5) WhaTchaThInkIn’ them. We took just one of the smaller ones along last trip, and it came in VERY handy for an unforeseen purpose. Similar shopping expeditions to the dollar store resulted in numerous pair of reading glasses in various strengths.

I don’t know about you, but we have these strewn around the house, garage and all pockets. To find well-made and stylish ones for a buck apiece is a boon. You’ll never know what you’ll find for a dollar that may save your hide on a motorcycle trip.

To combat the bane of overweight luggage charges when having to bring all your riding gear and accouterment, remember that you need very minimal regular clothing, as most of your time will be spent on the bike in your riding gear. Let me say one word: EXOFFICIO. These folks make high performance outdoor gear that has no rival. From their underwear to dress shirts, you will need the absolute minimum for any length trip. Just rinse at night and by morning it’s ready to pack. It may be a bit on the pricey side, but consider the alternative of paying $50-$100 for overage on your baggage.

Remember to make your packing list, check it twice, and don’t overlook those little things that will make your trip, whether on our soils or far way,

Page 12

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MY STERI OUS AM ERI CA The hIll IncIDenT Barney & BeTTy hIll’s close encoUnTer Date: september 19 & 20, 1961 Location: route 3 a few miles south of lancaster, nh Postal Worker Barney Hill and his wife Betty, who had a Master’s Degree and was a supervisor for the Child Welfare Department, were returning from Montreal where they had been vacationing.

It was a clear night with a crescent moon lighting up the heavy woodlands and mountains that surround the region.

Around 10 pm they were heading south towards the town of Lincoln when they spotted what they first believed to be a very bright star.

This star began to move in an odd manner and they both began to watch it.

Near Woodstock they pulled the car over and followed the bright flying object with binoculars, believing it to be a plane of some sort.

Both Barney and Betty claimed that they saw a craft with multi-colored

lights, and rows of windows on a flat-shaped object, which now seemed to be moving toward them.

Frightened they jumped back into the car.

After resuming their journey home, they were not able to see the strange craft anymore. Oddly though, they heard a beeping sound. They then noticed they were thirty-five miles farther down the road than a minute or two ago.

How could this be?

The next day Betty called nearby Pease Air Force Base, and reported what she had seen.

Against Barney’s wishes (he did not want to come forward in the beginning) Betty reported the incident, speaking to Major Paul W. Henderson, who told Betty; “The UFO was also confirmed by our radar.” At this time, neither Betty nor Barney recalled any abduction.

Soon, however, Betty began having nightmarish dreams of her and her husband being taken aboard a craft of some kind, against their will. In a matter of weeks, two memBer writers got wind of the story, and after interviewing the Hills, made an intensive log of the events of the night.

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They discovered that there were two hours of unaccounted time in the Hill’s story, even allowing for stops for the Hills, and breaks for their dog, who also had made the trip with them.

The Hills also decided to report their encounter to a national UFO group. UFOlogist and astronomer Walter Webb visited the Hills on October 21st, and set in motion what was to become one of the most remarkable investigations in UFO history.

Then the dreams began. Disturbing images filled the Hill’s nights eventually leading them to seek help and this led to hypnosis to find the underlying cause of her “anxiety syndrome.”

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 13 What came out was startling and the first of many abduction cases in the United States. The Hills related that their car had stalled, and then the alien craft landed on the road in front of their vehicle, forming a kind of

roadblock, hailing them down. The Hills claim they were taken into the craft, and given medical examinations by these aliens, and before being released, were ordered under hypnosis not to recount any of the details of their incident.

The entities were described by the Hills as “Bald-headed beings, about five foot tall, with greyish skin, pear shaped heads and slanting cat-like eyes.”

This was the very first mention in UFO folklore of the so-called “Greys.”

The Hills were taken into separate rooms during their examinations. These “tests” involved both physical and mental procedures.

After these events, the Hills were taken back to their car, and the last thing they remembered was an orange glow disappearing into the night sky. It is

very important to note that the Hills tried to keep these events out of the press, but unfortunately, an inaccurate version of the events was leaked to the press, after which, the Hills decided to come forward with the true events of the case.

Since then movies have been made, books have been written and the debate on the validity of the Hill’s story continues to this day.

Along Route 3 you will find an historical marker - placed by the State of New Hampshire – so somebody believes the “Hill Incident” is of importance.

You will find it right outside the Indian Head Resort.

Just south of it you will run into an Irving Fuel Station. This is where it gets really good as the owners of this gas station have embraced this local Close Encounter legend and have covered the outside and most of the wall space inside with all things pertaining to aliens, outer space, close encounters, abductions and the like.

Both the sign, the Irving fuel station and the region are well worth visiting – But, if you are

riding down this part of Route 3 on a dark night who knows – you just might become part of Mysterious merica yourself.

O’Life out!

Page 14

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY InTernaTIonal sPy mUseUm 800 F ST NW , WASHINGTON, DC 20004 202-393-7798 • WWW.SPYMUSEUM.ORG The red Sunbeam Tiger makes its way down a Washington D.C. street carrying one of our nation’s most formidable weapons of espionage.

The agent comes to a halt and springs from the car to walk into a non-descript building and through a series of heavy automatic metal doors to approach a lone telephone booth.

Which, after coin inserted and dialed correctly, drops him into the subterranean headquarters of CONTROL. Yes, kids we are talking spies today… Both real and, well, not so real.

We’re not sure and we’ll never tell.

It is said there are more spies in Washington than any other place in the world. I do not doubt this.

There is no shortage of museums in our nation’s capital either, but the first place on my list was the International Spy Museum.

The museum was conceived back in 1996 by Milton Maltz and opened to the public in 2002 at its current home (it might be moving in the future) and was part of the rejuvenation of the Penn Quarter in D.C. Today the museum draws nearly 60,000 visitors annually and lets you take on the role of an international spy yourself.

When we arrived I was given a choice of identities, choosing something that fit me well, a 57-year old Brazilian carpenter traveling to Portugal to visit my family. This cover identity seemed to work better than

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind my traveling companion who became a young female Vietnamese microbiologist travelling to Bonn, Germany. During our walk around the Spy Museum we were approached a few times by ‘authorities’ asking about our travels. I simply blathered my pequeno Portuguese and moved on. My compatriot was arrested and shot as a spy.

Okay, not really – but the role-playing gave you an idea of how hard it must be to be a real spy in the real world.

The International Spy Museum does an excellent job of combining both real and imaginary covert operations with displays that embrace both.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 Unlike the NSA Museum outside Fort Meade, here at the Spy Museum you can have more than a bit of fun.

Spies always seem to be crawling around air ducts in building. Well, here you can give it a shot with sound meters to keep a watch on how quiet you are or are not.

Spies use gadgets and the ultimate gadget has to have been James Bond’s Aston-Martin DB5, which you will find here at the Spy Museum.

Every few minutes the DB5 comes alive with its bullet-proof shield rising in the back, its tire slashers sliding out from the hubcaps, the machine guns shooting from the front turn signals and the license plate spinning around.

Why this stuff is not standard on today’s cars is beyond me.

Of course Agent 86 is there, as is my favorite sexy spy – Emma Peel from The Avengers.

The hard facts and heady consequences of the real world of true espionage are made clear as well with artifacts that tell things in a clearer light, such as what looks like a simple U.S. mail box. The truth is that this mail box, that stood on the corner of 37th and R Sts. NW in Washington D.C., was used as a dead drop marker for one of our nation’s most notorious spies - Aldrich Ames. Ames worked for the CIA, but was selling secrets to the KGB. To let his Soviet handlers know he had information for them he would mail a letter at this box and covertly run a chalk line above the Postal insignia on its side.

The mark let the Russians know Aldrich would leave information for them at another dead drop.

This very same mail box now sits at the International Spy Museum.

Other artifacts and stories are seen and told here.

Washington’s Culper Ring, that we did a series on last year, are highly touted as is the simple pigeon that had a camera strapped to its chest to take overhead shots behind enemy lines during World War One. While we were there they had a special display on 007’s nemesis’ called Exquisitely Evil – 50 Years of Bond Villains.

They all were there. Mr. Big, Oddjob, Auric Gold Finger (who had the best line ever - “No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!”), Ernst Blofeld, Rosa Klebb and Jaws. The Spy Museum even had the chrome teeth actor Richard Kiel wore for the role. As Maxwell Smart might say…

“Not to let evilness win over goodness” all the Bond women were there too. No misogyny here – just great characters that were easy to look at – when they weren’t trying to kill you.

We spent a good part of the day here at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C, and we wonder when you are ready to step up for Queen and Country, if you have what it takes to become a spy? O’Life out!

Page 15

Page 16

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Rollin’ Fast Cycle Sports Presents

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN hIllBIlly hoT Dogs 6951 OHIO RIVER RD, LESAGE, WV 304-762-2458 • WWW.HILLBILLYHOTDOGS.COM According to a recent report in USA Today, “Boulder, Colorado, ranked as the city least plagued by obesity, according to recent research.

Among the 10 cities with the lowest level of obesity, another two also are in Colorado — Denver and Fort Collins. Cities with the highest obesity rate were led by Huntington, WV. Two other cities in the state, Charlestown and Martinsburg, were also in the top 10 cities ranks by high obesity rate.”

With that in mind if you want to look sleek and sexy in your riding gear, head to the mountains of the west. If you just want some seriously good and highly caloric foods, head to the Mountain State. homeWrecker!!!

If you have any luck when you visit this fine dining establishment, you will hear those words coming from the order counter. This is what lured us

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to the western shores of West Virginia – the possibility of seeing someone else tackle this monster of a meal.

Always in search of spectacular culinary adventures, we spied Hillbilly Hot Dogs on the Food Network. Guy Fieri was doing his best to wrap his mouth around this mega-dog, with not much success. What, you may ask, does this Homewrecker contain that makes it so enormous? Here goes: it’s 15 inches long and contains three and a half pounds of deep fried sausage and a deep fried one pound weenie topped with sauteed peppers and onion, shredded and nacho cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, habanero and chili sauce, mustard, ketchup and creamy slaw. If you can manage to get this down, and keep it down, in twelve minutes, you are awarded a Homewrecker t-shirt. Beat the current record and get it for free.

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Sonny and Sharie, owners of Hillybilly Hot Dogs, and ‘perpetual honeymooners’, set up shop in 1999.

They wanted a down-home, relaxed and fun place to serve their fast food at a slower pace. They built the original 12 x 16 building, which has since been upscaled with several ‘dining buses’. Looking much like Monkey with a Gun on steroids, the grounds are littered, literally, with items from customers, antiques (of a sort), and stuff that most of us haven’t seen for many a year: 8track tapes, vinyl records, typewriters, milk machines, creepy baby dolls, etc. They continue to enhance their décor, and will happily display your contributions.

Should you be a’scared of having to face the Homewrecker, bestill your fears. There are many, many other choices in weenery to be found on their menu. Beginning with the basics, you’ll find your deep-fried beef weenie with homemade chili sauce, mustard and onions.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 17

From this point, the options are almost endless.

How about an Egg Dog – little bit of ketchup and nacho cheese on the weenie, topped with scrambled egg, jalapenos and salsa. Or maybe you’re feeling a bit under the weather? You might want to wolf down a Stacy’s Flu Shot – one tasty weenie loaded with jalapenos and topped with their homemade chili sauce, guaranteed to kill anything that’s ailin’ in your head.

There are suggestions from their customers that have made it onto the menu such as the Pineapplelachian Dog – your beef weenie, bbq sauce, country ham, shredded cheese all topped with crushed pineapple. Hmm, perhaps I’ll take a pass on that one, too.

If you are just along for the ride and not a fan of the beef tuber, fear not, they have many other fried fixins to clog your aorta. Always a favorite are the deep fried pickles, with or without ranch dressing, mac ‘n cheese wedges, also deep fried or spicy Goat wings. They offer a number of beef burgers, with or without all the fixins. Trying to keep the cholesterol at a manageable level? How about a healthy grilled chicken sandwich or a Lockwood Veggie Dog? And, to keep you vegans at bay, there’s a small, very small, variety of ‘rabbit fixins’.

The day we visited, we were joined by our good friend Tom Watson, who had recently retired and moved south. He was making his way to our Backroads rally, and I surprised Brian with the meet-up. As we pulled in to the parking area, Brian saw the blue Gold Wing and commented that it looked like Tom’s. Big smiles all around when he realized that it was his. We settled in with our various choices in weenie wackiness and enjoyed catching up over some extremely tasty hot dogs. And, naturally, no hot dog run is com-

plete without some dairy delight afterwards. Hillbilly Hot Dogs has you covered with their adjoining ice cream stand where you can have your ice cream straight up or a la mode over some homemade pie du jour.

If you find you’re in this part of West ‘By God’ Virginia you owe it to yourself to make a stop at Hillbilly Hot Dogs. They have two locations: the original in Lesage and their expansion at 1501 3rd Avenue, Huntington, WV • 304-522-0044. If you happen to be with several like-minded individuals, order up that Homewrecker; it’s worth the price of admission just to hear them ring the bell and yell, ‘homeWrecker!!!!!!!’ ~ Shira Kamil

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Page 18

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HER E BlUe hIlls Farm 7805 ROUTE 52, NARROWSBURG, NY 12764 845-252-3864 • WWW.BLUEHILLSFARM.COM Roughing it in the Catanos We have been accused of being a bit snobby when it comes to camping.

As if not having access to a decent warm bed along with a hot shower and all the amenities of home would cause us to wilt and wither away.

Some say that both Shira and I are pampered little children who think a carabiner is the automobile that will take us to dinner.

Well, we protest these unfounded accusations and remind a few of you that we have done our fair share of hard-nose, out in the wild, far off the beaten path camping in our day. Yes, indeedy.

Ever ridden in the jungles of Central and South America or even to the end of the world on a Ramapo 500?

Well, we have. Umm, okay we usually did stay in a lodge or B & B of some sort and there was almost always a good meal involved.

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads But still…. we know how to rough it if we want.

We rarely do. Want that is – but, you will see our point in a moment.

Looking to rough it a bit and get back to Mother Earth we went is search of someplace that would allow us the chance to get down to the nitty-gritty.

To experience how God, nature and the folks at Campmore wanted us to live. To just go for a ride and camp out under the moon and stars – in the wild with minimal amenities, comforts and not even the internet.

We found such a place.

Far north and west of the backwater town of Manhattan you will find the wild river called the Delaware; three hundred miles of raging water cutting through gaps, farmlands and cliffs and filled with rocks, rapids and deadly schools of sunnys, eel and shad (in season).

Along parts of the river there is no cell service.

We’re talking remote; especially north of Port Jervis past the road named after a wild predatory raptor’s aerie.

Right near the deepest part of the river Delaware – the part with the most water filled with deadly schools of sunnys, eel and shad (in season) – you will find the

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From Port Jervis Route 23 South Bear right at CR 653 Clove Road Right to Rte. 521 Left at Old Mine Road Bear right at CR 560 Cross Dingmans Bridge $1 Straight at Rte. 739 Left at Silver Lake Road/CR 2004 Right at Rte. 402 Left at US 6 Right at Rte. 590 (Hawley) Follow Rte. 590 towards Lackawaxen Look for Woodloch Resort Sign Left at Welcome Lake Rd - SR 4003 Following this road Right at Welcome Lake Rd. SR 4003 Right at Peggy’s Runway HARD downhill right at Rte. 652 USE CAUTION!!!

Cross Bridge into Narrowsburg NY Left at Rte. 52 to Blue Hills Farm

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 small town of Narrowsburg. Once only populated by ex-pat Queens and Brooklynites it has now become home to West Villagers from New York and with them more interesting restaurant menus and more interesting prices.

Right outside of this frontier town you will find Blue Hills Farm, owned by Jane Luchsinger and, here at her farm, you will find camping the way we like it.

Blue Hills Farm is a “glamping” experience offering many of the same amenities you might find in some fine hotels.

The tent at Blue Hills Farm offers a queen size bed, refrigerator, coffee maker, loveseat, chair. There is an attached luxury bathroom with an oversized shower with spa jets.

While the motorcycles are parked and cooling after the treacherous ride up Route 97, with its altitude changes and smooth-style pavement, you can open a bottle of wine you bought at the Wine Shop in Narrowsburg (they call it a liquor store – but, we prefer wine shop) with the tiny corkscrew from your Swiss Army knife and take a seat on the porch attached to the deck upon which the tent rests. This deck is not carpeted and is created out of a material they call lumber.

It harkens back to the days when Narrowsburg was a hub of the lumber industry and the river, now full of deadly schools of sunnys, eel and shad (in season) was also filled with lumber and jacks heading down stream to the ports and canals.

Dinner can be found at some of the restaurants in town now owned by West Villagers from New York, with more interesting restaurant menus and more interesting prices.

Page 19 But, splurge. You’re roughing it and should at least have a good last meal.

At night snuggle down in the way-toocomfy Tempurpedic bed, with your honey, and enjoy a night under the stars (or rain – it could rain - just saying), with nature right outside the tent’s flap. Yes, the region was once home to bear, mountain lion, beaver, Big Red Eye, angry Iroquois with rabid and feral dragons and even mastodon (but, you probably won’t have to deal with the mastodon). If you get up to pee and see a small black and white cat shuffling along the forest floor – makes friends - it’s fun!

When the sun rises the next day and Variations on a Theme by Erik Satie is playing in your head you will find a filling morning 4 course breakfast served in a tree house - with homemade muffins, fresh fruit, eggs, and meat along with fresh juice and hot coffee.

Okay, we’d make do.

Spending two nights kinda, sorta, maybe roughing it in the forest of the Iroquois is an excellent idea as the surrounding roads along this river region, lying between the Poconos and the Catskills, the Catanos, has some great rides to offer.

So, why stay at a hotel that just left a light on for you when you can get back to nature and really rough it along the ancient river called Delaware?

Seriously, Blue Hills Farm “Glamping” is a great escape and highly recommended for those looking for something different and special.

Just stay away from the little black and white cat.

Your “Glamping” experience is waiting from June 1 - October 15 and you can reserve the tent for $220 per night.

Page 20

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

WInD-chIll FacTory 794 NY 9N, TICONDEROGA, NY 518-585-3044 • WWW.WINDCHILLFACTORY.COM OPEN DAILY AT 11AM • CHECK CLOSING TIMES AND DATE While putting our Spring Break rides, I knew that I needed to include an ice cream stop. Surely there would be a plethora of homemade, delicious options in the Adirondacks. Well, due to my high standards, the options dwindled along the route I had planned. But I delved further into the maps and came up with, what would turn out to be, a lovely stop.

Just a short hop from the beautiful shore of Lake Champlain, a stone’s throw from Fort Ticonderoga, the good folks at the Wind-Chill Factory have been swirling out soft-serve ice cream for almost 20 years. Starting back in 1996, with just two machines and the friends and family of owner Bob Porter, chocolate and vanilla ice cream was the basis of sundaes, milkshakes, banana splits and, of course, cones. Their grill options were limited to hot dogs, Michigans, NY pretzels and nachos.

By the following year, they had grown to include a much more varied grill menu and today have four machines and quite a lunch menu.

Their ice cream flavor selection has grown as well. You can still, and always, find chocolate and vanilla as well as vanilla frozen yogurt, but are also offered changing flavors of black raspberry, maple, creamsicle, strawberry, banana, peanut butter, coffee, bubble gum and cotton candy.

Their sizes range from baby to large, and are very reasonable

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compared to what you’ll find in downtown Lake George or Saratoga. On our stop, after a very nice lunch at the Indian Lake Restaurant (look for that in an upcoming GAADR), I was not as famished for ice cream as I should have been, so opted for a kiddie serving of coffee. When presented with my order, I smiled and said they must have made a mistake and given me a medium or large. Nope, that’s a kiddie – enjoy! Nuff said…

If you feel the need for more of a good thing, you can wrap your mouth around a number of flurries, smoothies, floats and sundaes – regular and specialties such as Oreo fudge, Snickers fudge, Butterfinger caramel or Peanut Butter Lover’s, to name just a few. You can have your ice cream in a cup or cone – regular or waffle, dipped or un, sprinkles or not.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 21

If you did not stop at the wonderful Indian Lake Restaurant as our group had, you can set a base for your ice cream dessert with a great variety off their grill menu. Their pizzas start off with fresh hand-stretched dough, use homemade sauce and all natural ingredients. Their burgers are quarter pound, 100% top ground beef, flame broiled, the Philly cheese steaks use 100% black angus and their fries are hand cut daily. You can have a Michigan Dog, an Adirondack favorite, several offerings of chicken and wraps or a nice fresh salad.

Seems no matter what you decide you’ll be as happy as can be, knowing you’ll have ice cream to boot.

From day one, the Porter family has had a stringent quality control, with Bob’s son Brandon the first vicepresident. He has since passed that position along to the other kids, who make a daily test of the ice cream varieties to ensure you get the very best they can make.

The Wind-Chill Factory has a number of tables and chairs on which you can relax, enjoy your treats and watch the lazy traffic go by on Route 9N. They are open to serve from May through October, but please check before going to make sure they are open. I can’t think of a better way to end a ride in the Adirondacks then stopping for a healthy helping of ice cream at the WindChill Factory. Enjoy, and we’ll see you further down the road on Shira’s Ice Cream Run.

T Page 22

he sky had promised rain since dawn and when the clouds opened up in the afternoon, the rain came in thick and hard. Big blobs of rain stung my face through the visorless helmet, forcing me to take shelter in a shed by the side of the road. In Nagaland, you will find sheds like these all over. They are meant for the villagers who have to walk very long distances to get to the nearest town.

Words : Shahwar Hussain • Photos: Anuj Singh ®

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Page 23 motorcycle was the best way to travel to these far flung villages where you can see life in all its rustic glory.

Dimapur to Pungro is 400 odd kilometres and it took us almost two days to do that. Offroad conditions, single lane mountain roads and wrong turns cost us a lot of time.

Virgin forests and rolling hills.

The view can be outstanding.

There were a few old men in the shed waiting for the rain to stop so that they can carry on home. But the rain didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon and a man got a fire going. He put a piece of bamboo in the fire with water and tea leaf inside and let it boil. I got talking with them as the man poured strong black tea in a bamboo mug for me and offered me a handrolled cigarette. The man who spoke the least, said the most interesting thing which set my mind racing. As I strapped on my helmet when the sky held, the drone of an aircraft drifted down to us from afar. He looked heavenwards and said... “I hope this won’t fall like the plane in the jungle...” My helmet came off in a flash and I said “Plane in the jungle?” He said he once saw the remains of an airplane in the jungles many years back.

An airplane in the jungles! He pointed to the blue mountains yonder and said it lay beyond the third range of mountains. Vague, but I will trace it out, I thought.

Tracing it out was easier said than done. It took the jungle 9 long years to share its secret with me. I got to know that the remains of the airplane lay scattered over a large area under the jurisdiction of a new village named Tsurevong.

Public transport in Nagaland is not the best in the country and we didn’t want to be at its mercy. So, my photographer friend, Anuj and I decided that

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A few kilometres out of Kohima and we were free of the usual traffic which gradually disappeared totally after Mima. The unpolluted mountain air was refreshing and there was a fragrance from the jungle that drifted into my nostrils.

We passed a number of small villages and towns that have those magical oriental names. We rode through Mima, Cakhabama, Pfutsero, Chizami, Losami, Lanye, Jessami, Meluri, Akhegwo, Longmatra, bypassed Kiphire town and onto Pungro.

It would have been so enjoyable to spend a couple of days in these far flung villages and see life that has remained relatively unchanged for millennia except for a few modern trappings.

But I was stuck with the airplane in my head.

The Zinki river makes its way to Chindwin in Myanmar

Page 24

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

As we approached Pungro, I watched the beautiful Zinki river flow gently and disappear across a bend as it made its way ultimately to the Chindwin river in Myanmar.

By village standards, we reached Thronghokiy late, and a teacher at the local school put us up in the newly built government guest house. His wife made some lovely fish curries for us.

We had another 45 kilometers to go in the morning to Tsurevong village and it was all offroad. Thronghokiy had sent word to the village and someone would wait for us somewhere on the way.

Along the dusty road we passed Pungro village, New Vong, Lekhimro Hydel Electric project, Moya village, and finally to Tsurevong...the village beyond the blue mountains...

K. Athong, who is one of the village heads (Gaon Bura) met us on the way and led us to the village.

Tsurevong has no electricity, no proper roads and no schools for the village children. They all go to schools in Pungro. It is a new village with only 38 households, set up a couple of years back.

Making pottery in the village of Mimi It is in these distant villages of Nagaland that Life is hard in these remote villages one gets to see village life in all its rustic glory.

They still hold on to many of the customs and traditions that are all but lost to the people in the big towns.

Cool wind from the mountains drifted down as we sat outside the headman’s house sipping sweet tea. I waited impatiently to meet old man Kimusai, the only man who had seen the aircraft come down in flames from close quarters.

By the time I finished my third cup of tea, the old man appeared. He was in his 90s but he walked straight and although he carried his red walking stick, he never really seemed to use it.

Speaking the local language is a great help and he warmed up to me immediately. Kimusai and I sat on a 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD large rock in the midst of some teak and alder trees that MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 overlooked the valley.

The old man had a faraway look in his eyes as he nar845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM rated the story while we sat on the smooth rock face.

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Kimusai used to stay at Salomi village all those years back and had just got married. The hills were very thickly forested back then and he wanted to treat his new bride with a wild boar feast.

In fading light, Kimusai stood under a tree at the very top of a hill when he heard a loud wailing sound. He said “I saw a giant bird with fire on its wing circling close overhead. It was crying out loudly’. As he

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 25 A landing gear, still shiny after all these years.

watched, the circling plane very narrowly missed hitting one hillock and an instant later came down in the forest just below the hill where he stood.

“There were a thousand fires and it made an ear splitting noise as if the moon had come crashing down on earth!” said Kimusai. He was a brave hunter and a warrior but he had never ever seen such a massive explosion so close. He dropped his kill and ran all the way to the village.

Those were the early days of Christianity in Nagaland and many still held on strongly to their pre-Christianity beliefs. The burning aircraft was seen as a message from heaven and that the Gods were angry. Prayers were held, mithuns were sacrificed and nobody was allowed to go to the jungle to hunt. In a few days’ time, the village started running out of food and livestock. So Kimusai and a couple of hunters decided to investigate the giant bird from the sky and made their way to the site.

They had never seen an aircraft before but knew that it was not some bird from the heavens. The fire had died down but there was an overpowering stench of burnt flesh and a very large area of the forest lay scorched. debris like these keep popping up during farming

As they cautiously made their way through the debris, they found human remains - three dead bodies in different degrees of dismemberment. Two of the mutilated bodies were near the aircraft while they found a third corpse stuck on the branches of a tall tree, high above the ground. It was not dismembered but mutilated and bloodied.

Kimusai and the others buried the three airmen some distance away from the aircraft. They collected a few things from the site including a gun and didn’t return there for many years.

“The place was haunted by the spirits of the men who died there” Kimusai said. He didn’t specify how and I didn’t ask anymore.

It was most probably a C-47 transport plane that had taken off from Chabua airbase in Assam. Before the United States was officially engaged in World War II, American pilots flew these supplies planes across the high snow covered jagged peaks of Himalayas to ferry supplies to the armies of Chiang Kai-shek in Kunming in western China who were fighting against the Imperial Japanese army.

These sorties were fraught with danger. The planes were up against natural elements like snow and 200 mph wind and also the Japanese Zero fighter planes. This infamous route was nicknamed ‘The Hump’ and ‘Skyway To Hell’ by the brave airmen who flew the planes. More than 700 planes went down in this region during the war. Some fell in the deep jungles of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Burma.

Like so many others, this plane never made it back to base after dropping its cargo in Kunming.

Men from the Yimchunger tribe singing traditional song.

Page 26 The evergreen jungle soon overgrew the area and it was only in 1967 that the villagers ventured into the area again. Kimusai shifted to a new village, Longkhimvong, which was being established some kilometres away from the crash site and led the villagers to the aircraft. They started clearing the forest for cultivation and the huge bulk of the downed aircraft was revealed.

The villagers knew the worth of aluminium and they piled logs on top of the plane and set it on fire. Some made utensils out of the melted aluminium while others sold it off. They also made fantastic machetes and knives out of the steel and Kimusai’s son Samuel still uses one.

Kimusai is a great storyteller and by the time he finished, the sun had gone down the hill and the skies turned a flaming red. He

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS had a faraway look in his eyes as he stood up with a deep sigh and made his way home.

That night we stayed at a community hut by the side of the village church. Dinner was of rice, boiled vegetables and meat of some jungle fowl. The headman’s wife made some jungle fowl soup which was unbelievably delicious. No restaurant can ever replicate that. We sat in the kitchen by the fire and ate the simple food served with a liberal dose of affection. Since there is no electricity, the villagers burn pieces of pinewood and they act as candles.

Dinner at the kitchen. The plates, made from the aircraft aluminium, The concept of breakfast as the world knows it does are crafted in the traditional style. Pine wood work as candles. not exist in most of Nagaland. So at 7 in the morning, we were served rice and vegetable and with a full stomach, we made our way to the crash site.

It is offroads most of the way and it is fun

The site is a few kilometres downhill from the village.

We headed there with Thuviki and Retringia leading the way. The fact that some parts of the forest were burnt off recently for jhum cultivation made things a bit easier for us.

It was evident that the villagers had not burnt the forest at the crash site for a few years. The grass was taller and thicker and the trees bigger. I could hear a stream but could not see it initially because of the thick undergrowth. Retringia slashed a path with his razor sharp machete and we followed close behind. It was deadly quiet and except for the occasional call of the lone eagle that circled the sky, ours were the only noises.

We found a still shiny landing gear, some twisted wheels, parts of gearbox, crankshafts, a fan of some sort and some other heavy parts were scattered over a very large area. We walked down stream, slashing away the thick foliage and found a number of large engine parts.

I am sure a concentrated search would reveal a whole lot of parts.

Even though the area had been burnt and cleared in the past, we were surprised to find pieces of unburnt fabric and rubber hose pipes scattered in the area. A whole lot of parts are buried underground and some keep popping up during cultivation almost every year.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 27 A couple of years back, a villager dug up a radio set and a rusted and loaded revolver! Excavating the place will call for a major effort. It will be almost impossible for an excavator to be brought down the hill through the forest and manual digging will be a huge exercise.

It is an overwhelming sense of discovery, something that I have searched for a very long time.

And the fact that the headman told me that I was the first person from mainland India to visit the site made it even more satisfying.

As I sat on a fallen tree and looked down the valley, I couldn’t help but imagine the plight of the crew as they came down in flames. Even if they had survived the crash, it would have been near impossible for the wounded to survive the dense jungle crawling with wildlife.

After half a century, nobody knew where the three graves were but I said a silent prayer for the men who died so far away from their homeland.

The remains lay in a far and obscure place but it is well worth a visit. It makes us realize the kind of hell that the soldiers went through during a long and bitter war.

Visit these places before civilization spoils it all...You wouldn’t want to see a KFC outlet spoil the beauty, would you?

Contact for Permits : Lisapila Anar P.R.O. Tourism Department, Nagaland • Nagaland House, New Delhi For adventure motorcycling through these interiors: Chain Reaction www.chainreactionindia.com • +91 98103 20041 Entry Requirements: Foreigners need to report at the police station at Dimapur and also at the police stations of the towns they visit.

Stay: There are a variety of good hotels at Kohima to choose from but beyond that it is only home stays and a few government guest houses like in Pungro. Expect simple accommodation and local food. So contact PRO Tourism if you decide to go.

Best Time: October to April is the best time to visit.

Money: Only cash. Credit and debit cards are just 4 inch pieces of colored plastic

Page 28

RIDING the RATTLER Victor Cruz

Most of you know about the 13 miles and 318 curves of the overcrowded overhyped “Tail of the Dragon” in Deal’s Gap, on the Tenn-North Carolina border. It’s got a “Tree of Shame” ornamented with sheared-off fairings, cracked headlamps and scraped helmets. A small motel sits there with leather-clad gentlemen scholars smoking and drinking, and a ginormous souvenir stand so heavily commercialized as to make the whole thing comic. On weekends you can expect to tail a line of slow-moving trikes and club cruisers. Average daily traffic is 1,400 vehicles. Here’s another number: 41. That’s the number of deaths since 1995. There’s no fun in that. Buy the Tshirt and off you go….

Hopefully you’ll go in the direction of Fines Creek, NC or Hot Springs, NC,

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS where the serenity and solitude of Route 209 awaits to greet the unsuspecting rider. It’s a treat in either direction. At Fine’s Creek there’s a general store and their sponsored billboard announcing: “You Just Rode The Rattler. The last 24 miles 290 curves.” Riders from Asheville hop on the Rattler for a day ride. We met a codger wearing a T-shirt that showed a squirrel shaking with Parkinson’s: “I’m so old I can’t remember where my nuts are.” A shirt you would never see on a man in NYC. People in this part of the country wear humor like a baseball cap.

On a last minute impulse some buddies convinced me to fly down to Atlanta to attend the Georgia Mountain Rally at the Hiawassee fairgrounds. We rented bikes from WOW motorcycles in Marietta, a $60 cab fare from ATL airport. They are part of the Eagle Rider rental network. This was the fourth time I had rented from Eagle and every experience was positive. Friendly service and they go over each bike before releasing it. The Suzuki V Strom 1000 – great ergos, all-day comfort, but lacking steel-braided lines that made for slightly delayed braking – set me back $500 for four days. But the vendor gods at the Rally site were generous this year and I somehow won a pair of Michelins Pilot 4s that covered my rental. The campsites are located on a postcard-perfect Lake Chatuge with clean updated restrooms. The fairgrounds are set up in a quaint village-like setting (Continued on Page 30)

Page 30

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

with permanent booths, easily the nicest bike rally site I’ve ever seen. Eats included Friday night chili and Saturday night grill-your-own steaks. A big event, the Rally rolled in 670 riders, 200 more than last year. The oldest rider was 84.

Perfect weather matched the amazing mountain and county roads in every direction. Quality roads with no frost heaves. A visit to the “Wheels Through Time” museum in Maggie Valley should be on your agenda. We’re talking about the area south of Asheville, NC, where GA, NC and TN all meet. Many roads here are twisted like pretzels and will give you a run for your money or the runs, if you don’t know how to hitch a ride on their hairy backs. It’s true what they say about Southerners. Over-the-top friendly folks who pick up conversation as though you were picking up from where you left off.

Cheap restaurant prices. Grits, BBQ, trout and jambalaya on the menu. Plenty of gentrified towns like Bavarian Helen, Dahlonega, and Highlands, NC. Not a whisper of banjo playing honky-tonk heard in the breeze. … And the only thing that bites back is The Rattler…. The road hisses back and forth, snaking up and down a ridge, rearing up to spike you with its fangs, the venom rushing to your head to intoxicate your eye sockets. Scenery is hillbilly classic.

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like pioneer homesteads as if Ralph Lauren staged it, aged barn wood topped off by rusted tin roofs. Sagging barns, their spines broken by the weight of generations come and gone. “The Rattler!... The Rattler!” you shout out loud, yelling it inside your muted helmet. At the end is Hot Springs, NC, where you can toast over Cuban sandwiches and fried green tomatoes at the Iron Horse Station. From there, you can find roads into Tennessee.

Talk about an underrated biker destination. TN surprised the bourbon right out of me. The hills have peaks like wizard hats. And if you ever find yourself in Sevierville, visit Smoky Mountain Knife Works where you’ll see the weirdness of 10,000 knives in a 50,000 sq ft space. georgia mountain rally • www.bmwmcoga.org WoW motorcycle/eagle rider rental www.wowmotorcycles.com/

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 31

Top Ten Mysterious Americas

(within a day’s ride of Backroads Central ~ 41°N 74°W) Dr. Seymour O’Life

It was March of 1996, in Backroads’ second season, that I had the first Mysterious America published in these hallowed pages.

Now some 200+ columns later this magazine finds itself starting it’s 21st year. That is quite a lot of odd, bizarre and mysterious places we have had the good fortune to discover, ride to and explore.

I hope you have enjoyed the ride.

Recently, while hanging with my posse’ The Tanked Bags at Monkey With A Gun, Backroads illustrious, if hidden, watering hole, the question came up…

“What were the most puzzling and interesting Mysterious Americas over the last two decades?”

Well, that sparked a healthy debate, I’ll tell ya, but with a challenge comes action and after a bit of discussion (real and imagined) we decided to give you, our respected readers and riders, the Top Ten Mysterious Americas from the past. And, to make sure these were all doable for many of our readers, we decided to keep it somewhat local and to keep them within a day’s ride, give or take, from Backroads Central, which is located in the hinterland of northwest New Jersey.

These are in no particular order as it is hard to classify and number things of this nature.

Sit back and enjoy and when you can, go ride into Mysterious America!

Opus 40

Grafton Peace Pagoda

50 Fite Rd, , Saugerties, NY 12477 • 845-246-3400 www.opus40.org

87 Crandall Road Petersburgh, NY 518-658-9301 graftonpeacepagoda.org

Located between Woodstock, New York and the Hudson River, Opus 40 is one of my favorite places and over the years I have brought many a rider up to this incredible sculpture park.

Created by Harvey Fite over three+ decades it is a most incredible place and it never fails to awe and inspire. In May of 1976, Harvey Fite was killed in an accidental fall onto the rocks of the quarry sculpture to which he had devoted the last thirty-seven years of his life. He was seventy-two years old.

Take a ride to Opus 40, truly one of my favorite Mysterious Americas.

Off a tiny dirt road, near Grafton, New York – right off Route 20 – you will find a most remarkable place - the Grafton Peace Pagoda.

The Grafton Peace Pagoda is one of 80 peace pagodas worldwide, but only two in the U.S. – with a third now being built in Tennessee.

The Pagaoda has a storied history, but to keep this short let me tell you it is a place of peace, beauty and reflection.

Riding to it and hiking the short trail to the pagoda is well worth the effort and you just might be rewarded with a bit of tranquility in your soul.

Page 32

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS Cardiff Giant

The Farmers’ Museum 5775 State Hwy 80 (Lake Road), Cooperstown, NY 13326 607-547-1450 • www.farmersmuseum.org

Even if something is a blatant lie, it still can end up part of Mysterious America.

The Cardiff Giant was one of the most famous hoaxes in United States history. It was a 10-foot tall purported “petrified man” uncovered on October 16, 1869, by workers digging a well behind the barn of William C. “Stub” Newell in Cardiff, New York – a year after he had it created and buried there.

Word of the unearthing of a petrified man spread quickly around the countryside. People came from miles around to see the Giant, which was identified as an example of an ancient race mentioned in Genesis by some believers. “Found” in the heart of New York’s Burnt Oven District, the Giant benefited from the religious fervor sweeping the area.

In 1947, the Giant was sold to The Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown. It is now on display inside the main barn of the museum.

Columcille Megalith Park 2155 Fox Gap Road, Bangor PA 18013 610-588-1174 • www.columcille.org

New York State does not hold a monopoly of Mysterious America as the next three couple from the Keystone State of Pennsylvania and, first up is, Columcille Megalith Park.

If Britain’s Stonehenge moves your soul then Columcille is a must stop in our Mysterious America.

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Finding its inspiration and roots from the Isle of Iona, off the coast of Scotland, the standing stones and buildings of Columcille will take your breath away.

Riding your motorcycle to and then strolling through the expansive park on a nice day makes for an excellent destination. Well worth bringing a picnic lunch and finding a giant column to spread out under. It cannot be beat.

Many feel Columcille Megalith Park is a place of healing and spiritual power.I am not sure of that, but it is very cool in the extreme.

Ringing Rocks Park Ringing Rocks Rd, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972

Located just south of Columcille, just above the Delaware River you will find a real geological mystery – Ringing Rock Park.

Here, devoid of all vegetation, is a 7- acre spot that is filled with basalt boulders and rocks that have a most unique ability. When struck with a hammer they ring. Nicely, too.

Different boulders have different tones and many a musician has found the one they want to create some real “rock” and roll.

Years back a geologist took a few of the rocks back to his lab for testing. These experiments with the rocks were unable to figure out what it is about the rocks that made them actually ring.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 33 It is a mystery to this day.

Others have more fanciful explanations such as radioactivity, meteorites, comets, or strange magnetic fields.

Even supernatural possibilities have been suggested, and the area has been celebrated by those who tend to lean towards the paranormal and supernatural.

Me? I have no idea why these rocks ring; but they do and this makes Ringing Rocks Park a true enigma.

Wardenclyffe - The Laboratory of Nikola Tesla Route 25A, East Shoreham, NY

When most people think of electricity and light and power the name Thomas Edison comes up but I, for one, say nay!

Edison and his “muckers,” as he called his employees (showing how he felt about anyone working for him) created many things.

The real wizard in those days was Serbian born Nikola Tesla.

He truly is the father of our ‘Electronic World!’

I addition to creating the first workable power grid, the electric motor and pushing A.C. power, he also did many powerful and forward thinking things.

One was the creation of a universal electrical source that anyone on the globe could tap into, for free, and use the power naturally found in and around our planet.

To further his experiment he

received the backing of J. P. Morgan and built a large laboratory on the north shore of Long Island in the town of East Shoreham.

When he realized that Tesla wished to bestow this unlimited power free to the world Morgan, ever the capitalist, pulled his money and Wardenclyffe and Tesla, one of the planet’s greatest minds, began their slide in history.

When I visited Wardenclyffe the tower was gone but the building remained, designed by Stanford White, although now a Superfund site. Ironically cell towers sit across the street and the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant is not far away. If you are unaware of how great Nikola Tesla was and still is, take some time and Google him. You will find him to be a fascinating man and an intricate part of Mysterious America.

Centralia, Pennsylvania • A Town on Fire Right outside the curiously named town of Ashland, where Route 61 has an odd detour, you will find the remains of remnants of the once bustling town of Centralia, Pennsylvania.

This story starts back in 1962 when workers set a trash pile on fire atop an old and closed coal mine pit, looking to get rid of it. This was common practice back then but this time they created the trash fire over an exposed vein of anthracite coal.

As you have probably guessed, this did not go well.

Page 34

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS The coal immediately took to the flames and caught fire.

The local firefighters extinguished the blaze but were unawares that the seam of coal had ignited and continued to burn and spread to surround-

ing coal veins.

Soon it was obvious that the town of Centralia was in dire straights, as putting out this smoldering fire was impossible.

For the next 20 years nearly seven million dollars was spent trying to extinguish the Centralia fire, to no real effect.

In 1981 a sinkhole opened up and almost swallowed a 12-year boy.

Folks had had enough and the state of Pennsylvania basically condemned the entire town, and spent $42 million in government funds relocating most of its residents.

The fire still burns today beneath the ghost town, and it is said there is enough coal in the pit below to feed the fire for hundreds of years.

You can visit Centralia, at your own risk, and I think it is worth the trip to visit one of the strangest town sagas in the history of the United States.

Largest Buddha in the Western Hemisphere

right off Route 301, an excellent motorcycle road.

The Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY is the home of the largest Buddha statue in the western hemisphere.

This monastery is run by monks belonging to the Buddhist Association of the United States or BAUS and is a great place to visit with or without the great Buddha.

Beautifully architected and built it yet another place on this list that exudes serenity.

Chuang Yen Monastery 2020 Route 301, Carmel, NY • 845-225-1819 • www.baus.org

If you like your mysteries big I have a winner for you in the Hudson Valley, Restored to its glory years during the roaring 20’s, the General Francis Marion Hotel is steeped in history and elegance with all the modern amenities.

Located just 1.8 miles from Route 16 - the Back of the Dragon.

260 curve, 32-mile, 3 mountain roller coaster of a ride.

Incredible vistas, panoramic views and enough roads to ride for days!

Rated as one of the Top Motorcycling Destinations in the Nation ‘The accommodations, the ambiance, the staff and, best of all, the roads are phenomenal.

The General Francis Marion cannot be beat’ Backroads Magazine - May 2014

The Buddha stands 37 feet tall and is surrounded by 10,000 Buddha figurines on a lotus terrace in Great Buddha Hall.

It is quite the sight.

But all things are not as they seem here at the Chuang Yen Monastery.

When I was there I bowed silently to three monks as they quietly passed in their flowing orange robes. One glanced at my helmet and quickly walked my way, robe flowing behind his sandaled feet.

I thought I had done something wrong but then he asked, “Is that your BMW? Is it the new water-cooled bike?” Ha… Go figure!

Wing’s Castle 717 Bangall Rd, Millbrook, NY 845-677-9085 • www.wingscastle.com

In truth Brian and Shira told me about Wing’s Castle and it was not long after that I spun my wheels up through this part of New York state looking for one couple’s dream.

Whether you’re traveling alone, with a small group or a whole riding club, the General Francis Marion has a variety of rooms perfect for any event. Luxury is an extension of our Southern hospitality. Contact us concerning reservations today.

General Francis Marion Hotel and the Black Rooster Restaurant 107 east Main Street • Marion, VA 24354 • 276-783-4800 • www.gfmhotel.com • marketing-gfmh@comcast.net

Pete and Toni Ann Wing began creating the castle. Wing returned from Vietnam in 1969, proposed to Toni Ann and in 1970 the long illustrious love affair of building a castle began. This enigma is still, to this day, 40 years later, under construction... as Toni states, “ it has become a live in art project”.

Riding up to it Wing’s Castle literally jumps out at you – it is a unique place to say the least.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 Much of the materials used have been recycled from other places and projects and Wing’s Castle is now a Bed & Breakfast as well – so you can ride up through this stunning region and overnight in a part of Mysterious America. The Cottage looks like it rolled out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. There is also the tower room and the dungeon for you kinky brothers and sister.

Either which way you wish to go Wing’s Castle is one of the most unique homes in the USA. Desert of Maine 95 Desert Rd., Freeport ME 04032 207-865-6962 • www.desertofmaine.com

This stop on our tour of Mysterious America is a very long day’s ride from Backroads Central, but early birders should do it easily.

I thought this place a tourist trap till I spent an afternoon here taking a tour and exploring the topography and geology of the area.

The story goes like this… In 1797 the Tuttle family moved to the 300-acre farm where they successfully raised crops of potatoes and hay for several years. Failure to rotate crops thereafter, combined with massive land clearing and overgrazing resulted in severe soil erosion that exposed a patch of sand about the size of a dinner plate, that lurked right below the thin layer of topsoil. This was just the beginning of the sand taking over the farm.

Over the years the sand has continued to spread, slowly the sand claimed the farm, swallowing buildings and pasture.

Page 35 These days there are trees buried up to 50 feet by the ever-encroaching sand, which has a sparkling mica base. Here, during the summer months, this sand can reach a temperature far above 100 degrees.

As the spreading sand grew uncontrollable, the Tuttles gave in and finally surrendered and the property was purchased for $300 by Henry Goldrup, who converted it to a tourist attraction in 1925; one of the oddest attractions in the nation, and the final stop on this quick journey around the top ten features here at Mysterious America!

If you know of a place that should be shared in the pages of Mysterious America drop me a line at editor@backroadsusa.com under subject heading “Mysterious America.”

Until next time – O’Life out!

Page 36

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

New Sweden 450 The Perfect Way to Start the Season words & images: Brian Rathjen

My friend Betsy Byers is a serious quilter and she makes some of the nicest I have ever seen – especially the one she artfully created for Shira and me.

When making these she carefully chooses her materials, fabrics and thread.

Stitching her quilty magic she takes all these pieces and, when finished, has made something far better than any of its distinct parts.

The same thought and talent goes into making a great ride. It might seem easy to put Road A into Mountain B along River C; but you go try it. We give it a whirl all the time – with mixed success. When it comes together and works it is a beautiful thing and when the New Sweden BMW Club put together the yearly 450 they got it working really well.

This is the second outing for 450 from the Delaware Valley Club and the ride would begin and end in the Cherry Hill vicinity. For your modest entry fee ($60) you would get two full day’s worth of riding, map and written route sheet – GPS files were available (thank you very much), overnight camping at some mysterious and beautiful destination about 225 miles away and a barbeque dinner cooked by Bobby Flay.

Okay, maybe not Mr. Flay, but he was damn close!

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 With the fairly distant starting point for us, we rode down south the previous day, taking in a few sights found in the region. We overnighted American-style with a room at the local Red Roof, dinner at TGIF and taking in the new Mad Max flick. I liked it - Shira thought she was going to see Love Actually.

Eight a.m. found us, and about 50 others, at Cycle Gear signing the prerequisite AMA waiver and hooking up with our friend and local Backroads alumni Brad Tabaac for the day’s ride.

Okay, Cherry Hill is not the most joyous place in the Garden State but their ride captain, Phil Levin, did a superb job of getting riders “out of Dodge” (his words) and quickly into a mostly westerly and northerly route; quickly leaving behind the Philly/ south Jersey sprawl.

These sorts of weekends are never a race. It is a ride at your own pace sort of thing. You can ride solo or with a small group. It is a good idea to keep an eye on your mirror, as more aggressive riders might want to pass. If you are that quicker paced rider - just pass with skill, smoothness and politeness. No reason to be “that guy” and ruffle somebody’s leathers.

Along the way we found a few things. The first was a great breakfast in the Woody’s Towne Café, a little place in Allentown, New Jersey. The second thing was a sidecar pilot named Wayne (good Wayne, not bad), from Delaware, who grabbed a spot in the rear and followed along to the end site.

Staying with the foodie theme, we ran across “Liver Eating Johnson!”

It seems Mr. Liver Eater was a complete bad ass. So much so that Robert Redford played him in the movie Jeremiah Johnson. He was born along our route this day and has a bad ass sign to state just that.

But, that is not why I call him a bad ass.

No, I do because in my research I found he was deep into badassery and actually has a page on the “Bad Ass of the Week” website.

It seems there is such a thing.

I would ‘borrow’ their story on Jeremiah, but anyone who runs such a website will probably heavily frown on plagiarism, but I will tell you that when his vastly pregnant wife was slaughtered by a local Crow tribe (they lived in the Rockies) Jeremiah went more than ballistic and went about taking vengeance with a vengeance. And, then it got weird. Here, have fun and read the story for yourself – I could not have said it better! www.badassoftheweek.com/livereating.html On a lighter note we were making excellent time along the backroads of the Garden State, crossed over into Pennsylvania at Belvidere and then headed along the Delaware to Water Gap where we stopped for liv… pie, ice cream and coffee.

Page 37 Break time over and fully caffeined and sugared we carried onward along the New Sweden’s route west into the Poconos. The roads up through New Jersey were fun, but as we headed into the mountains it got a bit more interesting.

Along the way Brad vectored off towards home and by late afternoon we pulled into the Whispering Pines Campground, just outside Stillwater, Pennsylvania.

Wait…. did I just say campground? Not inn, hotel, B & B, private estate?

No, I said campground.

Although many believe we are incapable of embrac-

Page 38

ing rip-stop nylon domiciles, we have camped plenty of times, plenty I tell ya – we would just rather “hot shower, restaurant and bar it” than finish a 200 plus mile ride along the curves and then have to build my home amongst Elly May’s critters.

But, we thought what the hell? The weather was perfect and the ground grassy and flat, and the company friendly – so camping it would be.

We could be tough like good ol’ Liver Eater.

We brought along our Redverz that has one of those little garage areas attached to it that we made into a sitting foyer – when we finally got it up.

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS See, we’re not stupid, we pulled out the tent earlier in the week and quickly learned (thank you YouTube) how to efficiently set-up the tent; which we promptly forgot – but, the third time was a charm.

Kermit chairs set up in the airy foyer/garage or “garager” as we call it and it was better than home.

Shira said we should have one of those tents that all you need do is flip it out and you have your room.

I told we have one – it is called American Express.

The New Sweden Club was more than cordial and made us feel right at home and they had the evening catered by a local barbeque that was really five-star, as BBQ go.

Ribs, chicken, pork, baked mac, bean, salad and the best broccoli ever.

Seconds were called for.

After dinner festivities found a boodle of door prizes being given away and everybody got something and who doesn’t want to get something?

It was right about then that the perfect weather – like a good baseball season - began to unravel.

We found later that hail, thunderstorms and general mayhem was called for back home – but we had just gusts and a half hour of heavy downpour before the rain rolled away and the dark came out and the fire got quickly lit with a loud “WHOOMP!” that I could hear from Chez Backroads. I am pretty sure that some flammable coercion was brought into play here after the rains.

The night slipped by in a very comfortable fashion, with Go-Cots,

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clean bags and feather pillows (Hey, it was just one night and we had the room), reading light and the latest Reader’s Digest until Morpheus beckoned.

The morning found a field shrouded in a light fog, wisping in and around the trees, tents and BMW twins.

The bodies of the slain littered the field with the coppery smell of their blood soaking into the ground. Vultures circles high above and…

Oh, sorry - that was the battle of Thermopylae. Where was I really?

Right, back in modern day Pennsylvania….

New Sweden was having a bit of trouble with the coffee, but an Aerostich Jet Boil got the Joe happening as the tents began to come down and bikes packed away.

We got out on the very good side of eight a.m. and began to follow along the New Sweden’s route, which were loaded onto our zūmo.

Day one was pleasant and easy going. Day two was far more aggressive, technical and challenging – just the way we like them.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Some of the roads we knew and had ridden, some were new to us – the beauty of weekend jaunts like these.

Up and down through the Endless Mountains and Poconos, along state parks, through small towns and the occasional larger burg.

Route 339 out of Bloomsburg towards Mahanoy City was especially funtastic as, that early on Sunday, the faithful were still eating breakfast before leaving for church and the local authorities seemed to be elsewhere.

We found the day’s ride to be very high in the ‘fun factor’ and the perfect

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Page 39 way to finish off the weekend. This day we even got to help two box turtles along the way, gathering up those mitzvah points and doing our small part to save the planet while burning copious amounts of high test 92 octane fuel.

It is a delicate balancing act we ride.

Local flavor always adds to these rides and large signs like the one for the Zion Grove Trout Hatchery tend to stick in your mind, as did the Virginville Hotel – no luck at that inn, obviously.

The final day of the New Sweden 450 meandered in this way down through Pennsylvania, clipping into Delaware before crossing back to the New Jersey side of the widening Delaware River.

The weekend finished up at the Pic-A-Lilly, in Shamong, New Jersey - not far from the staring point the previous day.

And, was the perfect place to finish the ride.

We want to thank Phil, Vince, Ron, John, Nancy and the other members of the New Sweden BMW Club for putting on the event.

It is only year two, but with the way they ‘quilted’ the ride together, the excellent campsite, nice folks and superior roads made for a superb time all around.

If you are looking for a fun and different weekend jaunt, and enjoy sleeping under the stars then keep an eye on the New Sweden website for info on next year’s 450. The club will also be hosting their 33rd Annual Last Chance Rally the weekend of September 25 through 27 of this year, at the Buena Vista Campsite in Buena, New Jersey. This rally is well known for even better food… if that is possible.

I can hear the whole Pig Roast Banquet calling…

Log onto www.newswedenbmwriders.com for more information.

Page 40

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

WAR AND OTHER FUN PLACES…..

War is Hell - William Tecumseh Sherman What is it good for, absolutely nothing - Edwin Starr During the last great battle of the winter season some of us got caught up in that never-ending crusade against the demon boredom. During one such clash some websites began to circulate with some of the odder and unusual town names in these United States. There seems to be a lot out there and the flow of names, locations and regions quickly became a deluge.

We brought this up on social media and it didn’t take long before we got a few replies and even some pictures; as it seemed that our friend Larry, who is a peaceable guy, went to War with some of his friends.

War, West Virginia, that is.

I thought that odd – but not as odd as Odd – the small hamlet not too far from War. We thought we’d share a few other quirkily named towns in the United States. Let’s see if any of you have been to some of them.

If you do not want to go to War, how about an Accident? As in Accident, Maryland just south of the Pennsylvania border.

Not all ‘small towns USA’ are tiny – there are some monsters out there like Frankenstein, Missouri and if we have a hand basket we could head to Hell, Michigan. No, that is not another name for Detroit.

Closer to home there is Intercourse, Pennsylvania (formerly Cross Keys) or Loveladies, New Jersey. Who hasn’t been there, or wanted to be there, at least a few times? But, let’s bring the folks from Virgin, Utah to learn how it’s done.

Let us not forget Assawoman, Virginia Blue Ball, Ohio French Lick, Indiana or good ol’ Buttzville, New Jersey. Since we are now in the gutter of weird names USA know there is a Big Bone State Park in Kentucky, the town of

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Wiener in Arkansas and Spread Eagle, Wisconsin.

The sign for Dildo Harbour in Canada is too telling but all these people must vacation in Horneytown, North Carolina. If I were looking for a fowl place I might want to ride to Chicken, Alaska, where there is a sign about getting laid in the town and then hopefully land in Climax, Colorado!

Hey, Don’t shoot me - I’m just the messenger here and stopping this theme now - sorry.

Ever been bit in Mosquitoville, Vermont? Me neither. But there is the town of Satans Kingdom not far from there.

Let’s have a hearty breakfast in Oatmeal, Texas or Two Egg, Florida and keep on riding to Baconton, Georgia - Cereal, Pennsylvania and then along to Toast, North Carolina. We can wash that down in Hot Coffee, Mississippi and Tea, South Dakota.

Now I do know we have been to Paw Paw, West Virginia – there is a great tunnel here for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

Page 41 Well, if they have a Paw Paw, how about Pee Pee… Ohio.

Yep, there is a place named Pee Pee. On the other side of the nation you can find Rough and Ready, California - the only mining town to “secede” from the Union and the Territory of California then to vote itself back in.

Why am I not surprised?

For those of you who really do not like to spend your cash (you know who you are) why not squeak into Tightwad, Missouri.

I think the most remote place on this short list has to be Unalaska, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands chain.

Okay, maybe we are not riding there.

But if we cannot ride to Alaska’s Unalaska then let’s wheel it over to Uncertain, Texas – I think.

Is it raining in Waterproof, Louisiana? Probably – but it’s an impermeable town. Are there any good times to be had in What Cheer, Iowa.

Not from looking at the photographs.

Are there any good times in North Carolina?

Why Not. Why Not, North Carolina looks to be in the middle of nowhere.

There is a Y City in Arkansas and our last listing of strangely named US towns is Zap, North Dakota.

All we need now is Pow and Bam and we could have a Batman fight.

This country is criss-crossed by some of the oddest named towns you could possibly imagine and the stories on how some of these places got their odd names could be a book by itself.

If you have a picture of yourself and your bike in one of them please pass it along – we’d love to see it.

Page 42

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME RIDE SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH We think it’s obvious that the folks at Backroads love baseball, as the riding season and the baseball season always seem to run together.

Up where we call home, in northwestern NJ, the Sussex Miners Baseball Team will be hosting the Rockland Boulders on sunday september 6th at 2 pm at Skylands Stadium, in Augusta, New Jersey - and we’d like to invite you come to the ball game with us.

We’ll meet between 10:30-11am, on sunday september 6th, at Pompton sports center, 444, Pompton Plains, Pompton, new Jersey, for a leisurely ride taking us along the forests, lakes and farms of the Jersey Skylands.

We’ll get to the stadium in plenty of time to park, get a bite to eat and find our section to see one of the final games of the season against the two regional rivals.

To reserve your tickets call Group Sales at 973-940-0222 and mention the Backroads group for september 6th. Tickets are just $10/pp, so grab yours today!

We hope you join us for our Take Me Out to the Ball Game Ride.

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SOLO EXPEDITION MOTORCYCLE TENT FROM REDVERZ GEAR For those who have perfected the art of being alone, Redverz Gear introduces The Solo Expedition Motorcycle Tent. The original Redverz design has shed a few pounds and inches resulting in a smaller version of the biggest idea in motorcycle camping. Designed to accommodate a single camper, The Solo is more compact while remaining notoriously spacious.

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The legendary Redverz garage remains unchanged with area-wide headroom, tall enough to stand in and house a fully loaded adventure bike.

With room to sleep just one, The Solo Expedition Tent appeals specifically to the lone traveler. Alternatively, the company’s Atacama Expedition Tent sleeps up to three. Both designs afford riders the luxury of a garage to park the bike, make repairs or wait out a storm. Which tent is for you? Simple. Are you solo?

Or do you play well with others?

Solo travel is uncomplicated and intensely rewarding.

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Two-pole construction makes for fast and easy set up and one less pole lightens the load. Double-wall construction and a bathtub floor in the Solo sleeping bay affords maximum nighttime comfort and protection in a smaller foot print, 90 inches x 41 inches to be exact.

At just 12 feet and 3 inches in length overall, the entire Solo Expedition Tent fits more easily into smaller predetermined camp spaces and the lighter pack weight makes The Solo ideal when every ounce counts.

The flexible hoop design is rated for 3-seasons and offers unbeatable performance in wind and rain.

4000mm hydrostatic head on the outer fly and 10,000mm waterproofing on the sleeping bay floor keep riders dry and secure. Both entry doors pair a privacy panel with mosquito mesh to allow for complete closure or ventilation with bug protection.

The renowned Redverz garage design remains unchanged at 102 inches long by 36 inches wide. Your bike will fit. Your lounge will be spacious. Your workshop will be ample. The Solo Tent sells for $449. For more information visit www.redverz.com.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 43

PRODUCT REVIEWS DOUBLETAKE MIRRORS So here are three scenarios and common results. Motorcycle has a crash. Mirror broken. Motorcycle has a simple tipover. Mirror broken. Small nuclear device goes off. Mirror broken. The simple fact is that most motorcycle mirrors can get damaged far too easily.

Almost as infuriating is the fact, for most BMW owners, the way the stock mirrors go on and tighten seem to have been designed by some sadistic engineer looking to strike back for years of high school abuse.

The two tightening nuts, convoluted way the BMW mirrors attach and tighten, is a true pain and sometimes it seems that anything striking my mirror (right side in particular) that has more mass than a flying ladybug will spin the mirror loose.

And then there is the fact that the mirrors that came with my GS are woefully small in size and should offer a lot more coverage to the rear.

There has to be a better mirror out there… and there is.

Dakar Rally finisher Ned Suesse went and created Doubletake Mirrors.

These mirrors (designed for the dual-sport crowd, but good for all machines) are easy to install, very adjustable and more or less indestructible.

Utilizing a RAM-style mount they are far less rigid than the stock mirrors and thus have less vibration than what came with my machine.

The coverage of these convex SAE reflectors, encased in a reinforced Zytel (a high tech off-world resin), is far superior to the stock glass and I was amazed to see there was more to the world behind me than just my shoulders.

This adjustability allows for a few good things as well.

For we street riders it offers a far better view and range behind us.

The twin Ram balls on both ends of the arm offer a lot of adjustment possibilities.

For those who like to hit the less traveled trails and venture off-road these mirrors can be folded neatly out of the way, across the bars, if the going gets a bit rough and gravity storms are reported in the area.

Unlike the stock BMW mirror stalk the ease of installation of the Doubletake Mirrors is very straight-forward. Simply find a small ladybug and toss it at your standard BMW-style mirror to loosen it and then unscrew the stalk and toss mirror into waste bin. Repeat for the other side.

Then merely screw the Ram mount ball onto the stock bracket followed by the arm and mirror.

I did think it strange that the ball did not have some sort of nut attached to help with tightening, but

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Page 44

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

the Ram-style arm had plenty of leverage and worked just as well when tightened onto the ball. Easy!

Adjust the new ‘oh-so-much-better’ mirrors and go for a ride. A long ride.

The Doubletake Mirrors we installed are their latest offering and are styled to fit the lines of most modern machines and looked especially good on our GS. Round Doubletake Mirrors are available as well.

So far we’ve been able to knock off and break plenty of other things on this bike but these mirrors are like the Timex watch of bike mirrors. They can take some serious abuse without any major damage.

As these are a modular system you can pick and choose between arm sizes and base plate applications for different machines and OEMs. The mirror lists for $25 per unit (you will need two- duh) the arms $13 and the base stud ball around $10 – so you are looking at a $100 investment for mirrors that can last a lifetime and a good number of various machines.

Find out more on their website at www.doubletakemirror.com ~ Brian Rathjen

MICHELIN ANAKEE III TIRE When buying tires for a bike such as the BMW R1200GS, a little honesty should come into play.

Although most GS riders would like to think they are going off into ‘The Wild’ the truth is most big ADV bikes see a minimal of harsh or adverse conditions and, in my case, the fire roads and semi-maintained gravel of the northeast will rarely call for full on knobby rubber.

Oh I am sure there are some of you who could bring me to hell and back, but generally most of the ADV available tires lean more to the pavement than the dirt.

Such is the case with Michelin’s Anakee III tires.

We have ridden on the tire company’s previous Anakee tires, but the IIIs seemed to be a far different type of tire from the very start.

Clearly a tire that is 90/10 pavement to dirt, I put on a set just before leaving for the Backroads Spring Break Rally in the hopes of giving the tires a gambit of riding conditions. As some of you know, on these rallies you should expect sun, rain, great paved curves and a bit of gravel as well.

I did not let myself down.

These tires have now become very popular and a large percentage of the new BMW R1200GS models will come fitted with Michelin’s Anakee III as standard and our good friend and international man of motorcycles Roberto Mitchello swears by these.

The tech guys at Michelin told us that we should expect a full 20% more mileage over previous generations of Anakee – which already were impressive, and that the new silica-enhanced tread compound would improve wet-weather performance as well.

Just looking at the Anakee III tires you now somebody had been doing some serious tire thinking at Michelin.

The Anakee III is a unique looking tire.

The odd ‘Variable Groove Ratio’ tread pattern uses deep cuts, with startling angles ad shapes. Michelin call these new lateral grooves ‘a tread within a tread’ and this adds to the tractability and over-all performance of the tires along with excellent water and mud dispersal. The idea also is to slow down the ‘scalloping effect’ that is common fault with many other big block tires.

More precise handling was promised via a more rigid tire casing.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 45

Over the next five days and 1,000 miles I ran the new Anakee III along some great curvy mountain roads, letting the bike, tires and my confidence settle in after the first 100 or so miles, as I always ride a bit more conservatively when on fresh and different rubber. The first thing that impressed me was that these tires were both smooth rolling and quiet.

In the dry, almost perfect conditions in the beginning of the Spring Break the Anakee IIIs offered good solid feedback and confidence building feel that almost rivaled some of the other tires such as the Avon Distanzia or Metzler Tourance.

I made the transition to gravel a few times over the next days and the tires seemed fine to me – not having to think about it works for me.

Later on I rode for a short bit on a power companies unmaintained service road.

I stopped at one point for some photographs and noticed that the road itself was a marly, fine gravel sort of surface; a little deep too; just a touch before the GS had gotten a bit sideways when I was over exuberant with the throttle and now I knew why.

Getting off I could see the tires matted with this grime, yet, even though they had a street pedigree, they were performing admirably along this loose and moist gravel. Far better than I would have thought by reading Michelin’s press material.

Up until then I had been riding in mostly dry conditions with temperatures that had varied from cool to a high in the low 90s for a spell. Nothing extreme but the final real test would be a few hundred fast miles through the Adirondacks and into the Catskills with low 40 and very wet conditions.

I had run through a bit of rain, but nothing grand and I had said to myself that, “a good day’s ride with these tires in the wet was just what I needed to finish off this review.” Yup, yup, yup.

Yes, Scott – the rain was my fault and I am sorry – really.

It was on this day that the new Michelin Anakee III tires really excelled.

They are almost at home in the rain. Expertly dispersing moisture, offering a great deal of confidence and giving the GS superb control.

At various times during the day’s soak I gave the bike rather harsh input pushing the Anakee IIIs to see when and if they would behave badly and they never did.

I was righteously impressed with their wet weather performance, which easily outperformed the Metzler and Avons.

The big question now is how long before I feel the need to change rubber.

I have learned long ago that if I begin to question whether my tires need to be changed it is time to change them.

With a couple of thousand miles on the Anakee IIIs, it looks like I will be riding on these tires for a good long time.

Michelin offers the Anakee III for most 17-inch rear wheels and 19 and 21-inch front. MSRP for the tires tested is $276.95 (rear) and $198.95 (front) But see your local dealer and talk with them about price as, unlike shopping on the web, they can get the tires and mount them for you. motorcycle.michelinman.com ~ Brian Rathjen

Page 46

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival The ToW It’s an image that none of us really ever wish to see.

Your machine atop a flat bed tow truck strapped down tightly like a kinky Wall Street banker in a bordello in Nevada or Quasimodo on the pillory at Notre Dame.

Your bike, now secure and safe from movement or shifting, begins its solo journey toward whatever shop it is headed.

We hope that this never happens to you, but the truth is it can and probably will at some point.

Mechanical failures, or incidents and events on the road may necessitate getting your motorcycle hauled to a local shop.

It’s really no big deal. Dirt bike riders tow or carry their machines every weekend.

Some street riders have never even considered it.

We know some motorcyclists that think this is how their machines are supposed to get to the rally du jour.

It shouldn’t be a big deal but there are a few things to think about when hauling a bike.

The first thing is sometimes simpler is better.

You have a truck. You have a trailer (or friend with said truck and trailer) - so just do it yourself.

But that is not always an option.

That’s when it is time to get the professionals to do the hauling for you.

Recently I had a rear shock failure on my BMW R 1200 GS (oh my God – they break?!). It wasn’t the end of the world and, thankfully, it was still under warranty.

Still, I would need to get this machine down to the closest shop that could handle this job. In this case Cross Country BMW in Metuchen, New Jersey.

I called the shop and Douglas, the service writer, explained that I would need to get the machine down to let them have a look see and that the shock (which ain’t cheap I tell ya) would have to be ordered and, once in, installa-

tion would be quick – just a few days.

Yes, I could have gone for an ‘after market’ unit, and would probably be better off for it, but the two words “Under Warranty” have a very seductive lure to them – like the banker’s strumpet in Nevada.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 47

It was early spring, and the warmer weather was yet to break and with it the flood of riders who needed their bikes worked on yesterday, so I could be fit in within the week. Most excellent.

I explained that I would ride the machine down as soon as I could and it was then that Douglas reminded me that, under warranty with a problem like a non-functional shock, BMW would tow the machine for me under their roadside assistance. No reason to ride the GS with the limp shock down the highway, simply have it transported to Cross Country.

I hadn’t thought of this. Duh – it never even crossed my mind.

Thank you Cross Country.

I called BMW Motorrad Roadside Assistance, explained my dilemma and was assured that a flat bed truck would pick up my GS the next morning and bring it to the BMW shop.

No charge, even though the shop was nearly 80 miles away from Backroads Central.

Right on time the truck rolled into the drive and after a careful loading and double checking of his straps, the driver waved good bye and rolled out of the driveway.

I picked the bike up the next week and had a great, if circuitous, ride back home to the Skylands of New Jersey.

This tow came under warranty and, as of June 12, it will no longer apply to this machine as it rides out of its warranty.

But, roadside assistance and towing are available to all riders from many different sources.

BMW Motorrad offers it for just $99 per year which includes 24/7 365 day a year coverage, towing up to 100 miles across the U.S. and Canada to the closest Motorrad dealer for you and one additional household member at no additional cost. Great for a home such as ours, with both Shira and I riding.

The American Motorcyclist Association also offers a version that includes towing services covered up to 35 miles to the nearest qualified service facility. Anything over the 35 miles is on you, but most times that is enough. This is available for no extra charge when you sign up for auto-renewal of your AMA membership.

AAA, as well as other motorcycle clubs and organizations, offer various versions of roadside assistance and towing – HOG, Honda and ROK all have towing packages.

Check your insurance provider to see what they can offer you.

Many motorcycle shops themselves offer free pick-up and delivery of your machine when service is involved.

To be honest - they want your business - and are willing to go get your bike to prove that to you.

The bottom line is there are a number of options out there and as long as whomever you have your towing service with uses reputable local tow companies that know “how to tow” a motorcycle (flat beds always, never a hook or cradle) then you should be in good shape and will be back on the road before you know it.

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Page 48

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

THe

RETURN

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ROAD TOUR

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16th

Join us for a 200-mile tri-state self-guided romp through New Jersey, New York + Pennsylvania START/END: Chatterbox

Drive-In • Rtes. 94/206, Augusta, NJ

SIGN-IN: 9 -10:30am Breakfast: Yetter’s Diner • North of Chatterbox • 89 US 206, Augusta, NJ Optional: $10/bike donation to Backroads’ Little Free Libraries

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

IN DU STRY INFOBITES HONDA’S JEFF TIGERT WINS PIKES PEAK INTL HILL CLIMB Participating in a Honda-organized collaborative two- and four-wheel internal racing program at the 2015 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, American Honda media coordinator Jeff Tigert was victorious in the Heavyweight motorcycle division while posting the fastest time among all motorcycle entrants. Having set the Lightweight course record in 2013 aboard a Honda CRF450R, Tigert returned this year with a Honda CBR1000RR, and his performance was nothing less than dominant. Tigert was the fastest motorcyclist on the mountain on three of the four practice/qualifying days and overcame a qualifying crash to earn pole position. In the race, his winning time of 10:02 was over 15 seconds faster than the next-closest rider.

“The week was a stressful rollercoaster of highs and lows and lack of sleep,” a relieved Tigert said afterward. “Things went really smoothly early on, but my luck changed in my second qualifying run when I crashed and went off the course. On race day I had a lot on my mind and the course was pretty sketchy, but I tried to keep calm and ride within my limits. It’s such a unique race, and the competitors are so emotionally connected to one another. It was a big weight off my shoulders when it was all over and I was presented with the checkered flag that goes to the winners.

TWo-WheeleD

On Saturday, August 29th, Bergen County HarleyDavidson will be holding an event that sounds to be a lot of fun - a Scavenger Hunt, to benefit the Liberty Run Foundation.

Here’s how it works…

Teams of 4 bikes will register and be handed a list of places & things to find. The list will be time stamped and each group will have 3 hours to take a picture of their group in front of as many of the places & things on the list. Each place and thing you take a picture in front of has a point value. Every point your team earns gets everyone on your team tickets, which will be used to bid on fabulous Tricky Tray prizes and food & music is included!

Registration is from 9am - 10:15am at Bergen HarleyDavidson 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ and entry fee is $15 a rider and $10 a passenger.

Gather your team today!

ADVENTURE MOTORCYCLISTS IN ECUADOR NOW “PACK FOR A PURPOSE” Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental and Motorcycle Tours proudly announced that they have become the first motorcycle tour operator in the world to become a member of “Pack for a Purpose,” a community based project which is supported by tour operators, hotels & resorts in 56 countries around the world.

Page 49

News from the Inside ‘Pack for a Purpose’ provides travelers with up to date information regarding the supplies needed in the communities of their travel destinations. By creating just a few kilos of space in their suitcases and bringing supplies for schools or medical clinics in need, the initiative allows tourists to create a lasting and priceless impact on the lives of children and families living in the local areas.

With the help and coordination of Pack for a Purpose, Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental and Tours has begun assisting and supporting 13 schools in rural Ecuadorian villages. The isolated village schools are located along the paved and unpaved routes of Ecuador Freedom’s motorcycle tours, where few tourists and outsiders are able to visit. Participants in the motorcycle tours may voluntarily participate in the program by making space in their saddle (Continued on Page 51)

Page 50

AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING Every Monday • McCobb’s Bike Night, 2391 Hamburg Tpke, Wayne, NJ • 6-10pm Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish Last Wednesday • Tramontin Over the Hump Bike Night. 6-8pm. Live music, great food, in-house specials. Exit 12 Rte. 80, Hope NJ • 908-459-4101 • TramontinHD.com Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com Every Saturday • 9am for coffee and bagels. KSU 10am. Return for FREE food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. • Bergen Harley-Davidson, 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.BergenHarley.com Every Saturday • Tramontin Harley-Davidson Biker BBQ with FREE Hot Dogs while they last. 12-3pm weather permitting. Exit 12 Route 80 Hope, NJ • www.TramontinHD.com • 908-459-4101 Every Sunday • Tramontin Harley-Davidson Rise + Shine Breakfast 9-11am. Special offerings by Chefs Catering. Exit 12 Route 80 Hope, NJ • www.TramontinHD.com • 908-459-4101 Thru Oct. 11, 2015 • AACA Museum’s ‘Motorbikes for the Masses’. 161 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA (1 mile from HerseyPark just off Rte. 39 West) • 717-566-7100 • www.AACAMuseum.org

AUGUST 1 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Rock-N-Rumble. $5 Bike Wash, food, live music, raffles, vendors and much more • 11am-5pm. 949 SR 28, Kingston, NY • 845-3382800 • WoodstockHarley.com 2 • Hudson Valley NY Ride for Kids Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Meet: Central Valley Elementary School, 45 Rte. 32, Central Valley, NY • 8-9:30am • KSU 10am • Pre-registration + more info @ rideforkids.org 7-8 • 38th Annual Daniel Boone Rally sponsered by the Carolinas BMW Motorcycle Owners Assoc. Great Riding Roads, Hospitality and Comaraderie in cool North Carolina Mountain air. All riders and brands welcome - room for everyone at the KOA campgrounds in Boone, NC. $45 rally fee includes two-nights camping, pin to first 200 attendees, door prizes, Sat. evening BBQ, donuts & coffee sunday morning, 24 hour coffee, tea, hot chocolate, iced tea & lemonade. Also People's Choice Award,self-guided route sheets and GPS downloads (on and off-road), fee wi-fi and so much more. Full details www.carolinasbmwmoa.org or email rally@bmwmoa.org 8 • Vets Summer Fest Ride to benefit Homeless Veterans. Sign in : Tramontin H-D, Exit 12 Route 80, Hope, NJ @ 10am • KSU 10:30am. $20 general admission/$15 veterans + military/Homeless Veterans FREE. Vasa Park, Wolfe Rd, Budd Lake, NJ • Family fun, live bands, prizes, food and more • 908-459-4101 9 • NJ Knights of Fire Run for Hope Poker Run. Sing in: 9-11am Tramontin HarleyDavidson, Exit 12 Route 80, Hope, NJ. $20 rider/$15 passenger or walk-in. Endsite: Rockaway Boro Firemen’s Field, Beach St/Gill Ave, Rockaway, NJ. Live music, vendors, BBQ + beverages, door prizes • 908-619-9526 • KnightsofFire3NJ.com 9 • Second Generation MC Assn. 12th Annual AMA Dice Run to benefit United Hospice of Rockland. Sign in: Rhodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke, Sloatsburg, NY 9:30-11am - 100-mile country backroads ride with a few dice rolling stops. AMA sanctioned. Endsite: Haverstraw Elks Lodge. Huge BBQ on the Hudson River with live music and prizes. Walk ins welcome • www.secondgenerationma.org

What’s Happening in: 25 Orange St, Port Jervis, NY 9-10am. $20 rider/$15 passenger. Rural ride, good food, music, lots of prizes and 2015 Harley Fatboy drawing • More info 201-4814082 29 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson 1st ever Scavenger Hunt Run to benefit Liberty Run Foundation. Sign in: 9-10:15am • 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ. $15 rider/$10 passenger. 201-843-6930 • BergenHarley.com

SEPTEMBER 6 • Backroads ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ Ride. We’ll meet at 10am for a leisurely ride through the countryside to Skylands Stadium,Augusta, NJ for a friendly rivalry game between the Sussex County Miners vs. Rockland Boulders. Tickets $10pp from box office or call 973-940-0222 (mention Backroads). More to come.

17-21 • Backroads Fall Foliage 2015. 4-night road trip to Virginia/West Virginia. 1st night: George Washington Hotel, Winchester, VA • nights 2 + 3: Isaac Jackson Hotel, Elkins, WV • 4th night: Shippen Place Hotel, Shippensburg, PA. We’ll visit some old and new stops, and bring you on some great twisties. Full info: www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html. As always, gathering is free, just pay your own way and have a great time. Questions? editor@backroadsusa.com • 973-948-4176 19 • Bob's BMW Motorcycles Oktoberfest & Open House 9A-4P.10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.bobsbmw.com 24-27 • Rolling Thru America - Pennsylvania. Brought to you by the folks who produce Americade, an intimate tour through beautiful Pennsylvania. Visit www.RollingThruAmerica.com for full details and to register. Limited space.

OCTOBER 4 • 8th Anual Veterans Memorial Car, Truck & Bike Show. Woodbourne Veterans Memorial park, 145 Sherman Ridge Rd, Wantage Township, NJ • 11am-4pm. Benefits Operation Comfort Warrior. For more information: 973-352-9203 • wantagerec.com/veterans_memorial/car_show/car_show.htm 11 • Ramapo Motorcycle Club Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/Endsite: Rhodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, NY 9am-mid-afternoon. Benefits Valerie Fund for Childhood Cancer Research. A guided or self-guided tour featuring the best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson Valley’s most interesting roads. For more info: ramapomc.org • RMC@ramapomc.org

NOVEMBER 15-22 • Backroads tour with MotoCaribe. 8-day all-inclusive South West Domincan Republic. VERY LIMITED SPACE. For full details and to reserve your seat, visit their excellent website @ www.MotoCaribe.com

RISINg WOLF gARAgE NYC EXCLUSIVE MOTORCYCLE PARKING FACILITY We p r o v i d e a f r i e n d l y, c l e a n a n d s e c u r e environment for the motorcycle enthusiast

14-15 • Motorcycle Mall Suzuki Demo Days. Suzuki Demo Truck brings 2015 Suzukis for your riding pleasure. Test one or more, find what you like and take it home. 655 Washington Ave, Belleville, NJ • 973-751-4545 • www.MotorcycleMall.com

Service Area Personal Storage

16 • BACKROADS 200. NJ/NY/PA 200+ mile ride. Details page 46

Air Compressor

16 • Brit Jam 2015 9am-4:30pm • Haddam Neck Fairgrounds, Rte. 151, East Hampton, CT. Entry: $10. British Iron Association of CT. Connecticut’s finest classic motorcycle show and swap meet • www.CTBritIron.org

Battery Charging

16 • NJ Blue Knights VIII Law Ride. Sign in 9-10am at various locations. $20/bike includes toll into Manhattan. Escorted ride. See ad on page 49 for details.

16 • 2nd Annual UNICO charity MC Run to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Sign in: Peterson Field, Fleetwood Dr, Rockaway Twp, NJ @ 8:30 • KSU 10am • $25/rider~$15/passenger. 60 mile police-escorted run thru scenic Northwest NJ. Endsite: The Barn, Greenpond Rd, Rockaway, NJ with full BBQ lunch, live music and many raffle prizes • 973-975-5554 • www.rtunico.org 18 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Black Top Bike Night @ 6pm. Live music, vendors, food, beverages. 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 • LibertyHD.com 20-23 • America’s 9/11 Ride remembering the 14th Anniversary honoring the first responders. Police escorted ride from Shanksville, PA to the Pentagon to the World Trade Center. Pre-reg closed 8/10/15. More info: www.americas911ride.org

Monthly Parking Long & Short Term 24 Hour Access Video Surveillance

19-22 • Westchester Beemers NY Trio Tour 2015. Sport-touring ‘scavenger hunt’ event. 3 consecutive daily rides begin/end Lincoln, NH-based location. Daily rides average 8.5 hours and cover 350 miles. Five/Six checkpoints per day, plus daily wild card bonus opportunities. Rider packets include bonus locations sent electronically 7 days ahead of the Rider Briefing on Day One. LIMITED TO 33 RIDERS. $65/solo • $95/two-up. Details/registration: www.triotour.org • 914-328-7909

East Village NYC Ph: 212 475 5858 • Fx: 212 505 5205

27-30 • Killington Classic, Killington, VT. Visit www.KillingtonClassic.com for complete details and to register.

www.risingwolfgarage.com

29 • Maghogomock Hook + Ladder 2nd Annual Benefit Ride, Port Jervis, NY. Sign

By Appointment Only

risingwolfgarage@aol.com

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015 bags for the needed school supplies and equipment. The motorcycle tour groups will make stops at the selected schools and distribute the resources personally during its several scheduled tours throughout the year.

Every traveler to Ecuador can participate in the program even if they don’t ride a motorcycle. Donations of items brought to Ecuador may be made in person at the company’s Adventure Motorcycle Travel Center, located in Quito. A list of requested supplies for the projects can be found at www.packforapurpose.org/destinations/southamerica/ecuador/ecuador-freedom-bikerental-and-tours “Pack for a Purpose is delighted to welcome Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental & Tours as our newest participant in Ecuador and our very first motorcycle touring company” stated Rebecca Rothney, Founder and Chairperson. “We are honored to be able to showcase the wonderful work they are doing in the communities they visit. Their participation allows us to reach a new set of travelers, those who tour on motorcycles. We have no doubt they will also want to Pack for a Purpose so that the trip they take will go much farther than the miles they travel.”

“As a company we are committed to finding ways to support the local communities that make our motorcycle tours so special.” stated Court Rand, coowner of the Quito-based motorcycle tour operator. “I am thrilled that we are now working with Pack for a Purpose to support our goals of positively giving back to the community”

FEDS FIGHT MONGOLS…IN COURT…OVER NAME The trademarked logo of Southern California’s largest motorcycle gang is unmistakable: a black-and-white image of 12th Century conqueror Genghis Khan, wearing sunglasses and bell bottoms riding a chopper while carrying a sword. For the club’s 600 fully patched members, the logo is part of their identity and motto: “Mongols Forever, Forever Mongols.”

But today, the Mongols Nation trademark is the focus of U.S. prosecutors’ effort to dismantle America’s most violent motorcycle gangs, from the Mongols to those who shot up a Waco, Texas restaurant over the weekend.

The Department of Justice considers the clubs a criminal enterprise and is asking a federal judge to make it illegal for Mongols members to wear the patch or even display the name — allowing cops to literally take a Mongols jacket right off a biker’s back.

“It not just stripping them of their identity, or robbing them of a recruiting tool, it’s taking the star off their helmet,” said a law enforcement source in Los Angeles. “The logo itself furthers a criminal enterprise.”

Page 51 The importance of the patch should not be underestimated. Donald Charles Davis, author of “Aging Rebel: Dispatches From The Motorcycle Outlaw Frontier,” adds, “Men have literally died for those patches. They have great symbolic value to motorcycle club members in the same way that the American flag has great symbolic value to patriots.”

The Mongol Nation registered their trademark in 2005 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Unknown to the club at the time, four undercover agents with the Bureau of ATF had infiltrated the gang.

OBAMA SLASHES ETHANOL PRODUCTION The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it would reduce the amount of ethanol requirements for gasoline, reports the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). This proposal would cut ethanol production for 2015 and 2016. The EPA cites market conditions and the lack of non-corn renewable fuel sources like plant waste from being developed on any sort of commercial scale.

A 2007 law, known as the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), requires refiners to blend in an increasing amount of biofuels into the United States gasoline supply each year. According to the proposal, the levels of ethanol will still continue to increase, but less than it would have, preventing the Obama administration from achieving the goals of the 2007 law.

“The EPA has missed several deadlines to lay out the production levels for 2014 and 2015, and this announcement is the reason why,” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. “They know that the RFS amounts were going to be unattainable, and now we know too.” Hennie also testified at an EPA hearing on the RFS in favor of a study that would examine the lasting effects of E15 on internal combustion engines.

With today’s domestic oil boom, and the fact that we are consuming less gasoline than we were in 2007, a void for biofuels was created. Add in the fact that the US is only importing about a third of its oil, and the need for biofuel all but disappears.

In its proposal the EPA would increase the levels of blended in 2015 to 16.3 billion gallons, four less than what the RFS requires. In 2016 the EPA would require about five billion less gallons than the law requires.

JOIN TODAY Membership $25 Includes Member Benefits Promoting Motorcycle Awareness & the Benefits of Rider Education

www.MotorcycleSafetyProgram.org

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AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

Sussex Hills Ltd. Stocking a full line of heated gear Make your riding season last all

973-875-2048

Specializing in Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Supplies • Cycle Tires Mounted & Balanced • Batteries & Hard Parts • Dynojet 250 Dyno available for testing

Norman Gross 946 Rte. 23 South For All Your Harley-Davidson Needs Since 1976 Sussex NJ 07461 Our Reputation Speaks for Itself 3 miles north of Sussex Borough

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS DAYTONA, BIKETOBERFEST, STURGIS AND BEYOND

BARN TRAILERS

SALES 718-426-7039 • www.barntruckrental.com RENTALS 57-05 BROADWAY • WOODSIDE NY 11377 (OFF THE BQE & LIE)

Come Ride the Dragon Deals Gap 318 Curves in 11 Miles

www.dealsgap.com 800.889.5550 17548 Tapoco Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771

Deals Gap Store Motel Bar and Grill

O’TOOLE’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON

®

Serving New York’s Hudson Valley for 40 years Factory Trained Service • New Model Sales Genuine Harley-Davidson® Parts and Accessories Conveniently located near the areas of Monticello, Middletown, Ellenville, Montgomery, and Walden

4 Sullivan St • Wurtsboro, NY 845-888-2426 • www.OToolesHD.com

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

Page 53

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Worth the ride from anywhere!

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983 Member of

‘50s-Style Drive-In Restaurant Full and Varied Menu Room for the Whole Gang

NOW AVAILABLE Barbeque Catering Flexible • Affordable Ready When You Are

THURSDAY BIKE NIGHT IS BACK • join us at

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING

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

Located at Ross’ Corners • 1 Route 15 • Augusta NJ • 973-300-2300

Open Daily for Breakfast and Beyond • 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday

www.chatterboxdrivein.com

ye olde landmark Tavern

Touring North Central Virginia?

Then ride on over to the NEW Comfort Inn & Suites in Orange

5 Spacious Rooms starting at $95.00 Tavern and Dining Room Menu

Moto-Inn Approved Tell ‘em Backroads sent you!

Serving Hours: Mon-Sat: 5-9pm Sunday: 2:30-8pm

The newest motorcycle-friendly hotel closest to Skyline Drive… just 30 miles away! %

15 Discount to all Motorcyclists

Motorcyclist Owned & Operated

Seasonal April ~ December Member of

Large indoor heated pool and spa • Free deluxe hot breakfast buffet

Featured in ‘We’re Outta Here’ Sept. 2011

Microwaves + fridges in every room • Large rooms + suites available

In the heart of great riding • Between Syracuse and Utica

Cooperstown • Finger Lakes • State Forests

Comfort Inn & Suites 334 Caroline St (James Madison Hwy), Orange, VA 22960 540-672-3121 • www.comfortinn.com/hotel-orange-virginia-VA657

Fire Pit • Free WiFi Cooked-to-order Breakfast Heated Pool • BYOB

We welcome everyone from a lone rider to a full chapter

344 Route 100, West Dover, VT www.BigBearsLodge.com 802-464-5591

route 20, Bouckville, ny • 315-893-1810 • www.yeoldelandmark.com

The Charlesworth Hotel is New Jersey’s REAL backroads’ hideaway

BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER

ining tic D n a Rom

Comfortable Rooms

Home of the BEST sunset on the Jersey Shore

New Jersey Avenue • Fortescue, NJ • 856-447-4928

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AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE Route 739 • Dingmans Ferry, PA • 570.828.1920

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

American • Metric • Sport • Parts & Accessories • Award-winning Service • Performance Work • Dyno Tuning • S&S Pro Tuning Center • Power Commander Tuning Center

JDS CYCLE PARTS EST. 1988

247 W. Westfield Ave, Rosell Park, NJ

908-245-2445

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• Tools and Cleaning Supplies available • Homemade three-course breakfast • Six comfortable rooms and large guest area with WiFi and pool table. BYOB

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Don’t Miss An Issue! Mail Your Subscription in TODAY! If you have moved, please use this form to inform us of your change of address o New/Lapsed Subscription

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4571 Route 7 Ethan Allen Pkwy New Haven, VT GPS: N44 06.763 W73 10.518

802-453-5958 www.crossroadsbb.net

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2015

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

Page 55

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

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AUGUST 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF Riverside Cafe & Lodge, nestled on the Beaverskill River in Roscoe, NY CIA-trained chef • Motel rooms and cabins • Free wi-fi Excellent base location to explore the lower Catskills

Riverside Cafe & Lodge • 16624 Cty Hwy 17 • Roscoe, NY • 607-498-5305 www.riversidecafeandlodge.com • GPS: 41°58’09”N • 75°01’32.6”W

The Riverton

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

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.

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

The Riverton Hotel and Restaurant

Member of

At Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com

The Boat House Restaurant Perfect in Any Season Brunch, Lunch or Dinner on Swartswood Lake

Excellent Ride Destination

Tues-Sun 11A-9P Brunch 10A-2P Closed Monday Call for Seasonal Hours

1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood NJ 973-300-0016

lley’s Hudson Va ne Riding Number O estaurant R e u q e b r Ba W North 1076 Route 9 mery, NY Fort Montgo

oute 9W icturesque R Located on P D Perkins rive minutes from State Park and Harriman Point historic West just south of

845-446-0912 rmerbbq.com www.barnsto

Celebrate the Season with some awesome barbeque!

If you go home hungry it’s your own fault

ALL-NEW YZF-R1 ALL-NEW FZ-07 210 Route 10 West

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210 Route 10 West

East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735

www.HanoverPowersports.com

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973-428-1735

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Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Š2014 Yamaha Motor Corporation. U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com

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