August 2016

Back to Americade Mods vs Rockers at AACA Ride • Eat • Sleep • Discover

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

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

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................5 Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Pamela Collins, Bill Heald, Dr. Seymour O’Life

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................6 ON THE MARK ....................................................7 BACKLASH..........................................................8 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN...............10

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826

BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................12

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973.948.4176

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973.948.0823

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................16

online

www.backroadsusa.com

INDUSTRY INFOBITES.....................................20

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SHIRA’S INSIDE SCOOP ..................................23

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FE AT U RE S ORIENT IN 36 ...................................................26 MODS VS ROCKERS EXHIBIT.........................34 RETURN TO AMERICADE ................................41

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2016. 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.

Page 4

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJeN I DIDn’t Know It was on the LIst? Ever since the 2007 film with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman trying to do everything they ever wanted to do before they pass into the great beyond the phrase “Bucket List” has become a big part of the US vocabulary.

I guess if we all did some thinking on it we’d all come up with a goodly number of things to do, places to see and experiences to experience.

I can tell you that it is even more fun when you get to share these things with a friend. There is even a decent tune by indie artist Johnny Rocket & the Infidels about this list sharing.

Although we can think of so many things we would like to see, try and do – some things, events and locations just happen – and when they do you might realize that you are so glad you experienced them and that, even though you had never thought of them before, or even knew they existed, they woulda, coulda and shoulda been on your Bucket List.

One check off the unknown Bucket List happened in the late Fall of 2015.

We had been exploring the eastern parts of the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic side, and had ridden so far to the west that we were just a few miles from the border with Haiti.

Our friend Robert insisted that we minimize our gear and head for the la frontera on machines that would have nothing on them – thus nothing to lose or get stolen.

Some of us agreed, always looking for the next adventure, and others passed.

The ride in and out of the border was a complete zoo and one of the most frenetic bottlenecks of humanity I have ever seen, and I’ve crossed a number of borders.

Stepping back and looking at the whole thing, while a young black border guard with a M-16 was yelling at me in both Spanish and French at the same time, I realized I would never have thought of coming here – but, thanks to a friend’s insistence, I did. And, with that, had a check along a bit of the list I didn’t know existed.

It made me think of other things that are now checked off the list that I had never set off to really do.

Almost two decades ago Shira and I were sitting in a bar in the port city of Durban, South Africa. I remember this night in particular not just for what happened, but when it happened.

“Big Dick” B. Morton (I swear that was his name – I have a picture to prove it!) was playing guitar to the rugged crowd, a beautiful sunburst Ovation, and went to take a break - explaining to the bar that he needed another drink and that his friend “Brian from New York” would be playing the next set.

“Wow,” I thought, “What were the chances that a guy named Brian from NYC would be here too?”

I quickly realized I was the next act and that my friends had arranged this mini international tour. The reason this night stands out some much was not just that I got to play in a seedy wharfside bar in a rough and tumble shipping town like Durban, but that the next day I would turn a big birthday.

With that in mind I started the set off with Jimmy Buffett’s “A Pirate looks at Forty.” Timing is everything, I have been told.

Looking back it was something I would never have thought to be on the list – but, there it is.

Another time, maybe a bit less distant but as memorable just the same, was watching the sun come up on a brisk Autumn morning at the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse - the furthest east you can go in the USA. Fantastic, and easily should be on many rider’s list.

I am aware that Cape Spear, in Newfoundland, is really the furthest east in North America you can ride not counting Danish-controlled Greenland – but I have not ridden there yet.

It seems the list just keeps getting longer every day.

What’s on yours?

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

GrowInG the FoLD As has been said so many times, one of the main reasons we ride is the camaraderie between fellow riders. Finishing up a great ride at a local coffee shop or other motorcycle hangout, kicking the tires, reveling in the afterglow of a beautiful day out on the bike and…

Comparing notes on medications, aches and pains and AARP benefits.

If you’ve been riding for a while, you may have noticed that those around you probably have too. You’ve seen your riding buddies go from flowing locks to balding heads (men) or silver manes (women). According to most surveys, the average age of the American motorcyclist is 48 (hmmm, I’m thinking a bit higher really), which has increased from 40 since 2001, but 39% of motorcycle owners in the US are between 51-69. While motorcycle sales have had a steady increase in the last five years, not too many of those new motorcycles are being sold to folks under the age of 40, although the 18-34 age demographic, as well as the women, have had increases for a third straight year. In the Generation X age group, women make up 15% of the demographic, the largest female demographic there is. If these numbers can continue, we might begin to see a shift in the makeup of those gathering at the watering holes.

From what I observed at my visit to Americade this year, sponsored in part by AARP, there are more grandparents riding

Page 5 around (if they can get away from babysitting duty) and those late nights on Canada Street are a thing of the past. Sure, there were fistfuls of GenXers and spatterings of GenYers, with an occasional GenZer wondering what the hell he/she was doing with all these old farts, but not enough to forsee a bright future for this passion of motorcycling that we all share.

When most of you started riding (I can’t include myself as I only started riding when I was 30), there were lots of opportunities and probably friends or relatives who rode and would either take you for a ride or get you involved in motorcycling – perhaps dirt bike racing or such. Maybe your mom or dad rode and brought you into the garage to help out wrenching, slowly building the same passion that he or she held. Or you had that ‘crazy’ aunt or uncle – you know, the one your parents whispered about, who would travel around the world on ‘those dangerous things’ and always miss the family holidays or showed up on two wheels. Secretly, you wanted to be him or her, and they would have no problem plopping you on the pillion seat (against your parents’ wishes) and giving you the most exciting times of your life.

So, how do we encourage these new riders to become just that – new riders.

Do what your crazy aunt/uncle did – take them for a ride. Let them experience, first hand, the exhilaration and joy of being on a motorcycles, breathing in the smells that surround them and feeling the wind in their face. Start out slowly – PLEASE – by a short ride around the neighborhood to let them acclimate to the new experience.

So many times, when I’ve asked people if they’ve ever ridden on a motorcycle, they’d cringe and relay the horrifying experience they had because someone scared them on their first, and only, ride they had.

Once you’ve offered the carrot, hopefully this potential new rider will bite and continue to explore riding on their own. You can recommend a beginning rider’s course as the safest way to enter the fold, and once they’ve gotten past that, mentor them by joining them for rides. Expand their envelopes slowly; bring them to a bike night to see the (Continued on Page 9)

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HeALD

the harLey way Selling something with a lot of moving parts is a truly daunting prospect. Something like a motorcycle is especially challenging, because there are so many moving bits and pieces that need to work right and then there’s another requirement: people have to want to own the thing enough to plunk down the hard-earned cash to buy one. In the modern era a motorcycle has to have a certain something to attract the prospective owner, and then for said owner to stay with the brand it has to continue to push all the right buttons. Harley-Davidson has been managing this feat for well over a century, and the name is now as famous and respected around the world as icons such as Rolex, Coca-Cola and Disney. Along with this popularity (that is the envy of companies everywhere), the Motor Company owes its survival during the lean years to The Faithful, and ever since the company reorganized in 1981 they have never forgotten who their customers are and what they owe them.

And, there’s another side to this relationship that is really interesting. The Motor Company has come to realize over the years that their customers have become a part of the Harley DNA in a very useful way. With the possible exception of the engineers and designers in Milwaukee, nobody understands the bikes, the riding experience, and the whole Harley mystique better than the Faithful. Enter project RUSHMORE, a rather brilliant undertaking where the Harley folks decided to take the detailed critiques and ideas of the riders they meet and ride with on the road, and incorporate them into their latest design and engineering ideas. When the program was just getting going several years ago, Harley-Davidson Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer said the following: “Project RUSHMORE is a

pure expression of our relationship with our customers and a shared passion for riding motorcycles. It’s resulted in some outstanding innovations, but from day one we’ve been focused on taking the total rider and passenger experience to the next level. We come together - to quote the Beatles - through a process that uses not just formal feedback, but the kind of input we get from listening to customers out on the road, and then we blend that with our engineering and styling expertise. For years at Harley-Davidson we’ve been saying that we ride with you. Project RUSHMORE elevates that devotion to a higher level.”

In the long time I’ve observed motorcycle design and development, there’s been one thing that has bothered me (and it also applies to car design, pogo sticks, you name it) it’s when a product hits the market before it’s had the bejeezus tested out of it. It’s bad enough when it’s something like a personal computer that turns out to be buggy when people start using it, but with something like a motorcycle it can be downright catastrophic. I wouldn’t talk about this but there have been a couple of examples of bikes that weren’t really sorted out sufficiently before they hit the showroom floor and, well, there were some “incidents,” then recalls, and then the odd lawsuit as a result. It seems these companies thought they’d let their customers do the final phase of R&D, and that’s not a real hot idea.

Project RUSHMORE is something completely different, and a real credit to the people that came up with the program. Harley riders, like the riders of most motorcycles regardless of brand, aren’t exactly mum when it comes to offering their opinions of what makes a good motorcycle a better one. With observations on everything from braking performance to sound systems, experienced riders have talked to the Harley designers and engineers and the men and women building the bikes have figured out how to refine these ideas, test them, and use the ones that work. The results are machines that are hitting the road now with a broad assortment of improvements, innovations and fresh (Continued on Page 9)

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

ON THE MARK MARK ByeRS the Guys who MaKe the DouGhnuts I’m staring at a picture. It’s actually a photograph of a motorcycle in motion with me aboard. It’s leaned over quite a bit – not like MotoGP, but a respectable amount. I can see under the part of the tires that is normally against the ground when it’s going straight. It pleases me because it evokes memories of the time at the track when it was taken.

It’s colorful and well-exposed and the gent who took it is a nice man with a small business. I like looking at it because it’s aesthetically pleasing, but most of all, because I find it damned amazing.

I took physics and dynamics. I have more than a vague idea of how bodies at rest and in motion behave. Guys like Newton, who figured it out the first time, were true geniuses. They were definitely better at intuitive math than I; however, as someone who deals with propellers and their effect on how airplanes behave, I probably understand the physics of the situation better than the average bear. I look at that photo of that motorcycle in motion and it makes me glad to be alive at a time when tire engineers roam the earth.

Tire guys are the T-Rex’s of physics as far as I’m concerned. They roar around waving their little arms at trackballs on design terminals and, with their accomplices who work magical alchemy with polymers and graphite and petrochemicals, make it possible for motorcycles to be amazing. I’m serious: today you can reach crap-your-pants levels of lean angle on road tires you can buy at the shop. Not that many years ago, the tires on which we run to

Page 7 work would have been coveted by superbike guys and delivered to the track by white-clad technicians in a big truck with the company name on the side.

Ours come in a brown truck with UPS on it, but are no less capable.

On the track, we run them at ridiculously low pressures, perhaps ten or twelve pounds per square inch less than we would on the road. The carcasses flex, generating heat from the friction of the polymer belts that give them their amazing properties. Our tires are limber, flexing like dancers so we can do our ballet from apex to apex. And they grip! Clawing at the asphalt, they die a certain death, rolling up in little round balls on the edges of the tread as the heat and the friction tears them asunder. Sometimes, they literally scream as we sacrifice them to avoid sacrificing ourselves. We stake our lives on the ability of $250 worth of mass-produced squishy material to support six hundred pounds of bike and rider on a combined contact patch smaller than a bar napkin.

And oh, how those napkins are folded: the T-Rex’s designed our doughnuts of life with a lateral profile that increases our contact patch the farther we tilt and they gave them a shoulder on which we can lean while we feed the hungry power monster as we roll it on through the apex of the turn. They fashioned grooves in them, called “sipes,” that actually pump the water from under them when the surface is wet. Not satisfied with that, the alchemists mixed silica into their cauldrons to give the tires wet grip and greater life. Perhaps there’s eye of newt in there too – I don’t care as long as the magical grip doesn’t escape its polymer prison.

At the end of the day, I look down at the tires, sporting bearded edges full of shredded rubber, and I marvel.

The stresses involved in braking and turning and acceleration are enormous – hundreds of pounds per square inch on the front under braking – and the resilient buggars take it and come back for more. The materials turn shades (Continued on Page 9)

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

BACKLASH More Spring Break Accolades Shira, Brian, Alma & I had a great Memorial Day weekend! The routes were just fine, especially from Bemus Point to Williamsport — lovely forest & rural roads, plenty of corners and not much traffic.

But as always, meeting up with old Backroads friends, meeting new ones in the swirling groups, sharing sunset on the hotel porch — perfect end to a good riding day. Wait — there are no bad riding days, are there?

I know it’s hard work, and it’s obvious you enjoy it, so I want you to know we love what you do for us!

Regards, Alma & David Wilson

Where No Americader Has Gone Before…

It was great catching up with you and Shira, Brian! We had a wonderful trip, and really enjoyed the Enterprise! It was an inspired mystery ride for sure.

All the best until we see you again.

Cheers, Bruce

Letter of the Month…

Dear Brian and Shira, Forgive me if I sound a bit “bitter” and “morose,” but please hear me out!

I am scratching my head as you sent me 3 post cards warning of my “last issue,” but yet I received 2 more issues after that!

I’ve accumulated 9 years worth of “Backroads” however its time for me to “move on” so let me explain.

My “riding agenda” differs greatly from your “riding agenda.” My rides now mostly consists of trips to the Catskills, bike shows and swap meets, car shows, coin shows, flea markets. I don’t participate in ANNOYING, FRUSTRATING group rides and I don’t need a $900 zumo to tell me where to ride

Letters to the Editor (my mind works perfectly well!) With each passing year new bikes get UGLIER and OUTRAGEOUSLY more expensive so I am PERFECTLY content with my vintage “Connies” and “KLRs.” The “social aspect” of riding appeals to me less and less because there are too many riding “YOU KNOW WHATS” who want to feel SUPERIOR to you!

I am much happier in my own “domain”. Also, it now seems that your publications is now more than 50% advertisements! You also appear to be migrating “south” but in my eyes I’m perfectly happy in the “real” north-east and I no longer need to “SLAB” through NJ to visit your recommendations in VA, MD or DE! I’ve seen the BLUE RIDGE about a “DOZEN” times!

O.K. I’ve made my “points” so please let my subscription “EXPIRE” as your publication no longer meets my riding needs. It should’ve ENDED in April!

Thanks for your time and RIDE SAFE. *By all means feel no obligation to publish this letter! You most likely WOULDN’T any way!

Chris Lawrence - Connecticut Chris, Let us touch on some of your points as you seem a little angry and more than a tad off base.

If you really read Backroads then you would know that we stay away from large organized rides as well, preferring small groups of 5 or 6 tops.

We don’t need a GPS either to go for a ride, but there is no denying that modern technology works well (it’s new - you should try it) and has added to the fun of exploring different regions and new routes.

You should know by now that we control our GPS, the GPS does not control us. Our routes are all thought out ahead of time, but still allow for creativity along the way.

As far as motorcycles getting pricier? Ain’t that the truth! But what has gotten cheaper, Chris?

As far as riding “YOU KNOW WHATS”? What is this Chris – Harry Potter? The “bike that shall not be named?” Just say BMW GS riders if you want to.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 9

We can take it. (BTW – I ride a KLR too) As far as advertising goes, Backroads is a free publication that is driven by a small staff and some very dedicated advertisers. These advertisers are passionate about motorcycles and we hope you all frequent them often.

They make the riding world go round for us all.

Our publication is found from North Carolina to Maine and we never slab it anywhere – the magazine is called Backroads, right?

Have a nice ride.

Brian and Shira - Backroads PostcarDs FroM the heDGe

(Continued from Page 6)

thinking. It’s a marriage made in heaven for both sides, for riders are getting things they’ve always wanted and Harley has got an even better motorcycle to sell. Model by model is being touched with the RUSHMORE wand, and this long-term project will continue as part of the whole product design process. All motorcycle makers act on feedback from their customers, but Harley-Davidson has really taken the ball and run with it. In observation of this, at Bike Week in Laconia last month they had a display that gave a multimedia representation of the RUSHMORE experience, and they had sideby side comparisons with older versions of select models to show the improvements and changes that have been made. Also on display was what I think is a great slogan to sum up the new way of doing things: “Built by All of Us, For All of Us.” Great, eh?

There’s nothing quite like a smart way of engineering a product, because it not only allows for free thinking it tends to weed out problems that can be overlooked when all the creating is done behind closed doors. Harley-Davidson is showing they not only appreciate the world-wide loyalty and appreciation their customers have given them over the years; they are savvy enough to put this resource to good use that benefits all involved. The last decade or two has seen the Motor Company make some pretty bold moves, and they aren’t about to slow down now. The difference is, they are certainly not facing the future by themselves. With such a collaboration, the machines from Milwaukee may just be the best they have ever produced, and that, given the company’s long history, is really saying something.

whatchathInKIn’

(Continued from Page 5)

large variety of models there are out there, then perhaps on a good day’s ride to some great destination that would interest them and follow up with an overnight to get them away from using the motorcycle for just an around town scoot.

What would be even better would be to have some of their friends join them in the learning experience. That way, once they’ve gotten comfortable with their newfound freedom, they could enjoy and explore with their own friends. And when their friends see how much fun they’re having, they’ll want to join in too.

It’s kinda like that verse from Alice’s Restaurant: You know, if one person, just one person does it they may think he’s really sick and they won’t take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony, they may think they’re both faggots and they won’t take either of them. And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. They may think it’s an organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day, I said fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice’s Restaurant and walking out. And friends they may think it’s a movement.

So let’s see if we can start that movement. Find a young’un and take ‘em for a ride. Let’s begin to grow this motorcycle fold before it’s too late. on the MarK

(Continued from Page 7)

of blue and purple from the heat. There are a lot of things that contribute to the amazing potential for handling of a motorcycle: suspension, chassis flex, power management, and braking, but without proper tires, they’re all just crap.

So here’s to the tire guys, the largely unsung heroes of the motorcycling world to whom we should all raise a glass. Keep popping those magic doughnuts out of the molds, guys, because summer’s here and the roads and tracks are calling our names. It’s time to ride, no matter what the terrain, and therefore, it’s time to make the doughnuts.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Hannum’s Harley-Davidson Presents

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN

tasty places to take your bike

GeM & the Keystone 526 RIVER ROAD, SHAWNEE ON DELAWARE, PA 18356 800-742-9633 570-424-0990 • GEMANDKEYSTONE.COM We like roller coaster roads. Those black ribbons that rise up and roll on down with some pleasant elevation changes. Toss some gentle turns and happy views and you have a winner road.

If you come in from the north to this month’s Great All American Diner Run that is what you will find along the shore of the Delaware, near the Shawnee Golf Resort, on your way to the Gem & The Keystone.

We have seen a few odder names for restaurants before but the Gem & The Keystone did stand out as a bit different.

In the 50s & 60s Shawnee’s golf course was consider one of the finest in the world and certainly the best in the region and was called the “Gem of the East,” and the Keystone links back to the part of a keg of ale and the nickname for the state.

Odd name aside, the restaurant is excellent and we have made it a point to drop by whenever we are in the area during lunchtime, River Road almost having a magnetic attraction to our machines.

Rolling into the driveway on a fine afternoon we took a seat outside on the top deck overlooking the property.

The Gem & The Keystone does serve both lunch and dinner, but we’ll stick with their lunch faire, which isn’t all that different from later in the day.

Their appetizers are tasty with both a crab and a cheddar ale dip – both served with soft pretzels.

The chili is hearty and homemade and covered with a melt of Goot Essa Cheese. Goot Essa is a handcrafted Amish cheese, the name means “good food” in the Amish dialect and the cheese is delicious and a bit rare.

Moving on to the main course the G & K offers Gem Flatbread which offers either Carolina bbq chicken and cheddar jack, sausage and apple with honey mustard and artisan cheddar or a tomato, spinach and mushrooms with Swiss.

The pulled pork has quite a reputation as does the Tavern Chuck Steak served with caramelized onions.

If you are feeling in the mood for a bit of spice the Fra Diavlo Po’Boy – a corn dusted hunk of cod fried crisp and put onto a hero roll with lettuce, red onion and a spicy, yet tasty, relish.

The Sausage Sandwich is beer braised, wood grilled and topped with a sweet & sour red cabbage slaw.

Throw in an order of their Loaded Kettle Chips with bacon, cheddar Jack and chives and you have some meal.

For those of us who might want something a bit more easy and lighter you will find a number of fresh salads. The Mediterranean, a Cranberry Apple Chicken, spinach and chicken salads will allow for a slightly healthy lunch and maybe even leave room for dessert.

The Gem & The Keystone features a section on their menu for “The Topper.”

Here the Gem & The Keystone offers four different sandwiches and five different toppings to mix and match for your gastronomic pleasure.

A Portabella mushroom, Black Bean burger, Grilled Chicken and The Gem Burger. Then you “top it.”

Toppers include the Alpine – baby spinach, tomato, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. The Smothered -

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 11 mushrooms, caramelized onions and cheddar. The Porker which is a topping of their BBQ pulled pork, caramelized onions and Provolone cheese (yikes!). The Diablo features the same hot relish that we spoke of earlier and the Surf and Turf brings on board their famed Crab Dip. As you can see there is plenty to find along one of the funnest roads along the Delaware River.

To get there we will give you two routes that follow along the same basic way and will bring you south along River Road to the Gem and Keystone Restaurant – a classic Rip & Ride that will be fun and our GPX file that will be a bit more fun.

Rip & Ride® • GEM & THE KEYSTONE Feel free to mix them 526 RIveR ROAD, SHAwNee ON DeLAwARe, PA 18356 up to your hearts con800-742-9633 570-424-0990 • GeMANDKeySTONe.COM tent and we will see 109 MILeS FROM HANNUM’S HARLey-DAvIDSON MeDIA, PA you next month with DOwNLOAD GPS ROUTe: www.SeNDSPACe.COM/PRO/DL/N9MqGF another stop on the Great All American START: HANNUM’S H-D, 1011 W BALTIMORE PIKE, MEDIA, PA Diner Run.

ROUTE 1 NORTH LEFT AT RTE. 611 NORTH RIGHT AT SR 263 YORK RD. RIGHT AT US 202 LEFT AT SR 263 LEFT AT RTE. 32 RIGHT AT RTE. 611 BEAR RIGHT AT MARSHALL CREEK HIGHWAY LEFT AT RIVERTON RD. (AT FREE BRIDGE INTO NJ) RIGHT AT RTE. 611 NORTH INTO WATER GAP FOLLOW SIGNS TO RIGHT TO RIVER RD. RESTAURANT A FEW MILES ON RIGHT

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

B IG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Bear MountaIn car cruIse HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR WEDNESDAY NIGHT? There is little doubt that one of the most brilliantly picturesque regions of the northeast is the Hudson River Valley. The steep hills, small hamlets, West Point, the bridge and the river itself all combine to make a very pretty scene.

What could possibly make it even better? Maybe sprinkle in a few hundred classic automobiles, hot rods and super cars. Yep, that would do it.

Each Wednesday night, from May till the end of September, just a mile or so from the Bear Mountain Bridge - in the field opposite the inn and right alongside the famed carousel - the Bear Mountain Car Cruise rules the valley.

The Cruise is put on by the Rod Benders Club of New York and has been going on for years.

We were riding through the area in mid-June, returning from a journey east when we got embroiled in some Bear Mountain Bridge rush hour traffic.

In the middle of the non-descript commuters cars were a few very descript classics. Was that really a bright blue Studebaker in front of us?

Indeed.

Heading up towards Perkin’s Drive we found ourselves in the middle of dozens of beautiful machines of the four-wheeled variety.

We abandoned our planned ride home and made a loop around the circle and back to the large grassy lot where these stunning examples of metal and horsepower were neatly lining up.

Admission was just 5 bucks, which we were happy to pay, we parked our machines along a line of other motorcycles – some as equally impressive as the automobiles they had been ridden to see.

We still had some miles to go before we would get home and we dislike sharing the road with the forest creatures of the night, so we gave ourselves an hour to go car watching.

Each row had classic machines that truly were an impressive sight. Whether it be bone-stock autos, modified hot rods, individual creations or the very latest in high-performance you will find it here at the Bear Mountain Car Cruise.

We are pretty sure that, even as motorcycle folk, we all have dreamed and lusted after highperformance cars. Many of us go both ways when it comes to nice toys and we are not here to judge.

For those looking for a bite to eat there was some grilling happening and there were also some vendors set up selling different products aimed squarely at the avid car collectors in attendance.

The entire time we were at Bear Mountain the cars kept rolling in. A never-ending procession of glitz, power and speed.

It was easy to play pick your favorite on each aisle.

What would you want for your own?

Shira was pretty predictable – pointing out the white Sunbeam Alpine or stately 1948 Town and Country Woody, both convertibles. For me, I seemed to have multiple personality disorder at each row. The red Pinto Wagon with the 302 V-8 stuffed where Ford never intended one to be.

Then there was the orange Dodge Charger.

No…the Mustang GT with the dash signed by Carroll Shelby!

210 Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735 www.HanoverPowersports.com MON/TUE/WED/FRI 9a-6p • THUR 9A-8P • SAT 9A-5P

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 13

Yeah… that is the one.

Wait. Is that a Ford GT on the hill?

Damn, I can’t afford that – but I can buy one of these WRXs. Reasonable, justifiable, doable and still bad-ass!

I think you get my point.

We have been to many car nights in many parts of the world, but we are here to say that the Bear Mountain Car Cruise could easily be one of the nicest. It surely is in the prettiest location.

To find out more on this event and to check dates log onto www.bearmountaincarcruise.com.

To make things fun we will give you a great Rip & Ride from another Saturday night site of a super car cruise – The Chatterbox in Augusta, New Jersey.

Let’s have a super ride to see some super cars, shall we?

Rip & Ride® • BEAR MOUNTAIN CAR CRUISE APPROx. 70 MILeS FROM AUGUSTA, NJ • DOwNLOAD GPS HeRe: www.SeNDSPACe.COM/PRO/DL/67H2Fe

START: CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN RESTAURANT RTE. 15 & 206, AUGUSTA, NJ SOUTH ON RTE.15 LEFT AT ICE PLANT ROAD LEFT AT BEAVER RUN ROAD CR 661 LEFT AT RTE. 23 SOUTH BEAR RIGHT AT CR 651 STAY ON CR 36 INTO UNIONVILLE LEFT AT RTE. 284 RIGHT AT RTE. 1

LEFT AT RTE. 94 NORTH RIGHT AT RTE. 17A STRAIGHT AT RTE. 106/210 HARRIMAN 3/4 THROUGH KANAWAUKE CIRCLE ONTO 7 LAKES DRIVE STRAIGHT THROUGH TIORATI CIRCLE STAY ON SEVEN LAKES DRIVE FOLLOW SIGNS TO BEAR MOUNTAIN 3/4 THROUGH BEAR MOUNTAIN CIRCLE CAR CRUISE PARKING ON LEFT

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MY STERI OUS AM ERI CA the caPe henLoPen A LONG ISLAND SOUND FERRY WITH A DEEP HISTORY If ships could talk…

If the sounds of history could keep resounding off the beams, rivets and machinery of a ship.

What would it sound like? What would you hear?

If you could hear this ship it would sound loud, frightening, heroic and undaunting.

You might want to think about this when you roll onto the Cape Henlopen – one of eight ferries that ply the waters of Long island Sound between Orient Point and New London, Connecticut. At 327 feet and with a capacity of 90 vehicles and 900 passengers, Cape Henlopen is the longest in the fleet and unlike any other you may have boarded, for one very important reason.

She was part of D-Day and Operation Overlord. The Cape Henlopen was part of the largest invasion in history.

As our “Greatest Generation” gets older and more comfortable in knowing how beloved they are by the Baby Boomers, GenX and Millennials, this veteran ferry still goes to work each day.

She started out as the USS Buncombe County (USS LST 510) and her keel was laid on September 27, 1943, in Jeffersonville, IN.

She was sailed down the Mississippi River and had her initial shakedown along the Gulf Coast with Lieutenant George P. Andrews in command.

She was fitted to transport a 150 ton tank landing craft and then sailed to New York where she took on 600 tons of ammo and additional crew and proceeded up the coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia where she sailed with 63 other ships in convoy across the north Atlantic. Storms with 50 foot waves battered the ships on their crossing and icebergs abounded, but it was the deadly UBoats that caused much havoc, sinking four ship from the fleet, one sailing to the portside of the Buncombe County.

By April 13 they reached Derry, Northern Ireland and then onto England.

She unloaded her tank landing craft and began refit for an undisclosed mission.

Scuttlebutt over the nature of that assignment flew furiously. Orders to load vehicles only heightened the excitement and accelerated the pace of work. Then, on June 1, 1944, LST-510 embarked with 200 men and 70 vehicles of the 29 Infantry Division. Nobody left the ship until they charged Omaha Beach days later as part of the Allied invasion of Normandy and Operation Overlord.

For the next three months the Buncombe County, this same ship that is now ferrying drivers and civilians across Long Island Sound, ferried wounded men back to England and returned with fresh soldiers to France.

Since this time the ship has survived being beached, hitting numerous underwater objects that have breeched her hull, had her engines and compartments flooded, and limped away from a fog-bound bow-to-bow collision with the SS Chapel Hill Victory, south of the Isle of Wight, that crushed a good part of the ship and killed one of the lookouts who had just seconds warning as the two ships came at each other in the pea soup fog.

The Buncombe County returned to the United States and was refit again for service in the Pacific, but that never came to be as the war soon ended

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016 and with it the Buncombe County’s service to our nation.

But, this ship’s storied history continued as she received a Battle Star for her service during the war.

She stayed inactive until being decommissioned and sold in 1961 to a Chesapeake Bay ferry company and renamed the MV Virginia Beach. Just a few years later she was sold to another ferry service and was rechristened the MV Cape Henlopen and worked dutifully for years.

The Cape Henlopen was then purchased in 1983 by Cross Sound Ferry and underwent a total refurbishment before entering service. In 1995 the ferry was repowered with new EMD 12645 diesel engines, ensuring a long future of trouble-free operation on her current mission, today that being bringing me across Long Island Sound to Connecticut.

Today you can ride your motorcycle onto her proud decks and you will know something about her valiant history, and far more than many of her other passengers I dare say.

For you now know of her proud history, gallant service and the fact that this ship you are now on may be the last D-Day veteran ship to still be in active service in the world.

Sail on her with all due respect, as we navigate across this Mysterious America.

O’Life out!

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HER E the orIent Inn 25-500 MAIN ROAD, ORIENT, NY 11957 631-323-2300 • ORIENTINN-NY.COM It is only about a hundred miles from Manhattan, but it might as well be a thousand.

Nestled along the small two-lane road that leads to the point called Orient you will find a true gem of a Bed & Breakfast – the Orient Inn. While looking for someplace special to stay when we were exploring Long Island’s North Fork, we came upon the Orient Inn and pretty much felt from the very beginning we had found that exceptional place we were in search of.

The stately home along Main Road, just a few miles west of Orient Point and the ferry to Connecticut, has been part of the local landscape for many years, but it was not until Joan and Howard Turturro bought the place that it begin to realize its full potential.

At first it was a summer getaways for the two Manhattanites.

Joan was an editor for CBS News, a job that would take her around the world at a moment’s notice, and Howard a talented musician.

Joan had spent enough of her life bringing the news to viewers (a rough job in the best of times) and looked to relax just a bit and follow her other passion – cooking.

Howard, being a musician, will always play – that is why musicians are usually blessed and happy. While some need to create a life, musicians simply live theirs.

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads Joan carried on to French Culinary School, which will be appreciated every time Chef Joan gets near her kitchen.

When we pulled into the driveway at the Orient Inn we were taken with the grounds and the great outdoor seating, whether on the bricked patio, the lawn or enclosed porch. There are plenty of places to sit, unwind and maybe open a bottle of wine from one of the many local vineyards.

The classic, center foyer with fireplace provides a warm and welcoming entrance in the off seasons. Ornate, craftsman pocket doors open onto the Great Room where groupings of chairs and sofas await.

It is easy to get comfortable here at land’s end.

Page 18

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS The Inn has five airy, spacious bedrooms, each with private bath and AC for the warmer months. The bathroom was well-toweled (soft & big) and soaped (upscale and fragrant), there were comfy robes and beach towels in the large closet and the room was spacious.

We riders tend to bring a lot of gear with us and being able to put down your jackets, helmet and such with plenty of room left to move about is always a plus.

There region has a number of great restaurants to be found, all within an easy motorcycle ride. If you love seafood you are in the right place.

Sunset along the causeway is as beautiful as any in the northeast and the general feel of this region deftly mixes American and nautical history.

Sleeping that night was very easy and, in truth, we overslept (in our minds) by an hour and awoke to the most scrumptious aromas wafting up from Chef Joan’s kitchen.

We kept coming back to her kitchen. Some people lust after other folk’s cars, homes or possessions. We suffer from serious kitchen envy. The Orient Inn has a great kitchen. They even offer Culinary Weekends where groups

67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

Hand-crafted precision. An uncompromising attention to detail.

An obsessive drive toward an elusive perfection. you hear it when you crank the engine and unleash the rage of the American v4®. when you twist the throttle, you feel a heightened rush of passion that stays with you long after you’re back sitting at your desk.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

can come out and spend their time equally split between exploring and cooking with Joan. If you love good food, created well – this might just be for you.

After the required cup of morning coffee we took a look at the chalkboard menu that the Turturros had put out. There was a good sampling of fresh fruit and yogurt, jams and breads, but the blackboard offered an amazing choice for a B & B. Eggs any style you choose or a few omelettes – spinach & feta, asparagus & brie, mushrooms & cheddar or ham & gruyere.

The Orient Inn’s special of the day was scrambled eggs with goat cheese and herbs. Howard asked if we wanted two or three eggs and would we like bacon with that as well.

Why, yes Howard – we’d be fools not to.

Page 19

The inn’s guests have a choice where to enjoy their breakfast - fireside, in the wood-paneled dining room or on one of the wrap-around porches.

It was a beautiful North Fork morning so we chose al fresco in the garden and were joined by another couple who had stolen away mid-week for a small getaway as well.

We have said it many times. Bed & Breakfasts draw an easier going guest to them. It might have to do with the fact that the owners of a B & B must be easier going as well and special in their own right.

It takes unique souls to open up their home to strangers and ‘friends to be’ on a constant basis. Shira could do this. Me? Not so much.

With breakfast done we took one more stroll around the Orient Inn’s grounds before packing up the two machines and heading east to the Orient Point ferry and making our way back to Mainland, USA. The Orient Inn is a distinctive bed and breakfast – Joan and Howard offer heartfelt comfort, relaxed and easygoing accommodations with an unusual homey feel to the property.

Their breakfast is without peer.

If you find yourself looking for a unique and distinctive getaway for yourself and someone special you will be hard pressed to find anyplace that tops the Orient Inn. Enjoy.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

I ND U ST RY INFOBITES WOMAN BREAKS WORLD RECORD ON 11,236 MILE MOTORCYCLE EXPEDITION Deena Mastracci never says no to a new challenge. Refusing to be outdone by her fiancé, professional endurance driver Carl Reese, (who set the fastest time on a motorcycle from Los Angeles to New York), Mastracci decided to set her own long distance motorcycle record; but first, she needed a motorcycle license, no easy feat in itself.

Mastracci’s cross-country trip of more than 11,000 miles began June 1 in Santa Clarita, California. She left the California Department of Motor Vehicles with her new license, rode out of the parking lot and proceeded to set the record for the “Longest, Continuous Journey by a New Licensee,” which included traversing Alaska and the Arctic Circle.

She had no prior on-road experience other than that gained at a one-

News from the Inside day class at Streetmasters Motorcycle Workshops—on a closed racetrack— as part of her preparation and a Motorcycle Safety Class given at the local college for her motorcycle test. The coast-to-coast ride, on a F800GT BMW, by way of the Arctic Circle was no vacation as Mastracci encountered a variety of challenging road conditions, including snow, mud, ice, 50 mph wind, flooded roads and golf ball sized gravel. Her route included the full

length of the Dalton Highway (one of the world’s most dangerous roads), a treacherous road that leads to Dead Horse, Alaska over the Brooks Mountain Range.

Her journey included pit stops in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Denver, Colorado; Brookfield, Connecticut; and Grand Rapids, Michigan before concluding in New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Mastracci covered an average of 400 miles per day. During the third week of her journey, she travelled 1,000 miles from Denver, Colorado to Hammond, Indiana within a 24-hour time period, a feat that is only attempted by the most seasoned riders, often referred to as an “Ironbutt Challenge.”

Mastracci’s total mileage of 11,236 miles surpassed the previous record of 9,000 miles held by Clif Chu set back on July 23, 2012. Clif’s journey was witnessed by William Schoetteler.

CELEBRATE THE KAWASAKI 900 Z-1

1269 DOLSONTOWN RD MIDDLETOWN NY 10940

845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATvs, scooters, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, yamaha and Can-Am. with a large parts department, qualified service technicians and a full shop full of parts and accessories, we're here to meet all your power sport needs.

For every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing it in the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads, we have their weapon of choice.

There are many ways to celebrate motorcycle passions and that long list just got longer with a postage stamp commemorating the legendary Kawasaki Z-1.

Kawasaki’s ride into motorcycle history with the world’s first four-cylinder DOHC production superbike is well known with the 1973 introduction of the 900 Z-1 Today, nearly 45 years later, the Japanese muscle bike is one of the most soughtafter classics on the market. The global fan community is huge and Z1s in top condition now often sell for ten times what the bike cost new originally.

This incredible ride has been commemorated by Germany’s Post Office. Commissioned by Z900, the globally leading online shop for owners and fans of these unique big bikes, a self-adhesive postage stamp with an inscribed value of 70 cents for a standard letter has been released.

The stamp shows a lovingly restored Kawasaki Z-1 from 1973 in the arguably most famous color combination of “candy orange/brown,” frequently referred to as ‘Jaffa’ for short. As a homage to this bike’s official model name ‘Z 900’, which was derived from the displacement, only 900 folding collector’s sets featuring

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016 two Z-1 stamps on the inside pages will be issued. Two stunning photos of this motorcycle adorn the front and back covers of the set.

Best of all, Kawasaki fans and history motorcycle buffs don’t need to head to Germany to enjoy it. The rare postage stamp honoring the Kawasaki Z1 is available exclusively on-line at www.z900.us, with the collector’s set holding two stamps selling for 10 euro including shipping and handling.

LIGHTNING STRIKES AND THUNDER ROLLS VIctory racInG’s eMPuLse rr anD Project 156 taKe the checKereD FLaG atoP PIKes PeaK

Page 21 placed 2nd while Toye and Project 156 placed 3rd, both closely following veteran racer Corsican Bruno Langlois and his Kawasaki Z1000 who benefitted from a dryer and warmer course later in the morning due to a series of red flags.

Canet and his Empulse RR clocked a time of 10:17.813 with an average speed of 69.9 mph through the 156-turn course that takes racers from 9,390 feet above sea level to the mountain’s summit of 14,115 feet above sea level.

Toye rode Project 156 to the Pikes Peak summit in a time of 10.19.777 with an average speed of 69.7 mph.

Founded in 1916 by Spencer Penrose (also the founder of The Broadmoor Hotel, Pikes Peak Highway and El Pomar Foundation), The Broadmoor PPIHC takes place on a 12.42-mile public toll-road boasting 156 turns, while competitors climb 4,720 ft. from the 9,390 ft. start line at Mile 7 marker on the Pikes Peak Highway to the 14,115 ft. finish line at the mountain’s summit.

The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in America and a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. First competed in 1916 and this year marks the 100th Anniversary & 94th Running of the “Race to the Clouds.”

TURNING THE CLOCK

Victory Motorcycles is proud to announce that Victory Racing’s electric Empulse RR ridden by Cycle World’s Road Test Editor Don Canet and the gas-powered Project 156 piloted by Jeremy Toye won their respective classes at the 2016 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC) and took second and third overall.

In the overall PPIHC motorcycle competition, Canet and the Empulse RR

Our friend Jaime Cruz, president of Nassau Wings MC, did a remarkable thing on Monday, June 6, 2016 in Lake Placid, NY. He turned 200,000 miles on his 1999 BMW K1200LTC. Milestones like this are not seen often enough and should be celebrated… and so it is!

Page 22

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

RIDER FATALITIES RISE… Following two consecutive years of decreasing motorcycle fatalities nationwide, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) reports that more than 5,000 motorcyclists were killed in the U.S. in 2015, which represents an estimated 10% increase over 2014.

The annual study attributes the increase mainly to increased travel nationwide and better weather leading to a longer riding season in many states.

Low fuel prices also contributed to a 3.5% rise in motor vehicle miles traveled last year over 2014, according to federal data.

This crash data — based on an early look at current data, trends, and developing issues — reports that this is more than 450 motorcycle fatalities over 2014. GHSA says it projects the final motorcyclist fatality total for 2015 will be 5,010 — only the third year in U.S. history, and the first time since 2008, in which the fatality number topped 5,000.

The increase is consistent with preliminary numbers from the government that show traffic deaths overall rising an estimated 8% last year after trending downward for the past decade, marking the largest year-to-year percentage increase in a half-century and making 2015 the deadliest driving year since 2008.

The report takes data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and compared to 2014, motorcycle deaths by state increased in 31 states, decreased in 16, and remained the same in three others along with the District of Columbia.

SURVEY SAYS… SUZUKI RIDERS THE ANGRIEST

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Suzuki riders experience the highest levels of road rage followed closely by owners of Harleys and then Triumphs, according to a recent survey in Britain. A thousand British motorcyclists were asked to assign a road rage score from 0-10 to a series of hypothetical scenarios such as drivers texting at the wheel.

Suzuki riders typically assigned higher levels of rage to the scenarios than owners of other bikes, earning an “average road rage score” of 71%. Harley riders scored 68.7% and Triumph riders 67%.

The survey, performed by dealer chain Jennings Harley-Davidson in the U.K., also found the thing that angered riders most was drivers texting, with a score of 86.5%, followed by “bike blindness” at 83.2% and “getting cut up (cut-off)” at 82.5%.

“We wanted to highlight the fears that many motorcyclists have around riding on the road, and the ignorance that often comes with motorcyclists’ safety,” said Jennings H-D director Sohail Khan. “It was important for us to show the severity of their fears amongst sharing the road with car drivers.”

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Shira’s

NSIDE SCOOP

Page 23

waLtz creaMery & FarM house caFé 324 MAIN ST, SALLADASBURG, PA 17740 • 570-865-6557 • WWW.WALTZDAIRYFARM.COM EVERY DAY BUT WEDNESDAY: 6:30AM-9PM • WEDNESDAY: 6:30-5PM SUNDAY: 1PM-5PM ICE CREAM ONLY While our Spring Break was, in our minds and hopefully yours too, a great success, some of the high points were the ice cream stops along the routes. Our first visit will be to a very special place recommended by our friends Pam and Tim Collins. Seems Salladasburg, PA is not too far from their home and they’ve been visiting this spot for quite some time.

The building was previously the home to Cohick’s Trading Post, which was a staple in these parts for a very long time, 92 years to be specific. They had their share of celebrity visits such as Katharine Hepburn, James Cagney and Red Grange, whose names are on the stools on which they sat. Hepburn even had a sundae named for her – butter pecan ice cream with chocolate sauce and a cherry. While Cohick’s

was a general store, selling everything from appliances to gasoline, their claim to fame was their homemade ice cream, with chocolate malt being at the top of the list.

Co-owners Yohe and Kilbourne put the local landmark Cohick’s on the market last year and Brian and Rebekah Waltz, local dairy farmers with a heritage dating back to 1837, bought it and put it through a major renovation. Rebekah, who runs the creamery and café, has kept much of the ‘store’ feeling while incorporating the farm into the design. The original stools from Hepburn, Grange and Cagney are hung on the wall, and photos of the original Cohick’s morph the past to the present. Glass milk bottles,

Page 24 signage and farm tools decorate the shelves and the original Cohick’s safe sits in the back of the dining area. There’s plenty of seating, front and back, and the long counter offers a friendly atmosphere to sit and sip a cup of coffee.

Brian Waltz has memories of Cohick’s, coming as a child for the homemade ice cream, and has continued the tradition.

Though the Katharine Hepburn sundae has disappeared, the ice cream remains as delicious as always. Of the 200 cows on their farm, 96 are milked and that fresh dairy transforms into a most wonderful and creamy treat. Their ice cream menu consists of about 30 flavors, ranging from the traditional to the inventive. You’ll find your chocolate, vanilla and strawberry as well as peanut butter ripple, frozen caramel latte, summer peach and butterscotch. I opted for a scoop of teaberry (an old time favorite of mine) and Brown Cow (root beer ice cream with root beer syrup) while Brian chose white house cherry and cookies & crème (his litmus test for ice cream).

Brian Waltz insisted that we sample the chocolate malt, and it certainly deserved the praise it’s been receiving all these years. Servings are large and prices are extremely reasonable - $1.50 for one scoop and a whopping $2.50 for a double.

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS you Should crave some sustenance before indulging in your ice cream, Waltz Creamery is also a farmhouse café, serving up meals Monday thru Saturday starting at 6:30am. Their menu ranges from salads to wraps and sandwiches to burgers and dinner specials such as the ‘Mess’ – 100% ground beef coated in a sweet tangy barbeque sauce and served on a toasted roll.

The Butcher Block Burger will be on my short list when I return – beef, pork and bacon mixed burger, served with smoked provolone, lettuce, onion and tomato on a roll – WOW! Want to save room for dessert? How about a BBLT – extra bourbon glazed bacon, tomato, lettuce and mayo on toasted house bread. Pair that with some homemade soup and you’ll be a happy rider after lunch.

A stop at Waltz Creamery and Farm House Café is a must next time you are travelling in this wonderful part of Pennsylvania. The roads are inspiring, there’s a lot to see and do, and the Waltz family are as welcoming as can be. Have some lunch, a cup of coffee and, of course, at least one scoop of ice cream. We’ll give you a little ride, starting in Shavertown PA - the first ice cream stop on the Spring Break route, so you can explore a bit. Enjoy and see you on the next Inside Scoop.

Download GPS route here: sendspace.com/pro/dl/1lqbed

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Rip & Ride® • WALTZ CREAMERY & FARM HOUSE CAFÉ 324 MAIN ST, SALLADASBURG, PA 17740 570-865-6557 • WWW.WALTZDAIRYFARM.COM EVERY DAY BUT WEDNESDAY: 6:30AM-9PM • WEDNESDAY: 6:30-5PM SUNDAY: 1PM-5PM ICE CREAM ONLY DIRECTIONS DISTANCE TOTAL

START: LANDS AT HILLSIDE FARMS, 65 HILLSIDE RD, SHAVERTOWN, PA 122 FT 137 FT TURN LEFT ONTO NEWBERRY EST TURN RIGHT ONTO PIONEER AVE 0.2 MI 0.3 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO OVERBROOK AVE 0.4 MI 0.7 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO MARKET ST 2.0 MI 2.6 MI BEAR LEFT ON JACKSON RD 1.0 MI 3.6 MI TURN LEFT ONTO FEDOR RD 3.9 MI 7.6 MI RIGHT ON HWY 29 0.9 MI 8.5 MI TURN LEFT ONTO ROARING BROOK RD 2.3 MI 10.8 MI TURN LEFT ONTO SWAMP RD 1.0 MI 11.7 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO SPRING HILL DR 1.9 MI 13.6 MI TURN LEFT ONTO VILLAGE DR 2.3 MI 15.9 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO MAIN RD 0.2 MI 16.1 MI KEEP LEFT ONTO HUNLOCK HARVEYVILLE RD 0.4 MI 16.5 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO FTORKOWSKI RD 5.9 MI 22.4 MI TURN LEFT ONTO BONNIEVILLE RD 0.5 MI 22.9 MI KEEP RIGHT ONTO VOLANSKI RD 0.7 MI 23.6 MI RIGHT ON OLD TIOGA TURNPIKE 2.4 MI 25.9 MI TURN LEFT ONTO KELLER RD 1.7 MI 27.7 MI BEAR RIGHT ON HARTMAN HOLLOW RD 1.2 MI 28.9 MI LEFT ON HWY 487/BED ROCK RD 1.8 MI 30.7 MI TURN RIGHT ONTO BEECH GLENN RD 3.1 MI 33.8 MI

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Page 25

LEFT ON HWY 239-BEECH GLEN RD LEFT ON MOUNTAIN RD TURN RIGHT ONTO LOGUE HILL RD LEFT ON BEAVER LAKE RD TURN RIGHT ONTO BARTO HOLLOW RD TURN LEFT ON BARTO HILL RD TURN RIGHT ONTO US 220 LEFT ON HWY 864 CONTINUE ON HWYY 864 RIGHT ON HWYY 87 LEFT ON HWY 973 TURN RIGHT ONTO HWY 973 TURN LEFT ONTO HWY 2023 S TURN LEFT ONTO BLOOMINGROVE RD RIGHT ON LOG RUN RD TURN RIGHT ONTO LYCOMING CREEK RD TURN LEFT ONTO N COTTAGE AVE TURN LEFT ONTO DECKMAN HOLLOW RD TURN RIGHT ONTO MITCHELL HILL RD TURN LEFT ONTO ALMOST COUNTRY RD TURN RIGHT ONTO QUENSHUCKENY RD TURN LEFT ONTO JOBS RUN RD TURN LEFT ON STOUT HILL RD TURN RIGHT ONTO HWY 3007 TURN LEFT ONTO MAIN ST ARRIVE AT WALTZ CREAMERY

1.7 MI 11.4 MI 0.8 MI 1.6 MI 6.1 MI 0.5 MI 0.7 MI 1.1 MI 7.8 MI 5.2 MI 2.3 MI 2.0 MI 4.6 MI 0.1 MI 1.6 MI 2.1 MI 0.2 MI 0.3 MI 2.1 MI 0.5 MI 3.6 MI 0.3 MI 1.1 MI 1.3 MI 2.2 MI 0.6 MI

35.5 MI 47.0 MI 47.8 MI 49.4 MI 55.5 MI 55.9 MI 56.7 MI 57.7 MI 65.6 MI 70.8 MI 73.2 MI 75.2 MI 79.8 MI 80.0 MI 81.6 MI 83.6 MI 83.8 MI 84.1 MI 86.2 MI 86.7 MI 90.3 MI 90.6 MI 91.7 MI 92.9 MI 95.1 MI 95.8 MI

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O T

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

rient in 36

Long Island’s Other End here is a well-known bumper sticker that states ‘Montauk – The End’. But here we’d like to talk about a two-wheeled jaunt to Long Island’s other End the north fork and Orient.

This part of the region has had many names. It was originally named Poquatuck, after the local Native American tribe that resided along the inland waterways. Then named Oyster Ponds because of the nearby abundance of the mollusks. what is now Orient was also known as Lower Neck, while east Marion was called Upper Neck.

The communities separated in 1836 and east Marion was named for Revolutionary war Gen. Francis Marion, known as the Swamp Fox (our mom’s revolutionary hero).

The name Orient was eventually adopted to reflect that area’s easternmost position on the North Fork - so far east it was almost in the orient or that ships used the point to navigate; choose your favorite.

For us it was a part of Long Island that we had not visited in a few years. I know we have a lot of readers and friends on the island and I myself was born and raised on its western edge. Hey, the Mets are here.

words and images: Brian Rathjen & Shira Kamil

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 27 I had thrown together a route from Backroads Central with Garmin BaseCamp – a program that has allowed every ride to be a really good Ramapo 500. Today’s jaunt did not disappoint as we snaked our way across the border into Connecticut, riding along smallish lanes bordered by stone walls and past homes that could only belong to Zeus, Odin, Allah or Jesus.

We would cross the Long Island Sound on the ferry from Bridgeport, a virtual melting pot of ethnicity. You want it, they got it in Bridgeport – Chinese, Mexican, Jamaican, Africa restaurants on every block.

Knowing we had an ocean voyage and would be off the rides for a few hours we stop at a convenient Subway and bought a couple of foot-long subs that we could share on the sail across the Sound.

Time management, baby.

Setauket – Washington’s Spy Ring

But, for the most part when I think a great day’s ride, the island called Long rarely comes to mind.

I don’t feel that way about the North Fork and with good reason – it is another world entirely and one that might be fading away over the next decade or so.

But, the real issue is how to get there from here.

Riding through New York City via either the Bronx or Queens is not gonna happen. Might as well cut the fuel lines and light the bikes on fire than sit in traffic at the GWB, Triboro (RFK? I’m sorry – snort) or Cross Bronx.

We have a better solution, and one that would get us halfway there and with a bonus.

Given the choice of recreating our own Battle of New York or a pleasant ride through the Hudson Valley and into the Nutmeg state on easy backroads – I know where we were going.

We also had a bit of a time schedule issue as we needed to be back in some 36 hours – etched in stone.

Time management would be key on this trip. We can do that.

So, a bit later than normal, we got going and spun our way towards the Bear Mountain Bridge – which is always a pleasure to ride at anytime (well, most every time but we’ll get back to that).

Our route through Harriman State Park couldn’t have been any better, especially being the end of spring and that the roads were flanked with plentiful white and pink blossoms of the Mountain Laurel ringing tight along Seven Lakes Drive and running up and down the forested hills and valleys.

Port Jefferson is just a few miles east of Setauket – the home of the Culper Ring, General Washington’s spy enterprise against the British.

We had featured this story a few years back but it’s worth revisiting and this time we searched out the local historic church that was a key part of the Battle of Setauket - a small skirmish that had big local implications.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Behind the church we found the grave of Abraham Woodhull, a key player in the Culper Ring and one of the main characters in the AMC show Turn, based on the same-named Alexander Rose novel.

I have said it many times, but it bears repeating, great American history is right here on our backroads – we will do our best to bring you to it.

Our route then took us east on smaller roads that paralleled Route 25A. This can be a slog as well but a short time later we rolled through Riverhead and then onto the North Fork where the towns and topography took a distinctive and appealing change.

Orient Point – Long Island’s Other End Like it has been for centuries the North Fork is a huge agricultural area, saved in many ways by the emergence of so many vineyards and wineries.

Dozens of market stands sit roadside and the small hamlets all have that historic and nautical feel.

This is how Long Island was and should have remained before Robert Moses, overcrowding and the like bisected, regimented and gridded the island to death.

The North Fork is beautiful.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016 Rolling along Route 48 with the Sound on the left and the Peconic River and Gardiners Bay on the right is sublime and far from the feeling you would ever get on the LIE, Northern State or Sunrise Highway.

We had a room booked at the Orient Inn, a comfortable B & B that just happens to be the furthest eastern inn on this side of Long Island.

This place deserves its own writeup; on page 16 of this month’s We’re Outta Here.

The grounds were inviting, the rooms very comfy and the Orient Inn is everything a North Fork B&B should be.

After we had settled in we decided to ride out, a bit further east, to Orient Point – next stop Portugal.

Page 29 We found the ferry (easy to do) and spotted an unusual historic sign.

Placed just a year or so ago by the New York Folklore Society (who knew?) it designates the stone marker at its feet was placed by none other than Benjamin Franklin. Well, I don’t think old Ben rode out here and put the stone there, but he had something to do with it. We had run into the same thing on the Lost Roads story a year back.

We love little tidbits of history like this, and as we said, you find them everywhere if you care to slow down, park the bike and just take a look.

Although Shira was drinking in the sights and the flavor of this part of New York State I wanted to stop by the Plum Island facility.

Plum Island, just north and east of the point, is home to the Animal Disease Center. According to their website: “Since 1954, Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) has served as the nation’s premier defense against accidental or intentional introduction of transboundary animal diseases (a.k.a. foreign animal diseases) including footand-mouth disease. It is the only laboratory in the nation that can work on live FMD virus. The lab and its staff of nearly 400 employees provide a host of high-impact, indispensable preparedness and response capabilities, including vaccine R&D, diagnostics, training, and bioforensics among others.”

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Plum Island is now run by Homeland Security. Really?

Dr. Seymour O’Life has other thoughts on what has really gone on in Plum Island and, as he says, “It is not coincidental that the Connecticut town of Lyme (Lyme disease) is just to the north and west of Plum Island. Other things have happened near this island too. The Long Island Duck industry

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS decimated in just weeks.

West Nile virus showed up on Long Island first. The coincidences go on.”

You cannot go on to Plum Island – so I would settle for a quick image of the sign for the facility.

Like many other Federal Government run places – they only let you take so many pictures before they react. Not long after we took the Nikon out did we get a long sharp whistle and a rather large burly bald guy with a black shirt started making his way towards us. He looked a lot like me, but maybe truly dangerous.

He was gesturing in a heated manner. I got the point and we got lost fast.

Nothing to see here… move along now.

The owners of the Orient Inn had told us of a five–mile loop through the surrounding wetlands and so we spent a bit of time in and round the waterline, reeds and inlets before riding into the more historic center of the hamlet. Here you will find the Oyster Ponds Historical Society that celebrates the history and culture that has made this eastern part of Long Island so special over the centuries.

Dinnertime on a Tuesday found the waterfront eateries closed but Skipper’s was most excellent and offered good food and superb dessert. They have priorities much like us.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

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We rode back over the causeway just after the sun had set, with a subtle blue and orange sky to the west.

With Shira riding pillion for the evening and the perfect weather, scenery and feel – all was right in our world.

Breakfast at the Orient Inn was truly special, as Howard and Joan, the owners, love this time of day and she is a culinary wizard. They offered a wide variety of dishes to start the day. So many choices and I wondered if they offered a sampler, like brew pubs do.

We went for the special and chatted up some of the other guests – something we find is far easier to do at a B & B than any breakfast bar at a chain motel. B & B’s are run by and attract a different, friendlier and easier crowd, we guess.

Crossing on History Rather then head back to Port Jefferson and crossing Long Island Sound to Bridgeport we chose the long way round… the ferry from Orient Point to New London.

Waiting with us were other riders, and future riders, heading north to Laconia. The ferry would put us further east and add miles to the ride – but, that was the point.

That and the fact it would allow us to sail across the sound on the only operating ship that took part in DDay. The ferry Cape Henlopen brought troops to Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. Then designated USS LST-510, this ship is the last of its kind and riding onto her was special indeed. Along her walls you will find images from World War II when she was ferrying young men running into destiny – a far harder task than running passengers to Connecticut. (See Mysterious America page 14) This is a piece of real, true and modern American war history that you can still see, feel, partake and experience – if in a more civilian flair these days.

If she could talk she’d be like that tough old uncle or grandfather of yours who lived this war and could tell you stories….

It is awesome to think she not only is still here, but working as well. She is as hardy as the generation that originally built her.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

LST-510’s path would bring her right by Plum Island, looking peaceful and innocent in the morning sun. We heard the government is leaving here and moving its entire works to Kansas.

See ya, and take the Royals with ya!

Disembarking in New London we quickly made our way out of the city and onto the tight Connecticut two-laners heading in the direction of the travelling sun.

Truth is I sometimes miss little things while plotting our GPS routes – sometimes it is good, sometimes it is even better.

Case in point the second ferry of the day, the Hadlyme Ferry, that we ran across, shuttling us across the Connecticut River with the stately Gillette’s Castle keeping an eye on us as we headed east.

There has been a ferry running at this point on the river for over 200 years – but I do believe it was the first time for us.

As the day progressed the 200 mile route from the old troop carrier to Backroads Central wound its way west, stopping for lunch roadside in Oxford and then avoiding as much of Danbury as we could.

On Route 121, in North Salem, New York, we rode by the Balanced Rock – some 60 tons of granite precariously balanced on three large stones. O’Life swears it to be a “Dolem” of ancient Celtic origin – I think it is just a really cool glacial erratic that ended up in a very curious predicament.

Whatever it is it is worth the stop. Do that and you can make your own call on this.

By this time, late afternoon, we began to run into rush hour traffic and were surprised at how many folks commute over the Bear Mountain Bridge. Yikes!

Interspersed with all the Prius, Camrys and Accords were a few really classic machines. What’s all this then, I thought, as they wound up towards Bear Mountain with us right behind.

Of, course – it was Wednesday night and each Wednesday during the summer they hold one of the biggest and grandest Car Shows in the northeast.

We paid our $5 each and parked with the rest of the bikes and spent the next hour walking around a crazy good collection of superb, classic and wonderful automobiles that we have seen in one place at one time.

So many to choose from but when pressured Shira liked the Sunbeam Alpine and I chose the hot red Ford.

Not the Ford GT (as sweet as it was) but the Pinto Wagon with the 302 stuffed into it. I know – it’s weird.

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A Wednesday evening run to Bear Mountain is a must if you love classic four wheel machines.

We left after just an hour with still more machines pulling in by the minute. But, we still had 70 miles to go and it was now a race with the sun that had blessed us with its presence for the last 35 hours.

We rolled in just in time to park the bikes, grab a shower, heat up a roasted chicken dinner and settle in for the Mets blowout against the Pirates.

Looking back on it I think we did more in just 36 hours on the road than we have done in a long time.

Truth is you don’t need many days or weeks to have an exciting and fulfilling adventure on your motorcycle.

You just have to make a bit of a plan (or not) and then go!

Just go! Now is the time. Tell us what you could do in just 36 hours!

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

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YAMAHA INTRODUCES THE ALL-NEW 2017 FZ-10 Yamaha has introduced the all-new FZ-10 “Hyper Naked” flagship sport bike that compliments the wildly successful FZ-07 and FZ-09 models to its Sport motorcycle lineup.

The all-new, aggressively styled FZ-10 offers serious power and agility thanks to its R1-derived engine, chassis, and fully adjustable KYB® suspension, and liter-class riders will appreciate the FZ-10’s torquey power delivery and corner-carving precision.

The FZ-10 is powered by the latest-generation R1-based crossplane-crankshaft engine, which has been expertly tuned to provide plenty of low- to mid-range torque and power. The intake ports and valves, combustion chamber, camshafts, and compression ratio have all been designed specifically for the all-new FZ-10, to achieve outstanding rideability in a wide variety of situations.

The distinctive, exterior styling of the FZ-10 is defined by a dynamic, mass-forward silhouette with lean, yet muscular and athletic lines. A small front cowl, full LED lighting, and exposed engine combine to create the visual expression of spirited performance, while the upright riding position provides for a comfortable, yet sporty, slightly forward lean.

From sport riding, to commuting, to long-distance adventures, the new FZ10 is ready to impress, with its Yamaha Chip-Controlled Throttle (YCC-T),

D-Modes (three different riding modes), Traction Control (three different settings), Cruise Control (using the left handlebar switchgear, riders can easily select or adjust a set speed for improved rider comfort when traveling long distances), Antilock Braking System (ABS), and full LCD instrumentation.

The 2017 FZ-10 will be available in Armor Gray and Matte Raven Black, and will retail for $12,999, with bikes available in Yamaha dealerships beginning in late June.

For more information on all Yamaha models—including features, specifications, photos, and videos—please visit www.yamahamotorsports.com.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Mods vs. Rockers Tale of Two-Wheeled Rebellion The Famous British Biker Clash

words and images: Pamela Collins It went down as one of the greatest biker gang clashes in two-wheeled history. So long, it lasted nearly a decade.

So great, it defined an era. It even spawned a movie.

On one side rode the “Rockers.” With pomade-slick pompadours, black leather jackets, and a swagger in their jeans and tight skirts, American rock n’ roll thumped their soundtrack. Young, British, and blue-collared, they listened to Elvis, Bill Haley and Bo Diddley.

Their ride of choice - something fast. Really fast…often chopped, bobbed, maybe even a mash-up of two different brands of motorcycles. They took their rebellious cues from Marlon Brando and the movie “The Wild Ones.”

On the other side wheeled “the Mods.” Young and British, yes, but the similarity quickly ends. Professional white-collared office workers, better paid, better dressed with natty pegged-ankle pants, suits and Burberry trench coats, they appreciated American soul and jazz music, and their native British blues-rooted bands. The Who, The Yardbirds and Miles Davis sounded in their nightclubs, amphetamines and other drugs colored their “scene,” and the rock opera (later movie) Quadrophenia told their story. Lambretta and Vespa became their favored vehicle brands, the unassuming scooters their vehicle of defiance and rebellion.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016 A scooter gang - really?

Really, and a new exhibit at the Antique Automobile Association of American (AACA) museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania tells the story of this British biker gang clash.

Entitled “Mods Vs. Rockers” the exhibit uses period motorcycles, scooters and memorabilia to detail the clash of the two conflicting British youth subcultures of the 1960’s.

Both groups rebelled against “the man” and “the system.” But they heralded from different socio-economic backgrounds, each with its own status and lifestyle. In their late teens and early twenties, Mods and Rocker had no real common ground, so they also rebelled against each other.

That came to a head in 1964, during a British beach holiday in Brighton, when after several years of minor scuffling the proverbial cork popped. Simmering tensions and tempers exploded into an all-out brawl between the Mods and Rockers. Reminiscent of the barely-based-on-fact retelling of America’s 1947 biker riot in Hollister, California, police took charge to protect the innocent, scared vacationers, while scores of Mods (who allegedly began the fight) and Rockers suffered injuries – though none serious - and went to jail.

The exhibit delves into both subcultures with interesting displays about each group’s personality, and the circumstances and mindset that led to the lines—literally—being drawn on the sand in Brighton. But the array of exquisite motorcycles and scooters take front and center in retelling the key component of each of their tales.

The Rocker story features many famous British marques of the day—Triumph, BSA, Matchless and more— fine examples that make British motorcycle lovers salivate. For example, a 1953 Series C Vincent Black Shadow represents the Rockers need for speed as they continually tried to reach “one ton” or 100 miles per hour; a Vincent model actually clocked 156.7 mph in 1948 on the Bonneville Salt Flats. A 1966 Velocette Endurance, set up for off-road riding, is a rare model in the exhibit, with only 60 of them produced.

As with American motorcyclists after World War II, the British Rockers felt the need to chop, bob and weld their bikes, resulting in some interesting model mashups. Take the 1968 “TriNelli” Special—with the engine, rear wheel, headlight and instruments from Triumph TR6R fitted onto an Italian Benelli chassis—creating a machine both rare and fast (650cc, claimed 45 horsepower and top speed of 100 mph). Or check out the

Page 35

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS 1966 Triton, a Norton featherbed frame fitted with a powerful 649 cc Triumph engine that could run 125 mph. This era ignited the flame of café racers in Britain.

According to exhibit literature, this ability to meld two motorcycles signified a true Rocker dedicated to his culture.

But the hipster Mods (slang for “modernists” and also called “scooterists”) rode some cool wheels of their own, although admittedly they concerned themselves more with Italian fashion than they did speed. (Interesting note—reportedly after seeing the nattily-dress Mods, a band manager instructed someone to clothe his up and coming band in similar garb. We know them now as the Beatles.) However, the Mods’ rides still rocked attitude, albeit of a different sort. The smaller frames, the pastel colors, the “fun” personalities of the scooters reflect the hipster vibe of the era, a la Carnaby Street, the Beatles, and the beginning of the peace and love generation in England.

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The display includes a variety of scooters, from a 1959 Lambretta TV 175 Series III, to a 1966 Vespa 150 Gran Lusso, to a newer 2009 Genuine Stella 150 sporting myriad mirrors and flags, the same way Mods gussied up their rides in the 1960’s.

Though some scooters could attain speeds of 66 mph, going fast was never the goal (unless they needed to outrun some Rockers). Rather scooters provided quick, economical, easy to park transportation for the growing young professional class in England.

Three guest curators collaborated on the exhibit which features over 20 cycles and scooters, as well as a host of photographs, newspaper reports and lifestyle exhibits. In addition to telling the Mods vs. Rockers story, it also shows how closely intertwined British and American motorcycle culture had been from the 1950’s through the early 1970’s.

It also begs us motorcyclists to ask ourselves…to what side would we lean? Mods vs. Rockers presents the story of teenage rebellion on two wheels and British gang rivalry at the AACA Museum until October 15. For more information visit the museum website at www.aacamuseum.org.

AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA • 717-566-7100 Monday-Sunday: 9am-5pm • $12/adults, $11/over 61, $9/4-12

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

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PRODUCT REVIEW • YOSHIMURA STAIN MAGIC EXHAUST POLISH Yosh has long been known for their high-performance exhaust systems so while looking for a polishing product that would actually blast through a few years of corrosion on our Honda 919 exhaust, we were not surprised to see that one of the strongest polishes would be from Yoshimura.

Problem was that the product is only available in Japan (as far as we know) – but that was easily taken care of by a PayPal exchange. Delivery from the Land of the Rising Sun took just a few weeks.

This particular machine has seen thousands of miles touring, many of those miles in the wet and in the salted roads of the northeast in the early spring.

The exhaust pipes had seen far better days.

We got a few supplies to go along with this little polishing project – ultra-fine steel wool, a few terry and micro-fiber cloths and – very important – latex gloves.

We don’t think you want to use Stain Magic as a hand crème. Wear gloves and an old sweatshirt – trust us on this.

This sort of thing is labor intensive and don’t think, regardless of the name, that removing the corrosion and crud and making the pipes shine a bit better would be miraculously quick. It was not.

Elbow grease and a bit of patience is key.

First a little Stain Magic on a terry cloth to coat a section of the pipe and then a minute or two later a bit more using the fine steel wool. (#0000 - only!) You can buy this stuff at any paint store and you will go through a few of these pads.

We did each pipe in small sections.

After the crud began to come off we used a micro-fiber cloth to begin to buff it out. It took some work – but the results were, well almost magic.

We then used some Semichrome polish to get an even better shine.

We did all this with the pipes still on the bike –we are sure removal of the exhaust would allow for a more thorough polish in all the nooks and crannies.

Although not showroom the pipes on this machine look 1000% better and it was well worth the evening’s effort.

You can find Yoshimura Stain Magic from various places on the web and we paid $26.95, that included shipping from Japan. Shine on - you crazy diamond!

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

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Page 39

AEROSTICH MID-WEIGHT COTTON SHORTS ALL DAY COMFORT FOR THE FASHIONABLE ELITE… Remarkably, over the last couple of years, my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit that seemed to be shrinking, did an about face and has once again become more than comfortable and is, once again, my day-to-day riding suit.

Well armored, waterproof and tough, it has been part of my riding set-up for years. (The suit is well over a decade old and still in great shape).

In the warmer summer months I have been trying different gear and clothing beneath it. Plain BVDs and F-O-T-L limit me to keeping the riding pants on all the time and although there are specific and well made manmade fabric riding shorts out there they have that Peter Pan look when prancing around a restaurant with just them and riding boots on.

Normal folk just don’t get it.

What I needed was a well made, tough but comfortable pair of shorts.

It would only make sense that the same folks who created my Tony Stark-worthy riding suit would also make the perfect shorts to wear beneath it too. Thus I ordered a pair of Aerostich Mid-Weight Cotton Shorts for myself and Shira.

The shorts come in a regular 6-inch and longer 9-inch inseam and are made from mid-weight cotton twill that promises to get softer and more comfy with each laundering.

The shorts have an elastic waistband and adjustable front belt as well as two side pockets to hold stuff like keys and a cell phone.

Aerostich says that these shorts are based on the old-style gym shorts we wore as kids and they rec-

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

ommend that you launder them a few times before wearing under your suit. Going commando is preferred.

We did just that, putting them through the wash cycle three times before setting off on a multi-day excursion.

I found them to be very comfortable. I know this cause I never thought about them while riding. Off the bike they had a stylish look about them – if you can pull off that Bavarian-style flair of shorts, snowy legs, biker boot sort of look.

Still, I am pretty certain that one woman on the Long Island ferry was checking me out. (Okay, maybe she was more sabertooth than cougar, but I’ll take it) For true comfort it is best to follow Aerostich’s line of thought and go commando here. Yes, ladies too.

You’re looking for easy, all-day wear here and no one ever said motorcycling was pretty all of the time.

The Aerostich Mid-Weight Cotton Shorts are made in the USA (well, Duluth, Minnesota) and come in black, green, khaki, dark blue or grey in medium through XXX and list for $57 from www.aerostich.com. ~Brian Rathjen

And…They’re Off! FALL FIESTA 2016

SEPT. 22-26 nother riding season has arrived and, with it, another Backroads Rally. This Fall we’ll be headed north to enjoy the colors and the mountain riding, staying in and out of towns. We’ll have a group dinner Saturday at the Eagle Mountain House, so make your reservations early as rooms, and seating, are limited.

A

Thurs, Sept. 22 • Saratoga Downtowner 413 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, Ny 518-584-6160 • www.saratogadowntowner.com Rooms: $99 - $139 plus tax incl. breakfast Cutoff reservation date: July 5 Ask for Backroads when making reservation

Fri/Sat, Sept. 23-25 • Eagle Mountain House 179 Carter Notch Rd, Jackson, NH 603-383-9111 • www.eaglemt.com Room and breakfast only: $170/single • $188/double Saturday night: Room, breakfast, dinner $215/single • $275/double

Cutoff reservation date: August 9 Ask for Backroads when making reservation Reserve Saturday night dinner when booking

Sun, Sept. 25 • West Dover, VT Kitzhof Inn 802-464-8310 • www.kitzhof.com

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 41

words & images Brian Rathjen I am a dawn riser and have been for the last 20 years that we have lived up in the Skylands of the Garden State. Sun gets up and so do I. It’s a daily occurrence.

Yet, for some reason, I have found that sunrise up in Lake George is a bit more speto the cial. Maybe it is this particular lake and the way the dawn’s light reflects off the surface.

Perhaps it is the thrum of a few early riser motorcycles rumbling down into town. Or, maybe it is simply that it is early June and we are back at Americade – the world’s largest touring rally.

Journeys and tribulations had kept us away for the last couple of years. But with plans made and our palatial townhouse reserved for the week, we began a couple week motomarathon that included our own Spring Break, return home, production of the July edition and quick escape towards the Adirondacks.

This year’s Americade would be a bit different in many ways. The people that bring us this great time each year, the Dutchers and crew, are always looking to up the ante and improve on an already superb week. This year another venue, addressing an entirely new segment to the event so long dominated by the Gold Wing and heavy cruiser crowd, they would introduced…

Dirt Daze!

With that in mind I parked my usual steed, the BMW R1200 GS, and packed up my old Kawasaki KLR650 – pack mule to the world. Yes, the GS is a big ADV machine, but the KLR sits far too long and motorcycles need to be ridden.

Back

Our meander brought us up from the Skylands of New Jersey and along the Gunks, picking and choosing between new and familiar roads.

Along the way we got that great view above Ellenville as well as stopping by one of the largest Garden Gnomes on the planet.

The Catskills gave way to the Leatherstocking region and then the old hills and mountains of the Adirondacks. A great run north through New York State and by late afternoon we were rolling into Lake George.

We picked up our wristbands that Monday and Tuesday morning we rode up to Dirt Daze, which was headquartered at the Painted Pony Ranch in Lake Luzerne, not far from the big lake.

Dirt Daze and Honda had raffled off the first American public demo of the Africa Twin (featured in the July issue), you would also find demos here from KTM and, care of Cyclewise, some Ducatis and Zeros to try out. In addition to a number of guided dual sport rides that would be offered during the week, there were also a few self-guided rides along the many miles of Adirondack gravels roads to be followed.

I hoped to partake a little bit in the whole Dirt Daze party.

Shira, with her F650GS, already had this covered, or not. We’d see. She said something like she was good to go, “As long as it is not through the forest.” Right.

Americade has changed and not changed over the years.

Million Dollar Beach now actually looks like a million bucks and the rural renewal that has refashioned the southern part of Lake George is remarkable and well done.

Lake

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

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We spent a few hours walking round the many vendors down at the Expo, seeing a few familiar faces and noticing so many that were not here.

We returned to Dirt Daze to take out a couple of KTMs – the 1290 Super Adventure and 390 Super Duke – both nice machines but, like Goldilocks, we thought one too big and the other too small – at least for us.

We stopped by the other demo area at Fort William Henry to see what manufacturers were present and all but a few were accounted for and had long lines to test ride different machines. Even Slingshot was there with their three wheeled vehicles.

I do not deem that these machines are motorcycles in anyway. Unlike the Spyders that operate like motorcycles; these Slingshots are just spiffy sportscarsthingamajigs. I am not saying they are not a blast to drive (what motorhead would not want to drive this thing?) but - don’t call them bikes. Besides, they take up more parking space than my Durango.

We explored the demo area for a bit and then began to head back to our bikes just in time to see a tempest ready to blow through and chase us back up the lake for coffee and rain watching from the porch.

That evening we dropped by a seminar by Rider magazine’s Eric Trow.

Eric is one of the most talented safety scribes in the business and has a remarkable way of getting his point and message across each month in the magazine.

Personally I love seminars from well-versed people like Eric. Why these are not packed and standing room only is beyond me. There were thousands of riders in Lake George this week, but only a hundred or so people thought enough of their riding to attend this. Think of it this way – you have just spent the entire winter and spring getting ready to ride. If you were offered one hour this winter to listen to an expert in the motorcycle field would you have not jumped on the chance?

But, so many folks blew off these awesome seminars. Go figure.

Dinner and people watching was to follow along Canada Street that night.

Into the woods, into the woods…

Despite Shira’s claim that she did not want to ride in the forest and play with the moose, we got an early start the following day and began it with Fred Rau’s Coffee Club, a happy hour-long bull session on all things motorcycles with like-minded early risers.

I find them to be interesting and a great way to start the day.

When that hour passed we spent another half watching the skills demonstration, with various riders navigating the tight cones and circles. The talent here was impressive.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 43 With the deep Adirondacks in mind we headed up along the self-guided dual sport excursion Dirt Daze put together. This jaunt would combine gravel, graded and paved roads into a massive 270 mile run. This run was broken into three different sections from a quick 100 or so to the full day’s (two days for some of us) ride.

We did a good section of the route, and a good deal of that in an ever-deepening rain squall. Fun, fun, fun kiddies! Shira was not a happy camper, but carried on, as she is tougher than she looks!

The next day we had our Backroads Mystery Ride and we wanted to be safe rather than sorry so we did a little reconnoitering this afternoon. Locating the next day’s destination that was holographically disguised as a non-descript building might be tough, even for us!

All was as it should be and with the rest of the day ahead of us and chunks of blue sky peaking out from the rolling black clouds, we ferried over Lake Champlain from Fort Ticonderoga to Vermont and hit some backroads we had never ridden before, splitting them equally between paved and not.

Keeping with our run of Revolutionary flavor that we have had over the last few months, we rode to Mount Independence. It was here that the Continental Army set to block the British from any northern invasion during the war from Canada. An amazing bit of history on the cliffs above Lake Champlain.

We two-laned it back to New York – Shira heading back to the home base and I riding back up to Dirt Daze to watch the riders attempt the obstacle course.

It quickly became the Jimmy Lewis Show, as Lewis, one of the most talented dirt riders on the planet, made short work of the course that had me questioning its sanity just the previous day.

Yea, I could do that. (snort!)

That night Jimmy had a seminar on how dirt riding can make you a better street rider; another great talk for those who were interested in maybe, just maybe, becoming better riders; something quite possibly needed by more than a few, after observing many of the riders here in Lake George this week.

It’s all good kids – knowledge is power.

Page 44

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

To go where no Americader has gone before…

Up early again, Shira heading to Fort William Henry Conference Center for the Ladies Coffee Club. Diane Ortiz, of Big Apple Motorcycle School on Long Island, felt that the ladies in motorcycling deserved their own gab session and a good amount did show up. Polling the population, it was well split between riders and passengers, and the concensus was that being a good passenger, or rather co-pilot, takes some talent as well as piloting your own ride. Many topics were discussed, men were welcome to join in, and overall it was a good venue for a very large, and growing, percentage of motorcyclists on the road. We hope it continues and, for all you women in the industry attending Americade, please make the effort next year to stop in.

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This day we would gather for one of our Backroads’ Mystery Runs. This was a significant event, if only in our minds, as this day’s ride would mark the 50th Backroads event we have put on. Coincidentally it would line up with the 50th anniversary of the beginning of a certain five-year mission.

We do believe that, as a publication, Backroads has held more events than any other magazine in the United States and the world as we know it. We like that.

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We are not sure of the rest of the galaxy, as we would need a starship for that.

With that in mind….

We had about 40 riders show up – most with no real idea of where they were to be going and just a very few armed with the truth of where the ride would take them. After a brief meeting (where they were told they were time traveling Star Fleet-types with amnesia) small groups rode off in staggered “Away Teams” for the 40-mile backroads romp to the town of Ticonderoga; Shira never quite locking on the difference between Impulse and Warp Drive.

This is the point in this story kids that I might point out the continued fickle nature of this spring in the northeast. Warm gave way to rain, which gave way to cold. Our friends from Canada were not the only things that traveled south as a cold front came in behind the storms from the previous day and to say it was brisk was a vast understatement. The KLR has almost enough electric power to light up Edison’s light bulb. My ever-present Gerbings were pretty much just another layer this day.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 45

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Later in the day my friend Ivan mentioned to me that it looked like I lost weight and that my ass was gone. Damn right, Ivan, I froze it off on this morning’s ride!

As we wrote about in the May issue, it is in this small Adirondack community that they are filming new episodes of Star Trek.

This day we would get to meet the creators of this new voyage and tour the sets of the Enterprise, all constructed to the exact specifications of the originals. Sick bay, engineering, the transporter room and, of course, the bridge.

The people at Star Trek New Voyages could not have been any nicer or more accommodating and our group went from having questioning looks on their faces to big smiles. We toured sickbay, the transporter room, engineering. Kirk’s quarters (where Shira said “the magic happens!”) and just strolling down the hallways of NCC-1701 was a geek’s dream come true.

I do believe this Mystery Ride was the biggest hit! The highlight was a group shot on “The Bridge.”

Personally sitting in “the chair” felt exactly like I thought it would – it felt right.

They are currently working on making this a Star Trek Destination where all could come and see how TV was really done back in the day and experience where no man has gone before. You can watch the new episodes of the Star Trek on You Tube at startreknewvoyages.com.

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Lunch was found and then many chose to follow our 115-mile loop back to Lake George or what we titled, The Journey Home.

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

Ensign Pond Road was a big hit for those who had never ridden it before, and the trek (sorry) brought us

by Tawahus, where Teddy Roosevelt learned that President McKinley had been badly wounded in an assassination attempt and that he would soon be the Commander in Chief. Route 28N is named the Roosevelt–Marcy Trail after this event.

The southerly route brought us through Athol, Stony Creek and then to Hadley where we stopped for coffee and ice cream and to see the Parabolic Bridge that has brought notoriety to the tiny hamlet. Just before the town we passed a sign for the “Area’s Largest Pile of Goat Manure - It Stinks, It’s an Eyesore, It Breeds Flies!”

The things we will see along the backroads of America; it made for good conversation at our coffee stop.

Fully sugared and caffeinated we rolled back to Americade.

That night we attended the last of the three seminars – this one not having anything to do with riding safety and everything to do with motorcycle fun as Fred Rau did a superb talk on motorcycle advertising through the years. We then sat in on Alonzo Boden’s show. Both he and the opening comedian Joe Bronzi

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Page 47

were really funny. Alonzo is an avid rider and his love and deep knowledge of motorcycles makes any and all brands and all riders fair game for his comedic jabs. He has becoming a staple of Americade!

Yep, staple at Americade. Alonzo, if you read this…you do know this event was sponsored by AARP? Young, hip, black guy hanging with mostly old white fogy types; It’s like the Obamas vacationing with the Clintons. Just sayin’…

It was a great evening all around and riding back through Canada Street you could tell that Americade was in full swing. The previous night the street was only half full, but tonight was packed.

Harleys, now freed from their trailers and riding along the lake bugling their mating call. Okay, proceed with the angry mail, Byrd.

We made one more pass through the Expo before finding Grand Slam breakfasts at the Prospect Diner. It just wouldn’t be Americade without one ridiculously large breakfast at the iconic diner.

This is where Shira and I split up.

Yes. It is true. She and Pepe went on their own run and Notso Happy and I went on ours. Irreconcilable differences in riding styles and desires forced the breakup. I thought she was a paved road prima donna and she claimed I was a dirty middle-aged man. We were both right.

The Split Up! Friday found the weather had decided to play nice with blue skies, warm sun and a quiet that had fallen over Lake George. It was later discovered that this wasn’t really a quiet so much as a silence, as all the motorcycle riders had now stopped murmuring complaints that it was raining. Nature abhors a vacuum and this lack of noise was quickly replaced with thunderous Shira’s would involve hopefully uncrowded curvy paved road, with a stop at one of her Inside Scoop favorites, Wemple and Edick’s in Johnstown, NY. Hap’s and mine would involve miles of unpaved roads with some curvy paved ones linking them all together.

The night before I made a .gpx file of the Dirt Daze selfguided route and began to add in some others that ran in and around the places we rode a

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Page 48 couple days back. What I ended up with was a nice mix and a great few hours through the deep Adirondacks.

A good deal of this day’s gravely route ran along the Hudson River – so different here near its source than 300 miles downstream as it runs under the George Washington Bridge. I stopped to answer nature’s call and was amazed at the quiet. Just the hushed tinkle on the leaves and pine brush, the occasional bird and the siren roar of my tinnitus could be heard. No traffic, no open pipes, no aircraft. No nothing.

How wonderful. This is why escaping on a dual sport is so worth it.

Later in the day I was smacked with the opposite. I cut and slashed my way through Canada Street traffic that was at 110% Americade tempest and pulled in to get fuel. At the same time a gaggle of Harley riders, all young, proud and very loud, rolled in as well.

The sound in the roofed fueling bays was staggering. Mirrors cracked, tires exploded, colostomy bags burst and dogs ran wildly in circles. For a second I considered taking up bridge.

A sport bike just finished fueling up and rolled away from the pump and I jumped at the open slot and rode up to the pump. As I got off the bike, with most everybody hunched over from the open pipe bombardment, a young woman started screaming at “How F’n rude” we all were! I then realized she was directing this at me as she and her

AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS boyfriend we tucked back a bit and were waiting for the same pump.

“No worries..,” I tried to tell her over the din. I rolled my bike to another bay that had just opened up. She glared at me and stormed off into the store, her boyfriend, trying desperately not to make eye contact with me, simply shrugged and accepted my apology. I hoped he had a motorcycle. He will need an occasional escape if he marries that gal. She was a toughie.

The young American bikers then got even louder, if that was possible, and suddenly took off, en masse, to parts unknown, leaving our eardrums and hearing battered and barren. Like some monstrous pack of decibel-enraged locust they rode off to crush the senses of some other innocents.

When they were gone the silence was deafening and those left alive shook their heads in disbelief.

It was at that moment that I knew this year’s Americade /Dirt daze was done for me. I was not quite ready for bridge, but I was done with this.

After the quiet of the forest and the traffic free roads that surround Lake George I would have a hard time with the crowds moving forward.

Maybe it is age. But, the zoo that would be the center of town this weekend had no appeal to me. We love Americade and all the events but, over the years, we seem to have developed an aversion to crowds.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 49

The idea of the deck at Backroads Central, a cup of coffee and Spenser T. Cat curled up nearby appealed to me greatly.

Time to go.

I hit the highway and rode around the crowds and to our place.

Ice coffee and a good book whiled away the rest of the afternoon till Shira returned from her own adventure.

We rode north to dinner with friends that night at the Gristmill in Warren and we were already tucked in bed by the time the real partying began on Canada Street.

Drizzle, Drazzle, Druzzle, Drome; Time for this one to come home…

We were up and packing the bikes early the next morning. We had a plan, but that went south as the rains came east. We’re not talking that pesky rain that pattered about Lake George, the Adirondacks and Americade during the week. This was the real deal. Cold, hard and wet. Our romp south along the two lane roads was tossed for the Interstate where things got more and more interesting.

A quick check of radar on the iPhone (as soon as we got into cell service) showed we could ride out of it if we could get below the Catskills and so that was the plan and the charge south on the big road.

Taking a moment to think about it, with the semis barreling by us, and the dismal visibility, I still concluded

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

I’d rather be right here and right now than anywhere else.

As my tee-shirt states: Rain Happens!

I do have a personal message to the black male rider on the BMW HP2 Enduro – What’s your issue? This guy rode up to Shira – flipped her the finger and then did the same to me.

I am pretty sure we were just tooling down the New York Thruway, minding our own business. Okay, so maybe I didn’t vote for Obama, but that’s no reason to be rude about it.

Final thoughts…

After all these years Americade has become a mind set for us and we know, like many things, it is what you make of it.

The surrounding roads are mostly empty and a pleasure to explore. The addition of Dirt Daze will bring up an entirely new segment to the region in early June. We thought the seminars and demos (yes, even the Slingshots) were superb (where was BMW and Kawasaki – ask them.), the Tour Expo, still had a decent smattering of vendors with real products that you could search out between all the overwhelming amount of rally crap, sunglass tables and swinging chairs. Many staples of this great expo were missing after the last few years and it showed.

For us we tried to find all the great stuff we remembered from Americades past. But, after a few years off, maybe you can’t go home. Old friends and new friends are what really have made this weeklong event special to us.

So many of the folks that we looked forward to seeing were caught up with kids, grandkids, work and life.

Such is the way of the world. Things change.

We hope this year was successful for the promoters and really hope Dirt Daze grows bigger each year.

Americade 2017 will be held June 5-11.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 51

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

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

TEN FOR THE ROAD Brian Rathjen I’ve talked a bit about the pros and cons of riding and touring solo. Although I almost always ride with my pal, buddy and wife, heading out on a solo tour offers its own kind of magic. There are a few things you might like to take along on the road – actually it helps to have these along all the time, but especially when on the rode alone.

Here are my ten for the road…

#1 A WELL THOUGHT-OUT TOOL KIT Years ago most machines came with a rudimentary tool kit. Not so much anymore. Take stock of what you are carrying on your machine. If you are touring set aside space in your luggage just for tools and gear.

On my GS the left bag is dedicated to extras and the most important is my tool kit. Most of these tools are not OEM specific, but they allow for just about everything I would need to do in a variety of situations, including a second flashlight.

Take a good look at what you are carrying along for the ride. Keep what you really need and leave the rest. I have tried a number of tools bags and kits and companies like CruzTools can make tool selection even easier.

These days I have a good-sized OtterBox full of everything I might need.

This keeps all the tools together and dry as well as preventing your tools

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from rust out in your saddlebag.

Go through your tools every now and again, as they need maintenance too.

#2 TIRE REPAIR KIT & PUMP Last season, on a return trip from Virginia, we were passing through on a road heavily used by commercial trucks. Out of the blue I felt the back of my bike ride over something that momentarily lifted it up and that was followed by a thumping at each turn of the wheel. Immediately pulling to the side of the road I spotted a large bolt head embedded in the tire (new tire by the way- ain’t they always?).

The tire was still holding air, but was unrideable with the large bolt protruding out of it. I found the nearest parking lot and put the machine on the center stand – in the pouring rain – with trucks whizzing by – and not much else in sight. Using the Leatherman Tool I keep strapped to the frame of the GS, I slowly began to pull out the bolt. It kept coming and coming. It was far larger than I though it would be and the largest thing I have ever seen come out of a tire that was still holding air.

The holding air thing came to a quick end when the, what turned out to be, large hingepin came free.

The diameter of the hole in the tire was substantial but I gave my Stop & Go a chance and, remarkably, even with the size of the puncture, the plug settled in nicely. I inflated it with my CyclePump from BestRest Products (another thing that always comes along for the ride) and it held air. I pumped it up a little more than usual, checked the gauge, and continued my ride home.

There are some Stop & Go Kits that have CO2 cartridges and small pumps

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

Page 53 with built-in pressure gauge as well.

This day from puncture to repaired and back rolling took less than 10 minutes. Major inconvenience avoided. I did soon replace the tire but the repair held pressure and lost nothing until then.

#3 Cell Phone and Charger This is pretty much a nobrainer these days. Who doesn’t have a modern smart phone? But, do you have an easily working charging system on your motorcycle?

Simply being able to call ahead on a busy night for a sure hotel room, add into the mix everything else such as weather maps, routing and email along with the vastness of the web.

Today it is a breeze to set up a powered USB plug somewhere on your machine. Companies like 3BR Powersports make this easy.

Having a fully charged smartphone on the road today can be a blessing in so many ways, especially when you are riding on your own.

#4 Electronic Goodness & Countermeasures GPS, BaseCamp Equipped Laptop & Radar Detector We all know electrons seem to rule the world. Time to embrace this.

Although there are still many riders who will not jump into the GPS pool, there is no denying that today’s motorcycle-friendly GPS, like Garmin’s Zumo series, make riding and routing a breeze.

Nobody is telling you not to use paper maps, or drag a laptop around with you. But, I choose to.

The ability to know where you are and where you are going, when the next turn is coming up and to know where you are, more or less in the day’s journey, takes a bit of pressure off and allows you to enjoy the ride, scenery and motorcycling experience to a greater degree.

Plotting out my next day’s route has become one of the important parts of my riding day. My hotel room almost looks like a command center for NORAD with maps laid out and the BaseCamp fired up on the computer.

Do I follow these routes exactly the next day? Most times not, but I have found more interesting roads, villages and oddities with these far more intricate routes than I would have just using a Manually Acquired Position System.

Having a good radar detector is also an excellent idea when riding alone.

When you’re by yourself you can’t really blame the infractions on your friend so it’s best to avoid the local law enforcement all together.

The new versions of the Adaptiv’s TPX and the Valentine One are cutting edge technology against local coffers.

Always slow down in town.

Always keep your detector on, even in Virginia.

See page 39 for discount info

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

#5 SPOT GPS All right, this is really more for the peace of mind of your family, friends and loved ones. (You do have some, right?) I have had a SPOT Gen. 3 Satellite Messenger attached to my saddlebag for a year or so now and although I have never used it more than the Check-in/OK button to say “Na na na na naaa” to said family, friends and loved ones that I was on the road having a great time and they were not, this little gizmo can save your life.

When just traveling around locally I occasionally send out a “ping” to a small list of folks who get an email alerting them to where I am.

Again, I usually do that in a malicious fashion.

But, while on the road, especially solo, I can set the SPOT to update a map that can be followed by family and friends and will let them know exactly where I am and where I have ridden.

If I suddenly go missing like Oceanic 815, at least they will have an idea where to send the Federales.

Just as important if there is a mishap I can call for authorities with a push of the SPOT’s SOS button that will alert the GEOS International Emergency Response Center who will contact the appropriate agencies worldwide – for example contacting 9-1-1 responders in North America and 1-1-2 responders in Europe. In really dire cases SHIELD and/or the Avengers.

#6 HEDz Head Gear HEDz and similar products are a seamless tube of polyester microfiber, which can be worn around the neck and head in different combinations.

Hell, I have seen gals use them as tops and even a makeshift skirt in Daytona.

The microfiber fabric wicks moisture away from your skin to keep you warmer in cold weather and cool and dry in warm weather.

It stretches in width to fit everyone and takes up no space at all.

I have them all over the place (like my ever-growing supply of reading glasses). In tank bags, top cases, jacket pockets. Simply worn around the neck they easily allow for an easy ten-degree window of riding in colder weather. They come is a world of colors, patterns and styles and we even have a few Monkey with a Gun HEDzs.

#7 Straps Straps are like a great attorney. They are great to have around, for when they are needed, they are really needed.

More than once I have needed to secure a smashed saddlebag or tail pack back onto a machine after a mishap or gravity storm.

Carrying a few good straps will save the day.

Although good old bungee cords still will do the trick, there are far better and more secure ways to secure things, packages and gear to your ride.

A few good examples of superior strapping come from NiteIze, with their Cam Jam Strap, the venerable ROK Straps work every time and BestRest has their Gotcha Straps that also do the job as well and are so easy to use and also come up to 72 inches long.

If something breaks, falls off or needs to be carried it is best to have a secure and working strapping system handy.

#8 CamelBak Hydration System We here at Backroads have talked about the need for hydration while riding a number of times. Having a good source of cool water while riding allows for a far more comfortable and confident day.

The last thing you want, especially while touring by yourself, is a hydration issue. Something as simple as a CamelBak can turn a long hard day in the saddle into a long pleasant ride.

#9 & 10 Aerostich Money Belt and Stash Pocket One of the worst feelings one can have, as a solo rider (or group rider for that matter), is the sudden realization that you can’t find your keys or that your wallet is missing. If you are solo riding and lose your wallet or keys everything can come to a screeching halt.

I would say “trust me” – but, we have all been there, no?

That is why I usually have a few extra emergency Ben Fs around as well as an extra key lurking nearby as well.

Aerostich makes a great money belt for this, as well as Greg Frazier Stash Pockets, to help along with this. I think they are a must have when on the road solo.

I am sure there are probably a number of things I haven’t thought of.

What do you carry when on the road? I’d like to know.

Sources and websites www.garmin.com • www.findmespot.com adaptivtechnologies.com • www.rokstraps.com www.niteize.com • www.bestrestproducts.com www.aerostich.com • www.camelbak.com radarforbikes.com • cruztools.com stopngo.com • 3brpowersports.com www.real-rider.com/hedz

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2016

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UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR

What’s Happening

EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING

AUGUST 2016

Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

7 • Ride for Kids Hudson valley. Central valley elementary School, 45 Route 32, Central valley, Ny. Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org.

2nd Friday thru September 9th @ 6-8pm • 120 N. queen Street, Lancaster, PA • The Lancaster County Motorcycle Dealers Association invites you to share their passion of riding and discover all that historic downtown Lancaster has to offer. Come socialize with other riders, eat/drink at numerous restaurants & pubs, and shop at the countless stores throughout Lancaster... all within walking distance! In addition there will be bikerrelated vendors and food trucks set up in Lancaster Square on queen Street • More info: www.2FBN.com • Portions of the proceeds from all vendors at 2FBN to benefit local charities.

7 • Ride for Kids western PA. Seneca valley High School, 128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org.

Every Saturday May - October • Bergen County Harley Davidson Saddle Up Saturday.

9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs at 10am. Return to the dealership for FRee food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. BCHD, 124 essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com Every Sunday • Tramontin Harley-Davidson Biker Breakfast. 9-11am (weather permitting). Join us for breakfast before you ride. Great atmosphere, food and hospitality. Tramontin H-D, exit 12, I-80, Hope, NJ • 908-459-4101 • TramontinHD.com Thru October 29 • AACA presents Mods and Rockers: The clash of sub-cultures in england in the late ‘50s-60s. explores the difference in fashion, music an preference of two wheel transport. Discount coupon page 39. 9am-5pm • 161 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA • 717-566-7100 • AACAMuseum.org

JULY 2016 25 • Sharpen your skills and build confidence at the track. The Street Skills Riding Academy is conducting a Cornering Skills Instructional Track Day just for street riders at the New york Safety Track in Oneonta, Ny. Pre-registration required. Info: 585-8029859 • jon@streetskills.net • streetskills.net 26 • woodstock Harley-Davidson Celebration of Tools, Technology and the Techs who Triumph • 4-8pm. Try out the speedway racing simulator, take on the Tools of Triumph challenge and compete against techs in the shop. Learn more: woodstockharley.com • 949 Ny 28, Kingston, Ny • 845-208-2178 28-31 • COG Ne Dog Days Summer Rally, Staunton, vA. Some of the best sport-touring riding in the northeast-Blue Ridge Parkway is 17 miles from the hotel and great routes into wv. The hotel is a 3 block walk to the restored downtown area with many choices for food and beverages. event fee applies for group dinner. Full details: tinyurl.com/COGDogDays2016 31 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMw Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com

12-14 • 39th Annual Daniel Boone Rally, Boone, NC. For full details please visit www.carolinasbmwmoa.org/annual-boone-rally 12-14 • Trekonderoga 2016, Ticonderoga, Ny. Full details: Trekonderoga.com 13 • Unadilla hosts Pro National Mx. Take a scenic ride to see some great dirt racing.

Full details unadillamx.com • 5986 State Hwy 8, New Berlin, Ny • 607-965-8450 18-21 • Touratech Rally east, Huntingdon, PA. Details: touratechrally.com.

18-21 • COG NC/vA "Crossing the Lines II" no-frills weekend, Independence, vA. Primarily a camping weekend, with cabins &, apartments, as well as Rv or tents. There are nearby motels too. A great location with many destinations in different directions.

For more information visit the event web page: http://goo.gl/d5gJhm 14 • Rockaway Twp Unico Charity Motorcycle Run for the Kids to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Sign in: Petersen Field (exit 35 off I-80), Fleetwood Rd, Rockaway Twp, NJ 8:30-10am • KSU 10am. $25/rider-$15/passenger. 60 mile police-escorted run throughout northwest NJ includes BBq lunch at The Barn, soft drinks, live music, raffles and 50/50 • www.RTunico.org, email: info@RTunico.org or 973-975-5554 20 • Morton’s BMw Motorcycle First ever Tent Sale. All sorts of special deals under the big top, and inside the store. New and used motorcycles, riding gear, and so much more. Info: www.mortonsbmw.com • 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, vA • 540-891-9844 21 • Hudson valley Motorcycles Demo, Leftover and Scratch+Dent Sale. All Brands, come ready to buy. ONe DAy ONLy. 179 North Highland Ave/Rte. 9, Ossining, Ny • 914-762-2722 • HVMotorcycles.com 21 • Hudson valley Harley-Davidson First ever Bikini Bike wash. Noon-3:30pm. $5/bike-all money goes to Heaven Can wait Animal Rescue. Free food & music. All bikes welcome. 33 Route 304, Nanuel, Ny • 845-627-5500 • HDHudsonValley.com 28 • Ride for Kids New england. Bose Corporation, 100 The Mountain Rd, Framingham, MA • Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org.

SEPTEMBER 2016 10 • Cross Country Cycle vintage & Custom Bike Show. 10am-3pm. Custom bikes from the tri-state area. Prizes awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place people’s choice. To enter RSvP at CrossCountryCycle.net • 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ

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AUGUST 2016 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR 9-11 • vermont BMw MC present the 34th Green Mountain Rally, Goshen, vT. In the midst of the Green Mountains, enjoy the best home cooking (Fri/Sat dinners, Sat/Sun breakfasts), great vermont self-guided tours, Gap and GS rides, live bluegrass music Friday night, door prizes and awards ceremony Sat. night, hot showers, camping, bonfires and an hour of New england storytelling. Details: vtbmwmov.org/rally 11 • 24th Annual Larz Anderson Classic european Motorcycle Day. 10am-2pm, Larz Anderson Park, 15 Newton St, Brookline, MA. Bike show, awards, food. 617-522-6547 18 • 33rd Annual Italian Motorcycle Meet by IMOC. 10am-3pm; judging at Noon. Featured Marque: Aprilia. Admission: $10/single, $15/2-up. Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, 24 Hamilton Rd, Sturbridge, MA. For full details visit www.imocusa.com or call 248-4705788 • 401-397-4253 18 • Ride for Kids Philadelphia. The event Center by Cornerstone, 46 N.Sugan Rd, New Hope, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am - KSU: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org 18 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMw Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com 18 • AMA District II Corn Boil Rally. Sign in 9-11am • $15 williams HD, Lebanon, NJ. endsite: eagles, Bridgewater, NJ. Ride in Bike Show, music, trophies, vendors. Info: 732-887-5612 • 908-722-0128 • www.amadistrictII.com 22-25 • COG Ne Down-east Maine Fall Rally, Northeast Harbor, Me. Mt. Desert Island is the home of Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Acadia National Park. event fee applies for group dinner. Full details: http://goo.gl/XRvelc

What’s Happening Highway, Fredericksburg, vA 22408. Traditional Oktoberfest celebration, this year with special guest Reg Pridmore, the first AMA Superbike Champion (on a BMw R90S, of course), and owner of the CLASS motorcycle riding school. Details to come at www.mortonsbmw.com or 540-891-9844.

16 • Ramapo MC Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes north Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, Ny @ 9am-mid-afternoon. Guided/self-guided tour featuring the best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson valley’s most interesting roads. Benefits valerie Fund. ramapomc.org 17-18 • Don’t miss Reg Pridmore’s last CLASS at virginia Internationl Raceway. 2-day learning extravaganza. For full details visit www.CLASSRides.com • 805-933-9936 24 • 9th Annual Ridgewood Fall Motorcycle Classic(Raindate Sunday, October 31st).

Full details visit www.bergenharleydavidson.com or call 201-843-6930

NOVEMBER 2016 25 • 2nd Annual Black Friday Ride @ Bob's BMw Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. After a great success in 2015, Bob’s will be hosting a 2nd annual Black Friday Ride! Avoid shopping pandemonium and #optoutsideon2wheels visit bobsbmw.com for details.

25 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMw Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com

DECEMBER 2016

24 • Bob’s BMw Fall Open House Oktoberfest & Swap Meet. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Details: bobsbmw.com

11-17 • Join Backroads on a week’s riding in the Mountains of Tenerife, beautiful islands of Spain, with edelweiss Tours. For full details see page ???

24 • Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness 5th Annual Charity Bike Run and event, Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Rd, Augusta, NJ. Rain date: Sept. 25th. Details: foreverfriendsmotorcycleawareness.org

17 • 9am-4pm • Holiday Cheer Open House @ Bob's BMw Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. The annual customer appreciation day is Bob’s favorite event of the year. It’s a time to think back and smile on yet another wonderful and fun year of riding and serving customers! visit bobsbmw.com for details.

22-25 • BACKROADS FALL FIeSTA Four days of incredible riding and fun. For full details visit www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html 25 • Ride for Kids Baltimore-washington. Turf valley Resort, 2700 Turf valley Rd, ellicott City, MD. Registration 7:30-9am • Kickstands up: 9:30am For complete details visit rideforkids.org

OCTOBER 2016 6 • Blue Knights NJ Ix 28th Annual Harvey C. Irons Make-A-wish Ride to benefit MakeA-wish Foundation of NJ. Start and end: Skylands Stadium, CR 565, Augusta, NJ. $20/pp, under 12 free. Sign in: 9am - Ride: 11am. Coffee and donuts at start; entertainment, vendors and lunch at finish • www.BKNJIX.org • nj9@blueknights.org 15 • Oktoberfest Open House at Morton's BMw Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis

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www.HanoverPowersports.com 210 Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735

Take the road less travelled with any of Honda’s Adventure motorcycles THE ALL-NEW 2016 VFR1200X

THE ALL-NEW 2016 CRF1000L Africa Twin

NC700X CB500X 210 Route 10 West • East Hanover, NJ • 973-428-1735

www.Powersports.Honda.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm Sat: 9am-5pm • SUNDAY: CLOSED honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. NC700X, CB500X, VFR1200X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)