February 2023

FEBRUARY - we are halfway through winter. Better get planning for those adventures ahead.

Publishers Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors Mark Byers, Dr. Seymour O’Life

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2023. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without speci c 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 suf cient 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.

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

LONG WAY HOME

So, when the day comes to settle down Who’s to blame if you’re not around? You took the long way home.

Supertramp

We speak a lot here in the pages of Backroads about stealing rides, taking advantage of a surprise warmer day during the colder months and making each one of these aberrations count.

Our friends at Aerostich believe in “Commuting Fearlessly,” and they have the stickers to prove it.

For those who do not know the Aerostich Company; they are based in Duluth, Minnesota. Duluth has about two weeks of summer and then a wild mix of late fall, winter, and early spring the other 50 weeks of the year.

Okay, I exaggerate – but for all of you readers in the Backroads region, you should know that although this time of year we don’t have it good, we don’t have it terribly bad either.

Sure, we’ll get that four or ve weeks in the dead of winter, but that is why they call it the dead of winter, right?

But there are always those weird few days that pop up every now and again., and if you are thinking “Hey, maybe I can take the bike?” then maybe you should.

For instance, just a few weeks back I had to get blood drawn. Gone are the days you could just walk into Lab Corp, show your paperwork and

take a seat. In these after-times many appointments have to be scheduled – even something as simple as sitting down with a phlebotomist to get stuck and sucked.

It was a 2:45 appointment and, although the day started out well below freezing, by early afternoon it had warmed up to an almost balmy 50+.

I could, should, and would take the bike… even if traipsing in with my well-seasoned gray and yellow Roadcrafter suit from previously mentioned Duluth-based company caused Bashia (the world’s greatest and gentlest phlebotomist) to think I was a re ghter and that something was terribly amiss.

COVID bit the big one, but some things seemed to work better for it, like solid appointments for things like doctor’s appointments and lab work, which now are a breeze. I was in and out like the Mossad on a covert mission.

At the rst traf c light my get ‘back to the of ce route’ was to the right, but somehow I went to the left and did a half hour thataway, before slowly arcing around and vectoring towards Backroads Central.

This time of the year we all know that those lazy, warm days of late summer sun are now lazily wastin’ time in the southern latitudes; and when out for a ride in the winter it makes sense to be rolling up your driveway by 4:30; as after that the sun ees, the darkness encroaches and, for us up here, the deer and the antelope play.

Almost on cue Michael Frankie’s Long Ride Home came spinning around on my iPhone via the zumo GPS. Perfect. That was followed by Supertramp – now that is a good omen!

The ‘take the long way home’ scenario came into play the next day as well. It seems that good days come in small bunches, so we were ready for the next day. Getting all ‘set-in-stone’ tasks done as quickly as possible we suited up, with a base layer and electrics, as you really never

Continued on Page 6

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW

With a bag full of various prescription glasses, I walked into the eye doctor’s of ce and happily deposited them into the recyclable bin, including packages of contact lenses, hoping that someone might be able to x their vision.

A few months ago I pondered on my options for the upcoming cataract surgery, settling on what some called the ‘Cadillac’ option – multifocal toric lenses which would allow me to have near, middle and far vision sans glasses. The date was set, which only meant the clock ticked as I fretted. Miraculously, I got a call that there was an earlier opening – did I want it? HELL YES! Let’s get this over and done. Well, I will not bore you with details. I will only say that all that fretting and worrying was for naught. Simple procedure, over quicker than a lap at VIR. I was given instructions for aftercare, some medicated antibiotic drops and a clear plastic eye shield to wear to bed so things wouldn’t enter my eye, like Spenser’s paw when he wants me to wake up and feed him.

I was absolutely amazed at how quickly the vision in that eye came back. I was walking around with one eye closed (the unxed one) so I could focus. It was completely off-putting, as I wasn’t wearing my glasses to compensate for the yet-to-be- xed eye. What was most spectacular was the brilliance and clarity of the color. Looking at nature with my corrected eye, the greens were so verdant, the sky sparkling blue compared to the muddled, cloudy and muted colors through the other eye. Luckily, I was scheduled for the following week to have that brought to perfection.

The second went just as seamlessly, and I couldn’t wait to look out on the world with 20/20 vision. Each morning, I would open my eyes and look out the bedroom window at the beautiful sunrise, crisp and clear. No

more searching for the glasses that Spenser knocked off the night stand. It was a little while before I could ride and the universe must have been looking kindly on me, as the weather was a gift by the time I could. That rst ride without corrective lenses was tremendous. I could actually see the GPS as well as the road signs. No squinting trying to bring things to focus, no having to clean my glasses. Absolutely freeing.

On New Year’s Day, we headed over to the Blue Knights Chilly Chili Run, always a great way to start the year by helping others. We didn’t ride, as Brian had tweaked his back, but the next best thing was driving our new-to-us Subaru WRX STI. It has been a very long time since I’d driven a manual, and this car is as close to riding a motorcycle as can be. Super fun. After the bikes left – and they had a GREAT turnout with the beautiful weather – we decided to take a little drive ourselves. Heading towards High Point State Park, with Brian driving, I was looking around and spotted a bald eagle soaring high in the sky. I pointed it out to Brian and he kept saying ‘where, where? Okay, Eagle Eyes, good for you!’

So, with all that done in the month of December, it was time to start planning for some winter getaways, just as I had said in my last column. We’ll head out to the West coast and borrow some Suzukis to do some riding and visit some friends. We’ll head to Las Vegas and take in AIMExpo to see what the industry has to offer and catch up with folks we haven’t seen in a long time. I’m sure Brian will discover plenty of historic and mysterious sights and I’ll do my best to dig up those elusive ice cream stops in the desert.

Come April, it’s back to Austin, Texas, for that round of MotoGP. With Rossi gone, I have been getting behind Francesco ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia and look forward to some exciting racing. June brings our Spring Break Rally, which will plant itself a nice ride from the National BMW Rally outside of Richmond, VA. We are working on a Grand Tour in August, as it is the 25th year that we’ll be holding our rallies. We tried to put this together in 2020 but, ya know what happened with that. Keep an eye on our Facebook and web pages for details, as soon as we get it sorted out.

And now I can really say, I’ll see you on the road! ,

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

THE AGEOF UNCERTAINTY

I fell. I was playing in a rainy golf tournament, slipped on a wet bridge, and fell hard on my left hip and side, hard enough that others came running. It winded me and I spent a little while doing a “post crash checklist” as we say in the off-road motorcycle/bicycle world. It is a routine with which I have all too much experience. I lay there, methodically checking for serious damage and, nding none, stood up and nished the round. I wish I could blame my “high score” booby prize on the fall, but it was my lousy game.

After a month, I still felt traces of hip and lower back pain, so I went to my ortho. He announced, “Nothing is broken, but you have a congenital hip defect where the thickened femoral neck impinges on the socket and it’s going to give you arthritis.” I wish I had money for every time I heard I’d have arthritis: when I broke my elbow and collarbone in a bicycle race in my 30’s, I was told I’d have arthritis in my elbow. Knee injury in my 40’s? - “You’re gonna have arthritis.”

Guess what? I turn 60 in February and…I have arthritis. Ibuprofen is my friend, but damn if I don’t hate taking anything for anything.

The manifestations are more than physical, however. Motorcycling, especially off-road, is an activity that places more than an average amount of stress on your body even when you don’t hit the deck. Even a road ride requires dexterity and strength when using one’s hands to manipulate the brake and clutch levers and when putting a foot down at stops. Keeping the RT vertical with Betsy and I aboard when the pavement isn’t level can be a chore. Mindful of those things, I have become concerned about the future and my ability to ride.

I have never considered myself old. Even approaching 60, I am active:

I hiked in Antarctica and slept in a hole in the snow last year. I cut and split my own wood. I ride ridiculous numbers of hours with heavily-laden passengers on big road bikes in support of bicycle races. I ride sportbikes on the track. I ride, albeit cautiously, offroad motorcycles. And yet, suddenly, a slip and fall at a golf course has younger folks rushing to my aid instead of chiding me for my clumsiness because…I’m considered an “old guy” now.

I have a lot of things left on my to-do list, from dual-sport motorcycling to the North Slope of Alaska like my friend Mike did to hiking the Appalachian Trail to bicycling the Assault on Mt. Mitchell and so many other things. Damn if I want some in ammatory process I got as a result of falling down participating in various sports derail those plans! Oh sure, there are plenty of medications, all with their own family of potentially life-threatening side effects. Joint replacements are out there (Betsy has had two), but damn, am I going THERE?

I do have hope and inspiration, a lot of which comes from the Backroads community. Face it, folks, we are ALL there in some form or another. Have you checked the demographics of our rallies, lately? There are not only good examples of older riders, there are great ones: at the Gray Ghost last year, a woman named Ann Lockyer showed up on a beautiful sea-green Indian roadster. She rode up, solo, from her home in the Bronx at 80 years of age! Then, there’s “Himself,” none other than Reg Pridmore, who has ridden on the track into his 80’s. If we check the Backroads yearbook, there are plenty of folks with extended riding longevity.

I’m in denial - I just don’t want to be there. I want to get in Mr. Peabody’s “Wayback Machine” or into the magical, time-traveling Delorean and go “Back to the Future” to a time when I didn’t have to deal with this crap. The fact that I remember Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine is an indication of just how much water has owed under MY personal bridge. Another indication is that I keep a supply of antacids and re ux medicine

Continued on Page 6

I just got the January issue and was brought practically to tears. I cannot thank you enough for the 1st place nish. I am honored and humbled to no end. Thank you and all your riders for this awesome recognition.

Let’s Go Mets!!

Lou Monteleone – Corner Piazza

Brian and Shira,

My father and I want to thank you for the amazing article you put in your magazine about us. We are a small family business in our 84th yr and we are so appreciative of the articles and recognition that we receive. It’s great to see people from all over nd us because of articles like yours. Next time your in the area, please stop and say hello. Maybe we can work together on something!

Thank you again,

Jody & Joe - Joe’s Steak Shop

Hey Brian and Shira,

My dad shared the magazine ad you posted! I really appreciate the gesture, it means a lot. See you both soon!

Corey Alexander - MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion

Motoporn

Hey Brian, Always wondered how you city dwellers survived without a place to trail ride?

Rob Roth

Rob,

Ha, although raised in Queens with the Ramones, Tony Bennet and Spider-Man – I am very much the country bumpkin nowadays. The only real reason to go near Manhattan is the Car Club, Rising Wolf or the Mets!

Hi Kids - We always enjoy exploring the story links in The Backroads Report, along with a pot of coffee.

The Rider Suzuki GSX-S1000GT is a great example.  We clicked & dove into the Rider website; it lasted 3 mugfuls of java.  The new GT bike was welcome news (Janet & I met as sport-touring riders).  Someday we’ll return when we’re too old to ADV tour  ;^)

We discovered “25 Years of ‘The Perfect Vehicle’ by Melissa Holbrook Pierson, By Rider Magazine Staff - December 19, 2022”  which took us to Melissa’s website.

We read & enjoyed “Perfect Vehicle” but never read “The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing” about John Ryan.  It was always a treat to bump into John at the NYC Moto show. He was unmistakable in his grey “Stich” with a NASA patch (long before the hip kids glommed onto NASA t-shirts).  We’ve added this to our winter reading list.

Cheers - Glenn & Janet

A Slice of Life with a Scoop, Please

Backroads is like sitting down at your favorite diner and ordering today’s dessert special: “I’d like a slice of life with a scoop, please.” Brian and Shira serve us a variation on their dish each month. Some individual ingredients may be unsavory, however. Discussions of issues such as the pandemic, OCD, tinnitus, cataracts are not pleasant. However, it is enlightening and reassuring that Backroads is brave enough to place these on the table and talk about them. Sometimes the dish is plain hard to swallow. The learning of the passing of Seymour O’Life’s Bruce Locklin were shocking and indeed hard to swallow. However, the combination of ingredients creates a taste divine. Extra treats are added when we see Brian

playing an expensive guitar and thrill to a California Baseball Tour and coastal adventure. December’s issue had me bursting with laughter with Brian’s “Barn Time!” Life tastes better with laughter. Each month Backroads tops it all off with a delicious scoop of ice cream from Shira’s Inside Scoop.

I cannot wait to taste the new treat waiting inside the large white envelope and have my next “Slice of Life, with a scoop, please”

Love ya, Brian and Shira, Bruce Kagan • Long Island, NY

Good morning, I enjoy online reading but nothing compares to having a print magazine in my hands.

How can I get a print subscription?

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Ron Van Valen

Ron, Happy New Year to you as well. Our monthly magazine is available for $40/year through our website: backroadsusa.com/subscription or you can send a check to Backroads, PO Box 620, Augusta, NJ 07822. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you on the road.

Shira,

So I have to ask: V-Strom or Versys? Do you have a current V-Strom of the same era as the Versys?

I’m pondering a new bike when we move to the states from the Dominican Republic, and I am con icted. I know speeds are higher in FL. So a 650 or 1000? Or maybe something in between? Not sure I want to go full 1250+ yet. No need for all the power.

Did you have your Cadillac...err, cataract...surgery?

Regards, Robert

Well, in my opinion, I’d take the V-Strom 650 but that’s me. I know that Brian liked the Versys 1000; plenty of power, great handling. He said the VStrom 1000 is a bit more dirt-oriented, if that makes a difference to you. I know he really likes the Tiger 900 and would probably buy that if he were in the market right now.

Yes, had my Cadillac surgery. All done and all went extremely well, super happy with the doctor and staff (Eyecare 20/20 with Dr. Cary Silverman) –very competent, professional, courteous and expeditious.

First impression was – HOLY SHIT, THAT’S WHAT COLOR THAT IS?! I asked Brian how bad the magazine looked this past year with my sepia-fogged sight. Went for the multifocal lenses so have perfect close-middle and far vision. Truly amazing.

Your January issue arrived today, Dec. 29th, and since it is raining I am reading it rather than riding. And loved Shira’s column. One of my many reasons for riding motorcycles, which includes the delicious feel of serious leaning on curvy back roads, is simplicity. My singular focus is the road ahead, cluttered up sometimes by the possibility of traf c. No radio, no GPS, just the sound of air rushing by my helmet. And when I make a turn left or right, I have my turn signals on, as well as my left arm out, to give whomever might be behind even more of a warning.

Clement Salvadori • California

FREE WHEELIN’

Continued from Page 2 know what you are going to get this time of year, and got rolling down the long drive to County Road 521. With the shortened riding window and the late morning start the plan was to take a pleasant but quicker route to lunch and then a far longer and meandering route back home.

But with the sun leaning more towards the little latitudes there are a few other things to take into consideration; and foremost is said sun.

For most of the riding season, I care not which way we ride, but during this time I try to head west early and then back east later in the day. This was especially important this season as Shira’s eyes were not handling direct sunlight all that easily, and riding into the sun at this time of year is dif cult in the best circumstances.

So our plan, and maybe yours too, is do the Horace Greely thing rst and then have the sun at your back on the return trip.

But remember… with a strong winter sun at your back any oncoming drivers might not see you… at all. Just sayin’, so be ever vigilant – but whatever you do and where ever you go – take the long way home. ,

ON THE MARK

Continued from Page 4 in my tank bag - next to the Advil - for the post-barbecue-lunch eruptions of my intestinal volcano.

I guess I am following the guidance of one of my favorite fellow scribes, Gonzo himself, Hunter S. Thompson, who said, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a

CIMA INTERNATIONAL MOVINGIN DIFFERENT DIRECTION

On December 12, a joint statement from Nolangroup and Tucker Powersports announced their mutual agreement to end the 30+ year relationship. The decision was based on Nolangroup’s business plans.

Cima International, Nolan USA, or Harry McPherson, as most dealers and customers know us, has enjoyed their 30+ years of Nolan distributorship and their relationship with Tucker Powersports. During that time, we have seen many changes in the motorcycle and powersport industry. The one thing that has not changed, are the many lifelong friends we have made! We wish Tucker Powersports the best in their futures endeavors.

After January 1, 2023, all warranty issues, dealer inquiries, etc, need to be directed to the new Nolan Distribution:

Luke Brady • Street Category Manager • TLD * SHARK * NOLAN email: LBrady@troyleedesigns.com

Cima International will remain your Number 1 source for Nolan helmets. We have exciting plans for the future. Stay tuned……

TRIUMPH JUMPS INTO SUPERMOTOCROSS

Triumph Motorcycles will enter the SuperMotocross World Championship at the start of the 2024 season… and they say they are playing for keeps. With the input from the greatest Supercross & Motocross racer of all time, Global Off-Road Brand Ambassador Ricky Carmichael, Triumph has assembled a veteran team of managers with championship winning experience to lead the all-new United States-based Triumph factory race team. The US motocross program, operating under the allnew global Triumph Racing banner, will be led by Team Principal Bobby Hewitt and Team Manager Stephen ‘Scuba’ Westfall. The team will be located at a dedicated new state-of-the-art private race facility in the US.

ARIZONA SENATOR CALLSFOR PASSAGEOFTHE RPMACT

Sen. Kelly recently spoke at a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing about the importance of the RPM Act and amateur

racing, noting that his wife, former U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords, raced motorcycles on the track.  “Racing is important to many Arizonans… and it’s a part of our state’s legacy,” he testi ed.  “The RPM Act will help provide certainty to Arizona’s amateur racers and auto mechanics from EPA regulations, which could harm their ability to enjoy the hobby of motorsport.”

Racing cars and motorcycles has remained an unquestioned American tradition until 2015 when the EPA took the position that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.

THE NUMBERS KEEP GROWING

BMW Motorrad USA reported 3,459 motorcycles sold for the fourth quarter of 2022 which is an increase of 232 units and 7.2% vs. Q4 2021 retail sales.  BMW’s Motorcycle supply has signi cantly improved and fueled continued strong demand for BMW Motorcycles across the US.

For the full year 2022, Motorrad USA retail sales are 17,690 retail units which is an increase of 1,660 units and 10.4% over 2021 and the best year of retail sales in BMW Motorrad USA history.

On the strength of a freshened product lineup of new models like the all-new R 18 B and R 18 Transcontinental, BMW Motorrad USA dealers continue to out-perform the overall industry and have increased retail sales for the year well ahead of the industry average.  BMW Motorrad demand continues to be strong due to continued dominance of core models like the R 1250 GS Adventure and GS models as well as continued strong performance of the S 1000 RR and M 1000 RR that continue to dominate the market in retail sales and market share.  BMW Motorrad USA dealers are poised for continued signi cant growth in sales and market share in the new year on the strength of new products that will continue to drive demand and produce a record year of retail sales for Motorrad USA in 2023

Continued on next page

U.S. LAWMAKERS PURSUE “RIGHTTO REPAIR”

Lawmakers in both the U.S. House and Senate are actively pursuing federal legislation intended to level the playing eld for independent repair providers, including for motor vehicle repair shops.

U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced S.3830, the Fair Repair Act of 2022, a bipartisan bill that seeks to ensure that manufacturers do not lock out owners and independent service providers from providing repairs by denying access to parts, tools, and documentation.  The Fair Repair Act would require manufacturers of electronic equipment to make the same tools, parts, and documentation available to owners and independent repair providers, covering a variety of industries such as agricultural equipment, consumer electronics, medical equipment, and motor vehicles.

INTERNATIONAL TREATY AGAINST FOSSIL FUEL FLOATEDAT U.N. CLIMATE SUMMIT • THE GREAT RE-SETIN FULL SWING

According to the Grand Sheeple Leaders…

The world should confront climate change the way it does nuclear weapons, by agreeing to a non-proliferation treaty that stops further production of fossil fuels, a small island nation leader urged during the recent United Nations’ climate summit in Egypt.

“We all know that the leading cause of climate crisis is fossil fuels,” Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano told his fellow leaders.  The Paci c country is joining with “other nations calling for a fossil fuels non-proliferation treaty,” Natano said citing recent climate-related disasters.  “It’s getting too hot and there is very (little) time to slow and reverse the increasing temperature.  Therefore, it is essential to prioritize fast-acting strategies.”

The idea of a non-proliferation treaty for coal, oil and natural gas has previously been advanced by campaigners, religious authorities including the Vatican, and some scientists, but Natano’s speech gave the plan a boost in front of a global audience.

We call bullshit on it all… (BR)

EICMA - WORLD’S BIGGEST MOTORCYCLE SHOW BREAKS NEW RECORDS

Apparently, 2022’s iteration of the largest motorcycle show on the planet was a resounding success, judging by the numbers; 1,370 Brands present, representing 45 different Nations, and a 38% increase in attendance at this year’s EICMA (acronym for International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition) hosted annually in Milan, Italy where manufacturers debut new models to crowds of over a half million.

Given the lineup of marques, in uencers and diverse ranges of advancing technology, it was only natural that the build-up of anticipation would give rise to even bigger attendance numbers. ,

Thisilldous Eatery presents GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tasty places to take your bike

UPTHE CREEK ITALIAN CAFE, DELI, AND PIZZA

1214 STATE ROUTE 23, COLESVILLE, NJ 07461

WWW UPTHECREEKNJ COM • 973-702-1400

We pulled in to the High Point Mountain Motel on Route 23 at 7:45 PM after ten hours on the road, as tired and hungry as you can imagine, and asked Dale the Manager where we could get some food, preferably delivered. “Oh, Up the Creek will deliver, but you better call quick because they close at 8,” was his reply. I left Betsy to check in and it was ten minutes to closing before I got my phone off the bike. I really didn’t expect to call a place ten minutes before closing and have them make me a pizza, much less deliver, but it was worth a shot.

Surprisingly, the man who answered the phone - whom I later discovered was co-owner Daren - said, “Sure, we’ll make you a pizza and bring it to the hotel - what’s your room number?” And that is how we quickly came to have a large pepperoni/sausage pizza, two salads, and two bottles of soda delivered to our room for a measly delivery charge of two bucks! The pie was truly tasty and the salads were fresh. It wasn’t just good customer service, it is how long-term customer relationships are born.

You’d have to be crazy to open a roadside Italian cafe in the middle of a pandemic, but husband/wife co-owners Daren Valente and Kori Brown did just that in December of 2020. Darren literally grew up in the restaurant business in NY and FL, with a family who owned and operated up to 10 at a time. He tried to get away from it a couple times, but, to quote “Godfather 3”, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull[ed] me back in!” Kori, who has a BS in Psychology, waited tables to help put herself through college and when I asked why they wanted to do what they did, she simply said, “It was a dream.” When a customer asked about glutenfree options, she said “Sorry. We literally just throw our around for fun.”

Don’t think Up the Creek (named for the creek that runs under the back of the building) is just a pizza place. We stopped for breakfast the next day and I had French toast while Betsy had an omelet and they were both excellent. It was so close and so convenient to the motel that we went back for dinner, where Betsy had veal stew, I had ravioli, and John Bossolt had chicken parmigiana. But wait, there’s more: there are four ribbons hanging over the kitchen that represent them having their cheesecakes named “best in NJ” at the state fair. For dessert, John had the plain and Betsy the tiramisu cheesecake, while I had the cannoli with Kori’s own homemade lling and they were all outstanding.

Up the Creek is clearly a family affair, with Daren and Kori working their labor of love 14+ hours a day, but when we were there, Kori’s stepmom Amber was working the front, dispensing food and conversation with equal aplomb. They employ local young people as staff, like Connor the delivery guy, who is studying architecture in school, and literally the girl next door as a waitress. They also cater, and Daren was working up a wedding job as we ate breakfast. Daren and Kori are clearly two people who not only love their craft, but who work hard at it.

If you are in the Colesville area on Route 23, whether it is staying at the High Point Mountain Motel, at the State Park, or even hiking the Appalachian Trail, Up the Creek will deliver to you. If you want to eat there, they have a limited number of tables inside and a few outside on the deck, right above the creek. They even have a few paddles around as decorations, so even though you might be at Up the Creek, you won’t be without a paddle.

~ Mark Byers

Wytheville VA Tourism presents WE’RE OUTTA HERE

SOUND VIEW GREENPORT

58775 COUNTY ROAD 48, GREENPORT, NY 11944

631-477-1910 • SOUNDVIEWGREENPORT COM

It has been a long time since We’re Outta Here! has visited Long Island. It’s not that there aren’t plenty of nice roads out to the east of the Mets, but during the warmer months, it gets a bit on the crowded side.

Still, even today, the 30-mile-long peninsula, known as the North Fork, has been able to retain a good deal of its old-time feel and charm. We’d say it is the last vestige of rural Long Island and has one of the greatest wine cultures in the northeast.

The region has been designated as an American Viticultural Area for its rich lands suitable for growing wine grapes. The proximity to the Long Island Sound, the Peconic Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean helps moderate temperature uctuations, making the growing season stretch late into the year.

Merlot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc are the three main wines produced in this region. Route 25, the main road stretching out to Orient Point, is lined with vineyards and wineries, and wine tasting is the main attraction for tourists in the area.

The main town on the north side of Long Island is Greenport.

As you would think this region, with a straight shot to Europe to the east, has a deep and robust history. Barnabas Horton led a small band of adventurers who crossed the Atlantic from England in 1640 and set foot in Southold, the township that now includes the Village of Greenport. Before the Revolutionary War, the village was referred to as Winter Harbor, and later Stirling, after George Washington’s General, Lord Sterling.

a weekend destinationkeeping you on the backroads

The name of the village was changed again to Greenhill and nally renamed Greenport when the village was incorporated as part of Southold Town in 1838.

Between 1795 and 1859 Greenport, because of its deep and protected harbor, became a major whaling port with twenty four whaling ships making a total of 103 voyages.

Beginning in the mid-1800s, the shing industry had a strong impact on one hundred years of Greenport history. A few Greenporters still remember the shy odor that lingered over the village in those days and the shprocessing plant where a type of herring called menhaden was converted into fertilizer and oil.

During the rst half of the 20th century, oystering was a lucrative industry in Greenport and is currently enjoying a resurgence.

Shipbuilding was strong economic power years back and from the early 19th century through World War II, over 550 ships were built and launched in Greenport. During World War I the Greenport Basin and Construction Company built vessels for the Russian Navy, and the US Navy, and in the Second World War, the same shipyard built mine sweepers and landing craft as well as tug boats. From 1887 to 1918 the Beebe McLellan Lifesaving Surf Boat was designed and built in Greenport. A craft that would save hundreds of lives – most notably during World War I, when German U-Boats would strike off the US shore without warning. Today Greenport is a busy modern town, that has been fortunate enough to avoid America cation and to retain its historical and nautical feel and avor.

The Long Island Railroad Museum and the Maritime Museum are well

worth a visit if you are spending some time here in Greenport. We have grown to love Carousels and have been seeking them out. Greenport has a wonderful one at Mitchell Park, right on the harbor. Built by the Herschell-Spillman Company back in the year 1920, the Antique Carousel features wooden, hand-carved horses, as well as wooden chariots, donated by Northrup Grumman – the real-life equivalent of Stark Industries.

Just like the village, the Sound View Greenport is a historic destination, but went untouched since the 1970s and was in dire need of a makeover. We had visited this place a few years back and even dated it was a very neat place. Especially when a storm came in and rocked the restaurant and hotel rooms.

The Sound View Greenport has recently undergone renovations that have brought this place back to life, and what was ne back then is excellent now.

They have 55 rooms and suites, and each room at the Sound View looks out onto the Long Island Sound. As we mentioned the rooms have a fresh new look and bedding and each one comes with a complimentary San Pellegrino and chocolate chip cookies.

We never turn down chocolate chip cookies.

Once parked for the day, there is no reason to get back on the bikes as the Sound View’s restaurant - The Halyard offers some of the best meals on the island.

The origins of the carousel have been shrouded in mystery even before it overlooked Greenport Harbor. A 1995 New York Times story noted Northrup Grumman, the carousel’s prior owner, had “cloaked its carousel in a mantle of mystery be tting a military secret.” When Northrup Grumman closed a plant in 1995 the carousel was offered up in a contest. Greenport won with a letter from a student to Mr. Gruman.

An afternoon with the bike parked and strolling around Front and Main Streets can easily eat up a few hours and there are plenty of restaurants to be found along the harbor.

The Halyard has a spacious dining hall that has views of the Long Island Sound everywhere you look.

Giving you a taste of Long Island, The Halyard’s menu includes a classic fried oyster plate, lobster sliders & rolls, and sh & chips.

From the comfortable waterfront rooms to their accessible private beach, the Sound View Greenport has everything you’d want for a quick motorcycle getaway! To make it a more enjoyable ride, you may want to take the ferry from Connecticut to eliminate the drudge across the peninsula to get to this picturesque destination. ,

BIG CITY GETAWAY

CRADLEOF AVIATION MUSEUM CHARLES LINDBERGH BLVD, GARDEN CITY, NY 11530

516-572-4111 • WWW CRADLEOFAVIATION ORG

“I wanna go back, to the island…”

Jimmy Buffett

Although Mr. Buffett is likely singing about an island more towards the little latitudes, he also has a home and an airplane parked in another particular harbor, on another island to the north. One that often gets shuf ed to the side when islands of the United States come into the conversation.

This isle, which lies a mile or so to the east of the North American mainland, is 118 miles long and just 23 miles across at its widest point and is the longest and largest island in the contiguous U.S.

The larger islands are the Big Island in Hawaii, Kodiak, and Puerto Rico – like Kodiak the other 8 can be found in Alaska, and Long Island is even larger than the state of Rhode Island – which is not an island at all.

The natives called it Paumanok. Europeans gave it a more literal name and simply called it Long.

Not far from the western edge of Long Island – east of New York City’s boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, there was once a huge swatch of grasslands. At some 60,000 acres, it was massive and covered the entire county now called Nassau.

Created from an outwash of glacial sediment, from the retreating Ice Age, the Hempstead Plains region was cited as one of the few natural prairies east of the Allegheny Mountains.

Various native tribes lived here in peace for thousands of years and with the arrival of Europeans and the birth of the United States much history would occur on the long spit of land. Washington’s Culper Spy Ring was from the tiny north shore town of Setauket.

The creation of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Rail Road, and then the coming of the automobile, and one particular man – Robert Moses – would change this stunning

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

natural island forever.

With huge swaths of relatively at land and being ideally placed at the eastern edge of the United States, at the western edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and adjacent to America’s most populous city, New York; Long Island was geographically a natural air eld. This made it the ideal focal point for most transatlantic and transcontinental ights.

The Hempstead Plains were to be the scene of intense aviation activity for over fty years.

The rst recorded aircraft ight took place on Long Island when a Lilienthal-type glider was own from the bluffs along Nassau County’s north shore. By 1902 gasoline-powered airships were own over Brooklyn. Powered ight had come to Long Island to stay.

By 1909 the rst daring ights were made from the Hempstead Plains in the central part of Nassau County. Because the at, open landscape made a natural air eld, famous aviator Glenn Curtiss brought his biplane the “Golden Flyer” here. By 1910 three air elds were operating on the Hempstead Plains, and Long Islanders were now building their own airplanes. Several ying schools and aircraft factories also sprang up and Long Island became the center of the aviation world. By far the most important aeronautical event on Long Island up to this time was the 1910 International Aviation Meet at Belmont Park. The greatest aviators from all over America and Europe came to Long Island to show their latest ying machines, race, set records, and win prize money. In 1911 the rst transcontinental ight occurred when Cal Rodgers, in a Wright biplane, ew from Long Island to California in 49 days.

If you ew, you probably ew here. Over the next century, dozens of aircraft and aerospace industries called Long Island home and no less than 13 of our astronauts called Long Island home.

Lindbergh left Long Island in 1927.

Warren County Tourism presents

All of this deep and wonderful aviation can be found at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, in Garden City.

Located on the grounds of Mitchel Filed, this museum ies through Long Island’s ying history from our rst baby steps into the clouds to our reaching for the stars. The museum took its name from the region itself, as by the mid-1920s so much aviation and ying took place along the Hempstead Plains that it was called, with good reason, the cradle of aviation.

Like all great things this museum started as a dream of a few interested and passionate men; William Kaiser and George Dade who, along with Henry Anholzer of Pan-American Airlines and dozens of volunteers began to assemble aircraft of historic note and Long Island rsts.

The rst acquisition was a World War I Curtiss JN-4D discovered in an Iowa pig barn by Dade in 1973. Lindbergh later con rmed that this was his very rst airplane.

Nice start. When Mitchel Field closed in 1961 it was taken over by the county and the museum was created.

The museum originally opened with just a handful of aircraft in the unrestored hangars in 1980. A major renovation and expansion program in the late 1990s allowed the museum to re-open in a state-of-the-art facility in 2002.

The museum is a full 150,000 square feet of aviation nirvana; its eight galleries feature more than 75 air and spacecraft from a hot air balloon to an actual Apollo Lunar Module.

We have been looking to visit this museum for several years and we were especially excited to have our own personal docent, Backroads Rally alumni and friend, Steve Sachar.

Steve has been involved in aircraft and aviation all his life and was a decorated helicopter pilot in Viet Nam. Enjoying a well-created museum is always a treat… having a friend really show you and transport you back in time is priceless.

As we rolled into the parking lot the stunning bronze statue of astronaut Sally Ride, hand holding a space shuttle aloft to the skies, framed by the large glass paned and white trellis building, with Steve’s BMW K1600GTL parked alongside dominated the view.

Entering the museum a Navy Blue Angels F-11A soars above your head, anked by a 1922 Sperry messenger and an odd Gyrodyne Rotorcycle. This led to hours of informative exhibits, not just of Long Island ying history, but the entire story of man’s quest for ight.

Exhibits from World War One and the Golden Age of Flight had craft

like a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis (it was the plane Jimmy Stewart ew in the lm), an Ace Biplane as well as a Grumman F3F-2 and others.

How aircraft y was clearly explained and easily understood with a bit of help from Steve and it turns out it is real science, physics, and math; not black magic as I believed.

Many female aviators were featured, not in a PC “Here I am and I’m a Woman” manner, but simply as famed aviatrix who deserved bold mention due to their accomplishments-not gender.

Although Amelia Earhart was featured, in our opinion it was Harriet Quimby who was the true real deal.

Quimby was an American pioneering aviator, journalist, and lm screenwriter. In 1911, she became the rst woman in the United States to receive a pilot certificate, issued to her by the Aero Club of America; and in 1912, she became the rst woman to y across the English Channel. Although Quimby lived only to the age of 37, her in uence in aviation and women pilots is undeniable.

The day that she landed in France, a huge accomplishment, other events were happening. Quimby went to bed that night thinking she would be all over the newswires the next day… and she would have if not for the Titanic sinking that same day.

Two months later Harriet was ying in an airshow in Boston when turbulence and a shifting passenger knocked her from her plane. She died on impact. One of the most amazing human beings gone in a ash and rarely remembered.

The Cradle of Aviation remembers and wonderfully tells her story. World War II and more modern-era aircraft are also represented. We passed a Grumman TBM-3E – that was introduced to the public and press just as news of the attack on Pearl Harbor was coming over the wires. The TBM-3E was named the Avenger from that very day forward.

There was an F6F-5 Hellcat, a Wildcat, and a wonderful Republic P-47 Thunderbolt – the same ghter after which the race track in New Jersey is named.

More modern jets like the Thunderjet, the F9F-7 Cougar, and a T-46 can be found. You will also nd an F-14 Tomcat (the last built) and a stunning A-6 Intruder. You know, having a friend for a docent is very convenient, but it went to another level when Steve opened up the Intruder and invited me to climb up and take a seat in the cockpit.

His only request was not to fall in or out, as that would be very, very bad for him. I did my best and it was such a freakin’ treat!

There is an entire section centered around another favorite ghter of ours – The A-10 Thunderbolt, or the Warthog as it is called! I refer to this aircraft as the ‘foot soldier’s jet’ for its capability to cover ground troops and maintain air superiority at the same time. Our friend Tim is an A-10 pilot so we feel we have an iron – if a very small one – in this re. The aircraft and a close-up look at its titanium armor and extremely lethal 30mm gun always impresses.

You can spend hours walking through the Cradle of Aviation, but I would like to mention their Apollo exhibits.

They have the only Lunar Excursion Module – built for Apollo 18 – on display, as well as exhibits that bring this momentous adventure from the late 60s to you today; and with our return to our moon, it really was exciting to see and learn so much here.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

If you love aircraft and the men and women who brought us into the sky then you will truly appreciate this museum.

If you go look for Steve – his bike will be parked outside. ,

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents

Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

PABLO ESCOBEAR – THE COCAINE BEAR KENTUCKYFOR KENTUCKY FUN MALL

720 BRYAN AVENUE, LEXINGTON, KY • 859-303-6359 • KYFORKY COM

Have you ever ridden in the state of Kentucky? Wow - it seems to be one giant roller coaster from border to border.

We all know about the thoroughbred racehorses, the delicious and heady bourbons, and probably even that Abraham Lincoln was born here; and, of course, our last American World MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden hailed from Kentucky as well.

But this month Seymour has something a bit different than the usual Blue Grass avor.

It involves a wealthy family, drug smuggling, AND an apex predator.

Andrew Carter Thornton II was the wealthy son of an elite Kentucky horse-breeding family, and back in the mid 80’s when cocaine, Miami Vice, and smuggling were all the rage, Andrew thought he’d make a killing by smuggling in some blow from south of the border.

But Thornton was not just some rich kid gone rouge. Oh, no. This guy had chops… ROTC, then 82nd Army Airborne Paratrooper. He received a Purple Heart during the 1965 invasion of the Dominican Republic. (Yes, we invaded the DR – Operation Power Pack). After the Army Thornton trained racehorses in his family’s business, then became a Law Enforcement Of cer, all the while going to college to become a lawyer.

This guy was one of those “driven” people for sure.

After a decade of police work, he passed the bar and began to practice law. Now this is where the story begins to go sideways…

Four years later, Thornton was among 25 men accused, in Fresno, California, of a theft of weapons from the China Lake Naval Weapons Center (are you kidding me?!), and of conspiring to smuggle 1,000 pounds of marijuana into the United States.

Blairsville, Georgia, set the Cessna 404 on auto-pilot, and jumped out. Thornton was a very experienced paratrooper as well as an accomplished “BASE Jumper.”

Thornton successfully parachuted from atop skyscrapers, broadcasting towers, the New River Gorge Bridge, and a natural abutment — in his case a cliff in Norway. But Karma is a bitch and Thornton was clipped by the tail of the plane. He recovered in time to pull the chute which did not deploy, and he plummeted down in a tangled free fall.

Thornton ed California after pleading not guilty and was arrested as a fugitive in North Carolina, wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a pistol. He pleaded no contest in Fresno to a misdemeanor drug charge and the felony charges were dropped. He was sentenced to six months in prison, ned $500, placed on probation for ve years, and had his law license suspended.

Oh, boy.

On September 11, 1985, Thornton and an accomplice were smuggling in a bunch of cocaine that they had treetop ew from Colombia.

Thornton was piloting his Cessna 404, along with Bill Leonard, his karate instructor turned bodyguard. The 404 is a serious aircraft used by the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as several foreign militaries, ironically Colombia included.

With a range of well over two thousand miles, it was the perfect mule to y drugs north – but it was an expendable aircraft. Having been overheard on the radio by authorities, they had to take action. Thornton and Leonard, after dumping well-packaged kilos of blow over a rural area near

Fred Meyers had just fallen asleep when he awoke to a terrible thud in front of his Knoxville home, and went to investigate and found Andrew Carter Thornton II’s body smashed into his driveway.

At the time of his death Thornton was wearing a bulletproof vest, Gucci loafers, and was carrying night vision goggles, a green Army duffel bag containing 75 lbs of cocaine valued at $15 million, $4,500 in cash, six 0.1 oz (2.8 g) gold Krugerrands, knives and two pistols.

You know – the usual.

Years later Leonard would come clean on all this as he swore he was tricked by Thornton who said they were going to the Bahamas for a few days and was shocked and terri ed when they landed in a swampy area of Montería, Colombia. He had never jumped out of a plane before but, obviously, did okay.

But, hey… what about the plane Seymour? Right, the plane… Auto-pilot is amazing until the aircraft runs out of fuel – then gravity takes over. I’m sorry – this prick Thornton got what he had coming.

Remarkably the plane, now akin to a German buzz bomb, crashed into a mountainside in North Carolina with no casualties.

A Black Bear was found three months later, in the woods just south of the Tennessee-Georgia state line, sprawled next to the ripped-open 10th bag. All of its coke, about 76 pounds, was gone.

Say it ain’t true, Yogi?!

Decades passed. This sad, but true, saga might have ended there but for the dead bear that was on a long strange trip of his own, and one that might have nally come to a semi-happy end in Lexington, Kentucky.

Thanks to two forward thinking men, Whit Hiler and Grif n VanMeter, the bear has become an of cial state icon.

Grif n and Whit, also sons of the Bluegrass State (like Thornton), made headlines in 2011 when they launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign to replace Kentucky’s lame tourism slogan, Unbridled Spirit, with one of their own, Kentucky Kicks Ass. “A bureaucrat in the tourism of ce said, ‘Those guys have a constituency of no one,’” Grif n recalled, “but those no ones have bought a lot of our Kentucky Kicks Ass t-shirts.”

Encouraged, Grif n and Whit opened a brick-and-mortar store, the Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall, as a marketplace for locals to sell quirky home-state items such as gold-plated KFC breastbone necklaces and fried-chicken-scented candles. They also wanted their store to showcase unusual Kentucky relics, and that’s when they remembered the Cocaine Bear. “Growing up here, I remember hearing about it a lot,” said Whit. Could it possibly still be around?

The search was on…

Grif n and Whit spoke with the medical ex aminer who’d performed the bear’s necrop sy. Even after 30 years, he remembered the bear. He told them: “Its stomach was literally packed to the brim with cocaine. There isn’t a mammal on the planet that could survive that. Cerebral hemorrhaging, respiratory failure, hyperthermia, renal failure, heart failure, and stroke. You name it, that bear had it.”

Poor Yogi! But if this tale is not tall enough … let’s walk it up the ladder, shall we?

The bear looked good despite its catastrophic demise, so it was stuffed and put on display at a local recreation area; without reference to its awkward past. But the bear’s history was known to a few, and it somehow found its way into the hands of a Nashville pawnbroker. He sold the bear to Waylon Jennings (Yes, THE Waylon Jennings, the outlaw country star), who gave it to a Las Vegas hustler who was familiar with Andrew Thornton. When both Jennings and the hustler died, the bear was bought by a Chinese herbalist in Reno.

When the herbalist died, his widow kept it in storage until she was tracked down by Grif n and Whit. She gladly gave them the bear (Please! And take it with you!), and it headed back east to the Blue Grass State and arrived at the Fun Mall in August 2015.

“You wouldn’t think that a Cocaine Bear would be for all ages, but kids love it,” said Grif n. “Everybody wants their picture with Cocaine Bear.” The Fun Mall has a liberal policy with shutterbugs, who are encouraged to come into the store (a former parachute factory – that Karma thing again!) and take as many photos with the bear in as many ridiculous poses as they want.

Grif n and Whit are attentive parents to their furry showpiece. Cocaine Bear is given regular cleanings and out tted with a Kentucky hat and an oversized gold chain. Dangling from its neck is a ashy sign that gives the bear’s proper name “Pablo EscoBear”, and ends with this warning: “Don’t do drugs or you’ll end up dead (and maybe stuffed) like poor Cocaine Bear.”

Universal Pictures will release Cocaine Bear on February 24 in theaters. ,

Your a Grown Up - You Can Have Dessert for Breakfast!

There really nothing great about February in the North East. The weather usually sucks. It gets dark too early. Most likely there will be snow and ice on the ground. There’s no more International Motorcycle Show to break all this dreariness and misery up.

One saving grace is that Spring Training starts. And the other is…National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day on the rst Satruday in February! Back in the 1960s, on a snowy winter day in Rochester, NY (what else?), Florence Rappaport was home with her six children. Her two youngest, Ruth and Joe, were complaining, as children do, that it was too cold to do anything. That in itself would drive someone to drink, but Florence came up with a brilliant other idea. She declared that this day they would have ice cream for breakfast. Although the exact year was not recorded, it is assumed to be 1966, as there was a huge blizzard in Rochester in late January, dumping several feet of snow and shutting down schools. It was such a big hit in the Rappaport household, the following year the children reminded Florence of her wonderful idea and, thus, a tradition was born. When the children were grown, they introduced their friends to this idea, parties were held and the tradition grew to the outside world.

Actually, it was Florence’s grandchildren who spread the word to the world, as they have traveled extensivley, with Ice Cream for Breakfast Day celebrated in Nepal, Namibia, Germany, New Zealand and Honduras. One of the most popular celebrations is in Israel, with some 100,000 people marking the day in 2014.

I’m sure that Florence and her children never imagined to what length this made-up holiday would spread. In the past few years, many ice cream shops have held specials, some raising money for charities. That certainly helps bring in the customers on an otherwise dark and drab winter’s day.

In the past, we have visited several shops near Backroads Central for our ice cream breakfast. Tranquility Farms, 47 Decker Pond Road, Andover, NJ has had some fabulour creations: Cinnamon Bun Sundae, Cocoa Puffs Sundae and Crumb Cake Sundae to name just a few. The rst year we attended, the weather was quite balmy for February and they had quite the turnout. Unfortunately, last year was a bit of a stormy day and we didn’t make it, but I know many Backroads’ readers did.

Two other local-to-us shops that may have some special goings on February 4 are Das’ Creamery, at 100 US 46, in Budd Lake, NJ. Pankaj and Komal, the father and daughter team responsible for some of the most creative and delicious ice cream around, will hopefully step up to the challenge of some special avors for breakfast.

The Cow’s Brow at Windy Brow Farms, 359 Ridge Road, Fredon, NJ is the closest of these ne shops and, fortunately, I have great restraint of not being there at least once a week. They are responsible for Taylor Ham Ice Cream, with went viral several years ago. And don’t say it’s Pork Roll, ‘cause that just sounds nasty.

I’m sure that you can do a search of your favorite ice cream shops to see if they’ll be celebrating. If you can’t nd one, just make sure that you have your favorite avor(s) on hand, with appropriate toppings. Turn on some Saturday morning cartoons, snuggle in your feety pajamas, and sit down with a big bowl of ice cream, whipped cream and a cherry on top. Don’t worry, February is the shortest month and March is just around the corner - see ya on the road!

California Baseball PART DEUX

Goin’ back, I’m too tired to roam, Loma Prieta my mountain home

On the hills above Santa Cruz, in the place where I spent my youth

Neil’s Fandango – The Doobie Brothers

Monterey to San Francisco

Most friends know that Shira puts up with a lot when it comes to me and the predilections and penchants onto which I kinda latch. Music is one, and although I like all sorts of music I am still a white guy born in the late 50s and hey-day’n in the 70s. Back in the day –when we thought that having a Walkman and a 90-minute Memorex cassette tape with 45-minutes of solid riding music on each side was the end-all of music on the road - no road tape was complete without one or two songs by The Doobie Brothers.

I love these guys, even the Michael McDonald era; but it was the original group powered by Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons along with a mix of musicians including bassist Tiran Porter and drummers Michael Hossak and Keith Knudsen that started it all in the town of San Jose back in the fall of 1970.

In their book “Long Train Running,” a humble house – 285 S. 12th Street, in San Jose - was mentioned many times. Give us an address and we will seek it out.

So to get there we cut off the PCH and headed into the hills above Santa Cruz along Route 9, offering about 40 miles of riding in its purest and most complete form.

Lefts, followed by rights, and then back again. All framed through a dark tunnel of huge and ancient pines that shrouded the road, allowing only sharp dapples of bright light amongst the shadows of the giant Ents.

Make note – Route 9 towards San Jose is truly magni cent.

words: Brian Rathjen

images: Brian Rathjen + Shira Kamil

Just when I began to pat myself on the back for being a true ‘Road Whisperer,’ my route vectored onto one of the dumbest single lanes ever paved. No guardrail, down the steep mountain at stupid grades of descent, immediate death sort of dumbest road I have ever ridden.

It was called Gist Road.

I glanced at my GPS and it showed what looked to be an insane squiggle of the purple route. But no, it was far worse than what I imagined. Downhill, one lane, zero line of sight. Every hairpin a decreasing radius asco!

Okay, exciting? Yes. Smart…? Not so much. A road like this can give one PTSD – Post Traumatic Squiggle Disorder.

We certainly got the ‘Gist’ of it.

We’ll avoid this one next time we go looking for ‘The Brothers Doobie.’

Yet, we did nd 285 S. 12th Street – which somebody else was now calling their home – so we grabbed a few quick images and bolted, not wanting to intrude. Yet, the state is looking to make it an Historical Site. Maybe the house value will make that all worth it, but we had miles to go this day so we got ‘rockin’ down the highway’ towards San Francisco and called it a night in a semi-cheap hotel along the 101.

We rode into downtown San Francisco in the mid-morning and easily found Oracle Park. This is a very motorcyclefriendly city and if we had a car to park it would have set us back $80 bucks!

Right down the block, there was motorcycle-only parking and we parked both bikes for the entire afternoon for $6. An amazing thing of which every big US city should take note!

Oracle Park, which opened in 2000, after the Giants played for years at Candlestick Park, was very nice and had a great open view of the bay.

Oracle Park Fun Facts…

The section of the bay beyond Oracle Park’s right eld wall is unof cially known as McCovey Cove, in honor of former Giants player Willie McCovey. There is a “Splash Hit” counter that keeps count of every bomb that lands in the bay.

The right eld area was designed to resemble the Polo Grounds of New York. This deep corner of the ballpark has been dubbed “Death Valley” and “ Triples Alley.” Like its Polo Grounds counterpart, it is very difcult to hit a home run to this area, and a batted ball that nds its way into this corner often results in a triple. It is 415 feet deep and is infamous for

San Francisco & Oakland

We’d be in and around the San Francisco and Oakland area for two days and two games.

The rst one was a contest between the San Francisco Giants (whose old New York logo looks VERY familiar) and the Arizona Diamondbacks.

bad bounces, most notably when Ichiro Suzuki hit the rst-ever inside-the-park home run in an All-Star Game.

Mascot: Lou Seal has served as the mascot of the San Francisco Giants since 1996.

It was a great day for a game, with a cool breeze coming off the bay; but not a great day for the Giants who got shut out 5 to zip!

So much for “root, root, rootin!” But, three out of ve down and two to go. With the game in the books, we rode over the Bay Bridge to the very nice Marina Inn, in San Leandro, just south of Oakland proper and minutes from the next game with the Athletics.

Free Day in San Francisco

It was nice to have a semi-free day in one of the most interesting cities in the United States; so we left the smaller Versys at the inn and Shira rode pillion back over the Bay Bridge, along the same I-80 that would take us back home if we headed east for about 2,700 miles or so.

We rode down to the Fisherman’s Wharf and, once again, easily found motorcycle parking in the two-wheel-friendly city.

In the center of this busy, touristy part of town, we found the Musée Mécanique. For us, anything we found would be new to us, but we were not expecting this place. Inside we found the extraordinaire collection of antique arcade games and display. There were more than 300 items, ranging from orchestrions, coin-operated pianos, antique slot machines, and animations, down to small bird boxes.

Almost everything worked with quarters so a more modern machine changed my 5 into 20 and we played all sorts of gizmos and games of both talent and chance. Shira is the Whack-A-Mole Champ!

Along the pier was the USS Pampanito, a Balao-class submarine, along with a Liberty Ship christened the SS Jeremiah O’Brien.

After a long lap around the wharf, lunch was taken at Boudin, San Francisco’s famed bakers of sourdough bread. They have been baking sourdough bread here, using the same original ‘Mother’, since 1840; and it is the oldest sourdough bakery in the nation.

A half sandwich and some clam chowder eaten outside made for a great people-watching spot – and there are all sorts of humans in this city for sure.

The rest of the day was taken up by riding over to the Golden Gate Bridge and then down to the corners of Haight and Ashbury, the birthplace of the 1960s counterculture movement. This historic corner draws a lively, diverse crowd looking to soak up the historic hippie vibe. Haight Street is a hodgepodge of vintage clothing boutiques, record shops, bookstores, dive bars and casual, eclectic restaurants, and, sadly, a large contingent of malingerers.

A stone’s throw from the former homes of 1960s rock luminaries such as the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane is the former home of another rock legend, Jimi Hendrix. The apartment at 1524 Haight Street, still a private residence, was Hendrix’s home for a few years in the 1960s.

We had a game to catch, so we skedaddled back to San Leandro and then over to the A’s Game at the Oakland

Coliseum, now called the RingCentral.

The Athletics have been moved a lot, and while there was talk of a new stadium in Oakland, there’s other talk that the A’s will move to Sin City in the near future. But, while we’re here let’s share some Fun Facts:

Oakland Coliseum …

The stadium could once hold over 64,000 fans, but the A’s wanted a more “intimate” feeling, so they closed off a large portion of the stadium and it is now limited to just 34,000 – making it the smallest capacity stadium in the MLB.

The A’s moved here from Kansas City in 1965.

The eld is of cially named after Ricky Henderson.

The Coliseum has the most foul territory of any ballpark in Major League Baseball. Thus, many balls that would reach the seats in other ballparks can be caught for outs at the Coliseum.

As a matter of fact, the foul territority is so large, they use each side as the pitcher’s bullpen. I would think that would be quite disturbing to the players.

The Athletics mascot is Stomper the Elephant. Does Nancy Pelosi know this?

Although the Oakland Athletics were in the basement, we were not disappointed. Sure, the game was a sleeper, but the reworks display afterward was the most amazing show. The eld was opened up and hundreds of fans sat in the out eld, heads looking to the sky as the lights went out and incendiary magic began.

Set to the music of Queen, the exploding works were timed to the music and it ran a full 15 minutes. It was one of the best reworks show we have ever experienced, and we need to get Steve Cohen to consider something like this at CitiField.

San Leandro to Monterey… Oops… Plan B …San Leandro to Coalinga?

Shira worked up an interesting ride back south, some of it back on Skyline Boulevard, which runs along the ridge and past the famed Alice’s Restaurant, in Woodside. This is a big motorcycle hang, and it was very busy this Saturday morning so we slowed to take a look and kept on rolling, heading down Route 9, once again riding through the copse of giant Redwoods.

In the woodsy town of Felton, we spied a small museum off to the right and pulled in to visit the Capri Taurus Bigfoot Museum.

Inside the small museum, we met Mike Rugg, who has been running the museum for decades. We found exhibits of local history, tied in with local Bigfoot sightings, and actual evidence in the form of plaster foot and hand prints along with a detailed exhibit on the Patterson-Gimlin Film. That one still image from the Patterson lm has become the image of Bigfoot worldwide, and we have all seen this everywhere.

It seems to follow us, I swear.

The Bigfoot Museum had all things Bigfoot, even a Savage Sword of Conan comic with the heroic Cimmerian battling the beast. I have since tracked this magazine down and it is happily on the shelf. Continuing down the coast the land began to open up and we rode through miles and miles of agriculture – mostly strawberries, with a scent so strong you could almost taste them.

We stopped and took a few off the vine, or bush… whatever. I have never tasted a strawberry as delicious as this.

Heading back inland we made a stop at the Elkhorn Slough (pronounced Slew). The Elkhorn Slough is a 7-mile-long tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. It is California’s second largest estuary and the United States’ rst estuarine sanctuary. The community of Moss Landing and the Moss Landing Power Plant is located at the mouth of the slough on the bay.

We followed along some smaller roads marked G on the map. G must stand for ‘Great” as they were.

By early evening we rolled into Monterey and found that we were very much out of luck with our nding a room for the night. Over-crowded with the ongoing car events, and over-reaching inn keepers forced us into a Plan B. Nobody should have to pay $500 for a Motel 6.

Shira went to work on her phone to see what could be had. As usual, she eventually did nd us a room. In a town called Coalinga.

She was all smiles till I told her the hotel was… 150 miles back up the road and east over the mountains heading towards Death Valley.

To put this into a clearer perspective, let’s say you were in Times Square and your hotel for the night was in Albany, New York. Or, for our Philly friends, and Southern Contingent… from your home to the White House.

Now I know how the state got its nickname.

We rolled into the hotel as the last rays of the sun ittered away and the wide-open high desert sky gave way to the Milky Way.

In the end, we didn’t mind the extra miles at all.

Coalinga to Lebec

We did a bit of re-routing for this day, and our route took us through the town of Coalinga. The name intrigued us and I thought I’d see Christopher Walken sitting on a porch of Shady Thicket Plantation in a Civil War uniform, but it is not how the town got its name at all.

It was a major stopover in California’s coal industry.

Really? I like my version better, but it rubbed Shira the wrong way and she edited it.

In truth the town has a wonderfully restored gas station, circa1934, that is part of the town’s museum. It was closed when we rode past but was worth stopping to see it.

For me, I was far more interested in the historical monument, just outside town at the junction of CA 33 and Route 168 marking the Death of Joaquin Murieta. He was

Still, life is an adventure and we got going. The rst part of this late evening haul was done lane-splitting the stand-still traf c along the coast, but once we turned eastward things opened up, and soon we were rocking down the highway near triple-digits, as the sun lit the hills and grass into a shining gilded auriferous shade.

called a Robin Hood of sorts, but the hunt for him, his death, and the taking of his head – on tour – has become the stuff of legend. The storybook character Zorro was based on Murieta, and I can promise that Seymor O’Life will dig far deeper into this amazing story.

In San Miguel we stopped to see the old mission and then caught up with our abbreviated route from the previous day. With a couple of days to ride before our nal baseball game in Los Angeles, we headed back over the hills along Route 138. We stopped at an oasis of a roadhouse in Cuyama, for a cup of coffee and a slice of pie. Here were ran into a few other riders and stayed to watch the band, CB Brand, rip up the stage that mid-August Sunday afternoon. Amazing group of musicians.

This day we had looked at the route and booked a room in advance, but before we arrived in the I-5 town of Lebec, we had one more twistalicious 40-mile piece of paved road up and over the mountains of the Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuge and then down through Frazier Mountain Park towards the interstate.

It was nice to get in with a few hours to spare and the hotel pool, that lay on the border with Los Angeles County, was very appealing.

Lebec to Los Angeles

Los Angelenos, all come from somewhere

To live in sunshine, their funky exile

Billy Joel

After a week and a half on the road, this would be our last longish day of riding.

Just south of Lebec, named for Peter Lebec, a French Fur Trader who got eaten by a Grizzly in 1837, we found the Vista Del Lago Visitor Center at Pyramid Lake. The lake is a reservoir formed by Pyramid Dam on Piru Creek in the eastern San Emigdio Mountains, near Castaic, Southern California. This is also near where Spain formally ceded California to Captain John Charles Frémont and the United States with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga.

The lake is now part of the West Branch California Aqueduct, which is a part of the California State Water Project; a massive undertaking if there ever was one.

Vista Del Lago has the most amazing displays of how Californians have tackled their ongoing water problem over the years.

To see how all this is managed – especially since our trip was in the middle of one of the worst California droughts in years – was a bunch more than fascinating and certainly gave us a greater appreciation for the Golden State’s ongoing challenges.

Big Pines Highway brought us further south, and after lunch at Table Mountain, we took off on the Angeles Crest Highway. Sixty-six miles of awesome up and over the San Gabriel Mountains, the road rising to almost 8,000 feet. This is some serious country and this is a road to be taken very seriously.

An ill-timed move, wandering attention, or lack of

restraint can lead to certain troubles, and unfortunately, when ‘Rescue’ is called, it often winds up a recovery.

So, well aware of this, it was the perfect stretch to practice downshifting, trail braking, and trying our best to do the Reg Pridmore smooth thing.

Both Kawasaki Versys machines excel in this environment; each with sharp handling and smooth powerplants. They made the ride that much better, as they had for the last 11 days.

About an hour later we rolled off the mountains and into Los Angeles. We had a room at USC’s hotel, just a few miles from Dodger Stadium. This was the last of the ve MLB homes in California, and the most difcult to navigate as LA is LA.

But we were able to get that nal stadium image with the Versys, and, once in the Dodger Stadium, we could practically sit anywhere we wished,

so we spent most of the game wandering around, taking in the extraordinary baseball history to be found and drinking up baseball west coast-style.

Although it was not a great night for the Dodgers, it was a bit unique as it had been 1,212 days since what happened, happened. The Los Angeles Dodgers had not been shut out since April 20, 2019!

Some people go through life doing things badly. Being the Kiss of Death is important to baseball fans who do it well. When you’re the KOD, everybody else, well – they’re not. Back to Kawasaki….

All things must end, and after breakfast we took a very leisurely ride down the Paci c Coast, running by the towns Shira called home years back and pre-me.

In Huntington Beach, we made one last stop at The International Surfing Museum, dedicated to Duke Kahanamoku, considered by many as the man who truly popularized the sport. There was a section on Bruce Brown and his historic documentary The Endless Summer. For us, he was the famed creator of On Any Sunday as well – and that was something that Vanessa, my new sur ng instructor, did not know.

What an excellent sport and taking in this tiny, but immensely important museum, after watching the surfers catching a wave and sitting on top of

the world for the last 20 or so miles, was a perfect way to end a pure California riding experience.

Both Kawasaki’s 1000 and 650 Versys machines are two of the best allaround machines we have ridden in a long time and they were the perfect companions for this soiree.

Five stadiums in 11 days. Three - Dodger, Anaheim, and Oakland stadiums - being some of the oldest in the nation. Only Boston’s Fenway and Chicago’s Wrigley are older. Some incredible riding, sites and meeting true baseball fans. It was amazing how many people, at each stadium, were traveling to all 30 stadiums. Baseball is not merely about the rules, the players, the owners, and the business, it is the passion behind the fans that make it great, the people we met at every game who, once they found out what we were doing, had the biggest smiles. Baseball is about all of them as surely as it is about the superstars who take the eld.

We dedicate this ride to our brother Jan, who had that passion and passed along his love of this true American sport. Now LFGM!!!!

Still, baseball is a game of numbers, is it not? And, we still have another dozen ballparks to visit – but, we’ll save that for another season.

Until then, in the words of famed newsman Tom Brokaw…

“Remember the nal words in our National Anthem - Play Ball!” ,

PRODUCT REVIEWS

ZEROFIT HEATRUB ULTIMATE BASELAYER

We have all heard the idiom “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.”

When we rst came across Zero t, the company’s press material, and some of the ads, we had seen as well made some strong statements and promises about their base layers.

Base Layers have become more and more popular with motorcyclists, but the basic idea of the rst layer of protection from the cold has a longer history than you might think.

Oh God, is Backroads going to tell us the history of base layers or about Zero t Heatrub Ultimate Baselayers?

Yes. We are.

When we were little boys and girls (no pronouns needed back then), we had base layers too – and no matter the manufacturer or part of the world they were called Long Johns.

Though the history is murky, the invention of the long john (also called thermal underwear or long underwear) is credited to John Smedley in the English town of Matlock in Derbyshire. There, Smedley manufactured the clothing on the premises of his Lea Mills in the late 18th century. The family-run Smedley company still operates in the mills 236 years later and claims to be the oldest manufacturing factory in the world.

While John Smedley can lay claim to being one of the rst of his name in the textile business, the clothing most likely isn’t an homage to the family legacy. The name supposedly refers to American boxer John L. Sullivan, aka the Boston Strong Boy. Sullivan reigned as the heavyweight champion from 18821892 in gloved boxing and was also a bare-knuckle boxing champion. Smedley really was taken with the champion.

Long Johns are notably two separate pieces of fabric: a top and bottom that evolved from sleepwear. However, a similar type of base layer also originated in the late 19th century made out of one article of clothing. Dubbed the union suit, it has the iconic rear ap or “drop seat.”

The garment design actually started in the women’s dress reform movement of the late Victorian era, which aimed to make clothing that was more comfortable and practical.

These days the now ubiquitous base layers are used by everyone from mountain climbers, to skiers, to motorcyclists and materials range from natural Merino wool to high-tech blended synthetics and combinations of both.

Enter Zero t, a combination of acrylic, nylon wool, polyester, and polyurethane woven in a unique and revolutionary way that will keep you far warmer than any other ‘standard’ base layer – yet will allow for greater freedom of movement with far less bulk.

Nobody likes to ride like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.

“Technologically enhanced ‘Heat Threads’ inside the garment are activated through movement, gently brushing against the skin to generate warmth instantly. Unlike most other base layers, the Ultimate does not work based on ‘compression for heat’ – so not only does it provide greater warmth for motorcyclists but, as I said, you won’t feel restricted by an inability to move freely. The Ultimate has been designed

to work best in a temperature range of 14° Fahrenheit thru 50°.”

This has been corroborated by the Boken Institute, basically the Japanese version of Good Housekeeping or Consumer Reports.

Unfamiliar with Boken I researched them and they are the real deal – and their ndings are as well.

When we received a sample of the Zero t Heatrub Ultimate Baselayer I wore it around the of ce – for about 20 minutes and then had to go back to a regular shirt – it was just too warm for of ce work… but on the motorcycle…?

On the bike, with my formidable Roadcrafter suit on, I was more than comfortable on those occasional stolen mid-winter rides. When it dipped down to the freezing point I simply turned on some electrics and continued on my way.

If you add in Zero t’s Ultimate Leggings and Socks then the only thing stopping you from riding this time of year is ice.

Expensive? Yes. But if you want the very best baselayer you can have, take a good look at Zero t’s Heatrub Ultimate Baselayer – we are sure you will warm up to the new woven technology.

The Heatrub Ultimate baselayer comes in black, white, gray, red, navy, or green and lists for $90. Unisex sizing ranges from XS to XXXL. The Heatrub Move Baselayer ($76) is available in black, white, or titanium. The Ultimate Socks and Leggings come in black. For more details on the complete range of products, please visit www.zero tusa.com.

MICHELIN ANAKEE III

ALONG-TERM LOOKAT MICHELIN’S 90/10 ADVENTURE TIRE

I think when we are looking at tires for adventure machines – BMW’s GS, Triumph Tigers, and KTMs, etc… we tend to get a bit confused on what is needed and re quired for any particular application.

Although I won’t shy away from gravel roads, I like to keep most of my riding at a spirted pace along freshly paved, or at least on asphalt that is in fairly decent shape.

I don’t think I am going too far out on a limb to say most riders of these machines are pavement riders, who occasionally will foray into the wildness – as long as it is not too wild.

Right now, my GS is shod with a set of Michelin Anakee Adventure Tires and for the last thousand or so miles they have been fantastic. But I am here to write about the last set of tires that I ran – also Michelin and also Anakee; but these were Michelin’s Anakee III tires, what Michelin describes as a 90/10 Adventure Touring Tire.

I try not to get too mathematical with anything that looks like a fraction or describes how a tire will work on any particular surface; so I keep it simple. There are three Michelin Anakee Tires – the III, the Adventure and the Wild. Think of these tires like this: III- street, but not afraid of some gravel. Adventure – a fairly open-minded tire that will go either way – we’re not here to judge, just ride, and the Wild – when the latest BDR is calling your name.

If you are looking for new rubber for your ADV machine then you have Goldilocks’ problem here, and we will get around to a long-term review on the Anakee Adventure Tires, but this month I wanted to talk about the far more streetable Anakee III.

These tires came stock on many BMW GS machines and with good reason. They offer a superb and superior grip in both dry and especially wet.

I put them on my R1250GS back in the early spring, as we knew we’d be riding out to Missouri, and I thought a more street-oriented tire would be my better option. Since then I put nearly 8,500 miles on them, riding in and through all sorts of conditions – hot, cold, wet and very wet, including more than a few gravely mountain passes –all of which the Anakee IIIs ate up eagerly. I tend to push my tires a bit and ride some of the roads I am very familiar with… a bit of gusto. The Anakee III tires allow for good, solid and smooth braking, offer a wonderfully planted and amazing feel of the road and have lasted thousands of miles longer than some of the other tires we have ridden on over the past many years.

If you are looking for a more streetoriented tire for your ADV machine then the Michelin Anakee III is a very easy and solid choice. ,

9W Market, Palisades NY

The Best Way to Start a Sunday!

It was the autumn of 1995.

Backroads was out and about for just 3 or 4 months at this time and we had decided to take a booth in the vendor area of Marcus Dairy – a long-time motorcycle gathering spot.

Hundreds of motorcycle riders and sports car enthusiasts would make the pilgrimage to the dairy outside of Danbury, Connecticut every Sunday; even more on the special Sundays that were promoted.

New Hope, Pennsylvania, was the sight of Sunday gatherings, as were other towns across the nation, and in 1990 they all were pushed by a strong ad campaign produced by Kawasaki.

Marcus Dairy closed at the end of 2010 and with it one of the most famous and iconic two-wheeled gatherings in the United States.

Let’s time travel a dozen years; Rider and enthusiast Dale Prusinowski felt it was time to actively bring back some of those magical Sundays, that we all took for granted until they were gone.

Dale, along with his son Eric, started a gathering called “Bikes & Breakfast” at the 9W Market in Palisades, NY. They were thrilled with the turnout and now, nearly a decade later, not only is the Palisade, New York Sunday gathering still going strong, but the idea has spread to many, many more locations.

Cold Spring, further north along the Hudson and City Island for the Manhattan crowd. Both Bogota and Princeton in New Jersey. Clifton, Fredericksburg, and Virginia Beach, Virginia, Poolesville, Maryland and West Chester, PA. There are new gatherings popping up all the time. These gatherings are not slanted in any one brand’s direction, but every brand’s direction. All are welcome and the slicker, older, and more classic the better.

We attended a gathering in 2022, a ne Sunday morning in the late fall. The Palisade, New York venue – the 9W Market / TFS – is no stranger to the twowheeled community; decades ago it was an Indian Motorcycle dealership. It is now a restaurant, owned and operated by the same folks who own TFS – The Filling Station - in West Haverstraw that was featured in these pages a few seasons back.

When we arrived the parking lots both front and rear, were pretty much bristling with motorcycles of all ages, styles, and descriptions. An old Suzuki, parked next to older Vincent, parked next to new generation Kawasaki KLRs. Generations and decades of machines were here to be seen.

Our friend Steve Anderson, salesman extraordinaire, from Morton’s BMW in Virginia, has attended the Bikes & Breakfast gatherings in Fredericksburg, and he echoed our thoughts exactly – simply a wonderful way to start a great Sunday on two wheels.

They seem to be the perfect combination for a Super Sunday…a superb location, delicious eats, and riders and bikes… and it don’t get much better than that.

These gatherings happen all throughout the year, so log onto their website at www.bikesandbreakfast.com for more information and upcoming dates and locations.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT WIDE FOOTPEG ADAPTERSFOR SUZUKI V-STROMSFROM SRC MOTO

If you’ve never run a wider high-quality footpegs, you will be pleasantly surprised by the improvement this inexpensive and easy to install upgrade will make! Upgrading to a wider platform footpeg makes a dramatic improvement in comfort as well as greatly improving grip in wet muddy conditions. SRC’s peg adaptors are a great value and easy to install.

It only takes about 10 minutes to install with common hand tools. The additional width and aggressive tooth pro le offers an increased contact surface to reduce foot arch strain and improve grip. The wide platform and increased contact points will improve rider con dence in sketchy situations!

Fits all Suzuki V-Strom 650 and 1000 models 2004-2021. Available for some other models such as Kawasaki Versys. Kit includes a pair of wide peg adapters and retails for $74.00 from www.srcmoto.com

August 9 through 18

with optional weekend August 19 + 20

As Richard Hammond might say on The Grand Tour…

“Let us downshift a gear or two, nd a spot, and put the kickstands down on Conversation Street.”

Let’s talk about some overdue miles.

Remember a few years back when all HE Double Hockey Sticks broke out and we had to cancel our big rally? Yes, that blew. For sure there were some great weekend rallies…

But the ‘Big One’ – it got away.

With this being our 25th Year of Rally Good Times, we thought it was time to go big once more…, and toss an ‘Ave Maria’ at you.

Welcome to Backroads’ Grand Tour!

Fourteen days … Eight States… Eight Hotels…

Three Free Days in three separate and awesome motorcycle riding regions! A Major League Baseball Game at THE Great American Ball Park and then a couple of optional days at the rac es with MotoAmerica!

Woven into all this will be over 2,500 miles of smiles - all following the avor that we provide in every issue of Backroads. There will be Great All-American Diner Runs, Big City Getaways, We’re Outta Heres!, Mysterious Americas, and of course just a few of Shira’s Ice Cream discoveries.

Plans are being nalized, and more than likely already on our website by the time this edition lands in your mailbox or at your local shop.

So, make plans now! If you can’t join us for the entire Grand Tour join us when you can. It’s all good.

Stay tuned and log onto www.backroadsusa.com/backroads-events or our Facebook page for more details and information. ,

The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully

A column dedicated to your riding survival

EAGLE MIKE’S BRAKE UPGRADE FORTHE KAWASAKI KLR650R (87-07)

If there is one machine that seems to be ever-present in enthusiasts’ garages… it is the venerable Kawasaki KLR 650R.

The machine had its origins back in 1984 when Kawasaki released the KLR600. Three years later the liquid-cooled single engine got puffed out to a 651cc and had a few minor upgrades, and for years the only thing Kawasaki did to the KLR650R was sell them – thousands of them.

I had my rst experience with the KLR while doing a long loop through Alaska. If not love, it was certainly understanding at rst ride.

The KLR was never meant to be a serious off-roader, but rather a great all-around motorcycle. Commuting, light off-road capabilities with adequate horsepower and an upright all-day comfort riding position.

KLR650R. One such after-market product was a bracket that would allow me to swap out the prehistoric single-piston caliper for a far more modern dual-piston caliper sourced from a Suzuki SV650. Eagle Mike’s bracket ran just $50, and a set of useable calipers off an SV650 ran me about $80 for the pair – although I only needed the left caliper.

Within a week I had all I would need and on a warmish late autumn day I went to work. First, I laid out all the parts in front of me. Eagle Mike makes sure that you have directions and images to go along with his bracket to swap the old caliper for the more modern one from Suzuki.

I cleaned the new (used) caliper with brake cleaner and some light cloth work to get rid of any black gunk around the pistons. The pads looked to be in great shape so I kept them.

Once cleaned and ready, I mounted the SV caliper to the Eagle Mike bracket and then, after removing the old caliper, mounted the new one to the KLR, making sure all was in line, not rubbing, and using blue Loctite to keep the correctly torqued bolts in place.

I then drained the old (blackish) brake uid from the master cylinder using a vacuum bleeder I bought at Harbor Freight and went about cleaning out some moisture that had congealed inside the unit.

A paper towel, athead screwdriver, fresh brake uid, and a hit or two of compressed air made this easy. With the master cylinder spotless I removed the old stock brake line and installed a Galfer steel braided line. Why, you ask? Steel is stronger than rubber and so this increases the durability of the brake hose, in addition to adding a surer feel and control – although this, in turn, increases the cost.

To keep the price point low Kawasaki went to the “We Gotta A Lot of These” parts bin and gave the KLR a single-piston caliper that was rst designed back when Jimmy Carter was president.

Although it did work it was never a con dence-inspiring caliper and there were times when I thought some sort of drag chute may be appropriate. At the beginning of the winter, we began upgrading Shira’s 20-year-old Honda 919 – changing pads, cleaning dirty calipers, and swapping the old hard rubber brake lines for new and modern steel braided lines from Galfer.

Years back I had added Galfer’s larger 320mm wave rotor to this machine but, even with the larger circumference rotor, the bike still had the anemic stock caliper.

There had to be an easy solution to this conundrum.

While having dinner with off-road editor Tony Lisanti and motorcycle adventurer extraordinaire Mike Mosca this subject came up. Mike urged me to check some of the KLR Owners’ websites.

I am always dubious of web forums as, time and again, I see riders posting the most ludicrous things and voicing opinions that have far less than a stable foundation. But still, thankfully, there are some who really know their stuff.

On one of these, I came across a company from El Cajon, California called Eagle Mike that specializes in aftermarket upgrades for the

Stronger, no expanding, and almost immortal – this is the only way to go and well worth the investment.

With the brakes bled well enough to make sure all was ship-shape and operating as it should, I did a few runs around the driveway.

Unbeknownst to me, Shira was keeping a steady eye from the home - cell phone and 911 at the ready if it all failed dramatically.

Ahh, love and faith.

On the road and picking up speed heading down the long hill that leads to and from Backroads Central, I checked my 6 in the mirrors and gently applied the front brake.

The KLR always would slow and stop, but it always seemed as if I was tasking the brake to do something intrusive and annoying. Like the front brake would rather be doing something else. Not anymore.

We all have been spoiled by the excellent brakes found on modern machines. But if you have a motorcycle whose brakes are severely lacking, then now having far superior binders is a blessing.

If you have an older machine there just might be an upgrade waiting to be done.

Riding is so important. Stopping is too. ,