January 2012

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2 ry 201 Janua

e entur v d A vel & a r T , s rcycle o t o M

2011

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E FEAT URES

MON THLY COLUMN S FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4

BEST OF BACKROADS 2011........................................................22

WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................6

BEST OF BACKROADS RIP & RIDES..................................44

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................8

BACKROADS FALL FIESTA 2011 ................................................30

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................9

REVOLUTIONARIES........................................................................37

BACKLASH .......................................................................................10

GREAT EXPLORATIONS ................................................................50

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD ....................................................11 INDUSTRY INFOBITES...................................................................12

PRODUCT REVIEW S BOOSTER PLUG ..............................................................................13

BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................14 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA ...............................................................17 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18 WE’RE OUTTA HERE .....................................................................20 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................40 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................46 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE ...................................................47

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Mark Byers, Pamela Collins, Jeffrey Harth, Bill Heald, George Stritter, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

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FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

One Percenters There has been a lot said about the 1% in our society.

That they are above the law and care little for others and only look out for themselves.

Now these days the Occupy crowd would like you to think filthy rich folk make up the 1%, but I think there might be another 1% group, the real 1% group that might have some comments on that.

I was on FaceBook one day and saw a posting from a friend from my old neighborhood, Tara, about the television show Sons of Anarchy.

In her words “Sons of Anarchy show. On FX on Tues at 10 pm. Best show ever made. Its in its 4th season!”

I think she likes it.

I have watched it once or twice and basically it is the Sopranos on bikes.

Just not my thing. I like my shows based on reality – like Ancient Aliens.

But, it seems to me once Hollywood has a winner they just regurgitate it ad nauseum. But, Tara likes it so who am I to judge?

At least this time New Jersey is not taking it on the chin.

Still, when most of the non-riding public think of bikers they most often think of the stereotypical leather clad men with shaggy beards, covered in road dust riding around the country wreaking havoc and getting into barroom brawls. The truth is that most bikers are not rowdy trouble-makers and are in fact honest, law-abiding, hard working people.

We know that because that is all of us.

But there are still the “others.” That small numbers of bikers who refer to themselves as “1%ers”.

“One percenter” motorcycle gangs have been given this label as it is believed that within motorcycle club circles, 99% of all bikers live within the boundaries of the law.

Heck, that 99%; we even pay our “fair share” of taxes.

Then there is the other 1% who rejects Main Street society and choose to live outside of the law, sometimes even engaging in questionable activity.

When I was growing up as a young rider these were the real 1%ers.

I have always tried not to take sides or make political statement in these pages (he wrote with tongue firmly placed in cheek) but I feel that somebody has to speak out for all the outlaw clubs that have patiently sat on the sidelines while these “Occupiers” sully their status and actually equate the 1% moniker with ultra fat-cat bloated corporations.

And, furthermore…hold on…

“What, Shira…? The Angels™ are incorporated?” Really….? Trade marked too. Gee…. Okay then…”

Glad I could go back and fix that.

Well, still it would be interesting to see what would happen to these “Occupiers” if they tried to occupy East 3rd Street in Manhattan to protest that block’s 1%ers.

I do not think the Angels™ (please guys notice the Trade Mark) would be as easy going as Mayor Bloomberg.

Much like the big corporations the Zuccotti Park crowd has been protesting these guys have had good times and bad times.

And, I do think it has to be noted that we get a number of flyers for and about charitable events that the Angels™ and other 1%ers have put on for various and worthy charities. Much like the $1,000,000,000 + dollars donated

by American corporations over the years for grants, charities and endowments - starting all the way back with the generosity of Andrew Carnegie more than a century ago.

We have not received any from Zuccotti Park. At least not yet. Waiting…

(Continued on Page 9)

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

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JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

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

reasOns tO be cheerful – Part 3 Cheddar cheese and pickle, a Vincent motorcycle, slap and tickle…

18 wheeler Scammels, dominca camels, all other mammals plus equal votes… Ian Dury & the Blockheads Well, perhaps Ian has his own reasons to be cheerful, as disjointed as they may be. This time of year we should all have reasons to be cheerful. This particular year the weather certainly has contributed to my cheerful disposition. Despite the Halloween snowstorm (I’ll take snow any time it’s followed by 60 degree days to get rid of it), November turned out to be a gift from Mother Nature. I hope everyone took advantage and stole some ‘sick days’ to enjoy some late season riding.

One can only hope that it will continue. I’m guessing that the dealerships had some boost to business and traffic, and I’m sure that our Moto-Inn eatery members saw a great influx of late Autumn motorcyclists at their tables. The Polar Bear runs had some great turnouts so far. We were able to get to one of their new destination at the Barnsider Tavern in Sugar Loaf, NY (a MotoInn participant as well). Although we arrived after the initial rush, which numbered in the hundreds, there were still a good many bikes parked and folks meandering through the quaint village.

And could we have asked for a better Thanksgiving weekend? Crisp, blue skies and temps touching into the 60s had everyone rushing through their turkey sammiches to sneak away from visiting family members. Again, a great turnout for the Polar Bear run, as well as dealerships holding open house or holiday gatherings.

As I write this, the frost has certainly taken hold of the pumpkins that are left in the fields. My computer told me it was 25° when I woke it up this morning, yet the deceptive afternoon sun is brightly shining through the office window. It’s only a couple of weeks until this sun will make its turn and

the days will grow longer, every so slowly. Yes, the dark days of winter lay ahead, but according to the weather guru Joe Bastardi this winter is supposed to be milder than the last couple of years. Who trusts a weatherman, you say.

Joe is not just a weatherman, he’s a meteorologist, a man of science, if you will. He’s been right too many times not to take him seriously. I like to be optimistic, so until there’s a bombardment of ice and snow, I’m going with his predictions.

Another reason for me to be cheerful is my newly tuned BMW. After being so rudely sideswiped by the inattentive woman coming up my road, I was feeling a little ‘squishy’ on the bike. That didn’t stop me from putting several thousand miles on it afterwards, zooming towards its scheduled maintenance appointment. Just like the human body, it was showing signs of fatigue and needed a little TLC. The good folks at Cross Country BMW took good care of it, doing all necessary service and changing the leaky water pump as well as the ill front brake rotor. Riding the bike back from Metuchen on that beautiful mid-60° day, I felt like I had just picked up a brand new motorcycle.

Smiles filled my helmet and I didn’t want the ride to end that day.

With this issue, Backroads heads into its 18th year, and that’s a huge reason to be cheerful. When Brian and I first started this magazine, we had no idea where we were headed. We knew what we wanted for it and for those who read it and that was to be a great travel tool to get riders out on the road. It has been a vehicle for us, carrying us to places far and near so that we may bring those places closer to you via our words and pictures and, hopefully, inspire you to your own adventures and discoveries. It has brought us in touch with some wonderful people, many of whom we are happy and privileged to now call friends. We have developed a terrific advertising family who have supported our growth and, without whom we would not be who we are today.

We certainly hope that you return that support and remember, ride globally but shop locally.

Brian and I look forward to many more years of riding and discoveries and hope that you will continue to follow along with us, either vicariously through print or online, or on one of our rallies or rides. May you always have reasons to be cheerful and we look forward to seeing you on the road.

Have a most happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

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

the eyes Of the DO’Oh! I’d love to start this latest exposé of Truthiness (© Stephen Colbert Inc.) talking about how cold it is, but in fact as I write this it’s 7 PM and 62 degrees out. With the autumn we’ve just had, continuing weather strangeness should surprise exactly no one but it does seem a trifle odd to me. What’s next? Tumbleweeds? I shouldn’t even kid about it.

Shortly after I wrote the above observation a storm ensued, and it got a little colder and so things are now more normal. In other ways we had a normal autumn, too, in that the riding was great but there were a lot of deer milling about (and I’m sure that’s true for any of you living where there’s some type of forest nearby). Deer and moving vehicles have been known to interact in a very unpleasant fashion, and the four-legged beasts have a bizarre habit of running into motorcycles and other mobile machines. If you’ve never personally hit a deer on a bike I’m willing to wager you know someone who has, and the results can range from horrific in the worse-case scenarios to (at the least) very unpleasant even when no lives are lost.

The stories I’ve heard over the years have spanned an incredible range of experiences, but there is one basic scenario that seems to be common. This involves probably about half to two-thirds of the cases, and has to do with

the incredible ability deer have to literally nail you from out of nowhere. “I never even saw it” is not only a common statement, but one that is absolutely true in that the crazed mammals can approach at high speeds from the outskirts of your usual field of view. As a motorcyclist, one of the critical things I’ve learned in decades of riding is the importance of sharpening the art of seeing what’s around you. It’s something we have to constantly focus on (literally), and in today’s world there are distractions that make this more important than ever. So leaving out the deer encounters that are truly impossible to see before they happen, what about the other cases?

The Deer Menace is on my mind because of an encounter with one of the critters the other day that really brought home how this whole art of seeing things has to be something you think about the moment you start your engine.

With the latest audio/visual technology in cars and to a lesser extent on motorcycles, there are more and more things vying for your attention. All this messes with your ability to see, and if you think “hands free” technology eliminates this problem you’re fooling yourself. You can be staring right at that car that’s about to turn left in front of you, just like the driver of said vehicle is staring right at you. But if both of you are engaged in a hands-free phone conversation on your cell, and in your case your teenage daughter just told you she’s pregnant with Mick Jagger’s child, your ability to actually see what you’re looking at may be dramatically compromised. You can’t keep your eyes moving and take in all the information you need to in heavy traffic if a parcel of your attention is being occupied elsewhere, even if these activities don’t require your eyes. That may not make sense initially, but it’s absolutely the case.

So you can “see” how this can be a problem under normal riding circumstances, and when you throw in the wild, stealthy and totally unpredictable nature of deer showing up unexpectedly when you’re riding through a forested area you have a real conundrum. I’ve been lucky in that the only time (as of this writing) I’ve ever hit a deer was when I was reviewing the first generation Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and was, I’m told, the first person in the world to collide with such a beast with that particular vehicle. I was unharmed. But I’ve had my share of close calls on a bike, and here’s a really bizarre situation that happened a few days ago. It was dusk, which of course can be prime time for deer activity. There was still a lot of light, but you could clearly see the beams of headlights on the pavement ahead. I was coming to a stop at an intersection between two fairly isolated roads, and on my right was what I initially thought was a stuffed doe that someone had placed on the side of the road for some odd reason. But this was no L.L. Bean store window display. No, it was the real thing, and I never saw it until I was almost close enough to touch it. There wasn’t even the typical reflection of the eyes in the headlights. She stood there like a statue as I rolled slowly past, and it was kind of an odd feeling. I’m always very appreciative when I meet a deer in a way that doesn’t involve a collision, but this spooked me nevertheless as I should have seen her sooner, somehow.

So why didn’t I detect this restive ruminant? I think more than anything else I wasn’t looking for it. I was nearly home, and wasn’t thinking about the riding moment but about other things instead. My eyes were wide open and looking in the right direction, but the deer was all but invisible to me even though there was still enough light to see her against the background if I had really been on my game. Suffice it to say, this little encounter made quite an impression on me and now I have a new mental drill I go through before I ride off. Turn the key, push the starter, the bike wakes up. It’s time for the rider to open his/her eyes too, and use the suckers to the fullest. Always. So wake the bike, wake the rider. Don’t let distractions put blinders on your best safety feature, for this can save you (and woodland creatures) from a world of hurt.

Sometimes such accidents are unavoidable, but when they are, it’s up to you. See what I mean?

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

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ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

cOmmutatiOin I’m warped. I’m warped worse than a set of brake rotors off a ’73 Suzuki Water Buffalo, but I see beauty in strange places and situations. Today’s masterpiece was a guy in a fluorescent green motorcycle jacket, with a matching Aerostich bag thrown over his shoulder, commuting to work on a stunning red Ducati 900 Supersport. The combination of red and lime together would normally be as wretched as a pair of plaid golf slacks, but today they seemed sublime.

Why? Well, Monday was a disappointment: winter arrived like a drunken uncle, spewing cold, moist spittle everywhere. It was the kind of day that, if you rode at all, begged for a ratbike or a weathered Ural sidecar rig and a heated jacket. The rest of the week wasn’t faring much better as the front staggered through. This morning it was 36 degrees, cloudy, and blustery, but this thoughtful guy brought his pristine Duc 900SS to work as transportation and in so doing, kicked most people’s paradigm of “commuter bike” right in the pills. I know it did mine.

I’ve been known to ride a dual-sport or naked bike to work on days when the wind in my face was a welcome addition. When winter comes, however, I normally cower behind at least a half-fairing and more often, a full one. In my old age, I’ve become enamored of commuting on a BMW RT with two delightful switches: one for the hand toasters and another for the bun warmer. It makes me admire and applaud the commuters who have neither heat nor shelter, but ride anyway.

The Duc dude isn’t the only example: it was pouring Tuesday, but the guy across the street had a tasty red VFR with a Givi topcase parked next to the building.

Normally, there’s a fellow who rides a green BMW Rockster to another office in all kinds of weather and his only concession to the elements is a small windscreen. My friend Paul showed up one frigid day on a café’d BMW airhead, his body shorn in leather that would have been at home at the Ace, circa 1969. One of our Usual Suspects will show up at the hangar on his tarted-up Monster 900 any sort of weather and there’s a daily commuter who rides a Kwack ER-6 in everything but pure ice.

The day-glo dude on the Duc made me reflect on myself and all these fellow motorcyclists and realize that there really is no such thing as a “commuter bike.” Any machine, regardless of size or configuration, has the capacity to carry our butts where we need to go as long as we’re properly attired and equipped and have the inclination to ride. There are situations, like when the roads are mired in ice, when riding is ill-advised, but most of the time in the Mid-Atlantic, motivation is the sole limitation to commuting by motorcycle.

Our weather can be capricious, snowing enough to make riding hazardous, but never enough to make it worthwhile to have something with handlebars as fun as a snowmobile. Sure, it gets dark early and our fourwheeled and four-legged friends become more of a hazard than usual, but it’s nothing one of those glowing green jackets and a nice set of driving lights won’t cure.

The Rockster guy at work has both, essentially making him visible from space.

There’s one other aspect to the commuter thing: cleanliness is not next to Godliness. People who run ads for used bikes that say “never ridden in the rain” (and are proud of it) do not have the commuting gene.

A sunny morning is no guarantee of a delightful afternoon, as fronts go through here like celebrities go through spouses. Unless you’re like my buddy, “Qtip,” detailing is just going to have to wait until the weekend because the rest of the week it’ll be too cold to clean.

Inspiration comes in strange forms and today’s was a ballsy guy in a gaudy outfit on a beautiful bike. I’m cowed and I stand in admiration. I have all the tools I need to commute any time I want and I’ve gotten soft. At the first hint of winter precipitation, I’ve yielded to the cloying comforts of a climate-controlled cabin. My machines sit idle, plugged into electronic intravenous lines.

I came home tonight, took a good look at them in the garage, and made them (and myself) a promise: tomorrow, come hell or high water, I’m gonna ride. free Wheelin’

(Continued from Page 4)

Just saying.

I wonder how many of the rest of us 99%ers are being mis-represented by the Zuccotti Park crowd. I bet about 98.9%.

Sorry I would protest but I am too busy doing…oh yeah – work.

And, with all this even-handedness and fairness - how about helping out folks so much less fortunate than you.

You see unlike many of the real 1%, or 98.9% for that matter, it is possible that you have not done much in your life but complain.

I feel for you.

But, don’t go stealing the 1% status, please. I haven’t seen such disrespect since these kids from South Park went after loud pipes.

Maybe you should go back to Starbucks and pull out your iPad (God bless Steve Jobs) and watch Sons of Anarchy on Tuesday night on Fox – my friend Tara says it is the best show ever made.

We have a great selection of Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs and utility vehicles on the floor and ready to take home.

Long Island Kawasaki

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www.LIKawasaki.com • 516-935-6969

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 10

BACKLASH

Letters to the Editor

November 18, 1967 Exactly 44 years ago, to the minute- I was riding a new R60/2 BMW from Munich to Lausanne, Switzerland. Mother Nature delivered rain, sleet and then snow to accompany me. We managed.

Today we took a ride together on a cold but sunlit day with a few differences. Giove Pluvio, (The Rain God) ran as well as it did on day one. It has not needed replacement parts during its lifetime (unlike its owner) and today, even at 32 degrees, it started on first kick. We celebrated this evening with a martini, garlic stuffed olives, (its a religious thing).

The motor whispered to me that after years in Switzerland, Italy and the USA and now back in Switzerland that in spite of those words of Thomas Wolfe, you CAN GO HOME AGAIN. Tout de bon (all the best) Norm Smith

Wow, Norm - Exactly 44 years ago, to the minute I was in Miss Sullivan’s class at Corpus Christi – Woodside, Queens.

I remember it well.

Brian & Shira, Dear Backroads, Enjoyed the November issue as I always do.

Your High Alpine Adventure gave food for thought about doing something similar some day.

What caused me to write, however, was the short piece by Jeff Bahr. It was well written and balanced. It caused me to think. That’s what Jeff intended so he clearly accomplished his purpose. Please pass on my kudos.

Last, I will bore you once again with my two big wish list items! (Sorry, but I won’t give up.)

First, it would be helpful for the geographically-challenged if your articles began or ended with a tiny map indicating where the ride or destination is. It would help readers orient better.

Second, please don’t print text on photos. It’s difficult for older eyes to read. I must note that using larger print and restricting it to a solid background like the lead page of the Alpine article (page 23) is a pretty good compromise.

Thanks! Stay safe!

Cycle Insurance Agency Inc. Recreational Vehicle Specialists Agents who ride and understand your Motorcycle Insurance Needs

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Larry, Thanks. I have sent your email to Jeff - I am sure he will appreciate it.

We are always looking for mapping programs to do this. Not much out there. You would think there would be more. We have had specific artists do them occasionally, but it is cost prohibitive.

We are keeping it in mind.

Also - Shira hears you - we’ll do our best to keep text and pictures more easily read.

We will send you Backroads reading glasses as I have a hard time sometime as well!

Brian & ShiraI got a kick out of the Caboose Motel you found and wrote up in the December issue. Truly unique! While lazily typing in the name into Google rather than the actual URL into my browser, Google suggested another caboose motel, this one in PA. Are you aware of this one? Did I miss a write up in Backroads or is this going to be an article next year? See link below... www.redcaboosemotel.com/lodging.htm Dan Morrow I am an avid reader of Backroads and spend a lot time going through the pages each month. I enjoy every page of it.... even the advertisements!

(Those not advertising take note!)

I live in NY and have traveled many of the areas that you write about and enjoy “following in your footsteps”.

A few weeks back I took delivery of my new bike, a BMW K1600GTL. Coming from mostly Harleys, I have never used a GPS with any other bikes that I have had in the past so the experience of being able to download the GPS files is a fantastic new feature for me. I was able to download one or two but it seems like the download process from your website is very difficult. Instead of the actual files, it keeps trying to download a ton of misc. software that I really don’t need or even want. Is there any way to get the downloads without all the other crap?

(Page 12)

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD misleaDing articles?

I was reading the October issue, specifically the Backlash column. The response to a note from Don Riggs caught my attention. Don was admonishing Backroads for what must have been negative opinions published regarding the choices of riders who wear “a vest, chaps and a half helmet”. The response given was “To get a more graphic look at what can happen to those who ride around in summer leisure wear please log onto this: www.rockthegear.org/index.php?/inspiration/ “. Of course as a curious rider I had to look.

After looking, I think it would be fair to say that the response should have read “To get a more graphic look at what can happen to those who ride around in AN OVERSIZED HELMET, CAPRI JEANS, TENNIS SHOES AND A SWEATSHIRT OVER A BIKINI, ALL WHILE RIDING ON THE BACK OF A MOTORCYCLE DRIVEN BY A BOYFRIEND WHO OBVIOUSLY HAD ZERO CONCERN FOR THE WELL-BEING OR SAFETY OF HIS GIRLFRIEND....”.

The response also failed to mention that the rider, after being sucked off of the bike by the wind, rolled over 500 feet. It is blatantly obvious by those two facts stated in the website article, that the motorcycle Brittany was riding on was going at an exorbitant speed, most likely well in excess of 100MPH. Seriously, she was parachuting above the seat long enough to make a conscious note of it before actually flying off of the seat....

How fast must one be going in order to make that happen? I hardly think that this is an example of TYPICAL results in a motorcycle accident. I have been riding for a long time, as have the people that I ride with. My wife is a very responsible and careful rider, who can offer a more “real-life” example of a motorcycle accident and its results. See, she was hit from the side by a deer on her way to work one fall morning. She never saw the deer, as it rammed her from the side. Her apparel: a leather police jacket, a 3/4 helmet with a snap-on face shield, jeans, gloves, sneakers. After being struck, she went down on her side, and slid/rolled approximately 80 feet. Every point of

Page 11

George Stritter impact can still be seen on the apparel she was wearing. She walked away with a small scrape on her knee where there was a small hole torn in her jeans, and some bumps and bruises that, in all reality, nothing short of a suit of armor would have prevented. This I can attribute to the fact that a) she was riding in a responsible fashion at a normal rate of speed (at the speed limit - she remembers looking just prior to impact), and b) she is in excellent physical condition. I’m sure the fact that she was riding a cruiser in a feetforward posture as opposed to a standard or race-style bike also played into the outcome of her crash. I believe that to generalize motorcycle accidents and the outcome in the fashion of the Backlash response is wrong. To imply that Brittany’s fate awaits every rider who wears less than a full body suit and full helmet, regardless of riding habits and awareness of surroundings is irresponsible. The very idea of “dressing for the fall” is not even endorsed by the NJMSF anymore, as I found out in the recent Experienced Rider course that I participated in. As stated by the instructor, (I’m paraphrasing but very close to direct-quoting) it is more important to dress for the ride in order to more comfortably maneuver the motorcycle, and thereby take further action to prevent a crash in the first place. Does this suggest we should feel comfortable riding in Brittany’s ill-chosen apparel the day of her accident?

Of course not! It makes me cringe every time I see someone riding in shorts, or flip-flops.... But I am also not going to dress to the point that I can barely turn my head to look both ways, or cover myself with something that does not allow me to be cool enough to think straight. I doubt that the DOT, and in some cases, the Snell Foundation, would certify some half and 3/4 helmets as being safe for their intended use if they were in fact completely useless (and I’m not talking about novelty helmets here...). I realize the potential ramifications of this choice, but I believe I make up for it in awareness of my surroundings at all times and more mature throttle control.

The point of the matter is - please, give ALL of the facts of the matter when expressing an opinion, not just enough facts to support your opinion.

(Continued on next page)

Half the fun is getting here…

FW SPEER YAMAHA 7 Main Avenue • Passaic, NJ 973-778-6256 www.speeryamaha.com

The other half is riding home.

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Best kept secret in the Hudson River Valley

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 12 bacKlash

(Continued from page 10)

In case you were interested in some feed back on the K1600GTL, it is unbelievably awesome! I’ve had over 20 bikes since I was a kid ranging from Hondas, Kawasakis, and Harley Davidsons, and this bike blows all of them away. It is not as comfortable as the Harley was but you can’t compare the engine, brakes, and technology to the others. I am 45 years old and I feel like I’m back in my 20’s when I ride this bike! Enough said!

Once again, I would like to express my appreciation for all your work on the magazine. I have recommended it to many friends who subscribed after reading it.

Happy Thanksgiving and I hope to see you on the road!

Ken Vanderoef Ken, Since we see the sendspace site as a subscriber, we weren’t aware of the confusing download process. It seems if you go to the very small type that says ‘Click here to start download from sendspace’ you’ll only get the GPS file download.

This is coming from an Apple workspace, so I’m not sure if it applies to PC. If not, you’ll need to get rid of your current computer and change your life with a Mac. Enjoy your new bike and thanks for the kind words.

Dear Editors, I loved your article where you mentioned Corning. I now work with glass.... (Waterford crystal and stuff like that, not windows...) I’m down in McLean Virginia right now working at an antique show repairing glass, and was trying to put together a surprise for the girlfriend. I wanted to take her to Corning, and stay at the Inn you guys mentioned, but don’t have a copy of your mag with me, and couldn’t find the Inn online.

What was the name of it again?

Thanks Brian.

Wade, The Inn at the Gaffer Grille. www.innatthegaffergrille.com Great rooms...

thOughts frOm the rOaD George, There is no ‘typical accident’ - the Law of Chaos won’t allow for it. Yes, Brittany was going at a high rate of speed – the website says that from the beginning - and certainly her injuries were extreme. Also are her efforts to educate riders in the use of proper gear all the time – it has become a crusade for her.

Although higher speeds can and will add to trauma, any low speed crash can be equally harsh on the body. Take for example the shop owner in Daytona that went down in his parking lot delivering a motorcycle to a customer and was killed.

Crazy horrible things happen to all riders. We just stress to be as prepared as best you can be. A tee-shirt, vest and 1/2 helmet is not prepared.

You say “I’m sure the fact that she was riding a cruiser in a feet-forward posture as opposed to a standard or race-style bike also played into the outcome of her crash.” Do you really believe a crash victim’s outcome is effected if they are riding a cruiser compared to a Gold Wing or BMW GS? I am afraid the Gods of Mayhem care little for what anyone is riding.

Both Shira and I are happy your wife is okay, but Backroads has always been about places to go and things to do with your bike and we have always stressed proper riding gear - which your wife was wearing, except for the jeans and sneakers that can disappear in flash – she was fortunate.

Brian Rathjen - editor

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

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Mail: BACKROADS PO Box 317 Branchville NJ 07826

Email: editor@backroadsusa.com Fax: (973) 948-0823

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

PRODUCT REVIEW

Page 13

BOOSTER PLUG

Most machines these days run with fuel injection and the idea that leaner after ignoring it for far too long. is greener. This thought occasionally causes fuel mixture problems, bad throtIt made my GS even that tle response, poor idling among other shoddy tendencies. much more fun to ride.

Some of these things go by unnoticed as we get used to them and just asThe 1200GS, which cursume that is the way the bike is supposed to be. rently has 34,0000 miles on As time goes on these symptoms can get worse. the clock, just felt like a betThink of it like your eyesight that may get worse ter and more responsive maas time goes on but you just don’t notice it. chine. The BMW even shifts smoother If there was an easy and cost effective with far less clunking than before. On steep hill where I would always get a way to remedy this situation would bit of puffing and low occasional backfires I had no more issues. If you have you not go for it? an aftermarket exhaust you will really notice the difference.

I know I would and now have I was more than impressed and very pleased to see a product work exactly for my BMW R1200GS. as advertised.

The Booster Plug is the creThe Booster Plug is available for most modern BMW machines as well as ation of Jens Lyck and utilizes the the Triumph Tiger 1050 and they list for around $150 American. stock connections to make instalWe have another one on order for our F650GS and I recommend this to all lation of the Booster Plug easy modern BMW riders – the Booster Plug could just be the best investment and spliceless. you will ever make in your machines performance.

Basically the Booster Plug utilizes Log onto www.boosterplug.com for more information or to orders yours. and processes readings from the original Air Intake Temperature sensor and its external sensor that provides ambient air temperature data along with its internal resistor data and it is this output that is sent to the Fuel Injection Control Unit.

I know this sounds like too much Star Trek talk; why not just run the data as a Tachyon Pulse through the Forward Phaser Array?

Let’s bring this down to Earth, hmmm?

Simply put, the Booster Plug makes the Fuel Injection Engine Control Unit think that the ambient air temperature is 20 degrees Celsius (plus/minus one degree) lower than it actually is and accordingly the Engine Control unit makes the mixture richer by a specific amount.

According to Jens, “The idea itself is actually rather simple: if you can trick the computer to think the ambient temperature is lower than the actual temperature reading, it will enrichen the mixture a little which will improve acceleration and throttle response.”

This sounded good to me so I ordered a Booster Plug from Jens website and in about a week a package arrived.

While waiting for the package to arrive from Denmark I perused some websites where riders had installed and used the Booster Plug. All the reviews were glowing and it seemed that installation would be fairly simple as the Booster Plug is a Plug and Play sort of device.

For me the time taking off my tank bag, with all the power and communication cables and various body panels would take a bit longer than the actual installation of the Booster Plug.

From soup to nuts it took me an easy half hour with WNTI (local college station) on the radio and a cold beer sitting near by.

Once I was able to get to the Air Intake Sensor I simply unplugged the BMW connection and plugged in the Booster Plug, the other end went onto the original 67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY BMW plug. I then routed the external NTC Resistor along the top of the fuel cell and zip-tied it in place where it would be far from engine heat and get a good flow of fresh air while I was moving along the roads.

Installation was incredibly easy.

Now this R1200GS starts with greater ease and idles stronger. On the road the throttle response is far improved and through the entire power range it feels far smoother than it had previously been running.

It was like getting your bike back from a tune-up

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JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 14

BIG CIT Y G ETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

elDreD WOrlD War ii museum 201 main street, elDreD, Pa 16731 • WWW.elDreDWWiimuseum.net Tucked away in the north central part of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains, right at the New York border, you will find the tiny town of Eldred.

Smack dab in the middle you will find one of the most impressive museums dedicated to World War II in the nation - The Eldred World War II Museum.

But “Why is there a World War II museum in Eldred?”

For this we went to the museum’s website. The answer lies in a munitions plant that was operated in the Eldred area during the war. The plant did not start out as an American operation, however. George Roudebush, an American lawyer, with J.W. Whitmore, a Canadian, found the Eldred area to be a suitable location for a munitions plant that would serve British armed forces.

The National Munitions Company began operation in mid 1941, before the United States became actively involved in World War II. Production for American armed forces began after December 7, 1941.

Approximately 1,500 people worked in this facility and once our boys went off to war, 95% of National Munitions Company’s employees were women. During peak production the plant stretched across 1,800 acres with proving grounds in New York State. Types of munitions assembled at the plant were British 3 inch trench mortars, 2 inch smoke projectiles, incendiary bombs, bomb fuses, and thermite hand grenades. Operations ceased once the war ended and the plant was later dismantled.

With such a history this town was the perfect place for such a great museum.

Riding up we took in the large tank charging through the museum’s wall. It gave just a taste of what waited inside.

If a hard-core World War II aficionado or simply a lover of history the Eldred WWII Museum is sure to please. It is almost a bit of sensory overload.

We first thought we would spend just a short bit of time here but it turned out to be quite a bit longer than that.

There were many different displays – one featuring the women that were back in Eldred building munitions for use over seas, including a stunning stained glass featuring an image of just one of these great women. Different weaponry and rifles were displayed, a real periscope, hundreds of original artifacts and walking through the Eldred World War II Museum you get a good sense of how important our efforts were and what a pivotal time in the world’s history that era was.

On a note closer to home there was some artwork depicting what the Germans did to the Jews.

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012 loved ones held onto each other as the Nazis machine-gunned them into a ditch. Who can imagine such evil existed and sadly still does.

Another display of a Merchant Marine Supply Ship in the ocean had me almost seasick.

There is much mention in this museum of Congressional Medal of Honor honoree Mitchell Page.

He went off in 1936 to join the Marine Corps to seek adventure, serve his nation, and see the world. When war with Japan broke out in 1941, Page was a platoon sergeant in charge of a machine gun platoon with the 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. On October 23, 1942 on the Island of Guadalcanal, he and his 33 men held off approximately 3,000 Japanese soldiers in an attack that threatened Henderson Airfield. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his

Page 15 actions. Paige rose through the ranks of the Marine Corps after a battlefield commission in 1943, retiring as a full Colonel in 1964. The Colonel did much to help start the museum and is honored for his actions.

There are many events that are held during the year at the museum and you can log onto their website to see what is happening and when.

The Eldred World War II Museum is a true Pennsylvania treasure for its marvelous portrayal of history, war and for its artwork and displays; which struck a chord in both Shira and me.

Next time you are exploring north central Pennsylvania make it a point to visit the Eldred WWII Museum; you will learn a bit about history, bravery and the resolve of a nation.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 16

Rip & Ride® • ELDRED WORLD WAR II MUSEUM 201 MAIN STREET, ELDRED, PA 16731 • WWW.ELDREDWWIIMUSEUM.NET

FROM PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK RTE. 97 TOWARDS NARROWSBURG STRAIGHT AT RTE. 52 OVER BRIDGE IMMEDIATELY RIGHT AFTER THE BRIDGE TAKE RIVER RD. SR1017 / 1004 LEFT AT RTE. 371 LEFT AT RTE. 374 RIGHT AT RTE. 106 TO KINGSLEY CROSS RTE. 11 TO SR 2024 (FOLLOW BROOKLYN SIGN) STRAIGHT AT SR 3023 TO RUSH LEFT AT RTE. 706

RIGHT AT RTE. 409 RIGHT AT US 6 LEFT AT T IN TOWANDA P/U RTE. 220 SOUTH RIGHT ON RTE. 414 STRAIGHT ON RTE. 287 RIGHT ON RTE. 660 WELLSBORO WEST ON RTE. 6 BEAR RIGHT IN PORT ALLEGANY TO RTE. 155 BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 446 TAKE INTO ELDRED MUSEUM ON LEFT

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Regardless of being boring most historians accept that the tower is the remains of an old stone windmill built in colonial times by Benedict Arnold, grandfather of the Revolutionary War patriot/traitor with the same name. Arnold was governor of Rhode Island at the time and owned the land where the tower is located. Arnold mentions the structure in his will, composed in 1677, referring to it as “my stone built Wind Mill.” Later records show the tower was used as a lookout tower by the Americans and an armory by the British during the Revolution.

When I visited Newport this past Fall the tower was being upkept and was surrounded by scaffolds while three masons pointed and refitted ancient stones.

Surprisingly the three men working on the tower, one was English, the other a Swede and the third Chinese which only made me wonder more.

Right across the street from the Viking Tower is a small shop that can fill you in on all the theories and latest speculation of who, when and why the tower was built.

The Viking Tower is there for you to see while riding in the Newport region – a trip well worth it all by itself.

Go visit the many mansions, enjoy some great seafood but make some time to head to Touro Park and take in some Mysterious America.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 17

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s M YST ER IOU S AM ER IC A the ViKing tOWer Does something become part of Mysterious America when it is found or forgotten?

This is a curious question with this month’s sojourn to this Rhode Island enigma, the Viking Tower.

In the center of Newport, a very busy, touristy and slightly affluent town, they have one or two fairly nice properties don’tcha know – you will find Touro Park.

In the middle of this park stands a large stone tower whose beginnings have been shrouded in mystery and obscurity for a very long time, some say before the English arrived.

This spot in the park is now encircled by the town that has built up around it, but hundreds of years ago it could easily be spotted from the sea. The tower is constructed of small slabs of unfinished stone held together with a mortar of shells, sand and water, and is built upon eight round columns separated by an equal number of arches supporting the remains of two

far of a stretch. Another theory, one that we think might have far more credibility than you would think, is that the tower was built by the Chinese.

Chinese? Seymour are you off your meds, you ask?

Not at all. There has been quite a bit of speculation about the Chinese not only reaching New England and the Canadian Maritimes but actually settling there for a hundred years back in the 12th century. A number of settlements have been found in Nova Scotia and the local natives, the Mic Maks, traditional garb is very Asian in design. These people were the only native American tribe to have a written language which looks exactly like Chinese of that era.

Cape Breton-born architect Paul Chiasson has found ruins of a settlement while hiking on Cape Dauphin, on the eastern edge of the island. In his book, The Island of Seven Cities: Where the Chinese Settled When They Discovered North America, Chiasson concludes that explorers from China built the settlement. I have read this book and Chiasson makes a strong case.

Others claim the tower is an astronomical observatory and that the eight supporting pillars of the tower face the main points of the compass. In the 1990s, William Penhallow, an astronomer at the University of Rhode Island, studied the windows in the tower and said that he found a number of astro-

upper stories. Now just over 24 feet in height, it once stood at least several feet taller.

But who built it.

Some simply say it was a windmill, like many of the same in England while others have the builders creating this tower centuries before the British invasion.

Many believe the tower was built as a landmark by Norse Vikings. It has been well documented that the Vikings had traveled to North America centuries before Columbus stumbled upon it; so claiming the tower’s pedigree is from the Norse is not that

nomical alignments. At the summer solstice the setting sun should shine through the “west” window onto a niche in the inner wall, next to the “south” window. This no longer happens due to urban development and park trees. Similarly, the angle from the “east” window through the “west” window is about 18 degrees south of west, which is the southern extreme of moonsets during what is known as the “lunar minor standstill”. The smaller windows also form alignments, on significant stars.

These alignments could be accidental, but if they were deliberate it would explain why the pattern of windows seems, according to Penhallow, “so odd”.

Still many just say the tower is from colonial times and all this talk of mystery and intrigue is simply a bunch of tall tales. Those people are so boring – Muggles, I say.

(Continued on previous page)

tOurO ParK, neWPOrt, rhODe islanD

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 18

G REAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN the erie hOtel anD restaurant 9 Jersey aVenue, POrt JerVis, neW yOrK 12771 845-858-4100 • theeriehOtel.cOm Over the year we here at Backroads have taken to using the tiny burg of Port Jervis as a stating point for many Rip & Rides and more than a few Backroads Rallies.

Located at the confluences of two rivers, the Neversink and Delaware, Port Jervis lies near the points where the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania come together.

South of the Laurel Grove Cemetery, under the viaduct for Interstate 84, are two monuments marking the boundaries between the three states as mentioned a few months back in Mysterious America.

The settlement was originally known as Mahackamack, which was its name when it was raided and burned in the American Revolutionary War by British forces under the command of Joseph Brant before the Battle of Minisink in 1779.

After the Delaware and Hudson Canal was opened in 1828, providing transportation of coal from northeastern Pennsylvania to New York and New England via the Hudson River, trade brought money and further development to the area. A village was incorporated in 1853, and was renamed Port Jervis in the mid-19th century, after John Bloomfield Jervis, the D&H Canal’s chief engineer. Port Jervis grew steadily into the 1900s, and on July 26, 1907, it became a city.

tasty places to take your bike

The first rail line to run through Port Jervis was the New York & Erie Railroad, which in 1832 was chartered to run from Piermont, New York, on the Hudson River in Rockland County, to Lake Erie.

Ground was broken in 1835, but construction was delayed by a nationwide financial panic, and did not start again until 1838. The line was completed in 1851, and the first passenger train – with President Millard Fillmore and United States Senator from New York Daniel Webster on board – came through the city on May 14. The railroad went through a number of name changes, becoming the Erie Railroad in 1897.

Port Jervis is still a train town and is the last stop on the 95-mile-long Port Jervis Line, which is a commuter railroad service from Hoboken, New Jersey and New York City that is contracted to NJ Transit by the Metro-North Railroad of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The track itself continues on to Binghamton and Buffalo, but passenger service beyond Port Jervis was discontinued in 1966.

But, that is okay for our stop on the Great All American Diner Run is right here - Port Jervis and The Erie Hotel.

This section of Port Jervis does have its roots in railroad history and you will find the Erie Hotel and Restaurant right next to the old Depot – one of

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 19

the last remaining buildings from the great “Iron Horse” days.

The Erie has a most remarkable look, harkening back to those days of yesteryear. The bar alone is worth the stop and we dare say it is the prettiest in this part of the northeast.

But, we’re here for the food and the Erie Hotel certainly has us covered.

We stopped by on a beautiful Fall day and found a few other riders had stolen the weekday afternoon as well and headed to The Erie for lunch.

Although they serve a stupendous dinner menu, we think we’ll stick with lunch this day.

Many of their servings are creative and different and bear historical names.

On their cold sandwich menu you’ll find the Sundance Kid – salami, ham, cheese with greens on a roll. The Erie is sliced roast beef and cheese and accoutrements with some biting horseradish and mayo.

For those of you who cannot get enough Thanksgiving we would recommend the Mae West; which is fresh sliced turkey, herb stuffing and cranberry sauce – yummy!

Along The Erie’s Specialty Sandwiches you will find some terrific offering. The Bushwacker, which is almost decadent with sliced turkey, ham and Swiss cheese dipped in an eggwash then grilled and served with Russian dressing. Part meaty sandwich part French Toast. I do believe this is a new Shira Kamil favorite.

The Buffalo Bill is equally as delicious with fresh roast beef, sautéed onions and melted cheese.

Staying basic this day I went for The Erie’s ½ pound burger, which was one of the best I have had in a long time.

In truth The Erie Hotel and Restaurant has so much to offer the casual rider or the good-sized riding group.

They have plenty of seats and rooms upstairs as well if you find yourself in the three-states area as the sun is setting.

While in Port Jervis seek out the Erie Train Turntable and some of the magnificent trains on display too.

The region, the roads, the history…The Erie Hotel has all the great ingredients for a stop on the Great All American Diner Run.

Rip & Ride® • THE ERIE HOTEL AND RESTAURANT 9 JERSEY AVENUE, PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK 12771 • 845-858-4100 • THEERIEHOTEL.COM

FROM NYC (JUST LIKE THE TRAIN) CROSS GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE PALISADE TO EXIT 14 LEFT INTO HARRIMAN STRAIGHT THROUGH TRAFFIC CIRCLE ON 106/210 BEAR RIGHT RTE.17 NORTH LEFT AT ORANGE TURNPIKE CR 19 LEFT AT BRAMONTOWN ROAD (HARD TO READ SIGN!) BEAR LEFT AT BENJAMIN HOLLOW ROAD LEFT AT BENJAMIN MEADOW ROAD MAKE RIGHT AT RTE. 17A BEAR RIGHT THEN LEFT AT GREENWOOD LAKE STAY ON RTE. 17A

LEFT AT RTE. 94 SOUTH RIGHT AT CR 1A INTO CR 1 LEFT AT RTE. 284 IN UNIONVILLE MAKE RIGHT AT MAIN STREET BEAR LEFT AT CR 36 BECOME CR 651 IN NEW JERSEY PLEASE WATCH 15 MPH TURNS!!!

RIGHT AT GORGE ROAD RIGHT AT RTE 23 NORTH CROSS OVER HIGH POINT STATE PARK LEFT AT US 6 INTO PORT JERVIS LEFT AT JERSEY AVENUE THE ERIE IS DOWN THE ROAD ON THE LEFT

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 20

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

W E’RE OUT TA HERE riDing tO anDes Okay, so we’re not talking the mountains of South America – this time.

But, a while back we told you about a great barbeque, The Cha Cha Hut, in the tiny town of Andes, New York.

Well, there is more to this town than just great food. Okay, there is more great food – and a nice hotel, bar, museum and, oh yeah lots of fantastic roads.

Pack up the bike cause we’re outta here!

This originally started as a GAADR, but with an unusually warm couple of days in mid-March we did a little planning and found the perfect overnight for the trip.

The Andes Hotel.

But, let’s start with our little ride up.

We began our journey heading to the Delaware River. Right before the bridge that crosses in Milford, Pennsylvania, we went to the right to stay on County Road 521 which ran us into New York at Port Jervis.

We made a quick stop at one of our own Mysterious America’s, The TriState Marker, which shows where New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania come together – sort of.

From there we picked up Route 97 and rode the famed Hawks Nest – which was totally empty on this warm March Thursday.

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads We hooked a right at County Road 31 and gained altitude as we motored along Forestburgh and the Mongaup Valley.

Not too long after that we passed the Woodstock site and then carried on north into the Catskills.

Although snow had been gone for a few weeks in New Jersey the white stuff still had a hold on the shady side of the Pepacton Reservoir and made for a messy ride along the still semi-frozen water.

We scooted along a small county road towards Andes, where we’d find the hotel by the same name.

The Andes Hotel has been around for a long time, try 1850, but the old building has been kept up and sitting on the porch with a beverage at the end of the riding day can bring you back to simpler times.

The Andes Hotel has ten rooms for rent that are located off the main building.

We were very impressed by each of the rooms we saw. All newly refurbished and decorated they were as nice as any we have seen in the region. The Andes Hotel website describes them this way “It’s like your drivin’ cross country in the ’73 Plymouth Satellite all over again, “Ooohh look dad they have color TV. Can we stay there tonight?”

Well, in our case we’ll be riding up on some classic motorcycles and that’ll work for us.

Rip & Ride® • THE ANDES HOTEL 110 MAIN STREET, ANDES, NEW YORK 1373 • 845-676-3980 • WWW.ANDESHOTEL.COM

RTE. 209 NORTH RIGHT BEFORE BRIDGE TO CR 521 CROSS IN TO NEW YORK AT PORT JERVIS LEFT AT US 6 OVER SMALL STEEL BRIDGE IMMEDIATE LEFT INTO CEMETERY RIDE SLOWLY TO END AND FIND THE TRI-STATE MARKER NEAR THE POINT UNDER I-84 BACK TO US 6 - TAKE IN THE FANTASTIC MARKERS IN THIS PLACE. PICK-UP RTE. 97 – HAWKS NEST RIGHT AT CR 31 RIGHT AT CR 42 BEAR RIGHT AT CR 43 LEFT AT NORTH RD. LEFT AT CR 44 / 45

LEFT AT RTE. 42 LEFT AT T TO BROADWAY BEAR LEFT AT RTE. 17B RIGHT AT RTE. 52 BEAR LEFT AT CR 128 CROSS CR 122 TO DYKER RD. SLOW ANIMAL SANCTUARY RIGHT AT BAYER RD. LEFT AT CR 122 / 123 BECOMES CR 124 CROSS UNDER RTE. 17 TO ROSCOE LEFT AT RTE. 206 RIGHT AT RTE. 30 PEPACTON RESERVOIR CROSS CAUSEWAY MAKE IMMEDIATE LEFT TO CR1 BEAR RIGHT TO ANDES

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Our room was very comfortable and bigger than most we’ve stayed in. The comfortability ran over to the shower, which we gave a high rating too. Always a plus.

After checking in we had a few hours to kill before dusk so we went exploring the environs, riding towards Bovina on County Road 6 and then 5 which gave an awesome view of the valley below, even in the melting wet.

As the sun was setting and after a well deserved and appreciated nap we moseyed over to the tavern and restaurant.

That night was pool night and the locals did a good job of keeping the place busy. Frank the bartender was very accommodating and we

Page 21 met a few guys named Bob that night. One was slightly more than a “pip.”

Yes, Bob Cole – that would be you.

The Tavern carries an excellent selection of beer, ales and wine. So they probably have whatever you crave.

Dinner at the Andes Hotel will not let you down. There is a reason for this.

Ed & Sally O’Neill are your hosts at The Andes Hotel. Ed, a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, spent the first eight years of his career under the tutelage of a few of America’s most celebrated Chefs. After spending three years with Charlie Palmer from Aureole restaurant, he moved on to spend three more with George Masraff from The Tavern on The Green and Windows on The World.

Sally grew up in the “business” working with her family at a small summer resort and at a local seafood restaurant, The Lobster Inn, in the Hamptons.

These folks know what they are doing and it shows with each item on the menu.

On certain days it is well worth walking down to the Hunting Tavern Museum – where they will tell you the story of the Anti Rent War, not to mention some great antiquing to be found in the town as well.

Over in Europe you will often find places to stay that combine the tavern, restaurant and hotel in a nice way. Here at The Andes Hotel they have done this as well, in a strictly American-way. When we stayed there they had a two for one specialthe same room for two nights for the price of one. They may run specials like that this season, but call to see if that is the case.

This place is perfect for small riding groups and if you and your riding buddies are looking for a great overnight, that allows for serious riding and a great evening to boot – then check out The Andes hotel – you will not be disappointed.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 22

The Best of Backroads 2011

O

nce again our people started to drift in from around the Backroads nation.

Byers flying in with a top secret (not now) Navy jet. So stealthy. Heald pulling up on an ancient Conestoga wagon he was testing for Playboy. Surprising to all of us was Jeff Bahr who actually parachuted in out of a bi-plane piloted by Don “Empire” Bock. How he made it through the trees is beyond us all.

The oddest arrival was the good Doctor – O’Life.

We were all wondering if he would be a no show when the series of blacked out Suburbans pulled into the long drive of Backroads Central, with the heavy limo in the middle.

Seymour stepped out followed by an attractive black woman who gave him the biggest hug and then said, “Our nation is proud of you all…”

A slender man in a suit waved from the window.

No way!

All right then…Time to get to the business of our yearly Best of Backroads!

The Great All American Diner Run For years now this monthly column has been a favorite for so many of our readers.

We all enjoy excellent food, exquisite scenery and enticing roads and with the Great All American Diner Run we try to find that magical combination for you each month. This year we had a hard choice to bring it down to the top three for the Best of Backroads 2011.

2nd Runner Up • the forklift café 1831 rte. 739, Dingmans ferry, Pa 18238 • 570-82-1920 • www.forkliftcafe.com Just west of the Dingmans Bridge crossing the Delaware River you will find our second runner up for the GAADR, the Forklift Café.

A tiny but comfortable place, the Forklift Café offers up some seriously great food from a wide and eclectic menu.

Backroads Central is not all that far from the Forklift Café and we head there often for breakfast and lunch. We’re still exploring the deep menu.

What ever you decide on you’ll absolutely enjoy it here; we promise you.

1st Runner Up • cha cha hut bbQ 43311 sr 28, arkville, ny 12406 • 845-586-6100 • www.chachahut.com We had gotten a tip from not one but two friends about this barbeque in Andes, New York and as soon as we could we were winging our way north into the Catskills along snow-lined roadways around the reservoirs.

We were not disappointed as Frank and Cherie Davis serve up the best barbeque we have had in a long time and that is even before you pour on their incredible sauces. The ribs are to die for, the Mac & Cheese is the best on the planet – seriously we mean that - and the rubs that they use and thankfully sell are simply a stunning inspiration.

During our Fall Fiesta Rally we brought a dozen or so riders up the Cha Cha Hut for lunch and many brought back dinner to the hotel as well.

New for this year will be the Cha Cha Hut’s location. By the time you read this they will be in their new digs in Arkville, New York, right on Route 28 and we can’t wait to head up there to see the new Cha Cha Hut.

1st Place Great All American Diner Run 2011 • glen iris inn letchworth state Park, castile, ny 14427 • 585-493-2622 • www.glenirisinn.com When it comes to taking the #1 spot for 2011’s Great All American Diner Run it really came down to location.

When you open up a wonderfully classy restaurant, like the Glen Iris, in the middle of the most amazing natural beauty that New York has to offer – Letchworth State Park, with its long gorge, towering rail bridge and thunderous waterfalls - it is hard to go wrong.

We stopped by this past May and spent a great afternoon exploring the park, and sitting down to a scrumptious lunch. Although the Glen Iris looks to be a bit more upscale that we usually frequent we found the staff helpful and more than friendly.

After lunch a stroll around the grounds was in order as was some time set aside for a little photography.

You will want to bring both your camera and appetite when you ride to the Glen Iris, the Great All American Diner Run champ for 2011!

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 23

Big City Getaway The Big City Getaway has always been about places to ride to and things to see. Whether it be to a great museum, interesting site and an important place in history; combining a good day’s ride with some place special is always a good thing.

2nd Runner Up • the saratoga battlefield This famous Revolutionary Battle, actually two battles fought nearly 18 days apart, changed the course of the war with Burgoyne’s loss to the Continental Army.

News of Burgoyne’s surrender was instrumental in formally bringing France into the war as an American ally and the rest is history – American history! The grounds of these hallowed places are quite beautiful and riding around the battlefield is something everyone should do at least once.

1st Runner Up • Pocono indian museum route 209, bushkill, Pa • 570-588-9338 www.poconoindianmuseumonline.com We are so used to how things are these days with modern technology, well built roads and Cracker Barrels and Starbucks that we forget that this land of ours was around way before Europeans arrived.

At the Pocono Indian Museum you will learn of the local native past.

The ancestors of the people we know as the Lenape arrived some 10,000 years ago and they lived, more or less, peacefully for centuries in this region.

Here at the Pocono Indian Museum the tour will show you how they survived and flourished for all those centuries. The tools they used, the homes they lived in, how the Lenape hunted and farmed. And, just as importantly how, in just a short span of 100 years, the tribes that some knew as the Delaware Indians and their culture vanished from this region as European settlers made headway westward.

It really is a super museum with some seriously great local riding as well nearby as well.

1st Place for 2011 Big City Getaway • motorcyclepedia museum 250 lake street (route 32) , newburgh, ny 845-569-9065 • www.motorcyclepediamuseums.com This was a very easy choice for us here at Backroads Central – our region needed a place like this and now we have it.

As our intrepid cub reporter Pete Miller said in his article, “Motorcyclepedia is a museum dedicated to motorcycles. It’s incredible! The museum, established by Edward and Gerald Doering, houses motorcycles and motorcycle memorabilia that have been collected by the Doerings for decades.

Will those who visit Motorcyclepedia enjoy, learn, investigate and examine motorcycles? You bet. The museum is housed on two floors in an 85,000 square foot building. Entering the museum you’re immediately struck by its spacious, well-lit and elegant displays of all things motorcycle. Gerald “Ted” Doering’s intention was to create a museum that anyone could enjoy. “You don’t have to be a motorcycle enthusiast to enjoy the museum,” Ted says, “there’s something for everyone”. Is there ever. It’s impossible for anyone to walk through the museum and not be reminded of some memory resurrected by a motorcycle, movie poster, song, television show or comic book displayed in the museum.”

We’re Outta Here!

This monthly column is always a favorite of ours. At the beginning of the year we never know where the road will take us and what special inns, hotels and lodgings we will find along the way to pass onto you. Whether it be a small B & B or palatial plantation we aim to please here. So let’s get going and see what the top three for 2011 are.

2nd Runner Up • springhill Winery Plantation bed & breakfast 3205 springfield road, bloomfield, Ky 40008 • 502-252-9463 • www.springhillwinery.com Many times in our travels we come across a place that is just wonderful. We consider it a perk of the job; but when we do we like to share it with you guys in Backroads.

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

An actual working winery, the plantation is a stunning home built back in 1857 by one John R. Jones and owned now by Ed and Carolyn O’Danile. Springhill is centrally located and just a short ride from many of the local sites and bourbon distilleries.

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

Everything about the Springhill was incredibly fine, especially Ed’s great stories of local lore and history.

Kentucky is an absolute joy to ride and the Springhill Winery is well worth the visit.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 24

1st Runner Up • Kitzhof inn 332 route 100, West Dover, Vt 05356 • 802- 464-8310 • www.kitzhof.com Motorcyclists will find a warm welcome from innkeepers and restaurateurs in the Mount Snow area, and many innkeepers, like Simon and Alison Ferris, owners of the Kitzhof Inn in West Dover, VT, are themselves keen motorcycle enthusiasts. In addition, they are members of the Backroads Moto-Inn Program of Rider-Friendly places to stay. Always a good thing!

The Kitzhof is located on Vermont’s Route 100, nationally acclaimed as one of the country’s most scenic drives, and just north of the Gray Ghost Inn, where we’ve held a number of our rallies. In fact, Simon and Allison have handled the overflow from their neighbors for years now and only the greatest things have been said about the Kitzhof.

From the warm and cozy atmosphere, phenomenal indoor hot tub and neat game room to the very comfortable rooms, the place is truly excellent.

For those of you new to riding this region, Route 100 is a fantastic two-lane highway that bisects Vermont, running along the spine of the Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts border to Canada.

Along the way you will find many hotels, bed & breakfasts and inns, but few as friendly and enjoyable as the Kitzhof.

1st Place We’re Outta Here 2011 elk mountain homestead 401 homestead Drive , benezette, Pa 15821 814-787-5168 • experienceelkcountry.com Now here was a place with a view. And what a view it was as the night began to approach and the elk in all their magnificence came out from the forests to graze in the wide meadow before us, which we took in from the view atop the silo.

Why elk you ask?

At one time there were thousands of Elk in this region, but when Europeans arrived they basically devastated the herds.

In the early 1900’s Elk were reintroduced from the Rockies and since then have flourished under the watchful eye of Pennsylvania.

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 25 Here at the Elk Center outside Benezette, Pennsylvania you can even rent the old farm homestead for you and your small group.

It’s a complete home, with a kitchen and all the amenities. We would recommend staying a few nights, and making yourself at home, as the region offers the best riding in all of the Keystone state and the Center’s museum is very well done indeed and worth taking the time to explore.

We fell in love with the Elk Mountain Homestead and plan on returning whenever we can. You should too – there is an excellent reason this was chosen as our #1 place to overnight for 2011.

Actually there are a number of reasons and they weigh over 1,000 pounds each!

Mysterious America Some 18 years ago, when we first began publishing Backroads, we were approached by one very strange dude indeed – Dr. Seymour O’Life who promised us an unending supply of odd, strange and mysterious destinations.

Along with a few sidekicks he has come through for nearly two decades and each month we wonder what the good Doctor will show up with. This year he did not let us down and we would like to now offer you the top three for Mysterious America 2001.

2nd Runner Up • Desert Of maine 95 Desert rd., freeport, me 04032 • www.desertofmaine.com When one thinks of a desert the regions of northern Africa or America’s southwest might spring to mind, but rarely would the northeastern state of Maine.

What, a desert in Maine? That’s absurd – Maine has rocky coasts and smashing waves, great woodlands, moose and lakes. Not camels and sand.

Ah, but there you are wrong my stalwart friends, if just a bit. Come along with Seymour now as we ride to Freeport, Maine and the old Tuttle farm that is now the Desert of Maine.

One day Farmer Tuttle noticed a fine sand had begun to appear along parts of the farm. As time went on the sand began to encroach on other parts of the farm. Tuttle’s land was being overrun by something he thought should only be found in the Sahara.

But there was an underlying cause for Tuttle’s woes. Literally.

This part of the northeast had been buried under miles of ice during the last Ice Age. The powerful forces of the slow moving glaciers crushed and pureed the native stone into a sand-like glacial silt. With the badly managed crops and clear cutting, Tuttle had began eroding the shallow top soil of his once fertile farm, exposing a sandy monster from the past. Adding the sheep, who do not simply graze but tear plants out by the roots, the farm was quickly taken back by the underlying glacial silt.

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Page 26

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS The ocean breezes kept the sand moving and eventually almost 500 acres became a desert of sorts, with huge dunes hundreds of feet high. The Tuttle’s gave up on the farm and sold. These days the Desert of Maine is a true piece of Mysterious America and yours for the viewing.

1st Runner Up • roadside giants of the lincoln highway While zipping along this great highway named after President Lincoln, just east of Everett I saw the most amazing thing, the World’s Biggest Quarter.

This over-sized quarter with George Washington’s profile is a full 20 feet in diameter and weighs nearly one ton. The quarter was chosen due to Washington’s strong connections to Bedford County. Washington stayed at the famous Espy House on Pitt Street, and often drank at the Fraser Tavern, commonly known as the Graystone, during the French & Indian War. So there was this huge Quarter.

But, this is just a touch of what can be found along this famous highway.

It seems that a few years back a number students started building these goliaths.

Somerset County Technology Center built a Bicycle Built for Two measuring 17 feet high and weighing over 1,800 lbs. This Giant Bicycle is riding high at the intersection of Routes 30 and 219 near Jennerstown. The owners of a local resale shop, Second Time Around, were happy to host this Giant on their property. Students at this school wanted to recreate this design because of Somerset County’s many bike trails, like the popular Great Allegheny Passage.

Franklin County Career & Technology Center in Chambersburg, PA built a 1921 Selden Apple Truck standing 10.5 feet high and weighing nearly 1 1/2 ton.

In 1927, David Koontz built a two-story coffee pot lunch stand to attract weary drivers in need of a perk. Over the years it became a dive bar and, in 2003, the county of Bedford bought it for $1 for their visitor’s center, after some much needed TLC. The Roadside Giants of the Lincoln Highway are just some of the many mysterious things that can be seen roadside through this great country.

Keep your eyes peeled you never know what is around that bend – giant shoes, coffee pots…well, just about anything.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 27

1st Place Mysterious America 2011 • Joe’s bar 202 W main st, ligonier, Pa 15658 • 724-238-4877 Occasionally even O’Life runs into something that makes him take a step back. This was the case of a simple bar in Pennsylvania.

Some folks call places like these “Old Men” bars. Other will mistakenly label them “Dives.” But whatever you might take away from a visit to the center of town watering hole in Ligonier, Pennsylvania we guarantee it will be curious amazement.

Joe Snyder ran this bar for years, but it seems his passion was hunting.

We’re not talking deer or rabbits here. Nope, we’re talking big game.

The bigger the better.

Now, before any of you animal lovers go ballistic on the good Doctor here, let’s be clear. I didn’t shoot these animals - Joe did and it’s done so stop crying and come along to a real find in Mysterious America.

In the back of Joe’s Bar in Ligonier you will find the greatest private collection of stuffed animals we have ever seen.

A giant elephant’s head, lions’ tigers and bears – black, brown grizzly and Polar. But wait there is more…

Kangaroos, snakes, buffalo, rhinoceros, ibex, skunks, and almost every creature you could possibly shoot to kill on this planet. An estimated representation of 100 species are on view, all for the price of wandering in, no purchase necessary.

Even some that were never actually on the planet in the first place.

Jackalopes and squirrels dressed up like Robin Hood and his furry Merry Men. All in all I estimated over 220 stuffed mementoes of Joe’s travels.

We have never seen a place like this and it easily was the oddest place we visited this last year and we hope you check it out too.

The town of Ligonier has a great B&B called the Campbell House that will make you feel so at home and several good eateries such as the Ligonier Tavern with outdoor dining for the warmer weather.

Joe’s Bar, the 2011 #1 Mysterious America, is just a short stroll down the road from these.

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JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Fall Fiesta 2011

O

nce again the Earth did its yearly trip round the sun and with the days significantly shorter and the weather starting to cool it was time for our annual Autumnal gathering we call the Fall Fiesta. This time around we wanted to do things a bit differently and head to some places we had not sojourned to in the past so we looked back on a ride we did last fall with the folks from Americade.

Along one of the day trips we ended up in the tiny seaside town of Booth Bay, Maine. Here Shira and I split from the rather large group and ended up finding an inn called the Ocean Point. It took us about two minutes walking around the place to know we would be doing something up this way.

The problem was getting our group up and back. This, we thought, we’d handle with a few nights on the road heading to and from Maine. We have done rallies like this before, but this one would be a bit different as we had made up routes so intricate that we felt they were best done by GPS; thus this rally would have no route sheets. We were not sure if this venture into a totally techno-ride would fly, but we would give it a shot. Worse come to worse we could always go back to Manually Acquired Positioning System, also known as MAPS, and make the best of it the old-fashioned way.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 31

Although many would meet us up in Sturbridge, Massachusetts at the Publick House, some met us for a quick breakfast in Fishkill and then a few different groups headed off following US Military Satellites north and east.

The ride was pleasant as we cut from New York into Connecticut and then back and forth across the Massachusetts border before finally pulling into Sturbridge in the mid-afternoon.

We had first heard of the Publick House from friends travelling through a few years back, but as fate would have it none of them actually came on this rally. Go figure.

The rather sprawling place certainly could handle our large group and by evening we had the lots and restaurants full. Another Backroads Rally was under way.

Most were up and out early the next day as we had an ambitious ride to the rocky coast of Maine.

This would be the day that would either prove our GPS-Only experiment was a good one or a flop.

Opposite: The rocky coast of Maine.

Clockwise: Passing the road course of Lime Rock, our digs in Massachusetts and on the road to Maine.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 32 Shira had planned this day’s 260 miles of backroads delight and she came through in a big way as the route up the center of Massachusetts and into New Hampshire was a pure delight.

Crossing into Maine we were forced to go around Portland and did our best to stay off the Interstate as we paralleled Route 1 heading north.

Right on time for sunset we rolled up to the Ocean Point Inn right on Boothbay Harbor.

Adirondack chairs and a beautiful setting sun easily cleansed us all from the miles of the day and we all knew we had a winner with both Boothbay and the routes.

With a free day in Maine our Fall Fiesta folk went all over. We had set up a number of rides along the coast and Shira and I split up for the day, she riding with friends to find the ultimate lobstah roll and me heading back to Portland to visit Loren Coleman’s Cryptozoology Museum.

Along for my ride came Deni and Larry, both of whom were promised the real ultimate lobstah roll for lunch.

The museum was awesome and Loren, the United States leading expert in all things monster, was very cordial and took great pleasure showing us the true Mysterious America.

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Page 33 Heading back east we stopped at DeLorme Maps and got to see Eartha the world’s largest globe; a full three stories tall, it truly shows you what a wonderful place we call home.

Now you know you are in Maine when the Lobster Shacks start outnumbering the fuel stations, but one particular Lobsta’ Shack has risen above the rest – Red’s Eats which is found right on Route 1 in the town of Wiscasset. Considered by many as the #1 lobstah roll on the planet we had to do lunch there even though there was a 45 minute wait.

Not that I am an expert on lobstah roll, but Red’s Eats serves up an entire lobster on every roll. Simply amazing and time well spent.

Many of our riders headed to the Marshall Point Light House made famous in Forest Gump.

The route traveled up and down the fingers of the coast of Maine, finding some beautiful roller coaster roads. Although it was an overcast day, the setting made for some striking photos. It was then a short ride to the Brass Compass Café, in Rockland. This little place was featured in Bobby Flay’s Throwdown for lobstah rolls and the

Counterclockwise: Our digs in Maine, Loren Coleman informs Deni and Larry of all things crypto, front of the line at Red’s Eats, Marshall Point Lighthouse, the face-off of the lobsta rolls with Pepe’s King of Clubs and Red’s Eats overstuffed roll and coastal riding.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 34

owner, Lynn Archer, took home the title with her triple-decker King of Clubs. All those in Shira’s group agreed it was a great sandwich – it had bacon, how could it not be? From there some went to explore the harbor area of Boothbay with its quaint shops while others kept on the little roads back to the Inn. This was the first time we had ever hit a coast on a Backroads’ rally and from the smiles and comments we think we hit the bulls eye with Boothbay.

We had been fairly golden with the weather so far but, as most know, it wouldn’t be a Backroads Rally without a bit of moisture.

The next day started off just cloudy but heading west through the forests of Maine things began to get wet. Crossing into the Granite state of New Hampshire the skies opened up and the day became a soaker. Entering Vermont the usual tranquil roads had a more ominous look. Our route was to bring us over the mountains on roads we were familiar with and would drop us off on Route 100 just south of the Gray Ghost Inn, our third hotel of the rally.

We rode up to a “Road Closed” sign, which we promptly ignored, and got a first hand look at the incredible destruction Hurricane Irene did to the region. Houses toppled, cars crushed, properties covered with silt, sand and rock.

We took our time along the destroyed road and waved politely at the road crews rebuilding the state.

Later on we found that a good number of our riders chose to ignore the road closed sign and took the short but adventurous cut through the pass.

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The Gray Ghost was a complete sell-out for this event and it is always a joy seeing Carina and the kids.

The rains kept plaguing us this day, but we had no worries as the Gray Ghost had planned a barbeque dinner for our group. The bikes were parked, folks dried off and the festivities continued. Later that night after a number of storm bands had washed the region we began to see stars peaking out and the next morning was a glorious one with sun and clouds and cooler temperatures.

From the Gray Ghost our next and last stop on this year’s Fall Fiesta would be the Hunter Inn in the Catskills.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012 Hunter was holding their annual Octoberfest and there was the Color in the Catskills Motorcycle Rally too.

We had mapped out most of the routes for this trip well before Hurricane Irene pillaged the northeast so this day we ran into many closed roads, which we again took any way.

Needless to say we began to reroute along the way avoiding any rivers and streams when we could. Still there was plenty of sand and gravel this day.

We stopped for lunch in Great Barrington and then looped west and over the Rip Van Winkle Bridge across the Hudson and into the Catskill.

With all the moisture from the previous days the waterfalls on Route 23A were the most impressive we have ever seen them and we knew that we would have to spend some time rethinking our next day’s ride to the Cha Cha Hut Barbeque.

We checked into the hotel and then scooted over to the rally to see what was going on and to visit the vendor area.

The hotel had a decent bar and a great menu so we were set for the night, which was a good thing as we had even more Fall Fiesta Folks showing up for the last few days of the rally and the place did a brisk business that night; even if it took all night to really get dinner.

As we mentioned we had a ride scheduled that Saturday to one of our favorite barbeques, the Cha Cha Hut in Andes, New York, but as bad as parts of Vermont and Massachusetts were the Catskills took a bigger hit from Irene and any roads by the creeks and streams might or might not be rideable.

We found that our planned route was not going to happen so we made a large loop along roads that were still open to Andes.

We had promised our riders only the best in barbeque this day and Frank and Cherie came through in a big way with their outstanding smoky delights, creative sauces and the best mac & cheese in the world. We even bought a few racks of ribs back for dinner later that night.

We routed up by Grand Gorge and then through Prattsville. The scene in

Page 35 the town, or what was left of it, was beyond anything we had seen so far. The town was devastated when the local creek rose over 15 feet in under 12 hours and we heard, at one point, the rain spilling off the Catskills sent a volume of water that was greater than Niagara Falls through the town. A large white FEMA tent dominated a muddy lot and homes were crushed and mangled, torn off their foundations. American flags jutted from poles stuck in the mud; and the misery of this tragedy was enough to make you want to cry for these people.

You barely heard about this from the big news networks, but I am sure there will be yet another sad story about Katrina next week. It is amazing how some news people decided what is worth reporting over and over again.

Back at the Hunter Inn we parked the bikes for the day and meandered back to the Octoberfest and the Colors in the Catskills Rally.

The beer was flowing and the oompah bands were blaring and even though it was a fairly crappy and wet day everybody seemed to be having a grand time; so we got in the spirit and danced polkas, sang unknown lyrics to obscure German drinking songs and generally had smiles all around.

It was a fine end to a phenomenal week of riding with our friends new and old.

Sunday saw most packing up and heading homeward and, right on cue, the sun came out allowing for this last day on the road to be as perfect as they come. Some have taken to calling it Backroads Weather.

Heading south out of the Catskills I began to breathe a sigh of relief as the roads looked better and we were making quick time home, until we ran into the Delaware River just south of Port Jervis. We saw one last Road Closed warning. We ignored it, like the rest, and soon were back at Backroads Central where there was, thankfully, no sign closing our driveway.

Another great rally in the books.

We hope to see you in May in Luray, Virginia – trust us – we already are praying to the Weather Gods and Joe Bastardi.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 36 Since my family and friends were a bit worried about my disappearance I want everyone to know that yes, I am safe and sound; no real harm done. I was riding back from North West Argentina and was taken hostage by a small band of leftist guerrillas operating in the mountain range of Tucuman. I managed to break free but it was a pretty hairy 12 hours.

After the previous day’s rain the sun was a welcome sight as I headed down the mountain pass from Tafi de Valle towards the low lands of Tucuman Province. Doug Raymond and I drank our coffee at an outdoor cafe and conferred over the topo maps planning his ride northwards toward Bolivia. After breakfast we shook hands and wished each other well. He went left and I went right.

The sun was breaking through the thin overcast that had hovered all morning, remnants of the previous night’s drizzle, and provided a dazzling array of light across the valley on the east-facing mountains of green. The BMW R1100 GS was running absolutely great and I cruised down the switchbacks, the cool wind flowing through my open visor. Occasionally I would pass a car heading up the mountain but for the most part I had the road to myself. What a great feeling.

As I approached a sharp curve cut into the shoulder of a mountain I passed a road sign. It read, Fin Del Mundo (End of The World). I stopped to snap a picture, then spied a dirt track leading from the road up the side of the mountain toward the crest. Thinking that there might be some great photo opportunities I downshifted, weighted the pegs, and left the asphalt for the gravel and packed dirt.

Realizing that this could be private property I took it slow, wary of wires or chains that could be hidden in the shadows.

The foliage turned from vines and moss-covered rocks to a stand of hemlock and I slowed the bike to almost a crawl, having to look sideways

e h T

into the dark recesses to find the trail.

“CRACK!” My helmet jerked sideways. I jumped from the pegs onto the dirt and was able to stop the GS without dropping it. What the hell? I said, looking around to find the source h art fH of the impact. In my mirror I f e J could see a brown streak, like dirt, on the side of my white helmet.

Was it a branch? Did I hit a bird? As I scanned the ground behind me a second dirt

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012 clod passed not inches from my face. Then, out of the shadows appeared fifteen or twenty people, some dressed in camouflage and others in ordinary street clothes. I was quickly surrounded.

As they came nearer I noticed that none of them were more than three feet tall, some closer to two feet. “You’re kidding,” I snickered. It was an army of midgets.

“Shut up Capitalist Pig!” the little guy in front of me screamed in a high, shrill voice, like he had just sucked a lung full of helium. “We saw you coming up the trail and could smell the stink of your American Dollars all the way up here.” I took him to be the leader as the rest of the group let out little squeals and giggles when he finished, rocking back and forth on little bowed legs.

Half laughing I replied, “Hey, man, I’m just passing through and wasn’t looking for any trouble.”

The leader stepped out from the rest of them, they all watched for a hint of what was about to go down. As he approached the front of my bike I had to stand up to see his head over my bike’s cockpit panel.

He eyed me close, looked over my motorcycle, then back to me. “You have no idea where you are, do you Capitalist Pig?” I looked around, then to my map tucked into the clear pocket on the top of my tank bag, and pointed with my finger, “Actually I am about a quarter mile south west from Route 307, twelve miles from the summit of Tafi de..”

“Silence!” the leader shrilled at me again. I went quiet. There was a murmur from the rest of the group as he stepped forward. I could see his thin, wiry beard better in the sunlight. He was wearing the best camouflage of the group and had a cigar stuck in his jacket pocket. “No my friend,” he whispered with a thick Spanish accent, “you … are in Communist Territory.”

My eyebrows went up, “Is this where the Pepsi bottling plant is?” My comment was met with silent stares.

Page 37 “You Americans think everything is a joke, don’t you?” The leader walked to the side of my bike, looked at me with his best Clint Eastwood glare, and reached up and tapped me on the knee with his riding crop, “The world is not full of rich people like you. It is occupied by the working class, people who have to toil, and labor... and...and work for a living.”

“Ah, … those are all synonyms for the same verb.” I pointed out.

“Quiet with your fancy schmancy American double-talk! You, my friend, have stumbled into the hands of,” he paused for effect and raised his hands, “the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucianarias de Tucuman Solidaridad!” A collective cheer went up around me.

As the squeal died down I did the mental mathematics and blinked twice... “the F.A.R.T.S.?” I raised my eyebrows again.

The squeal rose and they all started dancing in little circles. The leader glanced beneath my bike at the group on the opposite side, “Enough!” There was silence.

“Yes, we are the F.A.R.T.S aligned closely with other great leaders for the only true Democracy. Where ever there are great revolutionaries, there we are! Key allies right behind El Che – our Comrade Martyr, El Castro ...well...actually now his brother, El Chavez, and... and ... and that guy from Korea...” he snapped his fingers impatiently and looked left and right, “what IS his name?!”

“Kim Jong?” I interjected.

“Siiiiiiii”, he sneered and his eyes brightened, “El Kim Jongo, the wisest of them all.” A reverent hum arose from the group.

The leader tapped me again on my knee. “Obviously you have heard of all of the revolutionaries? Then you must know who I am.” He puffed his chest out and looked off in the distance. I waited. Everyone else waited. He waited.

I waited some more. Finally, as his face was turning red, he let out a big exhale, and looked around obviously annoyed at the group.

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Page 38 One of the other guys to his right, the Master at Arms, wearing a bandoleer across his chest – not a shotgun shell visible, stepped forward and said in a tight, high voice, “This is Che Limburgero, the most renowned revolutionary leader in all of the Americas, the greatest of the F.A.R.T.S.!” This was followed by a squeal from the group.

“Ah, you are the big cheese!” I was proud of myself at the moment. Then I turned back to the Master at Arms, “And you must be...?”

I looked at him closer, “…Squeaky” we both said in unison. I was beginning to get the picture. Suddenly, I could feel someone close. I glanced in my mirror and, out of nowhere, there was a little person standing on the seat behind me pressing something against the back of my neck. I moved my head slightly to the right to get a better look in the mirror, but still couldn’t see him well, his face partially hid by my helmet. “And this here is….,” this time I paused for effect, “Silent But Deadly?”

I heard the almost inaudible voice behind my helmet, “SBD to you.”

Breaking the silence one of the other guys on my right stepped forward wearing a Budweiser cap. Before he could speak I cut him off, “I think I recognize you. I believe we met while I was in college.” He sneered.

Just then I noticed a figure standing off from the rest, about 10 feet back in the shadows of the trees. He was wearing old clothes, tattered, and looked even from this distance to be somewhat dirty. He sheepishly toed the dirt with his boot. “Who is that?” I asked.

The group collectively turned to look at the figure. Che Limburgero spoke,

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS “Ah… he’s not really part of our group.

He pretends to be but isn’t really one of us. He’s just a little shit.” I watched as the group of revolutionaries turned up their noses in disgust.

“Right. Ok.” I looked at the round, cherub faces. “Well, it has been fun and interesting and I wish you lots of luck with your little revolution.” I started to turn the bike around when I heard a “POP” followed by a sharp pain in my arm. One of the F.A.R.T.S, holding a BB gun, had shot me.

“Ow! Quit it!” I yelled. “That hurt!”

The clutch lever slipped out of my hand and the bike jerked dead in 1st gear.

“You aren’t going anywhere,” El Limburgero retorted. “You are with us until your Capitalist Friends and Family have paid your ransom!” At that eight of the little guys ran up and grabbed the bike by the side bags and the wheels and another had climbed up into a tree and, unseen by me, swung out into the clearing on a vine, knocking me off of the bike as he passed.

I lay on the ground for a moment trying to get my bearings but it was too late. I was being tied down with vines to stakes in the ground. As I looked up, getting dizzy and about to pass out, I could see four other little guys sit-

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012 ting on top of the GS, one behind the other, the one in front sitting on the gas tank holding the center of the handle bars with his legs sticking straight out to the side. The four of them were leaning left and then right making race bike noises, the guy in the back kicking his little legs back and forth like he was riding a horse.

The sun was lower on the horizon when I awoke and I could see the GS parked on the side stand. I dared not move but looked through slitted eyelids. All of the revolutionaries were asleep around me. I tried to see if there was a guard on duty but could only see part of the way to my rear.

I thought that this would be the time to make a run for it. The key was still in the ignition of the bike.

I took a deep breath and then pressed with all of my strength. The vines snapped and in one swift motion I jumped up and leapt onto the GS. As I flipped on the ignition and hit the starter all around me I could see movement.

Little voices squealed and yelled. popped the clutch into first and snapped the throttle, spinning the back tire in the soft ground and showering the revolutionaries with dirt as I spun the bike around and faced it down hill.

At this I let off the front brake, the back tire gained traction and I took off down the trail. I could see little figures in my mirrors trying to keep up with the bike but it was to no avail. They started to disappear behind me. Just then,

Page 39 as I crested a short rise, I could see something in the trail. At this moment he stood up. It was the guy they called, “Rip”, he was the muscle of the group, the brashest, and wasn’t about to give way. He stood, defiantly wearing his I Love Che Guevara t-shirt, in the middle of the trail.

I stood on the rear brake and skidded the GS to a halt, dust clouds rose around enveloping us both. When the dust finally settled he was still there, refusing to go away.

“Crap!,” I said putting the kickstand down and hopping off of the bike.

“You just don’t know any better, do you?” I said. I took three quick strides towards him, snatched him up by his collar, and swiftly drop-kicked him into the lower branches of an Elm, growing close to the trail. As he sailed upward he let out an, “IiiiiiiiiiiiEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…”

At this I turned to see the rest of the revolutionary group racing down the hill on stubby little legs, closing on the bike, and hence, my freedom. I swung my leg over the GS, jumped on the pegs, and ripped the throttle.

And that is how I escaped and left the F.A.R.T.S. in the dust behind me, all the way to base of the mountain.

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Page 41

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival DO nOt cheaP Out On mOtOrcycle insurance Andrew Prince Attorney at Law Every day we are all bombarded by the insurance industry competing against each other for your motorcycle, car, and homeowner’s insurance. Without exception, all the ads on television, radio and in print media follow the same theme. “Call us we are here to save you money.” “Shop around and compare prices and you will see that we will save you money!” “We promise that if you give us 15 minutes of your time we will save you 15% on your insurance.” And so on and so forth.

I know the economy is bad. I recognize that many of you out there are struggling to make ends meet. However, when you save money on your motorcycle insurance, or car insurance all you really are doing is playing into the hands of the insurance companies. Why do I say this? When you buy a minimum amount of insurance coverage ($15,000.00 in NJ) for the cheapest price available, all you are doing is not protecting yourself in a big way. The premium that the insurance companies make is all on the initial policy being sold whether it is for a minimum amount of insurance coverage or for a far greater amount of insurance coverage. The insurance company does not make that 318 Curves in 11 Miles much more money by selling you a maximum policy as compared to a minimum policy of insurance coverage. Therefore, they want you to buy the minimal policy of insurance coverage 800.889.5550 ($15,000.00) and have the least amount of coverage to protect yourself and your family.

17548 Tapoco Road • Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771 By way of example if you would purchase a minimum motorcycle insurance policy for $15,000.00 you would be running the risk that if you are hurt in a motorcycle accident the chances are very good that the person hurting you will also maintain a minimum amount of insurance in the amount of $15,000.00.

How will you then be compensated if you are badly hurt? If you had purchased $250,000.00 on your motorcycle policy you will then be given underinsurance protection in the amount of $235,000.00 which is greater than the minimum amount by the individual that hurt you. This policy of insurance for $250,000.00 as compared to a $15,000.00 policy is only a few hundred dollars more a year. For way less than a dollar a day, you can pick up an additional $235,000.00 worth of coverage to protect you and your family in case you are seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.

I would urge you to immediately look at your motorcycle insurance policy. I would urge you to do the same with your car insurance. If you are maintaining insurance in the amount of $15,000.00 to $100,000.00 worth of coverage I am telling you that for a few dollars more you can go up to $250,000.00 on your motorcycle and up to $500,000.00 on your automobile.

You will never hear your insurance company or your insurance agent try to convince you to increase your insurance coverage.

They know that they will not be making any more money by having you do so but will be costing the insurance company potentially a lot of money if they have to pay out for a serious accident with injuries.

I do not have enough space in this article to give you more American • Metric • Sport reasons not to ‘go the cheap route’ on your motorcycle or car • Parts & Accessories insurance. Therefore, I would urge you, after reading this article, to call me or email me at no charge for further explain on • Award-winning Service why it is so important for you not to drive around with minimal • Performance Work coverage of insurance on your motorcycle or automobile. I will • Dyno Tuning spend the time with you to make certain that you have the most insurance available to protect you and your family in case you • S&S Pro Tuning Center are seriously injured in a motorcycle or automobile accident.

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EST. 1988 You can reach Andrew S. Prince, Attorney at Law at 800-988247 W. Westfield Ave, Rosell Park, NJ 5297 or 732-396-1800 and email him at Aprinceesq@aol.com.

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INDUS TRY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

DUCATI FASHION NIGHT AT CROSS COUNTRY CYCLE On Friday night November 18th CC Ducati participated in the Ducati National Fashion Show and turned their 35,000 square foot facility, located at 911 Middlesex Avenue in Metuchen, NJ into a nightclub, complete with stage, lights, DJ and of course models.

Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served throughout the evening that ended around 10pm. Approximately 250 spectators were wowed by the lights, sounds and models dressed in the full line of Ducati riding and casual wear. If that wasn’t enough, the following weekend Cross Country hosted its annual Open House that has been going on for over 15 years. The place was mobbed and between the food and storewide discounts, most customers left happy. The fact is, Cross Country knows how to throw a party!

If you have not visited the store you should make the drive down to Metuchen which is just minutes off exit 10 on the NJ Turnpike. Not only do they feature Ducati gear but have an enormous selection of products by BMW, Rev’it, Olympia, Tourmaster, Gerbing, Icon, Rocket, Alpine Star and more. The bikes on the six acre site, housed in three buildings on the powersports campus include BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Can AM, Polaris, Victory, Piaggio/Vespa, Kawasaki and Honda. Their hours of operation are from 96pm with a late night until 8pm on Thursday, Saturdays 9-6pm and Sundays 10-3pm. Check out the show on their website www.crossountryducati.com or youtube.

JUDGE UPHOLDS NY’S MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTS From our friends at the NYMSTF… In a blow to riders across the state, Judge Gary Sharpe (US Northern Dist.) on November 17 ruled that the motorcycle-only “safety” checkpoints may

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continue. The AP reports that since the purpose of the checkpoints was rider safety, and that they were effective (motorcycle fatalities fell 17% from 20082009), they may continue legally.

The NYMSTF maintains that checkpoints only served to detain and harass legal, safe riders — indeed, depositions stated that riders were detained up to 45 minutes for secondary violations. For those who ride in NYC in the summer, the delay of these weekly checkpoint stops can really add up. Riders are often handed equipment violations in error — which has nothing to do with rider safety, but does mandate an appearance in front of an Administrative Law Judge. Not every aftermarket exhaust is illegal, and arguing this on a day off work does little to promote rider safety.

NYMSTF STICKERS Show the public who we are with these new stickers from the NYMSTF. These stickers are 3” x 1.5”, screen-printed on laminated, weather-resistant white vinyl. The vinyl is pliable enough to apply smoothly to curved surfaces like a helmet, topcase or fender. $2.50 each when purchased online including S&H from http://nymstf.org/swag.htm Buy one for yourself, or get a pack to give or re-sell to your riding club.

All proceeds from NYMSTF sales go directly to fund the efforts of the NYMSTF

THE PRINCE PICKS A HARLEY AND HEADS TO VEGAS England’s Prince Harry lit up the British tabloids this weekend when the news surfaced of him renting a HarleyDavidson Softtail Classic and hitting the road for a weekend party in Vegas, and hooking up with an unidentified 20-year-old blonde. Just the sort of thing that American celebrities do all the time, but not quite the way a proper member of the Royal Household is supposed to behave.

The Prince is nearing the end of his eight-week helicopter course at Gila Bend Air Force base in Imperial Valley, Arizona, where he is undergoing advanced training as an Apache pilot.

Harry’s security escort was close by, but not hovering so close that he couldn’t enjoy the desolation of the desert during the ride. The bike was

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012 rented from Hacienda Harley-Davidson in Scottsdale Arizona.

After the 300 mile trip from Scottsdale to Vegas, the Prince and three friends were spotted at the Tryst club in the Wynn Casino at 1.30am yesterday, drinking Grey Goose vodka and dancing with an unidentified blonde.

The group left around 3:30 am. Ah..to be young, beautiful and rich.

2012 AMA INTERNATIONAL WOMEN & MOTORCYCLING CONFERENCE SET FOR JULY 26-29 IN CARSON CITY, NEV. Nowhere is the passion and dedication of women motorcyclists more apparent than at an AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference.

The popular event returns July 26-29, 2012, this time in Carson City, Nev. — one of the West’s premier motorcycling destinations. The AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference focuses on educating, encouraging, inspiring and mentoring women in the lifestyle and sport of motorcycling.

Page 43

CRUELTY CHARGE DROPPED FOR RIDING WITH DOG IN THE RAIN A Marlboro New Jersey man paid $449 in fines and court costs for riding in the rain with his Boston terrier “Bosco” sitting on a platform behind the windshield. Gyula Szatmari was originally cited for cruelty to animals, authorities changed the charge to unsafe driving on a deal in which Szatmari agreed to get a special dog carrier for Bosco.

Szatmari was headed home to Tuckerton from his job in Roselle Park on Aug. 24 when he was pulled over in the rain on Route 18 in Marlboro. The 56-year-old was issued citations for careless driving and the improper transportation of an animal.

Szatmari admitted to police in August that he had been riding his bike with his Boston terrier sitting on a platform behind the windshield for years, Monmouth County SPCA Chief Victor “Buddy” Amato told the Asbury Park Press in August.

Amato, who was the first to spot the biker-dog duo and call police, told the Asbury Park Press that Szatmari was warned against transporting the dog this way last year.

COUNTDOWN TO WORLD DUCATI WEEK 2012 STARTS NOW

“Regardless of bike brand, riding preference or background, women motorcyclists are bound together by their common passion for life on two and three wheels,” said AMA Marketing Manager Tigra Tsujikawa. “The AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference provides all of us the opportunity to connect with, and learn from, other women riders. Through seminars, activities, training classes and organized rides, we’ll work together to gain knowledge and skills to better navigate where the road or trail leads next.” Carson City Mayor Pro Tem Shelly Aldean said the conference is a welcome addition to her city’s 2012 calendar of events. “Carson City is delighted to be hosting the AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference in July 2012,” she said. “We look forward to accommodating the attendees participation in the conference. We hope that during their visit, conference goers will spend some time exploring what Carson City has to offer and, as a result of our hospitality, will feel like honorary members of our community when it’s finally time to say goodbye.” The sixth AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference will be held in Carson City, Nev., on July 26-29, 2012. Event and lodging information is available at www.womenandmotorcycling.com.

Announced during Ducati’s recent model year 2012 Press Conference and Milan International Motorcycle Show, the long-awaited dates and location for the World Ducati Week 2012 event are now confirmed. Passionate fans all over the world are invited to join Ducati at the Misano circuit in Italy, June 21-24, 2012.

First organized in 1998, WDW successfully brought together ‘Ducatisti’ from all over the world to celebrate their shared passion for the legendary Italian-made motorcycles. The event has since attracted an ever-increasing attendance of people who enjoy the high-powered fun and community spirit of the iconic brand, with a record-breaking attendance of 60,000 fans from 5 continents and 28 countries recorded at the last event in 2010.

WDW2012 is sure to follow the tried and tested formula of race track events, shows, top riders, competitions and great music all combined with the incredible atmosphere created by thousands of motorcycles arriving from all around the globe.

For more information please visit www.ducatiusa.com

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 44

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PICK UP ROUTE 6 WEST OF SCRANTON, PA BEAR LEFT AT ROUTE 87 LEFT AT ROUTE 220 RIGHT AT ROUTE 154 – WORLD’S END STATE PARK LEFT AT ROUTE 14 – GROVER RIGHT AT SR 2017 – OGDENSBURG RD LEFT AT ROUTE 414 RIGHT AT SR N 44 TO HAINEYVILLE LEFT AT SR 1014 TO HYNER STATE PARK RIGHT AT ROUTE 120 PAST RENOVO BEAR LEFT AT ROUTE 555 TO BENEZETTE FOLLOW RIGHT PAST HOTEL CONTINUE UP HILL TO VISITOR CENTER

Rip & Ride® • THE FORKLIFT CAFÉ 1831 RTE. 739, DINGMANS FERRY, PA 18238 570-82-1920 • WWW.FORKLIFTCAFE.COM • 100 MI. O/W GPS DOWNLOAD: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/vraqbl

START: RED APPLE REST, RTE. 1, SOUTHFIELDS, NY RIGHT OUT OF LOT LEFT AT CR 19 LEFT AT BRAMERTOWN RD. LEFT AT BENJAMIN MEADOWS RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 17A LEFT AT RTE. 94 RIGHT AT CR 644 VERNON CROSSING RD LEFT AT CR 517 RIGHT AT CR 641 DREW MOUNTAIN LEFT AT CR 565 RIGHT AT RTE. 23 LEFT AT CR 565 LEWISBURG RD. RIGHT AT CR 565 STRAIGHT TO CR 628 BEAR RIGHT AT CR 519 NORTH LEFT AT RTE. 23 NORTH OVER HIGH POINT LEFT AT US 6 RIGHT AT SR 80 NEVERSINK DR. BEFORE STEEL DECK BRIDGE RIGHT AT RTE. 209 LEFT AT PEENPACK TRAIL LEFT AT RTE. 42 RIGHT AT RTE. 97 LEFT AT RTE. 55 TO SHOHOLA, PA BEAR LEFT TO TWIN LAKES RD. LEFT AT US 6 EAST FIRST RIGHT TO RAYMONDSKILL RD. RIGHT AT SR 2001 MILFORD RD. LEFT AT RTE 739 TOWARDS DINGMANS THE FORK LIFT IS ON THE RIGHT

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Rip & Ride® • GLEN IRIS INN LETCHWORTH STATE PARK, CASTILE, NEW YORK 14427 585-493-2622 • WWW.GLENIRISINN.COM

THIS IS AN ALL DAY RIDE PREPARE FOR AN OVERNIGHT YOU CAN START AT PORT JERVIS, NY OR GET TO ROUTE 97 NORTH TOWARDS NARROWSBURG STRAIGHT AT RTE. 52 (BLINKING LIGHT..USE DIRECTIONALS) OVER BRIDGE RIGHT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BRIDGE TAKE RIVER RD. SR 1017 / 1004 LEFT AT RTE. 371 LEFT AT RTE. 374 RIGHT AT RTE. 106 TO KINGSLEY CROSS RTE. 11 TO SR 2024 (FOLLOW BROOKLYN SIGN) STRAIGHT AT SR 3023 TO RUSH LEFT AT RTE. 706 RIGHT AT RTE. 409 RIGHT AT US 6 LEFT AT T IN TOWANDA P/U RTE. 220 SOUTH RIGHT ON RTE. 414 STRAIGHT ON RTE. 287 RIGHT ON RTE. 660 TO WELLSBORO RTE. 6 WEST RIGHT AT RTE. 449 LEFT AT RTE. 19 BECOMES RTE. 19A TO LETCHWORTH STATE PARK

Page 45

Rip & Ride® • POCONO INDIAN MUSEUM ROUTE 209, BUSHKILL, PA • 65 MILE O/W 570-588-9338 • WWW.POCONOINDIANMUSEUMONLINE.COM GPS DOWNLOAD: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/BCZ0IO

START: EXIT 12 ROUTE 80, HOPE, NJ RIGHT AT SILVER LAKE ROAD RIGHT AT ROUTE 94 NORTH LEFT AT SPRING VALLEY RD CR 659 RIGHT AT CR 521 STAY ON CR 521 TO RTE. 206 LEFT AT RTE. 206 NORTH LEFT ON STRUBLE ROAD LEFT AT 4-WAY INTERSECTION - MOUNTAIN ROAD GRAVEL ROAD – TO BUTTERMILK FALLS ON LEFT CONTINUE TO NPR 615 – MAKE RIGHT BEAR LEFT AT PETER’S VALLEY ON OLD MINE ROAD SHARP LEFT AT CR 560 - CROSS DINGMANS BRIDGE STRAIGHT AT RTE. 739 LEFT AT MILFORD ROAD BEAR LEFT AT BROADHEAD ROAD RIGHT AT RTE. 209 POCONO INDIAN MUSEUM ON RIGHT

Rip & Ride® • THE SARATOGA BATTLEFIELD RTE. 32 OR RTE. 4 • SOUTH OF SARATOGA, NY

FROM LAKE GEORGE SOUTH ON RTE. 9 RIGHT ON GURNEY LANE LEFT ON RTE. 58 WEST MOUNTAIN RD. BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 28 CORINTH RD. STRAIGHT AT RTE. 32 CALL ST. LEFT AT RTE. 16 LEFT AT RTE. 9N STRAIGHT AT MAN ST. RIGHT AT RTE. 24 / 101 LEFT AT RTE. 32 SOUTH THROUGH SARATOGA TO BATTLEFIELD

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

Visit us at www.sussexmotorsportsnj.com

973-875-3640 •

Open Tuesday thru Saturday

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 46

UPCOM IN G EVENTS CAL ENDAR E V E RY M O N T H - W E AT H E R P E R M I T T I N G Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - Calverton NY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221

What’s Happening January 22, 2012 • SIR JOHN’S, 230 Washington Place, North Brunswick TWP, NJ. 08902 Ph # 732 297-3803 • sirjohnsinc.com January 29, 2012 • THE EXCHANGE, 160 E. Main St., Rockaway, NJ 07866 Ph # 973627-8488 • www.exchangefood.com

First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner of Dingmans/Bevans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Join others for a ride or head out on your own

February 5, 2012 • THE FRANKLIN HOUSE TAVERN, 101 Market Street, Schaefferstown, PA 17088 Ph. # 717 949-2122 • franklinhousetavern.com

Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish

Take Rte. 897 (also Rte 419) to Schaefferstown. It will be on your right at 897 and Market Street.

Third Tuesday • 7:30pm ABATE of the Garden State, North Jersey chapter. Black River Barn, 1178 Rt. 10 West, Randolph, NJ. 7:30pm. New members and all mc brands welcome. Help fight for rights as a motorcyclist in NJ! Alex Martinez 973-390-1918

February 12, 2012 • PIC-A-LILLI INN 866 Route 206 Shamong NJ Ph. # 609 268-2066 • picalilli.com

JANUARY 2012 6-8 • North American International Motorcycle Supershow, International Centre, Toronto, Canada • supershowevents.com • 888-661-7469 13-15 • Progressive International Motorcycle Show. Washington DC • www.motorcycleshows.com 20-22 • The Progressive International Motorcycle Shows at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center • www.motorcycleshows.com • Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street, New York • Friday, January 20, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m., Saturday, January 21, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday, January 22, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. • Save an extra $2 when you purchase your ticket online by using the promo code SAVES2.

From the north take Rte 206 South, pass Rte. 70 go 9 miles Pic-A-Lilli Inn on left. From the south @ Rte. 30 & 206 go north on Rte. 206 for 8.5 miles Pic-A-Lilli on left.

February 19, 2012 • HOOTERS, 25 Rte 23 South, Wayne, NJ 07470 Ph# 973-837-1876.

At intersection of Rte 46 & Rte 23 take Rte 23 South (approx. 0.2 mile) just past the mall; Hooters is on the right. www.hootersnj.com February 26, 2012 • BAHRS LANDING, 2 Bay Ave., Highlands, NJ 07732 PH# 732-8721245.

From East take Rte 36 West over Highland bridge; immediately over bridge make very sharp right turn down hill into parking lot. From West take Rte 36 East toward Highland bridge; Just before bridge, make right turn then a quick left turn down the hill to Bay Ave; make left turn under bridge into parking lot • www.bahrs.com

FEBRUARY 2012

March 4, 2012 • FIREHOUSE EATERY, 455 Saint Georges Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 Ph# 732 382-9500 • www.firehouseeatery.com

24-26 • The Montreal Motorcycle Show, Montreal Convention Centre, Montreal, Canada. www.salonmotomontreal.com

Take G.S.P. to exit 131 (not 131A) to Rte 27; turn left on Rte 27 North; go 2.6 miles, take left onto Rte 35 (AKA St Georges Ave); go 0.3 mile; Firehouse Restaurant is on the right.

MAY 2012

March 11, 2012 • LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853 • 908-876-1122 • www.brewpubnj.com • www.restaurantvillageatlongvalley.com

17-20 • Backroads’ Spring Break XIV. Join us for our fourteenth Spring Break as we head south to Luray, Virginia. We’ll stay at the historic Mimslyn Inn (540-743-5105 • www.mimslyninn.com • mention Backroads Group for discount) which has 80 years in hospitality and is home to some of the best riding in the area. For additional overflow lodging please call the Best Western at 540-743-6511.

From Rte 206 in Chester, take Rte 24 West (Rte 513); go 4.5 miles to Long Valley; Make left at light at Rte 517; immediately on right, first parking lot is the Long Valley Pub.

May 17-20 • Concours Owners Group Northeast Spring Fling Rally - Westerly, RI. Time to coincide with a national motorcycle accessory vendor’s open house at their new facility. Rally fee includes group banquet dinner Friday night. Discount for COG members and early registration. For more information contact Brian at bdfelice@cox.net or 401-8283354. Check out the COG Northeast calendar at www.cog-online.org or visit the rally webpage at tinyurl.com/COGSpringFling2012

From South, take Rte 206 North to Rte 15, Ross Corner; The Chatter Box immediately on right at the intersection; enter from driveway about 300 feet before the intersection.

From the North take Rte 565 to intersection with Rte 15, Ross Corner; go straight; driveway into the Chatterbox is on the left.

POLAR BEAR SCHEDULE 2011-12

PA. Rte 95 South take exit 44 (stay left) left at light on Rte. 413 - 2nd light make left on S. Flowers Mill Rd. PA Route 95 North Exit 44 stay to left - left at 1st light on S. Flowers Mill Rd.

To check on Polar Bear cancellations & updates call A.M.A. Dis. #2 Ph. # 908-722-0128.

Sign-in is from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm unless otherwise posted. Check the New Member page for general information about the Polar Bear Grand Tour • www.polarbeargrandtour.com/rides January 8, 2012 • De THOMASI’s EAST 5 POINTS INN, 580 Tuckahoe Rd, Vineland, NJ 08360 Ph.# 856-691-6080 • www.fivepointsinn.com January 15, 2012 • WEARHOUSE GRILL, 161 Rte. 181, Lake Hopatcong, NJ Ph #973663-2222.

March 18, 2012 • THE CHATTERBOX, #1 Rte 15 South, Augusta, NJ 07822 Ph#973300-2300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

March 25, 2012 • BRIAN’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA Ph# 215 752-9400 • www.brianshd.com

April 1, 2012 • CHEEBURGER CHEEBURGER, 100 Reaville Ave. Flemington NJ 08822 Phone # 908-782-9000 • www.cheeburger.com From the south take Rte 202 north. Make right at the last light before the circle. Cheeburger Cheeburger will be on your left. From the North take Rte 202 through Flemington.

At the first light after Northlandz (Grate American Railway), take the jug handle across Rte 202 onto Case Blvd. Stay on Case Blvd. It becomes Reaville Ave. Cheeburger Cheeburger will be on your Right.

April 15, 2012 • CAPE MAY V.F.W. post #386, N .J. 419 Congress St., Cape May, N .J. 08204 Ph# 609-884-7961.

CLASS Motorcycle School 2012 Dates Mar

30 Fri

Streets of Willow

$195

A&B

season opener

April

19 Thu

Streets of Willow

$225

A&B

both days: $450

April

20 Fri

Streets of Willow

$250

A&B A&B

May

1 Tues

Infineon Raceway

$345

May

10 Thu

Streets of Willow

D-Day! Two-day CLASS • 12 rider limit, $1299

May

11 Fri

Streets of Willow

June

30 Sat

Gingerman

$275

A&B

July

4 Wed

Virginia Int'l VIR

$345

A&B

July

5 Thu

Virginia Int'l VIR

$345

A&B

Aug

20 Mon

Oregon Raceway

$295

A&B

Aug

21 Tue

Oregon Raceway

$275

A&B

Just 2 groups

Sept

3 Mon

Streets of Willow

$250

A&B

Labor Day

Sept

4 Tue

Streets of Willow

$225

A&B

both days: $450

D-Day! Two-day CLASS • 12 rider limit, $1299

Sept

27 Thu

Streets of Willow

Sept

28 Fri

Streets of Willow

Oct

tba

Infineon Raceway

$345

A&B

Oct

15 Mon

Willow Springs

$250

A&B

Oct

25 Thu

Streets of Willow

$225

A&B

Force 5 FREE!+

Oct

26 Fri

Streets of Willow

$250

A&B

both days: $450

Nov

9 Fri

Streets of Willow

$225

A&B

Returning this year: $195

Big Track

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 47

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

GenMar HANDLEBAR RISERS

KAWASAKI • HONDA • YAMAHA • SUZUKI • TRIUMPH • MOTO GUZZI • ETC Raise your handlebars for a more comfortable ride and still retain stock look.

From $59.95 to $139.95 Order Toll Free (877) 471-1515 Info and Fax (505) 743-2243 • www.zianet.com/GenMar

Gen Mar Mfg. Inc. • 110 1st Street • HC1 Box 35 • Arrey, NM 87930

Who do you think keeps Backroads’ computers running?

718 Main St, Boonton, NJ

973.335.0255 • www.PCPS.com

Sussex Hills Ltd. Now stocking a full line of heated gear Get ready for some cool riding.

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

973-875-2048 Norman Gross Since 1976 For All Your Harley-Davidson Needs Our Reputation Speaks for Itself 3 miles north of Sussex Borough 946 Rte. 23 South Sussex NJ 07461

Worth the ride from anywhere!

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983

MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS DAYTONA, BIKETOBERFEST, STURGIS AND BEYOND

BARN TRAILERS

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

www.stopngo.com The Best Tire Repair.

Know Before You Go! 800-747-0238 AMERICANA SOFT SEATS Custom Gel Pad Installation On Any Motorcycle Seat

Harley Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha Lowest Prices Anywhere WE GUARANTEE IT!!!!

732-406-9508 • www.amsss.com • www.americanasoftseats.com

Gift Cards available.

Make great stocking stuffers.

Member of

Join Us for 1st Friday Celebration 1st Friday of each month from 6 to 9pm Live Music • Dinner Specials

‘50s-Style Drive-In Restaurant Full and Varied Menu Room for the Whole Gang Celebrate the Holiday Season at the motorcycle-friendly

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN

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

GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING

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

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

The Boat House Restaurant Join us for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner overlooking Swartswood Lake

Member

Excellent Ride Destination Tuesday ~ Sunday 11am-9pm Brunch 10am-2pm • Closed Mondays Check for seasonal hours 1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood, NJ 973-300-0016

www.theboathouserestaurantonline.com

www.chatterboxdrivein.com

lley’s Hudson Va ne Riding Number O t Restauran e u q e b r a B W North 1076 Route 9 mery, NY Fort Montgo

oute 9W icturesque R Located on P rive D s n Perki minutes from k ar P te Sta and Harriman oint P t es historic W just south of

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Celebrate the Holidays with some awesome barbeque!

If you go home hungry it’s your own fault

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 48

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

LEGAL HELP? MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT? • Car Accident • Work Accident • Criminal Matter • Drunk Driving • Speeding Tickets • Traffic Violations

I Have Recovered Millions for My Clients - Let Me Help You No Fee If No Recovery • No Fee to Talk on Any Legal Issue Will Come to You if Unable to Come to Office

Andrew S. Prince, Esq. New Jersey Attorney for New Jersey Bikers

Call 732-396-1800 or 1-800-WHEEL-02 www.andrewprince.com • APrinceesq@aol.com If you didn’t like cool stuff, you wouldn’t be reading this magazine.

Here’s something you’re going to love.

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

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

TORQ-IT PRODUCTS, INC. 1701 Manor Road • Havertown PA 19083 Tel: 1.888.876.9555 • Visit Our New Website: WWW.TORQ-IT.COM

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

N EW MAINTENANCE PART ~ BELOW RETAIL No Backorders ~ We Stock What We Sell We now carry German Liqui-Moly Engine & Gear Oil for BMWs

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

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 49

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE “Long-Ride” Shorts

Join Us in 2012 Patagonia, Peru or Bolivia

The best motorcycle underwear!

Made for riders who go the distance.

New for 2012 - DAKAR

Ride through Chile, Peru and Argentina.

Visit the full range of our beautiful and enchanting places and see our lakes, other-worldly deserts, the dramatic Andes, snow-covered volcanoes and, of course, the magic world of Patagonia.

email info@motoaventura.cl web www.motoaventura.cl

PERFORMANCE WEAR

• Multi-density pad is designed specifically for motorcycles to distribute the pressure at the sit bones that causes numbness and discomfort from hours in the saddle.

• Transports moisture away from your skin.

• Anti-bacterial and hypo-allergenic.

• Wear them under jeans or leathers.

• Quick easy wash and dry – Perfect for cleaning on the go.

• Cooler than bicycle shorts and cheaper too.

• Now with a “fly” in the front!

Tired of feeling the seams in your jeans while riding?

Solution – “Long-Ride” shorts.

GREAT STOCKING STUFFER

Visit our website for all 2012 tour dates

Independent touring or guided tours with multilingual guide, mechanic and support vehicle. 11 Years organizing tours and BMW rentals, BMW Travel Partner and Official BMW Dealer 70 motorcycles in fleet

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

www.Zoneperformancewear.com • 619.944.4769

2011 Leftovers in stock.

Come in today for yours.

179 North Highland Ave/Rte 9 • Ossining, NY 10562 • 914-762-2722

www.hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com

KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and proper apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. Professional rider shown on closed course. ©2011 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

Specializing in Ducati, BMW, MV Agusta, Triumph and Aprilia Service • Repairs • Suspension upgrades and engine performance Give us a call or stop on by 41 Ballard Rd • Middletown, NY www.europeancycleservices.com 845-725-7707

Stumpy’s YAMAH A

Your Toy Store at the Shore

YAMA-HOTLINE • 732-776-5514 1207 Route 35 South • Neptune, NJ • www.stumpys.com

Just getting into the wonderful world of motorcycles? Looking to learn how to ride or your first motorcycle?

Maybe looking for some ride ideas and travel destinations? You’ve come to the right place. Backroads is filled with businesses catering to riders. If your business fits this bill, give us a call for advertising information.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 50

Great Explorations Discovering Ontario’s Ottawa Valley Region Pamela Collins

Like Samuel de Champlain 400 years ago, we landed amidst Canada’s great landscape with similar objectives: explore, discover, and report your findings.

Unlike Samuel de Champlain, we didn’t bushwhack through uncharted, inhospitable territory. Paved roadways eased our path while two- and four-cylinder machines propelled our travel.

You see, we were invited explorers, journalists on motorcycles and guests of the region, fresh-eyed and opinionless. The Ottawa Valley, Canada, Tourist Association believes motorcyclists and their regional roads belong together like Harley-Davidson and chrome, or Ducati and red. It invited us for a tour to see if we agreed.

A Motorcycle Is The Ultimate Toy, Vermont Is The Perfect Playground® We put it together…

The Gray Ghost Inn Motorcyclist-Friendly Destination Lodging Located on Scenic Route 100 in Southern Vermont Full breakfast cooked to order. BYOB bar, hot tub, outdoor firepit, pool and game room. Free Maps and Suggested Rides. Group Special Packages.

5 restaurants/bars within walking distance.

290 Route 100, West Dover, VT 800-745-3615 • www.grayghostinn.com

Member

When you can’t ride because of snow, ride the snow.

Guided Back-Country Snowmobile Tours in the Green Mountain National Forest.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 51 the thick pines pierced the skyline, and the roads were naked of traffic.

This oldest-settled region of Canada wants motorcyclists to know we’re more than welcome here, and Calabogie makes a great base station to launch some two-wheeled exploration.

Two cautionary notes though— this is the far north and the roads reflect that. Major highways are in good repair, but the smaller side roads reflect the harsh weather’s browbeating. Potholes frequently dot the roads, and gravel stretches appear out of the blue, so speedy riders be forewarned. The other caveat—Canada’s infamous, notorious and nearly-invisible black flies abound in June, so consider scheduling your trip after that.

Our day of meandering through this area of Calabogie and the Greater Madawaska Valley led us to the quaint town of Burnside and lunch at the antique-filled Blackbird Café. We then visited the nearby Calabogie Motorsports Park, which rises, mirage-like, from the valley’s thick woods. We took two laps on its 3.05-mile challenging track that winds around and about the forest, feeling like we literally raced through the woods.

So, much like de Champlain, or Joliet, or LaSalle or the other famed explorers of this region, we set off to see what we could see.

Like them, we journeyed through miles of thick forests, passed acres of open, lolling land, and braved a ravaging river. True, we enjoyed much easier going than the folks 500 years ago. But in some ways, not much differed at all.

The grand city of Ottawa hosted our arrival and departure.

Canada’s capital city hosts a colorful menagerie of cultures befitting its status…it’s the Canadian version of the United States’ Washington, D.C. after all. Ottawa offers up a globallyflavored stew, heavily seasoned with the French accents of its neighboring province Quebec and simmered in the tasty stock of its home province, Ontario. Centuries of history garnish its plate, and though most of the earlier explorers passed through its doors, with today’s grand buildings and lines of traffic it bears little resemblance to the frontier, edge-of-the-world town they once knew.

Thanks to Deeley Harley-Davidson of Canada, Honda Canada and BMW Motorrad Canada that provided the rides for our group of eight. That sweaty June afternoon we threaded through traffic out of Ot-

RELEASE THE POWER!

tawa’s bustle to the more peaceful and open byways of Ottawa Valley. Ahhh— countryside, space, and roads begging you to open the throttle. Destination—the Calabogie Peaks Resort, about 62 miles from Ottawa.

During the winter Calabogie boogies as home to Eastern Ontario’s highest vertical ski and snowboard resort. During our visit it wore a decidedly more serene, demure demeanor, with wildflowers decorating its grass and dragonflies flitting through its air. The fullservice Calabogie Peaks Lodge has an on-site restaurant serving up delicious meals. The resort sits amidst a spider web of roads inviting you to lose yourself in land that remains much the way it always has. We spent the better part of the next day having fun doing just that—losing ourselves—a wrong turn here, a U-turn there, it didn’t matter. The lakes sparkled with sunshine,

www.BOOSTERPLUG.com

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SOFTER THROTTLE RESPONSE

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 52

A River Runs Through It Following our brief stint as track divas we took to the “regular” roads again, riding to our overnight accommodations at the London House Inn & Spa at the RiverRun Rafting and Wilderness Resort in Beachburg, Ontario, and completing nearly 190 miles of riding that day. What began as a guided whitewater rafting trip business nestled alongside the Ottawa River has grown into a full-fledged adventure resort offering comfortable accommodations, spa services, a pub, as well as the thrill of running through the washing machine spin cycle commonly referred to as white water rafting.

Now comes the “ravaging river” part of our exploration, as several of us did rise to the challenge of “running” the Ottawa. Let it suffice to say the famed “Bus-eater” rapid became a moto-journalist eating rapid that cloudy, windy, forty-degree day, as the Ottawa River

showed no mercy by tossing us into its swirling cauldron of waves and rocks. Not to worry as the expert guides (and outboard motor-powered Zodiac boat) saved our waterlogged hides so we could ride another day to pursue our stories. However we finished our trip with bragging rights, now claiming we at least attempted to tame the largest commercially-surfed North American rapid at its highest runnable water level. We patted ourselves on our collective backs while soaking in the more rider-friendly swirling waters of the Inn’s hot tub.

Back on the more familiar (and dryer) transportation of our motorcycles,

BERGEN SPORT CYCLES Ride More, Stress Less

30 US H’Way 46 East • Lodi, NJ 07644

973-478-7711 • bergensportcycle.com Come in for our End of Season Sale

we rode back in time… waaay back… to about 450,000 years ago when we visited Bonnechere Caves near Eganville, Ontario. Back then the caves weren’t much more than muck, but that was when a tropical sea hid most of this continent. A couple eons and climatic changes later that mud and shell mixture hardened into the limestone caves that now form Bonnechere. Walking through these damp underground passages gives the phrase “weight of the world” new meaning, as you look at the time-hardened walls bracing the caves, housing the fossilized outlines of creatures that lived before the dinosaurs.

Back above ground we fast forwarded more than a few centuries to around 1850, when we traveled part of the historic series of roads known as the Opeongo Line. Early Polish, Irish and Scotch settlers, having received land grants from the government to settle this northeastern interior part of Canada, followed this government-carved settlement road as they made their way to stake their claims.

They had tough going, and then tough living, in this unforgiving countryside with thick forests and poor, rocky soil.

We followed the Highway 64 portion of the nearly 95mile long Opeongo line, which escorted us through quaint villages, pine-tree crowded forests and into miles of seclusion dotted by ghost-town like remnants of settlements. We rode upwards in elevation toward the Madawaska Highlands enjoying the randomness of the scenery…weathered barns, prim farmhouses, rolling hayfields and dark green forests strung together like charms on a bracelet. At first glance it seems the 21st century has bypassed the region, leaving it intact—a living miles-long historical artifact.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 53 A turn off Highway 64 to 66 brings you to the crossroads with Route 60 and the town of Wilno, Canada’s first Polish settlement, dating to 1858. People from the Kashubian region of Poland settled this unforgiving territory, and the tidy, colorful town today celebrates its unique cultural heritage. The open air Polish Kashub Her-

itage Museum and Park explains the history of the people and this special culture that thrives in this tiny community yet today.

We finished our 125-mile trek that day with the glorious expanse of Golden Lake reaching out to us, lapping at the shore behind our hotel, the Sands on Golden Lake. Beginning and ending that day with the water as our focal point seemed appropriate. Rivers and lakes have been and still are important to the region—they once lured settlers, now they beckon tourists.

All too soon we rode out of the wild wonderland and headed to North Bay, where we had a lunch date with mayor Al McDonald, a motorcyclist himself who rode his Harley-Davidson bagger to our soiree. Early on, North Bay served as a stop on the western canoe route from Montreal, later it became an important stop on the railroad. It probably gained its largest chunk of notoriety for the Dionne quintuplets being born near here in 1934.

As we trekked over the Highway 17 east toward the Quality Inn and Suites in Petawawa for our evening’s stay, I thought about that early explorer from whom this road derives its nickname “the Champlain Highway.” This year marks the 400th anniversary of that dangerous journey.

But, swinging my eyes side to side as I rolled along, it seemed he might not be too surprised by what he would see today. True, a lot has changed, but I think he would find the trees, the sky, the lakes and rivers, pretty familiar, if not recognizable.

The next day dawned damp and gloomy for our hike to see Barron Canyon in the Algonquin Park, just a short drive from Petawawa. We searched for moose and other wildlife as we rode…via a van over the

Algonquin’s Natural Beauty Our next day’s plans included more than 300 miles that took us through Algonquin Provincial Park (similar to a U.S. national park). Algonquin claims notoriety for two reasons. It is Canada’s first Provincial Park. It is also extremely secluded with only one main road, Route 60, called the Parkway Corridor, slicing he southern part of its 2,946 square mile expanse (Highway 17, the Trans-Canada Highway or Champlain Highway skirts near its northern boundary but doesn’t bisect the park). Hikers or canoeists can use old fashioned propulsion methods to navigate its interior, but we two-wheeled enthusiasts, limited by blacktop, have fewer options.

A log-framed entrance on route 60 welcomes you into this colorful wilderness. The park boasts over 2,400 lakes and 750 miles of streams and rivers decorating its breadth with blue-jewel tones echoed in the sky above. Silvery-white rocky outcroppings and the trees’ emerald lushness decorate the ride like gems of a prized, heirloom necklace. Overlooks abound to let you soak in the sights, and a visitor’s center and logging museum let you delve more deeply into the history and scope of Algonquin. You’ll notice little commercialism here—not even signs—the park prides itself on keeping things “natural.”

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Schedule your Winter Service Early so you’ll be ready for those warm winter days.

JANUARY 2012 • BACKROADS

Page 54 mud and gravelly road… deeper into the arms of the forest. We came prepared to fight the critters…armed with bug repellant and mosquito-netted bug-guard hats, gifts from the Ottawa Valley Tourism Association. We laughed when we received them at the trip’s beginning, but after a few days realized the black flies and mosquitos where nothing to joke about. We donned our gear and sprayed ourselves silly, then scampered up the path to witness a gorgeous redwalled rock canyon 300 feet deep.

The Barron River cut its path through here, starting centuries ago, slowly sculpting the gorge we see today. The nearly mile-long hiking trail actually leads you to the canyon’s rim, where you can (carefully) peek over the edge to see the river rushing below.

That drizzly morning, with mist rising from the canyon’s walls and a hush spread throughout the air, seemed otherworldly and magical.

After a quick bite of the local delicacy…poutine…French fries smothered with gravy and cheese curds, we mounted our bikes for the return ride to Ottawa. Our last night would feel like something truly out of a fairy tale, for we stayed in a castle.

bor’s capital complex, enjoying the exquisite architecture and sculptures that decorate the grounds. We then headed for the city’s market area, where food and nightlife reigned that warm, summery, Saturday evening.

So we journalists explored and discovered in order to report our findings…mission accomplished. During the trip I thought often about those brave souls of centuries ago who established the paths we followed this trip, of the settlers who forged a living along the highways we rode. I thought about the beauty of the Ottawa Valley we experienced, its abundance, its stubbornness to fade or transform. Modern day has swirled through its air, leaving just the lightest touch of influence. De Champlain’s spirit persists.

So, whether for foot- and boat-powered explorers then, or two-wheeled explorers now, the Ottawa Valley offers much to lure discoverers of all types.

Once Upon A Time The Fairmont Chateau Laurier dates to 1912 and you feel like royalty entering its ornate doors. Gilt and carving decorate everything, giving it an authentic French chateau feeling. We ventured out to explore Ottawa…the famed Rideau Canal, known for turning into a wintertime skating arena, and the Canadian government’s Parliament building… sit within a stone’s throw of the Chateau Laurier. Huge amounts of security don’t surround the important government buildings and we wandered all around our northern neigh-

For More Information: Places to Stay: Calabogie Peaks Resort www.calabogie.com London House Inn & Spa (located at RiverRun Rafting Resort) www.londonhouseinn.com • www.riverrunrafting.com Sands on Golden Lake Inn & Resort www.sandsongoldenlake.com

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Petawawa Quality Inn & Suites www.petawawaqualityinnandsuites.com

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Fairmont Chateau Laurier www.fairmont.com/laurier

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Things to Do: Ottawa Valley Tourist Association www.ottawavalley.org Calabogie Motorsports Park www.calabogiemotorsports.com Bonnechere Caves www.bonnecherecaves.com Polish Kashub Heritage Park/Museum www.wilno.org Algonquin Provincial Park & Barron Canyon www.algonquinpark.on.ca For Ontario Canada Motorcycle Touring Information: www.gorideontario.com/motorcycle

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2012

Page 55

Where in the world will we take you next!

Join the Backroads crew February 12-19, 2012 as we take on Colombia! 8 days/7 nights of pure adventure.

Visit Motolombia website for full details.

The all-new 2012 Gold Wing® Now buying your Suzuki products in North Jersey just got easier!

Long acknowledged as the pinnacle of two-up motorcycling, the 2012 Gold Wing continues its remarkable legacy. Its travel-oriented creds include the latest generation of sophisticated electronic amenities, starting with an innovative GPS navigation system with user-friendly programmability for sharing favorite ride routes with friends and other riders, which can be accessed online via computer. The Gold Wing also now incorporates a built-in MP3/iPod® interface for a new SRS CS Auto™ technology surround-sound system for a premium listening experience. In addition to its renowned power-laden yet refined drivetrain and delightfully sporty handling, the 2012 Gold Wing also brings upgraded styling, increased luggage capacity, greater protection from wind and weather, revised suspension settings for enhanced ride compliance, and unparalleled comfort for both rider and passenger. In addition, packages for Navi, ABS and airbag do much to further the Gold Wing’s reputation as the most celebrated touring machine in motorcycle history.

444 Rte. 23 North, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 • 973-839-1117 *Buy a new unregistered 2011 GSX1250FA or V-Strom 650 ABS from an authorized Suzuki dealer and get the option to purchase a pair of Genuine Suzuki Accessories Saddlebags and Mounts for $199, a retail value of $1,085. This promotion is valid from 8/1/2011 – 3/31/2012. At Suzuki, we want every ride to be safe and enjoyable. So always wear a helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Avoid excessive speeds. Never engage in stunt riding. Study your owner’s manual and always inspect your Suzuki before riding. Take a riding skills course.

For the course nearest you call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 1-800-446-9227. Suzuki, the “S” logo, and Suzuki model and product names are Suzuki Trademarks or ®. © American Suzuki Motor Corporation 2011.

honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ YOUR OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. Apple® and iPod® are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. SRS CS Auto is a trademark of SRS Labs, Inc. CS Auto technology is incorporated under license from SRS Labs, Inc.

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Contact us for information at 973.584.0810 or info@trebour.com Visit at 1445 US Route 46, Ledgewood, NJ 07852 or www.Trebourmotorcycles.com Desmosedici RR Certified