January 2020

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

MONT HLY C O L U M N S FREE WHEELIN’ ...........................................................3

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

WHATCHATHINKIN’ .....................................................4 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE................................5

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

ON THE MARK .............................................................6

Contributors

Dan Bisbee, Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKLASH...................................................................8

20

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Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 620 Augusta, NJ 07822

BIG CITY GETAWAY ...................................................16 WE’RE OUTTA HERE..................................................18 INSIDE SCOOP...........................................................24 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .....................................38

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editor@backroadsusa.com

BEST OF BACKROADS 2019 ....................................20

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2020. 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.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

Common Ground So you ride a motorcycle.

Maybe you play some guitar?

I have found a true common ground for those of us who do both.

If something is under wraps… we need to see it.

Be it bike or guitar. You know of what I speak.

Let’s slingshot back 21 years (yee gads!).

We were riding down the coast of South Africa with our friends and neighbors Bruce and Bev. The man running this tour was a real-life version of Zevon’s Roland, and when Colonel Buks told you something, you best be listening.

It was a stormy day as we approached the town of Durban along the Indian Ocean. Durban is a strange town. Part of the KwaZulu-Natal province, it is known for its African, Indian and colonial influences.

It’s a mish mosh. Basically… it’s a pirate town. We like pirate towns.

We had spent the early part of the evening on the docks watching locals haul in all sorts of dinner. This is not a racist statement… but, we stood out like cue balls on a table of eights. It’s just the truth. Some took offense to this. Another friend, Frank – who stands 6 and half feet tall and is easily as broad as me - almost tossed a small African in the brink.

Oh, boy. This could get ugly. Durban is not Oz. Roland, I mean Colonel Buks, ushered us back into the town’s center and to a small dive-bar. Can it get worse? He promised food… and there was.

He promised music… and there was. Big Dick Morton, one of the Colonel’s ‘friends’… something about the Bantu. We didn’t pursue this.

Page 3 But there he was, Big Dick Morton himself (I am laughing as I write this, but I have a picture to back it up I swear). He was really very good and we enjoyed his set.

Taking a break, he said “I’m gonna get a beer or three and my friend Brian from New Jersey is going to play a great set for you all…”

My eyes got wide as I looked around the tiny, seedy bar. What were the chances of another guy named Brian, from New Jersey, being here and going to play the next set?

Zilch. I looked to my compatriots and they all returned my clueless gaze with devilish smiles. Oh crap…I was up.

Oh, boy. Okay, so now here is the thing. It was May 26, 1998. The next day I would turn 40 - fairly big in my mind.

Big Dick handed me his guitar, a beautiful early Ovation 6-string with a sunburst finish. I hit a D chord, I strummed a G… I slipped into B minor and fell in love. Wow. What a beautiful guitar.

Lust is a four-letter word.

There was only one song to play… Jimmy Buffet’s ‘A Pirate Looks at 40.’ I did that and a few other songs… and did not embarrass the United States of America or the state of New Jersey.

Applause is the most addicting drug in the world.

But, I am not giving up my day job ever.

You’re welcome.

Since we can - let’s time travel to 2014. We were having dinner with correspondent Tony Lisanti and his wife Gina. All through dinner I kept looking at the guitar case in the corner.

As great as the meal and conversation was… all I could think about was what was in the case.

Let’s get back to motorcycles. If you come across a motorcycle under a tarp or cover in someone’s garage … do you not feel the irresistible urge to peak? We cannot help it.

Continued on Page 7

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

SparklinG Silver The saying goes that hindsight is 20-20. As we head into 2020, I’d like to take a brief glimpse back to the year 1995 and the start of the magazine that you are holding in your hands. Cue Sherman, Mr. Peabody and the Wayback Machine, it’s time for a little trip into history.

History lesson begins: First there was a riding club started in 1991 by Brian and Marty Trionfo called Sport Touring MC. The club had a newsletter that was eventually titled BACKROADS and helmed by member and MTV artist David Wilson. David moved to New Mexico and I took over the task of putting the newsletter together while working at National Speed Sport News (remember Chris Economaki from Wide World of Sports? He was my boss, and a great one). The day came for the newsletter to go on to its next stage, and that was in 1995.

Brian and I toiled, worried and pulled late-nighters over that first 16-page black and white newsprint. When we picked it up from the printer and loaded those bundles into our Dodge Caravan, we knew we were on our way to publishing history (or hoped so, anyway). We had set our sights on BACKROADS - the magazine – to make

its debut at that year’s Ramapo 500 sign-in at the Red Apple Rest in Southfields, NY. With much anticipation and anxiety, we watched as riders picked up their ‘500’ packages and an issue of BACKROADS. And that, as they say, was the start of some beautiful friendships. Those made in the motorcycle industry: our first motorcycle press intro invite from Rob Mitchell at BMW, the great ink in Motorcycle Consumer News from Fred Rau which jump started both our relationship and that with our readers, our many travels with the wonderful touring companies over the last 25 years such as Edelweiss, our first overseas excursion to the Alps, who had already made their mark in the touring society and Scott Moreno of IMTBike, which began just a few years after we did and brought us to Morocco, which to this day was one of my favorite trips ever.

And, of course, all those made during our years of BACKROADS’ rallies and events: from our very first outing that brought one dozen riders to the Finger Lakes to our annual Spring and Fall rides gathering dozens of riders to points north, south, east and west.

Our Edelweiss tour to Montana put us together with Mark Byers, and his lovely wife Betsy, whose monthly words bring thought, inspiration and insight to the motorcycle world. In addition to the great people we now call friends, there have been so many friendships, and some marriages, that have developed over these 25 years amongst those who might never have otherwise met.

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Things changed over these 25 years as well – the black and white newsprint went to full color glossy.

More and more people joined our advertising family – dealers, restaurants, inns and hotels and so many great products have been featured in these pages, bringing riders parts, accessories, service, new motorcycles, terrific destinations, meals and to places they may never have ventured if not seen in BACKROADS. For our 25th anniversary, we hope to bring you, our wonderful readers, even more adventures, information and fun than before. We are planning to have events every month – a simple invite to join together for a meal somewhere during the winter to combat PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome), a weekend of schooling and socializing on our ROADS Scholar Day (details to come), our anniversary tour with IMTBike to Portugal in May and our Grand Tour to take place in June (details in this magazine) – not to mention our regular rallies and trip to VIR to better ourselves with the folks at CLASS in September. Stay tuned to these pages as well as our website and Facebook page for up-to-the-minute details and announcements.

While I look out the office window at the sun reflecting off the newly-fallen snow which is quite beautiful, I, too, reflect on the past 25 years and the marvelous adventures we’ve had, the wonderful people who are now in our lives and how incredibly fortunate Brian and I are to have been able to live this life and to have shared it with those who have taken this journey with us. To those who have joined us on our rallies, thank you for your support. To those who have yet to discover the fun to be had, this is your open invitation to become part of this great BACKROADS family – 2020 will be a sparkling silver year indeed. ,

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD

‘TiS The SeaSon Ah, there’s a nip in the air, and change in the calendar, and we’re fully into the season of the New Bikes. Always interesting, often unpredictable and a generally fun time, I find it a great opportunity to look at how the development and engineering of motorcycles is not just advancing, but changing in how a concept becomes a production unit. Like everything else, there is technology involved that is dramatically speeding up the process of integrating the latest electronics into motorcycling applications, but that’s just part of the story. Almost every aspect of the design and engineering process is continuing to become more technology based, enabling even faster creation of new models than we’ve seen even just a few years ago. On the one hand when you see something startlingly new on the showroom floor it likely was born a comparatively short time ago, guaranteeing the latest hard and software for all your many electronic bits and pieces is in place and ready to fly.

But hang on a minute. Is there a downside to all this up-to-the-minute magic? True, I can find the bug droppings in a pot o’ gold, but there is a great concern I have when it comes to the launching of new products be they motorcycles, weed-whackers or electric toothbrushes. Wait: electric toothbrushes? Hey, as I age I become more like Quint in Jaws, and I am totally in synch when he said, “Nowadays, these kids, they bring everything. Radar, sonar. . . electric toothbrushes. . .”

Anyhow, let me start with a very contemporary concern I have about one type of technology that is becoming commonplace on cars and creeping into

Page 5 motorcycles, and that is internet connectivity that is all part of the universe of Smart technology. These things tend to creep in, and on the car side it started with satellite radio, GPS navigation and telemetric assist systems like OnStar. This has expanded not exponentially (thank God) but at a pretty good clip, and as miniaturization of components and the power of microprocessors changes, more and more systems are popping up that typically interface with Smartphones. Now we see features on the car side like remote starting, vehicle location and systems monitoring, and with some of these apps you can see if your car is locked, if the hood or sunroof is open, there’s fuel in the tank, odometer and trip meter readings, and on and on all via your phone.

Most of these services are opt in, but here’s the rub: if your car, motorcycle, three-wheeler, rocket belt or hoverdisc has the hardware incorporated in it to allow you to opt in and use these services, they are there for the manufacturer to access already and the law is pretty loose about what they can do with the data they retrieve. They can sell it to insurance companies, law enforcement, marketing firms, and who knows who/what else. Read the very fine print and you can get quite a shock.

This opens up a whole new can of worms and room for detailed analysis, and the questions about privacy, the selling of information to market stuff to you, etc. are in my view not being asked enough and the whole mess is greatly underreported and undiscussed. But, oddly enough, that’s not why I mention it here. A lot of the data a manufacturer may be able to download from your ride is purely for engineering use, with the ultimate goal of fixing problems, determining use patterns and building a better machine. Nothing wrong with that, right? Of course not. But here’s what concerns me. Over the last couple of decades I’ve seen a variety of manufacturers launch bikes that I feel haven’t been sufficiently tested before they were let loose on the public, with the unstated purpose of hitting the market as soon as possible in order to get the public to do the beta testing.

Continued on Page 7

Page 6

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

You know that trip of which I spoke? The one of which I wrote in the column titled “The Offer,” where I was supposed to do a cross-country bike delivery from Maryland to Seattle?

I didn’t go. As it often does, life intervened. As the days rushed into autumn, I came to the realization that if I didn’t go soon, winter would close the passes through which I’d have to ride and unless I wanted to detour through Arizona, I wouldn’t reach Seattle. A day job with limited vacation and the Backroads Fall Foliage trip left me with little choice but to find an alternative.

But, sometimes things happen for a reason.

needed it more than I - to clear a busy mind full of realities that needed clearing. After a little discussion, and a swift kick in his shorts from his wife and daughter urging him to go, he signed on.

I prepared the bike as best I could, installing RAM mounts for a GPS and cell phone, reinstalling the production footpegs (the aftermarket footboards dragged badly), and making sure there was a heated clothing plug. That was about all I could do with the machine, other than throwing the saddlebags and sissy-bar bag on. I couldn’t do anything about the straight pipes the owner put on, so I filled a ziploc bag with 19 sets of foam earplugs and handed it to him before he departed. He would need them…

I followed his trip like a mother hen, hanging on his every FaceBook post, text, and PM. He blazed through the first couple days, knowing the real photos would come from the West. He jokingly called the Midwest “the great corn maze” and at that time of year, it was true. He found rain - and flooding - in Iowa and had to detour around some washed-out bridges. His photos

My buddy Doug is a fine rider - he and his brother used to campaign flattrackers at venues all over the US, wearing steel shoes and sliding the firebreathing bikes with no front brakes around dirt ovals. Somewhere along the way, he became an Emmy-winning filmmaker (after being a Pulitzernominated photojournalist embedded with the Marines in Fallujah). He followed multiple political campaigns and Presidential elections by riding his ’09 Kawasaki Versys. He also rode it up the Dalton to the North Slope of Alaska, so I was pretty certain he could take an ’09 Yamaha VTX-1900 to Seattle for me.

I knew if I went, it’d be a hurried trip designed to make time rather than memories. Sending a pro photojournalist of Doug’s caliber on the trip meant there would be a plethora of amazing photos to go along with the ride. He

were still outstanding and became even more so as he reached the Great Plains and beyond. He found plenty of antelope, buffalo, and elk to photograph against incredible backdrops of sunlit grain.

At Devil’s Tower, he fell in love with the prairie dogs, at least until he found out that their droppings draw rattlesnakes like flies (to eat the rodents that eat the droppings, along with the odd prairie dog or two). The nadir of his trip came at Yellowstone, when three things happened: the weather turned cold, it rained and then snowed, and the tenuous connection the mice had eaten in his heated gloves finally broke. I could hear the pain in his words as he described riding the big cruiser 3 miles, dragging his feet flat-tracker style, as he negotiated the snowy road coming out of Yellowstone. In the rain. With no heated gloves.

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

The end of The offer

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020 In Idaho, he found family, beer, trout, and better weather and his attitude improved, going from “where can I find a rental van” to “I’m riding this thing to Seattle!” And ride it there he did, delivering the bike unscathed to a grateful owner who got him a ticket so he could be home in time for his wife’s birthday.

Sometimes, things happen for a reason and good things happen to good people. Both Doug and the owner are what you call good people.

So, I missed the trip. I would love to have gone, but “adulting” involves making hard calls. In this case, however, I still got a lot out of it. My buddy got his bike, my other buddy got an amazing, head-clearing trip and a TON of beautiful photos, and I got to live vicariously through Doug’s travels. Besides, who knows where those photos will turn up…, poSTCardS from The hedGe

Continued from Page 5 Several years ago, one manufacturer who will remain nameless had to basically recall every bike they made a couple of years down the road due to frame cracks, and I’m convinced this could have been avoided if they had tested the chassis more thoroughly before release than they did. True, there’s no way to pre-test every crazy thing that the owners might do with their bikes, but I’m a big believer in physically testing the crap out of things (to destruction and beyond) if it’s a product where reliability can be a critical safety component. Every time an OEM gets away with having the public work out their durability data they’ll do it again, because it saves money. So given the new revolution of on-board diagnostics and performance recording that’s available, my worry is that a builder of machines can rely on the data they get from the customer’s bikes to see if everything works properly in a broad variety of conditions, rather than wringing the machine out in advance which takes a lot of time and money. Computer Aided Design and stress analysis is slowly but surely taking the place of physical testing, and while the algorithms and simulation protocols are getting better every day, it’s still not the

Page 7 free Wheelin’ Continued from Page 3 For those of us who play guitars it is exactly the same thing. We are unable NOT to look to see what is there.

It is a good thing.

This night it was incredibly awesome as Tony had the exact same guitar that Big Dick Morton handed me all those years back. First year Ovation. I wanted it more than anything.

Deals were made. Hands were shaken. The Ovation is now my go-to machine. I am still not giving up my day job… but.

Somewhere, there is someone walking into a barn or garage and seeing a bike under a tarp or cover. Somewhere else there is a guitarist spying a case.

It is all the same. We can’t help ourselves.

Maybe it is someone’s go-to machine waiting to happen. , same as thrashing a production version in real-world testing with test-riding engineers. The human-based testing I’m talking about can take a couple of years, and in a simple scenario what’s to stop a manufacturer from testing for just a year, then selling the bike and closely monitoring all the data generated to see if there are any obvious problems they missed?

Whenever a new tool arrives on the scene, it will often get used to replace the “old” way of doing things. In most cases this makes perfect sense, and can make the product better, safer and more satisfying. But now that we have all this computer firepower there are always trade-offs, and the motorcycle business like any other is aimed at making money. Using some wondrous new technology to increase features also means there’s things going on in the black boxes you may not know about, and replacing one way of doing things with another is always tricky. The new machines are wonders to behold and ride, but with all the data they’re crunching on you and your ride, let the buyer beware. ,

Page 8

BACKLASH Getting Ready for 2020 Good morning. I just saw your Facebook event about your Backroads Tour to Chincoteague in October 2020! I am the chairperson of the Chincoteague Oyster Festival and am so happy you are organizing a trip to our beautiful island and will be enjoying the festival. I just wanted to clarify, though, that we do not serve crabs at this festival. They were mentioned in the cover picture of the Facebook event. I don’t want attendees to get upset when they arrive and there is not a crab to be found! We used to serve crabs years ago but found that so many were wasted and removed them from the menu to be good stewards of our resources.

Joanne moore Hey Shira & Brian Loved the first two articles in the Dec. 2019 issue, which set high expectations for the others when I get to them. Looking forward to celebrating your 25th for at least 1 of the 2 weeks in June. Please give me a heads up ASAP so I don’t miss out on bookings for the days that fit best in my schedule once you set the itinerary. What a huge task to undertake and much appreciated. I’ll be sure to wear the jacket you gave me in 2005.

Thanks and love you guys.... You are the ones who reignited my passion for riding after a long hiatus bringing so much joy and adventure and my wife who’s given me the freedom to do so over the last 47 years.

Chuck

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

Letters to the Editor Great article in the December issue’s Free Wheelin’. Being a business owner I get the most of any transaction mostly while helping someone out of a pickle. Usually, the pickle is really big for the person in it but usually very small from my perspective, so helping out is no “biggie”. The look of appreciation and gratitude is better than some cash.

Whoever would knowingly mislead someone in our relatively small circle of “friends” we call the motorcycling community is a fool and fortunately a rarity. And, whoever would knowingly mislead someone in our community who happens to own a publication for said community has left the store without all his groceries. What a dolt. It sounds like he’s from the Rahm Emanuel School of Crisis Abatement: “You never let a serious crisis go to waste.” michael G. Bellantone Hey Brian, Just read your Free Wheelin’ article and I feel it was very nicely done.

Over the years I think at times the roads have whispered to me, and obviously, based on what you wrote, you possess that innate, intuitive ability to divine your way to your ultimate destination. I could feel it in your words.

Hope you guys are doing well and all is right in your world. dan russo

Shira’s Easter Egg Hunt Hi Brian, That was too easy! It’s the copy of ‘An Anthology of Harry Chapin’ up on the mantle next to CTA. Hope your eyeballs all healed up well. Oh, and if Armand wants to have class again this year we’d totally take it over just for fun... inga Bubar Inga – thanks for playing. Your Backroads’ Swag Bag is on its way. ~ ed.

Good Afternoon, After reading the article about the Café Adella Dori, I tried to purchase a gift card and was informed that they were closing for good. Do you have any suggestions for a diner in the county somewhere in PA or south? I’m trying to find a gift card for a retired bike friend.

John John, I’m sorry to hear that; the piece was submitted by a reader and we were not aware of any such events with the place. Here are a few places: The Stone Arch Inn, Jefferson, NY, a number of places in Honesdale, PA such as the Alpine Wurst House or Scarfallotos Diner. There is also the Carriage House on Route 97 in Barryville, NY. I don’t know if any do gift cards but you can check.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for checking on my subscription. I knew about the renewal but I wasn’t sure about my current expiration date. Really enjoy your magazine and will continue subscribing in the future.

Happy holidays.

Chuck rinderer Hi Backroads, I wanted to thank you for having info in your magazine for Palm Dr’s to repair the ZUMO GPS units. I recently called them for my 665-LM was having problems locking and shutting off. What I was pleasantly surprised to find was they can also “upgrade” the hard drive expanding it’s life and better operation. I have been updating my maps on the external 8GB SanDisk memory card and every update shrinking it memory and the unit working more slowly. Now the unit with an upgraded 16GB hard drive operates faster and no need to fill the memory card with maps, just great backroads

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Page 9

GPX rides. They only charge $123.90 plus shipping for the upgraded hard drive and sound card.

I’m sharing this if others fall into my situation of having multiple bikes they use it on and I have the Touratech locking cradles at $190. a pop plus the installation time for 5 bikes. This is a great alternative to buying a newer Garmin unit. Palm Dr’s service and dealing with Chris Short the owner have been top notch.

Gary Gary, Excellent. Chris seems like a great guy and he has helped a lot of our readers. Perhaps we will send our units to him as well.

We understand that with GPSs size does matter!

West Virginia Fantasies Brian, I am hoping you can help me and my riding friends…We are planning an April 2020 trip to West Virginia and looking for a “home base” town and rides for a 4 or 5 day trip. I came across the June 2009 Backroads online wherein you focused on WV. Excellent resource.

Suggestions for places to stay or preferred rides? Any help is appreciated.

I hope the holiday season finds you and Shira in good spirits and good health. Be well.

Gregory J. Bonin

Mail: BACKROADS PO Box 620 Augusta NJ 07822

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

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

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Greg, We love West Virginia.

How many in the group and what sort of places are you looking for – on a scale of 1 thru 10 - 1 being a ‘pay by the hour’ bedbug infested pit and 10 being the Hotel Pierre on 5th Ave. So, we would be remiss not to mention one of our advertisers, The South Branch that has two hotels – one in Moorefield and one in Romney. Excellent and we have even held a rally there.

This is a more “modern” place – there is a restaurant and fuel right there, even a movie theater and bowling alley – something to do at night.

If “less is more” is okay I would recommend the town of Davis. It has a number of restaurants and a decent (in a good way) hotel called The Alpine Lodge. Cheap, clean, has their own restaurant for dinner and breakfast. Davis is in the middle of some fantastic roads as well.

We also have a number of GPS route in our GPS Vault which are easily accessed on our website www.backroadsusa.com.

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Page 10

IN DU STRY INFOBITES MIC LOOKS TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF MOTORCYCLING A strategy playbook, a new online portal for new riders, and a new director of ridership position highlighted an afternoon presentation to hundreds of guests at this year’s Motorcycle Industry Council Communications Symposium.

“More Riders, Riding More – The Ridership Session” outlined these action plans for the developing industrywide initiative, presented by MIC staff and strategic consulting company Centauric at the Nov. 21 symposium in Long Beach, Calif., which saw a record number of attendees. The Ridership Session was free and open to anyone in the industry, and was live-streamed as well.Video of “The Ridership Session” can be viewed at mic.org/ridership.

H-D TO LAUNCH GROUP-GUIDED CRUISE CONTROL Harley-Davidson has applied for a patent that will enable groups of riders to maintain a constant speed thanks to kinematics and radar-guided cruise control. This new type of adaptive cruise control is specifically aimed at Harley’s current target demographic; groups of riders.

Adaptive cruise control is nothing new in the world of four-wheeled transportation, but now a major motorcycle manufacturer has stepped in with a system that is claimed to allow a bike to lock on to another bike and keep a set separation distance or separation time from the target bike while offering the rider the chance to pick multiple bikes or cars within a lane to follow.

The Harley system incorporates a transceiver that can ping out the bike’s location to other vehicles on the road, so with a group of riders sharing the same piece of tarmac, and using the same H-D adaptive cruise control system, a group of bikes can track and monitor the location of each other in realtime for a safer and more controlled group riding experience.

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

News from the Inside WOMEN RIDERS NOW EXPANDS LEADERSHIP BOARD WITH THREE KEY INFLUENCERS This new team will propel premier resource for female riders forward as number of women riding motorcycles skyrockets to nearly 1 in 5.

Three powerful and prominent women in the motorcycling industry, Porsche Taylor, Alisa Clickenger, and Robyn Kocienski, are the newly appointed members of the Women Riders Now (WRN) Leadership Board. According to co-chairwomen Erin Sills and Sarah Schilke, the WRN Leadership Board will help guide the strategic direction of WomenRidersNow.com, the leading resource for women and motorcycling, as it carries forth the legacy established by founder Genevieve Schmitt in 1999.

“As the number of women riding motorcycles is at an all time high with 19 percent of the riding population being female, we are excited to welcome these highly respected icons and activists of women’s motorcycling to the WRN Leadership Board,” says Sills. “Their enthusiasm and influence will greatly enhance our outreach and awareness goals for WRN to enable more women to learn about and experience the exhilarating benefits of motorcycling.”

CLASS OF 2019 AMA HALL OF FAME The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inducted five new members during the 2019 KTM AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020 Hilton Downtown Columbus.

The members of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2019 are rights advocate Mark Buckner, off-road racing champion Kurt Caselli, motocross champion Ron Lechien, trials pioneer Wiltz Wagner and museum founder Dale Walksler.

Ceremony emcees Perry King and Laurette Nicoll guided the audience through the careers and accomplishments of the inductees.

“Each of these motorcyclists has achieved excellence in pursuit of their motorcycling dreams,” King said. “And each one of them has inspired generations of riders to do the same.”

During the ceremony, those gathered also honored the memories of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers who recently passed away: Jerry Branch, Arlen Ness, Gene Romero, Peter Fonda and Clark Collins.

SUFFRAGISTS CENTENNIAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE ROUTES & REGISTRATION RELEASED Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, Women’s Motorcycle Tours has released the official dates, routes and opening of registration for the Suffragists Centennial Motorcycle Ride (SCMR2020). The female-focused, threeweek cross-country motorcycling event will commence Friday, July 31, 2020 and end on Sunday, August 23, 2020.

This cross-country event will provide multiple experiences for all disciplines of motorcycle riders in celebration of the centennial of women’s suffrage. The 19th Amendment provided women with the right to vote and is seen as a significant historical event in the journey toward equality and empowerment for women.

“While the ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere of celebration and unity among female motorcyclists, SCMR2020 welcomes all riders; male and female, all brands of motorcycles, two and three-wheeled machines… even non-riders. Freedom, unity and celebration are our guiding principles,” concludes Clickenger.

Find out more at centennialride.com

Page 11

MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES DECLINE, DESPITE INCREASED OWNERSHIP For the second straight year, nationwide motorcycle fatalities declined, in spite of a record number of motorcycles in usage across the United States.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released their 2018 motor vehicle fatality report, reflecting a 4.7% reduction in motorcyclist deaths from 2017 to 2018.

Meanwhile, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), a record 12,231,000 motorcycles were in use in the U.S., up more than 2 million from 2014, the last year of their ownership survey, and that American households owning motorcycles rose from 6.94% in 2014 to a record 8.02% last year (10,124,400 homes), an increase of more than 1.5 million homes.

PETITION DRIVE TO BAN BLINDING HEADLIGHT A “Ban Blinding Headlights and Save Lives” online petition has been set up by the National Motorists Association (NMA) to lobby the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, its parent organization, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Congress to “ban all blue-light technologies on vehicles and to keep tail-lights, brake-lights and turn signals to a maximum brightness no greater than that allowed for traffic signals.”

More than 9,400 people who are concerned about the safety effect caused by the glare of overly bright headlights, taillights, and other exterior vehicle indicator lights, have already signed the petition at Change.org. Organizers have set a goal of obtaining over 10,000 signatures.

We gladly accept Press Releases for print and our weekly Backroads Report. Please email text and high-resolution images to: editor@backroadsusa.com

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTER IOU S A MERICA The Coal houSe of TuG valley WilliamSon, WeST virGinia

Coal. It has been at the center of everything for centuries and part of Mysterious America as well. First, it was the center of industry, power, and advancement. It was the center of strife, incredibly hard work and pain. It was the center of violence, struggle, and hangings. Now, a century later, coal is the center of the bad side of political correctness and is reviled by many, yet loved by many more.

Pick your side. There does not seem to be a middle ground.

In its heyday coal was celebrated and used to promote the railroads that carried and still carry it. During this first half of

the 20th century, billions of tons of coal flowed in and out of Mingo County by rail. To this day, Norfolk Southern Railroad maintains one of the largest train yards and shops on its system in Williamson, with over one hundred miles of track running through the city. In 1925 alone, the coal field produced in excess of 8,000,000 tons of “black gold.”

The year was 1933 and O. W. Evans, an executive with the Norfolk & Western Railroad, was looking to promote the incredible amount of coal that was being mined from the West Virginia and Virginia border regions. Evans wanted to honor the valuable mineral that has played such a central role in West Virginia’s economy, as well as its history.

He came up with a novel idea – a house made entirely of coal; Bituminous coal to be exact.

Looking to provide a lasting symbol, for the “Billion Dollar Coal Field” of the region he centered his idea right in the middle of the town of Williamson, West Virginia.

Now West Virginia already has more than its fair share of Mysterious America. The Mothman, The Flatwoods Monster, the Mummies of Philippi and even a town named Odd. I would like to add the Coal House of Tug Valley onto its already ample list.

Once decided upon the plan went into production.

Evans and the Norfolk & Western Rail Road hired Hassel T. Hicks, a famed West Virginian architect and supervisor David M. Goode to make the first house of coal.

Specially cut blocks of coal were quarried and dressed as stone. A full 65 tons of coal from the nearby Winifrede Seam was taken for the building.

Each block was then varnished for weather-resistance.

The walls of The Coal House are two feet thick, which has aided in protecting the structure from outside forces such as the weather.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Page 13 Yes, it is called The Coal House but, in truth, it has never been lived in.

Since its construction in 1933, The Coal House has withstood four floods. The first flood struck in 1937 and the second in 1957. The last two floods occurred in 1977 and 1984, and during these, the water reached the top of the House’s arched entrance. After the last flood in 1984, the city of Williamson built a floodwall, which helped keep the building preserved. A bi-yearly coating of weatherproof varnish also aids in the preservation of the structure. Recently, the interior was renovated as part of the City of Williamson Renovation Program.

In October 2010, the Williamson Coal House was gutted by a fire, but its exterior survived fairly intact.

It was repaired and reopened in September 2011.

Located adjacent to the Mingo County Courthouse, The Coal House now houses the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce. Besides this wonderful building, the Hatfield McCoy trailhead is a few short miles away and will offer hours, or days, of entertainment while visiting the area. The Mountaineer Hotel, also on the National Register of Historic Places, makes an excellent base camp for your explorations.

In 1980, The Coal House was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is an integral part of the Mingo County community, as well as West Virginia as a whole, of which Natalie Young, the managing director of the chamber, says of the building. “In today’s energy-conscious world, the coal industry remains a vital component of our global economy. The Coal House symbolizes not only West Virginia’s heritage but it further testifies to the diligence of miners everywhere. The Coal House represents our past and, equally important, West Virginia’s future.”

And, indeed it is a building that looks to the past and the future at the same time – something one can only do in Mysterious America. ,

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN

tasty places to take your bike

SprinGfield diner & family reSTauranT 1955 pa-212, QuakerToWn, pa 1895 610- 346-7416 • find Them on faCeBook Each month we roll up to another eatery on the long ride we call the Great All American Diner Run. But, it has been a long time since we have had a real roadside diner that we have come across in our travels. Well, this month we get back to our roots and bring you just that…

The Springfield Diner & Family Restaurant in Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

We had ridden about a half-hour past starving, heading north from the Amish country and were beginning to get hangry with each other. Food would help.

The GPS pointed out a fork & knife a little off the route so we went for it. Garmins are notoriously wrong with restaurants but came through this time with a little green building with a smallish square sign - white with red lettering. More importantly, the neon sign said “Open.”

Yes… We strolled in and the waitress smiled and pointed to an empty table. Just one or two others were sitting as well. Sometimes we question our decisions.

We were brought menus and took in the décor, which was much nicer than the exterior would lead you to believe. Pink and white walls, tables with table cloths, nicely decorated and the happy and welcoming smile made us feel right at home.

“You know,” I said to Shira, “sometimes places like this are jewels in the rough and come through big-time when the meal arrives.” She nodded as so many times this has been the case. It was the case this day as well.

We understand that the owners took over this old place just a year ago and since then have been steadily acquiring a following with locals.

They have Mexican Karaoke Night on Fridays… Okay then.

Folks began to enter and the place got a bit busy.

We looked at the menu and there was a bit from which to choose for sure.

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PLENTY OF ROOM FOR GROUPS

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Breakfast Every Sunday 9am-1pm Tues 4-10pm • Wed-Sat 11am-10pm • Sun. 9am-9pm

RivertonHotelandRestaurant

The riverton hotel and restaurant At Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com

Member of

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020 We’ll just toss about a few items… Buffalo wings, quesadillas or a great sampling of all their appetizers. They offer eight salads – including crispy chicken, chef, Greek, and cobb.

If paninis are your thing try their New Yorker with roast beef, Swiss, sautéed onions, tomatoes with a side of Russian dressing. Or keeping with the city’s themes the Philly gives you turkey with bacon, Swiss and Russian dressing. Our Vegan friends should be happy with the Garden Patch - broccoli, mushroom, onion, pepper, tomato, and mozzarella.

The Springfield also has several pitas - turkey, tuna, ham & cheddar and, of course, a gyro.

The burger we saw was enormous and delicious looking as were some of the classic sandwiches that came by. Philly cheesesteak and Ruebens. The wraps – all nine of them – took up a big part of the menu.

But, we came in for a late breakfast and were not disappointed. The Springfield offers eggs any style and in any number of combos. Pancakes, French toast, and waffles? What is your pleasure?

They had four different styles of eggs Benedict and I chose the Country – served with corned beef hash. Shira wanted an omelet and had eleven from which to choose or any combination of them. She chose the authentic Greek with tomatoes, fresh spinach, olives, and feta cheese.

While we waited we had a few cups of very good coffee and when our food arrived … well, Shira’s eyes went wide and an “Oh My God!” came out. It was ginormous, huge – immense. It was also one of the best omelets she had had in a long time. Too bad she only got through ¾ of it. My country eggs Benedict was spot on and I had no trouble finishing them off.

For a small roadside eatery along a two-lane road in Quakertown, the Springfield Diner offers big-time food. They are open seven days a week from 7 am till 2 pm. When in the area save your appetite and check out a real diner on the road along the Great All American Diner Run! Enjoy! ,

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

Frontline Eurosports Presents

B IG CITY GETAWAY Dan Bisbee

neW enGland moTorCyCle muSeum 200 WeST main ST, roCkville, CT 06066 • 860-454-7024

WWW.neWenGlandmoTorCyClemuSeum.orG

I have a love-hate relationship with transportation museums. It doesn’t matter if it’s airplanes, automobiles, boats or motorcycles. I love that the vehicles are on display for the general public to admire: vehicles that people might not otherwise get to see. But I hate that these once proud vehicles are reduced to mere curiosities for people to point and gawk at. The real beauty of any vehicle is revealed best when it is in motion. It was with this mixture of excitement and dread that I visited the New England Motorcycle Museum in Rockland, Connecticut.

The museum is located inside the historic Hockanum Mill building in Rockville, Connecticut, in an old wool mill next to the river. During its heyday, in the late 1800s, the mill made fine worsted fabrics. President William McKinley’s inauguration suit was fashioned from material made here.

But, like most of the textile mills in the northeast, it was supplanted by larger mills in the south and closed in 1951.

The mill sat idle for decades before being reimagined as the New England Motorcycle Museum, which opened in 2017.

I parked my bike around back and entered the museum through Kaplan Cycles. Ken Kaplan is the owner and creator of the museum and runs Kaplan Cycles. I paid my admission fee

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind and walked down a short hallway to the museum. It was quiet so I was able to take my time looking at all 150 or so motorcycles spread over two floors. The third floor, where I entered, was mostly dirt bikes. The bikes were lined up neatly, set off by the polished wooden floors. Sunlight poured in through the huge windows to the point where interior lighting wasn’t needed. There were none of those pretentious fuzzy ropes saying “do not touch” either. A half dozen Rokons lined the center, while 1980s vintage dirt bikes from Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki lined the sides. There were also a few Pentons and other less common brands.

One bike that caught my eye was a Carabela Caliente 125. I was unfamiliar with the Carabela brand. The Carabela factory was in Mexico City and they made small displacement bikes with Italian engines by Minarelli. They were in business from about 1960 until the late 1970s. The beautiful Carabela Caliente 125 produced about 18 horsepower and, apparently, was not a very good motocross bike but it’s just cool to say Carabela Caliente.

I headed down to the second floor where the street bikes were. Many of the bikes on display were not ‘typical’ museum bikes, but were the ones like ordinary folks may have owned. A 1985 Yamaha RZ350, just like the one I used to own, was on display right next to an original Kawasaki Ninja like my brother had. Over 25 marques are represented at the museum. Honda Interceptors and even a Ducati Monster graced the floor.

I visited with Carl Misuraca, the “Roaming Diplomat”, as his business card calls him, and he seemed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of every single

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Page 17

bike in the place. An Indian police bike had a righthand throttle and I questioned it as I thought Indian used a left-hand throttle.

He showed me four different Indians, three with right-hand throttles and one with throttle on the left. On each one, the hand shifter was set up on the opposite side as the throttle. The shift linkage to the transmission was always on the right, with the shift lever passing through a tube welded to the front down tube on the frame. Swapping the throttle from the left to the right appeared to be a fairly simple change and, most likely, modern owners of these bikes switched them to a conventional righthand throttle. Either way, the offthrottle grip controlled the spark advance. He showed me how twisting that grip would actually rotate the distributer cap, thus changing when the spark plug would fire.

He pointed out a beautiful art-deco siren on the Indian police bike. The siren was engaged by pressing a foot pedal that moved the siren in contact with the rear tire to produce the sound. When I mentioned the term “Art Deco” he laughed and said, “You’re the only other person who has used that term to describe it and you’re exactly right.” The Harley police bike used a hand lever and pressed the siren, mounted above the front fender, against the front tire. More effective perhaps, but not as cool looking.

One of my favorite bikes on display was a 1949 Nimbus Type C. These were made in Denmark from 1934 through 1959 with very few changes. The 750cc inline four-cylinder engine was similar to the Indian 4 of the era but here, the valve springs were exposed. It was a hardtail with no rear suspen-

sion. Cushioning was provided by two rubber donuts that attached to a linkage underneath the seat.

Another really cool bike was a 1973 Kawasaki Z-1 with 0 miles on the odometer. When they brought it in, they transported it on a dolly to keep the odometer from changing. How someone could purchase one of the highest performance bikes of that era and then not ride it is beyond me.

Carl took me down to the ground floor and showed me where they plan to add a microbrewery and restaurant next year. A cigar bar is planned as well as a stage where live music will be performed. This past summer, the museum hosted a series of events including Café Fever weekend and Mini Bike Mania. There is also a monthly Bike Night.

Operating a museum obviously has costs associated with it and, as Carl told me, my admission didn’t even cover enough to keep the lights on. It’s Kaplan Cycles that does that. The museum is the brainchild of Ken Kaplan.

Ken and his team purchase old bikes and old bike collections. They fix the bikes and then resell them. The profits are used to fund the museum. Between the time the bikes are restored and sold, they go on display in the museum.

So, while most of the museum houses the permanent collection, about 1/3 of the bikes are constantly being turned over. That means I can expect to see different bikes on my next visit.

Continued on Page 19

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

WE’RE OUTTA HER E The Goodland hoTel 5650 Calle real, GoleTa, Ca 93117 805-962-6241 • WWW.TheGoodland.Com Although top-notch hotel, fine inns, and swanky joints may be opulent and impressive most times we’ll take funky, laid-back and fun.

And that is what we have this month with a ‘We’re Outta Here!’ coming in from the west coast - the little town of Goleta in particular and The Goodland Hotel.

Goleto is a little burg that falls under the radar of Santa Barbara, California.

Part of the Kimpton hotel chain, we thought it like no other link we have stayed at in a while.

The Goodland is a laid back, comfortable place like an old-style California surf motel mixed up with one of today’s modern boutique getaways.

With the Pacific nearby to the west and the mountains to the east, The Goodland makes the perfect two-wheel escape. Okay, maybe three-wheeled in this case.

We were there a few months back with a group for Yamaha and even though we stayed at another far more upscale and fancy hotel during this trip

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads this Niken-powered journey had its beginnings and end at The Goodland.

Riding up to the hotel you will find a classic Ford Station Wagon, perfect for carrying a surfboard back in the day, as well as an old Air Stream Trailer – also reminiscent of the past. Most times we don’t get caught up with accessorizing a hotel, but The Goodland got to pull this off.

The two-story hotel rooms encircle the pool and, just steps away was the large and well-equipped bar and restaurant with indoor and plenty of outdoor seating.

With the palm trees, and lovely hanging Angel trumpet vines scenting the air it was hard to believe that you were not someplace far more exotic than California. In truth it reminded us of a beachside inn we stayed in on the Ecuadorian coast.

But, the Kimpton people describe the place in these words…

‘Designed with an easygoing, California-cool aesthetic, The Kimpton Goodland’s artful guest rooms and suites feature earthy, eccentric textures and fabrics with a nod to surf-culture nostalgia. All of the guest rooms and suites include Italian Frette bed linens and bathrobes, luxury Atelier Bloem bath amenities, Hardwood floors and Yoga Mat!’

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Yoga? Well, this is California. But, take heart…there is a fully stocked bar in each room to ease the pain after yoga.

What we really loved was that there was a Crosley turntable and selection of vinyl in the room. Don’t like the selection? Well then saunter over to their own record store. This is the only hotel we have ever seen that has its own record store.

Prince anyone?

Our room had the Best of Jonathon Winters – classically funny and you can understand where Robin Williams, his protégé’, came from.

Walking around the modest grounds you can easily understand why many film and production crews overnight here, use it as a location and why Yamaha scored big by putting us up at The Goodland.

Location, location, location…

The beachy community has plenty of parks, all are just minutes away and some are so close, like Goleta Beach, you might as well roll down in one of the hotel’s complimentary bicycles. Depending on whether you want to surf, standup paddle boarding, fish, watch butterflies, play ultimate Frisbee, roll along on a beach cruiser or any creative combo you can dream up, Santa Barbara has a beach for you.

Just north of Goleta, El Capitan is great for catching waves, exploring rocky tidepools, or uncorking that Santa Barbara wine on a picnic. Just ten minutes from Goleta, check out the surf break at Refugio State Beach or go on one of the kayak tours offered here every summer. This palm-lined gem of a beach is also great for picnics and just enjoying the coastal scenery. Or

Page 19 just play in their backyard: Goleta Beach. Just three miles from The Goodland, this long stretch of sand features volleyball nets, lots of grills and grassy areas for that picnic and a walking trail for a coastal cardio bump. Whichever location and activities you choose, you’re sure to find an unforgettable place in the sun along the Californian beaches.

But, the riding (remember riding?) to the east is spectacular, with miles and miles of mountain roads that head north and south and into the surrounding wine regions.

There is not much to not love about The Goodland. It is hip, fun, funky and a great pick for a winter escape to the sunny West Coast … ‘cause We’re Outta Here! , BiG CiTy GeTaWay Continued from Page 17 When Kaplan Cycles sells the bikes, they don’t just post a few online pictures. Instead, they shoot an extensive video of the bike. The video is then posted on YouTube and linked to an eBay auction. During my visit they were shooting a video for an absolutely gorgeous 1973 Penton ISDT 125. After watching the video, even I wanted to bid on the bike. Even if you have no interest in purchasing the bike, the video is full of interesting information about John Penton and his relationship with KTM. As I rode away from the museum, I couldn’t help but think how cool the whole concept was. I anticipated seeing bikes but the collection far exceeded my expectations. Add in the fact that they restore the bikes on site and then sell some to fund the museum made it even cooler. When the restaurant is open, I can see groups making the New England Motorcycle Museum a destination for a day ride.

As far as that love/hate relationship with museums? I love this one. ,

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D

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

The Best of Backroads 2019 o you know a year is really 365.25 days long?

At this time of year, we think we’d all jump at the chance to ride another six hours of a beautiful day, right?

Yet here we are ready to start another season.

But, before we can do that, we have to take a look back at the previous 365.25 days.

As is our way the faithful writers, scribes and philosophers that contribute to the publication each month made their way to the hidden, bawdy and sometimes loud water hole we call Monkey with a Gun. Here over a long (very long) weekend cases were made, cases were drunk, points were made and some darts were thrown. The food was superb, the wine delicious and Shira’s homemade ice cream settled down any arguments that looked to get the troopers involved. In the end, as we always do, we came away with the top three in all the categories.

Welcome to the Best of Backroads 2019! It was a great year.

The Great All American Diner Run Still, one of the most popular columns we run each month, the Great All American Diner Run strives to be a chef in its own right – mixing up a monthly recipe of great roads, striking scenery, and delicious food. We think these top three all meet that criteria. We hope you agree.

SECOND RUNNER UP • STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN 2649 WHITE MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY, NORTH CONWAY, NH 03860 603-356-5200 • WWW.STAIRWAYCAFE.COM We first spied this upstairs café in North Conway as we rode into town and made it a point to be there early as it is a popular eatery – and with good reason. Their menu is wide, diverse and creative and we had a hard time making up our minds. The pancakes were amazing as was their selection of wild game meats for breakfast. The omelets came scrumptious and big; and their “To Die For” fresh Maine lobsta roll is the stuff of legend. Mix all this together with the laid back, cool ambiance you will find here at Stairway to Heaven and you will understand how it easily made the Best of Backroads.

FIRST RUNNER UP • SHOE’S CUP AND CORK 17 N KING STREET, LEESBURG, VA 20176 703-771-7463 • SHOESCUPANDCORK.COM Sometimes the best things happen in bad circumstances. We were heading south for a Backroads Rally when we were caught by a tempest of serious power. Lucky for us we were just a few miles north of Leesburg, Virginia and we found a parking spot … right outside Shoe’s Cup and Cork. It was the perfect port in this storm.

We soggily slipped inside and were happily shown to a nice table – even in our wet rat state. The restaurant is found in an old shoe repair shop that was opened 100 years back by a Sicilian immigrant named Vincenzo Ranieri. The historic sign above Shoe’s harkens back to those days.

But the food is thoroughly modern Millie. Avocado chicken club, black bean and quinoa burger and seven different salads – all that can be pumped up with roasted chicken, smoked or seared salmon.. and avocado. They really like avocado here at Shoe’s.

Add in that they have a bocce court alongside the building along with the entire flair of Shoe’s and it easily steps into the second slot this year.

1st Place Great All American Diner Run 2019 Denson’s Grocery and Oyster Bar 117 Washington Ave, Colonial Beach, VA 22443 804-224-4121 • densonsgrocery.com Back in late April, we came across the neat little riverside town of Colonial Beach, Virginia. Part deep Americana history, part Margaritaville, the town grabbed us. We stayed at the very cool Riverview Inn, a short walk for a most delectable dinner at Denson’s Grocery and Oyster Bar. There is a lot of history here… Denson’s was originally established in 1912 as the local market.

Rocky Denson is third generation and he and his wife Blaire opened their reimagined grocery in 2011 with a focus on Chesapeake Bay farm to table fare as well as specialty grocery items. The front houses the deli counter and kitchen with the seating area cozily tucked in the next room. In 2013 they introduced R&B Oyster Bar serving up the freshest and plumpest East Coast oysters they can find.

When the weather is beautiful, their outdoor patio is crankin’.

The food was outstanding in every way and the owners could not be nicer.

When we walk away from a restaurant and both say we wish it were in our town we know we have a winner – and we do.

Congratulations to Denson’s on the #1 spot in this year’s Best of Backroads.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Page 21

Big City Getaway Yes, it is all about the ride. But, when you add in a great destination – full of interest, fun and maybe the chance to learn something the ride gets even better. This year we had an excellent run of these and choosing was very hard. But the choices were made…

SECOND RUNNER UP • AMERICAN HELICOPTER MUSEUM 1220 AMERICAN BLVD., WEST CHESTER, PA 19380 610-436-9600 • AMERICANHELICOPTER.MUSEUM Like so many places we did not start off looking to find one of the best helicopter museums on the planet. But, when we spied the sign, we vectored that way – and we were sure glad we did.

The American Helicopter Museum has dozens of the greatest examples of rotary aircraft in the United States – they even have a V-22 Osprey in the back. Other whirly birds include a dual-rotor Boeing CH-46E Sea Knight, US Army H-13 (think MASH), a Sikorsky Seahorse and a fully armed Bell AH-1F Cobra.

We spent a few hours there and highly recommend this museum – especially to kids as they actively look to push young ones towards careers in aviation. Good for them. If you love helicopters there is no better place in the country.

FIRST RUNNER UP • NATIONAL WATCH & CLOCK MUSEUM 514 POPLAR STREET, COLUMBIA, PA 17512 • 717-684-8261 • NAWCC.ORG It’s all about time. And, that being the case should there not be a museum dedicated to mankind’s attempts to capture and portray this indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future?

Well, lucky for us, in Columbia, Pennsylvania there is such a place – the National Watch & Clock Museum. Well, we sent a good deal of their precious commodity there and came away with a far better idea and appreciation of clocks, watches, time and the people who keep a close eye on such things.

As you would think there are watches – some more famous than others – and clocks some with an equal pedigree. But, the most important artifact is the Engle Clock.

It has been called the Monumental Clock and the first of its kind created in the United States.

A skeleton representing Death strikes a bone against a skull. Father Time strikes a bell with a scythe and turns his sandglass while the central figures of Youth, Middle, and Old Age revolve in the arch above the clock dial. At 55 minutes past the hour, the three Marys come out of the center tower as a procession of the Apostles takes place accompanied by hymns. It is incredibly amazing to see and the Engle Clock is one of the most amazing man-made creations we have ever come across. The entire National Watch & Clock Museum is most remarkable and well worth stopping in while riding the Amish region of Pennsylvania.

1ST PLACE BIG CITY GETAWAY 2019

SIMEONE AUTOMOTIVE FOUNDATION MUSEUM 6825 NORWITCH DRIVE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19153 215- 365-7233 • WWW.SIMEONEMUSEUM.ORG To take the #1 spot in this category it has to be something very, very special.

The Simeone Automotive Foundation Museum is just that.

The Simeone Automotive Foundation Museum has won dozens of awards for its historic vehicles, and it has twice been called “International Automotive Museum of the Year” and last year the Liechtenstein-based Classic Car Trust ranked the Simeone Museum as the 2nd most important private auto collection on the planet. Nice.

Now they can add this accolade as well.

If you love automobiles and racing then this is truly the greatest American museum, for here you will find the real deal. Did you like Ford v Ferrari – right, who didn’t? Then Simeone is the place for you. 1958 Ferrari Testa Rosa (The Red Head), Ford GT40, 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A, 1952 Jaguar C-Type…

They have a Bugatti 57G Tank.

It was the only existing Bugatti sports car to ever win a major race, notably Le Mans in 1939, which pissed the crap out of Adolf Hitler to no end. This sole surviving 57G Tank was hidden from the Nazis, as Hitler wanted this particular car destroyed for humiliating the Germans at Le Mans; and for the duration of World War II, it was buried in a secret underground garage.

The Bugatti is different from all others, but still just a small part of what makes this museum so incredibly special.

And, then there is the Porsche 917. We were in heaven and you will be too when you take a ride to Simeone Automotive Foundation Museum just south of Philadelphia. You will see and agree that this had to be the #1 winner for the Big City getaway in this year’s Best of Backroads.

Come celebrate Backroads 25th Anniversary in Grand Style.

Join us on our Grand Tour June 11-24, 2020 Complete detail on our rally website: www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

We’re Outta Here!

Everyone needs a little break now and again. We’re Outta Here! was created for just that; places we can ride to and disappear for a while. If you search a bit you will find that all across the region there are neat inns, tucked-away hotels and some truly excellent places to take you away from life’s day-to-day doldrums.

We have done much of the seeking out for you and each month Backroads brings you another great escape.

This year was particularly hard to choose the top three – but, here they are.

SECOND RUNNER UP • THE BULL & GARLAND 760 MAIN ST, HOBART, NY 13788 607-538-3006 • WWW.BULLANDGARLAND.COM In the northern Catskills, along Route 10 in the town of Hobart, well known for its eclectic bookstores, there is another cool gem - The Bull & Garland. When they created the inn, back in 2014, owners Melissa and Oliver Pycroft thought to bring the look and feel of a 19th century British pub to the tiny town.

And they did just that.

The place has a great bar and their restaurant offers up the most delicious food in the region. Upstairs there are four comfortable rooms, all interestingly decorated and each room has a French-press coffee maker with all the fixins’, and very good coffee as well.

We found the people there to be very friendly, the inn to be different (in a good way) and the location allows for some great two-wheel exploration on this part of New York State.

FIRST RUNNER UP • BRAE LOCH INN 5 ALBANY STREET, CAZENOVIA, NY 13035 315-655-3431 • WWW.BRAELOCHINN.COM Would yeh not be wannin’ to go to Scotland, lads and lassies? In Central New York, on the southeastern edge of Cazenovia Lake, you will find a stately dark brown building. Although part of the Empire State, as you walk through the oaken doors you will find yourself in a wee bit of Alba.

Welcome to the Brae Loch Inn, a very Scottish place. The Inn has 12 big and comfortable rooms – one with a ghost or two. Ghosts? Och aye… of course, there are ghosts. What would a Scottish castle, or inn, be without some ghosts?

A beautiful staircase leads to the upper floors and the rooms and another two staircases lead down below where you will find the pub – of course. It is a Scottish Bed & Breakfast, right? The bar is made up of several rooms, all with that deep mahogany ambiance. That evening a local guitarist and the delicious meal at their restaurant added to the Scottish charm and appeal. The single malt gave some added warmth as well.

When looking for a warm, cozy and comfortable escape you could fly to Scotland, or just ride to the Brae Loch Inn. You won’t even have to bring your passport.

1ST PLACE WE’RE OUTTA HERE! 2019 • THE ROXBURY 2258 CO RD 41, ROXBURY, NY 12474 607-326-7200 • THEROXBURYEXPERIENCE.COM It seems that New York state has the trifecta in this Best of Backroads as the choice for our #1 was easy and no debate.

The Roxbury Motel is simply amazing. When we were there, they had 27 rooms, but that will be expanded upon in 2020 with the addition of the lodgings at Stratton Falls (See Superhero Incognito to the left).

Each room has a wild theme and they are all designed and created by owners Greg Henderson and Joseph Massa.

“When you walk into your room at The Roxbury, we want you to smile.

Whether you call it ‘cool design,’ ‘whimsical elegance,’ or our favorite – ‘decadently over-the-top’ – we’re all about design at The Roxbury and how it makes you feel.”

Want to spend a night in Jeannie’s bottle (sorry, Barbara Eden not included).

If Jeannie didn’t pique your interest maybe a Charlie’s Angels room or a night in the Emerald City or perhaps Maryanne’s Coconut Cream Pie room?

Maybe a night on a Starship?

We hope you get our drift on how different The Roxbury really is!

The Digs was amazing. Grab your old bomber jacket, fedora and whip and cue the John William’s soundtrack – think Indian Jones and you are halfway there.

The Roxbury is a popular place so plan ahead or consider stealing a mid-week escape for yourself.

The Roxbury rocks and easily took 1st place in the Best of Backroads 2019.

Mysterious America Although we see less and less of the good doctor, O’Life comes through again and again – even if he tasks us, more and more, with his little ‘missions’. This is a crazy odd country we live in and Mysterious America is everywhere. Here are the top three for 2019…

SECOND RUNNER UP • THE MONSTERS OF MARYLAND We thought O’Life knew it all, but we found this on our own. At an ice cream shop in Maryland, we spotted an ice cream flavor called the Snallygaster. We asked a young girl, busily slurping her melting cone, about the Snallygaster.

We got an earful!

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

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The Snallygaster was a legendary creature that caused all sorts of mayhem in the area a few centuries back. Legends always live on.

However there was not just one beast, but two. Yes, like Godzilla versus Ghidorah, the Yankees versus the Red Sox and Trump versus Pelosi – a good enemy is a must and for the Snallygaster it was called the Dwayyo. The Dwayyo was, as far as I can find, a werewolf type of creature, but on a very badass scale.

The legend lives on!

FIRST RUNNER UP • THE CRYPT OF PRINCE DEMETRIUS GALLITZIN APOSTLE OF THE ALLEGHENIES • BASILICA OF SAINT MICHAEL 4TH ST., LORETTO, PENNSYLVANIA • 814-472-8551 • WWW.BASILICASM-LORETTO.ORG When you hear about a crypt of a man who will become a catholic saint you take notice. And, under the direction of O’Life’s intrepid cub reporter Craig Grant and Rathjen rode to the beautiful church in the non-existent town of Loretto, Pennsylvania. In the front, down a short flair of steps you will find the resting place of Prince Demetrius Gallitzin.

This man turned his back on a very comfortable life and went on to become one of the few men to be considered for Beatification. To be able to ride up and walk down into his final resting place is … amazing.

Surely a part of Mysterious America.

1ST PLACE MYSTERIOUS AMERICA 2019 • STUMPING IN NEW YORK Okay, we will take credit for putting this two-part Mysterious America in May and June as we rode through the Catskills early last spring. As we have always said…

Mysterious America is right in our own backyard.

So, exploring the Catskills – a region that seems to have dominated this year’s Best of Backroads, we came upon a number of great stories about Ents – Okay, that is a J. R. R. Tolkien reference but should get the meaning across.

From ancient fossils from the Devonian age to incredible artwork created from tree stumps dragged across a continent (one of which made the Best of Backroads cover).

We were not looking for this…but, there it was. And, looking back, it was all about keeping your eyes open and then linking the pieces of Mysterious America together.

You can find these stories online and we hope you do some exploring on your own across the vastness that is Mysterious America.

Inside Scoop This year’s dairy case entries ranged from northern New Hampshire to southern Virginia and lots of stops in between.

Most boasted their own homemade ice cream while others served up from small batch churners. Shira even featured an insight to her own ice cream making adventures. Some had picturesque settings while others offered some great roads there and back. Ultimately, there could only be three and here are the winners for 2019.

SECOND RUNNER UP • LITTLE RED BARN CAFE 4610 LANDER RD, JEFFERSON, MD • 301-378-8100 • WWW.LITTLEREDBARNICECREAM.COM The Little Red Barn Ice Cream Café not only serves some great ice cream but has a bit of history behind it, having housed the schoolmaster’s horse and buggy 100 years ago. Laura and Price Kaler, the owners, lovingly renovated this building to save a piece of history and now bring smiles to many folks as they scoop up both Hershey’s and South Mountain Creamery ice cream, including such temptations as Peanut Butter Pretzel, Banana Pudding from Hershey and Lemon Meringue and Snallygaster (See Mysterious America for more on this name) from South Mountain. The Barn is cozy, with seating inside and out and, should you desire, will provide you with some solid breakfast or lunch before your ice cream. The riding in the area is top-notch with both historic stops and twisty roads to entertain.

FIRST RUNNER UP • MARK & JULIE’S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM 476 PLEASANT VALLEY WAY, WEST ORANGE, NJ • 973-731-6011 • MARKANDJULIESICECREAM.COM This spot on the Best Of 2019 list certainly relies on its product rather than its location, as it sits in a small bundle of shops on Pleasant Valley Way in a very crowded West Orange, NJ. You can certainly find some creative ways to get to and from this spot and their homemade ice cream will be your reward for your troubles. Mark Orenstein has been hard at work creating over 52 flavors in the past 25 years when he and wife Julie decided to switch career paths and move into the ice cream industry. When we visited, we were told they had the BEST coffee ice cream around and, after a very healthy Kiddie’s cup serving, we found that to be absolutely true. Whatever flavor you select, you won’t be disappointed.

FIRST PLACE INSIDE SCOOP 2019 • LIGONIER CREAMERY 105 E MAIN ST, LIGONIER, PA • 724-238-4600 • WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LIGONIERCREAMERY Ligonier is a quaint little village sitting in the middle of some satisfying pieces of asphalt, which brought it to the top of the list in this year’s balloting. The fact that there is a homemade ice cream parlor plopped in the center of this village added to the ballot box.

David Gehlman, chief cook and ice cream churner at Ligonier Creamery, had 20 years of experience in the dairy business when he started his own ice cream shop in Johnstown, PA. He moved to Ligonier in 2011 and has been going gangbusters ever since with over 265 flavor creations under his belt. The Ligonier Creamery sits on the square, or diamond as they call it, and their motto states, ‘Ice cream so good…it’s served on a diamond and guarded by a fort!’ The parlor itself has table and counter seating and the sweet smell upon entry will have you salivating. Just a very small sampling of their flavors include Pumpkin Pie in July, Dark Side of the Moon, Tootsie Pop and 7 Chocolates. Whatever your choice may be you will be totally satisfied at this year’s winner.

Thanks for riding along and we’ll see you in 2020 for more ice cream stops on the Inside Scoop. ,

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS norTh markeT, ColumBuS oh • WWW.JeniS.Com and oTher loCaTionS around The CounTry… We had arrived in Columbus, Ohio, quite early on the opening day of AIMExpo 2019. After checking in, we asked a local where to find breakfast. ‘Just head over to the North Market across the street, they have everything,’ was the answer. So off we went, and we did find everything; from a great breakfast sandwich to fresh fish and game, incredible baked items and, of course, ice cream.

I had heard of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream but did not know that it originated in Columbus. Short back story: Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of this most excellent ice cream, began her involvement with ice cream in high school working at a local parlor. She eventually enrolled in The Ohio State where she entertained becoming a perfumer. Learning about essential oils, she began experimenting by mixing a few drops into pints of ice cream.

These mixtures were a hit with friends and family and, one day while in life drawing class, she just decided to leave college and start her own ice cream company. Long story shortened, her first venture, which was housed in the North Market, only lasted four years. Time passed, Jeni kept notes on what recipes worked and didn’t, took the short course on ice cream making at Penn State and decided to give it another go. After a long bout trying to secure funding, she and her then boyfriend Charly (who bought her a commercial ice cream machine which she referred to as her engagement ring), got a bank loan in 2002 and opened an ice cream stand at North Market – much to the excitement of her friends, old customers, professors from Ohio State and more.

The rest is history. Jeni’s now operates 33 scoop shops in 10 cities, distributes prepacked pints to over 3,000 stores across the country, and ships anywhere in the US via their online e-commerce shop, with over $30 million in annual revenue.

She was one of the first ice cream makers to use fresh ingredients.

She had to fight to buy her raw milk directly from the farms and today Jeni’s has farmers offering her whole fields of strawberries and other ingredients like chocolate and coffee just for them.

So, now you know the how and why of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.

Here’s the scoop on the what – as in what flavors and how absolutely delicious it is.

We returned to North Market the following day after our walking tour of Columbus. On tap this day was about two dozen of her many, many flavors. Like most boutique ice cream shops, we were offered tastings of any flavor, and I tasted many before settling on Fluffernutter Pie and Milkiest Chocolate. What struck me right off the bat was the not-toosweet quality of this creamy and perfectly textured ice cream.

The chocolate was like popping the best Swiss milk chocolate bar in your mouth and just letting it melt onto your tongue. The Fluffernutter was exactly as you would remember it from your youth – half creamy, salty roasted peanut butter ice cream and the other a smooth, vanilla marshmallow, with a touch of brown sugar and oat pie crust pieces to bring the magic together. You can have any flavor scooped into a homemade buttercrisp waffle cone or bowl; I went for the plain cup that was graced with a piece of this crispy delight. Just to get you salivating, here are some of Jeni’s creative offerings: Sweet Potato with Torched Marshmallows, Brambleberry Crisp, Brown Butter Almond Brittle, Lemon and Blueberry Parfait and Goat Cheese with Red Cherries. There are also dairy-free such as Roasted Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jam and Cold Brew with Coconut Cream. My only regret, other than not being able to have this ice cream every day, was not having visited the day we arrived.

We sat outside and enjoyed our ice cream, people watching and savoring every bite. All too soon it was gone and we were packing to head back to Jeniless New Jersey. We arrived at John Glenn Airport

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

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and walked to our gate and – WHAT THE WHAT?! – right there, in front of my eyes, was a vending machine filled with JENI’S SPLENDID ICE CREAM! I had really only seen an ice cream vending machine in Europe before, dispensing Magnum bars (which are pretty darn tasty too). This machine was packed with six flavors of 3.6 ounce of goodness.

If you don’t happen to be heading to Columbus any time soon, you can find Jeni’s in several cities around the U.S, with the newest shop just opened in Bethesda, MD, as well as prepacked pints in almost any King’s, Wegmans or Whole Foods. If you do taste it and can’t be without it, you can also order online. I was happy to have gotten the chance to experience it from the source – the original stand at North Market.

PS: Since returning home, I found Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream at Home Cookbook but, more importantly, have started using her incredibly easy recipe for the base of almost all of my ice cream creations. If I do say so myself, the Holy Cow Coffee with Espresso Chips that I’ve made is pretty damn good. Thank you Jeni.

I will be taking Penn State’s Ice Cream 101 Course the weekend of January 24-26. I can’t wait to learn all the ins and outs of professional ice cream making and take my churning to the next level. Stay tuned for a review. ,

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MOTORCYCLE ESSENTIALS

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

STOP THE BLEED TRAUMA KITS

We have a story to tell you. Well, two stories – but, to do so, we must travel through space and time to an alternate universe…

The annual camping trip ride has become a favorite of the club – this time they took adventure and dual-sport machines along miles of gravel trails and finally ended up along a small river and open wooded spot – the perfect place to stay for the night.

Tents were raised and wood was being gathered for a fire.

Tabitha took out a small, but sharp ax to help break up the wood. While in the middle of a swing she slips and the ax does not hit the wood – but gets Tabitha squarely in the calf.

The cut is deep, and the blood is gushing. She has struck something big in her leg. She screams and is on the floor as her friends rush to help.

They are very far away from any town and cell service is non-existent.

They try desperately to stem the bleeding as two head back to the nearest town to get help. It does finally arrive, but Tabitha has lost a lot of blood.

She is airlifted to the nearest trauma center, nearly 100 miles away.

She survives, but just so. Her friends are stunned, saddened and wonder if they could have done things in another way.

Meanwhile in an Alternate Universe…

The annual camping trip ride has become a favorite of the club – this time they took adventure and dual-sport machines along miles of gravel trails and finally ended up along a small river and open wooded spot – the perfect place to stay for the night.

Tents were raised and wood was being gathered for a fire.

Tabitha took out a small, but sharp ax to help break up the wood. While in the middle of a swing she slips and the ax does not hit the wood – but gets Tabitha squarely in the calf.

The cut is deep, and the blood is gushing. She has struck something big in

her leg. She screams and is on the floor as her friends rush to help.

They are very far away from any town and cell service is non-existent. They try desperately to stem the bleeding as two head back to the nearest town to get help.

One rider remembers a small kit he bought after reading about it in Backroads Magazine – the Stop the Bleed Kit. They rip open the package and quickly scan the laminated instructions and apply the quick clotting gauze, impregnated with Kaolin, which immediately slows down the bleeding. A tourniquet is placed above the wound and the time is marked on it - as tourniquets need to be watched.

Help does finally arrive, but Tabitha is stable and talking. She is airlifted to the nearest trauma center, nearly 100 miles away.

She survives the ordeal. The Stop the Bleed kit may have saved her life and on next year’s camping trip Tabitha lets someone else gather the wood.

Our friend David from BestRest products isn’t in the business of emergency first aid, however, he was involved with the Washington BMW Riders at their 2019 Rally. They hosted a “Stop the Bleed” training program that prepared riders for situations involving life-threatening blood loss. The Club assembled STB kits and sold them for $45.

BestRest bought the club’s extra kits and they are selling them for the same price - $45. Nobody’s making money on this deal; they’re only interested in getting these kits into the hands of their fellow riders and saving lives. Commercially prepared kits with similar components cost over $80. There are only a few kits left, get them while you can.

You can go to their website at bestrestproducts.com and find it in their Specials/Sales listing or call 425-673-1023 to get more information and, while there, look at some of the best motorcycle products on the market. ,

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS SHAD CAFÉ LUGGAGE • CLASSIC LOOKS WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY Retro bikes are big these days – really big. But, as attractive and fun to ride as they are, they rarely have any luggage to speak of and anything modern, plastic or aluminum will just detract from the classic looks that drew you to such a machine in the first place.

SHAD has a superb solution: SHAD Café Luggage, which comes in a stylish brown and black, offering a classic look and feel.

It is made from a synthetic leather & 1000 denier nylon, offers a look from decades ago; but with modern technology that makes them easy to use and functional as well.

Both side bags and top case attach and detach with ease. They are built with a semi-rigid construction and the waterproof liner keeps your gear safe and dry and lock with ‘Trimmer’ aluminum ionized clips. All the bags come with a padded handle & shoulder strap for comfortable transport off your machine.

The SR38 saddlebags sell for $126.99 per unit and hold 10-liters. Brackets for individual models are sold separately. The SR28 Tail, with its full 27-liter capacity, has three separate compartments and comes with a universal mounting system included. and it sells for $199 • www.shadusa.com ,

SENA WIFI DOCKING STATION It seems every time you check one of your devices there has been a software update – or updates.

Sena has created a super way to not only charge your Sena Bluetooth unit, but keep it up to date with the latest program updates that come along over the season.

Simply link the Docking Station to your home’s WiFi and plug the device onto the dock. One light will show it is charging, another that it is connected to the web, and another blinks while updating any new program.

The Docking Station works with both the older 20S EVO and latest 30K Mesh units and once set up with your smart phone you really need to just plug the communicator to the and it will do the rest.

You can configure these updates to be automatic or manually – depending on your preference.

When plugged onto the dock we found we were both a number of firmware updates behind. Whaaat?! Not anymore.

If you are traveling to another nation that has a different plug the docking station comes with a number of adapters – so you can charge and update from just about anywhere on the planet.

The Sena WiFi Docking Station can be purchased separately if you own a Sena Bluetooth, or they also have a combo pack that includes both a unit and the dock.

The Sena WiFi Docking Station sells for $70 and 30K WiFi Pack, with unit and docking station, lists for $389.

Communication just got a bit clearer. Visit sena.com or your local dealer. ,

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

Lately, it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it’s been…

The Grateful Dead Well, well, well… here we are riding into not only the annual start of every year for us… The Best of Backroads, but this time there are several things that mean so much more. Not only a new year, but a new decade and, for us, something that still has not settled into our brains.

Backroads’ 25th year. A quarter-century. Some 1,300 weeks. Over 9,000 days and nearly 300 monthly issues.

Who’d have thunk it?

But, here we are my friends and I must say, as The Dead would sing, it has been a long strange, but fun and satisfying trip indeed.

So many places. So many miles. So many friends, both old and new.

When we started Backroads 25 years back we knew we had something great. We knew it filled a void for the region’s riders, but we never would have thought we’d have so many superb experiences, meet so many interesting people and would acquire a second family made up of so many riders that we see and happily welcome every time we have a ride, event or rally.

We are blessed and we know it.

And it makes me wanna take a backroad Makes me wanna take the long way home Put a little gravel in my travel Unwind, unravel all night long Rodney Atkins When we turned 10 we had a Rally that took us to ten states in ten days.

When we turned 20 we had a hundred or so riders join us far to the south of Backroads Central in Fontana Village in the middle of the Smoky Mountains.

In between them and for the last five years we have brought riders far and wide on our Backroads Rallies – The Spring Break, Fall Fiesta and Summer Squeeze. Maine, Virginia, the Thousand Islands and Adirondacks of New York, Vermont, Western Maryland and, of course, West “by God” Virginia…

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and a whole bunch more sprinkled in between.

With this Silvery seasonal trip around the sun quickly approaching we plan to give you something every month. Lots of miles. Many opportunities to become a better rider. A riding season full of fêtes.

We hope to hold a day of motorcycle seminars, information, education, and fun next month - think Backroads Scholar Day. But, more on that later – consider keeping Saturday, February 15th free.

In late May we will be attending Tony’s Non-Sportbike Track Day at the hilly track in Palmer, Massachusetts. This is not a “track day” or a race school – rather like CLASS, a place to work on getting smooth, become confident and moving up to the next level in your day-to-day street riding. Join us.

Come with an opened mindset to learn and I promise you will.

June… well, I will get right back to that.

But for the rest of the year, we will be holding monthly events and “escapes.” Expect pop-up day rides, Mystery Rides, Shira’s Ice Cream Runs and Escape Weekends along with a few more surprises – so stay tuned to our FaceBook page, website and these pages.

But, let us jump back to June.

And the road goes on forever…

The Allman Brothers

As the seasons shift from spring into summer we will be on the largest riding adventure any US publication has ever undertaken.

The Backroads Grand Tour - 14 days, 15 states, nearly 3,000 miles!

You are so invited.

On our Ten States in Ten Days Tour – 15 years ago (Yikes!) the weekend destinations were two-day stops. We will do the same on this.

The Backroads Grand Tour will be set-up to allow both of the weekends to be doable for those who are not able to ride the entire tour.

We understand life is life. So, consider them two Escape Weekends.

One in Boothbay Harbor on the rocky coastline of Maine and the second in the mountains of western Virginia. Here you can park your bike and rent an ATV and spend the day exploring the Mountain View Trail System. This is the “adventure” part of Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure.

So, what are we really talking about here?

Let us kinda, sorta, maybe lay it out for you…

We’ll first head to the familiar region of Southern Vermont before crossing over to the Atlantic coast in Maine for a couple of days exploration and lobsta’ rolls.

Then the Grand Tour turns westward and back into Vermont, then towards the Great Lakes before heading south into the Keystone State and a most memorable hotel along a most historic road. Continuing our vector south we will head towards Ohio and the river with the same name. Crossing into West “By God” Virginia we will go in search of a giant cryptid; I promise we shall find him.

Think Kentucky, consider Tennessee and then a couple of days in St. Paul,

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

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Virginia before we fly east towards the Atlantic and up the Delmarva. Time for a little bit of Margaritaville and crabs, we think.

The ride finishes back up in Pennsylvania and then home… sniff.

We said we would be doing things in a big way for our Silver 25th year.

We think this qualifies and we hope you join us for all, part or even a wee bit

of this intrepid and exciting journey.

We will have the full itinerary, hotel listings/how to book and other pertinent information on our website. The short list is right here.

It has been a long strange trip – but it is about to become so much more.

Ride safe, Ride Far, Ride often! Shira + Brian

THE BACKROADS GRAND TOUR ITINERARY PLEASE NOTE: ALL ROOM BLOCKS WILL BE RELEASED ON APRIL 1, 2020 SO RESERVE EARLY TO GET SPECIAL RATES Thursday, June 11 • Kitzhof Inn West Dover VT • $116 + tax • kitzhof.com • 800-388-8310 Friday & Saturday June 12 & 13 • Ocean Point Inn Boothbay Harbor ME • starting at $109/night + tax 800-552-5554 / 207-633-4200 • oceanpointinn.com Must call to reserve - no online booking • Group Code BRT Sunday, June 14 • Commodores Inn Stowe VT • $113.28 inclusive with full breakfast 800-447-8693 • commodoresinn.com Call to reserve under Backroads Monday, June 15 • Tailwater Lodge Altmar NY • $109 + fees/tax 315-298-3434 • Group Code BACK Online booking @ tailwaterlodge.com • Go to: BOOK NOW Enter date - Enter Group Code BACK • Select room Tuesday, June 16 • Peek’n Peak Resort Clymer NY • $109 + fees/tax 716-355-4141 • www.pknpk.com • Reserve under Backroads Wednesday, June 17 • Summit Inn Farmington, PA • $139 + tax 724-438-8594 • summitinnresort.com • Reserve under Backroads

Thursday, June 18 • Lowe Hotel Point Pleasant WV • $109 + tax 304-675-2260 • thelowehotel.com Call to reserve under Backroads/no online booking Friday & Saturday June 19 & 20 • Western Front Hotel St. Paul VA • $98.10-129.60/nite + tax 276-738-3040 • westernfronthotel.com • Reserve under Backroads Online booking link on Backroads Rally website Sunday, June 21 • Hotel Weyanoke Farmville VA • $99-109 + tax 434-658-7500 • www.hotelweyanoke.com Phone or online booking under Backroads Monday, June 22 • Sunset Beach Hotel Cape Charles, VA • $79 + tax 757-331-1776 • www.sunsetbeachva.com Call to reserve under Backroads Tuesday, June 23 • Joseph Ambler Inn North Wales, PA • $135 + tax 215-362-7500 • josephamblerinn.com Call to reserve under Backroads Wednesday, June 24 - All good things must end - time to go home.

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

There was a time that the “Bike Show” in Manhattan, held at the Javits Center, was one of the most anticipated events of the winter months. It was usually the end of January or early February and everybody was past the holidays and the Super Bowl – Spring training was about to begin and Daytona was just a month or so away.

OEMs pulled in the reigns.

The grumblings from the faithful got louder. Each year the once bright spot of the winter got dimmer and dimmer.

It began with newer and much earlier dates for the New York show. Early January, then mid-December and this year – December 6th through 8th.

It was still Autumn for goodness sakes.

Where we once happily manned our booth all three days – this year we didn’t get there until Sunday.

But, this is where the story begins to get better.

I had already heard from our readers.

“It’s the tiniest show ever.” “Why do they have these dates?” “I don’t care if I go next year or not.”

So we ferried over on Sunday morning expecting a disaster and to be in an out in a couple of hours, grab lunch and drive back to Backroads Central

It brought the riders who attended, the many, many thousands of riders and wanna-be riders, a sense of “light at the end of the dreary winter’s tunnel” and a renewed love for our sport. We’d attend with gusto and handed out thousands of Backroads. For us, it was a great combination of work, play and the wonderful opportunity to meet our readers.

But then things changed. Fewer and fewer vendors took booths, some of the manufacturers chose not to attend. The motorcycle industry, once strong, vibrant and positive took a huge hit after 2008 and eleven years later sees the industry struggling to attract new riders. Budgets were slashed as the

– which looked more like Superman’s Fortress of Solitude after the early ice storm the week before.

So what did we find? Well, we look at this show from a different perspective than most.

Was it small? Yes – the smallest I have ever seen. But.. and this is what counts – what was there was great! discover the ride It began last year with a fellow named Robert Pandya who began to organize a way to get new riders onto motorcycles. This year it seemed even

A WELCOME COURSE CORRECTION

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

better as the same company that we saw at AIMExpo in Ohio, STACYC, was here and getting kids… little kids…on their small electric pushbikes that bridge the gap between toys and real rides for children. Fewer and fewer children ride bicycles these days. If they are not introduced to riding they will never buy a motorcycle.

At The Kids Zone, some of these boys and girls had talent. More than me, for sure. It was the most fun to watch. They are fearless and they bounce when they fall, get up smiling and get right back on.

For older kids, sometimes called adults, Robert had set up a small course for those who had never ridden.

Again… NEVER RIDDEN! First a quick lap or two on Yamaha’s e-bicycles – just to show you had balance. Then onto specially modified Zero electric motorcycles.

These bikes are wickedly quick. But, Robert and company had them modified to make them meek, mild and easy for the newest newbie to operate safely. To

Page 31

make it even safer, our friend Christine Firehock, who has been teaching people to ride for a long time, was there with her crew from Total Control.

To Shira and me, they could not be in better hands.

They will be at each of the eight shows that span the United States over this winter and, when done, will have brought hundreds of more new riders into our fold than anything else currently happening.

Wow, it’s like more riders, riding more – but, really happening and their efforts seem to be far more effective than any new website, catchy slogan

Page 32

JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS and new ridership czar. Bringing new riders into the sport is key and what we saw at the New York show was heartening.

Hey, 700 words into this… perhaps talk about the rest of the show.

Most manufacturers were there: BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, and Yamaha. All of them brought some new and interesting machines. Whether you are a cruiser, tourer or adventure rider – there was something new to be found this weekend.

Sadly some manufacturers were conspicuously absent. But we didn’t take a booth either so I am not throwing stones.

With the direction the NYC Show had been heading, the monetary outlay for any huge manufacturers display would be questionable and we understand that. Bringing a fleet of machines, displays and people into New York during the holidays ain’t cheap.

Return on investment, right?

Still, we felt that even though we thought the New York Motorcycle Show had been heading south – to us there was a major course correction with this year’s event.

Dear God… is that a flicker of light in this dark tunnel? Indeed, there is. Although smaller – it was better, in so many ways.

First there was the strong effort by so many to bring the new and returning riders in. Then we were pleased to see so many new vendors with more to offer than just jewelry, biker-crap and tee-shirts; although the MotoGP folks did get my money. Quality shirt, I tell ya.

The vendors that were there, for the most part, were bringing a higher quality service, products or information to the Javits floor this weekend. This was a much-needed change.

There were real seminars that had people sit and listening …

Backcountry Discovery Routes did a stellar presentation of their regional routes that feature some of the most interesting and sometimes challenging gravel and off-road journeys.

Route 739 • Dingmans Ferry, PA • 570.828.1920

Others followed.

The IMS had social media handled with Social Media Ambassadors and “influencers” covering the events.

For those online who could not attend it was like bringing the mountain to Mohammed.

As always, the vintage machines that were on display were impressive and, as always, we got to run into friends, readers and many of what we like to think of as our “Backroads Family.”

We thought we’d be in at 10 am and at lunch by noon. We closed the show.

We sense... we hope a turn around is happening. Between the motorcycle industry itself finally making moves and people like Robert Pandya and others joining together to introduce and marshal in a new generation of riders, perhaps a new bushel full of better years to be a rider is on its way.

We’re actually looking forward to next year’s New York Show – but we hope it’s in February. ,

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

Page 33

Gear Review

by Mark Byers

KLIM SWITCHBACK MOTO CARGO PANT Leave it to Klim to come up with another innovative motorcycling garment. Riders are often left with tough choices: wear full gear and walk around off the bike looking like an astronaut, take off the gear at the destination and hope they can stash it where it won’t disappear, or forgo protective gear altogether. None of those is a good option; however, Klim is coming to the rescue with their Switchback Cargo Pant.

The Switchback is part of Klim’s “626” Series of real, protective motorcycle gear that is also stylish, functional, and good-looking off the bike. The pants are easily mistaken for a nice pair of cargo jeans, complete with a leather patch above the right rear pocket, riveted slash pockets, and roomy cargo pockets on each thigh.

The construction is pure protection, however, for they hide Klim’s brilliant D30 ventilated armor in the hips and knees and they’re made

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of abrasion-resistant heavy-duty nylon and Klim’s KarboniteTM breathable panels. No, they aren’t waterproof, but they are treated with a durable water propellant that will turn splashes and casual showers.

I’ve been hungering for protective gear in which I can moto-commute to work and then just leave on as I go about my day without having to re-gearup if I want to run errands, go to meetings, or go out to lunch. One day, I put the Switchbacks to the test and not only wore them to work, I wore them all day, in and out of the office, at meetings, and as I sat a long time at my computer.

The verdict? They were brilliant. Granted, I have a fairly casual work environment, but I am not sure anyone noticed I was wearing motorcycle pants. They were comfortable no matter what I was doing. They were so comfortable and easy to wear, I left them on at home that evening. One thing about which Klim brags is the ability to remove the D30 armor without taking off the pants but I didn’t feel I needed to: it was unobtrusive from the inside, unnoticeable from the outside, and was really kind to my old knees when I bent down to check my tire pressure!

That was pretty much Klim’s design brief: create a set of pants you could wear to meet friends on the moto, then engage in other activities like camping or hiking or just chatting over coffee without having to change clothes or look like Buzz Lightyear. Between the mesh panels and the zip-open vents, the Switchback pants are literally and figuratively a cool alternative to traditional, protective motorcycle wear. I was very comfortable even on a hot Continued on Next Page

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

PRODUCT REVIEW klim SWiTChBaCk panT August day and the inside lining is smooth and soft enough that nothing else but standard undergarments need to come between you and them.

They come in brown and gray and although I prefer the gray because they’re closer in color to regular bluejeans, both colors coordinate well with not only your normal wardrobe, but also other elements of Klim’s 626 line. The Switchbacks are the perfect protective moto garment you can wear all day long and they have quickly become my go-to moto pants, whether it’s going to work or going on a Saturday-morning breakfast run with the two new riders in my Branch. You can wear them and not have to “switch back” to your regular clothes.

MSRP: $249-269.99 • Size: Mens Reg. 3240 and Tall 32-38 • Color: Brown or Gray • Available through local dealers or online (buy locally when possible, please) • www.klim.com

IT’S IN THE BAG MOSKO MOTO 35-LITER BACKCOUNTRY PANNIERS AND 40 LITER DUFFEL I was looking for panniers and a company from White Salmon, WA had the answer. Mosko Moto makes duffel bags and panniers from heavy-duty nylon for strength and crashworthiness, with inner bags of thick PVC for waterproofing: the combo is a winner. I first saw these bags in use on Ecuador Freedom motos and if they can withstand duty on rental bikes in South America, they must be tough.

Even though the bags have more straps and buckles than a burlesque troop’s undergarments, there are no loose ends flapping around thanks to the Velcro keepers Mosko sews onto the end of each strap. Once cinched, the bags and straps stay tight and quiet at speed. Five-liter pockets on the front and back ends of the panniers are easily attached or removed with a 4mm Allen wrench.

The attachment system is brilliant: a plate made of glass-reinforced nylon sits flat against whatever pannier mounts your bike has (from OEM BMW to any aftermarket selection). The bags slide down over the beveled plate, easily aligning themselves and creating an exact-fit dovetail joint that is strong and secure. A half-turn of a lockable rotary latch is all that’s required to secure the assembly for an easy-on, easy-off connection.

I tested the outfit, including a 40 liter duffel, on a late fall camping trip. I deliberately overpacked, including 48 ounce Nalgene bottles in each of four outer pockets for a total of 1.5 gal-

lons/12.5 pounds of water. Two Thermarest pads, two backpacking stoves and fuel, two cooksets, a sleeping bag, bag liner, camp pillow, two-man tent, winter clothes for 3 days, camp shoes, and food for two days were easily swallowed by the panniers and duffel. Side “beavertail” pockets on the outside of the panniers held a hatchet, folding saw, large hunting knife, hank of parachute cord, and a nylon hammock. The duffel had a special pocket that held tent poles, stakes, and a Thermarest chair and was easily and securely attached to the bike with Mosko’s cinch straps.

Fortunately for me, it didn’t rain, but I have no doubt the thick PVC inner bags would have kept my gear absolutely dry. At camp, I undid the latches, slid the bags off the bike, and tossed them against the tree by the tent, where they soon disgorged their bounty. If I’d needed firewood, I would have had no hesitation in removing the inner dry bags and using the heavy-duty nylon outer Next Page

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

MACHINEARTMOTO PROTECTION FOR YOUR BMW

R NINET PROTECTION PAIR

bags to haul as much as I could have stuffed into them: they’re that rugged. The fact that they are a soft bag means they don’t have the limitations of a rigid bag and can conform to whatever load you choose.

The Mosko 35 Liter Backcountry bags run $730 a pair, plus $60 per external pocket (also sold in pairs). They have a limited lifetime warranty on all their sewn bags and a 2-year warranty on the inner PVC ones, plus a discounted crash replacement program. The 40 Liter duffel lists for $250. To keep their costs down, Mosko has no distributor middle-men and sells direct-to-customers. Their customer service reps are riders and I found their service to be excellent, especially since I screwed up and ordered the wrong bags initially. If you are wondering what to give the rider who has everything this season, consider the Mosko products, if only just a duffel.

They’ll be the gift that keeps on giving for years to come. ~ Mark Byers

The X-Head DOHC cylinder guard and MudSling™ rear suspension guard protect the damage vulnerable areas of the R nineT while being beautifully integrated with each of the R nineT models’ styling.

X-Head DOHC protect 80% of the cylinder head surface and is made in a no-break polymer with a thick rubber liner that helps absorb impact force against the cylinder. Styling is distinctive while letting just enough of the cylinder head shape to show through.

The MudSling™ R nineT rear suspension guard protects the open rear suspension area from abrasion and mud accumulation and is designed to look slender and integrated with the minimal styling of the R nineT. MudSling is precision injection molded in resilient polypropylene with a fine texture matching other surfaces on the R nineT. Price: X-Head $189 • MudSling R9T $97 • 908-652-6779

X-HEAD 1250 MachineartMoto’s new X-Head 1250 cylinder head guards for all 2019/2020 Shift Cam engine models continue the Tough Polymer protective technology that’s been successfully proven in use over three generations of X-Heads.

Designed for the GS, GSA, RT, R, and RS, X-Head’s thick, high impact strength injection molded shell is slightly ductile to prevent breakage. In between the shell and the cylinder head is a thick thermoplastic rubber liner that aids in dissipating impact force while preventing hard contact. Each side mounts easily with 3 stainless steel M5 T25 Torx Head screws provided.

X-Head 1250 covers 70% of the face of the head to protect not only the bottom/front initial impact area, but also the mid part of the cylinder head. Even in a stationary drop, inertia can cause a bike to roll partially onto the face of the head before it settles down.

We have had MachineartMoto’s cylinder head protection on all our BMW boxer engines for years and they have saved us from serious damage more than a few times. Well worth the investment of $225. • machineartmoto.com

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

PRODUCT REVIEW

DUNLOP SPORTMAX ROADSMART III

I had a long ride coming up and when looking for a well-proven tire that was as happy in day-to-day riding, long tours, and a few track days thrown in as well, I looked to Dunlop Tires for a suggestion.

They came back with their latest sport-touring tire: the Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart III. The Sportmax Roadsmart III tires have been around for a few years now and Dunlop has created a tire that is pretty much perfect.

I had a set of Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart III put onto my Honda 919, now a 15-year old classic. She might have a decade and a half behind her, but she still pushes over 100 horsepower and can do the quarter-mile in just over 11 seconds.

After all these years… she is still the perfect standard for me.

Being the perfect standard, really a ‘naked’ sportbike, she is a happy camper whether on short day trips or festooned with soft-luggage and on the road for weeks at a time… which is what I did with it this past September, riding the backroads to the Virginia / North Carolina border and two days with world-class riding instructor Reg Pridmore and his fantastic crew at CLASS and then the rest of the journey with our own Backroads Fall Fiesta Rally and the serious miles that come with that.

In a word these tires are fantastic.

Their heady mix of compounds - polymers, silica, carbon black mix and advanced resin formula make for a superior grip in any conditions and the tire’s unique “cross-groove” tread pattern is different as well; a new configuration has overlapping grooves along the center tread of the tire.

For me, a sport-touring tire has to perform several jobs. I want long-range mileage, but not at the cost of nimbleness, precise feedback, and handling.

The Roadsmart III’s had evolved from the previous Roadsmart II tires – the belts wire windings, now called High Elongation Steel Joint-Less Belts, allow for a tighter wind and denser construction.

The sidewalls have been changed, being taller and slimmer than the previous tire allowing for feedback and better damping on the road as well as allowing for a large contact patch in both front and rear.

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Dunlop also utilizes their new Multi Tread design (MT) that combines two compounds - a high-mileage compound in the center with softer and stickier compounds on the shoulders of the tread for superb handling and a confidence-building ride. This compound also allows the tires to eat up road

bumps and roughness – making for a happier ride all around.

Dunlop built this tire for great performance with very high-mileage life and so far, I have been more than impressed with wear, even after 3,500 + miles.

These tires still look new – even after the miles and some hard track days in the mix.

It was designed as a street tire, but this tire was excellent at the track as well – the new compounds and tread design made the 919 very flickable and allowing me to dig deep into the more fun parts of Virginia International Raceway for nearly 300 miles over two-days.

Of course, during the Backroads Rally I dealt with other things. Rain, slick interstates and some less than desirable road conditions – okay, it was gravel…I know. The Sportmax Roadsmart III ate these miles up easily.

I was more than impressed.

Knowing that whatever tire I chose for this mission had to do it all, the Sportmax Roadsmart III was a perfect choice – for this type of machine and this type of riding the Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart III excel and can do it all and at a reasonable price-point.

These tires were always well planted, gave great feedback, stuck tenaciously and made street riding that much fun as well and, after all the miles, the tires perform as if they had just been mounted. Dunlop claims some astronomical mileage numbers – so we will see how long they last. As I said – so far, I am very impressed with the Dunlop Sportmax Roadsmart III. They seem to do it all and seem to do it all for a very long time.

These tires are available in sizes to fit a wide variety of sport-touring and naked bikes, as well as many sportbikes. • www.dunlopmotorcycletires.com ~ Shira Kamil

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Page 37

GIVI TREKKER II 35 • PERSONAL, ACCESSIBLE + VERSATILE

This is not merely an evolution of the veteran and popular TREKKER, where round plastic cases and square aluminium cases meet. The “II” is an entirely new and parallel project that updates the range with interesting aspects, including an unexpected price and a truly attractive look.

One TREKKER has become two, both equipped with the Monokey system.

The first has “travelled” around the world for some time. Now, the “II” is being introduced to the riding population.

What unites them is the idea that brought the line to life—adding a hightech touch to the plastic structure through the skilful use of aluminium sheets. The remaining features take them to two different levels.

The TREKKER II 35 (which indicates its internal capacity in litres) immediately stands out for its new and personal aesthetic. The lid, featuring a rounded and slightly curved shape, is completed by an aluminium cover that “hooks” on all 4 sides with plastic inserts, creating a bold and protective effect. A sort of “case shield”. GIVI strikes with even greater impact, giving you the ability to choose between a case with a Natural (TKR35N) or Black (TRK35B) aluminium insert, based on your motorcycle’s look.

The accessibility offered by the TREKKER II 35 is another important quality. The company has worked miracles with the price/performance relationship, never sacrificing the quality of the construction or the materials. For example, the standard lock is the sturdy “Security Lock”.

This case also has the advantage of being versatile...

in the sense that it can be mounted on the side or as a top case. Including it among the Monokey models makes it a feasible choice for any type of motorcyclist.

In other words, it might “intrigue” the owner of a scooter seeking a particular top case, the owner of a naked bike looking for a couple of compact and curvy side cases, or even the motorcycle tourist in search of a trio of cases at a genuinely competitive price.

Find out more at your GIVI dealer or online @ giviusa.com

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

The Law Office of Paul G. Gargiulo Presents

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

In the LookIng gLass

hoW muCh do you look Behind you?

“The first rule of Italian driving. What is a behind me is not important.”

Raul Julia - Gumball Rally Well, maybe that is the rule in a Hollywood movie. But, as riders, we have a giant window to see all around us. We are unencumbered by steel door panels and roofs. We have the freedom to swing our heads to the right and left and it is a great thing to have as much ‘situational awareness’ as possible.

We have mirrors. You can’t miss them, they are to the right and left of us as we ride and we hope they are put to a constant use.

Some of you seem unaware of them.

The sad truth is, these days, so many machines have less than stellar mirrors, mostly falling into the form over function thought of motorcycle design.

On some of the machines I’ve ridden I’ve been stunned by how small, illplaced and useless their motorcycle mirrors are.

Mirrors, looking glasses and other reflective items have been used for centuries. Modern mirrors may have originated in the 19th century, but mirrors in general have actually been around for much longer. The people in Anatolia — modern-day Turkey — manufactured the first mirrors out of ground and polished obsidian (volcanic glass) about 8,000 years ago; but the pieces of glass we know of today first had their start in Germany almost 200 years ago.

In 1835, German chemist Justus von Liebig developed a process for applying a thin layer of metallic silver to one side of a pane of clear glass. This technique was soon adapted and improved upon, allowing for the mass production of mirrors.

So how do mirrors work and how can they become a rider’s best friend?

The key factor is a smooth surface, because rough surfaces scatter light instead of reflecting it. When photons — rays of light — coming from an object strike the smooth surface of a mirror, they bounce back at the same angle. Your eyes see these reflected photons as a mirror image.

On a motorcycle a set of well-positioned mirrors should allow us an almost 360-degree view of our surroundings.

When you get on your machine and look into the mirrors do you just see your shoulders or yourself? Well, that is not good.

There is a whole world out there that we need to see all the time. In front, in back and along our flanks. Proper mirror adjustment is key.

Shira recently took a BMW driving school – yes, a car driving school (it’s all good) – and one of the things she came back with was knowledge of proper mirror adjustment.

Well, yes, like automobiles, you should be able to glance at your mirrors and instantly see everything around you.

Getting back to automobiles - our Durango has a rear-view camera. Now standard on most new vehicles I am still amazed by this modern witchcraft – especially when it points me in the direction I want to go. But we think this, along with the other mind-bending techno wonders in today’s cars and bikes, have made us soft, complacent and less than diligent.

We need to get back to basics.

Let’s adjust your mirrors. Okay, here we go…

Put the bike on the center stand. No center stand? Well, sit it up straight.

You might need a riding buddy to hold the bike and help lock everything into place.

So, look straight ahead. Like you were riding down the road. Glance at your mirrors. What do you see?

With your helmet straight ahead, you should be able to lean just one or two degrees to the right or left and THEN see your shoulders.

You know your shoulders are there, right? Accept that as a fact.

What we are talking about is as much visible acuity and span as possible.

When we glance to the mirrors, right or left, we should see the entire lane, or as much as possible, almost to behind us. There should be minimal blind spots.

We are not saying to blindly trust the looking glass, even my Dodge tells me to check the surrounding area. But, you should have a more trusting relationship with your mirrors even as you do the head check or a quick turn to actually see what is in the vicinity. In England they call that the “lifesaver” with good reason.

T… SEN OVE E R UL YP LIDAONE YO O H E T REA R SOM G A O ES LF MAK OURSE Y FOR

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2020

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SlaTe kiTChen 1214 rTe. 23, SuSSex, nJ 07461 • 973-363-7002 • find Them on faCeBook Just south of High Point State Park and just north of one of our favorite New Jersey restaurants, The Elias Cole, we came across a smaller and far different eatery.

Where the Elias Cole sings old-style New Jersey country place, the Slate Kitchen goes in the other direction.

Cain’s large and somewhat odd (maybe just different) graphics paint the walls and where Elias is perfectly at home here in the hills of New Jersey, the Slate could be in San Francisco, Sedona or Asheville.

The last makes sense as this is where Slate got its start.

Kate Scofield and Cain Banks met each other in college while studying their respective fields. Like most students, they worked in several restaurants to make ends meet and found they liked it.

After receiving degrees in graphic arts and film, Cain and Kate decided to bring their culinary and restaurant talents and experience to the hills of northern New Jersey. Kate’s family is from the area and it was time that the old restaurant at the corner of Brink Road and Route 23, that had seen many incarnations over the years, became something a bit newer and fresh.

Thus, Slate was born.

With both Kate and Cain’s film backgrounds the menu follows that theme. Their Cuban, which was one of the best I have ever had, is called the Tony Montana. The cheesesteak – the Rocky. We did not know that The Dude was a turkey, bacon and chipotle mayo guy – but, we’ll abide. Their fried parmesan-encrusted white fish sandwich is named after Luca Brasi. The Kraft, cheddar and American melted on thickly-sliced toasted buttered white bread, was as gooey as they come and with a cup of fresh roasted butternut squash soup (more a side dish than a soup) it was a very filling meal.

If you are out for an early ride Slate offers some interesting breakfast options as well. The Poultrygeist chicken, both old and new into one heck of a breakfast combination. You’ll also find The Goodfella, The Garden State and the Yippee-Ki-Yay. All different and all interesting. The As You Wish (Darth Vader nod) lets you create your own.

Slate is open Wednesday through Sunday from 8-8:30 am 3:30-4pm. Check hours before you go.

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JANUARY 2020 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR JANUARY 2020 10-12 • Progressive International Motorcycle Show, Walter Washington Center, Washington, D.C. Fri: 3-7pm • Sat: 10am-7pm • Sun: 10am-5pm. Tickets $17 adults, under 12 FREE. • motorcycleshows.com 12 • Motorcyclepedia Museum Indoor Swap Meet (Snow date 1/19/20) Everything Motorcycle - parts, clothing, memorabilia. Refreshments available. 10am-3pm • $10/pp includes museum entry/18 and under free • 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • More info and tickets @ www.motorcyclepediamuseum.com or find them on Facebook

What’s Happening

2020 POLAR BEAR GRAND TOUR SCHEDULE It is not necessary to be a member of the Polar Bear Grand Tour to do these rides.

There is generally food at the destination and if you just want to go for a nice ride and join other folks feel free to attend. Polar Bear cancellations & updates will be sent via email and also posted on the website. These are general directions. Please feel free to use a GPS or a map to find a better route. Sign-in is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. unless otherwise posted. Check the New Member page for general information.

FEBRUARY 2020

JANUARY 2020

7-8 • Hannum's Harley-Davidson presents their 65th Anniversary Celebration. Friday night sock hop, live music, food & beverages, hula hoop & limbo contest, 1950s bike display and so much more. 1011 West Baltimore Pike, Media, PA • 610-566-5562 • www.hannumshd.com

5 • Pic-A-Lilli Inn 866 Route 206 Shamong NJ • 609-268-2066 • picalilli.com/albums

MARCH 2020 6-15 • 79th Annual Daytona Bike Week, Daytona Beach, FL • Escape the northern winter and have some fun • www.officialbikeweek.com

12 • Victory Brewing Company, 420 Acorn Ln, Downingtown, PA • 610-873-0881 www.victorybeer.com 19 • Woody’s Roadside Tavern, 105 Academy St, Farmingdale, NJ • 732-938-6404 woodysroadside.com 26 • The Exchange, 160 E. Main St., Rockaway, NJ 07866 • www.exchangefood.com

FEBRUARY 2020

APRIL 2020 4-5 • 31st Toronto International Spring Motorcycle Show, International Centre, Toronto, Canada • 905-771-0132 • www.motorcyclespringshow.com 23-26 • Horizons Unlimited, Appomattox, VA. For everyone who dreams of adventure along the road less travelled. Join hundreds of like-minded riders and discover the thrills of overland travel. Informative technical workshops on everything from tires to GPS to border crossings. Inspirational, amazing and often hilarious tales from the road, exhibitors and comaraderie. Details @ www.horizonsunlimited.com/virginia.

MAY 2020

973-627-8488

2 • The Franklin House Tavern, 101 North Market Street, Schaefferstown, PA • 717949-2122 • franklinhousetavern.com 9 • Hooters, 25 Rte 23 South, Wayne, NJ • 973-837-1876 • www.hootersnj.com 16 • Pub 199, 199 Howard Blvd, Mount Arlington, NJ • 973-398-7454 • pub199nj.com 23 • Lighthouse Tavern, 397 Rte 9 Waretown, NJ • 609-693-3150 lighthousetavern.com

MARCH 2020 1 • Long Valley Pub & Brewery, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ • 908-876-1122 • restaurantvillageatlongvalley.com/long-valley-pub-and-brewery/

9-20 • Backroads 25th Anniversary Ride with IMTBike on their Best of Portugal Tour.

Find out more at www.imtbike.com or call us at 973-948-4176.

8 • Bahrs Landing, 2 www.bahrslandingnj.com

15-17 • Morton’s BMW 10th and FINAL Spring Fling. A weekend of great roads, good food, awesome riding and terrific company, all at the historic and scenic Natural Bridge Hotel. Rally fee includes vendors, door prizes, route sheets, scavenger hunt poker run, Friday brats & brews dinner, Saturday catered dinner and guest presentation by the incomparable Elspeth Beard. Don’t wait! Register now www.mortonsbmw.com. For questions call 540-891-9844.

15 • Brian’s Harley-Davidson, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA • 215-752-9400 www.brianshd.com

25 • Tony's Track Days sponsored by Riding in the Zone Motorcyclist Training NonSportbike Day, Palmer, MA. Includes classroom sessions with Ken Condon and track time. This is not about 'how to ride' but 'how to ride better.' For full details and registration visit www.tonystrackdays.com.

JUNE 2020 1-6 • Americade, Lake George, NY. Largest touring rally in the USA - scenic rides, vendor expo, seminars and so much more. www.americade.com 13-16 • MotoVermont presents the MotoVermont 400, a four-day, 400 mile dual sport excursion around central Vermont. For full detail visit www.motovermont.com 11-24 • Backroads Grand Tour. Full details on page 28 and Backroads Rally website 13-21 • 97th Annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, NH. World's Oldest Motorcycle Rally. Visit their extensive website for full details: www.laconiamcweek.com 24-27 • Johnstown PA 23rd Thunder in the Valley Motorcycle Rally. All Bikes Welcome!

Parades, vendors, entertainment, manufacturers and demo rides are all part of this great 4-day motorcycle festival. Info: www.visitjohnstownpa.com/thunder-valley.

JULY 2020 20 • Tony's Track Days sponsored by Riding in the Zone Motorcyclist Training NonSportbike Day, Palmer, MA. Includes classroom sessions with Ken Condon and track time. This is not about 'how to ride' but 'how to ride better.' For full details and registration visit www.tonystrackdays.com.

AUGUST 2020 9-12 • MotoVermont presents the MotoVermont 400, a four-day, 400 mile dual sport excursion around central Vermont. For full detail visit www.motovermont.com

SEPTEMBER 2020 16-20 • Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival, The Blackthorne Resort, East Durham, NY.A great weekend of motorcycle fun with rodeo games, wall of death, stunt jumpers, large vendor expo, bike show and builders, live music and more. Full details www.catskillmountainthunder.com.

21-22 • CLASS returns to Virginia International Raceway for two days of exceptional learning and riding fun. Join the crew from Backroads as we ramp up our riding skills and enjoy the beauty of VIR. Complete details and registration www.classrides.com 20-23 • MotoVermont presents the MotoVermont 400, a four-day, 400 mile dual sport excursion around central Vermont. For full detail visit www.motovermont.com

OCTOBER 2020 9-12 • Backroads Run to the Chincoteague Oyster Festival. Join us for this always fun time with 5 hours of everything oyster, hot dogs and more. The music of Island Boy will have you up and dancing. We’ll be at the Waterside Inn for 3 nights. ROOMS AND TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW but will certainly sell out so call now (there is no block of rooms for Backroads - first come, first served). Get your tickets online. More info @ www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

Bay

Ave.,

Highlands,

NJ

•

732-872-1247

•

22 • The Hickory BBQ Smokehouse, 743 Route 28, Kingston, NY • 845-338-2424 www.hickoryrestaurant.com 29 • Plumsted Grill, 457 Rte. 539, Cream Ridge, NJ • 609-758-5552 www.theplumstedgrill.com

APRIL 2020

5 • CAPE MAY V.F.W. #386, N.J. 419 Congress St., Cape May, NJ • 609-884-7961 18 • END OF THE SEASON GET-TOGETHER - At The Pic-a-Lilli Inn starting @ 11:30 AM. Cost to Members: $6.00 per person. There will be salad, Wings, Beef, rolls, and lemonade, plus a cash bar. You must get an arm band from your flight leader.