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JULY
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Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure
n o s d u H
p m o R y e l Val
Fun with GPS Gone to Oregon Shira’s Ice Cream Ride 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R
2012
Volume 18 No. 7
W H A T ’ S
I N S I D E FEAT URES
MON THLY COLUMN S FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4
HUDSON VALLEY ROMP..............................................................22
WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................6
SHIRA’S SUMMERTIME ICE CREAM RIDE..............................26
ON THE MARK ..................................................................................8
GONE TO OREGON ........................................................................33
POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................9
FUN WITH GPS...............................................................................50
THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD ...................................................10 BACKLASH .......................................................................................12 WE’RE OUTTA HERE......................................................................14 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................16 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18
M OTORCYCL E REVIEWS 2012 KAWASAKI NINJA 650R ...................................................30
PRODUCT REVIEW S PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS ...............................................................38 NOLAN N-104 MODULAR HELMET .........................................42
BIG CITY GETAWAY .......................................................................20 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR...............................................37 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE........................................................41 INDUSTRY INFOBITES ..................................................................44 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................46 Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Glenn Baldwin, Evans Brasfield, Mark Byers, Victor Cruz, Bill Heald, Fred Rau
BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure
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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2012. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN How did you break tHat leg? Talking about motorcycle accidents to non-riders. It’s futile. For those of you who have been to Americade and seen comedian Alonzo Bodden, or maybe seen him elsewhere on stage, TV or the internet know he is a very funny guy. He is also one of us - a motorcycle rider and enthusiast. My friend Mike turned me onto a bit by Bodden where he was telling an audience of a recent motorcycle accident he had. And, more importantly, how others - specifically non-riders - reacted to the accident and to the fact that is was a motorcycle accident and not something more mundane like skiing, falling off a ladder or tripping over your cat. He said that folks react differently to those injured on a motorcycle than those who, let’s say fell down the stairs. After breaking my leg and tearing up the ankle in Colombia this past winter I have found everything Alonzo had said was true. Very true. As we have said in the past, being a lifetime rider myself and Shira and I publishing this magazine for some 18 years, many members of our family and our non-riding friends still do not get what we really do, what Backroads is truly about, or the difference between us and what the Hollywood avatar of real riders portray. Unfortunately, when hearing of an accident involving a motorcycle, many of the people in our lives, not to mention total strangers, all have that same disdaining reaction. They may try not to show it, but their reaction was almost universal. You broke your leg on a motorcycle? First the eyes roll and a sad smile appears with just the slightest waft of condescension drifting through the air… Well, you should have known better, like we do; is the message I read. I’m not saying that some friends and family members weren’t genuinely
concerned that I was hurt, in pain and had a few tough months ahead of me, but their true feelings about motorcycles and us riding them in general is clear. It was as if I could read their minds in between the words. You knew this would happen sooner or later. No, I didn’t and still don’t. That’s why they are called accidents. I know dozens of riders who ride responsibly and with talent and have never crashed or, worse, been taken out as Shira was late last year. Still, I think if we closed down Backroads and got 9 to 5 cubicle jobs some in the family would have a celebration. Sorry, folks – never gonna happen. Visiting Shira’s family my father-in-law asked how many times I have crashed. As if what happened in South America happens all the time. Well Dad, it has been 23 years since my last gravity storm. I hope to at least repeat that. But, didn’t he have a similar style injury when he tripped playing golf! By Jove, he did! Yet, I don’t see a cry that he give up his golf clubs. If you Google Alonzo’s bit on crashing a motorcycle he gets into the whole golf thing far better than I could ever hope to. Strangers are even worse. As Bodden says when folks hear motorcycle then EVERYONE has a horrible crash story to tell. Again, let Alonzo tell you. That woman who clipped Shira with her truck, with the two loose dogs and baby and cell phone, by the way, would probably have a motorcycle crash story to tell – oh wait – she does have one; doesn’t she? Let me tell you of one experience I had while at Oheka Castle in Long Island and just sitting there in the library with my crutches alongside me, just minding my own business when a total stranger let me know just how she feels about motorcycles; although she truly knows nothing about them. (Continued on Page 11)
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL know your Place Group riding. Always a good topic of discussion. Whenever a pod of riders come together, there is always the question of proper technique, formation and etiquette. Personally, I like to ride with one other person, but always enjoy the comraderie of others at the end of the ride. Doing what we do at Backroads, that doesn’t happen often when we’re involved in a ride. When Brian and I find ourselves ‘in charge’ of a day’s ride, invariable Brian takes point. Heck, he’s got the route and all the gadgets to get us there, one way or another. Even when we take the time to print out route sheets, there are still those who prefer just following along, trusting us to get them where they need to be. With the addition of the all-mighty GPS unit, it has made things a bit less confusing, although there are still the obligatory U-turns and stopping to consult the trusty paper maps. Hey, it’s all good when you’re on your motorcycle, right? Most often, when we are presented with a group of six bikes or more, I’ll volunteer to ride in the back, as Brian and I can communicate and try and keep the flock together. I usually don’t mind this position, as it tends to slow me down a touch (always good to keep under the radar gun, if you know what I mean) and allows me to take in the scenery. For the most part, when we do ride with others, they are folks who we’ve ridden with before and we all kind of have the same pace and style of riding. But there are the occasions where a variable is thrown in. Recently, we pulled together an impromptu Sunday ride with some old friends. We had seen a place on our way back from Hershey, PA that we thought would make for a good Great All American Diner Run and wanted to check it out. Brian had plotted out a good day’s ride on his Zumo, and we
offered it up, with a handful of takers. Since it was spur of the moment, we didn’t bother printing out directions, but relied on everyone following along with Brian’s lead. As there were about eight bikes, we didn’t see that as a problem. Off we went, over hill and dale, through the beautiful roads of Sussex County and into Pennsylvania, with Brian as our fearless leader and me pulling up the rear. After the first half hour, it was apparent that there might be a bit of a gap in our formation. Not a problem, as we were just out for a laid-back ride and it wasn’t too long of a route. However, the waiting times between the front riders and my arrival began to lengthen, and it was obvious that we might have made an error in not having route sheets. Disclaimer: No rider, no matter what the situation, should EVER ride above their means or beyond their comfort level. This is a most important point in any group ride, and is reiterated whenever the discussion surfaces. This being said, all riders should know their comfort level, their pace and their place when it comes to riding with others. New riders can learn a great deal from riding with experienced riders. But when a group, who have not ridden together before come together, all parties should be aware of the others experience, or lackthereof. Our group made it to our destination, although a little later than we had planned. No harm, no foul, but a bit slower ride than we had anticpated. We had a good, if not artery-hardening, lunch and suited up for the ride home. This route would bring us on some good twisty bits, which I was looking forward to. I decided to put myself in front of the folks who were riding at a slower pace to get the most out of this tarmac, and a lovely piece of snaky asphalt it was. It was apparent that perhaps lunch and the increased curves were slowing things down a bit more, and I was waiting for longer periods at the turns. After waiting for a good long bit, and losing communication with Brian and the front group, I thought it best to go back and check on the situation. I was met with the other riders, who told me that they knew where (Continued on Page 11)
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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ON THE MARK MARK BYERS
Smoke The other day I realized something is missing from my life. It came to me, like most of these screeds, in unlikely circumstances. I was preparing to decapitate the weeds in front of my house, so I fetched the trimmer. I fed it a couple shots of premium with an oil chaser and a few pulls later, I had a shaking, smoking, snarling instrument of death in my hands. As I listened to the sound of the piston being hammered by staccato explosions, I caught a whiff of faint blue smoke and that’s when it hit me: I neither own, nor have I ever owned, a two-stroke motorcycle. Shamed, I went about my destruction distractedly, trying to figure out how I missed that opportunity. It’s not like I grew up in a green era: the 70’s were the years of wanton internal combustion. I learned to drive in a V-8 Chrysler Newport for heaven’s sake. From a motorcycle standpoint, though, while my friends were riding barking little smokepots, I was puttering around on a bike with valves and cams. I didn’t need to put Yamalube in a Ratio-Rite cup every time I got a can full
of sixty-cent-a-gallon gas: among my other childhood privations, I was a four-stroke baby. That’s not to say I never rode a two-stroke. A neighbor kid let me ride his once, but frankly, there was only so much hacksawed pipe music my ears could stand. The neighbors weren’t real fond of it either. My cousin had one and would have let me ride it…if he could have gotten it started. In those days, proper carburetion was a mystery and two-strokes had two spark plugs for a reason: so both of them could be constantly, irrevocably fouled. I guess that’s why I shied away from the premix world. With a four-stroke, pouring a little lawn-mower fuel in the tank usually resulted in a start on the first or second kick. Ignorance is bliss, so I was overjoyed in my cloistered, clean-burning world. It wasn’t until my thirties that the devil spoke to me through a haze of partially-combusted mineral oil. I’ll never forget the first time I rode a REAL two-stroke. I was pottering around a makeshift track on a Honda XR when my buddy Danger Dave gave me an opportunity that was equal parts charity and insanity. Dave is as gifted a dirt motorcyclist as I am not, and at that time, could line up at a motocross and hang with the best in the region. Unexpectedly, he pointed at his race-prepped Honda CR250 and said to me those fateful words, “Wanna try it?” I needed a boarding ladder, but I mounted and started it (time was kind to two-stroke reliability). I did a couple tentative laps, never really revving it. Bored, Dave said, “GAS it, dammit!” On the next lap, I gassed the hell out of that CR. For a second, there was just noise, but then it hit that magic RPM wherein a twostroke becomes otherworldly. I proved the theory of relativity - time slowed. The bike accelerated. My elbows popped as the stroker came on the pipe. I’m not sure how I survived the ensuing moments as the front floated over the whoop section. I realized why Dave never seemed to wear out a front tire. A two-stroke engine in its power band is a glorious thing with which to propel a motorcycle. Later, when he stopped laughing, Dave described my two-stroke epiphany by saying “Your eyes were as big as saucers!” In the interim, I’ve ridden borrowed two-stroke dirtbikes, appreciating things like their lack of engine braking and that when lying on top of you, revving to the moon, their kill switches are useless. I have a small brand on my leg from the collector pipe of a Yamaha TY350. Even with my limited two-stroke experience, I watched in admiration as GP racers made their 500cc strokers squirm coming out of turns, a hairbreadth from a gigantic highside or catastrophic engine seizure as their motors revved to places that made an F1 car envious. Alas, those days are gone. In this green new world, two-strokes are becoming more of a rarity. Even my string-trimmer is out of style. The days when you could walk into a showroom and buy a barking mad, oil-burning, high-revving monster of mechanical simplicity are waning. Those days are over for the streetbike world. I may have to do something about that. I know a guy who has a mint Suzuki Gamma. Maybe I’ll see if he’ll sell it, or at least let me ride it, before my memories go up in smoke.
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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P O S TC A R D S FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD a tale of two HeadlineS As you know all too well, we motorcyclists face all kinds of challenges whenever we jump on our mounts and do battle with the less-than-friendly environment of the street. As you also know all too well, in this country riders are out-numbered rather sustantially by people that not only don’t ride, but think that anybody that does is crazier that a triple side order of crazy fries drowned in a sea of crazy cream gravy. I will freely admit there are some deranged riders out there, but they pale in comparison to the number of loons in cars, trucks, SUV’s and even a smattering in urban areas on bicycles (don’t get mad-that last number is small and I love bikes, too). So it is important to keep track of how the non-riding public perceives us, in the event we see either improvements or the denigration of our public image. A lot of this perception comes from a familiar source, too. Euphemistically called “the media,” whether in print, video or 3D-hologram this is where so much of our image is created, especially for those who don’t participate in the activity in question. And low in behold, here’s a good example plucked right from the headlines and danged if these aren’t headlines plucked from a couple of organizations with very different approaches. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association has released a study, and while both of these headlines are accurate they couldn’t be further apart in terms of the message they seem to be advancing:
misleading bit of information is being launched. But the thing is (and in the cases I stated above, neither headline is really blatantly false), we often have to grin and bear it and do our best to correct the situation that’s causing the crappy image in the first place. And while we should try to do all we can to advance rider training, I think there is some good news out there on the image front in the form of some totally unscientific data from my zone of living, i.e. my Connecticut stomping grounds. Over the nearly 20 years I’ve lived up here, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of riders and especially of the sport touring set. In my experience, these tend to be safe, competent riders and tend to embrace the All the Gear, All the Time mantra. I see many groups of 2-10 riders that fit this profile riding at (as Nick Ienatsch coined it) The Pace, too. This cadence, which is fast enough for fun; slow enough to be a perfectly sane riding discipline is a sign of an experienced, thoughtful rider in my view. I’ve been seeing more and more of the two-wheeled set adopting this practice over the years, and this is a promising development. It’s not only safe, it also imparts a positive professional image to the nonriding public. Of course, when the weather warms up we see a lot of helmetless, gloveless goofballs and they fall off and get injured (or worse) with depressing regularity. These riders rack up the bad statistics and get the headlines; the Pace People get ice cream after a great round of bucolic apex-carving. I’d like to see more coverage of the latter, but until we can get our dismal accident statistics under control we’ll just have to live with dueling headlines whenever they come along.
new study shows motorcycle deaths are not declining-consumer reports no increase in motorcycle fatalities-cycle news As you can see, one writer’s Lack of Decline is another’s No Increase. If we read on a bit, you’ll see the approach really is as different as it seems in the headlines. “Any motorcycle fatality is one too many, but we are encouraged that the report’s preliminary finding suggests that overall motorcycle fatalities in 2011 will not be greater than 2010,” said AMA President Rob Dingman in their release. The Consumer’s side countered with this: “As Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month rolls toward Memorial Day weekend, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) has released a sobering report that finds no progress was made in reducing motorcyclist deaths in 2011.” And here lies a conundrum for yours truly. On the one hand, I don’t mind some spin that says, “See? Things aren’t getting any worse!” But when it comes to motorcycle safety, we have a huge amount of work to do and it’s a tough row to hoe because the riders that need the most work are (like so many situations involving human beings) the least likely to listen to people that are ultimately just trying to look out for their well-being, and in so doing protect our riding community from needless pain. So while the doom and gloom tone of my friends at Consumers is a bit over the top, I will not argue with the overall point. But the question for me is, do we really need things to be written in such a way that will just make the non-riding public more convinced that we all have a daredevil death wish? The AMA characterization is a bit too much on the glass-half-full side, but is there a middle ground somewhere? Print, whether on paper on in cyberspace, is a treacherous chap. Headline writers in particular are famous for making a fairly simple statement as provocative as possible, and it has been this way since the iPad was a stone tablet. There’s not much you can do about it when such a headline appears, other that fire back at the publication if you think something is being misstated or a
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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TH OUGHTS FROM THE ROAD cHaSing larry “Lawrence Grodsky, a nationally known motorcycle safety expert and author who taught thousands of riders to handle themselves on the roads, died Saturday on his bike in Fort Stockton, Texas, after being hit by a deer.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/11/06 I am one of those overeducated, undernourished types who can’t remember anything learned in 18 years’ worth of schooling. Learning how to type on a keyboard was the most practical, useful and enduring course I took in high school. The word “tremors” was the only take-away I had from a college course on earthquakes. An abiding curiosity, a ‘thirst for knowledge,’ is what remains. Try as I might, I cannot for the life of me remember any particular lesson or group of related lessons. When it comes to teaching life lessons, schools fail students miserably. Look at the most basic life applications: how to eat, how to parent, how to cook, how to manage money, how to pick a profession: the most important things that govern any kind of lifestyle – you are on your own. In practice, our educational system is like expecting to learn how to ride a Ducati by taking a weekend MSF parking-lot course. Anyone who picks up the sport of motorcycling and shifts out of neutral after two days of parking-lot cone maneuvers is sadly and horrifically unprepared. You might as well give a teenager a bottle of vodka and keys to the Corvette. Kids who learn biking from throwing them around in the dirt have a leg-up advantage and better chance of surviving. Our limited training is worse than you think
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Victor Cruz once you compare MSF courses with their counterparts in Japan or the UK. In Japan, they have a multi-tiered licensing structure that’s based on the motorcycle’s displacement. It’s not cheap and it’s not done over a weekend. In England the way novices are taught how to ride a motorcycle without killing themselves after the first hour on the road is probably the place where Larry Grodsky first conceived of his Stayin’ Safe strategy and “pursuit training” school. The on-street method is simply this: the teacher follows you behind, his voice providing one-way feedback via an earpiece in your helmet. Grodsky’s voice, seasoned by 18 years of riding instruction and thinking…. A long-time MSF instructor, then teacher for MSP instructors, he took the model and expanded it beyond recognition. A man who could find something interesting to say about riding safely every month for 18 years in his column for Rider magazine. It’s about creating awareness of your lane position, creating the maximum buffer of space between you and potential fatality; creating awareness of traffic and road conditions in advance, creating awareness of a constantly changing environment that you’re speeding through. A school lesson plan that is somehow impossible to forget. Why it brands the brain is a mystery. Something about hearing a live voice in your helmet while riding. A voice that intelligently guides you like a guardian angel. Stayin’ Safe stays in your head. It has the power to change how to approach a ride, even how to make a game out of riding. It changes how you ride. How often does something actually change you?
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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Here is the rider’s brain ‘Before Grodsky’: That house is on the market again?... What a jerk, he cut me off!... Look at those kids playing, why isn’t anybody watching them?... I’m thirsty, but I can wait…. Got to send my mother a text…. My nimrod brother never thanked me for dinner…. Gas keeps going up and up…. How late is Home Depot open? Here is the rider’s brain ‘After Grodsky’: Look, a bicyclist on the other side of the road, better move over to the right tire track lest a motorist swerves around him and into my lane…. Look, a blind driveway up ahead, move to the centerline and prepare to brake. A slow-moving truck coming my way, any car behind it won’t see me, best to move to right tire track lest someone wants to pass it. A curve and dirt entry road up ahead, move to left tire track to avoid hitting gravel… Cable wires high above show the road veering right. A sudden drop in the posted speed limit shows a town coming up, or hazard. These are the Grodsky’s you hear inside your helmet. With a little practice, that voice becomes your own, your own instructor. As you ride, the exercise becomes a game, the game of staying out of harm’s way. A rider “presents” himself. Making cars aware of your presence. It may sound like work, but it actually increases the pleasure of riding. Back in August 2005, I was lucky to hear Grodsky’s voice while riding two-up on a rented bike through the completely foreign Spanish-French Pyrenees mountains. A surreal place, with five mile-long tunnels you entered during bright sunshine and exited in sheeting rain. “Close one eye before going in,” Grodsky advised. I never fail to hear his voice to this day. Less than a year later, Grodsky was no longer with us but his school endures. If you want to reduce risk on two wheels while boosting pleasure, visit http://www.stayinsafe.com/ or call 724-771-2269.
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(Continued from Page 4)
This woman walks into the library and, spotting my crutches, comes right over with a concerned look on her face and inquired if I broke my leg skiing? No. Car accident? No. Did my cat trip me? No. When I told her I low-sided a motorcycle in South America she lost that concerned expression and almost gleefully ran to get her husband. I hoped he might ride, but knew in my heart he didn’t and probably never would after this night. When he got there, with his head and eyes down he and I listened to his wife, as she pointed to my casted leg, saying very loudly so all could hear, “This is why you will never get that bike Herman!” As our comedian friend said to me in an email… “Herman should be glad I didn’t trip over a cat or probably would never get any more …” Well, you can fill that one in. Alonzo, that’s funny.
wHatcHatHinkin’ (Continued from Page 6) they were and would find their way back. Having that piece of mind, I continued on to find the rest and make our way home.
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It turns out that all had a good ride and enjoyed the route and the company. Observation? Patience and route sheets are good things to have on rides. Point? Any rider, experienced or not, should keep in mind the other riders they may be riding with on any occasion. If you are Ricky Racer and find yourself riding with Tommy Turtle, you’re going to have to change your pace for the day, or cut and run, whatever you feel is best for your piece of mind. On the other hand, Tommy Turtle should know their place as well. Riding with a group is a compromise sometimes, and there should be a happy medium. When this is not possible, it’s usually the slower, less experienced rider who has to make the decision to ride with those of their level or at least those who are aware of their comfortability. They won’t always be Tommy Turtle, but until they can keep a good pace, they should know their place.
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
Page 12
BACKLASH
Letters to the Editor
Return to Colombia Brian & Shira Good job! Reflecting motorcycling in Colombia as you did in the current issue is why Backroads gets my attention. Good quality photography, a personal and easily read writing style with nice layout make Backroads’ articles, as in this issue, a premier read. I’ve enjoyed Colombia twice and hope to return. The danger for me is running out of time, not the worries associated with bad press and wild tales. As for the small get-off ending your trip early, when you want to return I’d like to be considered as a possible wingman. Regards, Dr. Gregory W. Frazier Hi Editors, You’ve done it again, and very well at that. Just what was it that you’ve done, your wondering? The Colombian Escapade. Great article. It feels as though I went along for the ride thru all the muck and mire without leaving
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the confines of the old homestead. Talk about a dirty story! I did enjoy the bit about Pepe’s cousin beating stuffing out of Brian. The broken ankle will be an unfortunate permanent souvenir, I’m afraid. Oh well, like any old war torn soldier, it will always make for a good story in days to come. From Del Co NYS Sindee Nevin Holy mackerel Batman, Is that really you guys on the cover of BMW ON? Nope couldn’t be as it says the background in Erfoud. Sure looks like Merzouga to me. I was delighted to read the whole piece on you both in the latest issue of BMW ON. Diane & I are very proud of what you have achieved and are happy as can be that you are the poster couple for how to make your career, your life and your passion all rolled into one a huge success. You make it look so easy and hopefully, you are inspirations to those who travel with you. Kudos to you both! Burt Richmond Un Official Mayor of Chicago Dear Backroads, Picked up the magazine this past weekend at the Gray Ghost Inn in Vermont where we all stayed on the Fall Backroads tour. Nice folks. Next weekend they are sponsoring a Breast and Ovarian Cancer research fundraiser. I’d go, but have previous plans. Sorry to hear Brian got busted up on the Colombia trip. Funny that you got helped out by another ‘Armenian’ :) Read the review of the fuse block that Twisted Throttle sells and ordered one. Have the Centek one, but this looks more clever. I still get a kick out of Melissa’s book ‘Perfect Vehicle’. Good one to give someone who doesn’t get it. Ride safe, Armen Armerian Hello Backroads, My name is Kyle and I live in northern Vermont. I just got back from a long and rewarding trip through the Appalachians to Asheville, NC and back, total mileage was about 4400. Along the way, while in NY, and not far from where I grew up I picked up a copy of your magazine, which I had never seen before. Very good stuff people, really, really, enjoyable reading. I have subscribed to many motorcycle magazines over the years but yours really stuck out for me as one that was made for real enthusiasts, the people who ride everyday. I especially enjoyed the length of the Motolombia piece, very refreshing considering that many travel features in motojournals these days are so short and so very unpersonal. I hope this email finds you all well and good and enjoying the heck out of your summer. Sincerely, Kyle Saltzman
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Letter to the Editor of Backroads Magazine: To Brian Rathjen - respectfully, after reading the statements in your Freewheelin’ article this month (June 2012) it’s no surprise that female ownership of motorcycles is down to 15% of Gen X-Y from 23% overall. There are many barriers to entry for women in motorcycling, not the least of which are availability and selection of right sized bikes and boots. Women with feet smaller than women’s size 9 must shop in the youth section where the shin protection only reaches half coverage. Smaller bikes are woefully lacking in power and there are few to choose from. Unfortunately, instead of acknowledging these issues and advocating for female riders and growth of this promising segment of the market for your sponsors, you insulted women by dismissing their points and even called them “tiring” to hear. Told us to “open our eyes” even! Then you whined about the AMA’s efforts to rally women riders because “guys just want to have fun too”. Really? At least Mr. Dingman is working to understand the target market that represents growth for the industry. Perhaps if you worried less about women getting some long overdue attention in this industry and
BACKROADS • JULY 2012 wrote more objectively about the issues that affect all riders and not just the male perspective, you could have a more positive impact through Backroads Magazine. Sorry, but I am no longer motivated to read the rest of this month’s issue. I think I will go out and ride with my too large size 40 boots... Sincerely, Kathy Lomaskin Kathy, Sorry you misread everything I wrote. Those stats came directly from the Motorcycle Industry Council. The female apparel and equipment market is been steadily rising for over a decade. Yes, it is still hard to find high end gear in many shops, but that trend is turning. Believe me, great gear for gals is there, you sometimes have to search it out. Shira has done a number of articles over the years on this very subject. If there was any trend we would like to see end with women and riding is the constant use of scantily clad women in “male-aimed” advertising. Now, there is something for women to get their dander up about. Sorry, if my words got you angry. ~Brian
Spring Break Memories Brian & Shira, We had a better than great time. Now that we’ve been on The Dragon and Cherohala down South, and ridden some of the most beautiful roads in Vermont and New Hampshire, I am quite sure that the roads we were treated to in Virginia and West Virginia are the most enjoyable, scenic and most technical I have ever ridden. I must thank Craig, Ivan and Frema for spending Saturday with us, giving me a lesson in “real” riding, and for showing us some of their favorite roads. After almost 260 crazy “spirited” miles that day, I have memorized the backs of both their bikes! Routes 33 and 250 up and down the mountains, and the endless switchbacks and elevation changes will be forever etched in my mind. I’m still giggling today just thinking about it. Eric and I had, what we think is the best Backroads rally yet. Thanks to you and Shira for putting this thing together, exposing us to even more great places in this beautiful country of ours, and for allowing us to make new
Page 13 friends each and every time we get together. I think Ivan said it best when he told me John Denver hit the nail on the head when he described West Virginia as “almost heaven”. I personally can’t imagine it getting any better than this. Thanks again for everything. Larry & Eric Barasch “Wrong” Island, New York Dear Brian & Shira, Many thanks for the fantastic Spring Break Rally in Luray, VA. I’m sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed it as much as I did. Having moved down to the Shenandoah Valley from NJ 5 years ago, it was great getting to ride and socialize with my Backroads’ friends again. You were spot on with choosing the Mimslynn and Luray for the rally. History, beautiful mountains, great roads, and delicious food – almost Heaven. Y’all come back now, ya hear! Joe Giuffre • Woodstock, VA Hi Guys, I don’t know how you did it, but thanks for putting in a good word with the weather gods. The weather could not have been any better for the whole trip. We had a really good time seeing old friends, riding great roads, and just enjoying another Backroads rally. Thanks, Dave & Christy Erfer Brian & Shira, This was one for the record books - perfect weather, excellent roads, fantastic hotel with great food. Throw in old and new friends and it just doesn’t get any better. Great job Brian and Shira looking forward to the next one..... Mike Mosca
Got something to say? We’d love to hear it. Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit. email: editor@backroadsusa.com
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents
W E’RE OUT TA HERE oSPrey Point 20786 rock Hall avenue, rock Hall, md 21661 (410) 639-2762 • oSPreyPoint.com • n39°08.613’ w076°15.131 You will find all sorts of great places to escape to in this column, but every now and again we come across a very special inn that we truly enjoyed. If it were up to us we would save places like this month’s Osprey Point for those special occasions. In fact that is just what we did. What a superb place to spend a special day such as a wedding anniversary. This inn is located on 30 stunning acres on a small estuary called Swan Creek off the Chesapeake Bay. Right after our Spring Break Rally in Virginia we rode east, with our good friends Michael and Nuri Wernick from Rising Wolf Garage coming along to enjoy the evening with us. Our route brought us from the mountains and around Washington D.C. and then across the Bay Bridge towards the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Here we rode north a bit and picked up Route 20 which heads back towards the water and ends in the tiny town of Rock Hall. This is a great little town with shops and all things bayish and nautical. But this town has the beautiful Osprey Point. Riding down the gravel drive towards the inn’s main house you know you are in for a special treat. They have one of the nicest marinas on “The Bay” here and just watching the boats bob along with the tide is relaxing in itself. The Osprey Point main house is created in the style of the Coke-Garret House, in Williamsburg, Virginia and here you will find seven beautifully appointed rooms. Each of these charming rooms has it own feel and seeing most of them that feeling is a very good one. The rooms are named after different boats and that evening we took the Bolero, with its vaulted ceiling, four-poster bed and water view. All the rooms have their own private bath and ours had a gas fireplace as well. All very nice and very romantic. It was like slipping into the best part of the past with all the amenities of today’s modern world.
a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads The one thing the rooms do not have – thankfully – are phones. No need to be disturb here at the OspreyPoint. They also offer the Farmhouse. This turn of the 19th century Farmhouse has been restored and furnished with taste, comfort and elegance. It offers a sunroom, pool table and two full baths with showers on the second floor and a half bath on the first floor. Rooms may be rented individually or as a whole for two or three couples on the road touring the Chesapeake region. There are also an additional five rooms in the nearby annex. This makes the Osprey Point more than perfect for a good size group of riding buddies who enjoy the finer things to be found. When we arrived we were greeted by Terry who gladly showed us to our rooms where we found an excellent bottle of Stags Leap Cask 23; a gift for our anniversary from Michael and Nuri. Thank you friends. We found four glasses and found a nice spot in the gazebo overlooking the water and marina. With Nuri’s iPad playing some music softly in the background and the sun over our shoulders throwing that “magic hour” glow on the boats, the excellent wine, good friends and the awesome Spring Break rally a bit of history it just didn’t get any better than right here and right now. If it were a bit warmer this time of the year the pool might have been an option as would an hour or so kayaking around the local waters. They offer much here at the Osprey Point. But, as the sun began to set our mind turned towards some dinner and the restaurant here is one of the highest rated on the Eastern Shore. To start with the Osprey Point has a serious wine list with prices that range from moderate to up there – Thanks again kids for that Cask 23 – yow-za! The dinner alone was worth the price of admission. Shira and I mirrored each other with an appetizer of shrimp and grits created with creamed grits, house-cured pancetta and served in a charred tomato jus. Nuri chose the Maryland crab bisque and Michael went for the salad; All great ways to start a meal. The main course for us was fresh caught striped bass with a truffled potato
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BACKROADS • JULY 2012
flan, some arugula and mushroom with a tasty bacon vinaigrette. Nuri stayed nautical too with crab cakes and a warm potato salad, some rappini, squash puree drizzled with arugula pesto. Michael, a carnivore at heart, devoured his pistachio crusted lamb fingerlings. There was just a little room for dessert, but we got there as well. A little nightcap at the comfortable bar and then it was off to one of the most comfortable beds we have slept in for a while.
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The next morning, before heading back to the ‘real world’ we enjoyed the continenal breakfast spread, which was quite extensive; all kinds of fresh fruit, freshly baked quiches and muffins, all manner of breads and much more. It was certainly enough to get you off to a great morning’s ride. We fell in love with the Osprey Point. It has so much to offer and is perfect for any special occasion or, as we mentioned, a small group looking to explore the Chesapeake Bay’s region and deep history. The Osprey Point is not your usual place and niceties such as places like this have a bit steeper price than some of the places we might normally feature with rooms starting over $200 and higher – but aren’t you worth it? With that in mind let us lead you along the backroads of the Eastern Shore to the Osprey Point. We think you will enjoy this inn very much as you will the ride down. Rip & Ride can be found on page 40.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s M YST ER IOU S AM ER IC A cHuang yen monaStery Home of tHe largeSt buddHa in tHe weStern HemiSPHere 2020 route 301, carmel, ny 10512 845-228-4288 Bodhisattva would you take me by the hand Can you show me the shine of your Japan The sparkle of your China Steely Dan Can you show me… “Now, I, Vairocana Buddha am sitting atop a lotus pedestal; On a thousand flowers surrounding me are a thousand Sakyamuni Buddhas. Each flower supports a hundred million worlds; in each world a Sakyamuni Buddha appears. All are seated beneath a Bodhi-tree, all simultaneously attain Buddhahood. All these innumerable Buddhas have Vairocana as their original body.” Brahma Net Sutra Sometimes I am asked if I am a religious man and I usually respond by saying I would want no part of any group that would have me. But, I do enjoy the Buddhists and their temples, halls and monasteries are some of the most beautiful to be found anywhere. Years ago when I first began to write for Backroads I did a short piece for Mysterious America on a giant Buddha that I found along Route 301 in New York State. I thought it was time to take a ride back up to the town of Carmel and visit the Chuang Yen Monastery once again, one of the more beautiful and peaceful places in this Mysterious America.
You’ll find the Chuang Yen Monastery right off of Route 301, just east of the Taconic Parkway. The road up the hill winds through forest and to a large lot. At the end of the lot you will find Bodhi Path.
“Bodhi” literally means “Awaken” and this path that leads to the monastery is the “Path to Awakening.” Along it you will find 18 statues of Arahants, who were the great disciples of the Buddha. As you walk the Bodhi Path you will approach the Great Buddha Hall. It is truly magnificent! Striding up the stone stair you will see the giant gong and drum to the right and left and through the glass you will begin to see the image of a most wonderful Buddha – the largest in North America and the western hemisphere. All this began back in 1964 with the creation of the Buddhist Association of the United States. The group grew and by 1975 they had leased 125 acres of land in New York State. The land was to be leased for 99 years with an annual payment of $1. The land was permanently donated to the Monastery in 1989. The grounds themselves are beautiful and, as you might have guessed, very peaceful. Walking around gives you a sense of well being and running into the monks and folks that work there you will always be warmly greeted and most welcome. The name of the Monastery “Chuang Yen” means “Majestically Adorned”. The “Adornment” refers to the adornment of the Buddha’s teachings. Traditionally, Buddhist Monasteries not only served as a focus for religious services and festivals, they were also community centers of learning and activities – both religious and secular. Carrying on that tradition, Chuang Yen Monastery extends an invitation to the public to view the religious services and fes-
tivals held here, and be the place to cultivate awareness to develop wisdom. There are many buildings that make up the Monastery, the Thousand Lotus Memorial Terrace, the Tai-Hsu Hall, the Woo-JU Library but, without a doubt , the jewel of this sanctuary is the Great Buddha Hall. It is also called the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas – for good reason as you will find the true reason for our visit here – a 37 foot tall statue of the Buddha Vairocana – the largest indoor Buddha in the western hemisphere. Encircling this stunning statue you will find 10,000 small Buddha statues on
BACKROADS • JULY 2012 a lotus terrace. Surrounding this are 12 bas-reliefs of Bodhisattvas – no, not the song by Steely Dan – but, rather those who have vowed to help all beings achieve enlightenment. The style of this building harken back to the Tang Dynasty and are constructed without any internal support pillars, leaving it a huge open space inside. The hall is 84 feet tall and is more than 24,000 square feet. The hall took four years to complete and the statue itself took three and was done in three parts: the head, the upper body and lower body. Stepping inside the hall, I removed my boots and silently walked into the Great Hall. It is so large it can easily hold over 2,000 worshipers at one time. As I approached the mighty Buddha, I could see the ten thousand smaller Buddha statues surrounding the larger one, as if to keep watch and protect. The statue is so immense, that the mighty Hall had to be built around it. It was a stunningly solemn place. Wondrous. The Rev. Ming Kuang, of the Chang Yen Monastery, says that the statue was built as a “plea and prayer for world peace”. A worthy dream we should all hope for. In fact, when it was dedicated His Holiness, the Dalai Lama himself, came for the occasion. Today on the grounds of the Monastery they hold meditation and TaiChi classes, and also have an 80,000 volume Library on World Religions.
Page 17 If you get hungry their cafeteria serves vegetarian lunches. It is definitely a place to spend some time in silent exploration. Strolling the grounds you will eventually come across folks that work or live here. The Monks are as gracious as can be and if you get the feeling you are truly welcome, well, that is because you are truly welcome. It is a very serene and comfortable place. And, who knows, maybe you just might find something here that you need in your life. One should be open to all possibilities these days! Rip & Ride can be found on page 40.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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O’Toole’s Harley-Davidson Presents
G REAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tHe cook’S corner rte. 715 and cHerry lane cHurcH drive, Henryville, Pa 18332 570-620-1880
We are always on the lookout for potential Great All American Diner Runs and we especially appreciate it when one of you, our faithful readers, sends over a tasty suggestion. Thus it was just a matter of time before we moseyed across the Delaware River and along some of the twistiest roads in the area to this month’s suggestion from reader and rider Jay Rubin for this month’s stop on the GAADR… The Cook’s Corner. From what we could gather this is the second incarnation of Dave and Cindy Cook’s restaurant and from all the comments we heard from the locals they could not be happier that the Cooks have reopened their doors. Over the years, when it comes to great food, we have learned to listen to the locals. If you see a good amount of cars and commercial trucks parked at a small out of the way local establishment, then chances are you have a winner. The Cook’s Corner itself is fairly common looking. One of many food joints you will find on crossroads around the northeast, but inside you will find a comfy Americana feel to the place, a very friendly staff and some seriously delicious food at very reasonable prices.
tasty places to take your bike
This is one of those excellent places that will serve you up a filling breakfast whenever the doors are open. We like that. All sorts of eggs can be had – three-egg omelets, poached, scrambled, and served with choices of smoky bacon, sausage patty, ham, that mysterious meat called “Scrapple” or Jersey-style pork roll. The Cook’s Corner also has a seriously delicious meat called Gary’s Smoked Sausage which we think was part of the soup special the day we stopped by called country sausage and corn chowder. Rounding out the breakfast list you will also have a wide choice of pancakes, Texas French toast along with other staples of the American breakfast. If you and your group show up for lunch well Dave and Cindy have you covered with a long list
of standard sandwiches including some grilled cheese, sautéed crab cake, BLT and a filling triple decker. The day we stopped by the specials included a buffalo turkey wrap with soup, a superior looking BBQ bacon and cheddar burger also with a soup and a Cape Cod chicken salad. Shira had the Philly cheese steak; which comes with sautéed onions and their homemade sauce and I went with a basket of Honey Stung chicken, with homemade mashed potatoes and a tasty brown gravy. We both also had the country sausage and corn chowder that was smoky, thick and delicious. The chicken was very unique and had a serious crunch to it; yet the chicken itself was moist, tender and to the point.
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BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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If you want to delve deeper into The Cook’s Corner’s dinner menu there are five other chicken choices including cordon bleu, marsala and parmesan. For the seafood lover the crab cakes looked yummy as did the jumbo shrimp, buttermilk breaded haddock and Ahi tuna steak. Had enough yet… already full? Well, The Cook’s corner is not done by a long shot. Beef, pork and veal will tempt you as well. Smoked pork chops, pork schnitzel. Delmonico steak as well as a crispy chopped veal steak. For you pasta lovers and vegans there are five scrumptious selections. A crispy eggplant tower with garlic spinach, roasted peppers and provolone cheese drizzled with a basil pesto and an awesome portabella mushroom grilled with garlic spinach, peppers, tomatoes and artichokes over a penne pasta in a balsamic reduction served with garlic bread would be just perfecto.
Oh, yeah, we hope you have saved room for dessert as most are homemade and quite delicious. As we said we love places that the locals flock to. In a nation that has suffered with the “Americanization” of our great eateries it is still comforting to know you can ride through the ‘fast food jungle’ and along the ‘chain restaurant desert’ and find places like The Cooks Corner. In true Backroads fashion we will get you there with a seriously good ride starting from Dingmans Ferry Bridge in Sussex County, NJ So put on the gear, fire up the bikes and follow along – it is time to eat. We’ll start this Rip & Ride from the home base for the Great All American Diner Run - O’Tooles Harley-Davidson in Wurtsboro, New York.
Rip & Ride® • THE COOK’S CORNER RTE. 715 AND CHERRY LANE CHURCH DRIVE, HENRYVILLE, PA 18332 • 570-620-1880
LEFT OUT OF O’TOOLES ON RTE. 171 BEAR RIGHT AT MOUNTAIN RD. STRAIGHT AT CR 65 UPPER RD. RIGHT AT ROUTE 211 LEFT AT RTE. 209 SOUTH LEFT AT CR 80 NEVERSINK DR. CROSS US 6 STRAIGHT ON SR 16 INTO NJ BECOMES CR 521 CROSS RTE. 206 BEAR RIGHT AT OLD MINE RD. RIGHTAT CR 560 FOLLOW SIGNS ACROSS DINGMANS BRIDGE ($1 TOLL) STRAIGHT AT SR 739 RIGHT AT RTE. 209 LEFT AT RAYMONDSKILL RD.
LEFT AT SR 2001 RIGHT AT LOG TAVERN RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 739 LEFT AT BLOOMING GROVE RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 390 LEFT AT RTE. 507 LEFT AT RTE. 447 RIGHT AT RTE. 390 BEAR LEFT AT RTE. 191 LEFT AT RTE 191 / 715 RIGHT AT RTE. 715 THE COOK’S CORNER ON LEFT GPS DOWNLOAD: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/2W0FKZ To download from Sendspace, click on the BLUE BOX DOWNLOAD ONLY. GPS and printed routes may vary.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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BIG CIT Y G ETAWAY
daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind
runnin’ tHe riverS
make a left on Route 94. Route 94 was created early last century when both New York and New Jersey linked up some existing roadways and brought them under one name, Route 94, and then dedicated it to honor the 94th Infantry Division of World War II. Today the road brings you across from the Hudson to the Delaware and we’ll be on it for a good number of miles heading south. When you reach Florida; no, not that Florida, we did say south but not that far south; bear right on County Road 25 – Pumpkin Swamp Road, then left at County Road 6 followed by a right at Edenville onto County Road 1. This will end at a T and you will be making a left on another historic road - US 6. This road has its beginnings in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
A ride Along the borderlAnds Looking for a full day’s ride? A true Big City Getaway? Well, we have a great suggestion this month; let’s go explore the borderlands of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and the two great rivers that frame them, the Hudson and Delaware. We’ll start this at one of the most iconic landmarks in the region - the George Washington Bridge. Just below it you will find River Road. Take this south and then bear left down onto Henry Hudson Drive. Constructed between 1916 and 1940, this scenic road begins at the Edgewater–Fort Lee border and winds along the Hudson River for 7 miles. This will take you under the bridge and along some great parks that dot the river on the Jersey side. Ride north along the drive and you will also find some abandoned buildings, once homes to the wealthy that date back a century or more. Eventually you will head back up the Palisades and pick up Route 9W. This road simply meanders along the river in a pleasant fashion. Some of it very countryish, other parts a tad suburban. The further north you travel the prettier the vistas become. Just north of West Point you will want to bear to the right along Route 218. Here the roadway tightens up dramatically as it rises along the mountainside, offering a stunning view of the Hudson River far below. You will run back into Route 9W, but will quickly
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BACKROADS • JULY 2012
and, at one time, was the longest highway in the nation running 3517 miles coast to coast to Long Beach, California. The famous road will meanders west for many states, and you will see it again this day, but for now you will make a right at Mountain Road and continue along New York County Road 35. Bear left uphill at Shale Road and then continue on Guymard Turnpike. This will take you over the ridge and eventually across the Neversink River. Make a left at Route 209 and head south. Keep an eye peeled for Peenpack Trail on your right and follow that through the forests on this tiny road. This will bring you to Route 42 where you will make a left and head to Route 97, where you will bear right and head to another well known and swoopy piece of pavement – the famed Hawks Nest - with its rebuilt pullouts and grand view of the river below. Follow north along the Delaware on 97 and cross the river at Shohola. Bear left at Twin Lakes Road and enjoy this twisty bit of macadam till you reach US 6 once again. Make a left at US 6 and then a quick right onto Raymondskill Road. This has been a favorite of ours here at Backroads for some time now. Stick with this road all the way to Route 209 and the river once again. If you are a waterfall person make some time to stop at the Raymondskill Falls, as they are worth the short hike.
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Make a right at Route 209 south and then follow the signs to Dingmans Ferry, which will cost you a whole US buck to cross, as it is one of the few, if only, private bridges in the nation. Back across the Delaware River you be on the Jersey-side once again and make the first hard right onto Old Mine Road, the oldest road in the country, toward the Walpack Valley. Head straight at NPS 615 and enjoy one of the most remote spots in all of the Garden State. This valley was once going to be flooded, part of the Tocks Island Dam project in the 1960s but this little war happened and it never came to be. We riders should be grateful for that at least. At the historic Millbrook Village bear left and take Millbrook Road all the way to Blairstown. If this town looks a bit familiar it is because they filmed the original Friday the 13th here. Yes, Camp Crystal Lake is hiding here somewhere – best ask O’Life about that. Here you will run right back into the same Route 94 we talked about earlier. From here you can stop for a bite to eat at the Post Time Pub or Blairstown Diner, double back on Route 94, north to New York State, or keep exploring the backroads of New Jersey. The ride and the adventure are up to you. You can download a GPS route for this 175-mile ride here: www.sendspace.com/file/st4mkh When downloading from Sendspace, click on the BLUE BOX download link ONLY.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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p m o R y e l l a V n o s Hud B r ia n
R a t h je
n
Way on the other side of the Hudson, Deep in the bosom of suburbia. Dean Friedman
With just about everybody getting a jump on the 2012 riding season but me I watched the deep well of stories normally filling the trough of the computer here at Backroads Central slowly drain. That being the case I knew once I got back in the saddle I would have a game of “Catch Up” to play and decided to start off my season with a great jaunt around the eastern side of the beautiful Hudson River. Not that we don’t get over there often enough, but along the eastern shore and further east towards Connecticut you will find a plethora of interesting places, some historic, some mysterious and others just a tad out of the ordinary. All the places we would visit this day will be featured on their own along these pages sometime in the near future; but to write about it we first have to get to them. What, you think these great Backroads’ tales are mailed in?
BACKROADS • JULY 2012 Come along as we ride through a bit of New York history. We had planned this ride for weeks, allowing for June production to give me another week of healing before heading out for a full day’s adventure. The following week saw a much needed rainfall in the northeast and that held us back another few days. Now I know how NASA felt when waiting for a good launch window. Thursday looked like it was shaping up for the day, but the night before a hard pelting of steady rain woke me and gave my riding spirit a soggy let down. How happy was I to awake to some sun sneaking through the curtains the next morn as the band of low pressure made its way east. Both geared and gassed Shira and I mounted up and made our way east towards the Hudson and our first stop of the day, the hamlet of Sleepy Hollow. Now most of us know about the story and the tale of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The Washington Irving classic about the story is set circa 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, who is a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut, who competes with Abraham “Brom Bones” Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-
Page 23 year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of a wealthy farmer, Baltus Van Tassel. As Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman, who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during “some nameless battle” of the American Revolutionary War, and who “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head” I am thinking Warren Zevon read this one – think Roland here. It is considered one of the first great American classics and not too long ago North Tarrytown voted to change their name to Sleepy Hollow, in honor of the story. Heading north along Route 9, just before the famed cemetery and infamous bridge you will find a very artsy statue portraying the Headless Horseman and was well worth the quick stop for that digital moment. With one place struck off our list of things to see we headed north along the river to something else, and maybe a bit more scarier than the Horseman; for this showed a true part of New York history that we hope none of you get to see firsthand - the Sing Sing Prison Museum. You won’t find the museum at the prison itself but at the nearby Caputo Community Center. The museum is small, but well worth the 20 minutes or so walking around the different exhibits and viewing prison life in this infamous riverside penitentiary from its beginning to modern times. Hell, even Sparky is there to see. From here we headed inland and went in search of even older New York history and after a number of wonderful Hudson Valley miles we rode up to
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
Page 24 the Old Yorktown Church. The original church was built way back in 1738 by the Presbyterians, but was burned to the ground by the British during the Battle of Yorktown Heights. When the British moved on it was rebuilt and stands here today. The battle is little known by many today and is just another bit of history that will resurface in the upcoming months in these pages, as the story needs to be told. By this time it was way past lunch and I had heard, from Seymour O’Life, of a very, let us say, interesting place for tacos Texas-style Rosemary’s Texas Tacos has been along Route 22 for decades and has to be the most eclectic and visuallyoverwhelming place we have seen in a long time. The food was okay, but you really want to ride here for the total Texas Taco experience. Trust me on this; as it is a future Great All American Diner Run for sure. Following along with Shira’s favorite summer column, her ice cream runs, we stopped by the venerable Heinchon’s where they have been serving up deliciousness since 1923. It was early in May this day and we were their first customers of this new season. What a good omen. Now it was time to start consid-
ering riding west and back towards the river, and then onto New Jersey and home. But we had one last stop to make along Route 301, just west of Carmel and that was the Chuang Yen Monastery. Here you will find the largest Buddha in North America. The Monastery is open to the public and is truly magnificent and well worth stopping by as you are most welcome, but remember to take your shoes off when entering the Great Hall.
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Who do you think keeps Backroads’ computers running? 718 Main St, Boonton, NJ From there we rode along Fahnestock State Park and then onto the tiny town of Cold Spring where we headed south along the Hudson on Route 9D and crossed to the western shore over the Bear Mountain Bridge. From there it was a quick, if familiar ride through Harriman State Park. It had been awhile since Shira and I had ridden through this park that we spent so much time in when we first started to ride together some 20 years back. Enjoying the well paved roads in early May reminded me just how pretty this park is and what a relaxing ride it offers we motorcyclists. We crossed the New York State Thruway and soon were passing the site of the Renaissance Faire on Route 17A. In no time we were across the Black Dirt region and back into New Jersey and heading towards our Sussex County home. It was a stupendous day, full of all sorts of interesting places and people and it was also my fist ride since landing hard in Colombia back in February. It was great to be back at work.
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Heinchons old farmhouse ice cream Parlor route 22, Pawling, ny • 845-878-6262 It’s getting harder and harder to fine those old-fashioned ice cream parlors. With the population of strip malls and chain stores, Mom and Pop establishments are finding it more and more difficult to compete. Reputation and generational word-of-mouth are the only things that keep them around. Searching our area, and making plans to do some stories on the ‘east’ side of the Hudson, Brian found me a little gem. Heinchons Dairy has been around since 1923, as their sign proudly boasts. They delivered milk to the locals and, after some years, diversified their yellow farmhouse into an Ice Cream Parlor. As you would think, all ice cream is made ‘almost’ on premise, about a mile up the road at the dairy. And there is no shortage of offerings here. Reading some of the other articles from the past, I found a number – 200. I asked the young lady doing the scooping if that was true and she said they had added many more since that had been written. I’m sure that if you can think of it, Heinchons has made it into ice cream. So, you ask, what might I expect upon entering this age-old ice cream purveyor. Most like, lots and lots of regulars enjoying their seasonal sweet treat. Heinchons, being on Route 22, has become THE spot for ice cream and a stop for many Manhattanites heading to or from their ‘other’ homes in the country. The yellow farmhouse, with deck sporting Adirondack chairs to view the many stages of the cornfield out back and plenty of room for a romp in the grass, is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the summer clouds passing overhead. You’ll have to make your decision before heading out
Shira’s Summertime Ice Cream Ride
there though. You’ll be tempted with such things as Hudson Harvest (vanilla ice cream churned with local raspberries, whole almonds and chocolate chips), Mud Pie (coffee ice cream with fudge ripple and Oreo cookies) and smooth black raspberry. Along with cones, cups, thick shakes, egg creams and sundaes, there are less-traditional concoctions, with names like Cow Wars (“Vanilla soft serve with a jet stream of chocolate fudge and a galaxy of Milky Way”) and Lance’s Teen Dream Slush (“Lemon sorbet and sweet cherry juice blended with fizzy Sprite”). Yes, they also have vanilla and chocolate for the purists. Brian and I showed up on their very first day of the 2012 season (they are open May through October-ish). They were not completely set up for customers, but were all smiles and ready to dip. The inside is just what you’d expect from an old farmhouse – great wooden floors which show the passing of many thousands of little feet stomping for their ice cream and a couple of small rooms for seating. Pull out your cash and place your order. I opted for Orange Creamsicle and was not disappointed, but was hard-pressed to make this choice from the chalkboard list of Coconut Chocolate Almond, Swiss Chocolate, Expresso Chip, Turtle, Peanut Butterchip, Maple Walnut and too many more to keep going, but you get the idea. You can also have this wonderful creamy treat served in a waffle cone made right
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BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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HEINCHON’S ICE CREAM ROUTE 22, PAWLING, NY
START BARNSTORMER BBQ 1076 ROUTE 9W FORT MONTGOMERY, NY
SOUTH ON ROUTE 9W LEFT ONTO US 6 OVER BEAR MOUNTAIN BRIDGE LEFT ON ROUTE 9D RIGHT ON SNAKE HILL ROAD/CR 11 CROSS RTE 9 ON TRAVIS CORNERS RD RIGHT ON OLD ALBANY POST RD (MAY BE ABOUT ¼ MILE OF DIRT) BEAR LEFT ON THUNDER ROAD STRAIGHT ON CANOPUS HILL ROAD STAY LEFT ON CANOPUS HILL ROAD BEAR LEFT ON DENNYTOWN ROAD THRU FAHNESTOCK STATE PARK RIGHT ON ROUTE 301 LEFT ON CR 42/FARMERS MILLS RD LEFT ON MILLER HILL ROAD RIGHT ON RUSHMORE ROAD BEAR RIGHT ON HOSNER MOUNTAIN RD
LEFT ON CHERRY LANE RIGHT ON HWY 52 LEFT ON MOUNTAIN TOP ROAD RIGHT ON GRAPE HOLLOW ROAD RIGHT ON HWY 292 BEAR RIGHT ON SOUTH ROAD LEFT ON S WHITE ROCK ROAD BEAR LEFT ON HOLMES ROAD STRAIGHT ON HWY 292 BEAR LEFT ON HWY 311 RIGHT ON HWY 22 BEAR LEFT ON BIRCH HILL ROAD LEFT ON N BIRCH HILL ROAD LEFT ON S QUAKER HILL ROAD RIGHT ON RAVINE ROAD LEFT ON AKINDALE ROAD LEFT ON HWY 22 HEINCHON ICE CREAM ON RIGHT SIDE GPS AVAILABLE HERE: www.sendspace.com/file/krlhzu WHEN DOWNLOADING FROM SENDSPACE, BLUE DOWNLOAD BOX ONLY. GPS AND PRINTED ROUTES MAY VARY SLIGHTLY.
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in front of you and, apparently, their hot fudge sauce is legendary. Other toppings include homemade butterscotch, whipped cream or brownies, fresh bananas or strawberries, and other fun toppings such as gummy bears, sprinkles and the like. Be prepared, if you show up during the weekend, for a line but don’t be dismayed; the setting at Heinchons is so relaxed and bucolic that the wait will put you in a Zen state to further enjoy your much-anticipated icy delight (and give you time to make your flavor selection). You will find Heinchons on Route 22, near Akindale Road) but we’ll give you a sweet, creamy ride to whet your appetite and get you there in summer style. Enjoy and we’ll see you on the Ice Cream Trail this summer.
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Page 30
FIRST RIDE
2012 KAWASAKI NINJA 650R
Words: Evans Brasfield • Images: Adam Campbell and Kevin Wing From the Ninja 650R’s introduction in 2006, the mid-sized Kawasaki was assigned the challenging task of delivering good times to riders ranging from novices to experts—a role the 650R has, for the most part, delivered. Still, there’s always room for refinement, and two years ago, Kawasaki added some tweaks to the features list. So, the level of the revision on the 2012— in a sluggish economy, no less—is surprising and reflects the manufacturer’s commitment to the Ninja 650R and the segment of riders who are fond of it. Kawasaki’s engineers didn’t pull any punches on the 650R, the changes reach as deep as the frame. The all-new, double pipe perimeter frame offers greater rigidity and sportier styling. A single backbone rear subframe frame contributes to the narrowness of the bike and allows for the bike’s carrying capacity to increase by 10 percent to 440 lbs. The swingarm mirrors the double pipe design of the frame, and its gull-wing bend on the right side creates more room for the larger exhaust system. The end result is a stiffer frame that allows the rider’s feet to reach the ground 50 mm closer together, giving riders the impression that the seat is lower (although the seat height remains 31.7 in.). Shorter and/or novice riders should feel more comfortable and confident in parking lot maneuvers. What good is getting in better shape if it doesn’t change the way you look? Kawasaki understood this and wrapped the new frame in thoroughly updated bodywork that sleek links the 650R to its supersport siblings and the ZX-14, in particular. In addition to looking cool, new side ducting directs hot air from the engine bay away from the rider. Other nods to rider comfort include a two-piece seat and a three position adjustable windshield. The removal of four bolts allows the the windshield to be varied over a 60 mm range. In the top position, wind blast hits a 5’ 11” rider at about neck level. Although this air adds a little helmet noise, the laminar air flow created by the gap between the windshield and the fairing means that the redirected wind is turbulencefree. In the upper position, the envelope of calm air is significantly larger and will make cool weather riding much more comfortable. Conversely, in the lower position the mid-chest directed air flow will cool the rider on hot days. Even with the bike’s narrower frame, the Ninja 650R’s new seat is thicker and wider. By giving the seat a flatter shape, the rider is able to gain some fanny wiggle room. The thicker foam adds to the comfort factor. Separating the pillion from the pilot’s seating means that both saddles were able to be constructed to the optimal shape for their duties—and the pillion is easily removable for access to the storage area or the fitment of a Kawasaki accessory bag or supersport hump.
For 2012, the 650R mounts its hand controls on a superbike bar. The wider grips give the rider more leverage out on the road and offers access to aftermarket bars, should the rider want to change the grip location. To fur-
ther improve the rider’s comfort, the bar, the seat and the foot peg brackets are all rubber mounted. The degree of focus that Kawasaki directed at comfort can be seen in the plastic cover that fills the gap in the frame sections, making a smooth, continuous surface for the rider’s knees to press against. Rather than change the character of the 649 cc parallel twin by adjusting the overall shape of the power band, Kawasaki’s engineers worked to produce more power in the mid-
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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range where street bikes spend most of their time. Still, they didn’t want to compromise the fun of the top end power. So, the only internal modification was the inclusion of slightly lower compression pistons that Kawasaki claims increases the power output by five percent below 7,000 rpm. To further refine the power delivery, the exhaust received a connector tube to lessen the variations in the torque curve. The muffler’s volume was bumped to incorporate a less circuitous for the gasses to follow. While the airbox retained the same volume, the inlets were moved outward and angled towards the new intake ducts made possible by the twin frame tubes. Cooler air is routed through a new, more efficient paper element air filter before making its way into the two 38mm Keihin throttle bodies. All of this gives the rider a more responsive engine that still manages, thanks to revised ignition timing, to get a ten percent bump in fuel economy. Continuing the theme of incremental improvements to the Ninja for 2012, both the brakes and suspension were tweaked for improved performance. While the dual 300mm front and single 220mm rear “petal” shaped discs remain unchanged, the pads squeezing them utilize a grippier compound. Similarly, the front and rear suspension had their travel increased travel to allow for a lower spring rate and a less progressive damping curve. The rebound adjustable shock’s damping settings were also modified to accommodate the new swingarm. The fork retains it 41mm diameter stanchions, but they are now 5mm longer. One pleasant consequence of the longer fork but unchanged rake is that the trail has increased by 0.16 in, resulting in slightly more stable steering. From the moment you thumb the starter, the Ninja 650R exhibits the same
pleasant engine characteristics as all of Kawasaki’s parallel twins. The easy to modulate clutch (which was improved for 2012) makes getting underway a non-issue. The engine feels crisp and responsive throughout the rpm range. The injection is sorted well with the only hiccup being a slight abruptness in power delivery when switching from off- to on-throttle. Quite simply, the engine is a joy—if a little bit over-muffled. It remains remarkably smooth throughout the rpm range and maintains this characteristic even when spinning up in it’s power band. The light 650R has always been easy to control with responsive but not terribly speedy steering, and the increased bar width gives a tad more leverage. The chassis feels noticeably stiffer, lacking the torsional flexing that the old model displayed at elevated speeds. In fact, the only flex felt on the ride came in the middle of a high-speed sweeper with a compression bump where the road briefly dropped away while the bike was at full lean. For an instant, the hinge in the middle sensation where the front and rear tires felt like they were on different tracks appeared before immediately returning to normal. In Dunlop’s Roadsmart II tires provided all the grip we needed on roads ranging from tight-n-twisty to smooth and fast. The suspension soaked up the bumps of varying degrees without any harshness when nearing full compression, in contrast with the 2011 suspenders. However, the softer springs in the front did allow some dive with the initial application of the brakes. Even with the new compounds, the brakes remained relatively high-effort to get the most out of them. This is not to say that the brakes didn’t work well. They did, but they required a healthy squeeze. Since the bike is designed for
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2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650R LIST PRICE: $7,499 ENGINE 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, parallel twin VALVETRAIN DOHC, four valves per cylinder DISPLACEMENT: 649cc BORE X STROKE: 83.0 x 60.0mm COMPRESSION RATIO: 10.8:1 FUEL SYSTEM Electronic Fuel Injection with two 38mm Keihin throttle bodies TRANSMISSION: Six-speed FINAL DRIVE: O-ring chain OVERALL LENGTH: 83.1 in. WHEELBASE: 55.5 in. RAKE/TRAIL: 25 degrees / 4.3 in. SEAT HEIGHT: 31.7 in. TESTED MPG: NA FUEL CAPACITY: 4.2 gal. CURB WEIGHT: 460.8 lbs WARRANTY: 12 months 2012 COLORS Metallic Spark Black, Candy Lime Green, Passion Red
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less experienced riders as well as seasoned ones, a super-aggressive pad compound would not be as desirable as on a race replica bike. In theory, a higher braking threshold would help a rider develop a feel for when the brakes are approaching lock-up. More experienced riders will want to opt for more aggressive pads. One nice addition to the 650R is the new instrument cluster. The analog tachometer is much easier to read than the old LCD bar. The multifunction display is a information junky’s dream, giving the rider a choice of Trip A, Trip B, current mileage, average mileage, cruising range, and odometer. This is good since the comfortable riding position and the larger tank means that more time can be spent in the saddle racking up miles. The Ninja 650R has always delivered an exceptional bang for the buck while still bringing to mind the words: fun, versatile, balanced, and exciting. The 2012 model continues the trend. The $7,499 MSRP buys you a multifaceted bike, one that is equally happy commuting, touring or slicing apexes on mountain roads. Riders who say you need big displacement and twice as many cylinders to have fun on a motorcycle don’t know what they’re talking about. The real decision is which color do you want: Metallic Spark Black, Candy Lime Green, Passion Red?
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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Gone to Oregon
Glenn Baldwin Wow! Talk about great service. Doug Cushing of Northwest Motorcycle Adventures pulls up in front of our Portland, OR, hotel, trailering a taxi-cabyellow 650 cc Suzuki V-Strom, which is to be my ride around the great state of Oregon as far as one week will allow. I’m here with my wife and my mom, who will caravan with me in a rented car. Lucky me: I’ve got my own entourage. I realize I’ve been spoiled by the silky smoothness of my R-1200 RT as I become acquainted with the V-Strom, but my respect for this bike grows as it holds its own in fast-moving truck traffic and takes the twisties in the mountains as if it’s glued to the road. Doug is a very friendly and accommodating guy, providing delivery and pickup of the bike, a tank bag, motorcycle maps, and a trunk bag with ample tools and spray can to lube the chain during every other fill-up. Total cost for seven days, including insurance and regular gas for this rental, was about $1,000. If you’re anywhere near Portland, OR, without your own ride, call Doug at 360-241-6500 and check out his website at northwestmotorcycleadventures.com or vstrom.com. Leaving the city for Mount Hood, we encounter fog and drizzle, which gradually clears as the morning wears on. An Oregon Scenic Byway parallels Rt. 26 from Gresham to Sandy enroute to Mt. Hood. It winds up and down through deep woods, crossing creeks and breaking out into pastures with grazing llamas. It merges at points with the original Oregon Trail. I get the feeling that Brian and Shira have routed me onto this perfect backroad. On eastbound Rt. 26, we pass numerous westbound bus-size RV’s, each towing a full-size SUV. Guess these guys haven’t noticed the price of gas for
some time. Signs reading “Chain Up” and “Snow Zone” become frequent. The State of Oregon does not salt its roads, so any vehicle must have chains or studded snow tires to drive in these areas. I keep checking my speedometer since several squad cars have pulled over speeders in this designated “safety corridor,” reminding me of Brian’s presentation at Country Rode BMW, where he observed how the U.S. is the most heavily-policed country in the world.
Page 34 From Government Camp (1846), we take a brief side trip up Mt. Hood to the Timberline Lodge, commissioned by FDR in 1937. Featuring year-round skiing and snowboarding, this is the birthplace of the metal tower-supported chair lift. The whole system blew over in a windstorm once and was rebuilt with reinforcements. On this day in mid-June, the lodge’s ground floor windows look out upon a wall of snow from top to bottom. Outside several skiers and boarders whoosh down the main slope, while ice climbers with picks and ropes prepare to ascend. After Mt. Fuji, Mt. Hood is the most photographed mountain in the world, and it’s easy to see why. A swing north on State Rt. 35 through spectacular snow-covered peaks and vineyard-laden valleys brings us to the Columbia River Gorge at the village of Hood River. Picture the Hudson River at the Tappan Zee Bridge. Stretch it twice as wide and drop it three times as deep between its bluffs, add gale-force winds, and you have something of a similarity. My regard for Lewis and Clark has just quadrupled. From Hood River east to the Dalles along the gorge, a motorist can choose I-84 (yeah, the same one from our neck of the woods) or return 80 years in time and take the Historic Columbia River Highway (Federal Rt. 30, AKA The Lincoln Highway, that spans our nation from Astoria on the Oregon coast to Atlantic City). Engineered by John A. Elliott in the 1920’s, this became in his words “a great scenic boulevard surpassing all other highways in the world.” Although Mr. Elliot probably never rode a motorcycle through the Alps, I think his quote is spot on with this road: a two-lane roller coaster
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS through pine and rock ledge that swoops, swerves, climbs, dips, and doubles back on itself, following the terrain of the river’s south bluffs. Curves are framed by freshly-painted white wooden guard rails. Pullouts offer grand views of the river and bluffs on both shores. The best part during late afternoon is no traffic at all! Everyone else is down on I84, grinding away at water level with the 18wheelers. We overnight at The Dalles. Previous page: Government Camp Base of Mount Hood This page: Columbia River Gorge Columbia River Hwy in 1929 and today. Opposite page: Bonneville Dam Vista House Multomah Falls Glenn at Mt. Hood
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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Heading west along the gorge the next morning, we must use I-84, since scenic Rt. 30 is blocked off for bicyclists doing a fund raiser. Our first stop is at Bonneville Dam, which generates enough electricity to power two cities the size of Portland year-round. In pioneer times, the rapids at this location prevented the floating of wagons down the Columbia. Eventually a railroad portage allowed wagons to be transferred from rafts onto a train, then back onto rafts at the foot of the rapids. Today the dam’s spillway is a thunderous churning of white froth due to a surplus of spring runoff from last winter’s record snowfall in the mountains. A fish ladder observatory underwater shows how many of what species fish are swimming upriver at the moment. Rt. 30 picks up again, parallels the Union Pacific railroad tracks, and brings us to Multnomah Falls, the second highest falls in the U.S. A misty trail that ascends through the woods to an old stone bridge over the falls’ base is worth taking. Stop #3 along Rt. 30 is Vista House, a round, Art Deco structure erected in 1914 atop a high mesa that offers a panorama of the gorge 700 feet below, with its banks and bluffs for endless miles on this partly cloudy day. We finish the “Infinity Loop” with a superb lunch at Ristorante Bella in Troutdale: chicken franchaise, linguini, and Caesar salad, all for eight bucks. Then it’s back onto I-84 to swing through Portland and its western suburbs, cross prairies, roll over another mountain range, and arrive at the mouth of the Columbia where it meets the Pacific. But that’s another story.
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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TWISTED TRIUMPH TIGER 800 • MAKING A GREAT BIKE EVEN BETTER We recently added a few things to the new Triumph Tiger 800 looking to add to the bike in both safety and touring ability. To do this we turned to the boys at Twisted Throttle, purveyors of all things cool for adventure machines. The first thing we wanted to address was some decent luggage for the triumph. Yes, we know there are luggage options from Triumph, but they just didn’t do it for us and the new Aero ABS sidecases looked both stylish and practical. The Aero ABS sidecases are rigid saddlebags with the look of a soft saddlebag, but with the benefits of hard sidecases while remaining lightweight. Designed to fit SW-Motech Evo sidecarriers the Aero bags are constructed with a rigid 2.5mm ABS plastic shell that is covered by a Nylon laminate. The surface looks like Ballistic Nylon soft luggage, but the case has the strength and rigidity of hard luggage. They will fit all motorcycles with QUICK-LOCK EVO Sidecarriers and AERO sidecase adapters. They come with dry-bags to hold your stuff and gear retaining straps to keep everything in place Mounting onto the Tiger was a breeze and we instantly had 31 liters on each side of carrying capacity. More than enough for a decent week or two on the road. The Aero ABS sidecases sell for $425 plus the brackets for whatever machine your are installing them on. On the safety side of the machine we wanted to protect both rider and the bike itself and needed crash bars to do this. So we put on a set of SW-MOTECH Crashbars/Engine Guards. Constructed of heavyduty mild steel, SWMOTECH crashbars are designed to provide maximum protection, optical integration, and highquality fit and finish. All components are protected against corrosion by sandblasting and
powder coating and mount using a high-strength frame mounting points. Not only do they give the Tiger that tough “I can go anywhere” look they list for a paltry $235 which is an easy investment if your machine ever tips over or worse. Money well spent. Now we played with a Triumph Tiger 800 for this upgrade but Twisted Throttle has products for many machines. Log onto their site at www.twistedthrottle.com to see what may fit on your machine.
ALL MAKES ALL MODELS ALL MACHINES WELCOME With a little help from…
Motorcycle Tourmagazine
Enjoy an evening of tire-kicking, great food and eye candy at the area’s premier Bike Night. Bike Of The Week Trophy awarded.
It’s…Bike Night Every Thursday Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In
Ross’ Corners / 1 Route 15, Augusta, NJ • 973-300-2300
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UPCOM IN G EVENTS CAL ENDAR E V E RY M O N T H - W E AT H E R P E R M I T T I N G Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - Calverton NY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221 Every Sunday • Biker Breakfast at Tramontin Harley-Davidson, Exit 12 I-80, Hope, NJ (GPS: 485 Hope-Blairstown Rd, Rte. 521) 9-11am • www.tramontinhd.com First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner of Dingmans/Bevans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Join others for a ride or head out on your own Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish Second Wednesday • Harley-Davidson of Long Branch Bike Night at McGillicuddy’s Tap House, 601 Main, Loch Arbour, NJ • 6-9pm. • www.hdlongbranch.com • Live music and prizes Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com Every Saturday • Stop by the dealership at 9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs at 10am. Return to the dealership for FREE food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. What are you waiting for, Saddle-Up! • Bergen Harley-Davidson/BMW Motorcycle, 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenbmwmotorcycles.com
JUNE 21-24 • 15th Annual Thunder in the Valley presented by Johnstown Convention and Visitors Bureau. Johnstown, PA. More details: www.JohnstownThunder.com 23 • 1st Annual Ride for Nicholas. Sign in: Kosco Harley-Davidson, 1149 Route 23 S, Kinnelon, NJ • 9-10:45am; Ride leaves 11am. $30/Rider;$20/Passenger. 50-mile fully-escorted ride includes food, soda, beer, live bands and more. Endsite: Mountain Rest, 17 Wooley Rd, W. Milford, NJ. Nicholas Hahn is a 9-year old boy diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia called Burkitts. All proceeds will go to the family. 201-213-2664 • ridefornicholas@gmail.com 23 • Art of the Bike presents 3rd annual Classic Bikes and Blues. Music, vintage bikes, food and art. 10am-5pm • Tinicum Park, Erwinna, PA. Raindate: June 24. For more info visit www.artofthebike.com 24 • NJ Chapter VII Blue Knights benefit ride for Shriners Hospital-Livingston. Sign in: 910:30; ride leaves 11am from Salaam Temple, 369 E. Mt. Pleasant Ave/Rte. 10, Livingston, NJ. $20/rider; $10/pass. incl. breakfast, lunch and great ride. • 973-951-5011 24 • 4th Annual Poker Run to bemefit Multiple Sclerosis. Sign in: Baer Sports Center, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA or Harmony Lodge #8, 519 Rte. 206, Andover Twp, NJ btw 9am-Noon. $20/pp incl. pin or patch, poker hand, raffles, 50/50, vendors, ive music by Big Boss Sausauge and others. Endsite: Mt. Haven, 106 Mt. Haven Dr, Milford, PA. For more info call 570-253-2000 or 570-686-2917 30 • Cross Country BMW hosts Teach McNeil Stunt Show, one of the best stunt riders in the country. 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ • 732-635-0094 • www.ccbmw.com
JULY 7 • ABATE & St. Barnabas Burn Center Fundraiser. Sign in: Black Hills Custom Parts, 80 US Hwy 46, Rockaway, NJ 10-11am. $20/rider; $15/pass. Poker run with stops along a scenic route through Morris and Sussex conties, ending at the Runway Cafe, Blairstown Airport. Food at Noon, prizes at 1pm. For more info contact Tammy tammyeckert@abatenorthjersey.org • www.abatenorthjersey.org 8 • Empire HOG Chapter presents the 3rd Annual Bike Run for Kids to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of America. Sign in: Empire Harley-Davidson, 8 Industrial Lane, New Rochelle, NY 9-10:45am. Self-guided ride leaves at 11am - route sheet provided. $20/rider; $10/pass or walk-in. BBQ to follow with 50/50 raffle and more. Call dealership for questions: 914-632-6743 14 • Montgomeryville Cycle Center Sport Bike Day. Call for details • 2901 Bethlehem Pike, Hatfield, PA • 215-712-7433 • www.MontgomeryvilleCC.com 14-15 • 36th Annual Ramapo 500. Weekend Motorcycle Tour Classic. Sign in 7-9am (see website for address). $35/pre-reg riders;$48 at the door incl. self-guided tour directions, dinner Saturday, free camping, awards, prizes, breakfast Sunday, commemorative starter’s pin and finisher’s patch. AMA Sanctioned. For more info visit www.ramapomc.org or call 914-422-1806 18 • Liberty Harley-Davidson BIke Night 6-9pm. For full details please visit website: www.libertyhd.com • 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 19-22 • 40th BMW MOA International Rally. State Fairgrounds, Sedalia, MO. Five of the exhibitor buildings, the beer garden building, closing ceremonies arena, seminar rooms, and several of the on-site restaurants are air conditioned. The RV camping spaces have full service hook-ups and all of the fairground roads are paved. For full details visit www.bmwmoa.org. 21 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Service Seminar. For full details please visit website: www.libertyhd.com • 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 22 • Second Generation MC Assn. 9th annual AMA Dice Run to benefit United Hospice of Rockland. Sign in: JR Motorsports, Rte. 9W, Haverstraw, NY 9:30-11am. $20/rider; $10/pass. Enjoy a scenic 100 mile ride of beautiful country backroads with a few dice rolling stops along the way. AMA sanctioned. Huge BBQ on the majestic Hudson River at the Haverstraw Elks Lodge with live music by the Love Cats and lots of sunshine fun. For more info www.secondgenerationma.org 25 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Garage Party. For full details please visit website: www.libertyhd.com • 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400
What’s Happening 26 • Bergen County BMW Motorcycles Ride 2 Eat. Meet at dealership 6:30pm - ride leaves at 7pm. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • BMW Riders Only Event. Or meet at endsite: Pilsener Haus & Biergarten, 1422 Grand St, Hoboken, NJ • 201-683-5465 • www.bergenbmwmotorcycles.com 28 • Eckenhoff Motorcycles of Cherry Hill European & Harley Parts in the Attic Swap Meet. Limited Vendor Space available - call to reserve. 919 Church Road, Cherry Hill, NJ • 856-482-5300 • www.eckenhoff.com 28 • 11am-1pm • Bob’s BMW hosts Edelweiss Bike Travel to provide you with all the information you need to make your dreams come true! Bob’s is bringing the experts in guided motorcycle tours to you so come prepared with all your questions. Learn the basics of world travel by bike, plus specific benefits of traveling with Edelweiss • www.BobsBMW.com. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 800-269-2627 28 • Cross Country Cycle Bikini Bike Wash. 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ • 732-6350094 • www.crosscountrycycle.com
AUGUST 10-12 • 35th Annual Daniel Boone Rally sponsored by Carolinas BMW MOA. Boone, NC campgrounds. $40 rally fee includes camping and donuts/coffee both days, BBQ Saturday, rally pin, 5 door prize tix and many extras • www.carolinasbmwmoa.org 12-19 • Backroads Magazine Ireland Tour with Celtic Riders. Spend 8 days, 7 nights touring the Emerald Isle. This will be a self-guided tour with accommodations and route set. Book early as motorcycle availability is limited. For full details please visit www.celticriders.ie and see the 8-day tour. Hope you can join us. 24 • Meet at the Ace - a Summer Shakedown 2012 Vintage Motorcycle and Scooter Festival. America’s Car Museum, Haub Family Show Field, 2702 East D Street, Tacoma, WA. Museum exhibits, concours awards, people’s choice awards, swap meet, motorcyclethemed movies, beer garden, food vendors, live music and much more. For full details please visit www.lemaymuseum.org or call 312-951-8981 28• FW Speer Yamaha Foggy Mountain Reliability Run. This is a Timed Road Run (not a race of speed or police-escorted, follow the leader ride). You MUST be able to read a route sheet (English only), keep time and operate your motorcycle ALL at the same time. Sign up: 9:30am FW Speer Yamaha, 7 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ. For more information please call the shop at 973-778-6256 30-Sept. 3 • Killington Classic run by the folks from Americade. Killington, VT. 5 Fantastic Days of Fun! For full details please visit www.KillingtonClassic.com
SEPTEMBER 13-16 • 15th Catskill Mountain Thunder. Weekend filled with stunt shows, vendor expo, bike build off, bike show with cash prizes, pig roast, fireworks, free demo rides, live music throughout the weekend and so much more. For full details please visit the website: www.catskillmountainthunder.com or call 518-634-2541 • 348 Sunside Rd, East Durham, NY. 13-16 • Empire State Motomarathon. It’s about riding as many twisties as possible, over four full days. Routes are kept secret until the night before each event. Through a series of self-recorded checkpoints, riders verify completion at the end of each day’s ride. $50 registration. Sign in: Sept. 12 @ 8pm. Quality Inn, 849 Rte. 52, Fishkill, NY • 845-8979300. Get more info here: www.motomarathon.com 16 • Lost Wheels MC 37th Annual Poker Run. Sign in/Endsite: Canopus Lake Beach @ Fahnestock State Park, 1498 Rte. 301, Carmel, NY 9-11:30am. $25/non-AMA; $23/AMA; $10/under 15. Lost Wheels Poker Run promises to be the best ‘End-Of-Summer’ run in the Hudson Valley. Every year a different route that never disappoints. Music, vendors, 50/50, door prizes, ride-in bike show, games and awards. NEW this year - food by Adams Fairacre Farms. All Bikes Welcome! www.lostwheels.com •845-591-9374 16 • Dangerous Curvz Ride to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer. Start/End: Tramontin Harley-Davidson, Hope, NJ. Sign in: 9:30am • Ride: 11am. $20/rider; $15/passenger to benefit National Ovarian Cancer Coalition North Jersey Chapter. 60-mile group ride thru Warren/Sussex Ctys. All bikes welcome • www.dangerouscurvz.com 27-30 • Backroads Fall Fiesta 2012 • We’re heading back to the Amish country in Pennsylvania. This time we’ll be staying downtown at the Lancaster Arts Hotel, right in the center of great dining and cultural doings, but easy access to the beautiful country roads in that area. Again, ROOMS ARE LIMITED SO BOOK NOW! Rooms are $135/night, and includes free breakfast, parking, Wi-Fi and taxi service within 5 mile radius • www.lancasterartshotel.com • 866-720-2787 - ask for the Backroads Fall Fiesta group. 29 • 9am-4pm • Celebrate Oktoberfest at Bob’s BMW. This annual, family-fun event is a great way to spend the day. Ride to Bob’s early for fresh coffee and donuts and stay for an authentic German lunch! Kick tires with fellow enthusiasts and shop great specials. Details of the day are in the works. Check back for updates at bobsbmw.com
NOVEMBER 3 • 6-10pm • Bob's BMW 30th Year Anniversary Celebration. Tickets will be available months in advance. Stay tuned for specifics to be confirmed, but for now, expect a private, catered evening among fellow friends with lots of surprises, amazing giveaways, first heard announcements from Bob, plus an official tribute to Bob’s BMW! Visit www.BobsBMW for details.
THE SOONER YOU GET YOUR EVENTS TO US THE SOONER PEOPLE WILL SEE THEM. FREE ADVERTISING - THAT’S A NO-BRAINER. WWW.BACKROADSUSA.COM/EVENTS.HTML FAX: 973-948-0823 • email: editor@backroadsusa.com
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS EVS AB05 ANKLE BRACE IT’S GOOD TO BE IN A SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIP When it got time to get back to riding after this spring of discontent I went in search of a high quality piece of gear that would support the tender soft tissue damage I had yet still allow for movement on and off the bike. EVS has been created state of the art braces for years and they offered an ankle brace that looked perfect for the job. This brace ultimate lace up ankle support and stabilizer, complete with a 3D mesh that provides a comfortable fit in addition to ventilation. The AB05 also has removable plastic inserts to add even more protection and support if needed. There are even ankle cut out to allow for a more comfortable fit in your riding boot or casual walking shoe. I did not wait till I was riding to start using the EVS AB05 Ankle Brace as it was far better than what the doctors had given me, more durable and comfortable. EVS has all sorts of braces and protective gear for we riders and if you have an injury and are looking for more support on whatever body part ails you log onto their website at evs-sports.com. The EVS AB05Ankle Brace sold for just $29 and was the perfect investment I could have made. ~ Brian Rathjen
LD COMFORT MOTORCYCLE UNDERGEAR The hot and sultry days of summer are upon us and with that come the steamy stickiness of riding gear on tender skin. I had been using a pair of bicycle riding shorts, with elastic at waist and legs that continually dug into my skin. Always looking for a way to extend the time between washing of my textile gear, I opted to try LD Comfort’s Women’s Combo Top and Riding Shorts. LD Comfort claimed that this would be no more, so I was game. LD Comfort Riding Shorts are made with a dual layer material that transfers and keeps moisture away from your skin. This will take the moisture away from the skin, transfer it to an outer layer where the airflow will allow for faster drying while keeping the skin moisture-free. This is accomplished by weaving nylon and polyester together for two distinct sides; the polyester, being nonabsorbent, sends the moisture to the nylon side and out into the air. In addition, the antimicrobial properties (being silver) helps keep the bacteria count low. Make no mistake, LD Comfort’s Riding Shorts will not put an end to seat discomfort, only help with the discomfort associated with a sticky, sweaty bottom. If you use a pad or padded riding shorts, they suggest you wear the LD Comfort next to your skin and put the padded stuff next to the seat. I suggest you get a custom seat and leave the moisture control to LD Comfort. To keep the shorts where they are supposed to be, they are designed to ride high in the back so that the lower back is not exposed when in a seated position. They also sport one-way traction strips in the leg to prevent the legs from riding up. They are not supposed to be tight – if they are you have the wrong size. This was always my complaint with my riding shorts. From the very first time I put these on, I could feel the difference. No more cutting into my skin and leaving ugly marks or having a gap between the top of my shorts to the top of my riding pants. The lack of seams increased the comfort level and there are no bumps or wrinkles to contend with. Moving up, the LD Comfort Combo Top gets rid of one layer that I will not miss – the bra layer. Designed with a well thought out inner liner, the Combo Top eliminates the distraction of a sweaty, uncomfortable, chafing bra. Made with the same dual layer wicking material, the Combo Top keeps the skin dry thus
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
Page 39 more comfortable. I’ve worn many tops with an inner bra liner and have never felt them comfortable, nor supportive. The LD Comfort Combo Top was comfortable from the moment it touched my skin and even after several hundred miles in the saddle. The best thing I can say about it is that I didn’t know I had it on. Washing is a simple thing – but remember NO FABRIC SOFTENER, DRYER SHEETS OR BLEACH. These will clog the silver material in the fabric and may cause it to retain oils, which will diminish the wicking property. If washing on the road, just a little baby shampoo in the sink will do; give the garment a light massage, rinse, wring out in a towel and you’re good to go. Just like my travel underwear, I now have the only layer I’ll need next to my body while on the road. The ease of care and wear are incomparable and can even be used as a cooling device in high temperatures. You can find all this information on the LD Comfort website, along with purchase information for the Riding Short ($39.95), Combo Top ($57.85) and all their other fine products: www.ldcomfort.com ~ Shira Kamil
MIRACLE LIPS… A MUST HAVE IN YOUR TANK BAG. Beside the wackiness that other occupants of the road bring motorcyclists, one of the biggest dangers is dry and chapping lips. Being out in the elements can certainly do a number of this tender skin, but here’s a great solution. Scientist, Dr. Robert Heiman has developed a break though lip treatment, Miracle Lips. Miracle Lips combines White Propolis Extract, and Tea Tree Oil, with rich butter and vitamins for superior lip protection from dry skin, chapped lips, and can even be used to treat cold sores. The combination of the ingredients in the Miracle Lips formula serves as an anti-bacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal healing agent. Miracle Lips is the skin care industry’s first lip product that hydrates, exfoliates, and naturally medicates all at once. Miracle Lips products are all made in the U.S. We gave this balm a whirl and were more than impressed with it and how it worked. Unlike wax-based products, Miracle Lips is absorbed into the lips rather than sitting on the surface. Innumerable reapplications are not necessary, as this product will last a good, long time. You know it’s working as there is a slight tingle when applied and it even has a pleasant taste. Miracle Lips comes in a serum and a salve. The salve has a matte finish, while the serum is a roll-on and leaves lips with a glossy sheen. Both have the same fine organic ingredients. Can’t decide which to buy? Get the combo pack for $26.90 + shipping on their website. You can buy Miracle Lips from their website at www.miraclelips.net.
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THIS ROUTE BEGINS IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY PICK UP CR 519 SOUTH STRAIGHT AT CR 619 IN MILFORD TO FRENCHTOWN RIGHT ONTO BRIDGE STREET CROSS BRIDGE INTO PENNSYLVANIA LEFT AT RTE. 32 SOUTH THROUGH NEW HOPE PICKUP I-95 SOUTH AROUND PHILLY (SORRY, NECESSARY EVIL) IN MARYLAND LOOK FOR RTE. 279 ELKTON RD. OFF I-95 LEFT TO 213 SOUTH RIGHT ON RTE. 298 LAMBS MEADOW RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 20 TO ROCK HALL LOOK FOR SIGNS TO OSPREY POINT ON RIGHT GPS Route available here: www.sendspace.com/file/xekdh6 When downloading from Sendspace click on the BLUE DOWNLOAD BOX ONLY. GPS and printed route may vary.
For over 30 years Circle Cycle has helped riders get and stay on the road
FROM NEW YORK CITY GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE PALISADES PARKWAY NORTH EXIT TOWARDS PERKINS DRIVE 3/4 AROUND TRAFFIC CIRCLE FOLLOW ROAD PAST BEAR MOUNTAIN INN RIGHT OVER BEAR MOUNTAIN BRIDGE LEFT AT RTE. 9D NORTH RIGHT AT RTE. 301 CROSS OVER TACONIC PARKWAY ENTRANCE TO MONASTERY IS YOUR LEFT. MAY YOU FIND WHAT YOU TRULY SEEK… GPS Download here: www.sendspace.com/file/sfonev To download from Sendspace, click on the BLUE BOX DOWNLOAD ONLY. GPS and printed routes may vary.
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BACKROADS • JULY 2012
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Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival SuPPort your ride A few years back we were on a ferry from Ocracoke, in the Outer Banks, back to North Carolina mainland. We rolled the bikes up to where the crew wished us to be and there was a big red and white sign that stated “Motorcyclists are responsible for supporting their machines”. “Well, of course they should. Who wants to be a dead beat owner, a scalawag or scofflaw?” I said out loud. I snapped a picture and a few months later, while editing down some trips I came across it again. Now most of us are savy enough to know that the State of North Carolina was talking more about keeping our machines upright and secure for the 20 miles or so sail across Pamilico Sound - but the message here could certainly be taken for something else entirely – that all of us riders are ultimately responsible for the maintenance and support of our rides. If you go to any “Bike Night” or large motorcycle gathering in the immediate future take a good look at the different machines that you’ll find parked around the lots. Now the motorcycle world is a planet of many different tribes and nations and a quick stroll around these lots will tell you that some riders just seem to take batter care of their machines. This is not to say any one group takes better care of their bikes, but rather different individuals have different mindsets when it comes to this. Some riders find regular maintenance to be a problematic chore while others like having their bikes as spiffy and shiny as possible.
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Others seem to care less and some bikes almost demand to have that swashbuckler look about them. Some BMW GS-Riders appear bent on that raffish and ragamuffin look. Still, washing your bike regularly allows you to find all sorts of little peccadilloes that might stop your ride cold one night. It makes for an easy spotting of anything that might be in slight disarray from brakes, to drive chain, suspension or simply just loose nuts and bolts. You might be surprised at how many little potential problems you might find. Now is the time to find anything loose and tighten them up to spec. Then there are the bigger chores - tune-ups, oil changes, new tires and the like. Maybe adding that new doohickey you have been lusting after. Now there are some of you who could care less about some of these chores and that they’ll get done eventually. Don’t fool yourself. If you own a motorcycle and ride it regularly, then you need to keep it as road worthy as can be. The last thing you want is some parts falling off your motorcycle getting rambunctious while tooling down the road. Which leads me to something we have talked about for years. Part of supporting your motorcycle is to be the best rider you can be. One cannot be flighty when it comes to being a serious rider. Your riding skills should be as good as you can get them, especially after all the work you have done to make your motorcycle so nice. As we gallivant into this season let’s do it with gusto. Just like we did with all these whimsical words. Enjoy the ride and support your motorcycle.
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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PRODUCT REVIEW
NOLAN N-104 MODULAR HELMET Review by Brian Rathjen
It was not a great leap of faith here to believe that the Italian helmet manufacturer Nolan would come out with an update replacement helmet to the venerable and long lived N-103, especially with Shuberth and other modular helmet makers coming back to the shores of the United States. With the entries of these manufacturers and knowing where the N-103 might have fallen a bit short in comparison we expected some major changes to the new N-104 and we were not disappointed. Comparing the 104 right next to the old 103 the differences are very apparent. The Nolan N-104 is a completely new piece of riding gear. One concern with the N-103 was the helmet’s weight. Well, with the new N-104 you will find it nearly a half pound lighter, a difference that is very noticeable in your hands but, even more importantly, on your head while out on the road. Speaking of on the road the N-104 has a different fit and feel than the previous incarnations. Both Shira and I liked the fit over the N-103’s immediately. It seems more oval less round and the fit and feel around the face and cheeks were far more pleasant and easier on a long day’s tour. The N-104 is also a slimmer helmet compared to the old-styled 103. Ventilation has taken a giant leap forward as well with three vents – chin, brow and chimney, on top of
the helmet. Nolan calls it the Air Boost System. The way the cooling air is channeled has been revamped and is far more efficient with these changes. On the back of the N-104 you will find two venturi effect exhausts and also a better designed look with an almost spoiler-like ridge to improve air flow and make the helmet steadier at higher speeds. There are also a variety of ways you can utilize the vents depending on your situation and there is even a vented tube to circulate air around the helmets interior. The first and biggest improvement I found was the eye-port opening on the helmet. It is really big and offers some of the best peripheral vision I have ever found in a helmet of this style. Really dramatic. The Nolan N-104 helmet is produced in two outer shell sizes (XXS-L / XL-XXXL) of injected polycarbonate GE Lexan keeping the helmet’s weight to a minimum, proportionate to the rider’s size. New in the N-104 is the dimensionally correct sizing allowing ample cubic volume in the chin/nose area. The shield is very easy to remove and install and it also comes with the Pin-Lock Anti-Fog system, which is always an added bonus. As with previous Nolan helmets the N-104 comes with a built in Vision Protection System, which operates quickly and easily, offering you your own little “blast shield” when needed. A touch of a button and the spring-load VPS instantly retracts.
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The N-104 opens with the use of a new Centromatic chin guard opening mechanism requires dual and simultaneous action to prevent accidental opening.
Get Your Back Ready
for the Summer Riding Season
Dual action opening mechanism is positioned in the center of the chin guard and allows for easy, one-handed opening. There is also a locking mechanism if you are riding with the chinbar up at slow speeds. The helmet is strapped on using the new Microlock2 quick-release retention system. This Microlock2 consists of a plastic ergonomic opening lever, and a second aluminum toothed and holding lever. This minimizes the possibility of unintentional opening while still making it ergonomic and easy to use. I found it to be far superior to the older Nolan latches. The interior of the helmet can be removed for cleaning and the neckroll has a bit of reflective material for better nighttime visibility. For communication, whether bike to bike or rider to passenger Nolan’s excellent N-Com Bluetooth can fulfill the need. Back on the road the difference in the old and new are startling. The lightness of the N-104 is greatly appreciated by my spine and, although I use custom earplugs as well, the N-104 was far quieter than any previous Nolan helmet; always a good thing and a major problem for some riders with the older Nolan helmets in the past. My final thoughts on the new Nolan N-104 is that Nolan has, once again, raised the bar with modular helmet systems. They saw where they needed improvement and either evolutionized or revolutionized the components to create a top of the line touring helmet that offers safety, comfort and quality as a reasonable price, the $350 - $400 range depending on color and graphics. With so many to choose there is an N-104 for anybody. You will find the new Nolan N-104 Modular Helmet at finer dealerships and motorcycle shops near you.
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JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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IND USTRY INFOBITES
News from the Inside JAN PLESSNER MOVES ON TO LADYMOTO.COM It has been announced that Jan Plessner is now the Director of Business Development for AllAboutBikes.com and Editor of LadyMoto.com. Jan, who has been a driving force in woman’s motorcycling for years, is truly looking forward to enhancing the sport for women over the next few years. “LadyMoto.com is going to cover all things “moto,” health & fitness, lifestyle topics and just about anything else that makes the female heart pump. Look out powersports world...here we come. Thank you all for the support over the years. When you have a moment, please “friend” the AllAboutBikes.com Facebook page at www.facebook.com/allaboutbikesmag and give the announcement a thumbs up, jot down a comment, or share it with your on-line social circles. We will be launching the LadyMoto.com twitter and FB pages as soon as I catch my breath. I’ll be sure to let you know when they go live. I am now a lean-mean story generating machine, so I’ll be on the lookout for inspiring stories, great motorcycles to review, upcoming events and all sorts of materials to support the various sections of our soon-to-be-released re-designed website.
HELPING THE PEOPLE WHO HELP US The Sport Honda / Cross Country Cycle Pig Roast fundraiser for the Metuchen fire department on May 19th was awesome. The firemen had a successful day of collections. In addition to what they were able to collect, Cross Country BMW & Cross Country Ducati each wrote checks to match the donations. Polaris Metuchen also donated half of a Utility Terrain Vehicle to the department for search and rescue. This vehicle can access areas that cars and trucks cannot get to.
TSUNAMI MOTORCYCLE TO BE PRESERVED BY H-D MUSEUM A Harley-Davidson motorcycle recovered on the coast of British Columbia after drifting for more than a year and 4,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean following last year’s Japanese Tsunami will be preserved by the HarleyDavidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tragedy that claimed more than 15,000 lives, in accordance with the wishes of its owner, Ikuo Yokoyama. The remarkable story of the 2004 FXSTB Softail Night Train motorcycle’s survival and recovery by Canadian Peter Mark made international headlines after he found it washed ashore on a remote beach on British Columbia’s Graham Island at low tide. Mark discovered the motorcycle, still bearing its Japanese license plate, along with several other items in the remains of an insulated cargo van container where the motorcycle was being stored by Yokoyama prior to the Tsunami that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. Working with news agencies and representatives from Deeley Harley-Davidson Canada and Harley-Davidson Japan, contact was made with 29-year-old Yokoyama, who lost his home and currently lives in temporary housing in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Harley-Davidson offered to return his bike. But still struggling to rebuild his life in the aftermath of the disaster, Yokoyama respectfully declined. Although grateful for the offer to repatriate his motorcycle and touched by the outpouring of support from Harley riders around the world, Yokoyama requested to have it preserved in the Harley-Davidson Museum in honor of those whose lives were lost or forever changed by the disaster. “It is truly amazing that my Harley-Davidson motorcycle was recovered in Canada after drifting for more than a year,” said Yokoyama. “I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt appreciation to Peter Mark, the finder of my motorcycle. Due to circumstances caused by the disaster, I have been so far unable to visit him in Canada to convey my gratitude. “Since the motorcycle was recovered, I have discussed with many people about what to do with it. I would be delighted if it could be preserved in its current condition and exhibited to the many visitors to the Harley-Davidson Museum as a memorial to a tragedy that claimed thousands of lives. I am very grateful to Harley-Davidson for offering me an opportunity to visit the museum, and I would like to do that when things have calmed down. At the same time, I would like to meet Peter, who recovered my motorcycle, to express my gratitude. Finally, I would like to thank all people around the world once again for their wholehearted support of the areas hit by the
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earthquake and Tsunami. I would like to ask them to help convey messages from the Japanese people about the tragedy of the Great East Japan Earthquake, which was a disaster of historic proportions.”
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as a result of multi-vehicle crashes. The MSF urges motorcyclists to pursue training and reduce their risk levels, but we also support state governments in their efforts to increase overall motorcycle awareness and encourage safe driving practices in relation to the growing number of motorcyclists on the roads today.” The NHTSA special report also maintained that in the multi-vehicle crashes where a motorcyclist fatality occurred, the most common type of incident was when the front of the motorcycle struck the side of the passenger vehicle (i.e., when a passenger vehicle turns left in front of a motorcycle). Additionally, NHTSA reported that only 4 percent of motorcyclists were responsible for right-of-way violations, compared to 35 percent of passenger vehicle drivers. “The MSF’s multi-faceted programs offer advanced, hands-on exercises to help improve rider skills and strategies,” said MSF Vice President Robert Gladden. “But the MSF isn’t limited to educating motorcyclists. The MSF also promotes safety awareness initiatives aimed at other motorists with websites like www.forcardrivers.com and groundbreaking research like the world’s first large-scale naturalistic study with the MSF 100 Motorcyclists Naturalistic Study.”
The Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey (BIANJ), along with Rider Insurance is proud to announce the launch of RIDE2WIN Passport Program, a motorcycle safety campaign geared toward the more than 70,000 registered motorcycle riders in New Jersey. The program, funded by the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, runs from May 1 – October 31 and will take motorcyclists on BACKROADS GLADLY ACCEPTS PRESS RELEASES. a statewide ride as they learn the importance of smart gear, smart judgment, FORWARD TEXT AND IMAGES VIA EMAIL TO EDITOR@BACKROADSUSA.COM and smart training. In New Jersey, motorcycle fatalities are on the rise. Between 2003 and 2007, 377 motorcyclists died on New Jersey’s highways. During the same time period, motorcycle registrations increased by 17 percent. According to the Federal Highway Authority, about 2,500 motorcycles are involved in crashes each year on New Jersey’s roadways and the number continues to grow. “Clearly, there are more reasons than ever to promote Agents who ride and understand motorcycle safety and awareness,” says BIANJ’s Presyour Motorcycle Insurance Needs MEMBER ident and CEO, Barbara Geiger-Parker. “The exciting MEMBER thing about RIDE2WIN is that we’ve figured out a fun way to reward riders for advocating safe motorcycle ridAsk about our Tour Cycle Program – the Ultimate in Coverage ing, and for supporting New Jersey’s motorcycle-related businesses.” Passenger Coverage • Accessories Coverage The program is free for all riders, and the idea is for them to travel throughout the Garden State, visit as Medical Payments Coverage many participating locations as they can, and get their RIDE2WIN Passport route book stamped. At the end of the riding season, registered riders are entered to win 448 Lincoln Ave • Hawthorne NJ 07506 • 973-427-2246 cash and/or prizes based on the number of stamps they received. To check out the list of participating location www.CycleInsuranceAgency.com or to learn more about RIDE2WIN, visit www.njsmarServing New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania • ATV • Jet Ski • Snowmobile triders.org
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MSF LAUDS STATES WITH DECREASED MOTORCYCLE-RELATED FATALITIES IN 2011 The Motorcycle Safety Foundation commends the 23 states that experienced a decrease in motorcyclist fatalities during the first nine months of 2011, as compared to the first nine months of 2010, as reported by the Governors Highway Safety Association earlier this week. Also included in the GHSA report was the fact that many of these states experienced “notable declines” in motorcycle-related fatalities. These included Connecticut, where they dropped 37 percent, as well as New York and North Carolina, where they fell 16 and 21 percent, respectively. State officials attributed these declines to implemented countermeasures that include educating motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists alike. “While the MSF applauds the governors and policymakers applying motorcycle-related safety countermeasures and supporting rider training programs, there is still much to be done to improve motorcyclist safety,” said MSF President Tim Buche. “According to a special report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 56 percent of motorcyclist fatalities occur
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS
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Page 50 I should start by offering a couple of disclaimers. First of all, I am not an expert on GPS units or their use. As a tour operator I own and use more than half-dozen different GPS units, many of which I loan or rent out for tours, so I have some fairly extensive experience with them, but I’ve met a lot of people who know quite a bit more than I do about their operation. Secondly, there are literally hundreds of different makes and models of GPS units out there, so the information provided herein may not necessarily relate to your personal unit. That being said, I often find that many of my clients know little or nothing about using a GPS, short of simply asking it to go to a specific destination. And though that is the obvious and most-common use for a GPS, there are a lot more things it can do, and you may find some of this information useful.
like visiting historical monuments, so I have a POI file on my bike’s GPS that contains information on more than 1200 sites of historical interest. And one of the coolest services I’ve ever found is one called “poi-factory.com,” which will download a database of every photo radar camera in the US. As these cameras are often moved, the website offers weekly updates, so before leaving on a trip I just update my files for the areas I will be traveling through. How does this help, you might ask? Well, there’s another neat trick you can do with your POI files. Most of the better GPS units offer in their “Settings” a thing called a “Proximity Alert.” With this, you can choose to flag any of your POIs so that when you get close to one, the GPS notifies you with both an audible and a visual alarm. And by the way, you can customize both the message and the icon used for the alert. My wife likes to eat breakfast at the
FUN WITH GPS Fred Rau Fun With POIs The acronym POI stand for “Points Of Interest.” Nearly all GPS units come preloaded with several hundred to several thousand of these. POIs include things like airports, hospitals, gas stations, restaurants, etc. POIs can be very useful when looking for a place to spend the night, or a shop to repair your bike, or just a place to get a bite to eat. However, you should know that your POI database is very limited. For example, in many cases the only motels included are those for which the parent company of the chain has paid the GPS manufacturer to be included. Also, if your GPS is more than a couple of years old, the information may be very out of date. Most GPS manufacturers offer POI file updates for free on their websites, and you can download them very easily from your home computer to your GPS. In addition, there are literally dozens of websites offering hundreds of thousands of free POI files for you to download. For example, if you like staying at Super 8 motels when traveling, you can simply download POI files for Super 8 motels in every state you will be traveling through. Personally, I
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Waffle House, and we don’t have any here in California, so utilizing the POI Factory again, I now have the locations of over 1,000 Waffle House restaurants in my GPS, and have proximity alerts set so that if we get within 10 miles of one, an alarm goes off, tells me there is a Waffle House nearby, and offers to route me there. How cool is that? The methodology for installing custom POIs can get a little confusing, but as Garmin units are by far the most-used by motorcyclists, here’s a walkthrough of how I created a custom POI with alert system for myself on a Garmin Zumo 660. This particular one was built to accommodate my aging prostate’s ever-increasing need for restrooms: First of all, though you can manually accomplish everything I did, if you own a Garmin GPS the company has designed a special program that greatly simplifies the process. Go to the Garmin website and download the “POI Loader” onto your computer. Once I had that, I went to my favorite POI site, POI Factory, and downloaded the POI file of every rest area on every main highway in North America. I made a folder on my desktop titled “rest areas,” and put the file into that
BACKROADS • JULY 2012
Page 51 on my screen, showing me where the rest area is located. I understand you can also customize the icon, which I haven’t done yet but intend to as soon as I find a picture of an old outhouse with a half-moon on the door.
Map and Software Updates I suppose everyone knows you need to update your GPS map files every year or two, and that it costs you around $75 to $100 each time, unless you bought a lifetime update service. In addition, if you travel overseas you will have to pay for special maps for the country you are visiting, if you plan on using your GPS while there. My New Zealand maps cost me about $90. But that was before I found several websites like “gpstracklog.com,” which offer
folder. Now at this point, you could simply plug your GPS into your computer, and using the POI Loader, load the rest area files onto your GPS and be done with it. When traveling, all you would have to do is hit your “Where To” button, and among the options that come up (like “Home” or “Shopping”) will be one marked “Custom.” Touch that one and you will see your “rest areas” file. Touch that, and the rest areas will come up, just like hitting “Favorites,” showing you the closest rest areas to your location, their direction and distance from you. But I wanted something fancier than that. If you put an “alert sound” into the same folder on your desktop as your POI file, you can link them together. There are thousands of alert sounds available on the internet, from the same websites that offer the POI files, or you can make your own. Just remember that they should be MP3 files, and no more than about three seconds long. For mine, I recorded the sound of a toilet flushing. The main thing to remember is that the POI file and the alert sound file MUST have the exact same name, with the exception of the suffix. For example, my POI file was “restareas.csv” and my alert file was “restareas.mp3.” If you put these like-named files into a single folder, and then put them on your GPS using the POI Loader, they will automatically be linked up. You will also be offered the option of setting the distance for a proximity alert, which is how close you have to get to any of the POIs before the alert sound goes off. For mine, I set the alert for one mile, so now whenever I get to within one mile of a rest area, I hear a toilet flush, and a little icon comes up
free maps for my Garmin units. I should tell you however, that free maps from such websites may not look the same on your screen, and often will not support the “text-to-voice” function (if you have it) that speaks to you, saying things like “turn left on Main Street in 500 feet.” Still, I have found most of these freebie maps are pretty good, and obviously they can save you a bundle. However, before you do anything, if your GPS is no more than about a year old, you really should hook it up to your home computer and register it on the manufacturer’s website. More than once, when doing so, I have found that one of my units was qualified for a free map update. This is something you really don’t want to pass up, and at the same time the system will identify your unit and let you know if the software needs updating. In nearly all cases, software updates are free of charge, and you really should take advantage of them to keep your unit at optimum operating efficiency.
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WAAS/EGNOS No, I’m not speaking an alien language, and this won’t apply to everyone, but it is worth touching on briefly. WAAS stands for “Wide Area Augmentation System,” and EGNOS is “Euro Geo Navigation Overlay Service.” Without going into a lot of technical detail,
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basically these are two navigational systems that augment the input from the satellites with that of ground reference stations. Many GPS units offer the option of using only the “normal” GPS satellite navigation system, or switching to a WAAS/EGNOS system. You can usually find this option in your “Tools” or “Settings” menu on your GPS. To put it very simply, switching to WAAS/EGNOS will result in increasing the locational accuracy of your GPS. For example, if in “normal” your GPS can track you to within about 500 feet, when switched to WAAS/EGNOS it will track you to within about 15 feet. Obviously, you are thinking to yourself, “So why not just use the more accurate system all the time?” Well, that’s because there can be downsides to it, also. For one, the WAAS/EGNOS requires a lot more processing power, and unless you have a fairly new and high-end GPS, it will slow down the reaction time of your unit considerably. Secondly, for this same reason, it requires quite a bit more power, and if you are running your GPS on an internal battery, using the WAAS/EGNOS will reduce your battery life by about 30%. But if you have a newer, more expensive GPS with a high-speed processor, and have it plugged into your bike’s electrical system, then I would highly-recommend switching over to WAAS/EGNOS.
TrackBack Your GPS may or may not have a “TrackBack” feature, also possibly listed as “TracBac,” “TrakBak,” or simply “Tracking,” depending on the make and model. Basically, when enabled, TrackBack keeps a running log of exactly where you rode since you started riding today, or from whatever point you told it to start. It does
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this by creating and adding its own waypoints throughout the day, and allows you at any time to reverse your direction and follow the same route back to where you came from. Think of it like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind you, to follow back home. But one of the best things about TrackBack is that you can save the results as a route, stored in your GPS. Have you ever ridden to someplace using a way you’ve never gone before, and then thought to yourself, “That was a great route, I hope I can find it again?” Well, with Trackback a simple push of a button can save the way you just came for future reference. I did this once when wandering through the Adirondack Mountains in New York. I had stumbled upon some back roads that took me across the mountains a way I never knew existed, so I saved the route with my Trackback, and two years later when I was in upstate New York again, I retrieved it and rode the route again. What a great feature!
came, or somewhere off our route to the side. Mine only showed the stations that were ahead on our route. When we stopped for gas I showed him that though he had been using a GPS for years, when he searched for something he always used the default setting, which searches within a radius of your current location, no matter in what direction. I quickly showed him that at the beginning of the search mode, in “Where To?,” there was a button at the bottom of the screen that says “near.” If you hit that button before starting your search, it allows you to customize your search to either find things near your current location, or “near my destination,” “near my current route,” or “near another location.” By using one of these options, you can find the nearest location without having to backtrack, or even choose a nearby city you are going to be passing through and find locations there. If you hate to turn around and go back, this is an invaluable little tool.
Finding A Place
Making, Getting, and Sharing Routes
Just the other day I was traveling with a friend and inadvertently allowed my fuel to get lower than I should have. I mentioned it to him over our helmet two-way radios, and we each started punching our GPS units looking for the nearest gas station. The two lists we got were entirely different, with his showing a half-dozen stations that were either a few miles back the way we
I am going to make the assumption here that if you own a GPS, you already know how to build routes, add waypoints, and save the files. Of course, if your bike has a built-in GPS all of that becomes considerably more difficult, if not impossible. Quite frankly, I think integrated GPS systems that are permanently installed are a complete waste. You really need to have a GPS that you can take in the house or motel room and plug into your computer, so that you don’t have to sit on the bike for hours on end when you want to build routes, add waypoints, search for destinations or anything else like that. And in addition, most built-in GPS units won’t save or share routes, and have to be taken to a dealer for map and software updates. What a pain. As far as building routes, GPS manufacturers offer software programs for your computer for this purpose and most, like Garmin’s MapSource, are pretty good, but in general you can do a lot better. Personally I prefer and
Page 54 use Microsoft’s “Streets & Trips,” but I have friends who swear by GoogleMaps, MapQuest and several others. Whichever you prefer, these programs offer a lot more flexibility and options in plotting routes, and all of them can either save your finished route in a GPS exchange format (GPX) for saving to your device, or offer direct transfer when your GPS is plugged into your computer. Earlier we talked about using POIs when building routes, but many GPS units have limited memory and can’t hold more than about 2500 Points Of Interest. By contrast, when you are building your routes on your computer, using something like Streets & Trips, you can have access to
a database of 50,000 or more POIs, and when you transfer the route to your GPS, those which you used will transfer over. In addition, most of these mapping programs will allow you to customize your routes according to a sliding scale of things like average speeds for different types of roads, road type preference, how often you like to make rest stops and for how long, what time of day you like to stop and start, how often you need fuel, etc. Being
JULY 2012 • BACKROADS able to plug in these variables makes for much more accurate timetables in your routing. So, after building a route and saving it in your GPS (assuming you have one of the better GPS units that will do this), did you know you can share it with others? Or that there are literally thousands of routes already built by other riders that you can download? When I am going to be leading a tour group through New Zealand, I ask my clients if they will be bringing along a GPS with New Zealand maps installed. If so, I can simply email them all 14 days of routes we will be riding, in GPX format. That way, they can download them all into their GPS right from home, before ever leaving. Or, if someone shows up at the beginning of a tour, whether here at home or abroad, and wants the routes we will be using, I have several options. For one, I can simply bring up a pre-loaded route on my GPS, and tell my unit to “save.” This puts the route, in an exchange format, onto my memory card. Then I remove the memory card from my GPS and put it into the client’s. When I power up the client’s GPS, after a few seconds a screen comes up saying, “New data found. Do you wish to download?” If I say “yes,” then it asks if I want the routes, the waypoints, or both. I opt for “both,” and within a minute or two, my routes and waypoints are installed in my client’s GPS. That’s the old way, for earlier or less expensive models, but if the client has a newer GPS, with Bluetooth, I can simply link my GPS to his and transfer the routing information that way. All pretty simple. This ability to share routing information has some other pretty significant advantages. On the internet there are literally dozens of websites whereby motorcyclists can share routes with each other. One of my favorites is GPSXchange.com, where I can look up stored routes for any particular state or region, or even foreign countries. One of the sites I looked at recently had more than 10,000 maps and routes created and stored by other riders, all available for free download. For each, I can look at the maps, and read the rider’s description of his route. If you are going to be riding in an area where you haven’t been before, imagine how great a resource this is. With the click
BACKROADS • JULY 2012 of a mouse, you can get personal advice from a local rider on all the best roads, sights, restaurants, etc., and even download his personal routes right onto your GPS. This has to be, in my opinion, one of the greatest advantages of owning a GPS.
Page 55 Roads,” “Traffic,” “Unpaved Roads,” and “U-Turns.” This setup pretty much guarantees that the GPS will get me to my destination by way of back roads through small towns, which is how I like to travel. In addition to setting up routing preferences, many GPS units offer other preferences, such as adjusting the color scheme or brightness of your display, or even choosing which types of information you want displayed on the primary screen. Most units display some kind of information in three or four of the corners of the screen, and though they might have default settings that show “time of day,” “distance to arrival,” and “current speed,” for example, they can often be customized to add or change displays for things like “distance to next turn,” “time until arrival at destination” (which on my Zumo, even factors in crossing time zones), “average speed,” “miles until fueling,” or any of about a dozen other informational displays. And of course, if you have a really high-end GPS, you can even add in things like real-time traffic displays, Doppler weather radar, and alerts for construction along your route. What I’ve given you here is very basic and simplified information. There simply isn’t room in this magazine to go into depth on all the things a modern GPS unit is capable of. But hopefully, for some people it will be useful in helping them explore a few of the more handy attributes that can make your GPS your second-best traveling companion. (Had to put that last part in there to keep peace with the wife!)
Personal Preferences Depending on the make and model of your GPS, you probably have anywhere from two or three to more than 30 different “Personal Preferences” you can ask your GPS to follow when routing you somewhere. I have been surprised to find that many GPS owners either don’t know about these options, or simply fail to utilize them. And yet, simply by taking a few minutes to set them up, these functions can make your GPS unit much more efficient and fun to use. Usually, these preference settings can be found in the “Tools” or “Settings” menus, often indicated by a screen icon that looks like a little wrench.
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On my Garmin Zumo models, which are my personal favorites, I can choose whether I want the GPS to route me by “Fastest Time,” or by “Shortest Distance.” Then, I can fine-tune whichever of these options I choose by using “Avoidances.” For example, unless I am in a big hurry to get somewhere, I normally have my GPS set to “Shortest Distance,” avoiding “Highways,” “Toll
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You’ve asked for it and here it is… Backroads Fall Fiesta • September 27 - 30, 2012 Join Team Backroads as we head back to the Amish country and the spectacular Lancaster Arts Hotel. We’ll combine some of the prettiest roads in Pennsylvania with one of the most progressive cities in the United States. Lancaster offers historic sites and attractions as well as varied restaurants. Tour the Harley-Davidson factory on Friday and enjoy the Mayor’s Charity Ride Saturday, with a route especially created by Lancaster’s own Mayor, Rick Gray. This event will sell out quickly. As usual, we have a limited number of rooms available so BOOK TODAY.
www.lancasterartshotel.com • 866-720-2787 Please ask for the Backroads Fall Fiesta when booking. Standard rooms from $135 per night.