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JULY
2016
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Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure Volume 22 No. 7
New Sweden 450 Backroads Spring Break 2016 Ride • Eat • Sleep • Discover
W H A T ’ S
I N S I D E
MO NT HLY C O L U M NS FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4
Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure
WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................5 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................6 ON THE MARK ....................................................7
Publishers
Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil
Contributors
Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Dr. Seymour O’Life
BACKLASH..........................................................8 INDUSTRY INFOBITES .....................................10
32
GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............12 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................14 BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................16
24
WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................20
Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826 phone
973.948.4176
fax
973.948.0823
editor@backroadsusa.com
online
www.backroadsusa.com
SHIRA’S INSIDE SCOOP ..................................22
Advertising
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WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ............................54
Follow Us
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UPCOMING EVENTS........................................55
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FE AT U RE S
BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.
HONDA’S AFRICA TWIN - MOAB MAGIC.......24 BACKROADS SPRING BREAK 2016................32 I KNOW THIS PLACE ........................................40 2016 NEW SWEDEN 450 .................................42
PR O DU C T R E V IE W S MACHINEART MOTO MUDSLING..................46 CONDOR GARAGE DOLLY ..............................48 AEROSTICH 2016 CATALOG ...........................48 NELSON RIGG SURVIVOR DRY BAG .............48 ALPINESTAR JET ROAD GLOVES ..................49
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJeN
Home on tHe Road I spend a lot of time on the road. over the years I have stayed in many different places - hotels, inns, B&Bs, guesthouses, tents, lean-tos, a few park benches, picnic tables and under a tree more than once. I get asked many times where I like to stay and what we prefer and each month Backroads gives suggestions for places in We’re outta Here! these places are usually special or unique in their own way. But, as nice as they can be, are they suited for motorcycle riders or just a special place for the odd occasion? When I am on the road, I am always on the lookout for places to feature in Backroads and if I can find something special I will – but cool, swanky or romantic does not make for the “PeRFeCt” room while on the road. You see, what I want and what I really need, can be very different indeed. Sometimes plain, simple and clean work very well. Cheap is always good - but let’s call it inexpensive and price efficient instead – it sounds better. Sometimes on the road you cannot be that choosy. Yes, it is nice to have a plan and a set destination, but many times when on longer road trips, especially in north america and europe, we’ll usually wing it knowing there will almost always be some sort of hotel or inn along towards nightfall. But I have learned over the years. I have found it better to take the hotel you run by at 5:30 than to keep on going and be in an ever desperate search mode by 7 pm. a few months back we were scouting up and around the regions north and
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east of Los angeles. We had no real plan and a semblance of a route - doing our best to find smaller, slightly out of the way roads that run up and around the petroleum rich town of maricopa around dusk. We had less than an hour of real sun before the day’s end and even though I knew there would be the larger and more built up taft just to the north, the small roadside motel, with its huge neon sign had a siren’s call. Besides, we had been at it since early that morning logging in nearly 300 miles of Californian backroads. these days I am having a harder and harder time justifying some of the prices that hotels and inns charge. even at our Backroads events we try to run on a saber’s sharp balance of reasonable and WtF! So, when the guy we woke up at the front desk threw us the keys and asked for 60 dollars I was a small bit concerned. I couldn’t remember the last 60 dollar room I occupied. With the sun now under the western horizon and the neon sign getting brighter by the minute we rolled over to the room. Inside we found a place that was more than acceptable. Large, clean and smoke free. all the basics for civilized living on the road. “this is pretty nice for so little,” said Shira. I agreed and then we began to take note of some of the other little things that made for an acceptable home, for us, on the road. although we come from a motorcyclist’s perspective these probably work for everyone else on the road as well. the room was large enough to move about easily and although not brand new, the furnishings were nowhere near their half-life. the beds (two better than one as one will always fill up with gear coming off) were big, comfortable and well blanketed and pillowed. along the wall was a low set of drawers. although we wouldn’t need the storage for one night, we would make use of the expansive counter it offered to spread out our gear in a semi-orderly manner. the shower was a solid 7.5 – warm and strong - that works any time, any next page place and with people too!
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL
tHat SPeCIaL FeeLIng I hope every rider has this, more often than not. You’re heading out for a ride, whether it’s for an hour or a year, and you go to the gear closet. In my house, there’s a his and hers gear closet, with the overflow on a rack in the garage. Selecting the appropriate outer layer for the ride can sometimes be tricky: early spring can bring a huge swing in temperatures from beginning to middle to end of the day and some summer days may bring more humidity inside the jacket than out. But once you’ve made your selection, that special feeling can come through. When I slip into my riding gear, I am transformed. I am no longer the graphic designer sitting in front of a computer, agonizing over just the right font to use in a layout. I have left behind the woman whose nose may be deep in a cookbook, trying to find something new to do with chicken. the person stepping out the door, throwing a leg over her motorcycle and thumbing the starter is someone special. although most of my riding is done beside Brian, I am in my own world. Whether riding in the solitude of the morning mist, being accompanied by the tunes in my head or from my zumo or trying to clear an overly crowded mind, I am at my best while on my motorcycle. oh sure, there are ‘those days’ when things just aren’t going right no matter where or what I’m doing, but being on two wheels is bound to help me sort through those problems. as they say, there are no motorcycles parked in front of a psychiatrist’s office, unless they ride. Being one with my motorcycle may sound overly Zen, but I’m sure that many of you have that same feeling. Finding that perfect set of curves, leaning, looking and rolling on the throttle may be one of the best feelings I can have. When doing track days, I disconnect from the rest of the riders on the course, zoning in on my lines, my speed, my shifting and blending into my
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Page 5 bike. the laps merge from one to the next and, if all goes as planned, by the end of the session I am seamless in my motions. this is a rare occurence, but I strive to better myself with each entry onto the track. It’s almost impossible to explain that special feeling to those who don’t ride. While I’ve been at this for more than 25 years, I still feel that most of my family doesn’t quite get the allure that two wheels brings me. all the winter months of planning for the summer rides come to fruition, and I ride from one to the next, grinning with each revolution of the wheels. even more special are the stolen days of winter, of which we had many this past year. Steeling myself against the frosty errant wind, the overly brisk tingle on the exposed skin and seeing the faces of those in cars with heaters ablaze make me feel like a warrior in an alien world. as I make my way up to Lake george this year, I know that I’ll have that special feeling, even though surrounded by tens of thousands of fellow riders. Whether riding along the lake, exploring the quiet roads north or carving the serpentine pavement of ensign Pond Road, my motorcycle and I will be as one and I’ll embrace that special feeling. Free Wheelin’ the entire hotel was field level, so our machines were always within eyeshot with a glance out the window. although I worried not - as only the occasional petroleum truck lumbered past the hotel during the night. the internet is almost always a given, but you might be shocked how many places we have found that still wish to charge for this. these days it is like charging for water or aC power. this Super 8 was so proud they had free internet they had a banner hanging up to let us know it was true. a modern flat screen, with basic cable, that worked and had a “sleep” button on the remote, was added into the mix. a small refrigerator and microwave,e although not really needed, was unexpected at the price and it did hold those ice cream bars for that late night sweet tooth craving. the town had a fuel station, open 24/7, and tina’s Café just a short ride up Route 33 made maricopa the perfect place to stop for the night and made for an excellent home on the road. I don’t need more.
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HeALD
a WoRLd oF dIFFeRenCeS a funny thing happened to me while reading the press release about a new mazda SUV. oh, by funny I don’t mean “Hee hee, that dude actually chromed his tires” funny, but funny in the sense that I found it unusual and intriguing. the relevant passage said the following: “mazda’s Jinba Ittai, literally “horse and rider as one” philosophy on driving experience, cannot be achieved merely with power and speed.” First, don’t try to use Jinba Ittai as the name of a graphic novel character who rides a bike (like he’s part of the machine), because I’m claiming it. nobody touch him-he’s mine! Second, I love this phrase. I spend a lot of time around horses and watching people ride them these days, and it is truly an excellent expression. It’s not hard to see a certain equivalency when it comes to riding a motorcycle, although they are obviously very different steeds. But this Japanese term got the pondering device inside my helmet ticking over, which isn’t hard as (like kickstarting a very small displacement single) there’s not much in there to wake up. the wheels turned and a question arose: Why is there no equivalent american (or english, because it’s what we tend to speak the most) expression to describe this wonderful idea? “Being at one with the motorcycle” is a bit clumsy and verbose compared to the elegance of “Jinba Ittai.” But in a way, this is true of so many things because cultures and peoples (thank god) see things and express themselves differently much of the time. and one of the coolest and most dramatic ways these differences are expressed is in the machines they build. Which brings me to yet another reason why bikes are such powerful entities: they have always reflected the style and engineering of the culture they come from. I feel that they do this even more than cars do, but the rub is these unique characteristics are slowly but surely starting to fade away. Why this is happening is another topic for another day, but for now let’s
say it is happening so I can then say this: I for one don’t like the idea of the total homogenization of cultural stuff into one big goop, where things that define our differences become indistinguishable from each other. there, I said it. or rather, I wrote it. Feel free to say it. on the one hand, standardization of things like controls, safety features and emissions requirements makes sense, not only for the protection of users but to help manufacturers build bikes for multiple markets to a more universal specification (which lowers production costs). But one of the great things about motorcycles is how they still have a connection to the land of their birth. there are still rather obvious differences between american bikes, Japanese bikes, Italian bikes, german bikes, etc. even during a time when they are sharing more parts, design cues and even technology more than ever before. Brand identity often works hand in hand with a recognition of the country of origin, and even things like engine configuration, frame architecture and dozens of details really show that you’re on a machine built in the culture that created it, and not necessarily the one where you ride it. take ducati, one of the most dramatic expressions of self-identity in motorcycling. the 90-degree V-twin that powers these singular rides sounds like an auditory expression of Sophia Loren’s personal architecture. (everyone can come up with his or her own metaphor; that’s mine and I’m sticking to it). around the world, millions love the sound of the american V-twin from Harley-davidson so much that they feel everyone within a 5-mile radius needs to hear it. to me, the distinctive persona of the beast represents the red, white and blue every bit as much as it represents the company itself. In both of these examples, the soul of the bike is wonderfully expressive and a reflection of the culture it comes from as well as the tastes of the people who design and build them. It really goes further than that, because in other countries and cultures motorcycles are often much more utilitarian and practical in design, because they are seen more as legitimate forms of transportation and used for all kinds of tasks. When you contrast this with the bikes created in places where they are used primarily for recreation, you get a very different motorcycle. don’t get me wrong: I love it when motorcycle companies look at the competition from around the world and make a version of what they see, and the result next page
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 7
of riding on the back of another man’s machine. and heaven forbid a man accept a ride from–gasp–a woman! my exceptions are more related to what I’m doing and with whom I’m ridMARK BYeRS ing. I would have declined a pillion ride with Hunter S. thompson on his ducati 900SS, lest I become a Sausage Creature; however, I figured my PeJoRatIVe PeRCH roommate at tour of California was a safe and effective rider after following I broke a “man law.” I was in California for a bicycle race and had to turn him around for a week as we lane-split through SoCal traffic. I know one in my rented bike on the final day. after leaving it, I needed to get back to pillion ride that was truly amazing and enjoyable: when Reg Pridmore piloted my hotel, so my roommate offered to carry me two-up on the back of his trimy bike around the track at VIR with me on the back. If you’ve never had umph tiger. I’m careful about with whom I ride, but he is a retired Santa the opportunity to ride with him, you don’t know what you’re missing. You Rosa County motorcycle officer, so I hopped aboard. oh…my…gawd - I haven’t lived until you’ve been ton-up and two-up with Reg. Yeah, I’d ride rode on the back of a motorcycle with another man. with him again. know one pillion ride that was “do you mind if we stop by the railroad muSo, from where did the stigma come? at what truly amazing and enjoyable: point did riding two-up become a source of deriseum?” he said. “go ahead,” I replied, “I wouldn’t mind seeing it myself.” So, off we went to a truly when Reg Pridmore piloted my sion and ridicule? Is it merely a product of testosneat museum. as we pulled up to a reserved, free, bike around the track at VIR with terone-poisoned, homophobic, man-lore, or is it motorcycle-only parking area (go California!), a something deeper? Is there a cave painting someme on the back. dude with a triumph Rocket III touring watched where that depicts og deriding thag for hitching me dismount and sneered under his half-helmet. I guess it was too much for a ride on Ugg’s new wheel? I don’t know, but we had a saying back where his concept of masculinity, so I mentally filed it for this column. I come from that goes, “a poor ride is better than a proud walk” and with I’ve seen this kind of reaction before: in bicycle officiating, we frequently the vast majority of people with whom I ride, it’s true. In fact, if I reach an ride two-up. For example, the “time Board” is a rolling scoreboard that age of infirmity whereupon I can’t pilot my own machine, I may very well shows the riders how far ahead or behind they are; a passenger on a motorhire a female moto-chauffer. I don’t think the mrs. would put up with that cycle carries the board, as the pilot clearly can’t hold the board and maneuver just now, however. But, laws were made to be broken. the bike. I’ve been both the pilot and the board carrier. In the european style of moto-officiating, the pillion is the official and the person up front is just a pilot. I carried senior officials on the back of my bike – all males – at the World Championships in Richmond, Va last year. We just don’t think anything of it: we’re a team. But apparently, some people find it unmasculine. there is even a pejorative term, associated with female canines, for riding on the back of another person’s motorcycle. I won’t use it, but I know you’ve heard it before, associated with both the riders and the seat on which they perch. I don’t know why, but being a motorcycle passenger is supposed to be reserved for those perceived as unable or unwilling to pilot their own. Riding pillion ostensibly diminishes those capable of riding solo. If you’re curious, just google it and you’ll find a plethora of serious and not-so-serious treatments of the matter. In the book of “man law,” I’m sure there are minor and notable exceptions, like a catastrophic engine failure in the middle of death Valley in July, but you only get leniency if you come near death by heat stroke from pushing your bike a couple miles. You must then seek redemption by binge-watching Chuck norris movies for two straight days. Having your bike shot from beneath you by a horde of banditos might be excusable, but only if you’ve been grazed by at least two aK-47 rounds. there are always “death before dishonor” people who will hop a Westbound freight before suffering the shame
ON THE MARK
I
Postcards From the hedge can often be something pretty fantastic. But you still need a proper egg from a genuine chicken to make an omelet to begin with, before you add the Swiss Cheese, Canadian bacon, etc. does that make sense? I hope so. damn, I’m hungry all of the sudden. So this is why, when I come across something like Jinba Ittai, I start to marvel at the culture that came up with something so perfect to express something so marvelous. there is no quick, elegant expression like this in the english language because there just isn’t and that’s fine. english has plenty of great ways of saying expressive things that are just as evocative. the thing is, as long as different places reflect their own particular personalities you’ll get motorcycles like ducatis, BmWs, Harleys, Hondas, etc. But if the world turns into one big mcdonalds or iPhone, we’ll lose something precious.
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
BACKLASH
Letters to the Editor
Hi Brian, I enjoyed your editorial this month as usual. the last few years we have been trying to go to smaller rallies and events that we can ride our motorcycles to and ship product in BIg boxes as groups/events/Clubs are much more fun than the bigger ones a lot of the time. But, the thing that really got me to sit down and write you was your comment about “ted”. I try to include one or two “ted” talks in our newsletter as they are always so cool. So my suggestion is to do your next editorial on “ted” …. I will ask people if they have seen this “ted” talk or that “ted” talk and not only have they not seen it, they do not know who “ted” is or that “ted” is not even a person. I’ll start your editorial for you …. “ted” is …. “technology, entertainment, and design” … ok you can go from there. Richard & Kathy • RKA Luggage Rich, Glad you enjoy TED. So many do. The Ted comments – I have mentioned them before, usually to help illustrate and point. Thanks for the Free Wheelin’ suggestion. Many of our pieces, while seeming not to be about riding, eventually come around to the thoughts on motorcycles, travel & adventure. We hope that readers use Backroads as a spring board for their on pursuits whether it be on the road or in the mind.
Spring Break 2016 Historic Hotel Tour Brian and Shira, Just wanted to thank you both for putting together another fantastic road trip. although I’m fairly new to the group, the 2016 Spring Break brought us to some really amazing areas and roadways. the ride through the allegheny mountains was spectacular, and while we were riding along the river, I saw numerous people fishing. It brought me back to the days when I would fish along the Battenkill river in Vermont. the Lenhart Hotel was a great
place to stay, and I was kinda hoping to see an apparition of some type. However the closest I came was the picture of the ghost of the young nun in the hotel foyer. thanks to Bebe for telling us the story and the history behind the hotel Really cool stuff, and it’s things like that, along with all the wonderful people, who I now call friends, that make these trips so enjoyable for me. I’m so glad I found your group and look I forward to many more rides in the future. Jeff C. So last year was great and this year was better...what’s the common theme. I was at those - two-smile emoticons. amazing weekend with tons of great riding, good food and non-stop belly laughs as usual. thanks for all the hard work setting this up! Barry Houldsworth Hi Brian & Shira, I had to take care of something on monday that came up, so I slipped out of Bemus Point Sunday and shot home. (395m) and didn’t get to say thanks for your help and patience with my gPS issues. thanks a bunch, I promise to keep working on it! Loved the charming old hotels, good locations, and as always, talking with everyone who I come to know over the years. Safe travels home; see ya in Saratoga or sooner. Craig Grant What a great way to spend the holiday weekend! 1,311 miles for me with lots of interesting stops along the way! Joe Niemec
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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after every Backroads weekend we say it can’t get any better than this, but it always does. I know both of you put a lot of time and effort into achieving this and I appreciate it. thanks for a fantastic tour. Ed Brozozowsk great time as usual!! thanks for putting together another awesome weekend! Tony Lisanti great time with fantastic people, as always! thanks to you both for all you do. Andrea Williams Still What a great time with friends who are like family. Wellsboro Pa, Bemus Point nY so far. Heading to Williamsport Pa today. Lots of sites so far. Just a few pictures. thank you Brian and Shira for planning these trips out. So much fun. Lisa Rhodes Mutchler We had a great time, great roads and great people. great job. thanks again. Michael & Nuri Wernick another great trip with Backroads! thank you Brian and Shira for a wonderful time. Kristin Von Donop excellent weekend! great roads, good sites, and fantastic people. I had a good time and a great ride. Bikes all washed and put away, awaiting the next Backroads’ rally! Mike Mosca dear Backroads, my name is Frank gaglio. my friend mac and I met you in Lake Placid a couple of years ago for the edelweiss Feschtl weekend. I remember you telling us about a hotel in the northeast corner of the
Catskills near either Leeds or Catskill, nY that has a german theme to it. You raved about it and we were wondering if you could send me a link to the hotel so we could visit it the next time we’re touring the area. thanks for your time Cheers, Frank Gaglio Frank, That’s the Bavarian Manor, in Purling, NY www.bavarianmanor.com Hi Brian and Shira, Just read through the latest edition. thank you for the CLaSS at VIR splash. did anybody ever suggest that you guys live in another world? a big bucket list world covered in ice cream and irresistible plates of yummable food. thank goodness notso and Pepe made it back safely. to some it may seem a bit, well, you know. But for the past 18 years an 8” baby tiger cub has sat on the dash of my truck. We call him “16”, evidence that cats can fly. tucked into my pressurized suit, 600 mph around 100’ off the deck in an moa, stick in hand of an F16 Viper, courtesy of the Fresno air national guard Squadron. I do have one of the fastest cats around. great advertising lay out guys, people on this coast love your copy too. See you at VIR mates. Ride safe, think fast. Reg Pridmore Brian and Shira, Hyesuk and I are back from a two-year work assignment in Korea. We are visiting the dC area and picked up a copy of Backroads on the mortons Spring Fling in natural Bridge. It’s great to see that the magazine is better than ever. Really first class. I hope that we run into you guys again somewhere. We’re heading back to nm next week after being on the road in the motorhome (with motorcycle) for several months. Mike and Hyesuk
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
IN DU STRY INFOBITES BMW TO INSTALL SOS BUTTON BmW motorrad has announced plans to offer a safety option on its bikes that would automatically contact emergency services in the case of an accident or emergency situation. the “Intelligent emergency Call” system features a vehicle-integrated eCall system that’s been available in BmW’s cars in europe since 1999. the system will be extended to BmW motorcycles starting next year. according to BmW, in the case of an emergency or an accident, the bike’s emergency system sends out the position data to a BmW Call Center to initiate the rescue chain. the system can either be triggered automatically by the bike, or manually by the rider.
KAWASAKI INTRODUCES GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY SALES EVENT this year marks fifty years of Kawasaki motors Corp., U.S.a.(KmC), and to kick off the party, Kawasaki threw a celebration: the golden anniversary Sales event open House, scheduled for the weekend of June 11-12. this weekend-long celebration was to thank Kawasaki’s devoted dealers and customers for 50 years of loyalty and support for the brand. Select dealers throughout the country celebrated by hosting open house events, including demo rides. What’s more is that Kawasaki is enhancing its birthday celebration by making it even more affordable to jump on a Kawasaki, with special golden anniversary Sales offers of up to $2,500 rebates on select models (available at participating Kawasaki dealers). there are a select few dealers also marking their own 50-year anniversary with Kawasaki. Kawasaki recognizes those select few dealers who have been selling Kawasaki in the USa for the past 50 years: hudson Valley motorcycle sales, ossining, nY
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DELAWARE MOTORCYCLE LEMON LAW although delaware’s “Lemon Law” previously excluded motorcycles and motor homes, SB 173 by Sen. gary Simpson (R-dover) now brings new motorcycles within the scope of the automobile Lemon Law. So-called “Lemon Laws” are consumer protections that provide a remedy for purchasers of new (and sometimes used) motor vehicles in order to compensate for products that repeatedly fail to meet codified standards of quality and performance. every state has lemon laws on the books, but some specifically exclude motorcycles, though federal lemon law protections also apply.
PENNSYLVANIA’S THUNDER IN THE VALLEY TO BE FIRST U.S. MOTORCYCLE RALLY SANCTIONED BY FIM NORTH AMERICA the thunder in the Valley motorcycle Rally in Johnstown, Pa., has become the first U.S. rally to be sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de motocyclisme north america. the 19-year-old rally features concerts, motorcycle demo rides, bike parades, guided rides, an ama-sanctioned national gypsy tour, the american motor drome Wall of death, Ill Conduct Harley-davidson stunt team, vendors and more. FIm north america is one of six Continental Unions recognized by the Fédération Internationale de motocyclisme. the american motorcyclist association and the Canadian motorcycle association are members of FIm north america and participate in the governance of the Continental Union. For several years, FIm north america has sanctioned the Blue nose Rally in Billtown, nova Scotia. the sanction moves to the United States for 2016. “We are thrilled to be able to sanction such a well-established and successful event as the first FIm north america rally in the United States,” said FIm
BACKROADS • JULY 2016 north america President marilynn Bastedo, who also is chief executive officer of the Canadian motorcycle association. “the sanction places the Johnstown event in front of an international motorcycling audience through the FIm north america website and on the International motorcycling Federation website. We hope that this marks the beginning of a long relationship with thunder in the Valley.” “We are so honored to receive this prestigious sanction,” said Lisa Rager, executive director of the Johnstown Convention & Visitors Bureau, the organization that operates the rally. “We have worked very hard the past 19 years to build this rally up to receive national recognition, and now, to have this sanction and international recognition is very special.
NO HELMET = NO GAS IN INDIA due to a rise in motorcycle crashes attributed to “non-use of helmets,” under a new penalty instituted in Bhagalpur, India, motorcyclists caught riding without a helmet will not be allowed to buy fuel, in addition to other fines and penalties.
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the program is intended to promote proper tire management and enhance riders’ safety and pleasure. through the program riders and riding clubs are invited to promote their air pressure awareness via Instagram and Facebook. Beginning may 29, michelin will award a $100 gas card every two weeks to the rider with the most likes based on photos and videos posted of riders checking their tire pressure on these social channels and spreading the important safety message while using the michelin motorcycle hashtags #michelinonmymoto, #michelinairCare and #CheckItYourselfie. any post that gets one million individual views or more is eligible to receive a set of mICHeLIn motorcycle tires. Visit motorcycle.michelinman.com/news for complete rules and restrictions. the program concludes September 17. over the past several years michelin has collected data on thousands of motorcycle tires to better understand the user habits surrounding tire pressure maintenance. the most recent results are demonstrate a need for increased tire awareness. Survey findings indicate that 19% of front tire pressures and 11% of rear tire pressures are lower by at least 14 psi compared to the pressures recommended by the manufacturer. Simply put, the most avid motorcycle riders in the US often overlook a simple but important safety feature on their motorcycle resulting in an epidemic of under inflated tires. the goal of the campaign is to communicate ‘how’, ‘when’ and ‘why’ tire pressure impacts riding safety and pleasure, and to establish among all riders a habit of checking tire pressures regularly
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Hannum’s Harley-Davidson Presents
G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN
tasty places to take your bike
PaPermoon diner 227 WeSt 29tH St, BaLtImoRe, md 410-889-4444 • WWW.PaPeRmoondIneR24.Com HoURS: CLoSed tUeS • SUn-tHURS 7am-10Pm • FRI-Sat 7am-12am kitsch /kiCH/ • noun 1. Art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. either something from a midnight binge of fried food and bourbon nightmare or a kitsch-collectors dream, the Papermoon diner in Remington (a section of Baltimore) is certainly a place best experienced on a personal level. While I’ll try my best to describe the décor, food and general ambience, you owe it to yourselves to put it on your ‘things to do while in Baltimore’ list. We were headed to the timonium motorcycle Show over Valentine’s weekend, and as we normally do, we scouted out eateries and ice cream (Shira) and the weird and wonderful (Brian). turns out, the Papermoon diner had it all in one place. With luck on our side, we scored a spot right outside, but that’s of no concern, as the Papermoon has its own parking lot right across the street. Kind of knowing what to expect, we were pretty much overwhelmed anyway when we saw the place. Painted every color in the rainbow, the Papermoon is an assault on the senses, in a good way. You’ll find blinged mannequins – whole and parts - wrought iron, animal statues and a collection of license plates and that’s just on the outside. While we visited during the winter, I’m told that the place is adorned with flowers and trees in blooming time as well. the collection that you’ll find inside has taken 22 years of development and collecting. Un Kim and david Briskie, owners of Papermoon, scoured yard sales, flea markets, auctions and such as well as getting donations from diners (a huge selection of their Pez collection that will greet you upon entering came from the Ceo of a Pez manufacturer). there’s Barbie dolls in various stages of dress, PeeWee Herman, Felix the Cat, lots of Legos, bobbleheads of all descriptions, a plethora of figurines and plastic playthings large and
small from all walks of life, neon, baby dolls to scare the beejesus out of anyone and so much more (I’m sure if I stayed longer I’d find a baby’s arm holding an apple). all these are lovingly cleaned and dusted weekly, and changed around when more is acquired. In fact, there’s so much that you won’t mind if you have to wait a bit on a table or for your food. oh yeah, on to the food – be prepared to take a minute or five to go through the menu. Remember the part about my looking for ice cream? the first listings on the menu include their variety of milkshakes, from your basic vanilla or chocolate to a Chunky monkey (vanilla blended with espresso, chocolate syrup and banana). I settled on a maple syrup and bacon crumble blended with vanilla ice cream. Had I known the thickness of this invention, I would have opted for a salad for lunch. Served with a slab of bacon sticking into the uber-thick, whipped cream covered awesomeness, it accompanied me through the entire meal.
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 13 You can have breakfast all day with eggs scrambled, omletted, benedicted, cheesed, sandwiched, wrapped or quesadillaed. How about some shrimp and grits with tasso-ham sauce? French toast or pancakes of buttermilk, potato, blueberry or chips? If you are of the vegan persuasion, take a plate of tofu with just about any veggie you can imagine and some gluten-free toast. the rest of the menu is just as creative and extensive. to name just a very few, there’s appys like duck & mushroom spring rolls, housemade mac n cheese or the Hangover: crispy French fries drizzled with mushroom gravy served with two over medium eggs and sprinkled with Romano cheese. Burgers and sandwiches of every description, salads to satisfy the fussiest of rabbits (had I listened to my inner voice I would have eaten their grilled portabella, pickled beets and goat cheese over baby spinach and arugula salad) and mucho quesadillas (the two that graced our table were the dawayne’s: grilled jerk chicken and roasted red peppers with apple cranberry chutney and cheese and the oink oink: espresso BBQ pulled pork, caramelized onions, bacon and sharp cheddar). If you were paying attention when you came in, you would have seen the homemade dessert case to your left with peanut butter crunch cake, five layer chocolate cake, oreo cookie pie and more – just sayin’. With three dining areas and a small counter with seats (don’t feed or talk to the cooks-they may bite), the Papermoon is a wonderful destination eatery for a single rider or a small group. It’s not a huge place, so if you’re visiting on the weekend or during peak dining hours, expect a wait. But that’s okay, as there’s so much to see here, you’ll either bring out your inner child or send it back into the nightmares it may have once suffered. Clowns and baby dolls – what more do I have to say. enjoy your meal… ~ Shira Kamil
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTER IOU S A MERICA the mYsterY Boulder Field oF hicKorY run Words • Dr. Seymour O’Life PhD over the years I have made mention of a unique enigma just above the delaware River, atop the cliffs that border this long waterway in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It is called Ringing Rock State Park, in Upper Black eddy – and here you will find a large open space filled with boulders that have the interesting tendency to sound a gonging ring when tapped with a hammer. It is always very cool to see and experience, When we first came across Ringing Rocks, all those years back, we wondered why here and not elsewhere? Well, there seems to be a number of ‘elsewheres’ and seems that this sort of rocky venue is not totally exclusive to Ringing Rock. there are other such stony venues to be found in the Keystone State and the surrounding states as well. to the north and west you will find a beautiful park called Hickory Run. We’ve made our run through this park on Route 534 on our jaunts to and from western Pennsylvania many time and always enjoyed the views from the piece of asphalt that slithers through the park.
But, as pretty as the park is, like so many other places in these mysterious america you have to take a closer look and dig a bit deeper to see what is really there. the last time we ambled through we spotted a sign for Shades of death trail. Hmm, that sounded ominous. But now we know the real star of this park is old – really old – like 12,000 years old. deep in the park, after a refreshing gravel ride, you will find Boulder Field – 16 full acres of sizable rock spread out almost perfectly flat and even for what seems like forever. Ringing Rocks in Bucks County is big (7 acres), but the Boulder Field, here at Hickory Run, is huge, measuring 400 feet by 1,800 feet and some 12 feet deep in places. What makes the Hickory Run Boulder Field unique is its size and flatness. that’s why geologists from all over the world come to visit the site. So where do these rocky pastures come from? the truth is, nobody really knows for sure, but theories abound. one theory is that the glacier stopped just above the field. over time, the cold froze the ground so deeply that it created permafrost. the permafrost killed off all the trees, leaving exposed bedrock. then, in the summer when the temperature rose, the water from the mile-high glacier cascaded like a waterfall into the field and washed away any sand or soil. But, then why here and not along the entire edge of the ice age glacier?
another thought is that water from the melting glaciers seeped into the sandstone and porous bedrock and then froze at night, the power of the ice splitting the larger rocks into smaller boulders leaving what is seen spread across the vast field. If you know what to look for you can find remnants of terminal moraine in many places, but much of it is overgrown and lies buried by the thousands of years that have passed. this debris that these monstrous rivers of ice once push ahead and left when they retreated, and other larger and singular boulders of titanic size called erratics, can be found throughout the region – the largest such rock, by far, being the madison Boulder in new Hampshire. a really interesting erratic, tripod Rock, can be found
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
in Kinnelon, new Jersey – not far from Route 23 – atop Pyramid mountain. this one has a number of theories, rather than just being a unique and ‘perched’ glacial erratic including that it was placed thusly by the Vikings or Celts, the Knights templar, ancient natives as a solar calendar and, of course, aliens (why are they always involved?), although some archeologists claim that tripod Rock is a surveyor’s “ley line,” a long straight line across the countryside, and this runs to Callicoon, new York. there is reputed to be a solar stone built by pre-Columbian peoples right up in High Point State Park that perfectly line up with the summer and winter solstices. We don’t profess to know the how, we are pretty sure that the why is a natural and not man-made scenario with many of these. But, I like where this might be going and never let facts get in the way of a great yarn. So, these are issues that need to be addressed in, well, a later issue. I do know, for a fact, that Ringing Rocks and the Hickory Run Boulder Field are not the only boulder fields in the region. there are a few others including the River of Rocks near Hawk mountain. the “River of Rocks” at Hawk mountain, Pennsylvania, is a bit different
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with a formation that is a mile-long boulder field, up to 40 feet deep, which is from the same era, when the glaciers stopped 50 miles to the north of this location – right at Hickory Run State Park. So how did all these get here? once again, scientists have many thoughts but nothing etched in stone (sorry). these odd bits of natural and unnatural earth history are all around us but this month let’s stick with a ride to Hickory Run State Park and Boulder Field, a stop we are sure of in this mysterious america. our .gPX ride to Hickory Run and the Boulder Field will rock a lot too, as we’ll start at the western edge of new Jersey and cross over to Pennsylvania at Portland before scouring the backroads to Hickory Run. along the way we will also pass by Columcille megalith Park, another fantastic rock structure, this far more modern (relatively), but equally impressive. do know that the road to and from the Boulder Field is unpaved, but hard packed and very rideable on most machines - use appropriate caution and enjoy the scenery. (Rip & Ride can be found on page 51)
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Hanover Powersports Presents
B IG CITY GETAWAY conFerence house 7455 HYLan BLVd., Staten ISLand, nY 10307 718-984-6046 • ConFeRenCeHoUSe.oRg
the First sePtemBer 11th When anyone today says the date September 11th, minds are immediately brought to that horrible tuesday in 2001 with the attacks on the World trade Center, in lower manhattan and Pentagon, in Washington, by muslim terrorists. this day we want to bring you back 225 years, to another September 11th, and another world altering event that happened just a few short miles from where the twin towers would someday stand. For those of you who read our humble publication monthly you know we love our history and are also aware that our nation was founded along backroads of this region we call home.
daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind Let us tell you another story of american history that is right under our noses and of an earlier mid-September day. With tensions running high and a war about to break out in the British Colonies some believed that level headed, clear thinking gentlemen could stop any confrontation before it really started. not many know that at the start of our Revolutionary War there was a conference held in what is now called tottenville, in the south part of Staten Island, in a last ditch effort to avoid military conflict. It was held on September 11, 1776, when Continental Congress representatives John adams, edward Rutledge, and Benjamin Franklin met with the King’s representative, Lord Richard Howe, at Colonel Christopher Billopp’s home, a strategic location on the tip of Staten Island. Billopp’s Point, the location of this meeting, is not only the southernmost point in Staten Island, indeed it is the southernmost point in all of new York State. one hundred years earlier Captain Christopher Billopp had been given over 1,100 acres of land on the southern tip of this almost deserted island after completing a special task for the duke of York – as we will soon read. today many might look at a map and wonder why Staten Island is part of new York City and not just an eastern piece of the garden State of new Jersey?
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 17 take a look at the map – it is clear Staten Island (red) is part of new Jersey. But, it is not, although they have tried to secede from new York numerous times, probably to become an enclave of Italy, as one of the most concentrated grouping of Italian-americans can be found on Staten Island. Well, here is how the story goes. Legend has it that Christopher Billopp’s seamanship secured Staten Island to new York. In 1664, the dutch colonies became english colonies, and all fell under the con-
trol of the duke of York, who was the brother of King Charles II. as the years went by things got testy between new Jersey and new York and by 1667 a territorial dispute raged over Staten Island between new York, namesake of the duke, and new Jersey, which had possession of Staten Island under dutch rule. It was the dutch versus the Brits. to settle the dispute, the duke came up with a novel solution: he declared that all islands in new York Harbor that could be circumnavigated in 24 hours would belong to new York, and if such a voyage took longer than that, they would belong to new Jersey. the dutch foolishly went along with the idea. at this time, Billopp was living just across the waterway from Staten Island in Perth amboy and had a small two-gun vessel called the Bentley. With a readily fast craft at hand Billopp was selected for the duke’s challenge to represent new York. the one-day sail seemed, at the time, impossible but Billopp was tenacious in wanting to win for the duke - it was like his own Kobayashi maru. While struggling to figure out how to complete the more than 35-mile voyage within the duke’s time frame of 24 hours, Billopp reasoned that if he packed the deck of his ship with empty barrels, the extra surface area could harness some more wind giving his ship a slight boost in speed. His scheme actually worked and Captain Billopp completed the circumnavigation in just over 23 hours and secured Staten Island for new York. In recognition of his achievement, the duke awarded Billopp a total of 1,163 acres of land located in what is now the tottenville section of
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Staten Island. on this land Billopp built a home in the dutch Colonial style of day. this stone manor house he named “Bentley manor”, after the name of a small ship he had commanded, the Bentley. 109 years later… this warm summer’s day in 1776 would see an event that would change the region, nation and the world – just as it would two and a quarter centuries later. Franklin, adams and Rutledge had one thing in mind when they rowed
over from Perth amboy that morning and that was independence for the colonies. the meeting lasted for three hours and the British would not consider independence a negotiable term. no reconciliation was reached. the morning finally ended with the americans politely declining Howe’s offer, leading to another seven years of conflict and our eventual independence from england.
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Breakfast served on weekends sample our home cookin’ at the World Famous Cedar Rapids
The Bar is Open ‘drink responsibly’
Take a ride on one of the Northeast’s Scenic Byways - Route 97 - 20 miles north of Port Jervis. Dine with your fellow riders on the Delaware River
Let us host your group motorcycle event any day
Enjoy our Expanded Canopied Decks Member of
www.cedarrapidsny.com
Why do I see them walking away from each other saying briskly – “You can go screweth thyself”… “no - you can go screweth thyself.” a few years later, on october 25, 1779, the famed Simcoe’s Raid, led against patriot held new Jersey, would leave from Billopp’s Point by John Simcoe of the Queen’s Rangers. this was the same Simcoe that gave Washington’s Culper spy ring such trouble. Billop’s Point is mentioned again in the journal of major John andré from that same day: oct. 25th the Regiments at amboy received orders to strike their tents and send them with their baggage to the water’s side. those at Staten Island had orders to leave theirs standing, and repair by 8 o’clock in the evening to Billop’s Point. as you can see much american history has been made in this small part of southern Staten Island and the history of this land goes far deeper and long before the european arrival in the region. the tip of Staten Island was inhabited for thousands of years by Lenape tribes and the largest pre-european burial ground in the city has been found here. evidence from this archeological dig shows that man was living here nearly 8,000 years ago, some 4,000 years before the first pyramids rose in egypt. think about how much time we are really talking about for a second kids. amazing. these days you can visit the old Billopp’s home – now called the Conference House - during the weekends as it is open to public tours and certainly will bring you along the real backroads of american history.
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents
WE’RE OUTTA HER E
a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads
Wing’s castle B & B 17 BangaLL Rd, mILLBRooK, nY 12545 845-677-9085 • WWW.WIngSCaStLe.Com this month we’d like to take you on a ride into dutchess county of new York state and to a very special bed & breakfast – we promise you will feel like you have ridden into a fairytale when you ride up the drive to this month’s We’re outta Here! – so let’s show you what we got! You might have heard of the new York winery millbrook. Well, before there was a winery here, there was a farm and that’s where Peter Wing grew up. Back in 1969 Peter had returned from Viet nam and married toni and then they set about building their own version of a castle above the farm where he grew up, using mostly salvaged materials from antique buildings. these days the castle, with seven towers and a moat, is still a work in progress. We have visited Wing’s Castle a few times over the years and knew they were setting about to create a B &B that can only be described as magical. Wing’s architecture has been compared to that of antonio gaudi, and his life’s work to that of michelangelo, a true renaissance man. We made another visit earlier this year and spent some time with toni, as she gave us a tour of the castle and rooms, but also told us the sad news that Peter was killed a few years back while driving his 1936 morgan Supersport.
Peter was a true wonder and fine man – it was sad to hear this news in the shadow of the home he had taken years to build. toni and their son have continued on, building and constantly adding to Wing’s Castle. Riding up to the castle always takes our breath away and seeing the rooms and what is being completed now is equally impressive. You can now stay in a choice of two rooms in the castle itself, the tower Room and the dungeon, and the cottage above. the cottage has 3 bedrooms and can accommodate 5 people comfortably, as it has its own kitchen, bath and living room. any choice will be like staying in your own private fairy tale. once at Wing’s Castle and settled in, enjoy the grounds, with the beautiful and expansive views.
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 21 Perhaps you might bring a bottle of fine wine for yourselves and just sit in Wing’s Henge. Built like the large stone henges of europe, the one here at the castle offers a superb vista to the west and offers the most spectacular sunsets. For dinner you will find a number of great restaurants and eateries within a few minutes ride of the castle and the famous millbrook Winery is right down the road. You must call for reservations, usually a few Rip & Ride® • WING’S CASTLE B & B weeks to months in ad17 BANGALL RD, MILLBROOK, NY 12545 vance. But, it is well worth 845-677-9085 • WWW.WINGSCASTLE.COM the wait. 100-MILE RIDE • GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/7UQ5TL You can also visit the castle just for a tour, which START: PORT JERVIS, NY toni will gladly give you, NORTH ON ROUTE 209 but again, it helps to call in advance. as quoted from Roadside america, “the RIGHT AT RTE. 211 interior tour is unlike any other. With a huge metal round bathtub, a ship bow presiding LEFT AT INGRASSIA RD. over the dining area, Victorian gowns, military helmets, and his own life size carved RIGHT AT VAN BURENVILLE RD. Cigar Store Indians. It’s as though you’ve LEFT AT RTE. 17M traveled in time to several centuries at once, just a bit skewed. not to be missed.” RIGHT AT RTE. 302 Where another castle might have a plain wall, the Wing’s have crafted a face out of LEFT AT RTE. 52 stone fragments. Where another castle might RIGHT AT BERNE RD. have a bathroom in the shape of a square or a rectangle, Wing’s castle has one shaped RIGHT AT RTE. 44 EAST something like a 3 leaf clover. anyone who is a castle lover should make an effort to stop FOLLOW ACROSS HUDSON RIVER and experience Wing’s Castle. LEFT AT RTE. 82
and, the creation continues… If you have a special event coming or just want to escape to something truly unusual, different and – well – cool, follow along with us as we give you a magical ride to the most fairy tale bed & breakfast we have ever seen - Wing’s Castle.
RIGHT AT CR. 57 SHUNPIKE RD. (GREAT ROAD!) LEFT AT BANGALL ROAD TO WING’S CASTLE ON LEFT
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
inside scooP
Shira’s
NSIDE SCOOP
301 n 3Rd St/RoUte 309n, CooPeRSBURg, Pa 610-282-1955 • WWW.InSIdeSCooP.Com • mon-tHURS+SUn: 11a-9P • FRI-Sat: 11a-10P Sunday, Monday, Happy Days, Tuesday, Wednesday, Happy Days, Thursday, Friday, Happy Days, The weekend comes, my cycle hums Ready to race to you
Red vinyl spinning stools, black and white checkered tiles, 2¢ plain and real egg creams – the makings of a true ice cream parlor. a place for families to bring the kiddies after a baseball game, the hot spot for a first date, sharing one milkshake with two straws, perhaps an ice cream cone after a Saturday night movie; that’s what you’ll find at this month’s ice cream stop. Penny and tony Caciolo, who grew up together in emmaus, Pa, longed for something that they couldn’t find in today’s hustle and bustle life – a place to enjoy a victory ice cream cone or cup of coffee after the kid’s baseball or football games on the 45-acre field behind Ronnie’s Lawn mower shop. once they decided to fix that problem, they scoured the area for a suitable location, only to find it in their own backyard (listen to auntie em, you two). Ronnie’s had been closed for some time and, after 5 months of renovations, the Inside Scoop was born. Pulling into the large parking lot, you’ll see that 45-acre field, as well as their bright Inside Scoop sign and ice cream cone on the roof. Park the bike, step inside and prepare to turn the clock back a few decades. Vintage televisions play retro cartoons, the jukebox awaits your choice of golden oldies and the coolers packed with ice cream beckon your indulgence. Yes, during the summer it can get a bit busy and the line may seem long, but just relax and read through their extensive list of flavors and creative menu. By the time you get to the front of the line, you may have made your decision. With close to 100 flavors (not all available all the time), it’s a tough decision to make. Some that stood out to me were Beer n Peanuts, Chocolate Covered Pretzel, green tea, maple Bacon, mexican Spicy Chocolate, oatmeal and Brown Sugar and teaberry. I opted for mexican Spicy Chocolate and maple Bacon, but not before I tasted four or five other flavors. the folks here are super patient and happy to offer as many tastes as you’d like. the ice cream was quite flavorful, creamy and not overly sugared. the chocolate had a very decent kick to it, with the maple Bacon tempering the burn.
July is National Ice Cream Month
Wednesday, July 6 (yes, it’s a weekday - play hooky)
Shira’s
NSIDE SCOOP Ride for Ice Cream Meet: Das’ Creamery, 100 US Hwy 46, Budd Lake, NJ @ 11am Lunch: Riverton Hotel, 7758 Martins Creek Belvidere Hwy, Bangor, PA
End: Windy Brow Farms, 359 Ridge Road, Newton, NJ It’s a nice 100 mile ride, starting and ending with ice cream and a lunch stop in the middle. Download GPS route here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/5jtd7h
The Riverton
Tues. thru Sat. 11am-10pm Sunday: Breakfast 9am-Noon Lunch and Dinner served until 9pm
Travel along the scenic backroads of the Delaware river. Meet the Markopoulos family and taste chef George’s Greek American cooking. Best bar menu, lunch or dinner. Fresh poppers, perogies, calamari, clams and crispy wings with 8 different sauces.
John, Christina, chef George and Eoanna welcome you and your friends.
The Riverton Hotel and Restaurant At Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA
610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com
Member of
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
once you’ve decided on the flavor, you’ll need to decide on the way your ice cream will be served. Sure you can go for the ordinary scoop in a cup, but why do that when the Inside Scoop makes their own Belgian waffle cones, crispy and fresh, right in front of your eyes. It will set you back another 4 minutes, but a Belgian Waffle Sundae, with 2 scoops of Ultimate Vanilla and loaded with homemade hot fudge and whipped cream, may be the best waffle and ice cream creation you’ll ever have. Some of their other sundae
Page 23 temptations are oreo Cookie Smash – Ultimate Vanilla ice cream, topped with rich, thick, dark hot fudge and covered with crushed oreos or the explosion – your choice of ice cream covered with chocolate sauce and Pop Rocks (remember those?) the Inside Scoop’s atomic Freeze is like soft serve, but made with real ice cream. You’ll get 2 scoops of ice cream with your choice of ‘mix in’, put through the ‘atomic Blend Freezer’, served in a waffle cone or bowl. It’s the smoothest, tastiest, homemade soft ice cream with goodies mixed throughout. Should you show up with a group, or just be a glutton for ice cream, you can go after the Volcano – the largest sundae in Pennsylvania and, perhaps, the U.S.a. Served in a smoking volcano bowl, it’s brimming with 14 scoops of ice cream and 8 toppings, whipped cream, cherries and 6 spoons. If you clean the bowl, you’ll get yourself, or ice creameating group, on the Wall of Flame. after your treats have been devoured, you can wash it all down with freshly roasted coffee, ground to order and brewed in a specialty espresso machine imported from Holland – this is not your countertop mr. Coffee or Keurig. there’s a large indoor seating area – living room to be exact - complete with big screen, dining room table, couches, a fireplace and shuffleboard. outside there’s plenty of picnic tables to relax and work through your sugar high or low. If you’re hungry for more substantial food, the Smokin’ Bull Shack food truck sits between the Inside Scoop and the ball field (check for hours). We saw a large projection screen on the outside wall and asked about movies, but were told that they used to show them in the evening but weren’t sure if they’d continue. that would just be the cherry on top of the sundae, wouldn’t it? Here’s a nice 75-mile one-way route from the Branchville grill to the Inside Scoop. Have some breakfast, enjoy the ride and have a great time at the Inside Scoop. Rip & Ride on page 50.
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ots of people might say they have heard of how beautiful Utah’s moab region is, but many feel they have never seen it themselves. truth is that if you have grown up in the United States and have ever watched a western or any of a dozen or so modern films you have seen what the region around this small Utah town is like. Rio grande, with John Wayne and maureen o’Hara, was filmed here in 1950 as director John Ford fell in love with the sublime natural backdrop found in the region. thelma & Louise rode a ’66 thunderbird off a cliff here and both austin Powers and mission Impossible’s ethan Hunt hung around these parts too – tom Cruise literally. the recurring backdrops in various films made moab famous and in the 80s the outdoor adventure companies began to spring up. today moab is the go to place for outdoors adventure; rafting, hiking, bicycling and, of course, motorcycling. When Honda began searching for a location to have the US launch of their new africa twin, moab was an easy decision. the star of this intro would be the new africa twin – one of the most anticipated motorcycles to come out in years. Honda would also bring along the rest of their adV line-up – the CB500X, nC700X and VFR1200X.
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From our home base on the Colorado River, in the shadow of the lofty red rock cliffs that make the backbone of arches national Park, a number of riders took off on the first of a two-day jaunt around the scenic locale. the africa twin is a sincere stab by Honda into the heart of the adventure riding market that has blossomed over the past decade into a serious part of the world-wide motorcycling community. day one would be a street ride and would be followed the next day with some riding off the beaten path along the trails ringing arches national Park. Day One - our ride pulled out after breakfast from the Red Cliffs Lodge and onto Scenic Route 128, heading east along the Colorado and then up along the loop road into the La Sal mountains; still heavily snow-covered this early part of may. the africa twin will be available in two versions – a standard transmission 6-speed and Honda’s dual Clutch transmission. the bike will come to the United States in either a red/black/white dakar Rally scheme or a more sedate but equally good looking digital Silver. I’d get to ride both versions and colors over the next two days allowing me to get a better feel for the true nature and differences in the machines. the africa twin, or CRF1000L as it is officially called, is powered by a liquid-cooled, 998cc parallel twin that relies heavily on Honda’s off-road race experience with the CRF250R/450R competition machines, and uses the same four-valve Unicam head design. this makes for an extremely
hjen n Rat er a i r B : g words + Ray Gau ing evin W K : s ge
Exploring Utah’s backroads on Honda’s new Africa Twin
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 25 has engineered some serious suspension on this bike with 9.8 inches of ground clearance. the CRF1000L runs a 21-inch front spoke wheel with an 18-inch in the rear using conventional tubes. Personally I would learn to appreciate the larger front wheel, but the technology is available for tubeless tires in these sizes and that would be a much better way to go – even if it costs a few hundred more per bike. In my mind it is far easier to plug and pump a tubeless tire than to remove and replace a tube. Bearing off the main road we followed along a path that was fairly bombed out. I sometimes feel that gravel is far easier to ride than a paved road that has seen better days - those days a few decades back! In the beginning I began to ride around the holes but then thought the better of it and aimed the africa twin right through them. It didn’t matter; the CRF1000L’s adjustable 45mm Showa inverted fork and rear Pro-Link suspension ate these cavities up and spit them out. the
narrow powerplant and the overall slenderness the machine carries. the fourvalve cylinder heads, fed by Pgm-FI fuel injection, each employ twin spark plugs and dual and sequential ignition control for even combustion, and their phased firing order contributes to engine character and feel. the engine makes a claimed 94 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 72.3 foot-pounds of torque at 6,000 rpm. this slender engine is key with this bike and a big part of what makes this machine unique. the scenery is the draw here in moab and it was a bit hard to concentrate on evaluating a motorcycle when my head was snapping to the right and left and I was drinking in the red rock cliffs and spires that surrounded the road as it wound its way toward the La Sal mountains. the africa twin has a modern look, with its roots drawn from the africa twin of the past. It is a very sharp looking and slender machine with a 5-gallon fuel tank capacity. Still, it is a bit on the tall side (34.3 inches standard height, 33.5 lowered), a trait that many adventure machines share, but Honda
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suspension and travel was more than impressive. I had started off with a dual Clutch transmission (dCt) machine and, even though I have had some experience with this system on a test nC700X a few years back, it does take a bit of riding through the learning curve to get back up to speed with this new technology.
the La Sal mountains are a small range, spanning just ten miles, but are as beautiful as they come with mount Peale, reaching 12,721 feet, being the standout. they were named by the Spanish, when they first reached the area, as the peaks reminded the Spaniards of mountains of salt. they reminded me of a Coors advertisement.
the dCt features the standard manual mode allowing the rider to operate gear shifts through triggers on the left handlebar, and two automatic modes. d mode offers the best balance of fuel efficiency and comfort cruising. S mode gives extra levels of sport performance, with three different shift patterns to choose from: S1, S2 and S3. You can manually shift up or down at any time with a push of the left side handlebar mounted switchgear. It is very easy and intuitive. I had written a few years back that dCt was the future. this day, in the midst of relearning the transmission, I was hoping the future would catch up with me quickly and it did.
We stopped at the summit of the loop road taking in the vista of the valley below, the deep green of the trees near the river back-dropped by the rising red rocks of arches. It was stunning. I swapped machines and did the rest of that morning ride with the standard 6-speed transmission that was butter smooth in that typical Honda fashion. Honda does have a reputation of producing extremely smooth bikes. as great as this is technologically and in the long run for consumers, this efficiency and smoothness has led to occasional criticism as well. Some folks want their grunt, dammit. Well, the africa twin delivers that. this doesn’t really sound or feel like any Honda I have ridden lately. although not the most powerful engine in this class, it serves up plenty of what I always call useable horsepower.
BACKROADS • JULY 2016 I don’t need 150 ponies - ever. What I need is a friendly powerband and deep torque that works in the real world. For this the new CRF1000L came through big time as the 94 horses were spot on this day. Coming off the mountain through some downhill twisties the adjustable Showa suspension kept the africa twin firmly planted, even on some rough and bumpy patches and the dual radial-mount nissin four-piston brake calipers, with 310mm “wave” style floating discs up front and a 256mm in
Page 27 the rear, did a super job in every situation. the brakes, using a lightweight two-channel aBS that can be turned off for the rear caliper only, were supple and easy to manage and not grabby in the least and solid all day long. our ride brought us into the town of moab proper for lunch and then a scoot back along the river past various campsites, gorges and canyons. Back at our home base I swapped machines entirely and took off for a few hours on the VFR1200X. this machine has been everywhere on the planet, but the US, for a few
Page 28 years now and with it Honda has taken the 1237cc V4 engine, rated at 127 horsepower from their sportbike model, and put it into a more upright and rider-friendly adV machine. Set up with a 19-inch front wheel and basic adV-style street tires, the bike offers a great option for those looking for more of a touring bike that can easily handle the rigors of gravel roads and very light off-road duty. the machine I was riding came with the optional bags and crash bars - basically set up for the road.
I rode east along the river and then took a gravel road towards Fischer’s tower. these soaring sandstone towers have made natural backdrop for many films and, in fact the first movies filmed in the moab area were shot here in 1948. It was more recently featured in the opening scenes of austin Power’s goldmember. Yeah, baby! the VFR1200X did a good job along the hard pack gravel, but is a happier machine on paved roads. this is more adV tourer than adV dirt, if you get my drift. the engine had gobs of power, in that very Honda fashion I alluded to ear-
JULY 2016 • BACKROADS lier. the seating position was quite excellent for my way of riding and the thought occurred to me to ask Honda if it would be okay to ditch the flight back to new Jersey and borrow the VFR1200X and ride that home instead. after spending a little time exploring in and around Fischer’s tower I picked the river road back up and followed towards town where I made a stop at Lin ottinger’s Rock Shop.
It’s moab – they know rocks! ottinger’s is one of the oddest shops I have come across, and they have thousand of rocks, minerals, and – most importantly – fossils from around the planet. dinosaur bones, semi-precious gems, stones imprinted millions of years ago and a large collection of megladon teeth – I came very close to buying myself an early birthday present. Who doesn’t need a 70 foot shark’s tooth? on the way in I spotted a sign for one pullout whose name caught my eye - negro Bill Canyon. In these politically correct days and being from the fairly liberal northeast this moniker jumped out at me. I had to stop and see what this was all about.
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
negro Bill Canyon is beautiful and was named after William granstaff, a mixed-race cowboy who ran around with a French Canadian fur trapper named Frenchie - they seemed to be not-so-creative with nicknames back in the day. this was negro Bill’s canyon, well, until he was caught running hooch to the natives. He then quickly faded away, but the canyon kept his ethnicity and his name. It was called an even less favorable name until the late 60’s and there was an attempt to have the name changed to granstaff Canyon in 2015, after the Charleston church shooting – but Utah and the naaCP would have none of that. It is not just the natural scenery that is interesting in the Bee Hive State. It was late afternoon by then and I looped back to the lodge for dinner and preparation of the second day’s ride where Honda wanted to show how the africa twin performed when the pavement really ends. Day Two - I knew that this day would be a dirt ride, but let’s be clear; Honda was not thinking gravel byways and fire roads. this was moab… and the trail system is expansive and offers some of the best dirt bike riding in the United States. this was the real deal and Honda felt that the africa twin is too, as this day would be 100 miles of two-track dirt, rock and sand along the border with arches national Park.
to further bring home the point of the africa twin’s dirt dna, the bikes were outfitted with Continental tK80 dual-sport tires and 11-time Baja 1000 winner and living legend Johnny Campbell would be along for the ride. I knew this and I could feel certain chemicals being released as we began to mount up to head out.
Page 29 this increased when I spied the two emts coming along for the ride as well. although I have ridden in a lot of places and have thousands of miles of third-world gravel roads under my belt I am not a dirt bike rider - most assuredly. I grew up in new York City and dirt was that stuff between the cracks in the sidewalk. I was hoping that the africa twin would be an easier steed than other one-liter adV machines. Honda had hired a local tour company – elite motorcycle tours – to lead us along the day’s ride. our ride leaders darren and dale knew just about every inch of this trail system and dale’s family even has a valley named after them. We were a number of miles in when the terrain got a bit beyond anything I had ridden before. my thoughts on riding have always been that “I don’t have to go fast, just far.” But, two things were very apparent early on. the africa twin was a very, very capable bike in the dirt and the second was that it was a far more capable machine than I was a rider. I found suddenly I was “the guy” – that anchorman for a group of far more dirt experience riders. I was moving right along, but was being seriously outpaced. at one point Johnny Campbell came rocketing by me. a short time later he passed me again, evidentially he had raced around the planet and I had just been globally lapped.
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It was amazing to see how Campbell could deftly and easily run 500lbs of machine like the CRF1000L through the sand and ruts at such speeds. Still, even for my limited experience I soldiered on, although in my mind I had already admitted I was in the deep end of the dirt bike pool. I had started the day with the manual 6-speed, believing familiarity would
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work in my favor. It worked fine but I was willing to try something different as I found myself really working to keep in the right gear and the correct speed, while trying to stay steady on the throttle, especially in the more difficult spots. We had stopped for one of a few photo sessions (What? You think these great images are taken magically with an iPhone?) and I swapped out for the dCt version. this was a fantastic move. Honda had said that the dCt would make riding the dirt a far more pleasurable experience. I was doubtful on that, as I have always ridden with a clutch – like most riders – but it soon was apparent that Honda had a serious point. the dCt ran up and down the gears in an artful fashion. Where I had to adjust my body for every upshift and downshift while standing on the pegs over the rocks and through the sand (sand sucks btw) the dual Clutch did its job in a very efficient fashion. the bike’s dCt has Hill detection, which senses when the machine is traveling up or down a steep incline and shifts accordingly, keeping the bike in its powerband and stable. Placing it in manual mode allowed for flawless shifting up and down through the gears with a simple touch of my forefinger or thumb. Brilliant. no, let me say it again - BRILLIant! at one rest stop I was asked if I wanted to ride with dale on a separate loop to lunch as the upcoming section upped the experience ante and there were reports of rabid dragons along this trail as well. Who needed that? trying the “do as I say” and not what I normally really do, I decided to ride with my head and dale.
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Clint eastwood said, “a man gots to know his limitations.” this was a great move as we had plenty of tough stuff and sand washes to deal with and dale was a great mentor as well as tour guide. I learned a lot from his experience, as well as appreciated that time we spent resting along the Utah trails as he told me a bit of the region’s mining history. In fact we ran across a few mines along the way, as uranium was a big part of the local economy for a long time before the arrival of the outdoorsy, flannel and man-bun types. We had a lunch stop ready for us along the way and we were there for about 15 minutes before the rest of the group rode up. What a stunning place in the middle of nowhere. this was a fine day at the office for sure; made better by the
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
other riders and the most excellent machines. to our left, in the distance, you could spy the arches that give the park its name and in the brush, tiny varmints scrambled along their harsh scrubby home. after an hour for a lite lunch and serious hydration a few of us got going once again, dodging the occasional antelope barreling across the two-track. the dCt option of the africa twin made for a far more pleasurable ride that afternoon and I soon found myself in a very happy place and enjoying the stunning scenery. the bike’s power was spot on – what was perfect on the road was more than sufficient for the dirt. the rough terrain, dips and occasional deep ruts
Page 31 were easily taken in by the africa twin’s long traveled suspension and the knobby tK80 rubber. What can be best said about the new Honda africa twin was that it allowed a rider like me, with just a small bit of off road experience, to ride in a fairly confident manner. When things got real tough I would slow it down when needed and pick my way, up on the pegs, over the obstacle or challenge. and, this was on a 500 lbs. adV machine. the word that comes to mind is capable. the CRF1000L has been well thought out and, but for a few nitpicks (tubed tires), is a great machine. Honda has a number of accessories including heated grips, center stand and aluminum side and top cases and I know the aftermarket is already in top gear on this bike as well. Final thoughts from Utah…. I think Honda will sell a lot of these, especially with this machine coming in thousands of dollar les than some of the competition. With machines like the BmW gS, Ktms, ducati and others all vying for consumer dollars, Honda has had to do something different, edgy and affordable for riders already in this market. Some have said that Honda is late to this parade, but it seems that it might just have been worth the wait. Where many of the other adV offerings seemed designed for street riders who wish to dab their boots into the dirty world of adventure touring, Honda has made a machine for the dirt riders looking to really travel along the backroads of Planet adventure touring as well. the africa twin is a real game changer in so many ways. the machine retails for $12,999 for the manual 6-speed and $13,699 for the dCt version and you can find the africa twin at Honda dealers now.
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
BACKROADS SPRING BREAK 2016
Allegheny Adventure
And it makes me wanna take a back road Makes me wanna take the long way home Put a little gravel in my travel Unwind, unravel all night long Rodney Atkins has this feeling right in his song Take the Backroads. We had waited all winter for spring to get sprung and to get out on the road with what have become extended family. For the last 18 years we have held our Spring Break rallies up and down the northeast and each year we always seem to add a few more riders to this fraternity. With the weather, once again, favorable and winds at our backs we got ready for ďŹ ve days on the road.
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Day One • Wellsboro, Pennsylvania after an early 7am meet-up, at an ol’-style Jersey roadside diner for breakfast, we had a small group together and got going across dingmans Bridge and into the Keystone state. although I did try (I really did) to keep it mostly pavement some hard pack gravel always seems to slip into a Backroads’ route. the six miles of forested roadway through the Poconos was stellar and well worth getting the wheels a bit dusty. Unlike previous rallies, I would not let that thought of having some riders do a few miles of gravel spoil the outing. this was Pennsylvanian back country happy riding, not two-track in Utah. We had seven riders when we started this morning and found another friend along the way. So the group, while bigger than we’d like, was still fairly manageable. over the course of the day’s miles the 8-ball group broke into two by itself. all good. not too much further on we had another Ruh-Ro road – an uphill gnarly
section that construction trucks had beat to death and that some had signed wrongly that there was “no outlet.” there was, and it was just a minor blip that added a bit more flair to the ride. We crossed the Susquehanna River at Pittston and then Shira had an ice cream stop (dessert BEFORE lunch – atta girl!) set up for us. We spent a little time strolling around Hillside Farm Creamery, visiting the various creatures. I am sure it will show up in the Inside Scoop soon. From here on west the roads just got better and better, rolling through the endless mountains of Pa. We found lunch at a little family-run place in dunshore called Pam’s ($3.75 for the mickles tuna salad sandwich). From there we followed Route 87 that was simply spectacular along the meehoopany Creek and Route 154, heading north of World’s end State Park,
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS just added to the “whoopdeedoo!” attitude that the day’s ride had adopted. air is spelled just like it sounds. “Wheeee!” the roads up here in this part of Pennsylvania, although clearly marked paved, were more tightly packed clay. Fourth gear was comfortable and by mid-afternoon we were back on macadam and rolling into our first town on this Spring Break; Wellsboro, home of the grand Canyon of Pa, which is well worth seeking out if you have never seen it. We found the pool beckoning to us on this warmish spring afternoon and by evening the Penn-Wells Hotel and their annex had a plethora of machines cooling in the fading afternoon light.
Day Two • Wellsboro to Bemus Point, New York
PA Disaster Ride And it makes me wanna take a back road, makes me wanna take the long way home Put a little gravel in my travel, unwind, unravel all night long a few years back we had a rally out this way and had what I called the Insurrection, with a mini-revolution over a few miles of errant dirt. What folks expect anywhere but the large metro area is beyond me. as I said we try to keep it paved, but “gravel Happens.” deal with it. although for some the pavement ending may seem disastrous, it’s where the real beauty sometimes begins. that being said, when we knew we’d be out this way again we decided to have the second day’s route go by two disasters of a more natural order. In 1911 the austin dam failed and drowned 78 souls and the town of austin. In 2003 a tornado crushed the historic Kinzua trestle. our Pa disaster Route would visit them both.
In typical fashion we took off earlier than most, getting a jump on the miles and the heat that would filter back into the region come afternoon. We were cooking along quite briskly enjoying the mountains, forests and roads when we came upon a paving project. one large truck was just sitting there and although there was obviously work being done there was no flag man to be seen. We slowly rounded the dump truck and were met by a very, VeRY upset flag man. He shooed us off to the side. I went to ask him if the road was closed and what our best bet would be when the “colorful metaphors” began. He used one particular word many time. He very obviously had some small virility issues along with a large attitude problem. Shira has a sticker on the back of her gS… FYYFF! nuff said. We followed the detour and then had to piece together a route up and over the mountains to pick up the Pa disaster Ride.
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Page 35 railroad tracks, has a glass platform at its end, so those with acrophobia can begin their hyperventilation. our route took us north from there and into new York State and through the allegheny Forest. this ride was sublime and a real pleasure with a convenient general Store right in the middle for a cool down and rehydrate spot. We crossed into the Senenca Indian Reservation and rolled into Bemus Point and the very comfortable Hotel Lenhart – a real star in its own right. a porch with 40 some odd rocking chairs and a perfect lakeside afternoon on Chautauqua Lake was about as good as it gets.
We had manually acquired Position Systems handy but we had better help from the Fracking Industry who had graded a number of trails that once belonged to the Iroquois. this cut-through, trout Run Road, offered some seriously wondrous views of Pennsylvania that you would not find off the main roads and put us back on the route miles away from our hot-tempered flagger and his friends. although I did have a nagging fear that we would run into them again – like some Spring Break version of neegan’s group.
the austin dam had a deep graveled approach road, but was worth the effort to get up close to the dam that caused so much grief a little over 100 years ago. Heading back north to Route 6 we stopped for lunch and found the day’s tuna salad sandwich had dropped in price by a buck. Four of us had lunch, pie and coffee for $21. at this rate we thought that by the time we got to Lake erie they would just hand us the sandwich and a Sacagawea coin. our next stop was the Kinzua Bridge, another disaster here in the Keystone State. this one involved a trestle that was once the largest of its kind in the world and an F3 tornado that took down the 330+ foot bridge in under 30 seconds. these days it is a state park in the making with a large visitors center, new lot and the bridge itself, crushed and broken as it is, the star of the show. the skywalk, with its center taken up by the original
Yes, some thought it a bit too “rustic” for their tastes, but most appreciated a place like the Lenhart - which is rare in these days of mega-chain hotels. With riders sharing their own tales of the dam, bridge, and for some an early trip to the Zippo Case museum, where you will learn to really respect the clink and flint of the famed lighter that is so part of last century’s american history. We’d be here for two nights and this would be the base camp for Saturday’s riding. the hotel and town face west so a fantastic day was capped by a great lakeside dinner with friends and wonderful sunset to go with them.
Day Three • Free Day to Explore Makes me wanna grab my honey Tear down some two lane country who knows Get lost and get right with my soul Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road We had set up a number of suggested routes for the day. Like all Backroads things, these were only a suggestion as we are basically light & clueless and prefer it this way. nearby Jamestown had the Lucille Ball museum, as well as her grave, and we
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS knew that and the additional ice cream run Shira added into that route would entice many. another ride we called Prometheus, after the godling that stole fire from Zeus to give to mankind. this day trip would head back into the allegheny forest and to the Zippo museum before continuing on to the drake oil Well – the nation’s first oil well - drilled in 1859, in titusville, Pennsylvania before looping back to Bemus Point. our day started with a quick ocean voyage on the Bemus Point- Stow Ferry. there has been a ferry carrying people, goods and livestock cross this part of the lake for over 200 years (first crossing 1811) and Betty Lou and John, the good folks who run this privately owned ferry, were kind enough to start operation early to accommodate the Backroads Spring Break. at 236 feet there are some ocean liners far longer than the trip – but we always prefer a ferry to a bridge any day. It makes you feel like you are really traveling. our route was called great Scot, art and ducks. our first stop along this 200-mile loop was the Penndot Road Sign Sculpture garden. Located along Route 322 in meadeville, you will find dozens of artistic sculptures made out of repurposed old dot traffic signs. It seems that, like the dam and bridge the previous day, the folks in the Keystone State like nothing to go to waste.
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 37 they don’t like to toss out old bread either, it seems, for at the spillway on the Pymatuning Reservoir you will find thousands of carp vying with ducks and Canada geese for chunks of bread being tossed from the shore’s walkway by an equally crazy number of humans (mostly adults with kids in tow). this is where ducks Walk on Fish and, as peculiar as it sounds, this is a big deal. So big, that it is the second largest tourist draw in all of Pennsylvania, bested only by the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. We bought some day old bread and fed our share of carp & fowl but the novelty soon wore off and the road called. We mounted back up and hit the roads that had run mostly flat and slightly boring, typical western nY/Pa tier region farmland. We had another quick stop to make to see a certain Scotsman – angus. You will find angus on the campus of edinboro University. Really called “the Fighting Scot” this Highlander is
a12-foot-tall, 25,000-pound bronze sword-slinging statue of a Braveheartera Scotsman! Having lived in Scotland now and again I had to make it part of this day’s ride. the day was getting warm and muggy and I could feel the thunderclouds beginning to build as we rode into erie for lunch along the great lake. a few hours later we were back on the ferry as a hard rain came in and took the edge off the heat that was building all day. Shira had arranged a dinner for our group this evening at the Hotel Lenhart and as the bikes began to filter back into the lakeside hotel’s parking lot we sat on the porch with a cold one and enjoyed the beginning of summer. as with anything of this nature we had a few issues and problems that evening – but all “First World” issues, if you know what I mean. We’d shrug it off and get back to the job at hand. Which, at that moment, was dessert. Yeah us.
Day Four • Bemus Point to Williamsport, PA Maybe it’s the feelin’ Or maybe it’s the freedom this was our longest day on this ride and the returning heat would make the day feel longer. But, the roads and the route would be very cool indeed. We said goodbye to Bebe and the young Victorian crew at the Hotel Lenhart after breakfast and made a quick break east towards the rolling forests of the alleghenies. the western part of new York and Pa, although full of history and oddities, is rather flat and predictable. on the other hand the route we had plotted for this day would be far from mundane. Heading down the allegheny River on Route 62 was about as pleasant as can be with the road
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS rising and falling and following the gently curving nature of the river. We rode through the small riverside town of tidioute, crossing the old iron frame bridge across the river and then picked up the infamous Road of the Beast – Route 666.
Riding this road east, it might seem like you have made a deal with the devil, it is really that good. twistalicious, and fairly well traffic free. We began to pass through elk Country so a quick visit to the Visitor Center in Benezette was in order. over the next hour or so a good number of Spring Breakers stopped by to learn about these reemerging animals. the elk Country Visitor Center is beautifully done and well worth visiting and spending an hour or so taking it all in.
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Lunch was had jus down the road at the old Bull Café – elk burgers and salads worked well. Keeping on Pa’s triple nickel – Route 555 - we followed along Sinnemahoning Creek (easy for you to say) and then towards Renovo and the winding and tiny road that rises up to Hyner Lookout, overseeing the West Branch Susque-
BACKROADS • JULY 2016 hanna River at some 1,900 feet. In addition to the view from the top, many days will find hang gliders taking off from the platform hanging on the cliffs’ side above the splendid view. as if on cue, a young, pretty pony-tailed blond millennial took a seat on the platform, posing for her friends. ahh, that middle-aged guy’s nikon moment. Back down on earth we carved up the rest of the day on Route 44 and another crafty two-laner designated 973 – stopping only for a really special Inside Scoop – Waltz’s Creamery. Shira is ever in search of sweet places to bring you kids. thanks to Pam Collins for the great suggestion. this night, our last on the road, would see us return to Williamsport and the genetti Hotel, where we had stayed a few years back. the third of our Historic hotels, even if most of us were in the updated annex, but right next to the pool, wihich worked well for everybody! We all still had our own rides back home the next day, but there was a general agreement that the routes this day were of a superior nature. In fact I commented that I had thought, earlier in the day, that I would rather be nowhere else doing anything else in the world, than riding like we did this day. Somebody asked if there was anything truly better. not for us. that night at dinner a veteran Spring Breaker, Jim, made the statement that these rallies were like, “going to a family reunion, with family you actually want to hang out with!” We could not have said it better Jim!
Day Five • Home If I’m gonna hit a traffic jam Well it better be a tractor man So sick and tired of this interstate system I need the curvin’, windin’, twistin’ dusty path to nowhere most everybody had a plan to get home this memorial day. our route would stay on the plan. We had ridden from the new York area to the western side of Pennsylvania and the shore of Lake erie without touching an interstate and we saw no reason to change this today; especially with a mere 180 miles of two-lane to the delaware River and home. Like the previous day we had our friends Ken and Karen ride along and after breakfast and hugs all around to those who still remained, we got going. our mishmash of macadam did us right and even our small forays into gravel were fun. Well, maybe that dirt goat path that was downhill on both sides was not my intention – but I would take credit for building that beautiful covered bridge that it led to – thank you very much. the night before we could feel the powerful energy that had built up again and I had hoped for a bit of weather to break up the heat. What we got was massive thunderstorms directly to our east. although Williamsport didn’t get hit, the Poconos and points east did. Riding into the Pocono mountains and across the plateau above the delaware we rode though a few miles of flooded forest, with water cascading across the roadway. Something had come though and it was big. Riding past Childs Park found the waterfall running harder than we had ever seen. Whatever came through had continued east and under now blue skies we crossed dingmans Bridge and made a stop for gyros, burgers and greek salads at the Layton general Store (you have to try this place!) From there, for us, it was a short hop home and heading south along Route 206 we suddenly found ourselves in the middle of stopped holiday traffic. With just an 1/8 of a mile or so before we could head back onto the two-laner that would bring us home, Rodney atkins “take the Back Roads” came on my mp3. not going to allow us to sit in this weekender mess, we ran up the shoulder for the short bit that we needed to and hooked a right on CR 521 south, with atkins singing to me about traffic jams and tractors. In another second I was tearing down some two-lane country with my honey after taking the long way home. makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take – the backroads. our Fall Fiesta Rally will be held from September 22 to the 26th – we hope you can make it. You can get all the information on our website: www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
I Know this Place
damn good chicKen 124a RoUte, BLaIRStoWn nJ 07825 908-362-1887 • WWW.damngoodCHICKen.Com oPen tUeSdaY - SUndaY 12 to 8Pm the small western new Jersey burg of Blairstown, right off Route 94 that runs from the delaware to Hudson Rivers, might be infamous for the filming of the first Friday the 13th, but the town has some other – sunnier charms. the arch architecture and waterfall, its location in the center of so many outstanding motorcycle roads and now – some damn good chicken as well. damn good Chicken is owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Rob derin and emily Van arsdale who met at Johnson & Wales University – serious culinary pedigrees. after a number of years working in the restaurant trade and taking their food on the road (literally) they have settled in Blairstown and opened damn good Chicken. now there is chicken…. and there is chicken! Rob and emily prepare chicken in the style of Cornell Chicken BBQ. this method, developed at Cornell University in the 1950’s, invented by dr. Robert Baker, involves marinating the very best chickens in a mix of vinegar, chicken fat, fresh herbs and dgC’s secret spice blend. after 24 hours in the marinade, the chickens are grilled over natural hardwood charcoal, continuously basting with the marinade to help develop an irresistibly moist and smoky chicken with extra crispy skin. Rob also has “Bertha” one of just two charcoal burning stoves in the United States – she helps too. Blairstown is not far from Backroads Central and is on our “go to Route” when we just want to head out for an afternoon’s ride. How convenient. although the Cornell chicken is beyond superb, Rob’s fried chicken was outstanding as well. a chicken meal like this can only be made better by some excellent side dishes and BdC has you covered with this as well – herb salt potatoes, honey or jalapeno cheddar cornbread (hot stuff), aunty em’s baked beans and Rob d’s mac & cheese – very, very good – a meal by itself.
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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they have a few damn good other plates too – the damnwich - boneless thigh, garlic mayo, pickled cherry peppers, arugula and crispy chicken skin as well as a damn good dog and taco. For you conscientious diners their salad is damn Healthy and changes with the season. they also have a number of desserts - pies, cobbler of the day and ice cream – all damn good by the way! In fact dgC prides themselves for their ice cream and, who knows,… maybe the place will make a return visit to Backroads in Shira’s Inside Scoop column. When exploring the Walpack and Skylands regions of new Jersey’s northwest and you get a hankering for some bird that is a bit more than damn good take a spin to Blairstown and stop in at Rob and emily’s place. You will find it in a small front building on the north end of the strip mall that holds the local tractor Supply - so it is hard to miss and easy to find. they didn’t name it damn good Chicken for nothing.
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2016 NEW SWEDEN 450 words + images: Brian Rathjen It was a dark and stormy day. Well, it didn’t start out dark and stormy. It was actually quite nice when we began to ready the motorcycles to leave for this year’s new Sweden 450. But, as the bikes were rolled out the clouds came rolling in and as noontime came around so did the first spatterings of the rest of our ride. I never much mind riding in the rain (well, not on the top of my list of fun times) but I really dislike leaving in the stuff. no matter where the journey or destination – leaving in the rain is slightly less than inspiring to me. I have a t-shirt that says “Rain Happens” on the front – it might as well say “again and again and again…” on the back. now in its third year, the new Sweden 450 is a road tour put on by the new Sweden BmW Riders. they hail from south Jersey and their ride would start, as it has in the past, from Cherry Hill and then head along some of the better regional two-laners for 225 miles – give or take - ending up at a campsite for the night. We had a heads up on the route, and not wishing to ride into Cherry Hill the night before, we chose to intercept the nS450 route about an hour into it in Wilmington, delaware. this year the new Sweden 450 would touch four states - new Jersey, delaware, maryland and Pennsylvania; a nice stretch of the cables for the middle of the lusty month of may, fickle bitch that she can be. Heading down through Pennsylvania would give us a chance to run along some roads that we might not have touched yet and I had one or two places I thought we’d stop by since we were in the region – more or less. this was Friday the 13th weekend. that shouldn’t make any difference in these science-based days and the time for a bit of triskaidekaphobia might long be over. or, not. this day didn’t work out well for the Knights templar, did it? I am making a note to avoid having any Backroads Rallies on weekends that start on a 13th. By the time we rode south through Blairstown that spattering of rain had
JULY 2016 • BACKROADS increased from pesky to annoying. Some of you might be aware that many years ago they filmed one of the first of the popular slasher movies - Friday the 13th - in this town. nice to give a nod as we passed the theatre featured in the film. Crossing the delaware and heading south the rains continued to get heavier now rising the crap o‘meter from annoyance to problematic. about halfway down to delaware we stopped at a local diner for a meal that was frighteningly bad as well. the first of many storm fronts passed over us as we had lunch and then, with skies ever lightening, we moved south along the Pa backroads.
I had routed us through Phoenixville. Located on the confluence of the French Creek and Schuylkill River, this town is fairly bustling and is well worth a stop. For us the draw was the Colonial theatre. now 113 years old (See? no triska…trisky…., umm - triskaidekaphobia for us!) it has seen a lot of shows
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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and films on its stage, but is best known for being the movie theater that the Blob came rolling through in the film with the same name. Being huge Steve mcQueen fans we had to drop by and check it off the ever-growing bucket list. the door was open so we did a quick stroll through the place. Very nice on Friday the 13th. a bit further on we rode to Valley Forge. this national Historical Park deserves its own piece and, as a fanboy of
works well with pickles, gherkins, cornichons and other such things found floating in briney barrels. I only wish that my friend Pete miller could have been with us. We were on our first serving of pickles – deep fried thank you – when a woman came around in a very self-important manner shutting down the entire event. “the storm is coming, the storm is coming!” I was waiting for her to start yelling for dorothy. I looked at my iPhone. as Scooby-doo would say – “Ruh Ro!” We found a diner, lunch and a bit of shelter as another front punched through the allegheny mountains. an hour later, rested and fed, we rode into the blue
general Washington too, we will do just that in another issue. We rode across the frontier and into the First State. Heading higher and higher we ran up the tortuous high pass roads to the ebright azimuth – the highest 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD point in delaware. a nose bleeding 447.85 feet we MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 thought to go to our o2 tanks, but had failed to bring any, that precious space being taken with a monstrous 845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM pavilion. every state has a highest point. this was delaware’s. Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, We had booked a hotel right on the 450’s route, near snowmobiles, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, a movie theater that had better furniture than my home Yamaha and Can-Am. With a large parts department, qualified service technicians and a full shop full of parts and accessories, we're here to meet all your power sport needs. For every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing it in the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads, we have their weapon of choice.
and caught the new Captain america film. at last year’s nS450 we did the same and it is becoming tradition - movie and a ride! By the time we arrived the sun was out and the next day was brilliant as well. Well, for a while, but we jumped onto new Sweden’s path and immediately got into some seriously fun roadways. It strikes me as funny, and not in a good way, that there are so many motorcycle and riding “clubs” out there yet very few bother to put together a simple few days worth of good, ol’ fashioned riding. Charity rides are all well and good, but you can never compare 50 miles of police escorted parade to a few hundred miles of blasting through farms, forest and mountains. We wish more events like these would fill up our calendar. Heading west we rolled into maryland for a bit and then, without even knowing it, we were in Pennsylvania once again. We spotted a sign for a “Pickle Festival” in dillsburg. dillsburg is really named for matthew dill, an Irish man who settled the area back in 1740, but the name
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skies that filled the west. In the mirrors the tempest continued its charge to the east. timing is everything boys and girls. this day’s route was phenomenal and ran us along roads we had not traversed and some we were intimately familiar with. towards the end of the day they even had us along Back Road. Very nice. Coming over the mountain I could see what was ‘comin’ round’it. again?! We got to the campground in Burnt Cabins just in time to put down the kickstands and dash for cover and coffee at the general store. Yikes. this was what we called a “gullywasher” back in the day, whenever that was.
With another rain delay putting us on hold I began to question our accommodations for the night. did I mention this is a camping event? Well, it is. It’s not that I am against camping and I have had my days of living rough on the road. But the days Inn the previous night had extra pillows and heat and was fresh in our memory. the temperatures right now was in the low 50s, but would drop when the sun did. oh joy. We waited for the next widow of opportunity, and bout of sun, to put up the taj matent. Ridiculously big, and heavy to transport, this tent was created for adventure-types that fancy to ride through deserts, jungles and Zika-filled swamps only to insist they have an indoor spot for their machine each night.
It was overkill but it’s what we have. It is big and bright golden in hue and we told gawkers (you know who you are) that it was really a trump campaign headquarters. this got alternating hisses and applause. By this time the campground was starting to fill up with some other intrepid and determined (re: clueless and unaware) riders who said “to heck with the weather” and decided to come camping and experience the very best weather Canada could throw at us first hand. Bully on you kids, bully on you. (snort)
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
Page 45 the new Sweden BmW Riders did a superb job of keeping things light, easy and fun during the evening with a little information on the club, some neat door prizes and the Ye olde mill Campground put out an excellent dinner for us all. this is a fun event. the campground has a working gristmill and they sell their own mixes and flours. that would come into play the next morning during breakfast. Campfires were lit just in time for the next wave of rains and with the mercury falling (we can’t have mercury thermometers anymore, but we can still say that) most called it an early night and snuggled into the tents and, hopefully, warm sleeping bags. We did okay this night, but woke up to crisp and bracing air. as my grandpa mcauley would say, “Fookin’ cold it is!” to the west storms were beginning to fill the sky, but just to the north there was no rain. It was snow. WtF ottawa?! We packed up, had a great breakfast of pancakes, eggs and such, and after saying thank you very much to the new Sweden gang got on our way along their route, which headed due east along the snaky roads that go up and over the ridges of Pennsylvania.
after awhile we knew we would be heading north, on our own route, and that we did trying to scoot ahead of the westerly darkness that was gaining ground. thank the road gods for electric heated gear. We rode into Backroads Central under untrustworthy blue skies as if the weekend tried to say…. “Who me? What?” then the skies got dark and it did it again.
this time I didn’t care as I watched this rain freshly hot showered and toasty with a hot cup of coffee and a Spenser t. Cat snuggled on my lap. Look for the 2017 new Sweden 450 to come around in mid-may next year. there are no Friday the 13th in may of next year – I checked. Find out more about the new Sweden BmW Riders here:
www.newswedenbmwriders.com
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
MACHINEART MOTO R1200R AND RS PROTECTION
facebook.com/BackroadsMotorcycleTouringMagazine
fenders are also very flexible - not stable enough to serve as a mount for a long fender extension. BmW’s styling took precedence over functionality, opening the door to an original solution. avantguard solves new bike owners’ need for front end splash protection to keep their bikes looking new while adding a stylish supplement to existing bodywork and preserving BmW’s intended look of the front fender. avantguard covers the full height of the engine, 12.5” (325mm), mounting to two existing screws at the top, and to the bottom of the engine case via an aluminum bracket and m8 bolts. at its widest point, 11.5” (295mm), it partially overlaps the exhaust headers to reduce stone abrasion and leaves sufficient clearance for cooling airflow. avantguard is injection molded nylon, the same impact resistant material used by BmW for its fenders and side skirts. Its fine matte texture helps hide abrasion marks from use over time. avantguard is a front end complement to the mudSling. the mudSling12gS_LC retails for $149 and the avantguard will sell for $129.00. Both can be purchased from www.machineartmoto.com and authorized machineart moto dealers.
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the mudSling R12R/RS_LC protects these models’ wide-open suspension area and assorted underseat components from stone chips, splash and mud accumulation. mudSling’s effective coverage area is 136 sq. in., 8.5” wide x 16”, sufficient to protect the Paralever arm and reduce splash out to the sides onto riders’ legs. It provides broad area coverage forward of the tire, while from the side the mudSling’s shape is slender and well integrated with the bikes’ styling. mudSling is injection molded in resilient polypropylene with a fine texture matching other plastic part surfaces on the R/RS. It mounts with one screw to a frame component and is further secured to the frame rails with nylon zip ties. the mudSling R12R/RS_LC continues the mudSling tradition of functionality, attention to detail, and excellent appearance - all characteristics of the machineartmoto brand. along with the the mudSling machineart moto has also released the avantguard, a front end stone and splash guard that protects the painted engine and exhaust headers of the liquid-cooled BmW R1200R/RS from abrasion damage. avantguard is a new kind of protection product designed to reflect these bikes distinctive styling while taking over the function of a front fender extension, like that of mamo’s own line of avants for other BmW models. the R and RS models’ front fenders are short, styled to look light and fast, but ineffective in containing road debris thrown back by the front tire and damaging the engine and surrounding surfaces from over time. the front
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS AND REVIEWS SAVE SPACE WITH EASY MOVEMENT – GARAGE DOLLY meet the space-saving Condor garage dolly . . . the easiest and safest way to move any motorcycle around in a garage to place it out of the way, and gain more space. Just ride or push your motorcycle onto the garage dolly until it locks into the built-in wheel chock. the patented cradle adjusts to accommodate virtually all motorcycles - from heavy baggers and cruisers to sportbikes and dirt bikes - just like Condor’s legendary Pit Stop wheel chock. the garage dolly rolls easily on large 4” wheels, which allows you to swivel or roll your bike to any tight spot in your garage, even over large cracks and pitted floors. the dolly has four large brake stops for secure loading and unloading. It’s made of light-weight, yet sturdy aluminum, and the unit can be folded for storage. the garage dolly sells for $444.00. and best of all, it’s made in america by Condor, so you know it has got to be good. to order, call 800-461-1344 or visit www.condor-lift.com.
AEROSTICH CATALOG 2016 • EQUIPMENT FOR RIDERS “This catalog is YOUGe! Fantastic! Outstanding!” ~ Donald Trump “I was never able to make something so grand. How did Aerostich do it?” ~ Pharaoh Khufu “It could only be better if it was in Paris.” ~ Gustave Eiffel “Hot damn – we thought we did immense with the Big Bang millions of years ago!” ~ The Universe We knew that aerostich was coming out with a new and improved catalog for 2016. We knew it would be larger than ever – but we had no idea just how big it would be and how much cool stuff would be found inside. a full 292 pages in size, it is a must have for any rider who wants to make the most of his or her riding. When we first put this up on Social media (are we the only ones who really think Sm is overrated?) we got messages that the catalog cost $10 and that was steep. Well, it does cost and it doesn’t. It is free if requested when you purchase something from aerostich, or you can shell out the ten spot and then get that back on your first order. Paper aint’ cheap! Believe us we know. this is a deal, really just a tank of gas. If you cannot find something you need, want or have to have in this catalog we’ll buy you ice cream on the next Shira’s mystery Ice Cream Run. From their famed Roadcrafter Riding suits (the suit that set the standard for the riding world) to packing, navigation and more, this catalog has a full 8 sections that will keep you paging through it for a long time. Check out their website and order your own aerostich 2016 Catalog at www.aerostich.com and spring for the ten clams. It will be worth every penny or we’ll be buying the ice cream.
NELSON – RIGG SURVIVOR DRY BAG We recently came across a dry bag that was a bit different then some of the others on the market. the Survivor dry Bag, from nelson-Rigg, is a waterproof adventure motorcycle dry bag that has removable internal stiffeners that lets the bag hold its shape even when empty - unlike all other dry bags that collapse upon themselves. the bag comes in both black and yellow. Considering the job at hand we’ll take more conspicuity every time. the Survivor dry Bag takes a few minutes to set up, as you have to slide the plastic “stiffeners” into place. a one-time job. once that was done installation on our KLR bike was as easy as they come as the bag can be mounted across or along seat or tail section depending on machine. the bag has heavy duty quick release anodized aluminum cam buckles and nylon webbing that quickly mounted to four points on the plate behind the saddle. electronically heat welded seams makes this bag 100% waterproof. Roll the
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS AND REVIEWS airtight roll closure tight and buckle it down and ride off into the storm. We were comfortable enough with this claim that we happily rode around in the heavy rains, that invariably follow us, with a laptop and iPad safe, secure and dry in the Survivor. Closed correctly there was never an issue. the Survivor is made from waterproof and durable 24oz tarpaulin PVC and its coated outer material prevents slipping or marking on the machine and that firm base panel helps support the bag even when not supported by a rack. Removable and adjustable carry handles can also be used to secure other items on top of your bag and the durable d-rings allow more Survivor bags to be attached. Hi-Visibility reflective accents are on straps, front and sides of bag and offer even more visibility than the bright yellow by itself and at night. measuring 20”L x 10”W x 12” the bag holds a good-sized 39.33 Liters. I was amazed at how much stuff I could slip into this bag and liked that no matter how much or little I would be carrying, the Survivor’s reflective compression straps easily adjust to the volume of content. the Survivor dry-Bags come with a lifetime warranty and are available in Black (Se-3000-BLK) and Yellow/Black (Se-3010-YeL) for $109.95 See your nelson-Rigg dealer or log onto www.nelsonrigg.com to order yours and see the rest of the nelson-Rigg line. ~Brian Rathjen
ALPINESTAR JET ROAD GORE-TEX GLOVE
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When the weather gets cold and wet your hands are the first thing to go. Looking for an all-weather glove that could handle extremes in both temperature and moisture we came across alpinestar’s Jet Road gloves. the Jet Road gore-tex is a full length touring glove featuring a dual layer storm gauntlet closure for 100% waterproof performance. Built as a classic touring glove it has a twin-layer wrist gore-tex glove designed to enclose jacket sleeves for weather protection and comfort, this insures waterproofness and breathability. a built-in, advanced carbon fiber tPU molded knuckle is discretely housed within the outer surface while the durable outer fabric chassis is reinforced with leather. Highly breathable and ergonomic with extensive accordion flex panels, the Jet Road is supremely comfortable and designed for enhanced fit and feel. Full leather palm with fabric upper surface and finger fourchettes and leather reinforcements protect the palm and thumb grip surfaces. along the first two fingers and the gauntlet you will find retro reflective detailing for enhanced rider visibility at night. the glove is available in both black and high-viz for added conspicuity. Lifting from their heavy race experience alpinestar has added their patented finger-bridge which prevents finger separation and protection from twisting around the little finger in the event of an impact slide. this might not seem like much - until it is needed. In the wet the Jet Road uses water drain eyelets in the outer cuff layer to help funnel water off the cuff. also, the helmet visor wipe strip mounted on left thumb will help to clear your shield in a downpour. gloves for the millennials • another neat feature is the tPR finger stylus. the tips of both index fingers have sharp little points molded onto them to help tap onto bike navigation systems and smart phones texts. on the road we found the Jet Road gloves to be a serious gauntlet and that they are excellent in the spring and fall wet weather, but a bit on the warm side in the hot summer months. Still, better to have them in your saddlebag than not. the $199 price tag might seem like a high price to pay for a pair of gloves, but the Jet Road gore-tex gloves from alpinestar are a superb combination of years of race born technology and real road experience. • www.alpinestars.com
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Rip & Ride® • INSIDE SCOOP 301 N 3RD ST/ROUTE 309N, COOPERSBURG, PA 610-282-1955 • WWW.INSIDESCOOP.COM • MON-THURS+SUN: 11A-9P • FRI-SAT: 11A-10P DOWNLOAD THE GPS ROUTE HERE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/4ANCUL
START: BRANCHVILLE GRILL, BROAD AVE, BRANCHVILLE, NJ
HEAD SOUTH ON MILL ST RIGHT ON NEWTON AVE – CROSS ROUTE 206 STRAIGHT AT STOP SIGN ONTO CR 626 LEFT ON CR 521 SOUTH RIGHT ON MAPLE AVE/CR 521 LEFT ON STONEBRIDGE RD RIGHT ON STILLWATER RD RIGHT ON LINCOLN LAUREL RD LEFT ON ROUTE 94 NORTH RIGHT ON CR 661/HOPE-JOHNSONBURG RD LEFT ON STATE PARK RD BEAR RIGHT ON FARVIEW RD LEFT ON HOPE RD RIGHT ON MARBLE HILL RD RIGHT ON MOUNTAIN LAKE RD LEFT ON N BRIDGEVILLE RD RIGHT ON BRASS CASTLE RD LEFT ON FRONT ST RIGHT ON MILL ST RIGHT ON GREENWICH ST LEFT ON WATER ST OVER BRIDGE ONTO MARTINS CREEK BELVIDERE HWY RIGHTO ON RICHMOND RD LEFT ON BERRY HOLLOW RD LEFT ON ROUTE 611
RIGHT ON LITTLE CREEK RD RIGHT ON ROUTE 611 BEAR RIGHT ON FRONT ST RIGHT ON UHLER RD LEFT ON BUSHKILL DR RIGHT ON N 13TH ST RIGHT ON BUTLER ST LEFT ON S 16TH ST LEFT ON PALMER ST LEFT ON KEYSTONE AVE RIGHT ON MAIN ST RIGHT ON ISLAND PARK RIGHT ON APPLE BUTTER RD LEFT ON RINGHOFFER RD RIGHT ON EASTON RD RIGHT ON E WATER ST LEFT ON MAIN ST/CR 412 RIGHT ON APPLES CHURCH RD LEFT ON WARDS LANE RIGHT ON FLINT HILL RD LEFT ON SUTER RD RIGHT ON TUMBLEBROOK RD RIGHT ON STATE RD RIGHT ON E LANDIS ST RIGHT ON N 3RD ST/ROUTE 309 ARRIVE AT INSIDE SCOOP ON RIGHT
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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START AT TRUCK STOP OFF I-80W, COLUMBIA NJ RTE 46 EAST FOLLOW SIGNS TO PORTLAND BRIDGE RIGHT AT MIDDLE VILLAGE RD LEFT AT BOULDER DR LEFT AUDUBON DR RIGHT MILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAY LEFT AT RAMBLEWOOD RD RIGHT AT LONELY LN LEFT AT BRUGLER DR RIGHT AT LAKE MINSI DR RIGHT BLUE MOUNTAIN DR LEFT AT QUAKER PLAINS RD RIGHT AT BOX GAP RD RIGHT AT RTE 191 LEFT AT POPLAR VALLEY RD WEST RIGHT AT BLAKESLEE RD LEFT AT CHERRY VALLEY RD RIGHT QUIET VALLEY RD RIGHT TURKEY HILL RD LEFT HICKORY VALLEY RD LEFT RTE 209 EXIT RIGHT MINEOLA RD RIGHT AT RTE 715 LEFT AT EVERGREEN HOLLOW RD RIGHT LONGWOODS DR LEFT WARNER DR SUGAR HOLLOW RD LEFT AT SHIPPERFIELD DR LEFT AT STATE RD INTO IONAS RD RIGHT AT RTE 534 RIGHT INTO HICKORY RUN STATE PARK FOLLOW SIGNS TO GRAVEL ROAD ON RIGHT
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
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And…They’re Off! FALL FIESTA 2016
SEPT. 22-26 nother riding season has arrived and, with it, another Backroads Rally. This Fall we’ll be headed north to enjoy the colors and the mountain riding, staying in and out of towns. We’ll have a group dinner Saturday at the Eagle Mountain House, so make your reservations early as rooms, and seating, are limited.
A
Thurs, Sept. 22 • Saratoga Downtowner 413 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 518-584-6160 • www.saratogadowntowner.com Rooms: $99 - $139 plus tax incl. breakfast Cutoff reservation date: July 5 Ask for Backroads when making reservation
Fri/Sat, Sept. 23-25 • Eagle Mountain House 179 Carter Notch Rd, Jackson, NH 603-383-9111 • www.eaglemt.com Room and breakfast only: $170/single • $188/double Saturday night: Room, breakfast, dinner $215/single • $275/double
Cutoff reservation date: August 9 Ask for Backroads when making reservation Reserve Saturday night dinner when booking
Sun, Sept. 25 • West Dover, VT Kitzhof Inn 802-464-8310 • www.kitzhof.com
Gray Ghost Inn 800-745-3615 • www.grayghostinn.com
BACKROADS • JULY 2016
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RIDE LIKE A PRO NJ Jerry ‘Motorman’ Palladino’s Training Classes Being Held in New Jersey ‘NEVER FEAR making a U-turn or dropping your 800lb. motorcycle again’ • Male-Female-Big-Small: It doesn’t matter • You can learn the 3 simple techniques that motor cops have been using for years • Our instructors - all active or retired motor officers - will show you how to use the motor cop riding techniques to better control and handle your motorcycle
Check our website for available dates
www.RideLikeAProNJ.com Pre-registration is recommended as classes fill quickly. Gift certificates available • Course Fee is $175.00
THE MORE YOU KNOW - THE BETTER IT GETS • RIDER TRAINING AT ANY LEVEL
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival mental Floss my father-in-law used to keep a small book with him, a pad really, that he would use to jot down thoughts, information, bad jokes along with anything that he thought he would find useful later on - his own form of mental floss. In the beginning, a quarter century ago, I found it a humorous oddity and it worked for Irving. time splinter 25 years and I find the need to put things down in writing happening more and more. most things that I need to take care of have become second nature – but, more and more I scribble ideas and thoughts down so as to get back to them later. this allows me the luxury of going back to some semi-brilliant thought that I might have had while on the bike, (don’t we all have big thoughts on the bike?) later in the day or, in this case, the porch at the Hotel Lenhart in Bemus Point, new York at our 18th annual Spring Break. these thoughts have been addressed before in this magazine. When exactly, I do not know, as I did not write that information down. But I tend to repeat myself often, so if I have harped on some of this before, please forgive me. I have a few lists on my computer. Individual lists for touring, magazine stuff, bike maintenance, etc…I am sure many of you have your own lists as well.
Back in new Jersey, in the happy confines of Backroads Central, I looked back at some of the random thoughts that were floating around my mind over this spring event. Here they are in no particular order.
#1 - checK Your tires! oh my god! Like the preacher that gave the same sermon again and again until his congregation got it right – I will continue to address this. Check your tires. We know from our own experience, and from seeing others go through the same unwanted adventure, that it is far better, safer and economical to keep an eye on your tires all the time and swap them for fresh rubber BeFoRe going on a trip, rally or extended journey, than to realize your current tires have give up the ghost or have the grim Reaper of tires following your machine everywhere you go. Picture vultures made out of tire rubber watching your bike from a dead tree while it sits in the parking lot. (I told you I think a lot while riding) Your heavy dose of denial will usually be surrendered to the reality that you have outridden your current rubber on a Saturday night in Bumfrack, Wherever, miles and days from an open motorcycle shop that actually has the tires you want. You now have a self-made mess. digest this tip and avoid future problems. #2 – delete Your old gPs routes at this past rally we did our best to help a few friends with their gPS woes. Having trouble downloading our routes (Windows ugg!) and then loading them. the thing that really stuck out to me was that so many people had so many routes on their gPS. Yes, your modern day device can and will hold a large number of old routes. But why would you want to? I know I might keep one or two local routes handy if the ride is complicated and not ingrained into my subconscious, but to have the last 5 years of routes from Backroads events is just…crazy! You need to be a navajo Code Breaker just to find the new gPX files. You have them on your computer at home, so best to clear out the old so you can easily and quickly access the new. Your gPS will run a tad smoother as well. #3 aVoid road ragers twice on this event I had run-ins with civilians of the non-riding populace. once was a very irate construction flagger and the second was a kayak towing pick-up truck. In the former the flagger just had a red flag as his weapon of choice (and a radio and a full construction crew) and was easily ridden away from. the driver of the truck, on the other hand, had 5,000 pounds of hammer in his hands. as angry and frustrating as some of these situations can be, please realize your options and chances for winning any serious clash are slim. In truth – you can’t win and can only survive. So survive. If you can, ride away – fast. don’t let ego get you or a friend killed. I know things can happen quickly, but try using your head and not your fists. We want to see you at our next rally, riding your motorcycle, and having deep mental floss thoughts. ~ Brian Rathjen
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BACKROADS • JULY 2016
UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com 2nd Friday thru September 9th @ 6-8pm • 120 N. Queen Street, Lancaster, PA • The Lancaster County Motorcycle Dealers Association invites you to share their passion of riding and discover all that historic downtown Lancaster has to offer. Come socialize with other riders, eat/drink at numerous restaurants & pubs, and shop at the countless stores throughout Lancaster... all within walking distance! In addition there will be biker-related vendors and food trucks set up in Lancaster Square on Queen Street • More info: www.2FBN.com • Portions of the proceeds from all vendors at 2FBN to benefit local charities. Every Saturday May - October • Bergen County Harley Davidson Saddle Up Saturday. 9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs at 10am. Return to the dealership for FRee food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. BCHD, 124 essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com Every Sunday • Tramontin Harley-Davidson Biker Breakfast. 9-11am (weather permitting). Join us for breakfast before you ride. Great atmosphere, food and hospitality. Tramontin H-D, exit 12, I-80, Hope, NJ • 908-459-4101 • TramontinHD.com Thru October 29 • AACA presents Mods and Rockers: The clash of sub-cultures in england in the late ‘50s-60s. explores the difference in fashion, music an preference of two wheel transport. Discount coupon page 39. 9am-5pm • 161 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA • 717-566-7100 • AACAMuseum.org
JULY 2016 5-7 • Women on Wheels 30th Annual International Ride-In - Gettysburg, PA. 402-4771280 • womenonwheels.org 6 • Shira’s National Ice Cream Month Run. We all love to ride and have ice cream, so let’s do BOTH. We’ll start and end the day with ice cream, with a lunch stop in between. Full details on our website: www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html 8-10 • AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, OH 800-AMA-JOIN • americanmotorcyclist.com 9-10 • 40th Annual Running of the Ramapo 500™. Sign in: Ramapo MC Clubhouse, Veterans Memorial Assoc. Bldg, 66 Lake Rd, Congers, NY • endsite: Rhodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, NY @ 7am. $45 advanced reistration/$60 day of event. Two-day 500-mile gorgeous ride with free camping with pool, Sat. dinner, Sun. breakfast, awards and prizes, starter pins and finisher patches. GPS route upload service for add’l fee. ramapomc.org 7-9 • Motorcycle Skills Competition & Motorcycle Run. Skills: Practice & eliminations
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What’s Happening July 7 & 8 8am-4pm @ Willowbrook Mall, Wayne, NJ. Finals July 9 8am-2pm • Full details: tjohn710@yahoo.com • Run: Sign in July 9 • 8-9am Bergen County H-D, 124 essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ. $25/rider-passenger. KSU 9:15 for 50 mile escorted ride • info@bergenharley.com 10 • Freedom Run - Rolling Thunder NJ 3. Fully escorted ride through scenic Warren County NJ. Sign in: Goodwill Fire Company, 689 Water St, Belvidere, NJ 9-11am; KSU 11:30am sharp. endsite: Warren County War Memorial, Belvidere, NJ. Free event, donations appreciated. Food at registration and endsite. www.rollingthunder-nj3.org 14-16 • 44th Annual BMW MOA International Rally - Hamburg, NY. Held on fairgrounds near Niagra Falls and the city of Buffalo. Camping, vendors, seminars, off-road competitions and so much more. 864-438-0962 • BMWMOA.org 16 • Cross Country BMW S1000 Appreciation Day BBQ & Bike Wash. Meet BMW Factory Rider Nate Kern & Chassis engineer Steve Weir. 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ • 732-906-9292 • www.CCBMW.com 17 • V.I.P event with Nate Kern & Steve Weir at NJMP, Millville, NJ. Must be participating at the July 18th TrackDay to attend. Hospitality tent for customers. For more information please contact Pete. Y. @ 732-906-9292. www.crosscountrypowersports.com 17 • Ride for Kids UTICA. Deerfield Volunteer Fire Dept, 5476 Trenton Rd, Deerfield, NY • Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org 22-24 • Cross Country Ducati Demo Truck event, 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ. Ducati experience Tour Three-day weekend full of Ducati demo rides with full fleet of 2016 models. Info: www.ccducati.com • 732-906-9292 25 • Sharpen your skills and build confidence at the track. The Street Skills Riding Academy is conducting a Cornering Skills Instructional Track Day just for street riders at the New York Safety Track in Oneonta, NY. Pre-registration required. Info: 585-8029859 • jon@streetskills.net • streetskills.net 26 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Celebration of Tools, Technology and the Techs who Triumph • 4-8pm. Try out the speedway racing simulator, take on the Tools of Triumph challenge and compete against techs in the shop. Learn more: woodstockharley.com • 949 NY 28, Kingston, NY • 845-208-2178 28-31 • COG Ne Dog Days Summer Rally, Staunton, VA. Some of the best sport-touring riding in the northeast-Blue Ridge Parkway is 17 miles from the hotel and great routes into WV. The hotel is a 3 block walk to the restored downtown area with many choices for food and beverages. event fee applies for group dinner. Full details: tinyurl.com/COGDogDays2016 31 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com
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JULY 2016 • BACKROADS
UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR AUGUST 2016 7 • Ride for Kids Hudson Valley. Central Valley elementary School, 45 Route 32, Central Valley, NY. Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org. 7 • Ride for Kids Western PA. Seneca Valley High School, 128 Seneca School Rd, Harmony, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org. 13 • Unadilla hosts Pro National MX. Take a scenic ride to see some great dirt racing. Full details unadillamx.com • 5986 State Hwy 8, New Berlin, NY • 607-965-8450
What’s Happening 22-25 • COG Ne Down-east Maine Fall Rally, Northeast Harbor, Me. Mt. Desert Island is the home of Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Acadia National Park. event fee applies for group dinner. Full details: http://goo.gl/XRvelc 24 • Bob’s BMW Fall Open House Oktoberfest & Swap Meet. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Details: bobsbmw.com 24 • Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness 5th Annual Charity Bike Run and event, Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Rd, Augusta, NJ. Rain date: Sept. 25th. Details: foreverfriendsmotorcycleawareness.org
18-21 • Touratech Rally east, Huntingdon, PA. Details: touratechrally.com.
22-25 • BACKROADS FALL FIeSTA Four days of incredible riding and fun. For full details visit www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html
18-21 • COG NC/VA "Crossing the Lines II" no-frills weekend, Independence, VA. Primarily a camping weekend, with cabins &, apartments, as well as RV or tents. There are nearby motels too. A great location with many destinations in different directions. For more information visit the event web page: http://goo.gl/d5gJhm
25 • Ride for Kids Baltimore-Washington. Turf Valley Resort, 2700 Turf Valley Rd, ellicott City, MD. Registration 7:30-9am • Kickstands up: 9:30am For complete details visit rideforkids.or
26 • Rockaway Twp Unico Charity Motorcycle Run for the Kids to benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Sign in: Petersen Field (exit 35 off I-80), Fleetwood Rd, Rockaway Twp, NJ 8:30-10am • KSU 10am. $25/rider-$15/passenger. 60 mile police-escorted run throughout northwest NJ includes BBQ lunch at The Barn, soft drinks, live music, raffles and 50/50 • www.RTunico.org, email: info@RTunico.org or 973-975-5554 28 • Ride for Kids New england. Bose Corporation, 100 The Mountain Rd, Framingham, MA • Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org.
SEPTEMBER 2016 9-11 • Vermont BMW MC present the 34th Green Mountain Rally, Goshen, VT. In the midst of the Green Mountains, enjoy the best home cooking (Fri/Sat dinners, Sat/Sun breakfasts), great Vermont self-guided tours, Gap and GS rides, live bluegrass music Friday night, door prizes and awards ceremony Sat. night, hot showers, camping, bonfires and an hour of New england storytelling. Details: vtbmwmov.org/rally 18 • 33rd Annual Italian Motorcycle Meet by IMOC. 10am-3pm; judging at Noon. Featured Marque: Aprilia. Admission: $10/single, $15/2-up. Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, 24 Hamilton Rd, Sturbridge, MA. For full details visit www.imocusa.com or call 248-4705788 • 401-397-4253 18 • Ride for Kids Philadelphia. The event Center by Cornerstone, 46 N.Sugan Rd, New Hope, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am - KSU: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org 18 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com 18 • AMA District II Corn Boil Rally. Sign in 9-11am • $15 Williams HD, Lebanon, NJ. endsite: eagles, Bridgewater, NJ. Ride in Bike Show, music, trophies, vendors. Info: 732-887-5612 • 908-722-0128 • www.amadistrictII.com
OCTOBER 2016 6 • Blue Knights NJ IX 28th Annual Harvey C. Irons Make-A-Wish Ride to benefit MakeA-Wish Foundation of NJ. Start and end: Skylands Stadium, CR 565, Augusta, NJ. $20/pp, under 12 free. Sign in: 9am - Ride: 11am. Coffee and donuts at start; entertainment, vendors and lunch at finish • www.BKNJIX.org • nj9@blueknights.org 15 • Oktoberfest Open House at Morton's BMW Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, VA 22408. Traditional Oktoberfest celebration, this year with special guest Reg Pridmore, the first AMA Superbike Champion (on a BMW R90S, of course), and owner of the CLASS motorcycle riding school. Details to come at www.mortonsbmw.com or 540-891-9844. 16 • Ramapo MC Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes north Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, NY @ 9am-mid-afternoon. Guided/self-guided tour featuring the best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson Valley’s most interesting roads. Benefits Valerie Fund. ramapomc.org 17-18 • Don’t miss Reg Pridmore’s last CLASS at Virginia Internationl Raceway. 2-day learning extravaganza. For full details visit www.CLASSRides.com • 805-933-9936 24 • 9th Annual Ridgewood Fall Motorcycle Classic(Raindate Sunday, October 31st). Full details visit www.bergenharleydavidson.com or call 201-843-6930
NOVEMBER 2016 25 • 2nd Annual Black Friday Ride @ Bob's BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. After a great success in 2015, Bob’s will be hosting a 2nd annual Black Friday Ride! Avoid shopping pandemonium and #optoutsideon2wheels Visit bobsbmw.com for details. 25 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com
DECEMBER 2016 17 • 9am-4pm • Holiday Cheer Open House @ Bob's BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. The annual customer appreciation day is Bob’s favorite event of the year. It’s a time to think back and smile on yet another wonderful and fun year of riding and serving customers! Visit bobsbmw.com for details.
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www.Powersports.Honda.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm Sat: 9am-5pm • SUNDAY: CLOSED honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. NC700X, CB500X, VFR1200X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)