July 2022

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W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

MONTHLY COLUMNS FREE WHEELIN’ ........................................ 4 WHATCHATHINKIN’ ................................... 5 ON THE MARK .......................................... 6 BACKLASH ............................................... 7 INDUSTRY INFOBITES............................... 9 BIG CITY GETAWAY................................. 12 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ............................... 14 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .......................... 17 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN......... 20 INSIDE SCOOP ....................................... 22 THOUGHT FROM THE ROAD ................... 47 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .................... 48

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

MOTORCYCLE REVIEWS YAMAHA XSR900 .................................... 31

PRODUCT REVIEWS LEE PARKS TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE ...... 42 DUNLOP TRAILMAX MISSION TIRES .......

MOTOREFLECTIVE ..................................

SW MOTECH COCKPIT MOUNT ..............

NELSON RIGG COMMUTER TAIL BAG .....

42 43 44 44

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Tony Lisanti, Dr. Seymour O’Life

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 620 Augusta, NJ 07822

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FEATURES SPRING BREAK - IT’S A TWISTER ........... 24 MY OLD SCHOOL.................................... 32

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2022. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

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FR E E W H E EL I N’ BRIAN RATHJEN

IT’S HOW YOU SAY IT? My mother was a great one to remind me a few thousand times over my youth that “Brian… It is not what you say, but how you say it.” WTF, Mom? Umm – I mean, to what do you refer, dear mother?

OK, the original redhead in my life had a point – she usually did.

This thought of her words came filtering back into my mind the other day when we (meaning I) had to stop to use the men’s room at the traffic circle in Harriman State Park.

For as long as I remember there has been facilities right here, and they are usually open and clean each time I have needed to heed nature’s call.

Hey, in my 60s, and guys like me are allowed, ok?

As we rode up to the island, in the center of the traffic circle, along Seven Lakes Drive and Arden Valley Road along the eastern edge of Lake Tiorati I could not help but notice that the once “Motorcycle Parking” had been rescinded. Above the sign for the “Comfort Station” (the bathrooms) it now clearly stated Motorcycle Parking Not Permitted.

The pavement that was once marked for motorcycles had been taped over.

“Hmmm, what’s up Doc?” We pulled in along the very edge of the circle, on the outside along the curb, Shira’s rear wheel in the cross-walk.

The park was surprisingly empty this fine Sunday in spring.

I looked over the signs wondering why they had decided to nix the bike parking but then, heeding “The Call” quickly ran across the road to the loo. I would just be a minute.

As I did I spotted the Park Service Utility pick-up rolling down Arden Valley Road.

Whilst busy inside I heard the snap of a PA and the driver berated Shira about the No Motorcycle Parking.

“Motorcycles Park in the Parking Lot” Four times. Shira heard it the first time… but he was persistent.

Victor Chang once wrote about The Thin Line Between Persistence and Stupidity. He likened it to the famous American General Oliver P. Smith who said in World War II, “We aren’t retreating. We’re charging ahead in a different direction.”

All I really heard was “Motor…waa waa waa.” Like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

Shira pointed at the bathroom.

Realizing we were not in the lot, but on the side of the roads – safely I might add – he began to squawk that Shira was in a crosswalk. Not parked, but stopped with a running machine.

Shira smiled inside her helmet, shrugged her shoulders, and the State Park worker – the same one that for some reason had to work on a beautiful Sunday in the spring drove on, giving her the ‘Look’. Shira noted his displeasure, as did I as I walked out asking if we just got taken to task about stopping here.

OK, I got it, and now you do.

The park has nothing against we riders. But, you would not know this by the beratement Shira got from a guy in a pick-up truck from across the road on a public address system.

Still, I have a thing about men yelling, rather than talking, to my wife and he could have been a bit more tactful. Rather than macho’ing it over Continued on Page 11

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

W H AT C H AT H INK I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL

MISPERCEPTIONS How many times in your life have you been in a conversation with spouse/family/friend when the thoughts in your head and the words coming out of your mouth don’t exactly match.

Or, better yet, the words coming from the other person travel through your ear canal and get converted to anything but what was meant. Some may categorize this as miscommunication. I think of it as misperceptions.

As email and texting developed and grew to their present status of communication giant, more and more messages have been misinterpreted. When you are typing an email or texting – either with fingers or voice – you have in your head the tone you think the words convey. As with the game of telephone, once those letters and symbols leave your computer or mobile device and travel through the world wide internet web (or InterWebbie, as I call it), they may get caught up in a ‘transporter accident’ and arrive to the recipient with a completely different tone and meaning. Without eye contact, voice intonation and facial expressions to help relay what you are ‘saying’, a simple sentence may be enough to start a war or end a friendship.

Those of us who spend any time on social media have undoubtedly been involved in tete-a-tetes (well, not really, as there are certainly more than two people involved) that start with a good-natured amusement which escalates to name-calling and unfriending, perhaps even the dreaded ‘Facebook Jail.’ All this due to misperceptions.

Page 5 Brian and I have very different ways of looking at things – me being a visual person, needing to draw out plans, while Brian is able to see things in his mind with descriptions. When we are trying to do a project together and one is offering a helping hand, the other may see it as getting in the way. It works both ways, and invariably one or the other will walk off a bit tiffed and the one remaining will finish the project the way they perceived it, which usually comes out brilliantly.

Misperceptions.

We just spend two exceptional days at Virginia International Raceway with Reg and Gigi Pridmore and the crew of CLASS. I believe that we have been attending CLASS, on and off, since 1993 and every year, especially since we’ve been heading to Virginia, I feel like I become a much better rider for it. Having gone to this particular track so often, you get to know the turns, the lines and the way you believe it should be ridden. Slippery Pete, one of the very fine instructors, gave an ‘assignment’ during one classroom session – to pick one particular turn or way of riding that you feel needs more attention and ‘make that your huckleberry.’ I thought that I had a pretty good handle on the lines of the turns and I wasn’t there to go fast but to improve my smoothness. I DID know that I needed to work on my body positioning. So the next session I went out with that in my head. I felt like I was really moving my upper body into the turns, getting my elbows out and weighting my pegs to get the most out of those turns. I came into pit lane feeling pretty good about myself.

After the next classroom session, Clark, another of the instructors, took me aside. He had followed me once or twice around the track and complimented me on my lines and said I was going very well BUT…… ‘Did you ever think about moving your body on the bike?’ HUH?! I said I thought Continued on Page 11

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O N T H E M AR K MARK BYERS

DIRTY THOUGHTS I’ve been a dirt biker for 47 years.

I started on my brother’s ’74 Honda Trail 90 and abused it accordingly, hitting the concrete stoop of our house hard enough to tweak the forks. It was my first experience with target fixation and a memorable one, especially when my brother went to ride it the next day and noticed that the bars were turned 15 degrees to go straight. I thought I was gonna blow that by him….

I rode that bike in the yard of our house in West Virginia because we lived in a neighborhood, not an association. You could do what you wanted as long as you weren’t an ass. The Trail 90 had a stock pipe and made so little noise that we’d frequently ride up

on deer, so the neighbors tolerated it. It didn’t hurt that I’d help them and I was brought up with manners.

When I got my license, I’d ride with a motley crew of guys on equally-motley bikes. My brother had an XL600 then and I was still putting around on the Trail 90. I was the cargo mule: we’d put a six-pack of sodas in the milk crate on the luggage rack, along with whatever else needed carrying, and I’d plod along until we stopped. The soda cans were made of steel then, so they took the beating, although the paint was frequently worn off by lunchtime.

One guy rode a stubbornly hardstarting XL350 he called “Father Murphy” and other guys rode dual-sports of mixed parentages. We rode on “unofficial” trails throughout our county, some on old mine tailings where we had hill climbs. Over time, I acquired a ’79 XL250, but I didn’t ride it much because by then I was trying to be an engineer.

Eventually I acquired other bikes, including an ’86 Honda Reflex trials bike and a modern Beta 250. I’ve done a few vintage trials on the Reflex, but the Beta is a scary badass machine that has a rider “deadman” shutoff lanyard for a reason.

I like riding it - to take pictures of my more capable friends. My favorite dirt bike is an ’09 XR250R, along with a barely-legal CRF230 that I use for dualsport rides like the Shenandoah 500.

I wish I could say I was a masterful dirt rider, but I’m not. I do it infrequently enough that, compared to some of the people with whom I ride, I kinda suck. I’m not saying that I’m afraid of dirt and gravel roads or even some relatively gnarly, rocky singletracks. I’m better on dirt and gravel with my BMW RT than some folks are on the road, but compared to some of my companions like Dangerous and James, who have ridden serious motocross and hare scrambles, I’m mediocre.

That’s why I always like to have Dangerous and James along for my dirty forays, because I frequently end up on the ground, sometimes under the bike, and it’s always nice to know that one of them will notice my sudden absence and come back to check on me. One of Danger’s more famous questions was, “Mark, would you like me to pick that bike up off your leg?” I have a small scar on one leg from the expansion chamber of a friend’s Yamaha 350 where I didn’t get it picked up off my leg fast enough. I can’t tell you how many pair of nylon dirt riding pants I’ve ruined on - ok, under - hot exhaust pipes.

Even though I wish I was more proficient, I still love riding offroad. I’m not going to go flying hundreds of feet through the air on a motocross bike, although I’ve ridden a bunch of laps at Budd’s Creek at a sedate pace. I had fun dual-sporting in Vermont and I really like the Shenandoah 500 (kilometer) dual-sport in Virginia. It’s fun and Danger has a foolproof way of starting the campfire with an aerosol can of brake cleaner that is a wonder to behold.

If you’re ever at a trail ride or dual-sport, I’ll be on Honda #63 (my birth year). If you give me a couple throttle blips, I’ll pull to the side and stick out my leg to signal you to pass. I won’t be with my posse because they’ll be miles ahead, but on a good day I’ll make it to the destination, although I might need you to pick the bike up off my leg. ,

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

BACKLASH I used to be a subscriber and during this time a suspension rebuilder was one of your advertisers. His name was Hans and he rebuilt my Ducati forks. If he is still in business, please provide his contact information.

Also, I live in Cranford NJ, where can I pick up your magazine in print form.

Orest Hrycak Orest, Thanks for getting in touch. I think you might be thinking of Klaus Huenecke. His shop is EPM Performance in Tennent, NJ. You can reach him at 732-786-9777 or email: sales@epmperf.com. His website is: https://epmperf.com/ Let him know that you got his contact from Backroads – couldn’t hurt……

I think the closest shop to pick up a magazine would be Standard Cycle Company, 57 Industrial Rd, Berkeley Heights, NJ. Their phone is 908-6650163. Also, all issues are available online, with the newest issues going up about three weeks after subscribers receive theirs: https://issuu.com/backroadsmagazine Hope that helps. Safe riding.

Speaking of Klaus…

Hi Brian, Hi Shira, Thank you for all you have done, we enjoyed it (Spring Break) very much and met some new friends.

I just got off the phone with the Kitzhof Inn as well as the Town and Country Inn after making the reservations for July.

We will be at the Kitzhof Inn on Thursday already for an extra day.

Looking forward seeing you there.

Klaus Klaus, No, thank you for coming! It is great to have you both become part of the

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Letters to the Editor Backroads family. We’re glad you are coming to the Summer Sojourn!

Hey Backroads, I apologize for not saying goodbye on Sunday of the Spring Break. I was still reeling from my award; who would have thought I’d sweep that category! It’s now among some of my treasured items that are in front of me while I do the dishes. This could not have been possible without both of you and Michael V Mosca!

Love to you both.

Robyn Hey Bri, Sorry for the late reply as we had our first food truck event of the season yesterday and it was a BIG one with lots of food prep and a long day on the road!

Yes, the dog carrier is sweet. The company, Pillion Pooch (out of the UK I believe), did a Kickstarter so they could generate money to help manufacture them. I got it a while back (pre-Covid) when my last pup was too elderly to ride but I knew I would have another dog in the future to adventure with. Mazy, my new travel companion, is a mini-Aussie only weighing 25lbs. The carrier has safety roll bars, a cover to keep the elements out, and I got a sweet rack with these special

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pucks for easy on/off the bike, but there are a couple negatives. For one, the carrier is not light, weighing around 50lbs itself! It is also mounted so high (my tall bike doesn’t help) that the weight is significant up there as you can imagine. I mostly ride without the cover since it acts as a huge sail in windy conditions, not most ideal. I also did some modifications since if it’s mounted the intended way, I cannot open my side cases. Since I turned it sideways, I had to alter the cover by adding another opening/window/ back vent and I put up plexi-glass on 3 sides.

Check it out: www.pillionpooch.com Mazy does love it and it’s awesome to see and hear people’s reactions on the road when we go out. Big smiles from everyone that sees us for sure!

I’ll see you guys on July 17th in Gorham (we will have the food truck at the base of the Mount Washington Auto road on that Saturday the 16th if you wanna try our treats!).

Cheers, Kimberly Kim, Wow… you surely must be dedicated AND a talented rider for this. Heck, the carrier alone is difficult; good on you and Mazy.

Ha… we had an Aunt Mazy in our family. Never knew what her real name was and now it’s too late to ask – they are all gone.

We will surely hit the truck for chow…looking forward to it!

Dear Editor, Why do I love Backroads? Where else can you expect to find a line like the one from our esteemed Mr. Byers, writing about a ‘06 Daytona 675: “Adding a full fairing and sportier riding position to the equation only makes the saliva gush from my mouth with more Pavlovian anticipation.”

What poetry!

Larry Cain

From our Social Media Friends Hi Shira and Brian, Having a late lunch at the Garris General Store and thinking of you both. Thanks for the write up on this gem in the magazine!

Bill Denton • Yardley, PA

The Citifield Challenge I Found It!!

Matt Glasheen Matt, Your Swag Bag is on its way!

Thanks for playing.

Hello, Guess what the nice folks at Backroads sent me? Stickers, Thank You. Enjoy your journey on 2.

Drew Brian, It was a pleasure meeting Shira and you outside of Brandywine General Store this past Saturday - my middle school and college buddy (Ducati Scrambler) and I (Yamaha Super Tenere) were headed north on a four-day trip on the MABDR. I explored your website and online magazine - very nice! You mention that you also cover as far south as North Carolina, my home base in Asheville - so would be interested to see your coverage here. ~ Dave

Last Word Hey Bri, Thanks for sending me the June issue of Backroads.

Your article (you know the one I mean) was exceptionally well written.

You did all you could to be fair, which is more than Court deserves. After all, he broke the one and only Rabbi Dan Commandment.

Best, Daniel Herbst

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

INDUSTRY INFOBITES MSF GIVES ADVENTURE AND DUAL-PURPOSE RIDERS A LET UP The Motorcycle Safety Foundation will help adventure and dual-purpost riders looking to learn fundamental off-road skills through its newest offering, the AdventureBike RiderCourse (ADVRC). The course features 12 excercises and an adventure prep discussion that will help riders better understand and control their motorcycle so that they can main offroad riding confidence and be ready to take on bigger adventure challenges, more advanced training, and participate in more tours, events, and rides.

“Adventure and dual-purpose motorcycles open a whole new world of riding possibilities,” said Erik Pritchard, president and CEO of the MSF. “Sales in this category have increased more than 40% since 2019.

Creating a course to help those new, or a bit rusty, to riding off-road is a need we are excited to meet.”

The course is a single-day experience taken on a student’s personal ADV or dual-purpose motorcycle. All instruction is done on an MSF-recognized riding range under the guidance of MSF-certified ADVRC rider coaches. As availability of the course spreads nationwide, it will be easier than ever for riders to gain core off-road skills.

The MSF AdventureBike RiderCourse is currently available in 12 states through various private- and MSF-run training sites, and under the

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News from the Inside Adventure Touring Rider Course name through participating HarleyDavidson® Riding Academy locations.

“The AdventureBike RiderCourse will make core off-road skill building available nationwide and help these riders explore the capabilities of their motorcycles,” said Corey Eastman, director of rider education expansion. “We hope riders take this knowledge and go on to discover thousands of ADV riding opportunities.”

More than 100 MSF coaches are working to become certified to teach the AdventureBike RiderCourse by year›s end. The msf-usa.org site will be updated regularly as new training sites come online.

More information available at the AdventureBike RiderCourse

LADIES, START YOUR ENGINES! ROYAL ENFIELD BTR ROAD RACING KICKS OFF AT VIR Fifteen women ready for 2022 BUILD. TRAIN. RACE. opening round at Virginia International Raceway.

Women racers and builders are reaching new heights in road racing in 2022, where the groundbreaking Royal Enfield Build. Train.

Race. (BTR) program ignited the biggest season yet. Fifteen women from across the country from different age groups and varied backgrounds came together for the six-round exhibition series, which started May 20-22, as part of the MotoAmerica venue at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Page 10 “This is a landmark year for Build. Train.

Race.,” said Breeann Poland, Marketing and Communications Lead – Royal Enfield Americas.

“Last year was incredible; we received such support from fans and the industry. And this year, everything is twice the size—our field of riders, our schedule and our presence in the MotoAmerica paddock. We’re really going to wow people with a full grid of riders from all levels of experience. Among our new and returning riders, we can already see that the level of competition has come up. These ladies are going to put on a great show this season.”

From the excruciating process of handpicking participants over the winter, including new and returning racers, the BTR crew assisted each woman in the “Build” phase of the program. Generous sponsorship comes from Parts Unlimited, S&S Cycle, Harris Performance, Dunlop, Maxima Racing Oils, BOXO USA, Öhlins USA Suspension and Arai Helmets.

Each of the 15 participants received a Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 motorcycle that they spent three months designing and building. The “Train” phase included a recent test session at Barber Motorsports Park

BACKROADS • JULY 2022 with Sportbike Track Time, where the BTR Road Race women all got on the track together for the first time. With some guidance and mentorship from Melissa Paris, racers were able to dial in their Continental GT 650 motorcycles, and the entire field demonstrated that they are ready to race.

TOURATECH USA OPENS NEW RETAIL STORE & DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN BROOKFIELD, CT Touratech USA is excited to announce the opening of a new retail store and distribution center in Brookfield, CT. Located only a few miles from the New York border, the company invested in this expansion to better serve its customers living on the East Coast. The store will provide riders with an opportunity to see products in-person and speak directly with adventure motorcycling experts. Visitors can try on riding gear and get expert help fitting motorcycle helmets, riding boots and more.

The Brookfield location will also provide customers with faster delivery times for the company’s phone and online sales. Be-

sides riding gear, the store will offer a wide range of Touratech products including crash bars, skid plates, protection items, suspension, luggage and GPS navigation. Adventure riders will also be able to shop other brands including KLIM, Garmin, CruzTOOLS, Backcountry Discovery Routes, Sidi, REV’IT, RAM and Butler Maps among others.

“We are excited about this expansion because it provides better service for our customers and allows them to experience our brand values with a retail experience. We believe this location will serve as a hub for the adventure motorcycling community on the East Coast. We’ve even partnered with Backcountry Discovery Routes to provide a retail location for BDR maps, stickers and logo-wear.” -Paul Guillien, CEO, Touratech-USA Just outside of the Danbury city limits, the store is conveniently located right off US 7 / US202 and Interstate 84 which provide easy access from all directions. The store is 55 miles from Hartford, CT and 60 miles from the George Washington Bridge which connects New Jersey to Manhattan, NY. Touratech-USA East, Brookfield, 67 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT 06804 • 800-491-2926

NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLAWS MOTORCYCLE PROFILING It is now illegal in New Hampshire for law enforcement to pull over, search or arrest anyone simply because that person “rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle-related paraphernalia.”

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Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 1000 into law on Friday, May 20, 2022, making New Hampshire the fifth state to prohibit the discriminatory practice behind Washington (2011), Maryland (2016), Louisiana (2019) and Idaho (2020).

Co-sponsored by longtime bikers’ rights leader Sherman Packard, House Speaker representing Londonderry, the bill prohibits law enforcement agencies from engaging in motorcycle profiling, and states: “No state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency shall engage in motorcycle profiling. In this section, ‘motorcycle profiling’ shall mean use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle-related paraphernalia as a basis for deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle under the United States Constitution or the New Hampshire constitution.“ Packard, an original member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Legislative Task Force, testified before the House Transportation Committee that a previous encounter with a local police officer convinced him New Hampshire still has a “small problem” with some profiling of motorcyclists; “This is a problem, not as major in New Hampshire as it is in some other states, but I have personally been a victim of it.” , FREE WHEELIN’

Continued from Page 4

the speaker he would have gotten a far friendly response by simply telling us where they’d like us to park now – maybe why too.

Most of us react in a perfectly human way – when treated like a person.

They simply want us to park across the street in the parking lot. Super easy, barely an inconvenience.

The next day I called the park to see what was what with the circle and spoke with a very polite and civil woman named Tabitha. I asked her about the motorcycle parking at the circle and she explained that, although they love having us riding the park, the motorcycle groups have gotten larger and larger over the seasons and many times the office, which is in the middle of the circle, was unreachable simply because there were far too many motorcycles to park in a safe and coherent manner.

Bottom line – we got too big. Thus the move to the far larger and most likely safer lot right across the street. It was a pleasure talking with her and she restored my faith in civil servants.

As for the unknown guy on the truck? He might take some civility himself from Tabitha. You see buddy, it was not what you said – but how you said it.

The same thing can be said about other things… loud pipes for instance – but, that will be another rant.

See you on the road! ,

WHATCHATHINKIN’

Continued from Page 5

I was leaning into the turns pretty well and he said ‘not so much.’ He suggested taking a piece of tape and putting it in the middle of the fairing so I could see if I was actually moving from side to side. And I thought I was just about ready to touch my knee……

Misperceptions.

I would imagine the best example of misperception is judging a book by its cover; for instance, say you are on a ride and stop at a convenient general store. You are sitting on the porch, sipping a cold drink and relaxing, when a couple of ADV bikes pull into the lot, covered in mud. The two riders dismount, take a pull from their water bottles and look over at you and your motorcycle, which is far from being mud-covered or something that you’d want to ride on the BDR, but they ask, ‘Hey, did you just come through that water crossing?’ When you answer in the negative, they turn away, almost dismissively. Once a real conversation is started, you find out that there is more in common with your riding than thought and you part ways, having exchanged cards, with much different ideas than when the helmets first came off.

Be careful of your words, verbal or written, as they have meaning and if misperceived, may cause hurt unnecessarily. ,

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Warren County NJ Tourism presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

AIRBORNE & SPECIAL OPERATIONS MUSEUM 100 BRAGG BLVD., FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28301 910-643-2778 • WWW.ASOMF.ORG

The town of Fayetteville, North Carolina has a deep history, dating back to before the Revolutionary War. With the Cape Fear River running through it, Fayetteville was a central hub for economic and governmental growth for years.

During the Civil War General Sherman and his Union Troops paid a visit to the armory here in Fayetteville, near the end of the war and burned it, along with large sections of Fayetteville.

With more than 60,000 troops marching through Fayetteville and while he was burning buildings down, he encountered a former classmate at West Point whom he hadn’t seen for years.

That man, Confederate soldier Edward Monaghan, had two sons serving for the Confederacy at the Fayetteville arsenal, where ammunition was made and stored. He pleaded with Sherman not to burn his house.

Sherman obliged, declaring: “There is room enough in this world even for traitors.”

Today the house stands as a library.

Another structure was spared as well. The town’s Market House was saved from destruction, Mayor Archibald McLean and a majority of the seven town commissioners went to Sherman’s lines and negotiated the peaceful surrender of the town. During Sherman’s occupation of Fayetteville, Federal soldiers flew a United States flag from the Market House cupola.

After the Civil War, the Market House remained an important part of the civic and economic life of Fayetteville, functioning as an open market into the 20th century. The upstairs rooms still serve as meeting space.

It stands on the corner of Parson and Gillespie Streets.

Not far from here you will also find another memorial to war, and more importantly, the warriors that fight them. A place that tells their story.

Welcome to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum.

We made it a point to stop by the fascinating and well-done museum dedicated to these fighting men and women.

On August 16, 1940, Lieutenant Bill Ryder led the Test Platoon to become the first American fighting man to stand in the door and jump into history. He was followed by Private William King, the first U.S. enlisted paratrooper. The work that followed in the next four years was amazing. Developing full-scale

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

airborne operations while engaged in a world war required the passion and dedication of many great leaders. The names are legendary; John Ward, Bud Miley, Bill Yarborough, Red King, and Bill Donovan only begin the distinguished list of airborne pioneers. North Carolina native Major General William C. Lee is “The Father of the U.S. Airborne.”

His drive and desire to develop airborne forces in the U.S. Army earned him this honored distinction.

Established in August 2000, the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Museum is a first-class institution that efficiently and effectively captures, preserves, exhibits, and presents the material culture and heritage of the U.S. Army Airborne and Special Operations Forces from 1940 and into the future. The Museum celebrates over 80 years of Army Airborne and Special Operations history and honors our nation’s Soldiers – past, present, and future.

Walking up to the impressive building the statues that surround the front are amazing in every way and truly capture the spirit of the Airborne and Special Forces warriors.

Page 13 The museum itself recounts the actions of heroic soldiers from the early days of the Parachute Test Platoon in 1940, to the ongoing Global War on Terrorism. The museum preserves the extraordinary feats performed by the United States Army’s Airborne and the Special Operations Forces, all who jump from the sky, into battle.

Here you will see what brings out the best in America’s sons and daughters.

This museum is a source of pride to all those who served, or now serve, in the United States Army Airborne and Special Operations units.

Neither Shira nor I had the honor to serve. We were humbled and amazed at what this museum brought to life.

The main exhibit gallery transports you through time, starting in 1940 with the conception of the United States Army Parachute Test Platoon and ending with today’s Airborne and Special Operations units.

Much has changed in the world since the battles of World War II and the conflicts of the Cold War era, but the courage and dedication of the American Soldier is a common bond that ties each generation together.

If there is trouble for the United States – these warriors will be there.

This part of the Tar Heel State has much to offer and with the superb backroads of the mountains to the west is a great place to top, meander a bit and certainly visit the Airborne & Special Operations Museum – it is a humbling experience. ,

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

Beach’s Motorcycle Adventures presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

RHINEBECK, NEW YORK A HISTORIC GEM ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY Those of us who live close to, or along, New York’s Hudson River Valley are aware of how beautiful the region is. The old country lane roads, once native trails, make for some of the most delicious motorcycle riding to be had in the northeast.

This region is, more or less, halfway between New York City and the state’s capital of Albany.

This part of the Hudson River Valley is also home to many of the mighty and extravagant homes of some of the most important men and women in our history.

Tarrytown has two – Lyndhurst and Kykuit, and further north Locust Grove has a history all its own as it was once the summer home of Samuel Morse.

In Hyde Park, you can visit Springwood – the Summer Whitehouse of FDR and Eleanor (Gee, we think she was swell).

Just a few miles up the river from Springwood, the Vanderbilts built a jaw-dropping 54-room, 44,000-square-foot beaux-arts country house simply known as Hyde Park. The interior includes all of the finest finishing touches, from rich wood paneling to European marble.

BACKROADS • JULY 2022 Just to the north is the town of Rhinebeck, New York, and here you will find Wilderstein, a three-story Queen Anne mansion at the center of 40 wooded acres overlooking the Hudson River, which was Daisy Suckley’s family home for 140 years. And while the rose-tinted Victorian mansion with hunter green accents and its distinctive circular tower is certainly an impressive sight, so are the gorgeous grounds, where Calvert Vaux (onehalf of the dynamic duo who designed New York’s Central Park) created an impressive network of carriage drives and walking trails rimmed with native flora and accented by wooden gazebos.

This month we’d like to feature this particular burg; as it has much to offer today’s rider. But first a bit about the town.

Dutch families first settled the land in the Hudson River Valley around 1686. Rhinebeck and its citizens have contributed to the historical wealth of the nation, farming the land, developing the fabric of the community and playing integral roles in wars from the Revolutionary to those of the 20th century.

Rynbeck: The first settlement Henry Beekman, who by royal grant owned most of the present town of Rhinebeck, settled 35 Palatine German families in this area around 1714.

Their community, centered around a log church a mile south of the present-day stone edifice, came to be known as Rynbeck.

Business was conducted here until the early 19th century. Its importance

Page 15 diminished as growth and commerce in “The Flatts”, the village three miles to the south, eventually overshadowed this entire early settlement.

The incorporation of the Village of Rhinebeck took effect in 1834.

Today the town offers so much from fine dining to vintage airplanes and all linked together along one of the prettiest rivers in the United States.

Opened in 1766, the Beekman Arms is the oldest continuously operating hotel in the country. The Continental Army drilled on its grounds in 1775, and when the British burned Kingston, then the state capital, in 1777, town folk sheltered at the hotel. The Beekman Arms has 23 rooms in the inn and surrounding buildings, and the adjacent Delamater Inn has an additional 50 rooms in a historic home and seven surrounding cottages. The Tavern at the Beekman Arms serves lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch in a Colonial-style taproom with beamed ceilings, dark wood walls, and a fireplace.

You might also venture inside the red barn behind the Beekman Arms, which houses an antiques emporium that’s open daily.

Not far from the Rhinebeck’s downtown you can get high if you wish.

Cole Palen, a World War II vet, founded the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in 1959 and scheduled the first air show for 1960. A four-building museum displays a large collection of historic aircraft and memorabilia from 1900 to 1937 and on summer weekends, pilots stage dogfights and demonstrate their aviation skills in biplanes and World War I fighters. The oldest operational 1909 Bleriot XI in the United States takes to the skies when winds are calm.

Adventurous visitors can sign up for a ride over the Hudson River in a 1929 New Standard D-25, a classic biplane, on the weekend or schedule a weekday charter.

There are a few famed colleges here as well, but we’ll only talk about Bard – for our own Steely reasons. My old school.

We recently headed this way

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022 es in the lower $100+ plus range during the week and a bit more on the weekend – which may require reservations a bit in advance.

Check their website at www.rooseveltinnofhydepark.com to see what is available.

The rooms at the Roosevelt come two ways: The Deluxe Rooms are a bit larger and more on the modern side and their Rustic Rooms have remained in the Roosevelt Inn’s original room style; reminiscent of the old ‘Catskill’-type lodging with its knotty pine interiors and comfortable feel.

This time “Rustic” is a good thing.

All the rooms have Wi-Fi, modern televisions, Keurig-style coffee makers and refrigerators.

After the CIA we took over the Inn’s Coffee Shop for an easy and enjoyable way to end the evening.

In the morning the Roosevelt Inn serves a complimentary continental

with the Southern Contingent to have a nice meal at the Culinary Institute of America – most excellent in every way.

There are several hotels and inns, but sometimes we like to feature smaller places that harken back to a simpler time of motorcycle travel and life on the road.

The Roosevelt Inn, just north of the CIA, is a classic roadside motel with extremely clean and comfortable rooms and friendly staff with pric-

breakfast that consists of an assortment of breakfast breads, muffins, bagels, donuts and cereal as well as various jams, cream cheese, bananas, fruit, fresh coffee, tea, milk and orange juice. The coffee, arguably the most important part of the dawn, was very good. A big plus.

This area is well worth a weekend, if not longer, to explore. If you are looking for a fun and easy ride that combines that magical recipe of pleasant roads, happening old towns, and a region full of historic flair then follow along our route that starts from our friends at Hudson Valley Motorcycles – and makes a stop at Warren Cutlery too – a foodies and closet chef’s dream come true. • www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/rws2eu ,

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Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

THE NORTHEAST’S MOST MYSTERIOUS HISTORICAL SIGNS Last year I rode on the Ramapo Motorcycle Clubs Fall Foliage Ride.

As always, the club put on a stellar event, and riding to it from Backroads Central I noticed a small historical placard at the confluence of Route 17 and 17A. It claimed that this was the site of the “First Marked Trail in the Nation,” right outside Harriman Park and just north of New York City? Well, indeed so.

It seems that nearly 100 years ago Doctor Frank Lutz, an entomologist who would become one of the curators of the Museum of Natural History created the Station for the Study of Insects.

Although this marked trail was the first of its kind and ran only a mile, it changed the way the world looked at discovering nature.

And, to think this happened right at the spot I was making a right turn – one that I have made hundreds of times and only now learned about this.

That got me thinking about signs – especially Historical Signs.

Last July, I told you about the famed artist Charles Wilson Peale and the mastodon he recovered in the Hudson Valley, but up in Cohoes, New York, there is a marker that tells us that mastodons were everywhere thousands of years ago.

The Cohoes Mastodon

The Cohoes Mastodon was discovered in 1866 during the construction of Harmony Mill No. 3 near Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River. The mastodon’s remains were found deeply buried in a large pothole, which had been worn into the bedrock by the swirling action of water and stones at the end of the last Ice Age. You can see the big fella at the New York State Museum in Albany.

First Milk Pasteurization

On Route 10, near Bloomville, New York there is a sign that is something of which we all have taken part.

The Sheffield Farm building still stands just outside Bloomville, but it is now deteriorating and used for highway storage. In 1892, L.B. Halsey installed the first milk pasteurization machine in this building. It was revolutionary, to say the least.

BACKROADS • JULY 2022 ies,” recalled Girl Scout Midge Mason. A year later the company decided to hold another cookie bake in the storefront window because of the huge success of the first cookie sale.

In 1934 the Philadelphiaarea Girl Scout Council decided to use cookie sales to raise money. The first official purchase was made by First Lady Bess Truman.

Page 18 Soon, Sheffield Farms was providing New York City with fully 20 percent of all their milk. By the mid-1920s, Sheffield Farms was the largest dairy products company in the world with over 300 stores in the New York City area alone.

Bonetown, New Jersey

This odd marker refers to a neighborhood, just west of Flemington, that got its name through the legend of a chicken stealing family that once lived there who, when forced to move, left great piles of chicken bones at the site.

Today, the houses in Bonetown are sizeable and the yards immaculate, not a bone in sight. If it weren’t for the sign that says so, no one would ever think that chicken stealers once lived there.

Liver-Eating Johnson

While we are on the subject of tasty treats, here is an odd one from New Jersey.

On County Road 579, in Pattenburgh, New Jersey is one Historical Marker that will grab your eye… and maybe your liver too.

I have passed this marker many times, but the story is always a fresh one.

Girl Scout Cookies

On November 12, 1932, the aroma of cookies baked by Philadelphia Girl Scouts in the PGE windows attracted passersby, who inquired if the cookies were for sale, and the Girl Scouts agreed to sell to the public whatever extra cookies remained from the nursery project. “I don’t remember how many cookies we baked that day. I do know that we baked a lot of cook-

Born John Garrison near here around 1830, during his life, he did many things. He was a sailor, a scout, a soldier, a gold prospector, a hunter and trapper, a whiskey-peddler, a guide, a deputy, and a constable. But he also was a husband to a native American woman of the Flathead tribe.

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The story goes that she was butchered by the Crow and Johnson tracked each of the Crow down, killed them, and then “ate their livers.”

Nice. You probably heard about Johnson… as Jeremiah Johnson, starring Robert Redford, was based on him.

The Gage Accident

I have visited this a few times… but, I’ll bring it up again as it is just, well… amazing and mysterious for sure. Just outside of Cavendish, Vermont is a historical marker that tops them all.

On Route 131 you will find a plaque to one of America’s oddest celebrities bolted to a rock in the tiny town of Cavendish, Vermont.

It honors Phineas P. Gage. In 1848, Gage, 25, was the foreman of a crew cutting a railroad bed in Cavendish, Vermont. On September 13, as he was using a tamping iron to pack the explosive powder into a hole, the powder detonated. The tamping iron—43 inches long, 1.25 inches in diameter, and weighing 13.25 pounds—shot skyward, penetrated Gage’s left cheek, ripped into his brain, and exited through his skull, landing several dozen feet away. Though blinded in his left eye, he might not even have lost consciousness, and he remained savvy enough to tell a doctor that day, “Here is business enough for you.”

But, Gage, who was a modest, quiet, and caring man as well as very handsome, even after the gruesome injury, changed – like Jekyll to Hyde - and eventually died years later of epilepsy.

But his story is still there to see, one of the many historical markers along the roads of this Mysterious America.

O’Life Out! ,

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Thisilldous Eatery presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN OLD STONE HOUSE

21 HATHORN ROAD, WARWICK NY 10990 845-305-0303 • WWW.OLDSTONEHOUSEINN.COM A few years back, while riding through the Warwick and Pine Island part of New York’s Orange County, we took notice that some work was being done on the old Hathorn House that sits right off County Road 1, near Route 94.

The original home was built in 1773 by General John Hathorn and the gabled roof still bears the initials of he and his wife - “E., I & H, 1773.”

We assumed this was an historic society or state project to bring back a part of the region’s deep history. But we were wrong, and very happily so.

The previous night we had dined with riding friends at the Culinary Institute of America, along the Hudson in Hyde Park, and returning south and heading through Harriman State Park and up around Warwick, we were taken by surprise when we discovered that the Hathorn’s Historic home, which had been in such disrepair and neglect for decades, was looking more than a little bit stunning and was open for business.

tasty places to take your bike

This discovery was made at the perfect moment, as the CIA was the night before and lunch was suddenly the key part of our riding plan.

Some weekends it is all about the food; and then the riding.

We rolled up the very nice bricked drive and parked the machines.

We took a table outside on the wide porch and spoke a bit with Andrew, the general manager, who offered us both their brunch menu and a small plate menu.

We opted for a few of the small plates, which were not all that small and really the perfect size portions for two sharing.

Our server Marissa came over with water and some exquisite coffee and a bright and energetic smile.

Actually, all the staff seemed generally awesome and it was obvious that they took personal pride in The Old Stone House as much as the owners Sylvia Kubasiak and Arek Kwapinski must have.

I asked another server about the renovation and she brought us a picture book with “before & after” images of different parts of the home.

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In truth, pictures do say a thousand words, and the amount of blood, sweat & tears that must have gone into the Phoenix-like rebirth of John and Elizabeth Hathorn’s home was surely very substantial.

Marissa returned and we ordered three plates… The Burrata: apples, pomegranate seeds, spiced pecans and chicory drizzled with a maple dressing, an order of their Pierogis that were served with kohlrabi, braised cabbage, horseradish, sour cream, and fried shallots; and being predictable (in Shira’s eyes) I called for The Old Stone House’s Buttermilk Chicken served on a charcoal steamed bun, daikon & carrot Slaw, pineapple, and a wonderful spicy aioli.

The Old Stone House serves brunch, lunch, and dinner, and everything we saw pass our table looked to be the Three Ds – divine, delectable and delicious. Executive Chef Peter Case, coincidentally a CIA alumni, is certainly a master. The menu looks to be more than alluring and we’d urge you to visit their website to see all their current plates and offerings.

While we waited for our meals to arrive, we did what we always do… explore - taking in the exquisite work that was poured into the old house over the last five years of renovation.

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The bar looked inviting and sharp, without losing the comfortability that you would hope for in a home that is centuries old. The indoor seating area looked to be the same.

Upstairs there were additional rooms where three women, dressed in a cool laid-back sharpness, were enjoying their conversation while sipping on some alluring adult beverages.

The bathrooms were impeccably decorated and clean, and I almost felt guilty using them.

I was also taken by the art and paintings that were hung about the home, now probably one of the more exceptional restaurants in the far western Hudson Rivers Valley region.

The place is a uniquely wonderful combination. It’s a bit posh and swanky, yet still retains that historic, important and consequential feel to it.

I have no idea how Sylvia and Arek were able to do this – as design and vision like this is far beyond me – but they did, it works and it is more than wonderful.

But the artwork grabbed me.

When I went to fetch Shira to show each painting, she had that look come across her pretty face… a petite eye roll and then the easy slightly ingenuous smile that says…

“Oh, oh. He is in deep history-mode… again!”

Yep, that’s me baby – you married me. Look it’s General Washington astride his warhorse Blueskin overseeing the laying of the West Point Chain. Is that Lafayette with him? General John Hathorn would be found over one of the main fireplaces with Tadeusz Kosciuszko, engineer, to his left and Kazimierz Pulaski to his right – famed Polish officers who came to America to fight for our nation’s freedom and celebrating the owner’s proud Polish heritage.

Other historic art was scattered through The Old Stone House.

Shira had to almost drag me back for our meal.

The Old Stone House is open every day from 4:30 pm and on Saturday from 11 am and Sunday from noon.

They also have two Air BnBs if you would like to make a weekend out of riding the region… we know you will rest well AND be well fed.

See you on the road! ,

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

FIRE & ICE SMOKEHOUSE & CREAMERY 3417 PETERS MOUNTAIN ROAD, HALIFAX, PA • 717-896-8444 FIREANDICESMOKEHOUSEANDCREAMERY.COM • HOURS: TUES-THURS 11:30A-8P • SAT-SUN: 11:30A-9P It’s been almost 10 years since I started telling you about some of the best ice cream shops around.

One of my first stops was at OwOwCow in Ottsville, PA and, at that time, I thought that I’d never, ever taste any ice cream better than theirs. Between the texture and innovative flavors, OwOwCow has been my gold standard to date.

Most people think that I eat, breathe and dream ice cream. That is certainly not the case. Many times, my thoughts are interspersed with other foods, and many times that is barbecue. When we are planning road trips, while Brian and Dr. O’Life are busy finding the outrageous and/or historical locations along the way, I am delving into the gastronomical aspects of our tour.

The way I figure it, the saying goes ‘Ride to Eat, Eat to Ride’ and I take that pretty literally.

For our recent Spring Break Rally, we wanted to put together a day loop that highlighted some of the fun roads around the Endless Mountains region of Pennsylvania. Brian and I collaborated and put together a pretty great 175-mile loop from the Pine Barn Inn, our home base. Once that was done, I zoned in on a suggestion for food.

What I came up with was more that I imagined.

Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery. The name says it all, but you know I’m going to elaborate. The creators behind this name are Chandra and Matt Morgan. Before dipping their toes into the restaurant business, they ran a motorcycle shop on this same site. Since 2002, Amped Powersports served the motorcycle community with service, parts and accessories. Then, one morning, both Chandra and Matt woke up and knew that they were meant to do something else – still community-oriented but in a very different direction. A transformation took place and, in 2019, the doors of Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery were open.

Matt is Fire. Matt puts out some of the best barbecue this side of the Susquehanna (or the other side, for that matter). Upon entering the building, you’ll find a welcoming, wide open space with lots of tables. Pick up a menu,

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

try very hard to decide just what you’d like to eat, and place your order at the counter. Be forewarned – portions are good-sized so, if you are with friends, I suggest sharing. Like all good smokehouses, you start with your meats: brisket, pulled pork, chicken (pulled, wings, quartered or breast), ribs and, for those who just can’t decide, the Meat Sampler. There are sandwiches and wraps with all of these, as well as smoked salmon cake, burgers, sausage and turkey. To go along with this smashing smoked goodness, there’s mac n cheese (regular and smoked), smoked deviled eggs, a selection of greens and, of course, tater tots. If you can think of it, Matt can smoke it, such as smoked egg salad wrap. There is a selection of pizzas and nachos and, if you are trying to save room for what comes after your meal, why not try a salad – smoked chicken, Caesar or brisket – in full or half portions.

I had a half portion of Smoked Brisket Caesar Salad, which is served on their metal trays, along with some smoked mac n cheese, which I shared with Brian. Brian had a half rack of ribs with baked beans, which were excellent but different from your average bbq beans.

Chandra is Ice. And she does a most excellent job of it, perfectly complimenting Matt’s Fire. I asked how she learned to make her ice cream and, with a big smile, she just shrugged. Before sitting down for my lunch, I scoped out the ice cream case and had a few samples to whet my appetite (like that’s necessary). I tried Apple Butter and Lemon Blueberry, as I had never had either before. Just from the tiny spoonful, I knew I was in for a real treat.

Barbecue done and still some room left, I opted for the 4 mini scoop sampler. This should definitely be a thing in all ice cream shops, as a baby scoop is really all I need and combining 4 of them is stunning. My plate was filled with butter pecan, dark chocolate cherry, banana cream pie and lemon cookie (I think). When asked, Brian said he would simply take a taste of mine as he was full (good luck with that!). All flavors were delectable, but the dark chocolate cherry was something extraordinary. I truly believe I have never tasted an ice cream as delicious as that. As I offered Brian a taste of each, when he got to the dark chocolate cherry, his eyes lit up and he uttered, ‘I must have my own.’ He came back to the table with a cup – THREE scoops worth – and a very content smile on his face.

You can have your ice cream in a cup, cone or waffle cone; as a float, sundae, smoothie, frappe, affogato or cold brew shake.

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Speaking of shakes, Chandra came up with a tremendous and informative creation last June – 50 States Shake. Starting on July 4, 2021 with Delaware, our first state, Chandra has created individual to each state milkshakes featuring something specific from that state. Delaware, to celebrate the freedom in these United States, was strawberries and blueberries layered with vanilla ice cream to represent the US flag. Pennsylvania, state #2 and home to Hershey Chocolate, was just that. For my home state of New Jersey and state #3, Chandra combined vanilla ice cream with bananas and strawberry sauce topped off with whipped cream and Salt Water Taffy. With New Jersey, she also began posting little factoids about the state – New Jersey becoming a state on Dec. 18, 1787 and home to the first drive-in movie theater as well as the first professional baseball game. During our visit they were up to state # 37, Nebraska, and we found out a very interesting fact: Nebraska is birthplace to Kool-Aid, concocted in 1927 by Edward Perkins, and made the official state drink in 1998. You can go back through their Facebook page to see all the wonderful mixtures Chandra has created – you are still in time to get the last 10 if you hurry.

Not only are the servings abundant, their prices (both barbecue and ice cream) are reasonable – so much so that you can bring your family or treat your friends and not break the bank. Out back, there are some tables on the deck to enjoy your meal or dessert, and plenty of parking for the whole crew. Planning a weekend in this area will keep you busy – with riding both the tarmac and the nearby Knoebels Amusement Park, and having a place like this to stop for lunch makes it a sure entry to the Best of Backroads for 2022.

Here is a link to the 175-mile loop from the Pine Barn Inn, a great base to explore this Endless Mountain region. Have a great National Ice Cream Month (July 17 is National Ice Cream Day) – I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than a stop at Fire & Ice Smokehouse & Creamery. • www.sendspace. com/pro/dl/znn0ae ,

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

Spring Break 2022 It’s a

F

Spring Break 2022.1 rom its small and humble beginnings at the bottom of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, New York, the Susquehanna River flows south along and through the valleys of the Alleghenies in a peaceful and picturesque manner, eventually flowing into The Bay. That’s the Chesapeake Bay for the uninitiated or newer readers of Backroads. At 444 miles it is the longest river along the east coast and one of the oldest rivers on the planet Earth.

As the Susquehanna runs through Pennsylvania, along its banks you will ride through dozens of small towns, many with a rich history – much of that due to the river and the power it could supply, but the town of Danville is famous for a few things that rise above the river.

One is the stunning Basilica and the other is Danville’s contribution to the United States, the world’s railroad system.

If not for Danville, we might still be importing our railroad rails from England. Well, to bloody hell with that.

On October 8, 1845, the Montour Iron Works of Danville rolled the first iron T-rails in Pennsylvania, and perhaps the United States; accounts vary, because the Mount Savage works also may have produced T-rail in either 1844 or 1845. The iron T-rails produced

by Montour Iron (and perhaps Mount Savage) were the pioneer American version of the T-rail shape that is used today on virtually all railroads throughout the world. Through the Montour and Mount Savage mills, the American railroad industry began to end its dependence on British imported iron rail.

The town also is located at the epicenter of some of the most beautiful riding in the Keystone State; thus when we were out exploring this part of the state a year or so back we came across the Pine Barn Inn.

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

Page 26 Comfortable rooms, superb restaurant, and happy bartenders – we thought the Pine Barn would be perfect for a Backroads Rally – it being just a dozen miles or so from Knoebels Amusement Park was a shining bonus as well.

That Thursday we thought we’d like to get out to the Susquehanna region sooner rather than later this day as this shindig had been in the works for months and we knew we were going to have a fairly large turn-out – most riders wanting to shed the last remnants of the winter doldrums and ride into a warm spring season.

We had a few friends meet us at Backroads Central and we soon were crossing the Delaware just south of the famed Water Gap. We began to meander in a backroads-style westwards and through the eastern Pennsylvanian Slate Region.

We have ridden out to Knoebel’s, with its famed coasters – the Phoenix and The Twister - once or twice a year for many seasons; so we took a little bit from all our routes and mixed them together to create a two-wheel journey that would hug the mountains and valleys of the Endless Mountains and snake along the many large streams and brooks that are scattered about the region.

We crossed the Susquehanna at Danville and by mid-afternoon rolled into the Pine Barn’s parking lot.

Over the next number of hours and into the early evening the motorcycles continued to pour in. Those staying at the inn who were not part of our group perhaps wondered what was happening. It seemed that every few minutes a new face or old friend would come rolling in. Life was certainly good on our boat.

Spring Break 2022.2

The slate quarrying was begun by recently immigrated Welch in the late 1840s and the slate from the region was used around the nation for roof tiles, pencils, and other slate products. A game of pool at Gyps anyone?

Most pool tables at many a bar found their base and smoothness from the slate of PA Slate Region.

Our route gave way from slate into coal as we sped through the valleys that made the Molly Maguires both loved and hated, embraced and feared.

In the latter half of the 19th century, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was an area rife with violence. Between 1861 and 1875, a series of violent assaults, arsons, and murders were blamed on this not-so-secret society of Irish immigrants.

Today in the town of Mahanoy you will find a chilling memorial to the hard violence of Pennsylvania’s deep coal history. Hidden behind a wall, mimicking the feel of a prison yard, this monument on a street corner in Mahanoy City attempts to give a brief timeline of some of the events leading up to nineteen men being hung as Molly Maguires between 1877 and 1879.

Not far from here we spun past Centralia – the old coal town that has had hell burning below it for decades – and it will keep on burning for decades more.

Like all our Backroads Rallies we ran a very loose affair.

We had a few new faces and we hoped they would realize that there was not going to be much in the way of organized group rides, or any set-instone structure either.

We did have a big dinner set for later that night, but as far as the day was concerned we offered up several Day Trip Loops – in both paper and GPS form. Our friend John Ciribassi created a well-received dual sport ride for those who wanted a little gravel in their travel and he got half a dozen takers to follow his lead. Thank you, John!

Shira and I scooted out and followed one of her routes which, remarkably, contained not even one mile of gravel, dirt, or mud.

Holy cow – stop the presses!

But, we still got to fly

by Bigfoot making his way across the farms, being sprayed by a young Amish man – the sprayer being pulled down the field by a large workhorse. A little mix of old and new.

Around mid-morning, we made a stop at Waltz Café and Creamery – a great ice cream stop she had featured some years back that serves a killer breakfast as well. Just so she didn’t miss out on their great ice cream,

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Shira ordered some of their delicious Blueberry Bliss to top her pancakes – nothing wrong with ice cream for breakfast in our world.

While we were carving the rolling Amish farmlands, some took a tour of the many covered bridges throughout this part of Pennsylvania, others were heading to Bill’s Bike Barn – one of the greatest collections of Americana in all of America - others were riding to Hermy’s BMW & Triumph just to say hello and do a little shopping and some made the trek to Pottsville and the home of Yuengling Brewery, the oldest in the USA. By early afternoon we were riding along the river towns, one being Sunbury where Thomas Edison lit up his first Three-Wire Central Station Incandescent Electrical Light Plant in the World. OK there, Tommy.

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Oh, am I showing a bit of disrespect here to the ‘Topsy the Elephant Frying’ Edison? Maybe a bit. We are hard-core Nicola Tesla fans here at Backroads Central.

Still, the Hotel Edison is well worth stopping by and its display of Edison’s many inventions is very well done indeed. The rest of the day was spent chasing the twisties along the Pennsylvanian backroads till we pulled up to Knoebels Amusement Park.

Our timing could not have been better, as fellow scribe Mark and Betsy Byers, along with a number of other Backroaders had just arrived.

Soon after more of our riders appeared and, with it being a school day Friday, the lines were almost non-existent and the coasters, carousel, flume, and all else were ours for the taking.

As always Knoebels did not disappoint and we

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were excited to bring so many friends there so they could let their “Inner Children” go for the wild ride!

That evening we had one of the largest group dinners we’ve ever held and the Pine Barn came through in a big way as the food was plentiful and delicious.

It was great to see so many tables of old friends and new faces, a most excellent way to start our 2022 Backroads riding season.

Spring Break 2022.3 This day saw riders heading in many directions; some went towards Pottsville and the Yuengling Brewery, others just meandered the great roads in this region and some headed to Bill’s Bike Barn, as the forecast was not as brilliant as the day before.

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Both Shira and I had put our heads together for the next day’s route, which also meandered along the Pennsylvanian countryside and made its way over three separate mountains along Route 125. Some have been calling this road the Dragon of PA – we think the “Dragon” moniker should fade away in PA, and that it should be left a few hundred miles south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Route 125 runs out of Shamokin, Pennsylvania – so Smokin’ works perfectly, and it is! This road commands and deserves your attention and it is always a blast to ride the Smokin’!

Our Dark Sky app called for hit or miss showers and the first of two we’d encounter got us as we were running north along the Susquehanna River, passing the Statue of Liberty at Dauphin, a 34-foot replica of the famed statue in New York Harbor. This diminutive icon has a fascinating back story, so we’ll let O’Life handle that.

For us, we continued onward, heading for lunch at a superb place Shira had found - Fire & Ice Smokehouse and Creamery.

Think superb smoked meats (The Fire) and overthe-top and delicious home made ice cream (The Ice) and you have the phenomenal eatery. You can read about it in this month’s Inside Scoop.

BACKROADS • JULY 2022 While we were there, finishing off a half-rack of ribs and brisket salad, our friends Ken, Mike and Robyn rolled up. Twenty minutes later a dozen other rally-goers rolled up as well.

We hope Fire & Ice had a good day – they certainly have earned it.

The second part of the day found us across the river and heading north and past a billboard that has drawn a lot of attention.

“Every Day is Hump Day” for an adult store.

Some are outraged, shocked, and appalled; others too busy laughing. Hey, the sign is doing its job that is for sure.

I was more concerned with that cold whiff in the air. You could smell it coming and the wall of gray from the clouds to the ground a few miles ahead gave us fair warning. As Rundgren sings… it hit us like a train.

Heavy downpour onto a roadway that seemed to have little in the way of efficient drainage. We ain’t made o’sugar, and I have a tee-shirt that says ‘Rain Happens’ but it was hard to see all that far ahead of us on smaller forestry roads with no lines or even utility poles to give us an inkling of what was coming our way.

Thankfully this lasted just 20 minutes or so and by late afternoon we rolled back into Danville under blue skies and my GS running on fumes.

Great day!

Unlike many of our events that sojourn from town to town and region to region this time around, we stayed planted for 3 nights at the Pine Barn Inn – with two days of solid riding on the eastern edge of Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains. The roads and interesting and fun destinations, like Knoebels and Bill’s Bike Barn filled up rider’s days and with only one single complaint (somebody didn’t get their coffee fast enough. Really?

Yikes, how horrible!) everybody enjoyed the accommodations at the Pine

Page 29 Barn Inn and we hope many return there again, as there is much to see and explore in this region.

We think that the long weekend was a hit and certainly, it really comes back to you gals and guys who attended. We appreciate you all more than you know and love that so many new faces came along too.

Please know when Shira said at the dinner that you are ‘now part of the family’, we mean that.

We have our Summer Sojourn quickly approaching with two nights in West Dover, Vermont at the Gray Ghost and Kitzhof Inns bookending two nights in Gorham, New Hampshire. We hope to see you there! ,

A Day in the Dirt on Backroads Spring Break 2022 Journeys on some empty roads during the spring is one of life’s simple pleasures. When the journey begins with someone who knows where there are unpaved paths, it is even better. Such was the case on our Friday during the Backroads Spring Break.

We were very fortunate to have John Ciribasi from Emmaus MotoTours and his brother, Paul, arrange an easy ADV ride for us. John generously led six of us from the Pine Barn Inn on Friday on what was to be a 150-mile loop of mostly dirt roads north of Danville.

Page 30 The route took us up through some of Central Pennsylvania’s rolling hills, Gamelands and State Forests. The roads themselves were easily navigated with ADV bikes and most any street bike would have had no issues. The day was sunny and dry which made for a dusty ride once the pavement ended. John found some great places to stop and take in the sites. One site just before a lunch break was Deer Lake. Another was Dry Run Falls near Hillsgrove. Just before our halfway point we rode up through World’s End State Park to the Loyalsock Canyon Vista. This did not disappoint as we enjoyed views of the valley and creek below.

Most of the ride was through the rolling hills around sparsely populated areas and dairy farms.

After chatting with some local hikers, we continued to Forksville where we stopped at Big Mike’s Forksville General Store for a cheesesteak lunch. The journey continued south and to the east and wound back into Dansville just in time for dinner. For those that want to do this ride the tracks are included with the Spring Break GPS routes and titled Buckhornver1.

A big thank you to our tour guides John and Paul for organizing this ride and showing us some roads off the beaten path. , ~ Tony Lisanti

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2022 XSR900: A LEGEND REBORN

TAKING THE SPORT HERITAGE CLASS TO NEW LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE & STYLE Yamaha has unveiled the newest iteration of its celebrated ‘Faster Son’ design philosophy—the striking, completely redesigned 2022 Yamaha XSR900. Inspired by Yamaha’s legendary racing heritage, the new XSR900 represents a significant advancement in both performance and style, boasting an all-new chassis, more powerful 890cc engine, more advanced electronics package and a brilliant new look drawn from Yamaha’s classic 1980s-era Grand Prix racing machines.

Yamaha’s Sport Heritage motorcycle models drew inspiration from the marque’s extensive experience spanning seven decades of design and manufacture of famous and iconic motorcycles.

During this time, the world of motorcycling has continually evolved, yet the unique emotions and intense excitement of riding on two wheels have always stayed the same. The Faster Sons design philosophy fuses iconic style with modern technology to create enjoyable and exciting motorcycles that recall the past while featuring the performance of today.

The bold, striking new look of the next generation Yamaha XSR900 is apparent from every angle. With the tank design, exposed aluminum frame and side silhouette drawing clear inspiration from iconic Yamaha race bikes of the 1980s, there is also an unmistakably modern design element underscoring the machine’s high-performance capabilities. Full LED lighting, a new full-color 3.5-inch TFT display and a host of premium touches including drilled fork caps, machined headlight stays, forged brake pedal, hidden passenger pegs, blacked-out levers, darkened brake reservoirs, bar-end mirrors, embossed aluminum rear underplate and aluminum XSR logo all combine to reflect modernity and a higher level of fit and finish.

The XSR900 shares the same specifications, individual components and fuel injection as Yamaha’s new 2021 MT-09.

A key feature on the new XSR900 is the all-new compact, lightweight aluminum frame, featuring the thinnest sections ever for a Yamaha die-cast frame.

The XSR rides on Yamaha’s new spinforging processed wheel, the sporty 10-spoke aluminum wheels

and the braking is handled by a new Brembo radial front master cylinder for better feel at the lever.

This machine also utilizes Yamaha’s Lean Sensitive Traction Control System that uses the six-axis IMU data in conjunction with relative front and rear wheel speed data, the new lean sensitive Traction Control System adjusts the degree of intervention to correspond with the bike’s lean angle. A total of three intervention levels are available. This is coupled with Slide Control System, Lift Control System, and Brake Control System. If needed the XSR900 can be well Nannied.

The 2022 Yamaha XSR900 will be offered in two exciting color options: Legend Blue inspired by the French Sonauto Yamaha team race colors featuring gold wheels and gold front fork or Raven featuring black wheels and black front fork. In dealerships soon for an MSRP of $9,999.

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And I’m never going back to my old school…

Steely Dan or whateva?

Backroads Central to Hancock, Maryland Although a soggy veteran, I am not a fan of wet weather riding; but if you ride - I have a shirt for you. It simply says “Rain Happens.”

We will all get caught in it now and again.

Worse, would be staring out in the rain.

That was what Dark Sky had foretold for us the night before, so we were somewhat heartened by the gray clouds and hit or miss mists that greeted our start south this Memorial Day Friday.

My headset and GPS spun up Steely Dan. Well boy, I think I AM going back.

Every year we tell you about going to CLASS, Reg & Gigi Pridmore’s high-performance riding school, held for the last decade each year at Virginia International Raceway, right at the border between VA and North Carolina.

The difference this year was that it was being held in the middle of the spring, rather then in fall. Better for us, we thought, as it gave us a good head start on the season. (Like Ecuador was not enough?)

On this ride, I thought we could meander in a southwesterly flow. First through the Slate Belt and then the old mountains before crossing the Susquehanna River.

At some point in the southern Poconos, we ran high and into the thick clouds that had been our cover for the ride so far.

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It reminded me of the Blue Ridge Parkway at its worst and about a halfhour and several gravel road miles later we dropped in altitude and could see the road once again – passing across the Appalachian Trail.

By this part of the day, early afternoon, we were on the way west, along Route 325, a piece of pavement that winds toward the Susquehanna River atop the deep valley’s ridge in a happy and easy-going manner.

When we had turned off Gold Mine Road onto 325, I took note of a large dark SUV – ghosted out with the words Game Warden across the doors. To me, Game Warden deserves the same respect that any other LEO does – and that is plenty. Still, I could not help but notice a few miles down the road that he was ghosting us from behind.

We were in no rush and just a tad over the posted limit, so we kept on – with the GPS alerting us we’d have 20 or so miles of this before the next vector change.

A short time later Shira mentioned that she thought we had police behind us. I agreed and then she said he has lights. She meant lights on. I glanced in my left mirror and sure enough – the spinning blues!

Pulling up next to our now side of the road parked machines, the Game Warden hit the button and dropped the passenger side window.

Where are you going?

Lunch.

How far?

Maybe 10 miles, is there a problem?

There is indeed – we have SEVERE weather, possible tornadic issues, quickly rollin’ in. Please get to the restaurant as quickly as you can. He nodded, raised the window, and took off, with blue lights a spinnin.’

Page 33 We rolled into Fire & Ice as the rain, winds and all H-E Double Hockey Sticks arrived!

The universe was watching over us as we tucked the two machines as far as we could under Fire & Ice’s awning and took a table and a spot on the floor for Aerostich suits that were shedding water and creating a small lake beneath themselves.

We love Fire & Ice and we had just found it just a month before during our Spring Break Rally.

Whilst we dined, the tempest cruised to the northeast and our post-time ride was ridden under a grayish mist that gave way by the mile to the first scattering of sunlight and by early evening azure blue and puffy white ran to the horizon.

Once on the far side of the river, the ride picked up the pace as it slalomed through the Amish farmlands and then down towards the border into Maryland.

Along the way, we saved two and a half turtles. Box Turtles

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I pick up – Snappers I prefer not to, but we could direct some oncoming traffic around Snappy until that prehistoric bastard got safely to the other side of the road.

Along this same road, we passed a centuryold home with the most unusual lawn collection. Iron and metal statues and masks - lots of masks.

Hard on the brakes, I whipped a U-turn and went to investigate.

If this was not a private home I would have explored a bit more, but my Spidey-Sense was a tinglin’ and the collection of the webspinners masks had me thinking ‘felonious’ thoughts. Well, at least a B-misdemeanor.

It was very cool and left me envious.

Early evening found us along the C & O Canal and checking into a highway-side chain for the night. Dinner was found at a very interesting place

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called Buddylou’s – part restaurant, part antique curio shop, part dog haven.

Right along the canal, it was a most excellent find.

Hancock, MD to Hot Springs, Virginia We’d only be in Maryland for a short bit, but it is an interesting state, for sure.

MARYLAND FUN FACT Not only does Maryland have the coolest flag and that our own Mark Byers calls the state home, it is also a state with three… yes, count em’ Three…Nicknames.

Maryland has been called “ Miniature America” because so much is packed into its 10,460 square miles of land and water. You can find just about any kind of natural feature here, except a desert. That’s because water is almost everywhere in Maryland. The “America in Miniature” title also applies to the role Maryland has played in our nation’s history, from the

BACKROADS • JULY 2022 founding of the United States to the present. And like our country, Maryland is home to ethnic groups of every origin. Famous Marylanders include politicians, lawyers, painters, craftspeople, writers, health professionals, and religious leaders. Maryland was home to the first railroad, the first dental school, and the first umbrella factory. And Maryland inventors gave us the gas light, the linotype machine, and the refrigerator.

Maryland is also called the “Old Line State” and “Free State.” “The Old Line” nickname was given during the Revolutionary War when 400 soldiers in the First Maryland Regiment fought a British force of 10,000 and helped General George Washington’s army to escape. Washington depended on the Maryland Line throughout the war, and the soldiers’ discipline and bravery earned Maryland its nickname.

The name “Free State” was given in 1919, when Congress passed a law prohibiting the sale and use of alcohol. Marylanders opposed prohibition because they believed it violated their state’s rights. The “Free State” nickname also represents Maryland’s long tradition of political freedom and religious tolerance.

Just seconds after we had gotten the bikes in gear the next morning we were across the Potomac River and into the Mountain State of West Virginia – a state that needs only one nickname “By God!” We love this state, always have - great roads, nice people, little Law Enforcement.

But, alas, our plan this day was to retrace some of the miles from last year’s Spring Break Rally, and thus we scooted toward the George Washington Forest and Fort Valley Road, in Virginia – our go-to romp when heading down through the Shenandoah River Valley.

Hell, it’s almost heaven.

Last year, when returning from CLASS, we had a long rain-soaked day that, at one point, found us off the Interstate (Yes, we can and do use the Big Roads when needed) and searching for fuel, both for the bikes and our stomachs, found a most interesting gas/restaurant-BBQ/ice cream-coffee shop. All of

Page 35 them seemed to have slightly different names – so we’ll stick with Melody’s Porch. Should you find yourself in Strasburg, VA, Melody’s is a welcome respite from the slog of I-81. Regina makes a mean mug of bubble tea and the breakfast sandwiches hit the spot.

As we headed through the town of Strasburg, Virginia we stopped by the local museum. It was here that Stonewall Jackson brought nearly 20 locomotive and train cars, BY HORSE, to the town where they were

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plopped back onto remaining rail tracks and put into service for the Confederacy. This is a story in itself. Keep reading Backroads as you know we will not let this tale lie for long.

We made the annual stop to visit the General Lee – the most famous Dodge Charger on the planet - and then headed up and over the mountain towards New Market and past the venerable battlefield.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at a quick pace. A Mary Poppins sort of day. Perfect roads. Perfect temperature. Perfect bikes for the day.

Practically perfect in every way, made even better by having Route 33’s

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charge over the tight mountain road back into West ‘By God’ Virginny back-marker free.

This road, on the Poppinsesque day, was magnificent. Nothing could wipe the shit-eating grin off our faces while we sipped our coffees at the Brandywine General Store.

We then slung back into Virginia along Bull Pasture River Road, truly amazing in so many ways, to Route 39 up and over the mountain making a stop at Dan Ingalls Overlook and chatting up with a contingent of Harley riders from North Carolina.

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They were a Christian group and one asked if it would be alright to ask for God’s benevolence for us and our machines. It was a kind gesture and things like this are always and truly appreciated.

If you know us (ok me), well we need all the help we can get sometimes.

Unfortunately, the Vine Cottage B & B in Hot Springs was booked, but the Roseloe Motel, just up the road, filled in for the night. Clean, comfortable, and, by chance, we met up with another rider, Ali, and the three of us headed to a local spot favored by the locals – thus me calling it a “local spot.”

Warm Springs, VA to VIR The next morning would start brisk and sharp, but gradually the heat and humidity began to roll in.

We cut east up and over the first bit of foothills that runs to the mountain spine where the Blue Ridge Parkway lies, on Virginia Route 606, called McGraw Gap Road. Along the way, the name changes to Sulphur Spring, and when it does the road goes from nice to nice, nice, very nice.

This downhill run demands attention and was excellent to ride early this morning.

It was onto Route 220 into 622 across Dagger Springs and then we looped into Buchanan – home to the region’s Swinging Bridge.

The Swinging Bridge has a story - of course, it does. It is 366 feet long, 57.5 feet tall and the only one of its type to cross the James River. Portions of the bridge date back to 1851 and have witnessed Hunter’s Civil War Raid, the rerouting of U.S. Route 11, and numerous floods. Certainly a neat calling card for the town.

For us, the real winner was the Buchanan Fountain & Grill, right across

from the movie theatre that had two flicks and no charge this Memorial Day Weekend.

The Grill was certainly a step back in time, and breakfast was excellent, and the waitress and staff more than friendly. If we had time, we’d have stayed for Dr. Strange.

As we rode the twisty entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway we crossed the Appalachian Trail - again. We seem to cross the trail quite a bit these days and, as Backroads Central is not far from it, it has become almost a part of our lives.

The Park Ranger at Peaks of Otter educated us on the local critters and we like it when we learn something new.

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A good thing to do each day, dontcha think?

Off the Parkway, we crossed through the town of Bedford – home to the National D-Day Memorial. This is certainly a place to visit; especially this Memorial Day weekend. We have been here several times, but it never stops humbling us and it will surely do the same to you as well.

Our ride sped south, with us trying to link together an interesting afternoon of miles while getting to the track sooner rather than later.

We arrived in the late afternoon, signed in, got our room and garage, and prepared for two days of fun, riding, and (hopefully) some added smoothness.

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We try to get to as many schools and riding courses as we can and Reg Pridmore and CLASS have been a part of our riding life each year for over two decades.

With CLASS you get to spend two days on one of the most beautiful tracks in the world.

No intrusive cars, animals, police, or wayward and clueless pedestrians.

Everybody is going in the same direction and you get to see, learn and experience just what you and your machine are truly capable of.

Each day is full of multiple sessions of twenty minutes on the track and twenty minutes in the classroom.

Reg had a dozen instructors on hand and all these riders are of the highest caliber and will be very happy to work with you on different aspects of riding.

For me it was a true pleasure to have an instructor ride past me, turn slightly towards me and tap the back of their seat – motioning me to follow them through the 2.5-mile north course at VIR. Tracking them closely and matching them line for line and apex for apex is always an eye-opener for me and allows the willing rider/student to become better and better with each session. After a few laps we’d pull into the pit lane and discuss what I could improve on and do better; whether it be where I am looking, body-positioning, or correcting my entrance and exit lines.

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Page 39 Each session built on the last; and both Shira and I loved that this year’s CLASS was in the late spring and not the late autumn. This would allow us an entire riding season to work on all we’d learn in these two days. Most excellent.

With two full days and 250 miles of track time under our belts, our day began to pull into the pits for the final classroom session, with both groups in attendance. After completion certificates were handed out, Shira, Mark and I took a moment to celebrate the beauty behind CLASS with this year’s Backroads’ Lifetime Achievement in Motorcycling Excellence award (or L.AM.E. as we affectionately call it. Yes, Gigi Pridmore is smooth as silk on the track but also smooths out all the bumps behind the scenes.

It has become tradition to hold a Pizza Party in our combined garages on Tuesday. The track’s Oak Tree Tavern was fine for the two days, but the menu has been less than it once was, and who does not love a Pizza Party.

All were invited and Betsy and Shira scooted out in the early evening returning with a dozen-plus pies, various beers, wine, and sodas. Reg, Gigi, all the instructors, and many of the students attending CLASS came over for the evening.

Earlier in the day, a large semi rolled in… and then another and yet another. It was odd how VIR had held us back from getting to our room and garages – booked and paid in full months back – yet, these car carriers seemed to have not the same restriction.

By 7 pm the paddock area, that was solidly ours for the last two days,

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was invaded by an overwhelming contingency of IMSA Race Teams.

They were everywhere and then VIR showed up at our happenin’ pizza party. Did they want a slice? We’d surely be happy to share. Noooo. They told us we’d have to vacate our garage, as the IMSA Sport Cars folks needed them all.

This first came as a directive. It was met with a solid wall of resistance.

I do my best, my very, very best to keep that ancient part of my brain, the amygdala, in check. When I went to get involved Shira, seeing my skin tone taking on a more and more eau de Nil shade, gave me the ‘stay out of this’ look.

Hulk know when Hulk will lose. I sat back and watched.

Shira went into defense mode and between her, Mark Byers, and some of the CLASS instructors The VIR-guy knew that to get us to vacate the garages, he’d have to change his tone and offer.

More and more IMSA trucks came rolling in and we now were beginning to feel a bit like Ukraine. In truth, we were done with the paddock garages anyway – but nobody likes to be bullied. We were not the easily pressured type.

In the end, they bought the paddock area back from us.

See, we can be reasonable.

We then all had pizza and watched the IMSA show roll in and it was VERY impressive.

Porsche and BMW sports cars for the most part. All manned by young and energetic people who went about setting up and building a small tent city.

Serious hardware was being rolled out and it was quite the show.

And, I thought my Hot Wheels collection was the bomb.

The International Space Station came blazing overhead, right on schedule at 10:02 pm and with the ISS heading east, we all called it a night and headed to the arms of Morpheus and Dreamland.

VIR to Backroads Central We planned on a long haul this day, mostly on Eisenhower’s Interstates, but first bikes had to be brought back to street specs – tires re-inflated to

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proper street pressure (we ran nearly 10 lbs lighter on the track) and gear neatly and tightly stowed on the machines.

IMSA was having a breakfast banquet; a remarkable display of way too much $$$.

The triune part of me wanted one more ‘little win’ from VIR and IMSA. I had on a sharp-looking VIR polo shirt so I strolled into the paddock garage, now converted into a large breakfast buffet.

I could feel Shira rolling her eyes.

I headed, with a bit of authority, up to the barista and ordered a café Americana with a double shot of espresso. Turning to the various team crew members I remarked on the beautiful day and asked how everyone’s morning was going? I learned a long time ago if you are working a bunko, it is best to do it with conviction. You should see my friend Ron and me play high-ranking military officers… it is remarkably effective and more than a little fun.

The coffee was most delicious.

Page 41 Our friend Bill, who lives just miles from us in New Jersey, would join us on our ride home and we snapped the three machines into first and began our long roll north.

Along Route 29 I spied a Historic Sign for Hurricane Camille. On August 20, 1969, this beast ravaged the area with more than 25 inches of hard-driving winds and rain in just under five hours. The entire region was decimated and over 125 souls were lost in Nelson County alone. The sign slowed me down and made me think of how good life really is and not to take anything for granted.

The route north was a pleasant 70 or so degrees, but heading onto the interstates the mercury and humidity quickly rose and the gauge on the Z claimed triple digits temperature-wise. Still, we motored on north stopping only for fuel, food, and the occasional Butt Break!

Just 20 miles out of New Jersey I caught a whiff of cool and moist.

Several miles to the north I could see the rain and in a short time, we were riding through some serious thundershowers that would dog us the rest of the way home. And drop the temperature by nearly 25 degrees.

Mother Nature is a remarkably fickle gal.

So, under a ‘yellow flag’ of sorts, we ended this little soiree south to CLASS and parked the dripping machines in the barn with another few days of track time and another trip around the Sun under our belts.

CLASS is an awesome experience and if you ever have a chance to participate in this school or any such riding instruction, please do so. It will make your riding experience all the better for it and, honestly, it is just an absolute hoot. See you on the road! ,

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS AND REVIEWS PSI PRO TIRE PRESSURE GAUGE BY LEE PARKS DESIGN The hard-bodied Psi Pro Tire Pressure Gauge from Lee Parks Design has a unique, flat-topped, 90-degree head, is guaranteed accurate within +/-1 psi and backed by a five-year warranty.

Unlike common automotive gauges’ round, angled heads that are tough to position around motorcycle brake discs and spokes, the PSI Pro’s flat-headed design easily mates with tire valve stems, then held flat. This perpendicular orientation allows easier maneuvering in tight spaces and ensures better engagement, so less air escapes and readings are more accurate.

Beneath the tough, grippy texture-coated exterior is a sturdy, 5.5-inch-long metal body, clamped by a convenient pocket clip. This high-quality instrument measures pressures from 5-50 pounds, then shows readings on a white bar with contrasting numbers in one-pound increments on all four sides. The Psi Pro Tire Pressure Gauge is available through Lee Parks Design for $27.95.

MISSION POSSIBLE: DUNLOP TRAILMAX MISSION TIRES Finding proper tires for your Adventure or Dual-sport bike is a challenge: it’s a devil’s bargain between a semi-knobby that will squirt through the dirt, but buzz and wiggle on the highway or a more roadfocused tire that will behave on the pave, but leave you slipping and sliding in dirt or gravel. A lot of them are rated at “90/10” meaning 90 percent road and 10 percent off-road (which is to say they’re road tires). Fortunately, Dunlop engineers have come up with what they consider a true 50/50 tire: the Trailmax Mission.

I agree: after several months with these tires on my 2015 Suzuki Vstrom 650 XT, I am a believer in this blocky, true multi-surface tire.

I have run them on gravel and dirt roads and find them confidence-inspiring on both. I’ve had them on wet pavement and the profile and the big blocks with wide spaces allow good grip while squishing away standing water. The compound is sticky enough to give me grip at significant lean angles on pavement, but it does not appear to be wearing rapidly like some softer, knobbier dual-sport shoes do.

I ran with these tires while working at a bicycle race that was a combination of pavement and hardpack gravel, with the typical loose-gravel section down the middle, and they allowed me to put the bike anywhere I wanted, including straight down the loose stuff: they tracked true, but I could move in and out of

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it without feeling like they were “snowplowing.” I’ve ridden a lot of dual-sport bikes and tires and for a larger, heavier bike like the Vstrom (compared to my CRF-230L), I haven’t found a better tire.

While I wouldn’t run them on something as light as my CRF (and Dunlop doesn’t make the fitment for it anyway), I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this tire for a bigger bike like the DRZ-400, the Vstrom 650 or 1000, or any of the BMW GS line. I think you’ll find they’re a great tire for most things you’re likely to encounter while still giving you significant wear life and excellent road-riding feel. I no longer feel like I’ve had to make a big compromise in one regime or another and that’s the real mission accomplishment Dunlop achieved with the Trailmax Mission. ~ Mark Byers

MOTOREFLECTIVE • BE SEEN! MotorReflective’s motto is “Make them Aware You Are There!” Ain’t that the truth.

The application of retro-reflective stickers from MotoReflective is an absolute no-brainer.

We recently swapped a set of bags on Shira’s Suzuki and our first thought was to contact Fernando Belair, the owner of MotoReflective, and order a couple of sheets of his silver retro-reflective appliques.

On the road, when a following car or truck’s headlight wash across the back of the bike MotoReflective’s stickers, from 3M’s 7-year/ 7 mil Retroreflective Vinyl, explodes with light. Your machine will truly stand out.

MotoReflective’s company’s thought has always been as bright and as clear as their products. They felt that riders were simply too hard to see – especially at night and in lowlight scenarios.

Being seen is key. We can all agree on this.

We have known Fernando for decades (sorry Fernando, but true, sniff…) Like us he is passionate about riding, but just as much about riding safely as well.

We asked Fernando about his products…

“As motorcyclists, we know we’re difficult to see among other traffic. And sometimes, it’s not just our slimmer profile. Drivers just don’t look for us and sometimes don’t see us even when they are looking right at us.

We have all had close calls – so, as smart riders, we add driving lights, wear brighter gear and do so much to be seen from the front.

But still, a great number of riders are rear-ended every year – especially after the sun goes down when we are even harder to see.”

Thus, he created MotoReflective.

These retro-reflective appliques and stickers, with their many styles, colors, and

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designs allow you to choose the look that works for you.

We like stealth and all our machines that have luggage also have very discreet MotoReflective stickers along the back and side of the bags.

We created our own cuts for our bags, but MotoRelective has pre-cut kits for many machines that have OEM luggage – BMW, Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson as well as some aftermarket bags like Touratech Zega Pro, Jesse, and Caribou.

You can also brighten up your helmet with their Helmet Reflective Kits.

Simply take a look at the images here.

With these silverish bags, you really can barely see that there are any stickers on them at all.

If you have hard luggage and want to be clearly seen from the rear, especially at night, take a look at www.motoreflective.com and they will certainly brighten up your ride.

SW -MOTECH BMW R1250GS COCKPIT MOUNT On our BMW R1250GS, there is a big empty space above the TFT Display screen. Not that I do not have enough ‘farkle’ on this machine, but a little bit of a dashboard was something for which I was actively looking.

My previous 1200GS had a neat dash of sorts, a stainless-steel plate that allowed for me to mount a radar detector, and a SPOT satellite communication device to know where I am when I inevitably get lost.

I missed this on the 1250 and was even going about making my own when I came across SW Motech’s Cockpit Mount for the BMW R1250GS. Yes! I ordered one that day.

Although SW-Motech sells this as a GPS mount, I had other plans and I was just a tad excited when Jeff, our friendly neighborhood UPS Man, drove the big brown Morgan Olson truck up the driveway.

The first thing that hit me when I opened the box was how nicely thought out and created the Cockpit Mount was. It is made from artfully designed 3-piece black, powder-coated steel brackets with a Quick-Lock mechanism made of glass fiber reinforced plastic.

Once attached, using stock mounting points a powder-coated steel plate ensures the stable attachment of the cockpit mount and the mount has adjustable positioning, and vibration dampening and is easily removable.

The pivotable holder can be removed in an instant and its universal drill-hole pattern allows the attachment of many current models of GPS devices such as the Navi Case Pro device cases and smartphone hardcases or, in my case, a TPX Radar Detector.

Its integrated shock absorption protects your device against vibrations, and once installed looks like it came from Berlin from the bike’s birth.

At just $76.95 I thought this was a very affordable and much-needed addition to this machine and you can find this and other fine SW-Motech products on their website at sw-motech.us.

NELSON RIGG COMMUTER SERIES TAIL BAG The CL-1060 Series of Commuter Tail Bags has quickly become one of Nelson-Rigg’s best sellers and for good reason.

Last year when we picked up our smallish Kawasaki Z-900RS I looked for some easily installed and aesthetically pleasing way of carrying around some day-to-day items. We had heard of Nelson Rigg’s Commuter Tail Bags and had seen them at Americade as well.

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NR makes three different sizes, for the Goldilocks in us all, and I ordered the smallest, the Commuter Lite right away. I was more than pleased with everything about this bag and, for day trips, it was well-suited for the mission.

The Tail Bag was installed quickly and removed just as fast, and with its semi-hard carbonlike panel and flowing design that sat nicely on the rear seat of the Z bike, it did not take away from the sex appeal of the bike in any manner.

This bag holds almost 12 liters and expanded an additional three - perfect for day trips.

The “Quick-Release” attachment straps were a breeze and Kawasaki made them even easier with their added mounting points that are on this particular machine. The bag is built with retro-reflective piping for night-time conspicuity and the rubberized zippers are heavy-duty, and a breeze to open and close, as well as having points to lock the bag if you desire.

The interior of the bag is lined with a light gray material; allowing you to find items with ease There are also self-fastening straps to keep things in their place.

Although I had planned on using this bag every now and then it quickly found a permanent spot on the back of the Kawasaki.

With a longer journey coming up fast – a run down to the Virginia / North Carolina border and two days at VIR – I was looking for something a bit more substantial and with more stowing capability; a quick visit to Nelson Rigg’s excellent website and I was soon ordering the largest of the Commuter Series – the Commuter Touring.

This bag works and attaches in the same manner as the Commuter Lite, but is far larger, holding nearly 25-liters right out of the box and a full 33-liters when expanded. That is a lot of room.

Enough for three shirts, a pair of pants, 3 pairs of underwear and socks, and my 13-inch Apple Powerbook – with some room to spare.

In a pinch, I could go cross-country with this bag alone.

The inside of the top part of these bags has a netted sleeve that can hold a variety of items and carries Nelson Rigg’s rain cover.

Rain covers are usually simple affairs, but this one is well thought out and not just a simple plastic cover, but a shelter for the Commuter Tail Bag that has four attachments that allow you to link and cinch the cover down tight, ensuring your stuff stays dry in the wettest of storms.

In the middle of these two excellent Tail Bags is Nelson-Rigg’s most popular size, the Commuter Sport which starts off carrying 16.5-liters and expands to more than twenty-two.

All these bags come with an adjustable shoulder strap/backpack strap and a lifetime warranty.

A lot of companies say this – but, when talking about these bags at a recent Bike Night, I was told by one female rider about how her bag had a small issue and had slightly faded. When she mentioned this to Debbie from NR at Americade she was handed a new Commuter Tail Bag on the spot.

Damn. ‘Nuff said.

The Nelson Rigg Commuter Tail Bags range in price from $120 to $140 and you can find them from your local dealer or Nelson Rigg at nelsonrigg.com.

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BACKROADS • JULY 2022

BACKROADS • JULY 2022

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD WHACKY SHI*T THAT HAPPENS ON THE ROAD

THE UPSIDE-DOWN MELTDOWN AND THE KEY THAT GOT HAIRY At the Frosty Nutz rally up in Vermont you would think that with temps in the low 30s and woolly capped sleepers frozen as popsicles in their sleeping bags, it would be almost impossible to have a meltdown. Let alone an upside-down one. But a meltdown is exactly what happened to my riding bud Larry the Engineer of Mishaps.

It was a weekend of negative outcomes.

Three other riding buds all checked out with bad motorcycle headaches. Moe’s battery died on his Ducati. Tom’s X-Challenger was nested by a family of burrowing mice that chewed the wires to his fuel pump, and Kurt was forced, against his will, to attend his mother’s 90th and niece’s 30th.

Somewhere in the middle of the Green Mountain state, upon executing a U-turn because of an error in my errant ways, Larry’s red, white and black BMW K1300 decided it would have a dirt nap. Now I believe in naps. And I believe in pre-naps. But not on the road like the K1300.

Larry pulled out his trusty bag of CruzTools, the best toolkit that ever lived, and proceeded to remove the battery panel, which if you don’t happen to know, sits handily on top of the tank. Larry was well equipped for the occasion with his CruzTool. A cheerless, bespectacled Vermont man came out of a yellow house to offer his help but he was useless without CruzTools.

With the battery panel removed, you didn’t have to be an engineer to figure out what happened. Even I could figure it out. The positive battery terminal bolt was completely missing, leaving the charging system

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Victor Cruz incapacitated. We stared at it in disbelief. Three men in spectacles no less.

WHERE DID THE BOLT GO? Being an engineer, Larry found it quickly in a place where I would never, ever have bothered to look in a hundred years. The bolt was melted to the bottom of the battery panel. Lo and behold! How did it get there?

The VT man explained it brilliantly: “When the terminal gets loose, it creates a lot of heat.” The bolt vibrated upwards and had itself an upsidedown meltdown. Has this ever happened to anyone else in biker history?

Wait! There’s more. One time Larry the engineer of mishaps lost his ignition key.

We were coming off too short a ride around the Lake Placid area, my having overestimated how long it would take to ride a few Benjamins, leaving us with way too much spare time on hand for drinking cheap beer in an expensive hotel room.

Losing your ignition key surgically removes your stomach lining. Which is to say the bottom drops out. All is lost in the world. Not to mention, one very long apply-for-a-mortgage tow back home. Larry searched everywhere for it, starting with his bags, his coats, his toiletries, even shaking his boots upside down. Couldn’t find it to save a penny.

Then he found it. They were sitting on top of his head. Yes, his curly haired head. Which at the time was under his Red Sox cap. Apparently when he bent down to go through his bags the key fell right out of his shirt pocket and into his cap, which was on the ground. He put his cap on like you normally do. Super worried, super pissed, Larry went walking around looking for his missing key. The whole time the key was just sitting there, lonely on top of his head. I’m sure THAT has never happened before.

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The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents

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

Give Me a Brake We have all heard of the “Classic Left” – which is not classy at all, as it usually involves the meeting of motorcycle and car – commonly driven by a less than diligent driver.

It happens all too frequently and since they – the less than diligent drivers – are not going to try to see us – we must ride around in pre-anticipatory mode. Then there is the variation I call the Reverse Cowboy – not that RC (jeesh) – but it might as well be.

While riding we must always be diligent. Always attentive. Always focused. Alert and ever observant. But, many a time, that will not be enough; as the less than diligent driver – like Honey Badger - Don’t Give a F#%k!

According to numbers a whopping 42% of car vs bike incidents are left turns. That is an amazing number.

Indeed, 42 percent of all motorcycle crashes in the U.S. are the result of another vehicle making a left turn. Most often these accidents occur when a motorcyclist is riding through an intersection and the driver of the vehicle coming from the opposite direction turns into the rider’s path. The result can be catastrophic and even deadly for the rider.

Why do these occur? Well, you can factor into a lengthy list of reasons and excuses.

Most times, when Law Enforcement is interviewing the driver, around the same time the rider is being gurneyed into the ambulance, the officers will hear the same five words that are repeated a hundred times a day in the United States… “I didn’t see the motorcycle!”

Much of this has to do with perception and conspicuity.

Bikes are smaller and certainly narrower than most other vehicles. That narrow profile can easily be missed - especially if the driver approaching has 20% of their brain driving and the other 70% changing the XM channel or glancing at that text message that just chimed through. It is also very easy for drivers to misjudge the speed of an approaching motorcycle, or how close the bike really is.

I find I do this myself when making a turn and finally realizing that the car coming down the road will really take another month or so to get to me and I could have made three turns already, but now there is traffic coming from the other way - so patiently I will sit and internally chastise myself for the bad read on approaching speed.

Then there is always the impaired driver. Alcohol and drugs certainly come into play and account for so much mayhem and injury – but failing skills and the ability for drivers to operate cars as they once did begin to fade as we head into the far later years.

We have lost friends to this sort of thing and the “Old Man with a Hat” can be your worst enemy on the road.

With that forty-two percent of fatal motorcycle crashes that involved cars turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking a vehicle we need to work on our defense, and there are things you can do to better your odds of avoiding a crash at an intersection.

Take a little bit of extra time to use your rear- and side-view mirrors to ensure that nobody is in your blind spots. If you are turning at an intersection, and your view of oncoming traffic is partially obstructed, wait until you can see around the obstruction, scan for all roadway users (pedestrians and motorcyclists included), and proceed with caution. Slow your decision-making process down at intersections.

Like a fighter pilot using “Situational Awareness.”

I have seen some riders sitting at a light or riding down the road and they seem to stare straight ahead while others seem to have helmets that are in perpetual motion and constantly scanning about taking in visual data. Which rider are you?

Let me ask you another question…

When was the last time you practiced panic stops? It’s an easy thing to do.

Find an open stretch of road or empty parking lot and get an easy roll going – maybe second gear, and at a pre-designated mark apply your brakes with a controlled gusto and authority.

Do it again and again. The front brake, back brake, and both together.

Gigi & Reg Pridmore have ingrained this in both Shira and me over the years at CLASS. Well-operated brakes can be your best friend and a lifesaver.

So here is my Reverse Cowboy incident.

I was riding up along Route 17A and was just entering Warwick, New York. I was upfront and Shira a short distance behind me. The light was red as we approached and a small Toyota RAV4 was also rolling to a stop.

They were signally a right turn and as we got to the intersection the Toyota wheels cocked right and they began their turn. I leaned left and began to go around them.

That is when the ‘Reverse Cowboy’ happened.

The RAV4, which seemed already committed to making a right, suddenly went HARD LEFT and the little SUV was instantly heading the other way just a few yards ahead of me… still signally right.

There was no thinking on my part – just reaction.

Reaction allowed by a constant striving to be better and the need to get to Carnegie Hall …practice, practice, practice. Kabeesh?

I was also blessed this time as I was already at a slow reduced speed – any faster and it would have been a far worse outcome.

This time all the Panic Stop practice came into play and I stopped just inches from the side of the Toyota – blissfully unaware of what they had just done.

I rolled on and continued – not saying a word. I didn’t have to. Shira was spouting all sorts of colorful metaphors across the Bluetooth universe.

The takeaway this month kids is this…

Be Alert, diligent, and use your eyes.

Expect the driver to make bonehead moves.

And, please practice the basics.

Really guys & gals…. Give me a brake! ,