June 2024

WHAT’S INSIDE

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Dan Bisbee, Mark Byers, Dr. Seymour O’Life Office BACKROADS, POB 620 Augusta, NJ 07822

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2024. 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.

FREE WHEELIN

Wreckless

I was reading an article on last year’s big crash at the NASCAR’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona last August. Towards the end of the second stage, Christopher Bell appeared to give Ty Gibbs just a little nudge as the pack headed toward the front stretch. Gibbs got loose lost control and took out Ryan Blaney in the process.

There are always crashes in racing. NASCAR can sometimes involve many racers –but even by Stock Car standards, this was a big one with 16 drivers being spun out of the race. As the way of the world now there were several “comments” at the bottom of the article and one struck me as interesting: “The race certainly was unpredictable and reckless, but it certainly wasn’t wreck-less.”

I decided to stop and let my “discussion” happen by proxy. The only thing I had to do was put my arm out to stop the guide from interfering in said discussion.

It was a loud, very loud verbal discussion as John, in addition to being a man of quality, also could be a man of restraint.

And, John was from Philadelphia – that IS amazing! He only “lightly” pinned this guy to the wall and began to explain the danger and the evils of recklessness, and the Gospel of another R-word.

But then he made an ill-advised and wreckless move past Shira on the inside of a tight, blind right-hand turn. She did not see this coming and her tell-tale wobble told me just that.

I like it when people create words that work – and “Wreck-less” fit the bill, and got me thinking of the few times I have seen riders be just that. However, being “Wreckless” will have just the opposite result.

Thankfully we have been pretty good at managing hazards and, even though circumstances have put us at risk, or hospital on occasion, being reckless (we’ll stick with the original conjuration) while riding, eventually, will not end well.

Oh, it’s time for an anecdotal story.

We were on tour in Eastern Europe at this point having a fun and easy time south through Bulgaria. We were riding with a group of Americans and Australians. By mid-day, we stopped for lunch, and most of us got to know each other a bit better. One particular guy began to set off my Spidey-Sense. He was a bit older than me, and a bit rough around the edges but, according to him, one of the greatest racers back in the day.

Way back in the day. Oh, boy. How nice. After lunch, we headed up along the Stara Planina (Balkan Mountains). The roads were a bit tighter than earlier in the day, but an easy ride. Shira was a few bikes ahead of me when Leslie Graham thought now was the time to show just how amazing he was. He came up from the back of the pack and began slicing through our group, which was neatly spaced out. I saw him coming in the mirror and slid to my right as he went left around me. Within a mile or so he had pretty much passed and pissed on everyone.

My thought was “Okay, dude… have fun, and stay away.”

But then he made an ill-advised and wreckless move past Shira on the inside of a tight, blind right-hand turn. She did not see this coming and her tell-tale wobble told me just that.

When we got to that night’s hotel I had long since slid from ‘friendly neighborhood’ to more ‘incredible’ if you get my drift?

Getting off my bike I made my way to this asshole, but surprisingly was overtaken, and gently pushed aside, by another gent – who I’ll call John, ‘cause that was his name.

I was pissed. John was infuriated. Infuriated is a serious word. Far more dangerous than pissed ever will.

Every rider we ride with, consistently, has perfected and become expert with that other R-word… Restraint.

Restraint is a very important word here, kids. Truly.

Riding instructor extraordinaire Reg Pridmore constantly seeks to instill restraint in his students; and for a good reason.

Where reckless will cost, restraint will only save.

Restraint can truly make the difference between a great story and a sorrowful telephone call. ,

Brian rathjen

WHATCHATHINKIN’

I’ll Take ‘IT’smysTory and I’msTIckIngToIT’ for $1,000

We are pretty faithful Jeopardy! watchers. When home, come 7pm (or sometimes 7:30 when our tv app goes wonky and we are able to get it from other time zones) we are watching and/or listening to Ken Jennings (sure do miss Alex) and seeing how we shape up with the daily contestants. Brian and I have our ‘preferred’ categories should we ever really make it to the Alex Trebeck stage, Brian’s being ‘Japanese Super Bikes from the 70s • Music from Chicago’s First 7 Albums • Star Trek TOS • Marvel Comics’ while I might have a chance at ‘Name That Font • Favorite Ice Cream Flavors • Dromedary or Bactrian • Best NYT Recipes’.

For those who have not watched Jeopardy! (live under a rock) in between the regular Jeopardy! round and Double Jeopardy!, questions are asked of the contestants. I’m fairly sure that these are discussed beforehand, and they are short, anecdotal tidbits about the player’s life. There is a running discussion between Brian and I as to what short tale we would relate should we be in that situation. So, here are just a few, as I plan to be multigame winner once I actually take the Jeopardy! test and they realize the charismatic draw I bring to the tv screen…

Game One

Ken: “Shira, you have ridden to many places in the world on your motorcycle. What was the most unusual thing that you’ve ridden?”

Me: “Well, Ken, while doing a tour in South Africa with friends, we were offered a chance to ride ostriches. Not wanting to be called a wuss, I took the offer, as did our friend Ellen. My ostrich was not too pleased with my sitting on his back and I didn’t even make an official bull ride time. Ellen, however, who barrel races horses, not only went the 8 seconds, she continued and they had to stop the ostrich and take her off.”

Game Two

Ken: “Shira, we know that riding a motorcycle puts you out in the elements. What was the most challenging weather situation you’ve been through?”

Me: “Hmmm, that’s difficult but I’d say it was between the tremendous lightning rain storm encountered in Brazil and the sandstorm we rode through in Nevada. Our friend in Brazil spotted a bar up a hill to take cover, rode up to see about it, and didn’t come back. We found him, and his bike, under the pool table as the floor was slick tile and he slide under it when he rode up. The Nevada sandstorm had us riding with zero visibility through Death Valley towards Las Vegas. At one point an SUV suddenly appeared coming towards us, rolled down the window and said, ‘You have to get out of here, it’s really dangerous!’ Yea, no kidding.”

Game Three

Ken: “I hear that your ice cream column in Backroads is probably the most popular of the whole magazine. How did you start this and do you really eat all that ice cream?”

Me: “Ken, the impetus for my ice cream creations came from my brother Jan who would make ice cream, some with very un-

Continued on Page 6

ON THE MARK

lIfToff

Somewhere West of Cleveland, on the Great Monotony known as the Ohio Turnpike, nature called. She didn’t just call: she commanded me with Shakespearian urgency, “Get thee to a crappery - go!” And that is how, in a nameless I-90 service area, I came to appreciate the nature of space travel.

I dodged the usual collection of minivans and parked. Then, I did “The Dance of the Fully-Geared Motorcyclist Desperate to Get to the John.” Up went the visor, off came the sunglasses, off came the helmet, out came the earplugs, and off… dammit…off…grrrrr…OFF came one sweaty, too-tight glove and then off…dammit!...off…FINALLY!...OFF came the other. Zippers flew open like an Erica Jong novel as I tried to move with both speed and dignity on the way to relief.

Entering the building, slaloming between clueless tourists and children enjoying their all-too-short parole from the back seat, I headed for the pictogram of a Flat-Stanley man forever sculpted in stainless on the back wall. I entered the dude-side and, turning to the aisle where serious people go, I saw what I thought was salvation: light streaming from an empty stall.

Stall Five beckoned like the furies and I obeyed her siren song, popping the buckle on the Dariens as I went. As luck would have it, the accommodations were visual-

ly sanitary and free of…Klingons, thanks to the infrared valve that automatically takes care of such things. Little did I appreciate what the presence of that device portended when I turned and placed my corpulent, but tender posterior in the proper position.

Sweet relief engulfed me as I sat there, doing what all men without a magazine do in such situations: checking my email, texts, and FaceBook on my phone. With all due respect to this fine publication, when in dire need of distraction, smartphones are the new magazines. I must say, things were going quite well and I was feeling most secure in my own private Ohio. I should have known that fate has a way of sensing self-satisfaction.

Once satiated, I leaned forward ever-so-slightly to retrieve the lovely, single-ply, recycled, sixty-grit sandpaper flecked with real wood splinters that passes for toilet tissue in such institutions. When I moved, the little roving, red Cylon-eye of the infrared valve decided that Elvis had left the building, because the next thing I knew, the equivalent of a Saturn Five rocket erupted from beneath my behind: KAAAHHHWOOOSH!!

The resulting vortex was so strong that little bits of paper and dirt from the stall were sucked into the maelstrom taking place beneath my buns. All the exposed hair on my body was pointed toward the source of the vortex, so strong was the air current coursing through Stall Five. I daresay that, were I not so well fed, I might have been sucked into the ceramic Stargate, never to be seen again. Had I been experiencing any eliminational reluctance, it would have been cured by the maelstrom. Finally, after what seemed an inordinate amount of

Continued on Page 6

BACKLASH

Hi Backroads,

The Jungle’s Pre-Flight checklist is a great reminder for us two-wheelers. I’ve always been a stickler for tire pressures. Probably due to bad things happening in my earlier years. I point out underinflated tires to at least 1 person a week (cars), but my bike friends suffer from it too. It’s just second nature for me to either kick the tires or do a front/rear bump to see how they look, and I probably check pressures way more than I should. Oil level too, easy with a site glass. When going out with friends, I am always looking at their tires. Crazy I know, just me. During my road racing days, 2 psi +/could have made a difference between 1stor 4th. Thanks.

Chris Reiner

Dear Editors,

Read Mark Byers’ article earlier and it has me thinking of where I’m at today.

I made the decision last summer, but I’ve decided the time has come to hang up my helmet. Multiple injuries and surgeries to my right hand & shoulder have made my riding both painful & unsafe. Riding is still very pleasurable, but also painful. In the end the pain overrides the pleasure.

Now recovering from a 4th hand surgery last week.Seems to have improved the problem, but I think still too far gone for safe motorcycle ops. No regrets… been riding for 45 years and have had many great experiences over the years.

I wish you as many more years of riding enjoyment as you can stand. Time and tides wait for no man.

Danny Russo

Old Moto-Journalists Home

Hey Guys,

Your Free Wheelin’ on “Old MJ’s Home” was fantastic! Never knowing where Neale Bayley is these days, I forwarded it to him. He Loved it!! Best.

Bill K.

WhaTchaThInkIn’

Contined from Page 4 usual ingredients such as ghost pepper. He brought his creations to our family gatherings and, if it wasn’t finished, he’d take it home. Who does that? (Love my brother dearly…) Anyway, I figured if he can make such great ice cream, I should give it a shot. And when I brought my ice cream to the family, I did not take it home…… And, no Ken, I do not eat all that ice cream. Like a wine sommelier, I sample flavors, although I don’t spit.

Game Four

Ken: “You’ve given us your most unusual ride, but having ridden over most of this planet, what would be your favorite?”

Me: “Ken, I get that question often and my answer is always that New Zealand was the most diverse and entertaining country but Morocco was the most culturally different, from the language to the people to the food. The riding was superb plus seeing a lunar eclipse in Ouarzazate and riding in camel in the Sahara were magical.”

Considering the few answers I actually know while sitting on my couch, and the lack of buzzer proficiency, I can say that if I do get on and make it to Final Jeopardy! my answer will probably be “How the hell did you ever let me on this show?” See ya on the road. ,

on The mark

Continued from Page 5 time, the launch window closed and the vortex subsided into the placid lake it had been upon my arrival. Cautious, I now carefully reached back to finish what must be done in such situations and…the second stage lit off with equal gusto to the first. KAAAHHHWOOOSH!! Even though I was more prepared than the first time, the sheer violence of the thing still gave me the willies. Fortunately, I was able to complete the mission despite being in the middle of a sub-orbital burn lasting multiple seconds.

Steeled by the first two occurrences and, knowing what the infernal little infrared bastard had in store for me, I ended my association with that device by abruptly standing up so it could do its encore presentation without me in close proximity. Predictably, the third and final stage lit off, sending whatever remained of my presence well on its way to lunar orbit.

I hurriedly exited Stall Five, but chanced a look back just to make sure I’d left nothing in my haste to leave. The seat seemed to give me a gap-toothed grin and when I looked at the infernal, Cylon-eyed infrared valve, I swear to you: he winked at me. His cousin in the faucet spat tiny, ill-timed gouts of cold water at my hands above the sink before I left to take flight again into the great nothingness of space that is I-90…and Toledo. ,

ADS ACCIDENTS & DEATH FOR RIDERS THEREISNOFUTUREHEREIFYOURDEAD

In the wake of the most recent tragedy involving a fatal collision between aTesla vehicle in autopilot mode and a motorcyclist in Washington state, the American Motorcyclist Association, and riding groups once again urges the Department of Transportation to strengthen Automated Driving System (ADS) regulations. The incident, which resulted in the death of the rider, underscores the urgent need for specific regulations that require that both recognition and reaction to motorcycles be fully integrated into crash avoidance and autonomous vehicle technologies to ensure safety for motorcyclists and drivers. In February of 2022, the AMA — along with the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation — sat down to share industry priorities with United States DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg and department staff. One of the key discussion points during that meeting was the need to ensure that these new automated vehicle and crash avoidance technologies are required to recognize and react appropriately to motorcycles. Despite NHTSA’s investigation intoTesla’s Autopilot system and California putting the brakes on AV technology at the state level — no concrete action has been taken at the federal level. In fact, the most recent testing of these systems by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety indicates only one of the first 10 small SUVs evaluated

using their new testing criteria earned a good rating. Four of the tested vehicles either completely failed to provide sufficient warning or gave it too late to avoid a collision.

HONDATO SPONSOR MOTOAMERICA MINI-CUP

Following American Honda’s recent announcement that it is offering the powersports industry’s most generous contingency payouts for MotoAmerica’s Superbike and Stock 1000 classes, the company revealed today that it is supporting MotoAmerica’s Mission Mini Cup, for which it is now an official supporting manufacturer. Touted by MotoAmerica as the first step in a process that could lead talented young racers to eventually reach elite levels of competition, the Mini Cup offers an opportunity for Red Riders to push themselves on challenging kart tracks, riding Honda miniMOTO models including the Grom, CRF110F, CRF50F and more.

While Honda’s small-displacement motorcycle offerings have been a staple in training upcoming on- and off-road racers, their eligibility in the Mini Cup has previously been relatively limited. The Mini Cup includes six classes for 2024, four of which are open to racers campaigning Honda motorcycles (other manufacturers are also eligible):

Continued on Page 18

Wanamakers General Store presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN

sTarvIng arTIsT cafe

18 BrIdge sTreeT, sTockTon, nJ 08559

609-483-2219 • sTarvIngarTIsTcafesTockTon Wordpress com

SOMEWHERE NoRTH OF NASHVILLE

Years back we were making our way to the Atlantic Ocean, along the roads that moseyed in and out of the borders of Virginia and North Carolina. Just east of Lake Gaston, part of the Roanoke River, we stopped in the town of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, and went to seek breakfast at a place called Oscar’s – which was featured back in November of 2020. What we discovered inside was a collection of guitars that were signed by some very heavy hitters in the country music genre - Travis Tritt, Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, and others. It was very neat, but these guitars were for show, not for go. Taking one down might be met with some, umm resistance. But we know a place that has a few guitars along the wall right along another river – in the town of Stockton, right on the Delaware.

Although way too rare, it is not unusual to see a house guitar lying about – but here at the Starving Artist there are 16, and a bass to be had. And, not some shitty 99-dollar wood and strings, but serious guitars… Fender Strats and Telecasters, Gretch electrics, and a number of nice six and twelve-string acoustic guitars. A bevy of different amplifiers – Marshall, VOX, Fishman and there is a soundboard, pedals and more.

tasty places to take your bike

But, unlike most places, you do not have to beg to grab, feel and play. Here you are encouraged. Like the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad – owner Tod “The Mod” Ellis wants you to play.

Once again, we were told about this Great All-American Diner Run by our friends Lisa and Keene. Keene and Tod go way back, and with their mutual love of music, the superb location, and the café’s menu it was a natural for them to drop a dime on this place.

Earlier in the day you might be thinking breakfast and we are sure the chef’s offerings will hit the right chords with their Mornin’ Breakfast Sando, Breakfast Burrito, or Huevos Rancheros. You will also be able to strum right

along with the Artist’s Fresh Omelette or the Southern Biscuit & Sawmill Gravy. Sticking with a delicious and full sound you might do a sound check on their Full Marshall Stack Pancakes, which come with six pancakes, or if you want to sound a bit mellower try the Half Marshall Stack – still sounding good with three.

This Monday their specials were Lulu’s Lasagna, and Baked Wild Cod, along with their regular offering of Mexican Street Food –Street Tacos, Burritos, and Quesadilla.

Hey, it’s Jersey, so you can also order up some Italian too – ya know?

The Italian Casino Dog, A delicious-looking Meatball Parm, or the Three Tenors from Brooklyn Italian Sandwich. There is a seriously enticing Thin Crust Pizza that you can have every which way you like, as well as Stromboli and Calzone.

I went basic this day with a tasty burger, with

fried onions and bacon – your choice of a few different cheeses - and fries with an awesome pickle; washed down with a Jones Orange Soda. Shira took it to the street with Tacos and a Berry Lemonade Soda.

All were seriously in tune and the sound, flavors, Stockton location and ambiance made The Starving Artist pitch perfect. Sitting down with the owner Tod, we got the feeling that this man loves his food, his music, and his town and we think, as riders learn of this place, The Starving Artist will build like a crescendo… and stay there!

The Starving Artist is open every day but Wednesday, Mondays from 11 am, and 9 am the rest of the week and has live music on Friday mornings, evenings, and Saturday afternoons. Unless you want to play… which you are surely welcome. Maybe next time we head down we’ll bring Johnny Rocket & the Infidels, the house band from MWAG, heck they haven’t been thrown out of a place this cool in years. ,

Warren County Tourism presents BIG CITY GETAWAY

Bear mounTaIn BuTTerfly sancTuary 18 church rd, JIm Thorpe, pa 18229

570-325-4848 • BearmounTaInBuTTerlIes.com

hours: memorIal day Thruendof augusT • checkBeforegoIng

I’ve watched you now a full half-hour; Self-poised upon that yellow flower And, little Butterfly! indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. How motionless!–not frozen seas More motionless! and then What joy awaits you, when the breeze Hath found you out among the trees, And calls you forth again …

From fuzzy caterpillar to wondrous flying artwork, the butterfly brings joy to this world. With a plethora of colors, they flit from flower to flower, sipping the sweet nectar. As we know, the butterfly begins as a very different creature, and with its metamorphosis from egg to larva to chrysalis, the butterfly emerges, for just a week or two.

For the past sixteen years, the Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary (BMBS) has supplied the public, young and old, with joyous, educational experiences to increase the awareness of the importance and wonderment of butterflies. Located on scenic Route 903

~ William Wordsworth

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

outside of the town of Jim Thorpe – an equally quaint destination – the BMBS houses not only a room full of butterflies, but some equally as impressive amphibians such as the Poison Dart frogs and the curious Axolotls. This funny little salamander, which is closely related to the tiger salamander, is unusual among amphibians as it reaches adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. It also remains aquatic and gilled.

As legend has it, the Axolotl s the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, which disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed. The Mexican amphibians are impressive on their own, with the ability to regenerate lost limbs and stay ‘young’ throughout their 10-15 year life span, with their feathery gills sprouting from their heads like a mane and an upturned mouth which seems like a permanent Mona Lisa smile. But don’t be taken in by that grin, as they can suck in their prey in a heartbeat.

Because of their ability to regenerate everything from limbs to lungs to brain without scarring, they are a biologist’s go-to in the research to unlock human’s ability to regenerate tissue. But this funny little creature is critically endangered in the wild, so being able to view them at the BMBS is quite a rare treat.

There is much to learn within the rooms at the BMBS – the life cycle of the butterfly, what they eat, where they thrive and how to attract them to your garden. In the Flutteratium, you can hand feed butterflies, meet wonderful turtles, exotic frogs, lizards, beautiful moths and more. There is a Butterfly Hatching Area and educational videos and programs. The hands-on art space and science room will keep little hands busy for hours and, of course, the gift shop has something for everyone.

As with so many of our ‘quick’ stop ins, we ended up spending much more time marveling at the beauty and diversity of these winged creatures, as well as the variety of the amphibians that share the building. As the Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary has a relatively short season, as the life of a butterfly, you’ll want to make sure you get there between Memorial Day and the end of August. Their opening weekend – this year May 25 + 26 – features the ‘Welcoming the Butterflies Back’ celebration. In addition to their regular inhabitants, they have special crafts, food and activities, as well as hatching kits so you can watch the metamorphosis in your own home.

Another lovely program that is available is their Butterfly Release, with either Monarch or Painted Ladys. The Native American Butterfly legend says: As a gift to his human children, the Great Spirit created butterflies. He took black from the maiden’s hair, yellow from the warm summer sun, and blues from the lake and sky. Once he gathered the most beautiful of colors, he made them into butterflies.

If anyone desires a wish to come true they must first capture a butterfly and

whisper their wish to it. Since a butterfly can make no sound, the butterfly can not reveal the wish to anyone but the Great Spirit who hears and sees all. Being so colorful, the butterflies will be seen and the heart’s prayers quickly answered. In gratitude for giving the beautiful butterfly its freedom, the Great Spirit always grants the wish. So, according to legend, by making a wish and giving the butterfly its freedom, the wish will be taken on the wing of love to the heavens and be granted.

You can purchase quantities of butterflies for release for occasions or individuals for your own personal wishes.

Enjoy your visit to the Bear Mountain Butterfly Sanctuary and may all your wishes come true. ,

allThe presIdenT’s heads

8212 croaker rd, croaker, vIrgInIa

ThepresIdenTsheads com

Many readers ask… Why? Seymour, why do you write about the things you do?

That’s an easy question.

This column is here each month, because now and again, once in a while, out of the blue, you pass something on your motorcycle and go… “What the F#!k was that?”

And, when you do…welcome to Mysterious America. Let me explain, and give the perfect example.

There is a place I know of that has a large collection of heads. But not just any old busts – these monstrous sculptures are 20 feet tall, and weigh in at 22,000 pounds each, and their story is, if not a mystery, surely odd.

AMERICA

Where is this place Seymour – Easter Island? Deep in the jungles of Ecuador, or far away in India?

Nope – in southern Virginia.

Just Off I-64, just a bit north of Colonial Williamsburg along the coast of Virginia, there is a fairly amazing collection of sculptures.

Remember when Bernstein and Woodward made their mark with All the Presidents Men?

Well, I have a play on that which I call ‘All the President’s Heads.’

You would be hard-pressed to find them, and usually these days you will probably have to ask ahead of time – but they are there just the same.

Let me give you a heads-up on how this all started.

Decades ago a young sculptor named David Acickes was returning from a trip to Canada, and on his way made a worthy side trip to Mount Rushmore.

The artist was then a bit impressed with the faces carved into the mountains, and when he returned home, he began to carve his own sculptures – 42 of them – all the presidents until that time. It was quite an undertaking and took a long time.

When he was doing this the decision was made to put them in a park in Virginia, justly called Presidents Park – in the town of Williamsburg.

Although a bit out of the way, the park received thousands of visitors each year, but then “progress” happened.

Enterprise Car Rentals bought the property and the statues had to go. Tasked with that job was a local gent, by the name of Howard Hankins. Hankins was hired to demolish and remove the statues, but he could not see the point in all that, especially when he had a 400-acre farm just a few miles away.

It took about a month to move all the huge heads, but Hankins got the job done – that was more than a decade ago, and All the President’s Heads are still there and have become something of a local sensation.

George Washington, the founding father of the nation, seems to keep watch like a sentinel over the group that has seen better days. A few are missing their noses, while others have their faces running with tear-like scars. Abraham Lincoln has a huge hole on the back of

his head, sadly reminiscent of his unfortunate fate, while Ronald Reagan’s bust suffered a lightning strike a few years back which could not have been a good thing, and was probably caused by old-time Soviets.

The main reason for the further worsening state of the busts, made of concrete on a steel structure, was the transport. Even though their former location

isn’t very far from their current one, each statue weighs 20,000 pounds, and transporting them proved to be a very tricky business. Hankins found that out the hard way, investing around $50,000 of his own cash on the monthlong transport.

Workers did their best to preserve the busts, but it was a hard thing to do., as the busts had to be lifted from the base by a crane, with the sheer weight of each sculpture causing damage to themselves.

Note the farm is private property and not open to visitors. Cameras and security have been updated recently. Any unknown visitors may be prosecuted. Local photographer John Plashal occasionally offers tours of the heads, you can find more information on his website www.thepresidentsheads.com.

All the President’s Heads are a wonderful celebration of all the good, and some not-so-good men, that were Commander in Chief, and certainly part of both the USA and Mysterious America. O’LIfe Out!

OUTTA HERE

The WayBury Inn – Fine Lodginginthe green Mountains 457 easT maIn sT, easT mIddleBury, vT 05753 WWW.WayBuryInn.com • 802-388-4015

When I took the Introduction to Adventure class with MotoVermont, I stayed at the nearby Waybury Inn located in East Middlebury, VT. From the outside, it looked vaguely familiar and I felt like I knew this place. It turns out I did, but not really.

My recollections were of the fictional Stratford Inn from the 1980s television show Newhart. In that show, Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart) and his wife Joanna (Mary Hart) ran a small inn located in rural Vermont. Together with their handyman George, their housekeeper, Stephanie, and Larry, Darryl, and Darryl, they entertained us through the 1980s – the show ran for 184 episodes from 1982 to 1990.

When the producers of Newhart came looking for a quintessential Vermont country inn for their television show, they happened upon the Waybury Inn and chose it for the exterior scenes. Naturally, Hollywood gave it a stage name and it was called the Stratford Inn for the show. The sign used in the show hangs in the hallway to the pub. The sign for the fictional Minuteman Café next door to the Stratford Inn hangs in the dining room.

The interior scenes for the show were filmed on a sound stage and

a

while the Waybury Inn does not match the fictional Stratford Inn, there are similarities. The lobby features a fireplace with a sitting area. The restaurant is just off the lobby, the office is behind the check-in counter and all the guest rooms are up a flight of stairs.

While the fictional Stratford Inn opened in 1774, the Waybury Inn has been welcoming guests almost as long, opening in 1810. John Foote chose this location at the edge of the Lake Champlain Valley for travelers crossing the Green Mountains and needing food and lodging. He foresaw Middlebury becoming a commercial and industrial hub and was hoping to cash in on the coming economic boom. That never happened and Middlebury has remained a quaint New England town. The inn currently has 15 exquisite rooms, each with its own theme. I stayed in the Champlain Room which was in the back corner of the inn. The room was light and airy with a nautical motif. The bed was comfy and the air conditioner kept the summer heat away. It was just about perfect. Like all good 19th century inns, the Waybury has a small pub. The poet Robert Frost owned a cabin up the road in Ripton and was a frequent visitor to the pub and I can see why he enjoyed the place. It’s small and inviting and I ordered up a pint of Vermont’s finest craft beer. There was a certain

inviting coziness to the place and I felt right at home. While small, the pub was just the right size for the inn.

I had breakfast here my first morning and it was outstanding. When I tried to leave early the next day, before breakfast was served, they brought me a scone and some fresh fruit to go. While I did not have dinner at the Waybury Inn, they appear to be every bit as good with perfectly prepared seasonal cuisine.

Location is always important and, no matter what type of motorcycle riding you’re into, the Waybury has you covered. Take a left out of the lot and within a half mile you hit a great set of twisties snaking over Middlebury Gap through the Green Mountains. If you’re into Adventure riding, any one of the side roads will take you into the unpaved roads in the Green Mountain National Forest. Turn right from the Inn and you can spend the entire day cruising the Champlain Valley. 20 miles west puts you at the Champlain bridge, the gateway to New York’s Adirondack Mountains.

Like everything, The Waybury Inn has changed a bit in the forty years since Newhart was filmed here. All the rooms have bathrooms, which wasn’t the case then. The inn, which was white in the television show, is now a light green and the large maple trees are gone, replaced with spruce. The siding has changed, the shutters have been removed and the shingled roof is now metal. One thing that hasn’t changed though, is the hospitality and I look forward to returning. ~ Dan Bisbee

alITTle Ice cream hIsTory lesson

Throughout these years of Inside Scoop I’ve told you of the beginnings of the ice cream cone, the oldest ice cream parlors and other fascinating facts. Today I’ll give you some background into the phenomenon that is the mix-in.

Perhaps you thought it was always a ‘thing’; I know I did when I heard this story. And Brian said it was just some kids eating ice cream, crushing their cookies up and saying, ‘Hey, this is awesome!’

Well, back in 1973 (yup, over 50 years ago), Steve Herrell, a 29-year-old high school English teacher, decided to take a turn in his career path. The idea of owning his own business appealed to him, as well as the memories of his childhood days making ice cream with his family. He churned these into a brick and mortar shop in Somerville, MA, featuring a mechanically altered small-batch commercial freezer which produced an extraordinarily rich, creamy, low-air ice cream by churning at a slower speed. This was very different from the commercially bought tubs of ice cream in the supermarket freezers, more like a gelato.

To further differentiate his ice cream, Steve handmixed, or ‘smooshed-in’, several varieties of candy,

the first of which was the Heath Bar (one of his favorite candies) which he first tasted back in the late 1960s. Breaking up candy bars and other candy bits, he mixed them in with his ice cream on a cold marble slab, the perfect temperature to keep the ice cream cold enough to hold its form while mixing. He used M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, Oreos and chocolate chip cookies, being the first to make a Cookies and Cream ice cream.

With 32 gallons of ice cream on hand, Steve opened his doors to the public, customizing each cup or cone (.35 - .55¢ with .10¢ for each smoosh-in). While waiting, the customers could pop .10¢ in for a player piano to entertain (Steve has also built this). That same day, Steve had to close his doors as he sold out all 32 gallons. It took him two weeks to restock, regroup, rehire and reopen. Things continued swimmingly for Steve, adding flavors, staff and happy customers through the years. In fact, Steve’s became so popular that it drew the attention of another aspiring ice cream couple who paid Steve a visit, looking to learn why his

ice cream was so much better than others of the time. Jerry Greenfield, of Ben and Jerry’s, stopped by and Steve was more than willing to answer his questions. It seems that Ben and Jerry were looking for a ‘hook’, and the idea of adding stuff to the ice cream was just what they needed. Where would we be without Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough? Ben and Jerry weren’t the only ones to scoop up the mix-in idea, which is why Steve Herrell put a trademark on the term ‘smoosh-in’, making others use the term ‘mix-in’. Cold Stone Creamery is probably the closest resemblance to Steve’s, using the marble top and mixing in confections individually. In 1985, Dairy Queen, looking to maximize on the mix-in craze, took their soft serve ice cream and, using a method developed by Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis, MO, started serving Blizzards (handed to the customer upside down to prove how thick it was).

You might think that Steve would be in his glory with his ice cream shop doing so well. When he started it, he thought it would be a good business; happy and stress-free, ‘not like a bar or something else’. The shop became

too popular, too busy and too much to handle so Steve sold it in 1978 and moved to Northampton, MA and worked, for a time, as a piano tuner. But ice cream was in his blood and in 1980 Steve opened Herrell’s Ice Cream in Northampton, where you can still get their small-batch premium ice cream complete with Smoosh-Ins as well as other frozen desserts and baked goods. After 44 years at this location, Steve has retired but the shop is in good hands. And as he says, ‘no one does Cookies and Cream like we do.’ Guess I’ll have to make a run to Northampton, MA and give it a test. I’ll let you know.

Here’s a tidbit, keeping in the cookie theme - the history of the Girl Scout Cookie:

Keeping in the cookie theme; the history of the Girl Scout Cookie: www.atlasobscura.com/articles/girl-scout-cookie-options

Continued from Page 7

Stock 50 (ages 5-9): CRF50F, XR50R, XR50

Stock 110 (ages 6-12): CRF110F

Stock 125 (ages 10-17): CRF125F, CRF100F, XR100R, XR100

Street GP (ages 12+): Grom

For 2024, MotoAmerica has adopted a regional qualifying system, in which club-organized events decide finalists who will be eligible to compete in a signature MotoAmerica-promoted, AMA-sanctioned National Final at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, August 9-11.

COLORADO TO ALLOW LANE FILTERING

Colorado has become the fifth state to legalize lane filtering after Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed SB24-079 on April 4, allowing motorcycles to filter between stopped cars in traffic and at stoplights.The bill passed through both the Colorado House and Senate behind strong bipartisan support. Colorado now joins California, Utah, Montana and Arizona as states with lane-filtering legislation signed into law.

The bill —sponsored by Sens. Nick Hinrichsen and Jim Smallwood, as well as Reps. Javier Mabrey and Ron Weinberg — will go into effect on Aug. 7, 2024. It will allow all motorcycles to pass stopped motor vehicles in the same lane. Motorcycles will be required to travel 15 miles per hour or less when filtering and will only be allowed to do so if the road has lanes wide enough to pass safely. Conditions must also allow for “prudent operation of the motorcycle while overtaking or passing.”

BDR AND THE MOTOR COMPANY PARTNER

Backcountry Discovery Routes announcedHarley-Davidson Motor Company as their newest OEM sponsor. The multi-year partnership will focus on showcasing Harley-Davidson’s ever-growing support of BDR’s mission to preserve off-highway riding opportunities, while integrating the Harley-Davidson Pan America, the iconic American-made adventure touring motorcycle, into the landscape of upcoming BDR films.

With a shared commitment to creating riding opportunities that foster positive economic impact in rural communities, guest riders from Harley-Davidson will join the BDR team on the upcomingBig Bend, Texas BDR-X(to be released in 2024) and on two additional BDR routes to be released in 2025.

When man began to use rubber tires to help spin down the road there was a time that they were simply glued into place.

In 1889, two brothers named Édouard and André Michelin started a rubber company, in Clermont-Ferrand in France. It was the Michelin brothers who came upon a rubber tire material that could be more easily fitted and removed from a rim.

By the late 1890s, many bicyclists were using Michelin tires, then automobiles and motorcycles. They were cutting edge in tire development – the first radial, and the use of pneumatic tubes to have their tires ride on air.

Heck, they created Bibendum -The Michelin Man.

Nowadays, in addition to supplying MotoGP with racing rubber, the Michelin Company offers cutting-edge technology for just about every vehicle that rolls on rubber.

Our Backroads’ Dodge Durango sports Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires.

In January of this year, the French company introduced their new Road 6 sport touring tire, and we have found when a large tire company brings a new, more revolutionary, than evolutionary, tire to market there must be large jumps in performance to warrant this.

Road 6 is exactly this sort of evolution.

The previous Michelin Road 5 were stellar tires – good in dry and wet, but the 6 comes further – in every way; the Road 6 tire typifies two decades of ongoing innovations and Michelin technology from their highest level of expertise.

On dry pavement the tire is confidence-inspir ing and the grip, even in cooler tempera tures is spot-on.

But this tire really shines when the sun does not.

We have been running these tires on a 20-year-old Honda 919 that was previous ly shod with track tires. The new Michelin Road 6 have been run through the paces for a few months now and in the cooler and sometimes damp late winter or early spring conditions the Michelin Road 6 tires are extraordinary. We feel, especially in more sedate road condi tions that these tires work every bit as well as trackish rubber on the track – and better than the track tires did on the streets. The new Michelin’s offer 15% more grip than the Road 5 tire in wet conditions thanks to 100% Michelin’s Silica Technology tread compounds and a new tread pattern featuring Michelin’s Water Evergrip Technology. Sometimes explaining tire technology is tough…

Michelin’s 2CT+ Technology, which has been standard on the rear tire, is now applied to the front tire for better rigidity at lean, and more stability when cornering, especially under strong acceleration or heavy braking, compared to the previous generation.

ON THE ROAD

The Michelin Road 6 tires shine in every condition. When warm and up to speed they allow for great lean angles, and run through corners with a solid confidence that allows for a far better and more focused ride.

This is where I usually glaze over the same way I did when Sister Jean Albert would try to explain advanced mathematics to me. This technology works with the ratio of the grooving and the company’s X-Sipes technology in the tire, to optimize wear and traction in both dry and wet conditions… even with tires that have been on the road for a longer time.

Michelin promises that Road 6 will last 10% longer than the 5 – and so far, we see no reason to not believe them.

When the asphalt gets wet the tires offer a smooth and controlled feel, especially if stronger braking is suddenly required.

Two things keep your machine planted to the ground – suspension, and tires – and the new Michelin Road 6 Tires offer an excellent and confident ride, wet or dry and for many miles down the road. ,

‘Cause baby, there ain’t no mountain high enough To keep me from getting to you, baby

Marvin Gayle & Tammi Terrell

We caught the latest BDR from Northern California video a few weeks back, at Hermy’s BMW & Triumph, in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, and as we expected it was very well done and produced – and they certainly showed how tough some of these routes can be – but the pay-off was some stunning scenery and vistas – usually atop a fire tower along the high ridges in the mountains of the Golden state.

Very impressive all around - maybe not my exact cup of tea, but very cool and impressive regardless; and the views that these riders were treated to were certainly amazing.

We know many of our Backroads readers (not all) prefer twisty pavement; so we looked around for the highest paved roads (mostly) that you can traverse in the northeast of the United States.

When there is a gravelized road, that is doable, and you are looking for such we will include them too.

But before we head up here in this part of the nation, I thought we’d mention the two highest and the lowest “highest” roads in a state. Coming in as the highest navigable paved road in the USA is Colorado Mount Evans Scenic Byway at 14,132, followed by Hawaii Mauna Kea Access Road at 13,781.

The lowest should be easy, right?

At a nose-bleeding 347 feet Florida’s County Road 285 as it passes by Britton Hill, in Walton County takes this honor; and is 101 feet lower than the next lowest highpoint, Ebright Azimuth in Delaware, and far lower than many skyscrapers in Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa and Orlando. Still, it is a stone’s throw from the Alabama border and even the smallest foothills have to start somewhere.

Hey, the Ebright Azimuth is right in the circle around Newark, Delaware –the same circle that claims part of New Jersey belongs to Delaware.

Oh, don’t get me started on this – but sadly it is true.

But here is the really weird part – the Ebright Azimuth (448 feet) is a quarter mile from the Pennsylvania border – even less than Florida Lowest “high” point is from the state where stars fell. If you are road-trippin’ in the area, it is worth stopping by just to say you did – like a Backroadywopple.

But, let us take a ride so “Yah mo be” there too, and then be up and over!

Here are the Top Ten - plus a Grand Pooh-Bah!

The highest paved routes in the Northeast / Mid-Atlantic States.

At 812 feet above sea level, this is yet another highest point in a state that is just down the road, and east from the neighboring state - Connecticut’s - border.

As you roll up the hill on Hartford Pike, known as Route 101, just west of the town of Foster, you can enjoy the easy road, and park if you like for the equally easy hike to the Coast and Geodetic Marker that will be the highest point of the Ocean State.

#9 • Cadillac Mountain, Maine

We’ll have to vector north and east for #9, and then go further north and east for pavement: Cadillac Mountain, Maine

So, we had to go around Maine’s 2,883-high Cupsuptic Tote Road – which is not a road at all but an ancient lumber path. A true BDR ‘you guys go have fun’ sort of thing; and we will head over to Acadia National Park, and head up to Cadillac Mountain, in Bar Harbor.

Acadia’s tallest peak, found in Acadia National Park, is also the tallest on the Atlantic Coastline. Cadillac Mountain is the tallest peak on the east coast, North of Rio de Janeiro.

And, with the summit at 1530 feet, it’s the highest driveable road in the state, making for a fun and adventurous trip that’s also fairly easy; and it is also a great place to watch the first sunrise in North America.

I want to take you higher Baby, baby, baby… light my fire.

Sly & the Family Stone

#8 • High Point State Park , New Jersey

Poking its head up, just north of Backroads Central is

Point State Park – 1,803 feet.

We had another source stating High Point at 1,761 – a difference of 42 feet – which does not seem a major point – but do you want to fall 42 feet?

Nope, who would?

High Point is also the highest peak in the Kittatinny Range and has the famed Appalachian Trail running along it as well. Atop the

#8: New Jersey High

mountain, you will find the 220-foot War Memorial Obelisk and a view of three states too. While there stop in at the Elias Cole Restaurant for some serious home-cooking, and say hello to Nancy & the crew.

#7 • Connecticut Route 272

Our road to ride for #7 is right in the Nutmeg State of Connecticut:

Not Mount Washington Road – 2,017 feet – but rather the nearby Route 272: Route 272 is one of a handful of Connecticut signed routes that “dead end” at the state line; over the border, the road is locally maintained. Near Bald Mountain in Norfolk, Route 272 reaches the highest elevation

(1,555 feet) of any numbered highway in Connecticut.

Mount Washington Road (mostly gravel - sorry) rolls over this part of the state along the ridges of Bald Peak and Gridley Peak. at 2,017 feet (we think New Hampshire’s Mount Washington is like… three times better!), and the road, like others, is not far from the border – this time with New York and Massachusetts along the Berkshires.

There is not much ado about this road being the state’s highest, although you continue on another gravel road top to the overlook at Mount Frissel, the highest point in Connecticut at 2380 feet.

We’re gonna get high, high, high’

In the midday sun!

Wings

3,213

#6 • Mount Davis Observation Tower Pennsylvania

Just four and a half miles from the Maryland border, Mount Davis is found in Forbes State Forest, along a Ridgeline known as Negro Mountain. Before we go to the mountain let’s rabbit hole a bit on the name, which carried over from the 1700s – it was a different time then – yet men still would be impressed by valor and determination and one story tells of a ‘free’ black man, named Nemesis,

2,380 feet

feet

who was part of a group of Europeans crossing this part of the mountains. He was a fellow of very large size and outstanding strength. They were attacked by a native party, possibly Seneca, and a terrible fight ensued where Nemesis was pivotal in the Europeans winning, but at the cost of his own life.

The mountain was named after him and his people back in Africa.

Amazingly, at a mere 3,213 feet above sea level, the peak of Mount Davis is actually at a lower elevation than the lowest point in the entire state of Colorado, which is Arikaree River where it flows into Kansas, and the highest low point in any of the states.

Still, visiting the peak of Mount Davis offers not only the chance to visit the highest point in Pennsylvania but also offers great views and some nice hiking.

Mount Davis is located roughly 10 miles west of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. Reaching the top of the mountain is a pleasant and paved road to the top.

#5 • US 50 Backbone Mountain Maryland - 3095 feet

This road is part of a continuing interstate that runs over 3,000 miles from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California.

As the highway passes into West Virginia, it continues this evident tradition of highest state points running along neighboring states. Since we will easily get distracted – let me point out that US 50, though VERY busy through and around Washington D.C., is the very same road that is dubbed

3,095 feet

“The Loneliest Road in America,” and on this barren flat stretch you’ll still average over 4,900 feet – nearly 1,800 feet higher than US 50 in Maryland; or as high as Jersey’s highest point if you need more perspective. Go figure.

#4 • Mount Greylock Summit Road

Massachusetts

Mount Greylock is part of the Taconic Mountains which are geologically distinct from the nearby Berkshires and Green Mountains, and is the highest mountain in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at 3,492 feet. The spectacular views from the summit have been an attraction for visitors since the 19th century.

Mount Greylock became Massachusetts’ first state reservation in 1898, with the donation of 400 acres of land. Today the reservation includes over 12,500 acres, and in the 1930’s the state built a War Memorial. There is an 11.5-mile section of the Appalachian Trail that crosses over the mountain. This is the second time both a War Memorial and the Appalachian Trail have been

3,491 feet

listed in this Highest Road article. A few years later Bascom Lodge was built. A stunning lodge created from the mountain’s rock and timber. Shining like a lighthouse beacon from the top of Mount Greylock, the mountaintop memorial is open to the public and has an observation level where visitors can see nearly 70 miles across three states. The road to get to the top is about 9 miles long, and has some switchbacks – so be prepared and stay loose and look where you want to go.

#3 • Skyline Drive

Mt Equinox Vermont

3,248 feet

Accessed off historic Route 7A between Manchester and Arlington, Mount Equinox Skyline Drive is the longest privately owned paved toll road in the United States. The road ascends 3,248 feet over 5.2 miles to the top of the mountain.

It was completed in 1947, and it winds upward through four distinct forest types. Visible in the valley on your left as you crest the mountain is the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration, the only Carthusian monastery in North America.

The summit of Mount Equinox is enveloped in a nearly perpetual breeze that has been described as “nature’s white noise”. The Green Mountains, the valleys of Vermont, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire may

be seen to the east. The Adirondack Mountains of New York provide the backdrop to the west and the Taconic and Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts to the south. When it’s clear.

I remember riding up there, rolling into a cloud bank and slowly continuing and eventually stopping as the wall of the building atop the peak suddenly appeared in front of us. Still, the view from atop Equinox can hardly be equaled, and the surrounding towns offer plenty on the way of restaurants and lodging. I’m too high

But I ain’t touched the sky

4,440 feet

Virginia has plenty of scenic drives, all of which highlight the state’s breathtaking landscape. While you’ve probably ridden along Skyline Drive or the Blue Ridge Parkway, you may not have attempted to drive the highest road in Virginia that leads up to Whitetop Mountain. Reaching an impressive elevation of 4,440 feet, Whitetop Road, a hard-pack gravel event, near Mouth of Wilson is not only a doable trek, it just so happens to lead to one of Virginia’s tallest peaks.

Stevie Wonder

Adventure Riders take note: It is also the third of our “Highest Roads” to share space with the Appalachian Trail. The twisty, but pleasant road winds through a variety of habitats, including eastern and northern hardwood forests, open meadows, mountain balds,

#2 • Whitetop Mountain Road (FS89) Virginia

birch-and-spruce forests, and northern red spruce forest. Whitetop Mountain is an excellent area to watch for unique wildlife any time of the year. It is considered a prime birding spot. This entire part of the United States is a stunning ride for motorcyclists.

Once parked you can hike the stairs, or take Roosevelt’s elevator to the summit where there is a magnificent 360-degree international vista that takes in the Adirondack Park to the west, Lake Champlain and Vermont to the west, and Canada and Montreal to the north.

#1 • Whiteface Mountain Wilmington, New York

The Adirondack’s Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest in New York, and the highest with a paved road that goes to the summit via Route 431, the Veterans’ Memorial Highway.

The road runs from Route 86 nearly eight miles to the top of the mountain and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. The road was decades in the planning and was opened to traffic on July20, 1935, but was formally dedicated by President Roosevelt on September14, 1935, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In all, the road cost $1.2 million to construct. President Roosevelt also requested that an elevator be constructed to help visitors from the parking lot to the summit of Whiteface Mountain.

4,594 feet

THE BIG KAHUNA & TOP DOGOF THE NORTHEAST / MID-ATLANTIC….

Mount Washington Auto Road, North Conway, New Hampshire

6,265 feet

Located in the Presidential Range Agiocochook, or Mount Washington as we pale faces call it, it is the highest peak in the northeast and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River.

The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934, the Mount Washington Observatory recorded a windspeed of 231 miles per hour at the summit, the world record from 1934 until 1996. Mount Washington still holds the record for highest measured wind speed not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone.

The mountains are a “must ride” when in this part of New England, and the 7.5-mile Auto Road is now paved to the top. The oldest auto race in the nation, the Mount Washington Hillclimb, began here in 1904. The first race

was won by Harry Harkness driving a Mercedes and summiting the mountain in 24:37.6 minutes.

Race legends have taken the checkered flag on the mountain… Cannonball Baker, Bill Rutan, and Carroll Shelby to name a few. The last race was won by Travis Pastrana with a time of 5:28.67 in a Subaru WRX STI. The last four hillclimb races, held in 2014, 2017 & 2021 all won by Subaru WRX STI! Just sayin’.

To get a grasp of how fast he went check the entire run here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP2-UHXJ3pU

There is plenty of lodging available in this area, and we have held rallies up here numerous times – the last being at the Town & Country Inn, in Gorham which is just north of the mountain.

So, there you have the Top Ten and the Highest Peak you can ascend in your riding this season. The world can be a bit crazy out there, friends – maybe it is time to get high! ,

When we talk bike performance there certainly is a lot to cover, but even when we jump from machine to riders – the conversation will usually revolve around riding suits, helmets, and gloves. For some reason, boots never seem to come up in this conversation nearly as much as the aforementioned.

According to the National Library of Medicine, “The foot is a complex structure comprised of over 26 bones, 30 joints, numerous tendons, ligaments, and muscles responsible for our ability to stand upright, supporting the weight of the entire body and provides the base for the mechanism for bipedal gait.”

According to the Book of Backroads – there is a shit load of bones and stuff you can injure in your foot; and if you have two – twice that. That’s science and math.

Our point is that we need to protect our feet all the time, and thus we need to have superior boot protection and we need to wear them every time we ride.

How many times have you seen somebody riding in sneakers or worse? Too many times. What if you get hit by a garbage truck? Enter SIDI Boots.

We have been wearing SIDI Motorcycle Boots for more than a decade now and we find them to offer superior per formance on every level, like all the ‘stuff’ going on in your foot – there are many levels of performance a good boot must excel in, and this month we’d like to touch on all these levels and use SIDI’s Performer Gore Boots as a wonderful example of how to do things right.

Comfort:

If the shoe fits, wear it, right? But if the boots you have are uncomfortable then your ride will be more a chore than a plea sure.

The best review about a boot is that… well, that once on, you hardly think about them. These boots feature a cushioned arch area, along with a zippered elastic panel that allows for ease of fitment and removal; and we have al

ways found SIDI Boots rarely need a break-in, although after a thousand miles or so they are like old friends.

Protection:

So, comfort is key, but boots are here for support and protection and the SIDI Performer Boots have a contoured and secured shin plate with lower air channels to allow for a bit of air as well. The calf area features exhaust vents in soft polyurethane, shielded with mesh.

These boots have a track bent to them with replaceable sliders. The sliders can be swapped out and come in options of full nylon, ceramic, or aluminum inserts.

A long, strong, and wellplaced zipper and wide and tenacious velcro’d armored flap, emblazoned with the SIDI logo ensures the boots will stay on.

Yes. Stay on.

I recently was a small part of a great team effort (you know who you are and you ROCK!) handling a simply horrific accident where the rider hit SO hard their boots came off. Okay, read it again… their boots came off and were gone never to be seen again. It was not pretty. Great pedicure gone to shit.

Well-fitted and built boots need to stay on to do their job - and I am pretty confident that SIDI Boots can handle this task.

Waterproofness:

One of the saddest feelings is that very first trickle or realization that rain has somehow breached the perimeter. The barbarians at the gate, they are in. All is lost!

Not with the SIDI Performer Gore Boots. The core of all GORE-TEX fabric-engineered products lies in the GORE-TEX membrane, which boasts an astounding 1.4 billion microscopic pores per square centimeter (9 billion pores per square inch). These pores are incredibly tiny, being 20,000 times smaller than a water droplet, while they are 700 times larger than a water vapor molecule. This means that external water will never breach the membrane, while perspiration can effortlessly escape, reducing moisture buildup

PRODUCT REVIEW

within the insulation. The outcome: you remain warmer in cold conditions and drier when you perspire.

Dry feet are happy feet, and happy feet smile and dance. Wet cold feet, well they pout and slosh.

If you are in the market for a new pair of riding boots, or just now realized you maybe should be, take a look at SIDI Motorcycle Boots – they have several styles and looks - but all are built with the same quality that we learn to rely on. ,

Performer Gore-Tex MSRP $299 • moto.sidisport.us

NATIONAL CYCLE VSTREAM WINDSCREEN

A riddle: I move very fast but I don’t have feet. You can hear me but not from my mouth, I can bring down a building yet I’m not a machine. What am I? Wind.

Wind has been the foil of motorcycle riders for a century, and the art of aerodynamics is a sci ence in itself, and controlling the wind has led to breakthroughs in flight, travel, and safety. The utility of the wind tunnel is obvious to day, but it was not the first aerodynamic test device. Early experimenters realized that they needed a machine to replace nature’s capricious winds with a steady, controllable flow of air. They recognized as Leonardo da Vinci and Isaac Newton had before them, that they could either move their test model through the air at

the required velocity or they could blow the air past a stationary model. Both approaches were employed in the early days of aeronautics.

The simplest and cheapest contrivance for moving models at high speeds was the whirling arm sort of aeronautical centrifuge.

Benjamin Robins (1707-1751), a brilliant English mathematician, was the first to employ a whirling arm. His first machine had an arm 4 feet long. Spun by a falling weight acting on a pulley and spindle arrangement, the arm tip reached velocities of only a few feet per second.

Today things are far more advanced, and the engineers at National Cycle make great use of today’s tech.

National Cycle’s VStream Windscreens have turned the motorcycle windscreen world upside down – literally! The patented, unique inverted “V” profile creates a quiet and comfortable riding experience unequalled by any windscreen on the market. If you’re looking for a cruising/touring windscreen that WORKS... look no further than National Cycle’s VStream!

The typical airflow pattern of the wake from most windscreens is called a van Karman vortex. At speeds of 50-90 mph, the air swirls off the windscreen in an approximate 90-degree segment of rotation, hits the

bottom of the rider’s neck on the way up, and curves off the shoulder at approximately 45 degrees.

National Cycle gave the VStream its name for the shape it takes at the upper edge. The patented “V” shape is so quiet because it pushes this vortex out and away from the side of the rider’s head. The rider’s helmet then resides in still air, and the passenger’s environment is greatly improved as well.

We fitted a VStream Windscreen to our Suzuki V-Strom 650.

The stock shield did absolutely nothing, and in some conditions worse than nothing.

Our shield came in a dark smoke, that added to the looks of the yellow, black & gray Suzuki; and installation was relatively easy and the screen allowed for height adjustment depending on the rider’s preference.

The windscreen itself is made from a 4.5-thick Lexan polycarbonate that is 23x stronger than simple acrylic with an FMR hard-coating to prevent scratches.

The unique, patented “V” shape of the VStream windscreen, coupled with its greater height and width, pushes the wind vortex out and away from the rider’s head, resulting in a peaceful, quiet riding environment. The passenger’s comfort is improved as well.

These screens are available for a variety of machines and generally start from around $150 and up depending upon the application.

Check out their website at www.nationalcycle.com for more information. ,

We have a lot of friends, with a lot of motorcycles. Some prefer, no demand, the latest, sharpest, most modern machines. Others prefer their rides a bit more ‘old school’. Then there are those would stopped looking at new bikes when hydraulic disc brakes entered the scene. For me – I like them all – and am old enough to appreciate everything from motorcycles that were more bicycle than motorcycle, to some of the new offerings that have more computer power than a 60’s era Space Program. But the truth is everything had to learn to crawl, stand and walk – before they began to run.

Everything; from “Watson, come here I want to see you” to “Siri what’s the score in the Mets’ game?”

Adaptive Cruise Control, TFT screens bigger than the first television at my grandparent’s home, and reliability greater than Death & Taxes. It all started somewhere; and over one weekend in late April we got to see some fantastic displays of what once was, and how things evolved… and how machines (and their riders) continue to evolve.

The Oley Swap Meet

This event is held each April, and has gathered a huge following both local and with riders and vendors coming from a good deal away.

The Antique Motorcycle Club of America hosts a number of vintage motorcycle events across the country, and the Perkiomen Chapter National Oley Swap Meet is one of those events. It’s held in Oley, Pennsylvania and offers up one of the greatest selections of parts from the dawn of the motorcycle in the 1900s all the way through the 1970s.

Oley itself has some great history and famed frontiersman Daniel Boone was born in the bowl shaped valley, which takes its name from the Lenni Lenape word ‘Olink,’ which means a hollow, or kettle. Fertile soils of the valley attracted many immigrants from European countries such as England, France, Germany and Switzerland. By the time the township government was established in 1740, large portions of township land had been acquired by more than 50 families. Today the

Main Street through the town is still lined with homes and buildings that are centuries old.

We have come to Oley and the Antique Motorcycle Club’s Swap Meet for a number of years now and are always slightly awed by the size of this event.

You will spend a good few hours strolling the fair grounds and at this meet the old adage “one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor’ truly comes into play.

That table might seem covered with old motorcycle parts – long since shelved, discarded and almost tossed; until some builder, restorer, or plain

old enthusiast spots that engine cover, sprocket or seat frame they have been in search of.

For me I like just taking it all in and running into the different riders we have known over the years, and even running into a few folks not expecting – like publisher and AMA Hall of Famer Buzz Kanter – who had a table full of parts and memorabilia he was simply hoping would find a new home.

One project that caught our eye was from a builder in Ohio. He was hand-building and recreating Glenn Curtiss’ V-8 powered machine that set the World Land Speed Records back on January 23, 1907, at the Florida

to a speed of 136 miles per hour, making him the Fastest Man Alive! This recreation is brilliant in every way and should be completed by late summer.

I admit to being a lover of Japanese Super Bikes, and though this swap meet is more about far older machines – British Brough Superiors, Vincent, and AJS, along with Harley and Indian machines – the tables with the 60s and 70s Japanese offerings took a bit more of my attention.

This is a free event, although they will ask for a $10 donation for parking, and for us this day the weather, the great old machines and all the different flavors of motorcycles combined for an excellent day.

Oh yeah, and the homemade pie wasn’t bad either.

Speed Carnival at Ormond Beach, Florida. Curtiss drove the V-8 powered motorcycle

The Gathering of the Nortons

A day after the Oley Swap Meet ended there was the Gathering of the Nortons. This would be the second year this event would be held at its new home at the Performance Garage – a private auto club located on Route 22, just east of Frenchtown, New Jersey.

For years the Gathering had been held at Washington’s Crossing State Park – until the state of Pennsylvania got COVID Brain Fog and never recovered. This spot allows for a far easier event and walkability.

Although called a Gathering of Nortons, there are machines of all sorts of persuasion and manufacturers. There seem to be some machines that had no real identity, or at least a bit of questionable lineage.

But how great are these?

This event, put on by the Delaware Valley Riding Club, never has let us down and, for some, kind of jump starts the riding season (or maybe that is push-starts in this instance).

Best of all we know for sure we will run into our Backroads friends and family that have become almost as much a part of this magazine as Shira

and I. Okay, maybe as much as Happy and Pepe – but they are really important too. This morning, that had started cold and damp, ushered in the real Spring, and by late morning it was in the high 70s and climbing.

The amazing thing about the Gathering of the Nortons is not just the number and how many different bikes, brands and riders you will meet, but that by noonish they all start to filter away and by one-ish the event is over and the lot more or less empty and clear.

For us it was time for lunch at the Starving Artist Cafe in Stockton – good food and friends new and old, and even a quick bit of tuneage as this place has more than a dozen guitars on hand to be played.

The next few days I spent with BMW in Las Vegas – a far cry from the rolling and greening countryside of western New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania - and on bikes that were light years ahead technology-wise then the venerable machines we had taken in over the weekend.

Yup, these days with electric urban scooters, lightweight mid-sized adventure bikes, blue-toothed connectivity, and machines where your phone seems to be more important than your heart and riding spirit – make me just appreciated that it was all these motorcycles and riders, from back then, that allowed us to get here.

Mark Byers told me while walking around the York Swap Meet this winter that he feared that when we are gone, that all this will be gone too.

Maybe not.

We can hope that fifty years from now our descendants will be walking around some tree-lined park taking in some of the machines of the modern era and thinking the very same thing.

See you on the road! ~ Brian Rathjen

Alan Stulberg stated that it might sound cliché but, “I feel more alive when I am riding a motorcycle than when I’m not.” We think we can agree with that statement, and we think you probably feel the same way too.

Alan is the founder of Revival Cycles, which is located in a 12,000-square-foot warehouse in East Austin, Texas. Revival holds the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show, now in its 10th year, each April in downtown Austin which draws nearly 25,000 moto-heads over the three-day event – usually held around the same weekend as MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas.

This year’s show was sponsored by BMW - so there were a good amount of Berliner bikes to be seen – but the eclectic flavor and different strands of moto-DNA found at this show are truly something to be seen in person.

Held in a 100,000 square-foot space, right next to the Congress Avenue Bridge with all the bats, the show had over 150 different machines, uncommon visions, and phenomenal examples of why motorcycles really can be “Art You Can Ride!”

After the Sprint Race on Saturday, we rode over to the show and spent a few hours wandering around and taking it all; and there is a lot to take in.

In a world that has become so pre-finished, and homogenized in so many ways the Handbuilt Show is a breath of fresh air.

According to Revival Cycles, “As our collective existence slips further into digital abstraction, we at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show believe something has been lost and it is time to revive the culture of physical craftsmanship. Although in today’s modern mass-produced world few young people are taught how to do physical work or are encouraged to embrace a trade, there remains a universal attraction to the beauty that can only be formed by human hands.

The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show is an inspiring showcase of works from builders and craftsmen who combine knowledge, skill, and ingenuity to create one-of-a-kind truly hand-built machines.

It is our vision that those who visit The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show will be inspired to pick up tools and use their hands to make something of their own.” Like we said – a breath of fresh air.

The Handbuilt Show also featured artist Makoto Endo live-painting motorcycles with ‘chopsticks,’ a vintage black light poster exhibition, a very cool collection of Letterpress posters from the days when “Bikesplotation” flicks were in

vogue, and film clips seemed to be running on a full-time basis. We also ran into BMW racer Nate Kern, who is competing this year in Moto America’s Hooligan Series.

But we were there for the bikes and we think, with something like this, pictures are worth a thousand words.

If in Austin, Texas for MotoGP, then make plans to attend Revival’s Handbuilt Bike Show – truly one of the best motorcycle shows on the planet. ,

There was a time, just 100 years ago, that if you wanted to cross the Hudson River anywhere south of the state capital at Albany, you were getting onto a ferry, or swimming across. There simply was no way to physically cross over the river – just on it.

Today you can cross from Manhattan to New Jersey, across the Hudson, through the two tunnels or the George Washington Bridge, along with several river crossings by car, rail, and even a walkway to other parts of New York.

But as we roll into 2024, we here at Backroads want to celebrate one particular crossing that turns 100 years old in November. One that we think is in just about as pretty a region as you will find.

The Bear Mountain Bridge, ceremonially named the Purple Heart Veterans Memorial Bridge, carries US6 and 202 across the Hudson, linking Bear Mountain State Park in Orange County, New York with Cortland in West-

chester. Just north of the part of the Tappan Zee, where the Hudson becomes far wider than any other part of the waterway. Three miles wide and ten miles long.

For you own knowledge, this is a part of the Hudson Riverthat gets its name from the Native American tribe the Tappan; one of the Lenape, and the Dutch word zee meaning a sea.Tappan Sea.

When it opened on November 27, 1924, it was the only vehicular bridge south of Albany (the Poughkeepsie Bridge built in 1888 was a rail bridge) and, at 1,632 feet with an overall length of 2,255 feet, the longest suspension bridge on the planet! This record fell just 19 months later by the Benjamin Franklin Bridge between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey.

Indeed the Bear Mountain project triggered a Golden Age of bridge-building that swept the nation through the Roaring ‘20s and the Great Depression – right up to the start of World War II – as states and cities battled for the title of “World’s Longest Suspension Span” and produced a succession of claimants.

The bridge was designed by Baird & Hodge and used cables from John A. Roebling & Sons. Its steel towers are 355 feet high and it crosses the river at 153 feet. When it was built it cost $2.9 million dollars.

About $50 million today.

The construction techniques were fairly new as well, and based on the Williamsburg Bridge in New York City that was built two decades earlier; and was the reigning Longest Distance Champ until the Bear Mountain Bridge.

The approach spans of the Bear Mountain Bridge are unsuspended; only its main span (between the towers) is suspended by cables, and it was the first suspended bridge to have a concrete deck.

The Bear Mountain Bridge was followed by the Mid-Hudson Bridge in 1930, and the George Washington Bridge in 1932.

The Hudson River and the region would never be the same again.

Construction methods pioneered on the Bear Mountain Bridge influenced much larger projects to follow, including the George Washington (1931) and Golden Gate (1937) bridges. Completion also inspired the state to extend the Bronx River Parkway from Kensico Dam northward, work which evolved into the Bear Mountain Parkway and the first phase of the Taconic State Parkway.

Still, the advent of the Bear Mountain Bridge was not a quick undertaking. It was already in planning for 56 years; but price and economic conditions after the Civil War saw only the basic foundations created despite money being dumped in by the railroad, which saw a great benefit in a bridge at this location.

Finally, In March 1922 through a bill introduced by C. Ernest Smith, the state legislature authorized the creation of the private Bear Mountain Hudson River Bridge Company to complete the project. The bridge was now for automobiles instead of rail, and included a 3-mile approach road from the Albany Post Road north of Peekskill literally cut from the peak called Anthony’s Nose – a twisty snake of a road that we, after learning how hard and dangerous it was to build, have an even greater appreciation for! Riding over the Bear Mountain Bridge today it is hard to believe it is a century old.

The main reason for this is the superb upkeep and the care in which this bridge is taken care off

It has been groundbreaking in many ways – with new techniques and materials being tried over the years.

100 years later the Bear Mountain Bridge still is one of the main crossings along one of the nation’s most important waterways; and with amazing Hudson Valley landscape and West Point just a few miles to the north one of the most picturesque and important. ,

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

The shorT lIsT

A month back we talked about a Pre-Flight Check List.

This time around I thought I delve a bit further into some of the things that you “really” might want to have with you when you are on the road – for a day or a month. I’ll call it The Short List.

CHARGERS

Like it or not we live in a world that thrives on electrons.

There was a time when some bikes didn’t even have a battery of worth –now we have flashlights, cell phones, radar detectors, GPS units, communication, and headsets.

All are powered by some sort of battery; a battery that’ll eventually need charging, as without power they are just cool paperweights.

There are dozens of USB-style power plug outlets on the market that will work on your motorcycle and allow you to plug your Smart Phone or other devices to charge.

It is a great idea to carry a small hand-held power bank as well. These can come in handy if you might have forgotten to charge your Bluetooth communication that previous night. Duh. (Thank you, Sandy & John).

These modern devices, mostly reversed engineered tech from an alien spacecraft recovered from Patience, Colorado, are truly amazing.

TOILETRY BAG

Shira just calls it The Bag; usually, I hear this as we head out… ‘You packed your bag, right?’

For me, and perhaps you, there are some medications that we must have; and with these meds, you really need to keep some stock with you. But there are some that you might not think about – until it is all you can think about.

LOPERAMIDE

Nobody likes to say the D-Word, but since I see gals on television every night telling me of their vaginal woes, and 20-something man-boys talking to me, with confidence, about manscaping…I can say diarrhea!

DIARRHEA! DIARRHEA! DIARRHEA! Let the word flow…

Do you know what killed the most Americans in the 1800s? It wasn’t the Colt six-shooter; it was dysentery. Luckily, we can help stop that and having the ability to replace lost fluids is a modern-day blessing.

Still, the Worldwide Health Organization says that diarrhea is still a big killer taking the lives of about half a million children every year; so carrying a few packets of Loperamide will be a ride saver. You can buy Imodium, but any generic will do. Generics for everything are usually the same as brand names and usually at a far lower price – which will save you some money you can spend on the next item.

HEMORRHOID WIPESWITH LIDOCAINEOR DIBUCAINE

Listen you just survived the D-word, but even though you are not trotting to the John right now, and maybe sometimes you just over-achieve in there, you are hearing Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire, aren’t you?

There are several OTC (over-the-counter) cremes and wipes for this. Nupercainal, Preparation H Rapid Relief, or Recticare. Tucks also work in just keeping things tidy and healthy down below. Some of these come in tubes, but you can find very convenient single-use foil packet wipes that are easy and discreet – a very important D-word too. Yup – on the Short List.

ZIPFIZZ

I have been touting this stuff like we own stock in it – we do not. But, I do put a lot of stock into it, and for good reason.

Do you really want to suck down a sugary, sports drink with questionable ingredients to get that much-needed afternoon kick in the ass; or do you want a great supply of vitamins and minerals instead?

ZippFizz comes in tidy little tubes and mixes easily with water or Vitamin Water for an extra kick. Packed with good things, and more Vitamin B than you will believe, it is a great way to stay hydrated and focused on that last 100 miles before the inn for the night.

LORATADINE

Many of us have seasonal allergies which can be handled with relative ease these days, but we all can be hit with a cloud of dander or pollen – depending on the season and what you are allergic to in particular.

I carry these little foil packets of Loratadine in the side pocket of my RKA Tank Bag. When I feel my eyes begin to itch, and my nose begin to twitch – I can reach in, pop out a little pill from the packet, and wash it down with a sip from my ever-present Camelbak, and I can get that done during a red light.

The problem was solved because it was on the Short List.

CAMELBAKS

We talk about these each season – hydration is key, and the truth is I take in more water on the bike than I do at home. You should too. Sure, carrying a bottle of water works – but the ability to take sips throughout the riding day is more beneficial than you would ever think, and “grazing” off your Camelbak is far better than stopping every few hours to chug a big bottle of water. Think house plants. They do far better with a bit of water consistently than letting it almost dry out and hoping that it will come back after soaking it, right? Your body works along the same lines.

Make a short list, and stick to it.

Ride smart. Ride the Backroads! ~ Brian Rathjen