March 2014

ine gaz Ma our le T cyc tor Mo

MARCH

2014

Volume 20 No. 3

Destina tion: Bald Eagles on the Delaware

Downe ast Mai ne

Take a ride along the river to glimpse these wonderful avians

Shira’s Ice Cream Run is Back At least this month, with some special Maine treats

Monthly Columns • Products • Events

W H A T ’ S MON THLY COLUMN S

I N S I D E FEAT URES

FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4

THE LAST CORNER - DOWNEAST MAINE .............................22

WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................5

SHIRA’S BONUS ICE CREAM RUN............................................36

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................6

BALD EAGLES ON THE DELAWARE .........................................38

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................7

NYC IMS 2013 .................................................................................43

THROTTLE BLIPS ..............................................................................8

PRODUCT REVIEW S

BACKLASH .........................................................................................9

NELSON RIGG CL-202 SPORT TANK BAG ...............................41

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD ...................................................10

SHORAI LFX BATTERY ..................................................................41

INDUSTRY INFOBITES ...................................................................11

GERBING NEW EX GEAR .............................................................42

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA ...............................................................14

Q KNOT ORIGINAL TIES ...............................................................42

BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................16 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18 WE’RE OUTTA HERE .....................................................................20 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................46 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................48 Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Jeff Bahr, Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Mike Stackhouse, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2014. 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.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 4

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN The Good Traveler Steel band in the distance and their music floats across the bay While American women in moo-moos talk about all the things they did today And their husbands quack about fishing as they slug those rum drinks down Discussing who caught what and who sat on his butt but it’s the only show in town A Cowboy in the Jungle – Jimmy Buffett I was recently in a deep discussion with a woman who has stated numerous times that she doesn’t trust strangers and that, given the chance, they will almost always cheat, rob or hurt you.

This woman is highly successful in her career. She has a wonderful husband, two great kids and a splendid upscale home in the suburbs.

Her life is set up just so, and very nicely I might add.

She is basically living the American dream.

There is nothing wrong with the dream – it is not just what Shira and I wanted with our lives.

In our talk I countered that, in my opinion, most people on the planet – given the chance – will be, if not just helpful, also kind and compassionate to strangers. Especially if those strangers are in need.

She strongly disagreed stating that the staff at the resort hotel on their last vacation to Bermuda, were nice, pleasant and courteous but, she wouldn’t consider them good or even friendly people for it, hinting that if they weren’t getting paid they would probably not help them at all.

It was with that statement that she made my point.

She and her family are tourists – not travellers. There is a huge difference.

Tourist vacations are more or less the same, usually to a nice, safe island

resort or crowded bus tours to famous places, with little, if any, rubbing elbows with the real locals, other than said hired hotel staff and chatchka hawkers found at every one of these places around the globe.

I often wonder just what these staff workers really think of the Americano families who come to their hotels? Not much really.

I can see why this woman would think these folk didn’t really like them.

I have seen how some American ‘tourists’ really act, not only to locals, but to other tourists as well. Bus people especially.

I also know you get back what you give out in this world.

Now I know this family was only looking to have a relaxing time with the girls away from home and the 9 to 5, but when the staff has to go out of their way to make sure all is well with guests that are far wealthier than they before trudging back to their less than stellar homes… well, who is to blame them for being a bit miffed?

Worse still, if tourists come off as if they have ‘royal blood’ in their veins or are just not genuinely friendly, then locals will immediately pick up on that and treat you the same way in return.

This happens the same way all around the planet. It is universal human nature.

Travellers, on the other hand, rarely act in this manner.

Rather then looking at the painting of life, we are more an intricate part of the tapestry.

Ted Simon, famed traveler and author of the book ‘Jupiter’s Travels’, states in the film ‘Why We Ride’ that “Motorcycles have put me in touch with wonderful people.

As a result of that I have an elevated idea about how good everybody in the world is…”

That is because when we travel by motorcycle, locals see us as more like them and part of their world.

Instead of a large tourist bus that empties out dozens of demanding and loud tourists, they see the rider on the motorcycle rolling into their town, like Ted Simon, as a traveler, someone less intrusive and that belongs there at that moment.

(Continued on next page)

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 5

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL SprinG ahead Looking out the window, I find these two words hard to believe. There is ‘feets’ of snow out the office window, no matter how many times I check the temperature it doesn’t move above the teens, and even our intrepid office cat, Spenser, has given up the attempt to sneak outside to chase those menacing sparrows searching for crumbs.

But the visits to the garage to reunite with the iron horses gives one hope that the sun will prevail and the snow will, someday, turn to rivers of replenishing and cleansing water to wash the salt and sand from our beloved asphalt playground.

To bide our time, we are doing the regular planning of rides, plotting of routes for our Spring Break in May to Marion, Va and looking ahead to where we might bring you folks in the Fall. For those joining us in Marion, we won’t be having a group ride south as we’ll already be down that way attending Morton BMW’s Spring Fling Rally in Natural Bridge, VA May 16-18. For those with extra time and inclination, you might want to look into that and extend your southern riding time. You can find the details on their website: www.mortonsbmw.com Taking a look at our Upcoming Events calendar, there are plenty of rides and rallies to fill your daily planners.

If you don’t happen to be joining in our annual Vernal Voyage, you can head north and partake of a couple of open house events and bring home lots of goodies. Both Whitehorse Gear and Twisted Throttle will be opening their doors to you in May to celebrate the return of longer days. No matter what you ride, you’ll find something to fit you or your bike’s fancy at their shops.

While you’re up that way, why not take advantage of the magazine that you’re holding in your hands and meander further north to the great state of Maine. These pages are chock full of tremendous travel ideas, destinations and eateries to fill miles and miles.

Free Wheelin’ Over the years we have had bike troubles in some remote areas – some places that ‘tourists’ will never see, only to have locals go out of their way to help in any way they could. In places like Morocco, Colombia, Bosnia and Baja we have had locals offer to help simply because they knew they could.

For sure there are bad people in the world, but using common sense can save you a lot of heartache and pain.

But, I have found that when really traveling 95% of most people in most countries will be genuinely friendly and helpful.

I do my best to stay away from the other 5%.

I dare say if this woman’s family went for a more locally intensive journey – say rented a jeep in Bermuda and rode away from the cushy resort and really got a taste of the local culture and what really makes up Bermuda, they would have a far more fulfilling adventure and the kids would see and learn far more as well.

I’ll go as far as stating that you can’t say you have really been to a far away country if you spent your time behind a fence - a fence that most of the locals will only get to look in on.

If that is all you do then you have cut yourself and your family short and wasted a great opportunity.

The world is big, beautiful and, for the most part, truly friendly - it is time to really go see it.

As always, before getting back in the saddle, do a thorough inventory of yourself, your gear and your motos. If you’ve been off the bike for the winter months, perhaps a two-wheeled warm up is in order. Whether it’s just heading out to a parking lot with some cones or a more in-depth learning experience is in order, make sure your mental acuity is at the proper level to put you back, safely, on the road.

Take a look in the gear closet and see what still fits, what’s got some age on it and needs replacing and what just needs a good shaking out. There’s so much great riding accessories available today that perhaps it’s time to replace that 5-year old helmet, those gloves that have taken you to so many destinations they are worn through, or that jacket that just doesn’t seem to keep the rain out anymore.

Last, but certainly not least, is that riding buddy waiting for your return. Spend some time now checking the fluids, nuts and bolts and all those nooks and crannies where the critters love to spend their winters. Tires, battery, chain, etc - get them all up to snuff and safe for another season. Whether you’ve got an old friend or new acquaintence looking forward to its next ride outing, some TLC goes a long way to help it treat you right.

Here’s to the returning leaves, the mercury rising and feeling the warm sun on your face. See you on the road.

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 6

P O S TC A R D S FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD a neW Bike Called TempTaTion Motorcycles and the creatures that create them can be wily beasts. I’ve been riding, writing about and pondering these machines for more years that I care to admit, and yet they still manage to surprise me on a regular basis.

Sometimes these unexpected moves and closely-guarded new products are a bit disappointing, and other times they almost seem too good to be true. I have a great example of the latter that has just officially surfaced, and to be fair this bike has been rumored for a while (as is so often the case) as the European market has already been saying there would be a US edition in the offing. The bike is the 2014 Honda VFR800F Interceptor (and Interceptor Deluxe), and the reason this bike is very appealing to me is not what is new but rather what is old. I need to be clear and state this is no retro bike, but it does embrace the attributes of a motorcycle of the past that has somehow managed to return over two decades later.

The machine from so long ago is the 1991 Honda VFR750F, and I know this motorcycle intimately because I own one and have spent many happy miles on it.

Meanwhile the years have flown by, and I’ve watched the VFR grow and change over the years, ultimately swelling to a 1200cc version that was amazing but a bit far from what I thought the VFR should be (no offense to Honda in the leastthey just took the bike in a different direction than I was hoping for). Suffice it to say, I never thought we’d see a bike like the old VFR again. That was, like so many predictions, a bit off the mark.

This became clear when the new VFR was announced, I have been shocked and fascinated by how familiar it seems. While many will assert it is a closer relation to the VFR800 that was arguably more contemporary than the old

’91 750, I beg to differ. The new Interceptor goes Back to the Future by discarding the side-mounted radiators of the later versions and going with a conventional front mounted unit (like mine), a more upright riding position (ditto), and of course the famed 90-degree V-Four engine although it’s here we hit a pothole. My VFR has gear-driven cams as opposed to the chain driven unit I assume the newbie has, but that’s no big deal although I love the sound of those gears whizzing around in the cases. What the new bike does have (and a feature that was introduced back in the early 2000’s) is the VTEC system that in this case lets the engine breath on two valves per cylinder at lower RPMs and then switch to four valves per cylinder as engine speed increases. According to Honda this is in order to boost low-end and midrange horsepower and torque without compromising top-end response. For some reason the VFRs I’ve ridden with this electronic wizardry didn’t do it for me. I’m not sure why, but I just didn’t like the system’s feel, response and even auditory expression. Hopefully this latest system will work better in terms of my own personal sensibilities, for after all this is all that matters, right? Of course.

Otherwise, I think Honda may have hit this new Interceptor out of the park in terms of adopting the things I would love to have had on my ’91. There are two versions, the regular and the Deluxe, and from here on out I’m focusing on the latter as it is the one I’m most interested in thanks to the extended feature package. Both bikes have adjustable seat heights, which is a great addition and a nice 5.2-gallon tank. Unlike the last Interceptor the transmission is a 6-speed “manual” with no optional clutchless unit (that I am still not wild about). The paint scheme cracks me up as it mirrors my ’91’s brilliant red finish with gold wheels and details. The Deluxe has ABS and Traction Control, as well as heated grips, fully adjustable front forks and even self-canceling turn signals (could the engineers realize I’m old and forgetful, and eligible for AARP membership?). Oh, and let us not forget the centerstand, which no touring rider should be without. As I recall, when I purchased my ’91 new in 1993 as a leftover model I had the centerstand added on delivery as it was optional in those days as well. Deja with some Vu, man! Oh, and something that always bothered me about the ’91 was (of

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 7

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS UnlearninG To ride In aviation, technology presents crews with more “assistance” than ever.

The most influential device is a Heads Up Display (HUD), on which crucial information is shown, allowing pilots to see data superimposed on the outside world instead of looking at the instrument panel. Like lots of good things, a HUD comes at a price: many pilots become so dependent that when HUDs fail, they are left virtually unable to operate the aircraft. These pilots are known as “HUD Cripples” and are why most instructors regularly disable the HUD during check rides. One must still demonstrate proficiency when the technology fails.

The same is true of motorcycling: when the technology fails (or is absent), one must still know how to ride. New motorcycles are full of rider-assistance gadgetry like multi-mode traction control, antilock brakes, and multi-mode electronic suspension adjustment. I don’t bash these marvels, for they offer excellent safety and convenience. If suspension adjustments are easier, for example, more riders are apt to properly match the settings to the load. I regularly dial the preload knob, but seldom adjust the small rebound damping screw way down on the bottom of the shock. I’d probably adjust it more if it was easier; however, I should still know how to function when the button goes wrong.

Power control is something relatively new and present mostly on sportbikes, although it’s becoming more prevalent on naked bikes and others as the horsepower wars rage on. I’ve always been of the mind that power control is in my right hand and I still ascribe to that philosophy, but in foul weather or an accident-avoidance situation (or both), the presence of a rider aid keeping the rear wheel hooked up is an advantage. A rainy intersection with an unseen patch of oil or a wet tar snake will make even delicate throttle movements potential adventures. But when the “TC Fail” light comes on, do you park it or do you get yourself home? I suspect you do the latter. I would.

I have a love/hate relationship with Antilock Brakes (ABS). They are perhaps the best things to ever happen to the rear wheel of a motorcycle. The typical scenario is one of a panic stop wherein the pilot overbrakes the rear and the bike swaps ends, with a predictable lowside or highside crash. Braking unloads the rear and the foot is a terrible fine-motor-control operator, so it’s very difficult to modulate the rear brake with sufficient finesse.

ABS takes care of that for you…IF it is present and

2014

all things) the logo on the tank. My aged angel has the word HONDA in white letters, while I always preferred the flying wing logo. In fact, the thing I liked the most about the 1200 Interceptor was the winged logo that was both nostalgic and very classy. It looks like the ’14 has a very similar take on this theme that looks superb. I almost view this as a really strong incentive to get my astride this new V4, as if they channeled what kind of Interceptor they’d want me to build. Other than the VTEC (although I shall reserve judgement until I sample one), there’s only one other thing I would change and that’s the mass. At 537 lbs. ready for the road, the Deluxe VFR800F weighs right about the same as my bike, which I always thought could lose a few pounds.

But, the bike has always handled the weight beautifully and no doubt the latest iteration will be even better in this regard. For those of you dying to know, yes, colormatched saddlebags will be available as an option. So, it looks like this could be a very fine ride (VFR) that pays homage to one of the greatest machines ever made.

Hey, I can’t help but be biased. The ’91 really has been that good for me, and many others as well. I look forward to checking out this tempting sport-touring reboot.

working. There’s the rub: counting on ABS to save your ass is becoming the motorcycling equivalent of a HUD Cripple.

And I’m guilty as charged: the vast majority of my road miles are on BMW motorcycles that have magic sensors and servos that make rear braking simple. No amount of indiscriminate mashing of that foot lever will result in rear wheel shenanigans; consequently, I’ve become lazy and my riding technique has degraded. This was brought to my abrupt attention one day when I was riding my SV650, which doesn’t have ABS, and I came upon a stalled bus that required prompt deceleration. Used to the BMW, I overbraked the rear, resulting in a pretty attention-getting tail wag. Fortunately, training to keep my eyes up the road and ride it out kicked in and I made a controlled stop.

I have fresh motivation to be wary of ABS: I recently acquired a 2006 Suzuki V-Strom 650. It’s an excellent bike in excellent condition, but the only wizardry it contains is fuel injection - it has no ABS. Consequently, I have some unlearning to do. It takes 14 days to establish or break a habit, so I need a solid two weeks of riding the “Wee” at least, in addition to some parking lot stopping practice, to get me ingrained at having an unassisted rear brake. While I have other non-ABS motorcycles, most of my miles are on an assisted bike, so it’s easy for bad habits to creep in. I really need to take the Wee to a riding school and/or track day.

That’s the real lesson of rider aids like traction control and ABS. If we let our basic skills deteriorate to the point where we’re in trouble without them, what are we going to do when confronted with a situation in which they’re inoperable, or in my case, when the moto we’re operating doesn’t have them?

As Yoda said, “You must ULEARN. Hmmmm.”

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 8

THROT TLE BLIPS JEFF BAHR Bad TripS For reasons unbeknownst to me bad luck comes my way almost every time that I plan a motorcycle trip. This nasty, ultra-frequent phenomenon has now moved well beyond the chance stage. In fact, I wonder if a band of mischievous moto-gremlins lay in wait for me to formulate a plan and then, acting as impish spoilers, do their devilish best to ruin my moment in the sun. It’s gotten that bad!

Sound like paranoia on my part? I don’t think so. Here are just a few examples of this demoralizing force in action. Sadly, there have been more.

Many more.

Item: I had been looking forward to the Killington Classic motorcycle rally for some time. Publisher Rathjen was sending me there on behalf of Backroads. This meant I’d get to wear my reporter’s cap and enjoy all the comps that come along with a typical press junket. Yippee!

When I arrived at the host hotel I made for their heated indoor pool. A nice swim would help to get the kinks out of my sore, road-weary body.

Or so I thought.

After swimming a few laps I decided to switch over to the backstroke. I often do this in my own pool so this wasn’t out of the ordinary. As I swam I felt a small pinch in my shoulder. I didn’t think much about it and continued swimming.

A few hours later that pinch had turned into a debilitating throb. “I must’ve pulled a muscle” I reckoned cerebrally. Talk about gross understatements!

For the next three days I was forced to play the role of sidewalk commando. There was simply no way that I could bear the pain without the continuous application of ice packs. Mega doses of Advil and frequent cursing helped to get me home post rally, but just barely. My wonderful New England trip had proved an absolute bust. Damn!

Item: A few months after the Killington debacle I signed on for a Backroads rally in Vermont. I had been to a few of these in the past and always enjoyed them immensely. Those glorious rallies had signaled the end of my good luck stage but I couldn’t know it yet. I became painfully aware that something was working against me, however, the very first night of my stay when I awoke with searing pain in my neck.

“What in hell is it now?” I asked myself in an incredulous tone.

I would later learn that a pinched nerve was in fact responsible for my pain.

Of course the agony stayed with me unabated for the entire trip. Why wouldn’t it? The gremlins, you understand, will not be denied!

Item: I have suffered through countless other ruined trips - always ones that I have planned to the hilt with great anticipation - but allow me to showcase my most recent disaster.

The 2013 incarnation of Backroads’ Fall Fiesta was a genuine hoot for all, save for one hapless gent (me). For personal reasons I was looking forward to this rally more than any that had preceded it.

My Thursday ride to the host hotel in Williamsport, PA went well enough but that was before the gremlins realized that ol’ Jeffy-boy was on the roll once again. To make up for their oversight, they decided to zap me with a super-painful toothache the very next day.

If you’ve ever gotten a toothache on a Friday evening you know the sheer folly of trying to find a dentist to help you out. An exhaustive Yellow Pages search of Wilkes Barre area dentists turned up zilch. Apparently modern dentists believe that pain only arrives on weekdays.

That or the golf course beckons.

With no help to be found on Saturday and my natural aversion to crying in public, I pointed my bike towards home. Luckily, my tinted shield hid my shame.

“I’m sick of this crap!” I shouted to myself between sobs. Next time I go on a trip I’m not planning it since it obviously gives the gremlins time to counter my moves. No sir! I will let my trip happen spontaneously; organically, with no trumpeting or aforethought whatsoever.

That ought to stop the little bastards.

Geez, I hope!

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 9

BACKLASH Hey Backroads, Kudos for your outstanding editorial. I agree with absolutely everything you wrote! Sixteen of us went with Moto Discovery last March as we were eager to ‘feel’ the culture before the absurd barriers between our countries come down. We were on a People to People Cultural Exchange and spent a lot of time with locals and felt the trip was as important as any of our other more exotic global exploits to places like Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Ethiopia, Japan, Mongolia or Russia.

Governments may run countries, but people are pretty much the same all over the world, with similar values about family, education and community.

For every one of the 11 million Cubans that live under communism, we learned that virtually every one of them has a relative living in America!

Burt Richmond Burt, We agree and have had so many positive calls on this. It’s a big world out there. We hope to ride it all!

Folks, Your article in February made me smile. That is my frustration with many of the women I ride with. They are rock stars when we are scooting along, but if I make a wrong turn leading, I have to find the perfect place to do a uturn. By myself, I just slow down, put my butt on the high side, turn my head

Letters to the Editor and reverse direction. I want to share with you my ‘ah-ha’ experience that put me on this path. And also put the taste of dirt in my mouth that I love more than tar now: www.americansupercamp.com. This class is amazing!

You have probably heard of it and I think you should give it a go.

Kim from the North Brian & Shira I really enjoyed reading about your Rome to Sicily tour. Terry and I did that tour with Edelweiss in 2006 and your write up made it seem like we had just done it yesterday. Terry is currently with a friend on Marco Island and I’m sure she’ll enjoy it too when she returns. Good read.

Ron Minor

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Got something to say?

We’d love to hear it.

email: editor@backroadsusa.com • ph: 973-948-4176

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 10

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD

Byrd

Am I my brother’s keeper?

Many times over the last few years I have asked myself that question. I have ridden over 500,000 miles solo and with groups. When riding alone you can start when you want, stop when you choose, and travel at the speed you desire. The downside of this is you have no one to share your enjoyment with.

When you travel with a group you share a camaraderie and brotherhood, which is a rare and beautiful thing. You also get to wait while the late arrivals chat with their friends, adjust their mirrors, empty their bladders, and order a cup of coffee that they should have had at home before leaving on this trip! Once on the road we get to travel at the slowest riders pace and stop when the person with the smallest tank or weakest bladder needs to stop.

A gas stop with a group usually means someone else will need to have a smoke, a snack, a toilet break, or will just wander off to check out the locals and engage in a long winded discussion about motorcycling and its dangers. Back on the road and you will soon discover that someone forgot to fill up his tank at the last stop. In an effort to stave off boredom someone will practice his weaving maneuvers while someone else will slow down and speed up just to hear his “lifesaver” pipes rap off. Lunch breaks will be done by consensus, which means that someone will be starving while someone else (remember the guy who forgot to fill up his bike and bought a snack instead?) isn’t hungry.

I’M HUNGRY

I GOTTA PEE

I NEED A SMOKE

Lunch is always too expensive or too cheap or not the right cuisine. Don’t forget, I only had water and crackers and you had a 3-course gourmet meal.

Back on the road, not yet, someone has to call the office, the wife, the girlfriend on the cell phone. Now just another quick minute or minutes as we adjust the mirrors, helmet, and radio station (we rode out of range of somebody’s favorite PBS station.)

Later that day, not enough miles down the road, we stop for the night.

Let’s not forget the motel has to have HBO, a pool, king size beds, and an overhang right in front of your room for you to park your bike. At registration we need to negotiate our room price based on our AARP, HOG, or PBA discount (does that include breakfast?) Settle into your rooms with a plan to meet in 2 hours for a dinner run. Forward 2 hours ahead, and wait in the lobby for the group. We discover who found a bar in the joint next door? Who passed out from exhaustion in their room? Who couldn’t wait for dinner and is in the lobby vending area eating Cheetos and Skittles with a Fresca to wash it all down.

Riding groups rarely run like clockwork.

Fast forward to next morning.

The ride is supposed to leave at 8am.

But, it will not.

Who got hammered last night on dollar Buds in the joint next door. Who’s cleaning their bike with hotel towels? Who’s warming his bike next to a stranger’s window? Group rides, gotta love ‘em!

This ends my rant for the month. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

BYRD, JUST PERFECT

THIS PLACE IS TOO…

MY BUTT HURTS

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 11

IND USTRY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING WITH KEN CONDON Have you ever wondered what bad habits you have that you aren’t even aware of? Have you wondered just how proficient your skills really are? Have you struggled with tricky maneuvers? Are you anxious when you ride through challenging corners? Are you someone who wants to learn all there is about riding a motorcycle well? Then maybe one-on-one instruction can help.

Ken Condon, columnist for Motorcycle Consumer News and author of Riding in the Zone is offering one-on-one personal instruction for street riders. Training will include real-time feedback using two-way communication. Ken will help you advance your riding proficiency while you tour the beautiful Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts and the twisties of Southern Vermont. For more information, visit www.ridinginthezone.com.

Harley they wanted an ‘evolution’, not a ‘revolution’. And when H-D put four new designs up for a vote, more than 100,000 people raised their voice, and the results were clear.

The new logo captures the spirit of the original, evolving the design while still being instantly recognizable by legions of H.O.G. members around the world. The Harley-Davidson Bar & Shield is at its heart, declaring H.O.G. as the official riding club of H-D®. Now more than ever, the world will know that H.O.G. and Harley-Davidson® are one and the same, completely inseparable. Finally the eagle shifts its gaze to the right as it looks forward to new horizons and endless opportunities for adventure, fun and friendship as H.O.G. begins the next chapter of its journey.

WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP….

TEAM STRANGE CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY

BY TAKING A TRIP DOWN OWN GRAND TOUR MEMORY LANE Team Strange is world renowned for its incredible long distance motorcycling events and its subtle humility, but they have also run their fair share of innovative GTs over the years, including the recent Smoke Chasing Grand Tour. This year, they are recreating their past GT glory in honor of their 30th

WHY WE RIDE GETS AMA’S AWARD The AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award honors its namesake, Hall of Famer Hazel Kolb, and salutes individuals who have generated positive publicity for motorcycling. For 2014, it is given to the production and directorial teams of two remarkable motorcycling films: “Why We Ride” and “Road Warriors, The Bleeding Edge of Motorcycle Racing.”

“We would to like thank the AMA and its members for this award,” said James Walker, producer of “Why We Ride.” “Being recognized for doing we what love to do, which is telling stories that inspire audiences to embrace the passion of two wheels and to live everyday to its fullest, is a great honor. On behalf of our producer/director Bryan H. Carroll and writer/co-producer Chris Hampel, thank you!”

You can get your own copy of Why We Ride at www.WhitehorsePress.com

Vulcan® 900 Custom or Classic Affordable and Stylish Package

H.O.G. GETS NEW LOGO From the beginning, the iconic H.O.G.® logo has represented the passion of its riders. No matter where in the world you might find yourself, chances are you’ll also find a fellow rider wearing that very same logo.

Recognition of this global symbol of freedom, independence and love of the open road has always created an instant and powerful bond.

Sometimes, you can’t help but smile.

Vulcan® 900 Custom is an easy motorcycle to like. First, the bike’s custom styling oozes attitude from it’s big front tire to the blacked out mufflers and other parts that typically wear a chrome coating. The drag-style handlebar and the low-slung seat put the rider in the perfect position to get the most out of this easy to ride yet powerful cruiser.

The name may be Vulcan® 900 Classic, but you should hear “definitive.” This midsized cruiser has the timeless goods wrapped in a long, low package with a presence that’s larger than its name. From its two-tone ebony and metallic gray paint scheme to its spoked wheels, this Vulcan garners attention wherever it goes. Details, like rider floorboards and tankmounted instrumentation that includes a handy fuel gauge and an easy-to-read analog speedometer, only strengthen the bike’s ties with tradition.

Experience the full line of Kawasaki motorcycles, sales and service we have to offer.

But 30 years of anything – even a good thing – is a long time. So Harley went to their members, to lead change and direct where to go next with this powerful symbol. They talked to members around the world at rallies, events, chapter meetings, training sessions and gas stations. They even took a few formal surveys.

What H-D heard confirmed what they also felt: that the time has come to refresh the look. The faithful told

TOWN & COUNTRY CYCLE CENTER 115 Route 23N • Hamburg NJ • 973-875-2111

www.townandcountrycyclecenter.com

Page 12 Anniversary by reinventing and re-running four, of their founder Eddie James’, immensely popular grand tours - “Team Strange 30th Anniversary Grand Tour”, “I’ve Been Everywhere Grand Tour”, “Presidential Grand Tour” and “Touch Em All Grand Tour.”

All four GT’s run form March 1st to October 31st and you can sign up today. Find out more and join today at www.teamstrange.com

AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE EXPO NOW 4 DAYS 2ND YEAR SHOW SCHEDULE OPTIMIZED: OCT. 16-19, 2014 Marketplace Events Motorcycle Group, producer of the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), has announced the 2014 show will be a four-day event held on October 16-19, 2014. Last year’s inaugural event was five days.

In the short time since the launch of AIMExpo, show management has received a significant amount of feedback from the Powersports industry hailing the event as much needed and an overwhelming success.

Based on input received, and keeping with AIMExpo’s mission of providing the most effective and efficient platform for B2B and B2C commerce, AIMExpo will be streamlined by one day.

Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center remains the host venue for the event. Exclusive trade and media days will be held on Thursday and Friday (October 16 & 17) with the show expanding to include consumer attendees on Saturday and Sunday (October 18 & 19).

AIMExpo is powersports’ only combined trade, media and consumer event in North America.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS “Since the beginning, a core goal has been to serve as a catalyst for change,” said Larry Little, General Manager, Marketplace Events Motorcycle Group. “This means listening and responding to the needs of the industry.

Our post show surveys of exhibitors, trade and consumer attendees, coupled with the extensive conversations we have on a daily basis with our customers and partners, clearly pointed us to the decision to go to four days.”

The new four-day format will ensure AIMExpo remains a highly-productive and well-organized event while increasing the efficiency and cost effectiveness for all participants.

The inaugural AIMExpo featured 392 exhibitors including manufacturers and distributors Yamaha, Erik Buell Racing, Suzuki, KYMCO and Tucker Rocky/Biker’s Choice, among others. AIMExpo 2014 has already booked over 200 exhibitors and is on track to surpass the launch year in both size and scope.

PowerSports Business Institute @ AIMExpo, the events’ highly regarded industry education program will also return offering attendees invaluable learning opportunities not found anywhere else. Additionally, Motorcycle & Powersports News, the event’s official media sponsor, will again be producing AIMExpo show publications including the Show Directory, Show Dailies and Souvenir Consumer Program.

Companies looking to take advantage of the AIMExpo platform should contact one of the sales representatives toll free at 855-MCShows (855-6274697).

Be sure to stay tuned to the AIMExpoUSA.com web site and keep up to date on the continued progress by visiting AIMExpo’s social media pages.

“Like” the American International Motorcycle Expo on Facebook by visiting the AIMExpo page, and “Follow” on Twitter: @AIMExpo.

WOMEN RIDERS JUST HAPPIER Riding a motorcycle improves a woman’s feelings of overall self-worth, compared to women who don’t ride, finds a U.S. survey commissioned by Harley-Davidson.

Kelton conducted the survey and interviewed 1,013 U.S. adult female riders and 1,016 U.S. adult female non-riders. The survey also found:

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 — More than twice as many always feel happy: 37 percent of riders vs. 16 percent of non-riders.

— Nearly four times as many always feel sexy: 27 percent of riders vs. 7 percent of non-riders.

— Nearly twice as many always feel confident: 35 percent of riders vs. 18 percent of non-riders.

— 53 percent of women who ride cite their motorcycle as a key source of happiness and 74 percent said they believe their lives improved since they started riding.

— 51 percent of riders were content with their physical intimacy vs. 35 percent of non-riders.

“Riding a motorcycle is the ultimate form of freedom and self-expression, so it makes sense that women riders are happier in life and, in general, feel more fulfilled,” Claudia Garber, director of women’s outreach for HarleyDavidson, said in a statement.

The survey was conducted May 20 to May 28 and has a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE AUCTION RAISES $30,000 TO BENEFIT MILITARY SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES Indian Motorcycle®, America’s first motorcycle company, today announced that its one-of-a-kind custom 2014 Chief Vintage motorcycle, created in support of the “Operation Ride Home” program for the benefit of U.S. Armed Forces personnel and their families, sold on the auction block on Sunday, January 19. This unique motorcycle, featuring the lowest publically available 2014 VIN number, was sold at auction for $30,000 by Barrett-Jackson, the world’s greatest collector car auctions, in Scottsdale, AZ and the full auction price has been donated through Jack Daniel’s Whisky and Indian Motorcycle to the Armed Services YMCA program Operation Ride Home. The winning bidder was George Munsterman and wife Mary Brinckerhoff of New York. MSRP for a stock 2014 Indian Chief Vintage is $20,999, indicating the generosity of the winning bidder, who jumped an additional $4000 as bidding slowed to secure the motorcycle for his collection.

For 2014, the first model year for the new Indian Chief under Polaris Industries’ brand stewardship, the first 1901 units off the assembly line were specially badged with commemorative serial numbers in honor of the company’s founding in 1901. In partnership with Jack Daniel’s Distillery, the ‘No. 7’ serial number off the line, a Red Indian Chief Vintage model, was customized by Klocks Werks of Mitchell South Dakota with just the right touches to create a truly unique motorcycle. Hand-laid pin striping, painted Jack Daniel’s logos and Operation Ride Home logo and a customized seat combine to create a unique and collectible custom motorcycle “Operation Ride Home” is a partnership program between Jack Daniel Distillery and the Armed Services YMCA designed to help service members and military families travel to their homes across the country this holiday season. All proceeds from the auction of the custom Indian Chief Vintage bike have been donated

by Indian Motorcycle to the Operation Ride Home program. The program assisted 836 individuals for the 2013 holiday season.

“For nearly 113 years the U.S. military has been an integral part of the legendary Indian Motorcycle brand, and many of this company’s proudest achievements revolved around our support of this country’s war efforts,” said Steve Menneto, vice president of motorcycles for Polaris. “It was a pleasure to partner with Jack Daniel’s and the Armed Forces YMCA in support of Operation Ride Home, and all of us at Polaris Industries and Indian Motorcycle are honored to donate the proceeds from the auction of this unique and symbolic motorcycle for the benefit of America’s mil-

Page 13 itary personnel and their families.”

For more information please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com

MIC CELEBRATES 100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY The Motorcycle Industry Council celebrated its 100th anniversary and commemorated this milestone by honoring the association’s past as well as continuing to support motorcycling’s future. Initially incorporated on Jan. 8, 1914, in New York, NY, the fledgling Motorcycle Manufacturers Association was started by a group of executives and enthusiasts and would eventually become the research, advocacy and promotional organization that is today’s MIC. “We’ve certainly come a long way,” said MIC Board Chair Mark Blackwell. “This is not only a proud moment for everyone who’s been a part of the MIC, it’s also significant for the motorcycling community as a whole. As we celebrate this milestone, it’s important to remember that from the very beginning, the MIC’s mission has been to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling and we look forward to continuing with that mission into our next century.”

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 14

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s M YSTE RIOUS AME RICA Mike Stackhouse

androSCoGGin SWinGinG pedeSTrian BridGe BrUnSWiCk-TopSham, maine Here’s another one of those “in my back yard” rides that I never bothered to stop and look at. On the way back from a coastal ride last year, it happened to be the right spot for a break, so I pulled in. The Androscoggin Swinging Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and its there for a very good reason. First a little history.

In the 1800s, the Cabot Manufacturing Company expanded its cotton mill operations in Brunswick and had 35,000 spindles operating with 550 operators employed. Many of the workers were French-Canadian and lived in tenements on the Brunswick side of the Androscoggin River. By the 1880s, health and sanitary issues became a concern with the overcrowded tenements and it was decided housing on the Topsham side of the river would help alleviate the issues. To make the housing more attractive, a pedestrian bridge across the river was proposed. After an 1891 meeting with the John A. Roebling Sons Company (of Brooklyn Bridge fame) the design for a solid suspension bridge was created. A suspension bridge in Skowhegan, Maine had collapsed around that time due to weak cables, and because of this, the Topsham Land Company wanted a stout bridge. The Roebling Company was just what they were looking for.

needed to use the bridge” and did not want to be responsible for the maintenance. The officials from Topsham, in turn, pointed out the 375 Roman Catholics that lived in Topsham and used the bridge, saving the towns $6,000.00-$7,000.00 a year. The petition was granted…

The bridge served silently for years with the wooden towers at each end replaced with steel ones in 1915. These towers are still in place today despite the heavy damage the bridge received in the great flood of 1936.

The spring flood of 1936, caused by rain, snow melt, and ice dams, completely destroyed the decking and railings of the bridge. In spite of the pounding the water gave the bridge, the cables were not damaged and the original towers still stand to this day.

In 2006, major repairs to the bridge were done costing in excess of $350,000.00. Site work on both sides of the river, concrete foundation work, steel work, etc. was addressed during the repairs. A non-profit 501 (c) 3 foundation was started called SaveOurSwingingBridge.org in 2008 to help fund the work and upkeep. After the repairs, there was a grand re-opening on Sept. 8, 2007.

The great thing about the bridge is, if you are touring up the Maine coast and go through Pleasant Street in Brunswick to get back on the highway, you ride right past it. Coming south from Bath into Brunswick, it will be directly to your right as you come up from under the Main Street Brunswick overpass.

It’s a great spot to stretch your legs and there’s a great view up and down the river. Standing on the bridge the day I was there, I could only imagine hundreds of mill works heading to or returning from work. I’m glad I finally took the time to stop.

Dr. Seymour O’Life

maine’S GreaT Gold SWindle

Construction began in May of 1892 and housing in “Topsham Heights” across the river was already under construction in preparation of the bridge’s completion. The bridge was completed (with temporary planking) by September and reports from that time reported a “substantial” bridge with no signs of vibration, even with a number of pedestrians crossing at the same time. Price to build? A lofty $2,000.00.

Once built, it was found to be a bridge for more than the planned mill workers. Children attending the Saint John’s Catholic School, Brunswick High School and those attending services at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church used the bridge as well.

In 1906, when the Town of Topsham appealed to the commissioners of Cumberland and Sagadahoc Counties to have the structure designated a public highway, those using the bridge to go to parochial schools swayed the decision. Brunswick opposed the move saying “they didn’t know anyone that

And fourteen hours later I was down in Adelaide Looking through the want ads sipping Fosters in the shade I’m Mr. Bad Example, take a look at me I’ll live to be a hundred and go down in infamy Mr. Bad Example- Warren Zevon I have spent a good deal of time along the peaceful shores of Maine, and especially enjoyed watching the sunrise first in the USA - in the coastal town of Lubec.

Nice, quiet, peaceful Lubec is a special part of this Mysterious America.

With all this peacefulness and beauty one would be surprised to learn that, crime, treachery and such foolishness would happen in this little town of Lubec.

Who would think the greatest gold hunt fraud, in modern-day history, happened on this rocky shore - the furthest east spit of land of the United States continent.

I know I was shocked….

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 Gold. Boy, has this element caused trouble through the centuries! When anybody hears this word, his or her brains go gooey. The Spanish particularly go Ga-Ga. Do you think you are immune? You are not. We can all go ‘gold’ fanatical.

When we think crazed gold minors, don’t we think…. California (that is why that state is so manic anyway), but the wildest gold craze happened in…

Maine?!

Who would think the craziest story of gold scam would happen on the rocky coast of Maine.

To this day when men say they are here to help…. it always seems that the men behind these things say they work for God. The year was 1897, and arriving on the cold shores of Maine was a stranger named Reverend Prescott Jernegan, who arrived in Lubec and made a bold claim: he could extract gold from seawater.

Locals were interested.

Seriously… ‘stranger’ means a lot here.

According to Jernegan, selfproclaimed scientist and geologist, (like myself) the incredible tides that surround the region brought into the Atlantic tons of gold, copper and other minerals each day.

Personally, as a geologist, I believe this is true.

But…. There always is a - but.

What if someone had a system that would bring in a small, but reasonable, bit of Au, each day?

What if it could really be true?

Would normally stoic New Englanders be sucker… ‘fooled’ into such a game?

Page 15 To dupe the locals he used socalled “Accumulators” of electrically charged rods in iron pots.

Fooling many, he actually hid the gold beneath a wharf in the Bay of Fundy during the night.

He and his accomplice, Charles Fisher, preached with fervent enthusiasm as they built their factory and encouraged inspections, which reversed doubters to greedy high-stakes investors.

Seriously the “Accumulators” looked like the orange buckets from Home Depot.

Each morning just a touch of gold would be found in each bucket.

But the truth was a bit wilder.

Every night, Jernegan, and his cronies, would swim undersea and drop a touch of gold nugget in every bucket.

Stocks were sold, money was raised, and capital was on high.

What could possibly go wrong here?

Times were good… for years!

But, can business get too good?

It can.

And, before they knew it that number of “Accumulators” he locals had bought into got so big that they didn’t have enough feed gold to keep the locals and their money interested.

Jernegan and Fisher had hundreds of laborers accelerate factory expansion until July 1897, when Jernegan and Fisher fled. Word has it they ended up in Adelaide, and enjoyed their ill-gotten gains with happy and very Australian girls.

The story goes that Warren Zevon heard this tale and penned a song for it.

Warren is not around so we’ll never know if this is the truth.

But, Mister Bad Example seems to fit. ~ O’Life out!

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

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Hanover Powersports Presents

BIG CI T Y G ETAWAY Mike Stackhouse

CoaSTal BoTaniCal GardenS 132 BoTaniCal GardenS dr., BooThBay, me WWW.maineGardenS.orG • 207-633-4333 open all year 9am-5pm • apr.-oCT. adm.: $14/adUlT • Free oCT.-april Some folks have a green thumb. I have a black thumb. How black is it?

When I bought my new house I figured I’d get a plant and add a little greenery to it. I went to a flower show and talked to some folks who recommended an “Aluminum” plant. (No, that isn’t the Latin name I’m sure…) They said “you can’t kill them”. Well after two years, it got so bad that Nadia decided it would be best to put it out of its misery. Now this isn’t to say I don’t appreciate a fine garden. The house I bought had been lived in by the same woman since she was a child and she obviously spent a lot of time planting and tending the gardens. I have a lovely yard that blooms from the beginning

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind of Spring to early Fall. I love it. And, I petrified I’m going to kill it all. Not quickly, but a slow agonizing death by way of neglect or lack of maintenance.

Thank Gawd I have Nadia.

Now, because I can appreciate the work involved in not killing a garden, you can be sure I was floored by the Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay, Maine the first time I saw them. I returned to the gardens, which are at 132 Botanical Gardens Drive off Bakers Island Road, when I made the Backroads Fall Festival a couple years ago. The 250 acre garden was 16 years in the making. Planning, planting, and building of the original 128 acre purchase, which included 3,600 feet of tidal shore frontage, was completed enough to open on June 13, of 2007. However, due to drainage and light conditions, it was redone afterwards.

The idea of the garden was hatched by a grassroots organization that thought Maine need a Botanical Center and some even went as far as put their homes up for collateral to fund the project. Through different stages the garden has grown over the years and includes a welcome center, a children’s

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 garden, an education center as well as the Lemer Garden of the Five Senses.

The Garden of the Five Senses was one of the most remarkable things I’ve seen in a garden. The layout of the 1 acre garden allows people in wheelchairs, people who might not be able to see or hear and others, to be able to navigate through a garden that is made to be touched, smelled and even heard. Plants are at a level that even someone in a wheelchair is able to run their hand along a fuzzy leaf, or run their hand through the water of a waterfall. All plants have very special traits either in the way they smell, feel, look, etc. and are a delight to our five senses. As with the rest of the gardens, it changes throughout the season.

It’s difficult to touch on all facets of the garden as its scale and the number of things to see is astounding. Add to this the fact that Maine’s climate and especially the weather on the coast is extremely fickle so it just numbs the mind to think of the variables and logistics involved to bring the garden together. As we toured the gardens, I noticed dramatic changes from the last visit, with trees and plants having spread or grown bigger and newly introduced species having been planted. It’s one of those places where you sort of get lost in the beauty and wander. There are hanging vegetable gardens, rose gardens, a forest pond garden, a Rhododendron and perennial garden, a meditation garden, you name it, it’s probably there.

There are sculptures and works of art throughout the garden too. Stone animals, stone whales that spray water from their blowholes, and other pieces catch your eye and in some cases beg to be touched. We were totally transfixed by a metal sculpture, in the middle of the gardens, by George Sherman. The multi pivoted sculpture moves in ways that do not seem possible and the result is jaw dropping. It was simply hypnotic and every-

Page 17 one I’ve brought to the gardens gets transfixed as well, so it’s not just me.

The inner child in me loved the Bibby and Harold Alfond Children’s Garden. With whimsical sculptures, gates made from garden tool, a pond, a very cool tree house with a rope walkway and even a story room and chair, there is much to entertain both child and the child-like. (That would be yours truly…) I watched children going through the garden the day I was there and the smiles would make even the biggest sourpuss grin. Give in to your inner rug rat and make sure to check it out if you are there.

Besides all this, there are hiking trails along the shore, seminars, art shows and the amazing welcome center. If you find yourself in Maine’s mid-coast region, do yourself a favor and set some time aside to explore these remarkable gardens. The Coastal Botanical Gardens has a good website and seminars and shows are listed for those interested. Just plug the address into your GPS and take a nice ride up the Maine coastline to get there. Spring, Summer or Fall there is something to see.

Only 6 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway in the heart of southwestern Virginia Specializing in European motorcycles and premium riding gear and accessories Our service staff has over one hundred combined years experience

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FRONTLINE EUROSPORTS 1003 Electric Rd • Salem, VA 24153 855-444-BMW6 (2692) • www.frontlineeurosports.com

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 18

G RE AT ALL AMER IC AN D INE R R UN

tasty places to take your bike

Five iSlandS loBSTer Company 1447 Five iSlandS road, GeorGeToWn, me 04548 207-371-2990 • WWW.FiveiSlandSloBSTer.Com We love it, in a conversation, when we hear….

“I know this place…”

This is usually followed up by some tantalizing tidbit of something interesting, wonderful and just plain neat.

So here we are to say – I know this place.

When riders head up to the Downeast portion on Maine a few things will usually flit through their minds. Rocky seacoast, small fishing villages, odd dialect and lobsters.

Yes, the American lobster, Homarus Americanus, is one of the big players in these parts. For hundreds of years, men have made a living off these blue-blooded (based on copper, not iron) invertebrates and the yearly catch in Maine has exploded over the years, yet these delicious bugs have retained their sustainability.

Lobsters shady past…

In North America, the American lobster did not achieve popularity until the mid-19th century, when New Yorkers and Bostonians developed a taste for it, and commercial lobster fisheries only flourished after the development of the lobster smack, a custom-made boat with open holding wells on the deck to keep the lobsters alive during transport. Prior to this time, lobster was considered a mark of poverty or as a food for indentured servants or lower members of society in Maine, Massachusetts, and the Canadian Maritimes, and servants specified in employment agreements that they would not eat lobster more than twice per week. Lobster was also commonly served in prisons, much to the displeasure of inmates. American lobster was initially deemed worthy only of being used

as fertilizer or fish bait, and it was not until well into the twentieth century that it was viewed as more than a low-priced canned staple food.

How times change.

These days some riders will travel hundreds of miles to their favorite lobster pound.

We now have ours - Five Islands Lobster Company, at the end of the road in Georgetown, Maine.

Set against Sheepscot Bay, where you will find some of the deepest and coldest Maine coastal waters and nestled in the fishing village islands of Georgetown, also known as “the prettiest harbor in Maine”, Five Islands Lobster Co. stands out in a sea of dining options with the perfect combination of exceptional food and classic Maine atmosphere.

We were turned onto this gem by a local rider we met while in Acadia National Park when the conversation turned to lobsters; and he was fairly passionate that we must seek out Five Islands Lobster Company.

We are always game for good food.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

What we found was nothing less than phenomenal!

Riding down to the wharf we parked the bikes and did a quick look around.

This place is a working pier and their catch comes right out of the chilly Atlantic. A wide part of the dock had a good number of picnic tables, enough to handle the large crowds that flock here each nice day and Five Islands immediately brought home that “What Maine is All About “ feeling.

Open from May until mid-October you will not be disappointed if you make the trek to this part of the coast and unlike some other pounds we found the service here to be quick, easy and pleasant.

No waiting on a line for an hour just to order.

Keith Longbottom, and his happy crew, serves up hard shell lobsters and soft shell, known as “shredders” which are very sweet and need no tools to get at, as the shells usually come right off. All their lobsters are cooked in seawater and they know what they are doing as this place serves up over 20,000 lbs. of lobster each season.

But, that is not all that is on the menu.

You can get locally caught mussels and freshly dug clams.

All brought out to you and your friends, on the dock, by the staff.

Page 19 This Maine Shangri-La also has a number of sandwiches.

Crab roll and their “Somewhat Famous” crab cake sandwich. Grilled or fried haddock, grilled salmon and “Jenny’s Special” which is two great tastes that go great together Grilled haddock sandwiched with a crab cake on top and topped with lettuce and your choice of sauce.

You can also order a number of different seafood baskets including fried clams, scallops or shrimp or just your basic fish & chips.

We had come for one specific sandwich – the most famous sandwich in Maine – The Lobster Roll!

At Five Islands they claim their lobster rolls are the freshest in Maine, and looking at the large number of traps still in the water holding the days ingredients we do not doubt this.

The pound’s staff picks their own lobster meat daily and adds just a touch of mayonnaise, served on a buttered, grilled hot dog bun with lettuce.

Shira had the regular roll, but me, being a glutton, went for the “Big Boy” which got some comments and stares from surrounding patrons.

When it came to the table even I was in shock.

This was a lot of Homarus Americanus I tell ya!

But, ever dutiful, I persevered and did the Great All American Diner Run proud!

For those of you who prefer their food land-based Five Islands has a wide selection of burgers, steak & cheese, chicken and hot dogs as well.

For those unable to visit but crave the sweetest lobster around, they ship live lobster overnight. Call 207-371-2990 or email them at orders@fiveislandslobster.com for details and estimates.

So, next time you are riding Downeast Maine search out Five Islands, in Georgetown; it has everything we look for in a great restaurant. Fines roads, superb ambiance and scenery, friendly staff and here in Maine, the best lobster you will find.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

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Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

W E’RE OUT TA HERE QUoddy head STaTion B&B 823 QUoddy head rd., lUBeC, me 04652 877-535-4714 • WWW.QUoddyvaCaTion.Com 44° 49. 4 n • 66° 57. 56 W Each moth with We’re Outta Here we endeavor to hand you kids some place fun, comfortable and interesting; this month we’d like to give you that and a whole bunch more.

How about historic, charming, with the most superb views and also the chance to sleep on the most eastern part of these United States of America?

We thought that might get your attention, so read on McDuff ‘cause We’re outta Here!

Back in 1806 President Jefferson commissioned a lighthouse to be built on the easternmost point of the new nation at West Quoddy Point.

The new West Quoddy Light was placed there for two reason. First to guide mariners away from Maine’s dangerous rocky shore and to let England know this was United States land and to best respect that.

Over 200 years later this point is still home to the first and most famous lighthouse in the nation.

The Birth of the Coast Guard Sumner Kimball was born in 1834 and entered Bowdoin College at 16. Active in politics, he was appointed to the Treasury Department by President Abraham Lincoln at the beginning of the Civil War. In 1871, he became head of all government Life-Saving

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Stations. Realizing that more functional architecture was needed, Kimball overlooked the design and construction of twenty-five “1874–Type” Lifesaving Stations. The USLSS, with Kimball as General Superintendent, was officially established in 1878.

During this time many agencies took part in protecting our nation’s coast, USLSS being one of them. Eventually all these groups were consolidated into what is now the United States Coast Guard; the nation’s oldest and its premier maritime agency.

One of the first stations was at West Quoddy Head.

As years went by new stations were built and the old West Qouddy Head Station fell into disuse and disrepair.

Enter Bill Clark.

Bill is no stranger to refurbishing colonial buildings as he was the mastermind in restoring and operating Randall’s Ordinary in Connecticut, which we featured a few years back.

When we heard Bill was involved in the West Quoddy Head reconstruction we knew we would soon be heading north and east.

Riding into the station you immediately have that nautical feel. The view of the bay and the smaller lighthouse locally called the “Spark Plug” are wide and expansive.

Page 21 I had seen pictures of this place when Bill took charge and I do believe he was either a brilliant reconstructionist and a man with vision or just nuts. I guess the former is more the truth, as today the West Quoddy Station is simply wonderful.

The bluff top, ocean-view property, now accommodates guests in an overnight cabin, four-apartment lodge, and four-bedroom Station House.

When we stayed there we had to swap rooms in the Lodge due to previous reservations, but the move was easily handled by Bill and staff and both rooms were super and either one would do for us.

The other accommodations that we looked in on were equally as comfortable and home-cozy.

The actual West Quoddy Lighthouse is just a short ride, mere minutes, from the Station and we made it a point to ride to the lighthouse a few minutes before dawn to be the first folks to see the sunrise in the USA that day.

At the Station you will also find a fast turning windmill with an output of 2.3 KW per hour. Each of the 3 carbon fiber blades are 3.7’ long with an overall 6’ radius. This feeds right into Bangor Hydro grid and gives the station a nice “green” touch and look.

The Town of Lubec is just a few miles away and has a number of great New England-style restaurants (think incredible lobsta’ and chowda’) and they even have an Irish pub on Water Street, so meals and entertainment are easy to find.

Whale watching is a big thing up here and when we visited we crossed into Campobello Island, which is part of New Brunswick, Canada and is one hour ahead of the US, to head out looking for leviathans. There is also the Roosevelt Cottage, where FDR spent a good part of his youth.

Getting to the island is very easy as you just cross over on the Roosevelt Bridge but, make sure to bring your passport as you will need it both ways especially returning to the United States.

For us a great day’s ride exploring the area and an early dinner capped off by a bottle of wine on the Station’s deck watching the sunset over Johnson Bay and the deep 20 foot+ tides come in and out just cannot be beat.

We think you will agree.

Why not take a journey and find out for yourselves?

Page 22

The Last Corner hen we were standing at Cape Flattery in Oregon, looking out over the water from the most northwestern point in the 48 contiguous states we realized that we had ridden to three of these points of this nation, but had never been to the most eastern point – West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, outside Lubec, in Maine. It is much like living in New York City, yet never going to the top of the Empire State building.

Technically Madawaska, Maine is the most northeast point, but West Quoddy is the most eastern and is as far north as you can get on the eastern US coast, and that, was what we were looking for.

Lubec has lots of lobsters as well.

We knew as soon as we came home we would soon be on the road again and heading to Maine and the last corner we needed to touch.

We had a long week to play with so we packed up the bikes early on a Monday morning, Shira sporting her brand new Jesse hard cases on her BMW F650GS and my 1200GS ready for a week on the road.

We planned to meander on a GPS route Shira had created and overnighting with our friends John and Lynn at their new home in Massachusetts.

We looped up through lower New York state and

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS the beautiful Hudson Valley. Every time I ride along this part of the river I easily see why there is an entire painting style named for her.

We crossed at the Mid-Hudson bridge and found lunch at The Daily Planet in LaGrange before scooting into Connecticut and riding up near Lime Rock Park.

There was a private sportcar club running the track that day and the few drivers we talked with enjoyed the bikes as much as we did their cars.

Reaching the Housatonic River we ran into a snafu as our bridge was closed. We went to Plan B and rode along some gravel roads till we found a crossing and then doubled back south along the eastern side of the Housatonic.

Oh watch out for that gravity storm, it don’t give no warning sign!……Jimmy Buffet Getting back on Shira’s route we crested a paved hill on the tiniest of roads only to run into deep gravel and rocks. I snapped up on the pegs and piloted the GS through the muck but at a steeper down hill section the month’s worth of heavy rains had cut a few deep ruts, just about the size of a 120/17 inch tire.

I had slowed down over the crest and got to the bottom still rolling but Shira, who was a bit behind me cleared the top of the hill at speed and immediately buried her front wheel into one of the ruts.

I watched in my mirror as she valiantly fought to get the GS out of the tiny arroyo hoping her skill would win out. She went right then left and then a deep divot tore the bars from her hands and she and the GS slammed into the rocks and dust.

Hard.

Frack! I ran back as she hopped up and yelled she was okay.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 24 Except for a fairly large and gruesome bruise on her thigh she was, but her new Jesse luggage had taken a major hit. Hard enough to bend the aluminum side bag a good distance from the bike. To their credit the hit was very hard and just about any

other bag would have been jettisoned, but the Jesse’s camlock held tight and the bag, although basically junk, still was firmly attached. Good for Al Jesse.

We took stock of the situation and my thought was to cancel the trip and return home; if only to get Shira’s Honda and start over again, but she would have none of that talk.

We used a few Rok straps I always carry to secure the bag a bit better and we carried on to John and Lynn’s – this time avoiding any more gnarly gravel. We arrived in the late afternoon and I have to say our friends have scored a little palace and a fine new home. It was fantastic and so was the meal the night.

Later John and I went to work on trying to straighten out Shira’s Jesse bag and we did a halfway good job with a 2X4 and a maul. Although not that pretty it was at least not hanging out in the wind and with the Rok straps doing their thing we decided to continue on with the journey and just shoot

her bike from the left side.

We were up and rolling by 7 am the next morning, making time along the Massachusetts backroads and rolling through tiny towns, along small forests and farms. Every town here seems to have a great stream, waterfall and covered bridge and the small churches with the tall steeples that seem to be found only in this part of the United States.

We crossed into New Hampshire on a road so small neither state knows it’s there, and stopped for breakfast at a diner called Mamadukes, in the tiny town of Troy.

I mention Mamadukes as it was one of those local eateries that simply shines. The breakfast was “wicked” good, and if you are in the area check it out. You will not be disappointed.

I had created today’s route and went looking for some of the pavement we had never ridden on before in New Hampshire and did just that.

Along the way we stopped to see Daniel Webster’s birthplace.

One of the most famous statesman of the mid-1800’s, he was, according to his biography, “An ardent conservative and a thoroughgoing elitist, and he reveled in it.”

During his 40 years in national politics, Webster served in the House of Representatives for 10 years (representing New Hampshire), in the Senate for 19 years (representing Massachusetts), and was appointed the United States Secretary of State under three presidents. Very impressive, but his birthplace was a humble brown building deep in the woods of New Hampshire.

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Page 25

We rode through Loudon and Weirs Beach still bustling, but without nearly as many bikes as you would find here in mid-June. We could have ridden the Kancamagus Highway, but chose another route to the south instead and vectored over towards the small hamlet of Madison and the largest glacial erratic in the America’s, the Madison Boulder. It measure 87 feet long, 23 feet wide and 37 feet high and weighs some 46 hundred tons.

It was left at this spot in New Hampshire some 25,000 years ago when the mile thick ice sheet of the Ice Age retreated; it is a stunning bit of geology and a wonder to see.

Not far from Madison is North Conway and one of our favorite stops in the motorcycle world – Whitehorse Press.

Part warehouse, part motorcycle general store, part publishing company Whitehorse Press has, for years, been supply riders with some of the coolest, most interesting and must have riding products in the world.

And besides, they are great friends of ours and any excuse to spend some time there works with us. Besides it gave Notso and Pepe a chance to hang with Notso’s cousin Stillso.

While in the Mount Washington / Kancamagus area do yourself a favor and drop by.

After buying some gadgets and gizmos we headed east in Maine and the mountain town of Bethel.

Shira had booked a room for us at the very “RiderFriendly” Chapman Inn and we quickly made ourselves at home and went of to explore the town.

There were a few cute shops and one I especially wanted to visit; Linda Clifford’s that sells Scottish, Irish and Celtic good.

Shira’s new “Trinity Ring” looks marvelous on her finger.

A scrumptious dinner was found at S.S. Milton, just a short walk from the Chapman and the bed that night felt especially comfortable after two long days on the road.

The Chapman Bed & Breakfast should change their name to Breakfast & Bed, as the owners Fred and Sandra served up some of the best breakfast I have seen in a B & B in a long time. Eggs any style or omelets –with two, three or four eggs. Pancakes, cereals, yogurt, fresh sliced fruit and the homemade home fries were the best I have tasted anywhere.

And, they served very healthy portions. We were good till dinner.

Bethel has a lot going on in and around it and is home to the World’s Largest Snowman. Back in 1999 the town created Angus, King of the Mountain that was 114 feet tall and didn’t fully melt till sometime in June. They did it gain in 2008, with the largest snowwoman, and will probably repeat the feat sometime in the future.

Since we were in the “Biggest, Largest, Best-Mode” we rode over to Bryant Pond, just a few miles east. In addition to having the only 3-story outhouse in the world they also have the World’s Largest Telephone.

It seems that the local family who ran the telephones from their home in

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 26 Bryant Pond refused to give up the oldstyle crank telephones. Eventually modern technology prevailed and cutting edge rotary phones came to Bryant Pond.

Shira got a kick out of taking a picture of the giant cranker with her iPhone and posting it on FaceBook at the same time.

We were heading in a general northeast direction and we had made such good time north we were a good day ahead of schedule so we went looking for stuff. By stuff I mean things cool, interesting and quirky. We had a full day.

First off let us talk about the feud between the great state of Maine and them lying MoFo’s in Minnesota.

The bottom line, and the truth is that Paul Bunyan, and his Ox Babe, were born in Maine. Bangor to be exact.

One our way we rode through the town of Rumford. Here we found the first of two Paul Bunyan statues we would see this day.

Located right along the falls at the Brookfield Power Plant, he stands like a sentinel over the town. Down below, near the falls, is a superb memorial to Edmund Muskie, who grew up in the area. If Webster was a staunch conservative, Muskie was a hard-line

Democrat who served his state with honor and helped create both the Clean Air and Clean Water Act. He ran for Vice-President with Hubert Humphrey against Richard Nixon.

The town did him proud with this great monument.

It would not be a road trip for us if we didn’t search out an ice cream stop for Shira and we did as we rolled up to Gifford’s World Famous Ice Cream.

This family-run operation has 5 different locations and has garnered acclaim and awards from around the world. Yes, they do have ice cream competitions.

We tried a sampler of 5 different Maine-based ice creams and could understand why Gifford’s is so well known.

Ice cream in the morning. Life does not get better.

I had us routing through the city of Bangor, as we wanted to see Paul’s real birthplace (stupid Min-

nesotans) and the huge statue that stands there, but first we had two other quick stops.

The Stand, The Shining, Carrie, It….. we all know who we are talking about here, right? The master of the macabre, mystery and monsters – Stephen King.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 A life-long Maine native, you can find King’s house right off Broadway in Bangor, Maine. It’s not hard to miss, what with the bats and dragons on the wrought iron fence and the scary demeanor of the home itself.

I have long been a fan and have read many of his books (The Stand 3 times!) so it was very neat to see where he has done much of his creating. Who wouldn’t like to knock on his door for trick or treats on Halloween?

Another interesting thing to see in Bangor is the Crest of the Maine.

This was salvage from what was left of the USS Maine, that was blown up in Havana Harbor and led to the start of the Spanish American War. The city did a great job with this memorial and it is well worth the stop.

On the way out of town we did stop to see Paul Bunyan’s birthplace and the monstrous statue (brought to evil life in Stephen King’s It by the way), we stopped for a quick digital moment and then hightailed it out of the city.

Heading up Route 9 the towns faded away and soon we were riding though what looked like the Planet Endor with forest and hills all the way to the mountains miles away. Occasionally we’d flash by a gas station or general store but for the most part this region of Maine is very remote.

At the Canadian border we decided to stay state side and found the International Motel right outside Calais.

Pulling in we saw some other BMWs travelling from Kentucky, so we figured we were in the right place, especially with the St. Croix right along the motel and a restaurant next door.

Unpacked and showered in one of the largest motel showers I have ever seen, we then had a stroll along the St. Croix, which, being part of the Bay of Fundy, had a massive low tide. The water was so far gone you could almost walk across to Canada. Calais does not have much happening on a Wednesday, or other days for that

Page 27 matter, but we did find a little bar called South of the Border which had a cold beer and an orange soda.

We ended up back at the motel talking bikes with John and Jay from Kentucky and then made it an early evening.

We were heading south early the next day making our way to the 45th parallel – the halfway mark between the Equator and the North Pole.

The month before we found a 45th Parallel sign in Salem, Oregon and we have seen them elsewhere in both the northern and southern hemisphere.

They are always very cool to find, but along Route 1 in Maine you can find the oldest such marker in the United States.

The 45th Parallel is way older than America, but it wasn’t until July 4, 1899, that Americans erected a monument to acknowledge its existence. The monument is a hunk of pink granite, now worn and stained with age, surrounded by picnic tables in a small

Page 28 rest area on US 1, north of the town of Perry, Maine. Engraved on it are the words, “This stone marks latitude 45 degrees north, halfway from the equator to the pole.” The monument cost a reported $8.00, and in fact it sat in a barn for three years before someone remembered to put it up.

In 2008, at considerably more expense than $8.00, the state of Maine spruced up the rest area and erected an interpretive sign next to the granite hunk — part of a renewed recognition of the lure of the 45th Parallel.

Nearby we found a quirky store called the 45th Parallel with all kinds of trinkets and whatnots. This is one of the coolest shops we have ever run into and has an eclectic mix of funky decorative accessories, nautical ware, fun souvenirs, sterling jewelry, exotic antiques, humorous signs, neato toys, interesting doodads, and cool home accents for your cabin, castle, or humble home. We stocked up on a number

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS of items and thankfully the owner, Phil Pascorelli, promised to ship it all back to New Jersey for us.

When riding up this way make it a point to stop at the 45th Parallel we are sure you will find something very cool to bring home.

Looking for breakfast and a ferry, we headed into Eastport. Built on a series of islands and linked to the mainland by a causeway built by Franklin Roosevelt, this place is the most eastern town in the United States.

Here we found the Waco Diner. The Waco (named for the Washington County) is the oldest diner in Maine and the most northeastern diner in the nation. We love things like that but what we really loved was the breakfast they served here. My bagel, salmon and eggs were too much – even for me – and Shira barely finished her country scramble as well.

We strolled around the town and found another giant statue, this one of a Fisherman and it turned out this statue now has a connection to September 11th as it is dedicated to a fallen firefighter from that fateful day.

We felt it was time for an ocean voyage so we hopped onto the ferry to Deer Island and our friends to the north - Canada.

On the sail we crossed by a pod of Minke Wales, not much larger than dolphins. They swam by the ferry, gave us the once over and then quietly disappeared.

Deer Island was just a stopover point to our real destination Campobello Island, but with a bit of time before the ferry there we rode around Deer Island taking in the sights of the small bit of land.

Crossing over to Campobello I scanned for more marine mammals but had no luck.

Located on the Passamaquoddy Bay, Campobello is part of the Fundy Islands and, in addition to its natural beauty and history, is famous for being the summer retreat of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who spent summers here as a child and continued to visit each year with Eleanor and his children.

Their summer “cottage” (okay the Roosevelt cottage is bigger than Backroads Central) is open for visits and the park it is located on is the only park on the planet that is watched over by two nations – the USA and Canada.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 29

Before we visited the Roosevelt Cottage, we cut across the island to the Head Harbor Lighthouse. This great beacon is unique in that you can actually visit the lighthouse, but only at low tide when a sand bar reemerges and you can walk out to the point.

Unfortunately when we were there so was the tide so we took in the lighthouse from a distance, but it was still impressive.

Looping the island we spent some time along the black sand beach at Herring Cove, which was a favorite of the Roosevelt family.

Our last stop was the Roosevelt Campobello International Park.

At the Edmund S. Muskie Visitor Center (I love when a story is tied like a bow) you will find exhibits and a film about Roosevelt’s life. We toured the elegant 34-room “summer home,” furnished with pieces from the era, and we took a stroll through the lovely flower gardens to the cottage itself.

Roosevelt called Campobello his “beloved island” and spending an afternoon here I could easily understand why.

From here it was just a few miles to the bridge back to the United States and another most eastern town of Lubec, Maine.

To make both Eastport and Lubec happy one is a town and the latter a municipality. Jeesh, local town rivalries, I tell ya!

For us this was the point of this entire ride. The most eastern, if not northern, part of the 48 contiguous United States.

West Quoddy Head in Lubec is this point, located at 44° 48.9 N • 66° 57.1 W longitude. Since 1808, West Quoddy Head Lighthouse has been on the site to guide ships through this waterway. The present lighthouse with its distinctive red-and-white stripes was built in 1858.

I did not see any ‘No Motorcycles’ signs so I kinda bent their rules and rode the GS down the dirt path and up to the lighthouse.

I believe in the idea of “it is better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.”

No one seemed to mind and some even began using the M-colored GS as a prop - my pleasure to help.

We found the marker for the most northeastern point, gave ourselves a hug and a kiss, as we had now ridden to all four corners of the 48 states.

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 30 The original lighthouse was commissioned by President Jefferson in 1808, to help mariners and to insure a presence on our questionable border to the north with the British. The newer lighthouse, built in 1848, is 49 feet tall and has a 3rd order Fresnel lens that can be seen for miles out to sea.

This is also one of the foggiest places on the coast and the first fog horn in the United states was placed here.

Inside the lighthouses center there was a poster for the middle of the USA in Lebanon, Kansas.

Kansas? Ouch.

That’ll be another story and another time.

Shira had booked us for two nights in the area at the Quoddy Head Station, an old Coast Guard station that has been reborn as a very cool inn.

We took our room and some quick showers and then sat outside to enjoy the cool Fundy breezes and stunning Maine scenery.

Seafood was on our minds that night as we rode back to Lubec.

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In the restaurant we found the owner of the inn, Bill, who mentioned that when the sun dropped and the fog rolled in that this was the time to see the lighthouse during the time it was really working – at night.

By the time we were finished with the lobsters night had fallen and the region’s infamous fog had rolled in.

Following Bill’s suggestion we rode back out through the mist, sometimes using just the yellow center line to vector in the right direction. The GPS told me when the land should be ending, but I didn’t need that as the fog cleared for a second and a stunning full Blue Moon, the second this month, appeared as a giant orange ball reflecting off the water.

We stopped and just watched it for a bit before riding to the lighthouse and turning off the GS. Darkness enveloped us, and every ten seconds or so the parking lot filled with the mighty Fresnel lens’ light burning through the fog that had returned and the foghorn’s deep tone filled the air.

It was eerie and wondrous all at the same time.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 We drank it all in and then headed back to the inn to get an early bedtime as we would be back at the lighthouse at 5:30 am to be the first people in the United States to see the sunrise this morning.

Rain moved in overnight and the morning found a bank of clouds covering the east. We rode to the lighthouse and enjoyed the brighten skies, but no sun – still it was nice to greet the new day there. On the way we almost ran into a Mr. Porcupine out for a morning stroll – down the middle of the road!

Now I know why I always see them dead along the backroads.

We rode back to Quoddy Head Station and realized we had a great view of the east from the deck.

Excellent. The next sunrise would be a bit easier.

We had planned to go whale watching out of Campobello this day so we doubled up on my GS and rode back into New Brunswick only to be told they were having no 10 am watch. No worries here as we just signed up for the 4pm whale watch, which would really be 3 pm as time jumps an hour when you cross into Canada.

We decided to take a ride south to Machias to see what was happening there, but were a bit disappointed in a drive-through town, although breakfast was decent.

Shira had heard of a tidal phenomenon to the north called Reversal Falls, just outside the town of Pembroke.

We were not sure what we would find there, but it was well worth the search.

This little area is not easy to find, but a friendly lady at a local fuel station gave us detailed directions all the way to the 2 miles of gravel road that will bring you to Mahar’s Point and one of the coolest sights in this part of Down East Maine.

Here in the Cobscook Bay the mighty tides surge in at some 25 knots. The

Page 31 power of this surge can cause other tides to reverse their flow, resulting in a unique natural phenomenon called reversing falls. Whirlpools are created by the opposing currents and fish get caught up in the maelstrom and are easy prey to seals that wait for the dinner bell on the rocks.

The force of the moving water is striking and we sat on the boulders along the shore for a good while just soaking the entire scene in and watching the occasional seal dive deep for dinner.

Heading back for our 4 pm whale watch we crossed, for the 3rd time, back into Canada and headed for the pier and our boat.

Riding up the dock I could see a number of good looking craft and then… our little boat, the very little boat with the skipper working feverishly on the outboard engine.

We weren’t going anywhere this day on this boat.

But, to his credit the fellow called another outfit that said they would wait for us to ride to the other side of Campobello and in no time we were sailing past the lighthouse and into the bay.

Heading out we got treated to a lot of things non-whale – particularly some great birds. A pair of Osprey and a majestic Bald Eagle perched high in a tall pine. A Great Heron and Cormorant and a number of sea birds as well.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 32 We were not out long before we came across a pod of dolphin and then some Minke Whales.

About an hour into the trip, which we were thoroughly enjoying as the day was perfect for a little ocean voyage, we saw a large blow, about ¼ mile away.

Finback Whales!

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Over 725,000 fin whales were reported taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976, as of 1997 survived by only 38,000 today.

We saw six of them and they were beautiful.

We spent nearly three hours and the

sun was just beginning to set as we sailed back to Campobello and rode back over the bridge to the American side.

We had one last dinner in the easternmost town and had the bikes packed that night for an early start south to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor.

Pronounced Bah Habba in these parts…

Sunrise was picture perfect this next day and we were soon heading south on Route 1 and 1A, doing are best to vector around the coast.

Along the way we ran into another “Biggest” – this time a building that was supposed to be a Blueberry. You needed to use a little bit of imagination to make this happen.

Stopping for fuel I was surrounded by a god-awful fishy smell and it emanated from large buckets full of ripe fish. The fellow driving the pick-up truck they were in explained these fish were bait for lobsters and the ‘bugs’ love this stuff and he planned on a good haul come the next morning.

This knowledge might alter my “Only Eating Lobster” plans that night.

Naaa….

We headed up into Acadia National Park, the only National Park located on an ocean. Originally created as Lafayette National Park in 1919, the oldest National Park east of the Mississippi River, it was renamed Acadia in 1929.

We rode to the Visitor’s Center and watched a short, but very well penned, film on the park and then rode around the Loop Road, stopping at Sand Beach, filled with families and kids enjoying the spectacular day, and then paused by Thunder Hole, where the waves can cause a mighty roar and plenty of spray for those foolish enough to get too close.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

The road was fairly open even though it was a Saturday in August and we stopped here and there for those digital moments.

We stopped by Jordan’s Pond for the obligatory tea and then made a run up Cadillac Mountain. We even had the entire road free of traffic and made the best of these twisties!

Cadillac Mountain, named after the French Explorer of the same name, is on the eastern side of the island. Its green, lichen-covered, pink granite summit is, because of a combination of its eastern location and height, one of the first places in the United States to see the sunrise. Miles of carriage roads were originally built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The mountains of Acadia National Park afford riders views of the ocean, island lakes, and pine forests.

There is a reason this park is the second most visited in the United States.

Shira had booked us a room at the Atlantic Eyrie Lodge, above Bar Harbor. A large place with ocean views from every room it was the perfect place to park the bikes for the night and shuttle into town, which we

Page 33

did; taking the shuttle bus into town and following Shira’s nose for not one - but two ice cream runs.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and into the night strolling Bar Harbor, catching cocktails on the water, shopping the touristy, and over priced, shops and finally a great meal to cap the night.

Bar Harbor is a neat town, but a bit more developed, touristy and crowded for our tastes, so we got an early start the next morning and began our trek home, making a quick stop to visit friends Paul and Diane Donoghue who vacation up here each year with the part motor home, part motorcycle garage on wheels.

Looking at their camping spot we could see why they return each year to this stunning piece of America.

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

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Crossing over the Penobscot River we made a quick stop to ascend the Penobscot Narrows Bridge Observatory.

The Penobscot River Watershed covers some 8,592 square miles, more than ¼ of the state of Maine. Champlain came up this river when he was exploring the New World.

For years the old bridge, the Waldo-Hancock, did the job of shuttling cars and people over the river, but in 2003 engineers discovered a fatal rotting of the cables suspending the old span. Maine built the new bridge, one of just a few in the world, called a Long Cable Stayed Bridge. It is 2,120 feet and is also home to the Penobscot Narrows Observatory, the first bridge observation tower in the United States and the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. (Another biggest!) The tower reaches 420 feet into the air and allows visitors to view the bridge, the nearby Fort Knox State Historic Site, the Penobscot River, and Bay.

We took the elevator (thank God) to the top and took in the magnificent view. You entrance fee also allows you to explore the Fort Knox Historic Site.

This began construction in 1844 during a period of tension between the United Kingdom and the United States over issues about the Canadian border following the Aroostook War, sometimes called the Pork and Beans War. The intent was to defend the Penobscot River and Bangor, Maine, a major source of shipbuilding lumber. The Pork and Beans War was a confrontation in 1838 between the United States and the British over the international boundary between the British colony of New Brunswick and the US state of Maine. Top level diplomats from the US and Britain met in Washington and forged a peaceful compromise, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842, which fixed the permanent border. The term “war” was rhetorical, as local militia units were called out but never engaged in combat. The event is best described as an “international incident.” In the end the crisis involved no actual armed confrontation between military forces and negotiations between British diplomat Baron Ashburton and United States Secretary of State Daniel Webster quickly settled the dispute.

Daniel Webster? Once again the story ties itself into a bow.

This was also the first fort in Maine built of granite (instead of wood). It is named after Henry Knox, the first US Secretary of War, lived not far away in Thomaston, Maine.

The Ides of March Refresher Seminar Both the tower and fort were fascinating and we were Ron Hinz • March 15 @ 11am & 1pm glad we took the time for a visit.

This is a fun way to start your Spring riding as it reminds you of the defensive riding techniques that you put in the back of your Along this route, and all over the Downeast, you will mind while 'enjoying the cooler weather'. see Lobster Pounds and signs for lobster rolls and all The Art of Riding Smooth by Jim Ford sorts of sea food.

Saturday March 22 @ 1pm

The Workshop is a boutique, on-road, Appalachian 2-day experience for intermediate to advanced riders. Come join us and hear what Jim has to offer.

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Page 35

We have tried a number and many a person has waited on the long line at Red’s Eats at the bottom of the bridge in Wiscasset, but we had heard of another place a little off the beaten track in Georgetown that offered not only great ‘lobsta’ rolls’ but great ambiance as well, so we headed south on Route 127 to Five Islands Lobster Company.

You’ll find this place on an active fisherman’s wharf nestled on one of the prettiest bays in the region. Dozen of picnic tables allow for plenty of seating and we waited all of a minute to place our order. Here you can have it all but I went for the ‘Big Boy’ lobsta’ roll which filled me up for the rest of the day.

From here we felt we were starting our turn back to New Jersey and home, but not before we made a stop in the city of Portland to visit our friend Loren Coleman and the International Cryptozoology Museum.

Here you will find one of the greatest collections of unknown, soon to be discovered or newly classified animals. Yeti, Jersey Devil, Nessie and many other mysteries can be discovered here.

We had written about the International Cryptozoology Museum a few years back but they have since moved to a far larger space and the new museum is

fantastic and you can easily spend a good deal of time here.

From here we said goodbye to the coast that had been our companion for so many days and headed west through the state of Maine and crossed, once again, into New Hampshire.

We have some friends in this region as well and it was good to see Richard and Dee Dee and their 1800’s farmhouse that they have refurbished into a wonderful home.

We spent the night with our friends and got an early start towards Vermont.

The plan was to ride till dusk and see where we were, grab a room and return home on Tuesday, but we had lunch in Wilmington, and by early evening we had run the backroads all the way down to the lower Catskills.

Thus far on this ride we had stunning weather every day, but this day clouds came in and we were getting sprinkled on.

Near Phoenicia we just decided to keep on rolling and as the sun was setting we rolled into Backroads Central, a bit ass tired but happy to be home.

It’s always difficult to give a wrap up paragraph or two at the end of a great tour. Suffice to say we saw a lot of the ‘Biggest-Largest-Best’ along the way, with phenomenal scenery, scrumptious meals, great people and nearly 2,000 miles of superb riding. All in all a great tour and one that is waiting for you just a few days to the north.

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

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Shira’S ‘BonuS’ ice cream run

Several loCaTionS in maine and in SeleCT markeTS in neW enGland Well, it’s the middle of February, the snow is, once again, falling at a very good clip, and that rotten rodent Phil has dashed the promise of Spring. I do stick my head in the garage every so often to greet my two-wheeled friends and look forward to the return of warm, dry, sand and salt-free roads to adventure out and find some tasty frozen treats to bring to you.

But, to bring some sunshine into your day, and since we are featuring wonderful Downeast Maine, here’s a wintery nugget to whet your appetite.

Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream has been making folks smile since 1947. Like all great ice creams, a long history is to be had, starting with Randall Gifford learning the craft from his father-in-law Chester Main in Connecticut. Randall and his wife, Audrey, grew up in the dairy business, particularly the creation of super-rich ice cream. Once the time came to sow their own oats, they made the move to Randall’s home state of Maine where they started creating their own ice cream history, with the first ice cream stand opening in 1980 in Skowhegan.

There was no stopping them from there and today, with five generations involved, Gifford’s may have grown and modernized, but they are still serving up world-class, small town goodness in their home town in Maine.

We happened to be in the vicinity of their Bangor stand, which was opened in 1987. Unfortunately, we were passing through early in the morning, so thought we might just be able to snap a few shots and find some of their ice cream elsewhere in our Maine travels. Luck was with us, though, as there was a very friendly woman diligently taking charge of the stand before normal hours and more than willing to sell us some ice cream for breakfast. Not one to turn away a golden opportunity, I ordered up their ‘Outdoor Adventure Series’ consisting of six scoops including Appalachian Trail (cream banana base with honey crunch cashews and chocolate flakes), Campfire S’mores (graham base with chocolate chip crunch and marshmallow ripple), Flying Fishing Fudge (vanilla base with M&Ms, cookie dough and chocolate chunks), Golden Road Butter Brickle (buttery base with crunchy sweet pieces of peanut brittle), Mt. Katahdin Crunch (toffee base loaded with chocolate coated English toffee rubble) and Muddy Boots (vanilla crammed full of rich caramel ripple and brownie bits).

This last flavor was developed in 2012 for L.L. Bean’s 100th anniversary. Gifford’s is no stranger to accolades and awards. Their Vanilla Bean won grand prize at the World Dairy Expo in 2012, as did their Orange Sherbert. A bit closer to home, in 2013 Gifford’s received the People’s Choice 1st Place at the New Jersey Ice Cream Festival for their Campfire S’Mores. What!? An Ice Cream Festival right here in my own home state and I’ve never been? Well, come this July 19, you better believe I’ll be pointing my two wheels to Toms River for the 12th annual Brain Freeze Bonanza. Find out more here: www.downtowntomsriver.com/icecream/festival.htm Okay, back to Gifford’s. The bowl handed to us was most impressive, and a perfect way to start the day. Between the two of us, we made pretty good

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 progress, savoring the creamy goodness of each flavor and lamenting when the bowl was empty. Luscious cream and crunchy innards enough to make any tummy happy.

Being a Maine native, Gifford’s is very strict about what they put into their ice cream, with a pledge from their dairy farmers to not use artificial growth hormones and as many local ingredients as possible. While they do offer a Maine Lobster Tracks flavor, no lobsters have been hurt in its making. It will tickle your senses with a vanilla base, lobster-colored chocolate chips filled with caramel all swirled with a unique éclair crunch. Sweet, tasty and a Maine original, just like Gifford’s. The other staple found in Maine is blueberries, and Gifford’s Maine Wild Blueberry ice cream features berries brought to you from Ellsworth. A summer day in every mouthful. Naturally, you can always find the basics – Vanilla and Chocolate. I’ve already mentioned their vanilla bean was award-winning but so is their chocolate – it’s in the name – World’s Best Chocolate, winning in 2007,2009, 2010 and 2011 at the World Dairy Expo and awarded 1st place chocolate ice cream by the national ice cream retailers association.

No matter how many awards they are given, the test comes down to your reaction when the first spoonful enters your mouth. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with any flavor you get from Gifford’s. It will make your mouth happy and put a smile on your face. That’s the best award anyone can ask for.

You can find a listing of Gifford’s stand locations and where you might find them locally on their website: www.giffordsicecream.com.

Until next time, even in the dead of winter, enjoy your ice cream often and I’ll see you on the road.

moUnT deSerT iSland iCe Cream Three loCaTionS in maine • WWW.mdiiC.Com Not wanting to overlook another Maine native, here’s a short bit about Mount Desert Island Ice Cream that will have you spinning your wheels straight to Bar Harbor, or Portland if you’d rather.

When traveling, I like to do a little research to see what dairy delights I might find along the way. During the Maine planning stages, I discovered that there was a celebrity located at one of our stops. Seems that our illustrious president Obama made a stop for some coconut ice cream and gave it two thumbs up. Depending on your leanings, you can take that however you like. I decided to give Mount Desert Island Ice Cream my own taste test. I was not disappointed.

Mt. Desert has two locations in downtown Bar Harbor, a small walk-up shop near the drop off for the local shuttle at 7 Firefly Lane and a little bit larger one, just down the street, at 325 Main St. Funny, I just couldn’t believe that both had the same quality so I had to try both.

Deciding on a sampling dish to sustain me until we made it to the second location, I filled my bowl with Bay of Figs, Atlantic Brewing Stout with Fudge, Vietnamese Coffee and Madagascar Vanilla Bean (to make Brian happy as he opted to ‘share’ mine). As touted on their website, Mt. Desert Is. does artisanal small batches (no more than five gallons at a time) with organic milk

Page 37 and cream from Maine Moos. The butterfat is high, the air churned in is low and that results in a VERY super dense, creamy and fresh tasting frozen concoction. No matter what spoonful was hitting my tongue, it was bursting with flavor.

In addition to their ice cream. MDI pumps out some wonderful sorbets with equally delicious flavors. How about some Blueberry Basil (Maine blueberries, dontchaknow), Moscow Mule (personal favorite of mine) or Mango Jicama Habanero? No matter what you settle on, you will have a smile on your face.

Linda Parker, the owner of Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream, has been at the helm and personally churning out this celestial confection since its inception in 2005.

They have gotten rave reviews and business has grown so much that Linda’s 2014 resolution is to find a little help so that MDI Ice Cream can satisfy more discerning palates.

The next time you find your motorcycle parked in either Bar Harbor or Portland, you’d be a fool not to make your way to Mount Desert Island Ice Cream for some of the best dessert ever found on Shira’s Ice Cream Run.

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

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Bald Eagles on the Delaware I know he’d be a poorer man, if he never saw an eagle fly.

John Denver

We’ve been riding to and along the upper Delaware River for decades.

Years back, when an eagle or eagles were in the area the locals all knew about it.

There was a time that such sightings were rare and I clearly remember eagle ‘hunting’ with my cousins and uncle along the river near Narrowsburg, New York. In a comedy of errors we spotted a large mature male in a tree. I stopped my truck, but my cousin, staring at the bird instead of the truck ahead of him, slammed into me.

The large bald eagle watched all this and simply flew away.

“Why’d you stop so fast?”

“Why weren’t you looking where you were going”?

Photo op missed and a family yarn began.

Yes, Barry - it is still your fault.

Return of our National Symbol That ‘Family Guy’ moment was more than a few years back and these days, especially in late winter and early spring you can find dozens of bald eagles floating on the breeze, nesting in trees and raising young in and around the Upper Delaware Valley.

As we just stated until recently, your chances of actually seeing an eagle along the Upper Delaware were slim. That has changed, thanks to recent cooperative efforts to improve environmental conditions and to re-establish the bald eagle in the eastern United States. After nearly disappearing from most of the United States decades ago, the bald eagle is now flourishing across the nation and no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act. After removal from the nation’s list of threatened and endangered species in 2007, the bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. With a better understanding and some forethought the birds are flourishing.

These days you will find many bald eagles migrating to the Upper Delaware each winter in search of open water, fresh and abundant fish and undisturbed habitat. When lakes and rivers freeze over in northern portions of the United States and Canada, bald eagles move southward to areas like the Upper Delaware River Valley.

It’s estimated that more than 200 different eagles use the Delaware River for some period of time during the winter months.

Depending on weather conditions, the eagles begin arriving in mid-December. By springtime most eagles begin the return flight to their breeding areas located to the north. Though each year the National Park Service has reported that there are more and more year round “resident” eagles staying in the Upper Delaware, building their nests and raising their young. ® Paulinskill River Photography

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

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You’re the only Eagle for me…

Bald eagles normally mate for life, with a better batting average in this than humans, but will secure other mates if one is lost. Both partners are involved with nest building and feeding the young.

Eagle nests are monstrous things, sometime 6 to 10 feet wide and very deep.

Females lay 1 to 3 eggs and incubate them for a period of 35 days. The young remain in the nest for 3 months, and are fully grown when they leave the nest (fledge). By 5 months, the immature eagle leaves the nesting area.

Migratory immature eagles often will return to the general vicinity (within 200 miles) of where they were born when they reach maturity and are ready to find a mate of their own and build a nest. A bald eagle can live in the wild for as long as 30 years.

Looking for Bald Eagles First off there are many different large birds that call the river home but bald eagles are easy to identify.

Look for the massive wingspan of 6-7 feet, twice the size of any other bird of prey that you might see here.

They are a deep brown and their heads are mottled with white. When they soar, their wings are held nearly flat, compared to the V-formation of a turkey vulture or the angled wing of an osprey.

Your best bet for spotting bald eagles is a leisurely ride up Route 97 from the Port Jervis area to north of Narrowsburg, New York.

Just north of Route 97 you will find the Rio Reservoir, a 422-acre body of water, a dammed part of the Mongaup River that flows from the north to the Delaware River. The Rio Reservoir is prime for bass, perch and walleye and that makes for the perfect place to go searching for bald eagles.

We have brought many a ride up this way so more than a few of you will be familiar with this region, but for those who are not you will find plenty of places to pull off the road to eagle watch and there are a number of designated spots created specifically for eagle

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 40

watching created by the National Park Service and watched over by the Eagle Institute of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy. delawarehighlands.org/eagles They offer some suggestions for successful eagle viewing: • Remain in or near your vehicle at roadside viewing locations.

• Move quickly and quietly to observation blinds, where you can remain hidden from view while watching the eagles. (Blinds are located at Mongaup Reservoir and at Minisink Ford locations).

• Avoid loud noises, such as yelling, car door slamming, horn honking and unnecessary movement. graphy r Photo • Use binoculars and a spotting scope intead l Rive il k s n li ® Pau of trying to get “a little bit closer.”

• Don’t do anything to try to make the eagle fly.

• Consider joining a Delaware Highlands Conservancy guided field trip, at least for your first-time viewing experience, to learn the best way to view eagles.

Here’s a little jaunt for your eagle-viewing pleasure. While it’s best to sight these magnificent birds during the winter months, you can still take this ride when the weather is more cooperative and catch one or two. The osprey do return to the area in March.

Enjoy and remember to be kind and respectful to these beauties.

® Paulinskill River Photography

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FROM PORT JERVIS NORTH ONTO RTE. 97 RIGHT ONTO CR 31 RIGHT ON KNIGHT RD. RIGHT ON RIO DAM RD. LEFT AT OLD PLANK RD. LEFT ON CR 43 STRAIGHT ONTO LEERS RD/ MOHICAN RD STRAIGHT ON CR 47 LEFT ON RTE. 55 RIGHT AT RTE. 97 TO NARROWSBURG BONUS GPS 100 MILE LOOP COURTESY OF JIM @ PAULINSKILL RIVER PHOTOGRAPHY (LIKE THEM ON FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAULINSKILLRIVERPHOTOGRAPHY) START: JUMBOLAND, 438 U.S. 206, BRANCHVILLE, NJ END: LAYTON GENERAL STORE, 150 COUNTY RD 560, LAYTON, NJ WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/01LEVF

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

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Nelson-Rigg’s introduces the CL-2020 GPS Sport Tank Bag. This classic design is constructed of 1680 d UV-treated ballistic nylon with Fibertech faux carbon fiber accent panels, flush mount carry handle and reflective piping. The CL-2020 features two zippered exterior personal electronics pockets (1 GPS, 1 Smartphone) with a clear touch sensitive lens material that allows you to operate your electronics while zipped securely inside the two personal electronics pockets. The front GPS pocket folds flat for storage when not in use. The bag maintains its shape even when empty and has a fully lined interior with a mesh interior pocket. The CL-2020 boasts an expansion zipper allowing the bag to grow from its 21.02-liter capacity to over 26.86 liters when expanded (large enough to store a full face helmet inside when expanded). The base features a protective bottom material that prevents slipping or marking and the included shoulder strap can also be used to convert the bag into a backpack. The GPS Sport Tank Bag is available in both magnetic or strap mount configuration for easy installation. Waterproof raincover is included. An optional hydration bladder is available. The CL-2020 is the perfect companion for any type of riding whether it’s across town or cross country MSRP is $119.95 for strap mounting design or $129.95 for the magnetic version. Dimensions; 15L x 9.5W x 9H/ 15L x 9.5W x 11.5H. All Nelson Rigg Luggage comes with a Lifetime “No Hassle” Warranty. www.nelsonrigg.com • info@nelsonrigg.com.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS GERBING’S ANNOUNCES EX JACKET, PANTS AND GLOVES For over 40 years, Gerbing has been developing self-heating technology. Gerbing’s heated gear is relied upon by all-weather motorcycle riding commuters, weekend warriors, and enthusiasts alike.

We have been using Gerbing ‘s gear fro decades and have grown to trust it when the weather turns chilly.

New to the Gerbing Core Heat 12 family is the redesigned heated jacket liner, this liner is designed to fit under your favorite motorcycle jacket. Also for this year is the long awaited Gerbing EX Jacket with a Cordura shell and a max heat of 135 degrees Fahrenheit including certified protection on the back, shoulders, and elbows makes this heated jacket one of the most desirable products for this winter season. Another great product in the 12v line is the Gerbing EX Heated Gloves. This glove features leather on the palm and palm sliders for added protection and is also capable of a 135 degree Fahrenheit max heat, Gerbing is making sure you are as warm and cozy as any winter Holiday morning. Add the EX Pants for complete body warmth.

Check out the new Gerbing EX heated gear products at gerbing.com or a Gerbing dealer near you.

Q KNOT ORIGINAL TIES TAME THE CABLE MESS IN YOUR TANKBAG We all know that there are several ‘must-haves’ in one’s tank bag – duct tape, a small knife, a flashlight and…zip ties. From the mouth’s of middle-aged men everywhere come the words ‘ if you can’t fix it, duct it.’ And this applies many times to zip ties as well.

We received a sample package of Q Knot multipurpose reusable ties by UT Wire™ and thought they might work like the everpopular zip tie. While the concept is the same, they certainly aren’t as thin and maneuverable as the zip-tie but more likened to a rubber band. Still very handy for organizing loose objects floating around in your tank or saddlebags. One example that comes to mind are the multiple cables that you may have running into your tankbag for communication, radar, GPS, etc. that need to be wrangled, but on a semi-permanent basis. Just wrap a Q Knot around these and tuck them in a corner of the bag.

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Event Recap

Page 43

• 2013 New York International Motorcycle Show • TIMING IS EVERYTHING

For the second time in the same year the International Motorcycle Show

by Progressive Insurance meandered into the Javits Center on Manhattan’s west side.

The show is usually held middle or end of January, but that was not the case this year. We were told it was because the Superbowl was being held in NJ and the NFL had taken most of the convention center over at that time.

We saw nothing on the Javits schedule that said as such. A quote from the Wall Street Journal said, “An important catch for either state would be hosting the “NFL Experience,” an expo that accompanies each Super Bowl in a large convention center. The Jacob K. Javits Center, a natural host for the event, is booked and won’t host Super Bowl events, said Leslie Buxton, a Javits spokeswoman.

But, by holding the event just a week or two away from Christmas holidays the show saw a significant number of vendors, both big and small, choose not to attend. One bright light in the otherwise dimness was the attendance of one Norm Smith from Switzerland.

Many may know Norm from his BMW days, and we were happy to host his visit to this year’s IMS. In addition to the holiday crowds, mayhem and intense traffic that arrives in New York City each December all the hotels that are normally used by the vendors, including Backroads, doubled, sometimes tripled in nightly rates.

As many know the first real hard snow rolled into the region on Saturday causing many riders and wannabe riders to change their plans or just hunker down and stay home. Both Friday night and Saturday afternoon – normally the busiest of hours – were very light. After 3 pm on Saturday the Javits and the motorcycle show was a ghost town – unless you count the 50 or so ‘Drunk Santas’ from SantaCon.

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Sunday showed a much better crowd, but still not enough to make it worthwhile for many of the vendors selling wares and gear.

We always try to make the best of a bad situation and when the crowds were there our booth was

busy and we always appreciate the kind words than many of you passed our way. We have never left this show without feeling revitalized and pumped about the upcoming season and Backroads.

As for the show itself, regardless of the timing or weather, we felt the manufacturers and many of the aftermarket that did attend did a smashing job. Indian, coming off a stellar first year, had some great machines there, as did Victory and Harley-Davidson. The big Japanese companies were all there and all showing some serious new machines, many of which we hope to bring to you in future issues of Backroads. On the European front BMW had four new machines to show us and KTM and Ducati also had fantastic displays and folks on hand to answer any question

MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 44

2014

May 23-26 Join Team Backroads as we head to the southern Virginia Mountains where we’ll call the General Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, VA home for three nights. This region has some of the most serious motorcycling roads such as the Back of the Dragon and Claw of the Dragon, with hudreds of miles of incredible riding. In addition there’s quaint towns, deep history and phenomenal scenery.

We hope you can travel south for what promises to be a superb weekend of riding and a memorable Memorial Day Weekend.

Back of the Dragon Backroads Spring Break 2014

SPRING BREAK

Get out your maps and start planning now!

Call for a free brochure 877-255-9928 visitwytheville.com/motorcycle-trails.html

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BOOK TODAY. Rooms are $84 - $145/night + tax and include continental breakfast. When booking please reference ‘Back of the Dragon Backroads Group’ for discount.

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in detail.

Triumph too had a great booth and a tremendous looking Land Speed Machine, powered by two Rocket engines and ridden by veteran motorcycle racer Jason DiSalvo, looking to go some 400 miles per hour later this year.

A few touring companies were on hand offering the chance to ride motorcycles around the world, including our friends at Celtic Rider Motorcycle Rental and Edelweiss as well as others. For the adventure crowd Twisted Throttle and ALT Riders were in attendance and a good number of riding schools were there as well, for folks looking to learn the proper way.

Many local dealers had people at various booths explaining the machines and letting people know where they could get them and a few local shops, like Hudson Valley, made the effort to secure their own booth space – something that was common place years back and that we would like to see more of in the future. The economy will tell.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014 The layout for this show was awesome - very large and spread out (probably a concession for losing the preferred date), allowing for far wider lanes to accommodate the crowds that never showed.

This allowed for a phenomenal Custom Motorcycle Show and these machines were all impressive in their own ways.

Another odd thing that was featured all weekend long was the School of

Page 45 Rock where different rock bands, made up of high school students from various local schools performed classic rock songs. The kids were all talented and we were far enough away that it was pleasant background music. But, for the booths right next to the stage it proved to be a strain on the vocal chords as they could not talk to perspective clients and buyers while the bands were on stage.

The layout here could have been far better thought out.

In addition they also used the stage for discussions and interviews with motorcycle celebrities - a far better use of this venue.

All in all the horrid combination of pre-holiday dates, snowstorm and other factors made this a lackluster New York Show. Probably the worst we have attended in two decades of doing this event.

Let us hope next year things get back to normal.

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‘Like’ us on Facebook for all the latest news, up-to-the-minute rides and events and just cool motorcycle stuff. We often do impromptu lunch or dinner rides, as well as weekend jaunts. Don’t be left out.

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The Ides of March are upon us - that means the snow is melting and the roads will be clear very soon. Get your motorcycle and you ready to ride with a complete check up of mechanics and gear.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2014

Page 47

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MARCH 2014 • BACKROADS

Page 48

UPCOM IN G EVENTS CAL EN DAR MARCH 2014 1-2 • Motorcyclepedia Museum Kids Weekend. Weekend of games, movies and fun for the kids. Scavenger hunts, games and rides, not to mention more than 500 antique, classic and unique motorcycles and motorcycle memorabilia to look at. All indoors. Adults $11/3-12 $5/under 3 free. 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org • 845-569-9065 1 • 6.5 Infotainment Seminar. What’s new with Harley’s Touch Screen infotainment system? A lot! Stop in and find out. Enjoy a FREE lunch and a ton of great information. Seminar will take place from 1-2:30pm. Lunch from noon-2pm while it lasts. Bergen County Harley-Davidson, 124 Esses St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 1 • The Modern Classics presented by Martin Motosports, Boyertown, PA. All Day. Celebrates the motorcycles of the 60s, 70s and 80s that made big contributions to their eras with their technology, style, performance or establishing new trends. 1037 Unger Lane, Boyertown, PA • 610-369-3120 • www.martinmoto.com 1 • Harley-Davidson Long Branch Seminar: Picking Up a Dropped Bike. It happens to the best of us - maybe you parked on some soft ground at a rally or maybe the kids knocked it over in the garage, however ithappened, learn the best technique for lifting your bike solo. Seating is limited, call for details and to reserve your spot • 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com• 732-229-8518 3-5 • North American International SuperShow, International Centre, Toronto Canada. The Big One by the Airport. For full details visit www.motorcyclesupershow.ca or call 888661-7469 6 • Rene Cormier's Speaking Tour visits Max BMW, 465 Federal Rd, Brookfield, CT • 68pm. As part of his speaking program, a Free trip to Africa is given away to a lucky attendee to one of these talks. For those who can make it out to Max's, we will be giving another trip away!

7 • Cross Country BMW presents Rene Cormier Renedian Adventures Presentation. 79pm Rene Cormier is bringing his speaking tour to CCBMW to share his world-traveling experience. www.CCBMW.com • 732-906-9292 • 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ 8 • 2014 Model Year Technical Forum. Learn all there is to know about the amazing new H-D models. We'll answer all your questions. Short seminar followed by open Q&A. Seating is limited, call for details or RSVP on Facebook • 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com• 732-229-8518 9 • BMW Bikers of Metropolitan Washington Meeting and Tech Day. Club members will be able to use the shop before the monthly meeting of the largest BMW motorcycle club in the region. Take advantage of special sales and Morton’s BMW staff experience and advice. For times see www.bmwbmw.org. Morton’s BMW, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Frederickburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.MortonsBMW.com 10-12 • Motorcyclepedia Museum Swap Meet. Clean out your garage and closets and make some money. Check website or social media pages for times/dates of performances. Motorcyclpedia Museum, 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • 845-560-9065 • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org 11 • Jersey Shore HOG meeting. All are welcome. Charley's Ocean Grill, Long Branch, NJ 7:30pm 13 • University of Gravel Roads presentation by Rene Cormier at Morton’s BMW. Author and motorcyclist Rene Cormier will entertain us with a multimedia show of his travels, as well as autographing his beautiful coffee table book. 6pm refreshments • 7-9 presentation. Morton’s BMW, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Frederickburg, VA • 540-8919844 • www.MortonsBMW.com 15 • Harley Davidson Long Branch St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Whether you're Irish or just wish you were, join us at 12pm for a free corned beef & cabbage lunch. Also pick up a limited edition St. Patty's Day t-shirt. 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com• 732-229-8518 15 • Bob's BMW 'Lighten Your Load' Seminar • 11am • Join us for an informative discussion about how to keep the weight down and a demonstration of proper packing techniques to enhance your safety and riding pleasure. Email Hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com to reserve your space. Visit bobsbmw.com for more info. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 15 • Rene Cormier's Speaking Tour visits Frontline Eurosports, 1003 Electric Rd, Salem, VA • 3-5pm. As part of his speaking program, a Free trip to Africa is given away to a lucky attendee to one of these talks. For those who can make it out to Frontline, we will be giving another trip away!

What’s Happening 27 • Harley Davidson Long Branch Men's Only Tailgate Party. Fun and games with cold beer, bbq, tailgating games and everything you want to know about riding. 6-9:30pm.

Learn how to get starting riding from the basics to getting you up to speed. Seating is limited, please RSVP on Facebook or call 732-229-8518. 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com 29 • Bob's BMW Let's Ride Seminar • 11am • Spring is on its way! Is your bike ready for the road? Let our expert technicians show you the important safety and performance issues that are often overlooked in the zeal to ride as soon as winter loosens its grip.

Email hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com to reserve your space today • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949

APRIL 2014 2 • Victory Metuchen Victory Demo Day. Victory Demo Truck will be on-site for demo rides. For full details please visit www.VictoryMetuchen.com • 732-906-9292 6 • Motorcyclepedia Museum Swap Meet. 10am-4pm. Motorcyclpedia Museum, 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • 845-560-9065 • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org 12 • Morton’s BMW Spring Open House • 9a-4p. Join hundreds of bike enthusiasts for one of the largest BMW open houses in the region, featuring demo rides, food, music, door prizes, sales and much more - ALL FREE. Morton’s BMW, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Frederickburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.MortonsBMW.com 26 • Bob’s BMW Spring Open House. All brand riders are encouraged to join the fun.

FOOD, PRIZES, ONE-DAY SPECIALS, VENDORS AND LOTS OF FUN . Motorcycle Dyno.

On-site food trucks. Vendors contact hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949

MAY 2014 4 • International Female Ride Day • www.motoress.com 4 • Ramapo MC Spring Run. Most unique Poker Run combining marksmanship, hand/eye coordination, intuition or just dumb luck. $15/entry • Sign in: 9am. Rhodes Tavern North, Route 17N, Sloatsburg, NY. Charity benefits Helen Hayes Hospital. Info - Dick Roberts • 201-767-3594 16-18 • Morton’s BMW 2014 Spring Fling Rally. A weekend of great roads, good food, interesting seminars, and terrific company, all at historic and scenic Natural Bridge, VA. $45 rally fee incl. vendors, seminars, route sheets/GPS data, scavenger hunt, door prizes, Sat. dinner and presentation. Optional Friday nite Brats & Brew dinner $20. Visit website for complete details • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.mortonsbmw.com 16-18 • 9th Annual Whitehorse Gear Open House. Expanded hours to accomodate everyone. 9am-5pm with 10% off any non-sale items. Saturday enjoy morning coffee on us and enter for free raffle prizes. Free lunch at noon. NO SALES TAX. 107 East Conway Road, Conway Center, NH. GPS: N 44° 00.33' • W 71° 05.03/ Elevation 553 ft.

18 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson Freedom Run. For full details please visit website www.bergenharleydavidson.com

May 23-26 • Backroads Spring Break • Marion, Virginia. Info on page 26 24 • 12th Annual Twisted Throttle Open House. You've probably heard by now about how much fun previous Twisted Throttle Open House events have been. Over 1,000 motorcycle riders of all kinds show up to enjoy some entertainment, food, and to see what's new for the upcoming season. www.twistedthrottle.com

JUNE 2014 1 • Morton’s BMW Off-road training - exact date and details TBD. Stay informed with our News & Notes e-newsletter or check our website. Morton’s BMW, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Frederickburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.MortonsBMW.com 2-7 • World’s Largest Touring Rally Returns. Americade, Lake George NY. For all the details and registration information visit www.americade.com 6-8 • AltRider Adventures Conserve the Ride Weekend. Ride the scenic, lush trails of Pennsylvania. GPS routes (created by the locals in Seven Mountains Conservation Corp.) for all skill levels on scenic off-road trails, 2 nights of camping at Woodward Caves in Central PA, 5 meals including a special pig roast + adult beverages, off-road seminars, live EnduroCross race on a custom built track, prize giveaways from our sponsors. Find out all the details at www.altrider.com • info@altrider.com 14-22 • 90th Anniversary of the original riding rally- Laconia Bike Week. Weirs Beach, Laconia, NH. www.LaconiaBikeWeek.com • 603-366-2000

7-16 • Daytona Bike Week • www.officialbikeweek.com

16 • RIDE TO WORK • www.RideToWork.org

8-11 • Buzzard Bottom 7. Enjoy awesome roads and camaraderie, presented by Buzzard Brent and Poverty Riders Int'l at High Country Motorcycle Camp, Ferguson, NC, just 20 miles off the blue Ridge Parkway. THis is a comfortable gathering for riders, not a constructed rally. Camping rates apply and meals will be available. www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com

19-21 • Mid-Atlantic Women’s M/C Rally. Gettysburg, PA • www.MAWMR.org

22 • Harley Davidson Long Branch Group Riding Seminar. Riding with a group adds a whole new dimension to the experience, whether it's an impromptu ride or organized rally run. Join us 11am-noon to learn the skills necessary for safe group riding. Seating is limited, please RSVP on FAcebook or call 732-229-8518. 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com 22 • Bob's BMW Seminar 'Better Understanding your Insurance Policy • 11am • Presented by Rider Insurance. Get a free gift along with a free quote. Email hanna.creekmore@bobwsbmw.com • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 26 • Harley Davidson Long Branch York Factory Tour. We'll meet and ride/drive to the factory. Space is limited, please call for details and to reserve your spot. 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • www.hdlongbranch.com• 732-229-8518

JULY 2014 2-5 • Wing Ding - Madison, WI • www.GWRRA.org 18-20 • AMA Vintage Motorcycle Rally. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Lexington, OH • www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com

SEPTEMBER 2014 5-7 • Women’s Sportbike Rally VIII - Deals Gap, NC • www.WomensSportbikeRally.com 10-13 • Westchester Beemers NY Trio Tour 2014. Sport-touring ‘scavenger hunt’ event.

3 consecutive daily rides begin and end at Hampton Inn, Elkins, WV base location. Daily rides average 8.5 hours covering 350 miles. Limited to 33 riders. $50 incl. Sat. evening closing dinner, rider card and prizes for top three finishers. Discounted lodging arrangements in place at base location (304-630-7500). for full details call or visit 914-328-7909 • www.triotour.org

Unleash the Beast 1290 Super Duke In Stock Now • Come Get Yours Today!

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FRIDAY APRIL 25 KTM Red Bull

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www.HanoverPowersports.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm • Sat: 9am-5pm SUNDAY: CLOSED - GONE RIDING

2014 VFR®800 Interceptor

The leaner, meaner V-4 is back.

Honda's iconic V-4 powerplants have an alluring character all their own, a unique combination of torque, an aggressive rush of power as the tach needle swings up into the meaty part of the powerband, and a certain texture to the engine feel that tells you this could only be a Honda V-4. This is a sport bike with plenty of emphasis on sport, plus the versatility for commuting, two-up fun rides and long-haul sport touring.

2014 Valkyrie® Legendary Power • Groundbreaking Style Here’s the formula: Take Honda’s legendary 1832cc flat six and build it into the ultimate cruiser—powerful, awe-inspiring and like no other. Now add in great handling and iconic style, and you’ll see why it’s the cruiser that only Honda could build.

WE INVENTED SUPERSPORT TOURING. NOW WE’VE PERFECTED IT. The FJR™1300ES features an all-new electronically adjustable suspension to take the bother out of adjusting the suspensions to fit different riding conditions and bring greater convenience to touring, and all the other great features that continue to make this the supersport touring king.

210 Route 10 West East Hanover, NJ 973-428-1735

www.Powersports.Honda.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm • Sat: 9am-5pm SUNDAY: CLOSED - GONE RIDING honda.com

ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. Valkyrie and Interceptor are registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (07/13)

210 Route 10 West East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735

www.HanoverPowersports.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm • Sat: 9am-5pm SUNDAY: CLOSED - GONE RIDING Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227.

Professional rider depicted on a closed course. ©2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com