November 2015

Mo

NOVEMBER

2015

c tor e ycl Tou rM aga e zin

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure Volume 21 No. 11

Exploring

Eastern Europe

with Adriatic Moto Tours

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

MONT H LY C O L U M N S FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

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

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Pamela Hunt, Dr. Seymour O’Life

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................6 ON THE MARK ....................................................7 BACKLASH..........................................................8 INDUSTRY INFOBITES.......................................9

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826

BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................12

phone

973.948.4176

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

fax

973.948.0823

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............17

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................19

online

www.backroadsusa.com

Advertising

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SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN ...............................23 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................44 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE .......................45

FEAT U R E S EXPLORING EASTERN EUROPE.....................26

MOTO R C YC L E R E V I E W S 2016 BMW R 1200 RS ......................................40

PRO D U C T R E V I E W S SHAD LUGGAGE AND SADDLE UPGRADE...42

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2015. 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.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

Dawn Patrol “Veil after veil of thin dusky gauze is lifted, and by degrees the forms and colours of things are restored to them, and we watch the dawn remaking the world in its antique pattern.” ~ Oscar Wilde The dash of the Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT read a very brisk 44 degrees as I thumbed the starter and let the four cylinder engine gather its first breaths of the day, quickly settling into a warming and purring pace. Everyone has their job to do, mine that day was to get up and out before the sun rose in the east and make some miles in the chill and the dark.

Like the US Navy, it’s not just a job but an adventure.

In the pre-dawn darkness the journey to the spot I had in mind would be a crisp one, especially with just a merino long sleeved shirt and jacket.

What seems like all warm and toasty with a cup of coffee at home, can quickly turn into “Hey, it’s almost October and it feels it,” on the road.

But, the day was about to begin and the shit faced grin was still etched on my face since the Mets clinched the NL East the previous evening.

I live in a very pretty part of northwest New Jersey, and I know of some little hidden away spots that just cry to be background for some motorcycle shots. This morning, that was where I was heading.

With the Versys making hardly a sound I rode through the early morning gloom.

“Dawn was breaking, like the light from another world.” ~ Alfred Jarry At this time of the day, especially on a Sunday, there was little in the way of traffic and, sliding in a quiet purring whisper down the chip and tar country lane I kept an eye out for critters ready to bound out at every chance.

This day I would encounter nothing of danger.

What was a light sucking darkness had now been replaced by a gathering light, black sliding to blue, then purple then pink as the sun made its return to North America.

I rolled up to my choice for the day, not far from home. Years back, a dam was made a few miles down stream and the Paulinskill had formed a good-size lake and wetlands. One lonely road crossed the water here and with the day beginning I turned off the Kawasaki and was hit by a tsunami of silence.

Not the absence of sound, but the absence of manmade sound.

Nothing enveloped me and then I began to really hear.

Each step, across the gravel on the side of the road, seemed to reverberate in my ears. A murder of crows flew by heading west across the water, as high above an odd group of just three Canada geese crossed over in a faux chevron flight.

Soon they would be joined by dozens as the began to head south.

By now, even though the sun had not shown its real face, the day had already begun.

To my left I heard a splash and then saw a few trout breaking the water and spinning above the lakes, lunging up for their buggy breakfast, before splashing back into the drink.

Behind me in the swamp I could hear other creatures, although I would not profess to know exactly what they were. Nor, to be honest, needed to find out with a close encounter of any kind other than a quick sighting.

Continued on page 16

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

Feel the Sting The joys of riding a motorcycle are immeasurable.

The freedom, the fresh air, the discovery of new places and meeting like-minded people.

Spring and summer riding are what we live for, with the strong sun warming our winterbleached skin and the smell of new blooms filling our nostrils. Along with those varied and mostly exhilarating odors come some clear and present dangers.

It’s pretty much inevitable if you ride a motorcycle. You think you’ve got everything buttoned up but they always find a way in. Even if you’re wearing a full-face helmet, with shield down, those little buggers wiggle their little winged bodies into the most private of places. I can’t even imagine the pain of bombardment on those who choose to ride with half-helmets and little protective gear.

Bees, beetles, bugs of any description that barrel into our soft and vulnerable flesh while we hurtle towards them, and vice versa. Riding down a beautiful country lane, soaking in the day, when suddenly you are splatted with the biggest, juiciest bug on the planet. You try to get your shield down in time, but they seem to sense the defense and accelerate, right into the most tender and exposed portion of your face. Worse, they obliterate your vision with bug goo covering your glasses. You think the remains are solid enough to be wiped cleanly away with a swipe of the gloved finger, but that just leaves a bloody green mess.

But here it’s the more malevolent insects of which I speak. While doing their daily duties, they are harmless and very helpful, pollenating those luscious flowers that populate the spring and summer valleys and making that sweet nectar honey so well. But bring them out of their element, more specifically directly in the path of my motorcycle, and they are the enemy. This riding year alone I’ve been stung more times than in all the years I’ve been riding. Fortunately, I am not allergic to the nastiness of the bee, but that doesn’t diminish the pain of the sting.

The latest wound was the worst. Minding my own business, as I usually am while riding, I felt something creeping around my arm. I gave my sleeve a couple of downward flicks, hoping to rid my jacket of whatever may have entered. Convinced that I had succeeded, I rode on but within a minute I realized that all I had done was piss off whatever was now retaliating. I radioed to Brian that I was pretty sure I was just stung and I’d pull over at the next safe spot, which was a gas station about a quarter mile up the road. Mr./Ms. Bee would have none of that, and continued stinging me, a new burn popping up with each puncture. I stopped the bike right there, trying my best to get out of my riding gear gloves, helmet, CamelBak, jacket all working against me. When I finally disrobed, I found that little bugger fallen to the ground, still crawling around looking for more things to sting. I was not kind, as I should have let it be, but took out my pain and frustration and stomped away – on it.

When I first started riding, I sported a bright red, onepiece Aerostich Roadcrafter suit. I don’t remember where we were, but we were riding with a few other folks when the first of my riding sting occurred. It was a hot summer day, so I had all the vents on the suit un-

Page 5 zipped and minimal clothing underneath. I have to say, while I do like the Aerostich product, I will never understand why they don’t have a mesh liner in their underarm vents. Luckily, I had the presence to safely stop the bike while I was screaming in my helmet. I jumped off the bike, doing the Bee Sting Boogie, spinning around and trying to get out of the onesy. If nothing else, I know I entertained our riding companions.

Today, I make sure to always carry some after-sting product along with an antihistamine. Bee stings, unless you have an allergy, are just painful for a bit but some bug bites can be much more severe if not treated immediately. We were on a trip in South Africa when a riding companion got a bite on his back. Fortunately, our tour guide was well versed in entomology and knew it was a spider bite. Unfortunately, it was not pointed out immediately and had become inflamed and infected. Buks, our intrepid guide, took out the medical kit he had shown us at the beginning of the trip (including tools for a tracheotomy and such) and proceeded to lance the wound. The poison extracted, it did heal but was quite painful in the process. Paying attention to such bites during a road trip, or just a day’s ride, are essential, as you’ll read in the account given in ‘Welcome to the Jungle.’

Smell the roses while enjoying your rides but be careful of what lurks within their beauty or you’ll feel the sting.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD

Call Me Fortunato “In my experience there’s no such thing as luck.” ~ Obi-Wan Kenobi Every once in a while, you have one of those Road Moments that reminds you how fortunate you are. In this case I’m not talking about some blissful riding interlude that enriches the soul and makes you really appreciate life on two wheels, although those are certainly wonderful occurrences when they happen. No, this particular Road Moment was less blissful and more ominous, as it had to do with a lack of concentration on my part and the realization that I put myself in a stupid (and potentially dangerous) situation. As is so often the case, the incident took place on a very familiar road; one that I ride on (and enjoy) so much that I let my mind wander a bit. This particular stretch is a twolane downhill left hander, quite a bit off-camber and benefitting from a recent dose of repaving so it was marble-counter smooth. The off-camber nature means that cars coming up the hill (turning right as they’re coming towards me) often drift out of their lane and into mine, so I usually run a bit wide on the outside entering the turn because you initially can’t see approaching traffic until they are almost on top of you.

I say usually, because this time I didn’t take my usual line and instead ran right next to the double yellow line, and as I came down the hill here came a lowered Honda Civic thundering up it (clearly driven by a lowered Honda Civic Enthusiast). The aggressive little runt operating this customized conveyance had in fact managed to get the chassis a trifle “loose.” He drifted over to my lane, and I could see his eyes become as wide as dinner plates as

he fought to rein in the wayward machine. I wasn’t where I should have been, but I was just far enough down the hill to swerve to the right, get by the danger and then rebound to the left to make the turn without getting intimate with the guardrail at the apex, which is also at the bottom of the hill. Adrenaline was released, but no real harm was done. This particular stretch of road is fun because it is tricky, and I forgot tricky is not often a good thing when lowered Honda Civic enthusiasts are driving over their heads.

Given the circumstances, it was all too plain to me that I was damn fortunate nothing more unfortunate happened during this encounter. The fact that my bike just happened to be where it was instead of 50 feet back down the road made all the difference. None of this would have mattered if I was on my usual side of the lane, but as it turned out I was a lucky fellow indeed not to be a grim statistic. This incident spurred my recollection of a lot of similar incidents in my lengthy riding history, and every time I came to the sobering realization that my safety was completely out of my hands during these episodes and this is not a smart way to ride a motorcycle (or do anything else, for that matter). Now, how you choose to interpret such incidents when you’re on the road is of course your affair, and you may tend to see such near-misses as luck, acts of God, the subtle work of a Guardian Angel, or some other mechanism that keeps you on this planet for a while longer. But every time something like this has happened to me, I tend to ponder them for a while rather than dismissing them with an explanation that seems to fit. There’s always a lesson in a mistake; there’s always a wiser path to take in the future when you took the wrong one in the recent past. But here’s the thing: every time a fortuitous event like this takes place, I respond in a negative way. Instead of patting myself on the back and saying, “Good one, my lad. Something somewhere is certainly looking after you!” I go all pessimistic: “Great, one more life burned, how many have I got left?” Could Continued on page 16

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

ON THE MARK MARK ByERS

aDV Adventure, or in popular culture “ADV,” conjures images of hardened explorers blazing jungle trails, stopping only to chop through dense vegetation. The culture of ADV is rough, bearded men in textile jackets (or even better, waxed cotton) fording streams laden with leeches and piranha.

It’s a raconteur filled with calculated, false modesty telling stories in an affected English accent: “The Hindu Kush was the best riding I ever did, back when you could still GO there - bandits and all that rot, you know.”

No ADV guy could escape those bandits without an appropriate steed. Don Quixote had his horse, Rocinante, and so must our ADV motorcyclist have his bike, festooned with crash protection, rugged luggage, and more lighting than a movie set. The popular mount seems to be a very tall, heavy, high-powered, multicylinder beast with upright handlebars and plentiful bash plates. The image varies: I once met a guy whose idea of an ADV bike was a Suzuki DR-650, liberally festooned with Cordura bags with a machete strapped to one fork. He got stuck in the first big mudhole we hit.

At the other end of the spectrum is my buddy Doug, who took his older Kawasaki Versys up the Alcan Highway and deep into Alaska on the Dalton carrying a plethora of camera gear. It still bears the “beauty marks” of the trip and he had a great time; however, one of the major motorcycle magazines dismissed the Versys as an ADV bike because it didn’t have a 19-inch front wheel. I guess they never heard of Nick Sanders, who rode a Yamaha R1 around the world.

That’s my problem with the “ADV Culture” flogged by the manufacturers and the media alike: you don’t need an ADV bike to have an adventure. You don’t need a special bike, much less a larger front wheel, to ride on the vast majority of dirt and gravel roads. I vividly remember the venerable Norm Smith, in his 70’s, two-up with Denise on a K1200LT, storming down a gravel road in Pennsylvania. If you ride in New England, it’s not unusual to come across a construction zone wherein the pavement has been completely stripped away and the remaining surface is just dirt and gravel: that was my introduction to New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway.

Most motorcycles can handle far more than the average unimproved road can dish out: it has far more to do with technique than equipment. The old dirt rider’s adage applies: “When in doubt, GAS it!” Just ask Valentino Rossi about the finish at the Belgian GP, where he wheelied his mount straight through a gravel trap to victory. Even though some would have you believe that you need a massive, multicylinder monolith, farkled up the wazoo with lights and doo-dads, you don’t NEED all that falderal to have an “ADV” on a motorcycle, regardless of the surface. The “ADV” is in your soul, not your machine.

ADV is leaving with no destination other than a compass point and riding randomly until you’re tired. Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it!” Use only what you can carry in a tail bag or backpack: you’ll be pleased at how little you need. Go without reservations, literally and figuratively, so you don’t have to “be somewhere” every night. Stay in “Mom and Pop” motels and sample the local diner cuisine. Go without an agenda, other than to have fun.

Page 7 Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” Ol’ Bob didn’t have an orange, Austrian wunderbike or a Bavarian behemoth; however. What he did have was pure ADV attitude – the chutzpah to turn his horse down the lane potentially strewn with risk and uncertainty. He didn’t have a BlueTooth GPS linked to live traffic and weather updates, no satellite tracking device tweeting his every move to his “followers,” nor megadollar synthetic riding togs. Ok, so he didn’t have a bike at all, but you get my drift.

I know a lady who rode from Richmond, Virginia to Key West, Florida on a Honda Rebel 250: doesn’t THAT qualify as an “adventure?” When you take a wrong turn and end up finding a café off the beaten path that serves incredible food, isn’t that an adventure too? When you have the pure guts to mount up and just go, you make your own adventure. So, forget the farkles and the “ADV” bike and go climb on the one you already have and prove my point: it’s not about the bike. The adventure is in YOU.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

BACKLASH Backroads Fall Fiesta 2015 The Turns Just Keep on Coming!

Just a quick note to thank you for another wonderful Rally. We had a great time (as always). And wanted to let you know that what you do to make the Rallies such a great experience for everyone is MUCH appreciated. It’s a great group of people that attend, but you guys are the catalyst responsible for putting it all together. We know that a lot of work goes into this, and for that we thank you.

Yvonne & Jim Brian & Shira, Great roads, great people, it is always wonderful getting together with all our old friends and making new ones! This one gets an A..Can’t wait for 2016 rallies.

Mike & Pam Hi Shira & Brian, I didn’t get to say goodbye as I had to slip home early Sunday morning to be back at work on Monday. But I just wanted to say thank you for putting together a great Fall Rally! I know the time and effort it takes to put together the routes and I appreciate you guys doing all the work.

I loved the roads(!), and had one of the best times I’ve ever had on a bike on Routes 15 & 20. I don’t know where my head was at riding home on Sunday, but it certainly wasn’t on my bike. Apparently I forgot that as one hurtles down the highway, a motorcycle consumes fuel. After 311 miles, my 7.7 gallon tank had nary a drop to offer and I abruptly ran out of gas on a barren stretch of 78E. I won’t go into the horror story of an extremely aggravating experience with AAA, but 3 hours later I was back on the bike.

Hope your rides Sunday and Monday were less eventful. Thanks again, see ya all at the New York Show, Craig

Letters to the Editor Brian & Shira, It was really fun. Great rides with wonderful people and wonderful weather. Who could ask for more?

Gary Angiuli Dear Backroads, We appreciated the mention of Empire HOG in the October issue’s article “New England Loop”. Pots and I had a great time on the Fall Fiesta and plan on bringing a bigger group for whatever Spring adventure you are planning.

We will probably see you at the Javits Center in December for the annual Motorcycle Show.

Byrd

We All Scream for Ice Cream!

Hi Shira, Glad to see you and Brian stopped by the ice cream shop (in Bloomingdale, NJ). I knew you’d like it! I hope other readers take the time to visit too.

And thanks for giving me props. Glad to help.

Thomas Kutlow

And other types of food…

Brian and Shira, Thanks for helping look for my wife’s earring at the Chatterbox Thursday evening. As you predicted, she found it the next day inside her jacket sleeve.

Never fails.

Just wanted to tip you off to a new place we tried Friday afternoon; The Minuteman restaurant outside Morristown, NJ. The address is Morristown but it borders Bernardsville on the north bound side of 202. Apparently it’s under new ownership as of about 9 months ago and they’re doing a nice job.

He’s doing some smoked meats that are pretty good. Hamburgers are locally raised and processed grass fed beef and are quite good. All fruit pies are baked in house. We had a generous slice of Blueberry that was very good.

They make their own Ice Cream too. This area of Morris County has some

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

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I ND U ST RY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

HONDA PROJECT 2 & 4 CONCEPT Honda has combined its expertise on two and four wheels to create a stunning single-seat track-day car.

Project 2&4 concept, which will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is the winner of an in-house contest between Honda’s bike and car designers, based in Asaka and Wako, Japan respectively.

Honda says the car combines “the most thrilling elements of riding a motorcycle with the most engaging characteristics of driving a car”.

Powered by Honda’s MotoGP RC213V engine, modified to run on public roads, the car weighs just 405kg. To put that into perspective, if Project 2&4 BaCKlaSh

Continued from previous page

great riding. I know you like to promote local business and this is one for consideration. Scott, of the husband/wife team of owners, is a rider as well.

I told him about your magazine and suggested he reach out to you. Thanks again and please ride safe....

Thomas Adamo Hey Brian: I'm having lunch in Sting-rays In Port Charles based on your suggestion.

Ride the 130 miles from Richmond. It is good. I'm glad I tried it. I'm going to try the sweet potato pie. It has been raining for three days. Not exactly stellar MC weather. Enjoy the sun if you can find it....

Jay Schwartapfel Got something to say?

We’d love to hear it.

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Mail: BACKROADS PO Box 317, Branchville NJ 07826

Email: editor@backroadsusa.com

goes into production it’s likely to be up against the Ariel Atom, one of today’s track-day stars, which weighs in at 520kg.

The mid-mounted 999cc V4 engine, which develops more than 212bhp, together with a low center of gravity, ensures an exceptionally high level of responsiveness, according to Honda. Transmission is provided by a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, controlled via paddles behind the steering wheel.

Central to this experience is the open cockpit and unique floating seat, uniquely suspended just above the road, giving the same sense of freedom as riding a bike.

Project 2&4 is also very compact, measuring 3.05m in length, 1.82m wide and just 0.995m high.

Inspiration for the car came from Honda’s legendary RA272 Grand Prix racer which 50 years ago became the first Japanese car to win a Formula One race with American Richie Ginther at the wheel.

SPORT BIKE SALES UP, CRUISERS DOWN – PRODUCTION DOWN According to a study done by CDK Global Recreation sales from 2011 to 2015 show a16 percent drop in sales of Japanese cruisers, while sales of sport machines have risen 8 percent.

Sport Bikes now have 34 percent of the Japanese market.

Touring sales have also risen from 13 percent to 15 percent, a small but

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

interesting trend.

Overall production of Japanese motorcycle was down this year as well with 40, 795 units made in 2015 compared to 49,908 recorded the same month last year, down some 18.3 percent.

YOU ARE A BETTER BIKE THAN I AM… “GUNGA DIN” “Gunga Din”, the 1947 Vincent Motorcycle Factory Test Bike and Racer, has captured one of the most esteemed of the big automobile awards at the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance. “Gunga Din”, the Star of the Bar Hodgson Collection, was awarded the prestigious Margaret Dunning “Spirit of Driving” Special Award on Sunday, September 13th. Owner Bar Hodgson stated, “I am very proud of Gunga Din’s accomplishment, certainly a most difficult feat for a motorcycle to achieve over many of the finest automobiles in North America.”

“Gunga Din” was the Vincent Works test mule and development bike for all this British factory’s experimental parts and performance modifications, and contributed directly to the development of the legendary Black Shadow and the Black Lightning factory race bikes. In 1948 a motorcycle journalist, while test riding this motorcycle, found himself too fearful to go to its top speed and rolled off the throttle at 118mph (190km/h). During the written road test, he quoted from the famous Rudyard Kipling poem - “You are a better man than I am, Gunga Din” – and the name stuck. Raced by factory rider and development tester George Brown, it dominated all forms of British motorcycle racing from 1947 to 1951. The bike set numerous land speed records at 143 mph (230 km/h), notably in Ireland and Belgium, and held many British and world speed records. The world class Cobble Beach Con-

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cours d’Elegance, which took place on Sunday, September 13th at the posh Cobble Beach Golf Resort just north of Owen Sound, Ontario, is a true showcase of elegant and rarely seen vehicles from Brass Era antiques to the Exotics. A panel of 45 international judges covered the difficult task of determining the winners. Bar Hodgson, owner of Gunga Din, is the producer of the Toronto International Spring Motorcycle Show held annually at the Toronto International Centre. He is also the founder of the North American Int’l Motorcycle SUPERSHOW and the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

AIMEXPO ACQUIRED BY MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL The Motorcycle Industry Council announced it has acquired the Motorcycle Group business segment from Marketplace Events LLC. The acquisition includes the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), America’s premier motorcycle and powersports show, and the only powersports event in North America that caters to trade, media and consumers all under one roof, timed to showcase the powersports industry’s new model year product unveilings.

AIMExpo’s show personnel, sales staff and management, including AIMExpo Show Director Cinnamon Kernes, and AIMExpo show creators Mike Webster and Larry Little, will form a new department within MIC titled “MIC Events.”

“The concept of MIC owning AIMExpo is actually quite common in the association world where many trade shows are owned or operated by their industry trade associations,” said Little.

“This strategic configuration makes it much easier to build on existing industry synergies, align the industry’s key stakeholders, and connect manufacturers and distributors of products and services in a valued face-to-face environment with retailers and consumers who have the greatest interest in their offerings.”

“Overall plans for the 2015 show absolutely remain business as usual,” said AIMExpo Show Director Cinnamon Kernes. “For exhibitors, dealers, media, and consumers it’s absolutely business as usual and no additional actions on their part are required. Our focus is sharper than ever, and the team is committed to producing the industry’s best show experience.”

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 11

BMW MOTORRAD EXPANDS ABS PRO RANGE The launch of ABS Pro as a retrofit option for the BMW HP4 in October 2014 represented a consistent refinement of BMW Motorrad ABS in that it also enabled ABS-supported braking in banking position on a supersports bike for the first time. In June 2015, ABS Pro entered series production in the S 1000 XR as optional equipment ex works. As part of the “Safety 360°” strategy, BMW Motorrad is quickly expanding the availability of this safety feature to other models.

Since August 2015, ABS Pro has been available for the R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure (optional equipment ex works or retrofit option) as well as the K 1600 GT/GTL (standard equipment).

From October 2015, ABS Pro is now also available as a retrofit option for the S 1000 RR, model years 2012 to 2014. Respective solutions for the Double R model years 2015 and 2016 are in the pipeline.

The retrofittable ABS Pro of the S 1000 RR from model year 2015 will also include the “Race” riding mode. The slip threshold and brake pressure gradient have been set at a higher level for use on roads with high friction coefficients compared to the “Rain” and “Sport” modes.

The ABS Pro function was deliberately conceived for use on public roads, where unexpected dangers wait at every corner. The system provides more safety when braking while cornering. Here the system prevents the wheels from blocking even when the brakes are applied quickly in a banking position; this reduces abrupt changes in steering force on shock-braking maneuvers, stopping the motorcycle from rearing up unintentionally.

DREAM RACER WINS BEST FEATURE FILM AWARD IN NYC Following its successes and winning awards in Los Angeles, Barcelona, New Delhi, and Milan, internationally acclaimed film Dream Racer won ‘Best Feature Film’ Award in New York at the 2015 Motorcycle Film Festival (Sept 23-27th, 2015).

The Dream Racer story is based on the famous Dakar Rally, one of the most dangerous races on earth where racers brave extreme temperature in the harshest deserts on the planet. A 15 days, 10,000km (6,200 miles) desert

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race dubbed insanity on wheels where each year since 1979, and with an attrition rate of 50%, racers facing injuries and death attempt the impossible.

The Dream Racer film shows The Dakar Rally in its purest form – no sponsors, no multi-million dollar team, not even a mechanic – just one man, a motorbike, his tool-roll, and the world’s most dangerous motor race.

Far more than just a motorbike movie, Dream Racer is a call to arms for anyone who has ever dreamt of doing anything – a spine tingling antidote to the fear of life passing you by unfulfilled.

Jack Drury, Director at the Motorcycle Film Festival says “Dream Racer is one of these rare film that stands outside the generic motorcycle genre. A beautiful, thoughtful, exciting, and most of all a film that truly conveyed a spirit of adventure and perseverance.”

Dream Racer has been subtitled in Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Russian and is available for acquisition by TV Networks. Dream Racer is also available worldwide on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Video-on-Demand at www.dreamracer.tv

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

B IG CITY GETAWAY newSeuM 555 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001 202-292-6100 • WWW.NEWSEUM.ORG Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ~ First amendment Along Pennsylvania Avenue, in Washington D.C., standing between the U.S. Capitol and the White House - two places where news is made each and every day – you will find a museum dedicated to the protection of the First Amendment and that celebrates the media in its various forms and flavors.

The Newseum.

Be forewarned this visit deserves a good part of the day to be done right.

Here the news and how it has been covered, portrayed and followed by journalists, photographers and others is shown on a grand scale.

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind The Newseum seven-level, 250,000-square-foot building features 15 theaters and 15 galleries, which will bring you to news coverage, and the portrayal of history from the very beginning to the headlines of the very day you visit.

As you walk in and at the Today’s Front Pages Gallery you will be presented daily front pages from more than 80 international newspapers. It was interesting to see what the lead story was in Moscow, Russia and in Moscow, Idaho or Athens, Georgia and Athens, Greece.

High above the lobby you will find a news helicopter from KXAS-TV Dallas, as well as a television satellite.

The Cold War is shown with the largest display of the original wall outside of Germany. There are eight 12 foot high concrete sections of wall, each weighing about three tons, and a three-story East German guard tower from Check Point Charlie.

Journalism can be a dangerous career and here you will find the bombed remains of Don Bolles, whose Datsun 710 exploded, killing Bolles as he was digging into mob activity, as well as the laptop computer used by Daniel Pearl along with his passport.

The long room of the 8,000 square foot News Corporation News History Gallery offers an historic look at famous events with nearly 400 historic newspaper front pages, newsbooks and magazines covering more than 500 years of news history.

Lucky Lindy, The Bomb, Jesse James – three different cover from the Bush /Gore debacle from the Orlando/Sentinel in Florida – all from the same day – depending on what would happen.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

The history in this room alone is staggering.

The room dedicated to, arguably, the single most important day of our time explores the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the extraordinary first-person accounts of journalists who covered the story. Included is a moving tribute to New York photojournalist William Biggart — the only journalist who died covering the attacks — and some of his final photographs. Newspaper front pages highlight coverage from around the world of the unprecedented attacks.

The 45 Words of Freedom Gallery explores the role that the First Amendment’s guarantee of rights (religion, speech, press, assembly and petition) something that we sometimes take for granted in the United States.

On Dec. 15, 1791, the first 45 words of the Bill of Rights established the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing Americans five fundamental freedoms to protect what James Madison called “the great rights of mankind.”

The First Amendment Gallery puts each of the five freedoms in historical context and provides perspective on what they mean to us more than 200 years later.

One exhibit affected me more than any of the others, which says a lot in a place as overwhelming as the Newseum.

The Pulitzer Prize Photographs Gallery.

This gallery features photographs from every Pulitzer Prize-winning entry

Page 13 dating back to 1942 — the most comprehensive collection of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs ever assembled.

You might have heard of the Pulitzer Prize – but for those who do not know- here is the scoop (sorry, news pun).

The prizes were established by Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism founder Joseph Pulitzer and are administrated and awarded by Columbia to this day.

They are considered the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. Every one of them is on display.

Not only were the startling images here to see, but also some of the cameras that captured these always striking, sometimes disturbing, images. Some images lifted my soul while others crushed my heart.

We here at Backroads know how words can make things real and tell a story. But, images? Sometimes a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

On a lighter side you will finds an exhibit on “The Funnies” as well as a very neat one called “First Dogs: American Presidents and Their Pets” showcasing images and stories about some of the top dogs who have resided at the nation’s most prestigious address.

The day I visited the Newseum they had just opened a gallery on media coverage called “Reporting Vietnam,” which I found fascinating. There is so much to see and do at the Newseum, including “The Boomer List: Photographs

by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders,” an exhibit you will only see at the Newseum, featuring 19 large-format portraits of influential baby boomers — one born each year of the baby boom, from 1946 to 1964.

The Newseum also has 15 different theatres. You might need two days to cover what this place has to offer. That is not such a bad thing.

You may visit the Newseum daily from 9am-5pm except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Ticket price for adults is $22.95, over 65 $18.95 and they offer military and AAA discounts as well as online ticket purchase discounts of 10% with the next day’s visit free.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MY STERIO U S A MER IC A eartha & the MaPPariuM TWO VIEWS OF THE PLANET Somewhere in the 9th century B.C.E. a stargazer named Yajnavalkya recognized that the Earth was spherical in his astronomical text Shatapatha Brahmana. Pythagoras reached the same conclusion in 540 BC. It was Galileo who was dramatically persecuted by the church in the 1600s for his scientific and astronomical beliefs, and this hounding kept science and truth from advancing for many years thereafter.

You can still see this type of dogmatic beliefs held today, with those never questioning ‘accepted’ science, claiming the debate is over before it was even begun. With this I say – follow the grant money.

And then you have the Flat Earth Society who will not accept that our planet is indeed a bulging sphere, as are all the others.

But, this month let us just stay with our own terra firma – the Earth.

With the advent of today’s computers and internet we have almost come full circle with our images of the planet. Google Earth and the like, as brilliant and as detailed as they are, are still seen on a flat screen. The depth and feel of the once common globe is almost lost on our younger generation.

They live in a two dimensional world.

Do you have a globe in your home? I have a tiny one, but it is sorely lacking. I need to change that.

Since we’re talking globes

and the Earth let’s take a quick ride to two of the most impressive globes to be seen on the planet, both within a day’s ride of each other and, even better, right within the Backroads’ region.

eartha • DelorMe MaPS 2 DELORME DRIVE, YARMOUTH, ME 04096 LATITUDE 43°48.491’ NORTH, LONGITUDE 70°09.844’ WEST 800-561-5105 • WWW.DELORME.COM/ABOUT/EARTHA.ASPX The first globe I would like to talk about is the one called Eartha, which can be found in the atrium of DeLorme, the map people, located outside of Yarmouth, Maine.

Located behind the large glass wall of their headquarters you can easily see Eartha as you ride by, but you really do want to stop and go inside and get up close to this beauty.

Completed on July 23, 1998 it is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest rotating and revolving globe on the planet that it so wonderfully represents.

Eartha weighs a staggering 5,600 pounds and has a surface area of 5,300 square feet. It has a circumference of 130 feet and a diameter of 41.

Inside there is a skeleton of nearly three miles of aluminum tubing. And two electric motors, run by computers, slowly rotate the giant globe at a revolution every 18 minutes. In top gear De®

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BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 15

Lorme can spin Eartha once a minute.

It was developed and designed using one of the largest computer mapping databases in the world and its printed data is equivalent to 214 CDs of information – a full 140 gigabytes. At a scale of 1:1,000,000 an inch on Eartha measures nearly 16 miles on the globe.

DeLorme updated and restored Eartha in 2012 with 792 new and vibrant color panels. It is truly a sight to behold.

the MaPPariuM THE MARY BAKER EDDY LIBRARY 200 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, BOSTON, MA 02115 617-450-7000 • WWW.MARYBAKEREDDYLIBRARY.ORG/PROJECT/MAPPARIUM Without a doubt this could be one of the most interesting, memorable and intense places, especially if you are a geography wonk like myself, in this Mysterious America.

I first heard of this magnificent globe, The Mapparium, in Ken Jennings’ book Maphead. You might remember Ken Jennings as he holds the record for the longest winning streak on Jeopardy! and is a true lover of Geography - I highly recommend his books.

The Mapparium was the creation of architect Chester Lindsay Churchill who was tasked with creating home base for the Christian Science and their magazine, the Christian Science Monitor.

Here at the Mary Baker Eddy Library, their headquarters, in Boston, Massachusetts, you will find one of the most interesting globes on the planet – possibly without peer.

Along with creating a superb building, Churchill wanted to create an image of the Earth to show the universal tenets of the church. He took his inspiration from the 12 foot bronze globe in the lobby of the New York Daily News Building, built just five years earlier in 1930. But, he felt it too small and feared that the larger one he wished to create would separate the viewers from parts of the world and that some nations would be seen and other not.

He wanted his creation to be all encompassing.

He then came upon the idea for a globe that visitors would view from within.

Originally called “the Glass Room”, or “the Globe Room”, Mapparium comes from the Latin words “mappa” (map) and “arium” (a place for).

The Mapparium would present the map of the world depicted in its true projection and being geographically correct. It would be how Earth truly is.

Most folks are used to the Mercator Projection map, that was created by Gerardus Mercator in 1569. These maps are woefully distorted.

The Mercator projection creates increasing distortions of size as you move away from the equator. As you get closer to the poles the distortion becomes severe. Cartographers refer to the inability to compare size on a Mercator projection as “the Greenland Problem.” Greenland appears to be the same size as Africa, yet Africa’s land mass is actually fourteen times larger.

This gives peoples in the northern latitudes a bit of an exaggeration when it comes to self worth and land mass. Next time you look at a map of the world take that into consideration. It will give you a different world view.

Churchill thought that people, standing together looking out at the Earth as it really is, would give all a new perspective on the planet and a different look at peoples from around the Earth. He hoped to create a greater under-

Page 16

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS standing and to support the Monitor’s motto “to injure no man, but to bless all mankind.”

The Mapparium was three years in the making (1932-1935). It opened to the public May 31, 1935, and cost $35,000 (at a time when a Hershey bar cost about five cents), including all labor and materials. Originally, Churchill designed the glass panels to be replaceable as the political boundaries of the world changed. There have been several points in the Mapparium’s history where the discussion of updating the map did arise. The final time was in the 1960s, when it was finally decided that the Mapparium was a priceless work of art and history, and so should never be updated.

Through the center of the globe is a walkway bridge, offering visitors a great view of the Earth from within.

The acoustics are also a treat and this is because the curved glass walls do not absorb the sound waves but reflect them back to the individual. Spherical rooms like the Mapparium are known as “whispering galleries. Here a whisper on one side can be heard on the other, and my first thought was how I wished I had my Ovation guitar with me.

I wonder if they would allow that?

In 1998 a four-year refurbishing took place at the Mapparium. When first built in 1935 the Mapparium was illuminated by about 300 40-watt and 60watt electric light bulbs placed outside the sphere. These days there are 206 LED light fixtures that can be programmed to produce up to sixteen million colors.

The results are nothing less than awesome, spectacular and amazing.

As you can tell I am a bit excited about these two monumental global achievements that are in our own backyard. You will be too.

Look around your home. Do you have a globe? You do? Excellent.

Would you like to see a couple of really large ones? I am sure you do.

Free wheelin’

Continued from page 4

“My name is Dawn. It’s not a female name. I am Sunset’s brother.” ~ Jarod Kintz With the Versys in position and the early morning mists mixing it up nicely with the early morning light I began to capture those images that can only be found early in the day and late in the evening. These two magical moments that begin and finish each day, although forever a half rotation of the planet apart, as Kintz says, are surely brothers.

When the dawn patrol got to tell you twice They’re gonna do it with a shotgun ~ Steely Dan Never one to pass up an opportunity to quote Fagen & Becker, I have added that little citation, but there was nothing armed and dangerous here this morning, in fact it was about as perfect and peaceful as it comes.

I stayed by the roadside for the time it took the morning to go from breeching to being born and other than the occasional driver who passed by, always with a nod and quick salute, I had just the land, lake and creatures as my companions.

Getting back on the bike, before I put the helmet back on, I just sat and listened as it seemed what was once silence to me was now a cacophony of sounds, cries and echoes of “good morning” as the creatures of the day awoke to begin anew.

I’m glad to be alive in a world where his gently awakening eye nourish the morning sun.” ~ Sanober Khan PoStCarDS FroM the heDge

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Continued from page 6

this response be related to the fact that I have often been seen in the company of cats?

Anything is possible. But I resolve to do a better job of not putting myself in these situations where Luck/Providence/Magic Beans/Etc. has to take over if I am to make it to the gas station intact. Not that I am a control freak, and actually believe you can oversee all the elements conspiring against you when you mount up and head down roads we have to share with lowered Honda Civic enthusiasts. But luck should be a rare resource that gets called upon to aid you in your times of bad judgment; only when more understandable and mundane safety measures (like always planning for the unexpected and riding accordingly) have been exhausted. Hey, these days I could use all the luck I can get, and then some. But I’m seriously going to work on keeping that reserve tank as full as possible.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

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Rollin’ Fast Cycle Sports Presents

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DIN E R RU N

tasty places to take your bike

words + images: Pamela Hunt

158 Main reStaurant anD BaKery 158 MAIN STREET, JEFFERSONVILLE, VT 802-644-8100 • WWW.158MAIN.COM Jeffersonville, Vermont, sits just north of Smugglers’ Notch, one of the great passes in the Green Mountain State. Like many other riders in this part of northern New England, as well as many from across the Canadian border in nearby Quebec, my husband, Joe, and I make it a point to stop at 158 Main for their sumptuous food at reasonable prices. We’ve even been known to plan our route around it.

Climbing the café’s wooden front stairs, I feel like I’m stepping back to a simpler time.

In typical Yankee fashion, this century-old building has been repurposed over the years, spending time as a hardware store, Windridge Farms Bread bakery, and now a restaurant. A remnant from the past remains—an original Middleby-Marshall oven, in which the eatery’s famous homemade bread is baked. The friendly staff never leave us waiting long to be seated, and the tables and booths are roomy enough to accommodate bulky riding gear and helmets.

Our most recent visit was on a Sunday, so we ordered from the brunch menu, which is available Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. until 2 p.m. My breakfast sandwich—scrambled eggs filled with crumbles of sweet maple sausage, savory cheddar cheese, and baby spinach, all held precariously between two slices of fresh-baked oatmeal-maple bread—was hearty enough for two meals… though tasty enough that I finished it in one. Most breakfast dishes, including this one, are accompanied by a heaping serving of slightly spicy home fries. Joe asked for a takeaway carrier to come

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

with his meal—the 158 Club.

He knew from experience that despite the crisp, melt-in-yourmouth bacon and juicy turkey that adorn the sandwich, it’s too generously sized to eat in one sitting.

If at all possible, try to save room for dessert. The daily specials are listed on a chalkboard on the left side of the restaurant and have included maple crème brûlée (we are in maple country, after all), chocolate cake, and apple pie. If you absolutely can’t fit in another bite, you can always visit the French Way Bakery upstairs. Owner and baker Jean-Marie creates a wide variety of breads and pastries. You’ll surely find a little room in your tank bag for a treat to take home.

On this day, we weren’t the only ones with helmet hair in the room. The first warm spring day had brought out motorcyclists from near and far. Luckily, plenty of street parking is available, as well as a couple of pull-in spaces in front of the restaurant. And unlike many other places in Vermont, Jeffersonville’s Main Street is nice and flat, as if it were made for motorcycle parking. If you need to stretch your legs before heading out to tackle the twisty roads of the Green Mountains, an art gallery and a general store are within a block of the restaurant.

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BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

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Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HER E high Point Mountain Motel 1328 STATE ROUTE 23 NORTH , WANTAGE, NJ 07461 973-702-1860 • WWW.HIGHPOINTCOUNTRYINN.COM For those of you who have read Backroads over the years you know that, even though we travel far and wide, we call northwestern New Jersey our home.

You’ll find us up along the rolling hills of the Kittatinny Mountains, in a beautiful region that has more great motorcycling roads than an area this tiny should be allowed.

The highest point in the state, at a little more than 1,800 feet, is High Point State Park and right below it you will find our stop for this month’s We’re Outta Here!, The High Point Mountain Motel.

Living so close to High Point, as we do, we must have ridden by a few hundred times and always would take notice, but never headed in to say hello and check things out.

Well, we noticed that the owners were sprucing up the place. Grounds that were always nice, took on an even more pleasant look and a new sign with a new name hung at the bottom of the long drive that runs up to the hospitable 13 room motel.

This place has been taking care of travelers and guests for over 50 years and has been owned by the same family for the last 23.

Located on Route 23, just a mile from the Appalachian Trail and watched over by the obelisk tower atop the mountain above, the High Point Mountain Motel is the perfect

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads place for small riding groups to call home for a few days exploring what this region has to offer today’s riders.

Let’s take a look at just some of what you can see in a day’s ride from the High Point Mountain Motel.

Well, first there are two peaks well worth seeing if you have not in the past. High Point itself and Sunrise Mountain, just to the south and west.

The park at High Point features great walking trails, outstanding views from the summit and even better from atop the Memorial. Lake Marcia and its surrounding picnic grounds are as pretty as they come.

The road up and through High Point, along Route 23 and off on Sawmill Road offer two different riding perspectives; one fast and swoopy and the other more rugged and closer to nature.

Page 20

This is the heart of Jersey’s own legend Big Red Eye and we dare you to prove it doesn’t exist. We’ll even give you a lifetime subscription if you can prove it does!

Sunrise Mountain offers a great view as well and has a pavilion at the summit that was built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

The famed Appalachian Trail runs right along this part of the mountain on its way from Maine to Georgia.

To the west you will find the Walpack Valley.

This is one of the most pristine places in New Jersey and is now run by the National Park Service.

Once destined to be flooded by the Tocks Island Dam Project, until money and resources dried up in the late ‘60s (who said Vietnam had no good outcomes?) it is now home to all sorts of wildlife, fauna and lack of people.

Early on a summer morning you can be the only one here for miles around; this in one of the more populace states by size in the union.

Deep in Walpack you will find some serious nature. Tillman Ravine looks

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

the same now as it did a thousand years ago and Buttermilk Falls, at some 200 feet high, is one of the most stunning in the northeast.

Above the motel and below you will find two of the best roads New Jersey has to offer; County Road 521 and 519.

Both wind their way south along pavement that snakes through the Skylands, farms and forests. There are just a few towns and miles in between them.

We will issue a warning that when you do enter a town – it is best to slow down. It is both polite and smart.

High Pont is right near the Tri-State Maker – a point that marks the confluence of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

To find this hidden monument you must drive through the Laurel Grove Cemetery in

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

Port Jervis – at the end of the road, under the scenic I-84 overpass, you can walk down the hill to the river, step onto the monument, and be in the three states at one time.

Just north of the town of Port Jervis you can find the famed Hawks Nest, well worth discovering if you are not from the region and out exploring this part of the country.

The High Point Mountain Motel does not have its own restaurant but we can happily recommend a couple within an easy ride.

The Elias Cole is just south of the motel on Route 23 and has breakfast, lunch and dinner – but save room for their pie that cannot be beat.

In the other direction in Port Jervis, on New Jersey Avenue is the Erie Hotel, which has a great all around menu and ambiance as well – they even have a tiki bar.

When you are done riding you will find the rooms at the High Point Mountain Motel to be clean and comfortable. Bring a nice bottle of wine and take a seat in one of the chairs outside and watch the sun slip away and night come on while your bikes are cooling off from the day.

Enjoy your night and watch for Big Red Eye. It is surely watching you.

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BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Makin’ Whoopie This month we will take a short departure from the ice cream trail to follow a long and controversial path. While staying with the sweet treats, we’ll explore, and taste-test, the phenomenon that is the Whoopie pie.

Growing up in Jersey, I was not aware of the Whoopie pie in my youth. The closest similar bakery item to the Whoopie was Drake’s Yodel or Devil Dogs. Being commercially manufactured, it was a far cry from the homemade delicacies of the Pennsylvania Amish or Mainers.

And here lies the controversy.

According to my in-depth research, the Whoopie pie was originally claimed by the Pennsylvania Amish, who tended to hand down traditional recipes through the ages. When there was left over cake batter, the women baking would make small cookie-like cakes and sandwich them with vanilla cake frosting. These little treats were wrapped and stashed in the lunch bags and baskets of their farmer husbands and school children. Upon discovery of their lunchtime treats, children of all ages would yell, ‘Whoopie!’ And the name stuck. The first Whoopie pie was claimed by Lancaster, PA but this has been disputed by those to the north.

On the other side of the coin, the folks in Massachusetts and Maine claim to have originated the Whoopie pie somewhere around the 1920s. These Whoopie pies were of much larger proportion, almost the size of pillows, and were considered a treat to be shared. Labadie’s Bakery, in Lewiston, Maine, claims to be the oldest established seller of Whoopie pies, dating back to 1925, and still continuing the tradition today. The Berwick Cake Company of Roxbury, Massachusetts, now defunct, was making Whoopie pies as early as 1920. Some say that rogue Pennsylvania Amish made their way to New While BMW has spent 90 years producing some of the best motorcycles in the world, Cross Country has spent 15 years providing you with the latest and best in BMW products. like the all-new S 1000 XR, R 1200 R and R 1200 RS.

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Page 23 England, bringing their Whoopie pie recipes as transplants.

Not really caring where these delicious treats originated, I was determined to find the best of the best.

Since a trip was planned to New England, Maine specifically, the planning of the ‘Making Whoopie’ tour began.

On our way to Freeport, Maine, we made a few stops – one of which was lunch at a general store in Connecticut. While far from the New England base, they were selling homemade Whoopie pies, and traditional at that. To set a baseline of what a Whoopie pie should taste like, and for strictly scientific purposes, I had to have one for lunch. It was quite good, a bit on the dense side, and not cloyingly sweet as I had expected. And the quest was on.

We were to meet the rest of our taste-testing foursome, DeeDee and Richard Ford, at the Candlebay Inn in Freeport. On our agenda were three selected bakeries famous for their Whoopie pies; a leisurely route was made and off we went to our first stop, Grant’s Bakery in Lewiston. We were greeted with friendly smiles and excellent service. They had a great selection of Whoopie flavors but we opted for the traditional: chocolate Devil’s

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

food cake with vanilla stuffing – along with some that couldn’t be passed by – pumpkin cake with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg vanilla-based stuffing and chocolate cake with peanut butter stuffing. Not wanting to overload our taste buds, we chose to test them right there in the parking lot, which would give us some time to digest and ponder before the next stop. While the traditional was tasty, the overwhelming winner was the pumpkin. Our only regret was not having a large, cold glass of milk to wash them down.

Our next stop was the Apple Shed Bakery in Kents Hill, a nice 40-minute ride away. Here we were in the middle of the farm, with apple trees surround-

ing this very quaint setting. The Apple Shed apparently sells much more than Whoopie pies, with their claim to fame being their brownies – they do have a Makin’ Whoopie brownie, a fudgy brownie topped with marshmallow buttercream frosting, a chunk of brownie and a dark chocolate drizzle. But that was not on our menu today; we took away the baseline traditional along with, what we would dub, the ‘faux’ Whoopies, as they were cookies with cream fillings. The Apple Shed did have tables and chairs, along with some fine Maine coffee, so we sat a spell and did our second tasting.

Their chocolate and vanilla Whoopie was delicious; not too dense and just the right not too sweet filling. The faux Whoopies – oat-

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meal cookie with cider filling and peanut butter cookie and filling – were quite good although very crumbly and, in reality, could not be entered into the Whoopie taste-off. But we ate them anyway.

Being pretty Whoopied-out, we chose to stop at Wicked Whoopie to purchase our wares but save them for after dinner.

Our contestants here were traditional, of course, and gingerbread with vanilla filling. Wicked Whoopie, in the middle of busy Freeport, has made a name for itself on such shows as Rachel Ray and Oprah and has expanded to several other locations as well as online sales.

Their flavors are multitudinous and include anything from banana to mint to orange creamsicle. They even have a five-pound Whoopie – that’s a lot of whoopie!

After dinner and having eaten something other than sugar, we displayed the rest of our entrants back at the Inn. We were joined by Sherry and Bob Rand, parents to Court Rand of Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental fame, who had joined us for dinner. With six palates as judges, we managed to decimate the remains of the Whoopies and, after final review, came up with two winners. In the classic category, the Apple Shed Bakery came away with the prize. The winner of the non-traditional was the Pumpkin Whoopie from Grant’s Bakery. We all found the Wicked Whoopies to be too sweet and plastic-tasting, although their packaging was pretty.

With our sugar comas setting in, we bade adieu to our Whoopie pie challenge and settled in for a well-deserved rest. I suppose that, in all fairness, I will have to explore the Pennsylvania Amish Whoopie pies, or Gobs as they are also known. Perhaps a Whoopie Throw Down is in order. Stay tuned and bring a gallon of milk.

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BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 25

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Page 26

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

ost excellent riding adventures have a definitive start, point of origin and impetus that pushes the mind rolling in the direction of the journey.

This particular trip, through the Baltic region of Eastern Europe from Romania’s Bucharest down through Greece to Gallipoli and Istanbul in Turkey, before running up the Black Sea of Bulgaria, had its start a winter or so back.

I know it was a Monday, as I was watching multiple episodes of Top Gear and one particular show where the boys were super-car’ing around Romania.

The snow was piling up outside and thoughts of riding were flittering about my head (they always are), but the reality was it would be months before our bikes rolled easily down the driveway.

It was a normal Top Gear show in most respects with high powered and unattainable autos being hooliganized by the British Three Stooges, but then it happened. This time it was a road – just a road. Top Gear drove across the Transfăgărășan.

For five minutes or so, on that cold and snowy night, everything stopped and, even though I hate to say it, it was Jeremy Clarkson who started this particular motorcycle exploit when he said, “We were wrong… this is better than Del Stelvio.

This is the best road in the world!”

And, watching them on said cold and snowy night in New Jersey, indeed it was.

I hit pause and rewind and called Shira up and told her to watch.

She did and looked at me with a mischievous grin and it was at that moment we knew we would be heading to Romania.

It took a few years and a number of scoured history and travel books just to put things in greater perspective than just one single road (even the Transfăgărășan), and a bit of planning - but the day after putting our 20th Anniversary issue to bed we were on a Lufthansa Airbus 340 heading toward Europe and, eventually, the Romanian capital city of Bucharest.

To add to the pleasure of this trip was the fact that Shira, whose roots are Turkish and Romanian, would get to ride in her ancestor’s homeland.

We had arranged to ride along with Adriatic Moto Tours on their Romania to Istanbul Adventure.

Exploring the Realms of Eastern Europe Bucharest to Istanbul with Adriatic Moto Tours words and images: Brian Rathjen

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 27

We had ridden with Matej Malovrh and company a few years back through the Balkans and knew we would have a most excellent time with them once again. On that ride we found they did a brilliant job of dipping us deep in the region’s culture, history and people; something that needed to happen to truly get the most of this region that has played a pivotal part of human history.

And, then there would be the Transfăgărășan too. Yea! Arriving late in the day after 24 hours straight with little napping we grabbed a few hours sleep in the room at the massive Intercontinental Hotel, and then strolled over to the old section of Bucharest to choose one of the dozens of restaurants that had spilled back out onto the street after closing down for the hard squalls that had passed through when we first arrived.

A little dinner, a little ‘after dinner’ stroll around the old section and we were back to the hotel fairly early looking to catch up with the rest of Romania come the next morning.

We were not to meet the rest of our group and guides Niko and Matevz, until early evening the next day, so we took the free day and did the sights and sounds of this ancient Baltic city, meeting our fellow riders later that second day.

Along on this journey would be fellow Americans Jack, Jim and a couple from Washington State - Joe and Susan. From Australia we had Colin, Pete and Kristine – a couple who had just arrived from taking in the TT races at the Isle of Man – what a few great way to keep a vacation all motorcycle!

The Intercontinental Hotel, Adriatic’s choice, could not have been more pertinent to Romania’s recent history, being the same hotel that was the center of attention during the Romanian Revolution in 1989, when students and citizens rose up against the dictator Ceausescu and his hard fisted regime. Over 1,100 Romanians were killed before the Army stopped rolling against the people and decided to be on the right side of history. Ceausescu and his wife were overthrown and executed within days.

From this very hotel the world media filmed and broadcast the events as they were happening from their room’s balconies.

The scars and memories of this Communist regime were still apparent as we did a walking tour of the older parts of Bucharest the next day.

We ran into some of our riding partners for the next few weeks, found lunch back in the old section and got ready for our first ‘rider’s meeting’ which would be found at the hotel bar that evening.

As with most better companies there would be a daily briefing each evening and again right before we would start off in the morning.

Bucharest to Brasov, Romania

Early on that Sunday morning, before breakfast I took a short ride on the BMW R1200 GS provided by Adriatic Tours (Shira would be riding an F700 GS) to see the largest building on this side of the planet, taking note that even in a former Communist Block city there is very little traffic early on a Sunday morning.

Ceausescu’s Palace, once called the People’s Palace, now the Romanian Parliament Building, is the second largest building on Earth (our Pentagon is the largest) and is the world’s heaviest building. Its shear size is amazing

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Page 28

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

to see some 12 stories tall with 1,100 rooms and with 3,700,000 square feet of space - it rules Bucharest.

Impressive does not do this building any justice.

Romanian Police sat in a car, and silently watched, while I rode up onto the sidewalk for the digital moment.

Back at the Intercontinental we took a fast breakfast, went over maps – borrowing the front widow on a large motor-coach for a black board – and then began our ride making our way north and west from the center of Bucharest’s sprawl.

Every big metro has a sprawl area, and some take longer to ride out of than others. Ask anyone from New York or Philly.

Soon enough the large and non-descript buildings from Romania’s Communist past were replaced with architecture and farm houses built in a more traditional and historic Romanian-style. High, sloped tile and wooden shingle roofs, dozens of produce stands selling the most delicious looking cherries and fruit, horse drawn carts replaced the old yellow cabs, the ubiquitous tall conical hay bales and there seemed to be plenty of people simply walking to where they needed go.

This wasn’t Kansas.

The roads began to climb up the foothills of the Carpathians, really just big rolling hills at this point, and heading over the first of many passes we would cross on this trip.

We found lunch on one such foothill at the top of a heavily graveled drive with a view that was only surpassed by the place’s apple strudel.

We were now riding into Vlad Tepes’ realm. The 15th century Prince had ruled this region and was known for being extremely cruel to those who displeased or went against his wishes.

The word Tepes translates to “impaler” and was so coined because of Vlad’s propensity to punish victims by impaling them on stakes, then displaying them publicly to frighten his enemies and to warn would-be transgressors of his strict code. He is credited with killing over 60,000 people in this fashion.

His renowned cruelty and lust for blood became the thing of legend and an Irishman Bram Stoker, whom had never been to Romania in his life, picked up on this and created the story of Count Dracula – the undead vampire - in 1897.

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Along our route, high along the peaks, we made a stop at Bran’s Castle, reported to be “Dracula’s Castle” that, in fact, was last lived in by Queen Marie of Romania - Romanian’s “Savior Queen;” as well as Queen Victoria of England’s granddaughter.

Vlad did indeed visit here as this was part of his realm and - as spooky as I am sure this castle in the Carpathian mountains looks on a dark and stormy night – the throngs of tourists on this sunny late spring Sunday killed the fear factor like a stake through the heart.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015 Still, the castle itself was impressive as was the real torture room with its oh-so-inviting chair of iron spikes.

More impressive were the roads leading from the village of Bran to our stop for the night, the bustling mountain town of Brazov – a walled and fortified city back in medieval times. Today the large stone towers still stand around the city, but the walls are long gone.

The place was really hopping as we rode in, and there were plenty of other riders there as well. It was Sunday and on any Sunday anywhere in the civilized world you will find like-minded riders out enjoy the very thing we all do.

We parked, found our hotel and then, after a shower and settling in went for a stroll about Brazov.

The huge Black Church – which was blackened by the 1689 fire that took down the walls and torched the town - is the largest Gothic-style church in this part of Europe and the Hirscher Haus, the oldest building in Brazov. It also houses an excellent restaurant, as we discovered later that night.

Ths time of year the sun doesn’t really set on these mountains until almost 10 o’clock so another town-wide meander was in order to walk off dinner and prepare for the next day’s ride.

Brazov to Sibiu, Romania

Today’s ride would bring us through the heart of Transylvania on mountain roads that started warmed by the sun but quickly turned against us, swapping roles from just slightly damp to wet and slick in a matter of sweepers.

For us this wet ride did not last long and by our lunch stop in the beautiful town of Sighișoara, located on Târnava Mare River, the sun had returned.

Sighișoara is considered by many as one of the most beautiful and well-preserved citadels in Europe.

Here once stood 14 towers – built between the 14th to 16th centuries, to repel Turkish raids - and all but five still remain; each with their own distinctive names. The Rope Makers’ Tower, the Taylors’ Tower, the Showmakers’ Tower, the Butchers’ Tower and so on. This was Vlad Tepes’ true

Page 29

birthplace but we didn’t feel all that imperiled, and Shira and I were happy to just sit around the town park for an hour, below the clock tower, drinking in the scenery. The walk to the citadel itself was well worth it; as was the small, but interesting Weapons Museum next to the ‘Impalers’ home.

Adriatic offered two separate routes this day and we chose the longer which brought us through some rougher farm roads and smaller villages, built in the older Romanian fashion and many with front yards covered with bright, colorful late spring flowers.

Along one wooded area I stopped for a short time to talk (sort of) to a sheepherder and his dogs, who happily posed for a few pictures.

Locals were out selling their wares today with a coppersmith grabbing my attention. Was that really a copper still they were selling?

By late in the afternoon we pulled into the cosmopolitan city of Sibiu. Sibiu was a fairly happening city with its older section a plethora of outdoor restau-

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Page 30

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS encroaching across in some tighter spots.

I paused again and again to drink it all in.

The Transfăgărășan’s really exciting parts were a combination of sweepers and hairpins, what I like to call “sweepins.” Here and there, at the apex of the turns, heavy rubber had been building up from sport car enthusiasts being enthusiastic. Our group crossed the summit and rode through the tunnel to the far side before turning around and stopping for hot chocolate and coffee along the tundra lake on the top.

Was Clarkson right? Is the Transfăgărășan the greatest road in the world?

Well, in truth I do not believe there is such a thing.

But, it was spectacular to ride and as visually stunning as they come and reminded me of Norway’s Trollstigen in many ways.

rants, bakery shop, a superb medical facility and a number of performing acts that pushed the envelope. Think a brilliant combination of Peter Gabriel, Sargent Pepper and Mad Max.

Free Day in Sibiu, Romania

The famed Transfăgărășan was just about an hour or so ride from the town center of Sibiu and by 10 am our group was winding its way through the forested road that lines the bottom of this high point of the Carpathians.

This road was built by Ceausescu, in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and to top the Transalpina Road we would cross the next day. Ceausescu had a massive and twisted ego. Everything he did had to be the biggest, like his palace in Bucharest. This road was to be for moving tanks and military vehicles, and they used a lot of explosives to get this done - roughly six million kilograms of dynamite were used on the northern face, and official records state that about 40 soldiers lost their lives in building accidents. These numbers are likely to be under–estimations due to Communist propaganda touting “greatest care for men.”

A dark and costly past but now, thanks to shows like Top Gear, this road has become a mecca for motorheads from around Europe and the world.

As the Transfăgărășan began to wind up I found a barrier with Romanian writing basically telling me the road was closed.

The concrete barrier was just half across the road – I rode past the other half and headed up the pass that crosses the Făgăraş ridge.

The road was a tad beat up and as I rode higher and above any tree line the valley opened beneath me with the sky sharing strong beams of sunshine and dark clouds of rain. We were now in the real heart of the Carpathian Mountains. Tight waterfalls poured from melting snow and ice down sharp cataracts in the rocks face of the cliffs. Piles of snow appeared along the road,

It might sound like a cop out, but I think we can agree the greatest road in the world is the next excellent one we ride.

We were back in Sibiu by early afternoon with Shira and I finding lunch in the old section (we like old sections), basically doing the tourist thing the rest of the day in this lovely Romanian town.

The Arts Festival would be continuing all week so that evening we were once again treated to a show, of sorts, as the town square, beneath the high church tower was filled with a dozen of what I will call ‘acoustic statues’ that emitted different tones while spinning around like some OZ-like mobiles.

It was raining this evening and standing in the old Romanian square, with the tones and rains encircling us, was truly bizarre in the very best way.

Sibiu to Pitesti, Romania

If yesterday’s famous road was visually stunning then today’s was as equally technical. The Transalpina is called the King’s Road with good reason, as it is the highest roadway in Romania and one of the most challenging pieces of asphalt I have ridden in a long time, easily matching or even surpassing the Stelvio Pass. Deals Gap’s Dragon would have died from exhaustion here.

The true history of the Transalpina is actually up for debate. One theory states that the road was created by the Romans as a way of moving to and from Sarmizegetusa, the main city of the Roman Empire in Romania.

The other says it was built by King Carol II, and it is a fact that it was rebuilt during World War II by German troops, when they needed a road for military purposes, but remained inaccessible for most normal drivers and vehicles until only a few years ago. It was not even paved until 2009.

Whoever built this road – thank you.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

You did a most excellent job.

With a length of 146 km, it goes through the center of the Carpathian Mountains, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,145m at Paso Urdele and is as amazing as they come.

The southern side was far easier to ride at speed with long, wide sweepers that offered great riding sights and allowed for a more moderate pace.

Big grins here, kids, big grins!

Adriatic chose a most marvelous hotel in the backcountry for lunch that day and we dined in old rooms with wide doors open and cooling breeze sliding down off the mountains.

I could have stayed there all afternoon but we had another 100 kilometers to go and our route would bring us directly into the black clouds and lightning that was now coming off the pass.

When the tempest hit, it hit fast with blinding rain, which segued into pummeling hail.

Discretion was indeed the better part of valor and our group pulled over, in mass, to seek shelter and stayed put for a good while until the skies lightened up. We still had some distance to go to the urban city of Pitesti and did our best to get there in short order, but the rains returned with a vengeance and riding into the poorly drained city we rode through the deepest puddles and water I have ever seen in a modern city as it must have rained inches in a short hour and the water had nowhere to go in a city with no real drainage.

Page 31

It was a mess. And I felt like Mike Nelson riding to my hotel. (Extra points for that reference) Unlike our other stops we were told Pitesti was just a town of convenience and necessity on our way to the Danube River and Bulgaria. But still the local hotel was warm, dry and comfortable that evening. We’re easy.

Pitesti to Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

As much as Pitesti was an industrialized urban area, the region just to the south heading toward Bulgaria, is Romania’s breadbasket and highly agrarian. With the peaks and clouds of the Carpathians slowly disappearing in our mirrors we rode in a dry and comfortable day as we made our way across the highest plains in all of Europe.

Row after row of various crops lined the road and fields of wheat stretched far into the distance.

We passed a few of the largest sunflower fields we had ever seen, just a few weeks shy of holding their yellows faces to the sky.

The road ran south through tight clusters of towns with old and young sitting on small benches outside their homes watching their world roll by.

I wondered what the old ones were thinking as we shot past. I knew what the young ones were thinking.

That’s why this part of Europe is losing thousands of citizens each year.

The internet has shown them the world outside this tiny territory and the young people want it.

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

As we got closer to the Danube River we began to spot large, almost eaglesize nests perched atop telephone and utility poles.

Massive things - they were home to the White Storks of Romania.

These migratory birds fly up to the river’s delta area along the Romanian border to nest and breed. They are rare these days but it would be hard to tell this, as we saw dozens of nests this day all packed with families of White Storks.

Add to this mess the fact that the bridge was down to one lane for construction and we had to lane split around massive Iveco and Man trucks just to shorten our crossing time from hours to more doable minutes.

This was not how I had pictured myself entering this country. Our peaceful float across this river had morphed into a scene from the new Mad Max film.

At the border station, marked in Cyrillic, they collected paperwork and then told us “Bike boys go to left.”

Our plan was to cross one of the world’s most famous and beautiful rivers on a small ferry at Zimnicea, but when we arrived at the dock we were told that the ferry lay across the Danube on the Bulgarian side with a failure of unknown origin. Basically, they said, it was broken.

One of the things you must be when traveling by bike is flexible and we went into Plan B, which entailed crossing over the river into Bulgaria about 40 miles east through the busiest commercial border crossings imaginable.

And we did and waited for them to let us into the country, which took a lot less time than I thought.

Now in Bulgaria we tried to make up for time lost as we charged toward the town of Veliko Tarnovo.

After the crossing, and a fairly rude fill up at the local Shell station, I was not sure what to expect of this Bulgarian town but the topography began to change with the river valley giving way to tall cliffs and soon we could see that Veliko Tarnovo was built into these cliffs.

Magnificent.

We found our hotel and quickly began exploring the town and walking through the historic section to get a view of the Tsarevets - the King’s Hill - which was the home of the rulers of Bulgarian’s Second Kingdom; a phenomenal high castle and church that is protected on three sides by cliff and walls running down to the Yantra River.

Dinner was found in this historic part of town and our hotel’s room overlooked the huge Four Horseman monument down below.

My mind had set itself on a certain way I thought this old post-communist nation would look, but by the end of that evening that paradigm had changed.

Welcome to the real Bulgaria, Brian.

Veliko Tarnovo to Plovdiv, Bulgaria

In 2019 Plovdiv will become the Cultural Capital of Europe. It is a very big deal.

I’ll tell you all about it… but first we had to get there this day, which would be the shortest day’s ride on the motorcycles for this tour.

The journey today would run through the Balkan Mountains, crossing them on the Shipka Pass. During the Russo-Turkish War a number of battles were fought atop this mountain pass in 1877 and 1878, with 5,000 Bulgarian volunteers taking part and fighting alongside the Czar’s Russian Army against the Turks. This area has been at war with each other on and off for centuries.

Give it time - it will happen again.

Today the Monument of Liberty is the national shrine that symbolizes liberation and freedom - the final birth of the Bulgarian nation and independence.

When we arrived the mountain ridge was shrouded in clouds, but a good wind moved them along and a few of us ventured up the stone stairs and then into the monument, which serves as a museum as well.

The paintings depicting the war were strong and reminded us, again, that the history of this magnificent part of the planet does have a deep and brutal past.

The ride down the south side of the Shipka Pass was most excellent, with the bikes settling in nicely along finely paved mountain sweepers.

We finished them way too quickly and a return ride was almost in order, but we needed to get to Plovdiv for

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 33 Then the Romans came. They built massive sports arenas and theatres here, some of which have just recently been unearthed.

The Roman arena was discovered when work was being done to some basements along the town’s center. It has now been incorporated into the modern city, with ancient and modern living in a wonderful harmony.

When do you get to have an affogato next to 1,800 year-old Roman ruins and then be allowed to go sit in seats that once beheld chariot races?

This happens in Europe everywhere we go. In the US they put you on the bus or behind a fence.

The Roman Amphitheater, which overlooks the city and has live performances during the summer months. The day we arrived the opera was having its opening gala.

We spent the entire afternoon walking around the older sections and then through the parks that were clean, full of young men and women doing what young people do, old men deep in complicated chess games and old grandmothers sitting chatting with each other about the young people kissing on the next bench. I tried to get Shira to sit on a bench and make out with me, but she said she had better plans.

Still, life was very good this day in Plovdiv. The Singing Fountains were magnificent and added a cooling breeze to the warm day and above all this, the giant statue of King Phillip kept watch on his city.

The city, its culture, both old and new, and its people have given the EU a real reason to give the city of Plovdiv this honor - Cultural Capital of Europe - in 2019, which it will keep for a period of one calendar year, during which it will hold a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension.

Plovdiv is already deep in celebration now… in 2015.

Plovdiv to Gallipoli, Turkey

lunch and to go explore the culture and history that has been recently found in this ancient city.

It seems that people have been in the Maritsa River valley for more than 6,000 years. The first real city was Thracian, but Phillip of Macedonia, Alexander the Great’s father, renamed it after himself – Philippoupolis – soon after he conquered it in 342 BC.

It seems that this tour, though it was doing a fine job of riding through some of the region’s incredible scenery, great peoples and deep culture, had highlighted some of its bloodiest forays as well. Vlad the Impaler, the Battles on Shipka Pass and this day we would ride to Gallipoli, one of the fiercest military campaigns in modern times.

We left Plovdiv an hour earlier than we had been getting on the road as we knew we would have about 430 kilometers to cover and have two border crossings, first in Greece and then into Turkey.

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Page 34 The ride this day was fast along good size roads that ate up the small towns and kilometers at a great pace. We had one small pass today, at Makaza, and not much later we were slowing down for the border crossing into Greece.

It was amazing how the topography seems to change with the nation’s names. Pine forest and hills gave way to sand, rock and olive trees and then the Aegean was to our right. We had ridden north around Romania and then south through Bulgaria, over a number of mountains ranges and passes and now found ourselves at the eastern arm of the Mediterranean.

In the bustling and built up town of Alexandroupolis (yes, named after ‘the Great’ one, son of Phillip who had his own city the night before – what, you thought the Bush and Clinton clans started this family dynasty crap?) we had a superb meal of octopus, shrimp and fresh Greek salad along the harbor and then carried on towards Turkey.

Greece economically imploded a week later.

We have crossed many, many borders before, sometimes with interesting results and stories, but going into Turkey was a tale unto itself. There were four separate checkpoints where we needed to produce papers, passports, registrations, rental agreements and the needed Turkish visa.

In truth we were through in good time, but it will be a crossing I will remember until the next ‘interesting’ one rolls into view.

As we rode down the peninsula of Gallipoli I could see the Dardanelles to my left. Connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara, it is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart, the Bosporus at Instanbul.

Ancient Troy was located here another war involving one particular woman (Helen), a siege and a giant wooden horse - the strait itself is almost river-like as it connects the seas. Further on the Bosporus has been bringing ships to and from the Black Sea for thousands of years. It is a strategic and important waterway; one of the most important in the world - historically and today.

It was also here, during the First World War, that Churchill, who was then the first Lord of the British Admiralty, put forward his plans for a naval attack on the Dardanelles to make their push against the Turkish Army, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in order to have a secure supply route to provide Russia with weapons. Atatürk would go on to lead the nation of Turkey, pushing for modernization to change Turkey from old Ottoman ways to a more secular, forward thinking nation.

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

It was during the Gallipoli Campaign that thousands of young New Zealanders and Australians went to war to support England. As we know this campaign was a fiasco and thousands died on both sides, but the losses hit especially hard with the Anzac troops.

This day I realized I was riding down Gallipoli with Colin ahead of me and Pete and Kris behind. It was especially humbling to be riding with these three Australians in this almost sacred place for the Aussie people.

Exactly 100 years after that bloody battle we rode through a deep and peaceful forest to a small hamlet up above the Anzac Monument knowing that a century before hell had indeed visited this region.

As I write these words, accompanied not by the sounds of guns, bombs and death, but with the cooing of doves, the crying of goats and the occasional rooster crowing filling the air. The mosque just had the afternoon adhān, the call to prayer, and all seems peaceful and wonderful here in Gallipoli.

It has been a long but fruitful day with breakfast in Bulgaria, lunch in Greece and dinner in Turkey; a good day indeed.

Our small bed & breakfast is owned by a cheerful Turkish family, and I am looking forward to an excellent Turkish meal this night and to see the solemn memorials when the next day begins before we push on to Istanbul.

Gallipoli to Istanbul, Turkey

The mosque and locals kept us in and out of sleep with the ‘wake up’ prayer call and what sounded like a drum march in the middle of the night, but dawn eventual came and after breakfast we left to take in the memorials of Gallipoli before ferrying across the Dardanelles and into something new for both Shira and I – Asia. This continent is vast, to be sure, but it does officially start somewhere and that somewhere is east of the Dardanelles.

As you would think a place like Gallipoli, where so much death and sorrow occured on both sides, should be traveled respectfully and that is what we did – Anzac Bay, the Lone Pine Memorial and the museum that had a well done multi-theater presentation showing the conflict from a more Turkish perspective.

I think some of our Aussie crew were not as pleased as they wished, but Gallipoli is in Turkey and they did triumph over the Allied forces in this campaign and history is always written by the triumphant.

We found lunch along the water and then took a short ferry, at Canakkale, onto mainland Turkey and the far western reaches of Asia, where the ancient city of Troy once stood.

Major Turkish roads, through acres of golden grains and green rolling hills, took us to another, far larger, ferry at Bandirma, which would take us across the Sea of Mamara and to Istanbul – once called Constantinople, changed in 1930 by Atatürk who was looking to bring Turkey into the modern world.

The ferry arrived as the sun was setting on this, the longest day of the year, and we rode along the harbor of Istanbul with the lights of the minarets of the Blue Mosque guiding our way to the almost colonial hotel (there were never any British colonies here) complete with a pool of Mississippi turtles in the lobby.

Why they were here I do not know but they did catch our attention each time we passed.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Two Free days in Istanbul … or is it still Constantinople?

Situated at the Bosporus Passage into the Black Sea Istanbul has been a crossroads and seat of world power for thousands of years. It has been the capital city of the Roman and Byzantine, the Latin, and the Ottoman empires.

It is a city of very deep history and has influenced mankind for millennia.

Attacked by barbarians, sacked by the Crusades, moved against by the British – its history is as deep as any other city in the world.

Adriatic MT had hired a guide for the day, a pleasant well-spoken Turk named Memetz who would spend the day escorting us around Istanbul and our first stop was Topkapi.

The Ottoman Empire and the Sultans have ruled most of the known world for centuries from the great Topkapi Palace, a place that conjures those images when ancient Turkey comes to mind.

Caravans and camels, harems and eunuch servants, turbaned men and veiled women moving to and from the palace on important business. Although standing in a modern city, Topkapi and the surrounding history that is so apparent in Istanbul still invoked these images.

Today the camels and horses have been replaced with autos and tramway, but the look, feel and flavor are still a world away from the United States.

Page 35 This palace was beyond impressive, as was the entire city, but Topkapi, which was once a palace and now museum, truly gives you a look back on the Ottoman history and how they changed, molded and influenced the world.

The Treasury Room was full of diamonds, rubies and emeralds, gem studded daggers and precious stones of a size that I only have dreamt and movies made about. Where was Maximilian Schell when I needed him?

The weapons room was equally impressive with hundreds of weapons from the Ottoman’s past and its conquests - especially one sword, from Hungary’s 14th century, that was easily over seven feet in length. Who and how someone could wield this was beyond us all.

The old kitchens, that would feed thousand at a time, rivaled anything in the world at the time and still were remarkable. This seat of power and the majesty that the Sultan commanded was nothing less than splendid and stunning.

We moved onto the famed Blue Mosque, impressive and dominating its part of a city that is ruled over by so many other structures.

Below the city we found the Yerbatan Sarnici – the Basilica Cistern – here hundreds of stone columns support a soaring roof of arches. The hidden unground chambers containing thousand of gallons of water that

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NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS the Romans once brought in along aqueducts nearly 2,000 years ago.

This cistern was one of the most mysterious and just plain interesting historical places we have ever been. These days, instead of perpetual darkness, it is artistically lit giving the arches an otherworldly look and truly must been seen in person. It would not do to miss time at Hagia Sophia which, with its huge doors, monstrous pillars, uncovered gilded mosaics and ancient feel, had set the standard here in Istanbul.

In a city of amazing buildings and structures the Sophia is, in my opinion, the most impressive by far.

You might as well spend a short time at the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, which in our mind reminded me of a bad day on Canal Street in lower Manhattan; we could pass on this one, though nearby we did get some great deals from one of the many spice sellers found near the bazaar.

Later that evening, the end of one of the longest days of the year and right in the middle of Ramadan, we sat atop the Armada Hotel roof café and listened to the day’s last call to prayer with an impressive view of the Blue Mosque lit in the night.

Day Two: The big Turk tossed me over onto my back and began to soap and scrub me in an almost militaristic manner. He was in charge, but it wasn’t what you might be thinking. His working English mostly consisted of “sit, lie down and roll over.”

Okay, Atatürk, take it easy on me.

Looking up I could see the sun burst forth from an earlier rainy day, the light making its way through the spherical holes cut into the domed stone ceiling some 40 feet above my head.

I thought about how many men have looked up at the radiance shining through this roof here at the 534 year old Cemberlitas Hamami – the famous Turkish Bath.

Just a couple hours earlier I had a friendly Turkish barber scrape away a few weeks worth of facial hair and beard with a straight-edge and now, while Shira was enjoying her Turkish massage, I was being manhandled like Notso Happy, my little yellow puppet pal.

It was like some bizarre Turkish version of spa day in the City of Oz! Rub, rub here,rub, rub there Whether you’re tin or bronze That’s how we keep you in repair In the merry old land of Oz… I could do this every now and again.

With a free night Shira and I made the best of our new found freshness (that wouldn’t last on the road for long) and found a comfortable seafood restaurant within ear shot of the Bosporus with Istanbul, in its ancient glory, behind us. Out on the waves the dolphins were putting on a show for us.

Tomorrow we’d be back on the bikes and heading north towards the Bulgarian border and the coast of the Black Sea.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Istanbul to Nessebar, Bulgaria

We fought our way out of Istanbul morning traffic, past the Bosporus and back into the Turkish countryside. We ate up the kilometers quickly along smooth tight two-lane thoroughfares, past the rolling hills littered with small, dusty towns and then along a wide and fast Turkish road heading up the mountains that line the border between Turkey and Bulgaria. This piece of pavement was fantastic and Turkey must have spent a gazillion on its creation. And, for all that money, it was missing one important thing. Traffic.

There was none as we made a quick paced best of that; remembering that we came here to ride motorcycles!

We stopped at a small family owned fish restaurant that served up some excellent trout, found at the end of a kilometer of hard packed gravel and well off the beaten path. Without Niko leading our pack, we surely would have missed this jewel.

We once again had to play nice with the ever persnickety Turkish border guards and then the Bulgarian customs began to search the bikes as well; only to give ours a pass when they saw Notso Happy and Pepe sticking out of the tank bag.

The boys got us through a hassle again as border officials seem to like these two.

On the Bulgarian side of the mountain it seemed that though Turkey had spent a King’s ransom on the road leading to the border, the Bulgarians, well not so much.

They most likely spent that money on tobacco. Everyone smokes here – even the dogs and cats.

Eventually the bombed out road ran easier and we vectored onto a new road, that was actually maintained, and made a beeline to the Black Sea coast.

Page 37 Heading into the seaside peninsular town of Nessebar my mind began to think nautical, oceanside, beach, bars and, of course as you would think, Soviet era fighter aircraft.

My eyes popped when I saw the MIG-21 on the side of the road, reminding me again that all this was run by the USSR not all that long ago.

Nessebar is extremely special, with its flair and feel and the fact that it is a UNESCO heritage site as well. Its archaeological sites are known world-wide and there was an excavation going on right outside our hotel that was shoehorned into this Black Sea community.

In fact walking around the small community, with its 16 small churches, they have done an exquisite job of building around the old Greek structures, which are all open to the public. As I had mentioned earlier in this part of the world you can actually live in your history, not just see it from behind a fence, from the seat of a bus or over the shoulder of some bureaucrat.

Nessebar to Kavarna, Bulgari

Today would be a short, uneventful jaunt north along the coast with an early afternoon arrival in the Bulgarian city of Kavarna.

Of course we would have none of that, and as soon as we got free of Nessebar I noticed the red warning light on the R 1200GS’ dash all lit up.

I was losing air in the rear and a quick look-see uncovered the wood screw embedded into the carcass.

If this was home it would have been a ten-minute operation with a Stop & Go kit, but my kit was back in NJ. But, a good guide is always prepared, and as such Niko dug into his tool wrap and came up with a Stop & Go tire repair kit of his own.

Fifteen minutes later and after topping off the tire at a local fuel station we were all on our way north along the Black Sea. The road, when not slowed by bus or pedestrian, was fairly quick; as were the stiff winds that were blowing along the shore this morning, bending both trees and motorcycles alike.

Zephyrs be damned we soldiered on making a long late morning stop along the beach coast and a Bulgarian Biker Bar called the Red Rock.

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Page 38

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS The owners, two burly guys who could have been called from Central Casting for Sons of Anarchy, came over – excited when we said we were from Australia and the United States. True brethren, they came back with Red Rock swag (bandanas and socks - I swear – I guess socks are an acceptable gift to strangers in these parts), two pitchers of cold Bulgarian beer and shots of tequila with fruit to wash Bulgarian brew down.

It was very nice but we begged off on the kind offering.

By early afternoon the Thracian Cliffs dominated the coastline, rising high, chalky and white along miles of this coast.

Our hotel for the night was a bit different from where we had been staying, as we took hold of a two bedroom, two and half bath suite at the famous Thracian Golf & Beach Resort – allegedly one of the world’s toughest golf courses – designed by American Gary Player. I wouldn’t know or care. We had other plans….

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Bikes parked early we could hear the beach, a hammock and a cold one calling.

In a place like this anybody could take the afternoon off from rough mountain roads, angry border guards and excitable eastern European drivers; and we did.

Karvarna to Tulcea, Romania

We had one more border crossing left in this Bucharest to Istanbul and back adventure and that was once again into Romania, which was a short ride north from our beach oasis at Karvarna.

This was done easily even though Happy and Pepe could not seem to get a smile from the young female guard heading into Romania. She and the Beretta on her hip seemed to be all business despite the youth, looks and skirted uniform.

The road turned inland from the Black Sea, near the city of Constanta, and we crossed the large canal, created by labor camps in the 1950s, that runs around the Danube’s Delta and straight to the Black Sea. We then entered the region known as Dobrogea, which showed itself as a wide vast plain that reached for miles. Here wheat, sunflowers and immense wind turbine farms flourished as they have for centuries (okay, maybe not the wind farms). The road was straight and fast with just the occasional curve, turn or bend to remind you that bikes can be a lot of fun.

By early afternoon we arrived at the port city of Tulcea, which was far more built up and modern than I had hoped (Re: crappy, dirty, post-communist). But, there was optimism for a bit of beauty, as this city sits at the mouth of the delta of the Danube River.

Some 1,800 miles long, no other river crosses or forms as many nations as Europe’s Danube.

Through ten nations and through four capitals, the Danube is one of the most famed waterways in mankind’s history. Here at Tulcea its delta creates a 2,200-square-mile wildlife reserve designated by UNESCO as a “Reservation of the Biosphere.”

A small boat was hired to take us around the delta for the rest of the day as we had just a few kilometers to go to our final stop on the road for this ride.

If you are into birds (and we are) you can find over 300 different species along the waterways, bogs, sand bars and little islands that make up this massive region which began forming over 10,000 years ago and continues to grow by 67 million tons of silt each year.

Nature quickly took back the river from the gritty city, and we powered into the heart of the delta for the rest of the day seeing thousands of birds of all types – cranes, pelicans and our favorite, the glossy ibis.

It was amazing to see so much nature, diversity and river here at Europe’s end. We also got a little extra treat as our skipper detoured a bit to the north and into the waters of the Ukraine. We’re not sure if that qualifies as tagging another nation on this trip - so we’ll leave that up to you guys to decide.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Back on the bikes we quickly made our way to a local nature resort right above the Danube for one last night on the road.

The sunset that evening was worthy of the delta and this last full day on the backroads of Eastern Europe. The next morning it would be a long ride back to Bucharest and we’d get an early start.

Tulcea to Bucharest, Romania

Our ride back to our starting point in Bucharest was a mixed day of small country routes and bigger Romanian highways.

The first half could have lasted all day as far as we were concerned, with hours of two-lane roadway that wound in a most pleasant fashion along the countryside with fine tree-lined pavement flanked with miles of sunflowers, wheat, corn, the ubiquitous wind turbines and many bee hives.

To our left we could see the small, yet very precipitous Macin Mountains, considered some of the oldest peaks in Europe.

Somewhere along the way we ran into the strong aroma of cilantro, with the herb permeating the entire region. We grow cilantro in our garden, but

Page 39 this was very, very strong stuff.

By early afternoon we were motoring along a busy highway and into the more urban outskirts of Bucharest, the capital.

We rode down the Victory of Socialism Boulevard (How’d that work for them?), lined with fountains and dominated by Ceausescu’s Palace at its end, before topping off the fuel tanks and parking the bikes for the last time at the Intercontinental Hotel that we had left fourteen days earlier.

Two weeks, some 3,500 kilometers, four nations, some of the most famous roadways on the planet, a step back into Ottoman times and a run up along the Black Sea coast had made this journey one of fascination, history and moto-fun.

Here, in the eastern edges of Europe, you will find a part of this planet that has seen so much history, both manmade and of the more natural kind.

From the age-old mountains, plains and river deltas to the Thracians and Greeks to the Romans and the Ottomans to the Communists that ruled the region with an iron and bloody fist for so much of the last century – we found a people and a land that was still shrugging off this yoke, but looking to the future, and a place of natural beauty and resources that has outlasted all the machinations of man.

Although maybe not on top of many American rider’s ‘bucket list,’ like the Alps or western parts of Europe, the east and the Baltic nations have a draw and allure all its own and many Americans can and will find their bloodline roots here.

I know Shira did and I was happy to ride along.

For more images from this trip, log on to our website: backroadsusa.com For more information on this and the other fine tours offered by Adriatic Moto Tours, log on to www.adriaticmototours.com.

Page 40

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

FIRST RIDE • 2016 BMW R 1200 RS words: Brian Rathjen Years back (so sad to say) my friend Marty called me to tell me he had bought his dream machine - a 1988 BMW R 100 RS. The bike was in Ohio, but he had no issues driving out with his wife Lauren to pick up and ride the bike home. Maybe it was Lauren who had no issues – Marty was already half way there.

All these years later Marty still has this treasure and while road testing the newest BWM incarnation to wear the RS name we even got the two machines to meet for lunch.

The new RS is powered by the same water-cooled Boxer Twin found in BMW’s popular R 1200 GS and R 1200 RT. We have spent thousands of miles riding this newest Boxer engine and each time we do we are more and more impressed.

Unfortunately for me, “impressed” with a new engine in a GS series machine most times leads to a raiding of the treasure room.

The R 1200 RS is nearly identical to R 1200 R, with the RS wearing a half fairing with a two-way adjustable windscreen for better aerodynamics at speed and a bit more protection from the elements.

They did a superb job with machine, as the new RS is a very attractive machine. The bike screams, power, rideability and fun. With the R 1200 RS, BMW has made sport-touring sexy again.

The super slick 6-speed, 125 horsepower, 1170cc, water-cooled engine rides on a new frame and is suspended

by BMW’s modern and compliant ESA suspension, this time around using conventional 45mm upside-down telescopic fork rather than the now familiar Telever front end. In the rear you will find EVO Paralever singlesided swingarm – both controlled by BMW’s Dynamic Electronic Suspension Adjustment system.

Up front the stopping power is managed by dual four-piston radial-mount calipers with 320mm discs and a single two-piston floating caliper on a 276mm disc handles the chore in the rear.

Weighing in at 520 lbs and having a seat height of 32.3 inches allowed for the machine to be comfortably piloted by our resident tiny person – Shira, who used it for our Backroads’ Fall Fiesta Rally putting on well over 1,200 comfortable miles over a few days.

The fuel cell holds 4.8 gallons and it had a range of just about 200 miles between fuel stops.

BMW has redone the intake and exhaust canister on the RS, now configured for a more solid low-end power.

With the new fly-by-wire throttles that abound today the BMW R 1200 RS has two riding modes, which come standard, “Road” and “Rain.” Automatic Stability Control is also standard, along with ABS, but there is also an optional Pro riding mode that includes “Dynamic” and “User” settings and Dynamic Traction Control. Dynamic Traction Control uses a banking detection sensor, whereas the base model arrives with Automatic Stability Control, which keeps both tires at the same speed to prevent slippage.

Our thought is go for it all and someday you will appreciate it.

Other options include Gear Shift Assist Pro system, which allows for clutchless shifting in, what BMW calls “relevant load and rev speed ranges.” We take that to mean don’t be foolish with this. Our R 1200 RS did not have this option which we found out in an abrupt way.

The gauges are thoroughly modern with today’s prevalent and, we think, far too much information in an LED form along with an analog speedometer. The keyless ignition rules.

BMW allows you to configure these gauges to your liking and the base package onboard computer will show total mileage, Trip 1 and Trip 2, range, outside temperature, engine temperature, average fuel consumption, average speed, date, oil level and tire pressure.

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015 We found it a bit hard to read on the road or maybe we just can’t see it without our reading glasses.

As with most BMWs, matched luggage are separate optional items for which you will pay extra, as are most of the packages that are available and most machines will come to the USA with these already on board.

The 2016 R 1200 RS will be available in two color schemes, a Lupin blue metallic/Light grey metallic with black frame and black-anodized brake calipers and a Granite grey metallic matte/Black storm metallic with an Agate grey metallic frame, gold-anodized brake calipers and engine spoiler. Both are nice, although we preferred the blue.

Since Shira did most of the riding on this one we’ll let her take over this First Ride from here…

When I first spied this new incarnation of the RallyeSport 1200 at the 2014/15 International Motorcycle Show in NYC, I made a direct beeline to see how it fit. While I thought I would prefer the minimalism of the R 1200 R, I was drawn to the sleek lines and sexiness of the RS. Throwing a leg over the saddle, I was pleasantly surprised to see that BMW had taken short-statured riders into account. I was looking forward to putting some miles on this machine.

Fast forward to Sept. 2015 and here I am, riding this beautiful piece of machinery. At first glance, it does appear quite long and, I assumed, it would be top-heavy like my previous R 1150 R. Quite the contrary, the weight and balance of the RS are very manageable for a person of my build. As a matter of fact, I played a game at every traffic light to see how long I could balance before touching a foot down.

Page 41 Also referring to the length, I assumed I would be stretched out like a dragracer but found the seating position to be quite comfortable. At first the sportbike orientation of the bars was a tad uncomfortable compared to the upright seating of my F 650 GS, but after putting on 1200 miles over four days, I altered my opinion drastically.

I was actually pretty upright, taking the weight off my wrists and kink out of my back.

The fairing, in either of the positions, was not quite right for my height, either pushing the wind directly into my faceshield at the low position or pushing my helmet back in the higher one.

If taking permanent residence in the garage, that would have to be changed.

With great pleasure, I found the saddle to be comfortable even after a 300mile day. It wasn’t until the last 25 that I found myself squirming just a tad, and I think that was due to the heat and not the seat.

As for the ride itself, I found the powerplant to be very responsive and, like an unbroken stallion, wanting to go, go, go at every twist and turn. With a claimed horsepower of 125 @ 7,750 rpm and 92.0 lb-ft torque@ 6,500 rpm, the roll-on is quick and it handled the tight twisties and gentle sweepers of West Virginia with great aplomb.

The smooth, sleek ride is only accentuated by the RS’ clean lines and pure sexiness of its design. Adding to that sultriness is the throaty exhaust note, which purrs like a baby tiger. The last time I had a BMW test machine on one of our rallies, I ended up taking it home permanently. I would not be disappointed if this happened again. ~ Shira Kamil

Page 42

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

MORPHING THE DAY-TO-DAY YAMAHA FZ8 INTO A SPORT-TOURER

SHAD SIDE / TOP CASE AND COMFORT SADDLE Reviewed by Billy Rallis My standard Yamaha FZ8 is a fantastic machine. Light, great powerband and riding position – but the machine has its drawbacks.

The saddle was a rock and other than strapping bags onto it and the tank bag, carrying day-to-day items or touring more than a few days was problematic.

With the addition of a new bride, I knew I needed to either move to a different machine or upgrade the FZ8. I choose the latter.

After searching around a bit I came across the SHAD Company that has been making quality luggage and accessories for various machines for years.

Yamaha uses SHAD for their standard luggage on their Super Tenere’.

After a bit of consultation I made the plunge and ordered both side case and a top case. They also offered a replacement “Comfort Seat” for the Yamaha so I went for that as well.

When it all arrived brackets were carefully laid out and instructions read twice.

Installation went fairly easily and in a few hours the once street-wise naked machine had been transformed into what would be a cross-country road warrior.

I chose the SH39 Top Case; this SHAD trunk features the Press Lock system for quick release and an integrated carrying handle making it a breeze to handle off the bike.

Holding a full 39 liters it can easily carry lighter stuff that I didn’t mind having high on the back behind my passenger.

Unlike so many other systems, with SHAD’s you can open and close their bags securely without the use of a key.

You can lock it when you wish, but do not have to turn off the bike and remove your keys to get into this case. A big plus for me. You can easily match up the locks on all your SHAD luggage for the ease of one key use.

Depending on your machine and color scheme you can easily change color panels on this case to make it match many different rides. These interchangeable color panels are available in most of their product line.

The side cases were their new SH 36 model. Extremely light weight, aerodynamic and very durable, these water-poof side bags matched the top case and the Yamaha well, offering me plenty of room for a week’s worth of gear for both my passenger and me. In fact it is large enough to hold an XL fullface helmet. Going for the optional Liner Bags for the SH36 was a good choice as they fit perfectly and add a bit more security for all your gear. They also allow you to leave the bags on the bike if you like.

The designers in Barcelona, Spain have said, “From the early phase of product design and conception, engineers and designers at SHAD have sought to combine performance and functionality. Keeping this in mind, we developed a totally new and different side case.”

And, they have. The new 3P Mounting system is elegant, simple and strong allowing for removal and installation in mere seconds. The case’s framework itself is part of the success of the SH36 luggage.

This framework makes this case waterproof. It includes a double profile and a pyramidal rubber edging within, thus becoming a maze for water, which is directed to the base, where the gutter efficiently drains it. In addition, the structural framework increases rigidity, allowing optimization of the ma-

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 43 terials used. As a result, the SH36 is the lightest of its market segment.

The final part of this rebirth was a real no-brainer, especially when riding for long stretches at a time – the SHAD Comfort Seat.

These saddles are built from the ground up using the latest of material and comfort technology. Nothing of the stock seat is used and the research that went into each of these Comfort Seats is very impressive.

The main innovation is the 3D MESH technology, a bielastic foam placed between the base and the polyurethane cushion to increase the feeling of comfort.

These seats do not use gel solutions that are deformed as time passes and are sensitive to temperature changes.

SHAD’s 3D MESH technology guarantees hours of travel without losing its shape; it absorbs vibrations and dampens the rebound, as well as offering more elasticity and resistance.

We can attest that the difference was day and night.

Where the stock saddle would become “irksome” and cause pressure points along my posterior, the SHAD Comfort Seat eliminates all of these issues. My riding partner is all smiles too and that is always a good thing.

With one afternoon’s work and one company I was able to morph my FZ8 into a competent sport-tourer which has now moved its home from New York to Los Angeles in a far easier way than it would have been possible before.

The SHAD SH39 Top Case lists for $176, the SH36 Side Cases for $469 and the Comfort Seat for $399.

Prices vary from machine to machine and brackets to mount vary as well.

All this money was well spent to turn my naked machine into a fully dressed long distance rider.

See your local SHAD dealer of visit

www.shadonline.com.

Page 44

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING

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Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

12 • Free photos with Santa. from 11am-3pm at Bergen County Harley-Davidson.

124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharley.com

OCTOBER

19 • Free photos with Santa. from 11am-3pm at Bergen County Harley-Davidson.

124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharley.com

25 • Motorcyclepedia Museum hosting the Chocolate Expo • 11am-7pm. One of the largest chocolate events in the U.S. and offers tastings and sales of chocolates, baked goods, specialty foods, gelato, cheeses, wines and more trhom 35-80 vendors. Tickets and vendor listings available at www.thechocolateexpo.com. 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • 845-569-9065

FEBRUARY 2016 12-14 • Timonium Motorcycle Show, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. For full details please visit www.cycleshow.net or call 410-561-7323

31 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Halloween Spooktacular featured world-famous Voodoo Chili, candy for the kids and so much more. 12 W Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 • www.LibertyHarley.com

NOVEMBER 7 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson Battle of the Choppers. FREE ENTRY. Sign-in: 10:30am-noon • trophies at 2pm. FREE BBQ and music. Trophies for Best Rigid, Best Custom and Best in Show. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • www.bergenharley.com • 27-28 • Black Friday and Orange Saturday at Liberty Harley-Davidson. Great savings without the hassle of the malls. For full info visit www.libertyharley.com. 12 W. Milton, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 27-28 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson Black Friday + Orange Saturday. Beat the crowds and get what you want and need. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201843-6930 • www.bergenharley.com

GR

OTO ADVE N TU M K R EE

ES

6 and 10 day tours of the Peloponnese 8 day Exploratory tours Custom Tours Available Incredible riding, eating and people Book your tour today!

28 • Cross Country Powersports Fall Open House, 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ • 732-635-0094 • www.crosscountrypowersports.com

DECEMBER 11-13 • Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® returns to the Javits Center in NYC. View hundreds of the latest motorcycles, gear, parts, accessories and more. Visit www.motorcycleshows.com for details and tickets. The folks from Backroads Magazine will have a booth, handing out magazines and shaking hands.

12 • Ride the Bus to the IMS with Bergen County Harley-Davidson. $35 gets you a

Contact: Vasilios Rallis 718-730-5220

www.greekmotoadventures.com

BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 45

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

Route 739 • Dingmans Ferry, PA • 570.828.1920

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

American • Metric • Sport • Parts & Accessories • Award-winning Service • Performance Work • Dyno Tuning • S&S Pro Tuning Center • Power Commander Tuning Center

JDS CYCLE PARTS EST. 1988

247 W. Westfield Ave, Rosell Park, NJ

908-245-2445

NOW ACCEPTED FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS NEW • GIFT • RENEWAL SAFE • SECURE • CONVENIENT

WWW.BACKROADSUSA.COM/SUBSCRIPTION.HTML

Page 46

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Touring North Central Virginia?

Then ride on over to the NEW Comfort Inn & Suites in Orange

The newest motorcycle-friendly hotel closest to Skyline Drive… just 30 miles away!

15% Discount to all Motorcyclists

Moto-Inn Approved Tell ‘em Backroads sent you!

Motorcyclist Owned & Operated Large indoor heated pool and spa • Free deluxe hot breakfast buffet Microwaves + fridges in every room • Large rooms + suites available

Comfort Inn & Suites 334 Caroline St (James Madison Hwy), Orange, VA 22960 540-672-3121 • www.comfortinn.com/hotel-orange-virginia-VA657

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION MAKES A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT Get BACKROADS delivered to your home

EVERY MONTH! Just fill out the simple form and mail it along with payment to:

Backroads, PO Box 317, Branchville, NJ 07826 First Class Postage $40/12 issues • Delivered in a sealed, protective envelope

We accept checks via mail and credit cards on our website thru PayPal www.backroadsusa.com/subscription.html NAME ________________________________________________________ ADDRESS ______________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP__________________________________________________

Don’t Miss An Issue! Mail Your Subscription in TODAY! If you have moved, please use this form to inform us of your change of address ❏ New Subscription

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BACKROADS • NOVEMBER 2015

Page 47

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

The Riverton

Tues. thru Sat. 11am-10pm Sunday: Breakfast 9am-Noon Lunch and Dinner served until 9pm

Travel along the scenic backroads of the Delaware river.

Meet the Markopoulos family and taste chef George’s Greek American cooking.

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF Fire Pit • Free WiFi Cooked-to-order Breakfast Heated Pool • BYOB

Best bar menu, lunch or dinner.

Fresh poppers, perogies, calamari, clams and crispy wings with 8 different sauces.

We welcome everyone from a lone rider to a full chapter

John, Christina, chef George and Eoanna welcome you and your friends.

The Riverton Hotel and Restaurant

Member of

344 Route 100, West Dover, VT www.BigBearsLodge.com 802-464-5591

At Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com Worth the ride from anywhere!

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983 Member of

Riverside Cafe & Lodge, nestled on the Beaverskill River in Roscoe, NY CIA-trained chef • Motel rooms and cabins • Free wi-fi Excellent base location to explore the lower Catskills

NOW AVAILABLE Barbeque Catering Flexible • Affordable Ready When You Are 320 Front Street, Belvidere, NJ • 908-475-2274 • www.thisilldous.com

Open Daily for Breakfast and Beyond • 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday

‘50s-Style Drive-In Restaurant Full and Varied Menu Room for the Whole Gang Take an autumn ride to the country - join us at

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING Located at Ross’ Corners • 1 Route 15 • Augusta NJ • 973-300-2300

www.chatterboxdrivein.com

The Boat House Restaurant Perfect in Any Season Brunch, Lunch or Dinner on Swartswood Lake

Excellent Ride Destination

Tues-Sun 11A-9P Brunch 10A-2P Closed Monday Call for Seasonal Hours

1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood NJ 973-300-0016

Riverside Cafe & Lodge • 16624 Cty Hwy 17 • Roscoe, NY • 607-498-5305 www.riversidecafeandlodge.com • GPS: 41°58’09”N • 75°01’32.6”W

lley’s Hudson Va ne Riding Number O t Restauran Barbeque W North 1076 Route 9 mery, NY Fort Montgo

oute 9W icturesque R Located on P Perkins Drive minutes from State Park and Harriman Point historic West just south of

845-446-0912 rmerbbq.com www.barnsto

Celebrate the Season with some awesome barbeque!

If you go home hungry it’s your own fault

Page 48

NOVEMBER 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

Sussex Hills Ltd. Stocking a full line of heated gear Make your riding season last all

973-875-2048

Specializing in Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Supplies • Cycle Tires Mounted & Balanced • Batteries & Hard Parts • Dynojet 250 Dyno available for testing

Norman Gross 946 Rte. 23 South For All Your Harley-Davidson Needs Since 1976 Sussex NJ 07461 Our Reputation Speaks for Itself 3 miles north of Sussex Borough

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS DAYTONA, BIKETOBERFEST, STURGIS AND BEYOND

BARN TRAILERS

SALES 718-426-7039 • www.barntruckrental.com RENTALS 57-05 BROADWAY • WOODSIDE NY 11377 (OFF THE BQE & LIE)

Come Ride the Dragon Deals Gap

318 Curves in 11 Miles

www.dealsgap.com 800.889.5550 17548 Tapoco Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771

Deals Gap Store Motel Bar and Grill

O’TOOLE’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON

®

Serving New York’s Hudson Valley for 40 years Factory Trained Service • New Model Sales Genuine Harley-Davidson® Parts and Accessories Conveniently located near the areas of Monticello, Middletown, Ellenville, Montgomery, and Walden

4 Sullivan St • Wurtsboro, NY 845-888-2426 • www.OToolesHD.com

Keep the Adventure in your Travel

1190 Adventure R Jack-Of-All-Trades among

Travel Enduro Bikes

1190 ADVENTURE 1290 SUPER ADVENTURE dealer

ONLY Full Line KTM Dealer in the tri-state area

www.HanoverPowersports.com 210 Route 10 West East Hanover, NJ 973-428-1735

DRESS FOR THE ADVENTURE

Follow Us on Instagram

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Watch Us on YouTube

Watch Us on YouTube Like Us on Facebook Like Us on Facebook

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

www.HanoverPowersports.com

Out of the shadows and into adventure 2016 Honda CRF1000L Africa Twin

Take the road less travelled with either the

NC700X or the

CB500X

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 honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. NC700X, CB500X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)