October 2015

OCTOBER

2015

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure Volume 21 No. 10

New England Loop FIRST RIDE ON BMW R1200 RT YAMAHA FJ-09 AND FZ-07 BACKROADS’ 200 AND TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME RIDES GREAT AUTUMN DAY AND WEEKEND TRIP IDEAS

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E 30

MO NT HLY C O L U M NS FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................6 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................8 ON THE MARK ....................................................9 BACKLASH ........................................................10 INDUSTRY INFOBITES .....................................13 BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................16

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............25

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors

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

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826

WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................19 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................22

Publishers

44

phone

973.948.4176

fax

973.948.0823

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN ...............................47

online

www.backroadsusa.com

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ............................48

Advertising

973-948-4176

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................53

FE AT U RE S NEW ENGLAND LOOP ....................................30 BACKROADS’ 200 AND BASEBALL RIDE ......44

MOTO R C YCL E R E V I E WS 2015 BMW R1200 RT .......................................37 2015 YAMAHA FJ-09 AND FZ-07 .....................40 HARLEY-DAVIDSON PROJECT LIVEWIRE......43

PR O DU C T R E V IE W S PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS & REVIEWS .......49-52 2015-16 PROGRESSIVE IMS TOUR .................50

37

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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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN The Curse of The PaCe Years back a very talented rider and writer named Nick Ienatsch penned a piece that was published in Motorcyclist magazine that is considered, by many, as one of the single most influential editorials done on riding motorcycles safely. I agree.

I remember reading The Pace, along with so many other riders at the time, and thinking, “Yep, this guy has this pegged. What he just said!”

They were literally words to live by.

You can find it on-line here: www.motorcyclistonine.com/pace.

Please read it - but, this is my column, so back to my drivel.

Although I strive consistently to become a more confident, alert and skilled rider, I am confident I will always be a work in progress.

Striving to be a better motorcyclist is part of the riding experience, is it not?

This article you’re reading now has nothing at all to do with the famed and more meaningful ‘The Pace’ and more to do with a phenomenon that Shira and I seem to run into all the time.

Although we’d like to think we are moving along stirringly and doing things correctly and at the right time, ala Mr. Ienatsch’s ‘The Pace,’ we seem to constantly find ourselves stymied by one thing - again and again and again.

The pace….car.

Like some yellow flagged NASCAR race from hell we persistently end up riding directly behind some sedan piloted by what sometimes looks to be

just the top of a hat peeking over the driver’s seat – Stetson, Homburg or Pillbox.

These drivers all have the single-minded goal of slowing the entire world down to a crawl.

I used to believe this would happen just on Sunday mornings when the faithful get into their cars (that have sat quietly in a garage for the week while they took the train to work) and head off to their house of worship. There is a reason we call them Sunday Drivers.

Saturday is usually full of errand-doers doing… well, errands. Don’t blame the Jews this day, ‘cause they be walking.

It seems nowadays it’s infrequent that we are riding with a clear road in front of us.

Nope, there is usually, more often without fail, some car driver doing some 10+ mph under the posted speed limit. These people will snail-pace along and look in their mirrors about as much as a group of Harleys up at Americade.

If the road is really magnificent there will surely be more than one driver in this parade – a caravan of cluelessness.

But, my pace car problem seems to have gotten bigger than just the Sunday driver and now encompasses all the days of the week.

We have also become equal opportunity abusees, seemingly tasked to be ill-treated by any and all drivers regardless of age, sex or ethnicity.

It is impossible to bring this issue up without hitting on the texters.

Once the secure domicile of the post-pubescent girl, it has now been opened up to all sizes and shapes of oblivious idiots.

Worse (and I can not believe I am saying this), at least kids know ‘how’ to text and do it fairly quickly. OMG, anyone over 50 that is texting might as well attach a 30mm gun to their car and start firing at the oncoming traffic.

After a recent ride we were discussing how we believe the CIA or NSA is (Continued on page 15)

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL IndIan summer For those of us who have chosen the northeast portion of this beautiful country to call our home and have devoted a major portion of our lives to riding these invigorating and enticing two-wheeled machines of joy, we are on the cusp of the most horrific time of the year. Those who can escape the dreaded doldrums of hibernation, or at least find some other equally as stimulating activity to pass the white and wintery time, can count themselves blessed. Perhaps you have a project bike upon which to lavish your now-free time usually spent on exploring mystery roads, country lanes and empty byways. Lucky you.

But, fear not fellow riders, that most despicable of times is not here yet. We can still bask in the warmth of the waning summer days and remember all the wonderful miles that have passed under our tires during the previous six months.

Personally, autumn is my second best time to ride, with spring coming in at the top of the list. They would be equal were it not for the soggy fallen leaves littering the otherwise pristine paths I prefer to travel. Gone are the stifling temperatures and fetid humidity sapping the moisture from my body, replaced by cool, if not chilly, mornings and pleasant, though shorter, riding days. Out comes the heated gear (although it always accompanies me) and extra layers to cure those late afternoon rides when the sun has set.

You’ll find a number of great ideas for fall adventures in these pages. If you can get away mid-week, you can avoid the annoying weekend leaf peepers, with their constant stopping for country stores and antique shops. More likely than not, these urban hipsters will stick to the main roads such as Route 7 and 100, so take advantage and explore those alternative tracks.

According to Wikipedia, Indian summer is a period of unseasonably warm, dry weather that sometimes occurs during late-September to mid-November

after a killing frost. I’d prefer the latter, as October is such a wonderful month to take some long rides. With the lack of rainfall we’ve had in August, I’m not sure what the color show will be among the changing leaves, but I do know that heading north after Labor Day will offer you better choices, and rates, in lodging, no waiting for tables at restaurants and no crowds in the usually summer-packed waterfront villages.

Where planning a ride north along the coast would bring a cringe in July, come October it’s a breeze. It’s also a great time to head to the mountains, be it Catskills, Adirondacks, White or Green, before the ski and snowboard crowd take over the lodges. While it’s always exciting to be in Lake George during Americade with thousands of other riders, enjoying the village, lake and fairly empty roads on a quiet October weekend can be an entirely different experience, as is the case further north in New Hampshire. How about spending the day meandering along the fingers of Maine and ending it with a delicious lobster dinner on the water after the sun sets.

Then there’s all the great riding to the south, where late summer temperatures are still lingering and the amazing roads of West Virginia and Virginia are just begging you to run your rubber over them. If you happen to pick a path along the coast, remember that October in northern Virginia is Oyster Festival time. One of my favorite spots to park the bike is Chincoteague, VA during Columbus Day weekend to partake in their Oyster Festival. While the riding is not the greatest along that part of the coast, it could serve as a good starting point to head inland, perhaps toward the quaint town of Wytheville, VA, exploring the waterways and farmlands as you go. Should you choose this path, make sure you stop at Sting-Rays in Cape Charles, as seen in this month’s Great All American Diner Run. From Wytheville, you can retreat north, back through the changing seasons and along some of the finest asphalt you’ll find on the East coast.

So don’t fret, for even as the Winter Witch is pointing her broom in our direction, some of the best riding is still to come. Look past that first blast of chill in the air and embrace the warmth of Indian summer, whichever direction you choose to take.

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD The RighT PlacemenT There I was, staring into my computer (the way you do), and wasting time without realizing it. A conversation was taking place on the web, and there were a variety of fascinating opinions flashing back and forth (the way they do), and the conversation was especially heated as this was a special interest forum where opinions shoot around like meteors. The subject was product placement in motion pictures, which of course is that practice where a manufacturer of something pays the film company to have their product on screen so people will see it and somehow associate it with George Clooney (noted actor and motorcyclist). This is a fascinating subject, disturbing in many ways but interesting in the way what we see on screen may help determine the products we ultimately select, even on a subconscious level.

I mention this because I know the successful summer film Mission Impossible: the Budget Explodes (or what ever the current issue of the franchise is called) had action scenes contained within, and some of these thrilling bits of live and computer generated stunts involve late-model motorcycles. I have not seen this cinema, but the bike stuff in the trailer I viewed told me a tale of high excitement and cool stuntery; the kind that can make the viewer long to possess and control such a devilishly awesome machine. I have no idea if any motorcycle product placement was done in this film, but the trailer reminded me of a previous Mission movie that did have help from Triumph, because I did an article on the company that arranged it at the time. As a result some Triumphs were seen doing some wild stunts, and this was definitely noticed by many members of the audience.

Seeing as how popular culture is all-powerful, I can’t help but think about how the images on the screen play on the non-riding public’s view of motorcycles and the people that ride them, regardless of the context of the film’s story. The basic long distance touring rider is not usually tossed in with hired killers on sport bikes from an image standpoint, but I’m always curious as to how people are treated by the people in cars we are forced, forced mind you, to share the road with. Has anything changed for better or worse recently, or are things basically the way they have always been and the various images in popular culture have had little or no real effect? And, are motorcycles doing incredible things on public roads, even if it’s only a movie, good or bad for the perception thing? In addition to the dramatic renderings there’s been, almost at strangely regular intervals, some news stories putting motorcyclists in a bad light here in the Northeast. True, they often counter this stuff with the ubiquitous “bikers with a cause” pieces that give some time to charity rides, but which kind of story do casual viewers pay more attention to?

In my personal experience this summer I have seen little to no change lately in terms of how I’m regarded when I show up at a dining establishment dressed for the road. I should point out that I usually don’t frequent places these days that are popular two-wheeled hangouts, for my cuisine choices are often off the beaten track and I like to put a motorcycle in a parking lot where you don’t typically see them, to help balance out the universe. I know, weird, right? It’s just another in a serious of bizarre quirks. Typically these days I am reacted to in the same way it’s always been: some people initially notice my mode of transportation and attire, and then go about their business.

Am I regarded differently than perhaps a Harley rider sans helmet, and covered with the beloved manufacturer’s logo and such? Hard to say. I honestly don’t think so. But motorcyclists of every stripe aren’t exactly uncommon (Continued on page 15)

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

ON THE MARK MARK ByERS sIghTs “Chew, if only you could see what I’ve seen with your eyes!”

Roy Batty in Blade Runner You never know what you’ll see when you ride a moto. A ride is a film of vast scope and constant action. The plot twists in concert with the road and with no roof pillars to obstruct one’s view, the world is a stage on which your ride is acted. A motorcycle ride devoid of the panoply of visual experiences would be mere transportation. Allow me to let you see through my eyes for a moment.

At a bicycle race in Pennsylvania on a hot summer day with the clearest of blue skies, three women broke from the field while I watched from the moto. Suddenly, two small birds came down and flew in a tight circle around them for perhaps ten seconds, and then they were gone. It was extraordinary: I felt as if they’d blessed those women in some way – as if those birds laid garlands around their heads. If I hadn’t been on a motorcycle at exactly the right time, I wouldn’t have seen it and would not have been blessed with the vision.

Within five miles of Backroads Central, Betsy and I saw a black bear. It waddled out of a field and came into the middle of the road to stand and look at us out of mild curiosity. Apparently satisfied we were neither threat nor meal, the bear disappeared into the woods again. The irony of the matter is that we’d just returned from a two-week trip to New England and hadn’t seen a moose or bear, but we saw the latter in New Jersey. The bear holds a special place in Native American mythology, as a directional guardian and symbol of strength and healing.

Black bears certainly seem to be our guardian animal, for they’ve figured in our rides on two other occasions.

The first was when we saw a bear while on our way across the Highland Scenic Highway in West Virginia on a chilly, rainy day en route to the BMW rally in Charleston. We arrived in town in rain and darkness after successfully negotiating a dangerous railroad crossing that downed a few other riders in the daylight.

We saw a bear again the first time we ever rode with Brian and Shira, on winding Route 12 along the Lochsa River near Orafino, Idaho. That trip was the genesis of my writing career with Backroads. I doubt those bears would have figured in our lives at all had we not become motorcyclists.

Because of motorcycling, I’ve seen the moon rise over the fast current of the Salz River in Austria and the snow fly over the Eagle’s Nest in the Bavarian Alps.

I’ve looked down on the winding road from atop the Grossglockner Glacier and up at the Jungfernsprung Waterfall in the valley below. I’ve seen the sun rise on the nation’s capitol and set on Madison, Wisconsin, all in the same day. I’ve seen perfect, colorful wooden fishing vessels plying the blue Atlantic from atop the heights of the Cabot Trail in northern Nova Scotia.

Most importantly, fellow riders, I’ve seen you. Without the people I’ve encountered along the way, the sights would just be part of an inhumane, dystopian reality – a motorcycling Cormac McCarthy novel. Without the conversations with the Micmac Indians at the overlook, that Nova Scotian view would have been less rewarding. Without fellow Backroads rally attendees, Vermont’s Mount Ascutney would have been just another vista. It took me a while to discover the need for people; I used to try to shoot landscapes unadulterated by humans, and besides being frustrated as hell, I came to realize that I was losing one of the most important parts of the picture: the actors!

Page 9 Were it not for those three cyclists, the presence of the birds would have been meaningless and without context.

Without my fellow riders, my life and my destinations would be similarly bereft. Sure, there’s a big world out there full of mystery and wonder and beauty, but if there’s no one with whom to share it, to whom we can describe it, then it might as well be a cave painting no one ever sees. I might have never seen C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate like Roy in Blade Runner, but I’ve seen amazing things from my moto.

And when I talk to you at a rally, dear reader, I see things through your eyes as well.

And if only you could see the things I’ve seen through your eyes.

Ride on.

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

BACKLASH

Letters to the Editor

Brian and Shira; So far these past 20 years have been a sensational ride. Where the hell does the time go? Thank you both so much for the many (many) friends made, places seen and great times had solely because of you two. Looking forward to the next 20.

Love you guys - The Bellantones

How much fun was our Backroads 200 Backroads Crew, The Backroads 200 route allowed us to stop at Bethel Woods on the 46th Anniversary weekend of Woodstock.

We then continued on our route and stopped at the Cafe Devine in Callicoon where we met many fellow touring friends and were entertained by a duo singing original songs.

Graham Sampson Hi Brian/Shira, Thank you for the fantastic route you put together for the Backroads TriState Road Tour today. I was the guy on the black Concours with a blue jack.

I enjoyed every mile of it, including the bumps in a couple of sections.

Looking forward to the next event.

Ben Otunu Dear Backroads, Just wanted to say thank you to everyone involved with the planning of that amazing ride. I enjoy riding aimlessly and finding new places to ride but

I would never have found half those roads. Whoever did the pre-run has a gift for finding some beautiful views.

Now I need to seriously consider a touring bike because I ran my Ninja 250 like a race bike to keep up but still couldn’t have ended the day with a bigger smile on my face.

Best wishes to all on your next ride. Stay safe and thanks again.

Sincerely, David Mooney Hi Ya Shira - Hi Ya Brian, You’ve heard the old saying,”Great Day in the Morning!” maybe? Well, I gotta tell ya the ride today turned out to be a great day in the morning, afternoon and evening. Left you all, had a nice ride back to Roscoe, had a bite at the diner and proceeded on into Rockland. Got to the house, lacked a few miles of having 400. Up the road we went, back down the road, around the door yard twice and hit an even 402. Yes! So-A Great Big Good on You Guys for getting us involved in such good shenanigans. You’ll have to come up with another reason for a ride like this one and the one a few years ago.

I must say people in general need to get their collective heads out of their collective butts when they besmirch the State of NJ. You live in a truly beautiful area; reminds us of the central part of Ohio where it’s all rolling hills and farm land with some good twisties in the mix.

Again, Good on You! From Upstate, - Sindee Lou Hey Backroads, Great route and it loaded perfectly into the Garmin 590 and the Sena was working to the end. 6 hours and 15 minutes with a brief fuel stop. PA really let their roads go to hell. You need an MRAP to ride some of those roads. It was good to see the paparazzi coming off the Dingman Bridge. Thanks for a great day.

Tom Deming

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015 Great ride today! Including the ride down & back- 300+ miles. Thanks for doing this for us!

Tony Lisanti What a great day for a great route! Had a blast!

Jeff Palmer Great ride today. Great Friends. Great Weather. Thank you.

Lisa Mutchler Shira and Brian, As always - just a great ride and great day. Thanks!

Rick Mickles Hey Brian & Shira, Great to see you guys yesterday! Sorry we had to run but we had to get back. We headed over to the Bear Mountain Bridge and then to the Taconic Parkway home to Long Island. No traffic to speak of, not even at the Throgs Neck Bridge. We got home about 8:30pm with 460 miles on the clock. Great day and ride but sorry we didn’t get to spend some time together.

We wanted to thank you guys for another great day of roads, scenery and friends. The route was great and kept us in the shade most of the day. We have missed several events in the last year or so but it was such a pleasure to take part in this event. And of course hanging out with the great group of people who come to these events is just an added bonus.

Thanks again!

Mike & Lisa Hoffman Hi Backroads , I just wanted to say thanks for one of the best riding days I’ve had in a long time. Started off with a nice ride to get off Long Island, meeting everyone at Yetters for breakfast then doing the 200 Tri-State miler, finally heading home. We went the long way just to keep the day going, finished with a total of 450 miles, great day thanks again.

Ed MCaughey (retired)

FRONTLINE

EUROSPORTS

In the heart of some of the best roads in the U.S including the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Plan your Fall adventure with us as a pitstop.

Frontline Eurosports now carries the full line of Ducati motorcycles in addition to BMW and Triumph.

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

Page 11 Folks, It’s been a while since we have seen our good friends George and Mary Berry, so I called them and asked if they wanted to go for a ride. George already had a ride in mind he saw in Backroads magazine years ago. After contacting the good folks at Backroads, trying to come up with the ride George found it in a box of old issues of Backroads magazines. It is called The Lost Roads of Northern New Jersey. I plugged it in to my GPS and went on the ride today, very nice roads. Spent some time at Milbrook Village in the shade as it was really hot. Saw a friend there taking shelter from the sun with some of her riding mates.

As we were headed back to the Chatterbox, where we started, we ended up behind another motorcyclist at a red light. It was Shira Kamil feorm Backroads. Thanks George and Mary for the nice afternoon and to Backroads for the ride idea.

James Scabet Jr. I saw in this month’s Backroads Magazine there was a bit on Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe. I don’t know if the writer is aware, but recently a group has purchased the site and is working to turn it into a museum.

Since the picture in the magazine, the site has been cleared, landscaping installed and a statue of Nikola Tesla is prominently displayed at the entrance.

Melanie Theisen

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Feldercarb?

Dear Editor, From memory, not Google...Feldercarb was used in the original Battlestar Galactica series as a mild swear word, usually used when expressing frustration at a difficult situation. PS: really enjoyed the 200 the other weekend!

Regards, Susan Mason

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS Dear Backroads, Thank you so much for sending me a copy of the magazine “Riding out of Summer”. It was a great article. You will be receiving an invitation to some upcoming press events to take the next step in celebrating our progress on this exciting site. Thanks again for visiting the site and for supporting our project efforts in your September 2015 edition.

Michelle Bruner Mantua Township Economic Development Coordinator

Backroads, First I want to say, Shira glad to hear you’re OK! Second Feldercarb! If my brain serves me correctly - Battlestar Galactica (Starbuck?)

Gina Dedrick Shira, You will live longer if you uses a little less throttle. Horizontal motorcycling is not a good thing.

Tom Deming

Got something to say?

We’d love to hear it.

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Well, Tom. we give her credit for being honest with her readers. She logs more miles than some riding groups. She is a rider, not a putter. Her mistake was not reading the environment as quickly as she could have and she said as much, hopefully passing on a very painful lesson.

Brian, First off, so sorry to hear about Shira’s spill. That stinks! I certainly hope she recovers quickly and fully! I know she’s a lot younger than me and in much better condition but I know 1st hand the effects of a get off can last a while. Please give her a “get well” hug!

I enjoyed your Free Wheelin’ piece on big and small miles! I know exactly what you’re talking about! Maybe we should measure smiles/hour vs miles/ride (Iron butt heresy, I suspect!)

I’m a little confused because you ended the piece while I was still looking for more. I actually turned the pages all the way to the back thinking “he forgot to put ‘continued on page xx’ at the bottom. I suppose that’s the sign of an engaged reader! Hope you have a terrific fall! Stay safe! ~ Larry

Mail: BACKROADS • PO Box 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Fax: (973) 948-0823 • Email: editor@backroadsusa.com

Who do you think keeps Backroads’ computers running?

718 Main St, Boonton, NJ

973.335.0255 • www.PCPS.com

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

IN DU STRY INFOBITES TRAMONTIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON CELEBRATES 100 YEARS Join Tramontin Harley-Davidson on Saturday October 10 as they celebrate a full century of serving the riding community.

How many dealerships in this industry have reached such a milestone?

Not many, we can tell you.

If you have never been to Tramontin HarleyDavidson you will find them in prime riding country in western New Jersey just off exit 12 on Interstate80 and County Road 521 (our fair road as well).

Please take this as an invitation to come celebrate 100 years of Tramontin at the dealership for a true once in a lifetime event. www.Tramontinhd.com

THE PASSING OF RON AYRES • 1943-2015 Ron Ayres, Chairman Emeritus of Ayres Adventures, died of cancer at his Galveston, Texas home, August 26, 2015. He was 72.

Ron worked for many years as a manager in an information technology firm in Plano, Texas, then as a senior manager for the technology firm EDS. He spent much of his management career on assignments in foreign countries, including Spain, Republic of South Africa, and Brazil. Those foreign assignments gave Ron and his wife Barbara the opportunity to explore many different countries.

Ayres took up motorcycling, and discovered a passion for long distance rides. In 1991 he was introduced to endurance competition through a chance encounter with a famed “Iron Butt”

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News from the Inside guru, but his work schedule delayed his participation until 1995. Ron’s passion for endurance riding resulted in several books, including Against the Wind, Against the Clock, and Going the Extra Mile.

Ayres’ motorcycling interests gradually evolved from endurance competitions to adventure travel. After retiring from technology management he founded the international motorcycle touring company Ayres Adventures.

One of Ron’s favorites was the trip south through Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego to the end of the road at Ushuaia. But he was equally enthralled with other parts of the world, including Southern Africa, where tours allowed motorcycling travelers to experience African wildlife, culture, and geography firsthand.

Ayres gradually added organized tours to Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceana, with the assistance of business partners and local tour guides.

Additional journeys known as “Epic Adventures” were added to the schedule, including Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia and Antarctica; Moscow to Hong Kong; and Capetown to Gibralter.

I have covered several of Ayre’s Adventure tours as a journalist over the years, so I can attest to the enthusiasm Ron had for bringing fellow motorcyclists along on his journeys. He was typically grinning from ear to ear during animal encounters or when sharing the excitement of a spectacular scenic view or historical monument. Ron was so enthused with getting people out to see the world that in his last years he set up Ayres Adventures so that it could continue without him.

Ron is survived by his wife Barbara Robinson; sons Brad, Chris, and David; sister Carolyn; and his mother Marian Anne Ayres. Condolences can be sent to Ayres Adventures, 2808 Princeton Place, Plano, TX 75075. ~ David Hough

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HARLEY-DAVIDSON AGREES TO SELL MICHELIN TIRES Michelin and Harley-Davidson announced an agreement to sell the Michelin Scorcher, a co-branded motorcycle tire through all authorized Michelin and Harley-Davidson dealers.

The Michelin Scorcher 11, the Michelin Scorcher 31 and the Michelin Scorcher 32 tires, original equipment tires on Harley-Davidson Sportster, Dyna, V-Rod and Harley-Davidson Street motorcycles, are now available more widely on the replacement market. These tire ranges previously were sold only through Harley-Davidson dealerships.

The wider availability of these tires as a replacement option allows HarleyDavidson owners to benefit from the outstanding grip, enhanced tread life, exceptional comfort and precise handling of the Michelin Scorcher tires.

Michelin Scorcher tires are currently being shipped to Michelin distributors and should be available shortly to all authorized Michelin motorcycle tire dealers.

TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES PENALIZED $2.9 MILLION BY NHTSA Due to failing to report safety data to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. (and Triumph Motorcycle USA) were served with a hefty penalty.

How hefty? How about $2.9 million civil penalty for failing to submit early warning reports and other related documents to the NHTSA. “Manufacturers must comply with their reporting obligations. The law requires it, and public safety demands it,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “When companies fail to meet those obligations, we will hold them accountable.”

Triumph Motorcycles now must pay a $1.4 million cash penalty and spend at least $500,000 to improve its safety practices. An additional $1 million in penalties could become due if the company violates the consent order or if additional Safety Act violations emerge.

The NHSTA reports that the consent order requires Triumph to hire an independent consultant to audit the company’s safety practices; establish a compliance officer position with direct access to the company’s board and senior executives; and submit written plans for compliance practices and employee training for NHTSA’s approval.

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS “Today’s enforcement action penalizes past violations, and it promotes the proactive safety culture manufacturers must adopt if they are to reduce safety defects and identify them more quickly than they occur,” said NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind.

DUCATI NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL LOS ANGELES DUCATI WEEK Ducati will be painting Los Angeles red this summer as hundreds of Ducati owners and fans, known as Ducatisti, gather for the first Los Angeles Ducati Week. Taking place from September 17-20 in Westlake Village, enthusiasts will come together to show off their bikes and view historic Ducati models, while enjoying entertainment, food and fashion. In addition, attendees will be able to experience the Ducati line up for themselves with an exclusive test ride opportunity, including rides throughout the legendary Malibu Hills.

Designed to combine the best elements of Ducati Island, the largest Ducati fan activation at any MotoGP or World SBK race around the world, with the culmination of the summer-long Ducati Experience Tour and Ducati Demo Days, Los Angeles Ducati Week is poised to become the most highly anticipated Ducati event in Southern California.

MAJOR RETAIL FINANCER EXITING POWERSPORTS INDUSTRY Powersports Business has reported that Capital One recently informed its OEM partners that it will no longer be renewing contracts with them, it will be reducing investments in powersports and eventually exit the business.

Capital One’s lineup of OEM partners for its factory credit card business includes Can-Am, Indian, Kawasaki, Polaris, Sea-Doo, Ski-Doo, Star Motorcycles and Yamaha. In fact, Kawasaki was the first powersports OEM to offer retail financing to its customers, beginning as a Capital One partner in 1988. Yamaha became a Capital One partner in 1994, Polaris in 2005 and BRP in 2013.

Each OEM will experience a different status as a result of the announcement. For example, Kawasaki’s agreement with Capital One was recently renewed and does not expire in the near term, therefore, there will be no interruption in normal business. The Capital One termination with Yamaha will not occur prior to February 2016.

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BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015 PosTCards from The hedge (Continued from page 8) in these parts and that’s a good thing. So why do I engage in speculation about the whole image thing? I have concerns with how the Brave New World unfolding around us will affect our little minority of brothers and sisters, also known as the American Motorcyclist. We are hopelessly outnumbered when it comes to all the decisions that will soon be made as more and more technology expands onto our roadways and the vehicles that use them.

As a crude example, take a hypothetical parking garage that’s always pretty full and that needs to optimize space to include as many patrons as possible.

They are planning to either set aside a few spaces for motorcycle parking, or install a couple of charging stations for electric cars. Who will carry more weight in this decision? What special interest group will be louder and more likely to be represented in the final decision? If you have an electric motorcycle you might have a greater chance at a place at the table, but I think the point is clear. The thing is, ever since I started writing about motorcycles in non-moto publications (i.e. general interest magazines) I’ve always been keenly aware that the best possible thing for motorcycles and the people who ride them is a non-riding public that looks on us in a positive (or at the least, not negative) light. Weird as it may seem, there are humans out there whose only exposure to our world is what they see in mass media. In the next couple of decades, it’s entirely possible we’re going to see all kinds of extensive reengineering in roads, traffic control, and vehicles themselves. There will be factions that would be perfectly happy with writing the motorcycle out of the picture entirely, for all kinds of reasons. We have a formidable task ahead (Continued from page 4) free WheelIn’ watching us, following our path closely, and systematically putting slow drivers in front of us as we ride just to piss us off.

Multi-million dollar tracking satellites are surely in orbit high above us, keeping watchful eye on where we are riding and then sending that information to Langley or Fort Meade.

As one fake soccer mom, in the Tahoe, makes a right turn into a shopping mall immediately a young girl (fake too) pulls out in front of us in a Dodge Neon. She rides at a slug’s pace holding us back until she drives by and the beat up old white panel truck (fake and full of spy crap) moves in front of us and keeps us in check until the Buick (there is always a Buick), driven by an OMWAH - old man with a hat - adds to our frustration.

A couple of hours later we have ridden all of 2.5 miles.

Even though we encourage you to read Ienatsch’s The Pace don’t try to ride with us. We are cursed with a pace of another kind.

Page 15 of us, and while the changes are taking place at a pretty remarkable pace there’s certainly time to make sure we don’t get lost in the shuffle.

Motorcycles are great ways to get around and enjoy life in the process, and the more people realize that the better. In fact, this may be an opportunity to integrate motorcycles into the new scheme of things, and perhaps make them more desirable for more people than ever before. Positive imagery is a critical part of this, as it can do wonders when it comes to changing people’s conventional wisdom (which is all too often painfully conventional and not all that wise).

The challenge is considerable, but this is definitely not Mission Impossible.

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

B IG CITY GETAWAY sunday In The Parks words and images: Brian Rathjen After a few frosty mornings a day tipping into the low 70s would feel good, even if the morning started out at a chilly 36 degrees.

A pleasant mid-October riding day, especially on a Sunday, always feels right and with an afternoon free of home and family obligations we decided to fill the afternoon along the roads of New Jersey and New York.

It being Sunday what better way to spend it than in the park.

Or, parks in this case.

We had no real plan to this meander and Shira was happy simply to follow my lead.

A quick stop in Branchville to top off the wallet and we began to wander around the region we call home.

A few years back Backroads did a story on Three Peaks. We thought that would be a great idea so I plotted a quick route towards Stokes State Forest and up along the Kittatinny Ridge to Sunrise Mountain. The vista as you ride higher up the sloping road that runs along the western ridge is amazing.

Being Sunday there was a full lot on the top, but we were able to squeeze the motorcycles in easy enough.

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind The mountaintop provides a breathtaking view at an elevation of 1,653 feet above sea level - the second highest in New Jersey.

The thin soil and harsh climate characteristic of Sunrise Mountain is a difficult environment in which few plants can survive. Mountain laurel, wild blueberry, pitch pine and scrub oak are among the natural vegetation found throughout the area. The view up here encompasses the pastoral farmland of New Jersey to the east and undeveloped forests and mountain ridges to the west. It is here where towns that are sprinkled through the state give way to a more natural New Jersey.

The Appalachian Trail works its way through here as well, and the path along this peak is a bit rocky and slightly difficult footing-wise.

There is pavilion along this trail built in the late 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps and we took the short hike to it. Here we found a dozen or so others that were enjoying the day and a number who had come to the summit to do some birding and raptor watching.

The clear blue sky added to the dazzling display of colors that you find in the northeast each October.

We spent some time atop the peak, listening to the birders group leader talk about

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 17 the eagle population and how decimating even the smallest amount of lead can be to these majestic birds.

We soon returned down the trail to the machines and followed the winding road down and then east towards County Road 650 and then onto Sawmill Road which leads into High Point State Park, from the far side.

This is really the wild side of the Garden State.

The combination of upland woods, open fields, wetlands, bogs, vernal pools and lakes provides habitats for a variety of creatures, and it is said that this is the home of the mysterious Big Red Eye of Jersey legend.

We popped out on Route 23 where we headed south toward the main entrance to the park and the one-way scenic road to the top and the monument.

The original High Point State Park land was donated by Colonel Anthony R. and Susie Dryden Kuser, and was dedicated as a park in 1923. High Point State Park is home of the High Point Monument standing at 1803 feet above sea level, making it the highest point in the Garden State (thus the name - duh) and was built through the generosity of the Kusers, in honor of all New Jersey wartime heroes. Today, with more than 16,000 acres, High Point offers superb respite from the busy world, but… not the Sunday of Columbus Day Weekend. Busy is not a strong enough adjective.

We rode up to the War Monument – called simply Obelisk by many - did an immediate loop around the parking lot and rode back down to Route 23 where we continued south and bore left onto County Road 519.

This brought us into New York state, under I-84 and along the hilly mountains where the small Kittatinny range morphs into the Shawangunk Mountains that run north.

A quick vector left and up Shale Road into Guymard Turnpike. This road, which quickly heads across the moun-

Page 18

tain, is a fairly tight piece of asphalt that has seen better days. The turns are sweet, but require attention and remembering it is a two-way road whilst running along it is always a good idea.

We read on one riding website that if you panic easily you might want to pass on this. We agree, but, if you are competent and don’t startle easily then have at it.

Guymard brought us down over the rail lines that head north and the Neversink River that heads south and to Route 209.

Here we, once again, made a left and then right onto Peenpack Trail at Huguenot. Settled by Protestant French immigrants seeking religious freedom the town took the peoples’ name and remains so to this day.

Peenpack Trail is a pleasant road that ends at a T on Route 42, which we, once again, made a left on (I felt like Jeff Gordon).

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS A few miles later we were at another T – this one for Route 97.

Going right would bring us along the Hawks Nest and the Scenic Delaware region, but we made a left and then another up to Elks-Brox Memorial Park.

The road to the top of this peak was the most technical of the day. Roughly paved and with some very tight sections it was well worth it as the magnificent view of the Neversink Valley, the Delaware River and the town of Port Jervis below – especially in the autumn colors – looked almost radiant this Sunday afternoon.

Parking was at a premium here too this holiday weekend but, as always, we made do. All these high and colorful vistas made for a perfect Sunday in the Parks.

By this time it was getting later in the day and we wound our way back down the mountain and through the burg of PJ, past the cemetery with the Tri-State Marker and then down the road that eventually becomes County Road 521 over the Jersey State line.

Our ride from there to home was short and enjoyable and it was not too much later that the two machines were ticking softly in the barn cooling off from a good afternoon’s ride and we were in jeans and sweaters with cups of coffee in hand sitting on the patio covered with fallen leaves.

Sundays in the parks – we should do the like every day.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 19

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HER E The Inn aT WoodsToCk hIll 92 PLAINE HILL ROAD, WOODSTOCK CT 06281 860-928-0528 • WWW.WOODSTOCKHILL.COM/ It has come to be called the Quiet Corner of Connecticut, this part of the Nutmeg State, in its very northeast corner. Some call it the “Last Green Valley.”

With over 1,000 square miles sprinkled through its backroads, walking trails and nature preserves it has been Congressionally designated as National Heritage Corridor. With such natural charm, elegance and beauty it is almost hard to believe it is situated between two of the most frenetic cities in the nation – New York and Boston.

Today you will find miles of open areas with dozens of tiny roads and cut throughs that have been here since the Europeans first settled.

They have perfected the art of the sturdy stonewall here and some say master wordsmith Bill Heald hails from these parts. But, he is just a legend.

Small restaurants and tiny squares, that always seem to be more triangles, will be found and many visitors ride up there just to explore the many antique shops.

There are a number of fine inns to be found in this region and this month we’d like to highlight one at which we overnighted on a recent tour through the region on our way north to Maine.

The Inn at Woodstock Hill.

This stately clapboard house, built in 1816, was originally constructed by

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads John Truesdell for William Bowen.

Bowen was a descendant of Henry Bowen, one of the thirteen “Goers” who settled Woodstock in 1686.

The town of Woodstock has its celebrities of American history as well - born here were Henry C. Bowen founder of the INDEPENDENT, a pre-civil war anti-slavery newspaper and Jeddah Morse, the “father of American geography,” who was the father of Samuel Morse of Morse Code fame.

As famous as the two would become, it was Jeddah Morse that first seriously began mapping our nation. Morse was also known for the New England Illuminati Conspiracy – but, that is a story for O’Life.

We were just having a great night on the hill.

Back to the Inn… For the most part the home, that has been continually expanded,

Page 20

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

has stayed in the Bowen family until it was bequeathed to the University of Connecticut in 1981 as a memorial to Richardson’s son, Lt. Peter Bowen Richardson, USAF, who was killed in the Korean War. The farm was returned to the family in 1985, and the buildings and adjacent land were subsequently sold to a consortium of investors who converted the main house and barn to use as an inn and restaurant, known as “The Inn at Woodstock Hill.”

Most of the farmland remains in the Bowen family as it has for three centuries. Plaine Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Today it sits atop the hill with a warm and inviting look, almost beckoning travelers to stop in and overnight, which we did.

The Inn at Woodstock Hill Bed and Breakfast lodging offers 21 comfortable guest rooms, each individually decorated, having a variety of amenities including private bath, television, telephone, radio and wireless Internet access, and air conditioning. Six rooms are furnished with four-poster beds, and eight rooms have working gas fireplaces.

We brought our gear up to our room, parked the motorcycles in their large adjacent parking lot and went to explore the Inn at Woodstock Hill.

There were a couple of comfortable sitting rooms well stocked with books and reading materials with something that will appeal to just about everybody.

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START: BEAR MOUNTAIN BRIDGE EAST LEFT AT RTE. 9D RIGHT AT RTE. 301 LEFT AT RTE. 52 RIGHT AT RTE. 311 LEFT AT RTE. 22 RIGHT AT RTE. 55 LEFT AT US 7 RIGHT AT RTE. 4 STRAIGHT AT US 202 LEFT SR 179 CHERRY BROOK RD. BEAR RIGHT AT CASE RD.

RIGHT AT BARKAMSTEAD RD. STRAIGHT AT RTE. 20 LEFT AT SR187 RIGHT AT SR 526 LEFT AT RTE. 159 RIGHT AT RTE. 190 RIGHT AT ROCKWELL RD. LEFT RTE. 320 WESTFORD RD. STRAIGHT AT PERIN RD. RIGHT AT ROCKY HILL RD. RIGHT AT RTE. 171 LEFT AT PLAINE HILL RD TO INN ON LEFT

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The large patio looked inviting enough, but that just led us out onto the grounds where we found birdhouses, the largest garden of dahlias we have ever seen and some serious beehives, so watch where you stroll.

You will find the inn’s dahlias throughout the house, and it makes them seem even more beautiful, knowing they were grown on the property.

Back on the patio we found some comfortable and well-positioned table and chairs and took in that night’s spectacular sunset, as the day said goodbye to Connecticut’s quiet corner.

It was time for dinner, but there was no need to get back on the bikes for in addition to the wonderful old home, comfortable rooms and spacious grounds, this unique bed and breakfast inn is home to one of the top fine dining restaurants in the area.

Chef Laurel Bellavance was born and raised here in Northeastern Connecticut and has worked at The Inn at Woodstock Hill for fifteen wonderful years. Her dishes were simply exquisite and a bit different.

The night’s sleep was comfortable and resting, as we had a long day ahead of us. Breakfast was a very nice continental affair, taken al fresco in the warm summer sun and we got to have it with a nice couple, who once lived not too far from us in New Jersey – even knowing some of the same people. Small world.

The Inn at Woodstock Hill is a special place and is really excellent for those important occasions or when you want to get away with someone special.

Rates for our rooms vary seasonally, and range from $160.00 to $260.00 per night.

When things seem to be getting loud in your life, plan an escape to the quiet corner and the Inn at Woodstock Hill – ‘cause you’re outta here!

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERI OU S AMERIC A müTTer museum 19 S. 22ND STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103 215-560-8564 • MUTTERMUSEUM.ORG This month I would like to take you to what I believe is ground zero for the odd, unusual and sometime disturbing facts that ultimately rule our lives.

Locate in a stately brick and stone building in the center of the City of Brotherly Love you will find the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and the famed Mütter Museum.

The story of this museum begins in 1856 when Professor of Surgery, Thomas Dent Mütter donated his collection of some 1,300 unique pathological and anatomical artifacts and displays to the College of Physicians.

Mütter began this collection to further his and his student’s knowledge of the ailments, conditions and circumstances that those in the medical profession run into and what and why things happen to human beings.

These day the Mütter Museum (pronounced mooter – like a cow calling) holds over 25,000 items and is one of the most fascinating museums in America.

Some you might expect and some that will leave you speechless.

I traveled down to the College of Physicians recently and spent a few hours wandering around the two stories and many rooms taking the Mütter in.

There is a lot to take in.

In addition to the permanent displays, which I will get to in a minute, there was also some extraor-

dinary special exhibits this day.

The museum was celebrating the 500th birthday of Andreas Vesalius, who is considered the “Father of Modern Anatomy.”

His dissecting and cataloging of humans was groundbreaking and his book De humani corporis fabrica (On the fabric of the human body) changed the way the medical profession and we looked at the human body.

The exhibit centered on the man and his works with images from Fabrica, a recreation of his dissecting table, along with actual skeletons and a dissected body.

Behind the Vesalius exhibit things become far more grim.

Called Broken Bodies & Suffering Spirits – Injury, Death & Healing in the Civil War - it brought you to the hard truth of the War between the States. Here at the Mütter Museum you will learn just how horrific this and

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war in general can be. The brutal, painful and dirty facts are clearly presented.

Surgeon tools, photographs and observations from people like poet Walt Whitman, S. Weir Mitchell and Cornelia Hancock – who nursed the wounded at Gettysburg are prominently featured. The more time I spent in this exhibit the sadder I became.

Whitman said it best, “Future years will never know the seething hell and black infernal background of the Secession war; and it is best they should not – the real war will never get in the books.”

Depending upon your outlook the rest of the Mütter Museum can be both fascinating and disturbing at the same time.

They had a display on the Brothers Grimm and their fairy tales – of which they wrote more than 200. Many of the tales had scientific and medical fact behind them and the Mütter Museum does an excellent job bringing these stories to life.

Page 23

Moving along the permanent collection things got – well, they got strange.

First there was the Soap Woman.

She was found in Philadelphia in 1875 and her body had turned to a fatty substance called adipocere. It is believed that this condition may form in alkaline, warm, airless environments, such as the one in which the Soap Lady was buried but who she was, what she died from and how this all happened to this young woman remains a medical and historical mystery.

Here at the museum you will also find a piece of one of the most famous humans that have ever lived - the brain of Albert Einstein.

The Mütter Museum is one of only two places on the planet where you can see the genius’ brain and the story of how it finally ended up here is remarkable by itself.

After Einstein’s death in New Jersey, pathologist Thomas Harvey, MD, autopsied the body and removed Einstein’s brain without the family’s permission. For decades, Harvey kept the brain of one of the world’s greatest minds in a glass jar, sometimes in a cider box under a beer cooler. Harvey dissected the brain into 240 blocks and made 1,000 microscopic slides of the brain tissue.

Thankfully Einstein has made his way to the College of Physicians and you can see some of him for yourself.

Page 24

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

One collection I found incredibly captivating was of the Hyrtl Skulls. The museum has on display 139 skulls from Viennese anatomist Joseph Hyrtl.

The object of the original collection was to attempt to counter the claims of phrenologists, who held that cranial features were evidence of intelligence and personality and that racial differences caused anatomical differences.

I ended up studying each one and found them and the small facts about each of them to be mesmerizing. Two of them seemed to be other-worldly but I have been warned not to go there.

There was a display comparing giant, dwarf and average skeletons as well as the bones of Harry Eastlack who suffered from Fibrodysplasia Ossificans 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD MIDDLETOWN NY 10940

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I said the museum was fascinating, I didn’t say it was a happy place.

There were some other “wow” sights such as a giant colon, the death cast of “Siamese Twins” Chang and Eng Bunker. There were a large number of other oddities, deformities and mysterious artifacts and remains and they all were curious; but some need not be mentioned or shown here in the pages of Backroads.

You go and find them yourself.

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In the gift shop (yes, there is always a gift shop) I found a book 1,000 Ways to Die. I wasn’t shocked at this, but the conjoined ginger cookie cutter did raise an eyebrow.

The Mütter Museum is truly part of Mysterious America but I warn you it is not for the weak of heart, the squeamish or the delicate.

But, if you look to know and see the truth of the human condition and what we are really made up of then a visit to the College of Physicians and the Mütter Museum is a must for you.

I would normally give you a great ride down into Philly, but like most cities, it is a heavily urban area and your best to ride in, pay for secure parking (plenty there) and enjoy your time at the museum.

O’Life out!

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 25

Rollin’ Fast Cycle Sports Presents

GREAT A L L AMERICAN DINE R RUN sTIng-ray’s resTauranT 26507 LANKFORD HIGH WAY CAPE CHARLES VA 23310-5603 757-331-1541 • WWW.CAPE-CENTER.COM When traversing this great country, or any great country for that matter, one good rule to keep to is “Follow the Locals” when it comes to delicious cuisine.

Sure, you can always hit one of the chains that litter this nation, but it is the place with the local cars, truckers and police that will surely tickle your taste buds and give you a memorable meal.

Still, some of these places can be deceiving at first.

When we first heard of this month’s stop on the Great All American Diner Run - StingRay’s - we almost rode right past it, as it is one of the most iffy things on the planet when it comes to dining … a fuel station restaurant.

We have said it before… the fuel station restaurant is either hit or miss. Either truly excellent or absolutely terrible. There is rarely an in between.

Sting-Ray’s is a cut above just about anything we have had gas stop or otherwise.

This place has been around for decades and has the prime location of being on the Lankford Highway, also known as US 13, just a few

tasty places to take your bike miles north of the famed Chesapeake Bay Bridge & Tunnel – one of the top engineering marvels of the world.

The food is a marvel too.

Sting-Ray’s serves a delicious selection of fresh seafood, world class crab cakes, Certified Angus Beef steaks, in-house smoked ribs and hand pulled pork barbecue, with an assortment of desserts featuring their Sweet Potato Pie. Their food selections are freshly homemade and prepared to order.

For breakfast they are famous for their sweet potato biscuit with country ham.

This is Sting-Ray’s signature breakfast choice. Locally grown sweet potatoes are combined with their secret recipe to produce a slightly sweet biscuit. Topped with salty shaved country ham & served warm, it is the perfect marriage of flavors. This item is available all day.

Another favorite is the chipped beef over toast; a generous portion of chipped beef in homemade creamy gravy. Served over 3 slices of toast, your choice of wheat, white, or rye bread.

If you get to Sting-Ray’s around lunch be prepared for some serious chow. How can you pass through this region and not eat something crabby?

Page 26 Their Crab Cake Sandwich Special is Sting-Ray’s most popular sandwich.

Prepared fresh daily using fresh lump crabmeat blended with their secret spices and seasonings, deep fried to a golden brown and served on a bun with your choice of either cocktail or tartar sauce accompanied by crispy French fries.

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS The pork barbeque sandwich is another true southern delight. Whole pork butts are seasoned and smoked 24 hours on premises then hand pulled and seasoned with Sting-Ray’s signature barbeque sauce and served with coleslaw and French fries. In the soup column we found the clam chowder and chili looked good, as did the Navy bean soup.

We grabbed a seat here one evening for dinner. I started with the cream of crab soup. A house specialty created with lump crabmeat in a delicate cream sauce with a hint of sherry and Old Bay seasoning. I waited a bit for freshly fried chicken, which was worth the wait, as were sides of green beans and mac & cheese.

Shira took the fish of the day, broiled Drum Fish - that was swimming just hours before.

The rider next to me was splitting a rack of pork ribs with his girlfriend.

This looked to be a finger licking good entree. Coated with Sting-Ray’s signature barbeque dry rub and slow smoked until tender then slathered with StingRay’s rib sauce.

When it was all done we both dug into a slice of southern pecan pie, a dense confection made with local pecans and topped with whipped cream. The sweet potato pie is legendary too. Sting-Ray’s has been serving up this southern favorite for more than 40 years. It begins with the finest local sweet potatoes, they then add magic, and bake it until golden brown. Topped with warm Damson plum sauce; it is an excellent way to finish off the meal and your diet.

Yep, fuel station restaurants - love em’ or leave em’.

Sting-Ray’s you will be leaving… one very full and happy rider.

US 13 is a boring, crowded mess during the season, so let us help you down the road from Chesapeake City, Maryland to Sting-Ray’s – backroads style. This makes for an excellent Autumn jaunt to lengthen the riding season once the madness of the Summer crowds have disappeared. Have a slice of pie for us.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 27

Rip & Ride® • STING-RAY’S RESTAURANT 26507 LANKFORD HIGH WAY, CAPE CHARLES VA 23310-5603 • 757-331-1541 • WWW.CAPE-CENTER.COM

START: CHESAPEAKE CITY RTE. 213 SOUTH RTE. 50 SOUTH RIGHT AT CR 662 RIGHT AT RTE. 50 SOUTH CROSS CHOPTANK RIVER RIGHT AT BUCKTOWN RD. LEFT AT BEST PITCH FERRY RD. CROSS TRANSQUAKING RIVER STRAIGHT AT GRIFFITH NECK RD. RIGHT AT HENRYS CROSSROAD RD. LEFT AT ELLIOTS ISLAND RD. LEFT AT CR 331 RIGHT AT US 50 RIGHT AT RIGGIN RD. RIGHT AT PORTER MILL RD. LEFT AT ATHOL RD. RIGHT AT OLD ATHOL RD. QUANTICO – CUTE LITTLE TOWN WITH GREAT SIDEWALKS BEAR RIGHT CR 347 RIGHT/LEFT TO NEBO RD. RIGHT AT CR 352 STRAIGHT AT WHITEHAVEN RD. CROSS ON FERRY - WICOMICO RIVER BEAR LEFT AT FITZBOUND RD. CR 362

RIGHT ON US 13 BEAR RIGHT AT CR 413 BEAR LEFT AT OLD WESTOVER MARION RD. LEFT AT CHARLES BARNES RD. LEFT AT CR 667 RIGHT AT US 13 SOUTH RIGHT AT CR 705 RIGHT AT TUNNELS MILL RD. LEFT AT NEAL PARKER RD. RIGHT AT MEARS STATION RD. RIGHT AT CR 187 LEFT AT WINTERVILLE RD. RIGHT AT ANN COVE RD. LEFT AT ST. THOMAS RD. RIGHT AT BIG RD. LEFT AT LEE MONT RD. RIGHT AT BAYSIDE RD. RIGHT AT TOWN RD. LEFT AT HERR RD. RIGHT AT CASHVILLE RD. LEFT AT SAVAGEVILLE RD. STRAIGHT AT BOB TOWN RD. CR 178 RIGHT AT US 13 SOUTH TO STING RAY’S ON RIGHT EXXON STATION • SOUTH OF PORT CHARLES

Page 30

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS his story has a number of small beginnings; most do.

The first being a visit to the Travel Show at the Javits Center this past winter. Although we know there are hundreds of inns along the backroads of New England we were enticed, once again, by the Maine coast and the region around Freeport. There are a number of inns and motels in and around these parts, but we were looking for something less pretentious and with a bit of home-time feel to it, and our search would lead us to the Candlebay Inn. The second part of this menu was an over the table talk with our friend Bob Rand, with whom we traveled through Ecuador, also this past winter.

Bob, who hails from these parts, said we should get together back in Estados Unidos when we get a chance and we promised to do just that sometime in the coming summer.

The last bit of the puzzle came together when we looked to set up some ‘ride time’ with our friends the Fords, also New Englanders.

This mix all congealed in mid August, the day after the now famous Backroads 200, when Shira and I packed up the BMWs and headed north and east across the Shawangunks and Hudson and into the Nutmeg State of Connecticut for our first night on the road.

NEW ENGLAND LOOP You can’t get there from here…

words: Brian Rathjen images: Brian Rathjen and Shira Kamil

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

BACKROADS CENTRAL

TO

Page 31 The next turn we got …a mile or two of gravel. You can lead a camel to water, but you can’t force it off the sand.

The Inn at Woodstock Hill was as charming as they come. Wonderful spread, dahlia path, a number of bee hives, comfortable rooms and an on-property restaurant made it a great overnight stop as we motored toward Bean Town. Dinner was four-star and the company of other travelers was pleasant as well.

The Inn at Woodstock Hill is a great choice when overnighting in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut.

WOODSTOCK, CONNECTICUT

Shira had ad-libbed pieces of her route to the little town of Woodstock and the splendid Inn at Woodstock Hill, using part Garmin BaseCamp and part of our Spring Break routes from earlier in the year.

The combination became a mix of crafty backroads and the occasional boring Americanized state roads. Strip malls and Wendy’s mixed with forest and farmland. Tobacco is huge here, I tell ya.

There are also some of the most interesting signs to be seen here in Connecticut – such as the wild life petting zoo that was advertising its ‘Game Dinner’ that next Friday and the small cobbler whose sign said ‘Drive-In Shoe Repair.’ How does that work? Probably as well as Sheeraz Gas (& oriental rugs).

We took lunch at a small general store I know, near Cornwall, and finished it with a Whoopie pie; a little New England / Amish treat.

I am sure you have devoured a few yourselves. Little did I know where this was heading later this trip.

With just four miles to go on this day’s ride we passed an interesting gravel road down and to our right. I commented to Shira that she missed it in her routing, as – for once – she had not gravelized her route. I was proud that she could be so restrained.

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Yes, Backroads was going to Boston. And, even better… a Sox game at Fenway Park.

Working some mapping mojo I plotted the 80 miles or so, into the Back Bay section of Boston and to the Oasis Guesthouse on Edgerly Place, just a few minutes walk from Fenway Park. The plan was to avoid Bostonian gridlock and, at that, we were successful.

We arrived at noon, stashed the bikes in the rear alleyway and our gear at the inn and went off on two separate missions; one being an afternoon tour of Fenway Park, but the first being easily as interesting – the Mapparium at the Mary Baker Eddy Library.

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Page 32

you will find one of the most fascinating, and incredibly wonderful things on the planet.

In fact it is the planet, as the Mapparium is a threestory globe that you can actually walk through; which we did, taking in the light and narrative program explaining what the globe and the library were exactly about.

The Mapparium, built in 1935, is frozen in time geopolitically and is stunning to experience.

I have dragged Shira to a lot of places but she said, without a doubt, the Mapparium is one of the most interesting, insightful and profound or, as she said, “this place is very freakin’ cool!”

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

We found lunch on the stroll over to Fenway Park and then did the hour tour of the oldest Major League ballpark in the United States, that first opened its door in 1912. (For the record, the newest is the Miami Marlins Park, opened 100 years later, and who really cares for that gaudy park?)

Regardless of how you feel about the Red Sox, Fenway is true Americana and the tour was well worth the time and was one more notch on our quest to visit each and every MLB ballpark in North America.

Being on my best behavior I didn’t talk about 1986 or Billy Buckner the entire time I was there. Boston would be visiting Citi Field the following week and I didn’t want any Bambino Curse coming my Mets way, especially at the time of this writing.

Sitting atop the Green Monster, the Fisk Pole and seeing the Ted William’s seat where his long ball landed were great highlights and not to be missed.

Old baseball stadiums like Fenway and Wrigley in Chicago are precious bits of times gone by, and it is a shame both New York team owners gave up on their own history with new parks… especially in the Bronx.

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Page 33

We checked back in at the Oasis to get our room that was now ready and made plans for a Boston dinner and a ballgame - The Red Sox against the Cleveland Indians. What’s this DH thing?

The Red Sox clobbered the Indians this night - root, root, root – and leave it to Shira to find a tasty ice cream parlor on the walk back to the inn.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

TO

FREEPORT, MAINE

Heading up to Maine we wanted to stay as close to the coast as we could, which can be problematic during the crowded summer months, but this was a Wednesday, and our ride north brought us of Boston, out through some neat little towns, some with homes and a tax bracket for which very few qualify.

Hell, I was surprised we were allowed to ride by these places at all and that the servants were not sent out with torch and pitchfork.

We passed through the infamous town of Salem, which today is quite nice, although it does seem to grasp tightly to the witch trials of the past.

The only witch we ran into was a bronze statue of everybody’s favorite sorceress – Samantha Stevens, as

portrayed by the actress Elizabeth Montgomery. Shira did her best nose twinkle.

I am not really sure when we crossed into New Hampshire, but crossing the bridge over the Piscataqua River and into Maine, at Kittery, was right at lunch time; and we stopped at Warren’s Lobster House for some chowda and lobsta’ rolls. With a window on the water; it worked just fine for us.

Our travels north along the coast continued with mixes of US 1 and various three number state roads (some of which were very entertaining).

Kennebunkport was a bit crowded over the bridge, as to be expected even before a couple of Presidents made it their summer home; and they had an interesting sign on a number of roads around town. It simply said “Please Ride Quietly” and had an image of a Harley-Davidson on it.

Well, the town asked a reasonable question and, to be honest (and what are we if not honest), portrayed it in a telling way.

It wasn’t a Honda Gold Wing on the sign.

Staying with our Captain Planet theme from the previous day we made time to stop by DeLorme and to visit Eartha, the giant globe that the map company has at their headquarters. At some 5,600 pounds and 41 feet across

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

ON A MISSION

IN

MAINE

It’s really killin’ this cat so willin’, to make whoopee Gus Kahn

it is the largest revolving globe on the planet it so boldly shows.

It is free for the viewing and it is hard not to buy at least something at their fantastic map store. Geography wonks be warned.

From this point it was a short ride to Freeport and our base for the next two nights, the very motorcycle friendly Candlebay Inn. Riding into town we passed our friends, the Fords, heading the other way and soon the bikes were parked and it was time for adult beverages and a great dinner for the night. There is a good chance that, with yourselves, motorcycling has brought a number of interesting friends, from all parts and points of life, and it is always a good thing to reacquaint and catch up.

At the Inn our host Connie showed us to our room and, unlike many New England B&Bs, where you tiptoe around for fear of breaking something, the Candlebay felt very relaxed and more like a family or friend’s home.

Very comfortable and stress-free.

Freeport is known for its outlets and if you desire to stock up on traveling clothes their famed L.L. Bean store is open 24/7.

Seriously.

If I wanted to go shopping at…. like 3am, I could.

It let me sleep soundly, in the very comfortable bed that night, my soul at peace knowing that L.L. Bean had me covered and could provide socks, shirts and gear at anytime.

Just as important, was the fact that Freeport has a number of excellent restaurants and one Wicked Whoopie pie company.

Whoopie Pies was a Shira thing.

Dinner and company were great that night and the next day we went in search of something a little different - the best New England Whoopie pies.

Shira and DeeDee called it “The Making Whoopie Tour” and who is going to argue with this blonde and red head?

Richard had a route all done up and, for once, I got to ride tail, leaving the routing logistic up to the very capable Mr. Ford.

We scooted west towards the small industrial town of Lewiston, Maine and after craftily navigating the roads, that were thought up way in the time of horse and buggy, we pulled into our first Whoopie stop of the day at Grant’s Bakery. They had a good and sugary selection for our starting point.

For those who do not know what a Whoopie pie is - it is part pie, part filling – usually two chocolate cakes with a creamy frosting between them.

It is the official state treat of Maine, although Lancaster, Pennsylvania tries to say they were the original creators. But, I know Mayor Gray and I don’t put anything past him. We can all agree that the Amish first brought these delicious creations to the table – wherever they were.

We had your basic chocolate pie, a peanut butter and a pumpkin that was truly stupendous, in my humble opinion.

With miles to go we followed the Fords’ lead to another bakery; far smaller, homey and rustic outside of Kent Hill called the Apple Shed Bakery. Oatmeal & cider Whoopie pie? Oh, yeah baby!

And, this time with some Carrabasett coffee to help wash them down we dove into another trio of Whoopie pies.

Now fully sugared and caffeinated we carried on eastward, along small secondary roads and to actual real food for lunch – a winner of the Best of Backroads a few years back - the now famous Five Islands Lobster Company.

Lobsta Rolls rule here, but their steamers rivaled any in New England. With the wispy fog lying across the water it was about as coastal New England as one could get.

Looping back south we passed over the Kennebec River and through Bath and the Iron Works (Maine’s largest employer), where the USS Zumwalt, the largest and most technologically advanced destroyer in Navy history, was just christened.

We could see the Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001) under construction from our height on the bridge – Go Navy!

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015 Back in Freeport we had one last Whoopie stop at Wicked Whoopie where, just about whoopie’d out, we grabbed a few bites for late night snacks and slipped back to the Candlebay Inn. Our friend Bob Rand and his wife Sherry joined us for dinner, and a promise made thousands of miles and months back was kept.

After dinner it was back for dessert and coffee at the Candlebay Inn for a blind tasting of the various Whoopie pies we had bought earlier that day.

Who needs the Food Network? Judges, have you reached your decision?

FREEPORT, MAINE

TO

Page 35 Whitehorse will thrill you to no end.

It is hard to visit and not find something we need.

We chatted with Dan and Judy for a bit; but had to keep going if we were to reach our semi-planned stop for the evening in West Dover, Vermont.

By this time it looked like the rain had fled east, but that was just a feint, for as we made our way east along Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway, the bell was sounded for Round 2.

WEST DOVER, VERMONT

The previous night’s light mist would be turning into the next morning’s heavy rain, as a cold front was quickly crossing the northeast.

A long green and yellow swath ran along the NOAA radar screen from Canada to northern Delaware. Satellite showed cleared skies to the west of it. Bottom line was we’d be a bit wet for a good part of the day before the sun would return.

Such is riding. (This would be a good time to remind our readers to zip up all your vents – just saying!)

As we predicted the mist morphed into rain as we made our way a bit north and west from the rocky coast of Maine into its more forested interior and across the Saco River. Along the way the Fords vectored off towards their home and Shira and I carried on west.

Heading south, along a road that parallels the New Hampshire border, we crossed into North Conway and made a short visit with our friends Judy and Dan Kennedy at Whitehorse Gear.

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The thirty something miles along the Kanc have been far more fun in better weather.

We found a small café in Lincoln and had lunch as we waited out the heavy wetness.

Back on the road and riding into lighter and brighter skies we cut through the western part of New Hampshire along Route 118, the Sawyer Highway, just so I could pass one of the few towns with its own rocket.

Warren, New Hampshire.

Yes, right along the roadway through town you will find a Redstone

Page 36 Rocket. Brought here in 1971, this rocket was a direct descendant of the German V-2 and was created as part of Operation Paper Clip, that brought Nazi scientists over to the United States after World War II. The United States was very proud of this missile, originally designed to toss nukes at the Russians, and they even had one on display at Grand Central Station in the late 1950s.

This is the same kind of rocket that hurled New Hampshire native Alan Shepard into space and one of the reasons you will find it in Warren today (although Shepard was from Derry on the other side of the state). There is more to this story (there always is) but I will let Doctor O’Life dive into that deep part of the Mysterious America pool.

We picked up a number of other smaller roads as we headed towards the Green Mountains of Vermont, as I was quickly becoming convinced that many of these New Hampshire backroads had seen far better and smoother days.

When we crossed the Connecticut River and into Vermont I did not need a sign to tell me that we did.

Route 5 along the western edge of the river is always a pleasure, but the real treat were the tiny roads we used to cross over to Route 100 and West Dover.

Sublime and moving, this part of Vermont is wonderful to ride.

Stopping for fuel we called Simon and Allison at the Kitzhof Inn to make sure they had a room, which they did, and not long after we were rolling into the drive at the very rider-friendly Vermont inn. Once you stay there you will be quoting General MacArthur about coming back.

Small surprises always make a trip more memorable and we found that riders we knew from Empire HOG were also there and they were kind enough to invite us to join them for dinner, which we did, at the Roadhouse on Route 100 not too far down the road near Wilmington.

Excellent evening with a great bunch of riders.

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OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

WEST DOVER, VERMONT

TO

BACKROADS CENTRAL

Breakfast was delicious and filling and, after saying our goodbyes to Empire HOG and the Kitzhof crew, we started back towards the Garden State on our route created on Garmin’s BaseCamp to bring us from Maine to our doorstep, mixing up some roads that were familiar and a bunch that were not, we would make pleasant time and miles towards home.

Along the way we ran across the world’s largest beaver statue somewhere in Vermont.

There is some dispute from the Canadians on the veracity of that statement and, the truth is, the Vermont roadside statue looks more rodenty and squirrel than beaver. We liked it.

Not too surprisingly our route passed right by the Culinary Institute of America - which can be most excellent for a lunch choice, if’n a bit dear and haughty – but, we’d be fools not too.

We crossed the Hudson River just below the CIA, at Poughkeepsie, and then followed south, the pavement mimicking the Shawangunk Mountains that ranged to our right and, not too long afterward, crossed into New Jersey just east of Port Jervis, New York.

The last 25 or so miles of this ride could have almost been the best.

County Road 519 is simply wonderful, the roads were totally clear this Saturday afternoon and, in truth, we have been on “The Way” a lot of this season, and riding home seemed like a most excellent thought, even after a phenomenal weeklong loop of New England.

As they say in those parts…

“You can’t get there from here.”

But, it was sure fun trying.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

FIRST RIDE

Page 37

2015 BMW R1200 RT

In 2014 BMW released its much-anticipated new version of their RT, powered by the new liquid-cooled engine.

But, the best-laid plans, even of BMW, can go array and suspension issues (stemming from a supplier error) caused the new RT to remain on the showroom floors, warehouses and garages for a good part of its first season.

Now, with all the issues resolved and the faithful finally getting the new RT out on the road, things are looking much better for the sport-touring machine from Berlin.

I got a chance to spend significant time on the 2015 BMW R1200 RT this past summer, on a 10-day journey, two-up, through the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta, Canada in the Canadian Rockies.

After spending some time on the GS version of the new wasser-cooled Boxer powerplant, I was keen on seeing how this new engine performed powering the more touring-oriented RT version, interested in how it would handle, and what my thoughts would be after living with the RT for a few weeks on the road.

I am here to say that the new BMW R1200 RT could very well be the most competent and all around best tourer currently available on the market.

Sure, there are other more powerful machines available, but do you really need to have Kryptonian-like power when touring?

I think not.

Even with the lesser-powered Boxer-engine, the R1200 RT (1170cc twin)

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is just a tad slower than its big-brother the K1600 GT or GTL (1649cc six), thanks in part to weighing nearly 140 pounds lighter.

As I have gotten older I have found lighter = better.

To really get a feel for the R1200 RT, Shira and I went two-up, rather than riding separate machines. The addition of a passenger, light luggage and the rugged Rockies terrain would give us an excellent start on this tour / test.

Let me start by giving you the quick rundown on what is different on the new RT compared to the previous model - just about everything.

As with previous RTs the bike has an ample fairing, that first looked a bit petite to me, but a few thousand miles on the road showed it to be a great size and add the electronically adjustable windscreen and you will find a variable pocket of semi-quiet air for both rider and passenger. Adjusting the screen made a real difference that could be felt at various heights by both of us.

The down position allows for a fully unobstructed view and all the way up quiets the air as well as any other full-sized tourer in the market. Strategically placed lowers, located behind the cylinders, add to the protection.

The new RT has a boodle of electronics gadgetry to add to the riding pleasure. Being a “fly-by-wire” machine it also has three different power-modes.

This option, called BMW’s Pro Dynamic Riding mode, offers Road and Rain settings as well as Dyna, which provides slightly more aggressive engine power and reaction, each coming with their own distinctive suspension settings. I used Road the most often.

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Page 38 shifting both up and down; something that, even though I was aware of it, I never really used.

The RT uses Automatic Stability Control, which is standard, and has the sweetest way of pulling away from lights and up hills. I was halfway through our trip when I realized just how easy this machine pulled away from stops. This is because it uses BMW’s Hill Start Control, which works brilliantly.

Clutch problems will probably not be an issue with the new wetclutch, as they have been in the previous R-series engines. I was surprised it took the Germans so long to do this.

17-inch cast aluminum wheels are used on the bike and braking is handled by a dual disc brake with fourpiston fixed calipers on the front and a single disc bake with a double-piston floating caliper in the rear.

The RT weighs in at around 590 pounds, but the way it’s designed and its center of gravity make it feel lighter.

The Electronically Suspension Adjustment, or ESA, allows for a number of different settings and it is possible to adjust from soft / normal / hard (they used to be called comfort, normal & sport) on the fly and I made use of this adjustment often as well, with hard (sport) really tightening up the RT in twists and turns.

The RT sports a big 6.6-gallon gas tank and mid-40s average fuel mileage (we averaged 44.8 according to the bike’s computer) and 250+ between stops for fuel are easily doable, but up here in the Rockies, and after years of motorcycle touring, I never pass up a fuel or bathroom stop.

If not for fuel and washroom stops we might have just stayed on the Beemer all day long as it seems that Germany got it right when it came to

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS making a saddle that is actually worthy of the rest of this machine.

No issues, great comfort and outstanding.

This new bike also has the very carlike LED Corona Ring headlight that gives an even more appealing appearance that is distinctively BMW. The gauges are well laid out, with its large 5.7-inch TFT color display, but the multi-controller ring, and corresponding alerts, have a bit of a learning curve. It became second nature by the time we returned the R1200 RT. Our bike had a Sirius, iPod, MP3, USB (what no LPs?) audio system that can be Bluetoothed as well as using the fairly powerful speaker system.

The only thing I detest more than loud pipes… are loud pipes supplemented by vociferous, blaring and intrusive music systems.

No matter how many times Lynyrd Skynyrd asks, I do not want to hear “Free Bird” blared out of a motorcycles sound system. That’s what headsets are for.

But, for the record, I did turn on the radio loud enough to make sure it worked and to get a few nasty looks from all around me, and the RT. I then turned it off, never to turn it back on again. In my opinion the speaker system is wasted space and weight.

The RT also came with a cradle for a Garmin Zumo 660-series GPS. Mine easily popped in and I Bluetoothed it through a Sena system on my helmet. Yes, the BMW version of the Garmin is more native and has more features, but my 660 worked as good as I needed.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 39

On the road I found the BMW R1200 RT to easily be one of the best all around two-up machines available today.

The engine offers as much power as I will ever use and the only real complaint is that, in 2015, the six-speed transmission should be more like butter than cottage cheese.

Still, it was some of the small things that really began to grow on me. Keyless operation, something I have avoided, works incredibly well as does the button that allows you to lock and unlock the panniers.

I have been converted.

Our machine did not have a top case, but I have seen one on another RT and it would be the first accessory to be added to this bike.

The R1200 RT had the optional Tire Pressure Monitor that works well and was referred to each morning and afternoon. Like GPSs, we quickly get use to having this extra info easily at your fingertips.

The bike also came with an alarm that, once I figured out how to disable, I did swiftly– see a pattern here?

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They worked well, always showing me what I needed to see to the rear without having to crane around for every maneuver.

The Dynamic Suspension Package is nothing less than amazing.

On rough or frost heaved roads in the mountains the lighter selection smoothed out the bumps, along normal highway use the regular setting seemed fine and the harder (re: sport – is this a lawyer thing?) setting really locked in the RT when we got going in the twisties and tighter mountain roads. Yep, pretty amazing.

In the heavy mountain wet the “Rain” setting really shined and between that and Road I was a happy camper. “Dyna” was nice, but unnecessary for me.

I was touring the Canadian Rockies, not doing laps at VIR. I rode over two thousand miles from Seattle to Jasper, Alberta Canada and back in ten days, in all sorts of weather conditions, with passenger and luggage, and found the 2015 BMW R1200 RT to be the perfect machine for this task.

The new RT combines all-day riding comfort, superb handling characteristics, excellent styling and ergonomics and BMW legendary dependability.

Okay, that is questionable these days.

Still, it had me thinking a major revision in at least some of my personal machine-owning paradigms.

In other words this British Columbian expedition might cost me cash down the road if we ever need a two’fer bike.

If you’re a rider that sports a passenger with you most of the time then the BMW R1200 RT might just be your best choice on the planet.

The RTs can be found for around $20,000, plus various options that most machines come to the U.S. with; and are available in three color schemes San Marino Blue/Granite Grey Metallic Matte, Callisto Grey Metallic Matte, Ebony Metallic.

See your local BMW dealer for a test ride. ~ Brian Rathjen

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Page 40

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

FIRST RIDE

2015 YAMAHA FJ-09 • SVELTE & SEXY

It seems that even before the first ink was dry on the plans for Yamaha’s FZ-09 sport machine that the tuning fork company was busy at work creating a more tourable version of what has become Yamaha’s most popular machine.

This year’s offering of the FJ-09 ups the ante and introduces a lightweight, flickable, sport machine with the option for luggage, superb styling and great riding position.

The FJ-09’s DNA is very apparent as the bike uses the same liquid-cooled, DOHC, 12 valve engine, inline, 847cc cross-plane triple as the FZ-09, with changes being the mapping of the D-Mode throttle-response characteristics to make it a touch less hooligan and a tad more civilized. On the FJ-09 Yamaha offers the Standard mode, A Mode (FZ-07-style or yikes!) and B Mode (which you can look at as Rain Mode).

The machine comes with standard traction control, along with ABS. The ABS system is always active, but you can turn off the TCS if you like, which enlivens the beast within and releases the bad boy in the FJ-09.

We were asked not to do this by our friendly Yamaha rep.

But, if you did do this… it gets a bit more unpredictable in turns and on abrupt throttle changes. We heard it likes to get a bit light in the front end.

At least that is what we heard.

We preferred the standard of three power-modes where the engine is super smooth, almost electric, with gobs of quick ‘on call’ power, yet docile and controllable enough to do traffic and day-to-day commuting.

The small, tucked-in pipe offers a nice throaty whine, without being too conspicuous in town. We’re always appreciative of that.

Enjoy the Fall on the River sample our home cookin’ at the World Famous Cedar Rapids

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Take a ride on one of the Northeast’s Scenic Byways - Route 97 - 20 miles north of Port Jervis. Dine with your fellow riders on the Delaware River

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The six-speed transmission is sharp and exact, as most Yamahas are.

In one word – the FJ-09’s engine is brilliant.

To stop all this brilliance the machine uses radially mounted four-piston Advics calipers in the front with 298mm rotors; and a Nissin caliper with a 245mm rotor found in the rear. These brakes offer superb and linear power. Not overly grabby, yet with plenty of grunt.

The FJ-09 employs the same KYB suspension components as the FZ-09, and we have been told that the compression and rebound damping of the fork and shock have been increased for heavier loads. The universal complaint for the FZ-09 was that the suspension was lacking real damping and gave an overall harsh ride. Although Yamaha says they have addressed this issue for the FJ-09 we still felt that further suspension upgrades would be desirable to make this a long-distance sport-tourer. The saddle is an improvement over the FZ, which was just a few steps up from the old seats at Fenway Park, but could be even better.

We loved the FJ-09s seating position and with the proper perch it would be an easy all day mount.

Their multifunction LCD display offer lots of information; sometimes we think too much and you can easily scroll through the displays with a left switchgear and thumb buttons. Still, TMI, when the screen tells me “It’ll see me next time.”

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 41

The 4.8 gallon fuel tank allows for a good bit of distance between fill up (180 miles) and the hefty 415-watt charging system should work for any serious sporttourer and their gaggle of gadgets.

The adjustable windscreen does a fair job of wind protection, but Yamaha offers a larger option.

Yamaha claims a weight of just 462 pounds and the ease at which the bike is rolled around, and its flickability on the road, lets us think this number is fairly accurate.

2015 FJ-09

The Bottom line:

We liked this machine from the very first press release image and have been looking forward to riding it since the last motorcycle show in Manhattan.

That being said we like to offer our thoughts on this machine, offered as a sport tourer, as a few days on the roads brings out any machine’s true personality and with the Yamaha FJ-09 we find some big pluses and a few fixable nitpicks.

The power of the 847cc cross-plane triple is on the awesome side of good & plenty, although the machine can get buzzy on longer rides and at higher revs. The brakes are more than adequate, smooth and easy to the touch.

For me personally, the bike felt under-damped, a bit harsh and lacked that planted feel – especially on less than pristine pavement. As we said the seat, while not the worst stock unit, would need to be addressed if this was a personal ride.

Styling-wise the machine is a hands-down beauty and its lightweight and ease of riding are all good things. When non-riders congregate around a machine to ask what it is, you know you have a looker.

One thing that I could not help returning to, after I first spotted it, were the coolant hoses on the left side of the engine that are just begging to be damaged the way they are situated. The machine needs some engine guards rolling out of the showroom.

Yamaha has a taller and wider windscreen available for the FJ-09 and it would be on my small wish list as well.

The machine rolls off the showroom on Dunlop Sportmax D222 Roadsmart II tires that we would swap out sooner, rather than later, for more advanced and superior rubber - which would instantly improve the ride and handling for the Yamaha.

Our machine did not have the side bags that are available, but from what we have seen of them, they will do the job for week-long junkets, and do it with style.

Although Yamaha would like to compare the FJ-09 to Kawasaki’s nuclear-powered Concours-14, the BMW K1600GT or even its own FJR 1300 we think it fits better head to head with machines like the Kawi Versys 1000 or perhaps Suzuki’s V-Strom 1000.

In truth, in a field like this that, by looks, kinda seems the same, the Yamaha FJ-09 has a distinct advantage coming in with a superb price point: an MSRP of $10,490, plus a grand for luggage and brackets.

Still $1,300 less than the Kawasaki Versys.

That is plenty of moola to make changes and upgrades to the suspension, saddle and other little nitpicks that will morph the Yamaha FJ-09 from yet another very nice motorcycle into a superb sport-touring machine. ~ Brian Rathjen

FIRST RIDE

2015 YAMAHA FZ-07

Unlike its big, sport-touring brother we have no delusions on Yamaha’s FZ-07.

When we were making arrangements to get hold of the FJ-09, the FZ-07 was offered as well.

Shira, a lover of tinier and sportier machines said, “Hell, yes” - and so it was.

Spending a number of days piloting this Yamaha around the mountains and farmlands of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania we knew that this machine is made for one thing.

Riding fun.

The diminutive machine reminded us of our older Ducati Monster in its riding position and, although it fit Shira perfectly, it was a tad small for the slightly larger Rathjen. Still, when Brian took the FZ-07 out for a few hundred miles he came back all smiles.

When a manufacturer goes to create a new machine there are a lot of ingredients that can go into the mix. Yamaha got this one so right.

THE MOST VERSATILE SPORT TOURER. Introducing the most performance, power, versatility and value ever packed into one motorcycle. From commuting and exploring backroads, to touring the open road and enjoying long sport tour adventures, the all-new FJ-09 does it all in comfort and style with Yamaha’s unmistakable reliability and performance.

Long Island Yamaha 67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIYamaha.com • 516-935-6969 Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. ©2014 Yamaha Motor Corporation. U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com

Page 42

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS The FZ-07 is powered by a 689cc Parallel Twin Crossplane Concept engine with its 270-degree crank, a claimed 50.2 pound-feet of peak torque and 75 horsepower. It weighs just 397 lbs, almost 50 lbs less than the Suzuki SFV650, 12 less than the Ducati 696 Monster and a whopping 60 lighter than the Kawasaki Ninja 650. This lightweight really shines on the road.

In the real life world (where we ride) that lightness can add up to a great thing in a small package making the Yamaha FZ-07 a superb mid-size machine in a very small package.

If you want soup to nuts, comparo, virtual road test, PhD discussion of the FZ-07 look elsewhere, we’ll be giving you the Reader’s Digest version and will deal more with actual real road riding.

The slim FZ-07 fuel cell holds 3.7 gallons, and Yamaha is claiming the bike’s capable of 58 mpg and a range of approximately 200 miles.

Back in the real world the fuel light came on after 130 miles and some 25 miles down the road we were sweating looking for a fuel station; where we put in a little less than 3 gallons. That gets the FZ-07’s range in Yamaha’s ball park, but one bar left and the flashing fuel symbol on the dash will always get your attention.

The FZ-07 has a 41mm KYB conventional fork (non-adjustable) up front, with a preload-adjustable-only shock in the rear. This shock is mounted horizontally to the engine cases and the swingarm – saving weight and space. The engine is stressed member and brings this entire unit together in a sharp and weight saving manner.

Surprisingly we all felt the FZ-07 was a more planted machine on the smoother and twistier roads. All agreeing with the thought that we could pilot this machine with more seriousness than the larger FJ-09, which we felt needed better suspension for day to day touring.

Braking is tackled by dual 282mm wave-type discs with four-piston monoblock calipers that do excellent work.

We know the FZ-07 will never be a long-distance mount, but day trips and the occasional short overnight is not out of the question here.

Although the rear seat is a terrible joke, the rider’s pad was fairly comfortable for a bike such as this. The low 31.7-inch seat height, modern LCD instruments, 10-spoke aluminum wheels, and large 180/55-size rear tire simply add to the bike’s allure.

Our tester came in the Liquid Graphite color with snazzy blue/purple frame and wheels. It is a very hot looking machine and we were told so just about everywhere we rode it.

Now here is the funny thing. We try to ride test machines in an equal way, especially when trying to gather miles beneath them in the real world. But, when given the chance to run errands or even simply go for a ride, the FZ-07 got rolled out of barn far more than the FJ-09.

Considering the machines we ride day to day this was a bit enlightening and we think we know why. The Yamaha FZ-07 is just a pleasure to ride.

If you are a novice rider looking for your first real sportbike and have the slim wallet to prove it, then it is hard to beat the FZ-07.

If you are an experienced rider just looking for something in the way of a lighter second machine to spend your Sunday afternoons on then take a look at this machine as well; as it comes with a hard to beat price of $6,990.

As we write this it is the height of baseball season and there is no question that with the FZ-07 that Yamaha has hit a long home run! ~ Brian Rathjen

shira’s thoughts: As was stated earlier, I do opt for the lighter, smaller testers and this one was right on the money. With my height (5’3”) and inseam (30” on a really good day) the ergonomics of the FZ-07 were quite comfortable. I could assume a fairly upright position while skooching my butt to the rear of the seat. The flickability factor was very high, the transmission smooth and the brakes spot on. If this bike were to take up permanent residence in my garage, it would be fitted with a Givi windscreen, SW-Motech saddlebags and possibly an aftermarket saddle, making it a very affordable and fun daily and overnight travel companion.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 43

PROJECT LIVEWIRE • THIS AIN’T YOUR DAD’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON In late spring we got an email from our friend Rich Croland, at Bergen Harley-Davidson in New Jersey, with an invitation to come by their shop in mid-August when the Harley-Davidson Project LiveWire Tour, that has been traveling around the country, would be spending the weekend offering demo rides on the new H-D electric motorcycle – Project LiveWire.

This was open to all with a legal motorcycle license and was the Motor Company’s way of getting real feedback and opinions from their customer base and riders of other brands as well.

Absolutely. We were there, we said.

We arrived on a warmish August morning and Bergen already had a good-size crowd gathered for the first day of the demonstration.

We filled out the required paperwork and watched a short video on Project LiveWire - a must before each ride.

In addition to a small fleet of LiveWire machines there was also one mounted on a stationary runway, called the “Jumpstart Experience,” that allowed you to get a feel for the bike with its power and sound represented on a large video screen.

Although it looked far larger when Scarlett Johansson rode it in the last Avenger movie, in person it is very tiny. I had a moment’s regret for not wearing my black leather cat suit. What was I not thinking?

Look-wise it is an attractive machine, but still seemed very ‘projecty’ in the details. For example the mirrors were just there for the DOT, absolutely useless (that’s okay as many riders are unaware they have mirrors anyway – that was a joke, kinda.) The suspension uses an upside-down Showa Big Piston fork and cantilever shock. Both are fully adjustable and look very modern, although we’d never get to tweek them to our liking on this short ride. The single disc twin-piston front brake offers decent power and feedback. There was no ABS on these units.

There are two modes, one offering significant more zip but at the cost of eating up the battery, which takes a full 3 1/2 hours to charge with its Level 2, 220-volt input port.

On the road I was really impressed with Project LiveWire’s acceleration and performance. The bike is very quick and, with its set-up, does feel very much like a traditional fossil fueled machine. Letting off the throttle allows for the regenerative braking to build back energy for the battery.

How green is my Harley?

According to the factory reps the machine’s longitudinally-mounted, threephase AC induction motor has some 74 horsepower, 52 foot-pounds of torque and a (governed) top speed of 92 mph. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds (wow!) and has a top range of about 60 miles.

Good, but not great mileage. Watch those numbers jump over the next decade.

Our thoughts immediately jumped to the need to really ride this machine for a longer period of time. Even with its short range, it had the potential for a fun weekend getaway ride.

But, that is not going to happen, at least right now, as it is a project and not a production machine, yet… Unless you are an Avenger, in which case they will give you one now for free. Product placement is everywhere. (see Postcards from the Hedge this month) After the short loop around the semi-crowded mean streets of Rochelle Park each rider was asked to fill out a short survey on a tablet. You even got a Project LiveWire key fob for your participation.

On the survey, after the ride, one question seemed to stick out more than the others and that was about how the LiveWire sounded. As you would think this would be a big issue with some riders, especially Harley enthusiasts.

Well, as we said in the beginning “this ain’t your dad’s Harley-Davidson!” All 7 Main Ave • Passaic, NJ 07055 electric motors, since Nikola Tesla invented them, sound the same, the Project LiveWire is really no different. Think really big, really tough dentist drill. But, 973-778-6256 • www.SpeerYamaha.com that isn’t a bad thing. Although a tad whiny, it is still fairly quiet. And, for me, quiet is good.

Tri-State Metro Area’s Oldest Yamaha Thus the big question to the faithful.

I have ridden other electric motorcycles before and was impressed then and THE MALLTERNATIVE still am. The Project Livewire shows that these machines are in our future and with backing like a company so grounded in motorcycling history, as HarleyDavidson is, it looks like the future is almost here.

Now if we could get a hop on that jet from Agents of SHIELD. ~ Brian Rathjen

F.W. SPEER YAMAHA Dealer

Page 44

EVENT RECAP

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS 200 - RETURN OF THE ROAD TOUR

The trees overhanging the Pennsylvanian backroads reminded me of a towering green cathedral, with its green walls ever arching upward and inward to touch at the spire.

Well, it was Sunday and I think that, if God really cares, it wants motorcyclists to ride on the Sabbath.

It was a great day to be riding.

A few years back, after a few too many disparaging remarks leveled at my adopted Garden State, we put together the Backroads 250 Road Tour – a Jersey Thing! 250 miles all in New Jersey, along the best roads the state had to offer. In actuality this 250 ran 265 plus miles, but it was a romp to remember.

The following year our plate was full, but as this season rolled around we thought we’d offer up another ‘Road Tour.’

We learned a little bit from the first 250, and kept this ‘Return of the Road Tour’ down to a more manageable 200 miles even.

We penciled in a mid-August Sunday and hoped for the best.

Sunday August 16th rolled around and with it blue skies, if slightly warmish temperatures.

As our day’s ride would be scooting along the Pocoskills or Catanos, that magical deep regions running from the northern Poconos to the southern reaches of the Catskills mostly along the Upper Delaware River, we knew it would be cooler once everybody was moving along.

It turned out our route kept everyone, more or less, in the shady parts of the road. Yep, we planned that. It is a gift, and you are welcome.

The BR200 began and ended at the Chatterbox Drive-In, in Augusta, New Jersey and we had about 80 riders coming out, a number riding in from Long Island, New York State and south Jersey.

God bless you kids.

The route snaked north along Sunrise Mountain and then through the back

way into High Point State Park before crossing into New York and meandering up past the Woodstock Festival site - on the day of the 46th anniversary – stay away from the brown acid and Jody get off the stage!

The 200 then skeedoodled along the Scenic Upper Delaware River and the tips of the Catskills, before dropping south and crossing the river into PA along the carnival ride called River Road, Peggy’s Runway, Masthope and the rough shod Lackawaxen Road.

Hey, PA, pavement please - there is actually a sign warning that ‘there might be pavement between the potholes!’

I’ll take ‘just gravel’ any day.

We rode along the Pocono Ridge and then back down to the river and a crossing at Dingmans Bridge, before a quick cut through the Walpack Valley and Tillman Ravine and the final charge down County Road 521 and Old Stage Coach Road for a late lunch/dinner at the Chatterbox.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 45

Route 739 • Dingmans Ferry, PA • 570.828.1920

200 miles on the nose – let’s not quibble on this, okay?

One million, fifty six thousand feet (1,056,000). I counted them.

As always, the ride was free but, this time, we had a suggested donation (and it was just a sign saying what we were up too) for our Backroads Little Free Library Fund - which netted us enough moola for two new wooden libraries where literate folk can take a book or leave a book.

Free. Just like our rides…but, at a buck a foot, hmmm?

Still, the Little Free Libraries seemed a good thing to have, very fundamental and easy enough to do.

Thanks for your donation - We hope we came through on our part of the deal!

Shira, Hap & Pepe and I stuck around from 8ish till 11am handing out route sheets and chatting with friends, new and old and then we took off ourselves, along a Plan C (for compressed) route to get a few photographs of the fun. Basically reversing the route and getting about 75 miles into it, before I started seeing our people riding past me on their way back to New Jersey.

We’re happy to say it seemed that all had a most excellent day, with some serious miles done and done.

And, like a solid baseball inning… no hits, no runs & no errors. We like it that way.

We were also very pleased to see we had so many newcomers to this ride that we did wonder why more motorcyclists don’t come along on events like this.

By late afternoon we could see that the Backroads 200 had been as successful as we could hope for and a fun day for all who had come along for the ride, with a number of tables at the Chatterbox filled with riders.

There have been many friendships made over the years with our various Backroads events and we are pretty sure there is a whole bunch of room available for more riding buddies to join in the fun.

We hope to see you on our next event.

Here is the link for the GPS download: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/7e80tf

Page 46 EVENT RECAP

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME RIDE

This past Labor Day weekend a couple dozen baseball fans joined us for a short ride through the countryside on our way to Skylands Stadium, in Augusta, New Jersey to see the Sussex County Miners battle the Rockland Boulders.

The day was spectacular, as the holiday weekend weather could not be more motorcycle friendly, and we meandered through the rural parts of Passaic County, along Clinton Road (Weird NJ’s scariest road) and through the Pine Island region of New York State before dropping back into Sussex County, New Jersey and along the Mother Road – County Road 519 - with a few twists and turns thrown in to get us to Skylands Stadium.

At the stadium we were joined by a few families that came up with kids to enjoy a day of baseball. It was a really nice day for ball.

The first place Boulders trounced the Backroads’ local team favorites, the Miners, five to zip.

But, we were entertained regardless as I got to throw out the first pitch – a slow curving, fastball, slider away, knuckleball on the inside – that brushed an imaginary Mike Schmidt away from the plate.

This probably would have been sufficient until the kid throwing out a second game ball (who had the unfair advantage of being about 10 years old and four feet tall) threw good heat; a marvelous sinking fastball strike that popped into the catcher’s glove.

No respect kid, no respect. Well, at least I didn’t 50 Cent it.

The day was made more special as we were served a magnificent cake celebrating Backroads’ 20 years of motorcycles, travel & adventure.

So many riders and readers, over the years, have become almost like family and definitely friends, and for that we are very, very grateful.

The cake was delicious and also a monster that ended up feeding a good deal of the unsuspecting fans at the game. Thank you all, especially Mike and Andrea, for the great and very appreciated surprise.

Play ball! ~ Brian Rathjen

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

soCo Creamery 5 RAILROAD ST, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA 01230 413-644-9866 • WWW.SOCOCREAMERY.COM What would a ride be without an ice cream stop?

That’s what I thought while planning my version of the ride to our first stop on our 2015 Spring Break.

After stopping at Bear Mountain to pick up the rest of the folks riding to Lenox Massachusetts, the group became a bit disjointed. While everyone made it there eventually and, I assume, had a great ride, the folks who chose to stick it out with me had a bonus stop.

After Brian did a brilliant job of routing folks from Branchville NJ to Lenox MA, I perused the possible ice cream stops along the way. Popping out immediately was the hip town of Great Barrington MA. We have ridden through this little burg many times, with its many quaint shops and restaurants, including a pretty awesome brewery.

Just a tad off the main drag sat the SoCo Creamery, short for South County. While it was fairly close to our end point, I decided it would make a great inclusion for my Ice Cream Run column. I was not disappointed.

Finding parking right outside, with a nice little pub restaurant across the street for those not partaking in ice cream for lunch, we entered the red-brick building. As their brochure states, their vision was to have a hip ice cream

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Page 47 company with a classic vibe, and that’s just what we found. Starting with the décor of chalkboards with colorful artwork to the clean and bright signage, SoCo Creamery has a very homey feel. 25 years ago, Danny Mazursky decided to start a local scoop shop in the Berkshires. With its tremendous summer traffic (even folks who frequent Tanglewood like ice cream) they were an immediate hit. I suppose their use of all natural ingredients and the exclusion of the nasty carrageenan and corn syrup appeals to the greenies, but it’s the super premium rating (butterfat content average of 15%) and creative flavors that won me over.

Their chalkboard of flavors was completely overwhelming. Thankfully, the hip young lady behind the counter was generous with her tasting spoons and, after at least half a dozen, I opted for two scoops (always in a cup, as I savor my ice cream and it will definitely melt before I ever hit the cone portion). One was Mission Fig, beautiful Black Mission figs and super fine vanillas churned into a sweet cream base and the other Mexicali Chocolate, a hint of mint, a few shots of espresso, sprinkled with cinnamon, and a dash of cayenne on the finish, blended into a milk chocolate base. Smooth and creamy, with intense flavor, this ice cream is some of the finest I have tasted. Just to be even more decadent, I had them drizzle – abundantly – their homemade salted caramel sauce over the top. As you can see, one of my other tastetesters, Tim, was all smiles as well.

I could go on about their wonderful flavors, but I suggest you tease yourself and visit their website. Or, better yet, just hop on the bike and head over there right now. If you can’t get to them, check their web for other locations carrying SoCo Creamery ice cream. They pride themselves on being ‘as local as local can get’ making ice cream in their Great Barrington factory just a mile away from the scoop shop. And they believe 2 scoops are always better than 1 and that life is SWEET. I can’t agree more.

Open 7 days a week - YUM.

Page 48

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

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

Worn ouT

If you are thinking about it – it’s time.

Have you ever spent a long day on the road and somewhere in the mid-afternoon you begin to get a bit drowsy and your concentration begins to wane?

Sure, we have all been there a few times. But, this is the time, when you believe you are in need of a break that you need to take one.

If you think you are getting worn out then you most likely are.

The same goes for your motorcycle and equipment – especially your tires.

Last spring we took off for a few weeks in the south with the mid-Atlantic Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky coming into play.

As is my way I gave the machines a good going over and washing. I have found giving a bike, even a GS, a decent bath is an excellent way of finding something amiss or that needs tending to.

Looking at the rear tire I could tell that it was running close to its life’s end.

I made a judgment call that I would do the trip and swap to fresh rubber when I returned and right before CLASS Riding School.

Bad call on my part.

Not a thousand miles into this ride I was out of rear tire.

We had to alter our plans and route, but it all worked out as I was able to purchase and have mounted new rubber back in northern Virginia.

Thank you Frontline Eurosports.

I was disappointed that I had let the tires go when I could have handled it before we left.

The thought had crossed my mind and I chose to go around it – trying to stretch one more trip out of tires that had dozens under their belts already.

Your tires need adequate tread for them to perform the way they were designed.

In the past we have talked about some riders who run their tires down to the steel belt cord that lay beneath the actual rubber.

This is real problematic and a sure sign of a rider who really is not paying attention.

Hey, I am guilty of this error too.

Most tires today have an early warning system built into them - ‘Wear Bars.’

They make it easy for you to know if your tires need to be replaced just by looking at the tread. If you are having a hard time looking for the wear bar on some tires you can look for a small triangle on the sidewall – this will locate the wear bar for you.

If your tire is flush with the bar or the tire and bar is wore down together it is time for the tire to be replaced.

Still, we can somehow see what we ‘think’ is plenty of tread only to find out later we were sorely mistaken.

This can sometimes be more apparent when you park your bike next to a new machine or one with brand-new tires.

The difference then can be startling and significant.

If you are looking at someone else’s tires and then back to your own only to think – “Gee, maybe it is time for some new tires?”

Then it is time for new tires.

Period.

Don’t get caught miles from home with a few thousand miles to go and a storm front coming in.

Trust your gut instinct on this – you’ll be happier down the road.

Remember all your power and traction come from your tires and there is only the smallest patch between your motorcycle and the road and you and your machine deserve to have the very best of rubber you can afford at this meeting point of street, steel and skin.

BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 49

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS KÜRYAKYN TOP DASH ACCENT FOR VICTORY NOW AVAILABLE The new Top Dash Accent from Küryakyn provides an instant inner fairing upgrade for Victory Cross Country and Magnum models. Designed to coordinate with the contours of the OEM gauge bezels, the classic chrome-plated trim transforms the cockpit and also serves as a visor to reduce glare off the gauges. Measuring 16” long x 2-1/2” tall x 1-1/2” deep, the Top Dash Accent features angular styling to match the lines that run from above the stock headlamp housing up through the center of the fairing.

The chrome-plated injection-molded ABS is lightweight, durable and complements the OEM chrome trim around the gauges.

Available in chrome, complete the inner fairing transformation in minutes with everything included for installation on all ’10-later Cross Country and Cross Country Tour, as well as ’15 Magnum and Magnum X-1 models. $54.99 from Küryakyn.

CEE BAILEYS HEADLIGHT GUARDS EASY PROTECTION FOR A PRICEY PART OF YOUR MACHINE It was a dark and stormy night – isn’t it always?

The rider and machine were heading down a tight country lane, when an approaching truck kicked up a good-size cloud of gravel and debris peppering the motorcycle as it passed. There was a loud crack and a few seconds later the bike’s headlight went….off.

The rider’s eyes got wide and the adrenaline shot through his body as he did his best to track where he last saw the road and come to a safe stop. Pulling out his flashlight he quickly saw that a ‘very small rock’ (insert Monty Python voice) had shattered his headlight glass and the halogen bulb quickly failed. Luckily he wasn’t far from home and a cell phone call dragged his girlfriend out for a quick rescue, her car doing pilot duty as she led the rider and lightless bike the few miles back home.

Things happen when riding, and getting your headlight shattered by a stone in the dark is nearly as surprising as getting the news that the headlight assembly costs $400 plus from your local dealer – before installation.

Was there an easier way to avoid this?

There is. Cee Baileys Headlight Guards.

Yes, there are a number of headlight guards out there, but many look like they were designed by an orthodontist or bridge engineer. Cee Baileys offer simple and clean protection for your expensive headlight assembly.

They’re designed to take the impact of every day road hazards that often crack or break a lens without warning. With the cost of a new headlight being hundreds of dollars and more we’ve always considered it pretty inexpensive insurance. All guards are secured by 3M Dual Lock’s that separate the headlight from the guard allowing for easy removal when cleaning is needed.

We recently put a set of these .150 Aircraft Grade Acrylic shields onto our F650GS, matching the guard already in place on our KLR650. We have since ordered a set for the R1200GS as well.

Installation was almost too simple. Clean the headlight well to remove any grease or dirt, apply the 3M Dual Lock strips and attach the guard.

We did this at night to allow a number of hours for it to set.

Being clear they will not affect your headlight’s performance and they allow for 100% light transmissibility.

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They have applications for most modern machines and prices start from $39.99.

Log onto www.ceebaileys.com for more information or to order your own headlight insurance.

Page 50

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

PROGRESSIVE® INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOWS® ANNOUNCE U.S. 35TH ANNIVERSARY CALENDAR TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED THAT INCLUDE TWO NEW CITIES, PLUS BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS AND EDUCATIONAL COMPONENTS The Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® (IMS), the most influential touring consumer motorcycle show in the U.S., announced show dates for its 35th anniversary countrywide Tour. IMS will roar into 10 major markets with 15 vehicle manufacturers October 2015 through February 2016, with engaging activations and hundreds of motorcycles for enthusiasts to check out and even demo (in select cities).

Key sponsors of the 2015/2016 Tour include the title sponsor, Progressive® Insurance, a supporter of the Shows since 2004 and now title sponsor of the Tour through 2020; Allstate Insurance and J&P Cycles.

“Connecting with passionate motorcyclists across the country is our favorite part of our title sponsorship of the Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows®. From the Welcome Center to greet consumers when they arrive, to the Garage that features the interactive Slot Race Track and the Premium Bar stocked with custom motorcycle teeshirts, to the music and energy the young School of Rock musicians bring to the stage, it’s a family-friendly experience you don’t want to miss,” said Scott Hall, Motorcycle Product Manager, Progressive Insurance.

The upcoming Tour will have an increased focus on motorcycle manufacturers and an engaging show experience for the widest audience of enthusiasts across the country. Motorcycle riders and powersports fans from coast to coast will have the opportunity to experience hundreds of new street bikes, adventure/dual sports, dirt bikes, cruisers, scooters, ATVs and more. Major manufacturers and key partners on Tour include brands that have partnered with IMS since it launched in 1982. Charter partners on Tour include BMW, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha who are joined by BRP/Can-Am, Ducati, Indian, KTM, STAR, Triumph and Victory, among others.

IMS, the nation’s largest touring motorcycle event, connects riders with products and services that support their motorcycling lifestyle. This nationwide series is designed for fun and entertainment as well as commerce. Compelling show activations include new features and educational experiences designed for riders of all levels. Activations for the 2015/2016 Tour include the longest running custom bike show in the U.S.; J&P Cycle Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show; The Progressive® School of Rock; A-list celebrity appearances; motorcycle stunt shows; Super Moto Racing; and vintage bike displays.

The star attraction at each stop on the IMS Tour is always the motorcycles with each city showcasing 500-700 units for enthusiasts to see, touch and try (in select cities) along with the latest gear and accessories.

The 2015/2016 Tour cities represent the most motorcycle-dense populations in the US, reaching many of the nation’s motorcycle enthusiasts. The tour schedule offers attendees the unique opportunity to be the first to see the newest models, speak with knowledgeable product experts and be well-prepared and enthusiastic for the upcoming riding season.

In addition to the consumer facing aspect of IMS, the Shows will add a business-to-business platform in all markets. Designed specifically for motorcycle dealers, the initiative is geared toward education, information and training.

2015-2016 PROGRESSIVE® INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOWS® 10-CITY TOUR: NEW CITY: Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2015 | Oregon Convention Center, Portland, OR

January 22-24, 2016, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX

NEW CITY: November 6-8, 2015 | Cal Expo Center, Sacramento, CA

January 29-31, 2016, I-X Center, Cleveland, OH

November 20-22, 2015 | Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA

February 5-7, 2016, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

December 11-13, 2015, Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York, NY

February 12-14, 2016, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL

January 8-10, 2016, Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, FL

NEW DATE: Feb. 19-21, 2016 | University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ

First Class Postage $40 • One Year - 12 issues Securely mailed in an envelope • Credit Cards gladly accepted Please visit our website for credit card subscriptions www.backroadsusa.com/subscription.html Safely and securely handled through PayPal NAME ____________________________________________________

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BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 51

PRODUCT REVIEW KINDERRIDER GEAR ATGATT FOR THE YOUTH OF AMERICA Being surrounded by motorcycles all their lives, my two kids, Jack 11 and Nora 9 are no strangers to two wheeled vehicles. They also have their own little Honda XR50 that is head and shoulders better than the ragtag “mini-bike” of my youth. My ride back then was nothing more than a Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engine strapped perilously to a crudely welded frame. What we called brakes back then was a foot actuated steel plate that scrubbed the rear tire to coax this rolling death trap to a stop. What my mother let us get away with in my youth is truly, spectacularly mindboggling. As crude as my first bike was, my “riding gear” wasn’t much to be admired either. Blasting through the streets of western Long Island, if you found me with a shirt on, THAT was my “gear”.

Helmet? Are you kidding?

Coming a long way from those heady days of youth and idiocy, my choice of bike as well as my gear has progressed just a bit. If you’ve read Backroads for any amount of time, you know that riding with ATGATT is just second nature.

So when the time came that my kids wanted to ride along with me, we all knew that it wasn’t going to happen without proper attire. It was a daunting challenge to find suitable protective gear that did not leave them vulnerable or made them look like an extra from “The Wild One”.

Yes, there are plenty of offerings out there for the many kids who are off-roading and dirt tracking but the apparel for those folks aren’t too effective against the trouble we can find ourselves in on unforgiving tarmac. Road rash and blunt force are not best dealt with motocross gear. Yes, I could have called the good folks in Duluth to have them make up a mini-me version of my Aerostich, but in the hopes they have my wife’s height gene we all know that these kids will be growing out of this gear by the time we pull back into the garage. Yes, we all want the best for our kids but I’m not spending that kind of do-re-me on something that will potentially used less than 20 times in two years. Come to think of it, after 12 or more years in my current getup, I’m due for a new ‘Stitch!

As luck would have it, while on the phone with a tallish, good looking bald fellow he mentioned a company called KinderRider. Michael Kaiser and his business specialize in purpose built “Children’s Technical Motorcycle Gear”. They offer textile Jackets and Pants ranging in sizes from XS (4-5) up to XXL (14-16).

While this gear is not the ultimate in motorcycle protection they get as close to it as one possibly can when searching for padded, textile sport touring clothing for children.

A little about the products: The Explorer Pant has 600D Cordura construction, CE armor in the knees and hips, and non-slip material in the bum so the kid stays put. The Explorer jacket is made of the same 600D Cordura along with CE armor in elbows, back and shoulders. For those warmer days, the jacket has venting zips to keep the cool air flowing over your charge. Both the pants and the jacket come with a waterproof liner for the chilly bones and a water proof inner liner for moister days. Most importantly, both have reflective piping and panels for being seen.

Luckily for me, my daughter is almost the same size as my son so our one purchase was a two-fer. The kids claim that they fit really well and there was no bitching and moaning from the aft end of the bike. After each went for a maiden two hour ride each way to Grandma’s; (one kid up to the place of spoils and the other on the way home), I had to remind them both to take the gear off. Like Dad, they were keen on the idea of wearing shorts and a tee under their gear.

The jacket has four colors to choose from: Silver/Red, Silver/Blue, Silver/Black, and Silver/Purple. To head off any arguments on Haute Couture, we opted for the gender neutral Silver/Purple. Pants come in black only. Just like the high quality full size riding gear, the pants and jacket can be zipped together for added security.

While shopping we also picked up a pair of KinderRider gloves, also offered in kid friendly sizes. These gloves are summer/fall weight only and are $29.99.

Bargain!

As the pants and the jacket both come with expansion zips to allow room for growing I’m expecting these to last them until they’re both married and out of the house. For $110.00 for the Jacket and $99.00 for the pants, it’s a very reasonable price to pay for peace of mind for me and the protection they deserve. At their age, I can’t count on the angels that were on my shoulder during my early days of carefree, naked, brainless riding.

My thanks to Mr. Kaiser and the folks at KinderRider for providing a source for attractive and most importantly, effective moto gear for kids! You can find your young rider’s gear on their website: kinderriderinc.com ~ Michael Bellantone

Page 52

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

BOOK SPOTLIGHT MOTORCYCLING THE RIGHT WAY DO THIS, NOT THAT: LESSONS FROM BEHIND THE HANDLEBAR BY KEN CONDON If you are like us you live and breath motorcycles, and the ride does not end when you roll into the garage and turn off the bike.

No, like us, you actively seek out new knowledge, old knowledge and needed knowledge when it comes to becoming a better, more skillful rider.

So we were excited to hear of the release of Motorcycling the Right Way, a new book by popular, and one of our favorite, motorcycle authors - Ken Condon.

Most of you have seen Ken’s writing in various motorcycle publications over the years, but for those who are not familiar with him Ken has written more than 250 skills and safety articles for Motorcycle Consumer News, including the Proficient Motorcycling and Street Strategies monthly columns and he currently writes the Street Savvy column for Motorcyclist Magazine.

He has been our go-to-guy when we have a technical riding skills question and on various things motorcycle.

In other words – he is the man.

Motorcycling the Right Way is an essential reference for riders of all experience levels. This book offers proven principles for accident-free riding. In Motorcycling the Right Way, Condon illustrates a specialized teaching method to help motorcyclists develop the physical and mental skills to ride safely, skillfully, and with confidence.

“Riding the right way means using known and proven principles for effectively controlling your motorcycle and managing risk,” says Condon. “Riding a motorcycle the right way involves more than simply acquiring a collection of information and skills. It takes a commitment to developing and nurturing the relationship between you, your bike, and the road.”

Motorcycling the Right Way is a complete motorcycle riding manual with each chapter featuring riding situations and teaching lessons. Sections include How to manage risks and prevent crashes, Mastering necessary skills in everyday situations, How to conquer shifting, braking, and cornering, Dissecting real-life situations and concluding what went wrong and what to do right, Dirt riding, group rides, highway riding, night riding, passengers and Motorcycle maintenance.

We were impressed by the quality of the book and especially the plethora of illustrations, pictures and straight-forward imagery used in Motorcycling the Right Way. “Being a thinking motorcyclist means making conscious decisions about risk management – this is one of the biggest reasons why I’ve survived all these years on two wheels,” adds Condon. “This book will bring audiences a clear insight to right actions and critical choices, as well as the rewards of safety, confidence and enjoyment of the road.”

Motorcycling the Right Way by Ken Condon is now available at online booksellers and bookstores everywhere for $24.95.

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UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish Every Tuesday • Bike Night @ Texas Smoke Barbecue, 400 Route 15 South, Jefferson, NJ. Dine indoors or out with dinner specials. Meet and kick some tires while enjoying some terrific barbeque • www.TexasSmokeBBQ.com • 862-209-4078 Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ. Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com Every Saturday • Stop by the dealership at 9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs at 10am. Return to the dealership for FREE food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. • Bergen Harley-Davidson/BMW Motorcycle, 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenbmwmotorcycles.com

SEPTEMBER 23-27 • 3rd Annual Motorcycle Film Festival, Nihil Gallery, 251 Douglas Street, Brooklyn NY. Full schedule and chosen film list: www.motorcyclefilmfestival.com 24-27 • Rolling Thru America - Pennsylvania. Brought to you by the folks who produce Americade, an intimate tour through beautiful Pennsylvania. Visit www.RollingThruAmerica.com for full details and to register. Limited space.

26 • Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness Charity Bike Run & Event in loving memory of Mark Khoury & Jeremy Ramirez. Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Dr (Rte. 565), Augusta, NJ. Sign in: 9-11am; Ride 11:30-1:30pm; Event doors open noon-5pm. $20/pp incl. food, vendors, tricky tray, 50/50, live music and ride. foreverfriends4923.@gmail.com for more info.

OCTOBER 3 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson 1st Ever Scavenger Hunt to benefit Liberty Run Foundation. Sign in: 9-10:15am • $15/rider • $10/passenger. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • BergenHarley.com • FULL DETAILS PAGE 19 3 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Fall Open House. Food, beverages, live music and more. 12 W Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 • www.LibertyHarley.com 3 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Open House • 11am-5pm. 2016 models have arrived. HOG-FAB ride, BBQ, vendors, games, prizes, live music and more. 949 State Route 28, Kingston, NY • 855-RIDE-WHD * WoodstockHarley.com 4 • 8th Anual Veterans Memorial Car, Truck & Bike Show. Woodbourne Veterans Memorial park, 145 Sherman Ridge Rd, Wantage Township, NJ • 11am-4pm. Benefits Operation Comfort Warrior. For more information: 973-352-9203 • wantagerec.com/veterans_memorial/car_show/car_show.htm 10 • Tramontin Harley-Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration. YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS! Exit 12 Route 80, Hope, NJ • 908-459-4101 • TramontinHD.com 11 • Ramapo Motorcycle Club Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/Endsite: Rhodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, NY 9am-mid-afternoon. Benefits Valerie Fund for Childhood Cancer Research. A guided or self-guided tour featuring the best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson Valley’s most interesting roads. For more info: ramapomc.org • RMC@ramapomc.org 13 • Rollin’ Fast Indian Motorcycle of Lebanon ‘Indian Summer’ Demo Day • 9am6pm with attractive discounts on apparel and accessories. Find which Indian will be your next ride • 104 Main St, Lebanon, NJ • 908-236-9000 • www.RollinFast.com 17 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Oktoberfest Open House featuring British world traveler and auther Sam Manicom’s ‘Into Africa’ presentation and book signing along with demo rides, door prizes, great food, fantastic sales and much more.

5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.mortonsbmw.com 18 • 27th Annual Harvey C. Irons Make-A-Wish Ride hosted by the Blue Knights NJIX. Sign in with coffee/donuts: Chatterbox Drive-In, Rte. 15/206, Augusta, NJ 911am; KSU 11am. $20/pp benefits Make-A-Wish Foundation of NJ. Endsite: Skylands Stadium, Rte. 565, Augusta, NJ with entertainment, vendors, lunch and more. email: mlittle_2@msn.com • bknjix.org • 973-729-4072 18 • Ridgewood 10th Annual Fall Motorcycle Classic Bike Show and Run to benefit Tomorrow’s Children Fund sponsored by Bergen County Harley-Davidson • 201843-6930 • For complete details please see page 29 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 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 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.

Page 53

Page 54

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

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We welcome everyone from a lone rider to a full chapter

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BACKROADS • OCTOBER 2015

Page 55

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

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

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Page 56

OCTOBER 2015 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

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www.Powersports.Honda.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm Sat: 9am-5pm • SUNDAY: CLOSED honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. NC700X, CB500X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)