Motorcycles, Travel & AdventureVolume 22 No. 4

APRIL 2016

TRAVEL ON THE MOHAWK TRAIL

NORTHERN EXPOSURE - ICELANDIC SAGA

LOOKING AT SOME CLASSIC RIDES

MODERN CLASSICS AND RETRO TOURS

WELCOMESPRING

TO

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MONTHLY COLUMNSFREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4

WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................6

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................7

ON THE MARK ....................................................8

INDUSTRY INFOBITES .....................................10

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................12

BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................14

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............16

WE’RE OUTTA HERE........................................18

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

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE............................46

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................48

FEATURESI KNOW THIS PLACE........................................21

NORTHERN EXPOSURE..................................22

A TRIP OVER THE MOHAWK TRAIL ................30

RETRO TOURS..................................................38

MODERN CLASSICS MC SHOW.....................42

TIMONIUM MOTORCYCLE SHOW .................44

PRODUCT REVIEWSBRIDGESTONE BATTLAX ST TIRES ...............28

DENALI DR LED LIGHTS..................................29

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Publishers Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors Mark Byers, Pamela Collins,Bill Heald, Jake Herzog,Robert Laford, Peter Miller,John Newman,Dr. Seymour O’Life

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317Branchville NJ 07826

phone 973.948.4176

fax 973.948.0823

email editor@backroadsusa.com

online www.backroadsusa.com

Advertising 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACK-ROADS™, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may notbe reproduced in any manner without specific written consent fromthe publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submis-sions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number withsubmissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosedsufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACK-ROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should notbe considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are rid-den on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not re-sponsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Pleaserespect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear properprotective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E22

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A Journey of A Lifetime

How About A Lifetime of Journeys?

I had gotten into a deep conversationwith a friend of mine who has spent a goodpart of his adult life journeying around theglobe on motorcycles.

Unencumbered by hearth, and with a home that stays put and unbotheredwhile he is traveling, he will spend months, sometimes years, traveling toparts of the planet he has not yet seen or to places that – for whatever reason,catches his fancy.

If you do this for a while and have a hankering to shareyour adventures then a plethora of books and accoladeswill most likely follow.

During one of our correspondence – letters that wouldhave taken months by ship a couple of hundred years agotake just seconds these days - the gist of the conversationwas about organized tours and, in particular, the waysome are advertised and portrayed.

Being a professional nomad by trade he has sometimes come across asfeeling a bit superior in his wandering ways compared to the rider who takeshis journeys where and when they can.

More than once I have attempted to explain that most of Mr. & Mrs. JoePublics are not all that venturesome and so many of the people in the US be-lieve that Disney World or an all-inclusive in the Caribbean are the end allin escapes. My thinking and written views on this have gotten me in troublein the past – especially within my own family.

Not everyone’s idea of fun and frolic is the same. Still, a little bit of research shows that more than half of Americans do not

have a valid passport and just 46% of us do. That means that fewer than halfof us can even travel up to our neighbors in Canada, much less Thailand.

Statistics show that New Jersey (yeah, our home state) has the most valid

passports per population with 62%, followed by the rest of the northeast andCalifornia. Mississippi was the lowest, with just 18%, followed by West Vir-ginia (19%), Alabama (22%) – the deep south follows the rest of this ten-dency. There is a strong political and monetary trend here too but, as aLibertarian, I believe in “Live and Let Live.”

My repeated tune to this friend was that instead of looking down on thosewho travel when and where they can, usually by motorcycle, he should em-brace them. Better two weeks in the Alps or Ecuador than a weekend inVegas. Am I right?

Deeper into this back and forth thread came the conclusion that it was notso much the travelers and riders that go on organized tours, as it was someof the verbage and tag lines that are used to describe some pre-planned treks.The one that particularly got our friend’s eyes a rollin’ was “Journey of aLifetime.” I could not have agreed more.

As the great bard William Shatner sang inhis classic ‘I Can’t Get Behind That,’ “Who’slifetime? Not mine. I haven’t that much timeleft, let’s make it yours. Everybody’s got alonger life than me.”

To me ANYTHING that ends with “of alifetime” is self-defeating and problematic. Itassumes that this one thing, in this case a mo-

torcycle journey, will be the culmination of everything you have ever doneon two wheels and nothing will ever top it. How sad.

Personally I would rather have a Lifetime of Journeys than one Journey ofa Lifetime.

I would put forth that we all strive to live and to ride a Lifetime of Journeys- each one with its own flair, taste, excitement, wonder and memories.

Like putting money away in a bank, a little at a time – a little ride here andbigger ride there, a motorcycle journey to this destination or that, all add up.And, when you are done and look back at your life you will see it is one thatis very rich indeed.

Our road warrior buddy might be of a certain extreme when it comes tohis nomadic lifestyle, but I don’t think he would ever discourage, belittle, orfrown upon the journey of another.

F R E E W H E E L I N ’BRIAN RATHJeN

Page 4 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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firsts

There’s nothing like the first time. You lookup and see a vision, what you think is the mostperfectly built creature. Your eyes caress everycurve. You tentatively place a hand on cool smoothness and wrap it aroundhard rubber. Throwing a leg over, you straddle the con-toured saddle and at once feel at home. You’ve beendreaming about this moment, and you want to take yourtime, drink it in, savor the newness because there’s noth-ing like the first time… you ride your first motorcycle.

In our lives we have millions of firsts: breath, word,steps, bicycle ride, date, kiss and so on and so on. Hope-fully, most are pleasurable and memorable. Some firstswe hope are not followed by seconds.

I know that I look forward to many of my firsts everyyear. When the calendar dwindles down to a single page,and I’m pretty sure that the riding days will be dwindlingdown as well, I anticipate the new year and its first ride. Sometimes it doesn’tcome for a few months, other times it’s right on the heals of singing AuldLang Syne. Such was the case as we entered 2016. Unlike the past few win-

ters, Mother Nature saw fit to give us (at least those in northern NJ) a restfrom feets of snow and ice and a present of quite mild temps for the season.

When I wake up and see the temperature in early February is going to hitsomewhere in the 50 degree range, there is nothing better to do than have astretch of the tires. Not necessarily a road trip, just a jaunt for lunch to shakebody and bike out a bit.

It so happened that I also was breaking in a new helmet. My Nolan N104had taken a tumble late last year, so I took the opportunity to replace it withthe same model but in hi-viz yellow (you can never be too conspicuous on amotorcycle). Slipping it on for the first time, it felt completely right – snug

yet comfortable, no slippage or drooping. Now here’s afirst that cannot be ignored; looking through a brandnew face shield. No bug splatter, no scratches, and nosmudges – a completely clean slate. And the smell, orlack of, that a new helmet brings is special. After a fewmonths it will take on the miles of sun, sweat and grimefrom trip after trip. But the first time you place yournoggin in that protective bubble, it is truly sublime.

I remember the smells of the day. The crispness of thecold air sneaking in through the helmet vents, bringingthe reminder that it was still winter and we were stealinga day of enjoyment on two wheels and the smoke com-

ing from the passed homes with their fireplaces stoked.Then there’s the knowledge that the Road Gods have yet to take on their

duties of clearing the salt and grit that has built up over the winter. Eventhough the sun may feel warm and there is no visiblesnow, the roads are far from clean. Heading into theshady side of the mountains, what may look like waterrunoff is most likely black ice. I go tiptoeing aroundsuch surfaces as I’ve been bitten by that once or twicebefore. But the elation of being out on such a day over-shadows those worries.

There were quite a few others who took advantage ofthis gift of a day as well. Passing the first bike is almostlike being part of a special club. We wave and know thatwe share a commonality; that right now, at this moment,there is no place better to be in the whole world. Watch-ing the birds darting about in anticipation of the comingspring, seeing the overly-anxious greens popping fromthe ground and passing other riders who are enjoyingthe same sensations make the coming of the warmerdays seem like they are right around the next corner.

Heading up to the Carriage House in Barryville forlunch with mom, the route took us along some less trav-elled tarmac which had us picking our way around pot-holes and upheavals left from the winter’s frost. Butwhen I see the temperature heading to the middle 60s, Iforget about the patches of snow on the sides of theroads and I think forward to long days in the saddle andthe first gathering with friends who have been absentduring the dark days of winter. Here’s to spring and theadventures to come – the first of which will be the best.

Oh yeah, and another first that I adore - first pitch.LET’S GO METS!

WH AT C H AT H I N K I N ’SHIRA KAMIL

Page 6 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

free wheelin’ (Continued from Page 4)

Likewise the rider entrepreneur who puts togetherthese journeys, whether they be short hops or expedi-tions of a grander scale, should be commended. Mostowners of these motorcycle tour companies put all theyhave on the line to do these tours and most are veryproud of where they call home and what they wish toshow other riders. For sure there will always be the fewwho are not on the up & up – but they are a rare andshunned breed.

The time we have on the planet is short in the grandscheme of things and better to have a life made up ofmany, varied and interesting journeys than an existencedefined by just one.

3-D (witHout GLAsses)

Parts. Ain’t they great? You know, if you thinkabout it, most of the material items in our livescouldn’t exist without them. When assembled,parts can combine to form miraculous things like a wheelbarrow, a reallynice expresso machine or even a GP bike. But if you’re working on a motor-cycle that is no longer manufactured (at least in the form you own) and youneed some of these “parts” to make it go, itcan get tricky. In fact, it can get frustrating,although to be fair the heaven and hell knownas the Interwebs has made finding parts mucheasier than before. This means if the part isout there, sitting in a dusty box on a dustyshelf (that’s just past the old 55-gallon oildrum that, if full, would only be worth about$33), your chances of finding it are substan-tially better than they were before the MagicBox with Pictures took over. But what if thesemi-runed constabulator you need for yourvintage Hercules Rotary is no longer around,even on the dustiest of dusty shelves?

“1500 years ago everybody knew the earth was the center of theuniverse. 500 years ago everybody knew the earth was flat. And15 minutes ago you knew that people were alone on this planet.Imagine what you will know…tomorrow.”

This immortal bit of dialog came from Agent K (courtesy of Tommy LeeJones) in the film Men in Black. I love it. I try to use it every other columnor so, in fact. Usually there’s no real reason to use it, but there is one in this

case as it relates to the Brave New World we are now entering where diffi-culty finding parts (to almost anything) will be a thing of the past. You’veno doubt heard of 3-D printing, which is part of a process to that has beensteadily evolving as computer science advances to produce 3-dimensionalobjects directly from a computer model. The first experiments with this tech-nology were pretty limited, but as computer aided fabrication has advancedso has the ability to do it easier and cheaper, and soon it will be as easy to 3-D scan a desired part and have a fabrication machine “print” it out of the ma-terial of choice. I am greatly simplifying the process (just call me the GreatSimplifier, or just the Great Simpleton), but you get the gist.

As this amazing technology advances, OEM manufacturers will be able tofabricate parts at will, should the desire arise. But looking a bit further down

the road smaller parts and accessory concerns will beable to make very high-quality replacement parts,and then just think of the possibilities. Not only couldyou replace what breaks, but you could actually keeptruly vintage stuff running as some parts could be im-proved to correct various problems the original unitspossessed. Gaskets that where prone to leak could bemade to fit better thanks to scanning the surfaces inquestion, and then made of better materials. Rarebodywork could be restored to new condition, in col-ors and materials far more durable than before. Thescope of what this could mean to keeping our ma-chines, (or any machines, for that matter) tickingover and on the road, is truly enormous. Think of all

the older Detroit iron that continued to be built in the Southern Hemispherewhen the tooling was sold to countries where the value of continuing to buildolder models was high. Multiply that countless times over and you can seewhat a literally endless supply of spare parts might mean for the future ofthe past.

But what other effects will this have on the resurrection of classic motor-cycles? There’s a reason why a lot of old technology was left behind as better

P O S T C A R D SF R O M T H E H E D G E

BILL HeALD

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 7

Continued on Page 15

Loss

When Dangerous Dan calls, I listenbecause there’s usually a good motor-cycle or ride in the offing. This time, as Henley said, “I got a call today thatI didn’t wanna hear.” In the wee hours, thieves made off with fourof DDs motorcycles, three pure dirt bikes and one dual sport. Iwish his words weren’t familiar, but they were. “It’s not so muchthe loss of the bikes,” he said, “it’s the loss of the security andthe fact that my wife and daughter were asleep not far away.”Anyone who’s been robbed knows the violation he felt andthe way it affects a man’s outlook.

You look at people with a jaundiced eye afterwards: theguy who stopped to admire your machines and talk shop sud-denly might be a “suspect,” because your trust was chuckedin the back of a truck in the middle of the night along withyour bike. The tweens who walk up the street and beg youto do wheelies don’t seem so innocuous, because innocence got pushed downthe driveway in the darkness. The guy to whom you sold a bike on Craigslistis now potentially sinister. For a while, it goes on, ad infinitum.

There’s fear: someone who brazenly takes your property from a shedtwenty feet from where you, your wife, and kindergarten-age daughter aresleeping might do worse. You fear they saw things they liked and will comeback. It happened in my neighborhood. There’s the “close the barn doorafter the horse is gone” syndrome, chaining and cabling things together andinstalling more locks and security devices, even though the damage has beendone and it’s damned inconvenient. Your safe, rural neighborhood just gotmolested.

There’s a flurry of activity: police and insurance paperwork and searchesfor titles and photos. Everyone sympathizes, making suggestions that rangefrom useful to sublimely bad. There are flyers and web sites, posting in hopessomeone will see one of the wayward machines. Deep down, you know it’s

probably fruitless, but trying burns off the adrenaline. You have to doSOMETHING. At some point, saturation sets in and you don’t want to talkabout it any more: when you should be bragging about your daughter’s latestaccomplishment or planning a ride, you’re inundated with the dialog of mis-fortune. I saw DD hit that wall.

For the past couple days, I’ve watched DD go through it. I posted stuff online and made flyers. Someone would be crazy to ride or sell one of them inthis county, because we carpetbombed it with flyers. We are surfing

Craigslist deep into the night, hoping someone is dumbenough to post one for sale, but that probably will not

happen. If the criminals are local, we may find oneabandoned on a trail or power line, engine blown and

parts rusted. If it was one of the outlaw riding gangsof DC or Baltimore, we’ll never see the bikes again –

not in a form in which DD would want them back.That’s not insignificant: DD’s a fine mechanic and

those machines were meticulously maintained by aman with a passion for things mechanical. Knowing

they’ll be abused is gut-wrenchingly painful. Eachone has mods and markings, even blemishes, that

makes it unique. Wiseco pistons and Kibblewhite valves live in some of thosehearts, but I doubt the thieves care – they need goods for quick exchange inthe marketplace of drugs and cash and guns in the big cities to our North.They don’t care about the hard-won, honest money tied up in them by a finecraftsman, tradesman, husband, and father. It’s the ultimate contempt.

And there’s anger, lots of anger. Few who decry vigilantism understandthe raging tide of adrenalin spawned by having your property taken. I didn’tsay I condone it, but I understand it. DD is dealing with it by saying “I haveto keep remembering that I’m my daughter’s father when I think about whatI’d like to do to them.” There’s also a sense of hopelessness and resignation.Occasionally, there’s a surge of optimism at the rumor the cops have a sus-pect, but the sad fact is that not many property crimes get solved – LEOshave bigger fish to fry. Fortunately, he said, “I’ve got a couple XR’s worthof parts – we’ll put one together.” And there is no doubt we will, in a couplemonths, be sitting around the IHOP celebrating the rise of another two-wheeled Lazarus. Let the healing begin.

O N T H E M A R KMARK ByeRS

Page 8 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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50 YEARS OF KAWASAKISurprisingly, the birthplace of Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. was not the

Golden State but old-town Chicago.Some 50 years ago, on March 1, 1966, American Kawasaki Motorcycle

Corp. opened for business in Chicago, with a modest sales office at 208 SouthLa Salle Street and a two-story parts warehouse at 2860 North Lincoln Av-enue. Formerly the site of a meat-packing plant, the warehouse needed seri-

ous renovation, but the price was right for a company trying to gain a toeholdin a vast new country. Welcomed by Tony Watanabe with Ted Tazaki, wholed the charge to establish the Chicago office, just 50 people attended thegrand opening, held at the nearby Continental Hotel. But it was the rightcrowd, including the banks, trading companies and distributors that wouldsupport the company’s early efforts in America.

Today KMC has nearly 1,100 dealers in all 50 states and offers a widerange of products in five categories, including streetbikes, off-road motor-cycles, ATVs, MULE utility vehicles, and JET SKI personal watercraft.Many of the 4-wheel product and personal watercraft are assembled atKawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A. in Lincoln, Nebraska.

ZERO DSR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE TO BE AWARDED

IN AMA CLUB 1924 SWEEPSTAKESOne lucky winner will

ride away on a 2016 ZeroDSR electric motorcyclejust for entering the 2016AMA Club 1924 Motor-cycle Sweepstakes at oneof the nation’s major mo-torcycle rallies.

“The Zero DSR is agreat motorcycle that willprovide years of enjoy-ment for the winner, bothon the road and on thetrail,” said AMA Chief

Operations Officer Jeff Massey. “We are glad to be ableto partner with Zero Motorcycles on this sweepstakes.”

The Zero DSR is an amped-up version of the ZeroDS, delivering 56 percent more torque and 25 percentmore power. A 660-amp controller is paired with a Z-Force® motor with higher temperature magnets to en-sure better performance during extended durations athigher speeds.

AMA Club 1924, named in honor of the AMA’sfounding year, is the association’s presence at theseevents, celebrating the fun of motorcycling, connectingwith riders and looking back on the history of motorcy-cling in America.

KICKING OFF THE 2016 RIDING SEASONSet your sights on Toronto Canada for the weekend

of April 9 & 10 when the Toronto Motorcycle Spring-Show, takes place at the International Centre. This 26thAnnual Edition, sponsored by Riders Plus Insurance,has grown to over a quarter million square feet and hasbecome the traditional Season Opener to kick off theriding season. And for good reason.

Featured at this year’s show are the new 2016 modelmotorcycles including touring and cruising bikes, streetbikes, offroad bikes, scooters, and production customs,as well as the giant Used Bike Clearance Sale. Alsoavailable is the expanded Used Parts ‘Pickers Markets,vendors offering used and NOS (new old stock) partsfor every type of motorcycle as well as used riding gear,rare literature and even motorcycle memorabilia.

Celebrity Guest, Kim Coates, known as ‘Tig’ fromSons of Anarchy will be at the Show both days. LeatherFashion Shows, racer autograph sessions, the EDDYawards and the Motorcyclist of the Year announcementround out the stage entertainment.

The Vintage ‘Bikes of the Century’ Display will fea-ture significant bikes from invited clubs & private own-ers as well as Vincent Motorcycles from the BarHodgson Collection including the 1953 Vincent BlackShadow “Sandbagger” and unveiling a 1953 CooperRace Car with a Vincent Twin Engine.

Visit www.motorcyclespringshow.com for hours, ad-dress or to download a discount coupon or purchase on-line tickets..

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Page 10 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

INDUSTRY INFOBITES News from the Inside

WOMEN RIDERS TAKE TO THE HILLS FOR MOUNTAIN MOXIE

The Blue Ridge Mountains Provide theBackdrop for the East Coast’s LargestWomen’s Motorcycling Conference

North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains willlend their twisting roads and scenic vistas tothe east coast’s largest women’s motorcyclingconference as Moto Girl Café presents Moun-tain Moxie, May 6-8 in Little Switzerland, NC.Mountain Moxie is a three-day event dedicatedto women who love motorcycling and the men

who ride with them. Mountain Moxie will feature presentations by the motorcycle industry’s

leading women, and will include topics such as international travel, long dis-tance riding, Iron Butt adventures, racing and track days, bike building andmotorcycle-related careers. All presentations will be held at the SwitzerlandInn and are scheduled during breakfast and dinner hours, leaving plenty oftime each day open for small-group rides and area exploration. Maps are in-cluded and will guide riders through local mountain twisties and the BlueRidge Parkway- featuring the famous Diamondback route!

Mountain Moxie offers a unique opportunity for riders and motorcycle en-thusiasts to learn from women motorcycling experts and enthusiasts and tocreate and build new friendships and networking relationships with otherswho share a love of motorcycling. Mountain Moxie is a female-focusedevent; however, men are welcome as paid guests of registered attendees.

The cost to attend is $135 per person and includes three breakfasts, twodinners, two unlimited wine/beer/cheese receptions, all presentations duringthe event, local route maps, event T-shirt and goodie bag.

www.motogirlcafemountainmoxie.com

TEXTING TEENS!Motorcycle riders have a lot to watch for when cruising through an urban

environment such as a city or town. While the first focus may be other vehi-cles, a new study shows bikers should watch for teens crossing the road while

distracted by their smartphone.According to research released by Safe Kids Worldwide, with support from

FedEx, distraction plays a role as 50% of teens admit they cross streets whileusing a mobile device, and an alarming 40% admit to actually being hit ornearly hit by a car, bike or motorcycle while walking.

Of the teens who have been hit or nearly hit report crossing the streetwhile:47% listening to music, 20% talking on the phone, and 18% were texting.

“Every hour of every day, a teen is hit or killed while walking,” said KateCarr, President and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide. “Texting and walking ordriving can be fatal. That’s why we’re asking everyone to put phones downwhen crossing the street.”

BMW K1600 GTL CONCEPT BIKE WITH LASER LIGHTSee and be seen has always been one of the central axioms of safe motor-

cycling, for which reason BMW Motorrad has continued development andoptimization of motorcycle lighting units.

The new BMW Motorradlaser light is derived from adesign from the automobiledivision of the BMWGroup. The innovative lasertechnology is already avail-able in the new BMW 7 Se-ries automobiles as well asin the BMW i8. BMW Mo-torrad has now adapted this

technology – which is as established as it is forward-looking – for motorcy-cling applications. Not only do laser light headlamps generate a particularlybright and pure-white light, but they also deliver a high-beam range of up to600 meters, which is double that of conventional headlights.

BMW Motorrad is testing the use of this headlamp technology in seriesvehicles in the course of its preliminary development. At the moment, thetechnology is too cost-intensive for use in motorcycles. We hope that changesas time and development move forward.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 11

JoHn brown’s GrAve

What does a 1980’s Fin named Jouko Törmänen and a skirmish at HarpersFerry, Virginia in 1859 have in common? And what do both of these have todo with one small area in upstate New York? Well, my friends, they are allpieces of the puzzle that fit into this Mysterious America.

Our story starts on the evening of October 16, 1859. John Brown, a staunch abolitionist,

and a group of his supporters movedon Harpers Ferry (then part of Vir-ginia as there was no West Virginia).Descending upon the town in theearly hours of October 17th, Brownand his men captured prominent citi-zens and seized the federal armoryand arsenal. Brown had hopes thatthe local slave population would jointhe raid and through the raid’s suc-cess weapons would be supplied toslaves and freedom fighters through-out the country, but this was not to be.First held down by the local militia inthe late morning of the 17th, Brown

took refuge in the arsenal’s engine house. However, this sanctuary from thefirestorm did not last long, when in the late afternoon US Marines underColonel Robert E. Lee (yes, that Robert E. Lee) arrived and stormed the en-gine house, killing many of the raiders and capturing Brown. Brown wasquickly placed on trial and charged with treason against the state of Virginia,murder, and slave insurrection. Brown was sentenced to death for his crimesand hanged on December 2, 1859.

Jouko Törmänen’s story began on April 10, 1954 when he was born inRovaniemi, Finland to Mr. and Mrs. Törmänen. He was a strong fish-slapping

Finnish lad who loved to ski and tojump. This brought him, eventually, tothe Adirondacks of New York and the1980 Winter Olympic Games where he,as everyone in the world was watch-ing some American college kids hu-miliate the Soviet Army’s hockeyteam, went on to jump 117 metersand take the Gold for Finland in theski jump competition.

Just a ¼ mile away I would liketo think that John Brownsmiled in his grave at theMiracle on Ice and thejump. Yes, the great manand abolitionist John Brownis buried just outside LakePlacid, New York.

How does this happen? Well, John Brown had moved to North Elba, NewYork, right outside what is now Lake Placid in 1849 to help freed slavesbegin a farm. His farm almost lay in the shadow of the massive ski jumptowers that would be built 130 years in the future. His body was broughtback and buried on December 8, 1859 in front of his home.

Brown’s upbringing taught him that slavery was an affront to God and hetirelessly fought against slavery and to free his fellow men and women.

He even moved to Kansas to support his son’s effort to keep this state freefor all men, leaving his wife and several of his children behind. Brown re-turned to visit his family at Lake Placid several times and his family androots remained in upstate New York.

We have read about his attempt to start a liberation movement among en-slaved African Americans by the raid in Harper’s Ferry.

Page 12 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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Historians agree John Brown played a major role in the start ofthe Civil War, with this raid causing more public outcry than theLincoln /Douglas debates and that his raid revealed a deep divi-sion between North and South.

And he has been hailed the man who “killed slavery, sparked the civil war, and seeded civil rights” andRichard Owen Boyer emphasized that Brown was “an American who gave his life that millions of otherAmericans might be free.” Brown’s actions prior to the Civil War as an abolitionist, and the tactics hechose, still make him a controversial figure today. Historians debate whether he was “America’s first do-mestic terrorist”; many historians believe the term “terrorist” is an inappropriate label to describe Brown.

John Brown’s family moved to California at the onset of the Civil War, and in 1870 the John Brown As-sociation was organized and purchased the site of the farm and grave. The property was transferred to theState of New York in 1896, but the John Brown Association still organized pilgrimages to the site. Withmoney collected from private donations, the Association erected a statue of John Brown and a youngAfrican American boy in 1935 that stands near the gravesite. This historic property commemorates theman who took on the forces of slave interests in an armed struggle that created one of the most enduringlegends in the Nation’s history.

The farm still remains and was named a National Landmark in 1998 a small, but honored, part of Mysterious America. You can visit the John Brown FarmState Historic Site May through October from 10am-5pm (except Tuesdays) at 115 John Brown Road, Lake Placid NY, just off Route 73. O’Life out!

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 13

oLD bArrAcks museum

101 BARRACK STREET, TRENTON, NJ 08608609- 396-1776 • WWW.BARRACKS.ORG

I remember the first time I went to visit the Alamo in San Antonio,Texas. Walking down East Houston Street I was stunned to see theAlamo surrounded by a modern city, as if it had been shoehorned intoplace by the Texas Historical Society. In truth we all really know thatthe Alamo was there first, and San Antonio sprouted around it. Still thejuxtaposition of modern architecture to old mission is striking.

But, as famous as the TexasMecca is, I have something agood deal closer to the Back-roads area and, dare I say it –yes I do Texas, easily as im-portant and also very old yet,nestled in the middle of a mod-ern state capital.

Built around the samedecade that the Texas missionwas constructed by the Span-ish, the British Barracks, inwhat is now the city of Tren-ton, New Jersey, was easily thelargest building for miles.

The stone and wood struc-ture was built to hold 300British and Irish troops duringthe French and Indian War, aseven year fracas between theBritish and French Colonies inNorth America.

A few decades later thesebarracks were used by Wash-ington and the ContinentalArmy for their troops and tohold prisoners of war. Early inDecember Washington’s menwere forced to flee as theBritish, with Hessian soldier,took back the town along theDelaware River. Now reforti-fied the barracks also took inlocal families still loyal to theCrown of England.

As Washington and his men made a slow and demoralizing retreat acrossthe water to Pennsylvania, things did not look good for the future of the Con-tinental Army. As we have said a few months back - Washington needed awin and needed it soon.

That move happened onChristmas Day.

Once across the river theContinental Army made its waysouth to Trenton and alongwhat is now the streets of theNew Jersey capital, then rageduntil the Hessian Commander,Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall,was mortally wounded.

Washington got his muchneeded win and the tide beganto turn for our nation.

Yes, the Alamo means somuch for Texas, but today, lit-erally in the shadow of theNew Jersey State House,across from the Masonic Tem-ple, down the street from Edi-son College, cattycorner to theTaxation Building, and along-side the newly re-done Route29 – you will find the Old Bar-racks.

Inside there are a number ofrooms featuring different arti-facts and items from the past,as well as a stellar video, TenCrucial Days, about the Battleof Trenton and its importanceon both American and Worldhistory.

Indeed, as we have been say-ing for the last three months –what happened in this part ofNew Jersey and Pennsylvaniaindeed transformed the world.

It helped end wars thatwould engulf Europe, it putmen on the moon, it helpedmankind move forward inways that General Washingtoncould never have imagined.

Page 14 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

When you hear some comedian joke about our Garden State let itwash off your back like water off a duck.

If you have been with us in Big City Getaway for the last threemonths then you know the real story… and that the United States re-ally began right here.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 15

PostcArDs from tHe HeDGe (Continued from Page 7)

engineering solutions came along, which begs the question how much safety,efficiency, etc. are we willing to sacrifice in the name of authenticity? Andonce this ability to fabricate lands in the hands of individuals who may not bethe last word on engineering or even mechanical knowledge, could parts thatare defective infiltrate into important areas like, well, thedrivetrain/brakes/etc.? And then we have the aesthetic question of what makesa machine a true vintage example, or even an authentic machine from a givenmanufacturer. In the wrist watch world, these type of questions have plagued

collectors for years and its only getting worse. This is but a shadow of all thethings that will be affected by the ability to fabricate at will, and who knowswhere it might lead. Richard Bach wrote, “There is no such thing as a problemwithout a gift for you in its hands.” I would argue the reverse can also be trueas well. But then, I have been branded skeptical. If I was a new Marvel ActionHero, I would be Skepticor, the Unbeliever. 3-D printing and associated mir-acles will no doubt be a force for good, and make many forgotten motorcycleswhole again. But something will be lost in the process, for so is the price ofprogress.

Jimmy’s Quick LuncH

123 E BROAD ST, HAZLETON, PA • 570-454-3281CLOSED TUESDAYS • 7A-10P ALL OTHER DAYS

Hot dogs. Almost as controversial as pizza. Boiled,steamed or deep-fried? Toasted or steamed bun? Mustardor ketchup? And sauerkraut is always the game-changingquestion.

The hot dog pedigree is quite old. It’s mentioned inHomer’s Odyssey as far back as the 9th century B.C. Inmore recent years, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany is creditedwith originating the frankfurter, while Mr. JohannGeorghehner may take issue with this, as he is claimed withcreating the ‘dachshund’ or ‘little dog’ sausage in the late1600’s in Coburg, Germany and bringing it to Frankfurt topromote. Vienna (Wein) Austria stakes its claim to 1487,pointing to the term ‘wiener’ to prove their birthplace of thehot dog.

Moving closer to home, New York City’s Bowery was thefirst to see the European sausage sold by butchers frompushcarts, nestled in milk rolls and topped with sauerkraut.Charles Feltman, a German butcher, opened the first ConeyIsland hot dog stand and sold 3,684 during his first year inbusiness.

Have you ever gone to a baseball game and not had a hot dog? This allstarted in 1893, when St. Louis Browns baseball team owner Chris Von deAhe served them at his stadium.

Traveling around the country, you will have to learn your lingo if you wantto order your hot dog correctly. When ordering a Chicago Dog, you’ll behanded a steamed wiener in a poppy seed-encrusted bun and then it’s‘dragged through the garden’ meaning topped with tomato slices, celery salt,dill pickle spears, chopped white onions, green onion relish, sport peppers

and yellow mustard. Better get some extra napkinsfor that one. When traveling to the Southwest, you’llbe getting a Sonoran Dog in Arizona. This grilled

frankfurt is bacon-wrapped and placed in a steamed bolillo roll, covered withpinto beans, chopped tomatoes, onions, mustard, mayo and jalapenos. Head-ing north, in Seattle, WA you’ll enjoy your Polish sausage or frank that isfirst grilled, then split in half, placed in a toasted bun and slathered withcream cheese. The toppings vary greatly, from grilled onions, jalapenos andgrilled cabbage to sriracha, barbeque sauce or pico de gallo. Hitting the roadto the Northeast, instead of a Lobster roll, perhaps you’ll order a Main RedSnapper. These puppies are grilled or griddled and nestled in a buttered,toasted or steamed roll. The name comes from their distinct red colored cas-

Page 16 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tasty places to take your bike

ing (the work of food coloring) and thesnap is achieved by use of natural lambcasings. For those from the Garden state(specifically northeastern), the Newark-style Italian Dog is quite familiar. Thismeal of a hot dog consists of a skinny all-beef, deep-fried weiner, stuffed into half-rounds of pizza bread with plenty of friedor sautéed onions, red peppers and potatorounds. Top it with ketchup and/or mus-tard and enjoy.

Now that you have the history, let’s getto the reason we are here - Jimmy’s QuickLunch. For almost 80 years, Jimmy’sQuick Lunch has been serving up theirloaded hot dogs in a diner atmosphere,which hasn’t changed in almost 45 years.Owner James Grohol, grandson of origi-nator James George, has been ordering his special dogs from Dietz & Watson for more than30 years, using a special recipe he’s developed. Apparently they have little salt or sugarand no phosphates or baking soda, which make them plump naturally. Whatever they aredoing, they are doing it right, as they sell a ton of their dogs every day.

We stopped by this little gem on a road trip, taking us through Hazleton, PA. Located ona large main street, there is plenty of parking and more around back. The classic retro store-front has neon and block glass, which is most inviting. During the warmer months, thereare outdoor table to enjoy your tubers. So let’s get to the basics – what makes Jimmy’sDogs so good. As mentioned, they start with their special Dietz & Watson dogs, which arelaid flat on a griddle, then plopped into a steamed bun and topped with a chili sauce andmustard mix, along with a scoop or two of hand cut onion cubes. The onions have beenmade milder by soaking in water overnight. Order up a couple, as they are addictive. Per-haps an order of fries with gravy and a chocolate milkshake would round out the meal.

If you’re not a hot dog fan, they have a full menu and, I’ve heard, serve up a very goodbreakfast. The roads in this area are worth the trip and we’ll serve up some of them in ourRip & Ride, which you can find on page 41 • www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/8cs54z

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 17

In the heart of some of the best roads inthe U.S including the Blue Ridge Parkway.Plan your adventures with us as a pitstop.

1003 Electric Rd • Salem, VA 24153

855-444-BMW6 (2692)

www.frontlineeurosports.com

FRONTLINEEUROSPORTS

Frontline Eurosports carries the full line ofDucati, BMW and Triumph motorcycles.

PennsyLvAniAn escAPe

EXPLORING COLUMBIA & MONTOUR COUNTIES

Last year we did a three-month feature on the bigger rivers that run throughwhat we like to consider Backroads home region.

The Hudson, Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers.For this month’s We’re Outta Here! we would like to zero in on an inter-

esting region along the shore furthest west of these - the picturesque Susque-hanna.

From its humble beginnings at Cooperstown, New York all the way to thestunning Chesapeake Bay the Susquehanna is an American jewel.

In the next few pages we’d like to bring you out due west of the Water Gapand onto the scenic backroads of Columbia & Montour Counties in Penn-sylvania, and to a few interesting places on our ride before we bed down forthe night at the lovely Inn at Turkey Hill.

Wooden Roller Coasters RockSure there are a number of great, mighty and terrifying steel coasters found

all over the planet, but there is a special one at Knoebels Amusement Park,just north of Bloomsburg, PA. We like this place as not only does Knoebelshave a number of great rides and attractions they don’t have a cover. You can

ride up, park your bike and ride what you want and pay as you go, for nomore than $3 a ride.

But, this day we’ll be coming to ride a true American Classic – The FlyingTurns. The Flying Turns is a ride, largely of wooden construction, first builtin 1929 by legendary coaster builder John Miller and visionary NormanBartlett. Seven of the world’s first modern flying turns coasters were builtby the developers of The Philadelphia Toboggan Company between 1929and 1939 at various amusements parks on the east coast. Because of the en-thusiasm surrounding aviation in the twenties and thirties, coaster builders

strived to create a ride mimicking the thrill of flying.These ride are all but gone in these days of monstrous

metal monsters. The Flying Turns at Knoebels is the only one of its

kind in Pennsylvania and the first ride like this built innearly half a century. We guarantee you will think youare flying!

The Covered Bridgesof Columbia & Montour Counties…

For a more sedate ride, or maybe to calm down aftera few runs on the Flying Turns, we might want to go insearch of the Columbia and Montour Counties’ 25 cov-ered bridges. We’re talking more old wood constructionhere, as all but one is from the nineteenth century.

Page 18 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

The roads in this region are very pleasant, and the large number of coveredbridges, including a set of only two “Twin Bridges” to be seen in the UnitedStates, make it even more so. Riding through this region can be a throw backto an earlier time – especially when you read that a bridge like the fine onenear Stillwater cost just $1,124 dollars in 1849.

How much did your motorcycle cost?

Old Bike Barns & a guy named BillWell since we’re talking bikes and old

classics it would be a crime to come to thispart of Pennsylvania and not make timefor one of the most enjoyable motorcyclevenues in the northeast - Bill’s Old BikeBarn.

For years now Bill Morris’ Old BikeBarn has brought smiles to two-wheel en-thusiasts with over 100 classic machines

on display. Bill’s Barn is huge, with nearly 50,000 square feet of the mostextraordinary and unique antiques from all around the world, and its not justmotorcycles.

Everything from military displays, vintage riding clothing, thousands uponthousands of posters and memorabilia, from John Wayne to John Deere andeverything in between. There is something for any enthusiast at Bill’s OldBike Barn. We have been there a number of times and always ride away a

bit more than impressed.

Oh deer – Red DeerOn this trip we went

from old and woodento old and impressive.

Now we’d like to take it from even more remarkable to down right striking.At a small farm in Catawissa, Lloyd & Dolly George have over 400 RedDeer. One of the largest deer on the planet these beasts originally came fromwestern Asia and the Caucasus Mountains and are closely related to theAmerican elk or wapiti. Raised for the venison, which is high in protein andiron but low in fat and cholesterol as well as high in vitamins B6 and B12.

Although they sell venison and will ship it home for you – we have cometo see the deer and the hour tour of the farm will get you up close - way upclose to these magnificent animals.

Bring a camera!

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 19

Time to call it a dayIf we have done all we have talked about here we should be ready to call

it a night and we have the perfect place to call home for this trip – The Innat Turkey Hill.

The Inn, Farmhouse & Brewing Company at Turkey Hill offers greatrooms and dinner right in the middle of historic and beautiful ColumbiaCounty.

They have the Main House, as well as the Stable Rooms, that offer twenty-three rooms in total.

Although fine dining can be found, you might be just a bit more comfort-able taking dinner at the Brewpub, as it is just a tad more casual. You’ll findthis to be as decent as any Great All American Diner Run and, that being thecase, will not implode your wallet.

They have eight burgers, ten sandwiches and some superb entrees includ-ing steak, chicken and stew that will take care of any hunger pangs, and it isa brewery. Yea, you!

The Inn at Turkey Hill makes an excellent base camp. Taking a room fora few nights will allow for an easier time exploring this part of the Susque-hanna River, the valley and all that is to be discovered along the backroadsof Columbia & Montour Counties in the Keystone State of Pennsylvania.

Sources:

Knoebels Amusement Park391 Knoebels Blvd., Rt. 487, elysburg, PA 17824 •

www.knoebels.com

Columbia & Montour Visitors Bureau570-784-8279 • www.itourcolumbiamontour.com

Bill’s Old Bike Barn7145 Columbia Blvd., Bloomsburg, PA

570-759-7030 • www.billsbikebarn.com/

Rolling Hills Red Deer Farm63 Pinnacle Dr., Catawissa, PA 17820

570- 356-7482 • www.reddeeratrollinghillsfarm.com

Inn at Turkey Hill991 Central Rd, Bloomsburg, PA 17815570-387-8422 • www.innatturkeyhill.com

Page 20 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

ZACK’S V-TWIN CYCLES

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Victory® and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, andprotective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ©2016 Polaris Industries Inc.

wiso’s crAbs & seAfooD

101 5TH STREET, DELAWARE CITY, DE 19706302-836-0224 • WWW.WISOCRABS.COM

Here in northwestern NJ, if we want the greatcrabs of the Chesapeake Bay fresh for dinner wehave to catch the local fish monger at the righttime and then we still only end up with smallcrabs that lack any grandeur and meat.

But, I know this place that always seems tocome through and whenever we are scootingthrough the area of Delaware City and know wewill be home that evening…we vector towards Wiso’s Crabs & Seafood.

Lying on a smaller canal that cuts from the Chesapeake & Delaware Canalthrough the town, down a small dirt drive that you’ll find along a desertedstretch of Route 9 just south of the town, you will find Wiso’s Crab &Seafood.

For nearly 50 years Wiso’s has been selling the very freshest crabs andother seafood delectables from their shop along the creek.

Captain Wiso and wife Joanne have developed a huge following and the

last time we were there we brought back twodozen monster Blue Crabs that were quicklyand deliciously dispatched upon arrival atBackroads Central that evening.

We know how to do crabs!But, so do Wiso’s (a bit better we’re sure),

and they also serve up lunch and dinner withall sorts of seafood offerings. They even havea picnic table along the water’s edge to enjoyyour vittles al fresco.

While there, take a look at some of the“oddities” that they have on display – thegood Doctor O’Life would love this place.

An Angler Fish? Really?Wiso’s is open 7 days a week from mid April to mid October and if you

do plan to stop by later in the day it is a good idea to call, as when they aresold out they close for the day.

If you’re riding through the region and have a hankerin’ for some greatseafood drop by Wiso’s and see what the catch of the day is.

85-mile one-way route from Montgomeryville Cycle Center in HatfieldPA. Download here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/dszqec

I KNOW THIS PLACE…BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 21

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The miles passing under my wheels were confirmed by aseries of provider messages to my cell phone: welcome toFrance, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark. I was head-ing for the northern Danish port of Hirtshals, where the ferryship ‘Norrona’ would deliver me and about twelve hundred

other passengers, vehicles and freight to the Faroe Islands and Ice-land. I’d been contemplating a motorcycle journey to Iceland for sometime. But it lies on the latitude 65 degrees north, nudging the ArcticCircle, so the window of opportunity for riding is confined to three orfour summer months – many roads are closed outside this time.

To take a motorcycle from england is not easy. There are no longerpassenger ferries operating across the North Sea - I tried to hop afreighter from the eastern port of Hull, but they would not take me.So a 790-mile road journey from the French port of Calais had to beendured across the truck congested roads of northern europe.

Adventure motorcycling is in vogue at the moment. It always hasbeen for many riders, but the manufacturers have in recent yearsturned their design and sales attention to this style of motorcycle,with the consequent marketing publicity. Honda had loaned me oneof their ‘adventure’ bikes; the NC750X (in the US they sell a similar

Page 22 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

NORTHERNEXPOSUREAN ICELANDIC SAGA

John Newman

model; the NC700X).This model has an up-rated engine with an ad-ditonal balancer shaft forsmoother running, but ithas no gear or clutchlever. I’ll explain...

The bike has three run-ning modes: fully auto-matic, where the gear boxand dual clutch selectsthe gear for you, andkeeps the engine in amaximum fuel saver pat-tern returning 70/80 milesper gallon. You canswitch to sport mode: stillautomatic but it runs upthrough the gears faster, and keeps the revs higher. The third option is a man-ual gear change through a finger and thumb operated lever on the handlebar.This is an unusual set up to get used to, of which more later.

At the ferry check-in queue at Hirtshals there are around fifteen bikes. Themajority are from Germany; BMW’s generously equiped with Touratech andWunderlich travel goodies. A rider from Switzerland spots my UK numberplate and strikes up a conversation. He’s riding a Yamaha Xmax 400ccscooter that he’s chosen as a comfort preference over his F650 BMW. AnItalian rider uses his camping stove to brew coffee, and stereotypically offersa cup to the most attractive woman rider among us. The most interesting ma-chine is a BMW Wasp sidecar set up, with all the camping gear stowed neatlyin the ‘chair’.

When we are ushered on board the aroma of fish pervades the car deck.Hardly surprising as the truck trailers going back and forth probably containthe main exports from the Faroes and Iceland. The crew lash the bikes downfirmly. Is this an indicator of the seas we may expect in the exposed part ofthe north Atlantic?

There are 853 nautical miles to cover, and we’ll be on board for three

nights, including abrief stopover at Tor-shavn, the Faroes cap-ital. I’ve opted for thecheapest cabin, that Ihave to share withfour other (unknown)men. If I am ever in-carcerated within theprison system I nowknow what to expect.Except I’ve had to payfor this ‘privilege’;about $830. In Tor-shavn I find a book-shop with an Englishsection. I’m goingthrough novels at a

rate, as ship life is not very stimulating. Six Faroese riders join the ship, theyhave limited road space to stretch out on, and have to head for Iceland orDenmark to enjoy more mileage.

The Captain of the ‘Noronna’ announces our arrival into the mouth of Sey-disfjordur; on this day sparkling blue, and white capped by a strong windfunnelling down between glowering snow-topped black mountains runningwith waterfalls. It’s a dramatic arrival, but the wind is so strong it’s difficultto stand on deck without anchoring yourself to a rail.

The fjord gives the name to the town on the east coast of Iceland, and thereis soon anticipatory activity on the car deck as us two wheelers re-pack andre-strap luggage. We’re off down the unloading ramp into the small attractivetown where I find a coffee house for breakfast and let the ferry traffic clear.My first stop will be Akureyri, the tourist hub in the north, 186 miles alongthe N1: the 870-mile single carriageway road that circles Iceland and knownas ‘The Ring’. I’ve planned to stay in the north during my ten-day stay, andintend to explore some of the gravel roads and tracks on the peninsulars thatstick up into the Greenland Sea like stubby fingers.

If I thought the journey along the fjord was dramatic I was to be in awe of

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 23

the snow-covered landscape that unfolded as the road out of Seydisfjordurwound up and up to the snowfields. One of my cabin companions from theformer East Germany and riding a very tidy and well set up 2001 HondaTransalp, had pulled on thermal layers as we prepared to depart...he’d beenhere before. The road was steep, bendy and cold; and three brave cyclistswere battling the wind by pushing their cycles towards the summit, whichmust have been 12 miles distant.

The population of Iceland is only about 330,000, and most people are clus-tered around Reyjavik, the capital. Towns are small, there’s no urban sprawl,and once outside you experience a wild, mountainous, austere but majesticlandscape, and virtual isolation: just a handful of vehicles even on the mainhighway. Iceland is a ‘new’ country, exploding out of the ocean around 16-18 million years ago: the blinking of an eye in geological terms.

I was enthralled by the stark and brutal scenery, as the miles passed underthe wheels, but the wind was roaring in my helmet and pushing the bikewhere I didn’t want it to be, and all the while lowering my body temperature.At one point, crossing what was in effect a desert of lava, I saw a cloud ofdust in the distance. It was steam. I was watching volcanic activity leakingup through the earth’s surface.

There was only one place to stop on the road, a small tourist halt namedReykjahlid. A helpful Icelander helped me operate the self-service fuel pump,and with some relief I parked up outside a cafe/bar attached to the small hotel.Warmth. I disrobed, sank into a chair, stretched the legs to relieve the kneesand before long I was sipping tea and tasting a fillet of salmon with trim-mings, so fresh it must have leapt from the river to the grill.

The Honda and I had lived together for about a thousand miles at this stage:I was finding the bike comfortable and easy to manage. It’s lithe and weighsout at just 482 lbs. At 32.6 inches, my shortish legs can cope with the seatheight, which will be important when I take to the gravel roads/tracks. Aswill the performance of the Pirelli Scorpion tires, part of the ‘family’ of deepcut tread tires the various companies have developed to be fitted to adventurestyle bikes.

Cruising at 80mph in sixth the additional balancershaft helps deliver smooth power: it hums along at fourthousand revs. The under seat tank is small at a fractionover 3.7 gallons, but it is good for around 200 miles be-fore a refill is needed. I found myself stopping for astretch before I ran close to empty, and having to un-strap my single bag luggage from the pillion seat soonbecame routine. On smaller roads running up the eastcoast of Denmark I’d switched to manual gear change.I have to admit it felt strange and not easy to judgebends initially (more practice needed). But I did findmyself using the handlebar control to drop down a gearor two when overtaking or needing more uphill power.

The town of Akureyri sits on the southeast corner ofthe Trollaskagi Peninsular. The small road runningaround its perimeter promised a panorama of mountain-ous coastline and fjord inlets, and the northernmosttown, Siglufjordur, would be the nearest point to theArctic Circle I would reach. But the weather portentswere not good, the town’s digital thermometer showed5°C (41°F)). These temperature guides regularly featureon the roads, and often show the difference between thevalleys and high plateau/mountain passes. They becamean important feature of my brief Icelandic life.

I rode forth under greying skies that were leakingdroplets. My intention was to follow an unmade roadacross the tip of the peninsular, bypassing two spectac-ular tunnels punched through the mountains to link pre-viously isolated villages. But poor visibility and wetpersuaded me that I didn’t want this to be the first offroad test for the bike, tires and me. So the tunnel it was,

Page 24 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

and at Siglufjordur I used the town bakery to restore body and spirits andvisit the Herring museum. Yes, you read that right. This isolated place andseveral others in Iceland used to be teaming with people involved with thetons of fish pulled from the waters, gutted and processed. The shoals aregone. Fished out. Denuded.

On the road along the western coastal edge theonly signs of life are the sheep and sturdy poniesgrazing the narrow pastures between mountain andsea, and it was not hard to imagine how this cloudshrouded unyielding rugged land had the ancientVikings weaving sagas of mystery and magic.

To complete a circular route and return toAkureyri I had to traverse the Oxnadalur Valley, afearsome looking pass between pinnacles of rockand snow. My tired and cold mind and body cannothelp but notice that a digital temperature sign isreading 5°C (41°F) valley and 3° (37.4°F) moun-tain. The average temperature in June is stated as 12°C (53.6°F). Somethinghas clearly gone wrong!

The weather is just as unfriendly the following day, and as I ride out I can’t

help but think of those motorcycle compatri-ots who intended to camp. They must besleeping in their riding gear to stay warm; ifthey haven’t re-considered and found coziershelter.

I’m heading for Lake Myvatn, a volcanicbasin and unique area for bird life, and forseeing the power of Icleand’s geo thermal en-ergy bubbling to the surface – ‘wake up andsmell the sulphur’. This is tapped to providecheap (publicly owned) electricity and heat,and at one point I watched in amazement as100°C (212°F) steam burst out from rocks andformed an inviting but highly toxic blue lake.

I’d resigned myself to the weather, but as I return and drop down to fjordlevel, the clouds lift and brighter light covers the land. I’m relieved, tomorrowI move on to my next stopover, which involves a return through the wondrousbut daunting Oxnadalur Valley.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 25

Siggy and Lillyana run a bed and breakfast in the small western communityof Hvammstangi. It’s used mainly by tourists overnighting on their way tothe Western Fjords, but I’m staying for three nights to explore a couple ofgravel routes. The weather has cleared; 11°C (51.8°F) in town though theway through the mountains is still just 3°C (37.4°F). But it’s amazing how alittle sunshine brightens the mood and soul.

I wake to a flawless blue sky, and the wind is worrying another part of theplanet. At breakfast I tell the other houseguests from Finland, France andGermany: ‘I must have woken in another country’. Siggy smiles and informsus that the weather will stay fine for the next few days.

I’d stopped to take photographs when the first motorcyclist I’d come acrosswent past in a cloud of dust and a wave. It was the BMW/Wasp from theferry. We were riding a gravel road alongside the sublime and calm blue mir-ror that was the Hritafjordur, heading for the town of Holmavik. This wasgreat riding. The Honda felt good, and I let it select the gears while I con-centrated on the track ahead. Across the rougher sections and through theloose dirt it responded well to being steered while standing on the footrests.

On sunshine day two I followed the unsurfaced road around the VatnsnesPeninsular, spotting seals, and watching acrobatic sea birds skim the waterand rocks – road signs warn of low flying birds: not a problem for cars, buton take off from the water they are often at helmet height.

The Vatnsnes is not one of the places the travel guides steer you to, but itis serene, majestic and hardly populated. I diverted from the main coast, hug-ging track on a couple of occasions, as I was now confident in the bike’s andmy ability to ride into these out of the way places.

To return to the east coast, where in a few days I would board the ‘Norrona’for my return journey, I had a journey of 290 miles to the tiny hamlet ofBrekkuborp (35 people). Getting there involved leaving the surfaced roadand tackling a 22 kilometer (13+ miles) route marked as an F road on themap: the lowest grading, a track by any other interpretation, and this one isclosed for a good part of the year, with the only route in and out of ‘Brekka’being by sea.

But hey; me and the Honda are by now ‘adventure compatible’. How dif-ficult can it be? The track delivers me to the snow line. I’m concentrating

Page 26 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

but trying to relax the shoulderstoo. The landscape makes megasp as we dive down througha series of steep turns back tosea level. Everywhere water-falls plunge and splash downthe mountainsides intoMjoifjordur. To slide off herewould not be good.

There was no one at the otherend to congratulate me on thisfeat. There was just me and aFrench travel journalist stayingin the hiker’s hostel that wasonce the school. It was hard tobelieve that in the early part of

the century the world’s largestwhaling station was located here;operated by the Norwegians (Ice-land became independent in 1944).

Rain hammered against the hos-tel roof the following day. Anxietycrept in: what condition would thetrack be in? The weather cleared,and I hiked the fjord and hill paths,and immersed myself in reading inthe warm hostel. And when it wastime to leave, astride the bike Irevelled in a new found off-roadconfidence, and wanted to turnround and ride this section again;but the ferry and a long journeyhome was ahead.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 27

Now Rainy Days on Your Motorcycle Don’t Have to Get You Down

Rain, rain go away, little (insert name here) wants to—RIDE THEIR MOTORCYCLE. You know the feeling— when a lousy weather forecast butts heads with your travel plans. Wet

roads and puddles don’t play well with motorcycles.Well, Bridgestone has just engineered a new motorcycle sport touring tire that makes riding

in the rain a stickier situation…and that’s a good thing, in our sport.The Bridgestone Battlax Sport Touring T30 EVO updates the not-long-ago-introduced Sport

Touring T30. The non-EVO version touted a list of modern technologies such as a new rubbercompound called RC Polymer/NanoProTech (developed using Moto GP analysis) that maxi-mizes tire stiffness and grip. A new tread pattern improved the tire’s responsiveness. The addi-tion of the tires to my Yamaha FZ6R gave me a more comfortable ride with much betterhandling.

Since Bridgestone focused much attention on the “sport” portion of the sport touring equationwith the T30’s development, they turned their attention this time to the “touring” part with theT30 EVO.

And since every touring rider has experienced a deluge or two while on the road, Bridgestoneworked to improve the T30 EVO during those more challenging rides.

Bridgestone says it focused on several subtle improvements, retaining the T30’s light handlingbut improving even more the tire’s straight line stability and wet grip through using an even newerdeveloped tread compound and slightly different tread pattern on the rear tire.

Extending the sub-grooves increased drainage per-formance and also increased tread rigidity, which addedup to an improved contact patch for the tire.

According to Bridgestone, the new compound on thisradial tire works in tandem with the new tread design,bettering wet weather performance while even increas-ing overall handling. This newest compound, called Sil-ica Rich EX, uses even more grip grabbing silica, goodnot only during wet conditions, but also when the tiresaren’t warm, such as during cold temperatures or whenjust beginning your day’s ride. Bridgestone combinesthe Silica Rich EX with polymer for long wear (theNanoProTech),and Bridgestone’s 3LC (three layer com-pound), which gives the tires’ shoulders more grip forcornering but a different compound in the center for bet-ter linear handling.

While I haven’t had the opportunity to ride throughany deluges since installing them on my 2006 Honda919 (a dry autumn for us Pennsylvania riders), I can re-port my bike seems better-than-new with the additionof the T30 EVO’s. I always felt it handled great, butnow turn in requires even less effort though it tracks re-markably well in straight-line riding. The ride qualityis superior as the annoying bumps and jolts seem tohave vanished. While improving the “touring” they ab-solutely remembered the “sport” part, too.

And while I may not actually look forward to my nextride in the rain, I won’t be as apprehensive about hittingthe road then, either.

Bridgestone makes the Battlax T30 EVO tires in onefront tire size (120/70ZR17) and two sizes for the rear(160/60ZR17 and 180/55ZR17). For more informationon these new sport touring tires visit the Bridgestonewebsite at:

www.Bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires.

~ Pamela Collins

Page 28 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

PRODUCT REVIEWBRIDGESTONE BATTLAX SPORT TOURING T30EVO TIRES

Hey, see that deer?What deer?My point exactly!

Looking for both added conspicuity and night time riding illumina-tion? Then consider the Denali DR1 Single Intensity LED AuxiliaryLighting from Twisted Throttle.

When Twisted Throttle released their first generation Denali LEDLights we had a set mounted immediately and have since gone abouttrying to break them, ruin them or in some way make them stop work-ing on two separate machines.

One set has been following us along like a little puppy for three dif-ferent rides and the other has been smashed, pinned and abused manytimes over yet neither set have yet to fail.

These are very tough LEDs.Now a new generation has been released and they came to us on a

Kawasaki Versys 1000 LT, pre-installed by TT.The new DR1 Single Intensity LED Lights are a bit larger than our

previous set, but not so large as they look anything but comfortableand stock on the Kawasaki. In fact we think they look better than theKawasaki lights available as an option.

These LED lights use alarge 10° optic that maxi-

mizes the distance you can seedown the road by concentrating a spot

beam pattern at the center of the road. We have foundthat you can see this beam in the middle of the day –which is very impressive.

These DR1 lights are ideal for night riding, especiallyin rural conditions where maximum beam distance isdesired and ambient light is almost non-existent.

The bright beams are also highly visible to oncomingtraffic and make for a far safer ride.

The DR1 LED Lights are easy on the charging systemas they only use 10 watts of power per lamp while stilltossing a beam of light some 700 feet down the road.That’s over 4 times further than your typical motorcyclehigh beam!

Want more from your Denali DR1 Lights? Grab a setof Snap-On Beam Filters to change the beam patternand prolong the lifespan of the lights.

These lights will mount easily on most machines, al-though mounting points and correct fitment will varywith models, but is usually very straightforward andeasy to do. If you feel it is over your head they can eas-ily be installed at your local shop or dealer.

But, you’re smart – so go figure it out - or TwistedThrottle will be more than happy to assist on specificmodel advice.

A set of Denali DR1 Single Intensity LED AuxiliaryLighting from Twisted Throttle, complete with fullwiring Harness & M8 Mount, lists for $349.99 completeand can be the difference between riding in a way thatyou can “see and be seen” or struggling along the waywith stock lighting.

Call Twisted Throttle at 855-255-5550, or log ontotheir website at www.twistedthrottle.com.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 29

PRODUCT SPOTL IGHT

DENALI DR1 SINGLE INTENSITY LED AUXILIARY LIGHTING FROM TWISTED THROTTLE

Winter is winding down and the days are getting longer and warmer. Thebuds are soon to pop on the trees, and there is no doubt that spring is in theair. The promise of a warm day in late winter is calling and a perfect time tojump on the bike for a day of solitude through western Massachusetts alongthe Mohawk Trail.

Massachusetts Route 2, a two-lane picturesque rural highway, crosses theConnecticut River in Franklin County and the road’s markings tell us we areon the “Mohawk Trail.” The trail and this river served as a mediation pointbetween Native American councils of past generations; this is where today’sride begins. Built in 1932, the steel deck arch bridge that spans the river isnamed after the “French King Rock” in the river below. The rock was givenits name by a military scout during the French and Indian War. The French

King Bridge was an important undertaking linking the communitiesalong the highway. The bridge, just as the river and the valley below,have always held importance for those living in the region throughoutthe centuries.

The Mohawk Trail is an east-west route from Massachusetts to NewYork that passes through the Connecticut, Deerfield, and HousatonicRiver Valleys. Similar to our modern-day interstate highway system,

it has served as a post-ice age trading and communications link and as anhistoric passageway for Native Americans and Colonial Troops throughoutour country’s past.

Prior to our European ancestors coming to America, the native populationhad agreements for shared hunting and fishing concerns throughout the area.The Pocumtucks, from the Massachusetts area around the Connecticut RiverValley, shared salmon fishing spots on the Connecticut and Deerfield Riverswith the Mohawks of New York.

In peace time, the trail was a major trade route between peoples of the re-gion; during war time, it was the route traveled by warriors and troops, guidesand spies.

Before leaving the Connecticut River Valley, Route 2 skirts around the

Page 30 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

words: Robert F. Laford

small city of Greenfield. Because of its proximity tothe Connecticut River, Greenfield served as a trade cen-ter along the Mohawk Trail for both Native tribes andcolonial settlers. Along with the north-south corridorsupported by the Connecticut River, Greenfield is alsohome to the confluence of the Green and DeerfieldRivers.

Heading west from Greenfield, Route 2 climbs Shel-burne Mountain out of the river valley. A few milesdown the road, we follow the signs for one of the vil-lages and pull off the main highway onto a local road.

The road curves through a residential neighborhoodthen turns onto a traditional hometown USA MainStreet. This is Shelburne Falls, and the Main Street iscalled Bridge Street hugging the Deerfield River. Priorto European settlers arriving here in the 1700’s, the fallswere a favorite fishing spot for the Native Americans.

Explorers still visit Shelburne Falls today. They come as tourists to visitthe Glacial Potholes at the base of the Salmon Falls or to take in the Bridgeof Flowers along an old trolley bridge. They may stroll through the shopsand visit the local crafters. From farther out west, they come as filmmakerstransforming the village into real-life sets for modern day movies such as“Labor Day” and “The Judge.”

Exiting the village and getting back on Route 2, the Mohawk Trail con-tinues west along river’s edge. It is easy to contemplate past generations ofNative Americans and early settlers taking advantage of the river’s resourcesfor fishing, transportation, and hunting.

Similarly, the present day resources of the river impress visitors with itsnatural beauty—sightseeing, tubing and whitewater rafting, along with mod-ern day fishermen who appreciate the magic that earlier inhabitants foundin the river. While the weather hasn’t warmed enough to partake, signs alongthe Mohawk Trail entice passersby to stop and take advantage of nearby“Tube and Kayak Rentals” and the Canopy “Zip-lines,” testifying to the factthat present-day residents still rely on the region’s natural resources for theirlivelihood.

The transformations appearing in nearby fields and pastures are precursorsto the change of season that is almost upon us. The bare trees have shakenthe winter snows and are nearing their time to bloom. Some hardwoods alongthe marshy bogs already hint at greens soon to be. A flock of Canada geeserests in the roadside field before beginning their day’s journey, discussingwhether they truly wish to head north at this time, while a great blue heron

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 31

is seen on the river’s bank where the current bendsnear the road. He sits patiently on the mud’s edge en-joying the sun and trying his luck at fishing.

A few miles further on, we pass throughCharlemont, another New England town completegeneral store and a wave from its exiting patrons.Shortly after passing through town, we roll to a stopat the “Hail to the Sunrise” Memorial Park, an earlymorning place of solitude dedicated to the area’s Na-tive American forefathers. The monument depicts aMohawk Indian looking to the east with arms upliftedto the Great Spirit; it is a memorial to the Five IndianNations of the Mohawk Trail and serves as a re-minder of the area’s Native American heritage.

Journeying further westward, the Mohawk Trail and Route 2 ascends intothe Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. The route is sparselypopulated, but during the peak foliage of a New England autumn the roadbecomes very busy with leaf peepers searching for that spectacular view ofthe colors that paint the majestic hills and quiet valleys.

From the DeerfieldRiver in the lowlands,the ascent into theBerkshire Mountainsbegins with its com-panion, the Cold River.Out of the river valley,this wonderfully wind-ing route climbsthrough the mountainpass. This section ofthe Mohawk Trail wasall but destroyed byHurricane Irene in2011. In the monthsthat followed, the roadwas completely rebuiltoffering today’s rider

fresh, smooth tarmac through the moun-tains. However, here and there the road-side river banks and mountainsides stillhave visual clues and scars of the de-struction caused by Irene’s short stay inMassachusetts.

Our ride passes through parts of Savoyand into the town of Florida, Massachu-setts, as we crest the top of FloridaMountain to view the open valley to thewest. Our descent is quick and steeppassing on a hairpin switchback as Route2 winds its way back down the mountain

and into North Adams, some 1,500 feet below the summit.Early growth of North Adams was around its water resources, the mills

and the factories that sprang up along the banks of the Hoosic River. Its in-dustrial fate, similar to countless communities in New England, has dimin-ished over the past four decades. The town’s industrial past is still evident

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in the re-use of the classic factory architecture. The city has become a centerfor tourism, culture and recreation and is home to the Massachusetts Collegeof Liberal Arts and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, orMASS MoCA.

Just past the city’s center, we turn up Notch Road into Mount GreylockState Reservation. A variety of hiking opportunities are available for thosewho wish to trek up the mountain on foot. But today’s objective is to ridethe recently resurfaced mountain road to the summit of Mount Greylock, the

highest point in Massachusetts. The Appalachian Trail passes over the moun-tain’s 3,491 foot summit, with breathtaking views of Massachusetts, Vermont,New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

Legend has it that author Herman Melville set up a special observationdeck at his western Massachusetts home to view nearby Mount Greylock. Itis believed that the mountain’s saddleback profile was the inspiration for thegreat white whale in Melville’s novel Moby Dick.

Crowning the highest point in Massachusetts is the Massachusetts Veterans

War Memorial Tower. The memorial was dedicated in June 1933 as a tributeto the “courage, endurance, loyalty and self-sacrifice, wherever these qual-ities have been shown, by the state’s men and women in the uniform of thestate or the nation.”

Henry David Thoreau visited Mount Greylock on foot in 1844 and pennedhis appreciation of the mountain’s solitude and peace. His sentiments,carved into a stone at the mountain’s summit, are left there for us to ponder.

Our visit to the mountain was not accompanied by an “ocean of mist,” asThoreau experienced, but with bright blue skies and perfect views in everydirection. Like Thoreau over 150 years ago, the Native Americans whopassed over this land for thousands of years, the hikers, bicyclists, and theother visitors with whom we shared a smile and a wave, we all appreciatethe solitude and beauty that surrounds us.

The Mohawk Trail continues westward into Williamstown and across theTaconic Trail into New York. Options for today’s ride, however, are limitedand it is time for us to turn towards home. The decent down the mountainpoints us back to the obligations that await us, and for the next ride thatawaits its planning.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 33

Where are you headed this year? Now’s the time topull out the maps and put some destinations together.

2017 VICTORY OCTANE

Every high-octane horsepower enthusiast is familiar with the muscle car formula: take a big motor, insert it intoa lightweight chassis, then delete any creature comforts or other unnecessary accessories. What’s left is just whatyou need to go very fast, and nothing else.

The all-new 2017 Victory Octane is the two-wheeled expression of that concept, with a modern twist.This is raw adrenaline that rules the streets. A 1200cc, liquid-cooled V-twin—Victory’s first-ever liquid-cooled engine—utilizes dual overhead cams and four-valve heads to rev beyond 8000 rpm and put down anauthoritative 104 horsepower. That’s more horsepower than any Victory motorcycle ever built. And weighingjust 528 pounds, it’s the lightest Victory motorcycle ever built, too. No surprise, then, that Octane is also thequickest Victory down the quarter-mile, and the fastest from 0-60 mph, too. And with a price starting at just $10,499,Octane runs in a class of its own.

For more information please visit www.victorymotorcycles.com or your local Victory dealer.

2017 KAWASAKI Z125 PRO • KAWASAKI’S MOST NIMBLE BIKEThe 2017 Kawasaki Z125 PRO is the bike to conquer the city, regardless of your riding experience or how much gas money you have in

your pocket. Built with an emphasis on fun, the Z125 PRO is designed to amplify the thrill of riding.The Z125 PRO is a visually striking motorcycle with styling that’s a little on the dark side. It not only has edgy looks, but it’s also a

blast to ride. It fits into that perfect package for those desiring a small, pressure-free motorcycle withplenty of capabilities, low price (MSRP $2,999) and great gas mileage. Ideal for someone looking fora real motorcycle, but without the high pressure and costs associated with a larger bike. Thanks to the

performance-oriented suspension, easy maneuverability and high fun level, it’s also a motorcycleyou won’t soon outgrow. The Z125 PRO was built for the pureness of the riding experience.

The Z125 PRO, the newest member of the Kawasaki Z family, is unique in that it was designedfor two seemingly opposing targets in the motorcycling market: both beginner riders and veteransalike. The Z125 PRO is great for beginner riders who want a real motorcycle without the intimi-dation, high seat heights or expense. The Z125 PRO is also great for those experienced, fun-loving,

thrill-seeking riders who want a second bike to ride around town or through the pits at the localracetrack. It’s the dark side of fun. With a user-friendly seat height of 30.7 inches and a low weight of 224.8 pounds, the Z125 PRO

is one of the lightest and nimblest road bikes you’ll ever own. Its light weight and low seat height alsomakes it easy for almost any rider to maneuver. The Z125 PRO’s chassis is designed to accommodate two-up riding and with the large 2-gallon fuel tank, it’llkeep you on the road longer between fuel stops. Visit your local Kawasaki dealer for more information or www.kawasaki.com

Page 34 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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This month’s stop on Shira’s ice cream run came by way ofnecessity. Over the years and miles, my trusty F650GS (it’s an800, dammit!) began to sag a bit – don’t we all. Feeling the

need to give it a bit of a lift, we ordered up a new shock andheaded to our friends at EPM Performance in Tennent, NJ. Klaus Huenecke, renownedfor his expertise in all types of suspension technology, did his usual excellent job withinstallation of the Hyperpro, and I was set for many more happy miles on the road.

Being ever vigilant on my quest to bring you some great ice cream stops, I spied astand when turning onto the road leading to EPM. Making note, on our return, I re-quested an investigating venture to Four Boys Ice Cream and Luncheonette. I was notdisappointed with the stopover.

The whole operation is a family affair. There’s Pete and JoAnn, theBecker parents, along with Danny (the eldest), Dave, Luke and Jake(youngest). Back in 1999, Danny suggested they get an ice cream truck,which they did, and began their neighborhood ice cream routes. One truckturned into five, working neighborhoods in Freehold, Manalapan (theirhometown) and Marlboro. They graduated to brick and mortar shops in2005 with the flagship Four Boys Ice Cream in Englishtown, then addingtheir other spot in Jamesburg in 2012. They supplemented these with con-

cessions and trailers ‘down the shore’ during the summer months.Pete and Danny work the business full time, with the rest of the family chipping in when available. Danny, the reason

for this whole shebang, makes all the homemade ice cream from his recipes. As JoAnn says, “We make every drop of ice cream. Not many places can say that.”While it was sort of off season when we made our stop, the young ladies behind the sliding glass windows were more than happy to see us and, with big

smiles, took our order and handed us our selections, made from quite an assortment. There was chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, of course, followed by coffee,mint chocolate chip and butter pecan. Bringing up the out-of-the-ordinary were double fudge brownie, cherry vanilla, vanilla peanut butter and coconut. Not tobe left out, there was cotton candy, banana, maple walnut, chocolate nut surprise and red velvet. With a plethora of recipes under his belt, Danny keeps the tra-ditional and rotates in the others.

You can have your ice cream in a cup or sugar cone or opt up to a waffle coneor bowl or specialty cone, such as chocolate dipped or with sprinkles. If youneed a little more than just ice cream, there are sundaes, splits and browniebarges as well as slushes, egg creams, shakes and floats. Should you prefer yourdairy in swirly form, they make their own soft serve also.

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Page 36 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

We sat at on of their outdoor tables, in the afternoonsun, to enjoy our treats, which were creamy, full-bod-ied flavored and just the thing to sate our sweet toothfor the ride home.

Sharing space with Four Boys is a luncheonette.When we were there, it looked like the place was intransition. If you stop in now, and you happen to needsome sustenance before dessert, take a seat at BurgerTown Bistro for, what sounds like, a very tasty burgerand some crispy, crunchy potato chips or fries. I’msure the rest of their menu is worth the calories, but as

we haven’t had the opportunity, we cannot verify.You’ll have to take our word that the ice creamyou’ll have afterwards will be worth the stop.

Four Boys Ice Cream’s other location can befound in Jameburg, NJ at 215 Forsgate Drive withoperation hours of Mon-Thurs from 1:30-9:30 andFri-Sun from noon to 9:30pm. Should you requiremore information, you can drop Danny and crewan email at fourboyssent@aol.com.

Enjoy your treats and we’ll see you at our nextice cream stop. Happy riding…

Here comes the spring!

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 37

Here’s a little recap of a Retro Tour Itook with Joel Samick and others toChincoteague Island. When traveling Itry to use as many places recommendedin Backroads Magazine. I have theusual old guy’s stable of motorcycles,preferring to use an ’07 R1200 GS forlonger trips. I routed a ride that took mefrom home, near Albany, NY, to Mill-heim, PA, and on to Kennett Square,PA., where I would pick up the RetroTour.

The ride to Millheim consisted ofsome nice PA twisties, and plenty of un-paved roads. The Triple Creek Inn wasquite a treat – as quirky as it gets, andthe Brew Pub across the street was ex-cellent.

More miles of unpaved forest roadstook me down to US 22, where I headedeast for breakfast at Top’s Diner on 22, at the north end of PA 829. Fromthere it was south and southwest to the exceptional Six Mile Run, and finallyPA 26. I’ve been staying at the Inn & Spa in Berkeley Springs since myuncle Ed, a local resident, passed away. The food isn’t bad, and the serviceis friendly.

Pennsylvania back roads took me to Kennett Square, where the route sheetI made six years ago got me to Joel and Lynn’s place.

You may have heard of Retro Tours.Joel is a collector of vintage two-cylin-der motorcycles, some of which havebeen reviewed by Clement Salvadori onthe back pages of Rider magazine. Thiscollection is maintained in good order,and the bikes are used for the tours thatJoel organizes during the riding season.The two-day tour I’d signed up forwould be approximately 500 miles on500cc machines. Larger machines, in-cluding a Harley XLCR, are availablefor longer tours.

For a small extra fee, participants canstay at Joel and Lynn’s before and afterthe tour. Lynn is an excellent cook, aswell as an accomplished motorcyclerider. It should also be noted that theykeep kosher.

Our group consisted of four partici-pants; me: a farmer/retired welder, Jim: an artist/printer/retired teacher, Dave:who is in law enforcement, and Richard: a teacher and expert chain sawsculptor. Some of Richard’s work is on display at Joel’s. We are all experi-enced riders, which is a good thing, as some of the bikes are kick start, andsome have right hand shift, and tricky or absent turn signals.

Each machine is equipped with a tank bag and a luggage rack with bungeecords. There is no chase vehicle, so it’s a must to pack light and waterproof.

Page 38 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

I had selected a late 60’s 500cc Tri-umph twin. The other bikes included aCB 500 Honda, a Moto Guzzi, a MotoMorini, and a RD 400 Yamaha twostroke. A unique part of a Retro Tour isthat you get to ride every bike around100 miles. At each gas stop, ridersswitch bikes, checking with their newmount’s previous rider about the variousidiosyncrasies of the machine. A shortride around the lot, and we’re back onthe road.

Joel, of course leads the pack on a pre-planned route. He sets a brisk pace advising that we ride our own ride, anddisregard any testosterone influence. This proved difficult, as there were asurprising number of 20 mph curves on the flatlands of the peninsula. Each

rider is responsible for the one follow-ing. No one got lost, there were nocrashes, and only a few “pucker” mo-ments.

Stops on Saturday included the mu-seum at Dover AFB, and an “almost”tour of the Wallops Island NASA center.Joel’s friend Keith works at the center,and on a previous tour had managed togain access for a small group of 3 or so.This day the guards were not so kind,denying entrance for our group of 6.

We stayed at a motel on ChincoteagueIsland, and dined at a decent restaurant a half-mile walk away. So far, nowild horses.

Sunday we wandered up to Assateague in search of the elusive critters.Again no horse sightings, but plenty of evidence mounded up on the road.

I guess no trip in this area would be complete without the congestion ofOcean City. A personal thrill here was trying to find reserve on the RD 400while surrounded by 40 mph traffic. Someone told me later that the petcockwas “sticky” – an understatement.

A word about the bikes: Everyone had a favorite. Mine happened to bethe RD 400. Even though it got the worst gas mileage, always on reserve at75 miles, it was still the most fun to ride. The Guzzi was my second choice.Good power, handling brakes, and ergonomics. The Honda was sort of a“vanilla” machine – electric start, good ergonomics, etc., but not much soul.Sort of like the ’14 CB 500 X that I used for daily transportation. The MotoMorini, to me, was the bike from hell. It handled, powered, and stopped OK,

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but it sure didn’t fit me and my size 13 boots. Also, the seat was about like anoaken 2 x 6. When Dave stalled the Triumph and couldn’t restart it, I offered toget it going if he’d take back the Morini. He agreed, and the old, tired British twinfired on my first kick. I rode enduros on one of these in the late 60’s/early 70’s, sothere’s a certain mojo involved.

Each machine is equipped with an SAE type male/female connector for devicesand heated gear. Unfortunately on old bikes such as these the electrics seldomkeep up with the heated gear, and the headlamp will suffer. The cooler weather onSunday caused a little discomfort, but it was all part of the adventure.

Upon arriving back in Kennett Square we were treated to another one of Lynn’smasterpiece dinners by a warm fireplace. Richard and his wife Lauraine left forLong Island, Dave took off on his ST 1300 for eastern PA, and Jim and I stayedovernight.

There was frost on the meadow Monday morning, but the sun was out, the Gor-don’s jacket was turned on, and I was off to Thisilldous in Belviedere for a latebreakfast and the run up 519/521 to Port Jervis and familiar roads home throughthe western Catskills.

If you want to try a Retro Tour, contact Joel Samick @ 610-608-7430 and checkout their website @ www.retrotours.com. ~ Jake Herzog

Page 40 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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Early March can always be acrapshoot when it comes to whatMother Nature can and will throwat you weatherwise.

But, regardless of the temps,precip and snowpack the datesdon’t lie and you know we are onthe downslope from winter.

This time of year all the goodsigns are present - the crocus arebeginning to push out, there is thesound of balls coming off bats inthe south and the Modern Clas-sics Motorcycle Show will rollinto the beautiful and spaciousMartin Moto in Boyertown,Pennsylvania.

Now in its 6th year the ModernClassics features 100+ motorcy-cles, all from the early 60sthrough the end of the century.

This year’s theme revolved around the very competitive machines that ranMotocross, Trials and Enduro tracks of the time.

In addition, this day, you would find a huge dance card of other machinesthat, I am sure, made up a big part of many of our own personal riding his-tories.

Although I have always appreciated the machines from the start of motor-cycling’s previous century through the 1950s – the machines that are featuredat the Modern Classic are bikes that I know and machines that guys my agegrew up with, cut our teeth on and still lust after - sometimes with more emo-tion than sense. But, more on that a bit later.

We had heard such great things each year about this event (featuring anarticle on the show last year in Backroads) and it has well become the eventthat heralds the coming riding season and draws well over 1,300 enthusiastsover the day and a half it is open to the public (Friday night & all day Satur-day). We were not going to miss it this time around the sun.

A few of us gathered early on Saturday,March 5th and piled into the Durango(make mine a Hemi, please), making theshort 90 mile run from Backroads Centralto Boyertown, PA and Martin Moto.

Although brisk, it was sunny andpleasant and there were a good deal ofclassic machines parked outside – all rid-den in by riders coming to the show.

We thought of it as added value.Admission to the event, which is held

throughout Martin Moto, now trans-formed from multi-marque dealership(all the Japanese makes plus Triumph andMotus) into eclectic moto museum, wasjust $10 – well worth every cent.

Although the lots were fairly full andthere were plenty of folks taking in theevent it was very easy to get up close toeach and every machine featured in thisyear’s Modern Classic. Looking aroundI could see so many attendees pointing out little facts or telling little anec-dotes of when they had this very same bike - or at least something close.

Each machine had a small card telling you about the machine, its back-ground and some with humorous stories to go along with the bike.

We all know every machine has a story and Martin Moto brought eachbike to life in this way.

In the center of it all famed artist Mokoto Endo was creating a painting ofthe equally famous Britton V1000 – his works are always stunning to see aswell as being a bit unusual and different, as are his methods. The artist, orig-inally from Niigata, Japan, creates his painting using chopsticks.

Most of us make a struggle of it with sushi.Strolling around the shop, following the little roadway that dominates the

Page 42 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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showroom floor and walks you around the building, I did a quick lap and thenbegan to explore the individual motorcycles one by one.

There were so many really remarkable machines. Some famed for the looks ortheir (at the time) cutting edge technology; others just machines that struck a chordin my memory.

I remember pestering my parents for some of the small enduro machines andmini bikes. Historic bikes that made their mark on the moto world in some fashionor another.

I constantly ran into friends that I have made over my 40 plus years, both ridingand in the industry, each seeming to want to point out a different machine that gottheir adrenaline running just by seeing it.

My friend David asked if I had seen the Greeves on the other side of the show-room. I had indeed – taking mental note that I sing of this British brand every timeI play Richard Thompson’s 52 Vincent on guitar.

“Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves’ won’t doAhh, they don’t have a soul like a Vincent 52.”

In truth I had never really seen a Greeves and neither had he; claiming he’d onlyseen them in out of focus race images from back in the day. This bike is like theBigfoot of motorcycles – legendary, hardly seen and naturally out of focus. But,here was one crystal clear.

Other bikes stood out and try as I would I could not pick a favorite, nor vote for one over the otherfor the trophies that were to be awarded later in the day. People’s Choice First Place was awarded toJustin Reid’s ‘72 Triumph 650 Custom.

One bike that did stand out – not only for being on a platform, but also being a very modern machinefrom the current Kawasaki lineup was the H2 – part fighter jet, part superbike - it almost looked out ofplace among the more middle age machines; except that it was nosed up against a classic Kawasaki H2three cylinder two-stroke.

The juxtaposition between the two was striking, cool, sexy and very savvy placement-wise by theMartin’s crew.

I had a soft spot for the Honda 350 Four – as the color scheme, fit and finish was outstanding. Othermachines like the Honda Hawk reminded me of the great following this bike created while other mo-torcycles, like the Yamaha Vision, struck me as bikes that never raised any bars or eyebrows but werestill a staple of the riding community for a long, long time years back.

We all know “what comes around goes around” and it was amusing to see the light green 1972 HondaCB350 Scrambler whose styling cues are being copied for the youngish Hipster crowd by almost everymanufacturer these days as the newest styling on the planet and latest “cool look” design.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 43

Page 45

For many years now we have heard of the midwinter motorcycle show heldjust north of Baltimore, Maryland at the state fair grounds in Timonium.

With a free Valentine weekend upon us, as well as crazy cold temperaturesdropping in from the top of the planet, we thought it would be a fun excursionto go and take in the show so many talk about.

If you live in the northeast you will remember this was the weekend that bru-tal cold came sweeping in and reached far south into the nation.

Was that really a minus 25 wind chill?Still, single digit temps did not keep back the crowds as the Timonium Motorcycle

Show drew hardy (really hardy, as there were folks who rode in) crowds all weekend long.Unlike the more polished, badly scheduled and antiseptic IMS that has been held in New York in mid December, the promoters of this show in Maryland

clearly understand that timing is everything. Regardless of the plummeting mercury everyone that attended the Timonium Show knew that March and springwere right around the corner and not more than a few months away.

We found the show to be very down to Earth and a bit more aimed at the biker than the motorcyclists crowd. Many great customs were on display as well asthe opportunity to see just about every new machine and model currently available.

No, the manufacturers were not there in person but rather individual shops were represented,like our friends from Bob’s BMW who had a huge space with almost the entire BMW line onhand. Most of the other brands were equally represented as well.

Even though the show did have a world’s worth of machines to be seen it still had a distinctlyAmerican rider feel to it. Maybe a bit more Daytona and less Hoot if you get my drift, but therewas something that sealed the deal for us to travel down to Maryland this weekend and that wasthat the Timonium Motorcycle Show, always looking to expand and improve the reach of theshow, had a section dedicated to world motorcycle travel and tourism.

Along with this substantial bit of real estate given to these adventurers they had a number ofseminars given by a strong list of the “Who’s Who” on this side of the motorcycle universe.

It was impressive to see and hear the likes of Simon & Lisa Thomas (Lessons from the Road),Rene Cormier (Around the World for $25/Day), the Bordens of the Adventure Trio - Sandy, Terry& son Jack (1 Family, 2 Motorcycles, 15 Months, 15 Countries-Share the Adventure), who tooka long ride with their young son and rode from California down through South America. Nowthat is a REAL education for any child! Adventuress Steph Jeavons also had talks and a booth aswell as the famed Edelweiss Bike Travel, Ayres Adventures John Jesson and Rob & GretchenBeach.

Rob runs Beach’s Motorcycle Adventure and has more single-handed experience running greatmotorcycle tours than anyone else I have ever met.

To see all of them on the same stage talking world travel on two-wheels was quite special. If you have a hankerin’ to get going this was a good place to start getting your mind wrapped

around this idea.As you might think, we found ourselves coming back to this section again and again.Strolling around the large fair grounds there were plenty of vendors selling motorcycle and

some non-motorcycle related wares and a great selection of classic machines as well. It was allgood and made for a great day south of the Mason-Dixon line for us and, even with the snowstormthat was coming in just a few days, the Timonium Motorcycle Show could not have come at amore perfect time.

Look for the Timonium Motorcycle Show to return February 10-12, 2017 and visit their website at cycleshow.net for more information.

Page 44 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

Thursday, June 9th

Lake George, NY$20 donation per person

Meet: 10am • KSU 10:30 sharp

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3178 Lake Shore Dr - Route 9N

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This will be an all-day event, returning

back toward Lake George mid-afternoon

A MIDWINTER OASIS

I wondered how many of us have that little left leg tattoo from this bike’s high exhaust andhow many new riders will learn about this ‘rite of fire’ as well.

I think, at the end of my few hours at the Modern Classics Show at Martin Moto, was thehappy realization of a motolife well spent.

The people who came to Martin Moto and the Modern Classics on this chilly March day werethere to see a multi-faceted treasure.

The machines to be seen here represented, not only the great engineering, styling and industryof the fairly recent past - but also the collective memories and lives of the folks that came tosee, appreciate and remember these wonderful motorcycles.

The Modern Classics is not just a motorcy-cle show… but a ride though the living mem-ories that have made us the riders that we aretoday.

On the way home we stopped at a nearbydiner for lunch. Walking out we spied a pick-up with a 1974 Kawasaki Z1 in the bed.

For sale. Picture taken and sent to the boss; all I got in reply was “Ruh-ohh ?$?” Ahh – if it was a ‘73!Martin Moto’s Modern Classic returns March 3 + 4, 2017.

BACKROADS • APRIL 2016 Page 45

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What causes motorcycle crashes? A look behind the numbers.Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re at a party, picnic or some family

gathering. The subject of motorcycles comes up and naturally (you are read-ing this magazine, right?) you announce that you ride. The non-riders in theconversation immediately want to tell you about their cousin, brother, neigh-bor, whoever, who met a tragic end or suffered some horrible injury on a mo-torcycle. When I am subjected to these stories I want to ask the person, wasyour cousin, brother, neighbor, whoever, drinking? A new rider? Speeding?Not wearing a helmet and appropriate protective gear? Unlicensed to ride amotorcycle? Chances are the answer may be “yes” to one or several of thosequestions.

Riding a motorcycle is inherently dangerous. Numbers from the NationalHighway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) can easily make thatpoint. National statistics and statistics from individual states demonstratethat although motorcycles account for approximately 3 percent of all vehiclesregistered on our highways, they account for 15 percent of motor vehicle fa-talities. More damning is the fact that motorcycles account for about 0.7 per-cent of vehicle miles traveled1. My purpose for this article is not to alarmyou with these statistics but instead demonstrate that by adhering to somecommon sense rules motorcycling can be a very safe activity. Many motor-cyclists ride many thousands of miles every year without incident and havedone so for many, many years. Probably many of you reading this article fitthat description. To understand the difference between riders who have beenall over the country, the world, safely on two wheels as opposed to the riderswho help comprise the above statistics it is necessary to look beyond thosefigures.

In a report “Countermeasures That Work, Highway Safety Countermea-sures Guide for State Highway Offices, Seventh Edition, 2013 NHTSA” theGovernors Traffic Safety Council identified key causative factors for motor-cycle crashes as well as ways to minimize injuries in the event of a crash.

Impaired operation, unlicensed/inexperience operation, speeding, lack ofDOT compliant helmets and motorists unawareness top the list. These topicswill be addressed individually in a series of articles. This article will focuson the first of those topics, Impaired Operation.

Impaired operation of a motor vehicle means just that; your ability to op-erate your vehicle (motorcycle) is impaired by alcohol, drugs or both. Thelegal threshold for intoxication while operating a motor vehicle (motorcyclesare motor vehicles) is .08 BAC. That means that there is .08 grams of alcoholper 100 grams of blood in your body. Factors such as size, gender, physicalcondition, food consumed, sleep, medications and the amount of alcohol inyour chosen drink all help impact the BAC level. But .08 is the legal limit.Many studies have demonstrated that at .04 percent your ability to operate avehicle (read car) is “significantly affected”. What about a motorcycle? Al-cohol slows reflexes, creates problems with your vision, causes a loss of selfcontrol, slows hand eye coordination, decreases reaction time, impairs musclecoordination and causes drowsiness. If you think these effects impact yourability to operate a car imagine the impact they have on riding a motorcycle.

According to NHTSA2 motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes in2013 had higher intoxication rates than any other type of driver: more than27 percent. Car operators came in at 24 percent. Another 8 percent of mo-torcyclists reportedly had .01 - .07 percent BAC. 42 percent of motorcyclistsinvolved in single vehicle fatal crashes were legally intoxicated! On weekendnights between 9 pm and 3 am more than 65% of fatality injured motorcy-clists were intoxicated!3

With this information in mind perhaps it’s time the community rethinks itsphilosophy on consuming alcohol while riding. Is it responsible to provideattendees of motorcycle rallies and poker runs with beer during or at the endof such events? Is it smart for motorcyclists to attend “Bike Nights” at theirfavorite bars? There is just too much at stake to the motorcyclists, passengerand family for him/her to consume alcohol while riding. Fortunately thereare many groups and organizations who share this thought. They love to ride

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

Page 46 APRIL 2016 • BACKROADS

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www.RideLikeAProNJ.comPre-registration is recommended as classes fill quickly.Gift certificates available • Course Fee is $175.00

and enjoy adult libations, but at the end of the ride.Remember my stated purpose for this article, demonstrating how motor-

cycling can be a much safer activity? If no one rode their motorcycle underthe influence of alcohol could we eliminate 65 percent of fatal crashes onweekend nights? Maybe. Could forty one percent of fatal single vehicle mo-torcycle crashes be eliminated? It’s possible. Are some riders their own worstenemy? Yes. If we want to make motorcycling safer there are many thingswe can do. The first step would be to not drink and ride and to encourage allyour riding friends to do the same.

1. NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2013 Data Motorcycles. June 2014 DOT HS 812 035

2. NHTSA 2013 Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview December 2012 DOT HS 812 101

3. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic safety facts, 2012 data,motorcycles. DOT HS 81035 June 2014

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

Every Saturday • Bergen County Harley Davidson Saddle Up Saturday. 9am for coffeeand bagels. Ride departs at 10am. Return to the dealership for FRee food and music.Proper attire MUST be worn! No shorts or sneakers. BCHD, 124 essex St, RochellePark, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com

APRIL 20163 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 GuilfordRd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com

9-10 • Toronto International Motorcycle SpringShow. International Centre, 6900 AirportRd, Toronto, Canada. Sat: 9a-9p; Sun. 10a-5p. $18 adults; $5 under 12. Free parking.Details: www.motorcyclespringshow.com

16 • Spring Open House, Morton's BMW Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis Highway,Fredericksburg, VA 22408. Day of demo rides, door prizes, barbecue, vendors, music,and much more! Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or call 540-891-9844.

23 • Spring Open House @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD.Bob’s BIGGeST event of the year!enjoy food, vendors, door prizes, and more! Visitbobsbwm.com for more details

28-May 1 • Horizons Unlimited Virginia Travellers Meeting, Appomattox, VA. Near his-toric Appomattox, hundreds of world-traveling motorcyclists will gather for a weekenddedicated to overland travel. Travel presentations, seminars. workshops, vendors, off-road training, ride-outs and great food in a comfortable and scenic lakeside setting.Details at www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/virginia-2016

MAY 20161 • 18th Annual Metro Collectors Show, 15 Perrin Ave, Pompton Lakes, NJ • 8am-1pmrain or shine. Free parking and admission. Detail www.metropetro.weebly.com

6-8 • Mountain Moxie presented by Moto Girl Cafe. The Switzerland Inn, 86 High RidgeRd, Little Switzerland, NC. Three-day event dedicated to women who love motorcyclingand the men who ride with them. Presentations by the motorcycle industry's leadingwomen, scheduled during breakfast and dinner hours so there's plenty of time to enjoythe great roads in the area. Details: www.motogirlcafemountainmoxie.com

6-8 • BUZZARD BOTTOM 9 by Poverty Riders International and Buzzard Brent, HighCountry Motorcycle Camp, Ferguson, NC, just 20 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway.Camping fee of $12 per night with meals available by donation and volunteers. Direc-tions and map download: www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com. Contact Brent @ 336973-3911 or email brent.hcmc@gmail.com.

14-15 • NeW SWeDeN 450. Start: Cycle Gear, 2070 Rte. 70 east, Cherry Hill, N. end:PJ Whelihans Pub, 1854 Rte 70 east, Cherry Hill, NJ. Sign in: 8:30-10am. 450 miles ofamazing roads through the Delaware Valley area, one night of camping, hearty dinnerand breakfast with 100 of your fellow riders, all for under $60. Finishing patches thisyear. Details: 450.nsbmwr.com • email: ns450@newswedenbmwriders.com

13-15 • Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park hosts Historic Oval Invitation for vin-tage racecars and the Thompson Vintage Motorcycle Classic featuring on-track activ-ities, massive Swap Meet Marketplace, Manufacturer’s Midway Vendor, AntiqueMotorcycle Show and much more • www.thompsonspeedway.com

15 • Ramapo Motorcycle Club Spring Fun Run. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes North Tavern,40 Orange Tpke (Rte 17) Sloatsburg, Ny • 9am til mid-afternoon. To benefit HelenHayes Rehabilitation Hospital. A designated route along some of the Hudson Valley’smost interesting roads, with stops for poker/dice/scrabble or other games, with achance to win prizes, while supporting a worthy cause. ramapomc.org

19-20 • COG Spring Fling Regional Rally, Williamsport, PA. For details, registration orcontacts visit tinyurl.com/COGSpringFling2016

21 • Grand Re-Opening of Bob’s BMW Vintage Museum @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles,10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. NOW BIGGeR THAN eVeR! Showcasing over 65 vin-tage and classic BMW motorcycles under one roof along with thousands of uniqueparts, accessories, and other collectibles dating back to 1923. Details: bobsbmw.com

20-22 •Morton’s BMW Motorcycle Spring Fling Rally. For full details check their website:www.mortonsbmw.com

20-22 • 2nd Annual Red Knights Motorcycle Club yankee Rally. Open to any Red Knightmembers. Bolero Resort, Wildwood, NJ. Details: www.redknightsmc.com

29 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 GuilfordRd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details: bobsbmw.com

26-30 • BACKROADS SPRING BReAK. Four days of incredible riding and fun, withovernights in historic hotels in Pennsylvania and New york state. For complete infor-mation see page 14 or visit our rally page @ www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

JUNE 20165 • Roar to the Shore and Avery's Ride. Sign in: Westbrook elks Lodge, 142 SeasideAve, Westbrook, CT. Details: www.TeamAveryCDKL5.com or call 860-964-0716

9 • Backroads Mystery Ride Lake George. Full details on page 44 or visitwww.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

7-11 • Americade Motorcycle Rally. The Best Roads. The Most Motorcycle Companies.The Most Welcoming Rally. Lake George, Ny. Special Pre-Registrant events Monday,June 6. 518-798-7888 • www.americade.com

6-11 • Dirt Daze Rally for Adventure Bike enthusiasts • www.dirtdazerally.com

10-12 • AltRider Conserve the Ride Rally, Woodward, PA. 2 nights camping, 5 mealsincluding pig roast + local craft beers, presentations and seminars, prizes and an awe-some time. More info altrider.com/conserve-the-ride-2016/pid/1525

11-19 • Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, NH. America’s Original Riding Rally. Oneof the Big 3 • www.laconiamcweek.com • 603-366-2000

15 • Blue Knights NJ IX 29th Gooch’s Garlic Run to benefit three local families withchildren having catastrophic illness. Start @ 4pm: Rockaway TownSquare Mall, exit35A, Rte. 80 West/exit 35, Rte. 80 east, Rockaway, NJ. escorted ride leaves 6:30pmSHARP. $20 registration. end: Newark Ironbound section with vendors and live music.More info: www.BKNJIX.org

23-26 • Johnstown PA Thunder in the Valley • www.JohnstownThunder.com

18 • 11AM • Riding Cuba presented by Bob’s BMW Motorcycles & MotoDiscovery @Bob’s BMW Motorcycles,10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Bob Henig, owner of Bob’sBMW, and Skip Mascarro, founder of MotoDiscovery, will be sharing exciting storiesand amazing photographs from their epic adventure, followed by Q&A. Guests will alsobe provided details for a SeCOND Cuba adventure, scheduled for November 2016!you won’t want to miss this great opportunity! Visit bobsbmw.com for event details

25-26 • 7th Annual Rock, Ribs & Ridges @ Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJfeaturing Jefferson Starship, Kansas, Blues Traveler, Pure Prairie League and more.Barbecue fans will enjoy the juried rib cook-off • www.rocksribsandridges.com

JULY 20169-10 • 40th Annual Running of the Ramapo 500™. Sign in: Ramapo MC Clubhouse,Veterans Memorial Assoc. Bldg, 66 Lake Rd, Congers, Ny • endsite: Rhodes NorthTavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, Ny @ 7am. $45 advanced reistration/$60day of event. Two-day 500-mile gorgeous ride with free camping with pool, Sat. dinner,Sun. breakfast, awards and prizes, starter pins and finisher patches. GPS route uploadservice for add’l fee. ramapomc.org

17 • Ride for Kids UTICA. Deerfield Volunteer Fire Dept, 5476 Trenton Rd, Deerfield,Ny • Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org

25 • Sharpen your skills and build confidence at the track. The Street Skills RidingAcademy is conducting a Cornering Skills Instructional Track Day just for street ridersat the New york Safety Track in Oneonta, Ny. Pre-registration required. Info: 585-802-9859 • jon@streetskills.net • streetskills.net

31 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 GuilfordRd, Jessup, MD. exciting group ride led by Bob! Details visit bobsbmw.com

AUGUST 20167 • Ride for Kids Hudson Valley. Central Valley elementary School, 45 Route 32, CentralValley, Ny. Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org.

7 • Ride for Kids Western PA. Seneca Valley High School, 128 Seneca School Rd, Har-mony, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org.

18-21 • Touratech Rally east, Huntingdon, PA. Details: touratechrally.com.

28 • Ride for Kids New england. Bose Corporation, 100 The Mountain Rd, Framingham,MA • Registration: 8-9:30am • Kickstands Up: 10am. Details: rideforkids.org.

SEPTEMBER 20169-11 • Vermont BMW MC present the 34th Green Mountain Rally, Goshen, VT. In themidst of the Green Mountains, enjoy the best home cooking (Fri/Sat dinners, Sat/Sunbreakfasts), great Vermont self-guided tours, Gap and GS rides, live bluegrass musicFriday night, door prizes and awards ceremony Sat. night, hot showers, camping, bon-fires and an hour of New england storytelling. Details: vtbmwmov.org/rally

18 • 33rd Annual Italian Motorcycle Meet by IMOC. 10am-3pm; judging at Noon. Fea-tured Marque: Aprilia. Admission: $10/single, $15/2-up. Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, 24Hamilton Rd, Sturbridge, MA. For full details visit www.imocusa.com or call 248-470-5788 • 401-397-4253

18 • Ride for Kids Philadelphia. The event Center by Cornerstone, 46 N.Sugan Rd, NewHope, PA. Registration: 8:30-9:30am • Kickstands up: 10:30am. Details: rideforkids.org

24 • Bob’s BMW Fall Open House Oktoberfest & Swap Meet. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jes-sup, MD. Details: bobsbmw.com

24 • Forever Friends Motorcycle Awareness 5th Annual Charity Bike Run and event,Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Rd, Augusta, NJ. Rain date: Sept. 25th. Details:foreverfriendsmotorcycleawareness.org

22-25 • BACKROADS FALL FIeSTA Four days of incredible riding and fun. For full de-tails visit www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

OCTOBER 20166 • Blue Knights NJ IX 28th Annual Harvey C. Irons Make-A-Wish Ride to benefit Make-A-Wish Foundation of NJ. Start and end: Skylands Stadium, CR 565, Augusta, NJ.$20/pp, under 12 free. Sign in: 9am - Ride: 11am. Coffee and donuts at start; enter-tainment, vendors and lunch at finish • www.BKNJIX.org • nj9@blueknights.org

16 • Ramapo MC Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes north Tavern, 40 OrangeTpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, Ny @ 9am-mid-afternoon. Guided/self-guided tour featuringthe best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson Valley’smost interesting roads. Benefits Valerie Fund. ramapomc.org

NOVEMBER 201625 • 2nd Annual Black Friday Ride @ Bob's BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jes-sup, MD. After a great success in 2015, Bob’s will be hosting a 2nd annual Black FridayRide! Avoid shopping pandemonium and #optoutsideon2wheels Visit bobsbmw.comfor details.

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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, VFR1200X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)

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