August 2019 Backroads

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

MO NT HLY C O L U M NS FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................3 WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................4 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................5 ON THE MARK ....................................................6 THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD ..........................7 BACKLASH..........................................................9 INDUSTRY INFOBITES .....................................10 MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................12 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............14 BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................16 WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................19 INSIDE SCOOP .................................................21 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ............................46 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................48

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

23 37

FE AT U RE S SPRING BREAK 2019 .......................................23 BIKE NIGHT AT JUMBOLAND ........................37 RATED TRIPLE AAA - AMERICADE .................43

MOTO R C YCL E R E V I E WS HONDA’S MONKEY AND SUPER CUB...........39

PR O DU C T R E V IE W S PIRATES LAIR BMW BACKREST ....................34 NELSON-RIGG COMMUTER TAILBAG ...........34 FORCEFIELD BODY ARMOR SUIT ..................35 NOLAN N70-2 X HELMET ...............................36 SPOT X MESSAGING DEVICE ........................36 MOTOPOCKETS ...............................................42

43

Publishers

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

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Mark Byers, Pamela Collins, Bill Heald, Frank L. Palmeri Dr. Seymour O’Life

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BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2019. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJeN

DRIVE, RIDE OR FLY? How many times have we heard a non-rider make the statement that we ‘drive’ motorcycles?

If called for and, in as nice a way as I can, I try to point out that we ‘ride’ motorcycles, we do not ‘drive’ them. Metaphorically I point out that back in the day we drove the stagecoach, but we rode horses. That usually works.

But do we ever ‘drive’ a bike? I think that we do.

In those slow speed maneuvers when there is a definitive turning of the handlebars to go where you need to go.

I saw the perfect example the other day when stuck behind a lost 18-wheeler on a very rural twolane road. The truck was causing mayhem with oncoming traffic and there was no way to get around him and the car directly in front of us in a safe manner.

It got worse when he finally did get to a larger road only to discover he was pointed in the general wrong direction.

His back-up lights came on. The car in front of us threw it into reverse and the three riders behind her had to think quickly.

This was a ‘drive’ situation. A decision was made by two of us and there was a turn of the handlebars, point and drive out of the sticky situation.

Seeing nobody was approaching and riding around the car and the tractor-trailer – using the oncoming lane. Not the best solution, but the only one there at the time.

Page 3 The third rider, although proficient at speed, curves and when counter-steering is involved, is lacking in slow speed talent. They can ride, but they cannot drive.

Follow?

In some very slow or from a standstill situation, such as this one, you must be able to drive the bike to where it needs to go.

Two of us rolled. One froze. But disaster was avoided, regardless.

Most other times many of us are happy simply riding. We are in no rush. No hurry. And, there is not an incredible amount of cerebral power being used to ride the bike.

But, if we sometimes drive the bikes and most times ride the bikes…Do we ever fly these machines?

Indeed, we do.

I have spoken a few times of being in “The Zone.” That mental state while riding, or many other things for that matter, that you are in total sync, complete concentration and almost one with your machine, the road, and your surroundings. Things flow and there is rarely a bobble, oops or holy crap moment.

The third rider who found themselves facing two larger vehicles backing up towards them – well she can fly too. It is just a matter of skill, preparation and practice.

I recently got a chance to witness Shira’s sister Rowena receive one of the highest distinctions an educator can have. For nearly 40 years she has made such an impact in Leonia High School, that they honored her by naming the business academy after her.

A once-in-a-lifetime, never-been-done-before, much deserved high honor. Many of her students spoke of her and what she has passed onto them over the years and one of the things that I heard again and again that evening was to be prepared.

Continued on Page 8

Page 4

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

hurries, late for appointments or just need to beat the ‘time to destination’ that appears on their GPS. As a habit, I check my mirrors on a regular basis and, even before SHIRA KAMIL I saw them, I heard the group coming up fast to my left. It was early on a Sunday and there wasn’t much traffic anyway, but this group of SPACE MADNESS riders was making headway to whatever their destination might be Group riding is not really my thing. When for the day. I thought they were a group of four but, as they got closer, gathering for rides during our rallies, we I saw they were at least six or eight. My remarked to Brian was, ‘Holy highly recommend no more than 5-6 bikes crap, look how closely they are riding together at that speed. I riding together. I’m sure you’ve all expericouldn’t even tell how many they were until they enced the exponential length of time that passed us.’ passes with each additional bike on a ride: I continued the conversation in my head, thinkgas stops, bathroom breaks, meals, etc ing that should some unforeseen occurrence take (see this month’s Welcome to the Jungle). place – blown truck tire, stray animal in the roadIf only that gap in time could transfer to way, whatever – these riders would have one hell some groups’ gaps between motorcycles of a time getting around it safely. We continued while riding. on our way, as did they, never to have our paths I was recently traveling along a not too ofcross again. fensive interstate, trying to make some time The topic of space cushioning has been so I could enjoy the backroads and twisties brought up ad nauseam, in these pages and the rest of the route had to offer. I do my throughout print and digital motorcycle venues. best to keep to the middle or right lane exBut it still seems to be dismissed by so many cept to pass while on major roadways, as I am not always the fastest group riders of every ilk. The ‘parade’ rides, while usually done at a vehicle on that road. Seems there are always people who are in major slower speed, are still putting themselves in great danger by riding side by side and just a bike-length away from each other, if that.

We were taking part in the Blue Knights Gooch’s 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD Garlic Ride some years ago, after they moved the MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 destination from Little Italy in NYC to the Ironbound district in Newark, NJ. Brian and I used our 845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM press status to secure a spot at the front of the pack, hoping this would be a safer place to ride.

Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATVs, Along for the ride were one or two family members scooters, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, of the young recipients of this generous club’s Yamaha and Can-Am. With a large parts department, qualified rides. Perhaps one or two bikes in front of us was service technicians and a full shop of parts and accessories, a gentleman wearing leather loafers, dress pants we're here to meet all your power sport needs. and a half helmet (I think he may have had on a leather jacket, but I’m not really sure). As we exFor every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing it ited the highway towards the endsite, this ‘rider’ in the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads, took the turn too wide, perhaps grabbed some we have their weapon of choice. brake, and took a tumble. Brian and I, seeing that someone had already stopped to lend a hand, continued on. As the saying goes ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ and bottlenecking an already difficult situation would do no good. If this had happened further back in the pack, I have no doubt that more riders would be on the ground, as there was no space to maneuver around the obstacle.

There has been much talk about the recent tragedy that took place in New Hampshire. While there was some speculation as to what transpired to take the lives of seven individuals, there is no consolation to the family and friends of these lost riders. One can only surmise as to the riding positioning that may have added to the multiple deaths. Not knowing or having seen the circumstances leading up to the accident, it would be interesting to know if these riders were in the aforementioned parade positioning while they were riding. If so, and this driver swerved into them, there would be absolutely no way for them to escape, no exit strategy as it were. If, on the other hand, they had been riding with at least two bike lengths between them, they may have had some reaction time and a place to put their bikes to, perhaps, lessen the blow.

If you find yourself in a group ride and feel the onset of claustrophobia, take a step back or move to the back of the pack. You certainly don’t want to develop Space Madness.

WHATCHATHINKIN’

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HeALD

WHEN IS IT WHEN? “Time is relative. I don’t always get along with my relatives, ~ Ohlin Metzeler so I recommend a good Swiss watch.”

It has been a pressing question that comes to us all, and it’s not just about motorcycling but all kinds of activities. If we are fortunate, we will live long enough that our personal parts will become worn out after many, many miles of operation and it may become time to abandon the saddle due to the inevitable loss of proper physical/mental capabilities.

This means we will extinguish our seat time. Twist the throttle no more. Park the machine in the space eternal, as least as far as our piloting is concerned.

For most of you reading this I’ll wager (and sincerely wish) this time is quite far down the road, although there are circumstances that sometimes arise that have little to do with age that may bring a cessation of motorcycling. These circumstances can be varied and unexpected, but the result is the same.

So why in the world do I bring this up? Well, it has come to my attention that about a year ago, beloved actor, producer, director, writer, ne’er-do-well, spouse to an amazing woman and long-time motorcyclist George Clooney (or “Cloons,” as people like me that have never met him like to call him) was in a very nasty scooter crash in Italy. I say scooter, but this was one of the larger, more powerful variety and he was zooming at what he says was about 70 MPH when he encountered the front of a Mercedes sedan.

He departed the scoot, and his helmeted head smacked the windshield of said German machine with enough force to split said helmet.

An aside: perhaps it’s a good thing he wasn’t in Connecticut, where

Page 5 being over 21 he could have opted not to wear a helmet and thus been featured in next year’s “People We Lost” video tribute during the Oscars. Of course, Cloons would have had a helmet on anyway.

I hope.

Where was I? Oh yes. Anyway, despite getting concussed, and literally getting blown out of his shoes, Mr. Clooney’s MRI revealed no permanent damage and bruised but OK he was dismissed from the hospital. The incident was largely kept quiet by both Clooney and the film company he was working with at the time, and he has now revealed that a) immediately after impact he thought he had cashed his check, mortality-wise, and b) he decided he really didn’t need to ride motorcycles anymore. Being this information came from a couple of articles I read since Cloons FORGOT to call me to seek my counsel, I am not sure if he meant no more motos for good or just for the time being. But it certainly got the wheels rolling in my head, because since I started riding in the early 80’s the subject of Not Riding Anymore (NRA) has come up with friends and acquaintances with great regularity. As I recall the first time this came up was when a friend found out he was about to become a parent, and started to evaluate pretty much every activity, expense and behavior he engaged in. In circumstances like these, I am a huge proponent of people giving the change considerable thought and then proceeding as they see best.

Simple, really. If you ride in a state of constant concern that you’re about to auger into the shrubbery, your preoccupation with this scenario could well speed it into reality. But here’s where I think this whole essay is trying to go: a bit of healthy fear, caution and even doubt can be a healthy thing and need not mean it’s quittin’ time.

Allow me to explain my reasoning.

Motorcycling has some similarities to other activities, but in many Continued on Page 8

Page 6

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

ON THE MARK MARK BYeRS

STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT I used to fly in the Navy’s T34C airplane quite a bit as part of my job. It was a fine, high-performance, two-place, trainer capable of many things, including aerobatics. Its systems were basic, but functional and capable. The list of problems with the airplane was short and most were minor. One of the most annoying flaws with the T-34C was both amazingly simple and maddeningly stupid: the Distance Measuring equipment (DMe) display in the rear cockpit.

A DMe uses a radio signal to determine the plane’s distance from the transmitter, a handy thing for navigation. The rear cockpit display showed the distance from the station in white LeD characters. The choice of white as the display color was regrettable, but it was minor when compared to the real pain.

A cockpit display must be readable in the daylight with the sun streaming through the canopy, so any LeD must be bright enough to be seen by a pilot with the sun shining directly on it, even though the pilot is wearing a dark visor. The converse is true at night: any display must be dimmable so as not to be distracting and overpowering.

Here’s where one of the most stupid pieces of electrical design ever created comes into play: the big, white numerals on the rear cockpit DMe display were dimmable almost to nothingness…but the decimal point was not.

Picture an instrument panel filled with vital information, like engine temperature, fuel quantity, airspeed, and altitude, all with nicely-balanced, subdued lighting that makes it readable at night, but not distracting. Now picture a glaring, sun-like decimal point staring out at

you from the middle of the DMe display at full, daytime brightness.

You see, the idiot who designed the dimming circuit forgot to include the decimal point in the loop. That decimal point was the reason that most seasoned T-34C pilots carried a grease pencil or even a small strip of black electrical tape, so when they flew in the rear cockpit at night, they could cover the offending white “star.” In a lot of airplanes, it became a permanent fixture, as everyone knew the third digit was the tenths of miles anyway.

At this point, you’re saying, “What in the heck does this have to do with motorcycling, Bitchy Mr. Byers?” Well apparently, Suzuki hired the same electrical engineer to design the display of my V-Strom 650!

The display on the WeeStrom has a lower panel with lovely amber lighting that is dimmable in six increments; however, the upper rim has several lights that shine in a constant, undimmed state all the time. Most of them are off when riding at night: the neutral, ABS, and temperature warnings. The turn signal reminders are only on part of the time and are easily cancelled. The “DMe decimal point award” goes to the highbeam indicator light.

Think about it: when you are riding at night on a motorcycle, you need all the lighting you can get. If there is no oncoming traffic, you should make maximum use of your high beams to identify hazards to nocturnal navigation. Unfortunately, Suzuki stuck a good-sized, undimmable, blue beacon high in your line of sight that goofs with your night vision, overpowers the dimmed display below it, and that makes you want to pluck it from the panel after any significant time riding with it illuminated.

Drawing on my experience with the T-34C, I came up with a solution: black nail polish. I coated all but the perimeter of that damned light with black nail polish (widely available in the Goth section of CVS), so that I now have a little blue corona of light that is still visible in the daytime, but that doesn’t fry my retinas at night. For the record, Continued on Page 8

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD THE SOUL OF MOTORCYCLING When you hear the word “soul” bandied about in motorcycle circles it’s usually in reference to an older or classic bike. As if the only way to have soul in motorcycling is to have a bike with primitive suspension, iffy brakes, and high-resistance electrical connections. There is nothing wrong with vintage motorcycles and I own several myself, but there are all kinds of other soul in motorcycling.

How about the time I was at a friend’s house three hours from home on a monsoon-like Sunday when it rained so I hard I decided to miss a day at work rather than ride home in the wet. Then when it continued raining all day Monday I had no choice but to ride anyway. Halfway home I was so wet that when I farted it ran up my soaked back – I could literally feel it, like a kid in a bathtub – and exited out my collar and then into my helmet. That’s the definition of being soaked. I was so wet a guy in a truck offered to put the bike in the back and drive me the rest of the way, but at that point I couldn’t get any wetter so I turned him down.

Being that soaked while out on a motorcycle has soul.

Another time I engaged in a riding contest with a guy at work. This resulted in me taking the long way home every night just to make sure I packed on the miles. One night I overestimated what was prudent, and wound up not getting home until it was way dark and way cold. My fingers were so frozen stiff I couldn’t straighten them out fully until a day after. To this day my fingers hurt in the cold from that ride, like when I’m snow-blowing my driveway at 0F. My doctor says its nerve damage and will never get any better.

Having nerve damage in your fingers from trying to win a riding

Page 7

Frank L. Palmeri contest has soul.

For a while we had a sidecar outfit, which was a lot of fun. I only got rid of it because it took up too much space in the garage. My wife, a church organist, is also a rider. One time she rode the outfit to church, and then after the service put a handicapped kid in the chair and rode him around the parking lot. You would have thought this kid won the lottery and went to Disneyland, he was so happy.

Riding handicapped kids around in a sidecar rig has soul.

I live in upstate New York, which has no shortage of wonderful roads on which to ride. Most times it’s all about the ride but every now and then it’s more about the destination. When I need to relax and recharge my batteries, there is one tree off of Route 30 in the beautiful Adirondack Park for which I head. My body fits perfectly against the trunk of this tree when I lean against it to sit and read, have lunch, and smoke a cigar. There is a view of the water to add to the beauty as well. I sure hope “my tree” will always be there for me.

Having your own tree to ride to just to chill out now and then has soul.

I’m not a mechanic but I work on my own bikes just to learn and save a little money. Plus when you do it yourself there’s no one to blame but yourself if you screw it up. One time I did a top end job on my bike, the first time I had ever done anything liked that. When I fired that bike up and it actually ran, with no oil coming out of the wrong places and everything working right, that was a real thrill.

Working on your own motorcycle has soul.

When I hit the Mother of all Ruts on a rural back road in Vermont a Continued on Page 8

Page 8 Continued from Page 5 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE ways it is quite unique. I have always been a believer in the concept of manageable risk. I soloed in a glider when I was 15, and I remember as my instructor closed the canopy and walked away before takeoff maybe I was crazy. But I also knew I was well-trained, the ship was sound, and just about any contingency that could arise I was not only prepared for but had practiced (including if the cable broke on the tow plane). I’ve been diving for 40 years and have been in a few tricky situations but again, have been well-trained and have practiced all kinds of emergency procedures. But motorcycling is a fish of a different feather (see what I did there?), and compared with flying and diving has an additional level of unexpected mayhem that can come your way. What I mean is, as with any activity including getting out of bed in the morning there are unexpected perils, yet in my mind riding has a few more that seem to be of the day-to-day variety. It is here where I think a bit of healthy paranoia can be good because it can heighten your awareness. No matter what the activity, if you do it enough and survive a lifetime of incidents even the most seasoned veteran can get lured into a sense of complacency, or even just good ol’ distraction. The more the years fly by you can lose your focus, and this can be amplified by dealing with the consciousness-stealing events that arise in life. even an argument with a spouse or financial problem can lure one away from the moment.

So was this the case with the Cloons? It seems unlikely he was worried about money. Was he thinking about the day’s work on the set, including going over his lines in his head? Quite possible. It could be the person in the Mercedes was just a total menace and George never could have seen the situation developing. But nothing changes the fact that he’s had a number of incidents when riding, and he may have decided it’s time to hang up the leathers. I think in one interview he mentioned the term “9 lives,” and I always take such things seriously. I just wish him well and hope he makes the best decision for his future. I personally would like to see him continue to make movies for a very long time. As for riding, only he knows for sure when it’s time to say when.

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS Continued from Page 3 FREE WHEELIN’ How does this apply to we as riders? easy. Skill. Preparation. Practice. Be ready for that unknown occurrence. That unexpected variable. For that shocking happenstance.

Learn to drive your bike. Learn to ride your bike. Learn to fly your bike. Be wary. Be alert. Be prepared.

That is surely what Rowena would tell us to be.

ON THE MARK

Continued from Page 6 I checked my BMW RT and while the high-beam indicator on it doesn’t dim with the display either, it is more subdued and isn’t as distracting.

I don’t know why the designer missed including the decimal point on the T-34C DMe display in the dimming circuit: it is one of those errors that existed for the 30 years the plane was in service. As for the high-beam light on the Suzuki, I’m guessing the designers and testers never rode it at night. A lot of motorcyclists avoid riding in the dark for various reasons, including the potential for deer strikes, but there are a few of us who not only do it, but who kind of enjoy it.

For us, that star light, star bright is a major pain in the…eyes.

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD

Continued from Page 7

couple of years ago my K1200RS went down hard on its left side. It cost me hundreds of dollars to get the left plastic side panel repainted. Then this year I was making a tight left turn on a gravel driveway. I put my foot down while tapping those powerful brakes and just like that I’m down hard on the left side again. Should I spend hundreds of dollars more to have the side panel repainted again, on a bike for which you can’t even buy crash guards? Or should I take all the Tupperware off and ride it naked, with all the wires, hoses and components showing – ‘Mad Max’ style?

There is definitely no soul when you drop or crash your bike.

I could go on but you get the drift. You don’t need an old bike to have soul in motorcycling. You just need to do motorcycling. If you do it right there will be soul all over the place. Ride on.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

BACKLASH Letter of the Month Hey Backroads…

Your cover of the latest Backroads issue is just Grand.

At the tender age of sixteen I had the pleasure on attending Woodstock. That experience was one of the experiences that I have remember fondly throughout my entire life and probably has influenced my feelings about many issues in my life.

About six years ago I was floating about on my Wee Strom with another friend of mine also on a Wee. At the time he was about thirty one years of age.

I was standing at the plaque pictured on this cover with about six other people of about my age. I was reading aloud the names of the bands that played at the event. Mike was about 15 feet away from me, just within hearing shot.

I then said aloud ‘10 Years After.’ Mike turned to me and asked the question, ‘Ten years after what?’

The group looked at me with tilted heads. I said ‘I’m sorry, yes I brought him. He is a kid, he just does not know better.’

I shouted, ‘Mike put your helmet, on it’s time to leave.’

Some storiess just stick with you.

Bill Kane Hi Brian and Shira, Just received the latest edition of Backroads, and while reading the letter section, I noticed that the letter from John Raines contained an error. In it he states that FRee2WHeeL was the brainchild of Tom and Ann VanBeveren. Not so. FTW was created by a rather remarkable woman named Margaret Fowler. Margaret began this project in the early 80s, and at the same time had a twohour radio show on an independent radio station, KPFK, called Kick Stand.

She and her volunteer crew did bike reviews, industry interviews, and tech Q&A. Towards the end she even did a video version of the magazine. She virtually did everything herself. editing, hauling the raw material to the printer, picking up the printed copies from the printer and delivering them to various spots in So Cal. She was tireless. The sad fact was that advertising revenues were simply not enough for her to continue publishing. eventually she sold it to Tom and Ann, and it finally collapsed.

Probably due to the shifting media market.

There was a management change at the radio station, and the new folks didn’t think a motorcycle show was appropriate for their format, and was ended.

Margaret was a true pioneer in the industry, and has received virtually no recognition. She was a a great networker, and a great person with some good ideas that were never brought to fruition.

After FTW was sold, she just disappeared. Wherever she is I hope she’s doing well.

I had to give up riding a year ago due to health problems, but I at least can ride vicariously through the pages of your magazine.

Best Regards, Mike Vaughan For those of us who live vicariously through the “Dynamic Duo” most of the year, the spring get together is always an amazing way to jump into the riding season. I’m always smiling when we pull in for the first night and so many familiar faces appear and it only gets better from there. Thank you Brian for your help and patience with the GPS impaired. I would like to give a shout out to Ron,

Page 9

Letters to the Editor Woody the Wabbit and the crew at Track and Trail in PA for hooking me up with new rubber. Looking forward to seeing all of you again.

Ron & Gina Hi guys!

I was just looking at your latest Report and saw the item about the Craddock Terry Hotel — that was one of the stops on our Spring Fling Scavenger Hunt this year! The big red shoe — and/or its LOVe shoe cousin across the parking lot — were a required photo capture for the Hunt. Very cool!

Steve Anderson • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles July issue just arrived. The cover is really eye-catching. “Out of this world!”

Best, Larry Hey Shira First, let me say that our riding group went up to Historic Grounds for lunch and it was awesome. They are looking for a copy of your magazine with the write-up on their restaurant.

Continued on Next Page

Page 10

IN DU STRY INFOBITES COREY ALEXANDER BACK ON THE PODIUM The RideHVMC Freeman Kawasaki racing team is happy to celebrate a return to the podium in MotoAmerica’s Superstock 1000cc class at Road America.

With the help of the team at Gemini Racing as well as Richie Alexander and DJ Uithoven, they finished the bike just the Wednesday night prior to the weekend.

After more than a 2 year hiatus from professional road racing Corey was able to show up with no time whatsoever spent on the brand new 2019 Kawasaki ZX-10R and immediately get up to speed.

Corey adds, “It’s been a long two years being away from the MotoAmerica paddock. In the back of my

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

News from the Inside mind and bottom of my heart it’s really where I want to be and so I’ve worked tirelessly to make that weekend happen. I’m thankful for my supporters that have stuck behind me and the new ones that helped me reach these results. My new Kawasaki ZX-10R worked extremely well and I felt so comfortable on the bike. With some more time I think we could be a serious contender each and every weekend we are able to race.”

Backroads congratulates Corey, the folks at Hudson Valley Motorcycles in Ossining, NY and the entire Alexander family.

BACKLASH Continued from Previous Page I know in the July 2018 magazine you did a write-up on Waterman’s Crab House. I know you did another write-up on a crab house in New Jersey, could you let me know the name please?

Ron Breau Ron, Great to hear that you enjoyed Historic Grounds – we’ll send an issue right up to them. The crab place you are looking for is Shag’s Crabs & Seafood in Pennsville, NJ (shagscrabs.com). If you head there during the summer, plan to attend the Cowtown Rodeo – good all-American fun.

eyewitnesses to the collision stated the riders were side by side in close formation. You and I both are outspoken critics of this practice.

In this particular case I am convinced there might not have been any fatalities at all, had the riders been staggered with linear seconds, not a few feet, between each.

So tragic that this monster was still allowed to be operating a heavy truck and trailer on public roads. And that these good, well-intended motorcyclists didn’t leave themselves any viable escape paths when that terrible time came.

Ride well, Jeff Adams

Tragedy In New Hampshire

Hi Shira, Great job on the July cover. The minute I opened the box, the color from the cover page jumped out at me. Bright and happy contrasting between night and day with the full moon and the Apollo 11 orbiting the moon reflecting over the green grass. Hope Backroads is around for another 50.

Michael Wernick

Brian, Recently a 23-year old with a horrible driving record, mowed down 10 riders from the Jarhead Motorcycle Club. The riders logically were Marines. Despite the heroic efforts of bystanders, 7 of these people were killed.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

MOTO-JOURNALIST DAVEY JOHNSON PASSES Automotive journalist Davey G. Johnson was found dead on June 20 following a widespread search throughout parts of Northern California. He was 43 years old.

David Gordon Johnson was initially reported missing on Friday, June 7, and was last heard from on Wednesday, June 5.

His motorcycle, a press bike on loan from Honda, was recovered at a rest area near Mokelumne Hill, California. Police later found many of Davey’s belongings near the Mokelumne River, where he had stopped to send a photo to a friend.

The massive recovery efforts, led by the Calaveras County Sheriff, continued until Monday, at which point officials announced they would be scaling back the search. The police found Davey’s body in the Mokelumne River on Thursday. The cause of his death is said to be accidental drowning.

GRASS CLIPPINGS BAN - ABOUT TIME! A number of states and localities have come to the realization that grass clippings on the roadway are a danger to motorcyclists, and some are taking steps to outlaw the roughage.

In Pennsylvania, Senator Camera Bartolotta (RWashington County) has proposed legislation to protect motorcyclists by making it illegal to throw grass clippings on the roadway during mowing season, making the violation a fineable offense much like littering. She says grass clippings cause the surface of the roadway to become extremely slippery, creating a hazard to motorcycle riders and other drivers.

When riders complain to law enforcement, their complaints are often dismissed as the current law is not enforceable, but the senator’s proposal to add two words “grass clippings” to the law that makes throwing litter and other items on the roadway an offense would fix that.

Her bill proposes fines of up to $300 for the first offense and up to a $1,000 for subsequent offenses, and would require the landowner to remove the clippings from the roadway.

In Ohio, the city of Fremont says it will begin ticketing people for blowing grass clippings into the street, saying they pose a danger to motorcyclists. City officials say dumping grass clippings in the road is illegal under a city ordinance regarding “placing injurious material or obstruction in street,” and the city says its code enforcer and police department will be paying special attention to the issue throughout the warmer months.

Meanwhile, an Illinois rider is dead after a crash involving grass clippings on the road and losing control of her motorcycle. Her husband, who also

Page 11 lost control of his motorcycle, told the local newspaper; “I would like something to be done better than a $50 fine on grass clippings; it kills people!” He has contacted his state representative about increasing the penalty for making an unnecessarily dangerous mess in the road from lawn trimmings.

While some slippery hazards like wet leaves in fall can’t be avoided, not spraying grass clippings onto the road is as easy as pushing or driving your lawn mower in the opposite direction to spray back into your yard rather than out onto the roadway.

ROLLING THUNDER FINAL RIDE, OR NOT? For over three decades, hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists have roared into our nation’s capital over Memorial Day weekend for Rolling Thunder, an annual demonstration in support of veterans, prisoners of war and service members who went missing in action, but due to financial and logistical constraints, this year’s rally was their last hurrah. Rally organizer and co-founder, Artie Muller, has announced that the massive rally, held every year in Washington, D.C. since 1988, has grown too costly and unwieldy and will come to an end.

However, efforts to keep the rally going include President Donald Trump who pledged his support and tweeted out during the “Ride for Continued on Page 47

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERI OU S AMERIC A THE MONSTERS OF MARYLAND Young Gertrude had grown used to her new home in what would become Frederick County in the state of Maryland. Her young son Hans was playing out in the field and it was a most beautiful day after the last weeks of heavy rain day after day. Ballenger Creek was far over its banks and the flooding was awful.

But, Hans seemed happy as he played in the field outside the family’s small farmhouse.

She went inside to quickly check dinner and then she heard a scream from her son. Rushing outside she saw something that should only be seen nightmares.

Part bird, part lizard, almost a dragon with its broad bat-like wings, long tail and snout. Yellow fangs looked almost like metal and in its long dagger-like claws it held a now squealing goat. Her son was screaming too – like he had seen the devil, which he might just have.

Gertrude also shrieked and rushed to Hans snatching him up and running back to the house as the creature flapped its heavy and leathery wings, slowly rising from the ground with the now terrified and heavily bleeding goat in its clutches and then it flew in the direction of South Mountain.

The Snallygaster had claimed another meal – thankfully not her son. She had heard that a family across the county had not been so fortunate.

I had never heard of the Snallygaster until Shira and I stopped at a small ice cream barn, outside Jefferson, Maryland. I was perusing the many flavors and spotted “Snallygaster” claiming to be a monstrous combination good enough for the “Monster of Frederick County.”

Monster? Monster!? We love monsters so a little research was in order.

The legend of the Snallygaster appears to have emerged for the

first time when German immigrants settled down in Maryland. They called the monstrous bird a Schneller Geist, meaning “quick spirit” in German. It was said that, just like a vampire, the Snallygaster sucked the blood of its victims. The locals believed the monster was afraid of the Heptagram, a seven-pointed star and people started to paint the symbol on their barns.

The beast was seen again at the beginning of last century and the local newspaper accounts throughout February and March 1909 describe encounters between local residents and a beast with “enormous wings, a long pointed bill, claws like steel hooks, and an eye in the center of its forehead.” It was described as making screeches “like a locomotive whistle.”

I’d like to point out that there were also a lot of reports of a very similar creature around the same time along the Delaware River north of Philadelphia in both PA and New Jersey.

There were also reports of men, strangely garbed and out of place, reportedly hunting this creature. These men disappeared as quickly as they came and this Jersey Devil outbreak vanished as well.

Back in Maryland, at the same time, it was reported that none other than Theodore Roosevelt considered canceling an African safari to

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 hunt down the Snallygaster.

The story goes that this was a total hoax perpetrated by a local newspaper to drum up readership.

How horrible is that? To think a newspaper would print ridiculous stories to keep their readers entertained. Those scallywags can go hang out with the Snallygaster!

Like today’s Fake News, other papers picked up on the tale and ran with it.

Calls for photographic proof was demanded and National Geographic was preparing an expedition to capture it on film. Trying to avert a panic, the Baltimore Sun finally reported the Snallygaster’s death in November 1932; but its death was as strange as the beast itself.

A shadowy photo of the dead creature was brought forth with the story of how it had drowned in a vat of whiskey mash on a Baltimore County farm. By suspicious coincidence, the report stated that Federal Prohibition Officers “inadvertently” blew up the still before the carcass could be examined.

Of course, they did.

But, why just have one mysterious beast when we can have two?

Yes, kids this month we get two cryptids for the price of one.

Yes, like Godzilla versus Ghidorah, the Yankees versus the Red Sox and Trump versus Pelosi – a good enemy is a must and for the Snallygaster it was called the Dwayyo.

The Dwayyo was, as far as I can find, a werewolf type of creature, but on a very badass scale.

Over the centuries battles between the two have been epic, if not fired up by good German beer and that local shine.

This beast slowly faded into history.

Page 13 But, on November 27, 1965, the Frederick News Post reported an encounter by a local in the woods near Gambrill State Park. According to reports, John Becker went out in his yard to investigate a strange noise.

It was getting dark, and he had started back to the house when he saw something moving toward him. “It was as big as a bear, had long black hair, a bushy tail, and growled like a wolf or a dog in anger.” As it got closer, it stood up on its hind legs and attacked him. Becker fought the creature until it ran into the woods, leaving him, his wife and children in horror. Deciding to remain anonymous under the alias John Becker, he filed a report with local state police, telling of an attack by a mysterious monster that he called a Dwayyo.

Is there a creature or creatures still to be found in the rolling hills along southern Maryland and the Potomac? Were there ever?

On a limestone bluff overlooking the Mississippi River far to the west there is a rock carving that depicts a creature part bird/part dragon called the Piasa Bird. Local natives feared to look upon this carving when it first was discovered in 1673 by French Canadian explorers Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet; sighted as they navigated the river near present-day Alton, Illinois.

It seems that these devils have been a big part of the history of Mysterious America for a long time, and perhaps are still today.

O’Life out!

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN THIRD & COMPANY LAKESIDE RESTAURANT

“Someone should do something with this place we thought…”

And, someone did! That someone was Joseph Charles Russek III. The III part is where the name, Third & Company, comes from.

When Joseph took it over, the place needed work; lots of work. It took two and a half years, with the help of a lot of friends, to turn it into the place you will discover today.

We rolled up and found Three & Company a neat combination of Catskill Americana with a dash of modern flair and a superb outdoor deck overlooking the small lake.

Inside, the long chalkboard-style wall sits above roomy booths and tables across the wide and open bar. On another wall local jams, jelly, and condiments are for sale.

When we moseyed our way up to ‘The Gunks’ it turned out to be a fairly big religious holiday weekend. easter AND Passover.

Who knew? So, the normal menu had been replaced with an easter Brunch. easter Sunday would bring out a lot of families and we did not have any reservations. Still, the staff was happy and accommodating and led us to the bar, which worked out fine for us.

We have found buffets can be hit or miss with some places.

While so many can kill the food with overcooking and making too much at one time, we found

3649 ROUTE 52, WALKER VALLEY, NY 12566 845-524-487 • www.3rdandco.com New York State’s Route 52, runs across the empire State just south of the Catskills, and crosses between two rivers; spanning the Hudson at the mid-point and ending halfway across the Narrowsburg Bridge into Pennsylvania at the Delaware River.

Most of it meanderings along a pleasant, if slightly boring, country two-lanes but east of ellenville and west of Pine Bush, New York (UFO capital of the state), the road rises up and over the Shawangunk Ridge. Atop here the views are simply marvelous and this twisty part of the road, with its magnificent waterfall, make it a great destination for today’s riders in the region.

There is now another superb excuse to head up along this byway – Third & Company Lakeside Restaurant!

We have to thank our friend Dwight for pointing us in the restaurant’s direction.

He had eaten there a few times and knew it would be a perfect stop for the Great All-American Diner Run. even before we headed up, we had an inkling of where this place exactly was, as for years we had passed an older, slightly beat-up building with a large deck overlooking a small lake right off the road.

Accommodations Available Six Newly Renovated Rooms

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR GROUPS

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Breakfast Every Sunday 9am-1pm Tues 4-10pm • Wed-Sat 11am-10pm • Sun. 9am-9pm

tasty places to take your bike

RivertonHotelandRestaurant

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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that Third & Company did a stellar job with everything they offered - truly hitting it out of the park with their easter spread.

Bagels, bacon, hams, Hatian catfish (Yummy) roast beef, Spanish frittata, gooey and delicious mac & cheese and so much more.

Oh… and then there are those two magic words.

Dough Nuts!

They make their own donuts.

Worse for us they had them placed on the bar, right in front of us. How cruel and self-serving!

Did that donut really have a cannoli on it? There was another with maple syrup and

bacon. It was an easter miracle. Add to that some seriously good coffee and we were happy campers.

The restaurant is open Wednesdays through Sundays and they do offer a regular menu, which we will come back to sample for sure.

If you are there early enough on Saturday or Sunday, Third & Company serves up some superior eggs like The Lakeside Special, Huevos Rancheros, a scrumptious sounding Tex-Mex skillet and the super trendy avocado toast.

You will also find some interesting sandwich offerings – pulled pork, crab cake Po’ Boys and chicken and waffles.

If a burger suits your fancy on this day – choose wisely. Although Third & Company serves up huge ½ pound burgers with a choice of cheeses, greens, and bacon you can also pick between your standard American beef and an American Waygu, which has its roots in Japan and could be pronounced ‘way good!’

Okay, we made that up – but, you get the point.

So far from our experience on a very busy holiday and comments from others who have been to Walker Valley, Joseph Charles Russek III and the crew at Third & Company have a new hot spot for riders exploring the region. On a warm, sunny day, we know their deck overlooking the small lake will be the perfect spot to sit, relax, appreciate some wonderful food and enjoy this month’s stop on the Great All American Diner Run!

Rip & Ride® • Start: Hudson Valley Motorcycle, Ossining, NY GPS Download: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/nn9y9t

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

Frontline Eurosports Presents

B IG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Words: Pamela Collins In our ongoing offerings of motor-related museums, this month’s Big City Getaway brings you to the town of Hershey, PA and the Antique Automobile Car Association Museum. Enjoy the ride!

HARLEY-DAVIDSON: AMERICA’S MOTORCYCLE AACA MUSEUM UNVEILS EXHIBIT ABOUT H-D’S HISTORY Through 116 years of history a company undergoes changes and challenges. But not all companies with century-plus birthdays can weather trials, tribulations and successes while serving as a unique mirror of American history.

Harley-Davidson is one of those companies.

The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania has opened a new exhibit that not only explores the history of The Motor Company, but relates it to American’s own story of growth, setbacks and successes. entitled “Harley-Davidson: History, Mythology, and Perception of America’s Motorcycle,” the exhibit uses 34 motorcycles to relate three-dimensionally the story of Harley-Davidson from its inception until the 1980’s, while concurrently relating an American history lesson.

“I hope museum visitors will be able to relate Harley’s history to the overall American experience,” says David Russell, the exhibit’s cocurator. To this end the museum features a series of information panels detailing H-D’s story, and how its tale both was influenced by, and became an influencer of, America’s culture and dramas. The motorcycles serve as real world illustrations, historic artwork if you will, that give substance to the exhibit’s story.

The exhibit divides the story into seven chapters: Harley as an American Innovation; Harley versus Indian Motorcycle; The ‘American Motorcycle’—why Harley?; The Situation is in Doubt—Decline and

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 the AMF years; Rebirth—The 1981 buyback, a painful housecleaning and the success years; “I don’t give a damn about my bad reputation”—Harley, Outlaws, American society, and other motorcyclists; and The future is in gear.

The comprehensive exhibit touches on some well-known Harley tales as well as those not so widely told, put in context of America’s growth, changes and trends. It begins with the innovators, when in 1903 Walter and Arthur Davidson and their friend, Richard Harley, in Milwaukee, simply tried to motorize a bicycle. The Davidson brothers brought knowledge of internal combustion engines to pedal bicycles. Within the next 11 years Harley-Davidson became the best-selling motorcycle in America, with 16,000 units rolling from the factory in 1914. Originally considered a “gentleman’s machine,” early advertisements stressed the

Page 17 bikes’ minimal exhaust noise and durability. A displayed 1912 Harley-Davidson Single and 1918 Model J with a sidecar let visitors marvel at the minimal but functional motorcycles.

Russell said the exhibit tells the backbone of Harley’s story along with some lesser known details. “We wanted to place Harley in the context of the American experience and bring to light a few of the fascinating, less-discussed side notes to that history. To begin with, the first Harleys were not envisioned as motorbikes for the masses; they were too expensive to make.

“Harleys became big motorcycles…why? Well, we feel this was somewhat a reflection of America itself with its vast distances, inexpensive gas, and America’s economic might.”

The exhibit also takes a hard look at Harley’s hard times. Russell said, “AMF (which owned Harley in the 70’s) is often seen as the ‘bad guy’, but a case can be made that it saved Harley from being dissolved and ‘parted out.’ Harley’s bikes in the 60’s and 70’s had some real quality problems, and the AMF years gave the company time to recover, intact.”

The Motor Company did recover and enjoyed a run of prosperity, with its chrome-like reputation never shinier than during its 100th anniversary celebration in 2003. Since then, however, Russell says some tarnish has

Page 18 etched that persona. “I think the saddest aspect of the story is the side story of the post buyout transformation (when a group of H-D management bought the company). We see a lot of high-end retail ‘boutiques’ now, but a lot of mom and pop dealers, who doggedly supported Harley during the lean years, were swept away during that period.”

The exhibit also discusses the importance of racing to the company’s growth and features a beautifully restored 1928 Peashooter as an example of that era. From there it moves through the decades; World War II and Harley’s popularity among returning servicemen; the trend to “chop” the bikes and customize them; the challenge from Britain’s lighter, nimbler machines and then effects of the Japanese motorcycles on the marketplace; and how H-D successfully straddled the advertising line between outlaw and gang on one side while selling an elite product to the masses.

Harley’s resuscitation, or some would consider a resurrection, receives narrative treatment, and the exhibit features a 1981 Tour Glide Bagger with sidecar, ridden by Ralph Swenson, one of the motorcycles ridden by those original 13 investors who purchased Harley-

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS Davidson from AMF in 1981. Swenson served as Harley-Davidson’s York Plant Division President.

While moving from chapter to chapter of the exhibit, real-life pieces of history tangibly, dimensionally detail the themes; steel and rubber and chrome tell the Motor Company’s tale better than a grandparent reading a bedtime story. Whether the jewel-like quality of a restored 1912 Single, a 1947 Model FL Knucklehead, the familiarity of a 1981 Sportster, or the unexpected appearance of a 1978 MX250 Motocross, each machine brings to life the timeline of HarleyDavidson’s history. The bikes span the time period of 1912 to 1984.

The Harley-Davidson exhibit runs through October 20 this year. Visitors can also tour the museum’s other displays that include “Studebaker Cool: 114 Years of Innovation.” For more information visit the museum’s website at www.aacamuseum.org.

161 Museum Dr, Hershey, PA 17033 • 717-566-7100 • Open daily 9am-5pm

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

WE’RE OUTTA HER E RIVERVIEW INN 24 HAWTHORNE ST, COLONIAL BEACH, VA 22443 804-224-4200 • colonialbeachriverview.com ROOMS STARTING AT $116/NIGHT Who knew?

You might think that after a quarter century of exploring, discovering, and writing about interesting destinations, fun escapes and romantic getaways we’d have covered just about everything, right?

Well, not exactly.

When asked how we find some places, we usually end up wondering about it ourselves. Sometimes a wonderfully cool place, like this month’s ‘We’re Outta Here’, end up a happy coincidence.

This particular time we knew we were to be in central Virginia attending the Horizons Unlimited Travelers Meeting (most excellent), but unexpected family commitments would bring us home early.

Looking at the maps (you remember maps, right?) our fingers followed south a bit along the Potomac and zeroed in on Colonial Beach, Virginia. Searching a bit more we discovered it was the second longest beach in the Old Dominion State, even if it is on a freshwater river.

This region has had a long and deep history. The First People have been along these shores for millennia before John Smith and the english arrived in 1608. The region was home to names like Washington, Monroe, and Lee. A century ago steamboats brought those looking to escape towns like Washington D.C. south along the river and Colonial Beach grew as a resort community.

The town was the epicenter of the century long Oyster Wars that lasted from the mid-19th Century to the 1960s.

But that is another story….

Yes, Colonial Beach had all the signs of an old pirate town to us, in that Jimmy Buffett sort of way, and just a little more searching brought us to a fantastic find. Our pirate’s treasure if you will.

Arrangements were made and on a late afternoon in April we rolled down the highway along the Potomac River and into Colonial Beach.

We did a quick circle of the main part of the town, impressed by the many beautiful murals adorning the sides of many of the old brick build-

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a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads ings. We found a long town pier with a large iron arch leading to it and there were a number of restaurants, a tiki bar, a riverside barbeque shack, and art galleries. Thankfully there are no highrise hotel or condos to ruin the ambiance or view here in Colonial Beach. Things look much like they did 50 years back. Quaint, beachy and happy; and, right down the street from the pier we found what had brought us to Colonial Beach in the first place… The Riverview Inn. This two-story inn was built back in the 1950s and was called the Westmoreland Motel back in the day. Over time the motel changed hands and what coulda, shoulda, woulda been a great place morphed into something far less.

Page 20

enter Kelly and Bob Vaughn who had a getaway home not far from the town and saw the deep potential in the old motel.

We spoke to Kelly and Bob while we were there and they told us the story of how they found it and made an offer.

The offer was accepted. They now owned an old, slightly abused motel. Being ‘hands-on’ people, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Let us tell you right now – it was worth it. The Riverview is a wonderful throwback in time.

Kelly and Bob and their helpful and happy staff have created an easy mix of retro 50s and easy southern coastal living. We expected

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

to find Hemmingway and Sonny Crockett discussing the world from the chairs along the small lawn.

The inn has 21 rooms, all of which were completely re-done during the renovation and each room has a watery theme. There were rooms with dolphins, sea turtles and octopus all with a classic 50s feel, but modern amenities, WiFi, coffee machines and bottled water, and a great shower and selection of soaps finished off with fluffy towels.

With a choice of restaurants within walking distance nearby, we had happily parked and locked the bikes for the evening and really did not give them much thought as Colonial Beach has been rated one of the safest and crime free towns in the state.

We walked over to Denson’s Grocery – considered one of the finest seafood restaurants in the region for dinner.

After dinner we walked around the small town again, listened to the band playing on stage at the Black Pearl Tiki Bar for a bit and then took a few games from the Riverview’s lobby – Rock’em’ Sock‘em Robots and Battleship. Shira won it all this night, knocking my block off and sinking my fleet.

The bed was comfortable, the pillows fine and the sleep deep this night and we awoke with just a quarter hour to spare before the dawn, about to happen a half block away over the wide Potomac.

Few things are better than seeing the sun break open the day.

We really enjoyed our stay in Colonial Beach and especially the reborn Riverview Inn. The fine combination of feel, flair, and fun make the town and the Riverview Inn one to remember when traveling through eastern Virginia.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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LIGONIER CREAMERY 105 E MAIN ST, LIGONIER, PA 15658 • 724-238-4600 • WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LIGONIERCREAMERY We had been through this town before. As a matter of fact, on last year’s Fall Fiesta we offered up a stop at Joe’s Bar in Ligonier as a bonus Mysterious America stop. Feelings were mixed about the contents of this bar, but everyone agreed it was certainly right up Dr. O’Life’s alley of offerings.

When it came time to plan some rides for this year’s Spring Break, I saw that we could pass through this cute little town again, for lunch and an ice cream stop, on our way to the Wisp Resort. Brian had saved a brochure from the Ligonier Creamery from last year and I had it on top of my ‘to do’ rides for 2019.

This was the perfect time to make use of it. After a delicious lunch at Table 105 with our riding companion for the day, Larry Cain, we popped down two doors for dessert.

David Gehlman, owner and ice cream maven at Ligonier Creamery, spent 20 years working in the dairy business at SaniDairy. His original store, Roxbury Creamery, in Johnstown, PA was opened in 2004 (he no longer owns that one) and the shop in Ligonier opened in 2011. He has been busy churning out his dairy delights and, to date, has created over 265 flavors, which would take a very long time to get through, but a most pleasurable journey.

The Ligonier Creamery sits on the square, or diamond, as they call it, in the center of town. As their motto states, ‘Ice cream so good…it’s served on a diamond and guarded by a fort!’ The fort in reference is Fort Ligonier, a British fortification from the French and Indian War, which during its 8 years as a garrison, was never taken by an enemy. This region is chock full of history and makes for a great destination for a summer ride.

Inside Ligonier Creamery, you’ll find a long counter stocked with their flavors of the day, all homemade with the highest of quality ingredients and special recipes. The old time ice cream parlor atmosphere is a great ambience in which to enjoy your dessert, with polished wood floors and counter stools.

Once you’ve made your decision from the very hard choice of flavors, you’ll have another dilemma as to what toppings, as their offering is quite extensive and include everything from simple sprinkles to birthday cake. Not satisfied with just a plain cup or cone? (They make their own waffle cones) Their sundae selection is quite tempting, with such things as Pecan Snapper: topped with fudge, pecans, strawberries, whipped cream and a cherry; or Fluff & Nutter: marshmallow, peanut butter and butter nutter cookies. Should you prefer sipping your ice cream through a straw, order up on of their thick and creamy milk shakes. If you like your ice cream basic, they can hand you a soft serve vanilla, chocolate or twist.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS On the day we visited, some of our choices were maple walnut, mixed berry cheesecake, French toast, butterscotch and candy store floor. Some of their more inventive flavors that may be on the serving block are Pumpkin Pie in July, Dark Side of the Moon, Tropical Rainforest, Tootsie Pop and 7 Chocolates (probably would be my personal favorite). Brian went for his litmus test flavor of cookies & cream while I opted for the French toast. Both were delicious, creamy and full of flavor. The serving size is abundant and well priced and, as should be when there are too many flavors offered, they will let you taste before buying.

Another wonderful feature at Ligonier Creamery is the Warrior Scoop Chip. For a small price, you can buy a chip to be put in their coffer and when a serviceperson (veteran, police, fire, eMT, etc.) comes in for a scoop, a chip is used to buy his/her ice cream. It’s a great way to pay back those who protect and serve so we can enjoy our ice cream every day.

Should you find yourself riding through this part of Pennsylvania, make sure to plan a stop at Ligonier Creamery – you won’t be disappointed. See you on the road!

M

oney can’t buy happiness but it can buy cows and cows make milk and milk makes ice cream and ice cream makes you happy.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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Spring Break 2019 Lions and Coasters and Amish…Oh My!

Day One • Looking for Lions

T

ime flies when you’re having fun. It was 21 years ago when we gave birth (of a sort) to our Backroads Rallies. And, look at them now… all grow’d up and gone to college.

In this particular case Penn State and being 21, the rally found itself at the pub at the Penn Stater Hotel, in State College, Pennsylvania.

You really couldn’t blame it. It was a long day for just about everybody; with folks coming from as far away as Canada, the Mid-Atlantic regions and southern Florida.

For us, the day began at just after dawn with three machines being quietly rolled out of the barn at Backroads Central. We had Backroads contributor Jeff Kurtzman with us and would meet a few other friends at the Fork Lift Café in Dingman’s Ferry, just across the Delaware River.

Breakfast was fast and filling and soon we were making our way west, trying to tag as many roads and endless Mountain passes previously unridden before this day.

Surprisingly we did just that and kept the gravel pieces to a minimum. But, there is always gravel, isn’t there? Keeps the mind aware.

Along the way though we did run across some other interesting things. One giant farm machine of some sort smack dab in the middle of a very familiar Route 125. Part tractor, part empirical Walker, we didn’t know if we should ride around it or under it.

One errant Pileated Woodpecker that flew alongside me for a bit (stunning bird) and a number of young Amish men tilling the fields with teams of horses pulling the plows.

Once you get away from the Poconos, the Keystone State and endless Mountains truly opens up and it gets more rural and wild past the Susquehanna River.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

Lunch was had among large groups of seasoned women – one celebrating her 94th trip around the sun. Blue hair and Blue Plate specials for everybody. The buffet was cheap, quick and delicious.

My plan, when creating the route, was to mix the familiar with the new and from the comments we did pretty well - but the nearly 300 hard twisty miles, early in the season, began to wear on us all by late afternoon and we were certainly happy to roll into the hotel, unpack, shower and bring the rally to the bar for its first drink as an adult with a Nittany Lion – or was she a cougar?

Day Two • South to the Coaster Was that a pitter patter I heard the next day?

Of course, it was… but the brightening skies to the west promised a reprieve and that did not take too long to arrive.

After breakfast most got geared up to leave around late 8, early 9 am, and Shira and I made a brief stop at Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lion football team, for a quick photo stop for our new nephew and Penn State alumni Nick.

We had two routes we threw out for riders, one just under 200 miles, and one just over.

We took Shira’s longer route that had a couple of side trips and, of course, the manda-

tory ice cream stop.

This choice route rewarded us almost instantly with gentle sweepers and moderate elevation changes that, if not challenging, were a heck of a lot of fun to ride.

Her first stop was the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, where you will find the tomb of Prince Dimitri Gallitzin, the “Apostle to the Alleghenies,” and a most impressive church totally funded by steel magnate Charles Schwab. Here we met up with friend Larry Cain, whom we first met years back at CLASS Riding School in Virginia and has come on a few Backroads rallies since.

He hooked up with us and followed Shira south.

For the most part, we had a spectacular day with pleasant temperatures and a great mix of hills, valleys, forests and ridges to cross. In Shira’s style there were some miles of gravel but, so far, it was all very rideable.

Her second stop was the College of Saint Vincent, in Latrobe, the boyhood home of Fred Rogers and where they have a small museum in his honor.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 Personally, I thought they could do more with his legacy, but this higher learning institution - being what they are - chose to push more of Roger’s social messaging and forgot about the fun that Mr. Rogers brought thousands of children.

Lunch was found in Ligonier, at the same place we ate last year, conveniently next door to the Ligonier Creamery. This place smelled so sweet I thought I would slip into a diabetic coma.

Back on the road, we made time south towards the Mason-Dixon Line only to be flummoxed by one of Shira’s “Death Roads” that hooked into the forest and more or less straight up.

It looked dark. It looked foreboding. It looked stupid.

I could hear the cries of raging rabid dragons waiting up this trail for some unsuspecting and rash riders to attempt to go over the mountains when a

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

pristinely paved road wound around it.

We tried Plan B – that trail too would bring certain death as well.

Plan C brought us around the mountain and back on track to The Wisp Resort at the head of Deep Creek Lake in Maryland.

We heard later that some brave, if misguided and impetuous, riders did attempt Mount Doom (there really was a Doom Trail on this mountain) only to run into shale, pipelines, water-crossings and said nest of ill-tempered dragons. They rolled into The Wisp with stories to tell.

That night rains floated in and floated out, but the hotel’s restaurant and bar were full and it seemed everyone was having a stellar time.

Free Day in Mountain Maryland Where to go? What to see?

We offered up a number of ride suggestions but, of course, all were free to explore wherever they wanted. Some headed into West “By God” Virginia, while some followed Shira and her route along the National Road that was celebrating its 200th year. Some just went exploring this mountainous west side of Maryland.

I decided to go be Han Solo this day on a route I had dubbed Trials & Tribulations that would be a general mix of traveling, history, faith and, hopefully, 150 miles of great riding.

Not that I did not want to be sociable, but solitary riding allows me

a whole bunch more flexibility as far as photography, pace, and spontaneous exploration. Well, okay, sometimes we all need “me” time and a solo day-ride was called for.

I passed through the town of Accident, as did others on this ride. I can see the town meeting… “Hey, let’s call our new town Calamity?

Naa, not that dire. How about Accident?”

Heading north I tried to ride over a totally socked-in mountain, blanketed in deep cloud and fog. Atop the crest first responders and state troopers vectored me off to a side road.

I stopped and asked what the issue was. There was a single vehicle motorcycle accident. This caused a spurt of adrenaline and a quickening of the heart as a few riders had left about 20 minutes before me.

I hoped it was not one of our group, and I stopped to take a look just to make sure.

Never good to see a bike torn up like this was.

From the aptly named town of Accident I went to a happy and more friendly town…

Friendly.

I can see the town meeting… “Hey, let’s call our new town Affable? Naa, not that pleasant. How about just Friendly?”

The T & T Route then headed into the hills and I had a great morning all by myself – a rare and needed ride indeed.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

Still, along this route I ran into others from the group, which worked out great for coffee next to Braddock’s Rock (The nation’s first signpost) and then again at God’s Ark of Safety – definitely a work in progress - and a good number of fellow Backroaders at the Schoolhouse Café in Old Towne, Maryland that we featured in the Great All American Diner Run a few years back.

The route had me cross over the restored section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and then that odd one-lane wooden plank bridge into West Virginia where I went solo again, taking in the mountain miles and brilliant sunshine that now dominated the region.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

Shira’s National Road Tour brought folks to Mile Marker Zero in the town of Cumberland, MD, a twisty 50 mile ride to the east through forests thick with morning mist. The monument sits in front of one of George Washington’s headquarters. Riding on and off new and old Highway 40 brought them to some historic sights including two original Toll Houses, the Thrasher Carriage Museum (which, unfortunately, was sold) and the Casselman River Bridge State Park with a village full of artisans and a few restaurants (where a nice coffee break was found). At the Old Petersburg Toll House, the only hand-cut native stone toll house in Pennsylvania, the Great Crossing Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution were giving tours, complete with - you guessed it - homemade Toll House cookies. There was the option to stop at Fort Necessity National Battlefield, which commemorates the opening battle of the French and Indian War in which Colonel George Washington surrendered to the French, as

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

well as General Braddock’s grave just up the road. His remains were originally buried under what is now the National Road in order to protect them from desecration by the French and Native Indians, but later moved to the current site under the new monument. Lunch was had at the Historic Summit Inn Resort - perhaps a future spot for a Backroads Rally - then continued to its northernmost point in Uniontown, PA where it ran into the end of the celebrations for National Road Day being held that weekend, which included following a team of horses pulling a Conestoga wagon. Taking a bit of a detour to avoid the remnants of said horses, the route began its turn to the south for the last 60 miles of twists and turns back to the Wisp Resort.

Most made it back in time for a number of runs down The Wisp’s Mountain Coaster - the perfectly fast and twisty end to a fast and twisty day!

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It was Preakness Saturday and, unbeknownst to Shira and I, Notso Happy and Pepe the Monkey had set up shop in the bar as bookmakers, although they claimed they were simply “turf accountants.” Like the questionable Derby, it was interesting, and the race got very loud in the bar, especially when Bodexpress tossed its jockey, John Velazquez. The official claim was miscommunication between jockey and the assistant start at the gate.

We think it was more a set-up between the two puppets and the Philly / Long Island Connection and the little known fact that the Bodexpress’ gate slot and the Pimlico track were created by Shira on BaseCamp.

Funny how that the last bettor won the whole megillah. Hmmm…

We had a banquet style buffet that evening and the setting, food and especially the people here this night were made even more spectacular by the full Flower Moon and dancing clouds high above.

The first of a couple of impressive evening sky shows. The next would be spectacular.

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Day Four • The Amish…oh my!

Our penultimate day on the road would involve a mix of three hundred miles of mountains, farms, valleys, twists, and turns.

For us heading north meant going south first and a mile or so of hard pack, but easy, gravel just to wake us up.

But, from then on, the roads were amazing, spectacular, and a bit technical in some places. This why we train, study, live, and breath motorcycles. You can drive, ride or, sometimes, fly a motorcycle.

What a morning!

Although some cheated a bit and grabbed the highways to make time (perfectly okay in our book), still many did the longer route that, adding in the suddenly soaring temperatures and humidity, seemed far more than just a long day.

Heat and humidity melt more than ice cream.

Our route had us cross the Mason/Dixon Line about eight times, as we rode the edge of north and south, of blue and gray. eventually, we spun east along the southern part of the Keystone State and did a loop around Raven Rock. The infamous Site R – the not-so-secret government hideaway created in the late ‘40s if things got sideways and everything suddenly got very bright, hot and radioactive.

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS We made some time for a visit to the birthplace of President James Buchanan at Cove Gap, Pennsylvania in the middle of the Tuscarora Mountains. Buchanan was America’s 15th President, and by many accounts, particularly Professor Daniel Gianfredi, was fairly terrible at the job.

Here deep in the woods at the foot of a mountain, is a most interesting monument to the leader who, arguably, led us into the Civil War. Buchanan’s niece, who acted as First Lady of the United States during the presidency of her uncle, fought long and hard to build this 300-ton rock pyramid at the site of his log cabin birthplace in the woods.

A bit of Mysterious America for sure and the life of his niece Harriet Lane is well worth a read.

Just a mile or so east riders converged at the Foot of the Mountain Restaurant that, suddenly inundated with motorcycle riders, did a

stellar job of feeding us all. The food was great, the service happy and the corn fritters and pecan cinnamon rolls were outstanding.

We still had 150 miles to go, and the land began to level out and get into a more rolling foothills frame of mind. What was wide open and fairly empty countryside began to get more and more crowded with each mile heading towards the Susquehanna River.

We were now in Amish country and I always wonder what goes through the young Amish-folk minds when a group of riders pass them by, whether they be in a horse-

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

drawn buggy, out tilling the fields or on a long walk across a concrete bridge in that Amish gray garb and walking barefoot?

On the east side of the river we headed down a steep hill only to be met by riders coming up from below. One gal signaled to us to slow down and be wary – and around the next bend there was a buggy being pulled by a single black mare. The horse was struggling mightily to pull the carriage up and over the hill, and behind it, a barefoot young Amish woman was pushing equally as hard.

We had nowhere to pull over to help and I think we all felt as defeated as the horse and woman in our inability to stop and lend a hand at this daunting task.

It made me think of how, just an hour before, I watch a friend offer an arm to a very old man struggling to get from his car to the restaurant. A shining bright spot of this trip.

We as riders, as humans, have to help when we can. We don’t have to wear a cape, but we should never walk or ride away when we could just as easily help. Preachy pontification done.

Once across the river, it was a short and fun blast to our final hotel for the rally – The Amish View Inn in Bird-in-Hand.

A rather sprawling place, considering the location, but it certainly met our needs and got rave reviews from everybody with their ‘adult’ section rooms, indoor pool and large communal lobby for relaxing and conversation.

Once everyone was in and settled and had partaken of the delightful treats of whoopie pies and homemade root beer that Lisa Mutchler so wonderfully supplied, we all made a quick beeline to

the Smokehouse Barbeque & Brew Restaurant next door as they were to close at 7; but stayed open till 8:30 for us.

I have been told that our group is akin to a horde of hungry and thirsty locust that descend onto

Page 31 towns and hotels… drink all their alcohol and eat all their food and dessert… and then vanish come the next morning.

Obviously, the Smokehouse had heard of us and kept the lights on and cash register operating.

As we had said, weather-wise we did well this time around - but we knew that some serious weather was coming in fast from the west. Remarkably, and in total un-Backroads fashion, it ran about ten miles to the north and never really hit us.

Still, with the hotel’s wide view to the north, the long, powerful and showy lightning storm made for an unprecedented high-voltage spectacle.

Amazing in every way and an electrifying way to end the 21st Backroads Spring Break Rally.

The warm temperatures from the previous day hung around this Monday as most had their own plans for getting back home.

Shira and I had a route planned that would bring us to the chocolatey town of Hershey and the Antique Automobile & Motor Vehicle History Museum – simply known as the AACA Museum.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS We had a few riders join us for this and we thought of it as a small bonus on the rally.

We have been there a number of times and each time ride away totally impressed. In addition to the usual exhibits this time around they had a retrospect on Harley-Davidson (running through October 2019), with an impressive display of the iconic American motorcycle, its history, and effect on American culture.

Very impressive.

Other exhibits like the Tuckers and buses stand out as well – but Shira’s favorite were the many ‘hood ornaments’ that they proudly displayed and for me, the section on American road maps totally had me.

If in the Hershey, PA region don’t just eat chocolate but make time to visit the AACA – it is well worth the effort!

Our trek north and east continued and, as if to simply prove a point, a strong squall collided with us as we crossed into New Jersey at the Delaware Water Gap – as if to say “Welcome to New Jersey – now Frack you!”

Wind, rain… was that hail greeting our ride home along the usually happy County Road 521.

Five minutes after rolling into the barn all was good in the world again and Spenser T. Cat was as happy as a cat can be when we were home.

Someone asked me if all these Backroads rallies, events and rides blend into each other to us? In some ways they do. But, when we look back at each and every one of these gatherings we are reminded of a different location, another story, a great exaggeration or right out fabrication. each rally and event has its own flair, vibe, and memory. But, the one single factor they all have are the riders who have joined us for all of these fêtes.

This time we had a number of new riders coming along for the first time. We especially hope they had a great time, met some new friends and, most importantly, got to explore the backroads of these great regions.

That is what this magazine is all about!

We’ve ‘squeezed’ in a few days to hold our semi-regular Summer Squeeze in West Dover, VT August 18-21. For those who prefer a dirty ride, Touratech DirtDAZe rally falls Aug. 15-18 just north in South Pomfret, VT and many will take the week to do both. Our Fall Fiesta is set for September 18-23, with many coming along beforehand to Virginia International Raceway for a stint with Reg Pridmore’s CLASS. We certainly hope you can join us for any or all of these gatherings. You can find more info on website: backroadsusa.com/rallies.html JUST ONE OF MANY ON THE FLOOR

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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Thanks for joining us and we’ll see you soon - on the road!

Top left clockwise: Rachel surprises Dave with a special friend • Scott questions his status • Of the tribe ‘Wherethefuckawe’ • The little friends that magically appear on the bikes • Share the road • Karen, Ken and Larry doing what we expect - HAVING FUN!

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

P RODUCT S POTLIGHTS Pirates Lair Stealth Backrest for BMW R1250GS Pirates Lair, in Asheville, NC, has been making specialty “stealth” backrests for almost two decades.

We just got word that their latest offering for the 2018+ BMW R1250GS is now available. Like all their other backrests… Yamaha FJR, Concours 1400, Kawasaki Versys, etc.., the GS kit is a simple bolt-on affair taking under 10 minutes to install with standard tools. Their furnished aluminum bracket bolts directly to the top of the OeM rack.

The cover material for the backrest section is a near exact match for the OeM seat so the kit will look factory. Once the “stealth” bracket is installed, the backrest section slides on or off the bike in seconds. Pirates Lair backs their products with a full 3-year warranty. Order yours at 828-628-7093 (eST) or www.PiratesLair.net

Nelson-Rigg Commuter Touring Motorcycle Tail/Seat Bag Looking for an easy to use bag for day-to-day riding to work, school or just around town? Take a look at the Nelson-Rigg Commuter Touring Motorcycle Tail/Seat Bag. Created with a new industry leading UltraMax fabric for maximum UV protection it has a molded eVA lid with Fibertech “carbon-like” accents and it easily mounts and releases with quick release buckles and mounts to most tail sections and seats. Inside the bag that measures 14”L x 12”W x 9”H Standard and 14”L x 12”W x 12”H expanded, it utilizes self-fastening straps to keep everything in its place. If needed, the bag can expand large enough to hold a full-face helmet.

That’s pretty big for such a stylish tail bag.

A good-looking addition to any bike, it features reflective piping and a lined interior with lockable reverse coil zippers and hi-density rubber zipper pulls. The bag comes with 100% waterproof rain cover and adjustable shoulder strap for use off your bike. The Nelson-Rigg Commuter Touring Motorcycle Tail/Seat Bag comes with a lifetime warranty and sells for $129.99. See your Nelson-Rigg dealer or log onto their website at www.nelsonrigg.com.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

FORCEFIELD BODY ARMOR SPORT SUIT • TAKING BASE LAYER TO ANOTHER LEVEL Many riders these days use a base layer undergarment while riding. For the most part, they are cool when hot, warmer when cool and make putting on and taking off leathers and riding suits that much easier.

The Forcefield Body Armor Sport Suit takes the base layer concept to another level. This one piece ‘sport’ base layer armored under-suit has nine pockets for shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and back armor. It’s ideal for use under leather as a racers/track garment, for Sport-touring and adventure riders.

The suit is supremely comfortable and breathable, it incorporates compression fit technology and is equipped with a Ce2 ‘Freefit’ back insert. As with Forcefield’s other armored clothing, the wearer can choose whether it’s fitted with Isolator Ce1 or Ce2 limb armor. This gives greater flexibility in terms of price, and armor characteristics. For example, a rider who rides predominantly off-road in hot conditions may well choose the Ce1 limb armor as it’s thinner and lighter and offers greater breathability. For track or race use, Ce2 is the preferred option.

The fabric used is a high performance, breathable base layer, specifically designed for use under regular motorcycle clothing, whether it’s casual, textile or leather. The Sport Suit is suitable for many types of motorcycle riders, from professional racers, to track day enthusiasts to adventure tour and travel riders who will find the Sport Suit to be just as usable and practical.

It will also make you look like a super-hero or at least a member of Starfleet. The Forcefield Body Armor Sport Suit sells for around $299 ordered from your local dealer, and more information can be found at www.motonation.com.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

P RODUCT S POTLIGHTS NOLAN N70-2 X • FIRST ADVENTURE STYLE OFF-ROAD CROSSOVER HELMET ON THE MARKET With this NeW Adventure Style Off-Road crossover helmet, Nolangroup has used their years of experience, innovation, and commitment to high quality, and developed a helmet that can go play in the dirt.

The N70-2 X has six possible configurations which you can personalize through the addition or removal of the protective chin bar, face shield and adjustable peak, all of which are included. With the chin bar and face shield installed, the rider can expect the same benefits of a full-face helmet. With just the peak and chin bar installed, utilizing the Airbooster Airflow System, the helmet flows a great amount of air while still providing the same protection of a full-face helmet, and allows the use of your own goggles or glasses. With the chin bar, face shield and peak removed it becomes a true three-quarter open face helmet. This gives the rider a great range of flexibility. On bright days the helmet has a VPS Inner Sunscreen – adjustable in various positions, UV400, Scratch Resistant, Fog Resistant treated Lexan, with automatic quick retraction. The N702X offers a great deal of vision with its wide faceshield and features a newly designed Inner Comfort Padding, including removable neck-roll making it one of the most comfortable helmets out there.

The DOT-approved helmet also accepts B901R, B901L, B601R, and MCS communication systems, or eSS (emergency Stop Signal).

Available now from Nolan or Nolan dealers and lists for $349.95. • www.nolan-usa.com

SPOT X • TWO-WAY SATELLITE MESSAGING DEVICE SPOT X offers two-way message capabilities with an onboard backlit keyboard, GPS location tracking, social media linking and direct communication with emergency services in one portable, lightweight device.

With SPOT X, users can better communicate during their adventures with 2-way satellite messaging to keep in touch with family and friends, or if necessary, emergency personnel. Lone workers can check-in and provide detailed status of their situation when working in the wilderness or at remote jobsites. SPOT X provides users with a unique, personal mobile number that allows either party to initiate conversations at any time.

SPOT X is ruggedized, lightweight and easy-to-use with an illuminated QWeRTY key board, 2.7” backlit display, U.S. mobile number, rechargeable Lithium battery and dust and waterproof rated hardware.

Two-Way Satellite Messaging: Send and receive messages and short emails with family, friends or colleagues beyond cellular.

S.O.S.: emergency notification and direct 2-way message communication with 24/7 Search and Rescue services through the GeOS International emergency Response Coordination Center in the event of a life-threatening emergency.

SPOT X will be available online and at outdoor retailers. The device will cost $249.99 with several annual service plans available, beginning at $19.99 per month. More pricing and coverage details are available at FindMeSPOT.com/SPOTX.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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BIKE NIGHT RETURNS TO NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY • THURSDAY NIGHTS AT JUMBOLAND, BRANCHVILLE, NJ For years, on a nice summer night, we would hear motorcycles passing down the winding road that runs past Backroads Central – almost all were headed to the same place – The Chatterbox, in Augusta, New Jersey.

Sadly that all ended last Labor Day weekend when the owner sold the property to Wawa, which proceeded to do absolutely nothing with it, as yet another Quick Check slid in across the road - between the selling of the Chatterbox and building of the new Wawa. Corporate Wawa, from Media, Pennsylvania, put the brakes on their plans and now the old drive-in sits abandon – ready to appear in the pages of Weird NJ in about 25 years.

We had been to Jumboland many times over the years and, with its laid-back and country feel, it seemed like it might be the perfect place to see a reborn Bike Night in this part of the Garden State.

At one of the last Chatterbox Nights, Shell and Pam were passing out flyers, Andy, a friend for many years, pushed it constantly, but for us it was just not in the cards until this June when we took the short ride north, on two of Honda’s most powerful machines – the Monkey Bike and Super Cub. If anything I knew these bikes would draw some smiles and conversation, and they did.

The first thing that came across was that Jumboland had a far more laid-back, real motorcycle feeling, flair, and flavor. At the Chatterbox, it could get frenetic and a bit much; with lots of people who happen to just own a bike and brought them out on a nice night just to be seen.

Here at Jumboland, it felt more genuine, with real riders who would rather be riding than just about anything else, and who brought what

Riders from the region, who relished the Sussex County Bike Night, were left with zilch to do on a local level.

But some riders would not have it that way. enter Shell & Pam Huber who, with help from local riders Andrew McCurry, Tom Clark and others, looked up the road (Route 206 in this case) for another location to hold the weekly gathering of the two-wheeled clans.

It was an easy pick for them as Tommy & Soula Micos, the owners of Jumboland, a well know family restaurant with a drive-through ice cream window (love it!), just north of Branchville, stepped up and were happy to welcome bikes on Thursday and Classic Cars on Saturday nights.

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cylinder racing bikes. We liked it and so did the judge for the night, who awarded the owner with a very nice trophy.

There were a few other machines that stood out – one being an old Kawasaki KZ650. Boy, I remember this bike. Better yet, it was a young guy piloting this classic this night. What’s not to like?

Two laps around Jumboland and it was time for ice cream – they have a great selection of Welsh’s hard and soft and Shira was blown away by the blueberry, and we know she takes her ice cream a bit more seriously than normal girls. Taking a seat on an old wooden picnic table, as far from the music as I could get, with two guys who rode down from Milford, PA, we immediately fell into the conversation on how much different, friendlier and, well, better this Bike Night was.

We agreed.

The bikes were different, the people all friendly, smiling and attitude free as could be.

Shira and I both agreed Jumboland’s Thursday Night Bike Night, which will continue each week, weather permitting, through the remainder of the riding season is the perfect way to spend a Thursday evening. easy crowds, good food, great moto-atmosphere.

Please don’t come and ruin the mojo. (Kidding – come on up – we know you will like it)

Jumboland Drive-Thru 438 Route 206 North, Branchville, NJ • (973) 948-6802

Route 739 • Dingmans Ferry, PA • 570.828.1920

they had, or felt like riding that night. And, the bikes were as eclectic as the crowd. Older guys with high-mileage bikes that actually get ridden, a few younger guys, some with bikes I cut my teeth on four decades ago and a good mix of old and new – sport, custom, cruisers, ADV and more.

This wasn’t an old boys club either, as some gals had some neat machines as well.

The crowd, not nearly as big as the old Bike Night, seemed happy just the way it was.

We’re talking quality, not quantity here.

A DJ had music going (always too loud I think), and a large BBQ was fired up outside as well, and dozens of riders were scattered about on some classic wooden picnic tables spread out on the small field alongside the restaurant…

It all felt very old-style country’ish northwest New Jersey to us; something that, sadly, seems to be fading away a bit more each year.

Indoors there was the restaurant itself, with dozens of comfortable tables and booths, plenty of attentive staff and a killer menu that featured all the American staples.

We have been here before and it is always good!

We ate dinner quickly and took some time strolling the bikes, picking out our favorites, one of which was an old Honda GB500 Tourist Trophy.

The bike was a Honda oddity - basically, they stole their own Honda XL600 engine and built a bike that looked like it just came off the Isle of Man. The four-valve single cylinder engine featured a radial four-valve combustion chamber, along with a tubular frame, wirespoked wheels with alloy rims, clip-on handlebars, solo seat, seat hump, and pin-striped fuel tank. The styling resembled TT single-

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

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Honda Monkey Bike and Super Cub • Does Size Matter?

Not when it comes to 2-wheel fun, it doesn’t.

For the last few weeks we have parked the larger adventuretouring and sport machines and have been tooling around the backroads of the region on two bikes that may have been born on a Throwback Thursday at Honda in Japan.

The Honda Monkey and the Super Cub. Since Honda’s Grom was introduced back in 2013, the little 125cc machine has defied the conventional odds and sold a whopping 40,000 units. That is a big number for such a small machine.

The Grom is a blast and when we heard Honda was going to go retro with a new Monkey Bike and a new version of the venerable Super Cub, we could not wait to get our paws on them.

The boys at MWAG insist that we talk Monkey first.

We don’t argue with them – ever!

The Monkey The history of the Monkey Bike is unique in the moto world, as they were first created simply to be a kid’s ride at amusement parks in Japan, attached to a carousel, even if they had real engines borrowed from the original Super Cub. The Monkey rides were a huge success and the call for a real version could not be ignored so in 1968 Honda created the Z50A, a tiny trail bike that was never meant for the street.

How many of us rode these bikes back in the day? From the number of guys my age that have stopped to talk to me about the Monkey wherever it’s ridden – plenty!

For 2019 the Monkey is a bit more powerful and street-legal… to a point.

The Monkey has plenty of nice touches including twin shocks, a 1.5-gallon, a sweet and well-painted metal fuel tank complete with the old-school Honda Wing badge.

Are those chrome steel fenders? You betcha!

The tiny bike weighs around 235 pounds, and has a 30.6-inch seat height – but it seems much lower than that.

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Being the year 2019 the bike even has available ABS (front wheel only).

The Monkey is powered by a 125cc, single-overhead-cam, twovalve, air-cooled engine, with a four-speed transmission. Some other modern touches include an electric starter, disc brakes at both wheels, eFI, LeD lighting, and an LCD gauge that features a speedometer, odometer, fuel level, and two tripmeters - in case you want to go on a real adventure.

You can capture your own Monkey for $3,999 or $4,199 for the ABS version. In our mind, a bit pricey, but these bikes are one of two things. An attractive and well-appointed bike for the beginner rider or a toy for experienced riders looking for fun in and around town or the pits at the track.

Super Cub When the Super Cub was rolled into the barn at Backroads Central the radio came across with Jimmy Buffett’s “We are the People” (your parents warned you about).

Well, that couldn’t be right, ‘cause I was about to meet the nicest people, right?

A few months back I had mentioned that the single best thing that ever happened to motorcycle sales in the United States was in the early ‘60s with Honda’s brilliant advertisements for the original Super Cub that said: “You meet the nicest people on a Honda!”

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS Johnny and Chino better ride out of Wrightsville – Biff and Buffy are rolling into town… and they are so nice. Wow! And, they were welcome – everywhere. Since its introduction in 1958 Honda sold, are you ready….?

One hundred million of these step-through motorcycles!

And, in doing that, made motorcycles popular, accepted and fun for the non-riding, non-motorcycle infatuated Muggles of the world.

Decades after the last original Super Cub rolled off the factory floor, as the Passport in 1983, Honda has brought back a new one, with all the modern bells and whistles you would expect from Big Red. Where the Monkey Bike brought out a pre-pubescent little boy in me, the Super Cub brought out the Audrey Hepburn in Shira.

I was waiting for her to come out with a sundress, sunglasses and scarf. (Kevlar of course) The new Super Cub is a dead ringer for the classic. From the twotone paint job, that is superb, to the wind guards and badging it softly asks… take me on a Roman Holiday?

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 The bike, that lists for $3,600, shares the same engine as the Grom and Monkey, the main difference being the transmission is a fourspeed semi-automatic that all goes up, with a heel /toe shifter added for good measure.

Where the Monkey rides on small 12-inch wheels and tires, the Super Cub has larger 17-inch wheels, although they are bicycle race skinny.

Still, it offers a more planted feel at that rip-roaring 45 miles per hour.

Braking is handled by a 220mm front disc, single-piston caliper, and front-only ABS, as well as a drum brake on the rear.

The Super Cub has a one-gallon fuel tank, found under the seat, opened by a very modern (stole off the Gold Wing) button.

The Super Cub has a keyless operating system and an alarm. Sorry to say – this distracts from the bike, as we had to think it through each time we got back on the bike. The Monkey Bike is a Monkey Bike – put the key in and turn. The Super Cub, maybe a bit too sophisticated for its own good. Like Shira dressed as Audrey Hepburn.

(Not that we are complaining) So, what were they really like? Well, let us tell you the truth.

We have had many different machines, but none – NONe - that have drawn more instant attention than the Monkey and Audrey …I mean the Super Cub.

At breakfast, at the gym, at the bank or anywhere we went around town, we found people stopping and looking. I was riding the Monkey through our town when I passed a couple of squad cars, one of which immediately pulled out and shadowed me through town. I am sure he was wondering, well – WTF? Big guy. Little bike. California plates. I was actually hoping for the lights to come on just for the photo op.

But, how do they ride, you ask?

Really well. As long as you know their limitations. Smaller county roads and town street aokay. Bigger roads or the highway? You are taking a foolish risk and asking to get run over.

But, let’s take it back to our private track – which was anytime there was no traffic on the smaller county roads around the office. We had numerous ‘roll-on’ and ‘from a stop’ drag races.

Yes, you can drag race a 125cc. Both bikes are more or less equal, with Shira beating me soundly every time, her 70-pound weight ad-

Page 41 vantage coming into play. The best top speed we reached on either bike was 59 mph.

So, what do we think?

Both the Honda Monkey Bike and Super Cub, like the Grom, are pure fun!!! (three exclamation points called for) The Monkey Bike, for me is just pure fun, although my inner 12-year old almost tore off the exhaust climbing over a log in the small trail we have out back (Honda please add a bash plate). every time we took them out, I could hear Shira giggling in her helmet.

We dare you to take any of these little bikes out for a ride and not come back smiling. They are excellent for those just getting into motorcycling and a great nostalgic ride for those who cut their teeth on the original versions of these machines back in a more innocent age.

Good for Honda to take a serious look back at their history and then to put their engineering and marketing wherewithal into starting a future of riding for so many newcomers and for reminding so many of us how much fun and how wonderfully simple motorcycles can really be. Let’s go meet some nice people.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

MotoPOCKETS • SOME NEW STUFF TO HOLD YOUR OLD STUFF

A number of years ago we met a vendor named Bob Allen who was happy to show us his handy zippered bags that worked perfectly inside our top case to hold all the smaller things that tend to move around in a lot in a top case while riding. We have used them ever since.

We ran into Bob at a rally this June and, always looking to show us his new product, brought out three newer bags that were just as useful as the MotoPockets we have been using for all these years.

MotoPOCKET Handlebar Bag The first was a Handlebar Bag. The water-resistant bag velcros onto the handlebars and easily opens and closes with a water-proof zipper with double pulls. It is made of 600 denier nylon with a silicon lining and attached quickly to Shira’s V-Strom, where she now carries many of the things that would get lost or misplaced in her tank bag.

The bag is available in 11 and 14.5 inch models, depending on your needs, and sell for $62.95 and $69.95 respectively.

MotoPOCKET Tail Bag This tapered bag was created especially for the BMW GS machines and easily attaches with one strap to sit under the tail and above the brake light.

Once attached you can stash all sorts of things in here as very few people will notice it.

It is great for things that you hope you don’t need – like your Stop & Go Tire repair Kit or portable lithium battery charger.

It slides right on the stock bracket in seconds. In my case, riding with a Givi Top Case, I had to make a minor addition, but once done the bag disappeared under the seat and I have to remember it is there.

The Tail Bag is made of 600 Denier nylon with PVC backing, and has a nylon lining and is padded for extra protection. The waterproof zipper has a protective flap for extra water and dust protection.

The Tail Bag lists for just $39.95 and every BMW GS rider should have one of these.

MotoPOCKET Tour Pack Rack Luggage Need to carry just a bit more gear, or sometimes do you need just a scooch more space? The MotoPOCKET Tour Pack Rack Luggage bags are the answer.

This semi-rigid, fully padded bags attach to existing racks – like those on my GS Jesse Bags or on a TourPack rack. They are made with the same materials, use water-proof zippers, that can be locked with a small padlock, and are designed to be very water and dust resistant.

The bag is expandable from 15 to 26.5 liters and the interior is lined with a bright red nylon which makes finding items easier, and there are 4 interior pockets for small items. The bags have a handle at each end to make them easy to carry off the bike, as well as an attachable shoulder strap. In addition, the top has a bungee cord that is great for securing a jacket in hurry, or rain gear after a quick shower. Two D rings found at each end add even more tie down options. The bag lists for $149.95.

To see these bags and MotoPOCKET’s other fine products log onto their website @ adventurepockets.com.

For over 40 years Circle Cycle has helped riders get and stay on the road Our variety of powersports products is second to none.

In northern New Jersey there isn’t a friendlier or more knowledgeable staff than ours. We’re happy to help you find the parts you’ve been looking for.

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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019

Page 43

Rated Triple AAA • Adirondacks, Americade, Acceleration Thirty years is a long time… and a lot can change over three decades – especially when it involves one of the oldest and largest motorcycle touring rallies on the planet.

Shira and I came up to our first Americade Rally in Lake George in early June, being married just a few weeks before. Two-up on a white Kawasaki 600 Ninja we were perfectly cast as two young lovers looking for something new, cool and just a bit different than a jet flight to Jamaica. (Although we did make a promise to reach Key West that year too) Poorly geared, saddlebags picked up from our friends at Circle Cycle and just a bit wet, we rolled into the mountain town expecting one thing and discovering something entirely different.

Here was a town, a region, hell the largest state park in New York, holding a gathering of thousands of riders of all shapes and sizes. even though we didn’t know we had ever left, we had come home.

The first year was a learning experience but the following years more and more friends joined us to this annual trek to the New York Mountains – the oldest on the planet by the way - and soon Americade was not just an event, but a tradition, a joy and something we

really looked forward to each Spring.

As was our way, we began to discover and seek out roads which were new to us, places to eat, inns to stay and the fun and camaraderie seemed to build with more horsepower each year.

But here we were - some 11,000 days later and things are different; some for worse and some for the better.

I like to take the bull by the horns so let’s get the bad stuff out of the way.

The industry has been in a tailspin since 2008, but has begun a slow U-turn over the last season or so. Changes in the way business is now done, with the advent of the internet, has helped some businesses, created others, but has almost crushed some.

One of the best things about Americade of old was the varied, interesting and excellent vendors you would find at the Tourexpo. Although there are still some interesting products to be searched out there, many of the industry manufacturers and innovators could not be found this year.

With the BMW MOA Rally a thousand miles to the southwest the following week, some vendors had to choose between the rallies and that didn’t help.

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AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

MOTORCYCLE TRAILER RENTALS & SALES

BARN TRAILER RENTALS 718-426-7039 • www.BarnTruckRental.com OPEN & ENCLOSED TRAILERS FLATBED TRAILERS • CAR HAULERS HITCH INSTALLATIONS

5705 Broadway • Woodside NY 11377 (OFF THE BQE & LIE)

We hope this doesn’t happen again, as the Tourexpo has always been a favorite of mine. Americade, and the Tourexpo especially, was once the greatest place to shop, browse and find the best new products – it may be time to woo these businesses and vendors back and “Make Americade Great Again!”

Americade-peeps – feel free to steal that!

On the much larger positive side, other than a late evening blast of rain, Americade’s weather was spectacular and riding awesome as usual.

Come Ride the Dragon Deals Gap 318 Curves in 11 Miles

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

Deals Gap Store Motel Bar and Grill

We love the Adirondacks and, once away from Lake George and the crowds that were exponentially growing as the week ran towards the weekend and the weather was so frightfully super, we had hundreds of miles from which to choose, and we chose a lot.

Wide-open roads allowed for some great and fun riding and just a bit of controlled and happy acceleration at times.

On Thursday Shira joined Moto-instructor extraordinaire Diane Ortiz, Kim van der Sleesen, co-owner of Vanson Leathers, and some other ladies for a 7 am coffee gathering. Unlike many other gatherings of this type, this year had some interesting comments and observations on women and riding and how the industry is providing more and more as far as gear and machines that would work for women riders today. It was a great way to start the morning.

We wish they would have Fred Rau’s coffee club more than just once during the week. I would be there each day!

The demo rides were full all week long with ten manufacturers bringing

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 their wares for folks to test. The stunt shows, motorcycle riding demonstrations and Teach McNeil’s amazing performance were spectacular.

The Americade University was available for those wanting to listen to a variety of topics including Lee Parks’ Art of Total Control, Rob Belassai’s Being more Visible on the Road, Ken Aiken’s Gourmet Cooking on the Road and Bill Dutcher’s 60 Years Behind Bars, just to name a very few. One especially excellent seminar was given by Ken Condon on Busting the Top Motorcycling Myths. There was also

the Knights of the Round Table on Thursday that saw a few industry-types answering questions about riding, the industry and anything that came to Fred’s mind.

They had a number of guided and self-guided tours – one to the Starship enterprise original set that has been recreated north of Lake George in the town of Ticonderoga.

Friday night saw an excellent fireworks show over the lake and Saturday there was a Ride for Kids to join in on. Hey, help children with the most horrible of cancers and enjoy some ice cream

Page 45 courtesy of Ben & Jerry’s – not too shabby.

For us, Americade has always been about getting together with friends and running into many of our readers and we did everywhere we went.

This year’s Americade had so much to offer and as the industry continues its rebound we are sure that the Tourexpo will as well.

The people are there, the machines are there, the roads of the Adirondacks are waiting. We give it a Triple AAA Rating and we hope to see you next June!

Page 46

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

The Law Office of Paul G. Gargiulo Presents

Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival I’LL WAIT. I PROMISE. Group riding can be a double edge sword.

On the one side it is a lot fun to ride with friends and share the experience of exploring and enjoying a great ride on a wonderful day.

On the other side with every bike added you throw in more and more variables into the group mix.

Different riding styles, and skill levels come into play.

Fuels stops, that should have taken a few minutes, now seem to stretch on and on – worse if you have heavy smokers that must (and I do mean MUST) light up every time a side stand comes down. They can’t help it. Smoking is a horrible addiction and is a bitch to stop.

I get that. But, I don’t have to like it.

On larger group rides it helps to have a pre-ride meeting just to explain where you’re going, the roads you will be on and it is a good idea to have a designated Lead Rider up front who knows the route and a designated Tail Gunner to follow behind. (I like to buy the Tail Gunner lunch, as they might be giving up some of the pleasures of the day to keep the group an actual group) With riding styles, especially with new riders or riders who you have not ridden with before, there should be a vetting process. Just because a rider shows up for the ride, does not mean they will be riding at the same pace to which your group is accustomed. They might be comfortable at a far more sedate pace or they might be Marc Marquez-like and like to bomb the backroads at a far greater speed than your group is comfortable with.

So vetting might be needed.

I have found that it usually takes one daytrip to find out where a rider is with skill, attitude and comfort.

If a new rider is on the more staid-side let them ride near the back, but in front of your Tail Gunner.

If the latest rider is obviously skilled and seasoned just ask him or her to show a bit of restraint and let the leader lead as following should be fun and not a competition.

If this new rider feels the need to prove themselves with questionable passes, speed or hooliganism we usually give them an easy few words, asking them for a bit of self-control and discipline. If it continues, again and again, maybe the rider is simply incapable of riding in a safe and mature manner – I know of such people. Well, hand them their walking papers and let them ride off into the sunset to find another group with which to hooliganize.

There is certainly a big difference between ardent and enthusiastic sport riding and foolishness, thoughtlessness and stupidity.

For me I love baseball – so I will give three strikes and your out.

On the open road riding can be easy, but it has been my experience that towns and cities are where the most trouble can occur. Red lights and traffic can separate the group and this is made worse if the rider in the lead knows the real route and those following behind only have

a clue to the destination or if the town is new everyone – which happens quite often on Backroads rallies or other semi-organized tours.

The golden rule for group riding is this…

You are responsible, not only to yourself and passenger, but the rider immediately behind you.

Make it a habit to glance in the mirror frequently to assure yourself that he or she is still behind you. They, in turn, will be keeping an eye on the rider behind them. If they disappear for too long, something just might be amiss.

In smaller towns stay on course until you are on the other side and then wait. If the group makes a turn, slow down and wait until you can see the rider behind you approaching and you know they see you. A wave or flash of the high beams from the following rider helps in communication here.

Group riding should be fun and keeping some semi-basic rules in play help make it so.

With me? Never worry. I’ll Wait. I Promise.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2019 INDUSTRY INFOBITES Continued from Page 11 Freedom” on Sunday, May 26 that Rolling Thunder was not going to end after all: “The Great Patriots of Rolling Thunder WILL be coming back to Washington, D.C. next year, & hopefully for many years to come,” he wrote. “It is where they want to be, & where they should be.”

In addition, “Wreaths Across America” has since announced a donation of $200,000 to Rolling Thunder to help cover costs and keep the ride going, with executive director Karen Worcester telling Muller on that Monday’s “Fox & Friends” that “Remembering is too important to forget.”

Muller said during the Fox News show that he looks forward to meeting with the president about continuing the ride, but he also said that instead of holding one giant demonstration the group is planning to take the event nationwide next year and hold rides regionally throughout the country with its 90 local chapters.

But one thing could surely bring the hordes of patriotic bikers back to D.C. in protest, said the 74-year old Vietnam Veteran during his speech on the National Mall at this year’s Rolling Thunder; if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moves to impeach President Donald Trump.

RED LIGHT CAMERAS BANNED IN TEXAS Drivers in Texas are about to be seeing less red, as Governor Greg Abbott (R) has announced that he has signed legislation that bans red light cameras across the Lone Star State. House Bill 1361, authored by Representative Jonathan Stickland (R-Fort Worth), would prohibit the use of “photographic traffic signal enforcement systems.”

Stickland told FOX7 the bill was motivated by “a lot of reason,” including privacy concerns and the right to due process.

The new law included a grandfather clause for cities involved in red light camera contracts that have yet to end, except if the contract includes a provision allowing for state law to break it. ever since becoming legal in 2007, Texas lawmakers have made attempts to turn the cameras off that were unsuccessful until now, according to the Star-Telegram. Red light cameras have come under

Page 47 fire elsewhere recently, with at least 7 other states trying to ban them.

MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL WARNS TARIFFS COULD DEVASTATE INDUSTRY

THAT

Industry leaders are encouraging activism ahead of new import taxes, and the Motorcycle Industry Council is asking riders to help stop a new round of tariffs on Chinese products. The sanctions will directly affect equipment and apparel that riders depend on, as well as motorcycle parts and accessories and bikes built in China. “The proposed additional 25% duty on Chinese goods lumps gear like boots and gloves in with common replacement parts, like lithium-ion batteries, and curiosities, like live manatees and blue-veined cheeses,” says the industry trade group. Perhaps more devastating to a business already working with tight margins is a catchall — number 8714.10.00 on the list — that includes all “Pts. & access. for motorcycles (including mopeds).”

The MIC makes the case that, in today’s motorcycling economy, even the most ardent purchasers of American apparel and machines are going to feel a pinch to the wallet.

“The proposed China List 4 includes essentially everything that is not currently subject to an additional 25% tariff on Lists 1-3,” MIC Senior Vice President Scott Schloegel says. “Tariffs are taxes paid by companies and consumers in America and it is critical that you make your voice heard now.”

Page 48

AUGUST 2019 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR

What’s Happening

EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTING

details, registration and information • www.womenssportbikerally.com/east-rally-2019

every Tuesday • Two Wheeled Tuesday at Spiegel Restaurant • 26 1st Avenue, NYC. An eclectic gathering of motorcycles served with multi-cuisine meals. Kick some tires, have some couscous, enjoy the crowd • www.spiegelnyc.com • 212-228-2894 every Thursday • Bike Night at JumboLand, Route 206, Branchville, NJ

8 • 20th Anniversary Andiamo Run. Sign-in: 8-10am • KSU 10:20am sharp. Start/end: Andiamo Restaurant,23 Hardenburgh Ave, Haworth, NJ. Fully police-escorted 50-60 mile run through northeast NJ and southeast NY. After party at restaurant included food, live band and exhibition of police motorcycle skills. Info: 201-384-1551 • info@andiamorun.com

every Thursday • Bike Night at Skylands Beer/Wine Garden. 447 Rte. 284, Wantage, NJ • 973-875-9463 • SkylandsBeerandWine.com

9-12 • Rolling Thru America Virginia. Limited to 100 guests • 518-798-7888 • Sign up at www.rollingthruamerica.com

every Saturday thru October • Bergen County H-D Saddle Up Saturday. 9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs 10am. Returns to dealership for free music and food. Proper attire MUST be worn! BCHD, 124 essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930

25-28 • Rolling Thru America Maine. Limited to 100 guests • 518-798-7888 • Sign up at www.rollingthruamerica.com

AUGUST 2019 4 • Ride for Kids Hudson Valley. Sign-in: Motorcycepedia Museum, 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY. Online Registration: $40/Day of event: $45. Help stop the deadliest disease facing our country’s children and you could win a new Honda motorcycle. For full details: rideforkids.org/hudsonvalley 11 • 6th Annual Rockaway Twp. UNICO Charity Motorcycle Run for the Kids to benefit St. Peter’s Orphanage, Denville, NJ. Sign in: Peterson Firld, Fleetwood Dr, Rockaway, NJ 8:30; KSU 10am • $25/rider-$15/pass. 60 mile escorted run thru scenic northwest NJ to Buffalo Wild Wings, Rockaway Mall. Incl. breakfast, kickstand plate, lunch, music, rale prizes and more • www.rtunico.org • 973-975-5554 11 • NJ Ride for the Cure - Prostate Cancer Moto-Fundraiser. endsite: Cross Country Motorsports, Route 27, Metuchen, NJ • Sponsored by NJ Shore BMW Riders, Skylands BMW Riders, BMW Club ot North Jersey and New Sweden BMW Riders. The event is a DIY Scaventer Hunt which will visit various historic NJ sites with documentation on your cell phone from Aug. 1-11. For more information and to register for the event visit NJrideforthecure.org 7-12 • DIRTY for GOOD Women’s Dual Sport Rider/Training Camp, Rocky Gap SP, Flintstone, MD • full details: womensmotorcyclistfoundation.org/events 15-18 • Touratech DirtDaze Rally, Suicide Six, Pomfret, VT. This will be THE ADV rally of the east Coast. Watch for details on their website: www.DirtDazeRally.com 18 • Caffeine and Gasoline at Hudson Valley Motorcycles, 179 N. Highland Ave/Rte 9, Ossining, NY • HVMotorcycles.com • 914-762-2772 18-21 • Backroads 10th Summer Squeeze, West Dover, VT. We’ll be hosted by the Gray Ghost, Kitzhof and Black Bears Inns for 3 days of riding, schmoozing and fun. Group dinner Monday night at the Gray Ghost (Must be pre-booked) Call today for your room reservation and we’ll see you there. Watch our Facebook page for updates.

24 • Ride to Give to benefit Deerfield Valley Food Pantry. Sign in: 9am • Party: 1pm.

Two Rides: ADV - dirt roads - and street. ALL ARe WeLCOMe. Live music, raffles, games, vendors. Find Us on Facebook for event details or online @ valleyviewsaloon.com. Valley View Saloon, 131 Route 100, West Dover, VT.

SEPTEMBER 2019 6-8 • BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont host 2019 Green Mountain Rally, Camp Thorpe, Goshen, VT. Registration incl. 4 home-cooked meals, self-guided tours, Gap and GS rides, live bluegrass music, door prizes and awards, camping with hot showers, and bonfire Sat. night. Full details: bmwmov.wildapricot.org 6-8 • Women's Sportbike Rally east presented by Yamaha - Deals Gap, North Carolina.

Lodging: Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge and Resort, Stecoah, NC. Visit their website for

22 • Forever Friends Charity Bike Run in loving memory of Mark Khoury and Jeremy Ramirez. Skylands Stadium, 94 Championship Dr, Augusta, NJ. Scenic Ride: 12:302pm. Full day event for all riders and non-riders: 10am-6pm. $25 donation/pp incl. food, vendors, live music and more. Info: www.foreverfriendsmotorcycleawareness.org.

16-17 • CLASS at VIR, Alton, VA. For more details and to register, visit www.CLASSRIDES.com or call 805-933-9936. You must also book your lodging at VIR: 434-8227700 ext. 101 18-23 • Backroads Fall Fiesta. See next page or full details can be found on our Rally website: backroadsusa.com/rallies.html 28 • American Flat Track Races at the Meadowlands Mile. Check for details on the website: www.americanflattrack.com

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Sept. 18 - 21 + Bonus Night Sept. 22

Yes, Virginia, There is a Backroads Fall Fiesta Rally It took us a while to get this one together but here it is - 4 days spent in Virginia with an extra stay thrown in at the end in Pennsylvania. It’s a mixture of lodging options with some great riding in between. All the booking details are below and we’ll fill in the blanks as we move closer.

Book EARLY so as not to be disappointed.

WED., SEPT. 18 COMFORT INN

THUR-FRI, SEPT. 19-20 BOLLING WILSON HOTEL

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21 BEST WESTERN

SUNDAY, SEPT. 22 FULTON STEAM BOAT

334 Caroline St, Orange, VA 540-672-3121 • $69 + tax

170 E. Main St, Wytheville, VA 276-223-2333 • $130+tax/night

109 Apple Tree Lane, Waynesboro, VA 540-942-1100 • $131+tax incl. b’fast

1 Hartman Bridge Rd, Ronks, PA 717-299-9999 • $100 + tax

Mention Backroads when calling

Book online • Mention Backroads if calling

Mention Backroads 1663 when calling

Mention Backroads to book Make your own way to Orange, VA to start your journey.

It’s a quaint little burg and the home of James Madison’s Montpelier. The Comfort Inn has an indoor pool and sets us up for great riding to our next two-night destination.

We’ll have a group bbq dinner at the hotel so once you’re parked you can relax and enjoy.

VERY LIMITED ROOM AVAILABILITY

Wytheville is a great base for us to explore the paved (and some not) roads in this part of Virginia.

There is something for everyone, from rolling country lanes to the technical twisty Claw of the Dragon.

After exploring, the Bolling Wilson Hotel makes a perfect spot to relax, with its rooftop terrace and very tasty restaurant downstairs.

For those joining us on Sunday, We’ll start heading north for our next we’ll make our way closer to home night’s stay. The beautiful roads through the George Washington with a stay outside of Lancaster, PA. and Jefferson National Forest along Perhaps a stop in Harpers Ferry the border of West Virginia make for a bit of history and lunch along for a pleasant day’s ride before the way. Or maybe a ride past parking in Waynesboro where we’ll Mt. Weather, one of Dr. O’Life’s find an indoor pool and some fine Mysterious stops. The Fulton Steam Virginia barbecue at the Boat makes a great last night on Fishin’ Pig right next door. our Fall Fiesta Rally.

DON’T MISS OUR SOIREE IN VIRGINIA • BOOK YOUR ROOMS TODAY!

If our block of rooms is full at the Bolling Wilson Hotel in Wytheville, there are alternate lodgings within two miles.