December 2024

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E 19 MONTHLY COLUMNS REE

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FREE WHEELIN’ Hanging witH andy On the far western reaches of Superior, the greatest of the Great Lakes, you will find the largest American city on a lake – Duluth.

With the Atlantic Ocean, some 2,300 miles away, this Minnesotan city is the world’s farthest inland port accessible by ocean-going ships on the planet, and products and cargo leaving here reach all parts of the world. But I know of one particular product that not only has reached the far corners of this world, but has done so in style, with ruggedness and tenacity, and more than a thousand smiles.

Just up the hill from the harbor on 18th Street is a three-story brick factory building that got its start as a candy factory. A century and a bit later it is the home to Aerostich – and the origins of the textile riding motorcycle suit.

These days you can go into any motorcycle shop around the world and

BRIAN RATHJEN you will find some sort of non-leather textile riding gear. But know that the origin of this easier and more comfortable style of riding wear got its start here on the western edge of Lake Superior.

Back in 1983 Andy Goldfine, a life-time Duluthian, was dismayed at the loss of textile jobs heading out of his city, state and country.

He was also a lifetime motorcycle rider who had an idea for a new type of riding gear. Something light-weight, a suit that would be easily worn and removed while wearing regular street clothes underneath – a riding suit that would offer comfort, style, and, most important, protection to the rider. With new advances being made in the textile industry, most notably Cordura and GORE-TEX, he created what is now called the Roadcrafter Classic. There had never been anything quite like the Roadcrafter, and as word spread around the close-knit group that is our riding community these suits began to be seen on the road more and more; and riders quickly learned the benefits of the Roadcrafter suit; its superior protection, ease of use, bright colors, waterproofness, and for us – the ability to look like a civilian off the bike.

I am one of the faithful and have been using Aerostich riding suits for decades now, and they are long-time supporters of Backroads – so I am admittedly a bit biased. But it is easy to shrug off my last statement – as I wholeheartedly believe in both my Roadcrafter Suit and my magazine.

Hey, you’re still reading.

I got a chance to visit Aerostich this past summer, sadly regretting that our own Mr. Happy did not make the trip with me; as all Mr. Happy Puppets had their birth (sorta) in this very building.

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

WHATCHATHINKIN’ tHe cat’s in tHe bag Backroads Motorcycle, Travel and Adventure – that pretty much says it all. We take our motorcycles on the backroads while we travel and find adventure. This particular year saw much of this, as we are always on the move to bring you, our wonderful readers, places to go and things to see. So, while Brian and I very much enjoy being on motorcycles, whether ours or test bikes, we have a certain other member of the team who takes great exception to our being away for long periods of time.

Spenser T. Cat, CFO of Backroads Inc., has been with the company for a baker’s dozen years. He has donated to our retirement plan with the occasional little rodent (usually alive), is covered under our health care, and provides endless entertainment at office parties while batting his toys back and forth. At this point, he is the sole CFO and relies on our dexterity to open his food, clean his ‘facilities’ and constantly open and close the door for him. So, while we are away, he is left to his own

SHIRA KAMIL devices and becomes more than a touch miffed.

V ery fortunately, Laura – our most excellent ‘replacement CFO servant’ – will tend to his needs and desires daily, but when we return, he lets us know that, while he does love Laura, she is not there 24 7 (particularly between 4-5am to open the first can of food for the day).

We have found that over the years Spenser has developed a very acute sense of when we are simply going out for a little ride or taking off for a longer periods.

I’m sure those of you who have pets are quite aware of this phenomenon as well. He, of course, knows that if we leave him outdoors when heading out it is safe to assume we will return shortly. If he sees any form of luggage, be it a bag liner or OGIO bag, he will immediately jump inside and try to secret himself into the most hidden corner, thinking that we can’t possibly see him as we are packing and, thus, will be taken with. We have tried hiding the luggage or simply packing while he is either sleeping or otherwise occupied. He must be somewhat psychic, as there is always that angry look which tells us he is displeased with our actions.

The ultimate resignation and act of defeat is taking up his position atop the back of the couch. This perch enables him to keep an eye on all entries into the house as well as any access to the driveway to know the SECOND we return. He takes on an air of indifference so we don’t see his impending disappointment.

Spenser will wander into the motorcycle barn, tail in air, to check on our doings, the presence of mice (or the random snake) and that we are not up to anything nefarious. His newest trick is jumping up on the saddle, usually my Honda or V-Strom, and rubbing his scent all over it. When Brian was on his Pan America trip, while I was out prepping my bike to go meet him in West Virginia, Spenser came in, jumped on the bike and proceeded to crawl into my tank bag. I’m pretty sure he would have snuck into the saddlebags had they been open.

It has crossed our minds to get him a furry companion, but in all honesty, there will never be another cat like Spenser. He found Brian at the perfect time in both their lives. His behavior is more dog than catlike, following us through the woods, taking on the role of my personal watcher and defender from bears, and enjoying, with that small bit of indifference, being around our friends.

Perhaps a bit selfishly, investing 10-15 years to a newcomer is not appealing, and Spenser would probably not want to share us with another anyway. It’s best to quit while ahead and go out with the best there’s been.

We’ll keep waking up at all hours to satisfy his hunger, keep the revolving door in motion and always check to make sure the cat is not in the bag. ,

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

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ON THE MARK racing among gentlemen The last few weeks of the MotoGP racing season, at both the intermediate (Moto2) and top (MotoGP) levels, has been exemplary. Far from the Jersey Shore on four wheels that is NASCAR, MotoGP provided thrilling races in a straightforward championship format between riders that are actually gentlemen. The crashes, and there have been quite a few, have mostly been the result of rider errors from pushing too hard rather than fratricidal bunting of fellow competitors and so far, there hasn’t been any post-race pugilism.

A fine example is last weekend’s race in Malaysia between the only two remaining championship contenders, defending two-time World Champion Francesco Bagnaia of Italy and the current points leader, Jorge Martin of Spain. Martin had a comfortable points lead and only had to finish the race somewhere near his rival to maintain it. If Bagnaia crashed in the main event, he’d relinquish the championship, but if he didn’t and beat Martin by a wide margin, he’d be right back in contention.

One would think that the situation, which favored Martin, would lead to the Spaniard taking a very conservative role since all he had to do was finish in Bagnaia’s vicinity to maintain that lead. On the other hand, Bagnaia had to be aggressive enough to beat Martin by as much margin as possible, but not so aggressive that he crashed out. The drama for the Sunday final was set when Bagnaia did just that - crash - while following Martin in Saturday’s sprint race, losing precious points.

On Sunday, the desperate but resolved Italian lined up on pole position thanks to a track-record-breaking qualifying session…but his Spanish

MARK BYERS shadow lined up in second. Rather than taking it easy, however, Martin challenged the start and nearly made contact with Bagnaia’s leg while braking for turn 1. There was no conservatism from the championship points leader he gave no quarter and expected none. It was clear that the pair were setting the table for what would be an epic battle; however, the race was redflagged for a second-turn, mid-pack crash.

After a long delay to tend to the concussion Jack Miller got from having his head hammered between the rear tire and the frame of Fabio Quartararo’s bike (!), the race was restarted with one less lap. Did the points situation or the prior-start’s second-turn melee temper Martin’s approach to the race? Oh hell no! Bagnaia got the jump on the start, but Martin stayed right on his wheel and during the next five laps, they treated the world to one of the most amazing displays of racing ever, going at it hammer and tong, but without any dirty dealing.

The lead changed hands four times on the opening lap alone, with 11 total lead changes in the first three laps. There were Continued on Page 9

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BACKLASH Dear Brian & Shira, Thanks do much for the piece about the Frank Frazetta museum in Backroads magazine! Who knew that one of my favorite artists EVER lived just about an hour from our house (well, if you don’t count the half-hour crawl on I-80 due to a stupid fender bender...at least we got to study the geology of the Delaware Water Gap in detail!)

That museum was so cool...when we first turned in at the address I thought “uh-oh, we’re in somebody’s driveway, again...”

Well we were, but then I saw the little hand-lettered “museum” sign and knew we were in the right place.

Our tour was conducted by Frank’s daughter in law and we got a thorough overview of his career, his family, and his interests. Good thing I didn’t bring the car, as there were lots of framed prints for sale and I would have LOVED one of those (or more) for our house.

From East Stroudsburg we took beautiful back roads to Blue Mountain to check out the fall foliage. Great day all around, thanks to your article about the Frazetta museum!

Stephanie & Tod Steph, Frank Frazetta was an American treasure – it is awesome his family carries on the legacy! We are so glad you went to visit.

Howdy!!

This is Jeff House. I met y’all in the hotel lobby in Birmingham the Monday morning after the vintage rally. Y’all really need to come ride in Arkansas. We have so much for motorcyclists to do. Bikes, Blues, BBQ rally.

Steel Horse rally in the spring in Fort Smith. Eureka Springs. Arkansas version of Golden Gate Bridge. Oark Cafe built in the 18 hundreds. Pig trail.

Arkansas version of the Dragon. Ferry still operated by the Arkansas department of transportation. Abandoned mining town. McClard’s bbq. (President

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Letters to the Editor Clinton’s favorite). Mount Magazine. Just to name a few rides. Plenty to do!! Safe travels.

We can’t thank you enough for helping us get the word out on APEX Racing and our work with wounded warriors. Unfortunately I missed you guys by a few minutes at NJ MotoAmerica. We are always looking for volunteers to help at these events whether it’s an extra set of hands or even a local EMT squad loaning us crutches and wheelchairs. Since we run some events as a normal track days, it turns out to be a fantastic time for everyone!

All the best and thank you again!

Michael James Spafford Jr. Brian, I want to thank you and Shira for something you don’t even know you did!

I just bought a 2018 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster from Locomotion Powersports, and when I was negotiating with Frank the sales manager, he asked what I did for a living. I told him I’m a motojournalist and he asked if I knew you two. I said of course, that I just saw you at NJMP, and that little discussion really set a nice tone, and he gave me a great deal. So, thank you!

Marjorie Kleiman Wow... well I am glad you got a great bike and Frank has been a friend for a LONG time. (Yee Gads!) Ride it like the wind, baby.

Brian, Thanks for the article about the KLR (TBR 10/26/24). I am on my third KLR, because I regretted selling the last one. These bikes are just a hoot to ride, and as you described it, a good utility vehicle.

About this time of year, I always check the YTD mileage of my bikes to see how close I will be to my annual mileage goals. To my surprise (or not) I discovered that I had ridden my 2023 KLR more than my two Moto Guzzis combined. More than twice. Then I checked back on my previous KLRs and

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

realized that every time I owned a KLR, I put more annual miles on it than the other motorcycles in the garage, including my V-Strom 650s!

Maybe you should do more articles on that KLR. There are plenty of us out here that like reading about KLR utility and travels.

Be well. See you on the highway.

D . B rent Miller Hi! Got the article yesterday!!! Thank you so much for featuring us - it looks great! We really appreciate the support.

Definitely have to try Dolato - hopefully we will bump into them somewhere.

If you are near us, definitely come say hello and get a treat on us!

H ope to see you soon A lison and Jeff • V ampire P engu in F roz en D esserts Brian, I want to say THANK YOU for the wonderful write-up!

It was so exciting to open the issue and see this beautiful two-page spread!

Very well written and the photography is excellent.

I am excited to share it with the folks at the D-Day Memorial. They are gearing up for a big Veterans Day event. Also mentioned they have seen record visitation this year since rebounding from Covid.

I hosted a travel planner from PA last week, she’d never been to Bedford, and is putting together group travel packages for a company in OH. She was absolutely blown away, as I believe everyone is when they visit.

Thank you again!

N icole Johnson • D estination B edfordV A I’m not saying it to be in your magazine, but I love Mark. He really is On The Mark and November’s issue was right on the mark. No pun intended.

Sincerely, Mark B u tler a.k.a. t he mooman Brian Loved your “Cannonball” story; great travel writing!

Liked the mention of my local club, Coast Riders Motorcycle Club (Nov. 2024 - bottom on page 9, Sound Meters), but adding a location would have been nice. Gave a monthly meeting talk last week on the Great Divide.

C lem Salv adori Clem, Thank you for the kind words on Cannonball. Coming from you I am humbled. H ell, I have been trying for 30 years. -ed.

Good Morning Brian, I feel I should express my thoughts rather than just keep them. I noticed that the vast majority of the words in the November issue were yours. I’m not a good judge of many things but I must say the content and readability of that issue were excellent, in my opinion. That trip on the Pan American took me along with you. Your rendition of the sights and experiences along the way were on the mark. Your description of your reunion with Shira was touching. BTW, a trip to the Inn at Canaan Valley was one of my first Backroads ventures with you guys years ago.

It seems just about all the photos and articles are yours. In my view, you two guys are a top team. I feel fortunate to have enjoyed the talents and friendship of you both these past years.

D r. John P .

Hi Brian, My wife called you to ask about the rides listed in October’s issue. I wasn’t able to download them. She said

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you could send them to me. I wanted the PA Hawks & Heroes, the Catskills Colors and the New Jersey ride.

Thanks, love the magazine.

B ry an Z oty nia Bryan, Sorry the online links weren’t working – we’ll get those right over to you so you can enj oy this great October weather we’ve been having.

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INDUSTRY INFOBITES Adaptiv Technologies Acquires RKA Luggage RKA Luggage has been manufacturing and distributing premium motorcycle bags since 1985. The company has received numerous awards and accolades for their innovative designs on their products.

“After 39 years in the motorcycle industry, we’ve been to and seen more fascinating things than most. In 1985 it was an industry breaking time for a woman to be a motorcyclist, and then to be a motorcycle business owner and manufacturer was a dream,” said Kathy Storin, one of the original co-founders of RKA Luggage. She added, “To have Adaptiv acquiring RKA is the continuation of this dream. They’ve been long time friends of ours and we have full confidence that they will continue our tradi-

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

News from the Inside tion of providing outstanding products and excellent customer service. We will also help them design new products as we move forward and make sure that they will have the same quality standards that our customers have come to expect with the RKA name.”

Adaptiv Technologies is a designer and manufacturer of aftermarket motorcycle products. Visit www.AdaptivTech.com or call 866-232-7848.

Powersports World TV Launches The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) announced the launch of Powersports World, a free digital TV channel devoted exclusively to powersports content of all types.

Powersports World is a subsidiary of the NPDA, the nation’s association home for powersports dealership owners. Viewers can find Powersports World on a variety of platforms, including Roku TV, Sling, Sportstribal, Chromecast, Localnow, Distro TV and more.

“This is another first for the NPDA and on behalf of our dealers who are now part-owners of the channel via their NPDA membership, I’m thrilled to welcome Powersports World into the homes and onto the phones and devices of millions of prospective dealership customers,” said Bob Althoff, Founding Board Member and Chairman of the NPDA. “As dealers, there’s never been such a growth-oriented mechanism to drive customers into our stores. With the support of OEMs, aftermarket brands and other companies affiliated with our industry, we’re confident that Powersports World will be yet another tool that will help Dealers become sustainably profitable.”

Scheduling and programming is already underway, and includes the following segments: Builders, Flat Track Fridays, Vintage, Instructional, Custom, Lifestyle, New Products, Movies, Racing, Documentaries and more. With the partnership in place, Powersports World will be able to stream live events related to motorcycles, side-by-sides, ATVs, scooters, personal watercraft (PWC), snowmobiles, industry events and more.

Teaching Kids to Ride All Kids Bike is on a mission to teach every child in America how to ride a bike in kindergarten PE class with their fleet of 24 bikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, one teacher instruction bike, 2 rolling storage racks and certified curriculum teacher training. This program is everything needed to teach kids how to progress from balance to riding a bike in 8 lessons. The program is paid through donations from individuals, businesses, local government agencies and organizations.

Bike riding is a key developmental milestone for children and an essential life skill that provides numerous benefits for fitness, mental health, exercise, and trans-

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

portation. Learning how to ride in Kindergarten aids in the development of gross motor skills, judgment, and confidence. Teaching children how to ride bicycles at a young age, using Strider balance-tobikes, minimizes fear and removes the stress of learning as an older child or adult, as well as the natural progression to motorcycles.

Started in 2017 by Strider Bikes, the Strider Education Foundation created the kindergarten PE curriculum the following year, with All Kids Bike later that year. By December 2020 the program was operating in 260 schools in 38 states with more than 253,000 children impacted and within a year was in all 50 states. In June of 2023, the All Kids Bike Kindergarten PE Learnto-Ride Program delivered to its 1,000th school and in October 2023 North Dakota Governor Doug Bergum provided funding to every elementary school in the state. And as of October 2024, All Kids Bike is in 1,548 schools with

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over 150,000 kids learning to ride a bike.

To find out more about All Kids Bike, as well as how to apply for the program, visit allkidsbike.org.

Let’s get those kids off their screens and outside riding!

On The Mark

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times when the two riders were bar-to-bar, nearly touching, ripping down the big straights at speeds clocked at up to 204 MPH. Finally, Bagnaia was able to lay down his fastest lap on lap 5 and Martin was forced, both by the pace and the need for clean air to his cooling system, to relinquish the close-quarters battle. The Spaniard stayed within striking distance the remaining 14 laps to pressure his rival should he make a mistake. Bagnaia, however, rode metronomically-perfect laps to the win. The top two were so fast that eight-time champion Marc Marquez crashed out trying to stay with them. No one else was even close.

Most importantly, during the cooldown lap, Martin rode up to Bagnaia and gave him a hearty handshake. Their post-race words were even more gentlemanly. Martin: “Thanks to Pecco [Bagnaia], because even if we were so aggressive, both of us, there’s always this respect. We don’t want to race to destroy the other’s race … we want to win, both of us. So it’s a nice show for the fans.” Similarly from Bagnaia: “Jorge was super aggressive but we had a very clean battle, we never touch, and I was just waiting for the moment to attack on the pace and knowing my pace was good enough to open the gap.

The performance we are showing is something incredible … we are doing something speechless.”

I could not agree more - it was a “speechless” performance between two rivals at the absolute top of their games and done in a way that was both super-aggressive, but also super clean. At the end, the racing stewards and organization didn’t have to create new rules to govern overtakes. It was the racing that took center stage and gave a “nice show for the fans,” not the post-race dramatics, made-up controversies, and overly-complicated championship structures. No matter who comes out on top in MotoGP, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin are already both champions. ,

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

america’s First cHristmas tree? scott Park, easton, Pennsylvania

Each year 30 million Christmas trees are purchased and set up in American homes for the holidays.

That is a lot of trees, people. But why?

Why do so many go absolutely nuts for this tradition, and where did it all originate?

Many today say that it was the Vince Guaraldi Trio, and Charles Schulz, who created our Christmas – that may not be far from the truth; but more importantly to this month’s Mysterious America – how did a small city along the Delaware River take claim to having the First Christmas Tree in the United States?

Let’s start with the reason evergreens became special to humans – and this goes way before the birth of Jesus.

To ancient peoples, the fact that Evergreens were… ‘ever green’ was amazing, and they seemed to have perpetual life, while all the other trees had lost their leaves, giving the Evergreen a supernatural quality.

It was believed having an Evergreen in the house would keep away evil – you know – witches, ghosts, spirits, and headless drivers.

Ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra, once fell ill, and at the solstice, when Ra began to recover from his illness, the Egyptians filled their homes with green palms and papyrus reeds, which symbolized for them the triumph of life over death.

The Druids and Celts brought evergreens into their temples, and the Vikings brought about Mistletoe to celebrate Balder – a god of light.

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Our Christmas tradition of bringing such trees into our homes and lives began with the fact that the Winter Solstice, around December 21, meant the sun, warmth and longer days were coming.

The Bible and New Testament never really gave a date for Jesus’ actual birth - but May 27th notwithstanding – the very Solsticey 25th works well.

Although one story has it that a Hessian soldier caught during the Revolutionary War erected a tree in a Connecticut prison cell to celebrate Christmas – this is a prison story, and I have a dozen to sell you too. I’ll look to the Germans who settled along the Delaware River in the early 1800s to seek the truth of the First Christmas Tree.

Hey Charles Schulz was a German – just sayin’.

But, before we leave New England, note that in 1659 Massachusetts made celebrating December 25th a crime.

Even in the 1800s bringing a living tree into a home was, well, odd.

There are stories as early as 1747, that Moravian Germans in Pennsylvania had a community tree in the form of a wooden pyramid decorated with candles. But, as late as the 1840s, Christmas trees were seen as pagan symbols and not accepted by most Americans as Christian by any means.

The first records of Christmas trees being cut for display come from the 1800s in Pennsylvania’s German community, although trees may have been a tradition there even earlier.

In 1846 Queen Victoria was pictured in Illustrated London, with Prince Albert and family around a lighted tree celebrating Christmas. A new tradition was immediately born.

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By 1931 they were hauling the biggest tree they could find to Rockefeller Center – now the most famous tree in the world – at least for the end of each year.

Christmas Tree Farms are big business in this country. At any given time, there are more than 350 million trees being grown – they can be cut down, hauled to a living room somewhere, stood up, knocked down, stood up again, and then left to dry out over far too many weeks - dropping needles all over the place, only then to be tossed curbside awaiting Keene’s garbage truck.

Today, in a picturesque little park at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, there is a sign that gives the town of Easton its Holiday claim – as the home of America’s First Christmas Tree - 1816.

History seems to bear the claim out.

The sign is right next to boxing champ Larry Holmes, an Easton native…

I say good for Easton, and let us not get on Mr. Holmes’ bad side shall we – it’s Christmas. O’Life Out! ,

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Wytheville VA Tourism presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE tHe inn on broadway

62 B roadW aY , roChester, nY 14607 585- 232- 3595 • W W W . innonB roadW aY . CoM In the north-central part of New York State, along the Great Lake Ontario, you will find the city of Rochester.

R ochester has always been a pass-through place for us. N ot really city people in any manner, but when heading west through the top of the state, heading towards Niagara Falls and Canada, we made it a point to overnight in the city. Every city has a nickname and Rochester has a doozy – the “Young Lion of the West,” or the “Flower City” for its amazing imagery. We like the lion moniker and the reason for the name is the fact that the city was built around the High Falls, the Genesee River, and the immense water power that they generated. The city is known for many things – the beer named after the river, its plethora of excellent museums, and, of course, Kodak. The George Eastman Museum, on the early-1900s estate of the Kodak founder, has photography exhibits, film archives, and gardens. Rochester Museum & Science Center has hands-on displays and a planetarium.

Our real reason for stopping here was to visit the Strong National Museum of Play. We had been here years back, but everybody needs a childhood fix now and again – and this museum, celebrating all the toys and games of childhood for the last few hundred years, is simply amazing.

Ever vigilant, Shira had found a newish boutique Inn, just a few blocks from the Strong, right on the city’s Broadway – aptly named The Inn of Broadway.

Nearly 100 years old this grand building was constructed in 1929 as the University Club of Rochester, a Men’s Club with stringent membership rules. I can see Mycroft Holmes being comfortable here.

But, times do change, do they not?

Over the years the club on Broadway had changed hands and the brick building had seen a bit of urban decay – but that has all changed with the new owners who have strived to return not just this building but this

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads part of the city to its former grandeur.

Now it is a 25-room tribute to the city’s prestigious history that exudes the glamour and grandeur of the Flower City, through maintaining the buildings’ architectural integrity, along with modern enhancements.

The rooms are very nice, and all a bit different yet all with a powerful sense

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

of history and class.

The staff was as nice as possible and our bikes were very safe in their lot – something we always fret on when in cities.

If you have a group and would like to plan a meal, the Inn has a most magnificent private dining room that will make you feel like a Robber Baron.

If you wish to stay planted for the night the hotel’s steak house, Tournedos, is rated as one of the finest in Rochester, rivaling any other in the United States.

But, if the city beckons take a spin down to the High Falls and take a gander at one of the most impressive sights in the region, as the 96-foot falls pour over the cataract, through the very heart of R ochester.

Right next door you will find the Genesee Brewery.

Just a few blocks south you will find some seriously good “Q” at the Dinosaur BBQ – we have written about their Syracuse location – but the R ochester restaurant, right on the river, is equally appealing.

We spent a good part of the night simply exploring the city,

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two up on my GS. In the morning the Inn on Broadway had a selection of pastries and very good coffee – and we are coffee snobs for sure – so that is saying a bunch.

When traveling in this part of New York, Rochester is an amazing city to visit and explore and the Inn on Broadway is a superb place to overnight, or make a base of operations while exploring further in this part of the Empire State.

See ya on the road. Ride safe. Ride Smart. Ride the Backroads. ,

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Wanamakers General Store presents

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN locals Farm market

19929 F isher aV enU e, poolesV ille, M d 20837 301-338- 81 13 • W W W . loCalsF arM M arket. CoM We think we are all good with the adage “Eat Where the Locals Eat.” A pretty good rule of thumb.

So when visiting Backroads alumni and all-around great gentleman Larry Cain, in the early summer, our ears perked up when his choice for breakfast was simply called just that - Locals.

Located in what is known as the “Agricultural Reserve” a 93,000-acre part of Montgomery County, Maryland – a suburb just north of Washington D.C., along the Potomac River – Poolesville could be a thousand miles away from the bustle and political intrigue of our nation’s capital. Riding over with us was Larry’s wife Cyndi, and grandson Caden, a great kid who was celebrating his fifth big Trip Around the Sun that day.

tasty places to take your bike

We have been down this way many times and at one time, not far away, we would cross the Potomac River on one of the last great cable ferries to do so, the White Ferry that ceased operations in late 2020. There are hopes to revive this ferry that was a lifeline for commerce between the states – with Poolesville on the Maryland side and Leesburg in Virginia.

W e hope it returns.

Poolesville itself is a comfortable little place with some deep and interesting history – the town’s name has a bit of odd history due to a historical anomaly, until 2010 the legal name of the town was “The Commissioners of Poolesville”. Residents overwhelmingly voted to formally change the name to “The Town of Poolesville” in the November 2010 general election.

During the Civil War, the region was of importance to the Union Army as the fords of the river would run shallow at certain times of the year and allow for easy crossing. Fearing for the capital, thousands of troops were stationed both here and in Darnestown just a few miles away.

Today, with the ferry closed, Poolesville is almost a well-kept but wonderful secret to locals and travelers in the know.

Locals would be easy to miss if you did not know it was there, and it can be found in the Steven’s House, an 1840s home sandwiched between the John Poole House and the Old Town Hall, in the heart of Historic Poolesville. Look for the Old Bank Building, which is hard to miss, and sticking with the odd flavor of the town the

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Historic Sign describing this building calls the architecture and building’s design as “Vaguely Classical.” We have never heard of this style but sounds good to us. It now serves as a museum.

Right across the street, we have a very nice treat for you this month.

Welcome to Locals.

Walking into Locals seems to be a great mix of caf , farmers market, and art gallery. It compliments the easy-going and relaxed atmosphere of this part of Maryland very nicely. The indoor dining area is comfortable and roomy and likewise, the wonderful outdoor seating area is a garden-like setting -- peacefully relaxing. Patrons of all ages and walks of life were enjoying lively conversations over a meal with family & friends. So nice to see people having a good time again, in such a nice setting with good food, fair portions, at a reasonable price. Not only do they sell delicious, healthier foods & drinks, but you can also buy breads, pastries, jams, sweets, candles, clothing… there is a lot to see at Locals.

Breakfast is served all day here at Locals, and they have a number of sandwiches, that you can create yourself from their ample menu.

Our friend Cyndi ordered their Cinnamon Swirl French Toast, which is made with their own baked bread and served with a homemade and seasonal

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compote, local maple syrup, and sausage. On the heart-healthy side they have an outstanding oatmeal called Local oats, soaked overnight with local milk which came with sliced almonds, dried fruit, brown sugar, and cinnamon and is served in a large Local mug. Really delicious.

I was curious to see what, now veteran human being, 5-year-old Caden would order… and his bacon and scrambled eggs seemed to do the trick for him, as we all know, a 5-year-old food critic is a tough cookie indeed.

The lunch menu seemed just as snazzy and filling as the breakfast menu – with Maryland crab cake, fried chicken, and pastrami sandwiches on the list. Along with burgers and a very alluring offering called “Fry Me Some Shroomrich” – fried chimichurri-marinated mushrooms, Local sauce, and local pickles on their own home-crafted Mr. Potato Roll. Their custom-built Classic BLTs are done with their own Sourdough Bread.

We think we need to return very soon.

Add into all this some very tasty-looking salads that passed by our table this late morning and we could easily see that Locals is THE place to ride to when you are on the road in southern Maryland and looking for a worthy stop on the Great All-American Diner Run! See ya on the road! ,

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Warren County Tourism presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Hall oF Heroes suPer Hero museum

1915 Cassapolis street, elkhart, indiana 46514 574-333-3406 • hallofheroesmuseum.com Our hero Shiraka and her ever-present sidekick PitBoy were flying east, out of the Midwest, after a few weeks of battling that evil villain Traffic Congestion and partners in crime, those dastardly twins Heat and Humidity.

As they passed a billboard just west of Elkhart, Indiana, our hero’s super-vision caught a glimpse of what looked like… another superhero?

Could this be a sanctuary for their own kind? A place where heroes can relax and be adored, like a G-rated version of The Boys? Okay, R-rated…

They came up to a floating stop at the exit for Elkhart – bright Aerostich capes flowing around them – Hall of Heroes - 2 miles thataway!

They looked at each other and simply nodded the way heroes do on the big screen, and, with a bolt of super-speed, moments later they were at the Super Hero Museum. They were… home.

In truth (justice, and the American way, blah, blah, blah) Shiraka did not know what she would find when they approached the Hall of Heroes, but as they passed the threshold they were greeted by Mastermind, the hero behind this museum – Allen Stewart who greeted them as if they were some of the Avengers.

Every Superhero has an origin story, and the story of the Hall of Heroes has

one as well, and it was worth making their own comic book about it – and that was what Mastermind did.

Way back in the day, Allen Stewart was a normal boy, at least that is what his family thought, but he had a power that other kids did not. All kids dream, but Allen had the power to make dreams into a reality.

And, with that power came responsibility. He was an avid comic book collector, and over the years this collection grew and the need to not only acquire these great pieces of Americana memorabilia but to share them with others that had the same passion was apparent.

After years of planning, designing, and building the Hall of Heroes opened its doors.

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When our heroine and sidekick walked through the doors of the Hall – they got dizzy with excitement – like they were holding bright green meteorites. The Hall of Heroes was beyond anything they had seen before.

The Mastermind welcomed them and graciously told them both to take their time, as there would be a lot to see, and it was just history – just way more super!

“Holy Smokes – that was an understatement.”

The H all of H eroes is the only Superhero and comic book

museum in the world preserving and covering the entire 80-year history of superheroes in comics, toys, film, and animation.

First up was a 12-foot-tall Hulk – and it was incredible! Just a few steps further they were looking at Captain America’s Shield – the REAL shield - signed by the cast of the Avengers movie.

Do not think the Hall is a ‘Make Mine Marvel Only’ place – far from it. DC, television, and many other, let’s say, less mainstream heroes abound.

But let’s follow along with our two Backroads Heroes as it happened, and when we last saw them, they were alertly strolling the Hall of Heroes – it was all just so amazing, mighty, incredible, and fantastic!

Displays held replicas, medallions, statues and not just the good guys, but villainous foes too; Doctor Doom’s mask stood out.

In the back, there was something even more incredible.

The blue and white AC Cobra that Tony Stark (Iron Man to you non-believers) slammed into after his first flight as Iron Man in the movie.

There it was in all its crushed glory.

Shiraka called Pit-Boy to come look for himself, and with a laugh, she grabbed Pit-Boy by the shoulder, lofted him above her head, and slammed him down on the Cobra. Ouch!

It was kinda funny… well she thought so. Pit-Boy’s noggin’ had birds fluttering around for a bit.

To the left of the Cobra was Ghost Rider’s motorcycle from the Nicolas Cage film… and speaking of Cage – they had Luke Cage’s ‘hoodie’ that actor Mike Colter wore – bullet holes were a given. Little trivia here this superhero gave Nick Cage the idea for his stage name – he is a Coppola.

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

There was a bit of Marvel’s new Jesus – Deadpool - and of course lots of Web-Slinger memorabilia. We dare say more than Backroads Central has – and BRC has a lot.

On the DC side, there was a whole section to Kal-El the Man of Steel, and Shiraka looked longingly at the full-size replica of Superman’s latest incarnation. But that was okay, as Pit-Boy got to gaze at Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. There was just as much DC stuff as Marvel – even if DC lives in a make-believe Universe. There is no Gotham, and the only Metropolis is on the Ohio River in Illinois.

New York is very real. Spider-Man is from Queens, was a photographer, rode a motorcycle, and was a rabid Mets fan.

Do we know anyone like that? I think we do.

The Hall featured a 1960’s television Batman exhibit including Adam West’s personal Batman costume, and Batgirl’s Motorcycle (another hot redhead!).

They had a serious collection of what started it all – comic books from the Golden Age Era of comics (1938-1955) including a Captain America #1 from 1941 on display along with many other great comics and toys from the World War II era. That moves onto the Silver Age Era (1956-1969) including all of the first Marvel comics as well as several rare tin toys from this era. Did you know Superman and Muhammad Ali went at it in the ring?

Supe took on Spider-Man and the Batman took on the Hulk!

There is a swatch of Superman’s cape from the George Reeves hero of the 1950s. How they cut it was not revealed to us.

There is so, so much at the Hall of Heroes in Elkhart, Indiana that it is well worth taking some time to fly… I mean ride over for yourself.

We will finish with one word… Excelsior! ,

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SECRET SANTA • YEH, YEH. MERRY CHRISTMAS…

BUG SLIDE • $12 • BUGSLIDE.COM This is the best on the road, and in the garage, spray cleaner we have found yet.

BugSlide is a complete waterless detailer that cleans, shines and degreases while removing bugs and other surface contaminants with ease. BugSlide leaves a protective, microscopic finish that continuously repels dust, dirt, water and fingerprints. Available in Travel Kit size and larger.

HELMETLOK • $30 • WWW.ROCKYCREEKDESIGNS.COM HELMETLOK is a carabiner-style lock with a 4-digit programmable locking mechanism to secure your helmet to your bike. Slip it through the “D” rings or slide the lock through the extension and into a “quick release” buckle. Find a convenient place on your bike, attach and lock. The lock will fit around anything up to 38mm in diameter. The carabiner has a rubberized coating to protect you bike from scratches. Small & compact, the HELMETLOK will fit into a jacket pocket or onto tour belt loop.

STOP-N-GO TIRE REPAIR KIT • MASSDEPOT.COM “I highly recommend the Stop N Go Kit. We have been saved several times on the road due to packing this little gem” - Shira Kamil, Editor Shira’s comments in Backroads were made more than a decade ago, and since then we have saved many riding days for ourselves and others with Stop-N-Go – most notably when a friend was shuttling around Miss Armenia (Long story).

This easy to use repair kit can save you from an angst filled day. Mass Depot has a wide number of Stop-N-Go Kits from which to choose for around 30.

MIMI AND MOTO BOOKS FOR COOL KIDS • MIMIANDMOTO.COM The Adventures of M imi and M oto, M imi and M oto Ride the Alphabet, and M imi and M oto’s M agical M eteors These vibrant, colorful children motorcycle picture books serve as a great introduction to motorcycles! Mimi and Moto are adorable monkeys that ride various kinds of motorcycles, including motocross enduro, sportbikes, two-up, choppers, cruisers, cafe racers, and even a motorcycle with a sidecar! The latest addition is a chapter book geared toward ages 7 to engage new readers, for extended periods of time, in a magical world completely focused on motorcycles. Buy all three and get those young ones interested in motorcycles early and they will be riders for life. (FYI - Tucker j ust got his first 50cc bike for his 9th birthday)

UPS OR MAIL GAL THEY DELIVER FOR YOU – SO DELIVER TO THEM! XP3 HORNET DEER AVOIDANCE SYSTEM • $85 • XP3HORNET.COM We here at Backroads are always perplexed that more riders do not use the XP3 Hornet Deer Avoidance System. Every one of our motorcycles, and both automobiles, have the XP3 Hornet Deer Avoidance Systems installed.

Deer are the most skittish animals in the forest. Their hearing is amazing and it is our experience that this “Passive” system works – they hate the Hornet! It does not need wind to do its job – it makes its own high pitch tone that carries for a great deal. It can be annoying, but when used with some common sense it will greatly lower the odd of you becoming a deer strike statistic For just 85, this could be the best gift you give or get this season. If Santa’s Reindeer will deliver it…Listen – deer suck – so give your buddy some protection!

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MOTOPUMPS AIR SHOT 2.1 • $90 • MOTOPUMPS.COM The MotoPumps Air Shot 2.1 Inflator is one of the smallest, lightest, full performance 12v inflators on the market. Powered by your bike’s 12v system, drawing about 7.5 amps, weighing in just over a pound, and fitting easily in the palm of your hand, it is convenient to pack along and ready any time needed.

BEEMER BONEYARD BMW MAINTENANCE KIT • BEEMERBONEYARD.COM If they own a late model BMW Motorcycle make their next service that much easier with a Maintenance Kit from Beemer Boneyard.

Depending on model and service required, these kits come complete with everything they would need to keep their machine running perfectly all the way till next Christmas. Prices depend on model and service required.

HURRICANE DRY DUFFLE BAGS $100 - $150 • WWW.NELSONRIGG.COM Offered in three sizes, the mid-size bag easily swallowed a week’s worth of gear, and was perfect for carry-on. The removable internal stiffener helps bag hold its shape – making packing a breeze. The Hurricane Dry Duffle Bag seams are electroncally heat welded with a watertight roll closure with quick release buckles.

These 100 waterproof roll bag are simply awesome.

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BEST BUDDY /MAIN SQUEEZE LIKE SALLY FIELD WE REALLY LIKE YOU…AND YOU ARE WORTH THE BUCKS! AVON 3D SUPERSPORT If you are purely a street rider you might not be aware that some tires were created strictly for the track. It’s not that you cannot spend a day doing laps on a touring tire – but the correct tool for the job always works better, right? Avon has a tire that handily does both - the 3D Supersport.

Expect a full road report later this season but, for now, just make sure a set is under the tree.

CARDO PACKTALK PRO • $459 • CARDOSYSTEMS.COM Cardo PACKTALK PRO comes with a built-in crash detection sensor made especially for on-road motorcycle riders. It senses what your head feels and knows exactly when to make that important emergency notice when things go wrong. But it doesn’t stop there. With top-of-the-line 45mm JBL speakers as standard, expect nothing but the best sound in the business. With the Air Mount and an all-black-matte exterior it is a marvel of stealth and beauty, and they can tell you when they are riding what a great gift it was.

SCHUBERTH C5 HELMET • $769 • WWW.SCHUBERTH.COM The C5 is the state of the art flip up from the Schuberth collection, and the first helmet featuring the P J homologation and approved according to the new ECE-R 22.06 regulation. The C5 blends ultimate safety, amazing aerodynamic and aeroacoustics performance with compact and light design. It is also the quietest flip-up we have ever used. All sorts of colors and graphics available.

MACHINEARTMOTO ADVANCE GUARDS • AROUND $200 • MACHINEARTMOTO.COM. ADVance Guards are uniquely designed with patented multi-functional adjustability that provides high or low wind coverage to enable riders to adapt to a variety of temperature and weather conditions without using tools.

They offer superior and adjustable wind protection, and ADVance Guard’s height adjustable ‘Sliding Shield’ and easily removable ‘Front Insert’ permit more or less air flow to adapt to weather conditions.

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

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PROJECTA BATTERY CHARGER • $61.99 • WWW.TWISTEDTHROTTLE.COM This new charger is perfect for keeping your parked machine’s battery fresh and ready to ride this winter.. Simplify your battery maintenance routine with these chargers – simply connect and they take care of the rest. The Charge N Maintain series ensures a secure and practical method for charging both automotive and marine batteries.

With switchable charging stages, these chargers deliver an accurate and efficient charge, contributing to longer battery life and enhanced performance. The charger’s advanced technologies intelligently observe your battery’s charge level, maintaining a balanced load.

BACKROADS SUBSCRIPTION • WWW.BACKROADSUSA.COM At 40 these publishers must be crazy, but blame the USPS. But if you are crazy about your Best Buddy Main Squeeze you should do this. (Wait - If there is a Main Squeeze – is there a Not Main Squeeze? Does Mrs. Santa know about that cute elf? ) Give them the gift that keeps giving 12 full issues of places to go and things to do on two-wheels.

There is a reason we are the oldest and still the best touring magazine around!

DUCATI PANIGALE V4 LIMITED EDITIONS

WWW.DUCATI.COM

Around 72,000 (Who cares about money?!)

How cool would it be to find a racer-autographed Ducati Panigale V4 Limited Edition motorcycle in the driveway on Christmas morning?

We cannot imagine. Really. But you got money - so buy this!

Awesome for a Best Buddy, but maybe better if she or he is your Main Squeeze too.

If they are not, they better be after you hand them the fob on this.

Sandy (I meant Santa) take note.

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When we learned that the BMW Riders Association’s National Rally was to be held in Fryeburg, Maine heading into Labor Day Weekend this August, the wheels began starting to turn.

Who does not love to ride up in this part of N ew E ngland – especially when the Dog Days of Summer were in the mirrors, and the air would begin to take on the tell-tale chill of the season of the colors a month or two later?

We laid out what we thought would be a winner winner week; starting with a Backroads Summer Squeeze in West Dover, Vermont and then an enjoyable backroads romp north and east through Vermont and New Hampshire to Conway – just west of the border with Maine.

Plans were set, and reservations made and then something came along that made a rally with a bunch of Beemer owners just a bit more interesting. I’d be attending the RA Rally, not with my trusty warhorse BMW R 1250 GS, but a new Harley-Davidson Pan America CVO. Indeed – and in orange & black no less.

Earlier in the summer I had been invited to spend some time with The Motor Company in South Dakota, and then to take the Pan America back to Jersey. How could I refuse?

Shira told me I had all the time in the world – as long as I was back in New Jersey by the fourth week in August so we could do the Summer Squeeze and the RA. Yes, ma’am – I can do that.

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But… how much fun would it be to bring the most unusual Harley ever built, one aimed right at the BMW GS and Adventure Market, to a gathering of Berliners? I guess we would see.

Northward Ho! We were joined up in Vermont by Betsy and Mark Byers, who rode up from their Maryland abode, and had three great days with our Backroads’ family at the Summer Squeeze, and on Thursday, the four of us headed north. At the same time others of the family were also heading to Maine as well.

Unlike some of the week’s earlier routes, Shira’s run up to North Conway was gravel-free – more or less, and crossing the Connecticut River into New Hampshire our route and the pavement began to get tighter and the grins a bit wider.

We stopped for lunch in the aptly named town of Sandwich, at a neat restaurant called The Foothills – great lunch and even better ice cream from Frost Heaves.

I have spent years trying to drag Byers to the really odd things and places that find their way into Backroads – especially O’Life’s Mysterious America. Mark is a pragmatic guy – a Naval Flight engineer in the real world – and he has learned to bow out gracefully when I stop at a UFO abduction site, or Bigfoot-filled forest.

But I had something for him that day that was real, solid… etched in God damned stone.

In fact, it was stone – and one of the biggest – the massive glacial erratic they call the Madison Boulder.

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We had a Gentlemen’s Bet for ice cream on this rock. If he thought … “feh,” I would buy. If he was righteously impressed, he’d buy. He would decide (as I would buy Mark and Betsy ice cream every other day for the rest of their lives)… like the Little Rascals “pay as you leave.”

This Madison Boulder is the largest known glacial erratic in North America and among the largest in the world. Madison measures 83 feet in length, 23 feet in height above the ground, 37 feet in width, and weighs upwards of 5,000 tons. The 17-acre site was acquired by the state of N.H. in 1946. In 1970 Madison Boulder was designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior because the enormous erratic,

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

“is an outstanding illustration of the power of an ice sheet to pluck out very large blocks of fractured bedrock and move them substantial distances.”

The boulder was deposited in this location during the most recent period of glaciation, around 14,000 years ago.

Mark was good to his word and cookies & cream were on him later this weekend.

We had a room at the Green Granite Inn, in Conway, New Hampshire for the next few nights, which has decent, clean, and comfortable rooms, and a lobby full of local history and static displays – our sort of place.

Years back the amazing motorcycle literary superstore W hitehorse Press had its homebase here, and Judy and Dan Kennedy still call Conway home. We had dinner with them that evening joined by fellow riders Bill, Helene, Kim, and Nate who had also traveled up from the Summer Squeeze earlier in the week.

Kim and Nate also live here, and their knowledge of the roads, mountains, and especially restaurants is unparalleled.

Good to know people.

BMW RA National Rally We rode over the next morning to the town of Fryeburg, Maine, and to the BMW Riders Association’s National Rally. The fairgrounds that were hosting the event were really nice, and the rally had BMW riders from near and far sprinkled around the surrounding towns.

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

We dropped in and took a walk around, sat in on a seminar and then cruised through the vendor building.

The RA Rallies are typically smaller and cozier affairs, and it was interesting to see the different machines that were riding into the rally, and the reaction – all positive on the Harley-Davidson Pan America that I parked at the top of the main street through the rally.

The bright orange and black machine was hard to miss, and the questions and comments were really very good – but I expected that as the RA group are serious riders who love motorcycles and not just German ones.

After taking in the rally, we scooted back into New Hampshire and headed up to

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Mount Washington. At 6,288 feet it is the highest mountain in the Presidential Range and has some of the most wicked weather on the planet. On April 12, 1934, the highest wind gust ever recorded, a killer 231 miles per hour, was recorded at the summit.

Today there is an 8-mile auto road – all paved now – that will wind you to the top. The ride is always invigorating, but less fun than when the top half was gravel.

Ahh, those were the days.

Atop the peak, you’ll find the Extreme Mount Washington Museum which showcases the extremely insane weather that occurs here.

The museum was truly enlightening and made me truly appreciate the clear skies, unlimited view, and almost balmy 50 degrees that was happening at the summit this day.

That called it a day for us, and that night we went exploring the nightlife that could be found in the cultural epicenter that is Conway, New Hampshire.

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BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Monsters and Lobsters It hit me that when we rode into Maine the previous day, I had ridden the Pan American through 21 states in 21 days…Blackjack, baby!

Our Maryland buddies headed back home this day, and our other companion, Bill, was off doing some solo exploring.

We had a plan. It involved the ocean, lobsters - and OMG… not the Mets, but more monsters.

The week before I had visited three monster sites in West Virginia, but the big Kahuna of museums for lovers of cryptozoology is Loren Coleman’s International Museum of Cryptozoology in Portland, right down by the old port.

We vectored east and around the city, not all that bustling on this Saturday morning, and spent the midday taking in everything from Bigfoot to the Tasmanian Tiger.

Coleman is the nation’s #1 expert on all these things (Sorry, Seymour) and has a reasonable and sensible way of looking at legend, mystery, science, facts, and evidence. He calls BS when he comes across it, and leaves the door wide open when it needs to be. The museum has two floors of evidence, and specimens, mixed with a great combination of seriousness and fun. Pepe claimed to be a Littlefoot and somehow smuggled a Bigfoot onto the bike … which has since taken up residence with our grandson Brison in San Diego.

The International Museum of Cryptozoology is a must-visit when in the Portland area.

From the museum, it was a short hop south and east to Two Lights State Park on the end of Cape Elizabeth on the stunning rocky, beautiful, ‘take your breath away’ Maine coast.

Here you will find one of the neatest seafood restaurants in the United States.

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

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It is a truly amazing place and I gave the Pan America a short baptism with Atlantic water – it deserved that after trekking my sorry ass 4,500 miles from South Dakota.

Back in New Hampshire the pool was beckoning and it was an easy night, for the next day we’d point the V-Strom and ‘PACVO’ back towards New Jersey… sorta. Well, eventually.

Go West Young Man?

They could serve anything and it would be good – but this is Maine and we are talking lobster… serious lobster.

The Lobster Shack as been around for more than 100 years – serving up lobsters, lobster rolls, and everything else, and has dozens of bright red picnic tables perched on the edge of the splintered and picturesque shore – surrounded by two lighthouses and the region’s fog horn – that had a VERY serious sign that it can and would make an ungodly blast if and when needed. This day was perfect and the horn was, thankfully, not needed. Ahh, who am I kidding I’d love to hear that from my picnic table. How loud can it be, right?

We finished the lobsters and rolls and took a stroll along the wide and fractured basalt, checking out the little creatures that were hanging in tiny stone pools, biding their time till the tide came back and they could move on with the Life Aquatic.

We left as soon as the dawn’s sun began to burn away the mist that had wrapped the mountains in a cool foggy blanket.

We headed north and then over the White Mountains on Route 302, which were glorious in the early morning sunlight that began at the top of the peaks and slid down to bask the mountainsides this day.

To the right, the Saco River ran clear and strong, from its headwaters in the lake with the same name. A hawk darted past my bike, a very unlucky rabbit in its grasp.

Ahh, the law of the jungle.

Long chutes of water cascaded down the mountains and under the roadway as we passed over Crawford Notch.

We crossed into Vermont and then backroaded it to Route 17 – the Appalachian Gap. There seemed to be an event happening, and we soon found ourselves riding around groups of bicyclists as we ascended. Near the peak the road was completely closed, and we made a quick turnaround and had to

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head back down, now with bicyclists easily matching our speed.

Not for nothing. But the officials dropped the ball here – the road should have been shut down at Route 100. But no harm. No foul. Where was Byers, a professional bicycle official, when we needed him?

We headed south and crossed the Green Mountains at Lincoln Gap – which, being half wet clay and gravel, was a lot of fun.

As we rolled over the foothills, heading towards the southern end of Lake Champlain – also keeping our eyes peeled for the lake monster Champ, we zipped by a real American icon. We almost missed it, but part way up a drive we spotted the lemonade stand, skillfully created from a large Amazon box. A quick U-turn and, being it was Labor Day weekend, we did our best to help these young entrepreneurs keep the economy going; and we prayed Jeff Bezos was not getting a cut from this, as the most awesome lemonade stand had the “Smile” on it.

We crossed into New York State, and the Adirondacks at Crown Point

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

and then dropped by our friends at the Star Trek Original Set Tour and Museum.

If you love the show, this place is a must-see – James has brought the original sets back to their full glory – and his collection of Star Trek memorabilia is second to none.

Shira bought some stickers and gave the cashier 20. She got back 17.01 in change.

N ow that was, as Spock might say, “fascinating.”

We shot down the familiar shore of Lake George and then cut into and down through the Adirondacks.

This park is massive and can easily hold Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks in its boundaries.

We stopped for the night at the top of the Empire State’s Leatherstocking region, and stayed at a most unusual place – the Amsterdam Castle - just above the Mohawk River and Erie Canal.

This place was like staying at W interfell, and will surely be featured in a We’re Outta Here very soon.

That night we watched Marc Marquez take his first MotoGP win since 2021 in the Great Hall. What a superb place to be on the last night of this great ride.

Homeward Bound…

Although there were a few days off at home, I still felt as if I was on the same journey from South Dakota some three weeks back, and both Shira and I wanted to get home – so we made short work of northern New York, quickly riding through the Catskills with a quick stop at the Prattville Diner, and then over the Shawangunks and vectoring down and across the Jersey state line.

A half-hour later we rolled into the drive and after a happy “We’re Home” hug, we let Spenser T. Cat out – who promptly gave us a scolding for disappearing for days…again.

A jaunt north to the stunning mountains of Vermont, New Hampshire, and the rocky coast of Maine was the perfect way to end the summer – even if we had another three weeks to go before the Equinox.

Take your rides when you can… the fall was quickly approaching and we all know what comes next. ,

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

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Marvin was chanting in my headsets, as I was rolling up a busier section of a busy road. It was a Saturday afternoon and a dull red coupe had crept up along a semi-blind spot on my left.

I sensed more than saw him.

What’s going on? A glance in my mirrors, just caught a bit of him as he drove into the small blind spot before I picked him with my eyes.

I made a mental note that my mirrors, setup in a fairly precise manner, usually have me covered, but it would be nice to have a skosh more peripheral sight – just to make a good system better.

Many riders take their mirrors for granted, and some use them as precision tools for riding survival. I ride with the later.

Head checks notwithstanding – well and correctly positioned mirrors have saved thousands of rider’s lives.

Earlier in the summer I was visiting my friend Michael - the King of Chicago - and he showed me a set of Technik Mirror Extenders.

Most time simplicity rules, and Technik, makers of some great aftermarket windshields, offered a simple, but elegantly crafted, way to offer you much more when scanning your mirrors.

Technik Mirror Extenders move your bike’s mirrors out an additional 2.0-2.5 inches on each side, offering you a far wider and better view of the road and the vehicles behind you.

Technik Mirror Extenders allow you to see more easily past your shoulders, your passenger and your gear.

He had me sold, but I back-burnered all this till that Saturday incident.

We ordered a set for my GS. Installation was simple too - remove your stock mirrors and bolt on the Technik Mirror Extenders where the mirrors once sat with supplied bolt and washer. Re-install the stock mirrors into the threaded end, with those diabolical double 14mm locking nuts (a learned bit of sorcery), and set up the mirrors – exactly where you want them. Not close enough. Exactly where they will cover the most geography behind you.

The Technik Mirror Extenders will now allow for far greater rearward vistas, and will make day-to-day riding, especially with an abundance of CARS, far more easy and safe. 59.95 www.nationalcycle.com

Page 30

Free wHeelin’

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Continued from Page 3

I was heading in from the west and the sudden vista of the Great Lake and the city below was more than breathtaking.

I had wanted, and promised, to make the pilgrimage to Duluth for years, so it would be great to see Andy and crew again and to take an inside and up-close look at their operation.

I got there early on a Monday morning, and just minutes behind me was Andy Goldfine himself, on a very neatly set up Honda XR650 reworked as a Japanese Super Motard. Simple and basic – it looked like a machine that put the FUN in functionality, and an urban weapon for sure.

In addition to running Aerostich, Andy is also the man behind Ride to Work Day – with a mission of getting riders to use their machines all the time, and not just on Sundays. Yes, he rides to work every day – and can prove it. Ride to Work, encouraging all riders to ride their bikes to work on the second Tuesday in June, was born in 1992. 2025, its 33rd year, it will be Tuesday, June 10.

Meanwhile, back in Duluth, Andy showed me around the home of Aerostich. The first floor is a large showroom, that carries some of the most interesting motorcycle gear, gadgets, and doodads – and it is a farkler’s dream.

We took a walk through the offices, Andy’s desk looking a bit more orderly than mine – but anyone can do that – ask Shira.

I got to meet a few new faces, and my friend Sir Jeff, and, of course, Lynn Wisneski, without whom Aerostich would not be nearly the finely oiled and precision machine it is.

Every Starship Commander has a #1 – Lynn is that.

We rode upstairs, on the oldest commercial elevator in the city, and the doors opened up to show were rolls and rolls of fabric – awaiting to be rolled out and vacuumed in place while an ultrafast cutter makes precise patterns.

Almost every Roadcrafter suit is created for individual demands, sizing, and color choices.

From here these precise patterns are brought to the men and women who do the actual stitching and creation of the Roadcrafter suits, and you know who they are as everyone here signs their work.

Workmanship like this takes time, and the average suit takes many hours to be built.

After our walk-about I sat down with Andy for a short chat, that happily ran longer, and it was great just to talk

motorcycles, riders, and the industry as a whole with a man that has keen intellect and knowledge about how we are as a sport and industry, and where we might go in the future; and I left the talk with a renewed zeal for these two-wheel contraptions that are such a part of our lives.

Although Aerostich started with a revolutionary riding suit, over the years it has become so much more, and its catalog now carries hundreds of products. From apparel to accessories, many that cannot be found anywhere else, and even products that are not really real – but would be neat if they were.

From the beginning this company was built around, and about riders; and we riders are a serious bunch, but seem to have more fun than most others on this planet.

From what I saw in my short few hours with Andy, Aerostich and crew in Duluth are seriously both having fun and keeping us on the road. Even if you do not ride your motorcycle to work every day – make sure you do on June 10 – I know we’ll be on the road! ,

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

Page 31

The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents

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

double bogey In golf, a Bogey is two strokes over par for the hole. Never anything to smile about I guess. I am not a golfer, as most of us know God wishes us to ride on the Sunday. Any Sunday!

In military terms it is an unknown craft – and possibly with bad intent.

When we are on the road we are surrounded by Bogeys. Yes, we can see, or maybe not, these Bogeys – and we should keep an eye on them – and doing so we will call these Bogeys - Can’t Anticipate Radical Sorties, or to make it simpler, CARS. Even when you see them, CARS can and will do the most flabbergasting things.

Most times there may be one CARS that grabs your attention, and even though they are a CARS, you just know something confounding is about to take place.

Your Spidey-Sense goes on Red Alert – the Enterprise’s klaxon is screaming in your helmet. (That has actually happened to me numerous times as I have a lot of Star Trek feldercarb on my phone) This is the time to take notice and make a plan.

Indeed, when this sort of CARS event is going down you might have a split second to make evasive maneuvers. Oh my, Mr. Sulu!

But get ready, and if it is not needed, chalk it up to practice and bettering your road craft.

But sometimes the CARS will do the unthinkable.

Well, do you have an example, Brian – maybe a case in point?

I surely do.

I had just ridden across the St. Louis Bay from Duluth, Minnesota into Wisconsin, and the western edge of the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior. I was on a four-lane road, separated by a grass median, there were a few CARS around, and I was in the left lane approaching a gaggle of them.

Two directly ahead, two a length or two back on my right, a few scattered behind.

I noticed the car on the right had out-of-state plates, not of the Midwest variety. As we began to quickly approach a place where one could possibly make a left turn, the car on the right, a small blue Bogey, went hard on the brakes.

I took it in and could almost smell the cut across the lanes left turn about to happen, my Queens-bred Spidey-Sense on full attention.

Then the CARS did just that. She (it was a she), went from Humphrey to Burt. From Bogey to Bandit.

We were traveling about 50 miles per hour at this point, and both of us quickly slowing down.

When you and the bike next to you are riding at the same pace – it can almost feel like not moving at all. This can and should be used to your advantage.

I broke the Harley Pan-American in a severe, but smooth squeeze, the dual Brembo Calipers scrubbing off speed admirably.

The Blue Bandit pulled into the space I had just created – totally unaware of the “BRIGHT ORANGE AND BLACK MOTORCYCLE” present.

I could hear the other CARS behind me, their brakes not nearly as smooth or tires quiet.

I began to slip further back and was starting to blend to the right when the Double Bogey happened!

The second car that was behind the first (piloted by a male), now followed

the insanity and slid across me – I registered the same out-of-state plates.

Frack me. Everything stopped - stopped - for a nano-second, and I almost felt the rear wheel come off the ground and then I let off the brake and swerved as hard as ever, with my wheel coming within an Angel’s breath of his rear… and then I was in the now free right lane and accelerating past the two who had all sorts of mayhem happening behind them as they made their U-turn and hightailed back west.

About a mile further on the CARS behind me began to catch up as I was dealing with a cacophony of probably illegal chemicals my body did not know it could produce.

Two of the CARS passed me and signaled their anger, excitement and, I hope, happiness that they did not see the lone rider, enjoying the day, die in front of them.

For me, I thanked God, and later pulled off for a sports drink, and a few moments of me time. Happy I could.

Just because one bad thing happens, does not mean that another one is not right behind it.

As Steve McQueen said in LeMans… “It can happen to you, and then it can happen again. Right on, Steve, right on. ,

Page 32

Nick needed this. Even though he ran right into a driving rain storm, cold drops of water working their way down through his rain suit, getting him wet in that uncomfortable spot we all know so well.

His job, which he had been doing for so many years, was one which kept him busy for months at a time, but during the summer each year he would always find a few weeks for himself. No wife, no labor problems, no responsibilities, just him and the bike. This year he was traveling south.

Well, Nick always seemed to travel south. Down that long stretch of asphalt that would carry him and his bike up and over the Canadian Rockies, and then east. Working his way down through the forestry logger roads and then the occasional big highways, Nick finally crossed the border by Route 30 in the Adirondacks of New York state. Somewhere near Lake Placid he pulled over to get a bite to eat. Munching on a cold meatloaf sandwich, he sat on a park bench silently watching the people walking by, taking care of their day to day business.

A small child made a beeline for Nick’s bike. Nick dropped the sandwich and lunged forward, whisking the little tyke away from the still hot exhaust.

“Hey now little one,” Nick said laughing as he handed the little boy back to his concerned mother. “Those pipes are still on the warm side and you won’t be wanting to touch them.”

The mother took the child into her arms. “I’m sorry sir,” she started to say, but then stopped, staring at Nick. “Don’t I know you,” she asked.

Nick shrugged his shoulders and laughed. “Could be, maybe, some day I guess we’ll see.”

Nick laughed again as the little boy reached out and pulled on Nick’s beard. It was pretty long now. He had been growing it for quite some time.

Years ago it had gone white.

Right around the time he had taken on his present position.

“No Michael, don’t pull on the nice man’s beard,” the mother scolded the little boy. “I’m very sorry,” she said again, “but Mikey here just loves motorcycles. Always has. Every time he hears one his head gets to spinning around. His Dad had one.”

Her eyes drifted off and Nick sensed there was more to her story.

“Really, what’s the boy’s father ride?” asked Nick.

The woman, not much older than 30 years old, looked up. Her eyes turning red, suddenly welling with tears.

“He had a Harley,” she said, “but he was in an accident a few months ago.

We’re kinda on our own now, Mikey and me.”

She gave the little boy a squeeze. He giggled and reached for Nick’s beard again.

“I’m so sorry,” Nick said, “sometimes life can be cruel like that. I travel a lot and I have seen so many sad things...but I have seen a lot of good things too...like little Michael here.”

The woman smiled and gave the boy another squeeze. “His Daddy has been in a hospital for months. He never woke up. The doctors tell me he still has a chance, but I am starting to lose faith.”

Nick reached out with a big calloused hand. He stroked the tear off the mother’s face.

“Never, never give up...never lose faith. Just when you think the world is against you... something will happen. Just never give up!”

“Bike, Mommy. I want a bike,” the boy said. “He loves those things,” the mother said.

Nick’s eyes lit up. “Hey, Michael, come over here,” said Nick, walking over to his machine.

BACKROADS • DECEMBER 2024

He rustled open his saddle bag and pulled out a perfectly wrapped box.

“Now here is the deal... I know you Michael... you’re a pretty nice little boy.” The kid’s eyes grew big seeing the box in Nick’s hand.

“Now I’m gonna give you this box, but you have to wait to open it.” The boy’s lip pouted a bit. “Not too long though,” answered Nick, as if he was reading the boy’s mind.

“I want you to wait till later today, when you go to see Daddy at the hospital.” Hearing the word Daddy little Michael looked up at Nick.

“Mommy says Daddy’s sleeping. He’s been sleeping a long time. Is he ever going to wake up?”

Nick looked at the mother. She shook her head and sadly lowered it. Nick reached out and picked up little Michael.

“Remember what I said son...never give up believing!”

With that he handed the boy to the mother. Getting on his bike, he looked back and smiled at the two of them.

“Remember.”

The two nodded, and then, with a push of a button, the motorcycle came to life and Nick punched it into first and pulled away from the curb.

Later that day the mother and child went to St. Anne’s Hospital.

They had been going there every day for months.

Susan loved Michael’s father very much. She often thought about the trips they had taken on his bike. How he had proposed at the monument in Key West. How little Michael had been conceived on that trip to California... but now all that seemed so far away as he lay in this hospital bed.

Eyes closed, breath shallow.

H ow helpless she felt.

How scared.

She stroked her husband’s hair.

“I love you,” she said quietly into his ear.

“Mommy look,” Michael cried, “It’s a motorcycle!”

The woman turned around from the bed. The little boy had wasted no time in opening Nick’s gift.

“Yes... it is,” a small quiet voice sounded behind her. She froze... feelings of shock and fear... replaced by... “Oh my God,” she said softly, afraid to turn around. “I love you too,” came the voice again.

“Daddy!” screamed Michael as he burst pass his crying mother, bounding onto the bed, hugging his dad.

The nurses came rushing in, but stopped to watch the family holding each other tightly.

“I had the strangest dream,” the father said. “I was riding my bike, and I was lost. I kept looking for a way home, but I couldn’t find it. Then I hooked up with this other biker. A big guy, with a white beard. He told me to follow him. We rode for days, up stunning mountains and through dark forests. We rode to places so beautiful I almost didn’t want to come home. But then, at a crossroad, he stopped and told me he loved the ride, but I had to go this way, through this tunnel. He said I should never lose faith and that we would ride again. I rode through the tunnel. It was dark, but there was a bright light at its end. When I rode into the sunshine I heard you telling me you loved me.”

Susan looked at him, tears running down her cheeks. She hugged him again and said once more that she loved him.

Nick walked out of Captain Tony’s. Lighting up a hand rolled cigar, he strolled down Duval Street. The sun was starting to set on Mallory Square.

He went to a quiet part of the pier and sat down to enjoy both the sunset and the smoke. Behind him, he heard a young family laughing as they passed by...he smiled... in his business you have to learn early never to lose faith. ,