February 2011

2011 Volume 17 No. 2

M

ine z a g Ma r u To e l c rcy o t o

FEBRUARY

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Yamaha Super Tenere Rolling Thru Maine Catalina Grand Prix High Seas Rally

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E FEAT URES

MON T HLY COLUM N S FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................3

HIGH SEAS RALLY 2010...............................................................24

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

BACKROADS READER’S GUIDE TO GETTING PRINTED .....39

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................6

CATALINA GRAND PRIX ...............................................................42

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

ROLLING THROUGH MAINE .......................................................50

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD......................................................9

M OTORCYCL E REVIEWS

BACKLASH........................................................................................11

BMW F800R COMING TO AMERICA.......................................20

INDUSTRY INFOBITES...................................................................13

2012 YAMAHA SUPER TENERE .................................................32

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................15 BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................16 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18

PRODUCT REVIEW S MOTORCYCLE TOURING BIBLE...................................................41 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS ...............................................................44

WE’RE OUTTA HERE......................................................................21 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR...............................................37 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................38 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................45 Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Ralph Angelo, Neale Bayly, Mark Byers, Ken Freund, Bill Heald, Brian J. Nelson, Tom Riles, Tim Wineland, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176 BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2011. 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 • FEBRUARY 2011

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJEN

Plan B Bikes Why We all need more

Page 3 Sometimes it could be the route. Gold Wings on rutted fire roads are not all that happy – but that has never stopped our friends Ben and Sue from following the GS’ down some God-forgotten cow path.

But this day’s ride, though technical, was simply fun to ride. No, this time I think some of the choices were more emotional than pragmatic.

than one motorcycle

Most of the people we ride with on a fairly regular basis are dedicated riders. Motorcycles have been a big part of their lives for years, if not decades, and in that time they have bought, acquired, came into ownership of or suddenly found in their garage more than just one machine.

There was a time here at Backroads Central that we seemed to be breeding motorcycles and although some riders consider themselves collectors, we never really have. After a while it seems that, except for one or two keepers, machines move like the tides - in and out of the barn.

Take our KLR 650 – here is a rock steady bike; certainly not the smoothest, nor quickest – just an all-around great machine. Like a talented utility player in baseball – it can do a little bit of everything fairly well.

These days - with the selling off of my 800VFR – the KLR has become my Plan B bike. And, it’s always good to know there is a second player in the garage in case something comes up or develops.

As I said, many of our friends have multi-motorcycle garages. Some have a number of machines from which to choose for any given ride.

We recently put together a Sunday ride to a central New Jersey restaurant that we featured back in the Fall of last year.

Not wanting too big of a crowd we kept it down to a few close friends that we ride with often and mid-morning, on a happily warmish day, our small posse began to gather at the meeting spot.

For this ride, and simply because I hadn’t ridden it for awhile, I pulled out the Kawasaki KLR that morning.

Some brought their regular rides, as some only have the one machine, but a few others brought bikes that they only ride on occasion.

With our friend Keith he pulled up on his new Ducati Multistrada. No big news here, as he just recently purchased it – but on past rides you can never be sure what Keith will ride up on. Some old East German machine, a BMW sidecar rig, Honda sport bike or Yamaha FJR1300 sport-tourer.

Fellow rider Tony pulled up on his now “classic” VMax – thus insuring we would have at least one, maybe two fuel stops this day.

Tony could have shown up on his Harley, his Ducati or his BMW – but, today he felt Yamaha V-Maxish, I guess.

Mike has a choice of a number of machines – A fulldress Harley, another FJR1300 and an old Gold Wing.

Being forewarned the night before on the technicality of Shira’s route to Gourmet Expressions – the same one we gave you back in the November issue - he opted for the better handling Yamaha.

Shira had her choices too. This day she gave the 919 a rest and rolled out her F650GS – although I don’t think she considers either bike A or B – just what she feels like riding at that moment. Her thought was she rode her Honda there once and to give the GS a try on this same route.

As our group gathered I wondered about why some riders chose one bike over the other?

Some answers seemed obvious. Others had me wondering.

Heck, why did I choose the relatively slow and rough 650, when I had the R1200GS sitting there. Why did Tony take the old V-Max – when he had so many other machines to choose from? What makes a rider decide to take one machine over the other?

Perhaps it was nearing the end of the comfortable riding season and perhaps looking at the bike that never gets ridden as much as it should, parked in the corner of the garage or barn, strikes a sentimental chord in some riders.

Maybe some of us planned on riding the other bike or bikes more often but simply never got around to it.

Whatever the reason it is a good thing to have a Plan B hanging around if you ever really need it. And, if you do have that Plan B bike get it out more often. Motorcycles work better when they are ridden often and there was always that reason you bought this bike in the first place. Maybe it’s time to rediscover that.

Page 4

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 5

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL

The Price of Doing Business You’d have to have your head so deep in the dirt that you were looking out the other side of the world to not see that our economy is not where we’d like it to be. I am far from an economist nor do I have any sort of degree that would give me the knowledge in the ways of the world markets. What I do have is my own business, as many of you do as well.

In our day-to-day dealings, we are in pretty close touch with the many dealers, vendors, and manufacturers of motorcycle purveyances. Over the past several years, we have heard their tales of woe regarding sales and floor traffic and Backroads, as the spreader of the written word, has tried our best to help ease their pain through well-placed advertising, timely announcements of upcoming events and just a good pat on the back when we see something well done.

Something has occurred, however, with the ‘powers that be’ who oversee the placement, development and overall rules of said advertisements. There have been new restrictions set in place to effectively put handcuffs on these folks, most small businesses, who are just trying anything they can to make it through these rough times. Being that I am the head of the art department (and the body and feet), it is my responsibility to help develop the most eyecatching and information-spreading trumpet call to bring you good folks into these shops and spend some of your hard-earned shekels.

If you have been turning the pages of Backroads for a few years, you may have noticed that we do our best to never put motorcycle pricing, other than MSRP, in any of the ads. We’ve always felt that this leads to price wars and, frankly, we don’t want to part of any type of war. This being said, information included must entice you to pick up the phone or take a ride to these shops with such things as special events, in-store incentives and some great deals to be had. Now, we have to admit, that there are many dealers, some more than other, who put a great deal of effort into customer satisfaction, appreciation and holding gatherings to help with this attraction. What better place

to tell folks than in these pages or some other form of advertising.

Advertising Lesson 101 (and very brief): Major manufacturers encourage their dealers to advertising with co-op programs, which help defray some of the cost. Ads created must be submitted for approval in order to qualify for these reimbursements. That’s really all you, the reader, need to know.

There are certain elements that must be included, such as logo, safety disclaimers and dealer information, in order to qualify. For the many years that I’ve been putting these ads together, these rules have been ever-increasing to the point that most manufacturers now insist that only their pre-made ad slicks be used in order to qualify. I’m sure that you’ve noticed many identical ads throughout these pages, with just a change in dealership info to differentiate. This certainly defeats the purpose of eye-catching, unique and creative artwork to attract attention. Believe me, it is not the doing of the advertisers.

If left in their hands, they’d have neon lights, streamers and fireworks shooting from these pages.

What brought this whole concept for a column to fruition was a conversation regarding one particular manufacturer’s new decree. We’d noticed a decline in these dealers, or at least a slow-down in their ad placement, and had to have a serious conversation with some of them to see if it, perhaps, was something we had done. Quite the contrary, as they were gung-ho to keep spreading the word on their shops, but the restrictions and, in fact, very hefty fines imposed for infractions of the rules had their hands tied. One dealer we spoke to had thousands of dollars in fines just for trying to promote his business the best way possible, because these ‘powers that be’ weren’t happy with the ads placed. These folks, who are just trying to keep their heads above water, have now been waterboarded by the higher powers.

In these belt-tightening times, it seems to me that if we all tried to work together for everyone’s best interest we’d probably come out the other side with most of our skin still intact. Loosen the boot straps, let these businesses promote YOUR product in the best way they see fit. If that means using the term ‘sale’ or ‘discount’ to beguile the buyer, so be it. All I’m saying is that those who believe they are governing from the mountaintop come down to the playing field and get dirty with the rest of the players. When the skirmish is over and the smoke clears, hopefully the little guys will be the victors because, if they are, then we all win.

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 6

P O S TC A R D S F R O M T H E H E D G E BILL HEALD

anD The survey saiD. . .

As we roll into 2011, it’s not surprising that another significant study has appeared that talks about the business of motorcycle sales, and as usual it’s filled with all kinds of interesting factoids. The study I’m referring to is J.D. Power And Associates’ Motorcycle Competitive Information Study and this is the 13th year the annual evaluation has been done. This is a highly structured affair with six critical metrics including product, build quality, cost of ownership, sales, service and warranty. This year they got responses from “8,490 owners who purchased a new 2009 or 2010 model-year on-road or dual-sport motorcycle between September 2009 and May 2010. The study was fielded between September and October 2010.” Full disclosure: that number would have been 8,491 had I sent in my survey, for I was approached since I was a purchaser of a new motorcycle in September of 2009. But I didn’t participate (and I sent back the dollar bill they sent with the survey to pay me for my time-which I thought was weird) because I didn’t purchase the bike in a normal manner, i.e. going to a dealer and buying the bike from them. My experience was very different and involved journalism, cinematography and intrigue but I assure you it was completely legal. I think. I can say no more.

Plenty of owners did participate, though, and J.D. Power had much to say about the results. This survey is designed more that anything else to help the motorcycle industry focus on what works best (i.e. “best practices”) to insure a happy consumer ownership experience. For example, the survey found that, “The more best practices that are delivered, the more likely the motorcycle owner is to recommend and repurchase the brand.

For example, among motorcycle owners whose brand delivered on all of the best practices, 84 percent say they ‘definitely will’ recommend the brand, and 63 percent say they ‘definitely will’ repurchase the brand. In comparison, just 65 percent of motorcycle owners whose brand missed four or more best practices say they ‘definitely will’ recommend the brand, and less than one-third say they ‘definitely will’ repurchase.”

This should surprise no one, as even if you have a problem with a new bike it won’t be that big a deal if the dealer does a stellar job of taking care of you and the problem, and ultimately you are likely to be happy with them. Speaking of problems, the survey said that, “Quality has declined from 2009, with the industry average increasing by 29 problems per 100 motorcycles (PP100) to 152 PP100—the same level reported in the 2008 study. One-half of all owners report experiencing at least one problem with their motorcycle, with most of the problems being engine related (44%).”

That sounds ominous, but who knows what that actually means? There are certainly a lot of little things that can go wrong with a new bike, but I haven’t heard anything anecdotally about major problems with any new motorcycles that are manifested in any real numbers. But shoot, their survey said most problems are with the engine and they went on to say, “The problems that have the greatest negative impact on the overall satisfaction score are gearshift problems, clutch chatter and the engine lacking power.”

Say what? Clutch chattering? Are they sure? I certainly haven’t noticed a lot of that myself. OK, I did think my new bike’s clutch was chattering in December but it turned out to be my knees because it was so freakin’ cold. And as for an engine lacking power, that’s just weird. I wish I knew more about what bikes they might be talking about, because most new machines are pretty stout in this regard. Also, if you test rode the bike and read some of the magazine reviews you would have a pretty good idea about whether or not a machine is a rocket or not (especially a Triumph Rocket III). But, the survey says what it says, and I’m sure the manufacturers will evaluate the information it presents quite carefully.

Finally, this particular exercise did show something else; something I think most of us have known for years: “The population of motorcycle buyers is aging, with the average rider age increasing from 40 to 49 years since 2001—an indication that many owners may soon exit the market. Additionally, the percentage of first-time buyers has declined for a second consecutive year, making it more critical now than ever for manufacturers to focus on attracting new customers.”

I would say attracting attractive new customers would be even better. Oh, and I don’t know about you but (God Willing) I don’t plan on exiting the market anytime soon. But, point well taken. Perhaps this observation may spur the production of even more really good entry-level bikes that are both fun and affordable, and maybe the problem will take care of itself. Oh, as long as these newbies don’t have chattering clutches of course.

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 8

ON THE MARK MARK BYERS

glove love I’m the Great Gatsby of gloves: my entire riding life, I’ve searched for true glove love, but it remains unrequited. Oh sure, I’ve come close, but I’m still looking for the “perfect pair” to cradle my digits in supple luxury while keeping them warm and dry in any weather. I’d like to have a set that is easily donned, but that has a wrist strap so they’re not likely to come off in a crash. I’d even settle for two or three pair that would allow me to switch depending upon the climate, but so far I haven’t found the perfect pair for any one condition, much less all three (heat, rain, and cold).

For example, I’ve got a beautiful pair of leather gloves I bought from a gent who teaches motorcycle classes. They are comfy, but don’t have any hard crash protection features and the gauntlets are so big that when I wear them, I feel like I’m a cavalry scout for JEB Stuart. The first time they got wet, I retained my grip but also acquired quite a bit of dye on my hands. They’re soft as a baby’s bottom, but they fall short in the protection racket. After they stretch a little, they leave some bunched-up leather in the palm when holding the grips.

I’ve got a pair of road racing mitts that are the mutt’s nuts when it comes to hard crash protection features and the wrist and gauntlet straps make it likely that my hands will depart my body before the gloves depart my hands.

Unfortunately, they’re fiddly to get on and off and forget rain and cold: the vents that make them palatable in the heat make them colanders in the cold and wet. They’re perfect for track, but too fiddly and holey for the commute.

I’ve got a great pair of winter, insulated gloves. They’re toasty to a point and waterproof, but they’re so bulky that I wonder if I’ve even got hands.

They do to dexterity what earmarks have done for the deficit. Forget pulling

up that zipper or adjusting that heat controller. In addition, they insulate my hands so well that they also insulate them from the heat provided by my heated grips. It’s like having a thermos on each hand. At least the gate guards at work take pity on me and help remove and stow my ID badge when they see me fumbling.

Did I mention rain? I have a great set of rain gloves: they keep my hands dry as can be. They do this until I have to remove them for a gas station or bathroom stop. At that point, if I have so much as a molecule of moisture on my hands, the liner sticks to my fingers when I try to put them back on and the result is a five-minute fight to fit the fingerholes to my phalanges. It’s like trying to put stuffing in a songbird instead of the Thanksgiving turkey.

I know: at this point you’re probably saying, “Duuuuude, do you want some cheese with that whine?” or words to that effect. Hey, I’ve only got five points of contact with the motorcycle and the two of which I speak have to deal with all the fiddly bits on the handlebars and on my person. I’ve tried to love a pair of gloves, I really have, but every one has strengths and weaknesses. I’m left with a bin of almost-there specialty gloves, each one designed for a specific occasion or season: dirt, track, rain, cold, summer, winter, vernal equinox, et al.

Paying a lot of money for gloves doesn’t seem to be the solution either: I’ve got some “all-season” mass-market jobs that are as close to nirvana as they come and at a fraction of the cost of the others.

They are comfortable and three-season warm and reasonably water-resistant, but they too are lacking in the protection department. So, the search goes on for the perfect glove to love. Maybe technology just hasn’t caught up with me yet: perhaps there’s a wristlet coming that puts a little force-field around your hands, protecting them from the elements and road rash as well, while still allowing the dexterity to pluck a mosquito from the air.

I don’t know what the solution is, but I think I’ve come to a conclusion about why Michael Jackson only wore one glove: HE found the perfect pair…and then he LOST one of those suckers and couldn’t replace it. He probably just couldn’t bear to give up the other one.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD PorTs in a sTorm I never quite made it to the Boy Scouts; and, yes, I realize this explains a lot. Before I could become a Boy Scout, I was supposed to join the “Webelos”, which is an acronym for “We’ll Be Loyal Scouts” and which is also – regrettably – pronounced “wee-blows”.

It is basically the Scouting equivalent of the minor leagues. In the Webelos, prospective Boy Scouts are taught essential life skills such as the importance of double-knotting their laces and how to survive beatings from “real” Boy Scouts teasing them about their sissy-sounding name.

I opted instead for playing saxophone in the marching band; which of course meant I was beat up even more than the Webelos, sometimes BY the Webelos. As you may have guessed by now, it wasn’t long before I bought my first motorcycle, joined a rock band, and started wearing “Hai Karate” after-shave. I mention this early life-style tailspin because it seems to be the only plausible explanation as to why I am never quite “prepared”. I can’t seem to keep my bootlaces tied, either.

Because of my aborted stint in the Scouts, a mutation has occurred in my “preparedness” gene that keeps me from seeing obvious signs of impending motorcycle mayhem. Consequently, every summer trip finds me immersed in a freakish monsoon that inexplicably congealed from a clear blue sky.

Springtime hurls at least one late-season blizzard my way as I cruise through Blightville with no sanctuary in sight. From far up the road, herds of fleeing forest creatures trample past me to escape a raging wildfire – yet I am caught totally unprepared, oblivious to the encroaching doom, certain I am late for the cook-out.

Granted, my greatest hurdle to being road-ready is usually the road itself.

This is because my trips lean more toward the “expedition” style of outings than, say, your typical weekend scoot to Hooters. I instead frequent the forlorn, forgotten byways whose highway numbers tend to have more digits

Page 9

Tim Wineland than the speed limit and whose rural residents can’t tell the difference. In such an environment, it’s hard to be prepared for the occasional atmospheric anomaly while avoiding the more numerous and “odiferous” anomalies left by the local wandering livestock.

Oh, I do all the right things. I pack all the right clothes. I carry a first-aid kit and wash my hands a lot. Before each trip I research the routes and forecasted weather patterns. I check the airline schedules, monitor solar flare activity, and peruse the Farmer’s Almanac for signs of pestilence. I even click on Google “street view” to check out the pothole population – but all to no avail.

The result is that when the inevitable landslide or locust swarm appears, I am forced to seek shelter from the first hovel I find. Sometimes these emergency accommodations are okay; meaning they meet my minimum criterion of sporting some sort of roof and do not appear to be harboring flesh-eating organisms. Others merely aspire to hoveldom; referring to them as such would only add an extra star to their rating. Most of my impromptu abodes, however, don’t rate at all; meaning they aren’t meant for human habitation in the first place – like the leeward side of a large boulder, perhaps, or a Waffle House on Saturday night.

Even the rare times I do find something quick yet comfy, it comes with covenants. I once took shelter from an unforeseen cyclone beneath the awning of a rural Elementary school. It was summer and the building was empty, so I rolled my bike right up to the front door and sprawled my saturated self across a worn but dry wooden bench, which is exactly what I told the police. It seems someone reported my presence to the local authorities, who were very excited to be sloshing through a maelstrom in order to protect innocent children from what was surely a wandering pervert awaiting Fall semester. They understood my plight, however, and (Continued on Next Page)

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 10 even suggested a room nearby where I might be more comfortable; one with an actual bed and dry linens and iron bars on the doors to protect me from wandering perverts. They never said, but I suspect they had once been Boy Scouts.

Occasionally, rather than risk the rewards of the first convenient haven, I throttle-up in a vain attempt to outrun the encroaching catastrophe. This maneuver works well with, say, a stampeding horde of ground sloths or your average North American glacier; but more often than not, I am overtaken in the outback and forced to spend the next several hours beneath a squalid roadside lean-to with several singlecelled members of the chronic disease family.

Which brings me to Ohio.

In spite of its misleading name, the state of “o-HIGH-o” is anything but. It is a geographical oxymoron, like “East” Southport, or Hillary “I’m from New York” Clinton. Except for the lumpy parts like Cleveland, Ohio is flat, Midwestern, and festooned with field after field of swaying green and yellow John Deere tractors. Though not officially along “Tornado Alley”, it is certainly an off-ramp for the severe-weather wagon.

If not for the sturdy dirt walls of its eastern neighbors, storm winds would have blown the topsoil of Ohio out to sea years ago. It is rumored that Bermuda was once a suburb of Dayton.

One particularly memorable road trip through this jolly-green land found me enjoying a cool spring morning only to be engulfed in Equatorial liquidair by the afternoon. Prune-purple clouds heralded me with thundering applause and grape-sized rain-balls. To say it was “raining” is to say Lake Erie is a “tad moist”. Precipitation was being measured in pounds-per-squareinch. The Weather Channel posted the Lord’s Prayer. On the road, horrified, unblinking children stared at my hydroplaning cadaver through foggy car windows; and I am sure to this day their parents use this image to scare them into behaving lest “The Drowned Man” come and take them away on his water-cycle.

As usual, the deluge had caught me totally unprepared. Oh, sure, there were warning signs of inclement weather ahead: little things, like rivers running backwards and the occasional flying Holstein – but, as I said, this was Ohio. In fact, it was the pale underbelly of sow-skin known as “southern” Ohio. I pondered this as I skulked beneath the first shelter I found and awaited the Ark. You don’t make a lot of friends huddled beneath a manure wagon. Only one sympathetic soul stopped long enough to mention that, although the nearest motel was some miles “back yonder”, there was a boarding house up ahead that might have room for me. I should have noted then that he didn’t say “a” room – just “room”.

I had never stayed in an actual boarding house, so I was delighted to find it was basically the same as a Bed and Breakfast, only without either of those distractions.

Miss Peebles, the rickety old landlady, found “room” for me on the back porch sofa next to a padlocked basement door with the greeting “KEEP OUT” scrawled across it in probable calves’ blood. “That there’s Morris’s room,” she whispered. “He ain’t no Boy Scout, if you know what I mean, but if you don’t make no noise, he’ll probably not bother you.” That night, for the first time in a long time, I felt prepared for anything.

So, I’ve decided to order a Boy Scout handbook off the Internet. I am confident that with this handbook, I will learn how to be better “prepared” and overcome this deficiency in my biker DNA. I will join my fellow twowheeled travelers mingling comfortably within warm coffeehouses as they wait with double-knotted laces for the predicted storms to pass. I promise “to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight” and face the clear-but-possibly-fatal horizon with confidence and a waterproof, multi-functioning GPS complete with Doppler radar and Geiger counter.

Only then will I truly know, deep in my heart – maybe while admiring a brilliant and promising sunrise – that I am about to be struck by lightning.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 11

BACKLASH

Letters to the Editor

Farewell But Not Goodbye Greetings: As you may have already heard, I have reached an agreement to sell off Cliff’s Cycle Revolution to a subsidiary of Penske Auto Group named PAG Stratton, LLC. dba Max BMW Motorcycles. Dealer Principal Max Stratton and I have worked over the past months to reach a mutually beneficial agreement leading to the sale of Cliff’s, and becoming the third motorcycle dealership flying the Max Stratton name. I made this decision very carefully, and wanted to be sure it was the right time, the right person, and the right terms.

Sometimes things align themselves just right making a serious, difficult decision clear as day. I am comfortable knowing Max runs a class act. I would want nothing less, and would have accepted nothing less, for Cliff’s customers and employees.

It is hard to believe that nearly eight years ago, Cliff’s opened with seven people, and proceeded to grow revenues fivefold while employing 22 people/riders at its peak. We received various and numerous achievement awards from both BMW and Ducati as a consistent top national dealer for both brands. That growth would not have happened without the tremendous support we received from the area riders and beyond. It also would not have happened without the core group of the best employees in the business. We worked our asses off, plain and simple; all for the love of two wheels and its lifestyle. I, we, put our hearts and souls into Cliff’s. I am deeply proud of the dealership and each and every person who contributed to its success.

In the past eight years I have met some of the greatest people in my life to date, riders and non-riders, their families and friends. The relationships are such that they will carry well past Cliff’s or Max’s. I have had the pleasure of working with, and riding the world with such friends. And they were not just customers; they were, in fact, friends. It has been an unbelievable ride… literally. I rode to work, at work, and for work. I can’t think of anything more satisfying. In fact, with the sale of the business, it leaves me more time to ride with our great community. It’s a fair bet you will see me on the road even more often.

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I will have a continuing role as a landlord and remain CEO of Revolution Insurance, LLC. Revolution Insurance has moved its office from Cliff’s to 440 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT • 203-431-5955 • and will continue to offer the premium service you have come to expect. We would love of course to give you a quote!

I hope that you know my goal was to make a positive impact on the motorcycle community through Cliff’s, and to help you to enjoy your passion explore>>learn>>connect>>share>>.That is what Cliff’s was about. I want to thank you all, literally thousands, who took the time to let me know verbally how much Cliff’s meant to you. Thank you for the letters of thanks, which I have saved in massive binders over the years, to remember why, and who, we are here for. Thank you for the testimonials which were truly inspirational to all of Cliff’s Crew.

This is farewell, but not goodbye. I will, in fact, be involved with motorcycling in several different roles, and will consider each one carefully. Motorcycles are a huge part of my life and will remain so. I can only thank all of those involved with Cliff’s, so many people on so many different levels, for allowing me to follow a dream, and to build what I believe to be one of the best dealerships in the United States. It was not always easy, but it was always rewarding. This is not an end, but a new beginning. Please join me in congratulating Max, and wishing him luck with his newest store. I expect some great things, as should you. I am sure you, as I, will warmly welcome him into the neighborhood.

Ride Safe, Cliff La Motta - Cliff’s Cycle Revolution Brian and Shira, As a long time friend and co-worker of Terry Deeds and a long time reader of Backroads, I just wanted to thank you for the mention of Terry in your article about traveling in Canada. It was a very nice tribute to a wonderful person whom we will all miss very much. Just in case you hadn’t heard, the driver that crossed the median that fateful night had a blood alcohol level of .40; he was blitzed.

(Next page)

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 12 Please everyone be careful out there and be aware of your surroundings at all times. It is no doubt a dangerous “sport” or “passion” however you want to look at it. I know that it was a “passion” for Terry.

Thanks, Calvert Schlick

Backroads Suggestions?

Hey Backroads, Have you folks thought of having more color in your magazine, some of the pictures of scenery you take look beautiful, but I think they would come to life, if they were in color. Also how about making the magazine a little smaller ( a little ) so it would fit in a briefcase.

Sincerely, Reinaldo Y Jimenez Ummm… Reinaldo… Take off your black and white glasses. We have a lot of color pages and we plan on more! Also I have sent you a link to an extra large briefcases. Folks like the big and beefy size of Backroads.

Hi Guys, You picked some amazing places for the “Greatest Places We’ve Ridden” feature! Janet & I have been fortunate to have ridden some of them... (Grand Canyon, Costa Rica, & the Alps) . We’ve added the rest to our “Bucket List”.

Here are some destinations we’d recommend to dedicated Backroads readers. They all have that magical combination of awesome roads and spectacular scenery. Again, in no particular order: 1 - The White Rim Trail, Moab Utah - 100 miles of moderately challenging dual-sprot riding. Easily completed in one day. Start early, run it counter clock-wise, and bring plenty of water.

2 - Kevin Schwant School at Barber Motorsports Track, Birmingham, AL – we’ve taken many track school...this one is tops! The track has enough elevation changes and FWO straight-aways to keep you focused. The Barber Motorcycle Museum makes this a weekend to remember.

3 - Colorado has more great roads than I have vacation days. My favorite is Rocky Mountain National Park.

4 - Blue Ridge Parkway, VA & NC - this is an easy day’s ride from NJ.

Your first trip is always memorable. We usually ride it end-to-end every 3-4 years. There are accommodations along the way. The only negative is mediocre grub.

5 - NC Rte 80, from Roan Mtn, NC to Old Fort, NC & Wayah Rd., Franklin, NC - a secret alternatives to “the Dagon” in western NC 6 - Utah Route 12 from Torrey to Brice Canyon (if you camp stay at Kodachrome Park) 7 - AZ Route 67 - Jacob Lake to North Rim Grand Canyon - enjoy the sunset & fresh popcorn from a rocking chair on the back porch of the North Rim Lodge ... www.grandcanyonlodgenorth.com/ ...if you have a sweet tooth, eat some amazing pie at Jacob Lake.

8 - Glacier National Park... Going to the Sun Road 9 - Cherohala Skyway, Robbinsville, NC to Tellico Plains, TN - 50 miles of superb asphalt & scenic views of the Smokies.

All the best, Glen Martin

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Page 13

INDUS TRY INFOBITES

News from the Inside

ROYALS STILL WANT TO RIDE

SIKH MOTORCYCLIST CHALLENGES TURBAN BAN IN CANADA

While Prince William may be engaged, he’s not going to be giving up the motorcycle lifestyle anytime soon, according to the Telegraph. The two Princes are said to be planning another epic motorcycle odyssey similar to the 2009 trip in Africa where the pair covered 1000 miles of back country in eight days.

Brother Harry, an avid motorcyclist is often seen sporting around on his black Triumph, and once even rode on the back of a Ducati superbike with GP winner Randy Mamola for several 100+ laps around a British racetrack.

PARIS HILTON SPONSORS MOTORCYCLE RACE TEAM So, the obvious question is “who cares?”

Well, maybe somebody!

This spoiled little rich girl, more famous for simply being famous than actually doing anything, is spending some of her family’s money on motorcycle racing. Snooze fest huh?

Well, yes and no. Paris’ most recent project, a 125cc MotoGP team, is dubbed SuperMartxe VIP by Paris Hilton. Its headquarters are in Barcelona, Spain.

According to the blogsphere, Spanish motorcycle heroes Sergio Gadea and Maverick Vinales form the nucleus of SuperMartxe VIP. Technical surveillance falls to mechanic Rossano Brazzi, who has worked with a number of famous racers like six-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi.

Is the end really near?

93-YEAR-OLD KILLS PREGNANT MOTORCYCLIST; $375 FINE A 93-year-old Oberon North Dakota woman who was driving a vehicle that struck two motorcycles, this past summer, resulting in the death of a pregnant woman, has been sentenced for misdemeanor driving charges Tuesday November 30th. The Ramsey County State’s Attorney, Lonnie Olson, said Faith Mitzel was ordered to pay $375 in fines. She will also face 60 days in jail if she commits a crime within the next two years.

A Toronto area Sikh, who was fined for driving a motorcycle without a helmet, has taken his battle to court for his right to wear a turban. Baljinder Badesha, who owns a motorcycle dealership in the Toronto suburb of Brampton, was charged for the offense in Sept. 2005 and fined $110. He has not ridden a motorcycle even as part of test-driving at his dealership since then.

In moving the court, he says he wants to not only protect his religious right to wear the turban but also get the fine overturned.

Badesha, who appeared in court Friday, said the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allowed him to practice his Sikh religion. He said he knew that riding a motorcycle without a helmet on highways was a dangerous thing. But he was willing take that risk for his faith, he said.

The 39-year-old Sikh is being supported by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in his legal battle. Speaking for Badesha, Scott Hutchison of the Ontario Human Rights Commission said that denying him the religious right to wear the turban amounted to infringing on ‘his human dignity’.

He said Badesha cannot be forced to make a choice between his religion and participating in the normal life.

Scott added: ‘Roads and riding a motorcycle are something that is available to everybody in Ontario provided they wear a helmet. But that condition

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 14 makes it impossible for Mr. Bedesha and everybody of the Sikh religion.

That amounts to discrimination.’

However, Sikhs are allowed to wear a turban instead of a helmet while driving in the provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba.

DUCATI DIAVEL NOW IN DIAMOND BLACK In response to feedback from motorcycle show visitors, Ducati is pleased to announce the addition of a stunning diamond black color scheme for the new 2011 Ducati Diavel.

With the Diavel receiving consumer attention at motorcycle shows around the globe, Ducati collected feedback from passionate motorcyclists viewing the bike for the first time. The new diamond black color option is the result of immediate response to customer demand.

While the Diavel Carbon was overwhelmingly loved alongside the Diavel in traditional Ducati Red, the black livery replaces the originally presented white offering. The new black scheme will also be further enhanced

with a black anodized headlamp body and lateral air intakes.The new black diamond color has already been incorporated into production plans and will be available alongside the entire Diavel range this February at authorized Ducati dealerships. For more information about the 2011 Ducati Diavel, please visit www.ducatiusa.com.

SALES HOLD ON 2011 NINJA® ZX-10R LIFTED IN JANUARY KAWASAKI DEALERS TO RESUME SALES AS NORMAL Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. announced that the recent sales hold placed on the 2011 Ninja ZX-10R sportbike is expected to be lifted in late January and that sales of the highly-anticipated unit will resume as normal.

According to Kawasaki engineers, the proactive sales hold resulted from a finding that indicated possible surging of the intake valve spring when the unit is operated under unique riding conditions, such as on a racetrack. The surge could cause the intake valve to seat improperly, resulting in poor engine performance.

The camshaft, valve springs, and spring retainers are being replaced to prevent the valves from surging, without affecting engine performance.

To find out more on this or anything Kawasaki, visit them online at www.kawasaki.com.

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT TOUR 2011

Alisa Clickenger (MotoAdventureGal) and Karen Thomson of Avid MotoTours have teamed up to offer a “Women’s Empowerment Motorcycle Tour” June 24-July 2, 2011.

The 9-day tour will encompass the Pacific Northwest including Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. Besides the normal tour itinerary and enjoyment, the tour will include pre-trip personal coaching, confidence building exercises, and during-tour seminars to give JACKETS • VESTS • CHAPS every rider a toolbox of skills they can rely on when DOT/NOVELTY HELMETS planning or implementing their own future trips.

TRAVEL BAGS • BOOTS • GLOVES MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING FOR Long distance motorbike travelers and experienced tour guides, Clickenger and Thomson want to give back RIDING GLASSES • ACCESSORIES to the sport that has given them so much by empowering WWW.RENEGADECLASSICSMIDDLETOWN.COM other female riders to fall in love with motorcycling and motorcycle travel. They want these women to ultimately feel comfortable and capable of taking a motorcycle BARE BONES trip, with or without a travel partner.

SALE AND SPECIALS… “I hear time and again as I travel ‘Are you all alone?’

‘Aren’t you scared?’ then ultimately ‘Oh, I wish I could GOING ON ALL OF JANUARY do what you do!’ ”, said Clickenger, who recently trav22 COUNTY ROUTE 78 • MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 eled solo for seven months through Mexico, Central and South America. “The truth is,” she continued, “anyone (in the Patton’s Auto Body Bldg.) can do what I do, what we do, traveling alone. Sometimes it just takes getting over a little fear, having a little Major Credit Cards Accepted • Gift Certificates Available knowledge, or a little encouragement.”

Check Website for Store Hours Thomson, while accumulating over 300,000 motorcycle miles, has led many tours in North America and Europe, and was a MSF instructor for 16 years. She says, “We’ve chosen a spectacular route, with plenty of great roads and terrific scenery. We have something to offer everyone, whether they are new to touring or are a rider that just wants to be part of an all-female tour. the things we will cover are; how to plan, preSALES • SERVICE Among 3-Rail Bike Trailers pare and pack for your trip, reading maps and using STRAPS • D RING your GPS. Each rider can elect their own level of parToy Hauler Trailers TIE DOWNS ticipation.”

“Pulling out of your garage is the hardest part of any with or without T RUCK C APS trip” stated Clickenger. “I’ve been through all phases of We are now a Living Quarters fear, technological challenges, and life challenges to get ACCESSORIES on the road. I want to give back that sense of accomSOFT TOUCH plishment and independence that motorcycling has Full Service and Parts Facility Cap Dealer me. I look forward to the shining faces and the ‘I WHEEL CHOCKS given DIT IT’ exclamations at the end of the tour.”

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Page 15

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTE RIOUS AME RICA DeserT of maine 95 DeserT rD. • freePorT, maine 04032 • www.desertofmaine.com When one thinks of a desert the regions of northern Africa or America’s southwest might spring to mind, but rarely would the northeastern state of Maine.

What, a desert in Maine? That’s absurd – Maine has rocky coasts and smashing waves, great woodlands, moose and lakes. Not camels and sand.

Ah, but there you are wrong my stalwart friends, if just a bit. Come along with Seymour now as we ride to Freeport, Maine and the old Tuttle farm that is now the Desert of Maine.

This story started back in the late 1700s.

Looking for a place to start a farm, a gentleman by the name of Tuttle purchased nearly 300 acres of land not far from the tiny Maine town of Freeport. He headed home and told his wife the good news. She, unawares that he was going to be doing such a thing, was understandably peeved.

She was not moving from her home. So Tuttle, being a man of action, literally moved the home, by oxen, to his new farm.

For years the family had a successful farm but Tuttle was not a savvy farmer and ideas like crop rotation never entered his mind. He clear-cut much of his acreage and when the crops started to falter he had the bright idea of adding sheep to his stock of animals.

One day they noticed a fine sand had begun to appear along parts of the farm. As time went on the sand began to encroach on other parts of the farm.

Tuttle’s land was being over run by something he thought should only be found in the Sahara.

But there was an underlying cause for Tuttle’s woes. Literally.

This part of the northeast had been buried under miles of ice during the last Ice Age. The powerful forces of the slow moving glaciers crushed and pureed the native stone into a sand-like glacial silt. With the badly managed crops and clear cutting, Tuttle had began eroding the shallow top soil of his once fertile farm, exposing a sandy monster from the past. Adding the sheep, who do not simply graze but tear plants out by the roots, the farm was quickly taken back by the underlying glacial silt.

The ocean breezes kept the sand moving and eventually almost 500 acres became a desert of sorts, with huge dunes hundreds of feet high.

The Tuttle’s gave up on the farm and sold.

Eventually, the farm was bought by an enterprising fellow who thought he could use the sand to make glass, but it was silt, not real sand and the silica

content was nil.

After a few years, when visiting the farm now turned desert, a friend asked why he just didn’t charge folks to come see this mystery. Thus the Desert of Maine was born – or at least the place we know today.

But the story doesn’t end there.

During the summers the region can get quite warm and in 1938 a small log building was built near a natural spring so visitors could stop and refresh themselves while taking in the “desert.”

The sand kept coming and the dunes kept shifting and slowly the Spring House began to surrender to the inevitable and by 1962 it was completely covered by the silt.

I got to see all this when Notso Happy and I rode up the coast this summer.

We took a 30-minute tram ride that circled the desert, which itself is slowly being reclaimed by forest. Nature, if anything, can be a viscous circle of life.

There is also a great Farm Museum in the old barn and they have a serious collection of sand from around the world.

I noticed that they had no sand from the Sahara, so we have fixed that by providing sand from the Urg in Morocco – Backroads little addition to the Desert of Maine.

The Desert of Maine is a remarkable bit of history and a testament to what can happen if you ignore Mother Nature and do not handle your farm in a responsible manner. It is also a must see when riding in the southern part of Maine. You’ll find the desert right off I-295. Take exit 20 and head west to the desert.

O’Life out!

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 16

BIG CIT Y G ETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

20Th cenTury cycles 101 auDrey avenue • oysTer Bay, ny Ralph Angelo The Piano Man himself, Billy Joel, is actually also a motorcycle enthusiast who has amassed quite an impressive collection of motorcycles over the years.

He recently opened his collection up to everyone who cares to take a look, at a venue called “20th Century Cycles” in Billy’s home town or Oyster Bay, NY.

A converted garage and building now houses approximately 60 of Mr. Joel’s prize possessions. Sitting on a diamond plate shelf in the window of the white, yellow and blue building is a spectacular old red and white Royal Enfield.

Once inside you immediately get a taste of the diversity in Billy Joel’s collection. The back wall is filled with various Harley-Davidsons, while rows of other manufacturer’s wares occupy the rest of the showroom.

Several different vintages of the aforementioned Royal Enfield marque, including a fairly new one, make up one row. Next to those machines are Hondas, Yamahas, Kawasakis and some tasty Triumphs, of both the Hinckley and Meriden eras.

Also throughout the shop, although it’s really more of a museum than a shop as the vintage signs and equipment inside are far more reminiscent of an old gas station then any museum I’ve ever been to, are other famous marques as well, including a very impressive display of several pristine Moto-Guzzis.

There are some beautiful examples of BMW thrown in there as well, as decidedly everything in the shop is of a bygone era, though some are not as bygone as others.

Near the front is a showroom condition Vincent Rapide that takes the breath away in, as expected from anything with the Vincent name attached, shiny jet black.

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The motorcycle that brought a smile to my face is the cafe racer with the BSA tank sitting on a ramp above the crowd of shining motorcycles below.

Surprisingly, it is NOT a BSA but a Kawasaki W650. I know this because I own one of these as well, though Mr. Joel’s is a stunning piece of custom bike building.

In fact all the motorcycles presented are in pristine condition, something that amazed me. Nothing here is leaking anything or can in any way, shape or form be deemed as unpresentable. Even more amazingly, every motorcycle I saw here had plates on them and were inspected, meaning they were all on the road and could be ridden out of there today.

To see a private collection like this up-close and personal is a treat, when it’s a collection owned by someone who is as famous and well known, as well as well-liked as Billy Joel, it’s an added treat.

20th Century Cycles is located on Audrey St. at the northern end of Rte. 106 in the heart of Oyster Bay, NY. Stop by on a Saturday or Sunday (the shop is only open on weekends) and you have a very good chance of seeing the Piano Man himself walking around the museum, as this is not just a place for him to show his collection but for him to hang out in as well

Page 17

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 18

G REAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN riversiDe Barr & grill 5801 souTh Delaware Drive rTe. 611 easTon, Pa 18040 610-258-1008 • www.riversiDeBarr.com Speaking briefly with the owner of this month’s stop on the gastronomical train we call the Great All American Diner Run, we both agreed that one of the most important things for the success of a good restaurant is “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.” Well Eric certainly has this with the Riverside Barr & Grill.

You’ll find this Delaware getaway about 7 miles north of the city of Easton, right along Route 611.

If it’s a sunny afternoon don’t worry about missing the Riverside – you can’t – when you see all the motorcycles you know you have found the place. Truth is we have never passed this place without seeing dozens of machines parked in their ample lot.

It was just a matter of time before this place would be featured in the GAADR. We stopped by a few months back, on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon. Still, we found a dozen or so bikes lined up.

The expansive patio had a number of tables already filled with riders and the bar itself had a large crowd as well.

It is fairly safe to say that the Riverside Barr & Grill is a “biker” bar if there ever was one. But,

tasty places to take your bike don’t fall for the Hollywood Biker image. It doesn’t apply here.

Everyone we saw seemed pretty happy and friendly and they had every right to be as the food was as rocking as the many bands that play here each weekend.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 19

Rip & Ride® • RIVERSIDE BARR & GRILL 5801 SOUTH DELAWARE DR., RTE. 611 • EASTON, PA 18040 • 610-258-1008 • WWW.RIVERSIDEBARR.COM

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One of the staples for us, a litmus taste if you will, are Hot Wings.

Shira ordered up a dozen split down the middle – the Riverside’s Mild and Hot Honey. We’re here to say – awesome!

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NUMBERS DON’T LIE! After the wings she went a bit more healthy and ordered a Spinach Salad that was about as good as it gets.

After stealing a few of Shira’s wings I went for the Bacon and Blue Burger, made with Angus beef, it too was very tasty.

Looking around at a few other dishes spread out on the other tables just about everything looked excellent.

It was too bad that we could only eat so much at one time.

But, that is the beauty of the Great All American Diner Run – it is your own invitation for an awesome ride and a superb meal when the ride is half over.

You will have to go home sometime.

The Riverside also has ample room and grounds for events and happenings – which seem to occur often.

So follow along with this month’s Rip & Ride to the Riverside Barr & Grill. You will not be disappointed.

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Page 20

BMW F800R – COMING TO AMERICA Europe always seems to get the cool stuff first. And, if we’re lucky, that said cool stuff will eventual make its way across the Atlantic to our shores. Look how long it took Yamaha to bring the Tenere over here.

Back in September I got a chance to spend some time on another machine that needs to be brought to America – the BMW F800R. And it seems that’s just what the folks at BMW Motorrad are doing, come this Spring.

This naked roadster shares much with the others in the “F-Series.”

Powered by, more or less, the same liquid-cooled, 798cc parallel twin, which puts out just under 90 horses – plenty for this machine. Where some F-bikes are belt driven, like the GS’ the R is chain driven and this is powered by a 6-speed transmission. The aluminum frame looks to be borrowed from the older S-model, but the R runs a double-sided swing arm. The rear suspension is handled by a single shock in the rear and more conventional 43mm forks can be found up front.

As with most BMW’s the braking is top notch with Brembo handling the stopping power. ABS and heated grips will be available as an option but, with most Americabound BMW’s, a large percentage of those imported will come with these option already on the machines.

Like other F-bikes the R stores it’s 4.3 gallons of fuel under the seat for a lower center of gravity and, much to my happiness, that seat is a short 31 inches off the ground and the claimed weight of 440 lbs with fuel made me smile as well.

So, how does all this work on the road? Most excellently. From the seating position to the ergonomics and reach, it was comfort from the start. Handling was smooth as silk, allowing me to enjoy the scenery rather than have my mind stuck on muscling this motorcycle through it’s paces. While the roads were wet on the day of our ride, traction was still quite sticky, although I didn’t really get to wick it up too much in the twisties.

Having a spin on Germany’s ‘big roads’ one can see that there is more than enough power for the roads in the US. I look forward to a more extended testing period on this wonderful new addition to BMW’s imports to the states.

This bike will be at your local BMW dealer in early Spring and will be available in four different color schemes and will retail – sans options – for $9,950.

Shira Kamil

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Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE camPBell house B &B 305 easT main sTreeT * ligonier, Pa 15658 724-238-9812 * www.camPBellhouseBnB.com Some of the best places we find we stumble upon serendipitously and this month’s installment of ‘We’re Outta Here!’ is no exception.

Last season, on a sojourn south, we were cutting through the Laurel Highlands region of Pennsylvania – a reason to ride the southwest part of the Keystone State all by itself.

By late afternoon we thought it best to call it a day and pulled out the maps to see what the next closest town might be. This day it was the historic burg of Ligonier.

Ligonier has it share of history. In 1758, when British forces launched a major campaign to remove French forces from the forks of the Ohio, now Pittsburgh, this spot on Loyalhanna Creek was the site of their westernmost camp before reaching the Ohio. It was an enormous army, a virtual moving city of 6,000 people, that temporarily made this the most populated spot in Pennsylvania second only to Philadelphia. The fort was named Fort Ligonier after John Ligonier, a British noble of French origin who held the rank of Field Marshal in the British Army. Eventually, the name of the settlement that grew up around the fort was shortened to Ligonier.

The fort and museum are a great way to spend a few hours while in the town.

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads There is also one of the oldest amusement parks in the nation just down the road – Idlewild. And, this fits into this installment perfectly.

You see when we got into town we were told that the local motel, some chain I have already forgotten, was full; but they had a suggestion – The Campbell House B & B. We didn’t know about it, but we have always liked the cozy and comfy feeling you get from a good Bed & Breakfast.

I whipped out my cell and gave the place a call. Moments later Patti, the owner, answered.

I asked if she had a room for the night.

She answered, asking if I had any children with me. Well, I’m a kid at heart, but no technically we were adults – I think.

She said she did and to come over.

When we pulled up she came out and I was ready for the “oh, oh – they have motorcycles look” but that is not what happened. Instead Patti put on a big grin and said “Motorcycles! I love motorcycles!”

Excellent. It turns out she used to ride herself a few years back.

(Continued on Next Page)

Page 22

The Campbell House is located right down on Main Street south of the huge Square and the entire place has a most charming way about it.

Patti has six very comfortable and well-appointed rooms; all with great antiques and some of the best soap ever. You can even buy some of the finer things that pamper you in the room and bring them home to your own casa.

There is also a small Efficiency Motel as well for a total of 8 rooms.

As we said Patti and the Campbell House are very rider-friendly and you can find this B & B on our Backroads Moto-Inn Listing on our website too.

She wants you to visit; unlike some B & B owners who shudder at the thought of motorcyclists knocking on their door.

Patti is an interesting woman to talk with and the more you do the more you’ll realize she’s one of us – she just doesn’t ride anymore. While there,

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

she recommended a few restaurants and one, a great bar called Joe’s, that has the greatest collection of wild game on display in the nation. Maybe the largest privately owned selection of creatures from around the planet in the world.

Come morning Patti really shone with a superb breakfast… baked pancakes, fresh ham, baked French toast, sausage links, poached pears, cheese egg crêpes or baked cheese eggs and Amish sausage.

And, our favorite, Devonshire cream with fresh fruit topped with granola that made getting up in the morning special indeed.

We almost didn’t want to pack up and get going that day.

With the Campbell House Bed & breakfast you get that wonderful combination of ingredients that make up a great We’re Outta Here! The Laurel Highlands and its yummy combinations of attractive roads and beautiful scenery, a historic fort, a wonderful town to explore, great restaurants, a very oddly decorated bar and, of course, the Campbell House itself which we are sure you will not disappoint.

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Page 24

Motorcycle Fun Without the Motorcycles

And, now for something completely different – Monty Python I was sitting upstairs in our very sweet two-room suite at a Radisson on the east Floridian Space Coast. We had flown in earlier that day and just downstairs and around the corner was one very serious party going on.

Flying to destinations for motorcycle fun is not unusual for us, but still I wondered why I was here and our bikes some 900 or so miles to the north dozing in the barn instead of outside in the parking lot soaking up the warm October Florida sunshine?

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Swapping our jeans for shorts, Shira and I meandered down towards the pool and to the growing party.

Around the well-done pool were the strategically placed bikes to be awarded as prizes at the end of the cruise, the vendor table with all things High Seas as well as raffle tickets and such and several hundred revelers with more arriving by the hour. The evening saw everyone having a marvelous time, reconnecting with friends or making new ones, and getting ready for the week’s fun.

This was the opening salvo of the 2010 High Seas Rally and the fun looked like it was just getting started for these folks.

Now, as our folks from Monty Python would say – this was something completely different for us - a rally, but without any motorcycles or riding.

Just don’t seem natural, does it? At least, not for us.

Still many people will tell you that a big part of the riding culture is the camaraderie and fun that you have when the ride is over and the bikes parked.

So it’s hard to argue with the idea of bringing 1,700 like-minded bikers together for a week of exploring and comradeship on the second largest cruise ship on the planet.

The brain child of Debbie and Dean Anderson, the High Seas Rally was created to bring the flavor and fun of the big rallies – Sturgis, Daytona and Loudon onto ….well, the high seas! And, for eight years now, they have been holding these floating parties in the Caribbean, the Mexican Riviera and even Alaska. Along the way they have created the HSR Dialysis Fund, which provides dialysis treatments for those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy something as nice as a Caribbean cruise. A superb thought.

Originally this event was called Hogs on the High Seas; but realizing its a large two-wheeled world out there they have thought to include and entice riders of other makes and models to come along and be a pirate for a week.

That being done Shira and I found ourselves boarding Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas and settling in for a week of exploring – just without our motorcycles.

It promised to be fun.

eWWeee eWWeee BaBy! Embarking on a ship the size of the Freedom of the Seas is simply amazing. It seems more like a small town than a big boat.

Pools everywhere, hot tubs cantilevered over the open sea and a bar around every corner.

Entering the ship the folks from the High Seas Rally set you up with a great embossed leather case full of all sorts of goodies, including a personalized magnet for your cabin door. Entering the cabin we were greeted with a bottle of champagne, compliments of Dean and Debbie, and a stunning view of the sea from the balcony.

week, the Freedom of the Seas.

By chance this Sunday was also the day for the annual Cocoa Beach Air Show and the United States Air Force Thunderbirds put on one hell of a show off the starboard deck. As many of you know we are huge military jet fans and this display of air and speed was a wonderful omen.

This evening was also Halloween. The High Seas Rally Costume Party was beyond, with many imaginative costumes. I’m really not sure how some of these folks got them on the ship at all, especially that three-headed monster. Backroads was represented by Lois and Clark, as we are technically reporters, right? The party ran until early the next morning, with much reveling in the night.

trying to reason With hurricane season Right before we left New Jersey, the Weather Channel started talking of a tropical depression called Tomas. By the time we got south it had become a stage 1 hurricane. Excellent!

But, as much as I felt the second biggest ship on the planet could easily handle this Dean, Debbie and Royal Caribbean opted for Plan B. We were to spend the first day on sea steaming towards Labadee, on the

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Our departing time was late afternoon so in typical ‘Backroads’ style we went exploring our home for the

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Page 26

Haitian coast, but with Tomas quickly becoming a beast we set sail for Cocoa Cay, a small private island off the Bahamas.

With the morning bringing perfect weather we were good with that. After a quick breakfast we boarded the tender and made our way to shore.

The small island is privately owned by Royal Caribbean and is basically a giant play-

ground for both young and old. Plenty of shallow ocean to play with in the Bahamas and soon the island was swarming with High Seas Ralliers.

Dean and Debbie, along with hired gun comedian Roy Reilly, set up the World’s Largest T-Shirt Swap with nearly 800 riders playing the game and swapping shirts from around the nation and the world. Fun stuff.

Afterward we headed to the beach and spent a few hours floating around and becoming far too intimate with a few jellyfish.

After our picnic/barbeque lunch we shopped a bit and then, desperately needing a motor/speed/velocity and power fix, signed on for a tour of the islands on Sea-Doo watercraft.

Along the way we got to see some interesting wildlife – the local iguana named Louie, some great stingray and, along the shore of one of the islands, dozens of monstrous starfish. The Bahamas, named so for the shallowness of its waters, was home to a great drug trade in the ‘60 and ‘70s and on some of these islands still sit the now empty homes of the drug lords of that wild

and crazy era. Our Sea-Doo guide gave us some quick tales of dropped cargo and crashed planes to stir our imaginations.

Back on board the rally continued. But, what would a real rally be without vendors? That afternoon the vendor area opened with a good number of quality merchandise on display and for sale. Our friends from Nolan helmets and Condor bike stands were there as well as the artists Scott Jacobs and Marc Lacourciere. Lehman trikes were not only there but donated a trike for the cause as well. Rounding out the offerings were Kuryakyn, Rivco, Performance Machine, HeliBars and some fine jewelers.

Sharing the vendor space was the headquarters for the High Seas Rally where you could purchase your daily prize tickets as well as Pirate Bingo cards and get any of your questions answered. If you are a first-timer, or Rally Virgin, you’ll probably have a few.

The rest of the afternoon, before dinner that evening, was spent exploring the promenade, which was like a huge mall on the seas. The discovery of Vintages Wine Bar assured a huge depletion of our cash, but what the hell.

Later that night Dean and Debbie held their Rally Intro/Overview and Giveaway at the theatre, which was a nightly event and great crowd pleaser. Each night featured something different, from introducing the dialysis patients onboard to honoring our veterans. Here we were told about the history of the rally and the great work that has been done with the HOHS Dialysis Fund. Sitting in front of us was NASCAR great Geoff Bodine who took a shine to our favorite puppet Notso Happy. Folks departing the evening ceremonies had a full plate to look forward to during this floating rally.

cruisin’ the cariBBean With the schedule slightly altered we spent that Tuesday at sea heading south around Cuba and to the isle of Jamaica mon and Ocho Rios.

We had a free day at sea but that just let the High Seas Rally kick into high gear with the Belly Smacker contest. Yes, kids, it is exactly that, and 10 brilliant contestants battled it out for the championship. Cycling through the many rounds and accumulated bruises, the top belly-smacker was awarded

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011 to Bob Gaglione.

That evening was formal night for the rest of the ship, but for the High Seas Ralliers that just meant leather and there was plenty of that this evening. If you happened to forget to bring your favorite piece of leatherware, not to worry. Patty the Leather Lady was doing her thing in the vendor area and was happy to supply you with just the right accoutrement.

Port o’ call ocho rios, JaMaica Arriving in Ocho Rios the next morning we made our way to land. Some cruised over to Dunns Falls and others to the Jamaican Bobsled – but many just taxied around town and eventually ended up at Jimmy Buffet’s Magarittaville.

As Parrotheads in good standing we floated in and once I got a look at the waterslide that runs from the roof through the bar and into the deep pool I was planted for the afternoon.

This turned into one serious party and Jimmy would have been proud. There were prizes given, dances danced, and plenty of rum to be had. As the saying goes, what happens in Jamaica stays in Jamaica. And, as it turned out, some did stay in Jamaica, but none from the High Seas Rally group.

Page 27 Those who made their way back to the ship earlier cheered on the folk who were getting in just before the anchor was weighed. There were a couple running up the dock just in time. That feel good party atmosphere filtered its way back onto the ship and by the time we took off for the next port later that afternoon the boat was rockin’ and rollin’.

As was now customary Shira and I wandered to the wine bar for a late afternoon glass of scrumptious vino. This afternoon we were pleased to meet and talk with the Captain of the ship, Manolis Kasselas, the world’s smallest Captain.

A gracious man, he invited us to tour the bridge and we hoped that would be possible before the cruise was over.

We enjoyed the Promenade and then it was onto the Schooner Bar for the late afternoon playing of Name that Tune. We were getting progressively worse; that or the subjects were drifting away from us. This afternoon was themes from Chick Flicks. Not my favorite and it showed.

This evening’s activity was the ‘Treasured Chest’ contest. With the best wenches heading up on stage, these fine lasses collected their votes in the form of pirate loot, better known as cold, hard cash. All money collected went directly to the HOHS Dialysis Fund and the 10 most buxom beauties who be the winners split some of their own booty from the vendors. This year’s winner was Tina Young, and a fine looking wench she was.

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Page 28 Actually acting slightly mature this evening we made it an early one. We were steaming towards the Caymans and we had a date with some stingrays.

Port o’ call - georgetoWn, cayMan islands This day we were up to see an awesome sunrise over the Caribbean. By 7:30 (early for island time) we had met our group for the day’s excursions.

There were a few things I wanted to do and see in the Caymans but the first and most important to Shira and me was Stingray City.

This is an area of sea that naturally has hundreds of stingrays and over the years they have become quite docile and almost tame around humans.

This trip would be combined with some reef snorkeling so we were excited to get off our huge boat and onto a much smaller one for the short trip to Stingray City.

As I had heard they were indeed hundreds of these small willowy sharks in the water. Getting into the calm and smooth waters of the Stingray I instantly had one glide past by body,

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its huge bat-like wings sliding across my back. Surprisingly soft, the Southern Atlantic Stingray of the Cayman Islands seemed almost prehistoric to me. We got a chance to hold them and feed them and even get a Stingray massage and kiss.

As I looked closely into one of their eyes I wondered what it could possibly be thinking of these creatures that sail up each day to touch, hold and feed them. His sharky eyes gave me no clue.

Both Shira and I agreed it was one of the most remarkable things we have ever experienced.

Snorkeling as always was fun – a poor excuse to SCUBA in these waters, but time would only allow for one or the other.

Back in town we strolled around the port and found lunch at Eden Rock, another famous Cayman snorkeling spot. Fresh fish, conch and ‘farm raised’ turtle, a big business in the Caymans, filled our needs this day and really hit the spot, especially with local Caybrew beer.

From there it was onward for the obligatory stop at Buffet’s Margaritaville which, like the one in Jamaica, was a raucous party central. It seemed that we had just missed the wet t-shirt contest so we continued on and visited the famous Elmslie Church, which was built by a ship builder some 160 years ago. A pretty chapel with vaulted ceilings of dark

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011 wood, it gave us a chance to atone for the sins we had boldly acquired during the High Seas Rally with all these Milwaukee pirates and such.

By the port itself we found the usual crafts and trinkets shops. For the High Seas Rally people there were two Harley shops so those who needed a Cayman Harley shirt were not disappointed.

By 3-ish most were back on the Freedom of the Seas and being late afternoon we took a stroll of the ship and made our way to the nightly ‘Name that Tune’ – this night it was Disco Songs of the ‘70s. Oy vey.

Up until then the Captain had done his best to avoid Tomas, but to get where we needed to go, the Mexican island of Cozumel, we had to skirt the edges of the hurricane that was taking its sweet time across the Caribbean.

Up on deck this evening was the Topless Man Contest, involving baby oil, blindfolded female judges and, you guessed it, topless men. We’ll let your imagination do its best here and just tell you that the winner, John Renfro, along with the top two contestants, split $1,000 in prizes from the vendors.

During the nightly Giveaway Show the winds picked up mightily and just taking a walk on the deck became an adventure all in itself. Even a ship the size of Freedom of the Seas had a good roll to it this evening.

Port o’call - cozuMel, Mexico With Shira tightening her grip on me we did our best to avoid the many potholes on the rough road to San Gervasio. With each hit Pepe would shudder and I thought I might have seen a part or two go bouncing down the road behind us.

Still, as much as we were enjoying the High Seas Rally this is what we do best – exploring and a few miles down this road were the famed Mayan ruins and for us life doesn’t get much better. Well, maybe with a more substantial machine - but, Pepe would do.

After the rough night sail to the coast of Mexico we docked in Cozumel.

Departing the ship we made our way through the dozens of locals all wanting to sell us something that was “almost free today!”

The previous evening Debbie and Dean had mentioned that a good plan was to take a cab to the downtown section, strolling and perusing the shops while heading towards the dueling parties at Magaritaville and Carlos & Charlie’s. Apparently, these two establishments put up a good fight to win the title of best party place in Cozumel, enticing the High Seas Ralliers with prizes, t-shirts, drink specials and some nasty fun.

It was a good plan; but we had a better one. We hired a decent sized Yamaha scooter – which we got to calling Pepe ‘cause he wasn’t, and set off to explore the entire island.

Page 29 As we said, our first stop was the Mayan ruins (see sidebar) and we spent a few hours there exploring what was left on the island of this once great civilization. Cutting across the island we had to deal with some stiff breezes and I wished we had some real riding gear. But, the scooter idea was not planned for and in true ‘biker’ fashion we dropped ATGATT and took what they had – which was a cheesy half helmet better suited for cheese dip than real head protection. If we would have known we could have borrowed a couple of helmets from our friends at Nolan in the vendor area.

We cruised by the tequila museum and then onto the Caribbean side of Cozumel. Here things got really pretty. We found a superb tiki bar called Mezcalitos, had a couple of cold cocacolas and then set out riding the rest of the coast. Over one small rise we spied a great little cove

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 30 with the bluest waters. Not one to miss an opportunity we parked Pepe and spent some time on the rocks, sand and water. Life was very good in Cozumel this day.

We wanted to get back to town to see what party was more raucous, Jimmy’s place of Carlos & Charlie’s. After spending some time in both we have to say that things seemed to be getting out of hand at C & C’s and when the bathing suit tops started coming off we knew who had won this battle.

It was interesting to see how some folks crawled, stumbled and were carried back on board that afternoon and the restaurant seemed slightly subdued,

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even if it were Pirate Night on board. There were some mighty fine looking wenches and hooligans, with not a one made to walk the plank.

At the Giveaway this evening the rally call was ‘Arrrrgh, Bingo’ as it was

Pirate Bingo at its best. With all hands in, six winners split $15,570 plus vendor prizes and a whopping $15,570 went to the HOHS Dialysis Fund.

sailing Back One can get used to the easy life on a cruise ship but that next day we spent at sea heading back to Port Canaveral and early the next day we would depart the Freedom of the Seas one last time.

Before calling it quits, the High Seas Rally had some serious business left. That

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evening saw the Final Ceremonies with Grand Prize Giveaways including the stunning custom Harley won

by Wendy Ellis and the beautiful Lehman Trike. Nice prizes to ride away from a rally like this. There were also cabin giveaways, the Poker Walk winning hands and the Dialysis Fund Auction, which had some awesome items. One of the top money-makers was an 8person autographed NASCAR banner donated by Happy’s friend Geoff Bodine. There was some tough bidding which brought in over $40,000 for the Dialysis Fund. When all was totaled, $344,000 in cash and prizes was awarded to High Seas Rally crewmembers and

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011 $182,969 was raised for HOHS Dialysis Fund. This put the High Seas Rally total raised over the $1 million mark in just 12 cruises.

soMe Final thoughts Looking back on the entire cruise we found the High Seas Rally to be tons of fun. It’s held at a perfect time of the year. Just when things are cooling down and getting cold in the northeast, the High Seas Rally is heating up in the little latitudes.

Although we’ll always prefer actually riding motorcycles someplace interesting, this was a great, if different week for us, and we still got to explore and experience a bounty of new things. The ports of call were well chosen and with just a little effort you can easily turn a relaxing cruise into an exciting adventure. It’s even more fun if you have a group of friends to come along like our buddies from Second Generation MC did.

If your idea of a great ride involves Sturgis, Daytona or Laconia then you will probably fit right in here as the High Seas Rally embodies the spirit of them all.

All the people on the ship, even the ones not on the rally, were fun, funny and very friendly and we can easily say an awesome time seemed to be had by all.

Well, maybe not the few who missed the boat in Jamaica – but that’s another story.

The High Seas Rally will set sail again next year from October 30 to November 6th, once again cruising the western Caribbean. If the Caribbean isn’t your thing, there is also an Alaskan cruise June 18-25, 2011. You can find out more information and pricing at www.highseasrally.com.

As they say “Thars a little pirate in every bikerrr!”

Page 31

san gervasio - cozuMel’s Mayan history Not one to miss anything along the lines of ancient Mayan Ruins while riding around the island of Cozumel, off the Mexican coast, during the High Seas Rally we pointed “Pepe the Scooter” towards the ruins at San Gervasio. The cruise was fun, but it was time for some real backroads adventure!

Ancient pre-columbian ruins always fit the bill.

The Maya archeological site of San Gervasio has an unusually long history, beginning sometime around 100 BC and continuing as late as the 16th century.

Located in the center of the largest island in the Mexican Caribbean, it was still a functioning religious site at the time the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century. In the heart of the island, in a lush jungle populated with brilliantly colored iguanas and brilliant flowers and foliage, one can see why no one ever wanted to abandon this beautiful place.

San Gervasio was a site dedicated to the Mayan goddess Ixchel, known as “She of the Rainbows” the god of midwifery, fertility, medicine and weaving. We liked the weaving part. Many women from the mainland Mayan settlements made the pilgrimage here to Ixchel´s shrine at some point in their lifetime. Think of it as Club Med or Hedonism for the Maya.

As one enters the site a graceful arch protects an altar on a sacbe (ancient road) leading into the ceremonial center. Many statues to Ixchel were found here and are still being discovered at the 40+ temples on the island. It is believed that a large ceramic image of Ixchel delivered oracles spoken by a hidden priestess for pilgrims with questions.

Although the archaeological site at San Gervasio has not had a lot of restoration, there are numerous structures and the beautiful natural setting makes a visit there worthwhile. One of the most interesting buildings is the Temple of the Hands. Inside, numerous small red handprints of unknown significance are painted on the wall, leading more than one tourist to speculate that perhaps this was a day-care center for pilgrim moms!

The Mayan ruins at San Gervasio are a welcome retreat for those visiting the busy island of Cozumel. Take time to enjoy the peaceful setting of this fertile jungle shrine dedicated to the Maya goddess Ixchel.

Then swing around to the far side of the island, one of the most beautiful beaches you’ll find anywhere.

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

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“You motorcycle guys have got life figured out.”

Talking with a corporate executive the other day, his short statement caught me by surprise. As someone who no longer rides a motorcycle, he looked at me, shook his head, and hurried off to the next thing important people do. Leaving me lost for words, a situation that doesn’t happen often, I also felt a tad awkward. Perhaps talking about riding the new Yamaha Super Tenere out in the amazing countryside around Sedona, Arizona, wasn’t such a good idea? Especially when it has to rate as one of the single best motorcycle rides I have taken.

Arriving at the small airport outside of Prescott, Arizona, on a clear, cloudless day recently, I was greeted by a line of brand new Yamaha Super Tenere motorcycles and an assortment of the American motorcycle press heading to the press brief. Joining them for the presentation, which brought us up to speed on the technical aspects of this exciting new motorcycle for Yamaha, we then ate lunch, changed into our riding gear and hit the road for Sedona. Rolling along in the early afternoon sun, with warm air and wide horizons around me, I turned off the evaluation software in my brain and just rode. With a full day to analyze the bike to come, I just settled in to enjoy the ride. It was short and sweet, but it did involve a nice section of off road riding as the sun was sinking low toward the dusty horizon. Arriving at our hotel I was excited for the day ahead of us.

FIRST RIDE

2012 YAMAHA

SUPER TENERE Words: Neale Bayly • images: Tom Riles and Brian J Nelson

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 33

The Tenere is a bike that has been around in Europe in one form or other for nearly 30 years, starting life as a 600cc single in 1983. As a penniless bum in those days riding an old XT500, it was a machine I lusted after for many years.

At that time most of my world travels were done with a back pack and my thumb out, so I would often stand outside my local Yamaha dealer’s window at night when home, dreaming of riding one around the world someday. The bike evolved over the years and by 1989 had grown into the XTZ750, a twin cylinder machine that would go on to win six Paris/Dakar races. By then I had graduated to old, used bikes with old bags strapped on with bungee cords, and ridden from Florida to Alaska as well as around Australia, but home in the UK in the summer of ’89, it was like Déjà vu outside the same motorcycle shop.

Now, the bike that has been ridden and raced all over the world for more than a decade has grown up and come to America as the Super Tenere. It has a much bigger engine, displacing 1199cc, but the core of the machine remains the same, a comfortable, practical, on/off road, adventure traveling machine that can take you anywhere you want in the world, on just about any kind of road.

It was actually released in Europe for 2010 and won’t be available in America until May 2011 as a 2012 model, but judging by the excitement generated in the media, its arrival here is long overdue. To purchase a new Super Tenere, Yamaha is taking $500 deposits until March. The sooner you get on the list, the earlier you will have your bike, and Yamaha will only bring in limited numbers, so it could be a case of he who hesitates is lost here if you delay.

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

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Large dual-purpose motorcycle sales only make up about six percent of all bikes sold in America. But over the last ten years this segment of the market has grown rapidly, and it’s actually the area least affected by the current economy. With so many motorcycles evolving into ever narrowing niches, the Super Tenere appears to have a lot more to offer. As the type of motorcycle that can serve a wide variety of different functions, from long distance

touring to commuting, world traveling to weekend off road fun, the only question is does it live up to the hype?

Waking up to a perfect morning in Sedona, we saddled up early and rode up into the surrounding mountains. Pulling strongly and smoothly as we climbed, the biggest first impression is from the all-new 1199cc twin, which is so incredibly smooth. Featuring a unique 270 degree crank rotation, that allows both the 98 mm pistons to fire very closely together, the characteristics of the engine are more like a big single cylinder than a conventional twin, although there is none of the accompanying vibration thanks to a two-axis primary balancer. This sits in front of the engine and also drives the water pump. The water-cooled engine is very compact thanks to a dry sump, which allows the bike to use a narrow chassis, and the radiator is mounted sideways to take advantage of this. It’s producing around 108 horsepower spread nicely across the range, with plenty of low down pull and a good strong top end.

Lightweight magnesium cylinder heads house twin spark plugs, fourvalves per cylinder and double overhead camshafts. A downdraft fuel injection system uses two 46mm throttle bodies with 12-hole injectors controlled

by Yamaha’s YCC-T fly-by-wire system, which we first saw on the R6 sport bike back in ‘06. It’s hard to find fault these days with modern fueling systems, and the Super Tenere’s is no different. Providing predictable power delivery in every situation from picking our way over rocks and gravel in first gear, to running up to triple digit speeds on open sections of highway in sixth, it’s without fault. There is also a two position power mode setting similar to the system found on pure sport bikes these days, and this gives you the option of the “T” mode for touring and “S” mode for optimum performance. As you

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would expect, the “T” mode gives a more muted ride, and will undoubtedly be useful in rainy or exceptionally slippery conditions. It can also be adjusted between these two modes on the fly if you need to, which is a nice feature.

As we ride into an ever more sophisticated world, it’s no surprise to learn the new Super Tenere comes with traction control. There are three choices here, with a button on the side of the gauges being depressed to turn the system off, or the choice of position one or two if you don’t disable it. In the least invasive setting, the rear tire will spin briefly before an amber light flashes on the dashboard, the traction control kicks in, and forward progress returns. In “TC2” you can let the wheel spin more to control the back end before it stops the spinning. I was actually very surprised how much grip the

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 35 Bridgestone Battle wing tires gave before the rear tire would break loose, and for the dirt portions I preferred to turn the system off. The tubeless tires are a good street/dirt mix and come wrapped around spoke wheels. The front tire is an 110/80R19 inch, the rear a 150/70R-17 inch, and the bike will come with these Bridgestone Battle wings or Metzeler Tourance EXPs. About the only thing I wasn’t so positive about was the anti lock brakes, not that they don’t work well, but because officially there is no provision to turn them off. Having this ABS activated full time is not a problem during street riding, but in

the dirt I prefer to be able to lock the rear if I want, especially on a heavier bike as the Tenere. It works extremely effectively on the road though, with minimum pulsing when it activates, and no sense of the bike freewheeling before it continues with the braking process. This braking system itself is very good, with a pair of mono block four piston calipers working with 310mm floating wave rotors. There is a single piston caliper squeezing a 298mm disc in the rear, and the Yamaha uses a linked system that uses the front and rear together. This unified system is highly sophisticated and uses a pump under the seat that is operated when you use the front brake.

Depending on how much weight you have on the bike, it will add the correct amount of rear brake pressure to settle the chassis. I liked the feel at the lever both on the road and in the dirt, and the linked brake certainly eliminates some of the fork dive under heavier braking on the street, a situation that can be a problem on a softly sprung machine with long travel suspension.

The inverted 43mm fork is fully adjustable for spring pre load, as well as rebound and compression damping.

With a full 7.5 inches of travel, it is more off road focused, but this isn’t a problem as it makes for a more compliant ride on the street. The rear shock has the same amount of travel and a hydraulic pre load adjuster that doesn’t require tools. It has no provision for compression damping, but does allow you to adjust the rebound settings for more control. During our full test day, we rode through some fairly challenging dirt sections, and the suspension soaked up most of the bigger bumps if we kept the speeds on the sensible side. For more serious stuff or higher speeds, it’s going to be challenged as the bike tips the scales at 575 pounds with a full 6.1 gallons of fuel, and that’s a lot of weight to be throwing around in the dirt.

Rolling out onto a section of graded dirt road that ran through a peaceful, picturesque Coconino National Forest, I stopped thinking about the technical aspects of the Super Tenere and started absorbing the moment.

With the majority of my group running a faster pace ahead, I found myself riding with Yamaha’s Kevin Foley in a more relaxed fashion. With the big twin purring effortlessly beneath me, and shafts of golden light bursting through the trees as we rode, it was the perfect application for the big Tenere. Floating over any bumps we encountered, I stood up and gripped the tank with my knees, let the bike go a little loose through the corners and

Page 36 tried to keep the massive grin on my face inside my helmet. All the bigger, lighter, faster rhetoric had evaporated into the clear, crisp air as we engaged in the act of motorcycling. Exploring an exciting new landscape in the saddle of a comfortable, competent machine with a good friend by my side, there are few finer experiences to be savored on two wheels. We had ridden here on a mixture of tarmac, rocks, gravel, and dirt, and the Super Tenere had handled it all with aplomb. In fact, I felt like loading up my tent, sleeping bag, a couple of weeks of gear, and not stopping, as the smell of pine trees permeated the air. Yamaha has created a bike to get out and ride, and one that is going to be equally at home on fire trails or asphalt, whether it’s for a day, a month or a year.

Back on the tarmac, I recognized the landscape, having ridden here a couple of times over the years, and we engaged in a spirited ride on the deserted highway. The adjustable windshield deflects a good portion of the high-speed breeze, and the riding position is all day comfortable. The well-padded seat is adjustable, with the tallest position putting you a full 34.3 inches from terra firma. A low seat option is available for $240 that takes this down to 31.9 inches for those with shorter legs. The saddle is fairly narrow, so even on the highest setting I found the bike easy to maneuver and confidence inspiring while stopping and posing the bike for pictures on the rocky mountain roads.

The cockpit is clean and tidy, with an attractive, easy to read instrument console. An analogue tachometer sits to the left of a digital speedometer with all the warning and information lights to the far left of the console. The digital display informs you which traction control setting the bike is in, as well as which power mode. There is also a power outlet just below it for any electri-

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS cal gear you might want to plug in. Switchgear is elegantly simple, mirrors work just fine, and there is a four-way adjustable brake lever.

Writing a review about the Tenere without making some comparisons to the BMW GS1200 is difficult. Retailing at $13,900 compared to the $17,835 you would need to spend for a BMW with ABS, spoke wheels and traction control, the Yamaha is certainly an attractive proposition. I don’t think it’s as competent as the BMW when the going gets really rough off road, but in every other department it holds its own. BMW has done an awesome job creating a lifestyle around their GS models, and Yamaha doesn’t have this on their side yet. But with solid luggage, heated grips, engine guards, skid plates and headlight guards already available, the Super Tenere already has all you need to embark on your next round the world adventure.

Rolling back through Sedona, after a long and varied day in the saddle, I didn’t want the ride to end for so many reasons. The Super Tenere had taken me back to why I became a motorcyclist; the friends, the camaraderie and thrill of experiencing a new landscape from the saddle. It had seduced me into lusting for the open road and instilled me with a desire to find places to explore where the tarmac ends (working on a trip to Labrador as I type). It just works so well for such a wide variety of applications and does so without the ego boast of being better, lighter or faster than another brand. Sure people will want to compare it to the BMW as I mentioned, but in my mind the Super Tenere is no competition at all. It’s just a welcome addition to the segment of the motorcycle market that’s got it right, and it definitely lives up to the hype.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

UPCOM ING EVENTS CAL EN DAR E V E RY M O N T H - W E AT H E R P E R M I T T I N G Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - Calverton NY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221 First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner of Dingmans/Bevans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Join others for a ride or head out on your own

Page 37

What’s Happening here we’ll roll on up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine and spend a couple of days exploring the coastal towns and roads of the Pine Tree State. Off we then go to our friends at the Gray Ghost Inn for an evening and we’ll finish up our journey at Hunter Mountain and the Colors in the Catskill Rally. If this sounds like a great plan, stay tuned and we’ll get you booking information as soon as we can. Questions? 973-948-4176

2011 POLAR BEAR SCHEDULE

Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish

1/23/11 • SIR JOHN'S, 230 Washington Place, North Brunswick Twp, NJ • 732-2973803

Third Tuesday • 7:30pm ABATE of the Garden State, North Jersey chapter. Black River Barn, 1178 Rt. 10 West, Randolph, NJ. 7:30pm. New members and all mc brands welcome. Help fight for rights as a motorcyclist in NJ! Alex Martinez 973-390-1918

1/30/11 • DADDY O REST, 4401 Long Beach Blvd, Brant Beach, NJ • 609-494-1300 2/6/11 • THE EXCHANGE, 160 E. Main St, Rockaway, NJ • 973-627-8488

JANUARY 2011

2/13/11 • PIC-A-LILLI INN, 866 Route 206, Shamong, NJ • 609-268-2066

29 • 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off at Morton’s BMW. Sample a variety of chilis and vote for your favorite. Winner gets a prize, losers get to do the dishes. More info at 540-8919844 • www.mortonsbmw.com • 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA

FEBRUARY 2011 12 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson/BMW Health Awareness Day. You get your motorcycle checked, why not your own health. Free health screenings. Blood Drive. Free chocolate motorcycle while supply lasts. For more details call 201-843-6930 or visit www.bergenharleydavidson.com. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ

2/20/11 • LANDSLIDE SALOON, 1090 Route 173, Pattenburg, NJ • 908-735-6919 2/27/11 • HOOTERS, 25 Route 23 South, Wayne, NJ • 973-837-1876 3/6/11 • BAHRS LANDING, 2 Bay Ave, Highlands, NJ • 732-872-1245 3/13/11 • FIREHOUSE EATERY, 455 Saint Georges Ave, Rahway, NJ • 732-382-9500 3/20/11 • LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY, 1 Fairmount Rd, Long Valley, NJ • 908876-1122

19-20 • 93rd running of the Crotona Midnight Run. Longest continuously run motorcycle event in the USA. Competitive road run with an average speed of 30mph. All qualified finishers receive medallion with trophies for 1, 2, and 3 place in expert and novice class. $20/bike. Sign in: Sat, Feb. 19 10:30pm • Key Time: Midnight. Nathan/Kolh Parking Lot, Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY • 201-286-9346 • www.ramapomc.org

3/27/11 • THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN, 1 Route 15 South, Augusta, NJ • 973-3002300

MARCH 2011

4/10/11 • FLYING CLOUD CAFE, 800 New Hampshire Ave, Atlantic City, NJ • 609348-8222

4-13 • 70th Annual Daytona Bike Week. Find out about all the goings-on right here www.officialbikeweek.com

APRIL 2011 9-10 • Rumble and Roar Motorcycle Show, Center of Progress Bldg, NYS Fairgrounds, Syracuse, NY. Sat. 11am-6pm • Sun. 11am-5pm. New, custom, vintage motorcycles, parts, accessories, leather, destinations, clubs, chili cook-off, beer samplings, music, fashion shows, product seminar and more. www.rumbleroar.com • 888-334-2856

4/3/11 • BRIAN'S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Rd, Langhorne, PA • 215-7529400

4/17/11 • CAPE MAY VFW POST#386, 419 Congress St, Cape May, NJ • 609-8847961

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS LISTED.

4/30/11 • POLAR Columbus, Pine St, Old LONG Bridge, BEFORE NJ • 908It’s easy and it’sBEAR FREEDINNER, - email,Knights fax or of mail your information 251-9817. You must have tickets to attend.

the event date. The longer it’s visible, the more people with attend.

check on Polar Bear Cancellations & Updates call 908-722-0128 GetToyour form here: www.backroadsusa.com/events.html

16 • Spring Open House Morton’s BMW. Demo rides, door prizes, food, vendors, music and much more at the biggest BMW Open House in the region, and it’s all FREE. More info at 540-891-9844 • www.mortonsbmw.com • 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA

MAY 2011 13-15 • Join Morton’s BMW for their first-ever Spring Fling Rally held at the historic Natural Bridge hotel in the scenic Shenandoah Valley in VA. Just off I-81 and the Blue Ridge parkway, the rally will feature self-guided rides, both on and off-road, through the gorgeous countryside, a catered barbecue (or vegetarian) dinner Saturday night, door prizes and more. Vendors welcome. $45/pp registration. For more info, visit www.mortonsbmw.com/springfling_2011.html or call 540-891-9844.

19-22 • 13th Annual BACKROADS’ Spring Break. This year we’ll be heading to the Finger Lakes. We’ll spend three nights at the Inn on the Lake Resort while enjoying the leisurely riding, beautiful scenery, gorgeous gorges and comradery. Limited rooms, as always, so book yours today. Special rates apply, so ask for the Backroads Group when booking • www.theinnonthelake.com • 800-228-2801 19-22 • Concours Owners Group Spring Fling Northeast Area Rally. Penn Wells Lodge, Wellsboro, PA. Nearby camping also available. Saturday buffet dinner included in rally fee. Detauks abd fee information online www.cog-online.org • 978-394-2591

JUNE 2011 11-19 • 88th Annual Laconia Bike Week. Find out about all the goings-on right here www.LaconiaMCWeek.com

JULY 2011 12-17 • Suzuki Owners Club of North America RallyFest 2011. Goshen, NY. Rally location: Comfort Inn and Suites, Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY • Host Dealer: Jim Moroney’s Cycles, 833 Union Ave, New Windsor, NY. For more info: suzukiownersclub.org 17-24 • Head off with Backroads’ publishers Brian & Shira for a tour of a lifetime as we join up with Edelweiss for their High Alpine Tour. Ride the roads you have dreamed of in the past. For all the information you’ll need to book this great trip, please email Doris at Edelweiss Travel: doris.waldegger@edelweissbike.com

AUGUST 2011 8-12 • Concours Owners Group National Rally. Green Mountains at Mount Snow, VT. Rally fee includes buffet dinner. Discount for COG members. For more information please visit www.cog-online.org • 978-394-2591

SEPTEMBER 2011 26-Oct. 2 • Backroads Fall Fiesta Rally. We are still finalizing the details, but the gist will be: We’ll start in Sturbridge, MA on Sept. 26 for a night at the Publick House Inn. From

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

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Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival Hopefully over the next few months some opportunities will roll our way.

We’re never shy about hopping on a jet to fly somewhere warm, especially if motorcycles are involved.

Except for a few Back on the home surprise days and the front – it’s simply a ever-stalwart all-seagood idea to keep son rider, most of us yourself in motorcyhave the bikes parked cle-mode during the for the next few off-season, physically months and have to and mentally. find things to do to While some might keep ourselves in forget about their matwo-wheel mode. chines till the first Many of you will warm days of spring, be getting this issue we like to keep as at the New York Mosharp as possible durtorcycle Show. That ing the winter down is always a good motime. torcycle fix; and something we look forward to each year. A few days surAs I have written in the past, staying physically active is key to riding well. rounded by the industry and all the new machines that are rolling out is just And, this goes doubly in the winter months. Getting to the gym on a regular what my doctor would order. basis, making and sticking to a fitness plan will help getting back on the bike this March a far easier task.

Holiday calories do not count – never have.

Although my metabolism has slowed to the equal of a Tree Sloth, I still hit the gym as much as possible, especially during the winter. inc.

It covers a lot of things. A) it keeps me busy and in a routine. B) I usually come out of winter in far better Luggage • Jackets • Pants • Boots • Rain Gear • Tools • Exhausts • Tires shape that I go into it. C) it’s just fun to do – especially if you have somebody to train with or at least to go to Sprockets • Chains • Bar Risers • Brakes • Lines • Ramps • Lifts • OEM Parts the gym with. All this adds up to an easier slide back Sport ~ Touring ~ Cruiser into the saddle.

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Devouring a number of these during this winter can only be a good thing for you – as well as columns like this and far better ones like Ken Condon’s Proficient Motorcycling in Motorcycle Consumer News and Eric Trow’s monthly Stayin’ Safe column in RIDER. The more information you take in and digest in the Agents who ride and understand off-season the bettered prepared you will be for when your Motorcycle Insurance Needs MEMBER the riding really starts.

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Hey, I have a story to tell!

A Backroads Reader’s Guide to Actually Getting Printed Okay, so you have just finished the most phenomenal motorcycle tour. You and your friends have seen sights and experienced things that have you totally enraptured. And now, being the sort of rider you are, you want to share it with as many other riders as possible.

The first thing is having some sort of plan.

Is this story idea of yours a special destination? Maybe a Great All American Diner Run or the perfect little inn that would be excellent as a We’re Outta Here? Well, we look for these places all the time and really enjoy when

Here is an example of good and bad regarding resolution. On the left is an image printed at 72 dpi, while the one on the right is the correctly sized 300 dpi. You can see the crispness and detail shown at the higher resolution while the low resolution is fuzzy.

Even in black and white you can see the difference.

You would like to get your adventure printed in Backroads. a reader makes the jump to contributor. It both makes our life a bit easier and That’s great, as we are always looking for a great yarn, different destinaallows for a bit more diversity in these pages. tions and wonderful words to fill these pages.

Make notes on the places you are interested in writing about. Take plenty But, there is more to it than just throwing some words together in an email of pictures, something that I’ll detail more seriously a little later, but I use and sending a picture you shot with your phone; a lot more. pictures as reminders to myself all the time – they’re like high-tech post-its

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 40 for the moto-journalist. Going back over a few day’s worth of photographs will always remind me of some of the little details that can get woven into a story to add more flavor and flair to the piece. Historical references and a little bit of fact checking can go a long way.

We’d all be surprised at how much history we ride by each day.

We cover a lot of ground and information here at Backroads each month and to get a good idea of what we are looking for in each of our monthly columns you can log onto our Writers Guidelines here: www.backroadsusa.com/writersguideline.html

Pictures Rule Now onto the one thing that most would-be writers do not seem to be able to grasp - what we need when it comes to photographs.

We rarely get slides or film these days. Most everyone on the planet, except for Shira’s Mom, shoots digital.

We love digital.

Now here is the magic number, okay?

300 dpi, people…300 dpi!

You got that? 300dpi!

Those tiny files that you’re so proud of when you Facebook, blog, or post to any website just won’t cut it in the real publishing world.

The devil is in the details and 300 dpi has much more detail than 72 could ever dream of.

If your camera comes out with a 72 dpi shot, but it is a whopping 30 X 40 inches in size, that’ll work too, just DO NOT RESIZE IT – send it to us just like that.

If your picture is 72 dpi and just 4 x 6 it is useless to us.

Set your high-end DSLR or point and shoot to photograph at the highest setting.

Yes, you will take up more space on the SD card, but that really shouldn’t be a problem. You used to have to change film, simply change cards if you have to. We carry a lot of them while on the road.

We also download our cameras nightly and always have a back-up memory stick just in case.

As far as cameras go we have some high-end Nikons and some new point and shoot Nikons as well. Truthfully you will be surprised at how many excellent and print-worthy shots have been achieved with my Nikon Coolpix S6000. At 14.2 megapixels it does a great job and I always have it in my pocket, unlike the bigger Nikons that have to be taken from the tail case when needed, it is always accessible for UFOs, Bigfoot or ‘52 Vincent Black Lightnings.

Remember, if your story is not perfect - but pretty much there - and you have great, high-res, pictures to go with it, it can be saved, edited and published.

On the other hand even if you are Christopher Moore but your photographs are lacking in quality or are too small – we have nothing.

Pictures are key.

What is that number? 300 dpi – right!

Another photographic point that we can’t stress enough is to practice with your camera and photography. We don’t expect our regular readers to be top professionals with perfectly artistic eyes – but we do expect a little effort to be used when photographing and submitting photographs to Backroads.

Point and shoot is not a rule. Setting up your shots with the thought that they might someday be published is an excellent way to shoot all the time.

A tree in the middle of a field means nothing. But, a motorcycle under a tree in the field makes the photograph far more interesting.

Today’s newer cameras really can handle much of the once technical voodoo for you, taking some of the brain workout of the equation.

Photographs must be able to tell part of the story all by themselves. If they don’t something is not quite right.

Composition, use of light and other factors go into all the ingredients for a superb picture and you want to use them all.

I really don’t want to go into Photo 101, but read up on photography, sit in on motorcycle photo seminars at rallies when they have them and, most of all, get out and shoot your ass off. It’s digital, so who cares; it’s not like your burning Kodachrome anymore.

One thing that Shira and I do here frequently is to take two identical cameras and walk around the property and forest that surrounds Backroads Central.

We’ll choose maybe half a dozen objects or scenes and then each of us will do his or her interpretation of that subject.

Later on we’ll compare and look to see what worked for some shot and didn’t work for others.

Practice, practice, practice in both writing and photography. That magical combination of a well-thought out story, historical references, great roads, superb photography and passion will help get you into the pages of Backroads.

Brian Rathjen

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 41

BOOK REVIEW

MOTORCYCLE TOURING BIBLE BY FRED RAU These days there are a glut of motorcycle “How To” books.

Many of them are on the hard-core side. Adventure Touring, Iron Butt, Track-Day and High Performance missives that are aimed at specific readers/riders, usually those that have been involved in said segments of the sport for a while; and are looking to improve their already acquired talents.

We think all these books offer great bits of knowledge and we know we devour them as much as possible.

There have also been a number of books on Touring; for the most part all good; but we just received a copy of Fred Rau’s new offering “Motorcycle Touring Bible.”

Fred, as many of you know, has been a driving force in motorcycle journalism for years. First with Wing World and then the creation of Motorcycle Consumer News; where you can still find his monthly musings. He now owns and operates Fred Rau Adventure Tours.

With his new book, Motorcycle Touring Bible, he addresses the do’s and don’ts of motorcycle touring and, as Rau says, this book is aimed at, ‘riders who have only been bitten by the touring bug lately.’

If you are a newbie to the incredibly large group of motorcycle touring lovers then this book is a must read for you. But, even if you have thousands of touring miles behind you, you will probably learn quite a bit too. The “Bible” may be written for the newbie, but there was plenty for us to learn as well.

Just a tad over 200 pages the Motorcycle Touring Bible is wonderfully put together with a great deal of clean photography and in its nine chapters it touches on many important topics such as motorcycle choice, prioritizing, common pitfalls and mistakes, planning your tour, how and what to pack, accessories and gear, among other good to know nuggets of touring knowledge. Fred’s chapter on choosing protective gear was incredibly well-written and had gobs of useful and informative particulars. His years at the helm of Motorcycle Consumer News really come into play here and there is plenty to learn on various materials, buzz-words and standards in this chapter alone.

Sprinkled among these chapters are what Rau simply calls – Parables – where he fills a few pages with some gems from the road; all done in his easy-going and readable style.

The book is full of what we like to call Fredisms.

If you have ever sat in on one of Fred’s Breakfast Clubs at Americade then you know of what I speak.

There is also a great nod to Craig Vetter, for without whom the modern day touring machine would not be here.

Nice touch.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Motorcycle Touring Bible. It’s an easy read, it never got preachy, it was full of common sense and useful knowledge and, if you are just spreading your motorcycle touring wings, it is well worth plunking down some gas money for your own copy. It will pay for itself on your first big tour.

You can get it from www.WhitehorsePress.com or, for an autographed copy, www.fredrau.com for just $25.

Brian Rathjen

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 42

EVENT RECAP

2010 CATALINA GRAND PRIX

words and images: Ken Freund

prevented any more races there—until December 3-5, 2010. The original 25-mile course wound around much of the island, while the new course covered more than five miles of steep winding trails through the hills in back of town. To get all the approvals necessary it took a major effort by countless enthusiasts, officials, agencies, clubs, friends and sponsors, including AMA’s District 37.

Few people thought the race would really take place, but title-sponsor Red Bull, along with Bel-Ray, Hinson Clutches, Kawasaki, KTM, Motion Pro, Resource Marketing, Troy Lee Designs and Yamaha made it possible.

What really made the 2010 Catalina GP one of the coolest motorcycle events in at least a decade was the amalgamation of past and present. Twotime winner Bob Sangren returned as Grand Marshall, and we saw Hall of Famers like Ed Kretz Jr. there as history unfolded. Pre-race festivities started on Friday, and Saturday kicked off with vintage machines and riders, including a parade lap through downtown along part of the original race course.

Many of the contestants lined up on the grid had also been there back in the fifties and returned to ride the island course one more time. Homer Knapp raced on Saturday using the same 1929 HarleyDavidson he competed on at Catalina back in the fifties.

Long-time friends and mem-

The quaint village of Avalon.

For many folks on the East Coast, Catalina Island is a mythical place where Natalie Wood died shrouded in mystery, or perhaps we’re reminded of the song “26 Miles (Santa Catalina)” by the Glen Larson and Bruce Belland: “Twenty-six miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me, Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance. Water all around it everywhere, tropical trees and the salty air. But for me the thing that’s a-waitin’ there, romance, romance, romance…

Romance is still in Catalina’s air, but for a long weekend last year the sleepy harbor town of Avalon was transformed by the snarl of two-strokes and the roar of four-stroke thumpers and twins, as the Catalina Grand Prix roared back into this palm-tree-lined village after a “mere” 52 year “intermission.” Between 1951 and 1958 the Catalina Grand Prix was one of the most presDave Schuler on the course. tigious off-road races in America. Past Catalina GP winners include Walt Fulton in 1951, Nick Nicholson in 1952, John McLaughlin in 1953, Jim Johnson in 1954, Bud Ekins in 1955 (the famous fence jumper in “The Great Escape” for Steve McQueen), Chuck “Feets” Minert in 1956 and Bob Sangren in 1957 and 1958.

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Page 43 vintage and modern machines. All together there were nearly 800 competitors signed up, and it took 27 ocean shipping containers to carry all the bikes over on a barge.

Sunday’s Pro Race with five grand in prize money brought out a slew of big name riders, including Travis Pastrana, Troy Lee, Andy Bell, Kurt Caselli, Ronnie Renner and Lou Franco. Kendall Norman, four-time Baja 1000 winner and 2010 AMA National Hare & Hound champion, Colton Udall, Timmy Wiegand, and Baja legend Johnny Campbell raced too.

Kendall Norman took the checkered flag; followed

by Caselli and then Colton Haaker.

bers of the “Scramblers” Motorcycle club since 1954, Bill Rogers, Pat Hicks and Burr Dean, all rode the Catalina race together back in 1957. In 2010 they raced together again; Bill brought his 1964 BSA B40, Burr rode a 1971 Triumph, while Pat used his 1957 Velocette. Stories like this abounded.

On Any Sunday producer Bruce Brown’s son Dana Brown was there with The Motocross Files producer Todd Huffman, working on a sequel to the original movie. And Malcolm Smith, star of the original On Any Sunday movie raced on Sunday, as did his son Alexander. Among the women riders was two-time defending U.S. Desert Racing Women’s champion Joanna Kaczmarek, who raced on Sunday. Other well-known riders included motocross and off-road champion Rick Johnson, L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck and Olympic skier Daron Rahlves. The “Field of Dreams” impound area was chock full of amazing

Overall the Catalina Grand Prix was a huge success, and everything seemingly went well. There have been no announcements yet, but we hope there will be a repeat performance in 2011 and this will become an annual event.

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 44

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS A BRIGHTER GOLD WING Electrical Connection has introduced a 10-watt LED auxiliary light kit for the Honda GL1800. The plug and play kit features machined aluminum housings, a genuine Honda switch, and laser cut stainless steel mounts. The LED lights draw less than one amp total and feature a 6000k color rendering. Suggested retail price is $229.95. Available through Electrical Connection dealers worldwide; visit www.electricalconnection.com to find yours.

LADY RIDER HEATED GLOVES FROM GERBING While all of Gerbing's heated gloves and glove liners fit both men and women, here's one pair that were made just for the ladies. Introducing the new Lady Rider Heated Gloves.

The Lady Rider Gloves are not only cut to fit a woman's hands, but sport a lace-up gauntlet styled to complement the Ladies' Hybrid LT Jacket. Inside these soft leather gloves is Gerbing's patented Microwire Heat Technology, with mil-spec wires so advanced and so ultra-thin you can't even feel them. And with Microwire down the length of each finger, around the ends, and even down the length of the thumb, the Lady Rider Gloves bathe your hands in soothing warmth and comfort.

The New Lady Rider Gloves sell for $169.95 from Gerbing's, of course.

NEW HK1 HYDRAULIC WONDER WRENCH Seriously. Hydraulic. Replaces twenty-three separate size wrenches with this one compact tool. The narrow profile allows it to fit into the tightest of workspaces and a ten degree tapered head leaves plenty of knuckle clearance too. Each end of the wrench features a hexagonal head with an adjustable piston slider to provide a three sided, full surface contact fitting with the bolt. Even works to extricate damaged, stripped and rounded-off bolts. Its hydrokinetic slider system is faster and easier to adjust to the proper size. Turn the valve located in the center of the wrench a quarter turn to release piston, adjust to bolt or nut diameter, and tighten for a firm, custom grip on every fastener. Cold forged steel construction and nickel plating combined with superior versatility make this tool destined to become a favorite. And think of all the extra room you’ll have in your toolkit for more duct tape and zip ties.

The Wonder Wrench comes with a manufacturer’s lifetime warranty, is priced at $24 and is available from Riderwearhouse • www.aerostich.com.

RIBZ FRONT PACK When this versatile front pack first came to us we couldn’t understand why they would send it to a motorcycle publication, when it was so obviously created for hiking, hunting and sportsmen.

Then after playing with it a bit its many little zipped pockets became far more useable. This is a great pack to keep with you during your travels, especially if adventure touring in a foreign land like Killamericanstan. It’s an excellent place to keep your cash, credit cards and all-important papers safely stowed away under your riding jacket.

RIBZ Frontpack is less than 11 oz and has 600+ cu. Inches of storage space, if you just have to bring everything you own.

The shoulder straps are extra-wide, heavy-duty nylon and the two adjustable Velcro straps can be made to fit any body shape.

The RIBZ Frontpak costs $64.95 and can be found at www.ribzwear.com.

ECADDY

DIAMOND IS A GEM FOR MOUNTING GPS, IPOD & IPHONE

The eCaddy Deluxe mounting kits for GPS, iPod and iPhone are immensely popular with riders. Now, the Deluxe has a little brother: the eCaddy Diamond. Riders who have seen the Ram Mount cradles for GPS, iPod and iPhone will immediately recognize the diamond-shaped 2-hole pattern on the eCaddy Diamond. It’s a perfect fit!

Like its big brother, the eCaddy Diamond features a multi-faceted lug that offers six different mounting angles, and all mounting kits contain the UltraSecurity feature so your electronics will never bounce out.

The eCaddy Diamond will work with any Ram Mount cradle, including Garmin, Tom Tom and Magellan GPS, Apple iPod (Classic, Nano, Touch) and Apple iPhone (all generations). All hardware is machined aluminum and made in the USA. Kits are available in chrome or black anodized. For more details and pricing log onto www.leadermotorcycle.com.

ALTRIDER HEADLIGHT GUARD FOR THE BMW GS If you have ever had your headlight taken out by a bouncing stone on your off-road travels then listen up!

AltRider’s latest addition to its product line includes a headlight guard for the BMW F 800 GS. This product incorporates the best features of the AltRider headlight guard for the R 1200 GS: namely, tough styling, ¼ turn Dzus fasteners, and faces available in stainless steel or clear Lexan.The most useful feature is the Dzus fasteners which allow the rider to quickly release the face with a quarter turn. Unlike other headlight guards currently available, by just releasing the face, the headlight and the guard can easily be cleaned. The assembly keeps all the hardware attached to the stainless steel arms. The headlight guard for the F 800 GS comes with an AltRider Glare Guard that fits tightly between the windscreen and guard to prevent reflected light from shining in the rider’s eyes. It’s made of high strength engineering polymer, and integrates into the design of the headlight bezel. This piece can also be purchased separately and is commonly used to prevent glare from aftermarket windshields. The installation on our R1200GS was easy and the instruction brilliant in their simplicity and ease of use.

The AltRider Headlight Guard for the BMW F 800 GS is available for order at AltRider.com.

Prices range from $150 to $165 for the Headlight Guards and $40 for the Glare Guard.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 45

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FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 46

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

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Motorcycle Touring Bible has arrived on shelves!

Get yours today at www.WhitehorsePress.com You can get an autographed copy directly on Fred’s website www.FredRauMotorcycling.com Be sure to check out his Online Magazine while there.

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Page 47

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o u r g h h T M g n a i l i l n o e A new kind of Americade Event R

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 50

Brian Rathjen

N

early 30 years ago Bill Dutcher brought the Americade Rally to life and for thousands of riders early June would never be the same. I count myself as one of those thousands. Now, Bill’s son Christian and the rest of the Americade crew are also offering t wo other riding events. Rolling events. One in Vermont and, a few weeks later, one along the rocky seacoast of Maine.

We signed on for the latter.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011 Eric and Shira in front of Twisted Throttle Headquarters.

Page 51

Getting there Sometimes things work out just dandy time-wise and just the week before leaving for the Rolling Through Maine Rally Shira had picked up her new BMW F650GS. The bike was basically naked but it would not be for long as a GS without bags and GS farkles… well it just ain’t right. This would soon be corrected by our friend Eric Stephens and the crew at Twisted Throttle.

Twisted Throttle has been building and upgrading GS machines and the like for years now and have quite the impressive facility in Rhode Island.

Their showroom is a must see if you are an adventure rider or wannabe.

With plan in hand we rode up through the farmlands of New Jersey into New York.

Crossing the Hudson, we eventually hopped on the Merritt Parkway, with it lovely bridges, and headed north and east to the coast where it was a short ride into Rhode Island.

Rhode Island may be our smallest state, but the coast has The inner workings of Twisted Throttle. some big time beauty.

Arriving at Twisted Throttle we took a tour of the large building and dropped off Shira’s bike in their capable hands.

Eric was kind enough to let us overnight at his family’s beach house and waking to the sun rising over the Atlantic was about as good as it gets.

Cliff Walk in Newport offers grand views of both sea and structures.

We doubled up on my GS and rode over to Twisted Throttle to help or stay out of the way whichever they preferred.

As my reputation had proceeded me, they assured me Shira’s bike was better off with Derrick and that we should go exploring Rhode Island – so that’s what we did.

In all the years I had been traveling these parts I had never had a chance to visit the coastal city of Newport – Original home of the America’s Cup back in 1930.

Some of the fine topiaries seen along the way these were at the Duke Mansion in Rhode Island.

Before then it was known for its row of opulent mansions with names like The Elms, The Marble House and Rosecliff. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt’s famed Breakers is simply outstanding. Other famous names such as Duke and Astor reads like a “Who’s Who” of American wealth and power.

The mansions far exceeded my expectations and got me to thinking…Perhaps Backroads should relocate to Newport?

We parked by the Cliff Walk that runs along the high cliffs and offers some great views of the stunning mansions. This is a must do, if even for just a short stroll. The cliff, ocean and mansions make for quite the sight.

Off Thames Street we found a pierside restaurant for lunch and then stopped by the Tennis Museum for a volley or two.

Well, okay we just looked around but their grass court and small stadium were very sweet; and for all you tennis buffs out there this alone is worth the ride to Newport.

We took a ride across the bridge to Jamestown and rode around their small historic area. Both places make for an excellent destination and I know we’ll be back.

By this time it was mid-afternoon and we rode back to Twisted Throttle just as Kevin and Derrick were finishing photographing Shira’s new “Toughest F650GS in the World” machine.

Aluminum Trax Bags, Bash Plate, Bark Buster Storm Hand Guards, Denali LED Lights and Headlight Shield.

Both Shira and her GS looked very neat. Onto Ushuaia!

We took Eric’s gracious offer on a second night at the Beach House on the Moon (Sorry couldn’t help the Buffett reference) and enjoyed another night of good company before getting an early start in the morning, but not before a couple cups of coffee on the wooden deck overlooking the small harbor.

In Shira’s never ending research for Good Eats she found a small eatery called “In the Middle of Nowhere Diner.”

With a name like this we had to seek it out and it truly had good eats, with homemade sausage, chorizo and eggs and a superb lunch special menu. After the Nowhere we were good for the rest of the day.

Our ride brought us back again through Newport and then north along the coast.

A short time later I spied a sign Christian Dutcher trying to get all for the Green Animals; one of the the ducks in a row for the daily ride. greatest topiaries in the United States.

It was a wonderful garden, set near the water with a magnificent house and a garden full of all sorts of animals and creatures elephants, dogs, horses and camels - flowers of all kinds and even a small bamboo maze.

Well worth the admission price and the hour we spent strolling around.

Shira’s route claimed to take us around Boston. The syntax might have been wrong when she told me this – what she meant was “AROUND BOSTON.”

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 52 Said ducks to be put in a row.

For you fans of Robert Parker’s Spenser series we saw it all. First up was Roxbury, where I spied Ty-Bop looking jittery outside Tony Marcus’ place and then we rode past Police Headquarters where Quirk and Belson were getting into a squad car. At a light a sleek Jaguar pulled up with a formidable looking black man with a shaved head behind the wheel – he gave me a hard look and then glancing at Shira, softly smiled and tipped his head at my wife. The light changed and I went to go through the intersection and Shira stalled her bike. Passing the park I saw a big white guy out for a run with his dog. The Waiting out the drizzle. whole of Boston was a canvas for Dr. Parker and we highly recommend any of his novels.

We ran up along the Charles River across from Cambridge and then out of the city towards Rockport where we would call it a night.

Rockport is an odd place full of tiny shops and some great restaurants. Years ago we did a

Boothbay Harbor offered the perfect backdrop for our group photo.

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‘We’re Outta Here’ on a place at Bearskin Neck, named for a bear that perished in its tides hundreds of years ago. We had written about the Bearskin Motor Lodge, with its primo location, so following our own advice we returned for a second visit.

Jack the owner remembered the article and we even got the same room, with its small deck overlooking the waves and rocks.

That night’s sleep was easy, lulled into Morpheus’s arms with the rhythmic crashing of ocean on rock.

After some coffee and a croissant we packed up the two GSs and headed north, sticking to the coast roads as best we could.

Entering New Hampshire the traffic eased considerably and the riding got much better.

We stopped at a local Lobster Pound for additional sea food calories and met a woman who had recently moved to New Hampshire, just a few days before in fact, from New York state.

Seeing we were on BMWs she told us her friend once owned a BMW shop in Chester, New York. Well, we know Cliff St. George, the dragon as well and it seemed like a good omen to slayer, depicted in both her and us that we chanced upon each full metal glory. other for lunch.

Near Kennebunkport we hopped on the main roads and then took a short detour, per Doctor O’Life’s request that we check out the Desert of Maine.

Now here was a Mysterious America, as a once fertile farm of some 300 acres has now been taken back by huge dunes of sand. In Maine!

For the rest of the story check out O’Life’s Mysterious America column.

From there it was a short ride to the town of Bath, Maine and the Rolling Thru Maine headquarters and host hotel at the Hampton Inn on Commercial Street.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011 Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

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Rolling Through Maine

Unlike Americade the Rolling Thru Maine Rally was limited to just 100 people, so the group would be far more intimate and personal. We thought if we didn’t know anyone attending we’d surely make some new friends by rally’s end. Always a good thing.

Sign in was a bit like Americade, but far smaller and more personal, especially after running straight into Margie and Nora, who we know from Lake George each year.

At arrival each guest got a folder with all the schedules and routes for the two fabulous days of exploring the coast roads of rocky Maine. Also inside were meal tickets and door prize tickets. With the package came a dinner, two lunches (including an old fashioned Lobster Bake), a boat cruise The lighthouse at Marshall Point and a farewell breakfast. (go ahead, you know you want to say it) The hotel was right in downtown Bath, so the free evenings would give us a chance to explore what the little town had to offer.

Long known as the “City of Ships,” Bath, Maine has found its soul and identity in shipbuilding.

From its architecture and cultural offerings to its urban downtown, Bath’s shipbuilding roots certainly defined its character.

Located on the banks of the Kennebec River, the town seemed to embody the spirit of Maine. Centuries ago, the Abenaki gave the Kennebec River its name, which means “long

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level water.” In the 17th century, sailors Fog-enshrouded Mount Battey overlooking Camden called Bath’s three-mile stretch of river the “Long Reach,” as it provided deep anchorage and good landing sites, and allowed them to sail the stretch without tacking.

The first evening offered a Welcoming Party across the street at the Kennebec Tavern, right on the river. We showered and moseyed over to meet some old friends or make new ones.

The Welcoming Party was just that and later a few of us strolled to a local Irish Pub for one or two libations, some great acoustic music and then made it an early night.

During sign up at the hotel check-in, I was asked 6 or 6:45.

6 or 6:45 what?

Breakfast was the answer.

I am not used to being shoved into the day so early so grumpily. I answered the latter.

Rising at 6:15 I saw the skies had opened up and our string of perfect days had coming to a wet and rainy stop.

Still, the radar looked promising to the west and we thought we would just wait it out rather than tear off into the storms.

After a short delay we were asked to choose Group A or B, one being the more spirited of the two.

Now, we had 100 people attending and although many were two up, we still had a lot of bikes to split up into just two groups.

For those of you who have read this publication for a while you know that I am no fan of large riding groups. In fact we actively discourage them, especially at our own rallies but, when in Rome.

It didn’t matter what group we rode in we would make sure we were in the back, with only the chase rider behind us. This day it would Mark Connelly, from Adirondacks and Beyond Tours, whom we have ridden many

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Page 54

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

miles with so it was like old times.

The town sprung up from there and in 1826 President John Quincy Adams Our parade left the town of Bath commissioned a lighthouse to be built. The amount allocated? Just $4,000. and, surprisingly to me, they all kept Today the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and its grounds are some of the preta good steady and quick pace into the tiest we have ever seen and Maine and the folks that tend it should be awfully wilderness of the Maine coast. proud - a great place to visit. There are also a number of nearby inns, so stayMaybe this wouldn’t be as bad as ing a few days and using Pemaquid as a base is a great idea.

I thought.

From there we headed further along the coast and through the town of Truth is we had a fine time and Camden and to a lunch stop at a classic Maine Seafood restaurant on the never felt jammed into a parade at water. all. Just out for a fun run with 30 or Returning back towards Camden we rode to the top of Mount Battey for a so friends. serious view of the town, bay and ocean.

The terrain of Maine can be fickle.

Stopping in town we strolled around the shops, made a few purchases that For the most part this section of the would be shipped home, and then followed in the footsteps of Forrest Gump country is fairly flat, with estuaries and rode to the Lighthouse at Marshall Point, where Gump ended his cross and small tidal rivers and bays sprincountry run, which was 17 years ago. Yikes! kled throughout the region. You We spent some time taking in the museum and shop and the lighthouse itcould ride for miles through the trees and then come around a turn and be self, which is a bit different as you walk a tiny pier to get to it. struck by a wide view of the ocean and rocky beach.

By this time it was getting late and with our hotel Our first stop of the day was at the Pemaquid Point locked into the GPS, we left the rest of the group and Lighthouse. made our way back to Bath and a free night on the town.

Maine has 60 lighthouses along its stony and danSaturday saw clearing skies and warmer temperatures gerous coast and every one of them has a story to be as the two groups left for the Booth Bay area of Maine. told.

Shira and I had some things that needed tending to so The beacon at Pemaquid has a good one. we planned to catch up later that morning.

This story began on August 15, 1635 when the ship The route sheets provided from Rolling Through Angel Gabriel – out of Bristol, England - weighed anMaine were simple and well done and in no time we chor of what is now Pemaquid. were rounding the bends and taking on the small hills The passengers went ashore, their first steps on their that make up this region. Booth Bay is made up of a future home, and made camp for the night. number of fingers, all with roads that circulate around That evening a massive storm came in and crushed them. They offer a fun morning’s ride and incredible the Angel Gabriel against the rocks, sinking the ship.

Maine scenery.

After exhaustive research we have found that PeAt lunchtime we caught up with the rest of the group maquid, loosely translated from the local native and rode to the town of Booth Bay Harbor, did some The lobters were window shopping and explored the town before sitting tongue, means ‘What the F#@K happened to the good eats on this day in Maine. down for a light lunch. boat!?”

Brian surveys the site for this year’s Fall Fiesta at Boothbay.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2011

Page 55 No need to eat heavy as there was something special coming later that afternoon.

For Shira and I Booth Bay and its environs really captured the essence of Maine and along our ride we found a good-sized inn that would make a perfect Backroads Rally site. In fact, check out the ad on the next page and we’ll see you in the Fall.

After lunch Shira and I got the jump on the rest of the crowd as we needed to be in Portland to

take a short ferry ride to Peaks Island.

To be truthful, many of the attendees were a bit grumpy on the 35-mile I-295 ride to the city, especially when there were boats for hire in Booth Bay. Most of the noise quieted down when we were served lobsters, clams, corn and potatoes, an old-fashioned New England Lobster Bake. The big bugs were extra tasty these days and the corn almost as good as New Jersey’s.

After the early dinner we strolled to the little bit of town that Peaks Island can offer and then ferried back to Portland where we scooted the 35 miles back up the interstate to Bath and home.

Sunday everybody began to head out. To some home was as far away as Florida. Like Americade the Rolling events are gathering a serious following.

Each and every one of the riders we met here were the sort of folks you instantly become friendly with – but, isn’t that how Americade is?

If you love the organized rides at the World’s Largest Touring rally each June then you will enjoy Americade’s sister Rolling Rallies.

Right now they are doing Vermont and Maine – who knows where Christian and company will bring you next season?

Log onto www.rollingthruamerica.com for more information.

800.388.8310 • www.kitzhofinn.com Snow flying and bike parked?

Come enjoy some Winter Fun: Ski • Board • Snowmobile Motorcycle-Friendly Inn on Scenic Route 100 in Vermont

Group Packages include accommodation full cooked breakfasts and evening meals.

Fire Pit • Bar/Restaurant in walking distance 332 Rte. 100 West Dover, VT

FEBRUARY 2011 • BACKROADS

Page 56

Spring Break 2011 • May 19 - 22, 2011 Join Backroads for our 13th Annual Spring Break Rally. This time around we’ll be riding to Canandaigua, New York - atop the stunning Finger Lakes of the Empire State. Our base camp will be the beautiful Inn on the Lake • www.theinnonthelake.com. The Inn on the Lake itself has everything we would need and we promise you a great time. Here you’ll find the riding easy and nature is splendid as the entire Finger Lakes are simply gorge-ous! Robert Treman, Taughannock, Watkins Glen and Letchworth Parks are all within an easy day’s ride and not to forget the dozens of wineries and restaurants that sprinkle the region.

Make your reservations now as rooms are VERY limited and they will go fast. You must call 800-228-2801 and ask for the Backroads Motorcycle Tourmagazine Rally for special rates and room options.

Cut-off is April 1, 2011 and we ain’t fooling!

There are other lodging options in the area if the Inn is booked. Please check: www.canandaiguachamber.com

For those interested, we will be having dinner at the New York Wine & Culinary Center on Thursday, May 19 at 7:30pm. If you’d like to join us, please make your own reservations.

There are no pre-reserved tables and no listing for Backroads just an informal thing.

585-394-7070 www.nywcc.com

2011 Fall Fiesta Mon., Sept. 26 thru Sun., Oct. 2 A Full Week of Riding Fun Join us for all or part, but do join us.

It’s shaping up to be one of our best Rallies yet.

Monday, Sept. 26

Tues-Wed, Sept. 27-28

The Publick House

Ocean Point Inn

Sturbridge, MA

East Boothbay, ME

$

Rooms: 89/night

Rooms: starting at 89/night

Ask for Backroads when booking

Mention Backroads for a 10% discount

We’ll spend our first night at the Publick House’s Country Motor Lodge nestled in an apple orchard near the main inn. Enjoy a great ride into New England on the way to our more northern stop…

$

Thurs, Sept. 29

The Gray Ghost Inn Colors in the Catskills West Dover, VT

The Hunter Inn

Single $59 • Double $98/night

Rooms: starting at $110/night Mention Backroads for a discount

Perched at the tip of a scenic, rockbound peninsula in East Boothbay, we’ll spend two It’s back to our old friends days exploring Carina and Magnus and their the ‘Fingers’ of never-ending hospitality. It may Maine’s coast only be one evening, but we’ll enjoy with its historic a great meal, roasting marshmallows lighthouses, quaint villages and around the campfire and tall tales all the lobsta rolls you can eat. on the front porch.

What would a Backroads’ Rally be without a stop at…

Fri-Sun, Sept. 30-Oct. 2

We could end it here, but we’ll head south to Hunter Mountain and…

This will be the 4th year that Colors in the Catskills will be held at Hunter Mountain, in conjunction with Octoberfest. Hunter Inn is within walking distance, so we’ll enjoy a great day’s ride then park the bikes and join the festivities.