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JANUARY

Motorcycle TourMagazine

Adriatic MotoTours

Beautiful Balkans with

2010 Vol. 16 No. 1

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FREE WHEELIN’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 WHATCHATHINKIN’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ON THE MARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 BACKLASH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

THE BEAUTIFUL BALKANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COLORS IN THE CATSKILLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

MOTORCYCLE REVIEWS MOTO GUZZI V7 CLASSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

PRODUCT REVIEWS MOTORCYCLE DREAM GARAGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 OLYMPIA LADIES AST JACKET AND PRO MAX PANTS . . . . . . . . 39

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

BMW MOTORRAD CONCEPT 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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INDUSTRY INFOBITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

ENCOUNTER IN

BUMP ON THE ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers Contributors: Dr. Christopher Bump, Mark Byers, Tom Deming, Bill Heald, Dr. Seymour O’Life Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826 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. 2010. 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 • JANUARY 2010

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JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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No, it was just better.

But that was then. These days, when November rolls around, it gets dark sooner and the temperatures start to fall by the week. Folks start to sequester themselves inside and Seasonal Affective Disorder, the aptly named SAD, begins to pop up with frequency.

I have been told by medical experts that we motorcycle riders are more prone to this than other people in the general population. Our buddy Mark Byers goes into this further in his column this month.

As winter rolls in and things get frigid people begin to die - usually the old and poor. The truth is cold kills more than warmth does every time.

But let’s look at this from a motorcyclists’ point of view, since few of the general public and none of the Main Stream News Media - with the possible exception of some people at the New Yorker and Miles from Radio Margaritaville (it’s always warm there) read Backroads each month.

When it’s warm and sunny, especially on weekends, our local shops do well. Summers like the past one really hurt the very folks we depend on for new machines, service and accessories.

It was a bad year for them, especially with this economic downturn - which is turning around by the way - and the constantly wet and chilly Juneuary put some dealers out of business. Cold is bad for the economy - two-wheeled, anyway.

But, if Global Warming really kicked in and we had a southern California climate most of the year then an odd month here or there wouldn’t hurt so badly and our local dealers in the now frigid northeast would fair far better.

With warmer temperature we riders would be able to ride all the time without being tethered to our Gerbings, bundled like the Michelin Man and having to worry if it will snow instead of rain.

Rallies in December. Poker Runs in January.

The New Jersey Polar Bear Runs could just change their name to the Black Bear Runs, as these critters do better in the warmth as well.

It would be fantastic.

(Continued on Page 13)

FREE WHEELIN’ Brian Rathjen THE ARGUMENT FOR GLOBAL WARMING

As I write this the sun is beginning to set on the first real snow of the year, I have a good fire going and a warm cup of coffee. Things are peaceful and quiet with the snow falling down.

It’s about due, Thanksgiving was a week or so ago and we are way into December now. Yep, right on time this white stuff.

It really didn’t start until mid-afternoon, basically around the time I was going for a little lunch ride. It felt great to be out, even if it was starting to snow in little spats.

By the time lunch was done it was really coming down and I got plenty of stares and whispers as I put on my riding suit and walk out with my helmet to mount the now snow covered KLR. By the time I got home I looked like frosty the Snowman.

I couldn’t help but think about my Nobel and Oscar-winner friend Al Gore. What would he think about this?

Well since ClimateGate broke a few weeks back, much to my joy, I thought it ironic that the internet, the very thing Al told me he once created, would turn around and bite him in his Nobel laureate ass.

But I am not here to argue climate change or who or what is responsible for it. I am writing this today to argue the case for Global Warming and why we shouldn’t be fearful of it, but rather embrace it. Nay, do our best to make it happen.

What? Are you out of your mind, say many of you.

Not at all and here’s why. During the Renaissance Warming things were peachy all around the world. It was a bunch warmer than these days and there was no flooding or water rising to Biblical proportions.

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’ SHIRA KAMIL While you read through this issue of Backroads, you will no doubt find a very chilling theme. My compatriots are dwelling on the plummeting temperatures and ways to either circumnavigate or prepare themselves the best way possible. For all those who choose to ride during these frigid times, I say hurrah and watch your fingers and toes.

I, on the other hand, am looking ahead and, as always, planning for the Spring. Quite early in my riding days I decided that when the temperatures dip below comfortable (I’ll go as low as 40° as long as there’s a brilliant sun in the sky) the bike and I part ways. I’m pretty sure it all started with my bout with black ice, when the bike and I first parted ways.

Heading out on a warm-ish winter day many years ago to meet up with some folks at the State Line Lookout on the Palisades Parkway, all was right with the world.

Pulling into the parking lot, I suddenly noticed that I was not heading in the direction intended and, immediately, found myself soundly hitting the pavement. I quickly jumped up to warn Brian, who with many more years experience easily passed over the black evildoer and came to a safe stop. My almost perfect CBR600 was no longer.

After much cursing and lamenting, neither of which I seldom do, we righted the injured ride. Pulling in behind us was a Park police car. He stopped and asked if there was anything he could do. We tried to tell him that we had it handled, but he insisted on filling out an accident report. We told him that we would like to deal with this ourselves, but he had none of that. Here I’ll interject some history.

Brian had surprised me one day with this beautiful pre-owned CBR after HEADING TO WARMER CLIMATES

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I had tested one at Americade and stated, ‘This will be my next ride.’ As I said earlier, it was almost perfect, as the previous owner had done some slight damage to the left side. On with my story.

The police officer walked around the bike to survey the damage. He noticed that the bike had scratches on the left AND right side. He took out his pencil and paper and started writing. When asked how this happened, I told him about the black evildoer and hitting the road. He looked up from his form and simply said, ‘That must be when the bike suddenly flipped from the left to right side, right?’ Innocently, with eyes aflutter, I smiled and agreed. Needless to say, I would soon have a perfect CBR600 thanks to my uniformed friend.

Looking outside my window, I see about six inches of snow. I know that my riding, at least on my own bikes, is over for a couple of months. But there are bikes out there ready to be ridden. Near or far, just look at the weather map and pick a place that shows sunny skies and temps in the 60s and above. There are more and more rental agencies sprouting up around the US you can even find other rides than Harley-Davidsons, which are the norm. Want to catch up on some dirt riding? Head west, young man, and take part in an offroad course. What better way to stimulate the economy and jump start the motorcycle industry than spend some holiday cash doing what you really love to do - riding around the good old US of A. Feeling a bit more adventurous? There are plenty of warm weather tours and solo rides for the taking. Near or far, you can pack your riding gear and spend a few days, or weeks, on your own or with some other likemined folks. Costa Rica to New Zealand - budget to top of the line - get rid of your S.A.D and see the world.

Me, I’m hankering for a boat drink on a sunny beach with my feet in the sand. I’ll search one out and, without a doubt, find some sort of twowheeled conveyance to satisfy my riding as well. Enjoy your winter, stay warm and I’ll see you on the road as soon as the icicles disappear.

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HEALD BALANCE YOUR MOBILITY, MAN

Have you ever had that weird experience when you, for whatever reason, take a look at your motorcycle sitting there on its sidestand and see it in a really different way? It’s almost like you unplug the familiar image of your mount in your head and look at this strange device with completely fresh eyes. When you enter this weird world, a motorcycle can actually look a bit bizarre and you stare at this interesting conveyance and say, “Wow. It only has two wheels! How the heck does it stay upright? That’s amazing!”

Amazing indeed. And yet, as when you learn to ride a bicycle, your brain and senses somehow allow you to keep the finicky machine on track and upright (usually) and it’s not something you consciously have to think about every second. The ability to balance is really pretty extraordinary, and yet it’s also pretty easy to take completely for granted because it’s such a perfectly integrated part of our riding lives.

So why do I mention all this stuff? Have I had too much holiday cheer, or hit my head with something hard (hence the ease of seeing the motorcycle as a stranger)? As is so often the case when we start to talk about humans and their interface with technology, it was Honda’s fault.

I got wind of Big Red’s latest wild breakthrough when they unleashed something called the U3-X Personal Mobility Device (sounds a bit like a famous Bugs Bunny cartoon device, yes?) at the Tokyo show. Honda’s press release describes the U (if I may call it that) thusly:

“Pursuing the concept of ‘harmony with people’ Honda has developed a new personal mobility technology and unveiled U3-X, a compact experimental device that fits comfortably between the rider’s legs, to provide free movement in all directions just as in human walking - forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. Honda will continue research and development of the device including experiments in a real-world environment to verify the practicality of the device.”

It looks amazingly like a 21st Century unicycle, or perhaps a single-wheel Segway or Futurama barstool. Honda has been hard at work for years with the concept of balance, as you may have noticed when their amazing robot Asimo was demonstrated in so many compelling ways. As computers get smaller and more powerful, and engineers learn how to incorporate the necessary hardware to make miraculous acts of balance possible, there’s no end to the fascinating things that may be rolling down the road soon. But, am I saying that we’ll see something on the balance front on motorcycles in the near future?

I believe this type of technology in on the way, but like many tech advances of the recent past (like true radial tires, antilock brakes and even airbags) adopting the latest magic juju to motorcycle applications can be a daunting task. We have seen some pretty impressive gyroscopic balancing systems installed in SUVs recently, that utilize existing traction control/ABS braking hardware and are used in what is called “Roll Mitigation.”

This is quite a fine feature to have, for it can do much in helping the vehicle from rolling over under a lot of pretty nasty circumstances.

In this case, there really isn’t an analogous motorcycle application but then again, the more such systems get used the more versatile they become (and the hardware gets smaller and lighter) they may just appear. I see a scenario where the first application we see for a gyroscopically-based balance system could come on big touring rigs, to basically help the rider stay upright when you slow to a stop at lights and such. A big Wing or Tour Glide (Continued on Page 13)

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

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riding a hardtail chopper powered by a lumpy, pushrod V-twin, could it?

Imagine the sparkly burnouts one could muster if the rear rubber was MARK BYERS enveloped in steel! Maybe I could install some sheet metal screws in the tires and go ice-racing with the RT on weekends...

IF WINTER COMES...

The really dangerous part is not the riding, however, it’s the down time.

Those long, cold winter nights lead to numerous hazards, including babies It’s that time again: five o’clock and it’s darker and farkling. Since the baby train left the station quite some time ago (and than the inside of a cat. The fire’s going and I just the dog will not grow up to write a book about me), that leaves farkling. For watched “Rudy” on TV for the ten millionth time because it’s better than those of you who do not know what that is, I believe it’s a Nordic term for anything else in that vast electronic wasteland. It must be Indiana Night on exceeding your credit card balance buying crap for your motorcycles on any HD because “Hoosiers” is up next. They say the definition of insanity is number of internerd web sites. There really should be legislation against doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I guess unscrupulous retailers who take advantage of winter blues to prey on unsusI’m waiting for Jimmy to miss that buzzer-beating shot and slide into alcopecting motorcyclists. holic remorse like Shooter (played by Easy Rider alum Dennis Hopper).

The economic stimulus package is nothing compared to a desperate My Paleolithic hunter-gatherer instincts tell me to find a warm burrow and motorhead trying to survive the ravages of global cooling. I recently did eat constantly because I have to sleep for the next some stimulating to find a few bits for my SV650 HE REALLY DANGEROUS PART IS NOT THE RIDING, four months. My Seasonal Affective Disorder fires and now she sports all kinds of goodies designed to HOWEVER, IT’S THE DOWN TIME. THOSE LONG, up more often than the motorcycles, which sit increase my pleasure...once I can actually bear to COLD WINTER NIGHTS LEAD TO NUMEROUS HAZlargely motionless in the garage, hooked up to digride an unfaired bike again. In the meantime, ARDS, INCLUDING BABIES AND FARKLING. ital IV’s dripping electrons into their battery veins. upgrade goodies galore serve as a tonic for my Oh, I can avoid a frigid death and ride if I get all dressed up like Randy stormy, winter moods: Prozac is no match for a programmable Power in “A Christmas Story.” The Michelin Man has nothing on me when I’m Commander! Dr. Ohlins Magic Suspension Tonic is one of the best mood decked out in full, electrically-heated, winter-riding regalia. If you push me (and ass) elevators of which I can think. It’s good to have an adjustable preover in a snowbank, I’ll look like a crippled walrus, flopping and bellowing load setting to combat the effects of too many Funyuns eaten while watchuntil spring or a merciful death at the hands of a fisherman with a baseball ing football. bat. Never mind railing corners with my knee out: when I’m geared up for So my key to winter survival and rejuvenation is this: fire up the confuser, cold weather, all I know is that my knee is somewhere south of the wire hit the online strip malls (not strip joints), and throw some electronic money sticking out of my ‘stich. The big RT gets ridden the most because of its around like a trailer-trash lottery winner. Then, when the herniated UPS wind protection and heated accoutrements. I’m tethered to the power sockman finishes the deliveries, leave the items scattered around the house for a et like a spacewalking astronaut, however. while so you can admire them during football halftimes. Tell your wife it’s The state and local governments are here to help, though, and they “male potpourri.” After a requisite amount of time, fire up the kerosene thoughtfully sprinkle lots of goodies on the roads to make sure I stay safe. heater in the man-cave and bolt all that crap on your rides. You’ll be surThere’s nothing like the traction-giving power of sand, cinders, and salt in prised what a mood-elevating effect it will have. Then sit back with a beer those turns to make sure I have plenty of grip on my all-season radials. and a satisfied smile while the winter storms rage outside. For, as Percy Perhaps I could chain up the drive wheel: it couldn’t be much worse than Bysshe Shelley said, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”

ON THE MARK

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JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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The Beautiful Balkans with Adriatic MotoTours

nder cloudy skies, with the threat of rain hanging over our heads, we rolled to the checkpoint at the border leading into Bosnia. The queue had us a few vehicles back and, on both sides, serious guards were searching cars, both coming and going. With a glance, the steel-eyed guard summoned us forward and I handed him my very full American passport. He slowly went through it page by page, occasionally glancing at me, his eyes taking in more detail. This was not the smiling fellow at the local Canadian border crossing.

He then spied my small passenger. Crap. I knew for sure he didn’t have any paperwork.

I took a deep breath and the guard and I locked eyes for a moment. Peering at Notso Happy, sticking out of the tank bag, a slow smile crossed the guard’s face, which turned into a laugh. He shook his head as he stamped my passport.

“Welcome to Bosnia. Enjoy your stay,” he said in a voice reminiscent of Boris Badanoff.

I thanked him, snapped the BMW R1200GS into first and rolled into a country that so dominated the news a decade and a half ago. A few minutes later Shira, after a quick once over, rolled in as well. Welcome to the heart of the Balkans.

We had ridden into Ljubljana, Slovenia from Italy’s Dolomites a few days before to join Matej Malovrh and a dozen other riders for a two-week tour with Adriatic MotoTours titled the Beautiful Balkans Adventure. This was a part of Europe that neither Shira nor I had ever had the opportunity to ride in before and we had been talking with Matej, who we met at a BMW Rally a few years back in Vermont, about doing this tour since.

(Continued on Page 22)

words: Brian Rathjen images: Brian Rathjen, Matej Malovrh and Rozle Verhovc

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

BACKLASH Ungrateful Southerners

Dear Slanted Backroads Editor and the Cute Chick, I notice once again you are giving accolades to that God Norm Smith. So he rode from Shanghai to Munich. Big deal. I see that as riding through two countries - China and Russia. I, on the other, had started in Munich, Germany and rode through Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Lichtenstein, Slovenia and back to Germany. I count that as eight countries. Count them - eight. Put that in your hat and smoke it.

Long distance riders Jim and Marty Gardner Atlanta, GA

Grateful Midwesterners

Backroads, My first issue arrived in the mail today. Good work, great magazine, keep them coming! My wife and I have been riding together, sport touring on BMW’s, for 40 years now and have stayed at many and varied lodging establishments. We like to stay at small country inns or B&Bs when time allows, but also like to ride early mornings during the summer, which precludes the breakfast that many B&Bs don’t serve until 8:00 am or later. Usually by that time we will have a hundred miles done. Consequently the hotel/motel scene is the norm for most of our stays.

Since we ride 30,000 miles a year, on average, we are always looking for places to stay that offer a good value, are clean, good location, motorcycle friendly, etc. Our experience with the Hampton Inn chain seems to meet or exceed all of those standards and some locations actually exceed. An example: on way to Texas a couple years ago during a driving rainstorm we decided to pack it in, as it was 4:00pm. Pulled into a Hampton Inn at Beaumont, Texas. After we registered I asked the desk clerk if it was okay to leave the bike parked under their canopy, as it was still pouring rain. Sure,

Page 9

LETTERS

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EDITOR

he said. While we were unpacking the bike, the manager came out and asked if we would like to put the bike in the lobby for the night. I mean INSIDE the front doors! We politely declined and said the canopy was fine.

After we had cleaned up and were ready to go out to dinner, still pouring rain, this same manager drove us, in his personal car, to a restaurant. He even offered to pick us up after eating, which turned out unnecessary as the rain had stopped and we walked back to the hotel. This is but one example of our Hampton experiences over the years.

Now more to my point, I would like to tell you about one Hampton that I think deserves the Moto-Inn designation. West Virginia is one of our favorite riding venues, we do a lot of our 2 and 3 day rides there. Elkins, WV is a good base for some of the better roads in the area. The Hampton at Elkins is, in my opinion, probably one of the best in their chain. Right on US219/250 a couple miles out of town, it sits on a hill, back off the highway, with a view of the mountains to the west. Park your bike and walk down the hill to restaurants or, this is the best part, they have a little shuttle bus that will take you anywhere you want to go AND will pick you up when ready to return, just give them a call. Always glad to hand out cleaning rags to clean the bikes. On any weekend there are guests on motorcycles and it’s first come for the canopy parking; a great place to stay. I’m not sure this is what you are looking for with the Moto-Inn concept but I really want you to know about the Hampton at Elkins as a good place to stay.

Keep up the great work on the magazine and if you ever come to Ohio I can show you some great roads that are some of the best in the midwest and West Virginia too.

This photo is the Mrs. & me this past summer on our way back from the Ozarks. Would you have guessed a couple of senior citizens are under those helmets.

Philip Eramo - Columbus, Ohio

(Continued on Page 10)

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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Great Place to Stay

Hi, This is Cathy Berl, general manager at “Hotel Rodney” in Lewes, Delaware. I just opened my mail and was surprised and very pleased to find your magazine and note. Thank you so much for sending it to us. What a great story about Lewes and the hotel. After reading it, I wanted to jump on a bike and come here too.

All my best to you, Cathy Berl

Reflections

Brian, Great Free Wheelin in the November issue - Yes 2009 was a banner year for me, from the unforgettable ride in Coffee Bay, to the Tip of Africa to the Northern tip of Newfoundland and all rides in between. I had the time of my life and it “just keeps getting better”! Can’t wait for 2010.

Mike “Charlie” Mosca

Hey Backroads, How do you do it all? Publish the best GDDMN motorcycle in the Milky Way, get out SOTW nearly every week, and make a pumpkin pie that is out of this world scrumptious.

I don’t get to see you guys very often anymore but I love getting the song of the week, it is a cool way of keeping in touch.

Danny Herbst Hi Guys, I wanted to say “Thanks” for the ride that you invited the group a few weeks ago from Belvidere to Swartswood Lake. My two riding buddies have GPS’s so they downloaded the route and we went today. Great roads I’d never find myself though I do try. Twisty, through the woods and nice scenery too. I don’t know how you find those roads but keep doing it. Don’t forget - Enjoy the holidays; we’re looking forward to seeing you in the Spring.

John Petrocelli

Mail:

BACKROADS PO Box 317 Branchville NJ 07826

Email: editor@backroadsusa.com Fax: (973) 948-0823

Got something to say? We’d love to hear it.

Letters may be edited, never censored, to fit.

Brian and Shira, Hello! I have just received the November issue of Backroads and it looks like the Fall Fiesta was a great trip. Sorry we missed it. I saw the list for 2010 rallies and I am marking them off on the calendar. The trip to NC in August for your 15th anniversary sounds great and I have always wanted to do “The Dragon” and the Deal’s Gap area. Will a group be leaving from Backroad Central for the trip down? And Vermont in the fall is always fantastic. But the trip in 2011 to the Alps, sign us up now!

When I told Donna about the trip to the Alps, she took the magazine from my hands to read it. And that a trip to Venice was in the tour, she was in. She even started to tell friends that we were going to Venice in 2011. Donna went to Italy 2 years ago and has told me almost everyday that she wants to go back, and I would go if we could go on motorcycles and ride Northern Italy. This is great, please send us more information when it is available.

The last time I wrote, you told me that on the return trip from VT your friend that rode the Sportster had a stroke on his ride home. How is he doing now? I’m sorry that I don’t remember his name. I hope he has made a full recovery and will be riding again soon!

With the holiday season coming, Donna and I wish everyone at Backroads Central a safe and happy one!

Sincerely, Keith and Donna

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Keith and Donna, Rune is doing much better, but still has a ways to go before getting back on the bike - we’ll pass his good wishes along for a speedy recovery.

As for the 2011 Alps trip - don’t mistake it for a trip to Venice, Italy. While there will be a free day to make a blast to Venice, most of the trip is much further north. Great riding, fun group and the time of your life. For anyone interested in finding out more, please contact Doris at Edelweiss directly via email: doris.waldegger@edelweissbike.com - ask for the Backroads High Alpine Tour in 2011. Hope you can join us!

Page 11

zine and the new website, keep up the good work. It is nice to read a publication that covers the area we live in as well as distant destinations. I may not have the time or the money to travel the world as you have done but for the few minutes a day while sitting on my porcelain throne in my office you help me to fullfill my quest for adventure. Thanks Again for “Backroads!”

John Moro

Yep, John that was us. I remember thinking how I have always loved the matching bags from those years. Next time let’s stop and chat.

Those Damn Vowels

First let me say that I have been reading Backroads for years and it is a great magazine.

With that being said as an MSF RCT it pained me to see the misuse of “Hyperthermia” in the Gerbing article. Hyperthermia is actually in short, an elevated body temperature. What we as riders have to be concerned with in the winter is “Hypothermia.” That is a sub-normal body temperature.

As you stated hyperthermia is a “bad hombre,” but the use of heated gear in this case would not be the correct preventative action.

With hypothermia equally being a “bad hombre”, heated gear would be better put to use in this circumstance.

Sorry for the correction. I just feel from my experiences in teaching novice students that miss-information can be harmful.

Thanks for the great magazine, Ron EB

the Keeping Staff ds Backroa y in Health le. d the Sad

Thanks for the correction. We caught it too late and the appropriate person has been flogged and forced to watch Reality TV. Backroads Folks, I think I may have passed you (Brian & Shira) this past weekend on the corner of 521 and Branchville Lawson Road. I was on a red R1100GS turning onto 521 while you where at the stop sign (at least I think it may have been you folks).

Anyway, I’m local to the area and I have your publication sent to my house every month. I love the maga-

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Page 12

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD

Tim Wineland

extremities. Rarely does one find such euphoria while riding in milder, painless temperatures; rarer still without the aid of alcohol.

I heartily believe that an often overlooked up-side defeat at the cold claws of the autumnal Admitting to continued global warming is the potential for yearequinox is difficult for any biker, but perhaps more so round riding along a balmy Hudson Bay. Until then, I for those of us who live in the climatic cusp of the am quite content to live in the southeast where the Mason-Dixon that temperate transitional fault-line survivable riding season can occasionally extend into somewhere between “up” North and “down” South. late fall or begin anew in early spring. Often have I this weather-fickle swath, riders need only look Above been enticed in the waning days of winter to venture out their window to determine which mode of transout just long enough to satiate my two-wheel wanderportation to take on any given day; be it two-wheeled lust and to remind myself that, although exposed flesh scooter or four-legged dogsled.

The decision may be a is fine for certain night clubs, it is not recommended tough one to accept, but it is usually better to watch eight inch icicles danfor post-Fall forays. from the eaves than from a favored personal appendage.

Also, unlike gling Cold weather cruising is a uniquely invigorating and oddly adventurous those in the Deep South - where winter is recognized only by the seasonal experience - comparable only to a brisk, clothing-optional plunge in the influx of “flakes” of a different sort - we in this geographical purgatory must Bering Sea amidst a pod of ravenous Orcas. This exhilarating sensation defend against both frostbite and heat stroke, sometimes attacking in the (a.k.a. “hypothermia”) is embraced by a bizarre yet hardy breed of travelsame afternoon, and always with the intensity of still disgruntled blue and ers who choose to thrust themselves into the crisp, biting, snapping and gray brigades waging un-civil war upon our blistered skins. snarling air in order to peruse solitary roads and unpopulated attractions I did not come to this knowledge easily; nor in some cases by choice. devoid of heat and crowds and unrestricted blood flow. We foolhardy few Over the years of off-season scootering, I have traversed the bleak and forconsider slurred speech and a vague disorientation a small price to pay to bidding Tennessee tundra, scaled the glacier-scoured Appalachian highenjoy stark, wintry landscapes and a strange yet soothing numbness of the lands, and shivered through many a black-ice escarpment from the piedmont to the coast. Being single, I also spend a lot of time in the frozen pizza section of my local grocer.

Frozen Head State Park in east Tennessee was one memorable attempt at cold-blooded biking - as well as a good lesson in meteorologically appropriate placeOur variety of powersports products is second to none. Whether names. Though it was late spring, the mercury soon you’re riding offroad, backroads, dropped until a “frozen head” was but the tip of my or on the track, we’re here to get own personal iceberg. The acrid air whistled through you where you need to go. my pores condensing my once warm and fluid blood to for the discriminating rider tile grout. Since I did not come prepared for such In northern New Jersey there isn’t 570 Broad Ave • Ridgefield NJ a friendlier or more knowledgeable deceptive temperatures, I soon donned everything I staff than ours. could find including scraps of roadside plastic bags and www.circlecycle.net We’re happy to help you find the several items of question found abandoned in a local 201.945.2200 parts you’ve been looking for.

Laundromat. I packed dead leaves into the spaces between my mismatched coats of many colors. I was the biker embodiment of a homeless vagrant adrift in a Go to the show, see all the motorcycles, parts and accessories, giant squirrel’s nest only not as warm. then take a short ride to Circle Cycle.

Another ice-age excursion was to North Carolina’s Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the We’ll make it worth your while with a refund on your entry ticket*.

Mississippi River, and - with the possible exception of Use it towards any purchase, special order or service. some dismal abyss on Planetoid Pluto - the coldest *On purchases of $50 or more. Good through Jan. 31, 2010. location hurtling through space. Winter temperature here is not measured in Fahrenheit or Celsius, but rather in more local nomenclature. Atop the observation tower, a “Four-Jay day” is bad - especially for the four Blue Jays found still frozen to their pine tree perches.

This day was a six-birder at least; eight countinc. ing the wind-chill. I thought I had come prepared this time, however, given that I was wearing what amountLuggage • Jackets • Pants • Boots • Rain Gear • Tools • Exhausts • Tires ed to the entire inventory of the Sporting Goods aisle Sprockets • Chains • Bar Risers • Brakes • Lines • Ramps • Lifts • OEM Parts of my local Wal-Mart, including at least one stockperson. I was a rotund, runaway bubble-boy in camouSport ~ Touring ~ Cruiser flage and Day-Glo - but still I could not stay warm.

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my pumpkin is not the answer to cold weather cruising. However, I have also given up on bulking-up. I have instead come to the conclusion that a minimalist approach to clothing along with preemptive “winterizing” is the only way to properly acclimate yourself to the tantalizing rigors of windburn, frostbite, and possible Yeti attacks.

Suiting-up for cold climate jaunts should be likened to deep-sea diving, sans the giant squid repellant and sixty pound boots. The preferred “suit” should be lightweight, air tight, water tight and, most importantly, skin tight.

Although most experts agree that “layering” is the best defense against cold weather, most experts wouldn’t be caught dead on a motorcycle in winter, so ignore their advice. Wearing multiple layers of clothing only increases your surface bulk thereby making you less aerodynamic. This in turn creates more wind resistance, making you more unstable and susceptible to what veteran winter riders call the “Pillsbury Doughboy” effect: a swelled and bloated midsection due to several layers of insulated clothing wrapped around an entire play-off season of football beer.

No, the best way to beat the cold is to mimic Mother Nature.

Penguins, for example, go around barefoot in the most inhospitable climate on the planet and have rarely been seen wearing other animals to keep warm. Their secret is simple: they’re used to it. That is what the determined cold-weather rider must do as well. Several weeks before your inclement outing, prepare yourself mentally and physically by riding naked as often as possible. This helps prepare you against the dire effects of frigid air as well as the frozen stares and cold shoulders leveled at you by your un-enlightened local law enforcement. Optionally, a pair of high-rise or “ape hanger” style handlebars are perfect for this type of bareback practice as they allow for full-body buffeting and a thorough armpit airing. Highway pegs, however, especially those high enough to qualify as gynecological table stirrups, are not recommended for family viewing.

So as the days grow shorter and the winds blow colder, do not be content to sit and curse the dark, cold goo congealed at the bottom of your idle oil pan; but rather discard those layers of lambskin, forsake the fleecelined footies, and enjoy the misery while there’s still time. Personally, I have a new Spandex riding suit I’m dying to try out. Perhaps a quick trip to Ontario this winter - rumor has it there will soon be plenty of lush, tropical Canadian coastline to cruise.

Page 13

(Continued from Page 3)

Instead of sitting by the fire with a winter issue of Backroads in your hands wishing you could get out and ride, you would have that same issue in your tank bag waiting to be devoured sometime that night, after a great day in the saddle.

Instead of planning those trips you hope to squeeze in during the “riding season” you could be out riding them because there would be no “riding season.” Just riding!

My bottom line here is stop worrying about Global Warming and Climate Change, there is nothing we can do to stop Mother Nature, but if I could talk to her I would encourage her to turn up the heat.

It’s better for us all.

FREE WHEELIN’

(Continued from Page 6)

would make sense because they’re large enough to absorb the weight of the system easily. But while a gyroscope would be nice to help keep things upright, they might be bad news when it comes time to change direction and leaning. Wait: or would it? If you notice some of the things that the U3-X and Segway can do involve using the body to lean a bit where you want to go. In time, could a system be devised that is smart enough to help the rider by responding to countersteering inputs and actually help lean the motorcycle over?

Wow. Scary, eh? It is fun to speculate about such things. Fortunately, like the new linked ABS on the CBR600RR that has to be experienced to be believed, I trust such tech won’t arrive until it will work with the rider, and not against him or her. But, I’ll wager, it will be here before we know it.

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JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 14

B I G C I T Y G E TA W AY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

A VISIT TO THE RUSSIAN 9/11 MEMORIAL MONUMENT I was in a conference room with representatives of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, discussing a potential 9/11 memorial monument for a Catholic cemetery, when I was asked if I had ever visited the Russian 9/11 memorial monument in Bayonne.

I had no knowledge of the monument. For me the subject hits close to home. I lost a brother when the World Trade Center Twin Towers collapsed and consequently tend to pay attention to 9/11 events and memorials.

Somehow I missed this one, so I planned a ride to visit the memorial.

By Tom Deming

On a crisp October morning with camera in tour pack, I met up with a friend and we started riding east to the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. The peninsula—a remote and largely undeveloped tract of land—is the former Military Ocean Terminal that operated for six decades as a naval supply center for every major U.S. military operation from World War II to Desert Storm. It was decommissioned in 1999 and officially transferred to the City of Bayonne for redevelopment in 2002. Today the peninsula serves as a

cruise port terminal and is the site of urban revitalization with construction taking place to build a high-end residential community.

The monument was a gift from the people of Russia to the city of Bayonne and is titled “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism.” The Bayonne site was selected because it was an arrival point for many New York City evacuees on 9/11 as well as a staging area for first responders.

Zurab Tsereteli, one of Russia’s most notable artists, famous for his largescale sculptures representing historical events, created the monument. It stands 100-ft high and is made of steel sheathed in bronze. The centerpiece of the sculpture is a 40-ft long teardrop made of nickel-plated stainless steel.

The teardrop is a symbol of the grief and sadness that stems from the fateful 9/11 date.

The monument was shipped from Russia in six pieces, each weighing between 28 and 63 tons. The sections arrived in Bayonne in August 2005 and the ground breaking was held in September 2005. Vladimir Putin, for-

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mer president of the Russian Federation, served as the keynote speaker for the ceremony. The monument dedication took place on September 11, 2006, which was the fifth anniversary of 9/11. Former president Bill Clinton gave the keynote address joining dignitaries and family members of World Trade Center victims.

The sculpture honors victims of both the 9/11 terrorist attack as well as the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The 11-sided granite base is etched with the names of nearly 3,000 terror victims (including my brother) and serves as a symbol of solidarity in the fight against world terrorism.

Harbor View Park, which was developed for the monument, is a two-acre public site situated at the end of the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor. It’s open daily from dawn to dusk and offers a stunning vista of New York Harbor along with clear views of Lady Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline where the World Trade Center towers stood.

If you chose to visit on a weekday, keep in mind that you will ride through the New York commuter traffic, so avoid the morning and evening rush hours. Parking at Harbor View is free and plentiful, with very little walking necessary. On weekends you can easily ride in and out of the area with typical local traffic. The monument is lit at night but is best viewed on a sunny day. The bronze exterior gives off a multi-color appearance and the teardrop is stunning in the sunlight. Additional information on the site can be found online at www.911monument.com Directions to The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor: For GPS directions, search for 51 Port Terminal Boulevard, Bayonne, New Jersey 07002 (the address of the Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority), which is on the peninsula and will take you past the gatehouse.

From the N.J. Turnpike North or South, take the NJ Turnpike to Exit 14A-Bayonne. After paying the toll bear right. Follow the signs for RT-440 (formerly RT-169). Go up the ramp and then follow signs to RT-440 South. Follow the signs for the Bayonne Ocean Terminal. At the first traffic light on Port Terminal Boulevard, make a left. Proceed to the Gatehouse and follow the road to Harbor View Park.

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Page 16

O’Life’s

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

SEARCH FOR RIP VAN WINKLE

Everybody has heard the story of Rip Van Winkle, right. For those of you who don’t know it here is the Backroads Reader’s Digest version of it.

The story of Rip Van Winkle is set in the years before and after the American Revolutionary War. Rip Van Winkle, a villager of Dutch descent, lives in a nice village at the foot of New York’s Catskill Mountains. An amiable man whose home and farm suffer from his lazy neglect, he is loved by all but his wife.

One autumn day he escapes his nagging wife by wandering up the mountains. There he encounters strangely dressed men, rumored to be the ghosts of Henry Hudson’s crew, who are playing nine-pins. After drinking some of their liquor, he settles down under a shady tree and falls asleep.

He wakes and returns to his village, where he finds twenty years have passed. He finds out that his wife has died and that his close friends have

WINTER 2010

CALENDAR

died in a war or gone somewhere else. He immediately gets into trouble when he proclaims himself a loyal subject of King George III, not knowing that the American Revolution has taken place.

An old local recognizes him, however, and Rip’s now grown daughter takes him in. Rip resumes his habitual idleness, and his tale is solemnly believed by the old Dutch settlers, with certain henpecked husbands wishing they shared Rip’s good luck.

Now it’s a nice old tale, and is especially beloved in the mountains of the Catskills, but could it have a ring of truth to it?

We had heard rumors that ol’ Rip might have returned to the peaks where he slept for two decades and that, even today, he could be seen awaking once again to an entirely different world.

Ever vigilant for the little bit of Mysterious America yet to be found I grabbed Rathjen and Kamil and we took a ride up to Hunter Mountain for the BMW Rally and Oktoberfest at the grand ski resort.

Rumors abound up in these old mountains and it was said that if we were to find Van Winkle we would first have to find the “Eye on the Road” - whatever that means.

The story said that we would find the eye on the most impressive, yet dangerous road in the Catskills. Hmm, what and where could that be? Big Indian or Peekamoose?

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Of course not, the grandest, yet lightly traveled road is Platte Cove Rd -aka Devil’s Kitchen - that heads up towards Rte. 23A near Woodstock. At 1650 ft this road offers an incredible view of the true nature of the wild Catskills.

We pointed our bikes in that direction and made good time up the mountain. Heading towards the top, on the right side etched into the cliff we found the eye carved into the living rock. Excellent we were on the right track.

We stopped in Tannersville and took lunch at Maggie’s Krooked Café - a great local spot - and it was there that we found we were indeed on the right trail to find Van Winkle.

Making our way to Hunter Mountain we parked the bikes and wandered around the rally and Oktoberfest. A few dark beers later and we started asking folks in lederhosen if they knew where we might find Rip. One old grizzled man, with a young fraulein on his lap simply smiled and pointed up - way up - to the top of the mountain.

“Up there,” he simply said.

Well, we could ride up, but we thought it might be easier to just jump on the Sky Ride Chair Lift and head up the peak.

Atop Hunter just might be the best view of the entire Catskills, but after hopping off the lift, to the left, I spied a sign that simply said Rip....

We followed the trail along the side of the mountain for a short while and then came upon the man himself.

Well, actually it’s really just a statue, but a most incredible statue. ®

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START: PORT JERVIS, NY RTE. 209 NORTH LEFT: CR 7/49 OAKLAND VALLEY RD RIGHT: CR 101 COLD SPRING RD LEFT: CR 108 ST. JOSEPH’S RD RIGHT: RTE. 42 NORTH LEFT: RTE. 55 RIGHT: CR 19 CLARYVILLE RD LEFT: CR 157 FROST VALLEY RD BECOMES CR 47 RIGHT: RTE. 28 LEFT: CR 212 BEAR LEFT: CR 33 GLASCO TURNPIKE LEFT: CR 51/ 16 PLATT CLOVE RD LOOK FOR “THE EYE” LEFT: RTE. 23A TO HUNTER MTN. SKY RIDE UP THE PEAK FOLLOW SIGNS ON LEFT TO RIP

Page 17

For more than 14 years, artists Kevin VanHentenryck and David Slutzky have been creating this marvelous monument to the Catskills favorite son and when we were there they were just putting on the finishing touches to this beautiful effigy. The detail, especially in the warm late morning light was amazing, and the look of Rip as he awakes to find himself some 20 years older is beautifully mastered by these two incredibly talented men.

In fact Kevin was the artist behind the “Eye” as well.

All part of the grand scheme of things in Mysterious America, I guess.

We spoke with them both for a short while and learned how Rip was created during the many Festivals that Hunter holds, so that people could get an idea of what was being created atop the mountain and to be part of the shaping of this Blue Stone masterpiece.

We had found Rip Van Winkle and you can too - the Catskills are a great place to ride and stopping by any of Hunters many festivals is a bonus that shouldn’t be missed.

Follow along on our Rip and Ride and you’ll have a great day’s ride, you can look for the “Eye” and you’ll meet Rip Van Winkle as well.

O’Life out!

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W E ’ R E O U T TA H E R E THE CHARLESWORTH HOTEL If one is looking for the ultimate in getaways in the Garden State a few places might come to mind, but if you are looking for a most remote place to disappear, then this month’s We’re Outta Here can’t be beat.

Follow along as we take you to the southern shores of New Jersey, across the bay from Dover, Delaware and to the small fishing village of Fortescue - the Weak Fishing Capital of the World.

Now we’re not much when it comes to fishing, but we do like to search out some of the more out of the way places. Shira discovered the Charlesworth Hotel in her research and it was only a matter of time before we headed down bay way.

Located in Cumberland County, Fortescue is only accessible by County Road 637, Fortescue Road. Riding over the bridge you’ll spy Higbee’s Luncheonette and Marina (remember this for coffee in the morning), the local chapel and the bait shop. You are in fishing territory here and I think few motorcyclists ever venture this way often, although we did see a few sport bikes by the beach.

Turning onto New Jersey Avenue the Charlesworth is right there and we instantly liked everything about the tiny place.

The building was built back in 1925 and for years the Charlesworth Hotel was the center of the tiny town, with activities and dances held on the wide boardwalk. Back then the community was far more bustling, but storms, the bay and time have slowed Fortescue down just a tad.

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a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

Still, we think this place is a real gem, a hidden jewel along Jersey Delaware Bay coast.

This entire region is so unlike what many consider the Jersey shore to be.

First off the large crowds, traffic, police, traffic, over population, traffic, over development, people and traffic will not be found here.

Riding into Fortescue will change your attitude of life on a Jersey shore. Sea grass and water dominate the land (or sea) for miles and miles and where else do you get the pleasure of seeing a hundred or so Horseshoe Crabs strolling along the high tide mark looking to get lucky.

We arrived in the late afternoon and were forewarned that bringing a bottle of wine for dinner would be appropriate as the town if one of the few “dry” places in New Jersey.

Our bottle worked well as the deck of the Charlesworth Hotel offers the best sunset north of Mallory Square.

The Charlesworth Hotel also has a superb restaurant and watching the sun drop into the bay from our bay front table was a real treat.

The food was really excellent with Shira dining on their delicious Chowder and their famous Crab Cakes and me grabbing it all with a luscious Seafood Bisque and Broiled Seafood Sampler.

All the meals come with their own Pumpkin Bread and if we had room I would have brought a few loafs home.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 19

The hotel has five comfortable rooms, four which share a bath, but one suite that has its own loo.

We found the rooms to be as comfortable as could be and we slept very soundly that night - even the resident ghost Ruella did not bother us, but we were told that she often plays pranks on hotel guests. She was very much the gentle lady that evening. What we really liked was the price as the room and dinner for two cost just $135. Find that anywhere else on the coast of the United States.

We both were up early the next day and it was hard to beat the wonderful sunrise while sitting in the cool bay breeze watching the gulls feeding on the hundreds of eggs laid by the crabs from the night before. Nature has quite a dance going on down here.

So there you have it. Probably the best kept hotel secret in all of New Jersey and one we completely and heartily recommend. The town of Fortescue and the Charleworth Hotel are like nothing you have come to expect in New Jersey. The stunning beauty, the solitude, the great food and quaint hotel all add up to a true winner and one place we know we will be heading back to, ‘cause just like you sometimes we need to look at each other and say we’re outta here!

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KOSCO HARLEY-DAVIDSON Presents G R E AT A L L A M E R I C A N D I N E R R U N THE FRANKLIN HOUSE TAVERN 101 NORTH MARKET STREET, SCHAEFFERSTOWN, PA 17088 717-949-2122 • WWW.FRANKLINHOUSETAVERN.COM

To get this prime spot in Backroads’ Great All American Diner Run you have to have a few basic things. But, every now and then we chance upon a restaurant that has everything we would be looking for - great food, wonderful location, a bit of history and - very important - great surrounding roads.

Thus is the case with this month’s choice for this honored spot: The Franklin House Tavern in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania. You’ll find Schaefferstown in the heart of Amish country, at the convergence of Routes 419 & 897.

tasty places to take your bike

Like many things, it’s best to start at the beginning, as the Franklin House Tavern has a history dating back to its construction in 1746. Alexander Schaeffer first owned this place and for which the town was named. He built it with uncommonly thick walls and its artistic masonry added to the beauty of the building. During colonial times it was called the King George, but that soon changed to the George Washington after the revolution.

Years later the moniker changed to the Franklin House and that name has since stuck. It was remodeled and enlarged in 1884, but the original walls still remain.

We first spotted The Franklin House Tavern a few years back when making a run to points further south. Since that time we have passed the place many times and it wasn’t until recently we made a promise to ourselves that we would get there around lunch and stop for a bite.

This time we were lucky to have a small platoon of riders along with us as we were heading to the Backroads Fall Fiesta being held in Lancaster.

From the very start we knew we had a winner, as The Franklin House Tavern oozes its history and charm as soon as you walk through the heavy wooden threshold.

We had a choice of where to sit - the tavern itself, the dining room or

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START: RTES. 46, 94, AND I-80 INTER. COLUMBIA, NJ CROSS RIVER TO RTE. 611 SOUTH RIGHT AT 512 RIGHT AT ALPHA OR NORTH BROADWAY BEAR LEFT AT OLD PA 115 LEFT AT MOUNTAIN ROAD STRAIGHT AT BUSKIRK / UPPER SMITH GAP / 3002 BEAR LEFT AT LITTLE GAP - THROUGH PALMERTON RIGHT ON RAMP TO 248 SOUTH RIGHT AT 873 - BECOMES MAIN ST. LEFT AT MOUNTAIN RD. LEFT AT 309 RIGHT AT 142 CROSS I-78 HARD RIGHT AT MOSELEM SPRING RD.

LEFT AT MAIN ST. RIGHT AT SHOEY RD. RIGHT AT MAIN ST. LEFT AT IRISH CREEK RD. LEFT AT SHARTLESVILLE RD. LEFT AT 181 RIGHT AT N. HEIDELBERG RD. RIGHT AT W. PENN AVE. LEFT AT NORTHVALE BLVD. LEFT AT W. HIGH ST. RIGHT AT S. 2ND ST. BEAR RIGHT AT NEWMANSTOWN, RD. / 419 THE FRANKLIN HOUSE TAVERN AT INTERSECTIONS 419 AND 897 IN SCHAEFFERSTOWN, PA

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

upstairs on the deck. It was a stellar day in early fall, so out on the narrow deck it was.

The menu, which has added and dropped a few items since, was as colorful as the Franklin House itself. For starters you could head for the Bruschetta with garlic, olive oil, sundried tomato, parmesan or jump on the Traditional Wings or try their Crab and Bacon Gratinee with smoked gouda and crostinis.

I saw the Potato Skins stuffed with three cheeses, sour cream and bacon and it did look yummy, and all this was just scratching the surface.

Our group tried a bunch of different dishes for lunch. I had the Black and Bleu Burger with Bleu Cheese, Provolone and Cajun Spices - awesome! Others tried the Franklin Club which was a wonderful combination of ham, turkey, bacon, balsamic egg and provolone - incredible. The Grilled Bologna, thickly sliced and grilled with pepperjack cheese was different and delicious.

Being it was lunch we didn’t head towards the entrees - but with items like Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Napolean, Purple Sun Catfish and Oscar Tenderloin on The Family Dealership You Can Trust the menu we have to hit this place later in the day next time around.

There were so many sharp looking dishes we would need multi-day visits to give it all a try, but we do think it is safe to say that you can not go wrong with anyOnce you have the motorcycle and gear to get you there. thing at The Franklin House Tavern.

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Page 22

(Continued from Page 8)

Our first few days in Ljubljana were spent meeting the rest of the group, some of whom were old friends; fellow world tourers Dick Singer and Ron and Terry Minor, with whom we had ridden in Italy a year back.

It is always a joy when old buddies can join together for another adventure and even better when we can make new friends along the way.

Joining us were eight others. Matej seemed to have gathered an varied group and we were anxious to get the ride started.

Ljubljana is a wonderful city and strolling around the center of the town, with its ancient castle, three famous bridges crossing the river and open market, was about as nice as it gets, but after a morning’s exploration we were back to the hotel so folks could get their bikes and sit in on a brief overview of the tour; what to expect, what to watch out for and other things that might come in handy while riding in this part of the world.

Our ride would start in Slovenia and head into Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Some Americans hear the words Bosnia and immediately think this is not the safest place to go riding; but that Bosnia, which so filled the news with its internal strife and warfare, is more than a decade past and we were really looking forward to seeing what has been called some of the greatest scenery in Europe.

After the introduction meeting the group went for a short ride. Most just wanted to get riding, but Shira and I knew it was part of the vetting process.

It helps to be fairly experienced when riding in a foreign land and it was obvious we had a good group with which to ride.

That evening we shuttled into town for dinner and watched while a storm of serious weight came into the city. After dinner I sat outside and watched BEAUTIFUL BALKANS

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

the tempest with a glass of local red. And waited for the ride the next day.

Ljubljana, Slovenia to Plitvice National Park, Croatia

The storms from the night before passed leaving us with a cloudy, but still damp morning. With the promise of sunshine flying in from the west our group left en masse from Ljubljana, following our knowledgeable and personable guide Rozle, and headed toward the border with Croatia.

The roads quickly became more rural as we drifted past large farms and through small villages. Coming around one turn a wide valley dropped before us with the Karst, the famed limestone mountains, looming in the distance.

Not long afterward we rolled out of Slovenia and into Croatia without a care. Once into Croatia we made a quick stop for coffee and continued on to our first stop on the road, the National Park Plitvice Jezera.

Unlike any other park in the world Plitvice is created around the famed Karst of the region and over the last million years the limestone has worn

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Page 23

away in places and grown in others. The calcium carbonate has built what is called ‘Tufa Formations’ - somewhat like a stalagmite in a cave, but here its flat plateaus has created a number of absolutely clear lakes all brought together by a series of wonderful waterfalls - hundreds of them.

We parked the bikes at our hotel and took a few hours to hike the well-groomed trails and wooden walkways that surround and even go over the water which so dominate the park. In fact, Plitvice Jezera is all about water. We stopped at the highest waterfall in Croatia, ironically called the Big Waterfall and walked for a few kilometers along the lakes and the plethora of tiny cascades that make this park a true dream and well worthy of its UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site status; a truly stunning place and an excellent park to begin this journey. That night we dined at the park’s large restaurant with platters of potatoes, pork and roasted goat. As a big time carnivore, I was in heaven.

So sad. On the white wall somebody had written - ANARCHY. That’s the truth. I reached down and took a piece of tile and put it in my tank bag - a little reminder of the hatred of war and the uselessness of it.

The ride over the peak was a rider’s heaven and, reaching the summit we stopped to view another gorgeous Bosnian valley stretching into the distance.

While taking this in I spied an odd sight. A man, and a cow. Here came this old man walking a single cow. I nodded hello, as did Shira and then Dick looked at the guy and with a big smile pointed at the beast and said, “Nice cow!”

The up-until-then dour man perked up at that and smiling agreed this was a fine animal. I fell off my bike laughing. It was too funny!

Further on, right before lunch I could see where the Bosnians had

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Plitvice National Park, Croatia to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

It was a fairly short ride to the border with Bosnia the next day and after the fun at the border we sped into the Bosnian countryside. Croatia was beautiful, but Bosnia was stunning.

As we rode further into the nation the remnants of the fierce battles between the many and, sometimes confusing factions, became more and more clear.

Towns with buildings still riddled with bullet holes, you could almost feel the horrid memories that still lingered.

We rode along a high plateau, at one time a bustling farming region, but here we could see entire villages abandoned and farmhouses that were either deserted, damaged or pulverized into the earth.

The road itself was an absolute joy to ride, but many of us found it hard to feel any pleasure this day; it was a bittersweet ride no matter how you looked at it. Atop one mountain I spotted a crushed building. Perhaps at one time it was somebody’s home. It must have been quite the place, as the view of the valley below was wonderful from this height. Surely here a family lived and loved and cared for each other. Now all that remained was a crushed shell.

I rode the GS through the brush and parked the bike in what was once their driveway, now scattered with pieces of a shattered life and walked into the shell of a home. The concrete second floor had partially collapsed onto the first and the terracotta tiles from the roof had been blasted off and scattered across the ground.

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Page 24

begun to rebuild in earnest and one fine new house, under construction, proudly flew the Bosnia flag.

Rebirth and change is coming, but it will take time. Good things usually do.

We stopped in Livno for a lunch of the traditional Burek; meat, spinach and cheese wrapped in a filo dough crust. This town has been heavily rebuilt, but is moving along. In Livno Shira discovered a monument to the conflict.

On the small bridge that crossed over to it someone had written - ‘Why?’ Why indeed?

After lunch we rode in the general direction of Sarajevo. Over a large mountain range with a series of switch-

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backs leading to the top, where miles of asphalt ran along a windy and limestone strewn plateau that eventually dropped us down into a region with a few lakes, some manmade, that were dotted with islands. We dodged some road construction, running along a

lakeside road that brought us through some tunnels and to a scenic restaurant where most of us found each other. We stopped for refreshments before the final and exuberant mountain ride into Sarajevo.

Matej had fitted my GS with a Zumo 660, which had routed us almost flawlessly the past few days and was spot on bringing us to our hotel in the bustling old part of the city.

With the bikes safely stowed we walked down into the Old City and the Moslem section. Sarajevo is also known as Little Jerusalem, for as the real Jerusalem they have many religions all worshipping within earshot of each other, and even now they seem to coexist in a symbiotic way. It was Ramadan this evening, but many restaurants were still serving and most of us went for Cevapcici, a kind of Bosnian gryo. Most excellent, especially washed down with yogurt milk.

After dinner we walked to the Christian section of town and a local beer hall that was as ornate as they come; great beer as well.

Most of our group called it an early night but Shira, Laurel and I bounced around the city until the witching hour, stopping here and there and basically people watching; and if you remember the ‘60s tune “Music to FREE EXTENDED WARRANTY! Watch Girls Go By”, then we’ll tell you it had to be written about this town. The women have an unearthly beauty in Sarajevo.

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We got an early start this day for a tour of the famed Sarajevo Tunnel. During the siege of the city back in the ‘90s the Bosnians were able to supply Sarajevo with food, medicine, fuel through a tunnel that was dug directly under the International airport, which was under United Nations’ control. This lifeline kept the city alive for years, despite the Serbian attempts to bomb it out of existence.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

The story of this conflict is heartbreaking and it made us proud to know the United States, and President Bill Clinton, played a key role in allowing Sarajevo to survive the ethnic cleansing it faced from the Serbs.

From there our tour went around the city and to the very place where all this started - the spot where Austrian Arch Duke Ferdinand was assassinated in June of 1914; ushering in the start of World War I. When the ‘War to End All Wars’ ended with the Treaty of Versailles in 1918 Germany took a terrible economic beating and this simmered for years until Adolf Hitler came along and with him the Second World War. During that time others sided with the Nazis and nearly 80% of the Jews in Sarajevo were exterminated.

While the Nazis were brought to justice the local villians remained untouched.

When Tito died, and Yugoslavia split into separate nations and war quickly broke out, it was the Serbs who were the main culprits, although many say others were to blame as well, for the horror that was the early 1990s in Sarajevo and the surrounding countryside.

Thus what started as a single shot by an angry Serbian in 1914 came back around some 80 years later. A vicious circle I fear we are doomed to repeat again and again.

Still today, walking around this wonderful city, you will see hundreds of bullet-ridden walls, grenade burns on the streets and shell holes in some of

Page 25

the wrecked building; strolling in some parts of the hillside is near to suicide as land mines have still yet to be cleared.

I think it will be decades before this place returns to real normalcy, if nothing else goes up in the flames of ancient hatred before then.

Still, Sarajevo, and especially the Old City, makes for a wonderful visit and spending a few days strolling this part of the city, with its tiny shops, brass workings, carpets and wonderful mix of a thousand years of old cultures should not be missed.

That night Shira and I took off on our own and had a nice private evening in Sarajevo, a city I will never forget.

Sarajevo to Mostar

We left Sarajevo in a group heading out from the Old City and through some of the new before cutting by the infamous Sarajevo airport and quickly into the Republic of Srpska, part of the settlement with the Serbs that ended the war. Here all the traffic and town signs were in Cyrillic and the riding got quite excellent very quickly.

The roads here in Srpska are mostly mountainous and our route brought us through some striking gorges with the road linking them through short, but dark tunnels.

Here the huge Neretva Canyon dominates the landscape and stopping at one pull over for a long look was a necessity.

Page 26

Down one lush valley we could see the Sutjeska Monument, created in honor of the Partisans force who, under Tito, victoriously fought the Nazis at this very spot. The monument sits high atop the lower part of the mountain and the steep climb to get to it was well worth the effort.

After that, with some cold soft drinks and water, Matej told us the story of the battle and some more background on the reasons for the strife that has plagued his land for centuries.

Along the Sutjeska National Park we ran into a bit of gravel, as they are building a new road here, but it just gave us a chance to get the GS machines properly dirty - besides, the view from this part of the mountains was simply awesome.

Bosnia is beautiful, if anything.

We rode atop a high desert tableland, dropping back down into the valley where the temperature rose dramatically - to nearly 41°C - and coming around one sweeper I spied the ruins of the Fortress of Herceg Stjepan, who ruled this region in the Middle Ages. Still today the

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

wrecked fort is impressive, but not nearly as impressive as the place they call Blagaj.

Here you will find the source of the Buna River, as it pours from a cave on the side of the giant cliffs, some 200 meters high, dominating so dramatically. So striking is this spot that the Sultans first order of business when coming here was to build a Dervish Monastery at the bottom of the cliff, which we saw this day.

Right on the river they have built a wonderful restaurant, incorporating the flowing river right into the place.

We had a lunch of cooked trout, right from the Buna, that could not be beat and from there it was a short ride to the center of Mostar where we stayed at a modern, but Titoesque hotel.

We strolled into the old section of Mostar that evening, walking over the ancient bridges that would bring us to a part of Europe that was as old as time. Here we had a light dinner and then went to one of the coolest bars I have ever seen. Built in a natural cave this bar in Mostar quickly made it into my top ten list of greatest bars in the world.

But, it also could be the most dangerous of bars; especially if you are 6 foot and have a shaved head- ouch!

Mostar, Bosnia to Zabljak, Montenegro

Matej told us the previous night that this day’s ride would be the best day of the trip, so we awoke with plenty of expectations.

Up to this point we had ridden with the rest of the group, but this day Shira and I decided to separate and head out on our own. We followed the

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main road out of Mostar and gradually rose higher into the mountains that are ever present in this region of the world.

One road circled around a highly reflective lake, the peaks and the trees mirrored in its water. I do believe this beauty was manmade as you could still see the roofs of some old and drowned houses poking out of the waters.

Near the border with Montenegro we were treated to a most magnificent series of canyons, a precursor to the famed Tara we would see later in the day.

The border crossing became something of an event as the guard, after requesting my paperwork, asked if the bikes were from Germany.

Yes they were.

He then held up my United States passport.

Did these bikes belong to me?

Well, no.

How did I get them?

We had given him all the proper registrations and insurance papers. After 20 minutes of trying to explain to the fellow that we had borrowed these bikes from a press fleet in Munich it was obvious he was not going to let us in.

Finally he asked if we had anything that said we had ‘rented’ them. At that point Shira found a release we had from BMW, with both BMW and my name on it.

It was for the 650 as mine, for the 1200, was in my computer bag in the van. I tried to bluff him into believing it was for both machines.

He looked at this, thought about it for a few minutes, shaking his head slowly as he did. He then called the biggest, meanest, toughest border guard of them all, the devil of Montenegro, and he snatched the papers to examine them.

This guy looked like a cross between Jaws from the Bond movies and Lurch from the Addams Family.

It was a tense moment and I swear I saw Mr. Happy burying into his side pocket of the tank bag and pulling the zipper shut.

Page 27

Then this mountain of a man smiled.

He was missing a few prominent teeth which added to his charm, I might add.

And then he said...Okay.

We rode into Montenegro.

The sheer beauty of this nation cannot be overstated. Each kilometer seemed more striking, with gorges, rivers and a few small towns.

We found the town square in the city of Niksic and took lunch before veering off the route to visit the Home of Saint Basil, the Ostrog Monastery.

Here the man who would become a Saint built this stunning monastery right into the sheer rock wall of the mountain.

St. Basil has never left and today his blackened bones still can be seen, watched over by a black robed, pigtailed Monk. The place is awe-inspiring and many pilgrims stay there for weeks.

But it was the ride to Ostrog that really peeked our interest. In the guidebook we received, when we signed up for the tour, it said, and I quote, “Only skilled riders should do it as the hairpins are tight and there are some potholes on the road.”

Well, that sounded like a challenge; and we took it.

Page 28

The first part of the ride was fine, but once on the ascending road, the ‘asphalt’ dissolved into some bombed out, semi-pavement, 1/2 lane wide, sheer drop to your death sort of ride.

At the first church Shira left her bike and got on my GS and we took that to the top. It was well worth the effort.

Along this twisty little road the local drivers constantly drove with little regard and getting punted off the peak was always a threat; it was a reminder that drivers in Eastern Europe are not as courteous or rider-friendly as the drivers in Western Europe.

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Having finished our challenge, we continued on the route of the day and caught up with our group right before Durmitor National Park.

After some coffee and soft drinks we mounted up and ascended into one of the most wondrous parks we have ever seen anywhere on this planet.

Virtually untouched by man, Durmitor abounds with imposing mountaintops, numerous glacier lakes and is surrounded by rich evergreen forests. Combining the

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mighty canyons of Tara, Susica and Draga the park is a delight. Some parts are simply kilometers of barren and rocky landscape, other parts run high above the rivers and offer spectacular views. Small farms surround the park and as it was late summer we watched some farmers dragging in huge hay bails, by two yoked oxen. Other farmers were making bails that looked a lot like Cousin It from the Addams Family.

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We stopped at least a dozen times for photographs, as Durmitor was just that good, and best of all, unlike a park like this in the US, where they would bus you in and out, we got to ride around it for the rest of the afternoon.

A very, very special place.

We overnighted in the highest town of the Balkans, Zabljak, which is the center of winter and Eco tourism in this region. We would have a free day following so we went off to dinner and to make our plans for the next day.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Free Day in Zabljak

Our group had many options this day - white water rafting, hiking or simply some local riding. Being that it was late August the white water rafting was rated a zero, with a lot of floating and many a portage - not my idea of fun. Hiking could be interesting, if you like to walk for hours.

Me - I was going out exploring on the GS. Early that morning we strolled into town. Along the way we hiked up a hill to the local cemetery where we saw graves dating back hundreds of years.

Many of the later graves had beautifully engraved images of the people buried beneath.

Unlike the west, where a simple stone leaves you just another marker in a field of markers, the images showed just who these people were and, sometimes, what they enjoy. One image of a man and his musical instrument was especially telling.

In town we met Ron and Terry. Last year in Italy we had ridden with them and it wasn’t unusual to just get some food and find a great place for lunch along the road.

We thought that perfect for this day so we went to the local shop and bought smoked dried meats, along with some local breads and cheese and went off exploring.

Our first stop brought us through a tightly forested road we were told about that led to a spectacular view of the Tara Canyon.

The largest canyon in Europe and second in the world only to our Grand Canyon, the Tara was completely different, green and woodsy and had a raw beauty that pictures can hardly do justice to.

We then followed a loop along some small country backroads and back up into the National Park.

Page 29

High in Durmitor we stopped by a small restaurant that only served drinks. We sat at a table and were soon shooed away by the waitress who refused to let us eat our food there, only drink her drinks.

I offered her five Euro. In typical

eastern European fashion she still coldly said no.

That being the case we walked across the road and found a great spot among the rocks, a small patch of grass and a most incredible view where we stayed for a while and had a hearty picnic of local treats.

Just as we were finishing a fellow appeared from behind a rock and demanded our ‘tickets’.

There are no tickets. We told him no, and to go away.

He then asked for our passports.

This time I tried to explain to him that he wasn’t getting anything from us and that he should leave. He then pulled out some sort of ‘Official’ document and demanded money or he would call the police, as he drew out his cellphone.

We told him to please hurry as we were almost done.

Finally this grifter gave up and angrily walked away, sitting near the restaurant and staring at us as we packed up, beeped a happy goodbye and rolled down the road a few kilometers to a startling overlook with a couple of benches just perfect for the occasion.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the quickly developing town and simply taking a day off of hard riding.

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Page 30

The next day would be the start of the second half of the tour. Up until then we had been riding in the interior and along the mountains that run down the spine of the Balkans, but the next day we would head through the mountains once again, but this time to the Adriatic Sea.

Zabljak to Petrovac

Shira and I got an early start once again this day, figuring we would meet up with the others somewhere along this day’s route.

Today’s ride would be our last mountainesque and it started with a run down towards the Tara River. If the canyon looked spectacular the previous day it looked ethereal this morning with a bright white fog rolling through its cracks, crevices, and cliffs.

The sun added to the morning’s moment and the ride along the river was as ravishing as they come.

This day we would have the chance to experience a few canyons, but of very different flavors; as the Tara was immense and grand, the Moraca was more along the gorges you might find out west, with a hard flowing Moraca River flowing brilliant blues through the middle.

This road led towards Montenegro’s capital of Podgorica and this was the first real traffic we had to deal with, but when the time was right we were able to get around the slower cars and trucks, only to run into another caravan a few clicks down the road.

Still, with the beautiful Moraca Canyon as our companion life didn’t suck!

South of Podgorica we came up to Skadarsko Jerzo, the huge freshwater lake that dominates southern Montenegro. Here we stopped for a planned lunch at a great fish restaurant on the lake that served the best eel and salads you could imagine.

We talked to a British couple who were traveling around the region on

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

their GS. It is always good to run into like-minded souls while on the road.

At that point we could have taken the shorter route straight into the beach town of Petrovac, our first stop on the Adriatic Sea; but there was a small road that traveled around Skadarsko Jezero rising high along a one lane twisty and circuitous road that offered superb views of the lake far below.

Here family farms grew the darkest looking grapes and sold wine from stands that would sell lemonade in the United States.

This was another one of those roads we had ridden where a mistake would require a recovery and not a rescue, so we did our best to ride well.

Outside of Ostros, we spotted a small motorcycle with...New Jersey plates? Sure enough, this big guy on this little bike had auto plates that were New Jersey replicas - SOPRANOS. What could one say?

The road itself had become quite charming and at points deeply forested with huge trees that hung close to the road.

From this point on we would be heading north, and, in a way, back towards home. With the Albanian border just a few miles to my left we headed towards the Adriatic Sea. That first look at the Adriatic was a stopper, and one we’ll always remember.

Dropping down to the coast we shot north and stopped to see something quite remarkable - the reputed oldest Olive Tree in the world. Over two thousand years old this tree, called Stara Maslina, was here when Christ walked the Earth.

The Adriatic Sea looked very inviting so we made our way to our first hotel on the sea in Petrovac and in no time had showered and donned appropriate beach wear. We strolled to the town to enjoy a beach town Montenegro-style.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

The water was warm, the sand had a brown grainy feel and, being this was the last weekend of the summer for Europe, it was packed with all sorts of people. Neat town. Great views. Delicious food.

Petrovac, Montenegro to Dubrovnik, Croatia

Today’s ride started on the coast road, heading north with the sea to our left and the dramatic mountains that so dominate the Balkans to the right.

You might want to use Google Earth to get a feel - go ahead; I’ll wait. Excellent, now you see what I mean.

Back to our story...

Along this part of the Montenegro coast you will find the tiny island of Svete Stefan. Built in ancient times it is attached to the mainland by a short bridge. The rich and richer have been populating this 14th century walled village for generations. We stopped to ooh and aah and moved on.

We’d ask Matej why we hadn’t stayed here when we saw him later.

Heading further south we could not ignore the siren’s call emanating from the mountains and following Adriatic Moto Tours suggestion we headed back into the twisty peaks of Lovcen National Park. Not as dramatic as Durmitor, Lovcen had its own charm as the road curved through deep forests, open farmland and the occasional little hamlet.

Here in this little tale I’d like to talk to you about timing. They say it can be everything.

Rounding the peaks we kept getting caught behind locals in some cars that had seen far better day; this we could tell by the putrid black smoke belching from the hole where their non-existent tailpipes once were, long rotted away. Having enough of one of these invariably red cars, I made the decision for a quick, if not so legal, pass.

That’s when I saw the police officer jumping up and waving his red paddle at me to stop. Dum dee dum dum!

I pulled in and smiled. He smiled. I said I was sorry and I wouldn’t do it again.

He looked at me, Mr. Happy sticking out of the tank bag and Shira idling a bit behind and then let out a huge laugh. He told me to go ahead but to be careful as the night’s rain had left the road a bit slippery.

What? You mean Johnny Law is actually looking out for me and not just raising revenue. Who would have thunk it?

In the center of the park we headed towards the mausoleum of Petar II Petrovic Njegos, adored ancient king and poet of Montenegro. So beloved was he that early in the last century his remains were moved to this magnificent mausoleum high atop the mountain.

Page 31

Just riding there was a small task, but once there, to see his actual site one must dedicate themselves to the climbing of 461 steps that lead straight up.

Atop the memorial you will find two huge statues of mother and sister, symbolic of the women of Montenegro. Inside is an incredible statue, cut from black granite, of Petar II. Down below, through a tiny passageway, you will discover the actual tomb of the Poet King, truly a most magnificent show of love and affection from a people to a king. The views from atop the mausoleum were grand as well and I was told that George Bernard Shaw said of this vista, “Am I in paradise or on the moon?”

From here we would head back down the mountains along a single lane road that we were sure were just goat tracks a few decades back, not much better these day, but at least paved. Once again the danger was not from the road, or the height, but the kamikaze driving of the locals who would give no quarter when it came to their part of the road. It is something you must be aware of and deal with riding in this part of the world.

Still, as wild as the ride was, the road afforded some superb views of the sea and towns far below. After a few dozen tight hairpins we rolled into the walled medieval town of Kotar. A UNESCO site, Kotar was a charmer. After discovering the town square and a small lunch we spent some time wander-

Page 32

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JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

ing its narrow stone streets and walkways, polished bright by centuries of travelers.

It was time to say goodbye to Montenegro, a land of unsurpassed natural beauty, as we rode north beside the most southern fjord in Europe, through small fishing and tourist towns.

Near the border with Croatia the road and scenery got a bit more urban, but after a quick and painless border crossing, first out of Montenegro and then into Croatia we were on our way to Dubrovnik.

Rounding the mountain coast road we got our first look of Dubrovnik from high above; the jewel of the Adriatic regally poised on the coast as if it had been there forever. It almost has - Since 600AD. The late afternoon sun illuminated the white stones of the ancient wall that surrounds the old city and the terra cotta roof tiles glowed warmly, giving the city the look of an ancient russet gem. What a stunning scene.

Once again it took us a short time to find our hotel where, as usual, we found our bags already in our room and waiting.

Shower, write a bit, throw some semi-clean clothes on and we were out to explore one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic.

We took a cab to the wall’s gate and strolled down the Placa, or main thoroughfare. There are no cars allowed inside the walls and, although there are no hotels, there are plenty of restaurants and a walk by the pier for sunset was certainly in order.

Later on we explored the labyrinth of tiny streets

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and alleyways. Stopping at funky little places for a drink or snack and then finding a place with huge, comfortable chairs that just called to us to simply sit with a big glass of wine and watch the procession of promenading people.

I was falling in love with this city; others thought it crowded and a bit too touristy; but apples and oranges.

Free Day in Dubrovnik

We really enjoyed the Old City the previous night so Shira and I headed back down on the local bus; a tedious and hot experience we would not seek to duplicate during the rest of our stay - there are plenty of cabs.

At the pier we hopped on the short ferry to Lokrum Island, which lies right off of Dubrovnik. A park preserve, Lokrum offered a great day off the bikes and into the Adriatic. The island is surrounded by great rocky beaches with no sand to speak of and the sound of crickets is overwhelming, only broken by the occasional squawk from the quail-like birds that seem to run the place.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

At one end we found a sweet spot, on the far side of the island, and soaked up rays and floated for hours in the very salty and buoyant sea.

We took lunch there and then strolled around Lokrum, through the old monastery and the fine botanical gardens that had every sort of tree we had never seen and acres of beautiful olive trees that gave the island that musty Mediterranean tang that is hard to find elsewhere on the planet.

When we returned to the city we did what most folks do and got some gelato and sat by the giant cistern in the square taking in the diverse crowd.

Dubrovnik seems to attract all sorts of people from all over the world.

Rejuvenated with the proper amount of ice cream we paid a small fee and took a long, and I do mean long, walk around the ramparts atop the wall.

The views were worth the sweat we paid. We both agreed that Dubrovnik is one of the finest old cities in all of Europe and I am fairly sure we will return sometime. How anybody could lob bombs at this place in the ‘90s is beyond us.

We made a pit stop at the hotel to freshen up and then cabbed it back to the Old City for dinner. Our friend Richard decided that night he was “The Man” and took us to Proto, one of the finest seafood restaurants in Dubrovnik.

Richard was right; he was the man; what a great meal and the perfect way to end our stay in this city.

The next day we would continue north along the Adriatic coast. I knew we would surely miss, but never forget, Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik to Hvar Island

We had a ferry to catch this day so we left, as a group, a tad earlier, and made one last lap around the Old City walls before rising high above to take one last look at the city.

The ride north along the sea was as pleasant as could be, with gentle sweepers and the occasional twist thrown in for fun.

In the town of Ston we stopped for coffee at their small ancient harbor, looping the city to see the salt flats and the mighty stonewall that was built to protect the town centuries before.

To think men did this alone is amazing - well I’m sure oxen and donkeys helped too - but still, amazing.

We crossed into Bosnia for a short bit then picked up Croatia again. This time, on the coast, the border cross-

Page 33

ings were a breeze especially when they assumed that the bikes were Slovenian and didn’t catch our German plates; and since we all know everybody loves Slovenians we got waved right through with a smile.

The ferry ride to Hvar was a short one and soon we were in a procession of motorcycles riding in files up into the peaks that make up the spine of Hvar Island.

Pine and olive trees mingled their scents and the road was at least two-lanes wide today - Mr. Happy was grateful for small miracles.

Following Rozle, we slithered down a set of switchbacks to a small village, with a tiny harbor and restaurant. With the azure waters sounding a Sirens song it wasn’t long before we were swimming in the cool sea, while our lunch was being prepared. What a great place to stop for a dip and a bite.

From here it was a short, but fun romp into the town of Hvar at the island’s end and since it was such an early day we thought a bit of beach bumming was in order for the afternoon.

That night we hired a small boat to take us to another harbor for a very special meal of fish, wine and schnapps - I don’t know...when in Rome!

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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Free Day in Hvar

The previous night’s meal was one that we would remember for a long time. We had walked from the port and up into the foothills of the mountains, amongst a hundred olive trees to a small stone home where Michela and Matte created a wondrous meal, all grown or caught by them.

The home - as it was more home than restaurant - was bewitching. After we arrived we sampled a wide variety of schnapps - olive, rose and my favorite, cherry, which was followed by a feast of local seafood and homemade wines.

After dinner we relaxed on some hammocks, gazing up at the stars through the olive branches thinking something like this should never end.

Slowly, very slowly, we arose and, in what seemed like only minutes but was hours, we layed back down on the stony beach with a good book - the bikes could sit till later this day, if moved at all.

We had nowhere to go and who would want to in the port city of Hvar, off the shining coast of Croatia.

That night we shuttled into town and had a superb seafood dinner, for that’s what you would choose in the old cobblestone section of Hvar.

Hvar Island to Pag Island

We were up and out by dawn the next day, making time to the ferry that would take us across the strait and into the city of Split, once the final vacation spot for ex-Roman emperors and the largest city on the Dalmatian Coast.

The ferry ride took about 90 minutes and, as usually happens, we ran into other riders; one in particular was riding the Balkans from his home in Russia. Great trip, he said.

Once back on the coast road the pavement opened up and the ride along this part of the Adriatic was delightful. We stopped a few times along the way for some interesting vistas of sea, town and ice coffees in the Trogir, another small walled village with a plethora of shops and restaurants. The coffees by the pier were well timed and energizing.

Shira and I did most of this day by ourselves, stopGo See the Pros that Know How to Ride! ping for pictures and generally enjoying the easy-going pace we could set for ourselves without having an Long Haul or Slow Burn accompanying larger group.

We stopped high above the town of Primosten, one of the picturesque towns on the coast, perched upon a small hill on a peninsula jutting from the mainland and • All-new 65-degree, four-valves-per-cylinder, 1679cc V4 plus downdraft four-bore fuel injection with YCC-I intake technology and YCC-T flyjust drank in the beauty that is the Balkans and this by-wire throttle, provide plenty of eye-opening acceleration. • Croatian coast. Our route then brought us back inland Lightweight aluminum chassis puts the engine low and forward for mass and towards Krka National Park. Unlike the other centralization, resulting in a machine designed to handle curves as well as straightaways. • Borrowing liberally from advanced sportbike techparks we had ridden through in the past two weeks 10 Stratoliner Deluxe nology, VMAX features a slipper clutch, wave-style brake discs with ABS Krka offered fairly easy riding up to deep canyons for • Comes standard with a fairing that includes integrated speakers and connector for and Brembo master cylinders and complete suspension adjustability iPod® players, plus a convenient, handlebar-mounted audio control system. • A pair front and rear. • The Star Accessories Catalog is packed full of highwhich the park is famed. of large, color-matched, locking hard sidebags make for excellent long hauls and quality parts that invite Star owners to fully express their individuality.

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It was at this time that we ran into more remnants of the Civil War with the two towns of Islam Grcki and Islam Latinski; the former Serbian, the latter Croatian.

The damage was heavy and severe, but we saw many still in the middle of rebuilding dreams and futures in this once strife torn land. We wished them well.

Heading towards Pag we took a short road down to the sea to get a shot with the magnificent mountains that had returned to dominate the background of our afternoon’s ride to the town of Razanac.

The shot we got but what was even better was watch-

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

ing a young boy, about 6 years old, building, or trying to build, a tiny sail boat.

I watched him struggle to straighten out some old bent nails he was trying to drive into some driftwood with a rock he had pulled from the beach. Offering to help, I showed him my new Swiss Leatherman knife.

He was very impressed with how well a good set of pliers worked for this task.

We ran into the rest of our group when we stopped to see a wide arch bridge crossing between two of the smaller island on which we were riding.

Here the unthinkable happened as we lost one of our riders.

No, not one of the group...but Mr. Happy had disappeared from his place in my tank bag. I knew he didn’t jump bike and I was pretty sure it might have been an inside job.

Puppetnapped by one of our own group.

Later that day, when Laurel went to the beach with the others, Strike Force Backroads, the same commando group that liberated part of New Jersey a few months earlier, sprung into action and rescued our little yellow smiling friend from Laurel’s evil lair.

No man, or puppet, left behind.

While speaking of lairs, Adriatic MotoTours had steadily made each stop better and better, and the hotel for this final night on the road was outstanding; sitting atop a bluff surrounded by a vineyard.

Our evening was fine, the company excellent and the wine flowing; it was a shame that tomorrow would be our final day and this incredible tour of the Balkans would be coming to an end.

Page 35

Pag Island, Croatia to Ljubljana, Slovenia

We had a short ferry ride to catch this day, bringing us to the mainland, and the ride down the back side of Pag was rocky and barren; almost lunaresque and more Aegean than Adriatic.

Once again we continued north along far sweepier roads than those to the south, riding high on a large two-lane highway that snaked through the landscape and over gracefully built stone bridges.

Soon we turned east and I gazed, on last time, at the Adriatic Sea, its small islands glowing brightly in the early day’s light.

Riding back into the mountains we had to deal with the first real rain on the road for the entire trip and the last few kilometers in Croatia were ridden on a patchwork of a road that didn’t know if it was stone, asphalt or concrete. It had decided it would be very slippery in the wet though.

Crossing back into Slovenia the road vastly improved and the more I rode in this nation the more I enjoyed it. We had only spent a short time riding here at the beginning of the tour and Slovenia definitely deserves a more indepth exploration.

The towns, which appeared rougher in south, took on a more alpen look and it was with a slight bit of melancholy that we arrived back at the hotel from which we had ridden two weeks earlier.

I have to be honest when I tell you that the Balkans were never in my “bucket list” of places to ride, but Matej and Adriatic MotoTours have shown us just how beautiful and interesting this part of Europe was and is.

The inspiring palette of history - both old and new - cultures and traditions made this a very enlightening journey. Toss in two weeks of some of the best riding we have seen and you have one memorable tour indeed.

Adriatic MotoTours has a variety of great motorcycle adventures to be had in and around the Balkans and Mediterranean and you can find more at their website www.smtours.com.

Some last words...

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 36

B OOK S POTLIGHT

MOTORCYCLE DREAM GARAGES

BY

LEE KLANCHER

A few months back I wrote about Fortresses of Solitudes. How some rider’s garages represent a hide away of sorts. Simple yet dedicated, they serve both as sanctum and with function.

While this is true for most, there are some that have garages that are true showcases; and looking at these we mere mortals can only dream that our own garages will someday be magically transformed into our own private “Shang-garage.”

Motorcycle Dream Garages by Lee Klancher showcases some of the finest private two-wheeled garages in North America.

With a forward from Kevin Cameron, the book is true eye candy for any real enthusiast’s coffee table or workbench.

From a stunning private home in British Columbia to a huge warehouse in New Jersey you’ll find all sorts of “Dream Garages” in these pages.

Jay Leno’s place is here, with a fleet of exotica, but without doubt our favorite starts on page 80 in the “Sanctuaries” section of Motorcycle Dream Garages - with a full 13 pages on Rising Wolf Garage in the East Village of Manhattan. Featuring Mike and Nuri Wernick, and the FDNY Dream Bike, this was a perfect fit for the book and we always love to see good things happen to great people.

Besides, we have an interest in that old Honda.

Some of the garages featured are true museums, while others are serious workshops. There is a difference.

My one problem with Motorcycle Dream Garages, and it’s the same thing you might have yourself, is going out to my own garage might be a bit of a let down after reading this book.

Still, perhaps it will be your impetus to make your own haven in a garage of dreams. Your own fantasy homebase come true.

Lee Klancher’s Motorcycle Dream Garages is a must have if you are a collector or even a simple homeowner with some vision. You can find it at www.motorbooks.com for $30.

THE FDNY DREAM BIKE

The book Motorcycle Dream Garages spotlighted our FDNY Dream Bike and so many of you have asked what ever happened to this project bike born from the ashes of 9/11?

Well it now resided in a most wonderful home, the Fire Fighters Museum in Hudson, New York. We rode up a few months back to see this old friend.

The year before, with great festivity, it was put in a place of honor at FASNY and the museum could not have done a more superb job in presented Gerard Baptiste’s restored Honda. Both Shira and I were humbled by what we saw and how well they have presented this machine.

For those of you who might not know the story this motorcycle was bought a few weeks before the horror at the World Trade Center by a young firefighter and after 9/11 it was brought to Backroads, then lovingly restored by so many in the motorcycle industry. Since then the bike has had an interesting history and there is even a film documentary on this stunning restoration and what it meant to so many people.

The museum itself is truly worth the ride as it highlights over 300 years of firefighting in New York State, but it is the Dream Bike that will stun you and perhaps even bring a tear to you eye. You will find the museum at 117 Harry Howard Avenue, Hudson, NY and you can log onto www.fasnyfiremuseum.com to learn more.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 37

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR

What’s Happenin’

E V E R Y M O N T H - W E AT H E R P E R M I T T I N G

Antique Bike Show, Vendors, Music and More • www.odypro.com • 607-863-4295

Second Sunday • Philadelphia Breakfast Ride. Meet at Silk City Diner - 5th/Spring Garden, Philadelphia PA - 8am • 215-922-2214

23-24 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Salem, NH. Rockingham Race Track • 978-6888888 • www.kevmarv.com

Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - Calverton NY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221

29-31 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Reading, PA. Greater Reading Expo Center • 978688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com

Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do some benchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish Every Wednesday • Country Bike Night at the Airport Pub sponsored by the American Legion Riders Post 132, Franklin, NJ • 6pm - ? • CR 639, Sussex, NJ - next to the airport • 973-702-1215

FEBRUARY 2010 13-14 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Boston, MA. Bayside Expo Center • 978-6888888 • www.kevmarv.com

Every Wednesday • Quaker State & Lube, Commerce Blvd. off Rte. 6, Dickson City, PA • 570-489-5823

21 • Odyssey Productions 7th Annual Winter Blast Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet.

Ice Box Sports Arena, Scranton, PA. Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. People’s Choice Custom and Antique Bike Show, Vendors, Music and More • www.odypro.com • 607863-4295

Every Thursday • Red Knights XX PA at the Dairy Queen, Route 209, Marshall’s Creek, PA, exit 309 off Route 80 • 6-9:30pm, weather permitting

26-March 7 • 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week, Daytona Beach, FL • www.officialbikeweek.com

Every Thursday • Bike Night at The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant, Rte. 206, Downsville, NY • 607-363-7814

27 • 92nd Crotona Midnight Run sponsored by the Ramapo MC. This is the original Midnight Timed Run which was started by the Crotona Motorcycle Club in 1911. Sign in 11pm Feb. 27 at Nathan/Kohl Parking Lot, Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY. Key time: Midnight, Feb. 27/28. $20/bike. This is a road enduro with a schedule speed of 30mph.

Computers and/or GPS not allowed. For more info contact Dick Roberts at 201-7673594 • www.ramapomc.org

JANUARY 2010 9-10 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Hartford, CT, Connecticut Expo Center • 978-6888888 • www.kevmarv.com 15-17 • North American International Motorcycle SuperShow 2010. International Centre, Toronto, Canada • www.supershowevents.com 21-23 • Winter Rally at Morton’s BMW, Fredericksburg, VA. Special sales and more, plus a staff chili cook-off and presentation by members of the USA team in the BMW GS Tunisia Challenge on Saturday, Jan. 23. Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or call 540-891-9844 22-24 • Cycle World International Motorcycle Show at the Jacob Javits Center. Of course, Backroads will have a booth and we hope you’ll stop by and visit. For more information please visit www.motorcycleshows.com 22-24 - Heart of NY Motorcycle Show Rumble & Roar. Convention Center at OnCenter, downtown Syracuse, NY. Dealers, custom bike builders, parts, accessories, travel destiations, leather, stitching, entertainment and so much more.

• www.hofnymotorcycleshow.com 23-24 • Odyssey Productions 20th Annual Pre-Daytona Boogie. Washington Avenue Armory, Albany, NY. Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. People’s Choice Custom and

MARCH 2010 13-14 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Wilmington, MA. Shriner’s Auditorium • 978688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com 20-21 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Philadelphia, PA. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center • 978-688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com

APRIL 2010 21 • Odyssey Productions 9th Annual Spring Breakout. Ice Time Arena, Newburgh, NY. Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. People’s Choice Custom and Antique Bike Show, Vendors, Music and More • www.odypro.com • 607-863-4295

MAY 2010 May 13-16 • BACKROADS SPRING BREAK • Winchester, VA

Plant The Seeds To A Safer Ride

SUSSEXMOTORSPORTS 446 Route 23 • Sussex, NJ • Located across from the A&P Shopping Plaza

Join the ERC or A-BRC practice

FDU Motorcycle Safety Education www.fdu.edu/motorcycle • 800-338-3887 (class size is limited)

973-875-3640 •

Open Tuesday thru Saturday

Visit us at www.sussexmotorsportsnj.com

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 38

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR 20-23 • Concours Owners Group Northeast ‘Sprig Fling’ Rally. Somerset, PA. Sport-touring at its finest. For more information visit www.cog-online.org or contact Jaso at 814-535-8669

JUNE 2010 7-12 • Americade - world’s largest touring rally, Lake George, NY www.tourexpo.com 12-20 • 87th Annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, Loudon, NH www.laconiamcweek.com

• •

JULY 2010 9-11 • AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio.

America's grandest celebration of motorcycling heritage • www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com 15-18 • BMW MOA International Rally, Deschutes Fair & Expo Center, Redmond, OR • www.bmwmoa.org/rally10

What’s Happenin’ January 24, 2010 • CLUB DIX, E. 6th St & Alabama Ave., Fort Dix, NJ 08640 • 609723-3272 January 31, 2010 • THE EXCHANGE, 160 E. Main St., Rockaway, NJ 07866 • 973627-8488 • www.exchangefood.com February 7 • LANDSLIDE SALOON, 1090 Rte 173, Pattenburg, NJ 08802 • 908735-6919 • www.landslidesaloon.com February 14 • HOOTERS, 25 Rte 23 South, Wayne, NJ 07470 • 973-837-1876 • www.hootersnj.com February 21 • BAHRS LANDING, 2 Bay Ave. Highlands, NJ 07732 • 732-872-1245 • www.bahrs.com February 28 • FIREHOUSE EATERY, 455 Saint Georges Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 • 732 382-9500 • www.firehouseeatery.com March 7 • LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853 • 908-876-1132 • www.brewpubnj.com

AUGUST 2010 August 2-6 • BACKROADS 15th Anniversary/Summer Soiree • Fontana Village, NC 31-Sept. 3 • Curve Cowboy Reunion, Killington, VT. Gathering of K12LT, but open to enthusiasts on all brands and models of motorcycle • www.curvecowboyreunion.com

SEPTEMBER 2010

March 14 • THE CHATTERBOX, #1 Rte 15 South, Augusta, NJ 07822 • 973-3002300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com March 21 • BRIAN’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA • 215 752-9400 • www.brianshd.com March 28 • FLYING CLOUD CAFE, 800 New Hampshire Ave. Atlantic City NJ 08401 • 609-345-8222 • www.acflyingcloud.com

12 • Larz Anderson Classic European Motorcycle Day, Brookline, MA September 26-29 • BACKROADS Fall Fiesta • Gray Ghost Inn, West Dover, VT

OCTOBER 2010

April 11 • CAPE MAY V.F.W. post #386, N .J. 419 Congress St., Cape May, N .J. 08204 • 609-884-7961

14-17 • Daytona Beach Biketoberfest, Daytona Beach, FL • www.biketoberfest.org

2010 POLAR BEAR SCHEDULE

OUR UPCOMING EVENT LISTINGS ARE FREE

January 3, 2010 • WEARHOUSE GRILL, 161 Rte. 181, Lake Hopatcong, NJ • 732663-2222.

HAVE YOUR EVENT LISTED IN PRINT AND ON THE WEB ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SEND US THE INFO

January 10, 2010 • SIR JOHN’S, 230 Washington Place, North Brunswick TWP, NJ. 08902 • 732 297-3803 • sirjohnsinc.stivert.com

Rider Education Of New Jersey

January 17, 2010 • FLYING “W” AIRPORT, 60 Fostertown Rd., Medford, NJ 08055 • 609-267-8787 • www.flyingwairport.com

Basic Course • $250.00

Inc.

email: editor@backroadsusa.com or go to our website to fill out the form

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 39

P RODUCT R EVIEW

OLYMPIA LADIES AST TOURING JACKET

AND

PRO MAX OVERPANT

Needing some new riding gear for our past trip to Europe, I turned to the folks at Olympia Motosports. Perusing their catalog, I came upon their Ladies AST Touring Jacket and Pro Max Overpant. Having worn their fine Airglide apparel for some years, I knew that their fit for women’s clothing was quite accurate compared to their online sizing chart. I selected the colors and in a couple of days I was good to go.

Slipping on the jacket, which fit as promised, I started checking out its features. Constructed of 500 and 2000 denier Dupont Cordura, with adjustable CE approved armor at the elbows, shoulders and back, the AST is a great all-season addition to the gear closet. The waterproof/breathable membrane adds double waterproof protection to keep the dribbles off your skin and the Thermolite insulated liner jacket adds that extra little warmth to the keep the shivers away. The liner is wind and water resistant, made of rip stop nylon, with a comfort stand up collar, two zippered storage pockets and interior cell phone pocket. It’s a perfect stand-alone jacket when off the bike and heading out for the evening. For further protection there is the double storm placket front closure to lock out wind, rain, sleet, hail, locusts, etc. The collars and cuffs have some quality Velcro for a loose to tight fit, whichever floats your boat.

For warmer weather riding, the Airflow Ventilation System at the chest, arms and back does a great job of circulating the cooling breezes. The fold up pocket flaps on the chest, with slide buckle straps, help to manage just how much of that breeze will pass through said vents. In addition there are shoulder to forearm zippers to open the venting system, which creates maximum airflow. There’s a cool mesh airflow lining as well to help dissipate any perspiration that may not vent.

Finishing touches include eight storage pockets, 3M Scotchlite reflective piping at front, side and Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, and Yamaha. With a large parts department, qualified service technicians and a full shop full of parts and accessories, we're here to meet all your power sport needs.

back and comfort neoprene collar and neck inserts so there’s not a bit of scratch or rub while riding.

Equally as well-made and fitting are the Ladies Pro Max Overpant. While called an overpant, I found them more comfortable when worn with just a thin layer underneath, such as leggings or, in colder weather, some thermal liners. Constructed of the same fine materials as the jacket, the pants can be custom fit with the adjustable knee armor, side stretch hip panels and EZ hem bottoms. The full side leg zippers make it a breeze to pull them on, even after you’ve donned your boots. There are front jean style pockets and rear snap pockets for extra storage. They also come with a Thermolite insulated liner when the thermometer dips.

On the road, I found this combination a true winner.

Riding in hot or cool temps, I was never uncomfortable and when I encountered some precipitation, I had not a care as the AST jacket and Pro Max pants kept the weather where it should be - on the outside. Heading over the Alps, the Grossglockner Pass to be specific, I laughed at the glacier in front of me while I stayed warm and dry.

The AST jacket, coming in neon yellow/black, pewter/black and sand/black sized XS to 3XL, has an MSRP of $299.99 while the Pro Max pants come in black, black, black or black (that’s not too much black), sizes 4-18, for $199.99. You can find these, and all the fine Olympia gear, at your local dealer or visit them online at www.olympiamotosports.com Shira Kamil

1269 DOLSONTOWN RD • MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM For every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing it in the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads, we have their weapon of choice.

570-992-7500 HARLEYS AND BUELLS READY F O E L LIN in today and see what’s here for the se TO ROL L U F L as Stop

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www.harleyclothes.com

Page 40

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Come Ride the Dragon Deals Gap Motorcycle Motel & Restaurant

Deals Gap 318 Curves in 11 Miles

www.dealsgap.com Visit Us Online @

www.sporttouringusa.com Sport Touring Accessories 800.889.5550 H.C. 72 Box 1 • Tapoco North Carolina 28771

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 41

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

GenMar

Sussex Hills Ltd.

KAWASAKI • HONDA • YAMAHA • SUZUKI • TRIUMPH • MOTO GUZZI • ETC

Specializing in Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Supplies Cycle Tires Mounted & Balanced • Batteries & Hard Parts • Dynojet 250 Dyno available for testing

HANDLEBAR RISERS

Raise your handlebars for a more comfortable ride and still retain stock look.

For All Your Harley-Davidson Needs

From $59.95 to $139.95 Order Toll Free (877) 471-1515 Info and Fax (505) 743-2243 • www.zianet/GenMar

Gen Mar Mfg. Inc. • 110 1st Street • HC1 Box 35 • Arrey, NM 87930

973-875-2048

Norman Gross

946 Rte. 23 South Sussex NJ 07461 3 miles north of Sussex Borough

Since 1976 Our Reputation Speaks for Itself

AMERICANA SOFT SEATS Custom Gel Pad Installation On Any Motorcycle Seat

Harley Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha Lowest Prices Anywhere WE GUARANTEE IT!!!!

732-406-9508 • www.amsss.com • www.americanasoftseats.com

6’ X 12’ M/C Hauler Enclosed • Ramp Door Stabilizer Jack 72” Headroom Lights & Roof Vent

EAST COAST TRAILERS HONESDALE PA 570-729-8870

275000

$

MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS DAYTONA, MYRTLE BEACH, STURGIS AND BEYOND SALES RENTALS

BARN TRAILERS 718-426-7039

57-05 BROADWAY • WOODSIDE NY 11377

(OFF THE BQE & LIE)

www.stopngo.com The Best Tire Repair.

Know Before You Go! 800-747-0238 Dual Sport Adventures Guided Instructional Tours

Lodging & Bike Packages Motorcycle Rentals

Self-Guided Tours

in the Smoky Mountains www.GSMmotoRent.com Townsend, TN 865-448-6090 Plan your trip now for 2010

If you didn’t like cool stuff, you wouldn’t be reading this magazine.

Here’s something you’re going to love.

TORQ-IT Screwdriver/Speed Wrench/ Palm Ratchet All In One Tool Variable Speeds Over 600RPM Low Profile, with an “Ergo” Grip and a Non-Slip Design Accepts All 3/8” and 1/4” Sockets and Extensions

BASIC SET: $19.95 • DELUXE SET: $29.95 • ACCESORY SET: $9.95

TORQ-IT PRODUCTS, INC. 1701 Manor Road • Havertown PA 19083 Tel: 1.888.876.9555 • Visit Our New Website: WWW.TORQ-IT.COM

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 42

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Looking for an overnight destination or just a great

Member

place to eat? Try one of these Moto-Inn Members

‘50s-Style Drive-In Restaurant Full and Varied Menu Room for the Whole Gang Two Wheels or Four - It’s Always a Good Time at

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING

The Boat House Restaurant

Member

The Only Outdoor Lakeside Dining on Swartswood Lake

Located at Ross’ Corners • 1 Route 15 • Augusta NJ • 973-300-2300

www.chatterboxdrivein.com

Serving Lunch and Dinner Tuesday thru Sunday 11am - 9pm

Ask about our Diners Club. Gift Cards available.

320 Front Street

Closed Mondays

Belvidere, NJ

1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood, NJ 973-300-0016

www.thisilldous.com • 908-475-2274 Member

www.theboathouserestaurantonline.com

Enjoy quaint Victorian Belvidere and scenic Warren County

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983 Breakfast • Lunch • Espresso Cafe Ice Cream and Dessert • Catering Off-Premise Worth the ride from anywhere!

Open Daily 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday Thisilldous is New Jersey’s best kept secret. Maybe the best luncheonette in the State • Star Ledger

ATTENTION ALL RIDERS THE BEST WURST

www.SchneidersRestaurant.info

AT THE

JERSEY SHORE

Looking for a great rider-friendly place to lay your head after a perfect day’s ride? Perhaps an eatery that truly appreciates your two-wheeled business?

Casual Dining Lunch and Dinner Tues-Sat from 11am Year Round Two-wheels or Four,

Have we got some suggestions for you.

Go directly to www.backroadsusa.com and check out the new Moto-Inn Program. Listed by state, all the members actively seek motorcyclists as customers and warmly welcome you. Remember to look for the Moto-Inn logo at these fine establishments and tell them you saw them in BACKROADS.

Your table is ready at the Jersey Shore!

Member

801 MAIN STREET (ROUTE 71) AVON-BY-THE-SEA (MONMOUTH COUNTY), NJ

732-775-1265

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 43

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE

ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

179 North Highland Ave/Route 9 Ossining, NY 10562

914-762-2722 hudsonvalleymotorcycles.com KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear a helmet, eye protection, and proper apparel. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual. Professional rider shown on a closed course. ©2009 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

New Micatech V2 Cases!

WWW.MICATECH.NET • 1.888.464.6494

Premium Aluminum Luggage Handbuilt in the USA Exceptional Quality and Outstanding Customer Service

Now Available for: BMW F800/650GS Twin BMW G650/F650GS Single R1150GS/R1150GSA R1200GS/R1200GSA Suzuki V-Strom 650/1000 Kawasaki KLR 650 + Triumph Tiger

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Our years of experience make this the easiest way to ship your bike overseas. Using our services will get you on the road in no time at all after arrival.

10395 Utopia Circle East Boynton Beach, FL 33437 Ph: 561-737-4954 800-443-7519 Fax: 561-737-4929 Email: bikeship@gate.net

World Motorcycle Tours

WARREN MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORT

Visit our website: www.worldmotorcycletours.com

Motorcycle Repair

324 East 95th Street New York, NY 10128

Harley-Davidson European and Japanese

917-492-1573 speedmotorcycles@verizon.net

www.speedmotorcyclesnyc.com

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 44

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS BATTERY OPERATED HEATED GLOVES FROM HARLEY-DAVIDSON INSTANT AND LONG-LASTING WARMTH

Powered by a lightweight battery that’s stored inside each gauntlet pocket, the men’s Battery Operated Heated Gloves from the Harley-Davidson MotorClothes line deliver full-hand heating simply and effectively. Microwire technology provides instant, full-length heating of each finger, thumb and the back of the hand for optimum warmth and dexterity. A soft fleece lining, waterproof/breathable AquaTex membrane and a 100-percent leather outer layer deliver maximum comfort and protection in all weather conditions. The are available in S-3XL and backed by a lifetime warranty on the heating elements. The women’s Battery Operated Heated Gloves offer the same features as the men’s gloves and are available in XS-XL. List price for both are $170. The Battery Operated Heated Gloves and Battery Pack are available now at most Harley-Davidson dealerships.

PARK N MOVE • MAKING

THINGS EASY AROUND THE GARAGE

If you have a tight space you are dealing with or simply want to be able to move your motorcycle quickly and easily then the Park-n-Move is the perfect gift for yourself this season.

Simply roll your machine over the Park-nMove and put it on its center stand. Rolling on heavy duty locking caster the Park-NMove can hold over 1,100 lbs. and makes moving your machine around a literal breeze.

When you have your bike where you want simply lock the caster wheels in place.

When not in use the Park-n-Move can be stowed out of the way or hung up on a wall. The Park-n-Move(tm) comes with a lifetime warranty on all components and comes in 1 and 2 inch models for $199. Get yours at www.legalspeeding.com.

OKAY ALL YOU INTERNET GEEKS • GO TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND BECOME A FAN • UP-TO-THE-MINUTE NEWS • IMPROMPTU RIDES www.facebook.com/pages/Backroads-Motorcycle-Touring-Magazine

YORK 23 TRAILERS TRUCK ACCESSORIES & CAPS 3-Rail Bike Trailers Toy Hauler Trailers with or without Living Quarters Full Service and Parts Facility

We are now a Cap Dealer

Large Selection of Open and Enclosed Trailers

SALES • SERVICE STRAPS • D RING TIE DOWNS TRUCK CAPS ACCESSORIES SOFT TOUCH WHEEL CHOCKS TRAILER HITCHES

973-492-0110 WWW.YORKTRAILER.COM

1212 Route 23 North • Butler, NJ 07405

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 45

INDUSTRY INFOBITES HARLEY-DAVIDSON

TO

NEWS

REMAIN

IN

YORK, PA

Harley-Davidson, Inc. has announced it will keep its motorcycle operations in York, Pa., and move forward with plans to restructure those operations.

After ratification of their labor agreement with the IAM, the decision was made to scale down operations and consolidate under one roof to focus on the core areas of motorcycle assembly, metal fabrication and paint. When fully operational in 2012, the restructuring is expected to generate about $100 million in annual operating savings compared to the current structure.

Viva la economy!

ERIK BUELL

CONTINUE

ERIK BUELL RACING

Harley-Davidson, Inc. announced that following the company’s recent decision to discontinue the Buell motorcycle product line, Erik Buell, Chairman and Chief Technical Officer of Buell Motorcycle Company, will leave the company to establish Erik Buell Racing, an independent motorcycle race shop.

Erik Buell Racing will specialize in the supply of race-use-only Buell motorcycle parts and race preparation services for engines and motorcycles, and the building and sale of Buell(r) 1125R-based race-use-only motorcycles under license from Harley-Davidson, as well as providing technical support to racers of Buell motorcycles.

“I’m looking forward to helping Buell racers keep their bikes flying,” said Erik Buell. “We’ve got some exciting race development projects in the works and it will mean a lot to me personally to see Buell racers competing for wins and championships in the 2010 season and beyond.”

Erik Buell Racing will be based in East Troy, Wisconsin and will be staffed by Erik Buell and a veteran team of personnel. For more information visit www.erikbuellracing.com or email info@erikbuellracing.com TO

WITH

HARRY HURT PASSES

Harry Hurt, famed for the only real in-depth study on motorcycle crashes and fatalities passes on Sunday, November 29 from a heart attack stemming from surgery earlier that week. He was 81.

His ground breaking 1981 study, called the Hurt Report, was an on the scene study of 900 motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area from 1976 and 1977.

This study was used to formulate the basis of many of the nations motorcycle safety programs, including the MSF, and has doubtlessly saved many

FROM THE INSIDE

lives.

Hurt was a professor of safety science at USC’s Traffic Safety Center in the early 1970s, when roughly 10% of U.S. highway traffic fatalities were because of motorcycle accidents.

In 1975, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reached out to Hurt and the university to develop an accident investigation methodology and study that would determine the causes of motorcycle crashes and injuries.

Among the study’s major findings were that speed was not a factor in most crashes; that helmets were very effective in preventing brain injuries and deaths; and that two-thirds of motorcycle crashes involved cars and two-thirds of those accidents occurred when a car driver failed to see the motorcycle and violated the cyclist’s right of way.

“Harry was the acknowledged giant in motorcycle accident research,” said Jim Ouellet, one of the accident investigators for the Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures study, better known as the Hurt Report.

“Similar studies since 1990 reflect his influence and have largely confirmed his findings. He was a bulldog at finding the facts and making them public even if some people were unhappy when the facts he reported didn’t support their pet theories.”

Hurt was a lifelong motorcyclist and never had a crash, said his wife, Joan.

EDELWEISS BIKE TOURS ANNOUNCES BOLIVIAN SCOUTING TRIP MAY 10 - 26, 2010 The heart of South America is one of the last, fairly unknown regions on this planet Edelweiss has yet to discover. It’s now time to do so.

Join them to explore the high mountain plateau of Bolivia with the world’s biggest salt dessert Uyuni, historic, interesting towns like La Paz and ride with the #1 highlight of this tour: The Road of Death through Bolivia’s jungle-covered high mountains.

Log onto www.edelweissbike.com for more information.

(Continued on next page)

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 46

AVID MOTOTOURS...LOVE IT,

2010 RALLIES

SPRING BREAK • MAY 13-16 GEORGE WASHINGTON HOTEL

103 East Piccadilly St, Winchester, VA www.wyndhamgeorgewashington.com • 540-678-4700

Rooms $109/night +tax • must ask for Backroads Spring Rally when booking

Spend a weekend in the quaint town of Winchester, VA. Perfect placement to explore West Virginia, Virginia and the surrounding historic battlegrounds.

BACKROADS 15TH ANNIVERSARY SUMMER SOJOURN • AUGUST 2-6 FONTANA VILLAGE, FONTANA DAM, NC www.fontanavillage.com • 828-498-2211

Rooms from $69/night + tax • ask for Backroads Rally when booking

Like our 10th Anniversary, we’re doing something a bit different and bringing you to the infamous Dragon Deal’s Gap. For those who have never done it, it must be done. For those who have, enjoy the other great roads that abound in this area, where they actually name their twistilicious pavement.

FALL FIESTA • SEPTEMBER 26-29 GRAY GHOST INN • West Dover, VT www.grayghostinn.com • 800-745-3615

Same, Same, but Different. How could we not make a trip to our favorite people in Vermont? Magnus and Carina will welcome us with open arms, as will the colorful roads of Vermont, New Hampshire and NY State.

DON’T DELAY - RESERVE TODAY - ROOMS WILL GO FAST!

CHECK OUT OUR HIGH ALPINE TOUR FOR 2011

LIVE IT, DO IT!

Although AVID MotoTours is a new company, it is led by an “old” face in the tour industry. Wanting to continue to lead people on motorcycle tours to see and experience North America and Europe, Karen Thomson has established this new company. Tours in planning include the American Southwest, the Colorado Rockies, the Alps, Central Italy and Southern Italy.

Guided group tours include routing and information along with guided support. Your hotels and many meals are included in the tour price. Meet new friends or bring your own. In North America, use your own motorcycle by riding or shipping it to the start point, or rent one from one of the many available rental companies. In Europe, motorcycles are provided from a varied fleet.

Custom tours can be planned for groups of any size to your specifications. AVID MotoTours leads you to the best roads and scenery in the area you wish to travel and makes arrangements for you.

If you don’t want a guide, but need help with the routing, planning and arrangements contact them for a self-guided tour following one of their pre-established tour plans or have a custom itinerary made up just for you.

Visit the AVID MotoTours web site for information on more possibilities at www.AVIDMotoTours.com

2010 INTERNATIONAL FEMALE RIDE DAY

Women riders maintain momentum throughout the year by revving up programs in preparation for the 2010 International Female Ride Day on May 7th.

The globally synchronized day, flagged for the first Friday of May each year, will celebrate its fourth year, highlighting, and promoting women motorcycle enthusiasts around the world.

Sport bike, cruiser, scooter, off-road, touring or competition, regardless of what type or style of motorcycle interest, International FEMALE RIDE DAY makes one simple request of women - Just Ride! Get on your bikes, be out there and be visible. The concept has gathered its power and support in this simple, synchronized theme linking women by this common activity, around the world. One day to celebrate and highlight the many women who share a passion for the sport. As such, every rider participating on the day is leading by example and is in herself the perfect role model for women who have not yet taken the first step to enjoy motorcycling.

For more online information about International FEMALE RIDE DAY, visit: www.motoress.com/femalerideday.asp

H-D PLANS FOR WOMEN RIDERS MONTH 2010

Harley-Davidson announced plans to commemorate the 2nd Annual Women Riders Month in May 2010 by hosting women riders in its hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., on May 22 and 23, 2010. Women Riders Month is designed to celebrate the millions of women who have already grabbed life by the handlebars, as well as

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

inspire more women to experience the freedom of the open road.

During the two-day event, the Motor Company has planned a series of activities for women including demo rides at the Harley-Davidson Museum, new product displays and an opportunity to meet and speak with Karen Davidson, great granddaughter of one of the Motor Company founders. On Saturday, an independent ride featuring several stops throughout the city of Milwaukee and surrounding areas will give riders a taste of Wisconsin. An organized ride later that day will land at an evening block party featuring live entertainment.

“We are very excited to build upon the successful Women Riders Month events we hosted this past year in New York City and Milwaukee,” said Leslie Prevish, women’s outreach manager, HarleyDavidson Motor Company. “Of course, we’re especially thrilled about the opportunity to welcome female riders from across the country to our hometown.”

The Women Riders Month event in Milwaukee is open to riders of all brands of motorcycles and non-riders alike - women are encouraged to bring friends to join them in the various activities. A full schedule of activities and registration for the Women Riders Month 2010 event will be announced in early 2010 at www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders

VICTORY MOTORCYCLES SALUTES SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN

Victory Motorcycles is honoring U.S. and Canadian military personnel for their dedication and commitment by providing them with a special offer.

Victory salutes the efforts of those who serve to protect the freedom we value so highly.

For a limited time, U.S. and Canadian military personnel are being offered $1,000 cash back on the purchase of any new Victory model during the Victory “Full Throttle Salute.” All active, National Guard, reserve, and retired military personnel are eligible with proof of a valid military I.D. Details about the Victory “Full Throttle Salute” are available from Victory dealers, and at www.victorymotorcycles-military.com.

Page 47

WIN “THE GOOD FIGHT”

KIDS

Tickets are available now for this year’s Cycle World International Motorcycle Shows motorcycle drawing, benefiting the PBTF. The Cycle World Project Honda “The Good Fight”

by Roland Sands Design for Ride for Kids® is a 2009 Honda CBR1000RR in the spirit of an earlier project bike.

Cycle World Magazine and Honda planted the seeds 16 years ago when they teamed up to create a “Standard on Steroids” from a 1993 Honda CBR900RR. That machine opened many eyes to just how much fun could be had with comfy ergonomics and plenty of power, helping to spawn the naked bike movement still going strong today.

This is the 10th consecutive year Cycle World has partnered with Ride for Kids® to create a unique motorcycle for the drawing. Each year the bike is on display in the Ride for Kids® area of the Cycle World booth at International Motorcycle Shows nationwide.

To date the drawing has raised $502,910 for medical research and family support programs for children with brain tumors.

Tickets are available ($5 for one ticket or $20 for five) by phone at 800253-6530, by mail to PBTF Motorcycle Drawing, 302 Ridgefield Ct., Asheville, NC, 28806 or at the Cycle World shows.

AND HELP THE

BACKROADS gladly accepts press releases. Please forward text and images via email to: editor@backroadsusa.com

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 48

B U M P O N T H E R O A D - Vita Medicalis

Dr. Christopher Bump

RIDING IN THE COLD AND WIND HYPOTHERMIA IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

I have always been amazed and fascinated by mountain climbing, especially the 8000ers, like Everest and K2, which reach nearly 5 1/2 miles up into the heavens. But knowing the climbers are attempting some of the most dangerous terrains and weather conditions on The Great Blue Ball stupefies me. If you attempt to climb K2 for instance you have ONLY a 1 in 4 shot of getting off the mountain alive. Avalanche, falls, and exposure are the typical causes of fatality, where wind chills have been recorded as low as -63 degrees Fahrenheit even in the warmer season. Who wants to do that? A five minute window of exposure and your skin is ice!

So, as a motorcyclist, I have maintained the attitude that if those brave souls, or crazy dudes, depending on perspective, can protect themselves from getting frostbite and hypothermia in 30 below temperatures, then I should be able to ride in a measly wind chill of 10 degrees. (That’s going 60 mph in temperatures of 30 degrees.) In other words, what’s the big deal about riding in the cold? Hypothermia is the short answer; and it is a big deal. However by practicing a bit of commonsense and knowing what to look for to prevent hypothermia, we can extend our riding season into the wilds of winter.

First it is important to consider how we lose body heat, and become cold, and then we can look at various ways to protect ourselves, and stay warm.

As you know, the core body temperature is 98.6, and if it drops below 95 degrees we will pass into hypothermia. (hypo means low, thermia relates to heat) We lose heat to the environment in four different processes. Here’s the breakdown; Radiation - Radiant heat lose occurs due to a temperature gradient difference. For example; a warm rider sitting in air which is colder.

Conduction - this occurs through direct contact of a warmer object with a colder object. Think about a warm, gloved hand gripping a cold throttle, or a boot standing on frozen ground.

Convection - This is wind chill... cooler air wicking away warmer air. Take a look at the Wind Chill Table, (table 1.) or to calculate Wind Chill temperature go to the nifty calculator at www.nws.noaa.gov/os/windchill Evaporation - we lose heat when we perspire, and when we lose moisture we are more susceptible to cold.

When our body begins to sense cold, which usually occurs in our fingertips and toes, the major regulating area of the brain, the hypothalamus, begins to protect our core. This includes the vital organs like heart, lungs,

brain and gut, and it is protected at the sacrifice of the limbs. Our peripheral blood vessels constrict in order to reduce flow of blood to the limbs. We then experience cold quicker out there on the fringe, think fingers and toes and we will begin to shiver to increase chemical reactions in muscles to generate body heat. Shivering indicates mild hypothermia, but if confusion begins or coordination begins to falter, or speech begins to slur or violent shivering begins, then moderate hypothermia has begun. By the time you reach severe hypothermia you will already have done a low-sided fall and remain rigid and motionless on the ground and this is when the paramedics will help, not to worry.

As motorcyclists we enjoy moving through the air at speeds, so we generate our own wind chill factor. For example if the ambient air temp is 40 degrees and we are moving at 35 mph, the wind chill factor is 28 degrees...that’s a freezing big difference. Or if the air temp is 35 degrees and

Keep it warm on the outside Play it sexy on the inside…

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 49

we travel at 60 mph the wind chill drops to 17 degrees. We can only withstand that kind of temperature for about 30 C. GORTEX COAT WITH LINER minutes before our tissues begins to freeze. Think frostbite!

So it makes sense to be prepared for and aware of the wind D. THERMAL LINER chill. And yes, there are many ways we can keep ourselves E. GORTEX BOOTS warm if we want to continue riding year-round with just a F. FULL FACE HELMET little effort.

G. NECK WARMER Let’s look at some gear and optional bike equipment.

Windscreens and fairings help immensely in reducing wind H. BALACLAVAS exposure, for obvious reasons. Personally, I like the naked I. WINTER GLOVES feel of my GS but enjoy the protection a wind screen offers, but a full fairing would offer much greater wind protection. Then there are heated grips, and on some touring bikes, heated seats, both extend the range of riding in lower temperatures. Also hand protectors work like windscreens for the hands.

Riding gear designed for colder weather is a must and there exist a multitude of options for the intrepid rider of the frozen road. Winter riding gloves, Gortex and thermal linings for pants and jackets, neck warmers, full face helmets, balaclavas and Gortex lined boots all are essential in keeping cold out and warm in. But the most sensible, most efficient, most convenient and most costly cold weather riding apparel is electric liners. Just plug them in, turn the thermostat to desired setting and it will feel like basking on the beach.

Personally I have not had to use the liners, but my cold weather riding is limited. I know if I start out in 25 degree temps, fully dressed like Randy in “The Christmas Story”, I have about an hour of riding before I need to warm-up again. I tend to be a purist of sorts, and that has superseded commonsense when it comes to winter riding apparel. Having to hard-wire myself to the bike has seemed a bit too cumbersome and thoughts of being subject to electric magnetic radiation gave me concern; the later is based on complete dissociation with reality. Advances in the electric garment technology are beginning to catch my persnickety attention, and if our special-ops forces and the mountaineers climbing Everest can use this gear, it might be time for a purist like me to consider the investment. Who knows, somewhere down the road I might be convinced to use Augmented Reality too.

Safe Wonderful Warm Winter Riding.

A. GORTEX PANTS

B. THERMAL LINERS

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Page 50

MOTO GUZZI V7 CLASSIC • CALLING

While just about every culture and country has an appreciation of the past, I think the Italians may embrace their heritage better than anybody when it comes to motorcycle design. Moto Guzzi has had this uncanny ability to take modern technology and incorporate it where they think it’s appropriate in their bikes, yet they never stray too awfully far from their roots (especially when it comes to the most character-infused part of the machine: the engine). With their new V7, they are actually taking a very critical part of their history (1967, in fact) and transporting it to the 21st Century. There’s modern tech on this bike, true, but Guzzi does everything it can to keep it mostly out of sight while they celebrate the original design that Giulio Cesare Carcano created 42 years ago.

Bill Heald

A

CLASSIC

A

CLASSIC

When the original V7 was launched, it was (at about 703ccs) Italy’s first “large displacement” motorcycle. It was also the first production Guzzi to use the now-signature transverse V-Twin engine (often called a Flying V) and shaft final drive. It really served as the bike that established the Guzzi profile all over the world, much in the same way Harley’s signature V-Twin and BMW’s iconic Boxer engine defined the breeds for generations. According the Guzzi, the V7 was first commissioned by the Italian police force and later expanded with several civilian variants that eventually made it stateside (including a whole slew of police bikes as well). The new V7 Classic is a wonderful salute to its distant ancestor, and as it is armed with contemporary running gear blended into a very stylish package it’s a very cool mount for just about any kind of riding.

The party starts with a 744 cc aircooled V-Twin that looks like the original but is of course imbued by many a modern engineering trick.

Cosmetically the mill is a dead ringer for the Goose of old, and it is loaded with the kind of pleasant vibes and exhaust character that makes these bikes so enjoyable. Instead of carburetors we have Weber-Marelli fuel injection, although there is what appears to be a choke lever on the handlebar (it’s an enrichment switch for cold starts, and was out of adjustment on our unit). Hidden in the stylish exhaust is a Three-way catalytic convertor with a lamda probe; things that would have been considered true

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

rocket science back in 1967. A very light-effort clutch channels power to a very smart-ratioed 5speed transmission, and there is shaft drive out back as is time-honored Guzzi tradition. 40mm Marzocchi front forks (with great incorporated fork seal protectors) handle front suspension duties, while traditional dual preload-adjustable Sachs rear shocks take care of road evils at the aft end of the motorcycle. Brembo supplies the brakes, with a single 320mm disc in front and a 220mm at the rear. Very stylish spoke wheels give the V7 more traditional personality, and look terrific gleaming in the sunlight.

Jump on the vintage caterpillar-style seat and fire the V7 up, and once the beast gets up to temperature you get a very pleasing engine that at 48 horsepower is no V-Max, but plenty of low-end torque moves the Guzzi’s 401 (dry) weight around quite acceptably. The riding position is a backfriendly upright standard with flat, high bars that are ideal for scooting around town or much further should the desire arise. This is one of the V7’s best attributes: it’s a very versatile mount that purrs along in typical relaxed Guzzi fashion and is never taxing to ride. The vibes are pretty noticeable at the upper edges of the rev range but there’s really no reason to spend much time there. The transmission is fortunately far less clunky than Guzzis of old, and the shaft reaction is reasonably muted during aggressive twists of the throttle (although still more reactionary than some of Guzzi’s more sporting contemporary rides). One advantage to the V7’s middleweight displacement is a fairly modest appetite for fuel, and I averaged around 47 MPG which should glean over 200 miles from the 4.5 gallon tank.

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Page 51

Like every bit of detail on the bike, the V7 instrument cluster takes a page from the past and in this case this means the Veglia-Borlettis clocks from the 1970s. Of course there is also modernity in that a window in the bottom of both the white-on-black tach and speedo has a digital readout that can be toggled to show time, temperature and MPG readouts. Very elegant, very handy.

Nitpicks on this modern throwback include nonadjustable levers and the lack of a centerstand, which would just seem to fit this bike’s versatile, all-around mission in life. Minor foibles like this are basically all that I can complain about, because the V7’s simplicity and character just make it a very enjoyable, elemental companion. The 2009 Moto Guzzi V7 Classic comes with a sharp, pearlescent Moon White paint scheme and has an MSRP of $8490. www.motoguzzi-us.com

Colors Page 52

in the

Catskills

words and images: Brian Rathjen

JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

You could say this was one last BMW Rally before Mother Nature put the kibosh on the northeast ‘09 riding season, but this time, when the folks from BMW MOA - Mike Friedle in particularly - put on a motorcycle rally it is for all who care to come. Thus this rally invited everyone with two wheels to ride up to Hunter Mountain, in the colorful Catskills.

This event started in a grand way back in 2008 and, with the great success of last year’s rally in mind, BMW MOA went for round two.

Of course, in typical big corporate fashion, they doubled the entrance fee this time around from free to nothing and free camping was available onsite for those of you who prefer nature up close.

Hunter is smack dab in the middle of the Catskills and for you few who might never have ridden there this time of year, not only are the roads spectacular, but the colors of the fading leaves are as well.

Like last year’s Colors Rally, Mike Friedle timed the rally to coexist with Hunter Mountain’s annual Oktoberfest.

You could ride all morning, get back to the mountain mid-afternoon and enjoy even more Bavarian delights as the Oktoberfest is always a blast.

BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

We rode up on that Friday afternoon, making a detour to see the FDNY Dream Bike at the FASNY Museum in Hudson, New York, before riding over the bridge named for the Catskill’s favorite son Rip Van Winkle.

We would try not to sleep so much this weekend.

Unlike last year’s stellar weather this time around clouds threatened Friday, but still the hotels filled and even a few intrepid folks threw up tents in weather that was more late November than early October.

At the Welcome Center there were already seminars going on with a wide range of subjects being covered - from “Farkles” for your bike and touring to techniques on long distance riding. There were several self-guided routes for the taking and the folks from both BMW MOA and Greene County Tourism were available for questions, answers and information.

That evening at the lodge, Professor Louie and the Chromatix rocked the place, with their unique style, as we kept running into folks we knew.

Saturday started far better than Friday ended, as the rains that had pelted the region overnight had drifted off and a bit of sunshine streaked through

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gray cloud to light up the colorful palette of leaves on the mountains.

Max BMW had set up a dirt school and for the price of simply signing up one could spend an hour or so getting some tips from the pros on how to be more confident when the pavement ends and the real riding begins. They ran these classes all day. Once completed, you had the opportunity to ride up, and then down, the mountain on some nice graded access roads.

Lee Parks “Total Control” also was holding classes at a nearby college; so if you came looking to become a better rider, this rally was for you.

There were a number of vendors selling motorcycle gear and accessories on one side and your typical fair crafts on the other side.

That Saturday Shira and I took advantage of the region to search out another stop for the Great All American Diner Run, as we had put together a great loop that would bring us through almost the entire Catskills Park along the best roads the region had to offer.

We had to - besides the sun was coming out.

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JANUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

too, can have that adrenaline rush, as Hunter had rental bikes, and most likely the proper equipment for a safe ride down.

We had heard there was an awesome statue of the old guy atop the peak and, not only did we find him, but the artists as well, as Kevin VanHentenryck and Davis Slutsky were there, putting the finishing touches on a 14-year project.

What a treat to meet the men who created such a wonderful piece of art high atop the mountain.

You see in typical Weather Channel fashion they had called for rain on Friday and Saturday, but the Catskills seemed to avoid most of this and after breakfast at Maggies Krooked Café’ we took off on a little loop ride that I had put together with the Garmin Road Trip program; 130 miles of the tiny backroads that

took in the entire Catskill Park. Our ride took most of the day and was as excellent as I promised Shira. It was such a good day’s ride that it’ll be its own Big City Getaway in a future issue.

We returned to Hunter in the late afternoon, parked the bikes for the night, swapped out of our riding gear and into our festival duds, as this rally had the added benefit of Hunter’s annual Oktoberfest.

The combination of oompah bands, lederhosen, German beer and German bikes made for an excellent show; and with the sun blowing out the last of the clouds the day turned into a seriously great party.

We were staying at the Kaatskill Mountain Club at Hunter Mountain, just a short walk from the festival and an excellent place to stay while attending this rally or any of the number of events that Hunter holds each year.

Later that night a few of us moseyed over to the bar there and sat outside by the large fire, enjoying a great end to a superb day of riding, motorcycles and Oktoberfesting.

That Sunday was one of the nicest Sundays I could remember all year and after taking another walk around the vendors Shira and I hopped on the Sky Lift to the top of the mountain and went is search of the Catskills favorite son - Rip Van Winkle. On our ride up, we noticed moutain bikers loading their rides on the chairlift for a spirited ride back down the mountain. You,

While there they had a wedding at the summit what a beautiful setting for something like this.

Eventually we went back down and, fueling up the bikes and camelbaks, we headed back home picking odd and new roads as we went. A few hours later we popped out onto a road I actually knew and a short time later we rolled into the drive at Backroads Central.

Once again Mike and the BMW MOA ran a great event, only a bad weather forecast put a real damper on the weekend.

We really hope they continue this event each year as the region, the roads, the facilities at Hunter Mountain combine for one really excellent weekend of riding and twowheel camaraderie.

For more info on all things mentioned, please check these websites

www.bmwmoa.org www.huntermtn.com www.greenetourism.com

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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2010

Page 55

BMW MOTORRAD CONCEPT 6 FASCINATION, SUPREMACY

Six-cylinder power units have always had particular appeal, offering not only supreme smoothness and refinement, but also superior power and performance as well as a truly emotional driving - or, in this case, riding - experience.

The new BMW straight-six will further expand the K-Series in the foreseeable future.

The first model to be introduced will be an innovative and luxurious BMW touring machine.

Reflecting the tradition of the BMW K-Series, this will of course be a genuine top-of-the-line product.

AND

The starting point for this dynamic introduction of the straight-six in the new Concept 6 from BMW Motorrad is of course the extremely compact form and configuration of the engine. The power unit is approximately 100mm or 4” slimmer than all former straight-six production engines and only a bit wider than a large-capacity straight-four with conventional technology.

In its layout, the straight-six featured in the Concept 6 follows the wellknown straight-four in the K 1300 model series, again coming with cylinders tilted to the front by 55°. This ensures not only a low centre of gravity, but also very good weight balance as an element essential above all under sporting conditions for precise feeling and clear feedback from the front. A further advantage is that the tilted engine provides extra space for the aerodynamically positioned intake manifold directly above the engine and allows ideal configuration of the frame profiles following the flow of power.

RIDING COMFORT

WITH

SIX CYLINDERS

The engine’s power and performance characteristics are equally impressive, offering 130 Nm or 96 lb-ft of torque from just 2,000 rpm and at the same time revving up almost to 9,000 rpm - a dynamic potential quite unparalleled in the tourer segment. This alone qualifies the engine of the Concept 6 as the ideal power unit for a wide range of different motorcycles.

The suspension of the BMW Motorrad Concept 6 is built around a light-alloy bridge frame as well as Duolever and lightweight Paralever arms holding and guiding the wheels front and rear.

Seventeen-inch HP forged wheels as well as the extra-large brake system with its six-piston fixed callipers emphasise the sporting look of the new machine and its high level of technology.