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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
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A R A S (ISSN 0 -20 ) is published monthly by A R A S , Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. A R A S may not be reproduced in any manner without speci c written consent from the publisher. A R A S welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. A R A S will only return material with enclosed su cient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in A R A S are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip Rides published are ridden on the sole responsibility of the rider. A R A S is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. lease respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them. on’t run with scissors. Respect everybody, unless they do not deserve it. e thoughtful. e kind. Always return shopping carts. Small acts have ripple e ects.
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
FREE WHEELIN’ The BIGGeR BeTTeR looP We have written here, now and again, about our L oop Rides. Those roads close to home that you favor and can help scratch that motorcycle itch when you look to sneak a ride. I have mine. S hira has hers. GP X Files that simply said Her L oop and His L oop. Over time, these L oops became Bigger L oops. Better L oops. But, like the world-changing discovery of Reese’ s P eanut Butter Cups, when we married the two together, we ended up with that synergistic “sum being better than the whole” thing. S hira’ s loop ran to the south and west of Backroads Central, touching roads in the S kylands of S ussex and Warren Counties. Mine circled north and east, and crossed into a bit of Orange County in New York state. Commingled, they formed a circuitous route that would run 125miles of familiar turf now simply called The Bigger Better L oop. No one ever called us creative, okay? What added to the usefulness of The Bigger Better L oop was that they both started and finished, more or less, back at Mission Control, thus we could pick and choose where we wanted to go, depending on how much time we had, or miles we wanted to ride. If time was running tight, we’ d be back home in a more or less swift matter of time. If we had the time, we could spend the day and do the Bigger Better L oop in both directions. 250 miles is a good and solid day’ s motorcycle ride in j ust about anyone’ s book. he central start finish locus also came into play when we d could head west in the first, and east later on – very workable - especially in the late fall and winter months when sun glare can be problematic. The other bonus is that after a bit, you might think it would be tedious and
BRIAN RATHJEN boring – and that might have happened if this were the N Y ride we could do. ut the oops were always about stealing a ride when you could – not about travel or exploration. They were plotted purely to play our version of two-wheel hooky. On the contrary, the L oops allowed us to become even more familiar with roads that we had been on so many times before. L ike when attending Reg P ridmore’ s CL A S S , we would come to know the track more and more with each lap. Where the road would dip, where the best line was, how fast we’ d pick up speed at Turn 10’ s downhill run to 1 1’ s left. When you ride the same roads a number of times, you become familiar with their ins and outs. The great pavement. The shitty. The towns where you should rightly reel it in as you go past that S chool Z one, or S tate Trooper Barracks, and the sections where you can give yourself the ride you deserve. You find those cool places for coffee, or just a great vista. Crucially, if you are like me, you will learn where all the good porta-j ohns are located and, after a while, which ones might be preferred over another. ( S o sad to have lived in the 60s twice) But importantly, your L oops will allow you to concentrate and work on becoming a more proficient rider. You know that series of turns is coming. You are looking forward to that uphill twisty section. That upcoming valley road should be a closed course, and riding it often almost makes it so, and it is along the oops that we become better, safer, and more confident riders. t the track, most turns are numbered – on some tracks, those numbers can pick up names of famed racers who competed and made a name for themselves. S outh of the Mason-Dixon L ine, almost every piece of curvy pavement has picked up a name of a local mammal, legendary lizard, or ghost. It’ s what they do down there. But what’ s in a name? We’ ll get into that next month. ,
BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
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WHATCHATHINKIN’ IT all MaKeS ceN TS The penny dates back over 1,20 years, with the first pennies made back in 790 A .D. The word ‘ penny’ and its variations include the German ‘ pfenning’ and the S wedish ‘ penning’ , meaning a coin or money, not j ust a small denomination. Great Britain is actually the only country to have a denomination that is officially called the penny, and the United States uses the word penny due to the British penny. Over 30 billion one-cent coins, with 1 1 different designs, have been minted since its inception. he U.S. penny, one of the first coins made by the U.S. Mint after its establishment in 1792, was first designed depicting a woman with flowing hair to symboli e liberty. It was larger than our current penny, and made of pure copper, while today’ s is made of copper and zinc. Over its 2 3 year life span, it shrunk, changed composition and design and, in 209, to commemorate A braham L incoln’ s 20 th birthday and the 10 th anniversary of the first incoln cent, there were four different themes issued, depicting the stages of incoln s life – a log cabin for the birth and early childhood in Kentucky, L incoln reading a book on a log for his formative years in Indiana, standing in front of a courthouse for his professional life in Illinois and the capitol building for his presidency in
SHIRA KAMIL
Washington, DC. A lso, along its life’ s j ourney, there have been some unusual pennies minted – 1943 s inc-coated steel due to the need of copper during orld ar , a limited mistaken minting of copper pennies, also in 1943, 2017 s homage of the Mint’ s 25 th anniversary with pennies having a ‘ P ’ mint mark for P hiladelphia and 2019’ s special West P oint Mint’ s version with a ‘ W’ . While most pennies are not worth a red cent, there have been some which can get you a boatload of cash should you find one in your piggy bank or at the bottom of your j unk drawer. Going back to the 1943 mistake year, a 1943 incoln Bronze Wheat P enny, designed by Victor D. Brenner, when copper was needed for war efforts, some were minted of bronze ( 95% copper and 5% tin/ zinc alloy) , which can be worth up to 2.3 million. Just a year later, a 1944-S Steel heat enny, which missed the transition from steel-coated zinc to copper, is also valued in the six-figure category. t s worth a uick look-see at the coins in your pocket to see if there are any of worth before dumping them in the coin-conversion machine at the bank. he United States Mint in hiladelphia hosted a ceremonial strike event on November 12, 2025 where U.S reasurer randon each struck the final, circulating one-cent coin, better known for the past 23 years, as the penny. A pparently, it costs 3.7¢ to make each 1¢ coin, costing the government $56 million each year. Now that certainly adds up to a hill of beans. Why I bring up this seemingly worthless coin, although the years of colC ont inued on P age 7
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
ON THE MARK TheY ’ Re oU T TheRe oN TheIR MoToRcY cleS ! There’ s a tale about a frog in the bottom of a well who thinks the circle of sky above him is the whole world. It wasn’ t until he was drawn to the top in the bucket that he realized there was much, much more to be seen! I’ m sure he was the same frog, however, who got stung carrying a scorpion across a stream, but that’ s another story.
S ince all I ever do is hang out with a bunch of my motorcycling friends, a lot of whom are Backroads rally peeps, local chopper bubbas, and York S wap Meet attendees, my view of the demographics of motorcycling was the same as what the frog saw from the bottom of the well. Backroads rallies are great fun, but let’ s face it, we could be sponsored by Depends, Geritol, and the myriad of E D medications ( spe ak f or y our sel f - ed .) . The local chopper bubbas, although they fancy themselves badasses, all have day j obs, wives or serious girlfriends, and the vast majority have families – ones that they both know about and acknowledge. If you haven’ t been there, the York S wap Meet attendees represent the largest collection of guys in flannel shirts hawking some of the same dusty parts they’ ve been bringing in cardboard boxes for the past decade ( although there are enough cool old bikes to j ustify going) . S o lately, I’ ve been in a snit worrying about the demographics of motorcycling, wondering here are the Y UN people f there is to be a future of the sport/ lifestyle/ profession, there needs to be a constant supply of new blood lest the whole thing go the way of the full-service gas stations, supermarket bag boys, and cycle mags full of “shootouts.” If there’ s no one around to buy new road bikes except retired airline pilot born-agains, who is going to keep all the tasty accessory vendors in business so they can adver-
MARK BYERS tise in the best motorcycle print magazine still in business? I tell you, I was in such a state that I nearly couldn’ t watch 12 continuous hours of football on Thanksgiving Day! Fortunately, there was a Fall Trail Ride put on by the Washington A rea Trail Riders on the S unday following Thanksgiving, so Dangerous Dan and I made a pact to fortify ourselves with a Dahlgren McDonald’ s breakfast sandwich and go ride. It wasn’ t an ideal day: the sky was angry, my friends, with a constant dri le that wasn t the shi le, temperatures in the 40 s, and a wind chill with a “feels like” temperature that was almost in the “to hell with this” range. Dangerous was nonplussed and went off with Izzy to attack the 14-mile loop, both of them on vintage R ondas. ersonally, took my time getting suited up because I could do that in the balmy clime of the Tundra. Finally, the rain abated somewhat and I kicked the old X R-250 to life. A nd kicked. A nd kicked. Being warm wasn’ t really a challenge until the cold-natured beast finally barked to life. I rode the short loop a few times and took a couple turns around one of two “kid’ s courses” laid out in the field. nd then, like a frisbee getting closer and closer, it finally hit me: there were “kid’ s courses! ” A nd damn if there weren’ t real kids out there, riding bikes of sizes commensurate with theirs. There were fathers and sons and fathers and daughters and fathers and adolescents and young adults and tigers and bears, OH MY! L ike the frog that had been withdrawn from the well, reali ed where the motorcycling Y UN people all are they re riding dirt bikes! A s I sat in the truck, dripping and thawing, I realized what a ginormous dumbass I was in worrying about the future of motorcycling. It should have come as no surprise, as my own moto career started in exactly the same way, riding a trail or dual-sport bike around the back yard, then on woods trails and dirt roads. I didn’ t stray onto the street until a bit later, which is probably why I’ m still alive and in the over-60 club. It’ s hard to mort yourself on a ’ 79 X L -250S unless you really try. I was 3 years old before bought my first M and even then, it was a big trailie suited to the combo of pavement and chirt rocks in the hinterlands of the Flint Hills of Kansas.
S o, color me chastised for my narrow worldview and calmed by the balm of seeing youngsters j etting around the kid’ s courses, looking like S uperMario characters in helmets that were too big for their bodies. There is a future, and the future is being born in the dirt. ,
BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
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BACKLASH I really enj oyed the latest main article about A lleghany County and surrounding roads and attractions. I was born and raised there. A t Humpback bridge, we used to j ump off of the railroad trestle. Maybe not too smart, but, we were young. We also rode bicycles up to the fall and would swim in the warm water. It was nice to learn that some research has been done concerning the orientation of the spring. I also had no idea that people used to skinny dip there. Had I only known... There are so many beautiful roads in that neck of Virginia. Thanks for the memories! Randal Whitehead R andal l , T hank s f or t he em ail . I t is so nic e t o see w e st r uc k a hap y c hor d w it h a r eade r . W e al l c he r ish m em or ies l ik e t hos e… I c an’ t t hi nk of a pr et t ier r egi on t o gr ow up in. T ha nk y ou agai n f or t he w or ds . C om e t o one of our r al l ies… T he y ’ l l be new m em or ies! P S : I forwarded that to their Chamber of Commerce… they helped with all t hi s, and I k now t he y w il l appr ec iat e it .
Letters to the Editor does not go down until there is a complete cessation of movement. E ast coast law enforcement agencies, actually teach what they call the “slide for life”. I call it crashing on purpose. CHiPs from Cali Hey Backroads, J ust have to tell you how glad I was to see in print the proper bridge names…Tappan Z ee and Triboro Bridge. Made my heart glow. It will always be the Tappan Z ee and Triboro for me, and I wanted to say thank you for that. S incerely, Mark Butler Hey Backroads, ow happy was to find ackroads on the rack of maga ines at my local gym. lthough you have stories from around the US Japan too , have always thought of Backroads as our New J ersey “home grown” motorcycle
Brian & S hira I always read the Backroads Report. Today I read with interest The Wreck Of The E dmund Fitzgerald, especially why the lake never gives up her dead. Occasionally I will sing Gordon L ightfoot song at Karaoke, especially if I’ ve heard too many 8 minute Rap songs. I’ ll nod at Donna and say “It’ s time for E dmund Fitzgerald “. L ooking forward to May 15- 18. Brian and S hira: I always enj oy reading your weekly Backroads Motorcycle Tour Magazine - j ust as I am having my coffee. already put May 14 18 2026 on my calendar and look forward to the experience, especially considering today’ s freezing temperatures. Do you usually put routes on your website in advance of a tour? I will be interested in seeing what you’ ve planned. L ast May was a pleasure riding with you in J apan. A re you both planning any other exotic location tours in 206? Regards, Andrew A ndr ew , Y es, as w e ge t c l oser w e w il l put up sugge st ions f or r ide s f r om hot el t o hot el and f or f r ee da y s. A s of r ight now , w e pl an on dom est ic t r av el , but y ou nev er k now . Hi S hira, This is J im Cash from Wright’ s Dairy Rite in S taunton, Virginia. I received a copy of your November issue last week and I was delighted about the article you had on us. Thank you. That issue is currently at my framers office getting it nicely framed and matted for presentation in our restaurant. My 3 sisters would like to know how they could get a copy. I went to your website but didn’ t see anyway to order copies. P lease let me know. Gratefully, Jim Cash Grandson of founder and current owner J im , O ur pl easur e t o ge t t hos e t o y our sist er s and t hank y ou f or t he nic e l et t er . L ook f or w ar d t o our nex t v isit . E nj oyed your read on “He had to lay it down” in November’ s ‘ Welcome to the J ungle.’ Out west, we teach that you ride it into the ground if that’ s the fate you are dealt, as there is always that minuscule chance you may recover it and ride it out. We also teach that a foot
magazine. To see it along with Weird N.J . and New J ersey magazine really made me smile. Keep on doing what you do, and know you are truly appreciated and admired. Maybe I will meet you on the road someday. A ll the best! Mary Winchester T hank t hough…
y ou so m uc h M ar y , and w e hope t o m eet y ou as w el l . W e ar e c ur ious do y ou hav e t w o sons nam ed Sam and D ean?
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
INDUSTRY INFOBITES RIDERS TO PAY MORE ON NJ TOLL ROADS
If you ride the New J ersey Turnpike or the Garden S tate P arkway, get ready to dig a little deeper into your pocket. For the sixth year in a row, tolls on both roads are going up 3 pe rcent starting J anuary 1, 206. The hike is baked into the New J ersey Turnpike A uthority’ s 206 spending plan, which commissioners rolled out at their November 18 meeting. The authority says the extra cash, part of a roughly $2.8 million revenue forecast, is needed to keep the lights on, patch potholes, and pay for long-term upgrades. A nd it’ s not j ust the Turnpike and P arkway. A nyone who crosses the Delaware River on the bridges run by the Delaware River J oint Toll Bridge Commission is looking at much bigger increases, in many cases more than double the current price, depending on the size of your vehicle and whether you use E -Z P ass. The exact start date hasn’ t been announced yet, but this J anuary was the target. Most people won’ t see their toll j ump by dollars and dollars. On the Turnpike, it’ s usually j ust a handful of cents per trip, depending on how far you’ re going. Motorcycle riders pulling on or off the P arkway will notice the biggest relative change at the ramps. A t this time exact increases for riders had not been announced.
News from the Inside DUNLOP CELEBRATES IT MOST SUCCESSFUL MOTORCYCLE RACING SEASON
Championship titles in motocross, endurance racing and local motorsport series highlight the strength of Dunlop’ s latest competition and production tires The 205 racing season has been a landmark year for Dunlop, with the brand achieving unprecedented success with its supported teams and riders across motocross, endurance, circuit racing and local motorsport series. Throughout the season, Dunlop riders and teams consistently demonstrated the performance and reliability of the brand’ s bespoke racing and off-the-shelf tire products across almost every discipline of motorcycle racing. Dunlop’ s racing season has been undoubtedly headlined by its landmark FIM Motocross World Championship ( MX GP ) title with Romain Febvre, marking the long-awaited return of the Dunlop brand to the top championship in global motocross, along with championships in road racing classes around the world.
MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY ON REBOUND, OR IS IT?
he two-wheeler market in the United States is the 14th largest in the world and one of the more stable, with annual volume steady in the range of around half a million since over a decade. A ccording to the latest study by P ersistence Market Research, the global Motorcycle Market is proj ected to expand steadily, registering a C R of 4.1 from 2025 to 2032. he market, valued at US 140.7 billion in 2025, is forecast to reach approximately US 186.4 billion by 203. Yet another published report from motorcyclesdata. com states “In the competitive arena, following a positive yearly pathway, Kawasaki was able to reach the leadership, overtaking Honda, with sales improving a huge 14.2 year on year. Honda lost the leadership and 8.0% of sales compared with the correspondent period last year.It seems that the victim of the new economic wave in the S tates is and will be the A merican icon, actually in third place, Harley-Davidson which started losing a deep 15.9% behind Yamaha -0.4 , M -23.8 , ndian 4.9 , Suzuki ( -13.7% ) and BMW ( -10.8% ) .”
TESLA MOTORCYCLE? NOT ACCORDING TO MUSK
We’ ve heard it before - E lon Musk doesn’ t want Tesla to ever make an electric motorcycle. But the polarizing CE O has taken to social media to explain why he still says it will never happen. s Musk confirmed, the issue isn t that he doesn t think Tesla could build an electric motorcycle, but rather that he doesn’ t think they are safe to begin with. He replied, “Never happening, as we can’ t make motorcycles safe,” in response to an A I video about a fake Tesla motorcycle uploaded to his X platform ( formerly Twitter) .
BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
Musk then referenced a previous story he has told several times about how he was nearly killed by a truck while riding a motorcycle in his youth. Though he seemed to direct his feelings more towards street motorcycles. “Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully,” continued Musk, “as you can’ t be smashed by a truck.” Or, by a Cybertruck, as Tesla’ s own A utopilot features have long been critici ed for their danger to motorcyclists, with several high-profile deaths caused by Tesla vehicles striking motorcycles while operating under A utopilot.
KALASHNIKOV’S NEW E-BIKE?
The Russian Kalashnikov concern has presented a new electric motorcycle, the h- nduro, which comes e uipped with a versatile trailer. he first batch is being prepared for test trials, after which the design will be further improved.
he electric motorcycle is intended to serve as a uiet, highly maneuverable vehicle for military operations and for emergency and rescue services. he h- nduro is e uipped with a brushless synchronous MSM motor with internal permanent magnets and a lithium-ion battery. The transmission includes a clutch and four gears. Its top speed is 10 km/ h, and its range is up to 10 km depending on operating conditions. The motorcycle weighs around 10 kg. Yes, but can it be field-stripped? -Ed
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C ont inued f r om P age 3
lecting flat pennies has brought much joy and memories, is that now we will be rounding off purchase amounts, and you KNOW that there is never going to be a rounding down. How long will it be before the powers that be decide the nickel costs too much to produce and becomes obsolete? Will dimes become too small to be useful hat will Shop Rite do when the uarter goes bye-bye? How will they lock up their shopping carts? This train of thought followed through to the speedometers on our motorcycles. Before the constant use of a GP S mounted to the handlebars, the accumulation of miles, or more accurately, the rate at which these miles accumulated, was not much of a thought. We rode happily along, enj oying every passing marker while the numbers turned. When we were able to compare the speed at which the motorcycle said we were traveling to the speed shown on the S, a uestion popped into the head – which is the right speed r even going past a ‘ This is your S peed’ sign with its L E D readout and seeing you might be 5 miles over the speed limit on your speedo when the flashing number says you are perfectly legal and gives you a smiley face. There have been articles explaining why there is a discrepancy, mostly relating to tire wear and pressure changes, modifications like aftermarket tires and intentional manufacturer calibration to read high. A H HA ! ! That’ s where the rounding up, like the penny compensation, fits into this article. ith bikes like my onda 2004 and Su uki 2017, which have long since seen any sort of warranty, this is no longer an issue. But what about the 205 BMW R 130 GS with its 3 year/ 36,0 miles on the clock? A s L uigi Vercotti said in Monty P ython’ s P iranha Brothers sketch ( sort of) , ‘ This is a really nice bike you got here. Be a shame if something were to happen to it, especially if you JUS crossed that warranty line. In closing, be sure to check your pockets and under the couch cushions for those stray pennies which may bring you enough to buy that new motorcycle, and when you do, watch that odometer and remember that fudge factor while you are rounding up. It all makes perfect cents. ,
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
Wanamakers General Store presents
GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN chaRlIe’ S hoT DoGS
tasty places to take your bike
1122 East Blvd, alpha, NJ 08865 908-454-1364 • FiNd thEm oN FacEBook opEN 6 days 11:30a-6:30p (closEd moNdays) Charlie’ s P ool Room, reborn as Charlie’ s Hot Dogs, was a much-loved staple in the town of A lpha, NJ . It occupied a 190 building which housed a pool hall on one side and a barber shop on the other. Grandpa Fencz, proprietor of both, had a good business with the men coming in for a shave and haircut and sticking around to play some pool. In 1925, Grandma Fencz decided that the men should have something to eat and started serving hot dogs, complete with her Hungarian sweet and sour ‘ secret sauce’ . Years later brothers J oe and J ohn took over the business, which no longer had the barber shop. The pool table was still there, albeit not pool-worthy. They survived on the penny candy counter and the now infamous Charlie’ s Hot Dogs, still served with Grandma Fencz’ s secret sauce. J ohn cooked the hot dogs, individually in a 12” skillet on a regular home stove while J oe made the sauce and hosted those waiting for their hot dogs. For those who grew up in A lpha or had the experience of visiting during these early years ( Charlie’ s closed in 20 13) they will be overwhelmed by the transformation when visiting the newly reopened Charlie’ s Hot Dogs.
Mike Weirsky, A lpha native, bought the building at 1 12 E ast Blvd, did a MA J OR renovation in the same footprint and opened the doors, 100 years after randma enc served her first hot dog, in J uly of 2 025. Felix Grzymala is the manager at the helm, greeting all with a grin and grilling some excellent dogs. When we heard about this, we made a plan to revisit as well. e first wrote about Charlie s in ackroads in our early years as well. A s a matter of fact, we included it in one of our Hot Dog Runs. Those attending were a bit concerned upon entering, but once they took their first bite of the Mealie og, all was good. e ventured to lpha, met by our riding buddy Rick, e ually enamored with hot dogs, on a lovely late autumn day. A t this
BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
point, Charlie’ s Hot Dogs was only open during the week. Once they had their Grand Opening in November, they switched to a 6- day-a-week schedule, lucky for everyone. There’ s plenty of street parking and, if you’ re lucky, you might j ust visit during one of their car shows. But you should take a picture of your motorcycle in front of Charlie’ s to post on their Facebook page. L ong gone is the pool table and barber chair, along with the incredible clutter that was the ‘ charm’ of that bygone era. They did keep the original candy counter, which pays homage to J ohn and J oe. E ntering Charlie’ s, you are greeted with cleanliness and space. There are tables as well as counter seating. A dorning the walls are the original drawings by Ron Dota, the artist who did the Hot Dog Kings drawings from the ‘ old’ Charlie’ s hot dog eating contests. A dded to these is a new drawing from Ron featuring impy eating a Mealie urger – more on this in a moment. S tep up to the counter and place your order; you’ ve got your hot dog, burger, cheeseburger or grilled chicken sandwich. U , you d be a fool not to order at least one Mealie Dog and Mealie urger, what you came here for – each
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topped with diced onions, hot cherry pepper slices, pickle and Grandma Fencz’ s secret sauce. Get a side of fries – enough to share with the table – and absolutely wash it down with a fabulous milkshake – vanilla, chocolate or black and white. While you wait, take a turn at the newly-added pinball machines or peruse the drawing and original candy counter in honor of J oe and J ohn Fencz. A lpha is located in a great riding area of New J ersey, with an easy and fun ride from any direction. We’ ll give you the one we took from ranchville, NJ, a 45-mile ride, which shows off some of the best New J ersey has to offer, with elevation changes, some twists and turns, and j ust some very lovely scenery. A perfect day, a most excellent ride, and so great to have this legend, in the new form, back in A lpha. Download 50- mile route here: www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/umgqa1
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
Warren County Tourism presents
BIG CITY GETAWAY N
aTIoN al coRV eTTe MU S eU M
350 corvEttE drivE, BowliNg grEEN, ky 42101 270-781-7973 • corvettemuseum.org f there was ever one single car that defined the merican vibe, thrill, and need for speed… it is the Chevrolet Corvette. his car always seemed to be intertwined with my youth – mostly the misspent parts. In the early 80s , my buddy P eter and I took his 196 Corvette Coupe, a 350c i beast in a sharp Marlboro Maroon, to the Daytona 20, a non-stop run that only had a slight delay when we hit black ice and spun the ‘ Vette several times down I-95, a nd onto a frozen median. That was exciting. S ort of. We were in Daytona the next day. S ince then, I have had many friends who were owners of Corvettes. I have a baker s do en. Sadly, all mine are 1 64 scale.
One thing every Corvette owner has is pride, and that does not manifest itself in more appearance than at the National Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. This place, adj acent to the Corvette factory, is a sprawling museum, some 115,000 s uare feet with an additional 66,00 set to open in a year , and holds the complete history of A merica’ s sport car. From the initial vision of General Motors’ Head of Design, Harley E arl, and the important crafting of Z ora A rkus-Duntov, and so many other famed engineers and designers, to today’ s supercar C8, the museum pays homage to them all.
The Corvette made its debut at GM’ s Motorama S how in 1953 and was rushed into production, but remarkably fell flat, selling only 183 of the 300 built that first year. t the time, M was simply trying to compete with uropean imports… that changed soon, as in 195, the anemic 6 cylinder was replaced with a small V8. When Z ora got involved, the Corvette truly began to shine. A lthough Harley E arly is credited with the Corvette’ s beginning, it was Z ora who created its true soul and is considered the Godfather of the Corvette.
daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind His ashes are entombed at the museum. Visiting this museum should be an all-day affair. If you plan ahead ( way ahead) , you can start with a tour of the General Motors Bowling Green A ssembly P lant, j ust one mile from the National Corvette Museum, and witness the precision and performance that define the Corvette legacy. Take a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at where A merica’ s S port Car comes to life. But, for mere mortals, you can simply ride up and park your bike and take your time viewing this incredible museum. From its very beginnings to the Corvette s influence on merican and world culture. Hey, is that a 1960 Corvette-styled Fender es aul – with louvers - signed by Z ora A rkus-Duntov? Now the world is j ust hurting me so. Moving on, there is an area dedicated to Corvette design and colors. There is the E . P ierce Marshall P erformance Gallery, which highlights the cutting-edge technology, design, and performance that have come into play over the decades. S pecial one-of-a-kind Corvettes, concepts, actual record-setters, and so many more. L 8… ‘ nuff said! One entire section is now dedicated to how Hollywood sees the ‘ Vette. The Right S tuff, Hawaii Five-0, The Transformers. My favorite was a 1965 Corvette with Iowa plates, driven ( off a cliff) by a 12- year-old J ames Tiberius Kirk sometime a few centuries hence. Speaking of Space – J im L ovell’ s 1968 car is here, and the museum’ s new addition will feature more and more Corvettes owned and driven by famous celebrities and Corvettes of note.
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I had visited the museum many years ago, and since then one huge news maker here was the fact that on the night of ebruary 12, 2014, at 5: 38 in the morning, a large sinkhole, measuring 40 feet wide, 60 feet long, and 30 feet deep opened under the iconic S kydome, at the museum’ s center, gobbling down eight historic Corvettes. I was hesitant about asking about such a sad event, but being from J ersey, I can ask about sinkholes without any nervousness. It seems that the museum has taken this disaster and made it a story of resilience and restoration, with some of the crushed cars on display, along with fully restored Corvettes that were dragged back up. You can even look down a glass floor section to see the hole itself. Maybe they should do that on Interstate 80? The museum also has a great Café called S tingrays, that has some seriously good burgers and upscale offerings, as well as two Corvette Racing S imulators that looked like a whole bunch of fun, but the line for them did not, so it was onto the gift shop. There is always a gift shop, but this one is full of
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Corvette stuff, and I had one credit card that my wife did not shut off before I entered Corvette City. You see, you can arrange to pick up your new Corvette here at the museum, and I watched a few new owners get tutored on and then handed the fobs for their new C8s . I was so happy for them. Really. Okay. Maybe not. But I did get my own C8… and it is now parked right next to the other 13. J immy Buffett has a song called “S omeday I will.” A hh, I boy can dream, right? ,
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Wytheville VA Tourism presents
WE’RE OUTTA HERE S eN eca loDGe
3600 walNut road, watkiNs glEN, Ny 14891 607-535-2014 • senecalodge.com e have been to a lot of hideaways, inns, hotels, s over the last 350 issues. very now and again we bring back one – not as we need to fill pages ( we’ re good at that) , but that we were reminded how some places have almost become part of the yearly landscape, and when you haven’ t been to a place you like for some time, you begin to think that maybe the fun was all in your head, a pleasant, if self-created, memory. or years we had been coming up to atkins len – if not for the annual BMW Rally, or CL A S S Riding S chool, it would be a stop on a Backroad
a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads Rally. A lmost every time we would make the S eneca L odge our home. But why are we so happy with this place? Was it the simple, clean and comfortable rooms? The great restaurant? The fact that their bar is a bigger, better and cooler version of our own Monkey with a Gun? Okay, maybe not cooler than MWA G. But what is? S till in the real world the bar at S eneca L odge is one of the Top Ten Coolest ars we have fre uented in the world that we clearly remember. Could it be that it is located in one of the most beautiful parts of New York – the inger akes with its incredible waters and magnificent gorges, or that the town of Watkins Glen is steeped in A merican Road racing history? That they had the largest music festival in the world here? That it is a great basecamp for day trips to the north, west, east and south? Well, the simple answer is - yes, any of the above will work well. We got to spend a few days up at S eneca in mid-J uly, and we are certainly aware of their long and very cool history, but we wanted to share a bit of it with you who have never been up this way…yet. he Seneca odge story began back in 1944 when onald rubaker, Mr. B as he would become known, came to Watkins Glen, after the death of his wife, looking for a new beginning with his five children. He purchased a small store and camp, located where the lodge now sits. S ome of the original cabins from back then are still used today. The lodge was first built in November of 1947, but burned to the ground j ust two months later. Undeterred, and with the help of neighbors and friends, onald rebuilt the lodge, which was opened for business that A ugust. A s the years passed S eneca L odge became a nexus for the different groups, organi ations, and clubs holding events round the region – mostly encourage by Mr. – then the resident of the Chamber of Commerce. he National ield rchery ssociation held their first
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Tournament at Watkins Glen P ar, j ust above the L odge. L ater that night, after discussion at the bar, the lodge wall above the fire place found itself feathered with the NFA A arrows. They are still there today. In fact, that would be one of the biggest traditions at the L odge, but for that other thing. A rrows are almost silent. Road racing is anything but. In the early 70’ s Formula One and Can-A m teams found their way to “The L odge.” This began the most amazing collection of racing memorabilia in one small bar on the planet. P atches, banners, photographs, stickers ( Backroads too) , trophies and laurel wreaths fill the heavy log walls, along with beaver pelts and giant hornet nests. The large television runs races, and stories from The Glen’ s great and storied road racing past. There is an outside deck where we are sure many a long and short tale have been told. You belly up to the Standing bar – no stools here, and think that Mario A ndretti, Roger P enske, Niki L auda, Derek Bell, J im Hall, L yn S t. J ames, and so many other famed racers have been to S eneca L odge.
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If you look hard maybe you can see J ackie S tewart, perhaps clinking a glass with Franç ois Cevert. before that fateful day in 1973 . A s you can see, the bar here at The L odge is full of history… but there is one last thing. A s Rowan Martin might say – it is time for the lying ickle Finger of Fate A ward. A few decades ago, a carpenter igged when you he should have agged – and ran a circular saw across his hand. In the chaos that followed his coworkers were unable to find the actual flying, and now fated, finger that disappeared into the Twilight Z one of the bar. Months later the now mummified digit was discovered; and not wanting to let a bad thing go to waste, The L odge mounted it on a small, but tasteful pedestal. We have some decorum, so we won’ t show you it, but they will. This alone should bring you and your riding buddies to Watkins Glen and a few days at the S eneca L odge. The S eneca L odge is still a Brubaker family run business, and when you visit tell them you followed the ackroads up here – they ll understand. ,
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Hermy’s BMW / Triumph presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s aGloe, N
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MYSTERIOUS AMERICA
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Secrets. very map has them, but you can only see them by knowing what the mapmaker had intended when they rst put pen to paper. Felix- excerpt from The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd 52,60,0 i s a lot of minutes, more or less. Centennial Celebrations are always a good thing. When a bridge, like the one that crosses the udson at ear Mountain, was celebrated in 2024 we did too. When you hear of another human being breaking that century mark, do we all not smile and think… “You go, kid! ” L ast year’ s Grand Marshall at S turgis was New J ersey’ s own Gloria S truck – 100 years young and beautiful. onored to know her. You go girl. ll of these examples are tangible – real, and can be seen, felt, and experienced. But what if something is both real and not real? Okay S eymour, as Ronnie would say, “There you go again…” No really – stick with me hat You gonna just jump to the friggin ice cream column? S tick with me now… Real: A real obj ect is something tangible, like a chair, a tree, or a person. It can be observed, touched, or interacted with. Imaginary: A n imaginary concept is something created by the mind, like a unicorn, a dream, or a fictional character. It exists only in thought and doesn’ t have a physical presence. A while back while, at the gym, I saw my friend Trish was reading a book called The Cartographers by P eng S hepherd. A book about maps? ! Yes, sorta. I asked her what it was about. S he grinned and said, “It’ s a mystery about murder, history, reality and the imagined; all based around a New York S tate roadmap from the 1930s and a real/ fake town.” My eyes grew wide, and I said, “A gloe? ” Then her eyes grew wide. How would I know this? Did I read the book? No, Trish, I am j ust well-versed in the story of A gloe… a town that, thanks to Ms. S hepherd, seems to still be spreading across the map of history. The odd part is that this story was 10 years old last riding season, and with that in mind, I thought it was a good time to take a ride to S ullivan County, NY, and the story of the town in the Catskills foothills that really wasn’ t. hese days Manually c uired ositioning Systems, Maps, are almost a forgotten part of what was once something that you HA D to have if you
were a travelin’ rider. We still carry them, but have to be honest about when we last opened them on the road, in a payphone, in the rain. P ut a map in front of a 20i sh’ rider and see if they know how to read it, use the legend and grid. I am sure there are some kids who can, and they are probably all in the U.S. Military. hankfully Maps were once almost akin to sorcery. Real Cartography, the practice of creating and drawing out maps, was an incredibly intricate undertaking. These people would go to locations, survey, draw, redraw, color, and print. hey had to be mathematicians, and brainiacs, with an artistic flair that was sometimes impossible to copy. Copy? Okay, here’ s the rub. A s we rolled into more modern times, and the world took to automobiles, maps, that were once only in the hands of captains and generals, were now being printed by the thousands and gotten at fueling stations. There were a number of maj or players in this business and protecting one’ s hard-earned maps became part of that business. The General Drafting Co. of Convent S tation, New J ersey, was one of the nation’ s maj or manufacturers of maps, and like any other company they wanted to ensure that their intellectual property was protected from plagiarists. ( Hate those guys – cut n paste bastards While creating a map of New York S tate in 1925 the director of the General Drafting Co., Otto G. L indberg, and his assistant E rnest lpers decided to float a “phantom town.” A Brigadoon, Gotham, Mayberry - a S unnydale; a town that did not exist at all. They made an anagram of their names and came up with A gloe, which they dropped in the southern Catskills, right opposite Beaverkill Road, and a few miles north of Roscoe ( Yes, the Roscoe Diner) , and Rockland. A gloe made the New York map. A couple of years later the map offered by the Rand McNally Company also had the P aper Town, as these places became known, right in the same place – the middle of nowhere. t really is not there. Well, unless you read The Cartographers, but that is j ust a novel. Right?
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There was a maj or court battle that ensued, and you would think this would have been over fast. But no. Rand McNally claimed A gloe was real. S o is Oz. Rand McNally claimed that when their designers went out to obtain information for their map of New York they consulted an official map of the county. n that map, in the spot designated as the location of A gloe, was a building called the A gloe General S tore. This, Rand McNally argued, meant that A gloe was in fact a real place because otherwise where would the building have gotten its name? Wait. What? S o, here is the story according to O’ L ife. A year or so after General Drafting put out their map, sold by E sso ( a phonetical spelling of one of the regional spin-offs from the breakup of Rockefeller’ s S tandard Oil) , it was picked up by two brothers who had bought an old building, with the idea of making a General S tore out of it. When they looked to name it, they took the name off the General Drafting Map and called it the A gloe General S tore. McNally used this fact successfully to defend themselves in court saying the town of A gloe must be real if it has a general store named after it. The j udge went with McNally and General Drafting lost its case. S o, as this version goes, they actually created a P aper Town, that became real… It’ s like P inocchio but with maps. Okay, that’ s a stretch. But was there even a store? C’ mon, let’ s follow down this road through Mysterious A merica. This time the road will be New York S tate 206 and the intersection with Morton Hill Road. These are very real roads by the way.
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A ccording to an article in the Times Herald-Record dated October 30, 2016, 6: 57 pm: ( see we ain’ t no plagiaristers) , that even if the story of the rival mapmakers and the A gloe General S tore was told and retold for generations, it may have never happened at all. “There never was a general store,” says Darlene Beers, 65, who has lived at that very intersection since 1983 and whose family owned the land. “My great-grandfather J ohn Nead owned that property, and when he passed, my grandfather Frank Nead sold it to an organization called gloe ssociates. here was a fishing lodge already there, and they renamed it A gloe L odge.” But it gets better. Over the years, the Nead family came to the conclusion that A gloe A ssociates was actually a front for the Rand McNally company, which had decided that buying the property – it sold for only 1 - and renaming the lodge was much cheaper than defending a lawsuit. However, the story of the A gloe General S tore persists to this day ( you can Google it if you don’ t believe old O’ L ife) and the non-existent town was appearing on maps until very recently. E ven Google had it until we made fun of them. J eff can be that way. Is A gloe there? Was it ever there? Maybe it is, j ust out of sight, around the next corner of Mysterious A merica. O ’ L if e O ut !
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Moe faTZ
aN D oRaN Ge caT cafÉ
54 N. maiN st, FraNkliN, wv • 304-902-7101 • facebook.com moefat official We were on our own, with a random two-up ride during our S ummer S olstice Rally in 205. We were enj oying the country roads and twisty paths that Virginia and West Virginia has to offer and, by chance, passed through the little town of Franklin, WV. Brian glanced to his right and saw a storefront with fanciful window art featuring a very snazzy ice cream cone. Was it time for ice cream? When is it not. Moe Fatz was originally a hot rod shop serving burgers, dogs and fries a few miles from where it is now. It changed hands, and location, and in October 2024, Cindy and Mike, proprietors of the café now, opened their doors, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner Thursdays-S undays. They pride themselves on making fresh food, with locally sourced ingredients, innovative offerings and having a wonderful, welcoming atmosphere in which to enj oy their food. They both worked in high end, high volume food service venues, both separately and together, in Ohio, Virginia, A rizona and Colorado, now settling in West Virginia. The other half of the business’ name – range Cat Café – refers to one Mr. obbes, a feral lad who adopted them in S eptember 20 a nd currently defends their castle on the hill from mice and occasional bunny. Our visit was on a very warm summer day, so the thought of a refreshing ice cream was super appealing. The welcome when entering was also very refreshing. The shop is colorfully decorated in blues, pinks and orange, evoking a retro ice cream shop. But, as I mentioned, there is much more to offer here in the Orange Cat Café menu. S topping in for breakfast you may find things like the affle Stomper sandwich – honey maple ham, egg and cheese between toasted halves of a homemade maple waffle, Smoke ole urrito – local sausage or chori o and scrambled eggs complete with everything that make this a southern party in your mouth, or simply the best egg sandwich you will find in est irginia. Come lunchtime, options run the gamut from salads, sandwiches and wraps to their many iterations of the hamburger. A nd Cindy and Mike are constantly coming up with great special ideas, so you really don t know what you ll find until you stop in and see for yourself.
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Don’ t forget to save room for the reason of this stop, which would be ice cream. Moe Fatz has chosen to serve Windy Knoll ice cream, located in Chambersburg, P A . Cindy makes the run ‘ over the mountain’ to pick up their freshly churned ice cream in numerous flavors. little back story on Windy Knoll: It was the summer of 203 and A ndrew E by, with his wife and oldest daughter, were enj oying some ice cream in L ancaster County, P ennsylvania, which sparked a dream to one day make their own homemade ice cream. A fter some research and many visits to other creameries, they ventured forward and, in 20 5, took the P enn S tate Ice Cream S hort Course ( excellent choice, as spoken by a graduate of that course) , giving them the needed knowledge and direction to pursue their vision. Work, dedication and perseverance rewarded them with their farm, named Windy Knoll after the home farm where A ndrew was born
and raised, which was opened in 208. Over the years, as business grew, they had in uiries from local shops and stores across the region for wholesale distribution of their ice cream. Over the past 17 years, they have developed and created over 80 flavors and now they could share their love of ice cream with so many others, including Moe Fatz’ s customers. A nd Moe Fatz uses this wonderful ice cream in so many great ways – from a scoop in a cup or cone to sundaes, shakes and more. A s they so with their fresh food, their creativity follows through with their desserts. Not only can you get ice cream, many times Cindy will whip up some incredible home baked goodies to use as a base for your ice cream. hen you find yourself riding through this part of West Virginia, you should definitely plan on stopping by Moe Fatz/ Orange Cat Café for a great meal and ice cream. Give Cindy and Mike my best. ,
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ore or less around the same celestial coordinates on the planet’s trip around the sun, gather the hagiographers that pen the words of this scripture we call Backroads, at that mysterious watering hole called Monkey with a Gun – a tavern that fades in and out of our plane of existence in an Agloe’ish manner.
Some of these wordsmiths feel themselves journalists, men and women of letters, memoirists, and prosateurs of the highest caliber. A couple of them see themselves as coscenarists, hatchet men (hatchet puppets?), hacks, and wise-ass wordmongers. Yet, they remain litterateurs, as we assume their words have moved you to ride your motorcycles up and over the hill. Sojourn to the next state, a hundred miles, for breakfast. To seek out new life and new civil….err. sorry. You get it, right? To get on your motorcycles and ride! So… after one more really long night at MWAG, we have whittled it all down to the top three of each of the monthly columns, and interestingly, three of the columns involved dinosaurs. Imagine that. It was a good year – this will be a great read.
Welcome to the Best of Backroads 2025!
The Great All-American Diner Run
If we had to pick which article is read first, and on which we get the most inquiries, it most likely would be this column. Much like the food you will find in the GAADR each month, it all comes down to a great mix of ingredients that must be added in equal measure. Food. Roads. Ambience. This year, each of our picks for the Best of Backroads has that in spades – enjoy the mix.
Second RunneR up • The RDI BaR & RoaD KIll GRIll 28 State Route 55, Napanoch, NY 12458 845-210-7341 • barnapanoch.com
We discovered the RDI Bar & Road Kill Grill while heading north, and caught a brief glimpse of a small roadside sign. Following our noses and bellies, we came upon one of the coolest “Dive Bars” we have walked into. That is not a bad thing. Dive Bars rule, and this old haunt is a magnet for locals and travelers alike. Chrissie and company serve up some of the best food in this part of New York, and the ambiance and flavor of the food and the place easily bring it into the Best of Backroads.
FiRSt RunneR up • The MaTchBox cafe 6242 US-9, Rhinebeck, NY 12572 845-876-3911 • www.thematchboxcafe.com
The Matchbox had been on our radar for a bit, and when the first nice Sunday rolled around this Spring, we were on the road north, along the Hudson River Valley. Joann and Sam Cohen, who have a certain je ne sais quoi about them, have run this small, in size, but big in flavors and flair café, just south of the historic town of Rhinebeck, New York, for a decade and a half, and serve up the most wonderful menu items… on a paper plate. Their story, which you can read in our October issue, involves the couple, a German sport car, and a love of food and the Hudson Valley. Now that is a magical combination. Take a ride to the Matchbox Café – we promise you will not be disappointed.
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• The loBS TeR S hacK aT TW o lIGhTS
225 wo ights Road, Cape li abeth, M 04107 •207-799-1677 • lobstershacktwolights.com
When we rolled up to The L obster S hack at Two L ights, we almost could not believe it was real. This place is everything you would dream that a Maine L obsta’ j oint should be. You have your crustaceans. You got your rocky shore being pounded by the A tlantic Ocean. Throw in not one, but two lighthouses, and an emergency siren that they can hear in Ireland. Mix all that with dozens of picnic tables with dozens of happy campers, a uick and courteous staff, the freshest seafood anywhere on the planet, and add in that postprandial stroll along the rocks, and you have the perfect summer day. If you are along the Maine coast, or within a day’ s ride of it, you owe it to yourself to see why he obster Shack at wo ights easily was our first choice for this year’ s #1 s pot for the Great A ll-A merican Diner Run. We can not wait to go back!
Big City Getaway
The Getaway has always been about places to go and things to see…and learn. We are constantly lookout for excellent assemblage of the things that make us human, make us smile, or wonder. We had been to so many superb places this past year, and choosing was difficult, but here are our top three for the Best of 2025!
Second RunneR up • eDelMaN foS S Il P aRK & MU S eU M 6M
illion Mosasaur Way, S ewell, NJ 08 856-284-3466 • ,www.efm.org
We had visited here more than a decade ago, when it was j ust a marl pit behind a shopping center, albeit maybe the most important marl pit on the planet. This past year, the E delman Fossil P ark & Museum opened its doors, and we must say, this is the greatest dinosaur museum we have ever visited.
Telling the story of not how they died, but how dinosaurs lived and j ust how long they were the dominant creatures on E arth. The museum is a wonderful combination of deep ancient history and modern technology, and they still allow kids to dig around in the pit. You do not have to be a child either to take part. The E delman Fossil P ark & Museum is a most amazing place. o Jersey he first dinosaur and this fantastic museum.
FiRSt RunneR up S Tax MU S eU M of aMeRIcaN S oU l MU S Ic 926 E
McL emore A venue, Memphis, TN 38106 906-261-6338 • staxmuseum.org
A merican soul music might be thought of as an A frican A merican chapter in our music, but S tax was a melting pot of musical talent - black, white, male, and female.
The hits that came from this studio in Memphis changed A merica and gave all of us a soundtrack to live by. S am & Dave, Otis Redding, The S taple S ingers, Isaac Hayes. The House Band Booker T. and the M.G.’ s - two young white country boys, guitarist S teve Cropper and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, and two young A frican-A mericans, keyboardist Booker T. J ones and drummer A l J ackson. Walking through these halls was beyond amazing, and unlike other museums that seem to want silence and respect, S tax wants you to sing, dance, and smile. The S tax Museum of A merican S oul Music is one of the coolest museums on E arth.
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1st Place Big City Getaway 2025 • The Henry Ford 20900 akwood oulevard, earborn, M 48124 313-982-6001 • www.thehenryford.org
fficially called he enry ord Museum of merican nnovation, this museum is the greatest museum of mericana in the nation. No uestion. ts massive main museum is 523,000 s uare feet, and the entire indoor and outdoor exhibits sit on 254 acres – the largest such complex in the United States. The things you will see and discover in this immense Dearborn, Michigan, museum will have you shaking your head in disbelief. L et’ s j ust name a few. They have a number of P residential L imos including that one from Dallas in which P resident Kennedy was riding. The chair in which P resident L incoln was sitting at Ford’ s Theatre. The bus, # 2857, in which Rosa P arks started a Civil Rights movement. A n original copy of Thomas P aine’ s Common S ense. You ll also find some of the largest locomotives ever built here, and while we are talking cool vehicles – en lock s cra y ord iesta, as well as race cars from through the years. The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is here, as well as Thomas E dison’ s last breath sealed in a test tube. We do not have enough paper to go on, but trust us on this one… You must go to The Henry Ford. You must. You will see why this was an easy pick for the Best of Backroads 205.
We’re Outta Here
Each month, Backroads looks to steer you in the direction of a great place to stay. Whether it be a group of riders looking for a basecamp to explore the region, a couple in search of an escape from the day-to-day, or simply the lone wolf rider needing some time alone on the road. We’re Outta Here seeks to bring you some place special in each issue. Here is a look back at our top three for 2025.
Second RunneR up The elK RIV eR hoTel & RIV eR ReS TaU RaN T 61 M ain S treet, S utton, WV 26 601 304-402-2121 • elkriverhotel.com
Deep in the mountains of West Virginia, you will find the small town of Sutton. t is a uiet place, but has deep reaches into popular culture, having both Bigfoot and Flatwoods Monster Museums, as well as being the setting for the Hugo A ward winning short story Why I L eft Harry’ s A ll-Night Hamburgers. Down Main S treet, right on the river, you will find the lk River otel. ere they offer superbly done rooms, with clawfoot tubs ( careful here) , a bar, restaurant, and spacious and inviting
comfortable grounds and porch. Watch out for the T. rex. For those looking for something different, try one of their Glamping Domes. This hotel is perfect for motorcycle-riding couples exploring the Mountain S tate. They have j ust added the E lk L odge as well as a beautiful 6 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 story house perfect for your riding group.
FiRSt RunneR up • The BlacKBU RN IN N
301 reenville venue, Staunton, irginia 24401 540-712-0601 • www.blackburn-inn.com We held our S ummer S olstice Rally here this past J une, and the Blackburn offered all a touch of class and a feel of old-style elegance. Which is amazing when you realize this was once a S tate Mental Institution. oday, the 49-room bouti ue hotel oo es an opulent feel, and the grounds are well worth exploring, as are
the region’ s superlative backroads; and sitting back on the Blackburn’ s wide veranda, after a long day’ s ride, sipping an adult beverage will make you feel like you are in The Great Gatsby. The city of S taunton offers a plethora of restaurants as well as worthy historic sites. We liked everything about the Blackburn, and we think you will as well.
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aY S IDe IN N
7783 Main Street, Middletown, 22645 540-869-1797 • www.thewaysideinn1797.com
This j ust might be the oldest inn we have featured in Backroads, and for many reasons it has scooped up First P rize in this year’ s “Best of” edition. Opened back in 179, this inn has seen so many changes, and has evolved throughout the centuries.( When can you say that? ) The Wayside truly has an old-time charm about it, and with the new addition of Clem’ s Kitchen, you can spend the entire day exploring the S henandoah River Valley and the miles of great riding to be found here, and then park the bikes for the evening. We particularly loved the care that has been given to this place, and the staff who were very friendly and knowledgeable on the Wayside’ s history. A ll of the 2 rooms are kept with a comfortable historic flair, with a bit of modernity sprinkled about. Yet, exploring the Wayside, you will find little bits of history in almost every corner. Then there is the fact that you almost can not have a place that has seen such people, history, and have so many stories, without some ghosts. Yes, there are ghosts here. You don t believe us Stay in room 14 and ask them. When you take in the feel, attitude, history, and the region, it is easy to see why the Wayside Inn took top honors this time around.
Mysterious America
For decades now Doctor Seymour O’Life, and his apostles, having been seeking out the weird, wacky, aberrant, and kenspeckled places to make you go… “Whaaaat!?” Every month, O’Life shows us how remarkable and odd this nation can be, and this year saw a mix of some very remarkable stops along the backroads of Mysterious America. Here are his top three.
Second RunneR up • DIN oS IN
A guanga, California
The DeS eRT
A long a part of Highway 79, where the mountains begin to slide down to the desert, you will find a most remarkable place. he first clue that something was different here were the iron stallions j umping across the cut-out along the highway. A bit down the road, dinosaurs, giant guitars, creatures both real and imaginary rolled into view. I had come upon the artistry of Recardo Breceda. This man began his artistic journey when he first created a monstrous T. rex for his daughter. S oon, others heard of his fantastic iron creations, and today Breceda’ s iron statues can be found all over southern California and beyond. A ll his works are easily seen and enj oyed when you visit his compound, and, who knows, maybe a gigantic iron dinosaur will follow you home.
FiRSt RunneR up • ocMU lGee MoU N DS 1207 E
mery Highway, Macon, GA 3127 478-752-8257 • www.nps.gov ocmu
You think we have been here for a long time? Our May stop along the backroads of Mysterious A merica was in Georgia, where humans have been living for more than 12,0 ye ars. umans first came here during the P aleo-Indian P eriod, hunting Ice A ge mammals. A round 90 CE , the Mississippian P eriod began, and people constructed mounds for their elite, which remain here today as a National Monument. This is not j ust some small archaeological site; it was and still is the largest dig ever conducted in Mysterious A merica. A t one time, over 80 men were working carefully at this site. Hundreds of thousands of artifacts of all kinds were discovered, some of which are on display in the Ocmulgee Mounds museum or stored in the museum’ s curatorial. This dig helped piece together a timeline of people who lived on the Macon P lateau between 12,0 BCE and 180 CE . E ach of the maj or periods was represented here at Ocmulgee. A ltogether, 2.5 m illion artifacts were found. 2.5! It is obvious to this good doctor of strangeness that there was so much more going on in this part of the world, and for far longer, than commonplace and so-called “scientists” will tell you. The Mounds, like here in Georgia, and along the Mississippi River, and the A ppalachians, clearly show this. Maybe you should go see for yourself. Here’ s an assignment even you can do. Google Cahokia.
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1 St pL A ce M Y SteRiouS A M eRicA 205 J eRIMIah cRoW ’ S hoU S e of oDDITIeS & cU RIoU S GooDS 6 N Market S treet, E lizabethtown, P A 1702 618-625-8313 • www.thehouseofoddities.com
In a surprising reversal of fortunes, I was told about Crow’ s House of ddities from publisher Rathjen – it usually works the other way – but give the big knuckle-dragger his credit; this is one great slice of Mysterious A merica. L ocated on one of the busier streets in town, you might even walk by it if not for the colorful signage telling you that there be “Oddities & Curious Goods” inside. J eremiah Crow has had a lifelong obsession with these strange, odd, and one-of-a-kind obj ects. In fact, when pressed why he’ d open all this to the public, he said, “To show it all to the public, and not
keep it all hidden in some private collection.” he list of what you will find here is impressive, especially considering it is a fairly tiny shop. large ball of neckties, along with the original Soviet one Music -ray recordings. life-si ed an Solo encased in Carbonite. ringles Can Urn holding the shes of ringles inventor redric auer. Fij i mermaid. A n actual mummy of a cannibalistic S i-Te-Cah giant of the Old West. Have a vampire problem. Don’ t we all? Crow has a Vampire Killing Kit, and not the cheap one from Harbor Freight, the real deal. here are skulls of various shapes, si es, and of uestionable creatures along with a one-eyed, club-wielding half-man, half-goat. ho s baaaaad J eremiah called his shop, “A chamber of horrors and P eewee’ s P layhouse mixed into one.” That about sums it up, and it might not be the oldest, the most supernatural, or inexplicable – but it was the most fun, and a most worthy stop in this Mysterious merica. O ’ L if e O ut !
Inside Scoop
To Scoop or not to Scoop, that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the missed cones and cups of outrageous winter, or to take rides against a sea of coldness and by opposing, lick them. Yeah, well, that’s a stretch, Shira, but Shakespeare’s Hamlet was contemplating life or death and wouldn’t a winter without ice cream seem like death. As we look back on all the wonderful ice cream shops visited in 2025, there were certainly those which we would suffer slings and arrows to visit – read on to see who took home the top honors.
Second RunneR up • The J IGGeR S hoP 20 G ettysburg A ve, Mount Gretna, P A www.jiggershop.com • 717-964-9686
Discovered during our S ummer S olstice Rally, The J igger S hop resides on the property developed in the late 180s to form the ennsylvania Chautau ua, a summer community dedicated to the advancement of the arts, education, recreation and religion. While some of the building still remain and the programs still run during the summer, our raison d’ etre was the acuisition of sustenance and ice cream, perhaps one in the same. S ince 1895, The J igger S hop has been satisfying patrons, first with bon bons and then homemade ice cream, most famously their Jigger sundae – 2 scoops of French vanilla topped with either chocolate or butterscotch, whipped marshmallow and J igger nuts. Once you’ ve made your selection, there is plenty of room either indoors or out, to enj oy your dessert. But remember, their window is a short one, as they are only open from mid-A ugust to mid-S eptember.
FiRSt RunneR up • TRU e V
IN e Ice cReaM S hoP P e
446 River Styx Road, opatcong, NJ 973-234-5266 • truevineicecream.com
with everything from the norm – Chocolate – to the antastical – orchata – to own the Rabbit ole – on t Fear the Reaper. S it that in a cone or, better yet, indulge in a fresh, hot Belgian L iege Waffel and relax in the pleasant atmosphere that is True Vine. The ride around the lake is a twisty one, and the reward is a large scoop of some delicious dessert. Unlike many ice cream shops, you can come year round to get some of the best ice cream available in this part of New J ersey.
This lovely ice cream shoppe was a suggestion from J oe Burke, one of our readers, and we can’ t thank him enough for turning us on to it. Nestled in the streets around L ake Hopatcong, True Vine is the creation of Ken and Cecilia S teup, whose motto is L ove & Ice Cream, and that is exactly what you will find when you enter their doors. he cases are filled
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1 St pL A ce inSide Scoop 205
• S P oTTeD DU cK
999 State Route 54, enn Yan, NY • Spottedduck.com • 315-509-3939 aking home the gold ribbon in this year s nside Scoop is a place that has it all – great setting, terrific riding and outstanding ice cream well, actually it s fro en custard. nd kids, what s the difference between ice cream and frozen custard? Higher milk fat content, less incorporated air and egg yolks. A nd in S potted Duck’ s case, those eggs happen to be from their resident ducks, of which there are many – a combination of ncona and haki Campbell. heir eggs add a richer, creamier texture to the custard as well as vitamins, minerals and flavor. nd what they do with this base is simply amazing. The creativity and love that goes into their custard is second to none, with flavors ranging from icked Chocolate to J ava J unction and seasonals which bring out the flavors of the day, such as umpkin Spiced ecan or ake og – bergamot and black tea-infused custard. ow about a scoop of lemon basil drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil? Or summertime P each Cobbler swirled with almond oat crumble Can t decide No problem – just order up a flight of custard – eight to be exact – and take a seat in the field while savoring both the dessert and the setting. The Finger L akes offer some pleasant riding, and when you are navigating around S eneca L ake, make sure to stop at our number one choice for culinary creaminess for 2025 – Spotted uck.
Welcome to the Jungle
This is the first time we have included Welcome to the Jungle in the Best of Backroads, but it has always been our hope that this column, which ends every issue, might get you thinking about, and working on, your riding skills and strategies, and to be vigilant of all pernicious things that are out there waiting to take us down. These are the three that we thought hit the mark.
Second RunneR up • ReTIRe – S
We got more mail on this topic, and almost all of it thought the article was about thinking it was time to stop riding. A lthough that is a worthy topic, Retire was really about making sure you keep an eye on your tires, and change them early, rather than when you are forced to. Fresh rubber is an amazing thing.
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FiRSt RunneR up • S U S P eN D BelIef – aU GU S T
eP TeMBeR
In this issue, we highlighted how important good suspension is, and how it is best “tuned” by professionals – like Ron Co. at ashington Cycle Works ( washingtoncycleworks.com) . A lthough we had upgraded our suspension, once we let Ron do his sorcery, math, and adj ustments, our motorcycles worked far better. They offered more confidence, and made riding them so much fun. Good suspension, welltuned, is a must.
eL coM e to tH e J unG L e 205 •
TaKe a BReaTh – J
This was really about not rushing. S o many times, we start rushing to get out on the bikes, and if you are handling two different machines, as in a significant other s bike, then you can easily miss something, not set something correctly, or simply forget important tasks and items. Take a breath. S low it down and become a Master of NOT Rushing. Each of these columns, and all our issues, can be had for f r ee, onl ine. L og ont o our w ebs it e at www.backroadsusa. c om and c l ic k on “ R ead U s O nl ine” T o al l , t hank y ou f or a gr eat 30t h y ear , and w e w il l see y ou on t he r oad. ,
U N e
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The Montréal Motorcycle Show Hidden Cabins, Patriotic Uncles, Prison Breaks
When you read this, we hope that winter hasn’ t already taken hold and there are still those precious warm( er) days that beckon for a ride. We hope that the memories of last year s brutal winter find themselves buried under a fading recollection and an imaginary pile of snow. But, winter happens, and j ust because the season might not want to cooperate with you, there are still places to go, things to do – and when they eventually will involve motorcycles too – all the better. A s last February was coming to a close, and the ‘ L ion of March’ was rounding the corner and heading our way, we road-tripped north, and across the border to the city of Montreal and the Moto Canada Motorcycle S how. Moto Canada has been holding several bike shows throughout Canada each winter, and since the New York International Motorcycle S how, that once was such an important weekend for this region’ s riders, has sadly disappeared, we got it in our minds to take in the Montreal Motorcycle S how, and get a little two-wheel fix as we rolled towards Spring. With a driveway that had been an Olympic S peed S kating Track for weeks even with a few days of relative warmth , and the definite threat of more snowy weather up north – we made the rational and mature decision to take four-wheels north, allowing for the Travel & A dventure part of the masthead. The motorcycles would be in Canada. When forced to we can meander j ust as well in the Dodge Durango as on the bikes, so rather than head straight up to Canada, we chose to meander. We excel at meandering. We crossed into New York S tate, near the Tri-S tate Marker, and then north along the S hawangunk Ridge… the dusting of snow getting thicker, and more fre uent, as we bore north.
e stopped in the city of roy to visit my uncle, and yours – Uncle Sam. S am Wilson ( not the Falcon / Captain A merica) was born to a S cot family in New Hampshire but moved to Troy as a young man. He was a veteran of two wars – enlisting in the Continental A rmy at just 14 years old, and partook in the War of 182. In both wars he was in charge of food supplies and meat. In the War of 182, he and his brother closely inspected all meat supplied to the U.S. roops, he stamped them all E .A . for the principal contractor and the U.S. for United S tates. The story goes that when the governor of
New York, visiting the Troy meat packing facility, asked what the U.S. stood for and the man giving the tour j okingly stated, ‘ That is for Uncle Sam and pointed to ilson, and that’ s how legends start. oday a fine statue of Uncle Sam Wilson can be found in downtown roy – as well as murals, and his grave at the local cemetery. Brown’ s Brewery was a most excellent choice for lunch this day, before vectoring north and west into the A dirondacks. We all know of 5 & 10 S tores… but did you know the first 5 10 was really called the 5, 10 & 25 Cent S tore. Indeed, it was - and that store is still open in the lakeside town of Northville, New York. There was no way we’ d pass this up, so a side-trip over Great S acandaga L ake was in order. The Northville 5 & 10 was opened in 1907 by R.G. DeWitt, and with business booming, he built the present store seven years later - as the 1914 on the fa ade of the building states. The two-story store is packed with all sorts of cra…err, stuff. Things you would expect and some things that made us stop to investigate further. Vintage toys, sundries and a superb mix of old and new will be found along the Northville 5 & 10 aisles. They stock over 250 kinds of penny candy. For a 5 & 10 store we escaped with j ust $50 or so being spent on cra… err, stuff. That evening we took our own advice from a W e’ r e O ut t a H er e published in A pril of 20 23’ s Backroads ( see it online! ) , and overnighted at our friend J ohn Bossolt’ s cabin ( c abi nat l ak epl easant .c om ) . The two-bedroom cabin was a most excellent choice. The Cabin at L ake leasant was just that – a great comfy bed, stocked with the day-to-day things – and the S foosball table I have ever seen, and I have seen many in my misspent youth. We highly recommend J ohn’ s cabin if you are two-wheel touring the A dirondacks. A great meal was a short drive away, and we spent the night cozied up by the fire with the large Samsung and satellite dish feeding us Morgan reeman explaining how some were able to escape inescapable prisons, like A lcatraz and Dannemora. A lcatraz I knew… Dannemora - a New York S tate rison – not so much. We awoke to another few inches on the Durango, but j ust a dark gray and cloudy sky overwatching us this day, and nothing white floating down. Yet. The A dirondacks are huge, and take up nearly 1/ 3 of New York S tate.
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We have been up here nearly a hundred times in the last four decades; but taking in some of these beautiful places, like A usable Chasm, in the middle of winter had the deep and tight sandstone canyon take our breath away one more time. S imply stunning with the ice, snow, and the solitude that came, for the first time, with being the only ones there. arlier that day, while having that first of the morning coffee I looked to see where Dannemora was, and was surprised to see it was located in the northern dirondacks – in the middle of nowhere. Hey! We were in the northern A dirondacks – in the middle of nowhere ow about that We have made some odd side trips for Backroads, but we had never headed to prison simply because we had Morgan Freeman tell us
and bitter winters. We could believe this. It is the third oldest prison in the state and is also home to the Church of S t. Dismas, the Good Thief, which was built by inmates.
people were almost dying to get out. But, the description of this prison with its massive concrete walls poured into the New York bedrock, and the story that went along with it was too hard to pass up… and it was almost on the way. This prison is known as L ittle S iberia for its isolation
In 2015, the prison was the site of one of the most famous prison breaks in United States history. he escape involved convicted murderers Richard Matt and David S weat, who were aided by prison employee J oyce “Tilly” Mitchell which was made into a en Stiller-directed series – which we immediately watched ( as rough as it was) when we returned home. S ilence. S olitude. S iberia. Who would not want to escape? We drove away, a short while later crossing the border into Canada.
Bienvenue au Canada
We crossed over the S aint L awrence River and into the largest city in Canada s uébec province – Montréal, set on an island in the Saint awrence River and named after Mt. Royal, the triple-peaked hill at its heart. S hira, being S hira, found a most excellent place to call home for a few days – right in the istoric part of the city called otel – part hotel, part art gallery.
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This place was a short walk from the P alais des congrè s de Montré al, where the Montré al Motorcycle and P owersports S how was being held, and we stashed the Dodge and took to foot for the next few days. The show itself would start the next morning so we took in the sights of the historic part of Montréal, with a steady flurry that became a much deeper snow. We visited the Notre-Dame, with its incredible Basilica built between 1824 and 1829, and twin towers called erseverance and emperance finished some ten years later. Notre-Dame was not always a Basilica. A basilica is a title given to a church, mostly a cathedral, in recognition of its religious, historical, archi-
BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
tectural, and artistic value. P ope J ohn P aul II elevated Notre-Dame to the rank of basilica in 1982. We spent a good hour in this most beautiful place, the art, the sculptures, and the lighting it was all – heavenly. he reat Casavant ipe rgan was silent this day – but truly ama ing to see. t was started in 1891, and it now has 7,0 pipes with its longest stretching over 32 feet and the smallest one at a uarter-inch long. t contains 92 stops on 4 manual keyboards of 61 notes and a pedalboard of 32 notes. It is one of the largest such organs in North A merica, and has been regularly played by one man, P ierre Grandmaison, who has been at its keys for more than 50 ye ars, starting in 1973.
L eaving the Basilica the snow was truly falling now and the giant lit snowflake statues in the park across from the church added to the wintery feel. A s we walked back to L Hotel, which was surprisingly romantic for a winter-hating guy like me, I spied a L amborghini Hurac n Sterrato – a four-wheel drive talian rally car. t was parked, and completely covered with snow, salt, and grime… and had a Thule Roof Carrier. Yikes… and, at times, I hesitate taking my S ubie out in the snow; and here was a $30,0 be ast, and a new level of S FC! ( S o F’ n Cool! ) ater that night, the owner fired it up to leave, with a snappy and very sexy growl. I had a mini GT in a matter of days. Hey, what can I say? I have more priorities than money.
e were the first into the Motorcycle Show the next day and were not disappointed. t was easily e ual to our, now deceased, New York S how and was well represented by almost every manufacturer, with the folks working the booths all extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. We tried to spend some extra time with the bikes that might make it to Canada, but not south to the S tates, and there were many bikes there that would be brought to the US , but maybe not in the same livery or paint scheme. It was all good. Harley-Davidson, BMW, even KTM battling monetary wows had a large display. A ll the J apanese OE Ms were on hand – and there were a lot of machines of which to take note. We spent some time with our friend J osh from A prilia and Moto-Guzzi; the lone A merican face we recognized here in Montré al.
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What really set the Montré al Motorcycle S how apart from anything that was once held in the S tates was the ability for local dealers to actually deal at this show. Yes… you could attend this show and find what you like and then go to a private room where you could make your deal, and be ready to ride come S pring. Hey… I thought we were the Capitalists?
In addition to all the manufacturers in attendance, there were a ton of vendors – some with very interesting motorcycle wares, and some j ust, well, interesting. We had met some Canadian promoters at Barber’ s Vintage Festival, and we sought them out as they hold the Moto Craft MotoFestival during the summer, something ackroads readers might take note of and can find out more info at www.motocraftshow.com. 206 will see it July 24-26 at ase31 in icton, ntario, normally a music venue, but for this weekend turned into a mecca for moto culture. We walked the show two and half times, and we had already had two snow storms – but all eyes were to the west with a “Clipper” promising a doozy of a storm
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come the next morning, when we had planned to skedaddle south to the relative tropics below I-90. S hira asked if I’ d be alright with peeling out that day. Oh, yes… yes, I would. A few hours later we were sitting at the border waiting our turn to head back into the 50 S tates. We drove to Glen Falls and had steaks at Morgan & Co – with great New rleans-style live music and awesome dessert too. With S hira dozing next to me I aimed south and west and got into a groove… hours after leaving Montré al we rolled into ackroads Central – a bit of winter travel & adventure complete. Heck, the Motorcycle S how was almost a bonus. The Montreal Motorcycle and Motorsports S how returns to the P alais des Congress de Montreal February 27 to March 1, 206. motocanada.com/ shows/ montreal ,
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Honda Hornets • CB750 & CB1000 SP he first ornets began to show up in urope in the late 90s, and by 2004 these ornets began to appear at dealerships in the United States and Canada. A fter a number of years, it seems these Hornets are back, and probably to stay. hese ornets are very sharp looking, very uick, and one particular species which certainly packs a wallop.
kay, this is not an entomology course – the ornets we re talking about come from J apan, and though at speed they can sound a touch like the stinging little bastards you thought we were talking about – today’ s Honda Hornets are far more fun to deal with. Trust us on this. onda s newest ornets to reach this shore – the C 750 and C 1000 S , at first glance, look uite alike – but they are two different machines. Both with their own pros and cons. One is much like a good pocket knife. It can cut an apple, stand-in as a screw driver, and even open a bottle of beer. he other is a scalpel – and scalpels do one thing only and they do it sharply and with precision.
CB750 Hornet • MSRP $7,999 et s start with the C 750 ornet – the pocket knife. his bike does share its name with two iconic ondas the C 750 – the world s first real superbike, a machine that changed the playing field for our sport – and the ornets – some of the best ondas ever made. This particular CB750 Hornet is powered by the same 75c c parallel twin engine that runs Honda’ s Transalp machine released a couple of years back. his bike has 85 horsepower and 55lbs. of tor ue. ut that all in a package that weighs in at a svelte 420 lbs., and you have a very responsive and agile machine that is ama ingly easy to ride just about anywhere on the street – we like to call that funability, and the CB750 H ornet has a ton of this. ooking at the screen in front of me, the ubi uitous stated could swear I heard Michael L aFave, the voice of the Westminster Dog S how, saying this… “This middleweight naked bike is powered by a 75c c parallel-twin engine and is known for its strong mid-range performance, playful character, and approachable, fun-to-ride nature. This is Honda CB750 H ornet.” On the road the bike’ s easy manner is made possible with its super mid-range, and the engine mode adj ustability lets you dial in how you wish the bike to perform, adding more throttle, traction control and engine braking. The six-speed transmission
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is super smooth and, like the 1000 S , has uick shift in both directions. Both bikes have a S lipper Clutch, but I have to make mention of the 750’ s clutch plates, which are made FCC leaning movement clutch plates. This technology allows for reduced lever effort and a smoother ride than conventional clutch plates by reducing sticking tor ue and drag tor ue by tilting the friction material and controlling the oil flow. The CB75 0 Hornet also has a stellar exhaust note. It has a seriously great sound to it – mostly uiet around town, but with enough two-cylinder deep bottom note and grunt to give you an earful of audiocentic-goosebumps. The bike has a 41mm Showa S - fork up front and a pre-load adj ustable shock in the rear. oth more than ade uate on this super light machine – but not as slick, pretty or adj ustable as the 10 S P . They worked well in all but the roughest sweepers, which caused aftermarket thoughts to cross my mind. The bike uses Nissan calipers with two 296mm floating disc up front and a
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256m m doing the j ob in the back. With the lightness of this machine those brakes always seemed up to the task, though not as “feelable” as the Brembos on the 10. With a seat height of j ust 31.3 inches the prettier member of the Backroads’ team was very happy on this bike – though she longs for the 1000 S but, she is a power goblin) . The CB750 we had came in white with a really beautiful ‘ Cuprite Red Metallic’ steel-diamond frame suspending it all together. This frame weighs j ust 36.6 lbs., which is 1 1% lighter than Honda’ s CB650R . The combination of this Italian-styled J apanese bike ( what is the world coming to? ) and the red metallic frame make for a truly sharp looking, almost ex uisite looking machine. he only thing that could make this bike even better would be a great price. Oh, you can have the CB750 H ornet for about $8 gr and. S o, there you go. Is this the neatest most fun S unday bike on the market? It j ust might be.
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CB1000 Hornet SP $10,999 If the 750 is a pocket knife, the CB10 Hornet S P is a scalpel. A lthough it is a standard naked bike it comes j ust about track-ready, wrapped in everyday ride clothing. A t a distance they could almost be the same bike, sharing the same basic slick “Hornet-shaped” styling, TFT S creen, and much the better J oy S tick control. The S P comes with gold rims, fork legs and other added touches. he C 1000 ornet S is powered by a li uid-cooled inline four-cylinder powerplant with a dedicated transmission final drive ratio. ( gears 2- 5 opt imized for acceleration; higher ratio in sixth) The machine is very responsive, and the different power modes, and adj ustable user-modes, which allow for different levels of engine power and braking, and traction control, make the Hornet a very rider friendly bike. Both bikes have adj ustability on the sensitivity of the Q uick S hift modes as well. The biggest difference between the 750 and 10, other than the obvious engine and power differences, is that the 10 S P comes with premium suspension. Up front the bigger ornet carries Showa 41mm S - inverted fork, with 5.1 travel.
This is fully adj ustable ( preload, rebound, compression) . These ride in aluminum upper & lower triple clamps. In the back it is hard to miss the gold Ö hlins TTX 36 shock, also fully adjustable. ow onda can offer this at this price point is a mystery – but makes the CB10 H ornet S P a very desirable machine. Keeping with the higher-end goodies on this machine are the 5- spoke Y-shape design cast-aluminum wheels inspired by CBR10R R-R, 120/ 7017 & 180/ 5- 17 r espectively. The stopping power up front is handled by Brembo S tylema calipers riding on 310mm discs, with rear Nissin caliper on a 240mm disc. This allows the CB10 t o stop as smoothly as it accelerates. Both machines can use Honda’ s RoadS ync which allows for iOS or A ndroid connectivity via app for on-screen turnby-turn navigation, music and phone.
On the road: A lthough some preferred the shear grunt and horsepower of the 150 ponies with which the 1000 moves along, the smaller 750 offered a very happy ride. A s we said before a pocket knife and a scalpel. Both bikes had a great rider-friendly seating position, but the angular cut of the 10 was hard
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on the inner legs and butt – the 750 was a far more pleasant stay. L ook-wise both bikes are stunners, but in different and subtle way. But we had three staffers spend some long days hauling around on both bikes and S hira and Rick, our cheap-man’ s S tig, both really enj oyed both, but
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would go for the 1000 S – rian – really enjoyed both as well, but preferred the CB750. It is an easy, fun and very rideable machine, and for the very wallet-friendly price of $8,0 he said he’ d spring for his own set of Ö hlins. Whichever way you go, we think you will be happy to get stung by a Hornet. ,
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BACKROADS • JANUARY 2026
The Law Office of Paul Gargiulo, P.C. presents
Welcome to the Jungle - The Art of Learning to Ride Skillfully A column dedicated to your riding survival
GeTTIN G TheRe In a recent article from BMI, a study from A dobe on creativity determined that only four out of ten people describe themselves as creative. Broadcast Music Inc. is an organization that represents songwriters and composers, and the author of this article, Cliff Goldmacher, felt this was a shame, as with human beings, creativity is our birthright and privilege. He was writing about songs, music, and creativity, and how he feels we humans are all creative, but j ust because we’ re all creative doesn’ t mean we don’ t need to nurture our creativity. S ongwriters, artists, and the like work on a proj ect, and, hopefully, down the line, something clicks and all begins to gel. The keys to creativity and skill are practice and intention, and, to that end, there is no better intention and practice than truly working on getting there. The same goes for motorcycle articles. know some, far more than Cliff s 40 , who free e when asked to pen an article on a topic that they have approached us on, or thought would be of interest to Backroads readers. There are others who gush words like a waterfall, on j ust about any subj ect you hand them. I think the same goes for all ac uired skills. S ome people seem to have a natural knack for certain things and seem to be naturally talented, while others are not. But that can change. A rt, music, any acuired skill, certainly motorcycle skills, can improve for anyone who makes the effort to get there. Getting there is not arriving. It is simply the process that puts you on the path, and like songwriters, artists, and we riders, once you are on the road, things seem to get a bit easier, and your attitude becomes one of exuberance and excitement. What once looked daunting starts to become easier, but what you can almost zip through one day might be an uphill task the next. You should never consider that any sort of failure, but that you are human. ( If you are not, that is okay, we are not here to j udge) ny endeavor you set out to learn is going to be difficult at first. o you remember your first baby steps robably not, but if you are fortunate enough to be able to ask your parents, am sure they will tell you that the first steps were not as graceful as you would have hoped for. S o many things we do every day are really P erishable S kills. ccording to the yers ook of ords, erishable Skills are specific abilities or knowledge that are relevant only for a limited time and can become outdated or less effective without regular practice or updating. S o, it never hurts to practice, on a consistent basis, that at which you would like to achieve proficiency. e re talking motorcycling skills here, but the same is true for music, cooking, art, exercise… everything that you had to be taught, shown, or learned by trial and error how to do. f you talk to some of the greats, the real greats – he S – would
wager that they don’ t feel that they have reached their pinnacle. I would think that no matter how good you have become, there may be one more little hill to climb, and from the view atop it, you see that the road goes on forever. Best start riding. When you realize that everything is a j ourney, then minor setbacks, errors, or bad days really should not matter. We roll on… In truth, I think we will never arrive, and all of us, from the kid who j ust bought their first motorcycle to Marc Mar ue holding up his 7t h MotoGP World Champion Trophy, we are all j ust getting there.