March 2016

ne azi ag rM ou le T cyc tor Mo

MARCH

2016

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure Volume 22 No. 3

Mountain Roundabout

GPS ROUTING FOR DUMMIES GHOSTS OF MOTORCYCLING PAST CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE MYSTERY RIDE

W H A T ’ S

I N S I D E

MO NT HLY C O L U M NS Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

FREE WHEELIN’ ..................................................4 WHATCHATHINKIN’ ...........................................5 POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE.......................6 ON THE MARK ....................................................7

Contributors

Mark Byers, Bill Heald,

26

BACKLASH ........................................................10 BIG CITY GETAWAY .........................................14

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Dan Bisbee, Pamela Collins,

INDUSTRY INFOBITES.......................................9 GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN ..............12

Publishers

Tony Lisanti, Dr. Seymour O’Life Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317 Branchville NJ 07826

31

phone

973.948.4176

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA..................................17

fax

973.948.0823

WE’RE OUTTA HERE ........................................20

email

editor@backroadsusa.com

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN ...............................22

online

www.backroadsusa.com

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE ............................44

Advertising

973-948-4176

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ...................48

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2016. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

FE AT U RE S MOUNTAIN ROUNDABOUT ...........................26 GHOSTS OF MOTORCYCLING PAST .............31 BACKROADS MYSTERY RIDE.........................35 TECH TIPS FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T ............41

PR O DU C T R E V IE W S PIRELLI NIGHT DRAGON GT TIRES................29 SADDLEMEN ADVENTURE TOUR SEAT ........38 AEROSTICH HIP PROTECTION .......................39

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Page 4

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

FREE WHEELIN’ BRIAN RATHJeN

Vegas Dreams, BaBy! It was a cold and rainy night. With the spate pattering the window I began to surf the cable. Springsteen was not even half right when he sang “57 Channels.”

But, undaunted, I carried on.

I usually charge right through some stations, on my way to The History Channel – Ancient Aliens, Mysteries at the Museum or The Monsters Inside Me (which Shira refuses to watch). Maybe I will stop at an episode of Bob’s Burgers or American Dad if I haven’t seen them already.

But, as I scanned the menu guide, the show on NBCSN caught my eye.

Motorcycle Auction from Las Vegas.

I had spoken with our friend at Federal, the nation’s leading motorcycle shipper, a few weeks back and she had told me they would be busy in Las Vegas at the Mecum auctions, so I knew they were happening, but I did not know they would be televised.

Yeah us!

The Mecum MidAmerica Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction was held in early January at the South Point Casino and had three full days featuring the most interesting, eclectic and valuable motorcycles to be found on the planet that anyone, even we, could buy.

You just need one thing.

The Mecum Company is a family business that had a

humble start, auctioning cars from the family’s dining room table in 1988.

They are now the largest auctioneering company in the world moving hundreds of fine automobiles, motorcycles and road art every year.

The Wisconsin-based auctioneers hold public sales around the nation, with the world’s largest collector car auction held each year in Kissimmee, Fla. Tonight it was Vegas, baby – and motorcycles!

Popcorn quickly popped and cold soda pop on hand to wash it down, we snuggled up on the couch with PowerBall dreams dancing in our heads.

The bikes kept coming and quickly too.

Although some machines were truly remarkable and very, very rare – as well as having heavy cash transactions happening – there were a good number of motorcycles that were reasonable and not too far off of what a modern day machine would cost you from the showroom.

There were a decent number of late 60s/early 70s Triumphs, Nortons and BSAs rolled onto the block and there were more than a couple of times I thought…

“I could do that.”

It became a game to try to predict a ballpark figure of what each machine would go for in the end.

The announcers John Kraman, Scott Hoke and Stephen Cox, with antique motorcycle luminary Paul D’Orleans (The Vintagent) as a guest, were very knowledgeable about each machine and although, like baseball announcers, I am sure they had notes, their anecdotal motorcycle stories came from the heart. Hearing them talk about some of the bikes was akin to listening to a wizened old rider at good rally or a really good conversation with Clement Salvadori - who writes about classic machines in his Retrospective column each month in Rider magazine.

Like many of us, except for the truly in (Continued on Page 8)

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

WHATCHATHINKIN’ SHIRA KAMIL

Function, Fit or Fashion There are a couple of topics pertaining to women and riding that come across my radar screen more often than others. Choice of motorcycle is up there, as is proper packing technique and safety when traveling alone. What I’d like to address today is riding gear, which also has been written about many times in these pages. I’m not going to bring up ATGATT, although it plays a part in this discussion, but rather how you, as a woman rider, look while riding your motorcycle.

Women have been riding motorcycles just as long as men, making due with gear that they could put together. Their gear was many times their street clothes.

Seeing ladies tooling around in a skirt

Page 5 and high heels was not an uncommon sight. Dot Robinson, first president of the Motor Maids, looked quite stylish way back in the 1940s.

Most women prefer to look like a woman while riding their motorcycles.

For so many years, the options were slim for those of us who want this as well as maximum protection. There was plenty of ‘fashion’ leather to be had, but heaven forbid you touched ground with this – away it would go in a hot second. The development of synthetic riding gear added a bit to the function, fit and fashion, as did more durable leathers such as Vanson and Dainese. With leathers, many times there was not the ‘off the rack’ option, and custom-made leathers can cost a very pretty penny. Alpinestars offers the VIKA jacket for those opting for more fashion than function. As they say, ‘Inspired by catwalk trends, VIKA incorporates performance protection while complementing the female silhouette.’ The ‘safety features’ lists lightweight, highly contoured and removable CE-certified elbow and shoulder protectors with reduced thickness to help female styling. Hmm, not something I’d want to crash-test, but I’d look mah-ve-lous before they had to cut it off my body.

Textile riding gear has brought a much wider variety to the woman rider, ranging from contoured and slightly more stylish to fully functional and slightly reminiscent of a female form underneath. There’s AGV’s Xena jacket (who doesn’t want to look like Lucy Lawless), and a few Dainese jacket with hot pink accents.

Moving to the more function than fit there’s Olympia’s line of women’s jackets, many of which I have worn and have (Continued on Page 8)

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE BILL HeALD

Whirring, clicking Banging things With the rather odd weather we’ve been having (odd in the sense of it was April in January-no doubt a temporary arrangement), we have had riding conditions that we would have been dismissing as a pipe dream just 12 months ago. But many motorcycles were awakened from a winter slumber a bit early, and the first starting of the engine after a period of idle-less-ness is always a dramatic auditory spectacle. There’s the inevitable tappet noise and the stone-coldness of the engine parts shrinks them to looseness, and in some cases the timing chain may be a tad slack and “go to rattlin’ ” (a southern term from my past) if only for a few moments. If you’re lucky enough to have a classic, gear-driven valve train a la vintage VFRs you can hear truly frightening start-up chaos when the great mill stirs after hibernation. I am a person of a certain age, and so I have learned over time these very scary sounds that I used to think were some kind of ugly engine damage, excessive lube-starved wear and expensive screams of pain are just sounds; an announcement of sorts that you’ve neglected your mechanical friend and it would be much happier with regular outings. A trip of some length is always welcome. “Ride me far and often, and I will stop these caterwaulings,” it seems to say. You consider telling the bike something about the winter making riding impossible, and you’ll make up for it. But, you remain silent. This is because you realize it’s just a few cold engine rumblings, or the birthing pains of a new Start-Up. Of course, electric motorcycles will not go through this ritual, or at least not to the same extent, which is an odd thing to ponder. While I speak of unusual things, some brave souls carry on riding in the Dark Season. Some

crazy-cool Duluthians in Minnesota, operating that wonderful Rider’s Wearhouse where the AeroStitchers do their aerostiching, have been (despite the arctic atmosphere) riding a Zero electric machine throughout the winter and blogging about it. Wonderful stuff. Great info about the Life Rechargic. It was while perusing this journal that I wondered about the rapid progress of electric vehicles of all kinds, and what will happen to all those wonderful internal combustion sounds, smells, vibes, etc. that we’ve grown to love should these simple, potent motors stage a coup and take over. First, to be honest I don’t think the old pistons and valves will be disappearing anytime soon.

There’s plenty of room for electrics and fuelies together on the roads, and either conveyance can be a blast to ride and have their own pluses and minuses. And while I know that for a lot of riders the engine is the sun in their universe, that isn’t the whole story, is it? It’s not just about the rush you get when you twist the throttle, for what makes motorcycles great is the whole package. You feel your speed. They lean the right way in turns, like birds, airplanes and some really drunk people who somehow stay upright when the rest of us would be in a ditch, in a coma. Motorcycles can manage their magic regardless of the method of propulsion, and I say this in no way in denigration of the joy of moving parts whirring around between your legs.

So we awake the mount, and enjoy a strange respite from winter knowing that, in all likelihood, we will have to shut down the ride once again and resume winter (unless we live in Duluth, of course, and/or just are wonderfully hearty souls). Soon the blanket of snow will return, and winter Part Deux will premier.

Here’s where I have noticed another thing related to the noise of the reawakening engine: around here at least, when winter arrives and the snow covers everything, it tends to get very, very quiet. True, there are snow blowers, pickups with plows, big state snowplows, and locals cursing when their backs go out while shoveling snow, to shatter the quiet. But when these things (Continued on Page 8)

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

ON THE MARK MARK ByeRS

resurrection It was forlorn, showing up at Dan’s shop on its side in the back of a pickup, covered in mud, with a seized motor. There were missing fasteners on the side covers, both of which were broken or disfigured. The tires were shot and there were holes in the fork gaiters. The grips were torn. Rust had started its inexorable march on various parts and the kickstarter hung listlessly to the side, refusing to stay out of the way. The rear fender was broken and one of the studs holding the seat and fender to the frame was AWOL. I refer to Dan as “Dangerous” not because he’s a bad rider – quite the contrary – but because he’s dangerous to my wallet; he has a knack for finding bikes for me to buy. When he called and said he’d found a 2001 Honda XR200 for a pittance, I had high hopes. We agreed to meet at a local cantina where we’d transfer the bike from his truck to mine. I was excited!

The disappointment must have been apparent on my face when I saw it, because he took pains to tell me that if I didn’t want the bike, he would take it. I almost allowed him to, but he is a wellknown Honda XR-o-phile and he said the bike had “potential.” Dan and our circle of friends have so many Honda XR200’s, I call it the XaRmy, so I decided to give this one a chance. I took it home and put it in the garage, but even after a stop at the car wash, I still treated it like a smelly relative who showed up unexpectedly for dinner.

Later that week, Dan called and said, “We’re working on bikes Thursday night: why don’t you bring the XR down and we’ll get started?” Our shop

Page 7 nights are legendary: a couple-to-four guys working on one or more bikes from eight in the evening until the wee hours, listening to Heavy Metal on Pandora and ragging each other endlessly and mercilessly. We typically conclude with a 2 AM trip to IHOP for “nightfast,” the meal between midnight and breakfast.

That’s how Dan and Izzy and I started on the XR. Dan had a spare engine he’d found under a table at a swap meet and reconditioned. In about a half hour, the old motor was out and the new one was in and test-run. Before we did anything else, Dan was riding wheelies on the bike in the parking lot, which is not unusual, as I’ve seen Dan and Izzy rebuild an XR motor in an evening, with time to spare for pancakes. The seized motor went in the pile for reconditioning.

Then, it was a matter of details: in his amazing stock of parts, Dan had brakes, dual-sport tires, tubes, bars, fork gaiters, handguards, grips, cables, a chain and sprockets, and fork seals that would fit. I set about seeing to the details while he and Izzy moved on to Izzy’s XL350. It wasn’t that long before the homely XR was starting to look like a proper bike again. I’m a clean-asI-go mechanic, so even the dirty bits started to look shiny again after liberal applications of various spray cleaners.

By the time the night was over, we had a functioning, pretty-good-looking, XR200.

There were some details remaining, like new side panels and the seat/fender repair, but I know how to JB Weld and use a credit card, so those were going to be pieces of cake. Dan used his special tools for the fork seals and he replaced the fork oil with some fresh automatic transmission fluid. A new Mikuni carb replaced the Keihin just for kicks, and speaking of which, I sprang for a new kickstarter. I even found a sticker kit, so I replaced the dinged-up old ones and added my number “63” to boot.

(Continued on Page 8)

Page 8 Free Wheelin’

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS (Continued from Page 4)

formed and passionate, we know what we grew up with and when they got into some of the Japanese machines that were the hot machines back when I was in high school I was happy to see I still knew my stuff too.

How I wish I still had my 1973 Z-1. I have a Z-1 tee shirt with the original logo silk screened onto it. It is very nice, but I have yet to have a civilian recognize it for what it is.

Meanwhile, back on the telly, I was watching some serious machines go for some serious scratch. Celebrating its quarter-century anniversary, the Mecum Motorcycle Auction achieved an astounding $9,054,965 in total sales and an 80-percent sell-through rate. In all, 516 motorcycles hammered sold of the 646 offered.

Here are the Top 5 from the Las Vegas Mecum Motorcycle Auction: #5 - 2004 MTT Y2K Turbine - $115,000 #4 - 1929 Cleveland Tornado Four Cylinder - $115,000 #3 - 1955 Vincent Black Prince - $120,000 #2 - 1946 Vincent Rapide Prototype - $152,500 The highest amount paid for a machine was $165,000 for a 1912 Henderson Four. It looked just like the one next to my Aston Martin DB5.

These Mecum Auctions are televised quite often and, even if they are selling cars and not bikes, they are fun to watch.

As they say – check your local listings.

Maybe I can mix those Top 5 numbers into a winning PowerBall ticket.

Whatchathinkin’

(Continued from Page 5)

been very happy with for their fit and protection. TourMaster and Firstgear have a very nice women’s line; their jackets are greatly protective and offer many features and, something I like, lots of pockets that are large and useful.

My gear of choice these days is my Aerostich Roadcrafter two-piece suit.

What’s great about this suit is that it fits over civilian clothing so when I arrive at the restaurant, ice cream shop, whatever I can simply step out of it and have my jeans and top underneath. Is it stylish? Not so much, but it gives me great protection from weather and road hazards.

The bottom line is to know that motorcycles are inherently dangerous. We absolutely love them for the freedom they offer and the adventures they bring, but we also know that, like a wild horse, they may buck us off at any moment and for this we must be prepared. Whether you are a Sunday rider who toodles around for a few hours on weekends or a long-distance hauler traveling around the world, the stuff you cover your body with should work the same.

There’s plenty of time to look smashing when off the bike, so why not choose to have the proper protection while on it. Go surfing the world wide web to see what’s out there then head over to your local dealer and try some on.

PostcarDs From the heDge

(Continued from Page 6)

simmer down the silence returns, and over the season you get very aware of the slightest sound in the forest, or the road a mile or two away, or when things thaw the violence inside the crankcase of an engine long slumbering.

Not owning an electric motorcycle at this point in time, I can’t help but think if I had one that spent the winter idle it would have its own version of mechanical awakening although the motor itself would stay largely quiet. Brake discs get a fine coating of rust over time, and perhaps one could sense a scraping noise when you roll the bike out? Once aboard, the chain when cold will be noisy; I noticed how much chain noise I could hear the last time I rode an electric. The suspension? You bet. Noisy things over rough terrain, and you hear so much more without exhaust droning to mask the activities within the tubes.

Then there are the squeaks and groans of bodywork but you get the idea. It’s weird how machines do share some odd quirks with their human masters. As both age, they make more noise upon arising from rest. My knees often sound like a bull in the forest and there’s sounds emanating from various joints these days that defy literary description. But once things warm up, we hit the road once again and all is right with the world. Until the next snowstorm of course. on the mark (Continued from Page 7) Now, the formerly-smelly relative is a red rose, ready to rocket between the trees and rip through the puddles.

I appreciate her all the more for having had a hand in her restoration. The little bike is no longer an “it,” but rather a “she” like the others, named “Rose” of course, for her color. The top end of the old motor even saved the day as a donor when Throttle Doug blew up his XR185 right before the hare scramble. Motorcycle resurrection is a wonderful thing for the soul, especially when celebrated with wrenching buddies at 2 AM over nightfast at IHOP.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

IN DU STRY INFOBITES RYAN DUNGEY AND WHEATIES – BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS After a phenomenal 2015 run that saw him winning titles in both Motocross and Supercross, Wheaties announced that hometown hero Ryan Dungey will be the next athlete featured on the iconic orange box. Already a highly acclaimed rider, Dungey’s year further solidified his claim to be the first Motocross champion on the cover of the Wheaties box.

“Ryan has been an extremely valued member of Team Wheaties over the past few years,” said Stephanie Moffat, associate marketing manager for Wheaties. “We couldn’t be more proud to honor someone who’s shown time and again that he’s a champion on and off the track.”

It’s definitely a very exciting moment, getting to be on the Wheaties box. I can’t tell you how many times my brother and I sat there joking about, you know, one day that’s going to be me on the box,” said Dungey.

“To be the first Motocross racer on the box is definitely an amazing moment.

I think it’s huge for all of us, so I’m very, very thankful.”

STAYIN’ SAFE WELCOMES ADDITION OF KEN CONDON Stayin’ Safe Advanced Motorcycle Training kicks off 2016 with the announcement of a partnership with highly respected motorcycle safety expert, Ken Condon. Condon is the author of Riding in the Zone and Motorcycling the Right Way and a nationally known journalist who has written more than 250 skills and safety articles for Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) and is currently the author of the “Street Savvy” column for Motorcyclist Magazine.

Ken’s Riding in the Zone training program provides advanced techniques and coaching in the parking lot, on the track, in the dirt and on the street.

Page 9

News from the Inside Condon has adopted the Stayin’ Safe method for his on-street skills training and will be conducting one and two-day Stayin’ Safe training tours for groups of riders out of his Riding in the Zone headquarters in Massachusetts.

Stayin’ Safe is the premier onstreet motorcycle safety and proficiency training program in the U.S. Currently, Stayin Safe offers riders the opportunity to explore advanced skills and great roads in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The program is designed to reduce rider risk, build confidence and increase riding enjoyment, all in a format with a high fun factor. The Stayin’ Safe program is popular among long-term riders who value continued skills development and is also ideal for returning riders and any road-oriented rider with at least one year of on-street riding experience.

Log onto www.stayinsafe.com for more information and to locate classes.

STRANGE ELECTION GRAND TOUR POLITICS ARE LOCAL ... AND LONG DISTANCE • FEB. 28 TO SEPT. 30, 2016 Do you love politics and people who talk about politics at work, home and at parties? Neither do we!

But Presidential silly season is well underway so we might as well enjoy it as best we can. And TeamStrange wants to enjoy all this mayhem while riding a motorcycle.

The bottom line up front - You will (Continued on Page 11)

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

BACKLASH You recently were kind enough to send me your January issue even though my subscription did not begin until February. And, even though I live in Chicago and much of your presentation might be along the east coast (based on all of one issue:), I enjoy the magazine - the content and format. I’m a new rider at the age of 59 and am trying to make up for lost time, reading and sourcing in mass. Your location searches and descriptions are great and I’d like to see if I can purchase any back issues for 2015 you might have on hand, and pay for postage. Can you let me know what you might have available in print?

Thanks for your help and I’m glad to have found your nice tour magazine.

Eric Erf • Chicago, IL Eric, you can find back issues of Backroads here: www.backroadsusa.com.

Hi Brian & Shira and Happy New Year.

I’ve been thinking about what to add next to my SV1000 and have decided on a throttle lock. I’m betting you’ve had experience with both the Throttlemeister and Kaoko units and was wondering which you’d recommend.

Regards, Tom Tom, I do have a throttle lock on my GS… from AKS Engineering at www.aksengineering.com. I sometimes put on a Crampbuster if I know I will be on a long highway section. I can take this off if I want and carry in the tank bag or take on tour elsewhere - www.crampbuster.com. Neat little accessory and far cheaper too.

Go To Roads Hi Brian, Well it seems I’m luckier than most, I live on my “go to” road. Long ago while living in the Bronx, I used to ride up Route 9 to 202 (The Goat Trail), over the Bear Mountain bridge then Route 218 over Storm King Mountain into the rustic Village of Cornwall on Hudson. Every time I turned the front

Letters to the Editor wheel of my Suzuki X6 Hustler (I said it was a long time ago) towards home in the Bronx I promised myself I would move here one day. Well, here I am. My go to road now starts at the edge of my driveway. I head south over 218, a mini “Dragon” of about 5 miles, then 293 south to Old Mine Road across part of the West Point Military reservation. From there its Seven Lakes Parkway south, which is almost always deserted weekdays. On the parkway I’ve seen all manner of wildlife: deer, turkey, fox, bear and even a coyote running across the highway with a thrashing pheasant firmly clenched in its jaws. Early morning rides along the lakes offer views of mist rising up from the water. Finally I arrive on old Route 17 and head towards home, but not without stopping for ice cream at Take A Break in Tuxedo Park; a fifty-mile jaunt packed with beautiful scenery, great twisty roads, wildlife and ICE CREAM! Peter, aka “The Flash” • Somewhere on the roads of the Hudson Valley Hello Brian and Shira, Just wanted to commend you on including Larry Barasch’s article on bug bites in the Best of 2015 issue. While it’s probably not something I’d normally expect to see in Backroads, it’s a very valuable article.

Coincidentally I experienced the exact same thing while working in the yard last summer (note to self: no more yard work!). Kneeling in the grass I felt the bite but thought nothing of it – not at all painful, just a little itch and some redness. I’ve never had a reaction before; I’m not allergic to bee stings and mosquito bites don’t typically bother me. The itch and redness persisted for a couple of days, with some mild swelling. After several days I experienced a fever, chills and uncontrollable shivering. The infection, however, had not yet begun to travel up my leg.

Having experienced a more severe case of cellulitis in the past I recognized the symptoms, put 2 and 2 together, and saw a doctor before it advanced any further. Fortunately, a 2-week round of oral antibiotics knocked it out.

As Larry’s article stated, it can be very serious condition, and again I commend you for bringing it to your readers’ attention. Keep up the great work!

Eric Suhr • Somerville, NJ

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2016 inDustry inFoBites

Page 11 (Continued from Page 9)

be predicting which Presidential candidate (Republican or Democrat) will win each state in the USA or each county within a state in the 2016 United States Presidential election.

You can complete this GT locally, long distance, or both. One GT, two options, it is up to you. Read about them at www.teamstrange.com.

LARRY LITTLE TO CHAIR PBTF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Motorcycle industry executive Larry Little has been named Chairman of the Board of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the leading nonprofit funder of research into one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer.

Little, vice president and general manager of Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) Events in Irvine, Calif., is co-creator of the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), the annual go-to powersports industry event for trade, media and the public. He has served on the PBTF Board since 2004, most recently as vice chair, and succeeds Chris Hoefflin as chair.

Little got involved with the PBTF through his work as publisher, senior vice president and chief brand officer of Cycle World magazine. He helped establish both the Joseph C. Parkhurst Education Fund to support the foundation’s college scholarship program for brain tumor survivors, and the Ride for Kids/Cycle World project bikes benefiting the foundation.

RIDE LIKE A PRO NJ WELCOMES A NEW INSTRUCTOR Ride Like A Pro NJ welcomes Retired Motor Officer/Instructor Rick Mickles to the program when it reopens its training classes this spring in New Jersey. The “Ride Like A Pro” training program created in Florida by retired Motor Officer Jerry Palladino, and made famous through his instructional

videos, trains riders in the three fundamental techniques for slow speed maneuvers. These techniques have been utilized by Police Motor Officers for over sixty years placing them in the top 2% of motorcycle riders in America.

Once learned, these maneuvers will improve the rider’s understanding of how they can lean, balance and control their motorcycle better at all times.

Ride Like a Pro NJ opened over 8 years ago by Police Motor Officers Al Attanasio and Bill Hughes to educate the motorcycle enthusiast on how to be a more controlled, confident and safe rider. This spring, Al and Bill will be handing over the controls to Rick Mickles, although both are staying on in a “hands on Instructor/Consulting” capacity through the transition.

Rick has been riding for more than 4 decades. He recently retired, after 32 years, from a career in Law Enforcement where he created and served in his Departments first “Police Motor Unit”. As such, he has received extensive training in Police Motor Techniques as well as operational safety. Rick is a Motorcycle Safety Foundation certified Rider/Coach and a NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Motorcycle Examiner. Rick brings his enthusiasm for motorcycles and his dedication for training riders in the “Motorman Techniques” offered at Ride Like a Pro NJ. He also brings along his commitment to maintain the highest standards of training set by his predecessors Al and Bill.

The 2016 Ride Like A Pro NJ classes begin in April and go through October. For more information or to register go to www.ridelikeapronj.com or email Rick at rick@ridelikeapronj.com.

Backroads gladly accepts press releases. Please send text and high resolution images via email to editor@backroadsusa.com

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

G REAT A LL AMERICA N DINE R RUN Shira Kamil

east coast Burger comPany 75 FRANKLIN AVE, RIDGEWOOD, NJ 201-857-0277 • WWW.EASTCOASTBURGER.COM HOURS: SUN-THURS: 11A-9P • FRI-SAT: 11A-10P A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away a young handsome Jedi met a lonely princess. They discovered they both loved to travel, preferably via motorcycle, exploring distant lands and so they were married. After the beautiful ceremony, they sojourned to the nearby city and partied like rock stars in their friend’s bar, American Trash.

Fast forward several decades and today, Mark Ostrowsky, former owner of said bar, has moved to Jersey and opened one helluva great burger place in Ridgewood. Mark had stopped by our booth at the motorcycle show last year and invited us to visit him. Not only do they make the best burgers in Bergen County (a very lofty claim) but they serve Gifford’s Ice Cream, one of my favorite small batch ice

POLAR BEAR GRAND TOUR STOP SUN., MARCH 13 • 11:30am-1pm

Two Wheels or Four - join us at

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN GREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING Located at Ross’ Corners • 1 Route 15 • Augusta NJ • 973-300-2300

www.chatterboxdrivein.com Worth the ride from anywhere!

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983 Member of

NOW AVAILABLE Barbeque Catering Flexible • Affordable Ready When You Are 320 Front Street, Belvidere, NJ • 908-475-2274 • www.thisilldous.com

Open Daily for Breakfast and Beyond • 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday

tasty places to take your bike

cream makers in the east.

Their chicken is locally sourced from Goffle Road Poultry Farm, just up the road apiece, and the beef comes from Creekstone Farms. If you think this is just a fast food greasy burger joint, you are going to be very pleasantly surprised. Think more along the lines of a Shake Shack with lots more to offer.

I happened to be in Ridgewood around lunchtime not too long after seeing Mark, so I stopped in to see the place. He brought me behind the scenes to show me the makings of their lobster rolls. They use fresh daily, hand picked lobster meat, and lots of it, with just the slightest touch of mayo, the perfect amount of seasonings and serve this on the quintessential New England ‘hot dog’ bun with a side of cole slaw and a pickle. You’d think you were sitting at an outdoor stand on the coast of Maine, it’s so good.

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Page 13

We stopped in again for lunch on a recent visit. Unfortunately Mark was not around this day, but we were very well taken care of by Phil behind the counter. Perusing the quite varied menu, Brian and I opted for the Lobster Roll, while Brian Jr. had their signature East Coast Burger and Mom chose the Goat Cheese & Beet Salad. Not to be too healthy, we got a side of house cut fries and some fountain sodas. We were handed our table-side number and took a seat.

We had just concocted our fountain drinks and sat back down when our meals arrived. The Lobster Rolls were just as good as I remembered, the bun just the right texture and softness and the lobster crisp, sweet and abundant. Brian’s burger was cooked perfectly, served with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pickle and ECB secret sauce. Mom’s salad was enough to feed all of us, with a beautiful bed of mixed greens, beets, spiced walnuts and goat cheese topped with a balsamic dressing. If you think that’s not enough to fill your belly, you can get it topped with grilled chicken. The fries were thick yet crispy, adding a great salty side to the already delicious main dishes.

Well sated and sitting around catching up, Mom and I decided that perhaps just a little taste of ice cream would be in order. As I said earlier, they serve Gifford’s Ice Cream and this day they had some seasonal special flavors, one of which being peppermint, one of my absolute favorites at any time of year. Mom chose a small dish of Maine Lobster Tracks (vanilla ice cream with lobster-colored chocolate cups filled with caramel and swirled with a unique éclair crunch). Both were excellent and a great way to end a very filling lunch.

Some other items on their menu include Ipswich Whole Belly Clams, grilled or crispy chicken sandwiches, an assortment of burgers – Maytag & Apple Smoked Bacon, Green Chili Cheeseburger and Teriyaki Swiss Mushroom to name a few - Hatfield All Beef hot dogs, plain, with sauerkraut, caramelized onions and/or green chilis and an assortment of salads. The service is quick and friendly, the atmosphere pleasant (the Food Network was on their multiple screens while we were there, just to ramp up your appetite) and they offer off-street parking, a real boon in the bustling and often crowded village of Ridgewood. During the warmer months they have outdoor seating as well.

While Ridgewood is not necessarily the optimum destination while out riding, we’ll put together a ride that will please the palate as much as the food, and ice cream, at East Coast Burger Company. Enjoy and tell Mark we said hello.Rip & Ride® can be found on page 46

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

BIG CITY GETAWAY

daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Washington’s morristoWn HeadquaRteRs, BaRRacks and some sucH nonsense This month on the trail of George Washington let us spend some time in and around Morristown, New Jersey.

We’ll have three separate stops on our general’s trail and each with its own tale to tell of New Jersey and the Revolutionary War. These days finds Morristown a hip and happening small city, with a plethora of trendy restaurants, an excellent arts center and itself settled with a great history; one that we’re fairly sure many have driven past, glossed over or just ignored.

Now, anyone with eyes riding down the I-287 corridor past Morristown should be aware that Washington had a headquarters here. But, have you ever visited?

The truth is Washington and his troops spent two separate winters here, the first in 1777 and again during the harsh winter of 17791780.

After last month’s crossing of the Delaware and the two significant victories over the British in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, General George Washington marched north to Morristown, New Jersey, where he set up winter headquarters for himself and the men of the Continental Army in January of 1777. The hills surrounding the camp offered Washington a perfect vantage point from which to keep an eye on the British army, which was headquartered across the Hudson River in New York City.

Washington liked Morristown’s “defensible terrain, important communication routes, and access to critical resources.”

Morristown’s position also allowed Washington to protect the roads leading from the British strongholds in New Jersey to New England and the roads leading to Philadelphia, where the leaders of the American Revolution were headquartered.

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In addition to tracking the British, Washington used much of his time in Morristown to reorganize the Continental Army, which had begun to shrink following the victories in Trenton and Princeton.

With geography on his side and time running against him Washington took the home of Jacob and Theodosia Ford, a fine mansion that became General Washington’s headquarters for both his winter stays.

Today you can visit Washington’s Headquarters, which is easily found right along I-287 and heavily signed. Some 240 years ago there were few roads and it was rough country and, as we said, it was this sort of terrain that made Morristown so valuable.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016 The museum is well appointed and shows both civilian and military life during these times when our nation was going through its birth. One of Washington’s own swords is on display, as is a link from the Iron Chain of West Point used to stop the British from sailing up the Hudson River. A number of cannons, most with the flowery inscription of King George, can be found here as well as period clothing, small arms and furniture.

There is even a Brown Bess, which was the standard issue infantry musket for the British Army.

Morristown is happening now and it was happening then.

After you have spent some time exploring the headquarters get back on your machine as we have two more stops to make while seeking out Washington’s Morristown.

In 1777 the locals welcomed the general and his troops, but during the winter of 1799 an outbreak of small pox made the locals less open to the troops in their town. So Washington had the bulk of his men moved a few miles south to an area known as Jockey Hollow. Our ride here is just a few miles as well and you will be amazed at how backroads/countrylike the road to Jockey Hollow becomes after you leave the highway.

It was here that an estimated 600 acres of forest were cut down to build

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Page 15 more than 1,000 log huts. It became known as “log-house city.” Each hut was built to specifications required by General Washington measuring about 14 by 15 feet. The height at the eaves was 6 feet 6 inches. They were built of notched logs, with clay used as chink to seal the huts from the cold, and with a door at one end and a fireplace at the other.

Unlike previous encampments, which were placed helter-skelter, Jockey Hollow was precisely planned out. The enlisted huts were laid out in rows of 8, 3 or 4 rows deep. Each hut held 12 men. The officers’ huts were somewhat larger, with one to four officers, depending on rank to occupy each.

Today the fields and roads are peaceful and pastoral.

That winter was beyond cruel and Washington himself wrote the Marquis de Lafayette on March 18th, 1780 from the Ford Mansion, “The oldest people now living in this Country do not remember so hard a winter as the one we are now emerging from. In a word the severity of the frost exceeded anything of the kind that had ever been experienced in this climate before.”

Doctor James Thacher wrote, “For the last ten days we have received but two pounds of meat a man, and we are frequently for six or eight days entirely without bread. The consequences are that the soldiers are so enfeebled from hunger and cold, as to be almost unable to perform their military duty or labor in constructing their huts.”

Our last two winters have been bearish – imagine going through them while living in the most primitive conditions. There was little if any food. Read the words of Private Joseph Plumb Martin: “We are absolutely, literally starved. I do solemnly declare that I did not put a single morsel of victuals into my mouth for four days and as many nights, except for a little black birch bark which I gnawed off a stick of wood.

I saw several men roast their old shoes and eat them, and I was afterward informed by one of the officer’s waiters, that some of the officers killed a fa-

Page 16

vorite little dog that belonged to one of them.”

We don’t put these words in Backroads to shock you, but to encourage you to explore this region we live in and, we dare say, take for granted, to understand what it took to get where we are now.

At Jockey Hollow you will also find the Wick’s House which, on the day we visited, was as peaceful and as far away from its history as could be imagined.

The small garden’s wooden door was unlocked and we took a look at what vegetables and crops they had grown back in the day when the seasons favored the Continental Army.

Further down the road we came upon the Pennsylvanian Line where, atop a small hill you will still find a few of the huts, still well maintained, standing vigil over Jockey Hollow.

Remember there were once a thousand of these in rows – all buried deep in the silent snow. Almost half the men were Irish or of Celtic descent. In fact, as we shall soon see, even in the bitter cold of

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS winter General Washington endeavored to keep his men busy –but he did give one day off that year – Saint Patrick’s Day - both to boost his men’s moral and to tweak the nose of the British in Ireland.

After visiting Jockey Hollow we’ll have one last stop before finding lunch in Morristown and that would be Fort Nonsense.

Where did that name come from, you might ask?

Well, it was never even mentioned as such until much later - in 1883 – and it was referred to as such, as many historians feel that Washington was simply making work to keep his men busy and warm that winter.

Back in 1779 it was know as Kinney’s Hill and it sat high above Morristown and offered a commanding view of the surrounding New Jersey countryside.

Washington had his men dig trenches, carry up artillery and reinforce the top of the hill and create a redoubt, or earthwork, to fortify a position that would never see a gunshot.

It seems the main function of the fort was as a place of retreat for guards stationed in the town.

In truth we have spent a bit more time in Morristown than we would like to admit and had not even been aware of Fort Nonsense; but you will find it atop old Kinney’s Hill and the historic signs, laid out stone and cannon overlooking today’s Morristown make it well worth the ride and you will find the vista a bit more than striking. You can imagine some soldiers of the Continental Army sitting atop the Redoubt drinking a Flip and talking about what it was like back home and how they looked forward to this damned war ending and their return to their families.

You’ll now get on your motorcycle and do just that; so many of them did not.

Next month, in our third and final installment on Washington’s Trail we will head to the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, NJ.

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Page 17

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTER IOU S A MERICA Dan Bisbee

the PonD that isn’t there It was a beautiful afternoon, and I was riding past several lakes in northeastern Vermont. I rode by Lake Willoughby and Crystal Lake then passed a sign for Shadow Lake. Just south of Clarks Pond I saw a sign pointing out Runaway Pond.

Looking behind the sign, there was a swamp – not a pond. Looking across the marsh I scratched my head a bit. Why would there be a sign for a pond that isn’t there? As if in answer to my questions, a roadside picnic area came up on my left with a stone monument and a historic sign. I flicked the bike in and dropped my kickstand by the sign. It turns that at one time there was a pond here and where I’m standing now was 90 feet below its surface.

During the summer of 1810, there was little rain and the rivers were very low. In the days before electricity, water was important for running gristmills. Here in Glover, Vermont, Aaron Willson owned a gristmill. Without water, he couldn’t earn a living and the local farmers could not get their corn and other grain crops ground.

Willson decided to take matters into his own hands.

He hiked upstream past Mud Pond, which fed his mill, and came to the much larger Long Pond. Due to the geography of the land, Mud Pond flowed north to his idle gristmill while Long Pond flowed south. As Willson inspected the landscape, he recognized that Long Pond was higher than Mud Pond. He realized that digging a 300-foot ditch between the two would cause Long Pond to drain into Mud Pond and north, providing power for his mill.

Since the locals needed the gristmill to have their crops ground, it wasn’t difficult to round up a group to help dig a ditch. The promise of whiskey probably didn’t hurt either. On the morning of June 6, 1810, a group of roughly 60 townsfolk made their way through the underbrush to Long Pond with shovels and picks and began digging. By early afternoon the ditch was nearly complete. The final bit was breached and the whiskey was passed around.

Folks stood back and watched Long Pond begin trickling into Mud Pond. They raised their whiskey glasses and toasted their triumph over nature.

Messing with Mother Nature does not usually end well, and this was a classic case. The flow of water disappeared into the sand beneath the ditch, and a few minutes later there was an ominous rumbling. Unbeknownst to the diggers, the thin skim of topsoil that had been dug away was holding a massive sandbar in place. The massive sandbar was holding Long Pond in place. The trickle of water quickly sank into the sand and swiftly washed it away. Long Pond became a torrent pulling in trees, bushes and soil. The

Page 18

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

whole muddy mixture tumbled into Mud Pond where it quickly overtopped the bank and began cascading to Glover village. The gristmill, by necessity, was perched right next to the river. Aaron Willson’s wife was working at the mill, blissfully unaware of the wall of water careening her way.

At the pond, Aaron Willson called for someone to race ahead of the water to warn his wife. Spencer Chamberlain volunteered and raced the wave five miles to town. The surge of water, pushing trees and vegetation ahead of it, would stop as the undergrowth tangled. It would create a small dam holding the water temporarily, before breaking free again.

This was enough to slow the advance of the water to allow Chamberlain to outrun it. He arrived at the gristmill just moments ahead of the wave. According to legend, he threw Mrs. Willson over his shoulder and scrambled up the bank as water engulfed the mill.

It took 2 hours for Long Pond to “run away.” In doing so, roughly a billion gallons of water wiped out the village of Glover. It caused extensive damage downstream in Barton, Orleans, and Coventry before dumping into Lake Memphremagog on the Canadian border. Thankfully, in part to Spencer Chamberlain’s heroic run, no lives were lost.

In the aftermath, people were concerned with rebuilding and preparing for the winter and by the time the first lawsuit was filed, Aaron Willson had fled the town and was not heard from again.

At the time of the event, it was considered a catastrophe. However, in this case, the flood may have been a blessing in disguise. The sand holding Long Pond in place would not have lasted forever. The villages downstream were sparsely populated in the early 1800s. Many of the townsfolk were at the dig site when the bank gave way. And, quite honestly, the land in Glover and Barton was not considered that great for farming. When the pond came crashing through, it left a fine bed of silt and mud that was much better for crops.

Additionally, the flood washed away trees leaving open fields in its wake and created arable farm land.

Today, Glover is still a small town, with around 1300 people calling it home. In the center of the village is Curriers store, the quintessential general store. Even in these days of mega-marts and box stores, Curriers is your onestop-shop for food, hardware, guns, ammo and the mail. Yes, the Glover Post

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Office (zip code 05839) is inside Curriers, right behind the stuffed moose.

While you’re there, grab breakfast or lunch across the street at the Busy Bee Diner; the food is great. Don’t show up with a big group though, they have seating for a total of 11 people inside. Afterwards, head south on Route 16.

You’ll pass through a narrow valley and a pond that isn’t there.

reD BirD PetrogylPhs a tiny Bit of Roadside mysteRious ameRica Columbus, the Viking, the Chinese; who really got to North America first?

Well, after the First Peoples who they say traversed the frozen land bridge some 20,000 years ago.

There is ample evidence that the ancient cultures were able to traverse the oceans and travel throughout the world. However, not only the specific details, but even the very existence of these voyages have been generally lost to history. Today we are fortunate that some evidence remains. One example is a stone with inscriptions of ancient European, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern languages. This stone was found on a river in the state of Kentucky in the United States. A similar artifact was also found in West Virginia.

More a mystery than a real clue you will find something to ponder in a little park outside Manchester, Kentucky.

The stone weighs 50,000 pounds and was originally spied by early settlers high atop a cliff, near present day Red Bird. Measuring about 6 meters long, 1.5 meters tall, and maybe 80 cm thick, the rock bears several dozen incised markings, clearly artificial; and for some time — just how long is one of the

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

Page 19 many open questions — had it been known to local people?

This is the “not famous enough” Red Bird Petroglyph – which was known since before pioneer days and enrolled on the National Register of Historic Sites.

It seems some are now taking notice of the gamechanging rock.

On December 7, 1994, this historic stone fell from a sandstone cliff and rolled onto Highway 66 on Lower Red Bird. Two days later it was transported to the park and set up in its permanent home.

At least eight Old World’s alphabets are engraved on it. These alphabets were extinct for centuries when Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492.

The alphabets are first century Greek and Hebrew, Old Libyan, Old Arabic and Iberian-Punic which probably dates from the 9th century B.C. Ogam, Germanic Runes, and Tiffinag-Numidian are also on this stone.

Of all the hundreds of important, translatable, and published inscriptions in the U.S.A, this is the first one to have been given official protection.

Clay County and the City of Manchester have granted protection to this stone.

A big step in the archeological world. Does Scott Wolter, America Unearthed forensic geologist, know of this?

If truly as ancient as the local Cherokee claim it is then how on Earth did it come about? Did peoples from Europe, the Middle East or Asia arrive in this part of the world hundreds or thousands of years before the Vikings or Columbus? If so, how did they end up hundreds of miles west of the sea?

Was this really possible?

More and more evidence shows this could very well be the case and the Red Bird Petroglyph might be just one piece of this puzzle.

While riding through the region the Red Bird Petroglyphs make an interesting side trip to a true part of Mysterious America. O’Life out!

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HER E the calenDar a stRategy foR tHe upcoming Riding season As this gets penned it is a frigid day here in the northeast but hope, as always, springs eternal. That and the fact that pitchers & catchers will report in just 30 days and by the time you read this it will be well past time to get your annual ride calendar in order.

Some riders we know like to wing their itinerary, thinking part of the motorcycle thing is to be free and easy, and they rarely have definitive plans.

We like to have a fairly good idea of what is happening out there and if you can’t be on the motorcycle at least you can be planning a ride.

We try to never etch anything into stone (‘cept production of this magazine), but we like to see what is out there and plan accordingly.

Plan your ride and ride your plan I always say.

This way there is less of a chance that a great event or riding opportunity will slip through the cracks and we’ll be sitting around one weekend wondering where everyone has disappeared.

Here are some of the events in and around our region that we are pretty sure we’ll be attending.

What about you? Are your ready to make some plans for 2016?

aPril 28 - may 1 horizons unlimited 2nd Virginia travellers meeting Grant & Susan Johnson have been holding Horizon Unlimited events for years now and as they say, “We peddle dreams, the achievable kind, creating an addiction to overland travel.”

Put together by Morton’s BMW sales manager Steve Anderson (all around nice guy if misguided National fan) this event, at a 4-H campground outside of Appomattox, Virginia (you can camp or get a nearby hotel room), will hold a number of presentations and tech clinics as well as serious travelminded camaraderie. In addition to hearing inspiring stories of overland adventure from around the world, you’ll learn how to prepare for your journey,

a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads navigation tips, first-aid basics, photography, and a host of other essential topics.

Whatever your past experience has been or your future plans may be, there will something for everyone.

Along with happenings at the 4-H Campsite there will be ride-outs on both Friday and Saturday as well as instructions and an all around great time.

If you have ever thought that a longer ramble on a motorcycle is for you then you will enjoy this weekend.

It will be a great way to get the season rolling.

may 14 - 15 • 3rd annual new sweden 450 We went to our first New Sweden 450 last May and had a blast!

This road tour started early on a Saturday morning and wound its way along some brilliant roads before ending up at a comfortable campground.

Yes, tents and camping gear were required, but not mandatory – like most places in the northeast – rooms were never too far away.

We camped last year and will be doing so again.

A quick glance at the New Sweden BMW Riders website tells us all we need to know…

The ride will take place over the course of two

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Page 21

days, traversing some of the best roads in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The entry fee will provide you with coffee and donuts on Saturday morning, free camping, dinner on Saturday night, prizes, a 50/50 drawing, a good breakfast on Sunday morning, and a finisher’s patch. Route sheets will be provided at the starting location, directions will clearly indicate mileage, turns, and gas/eating spots. GPS uploads will also be available at the start for a small fee. This is not a group ride or a parade. You can ride with friends or solo. You decide your own pace.

may 26 – 30 • Backroads 18th annual spring Break rally We are almost, pretty sure and fairly confident we will be on this one.

Join us for our Historic Hotel Tour (think older, classic, eclectic digs) around the western reaches of the Keystone and Empire states.

Over the years these annual events have gathered a great crowd of likeminded riders and friends and we have had just a bit more than our fair share of improbable and fantastic “tales of the day’s ride” at the bar each evening.

Our events are easy going, friendly and will bring you to some places you never would have known were there. Guaranteed. If you don’t I will personally refund your entry fee.

June 7 – 11 • americade & Dirt Daze rally This year in the Adirondacks there will be plenty to do for both the touring and ADV crowd, as Dirt Daze will be held at the same time as the World’s Largest Touring Rally – Americade.

We have missed the last few (after a 24 year run) but will be back to enjoy the

best of both these events this June.

For those of you up here in the Lake George area this week know we will be having a small Backroads’ Sling Shot Around the Sun to the 23rd Century Ride as well. Details to follow.

July 9 - 10 • ramapo 500 This is the 40 th time around for this road tour romp that has spawned a number of other such weekend events.

Although there are going to be a number of hotels in and around the end site the Ramapo 500 has always been a camping event as well.

The roads have always been well thought out, fun to ride and, at times, a bit challenging. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Like the 450, the Ramapo 500 entry fee included two days of rides, camping, Saturday dinner and Sunday breakfast. We have always thought of this as the midpoint event in the riding season and we hope we see you there.

July 14 – 17 • BmW moa rally Although this is a BMW MOA event, held this year in Hamburg, New York, it is open to all BMW riders and their guests. Other brands are welcome as long as they meet local noise abatement regulations. In truth all of the events here feel the same way about noise. If you think your bike may be too loud – it probably is.

This rally will bring in thousands of riders from around the nation and Canada. Along with an outstanding vendor area there will be a number of seminars and riding events. Camping comes with admission but we think a nice B &B or inn works better for this one.

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

We’re outta here We have ridden around North America to attend the MOA International rallies and we are glad to see it back east and in the Backroads’ region.

september 22 – 26 • Backroads 18th annual Fall Fiesta We hope our last big event for 2016 will be one of the best as our 18th annual Backroads Fall Fiesta will first go to Saratoga Springs, NY and then across the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain and Vermont’s Green Mountains before crossing over for two nights in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the little non-town of Jackson.

Heading back we will overnight at two of our favorites - the Gray Ghost and Kitzhof Inns in West Dover, Vermont.

The final day will see an easy and pleasant ride back towards the New York City region.

Yep, those are some of the plans for 2016 and we hope you have a blueprint as well.

If you block out time, make reservations and begin to plan your rides for the upcoming season chances are much better that you will spend a lot more time on the road this year than if you don’t make any strategy at all.

Hope to see you on the road.

SOURCES: Horizons Unlimited • www.horizonsunlimited.com Appomattox, VA • 434-248-5444 • N37 23.408 W78 38.445 New Sweden 450 • www.newswedenbmwriders.com Backroads Rallies • www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html Americade, Lake George, NY • www.americade.com DirtDaze Rally, Lake George, NY • www.dirtdazerally.com Ramapo 500 • www.ramapomc.org BMW MOA International Rally, Hamburg, NY • www.bmwmoa.org

WinDy BroW Farm – coW’s BroW ice cream 359 RIDGE RD, FREDON, NJ 973-579-9657 • WWW.WINDYBROWFARMS.COM HOURS: SEASONAL • CHECK WEBSITE FORDETAILS Well, things were going quite well until this past weekend. For those of us in the northeast, winter came in hard and strong, with anywhere from one to three feet of snow covering the previously empty driveways. Here at Backroads Central, with a nice ‘country’ gravel drive, this means the bikes will most likely be parked for the duration and any riding will have to be found on OPM (Other People’s Motorcycles). But this can’t stop the ongoing search for great ice cream, so this month we’ll bring you a place that, while very

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016 close to my home, I just discovered recently.

Windy Brow Farms, in Fredon, NJ, has been a working dairy farm since the late 1800s. Their first fruit trees were planted by the Inslee family in 1920 and, when the dairy barn was destroyed by fire in the 1940s, they decided to put their efforts into fruit growing. Many of those original trees are still bearing fruit today, and the packing house and farm store established in 1946 are still in operation.

Jim and Linda Hunt, the present owners, have taken this wonderful farm, named Windy Brow due to its windy location on the brow of the ridge, and turned it into a prime location for getting some of the best selection of fruits in the area. During their season, which usually starts in May and runs into late fall, you can find an amazing assortment of peaches, nectarines, plums and apples. According to their website, the peach harvest begins in early July, with the Flamin’ Fury PF1 ‘suitable for early eating and sweet baking applications’ and goes until early

Page 23 September. They have over 30 varieties of apples, of which you may pick your own in their beautiful orchards starting in early August with the Jersey Mac and running to late October with the Pink Lady. As we motorcyclists know, weather can be a fickle thing, so growing seasons may vary. The Hunts are continually adding new varieties to their orchard, each of which typically take 3-5 years to come into production, so your visits will always bring new enjoyment.

As much as I enjoy biting into a crisp, sweet apple or juicy peach, I came here for some ice cream so let’s get on with that. Jake, Jim and Linda’s son, started the Cow’s Brow homemade ice cream in 2013. Their unflavored 14% butterfat ice cream base comes from Upstate Niagara Cooperative in Buffalo, NY. From there, all else is done on-site on a weekly basis, from flavor creation to

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

packaging. The Cow’s Brow serves up traditional flavors like chocolate and vanilla but extends their creativity to some wonderful blendings. You can have your ice cream in a cup, sugar, cake or waffle cone or mix it up in a shake, float or cooler. These tasty treats can be made even more so with a number of toppings such as salted caramel, maple roasted pecans, kettle corn or crushed potato chips. If you’re more of a sandwich eater, they have you covered with homemade ice cream sandwiches.

Now that we know how you can eat your ice cream, let’s get back to the what, the inventive flavors that the Cow’s Brow have developed. On my first recon visit, I stood in front of their menu board flummoxed. I wished that I had some ice cream peeps along with me so that I could taste every flavor offered. Their standards that day included salted caramel, milk chocolate, Madagascar bourbon vanilla and coffee – any one of which would have been terrific. Below those were the limited edition flavors – caramel apple cider donut, pumpkin pie, maple walnut, basil & sweet cream, dark chocolate orange sorbet and…MAPLE BACON. So, what do you think I went for?

On this sunny, yet cool, autumn day I took my double cup of caramel apple cider donut and MAPLE BACON out to one of their vacant picnic tables to enjoy the last of the sun. The wonderful concoction I had in my mouth made my tongue dance and eyes light up. The texture was perfect, almost that of gelato, and all the separate flavors were absolutely discernible. I have to tell you that Windy Brow also makes THE BEST cider donuts, so there was no doubt that this flavor would rank up there as all-time best. I’ll get back to their other baked goods in a minute. First I want to let you know the other flavors I had the pleasure of tasting, as I had found them late in the season and kept going back to stock my freezer with pints. Gingerbread Spice, Peppermint Bark, Banana French Toast and, my favorite to sit down and eat a pint, Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Their home baked pies are gi-nor-mous, whether it’s apple, berry, peach or pumpkin, the apple turnovers will make you do just that and the artisan bread coming from their ovens will make any sandwich ten times better. Make sure you have some room in the top case to bring your booty home.

You’ll have to cool your ice cream jets until March, as they are on winter vacation, but will have pints and quarts available then. They’ll start scooping sometime in April and be fully up and running in May for your sweet-tooth satisfaction. Check their website or Facebook page for more details, upcoming events (such as Ice Cream, Summer Peach or Harvest Festivals) and their Pick Your Own schedule.

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

Mountain Roundabout

Trusting that Inner Clock and why there is always a Plan B

where I was sure I needed to be.

No matter, as we continued in the cool crisp mid-summer morning.

We ended up running into Route 209 and headed north up to Wurstboro and then crossed over the mountains once again to where I was sure the High View Tunnel (I remembered the name later when I looked in up on the world wide web internet thing).

Somehow the State of New York had successfully hidden the right roads from us and we ended up on familiar pavement that headed north to Route 52, where we, now giving up on the tunnel, decided on riding to Claryville Center for breakfast. Heading over

words and images: Brian Rathjen I think we have all been there. That free Sunday with not much else going on other than the idea of getting out on the bikes and going for a ride.

We had one of those at the end of August and, coincidentally, we also had two new Yamahas – the 2015 FZ-07 and FJ-09.

That was simply added impetus to get out much earlier this Sunday.

Like many of us we try to mix up the roads and regions we ride through.

Having the advantage of living on a prime motorcycling road and with superb pavement in almost every direction we had to come up with a day trip that would be both filling and nutritious in that motorcycle sort of way.

In the last few rides we had been east, west, south – so the obvious answer was to head north.

Being these were press machines, and not equipped with our GPS, we did it the extra old-fashioned way. With Manual Acquired Position Systems, or maps, but worse – the maps in that confused, addled and sometimes scary place called my head.

I knew where I was going, right? What could go wrong.

Not much of anything. My internal GPS works like a finely tuned clock.

In my mind we’d proceed north and bounce in and around the Shawangunks – which we did, following along to an old tunnel I wanted to show Shira.

I flicked the amicable FJ-09 to the left and headed down a road that I was sure would bring us to this tunnel.

It didn’t take me long to discover I was just a bit off (about 10 miles) from

the ‘Gunks’ we stopped for a digital moment and while positioning the two Yamahas in that way magazine guys do (like anyone really parks nose to nose on the side of a cliff) we went to take the photo only to see a familiar logo on the guard rail.

A red oval Backroads sticker. Right smack in the middle, between the FJ and FZ.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016 How about that? Karma I thought, that a reader had stuck that sticker here and we had stopped, whenever later, at that precise spot.

Sony camera pocketed we shoved off and down the mountain road into Ellenville, New York where we headed north, once again on Route 209 and then west on Route 55.

As seemed to be the way of the world this day, we soon were under ‘Pace Conditions.’ This is when the car de jour slips from a driveway, stop sign or is air dropped via military parachute in front of us and proceed to drive so slowly that time begins to distillate.

As we came upon the Rondout Reservoir I had to make a decision. Left to stay on 55 or to bear right along the more scenic Route 55A. I let the Pace Car, being driven by what seemed to be just a hat, decide for me.

It moved right (no blinker) and so we zipped left.

We did have to head up to 55A on the loop anyhow as I wanted to pick up State Road 19 to Claryville, totally trusting my knife edged navigational skills to bring us in.

Now that I write this I am kinda shrugging my shoulders with full knowledge that State Road 19 to Claryville, which I was sure was this way, was a number of miles further west.

But undaunted our heroes rode on.

Now sure with the knowledge that my brainiac maps were just a tad off we crossed over Peekamoose, stopping to gander at the waterfall, running a bit slow this time of the year, and then along the Ashokan Reservoir to Route 28 and then west to Phoenicia.

Page 27 We rolled into the Phoenicia Diner, which was very trendy and popular on this Sunday at lunchtime. Shira had wanted to go here for awhile now, but the stars had never aligned. They did this day.

The wait would not be all that long and management didn’t seem to balk at the obvious fact that we were not young, hip, bold & beautiful enough to go inside.

If my internal maps had been skewed this day the kitchen at the Phoenicia Diner really knew where they were going. The food here is different, innovative and delicious. Reasonably priced too. We give it a 5 helmet rating!

With bodies filled, but fuel tanks heavily depleted, we continued on what ‘I knew’ was the way to Claryville Center.

Route 28 is a big road that runs all the way from Kingston on the Hudson across the state and north deep into the Adirondacks. Along the way we passed one of our favorite overnight hideaways - the Starlite Motel – well worth searching out if the day’s end is drawing near.

As a main highway, here in the Empire State, gas stations are plentiful and readily available. I knew this for a fact, and even had the location of my stop already pegged in my mind ‘s map.

No….not the big multi-pump stop in Phoenicia itself; that would have meant riding down off the highway and too easy for me.

No, the one I knew of was right by the turn

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off for the road over Big Indian.

You know - the old dusty place that always seems to be closed and just maybe is abandoned at this point.

Yes, that’s the one. How excellent, Brian.

We continued on over Big Indian towards Frost Valley, assured with the knowledge that, if the sun set, we would be illuminated by the glow of the Yamaha’s fuel lights.

Long Island

Kawasaki

Trying not to dwell on our imminent unscheduled stop by the side of the road we crossed over one of the most scenic mountains in the old Catskills along State Road 47.

In truth I knew the FJ-09 had a gallon or so more than Shira and the FZ07, so I wasn’t to worried for myself. But, would feel awful if she ended up marooned in the Cats.

Along the way we passed through Frost Valley, with its stately castle-like building and fields of horses.

67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIKawasaki.com • 516-935-6969

Soon we came upon Route 19 into Claryville – which made for an excellent coffee stop before conservatively putting down towards Route 42 and the plethora of fuel stations as we headed south.

Okay, this area of the Catskills has much to be desired (understatement), so we fueled up fast and made time out of town. Now with plenty of go-go fossil fuel to get us home, we picked up the pace with tempered enthusiasm.

Gone were the memories of misplayed routes, wrong roads, and foiled plans.

No, all was good with the world – until the detour in Monticello around the big street party.

I think it was the Festival of Our Lady of the Forgotten Road - the patron saint of cocky know-it-all, not to be deterred motorcyclists.

This had me all turned around and after a few minutes I found myself back at the Festival of Our Lady of the Forgotten Road.

Bite me.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

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Pirelli Night Dragon GT The Ultimate Tire for Touring/Cruiser Motorcycles Tony Lisanti

Eventually we got ourselves straight and headed south until we spotted a small sign that said Route 42 – the road I was looking for - this way.

Rough Road for the next 3.7 miles.

Yeah, how rough? Pavement turned to potholes, which turned too deepish gravel. Never a big deal, but then there was the rabid dragon and angry Iroquois.

The two sport bikes were so happy.

Route 42 was rediscovered, Peenpack Trail crossed, and soon we were scooting back into New Jersey, when we looked at the pavement, taking note that it had now become very, very wet.

Hmmm, it must have rained here, was our thought. It was about then that the skies opened up on us as well. Oh well, rain happens.

By evening, with the sun really setting and the skies once again blue, we rolled into Backroads Central with a great, and very serendipitous, ride under the belt.

Sometimes it might be best just to ride into Plan B from the very start, as that old GPS in my mind might need an upgrade.

In November of last year, Pirelli launched a new version of the Night Dragon tires for the Touring and Cruiser segment. The Night Dragon GT promises the same legendary performance of the Night Dragon with 20% more mileage.

Using an advanced “Full Carbon Black” compound and new carcass materials, the Night Dragon GT provides a longer lasting ride, with enhanced feedback and handling that Pirelli tires and the Night Dragon are famous for.

The new Dragon GT extends the legacy of the Night Dragon, a premium tire line Pirelli introduced in 2008 for cruiser, touring, and custom motorcycle users looking for quality mileage, style and performance – and at a very competitive price.

Touring riders want better traction, grip and handling than the average cruiser touring tire can offer to match their bikes’ power.

These riders are long distance travelers and want to enjoy their trip on highways and feel the adrenaline rush on twisty roads.

Pirelli engineers set out to re-

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

vamp the tire structures and compound, while preserving the same profiles and tread pattern to maintain handling and water evacuation.

The new compound of Night Dragon GT features a ‘Full Carbon Black’ formulation that combines different types of polymers for high mileage and grip. From a chemical point of view, this is a challenging task given the different characteristics of these polymers, which is akin to combining oil with water! Thanks to Pirelli’s unique patented mixing process, combining special resins and plastifying agents, Pirelli engineers achieved a compound breakthrough. The result is a compound that warms up quickly thanks to the Carbon Black, as well as delivering grip, wet performance, and high mileage.

A new structure has been developed to support this innovative compound and fully express its potential.

The new structure features a different geometry of the carcass plies and higher belt tension. Additionally, new aramid breakers provide a stiff yet flexible carcass, with a high resistance to stress.

The Night Dragon GT has the same profile as the original Night Dragon. It features a wide single radius contour that ensures a progressive behavior when entering the bend and to support the bike at every lean angle. It also shapes the contact area correctly from straight to full lean, for a crown area to ensure maximum traction.

The Night Dragon GT maintains the original tread pattern design to guarantee high performance and excellent water drainage and mileage needs of these riders. The tread design’s strength is the optimization of the contact patch. Grooves are concentrated exactly where needed, putting more rubber on the ground to ensure traction and grip in every situation. The central rib is always in contact with the road surface, providing the right grip, feel and a stable tread area for higher mileage. On the mid shoulder there is a small additional groove to optimize the lean in, ensuring mechanical grip while maintaining a neutral and predictable behavior. The unique groove design helps eliminate irregular wear.

The Night Dragon GT tire features a unique design to provide unbeatable grip and stability at every lean angle in the dry. The specially placed grooves between the crown and tire’s edge efficiently evacuate water. All of this combined helps offer very quick warm up that instills confidence for the rider shortly after the start of the journey.

After many years of using the OEM tires on my Street Glide, it was time for a change. In fact one of the local Harley dealers had recommended the original Night Dragons so I was curious to see how the Night Dragon GTs would work. The first thing I noticed was the weight of the tires. They are much lighter than the OEM’s. My local shop spooned on a set and they commented on how easy they were to mount and how little weight was required to balance the wheels after mounting.

The second thing I noticed was the profile. The wide radius tread area is more rounded but not “pointed”. agents who ride and understand After an initial scrubbing to break them in the difference your motorcycle insurance needs in handling was noticeable. I allowed the break in pememBer memBer riod to rid me of any perceived “placebo” effect of having different tires on my high mileage Street Glide. ask about our tour cycle Program – the ultimate in coverage Steering effort is noticeably easier and the transition into turns is much smoother. The grip offered by the Night Dragon GTs is outstanding. The tires offer a high degree Passenger coverage • accessories coverage of confidence on curvy roads making the bike feel medical Payments coverage lighter than it is. The bike doesn’t fall into the turns as it used to making riding the twisties much less dramatic.

The ride was much improved as well. There are sev448 lincoln ave • hawthorne nJ 07506 • 973-427-2246 eral stretches of roads that I know so well that my fillings anticipate the wash board effect. I rode over one www.cycleinsuranceagency.com of these stretches and the ride was much smoother. Just serving new Jersey, new york and Pennsylvania • atV • Jet ski • snowmobile to prove it wasn’t a fluke, I made several passes and yes, the stiffer side walls do improve the ride quality. With very short travel on an 800+ lb motorcycle, this is a welcome improvement indeed.

Overall I am very pleased and impressed by the Night Dragon GT. The jury is still out on mileage but I look forward to putting many happy miles on them this season. Pirelli has manufactured a tire that truly provides that “new” bike feel.

Check with your local dealer for sizes and pricing or visit www.pirelli.om

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

Ghosts of Motorcyling Past Time Traveling with Indian’s Reincarnated Brand

Pamela Collins The ghosts beckoned and we couldn’t resist. Their hands reached into our present day consciousness and tugged it into the past, into their time and place and memories. “Ride along, we’ll show you,” they seemed to say. “We know this place.”

That place being Daytona Beach, Florida, and the ghosts the spirits of the old Indian motorcycles, now embodied in the reincarnated new Indian Motorcycle company owned by Polaris Industries.

Indian motorcycles began in 1902, long before Daytona had racing and before Daytona Bike Week became a motorcycling phenomenon. Pulled by the past, we set out on the 2015 Scout, Chief Vintage and Roadmaster to see and ride what the Indians might have seen and traveled back in their heyday.

Maybe it was the scenery, maybe the ocean’s magnetic lure, or maybe some ghostly prodding, but the handlebars turned toward Florida’s version of Route 66, known as A1A. This historic north-south running road skims the state’s Atlantic Ocean’s coastline like a pelican skimming the waves searching for dinner, barely touching the salt spray then gliding away.

Hubby Tim and I glided along with those pelicans that day, myself on the

Page 31 Scout and he on the Chief Vintage. Though these motorcycles tug on the nostalgic heartstrings of their riders with their vintage looks and retro character, their innards and skeletons offer thoroughly modern technology not at all scary.

We rode our retro-looking rides south on A1A toward Ponce Inlet and its notable lighthouse (existing in some form since 1835). High-rise condo projects and concrete-crusted hotels thwarted the view of the sand and sea, and some sort of building now occupied most of the beach real estate. But during Indian’s day the beach owned space and breadth, A1A had fewer lanes and few traffic lights, and that Florida peninsula became known as the birthplace of speed.

So our Indians traversed the asphalt, pulling toward the peninsula’s end at Ponce Inlet and stopping at the local hotspot called Racing’s North Turn.

Aptly named, this bar and restaurant combo does sit at the actual northern end of the original Daytona 200 race course, when the 3.2 mile loop ran half on the sand and half on the street, with race times scheduled at low tide so the bikes could mostly avoid the waves. At this spot the racers would turn left off the beach, through the sand dunes, and then run south on the street. The North Turn celebrates the region’s racing heritage with interesting displays of photos and other racing memorabilia, while providing its patrons food, drink, and a gorgeous beach view.

The bikes looked, well—comfortable here—as if they’d returned to a place of fond memories. As it turns out, this one-time track holds very happy memories for Indian motorcycles. In 1937, the inaugural year for the Daytona 200

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS race, Californian Ed Kretz rode an Indian Scout an average speed of 73.34 miles per hour on the bumpy, sandy, kidney-jarring half-beach half-pavement oval loosely called a racetrack. Indian motorcycles enjoyed repeat victories in 1947 with rider John Spiegelhoff and again in 1948 with Floyd Emde. In spite of 70 years’ worth of change at the beach, I easily imagined the overflowing grandstands, cheering crowds, and the huffing and growling motorcycles as they pitched left across the hard-packed sand mottled with gullies and grooves. I looked at the Indians parked for their photo-op by the restaurant’s sign and realized the past and present, at that moment, had collided.

The Indians purred to life with the touch of electric start, (kickstarting now largely buried with the ghosts), as we retraced our steps for the obligatory slow trek across

Main Street, Daytona Beach. The stop and go pace didn’t frustrate the bikes as we clutched and throttled and crawled our way through the venue.

Bikers and riders swarm Main Street during the event, to see and be seen, and judging by old photos, it’s been this way for a long, long time. Storefronts and watering holes might have changed their names, but the essence of the event remains the same since the days Indians ran Daytona’s streets.

Shifting into the Past

Before the Flagler, Disney and Mickey Mouse names influenced Florida’s culture, before the high-rise buildings and high-end hotels, Florida looked an awful lot like one big jungle. With some exploring you can find places reminiscent of those days, usually hidden in Florida’s less populated interior section. The Ocala National Forest, about 30 miles northeast of Daytona, reminds visitor’s that the Sunshine State offers more than beaches and sunburns. This area treats riders to the perfumey-sweet essence of just-blooming citrus groves, Spanish moss-draped trees that turn sunshine-flooded roads to darkness, and green pastures 1269 DOLSONTOWN RD populated with horses and cows.

MIDDLETOWN NY 10940 Just off Route 441, south of Gainesville and north of Ocala, lies the untouched-by-time town called Mi845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM canopy. While Florida’s St. Augustine wears the title of oldest city in our nation, Micanopy claims senior status Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters, as the oldest inland town in Florida, founded in 1821, snowmobiles, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, though it originally served as a Native American trading yamaha and Can-Am. With a large parts department, qualified post. service technicians and a full shop full of parts and accessories, we're here to meet all your power sport needs.

For every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing it in the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads, we have their weapon of choice.

The Indian motorcycles on this day romped and rolled with the gentle, tree-lined curves on their way to Micanopy, and I marveled at how little must have changed since they originally traversed these routes. Although we enjoyed asphalt roads, where they probably ran on dirt, it seemed as though many of the homes and farms probably felt familiar to them.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016 The Scout gleefully took to the moss-shrouded roads, making the most out of the few curves it encountered. Though larger than the Scout, Tim said both the Chief Vintage and Roadmaster handled with finesse through tight Uturns, over rutted roads or on the Interstate.

Micanopy’s a town just a wee larger than one square mile, doesn’t have a traffic light, and yes, if you blink you’ll be through Main Street and to the other side before you know it. But we know better, and so parked the Indians midway through town to enjoy lunch at one of the two cafes here. The huge live oak trees spread their Spanish moss-strung branches providing plenty of cooling shade, perfect for strolling the streets and perusing the many antique stores for which the town has become well known. Micanopy calls itself “the town that time forgot,” but it seems the Indian motorcycles remember it well. Parked against the backdrop of the native flora, fauna and architecture, they seem perfectly suited for a moment of time warp.

A Dickens of a Ride We returned east to the coast, because that’s just what you do in Florida, return to the beaches and ocean for which the state is famous. From the days

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of Timucuan Indians, to Spanish and French armies, Ponce deLeon, sugar cane, rice and Indigo plantations, and rum distilleries to the now omnipresent tourist trade, it’s still that coastline that hauntingly calls travelers’ names. So we comply and let the Indians lead, letting those ghosts have their say in our travel plans.

Unsurprisingly we find ourselves back on A1A, portions now designated as a National Scenic Byway.

Through seaside towns we rumble, passing Marineland, the nation’s first oceanarium and referred to as Florida’s first theme park. The condos don’t seem so high here, the ocean plays tag with the highway, and lines of pelicans follow us like a highflying security patrol. Then

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

we come to our stop, a story-laden, tale-filled traveler’s respite on A1A called High Tides at Snack Jacks.

The beachside shanty served travelers from about 1947, and became a local favorite with the surfing crowd. It still is, offering guests that delectable mix of hearty food, salt spray and sand squishing between your toes. It became a traditional stop for riders seeking an escape from Bike Week as well, having pointed their handlebars north to catch some sea breeze. The Indian motor-

cycles and their ghosts seemed happy to end their journey here.

During this Bike-Week themed ride down motorcycle memory lane, a sort of rider’s version of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, the ghosts of Indian motorcycles past helped us realize while some things change, some still seem awfully familiar no matter how much time passes. And with their combination of retro looks but modern high-tech advantages, the new Indian Motorcycle company seems ready and capable to spirit riders off to the future roads and adventures.

For 2016 the Indian Scout comes in five colors including a new Wildfire Red starting at $10,999. The ABS version can only be had in Indian Red and costs $ 11,999. The Indian Chief Vintage comes in four colors starting at $20,999, while the Roadmaster offers five color choices starting from $27,999. For more information on any of the Indian models visit their website at www.indianmotorcycle.com.

And…They’re Off! FALL FIESTA 2016

SEPT. 22-26 nother riding season has arrived and, with it, another Backroads Rally. This Fall we’ll be headed north to enjoy the colors and the mountain riding, staying in and out of towns. We’ll have a group dinner Saturday at the Eagle Mountain House, so make your reservations early as rooms, and seating, are limited.

A

Thurs, Sept. 22 • Saratoga Downtowner 413 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, Ny 518-584-6160 • www.saratogadowntowner.com Rooms: $99 - $139 plus tax incl. breakfast Cutoff reservation date: July 5 Ask for Backroads when making reservation

Fri/Sat, Sept. 23-25 • Eagle Mountain House 179 Carter Notch Rd, Jackson, NH 603-383-9111 • www.eaglemt.com Room and breakfast only: $170/single • $188/double Saturday night: Room, breakfast, dinner $215/single • $275/double

Cutoff reservation date: August 9 Ask for Backroads when making reservation Reserve Saturday night dinner when booking

Sun, Sept. 25 • West Dover, VT Kitzhof Inn 802-464-8310 • www.kitzhof.com

Gray Ghost Inn 800-745-3615 • www.grayghostinn.com

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

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Backroads

Mystery Ride

The Crayola

Experience

The autumn season, as short as it can be sometimes here in the northeast, surely offers some excellent days to get out riding.

After the first frost we can officially call any nice warm day “Indian Summer.” It also is apparent that after a long and beautiful summer the idea of winter returning doesn’t really sink in until that first morning with frost on the fields and the heat turned on in the house.

Any run of days coming along after that, with temps in the 60s and 70s, will grab our attention and with renewed urgency some of us will look for any excuse to go for a ride.

This happened during the third week of last October.

A few days earlier we had a pesky cold front drop in from Canada and it seemed like Old Man Winter had shown up early for the season. For the few days it was cold we heard nothing but complaints and crying.

But, then weatherbell.com, and Joe Bastardi, told us it would get warm, almost late summerish for most of the upcoming week.

Well, the problem for many riders was that the nice days were going to be the middle of the week – the work week.

We scurried to the elaborate and mammoth Backroads Research Center and discovered that Wednesday, October 21 was actually “Play Hooky and Go for a Ride Day,” a holiday known worldwide by riders, with their priorities correctly understood, and evidentially moves around the calendar year appearing when it is needed most.

This October 21 was such a day. Lucky us.

So, with this in mind, we posted a flyer on our Social Media sites and e-mail message board that there would be a Backroads’ Mystery Ride that coming Wednesday.

We thought, maybe, we’d get a few riders. We ended up with a lot more than that - with riders making the early morning trek to Victoria’s Diner in Branchville, New Jersey from New York state, South Jersey and the Philadelphia area as well as a number of local faces.

Some were retired, but most blew off work for the day (brilliant) and one rider even skipped dialysis to come for a ride. Now that is prioritization!

Our ride was complicated and would really only work using a GPS, so we shared the .GPX file via micro SD cards with a few of the riders and then sprinkled those riders throughout the groups. We had to, as the group was just a tad larger than we would put into one group, but it seemed to work well this day.

Crayola Fact #1

The first Crayola Factory was opened in Easton Pennsylvania in 1903 and the 100 Billionth Crayon was made in 1996.

Although not far in miles there were a number of twists, turns and some roads that were in our own back yard, yet never ridden by us before.

Excellent… They are out there if you look.

For once we kept the destination a secret (although some close guesses were tossed at us) and we just told the group that they needed to bring their inner-child and 14 bucks. It wasn’t until we rolled into the center of Easton, Pennsylvania that the Crayola Experience became our apparent target.

We parked around back and Shira got us all a group discount from the factory and a large group of riders began to meander

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

Crayola Fact #2 A Crayola Crayon is one of the most recognized smells on the planet and is among the top 20 smells most frequently identified by subjects in a Yale University study. That unique odor is created in large part by stearic acid, which is basically beef fat. Do vegans know this?

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

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around the Crayola Experience; eliciting some looks from the plethora of soccermoms present.

We were just in time for a talk by Dr. Crayola, a wizened professor of beef color and hue that was explaining all things crayons to a large group of children who had come on a school trip. We sat in for a touch and then went where the children were not.

Looking around we could see that most of the folks who had come along were deep into the offerings that the Crayola Experience has - like making “dripping art” spinning Crayola paintings, interactive “doodle in the dark”, “melt & mold” where you can make your own crayon-created creatures (Shira made a dinosaur), and a work station where you can create your own label for your crayon – Backroads Blue was our favorite.

We spent a little over an hour at the Crayola Experience and we hope most of the group enjoyed stopping at a place often passed but very rarely visited.

Crayola Crayon Fact #3 In the beginning, every box of Crayola Crayons were sold door to door and for the first 40 years each crayon box was hand labeled using a special machine. We got a chance to use them to make our own labels.

How things have changed.

Why not? Are we that old and curmudgeonly? Did you not play with crayons when you were a kid? Even now, do you not still pick up crayons and a coloring book when playing with little ones to see if you are better at keeping in the lines?

Maybe that’s what this Mystery Ride’s destination was really about… Coloring outside those self-imposed “Grown Up Lines.”

It was a great day. Most of us played hooky. We are pretty sure we had more fun than the other kids. And, we hope you join us next time we let you know that “Play Hooky and Go for a Ride Day” has come around on the calendar again.

See ya on the road!

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

at e S r Tou Saddlemen has introduced a new specialized seat that was developed for riders who want to rack up big miles in comfort. It looks a bit different too.

Durable marine grade vinyl and bright accent stitching with a supple upper-foam layer produce a seat that is as effective as it is stylish. The combination of the GEL comfort layer and progressive density foam with a GEL-Channel design cover provides riders with the support and perineal nerve relief needed for long saddle time. That’s the nerve down below in the nether regions attached to all your private bits. Got it?

We requested one for our BMW R1200 GS and this test is base solely on this machine. Your results may vary.

We found the seat to be of slightly more heavy-duty construction than even the stock unit, but easy to install in place of the stock saddle using cad-plate steel mounting hardware on both the driver and passenger seats that are far stronger than the original seats’ plastic mounting tabs.

All this heavy-dutiness comes with a price, as the Saddlemen Adventure Tour Seat is much heavier than the stock unit – which may or may not be an issue if you are looking to lighten your bike in various ways.

This hardware also allows for adjustability as the front seat adjusts not only in height, but can pitch forward or back for increased rider comfort

Its hybrid seat design combines SaddleGel interior, progressive density foam and a Gel Channel- Design cover to provide a far better perch than what comes with most machines from the factory.

The integrated bag/cargo mounting points on the pillion portion of this seat sets make it easy to attach additional luggage, or to be used simply as a strapping point for additional gear to be tied down tightly and safely.

For the passenger the rear seat features a thicker, progressive density foam base and GEL for passenger comfort and both front and rear Saddlemen seats interchange with original seats. The front seat can mount alone and be used as a solo if desired or needing more space on a long solo journey.

On the road, I found it to be better than stock and the dual gel pads both stylish and, more importantly, functional. Although superior to the stock unit, after a full day on the road I found it was not as happy as some of the one-off custom saddles I have ridden on – but that is what you are paying for when you pay for an individualized custom saddle.

On the other hand, we felt the need for more butts to try this saddle so we enlisted a hired gun for the job and our second test rider, Andrew Mccurry, liked every thing about it. After a number of weeks using the saddle for daily commute and touring he found it far superior to the saddle that came with the bike and that its quality was first rate and he liked that it offered long distance and high mileage comfort. He felt it was a winner.

There are a number of options on the market these days but if you are looking for a cutting edge saddle that looks a bit different and gets high marks for both quality and comfort then look at the Saddlemen Adventure Tour Seat.

The Saddlemen Adventure Tour Seat is available for a number of machines and sell for around $500. See more on www.saddlemen.com. ~ Brian Rathjen

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

Page 39

Hip Protection from Aerostich What is hip?

Tell me, tell me if you think you know.

What is hip?

If you was really hip The passing years would show What is hip? – Tower of Power Baja can be a magical place, but a number of years back it became a place of quick pain and yielding consequences for one friend.

This buddy, we’ll call him Bob, was on a week long dual sport ride, south of the California border and had already put in a few days heading south, looking forward to a few cold ones and some girl watching come Cabo San Lucas in a few days.

Riding in the middle of the pack he knew today was a tough one and he looked to renew his concentration as they made their way along one of the more silty sections of the Baja racecourse.

Baja silt is some unique stuff. Powdery and fine, and if it gets a bit deep it can be a devil to ride through.

World champions have been taken down by this stuff and mere mortals should be extra careful while crossing through it.

One second Bob was up – the next he was down. Hard. Slamming onto his hip and shoulder. He felt things move around in a most unnatural way. Yikes.

Down, but not out. Bob and his friends took stock, realized nothing was really broken and continued, albeit more gingerly, on their way.

The hip that slammed into the desert ground that day never fully recovered and was never the same. Just a few years later, Bob, who was in his 70s (the passing years would show), knew it was time and his hip was replaced with a more bionic one.

As you strive to find the right road There’s one thing you should know What’s hip today Might become passé Let’s take a step back and talk a little bit about this important body part and one that you probably do not think about unless you are having an issue with it.

The hip is a ball-and-socket joint that helps you move your legs during everyday activities such as walking and going up and down stairs. It has a good range of movement but it’s very stable and rarely dislocates, even after high-impact trauma.

The ball of the joint, which is at the top of the bone in your upper leg (the femur), is called the femoral head, and the socket created by the hollow of your pelvis is called the acetabulum.

The joint is surrounded by a tough, fibrous sleeve called the capsule, which helps to hold the bones together. The capsule is lined by the synovium, which produces a fluid that nourishes the cartilage and lubricates the joint. The hip joint is moved by a number of muscles that allow you to rotate your hip and walk.

When the hip is healthy it is a simplistic marvel of the body.

When it begins to fail it can be painful and debilitating.

As we grow older we tend to start to wear out all our joints.

Repeated injuries and stress can hasten this decline; which bring me to how to best protect our hips when we ride, or more to the point, when we crash. Simple – armor.

I have another very close friend – a red head – that seems to bash her hips with regularity and, in between motorcycle-related hip adventures, will find pointy, hard corners of tables and desks, doorjambs and automobiles like a magnet.

All adding to the purple haze shading to black bruises she acquires on her shapely, if odd colored, hips.

Her last romp against gravity (she always loses) happened on a wet mountain road in Eastern Europe (yes, she got bit in Transylvania). Coming around a turn in the wet she tucked the front wheel on a slippery white line going into a “low-side” slide that reversed itself into a high-side toss, thumping her down hard on her right hip and tearing the abductor groin muscle.

She was unable to walk (but, still able to ride – go figure), and the bruise on her hip and leg was could have been framed as Modern Art. Her suit (Roadcrafter from Aerostich), boots and gloves did a super job of protecting everything else and came through this tumble with hardly a mark or tear. Although scuffed and torn, her boots and gloves did their job, as did her shoulder, forearms and knee armor.

But, the one piece of armor that she did not have in this suit was for the hips – and that is what took the brunt of this accident.

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

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Everywhere else on her body that was protected by her bright blue and yellow Roadcrafter riding gear, did well.

When we returned I put in a call to Duluth and a week later she had two sets of armor for the hip from which to choose.

The TF3 and TF5 armor hip pads.

The TF3 are softer and larger and, according to Aerostich, by far the most popular, but when it came down to choosing for herself she chose the smaller, but tougher TF5 hip pads.

The flatter TF3 pads felt too large for her and the smaller, thinner, hard shell TF5s were just more comfortable when she wore the (Sweden/IKEA-celebrating) Roadcrafter.

Both pads attach easily, with sleeves, to the hook & loop-ready strips on any Roadcrafter suit and the extra pair of TF3 did not go to waste as they are doing duty on my own Roadcrafter suit that, upon inspection, was also without adequate hip protection.

Not that I hope to need it, but to quote another popular tune “Your time is gonna come.”

We found that everything counts during your life, and those bumps, bruises, breaks, and sprains from our riding career can and will come back to visit, like petulant Jacob Marley and, as we get older, we will probably have to deal with our misspent youth. Better to get “hip’ early as possible and protect this important part of the body.

The TF5 Transit Hip pads retail for $50, plus the sleeves and the TF3 hip pads for $55 ready to attach to any Roadcrafter or Darien pants and can also be fitted to just about any real riding gear.

Log onto aerostich.com to see these and their line of riding suits.

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

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Technical Tips for Those Who Aren’t side of the computer railroad tracks.

Note this is the way I do these – others employ other techniques and it seems to work for them. I find this way fast, easy and direct.

Let’s begin…

Creating a Custom Route with Garmin BaseCamp Unleash your Inner Magellan

As I just stated there are a few ways to create a route; some prefer to create general point to point routing and then use the arrow tool, dragging the route’s highlighted line to where they want it to be.

I avoid all this extra time and make my routes EXACTLY along the roads I choose. If the highlighted line does not go the way I wish, I use Command Z to erase my last move. If I don’t like the way BaseCamp drew the route, I Command Z it, zoom in and put the route exactly where I want.

Remember Command Z – it is your friend.

Let’s continue.

There is more than one way to skin a cat – that being written, Spenser T. Cat has hissed and sauntered away to sit on Shira’s desk.

There are a few different styles used when actually laying out a route with Garmin’s excellent BaseCamp program.

Hey, don’t roll your eyes ‘cause you think this program is counter-intuitive, obstinate and plain sucks.

I say you are wrong. I am not a gifted computer geek – but, yet I can do this – so can you!

Most new computer programs have drawn our ire when first tackled.

In this article I will try to show you how to create a route in an easy and, after practice, confident way.

We have found some friends struggle with these routing issues and simply do not practice enough at creating them. I don’t want to mention names Ivan and Helene – but they should know they, and others, are the impetus for this article.

Also know I am writing this article from a Mac-based outlook. If you are on a PC it might be a bit different. I wouldn’t know… as I live on the good

Open up BaseCamp. Do you have the latest maps and have you updated BaseCamp in the last month or so? Garmin updates things often and it will help to have the latest software and maps.

Above the map you will see two Horizontal boxes – Map Tools & Creation Tools. Click on the “Hand” icon” in Map Tools.

This will allow you to move the map around. You can zoom in and zoom out of the maps and bring in more detail in the shadowed box at the bottom of the map.

Brian Rathjen

Step 1 – (image 1)

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

3

2

5

Step 2 (image 2) Under the File Menu create a “New List” which will appear along the left side column.

Click on that and give your Route a name – here we did a route to Longacre’s Ice Cream, in Barto, Pennsylvania - and named it that.

Keep it simple.

Step 3 (images 3 through 7)

4

Choose a starting point for your route. For this example I chose a spot near Rollin Fast’s old shop in Lebanon, New Jersey (check out there new one) and then headed west towards Pennsylvania.

To do this click on the Route Tool – it looks like three squares joined by two lines – which represents waypoints and the routing line.

Once you click on the Routing Tool your route is live. Bring the arrow to exactly where you want to

start your route and click on it.

That is your beginning.

On our example I went from the staring point in Lebanon not too far away to CR 629 and along Valley Crest Road. When I click on that spot a colored

highlighted route is created. Congrats…. You are on your way.

I continue along the backroads in the general direction of the Delaware River and Pennsylvania.

I constantly zoom in and out to see where I am and where I want to go and, if I don’t like where my last segment of routing took me, I simply click on Command Z to erase.

7 If you click on Command Z again it will erase the previous segment and so on. You can backtrack to the start if you wish.

Also – if you leave BaseCamp for any reason – say to check on a website or Google Maps – when you return to BaseCamp and click back on, it will automatically cause your new route to go your clicked point. Just use Command Z to erase that last segment and to continue from where you were when you left BaseCamp.

Step 4 (images 8 and 9) When you get to where you want to go, click your last point. I usually immediately click the “Hand Tool” to avoid adding or changing the finished and happy route. This takes me out of Route Creating mode – basically not allowing any changes to what I have just created. Make sure you are happy with your route before you do this.

6

BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

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10

8 Double click on the file – this one was called “Main St to Cherry S” and that will bring up another menu. You will see “Autoname” checked. Well, uncheck that and rename your route to what you want to call it. I find it easier to keep the file and folder names the same. As you can see I called in Longacre’s Ice Cream.

SPYDER F3 MEETS LEGENDARY MUSTANG COMFORT

9

Step 5 (image 10)

Click on that folder and you will see the entire route you have just made.

If you want to export the new .GPX file (that is what all these routes are designated) you can do so by clicking on “Export” under File on the BaseCamp menu.

Or, better yet, follow our directions from Downloading for Dummies in the December issue and bring it into your GPS unit.

Like anything in this world the more practice and routes you make the better and more proficient you will get and you will learn or pickup little shortcuts and route making skills along the way.

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? You know how! Now go make a .GPX file just for that.

Any questions (within reason) email brian@backroadsusa.com.

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Page 44

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

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

RITUAL rit·u·al

ˈriCH(əw)əl/ Noun - a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order.

We riders all have our own rituals, our own way of doing things although some seem to have that down a bit better and are a little better at it than others.

Still there are some riders who have no way of doing things.

No plan, no fore or after thought goes into their riding or in this article’s case what goes in before or after the ride.

I recently ran into a rider who is a long distance enthusiast. That is being said mildly.

Although I ‘assume’ he takes care of his machine, I am well aware of the comments on the word ‘assume’.

The thing with his bike is that he was very proud that it has never, ever, been washed other than about a thousand heavy rains.

The bike is impressively filthy.

But, as notable as that could be, it made me think about the importance of actually washing your bike every few weeks.

To wash your bike in a decent fashion one must get up close and when one

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does that you can more easily see if everything is in order and operating the way it is supposed to.

I am not talking a complete “detail” here, just a good scrubbing and examination.

While we are at it let’s talk abut the need for that walk around the machine before you head out onto the day’s ride.

We should all be aware of the need for proper tire inflation and how to check and make sure your tires are properly inflated to the psi you wish.

While you are on your knees fiddling with the tire valves and stem cover (don’t lose them, okay) take a quick look around for any loose parts, plastic, missing or about to be missing panel fasteners or screws.

Um… anything puddling beneath the bike?

This was never a good sign; especially back in the 60s.

For some, Sunday is the only day they can really get out to ride so why not make this sort of “go over” a Saturday night ritual? That way, if there is something amiss, you have a few hours to correct it and who doesn’t enjoy the idea of a nice evening in the garage with a few cold ones and a partially disassembled motorcycle and parts strewn across the floor.

Yes, Saturday night might once have been for an attempt at taking things off your date, now we will settle for a Honda or Harley.

The day of the ride it makes good sense to carry on the Zen-like ritual of introspection. Take stock of yourself - your mood - your mind.

Was the previous night a hard one and, if it was, is your head truly clear enough for piloting a motorcycle?

If not maybe an hour or so postponement might be in order.

Don’t ask how I know this.

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Page 45

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tures is a really good idea and is more common sense then ritual.

Other rituals just save time and make things easier.

Truth is that this gaggle of thoughts came about from the realization of a habit I have gotten into since we have been using our Sena Bluetooth Communication systems.

The Senas must be charged each night and for that I have set up a dedicated space on the work bench that has two foam rubber rings that hold our helmets in place and a dual USB power plug that I use to charge the batteries on the Sena 20S. Each night when we park the bikes, we place the helmets on the rings and plug in the power USB cables and make sure the red light goes on telling us the unit is charging. In the morning it will be blue.

That done I also have a large bottle of Plexus spray polish. This stuff is most excellent for face shields and the US military uses it to clean fighter jet canopies.

Before I walk away from the helmets for the night I spray the shields and helmets down and give them a quick wipe down, removing the day’s grime, bugs and other biologicals that have Jackson Pollock’d my helmet.

I do this every night. A ritual that saves me from that next ride’s frustration when I leave my driveway only to see that I cannot - through the haze of now dried and cemented bug juice on my shield.

Adopting some two-wheel rituals can make riding much easier.

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MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

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START: EASTON, PA CROSS FREE BRIDGE INTO PHILLIPSBURG NJ LEFT ONTO MAIN ST INTO BROAD ST RIGHT ONTO 3RD ST LEFT ONTO FAIRVIEW AVE INTO BELVIDERE RD RIGHT ONTO HARMONY RD RIGHT ONTO HARMONY BRASS CASTLE RD RIGHT ONTO BRASS CASTLE RD LEFT ONTO KINNAMAN AVE INTO JACKSON VALLEY RD LEFT – STAY ON JACKSON VALLEY RD RIGHT ONTO KARRVILLE RD BEAR LEFT ONTO CHERRY TREE BEND RD STRAIGHT ONTO ROCKPORT RD BEAR LEFT ONTO GRAND AVE RIGHT ONTO 2ND AVE LEFT ONTO W MOORE ST RIGHT ONTO FRANKLIN LEFT ONTO ASHLEY AVE RIGHT ONTO HURLEY DR RIGHT ONTO CONNIE TERRACE LEFT ONTO WILLOW GROVE ST BEAR RIGHT ONTO WATERLOO RD RIGHT ONTO ROUTE 206 SOUTH EXIT ONTO ROUTE 183 LEFT ONTO LINDEN RIGHT ONTO MCKINLEY LEFT ONTO BROOKLYN RD BEAR LEFT ONTO CR 602 LEFT ONTO LAKESIDE BLVD

LEFT ONTO HOPATCHUNG RD RIGHT ONTO RIVER STYX RD BEAR LEFT ONTO MAXIM DR RIGHT ONTO INDIAN TRAIL INTO LAKESIDE AVE LEFT ONTO PROSPECT POINT RD RIGHT ONTO ROUTE 181 LEFT ONTO ESPANONG RD (CROSS ROUTE 15) ONTO WELDON RD BEAR RIGHT – STAY ON WELDON RD LEFT ONTO RUSSIA RD RIGHT ONTO RIDGE RD LEFT ONTO BERKSHIRE VALLEY/OAK RIDGE RD RIGHT ONTO ROUTE 23 SOUTH EXIT ONTO ECHO LAKE RD LEFT ONTO MACOPIN RD BEAR RIGHT ONTO UNION VALLEY/MARSHALL HILL RD RIGHT ONTO GREENWOOD LAKE TPKE LEFT ONTO SKYLINE DR STRAIGHT ONTO W OAKLAND AVE LEFT ONTO DOTY RD LEFT ONT ROUTE 202 RIGHT ONTO LONG HILL RD INTO FRANKLIN LAKE RD STRAIGHT ONTO SICOMAC AVE LEFT ONTO GRANDVIEW AVE RIGHT ONTO WYCKOFF AVE RIGHT ONTO GODWIN AVE FOLLOW UNDER TRAIN TRACKS EAST COAST BURGER ON LEFT SIDE

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BACKROADS • MARCH 2016

BRINGING BACK RECREATING

THE

A

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BIT

OF THE

F.A.M. ENDURANCE RUN

PAST

OF

1908

Traveling through the Hudson Valley, one is reminded of how much the roads have changed and the scenery has evolved. Today, we enjoy the luxury of perfectly paved roads that sweep up and down the area’s rolling hills, darting in and out of small towns such as, Windham or Palenville.

Try to imagine, if you will, taking a ride on your motorcycle more than one hundred years ago as part of the 1908 F.A.M. Endurance Run - one of the hardest contests of man and machine for its time. You would not be mounted on a modern 103 cubic inch twin cylinder bike with six-speed transmission and cruise control, but a single cylinder 35 cubic inch motor producing an amazing 6 horsepower. With only a single leather belt to deliver power from your motor to your rear wheel and nothing more than a bicycle coaster brake for stopping, you try and take the road by storm. You would no longer have a six gallon touring gas tank to rely on, but rather a scant 1.5 gallon tank that drip feeds fuel by gravity. This is what the contestants of the 1908 F.A.M. Endurance Run had as their average motorcycle. Navigating the course from the town of Catskill, the contestants traversed the rocky roads of the Catskill Mountains, riding on whatever mixture of dirt and blacktop was available along the Hudson River heading south. Barges and ferries completed the course down to New York City. That was day one of the Catskill loop.

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Recently, Woodstock Harley-Davidson had the honor of taking part in a cable TV project that chronicled one of the riders in 1908: Walter Davidson.

Walter Davidson was one of the four original founding fathers of the then newly created and largely unknown Harley-Davison Motor Company. Though the filming of the show had a different angle, the history of the man and the ride permeated the project. If you step into the local coffee shop on Main Street in Catskill today, you will see photos of the event hanging prominently on the wall. The “race” was a highlight in the town’s history. During the 100th anniversary celebration of this event, celebrities of the Harley-Davidson Family, Jean Davidson, granddaughter of Walter, and her son Jon, visited the starting point and were the first relatives of Walter to do so in those one hundred years.

Back in 1908, Walter Davidson won that race with a perfect 1000 point score and was awarded an extra 5 points for his team building and ‘no man left behind’ spirit. This was one of the most important events that put Harley-Davidson on the map.

Woodstock Harley-Davidson® is drawn to the history that surrounds them.

They are currently plotting the “Catskill Loop” portion of the 1908 race into a modern day tour map. Starting at the exact spot in Catskill, NY, a rider will be able to closely replicate that route from the starting line, all the way down to Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh. They hope to have this run, along with other scenic routes, available for the 2016 riding season. The map will be available free of charge to those who ‘Rent the Dream’ at Woodstock Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals, 949 State Route 28, Kingston, NY. The map will also include offers from various partners in tourism, in the Catskills, who are motorcycle-friendly. They want you to experience the rich history in their region and want you to experience it on a Harley-Davidson® motorcycle, preferably a modern one! For more information visit: www.WoodstockHarley.com or call 855-RIDE-WHD.

the dramatic Andes, snow-covered volcanoes and, of course, the magic world of Patagonia.

email info@motoaventura.cl web www.motoaventura.cl

Page 48

MARCH 2016 • BACKROADS

UP C OM I N G E VE NT S CAL END AR MARCH 2016 4-5 • 6th Modern Classics Motorcycle Show, Martin Motorsports, Boyertown, PA, featuring a stunning selection of great motorcycles from the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and the early 90s in a once-a-year indoor show. For 2016 Modern Classics will highlight motocross, trials, and enduro bikes blended with the usual wide variety of special motorcycles from that era. Friday evening “Kick Start” party and Saturday’s impressive “museum for a day.” For more information or to learn how to nominate your classic bike for inclusion go to www.modernclassicsbikeshow.com 5 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Too Broke for Daytona Party. 949 SR 28, Kingston, Ny • 845-338-2500 • WoodstockHarley.com

APRIL 2016 3 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Meet up at Bob’s BMW for an exciting group ride led by Bob! Reserve the date. For time and destination visit bobsbmw.com 9 • Backroads Ride Like a Pro Day - Spring Skills Riding Tune-Up. See ad page 40.

16 • Spring Open House, Morton's BMW Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis Highway, Fredericksburg, VA 22408. Come join hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts for a day of demo rides, door prizes, barbecue, vendors, music, and much more! More vendors especially welcome! Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or call 540-891-9844.

28-May 1 • Horizons Unlimited Virginia Travellers Meeting, Appomattox, VA. Near historic Appomattox, hundreds of world-traveling motorcyclists will gather for a weekend dedicated to overland travel. enjoy travel presentations, seminars. workshops, vendors, off-road training, ride-outs, great food, and wonderful camaraderie in a comfortable and scenic lakeside setting. Details at www.horizonsunlimited.com/events/virginia-2016 30 • Spring Open House @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Bob’s BIGGeST event of the year! Grab your friends and ride to Bob’s to kick off the season with hundreds of other riders and enthusiasts! enjoy food, vendors, door prizes, and more! Visit bobsbwm.com for more details

MAY 2016 6-8 • BUZZARD BOTTOM 9 by Poverty Riders International and Buzzard Brent, High Country Motorcycle Camp, Ferguson, NC, just 20 miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Camping fee of $12 per night with meals available by donation and volunteers. The roads (some of the best GS and corner carving roads in the world) and company make for an awesome good time. See directions and download the map from the website: www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com. Contact Brent @ 336 973-3911 or email brent.hcmc@gmail.com.

14-15 • NeW SWeDeN 450. Start: Cycle Gear, 2070 Rte. 70 east, Cherry Hill, N. end: PJ Whelihans Pub, 1854 Rte 70 east, Cherry Hill, NJ. Sign in: 8:30-10am. The premise is simple. 450 miles of amazing roads through the Delaware Valley area, one night of camping, hearty dinner and breakfast with 100 of your fellow riders, all for under $60.

Finishing patches this year. Ride features delicious eats, More details coming soon. email: ns450@newswedenbmwriders.com for more info • 450.nsbmwr.com 13-15 • Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park hosts Historic Oval Invitation for vintage racecars and the Thompson Vintage Motorcycle Classic featuring on-track activities, massive Swap Meet Marketplace, Manufacturer’s Midway Vendor, Antique Motorcycle Show and much more • www.thompsonspeedway.com 15 • Ramapo Motorcycle Club Spring Fun Run. Sign in/endsite: Shodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte 17) Sloatsburg, Ny • 9am til mid-afternoon. To benefit Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital. A designated route along some of the Hudson Valley’s most interesting roads, with stops for poker/dice/scrabble or other games, with a chance to win prizes, while supporting a worthy cause. ramapomc.org 19-20 • COG Spring Fling Regional Rally, Williamsport, PA. For details, registration or contacts visit tinyurl.com/COGSpringFling2016 20-22 •Morton’s BMW Motorcycle Spring Fling Rally. For full details check their website: www.mortonsbmw.com 20-22 • 2nd Annual Red Knights Motorcycle Club yankee Rally. Open to any Red Knight members. Bolero Resort, Wildwood, NJ. More information available: www.facebook.com/events/802996773124582 or visit www.redknightsmc.com 29 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Meet up at Bob’s BMW for an exciting group ride led by Bob! Reserve the date. For time and destination details visit bobsbmw.com

What’s Happening children having catastrophic illness. Start @ 4pm: Rockaway TownSquare Mall, exit 35A, Rte. 80 West/exit 35, Rte. 80 east, Rockaway, NJ. escorted ride leaves 6:30pm SHARP. $20 registration. end: Newark Ironbound section with vendors and live music.

More info: www.BKNJIX.org 23-26 • Johnstown PA Thunder in the Valley • www.JohnstownThunder.com 25-26 • 7th Annual Rock, Ribs & Ridges @ Sussex County Fairgrounds, Augusta, NJ featuring Jefferson Starship, Kansas, Blues Traveler, Pure Prairie League and more.

Barbecue fans will enjoy the juried rib cook-off • www.rocksribsandridges.com 25 • 11AM • Riding Cuba presented by Bob’s BMW Motorcycles & MotoDiscovery @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles,10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Bob Henig and Skip Mascarro will be sharing exciting stories and amazing photographs from this epic adventure, followed by Q&A. Guests will also be provided details for a SeCOND Cuba adventure, scheduled for November 2016! Visit bobsbmw.com for event details.

JULY 2016 9-10 • 40th Annual Running of the Ramapo 500™. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes north Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, Ny @ 7am. $35 advanced reistration/$50 day of event. Two-day 500-mile gorgeous ride with free camping with pool, Sat. dinner, Sun. breakfast, awards and prizes, starter pins and finisher patches. GPS route upload service for add’l fee. ramapomc.org 25 • Sharpen your skills and build confidence at the track. The Street Skills Riding Academy is conducting a Cornering Skills Instructional Track Day just for street riders at the New york Safety Track in Oneonta, Ny. Pre-registration required. Info: 585-8029859 • jon@streetskills.net • streetskills.net 31 • MeetUp & Ride with Bob’s Road Crew @ Bob’s BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. Meet up at Bob’s BMW for an exciting group ride led by Bob! Reserve the date. For time and destination details visit bobsbmw.com

AUGUST 2016 7 • Ride for Kids Hudson Valley. Central Valley elementary School, 45 Route 32, Central Valley, Ny. For complete details visit rideforkids.org.

SEPTEMBER 2016 18 • 33rd Annual Italian Motorcycle Meet by IMOC. 10am-3pm; judging at Noon. Featured Marque: Aprilia. Admission: $10/single, $15/2-up. Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, 24 Hamilton Rd, Sturbridge, MA. For full details visit www.imocusa.com or call 248-4705788 • 401-397-4253 22-25 • BACKROADS FALL FIeSTA Four days of incredible riding and fun. For full details visit www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

OCTOBER 2016 6 • Blue Knights NJ IX 28th Annual Harvey C. Irons Make-A-Wish Ride to benefit MakeA-Wish Foundation of NJ. Start and end: Skylands Stadium, CR 565, Augusta, NJ. $20/pp, under 12 free. Sign in: 9am - Ride: 11am. Coffee and donuts at start; entertainment, vendors and lunch at finish • www.BKNJIX.org • nj9@blueknights.org 16 • Ramapo MC Fall Foliage Tour. Sign in/endsite: Rhodes north Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke (Rte. 17) Sloatsburg, Ny @ 9am-mid-afternoon. Guided/self-guided tour featuring the best autumn pallet Mother Nature can provide along some of the Hudson Valley’s most interesting roads. Benefits Valerie Fund. ramapomc.org

NOVEMBER 2016 25 • 2nd Annual Black Friday Ride @ Bob's BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. After a great success in 2015, Bob’s will be hosting a 2nd annual Black Friday Ride! Avoid shopping pandemonium and #optoutsideon2wheels Visit bobsbmw.com for details.

DECEMBER 2016 17 • 9am-4pm • Holiday Cheer Open House @ Bob's BMW Motorcycles, 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD. eat, drink, and be cheerful at Bob’s Holiday Cheer Open House!

The annual customer appreciation day is Bob’s favorite event of the year. It’s a time to think back and smile on yet another wonderful and fun year of riding and serving customers! Visit bobsbmw.com for details.

POLAR BEAR GRAND TOUR 2016 March 6 • LONG VALLey PUB & BReWeRy, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853 Ph 908-876-1122 • www.restaurantvillageatlongvalley.com

26-30 • BACKROADS SPRING BReAK. Four days of incredible riding and fun, with overnights in historic hotels in Pennsylvania and New york state. For complete information visit our rally page @ www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

March 13 • THe CHATTeRBOX, #1 Rte 15 South, Augusta, NJ 07822 Ph 973-300-2300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

JUNE 2016

March 20 • BRIAN’S HARLey-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA 19047 Ph 215 752-9400 • www.brianshd.com

5 • Roar to the Shore and Avery's Ride. Sign in: Westbrook elks Lodge, 142 Seaside Ave, Westbrook, CT. For complete details visit www.TeamAveryCDKL5.com or call 860964-0716

April 3 • THe HICKORy BBQ SMOKeHOUSe, 743 Route 28, Kingston, Ny 12401 Ph 845-338-2424 • www.hickoryrestaurant.com

9 • Backroads Mystery Ride Lake George. See ad page 40 for details.

April 10 • CHeeBURGeR CHeeBURGeR 336 Northampton St., easton, PA 18042 Ph 610-438-1311

7-11 • Americade Motorcycle Rally. The Best Roads. The Most Motorcycle Companies.

The Most Welcoming Rally. Lake George, Ny. Special Pre-Registrant events Monday, June 6. www.americade.com • 518-798-7888

April 17 • CAPe MAy V.F.W. Post #386, N.J. 419 Congress St., Cape May, N.J. 08204 Ph 609-884-7961

11-19 • Laconia Motorcycle Week, Laconia, NH. America’s Original Riding Rally. One of the Big 3 • www.laconiamcweek.com • 603-366-2000

April 23 • eND OF THe SeASON GeT-TOGeTHeR - At The Pic-a-Lilli Inn, starting @ 11:30 AM. The rain date would be April 30, 2016; same time. Cost to Members: $6.00 per person. There will be salad, Wings, Beef, rolls, and lemonade, plus a cash bar. you must get an arm band from your flight leader.

15 • Blue Knights NJ IX 29th Gooch’s Garlic Run to benefit three local families with

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6-11 • Dirt Daze Rally for Adventure Bike enthusiasts • www.dirtdazerally.com

Keep the Adventure in your Travel

1190 Adventure R Jack-Of-All-Trades among

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ONLY Full Line KTM Dealer in the tri-state area

www.HanoverPowersports.com 210 Route 10 West East Hanover, NJ 973-428-1735

1290 SUPER ADVENTURE

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210 Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ • 973-428-1735

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Take the road less travelled with any of Honda’s Adventure motorcycles THE ALL-NEW 2016 VFR1200X

THE ALL-NEW 2016 CRF1000L Africa Twin

NC700X CB500X 210 Route 10 West • East Hanover, NJ • 973-428-1735

www.Powersports.Honda.com Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri: 9am-6pm • Thur: 9am-8pm Sat: 9am-5pm • SUNDAY: CLOSED honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. NC700X, CB500X, VFR1200X and CRF1000L Africa Twin are registered trademarsk of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (08/15)