Motorcycle TourM

agazine

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

MAY 2011Volume 17 No. 5

Ride into Summeron the 2011Honda CBR250R

Taking the Backroads to Indy MotoGP

The Ups and Downs of the Bay of Fundy

Take a Ride to the Catskill Mountains Highland

PLUS…All our great monthly columns, features and information

http://www.nolan-usa.com

http://www.can-am.brp.com

W H A T ’ S I N S I D EMONTHLY COLUMNS

FREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4

WHATCHATHINKIN’..........................................................................6

POSTCARDS FROM THE HEDGE .................................................8

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................9

INSIDE THE HELMET.....................................................................10

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

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

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................15

BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................17

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................19

WE’RE OUTTA HERE......................................................................21

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................56

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................64

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................65

FEATURESTAKING THE BACKROADS TO INDY .........................................26

TRAMONTIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON CHILI COOKOFF..............31

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE BAY OF FUNDY .................39

CATSKILL MOUNTAINS HIGHLAND HIGH ..............................43

THE GEESE FLY NORTH/MOTO GUZZI RALLY.......................47

LOST IN THE FLOOD .....................................................................66

BACKROADS SPRING BREAK UPDATE ....................................71

MOTORCYCLE REVIEWS2011 HONDA CBR250R ................................................................24

2011 DUCATI DIAVEL.....................................................................32

2011 YAMAHA STAR STRYKER ..................................................52

PRODUCT REVIEWSARAI VECTOR-2 HELMET.............................................................35

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS................................................................62

MACHINEARTMOTO......................................................................69

ALPINESTARS TECH ROAD GORE-TEX GLOVES ...................70

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ PublishersContributors: Ken Aiken, Neale Bayly, Bruce Brown, Mark Byers,

Kenneth W. Dahse, Bill Heald, Jeffrey Kurtzman, Lance Oliver, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email editor@backroadsusa.com • web www.backroadsusa.com

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2011. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ willonly 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 con-sidered 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 roadwaystraversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 3

Riding ScentS

We have all experienced the extraordinary

aromas that prevail in our day-to-day riding.

I got to thinking about this while using the ‘Necessity Room’ at the

Forklift Café. Places like this usually have a clean, yet antiseptic

tang to the air, but this day the room smelt very much like a new

car.

Who does not love that new car scent? Where can I get a can of

this?

But, it did remind me of the plethora of smells, both good and

bad, that we run into every time we head down

the driveway.

How about the road, right after a cooling

summer rain on a hot day? You know that one

- that wonderful taste of heat and wet rising

from beneath your bike.

On the other hand Spring seems to bring out

tons of skunks, who have no idea that the big

thing coming at them is going to flatten them

with dire and smelly results.

As riders we take this one on the chin. We

sometimes know it’s there before we even see

it.

Then there is other road kill - deer, raccoons, gophers and, not to forget,

the farms in the Spring that are ever so aromatic.

Living up here in the farmlands of northwestern New Jersey I deal with

this on a constant basis. Depending on what is being spread it can run from

slightly pungent to burningly astringent.

Back on the weather front we can smell rain in the air. Sometimes that is

a good thing, most times it is just a warning that the ride might get wet and

a tad slippery before long.

Then there’s that wonderful aroma that you might find while passing a

good restaurant. I have been told I can smell bacon from 20 miles away.

And, there are few things finer than the great tastes that you’ll find floating

around a decent barbeque smoker on a clear and sunny day.

The aromas of the different types of wood used by a good barbeque joint

can be like a Siren’s call to any group of hungry riders

passing by.

Ride to eat – eat to ride, right?

I have ridden along some great vineyards in my day.

Napa and Sonoma valleys out west, Long Island’s

North Fork and the great Finger Lakes region all come

to mind.

If you get there right around harvest time it is surely

the best, but I recently passed a vineyard on a bright

late winter day and still got that sweet scent of grapes,

even though there were none of the vine. I’d take it.

Motorcycle shops have a scent all there own. You

could blindfold any of us and drop us in a shop and

we’d know where we were. There has always been something comforting

and happy with a good shop – the rubber, the oil and the flavor to the air. It’s

all part of the two-wheel deal.

Some scents are particular to one region or area.

Case in point… We were riding down Louisiana way a few years back and

rode to a small place called Avery Island. Some of you might know where I

am going with this, but for those of you who do not this tiny island is the

home of the world-famous Tabasco Sauce. Avery Island lies about 140 miles

west of New Orleans. Surrounded by swamps, marshes and alligators, Avery

Island is a mysteriously beautiful place where the pepper fields grow, the

factory hums, and the McIlhennys and their employees continue to live and

work much as they have for generations.

As you cross over the bridge to Avery Island your snout gets bombarded

by this all too familiar taste of the pepper sauce.

(Continued on Page 12)

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

BRIAN RATHJEN

Page 4 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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MaRch MadneSS

As I sit in front of the monitor penning (is that the correct phrase when

using a word processing program? Probably not.) this month’s May article,

I find it difficult to think warm thoughts. There are

still remnants of snow – more like petulant little ice-

gnomes – cluttering my vision and when I press my

little weather widget button I see temps in the twen-

ties, with a promised high of 41. To all you global

warming advocates, I say BRING IT ON ALREADY!

I want to turn the heat off, close the fireplace flue for

the season and not have to check the battery tender on

the bikes due to lack of use on my part.

Many of my family members have a very different

view of March as they are avid followers of the Mad-

ness it brings. Starting in the beginning of the month,

they have their brackets drawn and ready to be filled

out. The rivalries are fierce, the wagering is frantic

and the games are, I guess, exciting. Somehow, I evaded the urge to follow

the rompings of a college I’ve never attended, visited or know anything

about. Instead, my attention is turned to the start of race season – with AMA

Pro Racing, FIM Superbike and MotoGP kicking off some tremendous com-

petitions.

Those who are like-minded know the craziness that was the race at Day-

tona. The AMA has posted a report on the actions, delays and rulings on this

bizarre start to racing season which can be found on their website:

www.amaproracing.com/rr/news/index.cfm?cid=41808. Additionally, after

watching the first round of the Superbike race at Donington, I was equally

perplexed at seeing the rear tire disengage from Maxime Berger’s Supersonic

Ducati. As one person posted on the YouTube site, ‘It’s never good to be

passed by your own wheel.’ Apparently, the wheel actually was sheared off

at the spokes. Let’s see, sweaty guys running back and forth with a ball or

high-speed antics on two-wheels – you decide.

This year, like so many in the past, March came roaring in like a freakin’

freight train, bringing massive rain and more snow, flooding and destruction

all along the East coast. But there were a few bright spots, some Spring-like

warmth and sunny days that allowed me to venture out on my almost brand-

new BMW. A lunch ride here, a couple of overnights there and the Winter

Madness that had crept into my brain took a couple of steps back into it’s

dungeon. Going out to the barn to ready the steeds

is therapy in itself. Just the act of going through the

tankbag, restocking the faceshield cleaner and or-

ganizing the Gerbing gear makes me feel like I’m

getting into the thick of the busy schedule to come.

Looking at the forecast for the last week of March

it seems like it may just go out like a timid field

mouse, but come April 1, that could well be a fool’s

thought.

No matter what happens with the closing days of

March, or even the first week of April, the icy grip

of Winter can’t last too long. As it’s want to do, the

days will get warmer as they get longer, the cro-

cuses and tulips will poke their green heads through the cold, hard dirt, just

in time for the deer to come along and bite their little heads off, and even my

fair-weather magnolia tree will reluctantly bloom in all it’s glory, even though

it’s been snowed on many times since said blooms appeared.

Backroads Spring Break is only six weeks away. For me, that is truly the

start of my season. Getting together with so many riding friends and readers

who have been absent for the past few months brings me great joy. Nice long

days in the saddle topped off by the camaraderie we enjoy at ride’s end stoke

the fire that will carry me through the next three seasons. The wood pile of

planned trips, one by one, will be burned through, each one creating new

memories to be etched into my brain to be pulled out those dreary days return.

That wicked Madness will be discarded, like the cold embers of the empty

fireplace, with its flue long closed.

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL

Page 6 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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a Sedate, Yet encouRaging, Bike Week

It’s amazing how clever you can be when you

need to justify leaving an unusual wearisome win-

ter for a place with some serious sunshine, espe-

cially if that place (for a short period in spring, anyway) is basically taken

over by motorcycles. In my case, I’m able to cite the need to

ride as many all-new motorcycles in the shortest interval of

time possible as the reason why I must flee the cold, dreariness

and the inevitable springtime flooded basement to fly down to

Daytona Beach and endure the 70-degree temperatures. Great

excuse, eh? It works because there’s actually an element of

truth in it. Oh, and to further close the deal their was my amaz-

ingly contagious enthusiasm about our new Shop-Vac, which

helped convince the spouse that I wouldn’t be really needed

when the flooding came as she had such a miraculous device

at her disposal.

So before you can say Scott Russell I found myself riding

down International Speedway Boulevard surrounded by many

happy bikers (included one woman on a Triumph that I swear

was Lara Croft), and trying to gauge how things were in the

world of motorcycles. Bike Week is not necessarily a bell-

wether for the industry as a whole, or a measure of the popu-

larity of motorcycles at the start of a particular riding season. That said, I’ve

always liked roaming around and chatting with various OEM folks to get a

sense of how things are looking for the near future. It’s also a great time to

sample some of the latest hardware, and see how confident the companies

are feeling by whether they release bold new stuff even while the economy

is still not as chipper as we would all like.

This year was a bit calmer than most, meaning in my unscientific exami-

nation there were fewer folks in Daytona Beach than in years past but still a

fair number. And the ones that were there seemed very enthusiastic, and were

clearly enjoying both their rides and getting some seat time on the new stuff.

Demo rides were doing quite well, and there seemed to be brisk trade under

pretty much everybody’s tent. While just tootling around (especially in the

vicinity of Daytona International Speedway, where the majority of the demo

rides and vendors were situated), I did notice some rides that pretty much

were rare birds a few years ago but are gaining in popularity. For example, I

think the first time I ever saw a Boss Hoss (those massive creatures with V8

engines grafted onto a motorcycle frame, and sporting a single-speed trans-

mission and a rear tire from a ’72 Corvette) was many years ago and it was

a true oddity. This year I saw several, plus all the demo Hoss bikes circulating

around the area and it turns out they have become fairly com-

mon, which is a riding phenomenon I never really expected

would catch on. Not that I hate these motorcycle versions of

Monster Trucks, but I just never thought people would buy

them. Shows you what I know about the market, I guess.

Another former rare sighting is the Can-Am Spyder, which

has only been around since late 2007 and is catching on very

quickly. I’ve seen a few on the road in these parts, not to men-

tion several cruising around Daytona as well as a well-run

demo operation. This three-wheeled conveyance is strikingly

styled and offers a lot of all-weather touring potential, but as

for me I have a problem with anything that has a handlebar

and doesn’t counter-steer and therefore lean into turns. If you

ever see me on one of these things (or an ATV, for that matter),

I suggest you get behind something solid right away. These

vehicles are not unsafe, but I am when I’m on one. I think it

may be a virus of some kind.

Fortunately for me, though, there were lots of handlebars to be found dur-

ing Bike Week and a great number of them did indeed countersteer. Personal

highlights: the new Diavel from Ducati is the sort of thing Q would have

built for James Bond, and is incredibly entertaining. Honda’s new

CBR250RR may be the greatest entry-level bike ever, and Harley-Davidson,

though I do not possess the gene that makes me covet these V-Twins, con-

tinues to impress me with every new machine they launch. Despite the un-

certain economic situation, in my view the manufacturers sure don’t seem to

(Continued on Page 12)

P O S T C A R D SF R O M T H E H E D G E

BILL HEALD

Page 8 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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MaRch MudneSS

March is an odd month: it comes in like one mammal and goes out like

another. In the Mid-Atlantic, March produces every kind of precipitation,

but it really likes rain. When mixed liberally with sand and clay soil, rain

makes a delightful compound we fondly know as mud. It’s not just any mud:

it’s a yellow-brown goo that sticks like industrial epoxy or lets

you sink until only your saddle is above the mire. A few places,

we have a black, loamy quagmire that looks like an oil slick

and stinks like sewage, especially when you end up on your

back in it.

When I got a used DRZ-400 last year, my mechanic buddies

said, “Mark, this bike has never been offroad.” You can always

tell, because lurking somewhere in a little crevasse behind a

skid plate or around a cooling fin will be a stubborn little wad

of mud that even the most obsessive owner missed. Unless you

completely disassemble the machine and use a multitude of Q-

tips and toothpicks for cleaning, mud will find a way to stay.

So pristine was my machine that it was clear the previous owner

didn’t venture off the pavement; consequently, this Spring I de-

cided to christen the big DRZ in a way only I can.

When Dangerous Dan called Friday night, I knew there was

only one reason: Saturday was going to be the first big group

dirt ride of the year. Frankly, I was still a little afraid of the

DRZ, but I’d lowered the seat and I figured it was about time

to man up, gear up, and put my money and my mouth where

the mud was. Saturday morning found me trussed up in kneepads, elbow

pads, torso armor, offroad boots, helmet, gloves, and goggles and ready to

take on the trails. Even though it was warm, I knew the goo awaited me at

every stream crossing and low point. I wasn’t going to go quietly if I went

down (and I was going down).

I have a standard break-in procedure I use with every new dirt bike or dual

sport. During the first offroad ride, I ceremoniously throw myself under it

multiple times, usually in the nearest big mudhole, as a sacrifice to the gods

of goo and by way of protecting my peers from similar fates. It’s like bashing

a bottle of champagne over the prow of a ship, only harder to clean. True to

form, I had to pick the DRZ off various body parts (mostly without help)

several times throughout the day. I can attest to the 400cc motor’s torque,

because on one occasion the entire bike just stood upright in the bog, having

been effectively buried by my ham-fisted attempts to power out of the hole.

By the end of the day, there was no question that the DRZ had been ridden

off road. Hell, by the end of the first mile there was no question. The big

Dunlop knobbies deposited mud on every square

inch of the bike (as did the tires of my companions).

The bulge in the headpipe was no longer visible

under the baked-on coating of brick it acquired.

The new seat was effectively marked with yellow

swipe stripes where my flying body passed across

it on the way to the ground. Fortunately, I made it

back to the rendezvous and the only damage was

one rear turn signal tied to the bike with an old

garbage bag. The one redeeming feature of mud is

that it’s soft.

On the way home, I was the talk of the town.

Children pointed and adults stared with open-

mouthed astonishment at what appeared to be the

Creature from the Black and Yellow Lagoon astride

something that vaguely resembled a motorcycle.

By the time I arrived home, the mud was a mixture

of congealed glue and baked brick. It took two

hours with a hose, bucket, and brushes to restore the

DRZ to a semblance of its former self, but I can

guarantee that no mechanic will ever suspect that it hasn’t been offroad: there

are too many nooks and crannies from which I refuse to try to coax the mud.

Come to think of it, I’m the same way: you’ll never get the mud completely

out of me. I’ll always turn at the sound of a big thumper or ring-ding of a

two-stroke. I’ll always watch reruns of “On Any Sunday” and worship Steve

McQueen. I’ve got mud in my crevasses. I’ve got mud in my soul.

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BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 9

tiMe

A few years after that great gas crisis when

we waited on line with our odd or even num-

bered plates to get fuel, my dad pulled up to the

house in a new white Camaro. Forget that it had

hubcaps, a castrated six cylinder and plaid cloth

seats that looked more at home in Grandma’s

Dodge Dart then inside one of America’s iconic

muscle cars; it was a Camaro and it was cool

enough for dad and certainly for us kids.

This was also about the time that we went

from a nation of deciphering the hands on a

clock to a new generation that had time told for them by an LCD readout. In

addition to the cassette player in the dash, the Camaro sported one of those

new digital timepieces. My dad, who was probably about 40 then, was ap-

parently comfortable living in a world where it was always 12 o’clock. The

mesmerizing strobe effect at night from that ever flashing readout didn’t seem

to bother him either. So, one of my brothers or I would periodically have to

reset his car clock – we being technologically savvy from playing Pong, that

little handheld football game with its tiny lines representing players and set-

ting our own Armitron digital watches. My father apparently decided to keep

going straight when he reached the learning curve. This was further evi-

denced by the myriad of VCRs, microwaves and vehicles whose clocks

would forever display midnight or high noon depending on your perspective.

Last year I bought and installed a digital thermostat in his home. I think he

accidentally set it at 90 and left it there - which is great if you are in Anchor-

age and not living near Miami.

Trying to keep up with today’s electronics seems a bit more daunting then

in years past although I am now looking at that gear from the eyes and rapidly

hardening brain of a 40 something instead of a 14 something. Still, I never

thought a bike would present any major challenges – unless one had the guts

to delve into the inner workings of electronic fuel injection, antilock brakes

and all the other niceties we now enjoy. My ‘67

R50 feels like it would run on cooking oil in a

pinch and its technology, impressive at the time,

can even be understood by someone who was

still in diapers when the bike was born in a Mu-

nich factory.

With the recent acquisition of a Ducati Mul-

tistrada I have entered a whole other arena of

electronic wizardry. Electronic adjustable sus-

pension? Never mind I adjusted the suspension

on my last bike about once in a decade. Far be

it from me to fight progress. I’ll take it. No. I

need it.

It’s not that I don’t understand the concept of scrolling through menus and

accepting a selection; it’s that I am not used to finding such buttons for that

use on a motorcycle. So, I am constantly pressing the wrong one leaving me

feeling like I am pounding on the gates of a city where an amazing level of

digital information is available – if only I can find the key. Someone just

described this to me as muscle retraining. Apparently, I need to get my mus-

cles and my central computer used to the correct motions in order to reach

for the right lever or push the right button. I learned long ago that frustration,

while fun (as it produces a whole new selection of curse word combinations)

leaves me nowhere. Hundreds of miles later that “aha” moment will come

during a ride when you finally understand why this switch is here instead of

there (like on your old bike) or why that gauge readout can only be accessed

while reciting the first lines from the classic ‘Moby Dick.’ Call me Ishmael

because I should also point out that on this Italian masterpiece one holds

down the starter button while the bike is running in order to turn on the heated

grips. A simple switch with the little squiggly lines sufficed on my last mount

but such is progress. If you didn’t read the manual you might have cold paws

for a few years before you stumbled across that gem.

Not as complex, the Ducati rear hard luggage case is a good example of

(Continued on Page 12)

Page 10 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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INSIDE THE HELMET Jeffrey Kurtzman

In Memory of Swiss Air 111

Dear Backroads,

Just a quick note to say “thank-you” for including mention and a photo of

the Swiss Air 111 Monument in Peggy’s Cove, NS. On the other side of the

Bay, in Bayswater, another larger monument and park exists with names of

all the lost passengers and crew. The crash (which actually took place mid-

way between Bayswater, NS and Peggy’s Cove, NS) claimed the lives of 229

people, some of whom were Americans. My wife’s cousins, Eudy and Marty

Ball of Florida, were among those tragically killed. Over the years I have

been in touch with residents who gave of their time and homes to support

retrieval operations. More than one million items, including airplane parts,

were spread over the debris field in the Bay. It was good to see that three

American motorcyclists cared enough to stop and pay respects to the passed-

on of the Swiss Air 111 tragedy. Stay well. Ride EZ.

Sheldon Braffman

Reisterstown, MD

Don’t Hold Back Now…

Well Brian,

Once again you are preaching to the choir. And once again you are falling

into the same trap of equating cruisers with posers. You

know me, you know I ride a Harley Night Train and a

Harley Road King. You have seen New Roc HOG on

the Vermont trip and you will see us again in

Canandaigua in the spring. You might not know that

most of us do 10,000 miles a year and some of us do

closer to 20,000 miles. I guess what I am trying to say

is, ‘Don’t put us in a box with the wannabees.’ I have

no use for the ‘biker’s lifestyle’ crap that is glorified by

your competitors and the other forms of media. I don’t

like the street stunt crowd either. We have a hard

enough time being taken seriously by politicians and

mainstream society in general. Don’t shut us out be-

cause we choose to ride cruisers. I’ve been down the

sport bike and dual sport route and may try them again

in the future, but for now, the cruiser style fits this “old

man” just fine.

With warm regards (as always).

Byrd

As you are speaking of the New York Motorcycle

Show please note that we are certainly not talking

about all the cruiser folk that really ride, but specifi-

cally some of the vendors near us and the ‘riders?’

hanging with them. To some people it is not about rid-

ing at all – just the party that goes with the idea that

they are ‘bikers.’But, with these people it has to be said

and if I don’t then I am not being honest with our read-

ers on how I feel. I think most people got it.

Hi Guys,

It’s great to see Jeff Kurtzman’s ‘Inside the Helmet’

back in the magazine. He’s always enjoyable to read

and it looks like he bought an Italian girlfriend. I hope

to see him back in the saddle as well.

Mike Wernick

Rising Wolf Garage

Backroads May Cause Allergies

Shira and Brian,

While I enjoy reading Backroads every month, I have

discovered that I am allergic to the ink used in your

publication. I can no longer read it without getting a

sinus headache. Thank you for a great publication! I

will miss it.

Patty

The Dealers Should Support Us

Backroads,

A while back I read a piece in Backroads and the subject was along the

lines of ‘Support your local dealer.’ I put some thought into that and firmly

believe that we as riders should do just that. So I tried to do just that. I have

two Suzuki dealers in my area. One of the dealers is in Huntington, which is

35 miles from where I reside, and the other is in Riverhead, which is 28 miles

in the other direction. What they tell you is that they can order it for you. I

know that, but I can order it for me & not have to drive 30 miles back their

to pick it up.

My VStrom is getting a little long in the tooth at 50K & through the last

few months I have needed mirrors, brake pads, chain, sprockets and a bar

end for the handlebar. I needed these items at all different times. Not one

item was in stock at either of the dealers. I was not looking for any oddball

items just common items that I would think should be on the shelves at a

dealership’s parts supply. Hey, you can only buy so much plexus & chain

lube. Believe me I understand we have to support the dealers for them to

exist. Just food for thought.

Bill Kane

(Continued on next page)

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 11

Long Island YAMAHA67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIYamaha.com • 516-935-6969Full Line of Yamaha Motorcycles on our floor

Come in today and take yours home.

BACKLASH Letters to the Editor

It is nearly impossible to carry everything for every machine. Sprockets,

chains and such might seem like a no brainer, but Suzuki has dozens of dif-

ferent model and a dealer can’t carry it all.

Basic things like filters, plugs and such are readily available I am sure –

but some things it is better to call, order and go pick them up when they come

it. Find us an internet website that will help with a problem late on a Satur-

day!

Brian and Shira,

Sign me up for another year of your awesome, introspective magazine,

loaded with great regional riding info! Fun seeing you at the NYC Bike

Show. I hope you’ll get the chance to try Alps-like County Route 13 south-

west of Albany, NY. Be sure to spread the word to other riders as well. Thanks

again for the Backroads lapel pin you gave me at the Fall Fiesta. I will

proudly add it to my huge collection. Perhaps I’ll see you two on the road at

some events in 2011.

Chris Lawrence

Page 12 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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PoStcaRdS FRoM the hedge

(Continued from Page 8)

be cutting corners when it comes to building really hot

new hardware. To say this added a spring to my step,

much like the Florida sunshine after the long, frigid win-

ter, would be an understatement. Oh, and before I forget:

Ducati has finally won the Daytona 200. Granted, it took

them two engines and one of the strangest, longest de-

lays in the race’s history (and a shortened final lap

count) to do it, but Jason DiSalvo took his 848EVO to

the top of the podium on what actually turned out to be

a very exciting race. In the end, like my jaunt down

South for Bike Week, it was All Good.

FRee Wheelin’ (Continued from Page 4)

There is no mistaking where you are. It is unique on

the planet.

Another one of my favorite aromas are those final

wisps of the day. Two hot motorcycles slowly cooling

off in the barn. The combination of my small shop, the

aroma of a day on the road rising from our machines

always makes me smile. Add to that a cold beer or

hearty glass of cabernet and the nose is one happy ap-

pendage indeed.

Surely riding is not just a feast for the eyes, but for

the nose as well. When you pay attention it only adds to

the journey, especially when you use good riding scents.

inSide the helMet (Continued from Page 10)

the need for muscle retraining. I understand the way it opens and closes as

I owned one made by the same aftermarket manufacturer only a few years

ago – but it had a slightly different mechanism. In the last week I have con-

sistently reached for the wrong part of the latching system while trying to

close the bag. I even struggled and started to force it before taking it off the

bike and studying it more carefully. After using the bag a few more times I

am now trained and I hit the spot on the release without fumbling about like

a junior highschooler encountering his first bra catch.

The use of the keyless ignition is taking a little longer to assimilate into

my grey matter. After 25 years of inserting a key into a bike, turning it on

and pressing a button to achieve ignition this idea of just having a ‘key’ in

the area of the motorcycle (or a car for that matter) is taking me some time

to accept. The multi step process on the Ducati (that is not why it is called a

Multistrada by the way) is no more complex than the

starting procedure on any other bike - but it’s a different

few steps than what I am used to performing. In a few

weeks I’ll be sitting on a standard ignition bike won-

dering why it won’t start with the key still in my pocket.

Each day my new friend and I are getting more com-

fortable with one another and I’m absorbing the tech-

nology like I knew I would. Taken as a learning

experience with some modicum of patience it is truly

exciting to see where we have come and where we are

going. However, I just noticed yesterday that despite

the bright sunshine, according to my bike’s digital clock

it is 2:39 a.m. in whatever alternate universe I’m riding

in. And I seem to be powerless to change that for now.

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Got something

to say? We’d

love to hear it.

Letters may be

edited, never

censored, to fit.

Mail:

BACKROADSPO Box 317

Branchville NJ 07826

Email:

editor@backroadsusa.com

Fax: (973) 948-0823

Speer Yamaha would like to wish their friend Ed Brodo the

speediest of recoveries and best wishes for the miles ahead!

BIG APPLE MOTORCYCLE SCHOOL’MSF BASIC RIDERCOURSE FOR WOMEN ONLY

Calling all women who are looking for a unique motorcycle training ex-

perience. Learn to ride and get your license surrounded by other like-minded

women on June 3-5 at the Dowling College in Oakdale, NY. Dowling College

is a private university on the south shore of Long Island opposite Fire Island.

“This course is a great way to learn to ride and enjoy the camaraderie of

other women,” said big Apple Motorcycle School owner and founder Diane

Ortiz. The course, which begins on Friday with classroom instruction at 5pm

and finished on Sunday at 4pm, will have a catered lunch both Saturday and

Sunday, t-shirts, goody bags and other special items. Women RiderCoaches

will run the course. A portion of each registration for this class will be do-

nated to the Women’s Motorcyclist Foundation.

If you’d like to join the ranks of the other women riders you know, go to

their website, www.bigapplemotorcycleschool.com, for registration, fee and

other information or call 516-639-9977

HONDA AFFECTED BY EARTHQUAKE, DONATES

$3 MILLION TO RELIEF EFFORTJapan’s major earthquake has affected Honda’s mo-

torcycle production and killed at least one employee at

the Tochigi research and development facility. Honda

is donating 300 million yen (US$3.7 million) towards

relief and recovery efforts, and providing 1,000 gas-

powered generators and 5,000 canisters of gas to fel-

low countrymen affected by the disaster.

In addition Honda is closing several plants to com-

ply with the Japanese government’s request for elec-

tricity conservation efforts and rolling blackouts.

From March 15 through 20, Honda suspended all

production activities at its plants listed above as well

as at Kumamoto Factory (Ozu-machi, Kikuchi-gun,

Kumamoto). This plant produces the Super Cub,

CBR600RR, VFR1200F and DN-01,

From March 14 through 20, Honda suspended regu-

lar operations at all Honda facilities in the Tochigi area,

where damage was more serious, and focus on the re-

covery of each operation. Honda associates will not

come to work during this time.

LONG-DISTANCE MOTORCYCLISTS

GET SET FOR NEW ENGLANDMOTOMARATHON, JUNE 9-12

The Motomarathon Association kicks off its 2011

motorcycle endurance riding season with the second

annual New England Motomarathon, June 9-12.

Routes are kept secret until the night before each day’s

ride, and participants must complete a sequence of self-

recorded check-points using digital cameras over the

four days, averaging approximately 400 miles per day.

Day One routes will be handed out to participants

at Kawasaki/KTM/Aprilia dealer Motofit, located at

10 Mill Plain Road in Danbury, at 8:00 p.m. on

Wednesday, June 8th and again at 8:00 a.m. the morn-

ing of Thursday, June 9th.

Riders will record the designated check-points on

the way to Shelburne, NH, spending three nights and

two days riding, checking in and out from the head-

quarters hotel, the Birch Bend Motolodge (www.birch-

bend.com), which caters to motorcyclists. Riders will

return to Danbury on June 12th for the Awards Dinner

at Motofit.

The ride, designed by Routemaster Daniel Monteiro and sponsored by

Motofit, Revolution Insurance and Butler Motorcycle Maps, will include

check-points near two of the nation’s biggest motorcycle rallies: Americade

in Lake George, NY, and Laconia Motorcycle Week in New Hampshire.

“The Motomarathon format, now in its third season, has struck a nerve

with today’s long-distance riders,” said Revolution Insurance Chairman Cliff

La Motta. “This four-day endurance tour takes on the best back roads in the

region, including the New Hampshire Notches. Revolution Insurance,

Motofit and Butler Motorcycle Maps are proud to promote this highest form

of motorcycle sport-touring.” For more information, please visit www.mo-

tomarathon.com, or contact John Metzger, 303-641-1062,

john@metzger.com.

TRIUMPH AND EDELWEISS INTRODUCE

ADVENTURE TOUR PROGRAM FOR 2011Triumph Motorcycles is introducing a worldwide adventure tour program

in 2011, utilizing its critically acclaimed new Tiger 800XC. A range of five

adventure tours, ranging from 11 to 16 days, are being offered from June

2011 and will be run in cooperation with Edelweiss Bike Travel. Triumph

has plans to extend the program with an even wider range of itineraries avail-

able from 2012.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 13

INDUSTRY INFOBITES News from the Inside

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Three of the tours will start with a look around Triumph’s state-of-the-art

factory in Hinckley, in the British Midlands, before taking riders to the iconic

Isle of Man, the beautiful Scottish Highlands or on a European tour to Austria

for the annual party that is Triumph’s Tridays Festival. Adventurers looking

for a Sahara experience can take on the north African Triumph Adventure

Tour, while an Asian trip around stunning Thailand is scheduled to take place

in December.

With the exception of June’s Tridays tour, which is conducted using the

participant’s own motorcycle, Triumph Adventure Tours include use of the

Tiger 800XC for the duration of the event. All tours are lead by Edelweiss’

extremely knowledgeable and experienced tour guides and include all ac-

commodation and a fully equipped support van.

AMA YAMAHA SUPER TÉNÉRÉ ADVENTURE RIDING SERIESKICKS OFF FOR 2011

The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to announce a new title

sponsor for the country’s premier riding series for fans of big-bore adven-

ture-touring motorcycles with the 2011 launch of the AMA Yamaha Super

Ténéré Adventure Riding Series. Geared toward riders of all brands of ad-

venture-touring motorcycles, the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Rid-

ing Series includes more than 20 rides in some of the most scenic riding areas

in the country. The series’ “High Adventure, No Hassles” approach includes

plenty of riding on asphalt, gravel and two-track routes mapped by local ex-

perts, the camaraderie of like-minded enthusiasts and a full weekend of ac-

tivities, including camping and bonfires. The partnership between the AMA

and Yamaha coincides with the manufacturer’s exciting entry into the big-

bore adventure touring market with the impressive Super Ténéré, the 1,199cc,

rally-inspired motorcycle designed to cover long miles over varied terrain in

comfort and style. In fact, thanks to Yamaha, one lucky participant in the

2011 AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Series will win a brand new

2012 Super Ténéré. “Adventure-touring continues to grow in terms of pop-

ularity, and we’re really excited that Yamaha has chosen to partner with the

country’s premier adventure-touring series to show off the company’s new

Super Ténéré motorcycle, and demonstrate support for the segment and its

enthusiastic riders,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “Thanks

to Yamaha’s efforts, riders in the AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Rid-

ing Series will see a real step up in the caliber of our events, which are already

on the top tier of adventure-touring rides.” Yamaha officials noted that the

partnership with the AMA is a perfect fit for their company. “The AMA

Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Ride Series will expose the Super Ténéré

to serious adventure-touring riders around the country,” said David Docktor,

Yamaha’s motorcycle marketing manager. “We plan to have a Super Ténéré

on each ride, so participants can see first-hand how capable and fun to ride

this new machine really is.” Yamaha’s support of the series will include the

Super Ténéré grand prize giveaway bike, prizes from the Yamaha Genuine

Accessories and Apparel lines and promotion of the series through local deal-

ers. Finally, Yamaha will also be offering special promotions specifically to

owners of its all new Super Ténéré. For full series info, please visit

http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Dirt/EventsAndSeries/Nation-

alAdventureRide.aspx.

NJ’S GOVERNOR CHRISTIE ALLOWS

SUNDAY MOTORCYCLE SALESNew Jersey motorcycle dealers are rejoicing that they can now sell bikes

on Sundays. Gov. Chris Christie signed a law allowing the Sunday motorcy-

cle sales on March 3.

The owner of one southern New Jersey dealership said she wrote letters to

lawmakers for six years asking for the blue law that had prevented the sales

to be overturned. Barb Borowiec of Barb’s Harley-Davidson in Haddon

Township says it makes sense to sell bikes on the seventh day. After all, she

told the Courier-Post of Cherry Hill, liquor, cigarettes, casino gambling and

strip clubs are available that day. She used to lose customers to dealers in

Delaware who couldn’t wait a day to ride their bikes.

The law doesn’t apply in Bergen County, where Sunday sales of most items

are barred.

Page 14 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

CIRCLECYCLE

570 Broad AvenueRidgefield NJ

web: www.circlecycle.net

201-945-2200

For over 25 yearsCircle Cycle has helped

riders get and stay on the road

Our variety of powersports products is second to none. Whether you’reriding offroad, backroads, or onthe track, we’re here to get you

where you need to go.

In northern New Jersey there isn’ta friendlier or more knowledgeable staffthan ours. We’re happy to help you find

the parts you’ve been looking for.

Online Shopping AvailableCheck our catalog pages - if you don’t see what you want,

give us a call or stop in - we’re always ready to help!

Circle Cycle.For the discriminating rider.

7 Main Avenue • Passaic, NJ973-778-6256 • www.speeryamaha.com

Gold Certified

FW SPEER YAMAHA

Vito’s Full Moon Cruise • May 18 @ 7pmThis is a Pro Yamaha Consumer Event

The Tri-State Area’s Oldest Yamaha Dealer

BACKROADS gladly accepts press releases.Please forward text and images via email to

editor@backroadsusa.com

FRench aziluM

PariS along thE SuSquEhanna rivEr?

As you ride along The Grand Army of Republic Highway, or US 6 as it is

more commonly referred to, you will certainly find plenty to see, but one

view is simply too grand to miss. Just east of Towanda is the Marie Antoinette

Lookout. Actually in Wyalusing, just past the Rte. 409 junction, you’ll need

to keep a sharp eye out for the entrance along the eastbound lane, but it is

certainly worth searching for. There is also a restaurant, which was once the

Marie Antoinette Inn and now called Pat’s

Pub, but it did not seem open when we visited

there. Well worth a return visit when it is.

High along the cliffs the large and ornate,

parking lot overlooks the Susquehanna River

and a broad plain across it with a command-

ing view.

Here was once the

French village of

Azilum and with it an

interesting story of

loyalty, escape and

hope.

It was during the

French Revolution, in

1793, that several French loyalists fled

France and the French island of Santo

Domingo, now known as Haiti, to escape

certain death for their loyalty to King Louis

XVI and his Queen, Marie Antoinette.

Arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania they met three prominent Philadel-

phians, Robert Morris, John Nicholson, and Stephen Girard, who agreed to

finance their stay in Pennsylvania. Stephen Girard purchased 1,600 acres in

Northeastern Pennsylvania and gave it to the refugees.

The French traveled up the Susquehanna River in Durham boats and

dugout canoes. When they

arrived at their destina-

tion, they found the area

pristine. It was perfect and

they believed they had

found their new home and

named it Azilum.

The small settlement

grew rapidly and within

one year of settling, the

French had built thirty log homes, several small shops, a schoolhouse, a

chapel, and a theater. La Grande Maison was the largest of the buildings in

Azilum at some 80 by 60 feet. It had many small windows and eight fire-

places. It is said that the French loyalists built La Grande Maison in hopes

that Marie Antoinette would escape from prison in France, flee to Pennsyl-

vania with her two children, and find refuge in Asylum. It never happened;

for as we all know, the Queen of France was executed for treason and lost

her life beneath the blade of a guillotine.

Revolution is rarely pleasant and the French can be, well, so French.

After the Queen’s death, the settlers remained in Azilum using the Queen’s

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 15

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents

Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

home to entertain French nobles

such as the Foreign Minister, Tal-

lyrand, and the future French king,

Louis Phillipe.

When the Reign of Terror ended

in France, some of the French re-

turned to their home country,

while others decided to travel

south to Savannah, Georgia,

Charleston, South Carolina, and

New Orleans, Louisiana, where

they joined other French people

displaced from Nova Scotia by the

British years before. These folks became known as the Cajun.

These days the only evidence of a settlement is the foundation of one of

the buildings. However, in 1836, John LaPorte, the son of one of the original

French settlers, built the LaPorte House on the grounds. Today visitors can

tour the LaPorte House and see hand-hewn timbers, French wall decorations,

hand-blown glass windows, and a gazebo and herb garden. You can also walk

Azilum’s nature trail along the Susquehanna River.

You have to wonder how history would have changed if the Queen had

safely escaped France to settle in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania?

But, that would be another story in this Mysterious America.

Page 16 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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NOTE: ROADWORK IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL THRU JUNE 2011.PLEASE CHECK WEBSITE FOR DETOUR.

START: PORT JERVIS, NEW YORKRTE. 97 NORTH

RIGHT AT CR 31 TO GLEN SPEYRIGHT AT CR 41 LEFT AT CR 32 TO ELDREDSTRAIGHT AT CR 33 TO HUNT’S CORNER

RIGHT AT RTE. 97BEAR LEFT AT CR 52 TO NARROWSBURG, OVER BRIDGE TO PAIMMEDIATE RIGHT AFTER BRIDGE

RIVER ROAD CR 1017 TO MILANVILLE

RIGHT AT CR 1004LEFT AT RTE. 371 LEFT AT RTE. 374 RIGHT AT RTE. 106 (PAST I-81) TO KINGSLEY

STRAIGHT OVER RTE. 11LEFT AT CR 2024 W TO DIMOCK

STRAIGHT AT CR 3023 LEFT AT RTE. 706 W TO WYALUSING

RIGHT AT US 6 WEST

OVERLOOK JUST PAST RTE. 409 ON RIGHT

HEAD WEST TO WYSOX AND FOLLOW SIGNS TO FRENCH AZILUM

the SaRatoga BattleField

rtE. 32 or rtE. 4, South of Saratoga, nY

If ever one nation has made such an impact on the

world in the last couple hundred years or so it is our

own, the United States of America.

And, in modern times we cannot fathom a world

without our great nation. But, this Republic did not

come about easily and there was a time when it seemed

we would stay under British rule forever.

Then came a decisive battle. The first real victory for

the fledgling nation and a battle some historians regard

as one of the pivotal battles of world history – the Battle

of Saratoga.

History will show there were two actual battles

fought, more or less on the same ground 18 days apart.

The first on September 19 and then the final and victo-

rious one for the Continental Army on October 7, 1777.

This second battle solidly decided the fate of British

General John Burgoyne’s army in the American Revo-

lutionary War, (known outside the US as the American

War of Independence) and is generally regarded as a

turning point in the war.

General John Burgoyne commanded the main thrust

through the Lake Champlain valley. Although the inva-

sion had some initial success with the capture of Fort

Ticonderoga, the realities of untamed terrain soon

slowed the British triumphant advance into an agoniz-

ing crawl. Worse for the British, a major column en

route to seek supplies in Vermont was overrun at the

Battle of Bennigton, costing Burgoyne an irreplaceable

1000 men. Hard on the heels of

this disaster, Burgoyne’s contin-

gent of Native Americans decided

to leave, word came from the west

that the second British column

was stalled by the American con-

trolled Fort Stanwix and that the

main British army would not be

operating near the city of New

York. Although his plans were un-

raveling, Burgoyne refused to

change his plans and collected

enough supplies a dash to Albany.

For the Americans, the British

delays and defeats had bought

them enough time to re-organize

and reinforce their army. Under a

new commander, General Horatio

Gates, the American army estab-

lished itself at a defensive position

along the Hudson River called

Bemis Heights. With fortifications

on the flood plain and cannons on

the heights, the position domi-

nated all movement through the

river valley. Burgoyne’s army was

entirely dependent upon the river

to haul their supplies, and the

American defenses were an un-

avoidable and dangerous obstacle.

Learning of the Rebels’ position,

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 17

BIG CITY GETAWAY daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

Burgoyne attempted to move part of his army inland to

avoid the danger posed by the American fortifications.

On September 19th, 1777, his columns collided with

part of General Gates’ army near the abandoned farm

of Loyalist John Freeman. During the long afternoon,

the British were unable to maintain any initiative or mo-

mentum. Pinned in place, they suffered galling Ameri-

can gunfire as they strove to hold their lines. Late in the

day, reinforcements of German auxiliary troops turned

the tide for Burgoyne’s beleaguered forces. Although

driven from the battlefield, the British had suffered

heavy casualties and Gates’ army still blocked his move

south to Albany.

General Burgoyne elected to hold what ground he had

and fortify his encampment, hoping for assistance from

the City of New York. On October 7th, with supplies

running dangerously low and options running out, Bur-

goyne attempted another flanking move. The expedition

was noticed by the Rebels who fell upon Burgoyne’s

column. Through the fierce fighting the British and their allies were routed and driven back to

their fortifications. At dusk, one position held by German troops was overwhelmed by attacking

Americans. Burgoyne had to withdraw to his inner works near the river and the following day

tried to withdraw northward toward safety. Hampered by bad roads made worse by frigid down-

pours, the British retreat made only eight miles in two days to a small hamlet called Saratoga;

Gates’ army followed and surrounded Burgoyne and

his army. With no other option Burgoyne capitulated

on October 17, 1777.

The rest is history.

For years we have been riding to and from Ameri-

cade and we think it is now time for us to visit this in-

credibly important place in American history.

There is a short film at the Visitors Center and the

displays and exhibit are well done indeed.

The view from the cannon placements will bring you

back to a more serious time on this land and there is a

drive that you can ride your motorcycle around and

view history up close.

It is also worth visiting the monument in the town it-

self. This 155-foot obelisk commemorates the Ameri-

can victory in the Battles of Saratoga. It is open for

visitation Wednesdays through Sundays during the

summer season.

We’ll run this trip from Americade because if things

didn’t work out the way they did it just might be called

Britishcade!

Take a ride on one of the prettiest roads in the Northeast - Route 97

and dine with your fellow riders on the Delaware River

Rip & Ride®THE SARATOGA BATTLEFIELDRTE. 32 OR RTE. 4, SOUTH OF SARATOGA, NY

FROM LAKE GEORGE SOUTH ON RTE. 9

RIGHT ON GURNEY LANE

LEFT ON RTE. 58 WEST MOUNTAIN RD.

BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 28 CORINTH RD.

STRAIGHT AT RTE. 32 CALL ST.

LEFT AT RTE. 16

LEFT AT RTE. 9N

STRAIGHT AT MAN ST.

RIGHT AT RTE. 24 / 101

LEFT AT RTE. 32

SOUTH THRU SARATOGA TO BATTLEFIELD

Page 18 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

cha cha hut BBQ103 Main Street, andes, nY

845-676-6222 • www.chachahut.com

In the western part of the Catskills, right above

the Pepacton Reservoir, you will find the tiny burg

of Andes, New York.

With the famed Route 28, a road that rides

through both the Catskills and Adirondack Moun-

tains, running down the middle, this little town is

in the center of riding heaven.

But, as good as the riding gets in this part of the

Empire State, you still gotta eat!

That being the case we thought this month in the

Great All American Diner Run we would share

with you one of the ‘soon to be’ worst kept secrets

in this region - The Cha Cha Hut BBQ.

Some towns do not easily give up their secrets,

but our discovery of the Cha Cha was initiated by

our good friends Sindee and Ed Nevin.

Sindee and Ed live not too far away from Andes

and sometime during last winter we got a menu in

the mail from the Nevins. Interesting.

Not long after another riding buddy, Les Guile,

called to tell us of this great BBQ he had found in

Andes - The Cha Cha once again.

You know, when so many folks start talking up

a place, in the middle of winter no less, you best

be listening!

With the snow coming down and riding a few

months off, the tantalizing bill of fare stayed in the

“to do” pile until the first few warm

days of Spring, and then we were

heading north- pronto!

As we said Andes is located in

primo riding country, but you have

to look for the Cha Cha when you

enter the town.

See Hogan’s General Store? The

Cha Cha Hut BBQ is in the back –

as their motto goes, ‘Smell the Pig’.

Now the Cha Cha Hut has a bit of

history.

You see Cherie and Frank Davis,

the very friendly owners, originally

started their BBQ business in the

town of Roxbury, but shortly after

opening a fire swept the building

they were in (most likely set by

local cows and pigs in a preemptive

strike) and forced the two to open

up road-side on weekends for the

first year.

Now relocated behind Hogan’s, it

seems they have found a home.

Pulling up the first thing that hits

you is the delicious smoky good-

ness that is floating around Frank’s

separate “Smoker Hut.” Each day

the two big smokers are turning or-

dinary meats into something be-

yond brilliant.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 19

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tasty places to take your bike

The babbling stream behind, along with the quaint

Americana charm of the town of Andes, adds to the real

BBQ flavor of the place. You could be in the deep south

from the looks of the place.

Inside the small, but comfortable, restaurant you’ll find

Frank or Cherie behind the counter ready to serve you up

what we think is the best BBQ in the Catskills.

Now some folks say that you needn’t have to slather on

sauces to enjoy a good BBQ, but we think a good sauce, added

correctly, just adds to the food enjoyment.

Here at the Cha Cha you have a wide choice of sauces, all

dreamed up and created by Frank and Cherie. Thundernagi,

named after their two cats, is the Cha Cha standard, but while

there we made sure to sample each one of them. The South

Carolina Mustard certainly was tangy, but I preferred the

Sweet Lightning – the most interesting flavor-wise BBQ sauce

I have had in a long time. In fact a bottle of this and some of

their rubs have made their way to Backroads Central for fur-

ther investigation.

At the Cha Cha Hut you’ll find all sorts of things to fill your

belly, some you would expect and some that are unique to Cha

Cha.

The half rack of ribs I ordered were

big, meaty and delicious. Shira tried the

beef brisket sandwich that was superb,

and way too much for her to finish –

thankfully I was there to take up the

cause.

Frank was nice enough to let us sam-

ple some of his Pig Wings, which are

bite-sized pieces of porky goodness

made up of rib tips. Yummy!

Shira will rarely pass up on certain

items off any menu and as soon as I saw

the Smoked Mac & Cheese I knew she was there. This day I sided with some

of Frank’s excellent TrashCan Chili – reading off the menu I saw that this

chili is a carnivore’s feast. It was, and that works for me every time.

Things are very fluid at the Cha Cha and Frank and Cherie are always ex-

perimenting and trying new ideas and flavors. Frank feels that great BBQ is

an ongoing process and must always be evolving.

Take his BBQ Beans. Here he has combined three separate beans with his

own Thundernagai sauce to make a side dish that you will remember.

And, if you and a few friends feel up to a challenge, then there is always

the Full Monty. Created on Italian loaf from Foti Bakery in Oneonta, it is

Smoked Turkey, Smoked Mac & Cheese, Beef Brisket, Trashcan Chili, BBQ

Beans, Pulled Pork & Mustard Slaw. It is about 4.5 inches tall & weighs in

at 4.5 pounds and will cost you $25. If you choose to go solo on the Full

Monty it might be worth your while as the Cha Cha is planning on making

this a challenge sandwich - a la Man vs. Food - with the general plan being

to eat it in under 25 minutes and get

a t-shirt and your name on the “Wall

of Infamy.” Set a new time record

and you eat for free. Good luck on

this. Really.

So here you have another fantastic

stop on the ride we call the Great All

American Diner Run – but to make

this even better we’ll give you a

great jaunt from the Sussex county

region of New Jersey and toss in a

Mysterious America as well. Enjoy

the ride, but more importantly, enjoy

the Cha Cha BBQ Hut!

ROUTE 206 NORTH – JUMBOLAND MAKES A GOOD START

RIGHT BEFORE BRIDGE TO CR 521CROSS IN TO NEW YORK AT PORT JERVISLEFT AT US 6 OVER SMALL STEEL BRIDGE

IMMEDIATE LEFT INTO CEMETERY

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA STOPRIDE SLOWLY TO END AND FIND THE TRI-STATE MARKER

NEAR THE POINT UNDER I-84BACK TO US 6 - TAKING IN THE FANTASTIC MARKERS

PICK-UP ROUTE 97 – HAWKS NEST

RIGHT AT CR 31RIGHT AT CR 42BEAR RIGHT AT CR 43LEFT AT NORTH RD.LEFT AT CR 44 / 45LEFT AT ROUTE 42

LEFT AT T TO BROADWAY

BEAR LEFT AT ROUTE 17BRIGHT AT ROUTE 52BEAR LEFT AT CR 128CROSS CR 122 TO DYKER RD.

SLOW FOR ANIMAL SANCTUARYRIGHT AT BAYER RD.LEFT AT CR 122 / 123BECOMES CR 124CROSS UNDER ROUTE 17 TO ROSCOE

LEFT AT ROUTE 206RIGHT AT ROUTE 30 - PEPACTON RESERVOIR

CROSS CAUSEWAY MAKE IMMEDIATE LEFT TO CR1BEAR RIGHT TO ANDESTHE CHA CHA BBQ HUT IS ON THE LEFT BEHIND HOGAN’S

Rip & Ride® • CHA CHA HUT BBQ103 MAIN STREET, ANDES, NY • 845-676-6222 • WWW.CHACHAHUT.COM • 115 MILE O/W GPS ROUTE HERE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/7GJFN2

Page 20 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

kitzhoF inn

332 Route 100, WeSt doveR, veRMont 05356

(802) 464-8310 • WWW.kitzhoF.coM

Anyone who has been reading Back-

roads for any length of time knows that

we frequently ride around the great state

of Vermont and the Mount Snow region

in particular.

The Mount Snow valley is quickly be-

coming one of the region’s most motor-

cycle-friendly destinations. Located just

a few hours drive from almost anywhere

in the Northeast, the Mount Snow valley,

with its breathtaking mountain vistas,

rocky streams, covered bridges and

charming New England villages, is the

perfect destination for a weekend get-

away or week long motorcycle vacation.

While the four-season resort area is a

prime destination area in its own

right, its central location also serves as

an excellent base for day trips through

the Berkshires, Adirondacks, and into

the Champlain Valley.

Motorcyclists will find a warm welcome from innkeepers and restaurateurs

in the Mount Snow area, and many innkeepers, like Simon and Alison Ferris,

owners of the Kitzhof Inn in West Dover, VT, are themselves keen motorcy-

cle enthusiasts. In addition, they are members of the Backroads Moto-Inn

Program of Rider-Friendly places to stay. Always a good thing!

The Kitzhof is located on Vermont’s Route 100, nationally acclaimed as

one of the country’s most scenic drives, and just north of the Gray Ghost Inn,

where we’ve held a number of our rallies. In fact, Simon and Allison have

handled the overflow from their neighbors for years now and only the great-

est things have been said about the Kitzhof.

From the warm and cozy atmosphere, phenomenal indoor hot tub and neat

game room to the very comfortable rooms, the place is truly excellent.

For those of you new to riding this region, Route 100 is a fantastic two-

lane highway that bisects Vermont, running along the spine of the Green

Mountains, from the Massachusetts border to Canada.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 21

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

WE’RE OUTTA HERE a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

Along the way you will find many hotels, bed & breakfasts and inns, but

few as friendly and enjoyable as the Kitzhof.

The Kitzhof Inn boasts warm European-style hospitality. On arrival at the

pet-friendly inn, guests are greeted by Simon and Allison, and their dogs Mil-

lie and Amber. Simon and Allison offer a complete vacation package for

motorcyclists, including a hearty Vermont country breakfast, a delicious

evening meal, and even a friendly chat about the day’s destination, chosen

from the Kitzhof book of researched rides.

Many car groups and motorcycle clubs have been guests of Simon and Al-

lison over the years. HOG Chapters from Coopersburg, PA, Brooklyn, NY

as well as the Citi Beemers and Gold Wingers from up north in Canada have

enjoyed their stay.

As far as the local roads go they are many, plentiful and contain miles of

fun.

You have a magical combination here - great hosts, a stunning inn, supe-

rior roads and superb location. All these combine to make the Kitzhof Inn a

winner in our book.

Page 22 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

875 Middlesex Ave. (Rt. 27)Metuchen, NJ 08840

www.TriumphMetuchen.com

(732) 462-4881

Triumph National Open House • May 7Refreshments • In-Store and Financing Specials

You Buy the Bike, We Buy the Accessories.Now through May 31, we’re including Genuine Triumph accessorieswhen you purchase select new 2010 models. See website for details.

Dyno ShootoutBring your bike

for a FreeDyno ReadingNoon - 3pm

Big things. Small Packages. Surprise!

Many years ago, I seem to recall a certain motorcycle manufacturer (I be-

lieve it was Suzuki) really pulled a fast one on the motorcycle media by un-

veiling a bike that, for the most part, was kept secret until the day it was

launched. There were a few rumors, but really not as many as you usually

got when an all-new model was coming down the pike. Overall, it was a sur-

prise to pretty much everybody and I was especially delighted by this unex-

pected motorcycle (come to think of it, I believe it was the Suzuki TL1000S).

This year, Honda surprised a lot of us (or maybe I missed any advance in-

telligence that was out there) with an all-new bike that, upon looking over

the specs and the pictures, looked like it just might alter our concept of what

an entry level bike can be. Now that I’ve had a chance to thrash the Honda

CBR250R a bit, I have to say it actually exceeded my expectations. The rea-

son this is such an impressive new bike is because it truly is a machine that

a novice could get comfortable on quickly (and learn with), yet it shouldn’t

be the kind of motorcycle said individual would outgrow quickly. In fact,

this smallest CBR has club racer written all over it, and could easily find a

spot in the stable of experienced riders who desire a light, great-handling

sport bike that uses ridiculously little fuel.

We start with a stunning thumper of an engine; a very compact 249.4cc

liquid-cooled Single with a 4-valve head and a gear-driven counterbalancer

to help subdue vibration. This is matched with a 6-speed transmission that

has well-spaced ratios to use what power is there to the fullest, and while

this is certainly no 600 the fuel injection delivers crisp, predictable throttle

response and acceleration is perfectly acceptable especially considering we’re

talking about a single piston doing the work all by itself. The counterbalancer

does a great job of keeping the vibes reasonable, and 65 MPH translates to

Page 24 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

BIKE NIGHTS!

WEDNESDAYSFor exact dates please visit www.TramontinHD.com

FIRST RIDE FIRST RIDE • 2011 HONDA CBR250R

about 7,000 RPM (redline arrives at 10,500 RPM). This

means highway travel is doable, and yes you could cer-

tainly throw some bags on this thing and tour on it. With

a 3.4-gallon fuel capacity and mileage probably in the

60-70 MPG range you should be able to cover some se-

rious miles before draining the tank, too.

With a 357-lb. wet weight (366 with the optional

ABS) the 250R is a very flickable bike, and can gener-

ate crazy-good cornering speeds to the point where you

can brake later and later into the turn (and often you

don’t need to touch the brakes at all). When you do fi-

nally need the binders, our non-ABS version had fine

strength and control and the optional Combined ABS is

unusual in an entry-level bike and should seriously be

considered. I’ve been told by Honda that this ABS sys-

tem is not on the level of the CBR600RR’s amazing

technology, but it’s still sophisticated and a very valu-

able safety feature for riders regardless of their experi-

ence level.

The hits keep coming with the ergonomics, which

strike a real nice balance between an upright, standard

kind of posture and a more sporting bend that is great

for aggressive riding. I found it pretty much optimal for

my 5’ 8” frame, and with a very narrow profile and a

manageable 30.5” seat height even beginners of modest

stature should have little difficulty balancing the bike

at stops (which can be a big deal when learning to ride,

as you may or may not remember). And finally, the

CBR250R has a very cool, comprehensive instrument

cluster that you can toggle to show fuel remaining, and

one of the most striking things about this bike in addi-

tion to its very cool, contemporary styling is its impres-

sive fit and finish. This ultimately brings us to what

makes this such an interesting ride: it really is an un-

usually good bargain. For a starting price of $3999, you

have a motorcycle that has the small displacement and

user-friendly curb weight of a beginner bike with

enough performance, polish and build quality to keep

veteran riders entertained as well. This bike was a real

eye-opener, and definitely the kind of surprise you can

really appreciate.

To find out more on the Honda CBR250R or locate a

dealer near you, visit www.powersports.honda.com.

~ Bill heald

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 25

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Page 26 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

It’s not yet 8 a.m., but the late-summer sun already strikes my back with a presence I can feel as I pull out of the campground and aim west, gladI’m not battling against that pale but strong blast of light while it’s still low on the Kentucky horizon. Just a few miles down the road, I spot a rustyold street sign, looking odd and out of place here on a country highway. But it’s the name on the sign that makes me pull a quick U-turn to get aphoto: HWY TO HEAVEN, it reads.

Well, that settles it. I must be on the right track.

You’ve heard that old philosophical thumb-sucker of a debating point: Which matters more, the journey or the destination? Well, I’m of the belief that des-

tinations do matter. They provide structure and meaning. But in the end, life is really just the sum of the journeys we take to get to our various destinations,

so the journey matters most. Because we ride on two wheels, you and I know this, both rationally and intuitively. Choosing the right route makes the difference

between a journey to remember and a forgotten act of personal transportation.

Which is how I ended up in Kentucky. Near the Highway to Heaven.

Taking theBackroads

to IndyWords and images: Lance Oliver

One of the items yet to be crossed off my “must-do” motorcycling list was

attending the Red Bull Indianapolis GP at the famed and massive Indianapo-

lis Motor Speedway. The Indy round is the eastern entry in the United States’

two MotoGP races. Somehow, even though I love MotoGP, and even though

in my younger years and in happier times for Indycar racing I was a huge

fan of the sweeping history and pressure-cooker atmosphere of the Indy 500,

I’d never been to the Speedway. Time to cure that over-

sight and cross one more item off my list.

But how to get there? The simplest way, the shortest-

line-between-two-points approach, would involve In-

terstate 70 between the center of Ohio and the center of

Indiana, 175 miles of the most mind-numbingly straight

and featureless road to be found anywhere within a

day’s ride of my house. On the other hand, I could strap

the camping gear on the trusty Versys, aim south from

my home in eastern Ohio, approach Indianapolis via a

southern flanking maneuver, and suffer flat and boring

roads only for the final few miles of my trip. Sold!

This tactic allows me to ride some of my favorite

roads close to home, such as Ohio Routes 555, 93, and

775 as I work my way south. Wriggling through the Ap-

palachian foothills, these are roads for making memo-

ries, not time. Despite the lack of traffic, it’s mid-day

when I finally reach the Ohio-West Virginia border just

north of the city of Huntington, where one of the several

new and attractive suspension bridges across the Ohio

River gleams white in the sun. I’m no closer to Indi-

anapolis than I was when I started out early this morn-

ing. Probably should head west, right? Naaah.

One of my personal policies is never to miss a chance,

even a brief one, to ride in West Virginia, because the

roads nearly always make the effort worthwhile. So I

cross the river and continue south. Eventually, W.Va.

Route 37 leads me to eastern edge of Kentucky, where

I cross the Big Sandy River into the town of Louisa and

finally begin to make some westward progress.

Actually, this was all part of my plan. Kentucky

Route 32 has a fine reputation among motorcyclists and

I’ve come this way specifically to check it out. Fortu-

nately, it lives up to billing. From Louisa to Morehead,

it offers 60 miles of rural curves. I quickly fall into that

old familiar and favored rhythm of Appalachian hill rid-

ing. The road meanders along the bottomland of a small

valley, a “holler” in local parlance, where the second or

third cutting of hay lies drying in the sun, filling the air

with a dusty odor that brings back memories of hard and

sweaty work in my youth. These interludes are good for

catching my breath, because soon the road vaults up the

side of a ridge, usually disappearing into shady woods

as the terrain grows steeper. The engineers have used

every means at their disposal to get the road over this

natural obstacle, so sweepers, switchbacks and long se-

ries of S-turns come in fast succession. Occasionally,

I’ll get a nice long run along the top of a ridge, opening up long views, but

usually the sight distance is short, so a rider who wants to keep enjoying this

kind of fun in his old age will temper enthusiasm with discretion. And in

about the time it has taken me to describe that, the road has whisked me

through another holler, past a precariously leaning old barn with its Chew

Mail Pouch Tobacco message long faded nearly to nothing, and is about to

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 27

Kentucky Route 32in the eastern partof the state offersa curve sampler.

All along its length, the Ohio Riveris the real business route, as

barges carry tons of coal to keeppower plants humming.

charge up another steep

hillside. My kind of riding.

The contrast is severe

between eastern Ken-

tucky’s farms, with their

small plots of corn and

weed-studded cattle pas-

tures, and the Lexington

area’s wealthy horse

farms, where thorough-

breds graze on immaculate

pastures by day and retire

for the evening to soaring

barns topped with copper

cupolas that flash reflec-

tions of the setting sun.

Continuing west, I realize

I’m not far from the

Maker’s Mark distillery,

which offers one of the

finest tours of a Kentucky

bourbon distillery. The

liquor gained its fame in

the early 1800s when

whiskey from Bourbon

County, Kentucky, was shipped south to New Orleans on flatboats with Bour-

bon stamped on the side of the huge barrels, to indicate its origin. Today, a

raft of laws regulates the making of bourbon, to ensure standards. A tour of

the process is worth your time, if you’re passing through and have ever been

curious. Since I’ve visited Maker’s Mark before, and since the sun is gaining

on me in our westward movement, I decide to keep riding and I barely get to

Taylorsville Lake State Park in time to pitch my tent in fading daylight in-

stead of darkness.

In the morning, I’m on the road early and that’s when

I spot the Highway to Heaven sign, not far from one of

the few tobacco fields I’ve seen on this trip. Along with

bourbon and racehorses, tobacco has been a traditional

part of the Kentucky economy, and I spot a few farms

with the broad leaves turning yellow in the late summer

sun, and open barns with leaves hanging to dry inside.

Fewer than I expect, however. If tobacco farming is on

the decline, you can’t blame the folks of Kentucky.

They lead the nation in smoking, a statistic backed up

by my observations. It seems nearly every car I pass on

the road has a hand dangling a cigarette out the window.

The farther west I go, the more the roads flatten out,

but once I make my way past Fort Knox, I jump back

onto the three-digit Kentucky backroads, as soon as pos-

sible. There’s hardly anyone stirring out here and the

day heats up as I pass larger farms, with cornfields

spreading across the rich soil of the Ohio River Valley.

Towns are few, but I stop at a waterfront park in tiny

Page 28 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Are you ready to ride? Get your bike to Eckenhoff NOW for Spring Service.

A bucolic view of the Kentucky farmland.

Cloversport for a rehydra-

tion break in the shade and

watch barges laboring up-

stream, laden with thousands

of tons of coal destined for

riverfront power plants.

Near Owensboro, home-

town of the Hayden broth-

ers, I decide it’s time to head

north toward Indianapolis at

about the time that Nicky

Hayden is nailing down a

front-row start in qualifying

for tomorrow’s race and

Roger Hayden is making ad-

justments to his bike for his

Moto2 wildcard ride. South-

ern Indiana has the only hills

that the state can lay claim

to, but they’re not quite up to

the eastern Kentucky stan-

dards that spoiled me earlier

in the trip. Still, the ride’s

pleasant enough as I make

my way north, and I’m re-

warded with one more fine

motorcycle road when I get

to the town of Salem and

join Indiana Route 135.

Actually, Route 135 is a direct shot to my evening’s destination, because

it becomes Meridian Street when it finally enters the city of Indianapolis.

But “direct” does not mean “straight,” fortunately. Unlike many newer roads

in southern Indiana, Route 135 remains its old self. It hasn’t been “im-

proved,” which means the Department of Transportation hasn’t tamed its

curves and meandering course by blasting a wide path through these low and

rolling hills. Instead, the road follows the natural contours of the land, past

streams, through ravines, and splitting several small towns, such as the tiny

and quaint crossroads called Story and the bigger town of Nashville, which

calls itself the “Pioneer Art City” and offers a variety of options if it’s time

for lunch or you want to stretch your legs and do some window shopping.

Not surprisingly, given these charms and its proximity to Indianapolis, Route

135 is a popular day trip for riders living in and around the state’s largest

city. I pass dozens of motorcycles cruising Route 135 as I ride north. We’re

all taking advantage of a warm and sunny weekend afternoon, knowing that

the end of summer is all too near.

Route 135’s curves and hills flatten out somewhere around the little town

of Bean Blossom – I’m not making up the name – and before too long, rural

gives way to suburban, as I start entering the outer sprawl of Indianapolis.

Time to shift from journey mode to destination mode. And for this evening,

my destination is Meridian Street, in the heart of the city, where Indy wel-

comes visitors on MotoGP weekend with the biggest motorcycle-only party

of the year.

138 Orange Ave (Rt. 202), Suffern, NY 10901845.357.1190 • www.locomotionpowersports.com

Spring Open House

Saturday, May 7Join us

for our

Indiana Rte. 135 is afavorite for weekendrides and day tripsout of Indianapolis.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 29

The event is called Motorcycles on Meridian and along with the dirt-track races at the Indy Mile, it

is part of the city’s efforts to fill the MotoGP weekend with fun activities. The city shuts down five

blocks of Meridian Street south of Monument Circle in the heart of downtown. Three stages offer en-

tertainment, but the best show in town is walking up and down the street, which is closed to everything

except motorcycles and pedestrians, and ogling all the bikes. Even before the sun has fully set, the

streets are packed with people and machines. Expect to see everything: a carefully restored Kawasaki

750cc two-stroke, a stretched and lowered ZX-14 painted in Grand Prix livery, a fleet of Honda sport-

bikes flying Repsol colors. But it’s not all sporting iron. There are plenty of cruisers, imported and

domestic, and touring rigs carrying license plates from New Jersey to North Carolina and elsewhere.

Above this show are newly posted street signs carrying the names and numbers of MotoGP riders

Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa, Valentino

Rossi and others, and a monstrous portrait

of Nicky Hayden fills the side of one build-

ing. As the last sunlight fades and the city

lights come up, riders and non-riders alike

wander the corridors of motorcycles as

music bounces off the walls of the urban

canyons of downtown. It’s a fine way to

end my ride.

Of course the real end of my backroads

ride to Indy will come the following morn-

ing, when I bypass a line of cars waiting

for parking and roll through the Speed-

way’s Gate 10 tunnel to take advantage of

the free motorcycle parking on the back

straight of the massive oval. But for now,

the bikes, the people, the music and the

downtown-party vibe are enough to make

me think the road sign was right, and I re-

ally did find a highway leading to a little slice of motorcycle heaven.

the 2011 MotogP in indianapolis will be held aug. 26-28. For more information including tick-

ets please visit www.motogp.com.

Lance Oliver is the author of The Ride So Far: Tales from a Motorcycling Life. Learn more about the

book at www.theridesofar.com.

Page 30 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Recapture a simpler time and discover what’sfundamentally cool about riding motorcycles.

Join us for our…

Vintage Motorcycle Day

& Swap Meet

May 21st • 9am ~ 4pm

1957

1965

1978

HARLEY-DAVIDSON/BUELL

LONG BRANCH671 broadway, long branch, nj 07740

732.229.8518 • hdlongbranch.com

Vintage Bike Show Registration: 11a-Noon

Bike Show: Noon-3p • Swap Meet: 9a-3p

Pin Striping by K&M Signs: 9a-4p

End-of-Season Sidewalk Sale: 9a-4p

Free ‘Dirty Water Dogs’

Please call for Bike Show/Vendor Info

Mid-March might have been fickle with the weather and certainly the last

weekend of the month ended with a chilly taste in the air, unless you were

lucky enough to be in Hope, New Jersey at Tramontin’s annual Chili

Cookoff.

That afternoon the atmosphere belated the cold western Jersey climate

with the warm and tasty aromas of jalapeños, habeñeros and chipotle pep-

pers and flavorful chili created with all sorts of meats – turkey, beef, pork

and buffalo. We loved the culinary creativity that was brought to this event.

Twelve contestants came to the dealership that day vying for the recog-

nition of being Tramontin’s Chili Champion of 2011.

We tasted all twelve renditions of the great American classic and although

we differed on our favorites, in the end, Wayne Schwetje came away as the

winner with Bud VanAllen and Brother Joe’s Texas Hill Country Chili tak-

ing second and third trophies.

We ran into this event unexpected while out for a breakfast run but rode

away with bellies full, and more food the last thing on our minds.

Tramontin holds this event each March and it is always a great time, but

many dealerships hold chili cookoffs throughout the year and for a good

and spicy time, events like this can’t be beat.

Look for one at your local dealer or in Backroads’ Upcoming

Events pages.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 31

EVENT RECAP TRAMONTIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S CHILI COOKOFF

It’s a wonderful thing whenever you get to throw a leg over a brand new

machine and rumble off into the sunshine. It’s an even more exciting expe-

rience when the motorcycle in question is something you’ve been intrigued

by ever since you saw the first released photos of it several months earlier. I

mentioned the Ducati Diavel in my column back when the bike was an-

nounced, and I delighted in the fact that during these uncertain times the com-

pany really launched a wild motorcycle; sort of Ducati’s take on a cruiser

and an absolute brute to behold. Down in Daytona I got to sample a Diavel

Carbon, which is the standard devil bike with the addition of some carbon

fiber body panels, front suspension treatments and other cosmetic and func-

tional tweaks to make the big bike lighter and even more potent and visually

striking.

The Diavel is one of these bikes that is such a big deal, both figuratively

and literally, that I sit here and wonder, “Where the heck do I begin?” I guess

I should start with some specifications. The BeelzeBike rides on a long, 62.6-

inch wheelbase with Ducati’s signature trellis frame, and manages a lowish

30.3-inch seat height despite excellent cornering clearance and a fairly up-

right riding position. One of the first signs the Italian engineers decided to

pull out on the stops on this beast is the Muscle bike/Cruiser/Custom styling,

right? Sure. But to me, an even bigger indicator of a full-on, damn-the-tor-

pedoes approach is the technology and sheer audacity of the hard parts. They

decided to use the most potent engine in the stable, the 1198cc Testastretta

11° V-Twin (11° refers to valve overlap timing), which is directly derived

from a Ducati Corse race engine. Yikes.

Of course, this incredible mill is de-tuned so it ‘only’ puts out 162 horse-

power (again, Yikes), and ultimately channels said power to a 240-series rear

tire. There are more electronics than an Apple Store on this motorcycle, and

one of the most interesting systems integrates three different Riding Modes

with Ducati Traction Control, and everything is tied into the Ride By Wire

electronic throttle control system. You select these modes via a switch by the

left grip (and you navigate a menu on the full-color Thin Film Transistor

screen on the lower of two instrument tiers), and they include Sport, Touring

and Urban settings. Sport and Touring give you full power, but Sport has

more abrupt power delivery and a lower level of Traction Control interven-

tion. Urban knocks power output to 100 horsepower and Traction control in-

tercedes sooner, making it ideal for congested conditions or riding in the rain.

If you want to dig into the menus further, you can customize the Traction

Control within modes as well. You can adjust these modes on the fly, and it’s

really quite easy to navigate through the menus.

In practice, all this amounts to a drivetrain that is nothing short of glorious.

I left the bike in Touring mode because it seemed ideal; it was wonderfully

tractable and smooth at low RPMs but screamed with a deep bravado that

tightened my grip on the bars when I released the hounds. The sound, feel

and response of this engine are so soulful and exhilarating that days later I

still have a clear memory of it, and that says a lot. This good, clean fun could

be a handful if the rest of the Diavel wasn’t well integrated with all this glo-

rious output, and fortunately the sporty yet ‘custom’ riding position (with a

nice knee tuck but fairly wide, upright bars) works well both in terms of all-

around comfort and tossing the 456-lb. (dry) Carbon model into turns. That

huge rear tire might be a concern for hard-core sporties, but I found the Di-

avel to be predictable and confidence-inspiring in the comparatively sane

riding world I inhabit, and cornering clearance was never an issue (with me,

Page 32 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

First Ride - 2011 Ducati DiavelTHE DIAVEL’S IN THE DETAILS

anyway). Great ABS Monobloc Brembos are standard kit, and the

stout 50mm upside down Marzocchi forks along with the solo Sachs

rear shock are fully adjustable. To think that you have at your beck

and call the kind of performance you get with Ducati’s best sportbikes

(yet in a really ergonomically comfortable ride) is quite a selling

point. The only foible I found here was a sidestand that liked to mess

with my left foot as it’s awfully close to the peg when retracted.

I’ve already mentioned the electronics in the form of the rider-al-

terable engine management and the cool color display, but the Diavel

also comes standard with a Smart Key which will re-

quires a bit of getting used to. The e-fob stays on your

person, and whenever you’re within 6 feet the bike

knows you’re there and you just flip up a switch, hit the

starter button and head off. If you ride off and leave the

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 33

BLUETHU

NDER MOTORCYCLE RUN

~~~~Police Escorted~~~~

Saturday, May 7

Registration Start Site: Friendly Sons of the Shillelagh15 Oak St, Old Bridge, NY • Intersection of Rte. 18 South/Oak St.

~~~ 9am to 11am • Kickstands up @ 11:15am ~~~

Free Coffee and Donuts

End Site: Bar Anticipation, Lake Como, NJ

Cost: $20/Rider • $15/Passenger

50/50 � Music � Free BBQ � Soft Drinks � Cash Bar

Register @ Start Site or online @ BlueKnights15.com

Public Welcome for End Party Only • $15 ~ door opens 12:30

COME RAIN OR SHINE, WE’LL BE THERE

Hosted by the

Blue Knights NJXV

Open to the General PublicCome by Bike, Car or Bus ~ BUT COME!

Hotline Number: 732-485-1929

fob in somebody else’s pocket the bike won’t quit on you while in motion,

but once you stop and turn off the engine it won’t let you restart it again until

Mr. fob is back within distance (I tested this, unintentionally). The fork lock

also works electronically and is a breeze to use. It may sound like a bit of

flash over functionality, but if your key is buried beneath layers of rain gear

it really is nice to not have to hunt for it and instead just get on and go.

Attention to detail and slick engineering is found everywhere you look,

especially on the Carbon model. Side-mounted radiators, a wild license plate

bracket, a retractable passenger grab rail and a huge, unique all-seeing head-

light establish that the visual (and functional) feast has many courses. It’s an

absolute stonker to ride (notice I didn’t say monster, or streetfighter, as those

Ducatis are actually very different animals which is amazing when you think

about it). Ducati has really taken a huge chance with this bike, and I know a

lot of loyalists will scoff at its cruiseresque aspect. Can you throw some bag-

gage on this thing and head for the opposite coast? Absolutely. Just be ad-

vised you’ll tend to arrive at your daily destination a tad early. Pricing for

the 2011 Diavel starts at $16,995, $19,995 for the Diavel Carbon and $20,395

for the Carbon “Red” version. www.ducatiusa.com ~ Bill heald

Page 34 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

BERGEN SPORT CYCLESRide More, Stress Less 30 US H’Way 46 East • Lodi, NJ 07644

973-478-7711 • bergensportcycle.com

Bergen Sport Cycles is giving away a

See sales associate for details

2011 Ninja 250R

Chassis Frame: Tubular steel Trellis frame Wheelbase: 1590mm (62.6in) • Rake: 28° Front suspension: Marzocchi DLC coated 50mm fully adjustable usd forks Front wheel travel: 120mm (4.7in) Front wheel: Marchesini forged and machined 9-spoke 3.50 x 17 Front Tire: 120/70 ZR 17 • Rear tire: 240/45 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso II Rear suspension: Progressive linkage with fully adjustable Sachs monoshock.Aluminium single-sided swingarm Rear wheel travel: 120mm (4.7in) Rear wheel: Marchesini forged and machined 9-spoke 8.00 x 17 Front brake: 2 x 320mm semi-floating discs, radially mounted

Monobloc Brembo callipers, 4-piston with ABS Rear brake: 265mm disc, 2-piston floating calliper with ABS Fuel tank capacity: 17l - (4.4US gal) • Dry weight: 207kg (456lb) Warranty: 2 years unlimited mileage Body Colour (frame/wheel): Red and Matt Carbon (red / black)

Glossy and Matt Carbon (racing black / black) Seat height: 770mm (30.3in) Standard equipment Engine Type: Testastretta 11°, L-Twin cylinder, 4 valve per cylinder,

Desmodromic, liquid cooled Displacement: 1198.4cc Bore x Stroke: 106 x 67.9mm Compression ratio: 11.5:1 Power: 162hp (119kW) @ 9500rpm Torque: 94lb-ft (127.5Nm) @ 8000rpm Fuel injection: Mitsubishi electronic fuel injection system,

Mikuni elliptical throttle bodies with RbW Exhaust: Lightweight 2-1-2 system with catalytic converter

and two lambda probes. Twin aluminium mufflers Transmission Gearbox: 6 speed Ratio: 1=37/15 2=30/17 3=27/20 4=24/22 5=23/24 6=22/25 Primary drive: Straight cut gears, ratio 1.84:1 Final drive: Front sprocket 15; Rear sprocket 43 Clutch: Light action, wet, multiplate clutch with hydraulic control.

Self-servo action on drive, slipper action on over-run

How do you add more features to a helmet model famous for its less-is-more

appeal, and still be faithful to the original’s concept? That’s the question Arai an-

swers with its brand new Vector-2 for 2011.

Like the original Vector model introduced four years ago, Arai’s new Vector-

2 is created for the rider who doesn’t want or need a lot of bells and whistles, but

who still wants the quality, fit and performance that have been a hallmark of the

Arai brand for over 60 years.

Arai says it concentrated on the key areas of ventilation, interior fit, field of

view, and shell features to create significant improvements in the Vector-2 with

only a modest price increase. These allow the Vector-2 to remain true to the orig-

inal Vector’s mission of Complex Simplicity, combining the complexity of Arai’s

construction (that emphasizes protection and performance “in the real world of

unpredictable streets rather than just in the controlled world of testing labs”) with

Arai’s build-philosophy that emphasize a helmet’s function instead of flash and

fashion.

New ventilation features include the ACF-2 front intake vent with a more com-

plete closure mechanism, and the ACR-2 rear exhaust vent/wing combination.

The combination of the three front air inlets on the leading edge of the rear vent

are tuned in Arai’s wind tunnel to accelerate air move-

ment over the shell’s exhaust holes to “markedly im-

prove ventilation performance and efficiency in

interior-heat removal.” The Vector-2 also has the fully-

removable interior liner of Arai’s more expensive mod-

els, versus the fixed liner of its predecessor.

A new comfort and fit feature that could mean a lot

to the Vector-2’s popularity are its unique peel-away

cheek and temple pads. Now, rather than having to buy

optional pads of varying thicknesses to custom-tailor

the Arai fit and comfort even more precisely, the Vec-

tor-2’s cheek and temple pads have 5mm peel-away lay-

ers that allow the rider to do it individually if needed.

The new wider eyeport, borrowed from Arai’s latest

Corsair-V and RX-Q models, gives 5mm more periph-

eral vision per side for a wider view and awareness of

the world around the rider. This shield’s mechanism also

improves the shield system’s functionality.

Shell improvements on the Vector-2 include larger

side exhaust ports that increase airflow while keeping

noise levels to a minimum. A new chinvent design and

placement within the chin bar gives the Vector-2 its own

distinctive look. The newly-designed Hyper-Ridge en-

circles the shell bottom to enhance strength while pro-

viding a larger bottom opening to make it easier to take

the helmet on and off—all without increasing shell size

or weight.

The end result of these Vector-2 features is a new

model that Arai says offers the unequaled benefits of its

three-generation-long obsession with rider protection,

comfort and performance, while still remaining at the

lower end of its price range.

The new Arai Vector-2 is available in many solid col-

ors and graphics, in sizes XXS through XXXL. Prices

range from $479.95 for basic solid colors, to $609.95

for graphics.

Complete information, images of all the Vector-2 col-

ors and graphics, and the location of your nearest Arai

retailer can be found at www.AraiAmericas.com.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 35

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

ARAI VECTOR-2LESS-IS-MORE VECTOR MODEL

http://www.bmw-riders-gear.com

ConnecticutGengras BMW Motorcycles

221 Governor St, East Hartford, CT

866-318-8862 • gengrasbmw.com

Max BMW Motorcycles

465 Federal Rd, Brookfield, CT

203-740-1270

maxbmwmotorcycles.com

MarylandBattley Cycles

7830 Airpark Rd, Gaithersburg, MD

301-948-4581 • battley.com

Bob’s BMW

10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD

301-497-8949 • bobsbmw.com

MassachusettsBMW of Cambridge

1098 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA

781-648-1300

bmwofcambridge.com

Wagner BMW Motorcycles of Worcester

700 Plantation St, Worcester, MA

508-854-1377 • wagnermotorsport.com

New HampshireMax BMW Motorcycles

209 Lafayette Rd, North Hampton, NH

603-964-2877

maxbmwmotorcycles.com

Second Wind BMW

25 Craftsman Ln, Merrimack, NH

603-598-2697 • secondwindbmw.com

New JerseyBergen County BMW Motorcycles

124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ

201-843-6930

bergenbmwmotorcycles.com

Cross Country BMW

875 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ

732-635-0094 • ccbmw.com

New YorkBMW of Manhattan

555 W 57th St, New York, NY

212-373-7863 • bmwcyclesnyc.com

Country Rode Motowerks

286 Macedon Center Rd, Fairport, NY

585-421-0480 • countryrode.com

Gold Coast Motorsports

2070 Jericho Tpke, New Hyde Park, NY

516-352-7474

goldcoast-motorsports.com

Max BMW Motorcycles

845 Hoosick Rd, Brunswick, NY

518-279-3040

maxbmwmotorcycles.com

PennsylvaniaEuropean Motorcycles of Pittsburgh

10269 Perry Hwy, Wexford, PA

724-934-4269 • bmwpgh.com

Hermy’s BMW

Route 61, Port Clinton, PA

610-562-7303 • hermys.com

Kissell MotorSports, Inc.

101 Hawbaker Ind. Dr, State College, PA

814-861-7890

kissellmotorsports.com

Montgomeryville Cycle Center

2901 Bethlehem Pike, Hatfield, PA

215-712-7433

montgomeryvillecc.com

Two Jacks Cycle & Powersports

1019 N Washington St, Wilkes Barre, PA

570-824-2453 • twojacks.com

Velocity Cycles

6653 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg, PA

717-766-2523 • velocitycycle.net

VermontFrank’s Motorcycle Sales & Service

120 Center Rd/Route 15, Essex, VT

802-878-3930

franksmotorcyclesales.com

VirginiaMorton’s BMW Motorcycles

5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy

Fredericksburg, VA

540-891-9844 • mortonsbmw.com

BMW Riders Gear is available at these BMW Motorcycle dealers in our area

Go to www.bmwmotorcycles.com for more on BMW Riders Gear and our dealer network

BMW GEAR. WITHOUT IT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE NAKED.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 39

Room Enough forGroups or Rallies

Ken Aiken

Like something out of a Stephen King novel, the fog – a cold, bone-chilling density – rides the tidal bore as it rushes across

the vast plain of red mud. Advancing faster than a person can run is a volume of seawater equaling that of all fresh water

rivers in the world. In six hours this land will be forty feet beneath the sea. It’s the flood epic as described by the ancient

Sumerians and retold in the Bible, and it happens every 12 hours and twenty-six minutes.

Draw a straight line between Eastport, Maine and Brier Island, Nova Scotia on a map: everything northeast of that line is the Bay of Fundy. This is the most

extreme tidal environment on the planet, a bay that fills with 100-billion tons (approximately 23,965,680,000,000 gallons) of water twice a day and where tides

have reached 53.6 feet in height. Nova Scotia actually flexes under the sheer weight of the inrushing water.

The sea defines the land and since there’s no other place that experiences such tidal extremes as the Fundy coast it offers a unique touring experience. From

St. John, New Brunswick, the Princess of Acadia makes the three-hour crossing of the Bay of Fundy to Digby, Nova Scotia.

The Ups and Downs of the Bay of Fundy

The biggest (and best) mo-

torcycle rally in Atlantic

Canada, the Wharf Rat Rally,

takes place in Digby every

Labor Day weekend, but it’s

also the best place to stop, sit

down, and enjoy the world’s

best-tasting scallops. There’s

an abundance of accommo-

dations and this is a biker-

friendly town.

North Mountain is a ridge

of tough basalt rock that de-

fines the southern shore of the Bay of Fundy. To the northeast it shelters the

fertile Annapolis Valley; to the southwest it becomes a long, narrow peninsula

called Digby Neck. Route 217 runs down “The Neck” to the village of West-

port on Brier Island and although it’s only 61 kilometers (38 miles), the

round-trip, which includes four ferry crossings, consumes at least three hours.

Brier Island marks the beginning of the south shore of the Bay of Fundy and

at low tide piers and fishing sheds seem impossibly distant from the sea. The

ferry landings are designed as huge ramps to compensate for the extreme

tides.

Bear River, touted as “The Switzerland of Nova Scotia,” is a little com-

munity tinted with a hippie counter-culture feeling that holds a special charm.

Situated in a deep valley on a tidal estuary many buildings in the center of

the village rest on tall pilings that are exposed during low tide. The road that

runs through this funky little village makes the detour from Route 101 well

worth the effort.

Established in 1605, Port Royal is the second-oldest permanent European

settlement in North America. Annapolis Royal is known as the “Cradle of

Acadie” from its earliest origins as the first Acadian settlement and as the

first British capital (1710 – 1749). Fort Anne is Canada’s oldest national his-

toric site and St. George Street is one of the oldest

streets in North America with five buildings dating to

the early 1700’s.

The only tidal generating station in North America–

and one of only three in the world–is located at the edge

of town on Route 1. Beneath a small building that dou-

bles as the tourist information center, a giant turbine

makes use of the ebb and flow of Fundy tides to gener-

ate 20-million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

The road along the top of North Mountain from Park-

ers Cove to Mount Hanley offers spectacular views of

the Bay of Fundy and distant New Brunswick, but is in

such poor condition that it’s impossible to ride safely

while admiring the view. This time I stay behind the

mountain, traveling on Route 1 to Middleton and then

onto one of my favorite roads, Route 221.

Repeated visits have taught me where to stay and

where to eat. In the Wolfville area the conveniently lo-

cated Old Orchard Inn has, to my mind, no competition.

I’ve also learned to top up my gas tank in Wolfville

Page 40 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Ride Ireland!Ancient culture, mysterious and

enchanting landscapes, roads

created by a motorcycling god,

stunning rugged coastline

and renowned Irish hospitality.

Check out our website:

www.celticrider.ie

It looks normal at high tide, but six hours later will showthese buildings to be on 30-foot high pilings - Bear River, NS.

The end of North Mountain, the Look Off is1,950 feet above the flats and offers a panoramic

view of the Minas Basin and Grand Pre.

since gas stations are not as prevalent in this province as in the U.S.

Route 358 takes me over the bridge in Port Williams. It’s an observation

point for viewing the tidal bore on the Black River, but I’m too early and all

that’s visible is an orange trench with a bit of water cutting through the grass-

lands. I continue through the intriguing village of Canning and wind up the

mountain to pull into the parking area across from the campground. Six hun-

dred meters (1,960 feet) above the 18th-century Acadian dikes of Starrs Point,

the Kings County Look Off marks the abrupt end of North Mountain. The

vast red mud flats of Minas Basin are exposed at low tide and the grasslands

of Grand Pre stretch to the south in a panorama that painters dream about.

Turning around I take a shortcut along the ridge and then down the west

side of North Mountain to Halls Harbour. The steep descent provides a stun-

ning view across the Bay of Fundy to Cape d’Or before leading into the blind

hairpin that wraps around the general store and into the lobster pound. Tides

run 36-38 feet so although everything looks perfectly normal at high tide,

but six hours later the ocean water has receded leaving fishing boats high,

dry, and below road level. This is probably the second most photographed

site in mainland Nova Scotia (the lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is first).

When the inrush of cold Atlantic water encounters the cliffs on the Fundy

shore the fog can becomes quite dense, as if the sun-drenched rocks were

giving off steam when the water touches them. The incoming tide also cre-

ates atmospheric temperature differences that can be quite surprising. Round-

ing a corner on North Mountain I plunge through a wall of cold air. There’s

no transition, just an abrupt drop of 15 degrees as if I’d entered a walk-in

freezer. Even though it’s July, I stop to put on my electric jacket liner.

The scenic road around the Minas Basin is named for Glooscap, the per-

sonification of the Great Spirit by the Mi’kmaq people. It begins about a mile

south of Windsor as Route 14 and continues as Route 215 in Brooklyn.

My first stop is just off Route 14 at the “Bridge to Mantua” on the Herbert

River. When the incoming tide rushes up estuaries it collides with the op-

posing flow of river water and forms a wave that churns its way upstream.

The size of the tidal bore wave depends upon variable factors such as the

height of the tide and amount of water flowing downstream, but in some

places and at certain times the wave can crest at three meters (10 feet).

The Walton Light provides an opportunity to climb the decommissioned

lighthouse to view the lamp and obtain a spectacular view. The highest tide

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 41

*Base MSRP for the G 650 GS is just $7,900 with standard ABS and heated grips. Low 29.5” seat/suspension option is $250extra. Price is subject to change. MSRP excludes $495 freight. Actual price is determined by dealer. ©2010 BMW MotorradUSA, a division of BMW of North America LLC. The BMW name and logo are registered trademarks.

2011 G650GS • $7,900*

Take it in a whole new direction.

The Restyled 2011 G650GS.Now available in limited quantites.Get yours before they ride off, wherever.

Halls Harbour at low tide.

The red sandstone cliffs of the Minas Basin are a notablefeature of the Bay of Fundy - Route 2, Five Islands, NS

ever recorded on the planet—53.6 feet—took place at Burncoat Head in Oc-

tober 1869. At Burncoat Park visitors can walk down stairs to the exposed

ocean floor during low tide. Six hours later this land will be forty-five feet

beneath the sea!

From Turo to Parrsboro the

Glooscap Trail (Route 2) is one of

the most popular motorcycle-tour-

ing highways south of Cape Breton

Island. Small villages like Bass

River, Upper and Lower Economy,

and Five Islands can be ridden

through in a blink of the eye on a

lazy summer afternoon. Since I’m

taking Route 209 around Cape

d’Or and up Chignecto Bay, Parrs-

boro offers my last chance to ob-

tain fuel for many miles.

The road from Port Greville to Cape d’Or is packed with nice curves and

elevation changes and it’s easy to forget that the numbers on the yellow dia-

mond-shaped highway signs are in kilometers. It begins to get rather inter-

esting when a corner marked for 35 km turns out to be a hairpin at the bottom

of a deep and steep U-shaped dip that’s coupled with a narrow bridge. More

S-shaped corners on grades, the second radius tighter than the first, and the

road becomes made for a Ducati. Literally cut into the cliff face, the corners

become radical and there’s loose gravel everywhere. Each and every corner

is taken with total concentration and at less than the posted speed limit.

Loose gravel makes the road leading down to the Cape d’Or lighthouse

less than desirable, but the panoramic view from the parking area is spectac-

ular. Heading north from Advocate Harbour, Route 209 becomes a little trav-

eled ribbon of asphalt through the forest.

At the end of the Bay of Fundy the great tides have opened the vault of

time. This is where Charles Lyell gave birth to the concept of evolution and

inspired Charles Darwin.

The cliffs at Joggins are

now designated a UN-

ESCO world heritage site

and the Joggins Fossil

Centre attracts visitors

from around the world.

I’ve followed Nova

Scotia’s Fundy Shore to

the end, but most endings

are also beginnings.

There’s yet another shore

where the world’s highest

tides hold sway:

New Brunswick.

Page 42 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Tide Schedule: (877) 775-0790

Distances and speeds posted in kilometers.

(kilometers x 6 ÷ 10 = miles)

Language: English (official), French, and Acadian.

Passport: required for entry/return to the United States.

Canadian Insurance Card: Free from your insurance agent (recom-

mended just in case).

Visitor Information Center: 238 Main Street, Yarmouth. Located op-

posite the Rodd Colony Harbour Inn; outside the ferry terminal.

Privateers Sou’West Harley-Davidson, Exit 33 of Route 103, Tusket

(near Yarmouth) (902) 648-3111 www.privateerssw.com

Paul D’Entremont Marine Ltd, 2616, Route 3, Pubnico (Yamaha

dealership)

Digby. Abundant lodging and numerous restaurants. Digby scal-

lops found on most menus. Several gas stations and Canadian Tire

(basic motorcycle parts), local riders gather at Tim Hortons.

Westport, Brier Island. Two ferry crossings: no charge going to

Brier Island; $5.00 each for return to Digby Neck.

Regular gas at R. E. Robicheau General Store & Gas Bar.

Annapolis Royal. Numerous exquisite B&B inns.

Halls Harbour Lobster Pound & Restaurant, Halls Harbour. Funky

and world-famous.

Old Orchard Inn & Spa, Exit 11 of Route 101, Wolfville 800-561-

8090 www.oldorchardinn.com Comfortable, biker-friendly, great

food, convenient location.

Truro. Abundant lodging.

Fundy Power Sports, 20 Lower Truro Rd., Truro. (Kawasaki) (902)

895-8209 www.fundypowersports.ca

Joggins Fossil Centre, 100 Main St., Joggins. World-famous fossil

collection housed above the fossil cliffs. (888) 932-9766 www.jog-

ginsfossilcliffs.net

Wharf Rat Rally: www.wharfratrally.com • Aug. 31-Sept. 5, 2011

Not so impressive here,but the tidal bore canget waves 10-feet high.

Walton Light- Route 215,Walton, NS

Fundy Travel Information

Low tide leaves fishng shanties and piershigh and dry - Westport, Brier Island, NS A lobster boat waits for high tide

in Sandy Cove on Digby Neck.

Kenneth W. Dahse

Motorcyclists who like cruising on lazy back roads and twisties while

viewing mountain vistas, scenic rivers, farmland, forests, and historic country

bridges will enjoy exploring the hinterlands of New York’s Catskill Mountain

region. The Catskill Highlands offer riders the perfect multi-day excursion

of fantastic roads, interesting sights, and a diversity of activities to experi-

ence.

It was with these images dancing in our heads that my intrepid little band

of riders set out from Ringwood, NJ under overcast and weeping skies. After

a bad weather call the previous year, I had promised my friends that this trip

would be a go regardless of the weather forecast.

As we rode along on Warwick Turnpike heading towards

Orange County’s expansive black dirt farming region, the

sky caressed us with misty kisses. But soon the sun smiled

on us, and we enjoyed riding the ravenous Route 1 as it

snaked its way out of the flatlands of the black dirt farming

region into the green hills leading into Port Jervis.

From Port Jervis we rolled up Route 97 into the famous

Hawks Nest area, where the serpentine 97 crawls along hun-

dreds of feet above the Delaware River like a mountaineer

scaling the Tetons. At the bottom of the Hawks Nest and at

the Mongaup Rapids location, we turned onto Rte. 31 to 32

to Eldred, taking Route 55 to Bethel. Yes, that Bethel, site of

the infamous 1969 Woodstock Festival where 400,000 young

people celebrated three days of peace and music while en-

during torrential downpours and fields of mud.

Now called Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, there’s a

monument to the event and a museum celebrating the festival

and other important events of the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s well

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 43

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worth a visit, but we bypassed it because most of our group had been there

before; and Mr. Happy, who still harbors animosity towards Jane Fonda for

her anti-Vietnam war activities, said, “I don’t want to waste my time at no

stinkin’ hippie museum that pays homage to Hanoi Jane lovers.”

Traveling through Bethel, we cruised by Lake Superior State Park, which

offers swimming, boating, picnicking, and onto Route 52 which meanders

through the hilly farmland of Sullivan County to Kenoza Lake and Stone

Arch Bridge Historical Park. This three-arched stone bridge is listed on the

National Register of Historic places and was built around 1880. A murder

was committed on the bridge in 1882.

I did my best to convince the group to hold hands and jump off the bridge

for a truly dynamic Backroads action shot, but I couldn’t. So, after enjoying

the park and some friendly banter, we continued our

odyssey through the highlands to Jeffersonville and then

onto the fly fishing capital of the Catskills: Roscoe and

the self-proclaimed “Famous Roscoe Diner” for lunch.

After a delicious lunch, we cruised out of Roscoe

heading west on Route 206 and turned right onto

Beaverkill Road (Route 151). This bumpy back country

road roams romantically alongside the famous

Beaverkill River, which is noted for its superior trout

fishing opportunities. We stopped at Beaverkill State

Park at the picnic and swimming area and the one lane

128-foot long covered bridge that spans the river. Built

in 1865, the bridge is an impressive sight and fun to ride

across.

Although mid-June, the water temperature was bone

numbing. Nevertheless, Woodstock Mark, Cool Breeze

Jose, and yours truly took a dip. Woodstock Mark said,

“Nothing like ice water to eliminate feelings of road fa-

tigue.” And he was right. My entire body tingled with

jumping nerve endings screaming, “We’re alive, we’re

alive!”

Page 44 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Once dry and dressed, we mounted our steeds and rolled across the

Beaverkill Bridge and took Berry Brook Road to Route 30. For eight miles

this rough and tumble road led us through the real backwoods Catskills. Sec-

tions of road were unpaved and one of the homesteads looked like it was out

of the film Deliverance. I kept our group moving along; after all, I didn’t

want any of us to have to “squeal like a pig.”

At Route 30, we sailed alongside the expansive pristine shimmering water

of the Pepacton Reservoir heading to the Downsville covered bridge. But

with the sky growing ever more ominous, we decided to skip the bridge, con-

tinuing on the snaking Route 30 as it slid its way around mountains and

alongside East Branch of the Delaware River. At Route 17, we superslabbed

it to the Hancock House Hotel (607-637-7100), our lodging for the night,

and arrived just before the angry heavens opened and sent forth a dastardly

and devious deluge.

As the rains continued, we enjoyed a tasty meal at the hotel’s Honest

Eddie’s Tap Room. The hotel is only a few years old and was built as a

replica of the original Hancock House Hotel. It’s clean and nicely maintained

with reasonably priced and tasty meals, and free breakfast. After dinner, we

enjoyed a few libations at the pub and then hit the hay for some heavenly

rest.

Sunday was overcast with threatening skies; nevertheless, we set off for

another day of exploration. Riding out of Hancock, we took scenic Route

268 to the Cannonsville Reservoir connecting with Route 10 and made our

way to Walton. These roads slice their way along the western edges of the

Catskill Mountains offering impressive views of farmland, valleys, and

mountains.

In Walton, we headed for Cody-Shane Acres Buffalo Ranch on 90 Crystal

Creek Road (607-865-4913). That morning, I had spoken to the owners Don

and Lynn Tweedie, who were most gracious and offered to give our little

group a tour. The bison herd was still grazing in their mountain pasture and

couldn’t be seen from the road.

When we arrived at their beautiful hillside log home, Don loaded us in his

huge 4x4 truck and drove up a muddy path to the mountain pasture for an up

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 45

close and personal look at their bison herd. These majestic and

hardy animals once numbered 30 million strong in what is now the

western states but were slaughtered almost to extinction as part of

government policy during the conquest of the west and the annihi-

lation of the Indian nations whose existence and culture depended

on them.

Ironically, we now realized that bison are far more suited for the

extreme weather of the west than cows, are cheaper and easier to

raise, and that their meat is tasty and healthy with less cholesterol

than fish, chicken, and turkey. Don told us he had raised cows but

could barely make a living off them; bison are simply more prof-

itable to raise. He also told us you could tell the gender of the bison

from just looking at their horns. Female horns curve inward; males

go straight up. Other ranchers and farmers nationwide have dis-

covered the financial advantage to raising bison. Media mogul and

billionaire Ted Turner has the largest bison ranch in the country in

Montana and a string of restaurants special-

izing in bison dishes. It looks like the Amer-

ican Indians knew better all along.

We thanked Don for the tour and mounted

up. We had planned on more exploration and

lunch in Phoenicia, but heavy storms were

heading our way so we took the fastest route

home. Nonetheless, we still battled rain for

many miles.

A few weeks later I returned to the Catskill

region for another trip with my good friend

Seldom Seen Shane. On our second day we

set out in the cool morning to finish the orig-

inal planned route from Walton taking Route 10 to Delhi and then 28 to

Andes, two quaint Catskill towns. At Route 30, we headed north to Grand

Gorge to Route 23 and Prattsville. All four roads are a rider’s nirvana weav-

ing through country villages and scenic countryside.

On this trip rain wasn’t a problem but the extreme heat was. We stopped

briefly at the unofficial Prattsville swimming hole for a refreshing dip and

then continued on 23A to 42 to 28 east and rolled into Phoenicia totally baked

and drained from the shining searing sun. After a cool

air-conditioned lunch, we were refreshed enough to con-

tinue our journey.

At Big Indian, we headed into the hinterlands on

Route 47, which was considerably cooler in temperature

than 28. This back country road crawls it way through

the heart of the Catskills alongside the West Branch Neversink River to other

back country roads that led us out of the Catskill highlands to Route 52 and

the ride home. As Seldom Seen Shane and I rumbled along, I thought about

how great it had been exploring the Catskill Region Highlands with its small

towns, farms, rivers, and mountains, but most importantly: its great motor-

cycling roads. And, I realized it wouldn’t be long before I returned to ride its

back roads and, once again, experience a Catskill Mountains Highland High.

Page 46 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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At the end of August 2010, an unusual phenomenon occurred as summer

drew to a close. A flock of Geese headed north to a gathering in a small town

at the northern end of Lake Nipissing, Ontario, Canada. These birds were

not the variety that you might recognize defiling pristine golf courses and

parkland. This species is Italian, not Canadian. The gathering of the Geese

in northern Ontario was the annual meeting of the Ontario Guzzi Riders, a

small but fervent group of Moto Guzzi loyalists. When I told one of my riding

buddies, a V-Max pilot, about our plans for the weekend, he asked with a

smirk if “both” Ontario Moto Guzzi owners would be attending. Funny guy.

What many folks do not realize is that Moto Guzzis have been in contin-

uous production nearly as long as Harley-Davidsons. The company was

founded in 1921, and in spite of some economic ups and downs, has soldiered

on consistently since that time.

Indeed, for many years, Moto Guzzi has been a bit of an “oddball brand”

in North America, little known to the motorcycling community, save and ex-

cept for a core group of loyal aficionados, the “Guzzista.” In November 2009,

I joined this select group of enthusiasts by purchasing my Moto Guzzi

Stelvio, the company’s most recent entry in the growing “adventure touring”

segment of the market. Fully kitted out with hard side cases, a top box, tank

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 47

EVENT RECAP

ONTARIO MOTO GUZZI RALLY • LAVIGNE, ONTARIO The Geese Fly North

bag and sundry other accessories, my Stelvio looks like it is ready to conquer

the world, although my riding ambitions remain considerably more modest.

The day prior to our departure, I made a special trip to pick up a couple of

supplies essential to any successful motorcycle trip - chocolate and single-malt

Scotch. Now we were ready! My wife Gail and I would be doing this trip two-

up, and it would be an interesting test in several respects. First, this would be

the premier tour of any distance for the two of us together on the Stelvio, and

second, it would give us the chance to test our new Bluetooth communication

system, a Cardo Scala Rider Q2. This is not the latest and greatest device, as

the G4 version is more powerful, but the Q2 seemed to have more than enough

functionality for our needs.

Friday morning dawned bright and clear and we were off at the civilized hour

of 8:30 AM. The ride to Lavigne would be primarily on secondary roads, and I

expected the 547 kilometer (340 mile) journey from our home in London, On-

tario, would take roughly six and a half hours, so we would arrive mid-after-

noon. The Stelvio was in fine fettle and the miles flew by. The communication

system worked well, although for some reason, I could hear Gail much better

Page 48 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

than she could me. In fact, I had no problem at any time or any speed hearing

her clearly. I believe it has something to do with speaker placement, as my

Nolan Trilogy has cut-outs which accommodate the Cardo speakers perfectly,

while the speaker ports on Gail’s HJC Sy-Max are much larger, and I believe

the issue is that the speakers are placed too far from her ears. Or then again,

maybe it’s just a case of Gail’s selective hearing. In any event, we are con-

tinuing to work on this little glitch.

For those not familiar with this area, look at a map of the Great Lakes.

Lake Huron has a large bay on its eastern side (Georgian Bay) and if you

scan just a little to the right of that, you will find Lake Nipissing. It is a large,

shallow lake, with abundant fish and other wildlife. This is the “Near North,”

and the rocks of the Canadian Shield reveal themselves everywhere.

We arrived at Lavigne pretty well according to my estimate, checked in at

Rally Headquarters (the Lavigne Tavern) and motored down the road to our

pre-booked lodgings, “The Deluxe Camp.” The choices in this area are ba-

sically limited to a small cabin at one of the many fishing camps, or camping.

I am not opposed to camping. In fact, I enjoy it, but Gail is committed to the

concept of sleeping in a proper bed, with a nearby bathroom that does not

require a walk outside with a flashlight in the middle of the night. So the

Deluxe Camp it was. I thought it was a little pricey for what we got ($120.00

Canadian per night, plus taxes) but it was as clean as a whistle and quite com-

fortable.

Friday night was an informal social gathering, where we became ac-

quainted with the riders who had arrived during the day from various parts

of Ontario, Michigan, and Ohio. Staying at the Deluxe Camp allowed us to

imbibe some frosty adult beverages without fear, as we were within easy

walking distance of the Tavern. Our Rally host, Guy Fortier, who is also the

owner, chief cook and bottle washer, prepared some tasty barbequed burgers

and sausages, so dinner was taken care of. You might notice Guy’s last name

is French. In this area of Ontario, the French language is every bit as preva-

lent as English. Although everyone speaks flawless English here, they have

retained their French-Canadian culture as well as the language. Gail is fran-

cophone, but not having spoken much French for many years, says that she

has lost a lot of it, which is a shame.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 49

This was my second Moto Guzzi rally, the first one being

the Western New York rally in Westfield, NY. I have to say I

am impressed with both the level of technical knowledge and

commitment to the marque exhibited by Moto Guzzi owners.

Many of these folks own more than one Guzzi, and more

than a few of the 28 or so in attendance were on older mod-

els, each one lovingly maintained and apparently indestruc-

tible. There is a certain “cool” factor with Guzzis. They are

absolutely brimming with character and charisma.

Is there a dark side? Indeed there is, and a fair amount of

the conversation during the Rally centered on the issue of

distributorship and the dealer network, which was decimated

in Canada a few months ago when Piaggio North America

in New York City took over from the former Canadian dis-

tributor. Most Canadian dealers lost their Moto Guzzi fran-

chise in the spring and early summer. Piaggio NA claims that

they are committed to rebuilding the Canadian market, but

in Ontario, we have seen very little hard evidence to date to

substantiate this claim.

Therefore, the prevailing mantra amongst the loyalists is

that it has never been easy being a Moto Guzzi owner, and

things really haven’t changed much on that front since the

Seventies.

On Saturday morning, an organized ride set out from the

Lavigne Tavern to the nearby town of Monetville, where we

enjoyed a leisurely – and very tasty -breakfast at the Mon-

etville Tavern. After that, a number of us set out to explore

the regional roads. Gail and I hooked up with Dave “Hoovy”

Hoover, a Norge owner we met at the rally who happens to

reside in our hometown of London. He had lived in northern

Ontario a number of years ago, so he knew some interesting

area roads. Two other riders accompanied us, both named

Randy. Gail and I differentiated them as “Short Randy” and

“Tall Randy.” Tall Randy was riding a Norge and Short

Randy, a California. Tall Randy is actually Randy Peterson,

a 71-year-old from Traverse City, Michigan. Randy has the

good fortune to possess the spirit and

body of a guy half his age! His wife is a

rider as well, but couldn’t make it to the

rally as she was experiencing electrical

problems with her Honda Rebel 450.

Our route took us north from Mon-

etville on Highway 64 to Regional Road

575, eventually re-joining 64 up to

Marten River. We stopped at a scenic

picnic area to take a few photos and it

was there that Tall Randy told us about

the repair he had done a short while ago

to his Norge’s brand-new rear tire. He

was very pleased that the plug was hold-

ing and that he probably wouldn’t have

to replace the hoop. Ruh Roh. A rider

should never tempt fate and the road

gods. After we turned from 64 onto

Highway 11 and started heading south

to North Bay, we noticed neither Randy

was behind us. Hoovy pulled over and

we did a U-turn to find out what had

happened to our compatriots.

We soon located the Randys at a

country store/gas station a few miles

back. Tall Randy’s rear tire had gone flat

on him again and he had limped into the

parking lot where fortuitously, an air

pump was available for his use. His old

repair was indeed still holding, but the

ominous hissing sound from the tire was

clear evidence he had run over some-

thing else in a different location. His tire

repair kit wasn’t working properly. The

gun-like plug insertion device was not

pushing the plugs through, so I pulled

Page 50 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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out my own kit, which uses a simple manual tool to push the plugs in. I pro-

vided a plug, but unfortunately the kit had been in my saddlebag so long, the

glue that came with it had hardened. Once again, the brotherhood of the open

road prevailed, as a gent who lived in the area noticed Randy’s plight and

offered to provide his own tire repair glue. Seems he used to own a Gold

Wing, and although he no longer had the bike, he retained some of its acces-

sories, including a tire kit. With the collective efforts of everyone pitching

in, we soon had Tall Randy back in the saddle of his Norge and on his way.

After the rally, he posted a note on one of the Guzzi forums that he had made

it safely back to Michigan, but would be biting the bullet and purchasing a

new tire.

Saturday night, food was again provided at the Lavigne Tavern, although

Gail and I missed it as we had gone to Mass in Sturgeon Falls and stayed for

dinner at a restaurant there. Later in the evening, the Tavern really began to

rock, as Tommy Fyfe and the Whiskey River Rockin’ Blues Band raised the

roof. This group was very talented. They did one of the best covers of Jimi

Hendrix’ “Hey Joe” that I have ever heard. One of the rally attendees, known

to us only as “Harmonica Bob” pulled a blues harp out of his pocket and

jammed with the band for the better part of one set. He was excellent, and

sounded like he had been playing with these guys for ages!

Sunday morning the riders began to disperse, some with a very long day

ahead. Terry and Maggie Whitaker were bound for Dayton, Ohio, pretty close

to 700 miles away. We will be back next year – same location, same weekend

in August. And by the way, all brands are more than welcome; so don’t be

shy if you aren’t lucky enough to be riding one of Mandello del Lario’s finest!

A cup of coffee at the Tavern, some quick goodbyes to Guy’s wife Judy

and the remaining rallygoers, and we were off. Jerry Reed once sang “East-

bound and Down,” but we were Southbound and Down and headed home.

Finally the Geese were turned around and flying in the right direction! Ciao!

The 2011 Ontario Guzzi Riders Rally will be held the weekend of

Aug. 26-29. For more information visit www.ontarioguzziriders.com.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 51

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Sitting in the press meeting at the historic Driskol Hotel in Austin, Texas, preceding the first ride of the new Stryker 1300, there arefamiliar faces wearing Star shirts. Long-term employees and lifelong motorcyclists, I’m among designers, product planners, acces-sory specialists, road testers, media staff and more. A closely-knit team of highly qualified and dedicated people, all directly re-sponsible for the way the new Stryker’s styling, character and how you can customize it to your own personal preference.

This is a machine built for the American riding public, designed, refined and styled after much time and effort spent interviewing current riders, cruiser and

non-cruiser. Then long periods of time riding and evaluating and improving, until the motorcycle you see here is ready for sale. And just in case you think Yamaha

slipped a bottle of Scotch in a goody bag before the introduction, take a quick look at Star’s sales figures. As the motorcycle company that sits second in number

of units sold, and the company that is nipping away at Harley’s heels, it’s clearly this cohesive mix of home-based knowledge and talent, blended with Yamaha’s

pursuit of excellence that is making the Star brand excel.

Just looking at the Stryker outside the Driskol on the morning of our ride confirmed all these feel good thoughts from the previous evening’s launch. The bike

sits low, with a lean, muscular stance and has plenty of chrome and deep luster custom-look paintwork. It has the chopper style with the wide bars, raked out

front end and big rear tire, but swinging it up off the side stand, it thankfully doesn’t have the chopper feel. Bikes with extended front ends have the heaviest and

least precise steering of any motorcycle produced, but not so the Stryker. The somewhat lazy rake and trail of 34 degrees and 109mm extend the wheelbase more

than two inches longer than the V Star 1300 at 68.9 inches. Like its bigger brother, the Star Raider, it deals with it extremely well. Sure it’s not quite as sharp at

speed on very twisty roads, but for the majority of riding situations it’s barely noticeable. The 21-inch front wheel allows the front end to become skittish on very

rough pavement, and the somewhat basic suspension will send big bumps directly through to your vertebrae, but when ridden on smoother roads and at sensible

speeds, the Stryker performs just fine.

First ride • 2011 Yamaha star strYker

Built on the V Star 1300 platform, a bike that’s been with us since it replaced the venerable V Star

1100 in 2007, there are a few changes to the over square 1304cc, 60 degree, V-twin engine for 2011.

The Stryker engine gets a slightly higher lift camshaft and roller rocker arms for a little more power,

and the ignition and fuel injection have been changed to work with a larger three-liter air box to com-

plement these changes. The 100mm

pistons use a conservative 9.5:1

compression ratio and run in 83mm

ceramic composite cylinder sleeves.

The engineers have worked hard to

give the engine character, but not at

the expense of unnecessary vibra-

tion. A bike we think of as mid size,

the Stryker has plenty of power

from idle up to the 6600 rpm red

line. It’s not going to rip your arms

out of your sockets when you crank

the throttle and put the 40mm

Mikuni throttle bodies to work, but

it certainly has some good, healthy

grunt. I liked not having to down

shift to overtake on the highway,

and the bike’s ability to rumble

along at low rpm and accelerate

without any fuss if needed, can be credited to the excellent fuel injection.

With a weight wet of 646 pounds, the Stryker is no lightweight on paper, but it’s cleverly disguised

the by the low 26.4 inch seat height and wide bars. Yamaha fully expects a third of it’s Stryker sales to

come from female riders, so this is a good thing, as it will certainly be a confidence booster. The ability

to put your feet flat on the floor, not needing to wrestle the bars to turn the wheel like a conventional

chopper, will make life a lot more pleasant not only for the ladies, but for newer riders stepping up to

their first full sized bike.

The chopper theme is certainly evident with the wide 210/40R 18-inch rear tire and 120/70 21-inch

front, but the Yamaha team has done their homework with their tire choice. Where conventional choppers

use a very skinny front

tire, the wider one used

on the Stryker calms

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 53

Page 54 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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things down and makes the bike steer a lot better while im-

proving stability. While this set up is not my cup of tea,

overall the combination does a much better job in all areas

of road holding than I would have thought initially reading

the press literature.

The Stryker comes with regular forward positioned foot

pegs. The six-speed gearbox makes light work of shifting

gears, and power is taken to the back wheel by a clean,

quiet maintenance free belt drive system. A single disc

brake is used up front, and this is a generic looking two-

piston caliper lightly massaging a 320mm single disc.

There is a one-piston caliper in the rear with a 310mm

disc, and to stop in a hurry, you will need both

of them in tandem, as they are somewhat

modest in their performance.

With a bike of this nature though, I would

hope you wouldn’t be doing too

much sport riding as the Stryker is

about good looks, great feel and the

custom cruiser lifestyle. The paint quality on the four-gallon gas tank is first

class and is carried over on the fenders and side panels. Fenders are deliber-

ately made of steel so they can easily be modified or repainted to your own

choice once you start accessorizing. The stock pipes have a very custom look

as delivered and certainly compliment the bike’s looks. Star is always quick

on the draw with their tag line, “We build it, you make it your own,” but this

really is the perfect way to describe the accessory options available for the

Stryker. Chatting with the man in charge of these accessories, Dave Pooler,

I learned there are a plethora of items already available, sixty to be precise.

You can choose from billet covers, performance air filter kits, custom seats

and back rests. There are mounts for saddlebags and a choice of windshields

for traveling, so whatever your taste, Yamaha dealers have you covered.

Riding the stock bike, there’s no windshield, so the view over the chrome

handlebars is very clean. There is however a small, centrally mounted console

with a conventional analogue speedometer that sits in the center of the bars.

All the usual warning lights, neutral light, trip counter fuel gage etc are lo-

cated in the panel, and all work as intended. Switchgear is plain and func-

tional, and a pair of conventional chrome mirrors let you get a fairly good

view of what’s behind. The relationship of the bars to the seat and the foot

pegs make the riding position relaxed, and during our day in the Texas hill

country it was certainly very comfortable.

At the time of purchase, you can choose from a chrome trim or a more

mean looking blacked out package, and the base price of the new Stryker is

$10,990 for the Raven and $11,240 for the Impact Blue or Reddish Copper

version. It comes with Yamaha’s normal one-year factory warranty. Parking

back at the Driskol at the end of the day, I had a chance to spend some time

with the Yamaha guys and see their passion and enthusiasm for the tight, com-

petent, and fun middleweight custom Star Stryker. They have done it again.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 55

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Page 56 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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1445 ROUTE 46 LEDGEWOOD NJ 07852 • 973-584-0810 • TREBOURMOTORCYCLES.COM

• Serving motorcycle enthusiasts and representing our brands with pride for over 12 years

• Recognized for service excellence including Suzuki’s highest honor The Cutting Edge Award - Servicing all makes and models

• We offer Pick up and Delivery service for the entire New York Metro area

• Conveniently located just off I-80 at Exit 28

Oz’sHomestay

The AlternativeFLY-IN B&B

Let us be your home away from home

Oz’s Homestay296 Faulkner Rd, Shinglehouse, PA 16748

ozhomestay-huntinglodge.com • 814-697-7218

Oz’s Offers:Queen Memory Foam Mattresses

Private Bathrooms

Wireless Internet

Outstanding Meals

Tandem Skydives and Lessons

Great Roads/Trails for Riding

WARM HOSPITALITY

110 RTE. 17 • SLOATSBURG, NYPhone: 845-753-5555 • www.hogheavenbbqny.com

As Seen In Backroads

June 2010 GAADR

Dine in or Take out

Plenty of Room for the Whole Gang

Open Every Day BUT Mondays at 11AM

Southern Style BBQ

BRANCHVILLEMOTORS

63 Ethan Allen Hwy • Ridgefied, CT

203.544.7900www.Branchville.com

Ask

about

our

Discount for any Active US Military or

Honorably Discharged in the past with a DD214

If you don’t mind the haunting cry of the gullsor the sound of the waves, look no further.

Bearskin Neck Motor Lodge

64 Bearskin Neck, Rockport, MA • 877-507-6272 • www.bearskinneckmotorlodge.com

Open May thru OctoberConvenient to all of Rockport

Walk to Bearskin Neck’squaint shops and restaurants8 rooms directly on the ocean

Plenty of parking

Who says you can’t take it with you?!

919-537-9492 • info@2x2cycles.comwww.2x2cycles.com

Bicycle/Golf Clubsto MotorcycleCarrier SystemsThis unique and adaptablesystem is the most versatilemotorcycle accessory on themarket today. Handmade in

the USA, it enables motorcycleriders to rack their bicycles

securely and travel.Non-brand specific • 1% of sales donatedto environmental causes • 1% all sales to JDRF

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 57

M O T O R C Y C L E M A R K E T P L A C E ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

www.stopngo.comThe Best Tire Repair.Know Before You Go!

800-747-0238

GenMarHANDLEBAR R ISERS

KAWASAKI • HONDA • YAMAHA • SUZUKI • TRIUMPH • MOTO GUZZI • ETCRaise your handlebars for a more comfortable ride and still retain stock look.

From $59.95 to $139.95

Order Toll Free (877) 471-1515Info and Fax (505) 743-2243 • www.zianet.com/GenMar

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

DAYTONA, BIKETOBERFEST,STURGIS AND BEYOND

MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS

BARN TRAILERS718-426-7039 • www.barntruckrental.com

57-05 BROADWAY • WOODSIDE NY 11377 (OFF THE BQE & LIE)

SALESRENTALS

WASHINGTON CYCLE WORKS

WCWWashington Cycle Works Junction of Rtes. 57/31 • Washington, NJ 07882

908-835-0043

www.washingtoncycleworks.com

We cater to road racers and support all Track Day organizationsCheck us for Suspension Setups • One-piece Road Race suits in stock

Closed Sun-Mon • Open: Tues-Thurs 9:30AM-7PM • Fri 9:30AM-6PM • Sat 9AM-3PM

If you didn’t like cool stuff,

you wouldn’t be reading

this magazine.

Here’s something

you’re going to love.

TORQ-ITScrewdriver/Speed Wrench/ Palm Ratchet

All In One Tool

Variable Speeds Over 600RPMLow Profile, with an “Ergo” Grip and a Non-Slip DesignAccepts All 3/8” and 1/4” Sockets and Extensions

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

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

Brands you Know and TrustFrom Long Island’s PremiereMotorcycle Outfitters…

15 East Deer Park Rd, Dix Hills, NY631-262-0600 • www.ReadyRiders.com

AMERICANA SOFT SEATSCustom Gel Pad InstallationOn Any Motorcycle Seat

Harley Davidson, Honda, Suzuki, YamahaLowest Prices AnywhereWE GUARANTEE IT!!!!

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

Page 58 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

M O T O R C Y C L E M A R K E T P L A C E ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Hudson Valley’s

Number One Riding

Barbeque Restaurant

Located on Picturesque Route 9W

minutes from Perkins Drive

and Harriman State Park

just south of historic West Point

1076 Route 9W North

Fort Montgomery, NY

845-446-0912

www.barnstormerbbq.com

Featured in July 2009Great All American Diner Run

If you go home hungryit’s your own fault

* This month, say “T-Bone said you’d hook me up” and get one free additional side1475 Rt. 22 in downtown Wingdale

(that’s Six Minutes North Of Pawling And One Minute South Of The Spooky Old Psychiatric Hospital)

(845) 832-6200 • Open noon til 8pm, closed Mondays & Tuesdays

“There’s not a bird back in town thatapproaches Big W’s Slow Chicken”–New York Times March ‘07

“Best pork ribs within 90 miles of NYC”–New York Times Aug. ‘03

“Finger Lickin’ Good” ����

–Poughkeepsie Journal July ‘08

Best of 2008–Hudson Valley Magazine

Slow-smoked chicken, Dry RubSpareribs, Pulled Pork or BeefBrisket and four of our sides.*

$37.50(Feed 4 and two trips to the fridge after midnight)

The Boat House

Restaurant

FEEL THE WARMTH

The Only Outdoor

Lakeside Dining on

Swartswood Lake

1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood, NJ

973-300-0016

www.theboathouserestaurantonline.com

Member

Serving Lunch,

Dinner and Sunday Brunch

Tuesday ~ Sunday 11am-9pm

Brunch 10am-2pm • Closed Mondays

Excellent Ride Destination

‘50s-Style Drive-In RestaurantFull and Varied Menu

Room for the Whole Gang

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

www.chatterboxdrivein.com

~~ BIKE NIGHT IS BACK EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT at ~~

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-INGREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING

Ask about our Diners Club.Gift Cards available.

SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCHTUESDAY-SUNDAY 7AM~3PM

Daily specialty items including burgers, homemade soup & pastries

Route 739 ~ just south of Milford Rd ~ Dingmans Ferry, PA

570.828.1920 • www.forkliftcafe.com

As seen in November 2010 Great All American Diner Run

320 Front Street

Belvidere, NJ

908-475-2274

Enjoy quaint

Victorian Belvidere and

scenic Warren County

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983

Breakfast • Lunch • Espresso Cafe

Ice Cream and Dessert • Catering Off-Premise

Open Daily 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm

Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday

Thisilldous is New Jersey’s best kept secret. Maybe the best luncheonette in the State • Star Ledger

Worththe ride

fromanywhere!

www.thisilldous.com •

Member

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 59

M O T O R C Y C L E M A R K E T P L A C E ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

…your personal heaven on earth!

Located in Arden, only 15 minutes fromPhilippi, on the beautiful Tygart Riverin West Virginia, our bed & breakfast isthe perfect place to call home whileexploring the Mountain state.

Rates from $70 - $90 per night

866.909.4262www.AngelBandFarm.com

Box 696 • North River Road • Philippi, WV 26416

The Charlesworth Hotelis New Jersey’s REAL backroads’ hideaway

Romantic Dining

Comfortable Rooms

Home of the BEST sunset on the Jersey Shore

New Jersey Avenue • Fortescue, NJ • 856-447-4928

THE Place to gowhen you

REALLY want to Disappear

www.maplewoodlodging.com266 North Main St, Otis, MA

413-269-7351

MaplewoodLodging B&B

In the heart of the Berkshires,in Western Massachusetts,surrounded by some of thebest riding in New England.

• Secure Motorcycle Parking

• Comfortable Rooms

• Full Country Breakfastat your time schedule

• Reasonable Rates

• Owned by Riders

• Stay two nights andthe third night is on us

The Narrowsburg Inn & Grille

The Narrowsburg Inn & Grille, since 1840, is a warm welcome spot for riders, as a lunch stopor overnight. With an assortment of menus to please the taste and modernized historical roomsto stay in, along with great enterainment, you'll have an enjoyable time at the Inn!

Located in the beautiful hamletof Narrowsburg, NY

just off scenic Route 97,1/4 mile from the Delaware

182 Bridge St • Narrowsburg NY • 845-252-3998 • www.narrowsburginn.comOpen 7 Days a Week (Check for hours) • Rooms start at just $95

Tues. thru Sat. 11am-10pmSunday: Breakfast 9am-Noon

Lunch and Dinner served until 9pm

The RivertonTravel along the scenic

backroads of the Delaware river.Meet the Markopoulos family

and taste chef George’sGreek American cooking.Best bar menu, lunch or dinner.

Fresh poppers, perogies, calamari, clamsand crispy wings with 8 different sauces.

John, Christina, chef George and Eoanna welcome you and your friends.

The Riverton Hotel and RestaurantAt Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

610-498-4241 • www.rivertonhotel.com

Member of

Page 60 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Sussex Hills Ltd.

For All YourHarley-Davidson Needs

Specializing in Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Supplies

Cycle Tires Mounted & Balanced • Batteries & Hard Parts

Dynojet 250 Dyno available for testing

Proprietor Norman Gross • Since 1976Our Reputation Speaks for Itself

973-875-2048946 Rte. 23 South, Sussex NJ 07461

3 miles north of Sussex Borough

Whippany, NJ • 973-781-9090569 Route 10 East • (1-1/4 miles east of I-287)

M/F: 8-7 • Sat: 9-5 • Sun: 12-4

Succasunna, NJ • 973-589-7000276 Route 10 West • (1-3/4 miles south of I-80)

M/F: 8-7 • Sat: 9-5 • Sun: 10-4

Come Ride the Dragon

Deals Gap318 Curves in 11 Miles

www.dealsgap.com800.889.5550

17548 Tapoco Road • Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771

Deals Gap Store • MotelBar and Grill

M O T O R C Y C L E M A R K E T P L A C E ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Think your ad would look good here?So do we. Give us a call and let’smake it happen. 973-948-4176

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 61

www.beemerboneyard.comUSED OILHEAD & K-BIKE PARTSHundreds of used parts at 50% off new cost or lessOrder online 24/7 ~ M/C, Visa, Discover or PayPal100% money-back guarantee ~ parts ship in 24 hours

NEW MAINTENANCE PART ~ BELOW RETAIL

No Backorders ~ We Stock What We SellWe now carry German Liqui-Moly Engine & Gear Oil for BMWs

973-775-3495 • M-F 12pm~5pm • inquires@beemerboneyard.com

17 NORTH BROADWAY • NYACK, NEW YORK 10960 845-358-4400Can’t make it in? Visit us online @ www.GenaLisa.com

Play it safe on the outsideKeep it sexy on the inside…

A ‘Fitting’ Place for Women

RiSiNg WOLF gARAgE NYC

EXCLUSIVE MOTORCYCLE PARKING FACILITY

Monthly Parking

Long & Short Term

24 Hour Access

Video Surveillance

Service Area

Personal Storage

Air Compressor

Battery Charging

We p ro v i d e a f r i e n d l y, c l e a n a n d s e c u re

e n v i ro n m e n t f o r t h e m o t o rc y c l e e n t h u s i a s t

By Appointment Only

East Village NYC

Ph: 212 475 5858 • Fx: 212 505 5205

risingwolfgarage@aol.com

www.risingwolfgarage.com

PARKING LOT PALSWe have always encouraged riders to practice as much as possible. Setting up a practice course in a big parking

lot is an easy way to work on your skills.

The instructors at Ride Like A Pro use these neat little cones called Parking Lot Pals. These stackable cones

are 8” wide and 2” high and come in a multi-colored pack of 40. They are lightweight and easily transportable

on your motorcycle to your practice area. Since they are virtually flat, they pose minimal risk to the rider and

motorcycle should they be run over during practice. You can get them from their website at www.ridelikeapronj

and they cost only $30 plus shipping. A great investment if you are serious about working on your riding skills.

STREETSKILLS MOTORCYCLE TRAINING CARDSStreetSkills Cards has introduced an exciting new training product for motorcyclists. streetSkills Motorcycle Train-

ing Cards are 22 laminated and spiral-bound flashcards that offer instruction on 17 motorcycle-related skills. The

innovative card style design offers a more personalized, convenient and ongoing training opportunity for riders.

These cards can provide a gateway into professional training, as well as remedial instruction. The cards are useful

to riders of any skill level, from beginners to seasoned veterans. New riders can benefit from the skill development

aspects and experienced riders can further their talents and fix any bad habits formed over the years.

Riders use the concise information on the card just prior to riding or at stops along the way. This provides them

with a skill or habit to master in a small chunk. Overtime, riders should build good riding habits and skills. They

also work well as a refresher after long stretches off the motorcycle.

The actual cards are sturdy, water resistant and easy to use. They are small enough to fit in a tank bag or pocket,

but easy to read. The information is presented in a simple format. The content is based on years of research,

training and experience by certified motorcycle trainers. Purchase and additional information on the cards,

which retail for $15.00, is available on the web at streetSkills.net.

TAPP LITE USB POWER PORTWho doesn’t have a cell phone these days? Right, nobody. Heck, my nieces have them and they are in first

grade.

I know when we go on tour I always have a bag of chargers with me, though I have narrowed that down

lately. I don’t need to charge my iPhone overnight these day, as it charges while I am riding during the day

plugged into the TAPP Lite USB Power Port.

It was just a matter of time before somebody, in this case 3BR Powersports out of Saratoga, California,

came up with this idea and it couldn’t be easier.

Page 62 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

The TAPP Lite USB Power Port is a breeze to install. Simply locate a convenient place on your motorcycle, like your handlebar, and use the included rubber

universal bracket to secure the TAPP Lite, route the fused power line to the battery and you are good to go. The TAPP Lite circuitry coverts your machines 12

volts to a useable USB output voltage of 5V ±.25V.

Anything that you have that is USB powered can now be powered on your bike including the Apple iPhone, LG EnV, Blackberry, & Motorola Razr (requires

charging cable). Also, Garmin GPS, Apple iPod, and any other device that charges using 1A or less of USB power.

For our use we eventually moved the TAPP Lite into our powered RKA tank bag, simply trimming the power line to fit and I now charge my phone, safe and

dry, inside my tank bag during my ride.

The TAPP Lite USB Power Port has a weatherproof cap to keep the elements at bay when not in use and the $32.95 is money well spent these days.

They also have a panel-mounted version for those who might want to put this on the dash or fairing.

The TAPP Lite USB Power Port can be found at www.3brpowersports.com.

New Pilot Road 3 Sport Touring Tire from MichelinMichelin enters into 2011 with the introduction of the Pilot® Road 3 tire, ideal for motorcycles as varied as the

Honda VFR800, BMW R 1200 RT and Suzuki Bandit 1250S. Enhancing the company’s Sport Touring Motor-

cycle Radial tire lineup, the Pilot Road 3 tire features the latest-generation 2CT dual-compound technology, with

a soft rubber compound on the tread shoulders and a wear-resistant compound down the middle, and all-new

“XST” X-Sipe technology.

“As the Sport Touring Motorcycle tire market grows, Michelin responds with the new Pilot Road 3 tire,” said

Gary Midkiff, vice president of Michelin North America’s two wheel division. “Tires in this segment have to be

adaptable to many different types of motorcycles, as well as a variety of weather and riding conditions. With its

XST X-Sipes, the Pilot Road 3 tire will be the benchmark of the Sport Touring Motorcycle Radial class.”

The most distinctive feature of the Michelin Pilot Road 3 tire is its revolutionary new X-Sipe Technology (XST),

which adds a unique look to the distinctive tread pattern pioneered on the Michelin Pilot Road 2 tire. The full-

depth sipes help evacuate any water underneath the tire by allowing additional draining capacity of the tread as

well as generate pressures at the edge of the sipe blade to break up water film. Besides offering superior wet

traction, the XST sipes have the added benefit of promoting long tread life and even wear characteristics.

For more information about the MICHELIN® Pilot® Road 3 tire or the entire Michelin motorcycle tire lineup

please visit www.michelinmotorcycle.com.

THE S-CARGO STRAPWhen you’re ready to load bikes on your truck or trailer are your tie-downs in a snarled pile, making

it a pain to grab just two? Every motorcycle rider, racer or restorer knows the problem of reaching for

a strap in a tangled mess of tie-downs and the wasted time and frustration in untangling straps for use.

The Revolutionary S-Cargo Strap eliminates that problem forever.

The S-Cargo Strap not only saves time and frustration, it also protects your bikes from damage from

the hard metal hooks, buckle and loose, flapping straps.

No More Tangled Mess - The S-Cargo Strap system uses a unique neoprene pouch that makes it dif-

ferent from anything else. The lower hook and all the webbing fit inside when not in use.

Protects Your Bike From Damage – The neoprene pouch protects your bike, or other precious cargo

from buckle damage when loading or hauling.

No More Loose Straps – After securing your cargo, there are always a few extra feet of webbing left

over. Using the S-Cargo Strap, you can just roll up the loose strap and zip it into the pouch. It is easy,

fast and you don’t have a strap flapping in the wind or flailing away to chip or scratch your paint.

Already have a bunch of straps? S-Cargo has that covered too. You can buy “empty” pouches and install them on your own straps in about 15 seconds. Untangle

your existing straps one last time and convert them to the S-Cargo system!

The S-Cargo straps and pouches are available through distributors and dealers as well as for individual purchase, starting at just $12.95, on the S-Cargo Strap

website s-cargostrap.com/ or contact the company by phone at 831-336-3621 or by email at info@s-cargostrap.com.

CRUZTOOLS COMBO WRENCH HANDLES AXLES AND PLUG SOCKETSTWO VERSIONS, EACH WITH THREE SIZES

Axle nuts for dirt bikes can be as large as 32mm, typically with different front and rear

sizes. Trailside flat repair and chain tension adjustment are common needs, so offroad

riders are faced with carrying two large and heavy wrenches. Another potential problem

is a fouled spark plug. While manufacturers may provide a special spark plug socket

with the bike, they don’t include the wrench required for use. As a result, a third size

becomes necessary.

In an effort to merge these requirements into a single compact tool, CruzTOOLS devel-

oped two new Combo Axle Wrenches. Both contain a 14mm box wrench for OEM spark

plug sockets and 22mm box wrench for front axle nuts. To handle rear axles, one version

contains a 27mm wrench while the other provides 32mm. Between these two variations,

most Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki models are addressed, plus many Kawasakis.

Measuring about eight inches (205mm) long and weighing just over five ounces (145

grams), the Combo Wrenches will easily fit into a fanny pack, backpack, or fender bag.

Suggested retail is $14.95 for either version; part numbers are AW142227 (14mm x 22mm x 27mm) and AW142232 (14mm x 22mm x 32mm).

For more information, please contact at their web site at www.cruztools.com.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 63

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

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

Perishable Skills • Use it or lose it!

The other evening we were sitting on the deck that runs along the second

floor of Backroads Central. It was late in the afternoon and we had spent

most of the day enjoying a wonderfully warm mid-March day riding down

from an overnight in Andes, New York.

Now the place we call home sits along one of the more popular motorcy-

cling roads in New Jersey and it is not uncommon to find Shira and I up in

some comfortable chairs as the sun is dropping down; just watching the bikes

coming and going along this twisty and hilly road.

This is where our lesson for this month comes into play.

This was the first really warm day of the year. It was a Friday and many

riders played hooky this day to get out and enjoy this early gift from Mother

Nature.

You would think that for maybe some of these riders it was their first ride

of the year.

Some interesting things happened all at once this day. A few motorcycles

came down our hill, at a rather quick pace, and at the same time a yearling

black bear appeared on our lawn.

Not seeing a bear since the bear slaughter last Fall, we were excited that

something big, black and furry survived the hunt. Right about this time I

though I heard something way down the road, but really couldn’t be sure.

A few minutes later I got a call from my neighbor, Michael, a local law-

man. There had been a crash down the hill on the second sweeper to the left.

According to him a couple had run off the road and flipped the bike. They

were shaken but more or less okay.

By this time first responders had rushed to the scene and we felt it better

to stay out of their way and stay put at the office. Nothing we could do now

except get in the way. Later on Shira had an errand to run and she passed by

the scene where the bike – what looked like a Vision – was still there.

Later over pizza we talked about how these things happen every now and

again, but more so in the very beginning of the riding season.

That horrible season called Winter eats away at our perishable riding skills

and that sharpened expertise you might have acquired throughout last season

has to be dulled somewhat from not getting out and riding on a regular basis.

Is this what happened this day? I cannot say for sure, but it wouldn’t sur-

prise me at all if it had.

We know of a few people who ride only occasionally – motorcycling is

not as important to some as for others. When you have that ‘occasional’ rider

there are almost always issues to be dealt with.

On the other hand a rider who actively works on his or her riding skills on

a regular basis is going to be far more confident and skillfull than the rider

who got out just a handful of times last season and rarely, if ever, actually

practices or even thinks of their riding skills and how they can improve them.

For these infrequent riders each ride can be like starting over from scratch,

not to mention that added stress and anxiety that is piled onto their friends

and fellow riders when they are spending a bit too much concern on these

occasional riders.

Things happen to motorcyclists all the time, but they seem to happen to

less skilled and tentative riders more often than not.

Muscle memory and repeatable tasks such as braking, accelerating, turning

and so on always need to be practiced for it to really work.

Like a musician who needs to play every day to keep sharp, so must we

ride on a regular basis to remain the best motorcyclists we can be.

Page 64 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

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

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

First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner of Dingmans/Be-vans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Join others for aride or head out on your own

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

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

MAY 20111 • Chai Riders MC First Ride of the Season. Sign in: Temple Beth Shalom of FairLawn,40-25 Fairl Lawn Ave, Fair Lawn, NJ • 8:30am-4pm. $20/rider; $10/pass. Scenicride at your own pace, breakfast nosh along the way, BBQ lunch at end site and sooomuch more. AMA sanctioned • www.ChaiRiders.org • 201-797-4206

1 • Cross Island MC Long Island Timed or Tour Run. Sign in: Formula One Motorsports,4030 Sunrise Hwy, Oakdale, NY • Timed Run 9am/Key Time. 30mph timed run. If youever wanted to try a timed run (like the Crotona Midnight Run) here is your chance to doit in the daylight. 10am/LI Tour 10am. Route sheet provided with 90-miles of Long Is-land’s best roads. $10/bike • www.CrossIslandMC.com

6-8 • 4th Annual Buzzard Bottom Campout. High Country Motorcycle Camp in Ferguson,NC. Located 20 miles east of the Blue Ridge Pkwy at milepost 276. MC-only campground.For more info www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com

7 • Sport Honda Dyno Shootout and Triumph Metuchen Open House. Free Dyno read-ings from 12pm - 3pm. 911 Middlesex Ave/Rt. 27, Metuchen, NJ • 732-906-9292

7 • The day after Int’l Female Ride Day is Women’s Day at Bob’s BMW. Coffee talk sem-inars with women riders of note plus join Bob on an afternoon women’s ride. 10720 Guil-ford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.bobsbmw.com

13-15 • Join Morton’s BMW for their first-ever Spring Fling Rally held at the historic Nat-ural Bridge hotel in the scenic Shenandoah Valley in VA. featuring self-guided rides, bothon and off-road, through the gorgeous countryside, a catered barbecue (or vegetarian)dinner Saturday night, door prizes and more. Vendors welcome. $45/pp registration. Formore info, visit www.mortonsbmw.com/springfling_2011.html or call 540-891-9844.

13-15 • Mothers for Daughters Motorcyclists for Breast Cancer & Ovarian Cancer Re-search. Join hundreds of motorcyclists for a weekend of riding and fun in beautiful scenicVermont and help raise money for breast and ovarian cancer research. For complete de-tails of the weekend event and room rates, please call 781-861-0005 or visit www.moth-ersfordaughters.com

14 • 9th Annual South Branch Watershed Assoc. Ride for the River Poker Run. Sign in:9-11am Spruce Run Rec. Area, 68 Van Syckel Rd, Clinton, NJ. $25/bike. For more infovisit: www.sbwa.org • 908-782-0422

14 • 6th Annual Ride to Fight Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Start/end: Na'brasa BrazilianSteakhouse, Rte. 611 + Jefferson Ave, Horsham, PA.Signin: 9:30am; Ride leaves 10:40.$20/pp incl. run patch, SMA pin and food • www.mjmcalvaryriders.com

15 • Rockaway Township PAL Charity Run for the Kids. Sign in Peterson Field, RockawayTwp, NJ 9-10am; Ride starts 10:15am Sharp. $25/rider; $10/passenger. 50+ mile po-lice-escorted run includes coffee and donuts at sign-in and BBQ lunch, soft drinks, livemusic by Brothers Wisdom and many terrific raffle prizes. For more info contact RT PALat 973-625-4000 ext. 1008 or www.rtpal.org

20-21 • 12th Annual Riding Into History to benefit Project Wounded Warrior. Concoursd'Elegance will feature 300-400 antique, vintage, race and cutom bikes fro all over theUS. Grand Marshall Kevin Schwantz will attend charity rides and luncheons. For fulllisting visit: www.ridingintohistory.org

21 • 4th Annual Hope for Huntington’s Motorcycle/Poker Run to benefit Huntington’sDisease Society of America. Sign in: Kosco HD, 1149 Rte. 23 South, Kinnelon, NJ. Endsite:Unionville Vineyards, 9 Rocktown Rd, Ringoes, NJ. Reg. 9-11am • $15/rider; $10/pass.Ride finishes 2-3pm.

21 • Bob’s BMW Vintage and Classic Day. Bob’s special machines and show yours offand impress the judges. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.bobs-bmw.com

22 • Freedom Run for Wounded Warrior Project sponsored by Bergen County HD/BMW.Start: Bergen Courthouse, Hackensack, NJ 9-10:30am. Run: 11am Sharp. $25/rider;$15/pass. Endsite: Liberty State Park with live music, entertainment and more. For moreinfo visit www.bergenharleydavidson.com

19-22 • Concours Owners Group Spring Fling Northeast Area Rally. Penn Wells Lodge,Wellsboro, PA. Nearby camping also available. Saturday buffet dinner included in rallyfee. Detauks abd fee information online www.cog-online.org • 978-394-2591

19-21 • Mid-Atlantic Retread Rally. Headquarters: Bird-In-Hand Family Inn/Restaurant,Rte. 340, Bird in Hand, PA. For more info call: 856-241-8979

22 • Ramapo MC 2nd Annual Scrabble Run. Sign in: Orange Top Diner, Rte. 17 North,Tuxedo, NY. 9am-10:30am. $10/bike. For more details visit www.ramapomc.org or callDick Roberts @ 201-767-3594

29 • Dawn Patrol MC Memoiral Day Classic. Signin: Bradley Garden Firehouse, 24 OldYork Rd, Bridgewater, NJ 9am-Noon. $15/pp covers 60-mile run, food and beverage.

JUNE 20113-5 • 4th Annual Bennington Triumph Bash, Bennington, VT. Grassroots, independentrally for Triumph motorcycle owners by Triumph motorcycle owners. Camping availableat the Greenwood Lodge and campsites or indoor lodging at the Paradise Inn. For itineraryand other info go to: www.armchaircommando.org/bennington/BenningtonTriumph-Bash/Home.html

4 • Carly’s Kids Day Ride. Sign in/endsite: OCC, 14 Crossroads Ct, Newburgh, NY. 9am;leaves 10am. $20/rider;$30/rider+pass;Day of event add $5 to each. Motorcycle ridethru Hudson Valley led by Paul Sr. to benefit the Carly Fund • www.orangecountychop-pers.com

5 • 10th Annual Poker Run/Pig Roast to benefit POW MIA and Veterans sponsored byRolling Thunder Chp. 3 NJ. Sign in: Tramontin HD, Rt. 80/Exit 12, Hope NJ 9-11am. End-site: Glen Gardner VFW with live music by Psych, vendors, prizes food. $20/rider;$20/pass. For more info: 516-659-2510 • www.rollingthunder-nj3.org

10 • 11th Annual Informal Gathering of Sidecars at Americade. Headquarters: Adiron-dack Camping Village. Info: Bruce 610-866-1611 • stephens.bruce.d@gmail.com

7-11 • Americade - the world’s largest motorcycle touring rally. Get the complete low-down on their new, revamped webpage: www.americade.com

3-12 • Warrensburg Bike Rally. Main Street, Warrensburg, NY. Vendors, food, free pub-lic8events. 518-791-8727 • www.warrensburgbikerally.com

9-12 • 2nd Annual New England MotoMarathon. Start: Motofit Motorsports, Danbury,CT. Two-day, three-night riding with headquarter hotel in Shelburne, NH being the BirchBend Motolodge. For complete details visit www.motomarathon.com or contact JohnMetzger at 303-641-1062 • john@metzger.com

12 • Nassau County FireRiders XMas in June to benefit the children of St. Christophers.Sign in: 9am-Noon with breakfast Applebee’s, 938 S. B’way/Rt. 107, Hicksville, NY. $10an unwrapped toy (no stuffed animals) • www.fireridersmc.com

15 • Blue Knights IX NJ Garlic Run. For details visit their website: www.bknjix.org

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

17-18 • Triumph Metuchen Demo Truck Event. 875 Middlesex Ave/Rt. 27, Metuchen, NJ• 732-462-4881 • www.triumphmetuchen.com

18 • Art of the Bike presents the 2nd annual Classic Bikes and Blues featuring music,vintage bikes, food and more. 10am-5pm. Tinicum park, Erwinna, PA. For more detailsvisit: www.artofthebike.com

25 • Edison First Aid Squad #2 auto/motorcycle show with craft fair to benefit the 75thanniversary of the Edison First Aid Squad. Doors open 10am with trophies, prizes, foodand fun for the whole family. 848 New Dover Rd, Edision, NJ. For more details visitwww.edisonfas2.org or call 732-549-3883

26 • 3rd Annual Poker Run to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. Two sign in locations: BaersSports Center, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA • Harmony Lodge #8, 519 Rte. 206,Andover Twnshp, NJ • 9am-Noon. $20/pp incl. t-shirt, food at endsite (Walpack Inn),prizes, live music, 50-50 and more • Baer 570-253-2000 • 570-686-2917

JULY 20119 • Customer Appreciation Day at Sport Honda. Bike wash, in-store specials and more.Check website for details: www.sporthonda.net • 911 Middlesex Ave/Rt. 27, Metuchen,NJ • 732-906-9292

12-17 • Suzuki Owners Club of North America RallyFest 2011. Goshen, NY. Rally location:Comfort Inn and Suites, Hatfield Lane, Goshen, NY • Host Dealer: Jim Moroney’s Cycles,833 Union Ave, New Windsor, NY. For more info: suzukiownersclub.org

16-17 • 35th Annual Running of the Ramapo 500 sponsored by the Ramapo MotorcycleClub. 500-mile, two-day scenic ride. $33 Pre-reg/$45/day of event includes camping,Saturday dinner, Sunday breakfast, entertainment, awards, prizes, starters pin and fin-ishers patch. Limited to 400 entrants. For complete info: www.ramapomc.org

24 • Second Generation MC 8th Annual Dice Run to benefit United Hospice of Rockland.Sign in: Haverstraw Motorsports, Rte. 9W, Haverstraw, NY. 9:30-11am. $20/rider;$10pass;$20/walkins. Enjoy 100 mile scenic ride through beautiful back roads. AMA sanc-tioned. BBQ and Live Music at American Legion, Station Rd, Pomona, NY • www.sec-ondgenerationma.org

28-31 • United Sidecar Assoc. 33rd National Rally ‘Buckeye Rally’ in Dayton, OH. Head-quarters: Dayton Tall Timbers Resort KOA. Info: www.sidecar.com

28-31 • MountainFest, Morgantown, WV • www.mountainfest.com

31 • District II of NJ Corn Boil/Rally. Sigin: 9-11am Williams HD, 1100 US 22, LEbanaon,NJ. Endsite: Bridgewater Eagles, 350 Woodside Ln, Bridgewater, NJ. $15/pp.

AUGUST 20118-12 • Concours Owners Group National Rally. Green Mountains at Mount Snow, VT.Rally fee includes buffet dinner. Discount for COG members. For more information pleasevisit www.cog-online.org • 978-394-2591

SEPTEMBER 20112-5 • Vermont Rolling Rally. For details visit www.rollingthruamerica.com

4 • Dawn Patrol MC Labor Day Run. Signin: 9-Noon Bradley Gardens Firehouse, 24 OldYork Rd, Bridgewater, NJ. $15/pp.

11 • Larz Anderson Museum European MC Day, Brookline, MA • www.larzanderson.org

26-Oct. 2 • Backroads Fall Fiesta Rally. Join us for our week-long rally through MA, NH,VT and NY. See the ad on page 71 or on our website for full details.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 65

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR What’s Happening

Page 66 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

For those of you with a short memory let’s recap this past winter. Better yet, let’s sum it up in two words… It sucked!

By the time March Madness rolled around, not the B-Ball tourney, but the insanity that sets in to we riders by the time the Lion pads in, we were so ready to

go – anywhere!

Florida was a part of the grand plan that never happened as a series of storms raced through the east coast and effectively kept us local when we should have

been at Mets Spring Training Camp in Port St. Lucie.

Ahh, mice and men.

With a Friday in mid-March that looked, well almost decent, we packed up the bikes and decided to mosey around and see where we’d end up. The first

overnight of the year, we hoped.

We had a sort of plan, but after the previous week’s disappointments, we would play it by ear, but had overnight gear in the case we got lucky.

County Road 519 runs south from the New York border and ends down along the Delaware at Stockton, New Jersey. We have always found 519 to be as

nearly perfect a riding road as you could find.

Hey man, did you see that, those poor cats are sure messed up. I wonder what they were gettin’ into, or were they just lost in the flood?

- Bruce Springsteen

LOST IN THE FLOOD

10 Mill Plain Rd

Danbury, CT 06811

203.792.3900

www.motofit.com

DIrt

strEEt

WAtErWE

C

AN

H

EL

P Come meet the all-new staff…

…some of the best in the business

But, maybe not this day. Our first clue was the knocked down ‘Road

Closed’ sign.

With it being on the floor we thought that perhaps the road had flooded

the day before, but was now open.

Nope, big time flooded – a lake where once motorcycling nirvana lay.

With a big DPW truck that had followed us down keeping watch lest we

try a major water crossing, we u-turned and went to Plan B. By the time this

trip would be completed we might need the entire alphabet.

We ended up crossing in Pennsylvania at the Free Bridge in Belvidere,

getting an overhead view of the normally peaceful Delaware that, this day,

was a raging beast. Our route passed the Riverton Restaurant, long time sup-

porters of this magazine and a fine place to eat.

Continuing on we headed south, but in Easton we got another close up

look at what the mid-March floods had done to the region.

Where the Lehigh River runs into the larger Delaware, there is normally a

nice waterfall. This day it was not there as the rivers simply met with violent

results.

The water had risen so high that the back side of Route 611 was submerged

and Shira had to do a neat job of piloting us around the rest of Easton and I-

78 before we once again regained 611 south.

These road closures began to happen with more and more frequency and

taking a clue from the Book of Smarter Choices, we rode up the steep cliffs

to higher ground.

By this time it was fairly late in the day, and with daylight savings time

still some days away we rolled into the artsy hamlet of Newtown, Pennsyl-

vania, just west of Washington’s Crossing and grabbed a room for the night.

Evenings in Newtown have always been fun and such was the case this

night as well.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 67

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The next morning we began to retrace our steps

back. We figured we knew where all the ‘Road

Closures’ were.

Right.

In typical ‘I can do better’ style, we veered off

the route and went looking for that short cut, scenic

road, beautiful byway that I was sure was there.

We did find the Brig O’doon Coffee House –

part java haven, part New Age sanctuary, part

health food store. It was perfect for us to rethink

our ride.

Not letting a good thing go bad fast enough I,

once again, dragged us down some forgotten road

heading to what I thought would be the river.

Here we found the roads washed away again and our searching to cross

the river back to New Jersey began to take on epic proportions. Plans Q, R

and S were quickly gobbled up, and by this time

we were truly lost in the flood.

But, on the fun side, we were forced down a

number of roads we were not aware of. Red Cliff

Road was especially fun as was Upper Tinicum

Church Road.

Eventually we found enough of the River Road

to get us to the bridge into Frenchtown, which had

its banks full of gawkers that had come down to

see what was happening in the Delaware.

Our trek back up was fairly uneventful, basi-

cally ‘cause we knew where not to go on the back-

side of this trip. But, still we did get a good look

at what Mother Nature can do when aroused and still got out for that first

overnight of the year.

Thank the Gods of Weather.

Page 68 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

Mon., Sept. 26 thru Sun., Oct. 22011 Fall FiestaA Full Week of Riding Fun

The Publick HouseSturbridge, MA

508-347-3313 • Rooms: $89/nightAsk for Backroads when booking

We’ll spend our first night at the

Publick House’s Country Motor Lodge

nestled in an apple orchard

near the main inn. Enjoy a great ride

into New England on the way to our

more northern stop…

Ocean Point InnEast Boothbay, MERooms: starting at $89/night

800-552-5554Mention Backroads for a 10% discount

Perched at the tip

of a scenic, rock-

bound peninsula

in East Boothbay,

we’ll spend two

days exploring

the ‘Fingers’ of

Maine’s coast

with its historic

lighthouses, quaint villages and

all the lobsta rolls you can eat.

What would a Backroads’ Rallybe without a stop at…

The Gray Ghost InnWest Dover, VT

Single $59 • Double $98/night800-745-3615

It’s back to our old friendsCarina and Magnus and theirnever-ending hospitality. It may

only be one evening, but we’ll enjoya great meal, roasting marshmallowsaround the campfire and tall tales

on the front porch.We could end it here, but we’ll head south to Hunter Mountain and…

Colors in the CatskillsThe Hunter Inn

Rooms: starting at $110/night800-270-3992

Mention Backroads for discount

This will be the 4th year that

Colors in the Catskills will be held at

Hunter Mountain, in conjunction with

Octoberfest. Hunter Inn is within

walking distance, so we’ll enjoy a

great day’s ride then park the bikes

and join the festivities.

Monday, Sept. 26 Tues-Wed, Sept. 27-28 Thurs, Sept. 29 Fri-Sun, Sept. 30-Oct. 2

Join us for all or part, but do join us.It’s shaping up to be one of our best Rallies yet.

Avant Front Fender Extender

After doing a bunch of late winter miles on Shira’s F650GS we found that the front fender

did simply an adequate job at best at keeping dirt, mud, salt and grime off the radiator, exhaust

and frame components.

Once again we turned to Andrew Serbinski and Machineart Moto. We had installed his Mud

Sling on our R1200Gs last year and it worked superbly, so when we heard of the Avant Front

Fender Extender, we ordered one up for the F650GS.

Installation of the Avant could not be easier, as there is no drilling required as the Avant uses

special locking brackets and T25 Torx Screws to attached the Extender to the stock fender.

This also allows for easier and complete removal if you care to in the future; but why would

you?

It took about 5 minutes to put on and added a full 5.75 inches more protection, plenty ade-

quate to protect the engine, pipes and radiator from mud, dirt and debris. The Avant is molded

in resilient polypropylene and it exactly matches the texture of the stock fender. It also flairs

out at the bottom for even more protection. The Avant Front Fender Extender sells for $69.00.

MudSling for the BMW R1200R

MachineartMoto, designers of specialized products for BMW motorcycles, introduces the

MudSling 12-R designed to fit the BMW R1200R. The MudSling, originally developed for the BMW R1200GS and F800/650GS, extends the successful rear

fender formula to the R model providing mud, water, tar, and rock splash protection for the sus-

pension, battery area, and back of the engine. It reduces clean-up maintenance and protects sur-

rounding cast and painted parts from pitting.

“Customers have been asking for a rear fender solution for their R1200R’s that is more affordable

and sturdier than a hugger formerly available only from Europe”, says Andrew Serbinski, Presi-

dent of Machineart. “A hugger must be cantilevered over the tire since the only place to mount it

is to the single-sided paralever

arm and is thus subject to bend-

ing and vibration.” The Mud-

Sling mounts directly and firmly

to the underside of the frame with

two screws and with zip ties to

the side frame tubes. It installs

easily in 5 minutes and, with its

signature MachineartMoto visual

flair, looks beautifully integrated with the R1200R.

The price of the MudSling 12R is $139 and it is in stock for immediate delivery.

MachineartMoto designs and manufactures products sold by MachineartMoto. Products are sold

through the MachineartMoto web site, (www.machineartmoto.com) BMW and independent deal-

ers, and distributors outside of the USA.

Stumpy’s YAMAHAYour Toy Store at the Shore

YAMA-HOTLINE • 732-776-55141207 Route 35 South • Neptune, NJ • www.stumpys.com

Specializing in Ducati, BMW,MV Agusta, Triumph and Aprilia

Service • Repairs • Suspensionupgrades and engine performance

Give us a call or stop on by41 Ballard Rd • Middletown, NY

www.europeancycleservices.com845-725-7707

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 69

Two from Machineart Moto for your German Ride

A lot of you out there have heated grips on your rides, and I’m jealous as I have yet to make the leap into this particular technology that does such great things

for your digits in chilly weather. So those like me have to rely on unusually good gloves if we want to arrive at our destinations with warm, still-functioning

hands, and this creates a real challenge for apparel makers. It wouldn’t be that difficult if all these gloves had to do was keep your hands warm and bulk was not

a concern, but gloves fit for touring also have to protect these same hands in the event of a get-off, ward off precipitation and provide a high degree of dexterity

so you can safely and comfortably operate the controls.

In order to fulfill these requirements, you need gloves that are seriously loaded with advanced materials and assembled with great care. The Alpinestars Tech

Road Gore-Rex gloves are an excellent choice, for these highly complex

gloves have a veritable catalogue of high-tech materials all assembled in a

shell designed to make them an ideal touring companion, especially in cooler

weather. While these are not full-on winter gloves I regularly wore them in

high 30s/low 40s weather on an unfaired bike with excellent results.

The shell is composed of full-grain leather with some fabric inserts in non-

impact areas, along with some accordion pleats for freedom of movement.

There is a velour insulated top inner lining for comfort as well as a Gore-Tex

insert for weather resistance. Micro fleece is used instead of velour in the inner

palm to balance comfort with dexterity, and the exterior leather palm has stone

polyurethane (PU) reinforcement. There are rigid PU knuckle protectors and

4mm EVA foam padding on top of the fingers and thumb. A patented high fin-

ger bridge helps “prevent finger separation, and leather twisting around the

fingers, in the event of an accident.” The engineering in these gloves is evident

everywhere, as you can see. Retention is via a Micro Velcro wrist closure strap

and a zippered cuff closure. The gauntlet is flat and designed to fit under the

sleeve of your jacket, and I didn’t realize this until I struggled like an idiot to

squeeze the sleeve into the gauntlet. Works much better the other way.

These gloves fit snugly (in fact I recommend sizing a size larger than usual)

but are as warm, dry and comfortable as you would expect given the meticu-

lous design and exemplary workmanship. They cost a lot but then you can

certainly see where the money goes, and considering how critical it is to pro-

tect your hands from impact, abrasion and the elements I’d say they’re an ex-

cellent investment. The Alpinestars Tech Road Gore-Tex gloves are available

in sizes S-3XL and retail for $189.95. www.alpinestars.com.

~ Bill Heald

Page 70 MAY 2011 • BACKROADS

PRODUCT REVIEW ALPINESTARS TECH ROAD GORE-TEX GLOVES

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For those of you who are coming to our annual SpringBreak Rally in Canandaigua, NY there will be a groupmeeting at the Port Jervis Diner in Port Jervis, NY, lo-cated at the confluence of Rte. 6 and 209.

Folks will be gathering at 8am for breakfast, leaving tofollow our route to the Inn on the Lake around 8:30.

We think you’ll like the route we set-up and we knowyou are going to love the rally!

You can download all the GPS routes for the SpringBreak from our website: www.backroadsusa.com/ral-lies.html. Here’s the printed route for the ride from PortJervis to Canandaugia. Have a great ride up and we’llsee you there.

BACKROADS • MAY 2011 Page 71

ROUTE 97 NORTHLEFT - CROSS BRIDGE AT BARRYVILLECR 434/55RIGHT AT LACKAWAXEN RD

RIGHT AT CR 590CROSS LACKAWAXEN RIVERRIGHT AT MASTHOPE PLANK RDRIGHT AT WELCOME LAKE RD

RIGHT AT PEGGY’S RUNWAYLEFT AT CR 652RIGHT AT PLANK RDFIRST LEFT – STAY ON PLANK RD

RIGHT AT MILANVILLE RDLEFT AT HIGH BRIDGE RDBEAR LEFT AT STONE ARCH RDSTRAIGHT AT BROOK RD

STRAIGHT AT GRIFFITH RDLEFT AT FALLSDALE RDBEAR RIGHT AT VALLEY RIDGE RDBEAR RIGHT AT DILLMUTH RD

RIGHT AT OREGON TURNPIKELEFT AT ROUTE 371 WEST

RIGHT AT ROUTE 171 NORTHCROSS SUSQUEHANNA RIVER

RIGHT AT ROUTE 92 NORTHCROSS INTO NYS – BECOMES ROUTE 79STAY ON ROUTE 79 TO WATKINS GLENBEAR RIGHT AT ROUTE 409

BEAR RIGHT AT CR 28BEAR LEFT AT MUD LAKE RDRIGHT ONTO ROUTE 226IMMEDIATE LEFT AT CR 23

STRAIGHT ONTO BIRD’S EYE-WANETA RDLEFT AT CR 87LEFT AT CR 54RIGHT AT CR 54A INTO HAMMONDSPORT

STAY ON CR 54A ALONG KEUKA LAKELEFT AT ITALY HILL RDLEFT AT CR 32RIGHT AT ITALY TURNPIKE

STRAIGHT AT ITALY VALLEY RDBECOMES CR 21RIGHT AT CR 53STRAIGHT AT CR 21

RIGHT AT CR 16RIGHT AT PARRISH STRIGHT AT CR 21/332 TO HOTELUNPACK, RELAX AND WE’LL SEE YOU FOR DRINKS

FROM THE PORT JERVIS DINER TO THE

INN ON THE LAKE, CANANDUAIGUA, NY • 263 MILES

Backroads Spring Break Update

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