Motorcycle TourM

agazine

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

MAY 2013Volume 19 No. 5

RIDINGDEEP IN THE HEART TEXASOF The Return of Shira’s Ice Cream Run

Updates on all Backroads’ 2013 Rallies

Monthly Columns • Product Reviews and MORE

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

http://www.groundsforsculpture.org

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ PublishersContributors: Agostino Racanati, Jeff Bahr, Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Steve Smith, 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: 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific writtenconsent 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

MONTHLY COLUMNSFREE WHEELIN’.................................................................................4

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

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

ON THE MARK ..................................................................................7

THROTTLE BLIPS ..............................................................................8

BACKLASH .........................................................................................9

INDUSTRY INFOBITES...................................................................12

BIG CITY GETAWAY........................................................................14

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA...............................................................16

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN.........................................18

WE’RE OUTTA HERE .....................................................................22

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR ..............................................49

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE...................................................52

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .......................................................62

FEATURESDEEP IN THE HEART .....................................................................27

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN ...........................................................44

BACKROADS SPRING BREAK UPDATE....................................56

BACKROADS MYSTERY RIDE ONE ...........................................58

BACKROADS 15TH FALL FIESTA...............................................64

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS & REVIEWSOLYMPIA AIRGLIDE 4....................................................................47

NELSON RIGG SURVIVOR ADVENTURE DRY BAGS.............47

MOTOLIGHTS LED REPLACEMENT BULBS ............................60

EARTHX BATTERY .........................................................................60

CHAIN CLEAN..................................................................................61

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

July 2013 - Pages_2011 Page Layout-New 5/27/13 11:54 AM Page 1

What’s in a name?

Down south they tend to name certainroads with interesting monikers. The infamous Tail of the Dragoninstantly pops into mind. Deals Gap with its 318 turns is probablythe most famous of these. We like the Cherohala Skyway muchbetter. This two-lane romp from Robbinsville to Tellico Plains issimply superb.

Although these places have taken their positions within the se-rious riding community, we have become aware of other roadsthat are equally enticing and exciting.

A number of years ago I was up north of the Arctic Circle andShira was enjoying one of the last Honda Hoots - Boy, we missthat rally. When we got back and compared notes she was allaglow about a road and region she “discovered” that ran throughHungry Mother State Park in Virginia.

As soon as possible we found an excuse to head south and tohave Shira explain in person all about how cool this road was. Itwas certainly everything she said. We have ridden this regionmany times since.

Just recently the folks down in this part of Virginia have takena good look at all the great roads they have in their region andnames have popped up. Wytheville and Smyth County have puttogether a great map highlighting all the fun roads in this part ofVirginia.

But, I do want to make mention of the names.Ahh, yes the names.The Claw of the Dragon, a full 224 miles. Think about that.

224 miles. Holy crap!Possum Run? 62 miles of awesomeness.The Wooly Mammoth. A nice 138 miles of motorcycle nirvana. This jaunt actually has a mammoth at the Middle Appalachian

Museum in Saltville. Who doesn’t want to see a mammoth?These folks follow this up with the Turkey Strut looping around Tazewell,

Smyth and Wytheville. This runs along part of the Back of the Dragon.There seems to be a lot of “dragons’ here abouts.My favorite road name has to be the Horn of the Cow.Looking at the map Little Creek Road looks to be phenomenal.So here we have a region of Virginia that not only enjoys having riders

come and visit, they are actively encouraging us aswell.

With that in mind I do have a tiny thought, but I’llsave that ‘til the end of this piece.

All these great names got me to thinking. I havethought about this in the past. Why don’t we have coolnames like they do down south.

Sure, we have the Hawks Nest. Nice animal sort ofname. But, really it is all of about a mile long.

Storm King is a great road; but there are many othersthat just need, well, a name. A flashy moniker.

Something that grabs the attention.Thus I will put forth a few names for your perusal.County Road 519 from the New York state border to

the Delaware River in New Jersey. This road goes upand done, in and out and is one of the finest riding roadin New Jersey.

Thus I offer a name to go along with 519 – The Con-fused Squirrel - as it dashes back and forth and cansometimes get more than a tad interesting.

Just north in Orange County, New York there are anumber of little roads that slash back and forth acrossthe lower Catskills; I call them the Angry Rattlesnakes.See? We can have fun names too.

Along the back of New Jersey is the Walpack Valley– NPS 615 (National Park Service). Just off of this youwill find the tallest waterfall in this region that hasmany falls. Locals tell of a sasquatch-type creature

(Continued on Page 57)

138 Orange Ave (Rt. 202) • Suffern, NY

845-357-1190 • www.locomotionpowersports.com

OPEN HOUSE SAT., APRIL 27 • 9a-4p

Food • Music • Giveaways • Special Promotions

on new/pre-owned motorcycles & ATVs

and discounts on accessories & clothingCheck out the full line of 2013Triumph motorcycles including

Tiger Explorer XC, Trophy,Street Triple, and Daytona 675

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

BRIAN RATHJEN

Page 4 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Globetrotter or Daytripper

From the moment you throw your leg over your first motorcycle, the notionof where it will take you fills your head. Perhaps it all started from your bi-cycle days, when you’d rush home from school, jump on your bike and seehow far you could go before having to return for dinner. I know that Briantold me of tales of the Explorer’s Club he and his friends developed, pedalingtheir two-wheels from Astoria further out on Long Island, sometimes too farfor their own good. Nonetheless, they were pushing the envelope, and nodoubt their parents’ patience, while finding new adventures along the way.

This question – Where should I go? – is what spurred us to start the pub-lication you hold in your hands. It’s all too easy to plunk some money downand take over the keys to that shiny new ride. The more difficult task lies inwhere that ride will take you and what new adventures you will have with it.

For as long as there has been a motor on two-wheels, people have takenthem as far as they could. We’ve all heard of the exploits of these navigatorsof the globe – Robert Fulton, Ted Simon, Nick Sanders, Dave Barr to namea few. Dr. Gregory Frazier, who has circumnavigated this round ball we liveon 5 times, recently released a book titled Motorcycle Adventurer about CarlStearns Clancy who, in 1912, was the first man to go around the world withhis 1912 Henderson. To borrow a passage from the man himself:

‘In 1912 Carl Stearns Clancy and his riding partner Walter Storey set out

to become the first motorcyclists to “girdle the globe.” Using two of only

five Henderson motorcycles produced by the famed Henderson Motorcycle

Company in 1912, the duo left Philadelphia and started their land trip from

Dublin, Ireland.

After a frightful crash on Day 1 and miserable weather in October and

November, Storey left the 21 year-old Clancy in Paris, and Clancy soldiered

on alone.

Clancy spent the next months riding south to Spain, and then across North

Africa, only to be halted before attempting to cross India. Undeterred he

shipped his motorcycle to Ceylon where he toured for some days, and then

shipped again to Penang. Once there he discovered there was no road to Sin-

gapore, so it was back on to a boat for Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan.

Landing in San Francisco, Clancy began what he called the most difficult

part of his ‘round the world ride: San Francisco, CA to Portland, OR, and

then across the northern part of the United States to return to New York. His

journey lasted 10 months and he had ridden over 18,000 miles.’

100 years later, the duo of Feargal O’Neill and Joe Walsh are attemptingto recreate this monumental ride with today’s comforts. They will be ridingBMW R 1200 GS Adventures and trading the three-piece tweed suit and clothcap for modern helmets and gear. At this point in time, they’ve left Londonand are expected to make landfall in San Francisco on June 2, with their finalphotos being taken in New York on June 21. They invite any and all to joinalong their ride along the way. You can follow their travels through HorizonsUnlimited at www.horizonsunlimited.com.

Closer to my heart, some friends of ourshave sold off their worldly belongings,packed what was left on their two BMWs,and set off to see what the world has to offer.Nita and Issa, western Canada residents, senttheir rides off from New York and joinedthem in London at the end of 2012. I’m surethey have a plan of sorts, and have doneMUCH homework to make this come to-gether. Again, I borrow from their words:

It all begins with two people, two motorcycles, two years and more than

140,000 + kms on the horizon. Our story is a simple one, but our work will

stretch far beyond any simple life we may have once led. We are not athletes,

we are not extremists, this is not a race and there is no time limit. We are

simply two lives, attempting to reach out to many and we have been blessed

with the privilege and opportunity to take something that we simply love to

do, a step further. The path is unknown, the wealth of knowledge uncovered

will be life altering.(Continued on Page 57)

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 5

ROLLIN’ FASTCycle Sports

SUNDAY JUN

E 30th • OPE

N HOUSE

VICTORY DE

MO TRUCK WILL BE

HERE

104 Main Street, Lebanon, NJ908-236-9000 •

www.rollinfast.comHere to serve you Monday-Friday 9a-6p

Thursday 9a-7p • Saturday 9a-5p

FREE DEMO RIDESGREAT SPECIALS

FUN FOR ALL

the stranGe Case of the nifty shiftinG

There are many rituals that one goes throughwhen waking up a motorcycle from a long win-ter’s nap. Granted, it isn’t the labor-intense choreit used to be ages ago thanks especially to many improvements in the chem-istry of gasoline, oils and fuel stabilizers, and as a result the starting of anengine that hasn’t been doing much reciprocating in a while is far less dra-matic than it used to be. Of course, when winter has been mild (unlike thisyear) and you manage to ride every month there is no real storage interval.But when you’re fortunate enough to own more than one motorcycle, it’slikely at least one of your steeds got some sleepy time that means a wake-upprocess. Periodic battery charging over the winteris a huge time saver when it’s time to get back onthe road again, and one thing I have discoveredwith today’s new fuel-injected marvels is they re-ally need some serious juice to start as opposedto older carbureted units, all other factors beingequal. I tack on that last caveat as it’s amazinghow much the cranking effort depends on engine configuration, even in somecases more than displacement. Some V-Twins in particular need some heavy-duty voltage to get those big pistons going, while something like a 90-degreeV-Four balances itself to the point that it requires less initial muscle. I basethis on my experience recently with a carbureted V-Four versus a fuel-in-jected Triple, as both had almost new gel batteries yet the Triple needed farmore electron oomph to light up all the computers, pumps and whizz-bangstuff to get started. It’s a price we pay for the latest in induction technology.

But this wasn’t what has fascinated me the most about the resurrectionrides of this spring. I noticed something that is a good thing, and yet I haveno explanation for why the bikes sitting idle for a bit contributed to it (but itcertainly appears to have been the case). On both of my wildly different mo-torcycles, the shifting action was much smoother than usual; almost as if I

had just changed the oil. Now it’s true that both of these motorcycles usewet-clutch transmissions that share the oil with the engine, but in every otherway (except for both having six speeds) they are different. I’m talking aboutdifferent engine types, different displacements, different centuries of origin,different countries of origin, different mileage, even different clutch actuationas one has a cable clutch and one is hydraulic. Yet both of these gearboxes,which on occasion tend to be a bit notchy, have been butter smooth sincethey have braved the Sands of Spring here in northern Connecticut. Whatgives?

I have no idea.But, I have theories. I believe that the number one factor in improving

shifter feel on a transmission like these that use crankcase oil is the oil itself,provided the transmission and linkage are in good working order. Your clutchfree play also has to be in spec of course, and there’s certainly something tobe said for proper shifting technique. But the oil’s viscosity and cleanliness,as well as the additives and other elixirs that compose its body, have a huge

effect on the smooth engagement of all thosegears and cogs. Now, I haven’t changed the oilin these bikes for a while but the mileage hasn’tbeen very great since the last change and I usethe best motorcycle-specific oil I can get myhands on that is totally happy in the wet-clutchenvironment. Given that the oil has been sitting

for quite some time any debris, dirt and other intruders have had a chance tosettle. Therefore the clean oil remains up higher in the system, and it willtake a bit of riding and warmer temperatures before the detritus has a chanceto get back in circulation and mess with the smooth engagement of the gears.

Isn’t that great? Why, I’m a regular Sherlock Poirot. It’s also probablycomplete rubbish, so I continue to speculate as to why both machines areshifting so beautifully at the moment. If my theory isn’t exactly valid, couldthere be some other mechanical reason that’s associated with being parkedfor a while? And what if there isn’t a mechanical reason, then, but the wholesmooth-shifting thing is purely the result of a rider, who has been off the roadhimself for quite some time and is unusually focused on doing everything ina precise manner? Could it be he was so thrilled to be back in the saddle with

(Continued on Page 57)

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

BILL HEALD

Page 6 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Isn’t that great? Why, I’m a regularSherlock Poirot. It’s also probably com-plete rubbish, so I continue to specu-late as to why both machines areshifting so beautifully at the moment.

the frau

Motorcycles are meant to be ridden. The greatest expression of love forany machine is to use it. Failure to do so is an exercise in mechanical cruelty,unfulfilled potential, and unrequited love. Lately, I’ve looked at the ladiesof my garage with lament. There are beautiful motorcyclesout there that, by virtue of their number or age, are not get-ting the attention they deserve. Either by habit or necessity,a couple have fallen into disuse and it breaks my heart. I’msure it breaks theirs too, as they sit, staring longingly at theopen door of their cage, only to see another bird take flightinstead. When I think of them, in my mind I hear the wordsTaupin wrote for Elton, from “Skyline Pigeon.”

Turn me loose, from your hands

Let me fly to distant lands,

Over green fields, trees and mountains,

Flowers, and forest fountains.

Home along the lanes of the skyway.

My old, black BMW airhead roadster isn’t something I’m going to takeon icy forays across salt-strewn winter roads: that would be contemptuousof her hand-painted pinstripes, but she at least deserves an occasional do-si-do down a dicey, sun-dappled lane. I danced with The Frau for the first timein a long time just a week ago: her battery, stronger than any of the others,cranked her aging motor vigorously and she started and ran for all she wasworth on a trip to the island, eager to show that she still lives, still breathes.“I’m STRONG!” she said with every twist of the throttle, “I can still do this!”she cried with every curve conquered. I’m a fickle suitor, however, and oflate, I’ve found it more enticing to dance with her svelte Suzuki sister, whosebooming V-twin lopes with tons of torque and encourages me to do evil, dirtydances. I don’t know if I love the Suzuki more, but I love her more often.

The Suzuki is sexy; The Frau is a dowager.

The Frau deserves better. She deserves better than to sit under a shroudwith Sta-Bil in her bowls and an electronic IV keeping her pacemakercharged. Her viscous brown blood needs to be stirred and her starter needs

to be whirred. Those beautiful, twin chrome bag-pipes need to play that unmistakable, rough boxermarch as she breathes through those big Bings.Her snowflake wheels need to spin under the in-fluence of the Continentals with the old-schooltread pattern. She needs a purpose, and her pur-pose is to ride…and be ridden. Otherwise, sheweeps brown tears that fall gently on the floor be-neath her veil. I feel her pain as I wipe them away.

Let me wake up in the morning,

To the smell of new mown hay,

To laugh and cry, to live and die

In the brightness of my day.

I want to hear the pealing bells

Of distant churches sing,

But most of all please free me

From this aching metal ring

And open out this cage towards the sun.

This piece was first called “Thinning the Herd.” I started to talk aboutselling The Frau. I wrote that keeping her makes no sense if we’re not goingto dance: she costs me money for upkeep, insurance, and registration. Sherequires valuable space in the garage and drains valuable electrons from mymeter. She sits there, serving only to make me guilty at not paying more at-

(Continued on Page 57)

O N T H E M A R K

MARK BYERS

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 7

For this dark and lonely room,

Projects a shadow cast in gloom,

And my eyes are mirrors

Of the world outside

Thinking of the way

That the wind can turn the tide,

And these shadows turn

From purple into grey

CharaCter:

is that What they’re CallinG it noW?

A loaded word to be sure, “character” can be de-fined in at least a thousand different ways.

In the motorcycle realm character is sometimesused to describe a machine with soul, as in “this bike might not be the quick-est but it sure has character.” When a motorcycle lacks this all-importanttrait it can be the kiss of death for that machine, at least in the eyes of a po-tential owner.

When I purchased my first street bike in the early 1980s, a friend and long-time rider took me under his wing. Not terribly impressed with my new,450cc machine, Charlie was rather blunt.

“Your bike is okay but it lacks character,” he said dismissively. This baffledme. What could he possibly mean? My new bike ran great and featured up-to-date technology to boot. In fact, more than one bike rag listed the paralleltwin as the best buy in its class – particularly for someone new to the sport.

When pressed Charlie explained that my bike was “a little too smooth andrefined - not rough enough around the edges.” Again, I was baffled by hisremark. At this point Charlie offered me a ride on his bike so I could get abetter sense of what a machine with character felt like. Before I took off helooked me square in the eye and issued a stern warning. “Be careful guy,”he said with drama dripping from his voice. “After you ride this bike you’regonna want one!”

Well, I’m here to tell you that Charlie was so off base he must’ve been hit-ting the crack pipe. Sorry Charlie.

In all honesty his motorcycle stands in my mind as one of the worst ma-chines that I’ve ever ridden.

Here’s why: At idle, the 1000 cc bare-bones beast shook uncannily like apaint mixer – or perhaps the San Andreas Fault. Whenever the rev’s dropped

below 2000 rpm in any gear the engine misfired and threatened to stall. Thebike made far more noise than power. With only four gears on tap I foundmyself stirring the gearbox for a missing fifth cog – anything to quell thehorrendous shaking of this evil monster. I also noticed that this machine,which was barely a year old, leaked oil copiously.

If this was character I was damn glad that my bike lacked it! To be perfectlyhonest the experience led me to wonder if Charlie was completely in chargeof his faculties. Sorry Charlie.

I still carry the same outlook. In my mind character should describe posi-tive attributes that draw a rider to a machine - perhaps just the right vibescoming from the motor, intuitive handling that sets one right with the world,or unique styling that blazes its very own path. The list goes on.

But far too often I’ve seen character used the way that Charlie used it – asa reassuring word that attempts - often subconsciously - to disguise a cornu-copia of design and engineering shortcomings.

Either that or there’s an overabundance of masochists in our sport. So, just when did bad become good in motorcycling? I have to ask because

I never got the memo. When riders enthusiastically sing the praises of ma-chines that (take your pick) are under-engineered, idle poorly, vibrate exces-sively, handle like a bus, stop badly, backfire, shed parts, make lousy power,break down regularly, etc., etc., it really makes me wonder. Do such ridershave an aversion to quality?

Call me crazy but I find character in those machines that can actually com-plete the tasks that they were designed for. I dig smoothness, clean acceler-ation, handling manners, comfort, basically any and all attributes associatedwith a well-designed motorcycle. And I have a special love for bikes thatbreak new ground in our sport – particularly from an engineering standpoint.Improving the breed they call it. Hip, hip!

Anything short of this is bad juju in my view – the mechanical equivalentof character assassination.

You may think I’m off the mark here and that’s fine. If so, can we at leastagree to disagree? This will ease relations when I’m summoned to tow yourcharacter-rich machine home.

Sorry Charlie.

WHERE CAN YOU GETALL THIS AND SO MUCH MORE

IN ONE PLACE?MOTORCYCLEM A D N E S Swww.MadMotorcycle.com

MOTORCYCLE MADNESS is New Jersey’s LARGESTPre-Owned Bike Seller, has a ridiculously HUGE selection of

Mens and Womens Gear and A WALL OF HELMETS.

Professionally Trained Mechanics will take the BEST care of your ride.

8 State Hwy 94 • Lafayette, NJ • 973-579-6088 • 877-252-9828

T H R O T T L E B L I P S

JEFF BAHR

Page 8 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Good folks at Backroads,I live in NJ & was considering a week long VA/W.VA, May motorcycle

trip on my KTM SMT. Having never been there & knowing you guys havegone everywhere, I was wondering if you had a suggested route you’ve trav-eled. My intent is to ride 200+ mile days & settle in at cozy Holiday Innsthroughout the trip, as my wife works for them. Figured 4 different hotelstops on the route would make due.

Any/all input is welcome & greatly appreciated.Thank you!Greg Cancel

Greg,

Both states are great to ride, but VA is a bit more “lawish.” Here is a link

to special our Destination West Virginia issue we did a while back:

issuu.com/backroadsmagazine/docs/june2009Your hard part will be finding Holiday Inns in some of the smaller towns.

But if you choose four Holiday Inns in different parts of each state just plan

your route as interesting as you can between them. If you are using a GPS,

you could really have fun with this!

Hi Brian and Shira,This is a belated although heartfelt note of appreciation that you shared

the information about Brian’s treatment in the Februaryissue. Please know I’m sending lots of love and appre-ciate being a part of the Backroads community. Thankyou for your transparency. I hope you are feelingstronger with each day that passes.

Hugs,Kristin von Donop

Kristin

I really appreciated it. Wacky last few months for

sure, but far more good days than bad. So looking for-

ward to the riding season and seeing all of us on the

road! Considered yourself hugely hugged!

I Am Woman, Hear Me…Backroads,I read the article Free Wheelin’ on women’s clothing

in the April 2013 issue of Backroads. I’ve been havinga hard time finding women’s clothing that fits properly.I am petite at barely 5’ and I find that the sleeves are notonly way too long, but any protective armor in thesleeves is hinged in the wrong place making it hard tomove my arm. I’d love to have a great jacket andOlympia came the closest, but still my movement wasrestricted and the sleeves where way too long. I havefound gloves (xxs) and finally managed a helmet as well(xs). It’s jackets I’m having the problem with since myarms are apparently too short. In your research did youcome across any dealer that make good, protectiveclothing for us ‘vertically challenged’ folk? I’m alsolimited since stores on LI seem to carry mostly theleather fashion stuff. We went to CT to try on theOlympia jackets. Also went to Revzilla in PA.

Melanie Theisen

Melanie,

While altering of gear may be an option, I, too, have

found the armor to sometimes fall in the ‘wrong’ place.

With my Olympia jacket, there are several Velcro strips

to move the armor up or down the sleeve. I found this

to help a great deal. My pants are ALWAYS too long,

but can be hemmed easily. - Shira

Brian,The one segment that is not well covered is if you are

a woman and you want good gear but you are plus sized.Like a size 18 or something like that. In general, youhave to go into men’s gear.

This being said, a lady came to our place with her husband to buy boots.She really wanted the Diamond (with a little heel and looks like a fashionboot), but her feet were too wide for that boot. She fit perfectly into the sporttouring model Simo (but it has no heel and looks like a motorcycle boot) butdid not buy it because it was “not pretty”… This is a lost cause…

Catherine

Brian,The Mrs. would like to know where the cover photo of the April 2013 issue

was taken.Speaking of riding gear for the ladies, we paid a visit to Bob’s BMW a

couple weeks ago and the Mrs. found a pair of Rev-it pants in a ladies sizeand she loves them. Too cold to ride here in Ohio, but I caught her in thegarage the other day sitting on the bike with her new pants, making vroom,vroom, vroom sounds. Does she have PMS or what?? (parked motorcyclesyndrome)

Philip Eramo

Philip,

That was taken in Canada, near Quebec, a little while back. Glad to hear

that Bob’s helped the Mrs. out - I’m sure the weather will be good enough

for a test ride soon.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 9

BACKLASH Letters to the Editor

Long Island Kawasaki67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIKawasaki.com • 516-935-6969

Sport touring riders are among the most discerning of all motorcyclists, and the Concours® 14 supersport tourer's com-

bination of technology, comfort and continent conquering performance meets the toughest demands of this selective crowd.

It is powered by a muscular heart derived from the legendary Ninja® ZX™-14 sportbike. Comfortable ergonomics make

it well-suited to long days in the saddle, while offering proper body positioning for sport riding. Its overall performance will

entice riders to pull out the big maps and plan extraordinary sporting tours through the next county or country.

THE 2013

Inspiring Touring Performance,

Enviable Sporting Credentials

Backroads Peeps,Long gone are the days of custom leather suits out of necessity. Now they

are a wallet choice as opposed to the only choice for women riders. Samething for gloves. I still have my Thurlows which were specially made for meafter sending them my hand print. My Vanson leathers are also part of myclothing arsenal made for me in 1985 (and they still fit).

Today choices for me are as endless as they are for anyone who cares tolook. I can wear Kevlar jeans in classic blue or black denim. Why evenHarley Davidson has a brand new line of jackets and pants for me if I want,as well as BMW and Triumph, besides the full array of non-specific motor-cycle brand gear. Let’s face it: Women are the new money machine in mo-torcycling and you better believe the industry is well aware of this and asyou noted has given us what we want in every style imaginable. Even Aeros-tich has a suit designed for women. Finally!

Seek and yee shall find!!Thanks for the heads up just in case some women don’t know!Hugs to you and Shira,Helene (Avid rider for 35 yrs plus)

Hi Brian,Hope all is well. Just wanted to let you know April is another great issue

of Backroads. I especially liked your article, “The Wallkill: The ForgottenRiver.” I’ve done parts of that ride on different occasions; it was great seeingit detailed in its entirety. I have also kayaked the Jersey portion of the river

during high water and that was a fantastic experience as well.Sincerely,Kenneth W. Dahse

Hey Gang – After reading Jeff Bahr’s article in Throttle Blips “Ride Your Own Ride”,

it tightened up that all too familiar knot in my stomach as I have just formeda DS riding group in the Northeast and am praying the testosterone fueledbehaviors in Jeff’s article do not visit our new posse. As a female, and long-time rider, both on & off-road, and EMT, I’ve seen the ugly aftermath ofrowdy & aggressive riding ending in wrecked rides, flared tempers, and hos-pital visits. I am hoping to set the tone early that these behaviors are not wel-come in my pack, but we all know that somebody at some point will be‘feeling their oats’ and do something stupid to compromise the ride and thesafety of the group as a whole.

While Jeff’s article did a good job displaying this endemic bad behaviorof raucous riders, I’d like to hear more about how we, as group & ride lead-ers, can work to minimize it, or better yet – avoid it all together. I’ll be ridingthrough the woods with a pack of men behind me this season and will needevery shred of good advice I can get!

Stay well and ride safe friends!Victoria Z - Bridgewater, CT

Victoria,

It’s always a bit difficult to have a group of riders, who have not ridden

together at all or much, get along. From past experience

with group rides, it doesn’t hurt to have a short rider’s

meeting to familiarize folks with riding etiquette. I’ve

always found being blunt works best; let them know that

if they refuse to ‘play nicely’ they will be asked to leave,

or at least not be asked to join another ride.

Good luck and have fun - Shira

Hi guys,Had a great time on your “Mystery Ride”. You kept

us guessing about the destination all the way there. Forthe first ride of the season for me, 268 miles was a realnice way to start. Thanks again,

Dave Erfer

Hello folks,After about 6 weeks on the waiting list I got my reser-

vation this evening at the Lake Front Hotel for your up-coming Spring Break event. Can you tell me if there isany registration procedure or itinerary? I’ll be riding infrom Long Island on May 16th but I don’t know whenI should plan to roll in. Thanks in advance for your helpand keep up the great work with the magazine. I lookforward to its arrival each month.

Jeff Grube - Westhampton Beach, NY

Jeff,

As you’ll find out, we are a VERY laid-back group.

There really isn’t any itinerary and no registration pro-

cedure. We will have several rides offered, all self-

guided or you can join others if you’d like. At the end

of the day, we’ll relax with some adult beverages and

kick some tires.

We will have a route that we’ll take up to Cooper-

stown from Yetter’s Diner in Augusta, NJ on May 16.

We’ll meet at 9:30am and leave by 10 for the ride, if

you’d like to join in. SMALL GROUPS, not one large

parade. If you’d like the GPS route, please send us an

email and we’ll send it along.

email: editor@backroadsusa.com for route

Page 10 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Got something to say? We’d love to

hear it. Letters may be edited,

never censored, to fit.

EMAIL: editor@backroadsusa.com

MAIL: POB 317, Branchville, NJ 07826

http://www.nolan-usa.com

BOB’S BMW OFFERS DISCOUNTS FOR MSF INSTRUCTORS

AND BRC GRADUATES FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

For the second year in a row, Bob’s BMW Motorcycles will be offering afinancial reward to MSF Instructors and recent graduates of the Basic RiderCourse (BRC). The program offers a 15% discount to active MSF instructorsand recent graduates of the BRC. Graduates that purchase a new or used mo-torcycle at Bob’s BMW will also receive a credit of $250 to apply towardsthe motorcycle purchase or to apply towards accessories for the motorcycle.

Bob’s Safety Program was established last year to support the MotorcycleSafety Foundation’s primary objective to provide rider education and train-ing. Owner of Bob’s BMW and motorcycle enthusiast, Bob Henig believeswearing proper riding gear while operating the machine is just as importantas taking the safety courses offered by the MSF.

“What is so often referred to as an accident is actually an incident accord-ing to Law Enforcement Experts. The reality is that 9 out of 10 incidentsoccur not by accident but rather by complete ignorance, lack of proper train-ing, or not practicing the skills learned through proper training. This is whyrider education is so important; through proper training and regular practice,the number of incidents on the road can be reduced,” states Henig who goesout to practice his skills every time he gets on a motorcycle.

Henig decided to design the Safety Program at Bob’s BMW to support the

efforts of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. “The unfortunate reality is thatmotorcyclists don’t have the protection that cars do which is why riders mustalways be prepared, watch and predict what other vehicles are doing, andwear all the gear, all the time—ATGATT,” states Henig.

The Safety Program at Bob’s BMW Motorcycles offers active MSF in-structors a 15% discount on apparel, parts, and accessories now thru February28, 2014. The idea behind the program is elementary: lead by example. Ifinstructors are wearing top-rated safety gear that they have been properly fit-ted for, students of the BRC (who are typically new riders and tend to bemore influential than the advanced rider) will follow suit. Then, assumingthe recent graduate of the BRC follows the example set by their instructor,the new rider is rewarded with a 15% discount at Bob’s.

On top of the 15% discount, when new riders purchase a new or used mo-torcycle they receive a $250 credit to use towards the purchase or towardsaccessories for the bike. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

To qualify for the Safety Program, MSF Instructors must provide a copyof their current MSF ID card and class schedule for the 2013 courses theyare teaching. Recent graduates of the BRC must bring in a copy of theircourse completion certificate. Questions? You can visit www.bobsbmw.comfor complete details on the Safety program and all other programs now avail-able at Bob’s BMW or contact hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com.

BMW HISTORY AND HERITAGE ON

FOUR WHEELS AND TWO ON DISPLAY

IN SARATOGA SPRINGS, NYBMW’s rich heritage will be showcased at the

Saratoga Automobile Museum in an exhibition called“BMW – The Ultimate Driving Machine.” The exhibi-tion, which will feature a retrospective of BMW carsand motorcycles, will run from May 6 – November 3,2013. The array of BMW automobiles will include roadcars and race cars, both from the modern era, as well aspre-war. The exhibition will also celebrate 90 Years ofBMW Motorcycles.

“This exhibition at the Saratoga Automotive Museumwill provide visitors a great look at BMW’s long her-itage and provide a sense of how the company hasevolved to become the leading premium automobile andmotorcycle manufacturer in the world,” said LudwigWillisch – President and CEO of BMW of North Amer-ica. “It will also show just how integral motorsports hasbeen throughout the company’s history.”

“This exhibit looks to be one of the best we’ve everhad at the Museum,” said Museum Chairman CharlieMontano. “ Working with BMW to create this one of akind auto experience in upstate New York wasthrilling,” continued Exhibit Committee Chair AlanRosenblum. Exhibit Committee member Bob Baileyadded “Both BMW of North America and our localdealer, Keeler Motor Car have contributed hours oftime, effort and resources to make this a reality”.

The display of BMW automobiles will feature themarque’s most renowned prewar model, the BMW 328.The 328 dominated the racing scene in the late 1930sand early 1940s and will be shown both in road form aswell as a custom-bodied 328MM, prepared for the MilleMiglia, one of the most vaunted endurance races of itsday. The 1950s saw BMW produce such divergent mod-els as the Isetta “bubble” car as well as the 507 Road-ster, designed by Count Albrecht Goertz. The exhibitionwill include the spiritual successor to the 507, the BMWZ8 which arrived in 2000 – 45 years after the 507.

BMW’s two-wheeled heritage will also be a key partof the exhibition. “BMW’s motorcycle heritage datesback even farther than its automotive heritage,” statedPeter Nettesheim, renowned BMW motorcycle collec-tor, curator of the motorcycle portion of the exhibit, and

Cycle Insurance Agency Inc.Recreational Vehicle Specialists

Agents who ride and understandyour Motorcycle Insurance Needs

Ask about our Tour Cycle Program – the Ultimate in Coverage

Passenger Coverage • Accessories CoverageMedical Payments Coverage

448 Lincoln Ave • Hawthorne NJ 07506 • 973-427-2246www.CycleInsuranceAgency.com

Serving New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania • ATV • Jet Ski • Snowmobile

MEMBERMEMBER

Cycle Motion is your provider of motorcycles, ATVs, scooters,

snowmobiles, and utility vehicles by Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris,

Yamaha and Can Am. With a large parts department, qualified

service technicians and a full shop full of parts and accessories,

we're here to meet all your power sport needs.

For every rider - on or off road, whether they like doing itin the dirt, carving the twisties, or cruising the backroads,

we have their weapon of choice.

1269 DOLSONTOWN RDMIDDLETOWN NY 10940

845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM

Page 12 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

INDUSTRY INFOBITES News from the Inside

operator of the Nettesheim Museum in Huntington, New York. In 2013 thecompany celebrates 90 years of BMW Motorcycles. In the 1920s BMWquickly earned a reputation for speed and reliability. The use of an oppos-ing-twin “boxer” engine and shaft drive, unique in those early days, remainsin use today on many models of BMW Motorcycles. The exhibit will featurethree motorcycles from the 1920s including a 1925 R32, the first model, aswell as a 1928 R63, featuring a 750 cc engine and a 1929 R62 Touring modelwhich established BMW’s reputation for producing motorcycles ideallysuited to long distance travel, a reputation that remains to this day. 1929 sawthe first racing championships for BMW on two-wheels, a trend that contin-ues to this day.

Also featured will be a 1931 R16 and a 1934 R11 with a stamped-steelframe. One highlight of the exhibition will be an unrestored military 1942R12 found in a barn in France.

A 1955 R25/3 featuring a very economical single-cylinder engine is an ex-ample of a model best suited for a recovering post WWII Germany. Through-out its history BMW motorcycles have gained a solid reputation for authorityuse, even here in the United States. A 1969 R60/2 German “Polizei” policemotorcycle will represent an earlier example.

BMW Motorcycles have been widely known for their two-cylinder en-gines, a legacy which continues to this day. A later example can be seen inthe R100RT on display.

Innovation is every-bit a hallmark for BMW Motorcycles as it is for BMWautomobiles. In the 1980s BMW gained a reputation for the performance andsmoothness of its 4-cylinder motorcycle engines. In 1989, BMW became thefirst manufacturer to offer ABS brakes on a motorcycle. In the same year,BMW also introduced the K1, it was the most aerodynamic motorcycle onthe road, which will also be seen in the exhibit. That innovation can be seentoday with BMW’s first-ever super bike, the S1000RR.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located in Saratoga Springs, NewYork and dedicated to preserve, interpret and exhibit automobiles and auto-motive artifacts. The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 5PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day and closed on Mondays after LaborDay. For additional information, visit www.saratogaautomuseum.org.

BUILDING A “WALL” FOR RIDER SKILLS AND SAFETY

Imagine vast motorcycle-related resources on one webpage in a singleviewing. The “wall” will serve as the hub for skill-building awareness andenjoyment in the motorcycling community. This resource is for all ridersand organizations that have an interest in building or promoting riding skills.It is also an enjoyable place to explore various organizations in the motorcy-cling community.

Organizations or individuals show their support by purchasing “blocks”of various sizes. Initially, the digital wall will be constructed block by blockwith linked images supplied by participants. After all the blocks have beenfilled, it will continue to spread safety awareness in the motorcycling com-munity for years to come. “The idea of extensive rider resources all viewedand visited from one single webpage seemed like a simple and fun way forriders of any skill level or segment to engage in growth opportunities,” saidJon DelVecchio, Street Skills author and podcast host.

Since the focus of the wall is rider skill-building and safety, any organiza-tion that directly relates to rider safety, is in the motorcycle industry or sup-ports motorcycling is encouraged to participate. Individual motorcycliststhat identify with the concept are welcome to join as well. This is a uniqueway to take action to promote rider safety and enjoyment.

Visit and participate at www.MotoSafetyWall.com

UNITED STATES SENATOR FRANK LAUTENBERG TO RETIRE

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has announced he will not seek re-elec-tion next year. Lautenberg has served five 6-year terms in the US Senate andat the age of 89 is the oldest member in the Senate.

Lautenberg has been a thorn in the side of motorcyclists for decades. Hehas been the chief champion of mandatory helmet laws serving in govern-ment today.

In 2005 he introduced an amendment that would have put mandatory hel-met law in place for the entire country, trampling on the States rights. Duesolely to the work of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation and its members thatamendment was defeated 68-29.

(Continued on Page 54)

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 13

655 Washington Avenue • Belleville, NJ 07109

973-751-4545 • www.Motorcyclemall.com

JUST MINUTESFROM NYC

Full Lineup of Kawasakis

Amazing Deals on Leftovers

Largest Parts & AcessoriesDept. in New Jersey

Certified Technicians

sybil luDinGton • a revolutionary War heroine

Steve Smith

A ride just for the sake of exploring new roads canbe very satisfying, and it can take you through somefabulous riding areas you might not have previouslydiscovered. These opportunities seem to come aboutat the spur of the moment by just saying, “I wonderwhere THAT road goes.” A few years ago I was doingjust that on a ride revisiting some roads less traveledin New York State’s Putnam & Dutchess Counties.Along the way at an intersection I spied a rectangularwhite sign inscribed with “Sybil’s Ride” that was af-fixed to a utility pole. Stopping to get a closer look, italso said “April 26th, 1777” and had a dashed line out-line with a red star. Putting the pieces together I sur-mised this was the outline of the ride route and the redstar was a “you are here” mark. The sign showed noroads; only a large red arrow pointed the direction toturn. Being on a discovery ride I figured “what theheck” and turned the handlebars in the direction indi-cated and continued on.

My decision to turn was inspired by an immediateflashback to my school days in Mahopac, NY wherewe learned about Fredericksburg, the colonial namefor the area I previously lived and was presently ridingin, and the huge amount of Revolutionary War historyembedded here. The marker sign refers to Sybil Lud-ington, and the legendary ride she did that has become a well known part oflocal history. She even got national attention when her image was put on aU.S. bicentennial series postage stamp.

As I continued riding I thought about what I learned about Sybil. At thetime she was 16 years old and the eldest of twelve children of Colonel HenryLudington, the commander of the local volunteer militia. The night of April25, 1777, the Colonel was notified of a British attack on Danbury, Connecti-cut. The taking of Danbury would provide the British a strategic advantageto continue moving attacks further into New York. As head of the local mili-tia, he needed to muster his troops from their homes and farmhouses, as wellas warn the locals of possible British attack. Sybil volunteered to ride herhorse, Star, around Fredericksburg to warn residents of the attack and alertthe militia troops to muster at Ludington’s home.

Ludington began her ride at 9:00 PM and traveled a 40 mile loopthrough the towns of Carmel, Mahopac, Mahopac Falls, Red Mills, Kent

Cliffs, Farmers Mills, and Stormville. Her ride was done overnight,in a rainstorm, and on muddy roads. Folklore has it thatshe managed to defend herself against highwayman using

her father’s musket.

When Sybil returned home around dawn, the troops were already gatheringand ready to deal with the British. Unfortunately, while the 400 or so troops

could not save Danbury, they were able to prevent afurther British advance. During the later Battle ofRidgefield they eventually pushed the British back totheir ships waiting in Long Island Sound.

Sybil has been referred to as the female Paul Revere,although his famous ride was only 12 miles long com-pared to her 40 mile ride. I wondered if HenryWadsworth Longfellow had lived closer to ColonialFredericksburg than Boston the opening line of his fa-mous poem, “Listen my children and your shall hear…” might have been quite different. I was trying to rhymeLudington to come up with my own poem when I real-ized I was at a stop sign with no sign in sight indicatinga turn direction. I continued my discovery ride and didnot see another Sybil sign the rest of the day.

I took a few more visits to the area, with one includ-ing a visit to a historical society to view a Sybil Lud-ington Trail brochure to piece together the route of allthe correct roads that make up the loop of Sybil’s Ride.Following Sybil’s route through eastern PutnamCounty and Dutchess Counties proved to be an adven-turous, rewardingly wonderful ride. I ended up on afew roads I had never been on before. Had I notmapped it out ahead of time things could have gotteninteresting in a couple of places where a sign was miss-

ing where a turn was to be made. Keep in mind that the signs are posted tobe more conspicuous when riding it in the historically accurate clockwise di-rection.

This area is only an hour north of NYC between the Hudson River andConnecticut. You can get there by riding some really great back roads or canbe expedited on the interstate. The nice thing with Sybil’s Ride being a loopis that you can jump on or off it anywhere along the way. What better placeto begin the journey than from the very location Sybil did… the Ludingtonhomestead, which was located at the present day intersection of I-84 andLudintonville Road (exit 17).

Heading south on Ludingtonville Road in the Town of Kent, connect with

210 Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735www.HanoverPowersports.comNOW OPEN MONDAYS 9am-5pm

follow us on

Page 14 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Hanover Powersports Presents

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

SR 311 in Lake Carmel over to SR 52. Continuing a bit south is LakeGleneida in Carmel. Set in a picturesque location along the shore of LakeGleneida is a statue commemorating Sybil Ludington’s ride by sculptor AnnaHuntington. Smaller versions of the statue can be found at the public libraryin Danbury, CT, the Daughters of the American Revolution Headquarters inWashington, DC, and in the Elliot and Rosemary Offner museum at Brook-green Gardens, Murrells Inlet, SC. Almost across fromSybil is George’s Place, which is a local favorite break-fast & lunch stop.

Continuing west on US 6 we soon enter the down-town section of the hamlet of Mahopac, a once promi-nent summer destination where city dwellers wouldcome to enjoy boating and swimming at Lake Mahopac.The town got its name from the Wappinger NativeAmerican tribe of the Algonquins. Some historians be-lieve it to mean “Great Lake,” which seems to makesense since it is the largest natural lake in the county.After riding around the south end of the lake we enterthe hamlet of Mahopac Falls. Very near where we turnoff of SR 6N onto Hill St (CR 32), a falls from a pondpowered a large gristmill that serviced a large area. Thisarea is still known as Red Mills all because of the colorof the mill. Not too far ahead is the country club wheremy wonderful wife & I began 25 years of married bliss.

Along the way there are remnants of the many dairyfarms that were once abundant in this region. Many ofthe old farm lands of the area now lie under the watersof the West Branch and Boyd Corners Reservoirs passeden route. Continuing on into Kent Cliffs and Kent youwill pass over the Croton River, which connect thesetwo reservoirs and then heading northwest on one of myfavorite strips of asphalt in this area – RT 301. The loopveers off RT 301 near Farmer’s Mill, but it’s worth atrip back just to ride the full length of this road. Headingtoward Stormville in the hamlet of East Fishkill, Ipassed by Ethan Allen Drive and Nathan Hale Drive -roads named after revolutionary war heroes you mighthave heard of that hail from this region. The village ofStormville is the northern most tip of Sybil’s ride, andfrom here the loop heads over Stormville MountainRoad back to RT 52 and south toward Ludingtonville.

In October 1784, Sybil Ludington married lawyer Ed-ward Ogden and lived the rest of her life in Unadilla,New York. She lived to be nearly 78 years old and wasburied in the family plot at the Maple Ave Cemetery inPatterson, NY. After completing the loop we took a ridethere to pay homage to this heroic lady. The locals saythat numerous people visit the grave site due to her his-torical significance.

Our visit to the cemetery had an unrelated side story.While parked outside the cemetery gate a local deputy

Sherriff told us there was a more famous person than Ludington buried inthe same cemetery - Elizabeth Montgomery – who any child of the 60’swould recognize from the TV show Bewitched. After some searching wefound the gravesite. Something was awry with the dates. This person wastoo old to be young Samantha Stevens. After a bit of research I discoveredthis was the mother of the famous Bewitched star, a well known actress inher day who passed on her name to her daughter.

If you are into Revolutionary War history, there is plenty of it around here.Here is a list of other things you can explore and find on your own withinColonial Fredericksburg

patriots of the revolutionary War monument park

route 311, patterson

revolutionary War Crossroads

routes 311 & 22, patterson, pawling & southeast

fredericksburg encampment

routes 311 & 22, patterson & pawling

John Kane house – Washington’s headquarters, pawling

Quaker hill meeting house, pawling

Quaker hill encampment, pawling

ludington’s mill, route 52, Kent

southeast museum, brewster

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 15

Why have ordinarywhen you can have

extraordinary?Quality, hand-crafted specialty baglinersfeaturing PVC-backed, water-resistantnylon packcloth, heavy-duty nylon coilzippers, wrap-around nylon webbing

handles for full support, extrapockets for filling ‘empty spaces’and personalized embroidery.

New Season - New Bags • Hassle-Free Packing

For styles, colors and pricing, head to the website at

BagsForBikes.comor email bagsforbikes@windstream.net

www.HanoverPowersports.comTuesday, Thursday 9a-7p • Wednesday, Friday 9a-6p • Saturday 9a-5p

OPEN MONDAYS 9A-5P • Sunday: Gone Riding

KTM GIVES YOU THEFREEDOM TO DREAM

210 Rte 10 West

East Hanover NJ

973-428-1735

2013 690 Duke RA formidable hot rod for enthusiasts andexperts alike, light asa feather, lightningquick, amazingly suit-able for everyday use,but with everything thatmakes a 690 Duke even sportier.

Secret Caverns • A secret no moreJeff BahrAn especially silly movie was released in 2004. Despite its ridiculous plot

(we’re asked to believe that a group of hapless gym rats must compete in aprofessional dodge ball tournament to save their gym from a hostile takeover)Dodge Ball: A True Underdog Story has an endear-ing quality to it. That’s not too surprising if you thinkabout it. Most people find it hard not to root for theunderdog in these stories, particularly when thatsmall fry is getting his brains bashed in by an evilplayer who revels in his power or size advantage.

Such underdog stories abound in the real world.They’re not always as cut and dry as those portrayedin the movies, but when an underdog rises from theashes of oppression to vanquish an all-powerfulbully, the result can be every bit as satisfying.

According to some, Secret Caverns - a compara-tively obscure show cave located in Cobleskill, N.Y.- has been playing this underdog role since its incep-tion in 1929. While Secret Caverns is blessed on anumber of fronts, it has also been cursed, at least ina business sense. One need only look at its rather un-fortunate address to discover why.

If Cobleskill sounds familiar to you, it’s probablybecause of the infinitely more famous Howe Cav-erns which has virtually owned this town since itsdiscovery in 1842. The massive Howe is everythingthat puny Secret Caverns is not, a fact that becomesstrikingly apparent the very instant one enters theirhillside compound and witnesses the humungous

visitors’ center perched high above. Trouble is Howe is located less than a

mile from Secret Caverns - on the verysame access road no less - so it siphonsoff much of its business. Actually, that’s

not entirely true. Howe appeals mostly to thosetourists looking for a sure thing – a pristine, anti-septic Disneyland of illuminated stalactites and sta-lagmites - hence the popular bus tours that makeregular scheduled runs to it.

Now, let me be blunt. If you’re the type wholikes to run with the pack - who simply must visitthe biggest and the smoothest - Howe is probablyyour cave. I’m sure you’ll have a nice visit and de-part with some tales to tell (Howe features an un-derground boat ride and a one-off custommotorcycle that was produced exclusively for theoperation by Orange County Choppers). On theother hand, if you’re sucked in by venues so drip-ping in weirdness that they qualify for our belovedMysterious America, Secret Caverns is your onlyoption.

Such fans become true believers as they maketheir way to Secret Caverns from nearby Route 7.The smaller operation might not have a budget thatallows it to advertise as broadly as Howe, but itmore than makes up for it with bizarrely artisticbillboards that begin to show up about a mile fromthe caverns.

Are these grandiose works hippie fantasies come

Page 16 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents

Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

SUSSEXMOTORSPORTS446 Route 23 • Sussex, NJ • Located across from the A&P Shopping Plaza

973-875-3640 • www.sussexmotorsportsnj.com

• Family Owned and Operated in Northwest NJ

• Near the border of Pennsylvania and New York

• Wide selection of on/off road apparel, jackets, helmets, gloves and boots

• Qualified Service Technicians with over 30 years combined experienceto perform all your Yamaha authorized service

SECRET CAVERNS Rip & Ride®

THIS ROUTE STARTS IN COOPERSTOWN, NYLEFT ON MAIN ST.RIGHT AT ESTLI AVE.BEAR LEFT AT CR 33RIGHT AT HADE RD.RIGHT AT PETE HENDRICKS RD.LEFT AT RTE. 166RIGHT AT DUBBENS CROSS RD.LEFT AT REZEN RD.BEAR RIGHT AT MIDDLEFIELD RD.BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 165LEFT AT CR 50RIGHT AT RTE. 166RIGHT AT RTE. 120RIGHT AT RTE 10LEFT AT GARDNERSVILLE RD.RIGHT AT RTE. 145STRAIGHT AT ROCK DISTRICT RD.BEAR RIGHT HUBB SHUTTS RD.LEFT GROVENORS CORNER RD.RIGHT AT SAGENDORF RD.LEFT AT CAVERNS RD TO SECRET CAVERNS

to life? Were they produced by acid-dropping album artists from the1960s? Would they glow if placed under black light? I don’t have the an-swers, but the rich caveman art and subterranean humor (“Like a lime-stone cowboy!”; “Four out of five dentists prefer our cavity!”) workpotential visitors into a spelunking frenzy long before they reach SecretCaverns’ parking lot.

And from that parking lot things only get stranger. Looking at it now,it’s hard to believe that in 1995 the entire visitors’ center burnt to theground. Many thought this unfortunate (suspicious?) incident signaled adeath knell to the kitschy enterprise. But they were wrong. Secret Cavernsroots run deep (Over 100’ to be exact) and the operation slowly but surelycrawled back from the abyss.

As you might expect the campy artwork carries over to Secret Cavernsvisitors’ center. Where Howe does its best to mimic a stodgy Tudor man-sion, Secret Caverns chose to paint a humongous, in-your-face bat directlyover its entranceway. Oh boy! You just know a barrel of fun is yours forthe taking after you fork over the $16 entrance fee (Howe charges $23).

Without giving it all away, I will tell you that the tour guides come offmore like Borscht Belt comedians than stuffy cave experts. This wise-cracking squad offers an entertaining take on the stalactites, flowstone andstalagmites found here while whetting (wetting?) one’s appetite for thegrandest subterranean feature yet to come – a naturally occurring waterfallthat’s second to none.

“They” [Howe] can say all they want about their grand operation,” de-clared my guide with a Cheshire cat grin as he led us on the half-mile tour,“but we have a 100-foot underground waterfall!”

Funny, right after he finished his comment I detected the sound of a dis-tant drum rim shot. Perhaps it was my imagination. Or cave fairies. Or afellow tour guide.

Secret Caverns • 671 CR 9, Central Bridge (Cobleskill), NY518-296-8558 • www.secretcaverns.comOpen daily Mid-April through November • Call for hours or appt. •

$16/adults • $8 ages 6-15 • Group discounts for 10 or more • Discountcoupon available on website • ½ mile tour takes about an hourDown tothe Bone Barbeque & Company

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 17

172 laCKaWanna Drive, stanhope, nJ 07874

973-347-bone (2663) • WWW.DoWntothebonebarbeCueCompany.Com

Location, location, location.When it comes to making it into these pages of the Great All American

Diner Run “location” is not the end all, but it certainly does help.Take this month’s stop - Down to the Bone Barbeque in the lake plentiful

region of northwestern New Jersey. Located along the shores of Lake Lack-awanna, Down to the Bone offers diners the perfect place to sit down, relax,

take in the view of the lake and enjoy some of the best barbeque in the GardenState.

We always like to fill you guys up with both good food and great historyso when you are visiting Down to the Bone, and you know you will, and aretaking in the pristine lake we’ll make sure you have the history of the lake.

Back in the beginning of the 20th century a railroad was being created thatwould link Hoboken, New Jersey and Buffalo, New York.

In this part of New Jersey the plan was that the rail would have no roadcrossings and for the most part it would run high above the populace on asystem of giant cuts, embankments and viaducts.

Thus the famed Lackawanna Cutoff was created; the last major railroad tobe built in New Jersey.

We will make sure the ride to Down to the Bone will highlight this bit ofJersey rail history as Henry Road goes right through it.

As you pass through the tunnel and embankment that the old rail line isbuilt on think of where they might have got-ten all that fill to created such a large hill.When you look back at the lake realize thatthe lake was not here in the 1800s. Yep, thisis where the material for the large embank-ments for the Lackawanna Cutoff wassourced. See you learn a bit of history andget a super barbeque lunch as well.

And that s why we are really here – forsome ‘Que!

Here at Down to the Bone you will find allyour favorites and so much more as the word“fusion” is used delightfully in their offer-ings.

Let’s start at the basics, shall we?For starters you have a choice of rib tips

sampler, steamers or mussels, CaptainCrunch chicken tenders (Yummy!), crab

Member of

Take a ride on one of the Northeast’s

Scenic Byways - Route 97 - 20 miles north

of Port Jervis. Dine with your fellow

riders on the Delaware River.

Enjoy our Expanded Canopied Decks.

Great Daily Food and Drink Specials.

COMING THIS

SPRING!

NEW OWNERSHIP!

Live Music andEntertainmentevery weekend

Page 18 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tasty places to take your bike

cakes or their Triple Crown which is three deep-fried samosas: beef brisket, vegetable, andsmoked chicken; blended with flavorful spices& served with their own delicious spicy onionrelish.

Of course no self-respecting barbeque jointwould not serve up ribs and here their ribs, bothbaby back and St. Louis-style, are smoked forhours before even being near ready for you andyour friends and the smoked brisket platter can-not be beat either.

If you have a hankering for a steak this dayyou’ll have four to choose from; 20 oz. bone-inribeye, a 24 oz cowboy, a smaller flank and anawesome seasoned flank steak stuffed with aclassic portobello mushroom duxelle, toppedwith red wine demi-glace and fried onion straws;served with choice of two sides.

If Lackawanna Lake puts you in a seafoodmood then Down to the Bone has you coveredas well with brisket-wrapped smoked scallops,barbeque shrimp, triple-citrus salmon, pecancrusted tilapia or good ol’ fashion fish & chips.

On the chicken side of things we thoroughlyenjoyed the fried chicken platter but theirsmoked chicken looked great as well.

One of our group went for the curry chickenwhich he though was excellent.

As we said Down to the Bone serves up farmore than just their excellent barbeque. You haveyour choice of several different pastas; Cajunchicken alfredo, smoke salmon carbonara,roasted vegetables for your vegan-types and asuper barbeque Bolognese.

If you have a good size and hungry groupwhy not go for one of the Down to the BoneCombo Platters? Sure to fill the group up andmaybe some of these goodies will find theirway back home for a late evening snack aswell.

If you are a fan of Man vs Food or maybejust a glutinous maniac who cannot turndown a challenge then Down to the Bone hasnot one, but two for you.

It is simply this… Finish ALL food from aChallenge Dish and receive a free Down tothe Bone t-shirt and a complimentary ambu-lance ride to the hospital of your choosing!

First up is THE BONE! Two monstrous 1 lb. burgers, each topped

with 5 pieces of cheddar, Monterey jack &swiss cheeses and 5 pieces of thick-cutbacon; topped with lettuce, tomatoes, redonions & fried onion straws; served with anoversized bowl of chili-cheese fries and coleslaw. Order at your own risk!

The second challenge is THE BEAST! You won’t find a dog like this anywhere! A

grotesquely large 2 foot hot dog served on anequally ambitious bun, topped with chili,cheddar-jack cheese, pepper-jack cheese, redonions, bacon, fried onion straws, jalapenopeppers & pickles; served with a ridiculouslylarge bowl of fries topped with brown gravyand mozzarella cheese.

Yep with the great combination of attentiveand friendly staff, the great lakeside tablesand view, the delicious fusion barbeque menu

Cross Country Cyclehas a great selection of

Klim Technical Riding Gear.Klim makes some of the most innovative, smart and

useful enduro gear on the market. It prides itself

on top materials, design and craftsmanship.

They focus on waterproof breathability, so whether

you’re heading out of the city or into another country,

you’ll be protected from all weather conditions.

For over a decade, Klim has made top-notch

riding gear so their riders can be confident that

Klim gear will withstand the test

of any level of ferocious conditions.

From head to toe, Klim has you covered.

911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ

732-635-0094www.crosscountrycycle.net

Find us on Facebook

Visit us at AmericadeJune 4-8

Lake George Forumat the Klim booth

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 19

and the Rip & Ride here Down to the Bone has it all.But, we’ll make it even better.On June 15th Backroads will be holding the 250+ Road Tour; which will

bring riders on over 250 miles of the absolutely best motorcycle riding roadsin the Garden state. This promises to be an event that riders will be talkingabout and stealing bits off for years to come.

Jeff and company at Down to the Bone have offered up the place as ourend up site for the road tour and we can’t think of a better place to end thisday’s adventure; but wait, wait there is more…..

We will find three hardy and foolish participants who think they have theright stuff for the Backroads Beast Eating Contest, the winner taking homeboth Backroads and Down to the Bone swag.

Yes, The Beast will be provided, on us, for this contest and may the biggesttummy win!

Well, we have told you all about this great New Jersey dining experienceand about the Backroads 250+ Road Tour now let us give you a fun Rip &Ride to get you guys Down to the Bone in style!

Page 20 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

IN NJ FIND RTE. 23 NORTH

LEFT AT CR 631 RIGHT AT RTE. 94LEFT AT CR. 661 (BEAVER RUN ROAD)RIGHT AT RTE. 15 NORTH

STRAIGHT AT RTE. 206 NORTH (ROSS’ CORNER)LEFT AT CR 519 SOUTH (NEWTON AVE.)RIGHT AT CR 626 (CROSS OVER DOUBLE BRIDGES)BEAR LEFT ONTO PARSONS RD. / PLOTTS RD. (RIGHT

PAST HIGH SCHOOL)RIGHT AT CR 519 SOUTH

RIGHT AT CR 622LEFT AT CR 521 SOUTH

STRAIGHT AT MAIN ST. IN STILLWATER

CROSS STEEL BRIDGE

BEAR RIGHT UP CEDAR HILL RD

LEFT AT FAIRVIEW HILL RD.RIGHT AT RTE. 94LEFT AT YELLOW FRAME RD.RIGHT AT CR 519LEFT AT HIBLER RD.RIGHT AT HENRY RD. CR 611LEFT AT PEQUEST RD.RIGHT AT SUTTON RD

LEFT AT WHITEHALL RD.STRAIGHT AT CR 517RIGHT AT WHITEHALL RD.RIGHT AT TLEFT THRU TUNNEL

RIGHT T RTE. 206LEFT AT LACKAWANNA DRIVE.DOWN TO THE BONE ALONG LAKE ON RIGHT

Rip & Ride® • DOWN TO THE BONE BARBEQUE172 LACKAWANNA DRIVE, STANHOPE, NJ 07874 • 973-347-BONE (2663) • WWW.DOWNTOTHEBONEBARBECUECOMPANY.COM

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 21

the 1850 house & tavern

435 MAIN STREET , ROSENDALE, NY 124721-845-658-7800 • WWW.THE1850HOUSE.COM

A few months back we did a piece on traveling along the Wallkill andRoundout rivers on a ride that brought us into the cusp of the CatskillMountains.

Along the way we found some very interesting roads near the town ofRosendale. Taking a better look at the town itself we found a great, ifslightly hidden, jewel of this part of the Hudson Valley.

The town lies beneath the 500-foot Joppenbergh Mountain, a giantpile that was mined for year with its minerals being used for the cementthat Rosendale was famous for at the time. Just south of the town, alongRoute 213 a trestle for the W.V. R.R. crosses the Roundout on a bridge900 feet long and 140 feet above the water.

This part of the Empire State is fed by a number of outstanding mo-torcycling roads, the very reason we first found the town in the firstplace.

Now Rosendale is not a huge town, but what it does offer in its fewshort blocks is a great bit of 21st century Americana.

We rode into the town on the weekend of Shira’s birthday with a sur-prise over-night at the topic of this month’s column - The 1850 House.

For years this nicely bricked building on the Roundout was called The As-toria but it fell into slight disrepair, as so many historical buildings do, but itfound a savior in the early 2000s.

Now under the new management of Michael Ruger, The 1850 House &Tavern has resumed its former glory with room accommodations and regularmusical attractions.

The place was named the #1 new accommodation in Hudson Valley Mag-azine and we can tell you that The 1850 House and the town itself is wellworth the trip and would make an excellent base camp for exploring “The

Catskills” with a group of friends, as the hotel has 12 rooms and one suite.All the rooms are well appointed and we particularly enjoyed the old sepia

tone posters showing Rosendale’s history.In the tavern, we spent some time discussing the pros and cons of the last

season of “The Walking Dead” with Ben the Barkeep.Taking a walk around the small town’s Main Street we spotted Rosendale

Guitars. Thankfully they were closed at the time as the vintage Telecasterhad my blood just slightly boiling. Terry Kath played the same guitar.

We stopped in the Red Brick Tavern for dinner this night and I have to tellyou the folks there were wonderful, as was the food!

Page 22 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

290 Route 100West Dover, VT

800-745-3615

Group OrientedHot Tub/Outdoor Pool

Firepit • BYOB Bar • Wi-FiHot, cooked-to-order, breakfast

Book Spring/Summer 2013 NowWe can accommodategroup dinners on site

www.grayghostinn.com

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

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

http://www.olympiamotosports.com

Earlier in the day we had lunch at the Culinary Institute of America andthe bar-side meal at the Red Brick Tavern was equally satisfying.

Shira had really wanted to see Hyde Park on Hudson, the Bill Murray filmon the affair FDR had with his 5th cousin (those rascally rich folk!) andwouldn’t you know it - the Rosendale Theatre, a privately owned movievenue just happened to have this very film showing this night.

What a lucky birthday girl she was.A one-screen movie house (rare these days) it seemed that anybody who

wasn’t having dinner at the Red Brick was here for the film.And, as we had just ridden by FDR’s estate, the movie was all that much

the better.After the film we made our way back through the town and were drawn to

some serious Zydeco music at the Rosendale Café. This great place ate up a few hours before we meandered back across Main

Street to the 1850 House and our friend Ben the Barkeep – even if he hatedthe movie Battleship.

Page 24 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Back at the hotel there was a serious crowd at the smalltavern and, even though we were strangers, we were madeto feel like old friends.

Later on the bedroom was as comfortable as could be andthe early morning sun rising over the Roundout made for anexcellent greeting to the new day.

Ami, the hostess, made a superb breakfast and we thenmade a quick run around the river and the town before wefired up and headed south.

The guitar store was still close…damn! Oh well, probablyfor the best.

In addition to a wonderful overnight in the town ofRosendale we will give you an outstanding ride there aswell. Follow along… ‘cause we’re outta here!

GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE

PALISADE PARKWAY NORTH

EXIT 14... RIGHT AT STOP SIGN

STRAIGHT THROUGH HARRIMAN STATE PARKCR 98 /106 - GO 1/2 WAY AROUND TRAFFIC CIRCLE STAY ON 106STRAIGHT ON RTE. 17ARIGHT AT CR 5 (PAST BRIDGE ON GREENWOOD LAKE)LEFT AT RTE. 17MRIGHT AT RTE. 208LEFT AT RTE. 52RIGHT AT RTE. 209LEFT AT RTE. 55RIGHT AT RTE. 55ARIGHT AT CR 46BEAR RIGHT AT Y ONTO CR 42 PEEKAMOOSE

RIGHT AT RTE. 28ABEAR RIGHT AT CR 4/ RTE. 213FOLLOW RTE 213RIGHT AT RTE. 206LEFT AT RTE. 213 INTO ROSENDALE

1850 HOUSE ON RIGHT AS YOU ENTER THE TOWN

HOW DO YOU FEEDYOUR RESTLESS?

When your Restless demands to be fed, satisfy it

with the new 2013 F 800 R. Definitely the hottest

naked bike around. Three words best describe the

F 800 R: light, agile and fast. This cool and sexy

roadster offers the perfect combination of highway

riding with a high degree of maneuverability for

everyday urban use. And the F 800 R's 798 cc,

2-cylinder engine doesn't just look good, it sounds

good too. It’s sure to keep your Restless at bay.

Find out more at bmwmotorcycles.com

Well equipped at an MSRP of $10,600 plustax, title and all other local charges.

THE NEW F 800 R.UNSTOPPABLE ROADSTER.

Motorcycle shown with optional equipment. Price as shown at an MSRP of$10,600 plus tax, title and all other local charges. ©2013 BMW MotorradUSA, a division of BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name and logoare registered trademarks.

MONTGOMERYVILLECYCLE CENTER2901 Bethlehem Pike

Hatfield, PA

215-712-7433

www.BMWMotorcycles.com

Sport Bike DaySaturday, July 13

Special GuestTeach McNeil

BMW Sponsored Stuntman

Call for details.

MAY 2013 • BACKROADS Page 25

Rip & Ride® • THE 1850 HOUSE & TAVERN435 MAIN STREET , ROSENDALE, NY 12472 • 845-658-7800 • WWW.THE1850HOUSE.COM

http://www.motorcycledryer.com

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 27

ave you ever woken up and not really known where you are?

For that first few seconds you kind of look around a room and take

it all in.

This morning I studied the painted-over transom windows, as the

early light filtered through the shutters below.

Outside I could hear some unknown songbirds greeting the day.

The room was a tad cold, but the bed wonderfully warm.

It was mid-February and the birds were out of place, a second

later I came into a clearer morning mind and said, “Ahh, Texas.”

Shira and I had left a cold, snowy and fog-laden New Jersey the previous morning, flying out at dawn, andhours later finding ourselves in the middle of the Lone Star State and taking possession of a stunning CoreyNess Edition of Victory’s Cross Country series.

Deep in the Heart…Touring the Lone Star State on Victory’s Cross Country

words and images: Brian Rathjen

H

We had been invited down to Texas a number of timesto ride, test and generally have fun with Victory’s ma-chines, and finally the stars aligned and we were LoneState bound.

At this year’s New York Motorcycle Show we spentsome time at the Victory Motorcycle area and, as always,were impressed with the look, feel, fit and finish of alltheir machines. We had a choice this day of Victory’s fu-turistic Vison or the slightly more traditional Cross Coun-try and decided on the Cross Country with Corey’sstunning yellow and black flavor.

This machine also has gobs of stowage capacity withover 48 gallons of space. The bags are roomy, weather-proof and lockable and the trunk largeand stylish All this stowage space and thefact that the Cross Country has a load ca-pacity of 560 lbs and a large 5.8 gallonfuel tank and we knew a week of Texastwo-up touring would be a breeze.

After picking up the Victory we did aquick ride into the capital city of Austin,just some 20 miles or so north.

Austin is known for many things andmusic is one of them and where sometowns paint up cows, pigs and horses –here in Austin they have stunning andbrightly painted guitars about.

The town also has a great section thatruns along South Congress Avenue andit was here that we would start and finishthis Texas soirée; at the kitschy but com-fortable Austin Motel, located right in themiddle of what is locally called SoCo.

Shira had chosen this place and I havefound, after many years, that she will bein the Hall of Fame when it comes to

chosing places to stay.We took our room and, famished, set out on foot to ex-

plore the many shops and restaurants along South Con-gress.

This part of Austin prides itself on being a tad weird, butin a wonderful way. After a fine taco lunch the many shopskept our attention for a few hours.

We strolled the other way, back past the motel and to theSouth Congress Bridge that crosses the Colorado River andheads into the more modern part of the city and to the cap-ital building.

From March through most of the summer this bridge ishome to the largest urban colony of bats in the world with

some 1.5 million winged princes of thenight making roost under the speciallyconstructed overpass.

We waited till dusk, but being a monthearly we spotted nothing but a few signsto watch the guano.

A return trip to see this incredible nat-ural wonder is much needed.

Heading back to the Austin Motel weremounted the Cross Country and ex-plored most of the city by bike, takingin the capital building and the superb ar-chitecture that Austin in known for.

Returning to SoCo we stopped forsome tasty bird at Ms. P’s Electric CockFried Chicken, one of many little eater-ies that serve food out of a trailer foodtruck. This part of Austin, a big collegetown, is also known for these as well.

Just down the road and convenientlyacross Congress and our hotel was DocsMotorWorks Bar & Grill and Tuesdaynight was their “Bike Night.” That being

Page 28 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

the case we parked with the other ma-chines, got a seat, and made some newfriends. It did seem a bit odd here, at leastthis night in Austin, as where in thenortheast Bike Nights are dominated bymostly cruiser-style, here the CrossCountry was the odd duck in a sea ofsportbikes and classic machines fromJapan’s 70s.

We hung for awhile but it had been along day so we called it a night and rodeback across the street and turned in.

Making our way around early morningcapital traffic was a breeze and we soonfound ourselves rolling along the FM –farm to market – Roads heading some-what south through a part of the famedTexas Hill Country.

This region is extremely popular withLone Star State riders and later in this tripwe would explore more of the Hill Coun-try in a big way.

Today we were heading to the city ofSan Antonio, home of the Shrine ofTexas – The Alamo.

The roads in this part of Texas, our sec-ond largest state as if you didn’t knowthis, run around large farms and evenlarger ranches. Low scrub, oak and rockrule the day. On one of the long roads I switched on the music.

The handlebar mounted fairing had an integrated audio system withKICKER® premium speakers that delivered powerful, crystal-clear soundin and around town. AM/FM/Weather radio is standard, along with an aux-

iliary cord to use your MP3/iPod as yourmusic source. The system worked fine inand around town but, like many suchsound systems, got drowned out at seri-ous highway speeds. The fairing, evenwith the lower shield did a decent job ofmanaging the wind, although handlebarmounted fairings make low speed han-dling a bit tedious and heavy.

By late breakfast we had crossed theBlanco River and near Canyon Lake wefound Grandma D’s Café. I ordered anomelet but Shira wanted Texas so a tacowith eggs was ordered and one singlepancake.

Just one Texas-Size pancake. It wasabout the size of Rhode Island; and to addto its bulk Shira ordered a peanut butterpancake. She was easily out of her leaguehere and thankfully the Cross Countrycame with an air adjustable suspensionand 4.6 inches of clearance. Up front in-verted forks smooth out the bumps ingood fashion.

We rode further south and soon headedinto a bit of urban sprawl that was SanAntonio. By this time it was early after-noon and the city heat was on. A quickreach down below and the lowers andclear plexi panels on the fairing openedup and directed a good gush of cooling air

around us and the bike making the urban run a bit more tolerable.Once again we scored well with the Havana Hotel located right on the San

Antonio’s River Walk, but in a far quieter part of town.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 29

Austin to San Antonio

We had a number of things we wanted to see, the one being the River Walkitself, but first we unloaded our gear and went in search of the home of Bar-ney Smith and the world’s largest Toilet Seat Art Museum.

Yes, Doctor Seymour O’Life had given us a request to search out some-thing for Mysterious America and being dutiful we accommodated him onceagain.

Barney Smith’s odd museum is a true American wonder in so many ways!He’s been on national TV and much has been written about his humble

collection on the outskirts of this Texas City - a truly fascinating place.Riding back into the city proper we spun by the solemn Alamo for a quick

photo op, but with no real place to safely park the Cross Country we rodeback to the Havana, grabbed showers and headed outside to San Antonio’sRiver Walk, a few steps from the hotel.

The River Walk was created to help alleviate flooding and enhance thebeauty of the city and it has done both very well. Every town should havesomething as wonderful as San Antonio’s River Walk.

We strolled all the way down to the busy downtown section and then overto the Alamo to spend a bit of time exploring. In the late winter of 1836,valiant Texans and others, including Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie, made

a stand for freedom from Mexico, and were wiped out in a 13-day siege ofthe old mission. Today it is hard to believe all this Texas history happenedright here as the modern city itself has sprung up around the Alamo.

Back on the river we stopped for adult refreshment and took in the sightsand crowds on a Wednesday evening.

A tad later, as the sun was setting, we found some good ol’ Texas steaksand then strolled all the way back to the dam and locksthat control the limited boat traffic, mostly Rio Taxis,on the river.

Walking the River Walk on a gorgeous night was just

what we needed after this past few months and winter.Tomorrow we would ride all the way to the Gulf, near the border with

Mexico.

Along the coast of Texas there lies the longest stretch of undeveloped bar-rier island in the world. Just north of there are a plethora of tiny beach townsand with just bit of “Fins” to them.

This day we would make a run south towards the sea.Today was Valentine’s Day and even though we had nearly 300 miles to

cover we gave the city traffic a bit of extra time to settle down before weloaded up the Cross Country and headed south. Where yesterday’s Hill Coun-try ride was easy and pleasant this day the Texas terrain took on a quasi-

Page 30 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

San Antonio to the Gulf Coast

desert look with a few things that drew our attention away from the manystraight miles we were covering. Stately cattle roamed near the road – TexasLong Horns. We also spotted a few ostrich farms – the Texas Long Neck andeven a herd of Zebra, the Texas Long Stripe, totally out of place in the scruband plains. We searched out a town called Bigfoot, but found not a Squatch,but a ranch named after the greatest detective Sherlock Holmes and a smallmuseum dedicated to Texas and “Bigfoot Wallace.” William Wallace was afamous Texas Ranger, where he was a member of their Hall of Fame, andtook part in many of the military conflicts of the Republic of Texas andthe United States in the 1840s, including the Mexican-American War.The small own is named in his honor.

Oil and new natural gas reserves rule this region and past thedammed Frio River we rode along the Choke Canyon Reservoir andthrough the only real town we had seen all day, Three Rivers. PartTexas country town, part Valero refinery it was like MadMax had met the Lone Star State.

We had known that a good part of today’s ride would bea bit straight and grueling but the Victory Cross Country,with its attractive diamond cut 106 CU V-Twin and gobsof torque simply ate up the miles. Although the low screenallowed for some buffeting the bike was rock steady as wemade our way through southern Texas at a very quick pace.When the occasional and far between stop sign came along

the Victory’s ABS brakes, dual 300mm float-ing rotor with 4-piston calipers up front and300mm floating rotor with 2-piston caliper inthe rear, handled the slow down and stop inan even fashion. Considering the bike weighsover 800 lbs wet, plus the two of us, the brakes worked really well.

Somewhere just north of Corpus Christi the terrain mellowed out and webegan to get that “we are getting close to the sea” feeling, or in this case

the Gulf.Soon the Cross Country looking sharp with “Gold Digger Pearl” paint job

and tribalesque Ness graphics was making its way over the long causewaysand to the sea at the northern end of Padre Island.

We headed north a bit to Port Aransas and to our home base for the nextcouple of days, the Laughing Horse Lodge, right near the gulf.

We quickly dumped our stuff and rode down to the beach and then ontoit as Port Aransas allows folks to drive along the coast itself, which we

happily did.We stopped by the University of Texas’ Marine Science Insti-tute, but it had closed for the day and we made a decision tocertainly return the next day as our man Bill Heald had workedthere many years back. Not far from our hotel we found one ofthe last great true beach bars in the town, the Beach Lodge, anda few Lone Star beers were in order.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 31

Your Ducati Source

The All New 2013Multistrada 1200 Sand Hyperstrada

Cross Country DucatiFactory Authorized Sales and Service911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ 08840

732.635.0094 • www.ccducati.com

Shop our large selectionfor the latest in DucatiPerformance parts,

apparel and accessories.

*3asy Ride is a retail installment sales contract with a balloon payment. Financing provided to well-qualified customers by participating BMWmotorcycle dealers and assigned to BMW Financial Services NA, LLC or BMW Bank of North America. The monthly payment examples are basedon 48 month contract, 5.24% APR, 30 days to first payment, zero down payment. Excludes tax, title, destination and registration fees. Programnot offered in NC, ND, NH, NV, PA, & WV. The total amount financed must be greater than $10,000 in HI and MD. In NJ, the selling price mustexceed $10,000. 3asy Ride products may not be used in ME for contracts with a term of less than 48 months. Subject to credit approval. Offerbased on a non-promotional rate – rates subject to change on a monthly basis - see your BMW Motorrad sales representative for details.

3ASY RIDEEXCLUSIVELY FROMBMW FINANCIAL SERVICES

SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS

CROSS COUNTRY BMW911 Middlesex AveMetuchen, NJ 08840-2224

(732) 635-0094www.ccbmw.com

Triumph Metuchen875 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 462-4881

www.TriumphMetuchen.com

Triumph motorcycles stand out in a sea of clones. They are beautifully engineered.

Built for real riders and real roads. For riders like you. For riders like us.

Come see the full line of Triumph motorcycles and gear today at

2013 TrophyWhatever the distance, you’ll cover it in style

and comfort; the generous, luxury seats and

ergonomically designed riding position mean

the miles melt away barely noticed.

2013 ExplorerThe journey doesn’t

have to end when

the tarmac does.

A Triumph to take

on the world.

2013 ThruxtonThe café racer.

Reinvented.

Kawasaki Metuchen911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 491-2900

Find Us on Facebook • KawasakiMetuchen.com

Visit our showroom located in Central New JerseyJust 10 minutes from Staten Island, 30 minutes from NYC and 1 hour from Pennsylvania

Honda has Five ExcitingNew Models for 2013

powersports.honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVERUSE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call the MotorcycleSafety Foundation at 800-446-9227. Gold Wing® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (01/13)

911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 906-9292

Find Us on Facebook • SportHonda.net

KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper apparel. Never operateunder the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual.©2012 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. • Pictured is the Isle of Man: a closed track on otherwisepublic roads. PROFESSIONAL RIDER ON A CLOSED COURSE.

KawasakiGoes Biggerwith the 2013Ninja® 300

and Ninja® 650

Gold Wing® F6B

CB1100

CBR500R, CB500F and CB500X

The all-new Gold Wing® F6B,

CB1100 and the family of 500s

offer sport, touring and adventure

options for a great riding season.

Can-Am Metuchen911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 491-2900

www.CanAmMetuchen.com

©2013 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. †All other trademarks are the property of theirrespective owners. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicablelocal laws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.

The new Can-Am® Spyder® ST.Grip the road with the confident handling of our exclusiveY-frame design. Then hold it tight with our patented Ve-hicle Stability System, a semi-automatic transmission,ABS and Brembo† brakes. Add in touring features like arelaxed ergonomic position, wind protection and amplestorage, and you’ll discover why it also grips tens ofthousands of hearts. Learn more at can-am.brp.com.

JOIN US FOR OUR SPYDER DEMO TRUCK DAYTHURSDAY, MAY 2 - TEST RIDE A NEW SPYDER.

Can-Am Metuchen911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 491-2900

www.CanAmMetuchen.com

©2012 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP). All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A., products are distributed by BRP US Inc. BRP reservesthe right, at any time, to discontinue or change specifications, prices, designs, features, models or equipment without incurring obligation. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. BRPhighly recommends that all ATV drivers take a training course. For safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ATV Safety Institute at 1-800-887-2887. ATVs can be hazardous to operate.For your safety: always wear a helmet, eye protection, and other protective clothing. Never carry passengers on any ATV not specifically designed by the manufacturer for such use. All adult model Can AmATVs are Category G ATVs (General Use Models) intended for recreational and/or utility use by an operator age 16 or older. For side-by-side vehicles (SxS): Read the BRP side-by-side Operator’s Guide andwatch the Safety DVD before driving. For your safety: wear a helmet, eye protection and other protective gear. Fasten lateral net and seat belt at all times. Operator must be at least 16 years old. Passengermust be at least 12 years old and able to hold handgrips and plant feet while seated against the backrest. ATVs and SxS are for off-road use only; never ride on paved surfaces or public roads. Alwaysremember that riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. Never engage in stunt driving. Avoid excessive speed and be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Ride responsibly.

Come in today for yourWinter fun and cleanup vehicles.

That evening we found some Texas seafood that was simply a delight andthen we took a night time ride around PA, as Port Aransas is called locally,finding a tiny place called the Tarpon Ice House that had a good group ofmusicians playing, and a wonderful bunch of people just hanging. We satdown and took the music in for a spell, in between talking to locals aboutthe Victory that had drawn in a few curious passersby. Although still classi-cally styled the Cross Country offers a more modern and sexier take on alarge touring cruiser. We thought it has someof the best lines in the market today.

By evening’s end Shira was up dancing witha bunch of local gals and the Texas hospitalitycould not be beat here on the Texas coast ofthe Gulf.

Does the name Grus Americana mean anything to you?

Well, it is the genus name for thewhooping crane.

They are very rare. So rare that theyalmost were extinct but are slowly mak-ing their way back. To be truthful Ithought they were goners years ago.

These birds, which are still evidentially alive, are the tallest birds in NorthAmerica and have the widest wingspan as well.

They are impressive and, along with the sandhill crane, are one of just twocrane species found in North America and that the only place they can befound is just east of where we were in Texas. For thousands of years thesemassive birds have migrated from northern Canada to the Gulf coast.

That being the case, and Shira and me being avid birders, planned to seekout the mighty whooping cranes of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Leaving Port Aransas we made a quick stop for a much needed photo opwith a giant megalodon shark; one of many such faux sharks found around

the U.S. coastal and beach towns, but this was a big one and worth the stopfor the digital moment.

We then rode along the beach back to the Marine Research Institute of theUniversity of Texas and took in their small, but enlightening, visitor centerbefore heading east, crossing Corpus Christi Bay on one of the ferries thatrun 24/7.

We found an early lunch at a dockside restaurant and then rode past somevery impressive homes all surrounded by live oaks, windswept away from the Gulf and surrounding each home likeEnt-like guardians.

Every so often we find a place that we both agree “Wecould live here” – this was one of those places.

Crossing over another long bridge we swung into GooseIsland State Park.

Here we were told we would find the elusive whoopingcrane and other things as well.

Well, we spent a good amount of time searching the park and its surround-ings and we saw plenty of egrets, hawk, turtles, longhorn

cattle, pelicans, herons, a dutiful kite that just floatedbefore striking, and I even spotted a spoonbill – which

is rare in itself.But, no whoopers. Sigh.We did find “The Big Tree” – a magnificent specimen

of live oak that is reported to be nearly 3,000 years old.It was beautiful for sure, as were all the great oaks thatwere so plentiful on this island.

We were about to give up and try another parksome thirty miles further east when we simply askeda passing mailman if he knew of any whooping

cranes in and about the immediate area.Well, as luck would have it he did; and he pointed our way into a field,

boxed in by marshland and oaks.

Page 34 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Free Day on the Gulf Coast

We swung the Cross Country upa rough country lane lined withsmall woodsy beach homes andthere, in field, near a close byfeeder, were two stunning whoop-ing cranes.

As tall and stately as can be, theyseemed to be enjoying the day and were oblivious to Shira, the Victory andme as we rolled up as close as we could -which still was plenty far away. Wehad brought our autographed edition “Flip DeRea” Nikon Monarch 5 binoc-ulars along with us so we got to see these awesome birds right up and close.Stunning does not quite fit.

How happy were we? Especially since I thought they were already deadand gone. Yep, in one morning I not only found out the whooping craneswere thankfully still alive but got to see them for myself as well.

Shira was really pleased - as we all have goals and finding the whoopingcranes was on her bucket list as we rode along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Nice. Now, onto the supposedly elusive dodo.Heading back we rode through Port Aransas and back southwest towards

Corpus Christi and the National Park on Padre Isle.As I have said this part of the barrier islands that protect Texas are some

of the most pristine on the planet and except for a small road that runs abouta ¼ mile from the beach there is little out there but a small visitors centerand hundreds of miles of the coast the way it has always been.

We rode to the end and then along on the hard pack sand of the beach fora bit and then just parked for a spell and drank it all in.

This part of our nation is quite special and if you are ever in this part ofTexas you owe it to yourself to see Padre Isle.

By now the sun was beginning to head down for the night and we spunback to Corpus Christi and found a waterside restaurant with a clear view ofthe bay and the upcoming sunset. Dinner sounded good, as did the guitarplayer, so we enjoyed this last night on the Gulf Coast before the dark 20-mile ride back to Port Aransas.

With such a great sunset the previous night it was hard to resist a welcom-ing sunrise the following day; so as the sky began to lighten in the east I wason the Cross Country and riding along the sand.

Like it always has the sun did rise on a beautiful, if chilly day.We packed up the machine and said goodbye to the Texas Gulf Coast and

headed north and west. Once out of the Corpus Christi area the terrain turnedrough and tumble once again and we knew this day would be a haul along a

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 35

Port Aransas to Castroville

lot of straight and monotonous roads. Un-like most machines today the Corey NessCross Country has one of the most com-fortable all-day saddles coming from amanufacturer. The heated saddle neverwas a problem and we loved the suedematerial as well. A nice touch on the Vic-tory.

A cold front had come in the previousnight and with temperatures in the low 50sI closed up the lowers and turned up thewarmth on the saddle.

We made a game of the slightly boringtrek and considered ourselves sailors on a

vast ocean of scrub and rock. We made sure to stop at all the historical markerswe spotted and pointed out each bird, long horn or dead feral pig on the sideof the road.

Yes, dead feral pig. There are up to 6 million “wild hogs” in the US andCanada and half of them are in Texas, where they do some $400 million indamages annually. They tear up recreational areas, occasionally even terror-izing tourists in state and national parks, and squeeze out other wildlife.

Texas allows hunters to kill wild hogs year-round without limits or capturethem alive to take to slaughterhouses to be processed and sold to restaurants

as exotic meat.Imagine hitting one of these and not killing it. If you were

down you just might be out.Our day got better when we stopped for breakfast at a small

local taqueria that made a spectacular breakfast for us of eggs,chorizo and nopal cactus.

Gassing up and moving on, the land began to mellow and hillsbegan to appear. Along the sides of the road, what was once bar-ren and dismal became green and verdant. In Pearsall we foundthe “World’s Largest Peanut” and the fact that this region is amajor supplier of peanuts worldwide as they ship over 55 millionpounds of peanuts each year!

Shira had found us a room at the Landmark Inn, in the town

Wheel Sport Center Inc.399 HUGUENOT ST • NEW ROCHELLE, NY

914.636.7235 • WheelSportCenter.net

JOIN THE STORY…RIDE URAL

The 2013 Ural Tourist is an affordableway to enter the world of sidecar motor-cycling! From the family ride for a picnicto trips to the market-or even as Fido'schariot-you'll be amazed by the versatilityof this classic-looking rig.

The 2013 Ural Tourist is availablein Red or Black. $12,099

Page 36 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

of Castroville, not far from San Antonio. This town was created back inthe mid 1800’s when a group of French and Germans from the Alsace re-gion of Europe came and settled here. Many of the homes that are stilloccupied date to that area and the Landmark Inn, built in 1849 and lyingon the banks of the Medina River, was once the first thing settlers saw asthey forded the Medina and it is now a state historic site. With a numberof buildings, including a mill, it is a great look at Texas’ past.

We learned that the entire town is created around historic buildings,with many homes built nearly 160 years ago.

I asked about the walking tour of the town and was told to take the bike.Okay, we could do that.But, what the man behind the desk meant were the bicycles that were

leaning against the wall outside. Old-style peddlers thatreminded me of Pee Wee Herman’s ride. We did a lap ofthe town in style.

Most places you go in Texas will offer something oddor different to see, but a good deal of the state does notmake for all that much inspired riding.

But, with one exception; the Texas Hill Country.We had skirted part of this earlier in the trip but now

we were poised for further exploration.We said goodbye to the Landmark Inn and then rode

north mimicking the Medina River. Almost immediatelythe road got tighter and a bit more interesting.

This part of Texas has had a flooding problem everyfew decades and the town of Castroville has sufferedmore than a few times. In the early 1900’s a dam wascreated up stream on the Medina to help alleviate thisand, at the time, it was the largest such water works westof the Mississippi. It created Medina Lake with over110 miles of shoreline. Still, to this day, heavy rains canbreech the spillways and wreak havoc downstream. In-terestingly enough this entire project was done in recordtime and was funded by British businessmen. Evenmore interesting is that the mastermind of the entireproject Dr. Fred Stark Pearson and his wife were aboardthe Lusitania off the Jersey shore when it was torpedoedby a German U-Boat.

They survived the sinking.This day, after last year’s heat wave and years of on-

going drought, the lake was nearly empty and dozensof marinas and wave runner joints sat idly by, manydocks actually resting in the dirt.

Our route brought us directly to the heart ofthe Hill Country as we created a long loop thatwould run us through Banderas, self-pro-claimed cowboy capital of the world, and thenonto the Hill Country Trail. Not too far alongwe found breakfast in a neat roadside jointcalled Mac & Ernie’s. Shira first heard aboutthis place on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (actu-ally featured on Guy’s premier episode) and itcame highly recommended, with good reason.If it were closer it would be a Great All Amer-ican Diner Run.

We did have an eye opening momentas we passed a large ranch. They musthave been having coyote problems asthey had, hanging along the fenceposts, the carcasses of seven dead coy-otes – perhaps a warning to the rest ofthe pack to stay away?

As Joni Mitchell sang – “No regretscoyote.”

Another curious animal encounterwas Shira spotting what she said was agroup of deer, but small, spotted like afawn and one sporting a spectacular

138 Orange Ave (Rt. 202) • Suffern, NY

845-357-1190www.locomotionpowersports.com

OPEN HOUSESATURDAY, APRIL 27 • 9a-4p

Food • Music • GiveawaysSpecial Promotions

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 37

Castroville to Fredericksburg

rack of antlers. We found out later these were Axis. These deer-like animalsoriginate in Nepal and northern India. They were introduced to Texas in the1930s for hunting and have basically taken off on their own and are now ascommon as white tails.

The Texas Hill Country region is a rider’s delight with a great combinationof hills and roads that run along a few rivers - the Sabinal River with its manycyprus trees, the Rio Frio, the Nueces and the clear running Guadalupe. Likemany riding regions’ around the nation here the roads have garnered names.Well, in this case, three routes have come together to form a troika of sorts –The Three Sisters – Routes 335, 336 & 337 wind their way through thesehills, some parts reaching 2,500 feet and all three and a number of othernearby roads, especially the snake-like Route 16, are well worth seeking.

We’d be here for a few days and wouldbe sure to do just that.

The Hill Country does have plenty to offer us riders, but one thing it needsmore of are fuel stations. We were aware of this and, like we had all trip andeven with the large fuel tank, we made sure to fill up whenever we could -even with half a tank still aboard.

By late afternoon we were rolling through the town of Ingram and spotteda most unusual sight. Stonehenge.

Created a few decades back this town has a 2/3-scale replica of the famedBritish prehistoric site. There were even a few Easter Island “Moai” giantheads to be had as well; a bit of Mysterious America in the middle of Texas.

We had planned for a few nights up in the Fredericksburg region so we

vectored (that’s pilot talk) to the nearby airport and TheHanger Hotel, a refurbished airport hanger that is nowone of the sharpest hotels in the region, if not one of themost unusual in the nation. It might have been nice tofly in but the Ness’ Cross Country looked pretty sharpparked near the runway just the same.

We left The Hanger Hotel the next morning underthreatening skies and, with that in mind, we decided tovisit the National Museum of the Pacific War.

Why is a museum dedicated to the Pacific War ofWorld War Two in the middle of Texas, you ask?

Admiral Nimitz hailed from here and so now doesthis National Treasure.

aIRPORT PUb & PaCKaGESussex NJ County Rd 639 • Next to the Airport

Open 7 Days • 973-702-1215

We have New Jersey Lottery & Scratch OffsWe accept cash, credit cards & ATM on premise

WE’RE LOCATED iN SCENiC SUSSEx COUNTY

A POPULAR NEighBORhOOD PUB

FRiENDLY SERViCE • iCE COLD BEER

AND ALWAYS SOMEThiNg TO DO…

TWO POOL TABLES • JUkE BOx • DARTS

OUTDOOR SEATiNg FACiNg ThE AiRPORT

“WATCh ThE SkY DiVERS”PLUS … WE SERvE a SImPLE PUb mENUStop by and We’re Sure to Become One of Your Favorite Stops

Wednesday is Bike NightFree BBQ & Jukebox

Meet Old Friends & Make New Ones

FREE BBQEVERY SUNDAYYou Cook ‘Em

Burgers and Dogs

ENJOY THE RIDE

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS

Page 38 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Free Day in the Hill Country

And, it is a treasure. We have been tomany war museums and must tell you thatthe National Museum of the Pacific War is,by far, one of the best we have ever seen.We hoped to spend a short time andquickly make our way through the exhibitsbut some three hours later we emerged andstill felt we could spend another few hourshere. It was a place that “made” you learnof, not only the war, and American in-volvement in it, but the many years leadingup to this clash between Japan and theUnited States, in addition to bringing ahuman quality with stories and voice-oversthat left us both chilled and numb. Both ofour fathers were war vets and many of ourfriends fought in this war and in Europe aswell. If you, or someone you know, served

then you will find this museum a humbling place and one that must be seenwhile riding in this part of Texas.

By this time it was early afternoon and after lunch, with clearing skies, wedecided to head back to the Three Sisters; as there was one special place weneeded to see - the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum & Ace Cafe.

The museum sits just south of Lost Maples State Park and just north of thetown of Vanderpool, right on Route 187. Wait… there was a town there?

The museum is the personal collection of Allan Johncock, an expatriated

Aussie who has been here inthe US for decades. The col-lection covers decades ofmotorcycles and machinesfrom around the world, witha special eye on classic bikesfrom the ‘30s, ‘40s & ‘50s.Velocettes, BSAs, Indians,Nortons, a Brough Superiorand Allan’s own racebike - aMatchless G50- on which hehas taken 2nd at Mid-Ohioand 4th at Daytona.

Behind the museum Allan has a full machine shop to help maintain andrestore machines that are lucky enough to find a home at the Lone Star Mo-torcycle Museum.

His better half, Debbie, runs the Ace Café here at the museum and we haveheard her Aussie meat pies are a steady favorite for riders running the ThreeSisters each weekend. This museum is yet another must see while riding theHill Country.

We had a choice to make at this point in the day, to either head back eastto Fredericksburg with daylight to spare or to carry on west and ride the one“sister” we hadn’t touched as of yet – Route 335.

West it was and it was well worth it as 335 was the sweetest of the sisterswith serious elevation changes, magnificent vistas and even a few giraffes,we kid you not, alongside one ranch’s fence.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 39

RANKED TOP 10IN SAUCE BY NEW JERSEY STATE

BARBEQUE COMPETITION

172 LACKAWANNA DR. • STANHOPE, NJ

973-347-BONE (2663)OPEN TUES.-SUN. • SAT/SUN @ NOON

www.DownToTheBoneBarbecueCompany.comMOTORCYCLISTS WELCOME

Great Destination Ridein Scenic Northern NJ

Plenty of Room for a Group

Breathtaking Lakeside Views

Specials Every Day

On the square in Schaefferstown,where history, good times andgreat food come together.

101 N. Market StSchaefferstown, PA

717-949-2122FranklinHouseTavern.com

Dine in HistoryCirca 1746

Lunch and dinnerspecials daily

The perfect stop on the perfect ride.

Dine inside or on the balcony.

Group seating available.

Featured in theGreat All American

Diner Run

Moto-Inn Member

By the time we reached Route 41 we needed to make sometime and once again I was deeply impressed with the Freedomengine powering the Cross Country. Texas speed limits arefar more reasonable than back east and the Cross Country lit-erally purred at the 90+ we were cruising at as we rocketedeastward with a soundtrack by the Doobie Brothers.

As the sun began to set it was the perfect Texas evening.We stayed in Fredericksburg for one more night, this time

at a Bed and Brew. Located right on East Main Street theFredericksburg Brewing Company not only has the best beerin the region it also has 11 rooms right upstairs. A sister hotelto the previous night’s airport abode, the Bed & Brew’s rooms

were much more sultry and adult. Huge pillows lined the canopy bed and the décor was almostNew Orleans in flavor. Very romantic.

Add the brewery and restaurant right downstairs and what else could two riders ask for?

We had no real destination in mind thisday; but we did know we wanted to stop byLuckenbach.

Luckenbach is famous for its music anddance hall. It almost looks like a ghost townwhen you ride up to it, but once you walkinto the Post Office and General Store youare made most welcome. In fact, here theylike to say that “Everybody is somebody, inLuckenbach.”

We took some coffee, which was free bythe way, and got to talking with the fellers’running the place.

It seems that Luckenbach’s associationwith country music began in the summer of1973, when Jerry Jeff Walker, backed by the Lost Gonzo Band, recorded a live album there calledViva Terlingua at Luckenbach Dancehall.

That album became an outlaw country classic. Since then so many famous people have performed here and so many more have come to the

Page 40 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

www.HanoverPowersports.comOPEN MONDAYS: 9AM-5PM

honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING.NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET ASA RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider traininginformation or to locate a rider training course near you, call the Motorcycle Safety Foundationat 800-446-9227. Gold Wing® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (03/13)

Honda 2013 Gold Wing® F6BLuxury touring with a bad boy attitude.

For many riders, a motorcycle with a time-less look retains its own special place in thesport—and that’s what the CB1100 is all about.Better yet, with this bike it’s not just about sleek lines and a purist approach: check out the powerful 1140cc air-cooled DOHC engine that harks back to so many classic high-performance Hondas. Modern highlights complementthe CB1100’s timeless style to create a fresh category of motorcycle that’s just right for the times.

Honda 2013CB1100

Bike of the New Century.

210 Route 10 West

East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735

Whether you have an hour, a weekend, a week ormore to leave it all behind, here's a new bold andblacked-out-styled machine to satisfy that urge toget away from it all—the brand-new Gold Wing®

F6B. The blacked-out styling treatment with long andlow lines gives the Gold Wing F6B an aggressivelook, while large-capacity saddlebags, a comfortablegunfighter-style seat, premium audio system andmore means there's no need to rough it on the road.

210 Route 10 West

East Hanover, NJ

973-428-1735

www.HanoverPowersports.comOPEN MONDAYS: 9AM-5PM

Dress properly for your ride with a helmet, eye protection, long-sleeved shirt, long pants, gloves and boots. Do not drink and ride. It is illegal and dangerous. Yamaha and theMotorcycle Safety Foundation encourage you to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call 1-800-446-9227. Spec-ifications subject to change without notice. Professional rider depicted on a closed course. ©2012 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • yamaha-motor.com

WANDERLUSTHAS A NEW NAME.• Exceptionally compact 1199cc parallel twinwith a unique 270° crank • Twin downdraftfuel injection with YCC-T™ (Yamaha ChipControlled Throttle) • Traction control plusboth Antilock Braking System (ABS) and Uni-fied Braking System (UBS) • Rider comfortand convenience with adjustable seat heightand windshield, tunable front and rear sus-pension and low-maintenance shaft drive.

• Powerfull 1298cc, fuel-injected engine andYCC-T™ (Yamaha Chip Controlled Throttle) •Upper cowl is redesigned while the under-cowlhas a new shape for increased wind protection• New adjustable windscreen and fork design• Redesigned throttle body • New Yamaha D-Mode system offers riders a choice of “T-Mode”touring and “S-Mode” sportier performance •New electronic cruise control and traction con-trol system • New dash, instrument panel andhandlebar switches offer modern styling

2013SUPERTENERE

WE INVENTED SUPERSPORT TOURING.NOW WE’VE PERFECTED IT.

2013FJR 1300™A

Fredericksburg to Marble Falls

tiny town in the middle of Texas just toplay one song. Braggin’ rights that theyhad played in Luckenbach.

I had spied the guitars on the wallwhen I first walked in.

I asked, “Can anyone play?”The answer was “Sure - everybody is

somebody – what ya got son?”I can now proudly say that I was the

morning opening act in the LuckenbachGeneral Store in Texas. Springsteen’sRed Headed Woman.

Hey, we are from New Jersey! Shira had plotted a tight and twisty

route that ran well off the main roadsand spent many miles running along theranch and county road that crisscrossedthe Hill Country. These roads were a bitnarrow and just a touch gravely and hadtheir share of cattle, sheep and variouslivestock roaming freely around them;

but they offered a look at the real Texas you will not find on the bigger roads.We headed up towards Enchanted Rock, a giant dome of granite that rises

into the Texas skies. This place has many legends but the official Texas ver-sion relates a heroic episode in the life of Capt. John Coffee Hays. Cut offby Comanche raiders from his company of Texas Rangers on a surveying

trip in the fall of 1841, Hays took refuge on Enchanted Rock and singlehand-edly held off a horde in a three-hour battle that ended when the frustratednatives fled, convinced even more firmly than before that Enchanted Rockwas possessed by malevolent spirits. It also helped that Hays had, in additionto his rifle, two newly developed Colt 6-shooters. The Comanche Indianshad never seen a pistol that could fire repeatedly.

Since guns come into play so often in Texas history and that guns and riflesseem to be dominating the news these days as well we felt we needed to stopby the World’s Largest Cap Gun Museum which, by the way, was locatedjust a ½ mile away from the gates to Enchanted Rock.

Located in Trois Estate, a combination re-sort, B & B and wedding destination the gunsare the pride and joy of Chuck Trois, whoplayed R&B guitar for the Soul Survivors on“Expressway To Your Heart” in the late 1960s.

Stop, would we make this up? We couldn’t!Seriously the museum is amazing and fea-

tures over 5,000 toy cap guns and accompa-nying holsters, from the Lone Ranger, RoyRogers and other western gunslingers of fame.

Texas is known for many things and bar-beque is certainly on the top of the list. Upuntil then we had not partaken in the “TexasRite of Passage”, for we were saving ourselvesfor what is considered by many as the best ofTexas when it comes to fire, flavor and meat

CENTRAL VERMONT MOTORCYCLES

Visit us online @www.centralvermontmotorcycles.com

Central Vermont Motorcycles is your first stop on the way to your next adventure.Located in the heart of the Green Mountains serving all of Vermont,

eastern New York and western New Hampshire.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 41

– Cooper’s Old Time BBQ, in Llano.Once again Shira had chosen this

place and no other barbeque would do.At Cooper’s you walk up to one of the

many fire pits loaded with differentmeats cooking away and order whatlooks good. You then take your tray in-side where the addition begins.

Let me tell you – do not let your eyes rule your belly and choose wisely asthey charge you by the pound here. When it was all said and done we satdown at our table with $6.75 of brisket, $5.22 of sausage, $13.69 of giganticbeef rib (yep, just one) and $17.49 of pork chop (yet again, just one).

Some might say they have a better Lone Star barbeque, but this day andfor right now Cooper’s Old Time BBQ in Llano, Texas is Backroads favorite.

We finished 98% of everything and continuedon our ride following the tiniest paved Texasbackroads we could find, eventually riding by andstopping in at Longhorn Caverns. If things hadn’tbeen going peachy enough this day the cave cer-tainly added to it. The 52 steps, created craftilyby the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s,lead to a stunning entrance to the cave, with rockand a natural bridge creating a stone canopy highabove our heads. A great surprise and somethingwe had not planned on this day.

This day, time seemed to fly by and with thesun setting we found a room in the town of Mar-ble Falls, along the lake’s shore and powered

down for the evening. Clouds were gathering and we heard a Texas-sizedstorm was quickly approaching. I asked and was able to park the Victoryunder the hotel’s portico. We locked her up and settled in for the storm thatmissed us by 100 Texas miles.

We’d be returning the Cross Country later this day so we made the best ofthe tiny little roads that run around the nearly dry lakes that can be foundnorth of Austin. It really is quite the sight to see so many docks lying in thedust and piers an easy ¼ mile away from whatever water was left. This partof the country is in a bit of trouble and we hope the drought ends soon and

that we do not repeat the powerful heat that ruled lastsummer in the middle of our nation.

We rode through the city and stopped for one lastmeal on the road at Lucy’s, another well known Texastradition for fried chicken and then made one last stopat the Circuit of the Americas, the new mega-track justoutside the city.

We had been golden weather-wise, but that muchneeded rain that we had hoped for in Texas came to visitwith just ten miles to go on this journey.

Imagine that, over 1,700 miles of great weather andto get moist in the last ten. Go figure.

We rode off I-35 and slipped the Victory into the bayat Kent Powersports, where we had left from a littlemore than a week before.

We had done a great deal of the Lone Star State andstill only touched a small bit of this large state. Fromthe great cities of Austin and San Antonio to the rusticand natural shore of the Gulf of Mexico to the challeng-ing and enthralling Hill Country we still had seen a lot.

Thinking about the state I wondered who would everwant to “Mess with Texas?”

The people of Texas are some of the nicest in thecountry and the big Victory proved itself to be a greattwo-up traveler well worth its name Cross Country.

Serious machine for some serious fun!I will end this trip with a quote from a famed Ameri-

can frontiersman.

“you may all go to hell and i will go to texas.” -

David Crockett

179 North Highland Ave • Ossining, NY • 914-762-2722

www.hudsonvalleymotorcycles.comHUDSON VALLEYMOTORCYCLES

Page 42 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Marble Falls to Austin

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 43

VICTORY MOTORCYCLES • VICTORYMOTORCYCLES.COM

KENT POWERSPORTS, AUSTIN • KENTPOWERSPORTS.COM

AUSTIN MOTEL, 1220 S. CONGRESS, AUSTIN512-441-1157 • AUSTINMOTEL.COM

HAVANA HOTEL, 1015 NAVARRO ST, SAN ANTONIO210-222-2008 • HAVANASANANTONIO.COM

BARNEY SMITH TOILET SEAT ART MUSEUM239 ABISO AVE, SAN ANTONIO • 210-824-7791

WWW.ROADSIDEAMERICA.COM/STORY/6166

LAUGHING HORSE LODGE, 503 E AVE G, PORT ARANSAS361-749-5513 • WWW.ALAUGHINGHORSELODGE.COM

LANDMARK INN, 402 E. FLORENCE ST, CASTROVILLE830-931-21333 • VISITLANDMARKINN.COM

MAC & ERNIE’S, TARPLEY • WWW.MACANDERNIES.COM

HANGAR HOTEL, 155 AIRPORT RD, FREDERICKSBURG830-997-9990 • WWW.HANGARHOTEL.COM

BED AND BREW, 245 EAST MAIN ST, FREDERICKSBURG830-997-8026 • WWW.YOURBREWERY.COM

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE PACIFIC WAR

340 EAST MAIN ST, FREDERICKSBURG830-997-8220 • WWW.NIMITZ-MUSEUM.ORG

LONE STAR MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM36517 HWY 187 NORTH, VANDERPOOL

830-966-6103 • WWW.LONESTARMOTORCYCLEMUSEUM.COM

LUCKENBACH, TEXAS • WWW.LUCKENBACHTEXAS.COM

WORLD’S LARGEST CAP GUN MUSEUM300 TROIS LANE, FREDERICKSBURG

830-685-3090 • WWW.ROADSIDEAMERICA.COM/TIP/17220

COOPER’S OLD TIME PIT BAR-B-CUE604 W. YOUNG ST, LLANO

325-247-5713 • WWW.COOPERSBBQ.COM

LONGHORN CAVERNS, PARK RD, BURNETT830-598-2283 • WWW.LONGHORNCAVERNS.COM

Riding Deep in the Heart of Texas Information

nuts about iCe Cream

1124 linDen street, bethlehem, pa

610-861-7733 • WWW.nutsaboutiCeCream.Com

Happy May, everyone. I hope you’ve all been out get-ting your daily dose of riding and ice cream. I’ve been busytrying to find some great spots for this year’s ice cream runsand we’re going to start out with a bang.

While Nuts About Ice Cream may not be in the most scenicof spots, the flavors and quality of the Joshi family’s ice creamwill have you thinking you are in heaven. They bought the shop in1988, but since 1990 they have been supplying locals and ice creamaficionados from far and wide with fresh and creative creamy satisfac-tion.

In their early days, being across the street from Liberty High School inBethlehem, PA, they would serve up some simple lunch items for the kidsduring the day. Over the years, with changing policies in the school system,

they stopped that and have been concentrating ontheir goal of bringing their customers the

freshest and highest quality ice cream theycan produce. Needless to say, they use

all-natural ingredients – as they say ‘noflavor bottles in this shop’ – and treat

the folks who come in with respectand friendliness. The shop in large,

so there is plenty of room for you andyour group to sit and enjoy your cones,cups, sundaes or whatever floats your icecream boat. They have whimsically cov-

ered their seats and stools with colorful ma-terial reminiscent of the Stingray banana seat

bicycle days. The long lunch counter from theoriginal store added to the nostalgic look of an ice

cream shop from my youth.Enough about cosmetics – let’s get to the ice cream. Mr.

Joshi took making his ice cream very seriously – enough sothat he attended the short course at Penn State for ice cream making. Forthose not up on their ice cream history, Penn State’s Ice Cream Short Courseis the oldest, best-known, and largest educational program dealing with thescience and technology of ice cream. It also is believed to be the first contin-uing education course in the United States,starting back in 1892. Just about every major

ice cream company in the world has aPenn State connection – Ben Cohenand Jerry Greenfield of Vermont fameto name just two – so Mr. Joshi wascertainly in good company.

While Mr. Joshi was off doing thelearning, Mrs. Joshi was busy makingup the recipes. Utilizing many of fla-vors from their native lands of Africaand India, she has brought us some ter-rific and exotic concoctions. Sincetheir ice cream is small batch and AL-WAYS as fresh as can be, not all ofthese flavors are always available andthere may be some new ones added at

Shira’s Ice Cream Run

Page 44 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

any time. During my visit Iwas lucky enough to tastetheir Rose, Ginger and Kulfi.Kulfi, you ask? So did I. Hereis the wording fromWikipedia:

Kulfi has similarities to ice

cream (as popularly under-

stood) in appearance and

taste, but is denser and

creamier. It comes in various flavors. The

more traditional ones are cream, rose, mango,

cardamom, saffron and pistachio. Unlike

Western ice creams, kulfi is not whipped, re-

sulting in a solid, dense frozen dessert similar

to traditional custard based ice cream. Thus,

it is sometimes considered a distinct category

of frozen dairy-based dessert.

This day’s offering was of the cardamomvariety, having acaramel and nuttytaste. The Gingerhad a wonderful bite to it, with a subtle gingertaste. The most distinct of the three had to be theRose; just being handed the cup brought forth thesmell of a bouquet of roses. Spooning up a taste,I felt as if I were in a bed of roses in full bloom.It was like nothing I’d ever tasted before and I wasloving every bite.

Brian’s cup was filled to the brim with a com-bination of Strawberry Cheesecake and Coconut,both of which were packed with taste bud explo-sion. Some of their other temptations include saf-fron pistachio, mango, fig, coconut almond and

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 45

NUTS ABOUT ICE CREAM Rip & Ride®

START: CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN, RTES. 206/15, AUGUSTA, NJSOUTH ON ROUTE 206RIGHT @ PRICE RD

LEFT @ CR 519RIGHT @ HALSEY RD

LEFT @ PARSON RD

RIGHT @ JUNCTION RD

RIGHT @ CR 622LEFT @ RIDGE RD

BEAR RIGHT @ DOVE ISLAND RD

LEFT @ CR 619LEFT @ CR 610LEFT @ CR 519LEFT @ STONEBRIDGE RD

RIGHT @ STILLWATER RD

RIGHT @ LINCOLN LAUREL RD

RIGHT @ RTE. 94 SOUTH

LEFT @ SILVER LAKE RD

LEFT @ RIDGEWAY AVE

RIGHT @ CR 519STRAIGHT ONTO CR 609LEFT @ SAREPTA RD

RIGHT @ MUTTON HILL RD

RIGHT @ SAREPTA RD

RIGHT ONTO ROUTE 46LEFT @ CR 620/WATER ST

CROSS BELVIDERE FREE BRIDGE

ONTO MARTINS CREEK BELVIDERE HWY

STRAIGHT ONTO RTE. 611LEFT ONTO RTE. 611LEFT @ LEHIGH DRIVE

LEFT OVER BRIDGE @ HILL RD

RIGHT @ MAIN ST

RIGHT @ ISLAND PARKBEAR LEFT @ LOWER SAUCON RD

RIGHT @ APPLE BUTTER RD

RIGHT @ SHIMERSVILLE RD

LEFT OVER BRIDGE @ MAIN ST

LEFT @ MONROE ST

LEFT @ GREEN ST

RIGHT @ E MARKET ST

RIGHT @ PULASKI ST

LEFT @ E FAIRVIEW ST

RIGHT @ LINDEN ST

NUTS ABOUT ICE CREAM ON RIGHT

AT CORNER OF LINDEN/LAUREL STS.

rum raisin (must show I.D. as it contains the real thing). Yes, you can getyour chocolate and vanilla and I’ll bet it will be the best you’ve ever tasted.

Nuts About Ice Cream is open to serve you every day – Monday thruThursday 9am-9pm, Friday 9am-10pm, Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday3pm-9pm. Their summer hours may vary, so please check before riding out.They do scoop up a good-sized portion, but remember this is NOT DairyQueen, so be prepared to pay a little more for your premium ice cream. Theydo accept credit cards for charges over $10.

Here’s a tasty little 65-mile ride to get you to Bethlehem, starting at theChatterbox Drive-In in Augusta, NJ. You can download the GPS route here:

www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/nbfjat

Have fun and don’t forget to eat ice cream every day.

Page 46 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

It’s…Bike NightEvery Thursday Night atthe Chatterbox Drive-In

Ross’ Corners / 1 Route 15, Augusta, NJ • 973-300-2300

Motorcycle Tourmagazine

Enjoy an evening oftire-kicking, great foodand eye candy at the

area’s premier Bike Night.Limited Edition Special Teeawarded to winning bike.

Sponsored by

ALL MAKESALL MODELSALL MACHINES WELCOME

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 PayPal

100% 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

THE HOT MONTHS ARE COMING – SO IS OLYMPIA’S AIRGLIDE 4When it comes to multi function mesh based riding gear, Olympia’s new for 2013 mensand womens Airglide 4 jackets offer maximum performance and all the premium fea-tures you’ve come to expect from this leading brand. Constructed in authentic Cor-dura® fabric with ballistic nylon mesh panels, these jacket offer maximum airflowwith superior abrasion resistance. For added safety, they also offers 3M Scotchlite®piping at the chest, back and sleeves. Additional feature include removable CE ap-proved Motion Flex armor at elbows and shoulders, cool mesh airflow lining, Cus-tom Fit detailing at collar, cuffs, elbows and waist, an 8” connecting zipper toattach the jackets to Olympia pants and multiple storage pockets. Both the mensand womens versions are equipped with a sporty two stage, wind and waterproof,

Thermolite® insulated liner jacket, to deliver the ultimate in multi season ridingcomfort. The ladies version has been designed with a women’s specific fit and of-

fers a flattering hour-glass shape. Retail price - $289.99. Four colors are available.For complete details visit the Olympia website at www.olympiamotosports.

SURVIVOR ADVENTURE DRY BAGS

New for 2013 Nelson Rigg introduces their 100% Waterproof Survivor Edition Adventure Dry Bags. All are madefrom a high quality 24oz rugged Tarpaulin PVC that’s specially coated for strength and to help prevent slipping andmarking. These bags were designed to work with factory and aftermarket tail racks, seats, and saddlebag racks onmost popular Adventure and Dual Sport bikes. All bags feature a “no hassle” LIFETIME warranty, electronically heatwelded seams and an air tight roll closure system which ensures that no water enters the bag even in the harshest ofdownpours. Mounting the duffle bags is a breeze utilizing anodized heavy duty quick release cam buckles and strong nylon softtie webbing and can be mounted across or along the seat or tail section. Hi-Visibility reflective accents are integratedinto the bags compression straps that also easily adjust to the volume of the bags contents, keeping it snug and compact.Strong D-rings allow more mounting options and provide mounting points for additional items you may want to bring

with you. The saddlebags have Rigg’s popular universal mounting system but also have the ability to individually mountto most OE and aftermarket saddlebag racks utilizing strong top and bottom compression straps.

Extreme Adventure riders will have two sizes to choose from. A Medium Bag has an approximate capacity of 39 liters while the Large Baghas a mammoth 71 liter capacity. The Survivor Edition Dry Bags come in three exciting colors, Hi-Visibility Yellow, Orange and Black.

Includes a Lifetime “No Hassle” warranty.Suggested Retail Prices range from $69.95 to $129.95. For more information contact your Nelson-Rigg dealer or visit their website at www.nelsonrigg.com

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 47

CIRCLECYCLE

570 Broad AvenueRidgefield NJ

web: www.circlecycle.net

201-945-2200

For over 30 yearsCircle Cycle has helped

riders get and stay on the road

Our variety of powersports products is second to none.Whether you’re riding of-froad, backroads, or onthe track, we’re here to getyou where you need to go.

In northern New Jersey there isn’t a friendlier or moreknowledgeable staff than ours. We’re happy tohelp 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 CycleFor the discriminating rider.

SOME BRIGHT PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

Page 48 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

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

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

Every Wednesday • Chelseas Restaurant/Pub, 1051 Rte. 22 East, Lebanon, NJ 6-9pm,weather permitting all summer • www.chelseasrestaurantpub.com

Second Wednesday • Harley-Davidson of Long Branch Restore the Shore Dinner Rides.Meet at HDLB, 671 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ @ 6pm with full tank • leave @ 6:15pm• www.hdlongbranch.com • Ride-Restore-Rebuild

Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ.Tire kicking, good food and friends • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

Every Saturday • Stop by the dealership at 9am for coffee and bagels. Ride departs at10am. Return to the dealership for FREE food and music. Proper attire MUST be worn!No shorts or sneakers. • Bergen Harley-Davidson/BMW Motorcycle, 124 Essex St,Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenbmwmotorcycles.com

Last Saturday • Ride to Eat. Meet at Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, Fredericksburg, VAat 4pm. Scenic ride followed by dinner. www.mortonsbmw.com • 540-891-9844

APRIL 201327 • Locomotion Powersports Spring Open House • 9a-4p • Food, music, giveawaysand promos • 138 Orange Ave, Suffern, NY • 845-357-1190 • www.locomotionpower-sports.com

27 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, Fredericksburg, VA • 4:00 pm • Ride To Eat with theMorton's crew! Meet us at 4:00 pm for a nice ride through the countryside to an inter-esting restaurant each month. Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or 540-891-9844.

27 • Open House at Bob’s BMW • Motorcyclists of all types and stripes (that’s right, notjust BMW riders) come from far and wide to help make the day memorable. Grab somedelicious food served up by the Blue Knights. The Major Brand factory reps never missa Bob’s Open House, so why should you? They’ll be here eager to fill you in on the latestgreat gear and accessories. And of course, you know you'll find SAVINGS — and SUR-PRISES too! More info: bobsbmw.com • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD

28 • Motorcyclepedia Museum Season Kick-Off and Swap Meet • 250 Lake St, New-burgh, NY • 845-569-9065 • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org • Clean out your clos-ets and saddlebags and sell your stuff. Space is limited, call for table details.

MAY 2013May-November • Saratoga Automotive Museum exhibition "BMW - The Ultimate Driv-ing Machine". The exhibition, which will feature a retrospective of BMW cars and motor-cycles, will run from May 6-November 3, 2013. The exhibition will also celebrate 90 yearsof BMW motorcycles. The Saratoga Automobile Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY • open7 days a week after Memorial Day from 10am-5pm • www.saratogaautomuseum.org

2 • Can-Am Metuchen hosts the Spyder Demo Truck • Check out the 2013 Spyders,take one for a test ride and then take one home. Please check website for more infor-mation • www.CanAmMetuchen.com • 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ • 732-491-2900

4 • Bergen County H-D/BMW International Female Ride Day Ride • Signin: 9-10am •Ride leave 10:30 sharp • Free BBQ and music at 12:30 • 12 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ• 201-843-6930

11 • Liberty Harley-Davidson 11th Annual Hot Rods & Harleys • 11am-6pm. Antique &Custom Cars & Motorcycles, vendors, family fun, food and live music. www.hrandh.com

9-12 • Buzzard Bottom 6 • Enjoy awesome raods and camaraderie at BB6, presentedby Buzzard Brent and Poverty Riders Int’l. High country MC Camp, Ferguson, NC, just 20miles off the Blue Ridge Pkwy. Comfortable gathering for riders of all types, not a con-structed rally. HCMC camping rates apply and meals will be available. For more informa-tion visit: www.highcountrymotorcyclecamp.com

16-19 • BACKROADS Spring Break 2013. Cooperstown, NY. This rally will feature a com-plete issue of Backroads’ columns in one weekend - Great All-American Diner Run, BigCity Getaway, and, of course, Mysterious America. Our home base will be the Lake FrontMotel, sitting right on Lake Otsego and walking distance from downtown Cooperstown.www.backroadsusa.com/rallies.html

16-19 • Concours Owners Group Northeast Spring Fling. Bedford, PA. For details pleasecontact Jason 814-535-8669 • www.tinyurl.com/COGSpringFling2013

17-19 • Mothers for Daughters Weekend. Join hundreds of riders for a weekend of ridingand fun in beautiful scenic Vermont and help raise money for breast and ovarian cancerresearch. See website for full details: www.mothersfordaughters.com

17-19 • Morton's BMW Spring Fling Rally, Natural Bridge, VA. Meet up with hundredsof riders -- all brands welcome -- for a weekend of riding and relaxing. Dinners on Fridayand Saturday evening, vendors, seminars, guided rides on- and off-pavement, door prizes,and much more. Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or 540-891-9844.

18 • Motorcyclepedia Museum MidAmerica Auction and Pet Adoptathon Outdoor SpringFestival • 9am-4pm. Live music, food, vendors. Animals in need of forever homes! Shel-ters/Rescues space FREE. Auciton preview May 17th 5-9pm • 250 Lake Stree, New-burgh, NY • 845-569-9065 • www.motorcyclepediamuseum.org

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 49

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR What’s Happening

Rider EducationOf New Jersey Inc.

Motorcycle Safety Foundation & New Jersey State Approved

MVC Written and Road Test Waived (certain restrictions apply)

Basic RiderCourse • $275Basic RiderCourse 2 (old ERC) • $125

“New” 3 Wheel BRC &The Advanced RiderCourse

Over 20 Years Experience!

Learn to Ride! Learn to Ride better!

No Permit Needed!

To Learn More or to Register OnlineVisit RENJ.com

Call Today: 1-800-8WE-RiDE

18 • Twisted Throttle Open House • 570 Nooseneck Hill Rd/Rte. 3, Exeter, Rhode Island• 401-284-4200 • www.twistedthrottle.com

18 • Bob’s BMW Vintage and Classic Day • 9am-4pm • Show off your vintage and clas-sic rides, kick tires, explore the Vintage BMW Museum at Bob’s the day before the Britishand European Bike Show in Clarksburg, MD. Arrive on Saturday before 11am for a Vintageand Classic Tech Session • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949

18 • Raritan Headwaters Assoc. 11th Annual Benefit Ride for the River. Poker Runthrough the Raritan River Watershed. Sponsored by Rollin’ Fast Cycle Sport. Prizes totop hands, refreshments. All makes of bikes welcome. Sign in/Endsite: 9-11am at Schoo-ley’s Mountain Cty. Park, 91 E Springtown Rd, Long Valley, NJ. Music, Bike Show. $25pre-reg incl. t-shirt/pin, picnic/pig roast. Day of event $25 no shirt/pin. $10 picnic only11am-3pm • www.raritanheadwaters.org • 908-234-1852

19 • Rockaway Twp. PAL Motorcycle Run for the Kids. Sign in Peterson Field, Rockaway,Twp, NJ - 9am-10:15am • $25/rider; $10/pass. incl. ride, bbq lunch, live music andmany raffle prizes. • Endsite: Craigmore Resort. 50 mile escorted ride thru scenic NJ •www.rtpal.org • 973-625-4000 ext. 1008

19 • Ride to British and European Classic MC Day, Clarksburg, MD • Meet Bob’s BMWRestoration Tech Dave Grunberger at the Double T Diner, Catonsville, MD - ride leaves at9am sharp • 301-497-8949 • hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com

19 • Ramapo MC Spring Poker Run • Sign in: Rhodes Tavern North, Route 17 N, Sloats-burg, NY 9-10am • This Poker Run is a very unique event, combining hand/eye coordi-nation, marksmanship, intuition and just plain dumb luck, not to mention great roads.For more information contact Dick Roberts • 201-767-3594

19 • Bergen County H-D/BMW Freedom Ride XII • Sign In: Bergen Court House, Hack-ensack, NJ • Ride Leaves 11am SHARP • $25/rider • $15/passenger • To benefit FEALGOOD FOUNDATION • Endsite: Overpeck Park, Ridgefield, NJ • For more informationplease call 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com

19 • Father John J. Quinlan Memorial Bike Blessing • Sign in: Our Lady of Mount CarmelChurch, Andover, NJ • $20/pp includes all-you-can-eat brunch at the Lackawaxen House,Lackawaxen, PA. Escorted ride after procession past cemetary and Honor Guard to churchfor Bike Blessing • 908-343-7325 • blueknightsnj8@gmail.com

25 • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, Fredericksburg, VA • 4:00 pm • Ride To Eat with theMorton's crew! Meet us at 4:00 pm for a nice ride through the countryside to an inter-esting restaurant each month. Details at www.mortonsbmw.com or 540-891-9844.

26 • Vermont Thunder, Sharon, VT • www.VT-Thunder.org

30-31 • CLASS at Virginia International Raceway. Join Brian and Shira from BackroadsMagazine for two days with Reg Pridmore and the crew from CLASS. Learn smoothnessand cornering amongst friends. For more information visit www.CLASSrides.com

28-June 1 • Tennessee HOG Rally. Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, 1820 W. LamarAlexander Pkwy, Maryville, TN • www.tnstatehogrally.com • 615-255-3442

30 • Nassau County Fireriders X-Mas in June to benefit the children of St. Christophers-Ottilie. Sign in: 9am-12pm Applebee's, 938 S. Broadway/Rt 107, Hicksville, NY. Breakfastserved - BBQ to follow. $10 and unwrapped toy per person donation. NO STUFFED AN-IMALS. For more information visit www.fireridersnc.com

JUNE 20131 • Ride for the Pride Poker Run. $20/rider. Sign in: Knowlton Lions Club Pavillion,Delaware, NJ 9:30-11am. 80 mile scenic ride in PA and NJ. Endsite: Warren Cty. Fair-grounds, Harmony, NJ. Food and live music included ª 908-475-2500

2 • Ft. Lee Arte and Music Festival Ride-In Bike Show sponsored by Bergen CountyHD/BMW. Registration is FREE and starts at 11am. Municipal Parking Lot. Bikes in by12:30 • Awards by 3:30. Enjoy food, music and more. 201-843-6930 ext. 133

2 * Born to Be Wild MC Run to benefit Nyack Hospital Maternity Dept. Hudson ValleyHarley Riders. Sign in/Endsite: 9-11am with coffee/donuts) Nyack Hospital, 160 MidlandAve, Nyack, NY • $20/rider; $15/pass incl. lunch, live music, 50/50 and door prizes.• 60 mile ride through Rockland County. www.events.org/wildtobebornatnyackhospital

1-8 • Americade • www.americade.com • World’s largest motorcycle touring rally. Joinwith thousands of motorcyclist for a week of riding, fun, seminars and commaraderie.

1-9 • Warrensburg Bike Rally • 8am-6pm • Located on Schroon River Rd at the War-rensburg Fairgrounds. Free Admission and plenty of free parking. Vendors of all sorts in-cluding food and indoor restrooms • www.warrensburgbikerally.com • 518-791-8728

8 • Bob’s BMW Special Women’s Day Tech Seminar • 11am-Noon • The female ridingcommunity grows more and more every year so, in suport to all of the lady riders outthere, join Bob’s BMW for a special women’s Tech Seminar and more surprises •

8 • Off-Road Training @ Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, Fredericksburg, VA. $75 covers in-struction by our team of four MSF-certified teachers, lunch and all the fluids you’ll needto stay hydrated. Info/Reg at www.tinyurl.com/mortons-offroad-2013 • 540-891-9844

8 • Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team NJ Tour 2013. Yogi Berra Stadium, OneHall Dr, Little Falls, NJ. Double-Header - game one 1:30pm vs. Comedy Central; gametwo 4pm vs. CBS Sports. Tickets $10 available at Bergen County HD/BMW, 124 EssexSt, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 Meet and Greet at Bergen County HD/BMW9:30-11am with WWAST.

13-17 • The Moving Wall Veitnam Veterans Memorial, Mt. Snow’s Howe Farm Field,Wilmington, VT • www.visitvermont.com • 802-464-8092

15 • BACKROADS 250+ • It’s a Jersey Thing. Have a great day riding 250+ miles ALLIN NEW JERSEY. Sign in: Chatterbox Drive-In, Augusta, NJ 8:30-9:30am • $10 charitydonation. Printed and GPS routes available. Endsite: Sprinkle Shack, Sparta, NJ. For moreinformation please call 973-948-4176.

8-16 • 90th Anniversay Laconia Bike Week • www.laconiamcweek.com • Join thou-sands of bikers for a week of music, parties and great events • RSVP: hanna.creek-more@bobsbmw.com • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949

17 • Ride to Work Day • www.RideToWork.org

Page 50 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

26th AnnualGOOCH’S GARLIC RUN™

presented by Blue Knights® NJ IX

Wednesday, June 19Rain date June 26

DestinationNewark’s Ironbound District

Start: Rockaway Townsquare Mall

I-80 Exit 35/Mt. Hope Ave, Rockaway, NJ

Sign in starts 4:30pm • Run leaves 6:30pm SHARP!

Pre-Registration: $15/motorcycle by June 12 • $20 day of event

PRE-REGISTRATION STRONGLY RECOMMENDEDFor more information and pre-registration form visit:

www.bknjix.org

MusicVendorsGreat Food

Motorcycle Event thatBenefits Local Children’s Charities

June 2 • Mechanicsville, VAJuly 21 • Utica, NYAugust 4 • Pittsburgh, PAAugust 4 • Central Valley, NYAugust 18 • New EnglandSeptember 15 • PhiladelphiaSeptember 22 • Balt/Wash. DC

19 • 26th Annual Gooch’s Garlic Run. Sign In: Rockaway Townsquare, Exit 35 Rte. 80,Rockaway, NJ 4:30pm. RIDE LEAVES 6:30PM SHARP. $15/pp pre-reg; $20 day of event.Ride to Newark Ironbound District • www.bnjix.org • 973-729-4072

20-23 • Thunder in the Valley Motorcycle Rally, Johnstown, PA • www.JohnstownThun-der.com

20-22 • North American GTS Rally celebrating 20th Anniversary of the introduction ofthe Yamaha GTS 1000. The Inn at Snowshoe, Snowshoe, WV. For more information con-tact Jason Kaplitz, via email at Cog62@Kaplitz.com • 814-535-8669 • Rally Website

23 • 5th Annual Baer’s MS Poker Run to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. Two sign in starts:Baer’s Sports Center, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA or Harmony Lodge #8, 519 Rte.206, Andover Twnshp, NJ. $20/pp incl. pin or patch, poker hand, raffles, 50/50, livemusic by Big Boss Sausage, vendors and more. Endsite: Airport Park, Matamoras, PA •570-253-2000 • 570-686-2917 • 570-228-1896 • www.WRVR.net

24 • Bob’s BMW Track Day at Summit Point • Learn how to be the better rider you al-ways wanted to be in a safe environment. Jeremy Cook, Bob’s BMW S1000RR racer andchampion, will be there to provide advice. Lunch, snacks, beverages, on-site techs avail-able for mechanical convenience and more included. To sign up or for more informationplease contact: hanna.creekmore@bobsbmw.com • 301-497-8949

29 • Closing the Loop fundraising ride for fallen Marine CPL Ian Muller. On 3/11/11 Ma-rine CPL Ian Muller was killed during combat operations in Helmand, Afghanistan. Duringthe past 2 years, the Muller family has helped marines from their son’s unit make thetrip to Vermont to visit the grave. Proceeds will help continue their efforts. Sign in/End-site: Marty’s First Stop, 421 US Rte. 2, Danville, VT • 9-10am • KSU 10:15am •$25/bike.

30 • Nassau Cty FireRiders X-Mas in June to benefit the children of St. Christophers-Ot-tilie. Sign in: 9am-12pm Applebee’s, 938 S. Broadway, Hicksville, NY. $10 and unwrappedtoy incl. breakfast and bbq to follow ride. • www.fireridersnc.com

30 • Rollin’ Fast Cycle Sports Opne House and Victory Demo Truck Event. Free demorides, great specials and fun for all. 104 Main St, Lebanon, NJ • www.rollinfast.com

JULY 20139 • Women’s Track Day - New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ • Sponsored byTony’s Track Days. Join Shira from Backroads Magazine and a host of other women andlearn to be smooth on your motorcycle while perfecting your cornering skills. For moreinformation please visit www.TonysTrackDays.com

13-14 • 37th running of the Ramapo 500 - 500 mile weekend motorcycle tour. LIMITEDTO FIRST 400 REGISTRANTS. Sign in: Veterans Memorial Assoc., 65 Lake Rd East, Con-gers, NY 7-9am, July 13 • Pre-registration NOW for $35/Day of event if available $48CASH ONLY. Includes: 500 miles of gorgeous scenery and backroads, camping with riverswimming, fantastic Saturday night dinner and entertainment, awards and prizes, Sundaybreakfast, starter pin/finisher's patch. Garmin GPS route upload service will be available

at sign-in for an additional fee. Campground located in Chaplin, CT - lodging availablenearby • www.ramapomc.org • 845-300-1247

19-20 • Crossroads Motorcycle Rally 2013, Farre’s Field, Waterbury, VT • www.cross-roadsmotorcyclerally.com

AUGUST 201323-25 • Kingdom Thunder Rally, Burke, VT • www.kingdomthunder.org

25 • 1st Annual Poker Run to benefit the Harmony Lodge Foundation • Sign in: HarmonyLodge #8, 519 Rte. 206, Andover, NJ 9am-12Noon • Endsite: Franklin Fireman’s Pavilion,137 Buckwheat Rd, Franklin, NJ. $20/pp incl. food and drink, top 3 poker hand prizes,50/50, raffles, vendors, live music by Morning Door and more • For more info visitwww.harmony8nj.com

29-Sept. 1 • Killington Classic Motorcycle Rally, Killington, VT • Rides, demos, vendors,contests, parade, music, dinners, fireworks and SO MUCH MORE! Registration opensMay 15 - DON’T BE SHUT OUT OF YOUR FIRST CHOICES. 518-798-7888 • www.killing-tonclassic.com

SEPTEMBER 20138 • 7th Annual Rice-O-Rama Vintage & Custom Japanese Motorcycle Show and SwapMeet • Singletary Rod and Gun Club, 300 Sutton Ave, Oxford, MA • 10am-5pm rain orshine. Bikes that you just don’t see anywhere else, from 2-strokes to turbos, singles tosixes, scramblers and scooters. Trophies in over 20 vintage and custom classes. HugeSwap Meet with tons of hard to find parts • 508-344-4202 • www.rice-o-rama.com

18-21 • New York Motomarathon • Hosted by the Celtic Motorcycle Club • Bronx-LakeGeorge-Ongunquit, ME. For more information and specific hotel and date information,visit www.motomarathon.com or call Caty Metzger at 303-621-5356

19-22 • BACKROADS 15th Annual Fall Fiesta. Host hotel: Genetti Hotel, Williamsport,PA. We’ll continue the baseball theme this year with a visit to the home of Little LeagueBaseball. To book your room, please call 800-321-1388 and ask for the BACKROADSGroup Booking. Rooms start at $115.95/night incl. breakfast and secure parking.

21 • Bob’s BMW Oktoberfest and Fall Open House • 9a-4p • Seasons change but there’salways fun at Bob’s BMW Oktoberfest and Open House. Food, vendors, product reps,door prizes and great one-day only specials • 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.bobsbmw.com

DECEMBER 201321 • Bob's BMW annual customer appreciated day! Get into the holiday spirit at Bob'swhile we say THANKS to our amazing customers for what we know is going to be anothergreat year. Food, great company, door prizes and special holiday savings • 10720 GuilfordRd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.bobsbmw.com

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 51

Page 52 MAY 2013 • 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

320 Front Street, Belvidere, NJ • 908-475-2274 • www.thisilldous.com

Open Daily for Breakfast and Beyond • 7am to 4pm • Sunday 7am to 1pm

Try our Full Throttle Breakfast Special every Saturday + Sunday

Worth the ride from anywhere!

Join Us for 1st Friday Celebration

1st Friday of each month

from 6 to 9pm

Live Music • Dinner Specials

Sharing your passion for good food since 1983Member of

NOW AVAILABLEBarbeque CateringFlexibleAffordableReady When You Are

The Runway Cafeat the Blairstown Airport36 Lambert Road • Blairstown, NJ

GREATFoodRoads

Destination

908.362.9170

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

SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH • TUES.-SUN. 7AM~3PM

OPEN FOR DINNER • THURSDAY - SATURDAY 5~9PM

Daily specialty items including burgers, homemade soup & pastries

Route 739 ~ just south of Milford Rd ~ Dingmans Ferry, PA

570.828.1920 • www.forkliftcafe.com

‘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

Spring is here and that means it’s time to ride to

THE CHATTERBOX DRIVE-INGREAT FOOD • GOOD TIMES • EXCELLENT RIDING

Bike Night is BACK!Starting in May

The Boat House

Restaurant

Join us for Brunch, Lunch

or Dinner overlooking

Swartswood Lake

1040 Cty Rd 521 • Swartswood, NJ

973-300-0016

www.theboathouserestaurantonline.com

Member

Tuesday ~ Sunday 11am-9pm

Brunch 10am-2pm • Closed Mondays

Call for Seasonal Hours

Excellent Ride Destination

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

Celebrate the Holidays withsome awesome barbeque!

If you go home hungryit’s your own fault

MAY IS MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH.It’s a great time to practice your skills.

Be prepared for whateverthe road throws at you.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 53

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

Sussex Hills Ltd.

973-875-2048946 Rte. 23 SouthSussex NJ 074613 miles north of Sussex Borough

Norman GrossSince 1976

Our Reputation Speaks for Itself

Specializing in Motorcycle

Repair, Parts & Supplies •

Cycle Tires Mounted & Bal-

anced • Batteries & Hard

Parts • Dynojet 250 Dyno

available for testing

For All Your Harley-Davidson Needs

Now stocking a full line of heated gearMake your riding season last all year.

Harley-Davidson Service Technician (Rochelle Park, NJ)We're established, award winning, busy and looking for experienced Harley-Davidson Technicians to join our team! We're Bergen County Harley-Davidson in Rochelle Park, NJ. Are you dedicated?Hard-working? Motivated? Looking to make good money? Contact us today! Work for the Best!

Fax resume to 201.655.7141 or email at address provided.

Competitive Salary • Benefits • Profit sharing • Bonus (on goals met)

Must have: Valid drivers license with motorcycle endorsement

Your own tools • Attention to detail

Come Ride the Dragonwww.dealsgap.com

800.889.555017548 Tapoco Road, Robbinsville, NC 28771

Deals Gap318 Curves in 11 Miles

Deals Gap StoreMotel

Bar and Grill

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

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

inDustry infobites (Continued from Page 13)

Lautenberg said; “While I may not be seeking re-election, there is plentyof work to do before the end of this term, and I’m going to keep fighting ashard as ever for the people of New Jersey in the US Senate”.

“This is not the end of anything, but rather the beginning of a two-yearmission to pass new gun safety laws, protect children from toxic chemicalsand create more opportunities for working families in New Jersey.”

Politicians are much like the end of March in the Midwest, as the old say-ing goes, “it can go out like a lamb or out like a lion”. Many politicians spendthere final days helping staff find new jobs, raising money to pay down anycampaign debt they may have or simply just walk away. Others use theretime to fight any last political fights or take on controversial issues that mayhave otherwise cost them tremendous political capital.

“While motorcycle helmet laws are not on his laundry list we would benaive to not remain vigilant with Lautenberg to insure that the freedoms ofthe American motorcyclists are kept in place,” said Jeff Hennie, Vice Presi-dent of Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Mo-torcycle Riders Foundation.

DUCATI ACHIEVES EXPECTATIONS WIT

IMPRESSIVE 2012 YEAR-END FIGURES

+21% growth in US market, now confirmed as Ducati’sprimary-focus

With Ducati experiencing continuous growth in terms ofmarket share and production and sales volumes, 2012 hasnow been confirmed as a record year in the long history ofthe famous Italian manufacturer. These outstanding resultsfurther underline the security of the company which is, alsothanks to the Audi Group acquisition, better structured andorganized than ever before and ready to confidently face fu-ture challenges.

“Ducati closed 2012 with revenues of 606 million euro, anincrease of 16% compared with 2011 and a total of 44,102motorcycles delivered to customers,” declared Gabriele Del

Torchio, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “Our growth rate has been especiallyimpressive in the US, currently our primary-focus market, with sales up by21% compared to 2011, confirming an absolutely positive trend for this coun-try, where Ducati sales have increased consistently for the past 30 months.We are also achieving major results and important goals throughout the FarEast, thanks to a marketing policy which specifically targets new and emerg-ing markets and has returned growth in terms market share and profits.

“With new stakeholders in the company, Ducati has never been so solid,and these positive figures confirm the value and commitment of all the com-pany staff and of our brand, increasingly popular, appreciated and renownedall over the world. The 2013 product range, including the new Multistrada,Hypermotard, Hyperstrada and 1199 Panigale R models, is the expression oftechnological excellence and the emotional impact of our products, ever-im-portant in the current, highly competitive economic climate, perfectly com-plements our unmistakable, all-Italian style. Ducati is today, and will continueto be, a product-oriented company, with development and innovation as the

milestones of our growth strategy.”

ZERO MOTORCYCLES NAMES PIETER DE WAAL

AS NEWEST MEMBER FOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

AND STRATEGIC CONSULTANT

Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motor-cycle industry, today announced an addition to its Board ofDirectors, naming Pieter de Waal as its newest member. DeWaal comes to Zero with more than 30 years of business,engineering and sales experience in both the automotive andmotorcycle industries. This includes stints with Nissan,Delta (GM) and Mercedes Benz and, more recently, atBMW Motorrad as North American Vice President. In ad-dition to his Board position, he will also consult Zero on fu-ture strategies, including powertrain initiatives.

As the newest member on the Board of Directors, de Waalbrings to Zero a passion for motorcycles, an impressive trackrecord and an international perspective, having served as

Page 54 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

See us at the

International

Motorcycle Show

January 18-20

TOWN & COUNTRYC Y C L E C E N T E R

115 Route 23N • Hamburg NJ • 973-875-2111www.townandcountrycyclecenter.com

Experience the full line of Kawasaki motorcycles,sales and service we have to offer.

head of BMW’s motorcycle operations in South Africa, the United Kingdomand later in Munich as head of sales and marketing worldwide. “I am excitedto be part of Zero Motorcycles,” said de Waal. “I believe that electric vehicleswill play an important role in our future and Zero has the resources, driveand pioneering spirit to help make that future an exciting reality.”

De Waal’s selection as board member builds to the strength of the team atZero Motorcycles. Zero Motorcycles has consciously sought to team seniorexecutives with motorcycle industry experience along with leaders fromother high tech fields to create the ideal blend of background and experiencefor success in this dynamic new and emerging consumer market.

NEW AMA MOTORCYCLE HALL OF FAME EXHIBIT

FEATURES MOTORCYCLE ART

More than two dozen artists are celebrating the spirit, excitement and ad-venture of motorcycling through fine art in a new exhibit at the AMA Mo-torcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, titled “2 Wheels + Motor, AFine Art Exhibition.”

The exhibit, which began in late March, includes art created by mixed-media specialists, photographers, sculptors, painters, illustrators, jewelersand potters. They’re showcasing some of their finest pieces in what promisesto be one of the most heart-stirring and captivating exhibits of motorcycling-related art in the nation.

“Writer Thomas Merton said, ‘Art enables us to find ourselves and loseourselves at the same time,’” said Jeffrey V. Heininger, chairman of theAmerican Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which oversees the AMA Mo-torcycle Hall of Fame. “Well, the same is true with motorcycling. So thecombination of motorcycling, unique images and stunning artworks into aone-of-a-kind motorcycling art exhibit is certain to inspire everyone whosees it.

“We are very fortunate to have so many talented artists taking part in thisnew exhibit,” Heininger added. “Several of the artworks have been createdspecifically for this exhibit, so there will be many fresh interpretations ofmotorcycling in various art forms. I’m very excited about this new additionto the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.”

The main hall of the facility showcases the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame,highlighting the people who have made significant contributions to all aspectsof American motorcycling. Also on display is the popular exhibit “Dirt-Track! All-American Motorcycle Racing” that celebrates the storied historyof men and machines battling on the dirt oval.

For more information, call the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame at (614)856-2222 or go to www.motorcyclemuseum.org.

MUSTANG DAY

We all love horsepower, who doesn’t? And, when it was time to buy a dayto day ride for himself, our man Jeff Kurtzman went for a marigold yellow302 Mustang.

Along with it came a track day in Utah. Our man Jeff did us proud – trophy and everything.Way to go Jeff!

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 55

F.W. SPEER YAMAHA7 Main Ave • Passaic, NJ • 973-778-6256 • www.SpeerYamaha.com

Tri-State Metro Area’s Oldest Yamaha Dealer. Last of the Mom and Pop Shops.We are not a boutique. Gold-Certified Service Department. Top Ten in the Country.

AVOID DOWN TIME • BEAT THE BACKLOGGet In For Service Now and Get On the Road

Page 56 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

WFOinc. Motorsports**WE NOW BUY AND SELL USED MOTORCYCLES**

Quality Late Model Motorcycles - All Manufacturers

Luggage • Jackets • Pants • Boots • Rain GearTools • Exhausts • Tires • Sprockets • Chains • Brakes

Bar Risers • Lines • Ramps • Lifts • OEM Parts

188 Halsey Rd (Rte. 626), Newton, NJ 07860 • fax 973-579-1806

SPEEDLIMIT

wfomotorsports.net

973-579-5103

SPORT • CRUISER • TOURING

WFO

* Large Selectionof Helmets

* Track and RaceBike Set-Up

* Track Day Information

* Suspension Work

* Tires - Mountedand Balanced

* Great Service and Reasonable Prices

For those who would like to have an STG ride(Smaller Tactical Groups) on Thursday, May 16th forour Spring Break Rally we will be meeting at 9:30 amat the Yetter’s Diner on Route 15 in Augusta, New Jer-sey (just north of the Chatterbox).The route is 200 miles. We’ll be having breakfast and

plan on leaving no later than 10am.If you need a GPS route (Garmin) please email Brian

at editor@backroadsusa.com.We look forward to a fantastic rally and don’t miss

Shira’s special pyrotechnic display. We’ll need 35 orso volunteers for this.We sometimes call this “Yep Brian, those are defi-

nitely UFOs!” Or, as Shira has been sometimes heardto say… “Cr#!p, the Air Force is here?!”

Backroads’ Spring Break2013 Update

Are you ready for the most comfortable motorcycle saddle?A saddle that fits properly eliminates pressure points that reduce

blood flow. It takes a solid understanding of human anatomy

and extensive motorcycle experience to make a truly fine mo-

torcycle saddle. Let Rick’s medical expertise as a critical care

nurse and extensive riding experience combine to create a truly

great saddle hand-made just for you. Prices start at $269.

www.RickMayerCycle.com

free Wheelin’ (Continued from Page 4)

called Big Red Eye recounted in legends since the days of the Lenape.I make a move we all call this road through Walpack Big Red Eye.The Jersey legend will appreciate it.In western Pennsylvania there is a fun road that needs no new name. County

Road 666, which starts in the Allegheny River in East Hickory meandersthrough the mountains and is worth every mile. Great ride with a Satanicname. Nuff’ said.

Back to my thought… we are currently working on spending some timenext year down Virginia-way, much like our previous outings and rallies downsouth.

So make a little time available. Come next summer. I think we have a num-ber of great miles to explore and discover.

Let’s see how many named roads we can bag!To get your “The Wild Side” brochure log onto visitwytheville.com and we

will see you along the craftily named backroads.

postCarDs from the heDGe (Continued from Page 6)

the sun shining and the temperature in a more sane range, that he was enjoyingevery aspect of being on the bike and was shifting with greater dexterity thanwhen the bike was last parked?

The more I think about it, this whole episode may have just been a strangeway of expressing some joy at the return of proper transportation and a cele-bration of more clement weather, ultimately expressed through my left foot.But hey, the bikes really are shifting smoother, so does it even matter? I onlyhope it stays this way, as I’ve never been a big fan of notchy transmissionsand I often get paired with them whether it’s my bike or someone else’s. Thatsaid, I will definitely be a difficult person to convert to the new breed of au-tomatic transmissions regardless of any notchiness in the manual units. Imean, these newfangled “clutchless” units probably feel the same all the timeand the operator’s Spring Awakening Smoothness Syndrome (SASS) willhave no effect at all. Sad, really.

on the marK (Continued from Page 7)

tention to her. Selling her makes so much sense, especially with the threat offurloughs in my future, BUT… The more I wrote, the more I wavered. Themore I thought, the more I rationalized. The more I told you, the more nos-talgic I became. An argument raged inside me. My mind said, “Let go!” butmy heart said, “Hold on.”

Her historic tags cost half of those for her sisters. Her insurance is a pit-tance. She takes but a little space and a little electricity and requires but alittle care. And she makes me feel special. When I ride her, I never fail tofeel like I should be Steve McQueen, sliding around corners on dirt roads,desperately seeking the Swiss border, clad in jackboots and goggles, MP-40slung over my shoulder, as I elude pursuers on my own Great Escape. To hellwith logic: you can’t get that feeling from a spreadsheet. Satisfied souls haveno bottom line. I’m going to keep The Frau and I’m going to keep a promisetoo: as often as possible, I’m going to open out her cage towards the sun.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 57

For I’m just a Skyline Pigeon,

Dreaming of the open,

Waiting for the day

When she can spread her wings,

And fly away again.

Fly away! Skyline Pigeon fly,

Towards the dreams

You’ve left so very far behind.

WhatChathinKin’ (Continued from Page 5)

Follow along with the adventure via our blog site welovemotogeo.com.

Of course most of us won’t take on such extended travels. But that doesn’tmean we won’t see amazing things and travel to places that are ‘off the grid’for so many others. When you do set out for parts unknown, will you see themas a tourist or a traveler? Will you throw caution to the wind, point the bikein a direction and see where you end up at the end of the day, or be methodicaland plot out your destination and all you will see along the way? Whicheveris more comfortable for you, just go out and do it. Don’t be a Scarlett O’Haraand say ‘I can’t think about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy. I’ll thinkabout that tomorrow.’ Honestly, you’ll go crazy if you DON’T do it today.Globetrotter or Daytripper, it makes no difference. Just get on the bike andgo, you’ll know where you are when you get there.

When the weekly forecast calls for theweather to somewhat catch up with theseasons in late March we go on high alert.Most riders do.

Bikes that may have sat idle during therepeated snow and ice storms of Febru-ary and early March are rolled out and

given the once over. Tire pressure ischecked and adjusted if need be, shields arepolished and gear that has gathered dust isput on with the hopes that it all still fits.

We all know things tend to shrink during the winter months.With a decent Saturday rolling in at the end of March we thought it might

be nice to bring back something we have just done on an occasional basisover the past few years; a Mystery Ride.

As before this would be spur of the moment and webasically put a message up on the Backroads’ Face-book page to invite whomever would like to ride thatweekend.

When I did this I was instantly asked by Shira wherewe were going. Hmmm, that was a mystery to me aswell, but here at Backroads central we are the masterof Plans A & B and would come up with somethingfun, twisty and delicious.

Well, it turned out that the first restaurant we hadchosen in Roscoe, New York was still closed for thewinter, but – and this is where the mastery of Plan B

comes into play – Shira found a very promisingeatery about 6 miles west of Roscoe on OldRoute 17, right on the Beaverkill.

We spoke with Tammy Eliezer who, alongwith her husband Daniel, own the Riverside Café & Lodge; we were lookingto assure ourselves that the Riverside would indeed be open that Saturdayfor lunch.

Plan B seemed to be taking shape nicely and only got better when welearned that Tammy was a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, inHyde Park.

When we have done these in the past we have had a couple of riders ortwenty. This day we had eight machines meeting at the Chatterbox Drive-In,in Augusta, New Jersey around 9ish in the morning.

We like to steal from ourselves whenever we can so we borrowed part ofa route I had put together for this year’s Spring Break Rally heading to Coop-erstown and we altered it a bit to include a couple of lost covered bridges,that Shira was putting into an upcoming article.

The day, though promised to be far nicer than what we had been recentlyexperiencing, never really got springtime warm, butthe high 40’s along with our Gerbing’s electric wearallowed for plenty of toasty miles that day.

Our ride brought us over the Delaware at the Ding-mans Ferry Bridge, the only privately owned bridgein the nation, and then along the ridges and lakes onlyto cross the Delaware once again at Barryville andthen scooted north towards the Catskill Mountains.

One thing I have found with searching out newplaces for things like this is that every now adn againwe will come across a road we just never happen toride, such as Old Route 17 from Roscoe to Hancock.

Running along the Beaverkill the road rose and fell

Page 58 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

TWOWHEELSWELCOME

CROSSROADSBed & Breakfast

4571 Route 7Ethan Allen PkwyNew Haven, VT

GPS:N44 06.763 W73 10.518

802-453-5958www.crossroadsbb.net

• Great base camp withfour Vermont Gaps just minutes from the door

• Garage Parking

• Tools and CleaningSupplies available

• Homemade three-course breakfast

• Six comfortable roomsand large guest area withWiFi and pool table. BYOB

Fire Pit • Free WiFiCooked-to-order BreakfastHeated Pool • BYOB

We welcome everyone froma lone rider to a full chapter

344 Route 100, West Dover, VTwww.BigBearsLodge.com

802-464-5591

94 W. Main Street • Vergennes, VT

802-877-3337 • StrongHouseInn.com

10%discountfor riders

Motorcycle Touring in Style• Full Country Breakfast • AC + Free WiFi Thruout

• Secure Garage Parking • After-Ride On-Site Pub

• 4 Green Mountain Gaps or Adirondack Ride

Backroads’ Mystery Ride i

running alongside, underneath and above the more modern Route 17 we areall familiar with.

Our man Jeff Bahr even stumbled across an old time Mile Marker fromthe original Route 17’s past.

The Riverside Café’, laying right above the banks of the river, was justopening and even though I think we took Tammy by surprise she quickly re-covered and soon her easy going, but delectable lunch menu was happening.

Wait, great location, superior roads and chef that has Culinary Institutecred?

We have a Great All American Diner Run here for sure.We’ll save all the details on the lunch for that chapter of the GAADR, but

suffice to say everybody was more than full and happy.Hey, we had a bunch of friends hanging out at a place as cool as the River-

side with the bikes cooling off outside and it wasn’t April yet.We’ll take it. Who wouldn’t?Our group split up a bit from there as riders had things to do, but some

continued on following my lead.Fools.We wanted to bag another “lost” covered bridge and Shira had put together

a GPX route that didn’t jibe with my GPS, so I Luke Skywalker’d it andturned off the Nav Computer and followed my gut.

My gut seems to have an unquenchable thirst for dirt, dust and clay.Sorry about that guys.But, as with all questionable and dirty rides, once we were home the entire

ride was brilliant, as we all were as riders too.We did find the elusive bridge and then banged around some more civilized

pavement heading south and east. By evening time we rolled back into Sus-sex county, New Jersey and then home.

We hope those who came on the Mystery Ride had a good time and wethink as the months go by we will do a few more of these when the opportu-nity arises.

We’d love to have you join us on these impromptu journeys. If you’d likeupdated on these rides and others we come up with, drop us an email ateditor@backroadsusa.com. You can befriend us on Facebook and get upcom-ing ride information right there. See ya on the road!

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 59

MOTOLIGHTS LED REPLACEMENT BULBS

MotoLights now offers two different LED bulbs - a standard output and a new ultra bright output model. Thestandard LED is 100 lumens with a 10 degree beam spread, while the ultra bright output is a bright 240 lumenswith a 10 degree beam spread. A Motolight LED bulb creates the triangle of light that’s so important. We havefund that cheaper LEDs, that you can find at some big box stores are nothing but flood lights and will not create

the visibility you need on the road. Easily MotolightLEDs fit your standard housings with no modificationsneeded.It took us all of ten minutes to install these on our previ-ous standard units and the light was far brighter and, bestof all, draws much less power.These replacement bulbs should last many times longer as well. Better all around.MotoLights LED Replacement Bulbs list for $109.95 and come with a 3-year warranty.Log onto www.motolight.com for more information or to get yours.

EARTHX BATTERY • THE FUTURE OF POWER

The key words for this article are - Lithium Iron Phos-phate Battery Cell Technology.Like the Six Million Dollar Man, the new EarthX Batter-ies, made in the USA, are lighter, faster and stronger. Fasterand stronger are good. Lighter is great.Did I really need a big vat of lead and acid right under myass? I don’t think so.Hey, no comments.The EarthX Battery folks are another of enlightened com-panies that are moving portable power into the future (Boe-ing not withstanding).What we especially like is that EarthX has a wide range ofbatteries that will be bound to fit many different machines.We have used batteries similar to these before, and thoughthey worked excellently, we had a hard time with installation.All these types of batteries are far smaller than conventional and EarthX has extra padding to make the batteryfit well, tight and comfortable.There are also connector adapters, for as we all know, many batteries have different connections.The last time I used a similar battery I had to create my own connections.Not this day as installation took about 30 minutes - 20 of that being pulling the incredibly tight BMW stockunit out. The Earthx, with its neat little pads fit perfectly.Looking at the two batteries the differences were obvious….Hey, did that say POISON!?Of course it did. All the old-world batteries are poisonous. Look at the picture.If we can go lighter and better and…uhhhh greener, so be it!The bottom line is these new generation of batteries are on the cutting edge and even a little bit of weight canmake a difference in the way your machine handles.

Page 60 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

We also like that the ETX Lithium Batteries can last up to 6 + years in useful life and require no maintenance.Why ride around with a heavy piece of history when you can have the future of batteries.Why are the OEMS not providing these batteries with every bike?Log onto www.earthxmotorsports.com.

CHAIN MAINTENANCE • LET’S KEEP IT CLEAN KIDS….One of the easiest ways to keep your chain in good working order is to keep it as clean as possible. Everyparticle of dirt that gets in your drive train has the potential to ruin a lot of rather expensive things, so it’simportant to practice regular maintenance.But cleaning grimy chains is a tediousprocess. Grease is often the biggest obstacle,and the old soap and water standby usuallydoesn’t do much but smear dirty grease

around your bike. It usually takes a toothbrush, some degreaser, and lots of patience to get thebike clean, but products like Motorex’s Chain Clean Degreaser may mean an end to all this.Motorex ECO Chain Clean Degreaser is a highly effective cleaner for all drive chains. New lowVOC formula is better for you and the environment and effectively removes caked-on residue. Itis an excellent basis for optimum chain maintenance. It has been tested with X-rings, O-rings, Z-rings and regular use will considerably increases the working life of the chain and sprockets.We bought ours at a local shop, Motorcycle Madness, but you can order it from www.white-horsegear.com for less than $15.Last season we had chain failure on a tour out west. Luckily we were able to limp to the BMWNational Rally where we replaced Shira’s chain and sprockets.The chain was a smart looking DID Gold Chain and, lubed regularly, it has performed perfectlyand offered a neat looking flash of bullion on the rather bland looking machine. But, after ourfirst Backroads Mystery Ride of the year, with a possible bad call on dragging friends along un-paved, dirty, muddy roads in late March, Shira’s bike came home totally sloppy and the chain was covered with a slick coating of grime. We couldn’t help butfeel we needed to clean this immediately.With the chain still hot we went at it with a tough terry cloth and plenty Motorex’s Chain Clean and we have to say that in just 5 minutes this chain was in greatshape. Okay, maybe I should have worn gloves, as it did take longer to clean my hands than it did to make the chain … golden.After the chain was clean we took the bikes for another quick 5 mile ride to get it up to temperature and gave it a good lubing with a high quality chain lube.Making sure to get the inside of the rollers as consistently as possible.In just 15 minutes the bike was still cruddy, but the chain was clean, tight and ready for the next ride.

Keep an eye on your chain, doing this will allowyou to have a far extended chain life on all yourchain driven machines.

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 61

JDS CYCLE PARTSEST. 1988

247 W. Westfield Ave, Rosell Park, NJ908-245-2445

• Parts & Accessories• Award-winning Service• Performance Work• Dyno Tuning• S&S Pro Tuning Center• Power CommanderTuning Center

American • Metric • Sport

Riding RuralAgostino Racanati

Riding rural- We mentally embrace rural riding as long spans of farmland, where line of sight is none lessthan as far as eyesight can see. The dilapidated barn in the distance of vast spans of rolling knolls bordered withmiles of endless white timber fencing. While this is certainly rural riding, what you’ll more than likely experiencein rural riding is far from endless visibility and yields unlimited potential for disaster.

The reality of rural riding, in most areas, harbors very real dangers. Let’s replace the above scenario to focuson “the other side” of rural riding. Mostly, what you will be a part of when you get bored with the straight pas-sages of grassland.

Limited visibility hills and fast dips: Visibility is none further than what’s before you. Don’t be foolish tothink there is nothing after the quick upwards swoop. This is not a happy, controlled amusement ride. Controlyour speed and pretend ‘there is’ a need for a full controlled stop at the top of the hill, when visibility clears up.

Wildlife: This is a very real danger as most roads provide passage through the home of nature’s creatures.Deer are impossible to predict at ANY time of day or night. Of the close calls I have had include things likeslow moving bears, birds (yes, birds), wild turkeys and the eventual giant turtle crossing the road that needs at-tention. Anything can happen with little or no notice. Riding on auto-pilot isn’t even to be considered. Relax butdon’t let your guard down.

Gravel dust: We city folk are used to seeing the salt spreader in the winter months. Salt that melts as quicklyas it’s applied. In many rural communities, they use crushed gravel for traction. Crushed gravel and motorcycletires are not very good friends. The gravel eventually makes its way to the side of the road, usually by late spring.Be prepared for the occasional collected pack of powdered gravel dust at a place where you need extreme traction.Best advice, take it easy around those twisties. You never know what’s around the bend.

Fear the locals: This is a real danger. Locals have been traveling those swoops and sweeps for years and knowthem like the back of their hand, sometimes allowing complacency to overpower proper judgment. High speedis most always involved. With that ignorant mindset, you’re in real danger. But not from them, you’re a dangerto yourself. Some tips that helped me survive this madness: If being tailgated, NEVER speed up and never lookin the mirror. Resume your speed and focus forwards! What’s going on in front of you is a greater danger. What’sbehind you is mostly ONLY an ignorant disrespectful aggravation. Again, focus forwards. At the next availablepull off, wave the person around to pass you. If you speed up, I almost promise you they will speed up. Suck itup, let them pass and get home safe.

Pay attention: You’re going to have to miss things of great beauty from time to time as they are sometimesonly seen peripherally out of the corner of your eye. Catching a hidden cascade of water or something of immensebeauty needs to happen just as quick as you would check for traffic on the highway while changing lanes. If youwant to embrace the beauty, just make a simple U- turn, side stand the bike and spend the day if you choose.The difference in seeing something for a nano-second VS a few seconds while riding is LIFE and death. Slowdown, turn around, stop and ENJOY it!

A motorbike traveling in the proper direction will mostly travel only forwards. Things before me are my mostpreventable dangers. There is a much greater chance of your hitting something than anything hitting you. Seeya on the road, shiny side up!

Page 62 MAY 2013 • BACKROADS

Stumpy’s YAMAHAYour Toy Store at the Shore

YAMA-HOTLINE • 732-776-55141207 Rte 35 South • Neptune, NJ

www.Stumpys.com

50 YEARS AND GOING STRONG!YES-WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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

BACKROADS • MAY 2013 Page 63

FEEL THE FREEDOM!

Ride New Zealand

February 2014

13 Nights • 2000 miles

of Fantastic Riding

Auckland to Christchurch

(North & South Islands)

Large selection of

motorcycles to choose from

Guided Tour with support van

There’s Plenty of Time to get your ducks in a row

and join us for a trip of a lifetime.

For more details and bookings please contact:

Fred Rau • 951-672-0239 • Fred@FredRau.com

Visit Te Waipounamu Website for information

www.motorcycle-hire.co.nz

Choose from these bikes…

Visit one of the most beautiful islands on earth.Haunting landscapes, rugged coastlines,

extraordinary roads and renowned Irish hospitality.Self-guided tours leave the exploring to you

while taking care of all the travel details.

Plan now for your Ireland Adventure.Visit our website for full details

www.celticrider.com

SATURDAYJUNE 15

raindate: Saturday, June 22

JOIN US ON THE ONE AND ONLY BACKROADS 250+A motorcycle road tour exploring the best and sometimes hidden backroads of New Jersey.

This entire event will be run within the state boundaries of Jersey with plenty of sights,

stops, points of interest along the way and some surprises as well.

Lodging available in the area • GPS route available - email editor@backroadsusa.com

Start: Chatterbox Drive-In, Rtes. 15/206, Augusta, NJ • Sign-in: 8:30am-9:30amEnd: Sprinkle Shack, 640 Rte 15, Sparta, NJ

$10 charitydonation

Backroads is happy to announce the location of

our 15th Fall Fiesta ~

WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA

September 19-22, 2013We will be staying at the historic Genetti Hotel in downtown Williamsport, home ofLittle League Baseball and gateway to the Allegheny mountains. There are miles and

miles of great roads, paved and dirt, to explore during our visit and Williamsport offersa variety of activities for after the bikes are parked. Conveniently, the Genetti is acrossthe street from the Bullfrog Brewery, as well as next door to the Community Arts Center.

To book your room (which you should do RIGHT NOW), please call 800-321-1388and ask for the BACKROADS GROUP BOOKING. Rooms start at $11595/night(plus tax) which includes a great breakfast every day and secured off-street parking.

BACKROADS 2013 UPCOMING EVENTS

http://www.jmcorp.com

http://www.visitvermont.com