Motorcycle TourM

agazine

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

MAY 2014

Volume 20 No. 5

CrabRunnin’

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN

LOADS OF PRODUCT REVIEWS

MONTHLY COLUMNS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

TRIUMPH’S THUNDERBIRD COMMANDER AND LT

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http://www,progressive.com

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

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

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

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

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

BACKLASH .....................................................................10

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

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .............................................14

BIG CITY GETAWAY......................................................16

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

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

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR.............................36

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE.................................42

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .....................................46

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD .................................50

MOTORCYCLE REVIEWS2014 TRIUMPH THUNDERBIRDS ............................30

FEATURESCRAB RUNNIN’ .............................................................22

PLACES TO GO, THINGS TO SEE ............................38

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN..........................................41

PRODUCT REVIEWS/SPOTLIGHTSSPOTLIGHTS/REVIEWS ..............................32, 34, 44

ALTERNATIVE UNIVERSE...........................................33

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Publishers Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors Jeff Bahr, Mark Byers,Bill Heald, Mike Vaughan,Tim WinelandDr. Seymour O’Life

Editorial Office BACKROADS, POB 317Branchville NJ 07826

phone 973.948.4176

fax 973.948.0823

email editor@backroadsusa.com

online www.backroadsusa.com

Advertising 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACK-ROADS™, Inc. 2014. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may notbe reproduced in any manner without specific written consent fromthe publisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submis-sions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number withsubmissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosedsufficient postage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACK-ROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should notbe considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are rid-den on the sole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not re-sponsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Pleaserespect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear properprotective gear and helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

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Dirigo

Sometimes I will run across some interesting fact ortidbit of information (well, to me anyway) and end upspending a bit of time searching out and exploring some odd, interesting andtrivial chunk of knowledge.

Thus was the case after an episode ofJeopardy, where the category revolvedaround state’s mottos.

That necessitated immediately reach-ing for the iPad and diving into the deepend of the Google pool.

Many readers might be familiar withsome of these state mottos – “Excelsior”(Ever upward) for New York, Alaska’s“North to the future” or “Eureka” (I have found it) for California.

Most mottos are generally positive and upbeat and it is only New Hamp-shire that gets ominous with their “Live free or die” motto. That was chosenby the state in 1945. The phrase comes from a toast written by General JohnStark, New Hampshire’s most famous soldier of the American Revolutionary

War, on July 31, 1809 in a letter to an anniversary reunion of the Battle ofBennington.

For me it is a little on the harsh side and needs a makeover.New Hampshire might want to follow Sergeant Hulka’s suggestion these

days and “lighten up Francis.”Many of the state mottos are in Latin and the most famous – for all the

wrong reasons - is “Sic semper tyrannis” (Thus always to tyrants).This Latin phrase was screamed by John Wilkes Booth after shooting Pres-

ident Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre.One of the most interesting comes from

Kansas’ “Ad astra per aspera” (To the starsthrough difficulties). Sounds like NASA’stake on Obama’s budget cuts.

All but two are in either English or Latin;one being Hawaii – come on let’s say thistogether - Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I KaPono (The life of the land is perpetuated inrighteousness) and the other Washington’sNative American Al-Ki (by and by).

I do think that Colorado and Rhode Island should swap as Colorado’s is“Nil sine Numine” (Nothing without Providence) and Rhode Island is simply“Hope” and there is Mount Hope, Colorado.

What got me into this research was one Jeopardy clue, which simply statedDirigo; which is Latin for “I lead.”

This one word motto belongs to the state of Maine,but I liked it.

In the flighty perplexity and muddle that is the waymy brain operates I thought that would be a snazzyword to use when starting out on a jaunt with a bunchof riding buddies, like they did in Rome.

I can see it now.A group of six or so meeting up for breakfast in the

town of Ciampino, just outside of Rome, with the latestchariots – wondering where to go and what to do. Fi-nally one charioteer steps up and simply says: Dirigo.I’ll lead.

The rest are happy to follow.It seems to me that many riding groups always have

one or two riders who will always shoulder the respon-sibility of leading the ride.

With what we do here at Backroads, on many of ourown rides and daytrips, I almost always find myself upfront, a position that, after all these years, I have grownaccustomed to and am comfortable with.

But, leading a group does have its own responsibilityand a few rules and some common sense (my one fauxpas).

Here are a few things that pop into the middle of mymuddle on this subject.

* Unless you are just winging a ride or it is a ‘MysteryRide’, know where you are going and make sure yourfriends do too.

* If you have the chance to share a pre-planned GPSroute do so. I know if I am in the back I always like toknow what is coming up next.

* Try to convince one rider to ride in the back as aTail Gunner. That way when you look in your mirrorand see your TG back there you know all is well andyour group is together.

* Keep a good and smart pace. You are not racing,but you are not in a parade either. If your group has anovice or slower rider let them ride their own pace atthe back and discourage them from trying to keep up ifthings get quick. That is always a recipe for disaster.

The Tail Gunner might have to take it on the chin onthis one and turn his or her pace down as well. (Maybetheir lunch should be on the rest of the group)

Continued on page 11

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

BRIAN RATHJEN

Page 4 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

rites, anD riDes, of spring

It’s a strange feeling. I’ve been riding foryears; fewer than most but more than some.But when Mother Nature releases her icygrip and let’s loose the warmth and blooms,I anticipate the rumblings that will soon come. Yes, this can pertain to therolling out of the two wheels from their hibernation, but I’m referring to thefeeling in the pit of my stomach.

If I’ve been off the bike for a long period of time, no matter how manyrevolutions of the sun have gone by, I still get a certain anticipation and nerv-ousness about the first time I throw my leg over the saddle for that initialride of the year. As has been mentioned numerous times in these pages, themechanical checks have been taken care of, the gear has been gone over andthe cobwebs have been vanquished.

All but the cobwebs clouding my winter-weary brain.When Brian asked the other day, right before we were going into produc-

tion with this magazine, if I’d like to go for a quick lunch ride before we gotto work, many thoughts ran through my cranium. It was a magnificent dayoutside, blue skies and peaking into the 50-degree range. I had heard a passelof bikes making their way up and down our road, taking full advantage ofthe mid-week weather, and longed to join them. I ran a dozen excuses throughmy head, all completely ridiculous, and realized that I was putting off some-thing that would ultimately bring me back to the living world and out of thedepths of winter. I got out of my office chair, went to the gear closet andpulled out my riding stuff. I turned to Brian and said, ‘Hell yeah, let’s go.’

Pulling on my pants, they felt just as comfortable as the last time I donnedthem last fall. My boots, a replacement pair for the ones that had sprung aleak after many, many useful years, were a bit stiff but I knew they wouldbreak in perfectly, just as the last pair had. The jacket still had all its vents

opened, a reminder of our trip to Italy in October and the warm weather wehad enjoyed.

Out to the barn to release the Honda 919 from its confines. Brian was kindenough have checked the tire pressure, make sure it started after its winter’snap and roll it into the sunshine. On this ride I’d forgo the hookup to thezumo. On came the helmet, still comfortable and quiet, and gloves, stiff fromthe cold. Thanks to Kimberly I had a new pair of Maui Jim’s sunglasses,complete with ‘cheater’ lenses – gotta love getting older.

Time to ride. I waited for the butterflies to start flitting about and felt –nothing. I snicked the bike into first, let out the clutch and rolled down thegravel drive. Still nothing. Stopping at the end to look for entry onto the road,I made my triple head check and…

Out I went.Just as if I had been on the bike yesterday. Making the first turn, heading

south, there was still a smattering of dirt and gravel in the corners and therear tire noticed it, just to let me know to pay attention to such. We made ourway towards Swartswood Lake, the twists and bends of the tarmac flowingunder the warming tires, with the sun on my face and the light breeze liftingthe hair off my back, as well as my spirits.

After just a few short miles, we pulled into the Hummingbird House, agreat new breakfast/lunch spot just outside of downtown Newton, and parkedthe bikes. With bikes ticking after a brief warm up, I took off my helmet andgave Brian a giant grin and big hug. ‘Thank you,’ I said, ‘for getting me offmy butt and back to work. I needed this more than I even knew.’

‘I know,’ he said.We went inside and had a super meal, with homemade goodies and satis-

fying conversation. Knowing that we needed to get back to work, off wewent, back to the bikes, for a meander home. As the miles passed, I thoughtof all the wonderful trips we have planned for this year, with new places toexplore and people to meet. As we neared the last turn before slipping thebikes back into the barn, all I wanted to do was keep going. The day was per-fect and I didn’t want it to end. But tomorrow is another day, with warmingtemps and clearer road and miles to ride.

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 5

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invasion of the fob people

Friends, I am feeling low. Downhearted. Dee-Pressed. Despair encapsulates my personage like rac-ing leathers, and grips my consciousness like a perfectly-fitted full-facehelmet. My moto-melancholy is fueled by others, and the worse part of it isthese are people I used to think were my friends. I speak of the creators, de-signers and engineers; also known as the crafters of the rolling bits of joy wecall our motorcycles. They have been infiltrated by the toxic gray hand oftechnology, wielded by Code Warriors and electrical engineers. Is there noth-ing these chip people can avoid messing with? Are there no products we usethat will not eventually succumb to the cold, soulless touch of silicon, cou-pled with the malevolent, invisible tingle of radio waves?

Apparently not. Here’s the thing: It’s taken me decades to learn the way of the key, in that

it’s a very critical part of the ignition system of your machine and mustn’t bemisplaced. For proper operation, the key must be used in the proper orificein the correct way or your trip can potentially be terminated before it getsunderway. And before I get to the latest high-tech solution to a problem thatreally doesn’t exist, let’s wax nostalgic about the conventional key vis-à-visits deployment on the motorcycle. Much like engines, it appears that engi-neers and designers of motorcycles have put the key just about everywherethere was enough real estate on the bike to support it. Over time, Harley-Davidson for example has had great fun putting the key (and the barrel keyhas always been a unique, but sound, choice) right on the side of the V-Twininstead of right in front of you like everybody else, and allowed the bike’smaster to decide for themselves how to deal with the sucker. You could leavethe key in, or leave it on “ON” and remove the key and let it ride in yourpocket, or wear it as an earring, cuff link or whatever as you rumble along.A separate steering lock has often been used, usually with a different, pro-prietary key. Other manufacturers have likewise gone their own way withkey placement, and places that I’ve found ignition keys in places like of

course the steering yoke, on the side of the headlight, on the tank, or some-where just behind the rider (I think. That was a long time ago). And then forgood measure, the spot where the seat lock has been sequestered has beenreally creatively determined. In some cases it’s easy to find but hard to getthe key in the lock (like on my Triumph as there’s a rear subframe strut rightin the way). I’ve seen seat locks everywhere, from behind the license plateto cunningly hidden under side panels. Nothing’s more entertaining than hav-ing a press bike dropped off, saying that no, you’re good and don’t need abriefing of where everything is because you’re a total stud who’s been tomany a rodeo, and then having to go on an Easter Egg hunt to find the damnseat lock once the OEM’s rep is gone.

Ah yes. Good Times.These days, things are changing rapidly on this front. We see the march of

progress in the form of the keyless ignition, another dubious hand-me-downfrom the auto industry. A radio signal from a smallish box (known as a SmartKey as you no doubt know) does the work a solid key used to do, and as longas the battery powering the tiny transmitter is good it can actually be quiteconvenient. I say this as a person who more than once has exited a diningestablishment after a Large Lunch, donned all my riding gear, then my rainsuit, and then got out to the bike (in a deluge) and realized the key was inmy jeans pocket. But now, technology has brought us some relief. With thesemagical Smart boxes that are putting yet another radio signal in the air, theMachine knows the Human is near and all you have to do is hit the starterbutton. Genius!

Alas, there is a dark side to this contemporary wizardry. While highly waterresistant, key fobs like this are not always completely waterproof and a reallydeep puddle can wreak a bit of havoc. In most automotive applications thereis a back-up mechanical key, but not always with bikes. Another thing is thefact that (as a grizzled old timer) I would typically hide a spare ignition keysomewhere on the machine when I take a long trip to strange lands, just incase I lost the Primary. You can’t do this with the robo-fob, as it will enablethe bike’s ignition system because that’s what it does. Anybody could thenjump on your mount and ride off. Oooops. Another weird thing is I actuallyrode off on a Ducati Diavel not realizing the guy I got the bike from still hadthe fob. Once I got to where I was going, had I shut off the engine, well,

Continued on page 11

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 2014 • BACKROADS

the throttle anD

the Damage Done

I’m angry and disappointed. I shouldn’t be: todaywas a stellar spring day in the high 60’s and I motor-cycled to work along relatively traffic-free lanes onmy new Wee Strom. On the way home, I took a de-tour to see a friend and was charmed by his three-year-old daughter. I rode home the long way andreveled in the waning spring sunshine on twisty backroads. The pollen wasn’t even bad. No, it shouldhave been a really solid evening, and it was until Igot into my neighborhood.

What was the source of my dismay? A youngmother was walking along the street with her daugh-ter, a girl of perhaps three. As I approached on thebike, the mother turned to look and wave, as we’reacquainted through the neighborhood and everyoneknows I’m “the motorcycle guy.” What really leftme dismayed, however, was the little girl. As soonas she saw my motorcycle, she committed an act thatmakes me ache every time I see it: she rammed her fin-gers in her ears.

I raised my flip-front helmet and “Helloed” at hermom. I said, “There’s no need to plug your ears, thisbike is quiet,” but to no avail – the little girl’s fingersstayed planted in her ears as if they’d been epoxiedthere. I continued to my house with a heavy heart be-cause there’s another kid in the world who sees motor-cycles and associates them with pain. There’s anotherkid in the world who is going to grow up with a sublim-inal or overt dislike for motorcycles.

It’s not the first time I’ve encountered this phenome-non. One time outside a convenience store in Pennsyl-vania, I went to start up my BMW and a little kidreflexively clapped his hands over his ears as if tryingto prevent aliens from entering. No amount of expla-nation or cajoling or promises that it wouldn’t hurt dis-suaded him from clamping those digits against his head.Disappointed, I started up and left.

When I referee bicycle races on the moto, I’ll fre-quently encounter kids in the crowds who clamp theirhands over their ears the instant they glimpse a motor-cycle. It’s sad to traverse a course and watch the reac-tion mirrored lap after lap, progressing around like awave before the peloton. The sad part is that it’s totallyunnecessary because the motos we use are chosen formultiple reasons, one of which is that they are quiet soas not to disturb the competitors or the spectators.

And why is this reflexive action ingrained in thesechildren? Because of inconsiderate assholes who thinkthey’ve got a god-given right to allow their machines tomake as much noise as possible, that’s why. Even as anadult, I’ve had to endure the painful emanations fromsome of these people’s bikes at decibel levels wellabove the threshold of pain. At one rally, a guy startedup his bike in the hotel parking garage and I quicklyrammed my earplugs in because it was physicallypainful to me. Imagine what that does to a kid!

The reasons people who do this give for their incon-sideration are manifest, including so people can “hearthem coming” and “safety.” Here’s a clue: that’s bull-shit. The people about whom you have to worry in theircars probably can’t hear you because their music is uploud enough to make their mirrors shake. Making your-self visually conspicuous is far more effective and it

doesn’t induce pain in the auditory systems of the non-riding public, espe-cially the little ones.

And then, there’s always the argument of “freedom,” the freedom to dowhat you damn well please and bugger the consequences. Well, freedomcomes with responsibility not to abuse it and not to spoil the soup for the restof us. Ironically, we’d actually have fewer rules if people would simply not

play the dimwit and abuse theirrights, but unfortunately that’snot the case. Adulthood is hav-ing the power to do whateverone wants, with the intelligenceand restraint to consider how itwill affect other people.

This column is going to pissoff some people and I don’t givea rat’s posterior, because appar-ently they don’t give a hootabout what their actions do tothe public perception of motor-cycling and motorcyclists. I’msick of trying to repair the dam-age they’ve done, especially tokids in my own neighborhood.

LOUD PIPES HURT KIDS!

O N T H E M A R K

MARK BYERS

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 7

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new stanDarDs

They say that style is cyclical. What was once invogue will lay dormant for a time, be cast aside, ig-nored, perhaps even scorned until it’s once againresurrected to be lauded and applauded by the latest“in” crowd who believe that they’ve discoveredsomething brand new.

In fashion this rebirth can be witnessed in the resurrection of women’s bell-bottom jeans and form-fitting spandex stretch pants. Ladies will recall thatbell-bottoms pretty much crapped-out in the late 1970s and stretch pants bitthe dust a decade-and-a-half later. Yes, I was looking.

Each style, celebrated at the beginning, fell so out of favor that formerwearers often apologize for their fashion faux pa. “I was young and thosegoofy things were all the rage!” mothers tell their daughters in a futile effortto save face.

But nowadays (surprise!) many of these daughters wear precisely the same“objectionable” clothing as their moms. Not only that, they truly believe thatthese garments are breaking new ground and that anyone who doesn’t get onboard by wearing such “dope” threads is hopelessly “ratchet.”

Motorcycles are not immune to such style cycles. The current craze foradventure bikes is the perfect example of the style boomerang in action. Howis this? Squint your eyes and you’ll see the silhouette of the classic standardmotorcycle lying just beneath the macho skin of today’s adventure bikes.

Sure, some of these new rigs wear spoke hoops and hint at dirt-worthinesswith their ultra-tall suspenders, but that’s just newfangled wrapping aroundthe standard-bike core. With bolt-upright riding positions, spacious set-to-peg distances and entertaining if not cutting-edge power plants, the biggestdifference between today’s adventure bikes and yesterday’s standards is theway that they are wrapped and marketed.

Bottom line: By trading on the word adventure the newest iteration of thestandard motorcycle comes off as cool. Heck, even kids seem to like them!It’s amazing what some angular bodywork, increased ground clearance anddirt pretentions can do. Timbuktu anyone?

I imagine this craze has something to do with the deep-pocketed BabyBoomer generation finally entering their Geritol years. Heck, I began to eyeup comfy adventure bikes shortly after I received my first AARP card a fewyears ago. Coincidence? Methinks not.

By this point I was working on my third slipped disc and nursing tendonitisin both elbows. My sport bike felt like something designed by the Marquisde Sade, and my cruiser, while great as a second bike, was too laid back forthe type of riding that really stokes my furnace. It was time for a change.

But here’s the thing: Even as we age, we often don’t want to admit thatwe’re getting older. This is why second-wave standards like the HondaNighthawk 750 and Suzuki Bandit 1200 never really took off. Sure, bikeslike these were far more comfortable, practical and tour-worthy than thecrotch rockets of their era, or even some naked hooligan bikes of that time,but they looked about as exciting as a date with Debbie Downer. In this in-dustry there is nothing more taboo.

Enter adventure standards (we might as well call them what they reallyare) and the romance surrounding them.

These days you can’t find a bike rag that doesn’t feature some hip hedonistriding one of these crates to East Jabip and dishing on the joys and hardships(AKA- adventures) encountered while en route.

The message here is clear. Buy bike “X” and you too can be part of thiscool, globe-trotting crowd that cares not when the macadam ends and thedirt begins. Adventure, or at least the promise of it, is addictive. When youpurchase one of these babies you’re not just buying a piece of hardware -you’re buying into a lifestyle. There’s no better sales formula than that.

Just ask Harley.If I sound cynical it’s not by design. The current crop of adventure bikes

are some of the most roadworthy machines to ever come off of an assemblyline. They’ve been likened to Swiss Army knives for their innate ability to

Continued on page 11

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

JEFF BAHR

Page 8 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

http://www.olympiamotosports.com

Words from Downeast

I posted your cover/article on my West Quoddy Station Facebook pageyesterday. I’ve shown the March issue to my manager, Deb Bridges, whoalso manages the West Quoddy Light Visitor Center. She’s better at FB thanme, I’m a rookie! Deb believes that is the first time West Quoddy Light hasshared a magazine cover with a motorcycle! She likes it!

Get out and ride, Soon!Bill Clark • West Quoddy Station B&B

Dear Backroads,I just finished reading your feature article in the March issue regarding

your Maine trip. It was great! Keeping with your comment. The next timeyou’re up that way try going to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and stop at ShawsFish & “Lobsta” Wharf and Restaurant in New Harbor Maine for some “Lobsta”. A group of seven did the ride through Jersey, New York, Mass, Ver-mont, New Hampshire and Maine back in 2012. So your adventure hit homeand brought back some nice memories. I even got to take my 85 year oldaunt Imelda who we visited in Whitefield, Maine for a ride on the Ultra be-fore going to the county fair one night. The next day we rode down the coastto eat some more” Lobsta” at a little place on the tip of Cape Porpoise. Laterthat night we went to Bentley’s Biker Bar & Grill in Arundel just outside ofKennebunkport. What a great band and what a fun party. I got to ride on alarge Bronze HOG in the middle of the bar with Janet and our friend Kathy,what a hoot! I hope to see you and Shira on the road again real soon.

Thanks for the ride.Joe Boltzer

Hi Backroads,We went to this new spot for breakfast you guys should check out in

Hopewell, Brick Farm Market. It helps that the place used to be an old cardealership and the parts department is now the butcher and cheese shop.

They have a small breakfast and lunch menu but what they have is out-standing, all 4 of us enjoyed the food. I highly recommend you bring yoursaddlebags because the meats and cheeses you will want to bring home. Thebakery is insane, a good word for how excellent it is.

There are good riding roads up and back, not that far from the SculptureGardens or The old Brass Ring.

The next town over you have to try Halo Farm’s ice cream if you haven’talready…I think the best made, especially the chocolate.

I really wrote to say thank you for the GPX files in this month’s magazine.You’re making this year’s riding season a great one for all of us. I don’t thinkreaders write in enough and really express how the time you take to plot thosemagnificent rides really mean to them.

Thanks for taking the extra time to plot the rides. All the best,Gary Renna,

Hello Shira,On the cover of the April 2014 issue I noticed you are wearing a Hi-Viz

hydration back pack. I would like to know if you would be so kind as to tellme what brand and style that is?

Thank you,Bill Hope

We found the HyperKewl GULPZ Cooling Hydration Back Pack in our

travels. It is available on Amazon: $37. Half the price of Camelbaks.

Dear Editors,Several, if not more issues ago, you published in products review and spot-

lights a sports drink in a variety of flavors. Where can I purchase and whatis the manufacturer’s name?

Richard Bellerose

Page 10 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

BACKLASH Letters to the Editor

Richard,

You mean Zipfizz and you can find them at Costco, Walgreen and at various

shops on Amazon as well.

Zipfizz is a really excellent replenishing drink and we have a stash on the

bikes for every ride.

Brian & Shira,Hi, it’s Jeff from Westhampton Beach, Eastern Long Island. I did the

Spring Break last year with one of the guys from our riding group and weboth raved about it so much we have about 6 guys going this year. I justwanted to see if we’re going to lose a riding day. Our plan is to travel downto VA on Friday, ride Saturday & Sunday and travel back Monday. Does thisgive us enough time for the routes that will be available to us?

Jeff GrubeWesthampton Beach, N

Jeff - Good to hear from you and we’re glad your attending. You have the

timing right. Many folks will be making a two-day ride coming down and ar-

rive Friday – explore the region Saturday and Sunday and heading back on

Monday. The county and hotel are very rider-friendly and have a number of

routes pre-ridden. There would be a few routes to choose from. Looking for-

ward to a great weekend!

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 11

free wheelin’ Continued from page 4

* Wait at major turns for the rider behind you and they should know towait for the rider behind them and so on. In this case you really are yourbrother’s keeper.

* Enjoy the open road but SLOW DOWN in towns. Speed Zone Ahead isalways a good reminder of this.

These are just a few things you should keep in mindif you ever find yourself with a group of like-mindedriders looking to do some miles. You just might findyourself wanting to lead and if you do, give your friendssomething to think about and say it in Latin – Dirigo!

That would be most eximius.

postcarDs from the heDge Continued from page 6

chaos would have ultimately ensued had I continued mo-toring to Madagascar. Luckily that didn’t happen, andwe tracked each other down before I shut down thebeast.

Fortunately the inclusion of the smart key has not re-ally taken over the two-wheeled world yet, so we havesome time to adjust because to be honest, I think con-ventional keys are going the way of the kick startersooner rather than later. As much as I like the new Smartdevice in the scenario of the buried key I outlined, over-all I am not a fan of the things. Once more, if you losethe sucker they are very expensive to replace, too, andyou can’t just mosey up to the hardware store for a du-plicate. Oh well. It’s progress I guess, and I’m just beinga curmudgeon. Hell, I even still wear a mechanicalwatch! Some would call it. . . Dumb! I am indeed a fos-sil. At least these computers have given us antilockbrakes, so I guess we’re even.

throttle blips Continued from page 8

do everything and anything. They’ve also been calledthe SUV’s of the motorcycle world. On this point I agreeand disagree.

Like an SUV the new adventure standards can tacklejust about anything that passes beneath their wheels, butunlike those often humdrum vehicles they accomplishthe task without the air (stench?) of practicality sur-rounding them. No small feat.

For the record, I’m a proud middle-aged rider in thisnew adventure standard army. I may or may not take thattrip ‘round the world, but that’s immaterial. When Ithrow my leg over “TEX” (my Triumph Tiger Explorer1200) I feel omnipotent. “If I had a mind to I could con-quer the world on this big SOB!” I think to myself everytime I set off. That’s a far cry from some cruddy SUVtrip to get milk, wouldn’t you agree? With bikes thisgood it’s freakin’ hip to be square. Long live the newstandards!

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‘Like’ us on Facebook for all the latest news, up-to-the-minute ridesand events and just cool motorcycle stuff. We often do impromptu lunch

or dinner rides, as well as weekend jaunts. Don’t be left out.

ZERO’S OFFERING POLICE 3-DAY EVALUATION

Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry,announced a new program to support law enforcement agencies. In responseto growing interest and demand from police departments, Zero is offering100% electric patrol motorcycles for a 3-day evaluation period, allow-ing officers to experiencethe advantages in their ownjurisdictions.

“Over a dozen departmentshave added Zero motorcy-cles to their patrol fleets inthe last six months,” saidJohn Lloyd, Vice President ofWorldwide Sales at Zero Motor-cycles. “The feedback from ourlaw enforcement customers isextremely positive, so we arelooking at ways to make it eas-ier for agencies to see for them-selves how well Zero motorcycles can work in a

wide variety of applications.”“The addition of the Zero motorcycles to our patrol fleet is a huge benefit.

The bikes are quiet, cost effective and ‘green,’ making them an ideal modeof transportation for our officers,” said Ron Levine, Chief of Police for theFoothill-De Anza Community College District. “In addition to general policeduties, the motorcycles will be used for patrol in the parking garages andlots, which can be targets for auto burglars. Because the bikes are almostsilent, they can patrol an area almost undetected, giving the police officersan element of stealth.”

Stealth and the element of surprise are common themes expressed by theofficers who have used the motorcycles in the field. Departments are seeingperformance and economic benefits, as well: instant torque from zero RPM,a high degree of maneuverability, no need to shift gears, maintenance-freepowertrain, and about a penny-per-mile operating costs adding up to long-term savings.

NOW YOU CAN TAKE A SEA CRUISE TO NOVA SCOTIA

Tourists can now make reservations to travel aboard Nova Star, the brandnew, 161-metre cruise-ferry, that will make daily roundtrip crossings betweenYarmouth, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine starting May 15, 2014.

During the 10-hour voyage, passengers on Nova Star will enjoy a true

cruise experience, with access to three restaurants, in-cluding fine dining and a sumptuous buffet, a theaterand conference center for live entertainment, plus a spa,casino, art gallery, children’s play area and more.

While aboard Nova Star, passengers can relax in thecomfort of an assigned recliner seat, from $39 to $49per chair, or a private cabin that can accommodate upto four travelers, starting at $79 in the saver season and$99 during the summer season between June 12 andSeptember 8.

Passengers can walk onboard Nova Star, or bringtheir own vehicle. Depending on the season, rates forvehicles up to 20 feet, which includes most cars, mini-vans, pickups and SUVs, are $139 to $199. Rates formotorcycles are $79 to $119.

Fares will change according to the following seasonsof travel in 2014. Saver season, May 15 through May21 and from October 12 through November 2; Shoulderseason, May 22 through June 11 and from September 9through October 11; and, Summer season, June 12through September 8. Example fare for one rider trav-eling during shoulder season on a motorcycle, roundtrip, in a recliner seat, will be about $524.

To book a trip aboard Nova Star visit www.NovaStar-Cruises.com or call 866-864-6295. Travelers are en-couraged to make reservations on the Nova Star websiteto avoid wait times.

CDC PUSHES FOR HELMET LAWS

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THE UPCOMING ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?The Community Preventative Services Task Force, a

panel operating under the Centers for Disease Control

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Page 12 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

INDUSTRY INFOBITES News from the Inside

(CDC), has reported its findings for improving motorcycle rider safety, rec-ommending that states and the federal government focus on passing helmetlaws.

In its first-ever findings statement on motorcycle safety, the group ofmostly medical professionals emphasize that motorcyclist fatalities havenearly doubled since 2000, but ignore the fact that motorcycle registrationshave likewise multiplied over the same time period.

Members of Congress have written the CDC requesting that they back offfrom helmet propaganda, but the federal health agency feels justified in pur-suing all preventable injuries.

US SENATE ACTS TO STOP MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKOINTS

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to prohibitthe use of federal funds in establishing motorcycle-only checkpoints. S.2078,the “Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act,” sponsored by SenatorsJeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and JoeManchin (D-WV) on Wednesday, March 5th, and is similar to H.R. 1861,introduced last year in the U.S. House by Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner(R-WI).

The bill would prohibit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administra-tion (NHTSA) from issuing grants to states to set up checkpoints where mo-torcycle riders are targeted by police to check that their vehicles meet statestandards for noise, tire condition and other requirements, and are alsochecked for safety gear during the roadside checkpoints.

Over the past few years, such roadblocks have been conducted in NewYork, Georgia, Virginia and Utah during large motorcycle rallies. The sena-tors argue that these types of checkpoints are discriminatory and unnecessarysince motorcycle riders are already subject to state registration, inspection,licensing and helmet laws and must stop at sobriety check points like all otherdrivers.

One co-sponsor, Sen. Manchin, former governor of West Virginia, says thecheckpoints are a waste of taxpayer funding that can have an adverse effecton states’ economies. “Requiring bikers to drive through motorcycle-onlycheckpoints is not only an ineffective use of taxpayer dollars, but it also raises

legitimate questions about discrimination against motorcyclists. In West Vir-ginia, bikers travel near and far to drive on our winding roads and enjoy thebeautiful scenery, which attracts tourism and helps boost both our local andstate economies,” Manchin said. “As a rider myself, I am pleased to workwith my colleagues on this bipartisan legislation that simply would prohibityet another senseless and unreasonable federal regulation which could harmstates’ economies.”

The states of California, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Car-olina, and Virginia have all passed legislation to bar such checkpoints.

FLORIDA ACTING ON RIDER’S BEHALF

Safety rule number one for motorcycle riders is to watch out for car drivers,but a proposal in Florida could make it state law for drivers to watch out formotorcycles.

The bill covers what Senator Greg Evers (R-District 2) calls “vulnerableroad users.” That includes motorcyclists, pedestrians, road workers, scooterand bicycle riders, farm equipment operators, carriage drivers and those inwheelchairs. If a driver commits a moving violation that results in bodily in-jury, it would become a second-degree misdemeanor. If it causes death, itwould become first-degree, with the potential for license suspension.

PENNSYLVANIA LIMITS RIDER LEARNER’S PERMITS

State Representative Seth Grove introduced HB 892 in this session of thePennsylvania State Legislature in an effort to curb the practice of “serial per-mitting” by novice riders in the state, and the bill was just signed by the Gov-ernor and becomes effective immediately.

The new law restricts the number of times someone can reapply for a mo-torcycle learners permit to three times in a 5 year period. Prior to this law,there was no restriction on the number of times an individual could reapplyfor a learners permit and thereby skirting the need to take the full motorcyclelicense written and riding test.

“We have been dealing with individuals who continually violate the re-strictions of motorcycle permits because they treat permits like actual li-censes,” Grove said.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 13

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ham for the ages!isle of wight county museum103 MAIN STREET, SMITHFIELD, VA 23430

(757) 356-1223 • WWW.HISTORICISLEOFWIGHT.COM

This last Thanksgivika – the last time Thanksgiving andChanukah will fall on the same day for some 70,000 years – I wasinvited to a home that was celebrating both.

Seeing my one and only chance to bring the famed DoctorO’Life’s bourbon & ginger snap ham to such a combined celebra-tion… I jumped at the chance.

This ham has become legendary and no one has ever walkedaway with less than awe and happiness from it.

It is the stuff of legends, I tell ya.This got me thinking about the mighty ham and how this porcine favorite,

along with its brother bacon, has become a staple in our society.Okay, maybe not the Jews…Or the Muslims.But, everybody else loves it.When you start talking seri-

ous hams in the United Statesthe name “Smithfield” mustcome up. They are coveted,searched for and delicious.

Why are Smithfield hamsdifferent?

Well, this goes back nearly100 years when a 1926 Statuteof Virginia (passed by the Vir-ginia General Assembly) firstregulated the usage of the term“Smithfield Ham” by stating:

Genuine Smithfield hams are

those cut from the carcasses of

peanut-fed hogs, raised in the

peanut-belt of the Common-

wealth of Virginia or the State of

North Carolina, and which are

cured, treated, smoked, and

processed in the town of Smith-

field, in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Yep, these hogs are raised on peanuts.Later on the “peanut only” part was

removed, but many pig farmers down inVirginia stick to this old tradition offeeding their hogs.

As you would think the folks down inIsle of Wight County are mighty proudof their famed hams and you will findjust a few oddities and fascinating arti-facts at the Isle of Wight County Mu-seum, located right on Main Street indowntown Smithfield.

First let us talk about P.D. GwaltneyJr. and his ‘Pet Ham.’

What O’Life…. Pet ham, you say?That’s right P.D. Gwaltney Jr. had a

pet ham.

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Page 14 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

Not only did Gwaltney have this hunk of pig as a porcine companion, itwas also the oldest cured ham in the world.

Originally created back in 1902 it is now 112 years old and still hangingin there, although it looks a bit on the worn side in its glass case at the mu-seum.

After curing, this particular ham missed its shipment and ended up lost;hanging in the rafters of a packinghouse for decades, only to be discovereda by P.D. Gwaltney Jr in the 1920’s.

P.D. - ever the promoter and salesman - knew he had something specialand immediately proceeded to advertise this ham as his personalpet and stated that “no matter how old it was, it was still goodenough to eat.”

He made a brass collar for it and took it on tours of fairs, showsand expos – promoting his hams.

He even had the ham insured for $1,000 against fire and theft.Increasing this amount to $5,000 in 1932 after it was featured inRipley’s “Believe It or Not.”

It was said that Gwaltney and the ham were constant compan-ions and they were together until Gwaltney’s death in 1936.

If you happen to be in thevicinity on July 12 this year,you can help celebrate theoldest ham’s 112th birthday.112 is an abundant number,a heptagonal number, a Har-shad number and the sum ofsix consecutive prime num-bers (11, 13, 17, 19, 23 and29.) More importantly, 112is a good excuse for cake.

But the world’s oldest andmost famed ham is not all tobe found here at the Isle ofWight County Museum.

In the same glass case you will also find the world’s largest ham.Back in 1955 a hog weighing nearly 1,000 pounds was butchered and a

single ham weighing 91 pounds was created.Looking into the case you get the idea of just how big 91 pounds of porcine

salted and cured goodness is. It is a monster and the perfect companion toGwaltney Jr’s. pet porker.

But, as they say on those Made for TV ads… “Wait, wait, there’s more…And, of course, there is.As we said the Smithfield Hams were raised almost completely on peanuts

and here at the Isle of Wight CountyMuseum you will also find the‘World’s Oldest Peanut!’

The sample of Arachis hypogaea isthe oldest known peanut on the planetand was picked back in 1890 and usedto advertise the local peanut industryfor years, by our hero’s father, P.D.Gwaltney Sr., before finding a homeat the museum.

But, let us not stop here!To make things even more delicious

the Isle of Wight County Museum hasanother odd artifact - this one from theCivil War - a bottle of relish that wassalvaged from the wreck of the USSMonitor that was discovered in 1973.

Hmmm, yummy.Yet another tasty artifact to be found

inside the old bank building thathouses the Isle of Wight County Mu-seum in Smithfield, VA, a museumwell worth exploring and anothergreat find in this Mysterious America.

O’Life out!

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 15

rutgers geology museumRUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY

85 SOMERSET STREET, NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY 08901848-932-7243 • GEOLOGYMUSEUM.RUTGERS.EDU

One of our favorite shows can be found on The TravelChannel. Called Mysteries at the Museum, host Don Wild-man visits museums, both big and small, around the nationand highlights some of the more peculiar, quirky and astound-ing artifacts hidden deep inside them.

Some of these museums are old and a bit strange them-selves and could be featured on their own.

Discovering places like these are always a rare and deli-cious treat for us, and sometimes these discoveries happen atthe oddest times.

Back in the last snowy December we were spending a longday in New Brunswick, New Jersey home to famed RobertWoods Johnson University Hospital and Rutgers University.

We had some time to kill and decided to spend these fewidle hours at the local Barnes & Noble – always an expensivechoice of time killer.

During this time Shira commented that she heard that Rutgers had a wellregarded geology museum. It turned out the museum was directly acrossSomerset Street and could be seen from our perch at the window by the Rut-gers Clock in the bookstore.

Finishing our lattes we relinquished our coveted window seats to two des-perate sophomores and meandered across Somerset to a series of grand olduniversity buildings.

High atop one of these buildings, etched in the stone, it simply said “Ge-ological Hall.”

Located in this historic hall on the Old QueensCampus of Rutgers University the Rutgers Geol-ogy Museum was founded in 1872 by State Ge-ologist George H. Cook to exhibit the manyspecimens collected by the New Jersey Geolog-ical Survey, which he directed. The building, as

we said, was originally known as the Geological Hall, was designed by HenryJaneway Hardenbergh, a Rutgers graduate and descendent of the university’sfirst president. Hardenbergh later earned fame as the architect of the DakotaApartments (Yes, where John Lennon was murdered) and the Plaza Hotel.Dr. Cook, who taught chemistry and natural philosophy at Rutgers College,also founded the Rutgers Scientific School. Cook hoped the museum’s in-structional exhibits would cultivate the scientific interests of Rutgers studentsand the public.

Walking into the old building a sign directed us upstairs to the second floor

Page 16 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

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museum. The building is a tad old and a bit worn, but the sight that greetedus when we entered the large high ceilinged room blew us away.

It is hard to miss the giant mastodon skeleton that dominates the room.This nearly complete specimen of Mammut ameri-canum, was found in 1869 in Salem County, New Jer-sey. We took a bit of time examining this original NewJersey native. On another stand was a dinosaur trackwayfrom Towaco, New Jersey, with a model of Grallator,complete with festive Santa hat - it was December. Thissmall carnivorous dinosaur was believed to be associ-ated with these tracks. We would hate to run into one ofthese on the backroads of Passaic County.

We found a saber-tooth cat’s skull as well as an an-cient walrus skull.

Goo goo g’joob… another Beatle link?There was also a display of a small Hadrosaurus, a

duck-billed dinosaur, and the very first dinosaur un-earthed – in Haddonfield, New Jersey in 1838 by JohnEstaugh Hopkins. Another Ceratop skull caught ourfancy as well.

That would look great at Backroads Central.One artifact that really stood out was a footprint of a

Cretaceous dinosaur, discovered in 1929 in Wood-bridge, New Jersey. This type of ancient print standsalone as the only one of its type found east of the Mis-sissippi River and the only surviving track from themany found in that area; a quietly shining star in themuseum.

A few million years into the future the museum has areal Ptolomaic era Egyptian mummy; this 2,400-yearold mummy was brought to Rutgers by a missionary ofthe Dutch Reformed Church.

Nearby was a very impressive collection of skullsfrom the very first hominids to Neanderthal himself.

There was also a good display of local First People,Native American, tools, clothing and wares to be seen.

Some of this seemed a bit out of place in a geologymuseum, but cool none-the-less and we appreciated allthe museum has to show and say about the history ofNew Jersey and the planet.

We ascended the tiny, shaky and questionable spiralstair to the second level, which held most of the geologyin the Rutgers Geology Museum.

Here we found rocks, gems and ore samples fromaround the planet as well as mineral exhibits featuringthe zeolite minerals of Paterson, NJ, and the zinc min-erals of Franklin, New Jersey – just minutes from ouroffice.

There was also a large display of minerals and rocksacross New Jersey from the western edge on the

Delaware River to theeast and the AtlanticOcean.

Slowly and nervouslycoming down the wob-bly and small stairs wewondered if this is howthe museum got newskulls for the aforemen-tioned display.

When we were doneexploring the old build-ing we felt like DonWildman, as there wasplenty to see and cer-tainly more than itsshare of mysteries in thismuseum.

The Rutgers GeologyMuseum is free to thepublic and opened daily

Tuesday through Saturdays. Log onto their site for more information and fordates on special events held throughout the year.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 17

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After this loooong winter, we’re all ready to plan our riding and, withAmericade quickly approaching, we thought this month we would serve uptwo fine eateries on two opposite ends of the Adirondacks; the I Go Inn onGreat Sacandaga Lake and the White Birch Café located in Tupper Lake.

Both restaurants are worth seeking out and, ofcourse, we will give you a superb ride from LakeGeorge to both of them.

the i go inn • sacanDaga lake241 SOUTH SHORE ROAD, EDINBURG, NY 12134

518- 883-8900 • IGOINN.COM

The I Go inn is a comfortable lakeside place thatwould feel right at home on the beach at Negril.

Think Adirondack Tiki.Their deck is large and tables well spaced with

a great view of Sacandaga from its perch and themusic selection is varied and jumping!

This place has been around for decades and wasoriginally brought into the family over a bet as theplace was won playing cards.

That is cool all by itself!

The menu has a number of Caribbean style drinks, but best to stay awayfrom these heavy hitters while you are piloting your machine. If you decideto grab one of their four cabins and the bike is parked then have at it, whilelistening to their live entertainment and enjoying the sunset.

For right now, let’s stick with the plentiful food menu,shall we?

Appetizers include a number of soups, spinach arti-choke dip, bucket o’clams, wild buffalo wings, andcalamari. The calypso coconut shrimp is scrumptious asis eggplant ubriaco.

The I Go offers some serious barbeque too withBucket of Bone – a pound of tender pork ribs. Three dif-ferent quesadillas - steak, chicken, buffalo-style. TheBaja fish tacos looked great, but so did the beef andchicken tacos as well.

There is also a good selection of chicken and pastas.With chicken, parm, Christine, Alfredo and Madeira –their most popular dish.

The I Go Inn has a few basket offerings with beer bat-tered fish and shrimp, a clam basket as well as chicken.They also offer a number of healthy and delicious wraps– reuben, buffalo, Caesar and turkey club, as well aseight different salad offering for you poor vegans.

On the carnivore side they offer the same number ofburgers. We had the Blue Chipolte bacon burger and thehouse special I Go Burger with mushrooms, bacon,Swiss cheddar and jalapenos! Spicy and delicious.

If it is close to dinner you will find a whole page ded-icated to steaks and seafood dishes.

Do plan on riding to the I Go Inn hungry… very hun-gry. You and your friends will not be disappointed.

the white birch café18 PARK ST , TUPPER LAKE, NY 12986

518-359-8044

Our second stop on this special Americade Great AllAmerican Diner Run is way to the north of Sacandagain the town of Tupper Lake, not far from the new WildCenter Museum.

Where the I Go is more a party, the White Birch Caféis more family-style dining.

They are also the local sea monger, so their fishshould be on the top of your list. But, we’ll get back tothis.

The White Birch Café’ is an Adirondack gem and itis tucked away on Park Street in the middle of town.

From the outside it looks to be a run of the mill road-side eatery, but inside its charm and warmth is immedi-ately apparent.

Page 18 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN tasty places to take your bike

This is a family run op-eration and the service wasquick, friendly and excel-lent.

Family owned placesseem to shine at this.

In addition to the flavorof the place the menushines too.

Appetizers of steamed clams,jumbo chicken wings and theAdirondack blooming onion rule. Ifyou are looking for a sandwich theWhite Birch serves up fresh turkey,roast beef and “Old Neighborhood”Corned Beef as well as their ownversion of a Philly, some classic cluband an “Untraditional” BLT that hasa sinful amount of bacon on it.

One of our crew ordered the Godfather, which has imported Soppresta,provolone, fire-roasted red peppers and a large slice of Bermuda onion andtomatoes. The Reuben looked good as did the Monte Cristo – White BirchCafé-style.

They also have a number of Back Country burgers as well as the DogHouse that comes with two grilled dogs with chopped onions, side of relishand café-cut French fries.

You will also find barbeque ribs, pork chops and maple chicken – a freshchicken breast marinated with their own maple syrup and seasonings, broiledand topped with more maple syrup.

Yummy!But, the fish was outstanding. They have salmon, haddock, scallops and

lobster but their Idaho rainbow Trout was superb. Two of our friends orderedthis and the presentation and flavors were getting rave reviews from twofolks who really know good food.

Whatever you order at the White Birch Café you will be sure to find it ex-cellent.

So here you get two for one this month and two excellent Rip & Rides tofill up your riding needs at Americade 2014!

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 19

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Many of us will make plans to head down souththis time of year. Virginia and West Virginia, NorthCarolina and Kentucky are all within a few day’s ride.

We certainly have done this trip many times andfor many of us, especially if you get a late start on thefirst day, you will be looking for a great overnight onthe way down to smaller latitudes.

For sure you can find any number of chain hotelsin and around I-81, but why stay there when you canstay at an outstanding and modern place where theydid not have to leave the light on for you?

We have a great place for you - The Shippen PlaceHotel in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

The town of Shippensburg is pretty old in southcentral Pennsylvania.

It is the oldest community of the Cumberland Val-ley, and the second oldest west of the SusquehannaRiver in Pennsylvania (after York to the southeast).

The village received its name from Edward Ship-pen, a prominent resident of Lancaster (and one timemayor of Philadelphia) who obtained the patent to the land from the heirs ofWilliam Penn. Edward Shippen’s granddaughter, Peggy Shippen, was his-torically notable, as a paramour of Major John André, and then wife of Gen-eral Benedict Arnold, who betrayed the Continental Army by defecting tothe British during the American Revolutionary War.

The Civil War brought its share of action to the region as well.

With this unpleasantness in the past, today Ship-pensburg is a lovely modern town with a number ofcool shops and restaurants to explore. We particu-larly like hunting through their Army & Navy store.You never know what you will find there.

The real gem here is the Shippen Place Hotel.We first found this hotel a number of years back

while backroads’ exploring through the region. Wewere impressed with its great combination of historyand charm.

We returned here a number of times and have brought dozens of Back-roads’ rally goers there as well, as we have used it as an overnight both toand from some of our Backroads’ events in Virginia and further south inNorth Carolina.

The hotel has some 50 well-appointed rooms and 6 suites, each with addi-tional sitting rooms if you need more.

Page 20 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

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

The Shippen Place has ample and safe parking and has easily handled fairlylarge groups of riders when we have overnighted there.

Putting on some seriously fun miles can build an appetite. But, once youarrive at the Shippen Place and have settled in there is no need to gear upagain for dinner or cocktails, simply head to the hotel’s restaurant. The Uni-versity Grille has a great bar and, in warmer months, a superb outdoor deckto dine and kick tires alfresco.

The menu includes great steaks, fabulous seafood and mouthwatering pas-tas. The tavern has a full service bar offering a wide range of beers and a var-ied wine list.

We have always found the food to be top notch and the service as well.The patio has been the scene of many a late evening and a few serious

water gun fights.If you are making time south from the New York, or New England regions

the Shippen Place has easy access from I-81 Exit 24 & 29, US Route 11, orthe PA Turnpike Exit 201, and is conveniently located between the majorbusiness districts of Chambersburg and Carlisle.

If you wish to make a great day’s ride of it from the northern New Jerseyarea we will give you a serious Rip & Ride that you can also download toyour updated Garmin GPS unit.

The roads leading from the Backroads Central area to this part of southcentral Pennsylvania are some of the most pleasant and sometimes challeng-

ing in the northeast – especially Route 125 around the Shamokin region. Ifthis piece of mountainous and twisty pavement doesn’t make you smile, thennothing further south will either.

There will be a crossing of the Susquehanna on the famed MillersburgFerry (if it’s running). For you lovers of O’Life’s Mysterious America stopin Centralia – the town that has had a coal fire burning under its feet fordecades!

So, whether you are heading further south or just looking to explore whatthis part of the Keystone State has to offer we are sure that the Shippen PlaceHotel will become a favorite of yours while touring through the area.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 21

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the aroma of old bay is distinctive and it surrounded me as the wait-ress put the old beer tray full of crabs, mussels and clams in front of me.

although some consider summer over after labor Day, we all knowthere is still a good month or so left before fallwould really move in.

taking advantage of the off-season lack ofcrowds and to feed my addiction for call-inectes sapidus - the maryland blue crab - weplanned a mid-week jaunt down to the chesa-peake bay and along her eastern shore.

our ride spun us down around philadelphia,trying to avoid the city traffic and any philliesfans we might encounter, with the idea of get-ting down below the mason-Dixon line inquick time.

by noon we were in Delaware and soon wereriding down maryland 213 heading south.

for those of you who have never traveleddown this way you have a treat in store. firstoff this part of the chesapeake is not all aboutthese water, as maryland has a serious agri-cultural community and route 213 runs itsway along all sorts of farms; corn, soy bean, spinach andother crops line the roads for miles.

heading southwest, towards the bay, we made our firststop, the tiny bayside town of rock hall.

we had been down this way a couple years back to cel-ebrate our anniversary and both shira and i became fansof the osprey point inn.

now a backroads’ favorite the osprey point is in aclass by itself, offering superior rooms, pool, docks anda wharf, a superb restaurant and bar and it is located onone of the more peaceful coves in the region.

we’d make that our overnight for this day, but beforewe rode over to the point we headed straight to water-man’s crab house, a regional favorite and yet another

crab house i had not yet experienced.lunch, which took nearly two hours plus, was tasty, filling and very

crabby with shira going for garlic crabs and my staying “old bay” tra-ditional with a pot full of all sorts of bayside deliciousness.

waterman’s was open and easy this day but during the heightof the summer folks come for many miles to enjoy the dock andthe food at this maryland staple.

we rode over to the os-prey point inn and checkedin, stealing a 20-minute catnap before heading backinto town and shira’s funpart of the day – an icecream run to an old drugstore – i mean over 100years old – that now servesup lunches and some greatice cream as well.

the entire place had adecades-old charm to it,right down to the old-stylephone booth in the back;and me without my super-

man suit.looking at the manually ac-

quired positioning system we founda refuge about 10 miles south alongthe bay so we scooted down thisway and found a real treasure -eastern neck wildlife refuge.

if you are looking for somethingbuilt up and developed, this is notfor you. if, on the other hand, youwant a look at what this are waslike and still is – eastern neck issplendid.

Page 22 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

Crab Runnin’Exploring Maryland’s Eastern Shore

The road brought us to the end ofland and along the way we crossedold wooden bridges and past trails,footpaths and docks.

We followed one side road downto the water and befriended a couplesitting on the end of the pier crab-bing. They were kind enough to pulltheir traps and give us a hands-onlesson in personal crabbing.

It’s easy - get a trap, a chickenneck and a rope. Toss in, wait 15minutes and pull up your crabs.

Excellent. I have been steamingcrabs for decades and have had more than a few angry crabs but they werenothing compared to the fits shown by some of these monsters. They maybe Beautiful Swimmers, but they can have an attitude.

We rode back to the old wooden bridge we passed over before, had a con-versation with an intrepid little fox that had no fear of us or the bikes, before

watching the sun setover the bay.

Unlike some sun-sets that stun you withtheir grandeur, thisday it was more se-date with our starlooking like anotherplanet, in anothergalaxy, as she settledinto the west.

The next day was September 11th and we had a solemnstart after a quick and lite breakfast at the inn. We wereheading south towards the port town of Chrisfield and ourrendezvous with the ship crossing the bay to the island of

Tangier. Along the way I got lost in my thoughts of that fateful day 12 yearsback and how things had developed since.

I put on the XM radio through my zumo and listened to Fox News as theyhad a live broadcast of family members reading through the names of those

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 23

lost that crystal clear morning. Even allthese years later it is still hard tofathom.

I was about to turn it off and listento the silence and the wind through myhelmet when one name sharpened myattention.

Gerard Baptiste.

This was theyoung firefighterwho worked at Lad-der 9 out of GreatJones Street, in Man-hattan. He was theowner of the HondaCB750K that wouldbecome the F.D.N.Y.Dream Bike.

The young girl reading the names had read this one name – Gerard Baptiste…

I have often heard that sometimes in this world, there are no coincidences.I turned off the XM and rode for a distance quiet in my own thoughts.

As is my way I had us routed along the backroads, doing my best to avoidRoute 50 and the sprawl that lines it.

Doing this allowed for a small cable ferry crossing over the WicomicoRiver at Whitehaven, another ferry yet to enter the books as one of the short-est we have ridden on. Why ride over a bridge, when you can ride across thewater on a ferry?

At the foot of this ferry you will find the historic Whitehaven Hotel.In 1995, the 19th century Whitehaven Hotel was saved from the wrecking

ball through the cooperative ef-forts of local residents, theMaryland Historic trust andthose many captivated by itscharming location in a river-front Eastern Shore village atthe Whitehaven ferry, minutesfrom the Chesapeake Bay. TheHotel, now one of the last of itskind, provided lodging for trav-elers crossing the Wicomico byhorse to Quantico, Salisburyand Princess Anne.

By noonish we were at thedock and the small ship, theThomas Steven, that wouldcarry us the hour and a quarterto the island called Tangier.

Our bikes would have to stayon the mainland this night so weprepped, them, locked them andbid them adieu as we boarded the ship.

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Tangier is a smallpiece of land, locatedabout 12 miles out inthe middle of theChesapeake Bay. Itsmain industry, for the500 or so Tangerianswho call the islandhome, is the crabbing

and shellfish business and that is very evidentwhen you sail into its port, as small shantiesline the piers.

We had booked a room at Hilda Crockett’sChesapeake House, an old B&B that has beentaking care of travelers and visitors for nearly75 years.

The Chesapeake House is very family-style,as is the entire island for that matter.

Tangier Island is a bay jewel that you come to whenyou really want nothing to do. This place excels in re-laxation.

Want to enjoy a glass of wine at sunset? Better bringa bottle or two with you, as the island is more or lessdry. There are no bars and the nightlife belongs to thecreatures and the moon.

On the other hand, if you want to enjoy a very laid-back island, then Tangier Island is your place.

The boat was met at the dock by two young ladiesmanning a golf cart and they spirited us over the shortdrive to the inn. There are few cars on the island andmost folks use golf carts or scooters to get around.

As we had come into the island we noticed a largesign that said “We believe in Jesus” inside a large Chris-tian fish and next to it the US and Israeli flags. Whileriding around the island we saw, again, both US and Is-raeli flags on the flagpoles alongside many a home. Itseems that a local church very strongly believes in theJewish nation and does its best to show it.

Talking with one man about this he was pleased andsurprised to learn Shira was a member of the tribe. Ithought we were going to be invited home for dinner.Another thing that will stand out on Tangiers is the localaccent.

It is believed to be Cornish in origin and has evolvedinto its own rhythm. If a Tangierian speaks rapidly, youmight have to really listen to understand what was justsaid. It’s a like bit of cockney British meets Australia,with a touch of New England, and a short side trip toMinnesota.

We moseyed back to the wharf and to the Waterfront Sandwich Shop andhad some delicious soft shell crab sandwiches before taking in the local mu-seum on the island and then renting our own cart for the rest of the day.

Talking with the women at the sandwich shop one gal fired off a statement,or was it a question? I couldn’t tell; her meaning, riddled with Tangier’s ac-cent, shot right over my head.

Tangier is not so large and it is impossible to get lost yet we did our bestriding down here and up there and finding the beach, some great dead ends,the airport and some commercial fishing docks with tanks full of crabs wait-

ing to molt. Hey, those delicious soft shell sand-

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 25

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wiches have to come from somewhere. OnTangier they come from down the roadapiece.

Circling the island we traversed tinylanes, barely wide enough for two golfcarts to pass, and looked at the localhomes that showed both new and some-times, old architecture.

Being so close to the sea the manygrave yards, and there are many, sit rightin folks’ backyards, and are above ground, much like the graveyards in NewOrleans and Key West.

All in all it was a successful jaunt around Tangier. By late afternoon we sat down to an unbelievable family-style

meal at the Chesapeake House, where we met a few other couplesfrom around the country and had some of the best crab cakes I havehad in years. They were truly special and have earned legendarystatus in and around “The Bay”, as was the corn pudding, pickledbeets and the platters of clam fritters they had on the table.

Dinner at Hilda Crockett’s is a must do while staying at Tangier.After dinner we had an hour to kill before sunset and another stroll was in

order, preferably towards the water and the west for sunset.

We looped the island and then accepted the offer of acouple for a ride on their cart to the beach for the sun-set.

At dusk we headed back to town and to Spanky’s, the‘50s-style ice cream parlor.

Did you think Shira would not find an ice cream shopon a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay?

Tangier also has its place in United States history asit was from here, during the War of 1812, that theBritish, who had taken the island, would raid the townsand hamlets of the Chesapeake.

This day was September 12 and it was on this date,in 1814, that the British set sail to attack Fort McHenryoutside the city of Baltimore. That day a local preacher,Joshua Thomas, prayed that they would fail. They didand one witness to the fierce battle that lasted throughthe night, wrote his thoughts down.

That man was Francis Scott Key and his poem. “De-fence of Fort McHenry” would become our nation’s Na-tional Anthem – The Star Spangled Banner.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” was recognized for of-ficial use by the Navy in 1889, and by PresidentWoodrow Wilson in 1916, and was made the nationalanthem by a congressional resolution on March 3, 1931,which was signed by President Herbert Hoover.

As Harvey would say… now you know the rest of thestory.

We were up at sunrise and had a filling family-stylebreakfast in the dining room at Hilda’s before makingour way to the wharf and our ride back to the mainland.

We had come over on a large ship, but took passageback on the daily mail boat. On board with cargo, fish-

Page 26 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

ermen, a few passengersand, of course, the mail wemade quick time acrossthe bay and were loadedand on the bikes in littlemore than an hour.

On the way down wedid a good job staying offthe main roads that run upand down the DelmarvaPeninsula, but heading upwe wanted to do an evenbetter job and we did.

The night before Shira and I had scoured the maps looking for tiny back-roads that would, more of less, parallel the bigger roads heading north.

We wanted to stay near the bay but move in the general direction of a fewtowns we wanted to visit.

Thanks to Garmin’s spectacular Base Camp Program (it helps to keep alaptop handy) we came up with a juicy ride that would head us in the direc-tion we needed to go yet would keep us well off most of the clogged andAmericanized large roadways.

Thus a good part of the morning had cycles of forest, farms and rivers,again and again. It is wonderful how this part of Maryland has such a balanceand coexistence of agriculture, people and wildlife and that all of this is in-tertwined with marshes, bays, rivers and wetlands.

We crossed small bridges over running creeks, fol-lowed s-like curves along odd little farms packed withspinach, soy and corn; sometime along roads so tightand tiny that the corn was nearly brushing our shouldersas we passed.

We once again crossed the Wicomico River by ferry,this time at Upper Ferry. We continued on towards oneof the oldest towns in the state - Oxford. Here we wouldpick up our third ocean voyage of the morning – me-thinks a record for us before lunch. Anytime we are onsomething that can sink, even in a foot of water, it is anocean voyage to me.

Oxford is host to the oldest privately operated ferryservice still in continuous use in the United States. Theoriginal ferry service, known today as the Oxford-Belle-vue Ferry, was established in 1683. The ferry links Ox-ford with Bellevue, Maryland, crossing the ¾-milewidth of the Tred Avon River. In Oxford, just above theferry landing, you will find the Robert Morris Inn, agood-size hotel that has everything a rider or riderswould need if Oxford is in your plans for an overnightstop.

We rode onto the ferry and in short time had disem-barked and were making time to a favorite haunt of ourson the Eastern Shore – St. Michaels. This town also hasplayed a large part in the War of 1812.

Early on the morning of August 10, 1813, a numberof British barges sailed up the Miles River intending toshell the town and its harbor fort. The citizens of St.Michaels, having been warned in advance of the

planned attack, had evac-uated most of the women,children, livestock andvaluable possessions to anarea outside of townknown as ‘Onion Hill’.Brigadier General PerryBenson, commanding of-ficer of the Talbot Countymilitia, ordered lanternsplaced in treetops just out-side of the town and allother lights in the townextinguished, thereby cre-ating the first militaryblackout on record. Whenthe British marines aimedtheir cannon fire to thelights, they overshot thetown. Only one dwellingwas hit, a brick house nearthe harbor now known as“The Cannonball House.”This successful defense

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 27

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caused St. Michaels to be thereafterknown as “The Town That Fooled TheBritish,” and the town proudly let’s allwho ride there know about this.

We love American history but we hadcome for another thing that St. Michaelsis know for – crabs!

You will find a few crab restaurants inthis town but this time around we madestraight for the Crab Claw, a wharf-sideeatery that has been steaming the classicOld Bay-Style Blue Crabs since 1965.

I kept a watchful eye on our batch asthey were hand-picked, coated with acombo of Old Bay and other spices andthen tossed into large, professional andserious looking steamers.

In a short time the waitress brought thehot and spicy Callinectes sapidus to ussimply dumping them on the paper-cov-ered table - just the way it should be.Some people go through life doing thingsbadly. Eating Blue Crabs is important tothose who do it well. When you are eat-ing Blue Crabs it is life. Anything beforeor after…… is just waiting.

There are many places to have crabsaround these parts but the Crab Claw issurely one of the best!

Our lunch lasted another two hours andwith that last shell tossed aside and a quick bathroom visit to clean up (crabsare a dirty job) we fired up the machines and continued on our sidetrackcourse north along the Maryland backroads.

By late afternoon we were crossing the tall bridge over the Chesapeake &Delaware Canal, built back in 1839, and heading out of the Eastern Shore.

We were soon crossing into Delaware and then Pennsylvania. The rest of

the day and a bit of the night was spent gettingsoaked (our luck had run out) and dodging deer.

Still we got home in time to grab a quick shower,the Durango and head out for a deserved dinner.

Hardly a year will go by when we don’t make apilgrimage to this part of Maryland and this time wereally got to explore the tiniest hamlets, historictowns and even an island lost in time.

Perhaps it is time for you to plan a journey to theEastern Shore and the Chesapeake Bay – it is a time-less place full of history and beauty and it is waitingfor you. ~ Brian Rathjen

Osprey Point Inn: 20786 Rock Hall Ave, Rock Hall, MD410-639-2762 • www.ospreypoint.com

Waterman’s Crab House: 21055 Sharp St, Rock Hall, MD 410-639-2261 • www.watermanscrabhouse.com

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge: 1730 EasternNeck Rd, Rock Hall, MD • 410-639-7056www.fws.gov/northeast/easternneck

Whitehaven Hotel: 2685 Whitehaven Rd, Quantico, MD410-873-2000 • www.whitehaven.tripod.com

Hilda Crockett’s Chesapeake House16243 Main St, Tangier Island, VA

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Robert Morris Inn: 314 North Morris St, Oxford, MD410-226-5111 • www.robertmorrisinn.com

The Crab Claw: 304 Burns St, St. Michaels, MD410-745-2900 • www.thecrabclaw.com

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Page 28 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 29

The Life of a Blue CrabBlue Crabs are found in abundance along the Eastern Seaboard but prefer waters whichrange from ocean saltiness to fresh, thus the Cheasapeake Bay provides ideal conditions.Life begins in the lower Bay where female or “sponge” crabs deposit their eggs betweenthe first of June and the end of August. The baby crabs, which at birth are about 1/25 ofan inch long appear very unlike the mature crabs and look more like a swimming ques-tion mark with seven pairs of legs and a long tail. This “Zoea” sheds its shell severaltimes when it begins to resemble the adult, and is then called a “megalops”.

Typically, crabs hatch from the egg in late June, pass thru the larvae stage by August, and start to move up the Bayduring early fall, or until the cold weather halts their migration. In the spring their journey is resumed and full maturityis reached when the crab is 12 to 14 months old.I order to increase its size the crab must molt or shed its outer skeleton. As it approaches a molt it first becomes a“peeler”, shedding its old shell to become a “soft” crab. It is them velvety in texture and 1/3 the size again as large asthe discarded shell.This goes on until they mature and begin the cycle again. Unless they meet up with crabbers, Old Bay and steam.

It was 1999; I was the GM at Triumph Mo-torcycles America, Ltd, having dinnerwith John Bloor, at the Redneck Café, onthe square in Newnan, GA. After talkinga bit about the state of the business, Johnasked me what other products weneeded in the US to expand. I toldhim we needed a large displace-ment cruiser, somewhere around1200 to 1800ccs, and that itneeded to be a vertical twin. TheBonneville America was sched-uled to arrive in 2002, but with a dis-placement of only 790ccs, it wouldn’thave much appeal to the core of thecruiser market, dominated by motorcycleswith 1000cc-plus engines.

John explained to me that at the time Triumph wasn’t capable of build-ing a vertical twin of that size, but said they could build a triple of what-ever displacement we wanted…but then that’s another story.

Ten years later, in 2010 Triumph released their first big vertical twin,

American-styled cruiser as a Thunderbird. It packed the right amount ofdisplacement, 1600ccs, and the right amount of power, 85-HP, and 108 ftlbs of torque, and it was a very good take on the American Cruiser, win-

ning Cycle World’s prestigious “Cruiser of the Year Award” in 2010.2011 saw Triumph up the ante with a 1700cc, sportier version of theT-bird christened the “Storm.”

In March of this year Triumphpulled out all the stops and releasedtwo new cruisers, the Thunderbird

Commander, and the LT. Bothbikes feature an all new steelframe, and are built around aslightly detuned version of the

1700cc mill that powers theStorm, 94 HP vs. 99 HP,with a commensurate re-duction of torque.

The new frame hasbeen stretched to ac-commodate a plusherseat, with no increase in

seat height, pull-backhandlebars, and more room

for both rider and passenger.The thicker, 5.5 inches, dual density foam seat, iswrapped in an elastic material that moves with the foam,eliminating bunching and hot spots. There’s also a smalllumbar support pad for the rider.

Engine styling is key for any cruiser, and Triumph’sflat-black engine, with machined fins, chrome cam, andcrankcase covers, fills the engine bay handsomely.Power is transmitted to the rear wheel via a six-speedtransmission, with a non-intrusive rocker shifter, andtoothed belt final drive.

The bikes share the same suspension, with Showa47mm, non-adjustable front forks, and in the rear a pairof 5-way preload adjustable, dual-rate, progressiveShowa shocks, with 4.3 inches of travel.

Both bikes sport as standard, Triumph’s ABS system.Pair of 310 mm, floating discs, stopped by twin four-piston Brembo calipers provide stopping power upfront. At the rear, the same job is held down by a single,fixed 310mm disc, and dual piston Brembo caliper.

The easy to read analog speedometer is mounted onthe tank, and includes, two digital trip meters, a fixedodometer, digital clock, and a miles to empty read-out,actuated by a button above the start switch on the righthand control module. Neutral, low-fuel warning, high-beam, ABS active, and on the LT, auxiliary light-on areindicated by green, blue or orange lights within thespeedo dial.

While both bikes are equipped with rider floorboards,after that feature the bikes begin to diverge, with theCommander being the “sporty” version. It’s equippedwith Triumph’s signature twin headlights, a bit less laid-back riding position, 17-inch, cast aluminum alloywheels, and twin “Drainpipe” mufflers.

The LT, “Light Touring” version, comes standardwith additional equipment to fulfill its mission; auxil-iary running lights, removable windshield, passengerback rest and floorboards, large leather saddlebags, re-inforced with plastic, 16-inch, chromed spoke wheelswith genuine radial whitewalls (designed especially forTriumph by Avon) and a 12-volt electrical outlet, lo-cated behind the right cylinder, valenced fenders, and“Tri-Oval” mufflers. In the saddlebag was a handy, an-gled extender to assist in inflating the tires.

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The RideBoth bikes are heavier than what I’m used to, with the Commander at 766 lbs,

and the LT at 836 lbs. But once off the side-stand a twist of the throttle makes bothbikes come alive and seemingly shed a couple hundred pounds. Power delivery isnearly instantaneous as the revs rapidly rise. By the time you’re in third gear, you’redoing 60-plus MPH and the engine doesn’t feel like it’s working much at all. It’sas if the three remaining gears are a redundancy, once on the freeway and in sixth,the bike cruises effortlessly at 70 – 80 MPH. There’s a little vibration through thehandlebars and floorboards at low speeds, but once the revs start building it quicklydisappears and all you can feel are the gentle power pulses of the engine. Using theheel shifter, going up through the gears was positive and easy, going back down, Ihad some difficulty making clean shifts, more my problem than the bike’s though.

Since their inception, Hinckley Triumphs have been cited for their outstandingbrakes and handling, and the new Thunderbirds are no exception. Triumph claimsa stopping distance of 70.1 yards from 80-MPH, and although I wasn’t able to verifythis, I thought the brakes were outstanding on both versions.

Our demonstration route took us through the hills and mountains and down intothe Eastern deserts of San Diego County, a combination of tight, twisty roads, long,high-speed sweepers, and undulating straights, an almost perfect collection of roadsto evaluate the Triumph’s handling. Though these are heavy, long, 66.5-in., motor-cycles, they handled surprisingly well, easily holding a set line through the curves,and when required, making drama free line changes. I found myself scraping thefloorboards more frequently with the Commander, and less so with the LT, which,due to its touring bent, has a longer or stiffer, and to my mind, plusher suspension.

The riding position on both bikes, though slightly different, was very comfortable,and an all day ride produced no discomfort, my only complaint, and it would applyto any cruiser with a bucket seat, is the lack of seat room to move around on.

If I were to buy an American-style cruiser, the LT would be it. It looked great inits Caspian Blue and Crystal White livery, hand pinstriping and heavily valenced fenders. My wife, who hasn’t ridden with me for several years because of backproblems, actually enjoyed the passenger seat and commented on the fact that unlike other cruisers we’ve ridden, her legs weren’t toasted during the ride.

Both the Commander and the LT should be in Triumph dealerships this Spring. The Commander is available in Lava Red/Crimson Sunset, and Phantom Blackand Storm Grey. The LT, in addition to the color combination mentioned, is also available in Lava Red and Crimson Sunset. MSRPs are $15,699 and $16,699respectively. For more information or to find a Triumph dealer near you, log onto www.TriumphMotorcycles.com

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 31

Triumph announces 24/7 customer serviceMost manufacturers’ customer service assistance is only open from8:00AM to 5:00PM, Monday to Friday, and closed when you probablymost need it, on the weekend. Well Triumph’s got an answer for thatwith their recently announced, 24/7/365 customer service line. Stuck in East Overshoe, Montana, or Donut Hole, Nevada? Your bikequit running, you need a new chain, you’d like some advice, and youneed to know the location of the nearest dealer? No problem if you’reriding a Triumph, simply dial (888) 284-6288 and someone will answerto help you resolve your problem.

STORM 3D X-M TIRES FROM AVON TYRESThe Storm 3D X-M tires from Avon Tyres have been specially engineered for today’s sport touring motorcy-cles by combining long life with the performance, ride comfort and superb handling of a sport touring tire. The Storm 3D X-M features interlocking three-dimensional points in the sipes to improve stability, warmup time, and grip while limiting tire flex. The tire design includes both single and multi-compound superrich silica (SRS) giving this tire longer life, and excellent performance and grip in both wet and dry condi-tions. “The Storm 3D X-M is the perfect choice for riders who want extended mileage, excellent grip, and greatwet weather capabilities,” stated Sukoshi Fahey, sales and marketing manager, Avon Tyres. “These are theperfect replacement tires for the most demanding sport touring customers.” The Storm 3D X-M is now available in six popular 17- to 19-inch sizes for the front, and nine popular 16-to 18-inch sizes for the rear. This tire is a great choice for sport touring bikes like Yamaha FJR1300, BMWR1200 RT, Honda VT700V and Blackbird, Suzuki Hayabusa, and Kawasaki Concours 14 as well as sport bikeslike Kawasaki ZX14R, YZF R1, and ZZR1400.To find a dealer near you, visit www.avonmoto.com/products/sport-touring/storm-3d-x-m.

THE DAKAR PANNIER SYSTEMSW-MOTECH/BAGS-CONNECTION INNOVATES YET AGAIN

German firm SW-MOTECH/Bags-Connection, known for its modular TRAX hard case systems, hasinnovated yet again with the introduction of the DAKAR Pannier System. The new roll-top, water-proof, saddlebags are complemented by bike-specific frames that secure the bags to the motorcycle.What is unique to this system is that the bags attach to the bike by simply sliding up onto the carrierframe, where a clip holds them in place. The rider can then fasten the large hook-and-loop strapsover the rear seat of the bike, holding the bags securely in place and bearing the lion’s share of theweight.Another unique feature of these soft bags is the semi-rigid core that runs from front to back. This stiff coreis absent of sidewalls, which allows the bag to retain its shape, yet compress upon impact. This is a point notoverlooked by the off-road rider who inevitably drops the bike from time to time. The Dakar Pannier System will be available through Twisted Throttle and its North American dealernetwork in late Spring and is expected to retail for $539.99. Please check the Twisted website for a listing ofmodel availability.Twisted Throttle • 570 Nooseneck Hill Rd, Exeter, RI • 855-255-5550 • www.twistedthrottle.com

Page 32 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

Mike was on tour in Vermont with his daughter Courtney tak-ing the pillion seat behind him.

They had been on the road for a number of days and were be-ginning to head south and home when they pulled into a dinerand fuel station to replenish their bodies and fuel.

About 45 minutes down the road Mike went to check hisjacket, as was his habit, for his wallet and camera.

Camera…check. Wallet…wallet…wallet?!Damn. A long detour brought them back to the diner where

the wallet was nowhere to be found.With no ID, no license, no credit cards and no cash they

had a long ride home. His daughter asked how they wouldget home without any cash as she checked her jeans forchange.

Big problem.

Meanwhile in an Alternative Universe…

Mike was on tour in Vermont with his daughter Court-ney taking the pillion seat behind him.

They had been on the road for a number of days andwere beginning to head south and home when theypulled into a diner and fuel station to replenish theirbodies and fuel.

About 45 minutes down the road Mike went to checkhis jacket, as was his habit, for his wallet and camera.

Camera…check wallet…wallet…wallet?!Damn. A long detour brought them back to the diner

where the wallet was nowhere to be found.With no ID, no license, no credit cards and no cash

they had a long ride home.No problem. An inconvenience for sure.

But, not the end of the world.

Why was ‘AlternativeUniverse’ Mike not upset?

His daughter asked how they wouldget home without any cash as she checked her

jeans for change. It was then that Mike gave her a wink and told her

not to worry. He slipped off his belt, opened the zip-pered sleeve and pulled out $200 in cash. His daughterwas correctly impressed with Dad.

Mike was wearing the Money Belt from Aerostich, abelt that all riders should be wearing. It looks like anynormal belt would and does an excellent job of keepingyour pants up.

But, as they say on TV - wait, wait, there’s more….The Money Belt has a secret.The zippered compartment on the back of Aerostich’s

Money Belt is long enough for three stacks of billsplaced end-to-end. This is a discreet way to carry hoardsof fifties or hundreds on long trips. A flat row of quartersor NSA coded messages will fit too.

The Money Belt is made from black nylon webbing1.25” wide, 46” long and has a very durable cam-actionblack nylon buckle. It also is stylish to wear with every-thing from riding gear, to jeans, to a nice pair of slacks.

One size fits all as the Money Belt can be shortenedby cutting and then fused with a soldering iron or small

flame. In addition to its hidden sleeveit is a great all around everyday belt.

The Money Belt cost just $16 (farless than you will stash in it) and isavailable from www.aerostich.com

3RD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH!MAY 20

JUNE 17

JULY 15

AUGUST 19SEPTEMBER 16

Alternative Universe THE MONEY BELTFROM AEROSTICH

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 33

*Money not included

AGV SPORT TELLURIDE TEXTILE JACKET • SUPERIOR PROTECTION AT A AFFORDABLE PRICE

Specifically designed for cooler climes the new AGV Sport Telluride Textile Jacket is a multi layer Dura Guard textile jacket that is 100% windproof and wa-terproof with high abrasion resistance offering superior protection, durability and comfort. The three things a high-performance jacket must offer today’s rider.

The Telluride Jacket is constructed with a permanent waterproof, yet breathable, Reissa membrane between the outer layer and liner.Rainy days are not a problem with the Telluride. It comes with a removable and washable thermal insulating quilted liner that zips

in over a permanent mesh lining and the Telluride Textile Jacket is built to last many riding seasons with multiple stitched mainseam construction for maximum tear resistance.

In case of a worst-case scenario the jacket comes with CE approved dual-density shoulder and elbow protectors and an8 mm thick memory foam back pad for added protection.If it gets on the warm side of the season simply zip open the air vents that are positioned on the shoulders and backallowing for ample cooling air circulating through the Telluride Jacket.When the humidity rises along with the temperatures moisture wicking material is used in the collar for maximumrider comfort keeping you both cool and dry.The jacket fits far better than most riding gear these days with pre-curved arms for a perfect look, fit and for max-imum riding comfort.When the sun parks for the day you do not have to follow as the jacket has reflective piping used on the shoulders,upper arms and rear of the jacket for safer night time riding. The AGV Sport Telluride Textile Jacket has plenty of places to hold your cell phone and gear as it has four fronthorizontal entry pockets, two front vertical entry pockets in the chest area, one left sleeve pocket and a largerear pocket that can hold the quilted liner once removed. There is also an interior zip open vertical waterproofwallet pocket.The jacket utilizes durable YKK zippers throughout and a Velcro secured wind flap over the two-way mainentry zippers and is equipped with a collar snap so the jacket may be used comfortably when open at the neck.Dual sleeve gather snaps are used on each arm for maximum comfort and extra long zipper pulls are usedthroughout.

You will also find a waist connection zipper for pant attachment along with an elastic waist gatherer positionedin the rear of the jacket. Add in the adjustable Velcro waist, collar and cuff straps and you have a great piece of riding gear

at a very affordable priceThe AGV Sport Telluride Textile Jacket is available in Black and Hi-Viz Yellow and comes in sizes S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL. With seven different offeringsthey have one that will fit you.The AGV Sport Telluride Textile Jacket goes for $174 USD retail from your local dealer.Log onto www.motonation.com for more information on the AGV Sport Telluride Textile Jacket and other products from Motonation.

Page 34 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

CROSS COUNTRY DUCATIFactory Authorized Sales and Service911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ 08840

732.635.0094 • www.ccducati.com

Shop our large selection

for the latest in Ducati

Performance parts,

apparel and accessories.

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

SLIM CHANCEYOU’LL FINDANOTHERBOBBER LIKE IT…

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

www.PolarisMetuchen.com

…ANYWHERE.

Victory and Victory Motorcycles® are registered trademarks of Polaris Industries, Inc. Always wear a helmet, eye protection, andprotective clothing and obey the speed limit. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol. ©2013 Polaris Industries Inc.

ADVENTURESS SKIN CARE - FORMULATED BY A RIDER, FOR RIDERSWe all know how much fun riding can be, but it can take a toll on your skin.For the female riders out there, there’s a solution - Adventuress Skin Care. You guys might want to pay at-tention as this makes an excellent gift for the “Adventuress” in your life.Adventuress Michele Carter got hooked on motorcycling at ten years old after the thrill of her first dirtbike ride. Michele saw the harsh effects the environment was having on her skin and decided to create askincare line for adventurers of all kinds. The Adventuress Skin Care Collection nourishes and protectsskin and is packaged in a convenient way so it is easy to fit in saddlebag or top case. Hit the open roadwith the Intro Offer Collection, a five-piece set that addresses all skin concerns. The Intro Offer Collection($85) includes:

Naturally Liberating Cleanser: This naturally derived cleanser isone of the gentlest ways to cleanse your skin of bacteria and dirtwithout stripping away moisture. Leaves skin feeling luscious andhydrated. Boswellian bark tears soothe the skin while Spanishcastile soap cleanses and calms skin. ($18)Vividly Restorative Skin Purifier: Unblock pores while hydratingand firming your skin by using the power of quince seed and othernaturally occurring fruit and plant extracts with this purifying,restorative serum. Packed with micronutrients to restore skin’syouthful radiance. ($35)Boldly Nourishing Moisturizer: An exclusive, targeted deliverysystem with essential emollients including French Rose Hip and Evening Primrose oils provides intense moisturizationand results in exceptional hydration for skin. ($32)High Performance Sunscreen: Safely guard your skin with this high performance, water-resistant sunscreen that combines

the benefits of naturally nourishing emollients that moisturize skin as it protects. This lightweight formula features powerful micro-particle technology, whichprovides broader spectrum coverage with less of a whitening effect. ($26)Fearlessly Refreshing Facial Wipes: These cleansing, biodegradable wipes act as an environmental shield to protect skin from irritation, rash and redness. ($22)In addition, Michele has also formulated a cult-favorite Sunscreen Swipe: These handy swipes were designed with “on-the-go” in mind as they are individuallywrapped. No more greasy hands or fingers, just the exact dosage of moisturizing sunscreen uniquely packaged in a sealed finger pocket to ensure you get aclean application and, more importantly, reapplication during any activity. ($24)All products in the Intro Offer Collection can be purchased separately and are available at www.goadventuress.com

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 35

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

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

Every Tuesday • Bike Night @ Texas Smoke Barbecue, 400 Route 15 South, Jefferson,NJ. Dine indoors or out with dinner specials. Meet and kick some tires while enjoyingsome terrific barbeque • www.TexasSmokeBBQ.com • 862-209-4078

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

3rd Tuesday • Two Wheels Tuesdays Harley Davidson Long Branch @ MJ’s Restaurant• 3205 Route 66, Neptune, NJ • 6-9:30pm • Start May 20 through Sept. 16

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

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, 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharley.com

MAY 2014May 23-26 • Backroads Spring Break • Marion, Virginia

4 • International Female Ride Day • www.motoress.com

4 • Ramapo MC Spring Run. Most unique Poker Run combining marksmanship,hand/eye coordination, intuition or just dumb luck. $15/entry • Sign in: 9am. RhodesTavern North, Route 17N, Sloatsburg, NY. Charity benefits Helen Hayes Hospital. Info -Dick Roberts • 201-767-3594

4 • Indian Motorcycle Days at Motorcyclepedia • 10am-3pm. From the oldest to thenewest, come see the most complete line of original Indian motorcycles anywhere in theworld. Motorcyclepedia’s complete time line of Indians from 1901 through 1953 on dis-play. Fast forward to 2014, see and test ride the latest in the new line of Indain motorcy-cles made available by Indian Motorcycles of Northern New Jersey. There will be raffles,food, music, information on motorcycle training and a presentation on vehicle and trafficlaws specific to motorcycles that you won’t want to miss. Motorcyclepedia, MotorcycleMuseum, 250 Lake St, Newburgh, NY • www.Motorcyclepediamuseum.org • 845-569-9065

10 • 12th Annual Raritan Headwaters Association Ride for the River. Fundraiser PokerRun through the Raritan River Watershed to benefit the Raritan Headwaters Assoc. Fam-ilies welcome. Prizes for top hands, refreshments for all. All makes of bikes welcome.Sign in/Endsite: 9-11am, Lebanon Memorial Park, 70 Bunnvale Rd, Califon, NJ. Picnic/PigRoast, live band. Prereg incl. t-shirt $25 • Day of ride $25 (tshirt $15/pin $5) Picnic only$10 (11am-3pm) • www.raritanheadwaters.org • 908-234-1852. Rain or shine.

8-11 • Buzzard Bottom 7. Enjoy awesome roads and camaraderie, presented by BuzzardBrent and Poverty Riders Int'l at High Country Motorcycle Camp, Ferguson, NC, just 20miles off the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is a comfortable gathering for riders, not a con-structed rally. Camping rates apply and meals will be available. www.highcountrymotor-cyclecamp.com

14 • FW Speer Yamaha hosts Vito’s Full Moon Cruise. Ride leaves at 7pm - Call for details• 7 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ • 973-778-6256 • www.SpeerYamaha.com

16-18 • Morton’s BMW 2014 Spring Fling Rally. A weekend of great roads, good food,interesting seminars, and terrific company, all at historic and scenic Natural Bridge, VA.$45 rally fee incl. vendors, seminars, route sheets/GPS data, scavenger hunt, door prizes,Sat. dinner and presentation. Optional Friday nite Brats & Brew dinner $20. Visit websitefor complete details • Morton’s BMW Motorcycles, 5099A Jefferson Davis Hwy,Fredericksburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.mortonsbmw.com

16-18 • 9th Annual Whitehorse Gear Open House. Expanded hours to accomodate every-one. 9am-5pm with 10% off any non-sale items. Saturday enjoy morning coffee on usand enter for free raffle prizes. Free lunch at noon. NO SALES TAX. 107 East ConwayRoad, Conway Center, NH. GPS: N 44° 00.33' • W 71° 05.03/ Elevation 553 ft.

17 • Tramontin Harley-Davidson Ride to benefit The Puppy Rescue Mission, helping mil-itary men and women bring their battle buddies home. Sign in: 10-11am • Kickstandsup 11am SHARP. $20-rider/$15-passenger/$15-non-rider participant. 2 hour scenic rideled by NWJ HOG Chapter, followed by food, music, vendors, prizes and more. TramontinH-D, Route 80 Exit 12, Hope, NJ • 908-459-4101 • www.PuppyRescueMission.com

17 • Bill’s 2nd Anniversary Party at Woodstock Harley-Davidson • 11am-3pm • Free pigRoast while it lasts • 949 SR 28, Kingsotn, NY • 845-338-2801 • www.woodstock-harley.com

17-18 • The New Sweden 450. The premise is simple: we provide you with 450 miles ofamazing roads, throw in a night of camping, provide a hearty dinner and a quick break-fast, then invite 199 of your fellow riders. All for under $50. Be part of the inaugural run.The ride starts and ends at the Pic-A-Lilli Inn. Make plans to attend this annual ridethrough NJ, NY and PA. SIgn in: 8-10AM • Pic-A-Lilli Inn, 866 Rte. 206, Shamong, NJ •Pre-Reg: $43 / Day of event: $48. email: ns450@newswedenbmwriders.com

17 • Maghogomock Hook and Ladder Benefit Ride. Rain date: May 31. Sign in RiversidePark, King St, Port Jervise, NY 8-10:30am. $20 rider/$15 passenger. Benefit ride throughthe beautiful scenic byways in Orange/Sullivan Counties. Chicken BBQ, live music anddoor prizes at end

18 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson Freedom Run & Festival. $25-Rider/$15-Passenger.Incl. ride entry and meal tickets. First 500 receive FREE event pin. Start point: OverpeckPark, Ridgefield Park, NJ • 8:30-9:30am - Ride leaves 10am SHARP. Live music, vendors,great eats. For full details please visit website www.bergenharleydavidson.com

24 • 12th Annual Twisted Throttle Open House. You've probably heard by now abouthow much fun previous Twisted Throttle Open House events have been. Entertainment,food, and see what's new for the upcoming season. REGISTER NOW. Stay tuned for de-tails about performers, vendors, demontrations, workshops, seminars and special deals.TwistedThrottle.com

25 • Dawn Patrol MC Memorial Day Classic. Sign-in: Bradley Gardens Firehouse, 24 OldYork Rd, Bridgewater, NJ 9am-Noon with coffee and donuts • Endsite: Dawn Patrol MCClubhouse, 106 Robert St, Bradley Gardens, NJ • $20 incl. homemade food and bever-ages, live music by The Kickback Band, door prizes, trophies. Lime dot and route sheetscenic route • 908-722-4664 • www.dawnpatrolmc.com

27 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Blacktop Bike Night. Live music, vendors, food/beverage• 12 W Milton, Rahway, NJ • 732-381-2400 • www.libertyharley.com

31 • Cycle Motion Open House • 9am-4pm • Raffles, Refreshments, Sales, Free NYSinspection • 1269 Dolsontown Rd, Middletown, NY • www.cyclemotioninc.com •845-343-2552

29-June 1 • 42nd BMW RA NATIONAL RALLY. Barber Motorsports Park/Museum, Birm-ingham, AL. Get ready for a close encounter with every little thing you love about oursport: grand scale riding, the finest motorcycle museum in the USA, good food and drink,grassy and comfortable camping and thousands of your moto brothers and sisters--newand old. As an added bonus, Keith Code’ California Superbike School will be on handwith his fleet of BMW S1000RR superbikes. Participate or watch as students fly aroundthe fabulous undulating track. Your rally fee includes 3 nights camping, admission to theVintage Museum, entertainment and much more. www.BMWRA.org

JUNE 2014May 30-June 8 • 12th Annual Warrensburg Bike Rally. Schroon River Rd, Warren CountyFairgrounds, Warrensburg, NY. Free parking and admission, vendors and demo rides.

1 • Morton’s BMW Off-road training - exact date and details TBD. Stay informed withour News & Notes e-newsletter or check our website. Morton’s BMW, 5099A JeffersonDavis Hwy, Frederickburg, VA • 540-891-9844 • www.MortonsBMW.com

1 • Humane Society of Port Jervis & Deerpark Ride & rock for Rescues. Pre register: Rid-ers $15 • Passengers $10 • Party only $10. Day of Event: riders $20 • Passengrs $15• Party only $15. 10am 202 Rte. 209, Port Jervis, NY. More info www.pjhumane.org

1 • Born to be Wild Nycak Hospital Motorcycle Run to benefit the Maternity Dept. Signin/Endsite @ Nyack Hospital Parking Lot, corner of 5th/N Midland Aves, Nyack, NY: 9-11am with breakfast refreshments • 60-mile ride through scenic Rockland County withroute sheet/GPS/escorted ride available • Picnic lunch 11:30-2pm with live music byAction entertainment, prizes, raffles 50/50. Prereg: $20/rider;$15 pass • after 5/23:$25/rider;$15/pass;AMA discounted. For question and for full details www.hudsonva-lleyharleyriders.com • 845-629-1013

2-7 • Americade • World’s Largest Touring Rally Returns. Lake George NY. For all thedetails and registration information visit www.americade.com

7 • Bikers for Brooke MC Run/Family Fun Day to benefit the Brooke Healey Foundation.Police escorted run • Sign-in: Our Lady of Peace Church, 111 South St, New Providence,NJ 10-11:30am • Bike Blessing 11:45 • Leaves: Noon • $25/pp; under 10: $10 • End-site: Mount Carmel Hall, 56 River Rd, Berkeley Heights, NJ 2-6pm • www.bikersfor-brooke.com

6-8 • AltRider Adventures Conserve the Ride Weekend. Ride the scenic, lush trails ofPennsylvania. GPS routes (created by the locals in Seven Mountains Conservation Corp.)for all skill levels on scenic off-road trails, 2 nights of camping at Woodward Caves inCentral PA, 5 meals including a special pig roast + adult beverages, off-road seminars,live EnduroCross race on a custom built track, prize giveaways from our sponsors. Findout all the details at www.altrider.com • info@altrider.com

13-14 • Rhinebeck Grand National Meet. 8am-5pm. Dutchess County Fairgrounds, 6550Spring Brook Ave, Rhinebeck NY

14 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson Father’s Day Bike Wash to benefit Disabled Amer-ican Veterans • Noon-3:30 • $5/bike • 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharley.com

14 • 4th Annual Carney Vetrano Benefit. Sign in: Shore Lanes Bowling Alley, Rte. 35,Neptune, NJ (Just south of Asbury Park circle) Poker Run sign in: 10am-Noon. BowlingNoon-5pm. Ride-in Bike Show Sign in 1pm. Poker Run $20-rider/$15 passenger • Car& Bike show $20/entry • Bowling $20 donation includes 1 adult + 1 child 2 games andshoes. All proceeds beneift the Ronald McDonald Childrens Cancer Camp. ContactSteven Vetrano: svetrano@thebarhamgroup.com

14-22 • 91st Anniversary of the original riding rally- Laconia Bike Week. Weirs Beach,Laconia, NH. www.LaconiaBikeWeek.com • 603-366-2000

16 • RIDE TO WORK • www.RideToWork.org

16-20 • Concours Owners Group 25th Anniversary ‘SilverDammit’ National Rally. RallyHeadquarters: Holiday Inn of Johnson City, TN. Tent and RV camping located nearby.registration available online @ concours.org/national/nationalrally2014

19-21 • Mid-Atlantic Women’s M/C Rally. Gettysburg, PA • www.MAWMR.org

22 • 6th Annual Baer’s Poker Run to benefit Multiple Sclerosis • Sign-in 9am-Noon:Baer’s Sports Center, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA or Harmony Lodge No. 8, 519Rte. 206, Andover Twnshp, NJ • $20/pp incl. pin or patch, raffles, 50/50, vendors, livemusic and ride • www.WRVR.net • 570-253-2000

Page 36 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR What’s Happening

28 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Red, White & Blues Party • 949 SR 28, Kingsotn, NY • 845-338-2801 • www.wood-stockharley.com

29 • I Bike for Animals 7th Annual Rally to benefit common sense for animals of Warren County NJ. Sign-in/Endsite: LandslideSaloon, Pattenburg, NJ. 50-mile scenid ride with huge food fest at endsite. Raffles, auction DJ and the school of rock •www.commonsenseforanimals.org • 908-859-3060

29 • 8th Annual Nassau County Fireriders Christmas in June Toy Run to benefit SCO Family Services. Sign-in with breakfast:Applebee’s, 938 S Broadway/Rte. 107, Hicksville, NY @ 9am-Noon • $10 plus unwrapped toy • Endsite with BBQ: TappenBeach, Sea Cliff, NY

JULY 20142-5 • Wing Ding - Madison, WI • www.GWRRA.org

12-13 • 38th Annual Ramapo 500™ • Sign in and 'day-of' registration 7-9am, Veterans' Memorial Association, 66 Lake FoadEast, Congers, NY. This two-day 500-mile tour, designed and orchestrated by the Ramapo Motorcycle Club, will take partici-pants on an original ride through the northeast along back-country roads and routes less-traveled, culminating at a uniquecamping venue (hotel accommodations will be available). Dinner and breakfast, pins, patches, and dozens of prizes andawards are part of the package. *Total participation strictly limited to 400 – Rain or Shine this event is always a sell-out.Further information and money-saving advanced registration forms (highly recommended) are available on-line atwww.ramapomc.org

19 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Rock N Rumble • 949 SR 28, Kingsotn, NY • 845-338-2801 • www.woodstockharley.com

18-20 • AMA Vintage Motorcycle Rally. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Lexington, OH • www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com

SEPTEMBER 20145-7 • Women’s Sportbike Rally VIII - Deals Gap, NC • www.WomensSportbikeRally.com

7 • Lost Wheels MC Poker Run to benefit Montrose VA Hospital, Castle Point Food for Vets, Vassar Hospital Children's Ward,Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. NEW SIGN IN: McDonald's, Route 9, Fishkill, NY (Dutchess Mall) 9-10:30am Registration •Run ends @ 3pm. $25/riders; $15/Passenger; $10 under 15. Endsite: Canopus Lake Beach, Fahestock St Park, 1498 Rte.301, Carmel, NY. Ride the route and join us for great food, live music, games, vendors, door prizes and %0/50. Cash prize forbest poker hand. Trophies for best rep club and bike show People's Choice and Best of Show • www.lostwheels.com • Pat:845-800-0041

10-13 • Westchester Beemers NY Trio Tour 2014. Sport-touring ‘scavenger hunt’ event. 3 consecutive daily rides begin andend at Hampton Inn, Elkins, WV base location. Daily rides average 8.5 hours covering 350 miles. Limited to 33 riders. $50incl. Sat. evening closing dinner, rider card and prizes for top three finishers. Discounted lodging arrangements in place atbase location (304-630-7500). For full details call or visit 914-328-7909 • www.triotour.org

Sept. 26-28 • Backroads Fall Fiesta • Shippensburg, PA16th Backroads Fall Fiesta. We’ll have our base camp at the historic Shippen Place Hotel in Shippensburg, PA. Surrounded bysome of the most scenic and twistalicious roads in Pennsylvania. We’ll have a group dinner Saturday night (pre-registrationIS required for dinner) at the University Grille, at the hotel - $34/pp. Rooms start at $87/night. Call today and get yours.Please ask for Backroads Group when booking. www.shippenplace.com • 717-532-4141

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 37

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Join us for our 16th Backroads Fall FiestaWe’ll have our base camp at the historicShippen Place Hotel in Shippensburg, PA

Surrounded by some of the most scenicand twistalicious roads in Pennsylvania

You can explore the beautifulMichaux State Forest, take a spin to

Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum orcheck out Centralia, the town on fire.

We’ll have a group dinner Saturday nightat the University Grille, at the hotel.Preregistration for dinner required.

Rooms start at $87.20/nightCall today and get yours. Please askfor Backroads Group when booking.

www.shippenplace.com • 717-532-4141

FALL FIESTA 2014September 25-28

A SHAMOKIN’ TIMEIN SOUTHCENTRAL PA

NON-SPORTBIKEON-TRACK TRAINING DAY • WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT?

In an effort to encourage moretypes of riders to experience theracetrack, and to learn moreabout their bike and ability,Tony’s Track Days is offeringthis special track day trainingday for Non-Sportbike riders.

Even though many non-sport-bike machines attend their regu-lar TTD events, TTD know thatthere are people who ride Cruis-ers, Baggers, Tourers, Adven-ture bikes, and Sport Tourerswho would feel more comfort-able riding on the track withother non-sportbike machines.

So here’s a day just for them.A day of motorcycle training geared toward Touring bikes, Adventure bikes

and Cruisers. This is not a “how to ride” course - it’s a “how to ride better”course. As long as you are currently riding your motorcycle on the road, TTDwill help you ride it better!

While parking lot courses have their place, riding your bike on a track willlet you practice riding skills at real-world speeds - without the normal dis-tractions found on public roads (like cars, sand, cops, etc)

Throughout the day, you will alternate between classroom sessions andon-track sessions.

The goal is to greatly improve your confidence as you enter and ridethrough a corner. Benefit from discussions and demonstrations of advancedriding technique that you can then try on the track. Chief Instructor and au-thor Ken Condon will conduct many of the classroom sessions.

WHEN:  August 19, 2014

WHERE: Thompson Motor Speedway Road Course, Thompson, CT

HOW MUCH:  The price for the day is $250.  This will include a buffetlunch and use of the garages!

NOTE:  You will initially be grouped by bike type, but may be movedup or down a group as riding ability dictates.

TECH INSPECTION:  For this day, bikes must be in excellent roadworthy condition with plenty of tire life remaining.  There can be noleaking of any fluids - be sure to check your fork tubes!  We will alsobe checking brake pads so be sure to have plenty of pad left.

RIDING GEAR:  Riders will be responsible for having full motorcyclegear.  At a minimum, this means a motorcycle jacket and pants (nochaps).  Gloves and boots should overlap the jacket and pants so noskin is exposed when you are in the riding position.  Helmets mustbe full faced.  High quality modular helmets will be allowed but mustremain in the locked position when on track.

for this and more information visit tonystrackdays.com

2014 VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE FESTIVAL ‘THE MEET’The Third Annual old motorcy-

cle show, known as The Meet, willbe held over the August 22-24,2014 weekend at America’s CarMuseum in Tacoma, WA. Due tothe national success of the 2013Meet, which attracted over 325unique and unusual vintage motor-cycles from the early 1900sthrough 1980, plans have beenmade to increase the Haub Family

Page 38 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

Rider EducationOf New Jersey Inc.

Motorcycle Safety Foundation & New Jersey State Approved

MVC Written and Road Test Waived (certain restrictions apply)

Basic RiderCourse • $295

Basic 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

PLACES TO GO AND THINGS TO DO AND SEE

Showfield to accommodate 475 motor-cycles. The August 2013 show broughtmore than 4,000 attendees from 22 statesand two Canadian Provinces to Tacoma.

There will be a General Admission feeof $20 per person, which will providefull access to LeMay-America’s CarMuseum and to the Vintage MotorcycleFestival. New for 2014, Chairman BurtRichmond confirmed that all fees havebeen eliminated for entering motorcy-cles in the Concours.

Thirteen motorcycle dealers will dis-play a good cross section of new motor-cycles. They will be joined by 17aftermarket vendors to provide first handproduct and service information for mo-torcycle enthusiasts. Both the Used Bike

Corral and the Swap Meet spaces have been expanded to handle the increaseddemand for parts and used motorcycles.

Entertainment will include multiple Seattle Cossack motorcycle precisionacrobatic demonstrations, alternated with the South Sound Trails Riderdemonstrations. There will be several seminars covering motorcycle touring,restoration, tech sessions and tuning tips sponsored by Motorcycle Classicsmagazine.

For more information see the website for schedules, registration, classesand event details at: www.vintagemotorcyclefestival.com, or email BurtRichmond – burt@burtrichmond.com.

MOTOQUEST PRESENTS : ALASKA WOMEN’S RIDE

SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH 2014 - MONDAY, JULY 7TH 2014This Summer MotoQuest is giving women around the world the opportu-

nity to experience Alaska from the perspective that only a motorcycle cangive on the Alaska Women’s Motorcycle Ride. This all-paved itinerary show-cases Alaska’s splendor and beauty, including Denali National Park, theAlaska Range, Mt. McKinley, Thompson Pass, Matanuska Glacier and

Valdez, and is guided by Sarah Schilke, one of the most accomplished womenin motorcycling.

Riders will begin theadventure in Anchorage,then strike north to thequaint town of Talkeetna,a bustling basecamp forthose as cend ing Mt.McKinley, and the inspi-ration for the sitcom“Northern Exposure”. Thegroup will then head northup the George ParksHighway past Denali Na-tional Park into the Fairbanks area to spend the evening soaking in ChenaHotsprings. From Chena, the Richardson Highway will take the group southto the original entrance to Denali Park at Tangle River Inn on the DenaliHighway. Tangle River Inn sits on a 20-mile chain of mirror still lakes thatreflect the Alaska Range and attract all kinds of wildlife. The next day, riderswill chase the Alaska Pipeline to its termination in Valdez on an unforget-table, world-class ride that features Thompson Pass, Worthington Glacier,Keystone Canyon and Bridal Veil Falls. The return trip to Anchorage followsthe Glenn Highway, officially one of North America’s most scenic byways,with Tazlina, Nelchina and Matanuska Glaciers all visible along this routeto the South. The adventure comes to a close in Anchorage, with a premiumfarewell dinner and tall tales from the road.

Participants in this year’s Alaska Women’s Motorcycle Ride will also re-ceive a complimentary Schuberth C3W helmet, the only modular helmet en-gineered specifically for women. This is a great opportunity for women fromaround the world to meet up with other like-minded women and experiencethe wonders of Alaska. Don’t miss this chance to make friends and memoriesthat last a lifetime!

Visit MotoQuest.com to learn more about the Alaska Women’s MotorcycleRide and other MotoQuest Adventures.New Tour Floats Motorcycles Intothe Heart of the Amazonian Rainforest

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 39

INTRODUCING TUESDAYS BIKE NITE @

only on Tuesdays

only aT Texas smoke

Indoor and ouTdoor dInIng

For all the biker andbarbecue enthusiasts out there,

enjoy our specials:

Full Rack of Ribs - $15.99

Full Rack of Ribs with two sides/cornbread - $17.99

Chicken & Rib Dinner withtwo sides/cornbread - $10.95

Texas smoke BarBecue

400 Route 15 South • Jefferson NJ862-209-4078 • www.TexasSmokeBBQ.com

STARTS IN MAY

HIGH ANDES, DEEP AMAZON TOUR GOES WHERE ROADS DON’TStarting on May 4th, motorcy-

cle tours in Ecuador will take ona new dimension: riders will nolonger be limited to the country’sastounding roads and trails.Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental &Tours is introducing their newestguided motorcycle adventure –the High Andes, Deep AmazonTour. This amazing experience isthe latest of several guided andself-guided motorcycle adven-tures offered by the Quito-basedtour operator and will take riderswhere no roads go: deep into theheart of the Amazonian rainforest.

The High Andes, Deep AmazonTour is a ten-day, all-inclusive,guided, dual-sport motorcycle ad-venture that departs from, and re-

turns to, the magnificentUNESCO World-Her-itage city of Quito. Themostly unpaved portionof the route brings ridersand their motorcycles toheights of over 15,000feet, through pristinerainforests teeming withwildlife, pass active vol-canoes, under roaringwaterfalls, and into iso-lated indigenous villagesthat few people everdream of visiting. Riders

will gain insight into how native Ecuadorians have lived for centuries in An-dean mountain communities where farming still relies on muscle power andin Amazon-basin communities where hunting is still done using poison-frogdarts and blowguns.

At the end of the dayriders will be soaking in avolcanic hot spring at highaltitude; partying in aColombian border townon another, and evenfalling asleep in the Ama-zon jungle while listeningto the flow of the NapoRiver. However, there’s noroughing it: this journeyfeatures private accommo-dations and specially se-lected dining. This is noordinary tour, but an adventure that will create memories to last a lifetime.

The riding is not highly technical but, in order to have a successful trip,riders are required to have a certain amount of stamina and the “expeditionmentality” that’s essential for working as a team.

Most of the tour is on unpaved roads, which are required to reach very spe-cial places, such as the El Angel National Park, home to the strange frailejónplant and high-altitude mineral lakes.

Interested adventure motorcyclists should contact Ecuador Freedom BikeRental for more information.

about ecuador freedom bike rentalLocated in the historic capital city of Quito, Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental

is the country’s first motorcycle tour operator. Working with local, profes-

sional guides they design and outfit tours for adventure enthusiasts who wish

to explore Ecuador on two wheels. They are open 7 days a week and provide

full-service rentals of mountain bikes, motor scooters, and motorcycles at

reasonable daily and weekly rates.

For more information: FreedomBikeRental.com

Page 40 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

1269 DOLSONTOWN RD • MIDDLETOWN NY 10940845-343-2552 • WWW.CYCLEMOTIONINC.COM

Raffles • Refreshments • FREE NYS Inspections

In-Stock Sale on Apparel and Merchandise

Saturday, May 31st

9am

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

www.CanAmMetuchen.com

thomas sweet ice cream + chocolate55 EASTON AVE, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

732-828-3855 • WWW.THOMASSWEET.COM

HOURS: SU-TH: NOON-11PM • FRI: NOON-12AM • CLOSED MONDAYS

Welcome back to another stop on Shira’s Ice Cream Run. I hope you’ve had asurvivable winter, passing the time with lots of ice cream. Perhaps some of you triedmaking snowcones from the mounds of white stuff that stayed around way too long– not the same, sorry.

This month we’ll travel to central Jersey and an establishment that’s been servingup homemade deliciousness since 1979. Thomas Sweet Ice Cream originated inPrinceton, making super-premium, all-natural ice cream in-store and on a rotationalbasis, so flavors are always new and different. You’ll find no artificial flavoring orcolors tainting their scoops, which mightmake their ‘white’ mint chocolate chip abit strange to see. They were one of thefirst to offer Brian’s favorite flavor,Oreos and Cream, back in the ‘80s andtheir Blend-In, their signature item, hasbeen a Princeton tradition since their be-ginning.

I made my acquaintance with ThomasSweet at their New Brunswick shop thispast winter. We were making severaltrips to this area and I couldn’t keep

passing this establishment by any longer. Trouble was, the parking is horrendous here, made worse by piles of snow.On one of the last visits we made, fates were with me and there was a spot right in front of the shop. Without hesitation,I grabbed it and we made our way into this den of chocolaty goodness.

Their menu board was laden with flavors, both traditional and creative, as well as tons of toppings. Not wanting tobe a glutton, I opted for a small dish of coconut and peach. The young man scooping the flavors tried to tempt mewith their wonderful Blend-in, but I would have none of that; well, not at first. He offered up a tasting of their SweetCream and Peanut Butter Cup which, quite possible, could be the richest of anything they dish out. So good, in fact,that a pint of it found its way home with me, along with a couple other pints – it was going to be a long winter and Ihad to have enough supplies.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 41

As we all know, ice cream isnot just for kids – but kids of all ages – and Thomas Sweet offers some so-phisticated flavors suitable for the adult palate such as French Kiss (darkchocolate raspberry mouse with bittersweet chocolate chips), Eastern Chai,Grand Marnier and Coffee Amaretto. Their creativity runs the gamut fromNutella to Tiramisu and so many more. They have been developing recipesfor over 35 years and have quite the secret recipe book from which to choose.With their ever-changing flavor menu, you’re sure to find at least one, or six,

that will satisfy your sweettooth. And, if you call ahead,they will be more than happy to flash-freeze your to-go pints to travel better.

In addition to their fantastic ice cream, Thomas Sweet has been craftingthe finest quality, traditional-technique chocolate for the same 30+ years.Also made fresh daily, on-premise and in small batches. Hand-rolled trufflesof enormous variety, hand-dipped fruits, chocolate covered Oreos and choco-late covered espresso beans can find their way into a tank or saddle bag for

your enjoyment at home.

Thomas Sweet has several locations: two in Prince-ton, one in Skillman, NJ and the one in New Brunswick.If you find your way south a ways, they can also befound in historic Georgetown, the favored ice creamshop of prominent Washingtonians for generations.

Here’s a little 75-mile one-way Rip & Ride from theDelaware Water Gap State Park in PA to the NewBrunswick shop at 55 Easton Ave. While in NewBrunswick, take the time to explore the Rutgers Cam-pus, filled with historic old buildings. In one, the Geo-logical Hall, you’ll find an unexpected pleasure,especially if you are a fan of the dinosaur.

Page 42 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Ask about our Tour Cycle Program – the Ultimate in Coverage

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MEMBERMEMBER

Making your riding plans for the season?Don’t forget to reserve your room for the

Backroads Fall Fiesta at theShippen Place Hotel, Shippensburg, PA.See the ad on page 37 for details.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 43

CIRCLECYCLE

570 Broad AvenueRidgefield NJ

web: www.circlecycle.net

201-945-2200

For over 35 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.

GPS DOWNLOAD: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/RT94TY

TAKE RTE 611/RIVER RD SOUTH ALONG DELAWARE RIVER

LEFT ONTO RIVERTON RD

LEFT ONTO WATER ST

CROSS BELVIDERE FREE BRIDGE TO NJ

RIGHT ONTO GREENWICH ST/CR 620

STRAIGHT ONTO CR 519

LEFT ONTO RIDGE RD

LEFT ONTO FIDDLERS ELBOW RD

RIGHT/LEFT ONTO CR 647

RIGHT ONTO MONTANA RD

LEFT ONTO MILLBROOK RD

CROSS ROUTE 57

STRAIGHT ONTO ASBURY BROADWAY RD

RIGHT ONTO IRON BRIDGE RD

LEFT ONTO MINE RD

RIGHT ONTO CR 635

LEFT ONTO VAN SYCKELS RD

RIGHT ONTO ROUTE 31

LEFT ONTO CREGAR RD

RIGHT ONTO CR 513

STRAIGHT ONTO MILL ST – WASHINGTON AVE

RIGHT ONTO E. MAIN ST

RIGHT ONTO PETTICOAT LANE

LEFT ONTO ROUTE 22 EAST

RIGHT ONTO ROUND VALLEY ACCESS RD/CR 629

LEFT ONTO CRAIG RD

RIGHT ONTO OLD YORK RD

LEFT ONTO CR 629

STRAIGHT ONTO CR 567

LEFT ONTO CR 514

RIGHT ONTO CR 533

LEFT ONTO BLACKWELLS MILLS RD

LEFT ONTO CR 615

RIGHT ONTO CR 514

RIGHT ONTO CR 527/EASTON AVE

THOMAS SWEET ICE CREAM ON LEFT

Rip & Ride® • THOMAS SWEET ICE CREAM55 EASTON AVE, NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ • 732-828-3855 • WWW.THOMASSWEET.COM

TWISTED THROTTLE’S NEW 2014 CATALOG

You know spring has arrived when the new Twisted Throttle catalog hits the streets. Sometimes size does matter and this year’s is a monstrous 272 pages of moto-awesomeness.We have known Erik and company since the early days and, over the years, Twisted has grown into one of theplanet’s great resources for rider’s gear and serious motorcycle accessories.This catalog covers riding gear, luggage, camping, electronics tools, rentals and more and it is available now.Get yours free at twistedthrottle.com.

SCHUBERTH HELMET LOKS

T-Hooks for helmets have been around for a long time, as haveHelmet Loks, the carabiner-style combination locks. SchuberthHelmets have put the two together in one convenient package.The two-piece package includes a large four-tumbler, carabiner-style combination lock with a black rubberized coating, to pre-vent scratching and includes a T-bar that slips through the helmet’sMicro Lock Ratchet closure.The T-bar is made from nickel-plated steel and has a load capacity of 220lb. The combination is changeable, so you can set your own code (read the directions carefully first – trust us)This lock makes leaving your helmet, an expensive investment, just sitting on your bike just a tad bit more se-cure and stops coming back to your motorcycle only to find your helmet has tumbled to the ground while youwere away.Don’t we all hate that unmistakable “thunck” sound?!This setup also works for standard D-Rings and other modular helmets.The Schuberth Helmet Loks sell for around $40 and can be found at Schuberth dealers.

ARKANSAS MOTORCYCLING GUIDE 2014For many of us who call the northeast home riding in the wonderful and motorcycle-friendly state of Arkansas might seem like a hike; and one that many mightoverlook when planning an extended tour this season.We have been fortunate to have ridden, a number of times, in and around and through Arkansas and its magnificent Ozarks; but this season we plan an extendedjourney to this rider’s paradise.Sure, you can get all Beach Boyee’ on the web but, like most web sites or social media, we can’t get comfortable with it in the bed or the bathroom.No. Sometimes we just prefer the real deal – a guidebook created with motorcycling specifically in mind.

Page 44 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

Find Us On HVMOTORCYCLES.COMOSSINING, NY • 914-762-2772

Just 8 miles north of the Tappan Zee Bridge

P R O D U C T S P O T L I G H T S

Created by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism this palm-size book is 80 plus pages full of maps, ridingtours, attractions and suggestions aimed at two-wheel travelers.The Ozarks and the roads that abound there are well worth the ride west and it is obvious that, unlike some regionalguide books that look like something made for your grandparents with pictures of “Hollywood-Style” bikes pasted inwhere the minivans once were, that the Arkansas Motorcycling Guide 2014 was thoughtfully created, featuring manydifferent riders, machines and riding styles.It is good to see more than just the usual cruiser, tee shirt and half helmet portrayed in this guide.The book has twenty-one different and interesting routes and highlights historic sites, interesting destinations and afew odder places that have Dr. Seymour O’Life already packing his saddlebags.Each route has detailed maps, mileage, creative photography and special sections on highlighting “Things To See.”Rider friendly hotels and inns, both big-chain and small family-owned, can be found in this guide and the entire statecomes across as very rider-friendly indeed. To get your own classically ‘printed’ copy of the Arkansas MotorcyclingGuide 2014 you will be best served on the web at Arkansas.com.

OGIO RENEGADE RSS 17 LAPTOP BACKPACK

If you are in the market for a substantially tough backpack to carry your laptop or iPadthen take a look at the new Ogio Renegade RSS17 Laptop Backpack.

To be honest we have picked up a boodle of backpacks over the years, but for serious travel and protection this bag ishard to beat whether it is on the bike, air travel or day-to-day use.Although Ogio calls it a ‘17’ it will only handle laptops up to 15” in size, but it protects them in a big way with a spe-cially armored compartment that is snug, secure and well padded. Other integrated foam panels keep your electronicsand other valuables protected.The first front pocket has an organizer panel set-up for carrying pens and a padded mouse/digital camera pocket,

while the second pocket has a sleeve for your iPad or tablet device. The third expandable pocket is big enough tocarry publications, work papers or the like.Atop that you will find a crush proof Tech Vault pocket with soft tricot liner, perfect for phones or sunglasses.There is also a separate pocket on top for digital media.

Four zippered side utility pockets are marked for chargers, iPod, camera and phone. This new Ogio backpackfeatures increased shoulder strap foam padding that creates a ‘Sweet Spot’ comfort zone and a quick accessexpandable phone pocket and has an adjustable sternum strap to keep everything in place. It is all held to-

gether with a hybrid unibody backpanel.With a capacity of 1800 cubic inches you should easily be able to haul your mini-office around in style, protection

and comfort.The Ogio Renegade RSS 17 Laptop Backpack lists for $150 and you can see it in action at ogio.com/backpacks/renegade-rss-17

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 45

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 experience

to perform all your Yamaha authorized service

www.EuropeanCycleServices.com

Pre-FlightHere we are in May and I am sure, or at least hoping, that everybody is

out on the road and, if not, that they will be soon.We hope you made it a point to more than just make sure your bike started

before you set out on that first ride of the year.If not take a bit of time soon to go over your machines stem to stern.Most experienced riders, and those that were born with a throttle in their

hands, know enough to pre-flight their rides before taking them out of thegarage after a long winter’s nap.

Truth is, it is good to go inspect your motorcycles like pilots do to theiraircraft. Be tenacious and thorough with your machine’s inspection and doingit often is always a bonus.

Keeping your bike on a charger through the winter is always a good thingas long winters like the last one past can sap the power from the best andnewest type of batteries.

Trust us, this spring there were thousands of riders who happily geared upand rolled their machines out into the warming spring sun only to hear thatelation crushing sound…tick…tick…sphitttt and then nothing.

Bummer.If you kept your battery’s maintenance up during the off-season you could

avoid this let down.If your bike has been sitting for any length of time check your tires for

wear, cracks, debris, cuts and especially the correct air pressure.Loss of air pressure can happen quickly or over months - and for no ap-

parent rhyme or reason. Case in point was that last summer my GS was sud-denly handling especially badly. I had just finished CLASS riding school inVirginia and at CLASS I had dropped air pressure and then re-inflated thetires for the ride home.

The next time out I had oscillation from the front end of the bike.The tires had taken a beating and, after two days of track time, I thought

they might have become toast.

Truth is the valve for the front tire had gotten a smidge loose and my tirepressure was way off. I was having the tires swapped out when the technicianbrought it to my attention that my pressure was dangerously low in the frontand that was my real issue.

How could that be…I had just checked them a few days before?You need to be tenacious on checking for correct air pressure, not only in

the beginning of the season, but throughout the year.Most MSF coaches will tell you that when they inspect motorcycles before

instruction more than half are severely underinflated.Don’t be that rider.While you are down on the ground alongside your ride look for anything

amiss. Is that small puddle of oil or coolant fresh? If so, where did it comefrom? Do you see any loose or worse, missing bolts, clips or fasteners?

If so, now is the time to tighten and/or replace these – before they developinto a more serious issue.

Page 46 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

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.

VITO’S FULL MOON CRUISE - WED., MAY 14 • 7pmA YAMAHA CONSUMER EVENT - CALL FOR DETAILS

THE MALLTERNATIVE

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

Take a look at your brake pads and then roll and stop the bike with thefront and then the back brakes, stopping the machine.

Are your headlight, tail and brake lights operating the way they should?What about your turn signals?

When was the last time you checked or changed your oil?If it is almost time to do so, why not start the season with some fresh oil

and filter? Could never hurt.If your motorcycle is chain-driven check to make sure it is adjusted and

lubed correctly. If your machine is shaft driven when was the last time thoselubricating fluids were changed? If it is past time, well now is as good asany.

From past experience I make it a point of opening my air box to see ifMickey and the gang have moved in during the winter.

In the past I have found mice condos, little corpses and a machine whoseair intake was completely blocked by acorns. One tap with a small hammerand a dozen nuts came rolling out onto the garage floor.

It was no wonder it was so hard starting that spring.The point here is to give your machine a hearty once over before you take

off for that first ride and continue to examine your machine closely through-out the season. A few minutes, at least once a week, might save you hours ordays somewhere down the road.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 47

In recent new-model releases, Honda has covered an extensive span acrossall categories with more than 20 exciting new powersports products. This re-markably wide variety has impacted virtually all segments of the market,from lightweight, fun bikes such as the Grom™ and 500 series, to big-dis-placement trendsetters such as the Valkyrie®, F6B andCTX1300, from the innovative Pioneer™ side-by-sides togreat new ATVs. What more can Honda possibly do for2015? Plenty.

“Honda has a deeply rooted drive towardinnovation,” said Powersports PressManager Bill Savino. “That’s somethingHonda has repeatedly demonstratedthroughout its history in its role as marketleader. For 2015, we’re pressing forward withmore innovative new products, as well as up-dates to some of our most popular models.”

2015 NM4If you’ve ever wanted to transport yourself into the

future, this is your machine. By design, the NM4 shakes up the status quoand explodes conventional barriers in order to attract a whole new segment

of forward-thinking riders to motorcycling. Beneath its futuristic bodyworkthere’s a 670cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine with four valves per cylin-der, automatic dual-clutch transmission and ABS. Storage pockets in the fair-

ing plus saddlebags add real-world utility, and the rear turnsignals are neatly integrated into the rear bags. The rider set-

tles easily onto a comfy seat that’s perched a low, 25.6inches off the ground, and there’s also a cool and

practical rider backrest feature—the passenger seatflips up and can be set at three different angles

and slides fore and aft to one of four positions.Full LED lighting lets the NM4 stand outwhether it’s coming or going, the fat, 200mm

rear tire imparts a cool look, and the meterdisplay can be illuminated in any of 25 dif-ferent color choices—nearly one forevery day of the month. All this and moreadd up to one of the coolest new bikes inthe Honda line. Color: Black Metallic;

Price: $10,999; Availability: Junepowersports.honda.com/nm4.aspx

INNOVATION MARKS THE 2015 HONDA LINEUP WITH THE NM4

Page 48 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

GPS DOWNLOAD: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/PFPV53

CROSS BRIDGE INTO PA AT PORTLAND

TAKE RTE. 611/ 512 SOUTH

RIGHT AT RTE. 512RIGHT AT BELL AVE

LEFT AT CONSTITUTION AVE

RIGHT AT BROADWAY

BEAR LEFT OLD RTE. 115LEFT AT MOUNTAIN RD.INTO SMITH GAP ROADS

RIGHT AT COVERED BRIDGE RD.LEFT AT HAHNS DAIRY RD.LEFT AT FOREST INN RD

RIGHT AT FIRE LINE RD.LEFT AT EAST WHITE ST.RIGHT AT BANK ST.LEFT AT RTE. 895

RIGHT AT RTE. 309LEFT AT RTE. 54 – HOMETOWN

BR AT PA 4029 TO CENTRALIA (COAL FIRE TOWN)STRAIGHT AT RTE. 61LEFT AT RTE. 125RIGHT AT RTE. 25IN MILLERSBURG HEAD TO RIVER AND FERRY

CROSS RIVER AND THEN CROSS RTE. 11PICK UP RTE. 34LEFT ON 4TH ST.FOLLOW SIGNS FOR RTE. 34STRAIGHT AT RTE. 274LEFT TO ROUTE 74 WAGGONERS GAP

PICK/UP RTE. 11TAKE TO SHIPPENSBURG

BECOMES KINGS STREET

FOLLOW TO SHIPPEN PLACE HOTEL

Rip & Ride® • THE SHIPPEN PLACE HOTEL32 E KING ST , SHIPPENSBURG, PA 17257 • 717-532-4141 • WWW.SHIPPENPLACE.COM

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 49

FROM LAKE GEORGE • RTE. 9N NORTH

LEFT AT RTE. 8

RIGHT AT RTE. 28

RIGHT AT RTE. 28 N

STRAIGHT AT RTE. 30 NORTH IN LONG LAKE

NORTH TO TUPPER LAKE

(SOME OF THE BEST ADIRONDACK SCENERY)

RIGHT AT PARK STREET

WHITE BIRCH DOWN ON RIGHT

FROM LAKE GEORGE NORTH ON RTE. 9N

LEFT AT DIAMOND POINT RD.

RIGHT AT EAST SHROON RIVER RD.

LEFT AT CR 11

RIGHT AT CR 10

LEFT AT RTE. 9

LEFT AT CR 8 – FRIENDS LAKE ROAD

RIGHT AT RTE. 28

LEFT AT GLEN ATHOL RD CR 13

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a history of helmetry

A few days ago, while perusing my collection of accumulated, cast-offmotorcycle helmets stacked in the hall closet, something profound occurredto me: I was supposed to be looking for my car keys. Regardless, I began toponder the origins of these necessities of noggin-dom, and before long I wasbusily exploring volumes of vast historical references aided by the wondersof modern technology and a passable domestic wine.

And that’s when something even more profound occurred to me: thoughthe problem of protecting the head while atop mammal or machine has beenon the mind of Man, so to speak, for millennia, thereappears to be no concise, comprehensive literature re-garding the development of mobile helmetry. In fact,there does not appear to be any such word.

I have since rectified this glaring omission in thefield of motorcycle helmet history. Readers are encour-aged to make copies of this informative material andkeep it someplace handy; like, say, in the hall closet.

early man – We must first tip our collective hatsto the original Cro-Magnon man who, in a moment ofpre-historic inspiration, placed an empty coconut shellupon his shaggy brow in an effort to protect his stillevolving brain from the slightly more evolved but stillpre-historic woman (“You’ve been off with your bud-

dies riding that STUPID MAS-TADON AGAIN, HAVEN’TYOU? And take off that SILLYHAT!”). The idea caught on,and soon became a necessarysafety feature of all early civi-lizations as they fought the el-ements, each other, and theoverhead indiscretions of gi-gantic, pre-historic birds.Adorning their crude headwearwith petroglyphs and colored

pigments, these forebears of the first helmet had little idea that itwould someday evolve into the modern, indispensable CPD (Cra-nial Protection Device) that is so effective at turning hair intoGPS (Greased Pine Straw) today.

the egyptians – The first written reference of a helmetused in conjunction with a moving vehicle involves an ancientmode of transportation called a “chariot”. This two-wheeled con-trivance is a direct ancestor of the motorcycle and was most likelyinvented by the Egyptians, since they also invented beer, andrarely is one seen without the other. Unlike a horse, a chariot al-lowed room for a passenger, thus enabling a team of charioteersthe ability to continue drinking beer from their helmets while

charging headlong into battle. This is widely believed to be the beginning of“rallies” as well.

the romans – Realizing the more brain-damaged a person was, themore likely he would go into politics, Roman Senator Cranius Maximussought to reduce his competition by introducing the first mandatory helmetlaw. This new law required each chariot driver to use a sturdy helmet madeof bronze and leather to help prevent traumatic brain injury and consequently

a new Emperor. Charioteers heartily supported this newlaw since it made no mention of actually having to

“wear” the helmet. This oversight eventually led tothe “Fall of Rome”, followed by the “Winter ofRome”, and finally by the infamous “SpringBreak in Rome” as thousands of invading Barbar-ian hordes ran amok on the beaches. Such am-biguous wording in the law was possible because

it was written in Latin – an incoherent languagewhich no one, not even the Romans, understood.

This style of vague, obtuse terminology proved sosuccessful for politicians it eventually became

the model for our legal system today.

meDiaeval knights – A knightin shining armor astride his powerful steed is the imageall bikers conjure up as they patrol the countryside seek-ing maidens in distress and maybe some really goodbarbecue. However, a suit of mediaeval armor was notcomplete without a large, heavy, suffocatingly hot,forty-six gauge steel “kettle” helm, which was basicallyan inverted deep-fryer without the ventilation. Manyhistorians agree that the wearing of such concealingheadgear gave rise to the tradition of “saluting”; aswhenever two anonymous knights would pass, theywould each raise their visor with their right hand inorder to show their face, gasp for air, and ask directionsto the next Poker Run stop. Many semi-asphyxiatedknights would venture off on “crusades” to far off landswhere they would introduce the local “infidels” to amore diverse “lifestyle”. This tradition is still practicedeach year in places like Sturgis and Daytona.

napoleonic wars – For some reason, probablythe Democrats, by the time of the Napoleonic Wars in19th century Europe the snazzy helmets of the chario-teers and iron brain-buckets of the knights were re-placed by gaudy colored uniforms and tall, silly-looking

Page 50 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD Tim Wineland

hats. Though this idea was popular among petite, wig-wearing generals farbehind the lines, the galloping cavalry constantly had to chase their wind-blown bonnets around the battlefield, often getting them confused with thoseof the enemy, or sometimes a flowering shrub. The ability to scoop them upfrom the ground while staying mounted was a skill mastered only throughlong hours in the saddle and many more in the infirmary. It is for this reasonthat whenever two motorcycling “road warriors” pass one another today theydisplay the traditional “low wave”: not as a greeting, but rather as a mocktribute to grounded headwear retrieval.

the first worlD war – The great “War to End all Wars”, didn’t;but it did see the emergence of the motorcycle as an essential combat vehicleand the resurgence of a practical helmet. This was mainly due to camels.

After the war, a British officer named “Lawrence” spent a LOTof time in “Arabia” where he evidently spent WAY too muchtime with these bizarre beasts. After his return to England,

Lawrence one

day mounted his 1000cc Brough motorcycle (pronounced “Bruff”, which isthe sound a camel makes in the morning, before its coffee) and was fatallyinjured when – now here’s the scary part – a “hump” in the road blocked hisview of two bicyclists and he careened into the ditch. Though he died dayslater from head trauma, his death would not be in vain. His attending physi-cian, incensed over such a needless and avoidable death, spent the next sev-eral years convincing law makers that bicyclists should be shot on sight.Failing this, he went on to champion motorcycle helmet research. Frankly,I think we need to review that first idea.

the seconD worlD war– Seeing that the First World Wardidn’t “take”, the world decided asecond one was in order, and sooneveryone was again invadingFrance. Nimble and inexpensive,motorcycles were issued as stan-dard equipment to army headquar-ters, field hospitals, and prisoncamps housing Steve McQueen. Helmets by this time were standard issueas well, though they were the same as those worn by the infantry, with theimportant addition of goggles. These simple, lightweight accessories wouldsomeday evolve into the snap-on plastic face shield, which would lead to thebolt-on windscreen, and eventually into a multi-million dollar industry ofimpervious adhesives based on bug-gut residue.

helmets of toDay – Today’s helmets are an amazing blend of aero-dynamic design, lightweight polycarbonate materials, and an eerie gravita-tional attraction to cement. It’s as if the flawless, iridescent finish somehowattracts invisible helmet “death rays” radiating from the hard, cruel asphaltbelow. Moments after removal, they grab hold of a shiny new noggin bonnetlike a Star Trek tractor beam and suck it to the ground with a sickening, bee-tle-beneath-a-boot crunch. Which is why, on average, the money spent bymotorcycle riders for new helmets each year is roughly equal to the GrossDomestic Product of Canada, assuming they have one.

helmets of tomorrow – What will motorcyclehelmets of Tomorrow look like? In a word: black. All

helmets will be black, since this is the most heat-ab-sorbing color, and all helmets will be engineeredwith thousands of imbedded, miniaturized solar col-lection cells. This is because all of the Earth’s oilwill be gone, which means no gasoline, which is

why all motorcycles will be fueled by the seven-hun-dred gigawatts of power generated from a black,

pumpkin-sized, solar collecting helmet. What this will do to a motorcyclerider’s brain is anyone’s guess, but many experts agree – it couldn’t hurt.

BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 51

Stumpy’s YAMAHAYour Toy Store at the Shore

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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 the Motoryclce Safety Foundation encourageyou to ride safely and respect the environment. For further information regarding the MSF course, please call1-800-446-9227. ©2014 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com

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Page 52 MAY 2014 • BACKROADS

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BACKROADS • MAY 2014 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

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Page 54 MAY 2014 • 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

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ONLINE ISSUES

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BACKROADS • MAY 2014 Page 55

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

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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

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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.Professional rider depicted on a closed course. ©2013 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. All rights reserved. • YamahaMotorsports.com

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

JUST 35 MINUTES FROM NYC BRIDGES AND TUNNELS

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for Up-To-The-Minute News

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honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE

INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, AND NEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THEOWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, call theMotorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. CTX™ is a registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (07/13)

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