JULY 2014

Volume 20 No. 7

CELEBRATINGOUR NATION’SHISTORYSpring Flings and Breaksin the Old Dominion

Monthly Columns andUpcoming Events

http://www.olympiamotosports.com

http://www.nolan-usa.com

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

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

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

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

BACKLASH........................................................................8

INDUSTRY INFOBITES.................................................10

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA .............................................12

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

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

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

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RUN..........................................32

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE .....................................35

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR.............................38

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE.................................54

FEATURESOVERLAND CONFIDENCE COURSE .......................24

SUMMER RIDING POOL ENTRIES...........................26

THE INDIAN NATION ..................................................30

MORTON’S SPRING FLING 2014.............................40

BACKROADS SPRING BREAK 2014........................45

PRODUCT REVIEWSMETZELER TOURANCE NEXT..................................23

OLYMPIA HORIZON RAIN GEAR..............................37

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS .............................................52

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

Publishers Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil

Contributors Mark Byers, Bill Heald,Pamela Collins, Richard Ford, Kate Hartnett, Peter Miller, Greg SchuetteDr. 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.

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

20

16

Happy Birthday America

Some history lessons and

visiting solemn places

http://www.progressive.com

Ear Worm

I had to make a choice.The turn, atop the mountain, ran around asheer cliff with a couple thousand foot drop on the other side. Riding off thecliff to certain death might look good in the movies, but was I able to actuallydo it?Did I have a choice?I had to choose. It was the voices. The voices in my head.Not the ‘Son of Sam’ type voices. No…. far worse.The mind works in strange and mysterious ways.Things happen all the time in the brain – especially mine- that would perplex Freud, worry my mother and haveCatholic priests reaching for the Bible and holy water.But, this was worse.For no earthly reason my brain had become infected witha worm.An Ear Worm.This day it came out of nowhere - as these worms normally do.

“Hey girl whatcha doin down there

Dancing alone every night while I live right above you

I can hear your music playin, I can feel your body swayin

one floor below me you don’t even know me….”

No. Go away. Get out of my brain.It wouldn’t. I tried counting to 10.I went to the standard “It’s a small world.”Nope. The other tune stuck.

“Oh my darlin knock three times on the ceiling if you want me

twice on the pipe if the answer is no…”

I rode towards the apex of the turn. Yes, death would be better than this.I chickened out, but the adrenalin shooting through my body changed thesong – from bad to worse.Holy crap!

“A boy like that who’d kill your brother,

Forget that boy and find another,

One of your own kind, stick to your own kind…”

What to do? Surely another kill zone would come up soon. This time I wouldreally do it.

“Oh no, Anita, no, Anita, no!

It isn’t true, not for me…”

Ahhh, damn my Mom for making me watch thismovie again and again and again and again…A deer ran across my path and Burt Reynolds in theControl Center of my brain hit the Ear Worm pausebutton.Thanks to the road gods it was over.But, it wouldn’t last.

No, something arcane and terrible was lurking amongst the alpha waves ofmy brain and it was bubbling quickly to the surface.

“Goodbye my friend, it’s hard to die,

when all the birds are singing in the sky,

Now that the spring is in the air.

Pretty girls are everywhere.

When you see them I’ll be there.

We had joy, we had fun….”

Oh, frack me. No, it might not be hard to die this day. Jeesh!For those of you who do not know what I am talking about an Ear Worm,also known as SSS - Stuck Song Syndrome – is a song that sticks in yourmind, and will not leave no matter how much you try. The best way to getrid of an earworm is to replace it with another. If this happens to you, youmust be prepared to become a human jukebox.

(Continued on Page 9)

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

BRIAN RATHJEN

Page 4 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

racing thE clock

Summer Solstice has come and gone. Whilethe heat will be with us for another couple ofmonths, the daylight will begin to dwindle just atad earlier each turn of the earth. Up with the sunand riding into dusk, there are miles to go, adven-tures to be had and new roads to be found.

Planning our sojourns has become much easier with the advent of digital mapsand GPS systems. While my favorite author is still Rand McNally, and I can spendhours perusing the tiny byways of the region set to explore, it’s awfully nice to have‘Karen’ in my ear when I’m trying to find these little turnoffs. Looking at the bigpicture with the Michelen map unfolded on the floor and a glass of wine in handwill give me a great idea of the distance we’re planning on covering, but plottingout the course, uploading to the Zumo and seeing approximately how long thosemiles will take you to cover is a satisfying task.

This past Spring Break, Paul Donoghue was kind enough to spend some timeeducating our group on the workings of Garmin, Basecamp and navigation. WhileBrian and I have been using this system for a number of years now, we picked upsome great information on how to fine tune our routing to make it a bit more accu-rate to our riding styles. Now, with preferences set, I can make my route, input an-ticipated stops for lunch, gas and etc., set my average speed and – POOF – the littlebox tells me when I should set the oven to go on so the dinner will be ready whenI step in the door.

I don’t know aboutyou, but when I get my-self ready to go some-where, not just for aramble to nowhere, butfrom point A to point B,and I tell the Garmin‘GO’, I look at the arrivaltime and distance totravel and tell myself, ‘Ican do better.’ Sure, I’mstill going to enjoy myride, savor the scenery,

smell the roses, stop when I feel the urge or see a photo op. But, when safety androads warrant, I’m going to make up the difference and race the clock.

Point of fact: On our two-day ride home from Marion, VA our little cadre did aterrific ride that Brian put together the first day, staying on some great smaller roadsbut still making time and getting to Winchester, VA, our estimated goal. Come daytwo, we all wanted to beat it home so we hit the big roads. When I started up myelectronic map and hit ‘GO HOME’ it gave me my mileage and arrival time. Iwinked at it and softly said, ‘Ya think?’

I didn’t need this machine to tell me how to get home from Winchester – bigroads are easy and mindless. What I do like to do on such rides is play the game.Traffic was light this day, as most folks were already back to work. The trucks weremoving right along, and we had little construction, at least until we got into Penn-sylvania. Let’s just say that we were moving with the flow of traffic, if not settingthe pace just a tad faster.

Brian asked me if I ever played this game; look at the GPS and notice the mileageto go. Ride for a while and, before glancing back at the Garmin, guess how faryou’ve gone. This was a new one and kept me occupied for a number of miles.

At some point I saw that the estimated arrival time would be 12:45pm. Lookingat the miles to go, I knew that I could do better. With every click of the odometer,I caught up just a little. As we got closer and closer, the time got shorter and shorter.‘I can lose 15 minute,’ I told myself. ‘In the door by 12:30 and I’m a winner.’

Then I heard the voice in my ear. ‘Hey, want to stop at the Blairstown diner forlunch before we get home?’ AGHHHH, he’s throwing off my timing. Okay, newgame. If we get to the Blairstown diner by 12:30 I’m a winner.

As we exited Route 80 onto Route 94, I glanced at the box – we can do this.Okay, Mr. Subaru, get your orange ass out of my way, I got a game to win. As theclock was about to turn to the half hour, we pulled into the parking lot of the diner.I quickly put my sidestand down, silently gave a victory cry, and headed inside fora celebratory cheeseburger.

W H ATC H AT H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 5

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looking BEhind

With all the things we think about when we select anew motorcycle (and let’s face it: there are a veritable supertanker of thingsto consider), one that frequently gets overlooked by some shoppers is thepassenger area. Obviously there are a lot of riders that this rearward patch ofbike estate really doesn’t need to be a big concern, because they rarely ridetwo-up. But for others, especially those that like to take theirgirlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/paramour/significant other/insignificanttagalong/best bud/business partner or hitchhiker on epic journeys, there needsto be thought given to the quality of the accommodations just aft of the pilot.This wouldn’t be as big a deal if it weren’t for the fact that the quality of thepillion perch can vary widely from machine to machine, and the passengeris basically helpless back there while you pretend you’re Valentino Rossi fly-ing down the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. They need to be as secure and com-fortable as possible and the question is, can you reconcile the machine youwant with the need to accommodate your riding partner?

There are two basic scenarios when it comes to this topic and the all-im-portant task of buying a proper mount that will work when you plan to ridea lot with a co-pilot. The first scenario involves purchasing a bike that, from

the moment it was first conceived, was designed to regularly haul two humanbeings. These include (obviously) the big touring rigs such as Gold Wings,Ventures, TourGlides, LTs, etc. None of these machines are cheap, but theyreally are designed for your passenger to be both comfortable and secure,and even entertained depending on the trim level and audio packages. Thefirst time my spousal unit ever rode on a Gold Wing after years of things likeMagnas and sport bikes, she couldn’t believe how great it was to actually beconsidered when they built the motorcycle. Other rides, particularly of thehigh-performance lightweight race-rep variety, aren’t really engineered withthe same criterion in mind. On most sport bikes, if you have a passenger thatis willing to spend several hours on the road with you, often for days at atime, they must either a) really like you, and/or b) really, really want to getout of town as quickly as possible.

This brings us to our second scenario, which is taking a bike that is not re-ally designed for long trips with a passenger and adding the right accessoriesto make it into a serviceable tour bike. In my opinion, no matter how well-designed the accessories might be, a modified ride can never approach thecomfort, and more importantly, the balance and performance levels of a full-on touring motorcycle that was engineered and tested with two occupants.This may seem obvious, but the differences may be considerably more sig-nificant than you might initially think. Cruisers are very interesting creaturesin that they sort of split the difference (to varying degrees) between being asolo ride and a two-up workhorse. Dead giveaways are the inclusion of astandard backrest for your passenger (easily the most important item in terms

of feeling secure as a helpless passenger on a motor-cycle) and footpegs that are low enough that the legsof the co-rider aren’t folded like an accordion. What-ever bike grabs your fancy, it’s important to take a testride without your passenger to get a feel for the mo-torcycle, and then do a second ride with your compan-ion so you can see how the bike feels when loaded andto see if the handling remains sound and comfortable.This is also the time for the passenger to chime in onwhat they think of the prospective machine, and notethings like security, comfort, and whether or not theview is tolerable. Some rear seating configurationsoffer little more than a glimpse of the operator’s back,which may be fetching but will certainly get old as themiles tick by. If the dealer in question balks at you forrequesting two test rides of decent length, find anotherdealer. Being comfortable on a motorcycle, especiallywhen there’s two souls involved, is not something tobe taken lightly. This includes both safety considera-tions and the quality of your riding life. Therefore takeyour time, and don’t let anybody push you or restrictyour personal evaluation process.

These days our choices encompass a bewilderinguniverse of both factory and aftermarket accessories,from elaborate sound systems that rival some newautos to heated seats and upgraded saddles that can in-crease long-haul comfort considerably over the stockpews. But I think there’s a really fundamental questionyou have to answer before you start to kit out your mo-torcycle, and this is how much time you’ll be ridingfor two. If your passenger isn’t secure and comfortable,what’s the point of traveling together? The good newsfor everybody, especially you apex carvers out there,is that the modern big rig tourers and sport-tourers areremarkably adept at dispatching challenging stretchesof pavement, all while being safe, stable and comfort-able for two. That said, you could certainly start withmore mono-oriented hardware and expand its capabil-ities, just remember it still has to work as a motorcycleyou can put anywhere you need to when forced tochange direction quickly while fully loaded. Nothingruins a trip quicker than a ruined motorcycle and abruised co-rider.

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

BILL HEALD

Page 6 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

The heat of summer is upon us.

Remember to hydrate while riding.

thE grEatEst

It didn’t make the news. One morning this year, a great motorcyclist passedaway in his sleep at home. He was just two months from his 90th birthday. Idoubt you knew him: his motorcycling career wasn’t distinguished. He didn’tride coast-to-coast or perform miracles of motorcycle handling on the Isleof Man. The gentleman of whom I speak never rode a motorcycle in excessof 30 miles an hour.

He was born in a room of a house on Route 45 in Shepherd-stown, WV without the aid of a doctor. His own father diedwhen he was scarcely a year old. His eldest brother, twelveyears his senior, became the man of the family and his mothermoved he and his brothers to a succession of uncle’s homes. Itwas 1925: mothers of three didn’t get work…or welfare (norwould she have taken it).

When he was five, the stock market collapsed, sending thecountry into depression. In later years, he’d take a 22-caliberrifle with him on his walk to the bus stop, hunting along theway. He’d hide it in a haystack or other place when the buscame, to be collected so he could hunt on the way home. Heate a fair number of squirrels. At one point, he worked on hisuncle’s farm for twenty-five cents…a week.

He graduated from high school in ‘42 and was swept up bythe need for Naval Officers, so off to Duke University and Notre Dame hewent for training. A succession of ships took him to the Pacific, where helanded on a battleship, the USS North Carolina. He was in Tokyo Bay forthe signing of the surrender. Later, his country called again, so he boardedthe USS Wisconsin to shell North Korean railroad yards and support the in-vasion at Inchon. He still wasn’t a motorcyclist.

He finished a degree using the GI Bill and came back to his beloved WestVirginia, where he worked for one of Roosevelt’s agencies known primarily

by its initials. He made loans to farmers and young couples who neededhomes. He visited every one of those homes too, putting many miles on hiscar: imagine that in the context of today’s impersonal, internet banking busi-nesses.

He still loved hunting, and in the 1970’s, that made him a motorcyclist.The purchase of an orange 1974 Honda Trail 90 was the catalyst. Completewith a luggage rack to which the ubiquitous milk crate was bungeed, the littleHonda had a transmission with a low range that made it a perfect mountaingoat. Handlebar-mounted rifle holders completed the ensemble and for years,that little machine hauled deer out of the woods, dragging them if they didn’tfit on the rack.

His age, and the advent of Honda quads, took the little motoout of the woods, but not out of the picture. Instead, it went tohis RV, where it made trips from the RV to the camp store andback, piloted by a retired guy who got his rocks off showingpeople where to park on busy weekends. He literally put about10,000 dirt-road miles on the clock…a mile at a time.

The little Honda still sported the gun rack and the milk crate,along with a rubber mud flap on the front fender fashionedfrom a piece of coal mine conveyor belt. It ran with or withouta battery and never had the benefit of an electric starter. Wellinto his 80’s, the old fella would kick her to life with a singlestroke from a leg with an arthritic knee. She acquired very fewbattle scars, and surprisingly, so did he. The only time he everhad a helmet on his head was in the war – his preferred head-gear was a washable, roll-up fisherman’s hat, the uglier thebetter. It was a concession to a lifetime in the sun and a der-

matologist with a bad attitude and a squirt bottle full of liquid nitrogen.On March 13th of this year, at about 7:20 in the morning, attended by a

beloved caregiver and sons, the old motorcyclist drew his last, labored breath.He wasn’t much of a motorcyclist by some people’s standards: he didn’t per-form miracles on road or track, but he was a great one in my estimation. Hewas a member of the greatest generation. While my dad is no longer with us,the little Honda is and, after nearly 40 years of waiting, my brother finallygot his motorcycle back.

O N T H E M A R K

MARK BYERS

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 7

Byers on Noise…

Hello BackroadsThis letter is in response to Mark Byers article “The Throttle and the Dam-

age Done.” First off let me say I’m with you brother. I can’t stand the loudpipes either. I’ve had kids cover their ears when I’ve ridden by. It upsets metoo. It’s just another log on that anti-motorcycle fire.

I ride a Harley Ultra with stock mufflers (can you believe that?). The Ultracomes with a nice stereo, and I’d much rather hear my tunes than a loud ex-haust system. I’m into touring, hence, my subscription to Backroads. I can’timagine riding 8 to 10 hours a day, 7 to 10 days in a row listening to all thatracket. I liken the loud exhaust thing to riding in the back of a pick-up truckwith a bullhorn. As we drive through a quite neighborhood I would yellthrough the bullhorn, “Hey, you walking your dog F@#K YOU. Hey, youweeding your garden F@#K YOU. Hey, you playing catch with your kidF@#K YOU”. “It’s all about ME ME ME ME!”

It’s selfish and anti-social behavior. As you all know, somehow in ‘pop-culture’ it’s cool to be bad. I’ve never liked that crap except maybe when Iwas a punk kid. That leads me to my next point. It would be one thing if itwas just young punks doing this stuff, but there are people my age doing this.It’s pathetic at my age concerning myself with being cool or tough. If I wantto be cool I’ll just sit in air conditioning. If it’s tough I want I’ll order a steakwell done. Hip? That’s something I’m going to replace in another 20 years.Alright, that’s enough of my bitchin.’ Now if you’ll excuse me I have to goyell at the neighborhood kids to get the hell off my lawn!

Frank Quatrella - Harwinton CT

Backroads,Kudos to Mark Byers for telling it like it is. I couldn’t agree more with

Mark about the “assholes” who think it’s their God given right to make asmuch noise as possible with a ‘public be damned’, “this is a free country”attitude. Mark, you are correct regarding the responsibilities that come with

adulthood. The problem is that the noise makers on loud bikes have neverreached adulthood. Enjoying children wave as I ride by and not running inthe other direction is one of the pleasures of riding.

All the best, Mark. Thank you.Michael Rodker - Toms River, NJ

Spring Break 2014 via Face Book, Email,

Snail Mail & Carrier Owl

We had a fabulous time! Thanks Brian & Shira.Paul Donoghue

Thank you Brian & Shira for putting this together.I had a blast. It was awesome.Lisa Rhodes Mutchler

I had an awesome time. Certainly be looking forward to the next one!Gerry Arel

An awesome combination of great people, beautiful rides, and good times.Keep up the good work guys!

Laurel White

This Spring Break Rally was absolutely the best. You guys outdo yourselfevery time!

Ken & Karen Hilley

Brian & Shira, Nicely done once again. Thank you.Glen Hoffmann

Hey Guys,Thanks for another top shelf event. Really enjoyed it. My buddies and I

BACKLASH Letters to the Editor

Page 8 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

(five of us all together) logged just under 2,000 miles each in the fourdays. Hope to see you in PA in the Fall

Jeff Grube - Long Island USA

Thanks again for yet another great rally, fantastic roads, great hotel, andcamaraderie. With riders showing up from all corners of the country (andCanada). I know I am already looking forward to the next one. And, congratsto you both on 20 years of Backroads , it just keeps getting better! See youon the road!

Mike Mosca

Brian and Shira, It is always our pleasure to join you anytime you get everyone together,

always a great time. This time we had the best weather ever along with great-est roads as always. Thanks again for putting these rallies together as I havemet many great people and have countless memories that I will always cher-ish for many years to come ! See you soon

Larry and Eileen

Backroads,You may have been thinking since going the track route for several years

that I was no longer the ‘Marion type” but I’m always happy to do anotherBackroads planned trip to see you, Shira and other old friends. Some of thebest friends - if only an annual snapshot of so many good people with thesame passion.

The roads, hotel, the local flavor, the dinner and, of course, the old familiarfaces mixed with the new created a great combination. Paul’s presentationwas very good and instructive while John P’s eulogy and the moment of si-lence for Jeff Bahr were touching and appropriate. Jeff’s metaphors and ir-reverent writing style very much appealed to me and I’ll miss his contributionto Backroads.

I’m booked for Shippensburg in September. Thanks for saying “Comeback” at our Monday morning goodbyes. I hate goodbyes after these tripsbut those two words will bring a hello in Shippensburg.

Chuck Potzer

Backroads’ Trifecta

Hey Backroads,Just wanted to thank you again for your terrific ride suggestions! I enjoyed reading about the Hummingbird House and the Prohibition Dis-

tillery in the June issue. Breakfast is my favorite meal and the southernCatskill region is among our favorite destinations, so it made sense to “con-nect the dots”.

Yesterday (Sunday, June 1) was an “11” on the weather meter so 13 of usfrom the Skylands BMW Riders met for breakfast at the Hummingbird Houseand took a run up to the Prohibition Distillery for a tour and tasting. And,since the Riverside Café & Lodge– another Backroads discovery, of course- was only a few miles up the road from the Distillery we enjoyed a finelunch there afterwards, thus completing our Backroads trifecta.

We also had the pleasure of meeting the owners ofeach establishment and they expressed their gratitudefor the exposure in the magazine.

Excellent suggestions, all of them. Please keep ‘emcoming!

Happy and safe riding – Eric Suhr

Skylands BMW Riders • Somerville, NJ

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 9

FrEE WhEElin’ (Continued from Page 4)

In a last ditch effort, I turned on the MP3 player on theZumo.But, the plug wasn’t attached and nothing was fedthrough my headsets.I was truly on my own here.Now in fear for its sanity my brain went haywire andstarted a melody of ghastly tunes.

“Sharing horizons that are new to us,

Watching the signs along the way…”

“Ahh, Mickey you’re so fine you blow my mind

Hey, Mickey…”

“Skyrockets in flight….”

“Me and you and a dog named boo

Travellin’ and livin’ off the land…”

“Daddy please don’t

We’re gonna get married

Run, Joey run, Joey run, Joey run, Joey ruuuuuunn...

They let me out of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asy-lum last week.They say I am better.Yes. I think I am.Time to get back on the bike and whistle down theroad.

“It’s a small world after all…”

Ha…. Ha… ha ha ha ha ha ha……….

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Have something to say? We’d love to

hear it. Send your thoughts via email

and include your name and town.

editor@backroadsusa.com

IMTBIKE TOURS ACHIEVES BMW MOTORRAD

INTERNATIONAL TOURGUIDE ACADEMY CERTIFICATION

IMTBIKE TOURS, the veteran motorcycle tour and rental company basedin Madrid, Spain, has been an Official BMW Travel Partner since 1997 butnow they have successfully completed the new BMW MOTORRAD INTER-NATIONAL TOURGUIDE ACADEMY in Munich Germany. The Interna-tional Tourguide Academy was set up by BMW Motorrad to maintain highquality standards amongst its travel partners. With this new INTERNA-TIONAL TOUR GUIDE Certification in its possession IMTBIKE joins a se-lect group of moto-tourism companies that have achieved this elite BMWstatus.

This new ITA certification guarantees that IMTBIKE’s tour guides havethe highest BMW training including: on and off-road riding skills, emergencyfirst aid and motorcycle mechanics. This certification also re-affirms IMT-BIKE’s philosophy “Passion for Motorcycling” and is a promise to all of

their clients to continue providing guided motorcycle tours that meet thehighest criteria set by BMW.

If you are interested in a motorcycle tour or rental in Europe or Moroccoyou can contact IMTBIKE at t (412)468-2453, email: info@imtbike.com orvisit their webpage www.imtbike.com .

MOTORCYCLISTS ‘23% BETTER’ BEHIND THE WHEEL

OF A CAR - EVERYONE KNOWS THIS, RIGHT?Motorcyclists are 23% safer behind the wheel of a car than non-motorcy-

clists, according to a leading insurer.Equity Red Star, a British Insurance company, compared car drivers to car

users who also have an insured motorcycle, and found the latter 23% lesslikely on average to make a claim on their car policy.

The firm also adjusted the figures to take into account the different typicalages of car drivers and motorcyclists, and still found the riders to be 21%better behind the wheel. The results showed motorcyclists were 20% lesslikely to make a bodily injury claim on their car policy.

The insurer examined 200 million policies between 2007 and 2012.Rob Clark, Equity Red Star’s Head of Retail Motor, said: “A motorcyclist

could, behind the wheel of a car, be said to be 23% better.”Clark presented the data yesterday at a conference organized by the Mo-

torcycle Industry Association to examine evidence that increasing the numberof motorcyclists on the road could actually improve safety.

MAJORITY IN U.S. HOUSE AGREE

ETHANOL MANDATE HAS PROBLEMS

The Renewable Fuel Standard has a “serious problem” and must be re-formed, according to a bipartisan group of congressmen who say 218 Housemembers agree, the American Motorcyclist Association reports.

“The federal government’s Renewable Fuel Standard is a failed strategythat must be completely reconsidered and restructured,” said Wayne Allard,vice president of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Asso-

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Page 10 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

INDUSTRY INFOBITES News from the Inside

ciation. “The RFS is not working for America or for Americans.” The AMA opposes E15 fuel (15 percent ethanol by volume) because inad-

vertent misfueling can cause engine and fuel system failure to the estimated22 million motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles currently in use and can voidmanufacturers’ warranties.

“The flawed ethanol mandate has a real impact on the American economy,and legislation in the House to reform the RFS has drawn the support of morethe 50 organizations representing a diverse range of issues. There is clearlya growing appetite to reform the ethanol mandate, and it is time for the EPAto address lawmakers’ concerns,” the congressmen said, in a statement fromMay 29.

The AMA has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials andfederal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and ATV enginescaused by the inadvertent use of E15. For more information, visit:www.americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/amafuelforthought.aspx.

IN A JAM

A Florida man is facing a $48,000 fine for using a “jammer” in his SUVto keep people around him off of the phone while he was driving.

The Federal Communications Commission says that Jason R. Humphreysused a phone jammer in his vehicle during his daily commute on I-4 betweenSeffner and Tampa for about two years before he was caught.

Metro PCS alerted the Feds of an issue in April of 2013. The company no-ticed that its cell phone tower sites had been experiencing interference duringthe morning and evening commutes.

Agents from the FCC used direction-finding techniques to find that strongwideband emissions were coming out of a blue Toyota Highlander SUVdriven by Humphreys.

The FCC says that Hunphreys admitted to using the jammer to keep peoplefrom talking on their phones while driving.

Federal law prohibits the operation of jamming devices in the USA.The FCC says that jamming devices cannot be authorized because they

can compromise the integrity of the nation’s communications infrastructure,including 911 and police calls during an emergency.

CHILD TIED TO NEW YORK MAN’S MOTORCYCLE

A New York man was arrested after police found his girlfriend’s 5-year-old son tied to the back of the motorcycle he was driving on Wyckoff Roadon Sunday, authorities said.

Frank Albanese, 53, of Staten Island, New York, was driving the motorcy-cle southbound on Wyckoff Road when police Officer Ryan Braswell work-ing a ‘Click It or Ticket’ detail spotted a small child that appeared to be tiedwith twine to the bike, police said.

The twine, appeared to be tied around the child’s feet and waist, was blow-ing in the wind and the helmet he had on appeared to be too big, police said.

Braswell turned around to pull over the motorcycle but it had alreadypulled into the Quick Chek parking lot, police said. Albanese had gone insidethe store and left the child on the back of the bike, police said.

The police officer walked up to the child, where he noticed the boy’s feetwere tied to the rear passenger pegs of the motorcycle and the twine was alsowrapped around his waist to tie him to the rear seat, authorities said.

Ed note : Well, they do tend to squirm around a bit…

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 11

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thE BattlE oF Brooklyn

The Search of the Mysterious American Revolution

Every day millions of people mill in and out and around Brooklyn, NewYork oblivious to the deep and important history to be found at their verydoorstep.

Our nation’s very existence hung in thebalance in the summer of 1776.

The insurrection against King Georgewas gathering steam and, when the Britishevacuated Boston, General Washingtonknew the Crown would move on NewYork.

He brought nearly 10,000 men to lowerManhattan and fortified both here andacross the East River on the western edgeof Long Island – today’s Brooklyn.

These days Queensand Brooklyn arelooked at as part ofNew York City properand Long Island is anywhere east of JFK –but, the truth is, if youwere born, as I was, in

Queens or you call Brooklyn home –you are from the island called Long.

It was a very different place back then.In early July, 400 British ships with

32,000 men commanded by GeneralWilliam Howe arrived at Staten Island. When Howeoffered a pardon to the rebels, Washington answered,“Those who have committed no fault want no par-don.” While he was still convinced that the Britishwould attack Manhattan, he sent more troops toBrooklyn.

Washington felt he had a secure foothold against the British but failed tosecure the rarely used Jamaica Pass, what is today the area between Canarsieand Cross Bay Boulevard. This proved to be a costly mistake since GeneralHowe planned to lead 10,000 men through the pass on the evening of August26 and attack the Americans on Brooklyn Heights from the rear.

With the British closing in from east and south it seemed that the revolutionwas lost.

Page 12 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents

Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA

This is where the odd thing happened. A temperature inver-sion on the evening of August 29 caused a deep, impenetrablefog to roll up New York Harbor and envelope the entire city.

Washington saw his chance for escape and that night nearly9,000 Continentals were rowed back to Manhattan. GeorgeWashington, perhaps America’s greatest leader of men, was thelast man to leave Brooklyn Heights.

The sun arose the next day to find our Continental Armygone and the British bewildered, but now firmly in control ofLong Island and then New York island.

As I said these days what was once an open and airy westerntip of Long island is now the bustling urban sprawl of Brooklynand Queens - Brooklyn being a city onto itself.

But if one makes the effort you can still find bits and pieces– reminders of this region’s storied and historic past – such asthe Old Stone House and Prospect Park.

Located in the heart of Park Slope, at 3rd St and 5th Ave, the Old StoneHouse is a perfect place to experience Brooklyn’s past while enjoying oneof its most vibrant public spaces. The Battle of Brooklyn exhibit tells thestory of the first and largest battle of the American Revolution and the firstofficial battle fought by the United States Army. Their permanent exhibitdelves into the Battle, from the tense buildup through its dramatic climax.This is our American history and for those with a deeper interest in the Rev-olutionary War, the exhibit features period weapons and clothes, and docu-ments and artifacts that bring the fateful events of August 1776 to life.

For sure, Brooklyn and Long Island were key and an intricate part of ourRevolutionary War.

But this is just the beginning.Next month we go in search of the Culper Ring – Washington’s secret spy

ring that has finally come to the front of the American conscious thanks tobooks like George Washington’s Secret Six, by Fox’s Brian Kilmead and DonYaeger and AMC’s series Turn. Both wonderful and informative projects andwe’ll follow along the backroads of Mysterious America to find the spiesthat saved the revolution.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 13

JErsEy – thE dEadliEst placE in thE rEvolutionary War

As you ride down from the borough of Queens into Kings county, NewYork – more commonly called Brooklyn – along the East River there was asmall natural bay called Wallabout.

These days much of the bay has been landfilled and was home to the famedBrooklyn Navy Yards.

It is this bay’s infamous history that we are with detailing here.This all has to do with one ship. The HMS Jersey.She was built during an unusual time of peace in England in 1736

and the 60-gunner first saw action defending Cartagena, Colombia justthree years later. The Jersey also was in the fray of the Seven YearsWar and the Battle of Lagos.

In March of 1771 her masts were taken down and she was dockedin New York to be used as a floating hospital ship.

During the revolution the Jersey was turned into a prison ship and this shipof hope was turned into a floating crypt of despair.

Thus began one of the most grue-some chapters in the story of Amer-ica’s struggle for independence fromBritain.

Those with crimes against the King,whether true or false, were put into theJersey.

Any decision from a local magis-trate or court to incarcerate a man orwoman here was the same as a deathsentence.

Some 11,000 prisoners died aboardthe prison ships over the course of thewar, many from disease or malnutri-tion. Many of these were inmates ofthe notorious HMS Jersey, whichearned the nickname “Hell” for its in-humane conditions and the obscenely

high death rate of its prisoners.In contrast – the Department

of Defense claims that 4,435 USbattle deaths occurred during theentire Revolutionary War.

Thousands of men andwomen were crammed belowdecks where there was no natu-ral light or fresh air and few pro-visions for the sick and hungry.

When they died they were un-ceremoniously tossed into the

river to be carried out to sea with the flow and tide or piled into still unmarkedgraves along the shores of what is now Brooklyn and Queens.

Page 14 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

Dr. Seymour O’Life’s MYSTERIOUS AMERICA • Another History Lesson

You just have to read this quote from one Robert Sheffield, who escapedthe Jersey, to give you a feeling of how bad conditions were. He was one of350 prisoners held in a compartment below the decks.

“The heat was so intense that (the hot sun shining all day on deck) theywere all naked, which also served the well to get rid of vermin, but the sickwere eaten up alive. Their sickly countenances, and ghastly looks were trulyhorrible; some swearing and blaspheming; others crying, praying, and wring-ing their hands; and stalking about like ghosts; others delirious, raving andstorming, all panting for breath; some dead, and corrupting. The air was sofoul that at times a lamp could not be kept burning, by reason of which thebodies were not missed until they had been dead ten days.”

When the war ended and the British evacuated New York they abandonedthe Jersey, still moored in Wallabout Bay, with nearly 8,000 forgotten souls

crammed into her decks.She was later burned at the spot.During October 1902 as the keel of the ship the USS Connecticut was

under construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle re-ported that the HMS Jersey had been found. While pile driving a new dock,the wood from the ship was encountered, precisely where the burned hulkwas reported to lay after the British abandoned the ship and she was set onfire.

Many of the remains of those who died on the Jersey and other such shipsthat could be found were reinterred in Fort Green Park in 1808. In 1908, onehundred years after this service, the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument was ded-icated on one of the highest hills in New York City overlooking what wasonce called Wallabouts Bay.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 15

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George Washington Stayed Here!Up along the Hudson River, just past the border with New Jersey, you will

ride into the historic town of Tappan, New York.Now many towns claim to be ‘historic,’ and we think most of them are

more hysterical. Is it just a town that has been around for a long time or didmatters of note happen here?

Tappan can easily and truthfully lay claim to the latter.Virginia may try to hold that it is all about Colonial times and history, but

the fact is the real Revolution happened inour own backyard and you will find a gooddeal of this real history in Tappan.

The Orangetown Resolutions wereadopted here on July 4, 1774, exactly twoyears prior to the adoption of the UnitedStates Declaration of Independence. Theresolutions were part of a widespread move-ment of town and county protests of the In-tolerable Acts passed by the BritishParliament in 1774.

The Resolutions were adopted at thehome and inn of Yoast Mabie, a Dutch colo-nial house in Tappan, New York in Rock-land County. In 1780, Mabie’s Inn was theplace of confinement for British Major JohnAndré, conspirator with American GeneralBenedict Arnold to surrender West Point tothe British. You will find the spot the Britishspy was hung on Andre Hill.

You will also find that Mabie’s Inn is still here andnow called the ’76 House, a superb restaurant and wellworth stopping for lunch.

But, some say the star of the town is the VERY his-toric DeWint House.

The DeWint House is one of the oldest survivingcolonial structures in Rockland County, New York andis an outstanding example of Hudson Valley ColonialDutch architecture. It was built using local sandstonein 1700 by Daniel DeClark, a Hollander, who emi-grated to America in 1676. You can even see the datemarked in glazed bricks along the façade - 1 7 0 0.

Page 16 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Today the property is owned andmaintained by the Free Masons, whoacquired it in 1932.

Whenever you hear the name ofone of our nation’s most famous,righteous and revered men – GeorgeWashington – the Free Masons arenot far away as Washington was along standing member.

Washington stayed at the DeWintHouse four times during and after thewar with two particular events hap-pening here.

In the fall of 1780 the capture andsubsequent trial of Major Andrebrought Washington here.

As many knowthe General did notwant to execute thespy, as he was re-spected on bothsides of the con-flict, but the hang-ing was necessary.

It is said that Washington had the shutters closed thatday so as not to see the young Major being escorted tothe gallows on the hill above the town.

General Washington returned to Tappan in the springof 1783 – under far better circumstances – as he and hiskey staff headquartered here while negotiating the finalwithdraw from New York of the defeated British troops.Here he met with British General Guy Carleton.

This time it was a celebration (well, not for Carleton)and Washington had an elegant dinner brought in andprepared by his friend Samuel Fraunces – the owner of

the famed Fraunces Tavern in NYC.The house and property has undergone extensive restoration with the

house’s two first-floor rooms restored and furnished to reflect the period ofWashington’s occupancy.

The kitchen has been redone and is as it was during the time.Next door the 19th-century carriage house contains displays of artifacts

uncovered at the site during archaeological digs, as well as items related toWashington, André and Arnold, and the Masons.

The items found on display in the carriage house were quite remarkable -tapestries, busts, canes belong-ing to Washington and Hamil-ton. A remarkable replica of a36-Gun British frigate Perse-verance and a short movie(aimed more at children) ex-plain the history and signifi-cance of the building and theregion.

Both the home and the car-riage house were excellentstops, and always free, for youand your friends while explor-ing the Hudson River Valleyand its deep American history.

3RD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH!

JULY 15 AUGUST 19 SEPTEMBER 16

Page 17

lovin’ ovEn

62A TRENTON AVE. (ROUTE 29) , FRENCHTOWN NJ 08825 908-996-7714 • WWW.LOVINOVENFRENCHTOWN.COM

The Delaware River runs nearly419 miles from its source in theCatskill Mountains to its mouthinto the Atlantic at the DelawareBay. Along the way it takes inwater from five states and nearly15,000 square miles of watershed.

It is considered one of 19 ‘GreatWaters’ recognized by the Amer-ica’s Great Waters Coalition.

At the river’s birthplace youwill find towns sparse and longstretches of wilderness. But, as you head south and move past the WaterGap you will find more population along both sides of the river.

One such burg is Frenchtown, named after Swiss French-speaking set-tler Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost (his is an interesting story for anothertime). And, just south of the historic area you will find this month’s stopon the Great All American Diner Run – the Lovin’ Oven.

This restaurant started in the town of Milford, but now calls the newlyrefurbished commercial building home, which they share with Two But-tons, an establishment well worth exploring after you are done enjoyingwhat the Lovin Oven’s has to offer – and that is plenty.

We have been accused of not being overly vegan-friendly. Okay, thatis true – but if you prefer your food grown rather than born you will enjoythe Lovin’ Oven. They offer more vegan meals than most other places wehave featured, using locally grown produce.

We rode down on a wonderful spring day in April – the first great Saturdayin months. The large lot is lined with Far East antiquities and statues – a drawto Two Buttons next door, but adding a bit more tranquil beauty along the

sometimes busy Route 29.The inside is comfortable and roomy but, with the sun shining warmly, we

took a table outside next to the wall portraying the Last Temptation of theBuddha - a stunning creation that took over a year to carve in Indone-sia.

On the weekend the Lovin’ Oven serves a brunch and they have anumber of tasty offerings.

Eggs can be served up as specialomelets and scrambles are served with aside of garlic rosemary potatoesand your choice of toast, muffin, scone,sweet potato biscuit, bagel or warm corntortilla.

We found the potatoes truly excellent- as was everything else.

The smoked salmon, pesto and goatcheese looked tempting enough for theBuddha but I went for the bacon, aspara-gus and cream cheese scramble whichdid the job nicely this morning. You willalso find Italian sausage, potato, spinachand provolone and a roasted red pepper,arugula and locatelli.

The Lovin’ Oven has a delicious 2-Egg Special bringing you two eggs anystyle served with garlic rosemary pota-toes and your choice of two of the fol-lowing: bacon, sausage, grilled ham,

sliced avocado, sautéed kale, green salad, fruit and toast of your choice. Other brunch offerings include their Country Breakfast Platter, a Warm

Fig, Rosemary & Feta Skillet Cornbread and the Croque Madame - whichconsists of grilled ham and cheddar melt on country white bread topped withtwo fried eggs.

Page 18 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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The pancakes and Challah French toast were a big hit this day as well with other riders.During the normal lunch day you will find both vegan and fish tacos, avocado BLT on pumpernickel and a Vegan Mac & Cheese, done with a cashew cream

sauce with garlic sautéed kale and roasted tomatoes. Even the carnivore in us would savor this.The Lovin’ Oven changes as the day moves on and they offer a separate menu for the off time after lunch, but before dinner. If you are out late or staying

locally, their dinner menu will plate you Flank Steak Quesadilla, Wild Mixed Mushroom or a Grilled Angus Beef Burger among other tasty plates.The Lovin’ Oven is a superb eatery and is far enough south of Frenchtown proper to avoid the crowds and lack of parking you will find on the weekends.

Check their website as they have special events and their menu changes daily, with the offerings of the seasons.Their neighbor – Two Buttons – is an added reward when your meal is done.In true Backroads fashion we will meander down to Frenchtown with both printed Rip & Ride and Garmin GPS routing. Enjoy!

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 19

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Riding into America’s Past

Last year saw the 150th anniversary of the infamous Battle at Gettysburg.We have ridden to and through Gettysburg a dozen times and have always felt humbled and small

while paying respects in the fields where over7,500 men were killed, 27,500 men woundedand over 10,000 men simply went missing.

The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in threedays in 1863, from Wednesday, July 1st untilFriday, July 3rd.

Gettysburg was not the end of the war - farfrom it. The Civil War started with the bombard-ment of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, 26months before the fight at Gettysburg. Lee’ssurrender at Appomattox was on April 9, 1865,21 months after the battle. The Confederate De-partment of the Trans-Mississippi did not sur-render until May 26, 1865, 23 months afterGettysburg. Gettysburg was almost the mid-point of the war.

In the middle of the 150th remembrance, lastyear found the town and battlefield a very busyplace indeed, and we spent some time downthere in the midst of recreations, reenactmentsand various reverent remembrances of thesetragic days in our history.

We think this year Gettysburg might be a bit less freneticand an excellent place to escape to and explore our history.

Gettysburg is located in the southern part of the KeystoneState and is surrounded by miles and miles of rolling farm-lands and has some of the most pleasant riding you can findin the northeastern United States.

Whilst there you can find a number of hotels, motels and B& Bs to hang your helmet each evening.

This one particular trip we took a room for the night at thehistoric Gettysburg Hotel.

It is hard to miss, as it lies at the head of the historic down-town section of Gettysburg, right on the circle.

The hotel has been around for centuries and first opened its doors back in 1797. Do not let the age fool you. The Get-tysburg Hotel has been recently renovated and offers superior service in a charming and ideal setting; rich in history andhospitable ambiance. And, with its superb location in the heart of historic downtown Gettysburg, it is within walkingdistance to the Gettysburg battlefield, historic area attractions, and many downtown shops & restaurants; of which thereare plenty in this town.

Rooms started at $120, so we didn’t feel like we got crushed and the rooms themselves were clean, comfortable andtastefully modern.

Page 20 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Once we had settled into the room we spent a few hours touring the bat-tlefield once again. As we said it is always asomewhat overwhelming experience.

After the battlefield we needed an upliftingjaunt so we simply began to play follow theleader with Shira and I taking turns ridingalong the farm roads, the occasional dirt laneand yet again, one washed out bridge detour.

We have begun to realize that “BridgeClosed” literally means that.

After getting more or less turned around wedid the easy thing and asked the GPS to bringus back which it did in an absolute smashingway, eventually running us back though part ofthe battlefield large monuments and into town.

Sometimes I think my Zumo 660 is smarterthan me.

Heading into town Shira found not one, but two classyhomemade ice cream joints for her monthly column andI got to talk to some of the men andwomen who were reenacting the CivilWar in perfect 1860’s garb.

We tried to get them to pose with themotorcycles, but they were a bit too se-rious to partake in such folly (theirwords not mine).

Back at the hotel we parked for thenight and wandered around the town,with its bustling weekend crowd (eas-ier to visit during the week). Westopped at the David Wills House,where Lincoln slept the night beforethe famous address and now a mu-seum. Outside you will see a very life-like statue of Lincoln pointing to thehouse, explaining how he finished

said address to the young man next to him (who reminded us of Perry Como,sweater and all). This statue was executed by J.Se-ward Johnson, Jr, whose work you can see in ourhome state of New Jersey at the Grounds for Sculp-ture, outside of Trenton. Eventually we went to findsustenance at the Historic Farnsworth House Inn.We stopped first in Sweeney’s Tavern for a drinkand to wait for our table in their garden.

The house is named in honor of Brigadier GeneralElon John Farnsworth, who led an ill-fated chargeafter the failure of Pickett’s charge, claiming thelives of Farnsworth and 65 of his men.

Today it is one of best restaurants in the town, aswell as a historic and romantic Bed & Breakfast.They have 11 rooms and the bed in the McFarlaneRoom, located in the original portion of the house,is simply amazing.

Gettysburg. If you have never ridden and visitedyou might want to consider it. The roads, the restau-rants, hotels and deep history all make for a greatWe’re Outta Here!

It is, for better or worse, a part of the quilt that isour American history.

But, in these modern times we hope that brothers,families, and states can learn from the past and un-derstand we are part of one superbly great nation.

Page 22 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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The Metzeler Tourance Next motorcycle tire, replacing the Tourance EXP,is the latest generation of Adventure street tires, featuring new compounds,profiles, structure and tread pattern for excellent levels of stability and farbetter mileage. The new tires also promised improved wet grip and stability,even in wet and adverse conditions.

The ‘Next’ tire comes with a dual compound for the rear sizes, featuring asilica content of 50% in center compound specifically designed to optimizemileage and stability at high speeds and fully loaded.

The front tires are single compound, but still feature a high silica content(over 50%) and uses new polymers and resins to provide improved handlingand grip with fast warm up.

The new and innovative high stiffness structure of the ‘Next’ allows for amore sportbike-like tire behavior - especially in the fast corners.

The tire’s shoulder compounds are 100% silica offering an excellent chem-ical grip on wet surfaces and these are an ideal choice for the latest generationAdventure touring bikes.

These tires offer 90% on-road, 10% off-road performance and are W-ratedfor speeds up to 169 mph.

You will find them standard on new R 1200 GS machines.I got an opportunity to break in and then put 4,000 miles plus on the Met-

zeler Tourance ‘Next’ tires on a trip to the northwest ofthe United States and I found, on the pavement, the‘Next’ tires to be a phenomenal example of modern tiretechnology.

The ‘Next’ offered superb grip and stability with theadded advantage of ample feedback and these tiresmade the BMW R 1200 GS feel and act more like asportbike than the adventure machine it was designedto be.

In truth, compared to the original ‘Tourance’ tires the‘Next’ look like pure street tires.

In our few weeks with these tires we covered a variety

of terrains and pavements and I even went searching out a hot spring, twoup, in the northern California desert one evening at dusk.

It was right about then that the 90% street factor came into play and gravityand lack of ‘dirtism’ came into the game.

I rode back out to the pavement solo, with Shira walking behind me wait-ing to pick me up when gravity won the battle.

The ‘Next’ tires are formidable street tires in the dry and wet and paved,but lack that same stability when things get more loose than a good fire road.

Sand and deep gravel are right out. If that is what you are looking for thentake a look at Metzler’s Karoo 3 tires instead.

That being said many GS, Tiger and Multistrada riders will rarely see thedark side of a fire road or trail and with that in mind the ‘Next’ tires fromMetzeler are an excellent choice for long-distance, touring and sport ridingAdventure machine owners.

We gave our machine back to BMW with nearly 4,500 miles on these tiresand they still looked fairly fresh and with many thousands of miles to go lefton them.

You can find the Metzeler Tourance Next Tire at your local dealer or findmore information on the web at www.metzeler.com.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 23

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©2013 Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) All rights reserved. ®, ™ and the BRP logo are trademarks of BRP or its affiliates. In the U.S.A. products are distributed by BRP US INC. *Tested at a constant speed of62 mph. Fuel mileage may vary depending on the following: Spyder RT models, personal riding habits, weather conditions, trip length, vehicle condition, vehicle configuration and other conditions. Up to 202 miles tested ata constant speed of 75 mph. Break-in mileage may also vary. See an authorized BRP dealer for details. Some models depicted may include optional equipment. Always ride responsibly and safely. Always observe applicablelaws and regulations. Don’t drink and drive.

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My plan begins on a cold winter’s night in New England. This has beenthe winter of my discontent. I am searching for an adventure that will getme out of here. Of course it has to be on a motorcycle….there is no exceptionto this. No, a cruise with a twenty-four hour buffet just won’t do. I choseMotoMark1 of North Carolina and their two-day Overland ConfidenceCourse. It may be 5 degrees here in New England but as I plan my trip, thetemperatures that are averaging 70 degrees seem like the perfect getaway.With ice scraper and shovel in hand I am working hard to get the garage doorreleased from winter’s icy grip. Being a huge fan of the BMW GS and mynovice knowledge and skills of using these ma-chines to their capability has been a goal ofmine for years. If you truly enjoy riding thereare always roads we come upon where eitherthey beckon you to explore or the pavementjust ends. My goal is to fear no road and takethe roads less travelled and not have thatpucker feeling when the tires start squirming.

Arriving in Brevard North Carolina at ourhotel base I am greeted with a hearty hand-shake and welcome by Mark Brown, lead in-structor and founder of MotoMark1.Accompanying Mark are Todd and Steve whoare also instructors and have a vast backgroundin motorcycle training. Several of the instructors are retired motorcycle of-ficers with current EMT qualifications. You should feel very safe in thehands of these guys. An evening dinner and our group of eight get to knowone another. We have riders from Georgia, North and South Carolina and Ireside in New Hampshire. The course is laid out before us and we are briefedon all of the details. We break for the evening and I am very excited and yes

a bit nervous. Morning breaks and we are ready as agroup to head out and be coached on the proper way tohandle these large enduros on and off roads. A pre ridecheck list is given. All riders inspect their bikes and thetire pressure is checked. Time is spent on motorcycle setup and body positioning. We are all equipped with ra-dios and are given instruction and instant feedback as weride. I am grinning from ear to ear as we ride in forma-tion to an open parking area to practice some techniques.The Overland Confidence Course is 50 percent on roadand 50 percent off road. This is a nice mix and gives

man and machine riding skills with both. With cones set up on pavement,we are watching our instructors demonstrate proper techniques, body posi-tion, looking up and through corners meanwhile all the feedback is comingthrough the ear buds in our helmets. Within minutes, as a group we are allon the course and when it all clicks and comes together it is a beautiful siteto witness, all riders in step; this is going to be fun!

Page 24 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

Overland Confidence Course

Next we are on the road following our instructors.Yikes, no more hiding in the back of the pack….asyour name is called you are brought to the front tosafely take the lead. With the instructor behind youproviding thoughtful feedback on reading the road,proper lane position, cornering, you become one withthe road. Of course, the helmet cam on the instructor’snoggin is on and you will see the lines you are ridingin the afternoon debriefing, no pressure here!Throughout the morning and afternoon, all riders arecalled to lead the pack on paved and unpaved roads.After lunch we mount up and head to a training area and are given furtherinstruction on proper off road techniques. Eyes up, look ahead, pick yourline, counter balance, weight the pegs all good advice as the terrain will bemore challenging tomorrow. It is back to the hotel for debriefing and dinner.You can feel the buzz in the room as we are all on sensory overload and feel-ing good about our enhanced skills.

After a great breakfast and instruction it is time to hit the road for day two.We start on pavement and an audio refresher is given by lead instructor MarkBrown. We are in western North Carolina and heading out on so called statemaintained roads. Oh boy, deep ruts, loose stones, baby head size rocks, justanother day at the office. Recalling all of the knowledge we have been givenwhile practicing the skills, we are now ready to accept the challenge. Withwide gaps between riders, we pick our lines and traverse the terrain. I amworking hard to not fight the motorcycle and over think

the process. If you look down, you go down I recall theinstructor saying. This is getting easier as the afternoonwears on. We take time on a secluded stretch of dirtroadway to practice breaking technique with and with-out abs brakes. We start slow and increase our speedsas all riders perfect their skill. During breaks we stopto hydrate and the instructors offer feedback and we allhave questions on how to improve our own skills. Thecamaraderie and friendships are building and we are ateam here. No one gets left behind. We are remindedthis is not a race; to put in 100 percent effort but ride to80 percent of your capabilities. Mark says ”leave some-thing in reserve.” As our two day coaching comes to aclose, I reflect on how more prepared and confident Isee myself on and off road.

This is the beginner’s course and there isa level 2 class for those that want to taketheir skills enhancement to the next level. Ifound this class on a search at www.mo-tomark1.com. A final debriefing and a jobwell done as all students passed and therewere no mishaps. We all head to dinner andcan now relax and share the day’s adven-tures with each other in our own words.Everyone felt that the knowledge that we re-ceived was well worth the time and money

involved. We spend a lot of money on our bikes and all the farkles that goalong with it. But dollar for dollar enhancing your skills is where it’s at.Ask your spouse or significant otherwhere they think the dollars shouldbe spent and I am sure it is to ensurethat you come home to them safely.This is only achieved through train-ing and practice.

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BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 25

2014 Honda CBR300RGreat for beginners and experienced motorcyclists alike, the new

CBR300R now packs a 300-class engine that delivers a 17-percent boost inpeak power compared to the CBR250R. With a full sport fairing, dual head-

lights and new exhaust system, the CBR300R takes its styling cues fromHonda’s larger-displacement CBR® series. New seat shaping and side coversprovide an easier reach to the ground. With more power, nimble handling,affordable price and low operating cost, the CBR300R makes every ride afun one. Colors: Black, Red, Pearl White/Red/Blue, Matte BlackMetallic/Yellow; Price: $4399 for the standard model, $4899 for ABS ver-sion. These should be in dealership by August 2014. For more informationvisit your local Honda dealer or powersports.honda.com.

Yamaha’s New FZ-07

When Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. introduced the all-new FZ-09last year it was positioned as the beginning of a new breed of motorcyclesfrom Yamaha. So how do you follow up a first act as profound and gamechanging as the FZ-09?

Introducing the all-new FZ-07.Powered by a fuel-injected, 689cc liquid-cooled, parallel twin engine,

mounted in a lightweight diamond-type high tensile steel frame, the FZ-07adds an exciting new model to the already stacked Yamaha line-up.

Page 26 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

SUMMER ENTRIES TO THE RIDING POOL

The FZ-07 was built from the ground up to bring the joy of motorcyclingto the masses. The all new 689cc liquid-cooled, parallel twin engine utilizesYamaha’s “Crossplane Concept” to achieve a linear torque curve that deliversan ear-to-ear grin the first time you twist the throttle. All the power and torquealso means less shifting and more time enjoying the ride.

The FZ-07 was designed to achieve a sporty, light and neutral handlingcharacter. The slim tank, 37.1” seat height and upright riding position ensurea comfortable ride and with a weight of only 397 lbs with a full tank of gas,combined with an EPA estimated 58 mpg, the FZ-07 will easily go 200 milesbefore needing to stop for a fill-up.

The FZ-07 features top notch components like front and rear wave-stylerotors, lightweight cast aluminum 10-spoke wheels and a newly designedcompact LCD instrument panel that displays all the important data at aglance.

The FZ-07 will be available in three color options—Liquid Graphite, RapidRed and Pearl White––and will retail for just $6,990, with bikes available indealerships by the end of June.

For more information on all Yamaha models please visit www.yamahamo-torsports.com

Star Motorcycles 2015 Bolt andBolt R-Spec Performance Bobber

After setting the world on fire with the introduction of the Bolt and BoltR-Spec last year, with its modern interpretation of an old-school ‘bobber’,Star Motorcycles is proud to introduce the 2015 Bolt and Bolt R-Spec cruis-ers.

The Bolt and Bolt R-Spec are specifically designed to offer unique style,comfort, and performance. Both models are ‘step out of the norm’ cruisersthat deliver light-weight and unmatched maneuverability.

Powered by a fuel-injected, 58-cubic-inch (950cc), air-cooled, V-Twin en-gine, mounted in a double-cradle frame, the Bolt and Bolt R-Spec are “Per-formance Bobbers” that will impress with both power and performance.

Performance components such as wave-type brake rotors and an updateddigital meter are standard on both Bolt models, while the Bolt R-Spec ups

the ante even more with the addition of remote-reservoir shocks, a suede-type seat with colored stitching, and special paint and graphics.

The Bolt is a perfect platform for personalization and following the Starmotto “We Build It, You Make It Your Own”, Star Motorcycles has an entireline of accessories available at your local Star Motorcycles Dealer to turnthe Bolt into whatever you can image.

The Bolt will be available in two color options—Candy Red and GlacierBlue —and will retail for $7,990. The Bolt R-Spec can be yours in a choiceof Matte Silver and Raven and will retail for $8,390. Both bikes will be avail-able in dealerships starting at the end of July.

For more information on these or any of our Star Motorcycles please goto www.starmotorcycles.com.

Ducati Monster 821 – Essentially Monster

Ducati announces the brand new Monster 821, a mid-size entry for thethird generation of the iconic naked model and the latest chapter in theBologna-built motorcycle’s famous story. Underlining Ducati’s strong asso-

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 27

ciation to the Bologna region, the company has chosen to release the firstimages of the new model portrayed in typical Bolognese ambience.

Following the successful unveiling of the new generation Monster 1200at the Milan International Motorcycle show in November, Ducati now intro-duces the Monster 821, a mid-size version of the exciting new model and thelatest entry to the world of Monster.

Having delivered over 290,000 Monsters since the original concept morethan 20 years ago, the essential new model maintains its stylish characterusing the new chassis and muscular styling of the Monster 1200, designedwith premium components fully integrated with Ducati’s latest technologies.

Powered by the latest edition of Ducati’s highly successful 821 Testastretta11° engine, the highly accessible new Monster combines 112hp and 65.9ft-lb of torque with an impressively lightweight 179.5kg – 395.7lb (dry weight)overall package. This stylish mix of minimalism and performance paves theway back to the original essence of the Monster concept, where less-is-moreand made-in-Italy combine to create a motorcycle lifestyle.

High-spec brakes, excellent suspension and stylish componentry mergewith Ducati’s best-yet ergonomics to offer the Italian manufacturer’s mostattractive mid-range Monster ever. Super comfortable and with an innovativeadjustable seat height, the model also combines 8-level traction control, 3-level ABS and 3-level Ride-by-Wire into Ducati’s user-friendly, press-buttonRiding Modes.

The Monster 821 uses next generation technologies to create an enhancedrider/motorcycle relationship, delivering a high-adrenaline experience whileconstantly reassuring with the feeling of complete control and ergonomic in-tegration.

Available in Ducati dealerships in July 2014 with a starting MSRP of$10,995, the Monster 821 Dark is presented in dark stealth with black frameand black wheels, while the Monster 821 is dressed in Ducati red with redframe and black wheels or star white silk with red frame and matte redwheels. Both red and white come with color-matched single-seat covers.

For more information visit your local Ducati dealer or ducatiusa.com

Cross Country Powersports911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ (732) 491-2900Find Us on Facebook • CrossCountryPowersports.com

KAWASAKI CARES: Always wear a helmet, eye protection and proper apparel.Never operate under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Adhere to the maintenanceschedule in your owner’s manual. ©2012 Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.

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powersports.honda.com ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING. NEVER RIDE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, ANDNEVER USE THE STREET AS A RACETRACK. OBEY THE LAW AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL THOROUGHLY. For rider training information or to locate a rider training course near you, callthe Motorcycle Safety Foundation at 800-446-9227. CBR® is a registered trademarks of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (01/14)

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Page 28 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Frontline eurosportsOUR PASSION IS MOTORYCLESLET US SHARE IT WITH YOU

Pamela Collins

Financial CPR (by Polaris Industries) re-cently resuscitated the Indian Motorcyclebrand, and with this new life breathed into itslungs (or air cleaner), the iconic marque nowshows no signs of riding into the sunset any-time soon. For over 100 years Indian Motor-cycles maintained its grip in motorcyclists’hearts and imaginations, and a new museumexhibit now brings to life a three-dimensionalhistory of the brand.

At the Antique Automobile Club of Amer-ica’s Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania youcan learn about the origins and challengesfaced by this brand in an exhibit titled Indian

Nation: The Indian Motorcycle and America.This excellent exhibit doesn’t simply tell a

story, it actually shows the lifespan andchanges the company underwent using ac-tual, often rare, privately owned Indianmotorcycles. The Indian story reflectsAmerica’s story, says guest curator DavidRussell, probably why the brand still res-onates within the hearts of motorcyclistsand non-motorcyclists alike.

“I think this is a great part of the Amer-ican fabric…an entity that was knockeddown and came back,” says Russell, not-ing the company’s saga reads like a classicAmerican rags to riches tale.

In 1899 American bicycle racer andbuilder George Hendee met Swedish im-migrant and machinist Oscar Hedstrom,bonding over a motorized bicycle Hed-strom had modified. They decided to build

their own “moto-bicycle,” beginning production in1901. In 1903 Hedstrom claimed the land speed recordaboard an Indian, and from then on business boomed.In fact, during the 1910’s, Indian became the largestmanufacturer of motorcycles in the world.

The Indian name, according to Russell, came aboutbecause the pair wanted the image of somethinguniquely American for this product they expected to sellthroughout the world. America’s pioneering image cap-tured imaginations, the idea of pressing into new fron-tiers, exploring and challenging the surroundings…theprecise image Hedstrom and Hendee wanted for their“moto-bicycle.”

The 24 rare and show-winning bikes on display in-clude early singles and twins, Scouts, Chiefs, and Fours;some restored and some never changed, like the 1903model, believed to be the earliest original example of

Page 30 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

The Indian NationNew Exhibit Details History of Iconic Brand

the marque. Russell says Indian hadthe reputation for advanced engineer-ing for the period, using improve-ments like total loss ignition and totalloss lubrication, direct drive, over-head valves, cradle spring swingarm,oil level sight gauges and more.

The exhibit runs thegamut from the earlymodels that did indeedlook like bicycles tomodels produced nearthe end of the com-pany’s first demise in1953, that wore the tra-ditional garb of va-lenced fenders and

fringe often associated with the brand. Board track racers, hill climbers, mil-itary motorcycles, bobbers, even one with skis (!) comprise the display.

When not pondering the company’s history you can’t help but appreciatethe beauty inherent in the displayed machines, beginning with the camelbackgas tanks on the early models to those famous curved fenders. That, Russellsays, is another purpose of the exhibit. “Indian’s arebeautiful. They channel some major design movements,like art deco and nouveau, which are reminiscent ofclassical American industrial design and from which de-signers still draw inspiration.”

Indian didn’t flourish financially after 1939, and itsdecision to divert most of its production into the war ef-fort of World War II left it unprepared to fully support

a dealer network when the war ended. Soreturning troops bought the more readily-available Harley Davidson motorcyclesand Indian gradually stopped breathingin 1953. Several resuscitation effortsnever took hold until Polaris Industries

brought its financial and engineering back-ing to the Indian brand two years ago.

Icons, by their nature, don’t die and Indian is livinganother day. Russell says the brand “is a cultural icon.

Most of us can point back to some linkage with Indian.They’re American, wholesome, with no negative stereotype…

they’re what Grandpa rode. Indians embody the every-changing idea of whatAmerica was and continues to be.”

The Indian Nation exhibit runs through October 28, 2014. While visitingthe AACA Antique Auto Museum don’t miss their other entertaining exhibitsthat include more motorcycles, many automobiles and buses in life-likescenes representing the 1890’s – 1980’s in a cross-country journey from NewYork to San Francisco. A member of the Smithsonian Institution AffiliationsProgram, the museum sits just off Route 39, one mile west of HersheyparkDrive in Hershey, PA.

antique automobile club of america museum

161 museum dr, hershey, pa

717-566-7100 • www.aacamuseum.org

BMGis the only flagship dealership in

Orange County, hosting the full line

of Triumph High Performance mo-

torcycles. We offer a large selection

of Triumph and aftermarket parts

& accessories, as well as selling and

servicing all makes and models.

Open 7 Days a week • OPEN SUNDAY • M-F 9a-7p • Sat 9a-5p • Sun 10a-2p

685 Route 17M • Middletown NY • 845-342-2453

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BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 31

gronsky’s milk housE

125 W MAIN ST, HIGH BRIDGE, NJ 08829908-638-6030 • WWW.GRONSKYSMILKHOUSE.COM

BREAKFAST: 6AM-11AM WEEKDAYS • TILL NOON WEEKENDS

LUNCH: 11AM-2:30PM WEEKDAYS • TILL 1:30PM WEEKENDS

CASH ONLY

Wiling away the winter hours, we do lots of searching for eateries and ice creamshoppes to fill your fancies and bellies. One such place, which had piqued my in-terest, also showed up on a Top Breakfast List. Folks have been visiting this placesince 1978 and it doesn’t look like they’ll be stopping any time soon.

Found in beautiful Hun-terdon county, with itsrolling farmland and countryroads, Gronsky’s MilkHouse has been a staple forlocals for many a year.Jackie and Steve Gronskyopened the luncheonette/icecream shoppe, and their sonTodd is now running thejoint. Their small diner-styleseating area fills quickly forbreakfast on weekends, butis worth the wait. On a hot summer evening, you can saunter up to the window for your ice cream fix andenjoy it on one of their outdoor tables or picnic benches overlooking the south branch of the Raritan River.

Even though you are reading this in my Ice Cream Run column, we made a stop at Gronsky’s for lunchone day, so you’re getting a double whammy of GAADR this month. While most tables were filled, wefound a spot and perused the menu. You’ll find your usual diner staples – burgers, dogs, BLT and grilledcheese. Being this is a Jersey establishment, pork roll makes an appearance for breakfast and lunch. Saladsare available for you herbivores, as well as chicken, egg and tuna salads, and fried chicken, shrimp or clamstrips. Sandwiches come with a bag of chips, but you can upgrade with a very large order of regular orsweet potato fries, onion rings, pierogies or assorted side salads.

On this day, Brian ordered up a turkey BLT with the VL fries and I, upon seeing one at the next table,opted for the Reuben. The turkey BLT was served, piled high, on some very thick and tasty looking toast.The Reuben came on rye, grilled to perfection, and extremely filling.

Page 32 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

WHEEL SPORT CENTER399 Huguenot Street

New Rochelle NY 10801-7001

914-636-7235 • wheelsportcenter.net

se habla espanol!

I suppose I chose to forego the order of French fries so I could sample theirice cream (although I did help Brian eat them – a lot). Gronsky’s does notmake their own ice cream (not sure why, they have ‘Milk House’ in thename), but serves up a very good selection of hard ice cream flavors, as wellas some soft. After sorting through the dozen or so flavors, I chose a scoopof peanut butter ripple (our waitresses personal favorite). Being as I savedBrian from stuffing himself with all those French fries, all I could managewas a small cup, and could have eaten the whole thing if I hadn’t offeredBrian a taste. Creamy, with a good amount of peanut butter chunks embed-ded. You can get your dairy delight in a cup, cone, sundae, milk shake orfloat.

I hear that they do a kick-ass breakfast, which we’ll have to go back tosample. You’ll find egg platters, complete with home fries and toast, breakfastsandwiches, pork roll included, omelettes of all descriptions and pancakes.On weekends, you can splurge with their waffles – one or two. Gronsky’sprides itself on the size (dinner-plate, I’m told) and variety of their pancakes(pumpkin in the fall and berries in season, with accompanying flavored but-ters). If you happen to be riding with a larger-than-average group, soundslike you could wait a bit on weekends, so be prepared.

We’ll give you a great little jaunt so you’ll be ready for breakfast, lunch orjust some icy refreshment when you arrive. Enjoy and we’ll see you nexttime on Shira’s Ice Cream Run.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 33

CIRCLECYCLE

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web: www.circlecycle.net

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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.

Page 34 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

Our New Hosts

Dan & Fawn

Schneider

Invite you to sample our

home cookin’ 7 days a week

at the World Famous

Cedar Rapids

Don’t forget to check out

our website for weekly

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Member of

Take a ride on one of the Northeast’s

Scenic Byways - Route 97 - 20 miles north

of Port Jervis. Dine with your fellow

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Enjoy our Expanded Canopied Decks

Open 7 Days for Lunch and Dinner

SEE YOU THERE!

Rip & Ride® • GRONSKY’S MILK HOUSE125 W MAIN ST, HIGH BRIDGE, NJ 08829

908-638-6030 • WWW.GRONSKYSMILKHOUSE.COM

80-MILE ONE WAY RIDE • WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/PRO/DL/NDORNX

START: HIGH POINT STATE PARK, NJ

RTE. 23 NORTH

LEFT AT SAW MILL RD.

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RIGHT AT NEILSON RD/MATTISON RESERVOIR

RIGHT AT CHURCH HILL RD - BRANCHVILLE

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CROSS RTE. 206

STRAIGHT UP KEMAH LAKE RD. CR 633

BEAR LEFT ONTO CR 521 SOUTH

NOW KNOWN AS “MONKEY WITH A GUN”

LEFT AT CR 659

LEFT AT RTE. 94 SOUTH

BEAR LEFT AT SILVER LAKE RD.

LEFT AT RIDGEWAY AVE.

RIGHT AT CR 519NOW KNOWN AS “THE TALON”

LEFT AT SHILOH RD.

BEAR RIGHT AT STATE PARK RD.

BECOMES FAIRVIEW RD.

LEFT AT CR 611

HARD LEFT AT MOUNTAIN LAKE RD.

LEFT AT FREE UNION RD.

RIGHT AT US 46

RIGHT AT PEqUEST FURNACE RD.

LEFT AT PEqUEST RD.

RIGHT AT JANE CHAPEL RD.

BEAR RIGHT AT MT. BETHEL RD.

STRAIGHT AT CR 629

STRAIGHT AT POINT MOUNTAIN RD.

BEA RIGHT AT CR 645

LEFT AT HOLLOW RD.

BEAR LEFT AT ANTHONY RD.

RIGHT AT SLIKER RD.

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LEFT AT OBSERVATORY RD

(STOP BY THE OBSEVATORY)

RIGHT AT CR 513

RIGHT AT CREGAR RD.

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GRONSKY’S MILK HOUSE ON RIGHT

Peter Miller

“tis better to light a candle than curse the darkness”1. If he was still with us

today that is the kind of thing Jeff Bahr would likely say. Jeff was always the

optimist, always quick to make those around him laugh. I would like this article

to mirror that phrase, the darkness being the kind of crash that took Jeff from

us. The candle being the information that may help us recognize why crashes

like that are so common for motorcyclists, and how we can avoid them.

I never saw himInattentional blindness2 and its impact on motorcyclists

Each year approximately 5000 motorcyclist die in crashes, many more areinjured. Almost half of those are the result of a collision with another motorvehicle, notably a car, sometimes a truck. A sizable percentage of thosecrashes are caused by motorists who pull out in front of an approaching mo-torcyclist or turns across the lane of an oncoming motorcyclist. No doubtany rider reading this article has experienced one or more close calls, at anintersection, pulling out from a driveway, or having someone make a left turnin front of you seconds before you reach his location. When those types ofcrashes occur the most common response from the motorists to the investi-gating law enforcement officer is “I never saw him”. In many cases, it’s true.

Many motorcycle groups, motorcyclists and motorcycle organizations, Ibelieve, often portray us as victims, mowed down by “cagers” on cell phonesor careless drivers with no regard for our safety. Those events occur but weas motorcyclists can and must take more responsibility for insuring our ownsafety on the highways. Formal training, DOT compliant helmets, refrainingfrom drugs and alcohol, proper lane positioning, improved conspicuity, re-sponsible vehicle operation and proper riding gear are things that will helpto prevent crashes or minimize injuries if a crash occurs.

When a crash results from a motorist’s turning in front of a motorcyclistor pulling out in front of a motorcyclist it is referred to as a “right of way”violation crash. They account for a large number of crashes, about 50% (it

should be noted that about 40% of motorcycle fatal crashes are single vehiclecrashes) (3). The “I never saw him” phenomena so often cited is a result ofinattentional blindness, a phrase first used by researchers Arien Mack andIrvin Rock. It occurs when a person fails to see an unexpected object eventhough it is fully visible. Motorcycles are unexpected because drivers expectto see cars, trucks and busses. Motorcycles are incongruent stimuli, not ex-pected or programmed into the minds of many drivers. Ironically the moreexperience a driver has on the highway the more likely he or she is to expe-rience inattentional blindness. Years of driving experience have reinforcedthe expectation of cars and trucks on the road, not motorcycles. We are in-frequent. That may be because motorcycles account for 3% of all registeredvehicles in the US and in most areas of the US motorcycles are used only 4or 5 months of the year and for many motorcyclists, only on weekends.

There are other reasons motorists don’t see us. Motorcycles present a smallprofile compared to other traffic. A motorcycle may be obscured from viewdue to a utility pole, shrub, mailbox or other such obstacle. Even the “A” pil-lar of a vehicle, that structural support on either side of the windshield, cancompletely block a motorist’s view of a motorcycle. Combine this with poorlane positioning where we may easily be blocked by other vehicles, espe-cially SUVs, vans, trucks and busses, we can easily be hidden from view.And there’s more. The small profile of a motorcycle combined with the in-frequency with which many motorists see us makes it difficult for them tojudge our approach speed. They may pull out in front of us not realizing weare approaching much faster than they realize. But there’s more. Studies ofDragonflies revealed how they are able to approach their prey undetected.They will approach in a straight line, not veering left or right (referred to asX-motion) and will remain in line with a fixed object behind them. This cre-ates the illusion that they are moving slowly or not moving at all. Dependingon our angle of approach to opposing vehicles or intersections we may beunwittingly tricking other motorists by camouflaging our approach.

So, what can we do to protect ourselves? Plenty! First, be aware of some

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 35

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warning signs that a motorist may not see you. A rapidapproach to a stop sign with an abrupt stop may indicatethat the motorist is in a hurry and may be too quick topull out. Is he using a cell phone? Caution. Chattingwith passengers? Caution. Not looking in your direc-tion? Caution.

What else can we do? As I mentioned earlier, training and proper gear are a

great start. Always ride as though you are invisible, you often

are. Position your motorcycle so that your presence isnot blocked by other vehicles. Move about in your ownlane to increase your chances of being seen as you ap-proach intersections or cars preparing to make a turnacross you lane.

Slow your approach to potentially hazardous situa-tions such as intersections and cover your brakes in theevent you have to stop should a vehicle pull out. Iden-tify escapes routes if needed.

Consider adding additional lights to the front of yourbike. Placing the lights lower than your headlight andcreating a triangle affect greatly increases your con-spicuity. I added a set of MotoLites to my bike in 2004,mounting them on the front brake calipers. There is nodoubt in my mind that the number of close calls at in-tersections was greatly reduced. I was more visible.Other manufacturers such as PIAA make fine lights foreasy mounting as well.

Wear brightly colored clothing and a bright color hel-met. One of my favorite riding companions, Dr. John,wears a bumble bee yellow helmet and people alwayscomment on its visibility.

If riding with others stay in a staggered position somotorists see two headlights approaching rather thanone. It’s a bigger picture.

Consider installing a headlight modulator whichmakes your headlight constantly modulate from brightto dim. They are legal in all 50 states.

Stay alert. Be safe.

1. Peter Benenson, the English lawyer and founder ofAmnesty International.

2. “Inattentional Blindness” (Mack & Rock, 1998).   

3. NHTSA (July 2012) Traffic Safety Facts, 2010 Data.Motorcycles. DOT HS 811 639

Page 36 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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A stowaway stretch knit rain hood with rubber-ized waterproof aqua barrier and neck gatorplus an interior stow away jacket com-partment makes this style the perfecttraveling companion for any des-tination.

The Horizon Rain Suit isbuilt with an outer shellconstructed in sturdy light-weight waterproof breath-able rip stop nylon and astretch knit hood withrubberized aqua barrierand neck gator con-cealed under collar.

When not in use theHorizon can bestowed away in a selfcontained EZ-PackStorage System stor-age pocket located inthe interior of the jacket.

It features a double storm placket front closurewith two-way zipper and adjustable Velcro closurestraps at elbows and wrists. Adjustable slide buck-les at waist plus shock cord bottom detail offermaximum adjustability. It also utilizes two exterior

waterproof pockets plus inside stor-age pocket with a Micro fiberlined collar for added comfort.

For dark and stormy weatherriding the Horizon Jacket andpant come with 3M Scotch-lite® reflective piping at frontand back plus oversized re-flective screen print at sidearms for enhanced visibility inlow light situations.

If it gets sticky the mesh air-flow lining allows for coolingrelief.

If you are in need of a rainsuit the Horizon from Olympiais hard to beat.

The Jacket lists for $89.99and the pants for $79.99, butcomes with the new MotoQuestRiding Gear as a standard addi-tion.

See your Olympia dealer orlog onto olympiamotosports.comfro more info.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 37

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eVerY MontH - WeAtHer perMittinGEvery 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

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

4th Tuesday • Ladies Only Rides • Harley Davidson Long Branch, 671, Broadway, LongBranch, NJ • Meet at 6pm • Runs through Sept. 732-229-8518

2nd Wednesday • Restore the Shore Dinner Ride • Harley Davidson Long Branch, 671,Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • Meet at 6pm • Runs through Sept. 732-229-8518

4th Wednesday • Jersey Shore Ice Cream Run • Harley Davidson Long Branch, 671,Broadway, Long Branch, NJ • Meet at 6pm • Runs through Sept. 732-229-8518

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

June 201428 • Woodstock Harley-Davidson Red, White & Blues Party Car & Bike Show • AACAMid-Hudson Region trophies. Free BBQ. All makes and models welcome • 949 SR 28,Kingsotn, NY • 845-338-2801 • www.woodstockharley.com

28-29 • Rock, Ribs & Ridges Music and BBQ Festival • Sussex County Fairgrounds,37 Plains Rd, Augusta, NJ. Presented by Franklin Sussex Auto Mall. 2 days of peace,music, bbq and brew. Adults: $40-75; Children: $15-25 • www.rockribsandridges.com

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

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

29 • Warriors Run Motorcycle Ride for our Military to benefit Wounded Warriors. Policeescorted ride. Start/End: Madison Avenue High School, New Milford, NJ. Sign in: 8-10am;KSU 10:30 sharp. Rider: $25; Passenger: $15; Walk-in: $10. After party food, motorcycledemonstrations, entertainment, vendors • www.warriorsrunnj.com

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

11-13 • New Jersey Motorsports Park hosts AHRMA Vintage Motorcycle Festival. Thun-derbolt Raceway, Millville, NJ. Racing and exhibition. www.njmp.com

12-13 • Island Powersports hosting Victory Demo Truck. Ride it then Buy it. Specials anddiscounts. 4116 Sunrise Highway, Massapequa, NY • 888-379-8652 • www.IslandPow-ersports.com

12-13 • 38th Annual Ramapo 500™ • Sign in and 'day-of' registration 7-9am, Veterans'Memorial Association, 66 Lake Foad East, Congers, NY. This two-day 500-mile tour, de-signed and orchestrated by the Ramapo Motorcycle Club, will take participants on anoriginal ride through the northeast along back-country roads and routes less-traveled, cul-minating at a unique camping venue (hotel accommodations will be available). Dinnerand breakfast, pins, patches, and dozens of prizes and awards 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 at www.ramapomc.org

13 • Woodstock Vintage Motorcycle Ride. Meet 11am at Woodstock Lodge, Country ClubRd, Woodstock, NY. NO CHARGE. Lunch stop on ride. 40 mile ride int he Catskills Mtn.For more info 845-389-7333

14 • Bob’s BMW Track Day at Summit Point Racetrack. Be the better rider you alwayswanted to be. For full details visit www.BobsBMW.com

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

14 • Bob’s BMW Hospitality Days at Summit Point Racetrack with Jeremy Cook.

18-20 • Motorcycle Skills Competition and Motorcycle Run. Friday and Saturday 8am-4pm Practice and Elimination • Sunday 8am-2pm Finals and Awards. Willowbrook Mall,NJ $35/pp must be over 18. Motorcycle Run 7/20. Sign in Bergen County Harley David-son, 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ 8-9am • KSU 9:15 police-escorted run to Willow-brook Mall Finals competition. $25/rider; $15 passenger. ww.bergenharley.com

19 • NJSPCA’s ‘Ruff’Rider Charity Run. Sign in: 9am Bergen County Harley Davidson,124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ 9am • KSU 10am sharp. $20/rider;$10passenger ornon-riding BBQ only. Includes BBQ, beverage, music and raffle ticket. 201-843-6930

20 • Second Generation MA 11th Annual Motorcycle Dice Run to benefit United Hospiceof Rockland County. Sign in : Rhodes North Tavern, 40 Orange Tpke, Sloatsburg, NY •

Page 38 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR What’s Happening

9:30-11am. Riders: $20; passengers: $10; Walk-in: $20 • Scenic country ride, huge bar-becue, live music by Love Cats • www.secondgenerationma.org

20 • 4th Annual Ride for Independence to benefit Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Bloom-field, CT.Sign in: 9-11:30am; Ride leaves Noon; Lunch from 1:30pm. $40/bike. Scenicpolice-escorted 50-mile loop with gourmet barbeque lunch by Black Eyed Sally’s, liveconcert by Shovelhead, mendors, on-site K-9 demonstration and more. 103 Vision Way,Bloomfield, CT • www.fidelco.org

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

29 • Liberty Harley Davidson Blacktop Bike Night. Live music, vendors, food and bever-ages. 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ • www.LibertyHarley.com • 732-381-2400

AuGust 20142-3 • Odd Ball Old Dob 10th Annual Bike Show and Ride, Curtiss Museum Classic Mo-torcycle Festival, hammondsport, NY • 607-569-2160 • www.oddballolddog.net

9 • Bob’s BMW meetup with BMWBMW special tech session. For more details visitwww.BobsBMW.com. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949

17 • FW Speer Yamaha Foggy Mountain Reliability Run. Registration: $20. Sign in 8:30-10am at dealership. Expert/Novice classes. 7 Main Ave, Passaic, NJ • 973-778-6256 •www.speeryamaha.com

17-20 • BACKROADS SUMMER SQUEEZE. We’ll be playing hooky during the weekand heading back to West Dover, Vermont and the Gray Ghost Inn. Two days of great rid-ing, hanging with friends old and new and more. We’ll have a group dinner Mondaynight and Movie Night Tuesday with ‘Why We Ride’ - we’ll supply the popcorn. Call Carinaat 800-745-3615 to reserve your room today. Alternate lodging available at the KitzhofInn • 802-745-3615 www.Kitzhof.com and Big Bears Lodge • 802-464-5591 www.Big-BeargLodge.com - both within walking distance of the Gray Ghost Inn.

23-24 • Bob’s BMW Hospitality Days at Summit Point Racetrack with Jeremy Cook. Forfull details please visit www.BobsBMW.com

28-31 • Killington Classic, Killington, VT. Great roads, good food and fun times •www.KillingtonClassic.com • 518-798-0858

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 forVets, 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, FahestockSt 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 for best poker hand. Trophies forbest 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 and end at Hampton Inn, Elkins, WV base location. Dailyrides average 8.5 hours covering 350 miles. Limited to 33 riders. $50 incl. Sat. eveningclosing dinner, rider card and prizes for top three finishers. Discounted lodging arrange-ments in place at base location (304-630-7500). For full details call or visit 914-328-7909 • www.triotour.org

14 • Italian Motorcycle Owners Club 31st Annual Italian Motorcycle Meet - America’sLongest Running All Italian Bike Meet. Hamilton Rod & Gun Club, 24 Hamilton Rd, Stur-bridge, MA. 10am-3pm. $10pp/$15 two-up. Incl. rally pin and door prize ticket. Refresh-ments and food available, Italian-only swap meet, vendors. Info: www.imocusa.com

14 • Ride for Kids/Baltimore-Washington DC. Join Bob’s in reaching our goal and bene-fiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Turf Valley Resort, Ellicott City, MD. For moreinfo visit www.RideForKids.org

20 • Bob’s BMW Oktoberfest Fall Open House and Swap Meet. Food, vendors, prizes,specials and Annual Swap Meet. Seel, trade and buy used aprts, apparel, accessoriesand more. 10720 Guilford Rd, Jessup, MD • 301-497-8949 • www.BobsBMW.com

sept. 26-28 • Backroads Fall Fiesta • shippensburg, pA16th Backroads Fall Fiesta. Shippen Place Hotel, Shippensburg, PA. Surrounded by someof the most scenic and twistalicious roads in Pennsylvania. We’ll have a group dinnerSaturday night (pre-registration IS 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 BackroadsGroup when booking. www.shippenplace.com • 717-532-4141

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 39

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It’s a nat’ral thing don’t you knowtom Johnson the doobie Brothers

Sometimes I think the most natural thing on some mo-torcycle adventures is a good soaking.

It’s sad, but true.So as we were prepping for the first road tour of 2014 I

was not in the least bit surprised to see yet another paletteof red, yellow and orange bands running off the US radarinto Canada - who deserve this after the cold weather theysent us this winter.

Our destination was Natural Bridge, in the Common-wealth of Virginia, and the 4th Annual Spring Fling withthe fold from Morton’s BMW.

We were not the only ones that would be keeping an eyeon this storm as this event draws a lot of like-minded riderslooking to get out on the road.

We had planned a mid-morning departure, running alongthe mountains of Pennsylvania and across the SusquehannaRiver, in a generally southerly direction.

Stopping for lunch we caught up with the radar and knewthat we had a bit of a race, with our planned overnight inWinchester, Virginia.

We had one of our Fall Fiesta Rallies in this city a fewyears back, and Shira had found a great Bed & Breakfastfor the night.

Question was – who would get to Winchester first – thestorm or us?

Near Shippensburg we bit the bullet and headed duesouth on the big road.

Time and again we got blasted by a few moments of rainand then it would stop as quickly as it started.

No big deal - but for the size and fierceness of each drop.This was going to get nasty.

Crossing into Virginia the Garmin’s NAVTEQ lit up andthe sky went dark. We lost the race.

Page 40 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Our last 20 or so miles into Winchester was what they used to call a “gulleywasher.” Thankfully the owner of the B & B was kind enough to help us getinside and comfortable.

The rains hit and missed all night and we were able to find a great pizzarestaurant along the pedestrian mall and made it an early night – hoping thebikes wouldn’t get carried away by some flash flood.

It was a heck of a night. Driving rain, wind and more driving rain.The morning was damp, but heartening. Did I detect a brighter sky to the

west?Shira put together a fantastical route (no dirt, but a few flooded bridges)

and as we rode south along the valley roads, with the Skyline Drive miles toour east, each mile got better and better.

A roadside breakfast of eggs and biscuits made the morning and by earlyafternoon we were in bright sunshine, riding along rivers that seemed swollento biblical proportions.

We made a leisurely stop at Natural Chimneys Regional Park, in Mt. Solon.

A wondrous citadel of rocks - The scenicbeauty of Natural Chimneys Park providesthe ideal location for the National JoustingHall of Fame and is also home to the an-nual jousting tournament known as“America’s oldest continually held sport-ing event.”

They would not let us joust, even thoughwe brought our own horses – of a kind.

Unlike most Virginia rivers the Maury iscontained entirely within RockbridgeCounty. It does not cross any county lines.While nature designed the Maury as a fastflowing stream from its headwaters to theconfluence with the James, several damshave changed its personality.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 41

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All H E Double Hockey Sticks had broken loose!This day the dams were at their limits and I have

never seen such rough and tumble water in a deepvalley river such as this.

We were glad the storms had passed and that Jeff,Steve and everyone from Morton’s were set for anexcellent rally.

We rolled into Natural Bridge by late afternoon, settledin and went to sign-in.

Along with the great venue, Morton’s had a number of vendors on handincluding Olympia, Schuberth, Shad, Klim and others.

We began running into some friends from our riding past aa well as somenew ones we were meeting for the first time.

By evening time the hotel was full and folks began to line up for dinner alfresco – Brats & Brews – perfect choice for a BMW event.

Hey, some riders have pig roasts. BMW riders do this sort of thing.The theme for this rally was “The Search for Stonewall” and Steve An-

derson had put together a Scavenger Hunt in and around the city of Lexing-ton.

Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson, for you Yankees, was a Confeder-ate general during the American Civil War, and one of the best-known Con-

federate commanders after General Robert E. Lee.One little known fact is the famous General has two burial places. One for

himself proper and one for his arm, which was amputated after being acci-dentally shot by one of his own men.

Jackson’s arm was about to be tossed on the pile of limbs outside the med-ical tents — until his military chaplain decided to save it.

“When Mrs. Jackson was informed that the arm was amputated and givena full Christian burial,” it is said, “they will ask her if she wants it exhumedand buried with the general. She will decline, not wishing to disturb a Chris-tian burial.”

But that’s not the end of the story. Despite Mrs. Jackson’s wishes, the gen-eral’s arm was not left alone. Union soldiers dug it up in 1864.

It’s said they reburied it; no one knows where.Saturday Morton’s had a number of events, including a dual-sport ride and

Page 42 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

some interesting seminars including one on touring in Morocco given by Morton’s owner Jeff Massey.With a beautiful day on hand many decided it was time just to ride.Following Shira we hooked up with Backroads alumni Ed2 (two guys named Ed) and headed north then west back towards the Maury River; which still looked

impressive even a day later.This part of Virginia is really a stunning place to ride and circling through a few small towns, avoiding as much civilization as possible we finally latched onto

some tight mountain roads that followed along some impressive streams and rivers on equally impressive pavement.Why go around a mountain when you can go over it.Shira set a quick pace, which Ed2 easily matched and

I rode tail.Eventually we began to slant back east and then up

to the Blue Ridge Parkway which, to be honest, is justa nice road compared to the magic Shira had searchedout earlier in the day.

Just north of Natural Bridge, we passed the conflu-ence of the Maury and James Rivers.

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This day they looked more like theMississippi.

I stopped for a quick photo-op inGlasgow – “The Town that Time For-got” – of their dinosaur and caveman.It seems in this area there is a lot of“kitch” -roadside attractions that evenSeymour O’Life would shake his headin disbelief at.

Continuing on it was a short blastback to the hotel for a late lunch andbit of a nap before dinner.

Morton’s had set up a great banquetfor their group and, unfortunately forthis well-traveled group, the speakersfor the night were Shira and I – whichmeans me, with Shira changing slideson the power point presentation.

The dinner was great but the speakerwas a bit dry.

Still, the folks here were very gra-cious and I only had to verbally banterwith one anti-New Jersey heckler.

Like most rallies the last night wasspent chatting it up at the bar or theporch and kicking tires down in thehotel’s long lot.

Early the next morning we awoke tothe quiet hum of a “K-Bike” firing upand quickly leaving as the sun beganto lighten the Blue Ridge to the east.

A quick breakfast with friends andShira and I made our farewells too.

We’d like to thank Jeff, Steve andall the crew from Morton’s for the in-vite and a most excellent weekend.

Morton’s holds this Spring Flingeach season and there are few betterways to start the season then a rallylike this.

It’s just natural.

Page 44 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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JUST ANNOUNCED!BACKROADS SUMMER SQUEEZE

Sun., Aug. 17 - Wed. Aug. 20 • West Dover, Vermont

See details on page 51, Facebook or www.backroadsusa.comwww.facebook.com/pages/Backroads-Motorcycle-Touring-Magazine/86102625812

‘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.

INSURRECTION:

An ACt or instAnCe oF reVoltinG

AGAinst estABlisHeD GoVernMent.

The insurrection.That is what Shira and I have taken to calling Saturday

night at the last Backroads’ Fall Fiesta.Due to acts of God, carelessness on the part of Pennsyl-

vania’s DOT highway paving program and some maybe‘iffy’ GPS routing we had a revolt of sorts – mostly led bywives with Chablis – over said day’s riding in the Alleghe-nies.

We do want to point out it was the ALLEGHENIES andwhat was a few yards of gravel anyway?

Please insert smile here.During that evening a rumor was started (probably by us)

that we might be getting to the end of this nearly 20 yearrun of Backroads Rallies.

Probably not - as we had this year’s Spring Break bookedand plans forming within a week or two of getting homefrom the Fall Fiesta.

The plan this spring was easy. Go to a region that hadmiles of solidly paved roads and a number of pre-done, mo-torcycle friendly, routes from the local tourism departmentand a nice little town to call home for a long Memorial Dayweekend.

Marion, Virginia.Yep, this was a bit south for some but, in truth, we have

taken you further.And, this part of Virginia is for Riders!We had been down south for about a week now, riding in

for the Morton’s Rally in Natural Bridge, Virginia and thenexploring parts west.

On the Thursday before Memorial Day weekend ma-chines started to roll into the town of Marion, Virginia andeven though the rally wouldn’t start until the following day

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 45

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THE MALLTERNATIVE

BACK

ROAD

S SP

RING

BRE

AK 2

014

we had a good crowd thatevening at the local restau-rants and the patio over-looking the flag-festoonedMain street of the town.

We always love whenfolks make the effort tocome along with us onthese weekend jaunts, espe-cially when they are such along distance for some, butwere especially happy tosee Backroad’s friends Fred and Cherrie Rau, who were, once again, ridingaround the continent to various rallies and functions as an ambassador forCan-Am Spyder.

The next few days looked good weather-wise and we knew Friday wouldfill up the hotel and then some for a weekend of some of the best riding inthis part of the United States.

The weekend was full of promise.With most riders coming in later that Friday afternoon a number of us took

off that morning forthe Saltville Slither,a loop of just about100 miles, thatwould put us back inMarion by mid-af-ternoon and allow usto say hello as ridersarrived to the hoteland town.

This was one ofhalf a dozen routes

we had ‘borrowed’ from the Smyth County Tourism folks. They all lookedfun, interesting and twisty so we went with the local riding suggestions.

This would avoid any rebellion in case of pavement malfunction.Saltville is just a short 20 or so miles from Marion and arriving at the Mid-

dle Appalachian Museum at opening we took a stroll through this neat build-ing with its timeline history and pet mastodon skeleton.

Salt has been around for all of humankind and was once even used as cur-rency. This is why we get a salary.

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Hot breakfast, cooked to order.

BYOB bar, firepit, pool, hot tub,game room and WiFi.

Free Maps and Suggested Rides.

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On-site Group Dinners available.

5 restaurants/bars within walking distance

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Motorcyclist-Friendly Destination LodgingLocated on Scenic

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Casual Brunch • Lunch • DinnerIndoor or Al Fresco

Sensational Stay@ Sensible Rates

Incredible view andwarm, welcoming staff

Page 46 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

From Saltville we took to State Road 80, a tight and serpent-like road risingup and over the mountain and which demanded all our attention.

This dropped us off on Route 19. We headed into the town of Lebanon forlunch at a small place called the Pioneer that claimed to have the “Best HotDogs & Hamburgers in the USA!” I am not going to give out any awardsbut they did have a decent burger for sure.

We then got back on 19 to Route 16, also known as the Back of the Dragon.Some 33 miles long and crossing over three mountains this is a dragon thatneeds to be ridden… multiple times.

Near Marion we stopped for a spell near the lake at Hungry Mother StatePark, one of the nicest places to sit that we know of and then headed intotown for a quick shower and to see who showed up for this year’s SpringBreak.

The General Francis Marion had gone beyond the call of duty when wehad booked this jaunt into Virginia and that evening they put out hors d’oeu-vres for our group with a cash bar, which after a great day’s ride in Virginiafor some and down to the town for others, worked perfectly.

The Backroads Spring Break was officially underway.

At Americade each year FredRau holds his morning coffeeclub. Basically a bull session onall things motorcycle, Fred waskind enough to agree to do onethat Saturday morning at ourhotel. About two dozen folksjoined us this morning and theconversation was both lively andinformative. Thank you Fred!

After breakfast, riders gearedup with smaller groups havingtheir own plans and agendas. Our group was going to hit three states; ridingfrom Virginia into North Carolina and then back through a bit of Tennesseefollowing the ‘Snake and Back.’

The weather was brilliant as were the roads and the group’s riding for thatmatter.

Route 421, locally known as ‘The Snake!’

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 47

Ironhorse Motorcycle Lodge is the Smoky Mountains Premier ‘Motorcycle-only’ resort.Located in the heart of the Smoky Mountains and minutes from all the great motorcyclingroads like ‘Tail of the Dragon’, Cherohalla Skyway, Blue Ridge Parkway and Moonshiner28. Amenities include on-premise restaurant for breakfast and dinner with creeksidedining, covered bike parking, nightly group campfire, laundry, gift shop and WiFi DSLHotSpot. We have a pavilion with multimedia entertainment, private function meetingroom, RV sites as well as rustic luxury cabins cabin rooms, bunkhouse and tent camping.Perfect for singles, couples or group getaways.

Located in Stecoah, NC • 828-479-3864 • www.ironhorseNC.com

Like the Back of the Dragon it is more than 30 miles long and The Snakehas 489 curves and rides up and over three mountains.

The road was both fun and challenging and we made it a point of stopping at the Shady Valley generalstore for a lunch of fried bologna “samiches,” with fried pickles and pork skin.

Yikes - like the Eagles sang, “Call the doctor I think I’m gonna crash!”We crossed back on Highway 133 which took us through Backbone Rock – and the world’s shortest railroad

tunnel over Beaverdam Creek.The road followed the creek for miles and just highlighted the natural beauty of this part of the country.When we got back to Marion two of our group broke off to ride the Back of the Dragon, while the rest con-

tinued on to Wytheville and more cardiac-friendly food at Skeeter’s World Famous Hot Dogs. Serving upbright red hot dogs since 1925 they claim to have served 9 million hungry bellies.

An added bonus was that Edith Bolling Wilson – Woodrow Wilson’s wife - was born upstairs. They havea small museum dedicated to this woman who, for all purposes, was the acting president when Woodrow Wil-son was stricken with a debilitating stroke.

Page 48 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

WHERE CAN YOU GETALL THIS AND SO MUCH MORE

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

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

We ate dogs, strolled the museum and then went to Plan B to return toMarion, heading back up the mountains to the east and then south, partlyon roads I had become a bit familiar with.

By late afternoon riders returned, with no incidents, accidents or doc-umentation and we got ready for the Spring Break Banquet.

Karen Glaeser, who was working closely with Shira on all this, andLindsey Kalber had brought together a great buffet that evening.

In all honesty, this hotel went beyond all expectations and we cannotrecommend the General Francis Marion highly enough if you are passingthrough or have a group looking for a base of operations while riding theaptly named roads of this region.

A few folks said some very nice things and we wanted to say a specialthank you to all the veterans who were in attendance. We all took a quietmoment to remember our own Jeff Bahr. Dr. John Petrocelli was kindenough to say a few words and we had a message from Jeff’s sister aswell. It was one of the harder things we have ever had to do at one of ourrallies and I pray we never have to do this again.

That Sunday was the last official day of the Spring Break and somegot a quick jump and headed home early that day while many othersheaded out to eat up one last day of pristine miles.

We strayed off the set routes with our friend Doc and Debbie and rodeto Burkes Gardens.

Sometimes referred to as “God’s Thumbprint” because of its view fromthe air, this mountain-ringed bowl is 10 miles in diameter and filled withsome of the most fertile farmland in the state. The area, which is the high-est mountain valley in Virginia, was designated a National and VirginiaRural Historical District. First discovered in the 1740’s by James Burkewhile hunting in the area, the name “Burke’s Garden” was given to thevalley as a joke in 1748 after Burke planted potato peelings by the camp-

fire of a 1748 surveying party. The next year, a fine crop of potatoes was found.Thus the name.These days it is a remote community and one of the most pristine places to live I have ever seen, made even more special with its one paved road that twists

and slithers over the western peaks and into the valley. We even found a camel farm here in God’s Thumbprint.Yep, I could happily live here.From here we rode to Big Walkers Lookout. At an elevation of 3,405 feet, Big Walker Lookout has one of the most spectacular views of the Appalachian

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 49

Mountains. Big Walker Lookout also features an observation tower that putsyou another 100 feet higher.

Timing is everything and rather than wait till lunch we found our ice creamhere early.

Atop the mountain overlooking the valley, once the scene of a bloody CivilWar battle, things could not be more right in the world.

We ran into fellow Backroads riders Helene, Laura and Kate, who hadheaded off on their own ride and adventure that morning– one that went off-road, cross-country, farm, stream and mud.

Their GS and R bikes looked properly tough when they got back to thehotel later that night.

All strayed back to Marion by late afternoon as we were all anxious to hearthe seminar we were lucky to have that evening, with Paul Donoghue givingan hour+ talk on the ins and outs of Garmin GPS and Base Camp operation– a subject that many really wanted to know more about.

The seminar was a huge hit and we hope Paul does more in upcomingBackroads’ events as he knows much and has much more to share on allthings GPS.

Page 50 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

Dinners were spread out around the town that evening andwith a Memorial Day parade set to shut down Marion at 10amwe were on the bikes and heading out at 8 the next morning.Vectoring north and east, we had a small group enjoying somegreat backroads, with an endsite of Winchester VA on the firstday. Returning to the site of our 2012 Spring Break, theGeorge Washington Hotel, we sat down for one last dinnerwith friends before blasting home the next day. We arrived byearly afternoon - another Backroads event in the books.

If our last rally had caused an insurrection, then this SpringBreak had its own coronation.

The hotel, the staff, the roads, the weather and the peoplecould not have been better. Add in Fred’s Coffee Club andPaul’s superb seminar and I do believe we might have donetoo well.

The bar has been raised for future events – Let’s see if we canreach it.

Thanks to all who joined in the fun; we hope you enjoyed as muchas we did; and we hope to see you in Shippensburg PA for the FallFiesta. For those who can make it, we will be holding our SummerSqueeze August 17-20 at the Gray Ghost in West Dover, VT, withadditional lodging within walking distance at the Kitzhof Inn andBig Bears Lodge, all on Route 100.

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 51

CARINA AND CREW AT THE GRAY GHOST INN ARE MARVELOUS HOSTS AND DO A

GREAT JOB CATERING TO MOTORCYCLISTS. THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOME OF

THE BEST RIDING IN THE COUNTRY AND AT THE END OF THE DAY THE HOT TUB,POOL AND FIRE PIT ARE WAITING FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT. COME JOIN US FOR A

QUICK SUMMER RIDE IN VERMONT AND SOME TIME WITH FRIENDS OLD AND NEW.MOVIE NIGHT - ‘WHY WE RIDE’ - COMPLETE WITH POPCORN.GROUP DINNER ON MONDAY WITH JESSE’S EXCELLENT COOKING.

Gray Ghost Inn • www.grayghostinn.com • 800-745-3615290 Route 100 North • West Dover, VT

More lodging: Kitzhof Inn • 802-464-8310 • www.Kitzhof.comBig Bears Lodge • 802-464-5591 • www.BigBearsLodge.com

WE FOUND A COUPLE

OF FREE DAYS IN

OUR SCHEDULE AND

HOPE YOU CAN TOO.

YEAH, WE KNOW IT’SDURING THE WEEK,

BUT EVERYONE NEEDS

A LITTLE BREAK.

SUMMER SQUEEZE

AUGUST 17-20, 2014

Ro

ute

73

9 •

Din

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, P

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GIVI SMART BARWhat is the Smart Bar? Just like its name says, the all new GIVI Smart Bar is a versatile handlebarmounted support system to hold all of your devices like GPS units, smartphones and electronics in asafe and rugged way.The main bar is made of aviation grade aluminum and can be easily modified by the user to fit his/herspecific ride and handlebar width. The all new S900A Smart Bar is capable of holding any of the GIVIS950 - S955 smart device holders.The S900A Smart Bar ($149.00 msrp) attaches to the top of your risers or handlebar clamp through an adjustablebracket and requires a specific mounting kit 01SKIT - 05SKIT compatible with over 74 specific make/modelmotorcycles. log onto giviusa.com for applications and pricing.

LIqUID PERfORMANCE ETHANOL EqUALIzER

& COMPLETE fUEL SYSTEM CLEANEREthanol EqualizerWe found this company in the vendor area at Morton’s BMW Spring Fling. Considering how ethanol simply soaks up water,especially if a bike is left for a spell in humid conditions, we were very interested in their Entanol Equalizer.Liquid Performance Ethanol Equalizer might be all you need to fix problems related to ethanol added fuels. Its synthetic blendprevents water build up, fuel system corrosion and ethanol phase separation that robs fuel of octane. Ethanol Equalizer replaceslost octane, increases horsepower, and stabilizes fuel for extended storage. One 4oz. bottle treats up to 40 gallons. This productis EPA registered. Available in 1oz. and 4oz. bottles.

complete Fuel system cleanerThe second product we think is a no-brainer and it is a good idea to run a fuel cleaner every month or so of heavy riding.Liquid Performance Complete Fuel System Cleaner is an advanced combustion chamber detergent, which is highly effectivefor all types of fuel system deposits. It provides superior intake valve deposit control, port fuel injection and carburetor deter-gency. Liquid Performance Complete Fuel System Cleaner reduces combustion chamber deposits and eliminates the cause ofpre-ignition, reduces run-on and rapidly cleans up carburetors, fuel injectors, intake valves and manifolds to restore your vehicles

original power, performance and fuel mileage.You can get these products at www.liquidperformance.com or Western Powersports andTucker-Rocky dealers for under $10.

LUNASEE 320In response to market demand, Lunasee LLChas expanded their side lighting safety systemfor motorcycles. The “hi-viz wheel lightingsystem” will now be offered in two models –The Lunasee 320 and the Lunasee Pro

1000. Both models will provide the low light driving visibility that Lunasee is known for, but the Lunasee320 carries a lower retail price. In addition, the LunaGlo photo luminescent rim tape will now be soldseparately to allow consumers to pick different colors for the first time ever!The Lunasee side lighting safety system significantly improves low light drivingsafety by creating an

Page 52 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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easily recognizable and identifiable light signature which identifies you as a motorcyclist to other vehicles - even if their lights are not shining on you as neededwith reflective components! The system makes a motorcyclist more visible and recognizable to other motorists on the road.The Lunasee 320 comes with an 80mA Quad LEDpod package consisting of four super bright 5mm LEDs per Quad LEDpod package, and are backed by a 1Year LED warranty. Also included in the charging kit are Cage Clamp Connectors to hook directly to power, drawing only 0.15 amps, universal mounting hard-ware and components. LunaGLO rim tape is now sold separately. The 320 (MSRP $109.95) provides a lower price point to get the benefits of Lunasee’s inno-vative hi-viz wheel lighting and is perfect for those motorcyclists that may not ride as frequently at night. The Lunasee Pro 1000 comes with 1-Watt High Power LEDpod package (3X power of 320 system) for MAX brightness and backed by a Lifetime LED war-ranty. The charging kit includes a controller which only draws 0.4 amps of power and regulates current to the 1-Watt High Power LEDs for maximum efficiencyand superior brightness. Universal mounting hardware and components are also included. LunaGLO rim tape is now sold separately. The Pro 1000 (MSRP$159.95) is perfect for those motorcyclists that ride frequently at night and want the brightest, longest lasting and most visible system on the market.log onto www.lunasee.com/ for more information.

NELSON RIGG COMPRESSION BAGSNelson Rigg has always addressed riders’ needs in the design of their products. All too

frequently you’ll hear “my bike just doesn’t have enough storage space”. While there isn’tanything they can do about that, what they can do is to provide riders a product that canhelp compress a number of different items into a smaller and more manageable space,making your available space more effective.

To help you accomplish this they are now offering three different sized CompressionBags. The Tri-Max nylon body of the main bag of each size has a generous opening mak-ing for easier placement of your items in to the bag. Once placed inside, just pull the draw-string on the main bag then slip the attached cap over the top, attach the quick releasesnap and then you can begin cinching down the 4 web straps to compress your items.These bags are wonderful to help you reduce the volume that bulky items such as sweaters,socks, underwear, rainsuits, vests, heated gear, tee shirts, bike covers and jeans take up inyour luggage.

Nelson Rigg Compression Bags are available in three easy to use sizes; Small *10L:18 1/2” x 7” Small $12.95; Medium *20L: 22 3/4” x 8 1/2” Medium $14.95; Large *35L:

25 1/2” x 11” Large $19.95 (* size stated is un-compressed) When you “need your space” come to Nelson Riggs new Compression Bags for relief. Currently they are available in a Black/Grey color combination only.

Each Nelson Rigg Compression Bag comes with a 1 year “No Hassle” warranty. Get yours from your local Nelson Rigg dealer or online at www.nelsonrigg.com

BACKROADS gladly accepts press releases for publication. Please forward text and high resolution images to editor@backroadsusa.com

BACKROADS • JULY 2014 Page 53

Page 54 JULY 2014 • BACKROADS

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Riverside Cafe & Lodge, nestled on the Beaverskill River in Roscoe, NYCIA-trained chef • Motel rooms and cabins • Free wi-fiExcellent base location to explore the lower Catskills

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We cater to road racers and support all Track Day organizationsCheck us for Suspension Setups • One-piece Road Race suits in stock

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Hudson Valley’s

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THURSDAY BIKE NIGHT IS BACK • join us at

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route 20, Bouckville, ny • 315-893-1810 • www.yeoldelandmark.com

ye olde landmark tavern5 Spacious Roomsstarting at $90.00

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Member ofFeatured in ‘We’re Outta Here’ Sept. 2011In the heart of great riding • Between Syracuse and Utica

Cooperstown • Finger Lakes • State Forests

Tues. thru Sat. 11am-10pmSunday: Breakfast 9am-Noon

Lunch and Dinner served until 9pm

The RivertonTravel along the scenic

backroads of the Delaware river.Meet the Markopoulos family

and taste chef George’sGreek American cooking.Best bar menu, lunch or dinner.

Fresh poppers, perogies, calamari, clamsand crispy wings with 8 different sauces.

John, Christina, chef George and Eoanna welcome you and your friends.

The Riverton Hotel and RestaurantAt Belvidere-Riverton Free Bridge, Riverton, PA

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

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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

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