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Motorcycle TourMagazine Years

of Riding Adventures

A World of

Riding AwaitsA World of

Riding Awaits

Americade 2010 • Adventures of Madeleine • Dog Days of Summer

Vol. 16 No. 8

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ Publishers

Contributors: Ken Aiken, Ralph Angelo, Jr, Adrian Blake, Christopher Bowling,Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Burt Richmond, Mike Stackhouse, Dr. Seymour O’Life

BACKROADS • POB 317, Branchville NJ 07826Phone 973.948.4176 • Fax 973.948.0823 • email [email protected] • web www.backroadsusa.com

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 2010. All rights reserved. BACKROADS™ may not be reproduced in any manner without specific written consent from the pub-lisher. BACKROADS™ welcomes and encourages submissions (text and photos) and suggestions. Include phone number with submissions. BACKROADS™ will only return material with enclosed sufficientpostage. The written articles and opinions printed in BACKROADS™ are not necessarily those of the publisher and should not be considered an endorsement. The Rip & Rides® published are ridden on thesole responsibilty of the rider. BACKROADS™ is not responsible for the conditions of the public roadways traversed. Please respect the environment, read your owner’s manual and wear proper protective gearand helmet. Ride within your limits, not over them.

TEST RIDES EVERY DAYTHE SUN SHINES

Come by today and take yours for a spin

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

F E A T U R E SSHIRA’S SUMERTIME ICE CREAM RIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

AMERICADE 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

DOGS ON THE DELAWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

THE MADELIENE ISLANDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

TURKEY, BULGARIS AND ROMANIA ON TWO WHEELS. . . . . . . . 42

THE BIRTHDAY RIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

MOTORCYCLING ADVENTURES IN THE PHILIPPINES . . . . . . . . . . 58

P R O D U C T R E V I E W SPRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

M O N T H L Y C O L U M N S

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

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

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

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

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

BACKLASH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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

WE’RE OUTTA HERE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

BIG CITY GETAWAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

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

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

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2010 Page 3

AMERICADE WOES

At this year’s Americade we were bom-barded by rumors about the rally and itsfuture. Some said this was it - the last Americade. Others stated that the rallywould be moving to another location, possibly another state. Still others saidthe State of NewYork and Albany were gouging event founder Bill Dutcherand were making the event cost prohibitive to him to run.We went in search of Bill to get

the lowdown on the entire issue.What we found out is truly

beyond the pale.For those of you who have been

heading to Lake George as manytimes as we have - this was our20th Americade - you know thatthings have evolved and changedover the years.Back in the mid-’90s Dutcher

approached the State of New Yorkwith a proposal to utilize the park-ing lot at Million Dollar Beach fora giant outdoor vendor area.At this time of year the parking

lot was empty and they have neverderived any income from that park-ing lot, other than the people who park there in the summer to swim in thelake. Lake George is a deep and cold lake, so very few folks try to swim init before the end of June.In Bill’s words, “When I offered them $10,000 in 1994, they were

delighted with this found money.” He went on to tells us how the fees

increasedfrom $10,000 to $52,000 from 1995 to 2009, and then in December 2009

they demanded $102,000, double the already outrageous amount.Why “outrageous”?Well, the lot is officially closed to the public Monday through Friday in

early June so they would derive nearly $0 from that property if Americadewere not there. Furthermore, during Americade their campgrounds are allfull, so forgetting the $46 million economic impact, even Department ofEnvironmental Conservation, the people in charge of the property, would behurting their own income if Americade had to leave.Dutcher and Americade, in addition, have to spend over $100,000 mak-

ing the lot into a tradeshow and then tearing it all down a week later. Andthey have to totally indemnify NYS DEC aswell as post a damage deposit, and alwaysrepair any damage to the lot and surroundingpark.It appears that New York State sees

Americade as their Cash Cow, but anyonewho knows the M/C biz, knows there are nocash cows left, including Americade.This year’s demand $102,000 demand

“shrank” to merely $72,000 after a letter toDEC’s Commissioner which pointed outthat the (lumpy, seagull-crap-covered,drains in wrong direction) parking lotshould be free to the convention which pro-vides that $46 million shot in the arm, aswell as a pro-Americade editorial in theAlbany Times Union. (Nonetheless, $72k isstill a 36% increase during an economic

depression) Their fee is slated to rise to about $87,000 next year. A localmotel owner has offered to cover the extra $15k but Americade still needs afair, multi-year contract in order to stay in NYS. How can you plan whenyou don’t know the price several years out?

(Continued on Page 24)

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

Brian Rathjen

Page 4 AUGUST 2010 • BACKROADS

WHAT PART OF FILLING AN OTHERWISEEMPTY TIME IN LAKE GEORGE

DOESN’T THE DEC UNDERSTAND?

RIDING LIKE A VULCAN

Later on in this issue, you’ll read about a ride I had planned which went a bit awry. It certainly was noth-ing earth shattering, but it was enough to set me seething. As much as Brian tried to calm me down, I wasgoing to be angry with myself until the cauldron bubbled out. From the moment I felt the heat rising, I knewway back in my brain that I wasn’t concentrating as I should on the task at hand, and that was piloting amotorcycle.Having to ‘hit the highway’ when planning on meandering along the small country roads of NJ and PA, I

completely ignored the speed limit, racing to get off the large tarmac as quickly as possible. With Brian’svoice in my helmet berating me for making bonehead passes and urging me to slow down, I just got angri-er, all the time knowing that nothing good would come of this. Arriving at our destination, the balloon burstwith the sight of a ‘closed’ sign and the boiling water rushed out of my head.Typically, I have a very even-tempered attitude. I try my best to look on the bright side of life, as Monty

Python puts it, and don’t get upset over things that I can’t change. Well, I obviously disregarded my own fol-lowings on this occasion. For a short ten-mile stretch of less-than-desirable roadway, I put myself, and thosearound me, in harm’s path.

Adopting a Vulcan demeanor while riding is a good thing. There are too many outside forces at work tolet them get into your head, disrupting your concentration or just your particular train of thought at thatmoment. While stuck, on a hot steamy summer day, in a work zone while your body temperature is on therise, try to keep your inner self in the cool zone. If that Soccer Mom happens to pull a pinhead move in frontof you because she’s too busy talking/texting/disciplining her kids, be prepared by being aware and not get-ting lost in a daydream mode.Recently, I’ve found myself poking around on my Garmin while I should be paying attention to what’s

happening around me, simply because I’m at a slow pace on a very lightly traveled roadway and feel ‘at ease’with the surroundings. I realize that for the past 20-30 seconds I have not been seeing what’s in front, behindor to the sides of where I am. Stupid move; lesson learned. If I’m no better than the texter in the car, how canI criticize?Just as dangerous is becoming complacent with your surroundings. There are a number of byways and

small roads around Backroads Central that we use for a short hop or quick lunch/errand ride. As much as I’dlike to think that I know these roads like the back of my hand, there are always variables to be added to theequation. The slow farm vehicle pulling out in front of you, the many critters around this time of year, theimpatient driver behind you sitting on your ass; Whatever the x-factor, if you are too busy in your own head,having a bad day and fuming about it, or fiddling with something that’s best left for when the bike is stopped,these things are ready and waiting to ruin your day. Take a deep breath, realize where and what you’re doingand put yourself in the right frame of mind.Let’s take a look at emotions and how they may affect your riding. Of course anger, in any form, can com-

pletely shut off your reasoning abilities. But what about depression or sadness? These surely can close youreyes to what’s about you, as you are so caught up in your own funk that the outside world is a blur.Happiness? I really can’t see anything wrong with riding while happy, other than your eyes may be closeddue to the huge grin on your face. Try not to do that.Try not to wear your emotions on your riding jacket sleeve. If you find yourself angry, upset, depressed,

anxious or anything that might take your concentration away from your riding, turn the key to the left andtake a moment. If something happens while you’re riding, find a peaceful stop to regroup. Your riding willbe better for it and it might just stop something more awful from happening. To take some words from thebest loved Vulcan ever to live, ‘Live Long and Prosper’ • dif-tor heh smusma.

W H A T C H A T H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL


LET’S GET SOME AIR

If you pay attention to the MotoGPChampionship; that wild, incredibly exciting roadracing series that is trulythe pinnacle of the sport, you no doubt are aware of Multi-time WorldChampionValentino Rossi’s practice crash in Italy where he badly broke hisright leg. Actually, even if you don’t pay attention to the series he still frac-tured his tibia, but he fortunately seems on the mend and will return to thesaddle before year’s end. He’s a true competitor and a very charismaticcharacter, and is handling the situation with his typical good cheer.I mention this incident because this particular crash not only had huge

ramifications for the ultimate points battle, but it also was interesting in thatRossi was wearing some serious state-of-the-art protective gear. Obviouslyhe still broke his leg, but his Dainese leathers with an on-board air bag sys-tem apparently helped protect him from further injury, primarily in the neckand upper back region. Valentino said as much in a Q &A session conduct-ed by his Fiat Yamaha Team communication’s manager:“I remember everything perfectly,” said Vali from his hospital bed. “I did-

n’t hit my head, I didn’t hit anything else. The airbag in my leathers workedvery well and my helmet was just slightly scratched. I don’t have a singlebruise! The problem was that I landed on my leg, and it was stuck under mybody. If I had landed on my back it would have been different.”The airbag system, which Dainese says they’ve been working on for a

very long time, is designed a bit differently than some street systems thathave been out for a while. Back in 2006 I got to play around with a vest andjacket from a company called AireTronics, which had an airbag with a real-ly simple deployment system. The airbag gets inflated by classic old CO2cartridges, which do their thing if you leave the motorcycle without unclip-ping the jacket from its tethering cable (whether you crash or just forget todeactivate it when you get off the bike. Oops). If you are separated from thebike, the tether simply yanks a cable that punctures the cartridge and thevest/jacket inflates, hopefully before you hit the terra firma. This is arguably

too slow, and a bit crude, yes, but still a start in the right direction I think. Idon’t know if AireTronics is around anymore, but there is a company calledArmored Air Jackets that looks to have a very similar product line.The Dainese D-Air System is a very different creature. The company

started experimenting back in 1995 with a system that was deployed fromthe helmet, and while this was never put into operation it really was usefulin showing how complicated the problem is, and how many different disci-plines come into play on the engineering front to make this work. Keyobjectives include super-fast deployment (like the airbags in cars), and acompact design that in no way interferes with the rider’s mobility, comfortor aerodynamic profile. After it goes off it needs to be fast and easy toremove (but not until the rider or safety worker wants it removed), and mostimportantly it has to have a deployment system that is completely reliable,only goes off when it’s supposed to, and is physically independent from thebike.As of now, Dainese has a competition system for their professional riders

that is completely self-contained and uses sophisticated sensors (includingaccelerometers) to signal when the bag needs to pop out of the suit and doits thing. A similar street version has sensors that also have to be placed onthe motorcycle, but to the best of my knowledge there’s still no physicaltether to the motorcycle. While the technology is still in the early stages ofreal-world testing in MotoGP and other race series, the early incidentswhere these bags have been deployed have been quite promising. This willbe a really fascinating thing to watch as over time the complexity, weightand (most important for the likes of us) the cost should come down dramat-ically and we should see street applications that are dramatically better thanwhat’s out there now. Dainese has pointed out that with all the considerableengineering complexity of a viable on-body airbag system, there are evenless obvious hurdles to overcome such as the fact that “there are laws andregulations to be respected, such as those governing the transport of explo-sive materials, for example.”Of course, when we have so many idiots who dress like they’re watering

the lawn instead of riding a motorcycle, that’s something we have to workon as well. Let’s do our best, brothers and sisters of the loyal order ofATGATT. The gear just keeps getting better if only folks would wear it.

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

BILL HEALD


DOCTOR Z

As the Pop Tart sang, “Oops, I did it again.”For several months, I’ve been reliving my lostyouth on a Suzuki DR-200 dual-sport, and having a ball doing so. A coupleSundays ago, I was chatting with Dangerous Dan and a few of the boys aftera ride. I was covered in the drying, glorious trappings of a trailside mud-spa treatment applied by a cross-rutted lowside into a giant puddle. After acouple creek crossings, the sun-warmed muck felt really good and I had toresist the urge to wallow there like a fat elk, but I digress. During the post-mortem, the talk turned to bikes (surprise) and I complimented Dangerouson his Suzuki DR-Z400, saying I’d like to have one some day.“Well,” said he, “I looked at a really clean 2003 DR-Z400 a couple days

ago. Are you ready to stop talking smack and do something about it?” Ireally should have been more specific with that “some day” statement, butDan’s words were the equivalent of a double-dog dare and no man can letsuch a challenge go unanswered. The next thing I knew, a trip was arrangedto inspect the beast at a dealership with disgustingly convenient after-workhours that effectively quashed any of my excuses.It gets worse: massive research ensued through the “Oracle of Google”

and various enthusiast web sites until I could quote the “FAQs” of severalverbatim. I knew which bits need sealing, which ones to Loc-tite, the ram-ifications of various cam-chain tensioners, the best gearings, the recom-mended tires, and the specific gravity of the coolant. OK, I didn’t reallyknow that last one, but I was in an information feeding frenzy that wouldhave made a school of sharks envious. Most importantly, I was armed withbook values from several different sources.But wait, there’s more.After doing exhaustive electronic research, I called

the dealer and asked a few pointed questions. He supplied the correctanswers and before I knew it, a tentative offer erupted from my lips. “I’llhave to talk to the sales manager” came the well-rehearsed reply. It wasn’tten minutes before my cell phone delivered the acceptance of the offer, a

sure indication I should have gone lower, but it was fair. I was in possessionof enough faculties to make it contingent upon a successful inspection andtest ride; however, I had high confidence it was a fine specimen becauseDangerous is not only a great rider, but an ace mechanic.I could barely contain myself at work the next day. After a short trip to

the bank to make a substantial withdrawal from my wife’s account, I racedoff to meet Dangerous, Tiny Tim,and South Park Josh for the 60-mile ride to the dealer. DD and TTwere resplendent in TT’s yellowEML sidecar rig attached to aBMW GS, as the plan was for meto ride the new steed home whileDangerous piloted my SV-650. Iwas already armed with insuranceand a transfer tag, because whenwe’re on a bike acquisition mis-sion, we have our logistics wired

tight. In fact, if we knew there was a bike that we wanted stored in BinLaden’s garage, we’d not only have his address, but he’d be dead right now.A spirited ride over one of our favorite roads brought us to the dealership

and I went right to work with a flashlight, checking all the things that need-ed to be checked and a few more. An effervescent test ride brought me backwith a smile and a willingness to fork over the missus’ hard-earned for mylatest two-wheeled mischief machine. I don’t think the salesman ever hada deal go quite so quickly and we were soon off to a Greek place for the sus-tenance required to get us home. No pizza tastes better than one shared withriding buddies right after acquisition of a new machine.The ride home was also spirited, with the added entertainment of seeing

Tiny “flying the chair” as the sidecar no longer had six-plus feet ofDangerous for ballast. The contrast between the SV and the DR was readi-ly apparent, as the DR felt like I was riding a skyscraper by comparison, butthe Trail Wings were up to the task and the thumper’s torque was a realsmile-maker. Now it’s time to “personalize” her with a few choice changesdesigned to make her a better woods-thrasher. Hopefully, they’ll be justwhat Doctor Z ordered.

O N T H E M A R K

MARK BYERS


GOOCH’S GARLIC NONE?Due to extenuating circumstances the

Gooch’s Garlic Run took a new turn ofevents this year. The Blue Knights NJChapter IX had not been issued a parkingpermit for NewYork City for the rain dateof June 23rd. Although the run would notbe riding into New York City, they didgather at the Rockaway Townsquare Mall.This event has always been to raise money

for sick children and that is what we still intendto do. With the help of all of members, theRockaway Townsquare Mall, Rider Insurance,Hilton Garden Inn, many vendors and a DJ, they did thebest they could for an event that almost didn’t happen.There were vendors selling food and goods and the music was playing.

They introduced the children they are helping and there was plenty of timeto check out all the motorcycles on this side of the river. New York can’tand won’t.... hold us back from helping those in need. The motto this yearwas... come early, leave late.Stay tuned for what’s to become of the Gooch’s Garlic Run.

PBTF AWARDS 154 COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS

FOR 2010-2011 ACADEMIC YEAR

This fall, 154 students affected by brain tumors will attend college withthe help of a Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation(r) scholarship.One of those students is Jeremy, a rising sophomore at Washington

University in St. Louis. “For me, college is not just the next step after highschool, but the gateway towards achieving my passion,” he says. “From myexperience having a brain tumor, the way I see to truly live life to the fullestis to give back to others.”Giving back is a common theme among scholarship recipients. Many of

them say they want to work in medicine, social work, public health or thenonprofit sector.This year’s recipients include students from 39 states, from Hawaii to

Maine, who plan to attend vocational schools, community colleges and uni-versities across the United States.The PBTF has awarded a total of 787 scholarships since 2002. The pro-

gram is funded in part by the Tim and Tom Gullikson Family Support Fundat the PBTF. For more information or to donate, please visitwww.rideforkids.org.

9TH ANNUAL KILLINGTON CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE TOURING

RALLY EXTEND AN INVITATION TO VENDORThe Killington Classic is a low cost, great way to

reach a highly targeted audience. With early signs ofbig growth (registration is up 100% since last year)and marketing plans just heating up, it’s expected that1,000 riders, their families and friends to attend.Event planners are seeking

vendors who want to reachout and support the touringlifestyle, providing rid-ers with uniquegoods and services.The KillingtonClassic will not becharging a spacefee. In lieu of thefee, they are requir-ing that an In-Kinddonation in the form ofa product, good or servicetotaling $50 or more be sub-mitted. If you have any questions please email [email protected] or call 802-422-2105.Make sure you visit the Killington Classic

www.killingtonclassic.com website to fill out a ven-dor application.

CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS BACK

EPA COMPLIANT REQUIREMENT

FOR RIDERS OF NEW MOTORCYCLES

On June 28, the Committee on Transportation voted8-4 to approve Senate Bill 435, introduced by Sen.Fran Pavley (D-Oxnard-Los Angeles), which wouldmake it illegal to ride a motorcycle on the road builton, or after, Jan. 1, 2011, that doesn’t display a feder-al Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) label cer-tifying the exhaust system meets sound emissionsstandards.Riders caught riding model year 2011 or newer

motorcycles without this stamp would be issued “fixit” tickets by law enforcement officers.The measure now goes to the Assembly

Appropriations Committee for further consideration.“Many EPA labels are very difficult to locate on

motorcycles,” said AMA Western StatesRepresentative Nick Haris. “This proposed law could

Long Island KAWASAKI67 North Broadway • Route 107 • Hicksville, NY

www.LIKawasaki.com • 516-935-6969


INDUSTRY INFOBITES NEWS FROM THE INSIDE

lead to a flurry of tickets for motorcyclists who have legal exhaust systems on their machines with EPAlabels that can’t be easily seen. It’s unreasonable to expect a law enforcement officer to easily locate an EPAlabel, and it’s simply unfair to expect a motorcycle owner to partially dismantle an exhaust system along-side the road to prove the label exists.“Requiring that a motorcycle display a readily visible EPA label isn’t the correct way to address concerns

about excessive motorcycle sound,” he added. “The only objective way to determine whether a motorcyclecomplies with sound laws is for properly trained personnel to conduct sound level tests using calibratedmeters and an agreed-upon testing procedure.”Haris suggested that concerned California motorcyclists contact their state lawmakers and urge them to

reject Senate Bill 435. To do so, go to AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issue & legislation and select“CA” in the drop down menu.

THUMBS UP TO AAAThis past issue of AAA magazine, AAA

World, featured a two-page spread on motor-cycle safety, learning to ride and how to be asafer car driver around motorcycles. Thanksfor the nod, AAA, but you could have chosena better pseudonym than Alan ‘Rider’.

10TH ANNUAL POP’S RUN

SUNDAY, AUG. 22In the ten years of this event, it’s managed

to raise over $37,000 for the AmyloidResearch Team at Boston University Schoolof Medicine. This money has allowed themto purchase laboratory equipment and fundresearch for the causes and treatment ofAmyloidosis.Amyloidosis is a group of diseases in

which abnormal proteins accumulate inorgans of the body. There are several distincttypes of amyloidosis. One type is localizedin the brain and is known as Alzheimer’sDisease. Other types affect the whole bodyand over 3,000 persons are diagnosed withthose types each year. The most commonsystemic type is a bone marrow disease thatcan be treated with chemotherapy and stem

cell transplantation with favorable results; other types can be hereditary and new treatments are being devel-oped for these. While great progress is being made in research toward finding more effective treatments anda cure, more work needs to be done. Awareness is important as early diagnosis allows patients to be eligiblefor the best treatment options.Please join the run on Sunday, August 22, 2010. All proceeds from “Pop’s Run” go to the Amyloid

Research Team at Boston University School of Medicine. For more information visit www.popsrun.org.


Who’s Watching Out for UsBrian,Ater reading your FreeWheelin’ columns in the May (The Raid) and June

(Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs) issues of Backroads, I couldn’t agree withyou more about the need for getting involved in motorcyclists’ rights. It’salready past the time that we can sit on the couch and do nothing. It’s notjust coincidental that motorcyclists’ rights seem to be under attack, becausethey are. You correctly pointed out the great work being done at the nation-al level by the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) to reign in fed-eral lawmakers and to advocate for riders’ rights. The AMA and also theMRF (Motorcycle Riders Foundation) both do fantastic work to protect therights we motorcyclists hold so dearly. They both lobby our federal law-makers for better and more fair laws affecting riders, and they both bringlawsuits against those who discriminate against motorcyclists. I believe thatwe should all belong to and support both of these fine organizations.I also believe that all politics is local, and that as motorcycle riders we all

need to take a proactive role in protecting our own rights. We are increas-ingly coming under attack not only from the federal level, but also fromstate and local levels.For any of your readers who may not be aware of howABATE works; first

of all, the acronym stands for American Bikers Aimed Toward Education.ABATE does the same kinds of work at the state level that the AMA and theMRF does at the national level. There is no national ABATE organization,so each state’s ABATE is completely independent of ABATE in other states.Each state is autonomous, sets its own agenda and abides by its own set ofbylaws. ABATE of the Garden State is dedicated to acting as a watchdog forall legislation coming out of Trenton that affects motorcyclists, and advo-cating for better training and education for all motorcyclists as well asincreased awareness of motorcycles by other motorists. We are workinghard to be all-inclusive no matter what brand or style of motorcycle youmay ride.South Jersey has had a strong ABATE presence for many years, but a lot

of your readers may not be aware that there is now a growing and active

chapter of ABATE in North Jersey. For the next few months, this group willbe moving its meeting place to various North Jersey locations to give it agreater exposure to the riders in the northern part of the state. The nextmonthly meeting will be held at the Chatterbox on Bike Night, at 7:30 PMon Thursday, August 19. We would be very pleased if you and Shira and anyof your interested readers would come and visit with us. We’ll be happy toexplain our mission in detail and answer any questions about ABATE.As I said earlier, it is past the time when we can all just sit back and be

passive about motorcycle rights. It is time to get involved to protect yourpassion! There is more to be discussed than there is room for here, so pleasecome on out to the Chatterbox on August 19. We’d love to meet you.Regards,Jim ParkerLegislative Director, ABATE of the Garden [email protected]

Hi Brian,Having read your most recent FreeWheelin, I felt the inclination to write.

I have been riding for thirty-six years. I have never had anyone complainabout the noise level emitted from my pipes (on any of the nine bikes that Ihave owned). Why? Because I feel personally responsible to show motor-cyclists as individuals in the best light, who care about the communities inwhich they ride, the noise polution in their environment, riding safely andany other activity that is deemed disruptive by society.I have total disdain for those in the motorcycling community who have to

show-off their egos as being far bigger than their brains by riding withexcessively loud pipes. The noise emitted by most aftermarket pipes justisn’t necessary! Loud Pipes DO NOT SAVE LIVES! They just piss ordinarypeople off! I am not suggesting that riders must go back to OEM pipes suchas is now required in Denver and other cities. What I would like to see iscommon sense used in the pipes that are placed on motorcycles!


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BACKLASH LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

If my noise is loud enough to bother my neighbors (either in a car or nextdoor), then I am obviously being too loud! This also goes for people whoinsist on driving with Base Speakers that can be heard more than 50’ awayfrom their vehicle and the pieces of crap cars driven by wannabe suburbanhoody daddys with altered exhausts!During the last several years, municipalities all over the US have made

decisions to limit Motorcycle accessability to public and private property,severely fine those riding with loud aftermarket pipes (and demand OEMpipes be replaced), place regulations on Dirt Bike Exhausts within coutylimits etc. This resentment, retaliation, regulation and discrimination is ourown fault and due to a minority of inconsiderate assholes! It’s time to “PipeDown!” as the old saying goes!The problem with loud pipes is that, as Pogo said years ago, “We Have

Met The Enemy and HE is us!”Best Always to yourself and ShiraSheldon BraffmanReisterstown, Maryland

Brian,I just received your latest issue and I read with interest the letter from one

of your readers about the Chautauqua Institution. He and his wife hadbooked a B & B on the grounds and found out when they arrived that motor-cycles were prohibited. He had quite a verbal battle with the B & B ownerbefore he got his deposit returned. Chautauqua has a Facebook page and isfilled with all kinds of B.S. about what a welcoming place it is, and a greatsource of spiritual renewal. Sounds like the kind ofplace motorcyclists should be boycotting! If you are insouthwestern New York State, give this joint a wideberth, folks!Bruce Brown

Dear Brian and Shira,Don’t know who wrote the “Riding with Kids” col-

umn, but it is good that someone decided to tackle it.For years, we have been fuming at the little kiddies onbikes with no gear on, pink toes sticking out of Barbiesandals...Even worse, what do you answer to a woman hold-

ing a baby/toddler (the size that does not really holdhis own head up) who is asking if we make helmets inhis size? Or the parent who wants his kid to try a hel-met on, but it should be something cheap, “because hewill grow out of it in a year or two”? The kid’s head isvisibly not worth more than $100...If the parents can’t buy the proper gear, they should

not have the kid on the bike.If the kid does not understand that he/she will get

skinned alive in case of a fall while wearing a little t-shirt, he/she should not be on the bike...Big hug,Catherine

Hi Brian & Shira,I stepped out of my office to get some lunch and to

dig into the June issue. I have to say, Tony Lisanti’sletter in Backlash is something alot of us have to agreewith. Especially the part about what you do for us rid-ers here in the North East. You guys are the best! Yourpublication does make our sport that much moreenjoyable. Well said Tony!I was very happy to see Jeffrey Kurtzman back in

the pages of Backroads. I, as well as others, havemissed his monthly column. What a great story‘Decades’ is. Hope to one day find him again eachmonth.Regards,Mike Hoffmann

Dear Folks:I just returned from a 6-day trip to Nova Scotia. This

was prompted by an article which Shira provided me

from years back.Your publication was very helpful on planning the trip. TheCabot Trail is a ride that everyone, especially in the Northeast, should com-plete. The scenery was superb with winding up and down hills next to theocean where dolphin play. Lobster in any form is the highlight at dinner orlunch. June is just before the “tourist” season begins so motels were cheapand plentiful. The temperatures were 50 in am up to 73 in pm with not acloud in the sky until the fog rolls in about sundown. We rode the trail bothdirections. Clockwise one day then counter clockwise the next. We returnedby taking the ferry to Prince Edward Island (no toll) for a slight change ofscenery with farms and beautiful flowers everywhere.Thanks again for the help.Your publication is fantastic. Customer service

is terrific!Sincerely,Harry WeberHarry,We’re glad you had a great time. Nova Scotia is a great place to ride and

it seems you covered a lot of it!

YOU OWE ME $$$A couple issues back you did a little piece about Paint Bank, Virginia.

Last month my wife and I were visiting nearby Alderson, West Virginia,home of the federal lockup where Martha Stewart called home for awhile.We had a little spare time and decided to ride over to Paint Bank ( approx.



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MRS. BRIDGES PANTRY292 ROUTE 169, SOUTH WOODSTOCK, CT

860-963-7040 • WWW.MRSBRIDGESPANTRY.COMOne of the greatest pleasure about riding to lunch, is riding to

lunch to a place you found by accident. I first discovered Mrs.Bridges Pantry a few years ago when I was visiting Putnam,Connecticut, on a very mundane DMV errand (registering an AbarthZagoto Double Bubble, no, wait: it was a Ford pickup). Putnam, nes-tled as it is in the quiet corner of NE Connecticut, is a really cool lit-tle town that had this amazing little shop at the end of Main Street.Mrs. Bridges Pantry was a source for all things British, including allkinds of cool trinkets, authentic food, some seriously dedicated knit-ting practitioners, and most important of all: lots and lots of excellent teas.

But, before I knew it, itwas gone. “Isn’t that theway of things?” I mournedat the time. Little did Iknow, they weren’t vanish-ing at all. They were justmoving to South Wood-stock and ultimately gettingnew ownership. Around1992, Mrs. Bridges Pantry(named after the cook inthe British classic UpstairsDownstairs) was created byVeronica Harris and DianaJackson. Today, this excel-

lent lunch stop is owned and operated by Pamela Spaeth and SusanSwenson. Sue is originally from Staffordshire, England, and along with herfriend Pam was a regular customer of the Pantry and decided to go for itwhen it was put up forsale. They’ve done a terrif-ic job of keeping the placemuch as it was when it wasback in Putnam, and thenew locale is found in theheart of some excellent,picturesque riding country.So, what’s for lunch?

The Pantry has a reallyinteresting menu, that(obviously) put the focuson U.K. cuisine but thereare American-style sand-wiches as well. I have a

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G R E AT A L L A M E R I C A N D I N E R R U N tasty places to take your bike

particular jones for the steak and kidney pie, but there are a host of very Anglo-centricdelights like Scotch Eggs, tea sandwiches, Spaghetti on Toast, Baked Beans on toast,dang, I think they may put anything you want on toast should you desire it. If you are aperson who loves a proper British Tea (and I’m finding I am such a person-having a newTriumph has nothing to do with it. Much.), they totally have you covered. Real scones,real cream, real jams; a word of caution: I have overdone tea, and even with all the finecaffeine I have been badly “sconed” after a visit and have required a brief nap beforejumping on the bike. I know I shouldn’t get so sconed, but. . .Speaking of the tea, they have a vast menu of teas that is stunning to behold, and so

huge in scope that it’s a tough chore to figure out what is the perfect choice on the day.I love this place. The tearoom itself is on the smallish side, which is fine as you can dineal fresco as I always do on their porch. The food is unique as is the place, and the folksare pretty fantastic. It’s also a great ride to get there, not matter which direction you’recoming from. And a tour of the place with all the great British products available(including candy bars that are delicious) is all part of the experience. Carpe Tea-um!Mrs. Bridges Pantry is located at 292 Route 169, South Woodstock, CT (if using GPSthe address is 292 Somers Turnpike).


START: MARCUS DAIRY

5 SUGAR HOLLOW RD, DANBURY CTNORTH ON SUGAR HOLLOW RD

RIGHT ONTO PARK AVE

RIGHT ONTO W WOOSTER ST

LEFT - STAY ON W WOOSTER ST

RIGHT ONTO RTE. 53LEFT ONTO TRIANGLE ST

BEAR RIGHT ONTO NEWTOWN RD

BEAR RIGHT - NEWTOWN RD/RTE. 6LEFT-STAY ON RTE. 6/CHURCH HILL RD

LEFT ONTO GLEN RD

CROSS RIVER-LEFT ONTO RIVER RD

RIGHT ONTO PURCHASE BROOK RD

BEAR RIGHT ONTO STILLSON RD

LEFT ONTO RTE. 172CROSS RTE. 67 ONTO TRANSYLVANIA RD

RIGHT ONTO RTE. 317BEAR RIGHT ONTO HOLLOW RD

GET ON RTE. 6 SOUTH

EXIT ONTO RTE. 64 EAST

LEFT ONTO RTE. 188RIGHT ONTO WHITTMORE RD/RTE. 188RIGHT ONTO RTE. 63LEFT ONTO RTE. 68 - CROSS RIVER

LEFT ONTO RTE. 70LEFT ONTO RTE. 71RIGHT ONTO GYPSY LANE

LEFT ONTO RTE. 5RIGHT ONTO E. MAIN ST

GET ON RTE. 66 NORTH/EAST

CROSS RIVER

RIGHT ONTO RTE. 17LEFT - STAY ON RTE. 17RIGHT ONTO HOPEWELL RD

RIGHT ONTO CHESTNUT HILL RD

STRAIGHT ONTO QUARRY RD

LEFT ONTO RTE. 83RIGHT ONTO RTE. 6/44 - MIDDLE TPKE E.LEFT ONTO CEDAR MILL RD

RIGHT ONTO VALLEY FALLS RD

LEFT-THEN RIGHT ONTO HATCH HILL RD

LEFT ONTO CEDAR SWAMP RD

STRAIGHT ONTO GEHRING RD

LEFT ONTO GRANT HILL RD

RIGHT ONTO METCALF RD

STRAIGHT ONTO ANDERSON RD

STRAIGHT ONTO BAXTER RD

STRAIGHT ONTO ANTHONY RD

LEFT ONTO S. RIVER RD

RIGHT ONTO RTE. 74LEFT ONTO JARED SPARKS RD

LEFT-THEN RIGHT ONTO TINKERVILLE RD

LEFT ONTO FERMIER RD

RIGHT ONTO RTE. 320STRAIGHT ONTO RTE. 89RIGHT ONTO EASTFORD RD/TURNS TO WESTFORD RD

STRAIGHT ONTO OLD COLONY RD

RIGHT ONTO ROCKY HILL RD

LEFT ONTO RTE. 171RIGHT ONTO RTE. 169 AND MRS. BRIDGES PANTRY

Rip & Ride® • MRS. BRIDGES PANTRY292 ROUTE 169, SOUTH WOODSTOCK, CT• 860-963-7040 • WWW.MRSBRIDGESPANTRY.COM

DOWNLOAD 125 O/W GPS ROUTE HERE: www.sendspace.com/file/5bs72v

THE JACKS AND WHITESTHE RAMAPOUGH MOUNTAIN INDIANS

New Jersey is full of folklore and legend. Fromthe Jersey Devil to the Hookerman; Backroads’home state has so much to wonder about.For years now I have heard tales of a group of

people - a community in the Ramapo Mountainsthat almost live in a world of their own.Pejoratively called the JacksonWhites, they are

said to live along the border of New Jersey andNewYork, near Ringwood and Hillburn.Much has been said and written about these

folk, but I took it upon myself to take a ride upalong the border mountains to see just what real-ly is up there.I had read stories of dark-skinned people rush-

ing the cars of strangers, of violence threatenedand occurring. Tales of social oddities and otherthings not deemed the norm in today’s society.But, maybe a little history is in order to clear up

fact from fiction.The original people in these mountains were

made up of Lenni Lenape and Tuscarora Indians.During the Revolutionary War, as battles raged inManhattan and surrounding areas, Hessian sol-diers and people of Dutch decent with no meansof returning home and seeking a safe haven, head-ed across the northern part of New Jersey.Deemed British sympathizers they were constant-ly harassed and took to raiding crops, doing what-ever was necessary in order to survive.

Eventually they made there waypast what is now Oakland and into theRamapo Mountains where they founda region that was free of hostilitytowards them and it was here theysettled down.At this time the British Army com-

mand at New York contracted with aColonial sea captain named Jacksonto bring some 3,500 prostitutesrecruited in the cities of England toNewYork to serve the garrison.The story goes that the original 20

ships floundered in a storm and manyof the women were lost, but Jackson,being a businessman simply sailedthe remaining ships to theWest Indiesand brought in black women slaves tofill the missing ranks of prostitutes.These women became know as

Jackson’s Whites and Jackson’sBlack - depending on the skin color.They were kept in a pasture in what

is now Greenwich Village until theBritish fled New York and thewomen, now suddenly free and fear-ing for their lives, fled the city andheaded north towards the Ramapomountains where they heard therewas a haven for Tory refugees.

Here they mixed with and married the Hessian and natives and the result-ing stew of humanity became known as the Jacks (freed women) andWhites (Hessians). This eventually became the Jackson Whites.Back then they were despised by the neighbors in the valleys either for



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START: BRANCHVILLE, NJSTOP BY GEORGE’S WINE SHOP FOR

SOME WINE & CHEESE FOR LATER ON

TAKE CR 519 NORTH

BEAR RIGHT AT CR 629RIGHT AT CR 629LEFT AT HYATT RD.STRAIGHT AT KILMAS RD.

BEAR LEFT AT DENNIS PHILLIPS RD.RIGHT AT NEILSON RD.BEAR LEFT AT CR 519 NORTH

RIGHT AT RTE. 23 SOUTH

LEFT AT GORGE RD.

LEFT AT CR 651BEAR LEFT AT CLOVE RD.RIGHT AT MOORE RD.RIGHT AT MT. SALEM RD.LEFT AT GOODRICH RD.RIGHT AT MINISINK TPKE.

LEFT AT RIDGE RD.LEFT AT CR 1RIGHT AT RACKETTS RD.RIGHT AT BERGERONS RD.LEFT AT RIDGE RD.STRAIGHT AT SOUTH PLANK RD.RIGHT AT CR 93

LEFT AT CR 12RIGHT AT CR 37RIGHT AT CR 42LEFT AT CR 6RIGHT AT CR 68

RIGHT AT RTE. 17ALEFT AT ACKERMAN RD.LEFT AT CR 13RIGHT AT WISNER RD.BEAR RIGHT AT UPPER WISNER RD.BEAR LEFT AT PUMPKIN HILL RD.

STRAIGHT AT RTE. 17ACROSS GREENWOOD LAKE

RIGHT AT TEN EYKE AVE.RIGHT AT STERLING RD.STRAIGHT ON EAST SHORE RD.LEFT AT CR 511LEFT AT BEECH RD.

BECOMES DIRT

(NOW YOU’RE GETTING THE IDEA)U-TURN BACK TO 511LEFT AT MARGARET KING AVE.LEFT AT MILLIGAN DR.

RIGHT AT VAN DUNK LN.HERE BE THE RAMAPOUGH

MOUNTAIN INDIANS

BEAR RIGHT AT CANNON MINE RD.RIGHT AT PETERS MINE RD

NOW SKEEDADDLE OUT OF THERE

Rip & Ride® • THE JACKS AND WHITESDOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE HERE: www.sendspace.com/file/sze802

Mike Stackhouse

THE JOLLY DRAYMAN PUB AT THE BRIAR LEA150 MAYVILLE ROAD • BETHEL, ME 04217877-311-1299 • WWW.JOLLYDRAYMANPUB.COM

ROOMS: $99-$159/NIGHT INCLUDE FULL BREAKFAST

Character, ambiance, whatever you call the “thing” that makes a placevery special, the Briar Lea-Jolly Drayman has it in spades. The summerfound me with a new job and my vacation time down to zip from 7 weeksoff to ride. That meant I spent what riding time I had close to home. Thisdidn’t give me the opportunity to ride far and wide writing of exotic placesoff the beaten path but figured out, as Brian and Shira have done with their“Big City Getaways”, there are great places to write about in my own backyard.

This brings me back to my favorite haunt and allaround great place, The Jolly Drayman pub-Briar LeaInn. Located on Route 2-26 in Bethel, Maine, TheDrayman is run by husband and wife, Richard and JennFredricks. The Fredricks’ know what an English pub isall about as England is where Jenn called home and theyran a pub over there.

The sign by the road says, “Guinness Is Good”. And it is. However, that’snot the only thing they have on tap. The Old Speckled Hen, Smithwicks andvarious others, including cask-conditioned ale are palette pleasers. While itwould be easy to say, “we’re only here for the beer” (the bike is parked and

you’re spending the night there, correct?) the food really sets the pub apartfrom others. Whether it’s traditional Bangers and Mash, fantastic beer bat-tered Fish and Chips or English pub style Shepard’s Pie, everyone should beable to find something that fits their tastes. The Wellies (filet mignonwrapped in a mushroom sauce and baked in a crust) are one of our favorites.Other entrees include curried dishes and pub sandwiches. Like I said, aboutanything you could want.

As good as all the food and drink are, it’s the comfortable atmosphere thatkeeps me going back. At the 1840s inn, you can sit in the pub, the diningroom or on the couches in the sitting room. The couches are a favorite placeto hoist a pint and take in the Swamp Donkeys when they play there.(Picture modern pop songs done Celtic style) An outside deck is also avail-

able to sit back and enjoy theevening. Combine all this and agood time should be had by all.So, should you find yourself in

the Mahoosuc mountain region ofMaine, be sure to drop by the innand say hi. They’re motorcyclefriendly (haven’t kicked me out yetanyways....) and there are tons ofgreat rides in the area.


Bergen County Harley-Davidson PresentsW E ’ R E O U T TA H E R E a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

MYSTERIOUS AMERICA (Contnued from Page 16)having been British sympathizers, for their mixed blood, or for being Black, or Indian, or a combination of it all. From roughly 1800 on, the Jackson Whiteshad little to do with the world outside their Ramapo Mountains retreat and the few towns and villages they had managed to build.Their largely Dutch surnames, de Groot, de Fries, van der Donck, and Mann, in all their variant spellings, are among the oldest in the countryside and pre-

date the Revolutionary War.Today the state of New Jersey officially recognizes the Ramapough people to be Indians. “Be it resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey

that the Ramapough Mountain People of the Ramapough Mountains of Bergen and Passaic counties, descendants of the Iroquois and Algonquin nations, arehereby designated by the State of New Jersey asthe Ramapough Indians.” New York has a billpending to recognize the Ramapough people asNative Americans.Personally I questioned some of this, so a ride

up to the area was in order.Along this area, near Ringwood I found a few

roads that turned to dirt and along here a few veryold houses with Dutch names on the mailboxes.Following a hunch I rode up Stag Hill Road

and Van Dunk Lane, and here I dare say I foundwhat I was looking for. A small closed off com-munity, with small groups of people here andthere, mostly very dark and certainly notSwedish.I have ridden in a number of towns and com-

munities, but this time I felt all eyes upon me, asif I was an intruder, which I guess I was. I certainly was not welcome, but other than some glaringstares I was passed unmolested.Perhaps years ago this burg was home to Jacks and Whites, but today I like to think of them as

just other Americans and the area is just like any other region in the United States. In a Hispanic sec-tion you’ll see Hispanics. In an Asian section you’ll meet Asians. Here in the Ramapo Mountainsyou just might meet the Ramapough Mountain Indians - it’s all part of Mysterious America.Our Rip & Ride to this region starts in Branchville, New Jersey - where Backroads calls home and

covers miles of superb roads. Some might be closed due to recent flooding, but we simply rodearound the detours.Please respect these people and tread lightly through their town.


It’s summertime and what’s better than a road trip. Ralph Angelo has agreat destination to get you on the road for a few days to some great histo-ry in motorcycling.

Ralph Angelo Jr

THE BARBER VINTAGE MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM6030 BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARKWAY, LEEDS, AL205-699-7275 • WWW.BARBERMUSEUM.ORG

Have you ever heard the old saying, “I feel like a kid in a candy store?”Well that couldn’t have applied better to me in any way, shape or form,especially if my candy of choice is motorcycles. I recently spent a day in theBarber Motorsports Museum, and was amazed at the largest private collec-tion of motorcycles in the United States, and some say the world.

George Barber is a motorcycle enthusiast who realized that nowhere inthe world did there exist a truly comprehensive and extensive museum thatcaptured motorcycling history from the past to the present, with all the var-

ied brands displayed historically therein.George Barber decided to change that. George first opened his museums

doors in 1994, and then in 2003 his museum moved to a much larger, stateof the art facilities including not only museum space but a racetrack whichcan be seen from the windows of the museum itself.The entire facility is breathtaking! Motorcycles line racks from floor to

ceiling of five different floors.An amazing array of motorcycles encompass every floor, with one floor

covering the beginnings of motorcycling including a re-created representa-tion of the shed the first Harley-Davidsons were created in.Make no mistake about it though; this is not a Harley only museum. Every

marquee is represented here. Including Yamaha, BMW, Honda, Triumph,Moto-Guzzi, Kawasaki, Suzuki, MVAgusta, Ducati, as well as many, many

more obscure brands. Some are long gone; some are still in evidence today.But understand this, no piece in this museum is in anything less then

museum quality shape. There are some motorcycles, such as Gary Eagan’sDucati that he crossed the country with in thirty-six hours that have been left


B I G C I T Y G E TAWAY daytrip ideas to get out of the daily grind

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in ‘As is’ condition, but those are presented that way for historical signifi-cance.Such is also the case with Jamie Hacking’s R6 that he rode to an AMA

world championship in 2003.One of the most amazing pieces to me was a custom chopper that was cre-

ated by a High School class. Usually I’m not a custom chopper kind ofmotorcycle enthusiast, but the attention to detail and sheer quality of thismotorcycle overwhelmed me. It was truly beautiful, and for high schoolersto have created it really says something about their eye for detail and com-mitment to this project.There were motorcycles of every vintage including a brand new Triumph

Bonneville in limited edition colors commemorating the fiftieth anniversaryof the Bonneville.One of the most intriguing displays at the museum were huge metallic

trees made up of motorcycles stacked up to the ceiling in circular patterns.These appeared in several places in the museum, with many models of vin-tage motorcycles facing in all directions.The military exhibit was awe inspiring, featuring motorcycles from the

thirties throughout the last century up until today.There was also a wall display depicting the early days of the dangerous

and exciting board track racing where motorcycles raced on wooden boardsto speeds in excess of seventy-five MPH, with NO BRAKES!

Speaking of racing, one corner of the room hasa display of race bikes all leaned in a curve, start-ing with older race bikes from days past and con-tinuing through every decade up to the present,culminating in modern bikes racing to a finish.There are so many incredible motorcycles on

display here. AYamaha R7 race bike, which wereproduced in limited quantities for racing only adecade ago. Not one, but two Honda Runes. AVictory Vegas in gleaming yellow. A Honda NR750 V-Four which was FAR ahead of its time.There was also the famed Alligator, designed byfellow Long Islander Dan Gurney only a fewshort years ago.One of the most interesting bikes on display

was a Jawa Ice racer with spikes embedded in the tires as well as a left han-dlebar raised far up in a vertical position for as much lean as possible. Iceracing! What a concept!What was my favorite motorcy-

cle on display? That’s easy, the MVAgusta F4. I love that bike!The museum does not only have

motorcycles on display, but largedisplays of Lotus Formula-1 carsare impressively displayed as well.The Barber Motorsports museum

is one destination that should be onevery motorcyclist’s short list ofplaces moto-related to visit. It’sincredibly impressive and created with an enthusiast’s love of the sport. Ithas to be experienced to be believed.

Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am to 6pm • Sun: Noon to 6pm$15/adult; $10 ages 4-12; AAA discount availableAMA Superbike Championship • Sept. 24-26

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COMPASS EXPEDITIONS TO USHUAIA

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to ridethrough Patagonia, the experience can best bedescribed as an adventure of a lifetime.Patagonia is one of the world’s must-see destina-

tions, known for its breathtaking scenery andunique ecosystem. And the best way to see it isfrom the saddle of a motorbike.Always ready for an adventure, I joined the

knowledgeable and friendly team who run CompassExpeditions for a 17-day ride through Chile andArgentina.They call it the Patagonian Explorer tour for good

reason. Much of the countryside we rode through is

untamed. It makes you really feel like you’re blazing uncharted territoryaboard your BMW F650 GS supplied by Compass.Our group gathered in Santiago, Chile to get acquainted. The ride started

in Pucón, about 450 miles south of the capital city. It ended 2,100 miles laterin legendary Ushuaia, recognized as the southernmost city in the world.Patagonia is a region that covers roughly 260,000 square miles. It extends

from the southern part of Buenos Aires Province to the tip of Tierra delFuego.As we discovered, it’s a land of desolate beauty and very sparse popula-

tion. To the west are the Cordillera de los Andes and vast expanse of the


T H O U G H T S F R O M T H E R O A D Adrian Blake

Southern Patagonian Ice Field. East of the cordillera is semi-arid plateauthat’s dominated by a low scrub called jarilla.Patagonia’s climate is very changeable. But fortune smiled on us, as we

experienced near-perfect spring weather throughout our travels (the SouthAmerican spring is September to November). On average, temperaturesranged from mid-70s F in the north to low 50s in thesouth (although it did get cooler, at times dipping downto 40 degrees.)Wind is also a fact of life in Patagonia. It was an

almost constant companion as we rode across thesteppe. We saw many signs along the road showing atree bending in a strong breeze.A large part of our ride was alongArgentina’s famous

Ruta Nacional 40. This is the route that Che Guevaratook in 1952 on his Norton 500. He documented the tripin his book, The Motorcycle Diaries.Ruta 40 runs more than 3,000 miles, roughly paral-

leling the eastern spine of the Andes. A good portion ofthe road surface is gravel, ideal for dirt biking. Longstraight stretches carve through sweeping vistas of starkpost-glacial landscape.Once we crossed the Strait of Megellan from Chile

into Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, we followed RutaNacional 3. Part of the Pan-American Highway, thewell-paved road cuts through mountain passes andspectacular scenery for the last 60 miles into Ushuaia.Along the route we were treated to a variety of spe-

cially hand-picked accommodations that added to theenjoyment of the whole experience. We bedded downin boutique hotels and unique hostels and spent a cou-ple of nights in a classic estancia (ranch).Of course, we all consumed a hearty share of South

American food and drink. Asado or traditional BBQ iscommon fare and South American wines, especially,are among the best in the world.Highlights are too many to mention, but two in par-

ticular stand out. Parque Nacional los Glacieras islocated in Argentina’s Santa Cruz Province and PeritoMoreno Glacier is one of its star attractions.That’s no mean feat since there are 47 glaciers in the

park. I wasn’t quite prepared for the blueness ofMoreno’s ice or its sheer size (3 miles wide and 20miles long).For a change of pace, we camped in geodesic dome

tents at Torres del Paine National Park. UNESCOdeclared it a World Biosphere Reserve in 1978.Arriving at the park, we were greeted by throngs of

grazing guanacos. These relatives of the camel are onthe protected species list and roam freely.Only two of us embarked on an 8-hour roundtrip

climb to see the Paine massif up close. The long trekwas well worth the impressive view of the famed Los

Cuernos and the emerald lake beneath them.For me, riding through the wildness of Patagonia was mesmerizing. I left

knowing that I’d go back in an instant.For more information visit www.compassexpeditions.com


BACKLASH (Continued from Page 13)30 miles ) and check things out. Big mistake on my part cause we both weresmitten. What a great Moto-Inn destination. Been to the Depot Lodge threetimes now and each time are treated like family by Ms. Mikell Ellison, gen-eral manager.Your Moto-Inn logos are proudly displayed at both The DepotLodge and across the road at the general store and Swinging BridgeRestaurant. Our last stay was on a Thursday, which is blue grass night at therestaurant. Good food and good times.Problem is, now when I ask the Mrs. where she wants to go for a couple

days ride its always the same answer, “ Paint Bank, Va.” Since the impetuscame from your great publication, I figure you owe me a little help with theexpenses. I’ll be watching my mailbox for your check.Philip EramoColumbus, Ohio

Dear Backroads,I just returned from Americade and I had to drop a quick Thank You for

the great ride to the Bryant House & Vermont Country store that was in yourJune edition.I am new at downloading the route to my GPS so I decided to try it out

on Friday which was looking like the best weather day.The route was filled with beautiful scenery and great roads. We didn’t

have lunch at the Bryant House but we did spend time walking around theVermont Country Store.

What a great place to visit. The route sure lived up to your name as it tookus on some very backroads including some gravel roads. We did opt out onriding the road with a sign stating it was a level 4 road and warned drivingat own risk.Thanks again for all that you do for those of us that really enjoy riding.

Keep up the good work.Thank You,David Donnamaria

Happy Anniversary to UsHi Shira and Brian,I just finished reading the 15th anniversary edition of Backroads. Wow!

You really have come a long way, and your publication just keeps gettingbetter. And thank you for the awesome Ride for Kids® PSA listing so manyevents.Thanks for everything,Mary O. Ratcliffe, ABCCommunications Director PBTF

Brian/Shira,Congratulations on your first 15 years. I remember picking up that 1st.

issue at the Ramapo in 1995 and thinking how great it was to have a localmotorcycle magazine. Here we are 15 years later and it keeps getting better.Looking forward the next 15 and many more....

Mike Mosca (oh yea) Pam too...

Congratulations on 15 years at Backroads. Greatcover and great articles by you and Shira. We wishyou another glorious 15 years of writing, riding andtraveling. Happy trails. Best of luck.nw & mw


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FREE WHEELIN’ (Continued from Page 4)It is almost impossible.Still next year Americade will again be at Lake

George, but after that - well that is in the hands of thebureaucrats in Albany.If you are like us, you look forward to Americade

each spring and we know that we spend a great deal ofmoney in and around Lake George at each event.We’re sure you do too.For Americade to leave the Adirondacks would be a

huge shame and shows an enormous lack of foresightby the “powers that be” in Albany. These same “lead-ers” offer millions of dollars to try to woo businessesto NYS but are killing a golden goose they alreadyhave. They seem blindly ignorant to the fact that otherstates offer $ incentives to move lucrative conventionslike Americade.It seems that they want to sink the rally like the

Land Tortoise, the oldest Naval wreck in NorthAmerica that sits at the lake’s bottom.Remember that some of these folks are appointed,

but others are elected and New York State riders/voterscan make a difference, especially with elections com-ing up this Fall.Theirs are the voices that really need to be heard,

but every letter written, e-mail sent and phone callmade by Americaders will force New York to open itseyes to what they could lose if Americade is forced toanother location or state.Letters can be sent to:

Lawrence S. SchwartzSecretary to the Governor

Executive Chamber State CapitolAlbany, NY12224

Pete Grannis CommissionerNY State Dept of Environmental Conservation625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12233-0001

www.dec.ny.gov • 518-402-8013

The Bunching FactorRecently I got into a discussion with a friend of mine who has more

miles and experience with riding motorcycles than few I know.He stated that, ‘The Argument for Space,’ caught his attention, and at

least, in his opinion, it was right on the mark. But he made an additionalpoint that motorcyclists of all stripes, riding in groups, need to remainaware of the traffic bunching up behind them. Most groups he has seen,whether on a freeway or backroads, don’t leave enough space betweenthem to allow passing, or conveniently enabling a car to slide into theparade to make an exit.He went on to say that a few years back, while he was riding with a friend

along a two-laner with no passing zones, a club was “cruising” at about 35mph, in a 50 mph zone. Not one would move over to allow them to passwithout crossing the double yellow...why? How hard is it to move over afew feet to let a fellow motorcyclist pass? Well, they eventually got by, butif they had been in a car, they would have had to go at their pace for 10 milesor so... this is not exactly the best way of building good will among car driv-ers.

I totally agreed with him and told him of a similar situation at Americadea few years back. Shira and I were riding up along Route 8, a very twistal-icious Adirondack road. We came around a series of S-turns and right intothe back of a cruiser group doing 30 in a 50.We rode with them for at least 5 miles before the road opened up into one

of the few short straights with passing zones that you will find up there.Shira and I immediately went into pass em’ mode - and a legal one at that -but then these guys and gals remembered the throttle as well and, eventhough they saw us making the pass, they accelerated to keep us from com-pleting it. As we were quickly approaching a blind left-hand sweeper we were

forced to do the “bone head” and sometimes just plain stupid Double SplitPass; Shira on the left and I on the right around the last four bikes at a rapidpace.

Needless to say I could see that they were impressed with our riding skillsas many of them were holding one finger up, showing us they knew we were#1.There was no need for any of this except for the fact that this particular

group felt so important that they deserved the road, the entire road, to them-selves.This sort of attitude only hurts us all in the long run.The “Bunching Factor” directly relates to what I was getting into with my

‘Argument for Space’ a few months back. When groups ride so closelytogether, especially larger groups at slower than normal speed, they can ruineverybody’s day on the road.Big rallies such as Americade and Laconia have this problem on a con-

stant basis. Riders want to stay with their friends, and then sometimes endup taking up a 1/4 mile of roadway in a solid bunch like a flock of tinyStarlings moving as one entity.If your group is guilty of this, might you consider this suggestion? Spread

it out. With proper spacing between your riders you will reap a number ofbenefits, not to mention you will enjoy the ride much more than if you areright on the rear wheel of the rider ahead of you.A group of riders spread out over a mile or so is far more manageable and

will also allow for others, who might be riding at a faster pace, to easily andsafely pass through your group without any drama. You will be able to rideyour own ride and at your own pace. If something happens you will haveroom to move and, just as importantly, you will not have a large group ofirate riders and drivers behind you, some of whom are just about to try somestupid.Here’s a hint, if you or your group has three or more vehicles behind you,

all bunched up, it is okay to, when safe, pull to the right and let them passand then you can continue on your own ride and at your own pace - and socan everybody else.The road is a marvelous place and with a courtesy it can be a better ride

for us all.


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

OWOWCOW CREAMERY • 4105 DURHAM RD, OTTSVILLE, PA • 610-847-7070So, how’s your summer going so far? Have you been getting your RDA of riding and ice cream? I cer-tainly hope so, as I’ve given you plenty of opportunity. With that in mind, here’s this month’s additionto the tasty list; OwowCow Creamery in Ottsville, PA.This little gem was found by accident. We had planned on doing our annual Dog Days of Summer

Hot Dog Ride and I had plotted three tasty tuber stops and a full day’s ride. Somewhere along the way,the route went terribly awry and put us on I-78. I was quite upset with myself and carried that with mefor the rest of the way. Upon arrival at Philly’s Hot Dog Café in Limerick, PA, we were confronted witha ‘Sorry, Closed’ sign. Asking the neighboring stores, we were told that they just up and left about threeweeks earlier. My upset was transformed into anger, and Brian reminded me that it’s really not a healthything to ride a powerful motorcycle while angry. I tried to shake it off and continued the ride. The returntrip was quite pleasant and, at one particular turn, the savior for the day was found.OwowCow Creamery, as taken from their Facebook page, ‘produces premium ice cream using local-

ly sourced, organic ingredients in small batches. They support local farms in Bucks County and deliver aproduct that is wholesome and authentic.’ May I interject here - HOLY COW, THAT WAS THE BEST ICE

CREAM I’VE EVERY EATEN.OwowCow opened about a year ago,

and I’m sure has developed a healthyfollowing from day one. They offeralmost 100 flavors (no, not all at once)and are quite creative in their concoc-tions. How’s this for a sampling: SweetHoney Cream with Rum Walnuts, BananaBrownie Madness, Nutella Hazelnut,Organic Green Tea, Rose Water Cardamom,Blood Orange Cranberry, and Meyer

Lemon. They always have three flavorsof vanilla - Tahitian, Indonesian andMadagascar (you’ve got to eat it, eatit...). Their seasonal flavors include

Just Peachy in the summer, OrganicSweet Potato Wasabi in the fall and Candy

Cane Chip for your winter cravings. In addition, they will help to cleanse your palettewith their sorbet flavors such as Pear Ginger and Orange Mango.Pulling into their lot, we saw a spattering of picnic tables with umbrellas and folks


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enjoying their summertime treats. The young ladies serving upscoops inside are very helpful and will offer tastings of any fla-vor before purchase (or after, for that matter, so don’t takeadvantage). With the abundance of flavors from which tochoose, I was certainly hard pressed but opted for a double scoopof Coconut and Garden Berries (which includes strawberries,blueberries, bilberries and raspberries). They told me this wastheir best seller and I certainly understood why. The berries wereas fresh as could be with just the right amount of sweetness. Thecombination of berries and coconut was extremely refreshingand was the saving grace of an otherwise disappointing day.You’ll find OwowCow Creamery at the intersection of Rtes.

563 and 412 in Ottsville, PA, with the exact address being 4105Durham Road. They are open Monday-Saturday from noon to10pm and Sundays from noon to 9pm. If you need to call themyou can reach them at 610-847-7070. Of course we’ll give youa sweet ride to get you there. Enjoy and have a scoop for me.

There are two routes for this ride. Onestarts at the Chatterbox Drive-in inAugusta, NJ (90 miles O/W) and theother can be considered an Ice Cream toIce Cream ride with it starting at theApplegate Farms in Upper Montclair,NJ (85 miles O/W). Here’s the rub,you’re just getting the printed R&R forthe one starting in Augusta. The other isonly available in GPS format.

Route found on page 44.


Rides offered at participating U.S. dealers. Must be at least 18 and have drivers license with motorcycle endorsement. Rides can be refused for any reason by dealer. Proper riding gear required. Program subject to change or termination at any time. See your dealer for further details. ©2009 H-D Harley-Davidson and the Bar & Shield logo are among the trademarks of H-D Michigan, LLC.

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AUGUST 2010 • BACKROADS

20 years ago Shira and I got hitched.

Back then we had less than the proverbial pot to whizin and with a new bride’s dreams of Hawaii or the Caribbeanquickly evaporating I felt the need to come up with something cool and inter-esting to fill in the need to disappear for awhile.

Those days we were two up on a small Kawasaki 600 Ninja and for years we hadheard of this rally in upstate New York called Americade.

We grabbed some of the wedding loot and booked a B & B outside Lake Georgeand with soft luggage packed up we scooted north and to the Adirondacks.

What we found was two-wheeled nirvana. Thousands ofbikes; it was motorcycle heaven. We had found ahome - for at least one week a year.

We have not missed one since. Heck, we evenflew home a day early from South Africa adozen years back to get in one day ofAmericade.

AMERICADE 2010Return to the LakeReturn to the LakeReturn to the LakeReturn to the Lake

Normally we’d do a pre-Americade ride on our way to Lake George butthis year we were shackled home as we made sure the July issue was safe-ly to the printer and we didn’t get going until early Tuesday.We met our friends Mike and Nuri, from Rising Wolf Garage, at one of

the rest stops on the Thruway and west of Albany we cut into theAdirondacks along some tiny backroads we had plotted.Sacandaga Lake is always a joy to ride and after a quick lunch in

Edinburgh we scooted past Roaring Brook and to the Holiday Inn wherewe picked up our wristbands and then on to the Sun Castle, which has beenBackroads Central North for the last few years.

The day that had been cool and cloudy morphed into a perfect afternoonand we rode over to the Vendor Expo at Million Dollar Beach and did a bitof window shopping and spent some time with vendors and friends wehave from the industry.As you probably know Americade has plenty to offer and the talks and

seminars are well worth attending. That Tuesday evening Mark Tuttle,from Rider magazine, was giving a talk on 25 Years Behind Bars.Mark has been a good friend for years so that evening we rode over to

Roaring Brook and took in his excellent state of the art PowerPoint show.

Canada Street was fairly crowded, but nothing compared to the throngsthat would be here in another day of so.We easily found a spot and some flat bread pizza at one of the tiny bistros

that line the street. We sat down to take in the early Americade crowds.Each year at Americade famed journalist and motorcycle tour operator

Fred Rau has his 7 am coffee klatch meeting up at Roaring Brook. For anhour each day Fred and others field questions and generally discuss what ishappening in the motorcycle world.


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It is always a great way to start the day and something that I look forwardto each year. Beside, Fred is always kind enough to let me plug Backroads.In fact back in November of 1995 Fred’s MCN was the first of the big mag-azines to acknowledge us and for that we are forever grateful.Up and out that early gives you the jump on the breakfast crowd

and that works for us. We had some things taken care of at the expoand then had a lakeside lunch with friends.

The morning sungave way to clouds and just as we hit the indoor expoat The Forum the skies opened up and Lake Georgegot a light soaking.Still a little rain has never stopped Americade, nor

put a damper on it.The rest of the day some scattered moisture pelting

the region, but Fred Rau’s seminar was packed, asusual and a number of our tribe went to see Fredwhile Shira and I joined some other folks for a grand bar-

beque at a wonderful 100 year old log cabin, just feet from the shore atDiamond Point.Yes, there was a guitar and some very talented players. On the mantle of

the fireplace sat a smallreplica of a woodenHacker craft, the old-styleboats that still ply theseclear waters. Mr. Happyfound it was just the rightsize and ensconced him-self there for the night.With radar and satellite

showing that this could allbe a fading history comemid-day on Thursday wehung up wet riding gearfor the slow drip dry andhoped the ever pessimisticWeather Channel was

wrong; as they are apt to be somany times.For some reason I tend to rise

with the sun up here in theAdirondacks and it was so thisweek as dawn and I greeted eachother every day on the porchoverlooking the Queen ofAmerica’s Lakes.With the skies tending towards

clearing I hoped the demo rideswere going to be in full swing.Not that I needed to ride anythingspecifically, but so many come toAmericade to ride new bikes andmany a manufacturer has sold hun-


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Enjoy a mid-week ride to northwestern Jersey’s premiere Harley-Davidson dealership.

Enjoy a mid-week ride to northwestern Jersey’s premiere Harley-Davidson dealership.

dreds of machines after this rally each year.Still, that didn’t stop two of the major manufacturers to, once again,

ignore this rally. With the risk of insulting BMW and Honda I have to ask -What are you thinking?

While the othermanufacturers areshowing up with atruck and bikes toride your two spotshave been emptyfor two years.Triumph andSuzuki should payattention too.Americade is a

superb chance toget hundreds ofriders in andaround and onyour machines.

The money you spend on catering your raceteam for the weekend would pay for Americade. Okay maybe a couple ofweekends, but you should be getting my point.In the meanwhile Kawasaki, Yamaha, Star, Harley-Davidson, Victory,

Spyder, Royal Enfield and others were packed all

week long. After all the years Americade has provideda great platform for so many OEMs to highlight theirnewest rides the folks so obviously absent should beashamed. Are riders in the northeast just not worth thetrouble?C’mon Royal Enfield shows and Honda and BMW

do not. It’s embarrassing!

At the same time I had to wonder who would seri-ously consider the $85,000 Bourget Chopper down inThe Forum. But, at least they made the effort; as didIndian whose new “old” bikes really looked fantastic.The rains drizzled on and off through the night and

my early morning run around the area was a bit on theclammy side.On a tip from O’Life, Shira and I went in search of

Cooper’s Cave, where the Hudson River tumbles down

Glens Falls. It was here thatthe famed writer JamesFennimore Cooper got theinspiration to write his greatnovel ‘The Last of theMohicans.’ The caves are stillthere but so is an incredibleamount of industry. A powerplant and factories line theHudson along Glens Falls andthe bridge over the river hereis the sixth one built sinceHenry sailed up the Hudson.We did our best to get lost

but kept running into roadswe knew and how we gotback to Roaring Brook in halfthe time it took us to ride down the Northway earlier that day is beyond us.We rode around every little road we could find and only got turned around

just once or twice. Eventually we found ourselves in Stony Creek andstopped at the Inn for a late lunch.On cue the dark clouds rolled in and boomers drenched the town. We

found out later these off and on heavy showers drowned a lot of ridersthroughout the Adirondacks this day.


Just as we finished ourmeal, the sun returned and wespent the rest of the day hittingmore tiny roads that ranthrough forest and farmland.As we dropped back south

towards Lake George onemore band of showers floatedby but, according to theZumo’s radar, this looked tobe the last for the day.Just a few minutes after

returning to the hotel the skiescleared and the sun warmedthe region. This would not lastlong this wet night.Last year we had given our

annual ‘Lifetime Achievementin Motorcycling Excellence’,also called that LAME Award,to the Pediatric Brain TumorFoundation’s Mike Traynor.

This year we wanted to give the LAME Award to the very person who hadcreated Americade all those years ago and by doing so brought so manysmiles and good times to countless thousands of riders.Bill Dutcher.Bill is everywhere during Americade, and tracking him down can be a

Herculean task by itself. But, with AMA President Rob Dingman giving aspeech at Roaring Brook Ranch on Thursday evening, we were pretty surewe could find Mr. Dutcher and pass along the Excellence Award.President Dingman was gracious enough to give up some of his time so

we could hand Bill the award and we just want to thank Bill once again forall he has done and for bringing us Americade every year.Rob Dingman’s talk about the American Motorcyclist Association was

well received and it is obvious that our association has made an about faceand is heading in the right direction. The attendance was lighter than I hadhoped and if you are an AMA member or thinking about joining pleasecome and hear Rob speak if he returns next year.Friday was a brilliant day and we made the best of it with a dozen or so

of us heading north up Route 9N andthen following a verycircuitous route throughthe Adirondack back -roads. This nearly 150-mile ride took most ofthe day, and we cer-tainly found some newand exciting bits ofAdiron dack pavementto entertain us thatday. At ride’s end wedid manage to sneakinto Warrensburg and

the famed Oscars Smoke -house to pick up somemeaty goodies for our annu-al barbeque by the lake. Intruth I had heard much ofOscars, but this was the firsttime I had stopped in. Itonce was a small and rusticplace; but small and rusticplaces tend to burn and thatis what happened just ashort time ago, much to thehorror of many. But

Oscar’s is back and isvery impressive!Warrensburg is not.All these vendors that

are here have nothing todo with Americade andare basically Klingonsselling biker crap.They will not get apenny from us.This evening we

had friends and indus-try homeys coming

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We didn’t. In fact they had closed it all down earlier that afternoon. Damn,and I had a feeling this would be my year.The rain didn’t stop folks from filling Canada Street that night and as the

evening slipped by so did Americade 2010.As always we had a great time up in Lake George. So did about 40,000

other riders. And, unlike last year where disaster and bad luck seemed to beriding pillion with us; this year was just dandy.Things are brewing up in Bill Dutcher’s offices in Lake George and the

future of Americade hangs in the balance. We hope to continue going toAmericade - in Lake George - for a long time to come. But, only time willtell. (see page 4)With that said - we hope to see you at Americade next year for their 30th

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by. The folks from Nolan brought in barbeque for Corinth. Olympia broughta huge salmon and all night people dropped by to enjoy the food and fun.In the mean time Americade carried on without us with the closing cere-

monies complete with a starry night sky painted with brilliant colors from thehuge fireworks show.Nothing is worse than a rainy Saturday at Americade. Fortunately it doesn’t

happen often, but did this week.Exploratory rides into the mountains were scrapped and the Tour Expos at

both Million Dollar Beach and The Forum were packed with folks looking forthose last minute deals.Begrudgingly we donned riding suits and did a final few laps of the vendors;

more looking for anything we missed than to buy anything.The rain hit on and off all day and if there was ever the perfect lazy day then

this was it.I took a spin around Americade and up to Roaring Brook just to see if we

won any door prizes. Each year I do this and each year I win bupkis.

Each year we like to celebrate the old fashioned Frankfurter, more commonly calledthe Hot Dog. This annual sausage soirée began a few years back after watching acable show on the history of the delicious dogs and their place in Americana.Our first year we organized a little day ride for a number of readers and followed

Shira from the Hudson to Delaware hitting a number of great New Jersey Hot Dogjoints along the way. Last year we did a storm-soaked ride that brought us to someeven odder dogs. The bar had been lifted. Over time we have learned that some of thebetter Frankfurterers can and will be found in some odd places.It is rare that you find a Great All American Diner Run-esque establishment. Not

every Hot Doggery has the feel of Hot Dog Johnny’s out on the foresty banks of thePequest River; nope many will be found in semi-urban areas and, heaven forbid, tinyshopping malls.The secret here is to overlook this and follow the local crowds. Where they flock

you will find Dogelicious excellence.Keeping our love of the open-road minds

open, we went in search of this year’s Hot DogRun - which we’ll call Dogs on the Delaware.Our first stop was easy, and close for us.You’ll find PJ’s Dog House at 8 White Deer

Plaza in Sparta, New Jersey. Part deli as well -delectable Doggies are not only what they serveup here; in fact they will most likely be on Manvs Food soon as they have a killer pancake that Iknow I could finish - in a week!Here’s the deal gobble down a 12 inch

Pancake, 8 Scrambled Eggs, 8 Pieces of Bacon,Ground Sausage, Home Fries, smothered inCheddar Cheese! Eat it in half an hour and it’s onPJ’s. You’ll get a PJ’s T-Shirt and your face onthe Wall of Fame! We’ll pass, as it was for the Dogs we had

come. The Dogs here are deep fried,ripped and split and there are nine stylesfrom which to choose. Here are just a few:‘The Barney Dog’- Bacon & Cheese, ‘The


Discovery isn’t a channel.It’s a way of life.

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Dogs on the Delaware

Say Cheese Dog’- self explanatory and, whatI sat down for, ‘The Soprano Dog’, TwoDogs, Peppers, Onion & Potatoes! Yikes andthis was just the first Frank of the day.

We like alot about PJ’s,but like it even more thatit’s so relatively close toBackroads Central. Lipitor, anyone?As per her way Shira had put together a scrumptious

route for her Dog Run and, following along we even-tually came out on Route 46, just east of a place wehad stopped by on our first Hot Dog Run a few yearsback - the famous Hot Dog Johnny’s.Not wanting to miss out on the Jersey Classic we

pulled in and chowed down on their classic dog. I hada diet soda (I know, I know!) - no Buttermilk for me,thank you.

Earlier I said that many great Hot Doggeries can befound in small shopping malls. Well, not this one. Letus introduce you to the Delaware River legend - TheRiver Hot Dog Man, just outside Frenchtown, NewJersey.Yes, we know this sounds like something Seymour

O’Life or the guys from Weird NJ would cover, but Iam here to tell you he’s real.Just outside of Frenchtown, on the Delaware River -

floating around the river itself - you will spot the RiverHot Dog Man on a small floating Hot Dog restaurant- NJ Boat registration #NJ2938GS. Hey - GS - I likethat.For almost 25 years the Hot Dog Man has been

floating around feeding hungry canoers and tubersand, although hot dogs are his specialty, the Famous

River Hot Dog Man has expanded to much more than hot dogs! They havesomething for everyone, including delicious chicken sandwiches, kosher hotdogs, nachos and cheese, and veggie burgers.But... you knew that eventually there would be a but - you’re going tohave to get wet to partake in this culinary endeavor with the River HotDog Man. Enter the people at Delaware River Tubing(www.delawarerivertubing.com).Here you can safely park your motorcycles, get into your swim trunks

and float around the cooling river on a smokin’ hot day.Stay on the Jersey-side and follow the signs to the “man” himself (or

herself depending on who’scooking). Now this issomething you won’t findin the glossy nationals!After our little river voy-

age it is time to move onand this time cross the riverright at Frenchtown andhead north on scenic Route32.All too soon you’ll ride

into Easton - here the semi-urban part of the Hot DogRun comes into play.


0.99% Fixed APR financing available for customers who qualify for super preferred credit tier for up to 36 months through Honda Financial Services. Payment example: 36 monthly payments of $28.20 for each $1000 financed. Offer good on all model year new and unreg-istered Gold Wing models. Not all buyers may qualify. Higher rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Check with participating Honda Dealers for complete details. Offer ends 9/30/2010. $500 Loyalty Bonus. Customer must purchase a new and unregistered qualify-ing model during the program period and apply the certificate to accessories, riding gear or other purchase at a participating dealer on the same day the vehicle is purchased. Customer is responsible for all related sales tax. Certificate is not transferable and has no cashvalue. Redemption value not to exceed the amounts indicated on the certificate. Limit of one (1) certificate per unit purchase. American Honda reserves the right to amend, cancel or revoke this program at any time without prior notice. In all matters pertaining to the inter-pretation and application of any phase of the program, the decision of American Honda shall be final. Restrictions apply. Offer applies only to U.S. models sold in the United States. See dealer for details. Offer ends 7/31/2010.

1 Year Open House Celebration • Saturday July 31stSpecial Events and Activities 11am to 4pm • Check web for detailsChicken BBQ • Special savings storewide and demo rides

RIDE THE GOLD STANDARDHonda Gold Wing Customer Loyalty program. Get an additional $500bonus when you trade in any year/model Gold Wing on your purchase.

Are you ready to ride? With Honda’s 0.99% fixed APR financing offer, there’snever been a better time to buy a new Honda Gold Wing. And the rate is FIXEDfor the life of the load. Mavrix Motorsports has a great selection and right nowyou can take a test ride on America’s Gold Standard of touring machines.

Follow the route to the 25th Street Mall and searchout Jimmy’s Hot Dogs. It’s easy to find; as there mightbe a line out the door. But, no worries the line movesas fast as a Hyabusa.

We sat down and had four dogs with everything,which means mustard, fresh onion and a sliced dillpickle spear along with two sodas for under $6.Their Hot Dogs, which are wonderful, cost you just

$.95 cents each. Talk about value! Yes, you have tostand around and eat them in a mall parking lot - butwhat do you want for less than a buck?

From Easton we kept on heading north along theriver. Past the Water Gap and along its banks to thetiny burg of Matamoras, Pennsylvania.Staying on US 6 and Route 209, in the direction of

Port Jervis you will find our final stop for the 2010 HotDog Run - Cats!Cats? Don’t you mean Dogs?Nope we’re talking one of the most serious Hot Dog

places we have ever found - Cat’s Incredible Dogs!Take note that Cat’s is closed on Sundays andMondays - for all you “On Any Sunday” riders. ButTuesday through Saturday they are open for lunch(11:30am to 4pm) with a staggering 35 different stylesof Dogs! Here are just a few: the Texas Dog, the PhillyFido, the Paisano Dog, the Loch Ness Monster, theSpud Missile, the Mount Fuji and new to the menu theHellish Relish (why go there?) and the Big Cat.You get the idea.

High Alpine Tour withBackroads and Edelweiss

July 17-24, 2011 • If Not Now - WHEN?Head off with Backroads’ publishersBrian & Shira for a tour of a lifetime aswe join up with Edelweiss for their HighAlpine Tour.Ride the roads you have dreamed of inthe past - Paso Del Stelvio, theGrossglockner, the famed Dolomites.We’ll even have a day’s ride to Venice.

When: July 17 -24, 2011Yes, 2011 – that gives you two years toget ready to come on Backroads mostexciting event ever!There’s only room for so many, so makeyour plans now! Prices start at just$3360/rider and $2920/passenger.

For more information email Doris:[email protected]

or call us at 973-948-4176.

Ride the Alps, if not now, when?


Now, if you have followed this ride all day long this is your last stop. Your last chance to follow in our foot steps, or tire tracks. Go for it... pick just one ofthe 35. Oh, you can’t? No, problem just spin the wheel.Yes, Cat’s Incredible Dogs has an arcade-style spinning wheel to make the choice for you. This way when

Doc Gonzo, the heart surgeon, asks you why you’re in to see him you have, what we in the letter agencies call,“Plausible Deniability.”We hope you enjoyed the 2010 Hot Dog Run. We know it covers a lot of ground, but we think it’s worth it.

You might consider breaking it up over a few days and really enjoying what the terrain and Dogs have to offer.Woof! (Route on page 45)


PJ’s Dog House8 White Deer Plaza, Sparta, NJ973-729-6900

Hot Dog Johnny’sRte. 46, Buttzville, NJ908-453-2882 • hotdogjohnny.com

Jimmy’s Hot Dogs2555 Nazareth Road , Easton, PA610-258-7545

The River Hot Dog ManDelaware Tubing2998 Daniel Bray Highway (Route 29)Frenchtown, NJ908-996-5386www.riverhotdogman.com

Cat’s Incredible Dogs!505 A Rte. 6/209 Pennsylvania Ave. Matamoras, PA570-491-5870www.catsincredibledogs.com


The Madeleine Islands: Quebec’s Secret Island Paradise

R words and images: Ken Aiken

ising from a vivid blue ocean off the port side of the ship were emerald-green hills atop red sandstone cliffs a hun-dred-foot-high and a finback whale was swimming parallel to our course. My first view of Entry Island was unlike anyother part of the Appalachians I’d ever seen.

Even with my research they remained a mystery and, despite stories heard, I’d never met anyone who had actually beenthere. Basque fishermen had been voyaging to this archipelago to hunt “sea cows” since the early 1500’s, but then, asnow, the best-kept maritime secrets rarely appear on maps. Yet, when the Traversierdocked at Souris on Prince Edward Island, nine bikes rolled out; when it left, it carried four.Debarking at Grindstone (Cap-aux-Meules) my first stop was just outside the gates of

the ferry terminal at the tourist information center. The local tourist board is happy todo all the hard work in setting up an itinerary and booking lodging. It appears thattonight I’ll be sleeping in a convent.

The island of Havre-aux-Maison (House Harbor) is difficult to describewithout poetic license. The sea is really blue and the grass is emerald green,but laced by millions of dots of color from the profusion of wildflowers that

grow on these islands.Orange sandstonecliffs give way tobeaches the color ofaged ivory. Further -more, imagine a placewhere every home is

painted a different color. Origin ally an Acadiantradition de veloped as identifying beacons forfishermen returning home, it has survived andmatured into a cultural art form that’s activelyembraced by the Madelinots. Varied hues of pur-ple, red, blue, orange, green, and yellow intermin-gle with houses painted pastel turquoise, pink,lavender, mint, and mauve. Trimmed in contrasting orcomplimentary colors, each differs from their neigh-bors and it’s a photographer’s dream.Route 199 is only 54.6-miles (88 km) long and,

despite a few sharp corners, it doesn’t offer any tech-nical challenges. Its entire length, from the docks inLa Grave to the harbor in Grande Entrée, can be easi-ly ridden in an hour and a half. The total mileage of allroads, both gravel and paved, on the archipelago totalsless than 186 miles (300 km). However, all the time,effort, and expense required just to get me to this high-way proves to be justified.

One 12-mile segment of Route 199 runs fromHavre-aux-Maisons to Pointe-aux-Loups and alongNorth Dune to Grosse Île. On this long, straight stretchof highway utility poles line each side of the road onlyto converge in the distance with heat waves adding abit of surrealism to the already gentle undulations ofan asphalt surface built on a foundation of loose sand.The ocean lines both sides of the highway only to dis-appear behind a long ridge of grass-anchored sand tomy left. In places the powdery sands of transversedunes crest above the road and spill onto its asphaltshoulders while blue herons stride through the lushsaltwater marshes to my right. One of the top-ranked beaches in the world arcs

around the East Point National Wildlife Reserve onGrosse Île. Except for two short stretches on eitherend, these 13-continuous miles (22 km) of gorgeoussand beach are deserted. Perhaps it’s due to the name,Grande Échouerie Beach (an échouerie is where wal-

rus, or “sea cows,” once hauled themselves ashore to sunbath) or perhapsit’s because these islands offer a total of 196-miles of pristine sand beachesto choose from. The bike can be parked anywhere: stealing a motorcycle justisn’t feasible when the only escape is by boat.The highway ends at the quay in Grande-Entrée. Today most of the fish-

ing fleet is docked and the boutiques and restaurants seem to be moderate-ly busy. I take some photos, but since I’ve managed to cover less than 30miles this morning, I want to keep riding. La Grave is at the other end of theroad so, pulling a U-turn, I head in the opposite direction.The southern end of Route 199 terminates at another fishing pier,

although the island of Albert’s Harbor(Île du Havre-Aubert) continues formany kilometers as Sandy Hook, along, thin dune that stretches towardsEntry Island. The village of La Gravewas the first settlement in the islands,established in 1755 by refuges escap-ing the Acadian Expulsion by theBritish in Nova Scotia (others soughtrefuge in New Orleans and createdCajun culture). The Acadian flag -vertical red, white, and blue stripeswith a gold star in the blue - is flownthroughout the islands, but, under-standably, it’s most prevalent here.


Live Entertainment and DJ throughout the SummerCheck our website for full schedule

Our Famous Lobster Bake Sunday, Aug. 15

HAVRE-AUX-MAISON

ENTRY ISLAND

ROUTE 199

La Grave has become anartist community. Its tiny cedar-shingled fishing sheds datefrom the 19th and early 20thcenturies, but rather than hous-ing lobster traps and fishnets,they’ve been transformed intosmall boutiques and galleriesthat feature the work of localartists and artisans. Café de LaGrave is in the old generalstore, and it’s the place to orderthe local specialty, a seafood pie called “pot-en-pot.” I’ve arrived too earlyfor the small boat-building contest (a hippie soapbox derby for boats) or theinternational sand castle competition (anyone can enter, but only castles canbe constructed) that take place during the Acadian Festival during the firsttwo weeks of August and so set off to explore the rest of the island’s roads.Spitting stones from my rear tire it was too late to turn back and besides,

even if I could turn around I wouldn’t be able to descend the steep ruttedroad. Called Chemin des Appenteurs it turns into a beautiful rarely traveleddirt road across the peak of the island. Every road has something special tooffer: this one has a rockslide that has exposed beautiful crystals and Igreedily stuffed my tank bag. In the town of L’Étang-du-Nord on Cap-aux-Mueles Island a cluster of

colorful clapboard-sided boutiques face the sea. The yellow one turns out tobe Café la Côte, where salt-cod pizza is the house specialty. From here theangular hulk of Duke of Connaught can be seen resting against the rocks ofSavage Head (Cap a Savage). Having rusted to the same red color as thecliffs, I can’t figure out what it is and have to ask. The locals joke that it’s

the work of a contemporary metal sculptor. It turns out that an unusually large percentage of the

residents are directly descended from the survivors ofover 400 shipwrecks and many buildings on these islandswere constructed from salvaged ship timbers. One suchexample is the Church of St. Pierre in La Vernière (c.1876), which also has the distinction of being the second-largest wooden church in North America.


SOUTH LIGHT L’ETANG-DU-NORD

Among the grassy dunes, people are ob viously searching for something.It’s wild strawberries season, but this same scene takes place when blueber-ries and native cranberries are ripe. “Le bon gout frais des Îles (the goodfresh taste of the islands) is a term used to proudly identify local fish andproduce. Pied-De-Vent is a dairy making non-pasteurized cheese from theirown cows; microbrewery À l’abri de la Tempête produces five differentbrews from locally grown barley; and Le Barbocheux winery creates a dan-

delion and berry wine called “bagosse.” The local veal is exquisite, sealsausage turns out to be quite tasty, and seafood is so abundant, varied, andinexpensive that you wonder how fisherman manage to make a living.Smoking fish is an island tradition and Fumoir d’Antan on Île du Havre-

aux-Maisons is a place I want to visit. They’ve created an excellent littlemuseum in the original smokehouse and the story is clearly presented inboth French and English. Besides the traditional herring they also smokemackerel, eel, and scallops. I purchase vacuum packages to bring home anda couple of “snack-packs” to munch on while riding about—this probablyexplains why my tank bag smells a little fishy.Prior to the creation of Route 199 in 1956, Madelinots had to boat from

island to island. This created very diverse communities unique to their par-ticular patch of land. Today this remains evident on Entry Island, the onlyinhabited one not connected by road. There is a local pedestrian ferry, butI choose to make the six-mile (10 km) trek across open water in a rubberboat (Zodiac) operated by Excursions en mer.

After circumventing the island and looking at the nesting sites of localseabirds, including those of the Razorbill Auk, a couple hours remained tohike up Big Hill for a panoramic view of the archipelago.The air is incomparably fresh and ocean stretches to the horizon. It’s a fit-ting goodbye to these islands.Despite their small size, four days wasn’t long enough to take advantage

of all that the Maggies have to offer and I never tired of going back and forthon the same roads. Now it’s time to return to Grindstone where I’ll load theDucati onto the CMTA Vacancier for a three-day trip up the St. LawrenceRiver to Montreal, but somehow I’ll find an excuse to return to theMadeleine Islands next year.


LODGING

Domaine du Vieux Couvent on the island of Havre aux Maisons (House Harbor) turned out to be a boutique hotel in the old convent. It’s one ofthose rare places where everything has been done right in the restoration and the ultra modern décor of it’s ten upper rooms and six apartmentsuites somehow works with the austere late 19th-century rooms on the ground level. I learned the details of the entire project - from gutting theinterior to building furniture - that was designed and carried out by local craftsmen with a no-expense spared do-it-right attitude. This locallyowned property is the finest boutique motel I’ve encountered anywhere. It was my introduction to the pride and attitude of island residents. Theview from my windows, stretching across Plaisance Bay to Entry Island, seemed like a fantasy.I would stay in other properties, each quite different, and in the morning would feel a tug of resistance in having to move on. I easily could havespent a season ensconced at Havre sur Mer on Havre Aubert writing my novel. Maison des Falaise on Havre aux Maisons is the most-often pho-tographed house on the islands. The view was extraordinary. The list goes on and includes campsites, inns, and hostels. I highly recommendusing the tourist board to book your stay. Just tell them your needs and let them make the arrangements.

For tourist information: (877) 624-4437 www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com For ferry information and reservations: (888) 986-5101 www.ctma.ca Departs from Souris, PEI at 2 PM on most days. Arrive an hour in advance.Domaine du Vieux Couvent: (418) 969-2233 www.domaineduvieuxcouvent.com Havre sur Mer: (418) 937-5675 www.havresurmer.com Léon LaPierre: (888) 818-4537 (418) 986-6565 Rent a motorcycle or, if you have problems with yours call to have him pick it up.

LOCATION

The Madeleine Islands (Îles de la Madeleine) are one of those rare “in” places to ride, but few have heard of them. Located in the Gulf of St.Lawrence approximately 134 miles (215 km) east of the Gaspe, 65 miles (105 km) north of Prince Edward Island, and 60 miles (95 km) west ofCape Breton, the “Maggies” are considered to be a northern segment of the Appalachian Mountains and belong to the province of Quebec.Authoritative sources can’t even agree on the extent of their land area (somewhere between 77 and 88 square miles), but there are seven inhab-ited islands and all but one are connected by a single highway.

ALRIGHT CAPE

VIEW OR CAP AUX MEULES

words and images: Burt Richmond

The expectation of going to Third World Countries was one of over-cooked gray mystery meat, boiled potatoes and second-rate hotels. Boy,were we in for a big surprise as the beef, lamb, chicken and fish were allfresh and cooked to temperature as ordered. The vegetables, fruits & saladswere brightly colored, succulent and juicy. Fifty years of Communistoppression has been quickly overcome to bring Bulgaria and Romania intothe 21st Century with ambition, gusto and entrepreneurial spirit.

As Svetlana, our Sofia guide,explained the colors of theirflag, we began to get a feel ofthe Bulgarian mind set: “Whiteis for our freedom, red is forthe blood that was spilled toachieve that freedom and thegreen represents the fertile hills

and valleys that produce abundantfresh food that we enjoy.” Then shesaid that these colors are best visual-ized with their traditional Shopskasalad of grated white cheese oversliced tomatoes and cucumbers. But, back to putting our foot in the

waters of the Black Sea and the Third World cultures and history ofRomania and Bulgaria. Their admission to the EU two years ago has dra-matically changed their patriotism and pride in being part of the biggerEuropean Community. The EU has helped change the infrastructure withnew roads, improved rail systems and telecommunications. These two coun-tries have thrown off the yoke of Communism with great vigor that is trulyrefreshing.

The EU has helped to re-build the roads in both countries, which hasresulted in good roads with lots of twisites that are now comparable to thebest of the Alps and the Dolomites. However, when they are bad, they arereally potholed and slow going. Evolution will eventually bring all of themup to EU standards.While this was neverpromoted as a puremotorcycle ridingtrip, we had manylong stretches thatwere moto nirvana.Romania uses theFrench kilometermonuments system,which made naviga-tion much easier.

Riding through centuries of history is very stim-ulating and enriching. Yes, we had two weeks ofserious intellectual, visual and aural enrichment.Between the historic Byzantine period and theinfluence of the Ottoman Empire we had abundantexamples of Greek Orthodox churches & monas-taries with their brightly colored murals painted onthe exterior walls. There are also the RussianOrthodox structures, with their ‘onion dome’ char-acteristic steeples. In Istanbul, we toured the BlueMosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, the SpiceMarket and the Grand Bazaar before we boarded aboat for a Bosporus cruise past stately palaces andprivate mansions.


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Turkey • Bulgaria • Romania on Two Wheels

The countryside was alive with farmers toiling away in thefields. We shared the road with their horse drawn carts of alldescriptions hauling people and produce to market. We passedmiles of sunflowers contributing their brightness to our rides.In Romania we could feel joyous people in brightly colored

traditional clothing. Even their homes echoed the radiance ofNature’s palette. The Medieval villages were alive with pastel

colored buildings. Town squares hadfountains, flowers and happy peopleenjoying their surroundings.Bucharest is a modern city of 2

million that easily shares historicarchitecture intertwined with avant-garde structures. Hotels tended to bevery upscale. In Bucharest it was anelegant 4-star former politico man-sion. We spent a day touring historicsights, including the RomanianTriumphant Arch located along awide boulevard that gives the city the

title of Paris of Eastern Europe. The Ceau-escu Palace has become theRomanian Parliament building after his execution in 1986, the secondlargest building in the world after the US Pentagon. It is huge and opu-lent with inlaid marble floors and magnificent crystal chandeliers.Modern shops and restaurants lined narrow cobbled streets. Churches,synagogues and mosques were abundant for all faiths. Brasov, the nearby ski town of Poiana Brasov and Bran, brought us



STARTING POINT - CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN,RTES. 15/206, AUGUSTA, NJ

SOUTH ON ROUTE 206RIGHT ONTO PRICE ROAD

LEFT ONTO AUGUSTA HILL ROAD

STRAIGHT ONTO CR 519RIGHT ONTO CR 626RIGHT ONTO OLD STAGE COACH ROAD

LEFT ONTO CHURCH ROAD

LEFT ONTO CR 626LEFT ONTO PARSON ROAD

RIGHT ONTO JUNCTION ROADRIGHT ONTO CR 622

LEFT ONTO RIDGE ROAD

BEAR LEFT - STAY ON RIDGE ROAD

LEFT ONTO WEST END DRIVE

LEFT ONTO RTE. 94RIGHT ONTO WILLOWS ROAD/CR 618RIGHT ONTO RTE. 206 SOUTH

IMMEDIATE RIGHT ONTO CR 611BEAR LEFT ONTO HUNTSVILLE RD

RIGHT ONTO PEQUEST ROAD

RIGHT ONTO KENNEDY ROAD

LEFT ONTO HAMILTON ROAD

LEFT ONTO SOUTH ST

RIGHT ONTO CR 612LEFT ONTO BEAR CREEK ROAD

RIGHT ONTO SHADES OF DEATH ROAD

RIGHT ONTO SOUTH TOWN ROAD

LEFT ONTO HELLER ROAD

LEFT ONTO STATE PARK ROAD

RIGHT ONTO SHILOH ROAD

LEFT ONTO JENNY JUMP ROAD

LEFT ONTO CR 519LEFT ONTO LAKE JUST IT ROAD

LEFT ONTO RADER ROAD

RIGHT ONTO FREE UNION ROAD

RIGHT ONTO US 46 WEST

LEFT ONTO RTE. 31RIGHT ONTO BELVIDERE AVE/CR 624LEFT ONTO BUCKLEY ROAD

RIGHT ONTO CR 623

LEFT ONTO CR 626

LEFT ONTO BUCKHORN ROAD

LEFT ONTO CASTNERS ROAD

LEFT ONTO CR 647RIGHT ONTO MONTANA ROAD

RIGHT ONTO ALLENS MILLS ROAD

RIGHT ONTO FOX FARM ROAD

LEFT ONTO UNIONTOWN ROAD

RIGHT ONTO LIBERTY ROAD/CR 637RIGHT ONTO CR 639RIGHT ONTO MUNICIPAL ROAD

LEFT ONTO CR 519RIGHT ONTO CREEK ROAD

LEFT ONTO MOUNTAIN ROAD

RIGHT ONTO PINCHERS POINT ROAD (MAY BE GRAVEL)LEFT ONTO RIVER ROAD

RIGHT OVER RIEGELSVILLE BRIDGE

LEFT ONTO ROUTE 611LEFT ONTO RIVER ROAD

RIGHT ONTO NARROWS HILL ROAD

LEFT ONTO KINTNER HILL ROAD

LEFT ONTO LONELY COTTAGE ROAD

RIGHT ONTO MARIENSTEIN ROAD

LEFT ONTO ROCK RIDGE ROAD

RIGHT ONTO GEIGEL HILL ROAD

RIGHT ONTO DURHAM ROAD

ARRIVE AT 4105 DURHAM RD/OWOWCOW ON RIGHT

SHIRA’S ICE CREAM RIDE - AUGUST 2010 • OWOWCOW CREAMERY4105 DURHAM RD, OTTSVILLE, PA • 610-847-7070

HOURS: MON-SAT: NOON TO 10PM • SUNDAY: NOON TO 9PM

GPS ROUTE FROM CHATTERBOX DRIVE-IN: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/2PPG5V • GPS ROUTE FROM APPLEGATE FARMS: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/O8DXR1

Disclaimer: As with all Rip & Ride RouteSheets, we recommend following theride first on a map. This way you’llhave a better idea of where you’regoing and have more fun doing it!

to the mythical Dracula Castle overlooking a major north-south former toll road that the Hapsburgs’controlled. This was recently ceded back to a Hapsburg heir living in the US and is operated as a pop-ular tourist site. One could easily imagine life in medieval times in the Bran Castle, as it is knownlocally.A strong bond between Russia and Bulgaria was created centuries ago when the Czar sent troops

south to help the Bulgars repel the advances of the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly, the Patriarch of theGreek Orthodox Church sent Friar Cyril and Friar Dmitri to convert the Slavic-speaking Thracians andBulgars, who did not have a written language. They developed a new alphabet that was of Greek ori-gin for the Slavic sounds, ergo the Cyrillic alphabet evolved, which was subsequently adopted by theCzar’s court. Navigating our way in Bulgaria was a bit challenging at 100kph once we were off themajor highways where signage was only in Cyrillic.This was a fun trip full of history, warm friendly people, great local cuisine and wine plus those

wonderful mountain twisties!If you’d like to explore this part of the world, Kazoom Moto Adventures can take you there. Kazim

Uzunoglu, owner/tourguide, is a licensed Turkish History guide, who put himself through theUniversity of Virginia by running bus tours for American/British, Canadian and German tourists dur-ing the summers. Then went on to get his MbA in Economics in Istanbul. He is the most competentguide I have ever worked with, who provides incredible insight into the history and culture of theregion, including Romania and Bulgaria. Actually, he has run tours that circumnavigate the BlackSea and the Caspian Sea. He speaks English better than we do, and has a great sense of humor. Youcan find him here: www.kazoom-moto-adventures.com.

Kazim Uzunoglu • Kazoom Moto Adventures100/1 Mesrutiyet Cad. Beyoglu Istanbul 34430 Turkey • [email protected]


Oh Sullivan’s Woodport House

Boat and Bike Night

125 State Route 181 • Lake Hopatcong NJ • 973-222-1128www.woodporthouse.com

Check our website for Specials and for Weekend Bands

Special Food and Drink PricesEntertainment with DJ Kathy

CHESTER’s SOUTHERN FRIED CHICKEN in addition to our regular menu of great foodLegs, Thighs, Breasts, Wings, Biscuits, Gravy, Potato Wedges, Mac n’ Cheese, Corn Dogs, etc.

are always available. Burgers, Steamed Clams, Cuban Sandwiches, Hot Italians, BBQ Ribs, and more.

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MEMBERMEMBER

START: PJ’S HOT DOG HOUSE, SPARTA, NJSOUTH ON WHITE DEER PLAZA

CR 613 ALONG LAKE

LEFT AT LENAPY RD

LEFT AT MAIN ST. CR 517RIGHT AT CR 667RIGHT AT CR 612LEFT AT CR 615RIGHT AT CR 613RIGHT AT ALPHANO RD

RIGHT AT RTE. 46 WEST

TO HOT DOG JOHNNY’SLEFT AT TITMAN RD

LEFT AT CR 519IN ALPHA RIGHT AT CREEK RD

LEFT AT RIVER RD

RIGHT AT CR 627LEFT AT BRIDGE ST

RIGHT AT CR619RIGHT AT RTE. 29 TO RIVER HOT DOG MAN

AND DELAWARE TUBING

CROSS BRIDGE TO PANORTH ON RTE. 32BEAR RIGHT AT RTE. 611 TO EASTON

LEFT AT NORTH HAMPTON ST / RTE. 248RIGHT AT NAZARETH RD

JIMMY’S HOT DOGS IN 25TH STREET MALL

BACK TO RTE. 611 NORTH

BEAR RIGHT AT MARTINS CREEK

BELVIDERE HIGHWAY

LEFT AT RIVERTON RD. BEFORE BRIDGE

HARD RIGHT TO RIVER RD

P/U RTE. 611 NORTH

LEFT AT BROAD ST

TAKE SR 2028 NORTH ALONG RIVER

POSSIBLE DETOURS

RIGHT AT COMMUNITY DR

RIGHT AT RTE. 209 NORTH TO MILFORD

RIGHT AT US 6 TO CAT’S INCREDIBLE DOGS!

Rip & Ride®

DOGS ON THE DELAWAREDOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE HERE:

WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/MVA7KH

Disclaimer: As with all Rip & Ride Route Sheets,we recommend following the ride first on amap. This way you’ll have a better idea ofwhere you’re going and have more fun doing it!

A Motorcycle IsThe Ultimate Toy,

Vermont IsThe Perfect Playground®

We put it together…

The Gray Ghost Inn

290 Route 100 • West Dover, VT800-745-3615 • www.grayghostinn.com

Motorcyclist-Friendly Destination LodgingLocated on Scenic Route 100 in Southern Vermont

Full breakfast cooked to order. BYOB bar, hot tub,outdoor firepit, pool and game room. Free Mapsand Suggested Rides. Group Special Packages.5 restaurants/bars within walking distance.

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Birthday Ride

Drifting off the night before one of my last thoughts was, ‘I’m getting up tomorrow for a sunrise birth-day ride’.

This wasn’t a big birthday, no milestone this time around the sun, but still worthy of observing andthis day always deserves respect.

My eyes fluttered open at 5:30 am - right on schedule and giving Shira a little peck on the cheek I quietly slipped out ofbed and into my riding gear.Rolling the bike out of the barn I fired the quiet R1200GS up and rolled out of the drive into the early morning light thatwas just flittering through the forest.Riding down into open farm land Sol, my good morning friend, had just arrived over the horizon to the east and the fogthat had draped this part of northern New Jersey the past few nights hung heavy on the fields.The first rays of the day pierced through the mist, giving the landscape an almost ethereal feel.

Stopping for that digital moment a car rolled up alongside me; Heidi, a friend from the gym andwhat we call a neighborhood up here in Sussex County. She was out early and we both agreed it wasa lovely way to start a birthday.I took a small road I know of that would bring me around the Paulinskill, one of the more pristine

parts of New Jersey. The only ones out this early besides me were wishful fishermen. Some in boats,others sitting outside their trucks and cars, poles jammed into braces and lines running out from shore.Heading south a pair of doe ran alongside me through the forest as the GS sang through the twists

and turns that make up this region.Crossing over another bridge

the fog and sun mixed it up onceagain and I was compelled tostop and shoot.Crossing near Swartswood

Lake I headed up into the hilland a large rafter of turkeyscrossed the road - the Godfather

of the American bird and once, almost, our nation-al symbol. I prefer the bald eagle.Mr. Rabbit bounded across my path, but a slight

tap on the brakes and we missed an unfortunatesituation.Near the top of the ridge that makes up the

Kittatinys, which border Walpack Valley, I glancedto my right to see a good sized black bear hugginga tree.I stopped. He

stopped. I beganto roll on and heran along theforest too - notliking the BMWmuch at all.

Not much further on a nide of pheasants, all sorts ofpurples and reds blocked my path. Early morning rideshere in northwestern New Jersey allow for all sorts ofcritters.By this time I could feel the warmth of the day arriv-

ing and I course corrected towards home.Passing near the Stillwater Firehouse, a pair of deer

- mom and speckled baby - stopped to watch me pass,the little one bounding back and forth unsure what todo. She followed her mother’s lead back into the fieldswhile I stopped for one last birthday picture.The sign at the firehouse simply read, “Have a Safe

and Happy Fourth of July.”


Rollin’ FastCycle Sports

104 Main StreetLebanon, New Jersey 08833

908.236.9000www.rollinfast.com

STORE HOURS: MON, TUES, WED, FRI 9-6THURS 9-7 • SATURDAY 9-5

EVERY MONTH - WEATHER PERMITTINGSaturday • Bergen County H-D/BMW Saddle Up Saturdays and BBQ • 124 Essex St,Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 • www.bergenharleydavidson.com

Second Sunday • Philadelphia Breakfast Ride. Meet at Silk City Diner - 5th/SpringGarden, Philadelphia PA - 8am • 215-922-2214

Every Sunday • Eastern Suffolk ABATE Breakfast Run. Crossroads Diner - CalvertonNY. 10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221

First Sunday of the month • Layton Meet at the Layton Deli, corner ofDingmans/Bevans Rd, CR 560, Layton, NJ. Meet around 8am – breakfast available. Joinothers for a ride or head out on your own

Every Tuesday • The Ear - Spring St, NYC. Come meet some fellow riders and do somebenchracing or whatever. 8pm-ish

Third Tuesday • 7:30pm ABATE of the Garden State, North Jersey chapter. Black RiverBarn, 1178 Rt. 10 West, Randolph, NJ. 7:30pm. New members and all mc brands wel-come. Help fight for rights as a motorcyclist in NJ! Alex Martinez 973-390-1918

First Wednesday of the Month • Bergen County H-D/BMW Hump Day MusicFest.Free concert from 6-9pm • 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • 201-843-6930 •www.bergenharleydavidson.com

Every Wednesday • Country Bike Night at the Airport Pub sponsored by the AmericanLegion Riders Post 132, Franklin, NJ • 6pm - ? • CR 639, Sussex, NJ - next to the air-port • 973-702-1215

Every Wednesday • Bike Night at Tramontin Harley-Davidson, Exit 12 of I-80, Hope, NJ• 6-9pm • 908-459-4101 • www.tramontinhd.com

Every Thursday • Bike Night at the Chatterbox Drive-in sponsored by Tramontin H-Dand Rider Insurance. Corners of Rtes. 15 + 206, Augusta, NJ. Great food, outdoor seat-ing, DJ spinning tunes • 973-300-2300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

Every Thursday • Red Knights XX PA at the Dairy Queen, Route 209, Marshall’s Creek,PA, exit 309 off Route 80 • 6-9:30pm, weather permitting

Every Thursday • Bike Night at The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant, Rte. 206,Downsville, NY • 607-363-7814

Every Thursday • Bike and Boat Nite at Woodport House/Sullivan’s Marina, 125 Route181, Lake Hopatcong, NJ. 6-10 pm starting May 22. DJ, music, food and drink specials.Partial proceeds to benenfit ASPCA • www.woodporthouse.com

Every Friday • Bike Night at O’Toole’s H-D. Open until 8pm. Food available. 4 SullivanSt, Wurtsboro, NY • 845-888-2426 • www.otooleshd.com

JULY 201022-25 • MountainFest Motorcycle Rally, Morgantown, WV. 4-day pass includes accessto all bands, attractions and entertainment. For details: www.wvmountainfest.com

23-25 • Carlisle Bike Fest is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier motorcycle event! Thousands oftwo-wheel fanatics will converge on the 102-acre Carlisle PA Fairgrounds for non-stopentertainment, an unbeatable motorcycle shopping experience, breathtaking and his-toric local rides, giveaways all weekend long and the chance to ride the latest modelsfrom manufacturers. The ride to the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, located less than 200 milesfrom five metropolitan areas throughout the East Coast, is almost as much fun as theevent itself. For more details: www.carsatcarlisle.com/ce/events/bikefest

23-25 • Empire BikeFest, Oswego Speedway, Oswego, NY. Taking place duringHarborfest. For full details please visit www.empirebikefest.com

24 • Ride for Kids - Marysville, OH • www.rideforkids.org

25 • Wurstboro HOG and O’Toole’s HD St. Jude’s Cancer Run. Sign in at 4 Sullivan St,Wurtsboro, NY • 845-888-2426 • www.otooleshd.com

31 • Bergen Sport Cycle Bikini Bike Wash/Raffle. Noon to 4pm. FREE - donations wel-come • 30 US Hwy 46 East, Lodi, NJ • www.bergensportcycle.com • 973-478-7711

31 • Sport Honda Bike Club Day and Bike Wash. 911 Middlesex Ave, Metuchen, NJ •732-906-9292 • www.sporthonda.net

31 • One Year Open House Celebration at Mavrix Motorsports, 21 Dunning Rd,Middletown, NY. FUll Throdle Promotions Stunt Riders 11am to 4pm. Great ChickenBBQ, specials and demo rides • www.mavrixmotorsports.com • 845-344-2453

31/Aug. 1 • O’Toole’s HD has the Factory Demo Truck on-site. Dem rides 9am-4pm. 4Sullivan St, Wurtsboro, NY • 845-888-2426 • www.otooleshd.com

AUGUST 20101 • Ride for Kids - Hudson Valley, NY • www.rideforkids.org

5 • COG Northeast Regional Summer Rally. The annual ‘Summer Bash’ rally returns toVermont in lavish style at Mt. Snow Resort. Come ride the gaps of the Green Mountainsand experience ‘sport-touring at it’s finest.’ Check the Concours Owners GroupNortheast calendar of events at www.cog-online.org • 978-459-6275

7 • Curtiss Class Motorcycle Celebration. SR 54, Hammondsport, NY • 607-569-2160• www.glenncurtissmuseum.org

8 • Ride for Kids - Pittsburgh, PA • www.rideforkids.org

12 • 5-8 pm • Bike Night at Cliff’s Cycle Revolution, 485 Federal Rd, Brookfield, CT •203-740-1279. Food, fun, DJ, door prizes, Giveaways, 50/50, car & bike awards andmore • www.cliffscyclerevolution.com

12-15 • 33rd Annual Daniel Boone Rally & Vintage/Classic Ride-in. Three states, onerally. KOA Campground in Boone, NC - rain or shine. Ride Blue Ridge Parkway and HighCountry, Southwstern VA and NE TN. On-site rally fee: $40/pp. Pre-reg by Aug. 7: save10%. Incl. 2 nites camping, catered BBQ dinner Sat., donut/coffee Sun., rally pin first

200, 5 door prize tix. More info: www.carolinasbmwmoa.org/rally.html

13-15 • Ride the Roof of North America with the 21st gathering of the BIG DOGS.Ridgway, CO. Hobnob with Pikes Peak, Paris Dakar and Baja 1000 finishers, enjoy mul-timedia shows, devour famed Mike Landry Cajun Gumbo and 2” thick T-bone steaks.FOR EXPERIENCED OFF-ROAD ADVENTURE RIDERS ONLY! Hosted by BMW of Denverand Bob’s BMW. Limited entrant invitational. For more info • Clem Cykowski at 303-755-6400 • [email protected] • www.horizonsunlimited.com/bigdog

15 • Ride for Kids - New England • www.rideforkids.org

15 • Cedar Rapids Annual Legendary Lobster Bake. Rte. 97, Barryville, NJ. Advancedtickets only. Live outdoor entertainment all riverside • 845-557-6158 •www.cedarrapidsny.com

21-21 • 9/11 Memorial Ride. Largest Police-escorted motorcycle ride to all three sites.Starting locations in Connecticutt, Ohio, Pennsylvania, NY, NJ and Virginia. For com-plete information please visit www.Americas911foundation.org • 877-771-0118

21 • Orange County Choppers End of Summer Charity Poker Run. Sign in: 9am @ OCC,14 Crossroads Ct, Newburgh, NY; $25/rider; $10/pass. To benefit Literacey Orange -Open Books Open Doors. Scenic ride to local Orange County historic sites. More than$1000 in prizes for best three poker hands. Includes lunch, vendors and more. •www.orangecountychoppers.com

21 • Liberty Harley-Davidson Kids Day with yard sale, refreshments and more. BloodDrive from 1-5pm. Call ahead for appt. • 12 W. Milton Ave, Rahway, NJ. 732-381-2400 • www.libertyharley.com

22 • 38th Foggy Mountain Reliability Run. Timed Road Run. Call or send email addressfor notification • [email protected] • 973-778-6256

22 • Joe Pitt Benefit Memorial Ride. Sign in: Dog House, 17 N. Midland Ave, Nanuet,NY 9-11am. $25 Pre-reg/$30 DOV.Scenic ride through Orange/Rockland Cty, NY withroute sheets. Incl. food, refreshments, music, door prizes and more.

22 • 10th Annual Pop’s Run hosted by the Nassau Wing MC to benefit the AmyloidResearch Team at the Boston University School of Medicine. Sign in 9-10:30am atYamaha/Suzuki/Victory of Mineola, 336 Jericho Tpke, Mineola NY. $20/pp includesride, music, food, door prizes and more • www.popsrun.org • 516-680-0178

24-31 • Carolina Motorcycle Rental and Tours …to the Races Tour to benefit the Ride forKids®. You can be a part of the action at the Red Bull Indianapolis GP this August! Joinus on the …to the RACES TOUR and take a parade lap around the GP track on Saturday,Aug. 28, 2010. The Lap of Champions is limited to 300 motorcycles, so reserve yourspot on the …to the RACES TOUR before it sells out. A portion of the tour price will bedonated to Ride for Kids. 866-997-3305 • www.carolinamotorcyclerentals.com


U P C O M I N G E V E N T S C A L E N D A R What’s Happenin’

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28 • O’Toole’s-A-Palooza Battle of the Bands at O’Toole’s Harley-Davidson, 4 Sullivan St,Wurtsboro, NY. 20 bands starting at Noon; $25 reg. fee. Winner gets $500. Call Tomfor full details at 845-699-3169 • www.otooleshd.com

28 • 2nd Annual Schenectady Thunder ARTBIKE Festival. State St, downtownSchenectady, NY. 11am-6pm. 3 live bands, photo exhibit, food, vendors, more • 518-464-8933

29 • Ride for Kids - Asheville, NC • www.rideforkids.org

31-Sept. 3 • Curve Cowboy Reunion, Killington, VT. Gathering of K12LT, but open to allbrands and models of motorcycle • www.curvecowboyreunion.com

SEPTEMBER 20103 • AMA Superbike Championship, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, NJ. Themost popular event in the short history of New Jersey Motorsports Park was last sea-son’s debut of the AMA Pro Superbike Championship. Already one of the favorites onthe series calendar, the event establishes a Labor Day tradition at NJMP for the seriesand Mid-Atlantic motorcycle race fans. www.njmotorsportspark.com

3-6 • Rolling Thru Vermont. All the magnificence of Americade but the size of a fami-ly reunion. Tours, lodging and special activities. www.rollingthruamerica.com

9-12 • Killington Classic Motorcycle Rally. Town of Killington. Vermont’s PremierMotorcycle Rally. For more info:www.killingtonclassic.com

12 • Lost Wheels MC 35th Annual Poker Run. Sign in: Dutchess Stadium, Rt. 9D,Fishkill, NY. 9-11:30am. AMA: $23; non-AMA: $25; Under 15: $10. Endsite: CanopusLake Beach Area, Fahnestock St. Park, Carmel, NY. Live entertainment by Guys NightOut, vendors, food, 50/50, door prizes, trophies, games, ride-in bike show. Awards forBest Rep Club, games, bike show and poker hands • www.lostwheels.com

12 • 2nd Annual Poker Lime Run to benefit Multiple Sclerosis. Sign in: Baer SportCenter, 330 Grandview Ave, Honesdale, PA or Masonic Harmony Lodge #8, 519 Rte.206, Andover Twnshp, NJ. 9am-Noon. $20/pp. Scenic ride through the DelawareValley/Kittatiny Range to Walpack Inn for a fantastic meal. Live music and prizes for tophands and best times • 570-253-2000 • 973-948-3890

12 • Larz Anderson Classic European Motorcycle Day, Brookline, MA

17-19 • 3rd Annual Boxer Shorts at Snow Farm Rally. Limited to 40 private doublerooms, this spouse-friendly artist retreat center near the Berkshires at Snow Farm inWilliamsburg, MA. Great roads and legalized off-roading in nearby October Mtn. StateForest. $140/pp includes full breakfast Sat/Sun and fancy dinner Sat. Pre-reg deadlineAug. 15. For more info and mailing address email [email protected]

17-19 • MotoGiro USA. Finger Lakes Region, NY. Headquarters TBD. For more info: KarlSmolenski and Alia Howard • [email protected] • www.motogiro-usa.com

19 • 3rd Annual Ride for the Pride Poker Run to benefit Belvidere Lions Club. Sign in:Tramontin H-D, Exit 12 I-80, Hope, NJ. 9:30-11am. $20/rider incl. picnic/bbq with livemusic at Hotel Belvidere, Belvidere, NJ. Unescorted 80-mile scenic ride throughSussex/Warren Ctys. Cash prizes, door prizes, 50/50 drawing • 908-475-3418 •www.belviderelionsclub.com

19 • Ride for Kids - Philadelphia, PA • www.rideforkids.org

19 • 3rd Annual Pony Express MC Poker Run to benefit American Cancer Society. Signin/endsite: My Place, 911 Little Britain Rd, New Windsor, NY. 9-11am. $20/rider; $35two up. Food, door prizes, live music. Non-riders welcome at endsite at 1pm. $20/pp• www.ponyexpressmchv.net • [email protected] • 845-361-4133

23-26 • Rolling Thru Maine. All the magnificence of Americade but the size of a fami-ly reunion. Tours, lodging and special activities. www.rollingthruamerica.com

25 • Cliff’s Cycle Revolution Vintage Days • www.cliffscyclerevolution.com • 203-740-1279 • 485 Federal Rd, Brookfield, CT.

26 • AMT Children of Hope Mystery Tour. Sign in/Endsite: Cedar Creek Park, 3340 E.Merrick Rd, Seaford, NY @ 10:30am. $20/bike+rider; $15/passenger. Chicken Wingcontest, food and music. Prize for best poker hand. For more info:516-781-3511 •www.amtchildrenofhope.com

26 • Ride for Kids - Baltimore/Washington, DC • www.rideforkids.org

OCTOBER 20107 • COG Northeast Regional Fall Rally. Natural Bridge, Virginia offers first class accomo-dations and great sport-touring riding. For more information check the ConcoursOwners Group Northeast calendar of events at www.cog-online.org • 540-582-9414

17 • Ride for Kids - Knoxville, TN • www.rideforkids.org

24 • American Spirit MC Annual Tombstone Tour to benefit Hicksville Post of theVeterans of Foreign Wars. Sign in: VFW Hall, 320 So. Broadway, Hicksville, NY – 9 to10am. $20/rider; $10/pass. Food, music, prizes • www.americanspiritmcinc.com •516-485-8270

JULY 201117-24 • Head off with Backroads’ publishers Brian & Shira for a tour of a lifetime as wejoin up with Edelweiss for their High Alpine Tour. Ride the roads you have dreamed ofin the past - Paso Del Stelvio, the Grossglockner, the famed Dolomites. We’ll even havea day’s ride to Venice. For all the information you’ll need to book this great trip, pleaseemail Doris at Edelweiss Travel: [email protected] m


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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S C A L E N D A R What’s Happenin’ U P C O M I N G E V E N T S C A L E N D A R What’s Happenin’

Z900.US ACCESSORIES FOR THE FANS OF THE

LEGENDARY KAWASAKI MUSCLEBIKEWhich slogan could better describe the first real musclebike of all times which was introducedby Kawasaki back in 1972? The high-quality black T-shirts and hoodie shirts with white letter-ing are available exclusively from the www.Z900.us online shop. The shirts are available insizes S through 3XL. Retail prices start at 20Euros plus 5Euros for shipping and handling. Theaccessory range also contains Z1, Z900 and Z1000 BOULEVARD street signs and a US-Style“Z1 PARKING ONLY” sign.

SUMMER CATALOG FROM WHITEHORSE GEARJust recently we spent some time with Dan, Judy and crew at Whitehorse GEAR’s very largefactory store in Center Conway, New Hampshire. The place is a virtual candy store for riders

and if you are ever in the region you must stopby. For those of you who can’t this summer werecommend the next best thing; simply give thema call and they will send you their Summer 2010catalog. You can reach them by phone at 800-531-1133 or on the web at whitehorsegear.com.Ask Jeff for the secret Steely Dan line of the day and if you guess the album Jeff will personally wash your ride!

NEW H-D TOURING RUBBER FROM AVONThe new Cobra has been designed to sustain heavier loads overlong distances as a result of a triple-belted, six-ply construction.For improved handling and stability, the new Cobra utilizes anadvanced sport touring tire technology with a solid rubber blocktread design that virtually eliminates irregular wear and alsoextends tire life. For improved reliability and responsivenesswhen braking in wet conditions, the new Cobra features anInverted Front Groove (IFG) tread design, while the unique“snakeskin” sidewall design delivers the ultimate style. For moreinformation, visit www.avonmoto.com/products/cruiser-touring-custom/cobra or call (800) 624-7470.


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

We LoveMotorcycle

s!GroupsWelcome!

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

to [email protected]

MOTOEQUIP REFLECTIVEVINYL TAPE KITS

EASY NIGHT TIME CONSPICUITYMotoEquip Reflective Vinyl Tape Kits use 3M Scotchlite vinyl tape exclusively.The motorcycle kits use engineer-grade, 7-mil, 7-year black reflective tape.Helmet kits are available in either black or silver, and wheel kits are silver.All kits are computer cut for a beautifully detailed precision fit. Each kit comescomplete with installation instructions, and in most cases an installation diagram tohelp make sure the product looks great on your bike. And, with MotoEquip kits,you get more reflective area for the money than with competing products. Pricerange from $19.95 to $29.95 depending on application. Available from cyclegad-gets.com.

NEW AEROSTICH COTTON SHORTSThese comfy 100% cotton shorts are great for wearing under a riding suit or for relaxing withfriends after a long ride. Made of a mid-weight comfy brushed cotton twill that gets more comfy witheach laundering. An elastic waistband and adjustable front belt ensure a comfy fit. Two side pock-ets hold stuff. Go commando. Ride comfy. Black or Green. We make these ourselves, right along-side the Roadcrafters. M (32-34), L (34-36), XL (36-38), XXL (38-40), XXXL (40-42) Specify9” inseam (pictured) or the risqué 6” inseam. #2859 $37.00. To get a free catalog, call 800-222-1994 or email [email protected].

HOT TOPPERS - GUARANTEEDHot Toppers® offers a variety of engine starter kits that gives you the bolt coverage you need andwant. These kits cover your engine, trasmission, primary and more! They have three styles tochoose from; chrome, black or chrome skull!Hot Toppers® will give you the chrome look you want without the rust. They enhance the look ofyour motorcycle without the cost of expensive teardown required to replace your existing hard-ware. Best of all, Hot Toppers are guaranteed for life - if they fall off or the chrome peels, blisters,fades or discolors - they replace it free! For more info visit www.hottoppers.com


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Dual Sport Adventures in the Smoky MountainsGuided Instructional Tours

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Just fill out the simple form and mail it along with payment (gotta pay the Postman) to:

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Words and images: Christopher A. Bowling

The Philippines is a chain of 7,000 tropical islands in Southeast Asia thatconjure up images of palm trees and white sand beaches but I thought itwould be a perfect place for motorcycling. An internet search lead toMotorcycle Adventure Tours Philippines (adventuretoursphilippines.com).For a single rider, they suggested a series of day trips from their headquar-ters in Dumaguete City in the Negros Oriental province. For $115 a day,MATPI provided a bike, fuel, third party insurance, entrance fees to attrac-tions, a helmet, and a guide with knowledge of the area. Once in Dumaguete, I met with my tour guide Greg. After the paperwork,

we reviewed the schedule. We would start out the next day and drive Southto Tambobo Bay. The second day we would take a ferry to Siquijor Islandand spend two nights. Then back to Dumaguete to ride north to Twin Lakes.he final day would be a ride to a geothermic area called PNOC. Gregstressed to always be on our toes. Though we were sticking to known safeareas, the Philippines can be dangerous. Greg, who is Australian, and Iwould stick out like sore thumbs. The idea was to be low key and never tellanyone where we are going. Poverty is common in the Philippines, especial-ly in the provinces where we were heading. We had to carry cash in case

one of the bikes broke down. Motorbikes are common in the Philippines sowe could always find someone to fix a bike, but they wouldn’t be acceptingcredit cards. It wasn’t a lot of cash, maybe $100-$150 each, but to somepoor shagger it could be 6 months’ salary. No need to tempt anyone byflashing cash. A bike was delivered to my hotel the next morning. There are few big

bikes in the Philippines. There was the occasional 200cc dual sport bike, butmost are under 125cc. People in the USA would call them scooters. My bikewas a Honda XRM, a dual sport bike with a 110cc 4 stroke air cooledengine. It is built and sold only in the Philippines and designed for theirrugged roads. The XRM had a step through frame and a clutch-less 4 speedrotary transmission. The shift pattern was the reverse of what I used on my

bike at home. Out of habit Ioccasionally found myselfdownshifting when I wanted toup shift and vice versa. TheXRM is lightweight, comfort-able and durable, all desirablequalities because as Greg said,the Philippines have some fan-

tastic places to see but you haveto take some really crappy roadsto get to them.It takes a while getting used to

driving in a new country on anunfamiliar machine. Filipinosdrive on the right side of the


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road but there is a lack of traffic lights and traffic rules. Intersections arechaotic because vehicles just mesh together. Dumaguete isn’t that big, but

there were a lot of vehicles hap-hazardly squeezing through nar-row streets. There were anexcessive number of bikes rid-ing through a canyon of parkedscooters lining either side of thestreet. Right before I arrived, thearea experienced some unsea-sonably heavy rains whichcaused severe flooding and

damage. We had to makedetours as we encountered sec-tions of road that were missingor had debris and mounds ofmud lying about. This createdtraffic bottlenecks. Once out ofthe city, the main highwaysouth was decently paved and

showed little effects from therain. Traffic was light and I wastreated to a great view of theBohol Sea to the left and sometropical mountain peaks to theright as we rode through smalltowns and villages. The skylooked threatening, but rain hadbeen minimal. It was hard toconcentrate on the road with somuch scenery.

After riding for an hour, weturned onto a nondescript look-ing dirt road. Greg said wewould take this road toTambobo Bay, which hedescribed as a place where “richguys parked their yachts.” Itwas a fun ride as the roadsnaked through open fields andjungle and eventually ending upat Tambobo Bay, which indeedhad some yachts anchored it in.The road turned parallel to thewater and went through a bamboo hut village. We stopped at a baysiderestaurant and had a delicious lunch of chicken adobo, a famous Filipinodish. Tambobo would have been a great place to stay, as the entire villagewas very laid back with a relaxing atmosphere. After lunch, we backtrackedto the main highway. From there we took back roads through the country-side to Dumaguete. Our journey ended at my hotel. The plan was to meetthe next morning to ferry over to Siquijor Island.The weather was cloudy and overcast in the morning. Greg rented some

bikes on Siquijor so we didn’t have to take ours on the ferry. The Port ofDumaguete was a quick taxi ride from the hotel and once there, we wereinformed the Coast Guardgrounded all ferries due to atyphoon in the north. Therewere only two ferries running toSiquijor Island each day so wewere hoping the afternoon ferrywould go as scheduled. Then wedid what most Filipinos dowhen they had time to kill...weate and drank. Dumaguete has aseaside boulevard near the portwith quite a few places to eat.Greg and I killed a couple of


hours at a Mexican restaurant,drinking cold beer and checkingout the parade of traffic and peo-ple before our patio table. TheCoast Guard cleared the after-noon ferry for departure but bythe time we got to Siquijor and

checked into our hotel, wewould not have time to do anyriding that day.Siquijor is a small island off

the coast of Dumaguete. A fastferry takes about 45 minutes toget there. Siquijor Island has areputation among the Filipinosas being a placed filled withwitches and shamans. It iscalled the Isle of Fire due to fireflies giving the island a mysterious glow inthe fading light. It has some fantastic beach resorts and traffic was minimal.Our hotel was the Coco Grove Beach Resort and its seaside-wooded facili-ties were absolutely beautiful. Due to the late start, Greg and I spent the bal-ance of the day at one of the ocean side bars regaling each other with sto-ries of motorcycles and international travel.The next day we started out early to explore the island. I was now riding

a 125cc XRM. It was a pleasure riding on the island with its minimal traf-fic and good roads. Our first stop was the town of Lazi, at a Catholic churchthat was built by the Spaniards some 300 years ago. The next stop wasCambugahay waterfalls for a refreshing swim in a nice lagoon of clear bluewater. Then we rode through some winding jungle roads and began to

ascend up some hills which pro-vided fantastic vistas. The XRMperformed admirably and hadenough power to take the hills,as long as you remember thereverse gear pattern and didn’tdo anything stupid like shift to4th gear when you wanted todownshift to 2nd gear. The next destination was

Bandilaan Nature Park. The higher up we got, the worse the roads were butthey were still two track jungle dirt roads that didn’t have a lot of rocks ormud. Greg located the trail that lead to the island’s highest point where therewas a small observation tower at the top. The trail was quite slick and ittook some huffing and puffing to get to the top. The view was disappoint-

ing because the sky was over-cast and visibility wasn’t thatgood. We spent several moremiles driving the mountain jun-gle road and eventuallydescended onto a plain filledwith rice paddies. Water buffalo

were tethered by the side of the roadand the rope had enough slack to letthem wander into traffic. Looking atthe size of those buffalo, I think thebike and I would get the worse endof any collision! It began to rain butI had on quick drying clothes andwaterproof boots, so I skipped the


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rain gear. The cool rain wouldbe refreshing in the tropicalhumidity (though the Filipinoswere commenting on how“cold” it was!) It was gettingdark so the day ended with ustaking the long way back to thehotel and getting some moreviews of regular village life onthe island. That evening wechecked out a local band play-ing at a nearby bar and had a

fun evening. The Filipinos knowhow to party and have a goodtime!Our last day on Siquijor

brought sunny and pleasantweather. We started early to rideas much as possible before the4pm ferry. Greg suggested weexplore some unknown roads tosee what they were like. He said

a few may be “a bit challenging”which meant they were filledwith bone jarring rocks andloose gravel. We headed to theisland interior and began toclimb some mountains. An XRMwill never be challenging any

speed records, but you can tack-le the rugged uphill climbs at asteady and determined pace. Itwas nice not worrying with aclutch or stalling the bike whenyou are concentrating on notfalling over. We took whateverroad looked interesting. We rodedirt paths through small clusters

of island villages. We tookpaved roads winding throughgroves of coconut trees andhard packed roads that ranalong the coast line and endedat hidden picnic grounds.Every turn contained extraor-dinary tropical sights. The daywent by quickly and beforelong we had to return our bikesand catch the ferry back inDumaguete. I turned in early

looking forwarded to more greatriding in the Philippines.The next day the coast had

blue sky but the mountains haddark, menacing looking thunder-heads. Guess which direction wewere heading? The plan was toride to a place in the mountainscalled Twin Lakes. The onlyway there was a 8.5 mile roadcharacterized by Greg as being

“a little bit difficult” with a few“rough patches here and there”which meant we would be ham-mered by rocks and ruts. Werode out of Dumaguete and fol-lowed the coastline north. Aftera few miles we came to the TwinLakes road and there was asquad of Army soldiers sta-tioned at the entrance. Greglocated the commander andasked if we would be permitted

to go up to the lakes. We were concerned about any political groups look-ing for a couple of Western hostages to hold for ransom. The soldiersassured us the road was safe and we could head up if we wanted. Initially, the road up the mountain was paved and smooth. On the ascent

we stopped for picturesque vistas of the mountainous valleys and the BoholSea. The mountains in the background were very steep and green with peaks


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covered in clouds. The closer we got to the park, the rougher the road was.It would alternate between patches of smooth pavement, hard pack dirt road,rock strewn trails, and some really thick mud. The recent rains caused land-slides that deposited a thick layer of sticky mud in places. We passed someworkers who had the job of repairing the road and they did it the old fash-ioned way, with a sturdy back and a shovel. No heavy equipment was avail-able out in the provinces. After a bone jarring and messy ride we arrived atthe lakes. I was thankful it wasn’t raining because it would have been onedangerous and slippery mess going up or down that road. The lakes’ water

levels were so high, all the trails were submerged which scuttled our hikingplan. An impromptu planning session resulted in deciding to head backtowards Dumaguete. Greg suggested that we do some exploring. He had amap and there were a couple of roads he wanted to take to see if there wasanything interesting on them. I was up for it. It was a good way to see thingsmost tourists don’t see.Once on the coastal highway, we pulled over for some gas. Greg said

there was a side road ahead that he was never on and that it might be “a bitchallenging,” which meant I was in for some heavy duty off-roading. For

several miles it was a nice cruise through thePhilippine countryside, encountering little traffic andthe occasional village. The further we drove, therougher the roads. We stopped on a curve and Gregindicated the direction we wanted to take was a muddygoat path running through some farmer’s yard. A localresident confirmed the “road” would lead us toDumaguete, but no one ever uses a motorbike on it. In

hindsight I knew why. It was a sloppy, muddy and nar-row trail with big hidden rocks that could stop yourfront wheel and send you flying over the handlebars.We spent over two hours slowly making our way downthe trail. Going fast down such a mess was asking fora trip to the hospital. We were in remote country as wedidn’t pass any huts for quite some time. On a reststop, Greg made the comment that “if we had amechanical out here, we would be in a bit of a spot.” Iwas thinking more like we would be royally screwed.A few places I had to get off and push my bike througha maze of muddy rocks. We passed a field of grazingcows and even they looked at us like we were crazy.It took a while to go down the path but the road got

easier and we were heading back to civilization. Wepulled over to get our bearing on the map and itappeared Dumaguete was a short ride away. Beforelong I would be back at the hotel having a beer. Butonce again, things don’t always go as planned in thePhilippines. We rode a few miles, turned to cross ariver and we ran into a problem. The bridge spanningthe river was missing a huge section. We guided our


bikes to the edge of the bridge to assess the situation. There were quite a few localsmilling about, the bridge wipeout was probably the most interesting thing that hap-pened in a while. One of them said the recent rains caused the bridge to give way. Thebridge was at least 40 feet above a rocky river bed with a wide section of hard flowingrapids. There was no way to walk the bikes across the river. Some wood scaffoldingwas set up to support two narrow boards that connected each side. This makeshift repairwas used to walk from side to side. The locals said the only options to Dumaguete were back up the goat path or to walk

our bikes across the makeshift bridge. Neither option looked too appealing. It was get-ting close to evening and Greg said we definitely did not want to be caught out in thecountryside when it was dark. There were recent reports of people being robbed onback roads at night. Going back up the goat path would involve riding in the dark onthe muddy, sloppy, rock filled trail. Walking our bikes across the boards would be a lotquicker and we would be back in Dumaguete in no time. It was not risk-free as a tum-ble off the side would guarantee a trip to the hospital or possibly the morgue. We endedup paying a couple dollars to two experienced men to walk the bikes across. Soon wewere cruising down a nice pavedhighway to Dumaguete. The dayended with a drive through rush hourin Dumaguete. It was a smoky ride,

as many residents had fires burning to keep mosquitoes down. Overall, it was a very satisfying but tiring day.I was amazed at how physical off road riding is. I slept well that night.

The last day of riding brought sun-shine, heat and humidity. We wereriding to the Filipino-American-Japanese Amity Shrine, then endingthe day with a ride to PNOC, an areanear a geothermal power stationoperated by the Philippine NationalOil Company, hence the PNOCmoniker. Once outside the busystreets of Dumaguete, we were on nice paved roads leading to some impressive look-ing mountain peaks and the Japanese shrine. During World War II, in order to monitorship movements, the Japanese occupied a strategic mountain point that gave them asweeping view of the sea of Bohol. Greg said to expect some “rough patches” on theway up to the monument. If he thought they were rough, I knew a spleen-bruising ridewas ahead. Initially, it was a peaceful and smooth ride through some jungle but it soonturned into a very rocky trail. The roads don’t look that rough in photos but we were onscooters with a bit of a beefed up suspension. The road would have been no problemfor a dirt bike with 12 inches of ground clearance and 18 inches of travel on the frontforks. An XRM doesn’t have that and you tend to feel every bump. We began the climbto the Shrine and it became an effort in trying to find a passable line through the loose

rocks while still trying to stay up straight. A few times I was nearly bounced off my bike. Validatingwhat Greg stated earlier, these crappy roads did lead to some impressive scenes. From the Shrine weregreat panoramic views of the steep mountain peaks, green valleys and the expansive blue waters of theBohol Sea. We then saddled up and headed down the mountain to make our way to PNOC for a swim.

After several miles of jungle road riding, wecame to an exposed ridge that had steam shootingout. It looked like riding through hell, in fact it


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was hot enough to be hell! We pulled over to examine the crosscut.The area had the unmistakable odor of sulfur, which is always pres-ent around naturally occurring geothermal activity. There was a smallstream of boiling water running alongside the road and a quick fingerstuck in it verified that it was indeed hot water. Hanging out by asteaming mass of dirt that seeped boiling hot water in the hot tropicalsun gets old quickly. After snapping a few pictures, we were off insearch of the waterfalls for that refreshing swim.

We arrived at the waterfalls, but once again our plans were altered as therecent rains wreaked havoc there as well. The rain forced a lot of rocks andmud to slide down the falls into the pool at the bottom. There was no swim-ming that day or any day in the near future. So we saddled up and hit theroad. It was getting late in the day, so we took a leisurely-paced ride onsome back roads to Dumaguete. I relished my last miles of riding in thePhilippines. Passing through small villages and groves of coconut trees, I

enjoyed taking in the last viewsof the impressive mountainpeaks and the dirt roads windingthrough the jungle. Before longwe were in Dumaguete and Iturned my bike in and that wasthe end of my riding adventure. As far as the Philippines

experience, all I can say is if youhave a chance to go there, takeit. If you can do some ridingthere you will love it. ThePhilippines can be as off road asyou want it to be. The XRM is a

fine machine, but it isn’t a full-fledged dirt bike. Don’t write it off as a toyscooter, you can still have a lot of fun on it and it will take you where youwant to go. If you prefer paved roads, there are plenty of them too, thoughthe natural scenery may not be as impressive as the off road sites. There isa lot to see in the Philippines. The scenery is fantastic, the beaches are likeparadise, the food is good, the beer is cold, the prices are favorable, and thepeople are very friendly and polite. The Philippines can be dangerous,

almost every business inthe city had armed guards.But I always felt comfort-able in Dumaguete andnever felt I was in any dan-ger but it is always good tohave what Greg called“situational awareness.”No matter what countryyou are in. Happy riding.


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