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FEBRUARY 2010Motorcycle TourMagazine

TheBest Of

20092009

BestTheOf

http://www.xploregs.com

http://www.ridewithrider.com

W H A T ’ S I N S I D E

Brian Rathjen • Shira Kamil ~ PublishersContributors

Richard Baker, Mark Byers, Bill Heald, Tony Lisanti, David McCormick, Dr. Seymour O’Life

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

For Advertising Sales Information: 973-948-4176

BACKROADS (ISSN 1087-2088) is published monthly by BACKROADS™, Inc. 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.

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

WHATCHATHINKIN’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

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

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

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

WE’RE OUTTA HERE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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

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

GREAT ALL AMERICAN DINER RUN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

BACKLASH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

INDUSTRY INFOBITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

MOTORCYCLE MARKETPLACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

F E A T U R E SSMOKING THROUGH NORTH VIETNAM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

DALE’S CHILLY CHILI RUN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

THE BEST OF BACKROADS 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

RIP & RIDE ROUTES FOR BEST OF BACKROADS . . . . . . . . . . 40

CHASING A SUNNY DAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ROLLING THROUGH VERMONT RALLY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

CORNERSPIN TRACK SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

MERRITT PARKWAY BRIDGES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

M O T O R C Y C L E R E V I E W SDUCATI STREETFIGHTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

P R O D U C T R E V I E W SACHIEVABLE DREAM DVD SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

KISAN SIGNALMINDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Motorcycles, Travel & Adventure

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TRAVELING HISTORYAs you all have read and seen, I like to travel. Who doesn’t, really. Oh,

I’m perfectly content when I’m home - doing those ‘at home’ chores that arenever-ending and there certainly is enough to be done with the magazinebusiness to keep me busy 25 hours a day. But the juices definitely start toflow when there are upcoming trips, whether they are in the early planningor final packing stages.Did this affection for the open road come

from the sky? Hell, no. I was luckyenough to have grown up in an adven-turous family. Both my parents were inthe teaching profession, and we all knowwhat that means - summer’s off.From the time I was old enough to

remember, we would head off for weeksat a time. One particular trip was toColorado, where my father was takingsome summer classes. I don’t rememberthe exact particulars, but I do remember trav-eling in a VERY large station wagon with anoth-er toddler about my age. Since we were peanuts, roughly age 3, we didn’trequire a real seat and were stuck in the space between the middle row andthe rear seats, which still faced rear in those days. The adults aptly dubbedit the creepy seat.Making the trek cross these United States, of course we had to make stops

and at one such stop laundry was on call. My sister - middle child - wasunder the weather and my brother - oldest child - was tagged to watch me -youngest child. Being the oldest child, and presumably the wisest, he wasgiven the task with minimal direction, “Don’t let your sister in the pool.”Easy enough.

Well, having just started his teen years, this was less than excitingand he turned his attentions to better things, leaving me by the pool.Yup, you guessed it, in I went. I must have blocked this from my mem-ory, or the time spent underwater killed those brain cells needed toremember, but I’m told I was pulled out and I guess I survived, as I’m

here today. It did take me a very long time to learn how to swim, though.As we grew older, we would migrate to the wonderful Finger Lakes

region of NY, Ithaca, to be specific. This was a wonderful time of my lifeand I still look forward to heading to the BMW Finger Lakes Rally everyyear. Other summer treks included a month in southern Spain, a rented flatin Paris, and some time spent in London. When I was old enough to travel

on my own, I spent a summer in Israel learn-ing about my heritage.

This travel lust didn’t start with myfolks, as my grandparents were moversand doers as well. Once the nest wasempty, my mom and dad headed forpoints far and wide. All continents werevisited, numerous countries exploredand many adventures had. Viet Nam,Nepal, Machu Pichu and Antarcticawere just a few of their ever-growing

passport stamps. And to this day theyhave not stopped. I aspire to follow in their

footsteps but on two wheels.So you can see that the travel bug in me has very deep roots. Once I start-

ed riding, the sky was the limit. Brian and I would take off in different direc-tions whenever we could. With the inseption of Backroads, even more doorswere opened to us and, well, you’ve read the rest.A few years ago we bought one of those huge framed maps of the world

for us and my folks. It came with map pins to document our travels. Thereare red ones for the places we’ve been, green ones for places we’d like to goand a yellow one for our favorite place. We have a fairly good number, butmy folks’ has hardly an empty space. It’s a huge world and Brian and I aregoing to see it, one pin at a time.

W H A T C H A T H I N K I N ’

SHIRA KAMIL

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 3

THE ARGUMENT FOR THE AMALast month I made the argument that we

should embrace Global Warming and enjoy the warmth ratherthan fight it.As expected I got a bit of flack for going against this new reli-

gious dogma. But, if I can’t stand the heat I better get away fromthe fire - Sorry, that was a pun intended.While I am still in point making mode I’d like to talk a bit about

why, if you are a rider, it would be a good thing to join and sup-port the AMA - the American Motorcyclist Association.The AMA has been around for a long time and it wasn’t all too

long ago that we had written about how they had strayed from themission; and that charge was to protect our rights to ride and topromote motorcycling in the United States. Shira was so angeredby the way things were she dropped her membership.But, in the last few years a new sheriff has ridden into the town

of Pickerington, Ohio and his name is Rob Dingman. When Mr.Dingman took the reins he quickly became aware that the AMAwas in trouble. There were too many irons in the fire and theAMA had drifted away from its original goals.Now after a number of years at the helm we have seen nothing

but good things happening in Ohio and the AMA has become,once again, an organization whose members can be proud.Each month members receive the American Motorcyclist, the AMA’s

magazine. A few years back, in a move that surprised many, two of theAmerican Motorcyclist’s staffers we fired. These guys had been there fordecades.Rob Dingman saw this as part of the problem and in one afternoon did

away with the “old boy” feel of the AMA. Other long-time staffers were letgo as well.

The AMA was getting a new look - a healthier look.The new editor of the magazine, Grant Parsons, stepped up to the plate

and the entire appearance and feel of the American Motorcyclist changedfor the better. These days the magazine is about us - the American motorcy-clists and riders.Instead of trying to compete with other magazines (us included) the new

American Motorcyclist is focusing more onwhat the AMA is doing for us and the AMAmembers themselves have become the mainfeature of the publication. It echoes the newparadigm of the American MotorcyclistAssociation itself.I, for one, think the re-born American

Motorcyclist Association is a very, very goodthing.This new standard was no more apparent

than when the AMA announced itsMotorcyclists of theYear Award for 2009. Thefirst award, in 2008, went to their BoardChairman Stan Simpson, but this year, contin-uing with their member-centric theme, theAMA announced that the Kids of the UnitedStates were all the Motorcyclist of the Year.Phenomenal!With the lead ban stopping the sales of

smaller machines to children and crushing analready hurting industry, the AMA fought

tooth and nail, as did others, to lift the ban when it came to smaller machinesaimed at the youth market. A stay of enforcement was received, but onlytime will tell if it will be a permanent thing.The Kids. If this sport and lifestyle is to survive we need the kids more

than they need us. What they do need from us is encouragement to get outand see just how great riding is. Families that ride together are having waymore fun than their neighbors; but we know this already, don’t we?

(Continued on Page 13, bottom)

F R E E W H E E L I N ’

Brian Rathjen

Page 4 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 5

THE ART OF CUSTOM COMBUSTIONIt was not long ago when I was much

younger (OK, it was last July), that I wrote about the comingrevolution involving electric motors and motorcycles. Since thenI’ve ridden a Zero S electric (and a review is coming, I swear),and have been further fascinated by the technology. I am veryconfident that lots of electric motorcycles and scooters will beon the road soon, but just in case you think I’m a total e-convertI still really appreciate a tasty, well-prepared internal combus-tion engine, thank you very much. In fact, as I stare out the win-dow at the frozen tundra I have been contemplating the sound ofHerbie the fearless VW Beetle in the original Love Bug film.There’s a scene in this classic Disney flick where Michelle Leegives Herbie’s little Boxer Four a tune-up, and the thing purrslike a kitten when she’s done like only an old VW engine can. Aestheticallyit’s hard to beat a smoothly running engine, and I’m glad internal combus-tion is going to be with us for a good long time even though I am quite downwith the new hotness of the e-motor.Given this fact that the fuel-burning engine is going to endure for a while

at least, I got to thinking about my favorite piston-powered friends. I pon-dered all the motorcycles I’ve had in my life, and tried to remember everyaspect of the engines-how they sounded, felt, even smelled. That last char-acteristic may seem a bit odd, but think about it for a second. I have a newbike that has a very different smell than, say, my old VFR but I’ll talk moreabout that later. I don’t want to alter the chronology of this tale just yet.My first motorcycle engine was my college housemate’s 2-stroke Suzuki

Single, and it was a true smoking fiend yet quite bulletproof (and wonder-fully torquey and loaded with personality). It was also the only street bike Iever regularly rode that had a kick-starter, which I loved. Despite its rela-tively primitive architecture, the little Single was acceptably smooth and

really grew on me at the time. Shoot, it was the bike I learned to ride on, andwill always occupy a special, smoke-filled nook in my heart.Next was the first bike I ever personally owned, a Honda CM450C that

doubled the number of cylinders the Suzuki had as it had a very pluckyVertical Twin. This machine had a deliberate, almost Herbie-style class inits idle, and yet could be positively raucous when you twisted it on. Later inlife, I would be the co-owner of a Kawasaki Vertical Twin called the Ninja

500 (or EX500 to you veterans) and it’s a remarkable thinghow different these two engines, though both parallel Twinsof very similar displacement, really are. The Kawi is moresporty and buzzier (but in a very tolerable way, I assureyou) and far more Inline Four-ish than the CM was in termsof engine feel. This is a beautiful thing in that the wholecharacter, mood and heart of a motorcycle can be very dif-ferent even when using the same basic engine design.Allow me to jump ahead here, just so I can advance this

notion a step further. If you ride the 2010 TriumphThunderbird, you will be conducting the same basic engineformat as my old Honda CM and the half-liter Ninja onlywith nearly four times the displacement this time around.

Even more interesting is the fact that this particular Vertical is meticulouslyengineered to be a big cruiser, with a power delivery, feel and personalitythat is amazingly different from the old Honda and especially the Ninja.There is all kinds of engineering magic that goes on in the engine cases withthings like crankshaft orientation, firing order, counterbalancers, etc. thattotally transforms the big engine into something vastly different despite theoverwhelming similarities with the other engines. In fact, if you rode thisbig brawler blindfolded (something, incidentally, I would advise against asyou might cross the street, run over a fire hydrant and ultimately impact atree) you might think it’s a big U.S. V-Twin you’re astride instead of aBritish icon that was always considered much sportier in nature.Amazing, no? Try that with an electric motor.Back to my motoring past, this engine engineering customization phe-

nomenon was again evident when I purchase my first V-Four in ‘84, whichI’ll recount next month as I have to stoke the wood stove now.Winter. Sheesh.

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

BILL HEALD

Page 6 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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Reliability and Maintainability, or R&M. Theconcept is simple: reliability is how long a part will last before it fails andmaintainability is how long it takes to change it. The only way to accept apart with low reliability is if it is easy to change. On the other hand, if a partlasts thousands of hours, you accept difficulty changing it because you haveto do it so infrequently. Reliability is measured by “mean time between fail-ures” and maintainability in terms of “mean time to repair.”You don’t have to be the class savant to see where this goes: R&M is just

as applicable to motorcycles. In days of yore, motorcycles weren’t very reli-able, but they were such stone-simple devices that they were easily repairedwith simple tools and materials under just about any conditions. Earlymotorcycles had low reliability, but very good maintainability. In the not-so-distant past, you could field-strip a Bing carb with no tools whilst layingon your back in a central-American gully. Contrast that with today’s two-wheeled, technological wonders wherein they do not break very often, butwhen they do, you’d better have a big shop full of specialty tools and a butt-load of computer software. Modern mounts have high reliability, but rela-tively low maintainability. Of course, that’s by design, as dealers don’t makebig money selling parts to shade-tree mechanics.You can break R&M down to the component level.

There are items on a motorcycle that require replace-ment frequently enough to be considered “consum-ables.” Incandescent lights last a fairly short time com-pared to a Light-Emitting Diode (LED). One wouldthink, therefore, that a part with that low reliabilitywould have a correspondingly good maintainability.Unfortunately, for two in my garage, that’s not thecase. One machine requires removal of the front fairingto replace the turn signal bulbs, a “fiddly” job thatrequires long-handled, ball-headed Allen wrenches,near-perfect alignment of the fairing, and a fair amountof R-rated utterances to replace the fasteners.Another machine consumes low-beam headlights.

One blew on the way to the dealer’s open house last fall(I knew because there was an LCD incessantly remind-ing me of it), so I pulled up to the service guys to askif they had one. “Sure” said one, but to my surprise, hesaid to another “I bet you can’t change it in less than 25minutes.” I was taken aback, but I shouldn’t have been:extracting the old one isn’t hard - if you’re double-jointed and have small hands. Getting the new bulbinto the holder, replacing the connector, and getting therubber cover reinstalled was more of a challenge. Theend result was a 22-minute contortionist act on the partof the technician. At least he won the bet and I didn’thave to do it.Just about every machine has parts with poor relia-

bility, bad maintainability, or both. Motorcycles areparticularly vexing because manufacturers try to putmany parts into very small spaces for low drag andmass centralization. It makes service a real challenge.I believe part of the problem results from Computer-Aided-Design (CAD), wherein parts can be designedbased on three-dimensional models, allowing design-ers to pack the parts electronically without regard formaintainability. In the days of paper drawings, greatertolerances were allowed because you didn’t have allthe other designer’s models to which you could com-pare. CAD is still not foolproof, however: I once had adesigner swear that it was impossible for the controlstick to contact the ejection seat. It took hearing the“clunk” as the two parts hit to convince the guy hiscomputer models were NKR (Not Kwite Rite).

I shouldn’t gripe because most of the parts on today’s motorcycles aredesigned to a fairly high degree of R so you don’t need to have very goodM, but there are still quite a few tasks that are right bastards to do becausethe Design for Maintainability just isn’t there. Parts are hidden behind vastamounts of plastic. There are fasteners that require special tools becausecompanies want you to consume their services rather than doing it yourself.And, like the guy with the ejection seat, there are designers who just don’tget it. Unfortunately, I happen to own a couple examples of the R begettinga low value of M. But hey, at least I never have to replace the oil in the finaldrive. Riiiiiiiiight.

O N T H E M A R K

MARK BYERS

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 7

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Smoking Through North VietnamSmoking Through North Vietnamwords and images: Richard Baker

TThe legendary mighty Minsk motorcycle is 125cc of pure 2-cycle muscle, a snarling beast ready to rip apart the

toughest mountain roads while spreading a cloud of oil smoke that no mosquito can survive, a soviet area secret weapon knownby fewAmericans. I had always wanted to romp through the hills on this machine and a chance finally opened for me in Vietnam.A trip through the north of Vietnam seemed just the ticket to make new friends and I could think of no better way to get around thanon a Minsk. The best way to meet people anywhere is on a bike and the Minsk was sure to offer many opportunities.Hoa, the receptionist at the Prince Hotel, suggested several rental companies. Cuong MotorbikeAdventure in Hanoi probably rents more

Minsks than anyone else in the country. He completely reworks all returned bikes - and most of them need it - to keep them in good shapefor future customers. Before you drive away he fills the tool kit with extra brake, clutch, and throttle cables, an assortment of tools, a reserveelectrical unit, and several spark plugs. Because contradicting rumors persist about the reliability of the Minsk, my son Rick decided to rent aHonda in case we got into trouble and needed a way to seek help. Motorcycle repair shops just do not appear everywhere in Vietnam. The Minsk ispopular for that very reason. It might be prone to break-downs but no bike is more basic or easier to fix. And cheap? A mechanic will re-build the enginefor about $60 and you can buy a rebuilt Minsk, new tires and all, for $350.

Driving through Hanoi is rather similar to entering a demolition derby. Bikes emerge from everywhere and from every direction. Half the pop-ulation in town own a motorbike and they all seem to be on the streets at the same time.

There are highway rules and

Page 8 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

laws in the country but none areobserved or enforced. They havethem, but nobody cares. It is everyperson for himself. The only differ-ence between a red light and a greenlight is the color. Because the peopleare used to driving this way, accidentsare surprisingly few. No insurance isavailable or required. Offended par-ties suffering bumped fenders workproblems out on the spot.Horns constantly blared as we

drove from town, bikes, busses,trucks, and cars darting every whichway. Cuong was happy to lead the

way out of Hanoi sinceroad signs are practical-ly non-existent. Ricktook the lead but wassoon lost in traffic. Hemissed a basic rulewhen traveling ingroups: stay with theperson “behind” you. Iwas not sure where he went when I came to aY in the road. We were goingto spend the night in Ban Lac, a Thai village outside Mai Chau. No signsled to Mai Chau nor did any indicate highway 6, the route we were usingfor most of the trip.

I took a chance and veered to theright and entered the start of somebeautiful country, flat land coveredwith various crops, dancing chickens,and grazing cows. Few water buffalohabitat this part of the country. Thecows are raised for beef. Water buffa-lo abound in the Villages in the moun-tains where they are used for work andplay. The country is more severe andthe buffalo are a tougher animal thancows. They are also tough to eat, notjust because of their rubbery meat but

because they are noteaten until they practi-cally die of old age.Highway 6 forms

the first part of what isknown as the DienBien Phu loupe, anodd designation sincefew people, excepthistorians, travel toDien Bien Phu, site ofthe Viet Minh victoryover the French in

1954. Most tourists continue tothe resort hill town of Sapa beforelooping back to Hanoi.

(Continued on Page 48)

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THE WILLOW TREE COTTAGE & DAUPHIN ISLAND, ALABAMAA HIDEAWAY ON THE GULF COAST

Looking for something a little different? Perhaps an escape from thehands of Father Freeze?Well this month’s We’re Outta Here is just that and maybe a bit more. If

you are ever riding way down south - along the Gulf of Mexico - you haveto spend some time here. We did and we loved it. So make time, make plansand make your way to the Gulf -cause we’re outta here!

A while back Shira and I were doing a little exploring alongthe roads that run along the Gulf of Mexico, from NewOrleans to Apalachicola, Florida.Looking at a map of the region I came across a small

island, just south of Mobile, Alabama, right along thesouthern end of Mobile Bay.Standing guard between the bay and the Gulf of Mexico

is Dauphin Island. A true barrier island, it is some 27 mileslong and has everything an island lover could ask for.Sand dunes, lighthouses, tidal flats, two fresh water lakes, an

old fort and new Estuarium along with a few places to stay, someserious seafood and barbeque places and miles of the whitestbeaches you will find in these United States.Following along on a Google search while making plans for the ride I

came across the Willow Tree Cottage. It looked good on the screen, but wassimply fantastic in person.Basically a large loft apartment, its large wooden deck overlooks Aloe

Bay and making yourself comfortable with a cold drink or glass of wine forsunset is hard to beat.

Owner Bill is a most gracious host and showed us where we could parkthe bikes out of the elements and then proceeded to give us a quick rundown on the island.There was plenty to see.We made note of some of the must-dos and then went off exploring on

one of bikes, a Triumph Tiger, to see what we could see.Unfortunately some serious storms had battered Dauphin Island over the

previous days, so we had a few puddles to cross, but the tour of Fort Gaines- made famous by Admiral Farragut’s quote of “Damn The Torpedoes” -

was a great step back into the CivilWarand a tour of the prehistoric Indian

Oyster Mounds held some beauty that onehas to just sit and watch as hundreds of differ-

ent birds call this place home.In fact Dauphin Island calls itself the “Birdiest Island in

the USA.”The mounds themselves are from thousands of years ago when

native tribes would basically come to the island to gorge on the plentifulshellfish and then they simply made mounds, in a serpentine shape on theeast end of he island. Today mighty oaks and Spanish moss make it a bird-er’s paradise.Riding around Dauphin Island you will find a number of small parks and

the dunes and white beaches, that seem to stretch westward into infinity, aresimply stunning.

Page 10 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Bergen County Harley-Davidson Presents

W E ’ R E O U T TA H E R E a weekend destination keeping you on the backroads

Nightlife is minimal,although there are a fewpubs to watch the sunset,and the local seafood shopcalled Skinners will boilup a take-out of fresh gulfshrimp that should not be

missed; with that and a bottle of something good you’ll have a better timewatching the sunset from the porch at the Willow Tree Cottage.We had the good fortune of being locked onto the island for a second day,

as a system of lightning storms surrounded Dauphin Island and the ferryacross Mobile Bay was docked. The only other way on or off Dauphin is along bridge and causeway, but the rains, lightning and thunder made thatless and less appealing.We’d happily stay at the Willow Tree for a second night. Bill offered up

some wonderful Turkish-style coffee and home baked bread and, after avery leisurely beginning to the day, we were off exploring some more of thelocal color and spending a few hours at The Estuarium - a sort of aquarium

celebrating the diverse aquatic life found inthe Mobile Estuary system which runs southfrom the bayous and swamps into MobileBay and finally the Gulf of Mexico.It was a perfect way to spend a few rainy

hours and learn about such a wonderousplace.By later that day we had found another

bayside pub for sunset, just a few blockswalk from the cottage so we enjoyed aleisurely late afternoon with fully fueledmachines waiting below, ready to board theMobile Bay Ferry at first morning’s light.Dauphin Island was a wonderful surprise

and a true gem of America’s Gulf Coast. Ifand when this part of the country is on yourriding plan make it a point to visit this island

and the Willow Tree Cottage. You will be as pleased and as happy as wewere that you did.

WILLOW TREE COTTAGEPO BOX 122, 1302 CHAUMONT AVENUE, DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL 36528

251-861-2642 • WWW.DAUPHINISLANDALABAMA.NET

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 11

MANGALITSA - THE OTHER KIND OF WHITE MEATMØSEFUND FARM

315 MATTISON RESERVOIR AVENUE, BRANCHVILLE, NJ 07826201-289-0210 • WWW.MOSEFUND.COM

There have always been famous pigs. Porky comes to mind. Elmer fromGreen Acres was an enjoyable fella. Miss Piggy, Wilbur, Babe and, ofcourse, the Three Little Pigs. All modern time favs.

But centuries ago there were other pigs that ranked high- very high indeed. In fact for this one breed of pigs onlyRoyalty could enjoy their hammy goodness.The Mangalitsa.What’s so special about the Møsefund Mangalitsa?The taste, which comes from a very meticulous style

of pasture-based farming. The Mangalitsa also costs morethan your usual pig.These creatures require double everything as other pigs - more

time to mature, more pasture to graze, and more feed to finish them.This is partly why the breed nearly died out, when farmers went tocheaper, leaner, and less flavorful varieties of pork.The Mangalitsa at the Møsefund Farm are free range, raised outside

all year, with access to fresh water, feed and run-in shelters. Theygraze on chicory, clover, and varieties of local nuts, and are finishedon a barley mixture for a minimum of 60 days. This diet gives their fat

an amazing quality and consistency - highin monsatuarated fat, but low in polyun-saturated fat.Eat this meat and you’ll discover why the breed is renown for its superi-

or fat quality, incredible concentrated flavor, and marbleized meat. You willnot only taste, but your mouth will feel the difference when you eatMangalista.

More importantly you my be wonder-ing why the esteemed Doctor SeymourO’Life would write about some crazyEuropean pigs in NJ?Because they are there, my friends,

because they are there.Mangalitsa were breed and developed

during the Austro-Hungarian Empire fortheir exquisite flavor. Originally onlythe Hapsburg royal family was allowedto eat Mangalitsa. Peasants need notapply.These beasties have long curly hair

from dark black to blonde, imagine amad genetics cross between a sheep anda pig. Mangalitsa are descendents ofwild boars and genetically related to theblack-footed Iberian pigs of Spain. Theysure may be the prettiest pigs you’ll evermeet, and by far the tastiest, too.

Mangalitsa were bred especially for their delicious and clean-tasting lard.The meat is dark, deeply flavorful, marbled with fat and more akin to a finecut of beef than “the other white meat” pork. And they are unique.The breed nearly died out during the Soviet era. Were it not for the preser-

vation efforts of farmers in Eastern Europe who revived the breed from asurviving 200 pure breds to around 50,000 today, the world would have lostthis delicious meat.Now I have spent a good deal of time in Spain and when you walk into a

bistro and ask for ham the butcher will pull a shank off the hook, pop it intothe brace and start slicing away.

Page 12 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Morton’s BMW Motorcycles Presents

Seymour O’Life’s M Y S T E R I O U S AM E R I C A

This meat is always a treat and one of the things I love about Europe. Herein the USA, the FDA will always say “No Way!”Hey the Federal government knows what’s best for you - have your H1N1

Flu shot yet? Me neither!

By the time this gets to print C. J. Andersen, theowner and breeder of the Mangalitsas, should bealready selling meat to various restaurants and I wastold that if you call ahead they will gladly show you thepigs and you can bring home the bacon too.You’ll find the Møsefund Farm in the very shadow of

the Appalachian Trail, at the bottom of SunriseMountain in Sussex County, New Jersey - not far fromour home base at Backroads Central.

As we have often said the roads here are perfectly suited for enjoyablemotorcycle riding and our little Rip & Ride Route will give you a greatday’s ride and will bring you right to these furry little pigs.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 13

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Rip & Ride® • MØSEFUND FARM315 MATTISON RESERVOIR AVENUE, BRANCHVILLE, NJ 07826 • 201-289-0210 • WWW.MOSEFUND.COM

FREE WHEELIN’ (Continued from Page 4)With the AMA naming our future as the

Motorcyclist of theYear they have again showed us allthat this is a new and better AMA and one that youshould strongly consider joining.It’s easy to join; just visit the AMA at their website:

www.ama-cycle.org. While there, see what they haveto offer, as it is plenty.There is strength in numbers and if you do not think

there are some in positions of power who would likeus to disappear then think again.Join the American Motorcyclist Association today.

If not for yourself then do it for the kids.

HILLIER THAN THOU • A RIDE WITH ITS UPS AND DOWNSBrian Rathjen

Many riders dream of that perfect ride and, if all goes as planned, theyfinally get out and really ride it.This particular ride didn’t start out as a dream but a nightmare. Literally.I was having this dream; Shira and I riding somewhere very rural, and

most definitely in western New Jersey, andthen, suddenly I came over a rise and it waslike a roller coaster. Even in my sleep I couldfeel my stomach going and then the bike camearound and off the road we went.Slamming onto the bed I instantly awoke.“Just a dream,” I thought. Sprocket T. Cat

was watching me suspiciously. She meowedher displeasure at being disturbrd by my hal-lucination. Wow, that dream sucked. I wentback to sleep.In the morning, with a cup of coffee in

hand, I remembered the nightmare and it gotme to thinking which roads, if any, were likethat in New Jersey.Now up in Sussex County, to the north and

east near Vernon is Breakneck Road. A verysteep hill indeed, but I was looking more in the western edges of the state.Most motorcycle riders don’t dwell too much on steepness or length when

it come to hills. Most times we turn the throttle and move along.Bicycle riders, on the other hand, do pay attention to such things and so I

went surfing along some New Jersey bicycle sites till I found what I waslooking for.Thus began this ride I am calling “Hillier Than Thou.”What I didn’t realize when I was putting this together was that it would

end up being one of the most interesting, not only in hills, but history andscenery as well.

I dare say this is one of the better routes we have done in a long time andyou will find some crazy elevation changes along this ride, and be gratefulyou are twisting a throttle and not pedaling a bicycle.We’ll start this ride in Hope, New Jersey.You’ll find the Moravian Village

just south of exit 12 off Interstate 80. How you get there is up to you.From Hope we’ll mosey south on 519; along the way, on the right, you’ll

spot one of the largest trees in the Gardenstate, a giant sycamore that started its lifewhen we were all still British subjects.Follow County Road 519 down past Route

46 and past the Red Wolfe Inn (greatest steaksin New Jersey), making a left on the uphillroad called Ridge. Another left onto FiddlersElbow will begin the roller coaster ride. Thisruns into 647 and we’ll bear right ontoHalfway House Road. Here we’ll cross, for thefirst time today, the Morris Canal which con-nected the Delaware and the Hudson for near-ly a century; it closed in 1922. When you seethe sign look to the right and you will get agood view of the old canal.Although a bit on the rough side Halfway

House Road is a scenic joy, just keep yourpace even with your line of sight.This road brings us back to civilization at Route 57, which we’ll take

west, but just for a short hop before making a left towards Asbury - yes,there are two Asburys in New Jersey. This one has no Rock Star status, butis far prettier. This ride will be available for your Garmin GPS and rightaround here you will see that the route crosses paths on itself.Go straight. County Road 643 becomes Iron Bridge Road and making a

right on County Road 635 will bring us under I-78 and further west towardsthe river. A few other ups and down along the steep hills of western NewJersey and we’ll ride through Alexandria and then down 513, which is apopular road all by itself with many riders.

Page 14 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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

THIS RIDE STARTS IN HOPE, NJ - EXIT 12 OFF I-80CR 519 SOUTH PAST RED WOLFE INNRIGHT AT RIDGE ROADLEFT AT FIDDLERS ELBOWSTRAIGHT AT CR 647BEAR RIGHT AT BICKEL ROADRIGHT AT HALFWAY HOUSE ROADRIGHT AT RTE. 57LEFT AT ASBURY BROADWAY ROADRIGHT AT IRON BRIDGE ROADLEFT AT MINE ROADRIGHT AT CR 635STRAIGHT AT CR 625RIGHT AT CR 513RIGHT AT CR 519LEFT AT RUMMEL ROADLEFT AT CR 614RIGHT AT CR 519IMMEDIATE LEFT AT CHURCH ROADRIGHT AT CR 627LEFT AT RIVER ROADPOSSIBLE LUNCH ACROSS BRIDGE AT RIEGELSVILLE INN?NORTH ON RIVER ROADHARD RIGHT UP PINCHERS POINT ROAD

LEFT AT MOUNTAIN ROADLEFT OVER CREEK ROADSTRAIGHT INTO RIVER ROADRIGHT AT CR 635LEFT AT MUNICIPAL DRIVELEFT AT CR 639STRAIGHT ONTO RTE 173BEAR LEFT AT CR 632LEFT AT BUTLER ROADRIGHT AT MOUNTAIN VIEW ROADBEAR LEFT ONTO BUTTERMILK BRIDGE ROADRIGHT AT RTE. 57LEFT AT CR 623RIGHT AT CR 628STRAIGHT AT CHERRY TREE BEND ROADSTRAIGHT AT CR 629RIGHT AT HAZEN ROAD - PHEASANT FARM ON LEFT

BEAR LEFT AND THEN RIGHT AT RTE. 57LEFT AT STEPHENSBURG ROADLEFT AT PLEASANT GROVE ROADLEFT AT RTE. 24STRAIGHT AT RTE. 182 - FRIED CHICKEN, ANYONE?LEFT AT RTE. 46RIGHT AT CR 517 BACK TO I-80

Rip & Ride® • HILLIER THAN THOU • A RIDE WITH ITS UPS AND DOWNS

Download GPS route: www.sendspace.com/file/qx4nsr

Where 513 run into 519 we’llhead north along the same road westarted this on, but only for a shortwhile before we go in search ofsome more hills along RummelRoad. Our final approach to theDelaware happens on Church Roadand then we’ll turn north along theriver near Riegelsville on 627.If you are hungry we suggest

crossing the river here and diningat the Riegelsville Inn, which wefeatured a few months back, or fol-low along like we did for a bitelater on.Along the ride that day we spot-

ted a lot of birds. Crows, hawksand a couple of eagle statues infront of somebody’s home that were very impressive. Little did weknow that birds were going to become a theme for this jaunt beforethe day was done.We touch the shore of the Delaware for just a short few miles

before we turn right up Pinchers Point Road. Now here things startedgetting a touch more technical, but nothing we couldn’t handle with agrin.This was a part of New Jersey that even we hadn’t ridden before and

talking via radio Shira and I agreed that you guys and galswould love this ride.We doubled back west a bit on Creek Road and then

headed east on 635 again.Back on County Road 519 the GPS asked me to do

two things at the same time. If yours says go straight andthen make a u-turn - don’t. Bear left on Municipal Driveand it’ll be all right. These GPSs are good, but only asgood as the programmer; and I am not that good - yet.We’ll cross our route once again and the happily

named Buttermilk Bridge Road will bring us back to Route 57 andthen onto Brass Castle Road which heads back up towards the sur-rounding hills.Heading east on 628 we have to ride along some residential

streets, but just for a short time before riding along some of theneatest roads of the day.We’ll make a right onto Hazen Road and past the Rockport

Pheasant Farm.Now this is a Mysterious America waiting to happen. This is

where all those pheasants you see running around the wildliferegions of the Garden State begin their lives. They hatch thousandof these birds each year to be released into the wild. Over 400acres big, it dominates the land here and if you stop you’ll seeplenty of pheasants running around the pens.But, this is state land and we got scolded for Shira walking in

to take a picture. The guard was not amused; well not as amusedas I was. Boy, middle children.The Rockport Pheasant Farm is worth seeing all by itself. I’ll

have to send Seymour out there.We crossed Route 57 and then up along the last of the real tight

roads for this day before taking in some great sweepers that led toSchooley Mountain Road and past the huge crow statue you’ll find

on the mountain.Heading into Hackettstown we spied the perfect late lunchstop. Well, after all the birds how could we pass up theGolden Skillet fried chicken joint. Slightly greasy, butdelicious it was the only way to end a ride like this onan early Autumn day riding the hills of west Jersey.Following the route after lunch brought us back to

I-80 at County Road 517. Some of you could hop onthat for the ride home, I am sure. Well, others, you cankeep going north - I know of some hills up this waytoo.This was fun and I am sure we’ll do something like

this again in the near future.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 15

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We get some of our ideas for destinations for this magazine from allsorts of places - word of mouth, guidebooks and many times fromthe different shows on the Food Network.Guy Fieri, from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, visited this

month’s stop on the Great All American Diner Run during lastseason’s run and even back in the middle of winter we knewit was just a matter of time before we made the ride south toBaltimore to see if Guy was right when he said that the StoneyCreek Inn had some of the best crab cakes he had ever tried.Hey, if you can’t trust a wild food-eating machine in a hot

Camaro who can you trust. But, it’s not just Fieri thatexpounds the crabby goodness found downhere on the Chesapeake Bay, but the state ofMaryland itself has made this same claim - foreight years in a row.Keeping all that in mind we set up a ride down

to the Stoney Creek during our Backroads FallFiesta Rally in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

We worked up a great route down through the Amish country andover the Susquehanna River, before crossing the Mason / Dixon Lineand into Maryland.That day we had a few dozen riders join us, so we knew that our

review of all that would be found on the Stoney Creek’s menu wouldbe well rounded.

The Stoney Creek itself looks like all good crabjoints should. A smallish seating area inside

with a large and open outdoor seating area- The Crab Deck - with beachy musicsoftly filtering from the speakers -yep, Buffett’s Margaritavillecame on a few tunes into it.

Owners Bill and MaryGreen couldn’t have beenmore cordial, even afterwe called them the previ-ous week and made avague statement that wewould be down around1ish with about 20 plusfolks. We had more and

their staff did a spectacular jobtaking care of each and every one of us, even if thecutesy young waitress rebuked Notso Happy’sadvances. Puppets get no respect.

As promised the Stoney Creek was all about thecrab; and they come though in a huge way.Some of us started with Billy’s Cream of Crab Soup

- as thick as any soup we have ever tried, it was full ofwonderful seafood goodness and easily could be ameal all by itself, but of course there was more to behad here.After the soup we had to have some of their Crab

Cakes. We are lovers of the crab here at BackroadsCentral, in fact each year we have our own Crabfest forfriends and family. When the Stoney Creek Inn placedthe cakes in front of us we knew that these were goingto be special indeed. Created with lump crabmeat, theyseem to have added just the right amount of filler tobind it all together. All you tasted was wonderfullyspiced crab. Yes, indeed, these were the best CrabCakes we have yet experienced and worth the trip allby themselves.But, the Stoney Creek was not done. On the menu

we spotted what they called a “Bawlmer Speciality.”What is this we thought.Well, the Fried Hard Crab is a large steamed crab

that is cleaned and then stuffed with the Stoney Creek’saward winning crab cake. It is then dipped in a batterand deep fried until golden brown.A few intrepid Backroads Fall Fiesters went for it

and it certainly looked like nothing we had seen before

Page 16 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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and we know, next time we’re down there, it’ll be onour plates.But, a word of warning - although it looks

like a whole crab in a shell, it is not - so, don’ttake a hammer to it, rather a gentle plunge ofa fork is all you’ll need, as our friend Jonathonfound out the hard and messy way.Thanks for the entertainment Jon.Peeking around the many tables to see what

folks had ordered and what they like, it was pret-ty unanimous that everything the Stoney Creek Inn

serves will make you smile and I dare say this was one ofthe best lunch stops we have had during one of our ralliesin a long time.Next time you are heading south along the coast make

it a point to try the Stoney Creek Inn - you will not be dis-appointed.Our ride down there will be from outside Lancaster,

Pennsylvania, so feel free to start from there or jump intothe ride at any time. Enjoy the roads and the food.

START: STEAMBOAT HOTEL, RTE. 30, LANCASTER, PALEFT ONTO 896STRAIGHT AT MARY POST ROAD.RIGHT AT 372LEFT AT HESS ROADRIGHT AT DRY WELLS ROADLEFT 472RIGHT AT PUSEYVILLE ROAD (YES, THAT’S RIGHT)LEFT AT 227STRAIGHT AT RTE. 22RIGHT AT RTE. 1LEFT AT 623 / 161

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Products We’d Like to SeeDearest Shira...and that guy,Many thanks and much appreciation for the wonderfully exceptional

book review. Apparently it is now 17th on the Amazon rating, will be on theNew York Times best-seller list this week, and has already been discountedby Target and Wal-Mart.Clement “The Merciful” SalvadoriClement, Glad you got a chuckle out of that. It was done with a nod to the maestro.

That’ll teach you to try, quite poorly I might add, to assassinate me with aHarley-Trike.As your new publicist I am proud to tell you that early today your book

has surpassed Going Rouge and it seems Mrs. Palin wishes to team up withyou on a new book called Herding Cats. Not sure if it is about felines orCongress.

Hi Brian,Ha ha, you funny people! I like the Crudential product, and, like the plas-

tic paste-on bullet hole stickers and ADV stickers I see all over the place(mostly in the USA), there’s likely a market for the canned gunk! I onceproposed to sell BMW codpieces to GS buyers as an accessory item whenthey bought these new oilhead adventure behemoths.I’m headed south to soon cross the equator and poke around Java. Not

been there before, then maybe on across Asia and to NYC April 1. Shouldbe all pavement so send a can of the Crud stuff.Best, and thanks for thinking of me, 1/2 a world away, and sending me

some good reading.Dr. Greg Frazier, on the road around the globe

Hello,I picked up your magazine at Cliff’s in Brookfield, CT recently, and real-

ly enjoy reading it. I was reading about your trip through the Alps, and youmentioned that you use some Garmin software to plan your route, and then

get it into the GPS unit. Could you please provide either the name or linkfor the software? I have been doing it the hard way of entering each loca-tion one at a time. Would appreciate any help you could offer.Great magazine, and thank you.Richard W. AduaThat’s easy. Simply go to www.garmin.com and you will find all the maps,

updates and anything else you will need. Have fun!

Space MadnessDear Backroads,Just got my copy of Backroads, still the best of the bunch! Your article,

“The Argument for Space,” caught my attention, and at least in my opinionis right on the mark. An additional point that motorcyclists of all stripes rid-ing in a group need to remain aware of is the traffic bunching up behindthem. Most groups I’ve seen, whether on a freeway or backroad, don’t leaveenough space between them to allow passing, or conveniently enabling a carto slide into the parade to make an exit.On a two lane road it can be even more frustrating. A few years ago I was

riding with a friend along a two laner with no passing zones, a club was“cruising” at about 35 mph, in a 50 mph zone. Not one would move over toallow us to pass without crossing the double yellow...why? How hard is itto move over a few feet to let a fellow motorcyclist pass? We eventually gotby, but if we’d been in a car, we’d have had to go at their pace for 10 milesor so...not exactly building good will among car drivers.Anyway, that’s my 2¢ worth.All the best! Mike from Sunny California

Hey Guys,I was thrilled to hear the Spring Break Rally will be in Winchester, VA.

You certainly selected a fantastic location with so many great ride and mealoptions. My wife and I relocated to the area three years ago and couldn’t behappier!

Page 18 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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BACKLASH LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

As you have mentioned, the roads are incredible with little traffic. East ofWinchester are many caverns, Shenandoah National Park and River,Smithsonian and the awesome Udvar Hazey Air and Space museum to namea few. Wild and wonderful West VA is about 10 miles to the west with end-less fun. Also the Perry Zoo in Perry, West VA is a nice stop on Wolf GapRd. It’s a small family owned zoo where you can feed the bears 4ft. awayfrom you or hold and bottle feed a Bengal tiger cub with your photo for$15.00. No lawyers here!Looking forward to riding with you again!All the best,Joe Giuffre

Song of the WeekWow - I can’t tell you how this takes me back - (Icarus by Paul Winter

Consort). In the late ‘70’s I was living in Boston. I had a girlfriend who real-ly liked the PWC album with the whale calls. We found that one side of thealbum was just enough time to .... Well the grooves wore out on that record.Thanks for taking me back 30 years with the magic of digital technology.Rabbi DanEverybody can sign up for the Song of the Week, Rabbi - just drop us an

email at editor@backroadsusa.com - subject line Song of the Week.

Global Warming.... We can’t waitBackroads,My husband Tom is busy reading the January issue of Backroads that he

got in the mail today...he loves your article on global warming!As he said, “Brian has outdone himself in January’s Free Wheelin’. I now

understand why you let him lead. The man could teach Dr. Phil a thing ortwo.”Elaine DemingA few years back we ran a similar article and when I left the booth at the

Javits show to go for a walk some gentleman (I say that with a smile), whoShira saw waiting around, came up to her (right after I left) and berated herfor my article. Yelling at the lovely redhead he accused me of being an idiot (only some-

times right) and asked if I believed if the world was created in 7 days, etc.,typical of this sort of narrow minded folk.Still, I am sure I will get reamed on this by the GW Dogmatics! Such fun

to stir the pot!

Hey Brian,Funny you should refer to NJ Black Bear Runs in your current column, as

my last two bear sightings have been in Jersey. They were both on the NPSroad along the Delaware. In one encounter, the bear was crossing the roadand stopped as I approached. I stopped, too, at about 200 yards. He thenstood up on his hind legs... and faced me. I waited awhile, he lost interest,and ambled off. Afterwards, I realized that, while black bears are not reallythreatening, if I had been out West with a Grizzly, my actions would havebeen foolhardy. I should have turned 90 degrees, to facilitate a quick escape,if the bear turned aggressive. Lesson learned!Gregory W. BagenBackroads Central is one ridge over from that road (Walpack?) and we

have bear in our yard and on our decks often. They’re just looking for food...Unsuspecting riders are a speciality!

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 19

Got something

to say? We’d

love to hear it.

Letters may be

edited, never

censored, to fit.

Mail:BACKROADSPO Box 317

Branchville NJ 07826

Email:editor@backroadsusa.com

Fax: (973) 948-0823

words: Brian Rathjen • images: Jennifer Smith

With fierce northerly winds bearing down for the previous fewdays leading up to the end of the decade we were concerned that thisyear’s annual Chilly Chili Run would suffer a frigid blow, but onceagain the hardy riders of northern New Jersey came out in force toride the first ride, not of the new year, but new decade.

50+ intrepid riders and dozensmore folks who drove in (Yep, Iwas one of them) came out to theOgdensburg, New Jersey Firehousefor the annual first meal. Chili andhot dogs. Yep, enjoy yourself withgreat people and motorcycles andblow that ‘eating right’ resolutionall at the same time.Now in its 35th year Dale’s

Chilly Chili Run benefits the KarenAnne Quinlan Hospice and thisyear Julia Quinlan, Karen’s mother,hopped in Keith Hyche’s BMWsidecar rig “Go Mustang Sally” andwent for the ride herself. Always abrave one Julia is.

We have been to many of these January 1st runs andwith warmer weather hundreds of rider attend it. Withthis year’s freezing temperatures the Blue Knights NJIX still raised about $5,000. Not too bad for such a coldstart of the year.

The ride started promptly at 11am and lasted about50 minutes when, led by Sussex county sheriffs depart-ment, the ride came back up County Road 517 and inminutes tables were full and the chili was spooned out.Master of Ceremonies “Uncle” Nick Irons kept

things lively, and awards were given out as well as anew Tin Man trophy to replace the famous rubberchicken award. Bergen HOG was the best representedclub with 35 members and the Blue Knights complete-ly sold out on the raffle for the bike.Once again a year of great riding gets a warm (okay

chilly) start in northwestern New Jersey.

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EVENT RECAP 2010 DALE’S CHILLY CHILI RUN

The Great All American Diner RunAs we have said many times in past Best of Backroads’ issues the Great All American Diner Run, or GAADR as we call it, is far and away our most popular

monthly column. That tasty combination of good friends, superb location and twisty roads makes for a right-eous formula indeed so let’s get right at it and found out who was the “Best” in 2009.

Second Runner Up • Riegelsville Hotel & Inn10-12 Delaware Rd, Riegelsville, PA • 610-749-0100 • www.riegelsvilleinn.com

Our Second Runner Up, the Riegelsville Hotel & Inn, is a bit out of the way.Although it lies right on the Delaware River you do still have to search it out, butis it ever worth it. Great ambiance, superb food, plenty of parking and, once youknow where it is, it will become a favorite for sure.If you get there for dinner or in the evening they have an excellent bar and live music

is common and they also have rooms right upstairs so you can continue your ride in themorning, safe and sound.The Rip & Ride Route Sheet to the Riegelsville Hotel is one of the best rides in this mag-

azine, so make it a point to check this place out.

First Runner Up • Maggie’s Krooked CaféMain Street, Tannersville, NY • 518-589-6101 •

www.krookedcafe.com

We ran into Maggie’s at the BMW Rally at Hunter Mountain in theCatskills this past fall. Quirky and cool Maggie’s Krooked Café offers great

ambiance, delicious fare and Tannersville is found right in the middle of someof the best riding in all of the northeast. Enjoy the ride, enjoy the food and make

sure to say hello to Maggie for us.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 21

The Best of Backroads 2009ear readers, riders and dignitaries of all models, it is time once again to look back on the year just pastand whittle out the very best of Backroads for 2009. Yes, we know this year has been a tough one forso many, and for some of us the only escape from day to day was to hop on your machine and ride.Thankfully we at Backroads had plenty for you all to do as this year we found some really excel-lent places to ride.Of course our yearly tradition of choosing the ‘Best of” issue was handled over a weekend at theinfamous Monkey With a Gun where, this year, the Flying Winemaker wines were featured as wellas some seriously good premium tequila, rum and cigars brought in from an island - not too farfrom Key West - that the Federal Government does not want us to have. A few days later, when theheads and the cigar smoke cleared, we had our list and it’s a good one.

So welcome to the Best of Backroads 2009 - get ready to ride!

D

First Place Great All American Diner Run 2009Vanilla Bean Café Rtes. 44/169/97, Pomfret, CT860-928-1562 • www.thevanillabeancafe.com

The Vanilla Bean Café, located in the quietcorner of Connecticut, has long been afavorite of local riders, but this year webrought this great Nutmeg secret to allof you.The owner rides himself and theVanilla Bean has everything you couldwant in a Great All American Diner Run

- superb rider’s atmosphere, miles ofscrumptious roads

to get you thereand food that will never

disappoint. From the emails we havegotten from so many after this appearedin the November issue of Backroads itseems that the Vanilla Bean Café is theplace to ride to in 2009 and beyondwhen looking for the very best Great AllAmerican Diner Run!

Big City GetawayThe Big City Getaway has always been about two things - the ride and thedestination. Over the years this column has brought riders to all sorts ofplaces and this year was no different. Welcome to the best of Big CityGetaways for 2009.

Second Runner UpThe National Purple Heart Hall of Honor

374 Temple Hill Road, Vails Gate, NY845-561-1765 • www.thepurpleheart.com

It was with great honor that we featuredthis wonderful museum to all our ser-vicemen and women who have bewounded or killed in service to ourgreat nation. Located not far from ven-erable West Point, the Purple Heart

Museum, in Vails Gate,New York is a hum-

bling place to visit, learnand pay your respects to all of our brave sol-diers.We thought this was one of the most respect-ful museums we have ever been to and urgeyou to see it for yourself.

First Runner Up

Hudson River School TourThis was a labor of love for Shira, who herself is aCooper Union alum. The Hudson River School ofartists work is both breathtaking and a part ofAmerican history.The route will bring you to some of the outstandinghomes of these many artists, not to mention along thevery scenery that so inspired them and still does artiststhese days. It was a grand ride and well worth being inthe very Best of Backroads 2009.

First Place Big City Getaway 2009The Snowmobile BarnDixon Road, Fredon, NJ

973-383-1708 • www.snowmobilebarn.com

This was a wonderful find from thevery beginning of the year and soworth the ride to the northwestpart of New Jersey to see.The Snowmobile Barn has somuch to see, and not just thegreatest collection of snowmachines either. DonKlemm’s collection goespast his menagerie ofsnowmobiles and into verypieces of rare Americana aswell.

The SnowmobileBarn was an easy pick for the

very best of the Big City Getaway for 2009 and anhonor very well deserved.

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We’re Outta HereOkay, call us romantics, but we take great pride in our We’re Outta Herecolumn each month and we especially like to hear from readers that havefollowed in our wake to some of the tiny inns, B & Bs and hotels that notonly welcome us as riders, but then whisk us to another world entirely.Welcome to the best of We’re Outta Here for 2009.Second Runner Up • The Inn at Millrace Pond

313 Hope Johnsonburg Road/CR 519, Hope, NJ908-459-4884 • www.innatmillracepond.com

Located on County Road 519, one of thefinest roads in all of western New Jersey, theInn at Millrace Pond has all the ingredientsfor a most excellent get away, in fact weknow two editors that work for this verymagazine that spent

a romantic wed-ding anniversary

there this past May.The inn’s location is wonderful, therestaurant and wine cellar is beyondcompare. You cannot go wrong if youand yours steal a few nights at the Inn atMillrace Pond - we promise you will not be

disappointed.First Runner Up

Historic General Lewis Inn301 East Washington St., Lewisburg, WV304-645-2600 • www.generallewisinn.com

So you say you want to go to West Virginia?Well, we can’t blame you and while buzzing

around the state make sure to check out our #1pick for Mysterious America, take a short ride into

Lewisburg and take a room at the GeneralLewis Inn. A very rider friendly place,the General Lewis Inn is as comfortableas it gets. From the wide porch androcking chairs, to the spacious grounds,great rooms and superb restaurant, the

good General has it all. A place not to bemissed while riding in the Mountain State.

First Place We’re Outta Here 2009Spin & Margie’s Desert Hide-a-Way

Off Sunkist Road in the desert, P.O. Box 1092, Joshua Tree, CA760-366-9124 • www.deserthideaway.com

Although far away from the Backroadsregion this place easily took our heartsand first place in the Best ofBackroads We’re Outta Here 2009.Spin & Margie’s Desert hideawayis just that. Found in Joshua treeNational Park inthe California

desert, Spin &Margie’s was as

wonderful as itcomes and we know we would be hard pressedto be in this wonderful part of the United Statesand not make our reservations here.The night we were there we had the entire placeto ourselves and took huge advantage of thatfact.At night the stars totally dominated the sky and,except for the Sahara, we have never seen somany. The rooms were wonderful and the variousgames they had spread around the property made thestay even more fun, as did the fire pit.

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

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Full breakfast cooked to order. BYOB bar, hot tub, outdoor firepit, pool and game room. Free Maps and Suggested Rides. Group Special Packages.

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When you can’t ride because of snow, ride the snow.Guided Back-Country Snowmobile Toursin the Green Mountain National Forest.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 23

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The Gray Ghost Inn

Spin & Margie’s easily took the #1 spot thistime around and if you are ever riding insouthern California please make plansto stop by and visit Spin & Margie’sfor a few days. With Joshua tree andthe mountains so near it is an excel-lent “hideaway” from which to

explore this great region.

Mysterious AmericaThis is, without a doubt, the favorite column of Rathen, Bahr and the goodDoctor O’Life himself - mostly because he gets the big bucks to oversee iteach month.Still, we hope you appreciate the quirky, odd and mysterious places that weferret out in each issue and this year we had some off beat places and sto-ries indeed. From Killer Fogs to Killing Frogs - it was an unusual year atMysterious America, but eventually we boiled it down to the top three - we hope you agree.

Second Runner UpThe Frog War of WillimanticConnecticut’s Wildest WarIf you are riding through the quietcorner of Connecticut these days, andhappen to be passing through the townof Willimantic, you might find it a bitodd that the bridge in town has giantfrogs sitting atop huge thread spools.You might ask yourself, “Hey,

what’s up with dat?”Well kids, Doctor O’Life is hear to

give you the low down on a bit of forgot-ten Mysterious America.As we told you in the September issue, way

back when the town folks of Willimantic lived

through a night of terror. They thoughtthey were to be slaughtered byIndians and the French as unearthlysounds surrounded the fair townonly to find in the morning lightthat a war of frogs and toads hadraged through the previous night

over a battle for a drought dried pond.A true story, and certainly one for

Mysterious America.First Runner Up • The Toy Robot Museum

9 Market Plaza, Stoudtburg Village, Adamstown, PA • 717-484-0809

Now the Toy Robot Mueum was not onlyunusual and odd, but lovable as well.This is one of those places that youfind every now and again and youknow that any one you bring thereis going to leave with the biggest ofgrins. Joe Knedlhan’s collection of

Toy Robots is simply mar-velous and while riding aroundthe Amish country of southeast-ern Pennsylvania do make it apoint to stop by and say hello toJoe and the collection of bots - all2,000+ of them. Folks do collect all sortsof things, but Toy Robots rule - end of story! Wellworth a place on this year’s best of Mysterious America.

Page 24 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

First Place Mysterious America 2009The Bunker at the Greenbrier

For the first time ever all the tanked bagsand Doctor O’Life were in agree-

ment on our choice for the Bestof Mysterious America and“The Bunker” had no rivalswith which to contend.

This hidden command center for thehiding of the Senate and Congress incase of a Soviet nuclear attack, residingin the magnificent Greenbrier Resort inSulphur Springs, West Virginia, was keptsecret for decades. These days you canactually visit and tour where our govern-ment would have operated if the Redsdecided to push the button down.Walking through the huge blast doors and thecomplex you will truly be amazed with this place,and even more so on how they kept such a place asecret. Absolutely amazing and The Bunker at the Greenbrier was easily the#1 choice for this year’s Mysterious America.

You can find all the Rip & Rides for theBest of Backroads 2009 starting on page 40,

as well as links for GPS downloads.

1 2 3 4 5 6

7

8

9 10 11 13 14

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26

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Are you a traveler ontwo wheels? Have youbeen inspired by thestories you’ve read inBackroads and otherplaces? Or, perhapsyou watched the ‘LongWay’ series and it’s gotyou thinking of amotorcycle trip to dis-tant climes - the mar-kets of Marrakech, theKarakoram Highwayin Pakistan, the salt flats of Bolivia, the Bungle Bungles of Australia, the PanAmerican to Tierra del Fuego?Maybe it is time to follow your dream. With a little help it is achievable.We have been watching a video series called Achievable Dream. Basically

a four DVD set which will help the “would be world traveler” cover justabout everything they could possibly need, want or desire. Created by the folks that run the website HorizonsUnlimited.com, Grant

and Susan Johnson, we were very impressed by both their website as wellthese well done and incredibly useful DVDs.On the first DVD, Getting Ready, veteran world travelers tell their person-

al stories and experiences on a variety of subjects such as paperwork,finances, planning, safety and so much more.The videos are an excellent watch, especially if you have ever dreamed of

chucking it all and disappearing down the road for a few years, as many ofthese riders have. Other videos cover ‘Gearing Up’, ‘On the Road’, and‘Ladies on the Road’.Available for $24.99 per DVD and $36.99 for On the Road, which is a two

DVD set from www.horizonsunlimited.com. While there, take some time toexplore this truly excellent resource for the Greg Frazier in all of us.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 25

BOOK SPOTLIGHTACHIEVABLE DREAM

THE MOTORCYCLE ADVENTURE TRAVEL GUIDE

“Wow, that’s bright,” I thought as the dawn’s sun pouredthrough the wide window, its pure light trying to scram-ble the laser surgery I had years ago.It had rained hard, really hard, overnight and we

thought this Friday was sure to be a wash out. But,the tempest that so rock and rolled the previous nighthad blown east and we had an unexpected free day togo out exploring.What amazes both Shira and I is that after 20 years

we still run into roads that surprise us and, with theaddition of Garmin GPS mapping software, our rides aregetting more and more interesting.Smaller roads that we might have ridden by are now called

out to us and you can even download these routes off the net ontoyour own PC (or Mac if you are enlightened). It’s an amazing world, butwhat we found this bright and sunny day was amazing as well.Shira has really taken to plotting out routes on Road Trip (the Mac ver-

sion of the Garmin Program) and earlier had gone to work concocting aroute that would, eventually, take us to a place outside Allentown, PA called

Wert’s Café, reported tohave the best hamburgersand onion rings on theeast coast.Fully fueled and raring

to go we set out downaround Swartswood Lakeand then headed up intothe Kittatinny mountainsthat run along the borderof western New Jersey,rolling down to theDelaware River. The

heavy rains from the night before had given the dozen or sowaterfalls added fire and running along Old Mine Roadwas a visual delight this day.

We crossed into Pennsylvania at the Water Gap andthen followed through town on Route 611 beforemaking a sharp right and heading straight up onMountain Road. We had to improvise around a mis-placed golf course (who makes these monstrosities?)but soon were riding high on the ridge in a more orless southernly direction.Shira’s route was full of twists and turns, rights and

lefts and this mid-November day, just a week beforeThanksgiving quickly warmed into the high 50s. At least for us

everything was perfect in the world.Off of Route 512, which is as sweet as

they come, we made a quick left onto FoxGap Road. The road headed downhill intoa sharp right bend, but it was to my leftthat had my attention.Columcille, a stunning megalith park.Columcille draws its inspiration from

Iona - a tiny island of four-billion-year-old stone off Scotland’s West Coast. Theisland has been a source of spiritual guid-ance and awakening for centuries. Writtenaccounts of Iona as a place of pilgrimagedate back to the seventh century and oralhistories and legends preserve traditionsthat stretch back to the earliest times.This day it caused Shira and I to decel-

erate in a most rapid manner and park thebikes for a little exploring.

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Page 26 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Chasing a Sunny Day Stunning finds, wonderful roads and thesearch for the world’s best burger and onion rings

Year’s ago, columnist Jeff Bahr wrote about this Stonehenge of Pennsylvania in the illustrious pages of Backroads, butwe had never gotten out to see it. This day we had literally stumbled across it.Fantastic. Incredible. Spiritual. Magnificent. Hmm, get the idea?Parking the bikes we walked through the swinging iron gate and into something from another place and time. Giant

stones stood erect on the hills and I was waiting for wood nymphs or Druids to step forward at any second.We strolled around The Circle and then explored the Saint Oran Bell Tower, heading along the path to a most magnifi-

cent sight - the astonishing Thor’s Gate. I have been to Stonehenge and walked amongst its impressive stones, and this eas-ily rivaled anything on the Salisbury Plains. Columcille was an unexpected and wonderful surprise.Regretfully we had to keep on the move if’n we were ever going to get to these mythical hamburgers and onion rings

we had heard tale of.Shira’s route did not disappoint and at one point I realized

my wife had actually turned my legendary internal compassaround and I had no real idea where we were. It was mostexcellent.For the next few hours or so, we followed the prompts from

the Zumos and along the way I spotted a Tom Cat, an F-14atop a hill - this needed to be explored at another time - butWert’s was just minutes away and we were famished.

Wert’s Café itself was a gem and when you see the local chapter of the Red Hat Society bang-ing back martinis and having a late lunch, you know you have a winner.We took a small booth and in just a few minutes the owner stopped by to say hello. He rides as

well and wanted to talk bikes.We ordered the Wert Burger, which is stuffed with mushrooms and onion and added cheese and

bacon on top. The onion rings were a must as well and in an incredibly short time we were servedwhat I think is the greatest hamburger I have ever had.Seriously.

We spooned on some of Wert’s homemade mustardon top, which cleared both of our sinuses in seconds,and munched into the onion rings that were unlike anyother type of onion we had before. Perfectly sliveredand fried to a crispy perfection. Shira described themas a gaggle and tangle of deliciously coated and friedbit of onions that could not be beat. We have heardeverything else is superb as well, but we were here forthe burgers and rings. Another trip back seems like amust.Unfortunately in mid-November the wonderful sun-

light we had been celebrating all day long was makinga quick slide to the western horizon and we had just afew hours to get back to home base before Morpheusand his armies took back the day.As the sun dropped back behind the Kittatinny range

we pulled into the gravel drive at Backroads Central.This Indian Summer was giving us some of the best

riding of the year and we could only hope that lastyear’s Juneuary would learn form this November. You can download the one-way ride from Thisilldousin Belvidere, NJ to Wert’s Café in Allentown, PA here:

www.sendspace.com/file/xony4q

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 27

Bill Heald

ONCE UPON A TIME, there was a rider with a sport bike. He cherishedthis sport bike; a truly worthy steed with a Grendel of a motor and a chas-sis stolen from the greatest racing gurus, and rode it almost every daywhether it was to work, to see his friends, or just to clear his mind. Then,one day, the rider pitched his beloved sport bike down the road. “Dang,” hesaid, when he saw the precious, damaged bodywork. “How am I going toafford all the replacement plastic to fix my ride?”Then a moment of enlightenment took place. “Why, in the name of Our

Lord Mike Hailwood do I need all this bodywork?” our rider queried. “Andwhile I’m at it, why don’t I put the nice high bars from my dead motocross-er on the bike so it will be more comfortable around town?” Thus, the nakedsport bike was born. In the early ‘90s, Ducati launched the Monster seriesof bikes which were naked right out of the box, and Triumph followed suitwithin a year with the Speed Triple. Over time more and more performancewas injected and more and more manufacturers came out with their ownbare beasts, which have now been placed in a new genre called Streetfighter.It stands to reason that, since Ducati pretty much started up the class, theymight just want to own it and maintain their nude supremacy. So, they havecreated the machine that all others would have to chase for said supremacy.Oh, and what do they call this monstrous new buck-nekked superbike?

Why, the Streetfighter of course. Ducati has definitely left any form of restraint back on the factory floor

and decided to make the Streetfighter literally their most powerful, potentand technologically advanced naked bike ever. They did this, simply

enough, by starting with their most potent superbikeever: the 1098. The Street is powered by the downrightboisterous 1098cc Testastretta Evoluzione 90-degreeV-Twin, which not only sounds like Mad Max is tryingto escape from its engine cases (in a good way) but italso deals forth a claimed 155 horsepower. The exhaustnote is standard Ducati moto-music only more so, andthe power delivery is very torque-rich (with a strangesort of hit around 3,200-4,000 RPM). The six-speed

tranny has good ratios and comfortable action,although with all the power on tap and broad spread ofgrunt you don’t have to be too perfect in your gearselection. The more expensive “S” version comes stan-dard with a very sophisticated traction control systemand data logger for those that are interested in suchwizardry. While the traction control would be a greatthing to have, I must confess the excellent tuning of thefuel injection system makes modulating all that powermanually, with nothing other than the throttle, a prettyuser-friendly experience.

Page 28 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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A FIGHTER. FOR THE STREET.

The ergonomicsof the Streetfighterare a bit unusual, inthat the chassis isbased on a hard-core superbike sothe position of therider is biasedtowards the front ofthe machine yet

there is still a long 58-inch wheelbase.So, as you sit in a fairly upright posi-tion the front wheel sort of disappearsbecause most of the motorcycle is wellbehind you like you’re pulling a trailer.I know this seems hard to picture (andI am exaggerating of course), but youhave to jump on one (especially afterbeing on some other naked street bike)to see what I mean. Another interestingergonomic quirk is the right footpeg,which is in such close proximity to theexhaust and subsequent shielding thatit forces you to kick your boot out-board a bit. You get adjusted to it so it’snot a real problem, but it does takesome getting used to at first. At 33 inches the seat height is lofty, but the nar-row chassis makes it manageable at stops for those with shorter inseams. All this positioning leaves you with a surprisingly comfortable mount that

handles beautifully, and gives the rider excellent feel for what the front hoopis up to. Ducati’s traditional trellis frame is as stiff as granite and yet some-

how compliant when the bike is leaned over just as it has always been;reminding you that great engineering never goes out of style. The regularStreetfighter gets a fully-adjustable Showa suspension with 43mm invertedfront forks and an equally alterable rear shock; the S gets the full Ohlinstreatment. As will come as no surprise, the brakes are also the Finest Kind(as Hawkeye Pierce was known to say) with twin radially-moundedBrembos up front with 330mm discs, and a single 245mm disc out back.This is a rider’s bike through and through, and while the styling is prettystunning in and of itself the real joy comes in flinging its sub-400 lb. weightabout on your favorite tastilicious tarmac. A very futuristic instrument dis-

play gives you tons of info (and has acool horizontal-run tach), and at 4.4gallons I wish the Streetfighter had abit more fuel capacity (but I prettymuch always complain about that withany bike, especially one like this). Themachine exudes quality and has won-derful, walk-around-and-drool atten-tion to detail, from the deep luster ofthe paint to the elegant, horizontally-mounted steering damper.

Prices startout at $14,995,with the Smodel ringingin at $18,995.

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BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 29

words and images: T. Armac

Like the folks here at Backroads Magazine, I am also a big fan of the Americade Touring event held inLake George every June. So when the staff of Americade announced that they were going to have a “rally”over the Labor Day weekend called Rolling Through Vermont and limit it to 300 registrants, I knew I wouldhave to be one of the first ones to sign up to make sure I was in. The idea of riding through scenic Vermontwith its twisty roads cutting through the Green Mountains and a three day weekend all put together by theAmericade staff was too hard to resist. Plus, when they were saying that they put on a great event every yearfor 50,000 folks (which I totally agree with), imagine what they could do for 300? Sold me!When the time came to register there was no disappointment from the start gate. In true Americade fash-

ion you were given options to choice from to fit your needs from lodging to optional activities. The basepackage included such things as guided rides through Vermont and the upper Lake Champlain region, lunchstops with fantastic meals at Stowe Mt Resort with optional gondola rides available, an evening enjoying aVIP cruise aboard the 100-year old, 220 foot Ticonderoga steamship for coffee and desserts to viewVermont’s Balloon Glow, and a private tour of the Full Throttle Motorcycle Exhibit that included wild cus-toms, choppers, and vintage bikes all located in a round Shaker barn located in the Shelburne Museum prop-erty. And this was only the first day. Wow, I couldn’t wait for the event to come.Now most of us in the northeast know that this past summer was certainly not designed for riding. Rain,

rain, and more rain was a format we all had to live with; so when the forecast for the Labor Day weekendpredicted sunny days and warm temperatures for the whole weekend I imagine everyone that signed up forthe event was ecstatic. We waited all summer for this weather and finally got it the last weekend of the sea-son. I think the Americade staff owes someone big time for this to happen.

Page 30 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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EVENT RECAP

The Friday of the weekend was perfect, sunny skies and temps in theupper 80s; what better way to head out for a rally than weather like that. Iheaded up to Burlington, Vermont (home base for the event) from theHudson Valley via Rte. 22 in New York to Vermont’s Rt 22A. Not what onewould call challenging roads, but fantastic scenery for cruising. Once I gotto my hotel, which was the host hotel, I was greeted by staff members withevent information, maps, times for meetings and a goodie bag with a T shirtand some of Vermont’s specialties (maple syrup and candy - tasty stuff).

The event started of Friday night with a WelcomeParty to review the weekend’s itinerary while enjoyinghors d’oeuvres, dessert and beverages. The RollingThrough Vermont (RVT) Staff, lead by ChristianDutcher, went over the weekend’s events and informa-tion. They certainly did their homework on this one tomake sure everyone was in for a great weekend, evendown to having chase vehicles with trailers and cellphone numbers to reach them. The evening was cappedoff with $300 worth of certificates donated byTourMaster. Now on Saturday, another unbelievable weather day,

everyone meet after breakfast to head out and ride.The RVT staff had Road Captains ready to lead us outin waves. For those with CB communication you couldlisten as well to the information floating through theairwaves. Besides directions and any possible hazards,the guides would inform and describe points along ourroute. Now if you’re not really into riding with largergroups, not to worry. The staff also had maps anddirections included with your registration package soyou could move along on your own. I’ve already

described to you Saturday’s events, but the riding and routes chosen wereperfect. We meandered through some of northern Vermont’s most scenicroadways leading up through Smugglers Notch, kind of Vermont’s mini ver-sion of the Dragon, to our lunch stop at Stowe Mountain, with a gondolaride to the resort for a feast, overlooking Vermont’s high peaks. We headed

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 31

down to the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, just down the road, for atour and, of course, some of their delicious flavors. After the tour, we werelead once again back to Burlington for the evening’s events. The onlychange to the night was the rescheduling of the balloon glow to Sundaynight due to winds. The rest of the evening, with the private motorcycle tourand the steamship, sailed smoothly.

Sunday arrive with not a cloud in the sky, the morning was cool but youknew it was going to warm up and be ideal for riding. Sunday’s ride wastaking us through the Lake Champlain region along with riding throughsome of the northern islands. It was neat to see the view of the high peakswhich we rode just the day before. With lunch you had a choice of attend-ing the scheduled BBQ picnic at the Abbey Restaurant (once again greateats) or go on your own in town. After lunch there were lakeside rides to alocal apple orchard for a quick visit and cider tasting then off to Burlington

for the evening’s event. For Sunday night there was a dinner cruise on LakeChamplain with an option to take a later cruise, which included an eighteen-piece big band. The meal was superb, the views from the ship as the sun setover the Adirondack Mountains were amazing and the band sounded great.Once back to dock I decided to spend the evening in Burlington on its famedChurch Street.The downtown area of Burlington is beautiful in itself, lake front views,

and charming old buildings and, of course, there’s Church Street, a pedes-trian street lined with restaurants, nightclubs, shops and parks. An adventureworth taking on its own.Monday had all of us enjoying breakfast at the Catamount Country Club,

with photos taken throughout the weekend by the staff projected on the wall,closing thanks and thoughts and a few door prizes donated by CardoSystems. For something different, the RVT staff had routes to take youtowards home. Some headed east, west or north for our Canadian visitors. Everyone I spoke with loved the weekend. You could tell that Christian

Dutcher and the RVT staff did a lot of work to make this a memorable eventand they certainly succeeded. All of us who were fortunate to be at this inau-gural weekend are already looking forward to returning again next year. Ifthis sounds like something you want to be a part of, check outwww.rollingthroughvt.com for more information and set your plans nowbecause word of this event is going to spread like maple butter. Rolling Through Vermont will take place Labor Day weekend,

September 3-6, 2010. Watch their website for registration and full details.

Page 32 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 33

words: Tony Lisanti • images: Tony Lisanti and Cornerspin

What kind of rider are you and what do you hope to learn? That was the ques-tion posed to us by Mike Dillon and Aaron Stevenson on October 10th at theirCornerspin, Dirt Training for Road Riding and Racing, school. My reply wassimple - “I have many years of off-road and road experience, which I’m sure willmean absolutely nothing! I’m just here to learn!” I’m not a racetrack kind of guy,and have no desire to be. For many, mastering control of a motorcycle whileleaned over as far as it can go seems to be the Holy Grail of riding. Many years ago, I read about Kenny Roberts using XR100s on a flat track for

training his sons and other up and coming road racing stars. King Kenny’s accom-plishments include AMA Dirt Track, Grand National and Road racing champi-onships as well as three World Championships on 500cc two strokes. If this iswhat helped top-level road racers then there has to be many benefits for the restof us. When I first learned that a school of this caliber exists today, I immediate-ly contacted Cornerspeed and made a reservation.Aaron and Mike are accomplished riders in every sense. They are both in excel-

lent physical condition, they train hard, enjoy riding, have years of racing expe-rience and provide various consulting services to top level racers and teams. Aaron is a life long athlete and active in many sports. He coaches motorcycle

riding techniques, nutrition, strength and endurance training as well. A life long motorcyclist, he began riding atthe age of 7. He received his expert racing license in 1992 and since has raced in theVintage (Open-Superbike), Modern Supersport, Superstock, Superbike andEndurance classes having won a national championship and finished second-over-all several times in the WERA National Vintage classes. He currently racesvintage superbikes, competing against racers on modern machines.During his schools (Cornerspeed and Cornerspin), Aaron takes complex rid-

ing theory and makes it easy to understand so that students can apply it to theirown riding. His teaching style is relaxed and fun but he’s very serious about the knowledge students gain and how they applyit. He also does great impressions of Rossi, Hayden, Edwards and many other riders. Mike Dillon began his riding career off-road in the desert of New Mexico in 1979. In the mid 1980’s he raced amateur motor-

cross in New Mexico and Texas and participated in enduro, cross-country desert races, and hare scrambles. He also began rac-ing dirt-tack throughout the Southwest and in Mexico. In 1989 he became Texas State Flat Track Open Amateur ClassChampion and Mexican National Flat Track Champion (Open Professional division). Mike began his professional racing careerin 1990 in AMA Pro-AM achieving over 40 national race victories. Over the next few years he finished 10th overall in American

TAKING IT TO THE TRACKDIRT-STYLE

Motorcyclist Association Junior National Dirt-track Championship and was top points earning rookie on AmericanMotorcyclists Association Camel Pro Dirt-track series. By 1993 he was awardedNational Number 20 by American Motorcyclists Association Pro Racing Division andearned an AMA Professional Superbike racing license. Over the last few years Mikecompeted in both the WERA and CCS/FUSA road racing series earning 32 race vic-tories and two WERA National Championships in A Superstock and Formula 1 andone regional championship. Mike currently works with Aaron as an instructor and helped develop the school

with him. They carved out a small, tight and well-manicured dirt-road race course inthe countryside about an hour north of Charlotte, NC. They included a perfectly

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Page 34 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

groomed short track there aswell where they like to letloose with their dirt trackskills. Humbling to say theleast. Needless to say we werein good hands.And hands are where the

training begins. There are cer-tain times when I’ve learnedsomething about motorcycling

that have changed forever the way I ride.My first MSF course was one and thishand position lesson was another. Mikeand Aaron took us through the properhand position for precise throttle con-trol. For the next two hours they demon-strated properly gripping the handlebarslike a screwdriver handle rather than theusual “beer can” grip we all use.Keeping the elbows out and up was alsoemphasized for more leverage. Next wasproper body position. Sitting as far forwardas possible, being careful not to lean forward. Grippingthe tank with our knees and weighting the outside pegin the turns. Lastly was rolling your butt onto the out-side edge of the seat when cornering, and pushing thebike into the turn with the outside leg and turning yourinside foot toward where you want to go. Keep cen-tered, look through the turn and push the bike into it.

In short order we were putting the theory to practice.First some braking drills to get us warmed up. Rearbrake control then front brake, then both. Next brakinginto a turn. Soon we were out on the track practicingcornering technique. Getting up on the outside of theseat with the proper positioning we made circles to theleft and then to the right, inside foot down, then bothfeet on the pegs. Next it was one handed. We placedour left hand on the gas cap and rode in circles to theright, then to the left, inside foot down, then both feeton the pegs.

This was taking the basic elements of turning a motorcycle and practic-ing each and every one. The main focus was throttle control with the new“screwdriver grip” and the XR’s are excellent bikes for this. Nice mellowpower but responsive. The bikes also made it easy to maneuver with a lowseat, slim profile and neutral handling. As the day progressed, we practiced late braking and turning harder, lean-

ing the bike as far as you could. Of course, there were more than a few tip-overs, but nothing too painful. After each exercise, we were given pointerson what we did right and what we did wrong. The day culminated with amini version of a superpole where they set up a tight “road race” course on

the track and let us loose. By the end of the day we were trail brak-ing getting the back end of the bike out (at least a little bit) andwere gaining confidence and speed in the corners. When we fin-ished I was excited about what I learned but was also exhausted. Day two started with a review of the previous lessons and

hand and body positioning was re-emphasized. Traction andtrack conditions were perfect with a nice tacky surface, Aaronand Mike let loose for a couple of laps on the short track actual-ly laying down a rubber groove on the clay. In short order we were back on track practicing how to late

brake and turn the bikes on the extreme outside of the turn. Thiswas tough as most of us would tend to run on the inside “hug-ging the rail” as Aaron put it. Mike was awesome at demonstrat-ing how to drive into the outside of the turn and stuff the bike over

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 35

and exit with a controlled drive. Mike was able to show us that the short way around the track was notnecessarily the fastest. He showed us how to choose a line to properly set where the bike should be forthe next turn. We were given the opportunity to see for ourselves on the short track going right thenleft, braking late and turning hard leaning the bike as far as we could. The motorcycle goes fastestwhen it’s upright and you are on the throttle. The faster you can turn the bike, then the sooner you getback up and on the gas. That’s why a football shaped line around the short track was actually fasterthan riding a line dead center in the groove or even inside all the way around. We were shown by Aaronand Mike just how this was done. The guys got to show their stuff in a masterful demonstration, Mikeand Aaron alternating taking the football line and hugging the rail. The two of them burned off aboutten hard laps, each one passing the other and at times were close enough to elbow one another. Thelean angles they achieved looked impossible. We were back on the “road” course practicing

with flat turns, down hill and off camber turns.We also completed an exercise executing a sharpright hand turn in loose conditions immediatelyfollowing a small rise. This was to demonstratehow the suspension unloads and how to settle thebike with the brakes prior to turning. By the endof the day another superpole was run and we ranlap after lap dicing with one another and takingthe occasional spill. I ended my day after ten lapsor so of my own on the short track and one bigsmile. This was one truly amazing experience. The

drills demonstrated and practiced will no doubtbe put to good use. I have no delusions of mygoing road racing, but the advice and techniquestaught at this school will help any rider, young,old, dirt, street, tourer, racer, newbie or experi-enced. It is an amazing fun way to hone yourturning skills that you can use immediately. Inthe end, when given the opportunity to reviewphotos from the two days, I realized I hadimproved but there is still a long way to go. Afew more old habits need to be broken. Perhapsmaking a return visit at some point in the nearfuture is in order.The Cornerspin School is $500, including use

of their bikes. They offer riding gear rentals. Irecommend renting or bringing dirt riding gearrather than using your own street gear. A dirt hel-met and dirt gear isn’t as bulky and breathes better asit is a work out. Street gear can work, but don’t bring your “Sunday best”. Also remember the temper-ature there is much warmer.The Cornerspin school is located one hour north of Charlotte, North Carolina right off I-85 in

Spencer. You can contact them at:WEB: www.cornerspeed.net/spin.html • PHONE: 704-332-3147

EMAIL: cornerspeed@carolina.rr.com

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 info email Doris at Edelweiss:doris.waldegger@edelweissbike.com

or call us at 973-948-4176

Ride the Alps, if not now, when?

Page 36 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

AND THE WINNER IS…The American Motorcyclist Association announced the 2009 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year with a depar-

ture: This year’s recipients are a group, rather than an individual. The winners? Kids who ride motorcyclesand all-terrain vehicles.America’s youngest riders were at the center of the biggest story of the year in 2009, as the Consumer

Product Safety Commission enforced a ban on selling youth-model off-highway vehicles. AMA Presidentand CEO Rob Dingman made the announcement at the annual AMA Racing Championship Banquet, present-ed by KTM North America, being held at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas.“The core of the AMA mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcy-

cling, and few threats have taken a more direct aim at that lifestyle than the Consumer Product SafetyImprovement Act which effectively banned the sale of youth-model OHVs,” Dingman said. “The AMAMotorcyclist of the Year is the person or persons who have had the most profound impact on motorcycling ina single calendar year. Although they were unwitting victims, kid motorcycle and ATV riders were thrust intothat role in 2009.”“This devastating ban could potentially cast aside the hopes and dreams of thousands of young riders and

their families,” Dingman said. “It is our duty to protect those dreams and re-establish the permanent accessthat young riders have to youth-model OHVs.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON GOES PINK TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR BREAST CANCERIt’s an unwritten rule in motorcycling culture to stop for a distressed rider. Of course, rider ethics go well

beyond the open road, as motorcyclists often stop on the journey of life to helpthose in need - rider and non-rider alike. In the spirit of that support, Harley-Davidson introduced a new clothing line today designed to aid thosetouched by breast cancer.The new Harley-Davidson Pink Label Collection was inspired by

women who have been affected by breast cancer and designed to providethem support during their difficult ride. A portion of the proceeds fromthe sale of every Pink Label Collection item will help fund theYourShoes 24/7 Support Center, which is administered by the nationalnon-profit Breast Cancer Network of Strength.The YourShoes center, which helped nearly 50,000 people in 2008

alone, is staffed by breast cancer survivors who provide immediateemotional relief, at any time of day, to people affected by breast can-cer. To find out more about the Pink Label Collection, or purchaseitems from the collection, visit your local Harley-Davidson dealershipor www.harley-davidson.com/pinklabel.

KAWASAKI MOTORS CORP., U.S.A. SUSPENDS ROAD RACING FOR 2010 SEASON“While we’ve always considered road racing an integral part of our sportbike development process, the

realities of the current economic situation dictate the temporary suspension of our U.S. road racing activities,”said Bruce Stjernstrom, marketing director. Kawasaki’s long history of successful road racing includes 20 AMA series championships. Among the

many champions who have worn the Kawasaki lime green racing leathers are Reg Pridmore, Eddie Lawson,Wayne Rainey, Miguel Duhamel, Scott Russell, Doug Chandler, Eric Bostrom and more recently TommyHayden and Roger Hayden. “We expect to see eventual improvements in the general economic condition and Kawasaki will reevaluate

its road racing position as we monitor those issues,” said Stjernstrom.

WEIRD NJ AT THE TOUCH OF YOUR FINGERSNow New Jersey’s weirdness is right at your finger tips! The WEIRD

NJ App, long awaited by fans of the popular magazine, is the ultimatemobile travel guide to New Jersey’s local legends and best kept secrets.On the road you can now read stories, check out tons of photos, and

get driving directions to the odd, offbeat, and just plain weirdness thatmakes the Garden State the truly bizarre place that it is._Log ontowww.tikiinteractive.com for more information.

J.D. POWER SAYS MOTORCYCLE SATISFACTION ON RISEOverall satisfaction with the motorcycle ownership experience

increases for a seventh consecutive year to its highest level yet, accord-ing to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Motorcycle CompetitiveInformation Study released in December.The study finds that overall motorcycle ownership satisfaction aver-

ages 838 on a 1,000-point scale in 2009, up 24 points from 2008.Satisfaction improves across all five factors measured in the study-product; quality; cost of ownership; sales;and service-with the most substantial increases occurring in the sales and service factors.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 37

INDUSTRY INFOBITES NEWS FROM THE INSIDE

“Given that industry sales are down roughly 30 percent during the pastyear, manufacturers are competing more than ever for every customer,” saidTodd Markusic, senior director of the powersports practice at J.D. Powerand Associates. “The result of this increased competition is that the qualityand performance of bikes is at an all-time high, and dealers are paying muchmore attention to their customers’ sales and service experiences.”The 2009 Motorcycle Competitive Information Study, now in its 12th

year, includes responses from nearly 8,000 owners who purchased a new2009 model year on-road or dual-sport motorcycle between September2008 and May 2009. The study was fielded August through October 2009.

CRISTINE SOMMER-SIMMONS FIRST WOMAN TO RIDE IN

MOTORCYCLE CANNONBALL RUN - U.S. COAST-TO-COASTENDURANCE RIDE, SEPTEMBER 10-25, 2010

Three time Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee and author of the newlypublished book, The American Motorcycle Girls: 1900 - 1950, CristineSommer-Simmons today announced that she will be riding in theMotorcycle Cannonball Run next year.

Sommer-Simmons willbe one of only two womenriders in the cross-countryendurance run of the cen-tury. The MotorcycleCannonball Run is gather-ing momentum to launcha pack of riders on vintagemotorcycles for an his-toric ride across Americain September 2010.The brainchild of

Lonnie Isam, Jr., promoterand owner of Jurassic Racing in Sturgis, South Dakota, The MotorcycleCannonball Run of 2010 requires that participants ride classic pre-1916motorcycles such as Pope, Sears, Flying Merkel, Excelsior, Henderson,

Indian, Triumph, and the Harley-Davidson’s Silent Grey Fellows.Sommer-Simmons will make the 3,320-mile transcontinental ride on

September 10 on the east coast in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on her 1915Harley Davidson.“This is the thrill of a lifetime!” exclaims Simmons, “It’s an honor to be

a part of such an historic and monumental race, and even more exciting tobe the only American woman registered for the event!”For more information about the Motorcycle Cannonball Run, visit

www.motorcyclecannonball.com.

REAL RADIO FOR REAL RIDERSSideStand Up “The World’s OnlyMotorcycle Radio Road Show” broadcastslive Tuesday evenings 7-9 PM Easternon www.SideStandUp.com. Past pro-grams can be heard on the SideStandUp site, iTunes, and Zune.SideStand Up is dedicated to the rid-ers and dreamers around the globe.Every week SideStand Up bringsinformative motorcycle related topicsfrom vendors with quality products,

authors and regular folks talking abouttheir moto adventures. With a team of cor-

respondents SideStand Up covers every aspectof motorcycling from dual sport riding, endurance riding, racing, productevaluation, how to write a blog / travel log / book, women’s issues, manu-facturers recalls, safety, land use and many more timely topics. Visitwww.sidestandup.com for more information.

BACKROADS gladly accepts press releases. Please sendtext/images via email to editor@backroadsusa.com.

Page 38 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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BRIGHTEN UP THE NIGHT

Just in time for the dark days of winter, Twisted Throttle is proud to pres-ent Denali Extreme LED Lighting. The Denali light kit was assembledspecifically for use on motorcycles. The compact 2”-square lamps houseultra-bright LED’s with an incredibly low draw of 0.75 amps each. Each 10-watt pod produces 900 lumens, making the Denali LED’s the most efficientoff-road lamps on the market. Unlike HID lighting, which requires a warm-up time, LED’s are on at the flick of a switch. Each Denali kit includes a fullwiring harness, water-resistant lighted switch with relay, and two sets oflenses, so you can run them as driving lights with a narrow, focused beampattern or as flood lights with a wider beam pattern. The lamps ship with a universal M10 mount kit that works on

most makes and models of bikes. Twisted Throttle also offers a number of bike-specific light mounts and light bars on their website- www.twistedthrottle.com.The Denali Extreme LED Lighting lists for $299.99.KEEP TOES WARM AND DRY THE EASY WAY

Boot Capote, which means sim-ply “boot cap”, is an easy andaffordable way to keep your feetwarm and dry even in the mostnasty of stormy rides.First off, not all boots are the

same; and unfortunately even someboots that claim to be waterproofcan eventually fail and let somemoisture through, usually right upfront at the boot’s tips and seamswhere they take the brunt of ridingin the wet.

The Bootcapote is a set of smartly designed, strong and resilient waterproofrubber caps that quickly and easily fit over the tips of your boots during rides,keeping even the slightest bit of moisture from sneaking in.What we liked about the Bootcapote is that once on they look like they are part

of the boot itself, unlike other boot covers that give you the “galoshes” appear-ance from grade school days.The Bootcapote is very affordable and sells for $20 Canadian for a pair. You

can easily order using PayPal on the website at www.bootcapote.com. Thesedays if you order two pair you get a third free.For the extra protection the Bootcapote offers every rider should carry a set of

these along for the ride as you never know when Mother Nature is going tothrow a wet and chilly day of riding your way.

RIDING AMERICA’S BACKROADSOver the last ten years, our friends at

RoadRUNNER have taken readers oncountless motorcycle adventures throughthe pages of their magazine. RidingAmerica’s Backroads features more of thesame evocative story lines and first classphotography that RoadRUNNER is knownfor, but with updated maps, travel informa-tion, and attractions included. We are particularly fond of the choice of

name for this book. They should be hear-ing from the boys at Dewey, Cheatum &Howe any day now.Seriously it is well put together, inform-

ative and just a fun read, especially whenthe winter is keeping you trapped.In addition to 20 full length touring arti-

cles, this book features six motorcycleservice pieces covering topics like “packing a bike” and “riding in the dark”.Readers can also download RoadRUNNER’s tankbag maps and GPS files, foreach tour, from their website. Although Riding America’s Backroads is especially geared to motorcyclists,

it’s entertaining and informative for any traveler, whether on two wheels or four. Riding America’s Backroads: 20 Top Motorcycle Tours is a soft-covered book

of 192 pages priced at $27.95 and available at www.roadrunner.travel/shop or byphone 866-343-7623.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 39

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

Page 40 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

EXIT KOSCO H-D IN POMPTON PLAINSMAKE U-TURN UP RTE. 23 NORTHLEFT AT CR 647 LIBERTYVILLE ROADSTRAIGHT AT CR 650 DECKERTOWN ROADCROSS RTE. 206BEAR LEFT THEN IMMEDIATE RIGHT ON OLD MINE RDCROSS CR 560 STAY ON OLD MINE ROAD TOWARDS

WALPACK VALLEYBECOMES SR 615AT VILLAGE BEAR RIGHT ONTO SR 606HORROR - TAKE I-80 EAST FOR AN EXIT

BEAR ONTO RTE. 46 EASTBEAR RIGHT AT CR 620 MASSENATTS RD.QUICK RIGHT AT MANUNKACHUNK RD.LEFT AT MARKET ST.BECOME CR 620 GREENWICH ST. IN BELVIDERE, NJRIGHT AT DELAWARE DR.

RIGHT AT FOUL RIFT RD.RIGHT AT CR 622 ROXBURG STATION RD.LEFT AT RIVER RD.RIGHT TO STAY ON RIVER RD.RIGHT AT CR 621 RIVER RD.LEFT CR 621 RIVER RD.RIGHT AT 5TH ST - PHILLIPSBURGLEFT AT NORTH BROAD ST.STRAIGHT AT BROAD CR 122 - BECOMES MAIN ST.RIGHT AT CR 642 CARPENTERSVILLE RD.LEFT AT CARPENTERSVILLE RD.BECOMES RIVER RD.RIGHT AT RIVER RD AT CREEK RD.LEFT AT ROEBLING-RIEGELSVILLE BRIDGECROSS INTO PENNSYLVANIA-WATCH BRIDGE SURFACE

RIEGELSVILLE HOTEL & INN AT FOOT OF BRIDGE

Rip & Ride® ROUTES FOR THE BEST OF BACKROADS 2009

Rip & Ride® - RIEGELSVILLE HOTEL & INN10-12 DELAWARE RD, RIEGELSVILLE, PA • 610-749-0100 • WWW.RIEGELSVILLEINN.COM

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/8S8UV9

START: CLIFF’S CYCLE REVOLUTION465 FEDERAL RD, BROOKFIELD, CT

US 202LEFT AT SR 133/JUNCTION RDRIGHT AT WEWAKA BROOK RDRIGHT AT HUT HILL RD - MINOR BRIDGE RDLEFT AT FALLS RDLEFT AT SOUTH STBEAR RIGHT AT SQUIRE RDBEAR RIGHT AT SR 67/SOUTHBURY RDBEAR LEFT AT RUCUM RDLEFT AT BACON RDRIGHT T SR 317/GOOD HILL RDLEFT AT US 6/MAIN ST SRIGHT AT MOUNTAIN RD - OLD MIDDLE ROAD TPKELEFT, THEN IMMEDIATE RIGHT AT MIDDLE ROAD TPKE -CHANGES TO HAMILTON AVEBEAR RIGHT AT US 6/WOODBURY RDLEFT AT BIDWELL HILL RDBEAR LEFT AT US 6/THOMASTON RD

BEAR RIGHT AT PINE HILL RDRIGHT AT WATERBURY RDLEFT AT JACKSON RDLEFT AT CARTER RDRIGHT AT EAST MAIN ST/US 6 EASTRIGHT AT US 6/E MAIN STLEFT AT ROUTE 10 N/MAIN STRIGHT AT ROUTE 4 E/FARMINGTON AVEGET ON I-84 EASTEXIT FOR ROUTE 44/CONNECTICUT BLVD EASTLEFT AT ROUTE 5/44CROSS I-84, BEAR LEFT AT MIDDLE TPKE WEST

STRAIGHT AT ROUTES 6/44LEFT AT SR 198/EASTFORD RDRIGHT AT OLD COLONY RDRIGHT AT ROCKY HILL RDRIGHT AT SOMERS TPKERIGHT AT NORWICH WORCHESTER TPKEARRIVE AT VANILLA BEANINTERSECTION OF RTES. 169/44

Rip & Ride® • VANILLA BEAN CAFÉRTES. 44/169/97, POMFRET, CT • 860-928-1562 • WWW.THEVANILLABEANCAFE.COM

ONE WAY ROUTE 100 MILES • DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/XWAPJ2

FROM THE G.W.B. REGION HEAD WEST ON RTE. 4STRAIGHT AT RTE. 208 /287 SOUTHEXIT FOR SKYLINE DRIVEBEAR RIGHT AT T ONTO RTE. 511GO AROUND RESERVOIR

BEAR RIGHT AT Y-SPLIT ONTO WARWICK TURNPIKEAFTER SMALL LAND BRIDGE, WITH LAKE ON BOTH

SIDES, MAKE LEFT ONTO UNMARKED ROAD

UNMARKED ROAD IS CLINTON ROADRIGHT AT RTE. 23 NORTHLEFT AT HOLLAND MOUNTAIN RD.RIGHT AT RIDGE ROADRIGHT AT EDISON RD.LEFT AT CR 517RIGHT AT WEST MOUNTAIN RD.RIGHT AT OLD PROSPECT SCHOOL RD.LEFT AT RTE. 94

STAY ON RTE. 94 SOUTH PAST LAFAYETTE VILLAGEDROP IN AT MOTORCYCLE MADNESS - GREAT SHOP

RIGHT AT RTE. 206LEFT AT CR 626 - FAIRCLOUGH FUELRIDE THROUGH TWIN BRIDGESLEFT AT PARSONS RDLEFT AT T UNDER SMALL TRESTLE

UP HAIRPIN ON PLOTTS RD.RIGHT AT CR 519RIGHT AT CR 622LEFT AT CR 521 SOUTHLEFT AT CR 610 IN STILLWATER

CROSS BRIDGE

BEAR RIGHT UPHILL ON CEDAR RIDGE RD.STRAIGHT INTO DIXON RD.SNOWMOBILE BARN ON LEFT

Rip & Ride® • THE SNOWMOBILE BARNDIXON ROAD • FREDON, NJ • 973-383-1708 • WWW.SNOWMOBILEBARN.COM

GPS DOWNLOAD ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/SP86PG

START: OLANA, HOME OF FREDERIC EDWIN CHURCH5720 ROUTE 9G, HUDSON, NY • (518) 828-0135RIGHT ONTO RTE. 9GLEFT OVER RIP VAN WINKEL BRIDGE/RTE. 23LEFT ONTO SPRING ST/RTE. 385THOMAS COLE CEDAR GROVE ON LEFT

218 SPRING ST, CATSKILL NY • (518) 943-7465RIGHT ONTO SPRING ST/RTE. 385LEFT ONTO RTE. 23 WEST

LEFT ONTO RTE. 9W SOUTHSTOP ON BRIDGE FOR VIEW OF CATSKILL CREEKCONTINUE SOUTH ON RTE. 9WRIGHT ONTO W. MAIN STREET/RTE. 30BEAR LEFT - CONTINUE ON CAUTERSKILL RD/RTE. 47LEFT ONTO RTE. 32 SOUTHRIGHT ONTO BOGART RDRIGHT ONTO RTE. 23A WEST APPROX. 3.5 MILESPASS BASTION FALLS - TRAIL ACCESS PARKING ON LEFTVIEW OF KAATERSKILL CLOVE AVAILABLE THROUGH CLEARING

IN TREES ON SOUTH SIDE OF PARKING LOT

HIKING TIME: LEAVE BIKE AND PROCEED BACK TO ROAD

CROSS BASTION FALLS BRIDGE TURN LEFT TO EXIT ROAD AND

FOLLOW TRAIL TO RIGHT OF FALLS

CLIMB .5 MILE TO BASE OF KAATERSKILL FALLSBACK TO BIKE - WEST ON RTE. 23ARIGHT ONTO NORTH LAKE RD/CR 18CONTINUE 2 MILES TO NORTH-SOUTH GATEHOUSE

(TOLL/FEE INVOLVED TO ENTER)BEAR LEFT TOWARDS NORTH LAKE BEACHRIGHT AT STOP SIGN

PARK NEAR RECREATION CENTERSHORT HIKE: FOLLOW PATH DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM CENTER

TOWARDS NARROWEST PART OF LAKES - BACK TO BIKE

BACK TO NORTH LAKE ROADRIGHT AND CONTINUE TO NORTH LAKE BEACH PARKING

HIKING TIME - A LITTLE MORE STRENUOUS

HEAD EAST ACROSS PICNIC AREA - LEFT AT LEDGE FENCE

LOOK FOR BLUE TRAIL MARKERS - ESCARPMENT TRAIL.25 MILE WALK, UPHILL, TO THOMAS COLE’S PROSPECT ROCK

WITH SWEEPING VIEW OF HUDSON VALLEYFOLLOW TRAIL ABOUT .5 MILE TO JUNCTION WITH YELLOW TRAIL

- SUNSET ROCK • RETRACE PATH BACK TO NORTH LAKECAMPGROUND • DONE HIKING, TIME TO EAT

BACK TO ROUTE 23A WEST

LEFT ONTO CLUM HILL RDRIGHT AT T - FOLLOW CLUM HIL RDLEFT ONTO PLATT CLOVE RD/CR 16LEFT ONTO CR 33/135LEFT ONTO CR 47A TO WOODSTOCK - EAT HERE OR...LEFT ONTO RTE. 212/MINE HILL RDRIGHT ONTO RTE. 375 W. HURLEY RDLEFT ONTO RTE. 28HICKORY BBQ ON RIGHT

743 RTE. 28, KINGSTON, NY • 845-338-2424FROM HERE YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN - HAVE FUN

Rip & Ride® • HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL ART TRAILPRINT TRAIL GUIDE: HTTP://THOMASCOLE.ORG/TRAIL • DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/9R4MDX

Page 42 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

(THIS RIDE STARTS FROM SAN DIEGO,SO BOOK YOUR FLIGHT AND BIKE THERE)

I-5 NORTH TO OCEANSIDE

CR 76 EASTLEFT AT S6 TO PALOMAR

LUNCH THEN STRAIGHT ON S7LEFT AT CR 76RIGHT AT CR 79THROUGH JULIAN - STOP FOR APPLE PIE!OUT OF JULIAN P/U CR 78 EASTRIGHT AT S2

GREAT SOUTHERN OVERLAND ROUTE OF 1849LEFT AT S80 EVAN HEWES HWY

LEFT AT RTE. 111 - HEAD NORTH FOR 50 MILES OR SO

RIGHT BOX CANYON RD. IN MECCA

UNDER I-10 BECOMES COTTONWOOD SPRINGS RD.RIGHT AT PINTO BASIN RD INTO JOSHUA TREEFOLOW SIGNS OUT OF PARK

RIGHT AT ROUTE 62RIGHT AT SUNKIST ROAD (VERY SANDY - GO EASY)RIGHT INTO SPIN & MARGIE’SENJOY, WE KNOW YOU WILL!

Rip & Ride® • SPIN & MARGIE’S DESERT HIDE-A-WAYOFF SUNKIST ROAD IN THE DESERT • P.O. BOX 1092, JOSHUA TREE, CA • 760-366-9124 • WWW.DESERTHIDEAWAY.COM

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/JTHKBE

PALISADES INT. PKWY TO EXIT 16 LAKE TIORATI RDCUT AROUND CIRCLE AND UP ARDEN VALLEY RD.LEFT AT RTE. 17BEAR RIGHT ON RTE. 17ALEFT AT RTE. 94RIGHT AT RTE. 1A INTO RTE. 1 TOWARD PORT JERVIS

(WARWICK WINERY SIGN)LEFT AT RTE. 6 INTO PORT JERVISLEFT AT RTE. 23 SOUTH INTO NEW JERSEYUP THE WINDING ROAD TO HIGH POINTRIGHT AT CR 519 SOUTH (SPACE FARMS SIGN)TAKE THROUGH BEEMERVILLE

RIGHT AT CR 636 UPPER NORTH SHORE ROD.RIGHT T RTE. 206 NORTHLEFT AT CR 560STRAIGHT AT NPS 615 INTO WALPACK VALLEYBEAR LEFT ONTO MILLBROOK RD.

LEFT AT GAISLER RD.LEFT AT MOHICN RD.RIGHT AT RTE. 94LEFT AT CR 658 WEST CHRISMAN RD.STRAIGHT AT COUNTRYSIDE RD.LEFT AT POLKVILLE RD.RIGHT AT CR 616 - KNOWLTON RD OVER I-80STAY ON CR 616BEAR LEFT AT KOECK RD.LEFT AT DELAWARE RD.LEFT AT SEREPTA RD.LEFT AT CR 519 NORTHRIGHT AT LAKE JUST IT RD.LEFT AT HISSUM RD.LEFT AT CR 611 GREAT MEADOWS RD.INN STRAIGHT AHEAD IN HOPE AT CR 519

Rip & Ride® • THE INN AT MILLRACE POND313 HOPE JOHNSONBURG ROAD CR 519, HOPE, NJ 07844 • 908-459-4884 • WWW.INNATMILLRACEPOND.COM

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/V6DML5

START: SITE OF RED APPLE RESTROUTE 17, SOUTHFIELDS, NY

NORTH ON ROUTE 17BEAR LEFT ONTO SR. 19LEFT AT 17MFOLLOW SIGNS TO RTE. 208 NORTHLEFT AT RTE. 52 OVER MOUNTAINS

RIGHT ON RTE. 209 NORTHLEFT AT CR 213 (CR4)

FOLLOW SIGNS TO ASHOKANRIGHT ON RTE. 28AFOLLOW ROAD OVER DAM

LEFT ON RTE. 28FOLLOW SIGNS FOR PHOENECIA (ON RIGHT)RIGHT AT RTE. 214RIGHT AT RTE. 23A TO TANNERSVILLEMAGGIE’S KROOKED CAFÉ ON LEFT

Rip & Ride® • MAGGIE’S KROOKED CAFÉMAIN STREET, TANNERSVILLE, NY • 518-589-6101 • WWW.KROOKEDCAFE.COM

ONE-WAY ROUTE 100 MILES • DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/AXGZMW

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 43

\START: INT. RTES. 94/I-80/RTE. 46 IN COLUMBIA, NJCROSS RIVER TO RTE. 611 SOUTHRIGHT AT 512RIGHT AT ALPHA OR NORTH BROADWAY

BEAR LEFT AT OLD PA - 115LEFT AT MOUNTAIN ROADSTRAIGHT AT BUSKIRK / UPPER SMITH GAP / 3002BEAR LEFT AT LITTLE GAP - THROUGH PALMERTON

RIGHT ON RAMP TO 248 SOUTHRIGHT AT 873 - BECOMES MAIN ST.RIGHT AT MOUNTAIN RD.LEFT AT 309RIGHT AT 143 CROSS I-78HARD RIGHT AT MOSELEM SPRING RD.LEFT AT MAIN ST.RIGHT AT SHOEY RD.

RIGHT AT MAIN ST.LEFT AT IRISH CREEK RD.LEFT AT SHARTLESVILLE RD.LEFT AT 183RIGHT AT N. HEIDELBERG RD.RIGHT AT W. PENN AVE.LEFT AT NORTHVALE BLVD.LEFT AT W. HIGH ST.RIGHT AT S. 2ND ST.BEAR RIGHT AT NEWMANSTOWN, RD. / 419LEFT AT 897 LEFT AT 272 TOWARD ADAMSTOWN

LEFT INTO STOUDTBURG VILLAGEPARK AND WALK INTO VILLAGE

TOY ROBOT MUSEUM TOWARDS BACK OF VILLAGE

Rip & Ride® • THE TOY ROBOT MUSEUM9 MARKET PLAZA, STOUDTBURG VILLAGE, ADAMSTOWN, PA • 717-484-0809

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/RZU0AX

FROM NEW YORK CITY - GWBPALISADES TO EXIT 15GATE HILL RD.HARD LEFT AT CEDAR FLATS RD. SR 69RIGHT AT QUEENSBORO RD.LEFT AT MOTT FARM RD. SR 118LEFT ONTO ROUTE 202 NORTH

HARD LEFT RTE. 9W NORTHSIDE TRIP THROUGH WEST PONT - EXCELLENT IDEA!CONTINUE UP RTE. 9WLEFT AT QUAKER AVE SR 107RIGHT AT 32CROSS AT RTE. 94 TO RTE. 300 -TEMPLE HILL RD.PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR ON RIGHT

Rip & Ride® • NATIONAL PURPLE HEART HALL OF HONOR374 TEMPLE HILL ROAD, VAILS GATE, NY • 845-561-1765 • WWW.THEPURPLEHEART.COM

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/UM8ADD

I-80 WEST TO I-81 SOUTHEXIT AT RTE. 209 SOUTHAT T IN MILLERSBURG MAKE RIGHT THEN LEFT TO

RIVER

FERRY ONE BLOCK TO RIGHT

OPEN WHITE DOOR TO SUMMON FERRYRTE. 34 ACROSS HIGHWAY IF BY FERRYSTRAIGHT AT 274 SOUTHSTRAIGHT AT 75 SOUTHRIGHT AT 641STRAIGHT AT 522LEFT AT 994LEFT 3017RIGHT AT 913

LEFT AT 26 SOUTH - INTO MARYLAND CR 40CROSS 1-68 • CONTINUE STRAIGHT

LITTLE ORLEANS - BECOMES UNPAVED FOR A BIT

LEFT AT RTE. 51 INTO 9STRAIGHT AT RTE. 29 PAW PAWRIGHT AT RTE. 50LEFT AT RTE. 220 / 28RIGHT AT RTE. 42LEFT AT RTE. 55 / 28 STAY ON RTE. 28 PAST GREENBANK OBSERVATORY

LEFT AT RTE. 92RIGHT AT RTE. 60 WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGSRIDE TO LEWISBURG

GENERAL LEWIS INN ON LEFT BEFORE TOWN

Rip & Ride® • HISTORIC GENERAL LEWIS INN301 EAST WASHINGTON ST., LEWISBURG, WV • 304-645-2600 • WWW.GENERALLEWISINN.COM

DOWNLOAD GPS ROUTE: WWW.SENDSPACE.COM/FILE/8QP5R8 • GPS ROUTE STARTS FROM ROUTE 209 SOUTH (420 MILES)

E V ERY M O NT H - W E AT HE R P E R M I T T I N GSecond 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 - Calverton NY.10:30am. Eat and Ride After • 631-369-2221

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

Every 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 • Quaker State & Lube, Commerce Blvd. off Rte. 6, Dickson City, PA• 570-489-5823

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

FEBRUARY 201013 • Baer Harley-Davidson Valentine Sale Day - Up to 30% off. 330 Grandview Ave/Rte.6 East, Honesdale, PA • 570-253-2000 • www.baer-inc.com

13 • Bergen County Harley-Davidson/BMW/Big Dog Men’s Health Awareness Day. Freescreenings for oral cancer, cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. $25 gift card fordonating blood. 124 Essex St, Rochelle Park, NJ • www.bergenharleydavidson.com• 201-843-6930

13-14 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Boston, MA. Bayside Expo Center • 978-688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com

20 • S 1000 RR After Hours - 4 pm - Morton's BMW Motorcycles, 5099A JeffersonDavis Hwy, Fredericksburg, VA. Special after-closing session on the new superbikefrom BMW. Champion road racer Nate Kern and others will tell you all about the newbike, show you how to customize suspension settings, and much more. Free pizza andsodas! RSVP e-mail to sales@mortonsbmw.com. More info at www.mortonsbmw.comor 540-891-9844.

21 • Odyssey Productions 7th Annual Winter Blast Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet.Ice Box Sports Arena, Scranton, PA. Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. People’s ChoiceCustom and Antique Bike Show, Vendors, Music and More • www.odypro.com • 607-863-4295

26-March 7 • 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week, Daytona Beach, FL •www.officialbikeweek.com

27 • 92nd Crotona Midnight Run sponsored by the Ramapo MC. This is the originalMidnight Timed Run which was started by the Crotona Motorcycle Club in 1911. Signin 11pm Feb. 27 at Nathan/Kohl Parking Lot, Central Park Ave, Yonkers, NY. Key time:Midnight, Feb. 27/28. $20/bike. This is a road enduro with a schedule speed of 30mph.Computers and/or GPS not allowed. For more info contact Dick Roberts at 201-767-3594 • www.ramapomc.org

MARCH 201013-14 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Wilmington, MA. Shriner’s Auditorium • 978-688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com

20-21 • Northeast Motorcycle Expo at Philadelphia, PA. Greater Philadelphia ExpoCenter • 978-688-8888 • www.kevmarv.com

APRIL 201018 • Westchester Beemers MC 2nd Annual Multiple Sclerosis RIDE 2010 to benefitNational Multiple Sclerosis Society Southern NY Chapter. Start: Rye Playland, Exit 19 offI-95, Rye, NY. Sign in: 7:30-9am; Ride departs: 9:30am; Returns 12:30-1pm. Advanceregistration $25 rider/$10 pass; Day of event: $35 rider. Light breakfast at start. Lunchand entertainment at endsite. For more info: www.westchesterbeemers.org or 914-582-8673 / 914-328-7909

21 • Odyssey Productions 9th Annual Spring Breakout. Ice Time Arena, Newburgh, NY.Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet. People’s Choice Custom and Antique Bike Show,Vendors, Music and More • www.odypro.com • 607-863-4295

MAY 20107 • International Female Ride Day occurs every year on the first Friday of May. It’s a dayfor women motorcyclists, worldwide, inviting women to join together on their motorcy-cles, not matter the type, size or style and --JUST RIDE! More info atwww.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113686186117

May 13-16 • BACKROADS SPRING BREAK • Winchester, VA

20-23 • Concours Owners Group Northeast ‘Sprig Fling’ Rally. Somerset, PA. Sport-tour-ing at its finest. For more information visit www.cog-online.org or contact Jaso at814-535-8669

JUNE 20107-12 • Americade - world’s largest touring rally, Lake George, NY •www.tourexpo.com12-20 • 87th Annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, Loudon, NH •www.laconiamcweek.com

JULY 20109-11 • AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio.America's grandest celebration of motorcycling heritage •www.amavintagemotorcycledays.com

15-18 • BMW MOA International Rally, Deschutes Fair & Expo Center, Redmond, OR •www.bmwmoa.org/rally10

23-25 • The Carlisle Bike Fest is the Mid-Atlantic’s premier motorcycle event! Tens ofthousands of bikes and two-wheel fanatics will converge on the 102-acre Carlisle PAFairgrounds for non-stop entertainment, an unbeatable motorcycle shopping experience,breathtaking and historic local rides, giveaways all weekend long and the chance to ridethe latest models from manufacturers. The ride to the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, locatedless than 200 miles from five metropolitan areas throughout the East Coast, is almostas much fun as the event itself. No matter which direction you come from, there is atour ride that will be loaded with plenty to see in the way of scenic mountains, farms,orchards and battlefields. When you arrive in Carlisle, that’s when the real excitementhits you: the number and variety of bikes (V-twins, choppers, sport and metric bikes),the hundreds of vendors, a manufacturers midway filled with top names in new partsand accessory dealers, bands on stage all weekend, stunt shows and every componenta major motorcycle event could possibly offer, all in one place! Limited vending spacestill available.

AUGUST 2010August 2-6 • BACKROADS 15th Anniversary/Summer Soiree • Fontana Village, NC

31-Sept. 3 • Curve Cowboy Reunion, Killington, VT. Gathering of K12LT, but open toenthusiasts on all brands and models of motorcycle •www.curvecowboyreunion.com

SEPTEMBER 201012 • Larz Anderson Classic European Motorcycle Day, Brookline, MA

September 26-29 • BACKROADS Fall Fiesta • Gray Ghost Inn, West Dover, VT

OCTOBER 201014-17 • Daytona Beach Biketoberfest, Daytona Beach, FL • www.biketoberfest.org

Oct. 31 - Nov. 7 • High Seas Rally. Aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas.Vendors, Cash and Prize Giveaways, Entertainment, Great Shore Excursions and somuch more. Leaving from Port Canaveral, FL, ports include Labadee, Hispaniola, OchoRios, Jamaica, George Town, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico. These Caribbean ral-lies have earned the reputation of being more fun than most can handle. Selling outalmost one year in advance, the rallies are anything but standard. Although the majori-ty of our participants are currently American V-Twin riders, all motorcycle enthusiastsare invited, and dozens of different motorcycle brand riders are represented at everyrally. It's just one big FUN happy pirate family - ARRRRGH. Find out more atwww.highseasrally.com

2010 POLAR BEAR SCHEDULEFebruary 7 • LANDSLIDE SALOON, 1090 Rte 173, Pattenburg, NJ 08802 • 908-735-6919 • www.landslidesaloon.com

February 14 • HOOTERS, 25 Rte 23 South, Wayne, NJ 07470 • 973-837-1876 •www.hootersnj.com

February 21 • BAHRS LANDING, 2 Bay Ave. Highlands, NJ 07732 • 732-872-1245 •www.bahrs.com

February 28 • FIREHOUSE EATERY, 455 Saint Georges Ave. Rahway, NJ 07065 •732 382-9500 • www.firehouseeatery.com

March 7 • LONG VALLEY PUB & BREWERY, 1 Fairmount Rd., Long Valley, NJ 07853• 908-876-1132 • www.brewpubnj.com

March 14 • THE CHATTERBOX, #1 Rte 15 South, Augusta, NJ 07822 • 973-300-2300 • www.chatterboxdrivein.com

March 21 • BRIAN’S HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 600 S. Flowers Mill Rd., Langhorne PA •215 752-9400 • www.brianshd.com

March 28 • FLYING CLOUD CAFE, 800 New Hampshire Ave. Atlantic City NJ 08401• 609-345-8222 • www.acflyingcloud.com

April 11 • CAPE MAY V.F.W. post #386, N.J. 419 Congress St., Cape May, N.J.08204 • 609-884-7961

Page 44 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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’

GET US YOUR UPCOMING EVENTS EARLY - FREE LISTINGS IN PRINT AND ONLINE

words and images: David McCormick

The Merritt Parkway is an important link con-necting Connecticut to New York City. Motoringsouth on Route 91, a traveler would merge on toRoute 15, following it until it becomes theMerritt Parkway. Immediately noticeable are thelower than normal posted speeds; as low as 45MPH at various points along the highway. It is alimited-access-thoroughfare. There is a vehicle-height limit of eight feet due to the numerous

low overpasses. This fact prohibits any tractor trailer traffic. The road is alsolacking the usual lengthy entrance and exit ramps. There’s a reason for allthis. The parkway was built in the 1930s and was designed for a slowerpaced world, for slower moving traffic. Back then, the road was perfect forthe Hudsons, Desotos, and Studabakers of the day. By the time driver andpassenger had passed beneath three or four overpasses, they might realizeeach of the bridges was different from the previous one. Experiencing the parkway for the first time, one couldn’t help but notice

those unique patterns that make up the manyarches and the creative formations of thenumerous columns-or the wonderful non-repeating architectural designs that are incor-porated in to the bridges.The Merritt Parkway was and still is

known for its intended scenic design. Thelong, gradual, winding curves and the beauti-ful rolling landscape-its architecturally-elab-orate-bridge overpasses adorn the entire

route. This is a riders/drivers road-those long sinuous turns make cruisingthe parkway a pleasure. There are approximately seventy of these bridgesand each displaying an individual motif. Each is framed by native trees andplants; some of the structures covered with ivy meld into the surroundinglandscape. With these special attributes, it’s no wonder the bridges are heldin reverence by many commuters and locals alike.The Merritt Parkway, a continuation of Route 15, runs from Stratford, CT

to the New York state line, ending at Greenwich. This scenic highway is list-

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 45

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’CYCLE SIDEBAR MERRITT PARKWAY BRIDGES

LIFE archive LIFE archive

ed in the National Registerof Historic Places. It isalso deservedly designat-ed as a National ScenicByway. In 1992, the park-way was recognized as aState Scenic Road.The creation of the

Merritt Parkway was to bethe answer to the problemof congestion on the Boston Post Road. But it became more than that. Outof the Depression came the birth of this new highway, but it was not asmooth ride. During the planning stage, therewere some serious shenanigans going on: landschemes, political cronyism, fraudulent records,and in some cases-documents were destroyed.In addition, there was the opposition from theresidents of Fairfield County in Connecticut. Inspite of these detours and roadblocks, the con-struction of the Merritt Parkway commenced in1934. The idea was not just to build a road. Itwas to be much more than that. The Depression provided a trained workforce

to construct the highway. Through the efforts of

the Works Progress Administration, 2000 out-of-work construction work-ers were hired to tackle the job. The WPA and the Great Depression alsoprovided the sole architect who was responsible for the extraordinaryseries of bridges that ran the length of the parkway. George Dunkelberger was that architect who designed all the bridges. It

was this recipe: an idle work force of construction workers, an unem-ployed architect, and funding from the WPA that culminated in the con-struction of this series of bridges.For the most part, the bridges were constructed of concrete. At the out-

set, it was decided they would be more than generic slabs. Dunkelbergerlent his own ideas of architectural design to each bridge. This result is a tes-timony to Dunkelberger’s skills. He took great care to ensure that each

bridge displayed its distinct character. Architecturalforms, such as battlements, balusters and balustrades,were incorporated into a number of bridges.Many of the bridges are designed in the Art Deco

and Modernistic style. The Newfield Avenue bridgehas huge vertical columns reminiscent of a fifties sky-scraper and repeating geometric designs. The SouthAvenue Bridge employs rigid repeating block-like-structures with striking multi-faceted pillars. The sim-ple, clean, horizontal and vertical lines at right anglesto each other seem at odds with the low relief sculptureof the bust of a pilgrim exhibited on the bridge at

Page 46 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

Newfield Avenue

Comstock Hill Rd; you’ll find many such combinations in many ofDunkelberger designed bridges all along the parkway. But this follows, ashe was influenced by distinctly different architects. One bridge that definite-ly stands out, as it crosses over the parkway, is at Jones Farm Rd. Its boldArt-Deco-Nike Wings are a striking introduction to the Merritt Parkway. The use of ornate columns is incorporated beautifully on the White Oak

Shade Rd Bridge. Also evident is Dunkelberger’s use of bright color varia-tions. He was not afraid of combining styles. On

the North Avenue Bridge, he incorporated battle-ments, defensive structures making up the top of castle walls, along the topof the bridge. And his repeating balusters make up the railing along the topof the Round Hill Bridge.Usually working in concrete, he sometimes detoured to other-more ornate

examples. Nowhere is this more evident than on the Lake Avenue Bridge;finding a structure wrapped in cast iron. Dunkelberger created this bridgeusing elaborate, intertwined grapevines bearing fruit. And along the top rail-ing, he fashioned intersecting elongated loops.The overall, engineered design of the bridges is very simple. They are

comprised of arched beams with vertical supports at each end. These frames

were sheathed in reinforced concrete. And Dunkelberger’s decorative pat-terns and designs were done with molds. His intent was to make each bridgeaesthetically pleasing. And in this, he was successful. He also did not ignorethe underside walls of the bridge overpasses, incorporating bold, verticallines and columns on many of these interior walls. ‘Unexpected’ is one word to describe the sight of the bridges at first

encounter. In today’s world of sometimes barren highway systems, thebridges of the Merritt Parkway are a great attraction;

one we can all enjoy. They’re definitely worth the trip.Riding along the parkway is a recreation in itself. Traveling at forty-fivemiles per hour or so, one can enjoy the approach to each bridge. When touring the parkway, it’s best to avoid the morning and evening

rush hour commute. That will make for a more relaxing ride. The length ofthe roadway is approximately 38 miles, which can be covered in a littleunder an hour. Spring and Fall are the best seasons to visit the scenic byway.The Merritt Parkway has no direct attractions, but the surrounding environsdo. Taking one of the many exits gives one access to several restaurants, andother attractions. The Beardsley Zoo, Stamford Museum & Nature Centerand the Bartlett Arboretum are in close proximity to the parkway.

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 47

SMOKING THROUGH NORTH VIETNAM (Continued from Page 9)

The Minsk putted along fine, a fine cloud of smoke rising from its exhaust. Since the oil and gas must be mixed by hand at a five percent ratio, Cuong’s onlyadvice was to make sure the engine smoked. Forget about the ratio. If it did not smoke, add more oil. The 4-speed gearing is fairly low, one reason it is popu-lar in the hill country. Pleasant villages wallpapered the road, people busy trotting about with fresh goods, others coking and eating on the sidewalks. Templesof various religions are scattered throughout Vietnam. I stopped at several of the more elaborate ones for pictures.Fishing boats crowded into a cove at Vu Ban. On the bank of the river I talked with an old man and he pointed out several objects of importance in the area.

I had no idea what he was saying nor could he understand me. Please, thank you, and knowing how to ask for the toilet is about all I have ever learned in prepa-ration for any travel. That small vocabulary has gotten me through most European countries including Russia. I much prefer the animation of sign and bodylanguage to make a point. I really believe such gyrations gets me more in touch with the people. The women and children in Vietnam find it especially amus-ing and we have had many a good laugh over my wideand exaggerated body and arm swings, sucking in mycheeks and pointing to my mouth to show I am hungry,pointing and scratching my head to show I am lost,choking myself to show the price they are asking for ahat is too much, etc. Various objects often figure in myantics and I carry a set of chattering teeth in my pock-et for when the occasion arises. Nothing says friend-ship like chattering teeth.I ran into my son just outside Mai Chau. The Honda

had broken down. I always carry nylon cord and so Ihooked his bike to the back of mine and pulled it totown. We had just started to catch the border of atyphoon and the rain came pouring down. It seems thatevery person on any route sells drinks and pho, a deli-cious noodle soup. While I worked on the bike awoman brought us tea and a bowl of soup. She refusedto accept any payment for it, something I discovered

Page 48 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

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several times on the trip. Twice I took the Honda to shops and both times themechanics refused payment although they had worked on it for over an hour.Troung, A Vietnamese friend of mine, eventually explained their behavior. I wasexperiencing a difficult time and they did not wish to add to my problems.Decency and courtesy over profit. What a concept! I don’t know how the motor-bike shops make a living since most shops are used for when people are havingtrouble.

We spent the night at the White Thai village of BanLac. Any home stay is better than the best hotel accom-modations. Villagers willingly open their homes to trav-elers. There is no set price for the night and they arehappy to accept several dollars in payment. I suspectthat if you did not pay them at all they would not com-plain. We slept on bamboo floors in an upstairs room ofa stilt house and were treated to both dinner and break-fast before we left. They are very subtle in their kind-ness. One mat was placed on the floor for Rick to sleepon, three mats for me. (I get it, I need to loose someweight!) An added bonus was the picture of a uniformedsoldier in a frame on the wall. He was the father of an

older woman in the home and was a decorated hero of the battle of Dien Bien Phu.An award, signed by Ho Chi Min was tacked beside him.Spectacular is the only way to describe the country of the highlands. Jagged

cliffs surround lush val-leys and water pours fromthe hills. It is always bestto stop and enjoy the viewthan doing it while driv-ing. Vietnamese roads area challenge. Sometimesgravel, sometimes dirt ormud, occasionally paved,often washed out, theyremain a trial and the

(Continued on Page 52)

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 49

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SMOKING THROUGH NORTH VIETNAM (Continued from Page 9)

moment you take your eyes away, expect disaster. It is not unusual to find grades of12% or greater, a tough haul for the Minsk that squealed and howled like a characterfrom “Deliverance,” at every incline. The water, muddy on the lowlands, starts to clearthe higher you go until it becomes crystal clear. The temptation I could not resist wasto jump in for a cool dip every few miles, swim suits optional.There are 56 ethnic groups in Vietnam. Any attempt to contact them all will end in

failure because so many are so remote, as are many places in the country. Within thelast thirty years two new animal species have been discovered in the hills. Nothing saysremote more than that fact. Traveling though the tribal villages is a step back in time.The women still wear traditional dress, not as costumesto impress tourists, but as their regular clothing.Children ride about on water buffalo, men plow fieldsusing wooden plows, and various grains are still har-vested by hand. The idea of work appears to have a spir-itual concept. I knew most villages could chip in andbuy a tractor. When I asked a woman harvesting ricewhy they did not buy a tractor she looked at me as if Ihad no sense, and said, “then what would we do?”Sapa, the coolest and least humid place in Vietnam, is

the retreat destination for anyone in the country. It sitshigh in the hills surrounded by ethnic villages and ter-raced farms. Mist covers the base of the hills during themornings and I enjoyed having coffee and watching itslowly dissipate. Sapa was my final destination and theperfect end to a perfect trip. The air is fresh and clean,

Page 52 FEBRUARY 2010 • BACKROADS

the people - wonderful. I watched the womencarrying goods to market. The Minsk,although taking a battering, had survived fine.All it took to keep it happy was to keep itsmoking. Already I was planning the next trip,perhaps to Thac Ban Gioc waterfall on theborder with China. There was one thing Icould depend upon getting me there, themighty Minsk.If you’d like to do your own motorcycle tourthrough Vietnam, visit www.junglesnaps.com

BACKROADS • FEBRUARY 2010 Page 53

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