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RoadRUNNER November/December 2008
Shamrock Tour
Northeast Washington
However you ponder it, Grand Coulee Dam is big. It generates more electricity than any other facility in the United Sates, and it's the largest concrete structure in North America. Its hydraulic height of 380 feet is more than twice that of Niagara Falls, and the concrete used in its construction could have built an eight-foot-wide sidewalk around the...
National Tours
Round Trip Tour - Columbus, OH
Despite the good cheer and warm camaraderie swirling about the "MotoStars: Celebrities and Motorcycles" exhibit opening at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the billowing ebb and flow of showery gloom is the real reason I haven't yet departed. Then briefly, glaring like the Bat Signal, a stab of sunlight illuminates the east-facing windows. Not one...
Easy Ridin' in East Texas
Despite its legends, colorful history and, most importantly, its scenic byways, this area remains largely unknown to riders outside of the Lone Star State. But the green hills of East Texas have piqued my touring interest for years. And now, with a stretch of four days carved out, my chance to venture into this distinctly different region of Texas has...
Ontario, Manitoulin Island Tour
It fills the bill of particulars any rider desires, a destination of friendly people and scenic vistas, of well-paved roads bearing little traffic, and if you were going to design an island for motorcyclists, this might be the place....
New England Tour - Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire
From the weathered mountaintops of the Appalachians to the bountiful sea, stories of a native people and a young democracy are tucked away in the quiet villages, small towns and country roads of New England....
Reader Ride: Westward Bound
For years, I had wanted a motorcycle and for one reason or another had never attained one. But after I returned from an all expenses paid trip to the other side of the world, courtesy of Uncle Sam, the motorcycle fund was sizable enough and my wanderlust was brewing. When my brother Patrick got back from Iraq, we began planning a long overdue trip...
International Destinations
Italy's Wild Heart
"Why wander around in the distance, when good things lie nearby?" Long after his passing, these sage words of German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe were the inspiration for our motorcycle journey. Goethe was so enthusiastic about the prospect of seeing Italy that in 1786 he boarded a stagecoach in the middle of the night and headed south. His adventurous...
Riding Impressions
2008 Triumph Sprint ST
Traditionally, Triumph has been a nonconformist's brand. From the giant Rocket III to the bad-boy Street Triple, the British manufacturer has consistently gone its own way. Even their stylish sport tourer is motivated by the "oddball" 1050cc triple. Sure, different is good, but distance is better, and Triumph's Sprint ST delivers a pleasing mix...
2008 Honda XR650L
Dual-sport bikes are motorcycling's equivalent of the duckbilled platypus. To the casual observer, they appear to be an oddball amalgam of street and dirt bits cobbled together in packages that are politely described as "utilitarian." Yet to those of us bitten by the D-S bug, utility is beautiful, and style is for everyone else frantically paddling...
Chronicles
2009 Harley-Davidson's Models
Harley-Davidson has clearly kicked both style and substance up a notch in their 2009 models. The debut of the V-Rod Muscle represents a macho re-imaging of the formerly sleek power cruiser, adding visual mass and trick custom touches. Meanwhile, the FL touring bikes received an overhaul of their 28-year-old base platform, and the Tri-Glide had its coming...
2009 Victory Lineup
They so often say time flies when you're having fun, but it doesn't seem possible that a decade has gone by since the first Victory motorcycles rolled off the Polaris assembly lines. It has, however, and almost 50,000 Victory motorcycles have left those lines since 1999. To celebrate its 10th anniversary and introduce the 2009 lineup, the upstart Victory...
The Doctor's Notes by Dr. Gregory Frazier
Ride deep into Mexico, staying away from gringo tourists, paved roads, English and upscale beaches with touts flogging souvenirs, that was the plan. My riding pal was a newbie adventurer named John who had never ridden outside the USA. He had recently purchased a BMW GS to begin his adventure riding but was admittedly afraid to travel far from home...
Snap to It!
There was a time when you needed to know plenty about how a camera worked to take good pictures. Now, digital cameras with auto-focus and auto-program exposure have taken the guesswork out of the technical side of snapshots. They've made it ridiculously easy to get pretty good results in most lighting conditions and shooting situations. But they've...
Product Reviews
Safeman Cable Lock
Unless you're aboard a bike with an empty, lockable side case or two, securing the riding gear for a chow stop or a little roam about town can be problematic. But now, thanks to the German-made Safeman, those concerns are a thing of the past. This compact locking system consists of a 28-inch, plastic-coated, stainless steel cable that retracts from...
7-Eye Diablo CV Sunglasses
As a bona fide specialist at misplacing all things small and portable, I can vouch that sunglasses have suffered greatly from my errant whims. Because of this, off-the-rack drugstore specials often became regulars in my riding repertoire until a pair of 7-Eye Diablo CV specs joined the party. Now that I've seen the (well-filtered) light of "real" sunglasses,...
Collett Electronics MicroFONE2
Collett's new MicroFONE 2 is a fully weatherproofed, next-generation communication system offered at a reasonable price with a three-year warranty. With 100 percent wireless Bluetooth capability, this rechargeable NI-MH battery-powered unit frees riders from the octopus of tethered components previously endured by talkative tourers. Impressively, this...
Sidi Discovery Rain Boots
I tested these boots on an off-road Shamrock Tour out of Coshocton, Ohio, and at KTM's adventure weekend in Snowshoe, West Virginia. Using proper riding techniques, I didn't sit while riding, but stood on the pegs for the most part. The Discovery Rain boots have a thick and sturdy sole, so the pegs won't dig in to your feet. After standing on pegs all...
Aerostich Roadcrafter
I have had a longstanding and irrational aversion to coveralls as riding gear. Maybe the perceived bulk, the spacesuit appearance or the general accessibility issues discouraged me from trying them. So understandably, I felt some trepidation when asked to give Aerostich's Roadcrafter a test run. Though this particular model is the granddaddy, and as...
REV'IT Zenith Gloves
Before trying on REV'IT's Zenith Gloves, I was already impressed by their appearance. Their design is sleek and stylish, without the bulk of some other gloves on the market. Immediately I question, can these really be protective and comfortable when they look this good? The answer is an overwhelming Yes! REV'IT didn't sacrifice safety when designing...
KTM Technical Enduro Jacket & Pants
Although their name is emblazoned on them, KTM's Technical Enduro Jacket and matching Technical Enduro Pants are actually designed and manufactured by Thor, the well-known maker of off-road riding gear. These lightweight garments are made of breathable, 660-denier nylon and ventilated in all of the right places to help keep riders cool in hot weather....
Gerbing's Lite Heated Vest
Harnessed heating garments are wonderful, to be sure, but there are advantages to rechargeable lithium-battery-powered garments like the Lite heated vest from Gerbing's. The Lite vest offers the versatility of functioning on or off the bike without the need for a harness attached to the motorcycle's battery terminals. There is an output controller built...
Riding on the Edge Book
If you've ever dreamed of being an outlaw, you might think each chapter of Riding on the Edge is a badass bedtime story for adults. But if anecdotes of beer drinking and womanizing don't appeal to your inner rebel, then the thought-provoking reflections of author John Hall might interest you. A college professor and political columnist, Hall's "first...
Why They Ride DVD
DVD producers often send work for us to preview, and quite frankly most of it crawls around in the crass, plastic-cracking "stunta" genre for but a few moments before we eject it and sling it toward the trash bin. Occasionally, however, a real gem we want to save sails in over the transom, and Why They Ride is one of those. Filmed on location in Western...
25 Years of Buell Book
As 2008 draws to a close, so does the 25th year of production at Buell Motorcycles. And while the big hair and "Flashdance" styles have thankfully faded into oblivion, company founder Erik Buell's concept of the V-twin sportbike is thumping along stronger than ever. In their new book 25 Years of Buell, Court Canfield and Dave Gess, both former employees...
