Motorcycle Culture
The Alps and Dolomites: Curves, Curves, Curves
Riding up to another set of hairpin switchbacks, the fifth or sixth mountain pass we've climbed today – OK, now, focus on the road...set up for that right- hand switch back, downshift, look up the road...no cars coming...drift to the outside curve, look through the curve, lean...lean...lean more...nailed the apex. OK, roll on the throttle...easy...up...
The King's Castle
A young couple living from job to job and paycheck to paycheck bore twin sons in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. Gladys Love Smith Presley and Vernon Elvis Presley lived in a small, two-room house when the twins were born – the first died at birth, the second was named Elvis Aaron Presley. In 1957, Elvis purchased what is now the most...
The Leather Boys
Calling the experience a "rite of passage" might be overstating the case a bit, but watching The Leather Boys for the first time was certainly a watershed in my teenage years. I was thirteen, though able to pass for older, and motorcycle-mad when The Leather Boys hit the big screen in 1963. The movie had received an "X" certificate from the British...
De Soto National Forest
Day trips through the De Soto National Forest appear most suited for those passionate about forestry or fishing. The best that riders can expect are the sparsely populated roads. And even though there aren't too many choices for good touring destinations in western Alabama and eastern Mississippi, this national forest can be a lot of fun if you're willing...
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Parkfield, California, lies along the San Andreas Fault where trails and streams can change direction with each quake and local property lines might as well be drawn with an Etch-a-Sketch. Ride into Parkfield with a group of Monterey Bay HOG members and you may even create your own little quake, shake a few leaves loose, and maybe discourage the ground...
Never too old
We have all heard that lame excuse: "I'm too old for that!" Perhaps it is true for some things. But it is not necessarily true about experiencing the thrill of a motorcycle ride. I came to this realization when I had the opportunity to give my mother-in-law a ride on the back of my Kawasaki Concours. During a recent visit, Mom expressed a great deal...
The 66 Diner
Along American roadways there is probably no more appealing example of cultural iconography than the simple chrome-plated diner. Defining the "fast" food concept of the time, they were everywhere in the fifties; and Route 66, the nation's first cross-country highway, supported its fair share of them. The heyday for both has long passed, but nostalgia...
Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum
As the largest city in Ohio, Columbus is a superb riding destination with its friendly people, clean air and incredible range of activities. Adding to the attraction is the nearby Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, just a short ride south and east of the city at the junction of Interstates 70 and 71. Quietly standing beneath big, shady trees,...
Tour Planning Nuts & Bolts
Planning a tour isn't something I've had to do for a while. Christian tells me where he wants me to go, and I always do as I'm told! Joking aside, where to go and what kind of tour you're looking for are the two most important decisions you'll make. Everything else pretty much follows.What kind of tour?1. Road trip or sightseeing? Most often, a tour...
Mid-Atlantic Italian Motofest
The hills echo the sweet Italian music from a finely tuned pipe orchestra. The players are twins and singles, their maestros, riders with a passion for the road and a weakness for the beautiful dissonance of dry clutch rattle and the faint whine of gears. Heads turn in the beautiful countryside as the Orchestre di Motofest brings it's own slice of Italia...
