RoadRUNNER November/December 2004
Shamrock Tour
Shamrock Tour®: Portland, Oregon
As we dismount in the parking lot of Mount Hood's Timberline Lodge and gaze at the still snow-draped peak that towers above us, Christian proclaims, "I'm blown away. It's like God created the world in six days, and then on the seventh, He took the best parts and built Oregon." Something of an overstatement perhaps, but nonetheless, the northwest corner...
National Tours
In and Around Washington's Cascade Range
The Cascade Mountains of Washington State are subjected to the regular four seasons of the northern calendar: Nearly Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. So, it's no surprise to find those familiar orange diamonds indicating road repairs on Highway 2. But this summer, a new, more ominous sign appears: "Motorcycles Use Extreme Caution."...
Missouri
I'm 38 years old and I've only been west of the Mississippi River by air. Today, that all changes. As the miles tick down to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, the anticipation is beginning to grow. If I'm going to tour Missouri, I have to complete a pilgrimage. I have to cross a watercourse of such great physical and metaphorical power that its mere existence...
International Destinations
New Zealand: Canyons and Water Crossings
I don't like heights and what stood (actually, swung) between us and the other side of the 450-foot-deep canyon was a single-lane wooden suspension bridge that appeared to be doing the Mambo in the high wind. Ah, New Zealand, the land where bungee jumping originated, where some extreme Kiwis and tourists think nothing of jumping off of Auckland's 1,075-foot...
World Travelers
"Ramona, please see to it that Uwe brushes his teeth properly!" exclaimed his mom, a dentist, when I gently broke the shocking news that her son and I were planning a motorcycle trip around the world. Her little birdie was about to leave his warm nest and fly away for the next five years – more than enough time, in her mind, for some serious...
Riding Impressions
Six-Gun Shootout
RoadRUNNER takes to the open road in sleek super-sporting style aboard the latest 600cc class motorcycles....
Kawasaki ZRX1200R
Naked bikes continue to grow in popularity as manufacturers from Asia and Europe jump on the bandwagon. Kawasaki was a pioneer in developing the modern standard and they have stuck to their guns by offering the ZRX1200R for another production year. As one of my daddy's favorite clichés goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."...
"Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"
"Wow, this bike is big." That's my first thought on seeing the 2005 Yamaha Royal Star Tour Deluxe, and I felt a bit intimidated by the sheer bulk of the machine I'd be cruising around the back roads of Charlottesville, Virginia, the next day. Also, I personally prefer short handlebars and rear-set foot pegs. So, what were they thinking when sending...
Chronicles
Kansas City
It is still dark outside when my watch alarm starts ringing. By five, the whole family in the car, we're turning out of the driveway for the Midwest where we'll take a scooter tour of Kansas City. The clan arrives after a boring 12-hour drive: the only highlight being Florian's sighting of the Oscar Mayer WienerMobile™. He is still talking about...
STARgazing
Why would the STAR Touring and Riding Association hold its annual rally in Roanoke, Virginia? Well, aside from the fact that the city is scenic, friendly and located alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway, with terrific riding in any direction, Roanoke also happens to be known as the Star City....
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...
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...
Preparing your bike for winter storage
"A stitch in time saves nine" is the adage to keep in mind when preparing your bike properly for winter storage. It could save you as much as nine times the work – and money – later on. Of course, postponing that work until spring may be an attractive prospect on a chilly fall day; but imagine how you'll feel when that first day of warm...
1971 BSA 750cc Rocket 3 - Rocket Science
When BSA re-launched the 750cc Rocket 3 in 1971, they created an outrageously impractical motorcycle. The factory painted the frame "dove grey," a kind of pale taupe that showed dirt like your mom's white gloves. The tiny gas tank held 2.5 U.S. gallons, giving the thirsty triple a range of around 70 miles. The front brake (the BSA/Triumph group twin...
Vintage Riding in Virginia's Hunt Country
It's the dog days of summer in Washington, DC, with humidity literally hanging in the hazy, stagnant air. And as usual, the airwaves are filled with their own brand of warm, moist air this election year. But now, loping over the rolling pastureland of Virginia's horse country with a cool wind in my face and listening to the staccato beat of my Honda...
