RoadRUNNER November/December 2005
Shamrock Tour
Shamrock Tour®: Spokane, Washington
With the licence perhaps only a realtor (as was his profession) would dare employ, Seattle pioneer C. T. Conover is responsible for Washington state's nickname, The Evergreen State. It might look that way from the Emerald City, but as Christian and I raced along the Snake River Canyon west of Lewiston, there wasn't any green anywhere – just baked,...
National Tours
Western Colorado: Mesas, Mountains and Mines
The road from Silverton to Ouray is one of only three I've wanted instantly to go back and ride again (Wyoming's Bear Tooth Pass and British Columbia's Duffey Lake Road are the others). Colorado 550 turns into a snake slithering down, around, and across the Uncompahgre River's plummeting canyon. Bound to topple in the next rockslide or avalanche, abandoned...
Southern Minnesota
Even though Minnesota lies halfway between the east and west coasts, it’s not one of the dry prairie states. Millions of years ago, retreating glaciers took care of that, leaving more than 12,000 lakes behind. So, there’s always water around the corner. Apart from that there is the Mississippi River Valley, cradling the state’s most...
A Gem in Eastern North Carolina
We had planned to tour this historic area of the North Carolina coast for quite a while but the weather was always too uncooperative, making us reschedule the trip week after week. Finally, when The Weather Channel virtually guaranteed a stretch of sunny days with no rain, we quickly packed our gear and whatever we’d need for a couple of days’...
International Destinations
Canada: Quebec, Gaspé Peninsula
Setting out from Lake George, New York, we arrive a few hours later at the US/Canadian border in North Troy, Vermont. A Canadian officer checks our passports and waves us on with a cheerful "Bon voyage!" Christa and I are on our way to Montmagny, Québec, to begin a tour around the Gaspé Peninsula....
Lithuania: A Two-Up Tour
Slightly larger than West Virginia, Lithuania seems to have it all: huge dunes and forests, seashore, lakes, impressive architecture, and above all, a people with a strong desire for freedom. No longer hidden from the world in the gloom of the Iron Curtain, Lithuanians led the fight for independence in the Baltic States as the winds of change swept...
Australia: From The Snowy Mountains to Chilli Beach
The clear icy waters of the Snowy River are framed in yellow leaves and the nearby ski slopes of the Snowy Mountains wind through the wooded hills. It's the end of May and winter knocks on the door in the southern hemisphere. To escape the cold, we're pointing our bikes north toward Cape York, 3,000 miles away, where the scenery more closely resembles...
Riding Impressions
BMW K1200S
It's rare air up in the hyper-tourer stratosphere. You've got the Suzuki Hayabusa, the Kawasaki ZX-12R, the discontinued-stateside Blackbird, and now, the BMW K1200S has joined the fray. Never known for speed and acceleration, the K series is nonetheless my favorite line of Beemers, and the only one that shares clear stylistic points of reference with...
It's Good to be the Kingpin
The appeal of a big, American-made motorcycle is undeniable. Anybody who’s thrown a leg over of one of these iron horses will attest to the thrill derived from that intoxicating staccato of the pistons doing their thing. There’s also that throb coming through the handlebars, and let’s not forget the shiny chrome – and have I...
Kawasaki Z750S
Many of you who have been riding for a while may remember the UJM days. Universal Japanese Motorcycle, a term often used derisively back in the 70s and early 80s to describe those “standard” machines that arrived on U.S. shores in droves. Though lacking the mystique of Harley-Davidson or Triumph, they were inexpensive, reliable, user friendly,...
Royal Enfield's Biggest Twin
Jim Stothard wasn't looking for a motorcycle when he heard about the Royal Enfield his boss had in storage. He wasn't even sure what an Enfield was. But the idea of buying it wouldn't go away. It took two years of needling and cajoling before Jim was even allowed to see the bike....
Chronicles
Renting the American Dream
Logistics. When used in conversation, the word is often accompanied by depressing qualifiers (nightmare, headache, royal pain in the...), assembled references that essentially mean "bummer," a term you shouldn't have to use when it comes to your hard-earned vacation and riding time. We work hard all year for those coveted two or, if you're lucky, three...
The Barber Vintage
Which motorcycles would you most like to see? Maybe that first bike you owned or the one Dad or Granddad rode during the war. Maybe you want to examine a legendary, historic or a one-of-a-kind ride? If you could see them all in one place, up close and personal, would the destination be worth the trip? In the case of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum...
Cornercraft: Staying Safer in the Swerves
The Hurt Report identified one of the most common single-vehicle motorcycle accidents as “a slideout and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.” Barring unexpected intrusions, mechanical failure or changes in surface, you should never crash in a curve – as long as you take care of...
