RoadRUNNER September/October 2008
Shamrock Tour
Shamrock Tour®: Southern Illinois
Some nicknames make perfect sense. I often answer to Red, nothing out of the ordinary for a carrottop, and my college roommate, Fats, was usually one of the last to leave the pizza buffet. But every now and again, you run across a moniker that leaves you downright mystified, like the appellation they came up with to designate this gently rolling countryside...
National Tours
California: Along Hwy 49
“In a cavern, in a canyon, excavating for a mineDwelt a miner forty-niner, and his daughter Clementine.Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh my darling, Clementine, You are lost and gone forever, dreadful sorry, Clementine.”...
The Natchez Trace Parkway - From Mississippi to Tennessee
Many of the roads loved most by motorcyclists are timeworn remnants. Too often, when a forest or mountain stands in the way, it’s been a simple matter of putting the big equipment to work indiscriminately slashing trees and moving tons of dirt to fashion the perfect point-A to point-B route. Thankfully though, we still have roads that follow the path...
Key Largo to Key West
It’s surprising how much island hopping one can do without booking a cabin on a cruise ship – and in southern Florida that’s exactly what I might have had to do if it hadn’t been for one wily oil tycoon. Instead, comfortably settled into the low-slung seat of a new Vulcan 900, I can roam the long smooth deck of US 1 and never once lay eyes on...
International Destinations
Reader Ride: Doing the Dempster
Stretching across the Yukon and Northwest Territories of Canada, the 720-kilometer Dempster Highway wanders for days through untamed wilderness to reach the frontier outpost of Inuvik. Backtracking its length is the only way off the tundra, but rest assured that not a single moment of this incredible adventure will fail to amaze....
Newfoundland's T'railway Provincial Park
Located at the northernmost tip of North America, Newfoundland offers a vision of barren beauty that attracts half a million tourists each year. And after finding out the big island also has a 550-mile railway trail system that’s open to motorcyclists, we couldn’t possibly resist the lure of traveling there, either....
China
Delicate white lilac blooms and the rosy blush of peach tree blossoms herald the arrival of spring in Beijing. Some Chinese residents have helped me with the importation of my motorcycle into the country, and now my new friend Pai and I are strolling in the glorious garden of the New Summer Palace. After the long, cold winter I spent in Germany, the...
Riding Impressions
2008 BMW R 1200 GS & R 1200 GS Adventure
What is it that makes a motorcycle great? Is it all-around ability, or sharply focused functionality in a specific area? For the R 1200 GS series, a hot item for BMW aficionados with over 75,000 of them already sold worldwide, it may be both....
2008 Piaggio MP3 400 & 500
It takes a lot to catch the jaded eye of a typical New Yorker. But here we are in the metropolis astride Piaggio’s second wave of funky 3-wheeled MP3 scooters, drawing long stares everywhere we go. One urban hipster eyeing the passel of Piaggios exclaims, with just the right amount of mock irony, “Are you guys from the future?”...
2008 Victory Vision Touring
Before I laid eyes on it and spent four days touring with it, the Victory Vision wasn’t on my short list of “must rides.” But all of the preconceptions I had – that the bike’s styling was too futuristic, it wouldn’t handle well in curves and the V-twin motor would produce too much vibration for comfortable long-distance touring – proved...
Chronicles
Kamp Kawasaki
Once a year Kawasaki hosts a get-together for its friends, the media, as well as past and present racers. The event is always scheduled to coincide with the AMA races at Infineon (formerly Sears Point) Raceway in Sonoma, California, and special guests at this year's gathering included Gary Nixon, Jay Springsteen, Rickey Gadson, Jimmy Filice, Jason Britton...
THE DOCTOR'S NOTES by Dr. Gregory Frazier
A Brazilian Honda rider was left with a broken right leg after taking a beating from robbers in Panama. Adding to his misery two weeks later, he crashed while riding in Colombia when he passed out from pain. His next two weeks were spent sprawled on a hospital bed, in a coma.Leading up to that, the poor guy had rigged a leg rest for his leg cast on...
New Kymco Models
Now that gas prices have smashed through the roof, interest in alternative transportation is soaring sky-high too. For a company like Kymco, known for economical and reliable scooters, those circumstances have created the perfect opportunity to go all in and ride to the rescue....
Two August Agustas
Early morning light bathes the seductively shaped sculptures in warm radiance. Curvaceous bodywork, distinctively flared fuel tanks, brilliant red paint and the assertive thrust of those symmetric silencers denote great style and speed. The marque badges, with their iconic lettering, simply proclaim the obvious: MV Agusta....
Drying Out
Until someone invents an air-conditioned bike, motorcyclists will have to enjoy – and endure – the elements. And while hypothermia is a potential hazard at the lower end of the temperature scale, there's an equal danger lurking when the thermometer soars: hypohydration.Hypohydration (often called dehydration) means, literally, insufficient...
Product Reviews
Lee Parks Design Laguna Tail Pack
This past winter I ran into Lee Parks at the IMS in Washington, DC. He immediately ushered me to his booth and handed me one of his Laguna Tail Packs. As a fellow journalist and traveler, he assured me that his new product had the attributes to fit my hectic lifestyle perfectly. Truth be told, he hit the nail on the head. The first feature that intrigued...
2-BSeen Safety Brake and Signal System
We've heard it all before, the car pulls out in front of the motorcycle, causing a collision, and the hapless driver informs the reporting officer that he/she "never saw the motorcycle." An increased visual presence in the eyes of already distracted drivers is obviously an important factor in avoiding collisions, and 2-BSeen's stylish Safety Brake...
SW-Motech Crashbars
Twisted Throttle is fast becoming one of the largest U.S.-based suppliers of high quality aftermarket hardware for adventure touring and other types of motorcycles. SW-Motech is a German company that markets its crashbars, pannier racks, and other products to American riders through Twisted Throttle. Because another aftermarket radiator crashbar had...
Aerostich Darien Light Jacket and Pants
Ever wonder why police and fire departments issue jackets in lime-yellow? It's the most conspicuous color in the visual spectrum, says Aerostich. Crash studies have shown that "conspicuity" is a major factor in helping to avoid being hit by a car, and loud clothing—not loud pipes—is what really saves lives. So, the new Darien Light jacket...
Aerostich Helmet Liner
I've often noticed it's the little things that make all the difference in the world. It's because of that philosophy that I smiled so widely when I received Aerostich's Helmet Liner. Tired of sweat-drenched helmets that quickly become stinky helmets, I certainly appreciate the appeal of having a liner that works better than a bunched-up bandana. Made...
Olympia Stealth One-Piece Mesh Tech Suit
The one-piece Stealth suit offers great protection and maximum airflow. It is constructed of Dupont Cordura® with ballistic nylon mesh panels; the shoulder, back, elbow, and knee pads offer added safety; and with all the airflow, there isn't a one-piece suit similar to it on the market today. A terrific commuter suit (but also great for long-distance...
Held Oasis Jacket and Dakar Pants
We tested this pair on a four-day ride up to the mountains. The temperature ranged between 80 in the flatlands and 58 in the hills, and two out of the fours days were spent riding in rain. For the hard rain, I did have to put on extra raingear. Both jacket and pants fit perfectly, almost skin-like. The pants extend just far enough to tuck into the...
Shoei Hornet DS
With dual-sport motorcycling increasing in popularity, helmet manufacturers are beginning to provide for the unique needs of those riders. Never a company to be left in the dust, Shoei has introduced the Hornet DS. Designed to function equally well on the road and in the dirt, this entry has proven to be one fine multi-purpose helmet. With the easily...
AGV S4 Helmet
The S4 helmet is a lightweight, composite-shell with a stylish look. The shield is coated with an efficient, long lasting anti-fog treatment, and it can be changed in just seconds without tools thanks to the Extra Quick Release System. Controlled airflow ventilates the entire helmet for maximum comfort, and the lining is removable and washable. You...
Vemar Jiano Helmet
The Jiano helmet, like all Vemars, meets U.S. DOT and EU specifications. Engineered in Italy with comfort and safety foremost in mind, this helmet might be mistaken for a fighter pilot's lid, the way the integrated, tinted inner-shield slides up or down. A lever on the exterior left side lets the rider move the shield into position, and it's even usable...
V.I.O. POV.1 Video Camera
V.I.O. POV.1 Video Camera We got to test this point-of-view camera with wide-angle lens on our test ride during Touring Weekend 2008 in Virginia and West Virginia. It proved to be very easy to operate. The user simply has to slide in the included 1 GB SD card, attach the wearable camera head to the POV.1 recorder with the LVDS cable (included), and...
