The Backroads Report January 14th 2023 #248

Published: Sat, 01/14/23

The Backroads Report

Motorcycle, Travel & Adventure News

From Around The World

Brian Rathjen's

Free Wheelin'

Long Way Home

So, when the day comes to settle down

Who's to blame if you're not around?

You took the long way home

Supertramp

We speak a lot here in the pages of Backroads about stealing rides, taking advantage of a surprise warmer day during the colder months and making each one of these aberrations count.

Our friends at Aerostich believe in “Commuting Fearlessly,” and they have the stickers to prove it.

For those who do not know the Aerostich Company; they are based in Duluth, Minnesota. Duluth has about two weeks of summer and then a wild mix of late fall, winter, and early spring the other 50 weeks of the year.

Okay, I exaggerate – but for all of you readers in the Backroads region, you should know that although this time of year we don't have it good, we don't have it terribly bad either.

Sure, we’ll get that four or five weeks in the dead of winter, but that is why they call it the dead of winter, right?

Free Wheelin'

Superbike Shootout

Aprilia RSV4 Factory vs. BMW M 1000 RR

vs. Ducati Panigale V4 SP2

The only things required in the modern-day superbike are the essential go-fast elements of mass horsepower, wicked handling, and a heck of a lot of technology developed at the highest levels of racing. Anything else? Scrap it. Extra interferes with the ultimate goal of the ideal lap time. This is the category that has revolutionized outright road-going motorcycle performance as we know it.

It’s what has made superbikes so super. And every so often, one of these machines comes along and defies the perception of what is possible on two wheels, completely changing our expectations for a high-performance race-bred streetbike. To put things in perspective, a former Cycle World staffer purchased a late-’70s Suzuki GS1000, leaving it in the crate, convinced that performance of such an astonishing level would not be outdone. Boy, was he wrong...

Superbike Shootout

The Best of Common Tread 2022

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/the-most-read-common-tread-articles-of-2022?pid=5a287d4ee661f051628b4717&uhe=156c175ab1edf96cb040ef1b151299ac&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=01/07/2023_CT_Generic_CommonTread_Campaign&utm_term=Common%20Tread%20%7C%20Combined

Revzilla's Common Tread Articles are always well informed and written.

Which of the 346 articles they posted on Common Tread in 2022 were the most read? The answers probably will surprise you.

First, while good writing and attractive photography are important, They recognize that quality matters more in earning audience loyalty than in racking up big readership numbers. The list of most read stories and Lance Oliver's personal list of our best stories of the year are totally different. Anyway, the latter is subjective and the former is just by the numbers, so let's stick to the statistics for this discussion.

Common Tread

24,295 Places on One Map!

The Definitive Map of the World’s Extraordinary Sights

Atlas Obscura catalogues the most unusual, surprising, and amazing places around the world, thanks to the discoveries shared by their intrepid community of travelers and explorers. There are now more than 24,100 incredible hidden wonders listed in the Atlas, and they’ve plotted each and every one of them on this interactive map.

The possibilities are vast, from a pizzeria on a volcano to a rainbow-hued salt lake, to an observatory modeled after R2D2, to the last wild apple forests and thousands of other architectural oddities, natural wonders, catacombs and crypts, and unique collections across the world’s continents and oceans.

Start exploring, and see what rabbit holes you may stumble down. And if you know of an incredible place that we missed, you can add it to the Atlas here!

Atlas Obscura

Hurricane Riggpak Crash Bar/ Tail Bag

https://www.nelsonrigg.com/new-products/se-4005-hurricane-riggpak-crashbar-detail

This do-it-all waterproof bag is excellent for carrying so many items and things; and it's easy Moly-attachments make it perfect for use on multiple machines.

Features:

Waterproof roll closure with quick release buckles
Made from heavy duty UV-treated PVC Tarpaulin material
All seams are electronically heat welded
Fits most crash bars, luggage racks and seats
Universal mounting using hook & loop straps and or adjustable quick release buckles
Integrated MOLLE system
Main compartment measures: 6.25”L x 4”W x 12”H
Holds approx. 5 Liters

Nelson-Rigg

Backroads' Grand Tour!

https://backroadsusa.com/backroads-events

It's Time for Conversation Street...

As Richard Hammond might say on The Grand Tour…

“Let us downshift a gear or two, find a spot, and put the kickstands down on Conversation Street.”

Let's talk about a serious journey.

August 9th through 18: We will be having one of the biggest Backroads Road rallies ever... over 2,500 miles.

Our Grand Tour!

Fourteen days … Eight States… Eight Hotels… Three Free Days in three separate and awesome motorcycle riding regions! A Major League Baseball Game at THE Great American Ball Park and then a couple of optional days at the races with MotoAmerica!

Stay tuned for details!

Grand Tour

The Return of Screen Rant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsojiWVVj00

Pitch Meeting

Top Gun: Maverick

Sticking with Pitch meetings; let's take a look at how the latest Tom Cruise flick got pitched!

We all wanted to see this... but is it us, or did they just re-do Luke Skywalker's attack on the Death Star!?

Enjoy!

Pitch Meeting

machineartmoto

MaMo designs and develops specialized products to protect and improve your BMW and other Adventure model brands. Function drives the unique solutions – always with a Design Edge.

– FREE SHIPPING on ADVance Guard Multi-Functional Hand Guards in the continental USA thru this week.

All Kits are in stock! ADVance Guards…

machineartmoto

Bluebird of Bitterness

BlueBird

Horizons Unlimited

Snoop Dogg's Plizzanet Earth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFVVvVLMr-E

Snoop Dogg brings us to the wild, wild world called Plizzanet Earth.

It's nature vs nature. A pack of hungry Racer Snakes versus a newly hatched Iguana...

Maybe the Song of the Week should be "Run, Joey, Run!

As Byers' would say...'It’s the shizzle, cuz!'

Plizzanet Earth

Song of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0coLSkmIBw

Run Joey Run

David Geddes

Sure, why the heck not?

Arguably one of the worst songs ever done - David Geedddes' Run Joey Run - has the dubious recognition of being consantly featured on Worst song ever sung.

But, ... the lizard did get away!

Run Joey Run

Rock Legend Passes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmO0OZC6Ifk

Beck's Bolero

The Jeff Beck Group

This past week we learned of the passing of guitar legend Jeff Beck.

Sad to see such a powerful and talented musician leave us.

This instrumental track was recorded in 1966 by Jeff Beck (lead guitars), Jimmy Page (12 string rhythm), John Paul Jones (bass), Keith Moon (drums) and Nicky Hopkins (piano).

Think of that line-up!

The following is paraphrased from Douglas J Noble's article written based on his interview with Beck: So how did Jimmy Page come to write 'Beck's Bolero'? 'Well, with some difficulty and largely without me! ..... I went over to Jim's house and he had this 12-string Fender and he loved the idea of using a bolero-type rhythm for a rock record. He was playing the bolero rhythm and I played the melody on top of it, but then I said, "Jim, you've got to break away from the bolero beat - you can't go on like that for ever!". So we stopped it dead in the middle of the song - like the Yardbirds would do on 'For Your Love' - then we stuck that riff into the middle......I was using a Les Paul for the lead guitar and for the backwards slide guitar through a Vox AC30 - it was the only amp I had and it was covered with beer! Actually, I think it was the beer that gave it it's sound! You can hear Moon screaming in the middle of the record over the drum break. If you listen after the drum break you can only hear the cymbal afterwards 'cause he knocked the mic over! Wonderful!'

Ahh... Rock & Roll!

Beck's Bolero

Coming to a Shop Near You!

We may be in the middle of winter, but that means we're have way to spring, right?

In the February edition of Backroads we'll finish off the California Baseball Tour, talk a bit about our upcoming Grand Tour, ride with Bikes & Breakfast, and spend some time with a Cocaine -Laced Apex Predator!

You know... the usual!

Ride far, Ride smart...Ride the Backroads!

Backroads