The Backroads Report May 6th 2023 #265

Published: Sat, 05/06/23

The Backroads Report

Motorcycle, Travel & Adventure News

From Around The World

Shira Kamil's

Whatchathinkin'

A Matter of Perspective

What’s better than waking up, seeing the sun lighting a perfectly blue sky and thinking, ‘It’s a great day to take a ride.’ No planning, no maps, just a spontaneous jaunt along the backroads of wherever. Today, that’s a no-brainer, but at the turn of the 20th century, there had to be a bit more to it than opening the garage door and heading out.

On a visit to Motorcyclepedia in Newburgh, NY, my eye was caught by a tin sign from the Erie Hotel, featured in an enclosed case, which it shared with a 1909 Marsh Metz and other memorabilia of the era. Leaning against the motorcycle was a reprint from the November 1, 1908 issue of Motorcycle Illustrated. It told the tale of a few guys who decided to take a ride from Newburgh to Port Jervis. Looking at a modern map, this would be a simple breakfast ride for any of us today but for these gents it was an all-day adventure.

Whatchathinkin'

Triumph Chrome Collection

https://www.triumphmotorcycles.com/motorcycles/chrome-collection?sc_camp=18B812A05D1446569412090D0D5C1F60

Ten iconic motorcycles, each with a beautiful and unique new chrome design.

Inspired by the classic custom look, beautifully executed by Triumph’s world-class design and manufacturing teams.

This simply stunning collection of ten iconic Chrome Edition Triumph motorcycles is a celebration of hand-crafted style and tradition.

Renowned for exceptional finish and detailing, the exciting Modern Classic and Rocket 3 Chrome Edition lineup reinforces Triumph’s position as the true leader in authentic character and style.

Triumph

UFO Photobombs Motocross Riders

in Peru

The Truth is Out There

A peculiar picture from Peru shows a puzzling UFO that appeared behind a group of motocross riders as they gathered for a group photo. According to a local media report, the odd image was snapped on Sunday afternoon in a mountainous region of the country outside the city of Tarma. After spending some time practicing their motocross skills in the rugged terrain, the three young men at the center of the story posed for a picture to commemorate their adventure. When one of the riders later looked at their pictures the following day, he was stunned by what he saw in the photo.

Coast to Coast

Progressive

BMWMOA

Meet F1 Driver Logan Sargeant

https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/f1-racer-logan-sargeant-on-2023-miami-grand-prix-1234839975/#recipient_hashed=ef700ccf564eca85e84bcdaa0ea479b8cf26d432f2551f92503239595be8a2f6&recipient_salt=30d317aaf1c3c91012eded8710ce912982d0e9d6d0a2f7f1351c531d7d8bdbf5

The First U.S. Racer to Compete in a

Grand Prix Since 2015

The battle for pole position in Formula 1 is heating up between Red Bull teammates Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, while Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari give chase. Yet heading into the second annual Miami Grand Prix, on May 7, many of the headlines and eyes will be fixated on another storyline, that of Williams rookie Logan Sargeant. The American driver is participating in his first Formula 1 race on U.S. soil, and in his home state of Florida.

Logan Sargeant

The Death of the

Motorcycle Hand Signal?

Motorcycle hand signals were an integral part of riding for decades. Should they become obsolete?
I learned to ride on my dad’s 1979 Low Rider. Because he’d stripped the turn signals off, manual hand signaling was the only way I learned how to signal a turn. Left arm out straight—Left. Left arm cocked at a right angle upward—Right. This was useful really, because Alabama’s motorcycle license exam was just a 25-question multiple-choice test, and quite a few of the questions seemed to be about hand signals.

Iron & Air

Schuberth E2

Best of Both Worlds...

The Schuberth E2 is the second generation of Schuberth's adventure helmets and the second helmet of Schuberth's flip-up range featuring a locking mechanism to hold the chin bar in the up position. The Schuberth E2 is the perfect mix between the comfort of the famous "C" series and the aggressive look and feel of an offroad helmet. The new E2 also integrates all the latest Schuberth standards in terms of safety, aerodynamics and aeroacoustics performance.

Schuberth

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! A Grand Finale Rally!

Well, at least for as "Monster Road Tour" like this one...

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!

All the details can be found on the link...

IF YOU ARE COMING AND WANT TO ATTEND THE BASEBALL GAME IN CINCINNATI YOU HAVE TO LET US KNOW NOW!

Grand Tour

You think You've Been Stung?

Ha, you have know idea...

Oh My God! Better him than us....

Ranking the Pain of Stinging Insects, From ‘Spicy’ to ‘Shockingly Electric’....
Remembering one passionate entomologist who poetically described and classified more than 70 species’ painful stings.

Stung!

MIPS - The Future of Helmets!

Aleix Espargaró, factory rider for Aprilia Racing in MotoGP™, the premier class of motorcycle racing in the world.

A regular in the MotoGP paddock since 2009, Aleix is an extremely experienced rider with a number of podiums and pole positions on his scorecard.
For the 2023 season, Aleix will be wearing Kabuto’s F17 Racing Mips helmet - the first MotoGP™ helmet to be equipped with the Mips® safety system in the form of the Mips Integra TX helmet comfort padding. The Mips Integra TX helmet padding is the first solution of its kind from Mips with the patented low friction layer integrated inside the padding itself.

MIPS

Bluebird of Bitterness

Ten Famous Graves in Pennsylvania

We're All Going There Sometime...

We pay homage to our dead by visiting the plots of land where their bodies are interred and gazing upon the headstones that commemorate their lives. It is especially surreal to visit the grave of a public figure and think that a person who influenced such a large part of the population is in a physical sense, right there, even though they are in reality so far away. Here are ten famous graves that you can visit in the state of Pennsylvania.

PA Graves

Cat 5 Plus!

https://www.history.com/news/category-5-storms-hurricanes-united-states?cmpid=email-hist-inside-history-2022-0928-09282022&om_rid=&~campaign=hist-inside-history-2022-0928

Category 5 hurricanes pack the strongest winds but only a handful have been recorded making landfall in the United States.
Category 5 is as powerful as a hurricane can get under the Saffir-Simpson scale. These monster storms pack wind speeds of 157 miles per hour or more. Since 1924, there have been 35 documented hurricanes in the North Atlantic that reached this level—and of those, five have hit the United States at Category 5 strength.

Cat 5

Song of the Week

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X410yDGyIzg

Dan Fogelberg

Run for the Roses

And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance

Today is the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.

The longest continuous sporting event in the nation!

Pony up boys & girls... Post time is 6:45!

Run for the Roses

At Shops and Mailboxes Now...

The May edition of Backroads is a special one...

Destination: Sullivan County.

Just north of NYC, in the foothills of the Catskills - Sullivan County is a superb place to ride, explore and enjoy your bike to the fullest.

This issue is chock full of places to go and things to do.

Spring is here - get goin'!

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

Backroads

The Escape of the Week

Craddock Terry Hotel

Lynchburg, Virginia

Over the next few week's we would like to highlight some of the places we will be staying at during our Grand Finale Road Rally!

Travel is about creating experiences and memories. Our hotel is located in historic downtown Lynchburg, VA along the James River. Fabulous views, trails and quaint downtown shopping can all be found steps outside your door.
What was once a turn-of-the-century shoe factory has been transformed into a one-of-a-kind luxury hotel. Witness a unique blend of original brick warehouse architecture and chic modern style and historical artifacts from the heyday of the Craddock-Terry Shoe Corporation.

Craddock Terry