Chittenden County Road Closures

Motorcyclists should be aware of road closures in Bolton and Huntington this spring and summer that could affect summer riding. Bolton Notch road is going to be closed to all non-local traffic, May 24th to June 23rd to complete a FEMA repair. The Huntington Main Rd is going to be closed at the intersection of Beane Rd and Main Rd from July 5th through August 13th to replace a bridge. This closure will affect riders who travel to or from Richmond or Hinesburg toward VT-17, App-Gap, and Bristol. To find out more information about this closure, see this page on the Huntington website. The NewEngland511.org site has information on projects run by the Vermont Agency of Transportation and other New England States.

5 Great Gift Ideas For Women Motorcyclists on Mothers Day

Mother’s day is May 9th: Is there a woman in your life who is a motorcyclist and also a mom? There was a time when the very idea of a motorcyclist who is a mom would have been crazy, but now -- fortunately -- this isn’t far fetched. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, about twenty percent of riders are women. No one keeps statistics on how many of those women are mothers, but I’m sure there are plenty. Which brings me to the purpose of this article: what to get the female motorcyclist in your life who is also a mom? Mask/Neck Gaiter/Scarf A common problem for people with long hair who ride is helmet hair. If you’re a balding male, let me explain. Helmet hair is a condition that occurs when your carefully styled locks are crushed to death in the confines of a motorcycle helmet. While there isn’t really a good solution for helmet hair, you can hide it with a pretty scarf. The neck gaiter/headscarf is a versatile, multi-function tube of fabric, which can be used as a Covid face mask or as a neck warmer when riding and as a bandanna when you stop to eat. The versatile neck gaiter should be paired with nice flowers or a can of chain lube if you really love her. Merino Wool Baselayers If you’re not familiar with Merino wool you may think that wool underwear is a horrible idea. The prickly, scratchy woolens of old were not made from these special sheep. Merino wool is soft, thinner than other wool, and meant to be worn next to the skin. Unlike synthetics that trap odors, Merino wool is a natural fiber that helps regulate body temperature in both cold and warm temperatures, transporting sweat away as a vapor, and resisting odor in a way that synthetics cannot match. For motorcyclists, who face a variety of temperatures during a day of riding, Merino wool baselayers are ideal. Icebreaker is a quality brand that makes high end garments meant for adventure. The Merino wool tank is a great piece for the mom motorcyclists, as it can be worn as a baselayer during cool weather or as a stand alone piece during the warmer months. The mom on your list will love how it feels and be surprised how a wool tank can be cooler during the summer than a damp, cotton traditional one. If you want to really show her you love her, pick up a pair of merino wool underwear or a merino camisole. Klim Gloves Nothing says “I love you” better than Klim gear! Klim has earned its reputation as high quality, protective and functional. The Klim Women’s Adventure GTX short cuff glove is a perfect adventure rider’s glove. The short cuff works better with adventure bike jackets by fitting under the cuff of the jacket but still offers protection to the wrist bones and knuckles. The soft goatskin leather is supple, yet tough enough to protect her in a fall. The glove has a Goretex layer to make the glove waterproof. Unlike some brands that make a glove a “woman’s” glove by adding pink to their men’s gloves, the Klim Women’s Adventure GTX is designed with the proportions of woman’s hands in mind for truly women’s specific fit. Repair Kit Women like to be prepared and self-reliant. I know my mom always prided herself on having exactly what was needed for any emergency, from a sudden headache to a button that lost it’s way, she always had just what was needed to fix things. While my mom didn’t ride, I bet if she did she would want to be just as prepared for any emergency that might happen. You can show the mom in your life that you appreciate her preparedness by putting together a motorcycle repair kit that she can carry on her bike. Check out this article where we tell you how to put together a comprehensive toolkit for carrying on your motorcycle. If she already has a basic repair kit, consider the Dynaplug Ultra Compact tire inflator as a useful addition. The Dynaplug Ultra is useful for inflating tires after airing down for an off-road section or topping off tires on a long distance trip. And, as a flat fix tool, this pump, which runs off of your motorcycle battery, really works and makes it possible to set the tire bead -- something that other inflation methods like a hand pump lack. Total Control The one motorcycle modification that will make every bike better is an upgrade to the rider's skills. Women are love learning and Total Control covers every aspect of being the best rider she can be. From chassis dynamics to body position and the mental aspects of motorcycling, Total Control covers it all.

Burlington Bike Night 3-30-21

Between 30-40 riders made it to Burlington Bike Night last night at Three Brothers Pizza in Colchester, VT. The warm spring weather brought a mix of sport bikes, adventure bikes, and cruisers. Burlington Bike is a weekly meet up and the atmosphere is welcoming to all brands and types of riders. The bike night begin at 5:30 and usually runs until 7:30 or 8 depending on weather and sunset.

2020 Year-In Review: Good Weather and Lonely Rides

Like most things this year, the 2020 motorcycle season was anything but normal. There was great riding weather, but travel restrictions and social distancing rules limited our ability to travel and meet like we would in a “normal” year. In a “normal” year, Motorcycle-Vermont posts hundreds of motorcycle events in Vermont and the Northeast. This year was memorable for all the events we didn’t post. Vermont Thunder and the Annual Toy Run ran but were highly modified and for the first time in nearly 40 years, Americade was canceled. Dealerships didn’t run their usual rides, bike nights, and meet-ups. It was a lonely summer. Not everything was a bummer in 2020, though. The summer of 2020 was the hottest Vermont summer on record and one of the driest, with severe drought across the region for most of the season. This made for great riding weather, even if you couldn’t ride with your friends. The Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route(NEBDR) -- a 1,400 mile adventure motorcycle route from Hancock, NY to the Canadian border -- launched in the spring. The route crosses through Vermont, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Riders were impressed with the Vermont section, whose class-4 roads present the toughest challenges of the route. In many ways, Vermont is made for adventure bikes with our abundance of gravel roads and access to off-road challenges. Guide to The Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Section 5 Guide to The Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Section 4 When things return to normal, the NEBDR will benefit all of Vermont motorcycling. Riders from a across the country riding the route experiencing Vermont’s unique character will want to return for another sample of our state. Vermont’s lodging and restaurant owners will benefit from motorcyclists using the route and from increased motorcycle traffic buying meals and renting rooms. Vermont motorcycle dealers had a good year selling bikes as people looked for recreation that allowed them to socially distance themselves from others. Off-road bikes, dual-sports, and adventure bikes were big sellers with popular models selling out. Dealerships had to work harder for each sale, taking unique approaches to meet customer demands, adding services like free delivery and touchless sales. Flexibility was key to survival -- adapt or die -- and Vermont’s service-oriented dealers focused on their customers and benefited. Vermont Dealerships Adapt to Survive Not all the news was good for Vermont motorcycle dealers, however. Wilkinson Harley Davidson in Barre bought Green Mountain Harley Davidson in Essex Junction during the winter of 2019-2020 and was ramping operations when the pandemic hit. As in-person sales ground to a halt, Wilkins made the calculation that it was better to close the Essex Junction store than have it drag down a successful business. It was a hard decision to close the Essex Junction store, but one that John Lyon, Co-Owner of Wilkins Harley said was necessary, “We’re making decisions to preserve the long-term viability of the business,” he said. Motorcycle-Vermont also went through changes this year, moving our website platform from older technology to one that supports mobile devices better and enables us to focus more on content. Our platform is still developing and expect more improvements in 2021. Motorcycle-Vermont started a new motorcycle photography service in 2020, with a focus on capturing action photos for the average rider. This unique service gives motorcyclists a chance to get that glory shot they’ve always wanted. New Motorcycle Photo Service Offered And, finally, Motorcycle-Vermont welcomed the Sunset Motor Inn in Morrisville as a new sponsor. Sunset Motor Inn is ideally located for riders touring on VT-1000 or looking for a base for tours through northern Vermont. We would like to thank all who supported us in 2020, including our readers and our long-term sponsors, MotoVermont, Cyclewise Ducati/Triumph, Americade, and MotoFab.

Review: Triumph Tiger - Seat Concepts Seat

Last summer I purchased a 2103 Triumph Tiger 800 XC as a gravel road slayer. The bike has proved to be a great tool for the job, offering stability, power, and occasionally grace as my do-everthing bike. Although I love the bike generally, there is one thing that I don’t like at all: the seat. The stock seat on the Triumph Tiger is a dish that constantly slides me forward into the tank. The longer I ride, the more I sink into the bottom of the dish and the more I became locked into that position. My legs are forced to splay outward as I slide into the rear of the tank. Eventually, changing gears required an awkward pull upward to raise my leg to get my toe under the shifter. Not fun at all! The solution: a Seat Concepts tall seat kit! The Seat Concepts kit consists of new seat foam and a custom cover. The kit uses the stock seat pan as the base. The Seat Concepts foam is denser and fills in the valley that forms the deadly dish of the stock seat. As a result, I sit higher and no longer slide forward into the tank. It also provides a nice padded place for my knees when I’m standing on the bike. The kit totally transformed the Tiger for me and now I can ride longer and feel better in control of the bike. Kit installation is a straightforward process that you can complete in a couple of hours or less, depending on how good you are with a staple gun. Start by disassembling your current seat. To disassemble your seat, simply pull the staples that hold the cover on. The seat foam isn’t glued or otherwise attached to the seat pan. Once the seat cover is off, the two pieces separate easily. Seat Concepts has a good video on how to assemble the kit, so I won’t show you my learning experience. Here is the video of a professional installing the kit. There are a few tips an amateur like me can pass along, though. First, a pneumatic staple gun will definitely help the process. I used my spring powered gun and found myself constantly getting half-installed staples that I had pulled out and re-shoot. If you’ve been waiting to purchase a pneumatic staple gun, you now have the perfect excuse to get one. Second, the directions call for 1/4 inch or 3/16 inch staples. I purchased a box of 1/4 inch staples, only to find that they were too short to penetrate the foam and cover and frequently had 1/4 inch stables pull right out immediately after shooting them. I ended up using 3/8 inch staples instead. Third, if you can get a friend to help you, it will make the job easier. Your friend can drive the staples, while you pull the seat cover tight. When I was finished, I still had some wrinkles that I needed to remove. I light a fire in the woodstove and warmed up the seat and then worked around the seat, pulling staples out, stretching the fabric, and then re-stapling the cover and I was able to remove most of the wrinkles. The Tiger seat has many curves and I suspect that other seats that are less curvy would be easier to install. In all, I would say the Seat Concepts seat is far superior to the stock and I’m super glad I made this upgrade. If you have a seat that ruins your ride, I’d definitely give Seat Concepts a try: they just might change the way you experience your bike. Related Seat Concepts Installing Oxford Heated Grips on a Triumph Tiger 800 XC

Smugglers Notch and Lincoln Gap close for the Winter

With substantial snow falling above 1,000 feet on Monday evening the Vermont Agency of Transportation has closed Vermont route 108 through Smugglers Notch. The road over Lincoln Gap has also been closed. These roads are closed seasonally due to the difficulty clearing snow off of these roads. The Lincoln gap road also serves as a snowmobile trail during the winter.

MotoVermont Training 2020

The MotoVermont Training Tour is one of the company's most popular events. The class combines range training, with a focus on skills development, with a tour in the Green Mountains. The tour reinforces what riders have learned in the field.

Book Late Summer/Fall Motorcycle Photoshoot for You and Friends!

Photographer Bob LoCicero of Motorcycle-Vermont is now taking bookings for late-summer/fall motorcycle photo shoots. This is a great opportunity to get really cool photos of you and your friends riding in beautiful late summer/fall light. This is a unique opportunity to get action shots of you on your bike in beautiful Vermont locations. Bob is a professional motorcycle photographer who has worked for Moto Vermont, Americade, Cyclewise, Green Mountain Harley Davidson, the AMA and others. You can see more of his work at his portfolio site here, BobLPhoto.com . This new service is reasonably priced with "sitting" fees starting at only $120 for an hour-and-half shoot with digital image delivery for a single rider. To learn more, contact Bob at Bob@Motorcycle-Vermont.com .

Guide to The Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Section 4 NEBDR

The Vermont section of the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route (NEBDR) is a great sampler of Vermont adventure riding. From twisty tarmac to challenging off-road sections, the Vermont sections of the NEBDR (NE3, NE4, and NE5) have it all. The Vermont section of the NEBDR begins at the end of section NE3 when you cross the Vermont-Mass boarder. There is a cool sign at the state line that is selfie-worthy, even for those of us who abhor selfies. Immediately following the state line, you’ll encounter your first class-4 section on Smith Rd. Smith Rd is easy to find -- simply ride straight ahead at the end of West Hill Dr. The road is rocky and narrow and has a few muddy, boulder sections. The road is used as an ATV trail so be ready for traffic coming from the other direction. At just under a mile in length, Smith Rd is a good indicator of your ability to ride other class-4 sections. If you cannot ride Smith Rd, you may want to rethink taking on other challenging sections. At the end of Smith Rd you’ll pop-out onto a class 3 dirt road. Keep your eyes peeled for the turn onto your second class-4 road, Tooksberry Rd, as it comes up quickly and the turn is behind you, to your left, as you round a corner. Tooksberry Road ups the ante on challenge, as it is rockier than Smith Rd and includes a loose hill climb after a right-angle, right turn shortly after starting the road. This right-hand turn could easily be missed since there is another nice looking road straight ahead. Like Smith Rd, Tooksberry Road is shared with ATV’s and is not really wide enough for you both to charge ahead at full speed. You’ll need to ride aggressively to make the hill climbs -- just make sure you have a clear path when you do so. Tooksberry Road ends abruptly, dumping you out on a class-3 dirt road. Watch for traffic coming from your left as you enter the roadway and for ATV traffic turning off the class 3 road onto Tooksberry Rd. If you are riding North-to-South, the turn onto the north end of Tooksberry Rd is easy to miss: look for the ATV trail sign pointing to the road. Follow the NEBDR through Readsboro until you reach the Readsboro General Store and the end of section NE3. The store is the start of NE4. If you have a small gas tank you’ll want to fill up at the Readsboro store, since it is approximately 105 miles until the next gas on the route. North of Readsboro, you ride VT-8, which is a tasty twisty-bit of tarmac. In Searsburg, take a hard left turn onto Forest Service Road 71 (aka Somerset Rd) -- the first of several awesome Forest Service Roads you’ll ride in Vermont FR71 heads due north, winding along the Deerfield River as you ride through the Green Mountain National Forest on a well-graded forest road. You’ve got to love this road thru a canopy of trees! At the end of FR71, you turn right onto the Stratton-Arlington Road. The route becomes a series of small dirt/gravel backroads and some moderate length pavement sections until at mile 62 when you reach your first class-4 section of NE4, Joy Rd. Joy Road looks like someone’s driveway at its southern end, where the road is a simple two-track with grass in the middle. The road becomes narrower as it climbs up a hill, becoming a single track that runs along an old stone wall. There a few rocky bits and some mud, but the challenge level is not significantly different from what you have encountered already. After Joy Rd, the NEBDR settles down with some very nice pavement sections and pleasant dirt roads. VT-121 leads you to Grafton. Here the Grafton store provides a great place to grab a nice pastry or other baked goods, Vermont cheese, and products. The store has benches out front where you can sit and watch the world go by or head up the road a mile and stop at a nice pond with a picnic table (see waypoints ). The next major town the NEBDR passes through is Londonderry. You can find food, gas, and auto parts there, along with lodging options. North of Londonderry, the NEBDR heads back into the Green Mountain National Forest on Forest Service Road 10 (FR10). The turn onto FR10 can be easily missed, so watch carefully for this right-turn. FR10 (Danby Mountain Road/Tabor Mountain Road) is a pleasant ride through the White Rocks National Recreation area. You will find disbursed camping along the road (see waypoints for a recommendation from a Facebook group). There is an overlook park about 11 miles from the start of FR10. The view from the park has grown up in recent years, obscuring most of it. There are picnic benches and bathrooms in the parking area and it is still a nice spot for a break. Past the overlook, the NEBDR descends to VT-7. The Mount Tabor Country Store on VT-7 has gas ($5 minimum for credit card; pay before you pump), deli sandwiches and food. Icebed road is your next class 4 challenge and it is significantly harder than the ones you have encountered so far. The road begins as a two-track but quickly puts your skills to the test with an open ledge that crosses a small stream. As you progress up the road you’ll find the ledges steeper and rockier. If it has rained recently, you may find the rocks covered in slippery, Vermont goo-dew, making traction difficult. If you’re riding a loaded down big bike with 50/50 tires, I recommend the go-around for Icebed Road (unless you have very good skills and/or a crew you can push you up the ledges). If you do take the go-around, VT-140 is a great piece of twisty pavement. If you’re riding north to south, you’ll find the entrance to Icebed road on your right just before the parking lot for the White Rocks picnic area. The road doesn’t look like much here, but yes, that’s it! (see photo). After some pavement and gravel roads, Tabor Road comes up quickly as your next challenge. This class 4 has a rocky, boulder-strewn hill climb that can bounce you around and create some traction challenges. After the hill climb, you descend into a flatter, mud, and rock section. A bit over a mile into Tabor Rd, you’ll come to a T-intersection. Turn left to continue on the track. At this point, the NEBDR overlaps with the Catamount ski trail. The Catamount Trail is a backcountry ski trail that traverses the length of Vermont. When you emerge from Tabor Road, you’ll continue on a gravel road until you cross VT-100. Cross VT-100 onto Kingdom Road (a.k.a. Tyson Rd) -- a fun sport bike road. Continue on Kingdom Rd for 2.3 miles, then take a left onto Reading Pond Rd. Reading Pond Rd starts out as a nice two-track lane through the woods and is the longest off-road section of NE4 at about 8 miles in length. Watch for hikers and bicycle traffic on the road. Reading Pond Road becomes Mt Moses Rd and gets increasingly challenging. There are several loose rocky hill climbs and one steep loose descent. Overall, the technical challenge on this road is not as great as on Icebed Road or Tabor Road, but there are enough challenges to keep you up on your pegs. If you lose focus, you may find yourself quickly on the ground as I did on a loose rocky descent. After Mt Moses Rd, follow the BDR on gravel roads until you reach US4. You’ll travel a short distance on US4 before making a right to head north again on the BDR. If you need gas, stay on US4 and continue west to the Bridgewater Corners store. A little farther down the road is the Long Trail Brewery where you can pick up fresh beer for your night’s camp. Your next off-road section is in the Aquaduct Trails mountain biking network. The turn into the network is difficult to see: it looks like a driveway with a cluster of mailboxes on either side. The road, Grassy Lane, is a gentle two-track to start. Watch for mountain bike traffic crossing your path, as the mountain bike trails crisscross the class 4 road through the network. Just past the reservoir on your right (about 1.2 miles in) you’ll see a tempting uphill two-track. This isn’t the BDR; bare right to continue on the BDR. You’ll descend to short muddy section, followed by a steep uphill. Take your time to pick a good line and shouldn’t have any problem. You’ll exit the trail network on a gravel road. Turn left and travel a short distance to Vermont Route 12 and head north again. Perry Road will come up on your right about 2.8 miles after turning onto VT-12. Take a right onto Perry Road, a pleasant gravel road. The class-4 section of Perry Road begins about a mile up the road. Perry Road is wide and relatively flat. The major challenge is the road can be very muddy and some of the mud holes can be quite deep. Unless things are wet or you are running tire that quickly packs with mud, you shouldn’t have a problem. Perry Road ends at a paved road, which will take you to the Barnard General Store and the end of section 4. The Barnard store has deli sandwiches, beer, and pastry. If you need gas you can get ethanol-free, pure gas at the store. Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Movie Purchase the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route movie through our Amazon link and you'll support both the Official BDR organization and Motorcycle-Vermont.com The Delorme Gazetteers are detailed maps that supplement the Offical Butler BDR map and GPX routes. Read our review of the New Hampshire/Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer Related Williamsville Eatery Ride Vermont Class-4 Roads with Respect Download Official NEBDR Tracks Guide to the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route (NEBDR) Section NE5 Motorcycle Vermont custom waypoints, NE3, NE4, NE5 Cookville Campground - Center Rd., Corinth, VT

Laconia City Council Votes to Prohibit Vendors from Motorcycle Week Event

The Laconia City council voted on Monday to prohibit permits for vendors and beer tents at this year's event. Nonprofit organizations will still be allowed permits for the event. Motorcycle week typically happens in June each year. This year, due to the pandemic, the event has been moved to August 22-30. This year is the 97th anniversary of the event. The Loudon Classic motorcycle race and other riding events are still scheduled. See the Laconia Motorcycle Week web site for details.

2020 UMV Toy Run Updated!

The 2020 United Motorcyclists of Vermont Toy Run is Saturday, August 8th. The annual Toy Run is the largest charity motorcycle ride in the State of Vermont, attracting hundreds of riders from around New England in support of the Shriner's Hospitals for Children.  This year's Toy Run is going to look different from previous years. The biggest changes are there will be no toys accepted (the hospitals are not accepting them) and there will be no police escorted ride. In lieu of toys, please donate cash or checks. To make your donation, ride to Wilkins Harley Davidson in Barre, where you can make your donation and pick up your 2020 Toy Run pin. Then, ride your own ride! Ride through Montpelier and take a photo in front of the State House. Donations will be accepted between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Guide to The Northeast Backcountry Discover Route Section 5 NEBDR

This is part-2 of Motorcycle-Vermont’s guide to the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route - Vermont (NEBDR). This is a living document that will be updated regularly as we ride the trail, so continue to check for updates. It is also a good idea to read our g uide to riding class-4 roads in Vermont for general information about class-4 roads. Section NE5 Barnard to Woodsville, NH features single-lane dirt roads, gravel forest service roads, challenging class-4 off-road sections and some great pavement. You’ll pass the Robert Frost cabins, and ride the Middlebury, Lincoln and Roxbury gaps, and travel some remote roads. The section begins at the Barnard General Store . The store has a great deli, delectable baked goods, and gas for your bike. Silver Lake State Park  is across from the store. The park has camping at tent and lean-to sites and coin-operated showers. If you choose to stay there, you can swim in their beautiful lake. Hunger Mountain Road Hunger Mountain Road runs from Barnard (southern end) to VT-107 in Stockbridge (Northern end). When traveling from the Barnard General Store ride north on VT-12. Ride .4 miles and bear left onto West Rd (TH-5). Ride 1.1 miles to a 4-way intersection. Turn right onto Chateauguay Rd. Ride .4 mile and then bear left onto Mt Hunger Rd (a.k.a. (Old Hunger Mtn Rd). You'll enter the woods just past the last house on a gravel road. There is a sign indicating that you're on a class-4 road and maintenance is no longer the town's responsibility. When traveling north to south, navigation is a bit of a challenge. Finding the beginning of the class-4 section can be confusing. After leaving VT-107, head steeply up a short gravel section. The road turns sharply right and then heads up a steep hill. When you come to a 3-way fork (good looking road on the left, little-used road in the middle, and even less used road on the right) take the middle road. The road is not overly technical, despite it's unimproved or primitive surface rating on town maps. For the most part, the road is two-track dirt, with a few ledge rolls. During wet seasons you may find mud holes, but for the most part, these should be short and shouldn't be much of a problem. You'll find the road is somewhat easier to traverse from south to north, because you will be traveling predominately downhill. Riding north to south is slightly more difficult because you are running uphill, but it is not overly technical. Wet weather would, of course, make things more challenging. Hunger Mountain Road to Liberty Hill Rd After Hunger Mountain Road, the NEBDR heads north on predominately gravel roads. You’ll have some spectacular views in the Stockbridge area as the route twists and turns specifically to get you great views. Although the official NEBDR route doesn’t include Pittsfield, there is gas, food, and hardware available there, only a few miles south the route. You can also find several lodging options there. Pittsfield was one of 13 towns isolated during Tropical Storm Irene. The town was cut off when VT-100 was ripped apart just north and just south of the town, making it impossible enter or leave via a car. I was trapped in the town during Irene and found it a pleasant place to be marooned for a couple of days. There is an Inn there that has nice accommodations. After a few days, it became apparent that the VT-100 would not be open any time soon. Since I was prepared with my backpacking gear, I drove to the end of Michigan Road and hiked north to meet my wife on VT-73, leaving my trusty Corrolla behind. It was just over a month before I could return and retrieve my car. Liberty Hill Road Liberty Hill Road in Pittsfield is a short class 4 at 1.24 miles long and is favorite on my mid-state dual-sport loop. Riding from the south, you’ll leave the pavement of VT-100 and turn onto a nice gravel road. As you head uphill, the surface stays gravel well past the intersection with Forsha Rd. As you pass the last house, the road turns to dirt and has some rutted sections. After about 3/4 of a mile, the road heads downhill and becomes rocky. If you pick your line carefully, you’ll have no problem navigating this section. When traveling south, you’ll leave the tarmac of VT-100 and travel up a gravel road. The class-4 section begins by climbing the rocky section, making it somewhat more difficult traveling from north to south. My preference is to ride the road from south to north, as it is somewhat easier to ride and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view to the southeast when you emerge from the woods. Liberty Hill Road to Green Road This section includes the longest stretch of pavement in the NE5 section. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of challenge left before you reach Woodsville at the NH border! The town of Rochester is another good stop for fuel and food. There is a well stocked hardware store, a small grocery store, and a beautiful town green with park benches and picnic tables, right on Route 100. The Rochester Cafe and Country Store  has Vermont memorabilia, real milkshakes and classic sandwiches. Sandy’s Books and Bakery  is a “hippie” bakery and bookstore where you can fill your belly with great food and your mind with big ideas (just make sure you have room in your saddlebags for an actual book). North of Rochester you hit Hancock, where you’ll find fuel at the intersection of VT-100 and VT-125. VT-125 is a great piece of pavement, with a smooth surface, twists, and views. You’ll pass by the Robert Frost interpretive trai l, just before coming to forest road 59, Steam Mill Rd. The Natural Turnpike The Natural Turnpike (forest road 54) is, without doubt, the coolest name ever for a dirt road through the woods. The road was a stagecoach route in the early 1900s connecting Lincoln with Ripton. The Natural Turnpike is, like most forest service roads in Vermont, in excellent condition. It is more like a class-3 gravel road in terms of surface. The road does have two-way vehicle traffic and is used regularly by hikers to reach trailheads, so ride right and expect cars in the middle of the road. The road is open seasonally, which means it’s usually closed until early to mid-May each year. You can check this Forest Service page for the status of the road. If you look carefully, you can find free dispersed camping  alongside the road. After completing the Natural Turnpike, follow the track through Lincoln and enjoy the scenic views. You’ll see the backside of the Sugarbush ski area and have beautiful views throughout Lincoln. Green Road Green road is a mile long class-4 section with a moderate amount of challenge when climbing from south to north, you’ll gain 284 feet in about a mile. When dry, your biggest challenge will be picking a good line. When wet, Green Rd can become a slippery, mud fest as you near the top of the climb. I’ve seen carnage on this road on a wet, early spring dual-sport ride, which made the climb muddy, slippery and rutted. In most years, though, this shouldn’t be an issue. The south entrance doesn’t always have a road sign. Look for the large orange triangle sign announcing that the road is a class-4 road, on your left, shortly after turning onto Ripton Rd. The road is a gravel two-track and looks like a driveway. If you miss the turn for Green Rd and continue straight, you’ll be on the NE5 ALT - Easier Green Road track. Continue straight to Browns Road, where you’ll take a right to continue on the main BDR track. The north entrance is off of the mild, gravel, class-3 Green Rd. When traveling south, the entrance to the class-4 section is straight ahead and easy to find. You’ll be traveling downhill on the most difficult section. After Green Rd, the NEBDR snakes around Lincoln and then descends to Lincoln center, where you’ll find the Lincoln General store (food, deli, no gas). The route continues with the Lincoln Gap road. The Lincoln Gap Road The road climbs steadily as you approach the gap and turns to dirt. Shortly after turning to dirt, you’ll pass a Forest Service Road on your right. The forest service road doesn’t connect anything, but it can make for an uncrowded side trip. The road is of good quality and is similar to a class 3 dirt road. After the dirt section, the road returns to pavement and climbs very steeply, with grades as steep as 24% at points. The gap itself does not offer a view, but you can get a western view if you're willing to take a short walk. The Lincoln Gap West Vista trail is just west of the peak. When traveling east, look for a pull-off on your left. The trail is a short hike to the vista. At the peak of the gap there is a large parking lot. Here the Long Trail crosses and it is usually busy with hikers and cars. The ride down to Warren is narrow and twisty. The road is shaded by trees and the surface can stay wet long after rain. The pavement can get moss-covered making it extra slippery. Lincoln Gap road ends on VT-100 in Warren. The Warren Store is across VT-100 and through a covered bridge. The store is a good spot for lunch with baked goods and deli sandwiches, and they have a beautiful deck overlooking the Mad River, making it a great rest stop. Roxbury Gap The BDR heads east out of Warren on paved roads. You'll have views of the Sugarbush ski area to your left as your turn onto Roxbury Gap road. Roxbury Gap climbs approximately 1,000 feet in about 2 miles. There are 25 mph hairpins and steep climbs on a paved surface. At the top of the gap the road turns to gravel and descends the Roxbury side with easterly views. Roxbury Gap to VT-110 After Roxbury Gap, the NEBDR snakes its way through Roxbury, Braintree, and Brookfield on narrow dirt roads and class-3 gravel roads. There are views of the Greens to the southeast, rows of old maple trees, lining dirt roads past colonial-era homes and barns. Approximately 15 miles after crossing VT-12, the NEBDR descends down the narrow dirt Davis Acre road. At the bottom of the hill, Cram Hill road continues on straight north, while the BDR takes a hard right turn and heads uphill. It is easy to mistake Cram Hill Rd as the route (it isn’t). If you need a break, you may want to venture up Cram Hill Rd for a short bit, as the road is easy (at least at the start) and winds along a pretty stream. There are plenty of places to sit and rest while taking in some nature before continuing on. The next tricky intersection is at Lamsom Pond Rd. Traveling “north” (you’re actually headed south/east at this point) Lamsom Pond Rd is a narrow, dirt road that will be on your right. Lamsom Pond Rd is a class-4 road, but is non-technical and passable on a street bike. It’s class-4 designation is due to being only a single lane wide. The road is open to two-way traffic, so caution is needed. Shortly after Lamsom Pond Rd, the NEBDR becomes VT-66. VT-66 descends to the floating bridge in Brookfield VT. After crossing the bridge, the route takes a left and then bears right uphill on Ralph Rd, a narrow dirt road. After crossing VT-14 (pavement) the route takes a right onto Taylor Hill Drive, an easy class-4 dirt road. The route continues on a series of dirt and gravel roads with frequent turns. Watch your track carefully. Just before you come to VT-100, the route takes a left on a short class-4 section (rocks, some mud). You can continue straight on Bobbinshop Road to pass a cool barn with a lot of automotive memorabilia. Continuing straight leads to VT-100. Turn left to stay on the NEBDR. Pepper Rd/Clay Slide Road After crossing VT-110 in Chelsea, the NEBDR climbs to the height of land and rides along a ridge on Pepper Rd. Pepper Road is a pleasant, narrow, gravel and dirt, two-track lined with old maple trees. Pepper Road descends to a large turnaround area. Pepper Road continues straight, up a steep, muddy, rutted hill. Do not mistake this for the BDR (like I did). The BDR takes a hard left onto Clay Slide Road, which you might n ot see until you’re past it. Clay Slide Road is a flat, short (.71 mile), muddy road that I suspect was included in the BDR to enable riders to link the scenic Pepper Road with Hart Hollow Rd or to provide some challenge. While this section is fine in dry weather, in wet seasons less experienced riders on a fully loaded bike may want to skip this road. Riders heading south on the NEBDR should be aware that the entrance to Clay Slide Road is hard to see. Keep your eyes open for the sharp right-hand turn off of the gravel Hart Hollow Road. If you miss the turn, you can use the by-pass route (NE5 ALT - Easier Pepper Rd) to continue south on the BDR. Washington/Woodchuck Hollow Rd After emerging from the woods onto Hart Hollow Road, the NEBDR rides gravel roads into Washington. There is a store with basic supplies and gas in Washington. From Washington, the NEBDR travels a series of smaller class-3 and class-4 roads, starting with Woodchuck Hollow Road. Technically, Woodchuck Hollow Road is as class-3 road that is “below standard”. Despite the road’s classification, it is functionally a class-4 road. There are open ledges and rocky sections that will test your skid plate, especially if you choose your line poorly. The start of the class-4 section of Woodchuck Hollow Rd begins in an open turn-around. Take the left fork, uphill on a gravel/dirt two-track. Woodchuck Hollow climbs and descends several times on a dirt and rock surface. The class-4 section is approximately 2 miles long. Corinth/Maplewood Road The start of Maplewood Road is easily missed (I did). Look for a hard right turn, past the Corinth Historical Society building. Maplewood Road is a narrow dirt road that runs past a series of camps. The road isn’t overly technical but is a narrow, dirt road with two-way traffic. Approximately 1.4 miles from the Historical Society building, the NEBDR reaches an intersection where it appears to go straight; the route takes a left and heads uphill. Another tricky intersection is at the 3-mile mark, when Maplewood Road continues to the left and the NEBDR heads down a smaller, rockier route. See the waypoints in this GPX file . Corinth The NEBDR emerges from the Maplewood Road section onto the pavement. Watch carefully for the left turn in Corinth center at the Corinth Academy building ( Corinth Historical Society ). If you find yourself comfortably tooling down a paved road, you have probably gone too far. The NEBDR takes a left at the Corinth Academy build and, after a short distance, takes a hard left-hand turn uphill onto a narrow class-4 road (Coppermine Road). This turn is very easy to miss, as it is behind you! Coppermine Road twists through the woods on a fun, class-4 dirt track. Watch for low hanging branches! After Coppermine Road, the NEBDR travels some gravel down to the paved VT-25. The East Corinth General Store (gas; deli; supplies) is at the intersection of VT-25 and Village Rd. Tucker Mtn/Comigan Rd The NE5 Alt - Easier Tucker Mtn  track cuts out the most difficult climb of the NE5 section and a significant mud pit. If you’re running late, have poor tires, a heavy bike, or just aren’t that skilled (or maybe all three of these!) you'll probably want to take the go-around. The next class-4 section is on Page Hill Road . The road is marked on the southern end with a sign indicating that there is no winter maintenance. The class-4 section is short and unremarkable. After Page Hill the route takes gravel roads to Old Stagecoach Road. Old Stagecoach Road is a two-lane dirt road that is heavily rutted. At the end of Old Stagecoach, the NEBDR makes a left onto Comigan Road . There is a large mud pit at the southern end of Comigan road. While the pit is fairly short, it is pretty deep and not easily avoided. A solo rider on a heavy bike with 50/50 tires may find the mud a significant challenge. When traveling from north to south, look for the Comigan Road turn just before a culvert (see photo). This turn is easy to miss. The Tucker Mountain hill climb is perhaps the most technical riding of section NE5. Throughout the Tucker Mountain Forest area, there are water bars lined with rocks. Proceed with caution as these water bars can be very rough. I never did find the right speed and found they slowed me down, just when I need speed for climbing. There is a rocky hill climb in this section which may be challenging for some riders. After the Tucker Mountain hill climb, you will descend to a kiosk. The NEBDR proceeds straight, into the woods. To left is a short sandy hill climb to the summit of Tucker Mountain , where you can get a full 360-degree view. End NE5 Section The NEBDR leaves the Tucker Mountain Forest and proceeds on a series of gravel roads until it reaches US-302. You follow US-302 as it crosses the Connecticut River, on an iron bridge, into NH and the end of the Vermont section of the NEBDR. Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Video Purchase the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route movie through our Amazon link and you'll support both the Official BDR organization and Motorcycle-Vermont.com Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Trailer Related Ride Vermont Class-4 Roads with Respect Download Official NEBDR Tracks Motorcycle-Vermont NEBDR Section 3, 4 and 5 Custom Waypoints Guide to the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route in Vermont, sections NE3 and NE4 The Delorme Gazetteers are detailed maps that supplement the Offical Butler BDR map and GPX routes. Read our review of the New Hampshire/Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer

Americade 2020 Canceled

Americade 2020 is canceled, Christian Dutcher, CEO of Americade, announced on July 2nd in a Facebook message to the community. “Up until last week, we felt pretty good about the event. We had a full expo. We had motorcycle manufacturers. We had a safety plan that was very sound and that New York state had embraced.” Dutcher said. “When we rescheduled the event, our primary objective was to have a safe event,” Dutcher said. But, during the previous week, things have changed. “We have gone from feeling like we can comfortably run a safe event, to feeling like, ‘we’re not so sure’. And, that’s not a position we want to be in”, he said. Americade draws attendees from all over the country and this is a cause for concern. “It’s extremely disappointing,” Dutcher said. Americade is offering full refunds to all who have preregistered. If registrants put their 2020 registration fee towards Americade 2021, they will receive an extra $20 credit and be allowed to register a week before anyone else. Early registration allows attendees to register for high demand events before they sell out. The cancellation is a blow to Warren County, where the event is hosted. Estimates place the economic activity generated by the event between $20 million and $46 million. Lake George Region Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gina Mintzer said the cancellation meant a substantial loss of revenue for the county’s businesses. “It’s a big economic hit for the area, but it’s truly the right thing to do,” she said, noting that Dutcher was focusing on protecting the health and well-being of the area citizens as well as the rally’s participants and vendors, rather than seeking financial gain. Related Americade Web Site

Last Mile Ride 2020 Moves to Virtual Event

T The Gifford Medical Center Last Mile Ride to raise money for end-of-life care is being held between August 1 and 15th, as a virtual event. The money raised helps patients seek alternative therapies like Reiki, massage, and music therapy. They also provide unique services to support families, like providing meals for those spending their last moments with loved ones and helping with transportation costs for far-away families. Unlike previous years, there is no group gathering or ride this year.  “We decided to create LMR Home Edition to protect the health and safety of all in our community as we continue to adapt to the COVID-19 public health crisis,” said event organizer and Gifford Director of Development Ashley Lincoln. “LMR Home Edition reflects our new reality while supporting the same great cause. Now more than ever, we are counting on our community to join us, virtually, as we raise funds to support patients at the end of life and their families.” The 15-day event window honors that this year marks the 15th anniversary of the event.  To participate, riders should register on the Last Mile Ride website and download a route sheet from a past ride ( GPX files for routes ). Riders can then ride anytime between August 1st and 15th. Registration fees are by donation. The suggested donation is $50 for an individual rider or $75 for a rider and passenger. Participants are encouraged to take photos and videos and post to social media with the hashtags #LastMileRide #LMRfromHome #15thLMR or tag them on Facebook with @LastMileRide or Instagram with @LastMileRide_VT. Organizers of the event regret they cannot properly celebrate the 15th-anniversary milestone, but promise to have a party at next year’s event. “While we are disappointed that we can’t come together in person to celebrate our 15th annual event, we encourage riding partners, friends, and families to celebrate this milestone, safely, and continue their tradition of giving,” said Lincoln.  For additional details and to register, see the Last Mile Ride website .

2020 Last Mile Ride - Home Edition Routes

The 2020 Last Mile Ride -- Home Edition has provided 5 great options for riders looking to run route previously ridden for the Last Mile Ride. Below are routes from 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014. You can find downloadable GPX tracks with waypoints linked below. The tracks can be downloaded and then loaded into your GPS unit so you can follow the track from the ride of your choice. Read more about the Last Mile Ride here . Last Mile Routes 2009 Last Mile Route GPX 2010 Last Mile Route GPX 2012 Last Mile Route GPX 2013 Last Mile Route GPX 2014 Last Mile Route GPX Last Mile Route Descriptions

Lincoln Gap Road: The highest vehicle accessible road in Vermont

Lincoln Gap road connects the Champlain Valley to the Mad River Valley via the highest vehicle-accessible mountain pass in Vermont (2,424 ft). On the west, is the town of Lincoln and on the east is Warren, VT. This road is also part of the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route (NEBDR). The road is predominately pavement, with the exception of a 2.72 mile gravel section in Lincoln and a 1 mile long section on the Warren side. Most of the road is steep, narrow, twisty pavement. Coming from the west, turn onto Lincoln Rd from VT-116 just north of the Rocky Dale Gardens. As you head up Lincoln Rd there is a great swimming spot known as Bartlett Falls on your right. There are multiple pull-offs where you can find a spot to get down to the river. The swimming hole features a large waterfall and a deep pool. Away from the main pool you can find multiple smaller pools where you can cool off. 3.4 miles up Lincoln Rd, you’ll come to the Lincoln General Store. The store doesn’t have any gas, but they do have a deli where you purchase a nice sandwich. The road climbs steadily as you approach the gap and turns to dirt. Shortly after turning to dirt, you’ll pass a Forest Service Road on your right. The forest service road doesn’t connect anything, but it can make for an uncrowded side trip. The road is good quality and is similar to a class 3 dirt road. After the dirt section, the road returns to pavement and climbs very steeply, with grades as steep as 24% at points. From the beginning of Lincoln Road you climb 1,800 feet to the height of the gap. The gap itself does not offer a view, but you can get a western view from the Lincoln Gap West Vista trail. The trail is just west of the peak. When traveling east, look for a pull-off on your left. The trail is a short hike to the vista. At the peak of the gap there is a large parking lot. Here the Long Trail crosses and it is usually busy with hikers. The ride down to Warren is narrow and twisty. The road is shaded by trees and the surface can stay wet long after a rain. The pavement can get moss-covered making it extra slippery. Lincoln Gap road ends on VT-100 in Warren. The Warren Store -- just across the street (almost) -- is a good spot for lunch with baked goods, deli sandwiches and a beautiful deck next to the Mad River. The road is closed seasonally, typically closing sometime between late October and mid-November and then reopening in May. See the NewEngland511.org site for the status of the road. Related Lincoln Gap Vista Trail Lincoln Gap GPX

Fresh Pavement Alert! Pumpkin Harbor Rd-South Rd.

Fresh pavement is to motorcyclists, as great surf is to surfers, or powder snow is to skiers. Here’s a local tip: Pumpkin Harbor Rd in Cambridge, VT is a curvy country road that runs from VT-15 to VT-36 in Fairfield, VT. At the Fairfield end, the road is named South Rd. In between, it’s known as Fairfield Rd. There is little traffic on this 14-mile roller-coaster road. There are farms and views and the smooth pavement just makes this an even better ride. To make a great loop, incorporate the section of VT-36 from VT-108 to Fairfield. If you’re staying at the Sunset Motor Inn in Morrisville, you can make a nice hour-plus long loop by heading east on VT-15 to VT-108. Then north on VT-108 to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, head west on VT-36 to Fairfield, where you’ll find South Rd at a 4-way intersection. Head south on South Rd and follow the road back to the “wrong-way” bridge in Cambridge on VT-15. Related Sunset Motor Inn, Morrisville

Class-4: Liberty Hill Rd and Forsha Rd

If you are new to Vermont class-4 roads, please read this before proceeding. Liberty Hill Road in Pittsfield is a short class 4 at 1.24 miles long and is a favorite on my mid-state dual-sport loop. The road is also a section of the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route (NEBDR). Riding from the south, you’ll leave the pavement of VT-100 and turn onto a nice gravel road. As you head uphill, the surface stays gravel well past the intersection with Forsha Rd. As you pass the last house, the road turns to dirt and has some rutted sections. After about 3/4 of a mile, the road heads downhill and becomes rockier. If you pick your line carefully you should have no problem navigating this section. When traveling south, you’ll leave the tarmac of VT-100 and travel up a gravel road. The class-4 section begins by climbing the rocky section, making it somewhat more difficult traveling from north to south. My preference is to ride the road from south to north, as it is somewhat easier to ride and you will be rewarded with a spectacular view to the southeast when you emerge from the woods. Forsha Road is slightly longer (1.81 miles) and the technical difficulty is about the same as Liberty Hill. When riding from the south, you’ll split from Liberty Hill Road and head up a gravel road. The road narrows and you’ll enter the woods as the road turns to dirt. To ride Forsha Road south to north, start on Liberty Hill road and climb for about a 1/2 mile before Forsha Road forks off to your right. Forsha Road was a section of the Ridge Run ride of the DirtDaze Adventure bike rally in 2019. There are some really nice views on Forsha Road near the site of the A. Davis home, built in 1850. Pittsfield was one of 13 towns isolated during Tropical Storm Irene. The town was cut off when VT-100 was ripped apart just north and just south of the town, making it impossible to enter or leave via a car. I was trapped in the town during Irene and found it a pleasant place to be marooned for a couple of days. After a few days, it became apparent that VT-100 would not be open any time soon. Since I was prepared with my backpacking gear, I drove to the end of Michigan Road and hiked north to meet my wife on VT-73, leaving my trusty Corrolla behind. It was just over a month before I could return and retrieve my car. Related Ride Vermont Class-4 Roads With Respect Liberty Hill Rd. GPX file

Ride Vermont Class 4 Roads With Respect

Vermont’s class-4 roads are a treasure for those seeking adventure in their adventure riding. They offer challenge, access to remote areas and a whole lot of fun for dual-sport and adventure bike riders. But, these areas are sensitive. They are frequently in residential areas, and despite being public, are subject to being taken away swiftly by annoyed locals. Excessive noise, speeding, and generally acting like an idiot can ruin it for everyone. If it has been rainy and the trails are wet and waterlogged, don’t ride muddy sections. Doing so ruins the trail, causes erosion, creates ruts and threatens access. These roads are not maintained and conditions change rapidly. What was an easy section can be much more difficult in wet weather. Trees fall down, holes appear and rocks move. Do not expect things to be exactly as they were the last time you saw them. Road descriptions on Motorcycle-Vermont reflect the condition of the road when we last road them. Your condition will likely vary. So…. When using a class-4 road, please ride respectfully. Use the “when-in-town-throttle-down” mantra as you approach. You may need to ride across someone’s lawn (seriously) to get to the public right of way access to the class-4 section. Children, chickens, dogs, old people or middle-aged men may be in the road. Someone might call the selectboard and complain. Local selectboards control whether these roads continue to exist and that annoyed farmer shaking his fist at you might be the selectboard chair -- you just don’t know. Ride respectfully. The state-wide speed limit on gravel roads -- unless otherwise posted -- is 35 mph. Frequently, it is lower than 35 and is likely to be 25 or 30 mph. Expect two-way traffic. The traffic traveling the other way could be another motorcycle, an ATV, a monster truck, a donkey, a hiker or a moose. You just don’t know, so expect it and ride slower than you can, so you can stop. If you encounter a horse, slow to a stop and turn off your motorcycle. Allow the horse rider to acknowledge you and follow their lead. Usually, they will thank you and pass-by thinking how wonderful motorcycle riders are. Related Class-4 Mount Hunger Rd

Class-4: Mount Hunger Rd.

If you are new to Vermont's Class-4 roads, please read this post about class-4 roads Mount Hunger Road runs from VT-107 in Stockbridge to Barnard and is part of the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route(NEBDR) in Vermont. The road is not overly technical, despite it's unimproved or primitive surface rating on town maps. For the most part, the road is two-track dirt, with a few ledge rolls. During wet seasons you may find mud holes, but for the most part, these should be short and shouldn't be much of a problem. You'll find that it is somewhat easier to traverse from south to north because you will be traveling predominately downhill. When traveling north from the Barnard General Store ride north on VT-12. Ride .4 miles and bear left onto West Rd (TH-5). Ride 1.1 miles to a 4-way intersection. Turn right onto Chateauguay Rd. Ride .4 mile and then bear left onto Mt Hunger Rd (a.k.a. (Old Hunger Mtn Rd). You'll enter the woods just past the last house on a gravel road. There is a sign indicating that you're on a class-4 road and maintenance is no longer the town's responsibility. When traveling north to south, you’ll find navigation a bit of a challenge. Finding the beginning of the class-4 section is a challenge. After leaving VT-107, head steeply up a short gravel section. The road turns sharply right and then heads up a steep hill. When you come to a 3-way fork (good looking road on the left, little used road in the middle, and even less used road on the right) take the middle road. As you travel south, bear left to stay on Mount Hunger Rd. Riding north to south is slightly more difficult because you are running uphill, but it is not overly technical. Wet weather would, of course, make things more challenging. Related Ride Vermont Class-4 Roads With Respect Mount Hunger GPX

Local Tip: Vermont Route 100 Lunch and Swim Spot

When you’re riding route 100 and need a break, check out Forest Road 55 in Granville, VT. The road runs along the White River and this is what makes the road such a nice place for a stop. Ride up the road and look for pull-offs on the river side. The pull-off usually comes with easy access to the river for lounging or a quick swim. You can find a shady, cool spot or a nice sunny one. Located just north of the Granville Country Store and just South of the Green Mountain Glassworks, nestled into a corner on VT-100, you’ll find an unassuming dirt road, West Hill Rd (also known as forest road 55). If you're headed north on 100, pick up lunch to-go in Hancock or Rochester or if you're heading south at the Granville General store . If you’re a street rider and have never ridden a forest road, you may find it intimidating. In reality, most forest roads are meant to be passable by regular passenger cards with a minimum of ground clearance and no 4-wheel drive. If you’re comfortable riding Vermont’s class-3 dirt roads (I.e. pretty much every dirt road in the state) you’ll be fine on this forest road. Forest roads are subject to closure during the “winter” months. After May 15th you will usually find it open and ready to ride, but if you’re planning a stop it’s always good to check with the Forest Service to make sure the road is open. Related Forest Service Road closures

DMV to Resume Rider Education and Testing

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle’s Commissioner Wanda Minoli announced yesterday that automobile licensing and permit tests will resume, but motorcyclists will have to wait until the end of June or possibly July 1 before permit testing will be available. On the positive side, the DMV Basic Rider course will resume on June 5th. According to the Department’s online registration page, the Basic Rider class is filled until the July 24th class. Registration for the 7/24 classes ends July 16 and the site is showing availability at most locations. The DMV offers the Basic Rider course in Berlin, St. Johnsbury, Highgate, East Dorset, Pittsford, Colchester, and Dummerston. Classes this summer will run June to October. A motorcycle permit is not required to take the Basic Rider class. Riders who complete the Basic Rider class will earn their motorcycle endorsement. The Experienced Rider class is being offered three times this summer, once in June, July and August. Wilkins Harley Davidson is also offering a New Rider training class for people who want to learn to ride. No permit is required to take the class and you can earn your motorcycle license endorsement by taking the course. The Wilkins New Rider class has openings beginning in August. The class is run through September. Related Vermont Rider Training Classes Wilkins Harley New Rider Class

Local Tip: The App-Gap Pond

Here’s a local rider tip: If you’re looking for a convenient place to stop and eat your takeout lunch, consider the pond at the App-Gap on VT-17. I usually ride past the pond with only a quick glance. In the many years I’ve been riding by the pond, I had never gotten off my bike and walked around it -- until this weekend. I think this is because the water level is usually too high to make walking around the pond possible. This year, however, the water level is low and you can easily walk to the far side and get a very different view of this pretty pond. To visit the pond, park at one of the parking lots at the pond. There is one on each side of the road, making parking easy. Look for a path off of the parking on the pond side of the road, where you can find enough dry land to get to the water’s edge. With a bit of rock hopping you can make it all the way to the far side. Enjoy! Related Bristol App-Gap Middlebury Gap Ride

Loudon Road Race Series Announce 2020 Season

The Loudon Road Race Series announced today on Facebook that they will be able to run a series this summer. There will, of course, be changes from normal. See the video below for full information.

Photo Gallery: Vermont Thunder 2020

Vermont Thunder is always a solemn tribute to those who have served their country. This year was even more restrained than usual, as organizers modified the event to stay compliant with government restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. The wreath laying ceremony was attended by only a few, many who were wearing masks. Most of the riders waited outside the Vietnam memorial to take part in the ride. There was no gathering in Richmond this year. Riders waited at I-89 rest areas along the route and join the ride in progress. Around 200 riders participated in this year's ride, according to event organizers. Motorcycle-Vermont is offering FREE social media sized photo downloads. Full sized downloads are only $4.99 and riders can order prints of their favorite photos. To see all photos from this year's ride and download images, see this gallery: https://boblphoto.shootproof.com/gallery/VermontThunder2020/ Do you like "Free" photos? Purchase a full-size image or get a print to help offset costs to bring you free images!

Colchester Man Dies in NY Motorcycle Accident

Dana L. Sanderson, 60, of Colchester, died Sunday May 17 in a motorcycle crash on Lake Rd in Crown Point, NY. Sanderson was traveling north on his 2007 Harley Davidson when he went off the road on a sharp curve and struck a telephone pole. The accident happened at approximately 4:30 p.m. Sanderson was pronounced dead at the scene.

2020 Vermont Thunder Ride Modified For Covid-19 Safety

The 2020 Vermont Thunder Ride, scheduled for this coming Sunday, May 24th is going to be different from previous years. Organizers have made modifications to the traditional route and onsite vending t o comply with Coronavirus safety precautions. A brief ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at the Sharon rest area on Interstate-89 northbound. The ride leaves the rest area at 11:30 and will follow an all-interstate route to St. Albans. This year , there will be no stop at Richmond. This year's ride is a direct ride to Enosburg, VT, where there will be another brief ceremony, concluding the event. The ride is approximately 125 miles, from Sharon to Enosburg VT and riders should be prepared with enough fuel . There will be no mid-ride fuel stop this year and no police escort. This year's ride route is mostly on I-89. The route begins at the Sharon rest area and will follow I-89 until exit 20 in St. Albans. Riders who wish to join the ride along route can do so. The route passes four rest areas: immediately after exit 10 (Waterbury); before exit 12, (Williston); the pull off between exits 16 & 17 (Before the Milton exit); and immediately after exit 18 (Georgia exit). Riders who would like to join the ride in progress can wait at a rest area and join when the ride come by. Changes from normal include: No mid-ride fuel stop No lunch at the American Legion No pre-ride staging No staging at Richmond There is no cost to participate in the ride. Vermont Thunder patches, pins and flags are sold to raise money. All donations and funds raised go to veterans and their families. If you cannot attend the ride, but would like to send a donation, send a check to: Vermont Thunder Inc. 9 Bushey St, Swanton, VT 05488.
Families and spectators are encouraged. The Vermont Thunder ride honors Vermont’s veterans from all wars. All types of bikes are welcome. For official information and updates, see the Vermont Thunder Facebook group . Directions to the Sharon Rest Area from the north: Note: When riding south on I-89 (i.e. from the north) there is no off-ramp for the Sharon rest area. Ride I-89 south to exit 1 US-4/Woodstock/Quechee (thiere is gas at this exit!) Turn right at the end of the I-89 off ramp onto US-4/Woodstock Rd Ride back over the interstate Turn right onto the I-89 North on ramp Travel 4.8 miles on i-89 to the Sharon rest area The closest gas to the Sharon Rest area is off I-89 at exit 1.

VTrans Opens VT-108, Smuggler's Notch

The Vermont Department of Transportation (VTrans) announced today that VT-108 through Smuggler's Notch is now open for the summer season. VTrans closes the roads each year due to snow. For information on Vermont roads, follow the VTrans Facebook page or use the NewEngland511 website .

2020 DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally is On.

On Friday, Christian Dutcher, President of Americade, announce via a Facebook message that the 2020 DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally in North Haverhill, NH is on for August 20th-23rd. "We're watching the virus very closely and taking it very seriously, but the trend lines are going in the right direction and we feel pretty good about the event happening in August," Dutcher said. Dutcher said the event is working with state and local officials to monitor the situation and ensure that event can be held safely. "The theme this year is going to be 'head out and spread out'," Dutcher said. Camping, rides, dining will all be spread out. Dutcher said that there will be more vendors this year and demo rides will be offered, just like in previous years. On line registration will begin on June 1 on the DirtDaze website. Complete Message from Christian Dutcher 2018 DirtDaze Rally Video Related DirtDaze website Video: DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally Recaps

Vermont Dealerships Adapt to Survive

Vermont’s motorcycle dealerships are adapting and hoping to survive the Covid-19 pandemic by doing things a bit differently. From service to sales, things have changed and the thin margins that rule motorcycle dealerships have gotten a bit thinner. “We’re still here, we’re still open, we just have to do things a bit differently”, said Tamara Boise Dealer Principle of Cyclewise Ducati/Triumph Vermont. Cyclewise is offering pick-up and delivery for service and part orders and hoping that they can keep customers happy. “We’re just trying to meet customer demands”, said Boise. Wilkins Harley-Davidson is offering loaner bikes and pickup and delivery for service. Roadside Motorsports is providing curbside drop-off of motorcycles for service. Sales of motorcycles haven’t taken a big hit -- at least not yet -- but the work involved in each sale has increased. John Lyon of Wilkins Harley-Davidson in Barre said the dealership sold 26 bikes in April, but is delivering motorcycles to the buyer’s homes to complete the sale. Cyclewise has had a similar experience. “Unit sales are not far off”, Boise said. “But, it takes two or three times as long to do each sale”. Exchanging paperwork has become a major chore. The Ducati factory in Italy shutdown in March creating back orders for popular models like the Ducati Streetfighter. Harley Davidson, Yamaha and other also shutdown due to the pandemic. Accessories and apparel have taken the biggest hit, since dealership have had to close their showrooms. Shoppers have turned to online sales -- a trend that dealers have been fighting for years -- and the impulse buy is no longer an option. The closures were a factor in Wilkins closing their newly purchased Essex store. “We just didn’t have the runway to turn around an under performing dealership”, Lyon said. “We want to be here for the customer for the long-term. When a customer buys a bike from us -- new or used -- we make a long-term commitment to be there for them.” “We’re making decisions to preserve the long-term viability of the business,” Lyon said. Wilkins has been in business for 73 years. Cyclewise and Wilkins are both known for running community events for their customers, but both are taking a wait-and-see approach before committing to running events this summer. Both dealerships canceled their March and April events. Cyclewise is looking for creative ways to run events this summer and hopes to still do demo rides. “It’s going to be more of a VIP experience,” said Boise. Rides will be by-appointment, groups will be small and bikes will need to be disinfected in between riders. Cyclewise hopes to do their traditional Father’s Day weekend track day at New York Safety track. Additional rider registrations are needed to make the event happen, though. Currently, New York Safety track is planning to open. When dealerships are given the green light to open their showrooms customers should expect a different experience. There will likely be limits on the number of people allowed into the store and masks will be required. “We’ll do our best to size customers before trying on apparel,” Boise said. Unsold gear will likely need to be quarantined after a fitting session. So the new normal will be different than before: let’s do our part to keep Vermont dealerships in business by buying local and supporting Vermont businesses and the people who run them.

Natural Turnpike, Forest Service Roads Open; Smugglers Notch, others still closed.

The Natural Turnpike and Steam Mill Road opened this past weekend, along with other roads in the Green Mountain National Forest. The Forest Service maintains 21 roads in the Green Mountain National Forest. Most are opened on May 1st, but local conditions can effect openings. To learn if a specific road is open, contact the ranger station responsible for road maintenance or check the seasonal roads closures page on the Green Mountain National Forest website. The following roads are maintained by the northern ranger station: FR 61 (Smith Brook), FR 62 (Thresher Hill), FR 24, 24A, 24B (Moosalamoo Campground and Voter Brook), FR 224 (Romance Header), FR 54 (Natural Turnpike), FR 59 (Steam Mill), FR 412 (Lefferts Pond Access), FR 68 (Cobb Hill), FR 202 (French Settlement), FR 95 (Dragon Brook), FR 45 (Chittenden Brook Rd), FR 25 (Austin Brook), Warren Falls Parking Lot. The following roads are maintained by the southern ranger station: White Rocks Picnic Area), FR6 (Kelley Stand), FR10 (Tabor-Landgrove), FR71 (Somerset Res.), FR273 (Prospect Mtn), FR72 (Red Mill), FR74 (Aiken), FR73 (Camp Casino). Users should contact the Middlebury Ranger Station at 802-767-4261 for northern roads and the Manchester ranger station at 802-362-2307 for up to date information. Smugglers Notch (VT-108) and the Lincoln Gap road between Lincoln and Warren remain closed. All of Vermont’s welcome centers and rest areas are currently closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The parking areas at these rest areas are open. Related New England 511 Road Closures Map National Forest Road closures

Weekend Riding Forecast: May 2-3

Vermont is still under the Governor's stay-at-home order to protect against the Coronavirus pandemic, but it is still a possible to get and do some local riding. This weekend's riding is looking to be the best of 2020 with comfortable temperatures and clear skies both Saturday and Sunday. Friday's weather is calling for a rainy start across the state with a strong chance of rain throughout the day. There may be some lighter showers in the afternoon with temperatures in the mid-50's. Only a few days ago Saturday's weather was looking bleak. That has all changed with sun and comfortable temperature from mid-50's to mid-60's likely throughout the state. International Female Ride Day is Saturday and women riders should be able to get and celebrate the great weather. International Female Ride Day is a pure riding event for women throughout the world. There is no central organized event, but rather it is a day for women riders around the world to get out with their friends and simply ride. It is the perfect event for social distancing, since there is no centralized event to cancel. Sunday is promising to be the day that we have been waiting for, with sun and temperatures in the mid-sixties and possibly reaching 70 throughout the state. The riding should be excellent! The Keene Motorcycle Swap is traditionally the first Sunday in May, but the New Hampshire stay-at-home order is still in effect through Monday May 4. The swap meet organizers haven't posted an update -- except to say that May 3rd is off -- but as of April 29th the swap meet Facebook page indicated that they hold the event Sunday May 31. Related NOAA Weather - Burlington, VT NOAA Weather - Killington, VT NOAA Weather - Bennington, VT

Laconia Bike Week Postone to August

The Board of Directors of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association have moved the rally to August 22nd-August 30th due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The rally was scheduled for June 13th-21st. “This could be a huge boost for morale of not just motorcycle enthusiasts but everyone in the region,” says Charlie St. Clair, Executive Director for the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association. “This event brings millions of dollars to the state and is critically important to NH businesses & our tourism economy. The rally could still be cancelled, but organizers are hopeful that they can hold the rally this year. The August date is during what is typically a quieter time of the summer for the Weir's Beach area. If the event doesn’t come off in August, “then we’ll look beyond it,” St. Clair said. “Our intention is not to cancel this rally if at all possible.” Related Laconia Motorcycle Week website

MotoVermont To Begin Rentals May 15th

Riders looking to rent a bike will be happy to hear that MotoVermont is planning to begin offering rentals on May 15th. In a Facebook post on the company's page today, they announced a "touch-free" rental process. Bikes will be cleaned and disinfected outside of their South Burlington shop. Deliveries will be re-disinfected upon delivery to the drop-off spot. ID and credit cards will be exchanged virtually and paperwork will be left with the customer's bike. The company won't be renting gear at this time. MotoVermont rents BMW and Honda motorcycles and leads group dual-sport tours. Riders can also do their own self-guided tours. Related MotoVermont website

Americade 2020 Postponed, But Still On!

Americade announced today in a Facebook live broadcast that the event has been moved to July 21st-25th. The event feels they can make enough changes to create a safe event, but may ultimately move the event or cancel it, if they feel they cannot meet safety standards. “It has to be a safe Americade. If we don’t feel -- at any point -- that a safe Americade can happen in late July, we won’t run an Americade in late July. It’s as simple as that”, said Americade President, Christian Dutcher. Dutcher said that it wasn’t the right time to cancel the event. “… things are trending, ever so slightly in a positive direction and we didn’t feel it was right to cancel Americade -- at least not yet”, he said. While hopeful, Dutcher did offer this caveat, “At any moment or any time during this process, if I feel or my team feels or the region feels it’s not the right decision, that it’s not safe, we won’t do it.” The Lake George region relies heavily on Americade for needed tax revenue. “Tourism sales tax revenue is vital to Warren County’s ability to deliver essential services to our people, and Americade is vital to tourism. ” said Lake Luzerne Supervisor Gene Merlino, chairman of the Warren County Board of Supervisors Tourism Committee. To create a safe environment, Americade is scraping many of their signature events, including concerts, comedy shows and the opening ceremonies. All of their indoor events, like speakers will be moved online. The emphasis this year will be on self-guided tours and rides Dutcher said. Riders will have a choice of multiple restaurants, allowing them to choose one what is less crowded. The expo will have a modified layout and extended hours. Entrance to the expo will be regulated to avoid crowds. Christian Dutcher's Announcement on Facebook today Demo rides will continue, but with safety protocols in place, like restricted hours. Registration will be totally online and electronic. Americade has promised an FAQ page related to changes for the 2020 event on their web site. “It’s an altered Americade, but it’s still going to be a great Americade”, Dutcher said. “In all sincerity, there’s no guarantee that this can happen in late July, but we think it will. And, it’s the right decision, right now”, Dutcher said. ““We’re fully on top of the realities of the situation. We reserve the right bump the dates if the need arises.” Americade is America’s largest rally for touring motorcycles, drawing thousands of riders to Lake George NY each June. Related Americade official website Americade 2020 Postponement Press Release

Video: Northeast BDR Highlights Videos

The Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route is a rugged 1,400 mile route from Hancock, NY to the Canadian border in Maine, traveling through New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The adventure bike route combines a mix of pavement, dirt and rocky trails. For riders looking to gather intel on the route the highlights videos from the Backcountry Discovery Routes organization are a good place to start. Each short video hits a few section highlights, giving riders a taste for what that section includes. For riders looking for Vermont NEBDR information, should see our Vermont Dual-Sport and Adventure Riding page and the Vermont Dual-Sport resource page where you'll find information and links that will be useful. The Gazetteers for Vermont/New Hampshire, New York and Maine are a great tool for exploring the Northeast BDR. Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Film Trailer NEBDR Section 1 - Hancock NY into the Catskills NEBDR Section 2 - Andes, NY to Copake Falls, NY NEBDR Section 3 - Copake Falls, NY to Readsboro, VT NEBDR Section 4 - Reasdsboro VT to Barnard VT See our guide to section 5 NEBDR Section 5 - Barnard, VT to Woodsville, NH NEBDR Section 6 - Woodsville, NH to Gorham, NH NEBDR Section 7 - Gorham, NH to Oquossoc, ME Bonus - Scouting the NEBDR with MotoVermont This video was shot May 2nd, 2019 during a scouting mission with Eric Milano from MotoVermont. Clips were mainly shot on the eastern section of the Vermont route, starting in Lincoln, VT. Related Vermont Dual-sport and Adventure Bike Riding Vermont Dual-sport Resources Tools for Vermont Dual-sport Route Planning Vermont Motorcycle Roads and Touring Dual Sport Ride to The Natural Turnpike - (in Section 5) Guide to the Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Section 5

Video: DirtDaze The Adventure Bike Rally

The DirtDaze Adventure Bike Rally is the northeast's biggest adventure bike/dual-sport rally. The annual event is hosted by Americade and lead sponsor TourTech. The event began as a satellite to the June Americade in Lake George, NY. The rally has changed locations each year and last June the event was held in Pomfret Vermont. The 2020 DirtDaze Adventure Rally will be held just over the Vermont state line in North Haverhill, NH August 20-23. We've heard from a good source that many of the rides will still take advantage of the great terrain in Vermont. So, here are the highlight video from the first three years. We're anxiously awaiting their 2019 video! DirtDaze 2018 DirtDaze 2017 DirtDaze 2016 2016 Rider Rodeo - BMW sponsored street stunt rider Teach McNeil and Baja 1000 Winner Jimmy Lewis face-off in this challenging and fun contest. Related DirtDaze Adventure Rally web site

Oxford Heated Grips: Review and How to Install

Riding with cold hands isn’t just uncomfortable, it can be dangerous. If you cannot feel the controls on your motorcycle your reaction time suffers -- along with your fingers. As a motorcyclist who rides mostly in Vermont and New England, where a 40 degree morning isn’t uncommon in August, I know about cold hands. I’ve also tried many different remedies, from hot grips to electric gloves. Last summer, when I purchased my 2014 Triumph Tiger 800 XC I really wanted to find one with heated grips. I found a great deal on the bike I was looking for, but it lacked heated grips. As a result, I was in the position of having to add heated grips as an accessory. I considered the Triumph brand grips, but the $300 price tag and lukewarm reviews put me off, so I headed to the aftermarket to see what was available and found Oxford Heated grips . Readily available for less than $100 the Oxford grips seem like a bargain when compared to the Triumph alternative. I had to give them a try. To me there are really two criteria in choosing heated grips: how easy are they to install; and, do they work? On both counts the Oxford grips are a true winner. The grips are of excellent quality and dead simple to install. The grips come with everything you’ll need to install them, including zip ties, a mount for the controller and grip glue. The wiring is simple, using plug and screw connectors and no cutting or splicing of wires is required. The grips are wired directly to the battery. There are three sizes to choose from: sport, touring and adventure. The styles differ in length and how short they can be cut. The grip pattern is also slightly different. The touring grips fit perfectly on the Triumph Tiger 800. See this video for a how-to install the grips on a Triumph Tiger 800. Operation of the grips is also simple. There are two buttons on the controller -- one marked plus and the other marked minus --  which increase or decrease the amount of output in five 20% increments, starting at 30% and going to 100%. To turn the grips off, hit the minus button until you get to 30% then the minus button one additional time to turn then off. If you forget to turn off the grips, they will automatically turn off within a minute or so of the controller detecting that the motorcycle is no longer running. This saves your grips from draining your battery. And, I have to say, they are warm! I have ridden with the grips when the temperature is in the high forties and they have kept me comfortable. For me that is a high standard, as I have very cold hands and find riding miserable when I try to ride in temperatures lower than 50 with just standard “winter” riding gloves. In addition to being easy to install and operate, the Oxford Heated grips have a good feel and are made from a durable material. I’m looking forward to many more comfortable, warm rides for years to come. Purchasing your grips through our affiliate links costs you nothing, but helps to support Motorcycle-Vermont. Related Time for Winter Motorcycle Riding Gloves

Wilkins Harley Davidson to Close Essex Location

Wilkins Harley Davidson in Barre and Essex announced April 10th that the dealership is closing the Essex location sometime this spring.

The company will honor gift cards, chrome maintenance and other customer commitments made by the Essex dealership.

Technicians from the Barre location will work with techs from the Essex location to complete the current backlog of service work at Essex.

Wilkins Harley Davidson purchased the Essex location from Green Mountain Harley Davidson in 2019. To read the full statement from the dealership, see this post .

COVID-19 Response: Is Motorcycling in Vermont Banned?

The State of Vermont has not, as of April 7th, banned motorcycle travel. The general travel limi tations, which apply to all road going vehicles apply equally to motorcycles. The Governor’s order directs Vermonters to stay at home, leaving only for essential reasons, critical to health and safety. Essential reasons to leave your home include personal safety, groceries or medicine, curbside pick-up of goods, meals or beverages, medical care, exercise, care of others and work. There is no prohibition from using your motorcycle as transportation. The Governor has asked travelers from outside the state to self-quarantine for 14-days upon entering the state. So should you go motorcycling? Ultimately, this is a personal decision. It is still against the law for police to stop you without cause. You should, however, ask yourself if your trip follows the Governor’s Stay-At-Home order. In recent posts on motorcycling forums, some have suggested that motorcycling is exercise. While this can be true, you should ask yourself if this is the best form of exercising you can practice during the ban? In Governor Scott’s April 3rd press conference, Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources Julie Moore said, “It’s never been more important for Vermonters to get outside, but also to stay close to home. Anyone planning to spend time outdoors this weekend should do the following. First, stay close to home. We’re fortunate to live in a place that has outstanding outdoor recreation in nature, and much of it within walking distance. “Now’s not the time to explore far-flung corners of Vermont, but rather to focus on backyard adventures, spend time in places that you can walk or bike to. And if you must drive to get outside, work to limit your trips to less than 10 miles." The Governor's April 3rd Press Conference. Vermont ski areas have outlawed uphill skinning and skiing in an effort to reduce participation in an activity that could lead to injury and require emergency response personnel to rescue a victim. Is your motorcycle ride as dangerous as skiing? Hospitals are heavily burdened during this crisis. If you got injured you would likely end up in the emergency room and possibly require an operation and a hospital stay. Hospitals are not where you want to be during this time: staff are highly stressed and your likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19 are greater in a hospital. This is a good time to apply common sense. My recommendation is that you not go on an extended motorcycle ride “just cuz” (just like you shouldn’t go for an extended drive in your car). You probably shouldn’t hit the motocross track, your backyard monster jump or take this moment to finally learn to wheelie. If you are truly looking to scratch your itch to ride and get some exercise on your bike, I recommend heading to the closest paved parking lot and practice your slow speed skills (can you do a u-turn in 4 parking spaces? How about a figure 8?) You’ll be part of the solution rather than the problem and you’ll be a better rider when the ban is lifted. Related Press Release: Governor Scott's Stay-at-Home Order Is It Time For a Real 10-mile Limit?

April Vermont Rider Training Canceled. Openings in Later Classes.

The State of Vermont Motorcycle Rider training classes for April have been canceled. There are still 96 classes on the schedule for this spring and summer. Classes start in May and run through September and are offered in a variety of locations around the state. The Basic Rider class typically fills up quickly, but this year all classes are showing openings ranging from 4 spots to fully open. The Experienced Rider class is scheduled to run three times this season in June, July and August. All of these sessions have availability. The Experienced Rider License Waiver also have availabilty. The Vermont Rider Education Program website has a warning that additional cancellations may occur later this spring as the situation develops.

How To Assemble a Motorcycle Toolkit

You’re out enjoying a ride on a warm sunny day. You stop by the side of the road to enjoy a view. You hit the starter to get going again and then it happens: the starter turns slowly and your motorcycle just won’t start.

If you’ve ridden long enough, it’s happened to you. If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will. Your bike is broken down and you’re stuck.

Having a good motorcycle toolkit can save your ride and turn a big problem into an inconvenience or maybe an adventure. How should you put together your own motorcycle toolkit?

What Can I Fix?
Start by thinking about common problems and what you might be able to fix on the side of the road. Common problems include a dead battery, a loose connection, a flat tire, a broken lever or a loose fastener. If you’re on a multi-day trip and your bike has a chain, you may need to adjust your chain tension.

To assemble a good toolkit, start by inventorying the fasteners on your bike: are they metric or standard? Do they require Allen wrenches? Look for specialized fittings: it is not uncommon to find a special tool is needed to remove your wheels.

An adjustable wrench can fill in for a variety of open ended wrenches -- just make sure the adjustable wrench fits into the places you intend to use it. I carry both an adjustable wrench and common open ended wrenches. I also carry sockets for the nuts I have on my motorcycles.

Make sure you can access your battery and fuse box. If your bike has plastics, make sure you can remove the plastics with the tools in your kit.

Electrical problems are common and many can be easily fixed if you plan ahead. Inventory your bike’s fuses and make sure you have one of each type needed for your motorcycle. I carry a bit of sand paper, which is useful for cleaning corrosion off an electrical connection.

Extra nuts and bolts can save the day. While you’re reviewing your bike’s fasteners note common nuts and bolts. These make good candidates to carry in your mobile hardware store.

Zip-ties , safety wire and gorilla tape are my most used toolkit items. These come in handy for a variety of repairs on both your riding gear and your motorcycle. I carry a dozen zip ties between my first-aid kit and toolkit.
If your bike has tube tires, you’ll want an extra tube, tire irons and all the tools necessary to remove both your front and rear wheels. If you have a larger front wheel (common on dual-sports, adventure bikes and choppers) carry the larger front tube, which can do double duty as a spare for either front or rear.

Tubeless tires can be plugged in an emergency (although you should replace a plugged tire as soon as possible; plugs can and do pull out). An automotive style plug kit will work on a tubeless motorcycle tire.

Having the ability to replace a tube or plug a tire is useless without a way to inflate your tire. A bicycle style compact pump can work -- if you have enough patience -- although you may have difficulty getting the tire bead to seat fully. To get the bead to seat, you need a forceful blast of air. For this you may need an electric pump or CO2 cartridges.

CO2 cartridges are an expensive way to fill a tire but they are fast. I think they are best paired with a pump of some sort, like a bicycle style mini-pump . Having both enables you to put some air in the tube with the mini-pump (getting the tube back into shape) and then hit it with the CO2 cartridge to seat the bead. You could then finish with the mini-pump.

An alternative to the mini-pump is an electric pump that runs off your bike’s battery. An electric pump has sufficient pressure to seat the bead, is faster than a mini-pump and -- unlike CO2 cartridges -- can be used top off a tire which is simply under inflated.

JB Weld is an epoxy that I have seen used for amazing things. This quick drying, super hard, super strong adhesive is versatile and can be used for some extreme repairs. I have seen a punctured oil filter patched sufficiently for a rider to ride out of the woods. I also have a friend who patched a punctured engine case in the New Mexico desert with JB Weld and a piece of a license plate!

When purchasing JB Weld , make sure to get the quick drying formula, which drys in minutes and not the regular formula, which takes hours to cure.

Size and Weight
And, as a final thought, keep the size and weight of your kit reasonable. As you assemble a kit, it is tempting to carry everything in an effort to be prepared for anything. But, if your toolkit gets too big and heavy, it will likely stay at home. Look for opportunities for multi-purpose tools.

Carrying a good toolkit is just part of being prepared. You should also carry a first-aid kit for emergencies. Let’s just hope you never have to use either.
What's In My Toolkit The table below has many of the more obscure items I have in my motorcycle toolkit.

Motorcycle-Vermont Add Vermont Motorcycle Services Map

In an effort to continue to bring the most comprehensive coverage of motorcycling in Vermont, Motorcycle-Vermont has added a Motorcycle Services directory page . The page features an interactive Google map listing all known motorcycle services in Vermont. Please let us know if we have missed anyone! To have your service added to our services listing, contact info@motorcycle-vermont.com .

Harley-Davidson to Shut U.S. Plants Due to Coronavirus

Harley-Davidson joins other motorcycle manufacturers shutting down their plants due to the virus Harley-Davidson is suspending production until March 29 after discovering that a worker in their Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations plant in Memomonee Falls, Wisconsin was infected with the coronavirus. The Pilgrim Road Powertrain Operations facility produces the Big Twin, Milwaukee-Eight and Sportster powertrains. Engines and transmissions produced by the plant are assembled at a plant in York, Pennsylvania. The shutdown will effect plants in Menomonee Falls, York, Pennsylvania and Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Workers effected by the closure will be placed on temporary layoff, but will still receive their medical benefits. All Harley Davidson sponsored events are canceled until mid-April. Harley joins Italian makers, Ducati, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Benelli, Vespa and MV Agusta who have all shutdown production due to the pandemic. Brembo brakes is also shutdown. KTM shutdown it’s Austria facility in mid-March for two weeks. Husqvarna and GasGas are also effected. Yamaha suspended production in it’s factories in Italy and France. The impact of the virus has been felt by racing fans around the world. MotoGP has canceled the first four races of the season (Qatar, Thailand, the United States and Jerez). World SuperBike and Monster Energy Supercross have also canceled events.

Review: New Hampshire/Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer

Whether your planning a multi-day road trip or a weekend day ride getting the big picture is important. It’s also hard to do on a computer screen -- or worse -- your phone. Sometimes a good old-fashion paper map is the best tool to really understand the terrain. Free highway maps from the department of Tourism are great for interstates and major secondary roads, but they leave off local details. These fine details are especially important in Vermont, where small town roads are a significant percentage of the State’s roads. Enter the Delorme New Hampshire Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer . This beautiful map book contains over 100 pages of maps and information. There are 58 quadrangle maps and 18 detail city maps with street name indexes. Each quadrangle map is composed of 21 minutes longitude and 21 minutes latitude (or about 26 miles high by 18.25 miles wide). One inch on the map is approximately 1.74 miles. So how detailed is that you ask? Very! It’s sufficient to see single lane gravel or dirt roads that are barely passable. Roads are shown at about the same level of detail as zooming in to 80% on a Google Map on a desktop PC. The maps have topographical shading and are just plain pretty to look at (at least if you’re a map geek like me). The New York Atlas & Gazetteer covers the entire state in 120 pages, while the Maine Atlas & Gazetteer is 80 pages. The scale of the New York and Maine Gazetteers are 25 minute quadrangles, so the scale is smaller, but still very readable. The scale of these maps is approximate one inch equals two miles. The books contain other useful travel information, like recreation areas, hiking and campground information. They also contain interesting data on state populations, distance between major cities and other state facts. The map books are laid out so east-west maps are on adjacent pages, making east-west rides easier to plan. When traveling north-south, you’ll find yourself flipping around a lot more. The map books are 15.5 by 11 inches, so it won’t easily fit into a tank bag or other take along luggage. If I have a section that I’d like to take on the road, I scan the pages to my computer and copy the map images to my phone. The maps are reasonably accurate, but if you’re familiar with Vermont roads you could easily find small errors when it comes to class-4 roads. Forsha Road in Pittsfield is a good example. If you just use the Gazetteer you might assume that Forsha Road is a secondary road similar to Liberty Hill Road. In fact Forsha road is an unmaintained class-4 road with washouts, boulders and deep ruts. While this may be what you’re after on your dual-sport it isn’t likely to be something that you’d pursue on your street bike. This reinforces the point that if you’re adventuring onto Vermont’s back roads you should use multiple sources to determine what a road is really like. When planning a road, I like to layout my general route with the Gazetteer and then confirm suspicions with VermontRoads.net or the Vermont Agency of Transportation highway maps . Both of these sources provide valuable information on road surface and classification -- which are key to understanding the terrain on the ground. Nothing can top local knowledge when you’re venturing off well maintained roads in Vermont. This is especially true in spring, when mud and winter conditions are a factor. Dirt roads can change drastically from year-to-year or even by a summer downpour. I ride mostly in New England and the Adirondacks of New York. To cover all these areas I purchased the New Hampshire & Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer , the Maine Altas & Gazetteer and New York Atlas & Gazetteer . My well worn Gazetteers are a dream machine -- capable of fueling my desire to ride in a way that Google maps never can. For that reason alone, the Gazetteers should be on every motorcyclists bookshelf. When you purchase through our Amazon affiliate links it costs you nothing but helps support this site. Thank you!

Vermont Rider Training Programs Sign-Up Opens March 1

I f this is the summer you finally get your motorcycle license, make sure to sign-up for the Vermont Basic Rider course on March 1. The 18 hour Basic Rider course covers the basics of operating your motorcycle and gives the student the skills needed to pass the license test. The course combines classroom and range time and introduces novice riders to the dangers of riding on the street. Students who successfully complete the Basic Rider class will earn their motorcycle endorsement. Students do not need to own a motorcycle to take the Basic Rider class. A motorcycle is provided as part of the cost of the course. A helmet can also be provided, if students do not own one. Sign-up for the Intermediate and Experience rider classes also opens March 1. The Intermediate Rider class is a one-day course that picks up with the Basic Rider course ends. The focus is on more advanced techniques like emergency braking, swerving and cornering techniques. The Experienced Rider course picks up where the Intermediate Rider course ends. Remember: riding training is the best upgrade you can purchase for your motorcycle and it is the only upgrade that moves with you to every motorcycle you ride. Related Vermont Rider Education page Vermont Rider Training FAQ

New Motorcycle Photo Service Offered

Have you ever wished you had a really cool photo of your motorcycle or, better still, a professional shot of you riding your motorcycle? Motorcycle-Vermont is offering a new motorcycle photo service starting this spring. The service is geared toward individuals or groups who would like cool shots of them and their motorcycles. "I've been taking motorcycle photos for over ten years, in all kinds of situations”, said Motorcycle-Vermont photographer Bob LoCicero. “I was thinking -- I bet folks might be interested in a service where they could get cool shots of their special ride.” LoCicero has worked with a variety familiar companies to get both still photos and video. His credits include MotoVermont, Americade, Cyclewise, Green Mountain Harley Davidson, Fishtail Riding School and the AMA. The service is based on a sliding scale, depending on the job. A single rider or small group looking to get photos is perfect. A benefit ride looking to add another perk for riders is also a good candidate for the service. If you are building a custom bike, a motorcycle photo session during the build can capture your progress as you move through the project. When the bike is finished, you owe it to yourself to get good photos of the bike's details. Although we had to work with limited background choices in this shoot, here is an example . If you have a unique bike for sale, good photos can serve as a keepsake and help sell the bike. Interested parties should contact Motorcycle-Vermont via email for quotes and information. Related BobLPhoto - Bob LoCicero motorcycle photography

MotoVermont to Run North East Backcountry Discovery Route Tour

An exciting new tour from MotoVermont! This May South Burlington VT based MotoVermont will lead their inaugural tour of the newly released North East Backcountry Discovery Route (NE BDR). The fully supported guided tour will run May 28, 2020 through June 5, 2020, covering the entire 1,400 mile route. The North East Backcountry Discovery Route is a mostly off-pavement route through unique rural areas, designed for dual-sport and adventure motorcycles. The route runs from Hancock, New York to Jackman, Maine on the Canadian boarder. The NE BDR was created by Backountry Discovery Routes, a 501c3, non-profit organization whose goal is to create routes that promote tourism and economically sustainable relief to less-advantaged rural communities. The NE BDR is the tenth route the organization has created and the second east coast route. The MotoVermont tour includes 8 nights lodging and 14 meals, and is supported by 3 guides and a support vehicle. Each day the support vehicle ferries rider luggage to the next stop making the tour considerably lighter for riders. Riders can rent a motorcycle for the tour and a backup motorcycle and tools are available in the support vehicle. MotoVermont provides ground transportation from local airports for the tour. Eric Milano of MotoVermont was one of the key members of the NE BDR design team. Milano was integral in designing the Vermont section of the route, calling on his extensive knowledge of Vermont’s off-road riding and touring. Several of the route designers will join the tour and ride along. For complete information on MotoVermont’s upcoming BDR tour, see their website .

NH Considers Helmet Law Change

New Hampshire’s no-helmet law is under review again. New Hampshire house bill 1621 would change the existing NH Rules of the Road to require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet. The proposed changes would also require riders of electric bicycles and mopeds to wear head gear. The fine for not wearing a helmet under the proposal is $50. The bill is sponsored by Rep Skip Cleaver, D-Nashua. Proponents of the bill claim money and lives would be saved if helmets are required. Opponents cite personal freedom and choice as drivers for keeping the law as it is. At a February 4th public hearing on the matter, Jennifer Anderson, deputy director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association said passage would hurt attendance at the rally. New Hampshire is also considering requiring seat belt use in vehicles. See this link  for a full text of the changes and to track the bill. More information : NH Bill 1621-FN A Ride Apart Opinion: Why People Rallying Against Helmet Law In NH Is A Problem Huge Turnout Against Bill To Require Motorcyclists to Wear Helmets

Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route Released

The 1,400 mile adventure motorcycle Northeast Backcountry Discovery Route is being released on February 1. The route will travel from a Hancock NY to the Canadian border in Maine over a mix pavement, dirt and seasonal roads through New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The route was put together by the adventure motorcycling non-profit organization, Backcountry Discovery Routes® (BDR®). The Northeast is the tenth route the group has mapped and the second on the east coast. The other backcountry discovery routes are the California South route, Nevada, New Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Washington, Arizona and Mid-Atlantic routes. The Northeast route was assembled last summer with the assistance of local experts for each section. Eric Milano of MotoVermont was the section expert for Vermont. There is a feature length film to promote the route. The premiere of the film in Vermont is Thursday February 13th at Franks Motorcycle Sales and Service in Essex (see the event posting here ). You can also purchase a DVD of the film (along with other BDR feature films) at the  BDR Store. Bulter Motorcycle Maps will have a detailed map of the route and GPS downloads are available at the BDR web site (note: the Northeast track was not available at the time of this writing. The route should be available shortly after February 1, so check back). MotoVermont is offering a guided, supported tour on the route starting in May. For information, see the MotoVermont website .

Three YouTube Channels to Get You Through Winter

Winter can be hard on the motorcyclist. Your bikes sit idle under a cover of winter dust. To make it through, you need a strategy -- a diversion from winter’s icy grip. YouTube can fuel your dreams and possibly make you a better rider. Read on for three YouTube channels that we’ve been binge watching lately. Life at Lean The race track is a great place to learn to ride a motorcycle better. While you may not be interested in riding as fast as Marc Marquez you could probably learn a thing or two about riding from him. And while Marc isn’t making YouTube videos on riding, they’re are others doing the job. Enter, Life at Lean : a website and YouTube channel run by Dan Netting from Essex, UK. Dan is a biker, track nut and latte aficionado (his words). He is not a professional motorcycle racer and I think that is a good thing. Netting has climbed the track day ranks from novice to instructor and shares his knowledge in easy to understand videos and articles. In each piece he breaks down technique with an emphasis on what a track day rider needs to know. He also covers topics aimed at making your track days more productive.Topics like: Moving Up a Track Day Group: Benefits & Considerations , Common Track Day Crash: The Throttle & Lean Trap , How to Deal with nervousness before riding on track  and Track riding practice on the road: What can we work on? . Here is a sample: Why Do Slow Corners Feel Harder Mike On Bikes If you like Life at Lean, you’ll also love Mike on Bikes . Mike is a motorcyclist who moved from Sweden to California to pursue a career in high tech. While a job in tech brought Mike here, it’s motorcycling that made him stay. Mike covers everything from sport riding to trail riding and he is very knowledgeable. I was first attracted to Mike’s channel when I researched why MotoGP riders dangle a leg when entering a corner ( The Leg Dangle EXPLAINED ). Mike has good street riding videos too, like Tips to protect you and your motorcycle  and Motorcycle Beginner Tips: Using your eyes . Here is a sample of Mike on Bikes . Evolution of MotoGP Riding Styles - From Leaning out to elbow dragging FortNine The FortNine channel started with a travel series on motorcycling in Canada ( FortNine Explore: Quebec ) and has grown into a channel with outstanding production values, a great sense of humor and the ability to inform. Ryan, the channel’s star presenter, can take a topic with no interest to me (like say, Why Canada Makes Three Wheelers: Can-Am Ryker Review 2019 ) and suddenly make it immensely interesting to me. A good place to ease into FortNine are the channel’s playlists. The Tested series will give you more information than you can imagine in a way that is easily digestible and always entertaining. If you don’t learn something from watching FortNine, you know way too much about motorcycles! More playlists from FortNine: Ride Safe Riding Tips Mechanical Skills

Inside The Globe of DEATH!

Ever wonder what it's like to ride inside The Globe of DEATH? Check out this video from the 2019 Americade rally in Lake George.

GoFundMe Page for Jarheads MC Riders Families

A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money for the families of the 7 members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club who were killed when a truck crossed over the centerline on U.S. Route 2 in Randolph on June 21. The page was started on June 23 and has raise over $500,000 in 5 days. The goal of the page is to raise $700,000. The Jarheads MC is motorcycle club for Marine and FMF Corpsman. They ride to support veterans and their families and have chapters in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Related CBS News Report on the accident 7 Motorcyclists killed in NH Crash

The Joker

Green Mountain Harley built Street Bob voted People's Choice favorite in Battle of The Kings Competition The Joker is Green Mountain Harley Davidson’s entry into the Harley Davidson Battle of the Kings bike building competition, which challenges Harley dealers from around the world to build the best custom motorcycle from a stock Harley. The team must partner with a local trade school. Green Mountain chose the Northwest Technical Center in St. Albans -- a school affiliated with two of the team members. Crew Chief, Roscoe Allen taught at the Northwest Tech Center and is also a graduate of the school. Crew member Marissa Storto attended the Northwest Tech Center and had Allen as an teacher. The build converts a 2018 Street Bob into a custom modern bobber that features a hydraulic foot clutch, internal wiring, brass accents and many hand made components. The bike dropped 150 pounds off the stock unit. The team built the bike in only 8 weeks on a limited budget. In the first round of people’s choice voting, The Joker was elected to move to the final round of judging to be held at the Harley Davidson dealer’s conference in August.

Pardon Us While We Redesign

We've moved our site and things are in a bit of a shambles Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and go for it. About a year ago, it became clear that Motorcycle-Vermont.com needed to move to a different web technology. Our site was content rich (over 500 pages) but didn't work very well for mobile users. To address the technical deficiency, we would need to stop working on content and do a technology project to move us forward. This spring we bit the bullet, threw caution to the wind and moved. Which is why, you'll find plenty of broken links and things half-done right now. We're sorry, but we're working on it! Our goal is to stabilize the site over the next month or so and then get back to why came here in the first place: great motorcycle content. Thank you for supporting us during this move. When we're finished, I hope you'll like us even more than before.

New Motorcycle Tours From MotoVermont

New exciting tours from MotoVermont MotoVermont has earned a reputation for offering unique motorcycle tours and this year is no exception. New for this season are a 400 mile, 4 day, dual sport tour, The Vermont 400, the all-female SheADV Dual-Sport tour and an a motorcycle photography workshop tour, the Vermont Moto-Photo Tour. The Vermont 400 Dual-Sport Tour The Vermont 400 dual-sport tour is 4 days of rugged riding across the Green Mountains, through backwoods terrain. Riders should be prepared to get their feet muddy on this one, which features unmaintained class-4 roads through remote areas. Riders should be experienced off-road and the tour is designed for smaller dual-sport motorcycles. MotoVermont has a fleet of CRF250L’s available to rent, if you need a bike suited to the ride. A chase vehicle will carry overnight gear, freeing riders from carrying everything necessary for a 4 day trip. Riders will still need to carry their emergency supplies, but spares and parts will be close if things turn bad. The tour isn’t all about how tough you are though: at the end of each day you’ll enjoy comfortable accommodations and good food. Each night features a new cabin or inn where you can get a shower and a fine Vermont microbrew. SheADV Dual-Sport Tour Build your confidence on the supportive women-only, 3-day dual-sport tour through central Vermont. The tour is lead by Stephanie Terrian -- an avid adventure rider, MSF coach and an experienced EMT -- and local rider Kathy Daily -- a veteran pilot and experienced rider. Stephanie has ridden five of the Backcountry Discovery Routes in the U.S. and leads tours throughout the country. Each days riding mixes gravel roads, twisty pavement and challenging unmaintained, class-4 roads through remote areas. The tour is based at Coolidge State Park in Plymouth Notch, Vermont where you will camp for two nights. The campground has clean bathrooms and hot showers. Each night you’ll enjoy a campfire and a covered pavilion for preparing group meals. More from MotoVermont MotoVermont has all their other great tours returning this year. The ever popular dual-sport training tours with Bill Dragoo, provides riders a chance to learn new skills at the both the beginner and intermediate levels. The Frontière Nord - a Quebec dual-sport tour takes riders north of the boarder to ride on remote trails linked by small ferries. The Bush-Moto Tour combines bush craft, first-aid and off-road riding to create a unique experience where riders learn new skills that could save their lives. MotoVermont also offers road going tours. The self-guided New England Immersion tour and the 3 day Vermont Discovery Tour will get you riding to interesting places on the best roads by day, while spending your nights in accommodation that compliment the riding experience. Tours Vermont 400 - Dual-Sport Tour SheADV Dual-Sport Tour Bush-Moto Tour - off-road survival skills Dual-Sport Training Tour Frontièr Nord, a Quebec dual-sport motorcycle tour New England Immersion motorcycle tour Vermont Discovery motorcycle tour For more information on tours and rentals, see MotoVermont.com .

Riding The Brain Circuit

Touring Vermont to raise money for Alzheimer's Disease For those with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, any day can seem like the longest day of the year. Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that affects a person’s memory and impairs their ability to conduct daily tasks. Basic communication becomes difficult as they lose their ability to carry on a conversation. The Longest Day is a team fundraising event sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association to honor those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. The event raises funds for research and increases the awareness of the disease. Held on the summer solstice, from sunrise to sunset, the event symbolizes the challenge faced by caregivers and those with the disease. “To do the Longest Day, you do something from sunrise to sunset,” explains Bill Mitchell, Owner of Ride Safe Vermont, a motorcycle safety school in Burlington. “Participants should do something that they’re passionate about. We figured we could make it around the state in a day [on our motorcycles]”, he said. Bill and his wife Jane Mitchell are leading Team Ride Safe on a 500 mile Vermont perimeter ride they are calling “The Brain Circuit” as part of this year’s event. The team will start at 5:25 a.m. at Green Mountain Harley Davidson in Essex Junction and then head south on Route 7 stopping in Rutland at Central Vermont Motorcycles, in Bennington at Ronnie’s Cycles, in Brattleboro at Vintage Steele, in White River Junction at the Country Crossing Diner, and then in Wells River, Derby, East Berkshire and St Albans. The ride will end when they return home at 8:30 p.m. “This is our first year running the route, so it’s a bit of shakedown year”, said Bill. He and Jane hope the event will become an annual event with riders starting the circuit in their hometowns, joining the circuit for the day and touring the state. Teams can ride at their own pace and choose to ride as much of the circuit as they want, with the goal of riding all day and raising $1,600 per team -- $100 for each hour of the day. The team could also ride as a relay. Fundraising is an important part of fighting Alzheimer’s, which mostly affects people over 65. As the population ages, more people are affected each year. Thirteen thousand Vermonters currently have the disease and are supported by 30,000 unpaid Vermont caregivers. “It is projected that in 10 years, 17,000 Vermonters will have the disease,” said Jane Mitchell (Jane is Director of Development of the Vermont Alzheimer’s Association). Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms develop slowly and worsen over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60%-80% of cases. Although it is most common in people over 65, people in their 40’s and 50’s also get the disease. There is no known cure. Researchers are looking for ways to treat symptoms and to slow the progress of the disease, improving the quality of life for patients and their caregivers. If you would like to support Team Ride Safe, you can donate through their fund raising page, found  here . You can follow the team on their team Facebook page. If you would more information on starting your own team or riding the Brain Circuit, contact Bill for information by email at Bill@RideSafeVT.com . Related Vermont Alzheimer's Association Ride Safe Vermont Team Ride Safe Fund Raising Page

Product Review: Klim Overland Jacket

Improving comfort and safety for your riding adventures There are certain truths in motorcycling: grabbing a handful of brakes leads to disaster; whacking the throttle open mid-corner is a recipe for a high-side; and, when it rains you get wet. What was true yesterday isn’t necessarily true today. Technology is eroding the certainty of these truths: anti-lock brakes modulate monkey-handed braking, traction control smooths the whack-happy, heavy-handed, and Gore-Tex keeps you comfortable and dry, even in a heavy downpour. The Klim Overland jacket is a technological leap forward when compared to fabric jackets of years-ago. The jacket employs a 2-layer Gore-Tex shell to keep you dry in pelting rain (yes, I have experienced this!) and the latest D3O armor and Cordura to keep you safe. The jacket has a Gore-Tex outer layer that is breathable – meaning it allows water vapor to pass out, while not allowing rain to seep in. Since the weather protection is on the exterior of the jacket, it does not require a zip-in waterproof layer. External waterproofing means you are always protected from the sudden shower, a huge plus when the clouds burst and you can’t stop to zip-in a waterproof layer. The Overland shell is tough with 840D Cordura overlays in the elbow, forearm and shoulder. The jacket feel as durable as leather, while maintaining the lighter weight and functional practicality of a fabric riding jacket. The jacket is ready for adventure, but is styled in a subdue way compared to most “adventure jackets” (how many pockets do you need? ). There are three exterior pockets: one chest and two hand warmer pockets. The chest pocket is perfectly sized for a smart phone. The hand warmer pockets are just deep enough and the right-hand pocket has a key clip. The jacket has chunky, water resistant YKK zippers throughout. All of the zippers have large, long pulls that are ruggedly stitched and can be operated with gloves on. Well-spaced hook and loop fasteners close a storm flap over the front zipper and I have never had any leakage, even in driving rain. The body is generously cut, but not baggie. The rear extends down slightly and is curved to cover the top of your butt. The torso proportions are perfect for my 5 foot 9 inch frame in a medium. The arms are pre-curved and have a single adjuster just below the elbow. A built-in arm cuff blocks air from rushing up your arm. A simple hook and loop fastener adjustment closes the cuff down. The collar is upright and lined with a soft fleece. It closes with a hook-and-loop fastener and a snap. It stands up nicely, blocking wind from your neck. The jacket is a shell and has no thermal layers. This design allows you layer your off-the-bike clothes to suit the conditions. I feel this design is superior to a zip-in layer, which can only be used in the jacket. Layering regular clothes under the jacket reduces the overall weight you carry when touring and facilitates tuning the layers to suit your needs. If the jacket has a flaw, it is the venting. There are two front vents on each side of the torso, with matching rear vents. Air flows through to body via the vents, which is adequate at riding speed. If you leave the jacket open a few inches at the neck and open the vents, you can be comfortable into the low eighties while riding at speed. At slower speeds, such as riding technical off-road sections or city riding, the venting could be improved – especially in the arms. Because the jacket has cuffs, your arms do not get good air flow. This is mostly a small annoyance and is really the only complaint I have about the jacket. I never want to crash my Overland jacket (I like it too much!), but if I did, I think it would hold up well. The jacket uses D3O, level 1, armor in the shoulders, elbows and back. The armor starts off a bit stiff, but is thin and quickly softens with your body warmth, making it flexible and supple and very comfortable. If you have a sudden impact, the armor becomes rigid, absorbing the impact. The greater the impact, the more shock is absorbed by the armor. The 840D Cordura feels like it could take a lot of abrasion before wearing through. In all, the Klim Overland jacket is an excellent choice for adventure touring, cool to warm weather dual-sport riding or sport touring. The jacket combines sleek styling and the latest in protection from both the elements and the unfortunate crash. The Klim Overland can be found at Roadside Motorsports in Williston. Ask Mary to help you with sizing and she’ll gladly help you with any questions. Related Roadside Motorsports How D3O Armor works

Tools For Vermont Dual-Sport Routing Planning

Use multiple mapping tools when planning your next dual-sport adventure Dressed in your Klim riding suit, mounted on your brand new BMW GS 1200, complete with crash guards and high adventure tour-package, you sit idling at the end of your driveway. Left or right? Which way to adventure? Planning a route for your new adventure bike can be as challenging as riding it once you’ve gotten there. Ideally, your riding buddies will have plenty of knowledge to share with you and you can just follow along. But, that only works so long: eventually you need to find your own way. For dual-sport and adventure riders in Vermont, your primary tools are Google Maps, Garmin’s Basecamp software and traditional maps. Using these tools – and some advice from the AdvRider forum – you can map rides that fit your skill and your bike. Getting the Big Picture Start your mapping by getting the big picture. Use a combination of Google Maps and traditional paper maps to plot a general route. Google Maps is great for plotting a direct course from point to point on paved roads. The mileage and time estimate can give you an approximation of riding time to get from the city to the riding zone. Until Google adds a “good motorcycle road” checkbox, the route plotted will simply get you from origin to destination. You’ll get fast and paved, but not necessarily interesting and uncrowded. Use the “Avoid highways” option to skip Interstate highways and stay on secondary roads. There are some tricks you can use to finesse Google Maps into plotting the course you prefer, but you’ll need additional information before employing these. The Vermont Road Classification System When evaluating a route, Vermont has a road classification system that can help. Class 1 roads are highways and State roads that receive the highest amount of traffic and maintenance. They are also boring, straight roads that you’ll want to avoid, except when trying to make time. Class 2 roads are well traveled roads that lead to Class 1 roads. These are usually paved and can be fun on your cruiser or touring bike, but are not our focus here. GPS and online mapping tools, like Google Maps, default to using Class 1 and 2 roads when possible. For dual-sport riders your goal is to find roads in the next two classifications. Class 3 roads are town roads and can be paved, but are frequently gravel or dirt. They are usually passable by standard passenger cars and can be great fun, scenic and well suited to larger dual-sport motorcycles. When you can, use Class-3 roads as your primary “travelers” for getting from Class 2 roads to Class-4 roads. Class 4 roads are public right-of-ways that are not maintained by anyone. Their condition can vary from easily passable to a goat path and are the holy-grail of adventure riding in Vermont. The tricky bit is finding class 4 roads that are both challenging and passable. Google Maps makes no distinction between Class-3 and Class-4 roads. I have found numerous cases where abandon Class-4 roads are shown on Google Maps, so always use additional sources to verify roads found on Google. I use the  Jimapco county maps series or the DeLorme V ermont Atlas & Gazetteer to verify roads found on Google Maps. Unlike Google Maps, which make no distinction between a well-used, town-maintained Class 3 roads and an ancient cart path, these maps differentiate between paved and gravel. If the road exists on Google maps, but not on the Jimapco map, it may be too rough for a larger dual-sport. Map Products When you purchase through our Amazon affiliate links it costs you nothing, but helps support Motorcycle-Vermont.com. The Gazetteer and Jimapco’s county maps include most of the passable Class 4 roads – but not all. If you find a road in Google Maps, but not on these maps, it may be obsolete. Before committing to ride there, you need to investigate further. VTrans Maps VTrans – the Vermont Department of Transportation – has online maps that include every public roadway in the state. These maps are the definitive source for determining whether a road is public. The maps are divided by town, which makes them difficult to use for general route planning. Use the Jimapco road atlas or county maps to determine the town a road is located in and then use the VTrans maps to evaluate the condition. The VTrans maps classify roads as hard surface or paved, gravel, soil or graded and drained earth, and unimproved or primitive. They also indicate whether a road is Class 3 or Class 4. Knowing the road surface and whether it is maintained is vital in determining whether it is passable. The VTrans maps also show legal right-of-ways that are “impassable or untraveled”, legal trails and discontinued. These last 3 road classifications are dicey at best and in most cases should be avoided. Impassable or untraveled roads are Class 4 roads that have decayed sufficiently to be downgraded to “impassable”. These roads can be fun or a holy hell of a slog: local knowledge is needed to determine whether they are passable. Recent weather can greatly affect your ability to ride these roads, which are not maintained and can be significant mud pits. Roads designated as legal trails may or may not allow motorized vehicle traffic. Local ordinances cover these roads and you should check with the local selectboard to determine whether these roads are legal for motorcycles. Unless you know a legal trail allows motorcycles, assume it doesn’t. In many cases, riding illegally on a designated trail could be cause for a fine. Discontinued roads have been given up by the town and are no longer public rights-of-way. Do not go there. Note: these maps will help determine if a road passable. You are responsible for determining if the road is passable by you, on your bike, in the road’s current condition. No map will tell you this: maps will only assist you in making this determination. See this article for an example comparison of Google, Basecamp and VTrans sources Garmin Basecamp A GPS is an essential tool for any off-road rider. Motorcycle specific models are easy to read while underway, glove friendly and have Bluetooth ear pieces to hear turn-by-turn directions, but many do not have topographical information and may not show Class-4 roads. A GPS does not need to be a motorcycle specific model to be useful. Many dual-sport riders prefer hand-held units like Garmin's Oregon 700 and Montana 680 for their versatility and lower cost. Garmin’s Topo US 24K Northeast series of maps are essential for evaluating terrain. These detailed topographical maps can be used to determine if a road is steep or runs through a marsh. Topographical features can also be used in navigating, since road signs will be rare once you’re off the beaten path. Use Garmin’s Basecamp to create a route that combines paved roads and Class-4 roads. The route can be loaded into your GPS and used for navigating while riding. I always supplement my GPS directions with hand-written directions and I carry paper maps for getting the big picture. Next Steps After plotting your route, it’s helpful to check with local sources to learn about recent conditions. The AdvRider forum can be a good place to get this information. Just beware that a rider’s bike, riding experience and point-of-view can greatly color their assessment of “good condition”. Use this information as another data point in your decision, but let your instincts guide you. For the most part, riding in Vermont is not life-threatening. If things go wrong, choosing an overly ambitious route will –in most cases -- result in no more than a huge inconvenience. However, it is entirely possible to crash your bike in a place that isn’t accessible via a pickup truck, so don’t be afraid to turn your bike around if things get dicey. Related An example comparison Google, Basecamp and VTrans VTrans Mapping Database AdvRider Forum - ride the world

Vermont Bucket List Checkmark: Ride the Bayley-Hazen Military Road

Step-by-step guide to adventure on the Bayley-Hazen Military Road A bucket list is a good thing to have: it gets you out riding, taking on new roads and challenges. The Bayley-Hazen Military Road has been on my bucket list since I first learned about it 3 years ago and this September I finally found the time to ride it. The road runs from Wells River Village in Newbury Vermont to Montgomery Vermont on a mix of pavement, class 3 and 4 dirt roads. The trip is approximately 80 miles, depending on which route you take, and takes you through classic Northeast Kingdom Vermont -- scenic and uncrowded. The road is historic. Constructed between 1776 and 1779 the road was the brainchild of Jacob Bayley and Moses Hazen. Wikipedia is sketchy on the details, but it seems that Hazen owned land in Quebec and wanted the Continental Army to invade our neighbors to the north. Bayley, a founding father of Newbury VT is said to have started the road in 1776 with a six mile section from Newbury to Peacham. Hazen took over construction in 1779 and completed the section from Peacham to Hazen’s Notch in Lowell, VT. The road was forty miles short of its original destination, St. Johns Quebec. The British soon discovered that the road could be easily travelled in either direction and used it to conduct raids into Vermont. Oh, well, another good idea conceived in beer gone awry. After the war, the Bayley-Hazen was used to travel the area and eventual became what it is today: a mix of amusing twisty pavement, easy to ride well maintained dirt roads and a few challenging sections that we’ll cover in the Hero Section side bar. The route is suitable for dual-sports, adventure bikes and anything that loves dirt roads. It helps to have good tires for dirt sections. I would not attempt the hero sections without knobbies, although I’m sure someone, somewhere has probably completed it on a woefully under equipped bike. I began my tour at the P&H Truck Stop on US-302. You can buy gas and food here and there is a nice diner that serves traditional style food. After the P&H there is no gas directly on the route -- although you can get services near-by. After leaving P&H, ride into Well River on US-302 until you intersected US-5. To find the start of the Bayley-Hazen, turn left onto US-5 and follow it north for approximately 2 tenth of a mile. As you round a left hand corner, watch for a Bible Hill Rd on your left. The turn is a hard left up a steep paved hill. Bible Hill Road flows along as nice narrow twisty road. Eventually it becomes dirt which signals the start of South Bayley-Hazen road. Approximately 5.2 miles from the beginning of Bible Hill Road is Ryegate Corners. Here the paved road bears right and North Bayley-Hazen goes straight as dirt road. There is a historic marker sign here, marking the road. Follow North Baily-Hazen Road to Mosquitoville. Here, you pass a cemetery and then a small, yellow church building; after the church, you come to a small, triangular green; bear left at the green onto Schoolhouse Road, a narrow dirt track. Schoolhouse road winds through the woods until it comes to T-intersection. Turn right onto Farrow Farm Road. Shortly after turning onto Farrow Farm Road, the road appears to continue straight, but to follow Farrow Farm Road, keep left and ride the hard left hand turn. Follow Farrow-Farm Road until you come to the intersection with the Peacham-Barnet Road (paved). Take a left onto Peacham-Barnet Road and then a right onto the Peacham-Groton Road. In a bit under .3 of mile take a right onto Elkins Way. Elkins Way is a small dirt road that looks like someone’s driveway. The road travel close between a house and a barn, then scrambles up a small hill. When I road this in September, the road was heavily eroded here due a washout. The road becomes the Bayley-Hazen Rd here and enters into a peaceful section of woods. In a short distance, the Bayley-Hazen Rd emerges into a small cluster of houses. Keep left until you come back to pavement. Take a right onto South Main Street and ride towards Peacham Center. The Peacham Store and Peacham Cafe is on your left. I didn’t stop at the Peacham Café, but their menu has a good selection of breakfast and lunch items, including Fresh Baked pastries and pies. If you’re in need of break, the Peacham Café looks like a great choice. After passing the Peacham Café, travel 1.7 miles then bear left off the pavement onto a narrow dirt road (Bayley-Hazen Road) and follow it through the woods. The Bayley-Hazen continues along on as a class 3 dirt road for the next 4.4 miles, until it intersects with US-2. Take a left on US-2 and travel .9 of a mile to West Shore Road on the right (dirt). West Shore Road travels down the western edge of Joe’s Pond. As you ride, you have views through the trees of the pond to the east. Travel approximately 2 miles on West Shore Road and then take a sharp left onto Cabot Plains Road. Travel on Cabot Plains Road for 1.4 miles until you reach a T-intersection. Take a right turn onto Cabot Plains road (yes, that is correct; turn right off of Cabot Plains Road onto Cabot Plains Road; remember, we’re in the Northeast Kingdom and that’s how it’s done here). In .2 of mile, the Bayley-Hazen road turns off to the right on a narrow dirt road. The road is an easily travelled class 4 dirt road with one small scramble up a hill at the beginning. Follow this road for about a mile until you come to pavement and route 215. Take a right turn onto route 215 and follow that to Vermont-15. Turn left onto VT-15 and ride 2.3 miles; then take a right onto Bayley-Hazen Road. There is a green sign marking the historic road on the street sign. Follow the Bayley-Hazen Road 2.9 miles to Belfry Road. Take left onto Belfry/Noyestar Road (dirt) and follow it out to VT-16 (paved). Ride approximately .9 mile on VT-16 and then take a left onto Baylay-Hazen Road. The road hooks back to the left and then winds along as a narrow dirt road. After a short bit, the road merges with Hardwick Street (paved). Ride on Hardwick Street for approximately 1.5 miles, until you come to a four-way intersection with a softball field on the right corner. Go straight across the intersection onto Lake Shore Road (dirt). Lake Shore Road parallels the western short of Caspian Lake. As you ride, there are nice views of the lake to the south and east. You will pass a monument marking a block house location and the spot where Constant Bliss and Moses Sleeper where killed by Native Americans. Follow Lake Shore Road approximately 2 miles. You will come to an intersection with Circus Road; the Bayley-Hazen Road continues straight as a narrow double-track, class-4 dirt road. Continue on this section for 1.3 miles until you come to East Craftsbury Road (a.k.a. Ketchum Hill Road). Take a left onto Ketchum Hill Road and ride for 1.4 miles to Creek Road. Take a left onto Creek Road and ride .6 mile. Take a right onto Kings Farm Road and then ride approximate 1.5 miles to Strong Road. Take a left onto Strong Road and ride to a T-intersection with North Craftsbury Road. Take a right onto North Craftsbury Road and follow it until it becomes Wylie Hill Road. Wylie Hill Road is a narrow, gravel road, running through the woods. It begins with a moderately steep downhill that could be loose, depending on recent weather. Ride Wylie Hill Road until it comes to a T-intersection with VT-14. It is now time to decide: hero section or no hero section? Read the Bayley-Hazen Road hero section description to help you choose. If choose to skip the hero, turn right and ride 1.8 miles and then take a right onto Water Street. Travel Water Street until it intersects with Center Hill Road. Take a left onto Center Hill Road (dirt) and follow it to Center Road. Take a left onto Center Road and follow to a fork, where Delano Road continues straight and a Chamberlin Hill Road forks right. Take the right fork onto Chamberlin Hill Road. Chamberlin Hill Road is a pretty, narrow dirt road winding through hills, among farms and then woods and then farms again. After 2.9 miles you will come to an intersection with Creek Road. Take a left turn onto Creek Road and follow 3.2 miles to the town green in Irasburg. Ray’s Market is on your right as you ride around the green. Ray’s is a small town market with produce, a real meat counter and a small selection of grocery items. Ray’s is open Monday through Saturday. In Irasburg, take a left on Park Avenue and then a right onto VT-14. Follow VT-14 1.2 miles to a fork, where VT-58 splits off to the left. Ride 6.8 miles on VT-58 to Irish Hill Rd on your left. Irish Hill Road is a dirt road. Approximately 2 miles up Irish Hill Road is the north end of the hero section. Continue on Irish Hill Road until it intersects with VT-100. Turn right on VT-100 and ride a short distance to VT-58 on your left. VT-58, known locally as Hazen Notch Road, begins as a paved curvy road with a nice meander. It then becomes a dirt road as you ride through the woods to Montgomery center, where there is food, gas and stores. Enjoy your adventure on Bayley-Hazen Road. I enjoyed mine and plan on coming back soon! Resources Turn-by-Turn Riding directions GPX waypoints and track Cross Vermont.org History of the Bayley-Hazen Road  (include directions) Bayley-Hazen Road history - Fredeick W. Baldwin The Bayley-Hazen Hero Section If you’re up for a challenge, consider including the hero section on your Bayley Hazen ride. The hero section is rocky, contains ledges and is uphill if you’re riding south to north. It is a bit easier to ride the section north-to-south, because you’re descending the steep ledges rather than bullying your way up. I highly recommend a true dual-sport for the hero section. I have seen large bikes, like a BMW GS, tackle it, but it is a lot of work and you better have friends willing to help push. Bikes like DR-650 and the KLR650 are the largest bikes I would recommend. Regardless of what you ride, I do not recommend riding the section alone. It is remote and if you have an issue you’ll be a long way from help. I can’t say if your cell phone will work there, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t. To reach the south end of the Hero section, from Wylie Hill Rd, turn right on VT-14 and travel 2 miles to New Street. Ride New Street approximately 1 mile to Bayley-Hazen on the right. The road is a civilized class 3 road here. As you travel, the road becomes a farm road, double-track and then eventually a wider, rocky trail. Be prepared for large stones, loose rock and ledges. Eventually, the road emerges out into a field and then joins Irish Hill Road at a T-intersection. Take a left to rejoin the large bike route. In all, the hero section is approximately 4 miles in length. It ascents around 660 feet and then descends about 650 feet, including a section where it rises 548 feet in 1.7 miles. The steepest grade you’ll encounter is around 8%. It’s not that steep, as hills go, but the road surface combined with the grade makes for a challenge section, especially if you’re on a bigger bike.

Dirt Road Highway - Pittsford to Huntington

Estimated Mileage : 64 miles Estimated Time : 2 hours and 30 minutes No one likes to be over dressed for a party. It can feel that way when you’re riding your knobby-tired dual-sport down a paved road, chugging along, wobbling the knobs into oblivion. You’re looking for dirt or gravel roads, but sometimes to get from here-to-there you to ride on pavement -- you don’t have a choice. Or do you? This route takes you from Pittsford, VT to Mossy Glen Falls in Stowe, VT – a route of approximately 100 miles – with as little pavement as possible. There are stretches of mild class 4 roads, but the route is mainly scenic Vermont class 3 dirt roads. In all, the route is suitable for larger adventure touring bikes and riders seeking relaxation over gnar (or those who are looking to link sections of gnar by traveling on dirt). Begin at Keith’s Country Store and Deli on US-7 in Pittsford, where you can get gas and deli sandwiches. (Note: Pittsford is easily confused with Pittsfield. The two towns are at nearly the same latitude, but are separated by the spine of the Green Mountains and the town of Chittenden; Pittsford on the west and Pittsfield on the east). Head north on US-7 and take your first right turn onto Plains Rd toward the Pittsford town offices. Go .9 of mile: at the fork bear left onto Sugar Hollow Road and begin your dirt road travels. Sugar Hill road is a pleasant, flowing road. In 2.6 miles, the road becomes Birch Hill Road. Stay on Birch Hill Road until you come to T-intersection at McConnell Rd. Turn right onto McConnell road and travel 1.5 miles to VT-73. (When travelling this route North to South, look for a cemetery immediately before the turn onto Birch Hill Rd). VT-73, also known as Brandon Gap, is paved. Ride a nice twisty section of pavement for 2.1 miles until you see Town Hill Rd on the left. At the intersection, there is a sign for Goshen, the Blueberry Area and the Green Mountain National forest. Take the left onto Town Hill Road. Watroba’s General Store -- on VT-73 just before the turn onto Town Hill Road – has creemee’s, food and a nice outdoor eating area with picnic tables and umbrellas. Town Hill Road becomes Carlisle Hill Road, which becomes the Goshen Road (a.k.a. Forest Road 32). For the next 9 miles, you will be surrounded by the Green Mountain National Forest in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area . The Moosalamoo Recreational Area is 16,000 acres of forest, hiking trails, camping, and lakes. There is no off-road riding within the boundaries of the Recreational area. After 3.7 miles on the Goshen Road, you will come to the Blueberry Hill Inn . The Inn was built in the 1800’s and sits in a picturesque setting, at the foot of Romance Mountain (seriously). The inn hosts many special events, so reservations are strongly recommended if you’d like to stay over night here. There are two campgrounds within the Moosalamoo area. The Silver Lake Campground is on Silver Lake Road – a two mile side trip off our route (approximately 2.4 miles from the VT-73 junction). The campground is a small primitive campground that requires .6 mile hike from the parking area. There is no fresh drinking water at the campground, so plan ahead if you want to stay there. The Moosalamoo Campground is located on the Goshen Road, 6.5 miles from the junction with VT-73. The campground has 19 campsites in a wooded setting, along a campground loop road. There is drinking water and vault toilets at the campground. The Voter Brook Overlook, located off the Moosalamoo Campground road, has fine views of the Lake Champlain Valley and Adirondacks and is a worthy side trip, even if you have no plans to stay at the campground. There are several picnic tables there and it makes an excellent lunch spot. The Gosham Dam, 4.8 miles from the VT-73 junction, is also an excellent side trip. The dam creates a tranquil lake with swimming and you can walk out across the top of the dam. The narrow side road that leads to the parking area can be loose and rocky and more closely resembles at class 4 road than a groomed road. Use care, as cars travelling in the opposite direction usually drive in the middle of the road. The Goshen road ends, after 9 miles of dirt, on VT-125, a great paved road. Take a left onto VT-125 and head west approximately .7 of a mile and turn right onto Natural Turnpike Road (Forest Road 59). The Natural Turnpike starts out paved, but eventually becomes a well groomed class-4 road before ending in Lincoln. To follow the Natural Turnpike, bear left at the fork with Peddler Bridge Road and head up the hill. After approximately 3.5 miles you will come to a fork at Steam Brook Road. The Natural Turnpike is the left fork. The Natural Turnpike becomes South Lincoln Road. Follow South Lincoln Road until you reach the pavement on East River Road/Lincoln Gap Road. Turn Left onto East River Road and ride into the center of Lincoln. The Lincoln General store, in Lincoln center, sells food and drinks, but no gas. Turn right at the store onto Quaker Street (paved; becomes dirt). Follow Quaker Street .8 to Downingsville Rd. Take a right onto Downingsville Road and follow it for 5.1 miles. You will see the Jerusalem Country Store and VT-17 on your right. Take a right and ride the short connector road to VT-17. The Jerusalem Country Store has food and gas. Take a right turn onto VT-17 and travel .4 mile. Take a Left turn onto Robert Young Road. Follow Robert Young Road 1.9 miles to Upper Meehan Road. Take a right onto Upper Meehan Road and follow it to a T-intersection with Meehan Road. Take a right onto Meehan Road. Follow Meehan Road to Ireland Road. Take a left onto Ireland Road and follow it to VT-116. Take a right onto VT-116 and travel 2.6 miles on pavement to the center of Starksboro. There is a general store in Starksboro, but no gas. Take a right turn onto Big Hollow Road and ride steeply up the hill. Ride 4.2 miles on Big Hollow Road. Take a slight right turn onto Shaker Mountain Road. As you crest over the high point on Shaker Mountain Rd, there are fine views of Camels Hump and the Huntington River valley. Follow Shaker Mountain Rd to the Huntington Main Road. Turn left onto the Huntington Main Road. Travel .8 mile to Huntington Center (Fire Station; Town Offices; no store or gas) and turn right onto Camels Hump Road. Travel .6 mile on Camels Hump Road and turn left at the farm onto Taft Road and ride steeply uphill. Ride until Taft Road hits a T-intersection with East Street. Turn left onto East Street and follow it 1.6 miles to Huntington Village. Beaudry’s Store in Huntington village has food, creemee’s and gas. This ends part-1 of the Dirt Road Highway. The next section takes us from Huntington to Stowe on dirt roads. Map Pittsford to Lincoln Lincoln to Huntington Main Rd Huntington Main Rd to Huntington Center

Seeing It All - The 251 Club of Vermont

Get to really know Vermont - visit all 251 towns Dr. Arthur Wallace-Peach was the retired Director of the Vermont Historical Society and an author at Vermont Life magazine, when he challenged Vermonters to visit every town in the state. “One real way to know Vermont is to visit every town in the state,” he said. Peach formed the 251 Club of Vermont to acknowledge those who completed his challenge, visiting all 246 towns and 5 unincorporated areas in Vermont. He was also the club’s first member. Completing the 251 Club challenge is ideal for a motorcyclists, since it requires a lot of riding. Motorcyclist Donna Soltura got a gift membership to the 251 Club of Vermont for her birthday last summer and she immediately liked the idea of visiting every town in Vermont. “I’m a New Englander and I just love the vistas we have”, she said. “The Church steeples and the New England towns are so beautiful.” Soltura has taken up the challenge with great enthusiasm. She has ridden her Yamaha FJR1300 extensively in New England and Vermont is her favorite New England state for riding. “I love to show friends Vermont,” she said. “You can’t pick a bad road anywhere”. Although she is only partially through her quest, she already has great memories. The Vermont Country Store in North Clarendon, the Weston Priory , Texas Falls in Hancock, the Warren store , the Path of Life Garden in Windsor and the  Hope Cemetery in Barre are some of her favorites. The Hope Cemetery is “like going through a museum”, she said. Soltura enjoys motorcycle touring and the way riding adds to the experience of touring. “We tend to talk to people in ways we wouldn’t otherwise when we’re on a bike,” she said. The 251 Club of Vermont is open to all. A $10 enrollment fee, plus a $8 annual membership fee (or $35 for 5 years) gets you a profile on the club’s web site – where you can track your progress -- three newsletters per year, a map, a town checklist, and an invitation to attend the club’s semiannual dinners. When you start your quest, you are a “Minus” member: your status being 251 minus the number of towns you have yet to visit. When you reach 251, you become a “Plus” member, and receive a Plus membership card and acknowledgment in the club’s Wayfarer newsletter. The best part of the 251 Club, though, is the journey. How many Vermont towns have you visited? Make this summer the year you take on the Doctor’s challenge, so you can say you really know Vermont – that you’ve seen it all. Related 251 Club of Vermont

Cyclewise Ducati-Vermont Wants To See You At The Track!

Cyclewise Ducati Vermont makes it easy to get started with track days! Cyclewise Ducati-Vermont in New Haven wants to see you on the race track! “I’ll do whatever I can to get you there”, said Robbie Devoid, Parts Manager and organizer of the Cyclewise Track Day Club. The New Haven Vermont Ducati-Suzuki dealer began sponsoring track days for their customers several years ago and they now regularly bring twenty or more riders to track events. This season the dealership is sponsoring six track days, including days at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire, the New York Safety Track in Jefferson, New York and Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut. Cyclewise frequently partners with Fishtail Riding School for events. “We really like Fishtail, because they’re all about instruction,” Devoid said. Fishtail has a strong emphasis on learning and developing rider skills. New riders are matched with an instructor in groups of three to four riders and there is classroom instruction in between track sessions. Cyclewise makes the track day experience easy for their customers, beginning with helping riders prepare. Devoid calls each rider before the event to make sure their bikes are ready. He also takes care of event registration and many other logistics. Gear is sometimes a hurdle for new track riders. Fortunately, Cyclewise has you covered there as well (pun intended). They have 10 track suits available for rent, ranging in size from 40 to 48. The help doesn’t end with gear. Customers bring their bikes to the dealership the day before the event and the Cyclewise team runs through bike prep and technical inspection -- free of charge. They also help with minor suspension adjustments. Because the technical inspection is done at the shop, small problems are fixed easily. After prepping the bikes, Cyclewise loads them into trailers for transport to the track. Without the transportation service, customers would have to ride their bikes to the track or find another means of transporting them. The group travels together and either camps at the track or rents hotel rooms nearby. They frequently have a group meal the night before the event. Once at the track, the Cyclewise crew keeps working to make sure things go smoothly. “When someone has a problem were on them like white on rice,” said Devoid. If a rider has a mechanic issue or falls down, the Cyclewise crew works to get them back on the track again, so they miss as little time as possible. The group travels with a fully equipped race trailer, complete with tools, power and compressor. Camaraderie is a big part of the experience and fun is definitely at the forefront. A good example of how fun rules the day is the track day rubber chicken, which is awarded to the rider who does something outstanding during the day. “It can be an epic save, advancing really fast or just someone who showed really good body position on the bike”, said Devoid. “It’s recognition for anything outstanding.” The winner of the award is responsible for passing the award on to the next rider, so it pretty much guarantees they’ll ride the next track day. Whether you’re an experienced rider looking to join a group or a newbie looking for guidance, the Cyclewise crew wants you to come along. To join the fun, contact at Cyclewise, (802) 388-0669. Beware, though: you might start an addiction that will be hard to stop. Related Fishtail Riding School yclewise Ducati Vermont

CCC Learn to Ride Day

The annual Lean to Ride Day put on by the Cycle Conservation Club of Vermont is a great way to learn dirt skills or try a trials bike.  The CCC of Vermont organizes group dual-sport rides throughout the summer. For information on their rides and club membership, see their website .

Vermont 17, the App-Gap, In Poor Condition, But Isn't A Priority

The App-Gap used to be a Vermont Gem. Now the road is full of bumps, cracks and dips and is dangerous to ride. Vermont-17, the App Gap, is known among New England motorcyclists as one of the best motorcycle roads in region. Packing 59 turns in the tight, technical six miles between Starksboro and Waitsfield, the App-Gap is everything a mountain road should be: scenic, challenging and flowing. The road is a “must ride” tourist attraction for motorcyclists, cyclists and leaf peepers. The Killington Classic motorcycle rally features the Gap as part of the “Green Serpent” tour and Americade – a Lake George NY motorcycle rally – includes it in their Vermont High Gaps tour. Climbing from 637 feet in Bristol to 2,378 feet at the high point, road bicyclists view the road as a test. The annual Green Mountain Stage Race bicycle race ends its mountain stage at the parking lot at Appalachian Gap and cyclists regularly challenge themselves with the climb as part of the fabled Vermont gap rides. But, when out-of-state motorcyclists ask for a road recommendation, I no longer send them over the Gap. The Agency of Transportation lists the road in “poor condition” and it has become increasingly dangerous to ride. The Agency of Transportation is well aware of the road's condition. Two years ago, highway crews began posting "bump" signs, followed by "bumpier" and "bumpiest". Every two years, crews measure the condition of State maintained secondary roads. A sophisticated survey van, equipped with cameras and sensors is driven over the roads. The sensors measure roughness and take measurements to determine rutting. High resolution cameras record the amount of cracking and give engineers additional data on road conditions. The data is then put into a computer model for analysis. The model projects the road's condition into the future. Engineers can apply different treatments and fixes to the road through the model and project the improvement possible with various treatments. Roads that show the most improvement -- after factoring in cost and usage -- rise to the top of the State’s priority list. For the App Gap, becoming a high priority is a challenge. “It’s a tough call for a road that sees so little traffic,” said Mike Hedges, Director of Asset Management for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The road requires a major project to bring it back up to standard. Because of the high project cost, relative to usage, the road doesn’t rank high on the purely objective criteria that drives eighty-percent of the State’s road repair budget. The remaining twenty-percent of the road budget is more discretionary. Local and Regional planning boards have input into the discretionary budget which can consider factors like safety, tourism and economic development. The Gap is shared between Chittenden, Washington and Addison Counties, which have varying priorities towards tourism and economic development. Road Safety Heather Ragsdale of Starksboro lives on Vermont 17 and has seen more than her share of motorcycle accidents. Ragsdale’s house is at the beginning of the twisty section of App-Gap and riders frequently stop at her house to use the phone after a crash (there is little to no cell coverage in the Gap). She has even had motorcycles crash on her front lawn. In June she decided try to raise awareness of the dangers of the road. She posted a sign on the west end of the Gap showing the number of days since the last motorcycle crash. Ragsdale and her sons made it a family project to maintain the count all summer. “The longest we went without a crash this summer was something like 23 days”, Ragsdale said in late-September. “Sometimes on weekends, there would be 2 or 3 [accidents] in a day”. The sign is a stark reminder of how frequent crashes have become on the road. “It’s not 100% accurate,” Ragsdale said. She counts crashes by the number of riders who show up at her house asking for assistance. He neighbors also report crashes to her when riders show up at their houses. Given that some falls do not require outside assistance, one can guess that the actual number of crashes is higher than the multiple crashes per week that Ragsdale is able to report. The number of actual crashes is certainly higher than the number reported to the State of Vermont each year. Between 2009 and 2013, the official number of crashes in the Gap was 17, including one fatality in 2009. In 2014, the State only has numbers for June, when there were 3 crashes. The statistics gap isn’t hard to figure out: State law requires only crashes involving an injury or property damage in excess of $3,000 to be reported. Undoubtedly, many motorcyclists would prefer not to report their accident. But, because many crashes go unreported, decision makers see only a partial picture when evaluating road safety. By definition, when a road is rated in poor condition – as the App Gap is currently -- ruts and cracks require corrective action by the driver. Mid-corner bumps, longitudinal cracks, pavement ripples in braking zones and washboards wreak havoc with motorcycle suspensions as riders try to keep the credit card sized contact patch gripped to the surface. When a rider does get injury in the Gap, you can be sure they will have to wait before help arrives. Calls go to a central dispatcher and crews are then dispatched from Bristol or Waitsfield to reach the scene. First responders could easily be 30 minutes or more away – a delay which could be crucial in a serious accident. Factoring transport to the nearest emergency room, the time between crash and full medical attention could easily be more than an hour. Road Improvements
“I haven’t seen a project triggered on that piece of road through 2017,” Mike Hedges said, when reviewing planned projects. Hedges understand motorcyclists concerns about the road, because he is a rider (BMW R75S). He said that road priorities are reviewed annually and the Gap could see a project in 2016, depending on other priorities in the system. Without repairs, the future is easy to project: the road will continue to deteriorate. Safety and ride quality will continue to decline and what was once one of the best motorcycle roads in the Northeast will become an embarrassment, best hidden from view. Related Why Vermont Should Care About Motorcycle Tourism Vermont Highway Safety Data Vermont Makes Improvement For Riders It isn’t all bad news for motorcyclists when it comes to State roads. Vermont has made some road changes specifically with motorcycle safety in mind, said Mike Hedges, Director of Asset Management for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Crack sealer – also known as “tar snakes” and worse by riders – used to be 5 inches wide. The State has reduced their width to 2 inches and the Vermont specification requires the fill to be flush filled. Vermont is the only state in the country that requires a crushed glass additive in the thermoplastic road stripes used at intersections. The Vermont spec requires that the stripes by thinner and less intrusive and the additive improved traction on the stripes.

Adirondack Slow Ride

Motorcycling on the Adirondack slow roads. Riding along Cedar River Road, deep in the Adirondacks, I spooked a blue heron. He took off, rose to ten feet, spread his wings and began to sail. I blipped my throttle and coasted to match his pace. He rose and fell, following the undulations and gentle curves of the road, never rising higher. I matched his speed – not faster or slower – and for moment flew with this beautiful bird. I wouldn’t have had this experience if I had been ripping along at 70 mph. Don’t get me wrong – I like to ride with some “gusto” -- but that was not the purpose of this trip. My wife and I set out to find the slow roads in the Adirondacks: the roads where you ride at 35 and see more by travelling less. The northern Adirondacks are known to have great fast paced, paved roads: ideal for covering ground through the mountain landscape. Living in Vermont and being only an hour east of the Adirondacks, I’ve grown to know and love many of these roads. We chose Schroon Lake as our basecamp for this mission. Schroon is a town of 1,600 residents in eastern NY State, just west of Crown Point and Northwest of Lake George. The nine-mile long lake is surrounded by woods, camps and cottages. On the west shore is US-9 and the Town of Schroon Lake. Coming from Vermont, we crossed Lake Champlain by the Crown Point bridge on VT-17, then travelled south on NY-22. Our original plan was to ride County-road 2, past Penfield Pond, but because it was raining and we were fighting darkness, we chose to ride to Ticonderoga then west on NY-74. NY-74 begins fast and straight, but then twists in magnificent ways as it kinks through Eagle Lake and then Paradox Lake. Riding late on a Friday afternoon in August, I was surprised by how little traffic was heading west with us. The next morning we set out on our mission to ride the Moose River Plains road (more on this later). Looking to get into the dirt early, we headed south and took a right off US-9 onto Horseshoe Pond Road, a seasonal road that runs to CR-24. It started off nice enough, as the pavement slowly gave way to gravel. The road then narrowed and revealed a rougher, rocky side, like a Vermont class four road. Navigating the road on a dual-sport with knobbies was not difficult, but a larger bike with street oriented tires may have found the road challenging. At the end of Horseshoe Pond Road, we turned left onto CR-24 and then make a quick left onto CR-34, Trout Pond Road. Trout Pond Road is a typical Adirondack county road with smooth fast pavement, tight technical curves and plenty of fun. The more I know about the Adirondacks, more I’ve learned to look for the blue and gold signs that mark county roads, as they’re a sure sign of fun. Trout Pond Road is a country road that will not disappoint. After Trout Pond Road, we ride Route 28, along the Hudson River west to Cedar River road. Cedar River road twists and turns, rising and falling with gentle swells as it turns from pavement to dirt. This is exactly the type of road we’re looking for: relaxed and easy, surrounded by woods. We stop to take a photo. When we return, a park ranger rolled up. I was ready for what came next. “Where are you folks headed?” she asks. “We’re planning on riding the Moose River Plains Road through to Inlet,” I explain. The ranger tells us that she’ll have to ticket us if we proceed. I explained that I had thoroughly researched the road and had even contacted NY’s DEC to learn the regulations. She told me that DEC was incorrect: the road is open to all types of motor vehicles – cars, pickup trucks, station wagons, mini-vans, SUV’s, campers – everything except for motorcycles . The Moose River Plains Road runs approximately 28 miles, from end of Cedar River Road through to Inlet NY on NY-28, through the Moose River Plains Wild Forest. MRP offers hiking, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding and primitive camping in roadside camp sites. The camp sites have privies, fireplaces and tent pads. Camping is free. None of this is available if you ride a motorcycle. The history of how Moose River Plains became off-limits to motorcycles is murky. The ranger tells us how Hells Angels terrorize the park in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. The only recourse was to make the area off-limits to motorcycles. Apparently, the prospect of getting a ticket was sufficient to scare them off. After getting turned around on the Cedar River Road, we headed west on NY-28 to Raquette Lake to ride the Uncas Road. Raquette Lake is the largest natural lake in the Adirondacks with 99 miles of shoreline. Eighty percent of the shoreline is now protected wilderness. The Lake is known as home of the Adirondack Great Camps style of architecture, started by William West Durant. The Great Camps where private retreats for the wealthy. Built during the 19th century, the camps were designed around natural materials to blend with the surroundings. Camp Sagamore on NY-28 is a Great Camp compound open to the public for tours during the summer months. The Uncas Road (a.k.a. Browns Tract Rd) is a 9 mile long, mostly dirt road that runs from Raquette Lake to Inlet, running through woods, dotted with hunting camps. At the north end, there is a campground on the 146 acre Brown Tract Pond . The campground provides campsites with picnic tables and fireplaces, showers, and flush toilets. If the Moose River Plain Road ever opens to motorcycles, combine the Uncas road with Moose River Plains to make long, mostly dirt road loop. After a long day of riding, we were hungry for good food. Mr. P’s Mountain Smokehouse, Artisan Barbecue & Craft Cookery on Schroon Lake’s main street serves brisket, fried catfish filets, and pork ribs with sides of bleu cheese cole slaw, hazelnut green beans, mustard & dill potato salad and honeyed corn bread. Mr P’s was exactly what we needed. Sunday morning is the perfect time for a lake shore ride. The barely paved Adirondack Rd runs through a tall pine forest along Schroon Lake’s eastern shore, to the small town of Adirondack. From there, we headed past the remote Beaver Pond and then to Palisades Road on the north shore of Brant Lake. Palisades Road twists on a narrow strip of smooth pavement between the Lake on one side and shore side camps on the other. We finished our lake side loop with Bean Road – a seasonal dirt road – which brings us to East Schroon River road: a smooth piece of pavement running past the southern end of Schroon Lake. Our next stop was Tahawus, a ghost town northeast of Newcomb, NY. The road to Tahawas, CR-25, is long and straight, smooth and beautiful – an attraction in its own right. The view from the upper portion of the road – just past the turn off for the trails and the ghost town makes it worthwhile. Tahawas was built to mine and smelt iron ore during the 1800’s. Ore was harvest from the Upper Works from 1827 to 1857 and smelt in a 2500 degree blast finance, operated on the site from 1854 to 1856. Impurities in the ore made processing difficult and the operation closed down in 1857. The Preston Ponds hunting and fishing club (operating under a variety of names) leased the land from 1876 until 1989. Several of their buildings remain on the site. In 2003 the Open Space Institute purchased the land, including the headwaters of the Hudson River. The OSI installed railings and interpretive panels around the blast furnace, preserving and generally civilized the site. Today, the ghost town sits at the end of the road, just outside a parking lot for the High Peaks hiking trails. The trails are heavily used and traffic through the middle of the site detracts from the “ghost town” appeal. From Tahawus, we headed back to Vermont on the 19 mile long Blue Ridge Rd. Blue Ridge runs from NY-28 in Newcomb to US-9 in North Hudson. NY. Blue Ridge starts with a series of 50 mph kinks that will make you smile and then opens into a fast flowing run east. When you pass the abandon theme park Frontier Town – a modern ghost town – the road is nearing its end. Take a left and head north 3 tenths of a mile, then take a right onto Johnson Pond Rd. Johnson Pond road begins as a narrow paved road, snaking its way into the woods, climbing steadily as it goes. As the road levels at the top, it turns to gravel and then dirt, becoming a seasonal road. The road runs through deep woods and a beautiful swamp. It emerges from the dark at Johnson Pond and then merges onto Old Funance Road and then Hogback Road. In total, the dirt section is about 9 miles long and was one of the prettiest stretches of a beautiful ride. Most of the good Adirondack dual sport riding is now shuttered behind locked gates, leaving our quest for the Adirondack Slow Ride somewhat unsuccessful. Still, I’d rate our trip Grade-A. The Adirondacks are filled with interesting stretches of narrow twisty pavement. When you can combine these narrow slices with fast, smooth county and state roads, you’ll find a mix to keep you amused for a weekend or a lifetime. Related Great Camp Sagamore Moose River Plains Tahawus

Road Pitch: Motorcyclists Help Vermont Businesses Grow

Riders listen to Vermont businesses pitch ideas. Offer help and advice. Motorcyclists have a tradition of stopping to help when they see another rider stranded by the side of the road. We’ve been there before: it’s lonely. We know what it’s like, so we stop and lend a hand. Starting a business in rural Vermont can be lonely too, and sometimes getting the right advice can be hard to find. Your friends and neighbors mean well, but most haven’t gone through what you’re experiencing. Enter the 31 motorcyclists of the Fresh Tracks Capital Road Pitch event, here to lend a hand. The Founding Road Pitch Riders are not a motorcycle gang. The group includes business people, consultants, educators, legislators, entrepreneurs and finance people who have experience building businesses and making them successful. The group toured the State August 4th-7th, as part of the inaugural Road Pitch – an event designed to bring knowledge and possible funding to emerging businesses. The format of the event is this: over four days, the Riders toured the State, stopping at eight different venues to listen to companies pitch their business. The pitch had to be 10 minutes or less and cover the company’s story, what makes their product or service compelling, and include an “ask” for help. The ask could be money, a connection, or just advice, but the more specific the ask the better. Following the business pitch, the Riders had ten minutes to ask questions and make suggestions. It was here that the benefit of the Road Pitch showed itself. The questions often forced presenters to rethink basics, like their target market and product branding, or consider a completely new route. Andy’s Dandys , of Richmond, is a good example. Lucie Whiteford and Lesha Rasco told the story of how Whiteford started the company with the goal of providing her son Andrew -- who has Down syndrome -- meaningful employment after high school. Using her personal resources and hard work, Whiteford and her business partner Rasco grew the company and now employ eight people, including four with disabilities. Despite the company’s success, they have reached an impasse: the women want to increase the scale of their operation so they can help more people, but they have reached the limit of their resources. The woman came to the meeting looking for help getting grants to fund a training space and improve their equipment. Through the question and answer period, the idea to pursue a private non-profit funding source arose. That idea sparked the suggestion to reorganize the company as a non-profit, enabling them to have a sustainable funding source, without the constant pursuit of grants. Being a non-profit could also reduce costs. In less than ten minutes an entirely new avenue opened for them. “That’s where I see the value of this was in making information available to these companies,” said Alan Newman, founder of Magic Hat brewing and a Sportster rider. “They are hungry for coaching”. “It’s hard in small town Vermont to find someone to bounce ideas off-of,” said Road Pitch Founder Cairn Cross, of Fresh Tracks Capital. The event was Cross’s idea. He based the format on an event he runs during the winter, called Peak Pitch, where businesses pitch ideas on a chair lift ride. The novelty of a group of motorcyclists touring the state to help businesses spurred participation by both riders and pitchers and attracted news media attention. In all, 39 companies made pitches. The companies ranged in age from a few months to over 30 years. The products and services were diverse, including food and beverage products, like Gringo Jack’s Tortilla Chips , Jehshua’s Chimichura sauce and Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont cocktail sauces; consumer products like Vew-Do Balance Boards and Cloud Farm – a system for bringing gardening to urbanites; commercial products like Ekopolimer who pitched a system for recycling LDPE – the plastic found in shopping bags -- into palettes and other products; and services, like The Click, a company that specializes in helping older entrepreneurs. If there was a common thread to these companies, it was that they want to stay and grow in Vermont. “I want to create jobs and grow a business,” said Barre Pinske, an artist whose company carves bears from trees. Pinske wants to purchase a milling machine to automate production and increase output. “We have a lot of opportunity here in Vermont,” he said. At the start of the Middlebury pitch session, Jamie Gaucher, Director, Middlebury Office of Business Development & Innovation, said, “These companies all have three things in common: Each company wants to locate at least a piece of their operation in Middlebury; each has an aspect of innovation that makes them distinct; and, they have been filtered for being most likely to be successful in this setting.” It is often said that Vermont can be over regulated and hard on business, but Caleb Rick of Ekopolimer didn’t think so. “Every regulator that we have worked with in Vermont has gone out of their way to be helpful,” he said. Because Fresh Tracks is a venture capital firm, the possibility of funding a pitched idea is very real. But, Road Pitch is not a game show or a TV reality series, where the results are scripted to happen within the hour. It is too early to tell whether any company will receive funding as a direct result of the event. “It’s the start of a conversation,” Cross said. Funding is a longer process, Cross explained at the event’s closing press conference. The event was just a beginning. The conversation continues among the Founding Riders on how to make the event better for next year, follow-up with the pitching companies and – like all good motorcycle trips – foster the connections made on the road. Related Fresh Tracks Capital Road Pitch web site

Art on Wheels - An Enthusiast's Event

Ride 'em, Don't Hide 'em As I walk through Stanley Lynde Motorsports, Art on Wheels in Brattleboro, a shirt catches my eye: “Ride ‘em, Don’t hide ‘em”. That’s it! That is why I love this event. Art on Wheels is part bike show, part street fair, part family reunion. During the August Gallery Walk, Brattleboro shuts down Flat Street and turns it over to Stanley Lynde and his motorcycle friends. Bands play on a flatbed truck parked at the far end of the block. Folding chairs line one side of the street; motorcycles line the other. Old friends talk and children play. It is a true enthusiast’s event -- a chance to see something you have never seen before. This year, there was a 1917 Harley Davidson and a custom made, drag bike powered by a small block Chevy V8 engine. There were Ducati’s, Indians, Harley-Davidsons, Suzuki’s, Hondas, BMWs, Kawasaki’s and Vincent’s. Last year there was a Brough Superior, a 78 Harley Davidson XLCR and a Moto Morini 3-½ Sport. The bikes come from Stanley’s customers and friends (if you’re one, you’re likely to be the other). Most are not pristine, classic show bikes. They have not led the garage-kept, privileged life of a meticulous collectible. They have been modified, ridden, crashed and repaired. Each has its story. Like the 1973 Honda CB750 that was entombed in a basement for twelve years. The bike was an unwanted annoyance. It’s owner had purchased a house and the bike was stuck in the basement. Enter, Steve Eisenhauer, from Route 100 Restorations in South Londonderry. “There is a fine line between a passion and a sickness,” Steve says of his love late 60’s and early 70’s Japanese motorcycles. Steve rescued the CB and got it running again. He rode it to Art on Wheels. Friends rode two of his other CB’s to complete the “three CB’s from ‘73” – the 1973 CB750, a 1973 CB 350G and a 1973 CB 350 Scrambler. I found the bikes neatly parked next to each other and talked to Steve. “You can’t expect them to perform like a modern bike,” he says about riding these older bikes. “Every bike has a unique way about it.” Harold Smith’s 1978 BMW R100 is as unique as bike can be. A layer of dirt and rust hides a bunch of “go-fast” goodies. “It’s a sleeper,” Stanley says of the bike. He tells me that its capable of 3rd gear wheelies, if asked. Stan did some work on the bike three-years ago, rebuilding the motor and putting in a Luftmeister clutch. It has a big bore kit, dual-plugs, re-worked valves and other performance modifications. Harold says he hasn’t washed it in all the years he has owned it. The bike has been with him for 100,000 miles – or something like that. Harold is not sure exactly, because the speedometer stopped working 20 years ago at 75,000. “If you ride a bike a hundred thousand miles, you’re bound to have a lot of adventures on it,” he said. Harold was riding the bike when he first met his wife and the two have since ridden it two-up to Nova Scotia and across country. The bike was his daily rider, taking weekend trips around New England. It’s been on high-speed ferry rides and up Colorado mountain passes. Harold recalls taking his nephew to Laconia on the bike, back when the boy was 10 and the races where the AMA Nationals. His nephew is twenty-seven now. These days, he rides the Beamer more than Harold does. “He’ll probably end up with it,” Harold says. It will definitely stay in the family. This year was the fourth Art on Wheels. Lynde got the event onto the Gallery Walk schedule, mainly just to see what would happen and 100 bikes showed up the first year. The event now draws around between 200 and 250 bikes, which is as large as he hopes it will get. “It’s at the point now where it’s manageable. If it becomes too big, then I’ll just have to stop it,” Stan says. I hope it continues– at least until next year -- because I can’t wait to see what will be there. Where to Stay in Brattleboro Looking for a great place to stay in Brattleboro so you can enjoy Art on Wheels to it’s fullest? The Latchis Hotel on the corner of Flat Street and Main is an ideal choice. The Latchis Hotel is an Art Deco style, downtown hotel with rooms ranging from simple twins to full suites. The rooms have character and style and include wifi, TV and unique pieces of art (not flea-market hotel art). The location is ideal. Park your bike and walk to Art on Wheels and Gallery Walk. When you get hungry, enjoy good food and drink in Brattleboro’s downtown. The Fireworks Restaurant is an excellent choice for pizzas and pastas with fresh, local ingredients. The Pizza Bella with garilic shrimp, tomato, fresh mozzarella, arugula and shaved Parmesan is a great choice. A continental breakfast with breads, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt, muffins, coffee and tea is included with your stay at the Latchis -- a good thing, since most of the breakfast places downtown seem to open late.

Putting The Tour Back Into America's Largest Touring Rally

The Adirondacks provide some of the best riding in the Northeast With hundreds of motorcycle vendors at Tour Expo and the roar of Canada Street, it is easy to think of Americade as a “motorcycle-mall” or a seven day parade. While there is truth in these generalizations -- and reason enough to love Americade -- Americade is more. This year, I had three days at Americade and my goal was put the “tour” back into America’s largest motorcycle touring rally. Located in the southern third of the Adirondack Park, Lake George is close to some of the best motorcycle riding in the Northeast. The area is vast -- the Adirondack Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States; full of history – the Park is a National Historic Landmark; and beautiful, with quiet lakes, rivers and mountain vistas. If you go to Americade and see only Canada Street or the Interstate highway you have missed why Americade was located in Lake George to begin with. Each year Americade assembles a series of guided and self-guided tours through the Adirondacks and the Green Mountains. This year, you could choose from six guided tours and five self-guided mini-tours. As if that wasn’t enough, all Americade attendees got a Road Runner magazine tour map with five more recommend rides. The guided tours are for those who like their fun well organized. They are best enjoyed with a CB radio so you can hear the tour guide’s commentary. The group is broken into small waves that have staggered departure times. Each wave proceeds in formation at the posted speed limit. Guided tours are not my style, so I opted for a self-guided mini-tour for my first day of riding and sampled the Road Runner recommendations for my second day. Self-guided Mini-Tour: Olympic Park
The self-guided tours are the perfect combination of freedom and group. Americade provides easy to follow, turn-by-turn directions with mileage. There is no set departure time and you ride at your own pace. There is a catered lunch with drawings and prizes, giving you the opportunity to hang with other riders at lunch. After lunch, you return to Lake George at your own pace, enjoying the freedom and space of the place. I choose the 200+ mile, Olympic Experience tour sponsored by the Rider’s of Kawasaki (ROK) . The lunch stop was at the Olympic Ski Jumping Complex in Lake Placid. The complex is used as a training facility and was the site of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympic ski jumps. There are 90 and 120 meter launch ramps at the complex and three freestyle ski jump practice ramps. The ride to the Olympic complex combines mountain, lake and forest scenery with fast sweeping corners and fun twisty bits. The pavement is good with few potholes or patches and plenty of smooth tarmac. The speed limit is mostly 55 mph, but not overly tight or technical, allowing me keep a fun quasi-legal pace that is engaging and leaves plenty of head space for touring. Arriving at lunch at the bottom of the ski jumps, I was awed by their size. This is clearly a case where the scale of reality does not translate to television. The jumps rise like office towers at the top of a black diamond pitch ski slope. I smile with anticipation when the Americade rep promises a post-lunch ski jump demonstration. The catered BBQ lunch was a choice of meat – brisket, pulled pork, chicken or ribs – coleslaw, potato salad, fresh green garden salad, lemonade and a cookie for dessert. After enjoying my lunch, I watched the athletes jump from the 90 meter jump onto a special grass-like, plastic carpet (road rash anyone?). The jumpers launch themselves at 60-miles per hour off the 20 foot high lip at the jump’s end and sail into the air as the ground drops away beneath them. The jumpers were graceful in the air, sailing on a cushion of air, landing in a Telemark stance. The mini-tour included a pass to ride the elevator to the top of the 120 meter platform and see the jumper’s view from the launch ramp. Watching the jumpers from below is majestic, but seeing the jumper’s point of view from the top of the ramp heightens your respect for their sport. On a clear day, the launch platform provides views of the Adirondacks, Vermont and Canada. As I peered down the ramp at the landing strip below, I wasn’t tempted to give it a try: I’ll stick to sports that keep me on the ground, thank-you! Raquette Lake Tour
For my second day of riding, I choose the Raquette Lake Tour from the Road Runner tour map. Unlike the self-guided mini-tours, the Road Runner tours are completely on your own. The map provides key information, like suggested gas and lunch stops, attractions and vista locations. There is no time table and you’re free to ride and explore at your own pace. Road Runner also provides a GPS download of the route from their web site, so following along is easy. The tour had me riding into the mountains, past Gore Mountain ski area, along the banks of the upper Hudson River, through tall pines and flat water lakes. The sky was mostly overcast and sometimes misty, adding to the drama of the place. This is a mountain tour. My destination for the day was the Great Camp Sagamore, a 27 building Vaderbilt family retreat on Lake Sagamore in Raquette Lake, NY. The buildings were built during the late 1800’s and are now a National Historic Landmark. You can tour the property and buildings May 24th to June 14th on weekends only, or daily between 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., from June 21 st to Labor Day. Since the tour wasn’t running, I walked around the empty grounds, thinking about the days when this was a vacation get away for the super-rich. Returning to the road, I take NY-30 to 28-N, past Long Lake. The road is smooth and fresh, making an easy, pleasant ride to Lake George. Back to Lake George
Riding back into town after 200 miles on the road I’m ready share the ride with my people -- motorcycle people – because they understand my smile. Walking down Canada Street and through Tour Expo, I look at the bikes and talk to other riders. This is why Americade has flourished for over 30 years: it is a special thing to find others who share your passion, the love of the road and the adventures that it holds. Is there a better way to end a day’s ride than talking motorcycles with new friends? I don’t think so. Related Americade Road Runner Magazine Olympic Ski Jump Complex Riders of Kawasaki Map View on Google Maps

Teamwork Makes The Crossroads Rally Work

"We have good people involved" If you want to hold a weekend long party for a couple thousand of your friends, you had better be organized: you will find that it’s a lot of hard work having fun. The organizers of the Crossroads Motorcycle Rally of Vermont know this well. They have learned to work together and have fun, while organizing a complex event with volunteer labor. The Rally is a weekend long affair, running Friday and through Sunday. There is a vendor area, a beer tent, and onsite camping. Live entertainment is a major draw, with bands on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night. This year, they are planning a major car and bike show as a new attraction. Each year, the committee varies the lineup to keep it fresh. “Everything – right down to the toilets – is important”, said Candi Brunell, a rally committee member. Every component of the rally requires organization and follow-through. Camping, for example, requires permits, trucking in water and daily cleaning of twenty-two port-o-lets. There is no onsite electricity, so a generator large enough to power amplifiers, PA system and stage lights is needed. Security and traffic control require coordinating local police and outside contractors. Sponsorship is important to their success. “We don’t have any money to work with, so we have to get sponsors to donate,” Candi said. Sponsors have been generous with the Rally. “People help out – it’s the Vermont way – people being decent and supportive,” she said. Fundraising provides the remainder of the money needed to bootstrap the event. The group holds a Calcutta, a bike wash and various raffles to raise seed money for permits, advertising, insurance and deposits. In all, an estimated $10 thousand dollars is required to get the gates open each year. How it Began
The Rally grew from the void created by the demise of the Mad Rally in Waitsfield. “The [Flying Hogs] Riding Group started it”, said Ted Brunell, President of the Flying Hogs. “The Mad Rally had stopped and we were looking for something to take it’s place”, he said. The Mad Rally lacked camping, which The Hogs viewed as a major drawback. “There wasn’t any camping at the Waitsfield rally and we really wanted there to be some way for people to camp”, Ted said. Ted and his wife Candi own a shop in Waterbury and chose Farr’s field on US Route 2, near the intersection of Vermont Route 100 because of it’s central location. “We wanted it to be at the crossroads of Vermont. Motorcycling involves all different kinds of people, from every walk of life, and we wanted it to reflect that,” Candi said. Once the idea was set in motion, the organizing committee formed and began to meet. It was about a year between the group’s first meeting and the first rally. The committee has met every two to three weeks ever since, checking on progress, discussing ideas and covering new business. Ultimately It’s Teamwork
I attended one of the committee’s meetings, held in the “Hog Pen” – the Flying Hog’s private club above Ted’s garage. The group runs smoothly with a Roberts Rules, “old business”, “new business” formality on one hand, and good-natured heckling that breaks into warm, loud laughter on the other. Clearly, this group enjoys each other’s company while getting work done. “It’s been very much a learning process,” Candi said. The committee is continually looking for ways to improve the rally and is very open to feedback. Starting right after the rally, “We talk about what we did wrong and how we can make it better,” she said. It’s the quality of the committee that makes it all work though. “We have good people involve,” Ted said. “People you can trust – who will do their job – people you can count on.” Getting People There
The rally draws people from all over the northeastern United States and Quebec. In the first two years, there have been registrations from as far away as Pennsylvania and Ohio. “One of the challenges we’ve had is – we’re in the media, people know about us far-and-wide – but people in our own area don’t seem to know about us,” said Chris Wood, Treasurer. “We really want to get a base, right here, locally in New England.” To get the word out to local riders, the group is holding a bike night the third Wednesday of the month in May, June and July at Mulligan’s pub in Barre. They are also attending local HOG club meetings, dealer events and bike nights around the state. This year’s Crossroads Motorcycle Rally is July 20 – 22, in Waterbury VT (see below for a link to this year's rally) . The headlining bands are  Cry Havoc (Friday night), Willie Edwards Blues Band , Jimme T Thurston (Saturday afternoon) and North East Xperiment (Saturday night). There will be a car and bike show, vendors, a body painting contest and Ms. Crossroads contest. This year’s rally will benefit the Make a Wish Foundation of Vermont . For complete information, see the posting in the Event section.

Building an SV650 Track Bike: Part 3 - Assembly

Putting the pieces together and starting it up Putting together a budget SV650 track bike takes time, patience and the ability to follow directions. It helps to have a budget that includes funds for the unexpected and an enthusiastic expert who can provide ready advice. To recap, our project is building a budget track bike from a lightly crashed SV650. Our goal was to purchase the bike and retrofit it for $2,500. Our track bike builder, Jean, is working through her first major project. The project requires disassembling and replacing approximately half of the chassis. "I didn't know anything when I started. It wasn't too hard to figure out", said Jean, "I just had to follow directions" Upgrading from an stock SV front end to a GSXR 600 or 750 front end replaces the OEM components with a fully adjustable, track ready setup. The swap is bolt-on, meaning you do not have to fabricate components to install it. Jean purchased forks, controls, triple clamps, bearings, steering stops, steering dampener, front fender, wheel and brakes. Used forks, triple clamps and bearings can often be found sold together on eBay. Occasionally, the entire front-end can be found as a unit, but these are harder to find. In Jean's case, she purchased a GSXR-600 front end. The steering stops on the GSXR do not align with stops on the SV. The stops can be fabricated or purchased. Jean purchased hers from Spears Enterprises for $85. The bottom bearing on the GSXR-600 front end is a ball-type bearing which matches the gen-1 SV setup. Jean chose the better of the two and installed that in the SV. The top GSXR bearing does not fit the SV bearing race. A $50 kit specifically made for the conversion replaces the stock SV bearing race with one that fits into the frame and is sized properly for the GSXR stem and bearing. To make the triple clamp fit, a special washer is required. Jean searched hardware stores for the washer to avoid paying $9 for the Suzuki part. She was unsuccessful, but Miles Hubert of MotoFab generously donated one from his shop stash. A hideous yellow fender completed the front end. "It's great! It's so ugly, I don't care if I drop it", Jean said. The rear shock replacement was a straight swap, since the Ohlins shock was designed for the SV. "Ideally, it would have been flipped, so the hose coming off of the reservoir was on the other side", Jean said. The standard installation puts the hose on the same side as the high mount exhaust and routing it safely is tricky. Fitting GSXR style rear-sets required the purchase of longer shifter rod, because the pegs and controls are further back. In addition, Jean converted the shifting pattern from standard to GP to better suit the bike's track orientation. Jean was able to find this part from Woodcraft. "The nice thing about Woodcraft is you can buy each part separately", she said. Since the bike's previous maintenance patterns were unknown, Jean removed and cleaned the carburetors. The procedure required disassembling them. "I removed them both as a single unit", she said. "I disassembled one at a time and placed parts in Zip-Lock bags with labels. I took my time, because it's so precise." Jean purchased her replacement o-rings from the hardware store, saving money and cleaned the components with a standard carburetor cleaner. Throughout the project, Jean followed the rule of clean it now. "I'm in there, it's dirty, I going to clean it. I'm never going to able to access it again and cleaning it keeps chunks of dirt from getting into stuff" A minimal amount of wiring was required. Jean removed the kick stand to improve clearance and save weight. The SV has a kick stand safety switch, which must be overridden by removing the switch. Soldering two wires together completes the kick stand circuit and indicates to the starting system the kick stand is up. When it came time to start the bike for the first time, Jean was hopeful, but realistic. "I was afraid, since I had removed and replaced so many things." The bike didn't start. "I was disappointed, but not surprised", she said. She meticulously traced through the shop manually troubleshooting procedures to find the problem: a spider had left eggs in the starter switch and pushed a piece of plastic between the contacts. After removing the eggs and plastic, the bike started on the first try. Before her first test ride, she checked the torque of every fastener. "You're taking apart so many things - and some you might have to take apart and reassemble more than once - that it's really important to make sure you torque everything" before you ride, she said. Her advice to those who undertake a similar project as their first: "Find someone who is enthusiastic and excited to share their knowledge" to guide you. "Take your time and have a place to work where you can leave your things out." "It's a great way to learn about bikes. You can take all that you learn on your track bike and apply to your nice street bike. You don't have to worry about what your track bike looks like: it's all about function." Resources Part 1: SV650 Track Bike Project Part 2: Building an SV650 Track Bike Photo Gallery: SV650 Track Bike Project Part 2 The complete SV650 Track Bike Shopping List Miles Hubert, MotoFab

Ride Safer With the SMARTrainer

On the SMARTrainer, riders can experience road hazards in a safe environment You’re riding down a city street when suddenly a pedestrian steps into your path from behind a parked box truck. Your heart jumps, you grab the front brake causing the front tire to howl as you skid into the man knocking him to the ground. Your bike goes down and you fall in a jumble to the pavement. Fortunately, this is the world of the SMARTrainer not the real world. No was killed, injured or maimed. Your bike wasn’t destroyed and you won’t have to go to court. You can hit the reset button and try it again. Ride Safe Vermont , a Burlington VT based motorcycle safety instruction company, recently acquired the motorcycle simulator as tool for training tool new and returning riders. “It seemed like a great bridge between VMAP and the Basic Rider Course,” said Bill Mitchell, owner of Ride Safe Vermont. VMAP is the Vermont Motorcycle Awareness Program, a course which prepares riders to take the motorcycle permit test. The trainer consists of a computer, monitor and a set of motorcycle controls. Riders operate the simulator by using the motorcycle controls. There is a working speedo, gear indicator and rearview mirrors. While it would be tempting to compare the simulator to a video game, it is definitely not a game and great care has been taken to make the experience as close to riding as possible. All the controls are standard, including kill switch, start button, turn signal switch, horn, and high beam flasher. Riders must shift using a foot control in the standard 1 down, 5 up shift pattern. The clutch must be released smoothly as the rider rolls on the throttle to get underway. Braking must be smooth and the rider must use both the front and rear brake to stop in the minimum distance. Audio feedback includes surrounding traffic noises and the motorcycle engine. When too much front brake is used, the tire squeals. The feel of the front brake is progressive, simulating hydraulic braking accurately. The throttle control rolls on and gains speed as expected for the gear selection. Even engine braking works as it does on a real bike. The purpose of the tool is to improve rider perception skills and reinforce the S.E.E. strategy – Search Evaluate Execute – for safe riding learned in the MSF Basic Rider Course. When running simulations, riders must continually scan for hazards and use coordinated hand and foot controls to avoid them. The simulator can produce 45 different scenarios, using a combination of day, night and fog conditions. Riders can choose a city course, a ride in the suburbs or a tour along the sea coast or up in the mountains. Rider speed is taken into account when presenting hazards and the traps vary each time the simulator is run. Hazards include merging, pedestrians, bicyclists, children playing, left turning vehicles and lane changers. While these types of hazards are almost expected, there are more complex scenarios like debris in the road, changing road surfaces and cars riding in your blind spot. One scenario involves a tailgating truck, while approaching a yellow light; the rider must decide whether it is safer to ride through the yellow or attempt a stop (spoiler: stopping results in a crushing rear-ender). Typical training sessions last five minutes. After a session, the rider reviews the ride with a coach, which is perhaps the most valuable part of the tool. The coach can change the perspective 360 degrees, allowing an incident to seen from all angles. A diagram of the street shows motorcycle position, cars and obstacles involved in the incident. The coach can use the simulation as a springboard to discuss options, related their experience and open the student’s mind to possibilities and how to avoid trouble in the real-world. At the end of the review, the coach can print a synopsis of the session for the student to review at home. The synopsis shows where the rider was riding above or below the speed limit, where their turn signal initiated and when it was cancelled. Each incident is graded and the synopsis tells how the rider reacted and what they might have done differently. While the tool is great for new riders, Mitchell is finding that experienced riders can benefit too. “What we’re finding is, experienced riders can get something out of the trainer too,” Mitchell said. “It brings you back to reality: these things can happen to me.” By merely increasing awareness of what might happen, riders become safer. The simulator makes familiar what otherwise might be a surprise. By removing surprise – and reducing the delay caused by panic -- the rider moves quickly from assessing options to action. Reducing processing time improves reaction time and increases the chance of good outcome. Ride Safe Vermont is scheduling SMARTraining sessions throughout the coming summer. The trainer will be demoed at the coming Green Mountain Harley Ladies Nigh t, Central Vermont Motorcycles in Rutland on Friday May 9th and in Brattleboro on Saturday May 14th . See the Ride Safe Vermont SMARTrainer schedule page for a complete list of dates and reservation information.

Building an SV650 Track Bike - Part 2

Budget: noun - the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose Goals are a wonderful thing: they give us something to strive for and stretch our capabilities. In part 1 of Building a SV 650 Track Bike , we set the goal of building a track bike on a budget of merely $2,500. The final cost was to include the bike and all parts, minus the sale of take-off parts. Our conversations with experts made it seem challenging, but within reach. We purchased a lightly crashed SV650 for $1,500. The plan was to upgrade the suspension with a GSXR front end and a fully adjustable rear shock, add a body kit, sell the stripped off SV parts and keep the net cost of the project under $2,500. Our rider and bike builder, Jean, has never built a track bike or done many of the required procedures. The deadline is the first Fishtail Riding School track day on April 26th. Four months into the project and weeks away from our deadline, keeping the net cost under $2,500 seems a lot less likely than when we began. If upgrades were all we needed, our goal would be easier. But, as these projects often go, a case of the "might as well's" have caused us to tally expenses for routine maintenance items that were not in the original budget. As an example, replacing the chain, sprockets, brake pads and tires made sense, but these items were not in our budget. Routine maintenance items added $650 to our costs. Currently, our expenses are $1,365 for upgrades. Adding routine maintenance items and the original cost of the bike, our total project costs are $3,511. We haven't sold any parts yet, so we don't know how much our "take off pile" will be worth to us. We should be able to offset costs with our stock SV650 front end, front wheel with rotors, rear shock, rear foot pegs and rider pegs with controls. To help estimate what we might recover, a complete SV650 front-end can be found on eBay with a Buy-It Now price of $650; a rear shock brings $30-$40; passenger pegs get $40. If we can sell some other miscellaneous bits, we'll be closer still to our original budget. Despite unforeseen expenses, the project has gone very well. Jean worked through puzzles like rerouting cables, fitting the GSXR front-end, dealing with a seized wheel bearing and cleaning the carburetors. Through it all, she remained calm, optimistic and patient. "There haven't been any tears. I'd consider that a pretty good project", she said. Miles Hubert of MotoFab in Bristol has been an essential component of the project's success, providing expert advice on what to buy, where to buy it and how best to install it. Miles has also help by fabricating an exhaust and a steering dampener bracket, sourcing parts at budget prices and handling the suspension setup. He has also helped us avoid rookie mistakes. "I was lucky to have Miles", Jean said. "Instead of just getting a bunch of information at the beginning of the project, without any context, I was able to ask him things along the way." Jean did have some good luck finding parts. She found her GSXR-600 front end with clip-ons, on eBay for only $75 plus shipping and a front brakes setup that included steel lines, caliper, master cylinder and control for $80. The SV650 Ohlins shock retails at $800-$900, but Jean was able to buy one new, sprung for her weight, directly from Ohlins for $600. To find parts, we setup saved searches on eBay. The searches ran daily and sent updates to our email box. Using eBay's advanced search capabilities, we specified the years and models for the parts on our shopping list. To learn more about advanced searches on eBay see their help . Because Jean did most of the work during the winter, we rolled the bike down the stairs from the garage to the basement to allow her to work in warmth. Using ratcheted tie-down straps, She suspended the bike from the floor joists to enable removing the front end: having it in the basement allowed the bike to be suspended for weeks without being in the way. Her first task was removing parts that would be replaced or not be needed for the track. She removed the headlight, body plastic, passenger pegs, rider foot controls and pegs, turn signals, kick stand, front forks, brakes and fender and stored them for resale. She carefully labeled each electric connection and vacuum hose she separated. She tagged and labeled both ends of the connection with masking tape to ease re-connection. When pulling hoses, she tied surveyor's tape to the hose. As she pulled the hose through the frame, the tape traced the route back to the point of origin providing an easy routing path when it came time to reassemble. Once the unnecessary parts were off the bike, she cleaned the bike thoroughly. This series of videos shows how WD-40 can be used to remove caked on chain lube and road grime. The swing arm was smooth and silver when she finished.( See resources below for links to all the videos)

The Long Farewell - The story of the Bennington Triumph Bash

A grassroots motorcycle rally grows in Bennington Vermont The Bennington Triumph Bash is the longest running farewell party on record. The party is now four years old and growing. It all started when Robin "Bonnie Girl" Andrews, a Bonneville rider and owner of the South Street Café in Bennington Vermont, fell in love with fellow Triumph enthusiast, Paul Hoffman of Birmingham Alabama. The two met online in the TriumphRAT forum . When Paul and Robin engaged to marry, she decided to move to Alabama to be with Paul.  Robin's riding buddies John, Mark Bock and Tito Sanabria - the "Rat Pack" - were sad to see her go and threw her a going-away party: The Bennington Bash. Seventy people showed up. "We were smoking cigars and we had a keg. It was a real party," Tito said. The party is now an annual event, the first weekend in June in Bennington Vermont. Organizers bill the party as, "a grassroots, independent annual rally for Triumph motorcycle owners, by Triumph motorcycle owners." TruipmhRAT forum members organize the event. Tito handles PR and sponsorship; Robin manages the relationship with the town and Chamber of Commerce; Mark organizes the Saturday night awards dinner; Paula "Triumph Goddess" Doherty negotiates lodging discounts; and, Seth Kaplan and the Connecticut Rockers manage traffic control. Their hope is to double this year's turn out of one-hundred riders and attract support from corporate Triumph. The Bash begins on Friday afternoon with a meet-and-greet. This is reunion time. Old friends embrace, back slap and checkout bike-mods made over the winter. Newcomers are welcomed. The bikes include cruisers, dual-sports, sport tourers, standards and sportbikes:  Rockets, Tigers, Daytonas, Speed Triples, Thruxtons and Bonnevilles. The meet-and-greet is followed by a "parade-style" cross-state ride from Bennington to Curtis's BBQ in Putney VT. This year, fifty-five bikes were in the procession. The Connecticut Rockers , dressed in 60's era British motorcycle garb roared through the line to block intersections, allowing the parade to pass. At mid-ride, the group stops at the Hogback Mountain overlook in Wilmington VT. After the photo-op, the ride guns down to Putney for a dinner of ribs, pulled pork, corn bread and coleslaw. Bennington
Bennington is an ideal town for the Bash. The Paradise Inn , where most Bash-goers stay, is an easy walk to the Madison Brewery Company and Carmody's Irish Pub where the group mixes on Friday night. Madison's brews their beer on site. My favorites are the Rum Spiced Porter and Old 76 Strong Ale, a rich dark amber. Saturday begins with breakfast at Full Bellies Deli, followed by another meet-and-greet at Hemmings Motor News , across the street from the Paradise Inn. New faces show up at the morning meet-and-greet. This is a day for riding. There are five group rides to choose from including a 300-mile Adirondack tour, 100-mile leisurely loop and a full-on sportbike ride. Some form smaller groups to explore on their own. For my ride, I chose the sportbike ride: an enthusiastically paced  ride through the Vermont twisties. Saturday night is the group dinner at Bennington Station . The menu offers a choice of Sirloin of Beef or Stuffed Haddock with vegetables, potato and dessert. Every attendee at the group dinner gets a Twisted Throttle prize bag and a door prize. Gloves, motorcycle covers, heated liners, and tools are some of the prizes donated by sponsors. The Bash is good for Bennington businesses. Bash-goers rent rooms and buy meals and drinks. The local business people are appreciative. The owner of the Paradise Inn used his pickup to transport door prizes from the Inn to Bennington Station for the awards dinner. "Phillip has been very helpful to us," said Tito. To thank the community for their support, the Bash selects a charity each year and donates proceeds from a 50/50 raffle. This year, the donation went to the Red Cross Vermont Flood Relief Fund. If you missed this year's Bash, you can join in next year. The 2012 Bennington Bash is June 1-3. The party is not over. I expect it never will be.

Awesome Players Off-Road Motorcycle Club: Video Inspiration

The Awesome Players videos make you want to get out and ride The Long Way Round series, which chronicles Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman’s trip around the world on BMW GS motorcycles, has inspired many motorcyclists to take multiple month motorcycle trips in search of the grand adventure. For most of us, circumnavigation of the globe exceeds our resources and annual vacation time. Enter the Awesome Players Off-Road Motorcycle Club -- six regular guys who find their adventure close to home on Sunday mornings – to inspire the rest of us. The club documents their rides with point of view video, which founding member Riley Harlton edits and assembles into extraordinary tales of the possible. “I think the videos show people that you can go out and have a good time without it being the Road of Bones”, Riley said during a phone interview. The Road of Bones is a road in Siberia featured in The Long Way Round. The group, whose main members are Riley Harlton, Henrik Molnar, Chris Drake, Charles Harlton, Joe Gaspar and Jason Mccullough, is based in and around Montreal. Their rides take place mostly on dirt roads and trails in Quebec within an hour of the city. Riding along with their crew looks and feels similar to riding in Vermont. Because their rides frequently require an hour of street riding before getting to the trails, the group favors larger dual sports, like the BMW F800GS, the HP2 and the DR650. The riding isn’t awe inspiring, nor is it meant to be. The boys crash, get stuck and occasionally get a little bit lost. They break bits off their bikes, laugh and get up again. They never seem to get angry and are clearly having a good time. As Riley says, “bad riding makes good video”. The fact the riding in their videos is achievable is a great part their appeal. It’s easy to put yourself in their place, having fun, challenging yourself and cheering your friends. Their rides take place mostly on Sunday mornings. The group meets at 6 a.m. and they are home by noon or 1 p.m. to spend time with the family. Riley has seven year old triplet girls, Henrik has a 4 year old and Chris has a 1 year old and family is important to all the members. The group began four years ago, when Riley connected with Henrik. “Riding on the road was waning for me”, said Riley. “Dual sporting gave us access to this whole new world”. “More stuff just happens on a dual-sport ride,” Riley said. Compare to street riding, “we can have a whole summer’s worth of stories that you’d get from street riding in a four hour dual sport ride.” Riley is truly grateful for the friends he has made through dual-sport riding. “The biggest bonus to me has been the group of guys I have met,” he said. There is something special about the friends you make when you go through adventures together, he said. Riley, who works in video post-production, began assembling their video and posting them on YouTube to share it with the guys in the club. It didn’t take long before the videos had thousands of views from around the world. The group now has several hundred associate members, including members from Brazil, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Russia, and Latvia. “We have been in contact with so many nice people,” Riley said. In the end, what makes the Awesome Players awesome, is their down to earth enthusiasm for the sport. They demonstrate that adventure riding is attainable to all who seek it, even if it is only an hour from home. Videos Awesome Players MC Summer Follow the boy’s adventures during the summer of 2011 as Chris, Riley and Henrik ride around some of their usual trails and back-roads Ice, Mud, Bent Wheels, Broken Mirrors, Cut Faces A pretty typical APORMC video. In this episode, Riley, Chris and Jason head out for an early season ride. Oureau Forest Ride 3/4/2010 Riley and Chris go for an early season ride through the snow and ice. Related Links Awesome Players You Tube page Awesome Players Facebook page Awesome Payers Off-Road Motorcycle Club web site APORMC member Jason did get the inspiration to do a "round-the-world" motorcycle trip. Here is his trip log  on the ADVRider forum.

Building an SV650 Track Bike

Build a track worthy Suzuki SV650 ride for $2,500 Building a $35,000 track bike isn't difficult. Pay knowledgeable people for their advice, buy what they tell you to and watch them bolt it together. If you turn the wrenches yourself, you can make your $35K go even further. But how easy is it to build a track worthy ride for $2,500? At Motorcycle-Vermont our funds are limited. We don't have lavish sponsors or a rich aunt to bankroll our project. Not deterred, we asked local experts and racers and they assured us that $2,500 was sufficient. The ingredients of an inexpensive track bike are these: one used sport motorcycle; friendly experts who are willing to give you free advice; and time to source and assemble the pieces yourself. We are lucky enough to have a local expert, Miles Hubert of MotoFab in Bristol, as an advisor. Miles helped us find a used, slightly "ditch-modified" 1999 carbureted SV650 for $1,500. This bike will serve as our platform. Miles also introduced us to Bill and John Tansey, road racers in the Loudon Road Racing Series. These two expert class racers know enough about SV setup to fill a notebook page with their first answer. As we spoke to them in the LRRS paddock in October, it was clear that have studied the SV and know the tricks to make it go fast and light. The stock SV650 is a solid bike, built to a budget. Like many lower cost stock machines, the engine is solid, but the suspension is tuned to standard street riding and isn't suitable for the track. For our project we will need to completely replace the front-end and rear shock. Our SV experts told us that a front end from a 2000-2003 GSXR-750 or a 2001-2003 GSXR-600 will fit our bike and suit our purposes. For the rear, either a Penske or Ohlins fully adjustable, cartridge shock is required. The rear shock will need to be re-sprung for our lightweight female rider, Jean. The suspension components are the most important items, since suspension is often more important the motor - especially at Loudon were we do most of track days. We will also need a plastic body kit, exhaust, brake upgrades, rear-sets and clip-ons. When Miles ran some numbers with us, it was clear that our $2,500 budget is a challenge. Our source for these parts will be Craigs List, the SV Riders forum, friends and eBay. To offset costs, we will take off unnecessary components and sell them. In addition to providing cash, this will reduce the weight of the bike to the essentials. Follow us over the winter months as we give you updates this project. Our goal is to have bike ready for the first Fishtail Riding School track day in April 26, 2010. And, if you know of anyone selling any of our donor parts, please let us know!

Fall Dual Sport Tour Improves Skills While Having Fun

Adventure Riders International fall teach and tour provides instruction on a beautiful Vermont dual-sport ride Riding over loose rocks, covered by slippery wet leaves, I stand on the pegs, weight over the front wheel and try to keep my throttle smooth and steady, feeding in just enough to keep me climbing without overwhelming the available grip. The back end of the bike swings and bounces as the rear knobby grabs for traction, picking its way through the rocks and pushing me up the hill. You are never sure that you have mastered the material until you have taken the final exam. For a new dual sport rider like me, Adventure Rider’s International Teach and Tour is the perfect final exam. The 120-mile tour caps ARI’s drills based, dual-sport training school with an all-day, all-surfaces romp around central Vermont. The tour -- scouted and led by Vermont-based motorcycle rental and touring company Moto Vermont -- provides the ideal route for Adventure Riders International’s instructor Lorne Banks to reinforce techniques presented in class and practiced on the range. “Aren’t you glad we covered how to ride the camels hump,” Lorne said after finishing several miles of uphill water bars (“camel humps”) cut by a logging operation up a 12% grade on Braintree Mountain Road. The obstacles are deep enough on the backside to consume my 21 inch front wheel – and, “yes” I was glad I practiced them on the range before heading out on the tour. The tour includes everything an adventure rider seeks: colorful fall scenery, dirt roads, challenging muddy climbs, rocky descents, and water crossings. Wet and slippery leaves make trails tough to navigate, covering obstacles, making for guesswork traction. The route is designed for bigger bikes and riders with a variety of skills. Approximately 30% of the mileage is technical class-4 roads and double-track trails. The technical sections are linked together by class-3 dirt roads and minimal runs on pavement. Our group of eight is on a mix of larger dual-sport bikes, ranging from a DR-250 to BMW GS-800. Half the group rides Kawasaki KLR-650’s. At the beginning of each technical section, we stop and Lorne briefs us on the impending section, giving us tips for better control and smoother riding. When we rest after a difficult section, he fields questions from the group. While the skills portion of day is confidence building, an adventure ride isn’t all about challenging terrain. The real world can be cruel and harsh, which is why it is good to go with friends who will help you along the way. The camaraderie of the tour contributes to the experience in ways that cannot be underestimated. Helping your friend haul his bike out of a mud hole can be as rewarding as riding through it. “I’d really like to thank all of you who have helped me pick up my bike today,” said Scout after a particularly challenging section where several of us had pushed his bike through mud or helped pick it up. His comment touches off a series of stories from other riders. Every dual-sport rider has fallen, gotten stuck or done something he wished he hadn’t. When the ride continues after these stories, I notice Scout riding with more confidence, knowing that he is climbing the same bumpy skills curve climbed by every dual-sport rider before him. There is no substitute for experience. Reading, watching video – even listening to experts – cannot substitute for trying it yourself. But practice only makes perfect when you’re practicing the right technique. The Adventure Riders International Teach and Tour provides a platform to get experience in a learning environment with an expert instructor close at hand on a scouted route, mapped by knowledgeable guides. It combines the perfect opportunity to practice and improve, taking your skills to the next level – whatever level that may be. Adventure Riders International offers dual-sport training classes at the Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced levels, specifically targeting riders of larger dual-sport motorcycles. MotoVermont is running Teach and Tours in June and September this year. Related Photos: 2014 MotoVermont Teach and Tour Feature: Get Ready for Adventure - Adventure Motorcycle Riding School with Adventure Riders International Moto Vermont web site

The Killington Twist

Estimated Mileage:  117 miles
Estimated Time:  3 hours If you like your roads twisty, the Killington Twist should quickly become one of your favorites. The ride uses a mix of back roads and main roads and includes some of the best of south-central Vermont’s twisty-bits. In addition, the route does not follow the normal tourist route, so it should also provide some refief from car-bound droning. The ride begins at the Foundry at Summit on the Killington Road, the location of the 2013 Killington Classic. Begin by turning right, out of Foundry, onto the Killington Road. Just past the North Star Lodge, bear right onto West Hill Road. Follow West Hill Rd to Vermont-100/US-4. Take a right onto VT-100/US-4 and follow it 10.7 miles. Just past the Long Trail Brewery, take a right at Bridgewater Corners (store, no gas) onto VT-100A. Vermont-100A is one of Vermont hidden gems of twisty tarmac. Years of brutal pavement kept 100A off the “Best Roads in Vermont” list, but a complete rebuild and resurfaced in 2010 has transformed the road into a rider’s paradise. The first time my friends and I rode it after reconstruction, we lapped it three times. The road surface is still good (August 2013), but because it is trapped between hills on one side and a river on the other, maintaining the road is a challenge. Be aware that there may be occasional short sections of construction to repair the latest flash flood damage. Regardless, VT-100A is 7 miles of motorcycle bliss. Follow VT-100A to it’s end, where it intersects with VT-100 in Plymouth Notch. Tropical Storm Irene destroyed homes, damaged roads and bridge, and caused the cancellation of the 2011 Killington Classic. On VT-100 in Plymouth, you can still see damage from the storm, two years prior. Take a left onto VT-100 South and head South 5.2 miles, past Amherst and Echo Lakes. At the Echo Lake Inn, take a left onto Kingdom Rd. Ride over a unique stone-railed bridge and climb steeply uphill. There are views to your left of Echo Lake as you rise above Route 100. Kingdom Rd travels uphill in a series of tight bends with steep drop offs on the downhill side. Ridden east-to-west, the road is steeply downhill. There are no guardrails and the drop-offs are a serious penalty for a simple fall. The grade and the drop-off combined is unnerving. I prefer riding this road west-to-east, because it is uphill and controlling speed is easier. The west-to-east direction also places you further from edge, which helps with my peace-of-mind.
After 1.8 miles, Kingdom Rd becomes Tyson Rd. You won’t notice the change, because you will be focused on enjoying the rolling curves through this shaded 40 mph back road paver. As you pass through South Reading you will have views of the dormant Ascutney Mountain Resort ski area. The resort closed in 2010 and sold off much of its lift equipment. The fate of the resort is still unresolved, much to the chagrin of condo owners at the resort. Tyson road descends past the 200 year old Old Stone Church and the Knapp Brook Wildlife Management Area to Fletchville and VT-106. There, you will find Watrobs General Store, which has a deli with fresh meats and sandwiches and a shady table where you can enjoy lunch or a snack. There is no gas here. Take right onto VT-106 and head south through rolling terrain. VT-106 is open and provides a bit of easy riding. Follow VT-106 to a four-way intersection (blinking light) at Downer’s Corner Market and the intersection of VT-131. Here you will find the Country Creemee Restaurant, which has shaded picnic tables, grill food, ice cream and -- of course – creemees (including maple). Take a right onto VT-131 and head west. The road twists and bends along the Black River, which gives the road it’s shape. The Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area and river combine to give the road it’s “scenic” designation. You’ll enjoy good quality pavement through this section, winding along the river in some of southern Vermont better 50 mph twisties. The speed limit drops as you enter Cavendish. Follow VT-131 to VT-103. Take a right onto VT-103. Follow VT-103 approximately 3 miles to Ludlow Vermont. Ludlow is a medium sized Vermont town and home of the Okemo Mount Ski Resort. Here you will find gas, hardware and auto parts, and many food choices. Although you have been riding now for about an hour and twenty minutes, you are only 22 miles and 30 minutes south of Killington. If you’ve had your fill, you can return to Killington by turning right on VT-100 and looping back north. To continue with the route, take a left out of Ludlow and head south VT-100. We’ll head south and follow VT-100 for 7 miles to the intersection of VT-155 (gas). Turn left and continue on VT-100 south for 15.5 miles, through Londonderry VT (gas/food), until you reach VT-30. Take a left to head south on VT-100/VT-30. The road descends by fast sweepers to Jamaica Vermont. Just past the Jamaica, there is another opportunity to loop back north. Look for a sign “Windam 7” with a left arrow. The sign points to Windam Hill Road. This road climbs steeply out of Jamaica, rising 1,000 vertical feet in 3 miles. Windam Hill road reaches VT-121 in 8.3 miles. Take a left onto VT-121 and ride 2 miles to VT-11. Take a left on VT-11 and ride 4.7 miles to Londonderry and VT-100. Londonderry to Killington is approximately 37 miles or 54 minutes south of Killington on VT-100. To continue with the main loop, ride VT-100/VT-30 to Townshend VT. Townshend has a grassy village green with a gazebo and shade trees. Take a left onto Local Route-35 and head north. Local route-35 is local road that travels through the woods. Speed limits range from 35 mph to 50 mph and the surface includes excellent pavement, a short gravel section and some old cracked pavement. In all, the road is fun, despite some rough sections. Follow Route-35 to the intersection of VT-121. Take a left onto VT-121/Route-35 and follow it to Grafton. Take a right to continue north on Route-35. Follow Route 35 to Chester Depot (gas). Proceed straight across VT-11 onto Depot Street (next to gas station) and follow to VT-103. If you miss Depot Street, you can take the next left, Maple Street and connect to VT-103 that way. Follow VT-103 north 9.7 miles past VT-131 and the Castle Hill Resort and Spa. To return to Killington, follow VT-103 to Ludlow, then take a right onto VT-100 North. Ludlow to Killington is approximately 30 minutes on VT-100 north. Map

Get Ready for Adventure! – Adventure Motorcycle Riding School with Adventure Riders International

Adventure Riders International train dual-sport motorcyclists in the skills needed for adventure riding “It’s challenge by choice,” instructor Lorne Banks says as we ready for a drill he calls, “monkey-see, monkey-do”. It’s a warm up exercise where we mimic the instructor: If he takes a foot off a peg, we take a foot off a peg. If he takes a hand off the bar, we take a hand off the bar. If he throws both legs over the seat and rides side-saddle, we throw both legs over the seat and ride side-saddle. It all sounds easy enough, until you remember that this is the first day of an Adventure Riding Motorcycling School and we’re riding 650cc – or larger – dual-sport and adventure bikes in a circle around a bumpy, slippery hay field. I’m in the Adventure Riders International Intermediate course. My DR650 is the smallest bike in the class, which includes KRL650’s, BMW 650’s, a Suzuki V-Strom 1000 and several BMW GS1200’s. Most of us have little off-road experience, except for boyhood go’s on borrowed dirt bikes. I don’t even have that. I bought the DR last year and at 52 years old, this is my second season riding off road. Monkey-see-monkey-do teaches us the importance of body position and counter-balancing: two skills which form the basis for riding large motorcycles off-road. “You can’t just pin-it-to-win-it on a big bike. You need subtle skills,” Banks reminds us. As a group, we have similar objectives: to become better riders at slow speeds in difficult conditions. Two members of our group have a trip planned to Ecuador, but most of us just want to feel comfortable exploring roads around New England. Our instructor, Lorne Banks, is more than qualified to teach us. Lorne started riding dirt bikes at 5 and raced motocross until he switched to road racing. As a road racer, he won two Canadian National Championships and raced AMA Superbike as a privateer, finishing as high as 9th overall at the pro level. His training credentials are more impressive. Lorne was trained on the BMW GS1200 at the BMW factory in Germany and taught at the BMW Performance Riding School in South Carolina. He has taught Navy Seals, FBI agents and Special Forces personnel on both cars and motorcycles. He has even participated in live fire drills simulating a motorcycle ambush, where he was the infiltrator, carrying an AK47-wielding passenger firing live rounds. It’s unlikely that you can be too much of a bad-ass for Lorne. But the best thing about Lorne’s teaching is watching him ride. As he gases his bike to the far end of the field, wheeling as he goes, I can’t help but be inspired by the fun of motorcycling. “Challenge by choice” and having fun work together to encourage us past our personal comfort zone, pushing our skills further. The more you know, the more fun you have, right? The Intermediate level course is the middle day of a three-day school that has Introductory and Advanced level days on either side. Students can take the Introductory, Intermediate or Advanced classes as individual days or as part of a three day Adventure Riding School that combines all three levels. The Introductory and Intermediate courses cover the basics of counter-balancing, body position and motorcycle dynamics. Lorne begins by reviewing the controls on our bikes. He helps us refine our bike setup for the stand-up riding position favored by adventure riders. Adventure riders stand for endurance and control and the position enables us to get better leverage at the foot pegs. When standing, a rider can make small weight shifts that have quick results. Standing also allows us use our big butts to counter balance the weight of the motorcycle so it doesn’t fall. Braking, like all skills taught in the course, is taught in a progression, building from rear-brake only, to front-brake only, to a full emergency stop on a loose surface. All drills are done while standing. We learn when to favor the rear brakes (loose surfaces, turning, running up hills) and when to favor the front brake (steep descents, where there is little weight on the rear). Lorne reminds us that the key to good braking is being progressive on the brakes. “It’s squeeze the front brake, not grab,” he says as he briefs us for an exercise where we will intentionally lock the front brake. During this drill, I gain some confidence and explore the limits of brakes and throttle and quickly find myself on the ground. Falling down is okay here. It gives me a chance to learn how to pick up the bike and Lorne shows me a great trick for straightening my bars (they aren’t really bent; they’re just twisted in their rubber mounts). He locks the bars and we give them a quick tug and a twist and they’re pointing straight down the road again! Adventure Riders International keeps their class size small. “I limit it to eight students,” Lorne says. “That way, I can make sure everyone gets the attention they need.” The small class size makes it possible for Lorne to observe each rider and give immediate feedback during the exercises. In addition to braking, the intermediate course covers line selection and cornering techniques, hill climbing, riding the “camels hump”, steep descents and emergency hill stops. When time allows, there are exercises for riding in mud, sand and water. The Advanced course covers reading the terrain, side hilling, big descents, using a GPS and in-field repairs. An advanced rider will find challenge taking the Introductory and Intermediate levels of the school, as well. “You can take these exercises are far as you want,” Lorne says. Student of various levels can participate together in the same class, because more advanced students can challenge themselves by running the drills faster. Adventure Riders International is planning to return to Vermont this fall. As long as demand stays strong, they will continue returning to our area. Watch for announcements on Motorcycle-Vermont in the News and Events sections or visit the Adventure Riders International web site for more information.

Flowing, Rolling, Take the Vermont-30 Alternative

Estimated Mileage:  66 miles
Estimated Time:  1 hour, 34 mins Vermont-30 is the "best choice motorcycle road", if you’re looking for a pleasant, scenic alternative to running US-route 7 between Middlebury and Manchester. VT-30 rolls and curves with open vistas east to the Greens and west to the Adirondacks, past lakes Bomoseen and St. Catherine. Unlike US-7, VT-30 has no significant traffic lights between Manchester and Middlebury, and there is only a half-mile difference in distance between the two routes. VT-30 is part of two Vermont Scenic Byways. The portion between Manchester and Hubbardton is part of the Stone Valley Byway . North of VT-73 the road is part of the Lake Champlain Scenic Byway . The Vermont Scenic Byways program is part of the National Byway program, which promotes areas of historic, cultural, scenic or recreational significance. VT-30 has all of those ingredients. Twenty-three miles south of Middlebury is Lake Bomoseen -- the largest lake entirely within Vermont’s borders. Bomoseen State Park is on the western shore of the lake, opposite VT-30. The park has camping, hiking and day use areas. If you’re looking to take a quick swim, use Crystal Beach (which is on VT-30). The beach is operated by the town of Bomoseen and has changing facilities, a sandy beach and green space with picnic tables. There is no gas between Middlebury and Bomoseen. Gas can be found south of Route-4, where you’ll also find convenience stores and Dunkin Donuts. South of US Route-4, VT-30 continues its rolling, easy-going ways. Approximately 10 miles south of Route 4 is Poultney, home of Green Mountain College. Poultney has pizza, Perry’s Main Street Eatery, the Trolley Stop and Tot’s Diner all on Main Street (VT-140). If your bike needs services, you can find gas, an auto parts store and a hardware store. South of Main Street, VT-30 takes a left onto Furnace Street (blinking red light; four-way stop) and then quickly takes a right onto Lake Street and continues towards Lake St. Catherine. Lake St. Catherine State Park is located just south of the center of Poultney. The park has a snack bar, picnic area and swimming in a day use area. There is also camping with flush toilets and hot showers. South of Lake St. Catherine, VT-30 returns to its’ pattern of fast sweepers and rolling straights through farm land. The road then rolls through Pawlet, where you’ll find Mach’s General Store , which has a deli and fresh baked goods, alongside hardware and other essentials. Just after the general store, VT-30 takes a sweeping left over a bridge and continues out of town. South of Pawlet is Dorest , which is found on the National Registry of Historic places. The road continues toward Manchester and becomes increasingly more populated (relative to northern stretches) as you enter Manchester. Manchester Vermont is known for its shopping – which is great if you love to shop and not so much if you don’t. You can find a variety of places to eat, from pizza to fine dining. Fishermen will want to visit the Orvis Store , which has every lure in the Orvis catalog, outdoor clothing and a large selection of rods. There is even a trout pond and “stream” which flows through the store, so you can dream about your next catch. So the next time you’re in Middlebury heading south – or in Manchester heading north – ignore what your GPS tells you: plot a course on VT-30 for a flowing, rolling ride instead. Map View On Google Maps

National Trials Riding Championship Series Comes to Highgate, VT

Trials riders from across the country gather for National Championship Round in Highgate Ninety-four competitors from across the country competed in the National Trials Riding Championship Series this past Saturday and Sunday in Highgate, Vermont. The Championship Series is contested each year, but hosted in Vermont only about every four years. This year the National Championship series has weekend long events in New York, Arizona, New Mexico and Minnesota. Events are two or three days, with competitions on each day. Competitors must compete in six competitions to be ranked in the series standings. The Vermont event was the second event of the year and rounds three and four of the series. Competitors ranged in age from 5 to 75 and came from states as far away as Texas, Florida, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arizona to compete in classes ranging from Club to Pro. The competition is held on a course that is a series of trials sections, joined by a loop trail. Competitors run through each trials section and then trail ride to the next section. Competitors must follow specific routes through each section, navigating a series of natural obstacles of varying difficulty depending on their class. Points are assessed for touching a foot, missing a gate or failing an obstacle. The Highgate course was just over 3 miles with 12 trials sections. All classes – except for Pro – ran the loop three times. Pro’s ran the loop twice and then competed on fours special “Pro Shoot” sections. A rain soaked course made conditions difficult. Riders had to contend with loose, wet gravel, muddy rocks, moss and slippery roots. Rider Pat Smage from Wisconsin took the top spot in the Pro group on both Saturday and Sunday, followed by Bryan Roper of Arizona. Ray Peters of Texas won the Expert class on both Saturday and Sunday. For complete results, see the Mototrials web site . Local riders interested in trials riding or competing should contact the Green Mountain Plonkers Trials Club . The club has about 30 members and is open to interested riders of all abilities. Related : WCAX Story with video Green Mountain Plonkers web site

Time for Winter Motorcycle Riding Gloves

Extend your motorcycle season without suffering I stopped on the side of the road, fingers splitting in cold pain and grabbed my hot exhaust pipe with work glove covered hands. It was a short relief. I made it to work that morning, but so began my quest for the perfect cold weather motorcycle gloves. I read every cold-weather motorcycle glove review I could find and I learned that California doesn't have cold weather. In Vermont, a September morning commute at 35 to 40 degrees is necessary and common to capture a perfect, sunny, 70 degree fall ride home. I kept looking and found there are three approaches to keeping your hands warm during a cold weather ride: winter gloves; heated hand grips; and heated gloves. Winter Riding Gloves Modern winter motorcycle gloves are gauntlet-style and pre-curved for better grip. Typically, they combine leather and textiles for wind and abrasion protection. The insulating layer is Thinsulate or similar material that provides warmth without feel reducing thickness. Often there is a "waterproof" layer. Gloves in this style offer dexterity similar to summer riding gloves and maintain a good feel of the handlebars. For riders with good finger circulation and "warm" hands, winter riding gloves are sufficient for cold morning and late season riding. When temperatures dip below 45 degrees, winter gloves begin to lose their effectiveness. For riders with truly cold hands, winter riding gloves are good until the mid to upper forty degree range. Heated hand grips can supplement gloves and extend the range of winter gloves. Heated Grips There are two styles of heated hand grips: complete grip replacements and heated elements that are installed under your existing grips. The heated element approach requires removal and reinstallation your existing grips. This approach is usually less expensive than a grip replacement and retains the original look and feel of your current grips. The easiest approach to removing your grips for reinstallation is to use a compressor to force the grips off. Roll back the inside edge of the grip to get the compressor tip under the grip. Blow compressed air under the grip until the grip begins to float and then work it off. Spray WD-40 under the grip to loosen the adhesive, if needed. The second approach to retrofitting with heated grips is a full grip replacement. Heated replacement grips work somewhat better then heater elements under regular grips and the installation is slightly less complicated. On the down side, some heated replacement grips are hard rubber and do not have the same feel as standard grips. Heated Gloves My favorite approach to the cold hand problem is heated gloves. Heated gloves are easily moved between motorcycles, do not change your grips during warm weather riding and offer dead-simple installation. For me, this is also the warmest solution. Heated gloves are electric blankets for your hands. The glove liner is powered and provides a soft warm heat to your hands. Look for a pair with an external control to adjust the heat level. The installation consists of attaching the power wire to the battery and running the wire to an accessible point on your motorcycle. A cord is run from the gloves, up your jacket sleeve and down the inside of your jacket to a plug. The plug is attached to a wire that runs to your battery. To wear your electric gloves, you pull them on, plug in and go. Unplugging before dismounting is highly recommended. One of these solutions should work for you and keep you riding past leaf-peeping and on into stick-season. Related: How to Put Your Motorcycle Up For Winter

Dream Bike Realized - First Annual KZ1000 Tribute Ride

Two men realize their dream of owning a 1983 KZ1000 ELR Jay Davidson of Lee NH and Stephane Roux of Terrebonne QC didn’t know each other in 1983, but they shared a dream of owning a limited edition KZ1000R Superbike Replica. As time went on, the men matured. The bike was unattainable, beyond reach, a young man’s fantasy. Twenty-seven years later, they both realized their dream and now have come together to create a new one: an annual tribute ride to the bike that is their lifetime prize. In 1983 Eddie Lawson was at the top of his career. He had won the AMA Superbike Championship in ‘81 and ‘82 and was riding in the FIM World Road Racing Championship. The KZ1000R was a replica of his AMA championship winning bike and a special limited edition. Kawasaki made only 750 in 1982 and 1200 in 1983 and allowed dealers to set whatever price they wanted. In 1983 Stephane Roux was a big Eddie Lawson fan and owned a silver and gold 1982 GPz550, Kawasaki’s entry-level street oriented sportbike. “Every time I went into the dealer to get parts, or something, I would see that bike (the KZ1000R) and drool. It was the top. But there was no way I could afford it,” Stephane said. Stephane painted the silver and gold GPz Kawasaki green and thought that was as close as he would come to a KZ1000R. In the summer of 2008 Stephane was helping his parents move from his boyhood home. He was cleaning out his old bedroom, sifting through stacks of Motorcyclist, Cycle Guide, Car and Driver, and Playboy, when he found the February 1982 issue of Cycle World Magazine with Eddie Lawson on the cover, riding the Big, Green Winning Machine KZ1000J race prepped by Team Muzzy. It was the magazine that started his dream 26 years earlier. Stephane showed the magazine to his 17 year-old son, Samuel Bertrand-Roux, and told him about the bike. It was nice to have rediscovered the magazine and remember his long ago dream. Later that summer, Samuel saw a nice, old green Kawasaki for sale and told his dad about it. Stephane was skeptical that his teenage son would know what he liked, but still he had to check it out. “When I arrived, my knees bent and my jaw fell open to the ground”, he said. The old Kawasaki was a 1983 KZ1000R2. The bike had been parked in a garage in his town for 10 years. The owner had taken up golf and given up riding and was just now selling it. Roux bought the bike and started restoring it. Jay Davidson was an Air Force Airman in 1983, stationed at Pease Air base in Portsmouth New Hampshire. He too, was an Eddie Lawson fan who lusted for the KZ1000R. “It was like 5,000 dollars. There was no way I could afford that; not on a single-striper’s salary,” he said. Jay retired from the military in 2003, a Senior Master Sergeant. He had owned other bikes during his 24 year military career, but still wanted a KZ1000R. He bought a 2004 red Kawasaki ZRX1200, thinking that would be as close as he could come to the KZ1000R that he had dreamed about. Still, he regularly searched eBay for a real KZ1000R. He came close once, but the seller wanted too much. Then in the fall of 2008, he found an eBay listing described simply as a “KZ1000R2” and the current bid was $7,000. “People don’t know to look for an ‘R2’. They don’t know what that is.”, he said. The R2 designation means it’s a second year replica model. As a result, there was only one other bidder in the auction. “I didn’t think I would get it. I just wanted to be a part of the auction so I could see just how much it would sell for”, he said. Jay put in a bid. “When I won it and it was, ‘cripe now what do I do?’”. Jay had four motorcycles in his garage and didn’t know how he was going to explain a fifth to his wife. The answer was to quickly sell the ZRX and buy the KZ1000R. Owning these bikes is not enough for Jay and Stephane. These men are motorcycle riders, not collectors of coffee-table bikes. For them, the only tribute fitting the KZ1000R is a sport ride. So, the men joined to forge a new dream: the Annual KZ1000R Owners Club Tribute Ride. I got a chance to meet Jay and Stephane and to see their bikes on June 19th, 2010 at the first Annual KZ1000R Owners Club Tribute Ride to the KZ1000R at Central Vermont Motorcycles in Rutland Vermont. The bikes are well preserved. Jay’s bike is stock, except for engine case guards and has been a well cared for. The previous owner gave Jay detailed maintenance records showing a lineage of proper care. Since purchasing the bike, Jay has done only routine maintenance, but has plans to do some minor restoration as time and money allows. For now, he is happy just to ride it. Stephane’s bike is strikingly clean, with meticulously polished bits, including chromed engine cases and belly pan. That it’s this clean isn’t really that amazing. What is amazing is that it is this clean and he still rides it. As part of his restoration project, Stephane worked with a local mechanic Jean-Pierre Lapalme of Moto Domicile of Terrebonne QC to pull the engine and replace the timing chain and fix an oil leak. While the motor was out he water blasted and painted the engine. During the motor work, Stephane discovered that one of the bike’s two previous owners had installed oversized piston’s enlarging the displacement to 1117cc. Other modifications are a Metmachex Engineering swing arm, period correct Works Performance rear shocks, Earl’s oil cooler and steel braided brake lines. Twenty-five people attended the Vermont event. Five of us went on the 145 mile tribute ride through Vermont’s twisty Granville Gulf, Appalachian Gap and Brandon Gap. The pace was spirited and showed no sign of collector’s coasting through corners to preserve a rare find. Although attendance at the first event was small and only two replica bikes were present, Jay and Stephane are hopeful for the future. “A lot of events like this start slow”, Jay said. “Our annual 2 stroke meet at Deals Gap started with just a few locals getting together and now gets over 100 bikes each year”. The two hope to have 10 replica bikes at the 2011 event and draw more Kawasaki enthusiasts. Given their success in realizing their last shared dream, I suspect they will be just as successful in realizing this one.

Adventure Ride This Summer

Adventure is in your garage: throw your leg over it and go! I just finished watching a 9 minute trailer of another epic motorcycle journey to South America. The video had the requisite stunning scenery, narrow, technical, boulder-mined roads and exotic people doing strange things in intriguing, but foreboding lands. While adventure on that scale is life changing, the reality is unlikely for me. It is tempting to pout, sulking and cursing my keyboard-bound, humdrum fate. Or, I could choose another course. Adventure is parked in my garage and I can have it almost any day I choose to throw a leg over it. South America isn’t on my near-term agenda, but there are nearer roads I’ve yet to explore and local people whose stories I’d be richer to know. True adventure requires an unusual experience, an element of risk and an uncertain outcome. Can’t find that close to home you say? You aren’t looking, I say. Let’s break it down… An unusual experience is something you haven’t done already. Pick a quest. Any quest and do it. Last summer I bought a DR650 to explore Vermont’s t dirt roads. Since I live in a town with more miles of dirt-roads than paved roads I made it my quest to ride them all. Every road, every mile. That doesn’t sound very risky to you? You don’t know my town and you don’t know what passes for a road. Every time we ride there is an element of risk. If you don’t think so, then you’d better watch out. And, while you might think you know the outcome, I dare say you can’t be certain. Adventure is a state of mind. A willingness to see what is there and what you might have overlooked. Discovery is possible, if you don’t think you’ve seen it all already. So this summer, go on an adventure, right here at home, in Vermont. Here are some ideas. Ride Vermont’s west coast from Bennington to the border. Work your way north through Sandgate and West Pawlet. Find Rupert Mountain Road and check it out. Ride VT-153 to 30, past Lake Saint Catherine and Lake Bomoseen. Head west on 73 and hug the coast as long as you can. If you haven’t been to Middlebury, go. Try Lake Road from VT-17 to Button Bay State Park . Find a class-4 road: does it go through? Visit Vermont’s smallest city, Vergennes . Burlington is beautiful: find out why people visit. Ride north to the Champlain Islands. Make sure to ride Alburg’s West Shore Rd at sunset. What will you see? I can’t tell you. Been there? Done that? Need a bigger rush? Try a track day. They’re not just for sport bikes. Fishtail Riding School has a diverse group of riders on every type of bike. You’ll learn skills and have fun at the same time. If you’ve already done a track day, try a new track. Fishtail and Tony’s Track Days are running days at the New York Safety Track in Harpersfield, NY this season. If you’d prefer a bit of history in your adventure, try the Bayley-Hazen Military road from Wells River, VT to Montgomery. The Bayley-Hazen was built during the American Revolutionary War used between 1776 and 1779. The road runs about 75 miles – depending on how you ride it. It can be done using a “big bike” route or with “hero sections” (look for more on this ride later this summer). Share your adventure with others: go to an event you’ve never been to before. We post about 80 of them a year in our Events section. Don’t have any friends who want to go? Go alone: you’ll be surprise how easy it is to meet people when you’re by yourself, doing something you love. Just be open to the possibility. And, it’s all about being open to possibilities. There are possibilities for adventure all around you: just open your garage door and go. Related The Vermont 251 Club Vermont Motorcycle Events Vermont Motorcycle Roads

How to Fit A Motorcycle Helmet

Your helmet does more than keep bugs off of your face: get one that fits! When purchasing a motorcycle helmet buyers consider style, weight, color, graphics, certifications and the advice of friends. These are all important considerations, but the single most important factor to consider - fit - is often overlooked or poorly understood by many buyers and salespeople. A helmet that does not fit properly will not protect you and may even come off in an accident. Many experienced motorcyclists are wearing helmets that are too large and will do them little good in a crash. To begin fitting a helmet, measure your head. Ideally, use a seamstress style cloth measuring tape. Wrap the tape around the largest part of your forehead. This is usually about an inch above your eyebrows and just above your ears. Take several measurements to be sure you have measured the largest part of your head. Take several measurements to get the largest part of your head If you do not have a cloth measuring tape, a piece of string can be used. Wrap the string around your head and mark where the ends meet. Lay the string on a regular measuring tape to determine the measurement. Many helmet manufacturers give their helmet sizes in centimeters, so you may need to convert this measurement into a metric dimension. The measurement will give you a starting point for selecting a helmet size. Because head and helmet shapes vary, a measurement alone will not guarantee a good fit. It is best to try on a variety of helmets from different manufacturers. A size small from one manufacturer may crush your head, while another's extra small is just right. The effect of head and helmet shape cannot be under emphasized. When you measure your head, also note your general head shape: is it round, oval, egg-shaped or reverse egg-shaped? Manufacturer's like Arai, for example, have specific helmet lines designed for each head shape. It is important to try on helmets before you purchase. It is only pure luck to purchase one that fits well based on only your head measurement. Buying a helmet locally is really the best idea, but if you're buying mail order, make sure that you can return your purchase if it does not fit properly.  When you go to a store, begin by selecting a helmet that meets your general criteria for style. We'll assume that you're only considering a full faced helmet, since anything less is not recommended from a safety perspective. Next try on a helmet that seems to be a likely fit based on the measurement. Pick out a size smaller than you think you'll need and one that is a size larger. As you try on the helmets, you should run through the following tests with each candidate before purchasing. To test the general fit, put the helmet on and push down on the top of the helmet to seat it on your head. It should fit snugly and firmly against your head. The helmet cheek pads should touch your cheeks and there should be no gaps between the helmet and your temples. If it doesn't fit firmly, the cheek pads don't touch your cheeks or there are gaps try the next size smaller. There should be no gaps at the temples or cheeks Gaps at the temple may mean this helmet is the wrong shape for your head. If the size smaller doesn't fit either, try another model or brand of helmet. In a crash your helmet is subject to forces that are much greater than you can imagine. This next set of steps are designed to make sure that your helmet stays in place and does its job when your head hits the pavement. With the chin strap secured, grab the helmet on each side of the chin bar and try moving the helmet side-to-side. Your cheeks should move with the helmet as you move it. If the helmet moves without moving your cheeks, it is too big or the wrong shape. Push on the front of the helmet in the middle of the chin bar. The helmet should not come away from your head in the back and the chin bar should not touch your mouth or nose. No helmet should ever fail this next test: with the helmet securely fastened, grab the back of the helmet and try to roll it over your head and off. This may sound extreme, but helmets that are too large can actually come off this way and will surely come off in an accident. If your helmet has passed all of these tests, wear it around the store for a 30 minutes or so. During this time, check to make sure your eye glasses will fit inside the helmet and visor will close properly. As you wear the helmet around, you shouldn't notice any pressure points. If you are not used to a full faced helmet wearing the helmet in the store may seem restrictive. This is somewhat like wearing a diving mask around in your living room - it's never going to feel completely right. When you're riding there is significantly more air flowing through your helmet and it will not feel cumbersome. When you remove the helmet you shouldn't have a headache or have red marks on your head. Finding a properly fitting helmet can be time consuming, but this will be worthwhile if you ever need to use the helmet to save your life or your basic motor or cognitive skills. Don't forget that most riders will choose a helmet that is too large or the wrong shape - don't be afraid to keep trying smaller helmets until you find one that truly fits.

Why Vermont Should Care About Motorcycle Tourism

Motorcyclists are an overlooked resource for the State of Vermont Standing in the parking lot at the top of Appalachian Gap on a warm Sunday afternoon, it isn’t hard to conclude that there are a lot of motorcycles riding around Vermont. A casual, “look-around-survey”, will likely show license plates from New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts and Quebec. No one keeps statistics on how many motorcycles pass through the Gap each summer – or ride through Vermont for that matter -- but my intuition and experience tells me quite a few. Who are these people and why should Vermont care? Tourism is big business in Vermont. The most recent Travel and Tourism Industry survey estimates that tourism accounts for $1.4 billion in direct spending and contributes nearly $200 million in taxes and fees to the state. Vermont’s active, outdoors-oriented lifestyle is a prime reason why so many visit the state. Research on the Vermont tourism brand found our reputation as “independent, responsible and adventurous” was among the top reasons people visit. Independent, responsible and adventurous describes most motorcyclists I know. There are just over one million motorcyclists in New England. Just over the border, the province of Quebec has an estimated 151,000 riders. Allowing for passengers, this means there are between 1.2 million and 1.4 million motorcyclists are within a single day’s ride of Vermont. There were 4.9 million motorcycles registered in United States in 2001 and the average miles per motorcycle were 1,943. The Vermont motorcycle season begins in April and runs through the middle of November. The prime tourism months are May through October, giving Vermont a solid six-month season. In comparison, there 1.4 million snowmobiles registered in the entire United States. There are approximately 250,000 snow machines in New England and Quebec has 172,000 registered. The average snowmobiler rides 920 miles per year, during a season that runs from late December until March during the best years. Vermont is popular with motorcyclists. National groups, such as Women on Wheels, the Kawasaki Concourse Owner’s Group, the United Sidecar Association and the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America have all had their national rallies in Vermont. BMW MOA holds rallies in locations throughout the country and the 2006 BMW MOA rally in Essex Junction had the largest attendance the group has seen at any rally, drawing 9,230 attendees. So there are a lot of motorcyclists and they come from all over: aren’t they just loud, methamphetamine-crazed criminals, who deal in drugs and sell guns? Why would Vermont want motorcyclists as tourists? While the self-proclaimed “1-percenters” – outlaw bikers -- ride motorcycles, most motorcyclists are middle-aged, married, middle-class working people, with money to burn. You’re more likely to meet a “biker” who is a pharmacist than a drug dealer. In fact, motorcyclists are better off and better educated than the general population. According to 2009 Motorcycle Industry Council statistics, the national average annual household income for motorcyclists is $74,430. A survey of Americade rally goers reports average income as $81,950. Most are married and have been to college or technical school. Eighteen percent have post-graduate work completed. The typical “biker” is a working married person, with sufficient disposable income to spend $4,000 - $20,000 on a recreational vehicle and all of the goods and services required to have fun with it. In addition to the bike itself, motorcyclists spend money on gear, motorcycle registration, insurance, maintenance, magazines, movies, books, tours and trade shows. Every time they ride, they spend money on gas. Like tourists in cars, motorcyclists purchase food, visit attractions, buy souvenirs and rent lodging. The survey of Americade-goers found the average spend per person, per day during the rally was $114 – excluding motorcycle related accessories. My personal experience from motorcycle travel around the region supports this estimate as conservative. Motorcyclist are good guests. They arrive late, leave early and are happy during their stay. Many states and Canadian provinces are beginning to notice. The province of Ontario is actively marketing to motorcyclists with their GoRide web site. The province has identified attracting motorcycle tourists as one of seven key projects for the Southwest Regional Tourism Organization. The Regional Tourism Organization is working with local tourism organizations to develop motorcycle-specific packages. Quebec – and the Charlevoix region in particular -- has a strong presence in the market, renting space at Americade each year to lure more riders to their area. Charlevoix restaurants, hotels and attractions hang a motorcycle logo sign on the business to indicate they are “motorcycle-friendly”. Arkansas has their “Let’s Ride” campaign and Nova Scotia promotes the Cabot trail and riding the Fundy Shore and Annapolis Valley. Arizona , West Virginia , the Adirondacks in New York, and New Hampshire are some of the regions that recognize motorcycles as a source of revenue. New Hampshire, host of Laconia Motorcycle Week – one of the largest motorcycle rallies in the country -- took a turn from trying to get rid of the rally in the 1980’s to pursuing the rally as a source of revenue in the 1990’s. The rally attracts 250,000 visitors each June and contributes $200 million annually to the economy. Lake George NY came to the same conclusion about Americade and supports the rally. “Americade is a tremendous economic driver attracting tens of thousands of participants who spend millions of dollars in a very short amount of time,” said New York State Senator Betty Little in a Lake George Mirror article on Americade’s lease of state land for the Million Dollar Beach trade show. Americade draws 50,000 visitors each year and regularly sells-out area hotels. The event is so important to local businesses that Salim Amersi, owner of Surfside On The Lake in Lake George, offered to privately raise $15,000 in 2010 when the State of NY raised the fee charged to the rally for using the Million Dollar Beach. Inn owners had good reason to stick up for the rally: lodging revenues during the rally are two to three times higher than the two weeks prior and the two weeks after the rally. Vermont has made some attempts to attract motorcyclists. The Town of Killington has been hosting the Killington Classic for ten years. The rally started as a joint effort between a private company and the town. The rally has had limited success during its early years and hit a low point four years ago, when it looked like the rally might die completely. The town stuck with it, however, improving the rally to a point that in 2010 things looked decidedly better . In 2011, Killington hired Tour Expo – the company the runs Americade – to manage the rally and things began to look truly positive for the rally. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Irene forced the organizers to cancel the rally in 2011. In 2012 , the first year Tour Expo ran the Classic, it drew 2,000 visitors and set a record for the event. The Town of Dover Vermont has had success hosting the annual Mother’s for Daughters Breast Cancer research fund raising event. The weekend-long event brings 400 motorcyclists to the town and sells out area inns for two nights during mid-May – a time when other tourists are scarce. The inn owners are so supportive of the event they volunteer to serve the Saturday night awards dinner. The event raised $30,000 last year for breast and ovarian cancer research and the direct economic benefit to business in the area is over $100,000. With 8,000 miles of gravel roads, Vermont is positioned to take advantage of the growing adventure touring market. Adventure riders tend to be young, urban, upscale and looking for adventure. Their profile is a lot like skiers – a group that Vermont knows well. Proper branding and packaging, coupled with marketing incentives targeted towards this market can bring riders to the state and show them what we have to offer. Adventure touring is just one segment of motorcycling well matched to Vermont’s strengths. Our uncrowded roads, comfortable riding temperatures, and abundance of natural beauty make Vermont attractive all motorcyclists. Successes like the turnaround of the Killington Classic and the Mother for Daughters weekend show that motorcycling can contribute to the Vermont economy. Motorcycling will never be as important to the Vermont economy as skiing, but has the potential to be as important as other niche pursuits like snowmobiling. If we can get ½ -of one percent of the 1.4 million riders who live within a one day ride of Vermont to spend a long weekend here, we could realize $1.6 million in direct tourism spending. The full economic impact for the Vermont economy would be considerably higher and that seems like reason enough for Vermont to care about motorcyclists.

How to stop your motorcycle fast!

Stopping your motorcycle faster may save your life The average motorcycle, ridden by a trained professional, on smooth , dry, clear pavement, on a sunny summer day, can go from 60 miles-per-hour to stopped in about 120 feet. That’s the length of two tractor trailer trucks, parked end-to-end. That is the best-case scenario. Your distance will vary. When testing stopping distance, the test rider knows they are going to stop. Technicians inspect the bike beforehand. The road surface is clear of gravel, sand, water, oil and other debris. And – most importantly – the rider has trained for the task at hand and is fully focused on making it happen in the shortest distance possible. How quickly can you stop? If you’re like most of us, you have no idea, because you’ve never really tried. Sure, you’ve probably had to do a panic slow-down when a smart-phone-wielding text-messenger pulled out in front of you, but have you ever tried going from 60 to 0 like your life depended on it? You life does depend it. The most common car-motorcycle crash is a left turning car cutting across your path. In this situation, your ability to stop your motorcycle – or slow as close to 0 as possible – is critical to the outcome. In the real world, a panic stop will be a surprise (or it would not have caused a panic). Your actual stopping distance will be determined by your reaction time, braking technique and the road conditions. It will be longer than the best-case scenario. To learn more about how to stop a motorcycle quickly, I spoke with motorcycle riding instructor and safety expert, Ken Condon to get some advice. “You have to train yourself out of your natural tendency,” Condon said. Inexperienced riders frequently focus on the rear brake, stomping on the pedal and forgetting that the front brake provides 70 to 90 percent of the stopping power of a motorcycle. Sport riders make the mistake of relying too heavily on the front brake, often not using the rear brake at all. While the front brake on a sport bike can provide up to 90 percent of the bike’s stopping power, minimizing stopping distance requires both brakes. Applying the brakes properly is a challenge. Over-braking can be as big a problem as under-braking. “Often, a rider crashes the bike before they reach the vehicle they were trying to avoid,” Condon said. Proper braking technique is subtle. The goal is to maximize traction. The rider needs to brake to the threshold of skidding, but not skid. When a motorcycle skids, it loses traction due to the heat buildup between the tire and the road. As the heat builds, friction is reduced. A skidding tire is sliding across the ground, which increases stopping distance. Weight pushing down on the tire provides traction. As a motorcycle travels down the road, weight is distributed approximately 50-50, between front and rear. When the brakes are applied, weight transfers from the rear wheel to the front wheel. This happens regardless of braking technique. As the weight transfers forward, there is less downward force on the rear tire, which means the rear tire has less traction. As the rear wheel unloads, it takes less pressure to lock the wheel and skid. At the front, the opposite is occurring: the weight shifts forward and loads the front tire. To stop quickly, riders need to apply both brakes simultaneously and then modulate them as the braking forces transfer weight from the rear to the front. The rider should apply the rear brake with a firm, smooth press. As weight transfers forward, the rider should reduce the pressure on the rear brake to match the reduction of traction due to the forward weight transfer. Using this technique lessens the likelihood of rear tire skid. At the front, the rider should smoothly squeeze the front brake to begin the weight transfer. As the weight transfers forward, the front contact patch flattens and increases front tire traction. With a flatter contact patch and more traction, the front tire is ready to handle more braking force. At this point, the rider should squeeze the front brake harder to complete the stop. Grabbing the front brake and applying too much pressure, too soon overloads the front tire. When the rider grabs-and-stabs the front brake, weight is transferred to the front tire before the contact patch is ready to handle the load. The front wheel locks and then skids. Bad things happen next. The rider must smoothly apply the front brake in a progressive manner, matching the pressure to the available traction. To practice, find a secluded parking lot with good pavement. Make sure your stopping zone is clean and clear of fluids and debris. Set a marker where you will begin your braking. Make sure you have adequate space beyond the marker to complete your braking (probably 2-3 times more space than you think you need). Build up gradually, starting at 30 mph, then increase speed as you feel comfortable. Measure your distance to track your performance. Wear full gear and bring a friend – just in case things go wrong. Riders need constant practice to ensure proper technique is second nature and natural in a panic situation. Rider training is critical. “It’s a perishable skill,” Condon says. Good training ensures riders are practicing the correct technique and not just reinforcing bad habits. The more you know, the safer you become. “To be a safe rider requires mental skills, more than anything else,” Condon said. Aggressive scanning and continually asking yourself, “what’s wrong with this picture?” can help to reduce stopping distance as much as anything. Resources: Riding in the Zone by Ken Condon Total Control: High Performance Street Riding Techniques The Effect of Motorcycle Type on Stopping Distance

How to Put Your Motorcycle Away for Winter

Proper winter storage of your motorcycle helps ease starting in the spring I'm not a quitter. I stay to the very end of the game, regardless of how obvious it is that my team is losing. And every year, I ride to the bitter end, knowing that team motorcycle loses to team ski season every year -- and every year -- I'll have to put my motorcycle away for the winter. To store my motorcycle for winter , I follow steps learned from years of guessing, talking with pro's and researching. The process takes an hour and you'll need these supplies: fuel stabilizer, distilled water (if your battery isn't maintenance free), chain lube (if you have a chain), WD40 , engine fogging oil, fresh gasoline, oil and filter and a motorcycle battery tender. Begin by washing your bike. Washing not only gets the grime and grit off before storage, but helps you notice if something needs your attention. Take time to dry off your bike to remove moisture.Compressed air or a Shop Vac can be a big help here. Gasoline degrades after about 30 days. As it degrades, it leaves sticky deposits in your fuel system and it attracts water. The deposits are bad and you'll want to combat their presence. Water in the fuel can rust components inside of your bike. Some advocate draining your fuel tank completely and coating the inside of the tank with oil as a method of avoiding condensation and rust in the tank. This technique is difficult to do properly. Filling your tank with fresh, stabilized fuel is an easier and effective alternative. Using an empty gas can, fill it with a known amount of gas. The stabilizer mixture will be in ounces per gallon. If you know how many gallons you have it is easy to get the mixture right. I like to treat five gallons, since the formula for Sta-Bil brand stabilizer is 1 ounce treats 2.5 gallons of gasoline and using five gallons makes the math easy. Fill your gas tank to the top with the treated gas. The next step is fogging the engine with engine fogging oil. Remove the air filter to expose the air intake for the carburetors or fuel injection system. Start the motor. For carbureted motors, spray the fogging oil directly into each carburetor. Spray for approximately 12 to 20 seconds, until you can see smoke coming out the tail pipe. Switch to the other carburetors and repeat until all have been fogged. As you move through your carburetors, you should rotate back to the earliest ones spraying additional fogging oil. The rotation is needed, because you are burning off fogging oil as you run the engine. Run the engine just long enough to see the smoke come out of the tail pipe. The smoke coming from your pipe is your indicator that the oil has reached the combustion chamber. For fuel injected bikes, the procedure is the same, except all of the injectors have the same air intake. Spray the fogging oil into the air intake and look for the smoke coming from your tailpipe. Top-off your gas tank with treated gas so there is no room for condensation to form. For carbureted bikes you must drain the fuel from each carburetor. Locate the drain port on each carburetor. The drain port is usually a philips head screw, allen screw or a bolt on the carburetor bowl, near the bottom. This screw or bolt must be loosened, allowing the fuel to drain out. If you're unsure which screw is the drain, use a repair manual, the owner's manual or ask someone who knows to confirm your suspicion before loosening the wrong screw. The screws on your carburetor are often small and easily stripped. If you find your screwdriver slips out easily, stop immediately! You do not want to strip these screws. If your bike is not a Harley, it is likely that these screws are the JIS standard (Japanese Industry Standard). You will want to make sure that you have a JIS screwdriver set . Turn off the fuel valve before opening the drain port screw to prevent fuel from entering the carburetor as you drain it. You only need to loosen the screw enough to allow fuel to flow. You do not need to remove the screw. You will drain a surprising amount of fuel - several ounces -- from each carburetor. If possible, run a hose from the drain port to a container. If you drain into a rag, be prepared to deal with a gasoline soaked rag. Repeat the drain procedure for each carburetor, draining all of the fuel from each one. Next, remove the battery. If you have a non-maintenance free battery, fill the battery with distilled water. The water level in each compartment should be up to the full marker. Store the battery in a warm, well ventilated place with electricity. Follow the instructions on your battery tender to connect the battery and maintain the battery's charge throughout the winter. When purchasing a battery tender, look for a one that will not overcharge your battery. Cheap trickle chargers supply a constant level of charge, regardless of battery condition. These types of charger are not sensitive to the condition of the battery and can overcharge them. Overcharging can overheat the battery, drying out the fluid and damaging the battery. There is some disagreement among experts about whether to change your oil or not. One side argues that the oil isn't circulating in the engine and therefore doesn't harm the engine. If you change the oil at the start of next season you will do no damage to your engine. The second camp says change your oil, because used oil contains contaminants, water and acids. These are by-products of combustion. You should change your oil to prevent corrosion, sludge and varnish from forming inside of your engine. I take the conservative approach and change my oil. While this is more expensive, I am not expert enough to comfortably ignore the experts who claim used oil can damage my engine. You can decide for yourself. If you have a chain, lubricate it to prevent rust. Leave more lube on the chain than you normally would for riding, but not so much that it attracts dirt.
To protect your chrome, spray WD-40 on the chrome and wipe off any excess. WD-40 can also be used to repel water from hinge points and other connections. Your air boxes and exhaust pipes are great homes for mice. If you don't want to be a landlord this winter, tape off these openings. As a final step, put your bike on stands to get your tires off the ground and then cover the bike. We'll see if next year team motorcycle wins. I'm betting they won't. Products You Need Purchasing through our Amazon affiliate links costs you nothing and helps to support this site. If you appreciate our content, please use our links for your purchases. Thank you! Related: Cold Weather Riding Gloves

Fall MotoGiro 2012: Perfection Isn't Perfect

In this world, the rider smiles when he confronts the fatal incident or drama, that is the beautiful thing, because life has meaning when he stares death in the face – Doctor Costa, MotoGP doctor in the movie Fastest Vintage motorcycle enthusiasts are often a meticulous lot: preening pedigrees of pristine pureness. It would be easy to assume that the riders of the US Classic Racing Association’s MotoGiro are in that group -- an assumption that would be completely wrong. I got a chance to see this year’s MotoGiro USA in Cavendish Vermont, September 22-23rd. The event combines skills competitions with timed rides on public roads. The focus is more on precision than speed, but to win you need to be precise at a relatively high speed. Many of the competitors are former racers and know how to ride motorcycles fast. The event begins with a skills test. Riders are released onto the skills course in 30-second intervals. They must navigate a series of cones in a specified time. Competitors are assessed a penalty for hitting a cone or putting a foot down. Riding too fast is penalized the same as riding too slowly. The objective is to navigate the course cleanly in exactly the required time. They then head to the open road for a 170-mile ride. It is here that the real purpose of Giro reveals itself. The riders charge the course. While the bikes are impeccably maintained, these are fifty year-old motorcycles. They are mostly two strokes that like to be revved. Braking comes from front and rear drum brakes, not disks. Engine braking is non-existent. Slowing these bikes is far more of a challenge than making them go fast. Most of the riders prefer not to slow their bikes at all, opting instead for maintaining a constant speed. Cornering requires forethought. Riders choose their line and commit to it. Because the bikes are small – the rules require that they be no larger than 305cc – they turn quickly. Riders use arching lines that allow them to apply nearly constant throttle through the entire corner. Using the fast entry, late brake, quick turn and hard gas style of riding, popular with modern sport bikes, is simply not possible. Navigating the course is a challenge. The route is secret until the night before the competition. Route sheets – a set of turn-by-turn instructions with mileage and landmarks– tell the riders where to go and riders must follow the route exactly. The route includes tar and dirt, but favors roads that might have existed fifty years ago, with bumps, cracks, and loose gravel. While the route sheets are precise and accurate, there are many turns and there is little time to stop and read directions. The bikes lack directionals, so riders use hand signals to indicate changes in direction. Keeping the pace is an important part of not getting lost. Like the skills test, riders must complete road sections in a specified time. Riders must arrive at checkpoints within 60 seconds of their mark. Arriving early or late yields a sixty-point penalty: a penalty large enough to rule out winning the event. Babying your bike is not allowed. On the contrary, you must ride it hard. Speed is not the point, but you need to ride a brisk pace. The focus is on control. There is little time for wavering thoughts: you must be engaged while riding, which brings us to the point of the ride itself. During the MotoGiro, the MotoGiro is life. You cannot be too sure what will happen. You must pay attention. You should enjoy the company of your friends, seize the day, and take advantage of it, because it can all be gone quickly. Life is uncertain and so are the bikes. In the pre-ride meeting, the Race Director, Shane Rivet reads off the cell phone number for the chase truck and reminds riders that he has a welder, should anyone need it. The bikes reflect their riders. Both have scars from years of service. When the inevitable occurs, and a bike breaks down, passing riders stop to help. The competitors become a team, working together to get the failed bike running. I saw a roadside exploration of a carburetor that made me queasy. One competitor installed a new head gasket in the hotel parking lot between rides end on Saturday and dinner Saturday night, so he could be ready for the Sunday morning ride. Vintage motorcycling can be hard to understand. Why ride small, old, under-sprung, underpowered, poor braking motorcycles? And why ride them so hard? Isn’t it dangerous? It is dangerous, but all motorcycling is dangerous. These are not foolish youngsters, riding with more testosterone than brains. These are experienced riders who have chosen vintage bikes for a reason. I asked one of my dinner companions why he does this and he said, “We can have as much fun at forty miles per hour on these roads as a rider on sport bike can have at eighty.” It’s the ultimate test of the adage, it is better to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow. These motorcycles can be ridden just fast enough to realize that there is an edge -- that your mistakes have consequences -- without breaking the law or risking your life . The MotoGiro enables these riders to relive why they became motorcyclists in the first place, on the bikes they rode when they fell in love with motorcycling, and share to it with friends who understand. Few people truly like perfection and the MotoGiro isn’t about being perfect. It is about accepting what life gives you and making the best of it. The good, the bad, the scars and all.

About the MotoGiro 2012

One hundred and two vintage motorcycle riders came to Cavendish, Vermont, September 22-23rd to compete in the fall edition of the United States Classic Racing Association’s MotoGiro. The MotoGiro is a two day skills event that combines slow speed parking lot tests with timed road rides. The event models itself after the MotoGiro d’Italia, a road race held in Italy between 1914 and 1957. The USCRA’s version began in 2005. The event is open to all brands of motorcycles manufactured prior to 1968. To compete, the motorcycles must be smaller than 305cc. This year, Honda, Jawa, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, Suzuki, Triumph, NSU, Zundapp, Benali, Harley-Davidson and BMW competed. Riders compete in 65cc, 125cc, 200cc, 250cc, 305cc and sidecar classes. There is also a team competition. The 250cc class has the most number of competitors, but the 305cc class is growing fast. The slow speed skills tests require riders to ride through a series of cones in a specified time. Hitting a cone, stopping the bike, missing a cone or putting a foot down are errors that are assessed penalty points. Riders also accumulate penalty points for each second they are over or under the target time for the test. Tests are run four times each day, before and after each road riding segment. The road ride portion of the competition tests riders ability to navigate and ride. Riders must follow the course exactly. Checkpoints are setup along the ride. At each checkpoint, the riders must clock-in within 60 seconds of their assigned time. Road segments are designed so riders can average 25-30 mph and complete the segment within the limit. Still, riders in the 65cc class sometimes have difficulty completing the road course in the allotted time. This fall’s Giro had 360 miles of road riding. To win, riders must complete the challenges with the fewest points. This fall’s winner was Bruce Lemieux with only 3.157 points. For complete results, see this page . Race Director, Shane Rivet, says the event is getting more popular and they have capped registrations at 150 riders. A special edition of the event is being run at Barber Motorsports in Alabama on October 11th during the Barber Vintage Festival. For more information on how you can compete, see the MotoGiro web site . Related Photos: The Fall MotoGiro 2012 Feature: The MotoGiro - Perfection isn't Perfect A history of the MotoGiro d'Italia

Ride to Eden and Paradise

Estimated Mileage : 153 miles Estimated Time : 4 hours, 9 mins One of the best uses of a motorcycle is quickly eliminating negative thoughts. Quickly dropping thoughts of mortgages, jobs, and troubling responsibilities the quicker you go. This ride is designed for that purpose: taking you quickly through the uncluttered roads of Vermont’s north country. A ride to Eden, around Jay Peak, to paradise and back. To enjoy this ride fully, rise early and begin quickly. Start at the On The Rise Bakery in Richmond, then ride east on US-2 into the rising sun. At VT-100 in Waterbury, take a left and head north. You will want to travel the section of VT-100 between Waterbury and Stowe early, before the dawdling- waddlers ease their minivans and SUV’s and camping trailers onto the path. This section of VT- 100 is one of the busiest corridors in the state, being the main artery between Interstate 89 and Stowe. On this stretch, you will find the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Waterbury and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill (one of my favorites). Stowe is a wonderful town with great attractions, but we won’t be stopping there today. As you ride through Stowe, mind the speed limit: the speed limit drops to 25 mph as you enter and stays in force through the main village and up VT- 100. It gradually rises to 40 and then 50 as the road opens to straights and sweepers. Keep relaxed. You will have time and space later for a faster pace. North of Stowe is Morrisville, home of the Rock Art Brewery (left-hand side of the road when heading north). Rock Art has a unique selection of tasty Vermont craft brewed beers. The brewery has a comfortable tasting room and runs tours on Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. with a special tour at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Beware: many of Rock Arts beers pack an extra punch and do not mix with riding. Keep your head clear. Purchase a 22-ounce bomber to bring home to toast completion of your ride. After the Rock Art factory, continue north on Route 100. At the blinking light in Morrisville (Citgo station on right), take a left to follow VT- 100 north. If you continue straight through this intersection, you will end up on VT- 100C. Turn left to follow VT-100. After one block (one tenth of mile) take a left onto Bridge Street. In another tenth, take a right onto Brooklyn Street to remain on VT-100. In less than a mile, you should see the Northgate Shopping Plaza on your right. There are a variety of stores on this section of VT-100, including auto parts, a supermarket and several gas stations. Follow VT- 100 to the intersection of VT- 15. At the traffic light, take a left onto VT- 15. VT- 100 North and VT- 15 West are the same road here. Follow VT- 15 West/ VT-100 North for 1.9 miles, until you come to a traffic circle. Enter the circle and take the first right to follow VT- 100 north. Shift through the gears and enjoy the open straightaway as you accelerate through Hyde Park and head toward Eden. As you near Eden, you have two options. Option 1 is to take VT-118 north at Eden Corners (cemetery right). This option avoids a gravel section of road and remains on a smooth, high-speed surface. It reunites with our route in Montgomery, at the intersection of VT-118, VT-58 and VT-242. I choose Option 2 and head toward adventure. Option 2 follows VT- 100 north towards Eden and Lowell. You will come to a twisty section in Eden. The speed limit drops from 50 to 35 as the road tightens and weaves through camps along Lake Eden . As you travel north past the lake, watch for slow moving pickup trucks towing boats entering. North of the lake, the road opens again into the fast sweepers and straights pattern of Route 100. Just before Lowell, you will ride up a small hill. Look for VT- 58. VT-58 crosses VT-100, to the left and right. You are looking for a left-hand turn. There is a gazebo on the corner. Turn left onto VT- 58 and wind down a narrow road through a village residential area. VT-58 twists through the village on good pavement and then opens into a series of higher speed twisty bits. The area is thickly settled: watch for slow moving local traffic and vehicles entering. After two miles, the road surface changes to gravel. Despite being gravel, VT- 58 ( Hazen’s Notch Road ) is a major local road and kept in good condition. Mid-summer, I had no problem riding the road on sporting rubber. The road passes through Hazen’s Notch State Park . The park is several thousand acres of “largely forested land” on either side of the road. The Long-Trail, Catamount Trail and VAST trails cross the road. Hazen’s Notch Road is the north terminus of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road. Constructed during the American Revolutionary war as a highway for invading Quebec, the Bayley-Hazen Military Road suffered from two-way traffic. While the road was a fine path for reaching Quebec, the British found the road equally suitable for launching raiding parties in the other direction: from Quebec to Vermont. Hazen’s Notch Road twists through this forest on a road that conveys its remoteness. At its west end, the road returns to pavement and meets VT -118 and VT-242 in Montgomery. Turn left onto VT-118 (South Main Street) and head into Montgomery. At the junction in Montgomery , there is a small grocery store and a gas station. Continue north on VT-118 and head out of Montgomery. Approximately 3.5 miles outside town, on the left, you will pass one of six covered bridges in Montgomery. Montgomery has the most covered bridges of any town in the country. VT-118 intersects VT-105 12 miles north of Montgomery. Take a right on VT-105 and head north towards Richford. The road is open, flat, farm country. Fast and straight. The Pinnacle Peddler , just outside of Richford, has gas, a deli with good sandwiches and fresh baked goods. In Richford, VT-105 takes a right and heads east, toward Jay Peak. The speed limit is 25 mph here and stays 25 until you see the sign thanking you for visiting Richford and driving safely. After the sign, the speed limit rises to 50 mph. The pavement is smooth and the road is dominated by fast straights and sweeping turns that are a joy to ride. As 105 climbs, the turns become tighter and the pavement quality declines. At the highest point, the road becomes quite bumpy. Stop and enjoy the beautiful valley view, looking toward Jay Peak. Ride VT-105 down to VT-100. Turn right and head south on VT-100 for 1.2 miles. Take a right onto VT-242. As you turn onto VT-242 there are open views of Jay Peak dominating the flat valley. Ahead on VT-242, the Jay Country Store has gas, food and Vermont souvenirs. Past the store, the pavement is good and the road is twisty. Enjoy the turns as you power up the hill toward the resort. Jay Peak is a four-season resort. During the summer, the indoor water park and the Ice House skating rink operate. After passing the resort, the pavement quality deteriorates and the road becomes unfortunately bumpy down into Montgomery. When the State repaves this is section, it will rise to greatness. Until then, watch out for the holes. You have now completed the circle around Jay Peak. Proceed across the four-way intersection onto VT-118 south. VT-118 South is 8 miles of sweet, fast, goodness over smooth pavement. Just south of Montgomery, there is a nice, clean roadside rest area with picnic tables, shade and a small stream. The rest area makes a great spot for a picnic lunch. Map View on Google Maps

Summit Series: Mount Equinox - Skyline Drive

Estimated Mileage:  5.2 miles
Estimated Time:  As long as you want The Mount Equinox Skyline Drive toll road rises 3,140 feet in 5.2 miles from the base on VT-7A in Manchester, VT to the summit of Mount Equinox at 3,858 feet. Along the way, there are shaded picnic areas and vistas to the south, east and west. The summit has a full 360-degree view of Vermont, the Adirondacks and New Hampshire. On a clear day, you can see Mount Royal in Montreal. We visited the mountain on a hot and hazy August Saturday. Despite the haze, the views were spectacular looking over the town of Manchester, down the Batten Kill River valley. On a typical day, the average temperature change between base and summit is 10 degrees. Even on our hot hazy day there was a cool breeze. The privately owned paved road has 29 turns and is in excellent condition. The ride isn’t overly technical, but there are five or six hairpin turns that demand your attention. The road has two-way traffic: drivers coming down the mountain will share hairpins with you, so stay close to the outside edge of your lane. You can stop for photos and enjoy the view at pull-offs along the route. Two shaded picnic areas, with clean, marble tables are peaceful and make great places to enjoy a picnic lunch or supper. There are restrooms at the base. A summit building was under construction in August 2012 and should be completed during the 2012 season. When complete, the facility will provide indoor tables, restrooms, lookout porches and 360-degree view. There is a network of hiking trails on the upper portion of the mountain. Most are under a mile in length, but loops require one to several miles of hiking. The Burr Burton trail, from Manchester to the summit, is 4 miles long. The Annual Mount Equinox Hill Climb is a vintage sports cars race. The course record is 4 minutes, 28 seconds for an average speed of 60 mph. The event is free for spectators. The road is closed during the event. The road is open May 1st through October 31st. Spring hours – May 1st through June 30th -- are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 9 a.m. to sunset Thursday through Sunday. Summer hours – July 1st through October 31st are 9 a.m. to sunset, every day. The toll is $12 for motorcycles. Passengers are free. You can get a $2 off coupon here . There is no time limit for how long you can enjoy the park and you can ride the road as many times as you choose (provided you do not go back through the gate). The base of the toll road is 5.3 miles south of the intersection of VT-30, VT-11 and VT-7A in Manchester Center. The ride down 7A is pleasant, but heavily travelled. Speed limits are mostly 35-45 Mph. Traffic frequently clogs the intersection at Manchester Center. To avoid the traffic, approach from the south on 7A from Bennington. Map View on Google Maps

Mothers for Daughters, West Dover Loop

Estimated Mileage:  93
Estimated Time:  2 hours, 37 minutes I first rode this route as part of the Mothers for Daughters benefit ride in May of 2012. The route has a bit of everything: low speed roads through tight villages, fast sweepers, views and good twisty sections. There is an optional dirt segment, passable by street bikes, for the more adventurous. Brattleboro and Bellows Falls offer good stopping points for gas, food or other supplies. It is also a good route for a small or large group. The loop begins on VT-100 in Dover – perfect if you’re staying at the Gray Ghost Inn . Head south on route 100 until you pass the Mount Snow Marketplace and the Valley View Saloon on your right. Look for Dorr Fitch Rd, leading left up a hill into a residential area. Bear left onto Dorr Fitch Rd. Dorr Fitch road leads through the back roads of Dover. The road changes its name to Dover Hill Road somewhere along the way, but you’ll never notice: just follow the pavement in front of you. The road is mostly 35-45Mph, with some faster 50 mph sections. It is has plenty of twists and evaluation changes to keep you interested, but nothing is overly technical. There are nice views to the east at the high point on the road and you’ll pass through a covered bridge. Approximately 7-8 miles from your turn onto Dorr Fitch there is a sign warning of a sharp turn in 1 mile. While its good to heed warnings, this one seems more appropriate for winter driving than summer motorcycling. The turn is a sharp 25 Mph lefthander. The pavement is grippy and the turn should not be a problem as long as you set your corner speed early. Continue following Dover Hill Road (now called simply “Dover Road”) until you reach a covered bridge. Ride through the covered bridge. Immediately after the bridge, the world’s smallest road sign points right to VT-30. Take this right. You will be rewarded with a good set of 35-45 Mph twisties before reaching VT-30. If you miss the right turn, no worries: going straight ahead will take you to 30 as well. You will miss-out on a fun section of road, but you won’t be lost. Turn right and head south on VT-30 for 13 miles. Route 30 is fast and open here, running along the West River. The river provides some nice views through this section, which ends in Brattleboro. Route 30 ends in Brattleboro at an intersection which can be confusing. Immediately before the intersection, there is a small village green. Stay left through the intersection and follow signs for VT-9 East/US Route 5 North. Make a sharp left turn onto US Route 5 North (a.k.a. Calvin Coolidge Memorial Highway – though I doubt anyone knows this name). If you find yourself on a congested stretch of road that looks like eastern Massachusetts, you have made the correct turn. Follow VT- 9 East/US 5 North for approximately 2 miles through several traffic lights. Just past a Friendly’s Ice Cream store on the right, routes 9 and 5 part at a rotary. Take the first right onto VT- 9 East. You will quickly cross a bridge and enter into New Hampshire. Follow Route 9 East for approximately 5.6 miles. Take a left onto NH Route 63. Route 63 is a pleasant country road, shady, winding and wooded. Watch for driveways with limited sight lines. After about 8 miles, NH-63 merges into NH-12. NH-12 is a fast road with 50 - 55 Mph speed limits and a section of divided highway. Follow NH-12 for approximately 10 miles. In Wapole NH, you will pass the State Line Grocery store on your right. Route 12 will curve around to the left and you will pass a Beverage Store. At the next traffic light, take a left and cross the Connecticut river onto Arch Bridge Street in Bellows Falls, VT. At the light, take a left onto Rockingham Street. Follow Rockingham Street to downtown Bellows Falls, where you will find a variety of shops and restaurants. The Miss Bellows Falls Diner , located on Rockingham Street, is a traditional diner where you can get good food at reasonable prices. The diner – built in the late 1920’s and moved to Bellows Falls during the 1940’s -- has the added attraction of begin on the National Register of Historic Places. There is on street parking on Rockingham Street in downtown Bellows Falls. This is a great time to get off the bike and take a walk around. Bellows Falls has many worthwhile shops and restaurants. When you’re finished in Bellows Falls, continue down Westminster Street (Rockingham Street becomes Westminster Street in the down town area). Just past the Rockingham Public Library you will come to a fork in the road (there is a Shell gas station on the right). Get in the right lane and continue straight onto Vermont Route 121. Head west, out of town, on Old Terrace Road. Just outside of Bellows Falls, VT-121 has some nice curves on grippy pavement. Follow 121 to Saxons River. Here you have two choices: option 1 has a short dirt section through a nice wooded area. Option 2 is paved. To follow option 1, turn left onto VT-35 South (Athens Road). Follow VT-35 to Townsend, where there is a town green with old shade trees and benches. To follow option 2, continue on VT- 121, past the VT- 35 left turn off. Route 35 North and Route 121 West are the same road here. Continue straight to Grafton, VT, where VT- 35 North turns right. Continue straight on VT-121. Turn left onto Grafton Road. Follow Grafton road to Townsend and the town green. At the town green, turn right onto VT- 30. Route 30 is fast sweeper road, with good pavement and rolling hills through nice woods. Route 30 follows the West River, creating turns with a nice fast flow. The Scott covered bridge is on the left-hand side, just before the Townsend Dam. Follow VT-30 six miles to East Jamaica and the intersection of VT-100 South. Turn left onto Route 100, cross a bridge over the West River, and head south on 100. Route 100 follows the contours of the Wardsboro Brook here, creating some twisty bits through Wardsboro. In the spring of 2012 damage from Tropical Storm Irene was evident in the brook and in low lying sections of town. Large collections of boulders lined the stream and there are houses with obvious flood damage. After passing through Wardsboro, continue south on 100 and enjoy the good pavement and a fast pace until you have completed the loop. Related Molly Stark Scenic Byway The Gray Ghost Inn Rides Page The Gray Ghost Inn in Dover The Mothers for Daughters Ride Map View on Google Maps

Celebrating 30 Years of Americade

Finding something new this year at Americade This year was the 30th anniversary of Americade and I decided to celebrate by doing something I had never done before: staying in Lake George for the event. Living just two hours north of Lake George, I have always done Americade as a day trip, riding down and back the same day. Last year, I rode down and back three times during the week. Staying in Lake George enabled me to take a demo ride, see Americade at night, and stay for late day events – all new for me. Manufacturers demo rides are one of Americade’s big draws. The manufacturers hold ride sign-ups daily and the most popular sell out in the first hour of registration. The Ducati Diavel ride is so popular that riders start queuing at 7 a.m. – a full hour before registration begins. A friend of a friend in the Ducati booth got me onto the list for a ride on the Diavel, allowing me to skip the line and stroll in at 8:30 for my Ducati experience. After an espresso and a biscotti in the Ducati Café, our ride group is briefed on the beast we are about to ride. We learned it is fast and sexy, and riding it will improve our love life, status and power. That is a lot for a motorcycle, but the Diavel seems up to the task. In the briefing, we’re told the demo route is long – close to an hour. It includes twisty sections with 35 Mph to 45 Mph curves and stretches of Adirondack, 55 Mph back roads. Our group heads out at a good pace, anxious to try the Diavel’s sport mode and unleash an unregulated 165 Hp with minimal traction control. The Diavel proves to be an excellent motorcycle. The power is very easy to manage with plenty available at all times. The handling is exceedingly competent and stable, with steering inputs delivered through a wide bar. The seating position is a comfortable squat that doesn’t encourage much movement. I am not sure if forty-five minutes on the Diavel is long enough to make me taller, richer or more handsome, but a pretty girl did give me a survey to fill out when I finished the ride. Riders looking for a good looking, high-powered, smooth handling motorcycle will find much to like in the Diavel. Bike Show
Few visitors to Americade realize the event hosts a bike show with 29 classes, run back-to-back over four days. The event is held in near secrecy, in a dark tent behind the Fort William Henry Resort hotel. I asked directions to find the show and was pleased to find the Classics 1975 – 1987 competition about to start when I arrived. Competitors must ride their bikes to the competition (though there is no rule concerning how far they must ride). Robert Smith rode his 1978 Kawisaki KZ650 café racer from Albany NY to Lake George to compete. Smith finished his bike only two days before the competition. His ride to Lake George was his final test and it included a stretch at “the ton up”. The Kawi has many hand-crafted bits, custom built by Smith. He quickly lets me know that he started his project before the popular TV series Café Racer first aired. Dan Duffy from Chestnut Ridge NY also showed a 1978 Kawasaki – a KZ400. Although Duffy’s bike began life looking very similar to Smith’s, his approach to restoring his Kawi was completely different. Duffy's bike is true to its late-seventies, Japanese standard styling and is a tastefully done custom with unique paint and finishes. Duffy found the bike on the side of the road with a free sign on it. “Free is for me!,” he said. “If I take it home and it runs, I'll restore it.” Much to his wife's dismay, the bike started up and he began a multi-year restoration project. The two bikes are an interesting contrast of style and watching Smith and Duffy compare stories was a joy for me. Each admires bits of the others work and they commiserate on the trials of restoring a bike from abused to loved. They are true enthusiasts, pursuing motorcycling for pride and joy, not fame and fortune. Tommi Ahvala
My a-la-carte wristband enables me to see a trials bike demonstration by World Trials Champion Tommi Ahvala. Going into the show, I had modest expectations: how good can a trials show in a parking lot be? Trials riding should include rocks and natural features, not man-made ramps and structures. It turns Ahvala’s show is good: very good ! Ahvala is a showman, craftsman and athlete. He is his own DJ and MC -- all while riding. That trick alone is worthy of praise, but Ahvala's riding is exciting, precise and powerful. His ability to accelerate boldly in a small space with enough power to launch his bike off a ramp, shooting fifteen feet to the top of his trailer demonstrates skill and confidence. Watching him dance his bike 180 degrees on the top platform and then launch back down a ramp shows pure fearlessness and control. At the end of his show, Ahalva signs autographs for young fans. He shows that despite his obvious abilities, he is humble enough to care about the people who appreciate him. Americade Riding
Each morning begins with the sound of bikes riding past my hotel and it makes me want to ride. The main drag in Lake George is crowded, but a short ride out of town leads to uncluttered, shady roads with good pavement and plenty of curves. Riding through the cool morning air, groups of five or six bikes, flying the other way in a likeminded pursuit of a proper head-clearing, energize my ride. On my last day at Americade, I ride up Prospect Mountain Road: a six-mile long, mountain road that leads to a peak overlooking Lake George and all of Americade. The road is well paved and easy to ride, with frequent pull-offs for sightseeing. Only motorcycles are allowed to ride to the summit -- car dwellers must use a hiking trail from a parking lot below. Prospect Mountain Road is 500 feet south of the Lake George Forum on the right-hand side of the road. The road opens at 10 a.m and there is $5 toll per motorcycle. The ride is a peaceful change from the roar of Canada Street, with long, green views and little noise. Americade at Night
The main street in Lake George, Canada Street, isn’t just a daytime scene. My hotel – like most in Lake George – is on Canada Street and I can walk easily to downtown and places to eat. I hit the Adirondack Pub and Brewery with a friend for a fresh, local craft brewed Black IPA and a Catfish dish that is perfect mix of flavors and textures. After dinner, we head to a bar with Karaoke and watch a Ducati rep sing Tom Jones covers and a local growl out Metallica with James Hetfield intensity. The next night, we head to Canada Street for a late night dessert. Bikes with LED’s lighting frames and wheels cruise the street, creating a spontaneous lightshow parade. On to The Future
In 30 years Americade has grown from 2,000 participants to an estimated 50,000. Along the way, the event has added demo rides, activities and vendors and is looking for ways to attract new, young riders, while keeping its current clientele. Undoubtedly, this is a challenge. Based on my unscientific survey of bikes at Americade, I noticed an increase in dual-sport and sport motorcycles this year – bikes generally favored by younger riders. I think this is a positive sign for the event. Americade’s multi-brand, “all bikes welcome” approach may be its key to continued success. Friday was my last day at Americade and by Saturday I was back home. I stopped at Roadside Motorsports in Williston to pick-up a part and was surprised to see 15 or so young riders with sport bikes lined up in the parking lot. I asked one of the guys where they were headed: he said they were the 802 Riders and they were headed to Lake George to check out Americade. I wonder if they had a good time? I bet they did.

The Molly Stark Scenic Byway

Estimated Mileage:  40 miles
Estimated Time:  1 hour, 10 mins The Molly Stark Scenic Byway (Vermont Route 9 from Brattleboro to Bennington) offers riders history, iconic views, and fun, twisty riding when the traffic is right. Ride the Molly Stark early in the morning or midweek to increase your chances of having fun. Plan on stopping at the Hogback Mountain overlook for a three-state view over rolling hills. The road follows the path General John Stark used to return to New Hampshire after the Battle of Bennington and is a designated a Scenic Byway. The designation signifies that the route has historic significance, beauty and recreational opportunities. There are eight obelisks placed along the road to call out places of historical significance. Look for the markers to brush up on your Vermont history. The pavement quality is excellent on almost all of the 40 miles between Brattleboro and Bennington. You will find that it is best to ride the road from east to west to due to the strategic location of truck lanes just before twisty sections. The truck lanes allow easy passing of slow moving campers and gawkers who do not understand that smooth flow and ample momentum is needed to enjoy the tasty, twisty 45 mph curves. Riding west to east is also fun, but there are fewer safe passing opportunities. The overlook at Hogback Mountain in Marlboro is fourteen and half miles west of Brattleboro and is a nice, midway stopping point. The 100-mile view includes the rolling hills of southern Vermont, northern Massachusetts and western New Hampshire. A gift shop here sells Vermont maple syrup, cheese and souvenirs. The Southern Vermont Natural History Museum is located next to the gift shop. The museum has a display of non-releasable live hawks and owls. From the overlook, the road descends to Wilmington Vermont . Just before reaching Wilmington, a left-hand turn leads to Vermont Route 100 South. One-hundred south of this intersection provides a fun side route that loops back into the Molly Stark west of Wilmington. In Wilmington, VT-100 north intersects with VT-9 at a traffic light with good signage. You will find everything from creemee stands and pizza to full course dining in Wilmington. You can park your bike on Main Street and walk to your selection. Wilmington also offers shopping and attractions like art galleries. A short hop off the Molly Stark is the  Skip Morrow and Art of Humor Gallery (address: #30 Not-A-Road, Wilmington VT – seriously; 10-5 daily; weekdays call (802) 464-5523 ). West of Wilmington, the road runs along the Deerfield River and climbs up to the intersection with VT-8. There is a truck lane just before the VT-8 turn. The VT-100 south side loop mentioned earlier rejoins the Molly Stark here. West of VT-8, the road rolls up and down, but generally climbs through wooded areas until Woodford -- Vermont’s highest village at 2,215 feet. From there, the road winds steadily down the 8 miles to Bennington, where it becomes Main Street. Bennington is the third largest town in Vermont (15,764 2010 census) and has a variety of services. You can find food and lodging all within walking distance of downtown. Related Vermont Byways Molly Stark Historical Marker Map  (pdf) Southern Vermont Natural History Bennington Visitor's Guide Map View on Google Maps

Mothers for Daughters: Having Fun For A Good Cause

Each year the Mothers for Daughters Ride raises thousands and has fun doing it
I was waiting for the bus to take me to registration on Friday night, when I it heard it again. “I love this event. It’s so well organized.” That was the third time in less than thirty minutes I had heard that exact comment. Well organized is only one of the reasons that the Mothers for Daughters ride has grown from 88 riders five years ago to over 400 this year. The event is also fun and raises money for breast and ovarian cancer research -- a cause that has personally affected many of the participants. Mothers for Daughter is a three day event held each May in West Dover, Vermont. This year, the event was May 18 through 20. The event begins on Friday evening, with check-in and dinner at a restaurant of your choice. Shuttle buses, hired for the event, run a continuous loop that includes the ten participating lodging accommodations, the registration venue and West Dover restaurants. The shuttles make it easy to meet people and find a restaurant, all without worrying about riding at night or after a beer at dinner. Check-in and registration is a microcosm of the event’s endearing qualities. At their lodging check-in, attendees receive an information packet with a schedule, waiver and important information. When they arrive at registration, they already know where to go and what to expect. Warm smiles greet each rider. No one is ever lost, wondering where to be to enjoy the fun. Sharon Alves, of Nashau’s Gate City HOG chapter is the ride’s chief organizer. She is a cancer survivor whose bountiful energy and enthusiasm make each participant feel welcomed and happy. Her obvious love of life and customer service attitude inspires the fifty volunteers who run the event to match her level of service and warmth. The Ride
Saturday is the main event, with the ride during the day and the awards dinner, party and dancing on Saturday night. “The thing I like about this is they actually ride,” said Shawn, a Goldwing rider from Southwick MA. “It’s not like some rides where you’re constantly stopping.” This year’s ride -- a 130 mile loop through Vermont and New Hampshire – was organized by Stu Hazen and Ralph Lloyd. Hazen and Llyod scout the route and manage the twenty-five road captains who work the ride. The weekend before, the road captains ride the route, looking for dangerous road conditions and tricky intersections. They pre-ride the route again on the Thursday making sure nothing has changed. The day of the ride, bikes stage in groups of forty. Riders decorate their bikes in pink leis, oversized brassieres and pink breast cancer ribbons. Some are wearing costumes, vying for one of the coveted spirit awards, given at the Saturday night party. Groups are spaced twenty minutes apart and led at a good pace. The route includes shady, 35-45 mph country roads through villages, stretches of higher- speed, 50 mph roads, beautiful Vermont scenery and few traffic lights. There is a stopping point after forty miles for gas and restrooms. Port-o-lets setup at the rest stop ensure little waiting and a fast return to riding. After another forty miles, the ride stops for a BBQ lunch in downtown Bellow’s Falls. After lunch, the ride returns to West Dover with enough time for riders to relax at their lodging before dinner and the evening party. How It Began
When Sharon Alves learned she had stage-two breast cancer she was a single mother with a 19 year old daughter. “The whole world falls out from the bottom,” she said. “You wonder if you can handle it. Mainly, it’s hard to face your kids.” Giving up isn’t Sharon’s way. “You have to deal with it,” she said. Using her daughter as motivation, she fought the cancer, underwent a mastectomy and persevered. She recovered and returned to motorcycling. In 2007, Sharon was staying at the Gray Ghost Inn in West Dover with her HOG group. Magnus Thorson, owner of the Gray Ghost overheard one of the HOG members raising money for a breast cancer walk that Sharon was walking in. Moved to help, Magnus pulled aside Sharon and another member of the HOG group, Bob O’Keefe (Bob’s uncle died from breast cancer) and proposed the event. The next year, the ride was born. With ninety percent of the riders returning each year, it has grown every year since. Raising Money and Having Fun
Many people do their part to make Mothers for Daughters successful. Working with Sharon as directors for the event are Bob O'Keefe and Carina Thorsson. Bob handles Sales and Marketing and Carina -- owner of the Gray Ghost Inn -- coordinates resources for the Dover area. Sharon gives a lot of credit to the volunteers who work the event. She singled out Val DiPietro as one of her biggest aids. “Val is my sounding board,” Sharon said. The inns and lodges of West Dover play an important role. “We couldn’t do this without the help of the inns,” said Mark Lambert, a Road Captain from Gate City HOG. The ten participating inns agree to a fix room rate for the weekend and donate 20% of revenues back to the cause. The innkeepers also donate their own time, working the Saturday evening dinner, waiting and bussing tables. The spirit of the event motivates individuals to do extraordinary things. Mike Monahan is an excellent example. Mike is a long-haul trucker. At the 2011 event, he pledged a penny a mile for every mile he drove between 2011 and 2012. This year’s he presented a check for $1,008 to Bob O’Keefe. “He’s just a fantastic person – he and his wife Michelle both are,” Sharon said. The money goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. “We looked at it extensively and chose them because 85 cents of every dollar goes into research,” Sharon said. She said that it is too early to know the number for this year, but it is expected to be higher than the $28,000 raised in 2011. “My hope is that someday we’ll be able to come here and celebrate that they have found a cure for this disease,” said Sharon. In the mean time, Mothers for Daughters will focus on making people happy and working for the cause – something they do very well. Related Mothers for Daughters web site The Breast Cancer Research Foundation The Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation

Moto Vermont - Adventure Motorcycle Rentals and Outfitter

Providing rentals and gear for your next Vermont motorcycle adventure Chance can turn any motorcycle ride into an adventure. Moto Vermont, a new Williston VT company specializing in outfitting and renting adventure touring motorcycles, wants to turn your next ride into the best kind of adventure. Eric Milano of Burlington started Moto Vermont in June as a way to turn his passion into his work. He saw the match between Vermont's rural roads and the go-everywhere functionality of the BMW GS and Kawasaki KLX series of motorcycles. Milano has plenty of experience in adventure riding. Recent long-distance rides include a twenty-thousand, two-month US tour where he traveled to Prudoe Bay Alaska and a three-week ride on the Trans-Labrador Highway through Labrador, Newfoundland. Moto Vermont caters to explorers and travelers: whether they are looking for a day of fun, a weekend adventure, or a more serious trip. Customers this summer have ranged from new and returning riders looking to spend a day on a small motorcycle to vacationers doing week-long trips. One customer rented a bike to fill an off day on a business trip. Moto Vermont is ideally located a quarter-mile from the Burlington airport. Milano provides a pickup service, luggage storage, and assistance with logistics such as food, gear and other supplies. Long-term car parking is available during your rental. You can rent a range of motorcycles. The 292-pound Kawasaki KLX250 is perfect for the returning rider, riders new to dual sport riding or those who prefer its quiet efficient, flickable nature. The bike is well matched to Vermont's Class 3 and Class 4 roads (see the related article: Dual Sport Ride to The Natural Turnpike in the Roads section for ride that takes advantage of this bike). At the other end of the spectrum, you can rent a BMW R1200 RT. The R1200 RT is a 570 pound, 1170cc, luxury sport-touring motorcycle. The bike has plush accommodations with an adjustable windscreen, cruise control, Sirius satellite radio and luggage space that is adequate for rider and passenger. To date, this bike has been the Moto Vermont's most demanded rental. If you are looking for a go-anywhere type bike, the BMW R1200GS will suit you. The bike has the same 105hp, 1170cc motor as the R1200RT, but is only 504 pounds. The rider can turn off the ABS for gravel or dirt riding. The BMW F650 GS is a middleweight bike and a natural choice for riders looking to favor gravel roads over pavement.  If you prefer a true sport-touring motorcycle, rent the BMW F800 ST. The F800 is a parallel twin -- not the usual BMW Boxer motor -- known for sport bike-like handling while preserving rider comfort. With the exception of the F800 ST, all of the BMW's in the Moto Vermont rental line-up have adjustable seat heights, making them suitable for riders of all heights. The seat on the F1200 GS adjusts from 29.5 to 33.2, as an example. All of Moto Vermont's rental motorcycles come with luggage -- even the KLX250, which comes with a tank bag and luggage rack. Moto Vermont also rents and sells helmets, jackets, gloves, and GPS units. Moto Vermont is an authorized Wolfman Motorcycle Luggage dealer. Wolfman offers a full line of bags, racks and accessories tailored to the adventure motorcycle market. Rental costs range from $125 per day for a 1 to 2 day KLX rental to $180 per day for a 1 to 2 day rental of an R1200 RT. Renting three or more days drops the daily cost, with discounts for 3 to 7 day rentals and rentals lasting eight days or more. Rental costs include 300 miles daily. Optional higher mileage packages can be purchased. To rent, riders must be at least 25 years old and have a valid motorcycle endorsement. Rider and passenger must wear helmet, gloves, and over the ankle boots while riding. A deposit is held during the rental and refunded with the safe return of the motorcycle. Milano hopes to grow Moto Vermont into a complete outfitter for the traveling rider. He is planning to expand the types and range of bikes he offers, and build his gear line into a year round business. Whether you are looking for a day of fun or a longer adventure, Moto Vermont has the bikes and gear to make your adventure a good one. Resources Moto Vermont Dual Sport Ride to The Natural Turnpike

Summit Series: Mount Philo

Estimated Mileage:  1.2 miles
Estimated Time:  20 minutes Mount Philo, in Charlotte VT, has open western views of the Adirondacks and the Lake Champlain valley making it ideal for sunsets and late afternoon fall lounging. It is a great place for a picnic, bird watching or a leisurely ride. The 1.2 mile road to the summit is not Pikes Peak. It is narrow and twisty -- first gear only affair --  with good pavement from top to bottom. The bottom half mile has two-way traffic, while the narrower top is one direction only. A heavy touring bike with a trailer will have challenges on the tighter turns, but most other bikes will have no problem, as long as you maintain the 15 mph speed limit. If you have floorboards, be careful of your ground clearance: shift your weight to the inside and stand the bike up as much as possible. Entrance to the park is $3 for a day. There are ten campsites, including three with lean-to's. The park rents out quickly, so make sure to reserve a spot by calling 1-888-409-7579, Monday to Friday between 9  a.m. and 4 p.m.

Getting The Classic Bike Experience

Owners get the full experience of owning old British iron Motorcyclists in the 1960’s and 70’s might have started on a Honda Cub, but then bought a Triumph T650 or a Norton 750 when they were ready for a big bike. The bikes were raw and required the rider to be as good with a wrench as they were in the seat. Routine maintenance had a different meaning in those days. “When you bought these bikes it was expected that you were going to work on them,” said Jack Manning, one of three owners of the Classic Bike Experience. The owner’s manual had instructions for disassembling the motor, adjusting valves and removing carbon from the head. “That’s why it’s the Classic Bike Experience,” he said. You get the full experience of owning a classic bike – including the care and maintenance. I met Jack at the First Annual British Motor Bike Weekend in Stowe VT at Ye Olde England Inn on June 26. After eating breakfast with some of the rally participants, we rode over Smuggler’s Notch to the Classic Bike Experience in Essex for their annual Open House. It was my first chance to see the shop and learn about their operation. The Classic Bike Experience was started by three friends who shared working on 60’s and 70’s British motorcycles. Their friendship grew into a club focused on sharing tools and expertise. In 2008 they opened their door to the public for restorations and maintenance work, but have kept the friendly atmosphere. CBE begins each restoration with an assessment of the bike. They rate the bike’s condition from poor to perfect using an objective scale. The rating helps the owner understand the requirements to move a bike from “fair” -- meaning it is rusted but running -- to “excellent”, where the bike is well restored. When the restoration process begins, customers choose their level of involvement. Some are the lead mechanic, while others are hands-off. In all cases, CBE is there to help and provide guidance. To accommodate their customer-mechanics, CBE has evening and Saturday hours. CBE provides advice based on experience. Their showroom has pegboards with parts for each major bike system. The pegboards show the balance of price, performance and perfection customers need to understand when setting their budget and defining project goals. If you prefer working on bikes to riding them, CBE can help you sell your bike when you have completed the restoration. The Classic Bike Experience is staying true to their roots. At their open house, it was difficult to distinguish between customers and staff, and family was very prominent. Stop by their shop – I am sure they will show you around and be happy to get you started on your own classic bike experience. Resources : Related photo gallery The Classic Bike Experience Ye Olde England Inne

Sidecar Drivers Know How To Have Fun

United Sidecar Association at Champlain Valley Expo I’m a sport rider. I like twisting, flowing roads, where I can feel the left-right-left transitions, bending corners and rolling road changes. Attaching a device to a bike that makes counter steering impossible is just crazy. So when I decided to attend the United Sidecar Association National Rally, July 8- 11 in Essex Junction Vermont with nearly 200 sidecar enthusiasts, I knew I had something to learn. What attracts someone to a hack? “I think people like it because it’s different. You can have something that no else has,” said Joyce Canfield, USCA President. The Show and Shine contest demonstrated the variety among sidecar rigs. Rides ranged from brush guard equipped, mud ready BMW GS 1100’s with floodlights and spare fuel canisters to slipstream, pavement-missile, Kawasaki based, sport-touring machines. Goldwing sidecars raised the passenger standard by including amenities such as waterproof enclosures, reading lights, and stereo speakers with passenger volume control. A 1972 CB750K2 with a California sidecar was at the other end of the luxury scale. The sidecar is minimalistic: a flip-up footrest that folds to allow more legroom is the only amenity. The sidecar has advanced suspension for its age with a swing arm and shock equipped wheel, but leaves the passenger skimming inches above the pavement. Being unique isn’t the only attraction of sidecars. For enthusiasts like Phil and Linda Reed from Lakeville Massachusetts, the attraction is the ability to include the whole family. “My oldest daughter moved out in September,” Phil said. “So we lost our built-in babysitter.” Adding a sidecar to their 2002 Harley Davidson Electra Glide Classic enables the Reeds to take their 10 and 11 year-old daughters and dog along on rides. The Reeds traveled to the rally with Linda’s mom and dad, Joe and Jackie Rebeiro of Berkley MA. The Rebeiros won Best of Show for their Honda GL1500 Goldwing with California sidecar and trailer. The Reeds and Rebeiro’s are not the only multi-generational sidecar family. Bob Liberty from Leicester Vermont grew up with sidecars. “I’ve always been around them. My father had them. My uncle had them. My grandfather had them,” he said. He currently has three sidecars, including a 1970 Harley Davidson police model that hasn’t been driven. The tank has never had gas in it and the motor has never seen oil, Liberty said. Purchased as a police fleet parts bike, mechanics cannibalized it from the beginning. Liberty is just now getting the parts needed to get it running. Sidecars are more stable than two-wheelers and some riders convert from standard motorcycles as strategy to extend their riding years. Peter Tourin of Jericho Vermont, who currently rides a restored Norton Commando 850, said he is considering a sidecar rig for when he can no longer ride his solo motorcycle. “I can’t ride forever. Maybe a sidecar is my next step,” he said. Seventy-nine year-old Avenell Lewis might agree, assuming you could catch her to ask the question. Avenell came to the rally from Texas with her husband. She pilots her own Suzuki Burgman 650 scooter sidecar, rather than riding passenger. She was active in the sidecar games taking multiple runs. She even hung off the side of the car to place balls on traffic cones in one game. The sidecar games included the blindfolded obstacle course, a study in male-female relations. The typical team paired a blindfolded male driver with a sighted female navigator. To be successful, the driver had to follow instructions without question and the navigator had to provide clear, precise directions. One combo had this driver to navigator exchange, after running over a cone: Driver: “Why didn’t you tell me the cone was there?” Navigator: “I did. You just weren’t listening” After the formal sidecar games ended, an impromptu game of flying the car began. Drivers used the open paved section of the fairgrounds to prove that sidecar motorcycles can lean – at least to the left. When the driver leans left far enough, the chair comes off the ground. Some drivers rode in the flying car position for a quarter mile, with the chair five or six feet above the ground. There is no doubt that this niche of motorcycling has strong enthusiasts. Charlie Chidgey came all the way from Australia to attend. At home, he has a BMW GS1100 sidecar and a Yamaha XS1100 sidecar. He was planning a trip to Vermont when he learned of the USCA event and planned his trip around it. Before the rally, I had never ridden in a sidecar. When I got my chance, I was initially anxious about riding so low to the ground, but quickly adjusted. I found the ride smooth, stable and relaxing. Riding in the sidecar is great way to sightsee and take photographs. And while it is unlikely I’ll give up my Ducati for a sidecar any time soon, I learned to appreciate why these motorcyclists choose sidecars. I also learned that sidecar drivers are friendly, fun-loving and a bit crazy – but only in the best ways. Resources Sidecar Association