NRR May 2013 - Northern Rockies Rider

Transcription

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Northern Rockies Rider
Volume 2, Number 2 • May 2013 • A Continental Communications Publication • nrrider2@gmail.com • 406-498-3250
The Lochsa...
150 miles of curves, good pavement, magnificent scenery
One of the top three routes in
the U.S.? Most would agree
By Cole Boehler
It was already greening up when this idyllic U.S. 12 scene was captured April 3 this year.
Dani Rollison-Collins photo.
Perhaps the most famous and
most photographed highway sign
in motorcycling is posted just a
mile east of Lowell, Idaho. It is
along the Lolo Pass-Lochsa River
route on U.S. Hwy 12. It says,
“WINDING ROAD NEXT 77
MILES.”
I first posed there for a photo
in the late 1980s. Over the years
a bunch of friends have also
had pictures taken with their
machines and the sign in the
background. Years later those
pictures evoke powerful and crystal
clear memories of the epic rides that
ensued.
That sign designates what most
regard to be one of the three best
motorcycle roads in the U.S. It is known
as U.S. 12, Lolo Pass or “The Lochsa.”
This incredible route traverses 28
miles of Montana and, depending upon
what you regard as the Idaho end – in
our case, Orofino – another 135 miles
of superb mountain riding down the
Lochsa (pronounced like “lock-saw”)
and Clearwater River Valleys.
By the way, a few years ago we
See Lochsa, Page 8
Black Hills Motorcycle Show draws near 2,000
By Dottie Rankin
NR Rider Wyoming correspondent
For dedicated riders there is something
compelling about a motorcycle show,
and there is something magnetic about
the Black Hills, so when you combine a
motorcycle show with the Black Hills you
can’t resist going.
April 13-14 was the 25th Anniversary
of the Black Hills Motorcycle Show.
It promised to be the region’s premier
display of iron artwork under the roof
of Rapid City’s Rushmore Plaza Civic
Center. Highlighted were the “original and
nostalgic” as well as the “contemporary
and cutting-edge” motorcycles.
The Black Hills Motorcycle Show
was conducted in Barnett Arena at the
m
www.northernrockiesrider.co
2013-2014
$3.95
Top Tours
tes
Favorite motorcycle rou
as featured in
Dakota
> British Columbia > South
> Washington
> Idaho
ing
Wyom
>
> Montana
Rushmore Plaza Civic Center located
in the heart of downtown Rapid
City, right next door to the Journey
Museum.
Show hours were from 9 a.m. to 7
p.m. Sat., April 13 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sun., April 14. Awards were presented
at 3 p.m. Sunday. It was estimated just
under 2,000 enthusiasts attended the
show.
There were 25 classes of
motorcycles and awards went to
first, second and third place in each
category. The most sought after award
was the Best of Show Award which
was voted by those attending the
show.
The 36 vendors lined all four
Black Hills Motorcycle Show’s 25th Anniversary was an appropriate celebration of
See Black Hills, Page 2
riding and the show.
Enjoy first edition of ‘Top Tours’!
To our wonderful Northern Rockies Rider distributors
and readers: This issue carries our first annual edition of
“Top Tours” magazine. We hope you enjoy it.
NR Rider distributors may sell the magazine at the $3.95
cover price, or for a lesser sale price, or may simply give it
to their best customers as a way of showing appreciation.
Please note the “Top Tours” supporting advertisers:
they purchased a presence in the magazine because they
cater to riders and want more of them through their doors.
That, in itself, is a good reason to patronize these fine
businesses.
We promised we would print 5,000 copies, a reasonable
amount when the project was first conceived. Because
of growing demand, we wound up printing 6,750, a 35
percent circulation bonus for advertisers! You’re welcome.
We are already planning our 2014 edition of “Top
Tours.” With the increased distribution, the 2013 rates
cannot remain in place, but we will maintain them until
July 1 this year. Book your space now for next year at this
year’s low rates.
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Axmaker:
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‘Odd Couple’
initiates cultural
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Page 15
Page 22
Northern Rockies Rider - 2
May 2013
Black Hills
they received a
prize in the Full
Bagger category.
That seems fitting
somehow.
The best part
of a bike show
are the people.
That weekend
1,825 motorcycleloving souls
ventured out
in the brisk
from page 1
walls of the building representing a
mixture of businesses and motorcycle
organizations.
has grown steadily since.
When asked about the challenges of
staging a successful motorcycle show, he
said it’s always a concern to get enough
exhibits and bikes in the door.
He said that since the very first
show and shine, the Black Hills show
has been held in the Rushmore Plaza
Civic Center, and they have consistently
increased the space utilized as their
show continued to grow; a good
problem to have. He said he sees a
continuing and bright future for the
From the ridiculous ... to the sublime: rat bike to fantastic custom.
To ride is to accessorize. There were
vendors representing accessories and
apparel (lots of leather). Events such
as the Sturgis Rally had booths, even
schools for those interested in the more
technical side of motorcycles as a career.
Motorcycle social groups were also
apparent such as local H.O.G. (Harley
Owner’s Groups), Soldiers for Jesus,
A.B.A.T.E. and Christian Motorcycle
Association. Youth and Family Services
even brought a sand pit for the kids.
A new event this year was a Vendor
Poker Run. Show patrons could visit
each vendor booth and get a special
card stamped to become eligible to win
a gas barbecue grill.
This year the show added another
feature: Laura Klock, of Klock Werks
Kustom Cycles based in Mitchell, So.
Dak. Cycle Source Magazine named
Laura Motorcycling Woman of the year
in 2008 and again in 2011. Laura is vice
president of Klock Werks and runs the
business with her husband Brian.
Laura is a main cog in “Helping With
Horsepower,” a charitable extension
of Klock Werks. “Helping With
Horsepower” partnered with Youth and
Family Services “Girl’s Inc.” to build
and raffle off a motorcycle to benefit
that organization. Laura designed the
curriculum for this project to enhance
the girls’ self-esteem and give them
confidence to realize they are capable of
pursuing any career they choose. Klock
Werks donated the bike that is being
rebuilt.
Of course the reason we were all
at the show was the bikes. The show
drew 124 bike entries from a five-state
area. They were from North Dakota,
Montana, South Dakota, Iowa and
Nebraska. The 28,800 square foot
arena smelled like polish and literally
glistened with chrome.
The judged entries were posed,
primped, prettied up and gleaming.
Contestants were urged to display their
bikes “with a finished appearance from
all sides” as a quality display would
improve their total scores and their
chances of winning.
There was even a photographer
available to capture the memories
Motorcycles, and showing them competitively, is often a family affair.
30-degree weather. The atmosphere was event.
fun and exciting, and the traffic flow
The entrants, vendors, the
was brisk though somewhat stronger
volunteer Black Hills Motorcycle Show
Saturday than Sunday. Young and old
Committee, both major and minor
alike enjoyed the show and displays.
The show was a well run,
professional, smoothly flowing affair,
adding to the enjoyment factor.
The organization behind the event
is the
Black Hills
Motorcycle
Show
Committee
and it seems
after 25 years
they have
it down to
where it
runs like a
well-oiled
One of the committee wheels is Roger
machine.
Roeszler, who looks tired but content.
Everywhere
we looked
there were
sponsors and those who came to
members
observe all played a role in making this
of the
quarter-century-old show the success
Entrants put plenty of effort into 360-degree displays that enhanced
Committee.
it is.
the machine’s appeal.
If anyone
If you like motorcycles or if you are
–
vendor,
patron
or
entrant
–
needed
interested
in being a vendor or entrant
so winners of first, second and third
anything they didn’t have far to look.
for the 2014 Black Hills Motorcycle
received their picture within a plaque.
Northern Rockies Rider sat down with Show, contact Clay Trulson at Black
Awards were presented for Best of
Hills Harley Davidson: 605-342-9362.
Show, Best Display, Best Paint, Featured one of the founding members of the
show,
Roger
Roeszler,
from
Milwaukee.
Editor’s note: Watch the July edition
Guest’s Choice and Judge’s Choice. Best
He says that the show started with the
of Northern Rockies rider for a report
of show was determined by popular
local H.O.G. club as a small Show and
on the S.M.E.G. Motorcycle Show in
vote. Best Display, Best Paint, and
Shine in Rapid City’s Bakken Park and
Kalispell, Mont., set for June 1.
Judges Choice were all determined by
the judges. There was also a Featured
Guest Choice Category that was
judged by
the featured
guest, in this
case Laura
Klock.
It was
interesting
to note
that Sturgis
Brown High
School (South
Dakota)
won two
awards, first
Members of the Black Hills Motorcycle Show Committee: (left-to-right) Rob Reynolds,
in Best Paint
Gary Janzen, Alex Kulesza, Nancy Williams, Clay Trulson, Cheryl Trulson, Mike Williams,
The Klock Werks custom build to be raffled for the benefit of girls.
category and
Rob Burton, Todd Holen, Neal Schlottman and Matt McCormick. May 2013
From the editor and publisher, Cole Boehler
Greetings
er in
Prior to launching Northern Rockies Rid
ball and
April of 2012, we gazed into our crystal
a publication of 3,500 circulation.
established advertising rates suitable for
re we stood at the end of one year.
Our gazing told us that might be whe
and adjusted because our vision
We need to get our bi-foculs checked
ber of 2012, six months earlier
was blurry. We hit 3,500 back in Septem
than anticipated!
ion and will print 5,200 for
We printed 5,000 copies of our April edit
readers like the content, and we
May. Our circulation grows because our
and business/distributors are
know this since more and more readers
requesting copies, or more copies.
esent an incredible value but
So, here we are with ad rates that repr
ting and distribution and other
will not cover our ever increasing prin
.
expenses. Clearly something must give
costs or drive revenues,
Business owners know the choices: cut
examining our cost structure
or some of both. At this point, we are
ent in February!; U.S. went up
(Canadian mail costs jumped 40 perc
look at ad rates and the revenue side
substantially, too) but will also take a
of the ledger.
ed for 3,500 circulation, it must
With our initial rate structure calibrat
change.
$595. With 3,500 circulation,
A full page is currently priced as low as
efficient and cost-effective rate. At
that is just 17¢ per impression, a very
impression, scandalously cheap!,
5,200 circulation, that rate is just 11¢ per
eted niche.
especially considering our tightly targ
crystal ball. What do we see?
Now we return our gaze to the 2013-14
growth, but we will have to
At present we see continued distribution
rain the expense. We also see a
find new efficiencies there while we rest
. So that cheap $595 full page
20-25 percent ad rate adjustment needed
50. Still, at $750, a regular full page
will have to be priced closer to $700-$7
6,000 circulation, also an excellent
would only be 13¢ per impression with
value.
ked out and in place beginning
We will have the new rate structure wor
a rate surprise on our customers,
July 1. We don’t believe in “springing”
renew at the old rates until July 1.
so will give them all a chance to buy or
they last!
Take advantage of the low rates while
entage of sold v. unsold space.
perc
our
We will also need to boost
, over the next couple of years, 50
We’ll shoot to get that to 40 percent and
more sales calls and sales. We are
percent. This means we need to make
nd sales rep working full-time.
adding a part-timer in order to get a seco
loyalty, we will reach our
With continued reader and advertising
objectives.
Casper Wyoming’s
2nd Annual
August 1st and 2nd 2013
3pm-11pm
2 days before the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Harley
& the V-Twins
daily from 6pm-10pm
Event Location
WY I-25, exit 188 B
Ramkota Hotel
of Casper, Wyoming
Harley-Davidson Preferred Hotel
Vendors please contact the
Casper Area Chamber of Commerce,
Casper, Wyo. • 307-234-5311
ghosttownbikerrally.com
the best
bloody marys
in the black hills
Wyoming State
H.O.G. Rally
July 11 - 13th 2013
Thermopolis, Wyoming - Home of
the “World’s Largest Hot Springs”!
Come Ride the Wind River Canyon!
• “Bike Parade of Lights”
• Kip Attaway free concert
• Poker Runs and Bike Games
• Great Vendors
For registration and info:
www.wystatehogrally.com
Contact Jenni at 307-921-8943 or
Troy at 307-921-2704
happy hour
mon-fri 5 to 7
free pool fridays
$1 tap tuesdays
Motorcycle
Friendly Bar!
(307) 746-3382
114 West Main, Newcastle, Wyoming 82701
Monday-Saturday 12pm - 2am • Sunday 12pm - 10pm
SPONSORED BY WESTON COUNTY TRAVEL COMMISSION.
Opinion
May 2013
The majority can behave punitively toward a minority
Tobacco and alcohol
consumers, retailers and
manufacturers have for years paid
special excise taxes, some say
justified because of the health
risks and social costs associated
with consuming them.
We’re not surprised to see
some are now advocating and
trying to justify similar taxes
on firearms, accessories and
ammunition.
However, alarmingly we saw
a recent press report where an
advocate of these kinds of taxes
grouped alcohol, tobacco and
unhelmeted riders together as
things with great inherent social
costs and therefore deserving of
special taxes.
Never underestimate the
willingness of a self-righteous
majority to punish a minority they
detest.
Or perhaps author C.S. Lewis
said it best:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny
exercised for the good of
its victims may be the most
oppressive. It may be better to live
under robber barons than under
omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron’s cruelty may
sometimes sleep, his cupidity may
at some point be satiated; but
those who torment us for our own
good will torment us without end,
for they do so with the approval of
their own conscience.”
Yes, omnipotent moral
busybodies who operate with
the approval of their own
consciences... Dangerous, indeed!
Tobacco users for years have
been hounded by the busybodies
with special taxes that run from
50¢ to $2 and more per day; now
kicked out of the last sanctuaries
where the vice could be enjoyed:
bars! You see these miserable
souls hunched in alley corners,
total social outcasts indulging in
their legal habits.
We’re all familiar with examples
of punitive laws and ordinances
meant to banish riders to ...
where? Kick them off the public
lands, kick them out of the park
systems, kick them out of the
subdivision or suburb...
In most of these cases,
riders fighting from a defensive
stance have beaten back the
prohibitionists, arguing mostly on
a constitutional and/or statutory
basis. But the anti-bike crowd has
the power, and may have the will,
to amend statutes, write new ones,
maybe seek constitutional change
... or impose special taxes.
In our circulation area, only the
state of Washington has a statute
mandating helmets. All Canadian
provinces do, as is apt for that
more socialist society. It’s the hard
work of riders in the legislatures
of the other states that keeps
freedom of choice available here.
But, we would bet $1,000
that if referendums or statutory
initiatives mandating helmets were
placed on the ballots in Idaho,
Wyoming, Montana and South
Dakota tomorrow, they would
pass overwhelmingly, despite
the Libertarian tendencies of the
citizenry of these states. We’ve
seen some surveys that indicate
this is indeed so.
What about initiatives or
referendums to outlaw aftermarket
exhausts? Same outcome.
Horsepower limits? Yup. Special
new taxes? Special new insurance
requirements?
Earlier we wrote that motorcycle
households probably constitute
a minority of 1.3 percent. Other
research indicates that 42 percent
of the population disapproves of
our 1.3 percent. And that really
doesn’t mean 58 percent approve.
The safety-crats and social
nannies have a problem when
taking on firearms, either in efforts
to limit their availability, their
design or their capacity, or to
impose “social cost” taxes (some
have proposed special insurance
requirements for gun owners,
dealers and manufacturers):
that problem is the Second
Amendment.
Another almost immovable
obstacle: a very well heeled, well
organized and powerful lobby.
Thirdly, gun-owner households
are a large minority (32 percent)
and there may be no more
dedicated and vociferous minority
around. Just challenge them and
you will see!
Motorcyclists have none of
those protections.
Being organized and dedicated
is our hope when the “social
reformers” put their crosshairs on
our backs.
Other than that, we can avoid
antagonizing them; challenging
them to “do something” about us.
Right now, what I hear that
most arouses the hostility of the
populace toward motorcycles
is loud pipes. A close second is
the sport bike rider, also with a
loud aftermarket exhaust, who is
stunting and otherwise exhibiting a
blatant disregard for safety and the
law; i.e. is perceived to be putting
law-abiding citizens in danger.
I am a hunter. Am I ashamed of
this? No. But I am aware there is a
growing segment of the population
that finds hunting to be cruel and
barbaric and thus repugnant.
Of course they are mistaken,
but I am conscientious enough
regarding their feelings that I will
not go into public wearing hunter
orange, and I will avoid being
seen with blood and gore that
sometimes splatters a hunter
during the field dressing process.
In short, I avoid “getting in their
face” because hunters are a social
minority who face an increasingly
emotional, strident, well-funded
and organized opposition.
As motorcyclists, let’s
appreciate our minority status;
let’s accept there is substantial
public disapproval of what we do;
let’s grasp that a majority that is
hostile can restrict our enjoyment
of the sport and raise the cost of
participation appreciably, maybe
prohibitively.
And let’s admit that “in your
face” attitudes and actions will
contribute to our own demise.
Published ten times annually - Jan./Feb., March-Oct., Nov./Dec.
A Continental Communications Publication
914 Holmes Ave., Butte, MT 59701
406-498-3250 • <nrridercole@gmail.com>
Editor and Publisher - Cole D. Boehler • <nrridercole@gmail.com>
Business and Sales Manager - Dani M. Rollison-Collins
<nrrider2@gmail.com> 406-490-8472
Wyoming Correspondent - Dottie Rankin
<nrriderdottie@gmail.com> 307-660-5171
Western South Dakota/Wyoming Representative - Earl Rankin
<nrriderearl@gmail.com> 307-660-3581
Graphic Design - Rocky Mountain Inspired - Joel & Steph Martens
406-333-2824 • <tribal_artist@bresnan.net>
If you would like direct home mail delivery, send your name, mailing address,
telephone number, e-mail address and $20 to Northern Rockies Rider,
914 Holmes Ave., Butte, MT 59701, or contact us at <nrrider2@gmail.com>
Back issues are available for $5.
Postmaster: Please send address change requests to Northern Rockies Rider,
914 Holmes Ave., Butte, MT 59701.
All rights reserved by the publisher
May 2013
Opinion
Experiencing the sorrow and joy in the motorcycle family
By Cole Boehler
Editor and Publisher
peeps and hoped and prayed all of you are doing
knew JC for an hour, but I liked him!
well. Apparently, about 20 or 30 minutes after we
–I am a Greek (who was mentioned in the
waved at JC and his pal at that junction, JC wrecked
previous NR Rider article) who likes the bikes
the Victory ... and his life – and his family’s – will be
and who has a sympathy for the American people
forever changed.
The sorrow ...
because the most of you are clear persons without
I know I don’t need to lecture our readers on
Marilyn and I were out for a fine Saturday cruise
guile and you have helped me when I needed
motorcycle dangers and safety, and that’s not my
March 30. We headed east over Pipestone Pass,
anything. You are all welcome to my country
intent.
then north up the Boulder Valley to Helena, then
for a tour in wine vineyards and plenty of ouzo
I just want to reinforce that we never know
west over McDonald Pass, stopping for lunch at Law
accompanied by seafood.
what lies around that next corner. The
Dog’s at little
Posted 04 April
most experienced and skillful rider can
Elliston.
–Tomorrow’s the day we bring (Patriot’s bike)
encounter JC’s fate – or worse – and the
When we
home. I feel like an 8 year old on Christmas Eve.
less experienced and skillful are more
pulled in we
–From Patriot: the bike would still be sitting in my
likely to.
Cole
Boehler
noticed a
garage
with me still on the ledge otherwise...and I’m
Let’s
ride
with
the
right
level
of
Editor and Publisher
Harley and
not
kidding
healthy
and
constructive
fear;
let’s
a gorgeous
Posted 05 April
appreciate the potential consequences
Victory Arlen
–All right, it is done. I will let the pics talk.
of a mistake or bad luck.
Ness Vegas
–Compilation of posts: Woo Hoo!! Ride on,
Let’s thank our Creator every day for
8-Ball parked
(Partriot)! Oh yeah! Glad we could collectively
our good fortune ... and good luck ... so
in the lot. The
provide for a happy ending to this saga. Hopefully
far. Let’s enjoy the wonderful world of
paint on that Victory was stunning, gleaming and
this engine will run for another 100k or more. I’m
riding – the freedom and fun and thrills of it.
twinkling in the spring sunlight.
doing my Happy Dance right now! :-))
But foremost, let’s always keep our focus,
We stepped inside and the two other patrons,
–Aaron the mechanic was extremely happy
anticipate the worst case, maybe slow down a little,
obviously the riders of the machines outside, were
and never mix drinking and riding. Kiss and hug your to see us. He already knew about this forum, we
enjoying a beverage. It didn’t take us long to strike
explained to him that not just the entire country,
loved ones every day, because ...
up a conversation as riders of all genres are inclined
but that folks in Europe, the UK, Australia and yes,
There but for the grace of God go we.
to do.
even Greece (yes, Mihalis, you have left your mark
We learned these fellows worked for the Montana
here!) were following this thread and we had a
The joy!
Department of Transportation and lived just 50 or
responsibility to them all. This was worth doing and
60 miles away in the little town of Drummond where
Last month I wrote about an Internet forum whose you all did it. My compliments and my thanks to all of
Flint Creek dumps into the Clark Fork.
members, spontaneously, charitably, raised the
you.
Of course they knew many people we know, so
money – over $3,000 – to acquire and install a new
–Forum member at the pick-up: Motor looks real
we exchanged gossip regarding who was up to what engine in another needy member’s motorcycle. That good. All seals and gaskets are dry. Aaron couldn’t
these days.
rider goes by “Patriot.” He is a leader of his local
say enough good about the used motor. He said it
We also learned the guy on the H-D bought his
Patriot Guard Riders chapter. The column found its
was well kept waiting for sale and it was packaged
ride in Anchorage last year, then rode it directly to
way to the forum.
extremely well for shipment. He also complimented
Sturgis! The fellow riding the Victory, “JC,” had just
Here are some excerpted and edited comments
all of you for sending all of the seals, o-rings,
picked up his bike a few weeks previous and was a
in the aftermath:
gskts, and small parts that he needed to do the job
novice.
Posted 28 March
right. He said all valves are well within spec, and the
They were saddling up when we were preparing
–Stopped by the shop today, she is prrring like a
compression was also very good. to leave, but we squeezed in another 10 minutes of
kitten! READY...
–From Patriot: amazing day...everything works.
–Great News. The bike looks fantastic. Soon a
BS in the parking lot (while Marilyn patiently waited
It was a hell of a lot of fun riding the bike even just
ride report?
in her riding gear). We told them our route; theirs
around the block... So here’s what again is amazing...
Posted 01 April
was still somewhat open: west, then north, then
as of this afternoon I’m serving two funerals
–First off....a huge WOW!!!! I’m brand new here
maybe southwest; or further north, then west, then
tomorrow (Sat.) which makes for a 250 mi day...
and just finished reading all 31 pages of this in one
south... Improvisation is good.
Sunday, have a PGR (Patriot Guard Riders) crawfish
sitting! I didn’t get a bit of work done this morning!!
They pulled out a couple minutes ahead of us.
boil 15 mi away I can ride to...and got a message
LOL. This has to be the most
We got to the
from a wife that her active duty soldier husband died
awesome story ever!! I feel
next junction
from PTSD after doing 2 tours in Afghanistan, and
We passed a pleasant hour. It was
very emotionally involved now!! would I come to honor him at his funeral Monday. So,
where we
clear these guys were having a grand day,
What a great story! Great to
planned to
I’m back to work at what I do best, and it’s because
turn north and,
mixing camaraderie with the good weather see such awesome folks here!! of you. The most frequent frustration and anger and
Posted 02 April
apparently, so
brokeness I was feeling when the bike grenaded and
and excellent local riding opportunities.
–Hey everyone, guess
did they. They
affected my PGR participation so much, was the 5
what? We’re famous! Well,
were parked
comments from 5 different ladies many months apart:
we’ve made the news. Forum member Big Sky
at the junction, seeming to adjust some apparel. We
immediately after a funeral of a KIA...Mothers who
(Cole Boehler) is also the editor/publisher of a great
passed by with a wave and headed up the highway.
just buried their sons make every effort to find me,
monthly newsletter called the “Northern Rockies
We did not see them again that day.
hug me, cry on my shoulder, and say “Thank you
Rider.” He let me know he had just finished an
That Monday I e-mailed a friend who ranches in
for being here...You made this day easier for me”...
Op/Ed piece about this very thread, and all of the
the same valley where JC and his pal live, and told
and I think that on this lady’s most horrible day of her
him about the chance encounter out on the road with generous and caring people that made it happen. I
life, what I and my PGR platoon did, just showing
got permission to host his article for you to read...
these mutual friends.
up, made this dear lady’s day easier. So that’s what
–What a great article! Thanks for the link.
Wednesday I was at a literary reading in a funky
and why I do what I do. And that is what each of you,
–Damn you Fred! Now I got the sniffles and
cafe. My nephew was going public for the first time
DIRECTLY, have made it possible to continue to
something must have gotten in my eye. with some of his creative writing. It was a highly
happen over the months and future to come as it’s
–Big Sky sure makes us all seem nice and noble
enjoyable and exciting experience. The room was
needed, and when it’s needed...
doesn’t he? I am proud to have been a small part of
packed with friends and supporters
Posted 06 April
this.
For some reason, during a break I grabbed my
From Patriot: day 1 report: had to find and sort
–Makes ya think, there is hope for this country
iPad and checked e-mails.
through my gear...absolutely perfect weather day.
after all. Way to go forumites. Just read the article.
One said, “I was struck by your mention of JC
Checked and properly aired up tires, mounted
Awesome! Nice job
Holland as being someone you met last weekend
Zumo and Adaptiv radar
Big Sky! :-)
at Elliston. Thought I should mention to you that JC
detector, check battery
“A continuous reflection of the huge
Posted 03 April
apparently was new to motorcycle sports and had
after on tender all night,
and overflowing blessings overall that
– From Patriot
a severe accident last weekend. His friends over
put flags back on trunk,
(the subject of
in the Drummond area are remodeling his house
shine light through the (perceived)
ready to go...Funeral
the thread and
to accommodate a spinal cord injury resulting in
darkness made this season of resurrection Mission for a Desert Storm
the guy who got
paralysis of his legs at least. I don’t know any more
Navy Corpsman to the
and reflection very special.” a new motor
of the details. It’s too bad, JC is an excellent young
Marines (I was Navy).
and installation
man with a family.”
God bless the Army,
You could have hit me with a splitting maul. I don’t courtesy the forum
Navy, & Air Force, too...
remember much more of the nephew’s readings that members): Over the last few weeks it’s been a crazy Of course you want my impression of the bike...
mental and physical health phase, but hopefully
night. I was literally sick to my stomach. This terrible
Kitten Purring Smooth...no other adjective but
looking up. I’ve thought of my (forum) friends &
accident has been bothering me since, and I only
smooooooooooooooooooooooth...
Letter: Great Paper!
Editor,
I picked up a couple of issues
(of Northern Rockies Rider) at the
Spokane (Inland Northwest) bike
show. Wished I’d have waited to
Opinion
talk to you. Great paper! Enclosed
$20 (for a subscription).
Tim Closson
Kootenai, Idaho
May 2013
Letters to the editor
Tim
We wish we had the chance
to visit, too. Thanks for the
compliment. Enjoy!
–The editor
Letter: Evocative editorial prompts reader to add commentary
Editor,
I read your editorial (April,
2013 NR Rider, “Advancing
technology points to lost personal
privacy”). Good stuff. I can’t really say if you are right or
wrong since you don’t really come
down on one side or the other. I
sense that you are against secondand third-party access to the
information (that may be recorded in
“black boxes”), but you don’t come
out and say so in so many words. I think the article is entirely
correct in that all of those other
parties (manufacturers, law
enforcement, insurance companies)
have a desire to get unrestricted
access to that data, but I think one
sentence you wrote (below) gives
some hope that they won’t get it
unless we give it to them.
“In states where the issue has
been decided, laws and legal
precedence have been finding the
data belongs to the vehicle owner
and insurance companies and other
second parties need permission to
access it.”
I’m a libertarian in most regards,
so I hope that this always remains
true. Even, or maybe especially, in
the case of the police investigating
a crime, that parametric black box
data is the private property of the
vehicle owner, so I think that the
police should have to go through
all the normal channels of probable
cause to perform any search.
One scary part of this is that
many people are willingly being
duped into giving that right away
just for the (false) promise from their
insurance company of “reduced
rates.” I know that Progressive is
installing their own black boxes in
cars for the promise of a reduced
rate. Sure, but what happens when
you have a claim and the box infers
that you were at fault? Even if you
were not being negligent, fault
status can be used to assign liability,
and liability can affect payment of
claims. That low rate isn’t going to
seem so great then. In the bigger scope, the
pervasive public attitude that
“anything that makes us safer must
be the right thing to do” is pretty
alarming to me. But most people
just refuse to be concerned about
it, worrying more about what’s on
TV tonight, or who’ll win the next
Superbowl, while their personal
freedom and rights are slipping
away.
Here it is 2013 and we’ve almost
made it to 1984. Fred Wills
Southern New Hampshire
Old School
Trikes: The Viagra of the motorcycle world
By Steve Kelley
NRR columnist
two wheels and been there ever since.”
Bucky entered the ring: ”I had an old ServiCar
once. I got it running and headed out for a ride.
At about 55 mph she started wobbling like crazy,
Can’t keep it up...
like my dog the time he ate half a lug of cherries.
So goes the life of an aging biker.
Scared the bejesus outta me so I got rid of it.
A lifetime of work, war and just plain life
Damn death machine, if you ask me.”
leaves most of us with broken and damaged
“Scoops, you still ride
body parts. As
two-up with your old lady. Do
long as they make
you have any trouble staying
replacement parts
upright at stops?” I asked.
we can carry on
“Well sir, since she’s a bit
almost as well as
Steve “Big Daddy” Kelley
more woman than she used to
new, if you can afford
Guest Columnist
the upgrade.
be and my trick knee is getting
a mind of its own, it can be a
For riders it is
might troublesome at times.”
a pivotal time in
“You need those training
life when we are
wheels,” Bucky interjected.
forced to choose
“That would be too much: old Scoops with
between hanging up our leathers or seeking an
training wheels! Viagra for motorcycles, so’s they
alternative ride.
can keep it up,” he said, holding his gut as he
I brought the subject up to the B.O.G.
bent over laughing.
(band of geezers), thinking it would be cheap
entertainment for a rainy afternoon.
“What about those CanAms with the two
wheels up front?” I offered. “A fella’ told me he
I opened with, “You guys ever ride a trike?”
couldn’t tip it over no matter how hard he pushed
“Not since I was in kindergarten,” said
it.”
Scoops. ”I kept tipping over like that little guy on
‘Laugh In’ when I got up to speed. Traded up to
“Bucky could,” said Scoops. “He’d get on it
backwards thinking the one wheel was out front.”
We all had a giggle on that one.
Then I came up with, “I’ve seen some badass
looking trikes. They are totally different, with
drop-seat frames and big front wheels on raked
forks. They look pretty darn stable to me. I’d like
to ride one just to see what it felt like.”
Scoops said, “You remember those Big Wheel
plastic trikes the kids used to have? That’s what
they are. Kids had so much fun on those, when
they grew up they built themselves a grown up
version. Yes sir, it’s a grown up Dukes of Hazard
Big Wheel toy.”
Bucky said, ”Yeah, ol’ General Lee... I wonder
what happened to Daisy Duke? That girl sure
looked good in those little bitty cut off jeans.”
“She grew up, got old, fat and ugly, just like
us, lover boy,” slammed Scoops.
As I expected, the dynamic duo spent the
afternoon sparring in their own “special” way.
I realize gray beards like us will have to think
seriously about our own choices if we continue
to follow the white line.
I guess as long as we can stay out there, life
will be good.
Editor’s note: ...and we’ll follow that white line,
as long as we can still see with the bifoculs.
May 2013
Opinion
Planning a major tour is complex, but coming together
Let me give you an example.
as reasonable as
We recently started a financial
I could without
class at our church and we had to
resorting to
trudge through the chapter about
what I call (from
by Dottie Rankin
relating with money. It was called
experience
NR Rider Wyoming
“Nerds and Free Spirits Unite.” You
unfortunately)
Correspondent
can guess which category I fit in,
mouse motels.
can’t ya!
This could
One more thing on the long list
We had to follow the rules the
be the reason
labeled “Vacation Planning” is done! money guru set for us.
my Money Nerd
Motels are secured; victory after
The Money Nerds and Free
is no longer
more than a little agony!
Spirits had to have a summit
allowed final say
Everyone has heard the saying,
meeting about the budget, in this
on the choice of
“The thrill of victory, the agony
case the vacation budget.
motel. I prefer
of defeat.” Well I am finding that
For the Money Nerd the rules
not to share
getting our July 3,000-plus-mile
looked like this: have your say
my room with
trip to the west coast planned and
once, then shut up, it’s not a
rodents, even if
Dottie Rankin on the phone, surrounded by maps, atlases,
together is a lot like that: agony and weekend summit; you have 15
they are splitting calculator, notebook, laptop... planning tools. The cat was no help.
ecstasy.
minutes to
the cost.
picture. We can always change if
I just
get it done.
It was
we find we can’t keep the itinerary.
got done
Insist (and
suggested we go with the pioneer
If I make it to the coast and ride
securing
allow) your
spirit of a road trip by motorcycle
Dottie Rankin
the coast, you can bet I am going
lodging for
Free Spirited and find a motel at the end of the
Gillette, Wyo.
to complete the experience by
each of the
partner to
day; wherever it was we happened
Wyoming Correspondent
sleeping on the coast, with the sight
14 nights we
mess with
to end up is where we stay.
will be on the
the budget.
Sorry, I just couldn’t do it. I might and sound of the ocean waves just
out my window. It doesn’t matter
road.
For me
be a pioneer in spirit but I am a
that the price is directly related to
We finally
(little miss
spoiled princess in reality.
the view, I am there.
got the route hammered out, the
Free Spirit) the rules were, first and
I have to know where I am
Earl says, however, I may be
dates down as to when we would
foremost: I must show up at the
headed and that there is a
there
in a sleeping bag. We are still
be where, and just the right motel
meeting. (It seems they had me
comfortable bed there, a hair
negotiating
that.
identified.
pegged.) I must
Earl and I did survive the lodging
This may sound simple but I kept give thoughtful
booking,
but let’s just say our
running into... er, lets just call them
input (translated,
philosophies
sometimes clash,
“detours.” I won’t name names but
that means
as was the case when we were
his initials begin with Earl Rankin.
pay attention
deciding whether our jaunt to the
Getting all those details figured
and focus) and
coast was a five-day or a two-week
out, I would call the perfect motel
I couldn’t use
trip.
only to find they either didn’t have
the phrase,
Actually we balance each other
the available dates I needed or
“Whatever you
out
quite nicely and I count on his
they didn’t have the three rooms we want to do,
common
money sense (I love my
needed or Earl and I just couldn’t
Honey!”
Money Nerd a lot!). At least with
agree on the price.
Ok, back to
him around we can afford to buy
Back to some of the difficulties of my trip planning
groceries when we get home. I tend
planning a lengthy road trip with the saga... It could
to discount the fact that there is a
person you love...
also be called
gap between end-of-money and
It should be fun and a time to
a comedy
next payday.
grow closer, right? Think again. To
or drama,
With lodging now checked off
Counterpart Earl Rankin consulting his laptop, too. The dog
say our philosophies vary slightly
depending on
our
“getting ready to take a road
bowed
out
of
the
planning
process.
would be an understatement; a
when you come
trip”
list, we are down to a mere 100
huge one. He is a “consider every
into the scene.
days,
or 2,400 hours, or 144,000
last detail 10 times” person. I am
I secured lodging for each
dryer, nice white robe, ice and
minutes or 8,640,000 seconds.
more like: uh, oh hell, let’s just do it, and every night and that was a
soda, exercise room, pool, hot tub
But hey, who’s counting?
you only live once, right? challenge. I tried to keep the price
and restaurant. Okay, you get the
Editor’s note: Dottie Rankin is
sweating the planning for a major
group tour to the west coast in July.
Passenger perspective
More helpful hints from an experienced tour planner
By Marilyn Irey
Dottie, you have the leader/planner
spirit! Ask others for some opinions
Last month NR Rider columnist,
and if no one steps up, I say run with
it. You have thought of the important
Dottie Rankin, explored the intricacies
elements – who, what, when, where and
of planning a major motorcycle trip.
why.
Boy am I green with envy – two weeks
on the bikes to
The
new territory!
resounding
Now that
answer to
“why” is
Cole (my
Marilyn Irey
husband and
that it’s the
Contributing Writer
NR Rider
adventure, of
editor) has a
course!
I was
paper to get out
each month in
recently
the summer,
reading a
that also entails monthly deadlines to
column by moto journalist, Clement
Salvatore, and he concludes that a
meet. But I’m sure we can find a way
motorcycle trip is not about distances,
to string together at least a week’s-plus
worth of consecutive days for a trip.
specfic locales or getting from point A
to B, but how you get there.
I concur since motorcyclists want it
all – scenery, good routes, interesting
side trips and some local characters
thrown into the mix. In my opinion if
you can combine the above with good
restaurants, some shopping and good
weather, it’s about perfect.
A couple more useful resources are
the websites <motorcylerides.com> and
<openroadjourney.com>. These sites
may have forums to get in touch with
local riders for the best insights to their
areas and communities. I also like to check the community
Chamber of Commerce websites for
events, especially if your destination is
a smaller town where lodging could be
an issue if a major summer festival or
event is happening when you intend to
stay there.
You can save yourself heat stroke
and dirty or damaged bikes by tracking
highway construction at the websites
for the Departments of Transportation
in each state you will visit on your trip.
It can change an entire trip in a second
if a bike or rider becomes disabled.
Road construction and unfamiliar
routes can be the cause of delays and
disablement that suddenly wipe out all
of the advance plans.
For example, our planned trip
several years ago to the Wallowa area of
northeastern Oregon ended with three
days in Grangeville, Idaho, when a
rider was hospitalized and his ride was
totaled.
We made the most of it by travelling
See Tour Planner, Page 14
May 2013
Lochsa
from page 1
noticed a new Hwy. 12 sign posted
just beyond Kooskia where the
motorcycle fun really begins when
headed east. This one has one of those
squiggly arrows indicating “S”-curves.
Underneath it says, “Next 99 Miles.”
What a ride it is!
along these famous 150 miles. I rode
through such a fatality scene in late
April of 2012. Grim, such a tragedy
instantly takes the joy out of an
otherwise wonderful motorcycling
experience.
Launching from
the Montana end
Missoula, Mont., makes a logical
east-end
launch pad
or terminus
for this
magnificent
route with
it’s strategic
location at the
junctions of
east/west I-90
and north/
south Hwy.
93.
This
university city
and cultural
center of
about 70,000
If you like straight-line slab cruising, “The Lochsa” is not for you.
Essentially good surface
pavement with small-to-no
shoulders (somewhat wider in
Montana), correctly designed
constant-radius turns (with a
couple of minor exceptions),
hundreds of curves through
absolutely gorgeous canyons and
valleys with streams and rivers as
a constant companion, tolerable
car and truck traffic ... Lolo Pass/
Lochsa has virtually no rivals.
With the right equipment
and skills, riders can challenge
themselves in the turns achieving
leans angles that will touch
A cruise through he Big Hole Valley is a good
footpeg pavement-feelers to
warm-up for the main feature.
tarmac. On the other hand, a
mistake while pushing it will
has all the amenities including five
put rider and machine into rock walls,
franchised motorcycle shops covering
timber or the river.
Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Honda,
Yes, push it a little but be aware
Suzuki, Kawasaki, BMW, KTM,
numerous riders have met their fates
Five Valley Honda/Yamaha
• Full Service Shop • UPS Daily for Parts
• ATVs • Side by Sides • New & Used Bikes
406-251-5900
5900 Hwy 93 South
Missoula, MT
fivevalleyhondayamaha.com
When in Missoula, do as the Missoulians do.
A must stop traveling spot, home to
Missoula’s only indoor waterfall!
Located at the South Gate to Missoula, the
perfect place to meet before or after
your ride over Highway 12 & Lolo Pass!
Come relax and enjoy a cool beverage on
our state of the art solar heated outdoor deck!
Open from 7am-Midnight. Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.
3621 Brooks Street
(Hwy. 93 South)
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 728-3228
paradisefallsmissoula.com
Triumph and Victory.
Typically we’ll launch from our
home in Butte, Mont., early in the
morning to hustle to the Big Hole River
Valley – to Wise River and Wisdom,
then past the Big Hole Battlefield to
Lost Trail Pass at the Montana-Idaho
border and junction with Hwy. 93.
From the pass we sprint the seven
miles of excellent curves to the floor of
the Bitterroot River Valley and 80 miles
down Hwy. 93 to Lolo where we head
west up Hwy. 12. Lolo is just 10 miles
south of Missoula.
Summer weekends will have Hwy.
93 in the Bitterroot plugged with traffic
but that eases a bunch once on Hwy.
12. Still, traffic is significant and may
host as many bikes as cars ... which is
why we prefer to run this mid-week if
possible.
From Lolo to Orofino is 163 miles;
May 2013
Missoula, Montana to Orofino, Idaho
it’s 110 to the little river village of
Lowell, 134 to Kooskia (pronounced
like “koos-key”) and 140 to Kamiah
(pronounced like “kam-ee-eye”).
Dropping into the Bitterroot Valley from
Chief Joseph/Lost Trail Pass
Lolo has a number of convenient
fueling options, a couple right at the
junction of Hwys. 93 and 12. Those
with peanut tanks will want to fuel and
it makes sense to stock up on drinks
and snacks, too.
There’s not much between Lolo and
Lowell, though Lochsa Lodge, a dozen
miles over the pass on the Idaho side,
has lodging, meals and fuel.
At Lowell, where the Selway and
Clearwater Rivers join the Lochsa there
is a restaurant and small motel – Ryan’s
Wilderness Inn – plus a convenience
store with fuel. They make a mean
breakfast and lunch; can’t speak directly
to dinners.
Across the river is a full-blown
resort with rooms and cabins, a
restaurant and saloon, pool and hot
tubs, which also offers guided river and
fishing floats. We’ve stayed here with
complete satisfaction.
By the way, this is the route Capts.
Lewis and Clark and the Corps of
Discovery took to cross the Rockies
out of Montana and into Idaho. Good
thing they acquired horses from the
Shoshone Indians since they would
See Lochsa, Page 10
The route from our home in Butte to the
jumping off point in Missoula, is in itself an
excellent 200-mile tour through pretty valleys
with a couple of sections of good curves.
Missoula
on the
rocks
We’ve got the recipe
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Mon-Fri 9-6; Sat 9-5;
Closed Sun
2315 South Ave. W
MISSOULA, MT 59801
(406) 728-5341
Shop us 24 hours a day at www.bigskymotorsports.com
May 2013
Lochsa
from page 9
regard them as food when the specter
of starvation loomed.
When we launch from Butte and
run the Big Hole and Bitterroot Valleys
to Lolo, Orofino makes for a good
terminus for several reasons: it’s about
340 total miles of intense riding that
will sap a rider, especially if it’s a hot
day; Orofino has some excellent and
economical lodging options and several
good restaurants and, finally, at Orofino
a moto-tourist has several superb
options to explore the following day
(see end of this review).
One benefit of running the Lochsa
Once over the summit, crossing the state line, the thrill quotient ratchets up.
The Montana side of Lolo Pass is excellent but the best is on
the Idaho side.
from east to west is
you gain an hour
crossing the timeline
at Lolo Pass at the
border; west to east
and you lose that
hour.
Another, provided
you run it early in the
day, is having the sun
is at your back and
vision unimpaired by
light strobing through
roadside timber. Run
it west-to-east in the
early day and you’ll
regretfully discover
that squinting into
dark, shaded turns
when bright light is
flashing in your eyes
Be a retailer of
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A comprehensive guide to two-wheel touring of Big Sky Country
Perfect for the motorcycle enthusiast...
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makes for tense, unpleasant – even
exhausting – riding.
Running out of Lolo and paralleling
Lolo Creek, a rider encounters some
straights with a few lazy curves thrown
in until you begin to approach Lolo
Hot Springs, about 25 miles up U.S.
12. Then there is a set of good turns
marked down to 40 mph that can be
pushed a little.
Traffic will be light early- and lateseason and much lighter midweek than
weekends. Watch for flat-landers who
can’t drive mountain curves. They may
want half of your lane in the turns. On
weekends the road is loaded with twowheelers in solo or pack mode.
Past the hot springs (lodging, meals,
saloon and naturally heated pool) the
going remains easy with a series of
good constant-radius sweepers to run
as you approach the summit and state
line.
Just at the crest is a visitors center
with a tourist store and bathrooms with
running water. We usually stop here to
hydrate and stretch. Inevitably other
bikers are stopped or pulling in and out.
See Lochsa, Page 11
Ryan’s
Steve and Ann Ryan
Serving the needs of travelers
for 33 years!
Home of the Wilderness Burger
Café and 6 Room Motel
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner
Homeade Pies - Friendly Service
8883 Highway 12 - Lowell ID (east of Kooskia)
208-926-4706 • www.wildinn2.com
wildinn@wildblue.net
May 2013
Lochsa
from page 10
Cresting the
Bitterroots into Idaho
Once over the summit the real fun
begins. As with most mountain riding,
the road is kinkiest near the summit,
then continues to mellow through the
descent. That is the case with Lolo Pass,
though it never really “mellows” – it’s all
relative.
From the Pass to Lowell any straight
piece of asphalt is the exception; it is
80-90 percent turns, sometimes strung
together in multiple “esses.”
The river drops 2,000 feet from its
origin to the confluence. Usually the
rapids are Class III to IV, but when
running high, up to Class VI which is
considered the limit of navigation.
Once, on a roasting summer day, we
stopped to cool down with a dip in the
river. We found a calm, deep pool, and
the five of us jumped in. Can you say
shrinkage?! Wow! Do not attempt this if
you have a heart condition. But within
a minute, the water felt heavenly.
The scenery from Lolo to Lewiston,
Idaho, is exquisite: big ponderosa pine,
larch and cedars covering steep and
rugged mountain slopes, all flanked by
the Lochsa and Clearwater Rivers until
they join the Snake at Lewiston. You’ll
see many recreationists floating and
fishing these productive waters, landing
stout trout and salmon.
Much of the roadway, from the top
to the lower reaches, is posted at 50
mph. It will be patrolled, more intensely
on weekends. Twice we have met local
deputies while riding at an exuberant
and slightly unlawful pace. Both times
they flipped on their lights, then shut
them off after we met and passed. Once
I believe I discerned a wagging finger
pointed at me. Yes, sir, I’ll cut it back!
Thank you!
We’ve never found the surface to
be sandy or strewn with debris, which
isn’t to say it won’t be. Riding in any
See Lochsa, Page 12
Ride on in
Locally
Famous
Clam
Diggers
• Full Bar • Ice Cold Beer
• Dark Beer on Tap
• Friendly Bartenders
• Owners are Riders
• Motel & Dining all in one block
Full Bar
Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner - Bar Food
Hand Pattied Burgers & Roasted Chicken
“Melt in Your Mouth Steaks”!
Home of the
208-926-4690
Tamarack
Bowling Lanes
Hwy. 13 - Downtown Kooskia, ID
Just off Hwy. 12
406 Main Street - Kamiah Idaho
208-935-2211
This was shot from Colgate Licks in September, 2012. Fires raged nearby. The smoke got
worse before it got better. Our riding gear reeked like a campfire for weeks.
Here a sporting rider will develop
a fine rhythm: nail the entry speed, tip
it in aggressively, ride your line like
you are on rails, find the apex, nip it,
keep the throttle slightly cracked while
staying off the brakes, spot the exit,
roll on the power, stand it up ... and get
ready to tip it in again ... immediately.
The curves are well engineered
with only one or two where the radius
will change, but nothing that should
soil your underwear unless you’re
at 95 percent, which is certainly not
recommended; 85 is fun, though!
And some of the turns seem to be
about 540 degrees (actually probably
closer to 140 or so); they seem to just
go on and on and on. I’ve actually
experienced a slight sense of vertigo in
a couple of these.
Colgate Licks, a trailhead with dry
restrooms and a parking area, about 50
miles down from the summit, makes
a convenient stop to take on and/or
shed fluids, stretch and smell the pinescented and thin air. In Sept. of 2012,
all that could be smelled was forest
fire smoke. Visibility was down to 100
yards!
The upper reaches of the Lochsa can
be chilly any time of year, but surely
in the early morning. You may find
yourself adjusting – adding or shedding
– layers as you ascend or descend.
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It’s also about the rivers
The Lochsa in the spring and early
summer is a raging torrent that is
popular with brave and highly skilled
rafters and kayakers. Stop at one of the
numerous turnouts and watch them
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Groups Large & Small
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11
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at 6873 Us Hwy 12,
Between mm 84 &85
miles
area - and one of the largest
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May 2013
Lochsa
from page 11
wild country with steep mountains
and timber flanking the road calls for
a rider’s utmost attention, especially
with these numerous blind curves. We
have encountered deer along here and a
riding friend hit an elk (and survived).
Temper the exuberance
with caution
As things flatten out toward
the bottom temperatures may rise
precipitously. We’ve landed in Orofino
several times when the temps were
exceeding three digits. Time for a mesh
jacket, or T-shirt if you can stand the
risk. Keep proper hydration in mind.
We’ve spent the night in Kamiah
a couple of times and were quite
content with our lodging. Once we
intended to stay but there was a powwow in progress, and no rooms meant
backtracking 22 miles to Orofino.
(Some of this passes through the Nez
Perce Reservation).
We have stayed at the Konkolville
The incredible panoramas, and turns, just never relent. Dani Rollison-Collins photo.
access to a C-store with fuel and three
good restaurants, all within two or
three blocks.
The place is motorcycle-friendly and
enough that she knows when I may be
detained indefinitely.
“The Lochsa” ... It’s one we run every
year, if not twice or thrice.
The road is just
so good, letting
you explore the
limits of your
machine and
skills, all the while
treating travelers
to some of the best
scenery you’ll find
anywhere. And
there’s 150 virtually
uninterrupted
miles of it!
Going-ToThe-Sun Road,
Beartooth
Highway ...
yes they are
spectacular, but the
Lochsa is certainly
in that league;
maybe a league of
its own.
If you live in the
Northern Rockies,
do not wait; ride
this one now. You
won’t regret it.
And by the way, send us that digital
image of you and your bike and the
famous sign.
Only 1 block away from restaurants and
taverns and close to a C-Store!
The end of the day, and a chance to get to know and socialize with other riders who
share the passion.
Motel in Orofino with complete
satisfaction, especially one day about
10 years ago when the temperatures
were broiling. The swimming pool was
divine. They also have a comfortable
outdoor area for relaxing after the ride.
Six nights a week the motel will also
furnish their grill, the steaks and fixin’s
and you cook it yourself.
That stay is easy to recollect, since
the next day a rider in our band got into
a guardrail in a 25 mph curve south of
Kooskia, totaled his bike and spent the
next five days healing in a Grangeville,
Idaho, hospital.
We often stay at the White Pine. The
rooms are spacious, comfortable, clean
and economical (and we’ve come to
know and like the proprietors). The best
reason to hole up there is its convenient
is always host to touring riders who
are fun to get to know and sling the BS
with.
Once we pulled up and Marilyn,
as she usually does, went to check in.
There was a group of riders already
checked in, slouching in chairs in front
of their rooms, sipping good bourbon
and smoking cigars.
I engaged them in conversation
and sampled the fine liquor offered. In
the meantime, Marilyn detached the
hard cases, tail pack and tank bag and
carried them into our room. The fellows
were rather dumbfounded.
“Wow, where did you find her?” they
inquired. “Tell me how to get my wife
to do that!” they said with laughter.
I sheepishly explained that usually I
help, and that we’ve been married long
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Orofino, ID
208-476-7093
800-874-2083
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Brass Rail Bar
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May 2013
Orofino
Great
Rides out of
Little ‘P1’: 28 miles
As you leave the Orofino business district on
Michigan Ave. and head for the bridge that crosses the
river and takes you back to U.S. Hwy. 12, take a right
before the bridge toward Dworshak Reservoir. This little
gem of a motorcycle route is known as “Old Idaho Hwy.
7” or “Cavendish Rd.” or “County P1.” We just call it
“P1.” It is one of our all-time favorite routes.
It runs along the Clearwater for several miles
then begins a very steep and serpentine 2,000-foot
climb to the top of a big rolling plateau that appears
to be excellent wheat country. During harvest expect
occasional farm machinery and loaded grain trucks;
otherwise, just a rare local.
The ascent certainly qualifies as “technical” as there
are dozens of sharp curves – some are “switchbacks”
and posted down to 15 mph – on an exceptionally steep
grade. This can be great fun but use appropriate caution
Contemplating the spectacular ride that lies ahead, from
the north end of “P1.”
and good sense. We enjoy the ride up, using gears and
throttle, considerably more than the ride down when a
rider relies primarily on gears and brakes.
The pavement here has been battered, but was new
Dworshak/Elk River
Weippe Loop
The northern end
descends as sharply
as the southern ascent
– if of lesser duration
– with great curves
thrown in. It intersects
with Hwy. 3 just east
of little Kendrick. To
proceed north on
Hwy. 3 puts you on
the White Pines Scenic Byway, itself worthy of its own
review, which we hope to cover yet in 2013.
Dworshak Reservoir to
Elk River: 34 miles
At Elk River you can pick up paved Hwy. 8 to Bovill
17 miles away where it intersects with Hwy. 3. Now, do
you want to ride the White Pines Scenic Highway back
to Orofino? Or proceed north to St. Maries? The choice
is yours and either one is superb.
Weippe Loop: 50 miles
We’ve only ridden this spectacular route once when
we were on the adventure bike and seeking new gravel
Back at Orofino, a rider could proceed east on
roads.
Michigan Ave., past the Konkolville Motel (or launch
Proceed out of Orofino as described just previous
from there), clear town, then start a long climb – 2,000
on Old Idaho 7. Be
feet – to the east on the Grangemont Road. This is a
looking for a right
highly rural and remote 50-mile loop that features some
turn on Dents Bridge
segments of badly pounded asphalt and others that are
Road. This is about
excellent.
18 miles of incredible
This loops around and comes back to U.S. Hwy. 12
pavement that is in good at Greer, just seven miles east of Orofino. You’ll pass
condition. It twists and
through the villages of Grangemont, Pierce and Weippe
turns and rises and falls
(pronounced “wee-ipe” before you begin a spectacular
as it works its way up
ascent back down to the Clearwater.
along the east side of
We had a great breakfast in Weippe once, and I have
Dworshak reservoir.
still have my “Weippe Gorrilas” T-shirt I acquired there.
We found traffic
The views from above the valley are stunning as
to be very light but
you eye the series of twists, turns and switchbacks that
weekends you’ll likely
deliver you to the valley bottom on the loop’s southwest
encounter camper
end – incredible and definitely worth doing, especially
and boat traffic as
given the almost total absence of traffic.
recreationists make
their way to
the water.
There are
numerous scenic photo ops as you are
1,000 feet above the reservoir.
Eventually the road squirms down to
the lake and the elegant Dents Bridge will
take you across an arm of it and down
to Dent’s Landing, a popular launch and
recreation site.
Past there you’ll encounter good gravel
that is well graded and wide with some
gently sweeping turns through dense
forest, about 16 miles of it
to Elk River and pavement.
At about the mid-point it
becomes the Elk River Road.
The view from the top of the plateau, looking toward the Clearwater
Other gravel roads will
intersect but with fairly good River and Greer.
instincts
you will be
delivered to
Elk River, a
tiny hamlet
that has
a general
store/
Above the reservoir, a portion of Dents
Bridge at the left. The pavement is great
and the gravel to Elk River is good.
on the lower south section when we rode
this in 2012.
Up on the plateau, the roadway is
narrow but smooth enough, comprised of
a series of short straights and tight turns,
dipping into creek bottoms and carving past quaint and
apparently prosperous farms. There are no services.
Little P1
Located just 3 miles from downtown Orofino and the Clearwater River
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• Children 10 years and younger stay free
• Guest kitchen
• Ample parking for boats & trailers
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www.konkolvillemotel.com
May 2013
Tour Planner
from page 7
some new area roads on day rides
around Grangeville while we sorted out
the carnage. Besides, the weather had
become intolerably hot in early August
so the pool at our hotel was a popular
afternoon spot for us to hang out.
Speaking of weather, if at all possible
try to zero in on the weather before you
leave to determine if you should make
some alternate plans, then monitor
it closely daily. Some 10-day weather
forecasts are fairly reliable, at least in a
general sense.
Another of our learning experiences
grabbed us with a “gotcha” twice on the
same vacation.
First, we were headed to New
Mexico the last weekend of April with
the first night in Green River, Wyo.,
which is where we took the bike on the
trailer. That was going to be our launch
and return hub – far enough south
to avoid late spring blizzards in the
northern Rockies.
About 100 miles from Green River
it started to snow and continued to
get worse as we proceeded. We refer
to that trip as “the time we trailered a
motorcycle to Green River for dinner.”
We lay in bed the next morning
watching the television forecast:
nothing but more winter weather the
next three days. Okay, cancel that trip
and head home.
Cole already had all his
arrangements to be on vacation so he
spent four days at the family cabin
while I went back to work to conserve
my vacation hours.
One night in Cody, Wyo., we got
The second part of that vacation was beds only because I had the reservation
improvised for the first weekend in May number to prove the motel had
when we headed west to Idaho where
incorrectly overbooked. The motel
the weather appeared to be reasonable.
became responsible for finding us
The Friday we left was overcast but
lodging at the same rate quoted instead
acceptable. We woke to rain Saturday
of putting the burden on us to drive all
morning and left the motel in our rain
over town.
gear. After lunch we geared up once
Phone numbers are also crucial to
again and rode another 150 miles in
cancel reservations if illness, weather,
steady, unrelenting rain.
bike repairs or long construction delays
As desert-dwellers we may forget
prevent you from reaching the intended
what they mean by “torrential” rain, but destinations.
we do know it’s
not something
that goes with
quality riding.
This was
really tiresome
and the deluge
thrown at
us by traffic,
combined
with technical
mountain
roads, had us
frazzled and
fatigued. If I
recall correctly
it was Kellogg, Most couples that tour operate as a team. Marilyn is the planner,
Idaho, where
Cole is the driver. She tells him where to go. This is at a Canadian ferry
we said “I give” crossing.
and found a
room that we could check into early. I
I’ve found even a bustling tourist
believe Sunday, our last day of vacation town such as Sun Valley, Idaho, will be
was beautiful; go figure!
understanding about cancelling your
Because of the above-mentioned
reservation without 24-hour notice if
sudden changes in plans and other
the cause is justified; that your twoproblems, I have learned to always have wheeled mode of transportation can’t
the phone number and reservation
get you there safely at a reasonable
number for every night of lodging that
hour.
has been booked in advance.
Wow ... I hope this is interesting
rather than frightening!
Those weather problems are also
cause for consideration when packing.
Dottie, I also envy that you have all of
your own bags (since you ride your
own bike) instead of having to share.
I try to plan for all weather even in
the summer because so much of our
riding involves changing elevations
and, hence, conditions. Clothes in only
a couple of colors that can be layered
are very useful and having space to
pack clothing as you remove it is also
desirable.
Shoes are usually my packing issue
so I’ve learned one pair of neutral
sandals and one pair of walking shoes
with a closed toe are all that I can
bring. It’s surprising how many things
you can stuff inside those shoes to
conserve room.
Don’t forget, you can ship specialoccasion or special-function clothing
ahead and ship it back home along
with the great items you “must have”
if you get to shop.
I’m sure there are many other good
websites that deal with packing tips.
I’ll be thinking of you, Dottie and
Earl, on this big adventure. But it
sounds as if the planning is in very
capable hands to do the best to ensure
a great trip with lots of memories and
photos!
Can’t wait to hear about your “trip of
a lifetime.”
Editor’s note: Marilyn has been a
motorcycle touring participant – as a
passenger – but also as our primary
planner and logistician for more than 35
years. She knows whereof she speaks!
The pathways have changed
to pavement but the
landscape is still the same...
Ride it!
The Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel and Cody Motor Lodge invite
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and a comfortable stay in cozy rooms. Step back in
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why everyone says, “Meet me at The Irma!”
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Irma Hotel Restaurant and Saloon est. 1902 Buffalo Bill’s Cody Motor Lodge
1192 Sheridan Avenue - Cody, Wy.
1455 Sheridan Avenue - Cody, Wy.
800-745-4762 • 307-587-4221
800-340-CODY • 307-527-6291
www.irmahotel.com
www.codymotorlodge.net
May 2013
It’s about corner control
Most single-vehicle motorcycle
accidents happen in corners
By Stacey “Ax” Axmaker, Director
Idaho STAR
Motorcycle Safety Program
Running off the road in corners
is the most common crash scenario
in Idaho’s fatal motorcycle crashes (it
represented over 40 percent of fatal
crashes during 2009-2011).
And from what I’ve heard from
several other states these numbers are
not unusual.
Running off the road and hitting
an oncoming car, running off the
road into a ditch, running off the road
into a guardrail, running off the road
and hitting a tree or some other solid
object...
You get the point: running off the
road in a turn is not good.
So, what does it mean to have
“corner control?”
If you unintentionally cross over the
centerline or the fog line in a turn, you
lack corner control. That’s just a fact.
That may sound harsh, but if the
bike goes somewhere you didn’t want it
to go, you weren’t in control.
Most of the time, the rider doesn’t
crash or hit anything, but whether or
not there was a car or something else
there to be hit was simply a matter of
luck (and yes, it has happened to me a
time or two).
Picture this scene: you are riding
on a beautiful twisty mountain road
halfway through a right-hand curve. All
of the sudden, you see an oncoming car
that is straddling the center line (that
means halfway into your lane).
If you quickly and precisely change
your line so that you turn tighter and
move your bike to the fog line (all the
way right) to avoid the head-on crash,
you have corner control.
If you panic, hit the brakes, lay the
bike down (or high-side) and crash, you
do not have corner control.
So, how do we do this the right way?
Some folks say, “They were just
going too fast,” or “they just didn’t know
how to corner,” or “they just didn’t look
through the turn.”
While these factors may play a role,
it is almost never that simple. There are
several elements to maintaining corner
control.
Always ride with a reserve
If you are already leaning over as
far as you can (at the limit of your skill,
your courage, and/or your ground
clearance), you have nothing left to
avoid a sudden hazard. Riding at a 100
percent is for the track only (and even
there, a little reserve is probably a good
idea!).
Riding on the street requires that
you always have a reserve. Control your
speed to control your lean (and to know
that you can lean more if and when you
need to.)
Learn, practice and
master counter-steering
Though it seems counter-intuitive,
to turn left, press forward on the left
hand grip. To turn right, press forward
on the right hand grip. The forward
press initiates the lean; the lean causes
you to turn.
To turn sharper (lean more), press
more forward. To turn less sharply (lean
less), reduce the amount of the forward
pressure.
Yes, there are still some riders who
say that they “don’t believe in countersteering.” To me, that’s like saying “I
don’t believe in gravity.”
The laws of physics can’t be amended
or repealed. You don’t have to believe
it for it to be true. If the concept of
counter steering doesn’t make sense,
take a rider training course and your
instructors will work on it with you.
If you’re going to ride roads like this one between Troy and Kendrick, Idaho, you better
have your cornering under control.
Lean with the bike
(body position)
You should be leaning your body at
least as much as the bike is leaning. It
is very common to see riders with their
bike leaned farther than their body.
This makes turning harder.
One way to help keep your body
leaned is to line up your chest with the
center of the handlebars (or even just
to the inside). That way, as you lean the
bike, the center of the handlebars goes
down and keeping your chest lined up
helps you lean with it.
Hopper in “Easy Rider” may seem cool,
but it puts you in a very poor control
position.
You may need to scoot up in your
seat to keep your arms bent. You may
need to adjust or even get a new seat,
handlebars, or both. If the bike doesn’t
fit you so you can stay in a good riding
position, alter it so it does.
See Corners, Page 16
Don’t ride like a kid!
Take a Basic RiderCourse
Quit Dreaming, Come Ride!
Keep your arms bent
Keep your shoulders relaxed and
your arms bent at all times in the turn.
Riding with locked arms like Dennis
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Registration opens March 1, 2013
For more information
1-800-922-BIKE
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MSUN ARC Ad.indd 1
MSUN ARC Ad.indd 1
7/28/11 9:20 AM
May 2013
Corners
Arms
from page 15
With arms slightly bent, pressing
forward on the hand grips is easy and
precise. With locked arms, you have to
press from the shoulder and this tends
to be difficult and “sloppy.”
Stay in your lane
Keep all of you and your bike well
within your lane at all times.
It is very common to see riders with
their tires right next to the centerline.
This means their handlebars, mirrors,
saddlebags, and (in left hand curves)
their head can be over the line (in the
other lane!).
If you want to take it home with you,
keep it well within your lane. Put some
space between you and the center line.
Keep your eyes on target
When riding a motorcycle, you tend
to go where you look.
If you’ve ever seen motorcycle racers
on the track or motorcycle police
officers doing cone drills, they all very
aggressively look where they want to go.
It is human nature to want to look
down, or look at the potential trouble.
“Oh no, I’m going over the centerline!”
and we stare right at the centerline,
ensuring that it happens. It takes
practice and discipline to use “target
fixation” to your advantage. Since
you tend to go where you look, then
look where you want to go. Simple in
theory, but if you never practice it, you
are unlikely to be very good at it in an
emergency.
If you want the bike to complete
the turn, turn tighter, and make it go
down the road, look through the turn
and down the road. Eyes up and level
with the horizon; nose pointed to where
you want to go. If you want to get some
guided practice with this, take a rider
training course and your instructors
will help you build the habit.
Master fear
When things start to go wrong in a
corner (like the oncoming car in your
lane mentioned above), it is human
nature to experience fear. Most riders
have experienced some level of fear in a
corner at one time or another. This fear
can show up in your arms, your body
and your brain.
Proper riding posture includes arms
relaxed and elbows bent. Fear can lead
to tension in the arms and shoulders
causing the arms to lock straight
and even press on both handgrips at
the same time. When the arms lock
straight, the shoulders often pull back.
All of this has the result of not
effectively pressing on the handgrip. As
a consequence, the motorcycle leans
less and is likely to run wide in the
corner or off the road.
To overcome this, keep your arms
and shoulders relaxed and your elbows
bent. Practice pressing and leaning to
increase your comfort level in corners.
Body
Human nature is to move away from
perceived danger. Sometimes it’s an
automatic response.
When leaned over in a corner, that
perceived danger is often the ground.
In a turn, moving away from the danger
is leaning the body upward. As a result
of this improper body position, the
motorcycle leans less and is more likely
to run wide in the corner or off the
road.
To overcome this tendency, practice
pressing and leaning to increase your
comfort level in corners. Keep your
motorcycle and your body well within
your lane when cornering (seeing
yourself close to oncoming traffic can
trigger a fear response).
Brain
Have you ever heard someone say, “I
was so scared I couldn’t think?” There is
some truth there.
Fear can induce panic, and when
the body experiences panic, it goes
into “fight or flight” mode. When this
happens, the part of the brain that does
the thinking and planning doesn’t work
as well.
As a result, riders might react
inappropriately (such as grabbing the
brakes or leaning out of the turn) or not
at all (doing nothing and running off
the road).
To overcome this, keep your mind
thinking about what you can do to keep
the motorcycle in the turn and on the
road: you know what to do, so focus on
doing it. Keep pressing on the handgrip
and keep your head turned and your
eyes looking where you want to go.
Thinking “I’m going to crash!” or
looking at the curb or a tree can lead
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1994 and served as the Operations
Manager for the TEAM OREGON
motorcycle safety program from
1997 to 2002. He was one of the four
individuals who developed the Basic
Rider Training (BRT) curriculum,
and has been active in new instructor
training as well as designing and
delivering mentor/leadership training
for instructors. He also was the STAR
Program Training Manager from
2006 through 2008. “Ax” serves on the
Idaho Traffic Safety Commission and
is chair of the Idaho State Highway
Safety Plan Motorcycle Safety
Committee. He also holds a volunteer
position with Motorcycle Riders
Foundation Awareness and Education.
“Ax” currently rides a 1997 Honda
Valkyrie tourer.
you toward trouble.
None of this is rocket science,
but neither is it necessarily common
knowledge or common practice.
If you learn, practice, and master
these items, you will have excellent
corner control. When you have corner
control, not only is riding much more
fun, but you also greatly increase your
chances of staying out of the crash
statistics (which helps add to the “more
fun” part!).
Ride well, ride lots!
– About Stacey “Ax” Axmaker:
He is the director of Idaho STAR. He
took his first rider training course
in 1991, was teaching shortly after
and has been ever since. He has
worked as a mentor instructor since
Learn how to “Ride your Ride” like a pro!
Take an Advanced RiderCourse
• Get the most out of your bike
• Maximize turning and braking
abilities
• Obstacle Avoidance
• Make safety a priority in your ride
Group and club rates available
For more information
1-800-922-BIKE
http://motorcycle.msun.edu
Registration opens
March 1, 2013
MSUN ARC Ad.indd 1
7/28/11 9:20 AM
May 2013
Daytona done, next up:
Laconia Motorcycle Week June 8-16
If you missed the first of the “Big
Three” U.S. national motorcycle
events (Daytona Bike Week was
March 8-17), you still have two more
chances: Laconia Motorcycle Week in
Laconia, N.H., Sun., June 8-Sun., June
16, and The Black Hills Motor Classic,
better know as “The Sturgis Rally,”
August 5-11.
World famous Laconia is
celebrating its 90th anniversary this
year; it is “the original” bike rally,
substantially older than Sturgis. Talk
about heritage!
The only downside for Northern
Rocky Mountain riders is the distance
to the event – 3,097 miles from
Seattle, 2,223 from Billings, Mont,
and 2,667 from Boise, Idaho. But if
you have the bike, the time and the
stamina, and want to participate in an
alternative to Sturgis, this is the one.
This could be the ultimate vacation
ride.
Organizers are expecting 350,000
avid riders to attend in 2013.
The Laconia Motorcycle Week,
being one of the premier rallies in the
world, will have all the attractions you
would expect and can imagine. This
rally is especially noted for attracting
the best custom bike builders and
their creations.
Events and attractions are going
on everywhere, but the place to be at
night is Weirs Beach.
Other features of this rally will
include the Laconia Bike Show,
Ride-In Bike Show, ultimate fighting,
motorcycle parade, motorcycle
auction, Northeast Regional Trike-In,
tattoo contests and motorcycle stunts.
There will be poker runs, guided
rides, and live music. There are also
attractions at the bars including
music, Jagermeister, Coors and
Budweiser promotions, biker contests,
bikini bike wash, and more.
Thrill-seekers can enjoy all of
the speed and action of motorcycle
racing at the New Hampshire Motor
Speedway with the USCRA Vintage
Races during the first weekend of
the rally and then closing out the
week with the 90th Loudon Classic
Superbike Races. And the AMA Pro
Hill Climb promises steep and speedy
racing in Canaan, NH.
So be sure to check
into the many scheduled
tours such as: the daily
Gypsy Tours, riding in
the Rally in the Valley
tours, the POW-MIA
Freedom Ride, or the
famous Mt. Washington
Ride to the Sky.
Jennifer Anderson
(rally director) said, “We
are proud to celebrate
‘90 Years Strong’ during
this year’s rally and
what better way to do
so than with all of our
motorcycle friends from
across the country and
beyond!”
Visit <www.
laconiamcweek.com> or
call 603-366-2000.
Projections are over 350,000 will attend Laconia.
PRODUCT REVIEW
May 2013
Tank bags offer high utility, convenience
Cortech TB-21 did the job but came with frustrations
As we’ve mentioned previously
in these pages, sometimes we will
review a brand new product (April
2103, Nelson-Rigg motorcycle cover)
and sometimes we’ll review a product
or accessory we’ve been using for
years by way of assessing how the
manufacturer’s products hold up over
time, use and abuse.
We purchased a Tourmaster tank
bag back in 1984 or so and still have
it.
It is sun-faded a dull grey and
the snap-on map pocket tore and
became useless after seven or eight
years while it’s “see-through” plastic
grew sun-yellowed and translucent.
The neoprene pad that attached to
the underside of the bag to protect
gas tank paint is now only attached at
one of it’s three original connecting
points.
It sits on the garage shelf in reserve
as an “emergency back-up” tank bag
and hasn’t been strapped to a bike
for four or five years. It’s utility was
high and it fulfilled its purpose. We
were well satisfied with its durability,
performance and utility.
When it was time to purchase a
new bag in 2003, we again looked to
Tourmaster.
We knew what we wanted: a large
capacity bag that was convenient,
functional and durable, yet wasn’t in
the way or so tall as to be susceptible
to the vicious crosswinds we
encounter.
But sometimes you can only truly
know about a product’s merits by
actually using it for a full season and
longer.
Cortech is supposedly an upquality Tourmaster motorcycle
accessories line. We ordered the
Cortech TB-21 (21 liters total
capacity). Its shortcomings became
known rather quickly; its merits took
longer to appreciate. But 10 years later
we’re still using the Cortech.
Many designers equate “features”
with value. We only agree if the
“feature” is truly functional and
creates actual utility rather than sales
literature bullet points.
In that regard, the TB-21 may be
over-featured; it has a couple we never
use and we quickly discerned another
“feature” that could have utility but is
instead more of a design flaw.
The bag comes with a neoprene
backed textile mounting pad that is
independent of the bag itself. The
neoprene protects paint and reduces
slippage. The bag, with some difficulty,
zips to the pad. We suppose the idea
was: remove the bag from the bike
without disconnecting the mounting
straps or removing the pad.
Our question would be: why? Why
not simply click the quick-connect
buckles and carry the bag, backing
pad and all, away from the bike,
leaving the forward and rear straps in
place? This is what we inevitably do.
We suppose the designer would
have answered, so you can use the bag
as a backpack.
Indeed, the tank bag came with
shoulder straps and connecting
points and the bag could double as a
backpack. We have never used it in
this fashion. Besides, a permanent pad
would also work as the backside of the
backpack.
It appears a lot of design,
construction and materials expense
went into producing the zipper-
The Cortech TB-21 has a lot of capacity and is usually fairly bulging, unlike in this shot.
detachable mounting pad ... for
almost no benefit.
Instead, it creates a problem.
My first test run of the TB-21 was
in the (surprise!) wind. The top of
the gas tank on my sport-tour rig is
slightly rounded and crowned, so
there is some tendency for a bag to
be a little “tippy” anyway. Crosswinds
pushed the bag dangerously side to
side, with the bag bottom sliding
See Cortech, Page 19
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PRODUCT REVIEW
May 2013
Cortech
from page 18
across, and around on, the pad top,
despite the zippers.
A fix was easy and cheap but
bag bottom. Voila, no more sliding
between bag and pad and a much
more secure tank-top load. Still, in
severe crosswinds, I will add further
tensioning straps to the bag to keep
it firmly in place and away from my
forearms.
One side unzipped and the bag tipped up and off its mounting pad revealing the
“customizing” we performed in order to stop the bag proper from sliding round on the
mounting pad. Note the two-point mounting straps forward and the single-point aft,
with quick-connect latches.
should not have been necessary.
I glued strips of hook-and-loop
(Velcro™) material to the pad top and
Okay, let’s get the complaints out
of the way: Zipper pulls. Simply put,
they may break or fall off and did so
early in my
ownership.
My TB-21 is
missing two
right now:
one I can
jerry-rig (as I
have before)
and make
functional,
the other I’ll
have to repair
with a little
gob of JB Weld
(super glue
only works for
awhile, I’ve
found).
Given the
low quality
of the zipper
pulls, its rather
remarkable
At top is the zipper slider body with the pull missing; below is a
how well
smaller slider body with the crown tab holder broken off.
the zippers
Motel 6 of Butte
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themselves have held up, especially
since we have been guilty of stuffing
too much into the bag.
As to features, the TB-1 has four
zippered exterior pockets, one on
each side at about nine inches long,
five inches tall and three inches wide
(deep), a forward pocket about five
inches long, four inches tall and two
inches wide (deep). There is a small
zippered mesh pocket to the rear (at
the driver’s belt) that would hold a
wallet or a pack of smokes and lighter.
The exterior pockets offer quick
and easy access to items used
frequently.
We keep in the side pockets: disc
lock, spare keys, eyeglasses case,
flashlight, air pressure gauge, multitool, cell phone, plastic cleaner and
soft rags.
In the small forward pocket
goes the tank bag rain cover, a silk
balaclava, ear plugs, a length of
clothesline rope and a small bag of
utility items including cortisone
cream and antihistamines for bug
stings, seam sealer for rainsuits,
super glue (I’ve reattached boot soles
with the stuff), stove-pipe wire, wet
wipes in foil packets, box matches,
electricians tape and even a three-inch
adjustable wrench.
There is a topside map pocket of
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leave as a friend.
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703 Main Street, Spearfish, SD
605-642-2134
Cortech
PRODUCT REVIEW
place. The opening where you’ll slide
the map in is relatively narrow – about
from page 19 6.5 inches – whereas the forward end
of the pocket is at least eight inches
tough, clear plastic that has not gotten wide. Thus, we generally crumple and
make a mess of the map getting it into
brittle or yellowed by the sun. Velcro
and flat in the pocket.
and snaps hold the map pocket in
The main
compartment
lid has a
large interior
zippered
pocket the
dimensions
of the lid
itself. I keep
a lightweight
cable and
lock in here
that we use
to secure the
bag, helmets
and jackets
to the bike
when we step
way in urban
settings.
There are
two other
velcro-closed
interior lid
pockets of
fairly low
utility that
may get
used for a
notebook.
There are two
pen pockets
but nothing
Here is shown the interior lid pockets and the main compartment in
clearly
for
which we stow rainsuits, gloves, water bottles and so on.
electronic gadgetry: remember, this
bag is 10-years-old!
The main compartment is pretty
roomy and usually holds two rolled
rain suits, several sets of gloves of
various weights, water bottle, camera,
bungees, sun-block and more. It is
lined with soft tricot.
An exterior zipper at the top of
the main compartment releases an
expansion panel and the bag will grow
four inches taller and gain three to
four liters of capacity. We’ve only used
this feature a couple of times as the
bag gets too tall and top-heavy.
There is a convenient carry handle
with a rubber grip at the rear of the
bag. An interior support panel keeps
the bag’s shape.
The TB-21 is said to be made of
1680 denier ballistic nylon and the
fabric and stitching are still like new
after years of abuse and exposure to
the elements.
The bag mounts with a strap at
the front that connects at two corner
points via quick-release buckles. The
strap itself wraps around the steering
head. The rear anchor strap connects
to the center-rear of the bag with a
quick-connect andstrap that goes
between the seat and gas tank and
fastens to the rear lip of the tank. Yes,
the seat has to come off to remove that
mounting strap from the bike, which I
seldom do.
This bag was also available with
a magnetic mounting system at $20
additional.
Depending upon where the bag
is ultimately positioned, handlebars
May 2013
can contact it at full-lock, such as
in parking lot situations. I have
inadvertently honked the horn while
parking (embarrassing) and have
engaged the starter button on the
other side. In moving maneuvers at
speed there is no interference.
Of course a tank bag is a minor
hassle when fueling. In this case, just
unbuckle the rear strap and lift the
rear of the bag up to expose the fuel
filler. The bag has to be held up while
operating the fuel nozzle. Then drop
the bag and snap the buckle.
Our recollection is we paid
about $89 for this bag. It has been
discontinued but we found a few
survivors still available on the Internet
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PRODUCT REVIEW
May 2013
Homemade, lightweight cable “a perfect ride”
lock is a cheap theft deterrent
What’s your definition of...
“Locks are meant to keep honest
people honest,” the old saying goes,
the implication being that a thief will
defeat any lock when possessed of
sufficient desire.
And we suppose that’s true.
On the other hand, some sort
But in more urban environments
the chance of quality jackets and
helmets “walking away” is a far greater
concern. A riding couple could
quickly be out of $1,200 to $1,500
in gear, or far more if a brazen thief
wanted your tank bag, too.
When we’re in
the city and ready
for lunch, some
entertainment or a
quick walking tour,
we’ll attach two
helmets, jackets and
a tank bag to the
motorcycle with a
light cable and simple
padlock.
Run the cable
through jacket sleeves,
through helmet face
openings and through
the tank bag carryhandle, then loop it
though the frame or
some other convenient
point on the bike. Lock
together the looped
ends of the cable and
that’s it.
A slick and
determined thief
Homemade cable and lock for $9 is a modest deterrent to
who wants your
gear thieves.
gear can quickly
of security can deter a thief, if only
cut through the cable with a wire
momentarily, if they are faced with the cutter or probably even a multi-tool
chance of being observed in the act.
(Leatherman). But he risks being
In most small communities we
observed in the act, which is some
may leave the helmets and jackets
deterrent.
with the bike and not worry too much
So far it’s worked for us.
that they’ll be there when we return.
I made this cable for about $6; the
Actually, we’ve never lost a helmet or
padlock was maybe $3 more.
jacket to theft.
Just go to your local hardware store
Cortech
from page 20
listed at $139.99 MSRP with magnetic
mounts, $119.99 with straps.
There must be a lot of TB-21s
out there and still in use because
all the parts for this bag appear to
be available including the pad, map
packet, mounting straps, etc.
We successfully re-engineered the
Cortech TB-21’s chief flaw, and have
– and will again – repair the broken
zipper tangs. Otherwise, there’s not
much to complain about and quite a
bit to praise.
• Four external zipper pockets and
one mesh pocket
• Full-size interior top flap Velcro®
closure mesh pocket
• Scotchlite® 3M reflective Tour
Saloon
Master logo and striping
• Rubberized carrying handle
• Clear-vu snap map pocket
• Zippered expansion panel
• 1680 Denier ballistic nylon
construction
• Tri-cot interior lining
• Back pack straps store in hidden
zippered pocket
• Available in magnetic or strap
mounts
• 16”L x 9”W x 9-13”H (21 liter
capacity)
Satisfaction rating
Coming soon: we review a new-release
model tank bag from Nelson-Rigg.
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Little Western Town
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Just 2 blocks south on the Riverwalk from the Day’s Inn
and they should have the plasticcoated cable in stock and in bulk so
it can be cut to any length you desire.
It should also be available in a variety
of diameters for your choice. Mine is
one-eighth-inch cable and eight feet
long. They should also have on hand
the loop-sleeve crimps used here to
create the end-loops.
Slide the cable in one side of the
crimp, then out the other. Lay the
crimp on cement and give it a few
good whacks with a hammer and
you’re done.
Your jackets, helmets and soft
luggage will stay put unless a thief is
determined to take them.
At least make them work for it and
take some risk while they’re at it.
Stunning mountain, forest, river and lake scenery?
Remote, peaceful riding with few cages? Good
asphalt with tons of turns? Roadways designed by
engineers who knew what they were doing? Small
communities with all the amenities? Businesses
with character run by characters? Affordability?
Riders rounding a curve on
the Flowery Trail between
Chewelah and Ione, described by Northern Rockies
Rider magazine as “perhaps
the best motorcycle route in
all of Washington.”
Photo by Susan Swan, Ione, Wash.
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May 2013
Culture Clash?
The ‘odd couple’ initiates a
cultural exchange
By Cole Boehler
But there were differences, too: The
H.O.G. director, Marlin Overton, is a
Imagine this:
life-long bricklayer and now head of his
The dude is wearing a do-rag and tear- union local. The editor is self-employed
drop wrap-around shades, a bandana
and has spent his lifetime in journalism,
around his neck and a black leather
newspapers and publishing.
jacket, leather gloves, chaps over jeans,
Overton confesses his H.O.G.
and heavy steel-toe work boots. The
leadership is his first involvement as part
Harley-Davidson shield adorns his duds
of an organized group, other than his
and belt buckle.
union activities.
He straddles a blue plastic-shrouded
“It’s not natural for me,” he says, “but
2005 Yamaha FJR sport-touring bike.
I’m liking it. We do a lot of group rides
Nearby another dude wears a fulland they’re awesome, especially when
face helmet plastered with loud graphics, they’re for a cause. I have learned to enjoy
an armored textile jacket in yellow and
them. But I enjoy solitude and soloing,
black, leather armored riding pants with
too. I come to ride, not wait for someone.”
strange, articulated knees, bulky leather
Riding and hunting have traditionally
gloves with huge gauntlets and some sort been solitary pursuits for him, he says.
of touring “moon boots.”
Over four decades, he’s always gotten
He’s astride a 2010 Harley Wide Glide his elk – mature bulls – and often with a
with a flame paint job.
bow, though he is now gravitating toward
The “pirate” on the Asian bike, the
wily whitetails, the ultimate in solitary
“spaceman” on the American cruiser...
hunting.
What’s wrong with this picture?
“Riding and hunting are an escape,” he
Everything.
continues. “It can be healthy to escape. I
At least the woman with the stop
like collecting my thoughts, not dealing
sign at the construction zone seemed to
with traffic. I enjoy the scenery, the
think so, judging from the puzzled and
whole experience, being a part of the
quizzical look on her face. The spaceman environment.”
boomed away on the Dyna and the pirate
The editor says he can relate: he, too,
purred along behind.
hunts and enjoys the solitude to be found
It was the director of the southwest
in hunting and riding, has even written
Montana Mile High H.O.G. (Harley
about the two sports in this way.
Owners Group) club and the editor and
“I took my girlfriend to Yellowstone
publisher of Northern Rockies Rider. Both Park on the bike,” Overton says. “She’d
are dedicated life-long riders.
seen it many times, but never from a bike.
The “Clash of Cultures” began with a
She said she’d never really been in it –
cultural exchange over restaurant coffee
the sights and sounds and smells. She’d
and toast at 9 a.m. April 2.
never experienced Yellowstone like that,
and she said it would
never be the same
again.”
Overton is also a
golf fanatic and says
he finds similarities
in hitting a golf ball,
shooting an arrow
accurately and riding
a motorcycle well:
they all require
intense concentration.
“I don’t like golfing
in a group. It makes
me nervous,” he says.
“I’ve played up to 54
holes in a day. I’m
just in my fourth
year and play in the
80s. Everything I do,
I do with extreme
dedication,” he says.
Overton at a lunch break secures a bag lid strap that worked
Overton says he is
loose and has been flapping.
on his seventh street
bike and apparently
What became clear immediately is
comes to riding naturally; his father
how closely these two riders’ views on
owned and operated a Harley shop, D &
motorcycling coincide: the reasons they
J Cycles, in Opportunity, a small village
ride, the type of riding they enjoy, their
just east of Anaconda, Mont. However,
philosophies about riding... Beyond that,
Overton says he was adopted at one-andtheir mutual love of everything to do
a-half-years of age and did not meet his
with playing in the outdoors, especially
biological father until he was 26.
hunting.
He started on Japanese bikes, Overton
Marlin Overton, H.O.G. chapter director, speaks frankly about his approach to
motorcycles, riding and life philosophy.
recalls, a 100CC Yamaha, then 350 and
450 Hondas, finally graduating to a big
750CC Triumph Bonneville that he
chopped and rode for over a decade.
The editor also relates: Japanese bikes
of 400CC, 650, 750, 1,100 (three of these)
and now 1,300CCs (two of these).
The 2010 “Willie D.” Wide Glide
Overton rides these days was 96 cubic
inches, stock, but is pushing 103 cu. in.
now with bigger jugs and pistons, hot
cams, Vance and Hines straight pipes and
souped up fueling including after-market
induction and a programmable Fuelpak
to get the mixtures right at all RPMs.
Research indicates the big twin should
be putting out 20-25 percent more power
than stock.
He also dumped the stock spoke
wheels for cast which allows him to run
tubeless tires. He says he gets perhaps
8,000 miles from a rear, more from a
front.
“I ride pretty hard, fast,” Overton says
of his tires’ relatively short life.
Plenty of cosmetic bling in the usual
flames and skulls motifs has been added,
See Culture Clash, Page 23
3000-28th Avenue, Vernon, BC V1T 1W1
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May 2013
Culture Clash
from page 22
and functional accessories to make the
bike more comfortable and add utility
are valuable supplements. These include
leather saddle bags, handlebar risers, a
windscreen and aftermarket seat.
Overton uses a faux leather Biker’s
Friend cylindrical tail pack that can
mount to the pillion or the rear rack. This
day he has it situated directly behind the
rider. The pack is equipped with a lumbar
roll and pad for additional support at the
small of the back, something Overton
requires, since he’s pretty much worn
out his lower vertebrae as a 40-year
bricklayer.
“It’s like a recliner now,” he says with
satisfaction. “I wouldn’t be capable of
long rides, otherwise. If it fits well, you’re
a safer rider.”
Need any more accessories? Overton
says he’s planning on adding a detachable
sissy bar.
He says his customization objectives
were to first “make it fit me better,
then make it quicker and, last, make it
prettier.”
The Dyna has clocked 34,000 miles in
three years.
The editor says the additions to
his sport-tourer are essentially related
to comfort and function: aftermarket
Corbin seat, Cee Bailey windshield, Heli
handlebar risers (up three-quarters of
an inch, back one inch), Grip Puppies
foam handgrip covers, a fender extension
for the front to minimize wheel-thrown
debris into the radiator, a Givi V-46
color-matched trunk and mounting rack,
and tip-over guards to save plastic and
paint in a drop.
He has done nothing to the bike to
enhance performance or eye appeal.
“The FJR is plenty quick and fast in
stock trim and there are actually few
engine hop-up items in the after-market:
pipes and fuel modulators, that’s about
it,” he says. “The cylinder bores have a
ceramic coating so they can’t be bored
anyway.
“Most who own this type of bike
are looking for long-distance comfort,
then sporty handling capabilities, so
suspension mods are very popular. Some
owners have dropped $1,500 on fork and
shock upgrades. Mine is still stock.
“Frankly, I don’t care much about
appearance or looks; that doesn’t make it
work better. In fact, I stripped off some of
the badges and decals.”
133 Years
He put 75,000 trouble-free miles on
his first FJR, a 2003 which he sold to his
sister and brother-in law last spring, then
acquired the current 2005. He put 10,000
miles on this one in 2012, and has logged
1,000 miles in March of 2013.
He also has a Japanese “adventuretouring” bike – a 1,000CC V-twin, that
works well on pavement and can be used
on decent unpaved roads.
He rides with his wife at pillion about
90 percent of the time. “She pouts if she
can’t go,” he says with a laugh. They are
often fully loaded – side panniers, tail box
and tank bag.
“Our chief objective is to tour – to
ride – but we prefer the twisty back
roads. We demand reliability, low cost of
maintenance and functionality. Purchase
price is also a consideration,” he says,
noting he bought the 2005 with 21,000
miles for $6,000.
“I think we’re often hauling 450 lbs
of people and gear,” Boehler says. That
makes for a rolling gross vehicle weight
of 1,100 lbs. and may explain why rear
tires can be bald at 4,000 miles and rarely
make it to 6,000, he says, while fronts will
go quite a bit longer, the current one now
approaching 9,000 miles.
The fairly high speeds he prefers also
takes a toll on rubber, he says.
Overton and Boehler agree, the
simplicity of riding solo has real merit:
“We go when we want, stop when we
want, go where we want and never wait
for someone else in the group.”
And they agree that when riding with
groups, ample spacing enhances safety.
Overton says, “I try to stay away
from other riders, traffic.” Boehler adds,
and Overton agrees, “I ride a little faster
than the traffic. I like to overtake it, ride
around it and past it; not ride in the midst
of it.”
“Optimal riding is about being
smooth,” Overton says with Boehler
in agreement. “If you’re riding smart
and smooth, brakes will be used at a
minimum. You shouldn’t constantly be
seeing brake lights; like riding behind
a Christmas tree! A brake light should
mean something. It’s throttle and gears.”
Boehler notes whoever leads a group
needs to maintain a constant speed,
or else the whole string will always be
compressing and stretching, like a slinky.
“If the point rider lets his speed fluctuate
up and down, even five miles an hour,
that variation is amplified as the effect is
passed down the line. The poor rider at
sweep is having to vary his speed by 30
miles per hour!”
The breakfast talk session is over as
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At It’s Best!
Authentic & Beautiful
the duo heads
to the sidewalk
where their
bikes are parked.
They encounter
a retired smelter
worker, 88
years of age.
The old-timer
eyes the bikes,
then strikes
up a familiar
conversation: “I
had three Indian
Chiefs and
some Harleys;
Knuckles,
Pans...” he says.
“You’ve still
got one of those
Chiefs under a
tarp out in the
Editor Cole Boehler with his Yamaha as the duo prepared to hit the
barn, right?”
road and swap bikes.
Boehler jokes.
and owns a half-helmet. He says he loses
“Hell no, but
peripheral vision with the full-face and
I sure wish I did!” the senior retorts.
is wary of blind spots. He generally rides
Later, Boehler says to Overton,
without either.
“How many times have you had that
Boehler always wears a quality fullconversation?”
face. He says he feels with the modern
“All the time,” Overton says with a
smile.
“When we ride, I always wave or
honk at the little kids,” Boehler says, “or
the seniors I see walking or working
in their gardens. You can see the
kids are imagining, the old folks are
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The discussion shifts to riding apparel.
Overton says he wears some gear most
of the time, “but not as much as I could.
It’s the only thing between you and the
asphalt.”
He has full leather pants for cold days
and wears chaps in hot weather.
Boehler has full armored leather pants
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May 2013
Culture Clash
from page 23
designs there is no loss of peripheral
vision and that a snug, well fit helmet
quiets air turbulence noise and is actually
quite comfortable, though venting could
still be improved.
Overton is proud of his top-of-theline Harley-Davidson FXRG leather
jacket with armor, liner and assorted
electronics pockets. “It’s the last one I’ll
need to buy,” the 60-year-old says wryly.
Boehler, 57, says he still has his
original leather motorcycle jacket
purchased in 1983, but these days favors
armored textile (mesh textile on very hot
days) in bright colors for added visibility.
Overton prefers heavy, lace-up
work boots. Boehler uses waterproof
motorcycle touring boots with zippers
and velcro closure. Both are wearing
gauntleted leather gloves, though
Boehler’s appear more cold weather
oriented (the temperature was 26 degrees
when he left his home that morning).
It is clear Overton is of the “loud pipes
save lives” school of thought, and says he
has plenty of personal experience to show
it is true.
He says local ranchers were moving
cattle last year and one of the cow dogs
attacked his front wheel at a slow a
roll. The bike and Overton went down,
his foot jammed between machine
and asphalt, twisting his leg until knee
ligaments popped. The bike sustained
plenty of cosmetic blemishes, too.
“That’s when I decided to get the
pipes,” he says, implying the dog would
have kept its distance. “They’re loud! You
brought earplugs, didn’t you?”
Yes, Boehler brought his custom
molded ear protection. He says he has his
doubts about the “loud pipes saves lives”
theory, but to each his own.
The riders clear city traffic, then swap
bikes on a rural back road. Both are
smiling – maybe amused – and getting a
feel for the different ergonomics:
The H-D puts you slouching down
and into the bike – butt just 26.5 inches
from tarmac – foot pegs and controls far
forward, bars at a comfortable distance
and height, the top lip of the windscreen
well below the typical focal point.
The Yamaha sets you on the bike
almost 32-inches above the pavement,
foot rests and controls under your butt.
The bars require a slight lean forward
while the power-adjustable windscreen is
set wherever it works best for the rider.
For the spaceman, the Harley throttle
and clutch work well and predictably
together. The bike pulls forward smoothly
but with authority, propelled by massive
power pulses from those twin pistons
hammering in big bores through long
strokes.
Once the body is settled and feet are
finding levers, the throttle gets twisted
and the Wide Glide rockets ahead. It
seems as though one gear might suffice.
The engine spools up with a flat and fat
torque curve which drops off quickly
with high revs, prompting what feels like
short-shifting.
The experience is entirely visceral:
the beast between your legs is awake and
angry! It roars and bellows and shakes.
On throttle you feel the quaking machine
in your feet, butt and hands.
It is clear the motor has been heavily
stepped on, almost making too much
power for its stock mountings, chassis
and suspension. The sensations generated
by that engine overwhelm any other. It is
the beast’s heart and soul, the rest of the
bike components play mere supporting
roles.
Yet at highway cruising speeds, the
beast calms and behaves civilly (which is
not to say mutely) ... unless you whack
the gas! Then hang on for the ride! It
snaps to 100 mph effortlessly. Overtaking
the Interstate pavement trains would be
a job dispensed with in a few seconds
without dropping a gear.
The quivering of the bike makes
mirror images shaky and vision is a
little blurry, mostly from wind buffeting
the editor’s helmet. If he pulls his head
down two inches, the air calms almost
completely. No doubt the windshield can
be raised in its mounts to accommodate
this rider’s taller profile.
The taller seat height of the Asian bike
does allow for a more distant line of sight,
Overton says, but he notes “reverse” is
achieved on his tip toes. With the tall seat
and weight carried relatively up high, just
the slightest shift of body weight starts
the bike turning. “Steering is almost
effortless,” he says.
The editor finds the Wide Glide
requires some muscle at the bars along
with some body lean to get it turning but
it does so quickly and predictably. He
also finds the H-D holds its line well in
curves, but takes some small pressure on
the bars to keep it tracking.
“The skinny front tire has the front
wandering a little, following pavement
imperfections, but altogether it’s very
stable and planted, confidence inspiring,”
he says.
Overton says the Yamaha brakes are
excellent, predictable and powerful.
The Wide Glide also stops well
and predictably, the editor finds, with
slightly more pressure required at the
lever to make the single front disc do
its job. The rear brake, which Overton
has intentionally set up with long footlever travel, doesn’t grab until the pedal
is moved forward perhaps three inches.
Again, once engaged, it is predictable and
strong.
Overton says after 50 miles he can
feel the foreign, and very upright, seating
position of the Yamaha beginning to
trouble his worn out back.
The editor says he felt no ergonomic
discomfort at all from the equally foreign
riding position of the H-D.
“The reach from the seat to the bars
is right and comfortable, and the seat’s
pretty good, too,” he says.
“I’d have to find out for myself, but it
is possible I could do 400-mile days with
satisfactory comfort,” he tells Overton,
though he wonders about enduring
the pipes and vibration that long. “I’d
definitely need ear plugs and a taller
windscreen,” the editor says.
Overton says the power the Yamaha
makes is more than adequate, though the
engine needs to spin to 5,000 RPM before
it’s really in the meat of the power band.
It pulls cleanly and smoothly from 2,500
RPM to 8,000, then power will drop off as
it approaches its 9,000 redline.
The editor observes the Dyna is
always in its power band, except perhaps
below 2,500 RPM where it tends to chug
slightly, like a quarter horse that would
rather run than walk, likely the result
of the engine hop-up. This was noticed
as we meant to pass peacefully through
the small town of Deer Lodge, where the
editor let the Dyna putt along the 25 mph
Main Street in a tall gear.
Once underway, the Dyna rarely
requires a gear shift to boom away,
whereas the Yamaha will respond better
to dropping a gear or even two when
maximum power is required for an
expedited pass.
“It’s very smooth and quiet,” observes
Overton of the Asian machine.
The Yamaha has well calibrated
suspension, he says, that produces a
comfortable, if not cushy, ride in a variety
May 2013
Culture Clash
from page 24
of surface conditions (we did not have the
opportunity to push any hard cornering).
This day, as usual, the Yamaha is running
40 lbs. of pressure in the front and rear
tires which gives the rider some feedback
regarding surface imperfections.
“The ride is firm and the handling is
sharp. I had a smile on my face the whole
time,” Overton states. “It’s always nice to
do something familiar in new way.”
The Dyna also seems to transmit the
asphalt ripples to the rider’s hands and
butt, but nicely soaks up everything in
between minor and major, the editor
says. The big, sharp bumps can whack
the rider’s butt and spine, the result of it’s
relatively short rear suspension travel.
At the lunch break, Overton notes,
“You’re the only person other than my
brother who has ridden my bike.” The
editor thanks him for his confidence.
Would Overton consider owning a
bike like the Yamaha?
“Oh yes,” he says. “It’s great fun. But
the question is, would I consider selling
my Harley to own one. The answer is
no.” Overton owns just one bike and it is
clearly his preferred choice.
Would the editor own a Harley? The
answer is the same: “Not as my only bike,
but I’d certainly consider adding one to
my stable if I had the means.”
Overton expands on his riding
philosophy.
“Motorcycle riders are outdoors
people. And that’s why we live in
Montana.
“I like doing some of my own light
maintenance,” he says, noting he has
a maintenance contract with the local
Harley store, Copper Canyon in Butte, so
that ownership aspect is covered. “They
have some good techs and mechanics.
When they had (the Wide Glide) on the
dyno, they stayed on it, tweaking it until
they got it just right.”
He says members of the local H.O.G.
chapter he heads are tolerant of other
makes.
“We have people along on all brands,”
he adds. “Most of our functions are
charity benefits so who cares? I wouldn’t
stand for it if our events were entirely
closed. I wouldn’t belong if they were.”
The editor says to Overton, “There is
that Harley owners’ saying, ‘If I have to
explain it to you, you won’t understand
anyway.’ Well, try me; explain it.”
“Riding a Harley is like nothing else in
the world,” he begins. “Just starting it up
is a unique experience. You know what
they say: ‘You drive a car; a bike drives
you.’ Riding a Harley gets into your heart
and soul; it becomes a part of your being.
“If you stop riding, the longing to get
back on never leaves you. Anytime you
hear one, see one, you want to get back
on and ride. I once had to sell mine to
make house payments. There are three
things I regret selling: that bike and a
couple of rifles. I won’t do that again.”
Does Overton’s loyalty to American
union workers influence his choice of
brands?
“I try to buy American (products). I
appreciate that unions are involved in (HD) manufacturing. I like that; I speak it
and believe it.
“There are better bikes out there in
some respects, in terms of engineering ...”
The editor interrupts and points out
there is probably no brand that compares
The FJR and the Wide Glide parked at still frozen Georgetown Lake at 6,428 feet April 2.
The ice will melt out later in May.
to the Harley quality of fit and finish, of
style and tradition and customer loyalty.
“Yes, it is about heritage and
tradition,” Overton says. “Harleys are
clunky and loud, but the designs have
been maintained so they are still Harleys.
“Maybe I’m kind of rough – a
rough life and a rough trade. But that’s
the appeal. I like the feel of the road,
the rumble, the noise. That’s part of
the experience, part of the riding
environment. Yes, like hunting, it takes
us back to our primal state of heightened
awareness. It keeps you alive and always
in touch. Hyper awareness is exercising
your brain: the harder you work it the
better it works.
“Hunters are hyper aware. Through
conditioning, we see game better; we see
the shapes, not the objects. That helps us
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stay alive, too. We see game better and
recognize dangerous terrain features.”
Overton says, “Personal enjoyment is
in the eye of the beholder. To me, it’s the
ride, not the bike. Would you turn down
a chance to ride if you had to ride another
brand? Not me. I’d love to try them all. I
could probably get used to anything.
“Honda makes awesome machines,
but at this point in my life I can ride
whatever I want.”
What is Overton’s idea of “the ultimate
motorcycle ride?”
“Tour all of America,” he says. “I
haven’t seen enough of it. But you have to
want to bad enough; you have to make it
happen.”
Would the Wide Glide be the right
machine for that tour?
“There are a lot of styles within the
brand,” he says. “The Wide Glide will do
it all, do anything a rider needs ... except
pack out an elk!”
May 2013
Can you go home again?
The author, about 10, with his first two-wheeler, a Stingray
that was ‘customized’ mostly by being built by his father
out of several discarded units. The card-in-the spokes
accessory came later. Photographer unknown
Essay by Ben Getz
Contributing Feature Writer
All photos by Ben Getz except where noted
Time
traveling
on two
wheels
number still burned into my memory.
Turns out the current residents
are a very nice couple who have made
major improvements to the 1930’s era
dwelling, and they are eager to hear
my recollections of how things used to
be. I pull out an old photo that recently
surfaced and realize I can try to recapture
it almost exactly, four decades removed!
Next it is time to travel to longdeserted Marengo to see what ghosts
of the past there may still whisper to
the present. What we find is stark and
bleak. All of the houses, of which only
Connections. We all try to either make
them, maintain them … or perhaps sever
bad ones.
Our connections in and to the
past, though irretrievably gone and
unchangeable for the most part, do
possess the tendrils that connect us with
our “present” and often “future selves.”
I may be more fortunate than some
since many of the people and places that
are framed in my earliest
childhood memories and
subsequent development
are still close by, though
not by any real conscious
choice. I tried to remove
myself from the central
Washington farmlands of
my youth, yet I now find
four decades later that I live
within an hour of them.
A trip back in time was
overdue.
I chose a particular
“way-back machine” for
this journey that I felt was
capable of traversing the
pavement as well as remote The only structure left standing in Marengo, Wash., still
dirt roads that I anticipated serves to spark the memories of my childhood spent in
this once busy railroad junction.
encountering – my 2008
Suzuki DRZ-400S.
I shared this experience with my
numbered maybe nine at most in my time
good friend, Tim, also from the same
there, have been leveled.
generation of “baby boomership” as I,
My father worked for the Union
and as he later asked, “Would it have been Pacific Railroad at the time, and rails were
the same experience if I had not had a
this town’s only reason to be. Even in the
‘sounding board’ to lay out all the stories
1960’s it was a mere shadow of what it had
and details of my trip down memory lane been during the 20’s and 30’s when rail
with?” No, it would not.
travel and transport were the only way to
We set off along rolling, mostly
go.
straight, roads amidst central
Almost nothing discernible is left
Washington’s thousands of acres of
now, though the few remaining rails seem
wheat fields, both irrigated and the more
so startlingly close to where I trundled
challenging dry-land variety.
in diapers on the lawn as an infant,
Some of my earliest memories are
restrained only by a leash on a metal
enveloped in the act of wheat harvest with clothesline, a primitive form of day care.
my father on the old, open air combines
Squinting into the dusty brightness
in the intense heat of August around
of the day, a distant memory surfaces,
Ritzville. (The town actually took its
how as soon as I was able to heed the
name from the fact that the Ritz Cracker
command, ‘’hold on tight,” I was oneCompany used much of the area’s wheat
handed up onto the back of my dad’s
in their products in their early days.)
Bridgestone 90 two-stroke.
We pass roads bearing names of
We would go sailing down the dirt
many families I went to elementary and
roads out of Marengo, dodging snakes
grade school with, some now in the fifth
or “peeling out” on them as we took out
generation toiling in, and tilling, this
another pesky rattler (we left the sizeable
fertile soil.
Bull Snakes alone; they’re good ones!).
On touchdown in Ritzville proper,
Dad had spent time during the Korean
I decide first to visit the house in town
War in Europe and would often regale
where I spent most of my pre-teen years;
me with tales of the “Beezers,” “Snortin’
the address and even our old phone
Nortons” and Triumph “Trumpets”
The author, about 50, with his first dual-sport standing
where 40 years have passed by with barely any changes
... right! Photo by Tim Pryor
he had sampled, yet the humble little
Japanese Bridgestone single is what
served at the time as useful commuting
transportation for him and thrills-perminute for me.
Tim and I cross the remaining railroad
tracks to the small hillside where the
Roberson family lived, and where still
starkly “living” was my technicolor
memory of my father and Mr. Roberson
butchering hogs. The sights and sounds
of that sanguineous event were soon
overwhelmed by the smell and taste of
home-cured bacon and smoked hams we
enjoyed.
Some say our olfactory senses are the
most powerful evocateurs of memory, and
I am immediately swathed in memories of
Mrs. Roberson’s kitchen. You never went
into that sweltering hot haven and were
not fed something savory and delicious,
while also receiving an all encompassing
hug in her ample bosom; a living and
lovable Mrs. Buttersworth bottle she was.
Standing now knee deep in cheat
grass, the scattered, skeletal remains of
their once lively homestead leave little
recognizable but for the cement stoop
that led to their door. Rusted, discarded
carcasses of tools and implements built
too stout to turn to dust in just these 40
short years lay strewn about as testament
to my memory being somewhat intact.
Leaving this ghost town, we roll
back to Ritzville via a stop at the
landing strip where I spent many hours
in pre-pubescent wonder amongst
the monstrous roar of massive radial
powerplants.
Once the home of pilot Maynard
Lund’s spray squadron where my
father worked as ground crew loading
chemicals, scouting fields and performing
See Traveling, Page 27
Most scenic rides in the
Black Hills for
Custer Cruisin’
Iron Mountain Road
Needles Highway
Wildlife Loop Road
Hell Canyon
• Shopping
• Restaurants
• Lodging
Close to Mt. Rushmore, Crazy
Horse Memorial, Custer State Park
013
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May 2013
Traveling
from page 26
maintenance, it is now a skydiving school.
In one open hanger sits a beautiful
example of a Citabria sport plane, much
like one my father flew. Shadowed behind
it gathering dust is parked a rare Honda
GT-650 Hawk. Aha, a sweet connection!
I have always noted an apparent
connection between small aircraft and
motorcycles. Is it the shared sense of
The author with the man who first
showed him what 200 mph feels like,
retired aerial applicator and family friend,
Maynard Lund, at left. Photo by Tim Pryor
freedom these mostly air-cooled vehicles
allow, the feeling of being so in control or
almost at one with the machine? Perhaps
the level of skill required to master them,
or how easy it seems to be to flaunt the
laws of speed and physics?
The consequences of a mechanical
breakdown, mistake or simply running
out of gas seem less serious on two
wheels, yet the freedom allowed once
airborne is unparalleled. At least my
father was never “pulled over” in his
Citabria for stunting, and stunting is
what he did, treating me to multiple Gs
with rolls, loops, and hammerhead stalls,
intoxication to a 10-year-old.
Standing now on the still chemically
stained tarmac after these many years, the
smell of av-gas, Aero Shell oil, and Mirror
Glazed canopies brings flooding back one
of my favorite recollections:
Strapped tightly in the back seat of
converted World War II era AT-6 trainer,
in a powered dive watching the airspeed
indicator spin to, and past, 185 indicated
knots, barely able to move my head from
the G forces, Maynard radios through the
leather and canvas head piece, “You doing
OK?”
I am certain he did not want me
hurling my Frosted Flakes breakfast onto
the back of his neck, but my huge grin
must have given him the answer as the
wind shrieked over the canopy.
We go now to visit Maynard, in his
80’s and spending his days mostly at the
golf course dodging sand traps rather
than strafing the wheat fields of Adam’s
County.
Long past the average life-span of
those in his particular profession, we
share a few good memories and backslaps, while wishing “The Red Baron” was
still around (my dad’s handle back in the
day). I thank him for nurturing in me that
“need for speed” when I was young.
It may be far – across a country or in
another one all together – but I encourage
anyone who can to board their particular
two-wheeled time machine of choice
and travel across the miles, kilometers
and decades to find and make those
connections.
Perhaps the passed/past memories
are not all that sweet or in need of
remembrance, but they may help us to
deal with where we are headed, or shed
light on who, what, and even why we are
who we have become.
The freedom that transport by
motorcycle on the open road affords, in
the solitary confines of your helmet, may
well serve as a cocoon, a chrysalis for
future life changes that the teleportation
to our past may catalyze.
It also helps to etch the memories into
our brain cells and illuminates the task
ahead of us, the “future memories” we
will leave behind for others.
No, one cannot change the past nor go
back to relive it, but you can nurture your
current and any future connections while
basking in the memories
that your own personal
time travel reveals.
As a licensed
motorcyclist since 1978,
Ben Getz has been
traversing the roadways
and tracks, both paved
and otherwise, of the great
Pacific Northwest and
beyond. In his spare time
A beautiful example of aerobatic hardware, this Citabria
he customizes and restores
brings back fond memories of youthful flights.
motorcycles, and has been
a regular contributor to
daughter, granddaughter and numerous
a number of motorcycle periodicals and
nieces and nephews. Getz strives to be a
publications.
positive influence and ambassador of safely
His passion for motorcycles of all types
enjoying all aspects of the two-wheeled
and derivation has been passed on to his
lifestyle and the worldwide ‘family’ of
family of fellow riders; including wife, son,
riders.
May 2013
Events Calendar
National - 2013
• April 24-28 - Laughlin River Run, Laughlin, Nev.,
<laughlinriverrun.com>
• June 8-16 - 90th Anniversary Laconia Motorcycle Week,
Laconia, New Hampshire, <laconiamcweek.com>
• June 17 - Ride To Work Day, <ridetowork.org>
• Aug. 5-11 - 73rd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Sturgis,
So. Dak., <sturgismotorcyclerally.com>
National - 2014
• Feb. 28-March 9 - Daytona Bike Week, Daytona Beach, Fla.,
<officialbikeweek.com>
Alberta
• April 27 - Grand Prairie Toys for Tots Swap Meet,
Grand Prairie, Dawn, 780-832-4417
• May 11 - Motorcycle Awareness Parade, Lethbridge, The
Brick parking lot, 3727 Mayor McGrath Dr. S., Brian Shields,
<sabvbrian@gmail.com>, <southernalbertabikers.ca>
• May 25 - NORAL Vintage Bike Display, Edmonton,
Bonnie Doon Centre, 82nd Ave. & 83rd St.,
Richard Vanderwell, <vanderwell998@gmail.com>
• May 31 - Old Bones Rally, Wayne, Last Chance Saloon,
555 Jewell St., Larry Fowell, 780-362-0467,
<valkyrie@eastlink.ca>
• June 14-16 - Border Bike Rally, Lloydminster, Ray Sproull,
780-871-4579, <llyod.bbr@gmail.com>
• June 15 - Alberta Vintage Flat Track Race, Lloydminster
Race Track, Tom Booth, 780-970-3733,
<tbooth@specialty.ab.ca>, <avfta.ca>
• June 20-23 - Revving Up for Kids MC Adventure, various
Alberta locations, Val Figliuzzi, 780-496-2459,
<val@kidswithcancer.ca>, <kidswithcancer.ca>
• June 21-23 - Hillbilly Hammerdown MC Run, Ashmont,
780-210-0259, 780-806-1711
• July 4-6 - Provincial HOG Rally, Medicine Hat, Ralph
Carson, <rcarson@teluuplanet.net>, <albertahogrally.com>
• July 14 - Past, Present & Future MC Show & Shine, Calgary,
the Military Museums, 4520 Crowchild Trail SW
• July 20 - Leather ‘n’ Chaps...Ridin’ for Snaps, High River,
River Roadhouse, 420 Center St., 403-603-3232
• July 26-28 - Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group Ponoka
Rally, Ponoka, <secretary@cvmg.ca>, <cvmg.ca>
• Aug. 3-4 - CMDRA Bad Land Nationals (MC drag racing),
Medicine Hat, 1-887-580-9008, <info@cmdra.com>
• Aug. 2-5 - Heartland Bash Motorcycle Rally, Edmonton,
564047 Range Road, 780-938-9014, <heartlandbash.com>,
<the_heartland_bash@live.ca>
• Aug. 15-18 - Women Riders Conference, Stoney Nakoda
Casino and Resort, 45 minutes west of Calgary on TransCan
Hwy., Karen Hammerton, 403-834-3822,
<desert_dolls@hotmail.com>, <witwalbertarally.com>
• Sept. 7-8 - CMDRA Season Finals (MC drag racing),
Edmonton, 1-887-580-9008, <info@cmdra.com>
• Sept. 8 - RMS Swap Meet, Millarville, Millarville race track,
Hwy. 549 W & 192 St. W, <rms-swapmeet@cvmg-rms.ca>
British Columbia
• April 28 - Classic & Vintage MC Swap Meet & Show ‘n’
Shine, Delta, Tawasan, South Delta Recreation Center,
1720 56th St., Todd Copan, 604-299-0020,
<classicbikeswapmeet.com>, <info@classicbikeswapmeet.com>
• May 5 - Campbell Rider MC Swap Meet & “A Woman’s
Experience of Riding,” Campbell River, Eagles Hall, 1999
14th Ave., Ron - 1-250-830-4260, John - 1-250-286-3120
• May 11 - Back Alley Customs MC Show & Shine, Merritt,
2152 Lauder Ave., 250-280-0634, <backalleycustomsmerritt.ca>
• June 21-22 - Summer Sizzle Ride, Langley, 8859 201st St.,
604-532-2973, <langleyhog.org>, <harleyd@waaki.com>
• July 5-7 - Horsethief Hideout Rally, Invermere,
8250 Westside Rd., Stan or Gary, 250-434-4444,
<stan@horsethiefhideout.ca>,
<horsethiefhideout.ca/horsethief-memorial-rally.html>
• July 7 - Sasquatch Inn MC Show & Shine, Harrison Mills,
46001 Lougheed Hwy., 604-796-2730
• July 10-14 - Great Canadian Bike Rally, Merritt, B.C.,
2064 Coulee Ave., 250-378-5553, <info@merrittrally.com>
• July 25-27 - Western Regional HOG Rally, Kelowna,
250-860-0666, Marianne Boettcher,
<mhboettcher@shaw.ca>, <okanagonhog.com>
• July 26 - Bigfoot (sidecar) Rendezvous, Kooetnay, Barry,
<rendezvous@bigfootsidecarclub.com>, <bigfootsidecarclub.com>
• July 26-28 - Ride Into History Rally, Langley, Fort Langley
National Historic Site, 23433 Mavis Ave., 604-514-7375,
<www.rideintohistory.ca>
• Aug. 2-5 - 25th Boogie Bash, Rock Creek, 250-765-4517,
<dalnewfie@hotmail.com>, <ann@victoryriders.com>,
<aiminteriorbc.org>
• Aug. 10-11 - Cumberland MC Roundup, Cumberland,
250-336-8746, <cumberlandmotorcycleroundup.com>,
<cameron_salon@hotmail.com>
• Aug. 11 - AIM (Association of Injured Motorcyclists)
G.F. Strong Show & Shine, Vancouver, G.F. Strong Rehab
Center, 4255 Laurel St., 604-580-0112,
<info@aimvancouver.com>, <www.aimvancouver.com>
• Aug. 18 - Vintage in the Valley MC Shaw, Chilliwack,
Chilliwack Heritage Park, 44140 Luckakuck Way, Tony 778-908-1941, Wally - 778-242-7104
Idaho
• April 28 - Sweet-Ola Ride, Auction & BBQ, Sweet, 208-340-7078
• May 4-5 - Charlie’s Acres Spring Motorcycle Swap Meet &
Show, Rathdrum, 4 miles east of Rathdrum on Hwy. 53,
Glen - 208-667-3668
• May 31-June 2 - ABATE of North Idaho Spring Opener,
Big Dave, 208-827-0396
• July 5-6 - Run What Ya Brung Street Drags, Oldtown,
“Hun” Smith, 509-671-7586, <basketcase4u2@aol.com>
• July 5-7 - Mackay MC Rodeo, Mackay, Tourist Park,
Teri Calkins, 208-478-4928, <lobstamoose@aol.com>
• July 12-14 - Rally in the Valley, Murtaugh Lake near
Twin Falls, 208-539-2699, <snakeriverbros@hotmail.com>,
<snakeriverbrossi.org>
• July 15-16 - Vintage Motorcycle Ride & Show, Yanke Motor
Museum, Boise, John, 208-249-1555, <treasurer@VJMC.org>
• July 20 - Ride For Life, three departure points in Coeur
d’Alene & Spokane: Lone Wolf HD, Lawrence’s Motorcycles
and Daley’s Cheap Shots, <www.rideforlifeidaho.net>
• July 26-28 - Pre-Sturgis Pit Stop, Orofino, ABATE of North
Idaho, 208-476-3630
• Aug. 1-4 - Rattlesnake Rampage Victory MC National Meet,
Lewistown, Red Lion, <thevmc.com/nationalmeet>
• Sept. 13-15 - Big Nasty Hill Climb, 35 miles NW of Boise,
208-573-4255, <bignasty@cableone.net>,
<bignastyhillclimb.com>
• Nov. 9 - Geico AMA EnduroCross, Nampa, 16200 N. Idaho
Center Blvd., 817-243-9515,
<endurocross@sourceinterlink.com>, <endurocross.com>
Montana
• All summer - Motorcycle racing, Billings, 3630 Old Blue
Creek Rd., 406-656-9960, <ridethebigsky@yahoo.com>,
<billingsmotorcycleclub.us>
• June 1 - Big Muddy MC Rally, Plentywood, 406-765-2810
• July 26-27 - State H.O.G., Great Falls, State Fairgrounds,
406-771-1167, <mtstatehogrally.com>,
<mtstaterally2013@hotmail.com>
• July 9-11 - 27th Annual Women on Wheels International
Ride-In, Billings, Billings Hotel and Convention Center,
1223 Mullowney Lane, <ridein@womenonwheels.org>
• July 19-21 - Beartooth Rally, Red Lodge, Bonedaddy,
406-446-2022, <beartoothrally.com>
• July 25-27 - District Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc.
convention, Polson, KwaTaqNuk Resort, Henry & Debby
Haagenson, 406-656-1827, <gwwra-mtdistrict.org>
• July 25-28 - Evel Knievel Days, Butte, 406-491-6065,
<www.eveldays.com>
• July 31-Aug. 4 - Testicle Festival, Rock Creek (Clinton),
406-825-4868, <testyfesty.com>, <mathiaspowers@yahoo.com>
• Aug. 15-18 - Beartooth Rendezvous BMW Rally,
Red Lodge, Lions Club Youth Camp, 406-445-2044,
406-651-4501, <registrar@beartoothbeemers.org>,
<bnaclement@aol.com>, <beartoothbeemers.org>
• Aug. 24 - Elk River Run, Fairview, Water Hole #3, Ellery
Ave., Pat Knaff, 406-742-5224, <pknaff@midrivers.com>
• Sept. 14 - MC Swap Meet, Missoula, Grizzly H-D,
5106 E. Harrier, 406-721-2154, <grizzlyhd.com>
South Dakota
• May 31 - June 2 - Wheel Jam, Huron, 890 3rd St. SW,
605-353-7340, <candi.hettinger@state.sd.us>
• May 31 - Sisseton Car & MC Show & Swap Meet, Sisseton,
610 Veterans Ave., 605-689-3401, <firefatherking@yahoo.com>
• June 13-15 - State Hog Rally, Spearfish, 605-549-5417,
<miwilliams@rap.midco.net>, <sdstatehogrally.com>
• July 12-14 - Hot Harley Nights, Sioux Falls, downtown,
2601 W. 60th St. No., 605-334-2721, <jl@jl-harley.com>,
<hotharleynights.com>
• Aug. 5-11 - Black Hills Motorcycle Rally and Races, Sturgis,
<sturgismotorcyclerally.com>
• Aug. 24 - Sizzlin’ Summer Nights Car & Bike Show,
Aberdeen, Main St., <events@aberdeendowntown.org>,
<aberdeendowntown.org>
Washington
• April 27-29 - NW Nitro Nationals Hillclimb, Yakima,
Jeff Snipes, 208-819-7508, <msnipes@roadrunner.com>,
<nwnitronationals.com>
• May 4-5 - Iron Horse Trail MC Show, Ellensburg, Faye,
509-925-5139, <treasurer@kittitasabate.org>, <kittitasabate.org>
• May 11 - 50 Calibers Hog Roast & Run, Kennewick,
Long Branch Bar & Grill, 230006 SR 379, Donald 509-947-1195, Jimmy - 801-819-4883, <dlanod1@charter.net>
• May 19 - Sky Valley MC Show, Snohomish, downtown,
360-568-7820, <bikeshow@skyvalleyabate.com>,
<skyvalleybikeshow.com>
• May 24-26 - Touchet River Outdoor Roundup, Waitsburg
Fairgrounds, (clean and sober event),
<headpig@snafubar.com>
• June 2 - Bikes, Bands & BBQ, Port Orchard, Mike Carroll,
360-801-6086, <momuddog@yahoo.com>
• June 20 - Hogs and Dogs, Richland, Bombing Range Sports
Complex, May Hays, 509-967-0521,
<westrichlandchamber.org>
• July 12-14 - Republic MC Rally, Republic, Terry Co.
Fairgrounds, Randy, 509-207-0709, 509-775-2000,
<info@republicrally.com>, <republicrally.com>
• July 12-14 - Wlidwood Rally, Rosburg, Deep River
Campground, 9 Wainamo, 360-484-7226,
<lenny@wwest.net>, <wildwoodrally.com>
• July 13 - Columbia MC Swap Meet, Vancouver, Columbia
H-D, 1314 NE 102nd St., Jason, 360-695-8831,
<jason@columbiahd.com>
• June 13-16 - ABATE of Washington Spring Opener, Easton,
Silver Ridge Ranch, 182 Silver Ranch Rd., 253-475-4944,
<coordinator@abate-wa.org>, <springopener.com/index.html>
• July 18-20 - Washington HOG Rally, Oak Harbor,
Vince Danner, 360-651-0681, <vodka7@wavecable.com>,
<wastatehogrally.com>
• July 20 - Ride For Life, three departure points in Coeur
d’Alene & Spokane: Lone Wolf H-D, Lawrence’s Motorcycles
and Daley’s Cheap Shots, <www.rideforlifeidaho.net>
• July 18-21 - Gold Wing Road Riders Assoc. convention,
Grandview, Yakima Valley Fairgrounds, Susie Hutchinson,
360-352-7813, <franknsusie@yahoo.com>, <gwrra-wa.org>
• July 25-28 - Sun and Surf Run, Ocean Shores,
206-953-7918, <sunandsurfevent.com>
• Aug. 16-18 - Tenino Antique & Classic MC Swap & Show,
Tenino, City Park, 360-264-4210,
<mikleandshaun@me.com>, <evergreenmca.org>
• Aug. 24 - The MEET at America’s Car Museum Vintage
Motorcycle Festival, Tacoma, Car Museum, 2702 E. D St.,
253-779-8490, <chantal.carrancho@lemaymuseum.org>,
<lemaymuseum.org>
• Sept. 8 - Puget Sound Ride For Kids, Carnation, Remlinger
Farms, 32610 NE 32nd St.,1-800-253-6530,
<pbtfus.org/rideforkids/events/2013/puget-sound>,
<pbtfus@pbtfus.org>
• Sept. 8 - Union Ride and Charity Rally, Suquamish,
Patrick Town, 206-406-8139, <pt@unionhomebenefit.com>,
<unionionhomebenefit.com>
• Sept. 22 - Oyster Run, Anacortes, 12th and Commercial,
360-435-9103, <oysterrun.org>, <info@oysterrun.org>
• Nov. 11 - Veterans Day parade, Oak Harbor, Pioneer
Way, Terry Lacey, 360-240-1125, <ohvetdayparade.com>,
<laceytdl@comcast.net>
2014
• March 14-16 - Inland NW MC Show, Spokane, Spokane
Co. Fair & Expos Center, Chris Cody, 509-220-4147,
<DelCreek@hotmail.com>, <spokanemotorcycleshow.com>
Wyoming
• April 27 - Vietnam Vets/Legacy Vets Annual Biker Ball,
Cheyenne, American Legion Post #6, 2001 E. Lincolnway,
Sluggo - 307- 421 -2506, Girth - 307-630-5185, Kap 307-421-3800, Limey - 307-635-9358, Bonecrusher 307-920-0900, <chaptere@bresnan.net, <vnvlvmc-wy.com>
• May 11 - Motorcycle Swap Meet, Cody, National Guard
Armory, 2926 Duggleby Dr., Cody A.B.A.T.E.,
812-890-3248, <codyabate@gmail.com>
• May 11 - Rally for Alex, Cheyenne, Legion, 2001 E.
Lincolnway, Mick Nagy, 307-631-0546,
<mrnagy75@hotmail.com>
• June 8 - 17th Cancer Fun Run, Cody, Cassie’s Supper Club,
Rick Brod, 307-587-9744, <flyman53@msn.com>
• July 11-13 - State Hog Rally, Thermopolis, 307-421-0067,
<ezeekeyes@bresnan.net>, <wystatehogrally.com>
• Aug. 1-2 - Ghost Town Rally, Casper, Best Western
Ramkota, Casper Chamber of Commerce, 307-234-5311,
<casperchamber.org>
• Aug. 24 - Elk Run, Cheyenne, High Country Motorsports,
3320 E. Lincolnway, Travis, 307-635-5691,
<elkrun660@gmail.com>, <travis.saner@gmail.com>
To have your event listed here for free, send the information to Dani Rollison at <nrrider2@gmail.com>. We only can list the days(s) and name of the event,
the city and location of the event, a contact person’s name, e-mail address, phone number or web address.

NRR May 2013 - Northern Rockies Rider

Transcription

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