Adirondack Motorcycle Camping Trip

Armed with snacks, wallet, sunglasses and helmet, I was ready to tackle a long weekend vacation with my dad.  A father/daughter motorcycle trip to Paul Smith's College in the Adirondack Mountains of New York state.  The blue skies would seemingly go on forever, only ever disrupted by a rainstorm now and then.  Lakes speckled all through the region and dotting the topo maps we really didn't even need to carry.  A hike up St. Regis Mountain and a canoe paddle in Lower St. Regis Lake are all you really need to reset and unwind.  

We logged nearly 850 miles on the Harley Davidson bikes we rode.  My dad brought along his Ultra Classic and I rented a Dynaglide since my 400 Yamaha was not in perfect shape.  The Dynaglide was actually a great bike with a ton of power.  The windshield had to go after the first 200mi, so we strapped it onto my dad's bike as to not limit my "coolness factor."  

We drank a lot of crappy beer (i.e. Molson and Labatt), but it was still great.  I caught a fish and reeled in even more sea weed.  It's some of the most pristine nature you could ever imagine.  A world that you find hard to believe is only a 7 hour drive from Philly.  Long, but worth it.  The longer the better when you have the wind in your face and two wheels on the ground.  Ride on

For more pictures...

Vintage BMW Motorcycle and Sidecar

Normally I'm not very impressed by BMWs.  As a non-owner, and judging from looks alone, they are surely work horses but lose me in aesthetics.  Though I should note that the GS series of dual purpose off-road/on-road motorbikes leave me a little lusty, old vintage BMW bikes not so much.  That is, until I saw this rig parked near my house this past weekend.  A sidecar does a lot for this bike, it's appeal, its grandeur.  I'm infatuated.  

Bill's Old Bike Barn, Bloomsburg PA

Notice the leather waist belt.  This was worn because the old rigid frames didn't offer much support.  

 Kleines Kettenkraftrad HK 101 

Harley Topper

Billville

We hopped in the car Saturday and drove about an hour to Bloomsburg, PA.  On the way, we jumped out of the car to see the Forestry service stocking Lackawanna State park with trout.  Each family would walk up and grab a bucket to release into the stream.  We hurried on our way since Bill's Old Bike Barn was only open for a limited time on Saturdays.

The outside looked like a hoarders paradise, motorcycle parts strewn about, some shaped into fun garden creatures and re-purposed into bird feeders.  I was skeptical about the inside.  Well, inside it was pristine, neatly organized and overwhelming.  For a 5 buck fee, you could walk around at your leisure and get lost in the expansive collections of motorcycles, car parts, posters, fishing memorabilia, taxidermy animals (bull moose and more) and a whole town recreated to look like Downtown Berwick.  Complete with the hold bar from Berwick Hotel.

Every bike in the warehouse ran when it was parked in the facility about 10 years ago.  Old Indian bikes with side cars, Moto Guzzi, Harley Davidson, Rolls Royce, Triumph, Puch, Garelli, you name it, it was in there.  A neat section in the back had old Harley engines cut away at various sections so you can see how the pistons would fire and how each part worked together.  Also, there were tons of bikes with old Carbine lamps and neat gadgets you don't see nowadays.  I'll have some film coming in the next few weeks with couple of cool WWII German BMW bikes inside too.  If you ever pass through the area, take an hour (at least) and see the place.

Aether Skyline Motorcycle Jacket

Spring is around the corner and with that, Aether added the Skyline Motorcycle Jacket to their inventory.  This mild-temp jacket offers sealed seams, waterproof material,  and "highly abrasion resistant Field Nylon shell." "On the interior, the jacket has a breathable mesh lining with integrated compartments for protective padding."

Four color options and a lot of features. Unfortunately this would set you back a cool $650.  On the upside, this jacket features their D30 pad system that can be added or removed for safety.  The sleeves look a little short on the model I wonder if this has been an issue with anyone out there?

On Any Sunday

Film Title : On Any Sunday

Starring : Steve McQueen, Malcolm Smith, Mert Lawwill, Bruce Brown

Directed by : Bruce Brown

A documentary that changed America's perspective on motorcycle racers and enthusiasts alike. 

Take a look at the bike after the jump...Read here about how McQueen popularized the Husqvarna and brought motocross to center stage. 

Motorcycle Mondays: Iron & Resin

100 miles on highway 1 in California on vintage motorcycles.  Check out the group over at Iron & Resin for your dose of Motorcycle Mondays.  I would highly suggest following some of the links on their blog to get pumped for your own adventure.  Definite day killer (in a really good way) so click wisely.  I just want to read about motorcycle adventures this week!

NEPA by Motorcyle

The plan was made the evening before as we all sat on the back porch catching up.  We would be off at 8AM on Saturday and ride all day until 2:30PM and see how far we could get.  Since I've been having problems with my rear caliper seizing on my bike, I opted instead to ride my dad's other bike.  The Harley softail is about twice as heavy as I'm used to.  The handlebar position is not ideal for a lady with short arms, but it's pretty tough looking, right?



We took a right at the bottom of the hollow down the road from my dad's house and made our way towards Nicholson, PA.  The sleepy town laying beneath the bridge is already awake, fresh and ready to take on the Saturday.  We stop to get gas and give everything a second glance before really getting into the ride.

After about an hour of being in the sun and the day warming up we had to break and take off our jackets.  Stopping under a bridge, we packed the leather into the touring bike before continuing on.

We stopped in a dusty town called Clifford to check out a seemingly abandoned building that used to be a car dealership.  There were some pretty cool vintage cars, bikes and snowmobiles inside.  This Trail-Breaker bike never really caught on back in the '60s, but my dad told us about his neighbor when he was a kid that had one.  I couldn't imagine handling something like that, imagine the torque on the front wheel.

We continued on through windy mountain roads and over the crests of the mountains.  Stopping through the one streetlight in some towns, Hop Bottom and other funny sounding places that actually exist.  Big cumulous clouds decorated the blue sky, so vibrant that it almost seemed unreal. 

We found this motocross track 20 mi. outside of Carbondale.  It was built on the side of the mountain and had some pretty fast riders out doing tricks and wheelies.  My dad tried explaining the physics behind specific moves.

All of this coming from the man that built one very steep ramp for his lawnmower into his truck.  It didn't end well.  The ramp won and the lawnmower ended up face down on top of him.  A story for another day.

He did make sure to remind me again and again all of the rules of riding a bike.  "Look through the turn," he would say and adding "always search ahead for an escape plan."  You really do have to be very vigilant and on your toes.

About when we hit the Carbondale Highway up on the side of the mountain (wind gusting, tractor trailer trucks blowing me around) I envied my dad's bike accessories we teased him about.  The windshield and java holder would've been so nice.  We stopped in Olyphant to grab a bite to eat.  Then headed to the little town of Jermyn, PA.

After this we meandered our way back to Tunkhannock, PA and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.  Even with sunburned wrists and the stinging memory of bugs hitting my face, I still smile when I think about how nice that ride was.

Motorcycle Mondays: 1977 Yamaha XS400D

 1977 Yamaha XS400D

I've been browsing the web for stock pipes for the motorcycle I bought last year.  It's fun to read about other people's experiences with their bikes and adventures.  Mine still has some kinks to work out, like a rear brake caliper that locks after 5 minutes of riding and a cylinder that cuts out.  For $500 bucks, I'd say the hassle is worth it.  This machine has barely a scratch and was kept in a garage for years. 

I'm most excited about exploring back roads and seeing the world in a different way.  For now, until the kinks are worked out, I'll live vicariously through those that share their experiences like the one below.  It's especially poetic near the end (so keep reading even if you aren't into motorcycles).  I think it will give you that extra nudge to go out and do things you love to do and experience the world in a new way.

From YamahaClub:

Posted 05 August 2009 - 03:46 PM

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Just found your forum here.  I've been around the block a little with mine, and I may have some insight.

1977 Yamaha XS400D 32-year, 90,000 mile test

It was my first bike.  They said in the magazines to keep your first bike, that you would regret not having it, so I kept it.  It has always been my primary bike since I bought it in 1991, running mostly city commuter duty, as it was designed to do.   It has been as far west as Gillette, Wyoming, and as far south as Raleigh, NC, and as far east as Boston.  It has seen 500-mile days.
I ride it rain or shine, and down to 15 degrees, beyond which it will not start.  I have ridden it on snow, dirt, gravel and sleet.  I have carried up to two passengers, and up to 3 60-lb. bags of concrete.  I have maintained it myself the whole time.  I have personally sat on it for 80,000 miles. And now I am going to offer you my considered opinion of this particular machine.

I rode mine home in October 1991 with 10200 miles on the clock, for $300.  By $450 total, it was shod in new tires, and had a rack from JC Whitney.

The generic description:  Parallel twin of 398cc, four-stroke, air-cooled, two valves per cylinder, kick/electric start, 6-speed, single discs front and rear with single-piston sliding calipers, battery and point ignition with one point per cylinder, 180 degree firing angle, chain drive, suspension adjustable by shim and oil in front, preload only in rear, around 4” of travel front and rear, steel frame cradles engine, single downtube.

I would hesitate to call this bike a prima-donna, or unreliable.  In fact it has, on several occasions, been the only bike in my stable that had what it took to go on a voyage, while other bigger, better-suited bikes were inoperable or could not be counted on.  But it is quite high-maintenance by modern standards, and the attention it requires under heavy use is too much for anybody but a person who is happy to make lots of time for tinkering. 

If you need to learn about how motorcycles work, and are prepared to put in the time, the XS400 will respond well to your efforts.  It will reward you with a reliable, torquey ride that is great around town, and can head out on the two-lanes without trouble.   It will give you fuel economy around 50MPG, which is better than most, but exceeded by the Kawasaki KZ400 of 1979, and Suzuki GS500 twins, Kawasaki KLR650’s, and Ninja 250’s, all of which have more power.

How do I feel about the Yamaha XS400D?

I bought it because it was simple and easy to understand and fix.  After all this time, I know every washer on the bike.  I have already fixed every problem twice or more.  This lends a sense of security out on the road that is hard to describe.  I may need to get my hands dirty to successfully return from a long trip, but between me and the bike, we are hard to stop.  It’s nice to feel needed and involved, and it’s nice to know that my efforts will be enough.Also, as rusty and scratched up and unglamorous and wimpy and ungraceful as it may be, the lack of any particularly attractive traits in the bike seems to remind me of why I love riding so much.  Absent anything attractive about the bike, I am left with only the basics to enjoy.  I get on.   I pull out the enrichener.  Two kicks, and it spins up.  A sense of gratitude and excitement comes to me, understanding that this rusty piece of shit is once again about to deliver me one of the most joyful and miraculous experiences I have ever had, just like it has for 18 years.  I turn the throttle gingerly and wait for it to clear its throat, push the enrichener back in, wait again for it to smooth out, flip it into first, and go.  I feel the bike pull lumpily and unpretentiously away, and the world starts to move.

Some of my favorite blessings once again manifest in my life.  I get to use and control all this found energy, the product of countless earlier beings living, collecting energy, and leaving it behind for me.  One big twist of the wrist and more calories than my body could ever burn at once are at my beck and call, pulling me through the air, through the trees, through the traffic.  Who knew a guy would be able to just buy 20 pounds of liquid energy and zoom away at unnatural speeds, to go anywhere?  I could be so many places, so soon.  I could be alone with trees.  I could be laughing with friends.  I could be hugging my sweetie.  It’s up to me.

On my feet I am clumsy and slow.  But my little bike and I, we can dance, and if you saw us, you would see the grace of many, many miles and years together shining, rather than nice paint and chrome.   The joys of freedom and motion taste fine served raw.

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