New England Sport Touring

Eat well, because breakfast isn’t until the morning! As I pulled into the Stone Cow Brewery at 4pm on a hot and steamy Sunday afternoon I could see a small trailer parked way up on a hill past the cool barn that had smoke Bellowing out from inside the big bbq pits. I called Phil the guy who was in charge of setting up the harvest host travelers. “See the dirt road near the bulldozer” he says, “drive up that road towards the big hay barn. The big field on top of that hill is all yours..enjoy” then hangs up before I have the chance to say thank you or…

“….because one is always nearer by not keeping still..” My plan was pretty simple, I was going to ride off on two wheels watching the setting sun behind me in my mirrors. Capturing moments thru my face shield of my helmet, writing about all my experiences with the twist of my wrist! Ride into small towns I’ve never heard of but only seen on maps. Maybe kiss a few strange girls along the way. Hoping to find my last 1st kiss. I won’t think about the nexts days path until I find myself on it. Ending each day in a new physical location but in the same place in my…

I took this photo 2 years ago today, I like to call it the dancing girl tree. It’s one of my favorites photos from my motorcycle rides I’ve taken. If you look closely, or better yet let your focus go, use some of your imagination and you might see Jennifer Grey being lifted by Patrick Swayze in the movie Dirty Dancing . You’ll find this tree along the Trans Mass Trail, a fantastic route put together by Keith (Hulked up) a motorcyclist from Greeenfield Mass. It’s a collection of dirt roads strung together starting in Greenfield ending just over the CT line in the town of Norfolk. You can google…

Taking no risk is the biggest risk! Riding down this lonely back road in Western MA, a road I’ve been on a thousand times but in some way for the very 1st time on this day.  I came across this little pond with a small bench, just inviting strangers to sit for a minute and enjoy the view. There were no houses around, no small summer camps that seem to belong to this one small spot.  However, someone placed this bench here and I’m pleased they did.  See it was early spring of 2021.  I was riding down this road heading for a quick little get away by myself.  Just…

One of my favorite authors is Peter Egan, His style of writing invites you to join him in his journeys. He writes in a column style, or short story style. In one he wrote..” there is real romance in motorcycling, and its always recognized by a certain type of individual who values adventure above security and comfort. Luckily, every generation seems to produce a surprising number of these people “ Its in the spirit of that romance that I usually find myself flipping thru the pages of one of my paper maps wondering what is out there. Or reading a story of an adventure someone did and finding a map…

I’ve always been a lover of performance motorcycles. It was hard for me to understand the whole beauty before function idea. However I never judged or had issue with what other people got out of their two wheeled passions, just wasn’t my thing.   I saw beauty in gold Ohlins suspension. Or carbon fiber bodywork. When Yamaha came out with the 5 valve genesis motor, or Honda with the trick oval piston NR750 things like that is what stirred my passion with motorcycles. When café racers started to replace the choppers i was so excited. Let’s reduce weight , increase performance make them handle well and yes, they can make…

The many lives of a cup of coffee Why does coffee taste different in different environments, Or does it? To me there are many ways to enjoy the 2nd most popular beverage in the world. It fits nicely between tea and beer. How many times have you said “ let’s stop for a cup of coffee” or made plans to meet someone “ for a cup of Joe?” Let’s face it we Americans drink more Java then any other country in the world, and you know why? It taste damn good! Even better when your one two wheels ! Trust me it does. There is something special about stopping for…

The idea is to die young as late as possible. Several years ago I was taking pictures of my yellow duck in a field near the center of Lincoln MA. I was taking pictures of my yellow Ducati in a field near the center of Lincoln Massachusetts The bike was way up on a small hill, and I was 200 yds away near the road snapping photos. I heard a car stop behind me, and when I turned around and looked this older gentleman was snapping photos of me. I thought maybe he was a town official, or retired Police officer, and he was going to inform me I shouldn’t…

Before I die A few years back someone painted the side of an Abandoned building in New Orleans with those three simple words leaving a space for people who happen to wander by to fill in the blank. Since then, other Installations of this art project sprung up all over the world.    Some of the most common things people have put on the wall deal with love, with travel and peace for the world.  Some people have put very personal messages up like…” before I die, I want to right all my wrongs” or “before I die, I want to come out of the closet to my family” or “before I die, I want to heal from my…

We’ve all been here haven’t we? Maybe not this exact spot (this is just outside of Reading PA) but you’ve been here, I know you have! Couple hundred miles into a couple hundred mile ride, late in the day, on a country back road. A road you’ve never been on, or maybe a road you know like the back of your hand. Either way you approach a corner and what you see is more then just a curve with yellow flowers, but you experience it. Something that doesn’t happen in a car, only on two wheels. It doesn’t matter if you’re on a Ducati or any other brand or style.…