New England Sport Touring

How the king broke my heart! And why I became such a huge Freddie Spencer fan. So it was 1984, I was just a young kid riding my very 1st motorcycle around the back roads of Massachusetts. I would go into my local moto dealer and drool over the new bikes, this was the dawn of the true sport bike age. Sky cycle was my heaven back then. Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha is how they got the name SKY cycle. I would go in and collect all the brochures of GPZ’s, FJ’s and GS’s sit on them when I had the chance and read the local road racing newspapers they…

I want to get lost in the middle! “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” B. Franklin That’s a pretty powerful quote isn’t it? Especially in times like these, our elected officials (they work for us you know, don’t forget that!) are increasingly taking away the very thing our Fore fathers fought so hard for, our liberties! I’m sure like most everything else that is said on the interwebs these days you can find many different interpretations of a quote like what Mr., Franklin said about essential liberty. Well, I’m here to share one more less common quote from…

I like old maps, the smell of coffee and flashy helmets. Yeah I’m not like most people, I get that. I look at life differently then most, normal to some completely wacked to others. I think I have always seen the romance in life, and how to live it. I think that’s a common thread for us motorcyclists. Maybe not all two wheeled rides, because some see motorcycles as a tool while others like me see it more as a passion, a way of life. When did it start? Well for me later then some, I was a freshman in HS when I got my first bike. It wasn’t a…

You can’t go home again Or can you? I’m hear to say of course you can, and it’s something you should do again and again. It doesn’t have to be an actual physical location you go home to but also a mindset, a feeling in your heart and peaceful place in your mind. I just went home again today. It was a mountain road that crosses into the state of New York. Funny thing is I’ve never lived in NY or anywhere near this beautiful twisty road but Oh yes I was home again. See it was the summer of 86, I was just a young 19 year old kid…

Passionate people ride red bikes?   Do you think that’s true, do they ride other color bikes too? Let me ask you, when you think of red motorcycles do you think of one brand? Ducati, moto Guzzi or Honda? I was chatting with my good friend Rich Grant one morning about motorcycles, motorcycle racers and brands of bikes. The moto Guzzi v11 Le Mans came up. A bike I would love to own someday, but surprisingly not the red one, but the ultra sexy silver and Green version. I described the bike as a typical Italian motorcycle a little heavy, slow and sometimes unreliable. However stunningly beautiful, refined and full…

Western Mass Journey As you turn left onto Route 66 and head west you will find yourself crossing into the little town of Westhampton. Now we’re not on “that” Route 66 or in the famous Hamptons of Long Island, but instead we are traveling through a little section of Western MA. Route 66 travels between the towns of Northampton and Huntington, it will bring you west to route 112. It’s not a long road, maybe all of 20 miles or less however it’s a beautiful road to travel. Rolling New England hills quickly come into view when you reach about a 1/3 of the way into your ride. Just a…

Yeah I know, Im in the middle of my 4 day Maine trip report, it should be finished by Sunday night.  But I gotta tell ya all about Friday’s ride.  It was a blast! I left WB at 6:45 am.  Roads were wet, temps were cool, but the duck is hot! I had to get to Hartford by 9am,  normally it takes just about 1 hr via highway, but I had just a hair longer than 2 to make the ride.  Back roads thru Holden, Paxton, Spencer and Sturbridge got me to the CT line.  I haven’t been on New City rd yet this year, and its such a fun little road. …