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T.R.O.G. 2021

Not just another day at the beach

Two years of pent up demand for vintage American iron racing on the fine, soft-white sands of Wildwood, NJ, was enough to bring out a larger-than-usual crowd to the 2021 edition of The Race Of Gentlemen.

Covid concerns aside, we entered this year's event not by treking on the renowned extra-wide beach - as usual - but via Morey's Pier, packed with amusement rides, kids, games of chance and the smell of fried everything. A heads up would have saved event goers a quarter-mile schlep through the sand. Oh, and a cash-only admission notice would have been helpful. It's Oktoberfest at Morey's, and the beer garden, waning Weimar Republic oom-pah music (with musicians in lederhosen, natch), and a sea of T.R.O.G. revelers in ubiquitous black T-shirts had me wondering if I should be dancing or marching.

Enough with the complaints. Combining two things I like - vintage cars and motorcycles and the beach, is a formula for fun. Doesn't work that way with everything (think sour pickles and any flavor of Haagen-Dazs).

For those of a certain age who are still vertical, Bobby Rydell was performing Saturday at Fox Park south of Morey's.

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Giovanni's BMW R80ST

Friday lunch at the 9W Market in Palisades, NY, never disappoints drawing in a cool motorcycle or two. Yesterday was no exception, as Giovanni rolled in on this custom 1984 BMW R80ST -- one of only a thousand brought to these shores, according to its owner.

Giovanni did the work himself. Features include the dual underseat mufflers, Harrison front disc brake conversion, Motogadget instrument and Rizoma bar-end LED turn signals.

Very clean indeed. BMW would probably do well selling something like this in their showrooms. To paraphrase the great orange-haired one, "BMW -- if you're listening..."

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Short, Sweet and Heavenly Riding New York's Rockland County Road 5 on a Vitpilen I was surprised that so many motorcyclists in the NY/NJ Metro area are not familiar with this downstate New York road. It shadows the more popular US 9W but rises way above it along the Palisades Cliffs. Great as an alternate route between the hamlet of Sparkill and South Nyack to the north. A wonderful choice when you're aboard a bike like a 2020 Husqvarna 701 Vitpilen.

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It's Spring! (Where are All the Riders?) This April here in the Garden State, riding and trout fishing season opened on the same day (the former by my decree and the latter by the authority of New Jersey Fish & Wildlife). While the anglers were busy angling, for the most part the riders were not "ridling." "It's too cold!" Hot Dog Donna yelped through my Sena headset. When is 60F too cold when slamming sausage is waiting to be angled (?) at the Lumberville General Store in Pennsylvania? 100 miles in the saddle for breakfast under a harsh, low April sun — well worth it. Music: The V-Factor by The Vara-Tones

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Fall Car Show and a Four Fork Restaurant Riding to and through Lambertville, New Jersey Fall has arrived here in the northeast and that means only one thing; pumpkin spice everywhere! And car shows. Lots of car shows. Me (2019 Kawasaki W800 Cafe) and my buddy Dale (2021 BMW R nineT) ventured southwest from Bergen County to the greater Lambertville, NJ, area for the Flemington Speedway Historical Society 13th Annual Car Show (whew!) Dale was on a mission to see if a 1951 Ford F1 pickup he had sold to an area local earlier in the year could possibly (hopefully) be on display at the show (seller's remorse, perhaps?) I just needed a good ride in familiar territory and some good food. I was rewarded with both.

Music: Duke of Clyde Gets a Ride by the Glasgow Tiki Shakers

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The Joy of Sussex A county with old quaint towns and general stores, like this one I'm a sucker for old general stores in small towns. There's nothing like the pleasure of riding old farm country roads and then by fortune happening upon a general store right about the time your butt and stomach announce their demands. The George D. Garris General Store on Main St. (of course) in Stillwater Township, New Jersey, is full-blown quaint, though you'll have to look elsewhere for something to eat. It still serves as a post office complete with friendly post master, so you're free to enter its doors and browse. When in town check out the Old Stillwater Garage and the historic Casper and Abraham Shafer Grist Mill. Music: "Fine and Dandy," and "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm" performed by Art Tatum.

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Motorcycling to places that time forgot In my motorcycle travels over the last nine or so years, I've documented my rides with an extensive collection of photographs and videos. Reflecting on those images it's obvious I'm drawn to places that are lost in time. If you replaced the colors with monochrome they can be passed off as vintage, plucked from a crumbling photo album or lifted from decaying 16mm film. So that's what I did here. Most of my riding is solo, either by choice, default, or — as seen here — through Photoshop. This short video reflects that solitude while covering four states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. But mostly New Jersey. The Lower Delaware River Valley has evolved into a favorite destination. My mind and spirit change while rolling through the valley's gentle hills and dusty farm country roads. My skin feels different. (And traveling solo allows me a guilty pleasure; singing in my helmet. Bluetooth communicators can add to the enjoyment on small group outings, but crooning a James Taylor tune ensconced in my Bell has its cherished place in my psyche). Thankfully I don't record myself singing, so enjoy "Beyond The Blue" by The Vara-Tones.

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Storm King Highway

One of the most popular and spectacular motorcycle routes in the Lower Hudson Valley. Stunning views of the river and light traffic (on week

Storm King Highway, Orange County, New York A Motorcyclist "Must Ride" Hard to believe this is the first time I've shared this amazing motorcycling route on social media. It's very popular here in the New York Metro area -- perhaps too popular on weekends. So our small group of riders was able to enjoy it on a lazy Thursday in August. Taking great photos here is easy and it's nearly impossible not to, so snap away. We continued on to Perrine's Covered Bridge in New Paltz but "they" must have gotten wind of it, blocking our feeble attempt to ride through the historic bridge.