Tilted Horizons

Nothin' to see here; move along please!

It's difficult to get photos of oneself in motion on a motorcycle. Below are some from the last few years, mostly shot by event or roadside photogs. You don't really need to see them; I just decided to catalog them in one place for future reference. Yeah, I know a couple are just me standing around...

This and the 2nd below were taken at nearly the exact spot 3 years apart.

Too much civilization; get me outta here!

T'was a slow news day obviously. Posted at my American Legion hall.

Photo by Rod Don

Don't distract me with your camera; I'm trying to not ride into that stream.

Can you can spot the error in this image?

Labels: ADVtouring, Americade, Commuting, Ephrata, Events, Rallying, Ride Reports, Ride-Ins, Sport-Touring, Touring, Vendors

Pro Hill Climb This Weekend!

This Sunday, June 7th AMA professional hill climb returns to the 300-foot hill at White Rose Motorcycle Club's facility near Jefferson, PA. I've attended this event a few times previously and I hope to make this one. If you've never watched a real hill climb, you should. It's one of the oldest forms of motorcycling competition, and also one of the toughest...and most basic: fastest to the top wins (or furthest, if the hill beats everyone). A couple of jumps on the way up make it even more interesting, particularly as the riders are usually on the very edge of control as they blast up. Those who crest the hill with momentum to spare take a final huge leap. The first rider launches at 12:30 PM, rain or shine. It's easy to plot a nice twisty, back road route to the event. More event info on the club's website.

Labels: Events, Hill Climb, News, Racing/Competition

Scottish Games tomorrow!

While not a motorcycle event per se, the 55th annual Scottish Games and Gathering of the Clans being held at the Fair Hill, Maryland Natural Resources Management Area tomorrow. It's a huge, unique one-day event that would be an excellent excuse (as if you needed one) to take a ride. Motorcycles usually are afforded a nice parking area, too. As 18th Century Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie is my great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side, I claim this tenuous Scottish heritage this one day each year. Among the attractions are the caber-toss, sheaf-toss, sheep dog demonstrations, marching band competitions, bagpipes galore, and of course more red-haired folks in one place than you're likely to see anywhere outside of Scotland itself. There will also be food and Scottish-product vendors, plus plenty of McEwan's Strong Ale, so take it easy if you're arriving on two wheels OK? See ya there!

Labels: Events, History, Non-M/C Events, Orgs

Mid-Week Ride Report

Wednesday seemed as good a day as any to ditch work in favor of a long day-ride through the Amish countryside. It was also the first day of my motorcycle club's annual rally HQ'd in Bird-In-Hand, PA, so I checked in there as well.

My famous map/nav skills took me down a gravelly road for a couple of miles.

Obligatory Pennsylvania covered bridge shot.

Labels: Events, Orgs, Retreads, Ride Reports, Sport-Touring, Touring

Vintage Trials this weekend!

This Sunday, vintage trials returns to the duPont family's Granogue estate outside of Wilmington, Delaware. This year, there is a viewing route available to spectators riding dual-sport or ADV bikes. Having been years since I've attended an observed trials event, I may have to shlep up there and have a look.

(Click to enlarge)

Labels: ADVtouring, Events, News, Racing/Competition, Trials, Vintage

2015 Motorcycle Shopping List

Wow; a bunch of awesome ideas for 2015 model-year motorcycles were debuted at Intermot 2014 in Cologne a couple of weeks ago. Below are the ones that are one, likely to make to US dealers, and two, are particularly interesting as possible replacements for my current bike.

Honda Crossrunner, a VFR 800 based strictly-street "ADV" bike.

Suzuki V-strom 650 XT, a somewhat more dirt-capable Wee; still a street bike really.

Revamped Kawasaki Versys 650, now with tidy luggage option

BMW R1200R replacement. Hope it has windscreen & luggage options.

Labels: ADVtouring, Commuting, Events, News, Sport-Touring, Touring

Philly & Balto Ride for Kids raises $149K

MOTORCYCLISTS CONTRIBUTE $149,000 TO HELP KIDS WITH BRAIN TUMORS


	Philadelphia Star Althea and her mom are ready to ride.

Ride for Kids motorcyclists in Maryland and Pennsylvania raised more than $149,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation on Sept. 14.
More than 300 riders attended the events in Ellicott City, Md., and Phoenixville, Pa., to honor our Stars, local children with brain tumors: Althea, Elizabeth, Emily, Gabriel, John, Maggie, Nick, Olivia, Paige, Ruxy and Yosef.
“Because of you all, we are finding inspiration which is leading to progress and hope,” Dr. Chetan Bettegowda of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine told the crowd. “There used to be dozens, now we have hundreds and thousands of people around the world working on research for pediatric brain tumors.”
Philadelphia Ride for Kids Star Emily is grateful that motorcyclists support this cause. “I have been fighting since I was 4 years old and I am okay now,” she said. “After 13 years I looked at my X-rays and there was no tumor. I am on the stage because people like you came out and cared about us."
Making life better for Ride for Kids Stars is the reason motorcyclists across the country ride for the PBTF, which funds medical research and family support programs to help eliminate the challenges of childhood brain tumors.
Read more about the rides here:
Baltimore-Washington
Philadelphia
The events are still collecting donations online at www.rideforkids.org. Fundraisers will receive incentive credit through Oct. 14.
ABOUT RIDE FOR KIDS
Ride for Kids is a national series of motorcycle charity events that raise awareness and funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the world's largest nonprofit funder of research into one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer. The Ride for Kids program also funds free educational resources and college scholarships for brain tumor survivors. More than 28,000 children in the United States are living with the diagnosis of a brain tumor, and 13 more cases are identified each day. American Honda is the presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids. Other national supporters include GEICO and Cycle World magazine. To ride with us to cure the kids, call 800-253-6530 or go to www.rideforkids.org.

Labels: Charity, Events, News, Orgs

Calendar Alert: AMA Hillclimb

September 21st sees the return of those hillclimb nutters to the AMA Class A National event at the White Rose Motorcycle Club's hill near Jefferson, PA. I've attended this event a few times and it's a great time. If you've never watched a real hillclimb, you should. It's one of the oldest forms of motorcycling competition, and also one of the toughest...and most basic: fastest to the top wins (or furthest, if the hill beats everyone). At the White Rose hill, riders hurl themselves against a 300-foot dirt hill; two jumps on the way up make it even more interesting. They may have also added a turn since I was last there. Anyone lucky and fast enough to cross the finish line with momentum to spare often takes a final giant leap over the crest, which can lead to moments like this one. Bikes range from converted MXers to purpose-built climbers powered by old British twins or late-model 4-cylinder screamers running either nitro or NO2. That the club can be reached via twisty backroads makes the event that much more fun! More event info on White Roses's site.

Labels: Events, Hill Climb, News, Off-Road, Orgs, Racing/Competition

Pics from Ephrata, September edition

Saturday was miserably hot, humid and stormy, but Sunday's weather for the monthly ride-in at the American Legion post in Ephrata, Pennsylvania was close to perfect. Here are a few of the bikes among the many hundreds that caught my eye.

Water buffalo in very good, unrestored condition.

Grimli would ride a Grom methinks.

Not sure, but may be ~1959 Valiant model. There may have been an engine shroud originally.

Check out the brake details on the new EBR

Nice street tracker; check out the headlights.

One of the original Japanese sport-tourers.

Ha!

Labels: Ephrata, Events, Ride Reports, Vintage

Ride Report: Union Hotel, Port Deposit, Maryland

Last Sunday I was invited to join three Americade friends to a ride-to-eat event at the Union Hotel and Tavern near the old Susquehanna River town of Port Deposit, Maryland. The hotel dates to the late 18th century, and has been a weekend favorite of local motorcyclists for years. I've ridden past the event many times but never stopped because it seemed too "biker" for my tastes. However, though 98% of the bikes there on Sunday were cruisers, the crowd was mellow and the staff very friendly. The blues band was excellent (though louder than a set of open pipes) and the BBQ was top-notch. Alcohol was sold, but so was a variety of beverages for those of us who need every brain cell when riding. Looks like I've found another RTE to add to the ol' ride calendar; it would also make a nice early afternoon rest stop on the way home from strafing some of my favorite roads in the PA/MD Susquehanna areas. Brunch is served beginning at noon Saturday and Sundays.

Labels: Americade, Eats, Events, History, Ride Reports, Ride-Ins, Union Hotel

How to Ruin a Perfectly Good Motorcycle Photo

Include me in it!

Photo by "Rodon" from the ST.N forums.

Labels: Ephrata, Events, Silly but fun

Cool motorcycles: Ephrata ride-in July 2014

July's ride-in event in Ephrata, PA was its typical self: motorcycles of every type, from ADVers to race bikes to rat bikes to vintage to the bizarre. Here's a tiny sampling of the thousand-odd bikes that grabbed my attention.(Click to enlarge.)