The entrance to R.J. Crumpler’s unassuming bike garage sits nestled behind a typical family home in Durham, North Carolina. Once you enter the garage code and open the doors, you’ll find a beaming handmade bike shop filled with a ’74 Honda CB 550, a Harley Sportster, softail springers and ironhead choppers. Wearing ripped grey jeans and an old denim vest adorned with patches … [Read more...] about Building Memories: Crumpler pursues his passion for old-school choppers
Rediscovering bloody Matewan: The Back of the Dragon leads back into history
I took my Honda NC750X on one of my favorite routes from my home in Blacksburg, Virginia, sampling the roads, valleys and mountains that make my area such a motorcycling mecca. Westward from the dramatic Narrows of the New River, I rode the sweeping turns of scenic Route 61 to Rocky Gap and then Tazewell, northern terminus of the section of Route 16 now known as the Back of the … [Read more...] about Rediscovering bloody Matewan: The Back of the Dragon leads back into history
Tiny Bikes, Big Adventures: Taking a van packed with little motorcycles into the wild
I used to think 650cc and a single cylinder was all you needed. Now I’m sure the answer is 100cc. Maybe even 70cc .... Recently we threw some tiny bikes in the van and headed for the southern edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our weapons of choice were a 1971 Honda CB100 and a 1981 Honda C70 Passport. While they may be small, they’re also slow! We weren’t in search of … [Read more...] about Tiny Bikes, Big Adventures: Taking a van packed with little motorcycles into the wild
Over the hills and far away: East Tennessee’s Bobarosa Saloon
Leaving Newport, Tennessee, U.S. 25 quickly transitions from residential neighborhoods to rural countryside. And just as the road crosses the mighty French Broad River, curving to the right, the ancient Great Smoky Mountains come into view — looming large and stoic above those passing through. By the next bend, a sign for the Bobarosa Saloon appears. Gazing down onto the … [Read more...] about Over the hills and far away: East Tennessee’s Bobarosa Saloon
Hidden Japanese Treasure: There’s more than one incredible collection of motorcycles in Maggie Valley
One of the things that keeps people coming back to North Carolina’s motorcycle mecca Maggie Valley is the sense of mystery that seems to underlie much of the Smokies – what’s around that next bend, or over that next hill. But sometimes, it’s those nondescript buildings on the sides of the road that hold the true mountain magic. In one such structure, barely noticeable from … [Read more...] about Hidden Japanese Treasure: There’s more than one incredible collection of motorcycles in Maggie Valley
