Sooner or later, another motorcyclist will ask you if you’ve ridding “the other Dragon — the Back of the Dragon.” Exiting Interstate 81 in Marion, Virginia, The Back of the Dragon begins its 32-mile, 428-curve journey north to the motorcycle-friendly town of Tazewell. Officially known as Virginia Route 16, this popular motorcycling destination features all the challenges and … [Read more...] about Tazewell, Virginia: More than just the Back of the Dragon
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Notes from the road: Why do I keep doing this to myself?
I love my bike. I mean I really, really love my bike, but I also love to try different bikes. Recently, I’ve ridden four different bikes, a 1971 Norton Commando, a 1975 Norton Commando, a 2021 Zero SR/S, and a 2022 Zero SR. Well, it was the Zeros that got me in trouble. If you’re a huge fan of Harleys with the loudest Screaming Eagle pipes you can get, a Zero may not be the … [Read more...] about Notes from the road: Why do I keep doing this to myself?
Two roads diverged: West Virginia
Next to the small steel bridge spanning the Elk River in Webster Springs, West Virginia, I pulled over to wrestle with Robert Frost’s famous dilemma. The GPS unit insisted on turning north while my paper map tantalized me with an easterly dotted-green line, which symbolizes a scenic roadway. Both would get me to where I wanted to go. Being one traveler with the intent of … [Read more...] about Two roads diverged: West Virginia
Notes from the road: Guidestones gone after bombing attack
In the last issue, we featured a travel story on a popular riding destination, the Georgia Guidestones in northeast Georgia. A few weeks later, an unidentified person detonated a bomb against one of the four main pillars, shattering it into rubble. Authorities in Georgia deemed the controversial and mysterious monument to be unstable and quickly smashed the remaining stones … [Read more...] about Notes from the road: Guidestones gone after bombing attack
The eggsanity of it all: A thousand miles and several diners in 24 hours
As riders, we’e always aware of road surfaces: Dry? Oily? Cracked? Tar-snaked? Pot-holed? We make these determinations in milliseconds. We don’t ponder the nature of pavement, but I do — or, at least that’s what I’m doing as I stand on the southbound lane of Interstate 81. In the rain. Surrounded by massive 18-wheelers. For four hours. Most of my mototravels seek out … [Read more...] about The eggsanity of it all: A thousand miles and several diners in 24 hours
