Blue Ridge Motorcycling Magazine

from the editor

Notes from the road: Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride returns this spring

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For one day each year, a determined group of motorcycle riders cinch up their neckties and join their fellow enthusiasts for a worldwide benefit ride. Hordes of motorcyclists — both men and women — wearing suits and formal wear take to the roads in the annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride.  The event, normally held in September but now scheduled for May 22, brings together … [Read more...] about Notes from the road: Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride returns this spring

Notes from the road: Winter dreams can be found in your favorite jacket

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Daylight fades quickly this time of year, making my evening motorcycle commute a dark and chilly one. My Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 seems to like this season, with the denser cold air giving the parallel twin a bit of extra responsiveness to the throttle. This winter, it will be two years since I purchased the little café racer. The odometer shows 12,000-plus miles, and … [Read more...] about Notes from the road: Winter dreams can be found in your favorite jacket

Notes from the road: Get dapper and ride for a cause

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After a very long year of event cancellations and COVID restrictions, the summer riding returns along with larger motorcycle gatherings, rides and rallies. One of my favorite charity rides returns this May — The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. The DGR looks like no other charity ride. Participants are encouraged to dress up and look dapper in suits, ties and other formal … [Read more...] about Notes from the road: Get dapper and ride for a cause

Notes from the Road

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I’ve come to appreciate the surprised looks on people’s faces when I tell them my Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 isn’t a vintage British bike. The funniest reaction was when an admirer at a gas station yelled, “They don’t make them like that anymore,” to which I replied: “Yes, they do! It’s a brand new bike.” Earlier this year, I celebrated one year of ownership just as I … [Read more...] about Notes from the Road

Respect the bike, respect the road and relax

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The darkness sweeps beside me, broken only by the single headlamp and the glow from the gauge cluster. Traffic disappears and the Royal Enfield Continental GT 650 seems a bit more eager thanks to the cool night air it’s inhaling. Sometimes I become so accustomed to the sensation of riding a motorcycle I fail to take a moment to enjoy it, especially when you ride nearly every … [Read more...] about Respect the bike, respect the road and relax