Guy
Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages
Adventures in Sport
Touring with the Honda ST 1100, 1300 and the BMW 1200RT
Exploring North America...One Road
at a Time
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Guy
Boutin's Motorcycle Touring and Travel Pages
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Fall in the American East- there is no place like it, I am drawn to it every year. When I see the migratory flocks flying south, I know its time for me to ride north. Few southerners truly understand the change of seasons. In the American South, fall means just one thing- football. The trees in my homeland are mostly evergreens, and the hardwoods in the forests of Alabama do not know they are suppose to turn brilliant yellow or a glowing red. In October the temps here are still in the 80s, so they cling to their green leaves till they only turn brown and fall away. But in the Ohio Valley, Mid Atlantic, and New England, the leaves know what to do. Each year they paint the landscape in a shining display of color and majesty, but a Long Rider's timing must be good to catch them at peak. The plan for this tour mimicked that of years past- go to West Virginia with the trees near peak, then move on north and snag peak season, and hopefully by the time I arrive in the Blue Ridge further south, peak color will be in bloom. Past experiences taught me Columbus Day Weekend, is at, or near peak in New England, so I planned my ride accordingly. My timing was good, the landscape was beautiful and vibrant, due to the cool, wet summer the north experienced this year, the leaves were extra colorful. It was breathtaking, and the riding was just as good. My route took me due north through Tennessee, West Virginia, and Ohio, before turning east for Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. This tour found me negotiating some of the most treacherous roads imaginable. The twisty backroads of West Virginia and southern Ohio were fraught with dangers. This area of the country was fresh off severe flooding caused by 3 hurricanes dying out over the Appalachians, dropping huge volumes of rain for days at a time. Water flowed down the mountains causing the normally tiny creeks in the valleys to swell into mighty rivers, pouring over the bridges and roads that line the lowlands. These highways are challenging in perfect conditions, so the extra pea gravel, dried and caked mud, fallen tree branches, and assorted other debris made things even more hair raising. Any mistake reading the road surface carried a heavy price. The following pages will have all the details about how I successfully conquered such minefields. After day 1, and until the last day, the temp never went beyond the low 60s, and in that span, I had one string of 5 days where it never reached 50. I had more than a few chilly morning rides. But for every gravel strewn curve, I had 2 smooth, and as far as the temps went, it just made it feel like fall. Several roads from this tour will find their way on the favorite roads pages. As is my custom, I closed the tour out with a couple of days in the Blue Ridge, riding and socializing with my brother riders. It was great. This tour also cemented the 1300 as my special bike, we are now fully bonded. It can cruise like a starship on the freeways, and can be heeled over at great angles in the mountains. The 13's superior wind protection was downright essential on chilly New York and New England mornings. The brakes are some of the best in the business, and the anti dive technology came in handy carving the turns in the Blue Ridge. It is truly a great bike. The bike ran and performed flawlessly, just as my 1100 has for 95k miles. I have a passionate love affair going with the 1300. For what I do, there can be no better bike. The 2 piece Roadcrafter was also broken in on this tour, and I can't say enough about it. I love it. The versatility and protection offered by the unit is most impressive. If you love sport touring, I strongly suggest it, a quality piece of equipment. The tour found me in the following ranges of the Appalachians- The Berkshires, Blue Ridge, Smokys, Allegheny, Catskills, Shenandoah, and the Poconos. All were loaded with great color and scenery. The ride contained in the following pages, have no mega mile days. Traveling the back country of the American east is not conducive to such riding, in fact its not even possible to log 500 mile days on New England backroads. So if you are interested in long 1200 mile days in the saddle on some bleak interstate, then you will be disappointed, but if you want to get a feel for the East Coast and what life is like in the hills of the Appalachians then this ride is for you. I experienced the East's most spectacular and challenging roads, surrounded by a blaze of fall color. The kind of ride that supports a lifetime of memories. The small villages and townships of the area offered many opportunities to meet, and interact with the locals. It was a lot of fun. Now its time for you to be a part of this beautiful and special ride, in fact you can have the point, I'll just follow. Guy
Day 2- Riding and leaning in West Virginia Day 3- Challenging riding in Southeast Ohio Day 4- The ride through Northern Pa. Day 5- Touring the Hudson Valley, the Berkshires, and turning south Day 6- Covered bridge in Ct. and Philadelphia Day 8- South to the mountains. Day 9- Deals Gap ride, and the Smoky Mountains Day 10- Spending the day in the NC hills. Steaks at the Iron Horse Day 11- The annual ride home from the Blue Ridge
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