Jan/Feb '05 - RoadRUNNER

RoadRUNNER

Jan/Feb '05

January/February 2005

Crossing the Delaware

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Crossing the Delaware

The Delaware River was treacherous with ice on Christmas night 1776 when General George Washington led 2,500 Continental Army soldiers across in small boats during a snowstorm. A bold and dangerous mission, but one that quickly led to a stunning victory over the British and Hessian soldiers occupying Trenton,

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Alaska

Tired, I stumbled into the airplane. Heading for Seattle on a BMW K 1200 GT, I had left Spokane at five o'clock in the morning. Four hours later, I spotted the city skyline, made for the airport and eventually fell into my seat totally worn out. Only a

High-Country Idaho

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

High-Country Idaho

One of the most absurd advertising taglines ever conceived to appear on a license plate has to be the one chosen for the drivers in Idaho: "Famous Potatoes." Arguably, the Gem State contains the highest concentration of eye-popping scenery in the US, with its soaring, snowy mountains, plunging

Egypt: Eventually, All Roads Lead to Egypt

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Egypt: Eventually, All Roads Lead to Egypt

Our ridiculous predicament in Ras Ajdir, the small border post between Tunisia and Libya, began three days ago. The slow emigration procedures on the Tunisian side of the border had taken ages and we arrived dead-tired late at night, obviously not the best of times to cross a frontier. Despite

Charleston, South Carolina

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Charleston, South Carolina

Call me crazy, but I have this firm belief that motorcycles should be on a trailer for only two reasons: mechanical issues and the absence of a license tag. If you want to ride somewhere, ride to get there. This goes for scooters too. When I told people I was

Eureka Springs, Arkansas Shamrock Tour®

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Eureka Springs, Arkansas Shamrock Tour®

My destination, Eureka Springs, an authentic nineteenth-century resort tucked away in the Ozarks, is 992 miles away. While on my way and passing through the Smokies, it was 37 degrees and sleeting. The next afternoon in Arkansas, it was 92 and bright. Quite a contrast, and it set the tone

Riding the Royal Road: Australia's Princes Highway

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Riding the Royal Road: Australia's Princes Highway

The Hume Highway is a one-day straight shot of superslab, notorious for the fleets of truck convoys thundering over its tarmac, their drivers reputedly addled by sleep deprivation and amphetamines. Aussie bikers call it the "Gloom and Doom," and avoid it like warm beer.Then, there's

Southwestern Wisconsin

Jan/Feb '05 Premium Content

Southwestern Wisconsin

As the miles roll on across the Southern Wisconsin countryside, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that agriculture is big around here. This fact is certainly not lost on my wife Kathy, occupying pillion. Each time the large fields of stock change, she announces it

Piaggio X9 Evolution 500

Piaggio X9 Evolution 500

> What a way to start a trip. My first flight delayed, I have to change airlines, go through the 'special interest' security screening, endure a two-hour layover in Dallas, and when I land in Los Angeles, I have to ride a scooter. How bad can it be?

What's in a Name?

What's in a Name?

> Aprilia's 500cc model, the Atlantic, is impressive. Its modern looks and great performance convinced me I could easily go on tour with a scooter. I like the old-fashioned look of scooters and so I was really excited about getting to test Aprilia's latest retro- styled

Aprilia SL 1000 Falco

Aprilia SL 1000 Falco

> It's a moment that all of us here at RoadRUNNER hope never happens. Any day now, our friends at Aprilia USA will be ringing us up, making the dreaded call to let us know they want their Falco back. It will be tough to part with it,

Suzuki's Boulevard Showdown

Suzuki's Boulevard Showdown

> The Suzuki Marauder and Volusia are both 800cc cruisers. The similarity pretty much stops there. They share the same V-twin heart, yet these brothers in wheels have chosen to travel down different lanes of the cruiser boulevard. A quick glance at the spec sheet might lead one to believe