Tales of Trails - RoadRUNNER

RoadRUNNER

Tales of Trails

A collection of 8 posts

Tales of Trails

Tooling Around

Motorcycles are grand mechanical devices. That alone is reason enough to spark passion, although many motorcycle enthusiasts prefer the riding part of the deal. I am somewhere in between. I enjoy riding on bikes and wrenching on them. The experiences of motorcycle restoration, customization, and maintenance are complemented by the

For the Love of a Bike Shop

For the Love of a Bike Shop

I’m told that humans are communal creatures. Only weirdos like artists, writers, and sociopaths prefer to be alone. Luckily, there are community centers where motorcyclists can gather to share our strange passions. The owners of these destinations call them dealerships or motorcycle shops. In my hometown of Syracuse, NY,

Motorcyclists Go Electric

Motorcyclists Go Electric

I went to see the Bob Dylan movie, A Complete Unknown. The film was pretty entertaining, but also confusing. I was happy to see it included a fair number of scenes of Dylan riding a Triumph. Freewheeling, I guess. By chance, about a decade ago, I rode down Striebel Rd

My Route 66

There’s magic in abandoned roads. Their secret histories, hidden in woods and deserts, tug at our imaginations. As a child, while on road trips, I loved tracing lost highways; sections of deserted roads that wind back and forth across the efficient paths of modern highways. Sometimes, they circle off

Whats in a name? | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle

Columns Premium Content

Whats in a Name?

The annals of motorcycling run deep with an eclectic array of manufacturers. Some are still with us, but many have long since shuttered. A good number of the companies got their names from the founder’s (or founders’) surnames, while others found lasting fame with anagrams, acronyms, or pure whimsy.

People Skills

People differ wildly. I’m not complaining. I prefer living in a world of not-mes. The existentialist writer Kurt Vonnegut wrote an essay about everyone having a special skill, and how a fulfilled life is found in discovering and doing what you do best. Some people are passionate about

Generational Hubris

Columns Premium Content

Generational Hubris

Miranda Cain road races motorcycles. She’s my grandniece. Her mother and father were motorcyclists. An aunt and uncle of hers were motorcyclists. Her boyfriend is a motorcyclist and raced for a while. Three of her granduncles are motorcyclists. It’s great having another generation in our family involved in

Paper or Plastic?

Columns Premium Content

Paper or Plastic?