Free Wheelin'

Spring Break Routes

Vanson Leathers, America's leading manufacturer of leather motorcycle jackets and motorcycle riding apparel for men and women, invites customers, partners and community members to join in celebration of the company’s 50 years in business on June 1-2 at their headquarters in Fall River Massachusetts.

The event will take place in the retail showroom over the weekend on June 1-2 and the line up already includes fun food and entertainment billings with more to be added. 

Attendees of the 50th Anniversary celebration can also take part in tours of the factory, design and custom fitting assistance for leather garments and racing leathers, raffles, door prizes, product discounts and a giant birthday cake!
 

Vanson Leathers

Widely-known as the “Michelin Man,” who has been the beloved face of the MICHELIN brand since 1898, the tubby white mascot’s name is actually Bibendum (or Bib for short). He even has a category for value-for-money restaurants in MICHELIN's guidebooks—the Bib Gourmand—named after him.

Aside from the fact that a pile of tires at the 1894 Lyon Universal Exhibition inspired the look of this evergreen mascot (“Look, with arms it would make a man,” said company founder Édouard Michelin to his brother André), here are some other fascinating facts about Bibendum.
 

Michelin Man

                Paul Guillien and Ron West of BDR

Rider's guests on Episode 70 of the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast are Paul Guillien and Ron West of the Backcountry Discovery Routes organization, which is a nonprofit that creates off-highway routes for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel and recreation. The newest Backcountry Discover Route is in Northern California and covers 940 miles off-pavement from Mammoth Lakes to the high desert of the Modoc Plateau at the Oregon border.

BDR Podcast

Join us Saturday, May 11th from 9am to 1pm to kick-off the summer riding season!

• Wandering Dave's Food Truck with delicious breakfast + lunch

• $250 in-store credit with purchase of any pre-owned machine

• Huge selection of riding apparel on sale!

• Ducati Demo Fleet available for test rides

*Rain date: June 8th

Hudson Valley Motorcycles

The Stone Walls of New England

What Makes New England’s Stone Walls Unlike Any Others in the World?
They’re seemingly ubiquitous, lining New England’s fields: low, dry-lichen-crusted stone walls, nearly all built by European settlers before the Civil War. Together, the walls run a staggering 240,000 miles (400,000 km) long, larger in volume than the Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, and the Egyptian pyramids at Giza combined. Over centuries, the walls that once separated the environment have become a part of it, creating new ecological habitats of interest to geologists and naturalists.

NE Stone Walls

Backroads Magazine Current Edition

Thermonator

It’s fairly common knowledge that the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy (which celebrated its 20th anniversary last December) was filmed in director Peter Jackson’s home country of New Zealand – its spectacular mountain and water vistas being well suited to the grand scale of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy saga. However, a good case can be made that Mr. Jackson would have been even better served by choosing the state of West Virginia for his filming. Read on!

 

WV Lord of the Rings

CALLING ALL FEMALE RIDERS!! Join the Hudson Valley Riders TODAY for a ride where the women lead the pack! Fellas come ride and support the ladies!! We’ll be raising money for Grace Smith House in support of Domestic Violence Victims. 

Moroney's Women's Ride Day

Dennis Chung • motorcycle.com

A little while ago, I wrote about my admiration for the Gladius, but conceded that its name didn’t really connect with people the way Suzuki probably wanted it to. If you knew that a gladius was a type of sword used by ancient Roman soldiers, you could see how it might make sense for a company that also gave us the Katana. If you didn’t, then it just sounded too much like “Gladys”, and the only vehicle that name would make sense for, is a midnight train to Georgia.

Naturally, this got me thinking about other poorly named motorcycles. Everyone knows the joke about the Honda DN-01 standing for “Do Not Own 1”, and whoever thought of Deauville should never be allowed to name their own children.

Worst Named Bikes

You can drink a Tecate in Tecate, you can take a bath in Bath, and you can wear a fez in Fez. One of most intriguing eponymous pairings a moto-loving person can imagine is riding a Royal Enfield Himalayan in the Himalayas. The popular adventure bike has gotten a complete makeover for 2024. The question is: Can the new version bring the Himalayan into the technological present and still retain the character and charisma of the original?

 

Royal Enfeld

Progressive

Bluebird of Bitterness

Candlebay Inn • Freeport Maine

Located in the village of Freeport, Maine, Candlebay Inn is a quaint, dog-friendly bed and breakfast on a quiet, tree-lined street convenient to premium shopping and renowned restaurants.

Plus, the only Tesla Supercharger between Portland and Augusta is located nearby at the L.L. Bean Flagship Store.

Grab your best doggo (and human) friend, and make Candlebay Inn your Maine Adventure Headquarters while you explore everything Vacationland has to offer!

 

Candlebay Inn

Happy Star Wars Day

Weird Al Yankovic

May the 4th be with us all!

Happy Birthday Danny!
 

Star Wars day