During the week of May 31-June 4, Americade will celebrate its 40th anniversary. What has long been the world’s largest touring rally started from humble beginnings when founder Bill Dutcher reached a crossroads in his life and asked, “What next?”

A lifelong motorcyclist who began roadracing in the mid-1960s, Bill is a man of irrepressible energy. I’ll never forget meeting him at my first Americade in 2012. I was the featured speaker on a Tuesday night, and the title of my talk was “Lessons Learned from Crashes, Countries, and Cover Stories.” Bill introduced me to the audience, but before I took the stage, he shared a story about the time he wore roadracing leathers under his gown during his Harvard University graduation ceremony. He was scheduled to compete in a race later that day, so after he and his fellow graduates tossed their caps in celebration, Bill sped off to the track. He then regaled the audience about arriving late to the starting grid, riding over his head to catch up, and ultimately crashing out of the race. He was a tough act to follow.

Related: Americade 2021 Rally Report

Bill spent his career in the motorcycle industry, holding marketing positions at Bultaco and Can-Am before becoming the head of public relations at AMF/Harley-Davidson, a position he held until 1981. Ready for a change, Bill and his wife, Gini, decided to start a touring rally near their home in Lake George, New York. Understanding the importance of brand recognition, Bill reached out to Til Thompson, organizer of the Aspencade rally, which had been held since 1971 in Ruidoso, New Mexico, to license the name for an eastern event. That was the easy part.

“In the fall of 1981, I approached Bob Blais, the mayor of Lake George Village,” Bill recalled. “When I pitched him my concept of an ‘Aspencade East,’ he took a deep breath when I said ‘motorcycle rally.’ About a decade earlier, when he was chief of police, he’d dealt with some bloodied bikers who had gotten too rowdy at one of the local bars.” Bill ultimately won the mayor over, and with his backing, the village board approved the proposal.

The first Aspencade East was held in 1983, and the Dutchers expected perhaps 1,000 people – about as many attendees as the rally in New Mexico. “When more than 2,000 people showed up, I was astounded,” Bill said. “We ran out of T-shirts, caps, and everything else.”

Gini added that when the first attendees arrived at the registration room to pick up their tickets, there was a “certain energy about the rally.”

“People were excited by what was about to happen. We knew that they were just as excited about this new Aspencade East as we were.”

Attendance doubled in 1984, doubled again in 1985, and topped 10,000 in 1986. That same year, the Dutchers changed the event’s name to Americade. It had grown well beyond its association with the original Aspencade rally. And the Dutchers didn’t want their event to be too closely associated with one particular motorcycle brand or model since Honda had introduced a luxury-touring version of the Gold Wing called the Aspencade in 1982.

Even though attendance at Americade has exceeded 50,000 many times over the years, it has always been a family affair. “Bill’s original vision of making a family-friendly motorcycling event still powers what we do,” said Christian Dutcher, Bill and Gini’s son, who took over management of Americade several years ago. “We have many riders who attend other rallies, and they tell me that they love Americade because it continues to be ‘sane.’

“Despite having been part of Americade my entire life,” Christian continued, “I am still caught off-guard by the letters we receive. We get letters from people who want to get married here, who bring their children because they met their spouse here years earlier, and even some who spread the ashes of their lifelong riding partner at the rally. It’s very touching and reminds us that what Americade is to many people is larger than the sum of its parts.”

Through his PR position at Harley-Davidson, Bill knew Rider’s founder, Denis Rouse, and many of the magazine’s staff editors and contributors. “Rider has been part of every Aspencade/Americade,” Bill recalled. “I can’t think of any other company who has attended every event except Rider.”

Over the years, Rider has sponsored Americade’s Opening Celebration, mini-tours, dinner cruises, and other activities. Our editors and contributors have given seminars and talks, led tours, and met thousands of readers and fellow riders. We’ve judged bike shows and photo contests, helped select the Americade Queen, and published dozens of rally reports in the magazine and on our website.

And we’ll be there again this May, joining the Dutchers, the rally’s many dedicated volunteers, and tens of thousands of attendees to celebrate Americade’s big 4-0. We’ll have more details about the festivities in the coming weeks. For registration and other info, visit the Americade website.

See you in Lake George!

This was the First Gear column written by Editor-in-Chief Greg Drevenstedt for the March 2023 issue of Rider.

Americade, the largest touring rally in the U.S., was held June 7-11 in Lake George, New York. (You can read our 2021 Americade Rally Report here.) The event was a huge success, with tens of thousands of attendees, demo rides from eight major motorcycle manufacturers, an enormous vendor expo, guided and self-guided rides, and entertainment. The organizers are already planning for next year’s rally, and they recently issued the following press release announcing new dates.

Americade 2023 will take place one week earlier than normal, May 30-June 3, starting the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Americade 2023 will celebrate a historic milestone, its 40th event, featuring a number of special additional live music, entertainment, and motorcycle attractions.

“Laconia will be celebrating a big milestone too, their 100th, next year,” said Christian Dutcher, Americade’s Director, “and having two major events overlapping during special years doesn’t make any sense. So, we’re going to slide Americade earlier to give each event a little elbow room.”

Americade 2022 featured the most factory demos of any event in the U.S. and in 2023 Americade will likely feature even more. Kim Knupp, National Events Manager for Yamaha said, “This is exciting news. It’s a great move for Americade and will increase attendance. It opens up opportunities for those who want to go to both events but currently can’t.”

Additionally, national brand vendors fully support the move as well. “I support it 100%,” says Melissa Auclair, of Mustang Motorcycle Seats. “Not only will it benefit the vendors, but it will also benefit the customers.”

Americade 2023 kicks-off in full May 30 (May 29 pre-registered attendees).

Details:
Americade
Lake George, NY
Americade.com
facebook.com/americade
518-798-7888

For nearly four decades, the Progressive International Motorcycle Show traveled from city to city from late fall to early spring, setting up shop in cavernous convention centers in major urban areas. The IMS show was where motorcyclists from around the country could kick tires on the latest models, ogle over outlandish custom bikes and spit-shined vintage machines, shop for aftermarket gear, and get inspired for the upcoming riding season.

Back in the late ’90s, when I started riding motorcycles, I went to the IMS show in Philadelphia. The show was in February, so it was icy and gray outside. My VFR750 was covered and chained up for the winter, and I took public transit to the massive convention center near Chinatown. Even at 25 years of age, I was like a kid in a candy store. I got to sit on a Ducati 916, and I got an autograph from racer Steve Rapp. (Almost 20 years later, while on an Arai press launch, I got to ride with Rapp, him on an Aprilia RSV4 and me on a KTM 1290 Super Duke GT, on my favorite backroad, California Route 33.)

In late November or early December, the IMS tour would kick off at the Long Beach Convention Center near Los Angeles, and it was an annual tradition for those of us who work at various motorcycle publications to attend the media day on Friday before the show opened to the public.

Then the pandemic happened. Like so many events, the 2020-21 fall/winter IMS tour was canceled. For years the organizers of IMS had considered shifting the event from indoors to outdoors, and a nasty little bug called SARS-CoV-2 finally forced it to happen.

For 2021, the show tour was rebranded as Progressive IMS Outdoors. The shows would be held during the summer and fall at outdoor venues where they would take on more of a festival vibe. There would be demo rides from major manufacturers, test rides on e-bicycles, a vendor area, food trucks, live music, and more.

Shifting the IMS shows outdoors was just what the tour needed, especially with the specter of Covid-19 still looming, but it wasn’t without a few hiccups. The Southern California stop, originally scheduled for early July, had to be rescheduled for late November due to a conflict with a venue. The New York City show, scheduled for Labor Day weekend, was canceled due to challenges with Covid testing requirements.

The first show of the 2021 tour was in July at Sonoma Raceway, in the Bay Area of Northern California. Other shows were in Chicago, Central Pennsylvania, Fort Worth, Nashville, Central Florida, Atlanta, and Southern California. In addition to the demo rides and vendors, there was the J&P Cycles Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Show, the IMS Vintage area, and more. At the Adventure Out! area, visitors could pick up a free copy of Rider magazine and listen to guest speakers such as Longhaulpaul (Paul Pelland), Bret Tkacs, Ryan Turner, and Alex Chacón.

The young and inexperienced could explore the world on two wheels at the Discover The Ride area, which included The Kids Zone with Strider, kids’ demo rides on Husqvarna Factory Replica Staycyc e-powered balance bikes, and the New Rider Course with Yamaha Power Assist e-bicycles and speed-limited electric Zero Motorcycles. The Motorcycle Industry Council introduced a new program called the Ride With Us Moto Intro experience, a 45-minute mini MSF course on small gas-powered motorcycles.

At every stop on the tour, IMS Outdoors teamed up with All Kids Bike to donate and deliver a training program to a local elementary school, which included balance bikes, pedal conversion kits, helmets, a teacher’s bike, and a full curriculum to teach kids to ride bikes in PE class.

Progressive IMS Outdoors has already announced dates and venues for 2022. You can find a full schedule at motorcycleshows.com.

One of the first long-distance sport-touring ride events, the Motomarathon, made a comeback in June 2021. The event, which took place in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York, proved that the four-day ride remains one of the most enjoyable forms of individual recreation in the new age of social distancing.

RELATED: Americade 2021 Rally Report

After its headquarters moved from Colorado to New Jersey in 2020, the Motomarathon Association returned following a three-season hiatus, retaining its original format developed over more than 30 years of organized group riding that compresses as many twisty and scenic roads as possible into four days.

Back in 1986, I was part of a small group of Colorado motorcyclists who tried to ride as many mountain passes as we could squeeze into a long weekend. An interest soon became an obsession, and I began designing annual “Pass Rides” that evolved into a nationally sanctioned series of Motomarathons.

The Motomarathon is not a competition, it’s a vacation. It’s about riding the best roads during daylight hours while avoiding interstates and urban areas. The rides emphasize sightseeing, leisurely lunches, and camaraderie after long days at a nice hotel/restaurant. The Motomarathon philosophy emphasizes individualism and minimalism, so each rider is free to make his or her own accommodations (camp if you want!), to ride alone or together, or to ride only one day or one checkpoint. It’s as open and flexible as possible.

Founded in 2009, the Motomarathon Association established criteria for riders accumulating checkpoints, and began maintaining event, annual, and lifetime standings on the Motomarathon website. Motorcycles that are popular for technical mountain riding on paved roads (with the occasional optional dirt road thrown in) are typically BMW GSs, Ducati Multistradas, and other adventure bikes, but all motorcycle types and brands are welcome. There have been plenty of cruisers, sport-tourers, and even a few Can-Am Spyders at Motomarathon events.

Routes are designed by local experts and kept secret until the evening before each day’s ride. For the Adirondack event, which was headquartered at the Garnet Hill Lodge in North River, New York, the riders’ excited chatter each evening often focused on where the next day’s checkpoints would take them. To Charles Bronson’s gravesite? To Lake Placid’s Olympic ski jumping facility? To the top of Whiteface Mountain? Yes to all, plus a random gas station out in the middle of nowhere. At each checkpoint, riders photographed their badge numbers at designated landmarks to validate that they followed the route and logged the miles.

After a three-year hiatus, it was great to see the Motomarathon tradition continue, especially with our usual crew of experienced riders who can handle big bikes in the twisties and do it all day long, usually logging 300-400 miles per day for four days straight.

In 2020, I turned over the reins to veteran routemaster and motor officer John Bossolt. No one is better qualified to take over the association. John and his team have designed many Motomarathons in years past, and their routemastering talents epitomize the spirit of this approach to sport-touring.

Each night was like a reunion, with old friends catching up and new friends meeting for the first time. Riders came from all over America –Maine, Florida, Arizona, and other far-flung states. Those who had never ridden in the Adirondacks appreciated the shared knowledge of local routes. Many who knew the area well were still surprised by roads they had never ridden before.

Motomarathons have been run in many popular riding areas around the country, including the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the coastal ranges of California, the Pacific Northwest, the Ozarks, the Smoky Mountains, and the Great Lakes. Two events are planned for 2022: the Great Smoky Motomarathon (May 31-June 3) and the New England Motomarathon (September 26-29). For more information, visit motomarathon.com.

If there’s one motorcycle event that has everything, it’s the annual Barber Vintage Festival, held among the rolling hills of the 880-acre Barber Motorsports Park and Museum campus near Birmingham, Alabama. Don’t plan on attending, don’t put it on your bucket list, don’t say you want to go, don’t even ask your mom, just shut up and be there. It’s in October.

After being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the 16th (almost) annual festival in 2021 felt even more special than it did every other year. AMA Hall of Famer Mary McGee – the first woman to hold an FIM racing license, to finish the Baja 1000, and to roadrace and race motocross in the U.S. – served as Grand Marshal.

The festival’s cornucopia of sites and activities includes the world’s best and biggest motorcycle collection housed in the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, a full slate of vintage and exotic racing around the 17-turn, 2.4-mile Barber Motorsports Park road course, landscaped grounds rivaling any Frederick Law Olmstead-designed park, a huge swap meet, vendors, both a Wall of Death and a Globe of Death, demo rides on modern bikes, an inflatable church, and more, more, more.

Yet the best thing about the event is those who attend – people of every year, make, model, gender, and ethnicity, any and all who are motorcycle people. They bring stories and questions, tall tales and truths, knowledge and curiosity. With them come vintage and antique bike clubs displaying their members’ machines, as well as a motley assortment of motorcycles from far and wide, hundreds of machines parked handlebar-to-handlebar along the track’s perimeter access road, bikes of every vintage, brand, and state of customization, ratted out or restored beyond shiny new. Bring something you love, discover new passions, find things you hadn’t known you needed, and wear comfortable shoes.

The heart of the festival is the museum, which features over 1,600 vehicles, many being the best of the best. It’s a collection in which nothing is average. A warning to all enthusiasts: Do not enter the museum unless you have a few hours to spend there. It’s a prison of our own desires. Heading for the door early requires putting your head down and looking only at your feet; otherwise, every few steps will be repeatedly interrupted by motorcycle euphoria.

The swap meet has outgrown its original location, and it alone can be the sole adventure of a weekend at the festival. By chance, this year’s swap meet included nearly the entire sordid history of Indian motorcycles, from its origin in Springfield, Massachusetts, to the Brockhouse-rebranded Royal Enfield Indians, Floyd Clymer’s era of Velocette- and Royal Enfield-powered machines, Indian-badged minibikes from Taiwan, Gilroy and Kings Mountain Indians, and even a current electric toy bike that looks like an FTR750 flat-tracker. There are always surprises, such as my discovery of a pair of vintage Honda CL350s with Honda-offered psychedelic accessory paint by Flying Dragon.

While strolling through the swap meet, I ran into an enthusiast in his 80s named Steve who was searching for water. Then I ran into him again a short while later. I asked him if he had found water, and he wanted to know why I was asking. After reminding him we had met earlier, he said his memory is so terrible that he’d taken a picture of where his car was parked. We chatted about motorcycles, and he mentioned he was selling his vintage Honda CB750 because it had become too big for him to manage. He was looking for a Honda CL90, a bike he’d wanted since he was a kid.

Continuing to navigate the rows of vendors in the opposite direction as Steve, our paths crossed repeatedly. On our next encounter I asked him if he’d found a CL90. He said he remembered me but hadn’t found one. On parting I told him I’d see him again in a few minutes, which I did. Eventually, he reported that he found a CL90, but he had waited too long to get one because he’s now too stiff to swing a leg over it. He then warned me, with earned authority, that if there’s a motorcycle I know I really want, buy it now. Don’t wait. He said he was now looking for a scooter. It was a charming exchange. Steve might not remember me, but I’ll remember him.

Be sure to cruise the swap meet on Friday or Saturday, as sellers tend to pack up early on Sunday. And don’t be shy about haggling; something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

The vending area features few motorcycle manufacturers, which is puzzling since the Barber Vintage Festival is such a large, well-attended event. There are plenty of aftermarket vendors, though, as well as food trucks and entertainment like the American Motor Drome Wall of Death and the Urias Family Daredevils Globe of Death.

Having been enthralled by walls of death as a teenager, I can never pass by their opportunity for thrills. Though, thankfully, I’ve never witnessed one live up to its name. And as far as walls go, none is more carny nor more professional than the American Motor Drome Wall of Death. Its riders live life outside of ours, and the show provides the unsettling mystery, naughty fear, and dangerous sex appeal of Ray Bradbury’s novel Something Wicked this Way Comes.

My Sunday was devoted to watching the racing and perusing the paddock. I discovered that the Barber Vintage Festival features not only vintage motorcycles, but vintage motorcycle racers as well. Notables included Dale Quarterley, Curtis Adams, Thad Wolff, and Tripp Nobles, each with extensive pro racing credentials. They proved that they’re still far faster than you and me, particularly me.

Nobles has a history of racing sportbikes, but might be best remembered for racing Tilley-sponsored Harley-Davidsons out of Statesville, North Carolina. This year Nobles campaigned a vintage Harley XR750TT with a full fairing, a bike he said was crazy fast for what it is. He admitted, though, that he had to modify the bike for his old bones, lowering the footpegs so his knees weren’t knotted up tight and raising the bars so he didn’t have to lean so far forward, which required cutting away some of the fairing. Nobles won his two RR Formula 750 races against a grid of BMWs, Hondas, Nortons, and Yamahas, but would have had fun no matter how he finished.

Having attended this event at least a half-dozen times, there’s always been surprising things to see that are new, or new to me. Not once have I seen all there is to see, and each weekend has ended with me wanting more. Even compared to a MotoGP weekend, the Barber Vintage Festival just might be the best motorcycle event at a racetrack in America. I’ll see you there next year. For more information, visit barbermuseum.org.

One of the many downsides of the pandemic was the cancellation of motorcycle rallies and other events. Americade, billed as the world’s largest touring rally, has been held in Lake George, New York, in late spring (typically the first week of June) every year since 1983.

The 2020 edition of Americade, which would have been touring guru Fred Rau’s 30th consecutive appearance at the event, had to be canceled. In January of this year, Americade announced that the event would be moved from early June to September 20-25.

“We want to make 100% sure that a 2021 Americade will happen,” said Christian Dutcher, Director of Americade. “Moving it to September gives us a very high likelihood of it happening. September is also a perfect time of year for riding, with mild temperatures, no rain, and fall foliage season beginning. It should be beautiful.”

Happen it did, and the event was a great success. Though, since it was Americade, of course there was some rain!

Rider has supported Americade since the early days, and as we do every year, we sponsored the Opening Celebration on Monday night, which is open to participants who preregister for the rally. Guests enjoyed dinner under the big tent on the lawn of the Fort William Henry Hotel & Conference Center, overlooking Lake George and the surrounding mountains. The Rick Bolton Trio and mentalist Dustin Dean provided entertainment, and we gave away door prizes.

The rally kicked off in earnest on Tuesday with guided and unguided rides, seminars, vendors and food at the Tour Expo, demo rides (BMW, Honda, Indian, KTM, Triumph, and Yamaha), boat rides, live entertainment, and many other activities. Since Lake George is on the eastern edge of Adirondack Park and not far from Vermont, there’s no shortage of fantastic roads within a 100-mile radius.

On Tuesday evening, as guests enjoyed the Medieval Feast under the big tent, I did an onstage interview for the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast with Bill, Gini, and Christian Dutcher, the family that founded and runs Americade. We talked about how the rally began and what has helped it become such a popular and unique event. (To listen to the episode, go to ridermagazine.com/insider.)

Onstage after the podcast interview was the Americade Knights of the Round Table. Fred Rau, Bill Dutcher, Momma D (Dee Jones), and I wore crowns and drank mead as we told humorous and embarrassing stories about our collective travels and experiences on two wheels. The crowd had plenty of laughs at our expense, and they especially enjoyed it when we took questions from the audience.

Wednesday morning began drizzly and gray. At 7 a.m. Fred Rau hosted his popular coffee club. At 7:30 a.m., with raingear on, I queued up on Beach Road for the Lake Placid Adventure, one of several guided rides that day. We were joined by a group from the Wounded Warrior Project, which Americade has supported for several years. The rain stopped after about an hour, and we enjoyed a scenic ride up to Whiteface Mountain, a delicious lunch at the Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, and stops at the Olympic training facilities for the long jump and bobsled.

Under the big tent on Wednesday and Saturday nights, comedian Alonzo Bodden entertained large crowds. During his stand-up sets and “Heavy Lightweight” special on Amazon Prime Video, Bodden’s comedy is topical. But as a longtime motorcycle enthusiast with several bikes in his garage, when Bodden performs at Americade, he interacts with the audience and spins comedy gold from his on-the-spot moto-related dialogue. Bodden returns year after year, and every show is unique. (To listen to our interview with Alonzo Bodden on the Rider Magazine Insider Podcast, visit ridermagazine.com/insider.)

On Thursday, I had a chance to go on a ride with Bodden, The Moto Life columnist Peter Jones, Adam VanderVeen from Triumph America, and Isle of Man TT racer Dean Court. After the demo rides ended, we gassed up a Rocket 3 GT, Trident 660, Street Triple, and Speed Triple 1200 RS, and wound our way up Highway 9N along the western shore of Lake George. We made it back to town just before the rain began.

After a major storm blew through in the wee hours of Friday morning, the skies cleared and the next two days were sunny. Being only a few hours from the New York and Boston metro areas, Friday and Saturday are always the busiest days at Americade. The Expo was packed with folks shopping for new gear and having audio systems and accessories installed on their bikes.

Under the big tent was the Friday Night Spectacular, with a dinner, People’s Choice judging, Brown Liquor Social Club, Vintage Bike Roar, awards, and major door prizes. There was a boat cruise on the Minne-Ha-Ha and fireworks over the lake.

Saturday featured a Ride for Kids charity ride that raised more than $17,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. From 1-10 p.m. was the Block Party & Music Festival. As with every night of the rally, there were bikes parked along Canada Street and others cruising up and down, many adorned with brightly colored lights.

Next year’s Americade will take place June 6-11, 2022, so start making plans now. For more information, visit americade.com.

Check out some of the bikes we saw at Americade:

Click here for a map of the route

⁠We cruised up U.S. Highway 101 to Santa Barbara, went over San Marcos Pass on Highway 154, and had lunch at the funky Madonna Inn.⁠

Then the fun really began on California Highway 1, riding past Morro Rock, checking out the elephant seals near San Simeon, and riding on the world famous stretch of Highway 1 from Ragged Point to Big Sur, for a night of camping at Fernwood Resort.⁠

Fort Bragg to Sonoma Raceway: IMS Outdoors Northern California Ride

Even though it was July, the rugged Big Sur coast was foggy and cold. We rolled over the iconic Bixby Bridge before arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea.⁠

After hugging Monterey Bay on Highway 1, in Santa Cruz we turned onto tight, twisty Highway 9 and rode into the towering redwoods. We continued north on Highway 35 (aka Skyline Drive) and stopped for lunch at the legendary Alice’s Restaurant.⁠

Back on Highway 1 along the coast for a fantastic ride from Half Moon Bay to Pacifica, including a 4,000-ft Devils Slide Tunnel bored through the mountains.

In San Francisco, we stretched our legs at the Presidio before crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and heading to Sonoma Raceway for the Progressive IMS Outdoors show.⁠

For the 2021 Progressive IMS Outdoors tour schedule and to buy tickets, visit motorcycleshows.com.

The second stop on the 2021 Progressive IMS Outdoors tour is near Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend of August 20-22. As the only stop in the Midwest, attendees will come from far and wide to check out the three-day powersports festival to see new motorcycles, enjoy demo rides, and more.

This scenic ride is a 170-mile paved route that follows most of Wisconsin State Route 67, from its northern end at the junction with U.S. Route 151 near Kiel until just south of Walworth. It then crosses into Illinois and continues to Goebbert’s Farm in Pingree Grove, the site of the IMS Outdoors event. North of the starting point is the town of Green Bay and the scenic Door County peninsula. The route passes near other Wisconsin towns and cities, including Fond du Lac, Madison, and Milwaukee.

Click here to view/follow this route on REVER

Heading south on Route 67, the first landmark is the town of Elkhart Lake, home of Road America, where on many summer weekends you can watch motorcycle or car racing on the 4-mile road course that’s set among rolling hills. After passing through Plymouth, Route 67 turns west and passes through parts of Kettle Moraine State Forest. It turns south again after Armstrong and runs along the western shore of Long Lake.

Route 67 continues southwest, passing through farmland and small Midwestern towns, and the further south it goes, the rolling hills give way to flatter terrain. After passing through Mayville, Route 67 goes more or less due south, and it crosses Interstate 94 near Oconomowoc.

In the town of Eagle, you’ll find Knucklehead Pub & Grub, a motorcycle-themed sports bar and grill that has live music on the weekends. And just south of Eagle, you can visit Old World Wisconsin, an attraction with more than 60 historic structures spread out over 600 acres. Buildings dating back to the mid-1800s were disassembled, moved from their original locations all over Wisconsin, and reassembled here to tell the story of the state’s rural settlers, with staff dressed in period attire and doing chores the old-fashioned way.

South of the junction with Interstate 43, Route 67 approaches Geneva Lake near Williams Bay, and then runs along its western shore and passes through the resort town of Fontana. Then it joins with U.S. Route 14, which takes you into Illinois for the final 35 miles to Goebbert’s Farm. Enjoy the show!

For 2021, the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows tour has been rebranded as Progressive IMS Outdoors and events will be held outside, like open-air powersports festivals. The tour will visit nine major markets around the U.S. between July and November (see the full schedule at motorcycleshows.com). Each stop will be a three-day event for powersports enthusiasts and potential riders of all ages and skill levels, with motorcycle demo rides and hands-on experiences unique to each venue. 

The first stop is in Northern California, at Sonoma Raceway over the weekend of July 16-18. We’re providing suggested scenic rides to or near each tour stop, with routes available on the REVER app. The Northern California ride is a 165-mile paved route that starts in the coastal town of Fort Bragg and ends at Sonoma Raceway, which is located north of San Francisco. Most of the route follows California State Route 1 south along the scenic, rugged Pacific Coast. 

Click here to view the REVER route shown above

Fort Bragg is a charming burg that’s home to the Sea Glass Museum, the Skunk Train, and North Coast Brewing Company. Heading south through town on Route 1 (Main Street), the ride begins on the Noyo River Bridge. Known in this area as Shoreline Highway, Route 1 is a scenic two-lane road that winds along the contours of the coast. Despite being just 165 miles long, this route typically takes four to five hours, not including stops. 

You’ll want to stop often at the many towns, natural areas, scenic overlooks, and state parks along the way, such as the Navarro River Bridge, where Route 128 goes inland to the Navarro River Redwoods State Park. Other highlights include Mendocino, Point Arena Lighthouse, Stewarts Point, Salt Point State Park, Fort Ross, Jenner, Sonoma Coast State Park, Duncans Point, and Bodega Bay. 

After riding along the eastern edge of Tomales Bay, you’ll arrive in the town of Point Reyes Station. Turn onto Point Reyes-Petaluma Road, which follows Lagunitas Creek and passes along the Nicasio Reservoir. The route continues east, crosses U.S. Route 101, and follows State Route 37 (Sears Point Road) and State Route 121 (Arnold Drive) to Sonoma Raceway. Enjoy the ride and enjoy the show!

For more information about Progressive IMS Outdoors and to buy tickets, visit motorcycleshows.com.

With the New York Adirondack Motomarathon scheduled for June 1-4 based out of North River, New York, the first organized motorcycle sport-touring event format is back in action after a COVID-19 hiatus.

After moving its headquarters from Colorado to the East Coast last year, the iconic Motomarathon Association will retain its original format developed over more than 30 years of organized group riding that compresses as many twisty and scenic roads as possible into a four-day motorcycle vacation.

Motomarathons have been run in virtually every popular riding area in America, from the Rocky Mountains to the California Coastal Ranges and Pacific Northwest, from the Ozarks to the Great Smokies, and from the Great Lakes to New England.

Routes are designed by local experts and kept secret until the evening before each day’s ride. Participants complete a series of self-recorded checkpoints, photographing their badge numbers at designated landmarks to validate their completion of the route. These checkpoints are recorded by the Motomarathon Association for event, annual and lifetime standings.

“Motomarathon is the perfect post-pandemic pastime, and the Adirondack Mountains have some of the best riding roads in the country,” said new owner John Bossolt, who takes over the reins from founder John Metzger. “Long-distance motorcycle sport touring may be one of the purest forms of individual recreation that can be shared with others, but with virtually zero contact.”

Metzger, author of two books on the subject – Meditation by Motorcycle and Motorcycling Through Midlife – continues on as an advisor.

For more information, visit Motomarathon’s website (motomarathon.com) or Facebook page.