Get Away & Getting Creative
Most years I’m able to get away for at least two major rides, but I wasn’t able to make it to either Daytona or Sturgis this past year. So I was really looking forward to riding the six plus hours up to Lake Placid, New York, to attend HOG’s Adirondack Rendezvous the week after Labor Day.
I like rides that are long enough to clear out my head. You know the routine -- it takes most of the first day to get into the rhythm and peel off the layers of day-to-day stresses and concerns. After several hours in the saddle, you get into a groove. That’s where I wanted to go when I called my riding pal Jim Sims, and suggested the HOG ride.
It had been a few years since I took part in a HOG event, and the four-day ride up, around, and back to Connecticut would be the most time and miles I’d put on my Harley Ultra since I’d bought it a couple of years ago. I was very much looking forward to hitting the road to explore the stunning mountains, valleys, rivers, and long sweeping roads of upstate New York in and around the Adirondack Park.
The morning we left was bright and warm. The road traffic was pretty light, and Jim and I, each riding Harley Ultras, were ready for our next adventure. At the first gas stop, I bought a set of bungee cords and threw them in my saddlebags. I said something to Jim like, “I can never have too many bungee cords, especially when on the road hundreds of miles from home.” The ride up was uneventful, until we rolled into the town limits of Lake Placid, New York, where HOG had set up the event headquarters. At a red light about two miles from the hotel, Jim pulled up next to me and said he thought there was something wrong with my tour pack. He wasn’t sure, but thought it looked like it was loose. Now, Jim and I like to joke around when we’re on the road, but he was serious. So I pulled over and discovered the stock Harley mounting rack had broken on both sides and the tour pack was held in place by only two small mounting points above the license plate. The pack was rocking back and forth over my license plate like it was on a hinge. Not a good thing. I didn’t fancy having to disconnect the tour pack with all its wires and cables by the side of the road, and having to remount it on my passenger seat. Jim and I looked it over carefully, and decided the extra bungee cords I’d picked up that morning should be sufficient to hold the pack safely in place the couple of miles to the hotel. They did.
The next morning, Jim and I rode over to the closest hardware store in Lake Placid. One of the employees greeted us with a big smile and said, “Hi, I’m Ed, what can I do for you guys?” We explained the situation and said we needed to buy a couple of feet of flat stock metal and a bunch of strong hose clamps for a fix -- strong enough to last the week on the road and get me home safely. He walked out, had a look at my bike, and agreed with our proposed solution. Then he told us he was a subscriber to American Iron Magazine, “my favorite Harley magazine in the world,” and said he’d recognized me when we walked into the store. Within 15 minutes, we had the braces and clamps in place, and I was feeling a lot better about the prospects of my bike staying together for the rest of the ride. When Ed returned from a back room with the latest issue of American Iron Magazine, I was happy to sign it for him. He then introduced us to a couple of other guys who are also Harley riders and AIM (
www.aimag.com) readers.
The rest of the HOG ride went great. We met a lot of terrific people and rode through some of the most stunning scenery America has to offer. Check out Don Gomo’s article in this issue. If you get a chance to ride through the Adirondacks, do yourself a favor and do it. If you like old bikes, check out the small museum at Iron Block Harley-Davidson in Adams Center. And if you like old racers (the men, not the machines) drop by Tom McDermott’s Harley-Davidson in Fort Ann, New York, and say hi to Tom. My guess is the best season is early autumn when the air cools off and the leaves begin to turn color. Just remember, the temperature can drop from balmy to cold when the sun goes down up there in the mountains.
HAPPY BIRTHDAYS
This year, 2008, marks a number of anniversaries, and I’d like to wish a happy 105th birthday to Harley-Davidson, a happy 50th anniversary to S&S, and a happy 25th birthday to Harley Owners Group (HOG), and Buell – well done Erik! If I missed any others, please drop me a line and let me know.
In a couple of months American Iron Magazine will be celebrating the start of our 19th year of publication. I’ve been here for all but the first two years, and I have to say it’s been a great ride so far with plenty more to come. This month, Editor Chris Maida celebrates the start of his 12th year as an important part of the team. And Managing Editor Joe Knezevic has been here for eight years. I suspect they’re in for the long haul. I’d also like to say thanks to everyone for the terrific support, contributions, and suggestions on how to improve what we’re doing in these pages.
Ride safe; ride smart; have fun.
Buzz Kanter
Publisher/Editor-In-Chief
Jan 2008 - Getting Away & Getting Creative 
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