April is Check your Helmet Month!

April is here- we have just gone through springing forward and changing batteries, now it’s time for: Check your Helmet Month!
We know you’ve heard this before (multiple times if you read our emails)…but the helmet is that thing that protects your brain so it has the potential to be important. You know how that saying goes, “you have 10 fingers, but you only have one brain”…
Our MotorClothes teams are ready, willing, and able to make sure you will be
properly protected by your helmet with a few vital inspections.

1. Fit is It!
   Whether it’s a half shell or a high-tech modular full face, a good fitting helmet may cause a little helmet hair, but having a proper fit is critical to your safety as well as your comfort. To ensure a comfortable fit that doesn’t squeeze your temples our MotorClothes staff will encourage you to wear a helmet for 15 minutes before making a final buying decision.
2. Helmets Don’t Last Forever
   While most assume it’s the hard outer shell that offers all of the protection it is the polystyrene inner layer that is arguably the most important part. If it’s not in good condition, your helmet isn’t safe! We like to use the example of a new styrofoam cooler. When you first get it, it’s squishy and bright! If you take it to the beach all season, it gets yellow and brittle. Time, exposure to your sweat and UV rays, and the aging of adhesives and components will compromise a helmet’s protective qualities. That’s why manufacturers and the SNELL Foundation recommend that helmets be replaced about every five years, depending on use. Every new Harley-Davidson helmet comes with a “born on date” sticker that is generally placed under the comfort liner for a quick reference.
   Take a look at your helmet or have us check for you.
3. Keep it Clean
   Just like when you wash your bike (you do wash your bike all the time, right?), look for wear and tear that may impact safety and comfort. Use a mild soap to wash the outer shell and internal liners. Many helmets have removable pads and liners that come out and make them easier to clean! Stay away from solvents or chemicals for cleaning as they can destroy protective coatings.
4. One Drop and it’s Done 
   A helmet is designed for only one impact. The outer shell is designed to spread out the impact, and the inner polystyrene is designed to compress/crush upon impact. Once the inner polystyrene is compressed, it loses its ability to protect. Also, because every impact can create fractures in the outer shell of the helmet making it less effective as a vital piece of safety equipment. If a helmet has had a major drop it may need to be replaced; and if it has ever hit the ground with your head in it, it should definitely be replaced.

NEW Technology Update:

Though the concept of protecting your head is pretty old, there have been many improvements to the technology to do so!
Shells:
• Ultra-light helmet shells reduce the weight of a helmet but also have increased durability. What does this mean for the rider? You can ride longer with less strain on your neck.
• Comfort liners and padding improvements mean that now many are removable so you can clean them, and some have moisture-wicking and antimicrobial properties.

Visors:
• Drop-down sun shields are built into the helmet and can be used with the push of a button! You can use the shield in lieu of sunglasses as they reduce glare from the sun and keep harmful UV rays out of your eyes or swap out for a clear one for better rain protection or night riding.

Other features:
• Zip-off neck curtains and ear flaps keep you warm while wearing a half-helmet in the cooler months. Though this is not a new feature to helmets, they are now handy for riders looking for options for their Bluetooth headsets.
• If you find that you’re in between sizes, adjustment dials built into some helmets can make a helmet tighter or looser depending on your comfort level. They’re also helpful if you wear headgear under your helmet or want to accommodate a new hairstyle.

Generate Heat and get more days to ride!

A review from Lyndon-

Having never used heated gear regularly, I may not be the most qualified to review a piece of heated gear…but since many others are in the same boat, maybe I am- you be the judge.

I was taking a 150-mile ride on a Low Rider with no windshield on a Sunday in mid-February. I wanted to arrive at my lunch stop without hypothermia, so I decided to splurge on the Gerbing battery-operated base layer hoping it would hold the key to my comfort. The base layer is a bit heavier than a long sleeve t-shirt and has a small zip pocket on the left side where the small battery connects. While I could feel some wires in the garment while looking for them while wearing it, all I felt was the battery, and it was not obtrusive.

Using the included charger, I fully charged the battery the day before departure— it took about 3 hours, and the LEDs on the batt showed the progress clearly.

The instructions aggressively warn against using the high setting for more than a few minutes, so I experimented with all the settings the night before my ride and confirmed that high gets really hot! Then I topped off the battery to make sure I had a full charge.

Although temps in the high 40s were promised for later in the day, It was still in the 30s at my departure, so Along with my leathers, I wore an H-D sleeveless performance T under the base layer followed by a wool shirt and a thin fleece mid-layer under my leather jacket and vest. I set the Gerbing to medium and rolled out. Interestingly I was only aware of warmth being generated now and then. I simply never got cold; pretty sweet! Except for my hands- they were cold, but certainly not as cold as they would have been had my torso not been warm. With heated grips, I would have been just fine!

After 2 hours of backroads, I met friends for lunch* and remembered to turn off my base layer when I landed. The conversation went much longer than planned, which meant I had spent the warmest hours inside, and it would be dark when I reached my destination- no problem! Knowing I could kick the heat back on, I discarded my fleece layer for less of the “Michelin man” feel on the second (somewhat warmer) leg of my journey.

It was more of the same with a surprisingly comfortable ride despite cool temps out, and it made me feel good about stepping into the world of heat generation. Instead of looking forward to getting to a warm house, I took a few extra turns and stretched the ride out a bit because February rides are a great treat!

Toward the end of my ride, the battery ran out, so I estimate I got about 4 hours on medium heat, which is more than enough for a commute, but if you were planning to be riding all day, you might need an extra batt unless the low setting was sufficient.

Also worth noting is that while Gerbing provides a charger with the base layer, it seems to be proprietary, and none of my other cords will work- so a road trip requires a bit more equipment be packed.

My ride home the next day was warmer (about 50), and on a bike (Pan America) that provides a bit more protection and had heated grips, so I left with no fleece but heat on medium. At a light 30 minutes into my ride, I dropped the heat to low as I was too warm and continued my ride in warm comfort.

On my next day commuting, I continued my evaluation of the Gerbing Base Layer, and it continued to impress.  I am happy I finally took the leap into heat generation!

*We are having a sale on in-stock heated gear right now (the month of March , 2023) s stop in and get with our experts and get the right gear for your ride!

Oysters and Evos (Sept. 24, 2022)

The Evolution motor is the motor that saved Harley-Davidson and the humble oyster is the workhorse that can save the Chesapeake Bay.

We here at All American H-D like both of these hard-working life-changing things! Let’s celebrate them!

Head down to All American Harley-Davidson on Sept 24, 2022, to check out some cool Evolution V-Twin powered Harleys while you sample some of the Chesapeake’s finest Oysters and learn a little about what the Oyster Recovery Partnership is doing to support these succulent bivalves and the bay waters that nourish them. Read down beneath this flyer to get more info about some history! Want to be in our Big Twin Evo show? Click here!

Some Evo history:

It is well known that Harley’s AMF years (‘69-‘81) saw a decline in quality (and reputation as Harley responded to its corporate owners’ thirst for increased production and short-term sales goals. What is less well known is that those same corporate owners allowed increased spending on R&D and HD ultimately developed the “Evo”. When H-D was purchased (and ultimately saved) by a handful of the Motor Company faithful, including the legendary Willie G Davidson, they knew they had this huge improvement of a motor waiting in the wings and likely would not have pushed all their chips into the center of the table if the Evo had not been mostly developed. It was their faith in, not just the Bar and Shield, but also the Evo motor that allowed the buy-back and ultimately saved Harley

The first Harleys to come with the new, reliable, and far more oil-tight Evolution motor were built in late ‘83, and the groundbreaking Softail family was introduced for the 1984 model year. The seismic effect of that new motor and model family was that in the decade between ‘82 and ‘92, Harley’s went from collecting dust (and leaking oil) on dealership floors to having year-long waiting lists as the Motor Company struggled to increase production each year in an attempt to keep up with soaring demand for their classically American chromed out machines.

The last H-D Big Twins to host the Evo were 1999 Softails as the Twin Cam had already taken over the Touring and Dyna families that year.

Today, the Evo soldiers on in a Sportster version first released in 1986, and while the new Milwaukee-Eight motor released in 2017 is vastly superior in almost every way, HD’s Evolution V-twin will retain a special place in history for those of us old enough to have seen the country astride it and to have appreciated what it did for Harley-Davidson, for the sport of motorcycling, and for us.

Some Oyster history:

When John Smith sailed into the Chesapeake Bay in the 1600’s oysters were so plentiful there were oyster reefs protruding from the water, and for more than a century after, the filter-feeding oyster continued to be plentiful in the bay and did its yeoman’s work of nourishing itself while it filtered the water in the bay, keeping it clean and healthy for the diverse underwater life in our massive estuary.

During that time of inconvenient refrigeration, Chesapeake oysters were mostly consumed locally and the outstanding supply could keep up with the local demand. Over time, harvesting techniques became more efficient and more damaging to the oyster beds, hurting their ability to regenerate and simultaneously, the ability to ship far further spiked demand tremendously and by the time the 1900s arrived, oysters in the bay were a tiny fraction of what they once were and that along with other factors has hurt the water quality of the bay which has harmed the harvest of everything we enjoy from it.

The goal of the Oyster Recovery Partnership is to regenerate the Bay’s oyster population to a level that can again clean our bay water naturally. With the cooperation of Oyster farmers and the restaurants and bars that serve their products, they collect oyster shells returned to them, populate them with new spat, protect the young spat while they grow into an oyster that can survive in the wild, then drop them onto new oyster beds that can rise above the bottom silt and regenerate a natural population of filter feeders that will work to naturally clean our bay.

While some might push for the unrealistic goal of harvesting no oysters in an effort to regenerate the population, the Oyster Recovery Partnership recognizes that working with the watermen who raise oysters and the establishments that serve them offers the economic rewards that make their mission possible.

Bay, Lakes, and Mountains Touring Rally

Occasionally in conversation, I ask someone why they don’t seem to be riding as much and one common answer is that they “don’t have anyone to ride with”. If you or someone you know find yourself in that position I hope you will consider joining me and a bunch of other HOG members on what promises to be an epic trip later this summer.

We will roll out of All American, across the Eastern Shore and up thru PA and the Finger Lakes region of New York, across to Lake George, and up into New Hampshire before heading home. Along the way we will stop at the York Factory and several dealers; you can ride and party with old friends and make new ones along the way; you can ride with a small group, a big group, or solo; you can take the fast way or the twisties (I’ll be taking the twisties), but whatever you do, a good time will be had by all!

For those who are experienced road trippers, you know how much fun this will be; for those who have always wanted to take that “Epic Road trip” but haven’t gotten around to it yet, this is the perfect opportunity!

You can click here to read more and register for the rally, but here are the basics:

We leave Tuesday morning, August 16 from All American H-D and will spend that night in Harrisburg, PA, Wednesday night we will be in Geneva, NY, Thursday night in Lake George, NY, and Friday night in Lebanon, NH before heading home (or going even further if you wish) on Saturday, Aug 20.

Registration is open now…but it is also limited so put in for your time off now and sign up today!

The only requirement is that you are a HOG member- and that you like to Ride and Have Fun!

-Lyndon

The Lowdown on Shock Height

For this story I am going to just focus on rear shocks. We’ll go over other stuff in some future installments if there is interest.

For a really long time most Harley riders never gave much thought to suspension, the stock shocks on most touring models for more than 20 years were some basic air shocks that were acceptable when new but mostly beat after 30,000 miles and though they had the ability to adjust preload with an air pump, most riders rarely bothered, leaving them with generally inadequate rear suspension. Starting in 2014, some of the Rushmore Touring models began to be delivered with the new “Premium Ride” suspension that offered a very nice upgrade in durability, ease of adjustment, and quality of ride.
Still, the only reason most riders considered a different set of shocks was to lower their bike, either for a “slammed” look, or to help them get flat-footed at a stop.
In 2017 Harley introduced the new (and much more powerful) Milwaukee 8 motor and with it more improvements to the suspension on the touring models. Because of that and the subsequent popularity of the King of the Baggers race series, the interest in performance baggers, which had been slowly growing for many years, exploded and riders began looking for increased performance in areas beyond the motor and suspension has gotten a lot more attention. Something that was incredibly rare in the past, raising the ride height of a Harley, suddenly became popular enough that Harley jumped in the game from the factory with the new performance baggers- the Road Glide ST and the Street Glide ST. Both ST models feature various performance enhancements from the factory, including suspension that is an inch taller than the non-ST versions.

With that preamble out of the way, I will go thru some basics of rear suspension and some pros and cons of different choices. We are always available for questions so if you have some let us know,

What are the benefits of taller shocks?
What shock absorbers do (no surprise here!) is to absorb the shocks (bumps) that would otherwise be passed on to you from the road. At the same time, they must control wheel travel in a way that keeps your bike from floating or wallowing through a turn as that translates to very poor handling. To perform both of those things, the best thing to have is as much wheel travel as possible. The concept is simple- if you are trying to control a 2-inch bump with 2 inches of wheel travel it is almost impossible, but if you have 2 feet of wheel travel it is pretty easy. 2 feet of travel would result in too tall a bike but just adding an inch can make a substantial difference.
Another potential benefit is more subtle- by raising the rear suspension without raising the front suspension you decrease the rake in the front end which will make the steering a bit quicker. A big change here can make the front end less stable at speed but on an H-D touring model where the rear shocks come up one inch the difference is negligible.

What is the downside of taller shocks?
The only downside is that your seat height is taller. For some riders, this makes almost no difference to them, for riders that have shorter inseams, that can be uncomfortable

What are the benefits of an air suspension like Legends?
While the suspension is adjustable and, with the onboard air compressor it is adjustable on the fly, it is not as sophisticated a shock absorber as a purpose-built unit can be; its main benefit is simply to raise and lower the bike easily and on-demand. Some choose it for the ability to lower their bike a few inches for parking or to get around in a tight space while retaining the full ride height when rolling down the road, others choose it for the “wow” factor of slamming their bike all the way down in seconds, and others for both benefits.

Whether you are looking for a high-end shock absorber for max performance, the ability to lower your ride while retaining ride quality, or something to show off at the next bike night we can help you. For questions send an email to parts@allamericanharley.com or just stop by and talk to one of our parts pros.

Who you buy your parts from…

Maybe you have heard of Small Business Saturday… First observed in the United States on November 27, 2010, it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is a relatively new phenomenon, making its first real appearance in 2005 but the idea of getting deals online with the advances in shopping searches has changed many people’s notion of a shopping experience. However, we would like to think there are many reasons why a “real” shopping experience is still superior in most situations and especially when dealing with certain products and services.

I was reading a motorcycle magazine recently and noticed an ad that sadly struck me as offensive. The ad was for an internet parts seller who, in their advertisement, stated, “who you buy from is as important as what you buy.” I was stunned.

While I strongly agree with the statement (indeed, it is an All American mantra), when one considers the source, it is hard to swallow. How is a faceless, out-of-town (or out of country?), computer-generated pseudo-store some place that one should value?  I find this assertion absurd because our team at All American H-D spends each day trying to prove that “who you buy from is as important as what you buy”.  To suggest an Internet pseudo-store can provide the same benefits as our Parts and Accessories counter is simply incorrect. By spending large sums on national ads in respected magazines, these businesses attempt to convince you that their goods are less expensive, even though this is typically not the case. Now they are attempting to convince us that they are somehow important to our community?? Let’s face it, they are important to the motorcycle magazine community- not the biker community and certainly not the biker community in our area.

At All American Harley-Davidson, we have invested in the local community, not only with our building, taxes, and civic contributions, but more importantly for fellow bikers, by hiring experts who live and breathe Harley-Davidson and by maintaining a multi-million dollar inventory so our customers can see, feel, and touch the items they love. We are, of course, here to answer your questions, provide solutions, and offer our expertise as required.  Furthermore, we maintain and train a full department of Harley technicians. We service, and we stand behind what we sell.

At All American, we do not pretend that good service is free shipping or a computer generated email response, rather we are here in person to offer our expertise with honesty and integrity and to share our enthusiasm daily. If the kind of personal service we provide and the ability to talk to pros in person and to look at and touch the merchandise you are interested in is important to you, we ask you to support the people who support you.

I bring this up because All American is not only grateful for but, like all other brick and mortar stores, dependent upon your patronage.  As you consider where to spend any shopping dollars consider, patronizing local businesses that support what you love. Our goal is to ensure All American Harley-Davidson is one of those businesses. We know you have a choice of where to spend your hard earned dollars and whether it is our facility, our large and well trained service department, the free seminars we provide, our large inventory or the knowledgeable and professional staff we employ we hope we give you reason to bring your business to us and to recommend us to your friends.

I apologize for the rant, but I encourage you to patronize local businesses that support what you love. Our goal is to ensure that All American Harley-Davidson is one of those. Remember, “Who you buy from is as important as what you buy!”
Pass it on.

Keep the Rubber Side Down,

Lyndon & the All American H-D crew

Covid-19 Update: 6/9/2020

Customers must wear a mask or face covering at All American H-D. Please make sure you have a mask, bandana, scarf, etc. if you need to visit the store.  As we type this, we have a few available for sale in our MotorClothes department and will try our best to keep these in stock!

Our New Hours as of June 9th are as follows:

10am- 7pm Tuesday – Friday

10am- 5pm Saturday

11am- 4pm Sunday (service Dpartment Closed)

We will continue to follow government guidelines on social distancing and disinfecting our workspaces.

For Service we will continue to do business by appointment; drop-offs and pickups may be coordinated by phone or email (service@allamericanharley.com; 240-528-2000) or we can arrange to have your Harley picked up if you prefer.

Our Showroom is now open for P&A, MotorClothes, and Motorcycle Sales. But if you need something or wish to ask a question without coming into the store, here is some contact information:
P&A or Motorclothes:  parts@allamericanharley.com; 240-528-2002.

Motorcycle Sales or Finance Office: sales@allamericanharley.com; 240-528-2004

For general questions please email us at info@allamericanharley.com.

When the situation changes or our hours of operation change, we will update the info on our website and post on Facebook.

Thanks for your patience, understanding, and help!

No Replacement for Displacement

When Harley-Davidson introduced the new Milwaukee 8 motor in the 2017 Touring models they simultaneously increased power, decreased heat and decreased vibration. Since power comes from heat and, all things being equal, also increases vibration, increasing power while decreasing heat and vibration is a neat trick but how they did that is a topic for a different story; this story is about displacement.

For 2020 models the M8 comes in 3 flavors from the factory: 107”, 114”, and 117”; impressively sized already, but new H-D kits allow a conversion from 107” to a competition thumping 128” and the 114” & 117” models get raised to a monstrous 131” of High-Performance V-Twin power!

And, if installed and tuned properly (a very important step!) your factory warranty and extended coverage will stay intact!

The old adage of displacement having no replacement has been around for a long time because it is true. There may be other ways to increase power (compression increase, cam change, super/turbocharging) but if there is an easy opportunity to increase displacement that is always the way to go… and H-D is making it easy on these M8 motors!

Using a similar technology that was employed on cylinders that offered an increase from 96” or 103” to 110” on the twin cam models Harley has increased the size of the cylinder bore to achieve this huge increase in motor size then matched new pistons, heads, and cam to it for a kit that will both smoke your buddies and be warranty compliant!

The issue with making the bore much larger can be heat– because power comes from heat, bigger motors simply make more heat…but the trick with the M8 is how the motor sheds that heat so effectively and it does it well enough that your 128” or 131” will still be a comfortable ride!
Want to know more? Or want to see what it would take to give your V- Twin a lot more juice? Drop us a line and we’ll make sure you get all the details.
-Lyndon

 

2019 Gold!

 

All American Harley-Davidson is proud to announce that we have earned the prestigious Gold Bar & Shield Circle of Excellence Award for 2019.

Each year Harley-Davidson Motor Company awards the top 75 dealers in the USA a Bar & Shield award but only 24 will receive Gold and All American H-D is proud to be in that select group. Thanks to our employees, our customers, and our community!

Last year Silver, this year Gold! And with your support, we hope to announce another Bar & Shield award next year.

 

 

 

 

 

2019 MKE Road Trip Journal (Part 2)

Continued from MKE Road Trip Part 1…

Friday

With plenty of nice mountain roads in store we had a quick breakfast and were on the road before 9. The night downpour had cooled things off and though humid, temps were much cooler; with the breeze of the ride it felt more like October than August.

Back on 33 west thru the mountains and past Skyline Drive on some great switchbacks mixed with nice valley straightaways. A short break in the mountains to see if we could get our cameras working then crossed into WV with stunning vistas as we came down out of the mountains.

After riding over much of this country and experiencing fantastic roads in Colorado, Arizona, and Utah (among other places) I am, once again, reminded that some of the most fun motorcycle roads in the country are around the Shenandoah right here in our backyard!

Thru Seneca Rocks 33 continued to entertain! In Camden, we took a right up Churchville road without filling Mikes tank. The road was great but narrow and twisty…then got narrower. And then even more narrow. We were pretty sure it would either turn to gravel or into someone’s driveway …and that Mike would run dry. Made it to 18 and got a bit more confident we’d make it to a gas station without pushing. Crossed 50 into West Union for a fill-up and sandwiches and picnicked by the shade of the stream next to the community ball field.

With the bikes and ourselves filled up we hoped on 50 and made some fast miles to Parkersburg, WV and crossed the Ohio River into Ohio in the late afternoon. A couple of miles down 7 we hopped off on the mildly famous triple nickel- Ohio route 555.

The route is pretty technical yet is posted at 55mph in almost all areas! Nice, but actually hard to get to 55 with sanity intact. Mike has already learned the lean angle limitations on the right side of his lowered Street Bob so he hangs back a bit. Other technical roads like this are generally lightly populated but 555 is unusual in that so much of it seems to go past someone’s front yard.

Short stop at a hay field before continuing up the nickel to 669 west. 669 is less technical but plenty entertaining and eventually feeds us into 13 north where we make fast tracks thru the cornfields.

Gas and go at 70 near Buckeye lake and we grab a motel room in nearby Hebron, OH about 7pm.

The motel is bare-minimum but the Sunset Inn nearby makes up for it with a great meal and friendly folks, including the towering giant, Randy, who comes over to shake hands and we finally figure is the owner.

Approx 375 miles

 

Saturday

Breakfast at the motel consisted of coffee and donut holes so we load up and hit Bob Evens across the street. Great breakfast and it ends up carrying us most of the day but that’s a lot of food before heading out on a long ride!

Today promises to be faster and straighter and we figure to put down about 100 miles then find a stop. 37 north is a nice back road but straight and fast. A detour takes us around our first closed road of the day and 37 continues northwest to Delaware where we pick up 23 north which gradually turns more and more into a highway and takes us thru upper Sandusky before we find a rest stop almost exactly 100 miles after we left.

 

After our stop, 23 separates from the highway at Carey and carries us thru Fostoria before showing us our second road closed sign of the day. Oh well, northwest on 199 till I get sick of the U-haul in front of us and take a left on 281. The farm roads we pass on our right seem to be paved and curious to ride thru some of that we eventually take a right and I hope it stays paved. We are rewarded with nice countryside and a fast flat road thru farmland. At 6 we know the sensible thing would be to go left and head to the highway as we have to get around Toledo but we like this road so continue straight. Sadly it ends shortly and we head left eventually finding our way back to a town and close to 75. Fill up with Gas and water before getting on I 75, looping around Toledo then picking up 23 again and crossing into Michigan.

It is cool to see the mountains of WV morph into rolling hills in Ohio then flatten out as we get further north and the sky seems to get bigger.

Keith feels the miles are going by too fast and despite a later start and a lot of ground to cover we all agree that taking the long way is better. Plus we like the idea of taking 50 towards 66 in Michigan (Northern Virginia humor).

At Dundee we exit on 50 and head west. It jogs and jukes but we manage to follow it until 66 where the road is closed.

Yes, I have a gift for those things.

We get gas, check the map and head further west to Lake Odessa then north on Jordan Lake road towards a promised Ionia recreation area. Stop at Sessions lake for a scenic break and decide that we can still swing making it to Cadillac for the night. A chatty Iowa transplant who had been kayaking is impressed with our bikes and tells us how much he loves Michigan while an optimistic guy with a sailboat ponders a sail despite no wind.

Back to 66 on the other side of the closure for about 80 miles north before heading northwest on 115 into Cadillac.

A cheap motel room along the shore of the lake fits the bill perfectly and we toast a good day riding with drinks by the lake before surf and turf for all across the street.

Approx 420 miles

 

Sunday

Rain is coming so after checking the weather and despite a somewhat late evening We decide on an earlier start and are caffeinated, gassed up, iced down and on the road before 9. A cruise along lake Cadillac and thru town offers nice vistas and beautiful homes on our way out of town. We pick up 131 north and see a curve warning sign telling the max recommended speed is 70 mph. Haven’t seen one of those before! It cooled down and only Mike is in shirtsleeves but it feels nice to be chilled in August. There seems to be an endless stream of campers, RVs, trailers, and motorcycles heading south, presumably after a week or weekend of recreating up north. The countryside is rugged and picturesque and feels a lot more like Canada than Southern Maryland!

100 miles up the road we pass thru Petoskey and stop in Bay View at the public marina for a rest stop and view of the bay off Lake Michigan. Mike inspects the tide line and we discuss the mechanical operations of various boats while snapping a few pics.

Hard to fathom just how big these lakes are but when you see the size of Little Traverse Bay and later realize it is just a little tiny corner of Lake Michigan it starts to sink in.

We hug the lake on 119 which turns into a popular road – the Tunnel of Trees, and it is easy to see where the name came from. It is a slow, easy cruise thru the narrow road twisting up the coast with beautiful homes and cabins all tucked into the trees.

We stop for a Kodak moment in Cross Village and decide that despite the weather moving in we will stick to the scenic route up the coast. 

 

Another stop before the road turns east offers a few more pics on the beach along the coast of Sturgeon Bay then Mike tuned up the Go Pro to capture some footage of the Mackinaw bridge. 

East to connect with 31 to the interstate and over the big bridge. People get freaked out by it but to us it is just a great view and we wonder how those other folks fare over the Chesapeake Bay bridge.

 

Long line for the toll…I wonder why they don’t have easy pass?

Past the toll we take 2 east and though we will need gas I pass the traffic jam at the shell expecting another pretty soon but after a few miles where we are clearly out of commerce area, I wonder about Mikes range as we have already tested him once. Pull over at a rest stop and locate gas just 15 miles east while checking out the snake over the lake then get on rain gear for the impending storm. Before it hits,we ride along coast beaches of the north shore of Lake Michigan where the water is emerald green like a beach on the Florida panhandle. What a country we live in.

The gas station (Gustofson’s) does quite a brisk business in jerky and smoked fish, so, interested in the local fare and because it is clearly quite popular, we stock up on several items before heading back into the rain. Keith is impressed enough with the place that he picks up a keepsake coozie.

Rain is strong for a bit then we ride in and out of some rain and stop in Manistique to see pretty good sized chop and get some pics. The wind pushes us around until shortly before Escanaba where we take stock of the local motels and decide to back track a little to the Terrace Inn and a stunning view of the marshland around Little Bay de Noc.

The weather turned beautiful so drinks and smoked fish are a nice cap to a day of riding. As we are about as far west as you can go while still being on eastern time, the sun is setting very late and we enjoy an extended cocktail hour before dinner at the attached restaurant.

Approx 300 miles

To Be Continued in Part 3!