| Author | Message | ||
     Jaimec |
I'm heading up to Lake George for the day on Saturday. Anyone NOT at Homecoming who is planning on being there? Shouldn't be too hard to spot the Red Power Ranger up there amongst the sea of GoldWings and chrome... | ||
| Froggy |
Pending cluch repair, I should be popping in for a little while. Americade ain't really my thing, I like to ride, not have to get off my bike and push it everywhere. | ||
| Jaimec |
By the way, I've been told neither Honda NOR BMW are at Americade this year. I wonder how Honda plans on selling motorcycles? They canceled the Honda Hoot, and they took a pass on the world's largest touring rally?? BMW is a definite for the annual BMW MOA International Rally in Johnsonville, TN in July, but they don't actually put on that rally, they're just a vendor. Wonder if they'll have that FUNKY looking S1000RR there? | ||
| Xl1200r |
This is the first year I haven't actually participated in the event. I usually do the whole week and get a lot of riding in, but the more I ride, the less I like to ride in groups, which is hard. This year it's just ride up, park the bike, take a look at what else is there, grabe a bite and head home (I'm only 45 minutes away). I was up last night - place seemed busy enough for not being the weekend. Weather has definitely been much better than in recent years so far. I might go back up tonight, and I might be up saturday for a bit as well, so I'll keep and eye out for both of you. Jamiec - there are a few notable makes missing from the demos this year. As you mentioned, neither Honda nor BMW showed up. Triumph is also missing, as well as Suzuki. They made up for by bringing in a total of THREE trike manufacturers and some cheap little automatic trans bike thing (I think). I'm kind of glad I didn't pay for admission this year - BMW demos have been the BEST by FAR, and I've been waiting for years to demo some Triumphs (they had a 25 year old age policy, and I turned 25 weeks after the 2008 event). With both of those companies gone, there's not much I'm interested in riding. | ||
| Froggy |
Whats some good roads or rides in the area? | ||
| Xl1200r |
9N up the west shore of the lake is a nice ride. Then you can take Rt 8 off of 9N in the town of Hadley and ride around Brant lake (i think that's the name) which is also nice. The northwest section of Sacandaga is great, but may be crowded this weekend. Lots of twisties. Rt 10 is good - more high speed sweepers. Most any road between Lake George and Lake Placid is going to be very scenic. (Message edited by xl1200r on June 05, 2009) | ||
| Jaimec |
You're right in the middle of Adirondack State Park. If you can't find good roads to ride, you're not looking very hard.  Yes, BMW always had the best demo routes. For awhile there (when I used to lead them) Yamaha had the most EXCITING, but they've tamed it down when they started focusing on the cruiser rider and less on the standards and sport touring bikes. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Never did a Yamaha ride, but Suzuki was always good - took you down black snake road (i think that was the name). Honda's ride route was by far the MOST boring route, no question. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
What's it taste like? | ||
| Brumbear |
The riding in the Adordacks is the shizzle and americade is cool once you getaway from canada street I wish I could go but not this time. I don't mind riding in small groups of 4 or 5 but parades aint no fun | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
So it's not like Kool-aid then? | ||
| Froggy |
Just got home, I didn't make it up there today, it was too late by time I was finished with the ride I was on. Oh well. | ||
| Weatherman |
i think yamaha did the back way around the lake- is that 9 L? and they opened it up pretty good when there was no traffic. this is the first time in 11 years i have missed americade- feels weird | ||
| Xl1200r |
I was up there ysterday - crowded as hell, saw more Buells than I've ever seen up there. No 1125s, but a handful of XBs, two S3s a Uly and an M2. It was HOT. | ||
| Jaimec |
Attendance during the week was reportedly poor, but it was absolutely PACKED on Saturday. Many people I spoke to said they never saw so many bikes. Last year, Fort William Henry started charging people $5.00 to park in their parking lot. This upset Harley and Yamaha because they ran their demo rides out of there. This year, when the Fort stated their intention to do the same, Harley and Yamaha held their demos on Beach Road instead. Bunch of IDIOTS at the Fort. Learned that big convention center they opened a few years ago to house the TourExpo closed last year and it's still for sale. TourExpo was completely down at the beach (where it'd been before the convention center was opened). Didn't see much police presence in Lake George itself but they were all over the roads leading into Lake George (Taconic Parkway, I-90, the Northway, etc). No "Motorcycle-only Checkpoints" that I could see. Saw quite a few Buells too. One guy on a black and red Firebolt yelled at me on Canada Street as I was heading south to Glens Falls. Anybody here? I got my brake and clutch levers covered by Ironbraid again. I've had them braid every bike I've owned since 1993. Bare metal levers feel "odd" to me now. Looks great! Also got a new pair of Cruiserworks touring boots so I can throw out the pair I have now. Be nice to wear something else besides my Combat Lite Boots from time to time. The Cruiserworks boots are completely waterproof, and look more like "normal boots" than most motorcycle boots. Also very comfortable for general walking around. Most motorcycle boots are great for riding, miserable for anything else. Cruiserworks and the Combat Lite boots are the only two exceptions I've found so far. Picked up some Habanero-laced beef jerky from The Jerky Hut (something else I do every year), visited some old friends who live in the area, and headed back home. Got in just before midnight last night. Almost (but not quite) 500 miles in one day on the 1125R. It's a nice bike, but it DEFINITELY ain't my K1200LT when it comes to that kind of riding! | ||
| Alchemy |
Had a good couple days and some great riding up 17 into Vermont and then through Smuggler's Notch. Took a little Ferry across one of the lakes. Good weather & great scenery. Notible: Honda numbers dropping and HD taking a big leap it seemed to me. Beach vendor area was better IMO. More women on bikes Saturday night was the wildest I have seen there. Crowd was large and wilder. Many more burnouts. Police seemed unable to keep this down. Saw only one pretty good wheely that may have been a Buell XB9. Saw 2 girls on the back of sport bikes just take their shirts off. Cops made them put them back on. There was more of this going on it seemed than last year by far. Big hit was the bigger trucks - some diesel - smoking their tires. etc, etc, and sadly a sport bike rider killed on Thursday night I think. Rumor was rode off a turn on the interstate at a high rate of speed. | ||
| Jaimec |
Sounds like Americade is degenerating into another Laconia-type rally... just what the area DOESN'T want. While I was there I saw one squid wearing sneakers, shorts, a tank top, and an off-road helmet doing wheelies on Canada Street on a GSXR. Meanwhile, every needle-dick a*hole with a "Compensation Problem" had to rev their loud bikes repeatedly at the traffic lights. I guess these jerks won't be satisfied until Lake George tells everyone to take a hike as Myrtle Beach did earlier this year. | ||
| Xl1200r |
I didn't stay past 6:45 or so, but on our slow trek through down on our way out, it did seem like the party was getting going. Lots of burnouts in front ofr DJ's, as is always the case people egging them on from the deck. It was a little amusing to watch TWO different people do multiple burnouts and to have the cops walking around trying to figure out who did (with no luck) before traffic started moving. But at the same time, I'm with you, Jaime - it'll be a shame if they change the location. I know it was questionable if Americade was even going to be in Lake George this year because so many people complained about the increased and borderline abusivse police presence. I didn't see any, but heard there was another motorcycle-only checkpoint near exit 17 again this year. At the same time, with all the "ruckus", the town may ask Americade to leave before Americade gets the chance. If I were a resident, and especially a business owner, I don't know that I'd be so quick to kick everyone out, being Americade week and weekend are when the local businesses make a killing, second only to the Hot Rod Nationals in the Fall. We'll see where this goes. | ||
| Jaimec |
Years ago I remember having dinner on the outside porch and the Spaghetti place on Canada Street. We commented how nice and quiet it was, and the loudest vehicles going by were actually pick up trucks. What's happening ISN'T good. Maybe a stepped up police presence specifically targetting the loud bikes are what is in order. All of their advertising already tells people to stay home if they have a loud exhaust. Maybe if they start impounding bikes, the point will be made? I don't have any answers, I'm afraid. I've said it MANY times before: If we don't police ourselves, someone will do it for us; and we WON'T like the solutions they come up with. | ||
| Treefrog |
I was there from Thursday evening til Sunday morning. I saw a 5 or 6 tubers, 6 or so Lightnings, a red firebolt and a white firebolt. And an orange Uly with bags parked on Canada Street (and I think I saw the same Uly leaving the Expo parking field on Friday). I was on a red Uly XT. Next year I'm hoping to make Homecoming. | ||
| Jaimec |
I was parked by a red XT with bags at Fort William Henry Saturday afternoon. Was that you? I was there on my 1125R. |
