Day 4 - June 9

Day 4 – Thursday, June 9

For most of this week I have watched a line from at 7am, for demo rides of the Can-am Spyder. So this morning I decided to join the line myself and test ride a three wheel motorcycle, you note that I did not call it a “trike”, as the two wheels are in the front not the rear. I was 8 in line, so I made the cut for the first ride at 9am, now once you are registered for a ride you can leave and do other things, so you don't have to hang around for hours.

At 8:45 I returned for the demo ride, but before one rides you have to watch the video on all the safety functions of the Spyder, and it has 5 different computer controlled systems, so it would be next to impossible to flip this thing. You then must take the Spyder through a series of marked lanes to satisfy the Can-am folks that you can operate a motorcycle, now in some states you can operate this motorcycle first and then get your motorcycle endorsement second.

So I made it through the cones and “passed”, so next is a real test of taking the Spyder out on the highway, for about a 5 mile trip on some twisty roads, that is were the fun begins, so I am told, most of the time I was holding on for dear life. You can't lean into turns and I had the felling that the front wheels were going to lift off the road, but one of the computer systems would have prevented this from happening, as well it is a semi automatic, in that you shift up by pushing a button and the Spyder down shifts for you. Has good power and can go fast but it has high RPM, and I am told that the distance on a tank of gas is not very good.

I return, bike in one piece and me too, would I purchase one, I am not sure, I think it would take a long time to get use to the steering, I am told by others that this takes 4 to 5 hours, I would say maybe that is 4 to 5 weeks. Nice machine, glad I had the opportunity to test one out, something that I have always wanted too do.

At 10:30 my motorcycle is packed and it is time to head off to visit my Brother in Kent, CT, which is about a 3 hour ride.

Enroute to Kent, I stop for lunch at a very nice deli in Salem, NY, all the locals have lunch at this spot, so one picks up in fast order what life is like in Salem, I could live hear. There is also an old railroad station on what was the end of a D&H branch line now owned by the Batten Kill RR, they run a tourist train up here once in a while.

Feds's Sub Shop and Deli in Salam, NY

After lunch it is South on NY-22, which runs all the way to New York City, this is a nice motorcycle road with little traffic. Next stop is Stockbridge, MA, and for me a new motorcycle state, so I can claim another completed state that I have ridden in. Stockbridge has a very well preserved railroad station on what was once the Northern end of the New Haven RR, Brikshire division.

Stockbridge, MA RR Station

In Stockbridge, one turns South on US-7, one of New England's noted motorcycle roads, it is in the Harley Map Book in yellow. Very little traffic on this winding road through deep forests with rivers and streams. What is also happening is the sky has become “black”, I knew there was a 50% chance of server thunder storms in the late afternoon, but it is only 3:15pm. About 20 minutes North of Kent, where I will be spending the night, it starts – Rain and Lighting! Stopped on the side of the road and changed into my rain gear, under a tree, OK I know that this is not recommended, but a motorcycle stopped and said there is an abandoned house just 2 minutes away, and I could change there – No Thank You.

Pushing on in a very light rain, I made it to my Brothers home in Kent, CT right at 4pm, no sooner than the motorcycle was safely in his garage did the real storm arrive, the rain fall was heavy with high winds, glad to be safe inside.

When we went out to dinner at 8pm, the rain had stopped, but lots of roads were closed due to downed trees or road washouts.

Just another day on the road.