New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US.

1) California: Marysville/La Porte Road: "This road takes you through some great twisty asphalt through the Plumas National Forest." Located northeast of Yuba City.

2) Illinois: Blue Ridge Road: "Nice curvy 2 lane blacktop up out of the Illinois River valley."

3) Michigan: River Road: "A scenic ride along the Au Sable River. Several points of interest along the way..." Off of US 23 in northern Michigan.

4) Missouri: SR H: "Highway H doesn't have the best pavement, but does have some nice sweepers and elevation changes. " Located east of Fort Leonard Wood.

5) New Jersey: Pasadena Road: "This road runs parallel to a former railroad track and ends up by Route 72 in Manahawkin."

6) New York: CR 57: "Narrow road with little traffic and twisties." AKA Shunpike Road.

7) Oklahoma: Cavanal Hill Road: "You're riding a steep and twisty one lane road to the top of the highest hill in the world..." "If this road had a personality, it would be Snake Plissken!" Located west of Poteau.

8) Pennsylvania: Powells Valley Road: "...from Lykens to Greenland Road the road is smooth with plenty of curves as you go through Lykens Glen State Park."

9) Tennessee: Daus Mountain Road: "The road starts out as a nice set of twisties and turns into sweepers." Located northwest of Chattanooga.

Madawaska (ME) Four Corners Park

Received an email from Joe LaChance, president of the Madawaska Four Corners Park Association, with some information on the park.

"The Madawaska, Four Corners Park Association has created a park to honor the S.C.M.A Four Corners Tour finishers, participants and motorcyclists.

Located prominently in downtown Madawaska, Maine, our park features an impressive 12-foot tall blue pearl granite monument and a lighted water fountain, surrounded by granite benches and tables with gazebo's, a drinking fountain also a storyboard, and a fireplace. The parks landscaping includes flowers and trees to create shade and beauty for visitors to enjoy. The park also features walkway paths paved with engraved granite paver stones celebrating Four Corners tour finishers ,participants and park supporters. a must see for motorcyclists."

Madawaska is located on US 1 in the northeast corner of Maine and the US and a must stop if you are in the area..

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Top Roads

Here are a few top roads listings which were recently posted. I'm not going to comment on the selection of roads, they are all good motorcycle roads. You could argue forever about a top roads list. Here they are:

Competition Accessories is in the process of listing the top 20 roads in the various regions of the US. A short description, photo, road length, and rider's rating is provided on each road. However, in many cases, you have to guess which road(s) or route are being described. A map or the road designations would have been helpful.

Bill Muneio recently posted his Top 5 Motorcycle Roads of California's Central Coast. Bill provides a good description along with several photos and a link to a Google Map of the road. He purposely left out CA 1 since it has been covered thoroughly elsewhere.

Smage Brothers Motorcycle Stunt Team

The Smage Brothers Motorcycle Stunt Team was a smashing success on this week's edition of America's Got Talent. Link to YouTube video.

Harley 2012 Lineup

Harley-Davidson has announced its 2012 motorcycle lineup. The lineup includes 32 models showcased by 4 CVO models, a 10th Anniversary V-Rod, and a new model, the Dyna Switchback.

The Dyna Switchback, with detachable hard saddlebags and detachable windshield, can easily be converted from a touring bike to a cruiser. The base price is $15,999.

Overall prices for 2012 are up 1% in the United States with a range of $7,999 for a Superlow Sportster to $37,249 for the Ultra Classic CVO model.

For more information visit Harley-Davidson's website.

West Virginia

Spent a couple of days riding in the mountains of West Virginia. 1st time for me. Here are some of my observations:
WV 55 is a great road but it's character has been compromised as a portion in now a 4-lane freeway (part of Corridor H). This freeway cuts through mountains and fills in valleys. Traffic on this freeway, which cost several million per mile to build, was very light. This is a waste of taxpayer money and it has ruined the beautiful mountain scenery and road. Along the freeway you will see signs directing you to the old 55, however.
Ditto for US 33 - it also has some segments with Corridor H freeway. A must stop is Seneca Rocks at the intersection of WV 55 and US 33. Be sure to visit the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center and check out Harper's Old Country Store.
Rode US 50 from Clarksburg to Ellenboro. Also a 4-lane freeway (Corridor D) and a bit of a disappointment. Traffic was moderate on this segment.
From Ellenboro I took WV 16 to St. Mary. If the rest of 16 is as good as this small segment, you can't go wrong. St. Mary is  unique in that a railroad runs down the center of the main street. I talked to a local and he said that several trains come through daily and St Marys is one of only 2-3 towns in the US with this rare situation. When a train approaches, lights flash to warn motorists to move to the side and make way for the train. An opportunity for a quick stop and photo op.
WV 7 was the real deal and it restored my faith in WV roads. Light traffic and endless curves.
Overall, these roads in the WV mountains were a enjoyable ride. Look forward to getting back to this area and explore other roads.