Nik L. wowed us last week with some fun asides and Audi trip history. This week he shares his growing list of great rides taken as well as insight into fun rides near his hometown of Chicago.
What moto trips have you taken (long or short). Where did you go, stay and explore? Tell us some highlights.
I rented a 2011 Harley Wide Glide, black with flame accents, from Seacoast Harley Davidson from the seacoast deep into New Hampshire's forests and mountains, including Laconia and and Mount Washington Auto Road. When I brought it back the next morning, the rental manager checked the mileage—and was duly impressed. "You come back any time," he said, "most guys just ride back and forth along the beach."
I borrowed my buddy's 2000 Ducati Monster 900ie that he brought to San Francisco upon returning from London and rode from San Fran to Monterey, CA . This was an amazing ride, although surprisingly cold in October at 5 in the morning (my forearms and elbows were icing over on the ride down to Laguna Seca). The next day was warmer and I was able to enjoy a leisurely cruise up Route 1, stopping for seafood in Half Moon Bay.
I rode a 2006 Triumph Bonneville from Cooperstown, NY to Hull, MA via the Adirondack Mountains and the Berkshires in Massachusetts. It was beautiful weather with lush green forests and multiple elevation changes. The 790 carbureted Bonneville is not a powerful bike, but with adequate gearing it happily carried myself plus a complete set of soft luggage for hours with no complaint.
My godfather, unlike my parents, supports my love of motorcycles and riding. While visiting him in Houston, I rented a 2015 Night Rod Special, and he mounted his 1995 Dyna Convertible, and the two of us were off to his lake house in Crockett. The further we got from civilization, the more challenging the roads became, rocky and unpaved. But the Special came into its own upon returning to the wide highways and smooth ring roads circling Houston, passing the traffic with authority and ease.
Side note: my brother-in-law purchased that Dyna Convertible from my godfather, and we shipped it to Russia. As far as I know, it became the first Harley on Sakhalin Island.
What hobbies do you enjoy when you're not riding?
I enjoy Automotive restoration. I typically have at least one European project car around in some stage of the process. They don't have to be fancy, it's more about the process. Among the cars I've had: 1973 BMW 2002, 1982 Audi Quattro (the original rally homologation special), 1979 Porsche 911SC, 1987 Porsche Carrera, 2000 Audi TT and a 1995 Volvo 850 wagon.
What do you enjoy about being part of the Twisted Road community?
For me, it's about the variety. I had a friend from childhood who owned a small shop filled with model cars. When asked why he opened this business, he replied that he realized he would never own all of the cars that he wanted, in full size. So by opening the model shop, he was able to experience the variety.
Twisted Road is like that. There are lots of bikes I'd like to try and enjoy, but not necessarily own for an extended length of time. I'm happy to share my own machines, particular to my taste/choosing, with others—and periodically sample what my fellow riders enjoy, too.
What are your favorite biker-friendly places & rides around your hometown?
Hard to say. Most of my riding is done solo, to enjoy the beauty of nature and fully appreciate the combination of man-machine-environment.
Chicago is tough. Yes, you can get your kicks from a hooligan bike like a Ducati Scrambler by tackling downtown and then enjoying Lake Shore Drive from end to end, but sometimes it's nicer to get away. Shorter trips through Lake County, heading north toward Wisconsin's Lake Geneva, make a nice afternoon into evening ride. Longer trips to the Driftless Region along the Mississippi River bring back a New England-type offer the feeling of twisty roads and elevation changes.
What location is on your moto trip bucket list?
Short term, I'd like to ride up and down the Mississippi on the Great River Road. The Lake Michigan Circle Tour. Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains.
Long term, I'd ride Vancouver to Alaska. Might have to buy a new adventure bike for that one…
Check out Nik's Bikes (all three of them) available for rent (just outside of Chicago):
