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May 2012—Shipped to Dealers on April 25!
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May 2012
Discover California: Tehachapi
Some travelers are a little obsessed with such things as dams, tunnels, trains, bridges, and so forth, and will sometimes go great distances to see these man-made wonders. The smallish town of Tehachapi, California (population 14,404) knows these folks well. Thanks to its location at the very southern tip of the Sierra Nevada Range, the town has not one, but two world-famous infrastructure attractions. The first, the Tehachapi Loop, lies on the western side of the Pass and is a 0.73-mile stretch of 2% grade rail line that forms a complete circle to gain 77 feet of elevation. This ascent is necessary in order to get trains over the Tehachapi Mountains that link the Sierra Nevadas to the coastal ranges and separate the San Joaquin Valley from the Mojave Desert. At the time of its completion in 1876, the Loop was considered one of the greatest engineering feats in the world. Today, it is still a favored attraction for railfans who come to watch as Union Pacific trains labor around the circle and, if they are long enough (85 boxcars or more), eventually cross over themselves… Watch the video!
April 2012
Discover Montana: Troy
In the northwestern corner of the state, Troy, Montana used to be quite the happening place. Back in the 1800s, when this part of the state was known as 'Montana Wilds' because of its deep ravines, dense forests, steep mountains, and fearsome Native Americans, some intrepid soul discovered gold in the area. The ensuing rush for riches and the subsequent arrival of the Great Northern Railroad brought the sleepy little burg to life and redefined the term, 'Montana Wilds.' As a Mrs. D.T. Wood put it in 1892, Troy was notable for its “15 saloons gaily lit [and] filled to the doors with 'wild men and women' yelling, singing, dancing, and cursing, with glasses held high…Fights and ribaldry were the order of the days and nights.” As with many once-rollicking towns throughout the West, those days vanished when the gold ran out. Nowadays, Troy is just as quiet as the lazy Kootenai River that winds by it and is almost the prototypical quiet small town, as author Max Brooks recognized when he featured it as a quiet, zombie-free safe zone for humans in his best-selling post-apocalyptic 2006 horror novel (and soon to be a Brad Pitt film), World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War… Watch the video!
March 2012
Discover Oregon: Joseph
Despite being small, Joseph, Oregon has a lot to offer residents and visitors alike. Lying just east of the snow-capped Wallowa Mountains (appropriately nicknamed 'the American Alps') in the northeastern corner of the state, Joseph has beautiful scenery and a packed social calendar. For example, the 6th Bronze Bike Motorcycle Rendezvous rolls into town August 17-19, the Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts runs June 1-3, and the 24th Annual Mountain Cruise Car Show is slated for June 8-9. The 64th Annual Chief Joseph Days Rodeo is July 25-28, the 16th Bronze Blues and Brews takes place August 10-11, and well, suffice to say that Joseph has few event-free weekends between May and October. And although the Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally (June 8-11) isn't held in Joseph proper, that great event's Baker City home is in such close proximity (about 50 miles as the crow flies) that it helps tip the scales in Joseph's favor as we add this little town to the long list of places we must visit on our motorcycling bucket list. After all, any place that has not just one but two annual motorcycle rallies on the calendar has to have some good ridin' in the neighborhood, right?… Watch the video!
February 2012
Discover California: Loma Linda
As many riders know, marquee riding roads dot the Southern California countryside like spots on a dalmatian. From San Diego's Palomar Mountain Road to Highway 33 out of Ojai, and from the Angeles Crest Highway in the eastern mountains to the coastal range's Mulholland Highway, southern California is strewn with glamorous roads that are more than just rides—they are events. Motorcyclists come from far and wide to ride these roads. On any given fair-weather day, there are bikes swinging through their twisties while the local hang out's parking lot is filled with two-wheeled eye candy. But sometimes you are just not in the mood for the thrill and excitement of a ride-party. Sometimes you just want to go out, find some new corners, see some new scenery, and maybe stop for a bite to eat… Watch the video!
January 2012
Discover Montana: Eureka
Surprisingly, there are nearly two dozen places in the U.S. that bear the name 'Eureka,' including one in Colorado, one in Illinois, a big one in California, and a tiny one in Wisconsin. Both North Carolina and South Dakota have Eurekas (although the former is barely there with a population of just 244), while Nevada's version is famous for its restored 1880s Opera House and its location on Highway 50—The Loneliest Road in America…Watch the video!
Dualsport: West Glacier, Montana
Back in October we traveled through Glacier National Park (GNP) in Montana on our street bikes. This park has such a rugged beauty that it practically begged us to explore it some more, but this time via dualsports. So let's take a ride along the western edge of GNP by starting out in the town of West Glacier… Watch the video!
December 2011
Discover Oregon: Vale
Vale, Oregon lies just about a dozen miles west of the Idaho border and alongside the winding Malheur River. Today it is also at the intersection of US20 and US26, but back when conversations about 'horse power' referred to the four-legged kind, Vale was the first stop actually in Oregon on the Oregon Trail. And while most Americans read in grade school about the long lines of covered wagons that journeyed westwards to the Oregon Territory from Independence, Missouri, they may not have learned what was behind that mass migration. In 1818, the Americans and British agreed to jointly occupy Oregon—at least on paper. But as my father used to say, possession is nine-tenths of the law. With the Revolutionary War still fresh in their minds, Americans had a less-than-welcoming view of their former colonial overlords, so many decided to migrate to Oregon to keep the British from claiming possession. (Well, the free land they got at the end of their perilous cross-continent trek definitely pushed them along as well.) As we all know, the plan worked—which means we get to explore this area without having to carry our passport!… Watch the video!
Previous Issues
Copyright © 2011 - Friction Zone
Cover Story |
Discover |
Dualsport |
From the Editor |
Lost In America |
On the Scene |
Product Review |
TechTips |
Videos |
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