Cooperstown and Americade

By: Bob Vincent

TIMBA was running on fumes after only 180 miles. I was riding two up, on a fully loaded, fully dressed 95 cubic inch motorcycle getting 36 mpg. I used to go 220 miles at 45 mpg before the big bore kit was installed. Horsepower is expensive. Ingi and I were on our way to Cooperstown, NY, on I-90W, dodging double tractor- trailers, sliding thru toll booths and testing my new
Roadcrafter, a fully armored, synthetic riding suit, in the rain, when we really, really had to stop for gas, a Cinnabon pecan roll and to rest my left arm which was sore from doing 'THE WAVE' at all the bikers going in the opposite direction, towards Americade at Lake George, NY.

THE WAVE is something done only while riding a motorcycle. Don't attempt 'THE WAVE' in a car, especially with the windows up. OUCH! I always wave at other 2 wheelers to acknowledge our asphalt kinship, and I always wondered if there is a correct way to do 'THE WAVE', without confusing anyone and still get my message across in an acceptable manner.

I usually wave with my left arm fully extended, with an open hand, at the same level as the handlebars. Is 'THE WAVE' above the handlebars considered wimpy? Is 'THE WAVE' below the handlebars only for cool riders? If the reader knows the proper technique for 'THE WAVE', please let me know. THANKS. Now, back to Cooperstown. We felt energized as we mounted up, despite the rain. The cassette player was on Volume 2 of 'The Best of Hank Williams, SR' when we exited at Route 80S, which is a curvy, rural road that led us to our little motel on Otsego Lake. The preseason rate of $59 jumps to the in-season rate of $150 next week. WHEW! The room was big, the view was terrific and I was able to park the bike right in front of our window.

We unloaded TIMBA and headed 8 miles south to the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum, a 3 storied brick building in a little town named after James Fenimore Cooper, author of 'The Last of the Mohicans'. The museum contains bronze plaques, new and very old uniforms, amazingly small gloves, fancy rings and even the lockers of some players. Roger Maris is not in the Hall of Fame, but is mentioned for his achievements. The gift store was worth the visit. We also checked out one of the several nearby baseball specialty stores and saw a $2,000 Mickey Mantle baseball card and heard about a $35,000 Honus Wagner card. They did not have any George 'Boomer' Scott, a former Red Sox 1st baseman, cards. SORRY INGI. Besides the museum there were several restaurants within walking distance. One day, we had a great lunch at a great price on a beautiful patio overlooking the lake, at the $400 a night Otsego or Oswego or Osomething Hotel, just outside of Cooperstown. There were also train rides, boat rides and the Ommegang Brewery, a small place just south of Cooperstown, on rural Route 33. They carbonate their Belgian beer twice, once in the vat and once in the bottle, where you can see the settled yeast. DELICIOUS. There is only one car wash in the area, which is next to one of the very few gas stations, so on the first nice day I washed it up and filled it up. Having conquered Cooperstown, we aimed TIMBA towards Lake George, 125 miles away and as Tarzan used to say: ON-GOW-WA TIMBA!

LAKE GEORGE:
All roads are back roads to Lake George, NY, at least to us city folk. We took Route 30N to Route 9N enjoying the miles and miles of gorgeous, curvy, lakeside, forested roads. 

We got to Americade, where 50,000 motorcyclists converge for the first week of June and,
after not finding a room for 60 miles in any direction, even 6 months in advance and, after walking past acres of motorcycles into acres of vendor tents, you arrive having never ridden a motorcycle, never owned a motorcycle and, were uninsured, naked, hungry, having only your checkbook or credit card...you can leave fully trained by a motorcycle instructor, riding a new or used motorcycle of any make, model or color ever dreamed of, fully accessorized with every kind of chrome attachment and do-dad imaginable, all stuffed into your new or used motorcycle camper trailer, fully insured, fully clothed head to toe in the latest leather or  armored synthetic gear, fully over-fed, and fully in debt, so that you can now enjoy miles and miles of gorgeous, curvy, lakeside, forested roads.

We experienced only some of what Americade offered, missing the poker runs, boat rides, demo rides and seminars. We left exhausted, yet fulfilled and headed back to our quiet, little room by the lake in Cooperstown.

HEADING HOME:
So the day came when we had to head home and after an early biker breakfast, we took Route 80S to Route 28S, past the farms and green hills of central NY to I-88E to I-90E where we encountered hundreds of bikes leaving Lake George. Probably going to Laconia. Some of these riders were moving really fast. What a sight, what a sound and what a way to put 800 miles on TIMBA.