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twisties around nyc....?

BISON

BISON

AFM #337
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Location
oakland
Moto(s)
...ride em' & race em'...
Name
Christian
...do they exist? how far out of the city does one have to ride to get to them?

on a more philosophical level....
...is it possible to achieve motorcycle happiness riding in the big apple after living in the bay area???
 
CBRider said:
...do they exist? how far out of the city does one have to ride to get to them?

on a more philosophical level....
...is it possible to achieve motorcycle happiness riding in the big apple after living in the bay area???
Click to expand...

Yes, they exist. Not on the same level as out West, but they exist in a much smaller capacity. To be honest if you're coming from the Bay Area to NYC and hope to have some sort of happiness...well, it's probably not going to happen. After 3 years of riding >450 miles every Sunday during the spring-fall trying to find good twisties, I gave up and have focused on the track. It's frustrating having to ride 125 miles from BK to the middle of nowhere, PA or up to the Catskills just to find decent roads and after you do they're nowhere near what the canyon roads are like out in CA.

If you're in NY PM me and I'll help you get in contact with some guys who know good roads and can lead you around or I can give you a few hints.

If you can't tell, I'm a bit down on the NY area (in regards to riding) and actually plan to move to CA next spring. :laughing
 
thanks krooklyn
...i guess you are exactly who i needed to hear from. i have been contemplating a move out there for a while now...for work, family, and friends...i grew up outside of DC and all my closest friends from out east live in brooklyn now.
...it makes sense for me to be there for every reason except motorcycles. my friends just flew out here and road (old honda cb's that i fixed up for them) back to brooklyn. they knew i was thinking about moving out there, and while on the road we talked about it often. they know how important riding is to me and my mental health... and now that they have heard the call of the motorcycle and are addicts too, THEY are seriously worried that I would be unhappy in brooklyn. i was already worried...when i realized how worried they were for me, my worry grew exponentially. i felt i needed to do some investigation.
I would like to explore some maps of the area with some further information if possible...what are some of the roads that you are thinking of? realistically, how far are they out of town? do i really have to sit in ny traffic? how far are the tracks? how do they compare with thunderhill, infineon, etc...
I have a million questions really...sorry to hit you with my life story/a bunch of questions...
any thoughts, advice, information on the matter is much appreciated....
 
CBRider said:
I would like to explore some maps of the area with some further information if possible...what are some of the roads that you are thinking of? realistically, how far are they out of town? do i really have to sit in ny traffic? how far are the tracks? how do they compare with thunderhill, infineon, etc...
I have a million questions really...sorry to hit you with my life story/a bunch of questions...
any thoughts, advice, information on the matter is much appreciated....
Click to expand...

I'll try to answer these as objectively as I can, but keep in mind that I am jaded and just ride the track now. Part of that was due to visiting my bro-in-law in LA, so you can blame SoCal for that. :teeth

what are some of the roads that you are thinking of?
Click to expand...

I don't want to get into specific road names over the interwebs, but I can PM you some routes if you'd like. Judging by what I've seen you guys have in NorCal, only a few that are up in the Catskills, one in Northern NJ, one in upstate close to the Adirondacks, a few over in PA are what I'd consider remotely close to good. Sure, there are some in the Harriman/Bear Mtn. area, but they're no comparison to proper CA canyon roads IMO.

realistically, how far are they out of town?
Click to expand...

The good roads in PA are ~125-150 away from my place in BK. The few 'ok' roads in N. NJ are ~60 miles away. Harriman/Bear Mtn. is ~60 miles away and the road that's the closest thing to a CA canyon road is about ~235 miles from my place. Yes, you read that right, 235 miles away on the slab, just to ride a 'good' road by CA area standards and a great road by NY standards. :(

do i really have to sit in ny traffic?
Click to expand...

No, you can split, but in NY it's not legal and the cops will ticket you b/c NYC needs the money.

how far are the tracks? how do they compare with thunderhill, infineon, etc...
Click to expand...

MMC (Monticello Motor Club) is ~120 miles from BK and NJMP (New Jersey Motorsports Park) is ~140 away. I've not been to MMC b/c the armco and the lack of run-off scare me and most TD clubs. NJMP I go to frequently and have ridden Lightning and Thunderbolt a lot. I prefer Thunderbolt to Lightning. The facilities are nicer than WSMC (haven't been to any other CA tracks), but there's a lack of elevation change, so it's a give/take.

If you have any other questions just let me know.
 
Krooklyn said:
I don't want to get into specific road names over the interwebs, but I can PM you some routes if you'd like.
Click to expand...
...please PM me...


Krooklyn said:
The good roads in PA are ~125-150 away from my place in BK. The few 'ok' roads in N. NJ are ~60 miles away. Harriman/Bear Mtn. is ~60 miles away and the road that's the closest thing to a CA canyon road is about ~235 miles from my place. Yes, you read that right, 235 miles away on the slab, just to ride a 'good' road by CA area standards and a great road by NY standards. :(
Click to expand...
...this sir, is not close...at all. i have been spoiled by the bay area. i may never be able to leave....

Krooklyn said:
No, you can split, but in NY it's not legal and the cops will ticket you b/c NYC needs the money.
Click to expand...
...thats what i was hoping to hear.

Krooklyn said:
If you have any other questions just let me know.
Click to expand...
...i am sure i will come up with many more. thanks for your help.
 
I'm sitting home here in San Luis Obispo area where I have lived since 1988. Before that (32years) was a native New Jersey boy. After 22 years out here I still every day ( and am an agnostic at best) PRAISE GOD that I live in California now. With regards to moving to NYC area, DON'T FUCKIN DO IT!!!! Look at the USA map and notice that LA to SF is roughly equal distance as Washington DC to Boston. Now notice that i[In between[/I] those two east coast points is Baltimore-Philly-NJ (most densely populated state)-NYC-Hartford and a non-stop flow of smaller cities in between all those major cities. So take the LA sprawl and run it non-stop to SF and out to Vegas. Now mix in hot/humid/rainy for much of June to September and cold/damp/slushy for November to March. Then watch "Jersey Shore" and imagine millions of those assholes driving all around you. Then throw in pissed-off cops and Donald Trump wanna-bes. Riding consist of waiting for a gap in the flow of cars and pulling out of your driveway and getting in line and staying there. I'm still in glory of being able to put my motorcycle in top gear and leaving it there for many miles. NEVER happen back there. I could go on but I'll just say again DON'T DO IT!! Go have a fun visit and eat some fuckin good-ass pizza (ONLY thing I miss) and call it good. As a motorcyclist it's Hell. For the others, it just sucks. This is all coming from a place of fellow-rider love. If you're friends see that your mental health is tied into riding, believe them about that's not the place to be. Califuckinfornia baby!!!
 
Yeah, Larry put it pretty well. NYC is great for a lot of things, but motorcycle riding is definitely not one of them.
 
Aww... I disagree to some degree. There are some nice roads out here... Larry seems to fall into the bucket of people who move to the West coast and never want to leave (I know a lot of people like that). I'll give you the other side if that's OK, someone who loves the East Coast and enjoyed my time in Cali but could never live there.

So, for East Coast riding...

Long Island has some great twisties, especially as you get further out East. I am waiting for my friend Tommy to join the forum, he will be able to give you more specifics on which roads (I am a group rider follower, so never know where I am).

Sussex county NJ also has some good riding. Again, my friend Jason will have to pipe in here. I'll shoot him an email to join up shortly.

While you're not going to find roads that are exactly like the Bay Area, I don't think it should completely discourage you from moving out here if that is your plan. You could also try racing Supermoto... we have some fun tracks out here for that.

:ride
 
Krooklyn said:
Yeah, Larry put it pretty well. NYC is great for a lot of things, but motorcycle riding is definitely not one of them.
Click to expand...

I agree with that. It's not a place to move to if you want to ride. That's what the Bay Area is for. It's a place to move to for all the other awesome things about it, and then you figure out the riding the best you can.

It really depends on your priorities. If riding is your main reason for living... NYC will chew you up and spit you out. :) If you want to be closer to family, friends, and work, then you can make the motorcycle thing happen if it's important to you.

Good luck and let us know if you do decide to move out here!

:thumbup
 
MizCoop said:
Aww... I disagree to some degree. There are some nice roads out here... Larry seems to fall into the bucket of people who move to the West coast and never want to leave (I know a lot of people like that). I'll give you the other side if that's OK, someone who loves the East Coast and enjoyed my time in Cali but could never live there.

So, for East Coast riding...

Long Island has some great twisties, especially as you get further out East. I am waiting for my friend Tommy to join the forum, he will be able to give you more specifics on which roads (I am a group rider follower, so never know where I am).

Sussex county NJ also has some good riding. Again, my friend Jason will have to pipe in here. I'll shoot him an email to join up shortly.

While you're not going to find roads that are exactly like the Bay Area, I don't think it should completely discourage you from moving out here if that is your plan. You could also try racing Supermoto... we have some fun tracks out here for that.

:ride
Click to expand...

I've ridden all those and know them very well and they can't compare to Cali canyon roads. Anyone who says they can either hasn't ridden enough roads in Cali or is in denial.

CBRider, I'd suggest you take a trip over borrow a friends bike and then you'll see what I'm talking about.
 
Krooklyn said:
I've ridden all those and know them very well and they can't compare to Cali canyon roads. Anyone who says they can either hasn't ridden enough roads in Cali or is in denial.

CBRider, I'd suggest you take a trip over borrow a friends bike and then you'll see what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to say they compare to them... just that we have some decent roads in case he does decide to move here. If he's looking for Hwy 9, I agreed that he won't be happy.
 
larry kahn said:
Hey, yous guys send me some pizza and I'll send yous some weed!

Meanwhile, put this tiny little bit of my neighborhood ride on full screen and enjoy. Speakers on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHBbSBSbQ6E&feature=related

Check any other vids on the page too. Blue skys, no cops. AKA Heaven.
Click to expand...

OK deal! :laughing

Our pizza DOES rock.

And yes, your riding is heaven. I moved to the Bay Area to go to grad school... dropped out after a month... and stayed a year and a half for the riding. :ride

I am just an East Coast girl at heart... that and family health issues and here I am back in NYC, watching your videos and being jealous of your roads.

:cool
 
larry kahn said:
Check any other vids on the page too. Blue skys, no cops. AKA Heaven.
Click to expand...

Oh and that's the other thing about East Coast riding that is kinda annoying... shorter season, and the warm months are fricking hot and humid. So All the Gear All the Time gets a bit schweaty... but still, I do it.
 
...i am still on the fence. i have been riding everyday this week in gorgeous 70's-80's bay area weather asking myself if i could give all this up....
...some of the best roads in the country, year round riding season, legal 'lane-sharing,' twisties ten minutes from home, the Sunday Morning Ride, no-cal tracks, world class riders to ride with....
man...this is gonna be tough...
...thanks mizcoop for the encouragement that there may be some level of hope out there...
...thanks krooklyn and larrykahn for the honest answers.

it seems that, as i thought, if i were to move to brooklyn, i would be frustrated, at best. my hope, if i am to move, is to achieve an acceptable level of motorcycle happiness given what i have to work with...
the truth is motorcycles won't be the deciding factor in this decision for me...once again, the endless pursuit of the almighty dollar will more than likely be the pivotal factor...

...krooklyn...or anyone...please pm with the names of some of the twisties in the nyc area
thanks:ride
 
Put your bikes in storage out here. You'll be back. And bring me some pizza when you do. And I won't even say "I told you so".
 
CBRider said:
...krooklyn...or anyone...please pm with the names of some of the twisties in the nyc area
thanks:ride
Click to expand...

How far are you willing to ride for the twisties? I'll PM you based on how far you're willing to ride from, let's say BK. Keep in mind, if it's less than 60 miles ea/way then you're SOL. To get to any decent roads by Cali standards you have to go to PA or up to the Catskills. Even then they're not much to write home about.

Here's a video of one of the roads in PA and you'll see what I mean. It's 'OK', but if you're from Cali it's nothing special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnlqR1p0KzM

By comparisson here's a video of the best road I've ridden on the east coast, which is almost up to par with a Cali canyon road. Too bad it's ~550 miles away from NYC. :laughing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caY0WN8ieTc
 
I lived in CT for a couple of years, and there were some so-so roads to be found in rural areas, but really more suited to a cruiser than sprotbile. Srsly. However, the pizza really did rock. :drool
 
Just a little info on a couple of tracks that haven't been mentioned:

Loudon, NH
Lots of rain, not very safe, not very fast. A few tricky bumps. But when the bike is working well and you figure out your way around the place, it can be pretty entertaining. It's one of the oldest in the area and hosts Penguin Racing School run together with the CCS races there by the Wood family -- a bit of a staple on the East Coast. Woods are also behind the Woodcraft brand and it's great having them there. Racing-wise, Loudon is an ecosystem all unto itself. It hosts its own CCS region with many of regulars that don't ride anywhere else. Many people are fast there, but nowhere else. Many are fast elsewhere and struggle at Loudon. I've been going there for ages, got my racing license there before moving out West, and have finally had enough of the rain and the struggling and begun to explore other places.

Summit Point, WV
This is a really really fun track. About 4.5 hours from NYC. Big straightaway, nice flow, fun for just about any bike. So far I rode it in pouring rain on a 600 and dry on a 125. Had a blast both times. This was on their Main Course. Never rode Shenandoah, but heard it's not great.

Pocono Raceway, PA
There are 2 layouts used by bikes there. Never raced there, but did a number of trackdays at their "smaller" layout. Not a place to go for a long weekend, as it's totally flat, not very fast, and pretty short. It's a good place to try out a new bike, or just have a mellow day getting your track legs back under you. Heard the big layout is even less technical, but has some really fast sections, which kind of makes up for it.

These are just the ones I can speak of firsthand. There are many more, as you start to look around places like Virginia. Take a look at this too for more general track information. If you end up moving here and want to hit a trackday or two (this goes for every BARF'er anyway), look me up.
 
larry kahn said:
Meanwhile, put this tiny little bit of my neighborhood ride on full screen and enjoy. Speakers on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHBbSBSbQ6E&feature=related
Click to expand...
...this is why i love the cali coast...
Krooklyn said:
How far are you willing to ride for the twisties? I'll PM you based on how far you're willing to ride from, let's say BK.

Here's a video of one of the roads in PA and you'll see what I mean. It's 'OK', but if you're from Cali it's nothing special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnlqR1p0KzM

By comparisson here's a video of the best road I've ridden on the east coast, which is almost up to par with a Cali canyon road. Too bad it's ~550 miles away from NYC. :laughing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caY0WN8ieTc
Click to expand...

PA road=ok
2nd road=:ride but 550 miles:|...on days off i would be looking for roads with 300 miles probably. i would love to find a place like 'the wall' in the east bay where i could continue my nearly daily ritual of a decent ride followed by observing the sunset in the evening. though i may be delusional to think this exists in some capacity....

Alexey said:
Just a little info on a couple of tracks that haven't been mentioned:
Click to expand...
...thanks for the track info. i intend to look into tracks up and down the east coast. I grew up in VA and have many places i could stay down there if i were to head down south to go to the track.

i went to college in the shennandoahs and know a bunch of good runs down there too. in an effort to maintain my sanity, i am sure that i will head down there for weekends of riding.
 
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