200 Motorcycles and three scooters

I did this annual ride today.  A beautiful day to ride 100 miles through south central PA twisties and hillocks all around the Hershey, PA area.  This ride supports the PA State Police Museum and retired state policemen.  Present were about 200 motorcycles and three scooters: two Burgmans and my Silver Wing. The motorcycles consisted of some Harleys, Hondas, Harleys, Yamahas, Harleys, BMWs, Harleys, Suzukis, Harleys, Kawasakis, and some Harleys.  I warned the MC riders around me to hold their ears when I started my Swing up.  

But the fun of it all was while navigating those hills and twisties, I would hear so much downshifting and upshifting all around me.  But all I needed to do was twist.  And at the stop sign turns and red light turns (all of which we rode through at the sufferance of all patient and impatient car traffic waiting for us) was so easy on the Swing.

A throttle lock or cruise control doesn't help much on a ride of this type, so  I think all right throttle hands were kind of tired by the end of the ride.  But I know three scooter riders whose left clutch hand and shift lever foot suffered no cramps or soreness at the end of the ride.

Doing this ride for the first time on the Swing was so different and so much more comfortable compared to past rides on a motorcycle.  The Swing served really well.

All in all, a great day to run so many stop signs and red lights!

Glad you had a good time. ALL for a good cause.. Weather was nice a little foggy in AM.. 72 PM.
Raining now temps. have dropped.

I really don't enjoy that kind of ride. I've done 2-3 large group rides in the past. Not my cup of tea.
I call them rolling road blocks. Other road users get angry waiting.

You're right. It was foggy in the am. Was a tentative, low visibility ride on the way to the event.

Yes, while I enjoyed running red lights, I felt sorry for the car drivers, having to wait for the miles-long riders passing through. Maybe upset their Saturday a little.

Although the ride ended up great, it's a relief to get on the road home at your own speed. If you even ride in a "group" of two and you are not the leader, you suffer the pulls and jerks that are the whims of the leader, which lessens the pleasure a little. One compensation is the camaraderie and discussions with the different riders and different bikes.

Depending on how far back you are in the line, there is an increased noticeable pungency from more MC fumes. I was about halfway back and really ingested a lot of high emission fumes today. So why do we do this? Maybe to get off the couch.

I was down your way last Sunday on FJR. Almost to Chambersburg . RT. 30 Nice ride 282 miles.
Rode through Pine Grove Furnace as you suggested. I've been there once back tracked a little and went to Shippensburg.

Have you been north a little? Little Buffalo State Park? Good roads . Pa. has great roads.










Park?

Last October, I took a bicycle camping ride (3 days, two nights) to Caledonia State Park, then toward Pine Grove Furnace State Park, then on the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail from Shippensburg, on to Col. Denning State Park. Intended to visit Little Buffalo State Park, but my old bones/muscles were too tired, so I fizzled out and rode home.

Yes, that's great country. Go outside the towns in central PA and you will find some nice roads. Our higher gas tax has at least helped to refurbish some great country roads in PA. Also, North of Rt 80 has a lot of great wilderness, only pock marked by the intense fracking in recent years. Get close to the NY border and start smelling crude oil. That upper tier of PA is really good riding (along Rt. 6, too), but it sometimes smells like a 1950s gas station when we were a little careless in spilling our oil.

Route 44 is a great ride, and Rt. 321 along the Allegheny National Forest is a lesser used road. When I went on it I saw maybe 3-4 vehicles the whole way up. Lots of green still left in upper PA, connected to some surprisingly good roads. Lots of state parks to visit, camp, day-picnic.

I see you've a few places then. I've ridden most of those places also.
Its much harder on a bicycle though many hills. Never been to Pittsburg or Eire but close. Ridden almost all of RT 6 except far west end.

Worlds end ST.park is nice. Rickets glen has a nice series of waterfalls to hike. Come up the RIVER RT 220 will get you close.

Yes, Worlds End is a nice park. I stayed at a cabin there. Some nice roads; hills and flats. One hiking trail has a real steep, rocky, challenging climb, but the other trails are good.

The Rickets Glen trail is best visited about this time of year when more water spills over the many picturesque falls. There is a nice 90-footer up there. Be careful; some places on the trail have little protection from a precipitous fall. My last visit, I used hiking poles for safety; these old legs may not be as dependable. Cut out 4 to 6 hours if you do the whole circle around the falls.
Maybe like me, that trail keeps calling you back.