Motorcyclists arrive for Americade

LAKE GEORGE — Thousands of motorcyclists rolled into Lake George early this week from all across the U.S. for the events and amenities of the Americade, and a number of them shared their thoughts about the reasons they were drawn to the world's premier touring motorcycle rally. Minutes after Sue and Roy Landry finished registering for Americade late afternoon June 5, Sue paused before getting on her three-wheel Can-Am Spyder while Roy approached his Honda Gold Wing. "I'm stoked. We've already met a bunch of motorcyclists, and they're all excited about being here," she said. "Since it's Americade's 35th anniversary, I'm expecting a lot of 'ooomph' to the rally." Roy noted it was Sue's first year on a motorcycle. "We're looking forward to the guided rides, the poker run and the Locks & Lunch ride," Roy said. "Whatever, we're just going to have fun." This is the first year the Landrys have attended Americade, although they've heard about the rally for years from other motorcycle enthusiasts, they said. Since moving recently from Tennessee to Rochester to New York, they took advantage of their proximity to Lake George to attend Americade. While the Landrys are Americade newbies, Patrick Coyne and Kris Umlauf have attended for years — six for Umlauf and nine for Coyne. They rode together from Long Island — Coyne on a 1700cc Harley Fat Bob, and Umlauf on a Yamaha V-Star. "There's a lot to do at Americade, and the Adirondack region is a beautiful place to ride, Coyne said. "This is my vacation every year, for one week." The two plan to ride to Whiteface Mountain, drive on a poker run, and socialize with other two-wheeled enthusiasts, they said. "We'll be eating at nearly every restaurant in Lake George," Umlauf quipped. Nearby, John Schroeter of the Lake George Rotary Club was hawking tickets for a raffle — offering winner's choice or $10,000 in cash — with a tent shielding him from light rain. Referring to a well-known joke that there's never an edition of Americade without a few days of rain, Schroeter said ticket sales were equal to prior years, reflecting a solid attendance despite the days unrelenting precipitation. "Americade motorcyclists are known to be optimistic about the weather," he said. Braving the persistent rain, David Wickstrom and Don Czarnecki rode together from Michigan to attend Americade for their first time, Czarnecki from the town of Charlotte and Wickstrom from the town of Linden. Czarnecki revealed what prompted him to attend for the first time. "Friends told me it's all about touring, and that's what interests me," he said. "Also, I've never been to this part of the country, and I wanted to experience it." Wickstrom added his thoughts. "It's a big get-together, and a nice area to ride." Czarnecki said he's owned about 30 motorcycles over several decades of riding. "I've been to the motorcycle rallies in Daytona and elsewhere, but I wanted to go to one where people are just into touring," he said. John Roach of Brooklyn, 68, threw his leg over the saddle of his Suzuki GSX1300R, turned on the ignition and cracked the throttle. He's been attending Americade nearly every year since the rally was a toddler in the mid-1980s — when it grew in attendance by many thousands each year and fast became the world's top two-wheeled touring rally. Roach said he enjoys getting out of Brooklyn's congestion and enjoying miles of unspoiled scenery. But Americade means far more than that to him, he said. Roach said he was looking forward to the factory demo rides, the mini-tours, and the boat cruises, but most of all, perhaps, is socializing with other touring motorcyclists from all over the nation, he said. "I like the family-oriented aspect of it — bikers attend with their wives and kids, it's a good thing. One year out on the road in Connecticut I met a motorcyclist, and the next year, I saw him at Americade, and we went out for breakfast," he said. Lynn and Jim Buckholtz rode their motorcycles June 5 from their home in Union New Jersey. "At Americade, you're together with people from your motorcycle culture, people from all over the world," Jim Buckholtz said. "Here, you make friends and with many of them, stay in touch for years." That's the case with Paul Drees and Dennis Erickson, who rode through rain together from Tonawanda, NY. Drees was wearing a 25th Anniversary Americade T-shirt that he bought at the rally in 2007. The two came to Americade for about eight years through the 2000s with their wives and the most recent rally they attended was 2010. "We're back, and this year it's a guy thing," Drees said with a chuckle. The two met years ago by exchanging messages on the Americade website, he continued. "I put up a post in 2003 about sharing a ride to Americade, and we rode together that year, and we've been friends ever since," Erickson said. "I've always enjoyed Americade, because it's not the hardcore Harley thing, it's more about enjoying motorcycling and having fun," Drees said. Erickson said that Americade's TourExpo trade show was the best anywhere, and that he enjoys taking demo rides to compare the various makes and models. "All the major manufacturers are here," he said. "The roads in the Adirondacks and Vermont are fantastic, too," Drees said.

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Motorcyclists arrive for Americade

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