RETROTOURS NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 2026

   This morning, for the first time in a long time, I heard birds singing. The snow pack has melted to  where there are at least patches of green showing through. The past several days, unlike the past several  weeks, have seen the thermometer actually rise above the freezing point of water. The days are getting  longer and with more sunlit hours I feel like a battery nearing the end of a recharge cycle. I do believe  that winter has passed its apex. While we will surely see more cold temperatures and maybe even more  snow, spring is very nearly in the air. The end is in sight.  

   Now is the time to think about riding again. We need some wind therapy! Reservations have begun to  filter in and the first several tours are nearly filled up. Due to township ordinance, and because  RetroTours is home based, I am not allowed to charge you money for RetroTours. I can and do however  suggest a voluntary contribution which is up to you; I suggest $150 per day. Regardless of how much, if  anything, you contribute, you will get a bike to ride, all route planning and reservations taken care of,  snacks and guide services along the way, breakfast at departure and dinner upon return. My insurance is  the legal minimum: liability only, so it won’t cover your potential injuries or accidental damage to my  bikes. On the brighter side, I will not hold you financially responsible for accidental damage; -please just  be cautious. 

   There is already a deposit for the 10 day Barber tour in October, so IT’S ON, in case you have an  interest. Over 800 motorcycles are on display, and getting there by riding down on vintage bikes is the  best thing ever! We will ride The Skyline Drive, The Blue Ridge Parkway, The Tail of the Dragon, The  Cherohalla Skyway, The Foothills Parkway, and much, much more. This will be a life changing bucket list  adventure if you are interested. I hope you will at least think about it. YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD!  In between tours and particularly over the winter, four of us become wombats: Celler Dwellers. We  resurrect bikes that are probably not worth fixing except for the owner’s emotional attachment. This  winter we have revived a Moto Guzzi V1000G5, 2 V500 Monzas, and a V750 Special. I guess you could  say that it’s been raining Guzzis. The first two are being added to the RetroTours fleet so that you can  ride them. For other people, we have recommissioned a Benelli 900SEI (sei for 6 cylinders!), a mid-60’s  Jawa 250, an early XL350, a lovely BSA Spiƞire 650, a Honda MT250, an RD400, a Honda 250 Rebel, and a  couple of Harley Shovelheads. Yes, we have been mighty busy. There are few things that I find as  satisfying and exciting as firing up a 50 year old motorcycle that has not run in 20 or more years. If only  our bodies could as easily be reworked into fully operational condition!  

   Sure cure for the winter blues…. Plan to ride. I still need to post several more ride reports from 2025;  look for them soon at www.retrotours.com . In addition, more detailed descriptions of the scheduled  rides will be forthcoming. Fred just came back from Vietnam. An 18 hour flight each way, a cost of  $5,000 or more and 10 days of riding on rough roads. It was challenging and a real adventure, but you  don’t have to travel that far or spend that much. You can enjoy riding fantastic back roads right here in  the good old USA. MAKE RIDING GREAT AGAIN! (NOT intended to be a political statement of any kind.)     

Ride the back roads on cool old bikes with like-minded individuals.  

Sure, sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of nowhere, but sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, we find ourselves.