Chicken Run
Words: Vladimir Saakyan
Photography Ray Suen, Vladimir Saakyan
[size=14pt]It’s a gourgeous saturday morning, and I’m riding to downtown Albany Lark Street, when it’s not even 10 am. It’s convinient that the meeting spot for the Albany location is a Dunkin Donuts, because the coffee is much needed. I arrive there to meet a rider on a stretched Gsxr 1000, it’s looking to be a good day.
Upon the arrival of a few more riders, we all gear up and head out to Amsterdam to meet up with the second leg.
On the way Palmer demonstrates the proper technique to conserve the front tire tread, and we lose the Gsxr. After briefly getting lost in Amsterdam and filling up our tanks, I discover that my 4 gallon gas tank can actually take 4.1 gallons.
In the Amsterdam location we meet with the second group, a good 20 riders.
Tanks get topped off and Chicken explains to us the 10 commandments of the ride to come. We head out to meet with the final group out in Herkimer. Why Herkimer? One reason -Illion Gourge. An amazing piece of road, that some people call the mini Deals Gap, just will less cops, and much more convinient. Seven miles, one hundred some turns, and one hell of a ride.
Herkimer Meetspot
We hit the gourge only once, but what a ride, descreasing radius turns, hair pins, straight aways, and little to no traffic. Nobody does anything stupid, and rides within their limits. On my tail is Ray (AlbanyDuck) almost scraping his saddle bags, quite the sight, and only forces me to lean a little harder, my pegs however do not agree with me and are protesting the lean angle by throwing a small shower of sparks and debree.
The rest of the ride is very uneventfull, besides the SV rider splitting a bird at 100 miles an hour.
The ride however was amazing and the group couldn’t be better. We ride on through the day hitting up Rt10 and Rt8, and heading back into Albany at about 6pm, just in time to enjoy the stunt show being put on by Section 518 right in front of Times Union Arena.
And of course
