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was always able to produce a smile. Lightly traveled highways and county


roads took us deep into the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area bordering the Delaware River and down the unpaved Mountain Road to Buttermilk Falls, where the spectacular 200-foot waterfall cascades down the mountainside just a few feet from the road. Recent rains left Mountain Road sloppy


and wet, and riding the Scrambler off smooth pavement gave me a renewed appreciation for those riders who decades ago regularly took their bikes with limited suspension travel off-road or to the track. With only 4.9 inches of travel in front and 5.5 inches in the rear, I constantly felt the suspension bottoming over the bumps and water-filled potholes I found on the gravel. Continuing through the New Jersey


countryside, we crossed the border into Pennsylvania via the Dingman's Ferry Bridge, the last privately owned toll bridge crossing the Delaware River and one of the last such bridges in the United States. Later, riding along Highway 97 another


road sign welcomed us to New York and soon we found a tightly winding section of


road along the Delaware River known as the Hawk’s Nest. Not only a popular loca- tion used for television commercials, the Hawk’s Nest is an awesome road for riding a motorcycle that wiped away any lingering doubts regarding the quality of the motor- cycling roads in the upper New Jersey area. As with any bike, as the time in the saddle


grew, so did my familiarity and confidence in the Scrambler’s handling and motor. By the end of our first day of riding I found the R nineT Scrambler a great bike for tearing up twisting country roads as well as light dirt duty. Our ride into Brooklyn the next day would reveal its ability as a commuter. Once the early morning fog burned off


the mountains, Highway 17 brought us to Bear Mountain and the Perkins Memorial Tower, where visitors are treated to a spec- tacular 360-degree view of the Hudson River, Harriman State Park, the Palisades and more. From there, I-287 took us across the Hudson River via the Tappan Zee Bridge and toward Brooklyn amid an ever- growing surge of traffic. As far as pulse-pounding rides go, motor-


cycling into Brooklyn during rush hour is as exciting as any curvy mountain road I’ve


traveled, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Try- ing to keep our group of six riders together was an e-ticket ride to be avoided at all costs. Despite our thrilling ride into the city, the Scrambler seemed even


once there,


more at home than it did in the country. Its light handling, quick acceleration and awe- some brakes make weaving through the tight and congested streets while dodging delivery trucks, cars and pedestrians a bal- let performed with an Akrapovic soundtrack. Add a backpack or messenger bag and you’ve got a fantastic commuter bike able to get you to work faster than a car or cab and capable of getting you out of the city whenever you feel the need to escape and breathe clean air. I really like all motorcycles, while prefer-


ring some over others. The R nineT Scram- bler probably won’t be anyone’s first choice to take them across the continent, but as a fun canyon carver or commuter able to become uniquely yours and deliver an emo- tional and satisfying ride, BMW’s newest addition to their Heritage lineup brings rid- ers back to a time not all that long ago when the ride was about you and a simple motor- cycle.


At home on the streets of Brooklyn, New York.


December 2016 BMW OWNERS NEWS 67


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