I must go down to the seas again,to the lonely sea and the sky,And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sails shakingAnd a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.- John Masefield

There is an odd sensation creeping through me in eastern Oklahoma as we ride. It's not very subtle, either. The Kiamichi Mountains look different, like a space created specifically for man and his gods to commune. They appear old but alive, as if they murmur ancient secrets to the people living here.

This Shamrock is about quality, not bragging rights about how many miles were covered in a day. It's also not about horsepower or performance since most of the roads are posted for dawdling between 25 and 45 mph. This tour is about relaxing and enjoying the beautiful scenery of rural Connecticut.

When we go to a special location for a round-trip excursion or for a shamrock, the question always arises about the way we should choose to get there. Most of the time we use interstates or major highways. Oh, God, is this ever boring! But during our last trip to the Monterey Peninsula, a solution occurred to me and that concept created a new department we're calling Roadconnections.

Craftsmen, farmers and even princes have always lived a tough and meager life at the edge of the Rothaargebirge (Red-Hair Forest). This bare-bones existence is what supposedly made them a reticent and stubborn lot. On a trip through his former homeland, Andi Seiler tried to find out if these character traits still held true.

Whether you live on the north or the south side of the Alps makes a tremendous difference. Storms come mostly from the west or north. Unfortunately, we live on the north side. It's August and cold rains pour down. The forecast isn't helping matters much, calling for snowfall at 2500-foot elevations. I'm so desperate for some sun and temperate riding conditions, I hastily plan a great escape - to Lago di Garda.

The Supersport models are the most traditional motorcycles Ducati produces. Stepping back from machines primarily geared for serious racetrack use, Ducati turns out some handsome alternatives for completing sporty tasks on the public roads. For its 2003 presentations, Ducati focused on technical updates with three new engines: 620, 800, 1000cc.

Those comfortable cruisers represent the most popular motorcycle category in the U.S., and Moto Guzzi has composed several variations on this easy-riding theme, each an Italian orchestration built around the same California chassis and engine. Two of them carried the tune like impresarios in a recently conducted test.

The Stage IV Speedstar-kitted Road Star Warrior is rumbling away beneath me, my eyes are locked on the timing lights and my clutch hand is just keeping the bike from rolling past the staging lights. The next few seconds seem to take an eternity as I feel my heart thumping through my leathers.