With the new Le Mans and Stone (on loan from Moto Guzzi) beneath us, Christa and I put them through their paces on a treasured trip along the North Carolina Coast.

What's going on in a well-known ski area like Snowshoe in the summer? Daniel, Andrea and I find some answers in this curvy paradise.

Five sunny days amid blooming trees, unspoiled nature reserves and empty roads in an inviting corner of southeast Spain.

Most famous for their gorgeous coastlines, Washington, Oregon and Northern California offer any visitor an array of sights and sounds. But further inland the Pacific Northwest also harbors a host of surprises for the motorcycle traveler.

There it is, 20 horsepower of 1940's technology that will carry me on a truly once-in-a-lifetime adventure. I have always wanted to visit Tibet but never in my wildest hallucinations did I expect to do it on a motorcycle. The plan is to depart Kathmandu, Nepal, and cover the 600 miles to Lhasa, Tibet, in 10 days. Experience the culture, visit the Potala Palace, walk on the Roof of the World, and of course see Mount Everest.

As the days of my retirement drew closer, the most asked question by my co-workers was "What are you going to do when you retire?" My standard answer, "It's not what I'm going to do but what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to take the interstate anymore." After years of racing back and forth across the country on the interstate to fix airplanes, it was time to take it easy and enjoy the countryside along the two-lane blacktop.

Italy's young motorcycle manufacturer Aprilia is conquering the American market with exciting motorcycles. Their sport touring machines SL1000 Falco and RST1000 Futura are excellent examples of the company's great development.

There are only a few bikes out there that deserve the title "Roadster," but if one fits this category like a glove it's definitely BMW's R1150R. This standard sports many improvements and some cool new features when compared to its predecessor, the R1100R.