Billy - as you probably know - avoid 44 through Hartford like the plague. It's dozens of traffic lights through the highest crime areas of the city. On the other hand, that type of route could lend itself to some good campfire / motel parking lot stories... If you make your way to routes 57 & 20 in S. Western MA, they are awesome routes, as is route 2 up near Adams, MA. There's an uphill steep hairpin turn on 2 that is legendary. I got to see a guy stall his 913 lb. Harley there one day when he missed a gear, and almost tipped over. His pillion rider looked a might distressed as they started to roll backwards. (It's the little things in life...)
GerryP - Instead of 8 all the way to Winsted, consider 8 north to exit 38 (Thomaston). Left at the ramp end. Left onto 254. Left onto 118. Right onto 63 north in Litchfield. 63 dumps you onto 7 in Falls Village. If you go left onto 7 south, go to first blinking yellow light and make a right. Go 1/4 mile and on your left is Toymaker's Cafe. Toymaker's is owned by Greg & Annie Bidou, aka T100 Toymakers, Inc., a Triumph restorer and parts supplier. If it's quiet there, ask Greg for a barn tour. Tell him Martin, the guy with the green and cream Triumph bagger sent you. Good food, good folk.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toymakers ... 4957654987http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/class ... ticut.aspx254 is actually 15 minutes quicker to 7 than 8 to 44, and MUCH more scenic. It's up and down foothills of farm land on a very smooth, wide, fast secondary road. I know this is a lot of twists and turns if you perhaps aren't familiar with the area, but it's well worth the effort. S'posed to be a perfect weather day tomorrow too.
Happy trials to both y'all. See you Thursday night hopefully. I have to do a train station to house escort tomorrow afternoon at ? pm, so not sure yet when I can leave.