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SPECIAL OFFER!! Want to be automatically notified when something new is added to the Pit Stop? Click here and each time I change this page to report about something new at the Pit Stop, you will be sent e-mail from NetMind informing you that the page has changed. IMPORTANT NOTE: NetMind does NOT sell your e-mail address to spammers; the only time you will hear from them is when this page is changed. You can ask to see a copy of the new page (saving you a trip back - not my ideal choice!), or just a note that the Pit Stop has added something new (yehyehyeh!!). AND FOR YOU, THIS IS A FREE SERVICE FROM DOC'S MOTORCYCLE TOURING PIT STOP!

FYI - you can now get to the Pit Stop using as the address: http://www.oocities.org/docrwsmith.geo - change your bookmarks if you wish.

1 September 2006:

The ol' Doc has spent most of the year in hospitals or recuperatin' at home. Didn't get out much. Anyway, there's a new link for Open Road Enterprises on my Links page. Look for the "NEW" link. Lots of good stuff for touring. Check it out, riders.

24 August 2005:

Had to remove the link to Venture Craft. They made good trailers, including Kwik Kamp tent trailers and the "Hauley" cargo trailers. They went belly up. Shame, they had a good product.

4 June 2005:

Hey you hosers! I put up a link to a company up in NE Canada, Com-Pac-Camp. They sell a variety of camping and cargo trailers. Their link is on my links page - look for the "NEW" listing.

6 May 2005:

Put up a link to a touring company in the SE US, Iron Horse Tours. Short or long tours, even ATV tours! Take a look. Their link is on my links page.

22 April 2005:

Been away for a while. Check out the new link to Fox Creek Leathers - they have deerskin gloves, the best gloves a biker could have. You'll find the link on my 3d links page.
I also added links to two touring companies - one in Calgary, Canada (Vamos Adventure Tours) and one in Colorado (Turkey Creek Tours). Both offer tours one the majestic North American Rockies, both have good tour packages to see some scenery that will blow the doors off your four-wheeler. Look on my 2d Links page for the green "NEW" by these new sites.

7 November 2004:

Put up a link to a touring biker's personal page, Jan Krijtenburg of the Netherlands. He's toured Europe, the US and South Africa. Nice site! Check it out on my links page.

3 November 2004:

Put up a link to Biker's Crossroads, a website with an interactive map and lists of places of interest, such as biker bars in each state. Done for Harley riders. You'll find it on my 3d links page.
I also added links to four, count 'em, FOUR touring companies - one in Australia (MTD Tours), one in Argentina (Argentina Moto-Tours), one in South Africa (Wild Coast Tours), and one in California (Pashnit Tours) on my 2d Links page. Look for the green "NEW" by all of the new sites.

19 August 2004:

Put up a link to Cycle Customizing on my links page. Click here and look for it. You can fix up yourself or your bike with touring gear and hardware. Just remember that "Chrome won't get you home."
I also added a link to my Mad Maps on my Links page. They sell maps and trip info which can help you plan for that perfect, scenic ride, and find some neat places to stop on the ride. Look for the green "NEW" by both of these sites.
Added a link to my club, the Cen-Tex Road Riders Association of Killeen, Texas on my Links page. We are a fine bunch of folks who tour the great state of Texas.

23 July 2004:

I've been gone a long time, due to illness and then the hassles of retiring and moving from the D.C. area to central Texas. I will be updating the site more often in the coming months. Sorry if I've been lax in keeping the site interesting. It takes a lot of time just getting set up here and I don't have the health to sustain a lot of activities.
First on the new list of links is one to Bikers Den, a shop that sells m/c touring gear. Go to my Links page and look for their listing. There's another new listing near there for Peak Trailers, an outfit in Finland that sells neat-looking trailers to hook onto the back of your bike to haul yer gear. Might be good for any Europeans looking for a source close to home.
There's a new "group" listed on another part of my Links page - Horizon's Unlimited. A loose group of touring riders with get-togethers around the world. Worth a look, mate!
Finally, a new campground is listed on another part of my Links page - Thompson's Eagle's Claw Motorcycle Park, in Tok, Alaska. If you're up there and looking for a good spot to pitch a tent, tell 'em Doc Smith sent yah and they'll give you a piece of grass with a great view for yer campsite.

31 March 2004:

I've been gone a long time, due to illness and then the hassles of retiring and moving from the D.C. area to central Texas. I will be updating the site more often in the coming months. Sorry if I've been lax in keeping the site interesting.
Added a short photo story/page about H.A. Hawkins, a gent who rode Harleys and organized and participated in motorcycle clubs, Gypsy tours, and other aspects of motorcycling in the Texas panhandle in the '20s and '30s. His daughter sent me stuff about her daddy - I think it's worth a look, to see the roots of motorcycle touring. Start on my Lessons Learned" page and look for the "NEW" mark.
Finally updated Dennis Margeson's page. It's right after H.A. Hawkins' page and also concerns touring in the American southwest. Little farther west and about 50 years later, but it's all good. Tell him Doc Smith sent yah!"

15 April 2003:

Latest word on the 3d Annual Ride for Children: Ride starts on Saturday, May 10, 2003 at 5:00 a.m., benefiting the Collin County Children's Advocacy Center. Ride is open to all motorcycles. This ride has been pre-qualified with the Iron Butt Association, 1000 miles in 24 hours. Route is Allen, Texas in the parking lot of Harley-Davidson of Dallas to Jackson, TN. and back to Allen. 15 hours to Oklahoma and back to Allen. Registration is up to the time of the ride. Go to their website to get documents and more information.

1 April 2003:

Been up in the attic lookin' fer yer sleeping bag and tent? Shake out all the cobwebs yet? Found FOUR!! guides to camping (books) that you might want to look at before the touring season gets rolling hard time (and SHUT UP you wretched folks who live in the Sun Belt). Find the 3 !NEW! Best in Camping ... books and the !NEW! Motorcycle Camping Made Easy book on my books page.

28 Mar 2003:

Added two new "Personal" website - Bikergirl.net and V-Twin Mama, two sites with useful information for women riders - check them out on my links page.
Added a store with riding gear and accessories for women riders. Check out Bikergirlhardware.com (not related to the bikergirl.net site) on my links page.
Added a new book for riders who want to tour the American southwest. Check out the Ultimate Secrets of Motorcycling the Southwest on my books page.

21 March 2003:

Added a link to a woman-owned touring company in Arizona, ATwistyRoad. They mostly tour from the Tucson area. Find them on my links page.

10 Mar 2003:

Added two new "War Stories" websites - Paco's Stories and revised the link to Dennis Margeson's site - check them out on my Warstories and Lessons Learned page.
Iron Butt Saddlesore1000 ride for kids on May 10, 2003! Benefiting The Collin County Children's Advocary Center. Registration Deadline is April 13, 2003. Download Forms and information at Ride for Children 2003 website . This ride is from Allen, TX to Jackson, TN and back to Allen it has been pre-qualified with the Iron Butt Association. Please pass the word and ride to help the children.
Added a link to AdMo Tours on my links page. They are based in California and Switzerland but arrange tours around the world.

13 February 2003:

Put up a link for a friend who tours and camps and has this little bitty bike (remember, I drive a Wing). See Debi Gagermeier's site, listed as a "new" link under "Personal Websites" on my links page.
Worst case scenario for touring riders - you get in a situation where you need a lawyer and you're not in your home state. I put a link to Alliance Legal Services, a group of nationwide motorcycle attorneys. See the "new" link under "Other Touring Stuff" on my links page.

4 February 2003:

A riding/campin' buddy has a web page for those "special" people who are nerds and motorcycle drivers. See Mister Gizmo's page on my links page.

9 January 2003:

If you're into m/c camping, be sure to check my new listing for Woodalls, North America's pre-eminent listing of campgrouns. See my links page.
Dropped the link to the Gold Wing Touring Association - guess they went out of bidness or moved and didn't leave a forwarding URL.

3 January 2003:

Check out Adirondacks and Beyond Motorcycle Tours on my links page. They have guided tours of the Adirondaks and surrounding bits of New England/New York, with lots of amenities included (no tents out in the wilderness, Debi!).

31 December 2002:

A nice motorcycle campground in Newton, Texas is listed on my links page. Nice lookin' place. Might want to visit it some time if you're in the area!

30 December 2002:

Added a new link to Dennis Margeson's website. He has a lot of useful information for anyone touring the American Southwest. It's on my links page.
Dropped the link to the VTS/MTA site and put in the correct link to what now calls itself the Motorcycle Touring Association on my links page. Also there is a new link to the Santa Barbara County page for m/c touring rides.
Also added a link to a 'new' campground, the Songdog Ranch on my campgrounds page. The place is not new, it's just new to my site.
Finally, there are two links to sites that have "other" touring stuff - one is the Boot Barn, which sells a variety of m/c boots for men or women. The other is for Artistic Photos, which has some m/c touring photos. See my other touring page.

15 August 2002:

A ridin' buddy sent in a list of Biker Wisdom of the Road on my humor page. Some good 'uns.

19 June 2002:

Added 4 new camping-related sites to my links page. Whether you're interested in campgrounds inside or outside the US, national, state, or private, the four "new" links for Campsites411, L.L.Bean's ParkSearch, ParkNet, or Wildernet should give you the info you need.

4 June 2002:

Added a new cartoon to my cartoon page about Hawg Riders. From Eric Wickman of Virginia, a Harley driver his own self!
Also, biker babe Debi G from PA sent a "press release" from Montana about what you'll see in that state and what it means. It's on my "Lessons Learned" page.

26 Apr 2002:

I have another new tour company for yah to check out. Cycle BC.CA Rentals is a bike rental company in British Columbia (far western) Canada. Also sells bikes. They hope to organize tours for 4+ bikes this year, too. B.C. is pretty country for riding, worth a visit at least once.

23 Apr 2002:

I'm back again. Sorry for not updating the site but I just haven't got the energy. I have a new link for yah to check out. Biker Tours-UK is a commercial touring company that hosts tours of the UK. Like the AMA Tours, they offer extensive tours but unlike AMA, they also offer camping opportunities if you want to rough it while touring the UK.

27 Feb 2002:

I have been sick for a while - had heart surgery in December, but now I'm back. I have a host of new links for yah to check out. Look for the "NEW" links. Great Bike Runs has a state-by-state list of day-long tours in the US on my first "Links" page. Bikers Planet has information about touring companies and gear. Country Cruisin' has info about touring in West Virginia. Smartco Express M/C Shipping will ship your bike to major rallies around the US, or probably anywhere else you think is too far to drive to. Mayer Saddle Co custom-makes saddles for your scooter. If you're going to ride all day, you NEED a comfortable place to park yer butt!

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