California

A collection of 134 posts

Racing

Racing The 2022 Biltwell 100

One Of The Best Days Of Our Lives The Biltwell 100. It’s a (you guessed it) 100-mile desert race, smack-dab in the middle of the California desert—just outside of Ridgecrest, CA—on a sliver of dusty, sandy BLM land. This is an event where novice and experienced riders

May/Jun '22

City Escape: San Jose, California

Winding through redwoods on the way to the ocean is a great way to escape the daily grind. This loop ride southwest of San Jose combines much of what makes California’s central coast uniquely spectacular. Following a serpentine path through vibrant old-growth forests, this green canopy ultimately opens up

Jan/Feb '22 Premium Content

A Sublime Loop Around the Southwestern States

Wheeling up to the U.S. border from the Mexican side at Tecate was more of a drive-through experience than the usual cacophony of queues and chaos surrounding the more southern fronteras. The two-year familiarity of my old, comforting Latin American life was about to leave me for a convenient

Jul/Aug '21 Premium Content

Palm Springs, California Shamrock Tour®

Ya gotta love Palm Springs, CA, where the summer never dies, the architecture is retro-cool, and the town spirit is as invigorating as an iced martini. Where else can you golf in the morning, go snowshoeing in the afternoon, and enjoy a cocktail by the pool in the evening? As

Jan/Feb '21

City Escapes: San Bernardino, California

Nov/Dec '20 Premium Content

California Sierra: The Glorious Roads of the Golden State

As is usually the case with larger motorcycle groups, we were a motley crew that had come together in unlikely ways. Chris and Steve were decades-old friends and had ridden and skied together everywhere. Mike was a sports photographer they knew from Park City. Rod also had a house in

Sep/Oct '20

City Escape: Bakersfield, California

This varied loop ride east of Bakersfield features a visually striking state park and a massive desert lake. It also boasts a series of great roads lined by an intriguing mix of desert plants, evergreens, and whimsical Joshua trees. Itís an escape suitable for most any time of year except

Jul/Aug '20 Premium Content

Etna, California Shamrock Tour®

“How long have you been delivering supplies up here?” I ask. “Oh, about 20 years now,” replies Roger. Cora jumps in, eager to add more to the story. “Roger was a logger up in these mountains before that.” “Yeah, that’s true,” Roger says. “But I wasn’t gonna make

May/Jun '20 Premium Content

California: Chasing Butterflies and Wildflowers

The perfect time to see the migrating painted lady butterfly and witness one of California’s rare wildflower super blooms is early March to early April. It doesn’t happen every year, but when weather conditions are just right, a simultaneous blooming of wildflowers occurs in California’s arid regions.

Mar/Apr '20

City Escape: Fresno, California

> The towering trees and winding roads of Sequoia National Park are on the itinerary for this ride east of Fresno. There are interesting things to see and great stretches of road outside the park boundaries as well. The route starts at the desert elevation of 300 feet above sea level

Jan/Feb '20 Premium Content

California : A Light Bike Adventure Ride

The southwestern corner of the United States is arguably both an adventure bike paradise and an ideal testing ground. Seemingly endless deserts stretch in all directions, containing virtually every type of terrain imaginable. However, the difficulty of this terrain comes in large doses at times. Where the fuel range and

Sep/Oct '19

City Escape: San Francisco, California

> This route unfolds just south of the bustle of San Francisco. The ride includes a coastal stretch as well as a beautiful and twisty route through the mountains. To top it off you can eat lunch at one of the Central Coast’s most iconic motorcycle stops before your return

Jul/Aug '19 Premium Content

Southern Oregon: Dreams Come True

I still remember looking up one day during fourth-grade recess and seeing the motorcycle go by on the rain-slicked road. Where was this rider heading to, I wondered. The rider looked free and without a care. I had fallen in love with motorcycles, but at the age of 9 the

Mar/Apr '19 Premium Content

Southern California: Spanish Galleons to Austrian Motorcycles

Familiarity doesn’t necessarily breed contempt, but it can breed ignorance. When traveling to far-flung adventurous lands, one’s attention is typically at peak levels—absorbing the sights and sounds, mental notes becoming etched into memory like words chiseled into stone. It’s easy to forget that your exotic destination

Jan/Feb '19

City Escape: San Jose, California

Nov/Dec '18

City Escape: Reno, Nevada

Nov/Dec '18 Premium Content

Grants Pass, Oregon Shamrock Tour®: Land of the Rogue

He stands guard over the north entrance to the city nigh 20 feet tall, hardened arms and sinewy muscles, a mighty club gripped tightly in his left hand. He’s the Grants Pass Caveman statue, a novelty of both civic-minded businessmen and mascot of the local high school. The Caveman

Sep/Oct '18 Premium Content

California Amid Redwoods and Literary Giants

After years of traipsing the globe, putting various motorcycles on gloriously winding roads and mountain passes from South Africa to Tuscany and Morocco to Mississippi, I find myself returning again and again to the Central Coast of California, specifically Carmel and Big Sur. This part of the world is my

Mar/Apr '18

City Escape: Riverside, California

> If you limit yourself to the freeways in Southern California, you’ll never know what treasures hide on the byways. This loop southeast of Riverside is a climb into the mountains on thrillingly windy roads. This is a three-season ride with only winter months to be avoided on two wheels.

Sep/Oct '17 Premium Content

California and Nevada: In the Tire Tracks of a Pioneer

In May 1903, George A. Wyman left San Francisco with the then-crazy idea of riding his motorcycle all the way to New York City. In the Beginning I stand at the intersection of Market and Kearny Streets in San Francisco. Tall buildings block the sun and reflect the noise of

Jul/Aug '17 Premium Content

Reader Ride: Pony Express Trail

“WANTED: Young, skinny, wiry fellows not over eighteen. Must be expert riders, willing to risk death daily.” I meet none of the prerequisites to qualify for this trip as the 1860 handbill advertised. Yet I’m intrigued by the history of the Pony Express Trail and reckon it’s as

Jan/Feb '17 Premium Content

California and Nevada: Riding the Highs and Lows of the Old West

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald Scott’s famous metaphor, the last line of The Great Gatsby, applies to motorcycle touring, for much of what we seek aside from the joyful highs of the road and the wind is

Sep/Oct '16

City Escape: Palm Springs, California

> With the suburbs of the Coachella Valley expanding in every direction, there’s one place they can’t grow: Joshua Tree National Park. The Mojave Desert’s endless sand, crimson rocks, and indigo skies combine to create an eerie solitude. Joshua trees, cholla, and desert flowers erupt from the barren

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Reader Ride: California–The Road to Mono Lake

When exploring a new road, there is no good time to lose the light. We’re riding west through northern California toward Yosemite National Park, and highway has given way to a sidewinder, cliffside stretch of Route 120. As we negotiate the twisted ascent, each new turn is a mystery,

Jul/Aug '16 Premium Content

Classic Roads: Carving California's Highway 74