RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

RoadRUNNER

RoadRUNNER is an independently owned and published motorcycle touring and travel magazine. On our website, you will find exciting travel stories, reviews, news, and other resources for planning your next motorcycle tour. We offer a wide variety of free content, but only our active web subscribers get access to the entire 650+ tour database, complete with maps and GPS route files. Web subscribers also enjoy exclusive web-only stories.

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Ukraine's Heart of Darkness | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Ukraine's Heart of Darkness

On a clear summer day, with the sky that deep rich blue they always seem to use on holiday postcards, the pure white clouds fought with the endless miles of brilliant yellow sunflower fields for our attention. Occasionally, the vibrant blanket of color turned to a patchwork quilt of wheat

Lockhart, Texas Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Sep/Oct '23 Premium Content

Lockhart, Texas Shamrock Tour®

Nine out of 10 doctors recommend that you not attempt the following trip. I suggest you listen to the tenth one. Risk It for the Brisket Lockhart, TX, is the Barbecue Capital of Texas. Seriously. The Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution saying so in 1999, and the State

Top 10 Curviest Roads in the U.S | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Top 10 Curviest Roads in the U.S.

Motorcycle enthusiasts are on an eternal quest to find an experience the curviest of roads. I decided to look into some choice asphalt spread out over the nation to help you satiate your desire for a compelling ride. In no particular order, and without attempting to say which is the

Western Film Museum and Alabama Hills

Western Film Museum and Alabama Hills

About three hours north of Hollywood and a million miles from urban life, nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, the little town of Lone Pine, California and the nearby Alabama Hills has been the location for hundreds of films, commercials and television shows. Since the early years

Classic Roads Southern Utah’s Backroads | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Southern Utah’s Backroads

Covering some 130,000 contiguous square miles of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico, the Colorado Plateau region is home to some of the West’s most dramatic rock formations and high desert landscapes. Uplifted millions of years ago by geologic forces, this eroded high plateau includes numerous national parks,

California: A Ride Along the Eastern Sierra

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

California: A Ride Along the Eastern Sierra

Geoff, this is not good. I can’t see anything!” “Can you see the yellow line down the middle of the road?” “Well, yes.” “That’s all you need to see.” That is a short snippet of bike-to-bike communication my wife Liz and I went through while riding Carson Pass

Peru: Altitude and Adrenaline

Sep/Oct '23 Premium Content

Peru: Altitude and Adrenaline

I squinted my eyes in disbelief. Clouds had started to gather, crowding the sky like lumbering beasts. On a grinding wheel of terror, a whole city’s worth of boneheadedness came crashing down like a shelf full of shoes, all around my head at once. Initially, Lima’s bustling Miraflores

Latest Motorcycle Reviews

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Z650RS | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Z650RS

Bike manufacturers are building more and more modern retro motorcycles striving to capture a bygone era—one in which Kawasaki figured prominently. Now, that Japanese company has crafted an exemplary return to the stylings that attracted an entire generation to two wheels. The 2023 Z650RS possesses the design cues and

Review: 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE

When Suzuki introduced the V-Strom in 2004, its name was derived from a combination of its V-twin engine and the German word “strom,” which translates to stream or power. The V-Strom is still with us, having proven itself a formidable machine in the street/adventure realm. In fact, the bike’

2023 QJ Motor SRT750X Full Review | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 QJ Motor SRT750X

The wind carries over my chest and shoulders like trustworthy, affirming hands. The engine glides me at 80 mph down the freeway on a sunny day, where the road bleeds into the blue sky. It suddenly occurs to me—I’m riding a motorcycle. Everything is good. I’ve ridden

2023 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Highway King

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Highway King

I’ve been reading the Little Golden Books to my daughter. In the story Tawny Scrawny Lion, the titular lion realizes that chasing rabbits is a fool’s errand, so he embraces the carrot stew the bunnies prepared and retires to a life of vegetarianism and leisure. When riding the

Review: 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Review: 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky

Can-Am has always marched to the beat of its own drum. A subsidiary of Bombardier (the Canadian business jet manufacturer), the company invented both the Ski-Doo snowmobile and the Sea-Doo watercraft. When it rolled out the innovative three-wheeled Spyder in 2007, many of us in the motorcycle community didn’t

Review: 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition—An Explorer in South Africa

Review: 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition—An Explorer in South Africa

Expedition implies a long journey. It’s curiosity put into action. The pursuit of wonder, mystery, and the unknown. It’s something that comes naturally to motorcyclists. That’s part of the magic of riding, right? Husqvarna thinks so, too. Just over a year after releasing the Norden 901, the

Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

Harley-Davidson made a decidedly bold gambit in 2020 with the introduction of the Pan America. After all, America’s stalwart heavy V-twin cruiser company—the 800-pound (quite literally) gorilla in the OEM room—was entering the ADV world, a realm already dominated by capable machines from a number of manufacturers.

News

How to Find the Aliens Among Us on Two Wheels

How to Find the Aliens Among Us on Two Wheels

Sometimes you want a grander objective for a motorcycle tour than simply enjoying the open road and curves. If you’re after a truly otherworldly experience, why not hit the asphalt to look for proof of alien life? After all, the Congress recently got the most compelling testimony to date

2023 Honda SCL500 | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

2023 Honda SCL500

American Honda has a long history of producing fun, well-performing scramblers. All the way back in the 1960s, the Japanese manufacturer brought us the stripped-down (in a good way) CL72 and CL77. Now, Honda has taken a look back in time and introduced a machine that brings the old and

Burt Munro Inducted into Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Burt Munro Inducted into Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame

New Zealand’s motorcycling legend Burt Munro doesn’t exactly lack accolades, but the late rider has just received fresh recognition for his unparalleled need for speed. On August 9, Munro was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. The induction recognizes Munro’s speedway racing career and

North to Wrigley

North to Wrigley

Ever ridden a road just because it’s there? That’s the reason author Troy L. Ramsell undertook a 3,750-mile journey on a one-cylinder motorcycle from Oregon to Wrigley—a tiny speck in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Ramsell details his adventure in his first book, North to Wrigley: End

2023 Harley Davidson Breakout

2023 Harley Davidson Breakout

The Harley-Davidson Breakout is back! The muscular modern chopper returns to North America after a two-year hiatus and it has more grunt than ever. This year marks the 10th production anniversary of the iconic motorcycle. The new Breakout has received a major power upgrade and is packed full of hold-on-to-your-seat

Can-Am Kicks

What on earth could Can-Am and the high-end sneaker manufacturer The Shoe Surgeon have in common for them to organize a collaboration event at SRGN Studios in Los Angeles? As it turns out, The Shoe Surgeon, aka Dominic Ciambrone, is the custom designer of athletic footwear for the rich and

Dango Gripper Helmet Camera Mount | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Dango Gripper

What is this bizarre contraption? It’s your key to stellar first-person riding footage. The Dango Design Gripper Mount fixes any GoPro or DJI Osmo Action camera directly to your helmet—or handlebar or bike frame. Say goodbye to swapping mounts for every bike. The texturized jaws bite tightly to

City Escapes

City Escape: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

City Escape: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s capital Harrisburg isn’t the biggest city—but it can still get stifling. So hop in the saddle and head south along the Susquehanna for this City Escape that takes you on a unique tour of the Pennsylvania countryside. I mean, how many other rides pass both America’

City Escape: Colorado Springs, Colorado

City Escape: Colorado Springs, Colorado

This City Escape takes you both back in time and into paranormal territory. Start by visiting the Penrose Heritage Museum, which showcases the region’s history through the personal collection of Spencer and Julie Penrose. Then, to travel back through time, head west, but not on US 24. Hit up

City Escape: Greenville, South Carolina

City Escape: Greenville, South Carolina

Ride from the rolling hills of South Carolina into the motorcycling wonderland of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The roads are generally in good to very good condition. If you’re a connoisseur of curvy tarmac, the route through Caesars Head State Park will be especially pleasing. Next up is the

Urban Explorer: San Diego, California

Urban Explorer: San Diego, California

San Diego is sometimes called the birthplace of California, as it was where early explorers first landed along the West Coast. The city has been a popular destination ever since. With a bustling downtown area populated with both old and new architecture, San Diego expresses itself with art, cafes, restaurants,

Shamrock Tours

Lockhart, Texas Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Sep/Oct '23 Premium Content

Lockhart, Texas Shamrock Tour®

Nine out of 10 doctors recommend that you not attempt the following trip. I suggest you listen to the tenth one. Risk It for the Brisket Lockhart, TX, is the Barbecue Capital of Texas. Seriously. The Texas House of Representatives passed a resolution saying so in 1999, and the State

Kalispell, Montana Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

Jul/Aug '23 Premium Content

Kalispell, Montana Shamrock Tour®

Kalispell, MT. Population, 26,000. Like me, you may have never heard of this small town just 34 miles south of Glacier National Park. It’s known as a hub town for the park, but it is so much more. After spending a week in the area on a Shamrock

Santa Maria Valley, California Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

Santa Maria Valley, California Shamrock Tour®

You think you know a place, but a simple detour can miraculously reveal some genuine charms you had no idea existed. Since 2000, I’ve been riding past Santa Maria and its neighboring Orcutt on my regular jaunts to northern California, never venturing beyond the gas stations along US 101

Hot Springs, North Carolina Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Mar/Apr '23 Premium Content

Hot Springs, North Carolina Shamrock Tour®

I was wrapping up another season of selling pumpkins and staring down the barrel of an open calendar when the Yamaha Ténéré 700 began to take on a life of its own from the bits and pieces I was adding to it for the trip. October is the month to

Products Reviews

North to Wrigley

North to Wrigley

Ever ridden a road just because it’s there? That’s the reason author Troy L. Ramsell undertook a 3,750-mile journey on a one-cylinder motorcycle from Oregon to Wrigley—a tiny speck in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Ramsell details his adventure in his first book, North to Wrigley: End

Alpinestars Latest ADV Riding Gear | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Alpinestars Latest ADV Riding Gear

The recent 2023 Alpinestars Adventure Tour in Big Bear, CA, dramatically underscored the Italian sports gear company’s deepening commitment to the ADV and dual sport motorcycle space. Case in point, the company’s owner and CEO Gabriele Mazzarolo was there, as well as Dakar champions Ricky Brabec, Toby Price.

Review: Klim Carlsbad Jacket & Pants

Review: Klim Carlsbad Jacket & Pants

When I’m not riding with my motorcycle club on weekend rides and in faraway places, I lead motorcycle tours for a variety of tour operators. Since I spend so much time on a motorcycle, I look for the best gear I can find. I’m a street rider through

9 Auxiliary Lighting Systems for Motorcycles to Light Your Path

9 Auxiliary Lighting Systems for Motorcycles to Light Your Path

Proper lighting is vitally important for us motorcyclists. To stay safe, we need to both see and be seen.. To best identify threats in the night, whether that be irregular road surfaces, objects, animals, cars, or peopleyour bike need the best throw and reach of illumination. But that’s not

Dango Gripper Helmet Camera Mount | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Dango Gripper

What is this bizarre contraption? It’s your key to stellar first-person riding footage. The Dango Design Gripper Mount fixes any GoPro or DJI Osmo Action camera directly to your helmet—or handlebar or bike frame. Say goodbye to swapping mounts for every bike. The texturized jaws bite tightly to

Ombraz Sunglasses

Ombraz Sunglasses

A good pair of sunglasses is a staple of any rider’s equipment arsenal. The armless Ombraz sunglasses are ideal for shielding your eyes from the sun during a motorcycle trip. An adjustable strap efficiently secures them to your face and prevents them from falling off. You can also let

Nelson-Rigg: RiggStrap Kit

Nelson-Rigg: RiggStrap Kit

When hauling luggage on your bike over long distances, you’ll have to make sure it’s well secured. Don’t use a bungee, or you’ll risk becoming Popeye. Nelson-Rigg’s new RiggStrap kit makes fastening your bags to your bike easier. The 60-inch straps are made of heavy-duty