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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Baja California: Life’s a Beach | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Baja California: Life’s a Beach

Baja California is a gentle introduction to the colorful world of Mexico. Crossing at Tijuana with a vehicle is easy. Too easy, in fact—traffic only slows a little for the open barriers, the wait-go signs that immediately turn green, and the yellow topes (infamously high Mexian speed bumps) before

Pennsylvania: Dusty Adventure Trails

May/Jun '23 Premium Content

Pennsylvania: Dusty Adventure Trails

Three years ago, I crossed Pennsylvania from north to south following the Mid-Atlantic Backcountry Discovery Route (MABDR), published in the RoadRUNNER 2020 Special Collector’s Edition. The journey revealed the wild beauty of eastern Pennsylvania and I developed a taste for more of such adventures. After a two-year lockdown, I

10 Unique Summer Motorcycle Trip Destinations in the U.S.

10 Unique Summer Motorcycle Trip Destinations in the U.S.

At RoadRUNNER, we are always searching for new routes that take you to historically and socially significant destinations—and offer a fantastic riding experience. Here are 10 destinations to spark your wanderlust this summer. Cody, Wyoming Voted the Best Western Small Town by USA Today, Cody, WY, sits in the

Mexico, Part 2: South-Eastern Mexico | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Mexico, Part 2: South-Eastern Mexico

After a long, relaxing stay in Oaxaca, we get itchy feet. Being an architect, Aidan is keen to visit Santuario del Gusano de Seda, an unusual exposed-concrete building housing a silkworm sanctuary in the mountains to the northeast. Since we set off rather late, it becomes a two-day ride and

Mexico, Part 1: Copper Canyon to Oaxaca

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Mexico, Part 1: Copper Canyon to Oaxaca

Most people choose the southern ferry route to Mazatlán when moving from Baja California to mainland Mexico. But my partner Aidan and I have plans to explore the country’s northern regions, despite their notorious reputation. We have done our research, though, and feel safe enough—so long as we

Destination: Mendocino, CA

Destination: Mendocino, CA

Perched on rugged cliffs above the Pacific Ocean’s crashing waves is the charming village of Mendocino, CA. It’s located some 170 miles north of San Francisco on California’s famously scenic Pacific Coast Highway. The village is part of Mendocino County, which lies between California’s Coastal Range

ZenMoto Part 2: Montana to Idaho

May/Jun '23 Premium Content

ZenMoto Part 2: Montana to Idaho

Motorcycle travel is, conceptually speaking, very simple—wake up at Point A, aim for a bed or campsite at Point B, and refuel the bike and the body along the way. It’s not always easy but, compared to the complexities of adulthood, this rhythmic simplicity may be part of

Latest Motorcycle Reviews

Review: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Motorcycle Review

Review: Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650

Riding motorcycles in India is a unique experience for those habituated to the relative predictability of American, Japanese, and European roads. For one thing, there are a lot more cows—and they tend to be on the road. That’s just daily life for the millions of riders aboard the

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S

Riding the 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S home to Long Beach from the company’s headquarters in Foothill Ranch, I noticed many things. The 649cc parallel-twin powering the motorcycle is a peppy companion. The bike feels lighter than its 498-pound claimed curb weight suggests. Throttle response can be kind of light

Review: 2023 Janus Halcyon 250 | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine | Motorcycle Review

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Janus Halcyon 250

Awash in unending spectacle, it takes something special to command the attention of the average passerby in Venice Beach, the unofficial ogling capital of California. The Janus motorcycle I was riding had no problem drawing gazes, though. Maybe it was because two Janus models were puttering around the beach town

Review: 2023 KTM 890 Adventure

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 KTM 890 Adventure

KTM chose Portugal as the place to show off the 2023 base model of the 890 Adventure. It couldn’t have been more suitable. The country’s winding paved roads, interlaced with various off-road sections, run the gamut from skittish hard-pack to lush loam, from deep sand to tree-lined rock-strewn

Review: 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Ducati Multistrada V4 Rally

Ducati has redesigned the Multistrada to create the Rally model, a premium adventure bike to travel faster, farther, and more comfortably, even off-road and with a passenger. I took the bike for my first ride in Sardinia, Italy. With the Rally, Ducati goes one step further than the previous Multistradas

Review: 2023 Aprilia Tuareg

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Aprilia Tuareg

Many things have been said and written about the off-road qualities of the Aprilia Tuareg. But while private and semi-official teams kept lining up at the starting gates of ADV raids and European off-road races with the Yamaha Ténéré 700 bikes, Aprilia still hadn’t seen the opportunities that the

Review: 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo

Review: 2022 Harley-Davidson Low Rider El Diablo

With the Low Rider El Diablo, Harley-Davidson has leveled up the strange bedfellows of opulence and austerity. Parked on its side stand, the layered, faded, and pinstriped custom paint is breathtaking, highlighted by the textured black finishes of the valve covers and various other metal bits. Swinging a leg over

News

100 Years of BMW: New Bikes and an Exhibition

100 Years of BMW: New Bikes and an Exhibition

In 1923, a little company called BMW Motorrad built its first motorcycle. Now, 100 years later, the company is still going strong—and that’s cause for celebration. On May 12, BMW opened a new exhibition at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany. The displays highlight BMW’s centennial journey,

BMW Teases a New R 12 nineT

BMW Teases a New R 12 nineT

In 2013, BMW Motorrad introduced the R nineT. Now, to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary, BMW has given us a teaser of a new machine in the retro-style roadster lineup—the R 12 nineT. The newcomer continues the nineT line’s tradition of offering a purist, classic roadster design

2023 Indian Chief Sport

2023 Indian Chief Sport

As far as Indian is concerned, there can never be too many Chiefs. Or Indians, for that matter. To help get more of both, Indian is introducing a new model for 2023—the Indian Sport Chief [https://www.indianmotorcycle.com/en-us/sport-chief/]. As its title states, this Chief has an

Moto Morini: Legend Reborn

Moto Morini: Legend Reborn

The annals of motorcycling are filled with stories about impassioned inventors and their dramatic travails of trying to turn those passions into pragmatic, successful businesses. Motor-mad Italy has produced an inordinate number of tales pertaining to motorcycle success and heartbreak. One such tale tells of Moto Morini [https://www.motomoriniusa.

2024 BMW R 18 Roctane | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine

BMW Introduces New 2024 R 18 Roctane

Are you ready to rock? BMW certainly hopes so, as the German moto maker is rolling out the newest vintage-inspired member of its Heritage line that aims to put the rock in octane. BMW R 18 Roctane joins the existing lineup of R 18 bikes, which features the R 18,

Cardo Announces First Communicator with Subscription Service

Cardo Announces First Communicator with Subscription Service

Cardo has often been at the frontline of innovation when it comes to motorcycle communication systems. Now, the company is again breaking new ground—but not necessarily in a way riders expected or wanted. Cardo Systems recently introduced the Cardo Packtalk Custom communicator, the first motorcycle communicator to feature subscription

Honda Rolls Out Two New Beginner-friendly Dual Sports

Honda Rolls Out Two New Beginner-friendly Dual Sports

Are you interested in dual sports but have never ridden one? Well, you’re in luck! Honda recently introduced two new dual sport motorcycles for the 2023 model year. The Honda XR150L is a brand-new and accessible bike that promises to offer plenty of value on the street and trail.

City Escapes

City Escape: Chicago, Illinois

City Escape: Chicago, Illinois

This City Escape route begins in northeastern Illinois and tracks northwest to rural southeastern Wisconsin, heading for Madison. Advancing and receding glaciers during the ice ages have left the topography mostly flat, but the soil is noticeably rich. Large red barns, with their grain silos, dot the verdant landscape in

City Escape: New York City, New York

City Escape: New York City, New York

This scenic loop starts and ends in northern New Jersey, about 25 miles west of Manhattan. The route winds through the beautiful scenic lakes of Ringwood and Wawayanda state parks, then through the woods of Roosa Gap and Vernooy Kill state forests to the Ashokan reservoir. It continues on SR

City Escape: Vancouver, British Columbia

Mar/Apr '23 Premium Content

City Escape: Vancouver, British Columbia

The Sea-to-Sky Highway is one of those famous motorcycling roads that you have to ride at least twice. Once to revel in the sweeping bends and smooth surface, and then again to soak up the spectacular views over the turquoise-blue waters of Howe Sound and the majestic pine forests reaching

City Escape: Marietta, Georgia | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

City Escape: Marietta, Georgia

Shamrock Tours

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

Snowville, Utah Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel

Snowville, Utah Shamrock Tour®

Snowville, UT, is located off an unassuming truck stop exit along I-84, about 110 miles north of Salt Lake City. I glided into the Earp and James Hitching Post RV park, pulling my ATC travel trailer with my 2017 Honda CRF250L Rally secured inside. This type of moto hauling is

Washington, Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour® | RoadRUNNER Magazine Motorcycle Tour

Nov/Dec '22 Premium Content

Washington, Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®: Forgotten Corners

Jeff Arpin and I have been eagerly anticipating our Pennsylvania Shamrock Tour®, but historically high August heat promised sweltering rides. A more recent weather forecast, however, now predicts cooler temperatures. But there’s a meteorological catch-22—the remnants of a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico are set to

Cleveland, Mississippi Shamrock Tour®: The Heart of the Delta

Sep/Oct '22 Premium Content

Cleveland, Mississippi Shamrock Tour®: The Heart of the Delta

Two days of riding south from Music City gave us the chance to become acquainted with the motorcycles we would be paired with on this Shamrock Tour®—an Indian Chief Limited and Indian Challenger Dark Horse. I’m not sure there could’ve been a better choice of machines for

Products Reviews

Review: Metzeler Tourance Next 2

Review: Metzeler Tourance Next 2

Since 2013, Metzeler’s Tourance Next 90/10 tire has delighted street-oriented adventure riders. Designed primarily for on-road use, it set a real benchmark for what an adventure bike tire can do. Over the years, the competition has closed the gap, especially on the performance aspect, but a loyal customer

Review: REV’IT! Sand 4 H20 Suit

Review: REV’IT! Sand 4 H20 Suit

The REV’IT! Sand 4 H2O suit [https://imp.i104546.net/5ggLRn] is a multi-season outfit meant to fall in the catalog between the time-tested Poseidon 3 GTX and the relatively new Offtrack2 H2O. I wore the Sand 4 H2O for a seven-day, 1,000-mile ride through Colombia. The journey

Neckerchiefs, Bandanas, Buffs, Oh My! 6 Ways to Protect Your Neck

Neckerchiefs, Bandanas, Buffs, Oh My! 6 Ways to Protect Your Neck

The bandana is the original biker’s neckwear. This multi-purpose square of material serves as neck protection against the elements, as well as a face warmer, a disptick rag, goggle cleaner, and much more. Whether it’s protecting you from debris, the weather,, insects, or the sun, a good bandana

Cardo Announces First Communicator with Subscription Service

Cardo Announces First Communicator with Subscription Service

Cardo has often been at the frontline of innovation when it comes to motorcycle communication systems. Now, the company is again breaking new ground—but not necessarily in a way riders expected or wanted. Cardo Systems recently introduced the Cardo Packtalk Custom communicator, the first motorcycle communicator to feature subscription

Review: Helite H-MOOV Backpack Airbag

Review: Helite H-MOOV Backpack Airbag

I tip my hat to Helite’s innovative H-MOOV airbag [https://imp.i104546.net/WqyXWP]. It combines protective airbag technology with the storage functionality of a backpack. The stylish backpack incorporates Helite’s Turtle technology. The CE-certified airbag inflates fully in less than 0.094 seconds, protecting vital areas including

Review: Forcite MK1S Smart Helmet

Review: Forcite MK1S Smart Helmet

The quest for a “smart” motorcycle helmet has been going on for years, with varying degrees of … mostly failure. The smart helmet mania really started with the Skully helmet saga, which fleeced thousands of riders by promising a high-tech hat featuring comms, GPS and a rear-view camera piped to a

Best Waterproof Gloves for Spring Motorcycle Riding

Best Waterproof Gloves for Spring Riding

Spring is coming and with that comes riding. However, warming weather can bring spring showers. To help keep your hands dry when unexpected rains hit, here are 10 pairs of gloves tailor-made for the task. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REFAX Ridge Waterproof Gloves [https://imp.i104546.net/rQnv4G] These leather/textile gloves feature