DIAMOND BRAND BELAY BAG Whether it’s strapped to your back or mounted to your motorcycle seat, Diamond Brand Gear’s Belay Bag ($ 139) will store all your adventure essentials securely and stylishly. The bag is durable and built to last. It has a customizable fit and a back pad that’s designed to take the weight […]

For folks who have the misimpression that Kansas is just one huge flat wheat field, the Flint Hills region is in fact a landscape of subtle beauty and fascinating history. If you’re not from these parts, and even if you are, prepare to be surprised.

As Steve McQueen said, “I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than any city on earth.” I’m not sure if Steve McQueen considered the badlands of Texas “nowhere,” but that’s where I’m riding my motorcycle on this epic adventure into the Wild West. In four days and 1,700 miles, I intend to wake up in […]

With spectacular views and curves galore, the North Carolina portion of the Appalachian Mountains boasts a feast for the senses. Depending on the time of year, you’ll be treated to a visual masterpiece of lush greenery or eye-popping reds, oranges, and yellows at every turn. As the endorphins and adrenaline kick in, you’ll practically be […]

Our photojournalist and dear friend Bud Miller recently tied the knot with the love of his life and we are all so very happy for him. What could be more beautiful than a story intertwined with love and motorcycles on Valentine’s Day? Check out Bud’s latest Zen Motorcyclist article, “It’s What We Do,” also featured […]

Talk to any motorcyclist and you’re likely to hear how they love the exhilarating feeling of freedom they get while riding. The feel of the wind, the intensity of the smells in the air, the vibrant views that come at you as if you’re wearing 3D glasses … Even still, there are some people who […]

Adventure riders know: even bikes that are supposedly built to “handle anything” and “take you anywhere” have limits. Even a bike as rugged as the Honda Africa Twin will break under enough pressure. To protect yours, AltRider has developed its three-piece Crash Bar system to fit all Adventure Sports models. Although the components can be […]

This 105-mile section of CO-14 has become an all-time favorite over the years. Leaving Ft. Collins, the road winds alongside the Cache la Poudre River and climbs steadily into Roosevelt National Forest until it reaches Cameron Pass (10,200 ft). From there it descends steeply before flattening out on the high plains for a short ride […]

I’m on my motorcycle, heading west on I-10 back to California, when I see the sign for a destination totally unfamiliar to me: Chiricahua National Monument. Just the name sparks my interest. Although best known for being the home of the Grand Canyon, Arizona is rich with more than a dozen less-frequented national park areas, […]

Let’s say there’s something you want to photograph—a mountain, a motorcycle, a bacon cheeseburger, whatever. Most of the time in this situation we behave like Pavlov’s dog: the instant the idea “I want to take a photo” enters our mind, we whip out the camera and begin shooting right then and there. This is especially […]

Can-Am has taken aim at a previously untapped market with the introduction of its all-new 2019 Ryker. Designed as a lower-priced model for local and day-trip use, it is intended to attract new and more youthful buyers to the brand, which until now has been popular primarily among an older generation of consumers. Who will […]

As the official home base of Ohio’s Windy 9, Athens marks the beginning and end of every route on the list. It’s sizeable enough to offer plenty of lodgings, and urban enough to serve up the region’s largest collection of dining, shopping, and nightlife options. During our stay we took advantage of its great local […]

San Jose may be the epicenter of Silicon Valley madness, but it’s also surrounded by some of the best moto roads in the Bay Area. This City Escape focuses on the western side, featuring the newly opened Mount Umunhum State Park, which has become one of the great Bay Area summits for motorcyclists.

Ahead of me, a runaway train of 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GTs barrels up the winding road. I’m wringing out second gear in between connecting corners to keep up, the screech of the bike’s inline triple reaching its highest register. Wind River Road is ideal testing ground for Yamaha’s latest sport-tourer, and the lead pack […]

A few years ago I wrote a column titled Four Legs, Two Wheels and a Grateful Heart (July/Aug ’15), in which I spoke of a new motorcycle and a new housemate (my dog Spud) that both came to me during a time when I was broken, physically and emotionally. Each served to help get me […]