Jeff Buchanan

Travel Guide

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

Accommodations

5 Unique Wisconsin Hotels for Motorcyclists

As the home of American stalwart Harley-Davidson, Wisconsin has been associated with motorcycles since 1903. The state offers a variety of roads and a host of attractions, from historical landmarks to winding roads, quaint townships to sprawling farmland. A big part of the two-wheel touring experience is finding lodging that

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

Accommodations

Review: Abigail’s Bed & Breakfast Inn, Ashland, OR

My long day on the BMW R 18 began near Seattle and culminated in Ashland, OR. In this small town, renowned for hosting the annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival, I arrived at Abigail’s Bed & Breakfast Inn. Against the blushing evening sky, the sight of the charming Victorian-styled Abigail’s removed

Destinations

Nevada's Area 51

Where does our fascination with aliens cross the line from humor and whimsy to serious belief? And why? Perhaps this obsession with visitors from beyond Earth stems from simple romanticism. We want to believe we are not alone. Whatever the driver, every year tourists from all over the globe venture

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’

Destinations

Roswell, New Mexico

Hear the name Roswell and images of secreted-away debris of a 1947 flying saucer crash and a clandestine cover-up cordoned off from the public with chain-link fencing and armed patrols start popping up in your head. There are even dubious, grainy black-and-white photos of surgeons performing autopsies on slit-eyed aliens.

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Route 375—The Extraterrestrial Highway

Nevada is a barren landscape—pretty, in its desert character, but barren. However, it is that barrenness that provides a relief from the congestion of the city. There’s plenty of quiet, wide open space to be found here. As a motorcycle destination, Nevada is more about the scenery, with

Destinations

Key West & The Southern Terminus

There’s nothing quite like taking a road to the end of the world. When that path takes you through a history of landscapes ripe with the romanticism of escape into the exotic, it’s all the better. We’re talking about the Florida Keys. With rich, sultry names dotting

Buyers Guide

11 Touring Tires That Will Go the Distance

When it comes to the base elements of safety and ridability, nothing is as important as tires on your motorcycle. After all, the contact patch of a motorcycle tire is about the size of a credit card, so the better compounds, tread pattern, and construction fit the bill, the safer,

Jul/Aug '23

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

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

This south-central corner of Utah offers a strikingly beautiful landscape that captures the mystique of the Southwest—specifically Bryce Canyon. The area is packed with visually stunning scenery, with SR 12 gently weaving through it all. It’s casual and easy-going motorcycle touring combined with amazing sightseeing. Starting in the

Travel Guide

5 Great Riding Roads in Ohio

Do you live in or near Ohio—or are planning a two-wheel visit to the state—and are looking for some routes to stretch your mount’s legs? Here are five awesome roads that get the wanderlust simmering and let you experience the state’s magnificent scenery. Three Rivers Ride

Destinations

Destination: Beaufort, SC

Think of South Carolina cities or towns that exude the state’s classic charm and culture and most likely Charleston or Savannah come to mind. However, for an alternative that captures the area’s rich history in a smaller, more manageable package (read: less tourists) you may want to consider

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.

Columns

Speed the Wheel: The Rites of Summer

Nothing excites the senses quite like the arrival of summer. Spring has thawed us and stripped us of our winter clothes and once again enticed our youthfulness with promises of long days and warm nights. I believe this is true for even the least romantic or sentimental people. During our

Events

Remembrance of Things Past: The 13th Quail Motorcycle Gathering

An array of beautifully restored motorcycles is set out on the greens of the exclusive Quail Lodge & Golf Club for the 13th running of The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley, CA. As I walk among them, I can’t help but think that just beyond that mountain range to

Product Review

Review: LS2 Jacket & Pants

LS2, having become a leading helmet manufacturer in Asia and Europe, has introduced riding gear to its catalog. I took LS2’s latest adventure riding suit on a test ride at the KTM 890 Adventure launch in Portugal. The wintery oceanside location proved a decent testbed. Dubbed the Norway Men’

Columns

Speed the Wheel: Skewed Beauty

I once read a story about a near-sighted writer who, after having been engrossed in his writing for hours, took a break to rest his eyes. He slipped his glasses off and went to the window of his apartment for a breath of fresh air. On the street below, he

City Escape

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,

Motorcycle Review

Review: Royal Enfield Hunter 350

Royal Enfield has come on very strong these past few years, tapping into the generational emergence of young people buying into active lifestyles, specifically motorcycling. The company (the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in the world) has managed to capture the fancy of newbies with a range of accessible, unintimidating smaller displacement

Columns Premium Content

Whats in a name?

The annals of motorcycling run deep with an eclectic array of manufacturers. Some are still with us, but many have long since shuttered. A good number of the companies got their names from the founder’s (or founders’) surnames, while others found lasting fame with anagrams, acronyms, or pure whimsy.

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Suzuki Boulevard C50T

Since rebranding its cruiser lineup in 2005 as Boulevard, Suzuki has earned its share of fans for its metro cruiser—and for good reason. The Boulevard line currently features the C50, C50T, and M109R B.O.S.S. While the 109 sports the largest displacement in the group, the concept

May/Jun '23

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

Columns

Can Am Rider Education Experience

It has been 15 years since Can-Am introduced the Spyder, its wholly unique three-wheeled roadster. The machine launched officially in February 2007 and was an instant hit, sales reaching the milestone of 2,500 units in just seven months. By May 2009, 12,500 Spyders had been manufactured, with almost