Movies and TV shows sometimes depict motorcyclists as lone wolves traveling into the sunset. But in reality, most riders are highly social and seek to become part of a group. Traditionally, groups focused on motorcycle type, the rider’s age, or riding style, but today social groups can be a diverse mix of physical riding groups […]

A few columns ago I was happy to announce my marriage to Dawn. She was raised in southern South Carolina, where her parents still reside. I had spoken with Dawn’s mother and father, Beverly and Jim, prior to our marriage, though we had never met. Shortly after our elopement, Dawn and I planned a trip […]

This remote section of US 12, between Missoula, MT, and the western border of Idaho, is known as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. It’s a segment of the cross-country Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail and part of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail. As the names imply, this route holds a special place in […]

I don’t have a problem with nice company. But when traveling by myself on a bike, I love the “get away from it all” feeling of wild campsites. No RV generators, no cell phones, preferably no noise at all, apart from nature sounds like creeks or birds. Location is important. I always look for great […]

My campground neighbors must have enjoyed the show, watching the idiot, yours truly, wander over to a small coffee pot sitting on the ground, lift the lid, and peer into it every couple of minutes. They were probably somewhat bewildered as I poured steaming water into two cups, brewing some Starbucks instant coffee for my […]

The late afternoon sunlight lay scattered like shards of glass on the forest floor, as I knelt over the glowing coals to check on my dinner’s progress. I was at a heavily wooded walk-in campsite for the weekend, and my secluded site seemed a world away from the row of RVs and campers, a short […]

“Motorcycles are dangerous! Aren’t you scared when you ride one?” We hear this a lot, and undoubtedly, most other riders do too. While you often hear this from concerned friends or family that mean well, it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. The frustration stems from the fact that the majority of these statements come […]

Riding in a group can be an exhilarating experience. It can also be about as fun as getting a root canal. It really just depends on the group you’re in as to which experience you’ll have. As they say, one bad apple can spoil the bunch. And you don’t want to be that apple, do […]

What’s more exciting? Watching a movie or being in the movie? Those were the words Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Christa Neuhauser at RoadRUNNER magazine used when I asked for her thoughts on why motorcycling was such a big deal. And what a perfect sentiment. While watching something may be fun, it can’t top the actual experience—unless […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Adventure motorcycling mixed with the kind of feel-good stories the world needs more of is the domain of Neale Bayly, a longtime journalist and photographer who is using his skills as a storyteller in video form. “As a motorcycle journalist, I liked the idea of showing motorcycling in a positive light,” explains Bayly. “My idea […]