1-888-5-RIDERZ

1-888-5-riderz

for a free consultation
Simi Valley sunset minutes before dark

By Talya Adams   Two weekends ago, I found myself feeling a little burnt out from the Los Angeles hustle. The year is quickly winding down, and with the holidays fast approaching, I knew I needed to let off some steam. As usual, I didn’t have a full day to take a ride, so I

By Richard Vohsing   I have learned many harsh lessons over the years – getting a haircut from fantastic sams, confusing yellow snow for frozen lemonade, etc. The harshest lesson I have learned however has been an ongoing lesson – something that has been learned through years of experience rather than a one-time. This may

By Sergio Laurente   I had the pleasure of commuting in a cage to work the other day. During a 35 mile one-way trip in Los Angeles, there are opportunities to judge plenty of interesting decisions made by riders and/or drivers along the way. Many of these minor errors should be forgiven and I know

By Kurt Sunderbruch   No, this isn’t one of those hand-wringing pieces saying that if you go on a group ride, you will surely die.  Yes, I love riding with one or more other riders.  As the saying goes; trouble shared is trouble halved, and happiness shared is happiness doubled.  Most of my best and

By Talya Adams   I recently had dinner with a friend and as we were parting ways she asked me why I rode my motorcycle at night. Her reasoning: it’s dangerous because it dark. This comment sounded silly to me as she drives a car at night. Both of our vehicles have headlights and it

By Kurt Sunderbruch   As I write this, I am getting packed to fly off to the UK to ride motorcycles with friends for the next couple of weeks – maybe that sounds frivolous, especially when there is so much great riding available here in the USA, but I disagree.  While there is a certain

By Ryan McNerney   After getting a few heat cycles through my new set of BT45 tires, I was itching to take a shakedown day trip to help me get a feel for them.  The only hard part was picking a destination, but an idea came from an unlikely place; my Oma back in NJ! 

By AJ Jacobsen   Motorcycles. If you’re reading this, chances are, you ride, know a rider, or have an interest in riding. These two wheeled machines can evoke a wide range of emotions and create a culture all their own. Within that culture there are many sub-cultures, each with unique individuals that collectively make a

By Kurt Sunderbruch   Epilogue Once I arrived back in Nice, I found the condo we had rented in Villefranche sur Mer, and headed to the airport to collect my wife who had just flown down from the UK.  End of story, right?  Not quite.  It was hot and humid in late July down on

By Talya Adams   This weekend I found myself out at Venice Beach, as I often do during the summer season. I headed to the coast at a later time than usual, and it did not disappoint as far as heavy traffic and temperamental drivers go; both were present. However, what did surprise me was

By Kurt Sunderbruch   Day 4 had arrived, and not a moment too soon.  All the competitors, and many of the bikes looked somewhat worse for wear.  My bike was rashed up and filthy, and several bikes were showing a creative use of duct tape to keep their bodywork together.  A few others were unable

By Kurt Sunderbruch   Part 5 The evening of day 1 provided its own excitement.  We joined our fellow competitors for a beer and dinner, and lots of bench racing.  There was excited talk and animated hand gestures describing the highlights of the day around the table.  Comparing notes on where riders took wrong turns

By Kurt Sunderbruch   After a somewhat fitful night of sleep, it was time to get up, pack up, have breakfast, check out, turn in my luggage, and head to the start.  Apparently, the organizers wanted to have the start in a place where we could stage all the bikes, have a special test, and

By Kurt Sunderbruch   Part 2: With a commitment made to doing it, the next step was to figure out how to do it.  The next steps were submitting my entry, arranging a bike, and figuring out the logistics.  The entry part would be the easiest, and the arranging the bike would be the hardest,

By Kurt Sunderbruch   Prologue: AJ said, “You’ve been riding a long time.  You certainly must have some stories about all that riding.  Tell those stories.” (maybe not an exact quote, but close enough).  This is my best story.  It explains more about my riding experience, and what sort of rider I have become than

By Kurt Sunderbruch   From the Cambridge English Dictionary: pilgrimage noun uk ​ /ˈpɪl.ɡrɪ.mɪdʒ/ us ​ /ˈpɪl.ɡrə.mɪdʒ/ a special journey made by a pilgrim a visit to a place that is considered special, where you go to show your respect   Usually when we hear the term, pilgrimage, it’s in the context of a religious

By Kurt Sunderbruch   The long, cold, wet winter has passed.  It’s time to clear those cobwebs out of your head, out of your skills, out of your motorcycle, and get out and ride. Spring is my favorite season for riding.  The natural world is blooming.  The days have gotten longer, and the sky has

By Sergio Laurente   Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember a time when having GPS readily available was uncommon. Not only is navigation now the norm, but some apps give real time feedback on best routes considering any heavy traffic areas. This means that people even depend on navigation to get them from home

By Talya Adams   I love a quick and fun ride. They keep me going when I’m slammed with work. A top notch quick ride for me is usually anything under two hours, some nice views, and a few twists in the road if possible. Last weekend, I did a trip up to the San

By Talya Adams   A few weeks ago, I took a very rewarding ride up to Malibu. I’m sure I’ve gushed about Malibu in the past, but every year I discover a new beach, or a new state park to explore, and I feel compelled to share my findings. My ride out to Leo Carrillo

By Talya Adams   I will be spending the majority of my weekends exploring new beaches this summer. I made this decision at the beginning of the month. It seemed to make sense given the beach was the only place I was finding relief from the heat. So, the weekend before last I drove down

By Talya Adams   Thanks for coming back for part two of my review of Point Mugu State Park. Below I’ll share tips, advice, and the aftermath of my journey. To say it was a learning experience would be an understatement. Find out why. I like to be informed in most things I do. When

By Talya Adams   Yesterday, I finally went out on a ride out to Point Mugu State Park. This location has been on my list of destination trips for a while. When I was researching the park, I discovered it offered amazing views of the Pacific Ocean and wonderful hiking trails. I figured this would

By Barb Graham   We’ve been having a heat wave in Socal lately, along with muggy weather and thunderstorms. It’s a lot like Alabama, only not quite as hot. It’s hot enough to bring out the snakes in San Diego County. They come seeking water or prey in the neighborhood, and Animal Control has already

By Talya Adams   Over the past month I’ve been invited on quite a few group rides to various places. I must admit it’s nice to be considered for a group outing no matter what the activity, but I can’t say I’ve taken anyone up on the offer. Does that make me antisocial? Maybe, but

By Dennis Dumapias   Really, I should say to all motorists, but while lanesharing motorcyclists are prevalent here in California, not all states have to deal with lanesharing – and never more present within California than congested regions like the good ol’ San Francisco Bay Area during the commute week. I know. You as a

By Talya Adams   We’ve all heard the saying, ‘The early bird gets the worm’. I’ve found this to be true as motorcyclist as well. If you want to get the most enjoyment out of your ride, try waking up with the sun – get a head start on some of the worst traffic out

By Talya Adams   There are a lot of people who don’t realize how much energy physically, mentally, and emotionally goes into operating a motorcycle. In order to remain safe at all times you have to be present on all accounts. One of the biggest things I’ve recently experienced taking away from my riding safety

By Barb Graham   It was billed as “Day in the Dirt.” This Meetup event was hosted by the BMW shop, and some expert dirt riders offered instruction. The plan was to meet at the shop, then proceed down into Borrego Desert and gather at a staging area by the Superstition Mountains. The day was

By AJ Jacobsen   In California we are blessed with a wide variety of mountain roads, with pavement, trails, and tracks that can appeal to pretty much any riding style. As part of my riding club, Curve Unit, we host monthly rides in various areas, providing members and attendees with new scenery and different roads

By Talya Adams It’s that time of year again. The time when resolutions are made and then quickly forgotten. The forgotten promises are exactly why I stopped making resolutions years ago, and also why setting goals has become so effective for me. This year my motorcycle goals will be simple, fun, and manageable. I’ve had

By Tayla Adams So, recently my speakers broke and I was too lazy to go out and buy another pair. I also figured it wouldn’t be that big of a deal riding without music for a while. What could it hurt right? I thought I’d get some thinking done, be more present with the environment

By Bill Harr We have so many great motorcycle roads here in California. Southern California has the Mulholland Snake and many other canyons to ride. Highway One on the coast ranks up there as one of the classic rides in the world. Highway 9 and 35 in the Santa Cruz Mountains has Alice’s Restaurant. In

By Tayla Adams   The past two days have been crazy. I’d read the weather report stating rain was sure to fall in the beginning of the week, but I didn’t expect heavy rain because this is, after all, California. Not to mention the last serious rain we had here was like two years ago.

By Tayla Adams The New Year has finally come and as usual I’m in the mood to set some goals for myself. When I thought about things I wanted to do in regards to my riding it took me a moment to think of a solid plan. I feel like in the past I’ve said

By Bill Harr I have been blessed to reach retirement and still be riding my motorcycle. My current ride is a 2016 Ducati Multistrada S Touring. Typically, I ride with a core group of 8 old friends, and we go on several long rides and many short rides every year. Four of the riders I

By Bill Harr We got on the road at 9:00 AM, and the weather report shows a storm coming in where we are headed. We had a fine time in St Moritz, but it is time to head north to Stein am Rhein. Up and over Julierpass we went. It was warm enough when we

We got a really good nights sleep, which was great since we were tired from the long day yesterday. We woke up to blue skies, and it was crisp and cold with a light frost. We enjoyed a nice breakfast at the Hotel. The European breakfast of sliced meats, cheeses and breads can grow on

By Bill Harr Riding the Swiss Alps was a bucket list ride for me. I was surprised and pleased that my wife wanted to make the ride with me. Last year I stopped and checked on rental motorcycles at the two dealers in Basel Switzerland. The Suzuki-Triumph dealer had several bikes that would work for

By AJ Jacobsen   When it comes to getting to work, most of us have to deal with the best way to make that happen. Of course, there are always options, even if they don’t seem reasonable, but they do exist. Over the past few months I’ve had to evaluate my personal choices around commuting.

We’ve been having a heat wave in SoCal lately, along with muggy weather and thunderstorms. It’s a lot like Alabama, only not quite as hot. It’s hot enough to bring out the snakes in San Diego County. They come seeking water or prey in the neighborhood, and Animal Control has already removed a couple of

It’s no secret the month of September tends to be hottest month of the year in Los Angeles. When I first moved here from the east, I thought this was ridiculous as the early months of summer are the hottest in Florida. Interestingly enough, the last week of August this year was a scorcher with

I don’t know what it is, but for the last two months it seems like US 101 has been blocked off at some point in the late hours of the night. Recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of state troopers slowing down traffic by weaving in between the lanes, or construction taking place with up

Ride season is in full swing ladies and gentlemen. If you’re anything like me you’re indulging as much as possible. Good weather is all it generally takes to get me outside for an adventure, and finding new places to explore is an added bonus. Over the weekend, I went out to Franklin Canyon and explored

This summer has been wonderful for riding. I’ve been on my bike every day, and soaking in the good weather while it’s here. Even going to work isn’t so bad when the sun is shining and there’s a nice breeze. No matter how nice the conditions, I always make a point to remain alert and

This weekend I set out to take an epic landscape photo of Los Angeles at sunrise. I have wanted to frame a city shot for months now, and I thought I’d finally found the perfect location to take a good vantage point shot. However, things don’t always go as planned. My location was supposed to

This past weekend I set out on a ride with a group of friends to Malibu. Our destination was the Grotto Trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s not an over populated hike, but it’s probably my favorite one now. The ride up there also offered plenty of adventure and variety for the views. I

Over the weekend I took up a ride up to Solstice Canyon. I’d looked up this hiking location early in the week, and it seemed pretty cool. An added bonus was the history behind this particular hiking destination. According to the weather report that morning it was supposed to be 75 degrees out. Sure enough,

Over the weekend I rode out to Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park for a job. I was pleasantly surprised to discover this ride was a lot of fun. It also wasn’t too far away from the city which was a bonus as well considering I didn’t want to be too tired before I arrived at

Lately we’ve been having more rainy days than usual in Los Angeles. Of course, more than usual in LA tends to mean more than once every two weeks. So, lately I’ve been checking the weather forecast before I leave my apartment. This gives me a heads up on what I can expect to encounter on

There I was, rolling down the street after work on a Friday afternoon. I was almost home and could finish the ride blindfolded. I had a lot planned for the weekend and work kept me later than I wanted so I was in a bit of a rush. Just as I passed a large truck

I’ve been commuting a lot recently for jobs around Los Angeles. During my travels I’ve discovered there are freeways that I hate more than others. Surprisingly, much of my disdain is for varying reasons depending upon the freeway. The freeway I drive the most often is the 101. I have a love/hate relationship with this

This past Veteran’s day, I rode up to Santa Barbara. I’d never been there before, and really wanted to get away from Los Angeles for the day. For a beach trip, this ride actually has a lot to offer motorcyclists. In my opinion, a good ride is all about variety. With this idea in mind,

It can only take a nanosecond of distraction on a motorcycle for a day to go from fun to tragic.  This isn’t anything one plans for, and the only way to avoid distraction is to be aware that it lurks at the periphery like a Grinch, just waiting for you to screw up. Distraction can

Yesterday, I took a ride up to Cedar Springs, California. I hadn’t done a mountain run in a while, and I knew I didn’t want to go out too far away from home. I wanted a smooth ride on a less than crowded path. I also wanted beautiful scenery and twisty roads. I’m very happy

While I am not from the Lake Tahoe area, I love gambling, skiing and enjoying the outdoors. The great thing about Lake Tahoe is that the area offers two very distinct seasons, though in summer in never gets really hot. For me, this makes it a great summer and early fall riding destination. Here are

Since I started riding I’ve wanted to go for longer and longer rides. Once you get to a 10+ hour ride, you start to think about spending the night somewhere so you can really go far. And of course that leads to week long trips, and month long trips, and then you’re going the wrong

Apparently the Boozefighters who came in later encountered difficulties. One group was profiled by SD County sheriff deputies, who pulled them over for doing the speed limit, held them for a while, then let them go. Another group rode in an hour after us, and the leader said he was unnerved by the sand dunes,

It’s been a while since my accident two years ago. The bike was down for a year as I scrounged for money to buy parts. Then, when it was all back together, I went on a 6 hour ride down into the desert with the BMW shop guys. After that one ride, the bike started

As more of a “weekend warrior”, I don’t really spend much time commuting to and from the office. I work from home most days, and I usually just ride my bicycle to the office when I do go in. This is great for me, because once Saturday comes, I am ready to get on my

I have not been to Sturgis in a long time. While it may be a long time before I return, I had a lot of fun, and if you prepare, you can have fun too. A lot of fun can be had, but you must approach it wisely. Here are a few ways to have more

You’ve probably seen them on the news or in person, lines of bikers a mile long, flags snapping in the wind behind them.   Most of them are on Harleys, but not all. Most of them are veterans, but not all.   Everyone is welcome to participate. By signing on to the Patriot Guard website,

Beach days are the best days. At least that’s a strong belief I have. I’ve spent my entire life around water, so when I started riding a motorcycle I wanted to make sure I’d still be able to spend time at the shore. I’ve had a few years to perfect my technique, and I’m pretty

Everywhere you go, there’s something you haven’t heard of yet. Over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time riding the same old routes that I know are amazing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, but I’m looking to branch out a little bit. I spend plenty of time at the racetrack, so

It’s not news to riders that your bike is your therapist. Each one of us needs something different to find the mental release we are seeking – we need to ride far enough, take enough turns, go fast enough. The mental health aspect of the sport is a big part of why many of us

I was on my way to work one day. It was early morning and the sun was shining a little before 7 AM. There wasn’t much traffic yet. I was riding in the carpool lane going about 75 MPH and the few other vehicles were moving at a similar speed. I checked my mirror and

I took a ride today on my motorcycle. It was just a short ride. I went a few miles along a slightly curving city street. I turned up a main road to the highway. Then I rode along the Interstate a few miles and back home. That might not seem like a big deal, but

  5 Tips for Your First Group Ride Spring is upon us, and the streets are full of riders with freshly printed M1 licenses. You might be one of them. If so, welcome to the community! Once you’ve got some miles under your belt (a good estimate – at least 500 street miles), you are

It finally happened. I finally went on a ride, a proper ride. I’ve been talking about it for months, and it’s happened. The ride was a suggestion of a friend of mine, and it was one of his favorite rides in Los Angeles. We started out around one in the afternoon. My buddy lives in

It’s a Wednesday afternoon and I’m standing over a sheer cliff staring out the Pacific Ocean. It’s practically the middle of the day in the middle of the week, right smack in the middle of the year, and even I woke up that morning not knowing I would find myself right where I was. I

After trying the bike for a day of commuting, I wanted to give it a try as soon as I could where the roads don’t just go straight. So as soon as I had the weekend and time, I rode it forty miles south to the Saratoga hills. My plan was to take Highway 9

If you are going on a long motorcycle road trip, you should know what you are getting yourself into. Nothing is more frustrating and potentially dangerous than having to deal with serious problems you were not prepared to handle. When it comes to road trips, preparation can be key to enjoyment. Since everyone has different

In the past, I wrote about my motorcycle ride to Rosarito. However, a lot of people don’t like riding through Tijuana, and I don’t blame them as it can be stressful, especially when there is a lot of traffic and activity at the border. Good news for those who want to travel to Mexico but

I love motorcycle camping. Nothing beats a three-day weekend with my motorcycle, and maybe a friend or two. However, when camping in a car, I don’t have to worry about room, and I can throw every item in my trunk. But on a bike, I need to make sure I have everything I need and nothing I

Some say the journey is the most important part of any ride. Others say the destination is number one. My ride last weekend included both an interesting journey and ended in a most interesting destination trumping either opinion. At Manteca we change to SR 120 and the road narrows to one lane each way. Then

I spend a lot of time riding on the freeway. Mostly because I live in Mid-city LA, and I work in Burbank. I also take on additional freelance work which takes me all over the greater Los Angeles area; which isn’t so bad because that’s really how I’ve been able to become familiar with the

Unlike a lot of my fellow motorcycle riders, I only go out on longer, weekend rides. Gone are the days of long commutes as I work down the street from my house, so when I do hit the road it’s usually just to have fun. Erring on the side of caution, there are some things

This past weekend I finally went on my first ride of the new year. A little overdue I’ll admit, but I’m hoping this will be the jump start to many more weekend rides. My favorite thing about this particular ride at Griffith Park is that it’s extremely close to both my home and my job.

I don’t mean to sound like a California Motorcycling Snob (hereby dubbed “CMS”), but every time I return to California from our holiday vacations in New Jersey, I can’t help but have my first thought upon our plane landing on the tarmac be: I am so glad to be back in California. A winter’s tale

When talking about my motorcycle rides, my coworkers are always envious. However, many of them are older or not in great shape, and they always ask me how I stay comfortable. It’s not hard as I am a seasoned rider, and I know what I am doing. With that being said, here are a few

Last Saturday I headed out for a much needed day on the bike. It had been awhile, over a month in fact, since I had really gone out on a “fun” ride of any serious length. A friend hadn’t been up to the Lake Berryessa area, so I decided to show him some of my

This weekend I went on a ride up to Lake Hughes in the mountains. I’d wanted to go on a good trip for a while that incorporated lots of turns because I’ve been trying to improve on my banking. So, to the mountains I went. The destination was to the Pelona Sierra Mountains, Lake Hughes

During the winter, I love to take my motorcycle down to Mexico. Living in San Diego County, Mexico is an easy hour or so away. Since I don’t like the freeway for leisurely rides, I take the 101 down to La Jolla and then hit the 5. When I leave, I go through South Oceanside,

If you’re anything like me, you don’t have a lot of free time on your hands. I personally love staying busy, but it does cut into my riding time drastically. This summer I was so inundated with work that I didn’t get an opportunity to go on any rides. After too long, I get a

If you're a true motorcycle enthusiast, you're probably always looking for a new place to ride. And if you live in North America, there are a number of great places that you can go for hours or even days of fantastic sights, great courses, and plenty of opportunities to really get the most out of

If you are ever in Southern California, you need to check out San Diego County while you are on your bike. There are plenty of amazing rides you will enjoy thoroughly. One of my favorite rides is up to Palomar Mountain, about 30 miles east of Oceanside. I like to start my ride in Oceanside

October in southern California gives us some of the best riding weather of the year. North of Santa Barbara, the region holds treasure. In the valleys, grapevines and kale, lettuce, Brussel sprouts and cabbage flourish in the warm, sunny fields. The surrounding mountains hold another type of treasure; their valleys and ridges are embraced by

Like many people, I'm on Facebook, in groups with similar interests. Firefly, for example. Motorcycles too, oddly enough. So when the founder of one motorcycle group said he was heading to San Diego, I asked if he had time for a ride. Cycle Visions is near my house; they rent Harleys and Triumphs. Many shops

Waking up to the third and final day of the rally, I only had my heart set in simply getting home. No matter which way we took down from Quincy back to the valleys, it was going to be a fun ride, so I had my heart set on slabbing it on the freeways to

Even though I mostly held up the rear during the slab up to the California-Nevada sierra, once we left the valley and up towards the mountain to Quincy, my group allowed me to jump ahead to ride the winding roads at my pace. That, or perhaps they wanted me as the rabbit for law enforcement,

I had never done any form of rallying before, and the last time I sport-toured on any of my bikes across multiple days was the first time I had ever done it, back in October 2010. As a regular member of Bay Area Rider’s Forum (BARF), I had always been aware of their rallies held

I will be sharing my first experience doing a motorcycle rally in writing in the next entry, as for now I wanted to share some of the photos I took during the rides (some taken literally during riding!). Day 1 In the first day, we met with all the rally participants in Cordelia, CA, then

Bikers are known for creating and attending many fundraising and awareness events. What can we say? We are a giving and caring select group of citizens who like to support things that we care about. And we aren’t afraid to show it. Many motorcyclists attend and donate to charities that involve fallen military members or

Our final installment in our journey around the bay area covers the “East Bay” area, with easy access from most cities east of the bay and north of the San Jose area. While stringing all of these into one day would be difficult, there are a few routes that make nice day trips on their

Join Our Riderz Community

Links
Connect

1-888-5-RIDERZ

×