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