My girl and I are headed to Ca to visit my friends and family for thanksgiving, and we scored a Ducati 996, and BMW R 1100 RT. I'm geeked, but I've only traveled in a cage through Ca, so I don't know the good bike routes. We start in LA, then to Fresno/Yosemite over to Moro Bay and back to LA, we've only got 4 days but it should be worth it. If you've got any recommendations, I would be really appreciative.
Hwy1 north to Hwy17/Hwy880, but you'd have more fun if you continue north on Hwy1 to either Bonny Doon Rd. or Hwy84/La Honda. If you take Bonny Doon, go right onto Empire Grade and left onto Felton/Empire to Felton, and then turn left onto Hwy9 (voted best m/c road in CA 2004 (I'm not current)), and take that up and over the top and down into Saratoga. From there you can catch either Hwy85 to Hwy101, or Hwy17/880.
Hwy17 is really scary fast and cars tend to be dangerous to be around on that road.
I'm not sure if we're headed that far north along the coast, but if we do that will be on our list. I looked it up on google and it does look great.
Anyone else have ideas?
bump,
anyone else have some recomendations?
Since you're coming this far, it'd probably be worth it to ride across the Golden Gate bridge up in San Francisco. It's WAY more impressive on a motorcycle, and there's a nice vista point on the other side with a great view of the bridge and the city. Then if you still feel like going north, you could continue on Highway 1 up to Muir beach, that's a very twisty/fun stretch of road and very scenic, and perhaps up to Point Reyes -- another very scenic area, and supposedly one can see migrating whales from there this time of year.
Otherwise if you don't feel like going up to San Francisco, what Scratch said, in which case I'd recommend stopping at Alice's for lunch (at the intersection of 84 and 35. It's one of the most popular rider stops in the bay area, and hence great eye candy too!
Between Morro Bay and LA, I would recommend taking 1 for touring purposes. There are better roads for twisties, but the view from 1 is tough to beat. Down closer to LA, you should check out the Santa Monica Mountains. There are tons of great canyons roads around there. Mulholland Highway, Decker Canyon, Latigo Canyon, Topanga Canyon, etc. Great twisties and a great view. You could hit up the Rock Store, one of the more popular hangouts down there. (If you run into Pablo, don't blame me, you did so at your own risk. :icon_mrgreen: )
Who is riding the 996? That's almost literally an ironbutt for touring.
Quote from: brett on November 10, 2006, 01:46:08 PM
(If you run into Pablo, don't blame me, you did so at your own risk. :icon_mrgreen: )
HEY! I'm right here!! I can hear you...
Well, I'm not sure I understand your situation completely. If I understand you right, you will be based out of LA, and do a loop out towards the Fresno area and back. is that right? If so, have I got a route for you...
Definitely hit the santa monica/malibu mountains. I'm in santa monica so they're close to me, but depending on where you're starting you might be better suited starting another route...BUT, generally speaking you could start in the santa monica's fo rlots of little canyon runs that are easy to lik together, head over to ojai through Grimes canyon and hwy 150, take hwy 33 north from ojai (THAT is an amazing road-30 to 50 mile long, desolate twisty band of heaven). then Lockwood Valley Rd (another great road) over to Frazier park/5fwy. Alternatively, you could continue past Lockwood on 33 to the end, at hwy 166, turn R and turn R at the first road, Cerro Noreste. This is another great road that connects to Lockwood. I think its a better road, not quite as tight-lockwood has some really tight sections-and overall prettier scenery. Once you get to the 5 fwy I'm not sure if there are backroads to/toward Fresno but I bet there are...
thanks for the betta guys, I apriciate it. Here's the route that we have mapped out for us
Day 1:Sherman Oaks to Prather (Fresno)
I5 north to 99.
99 north to 168 (if we have the time were going to cut up and through Sequioa/Kings Canyon)
Day 2:Prather to Yosemite back to Prather
41 to Oakhurst
49 to Moccasin (120)
120 into Yosemite
either 140-49-41, or 41 to get back to Prather
Day 3: Prather to somewhere on the coast
41 south to 198
198 W to San Lucas (101)
G14 to Jolon
Nacimiento-Fergusson rd to 1
1 south to San Luis Obispo
Day 4: S.L.O to Sherman Oaks
101 south to 166
166 east to 33 south
33 south to Ojai
150 to 126 to Fillmore
Grimmes Canyon into Moorpark
118 into the Valley until we hit traffic then take side streets to Sherman Oaks.
I found great info at www.pashnit.com, check it it you havn't already. It's pretty comprehnsive of every worthwhile road in Ca.
Besides that it looks like the Ducati is out, due to front end problems, and we'll be borowing a 1000 Vstrom instead.
day 1 should be the reverse of day 4. otherwise you will be bored out of your mind. I mean it. once the I5 gets over the grapevine (Gorman/Frazier Park) its straight as an arrow until the 99, at which point the 5 goes off and the 99 continues straight as an arrow for a several mind numbing HOURS. I mean STRAIGHT as far as the eye can see...Its painful in a car, got to be worse on a bike...
Quote from: pantablo on November 16, 2006, 11:24:39 AM
day 1 should be the reverse of day 4. otherwise you will be bored out of your mind. I mean it. once the I5 gets over the grapevine (Gorman/Frazier Park) its straight as an arrow until the 99, at which point the 5 goes off and the 99 continues straight as an arrow for a several mind numbing HOURS. I mean STRAIGHT as far as the eye can see...Its painful in a car, got to be worse on a bike...
Yeah, but what else can he do? The only way to avoid a straight and boring day 1 is to basically to days 3 and 4 in reverse. To do it in one day, you gotta suck it up and ride the straight roads.
the only reason Day 1 is a straight shot is so that we can spend most of the day with my family, becuse we wont be around the rest of the time that we're in Ca. When I lived in Ojai, I used to do that drive 4 times a month for about two years, it sucks.
If we make good time, we'll head up through Kings and Sequioa which will be a good reward for getting the straight stuff out early.