I'll be flying into LA in a couple of weeks to visit family and do some shadowing around a couple of the TV studios. While there I will have a couple of days to kill, so I'm renting a K1200LT from Eagleriders for pickup at LAX on a Friday morning and returning it Sunday morning. My wife will be riding with me.

Can anyone recommend a few worthwhile sites to see and roads to travel that can be reached in that sort of timeframe? I'd like to ride at least a little of the PCH, but short of that I am completely unfamiliar with the area, its motorcycle-friendly roads, and its destinations. I'd be grateful for any suggestions; so far I've just been browsing through my AMA ride maps.

I'm looking for rides that concentrate more on scenery/natural beauty rather than technical riding - keep in mind that I'll be on a rented touring bike with my wife riding pillion on unfamiliar roads. I'm not going to be tearing ass everywhere I go.

Thanks!

definitely head up PCH. keep going and take a day trip to santa barbara, or stay overnight there. thats a beautiful ride.

locally also hit up angeles crest up to where its closed (about 35 miles from the base), then turn around and stop at newcombs for lunch (about 10 miles back from the end).

Ride up to Reno and visit me! Nobody ever rides with me! You all are either on the east coast, or too damn lazy.

Go up Highway 1 to Oxnard. About 70~ miles.

I would stay away from ACH (Angeles Crest Highway). Two up, new to the road, and on a touring bike during the weekend doesn't sound like fun to me. There are too many 'tards up there on the weekend. I would definitely hit up PCH (basically any part from santa monica on up to Ventura county), and also maybe check out some of the roads in the Santa Monica Mountains. I usually only hit a couple that were decent for twisties and not so much for the scenery, but maybe Mulholland Highway or some of the stuff around there would be good. Can anyone confirm?

ach at a touring pace is fine. just ask all the harleys up there. its not impossible or overtly dangerous if you ask me.

the santa monicas arent really for sight seeing, except to ride mulholland, but pch all the way up from santa monica to oxnard, then sorting out a route on hwy 101 or 1 up to santa barbara would be phenomenal.