Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content Wisconsin: A Finger in the Lake On the northern tip of the Door County peninsula, the waters of Green Bay meet those of Lake Michigan creating a particularly dangerous stretch of water known to the region’s first French explorers as Porte des Morts Passage or the “Way to the Door of the Dead” (aka Death’
Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content State College PA Shamrock Tour®: Roads Less Traveled It’s early October in central Pennsylvania as days grow shorter, temperatures decline, the air is crisp, and fall foliage blooms. I’m reminded that it’s been 11 years to the month from when I did my first tour here for RoadRUNNER under the tutelage of magazine founder, Christian
Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content Trans-America Trail, Colorado to Oregon: Detours, Broken Bones, and New Friendships As if on cue, my new riding partner, Luke Swab, rolls into Fairplay, CO, on a Yamaha WR250R, where I am waiting to meet him by the side of the road. I’m relieved, yet I’m apprehensive to have a riding partner. The first half of the journey had
Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content Switzerland: Lakeside Luxury One country and four different languages—Switzerland spreads various cultures and sheer beauty between the pearls of Lake Lucerne and Lake Maggiore. Helicopters are circling. A dozen police bikes are riding toward us. We get stopped right at the top of Albula Pass. The reason is harmless and almost disappointing:
Jul/Aug '15 Premium Content Reader Ride–Utah Highway 12: It's the Journey and the Destination In my impetuous youth, I felt the kickstand was my sworn enemy. I was one of those guys who wore continuous hours of saddle time as a badge of honor and total miles for the day like the crown jewel on my riding tiara. In my more mature years, I
Jul/Aug '15 City Escape: Jacksonville, Florida > The low-lying coastal region surrounding Florida’s largest city isn’t home to lots of curves that many motorcyclists crave. However, what a rider will find along this day ride from the city are lovely little seaside towns, southern swamps, and quiet rural communities to give one a much-needed
Jul/Aug '15 City Escape: Santa Clarita, California > Santa Clarita lies just north of Los Angeles along the West Coast’s main north-south corridor, Interstate 5, so it’s easy to get to from many surrounding areas. Just north of town is Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park, with fantastic roller coasters, and Castaic Lake, which offers
Jul/Aug '15 City Escape: Austin, Texas > More sweepers than tight curves—explore the countryside southwest of Austin, which will appeal to every type of motorcyclist. From President LBJ’s ranch to German culinary delights, this route has it all. To include all stops along the way, plan ahead and hit the road early in the
Classic Roads Premium Content Route 66 East: America’s Main Street More than any other stretch of pavement, Route 66 imprinted the open road into the American psyche and helped shape the cultural fabric of the nation as the automobile came of age. The historic route can trace its origins back to 1857 when the Army Corps of Engineers began work
Classic Roads Premium Content Route 66 West: Riding the Mother Road Today, when people think about Route 66, they see visions of dramatic expanses of southwestern desert and the adventure of exploring the wide-open country. At its peak, the stretch of 66 through New Mexico, Arizona, and California was a bustling highway as Americans moved west to seek their fortunes. Then
Jul/Aug '15 Review: 2015 Yamaha YZF-R3 > Major manufacturers build motorcycles for one reason—to sell them. Lots of market research goes into determining a manufacturer’s product portfolio, and Yamaha recognized their lineup had a hole in it. The sub-500cc motorcycle class has been growing of late. Prior to the introduction of the all-new R3,
Jul/Aug '15 2015 Aprilia Caponord Rally: Finding the Right Mix > The Caponord (English translation is the North Cape) is the northernmost point in Europe that can be reached by motorcycle (or car if you have to). It is situated in Norway at 71 degrees north latitude, similar to Prudhoe Bay, AK. The North Cape is basically a barren, storm
Jul/Aug '15 Review: 2015 Ducati Multistrada 1200 DVT/DVT S > Attempting to recreate the success of the 2010 model year Multistrada, Ducati once again chose to reveal its latest and greatest on the Spanish Canary Island of Lanzarote. One of seven island retreats off the coast of the African continent and often the escape for Europeans on holiday, Lanzarote
