Mar/Apr '13 - RoadRUNNER

RoadRUNNER

Mar/Apr '13

March/April 2013

California: Hot Springs the Hard Way

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

California: Hot Springs the Hard Way

Seeking a hot spring while the temperature in Los Angeles boils over 100 degrees might seem like a rather strange journey, but my loaner BMW F 800 GS and I are off to do just that in the Eastern Sierra. Let’s go! Slipping out of town at noon in

Exeter, Rhode Island Shamrock Tour®: Twisting the Throttle through the Ocean State

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

Exeter, Rhode Island Shamrock Tour®: Twisting the Throttle through the Ocean State

Although Rhode Island is the smallest state, it offers lots of historic sites to make it a good Shamrock Tour® base. This tiny piece of America is only 37 miles wide and 48 miles long, so trips into neighboring New England are unavoidable and certainly well worth it. Some interesting

Texas: Hill Country

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

Texas: Hill Country

Few would deny that digging into the ground of the 28th state would yield anything less than red, white, and blue dirt, so rolling into this part of the country on anything other than a Harley can feel a little like going to a cross-stitch party without any needles. That

West Virginia Civil War Tour: Riding through History

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

West Virginia Civil War Tour: Riding through History

Tensions between the aristocratic, plantation-based culture of eastern Virginia and the independently minded mountain people of western Virginia had simmered for years prior to the Civil War. Sharp disagreements over slavery, voting rights, and economic issues finally boiled over when Virginia seceded and federal troops moved rapidly into this mountainous

Switzerland: Swiss Dream Ride

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

Switzerland: Swiss Dream Ride

Playing cards were fastened to the frame of my bicycle with clothespins. I’d packed a lunch and tucked my Heidi book into my pants. As the cards hit the spokes, my bike made a satisfying roar down the street, and I felt certain that I would be in Switzerland

World Travelers-Cambodia and Laos: Mekong Meanderings

Mar/Apr '13 Premium Content

World Travelers-Cambodia and Laos: Mekong Meanderings

With Pakistan, India, and Nepal behind us, we are flying low over Thailand’s hedonistic capital, Bangkok. Through the small oval window, we can see mile upon mile of rice paddy fields; the entire shimmering landscape is still submerged after recent heavy rain. Shantytowns intermingle with newer structures until all

2013 Yamaha FJR1300A: A Sportbike for Grownups!

2013 Yamaha FJR1300A: A Sportbike for Grownups!

> Yamaha has launched its FJR1300A model for 2013 with some notable improvements that dyed-in-the-ballistic-nylon aficionados of sport touring should appreciate. It’s been a whole decade since this Yamaha model first appeared on our shores, and the bike’s capabilities, reliability, and comfort have made it a popular choice

2013 Honda Lineup

2013 Honda Lineup

> At a time when consumers are pinching every penny, some companies respond by doing the same, a few focus on bringing in repeat business, and others ramp up advertising. A brave handful will put all their chips on the table by offering a variety of original products. Honda has

Review: 2012 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited

Review: 2012 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited

Three Wheels Across America > Bombardier Recreational Products recently loaned us two of their top-of-the-line Can-Am touring models  and a trailer for an exhaustive cross-country test.  Starting in St. Louis, MO, we followed the Lewis and Clark Trail more than 3,000 miles to Oregon’s Pacific Coast. In addition