WEB Exclusive

A collection of featured editorial that doesn’t appear in the print issues of RoadRUNNER. Read all with a WEB subscription.

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2022 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

The first impression is always the most important, whether you’re visiting your potential mother-in-law for the first time, going to a job interview, or seeing a brand-new bike at a motorcycle show. The Harley-Davidson Pan America sure made an impression when it stood undisguised and naked in a glass

WEB Exclusive

Vista House at Crown Point—Corbett, OR

In 1918, long before the advent of interstate highways and expansive rest areas, architect Edgar Lazarus designed a “comfort station” atop Crown Point, which overlooks the Columbia River Gorge some 25 miles east of Portland, OR. Perched atop a stunning basalt promontory, approximately 700 feet above the Columbia River, is

Columns Premium Content

So Much To Be Thankful For

Dear Reader, Without sounding like a broken record, this year has really flown by. Motorcycles have come and gone, several sets of tires have been gloriously burned, and I added a Ténéré 700 to the garage again. I let go of my first one too soon, and then all my

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Ducati’s Second Annual Giro Alpino

Overlooked by Mount Mansfield, Stowe is a recreation haven in northern Vermont. The town is likely packed with more miles of hiking and skiing trails than it has residents, considering its population of only around 600 people. An enormous fiery-red tractor trailer emblazoned with a huge white Ducati logo pulled

Columns Premium Content

Sidetracked: Turkey Scout

"Be Prepared!" The Boy Scout motto is a good mantra to live by. Unfortunately, even as a bona fide Eagle Scout my adherence to the wisdom often undulates. "Flat again! Come get me." These words, texted to the rescue team (my wife), articulate a reluctant tossing-in

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

Riding the 2024 Kove Rally 450

A few years ago, I was at a motorcycle trade show in Chongqing, one of the world’s largest cities in the heart of China. It was a chaotic affair, and the noise and strange bikes probably traumatized me a little. The event almost made me lose interest in the

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Lakes to Locks Passage Scenic Byway

The Lakes to Locks Passage is a byway in upstate New York that follows an interconnected waterway of canals and lakes extending from near Albany, NY, to the border with Quebec, Canada. This linked series of state and federal roads runs through Adirondack hamlets, charming small cities, bucolic rural landscapes,

Columns Premium Content

Sidetracked: Kickstands Up At Eight!

It has been said that collecting a group of motorcycle riders to leave on time is like herding cats. Four motorcycles and a dozen ATVs are packed into the corral in Salinas de Garci Mendoza, Bolivia. The village is a half-day ride from the world’s largest salt plains known

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Honda Shadow Phantom

Honda is celebrating yet another anniversary in the company’s rich and influential history in motorcycling. It was 40 years ago in 1983 when the Japanese manufacturer introduced the Shadow, a motorcycle specifically targeting America's mid-sized V-twin cruiser market. Over the years, the Shadow has become legendary, with

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 BMW R 1250 RT

Are you curious about what the “RT” stands for in the name of the 2023 BMW R 1250 RT? Well, the “R”  is for “Reise,” translating from German as “journey, trip, or voyage,” while the “T” means “Touring.” For the past 20 years, the RT has routinely been one of

Columns Premium Content

Sidetracked: Fly and Ride

The ad read, "2007 BMW R 1200 GS Adventure, low miles, pristine mechanically and cosmetically." I can't resist the allure of an older bike in good condition. Many of these machines hit the sweet spot in technology and reliability and, armed with a little knowledge and

Events

2023 Giant Loop Ride at Crane Hot Springs

The 12th Annual Giant Loop ride was the largest gathering of adventure motorcyclists this Oregon event had seen to date. Held at Crane Hot Springs near Burns, OR, this year’s ride welcomed nearly 650 participants. The campout/rally took place on June 1-4 and was a tremendous success. Open

Destinations

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

This Unusual Destination is a hotspot frequented by paranormal enthusiasts. It would be a most memorable Halloween experience, if you dared to go there. In front of the massive gothic-style building in Weston, WV, a sign announces the “Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.” Construction of the facility began in 1858. Originally designed

Classic Roads

Classic Roads: Demon’s Backbone (Ohio SR 536)

When thinking of challenging, twisty motorcycling roads, Ohio may not be the first place to pop into your mind. But that’s probably because you haven’t heard of SR 536. This stretch of asphalt has many names, including the Ohio Dragon and Ohio’s Tail of the Dragon. But

Fouled Plugs Premium Content

False Advertising

Vehicle manufacturers of all kinds have been letting their marketing departments bestow their creations with overzealous names for years. I’m referring to the practice of manufacturers mouth's writing checks their machines can’t cash. Think Suzuki Swift (it wasn’t). Or, as a newer example, the now-discontinued

Travel Guide

3 Winter Ride Destinations You Haven't Thought Of

Depending on where you live in the U.S., winter often spells the end of the riding season. In some states, bikes are ritually put away and sit dormant for months to wait out the cold and freezing weather. However, there are many states where you can still find riding

WEB Exclusive

Review: 2023 Suzuki GSX-8S

Having already struck a first-inning home run with the V-Strom 800DE earlier in the year, I was eagerly anticipating the street version of Suzuki’s new parallel-twin that powers both the Strom and the GSX-8S. Swinging a leg over the 8S, it was immediately apparent the motorcycle wasn’t going

WEB Exclusive

Wildwood, Missouri's Most Haunted Trail—Zombie Road

If you're a fan of the supernatural traveling anywhere near St. Louis, MO, you may want to detour to Wildwood to visit the infamous Zombie Road (aka. Al Foster Trail). This aptly named and presumably haunted destination is appropriately set in the thick of eerie forests. Zombie Road

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Z650RS

Bike manufacturers are building more and more modern retro motorcycles striving to capture a bygone era—one in which Kawasaki figured prominently. Now, that Japanese company has crafted an exemplary return to the stylings that attracted an entire generation to two wheels. The 2023 Z650RS possesses the design cues and

Columns Premium Content

Sidetracked: Pack Mentality—Group Riding

Pack mentality (n.) The tendency for a group of individuals to act together without planned direction. Humans, like many of our four-legged fellow inhabitants of planet Earth, are social animals. We tend to mimic the behavior of those around us. Alone, your pet malamute may be mild-mannered and cuddly. But

Destinations

Western Film Museum and Alabama Hills

About three hours north of Hollywood and a million miles from urban life, nestled in the foothills of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, the little town of Lone Pine, California and the nearby Alabama Hills has been the location for hundreds of films, commercials and television shows. Since the early years

News

How to Find the Aliens Among Us on Two Wheels

Sometimes you want a grander objective for a motorcycle tour than simply enjoying the open road and curves. If you’re after a truly otherworldly experience, why not hit the asphalt to look for proof of alien life? After all, the Congress recently got the most compelling testimony to date

Roundtrip Tour Premium Content

California: A Ride Along the Eastern Sierra

Geoff, this is not good. I can’t see anything!” “Can you see the yellow line down the middle of the road?” “Well, yes.” “That’s all you need to see.” That is a short snippet of bike-to-bike communication my wife Liz and I went through while riding Carson Pass

Fouled Plugs Premium Content

Transcending the Narrow Mind

Mark Twain is credited with saying: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness … Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” He was correct then and he’s correct today—only, today

Destinations

Explore Nevada's Area 51

Where does our fascination with aliens cross the line from humor and whimsy to serious belief? And why? Perhaps this obsession with visitors from beyond Earth stems from simple romanticism. We want to believe we are not alone. Whatever the driver, every year tourists from all over the globe venture