5 Great Motorcycle Rides in California

California boasts many fantastic motorcycle-friendly roads. Motorcyclists can enjoy riding year round with mild winters and limited rainfall.

Here are five great rides in northern California. You can find the GPS files and map at the bottom of this article.

Pacific Coast Highway (SR 1)—San Simeon to Carmel

Whether you call this road the Coast, Highway One, California One, PCH, or its map name SR 1, it is indisputably one of, if not the best ride in California. It’s roughly 90 miles of winding, scenic bliss with no unsightly development or cross-traffic.

On one side you have steep mountains of trees and, on the other, the beautiful, craggy coastline of the Pacific Ocean. This is the area poet Robinson Jeffers declared was “the most dramatic meeting of land and sea on Earth.”

This stretch of pavement will soon become your soulmate amongst roads. You’ll find yourself returning again and again, the ride delivering magic each time.

The continuous winding coastal road with perfectly shaped corners creates a gentle, flowing rhythm. It’s lined with stunning scenery and, if you time it right, you will feel as though you have it all to yourself.