Classic Roads

Discover the Fun and Characterful Tail of the Gecko

Motorcyclists love a good reptilian tail. Just look at all the riders flocking to experience the Tail of the Dragon in Tennessee. But you don’t need a mythical beast to have a good time on a motorcycle. Sometimes, a more unassuming reptile will do just fine. Like a gecko.

Classic Roads Premium Content

The Hidden Gem of the Nantahala Forest—Wayah Road and Wayah Bald Road

Wayah Road winds through the breathtaking scenery of North Carolina's Nantahala National Forest. Beginning near Franklin, NC, Wayah Rd stretches approximately 28 miles, connecting US 64 and US 74. This route leads riders through the dense forest, alongside rushing streams and through countless twists and turns. It also

Tips

Everything Florian Packs for a 7-Day Motorcycle Trip

Motorcycles are fantastic vehicles for thrilling travel, but cars do have one undeniable advantage—a trunk. Taking all your things along can be a challenge, especially for longer trips. Packing a motorcycle for a week-long tour is just like any other art form in that it needs practice. Many motorcyclists,

Destinations

Everything in One Place—Athens, OH

Athens is your gateway to a whole bunch of excellent riding roads. No, not the Greek capital—we’re talking about Athens, OH. This welcoming city sits on the Hocking River in southeastern Ohio, some 20 miles from the West Virginia border. Athens, named after the ancient Greek city, is

News

Preview: 2024 Special Collectors Issue

The 2024 RoadRUNNER Special Collector's Issue is now available to PRE-ORDER. This issue highlights eight completely new motorcycle tour stories, alongside trip planning information and stunning photos. This collection of articles takes you from the (surprisingly snowy) desert canyons of Arizona to Jolly Old England. Follow our moto

May/Jun '24 Premium Content

The Boys of Summer, Part 1: Massachusetts, Connecticut & New York

My father is a New York Yankees fan. Born the year after Mickey Mantle put on the pinstripes (so 1952), he grew up in the Yankees’ Golden Era. The Bronx Bombers were in the midst of a five-year World Series win streak, an effort that would lead them toward 27

Tips

How to Create and Edit GPX Files with GPX.Studio

These days, most motorcycle touring riders use GPS routes and tracks to navigate on motorcycle tours. Whether you use your phone or a dedicated navigator, the routes typically come as GPX files. Finding pre-made GPX tracks can be easy. RoadRUNNER, for example, offers print subscribers GPS files back to the

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+

The sport-touring category is alive and well—but motorcycles don’t look like your dad’s Honda ST1300 anymore. The bikes in this segment have evolved, with more focus on sportiness and technology alongside a healthy dose of aggressive styling. If you’re a street rider who goes on trips,

News

RoadRUNNER Presents: Motorcycles & Coffee with Florian

Welcome to Motorcycles & Coffee, a new video series by RoadRUNNER. Have you ever wondered about all the moto travel stories our contributors haven’t been able to share in our magazine or on our website? Florian Neuhauser, the editor-in-chief of RoadRUNNER magazine, set out to hear those stories—and

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Zero DSR/X

My initial reaction was to scoff at the Zero DSR/X. An electric ADV bike… Seriously? How adventurous could the DSR/X be when half its battery capacity will be discharged during an 80-mph freeway ride across Southern California to get somewhere vaguely resembling adventure? Then I flew to rural

Jan/Feb '24

Whale Hunting in The Desert & The 1000 Mile Cheeseburger

"There’s whales in this here desert!” I proclaimed to Caleb as we swung our legs over our matching pair of Honda Gold Wings. “There’s whales, you just have to know where to look!” And that’s exactly what we intended to do. 9:07 a.m., Las

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2024 Honda Transalp XL750R

What magic did the 1980s possess that causes nostalgia for the age to be so prevalent? Notables, such as Harrison Ford and Jeff Bridges, have revived ‘80s characters, shows such as Stranger Things adopt the decade, and the list goes on. In 1986, Honda unveiled the first Transalp—the XL600V.

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

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

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE

When Suzuki introduced the V-Strom in 2004, its name was derived from a combination of its V-twin engine and the German word “strom,” which translates to stream or power. The V-Strom is still with us, having proven itself a formidable machine in the street/adventure realm. In fact, the bike’

Jul/Aug '23

Review: 2023 Can-Am Spyder RT Sea-to-Sky

Can-Am has always marched to the beat of its own drum. A subsidiary of BRP, the company invented both the Ski-Doo snowmobile and the Sea-Doo watercraft. When it rolled out the innovative three-wheeled Spyder in 2007, many of us in the motorcycle community didn’t know what to make of

Jul/Aug '23 Premium Content

Kalispell, Montana Shamrock Tour®

Kalispell, MT. Population, 26,000. Like me, you may have never heard of this small town just 34 miles south of Glacier National Park. It’s known as a hub town for the park, but it is so much more. After spending a week in the area on a Shamrock

News

Preview: 2023 Special Collectors Issue

Our 2023 Special Collector's Issue is now available to PRE-ORDER. This issue showcases a regionally balanced mix of 10 never before seen motorcycle tours with trip planning information and spectacular photography. Interested in seeing what's inside? Check out the story previews below. Pre-Order Now North Carolina:

Jul/Aug '23

Review: 2023 Husqvarna Norden 901 Expedition—An Explorer in South Africa

Expedition implies a long journey. It’s curiosity put into action. The pursuit of wonder, mystery, and the unknown. It’s something that comes naturally to motorcyclists. That’s part of the magic of riding, right? Husqvarna thinks so, too. Just over a year after releasing the Norden 901, the

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 Special

Harley-Davidson made a decidedly bold gambit in 2020 with the introduction of the Pan America. After all, America’s stalwart heavy V-twin cruiser company—the 800-pound (quite literally) gorilla in the OEM room—was entering the ADV world, a realm already dominated by capable machines from a number of manufacturers.

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2022 BMW F 900 R

It was late April when I sidestanded the 2022 BMW F 900 R in front of Crystal Lake Cafe in Azusa, CA. Large piles of snow were abundant but melting rapidly, remnants of the atmospheric river that defined the winter of 2022 in California. A fellow motorcyclist noticed the dealer

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Suzuki Boulevard C50T

Since rebranding its cruiser lineup in 2005 as Boulevard, Suzuki has earned its share of fans for its metro cruiser—and for good reason. The Boulevard line currently features the C50, C50T, and M109R B.O.S.S. While the 109 sports the largest displacement in the group, the concept

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S

Riding the 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan S home to Long Beach from the company’s headquarters in Foothill Ranch, I noticed many things. The 649cc parallel-twin powering the motorcycle is a peppy companion. The bike feels lighter than its 498-pound claimed curb weight suggests. Throttle response can be kind of light

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 Janus Halcyon 250

Awash in unending spectacle, it takes something special to command the attention of the average passerby in Venice Beach, the unofficial ogling capital of California. The Janus motorcycle I was riding had no problem drawing gazes, though. Maybe it was because two Janus models were puttering around the beach town

Motorcycle Review

Review: 2023 KTM 890 Adventure

KTM chose Portugal as the place to show off the 2023 base model of the 890 Adventure. It couldn’t have been more suitable. The country’s winding paved roads, interlaced with various off-road sections, run the gamut from skittish hard-pack to lush loam, from deep sand to tree-lined rock-strewn