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North Central U.S.

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which sits above Wisconsin and separates Lake Superior from Lake Michigan, is an often-overlooked haven. Its combination of rugged mountains, lush...

Athens, Ohio Motorcycle Ride: Ohio’s Windy 9

Athens, Ohio, has always been special to me. My great aunt, Jean Drevenstedt, has lived there since the early ’70s. She was a psychology...

50 Best Motorcycle Roads in America

The December 2024 issue of Rider celebrated the magazine's 50th anniversary. Over the past half century, we have published thousands of travels stories, favorite...

Beauty in Bluff Country: A Southern Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

Motorcyclists living in Minnesota experience long winters with plenty of time to think about roads we want to ride. It’s a sweet feeling when...

Get Your Kickstart on Route 66

Dubbed the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath and known as “Main Street USA,” U.S. Route 66 will celebrate its...

Riding South Dakota’s Black Hills BDR-X

If you’re looking for a golden adventure riding opportunity, the Black Hills BDR-X marks the spot. Backcountry Discovery Routes are adventure/dual‑sport routes that typically...

The Return of the Moonshine Lunch Run | Favorite Ride

This Favorite Ride doesn’t include a route map because it’s all about a single destination: the corner of 300 Road and 600 Street in...

Trans Wisconsin Adventure Trail | Favorite Ride

As I reached for the pump handle to fill up at the start of this trip, I suddenly realized my hydration pack wasn’t on...

Exploring the Far North: A Northern Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

Most of us love the feeling of anticipation leading up to a multiday motorcycle trip. This particular Minnesota motorcycle ride one was more memorable...

Saving the Best for Last: A Ride to the Sturgis Rally – and Beyond

Retirement is underrated, which I discovered both too soon and too late. Fifteen years ago, my employer of 36 years eased me out their...

Roller Coaster Hills: A Southeast Ohio Motorcycle Tour

This Southeast Ohio motorcycle tour story, which highlights some of the best Ohio motorcycle roads and a stay in the historic town of Marietta...

Northeastern Michigan and Lake Huron Lighthouses Loop | Favorite Ride

At first glance the small farming town of Posen, which is situated along State Route 65 in northeastern Michigan and hosts an annual Potato...

Wolf River Run in Wisconsin | Favorite Ride

The WisconsinHighways.org website’s State Trunk Highways section says: “One of the noticeable idiosyncrasies is the meandering nature of some of Wisconsin’s state highways. Just...

Great Lakes Getaway: Touring Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan

I arrive in Duluth, Minnesota, in the middle of the night, welcomed by a cleansing wind blowing off Lake Superior, the largest of the...

Favorite Ride: Des Moines River Loop

There are some great roads in central Iowa around the town of Boone, which is about 45 miles north of Des Moines. This ride...

Riding Ohio’s Triple Nickel

No more than 10 miles from where I learned to ride a motorcycle is one of our country’s finest set of twists and turns....

A Scenic Ride on Wisconsin Route 67: IMS Outdoors Chicago Ride

The second stop on the 2021 Progressive IMS Outdoors tour is near Chicago, Illinois, over the weekend of August 20-22. As the only stop...

Favorite Ride: Wisconsin’s Waumandee Valley River Roads

Buffalo County, Wisconsin, is a hidden gem for motorcyclists. Located in the northwest part of the state, its southern border is the Mississippi River,...

Highway 61 Remastered: Riding Along Minnesota’s North Shore

If you go when the snowflakes stormWhen the rivers freeze and summer endsPlease see if she’s wearing a coat so warmTo keep her from...

List of U.S. Motorcycle Tour Operators 2020

With international travel in 2020 looking less certain by the week (and possibly risky, not just health-wise but also with the possibility of becoming...

Connecting Small Towns in Northeast Iowa

Iowa is not known as a motorcycling destination, but rather a through state. Motorcyclists travel mostly on the four-lane roads thinking that’s all there...

Big Water: Exploring Southern Indiana’s Chunk of the Ohio River Valley

Despite being a lifelong Hoosier, I hadn’t spent much time riding in the southern part of Indiana. This year would be different -- I...

Iron Range Ramble: Riding Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region

"It’s not the destination, it’s the journey," says the motorcycling adage. That’s true! Most highlights of motorcycling are experienced during the ride. I choose...

One Ride, 47 National Parks

Forty-seven national parks, 17,335 miles, 67 days, three flat tires, two forest fires, three boat rides, temps ranging from 31 degrees and sleet to...

Stayin’ Safe: Riding Like Heinz

Improving slow-speed stability can be fun. No, really. More than any other skill, riders tell me they wish they had better low-speed control. And no...

Bluestem Pastures: Exploring the Flint Hills of Kansas

A couple of years ago I did an east-to-west and back ride across north central Kansas. One of the highlights was the Flint Hills,...

Kansas Moto History: The Evel Knievel Museum and Twisted Oz Motorcycle Museum

The shot of George Hamilton racing toward the canyon and destiny in the 1971 movie, "Evel Knievel," had my eyes glued to the screen...

Chasing Black Hills Gold: Great Roads in South Dakota

"I hear the voice of the mystic mountains/Callin' me back home/So take me back to the Black Hills" -Doris Day Doris Day is one of...

Favorite Ride: Minnesota’s Otter Trail Scenic Byway

Thinking of Minnesota roadways, superlatives do not normally come to mind. Riding Minnesota’s Otter Trail Scenic Byway can change that. The route includes many...

Back Home Again In Indiana: Motorcycle Touring in the Hoosier State

I was born in Indiana, so I am, by definition, a Hoosier. I didn’t learn to ride there, but I spent 10 years in...

North Central U.S.

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