HomeTouringU.S. Tours

U.S. Tours

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

Riding the ‘Other’ Cape: Cape Ann

When New Englanders talk of "The Cape," typically they mean Cape Cod, the flexing arm of Massachusetts that reaches from the South Shore into...

Gila County Loop: A Nice Place to Ride in Winter

I’ve been thinking about writing this story for a few months, but the inspiration for it goes back every winter for 20 years. About...

On-the-Job ADV Training With Bill Dragoo’s DART School

A tiny figure on a Honda CRF250 slowly ascends a rocky slope in the rough country of southeastern Utah. Partway up she veers off...

Favorite Ride: Washington’s Glacier-Fed Jewel

When the need arises for a quick, fun jaunt that includes great food, I point my front wheel north through a landscape that at...

Pendleton Bike Week 2018

Nestled among ranchland and wheat fields in the state’s northeast corner, reviewing the history of Pendleton, Oregon, conjures images of rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboys, Native...

(Mis)Adventures on the Utah Backcountry Discovery Route (BDR)

Our plan was a no-brainer: ride the Utah Backcountry Discovery Route (UTBDR) from Mexican Hat, Utah, to the Idaho border, starting in Santa Barbara,...

Favorite Ride: Melodic Montana

It's with a nod to the late, great music show host Lawrence Welk that I start this ride spanning a couple of Montana's scenic...

Laing’s Journey: A Six-Weeks Perambulation on Two Wheels

Hamilton Mack Laing's way was rutted. Clay mud lined with the tracks made by car and wagon wheels had dried, hindering the passage of his...

Riding Virginia’s Crooked Road and Blue Ridge

Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains in autumn are a place of unique beauty not to be missed, especially from the open cockpit of a motorcycle....

The Old Way: Historic U.S. 80 and the Wood Plank Road

Picture a scene in which hearty travelers traverse barren and windswept sand dunes on roads of rough-hewn timbers. I am not talking about some...

Favorite Ride: Bay Area Peaks Trifecta

My Grandpa rode an Indian and I decided to follow suit by purchasing a 2016 Roadmaster. I bought it one rainy January day--a prime time...

Riding For Good at the Quail 2018

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is among the country's best motorcycle concours events, yet it's not just about hobnobbing on a field of pristine vintage...

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering X

Last May I found myself very happy: all it took was a warm, sunny day in California's Carmel Valley, 350 beautiful motorcycles parked on...

The Final Frontier: How Alaska Stole This British Rider’s Heart

Skirting northeasterly around Denali National Park, I was hit with countless chevrons of snowcapped, glacier-studded mountains in Alaska's Interior. My hunger for wild lands...

Motorcycle Touring in Curvy Colorado

Winter Park may not be a name you associate with summer entertainment, but the Colorado town of that name provides it. While skiers and...

Riding West Virginia’s Country Roads

With the weather calling for highs in the mid-70s in West Virginia in mid-November, I knew I had to take one last ride up...

Riding Across the Great Divide

Motorcycling along the Continental Divide through Colorado and New Mexico. For years I longed to ride the Continental Divide but had put it off because...

2018 Triumph Bonneville Speedmaster | Tour Test Review

Here at Rider, we have an unofficial motto: "Ride to eat, eat to ride." And I contend that the perfect road food is the...

Visiting Ghostly Towns in Nevada’s Esmeralda County

I like a bit of barely populated desolation—as long as there are roads going through. And Esmeralda is apparently the second-most people-less county in...

Sagebrush and Apple Blossoms: Exploring Washington State’s Desert Country

Nighthawk is one of America’s least frequented border crossings. The postage stamp of officialdom is all but lost within the rolling grasslands, vineyards and...

Ranging Around Reno: A Loop Around Lake Tahoe

The mountain ranges to the south of Reno, Nevada, are a playground full of great rides. Today’s will take me up to Virginia City,...

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...

Expanding Your Horizons: Northern Arizona Loop Ride

Miles of hairpins, 4,000 feet of elevation change, historic towns, monolithic red rocks and vast pine forests all in the span of a 180-mile...

Southwest Express: Winter Touring on Can-Am Spyders

So...do we fly? Or do we ride? Kurt and I were staring at a map of the Southwest, planning a visit to his family in...

Riding the Backbone of America: U.S. 50

Vice President Joe Biden would not be happy. He might also be surprised to learn that after two decades it turns out I’m something...

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...

Favorite Ride: Nebo Loop Scenic Byway

Some of the best roads I’ve ridden were discovered by accident. The Nebo Loop in Utah is a good example. I found it a...

A Ride on the Wild Side: Carving Curves Through Central Pennsylvania

Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was established by logging, matured under manufacturing and has been revitalized by natural gas, but it’s probably best known for kids playing...

Sources of Power: Touring Some of California’s Powerplants on an Indian

I always enjoy riding over to Morro Bay...and not just for the pleasure of calamari and chips at Giovanni’s. Coming down the west slope...

U.S. Tours

News & Reviews