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North Central U.S.

19 Spectacular Waterfalls Worth the Ride

Discover the best waterfall motorcycle rides in America, featuring scenic roads, unforgettable destinations, and spectacular waterfalls worth the journey.

The Birthplace of Route 66—Missouri

Ride Missouri Route 66 from St. Louis to Joplin with Rider magazine's travel guide featuring historic attractions, scenic roads, lodging, food stops, and trip tips.

The Beginning of the Dream—Illinois Route 66

Stretching roughly 300 miles from downtown Chicago to the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Illinois serves as the opening chapter of America’s most famous...

The Land of Lincoln—Springfield, IL

For many travelers, Springfield, Illinois, is synonymous with one name: Abraham Lincoln. The city where Lincoln lived, practiced law, raised his family, and launched...

100+ Roadside Attractions Along U.S. Route 66

Celebrate Route 66’s 100th anniversary with over 100 of the best roadside attractions, from neon motels and giant statues to quirky tourist stops that define America’s Mother Road.

Top 5 Motorcycle Roads in Minnesota

While the “Star of the North” isn’t conducive to motorcycle riding during winter, Minnesota offers a treasure trove of great roads for motorcyclists to...

North by Northeast: Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

With the crack of the throttle, my son, Chad, and I started our northern Minnesota motorcycle ride, he on his 2009 Harley-Davidson Fatboy and...

Taking the Long Way Home: Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana Motorcycle Ride

It was almost noon as I rolled into Zanesville, Ohio, and my stomach reminded me that all I had for breakfast was black coffee...

Wheels and a Wedding: Wisconsin Motorcycle Ride

A wedding is a wonderful time to celebrate with friends and family, but when that family resides in Wisconsin, it is also a great...

Fall Motorcycle Travel Guide 2025

We’re approaching fall, when kids go back to school, the air gets cooler, and leaves start to show their true colors. It’s a great...

Forty-Nine and Fifty: Riding U.S. Route 50 from Ohio to Maryland

I was back at my old stomping grounds. It was here, 50 years ago, where my life changed, where a dream took hold and...

Yore Mother Road: Recollections of a Route 66 Motorcycle Ride

Decades after its official demise in 1985, Route 66 remains in fragments, with the rest either paved over and renamed or reclaimed by nature....

Iron Range Ramble: Northern Minnesota Motorcycle Ride

For motorcycle enthusiasts, northern Minnesota offers some of the best riding in the Midwest, combining scenic beauty with rich history and small-town charm. My...

Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan Motorcycle Ride

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...
2026 Motorcycle Buyers Guide