Motorcycle Features
In this section you’ll find motorcycle-related feature articles including biographies, technical endeavors, historical spotlights and other articles that focus on interesting aspects of motorcycling culture. If it’s not a road test, motorcycle spotlight, news, gear, rally, blog or tour article, you’ll find it here!
Motorcycle Travel in the Appalachians
Dale Coyner
March 8, 2013
“I think I’m lost.” Twenty miles had passed since departing the only hotel in Cumberland, Kentucky, that had a sign hanging in a broken window that read, “Closed.” That’s when the thought came to mind that I might be in trouble. I’d been traveling lonely State Route 522 for a while now,... Read more »
Crisscrossing the Lower Colorado River–Hoover Dam to the Oxbow Bridge
Clement Salvadori
February 4, 2013
For more than 35 years, a contingent of aging Yuppies that includes Yours Truly has been convening at Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley in late winter. Now, after three nights of carousing, retelling oft-told tales and ignoring realities, the DV weekend was over. I cranked up the Honda Gold Wing GL1800... Read more »
Edelweiss Bike Travel Touring Center Alps
Greg Drevenstedt
February 1, 2013
The Bucket List is a funny, heartstring-pulling movie about two terminally ill men who complete a wish list of experiences before they kick the bucket. They skydive, race classic cars, go on a safari and ride a motorcycle atop the Great Wall of China. Since the movie came out in 2007, “bucket list”... Read more »
Reservoir Roads: Exploring New York’s Southern Highlands
Kenneth W. Dahse
January 4, 2013
When I go on an extended motorcycle tour, I like to ride back roads with plenty of twisties to challenge me, in an area with forests, mountains, lakes and rivers to stimulate the senses. That’s why riding the reservoir roads of New York’s southern highlands makes for a fantastic motorcycle tour.... Read more »
Dreaming of Africa: Ayres African Southern Cross Adventure
Mark Tuttle
January 3, 2013
It was pitch dark, and the air buzzed with strange insect sounds and animal calls over the quiet ticking of the Land Cruiser’s cooling exhaust. Moments before, our ranger/guide Lyle had killed the Toyota’s engine and headlights on this lonely road in Kruger National Park in order to point out the... Read more »
Rider Magazine’s Top 10 Motorcycle Stories of 2012
Rider Magazine Staff
January 2, 2013
We’re taking a look back at 2012 by reviewing our ridermagazine.com page views. Naturally, our homepage (ridermagazine.com) drew the most page views in 2012. It was also popular for users of our website to seek out information on motorcycle helmets (ridermagazine.com/browse-by-type/helmets) and... Read more »
Southwest Touring Ride on a 2013 Victory Vision Tour
Greg Drevenstedt
December 6, 2012
“Last minute…but epic!” The attention-getting email was from Manny Pandya, the younger of the Amazing Pandya Brothers, two quick-witted gearheads who handle press relations for Victory Motorcycles. Manny was recruiting a small band of misfits for the Strip to Chip Tour, a floorboard-scraping,... Read more »
St. Augustine SaddleSore
Gary Dean Joyce
December 5, 2012
My favorite rides are usually on the Blue Ridge Parkway by way of the connecting back roads that bring multitudes of motorcycle riders to the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia. My home in Mayodan, North Carolina, is just 50 miles from the arterial ribbon of asphalt up on the Blue Ridge,... Read more »
Gorgeous Columbia: Seattle to the Columbia River Gorge and Back
Phil Buonpastore
December 4, 2012
When it comes to unspoiled natural beauty, the Columbia River Gorge ranks as one of the most stunning places on earth. While that may sound like an overly hyped statement in an overly hyped world, in this case it happens to be true. Few places combine as many elements of beautiful geography and topography—mountains,... Read more »
Scouting the Cumberland Highlands in Tennessee
Clement Salvadori
November 9, 2012
I was sitting at a picnic table under a large tree in front of the Cyclemos Motorcycle Museum savoring one of Vinnie T’s burgers with all the trimmings, and a fellow on the other side of the table said, “You’re not from around here.” “Nope,” I agreed, as I looked over the map of Tennessee... Read more »
