motorcycles Archives - Page 3 of 4

White Roads and Black Roosters: A Two-Up Off-Road Tour in Tuscany…and Points North

January 21, 2020January 21, 2020Geoff DrakeLeave a comment

Tuscany is a favorite destination, and we’ve been several times to the usual tourist attractions of Florence, Sienna, and the towns along the famous Chianti Road, or Strada del Vino. But as with all such beautiful places, it has become the victim of its own unerring beauty. But this part of Tuscany—to the northwest, south of Modena—is somehow different. It’s every bit as beautiful, but less beleaguered by the tourist onslaught.

Zero SR/F: This is the Noise that Speed Makes Now

November 13, 2019November 13, 2019Geoff Drake1 Comment

Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. Riders who have not experienced an electric motorcycle often think the power output will be quaint, like a supercharged electric toothbrush, or perhaps one of those ubiquitous city scooters. And, despite warnings to the contrary, these same riders have a come-to-Jesus moment when they whack open the throttle. This is…

One Lap of Tassie: Two-up in the Antipodes

September 25, 2018Geoff DrakeLeave a comment

Originally published in the October 2018 issue of Rider Magazine. I’m accustomed to giving the classic “V” sign to other motorcyclists on the road, and getting similar props in return. In California at least, it’s a thing. But as we ride around Tasmania, I’m crushed to discover I’m getting no such love. Initially I attributed…

Downtown Local: Serving Up a Potent Brew of Espresso and Motorcycles

March 16, 2018Geoff Drake2 Comments

Originally published in RoadRUNNER magazine. Halfway between the Northern California coastal towns of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay, at the nexus of some of the best motorcycle roads on the planet, lies the somnolent town of Pescadero. It just might be the coolest coastal burg that no one has heard of. So please, don’t go…

The Seminal Motorcycle

January 29, 2018Geoff Drake3 Comments

Originally published in Rider Magazine. Recently I visited one of my favorite cafes, a short ride up the Pacific Coast from my Santa Cruz, California, home. Called Downtown Local, the place is a syrupy mix of old motorcycles, vintage gas tanks stacked on shelves like cordwood, and decades worth of vinyl, which sound a little…

The Pleasure of Enforced Slowness

December 31, 2017December 31, 2017Geoff Drake5 Comments

Originally published in Rider Magazine. Lately I have been spending a lot of time on my 1974 Honda CB 750. I enjoy the sit-up-and-grin riding position, the languid feel of the bike, and the visceral growl of those four pipes—the world’s first true superbike. But there’s another reason the old CB is so enjoyable: It never…

You Can’t Get There from Here: Brattleboro, Vermont Shamrock Tour

December 19, 2017March 16, 2018Geoff DrakeLeave a comment

Originally published in RoadRUNNER Magazine. I’ve logged a lot of motorcycle miles with my wife, Meredith, riding pillion, but I’ve never seen this before: she’s back there snapping photos of a straight, four-lane interstate, as if we’re riding god’s own highway. “What’s up?” I ask her. “Well,” she says, “It’s the most amazing thing. I’m looking…

Oops, I Fixed It! All Hail the Hamfisted…

June 20, 2017December 28, 2017Geoff DrakeLeave a comment

Originally published in RoadRUNNER Motorcycle Touring & Travel Magazine. Rain slants down outside my garage as utility trucks scurry about, fixing downed power lines. A fire truck screams past, heading up the canyon to deal with the latest meetup of a car and tree. Meanwhile, a dull glow emanates from my garage shop, like an ember—I’m in there…

Catching Up with Motorcycle Racer Doug Chandler: The Three-Time AMA Superbike Champ Talks about his Lifelong Love of Leaning

May 8, 2017Geoff Drake1 Comment

This article was originally published on Motorcycle.com. Photos by Randy Wilder. Forty sweaty high school kids are on a group mountain bike ride in the Fort Ord National Monument, outside Salinas, California. They don’t seem to know, or care, about the identity of the tall guy in their midst. To them, he’s just another well-meaning…

The United Nations of Motorcyclists

April 10, 2017Geoff DrakeLeave a comment

Originally published in the BMW MOA Magazine. Call me grumpy, but as the saying goes, the more people I meet, the better I like my dog. Or my motorcycle. In other words, when it comes to crowds and motorcycling, my general impulse is to go as fast as possible in the opposite direction. And so it…