Motorcycle Roads Northwest is an excellent website that was developed and is maintained by Adrian Kuepker. It has a listing of roads primarily in Washington and Oregon. Each listed road has a detailed description as well as photos and a map.
The site is also interactive. By registering as a member, you can post a comment about a road or recommend a road to be reviewed.
If you live and ride in the northwest or plan on visiting that area, then a look at Motorcycle Roads Northwest is well worth your time.
May 25, 2009
May 10, 2009
West Virginia Roads
A few days ago, I received an email from a Morgantown, WV rider with some general comments on roads in West Virginia. He agreed to share this with other riders.
"WV supposedly has the most miles or roads per capita (sp) of any state in the Union. Combine that with being completely covered with mountains (has the highest average elevation of any state) and with a sparse population (under 2 million) and you have the makings for great riding."
"I recommend State Routes that run mostly North and South. The Federal Highways are good (RT 50 from Bridgeport to the VA stateline) and parts of RT 250, supposedly RT 60. But the State Routes run from isolated community to isolated community, weaving through the hills. The State Routes are more narrow and don't have shoulders in alot of places and are often not as well paved. But on a bike that just makes for more weaving and fun."
"WV supposedly has the most miles or roads per capita (sp) of any state in the Union. Combine that with being completely covered with mountains (has the highest average elevation of any state) and with a sparse population (under 2 million) and you have the makings for great riding."
"I recommend State Routes that run mostly North and South. The Federal Highways are good (RT 50 from Bridgeport to the VA stateline) and parts of RT 250, supposedly RT 60. But the State Routes run from isolated community to isolated community, weaving through the hills. The State Routes are more narrow and don't have shoulders in alot of places and are often not as well paved. But on a bike that just makes for more weaving and fun."
May 06, 2009
PA License Plates for Veterans
If you are an honorably discharged Veteran and your bike is licensed in Pennsylvania, you can now get a Veterans license plate for your motorcycle.
To obtain your Veterans motorcycle plate, complete MV-150, Application for Special U.S. Military Veteran Registration Plates, and send it to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles along with a copy of your DD 214 or other discharge papers. The fee is $20 for the plate.
(Note: this fee just covers the purchase of the plate!!!!! If your motorcycle was previously titled, the expiration date on your new Veterans plate will be the same as your old plate. When your plate is close to expiration you will have to pay the renewal fee of $18. Seems like a slap in the face to Veterans. I'm writing my State Senator and Representative about this, and I urge other Pennsylvania Veterans who ride, to do so.)
Form MV-150 can be downloaded at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/mv_forms/mv-150.pdf. Note: be patient. For some reason the download can take several seconds even with a cable or DSL modem.
To obtain your Veterans motorcycle plate, complete MV-150, Application for Special U.S. Military Veteran Registration Plates, and send it to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles along with a copy of your DD 214 or other discharge papers. The fee is $20 for the plate.
(Note: this fee just covers the purchase of the plate!!!!! If your motorcycle was previously titled, the expiration date on your new Veterans plate will be the same as your old plate. When your plate is close to expiration you will have to pay the renewal fee of $18. Seems like a slap in the face to Veterans. I'm writing my State Senator and Representative about this, and I urge other Pennsylvania Veterans who ride, to do so.)
Form MV-150 can be downloaded at http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/mv_forms/mv-150.pdf. Note: be patient. For some reason the download can take several seconds even with a cable or DSL modem.
May 01, 2009
Skyline Drive - Virginia
Just returned from a trip to Virginia to include a ride on the Skyline Drive. Late April is a great time to ride this road!!!
Traffic was very light. In fact, I probably saw more motorcycles, hikers, bicycles, and deer than "cages" and "bagos". The reason for this was the weather (sunny, with temperature range of 45-55°) and the fact that some of the campgrounds and other services do not open until May or June.
The Skyline Drive is 105 miles with a 35 mph speed limit, but most of the traffic was exceeding this limit and I did not see any park rangers. With light traffic, figure about 3 hours (with some stops) on the road. Local residents told me that during the tourist season, you should figure on 5-6 hours to do the complete drive. Traffic is sometimes bumper-to-bumper and moving along at 20-25 mph.
With all its curves, this road is great for the touring, sport-touring, and cruiser crowd. But, because of the 35 mph speed limit, bikers on crotch-rockets will probably end up with boredom or a speeding ticket or both.
If you plan on stopping to enjoy some of the overlooks, it might be best to travel the Skyline Drive from north to south. A majority of the overlooks are on the southbound side and are frequently located on the outside of sharp curves. If you are traveling northbound, it is difficult to see oncoming traffic when making your left turn into the overlook parking area.
One thing to be aware of. The deer like to graze along the shoulder of the road. Be careful!
Marys Rock Tunnel - mile marker 32.4
Traffic was very light. In fact, I probably saw more motorcycles, hikers, bicycles, and deer than "cages" and "bagos". The reason for this was the weather (sunny, with temperature range of 45-55°) and the fact that some of the campgrounds and other services do not open until May or June.
The Skyline Drive is 105 miles with a 35 mph speed limit, but most of the traffic was exceeding this limit and I did not see any park rangers. With light traffic, figure about 3 hours (with some stops) on the road. Local residents told me that during the tourist season, you should figure on 5-6 hours to do the complete drive. Traffic is sometimes bumper-to-bumper and moving along at 20-25 mph.
With all its curves, this road is great for the touring, sport-touring, and cruiser crowd. But, because of the 35 mph speed limit, bikers on crotch-rockets will probably end up with boredom or a speeding ticket or both.
If you plan on stopping to enjoy some of the overlooks, it might be best to travel the Skyline Drive from north to south. A majority of the overlooks are on the southbound side and are frequently located on the outside of sharp curves. If you are traveling northbound, it is difficult to see oncoming traffic when making your left turn into the overlook parking area.
One thing to be aware of. The deer like to graze along the shoulder of the road. Be careful!
Marys Rock Tunnel - mile marker 32.4
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