New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US.

1) California: Marysville/La Porte Road: "This road takes you through some great twisty asphalt through the Plumas National Forest." Located northeast of Yuba City.

2) Illinois: Blue Ridge Road: "Nice curvy 2 lane blacktop up out of the Illinois River valley."

3) Michigan: River Road: "A scenic ride along the Au Sable River. Several points of interest along the way..." Off of US 23 in northern Michigan.

4) Missouri: SR H: "Highway H doesn't have the best pavement, but does have some nice sweepers and elevation changes. " Located east of Fort Leonard Wood.

5) New Jersey: Pasadena Road: "This road runs parallel to a former railroad track and ends up by Route 72 in Manahawkin."

6) New York: CR 57: "Narrow road with little traffic and twisties." AKA Shunpike Road.

7) Oklahoma: Cavanal Hill Road: "You're riding a steep and twisty one lane road to the top of the highest hill in the world..." "If this road had a personality, it would be Snake Plissken!" Located west of Poteau.

8) Pennsylvania: Powells Valley Road: "...from Lykens to Greenland Road the road is smooth with plenty of curves as you go through Lykens Glen State Park."

9) Tennessee: Daus Mountain Road: "The road starts out as a nice set of twisties and turns into sweepers." Located northwest of Chattanooga.

Top Roads

Here are a few top roads listings which were recently posted. I'm not going to comment on the selection of roads, they are all good motorcycle roads. You could argue forever about a top roads list. Here they are:

Competition Accessories is in the process of listing the top 20 roads in the various regions of the US. A short description, photo, road length, and rider's rating is provided on each road. However, in many cases, you have to guess which road(s) or route are being described. A map or the road designations would have been helpful.

Bill Muneio recently posted his Top 5 Motorcycle Roads of California's Central Coast. Bill provides a good description along with several photos and a link to a Google Map of the road. He purposely left out CA 1 since it has been covered thoroughly elsewhere.

West Virginia

Spent a couple of days riding in the mountains of West Virginia. 1st time for me. Here are some of my observations:
WV 55 is a great road but it's character has been compromised as a portion in now a 4-lane freeway (part of Corridor H). This freeway cuts through mountains and fills in valleys. Traffic on this freeway, which cost several million per mile to build, was very light. This is a waste of taxpayer money and it has ruined the beautiful mountain scenery and road. Along the freeway you will see signs directing you to the old 55, however.
Ditto for US 33 - it also has some segments with Corridor H freeway. A must stop is Seneca Rocks at the intersection of WV 55 and US 33. Be sure to visit the Seneca Rocks Discovery Center and check out Harper's Old Country Store.
Rode US 50 from Clarksburg to Ellenboro. Also a 4-lane freeway (Corridor D) and a bit of a disappointment. Traffic was moderate on this segment.
From Ellenboro I took WV 16 to St. Mary. If the rest of 16 is as good as this small segment, you can't go wrong. St. Mary is  unique in that a railroad runs down the center of the main street. I talked to a local and he said that several trains come through daily and St Marys is one of only 2-3 towns in the US with this rare situation. When a train approaches, lights flash to warn motorists to move to the side and make way for the train. An opportunity for a quick stop and photo op.
WV 7 was the real deal and it restored my faith in WV roads. Light traffic and endless curves.
Overall, these roads in the WV mountains were a enjoyable ride. Look forward to getting back to this area and explore other roads.

Great day of riding

Yesterday, with perfect weather, took a ride to the Dutch Country of Pennsylvania. Stopped at Yoders Country Market in New Holland for their all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. The food was excellent and a real bargain at $10. After lunch rode over to Intercourse, PA and stopped at Kitchen Kettle Village. Its worth the time to walk around, do some shopping and, best of all, listen to the music of the duo (guitar and banjo) who perform outside the bake shop.
On the way down rode PA 568. This is a road which is a must ride if you are in the area. Lots of curves, nice scenery, and very little traffic. It is very tempting to push the speed, but with no shoulders and many blind curves, it is wise to sit back and enjoy the scenery and cooling shade.
Leaving Intercourse, I took PA 772 west to Rothsville. 772 is not listed on MotorcycleRoads.US but it is a great motorcycle road and I hope that a rider out there submits their comments on it.
The highlight of the day happened upon arrival at the Kitchen Kettle Village. As I got off by bike, I spied a couple across the parking lot who had also just arrived. Went over and introduced myself and it turned out that the couple were from Iceland touring the US on their Yamaha Venture. We had a nice conversation and quickly became friends. Needless to say that this is an example of why motorcycling is a such a passion with me.

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Arkansas: SR 221 - "This road is really good with its curves and elevation changes. Good pavement and very pretty ride." In the Northwest Ozarks out of Berryville.

2) Minnesota: CR 16 - "...along the St. Croix River..." AKA Wild Mountain Road. Located north of the Twin Cities.

3) Missouri: US 50 - "Nice ride thru the Mid Missouri countryside. Usually low traffic." Runs between Jefferson City and St. Louis.

4) North Carolina: Road to Nowhere - "This road goes into the Smokey Mountains National Park and deadends at a tunnel about 1/4 mile long. The views of the Southern Smokies are great along this route..." AKA Lakeview Drive.

5) New York: CR 6 - "Great sportbike road that will keep you on your toes with a variety of hard to predict turns at times. Short, but one of the best in the area." Located in the Hudson Valley region.

6) Ohio: US 52 - "Nice sweeping turns with little traffic." Follows along the Ohio River.

7) Pennsylvania: Oysterdale Road - "Mostly sweeping (slightly twisty), beautiful countryside." In the Dutch County northeast of Reading.

8) Tennessee: Clifton Turnpike - "...this road snakes it's way through heavy woods to a lower elevation where it straightens out to open meadows. Sport bikers will not be disappointed." Located southwest of Nashville.

9) Texas: FM 2208 - "Nice road, friendly traffic, very scenic, around 40 miles of fun." Out of Longview not far from I-20, X599.

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to  MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: CR 87 - "Mostly sweepers but a few twisters. Most of the area is farm land..." East of Hunysville.

2) Indiana: Old Trail Road - "Gentle, rolling, twisting rural road with pleasant farmland scenery, open fields, strands of forest, and almost no traffic to speak of." Located west of Fort Wayne.

3) Maryland: SR 146 - "Nice country road. Old farm houses and nice curves." From Towson north.

4) Minnesota: Olinda Trail - "Scandia is a cool little town..." Northeast of the Twun Cities.

5) Missouri: SR 87 - "Great road over the hills and bluffs above the river...you have the road mostly to yourself. There is a little bit of twisty fun in the middle." Off of I-70 west of Columbia.

6) New York (Ontario, CA): Niagara Parkway - "The most scenic ride in the region! A low speed route that hugs the shore of the Niagara River. Pick up the parkway in Fort Erie, ON, under the Peace Bridge. {From Buffalo].

7) North Dakota: National Park Road - "The park has wide sweeping turns, beautiful scenery, and wildlife." A loop located in Medora off of I-94, X24.

8) Ohio: Africa Road - "...through Alum Creek State Park the view is calm and beautiful. The roads are top quality with nice hills and soft sweepers." Just north of Columbus.

9) Tennessee: SR 16 - "Very fast sweepers, alot of fun." Begins in Winchester, west of Chattanooga.

 

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Arizona: US 180 - "Route goes from a high elevation of over 8,000ft to a low of close to 5,500ft." Located between Flagstaff and Grand Canyon National Park.

2) Florida: Beacon Light Road - "A well paved, narrow road with tight turns and little hills." In Brevard County, south of New Smyrna Beach.

3) Indiana: SR 25 - "Very beautiful road, runs along the Wabash River from Lafayette to Delphi. It does have a number of sweeping turns and hills."

4) Minnesota: CR 9 - "...check out the St. Criox River at Wild River State Park." Off of I-35 noth of the Twin Cities Metro area.

5) North Carolina: Gum Springs Church Road - "Beautiful quiet road along Jordan Lake. Mostly scenic with a few good sweeping turns and some hills." Located east of Pittsboro.

6) New York: SR 46 - "Nice mix of sweepers and moderate twisties. Route passes through two state parks..." North of Rome.

7) Ohio: Kitzmiller Road - "The road is in great condition with some 90 degree turns and lots of trees." Northeast of Columbus.

8) Virginia: SR 631 - AKA Dobyns Road. "Twisty with some elevation changes." In the Roanoke Valley region west of Stuart.

9) Wyoming: SR 211 - "Combination of straight, sweepers, and rolling hills. Lots of open prairie." Portion of the road is gravel but OK for street bikes. North of Cheyenne.

New Roads

Added 6 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Idaho: SR 32 - "The variable green patchwork of the farmland created a very scenic ride and the seemingly endless sweeping and rolling from one end to the other left me with a huge grin at the end." East of I-15 close to the Wyoming state line.

2) North Carolina: Croomsbridge Road - "Its a nice road but short." Just off I-40 north of Wilmington.

3) Ohio: Clark State Road - "Beautiful Ohio Byway road with good elevation changes and sweepers through horse farms and state parks." Located northeast of Columbus.

4) Pennsylvania: SR 18 - "This is a great high speed route with many long passing zones and great curves and elevation changes. " Starts in Washington, south of Pittsburgh.

5) Virginia: SR 600 - "This is a beautiful route to take on the motorcycle. Along this road you will have access to seaside fishing towns that have great seafood restrauants and other attractions." Located on the DelMarVa peninsula.

6) Wisconsin: SR 47 - "...tons of twisties and small hills with slow vehicle turn outs. It's also quite scenic on the Menominee Indian Reservation." In the northern highlands east of Wausau.

New Roads in Tennessee

Added 9 new roads to Middle Tennessee. All are in Wilson County (Lebanon area). Many of them can be combined to create a loop.

1) Alsup Mill Road - "Numerous sweeping turns, beware of horse and cattle crossings."

2) Beech Log Road - "Backroads Tennessee riding."

3) Eastover Road - "Country road, speed limit 35 mph, rural riding, be careful of the 90 degree turns. T's into Bailey Road at stop sign and connects to Poplar Hill Road.."

4) Greenvale Road - "Scenic drive to small town of Statesville, TN. No services. Rolling scenic drive with blind curves over hills."

5) Poplar Hill Road - "Country riding. Speed limit 35."

6) SE Tater Peeler Road - "Beware of LEOs. Speed limit 35 mph."

7) Sherrilltown Road - "Some blind over hill curves. A few 90 degree turns. Hooks up to Beech Log Road to either go to SR 266/Cainesville Road or to US 70/SR 26/Sparta Pike."

8) Simmons Bluff Road - "Be careful of curves that rise to blind spots. There are several 90 degree 20 mph curves."

9) St Johns Road - "Short drive connecting to Alsup Mill Road. Good paved road. Major road for Wilson County, TN."

New Roads

Added 5 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) California: South Mountain Road - "Great scenic road throgh the orange groves on the way to Santa Paula from Moorpark."

2) Florida: CR 314A - "Just about as good as a rural road gets in Florida." Located in Central Florida east of Ocala.

3) New York: Moriches Road - "Many beautiful homes and some scenic views of Stony Brook Harbor and Duck Pond." On Long Island near Smithtown Bay.

4) Ohio: Headleys Mill Road SW - "The scenic route has some great sweepers... The road goes through woods and past a golf course." East of Columbus.

5) Wisconsin: CR G - "A Wisconsin Rustic Road. Very twisty, lots of elevation changes, northwoods and lakes." Off of US 51 near the Michigan state line.

New Roads in Texas

Added 9 new roads to Texas.

1) Hill Country:

    a) FM 2222: "This road in Austin is a great ride... It has curves and hills and is beautiful for an 'urban' road."

    b) City Park Road: "Won't know you are in the middle of Austin, TX city limits. Nice road through Emma Long Metro Park. "

    c) Mt. Bonnell Road: "...this road leads to Mt. Bonnell Park, which is the highest viewpoint in Austin. You get a great view of Lake Austin, the loop 360 bridge, and the other direction is downtown Austin."

    d) Shaw Drive: "The first part of the road is super tight and curvy, and there is a view of Lake Travis as you come off the hill. You do have to u-turn, as it ends in Turkey Bend Recreation Area..."

2) Prairies and Lakes Region:

    a) FM 67: "It has several tight curves that are not spaced too far apart, so the road doesn't have too many "boring" spots, and the scenery is actually a little hilly, which is a plus."

    b) FM 216: "Even though this road dead-ends into a gravel county road, it is too fun to miss if you're riding around the Glen Rose/Hico/Meridian/Cranfills Gap area."

    c) FM 309: "This is a great curvy road in the Hillsboro area... There are many sweepers, and it gets very slightly hilly as it gets closer to the west end. A very good little road."

    d) FM 1473: "Even though this road ends at a county road, it is an excellent motorcycle road, because it is twisty. It is scenic at times also as it follows some hills." Located west of Meridian.

3) Piney Woods.

    a) CR 3440: "County Road 3440 is an awesome road that goes along the shoreline of Lake Hawkins, both for its twisty quality and the awesome lake views."

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Arizona: Old US 80 - "This is a paved 2-lane rural road thru the Gila River Valley. It runs roughly parallel to AZ 85..." Can be accessed from I-8, X115 or X119. Located SW of Phoenix.

2) California: Grimes Canyon Road - "Twisty mountain road from Moorpark to Filmore. Start and end in the orange groves with a great mountian view." Located NW of Los Angeles.

3) Idaho: Pine-Featherville Road - "This road will wind downhill to the Anderson Reservoir. The road is two lanes all the way with many twists and turns plus tons of great places to take pictures." West of Mountain Home off of US 20.

4) New Jersey: Hartsthorne Drive - Situated on a peninsula in Sandy Hook National Park.

5) Ohio: Morse Road SW - "Good hills and valleys with a great ravine bridge to enjoy the ride even better." Located east of Columbus.

6) Oklahoma: SR 152 - "Highway 152 west from Cogar to Binger is very good.." Can be joined with SR 37 and US 281 to make a nice loop. Situated west of Oklahoma City.

7) Tennessee: Mooresville Pike - "Hilly, scenic with some twisty parts. Smooth road surface, little traffic." Located south of Columbia in Middle Tennessee.

8) Texas: CR 3420 - "This road is a wonderful road for both the twisties and for the views of Lake Hawkins." Situated north of Tyler.

9) Virginia: US 13 across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. "This is a unique ride in that it provides 360-degree views-- except when obstructed by birds, ships and fishermen, and the smells and sounds of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other."

New Roads

Added 5 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: SR 107 - "Great scenic road through the Alabama hills. Lots of sweeping turns too."

2) California: Santa Rosa Road - "Great scenic road through wine country with fantastic sweeping curves." Located east of Vandenberg AFB.

3) Indiana: Deputy Pike - "Typical southern Indiana combination of mild to interesting turns! Straightens out a bit toward the east."

4) Pennsylvania: SR 16 - "Loops south from US 30 through rolling Pennsylvania farmland, forest, and ridges. With lighter traffic, a much better alternative to crawling through Chambersburg on US 30."

5) Texas: Winner Foster Road - "Great scenic ride with nice sweeping turns." Located west of Houston.

New Roads in Texas

Added 7 roads to North Texas:

1) FM 660 - "This is what I would call the 'scenic' route from Ennis to Ferris, especially if you're trying to avoid I-45, which is always advisable." South of Dalas.

2) FM 813 - "This road is a great road for being this close to the DFW area. It has many low-speed sweepers, and is actually twisty in sections."

3) FM 916 - "A nice ride through the Texas countryside. Good pavement, sweeping curves, and pretty scenery." South of Fort Worth.

4) Cahoba Drive - "Cahoba Drive is a fun cruise with many Lake Worth views. The pavement is not what I'd call "excellent" for cutting the twisties, and there are a few speedbumps, but the speedbumps are sectioned with gaps that you can pass through easily on a motorcycle..."

5) Heron Drive - "Heron Drive follows Lake Worth shoreline for several miles, and is full of tight twisties, blind corners, hills, and Lake Worth views. This is an awesome road, and I never thought I would find one this good this close to Ft. Worth."

6) Lake Road - "Lake Road is a very nice and fun cruise around Lake Weatherford. Lots of nice sweepers and lots of lake views, as it goes right with the shoreline."

7) Watercress Drive - "Watercress Drive is a great road that follows the Lake Worth shoreline, giving great lake views, and several twisties."

New Roads

Added 7 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Florida: Fussell Road - "About as 'twisty' as you get in Florida. But this road is infamous for riders going down. Open straight sections allow speed build-up, but some deceptive turns that can cause you to over-steer." Located southwest of Orlando.

2) Indiana: Bicycle Bridge Road - "Goes over Bicycle Bridge (cross the Tippecanoe River), so named according to history buffs because the original bridge was so narrow it was only good for bicycles." Just outside Delpi (NE of Lafayette).

3) Maryland: Renner Road - "Keeps you on your toes with several tight turns & some nice grade changes. Good pavement the whole way." Northeast of Frederick.

4) Minnesota: CR 1 - Good access from I-90, X266 or X270.

5) Ohio: Cherry Bottom Road - Located north of the Columbus International Airport.

6) Pennsylvania: Walter Dam Road - Easy access from I-80, X277.

7) Texas: FM 116 - Located in the Killeen/Fort Hood area.

New Roads

Added 7 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: SR 54 - "Good sweeping turns, plenty of farmland and overhanging trees." Located just north of the Florida state line.

2) Florida: SR 2 - "Great ride with farms, woods and plenty of sweeping curves." In the Florida panhandle.

3) Kentucky: SR 700 - "Very nice trip from just above Cumberland Falls to 25 miles South of Burnside, well paved, good turns; a very enjoyable ride." Goes through Daniel Boone National Forest.

4) Michigan: CR 595 - "A short but good ride. Road is usually in good condition and relatively debris free." Located northeast of Grand Rapids.

5) Ohio: Noe Bixby Road - "Traffic can be heavy around rush hour. Road is in great condition with trees and river." Columbus area.

6) Pennsylvania: SR 61 - "Some really nice scenery with some nice sweeping turns. There are a few twisty switchbacks." Can be accessed from I-81, X124.

7) Texas: FM 1276 - "This is a very nice and quiet road, very good road." Located east of Livingston.

New Roads

Added 8 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: SR 171 - "Nice sweepers, very scenic." 36 miles of two-lane north of Tuscaloosa.

2) Arizona: BIA 59 - "...through the heart of the Navajo Nation to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. This stretch of roadway is easy riding two-lane asphalt in good condition."

3) Arkansas: SR 298 - "Tree-lined, chip-seal, two lane, no potholes..." Located northwest of Benton.

4) Florida: Baymeadows-Gate Parkway - "Left & right alternating sweepers, undeveloped area." Southeast of Jacksonville.

5) Missouri: SR K - "This is an awesome ride with brand new asphalt. Mostly sweepers with some fairly technical stuff thrown in."

6) Ohio: Dry Creek Road - "No amenities along the road but plenty of stops in Newark. Road has some loose gravel in some spots, uneven pavement near Alexandria." Located northeast of Columbus.

7) Pennsylvania: Union Deposit Road - "Short, but twisty with many tight turns and frequent elevation changes." Harrisburg area.

8) Texas: River Road - "Short country run with some fun turns." Located west of Longview.

New Roads in Texas

Added 9 new roads to the Hill Country (Lake Travis area) of Texas. All compliments of a rider from Arlington, Texas.

1) Boggy Ford Road - "It has some sweepers and some lake views for a relaxing cruise in this area."

2) Comanche Trail - "There are awesome high hillside views of Lake Travis, and lots of up-and-down hills and tight curves." Ends at Bob Wentz Park.

3) Hughes Park Road - "If you like twisties, don't miss this one. It follows the curves of Lake Travis enroute to Tom Hughes Park."

4) Lohman Ford Road - "The road has many fun sweepers and some hills, and great views of the surrounding country and Lake Travis. A must do road..."

5) Lost Creek Boulevard - "It is super curvy and very tall hilly, so it's really fun to ride."

6) Reed Park Road - "This road is yet another awesome road for motorcycles in the Lake Travis area, west of Austin. It is a loop road thats twists and turns through a high-end area off of 1431."

7) River Place Boulevard - "...neat cruise through a nice housing area with great views from big hills in west Austin."

8) Singleton Bend Road - "It is hilly and curvy, with nice Lake views in a couple of spots. Fun if you're in this area."

9) Thurman Bend Road - "It twists and turns like a snake past homes enroute to the end in a housing addition at the edge of Lake Travis."

New Roads

Added 9 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US:

1) Alabama: SR 18 - "Scenic foothills to the Smokies. Lots of sweepers and elevation changes." Located west of Birmingham.

2) Arizona: US 89A - "It will wind you through high forest and high desert settings. Stunning landscape and excellent road conditions." Takes you to SR 67 which is the entry point to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.

3) Florida: Baden Powell Road - "Good for somebody that usually only gets to ride Florida's typical straight & flat roads." East of Gainesville.

4) New York: CR 24 - "One of the best twisties in the Adirondacks with banked curves and elevation changes."

5) Ohio: Sunbury Road - "Lots of amenities along the way. Great, clean road along the river and dam." In the Columbus area.

6) Oregon: SR 201 - "It has a good bit of sweeping turns with some rather large hills to go up and down." Can be accessed from I-84 at either X356 or X374.

7) Pennsylvania: Oley Turnpike Road - "I found myself basically alone on this road with no cars. Nice sweepers and some elevation changes make this road fun to ride." Located east of Reading.

8) South Carolina: SR 703 - "This short ride over the Intracoastal Waterway bridge to Sullivans Island and the Isle of Palms is within minutes of Charleston and changes character from day to night."

9) Texas: FM 193 - "Scenic road passing though a canyon and large windmill farm with sweeping turns." Located in the Panhandle Plains northeast of Lubbock.

New Roads

Added 7 new roads to MotorcycleRoads.US.

1) Alabama: SR 96 - "Scenic, lots of sweepers and elevation changes." Located west of Birmingham near Mississippi state line.

2) Louisiana: SR 104 - "Closest thing to 'twisty' road that South Louisiana has to offer." Can be accessed from I-49, X19.

3) Maryland: River Road - "A combination of sweeping turns and farmland, the road disipates into the woods.." AKA SR 190, it can be accessed from I-495, X39.

4) Minnesota: CR 36 - "Little traffic, some curves, nice valley scenery." AKA Ottawa Road. Located southwest of the twin cities.

5) Pennsylvania: SR 562 - "As the main road between Reading and Boyertown it can bogg down with slow moving traffic and little to no places to pass. So you might as well enjoy the views of rural farm life."

6) Tennessee: SR 395 - "This is a beautiful run that starts in a National Forest in Erwin, TN." Becomes SR 197 in North Carolina.

7) Wyoming: I-25 - "As Interstates go, this is a pretty dang good one. Hardly any traffic and some mighty fine views for the whole route."