Southern California is a great place for motorcycling. There are many fun and scenic roads well within a reasonable distance and the weather is usually pretty decent. These pages will show some of the more interesting routes with information about things to see and to watch out for along the way. I will also discuss some motorcycling safety issues, such as lane splitting and proper gear.
Personally, I have traveled all over Southern California with my motorcycle, seeking out new and interesting routes to explore. This page will take a while to create, so bear with me. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Routes:
- State 2 – Angeles Crest Highway
Angeles Crest Highway is a very scenic mountain roadway that runs from La Canada east to Wrightwood through the heart of the San Gabriel Mountains. The roadway attracts all sorts of vehicles, from cars, bicycles, and motorcycles. Weekends with good weather can be rather crazy though, particularly with motorcyclists. Weekdays are best to ride as there is a lot less traffic and less problem motorcyclists. Always use caution on this roadway, as around the next bend there may be a motorcyclist on the wrong side of the road or a boulder in the middle of the lane. Sometimes, you may come across wildlife as well.
- Jackrabbit Trail – Riverside County
- State 74 – Ortega Highway – Not Recommended
Ortega Highway is a scenic and twisty mountain road that runs across the Santa Ana Mountains between San Juan Capistrano in Orange County to Lake Elsinore in Riverside County. The roadway is quite popular with motorcyclists and they come from all over to ride here. Weekends are busiest and that does come with a few considerations. Traffic counts are quite high for a roadway with only two lanes and minimal safe passing areas. I always recommend caution on this roadway, particularly through the narrow canyon section in the middle. Rocks and sand can be sometimes found on the roadway through that section as well. There is a usually good area for passing just west of the San Juan Fire Station on the Orange County side. Most of the other areas are limited in length.
State 74, east of Hemet to Palm Desert, is another great roadway to ride. Leaving the town of Hemet on the western end, the roadway climbs up a steep and winding grade with nice sweeping curves through the first few miles. After the first semi-switchback, the roadway has a couple of passing lanes in a section that some locals have dubbed the “Slalom” due to its very twisty nature. After the roadway tops out just east of Mountain Center, the roadway becomes fairly flat and linear. It isn’t until after the junction with State 371 that is becomes more interesting. The section between 371 and Palm Desert offers a somewhat unique bit of roadway. Known as Seven Level Hill, the roadway passes through multiple switchbacks culminating at a vista point with a spectacular view of the Coachella Valley. A ride over Seven Level Hill is indeed a trip to remember.
As with any other mountain road, watch out for rocks and sand in the roadway, especially from Hemet to State 243 and through Seven Level Hill. Fuel and food are also limited so keep that in mind for longer rides or transmountain journeys.
- Palomar Mountain Roadways (South Grade and East Grade)
- Sunrise Highway
Sunrise Highway is a lot of fun on a motorcycle during the right time of year. From spring to fall, the roadway is generally clear of debris which makes riding during winter problematic. I break the roadway into two parts, I-8 to Mt Laguna and Mt Laguna to State 79, as they are very different in feel and views. From I-8 to Mt Laguna, the roadway is very curvy and passes through a nice pine forest with some views. At Mt Laguna, the summit at just over 6000′, the roadway slowly descends passing along the ridge line where spectacular views to the east can be had. Heading north of Kwaaymii Point, the roadway is a lot more exposed and a lot less curvy. Always keep an eye out for rocks along the roadway but north of Mt Laguna, they tend to be a lot less of a problem.
- State 243 – Banning – Idyllwild Highway
This is a beautiful roadway that runs from the Banning Pass in Beaumont through Idyllwild to State 74 in Mountain Center. From its northern end, it starts with a decent grade with large sweeping switchback turns until it reaches the forest. Once in the forest, the overall curvature isn’t too bad. There aren’t many curves posted below 30 mph until near Idyllwild. Through town, it is a bit slow and pretty much stays that way until State 74. Now, being a mountain road, where snow tends to stay during winter, there are a few issues. Until it gets repaved, the roadway is cracked in many places fairly regularly. This doesn’t mean potholes, but does mean bumps in curves. With the snow comes sand, and that sand stays most of the year. Sometimes it isn’t that bad but over the summer of 2015, I found many curves with sand in all the wrong places. There are also very few places to get fuel along the road. Idyllwild has the only services between I-10 and State 74, so I recommend getting food and fuel there.