For some motorcyclists in the north, winter can be just too much to bear. Some of us ride anyway. Some of us grit our teeth and wait. Some of us escape to an island for a few days. Me, I go to California and pretend it’s not happening, and this year, you get to come along. In this mini-episode, my notes from a few weeks in LA… the traffic, the culture, the canyon roads, and a chance encounter with a fellow rider who reminded me of the one thing we all share, no matter where we ride.

Show Notes

The view from the top of Stunt Road.

It turns out that I’m not completely off base thinking drivers in Los Angeles are pretty nice, although this particular study doesn’t put California at the top of the charts. I clearly need to see more of America on two wheels. Conspicuously absent from this data, of course, is my personal benchmark for urban riding, grumpy ol’ Toronto…

Here’s where I got the fun fact about California’s human-to-motorcycle ratio. It’s a few years old, but I doubt the rankings have changed very much. It would be wrong to generalize Los Angeles to all of California, of course, and comparisons to Canada leave out the all-important element of geography. Still, subjectively, it didn’t seem to me that there were more bikes on the streets there than on a typical spring day at home, which makes the feeling of belonging there as a rider all that much more remarkable.

Here’s the article I mentioned recommending the ten best motorcycle rides in the Los Angeles area. I can certainly vouch for a few, which makes me think the whole list is worth keeping if you plan to go and don’t already know your way around.

Pulling over for yet another view on Mulholland Highway. The rented Guzzi is from Ride Malibu.

Here’s a link to Deus Ex Machina’s Venice location. It’s a deceptively handy neighbourhood for visiting motorcyclists, with two rental operations a short walk away, an excellent gear shop only a little further (Beach Moto, where I spied Snowcat), and Iron and Resin’s Venice shop a few doors away for your hipster fix. The area is getting a bit groovy, having recently acquired its very own local handle, ‘The Linc’.

Here’s the Petersen’s web site, along with a recent article about ‘The Custom Revolution’ show that opens in April. Paul D’Orleans’ web site, The Vintagent, is here, and very well worth your time if your love of motorcycling extends to its culture and the people who make it tick.

And here is the web site for Heroes Motors’ LA outpost. I didn’t get to the shop where the actual restoration and custom work gets done, but it’s on my list. This place, along with its location, is just about all the proof you need that moto culture is having a moment right now.

If you aren’t familiar with Snowcat, check out his YouTube channel. It’s not my thing, but you can’t argue with the numbers. He’s got an impressive following, and he can do wheelies for days.

Neptune’s Net, a must-see if you’re cruising the Pacific Coast Highway. This is where I met Darren.

Here’s a bit of information about Neptune’s Net. Their own web site was acting funky when this episode was recorded, but it’s not a hard place to find. And the bike parking is all right out front, where it belongs.

And just in case you thought I was kidding about car commercials at Point Mugu

The Pacific Coast Highway, looking south from Mugu Rock. Sorry about the Instagram aspect ratio…

The musical breaks in this episode are from a track called ‘Surfing Day’, by Marcos Bolanos, used here under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial ShareAlike License. Check it out here.

California Lullabye’ is written and performed by Josh Woodward, and used here under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Josh Woodward makes all of his music free to listeners as a matter of principle. You can get to know him better and support his work by visiting his web site.

Back to All Episodes

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

2 comments on “Episode 8 – A Postcard From California

  1. Cliff Baldwin Mar 17, 2018

    Another fine episode; less gastronomical than the last, but no less satisfying. For the short time time I’ve been riding, hitting the Cali coast and canyons has been become a dream – nay, an obsession. The scenery and roads in Central Oklahoma are, to put it kindly, not inspiring. And, contrasting Cali, there isn’t much of a bike culture here. In the main one must go a fair distance from OKC to get to anything worthwhile. This makes visions of seeing those California vistas on two wheels a painful pleasure. But I was happy, for the moment, to enjoy it vicariously through your “Postcard”. Thank you for sharing your experience!

    I’ve loved bikes my whole life, but due to to life’s demands and occasional difficult circumstance, I was unable, until last year (and I in my 50’s!) able to get my dream machine. Since last spring I’ve been racking up the miles on my 2012 HD Dyna Superglide Custom, seen here on Rte. 66 – https://i.redd.it/n4sk124hndaz.jpg

    I’ll get there one day – and I intend to so on in the saddle of my scoot. In the meantime, I’ll pursue this passion as best as I can here, enjoying the comradeship of others riders, both local and remote!

    Thank you for sharing your experience! I’ve enjoyed your podcast from day one.

    Best regards,

    Cliff
    instagram @bulldog1875

    • Thanks for the kind words, Cliff, I really appreciate your support. Very nice bike, by the way… and as a fellow late bloomer, I fully endorse pointing it west when you can. Just don’t forget your camera; I’d enjoy following you vicariously on the ‘gram!

This Motorcycle Life © 2017 - 2022