First Weekend trip - looking for route help

[qwkdime]

This coming June a small group of us are looking to do our first multi day ride, We are all on sport bikes and would love some route ideas.
the plan is to head out mid day Friday, come home Sunday. Leaving from the walnut creek area, we are open to going ANY DIRECTION. Can you guys give me some ideas on some fun routes for sport bikes?
(avoiding commute traffic would be nice, but not a deal breaker.)

 

[Junkie]

how many hours a day do you want to be on the bikes? you could probably make your way up 1 to 36, across 36, back down through the Sierras.

 

[qwkdime]

how many hours a day do you want to be on the bikes? you could probably make your way up 1 to 36, across 36, back down through the Sierras.

i figured wed spend 4 hours or so on Friday then Saturday would be most of the day with enough stops to keep us from getting too sore, then a more straight shot home on Sunday.

 

[budman]

4 hours is going to dictate your ride choices.

I would suggest Paso Robles. Ride Hwy 1 down.
Hit HWY 58 down thru Taft and beyond on Saturday.
You can rerun 1 or just take 101 home.

 

[Tom G]

For 3 days on a sport bike you then follow 58 to Bakersfield, if open past Lake Isabella, go 395 north, spend the night in Bridgeport or around, and then head home 108, 4, or 88 depending on snow. I used to do that in a single day.

 

[Maddevill]

My wife and I did this route. It was great.
Hwy 29 up to Clear Lake. Had breakfast in Calistoga. Then Hwy 20 West to 101. Stayed in Leggit. Avenue of the Giants. 101 to Eureka to Hwy 299 East out to Redding. Hwy 44 to 89 through Lassen Park. Stayed at Lake Almanor . 89 to Gold Lake Hwy past the Sierra Buttes out to Truckee. Around the west side of Lake Tahoe. Stayed in South Shore. Took Hwy 88 over Carson Pass to home. Epic.

Mad

 

[qwkdime]

My wife and I did this route. It was great.
Hwy 29 up to Clear Lake. Had breakfast in Calistoga. Then Hwy 20 West to 101. Stayed in Leggit. Avenue of the Giants. 101 to Eureka to Hwy 299 East out to Redding. Hwy 44 to 89 through Lassen Park. Stayed at Lake Almanor . 89 to Gold Lake Hwy past the Sierra Buttes out to Truckee. Around the west side of Lake Tahoe. Stayed in South Shore. Took Hwy 88 over Carson Pass to home. Epic.

Mad

Thank you, i like the idea of this one. we only have 2 nights, but maybe get out to lake almanor, and then head home from there. seems like that would be fun in itself.

 

[qwkdime]

4 hours is going to dictate your ride choices.

I would suggest Paso Robles. Ride Hwy 1 down.
Hit HWY 58 down thru Taft and beyond on Saturday.
You can rerun 1 or just take 101 home.

Thank you, this looks fun, do you often run into issues with Fog and wet roads on 1? what about police presence?

 

[Maddevill]

Thank you, i like the idea of this one. we only have 2 nights, but maybe get out to lake almanor, and then head home from there. seems like that would be fun in itself.

Out that way is one of THE greatest motorcycle roads, Hwy 36 from Fortuna to Red Bluff. Then you can continue on 36 East to Lake Almanor. Be aware there may be some road work on 36 including some temporary closures.:thumbup

Mad

 

[lvscrvs]

Butler maps.... great resource

:thumbup

https://www.butlermaps.com/motorcycle-road-maps/northern-california-map/

 

[budman]

Thank you, this looks fun, do you often run into issues with Fog and wet roads on 1? what about police presence?

The fog is usually in late may-august, but it is not an always and can be intermittent. There is a light police presence after Big Sur where it begins to get desolate. It picks up a bit when you get closer to Cambria. I have ridden it a bunch of times (trip planned for late April) and we have never had anyone in our group ticketed.

We hit a road closure once for a while for a crash coming the other way last year. Rode 1 three times last year.

HWY 1 is a delightful stretch of road and some awesome scenic beauty.
A bit more in this ride report. https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=529077

 

[motomania2007]

Lots of options:

South through Hollister hwy 25 to Peachtree to Indian Valley to San Miguel, Pass Robles, Creston for hwy 229 between Creston and 58, then back to Pass or down to SLO
Return trip hwy 1, Nacimeinto Furgesson, Carmel Valley Rd, etc...

Going north is great, as described above to do hwy 36

East is great too: lots of Sierra passes to choose from, after Memorial day weekend.

 

[qwkdime]

after reading everyone's responses and checking out the south bay riders map, I am thinking of doing the following:

Friday head north through Napa on 128/101 and sleep somewhere around Leggett

Saturday, head up to Fortuna, and then head east on 36 to Red Bluff

Sunday cruise home on 5, maybe find a detour so we aren't totally bored. ---- any suggestions on a better route home ??? it is a lot of miles to cover

 

[Junkie]

If you're going north I'd advise taking 128 out to the coast and then 1 up to Leggett rather than 101. The final section (once 1 leaves the coast) is amazing.

 

[motomania2007]

after reading everyone's responses and checking out the south bay riders map, I am thinking of doing the following:

Friday head north through Napa on 128/101 and sleep somewhere around Leggett

Saturday, head up to Fortuna, and then head east on 36 to Red Bluff

Sunday cruise home on 5, maybe find a detour so we aren't totally bored.

5 is boring droning BS

I head south to 20 west to 29 to 128 to 121...

 

[dravnx]

If you're going north I'd advise taking 128 out to the coast and then 1 up to Leggett rather than 101. The final section (once 1 leaves the coast) is amazing.

This, you can thank Junkie after the trip.
Watch your time though. You don't want to do this after dark and miss all the fun. The section of Hwy 1 between Ft. Bragg and Leggett is sublime.

 

[Maddevill]

If you're going north I'd advise taking 128 out to the coast and then 1 up to Leggett rather than 101. The final section (once 1 leaves the coast) is amazing.

I approve. There is a little private inn at the first Leggitt exit coming north on 101. So if you came up from 1 you'd have to backtrack a bit. It's the same exit as the Drive Through Tree except on the North side of the highway. It looks like nothing would be out there. You cross a bridge and it's on the right. I think it's called Stonegate Villas or something. VERY quiet, very nice and VERY inexpensive. Has a garden area with hammocks. Warning, no food or TV. There is a good burger joint just up Hwy 101.

Mad

 

[M2x2]

This, you can thank Junkie after the trip.
Watch your time though. You don't want to do this after dark and miss all the fun. The section of Hwy 1 between Ft. Bragg and Leggett is sublime.

I agree FT. Bragg to Legged, one of the most perfect motorcycle roads ever. Several times I have turned around at Leggett sped back to the coast turned around and sped back to Legget and continued north.

 

[ST Guy]

If you're going north I'd advise taking 128 out to the coast and then 1 up to Leggett rather than 101. The final section (once 1 leaves the coast) is amazing.

This!

And if you can do it, rather than riding 101 in that area, ride the full length of The Avenue of the Giants. It's the old 101 and is absolutely beautiful. Use the little man on Google maps and put him down on various parts of the avenue to see what I mean.

 

[boney]

If you're going north I'd advise taking 128 out to the coast and then 1 up to Leggett rather than 101. The final section (once 1 leaves the coast) is amazing.

Yup.

If you're on sport bikes, and it's your first trip, I will recommend you keep the daily mileage down a bit. By the third day, you might be happy you didn't bite off a huge chunk.

Highway 36 is great, but it's a long, long highway ride to Red Bluff. If you intend to ride it, I would suggest you blast up the highway on Friday afternoon and get a fresh start on 36 in the morning after some rest. Then maybe find your way down the coast or 101 a bit after checking-off 36 and make Sunday shorter than Saturday.

Something like this: Google Map

It's not too ambitious. It gets you out of the back yard. It will give you plenty of time every day to stop and take in the sights and still hit some epic roads. It will also keep you in the area of some fantastic riding which you can add to, or subtract from as you go. Without knowing whether you're a mile-eater or enjoy shorter more intense riding or even smelling the flowers, this will only commit you to one long, boring stretch of highway and it's out of the way at the end of the first day.

I will agree that Hwy 1 from Ft. Bragg to Leggit is awesome, and it is better riding south to north, so maybe if you have time you make a loop by coming down 101 to Willits then over to Ft. Bragg on Saturday, and start Sunday by riding back up to Leggit on 1 and then back home. Make plans for both then call an audible when you're there, depending on how you feel.