Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz on a new-generation Triumph Bonneville

By Andrew Perkins
Published on June 2, 2008
1 / 5
Lookin' good on the road from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, Calif.
Lookin' good on the road from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz, Calif.
2 / 5
Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Boulevard is a favorite biker destination.
Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Boulevard is a favorite biker destination.
3 / 5
Filling up at Alice's Restaurant. At $4.10 a gallon it was worth every penny since there's not another station around for miles.
Filling up at Alice's Restaurant. At $4.10 a gallon it was worth every penny since there's not another station around for miles.
4 / 5
Happiness defined: A Triumph Bonneville, sunshine and California's famed Skyline Boulevard.
Happiness defined: A Triumph Bonneville, sunshine and California's famed Skyline Boulevard.
5 / 5
Journey's end: Laura unpacks the T100 in Santa Cruz.
Journey's end: Laura unpacks the T100 in Santa Cruz.

Only in Northern California can you experience some of the best riding weather and some of the worst – within just a few miles! It is kind of like riding from the Arctic to the equator in one afternoon. Nevertheless, you’ll be hard pressed to find better riding roads and destinations in North America, which is no big secret.

My wife, Laura (who, among other accomplishments, coordinates Shop Talk, the weekly Motorcycle Classics e-newsletter) joined me for our second outing to Legend of the Motorcycle, held May 3 at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Since the show’s inception in 2006, the annual Concours d’ Elegance and auction founded by San Franciscans Jared Zaugg and Brooke Roner has become the world champ of vintage bike shows.

We extended our visit this year by one day for an opportunity to explore some of the legendary inland roads between Half Moon Bay and Monterey Bay. My good buddy Wolfgang Taft, owner of Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals in San Francisco, set us up with a retro-classic 2007 Triumph Bonneville T100. The impeccably tuned bike was a recent acquisition for Wolfgang and a welcome addition to his uniquely diverse lineup of rental models. Despite no wind protection, the newer, 865cc Bonneville was the perfect machine for a short, two-up adventure, combining a favorable classic look and style with modern power and reliability.

On Sunday morning, after a carb-packed breakfast at our hotel, we headed south on Hwy. 1 en route to Santa Cruz. Following Wolfgang’s sage advice, we turned inland at San Gregorio on La Honda Road (Route 84), and began a leisurely wind up to the ridge of the inland mountains. It was a brisk morning, the sky was starting to spit and I had just flipped our fuel switch to reserve, so we were a little anxious on the climb. It’s about 15 miles to the Skyline Boulevard intersection (Route 35), home of legendary Bay-area biker destination Alice’s Restaurant. When we discovered that the restaurant operates a couple of gas pumps we were quite relieved, even at a premium $4-plus per gallon (sold!).

Arriving just after the breakfast rush, which included the annual Tour of Legends ride featuring entries from Legend of the Motorcycle, we found the area still bustling. After mingling with 75 or so fellow motorcyclists lingering around the intersection’s various parking enclaves, we topped off the Bonneville and headed South along Skyline Boulevard.

This was our first trip along the potentially scenic route – a narrow ridge-top highway that cuts through the back country of Silicon Valley. We were looking forward to the oft-lauded view, which, at some point, includes simultaneous panoramic glimpses of the San Francisco Bay to the East and the great Pacific to the West. Unfortunately, we had been swallowed by a giant cumulus nimbus, apparently, with only a stone’s throw of visibility.

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-880-7567